Harry Potter and The White Queen (BP3)
folder
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
49
Views:
28,219
Reviews:
234
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
Harry Potter › Slash - Male/Male › Harry/Draco
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
49
Views:
28,219
Reviews:
234
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
The Queen's Gambit
Chapter Number/Total: 37/49
Chapter Title: The Queen's Gambit
Words: 3133 Words
Harry was sitting next to the window of the train, looking out at the sun and watching as it dropped lower and lower in the sky the further they went. He, Draco, Ron and Hermione were on their way to what had once been Miller's Crossing. The closer they got, the worse Harry felt, but at the same time, his determination grew. He was once again torn with his feelings, but he was nervous, more so than he had been before.
Draco sat beside his lover with a book in his lap. He was trying to read but mostly he was worrying. He glanced nervously at the dwindling light. Then smiled at the profile of Harry against the window.
Harry sighed and looked away from the sun, his knees bouncing nervously. He saw Draco smiling at him and he returned a small one of his own and laid a hand on his leg.
The blond smirked, Harry's touch enough to send a shiver through his limb.
Harry chuckled very quietly and shook his head at Draco.
All four of them were very strangely quiet, Ron simply looking out the window like Harry had been doing and Hermione reading like Draco.
Draco leaned over whispering in his lover's ear, "I want you. I always want you." Harry smirked now and whispered back, "Is that such a good idea?" There was a slightly amused smile on his lips, but his eyes glittered.
Draco nuzzled his lover's hair and whispered again. "Are you suggesting we do it on the train?"
"How?" Harry asked, glancing quickly at his friends sitting just across from them.
Grinning, Draco shook his head, pressing kisses to Harry's cheek. "You are insatiable," he teased. "I suppose we could find an empty compartment."
Harry sighed, wanting nothing more than to get up from his seat and do just what Draco had said, but now that he thought of it, it didn't seem like such a wise idea. "Maybe we shouldn't," he said a little sadly.
Draco was hard just from talking about it. He huffed and sat back, trying to calm down.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, grinning a little guiltily. "I promise when we get home."
"Well, it's a good thing we took care of things before we left home," Draco smiled, "but I still can't get enough of you."
Hermione looked up from her book then and raised an eyebrow at Draco's words.
Harry smiled and blushed slightly.
Draco rolled his eyes and picked up the book again, trying to concentrate. He didn't know if he was actually managing to take in what he read but at least he was calmer.
Harry scooted in closer to Draco and looked down at the book in his lap. "What are you reading?" he asked, wanting to take his mind off things for at least the little while they had before the train ride was over.
"It's Muggle," Draco laughed. "A collection of short stories by Saki."
Harry shrugged. "Oh," he said and then yawned, feeling a bit tired. He had been feeling more worn out than usual lately.
"Shall I read you a story, Harry?" Draco asked.
"Sure, if you want," Harry said, smiling and leaning against Draco's side. He brought his legs up onto the seat and tucked them under himself.
Draco opened the book and read, "The Story Teller." It was one of his favourites -a story about bored children on a train and he was amused that even Ron and Hermione listened.
Harry felt relaxed, the sound of Draco's voice soothing and calming while he rested his head on Draco's shoulder. He'd enjoyed the story and it seemed that Ron and Hermione had too. Draco was a very good reader, Harry decided. He had a good voice for such a thing. Perhaps Harry would have him talk him to sleep one day.
When he was done, Draco closed the book and tucked the small hardback away. "I think we are at the next stop," he said with a smirk.
Harry sighed and sat up, the warmth and safety that he had felt just moments before, slowly trickling away from him. He rubbed at his eyes for a few seconds and then got to his feet, Ron and Hermione doing the same.
They disembarked in the twilight. "Maybe we should stay here for the night and go on to Miller's Crossing in the morning," Draco said, looking around nervously.
Harry looked at Draco and considered for a moment. "It will be no different now than it is in the morning. It was daylight when we went to the graveyard and that didn't stop it from being horrible. Let's just get it over with."
Draco wanted to argue, but he didn't have a good reason. So he frowned and nodded.
"So how do we get there now?" asked Ron, looking around like Draco.
"Unless you have some type of Muggle transportation idea," Draco sighed, "we walk."
“It doesn't look like there are any taxi cabs here," said Hermione.
"How far is it?" asked Harry, pulling his coat tighter around himself.
"Three Kilometres," said Hermione. "Which means it'll probably take us about forty minutes, maybe a little less, to get there."
Harry sighed, but nodded. "All right, let's get going then," he said.
Draco had his wand in hand under his robe as they walked. The area was wooded and he found himself walking down an old road but watching every shadow in the deepening twilight. It was quiet except for the crunch of their steps in the snow and the huffs of their breathing, white trails in the air.
"Damn it's cold!" Ron hissed quietly after they'd been walking for a half-hour.
"Shhh!" Hermione said, frowning at him. "We're nearly there."
