Chapter 3
As soon as the man woke up tied up on the chair in Draco’s hair, he started freaking out. Over the top, trying to scramble away but failing miserably, it was like watching his ferret Kona scrambling in a basket of clothes, just not happy. Draco almost had an urge to laugh, but he wouldn’t laugh at such a miserable attempt of the man trying to escape. That would regard Draco's brilliant plan to use him to see the lights to possibly cease function. So no, that was not an option so Draco shut down any emotions.
“Hello? Who’s there?” The man spoke, looking around, squinting to see the dark shadows surrounding him. Kona then climbed up the man's leg, it only made him screech. “Wait, is this hair?”
“You can’t… you can’t escape,” he stumbled his words, “it’s pointless. I know why you’re here.”
The man followed the voice, and looked straight at Draco now, seeming completely unimpressed, “yeah, so why am I here? It would be helpful if you tell your prisoner why he is your prisoner.”
“You’re here for my hair,” he couldn’t help his shaky voice as he spoke.
“What, why would I want your hair? You’ve never done this before,” he paused, squinting at his captor who crept into the light, “have you?”
“Listen, I’ve got your items, I’m assuming you stole, and you’re not getting them back,” Draco looked down on the man, trying his hardest to seem like his father when he was upset at him.
“It’s clear you’re hiding up here, I won’t tell anyone what I saw, just let me out,” he did something extremely weird with his face, “please?” Three long seconds of silence. “Maybe we started on the wrong foot,” he made that weird face again, his eyebrows drawn together and eyes halfway closed, “hey, names Harry Potter.”
“Perhaps I have a deal, if you may,” he leaned closer to the man, “if you take me to see the floating lights, I could give you your stuff back.”
“Or you could give me my stuff back now and I’ll be on my way and forget whatever happened.”
“Goodluck with never seeing your satchel,” he yanked his hair, making the chair tumble over.
“Fine, I’ll take you, just why do you need me to take you?”
“Just do your job,”
“I can’t do it if I’m tied up in hair,” he rolled his eyes. Draco stood still and contemplated for a while. How was he going to do this, Harry Potter could run away at any time.
“Okay fine Potter, however, try anything, anything at all, and you’ll regret you ever existed.” In all truths, Draco didn’t know what he would do if he had run. Except maybe, just maybe… “I will only give you your stuff after you fulfill my demand.” Potter sighed at this, then nodded his head and Draco moved to untie his hair.
“How can I trust you’ve even got it?” Potter rubs his wrists whilst raising a brow at Draco. “I don’t even know your name.”
“It’s Draco, and trust me, I’ve got it.”
“Come on, I gave you my full name,” he groans out. For such a handsome man, he’s got some nerve.
“That is my full name, now come on, we are wasting time,” Draco gestures to the window, “after you.”
Harry climbs down the tower, Draco stifles a laugh. He was able to get down the easy way, though Draco wanted to see him struggle just for a little bit. It was supposed to be entertaining, but Harry easily manoeuvred down the cobbled castle the way in which he came up. Though it was much slower, yes so Draco gained from that. He threw his hair down the window and lowered himself down while Harry ducked and yelled out, Draco hadn’t known what he said, he was too busy preparing to lower his feet to the grass.
All his life he wondered what it felt like, what it was like to run on the earth, to be free. Now he finally had that chance, and he didn’t want to waste it away. Shivers spread down his body as he lowered his feet to the soft, dewy grass. It was more than he could have ever imagined. It felt cold, wet, but so refreshing.
Draco lets out an airy laugh, one he didn’t know he was capable of. There was a puddle next to him, he had to jump in it. The cold slipped through his toes, surrounding his calves. It was pure bliss, why hadn’t his father brought him out before? Was the world really as bad as he said it was? Draco must have missed out on so much, his skin was tingling all over, he wanted to run as fast and far as he could.
Well, he could. He could run, he could chase down the butterflies swarming the air. He did, he ran till he felt as though his heart might burst from how fast it was racing. He glanced behind him, sharing his smile with Harry who started every movement Draco had made.
“Are you.. well?” he had asked Draco, with wide eyes.
“Oh shove off,” he says breathlessly, running towards the exit of the hidden world that was all Draco knew. Once out, the sight was endless. There were so many things to look at and not enough time to examine. There was a huge tree right outside the hidden cave, Draco threw his hair on it to help him climb up it. He then used it as a rope and glided off the tree, the wind blowing through his hair. He has never felt more alive than when he did now.
