Chapter Text
Draco's breath came in sharp, panicked gasps as he sprinted through the dark, foreboding woods. The canopy above shrouded the moonlight, casting sinister shadows that seemed to reach out and grab at him. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum in his ears. Fear coursed through his veins, driving him forward with a desperate urgency.
The forest floor was a treacherous maze of roots and underbrush, every step threatened to trip him up and send him sprawling. He stumbled but managed to regain his footing, his eyes wide with terror as he glanced over his shoulder. He knew he couldn't afford to stop, not even for a moment. Harry was nowhere in sight and the cowardly dog had left him alone as well.
Draco's mind raced, thoughts jumbled and incoherent. What was that thing feasting on the unicorn? A root snagged his foot, and he tumbled forward, crashing to the ground with a pained grunt. For a moment, he lay there, dazed and disoriented, but the sound of a howl in the night, too close for comfort had him panicking once more, he had to get back to the castle, he’d be safe. He scrambled to his feet, biting back a cry as pain shot through his ankle. Limping now, he forced himself to keep moving, the darkness closing in around him like a suffocating blanket.
Draco's vision blurred with tears of fear and frustration. He cursed under his breath, wishing he'd paid more attention to his surroundings earlier. The forest had become a labyrinth, every tree and shadow conspiring against him.
Suddenly, a clearing appeared ahead, bathed in the eerie glow of the moon. Draco knew it was a gamble, but he veered towards it, hoping against hope that it might offer some form of escape. As he broke through the tree line, his ankle gave out, sending him sprawling into the soft grass. He looked up, breathless and trembling, as a monstrous silhouette emerged from the woods with a menacing growl.
Draco's mind raced, searching for any means of defence or escape but he was only eleven, he hardly knew anything, he hadn’t yet learnt to defend himself against such monsters. His eyes darted around the clearing, but there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run. The beast advanced, its eyes locked onto him with a feral intensity. Draco's heart sank, the weight of despair crushing him as the creature closed in, its claws gleaming in the moonlight. And as it closed in on him Draco couldn’t help but think about where the adults were who were supposed to protect him.
Just as the beast lunged, Draco tried to scramble away, but his injured ankle betrayed him. He screamed, a cry of pure terror and helplessness, as the creature's claws raked across his leg. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced, searing through his body with a fiery intensity. He struggled, kicking and flailing, but the beast was relentless. It bit down on his hip, its teeth sinking deep into his flesh.
Just as Draco’s world began to fade to black, he woke with a gasp, drenched in sweat. His hands clutched the sheets, and it took him a moment to realize he was safe in his own bed. The remnants of the nightmare lingered, the terror and pain still fresh in his mind. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.
The memory of the nightmare or rather the memory of that night lingered as Draco slowly sat up, his breath still shaky. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the cool sweat on his scalp. It was just a dream, he reminded himself, just another remnant of last night’s full moon. He glanced at the clock by his bedside table and sighed. It was still early, but the start of a new day awaited him. Today was the day he would be returning to Hogwarts.
As he pushed himself out of bed, the ache in his ankle and his hip made him wince. The wounds inflicted by his ‘creator’ always worsened with the moon. The healers had closed the wounds, but they would never really heal, he would always suffer the pain of that night, the curse of the lycanthrope always lingering in the place of infection. He shook his head, trying to dispel the lingering fear as he reached for his cane. The nightmares had been frequent, worsened by the waxing and waning of the moon, but he was learning to cope, to accept his new life and move on from that night. Draco took a deep breath and began his morning routine, the familiarity of it grounding him.
He hobbled to the bathroom, the cool tiles underfoot a stark contrast to the warmth of his bed. Staring at his reflection, Draco saw not just the changes in his appearance over the past years, but also the resilience that had taken root within him. The scars, both visible and hidden, were reminders of the battles he had faced and overcome.
After dressing in his comfortable clothes, he made his way to the kitchen, where the scent of apple cinnamon waffles greeted him. The aroma brought a smile to his face, a welcome comfort after the unsettling start to his morning. Remus, ever the patient guardian, was already at the stove, flipping the last of the waffles.
"Morning," Draco greeted, his voice still rough from sleep.
"Morning, pup," Remus replied with a warm smile, setting the plate of waffles on the table.
Draco sat down, the warmth of the kitchen and the presence of Remus a balm to his frayed nerves. He reached for the tea mug that had become a favourite, the familiar phrase on its side bringing a chuckle to his lips; it was a full moon and I was unsupervised. As he took his first bite of the waffle, he felt a sense of normalcy returning, the nightmare fading into the background of a new day.
