Chapter 39 Dudley
Chapter 39 Dudley
Dudley stood in the grate of the fireplace, his hand filled with sandy powder. All he had to do was say the words and drop the powder. It was the flames that stopped him. Draco had burst into flames, vibrant green fire had engulfed him and he’d disappeared. Draco hadn’t warned him about flames. Were they supposed to be there or had something gone wrong? Surely Draco would have warned him if he was going to be swallowed by flames?
An almighty howl came from downstairs, followed by a complete silence, the sounds of duelling stopped. The fight was over, he couldn’t stay here alone, it was now or never. Dudley took a steadying breath preparing himself for the pain of being engulfed in flames.
‘Codwig cabin, Muddleford’ he said
Green flames licked at his feet and up his legs. Though Dudley expected pain they actually tickled. The flames were like fluffy feathers and Dudley relaxed as Lucius’s dark study disappeared and a wood panelled warmly lit living room took its place. Despite the soft landing Dudley still fell to his knees and out of the fireplace into Draco’s arms.
‘Bloody hell Dudley! I thought you weren’t coming! What took you so long? I was just on my way back through to get you. I thought maybe they’d caught you.’
‘Fire Draco! You didn’t mention that fire was involved!’
‘It’s a fireplace Dudley, I thought it was obvious!’
‘Definitely not obvious. How was I supposed to know the flames weren’t going to burn me!’ Draco pulled Dudley up onto his feet.
‘Hang on. So you thought you were going to be burned to death but you still came?’
‘Well… staying would have meant death too, at least following you into fire I had a chance of seeing you again.’ Dracos mouth dropped into a straight line, realisation hitting him.
‘You can’t go back there Dudley. It’s too dangerous. Once we’ve the horcrux you have to go to shell cottage, they’ll take you I’m sure they will.’
‘Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it.’ Dudley had no intention of going to shell cottage, he was going to stay at Dracos side until the horcrux was gone and Voldemort was dead. The responsibility was too big for one person to carry.
‘I can’t believe they got Harry. God I hope Dobby could get them out.’
‘I think he did.’
‘Why?’
‘Before I left, I heard Bellatrix scream, she was really angry, and then it was quiet. I think he might have got away.’
Draco was clearly still filled with adrenaline, he was fidgety and his eyes wide.
‘I’m going to put some protective charms on the cottage okay? I’ll be right back.’
Draco half jogged out of the room.
They had landed in the living room of the cabin, it was panelled in a warm yellow wood. The carpet was a deep burgundy and the sofas slouchy, probably once dark red but now a pale washed out terracotta. It was the opposite of Malfoy manor. Malfoy Manor was cold and sharp, everything was made of straight lines and right angles, but the cabin was soft, filled with curves and warmth. Immediately Dudley felt at home here, he could see the two of them cosied up together on the sofa. Dudley tentatively sat on one of the sofas, a puff of dust billowed off the fabric making him cough.
‘Are you alright?’ Draco re-entered.
‘Fine I think. Worried about Harry, and killer and Vinny. But okay. Are you okay?’
‘Worried about Harry and Ron…’ Draco stopped, seemingly unable to finish his sentence.
‘Hermione?’ Dudley finished for him trying to remember the names of Harry’s friends, he’d never paid much attention to Harry when he had spoken of them.
‘What she did to her Dudley…’ Draco was quietly crying.
‘Come here.’ Dudley reached his hand out for Draco who let himself be pulled down next to him. He placed Draco’s head into the gap between his collar bone and chin. He fitted perfectly.
‘I didn’t help her Dudley. Why am I incapable of helping people?’
‘You’ve helped me.’ Dudley offered.
‘I tortured you first.’ Draco countered.
‘Look.’ Dudley raised Draco’s chin and looked down at him.
The relative safety of the cabin after the horrors of the manor had left Dudley surprisingly content and relaxed for someone who’d just escaped a dark wizard it seemed to have the opposite affect on Draco who looked completely broken.
‘The world is filled with contradictions, nothing is black and white. Good and bad have a great big area of grey in between them. You didn’t help her in that moment because of the consequences, you would probably both be dead if you had. These things aren’t maths equations, there is no objectively correct choice. You just have to do what feels right at the time. It’s horrible watching someone tortured but by not acting you probably, ironically saved. You have to stop beating yourself up so much. Okay?’
‘Mmm’ Draco replied unconvinced.