Harry had to agree with Ron. His fingers and toes were cold, and he couldn't feel the tip of his nose anymore. He held his wand too, lit, as it was dark by now.
"How are you doing, Harry?" Draco asked.
"I'm all right," Harry said, sniffing and sounding stuffed up. He half wished they had chosen to stay now, but determinedly carried on.
Draco snorted, shaking his head. "Still a lousy liar, Potter," he grumbled.
"So, I'm cold," Harry said defensively. "So is everyone else. I'm fine."
Draco considered doing a Warming Charm on his lover but decided it would put him at greater risk if they ran into trouble. If there was anyone or anything sensitive to magic out in this Muggle backwater, then Harry would be lit up like a torch.
"Are we close?" asked Ron after a few more minutes. "Can you feel anything, Draco?"
"Besides cold?" Draco snorted but then took a deep breath and concentrated. He stepped away from Harry. "Something," he said, "but it is either very old or shielded. Up ahead though."
Harry clutched his wand tighter and walked a little quicker. If Draco could feel something, it meant there probably was a Horcrux. What were the chances of there being anything magical other than that out here?
They came around a bend and the fog was thicker here. There were buildings, or at least the remains of buildings with masonry sticking up like bones in the snow.
"Merlin," said Ron quietly as the village came into view.
"This is horrible," said Hermione, frowning sadly while she looked around.
"Where would it be if it were here?" Harry asked, also thinking that the sight of the little village was awful, but still wanting to find what they needed quickly and get out of there.
Draco pulled out his wand and closed his eyes, allowing himself to concentrate. Then he opened his eyes and picked his way through the snow covered rubble in the dark. It was slow going since the snow made it easy to trip on buried rubble.
Harry, Ron and Hermione followed behind Draco, stumbling and tripping.
Harry kept his eyes and ears open, nervous in this dark, depressing place. The hair on the back of his neck was on end and he stuck close to the blond in front of him.
Draco shivered but it wasn't the cold now. He had begun to sweat and he was feeling a prickling of dark magic that made the hair on his arms stand up.
"Is it near?" Harry whispered to Draco, feeling uneasy.
"Stay here a minute," Draco said, holding a hand up.
Harry frowned and paused, not really wanting to, but thinking he should let Draco do what he had to. Ron and Hermione stilled too, wands at the ready, just in case.
Draco kept his eyes half-closed only really looking at his feet to keep from tripping but using that other sense to let it pull him toward the magic. He came to an old building, still mostly intact, but burned out.
Harry watched Draco, waiting for some sort of signal from him for them to move forward. He still felt like there was something bad going to happen, but he figured it was probably just his nervousness about retrieving a Horcrux.
"Down!" Draco yelled suddenly, throwing himself sideways into the snow just as the bolt of magic came out of the dark interior. It hit stone and shattered it.
Harry gasped and dropped into a crouch. Hermione gasped as well and ducked down, covering her head with her arms. Ron dove forward and landed at Harry's side in a crouch as well, holding his wand out.
Draco had tried to roll, but the snow had made it difficult to move. He had also landed on something sharp and hard that had hurt. The only thing he could think of was Harry. A dark figure appeared in the doorway, firing at him. Draco sent a Body-Bind Spell back into the dark.
Harry jumped back up to his feet and ran as fast as he could toward Draco.
"Harry, no!" yelled Ron, heading after him.
Harry ignored Ron and shot an Impediment Curse where the first spell had come from and where Draco had cast his.
Draco jumped to his feet, getting between the doorway and Harry. "Get! Down!" he yelled.
"Harry!" Ron yelled again. "Listen to him!" He shot a Stunner.
Harry bared his teeth and ducked down only a little, sorely tempted to push Draco out of his way.
Draco snarled, crouching and firing hexes into the darkness. "Ron!" he screamed.
Harry was confused when Draco yelled for Ron, but there was no time to wonder. He was just about to fire off another hex when he suddenly felt arms around his waist and was lifted bodily from the ground.
His eyes widened and he was too shocked to do anything at first, then he realised that Ron had grabbed him and was now carrying him away. "Ron, what?! No!" he yelled, struggling in his arms.
"Harry, stop!" Ron shouted, voice strained.
Harry pushed and writhed and tried to get loose and managed, falling to the ground and scrambling back up, but Ron grabbed his legs and dragged him a few feet before picking him up again and throwing him over his shoulder like he had with Ginny that day in Hogsmeade.
Harry kicked his feet and clawed at anything he could reach to try and get down, but Ron was strong and kept moving and Harry could only watch as they moved further and further from Draco. "What are you doing?!" Harry screamed. "Draco!"
Draco covered their retreat, crouching and trying to keep whoever was in the house busy while Ron got Harry to safety. He fired random hexes, not even knowing if they hit the mark most of the time. He had felt the surge of someone Apparating inside just before the first spell hit. Now he could feel multiple magical signatures in the ruins. "Get out!" he yelled again, hoping the trio listened.
Hermione was firing hexes and jinxes with Draco and at his words she faltered and looked behind her where Ron was still struggling with Harry. She looked as if she didn't know what to do.