Remus set down a vial of pain potion on the table for him. “How are you feeling?”
Remus himself bore the marks of transformation, the night of the full moon always leaving him more worn and gaunter than usual. His eyes, usually warm and full of quiet wisdom, carried a shadow of fatigue that spoke of the beast he wrestled with every month. The transformation was not kind, each shift feeling like his bones were breaking and reassembling in painful succession. His hands, often steady and gentle, trembled slightly as he poured tea, a reminder of the recent ordeal.
Despite the physical toll, Remus carried on with an admirable resilience. His greying hair and the lines etched into his face seemed more pronounced after each full moon, yet his spirit remained unyielded. It was this strength, this unwavering determination, that had made him such a steadfast guardian for Draco, and a beacon of hope and stability in his life.
Draco watched him with a mixture of gratitude and concern. He knew the cost of the transformations, both physically and emotionally, and he could see the subtle signs in Remus's demeanour. Yet, Remus always found a way to smile, to offer comfort, even when he himself was in need of it. It was a quiet heroism, one that Draco deeply admired and aspired to emulate.
Draco nodded. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, there’s life in this old wolf yet.” Remus waved him off. “And how are you feeling about going back to Hogwarts?” He asked him.
Draco shrugged. “I mean, its’ different. I’m not going back as Draco Lucius Malfoy, he died in the woods that night, now I’m Draco Remus Lupin.” He spoke his new name, appreciating its sound. He had made the decision six months ago when Remus was offered the job at Hogwarts and proposed adopting Draco. “I am no longer that person, and I doubt anyone will recognise me.”
Remus nodded. “You can reach out to your old friends if you want to.”
“Being resorted into Gryffindor won't go well, and being disowned means they can't talk to me. Their parents will have warned them,” Draco said, shaking his head. “It's fine. I'll stay to myself, focus on my grades, and aim for my potion’s mastership.” He smiled.
“There’ll be time to make friends as well. Maybe join the Quidditch team.” Remus prompted with a smile.
“No, even if I get away with no one recognising me, I doubt anyone will want to be friends with me and the Gryffindor’s have a solid Quidditch team, there’s no way I could play.” Draco shook his head.
"Never say never." Remus picked up the paper, then quickly put it down with a pained look. News of Sirius Black’s escape had reached them by way of Auror’s barging into the bungalow to conduct a thorough search. It had taken them hours to put everything right again. Draco would never forget the look on Remus’ face when the toad like woman, Umbridge, in an ugly pink cardigan had sweetly handed him the search warrant and spoken to him like Remus was less than human.
Draco bit his lips. “They still haven’t found him.”
“I really should cancel the subscription to his rag.” Remus screwed up the paper and threw it in the bin, turning to lean against the counter.
Draco remained silent, contemplating Remus' words. The news of Sirius Black's escape had unsettled him. The very thought of the man wandering free filled him with a mixture of fear and anger. He pushed those emotions aside, focusing instead on the future that awaited him at Hogwarts.
“Do you think anyone will recognize me, dad?” Draco asked softly, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Remus shook his head, offering a reassuring smile. “It’s been a long time, Draco. People change, and you’ve changed more than most. And remember, you’re not alone in this. You have a fresh start, a new identity, and a family that loves you.”
Draco took comfort in Remus' words. It had been a difficult road, accepting the changes and the loss of his old life, but he knew deep down that this new path was the right one. He was no longer the boy who followed blindly in his father’s footsteps. He had forged his own way, with Remus’ guidance and support.
He looked out the window, lost in thought, before turning back to Remus. “I suppose you're right. It's just... a lot to process. But I’ll be okay.”
Remus reached out, squeezing Draco's shoulder gently. “You will be. And remember, I’m always here for you.”
Draco nodded, feeling a sense of determination rising within him. He would face whatever challenges came his way, and he would do so with the strength and resilience he had learned from Remus.
As they finished their breakfast in silence, the weight of the past slowly began to lift, making way for the promise of a new beginning. Draco found himself looking forward to the new school year, despite the uncertainties that lay ahead. With Remus by his side, he felt ready to take on the world.
They cleared the table together, the mundane task a comforting reminder of how far they had come. Draco couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the life they were building, one step at a time.
