𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

Chapter 1

The Surprise

The blonde haired man straightened his back as he reached up and knocked on a black and unassuming door. He had searched for weeks to find this particular door and it had taken a lot of whispered conversations and bribery to get the address. He'd had to tell his story to strangers again and again to get them to trust him enough. He'd already been sent to the wrong place twice and nearly been recaptured both times. He steeled himself for another mistake, braced himself with a counter jinx ready and knocked again.

For a moment he thought the door wasn't going to be answered but then he heard the unmistakable sound of approaching feet, the door swung open to reveal a ginger haired man in his early thirties. He was wearing a pair of jeans that would have been at home on the Muggle high street matched with a green T-shirt that said "Free the Gringott's Three" in black letters. The easy smile which had graced his face as he opened the door fell as he took in the identity of the man who stood before him. He hadn't seen him since the fight at Hogwarts, then at the subsequent trial and he had hoped never to again.

"Malfoy." he said with disgust and stepped back to slam the door in the blonde's face.

"I have information." Draco said quickly and as the ginger haired man stopped he realised the Slytherin before him looked ragged and dirty. Not something he would associate with a Malfoy "I don't have anywhere else to go. I've almost been caught already. He's looking for me."

"Who's looking for you?"

The blonde stood tall and sneered at Ron Weasley, head of the department for Muggle Artefacts and didn't answer. After a moments silence Ron spoke again.

"Why should I help you?"

There was an awkward silence which was broken only when Draco spoke.

"Because you're one of the good guys and that's what you do."

The ex-auror looked down at him mercilessly and Draco felt the last remnants of the hope he'd held on to dissolving. Weasley was going to turn him away and then what would he do? He'd exhausted every avenue; there was nowhere left to hide. He couldn't go back. He couldn't bear it. As he thought of the fate that awaited him he shuddered slightly and was embarrassed to realise water was beginning to build in his eyes. Ron watched him with the appearance of heartlessness for a few more moments and then it faded away and he stepped back beckoning for Malfoy to enter his hallway.

"Fine you can come in; but you'll hand over your wand and you'll submit to a full examination before you get any further than the hall."

"I don't have a wand. But I'll do whatever you want if you just let me in."

Ron looked surprised, but muttered an incantation that sent a blue haze over Draco. It shimmered for a few moments and then turned green.

"Fine. Come in" Ron said and Draco walked through the barrier and into safety. ---

It had been weeks since he'd eaten anything resembling a full meal so as Ron conjured up a bowl of soup and a plate of sandwiches he dug in without any pre-amble. The plates refilled every time Draco took a sandwich or emptied the soup bowl. Draco raised questioning eyes to Ron.

"It's a spell I learnt from Dumbledore" he said and a look of hatred passed across his face. Draco blushed; there was no point in protesting his innocence in that affair. In fact it was a miracle Ron had let it pass enough to allow him entry. Draco didn't want to provoke Ron but he forced himself to speak.

"I wasn't supposed to succeed" Draco said carefully "I was supposed to die in the attempt. Make..." he hesitated over the name "...Dumbledore... into a child murderer or fail and give the Dark Lord an excuse to punish me. He wanted that desperately you see an excuse to punish me." He looked up briefly to see how Ron was reacting to his explanation to find Ron was staring at him with a look that made him want to curl in on himself, he resisted the temptation.