Alone

Chapter three ~

In the doorway stood a man. He was twenty something by the looks of it and had pale blond hair. His silver eyes roamed the room before settling on Jake. Jake cursed inwardly.

He hadn't seen this man in four years, but there was no doubt who he was.

Draco Malfoy.

Jake was sure that he must've stared at the man for ten minutes before his tongue started working again.

"Can I help you?" he asked politely. Draco looked at him for a moment, before speaking.

"Yes I was wondering if Harry Potter lived here," he enquired just as politely. Jake inwardly let out a breath of relief. He didn't recognise him.

"Harry Potter? I'm afraid not. If I'm not mistaken, he moved out a couple of years ago," Jake replied. Draco seemed disappointed, but you could never tell with the blond who could mask his feelings so well.

"I was afraid that would happen. Well thank you for your time," Draco said pleasantly before turning and leaving. Jake closed the door and let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Leaning against the door, Jake put his head in his hands and slid down to the ground.

He didn't know long he stayed like that, but it must've have been long for Derek did not call out for Jake to drag his 'lazy arse into the lounge room and do something normal'. Jake got up and was about to do just that when he froze.

The doorbell rang again.

~~*~~

"I wonder if he's actually going to go and see Harry," Hermione said nervously as she twisted her wedding ring around her finger for the thousandth time that hour.

"Have faith in him Hermione. How do you expect him to do his work when you don't believe he can?" Albus asked softly. Hermione blushed and didn't comment.

"I should've believed him. He was my fucking grandson for god's sake!" Sirius said again. Albus sighed as Remus looked slightly put out.

"Sirius, we all should've believed him, but we didn't. We can't go back and change the past no matter how hard we want to," Albus told him gently.

Sirius didn't say anything, but you could tell he was still blaming himself for what happened.

"Let's say that Malfoy does find Harry, but what if Harry doesn't want to come back?" Ron asked suddenly. Hermione glared at her husband as Albus sighed again.

"Let's hope we never have to think of a way to convince Harry to come back," he answered, himself not knowing what to do if that actually happened.

Please, don't let Harry be swayed by our betrayal, he thought as the order waited for Draco to come back.

~~*~~

Jake stiffened. The doorbell rang again.

"Jake I thought you got it the first time," Derek's voice came from the lounge room.

"I did," Jake answered as he clambered to his feet. Opening the door, he swore silently as he saw that Draco Malfoy was standing there.

"Sorry to bother you again," he apologised. "But if Potter happens to come by and look for mail or something can you tell him something from me?"

Jake nodded, wondering what it was.

"Just tell him that we were wrong and he was right and that his friends are sorry for doubting him," Draco said with distain as if he wasn't part of the 'we' or 'friends'. Jake tensed again. So his friends finally know the truth.

Took them long enough, Jake thought bitterly as Draco studied the blue-eyed man standing in front of him.

"Hey, you look familiar. In fact you look a bit.." Draco trailed off as he made the connection. Jake hurriedly slammed the door closed as he realised that Draco knew who he was.

"Potter! Open this door!" Draco shouted, banging on the door. Jake didn't answer, but a second later Derek sailed into the room and stared at the door which Draco was still banging on.

"What the fuck is happening Jake?" Derek asked as the door shook in its hinges.

"Er, we're being bombarded by crazy women who want to make wild, passionate love to us?" Jake offered weakly. Derek glared at him, not in the mood to be joked with.

"Potter I'm going to give you to the count of three to open this door. If you don't I'll apparate into your apartment!" Draco threatened as Jake sat on the floor, back to the door.

"You can't!" Jake shouted back. There was silence for a minute as Derek stared at Jake.

"Who is Potter?" he asked. Jake licked his lips nervously.

"Uh, well, you see, he was, kinda, a, uh," Jake didn't get to finish as there was a small popping sound. At the same time Draco Malfoy apparated into the room, beside Derek.

"Holy fuck!" Derek shouted as he jumped back and stared at Draco.

Draco stared back.

"You never told me you were living with a muggle Potter," Draco said slowly, turning his attention back to Jake. Jake scowled and clambered to his feet.

"How did you get in?" he asked.

"Good question, how'd you do that?" Derek asked, finally finding his voice. Draco rolled his eyes, but answered the question.

"I talk to the Minister in America and found that you took out an anti-apparation shield around your apartment. So I got him to temporarily to disable it."

Jake's scowl increase as he glared at the intruder.

"What the fuck is he talking about Jake?" Derek asked.

"Oh so you're going by Jake now Potter." Draco smirked. Jake took a threatening step forward.

"Out Malfoy," he hissed, pointing to the door.

"Make me. After all I'm the one with the wand," he told Jake smugly.

"WON'T SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?! WHY DO I FEEL LIKE A BLOODY THIRD WHEEL WHEN IT'S MY BEST FRIEND INVOLVED?!" Derek finally lost it and shouted at the surprised pair.

"Well you see your best friend is not who he seems to be. He is in fact a wizard," Draco announced before Jake could shut him up. The answer did not have the desired effect.

Derek burst out laughing.

"W-w-wizard? A-as in those people with wands and shit?" he asked between laughs. Jake bit his lip and looked at his best friend.

"It is not shit and I'll prove it to you?" Draco asked coldly as Derek straightened himself up.

"Be my guest," Derek offered with a smirk. Draco smirked back and pointed his wand at the chair in the lounge room. Muttering a spell, the chair suddenly turned into a pig and started running around. Derek's jaw dropped open. Draco muttered the counter spell and it turned back into a chair. Derek turned towards Jake, questions in his eye.

"And how long exactly were you going to wait before you told me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as Draco turned to him as well.

Jake suddenly found himself trapped between a pair of brown and a pair of silver eyes, each demanding to know the answers to their questions. Jake licked his lips again and looked from one to the other.

"Well, uh, I, you see, I, kinda," he started, not sure how to begin.

"Spit it out Potter. I think you've got some explaining to do," Draco said as he clamped a hand around Jake's right arm.

"And don't think you're going anywhere until you've finished," Derek added, clamping his hand around Jake's other arm and dragged him into the lounge room.

Pushing him into the sofa, Derek sat on Jake's left side as Draco sat opposite him and waited for him to start explaining.