Draco headed back to his room. He couldn’t help sometimes but to compare his room to the old room in the manor, they were so different. Where his old room had been dark and elegant, his new room was bright and cosy. He loved his room now. From the patchwork knitted blanket on his bed, to the pale blue walls, the little stuff toy collection on the shelf above his desk. He made sure he packed everything into the trunk that was left over from the night before, he hesitated and then included his favourite stuffie, a faded green dragon that had a special weight in its stomach. He closed his trunk, still feeling weird seeing the red and gold tie inside and made his bed and tidied up desk. He was just putting a reading book, his Walkman and a puzzle book into his bag when Remus arrived to check on him.
“Ready to go?”
“I think so, it’s weird that we won’t be back here.” Draco slung his bag over his shoulder. “I’m gonna miss it.”
“We’ll be able to come back for the moons, and the holidays. You’ll be having too much fun to miss home.” Remus promised.
Draco rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because it was so much fun last time.”
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. And I’ll be right there with you, if you need me.” Remus placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not alone pup.”
Draco sniffed and wrapped his arms around Remus’s middle hugging him tightly.
Remus smiled and hugged him back. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Draco pulled back from the hug wiping at his eyes. “I’m good. Thanks. Come on, we don’t want to miss the train.”
Remus chuckled. “No, we wouldn’t want that. Come on Trouble.” He offered Draco his cane and shrunk Draco’s trunk and put it in his pocket along with his own, then offered his arm for Draco to take so they could side apparate to the station.
It was still relatively quiet when they arrived as there was still a good hour before the train departed. Remus suggested they go through the barrier to the muggle part of the station to get hot chocolates. They sat in the café with large cups of hot chocolate, then wandered around for a bit looking in the shops. Draco had a bit of pocket money and decided to buy a few new books in the bookstore, he hated how much his parents had deprived him of the muggle world. He loved Remus for introducing him to muggle literature. He loved getting lost in the stories and worlds they created. It had been his comfort those first few months after that night. Finally, they went back through the barrier and Remus loaded their trunks in the luggage compartment. They went to find somewhere to sit, Remus suggested Draco find a compartment to himself, but Draco refused saying he’d rather stick with his dad. He always got clingy the day after the full moon. He needed his pack. Remus unshrunk Draco’s trunk and his suitcase and levitated them into the storage compartment before sitting down in the seat near the window. Draco curled up next to him and rested his head on his dad’s shoulder, it wasn’t long before both of them were asleep.
Harry, Ron and Hermione searched the train for an empty compartment, but all were full except for one at the very end of the train, where a man and a boy around their age were fast asleep. It was strange to see a grown up on the train, the train was usually reserved for students. He was dressed in shabby wizard’s robes, that had been darned and patched in several places, and he looked ill and exhausted, his sandy brown hair showing flecks of grey despite looking young in appearance. The boy asleep next to him looked just as ill and exhausted, he was dressed in dark jeans and a green sweater, his hair was a lighter blond that framed his face in soft waves. He looked vaguely familiar to Harry, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“Who d’you reckon they are?” Ron whispered as they slid open the door and entered the compartment, taking the free seat closest to the window.
“Professor R J Lupin.” Hermione whispered, sitting down next to him. “I’m guessing that his son.”
Harry sat down next to the sleeping boy; he really did look familiar. It was weird.
“How’d you know that?” Ron asked incredulously.
“It’s on his suitcase.” Hermione pointed up at the luggage rack. “And look, his trunk says D R Lupin, so I’m guessing he’s a blood relation and son makes sense, they look alike.”
“Does he look familiar to you?” Harry asked motioning to the boy.
Hermione frowned tilting her head to the side. “Kind of.”
"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron frowned at Professor Lupin, looking over his appearance.
"That's obvious.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defence Against the Dark Arts."
Ron shrugged. "Well, I hope he's up to it. He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." He turned to Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"
Harry filled them in on the argument he’d overheard between Mr and Mrs Weasley, the later warning Mr Weasley had given him. When he had finished Ron was gaping at him open mouthed and Hermione looked like he’d just told her he had life ending illness.
Hermione, finally, lowered her hands from her mouth. "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry... you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble…"
"I don't go looking for trouble." Harry exclaimed indignantly. "Trouble usually finds me." He crossed his arms over his chest leaning back in his seat.
The boy next to his grumbled in his sleep and brought a hand up to rub at his face, then dropped his hand and didn’t move again. Harry couldn’t help but find it kind of cute. Which was weird. He’d never thought a guy was cute before. He shook his head and turned back to the conversation; they were taking the news a lot worse than he thought they would. Hermione seemed terrified of Black.
