Chapter Three
Draco hurried out of Malfoy Manor, taking one last look at the home he had spent his whole life in.
He would miss it, he would miss the gardens and the apple tree his mother had planted on his second birthday. He would miss his mother most of all. They had an awkward relationship sometimes but he knew she loved him. More then he deserved sometimes.
He could live without seeing his father again, apart from the money, he wasn't sure what his father had ever done for him that wasn't for his own gain.
With no plan, Draco apperated to the Leaky Cauldron - a place his father warned him never to go to. Full of undesirables he had said. Well, now his own son was apart of that group.
He sat in a dark corner, nursing a glass of firewhisky, playing with an edge of the thick envelope his mother had handed him, he finally tore it open. Deciding now was a time as good as ever to find out the contents.
My Darling Draco,
If you are reading this, then your father has pushed you to your breaking point. I cannot express how sorry I am that I wasn't able to protect you as well as I should have.
I want you to know your father was a good man, when we met many years ago, he vowed to be different than his own father. He is still that man deep inside, but it is not up to you to dig into his soul and find him. When you were born, he cried when he first saw you. He took one look at you and named you, a complete different name then we had in mind. He wanted to be everything his father was not. Kind, patient, understanding.
But this was something he could never achieve, especially after involving himself with the Dark Lord. But it is not false promises that define a man, it is action alone.
You are the future of the Malfoy line, and in my opinion, the Malfoy line needs change. A change only you can make. Regardless of what happiness looks like to you, I want you to find it and treasure it forever. Men in our world have become too obsessed with elevating their family names by way of political marriages, worrying more about societies opinions rather than their families wellbeing
As much as I want to continue our pureblood line, I can understand you are your own person with your own views and values that differ to ours. And I will not be making the same mistakes my parents made with my sister Andromeda. I will not lose my son over something differing beliefs.
I can also understand you do not wish to marry but please do not give up on love. You deserve love, you deserve to be loved. Do not let our past define your future, or stunt any relationships you may have whether romantic or otherwise.
As you know, we have many family estates around the world, and as safe as they may seem to you, I need you to steer clear. Your father has wards set up on every property to ensure he knows who is coming in and out. And if he does find you, I fear he will do something I will not be able to protect you from. However, I will not let you be without a home.
In this envelope, I have an address of a property that I purchased before I was married, a property only I know about, and now you. It is in the muggle world, it was the only safe place I could visit with my sister and her daughter. It has not been used in decades, but I'm sure you can make it a home for as long as you need it.
I have left some money for you as well, use it wisely. I am not sure when I will be able to provide more without your father noticing.
Please be safe, be happy, be free.
I love you always.
Draco cried for the second time that day.
He couldn't believe his mother would do this for him. She was helping him run.
Helping him start a life of his own, led only by his own will and no one else.
She was willing to hide him from his father, even giving up her beliefs for him to be happy. His mother would have loved nothing more then to see him married, she would have been ecstatic to be a grandmother, and him leaving robbed her of that. But she was willing to lose that for him.
He would make her proud. He had to.
He quickly finished what was left in his glass, grabbing his suitcase he left the pub in a hurry, knowing his father would already be up in arms ready to drag him back home.
He hadn't spent any time in the muggle world, his father never saw the point in taking him. But he would have to get used to it, at least for the time being until his father cooled down.
He quickly looked at the address his mother had left him, London.
He was going to London.
He apparated onto a busy street, almost being hit by a car. He remembered when Potter and Weasley drove a car into Hogwarts. It was the only thing students could talk about for most of the first term.
He began to walk. He walked until his feet were sore, not knowing how he would reach his new home.
The sun had began to go down now, and he knew he'd have to figure out where his new home was soon. He couldn't exactly use his wand as a light.
He saw a family walking together, a mother and father holding hands with their child, swinging him up in the air every now and again, and Draco smiled for the first time that day.
He followed the family, trying to work up courage to ask them for directions. They ended up at a park, he saw the child run towards a playground, his parents chasing after him laughing at his enthusiasm. They looked truely happy. He wondered if his family ever looked that happy to a bystander.
He sat down at a bench, unsure of what to do. He knew logically, he should approach them and hope they're kind enough to help him. But his whole life he had been told not to speak or associate with muggles.
He doubted his mother for a second, why would she send him into a world in which he knew nothing.
That was until he saw her.
He saw her walking towards him, and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her long red hair tied up, exposing her freckled face and full lips. Wearing all black and walking a large dog, he had never seen anyone look so at peace. If he believed in angels, she would be one.
Without doubt, or question he approached her, hoping she would give him the time of day.
"Excuse me, can you help me?" He asked, keeping a safe distance when he saw the sheer size of her dog. He was never an animal person, which probably had to do with his parents wanting nothing to do with pets.
"Yes, of course. He doesn't bite by the way, he's quite friendly" She responded, her voice was like honey to him.
Draco took a hesitant step forward, and another as the dog sat at its owners feet.
"I'm a little bit lost, it's my first time in London and I need to find Miles Street" He responded, hoping he sounded calm and not as panicked as he felt moments before.
