Chapter Text
Draco couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t.
That’s why he ran away. In hindsight this plan was terrible and not at all thought through, but he had to get out.
After The Dark lords return almost two years ago Draco’s life at Malfoy manor had gotten worse by the day. Living with The Dark lord under his roof had been stressful enough. Draco couldn’t even remember what a full night’s sleep felt like. But then something changed.
For a long time, Draco had lived under the delusion that if he just stood by the side not doing anything, then all the bad things in the world wouldn’t affect him. He was of course very wrong. He could see that now.
The dark lord had turned his attention to Draco.
After locating the vanishing cabinet in his fifth year, he was tasked to try and repair it this year. And that he had done. Following orders like a clueless dog.
He regretted that now. He regretted ever finding the cabinet. But at least he hadn’t finished repairing it, so the Death Eaters wouldn’t be able to use it to infiltrate Hogwarts. They’d have to find another way, and Draco wasn’t going to help them anymore.
He had clung to the hope that after that they would leave him alone. And once again he was wrong.
The tipping point was when he was asked to take the Dark mark. And there was also talk of killing Professor Dumbledore.
That’s when he realized he didn’t want to do this. He realized that he couldn’t just stand to the side. He was either on the good side, or the bad side. And he was tired of being on the bad side.
He had been questioning for a while, if everything he had been taught about muggle borns and blood purity really was true. Did blood status really matter enough that it was worth both war and genocide.
Tonight, he had finally concluded that it didn’t matter, it wasn’t worth it. And even though he was more terrified than ever, Draco was no longer going to stand to the side. He was done being a coward. For once, he would make the right choice
The first step on his new path of redemption was to get out. Get out of Malfoy Manor, away from danger.
Now Draco was standing in the cold winter air on what seemed to be a street in muggle London, in the middle of the night with barely any money (and certainly not the muggle kind), and no idea where to go.
He had to leave the manor quickly and quietly on the dark of the night. He had only packed the most necessary: His wand, a small amount of wizard money, a couple of spell books and his school uniform (in case he’s able to return after winter break).
He hadn’t even dared write his mother a note. That could just get her in trouble.
He had evaporated from the manor, but he wasn’t as accurate as he thought because he had meant to end up in the wizarding part of London.
He checked the watch on his wrist. 11.43 pm.
He looked around scanning his surroundings. He had to go somewhere very soon, or the Death Eaters would surely find him. Or he would freeze to death. Whichever came first.
He spotted what he recognized as a muggle phone box. He had never seen one in person before and had no and idea how to use it. And who would he even call, he didn’t know any muggles, or anyone with a muggle phone.
Wait-
Yes, he did.
Yes, he bloody did.
But that plan was insane, and humiliating. He didn’t even know how or why he had memorised the number.
He had overhead a conversation between Potter and Granger a few months ago. Potter had mentioned something about a muggle phone and exchanged numbers with granger.
Now that he thought about it, draco had caught himself mindlessly reciting the combination in his head multiple times. Why he had no idea. It didn’t matter. If he could find a way to call Potter- no he must’ve been mad. Why would potter ever help him, after everything. Then again, he did have a stupid savoir complex, so maybe…
He then spotted a young woman down the street. She could help him make a call.
But his pride stopped him.
He would almost rather have the Death Eaters find him than ask blasted Potter and a muggle of all people for help! He might die of embarrassment anyway. But then the reality of his situation dawned on him. He couldn’t afford to be stubborn right now. He had to go somewhere, anywhere, even to stupid Potters house of all places. There was no choice. Maybe he could even make a difference if he warned Potter of The Dark lord’s plans. If he ever recovered from the humiliation that is.
He swallowed his pride and walked up to the muggle woman who for some reason was also out on the street at this hour.
“Excuse me?” he tried, “I- uhm. I’m kind of lost. Could you help me call someone?” She looked up and he pointed in the direction of the muggle device across the street.
“Do you not have any money?” she asked. Crap- Draco hadn’t thought about that.
“Uhh no I’m afraid I don’t”
“It’s fine i have a 20.”
She reached out a hand with a single coin. Draco hesitated.
“I’m not really sure how to use it...” he reluctantly admitted. Merlin, he wanted to bury himself forever.
“I’ll help you.”
“…thanks”
They crossed the street and the woman opened the door and put the coin into a hole in the machine. “Then you just enter the number.”
Draco stared at her blankly.
“What are you doing out at this time anyway?” She suddenly asked, as if she had only now realized that she was talking to a teenage boy all alone late at night who clearly wasn’t completely normal.
Draco didn’t say anything at first. What could he say.
“…I ran away. My home isn’t a good place to be at the moment, and I’m trying to contact an… acquaintance… who can help me.”
“Alright…you aren’t doing drugs, are you?”
“Wha- NO!”
“Well then, tell me the number ill type it for you.”
So, Draco told the woman Potters stupid number that his stupid brain had somehow memorized and she handed him the stupid phone and then stepped away to give him privacy.
As soon as he stood alone in the box, with the phone in his hand a terrible feeling of doubt curled around his heart.
What if Potter didn’t answer, what if he would help, if he didn’t care. What would Draco do then. He would be completely lost.
But his train of thought was interrupted by a sleepy and slightly annoyed voice.
“Hello?”