"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban.” Ron shifted uncomfortably in his sear. "Noone's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too." He looked at Harry with genuine concern.
"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione said hopefully. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too.” She pointed out. “He can’t stay hidden from the whole of the UK, can he?”
“What's that noise?" Ron asked.
A faint, tinny sort of whistle was echoing from somewhere inside the compartment, the three of the looked around for the source of the noise.
Draco was vaguely aware of an annoying little whistle sound, and he flinched, the pitch hurting his ears. He scrunched his nose and slowly blinked open his eyes. It took him a moment to register, the other people in the compartment. The noise stopped as the red head boy stuffed the offending noisy object into something and shoved it back into a trunk. He shook his head trying to clear his head of the echoes of the ringing and rubbed at his eyes.
“Oh no.” The girl said. “I’m so sorry, we didn’t mean to wake you.”
Draco glanced up at her, his eyes widening with surprise. Of all the individuals he could have encountered on this train, it had to be Hermione Granger, which likely meant that Ron Weasley and Harry Potter were the other two in the compartment. "It is alright," he assured her, waving dismissively while adjusting his position. It appeared they did not recognize him at the moment. "What was that?" he inquired.
“Oh, I got Harry a sneakoscope for his birthday, it must be a bit faulty, it’s a rather cheap one. You can get it checked out at Hogsmeade.” Ron sat back down, addressing the last bit to Harry. "We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me." He always prided in being the source of magical knowledge for his friends who grew up around Muggles. “I’m Ron by the way, Ron Weasley.” He introduced himself to Draco. “This is Hermione Granger and that’s Harry.” He motioned to the warm body sat next to him.
Draco, who had been deliberately avoiding eye contact with Potter, eventually turned to face him. He observed that Potter had aged gracefully; he was taller, more mature, and notably handsome. Draco cleared his through. “Nice to meet you. I’m… I’m Draco Lupin.” He introduced himself.
“Hey, we knew a Draco once, but he was a total arsehole.” Ron grunted when Hermione kicked his shin. “What he was.”
One of them didn't recognise him, but Hermione's look indicated she had figured it out. Draco fidgeted nervously under her stare and took a deep breath stealing his newfound courage and nodded. “Yeah, I’m aware.” Draco rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I was a little shit back then.” He gave them a sheepish smile.
“Wait but you just said your last name is Lupin?” Ron looked confused.
Draco nodded. “It is.” He kept his gaze on Ron not wanting to look at Potter right now. He couldn’t bear to look and see hatred in his eyes. “I was adopted.”
“What happened to you?” Hermione gasped. “We… They never told us.”
“Well, they said you’d been attacked and were badly hurt. And then there was the whole scandal in the papers about your dad marrying his mist… Ow.” Ron cried out when Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Draco with a softer expression. "We didn't hear much after that, it was as if you had vanished."
Draco sighed, feeling a weight on his shoulders. "That's because I did. Remus took me in, and I left the wizarding world for a while. I needed time to... recover and figure things out."
Harry, who had remained silent, finally spoke up. "What made you come back?" His voice was gentler than Draco had expected.
Draco hesitated before answering. "I realized I couldn't run from my past forever. And there are things I need to face; people I need to make amends with." His eyes briefly flickered to Harry, but he quickly looked away. “Listen, I know I was awful to all three of you. I was an idiot and I’m sorry.” He looked directly to Hermione. “My… The Malfoys, they raised me to believe a lot of crap that I know isn’t true now. I hate how I acted and… I want to do better. I’m going to do better.”
Ron stared at him. “Wait so you got hurt and your parents just dropped you?”
“Yeah, you know my family, they said I had disgraced the Malfoy name, and they weren’t up for giving second chances.” Draco shrugged. “I’m kind of glad in a way, I mean, if they hadn’t dropped me, I wouldn’t have met Remus and I wouldn’t be the person I am now.” He held up his hands. “Look, just pretend I’m not here okay, I’ll just put my headphones on, read my book. I don’t exist.” He reached into his bag to get his Walkman when Potter’s warm hand closed around his wrist. Draco looked up into those bright green eyes, fuck they were really pretty eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat.
“You don’t have to do that.” Harry shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Draco frowned. “What are you sorry for?”
“I should have run after you.”
“Potter…”
“Harry.”
Draco sighed. “Harry. That thing. Whatever the hell it was. Was coming for both of us, you just have a really weird wiring to fight mode, and I’m wired for flight.” He tried to joke about it to make the whole thing lighter. “Anyway, it wasn’t your fault either. The school never should have let four first years serve detention in the forbidden forest, and they absolutely shouldn’t have let two first years go off alone in the forest with nothing but a big cowardly dog.”
