Sweet and Sour

Chapter One: The Boy who Disappeared

How long had it been? The blonde now held Hogwarts' coveted Defense against the Dark Arts teaching position. He knew he wasn't Headmistress McGonagall's first choice, but it didn't matter. He had the job and was right now browsing through Knockturn Alley for things he could use to demonstrate in his class. The last time he had been here was when he was selling all his father's possessions. Lucius had probably turned over in his grave at that, but it didn't matter, Lucius was dead. Draco strode through Knockturn Alley with an air of confidence vaguely reminiscent of his father, not even noticing the beggar he nearly tripped over.

"Can you spare a sickle? A sickle for food?" pleaded the faint voice.

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered as he stumbled over the man, if you could call him that from his frail body, as he straightened his robes, almost missing the faint reply.

"Ferret-boy."

Draco froze. It was a name he hadn't heard since his school days. He turned and studied the figure that was now trying to slink away towards an alley.

"Potter?" he asked incredulously as he followed the figure and pulled him up by the arm, dragging him quickly into an alley once he saw the people starting to gather around the commotion. Once hidden from view, he pushed the figure up against the wall relaxing when the other winced visibly from the pain of the impact. Draco stepped back and examined the figure in front of him. The hair was dark and messy, his face was sunken, and his bloodshot eyes a dull green. Could it be? Draco stepped forward and lifted the hair from the person's face to reveal a mass of recent scratches and, faintly visible beneath them, a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt.

"Harry?"

Draco waited for a response as Harry stared blankly at the wall behind him.

"For Merlin's sake, Harry! You could have told someone! Eight fucking years! Did it ever occur to you that we might care what happened to the Boy-Who-Lived? It's as if you were trying to outdo Him. Minerva will go ballistic - she'll have your head for worrying her so much, Hermione and them too, but they'll probably throw you a whole big feast-"

"No," Harry whispered in response.

"What?! You can't be serious, Potter? You can't just expect people not to throw a fuss that you're back, even Ginny was beginning to give up hope."

"Let them, Draco," Harry replied in a soft emotionless voice. "It's better that way. Let them forget."

Harry headed down the alley as Draco grabbed him by the arm, the blonde flinching as the brunette winced and gasped in pain. "Let me buy you lunch, we'll talk."

"I'm fine, I don't need your charity," Harry spat as he wrenched his arm from Draco's grasp.

"You're starving, you were begging for money, you are obviously not fine," Draco said sternly as he placed one arm on either side of Harry, effectively cutting off the Harry's escape. "Now I'm buying you lunch or I'll announce that I've found Harry Potter."

"They won't find me," Harry ground out as his eyes frantically darted about the alley, looking for a way to get out.

"But they'll search harder," Draco said sternly. Sighing, his voice softened. "You can't run forever, Potter."

"Who said I was running?"

Draco stopped himself from commenting on that. Moving one of his arms from the wall to hold onto Harry's arm and steer him in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron, he spoke gently saying, "Come on, let's go eat."

"Only lunch, no more," Harry spat with a small shred of determination as though he was trying to convince himself that he was doing this on his terms and not because he hadn't had a decent meal in weeks.

"Fine," Draco said, acquiescing to his former schoolmate. Lunch would be a start, and maybe he could just get Harry to talk or stay after that. Merlin knew there were so many things to ask the Boy-Who-Lived.

The two walked in silence to the tavern, Harry keeping to the shadows as much as possible until they got there.

"Tom, is the upstairs room free?" Draco asked the publican as he walked into the Leaky Cauldron, almost dragging Harry with him.

"Sure is Professor Malfoy. Shall I send up the usual?" Tom asked as he looked up from wiping the bar counter to glance at the Hogwarts Professor and his companion. There was something familiar - yet totally unfamiliar - about him. He looked hardly more than a waif one could pick up under the docks and had the air of a pup who'd been kicked and beaten. As much as he tried, he couldn't seem to place Malfoy's companion.

"Make it two portions, a friend's joining me," Draco said as he looked over at Harry, who had pulled the tattered edges of his cloak up in an attempt to hide himself. He gave Harry a look before turning back to Tom. "And can you send up some ale as well?"

"Of course," Tom answered, tearing his eyes away from Draco's miserable looking companion. He'd be the first to admit that the current Professor Malfoy was a far cry from the pompous, arrogant boy who had often passed through here with his father, thinking only of galleons and purebloods. But still, he didn't think Draco would be the sort to take a boy off the streets and into bed. At least not one that looked like that. Realizing he had been staring too long, he hurried into the kitchens to place Draco's order.

