Chapter 32 Draco
Chapter 32 Draco
Draco rushed back to the dungeon the moment he was dismissed by Voldemort. Ignoring Lucius’s look of disdain as he fled, Lucius suspected them Draco was sure but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Draco tore through the corridors as fast as his recovering body would allow, his rib was healing well now and he was almost able to run.
‘Alohamora’ he called the spell from halfway down the stairs and dove directly into Dudley’s waiting arms.
After a brief embrace Draco pulled back, hands on both sides of Dudley’s face, searching him for signs of hidden injury.
‘You’re okay?’ Draco asked.
‘I’m fine. Headachey from the cruciatus but I’ll be okay.’
‘You’re sure? You promise?’
‘I promise’ Dudley leaned in and brushed his lips against Draco’s. Draco’s stomach leapt, it scared him how much he cared for Dudley sometimes.
‘You did so well’ Dudley whispered the words into Draco’s mouth.
A pang of guilt tugged at Draco. It was all backwards, Dudley had been the one who was tortured. Again. And yet it was Dudley consoling him. Pathetic.
‘I wanted to show you something.’ Dudley pulled him to the wooden box in the corner.
Dudley opened it carefully, the toad was quite happily sat on top of the egg and she gave a cheerful croak as Dudley picked her up.
‘Look.’ He gave the toad and egg to Draco.
The egg was turning grey and dark veins were making delicate patterns over the surface of the shell.
‘Is it supposed to do that? Dudley asked.
‘I have no idea, I don’t think the books go into much detail, but I guess it was never going to hatch like a chicken egg. I mean it’s not a chicken after all.’
‘Yeah. I’m sure you’re right.’
‘I was thinking actually, I’m sure there’s a blinding spell in one of the books in the library. If I can find it and learn it before the basilisk hatches it would be much safer than a blindfold.’
‘That’s a brilliant idea.’ Dudley beamed at him.
Draco placed the toad carefully back in her box and shut the lid.
‘You should go and check on Garrick and the goblin. I don’t think the goblin has come round yet and Garrick’s got to be suffering from the cruciatus, you should use that spell you used on me before, he must be in pain.’
Draco felt a great surge of fondness for the way Dudley looked after others, even when he was locked up himself.
‘Garrick huh? You guys are friends already?’
‘What? Did you think you were special? I’ll make friends with anyone.’ Dudley said with a twinkle in his eye.
Draco couldn’t help himself but laugh.
Draco and Dudley left the cell and walked over to Ollivander in the next cell down.
It was still large but slightly smaller than Dudley’s.
Ollivander’s eyes bulged when he saw Dudley out of his cell.
Dudley rushed up to him and had his hands at the bars.
‘Are you okay?’ He asked Ollivander.
‘How are you out?’ Ollivander replied.
Dudley looked back at Draco who was stood a few paces behind Dudley.
‘Draco’s a friend, he’s kind, he’s not one of them.’ Dudley pointed to the ceiling and the death eaters above it.
‘Is that right? Why has he not released you then? And why does he have the mark?’ Ollivander looked to Draco.
Draco stuttered, unsure of how exactly to answer. Dudley saved him and interjected.
‘It wouldn’t be safe for either of us to escape at the moment, but look at what they did to him.’ Dudley held up Draco’s stump so ollivander could see. Draco felt a hot shame, he didn’t like people looking at it.
‘So you can’t tell them…’ Dudley pointed upwards again ‘…that he’s with us, okay?
Ollivander gave Dudley a thoughtful look and eventually a soft nod of his head but he did not look convinced. Draco could hardly blame him.
‘Are you okay? Is there anything you need?’’ Draco asked, echoing Dudley’s question, feeling like he should add something to the conversation.
‘Griphook is still unconscious but I’m confident he will wake up soon. Some food would be nice, and a warming charm? It’s quite cold.’
‘Really?’ Dudley interrupted before Draco could answer ‘my cell is always warm.’
‘Your cell already has a warming charm, I added it when you first arrived.’
‘Oh’ Dudley looked at Draco, his mouth slightly open.
‘Thanks.’
‘You really don’t have to thank me’ Draco patted Dudley’s shoulder.
Draco left Ollivander with a warming charm in place, and promised he would send Vinny down with some food too. Ollivander had refused Draco’s offer of pain relief but he had looked relatively healthy.
Draco followed Dudley back into his cell.
‘Muffliato’
‘What’s that?’ Dudley asked
‘It makes it so no one can hear us.’
‘Really?’ Dudley smiled ‘that might come in useful.’
Draco felt some heat in his face. He liked that Dudley was joking, he liked even more that he was joking about that. Draco worried that Dudley only liked him because he was the only person available. He wanted to joke with Dudley, wanted to cry with Dudley and be angry with him. He wanted to experience everything with Dudley, the two of them together. It was silly that one little joke had made his eyes begin to fill and his heart start to ache.
‘I’m so sorry Dudley, we have to get you out of here. It feels like we’re running out of time, you deserve so much more than this.’
‘We will, when you can apparate again and the basilisk is hatched we’ll get that horcrux. We will do it Draco, and when Voldemort is defeated we can be together properly.’
‘Yeah, I just…I can’t stand to watch them hurt you. It killed me watching them do that to you again.’ Draco sighed ‘I can’t believe I did that to you. I don’t understand how you can even stand to be in the same room as me.’
‘I think you’ve paid your karma for that one’
Dudley said softly pressing his mouth to Draco’s stump.
The next few days passed without incident. Dudley seemed to make friends with Ollivander and Griphook finally woke up. Griphook refused to talk to Draco and Ollivander was clearly still wary of him, immediately silencing whenever Draco came down the stairs.
The egg continued to darken in colour, it was now growing much larger too. They had to reapply the tape around the toad several times. Dudley was feeling better, his headaches gone after a day or two. Draco was feeling stronger too, he no longer needed the cane and he could now apparate small distances again, from one end of his bedroom to the other. Draco had also perfected his blinding spell, he felt fairly confident he’d be able to blind the basilisk the moment it hatched. They had a scrap of fabric on hand as a blindfold just incase. The unease he felt about the basilisk was countered by Dudley’s ever burgeoning excitement. Draco tried to manage Dudley’s expectations reminding him of all of the horror stories they had read about basilisks during their research but Dudley ignored it all. Ever the optimist Dudley seemed convinced he was about to hatch a fun new pet rather than an evil dark creature.