Harry looked down and saw he was still holding Malfoy… well Lupin now’s, wrist and quickly let go, his cheek turning slightly pink. “Yeah, that was pretty stupid.”
“Did you sue the school?” Ron asked him.
Draco blinked. “Er… Yeah. I didn’t really want to but Professor Snape kind of made me.”
Ron nodded. “Good, you’re right, they shouldn’t have allowed that. It was just asking for trouble. Especially considering it turned out to be You-Know-Who who attacked you in the forest.”
“I’m sorry what?” Draco wasn’t aware of that titbit of information.
Hermione pressed her lips together. “Well, technically, it was Professor Quirell.”
“Well, yeah, but he was possessed by You-Know-Who, guy literally had the bloke sticking out the back of his head.” Ron argued.
Draco stared at them. “I… What?”
The trio launched into the tale of their first year and their adventure in stopping Quirrel from stealing the Philosopher’s stone. Draco listened with amazement, shock and horror. “Fuck.” He breathed once they had finished, running his hand through his hair. “That’s… That’s insane.” He shook his head.
“Yeah, well wait until you hear about what happened last year.” Ron smirked.
“I don’t think my nerves could take it.” Draco laughed.
Harry nodded. “Yeah, we’ll save that story for another time.” He shifted in his seat. “So what have you been doing? Why didn’t you come back to school?”
Draco bit his lip. “I wasn’t well enough. It took a long time for me to recover. Dad has been homeschooling me.”
“That’s cool. He must be a good teacher. Since Dumbledore asked him to come and teach.” Harry smiled.
“He’s the best. I learnt so much from him. He’s going to be an amazing teach...”
The door to the compartment slid open and Draco froze. Crabbe and Goyle were stood flanking a boy with white blond hair and pointed features. His stomach tied into knots, he’d heard all about how his father had left his mother for his new, perfect family with his perfect new son. And he knew he would have to face him at some point, it seemed like the universe was helping to get everything out of the way as quickly as possible.
“Well look who it is Potty and the Weasel.” Abraxas Malfoy sneered. “I heard your father came into some gold this summer Weasley, did your mother die of shock?” He scoffed.
Draco cringed; he’d been like that once. “Not saying much coming from the son of a mistress.” He sneered back.
Abraxas glared at Draco. “Oh, so you finally decided to show your face again.”
“Yes.” Draco glared right back.
“How the mighty have truly fallen.” Abraxas smirked. “Father was right to disown you. You’re a disgrace.”
Draco shrugged. “I’m glad he did. Now I can see what a hypocritical asshole he is, and you might think you have it made now but you’re wrong. I feel sorry for you.”
Abraxas snorted. “Whatever. Come on.” He turned and marched off.
Draco slumped in his seat and closed his eyes. The universe was not throwing it’s punches today.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at him in shock. Ron cleared his throat. “Thanks for that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Was I really like that?” Draco asked.
“Yes.” All three of them replied.
Draco chuckled. “I’m really sorry about that.” He opened his eyes. “Do you think, we could, start over?”
“After that? Yeah, I think we could.” Ron held out his hand.
Draco grinned and shook it.
The train continued on, the sky grew darker and started to rain, the drops pattering against the window. Soon, the lamps on the train flickered to life to make up for the loss of daylight.
“Do you know much about Hogsmeade?” Hermione asked Ron, circling back to their earlier conversation. “I’ve read it’s the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in England.”
Ron nodded. “Yeah, I think it is, but that’s not why I want to go. I just want to go to Honeydukes.”
“What’s that?” Hermione asked.
“"It's this sweetshop." Ron sighed. "They’ve got everything. It’s brilliant, like Pepper Imps that make you smoke at the mouth and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next…"
"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione interrupted him. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack is supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain."
Draco smirked at that last one. Remus had filled him in on exactly why people thought that building was haunted.
"…and massive sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," Ron continued, plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.
“You seem to have a bit of an obsession with balls there We-Ron.” Draco joked.
Harry snorted next him, trying to hide it as a cough.
Hermione smiled at Draco, rolling her eyes and turned to Harry. "Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"
"Yeah, I’m sure it will." Harry nodded dejectedly. "You'll have to tell me about it when you get back."
"What d'you mean?" Ron frowned.
Harry shrugged. "I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."