"Then I can definitely help, it's on our way home" She smiled at him.
They started their walk in silence, the only sound came from her panting dog which Draco found amusing.
"I'm Clara, by the way, and this is Ollie" She broke the silence between them.
"Draco" He replied simply.
"I'm assuming your parents liked constellations then" Clara said with a smile gracing her face.
"It's a tradition on my mothers side, all children are named after a constellation. Makes for some very interesting names" Draco laughed.
"That's beautiful, my mum wanted to name all her children after ballet characters but she only had me" She responded, tugging on the leash in her hand.
A comfortable silence overtook them again, and Draco again took in his surroundings. He needed to get some idea of where things were.
They kept walking in the darkness, the only light coming from faint street lamps, and passing cars. As they walked past what looked like a pub, Draco heard a group of men shouting and whistling. He knew it was directed towards Clara. If he didn't have manners and respect for women he would have done the same when he saw her for the first time.
He turned around and gave them a nasty glare, what he really wanted to do was hex them. Maybe have them vomit slugs. Or sew their mouthes shut.
"It's okay, let's keep going. They're just drunk and stupid" Clara said, briefly placing her hand on his forearm.
"Are all men this rude in London?" He asked, genuinely curious about how anyone would dare address anyone in that manner, let alone a woman. He shuddered at the thought of Clara walking past them alone, maybe that was the reason for the giant dog. He had been hesitant to get within a metre of her at first.
She was the first muggle he had met but she had extended so much kindness to him already. She didn't deserve to be shouted at and whistled at from afar.
"Unfortunately, some are just as rude, some even ruder" She replied after taking a moment to process his question. Draco frowned in response.
"Where are you from? I can't place your accent" Clara asked him, looking over at him as she walked.
"I went to boarding school in Scotland, but I was raised in Derbyshire. My mother has a property here she'd like me to look after for a while" Draco responded, naming a near by muggle town.
Clara nodded, taking in his appearance for the first time. He really was a handsome man, he towered over her, his blonde hair well styled even after their long walk. To Clara his face looked like it was sculpted from clay. A sharp jaw and even sharper cheekbones. Full lips and beautiful blue eyes. She wondered if he had a girlfriend and then shook the thought out of her head, of course he did.
"We're almost there, I'm just going to pop in and drop Ollie off back to my mum and we'll go the rest of the way so I don't have to walk back to drop him off" She explained, walking towards a small house.
Draco waited on the sidewalk and watched her walk inside unclipping the dog as she waited at the front door.
He couldn't hear her exchange with her mother but he could see the older woman looked very similar to Clara. She smiled warmly in his direction and hugged her daughter.
"I've told my mum I'm walking you to Miles Street and that your name is Draco. So if you murder me, she'll come looking" Clara said as she walked got closer to him.
"We've been walking for half an hour and now you're worried I'll murder you?" He questioned with an amused smile.
"I assume if you wanted to murder me you would tried by now and gotten mauled by Ollie but now that we're alone I thought I should warn you someone knows where I am and who I'm with. After all, you are a man I've just met." She answered honestly.
"Well I was planning on it, but you've scared me off" Draco said, hoping she'd understand he was joking. He wouldn't hurt her. He planned on never hurting a single soul again.
Unless he saw one of those men again, then he might do some light hexing.
"Lucky I caught you on a good day then" Clara responded with a laugh.
A few minutes later, Clara stopped in front of a street sign.
"Here we are. Miles Street." She said with a smile.
Draco was glad to be finished walking, he couldn't remember the last time he'd walked so much. But he was not glad to lose Clara's company.
"Thank you, really. I don't know how I can repay you." Draco said, standing directly in front of her, silently taking in every feature of hers as though he'd never see her again. She laughed at his words.
"You don't have to repay me Draco. If you ever feel like going for a walk, I walk Ollie most days around 5. You're welcome to join us." Clara smiled up at him brightly.
"I'll take you up on that Clara, thank you again. Be safe walking home yeah?" He said, grinning at her.
He watched her walk away until he couldn't see her anymore, and set out looking for the correct street number.
He walked up and down the street, but he couldn't find number 47. He checked the address his mother provided, it was definitely number 47. Standing between 45 and 49 he was very confused.
He took a step back and looked around again until he finally saw it.
A small cottage tucked away between foliage, barely visible due to the overgrowth and neglect. He'd have to fix that soon he thought.
It wasn't between the other houses, it was in its own corner. It was exactly the type of place his mother would purchase for privacy.
The key easily unlocked the door and Draco was almost floored upon entering. From the outside it looked small, barely two bedrooms but inside the house it was much larger.
He explored his new home, casting cleaning charms as he went.
He entered what he expected to be a bedroom, but it was empty. He went to work, conjuring a bed and some other essentials to get him through tonight. He would start the real work after a long nights sleep.
As he laid in bed, he couldn't believe the day he had. And it was finally over.
But he was thankful. Thankful to his mother, thankful he had a home away from his fathers watchful eye, and thankful for meeting Clara.
Maybe London wouldn't be so bad after all.