‘What is this place by the way?’
‘It’s an old holiday house, we came here a few times when I was a child, my parents would go off travelling and me and my nanny came here. I don’t think my parents ever visited, they probably don’t remember buying it. But it’s only a few miles away from Riddle Manor, so we can walk.’
‘I like it.’
‘Me too. It’s the place I felt the happiest. We can’t stay long though, we have to get the horcrux as soon as we can.’
‘We’re going now?’
‘I think we have to, we need to get it quickly so I can get back to the manor with the least amount of suspicion, I can tell them you escaped and I went to find you but failed.’
Dudley noted that Draco said ‘I’ not ‘we’ but chose to ignore it for now.
‘Okay. Dudley said rising to his feet.
Draco didn’t move, he just shook his head.
‘I need you to stay here Dudley, it’s too dangerous.’
‘Not this again, I’m not made of glass just because I’m a muggle you know.’
‘I know. But if something happens to you-‘
‘-and what about you? Who’s protecting you?’ Dudley interrupted.
‘You’re not better than me, just because you’re a wizard, you’re not my mum, you don’t get to choose for me. I’m a big boy and I’ll decide myself and I’m choosing to come, knowing the risks okay?’
Draco looked suitably chastised.
‘Okay.’
‘Right then… lead the way’
Draco stood and laced his hand in Dudley’s and they began their walk.
It was dark outside, and they were both exhausted. A five mile walk was not ideal.
It took an eternity, mostly they were walking over fields but they rambled through several small villages as well. Picture postcard cottages with painted window shutters and hanging baskets of colourful flowers. The homes were mostly made of stone and clearly very old. Dudley had no idea how Draco knew where he was going but every now and then he cast a spell with his wand and seemed confident in his direction.
As they walked through another small village Dudley stole a few carrots from someone’s vegetable garden for them to eat as they walked. Draco tutted but accepted the carrot nonetheless and wiped it off on his robes before eating it. They walked hand in hand most of the way. Dudley was exhausted but after weeks in a dungeon the outside world was a wonder covered in leaves and trees and grass and bugs. Small things were magical, like the sound of gravel underfoot, he hadn’t even realised he’d forgotten that sound. Dudley couldn’t help but be blissfully happy, despite the horror of their mission and his deep tiredness, walking through the countryside with Draco was a dream and he tried to soak up every moment of it as if it might be ripped away from him at any moment. Dudley noticed a fox zipping its way across their path, he smiled and turned to look at Draco
‘This is wonderful.’ He said.
‘I know. I don’t even care that we’ll probably both be dead soon.’ Draco laughed as he said it. It was true but he had said it with humour.
Dudley knocked his shoulders into Draco’s.
‘Can you imagine? If we succeed and so does Harry we could live in a place like this. We could take walks and have breakfast in cafe’s and just be normal.’
‘You want me to live in a muggle village!’ Draco said with mock outrage.
‘Yes please.’ Dudley replied
‘I don’t know if my pureblood would stand for it. I might burst into flames.’ Draco was lighter, the terrors of earlier had been left behind. The further they had walked together the further those memories were left behind. Draco stopped walking for a moment and looked into Dudley’s eyes, gripping his shoulder with one hand and resting his stump on the other.
‘Seriously though. You’d want to live together?’
‘Of course! Obviously. Don’t you?’
‘More than anything. I just, I didn’t know you would want that too I suppose.’
‘Well I do.’
‘Then we can live wherever you want, cave, village, side of a cliff, upturned rubbish bin, I don’t care.’
Draco kissed Dudley’s forehead and they continued on.
Eventually they crested a hill and Draco went still.
In the distance Riddle manor rose up out of the rolling hills that surrounded it, it almost looked like a part of the landscape so much greenery attached to its walls, it was as though nature was trying to drag it down into the ground.
‘We’re here.’ Draco said.
They walked up the long and winding road until they reached the front door. Draco pulled out his wand.
‘You follow my lead okay? I don’t know what will be waiting for us behind the door but it will be strong, it will try to hurt us.’
Dudley nodded suddenly feeling completely inadequate, he didn’t have any weapon at all, he knew it would be useless against magic but he wished he’d picked up a stick.
Draco reached out to turn the handle, but as soon as his skin touched the brass there was a blinding flash of white light and he was thrown backwards violently to the ground as though he had been electrocuted. Draco lay motionless on the ground several feet from the front door.