Ron looked horrified. "You're not allowed to come?” He shook his head. “No, there has to be a way maybe McGonagall or…”
The train suddenly came to a screeching halt and the lights went out.
“What’s going on? We can’t be there yet.” Hermione said. “Ouch Ron, that was my foot.” She complained.
Ron peered out of the window. “I can see someone out there, I think they’re coming on board.” He glanced over his shoulder.
The compartment door opened, and someone fell painfully over Harry’s legs.
Draco rolled his eyes and took out his wand. “Lumos.” He cast the spell illuminating the room and saw Neville Longbottom sprawled on the floor.
“Sorry.” Neville apologised, accepting Harry’s help off the floor and into the vacant seat next to him. “Do you know what’s happening?”
“Hey Neville. No idea.”
Hermione stood up. “I’m going to go talk to the driver.” She left the compartment and collided with someone.
"Who's that?"
"Who's that?"
"Ginny?"
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Ron."
"Come in and sit down." Hermione pulled Ginny back into the compartment.
“What’s going on?” Ginny asked sitting down.
"Quiet!" Remus called to everyone, finally awake. He drew his wand, glad to see Draco had used lumos to light the room. “Stay where you are.” He stood up, drawing his own wand but before he could get to the door it opened, and he came face to face with a dementor. He froze, feeling that horrible icy coldness travel up his spine, suddenly any energy or happiness he had drained from his body.
The sound of two thumps behind him, snapped him out of it. “No one is hiding Sirius Black under their cloaks, leave.” Remus demanded.
The dementor didn’t move.
Remus growled lowly. “Expecto patronum.” He muttered and his patronus pushed the dementor out of the room. It screeched and floated off back down the train. A few seconds later the lights flickered back on, and the train started to move again. Remus turned around to see Harry and Draco on the floor. Remus hurried over to Draco, Ron and Hermione already attending to Harry. “Draco.” He shook his son’s shoulders.
Draco groaned and slowly blinked open his eyes. “What happened?” He mumbled.
“A dementor.” Remus sighed, reaching for his bag and opened it. “They were searching the train. I can’t believe Dumbledore allowed that.” He pulled out a large bar of chocolate and broke off a chunk. “Here, eat this. It’ll help.”
Draco nodded taking the chocolate and bit into it, a small grin appearing on his face. “Only you would carry this much chocolate with you.” He mumbled.
Remus turned to the rest of the carriage and started handing out chocolate to the others. Draco pushed himself to sit up on his seat again and ate another bite of chocolate. It did make him feel better, but he couldn’t get the feeling of being ripped apart out of his head. When the dementor came in it felt like that night all over again.
“I’m going to speak with the driver.” Remus told the carriage and left.
" What happened?" Harry asked pushing himself back up into his seat and wiped sweat from his face.
Hermione looked at him anxiously. "Well… that thing… the dementor… stood there and looked around… I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face… and you and Draco… you…” She trailed off looking close to tears.
"I thought you two were having a fit or something." Ron stepped in looking scared. "You both went sort of rigid and fell out of your seats and started twitching…”
"And Professor Lupin said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Leave.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away.... "
"It was horrible." Neville exclaimed in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?" He gasped.
Ron nodded. “And I felt weird." He admitted gravely. "Like I'd never be happy again.”
Draco turned and looked out of the window. He rested his head against the cool glass and closed his eyes.
Remus returned and looked around at the group of students in the carriage and noticed Harry hadn’t eaten his chocolate. "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know." He smiled.
Harry relented and took a bite of the chocolate and instantly felt a warmth spread through him.
"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes.” Remus told them, moving over to sit down next to Draco. "Are you all right?” He asked him, placing a hand on his knee.
Draco nodded. “Fine. I should go and get changed.” He grabbed his bag and his cane and limped out of the room. In the bathroom he changed into his robes and splashed some cold water on his face. He took a long slow breath and shook his head. He could do this. He returned to the compartment and the other’s eyes widened.
“How come you’re wearing Gryffindor colours?” Ron asked him.
“When I re-enrolled, I was resorted. I’m in Gryffindor now.” Draco shrugged, sitting back down in his seat.
“Welcome to the better house.” Harry grinned at him.
Draco grinned back. “It is now I’m in it Potter.”
“Harry.” Harry corrected him holding out his hand.
“Harry.” Draco nodded, reaching out and shaking it. It might have been two years too late, but it felt right now. Maybe he wasn’t going to be alone this year after all.
Remus smiled to himself, glad to see his pup making friends. He knew all too well how much he would need friends.