The Way We Get By

Draco brushed the rain out of his eyes, looked down at the small bit of parchment in front of him and then to the house in front of him. 21 Seething Lane. The addresses matched, but Draco was sure there had to have been a mistake. He looked around cautiously; to make sure no one was following him, and then took the front steps slowly. He was dripping wet from head to toe and his trunk weighed more than he thought he himself did.

A large, brass knocker in the shape of a snake's head lay directly in the center of the door. Draco reached out to knock, and the snake suddenly came to life and hissed at him suspiciously. His hand snapped back, and he raised his eyebrows at the gaudy fixture. Draco had to admit, the Dark Lord's pride was extraordinary, but this was foolish. They were a mere two blocks from the Leaky Cauldron. Wouldn't anyone notice this as strange?

He reached out again, and picked up the knocker. He could feel it wriggle in his hand, and he dropped it with a loud thud. It hissed once more, causing Draco to take a sheepish step back.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do exactly. He looked it up and down, and could not help but let out a sigh of disappointment. The place looked old. The three-level brownstone was faded and worn, with shabby shutters and black paint chipping on the front door. Small cracks littered a few of the windows and some were bordered up with sheets of wood. As he wondered what the place looked like on the inside, he heard a small creak and a clang.

The next thing he knew he was being grabbed and smothered by two women. They were both picking at his clothing, his hair and his face. Not quite being able to grasp for air, he pushed them both away and leaned himself against the door he had just been pulled through. Panting slightly, his eyes caught sight of the two women who attacked him: His mum, and Bellatrix Lestrange

"Oh, hullo," he greeted in exasperation, clutching his chest slightly. "You couldn't have waited until maybe I was inside before assaulting me?"

"Oh, Draco, my dear, look at you!" Narcissa rushed towards him. She wrapped her frail arms tightly around his neck again and pulled him close to her. "Are you alright? Did anybody see you? You've no idea how much I missed you."

"I think I've an idea," he replied, his voice muffled as his face was smothered by her long blond curls. "Please, Mum, I think you're going to kill me. I can't breath."

"Right, oh, right." Narcissa let Draco go, and brushed some stray dust off the front of his damp robes. "Oh, you're sopping wet! We've just got to get you out of these things before you catch pneumonia."

The eyes on Narcissa Malfoy's face were full of concern as she stood before him. She was a tad bit thinner than he remembered but still looked very much the same. She was dressed in long pale robes of satin that fell to the floor and she was sparkled in her usual jewelry. Even in hiding, she was styled to the nines.

Draco looked to his mum, and then rolled his eyes up to the cathedral ceiling. "Mum, really, it's just a tad bit of rain. I'll be fine."

"Yes, really Cissy, leave the boy alone. He's got to come over here and greet his Auntie," Bellatrix spoke finally, an amused hint to her voice. She came forward, tall and thin with long jet black hair and dark eyes. Bellatrix Lestrange was Draco's favorite aunt, well, the only aunt that was allowed to be his favorite. He wasn't quite sure how his parents would react if he ever said that Aunt Andromeda was the favorite. He almost laughed in spite of the thought. Draco bowed his head slightly in hello, and then planted a small kiss on her gaunt cheek.

"How are you, then, Aunt Bella?" Draco asked, letting out a short breath and glad to be away from his mother's frantic embraces.

"You should know. I'm just sorry I wasn't around to see the old wanker fall." A crooked grin appeared on the darker witch's face and Draco couldn't help but notice the small chip in her front tooth. He shuddered slightly, though whether it was from his Aunt's words or a true chill from the rain outside.

"Yes..." he paused slightly. "Well, it was certainly something." A small flash of green appeared in front of his eyes and he remembered then how he had covered his eyes in fear. He almost wondered what it had been like to actually see it happen. Then he looked back to the two women standing before him. They looked so happy to see him. Would they be as welcoming if they had known he had been too much of a coward to do what he was ordered? That he had failed the Dark Lord on all counts? He had a sinking feeling that they would not.

"Draco?"

Draco's eyes fluttered as he realized that his mum had been talking. He shook his head slightly before looking at her.

"Oh, er wot?"

Out of the corner of his eye he could see his Aunt Bella snickering at him. His eyebrows furrowed in slight embarrassment.

"You are of age now, and while I am your mother I can make no limits on your freedom," Narcissa said softly. "However, I do wish that you will stay inside this house at all times. If you leave, you subject yourself to any sort of danger-"

Draco made a face.

"-I know you're a big boy now," another snicker, "but it will lie on your head if you're spotted out on the streets. We are safe as long as we are in the house, do you understand? This house does not exist for those who do not know it is here. Please do not put yourself into anymore danger than you already are. Do you understand?"

The pale boy gulped slightly. "Yes, I understand."

Bellatrix suddenly clapped her hands joyfully and rounded on Draco, shoving him towards a corridor. He faltered only slightly under her touch but managed to recover rather quickly. Thoughts of being cooped up in this house with just his mum and aunt for company were beginning to make him think that this was all a bad idea. Why couldn't their hideaway be someone exotic and unknowing of what had happened at Hogwarts? What about Budapest? What about Indonesia? New Jersey? Anywhere but where he was now.

His aunt's voice rang through the entry. "Now, how would you like a little tour of your new home?"

--

While it was nothing compared to The Malfoy Manor, Bellatrix's hideaway was certainly something. Gleaming hardwood floors, crystal chandeliers and golden frames filled the house along with crushed velvets and satin. Coming into the bedroom Bellatrix directed him to; he did a small spin to view his surroundings. He dropped his trunk down on the floor beside him, and almost immediately a raggedy old house-elf came rushing toward him.

Draco paid no bother to the creature, but turned toward his aunt instead. She was leaning stiffly against the door jam of Draco's bedroom door, looking quite smug indeed.

"How did you manage?"

"My dear, when one is a Lestrange, nothing higher than the highest class will suffice," Bellatrix replied simply. "Besides, I want the Dark Lord to be as comfortable as possible when he is visiting."

Draco nearly choked on the air he was breathing. "The Dark Lord visits?"

"Nearly once a week or so," she replied before watching him struggle for air. "Are you alright, Draco? You're looking a bit peckish."

Draco quickly shook his head. "Peckish? No, no I'm feeling quite all right. It's just been a long couple of days, you know, plotting murders and all that rubbish."

Bellatrix cackled at the small joke, and put her hand tenderly on Draco's shoulder.

"My favorite nephew, why don't you go and take a rest?" she asked him, her dark eyes peering into Draco's own icy ones.

"Yes, I think a rest would be a good idea," he managed, as his eyes wandered around the room. A small house-elf was keeping busy by putting away Draco's things. The room was grand, and while it was much like his bedroom back at the Manor, it was missing something.

There was not a fireplace.

Bellatrix excused herself and Draco took that opportunity to shoo away the house-elf as well. Once he was alone, he let out another short breath. As he collapsed onto the bed, Draco was thinking if maybe jumping into that fireplace back at The Three Broomsticks wasn't such a wretched idea after all.