Reluctantly, Harry followed Draco upstairs, trying not to reminisce about the day Hagrid had brought him here to buy his supplies when he had met Tom, Professor Quirrell and other tavern patrons. That day had begun his wizarding career with a series of firsts - his first withdrawal from Gringotts, buying his supplies, receiving Hedwig, and asking Hagrid why he was so famous. He didn't even realize they had reached the room until he heard the sound of the old wooden door close behind him. Shaken out of his thoughts, Harry glanced around the room nervously before asking curiously, "Professor?"

Draco smiled. "Defense against the Dark Arts. Headed into my second year. Remus retired just after you disappeared. I don't think he could take it with both you and Sirius gone. You were the first choice obviously. They sent Hedwig out numerous times looking for you, Harry."

Eager to deflect the conversation away from himself, Harry quickly asked, "What else?"

"Minerva took over for Albus, Hermione's teaching transfiguration, Ginny's teaching charms, Ron's playing for the Chudley Canons finally, and Severus is still holding out at potions, as menacing as ever. Harry-"

They were interrupted by knock at the door as Tom brought in the food and Harry quickly turned to face the wall.

"Tom, could I have a room tonight?"

"Of course," Tom said as he headed out the door. "Your usual one's free. I'll

leave you and your friend now if there's nothing else you'll be needing."

"Thank you, Tom," Draco replied as the tavern owner left the room, leaving the two former classmates alone.

"Harry-"

"Don't, please. Can't we just eat in peace?"

Draco nodded as he observed Harry. He wanted to owl Minerva, but he knew that if he left, Harry would be gone long before he came back. He wondered what had happened in those past eight years that had turned Gryffindor's Golden Boy into a recluse and a beggar. Didn't Harry have a fortune stored in Gringotts? The Daily Prophet would pay a hefty sum to tell the story of Harry's return, but he couldn't let them know. There must have been a reason why Harry never let anyone know, if only he could find out what it was.

A loud crash jolted him out of his thoughts and he looked up to find Harry's body on the floor convulsing, and faint, incoherent mumblings uttering from his lips. Draco rushed over to Harry's side - what the hell was going on? Was this a flashback of some sort?

"Harry! Come on, Harry, talk to me," he said, his voice laced with worry as he gently shook the brunette. When Harry's eyes finally met his after a few minutes, Draco froze. He had long thought that the scariest thing he had ever seen was Voldemort's face, but that paled in comparison to the green eyes he was staring into. Eyes that had seen their loved ones murdered, eyes that had stared down Voldemort and killed him, eyes that looked through you, that penetrated your soul and that were simultaneously full of pain and devoid of everything. Draco shivered before he finally spoke.

"Harry..."

Harry looked at Draco, as he studied him, almost as though he were trying to remember where he was when, suddenly, he scrambled to his feet and ran out the door, pulling his tattered cloak tight around himself. Draco rushed after him, but by the time he reached the street, the Boy Who Lived was nowhere to be found.

"FUCK!"

Chapter Two: The Search Begins

Draco asked around the streets surrounding the Leaky Cauldron, trying to find out if anyone had seen Harry, but no one had. Slowly he headed back into the tavern with his head hanging before going up to his room. He ran his hand through his hair as he sat on the bed. This was not how things were supposed to go. He had been planning to just pick up supplies for his Defense against the Dark Arts classes, maybe spend the night and then head back to Hogwarts for the upcoming term. But now, he had to find Harry, he had to at least get some answers. Quickly grabbing a piece of parchment, he dipped his quill in ink as he sat down to write a quick note.

Minerva,

Something here has come up and I won't be coming back to Hogwarts tomorrow morning as planned. Hopefully I should be back in a few days and I'll explain everything upon my return.

-D.M.

Calling for his owl, Adonis, he sent the letter off to Hogwarts and took a sip of Brandy from the decanter on the table before pulling on his cloak. Locking the door to his room, he left the Leaky Cauldron and headed back out into Diagon Alley. It was less crowded now, as people were already heading home. After doing a quick sweep of Diagon Alley and asking if people had seen a beggar anywhere, he headed to Knockturn Alley. He wasn't counting on finding Harry in the same spot, but Knockturn Alley would certainly offer more protection and a smaller chance of being recognized for Harry.