“This is the best day ever! Why have I never snuck out before,” he then sinks into realization, “he is going to absolutely kill me.”
“What? Who is? Listen this was a bad idea,” he says slowly, “let's bring you back up, and then you won’t get murdered and I can have my satchel back. It’s a perfect plan!”
“What? No, you git. We made a deal,” at this Harry sighs.
“Okay, we will go, and we will see the ‘floating lights’ or whatever and then once we return, you can get tortured, beaten, and have your life taken from you for escaping,” he said matter-of-factly.
“He will really do that, won't he?” Nerves flushed Draco’s body and he felt cold even just thinking about the consequences.
“Mhm, so why don’t we get you back up there so you don’t have to face that, and I will get my satchel back.”
“You know what? No. We are doing this, it is for my birthday and Father doesn’t need to find out.”
“Ugh come on, what’s it gonna take for me to get it back?” Harry sunk his back to the tree and ran his hand through his horrifically messy hair.
“Is there any place to grab food? Then we can head out closer to the lights that will be lit tomorrow night,” he spoke highly, he had to keep his guard up, there were wanted posters everywhere. This man had to be more dangerous than he appeared. However, if all men were like this, why had they been deemed so dangerous by his father? Harry had made no move to harm Draco, not yet at least.
“Actually, yes,” he sat up straight at this, “it’s the perfect place actually, I think you might enjoy it, yes.” Draco nodded and followed Harry Potter, though as they were walking, the atmosphere seemed to darken and people were on the ground, holding their hands out for donations. Was this what Father had been talking about?
“Yes, this is quite a lovely place,” Harry said, grinning wide with a sparkle in his eyes. They approached a rusting door, which had opened suddenly without anyone nearby. “Welcome to The Leaky Cauldron!”
There were old people everywhere with broken smiles and yellowing teeth, which had all turned on Harry and Draco. Draco gulped, this was it. This was what Father had truly been talking about. He should have listened to him, he really regretted it at this point. Harry nudged Draco to go forward, and reluctantly he did, though someone off on the side had seized a handful of Draco's hair.
“Long,” is all the hunched over person growled. Draco tried to back away, this was a horribly disgusting place, no manners anywhere and completely uncivilized, he knew how odd this behaviour was and he hadn’t any experience to console him.
“Back, I say, back away,” he exclaimed at the crows which were now hovering over them.
“We can go back, Draco, I mean if you find this horrifying I don’t think you’ll manage the rest of the journey.” Harry shrugged his shoulders.
“This you?” Another odd person rumbled out, pointing at the poster nailed to the broken wall.
“Ha, well-” before Harry could continue they snatched him at once, a burly man was holding him by the throat. Draco would leave him there, but he was the key to seeing the lights.
“Wait, I need him, he is the only shot I got at for my,” he clears his throat, “dream.” Honestly, it sounded silly when he had said it out loud. He needed this to work. “Haven’t any of you ever yearned for something?” He could cut the silence with a knife. “Someone?”
“Hm, yes. What's that got to do with him though?” One guy in the back asked dumbfoundedly.
“I’ve been wanting this for my whole life. I know it’s hard to believe, but this stupid git is my ticket to it. You’ve got to trust me. You guys can be better than this.”
“I have a dream, my whole life I wanted to be a sailor,” one said thoughtfully. Few of the others hummed along.
“I’ve always wanted to sing,” “My dream is to be a baker,” more people came to the conclusion it was reasonable to have a dream.
“Though we aren’t, are we?” One shouted, a few in the back agreed.
“Then do what I am and move to achieve your dreams,” Draco huffed out, sweat was already collecting at his brow. Someone yelled in agreement, others joined in. “Listen, just let us go and fulfill your dreams. I’ll even visit on my way back, drinks will be on me.” Draco didn’t have the funds for that, he just wished it was enough for now.
“What has this man ever done to us?” One asked, the room was silent, “exactly. Let’s let the couple go, be kind for once, after all the guards have been off of some of our peoples backs due to the chase for him,” one of the bartenders said aloud, he had messy curly hair and was gigantic. Draco would be forever grateful for this man as everyone backed away. Harry let out a sigh of relief, before Draco turned to hold his hand and raise it.
“To our dreams!” Draco exclaimed, right before the sound of hooves filled the room.
“Guards!” A man at the door yelled, and many of the people in the pub gestured to a painting, which had opened once one whispered a word to it. What a peculiar place, Draco thought before accepting it and crawling into the tunnel after Harry Potter.