After searching for three hours and coming up with nothing, he was ready to give up. Harry had managed to disappear again. He wondered briefly whether Harry still had his invisibility cloak, but then remembered it had been among the items in Harry's trunk and that Ron had held onto it. He sighed and leaned against the wall when a thought came into his head. What if Harry had gone to Muggle London? Harry had been wearing a cloak, but there were enough seedy areas in London, where he would blend in with the homeless. But there was still the question of how had Harry gotten in or out of Diagon Alley without a wand. He knew Harry's wand had been left at the final battlefield. Draco remembered going there at the end of the battle and finding McGonagall and Hermione already there. Voldemort's body was lying there, dead and slightly mangled, along with two wands, but there was no sign of Harry. Hermione was kneeling on the ground and crying, her hands running over Harry's wand. Ron had thrown a fit and punched Draco when he had joined them a few minutes later. It was unthinkable. Voldemort had died and there was no sign of Harry. The Aurors searched for months, and after six months, the search was officially called off and Harry was declared MIA and most likely dead. There were numerous theories going around about what had happened - the most popular being that a portkey was involved. But no amount of locator spells could find Harry, not even his dead body.

It was Harry's disappearance that had brought Draco into a closer friendship with the Gryffindors. They had all fought side by side in the final battle and Ron eventually began to see Draco as something besides an insufferable Slytherin git. The childhood rivalry gradually faded and Ron even consented to letting Draco date Ginny. It had only lasted for a year before they both realized that it was mostly a comfort and attraction thing, but they remained close friends.

The Ministry had put up a monument to Harry a few years ago and written that the date of the final battle was the day that Harry died. That had been a hard blow for all of them and Draco knew that even Ginny had been losing hope. Among the survivors at Hogwarts, it was a topic that was not discussed. None of them wanted to admit that Harry was actually dead, but at the same time, they all knew that it was futile to keep hoping. No one wanted to admit that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived was gone for good. But Draco had seen him today, or at least the remnants of him, and it scared him more than anything else.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Draco left Diagon Alley and headed into Muggle London. He'd been dragged to see the sights by Hermione and Ginny various times and by now knew his way around fairly well. He headed for the seedier side of the city as he began asking around some of the homeless people if they'd seen a guy about his own age, thin and lanky, black hair and green eyes. Every neighborhood he tried, he came up empty handed. He went in to a café to try and get some tea when he remembered he didn't have any Muggle money on him. Cursing himself, he headed back towards the Leaky Cauldron, barely aware of the fact that the sun was already starting to come up.

" 'Morning, Professor, you didn't come in last night. I was gett'n worried. Can I get you a cup of tea or would you care for something stronger?"

Draco sat down at the bar and looked up at Tom. "Just tea. Thanks."

A few minutes later, Tom came back with a steaming cup of Earl Grey and placed it in front of Draco. "Oh, I almost forgot, someone dropped this off for you late last night - must 'ave been nearing 4 o'clock I reckon."

Draco looked at the folded piece of paper Tom handed him. "Professor Malfoy" was scribbled across the front. He opened it and began to read the messy handwriting.

Yesterday was a mistake. It's best for everyone if you just forget what happened. Give up your search - I don't intend to be found. Things are better that way.

He read it three times before looking up at the tavern owner. "Who brought this, Tom?"

"Don't know, Professor, we was pretty full last night. Just found it on the bar when I was cleaning up. Figured I'd just give it to you. It's nuthin bad, is it?"

Draco shook his head. "No... It's just... Tom, you didn't happen to see my friend last night did you? He ran off in a hurry, saying he had something to do and said he might drop by later on."

"Haven't seen 'im, sorry. I was hoping I'd get to meet 'im too, you seemed pretty happy to see 'im."

"I was..." Draco said as he trailed off and absentmindedly fingered the letter. "It's been a long time since I've seen him. You'll let me know if he comes by, won't you?"

"Of course, Professor. Will you be wantin' breakfast or anything?"

"No, I think I'm just going to go upstairs and take a nap," Draco responded as he headed upstairs, clutching his tea drowsily. As he opened the door, he saw Adonis sitting on the windowsill with a letter tied to his foot. Walking over, Draco placed the cup on the desk as he untied the letter and scratched Adonis under the chin. He sat down on the bed as he opened the letter, which he assumed was from Minerva.

Draco-

I do hope that nothing is wrong. Take as much time as you need, hopefully we will see you here in the next few days as the term is starting soon. Don't hesitate to write if you need anything.

-Minerva McGonagall

Headmistress

He put Minerva's letter aside and went back to Harry's. It seemed to be written in charcoal or something - he couldn't quite figure it out. The handwriting seemed to belong to Harry though, and obviously eight years who knows where hadn't done anything to improve Harry's handwriting. Draco couldn't follow Harry's instructions - he had to find Harry again. He stifled a yawn as he leaned back, muttering a spell to close the curtains. He'd be able to think more clearly in the morning.