Harry was still kicking and screaming for Draco and Ron was making strangled noises and apparently trying to get him to hold still, panting. "Harry, stop!" he let out in that same strained yell. "Harry, the baby!"
Everything seemed to stop for a single spark of a second and Harry's eyes went wide and he let out all the air in his lungs. He stopped struggling and went limp and almost frozen with terror, his eyes filling with tears that didn't spill over.
Almost as soon as Harry stilled, Ron stopped and then Apparated suddenly, leaving both Hermione and Draco behind.
Draco felt more than heard the pop as Ron and Harry Apparated out. "Granger, go!" he yelled. He had his body shielded behind a low pile of bricks that used to be a wall. He saw her returning spells with the others in the ruins.
Hermione stared at Draco fearfully for half a second. "What about you?!" she yelled as she sent another hex. A curse barely missed her.
"Go, and I will too!" he snapped, ducking another hex.
Hermione hesitated, looking torn and terrified, but then she closed her eyes and was gone with a loud crack.
Draco sighed and closed his eyes, concentrating. He felt the hex hit before he could make the jump.
***
Harry was shaking as he and Ron appeared in the entrance hall at Malfoy Manor.
Ron was pale and shaky too and he was still panting. He placed Harry gently on his feet, but didn't let him go completely. "Stay here. I'm going back," he said.
Harry's eyes widened. "Then I am too," he said, voice barely a whisper. He hardly knew what to feel. He was in shock still that Draco was all the way across England with what had seemed like an army of Death Eaters and Harry was safe at home.
"Harry, the baby," Ron said quickly, his voice pained.
Harry made a sort of whimpering sound and had never felt more conflicted in his entire life. Just then there was a crack in the air and Hermione was there, white-faced.
"Where's Draco?" Harry asked as soon as Hermione was there. "Where is he?"
"He said he was coming right after me," Hermione said, eyes wide and fearful as she looked around her, almost as if she expected to see Draco there.
"Where is he?" Harry asked, voice getting higher with fear.
"I'm going back," Ron said again.
Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.
"I have to. I'm not leaving him there," Ron insisted.
Harry was nearly hyperventilating now.
Ron rounded on him. "Don't you leave here," he said. "Don't you dare fucking leave." He spoke to both Harry and Hermione now. "I don't care how long I'm gone. Don't either of you go back there."
Harry couldn't look at him. He was shaking uncontrollably and trying to hold himself back from Apparating with every ounce of willpower he possessed.
Ron moved forward and kissed Hermione's forehead. "Don't you dare let him leave," he said, and then he was gone again and everything seemed far too quiet to Harry.
When Ron Apparated back into the ruins, there was no sound. No hexes or blasts, no yells or screams.
He crouched low to the ground, his long legs bent sideways. He stared all around him, his wand out, and tried to hear a sound, anything. His heart started pounding when the thought crossed his mind that he was already too late.
As he made his way to where he'd last seen Draco, the wind blew cold and strong. But nothing else seemed to be moving.
The only sounds he could hear were the natural sounds of the night and his own panting. He was terrified, but his wand was steady.
When he reached the spot where Draco had crouched behind the wall, something caught his eye, a darker spot in the snow. When he looked closer he found a brooch - a brooch in the shape of an eagle, lying in the middle of an impression of where Draco had fallen.
He stared at it with wide eyes. There was no way in hell that a Horcrux would simply be laying out in the open. He reached for the brooch and picked it up.
Nothing happened. It was cold from laying in the snow but otherwise nothing seemed unusual about it.
He was confused and scared and his brows were low over his eyes. He stood straighter, looking around him. Something was definitely not right - obviously not right. What the hell was going on?
There were lots of footprints in the snow, but no one else. Whatever happened after they left, it was done. The Death Easters were gone and so was Draco.
Ron did not want to believe it. He could not fail Harry. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes, holding back the scream of rage that threatened to overtake him. He stood cold in the snow for a few minutes, his eyes still closed. He covered his face with the hand that wasn't holding his wand and tried to pull himself together. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up to watch the mist rise up into the sky. Finally, he took one last breath and Disapperated.
Harry had collapsed to his knees while Ron was gone and Hermione was on her knees next to him, holding him and rocking him, telling him that it was going to be okay and sounding like she was trying to comfort herself as well.
Harry barely heard her words. He wanted to scream and yell and cry, but he could do nothing and he hated that he had a reason to do nothing. He wished he didn't. He wished he could be reckless and go after Draco, but the reason was inside him and he wished it weren't right at that moment.
Ron appeared back inside the entrance hall and he saw Harry and Hermione huddled together and had to close his eyes again as they both looked up at the crack.
Harry was filled with quick relief at the sight of Ron, but there was no Draco with him and then Harry filled with even more dread. "Where is he?"
Ron looked like he was in pain and he shook when Harry asked his question. "Gone," he said in one simple word.
Chapter Title: The Queen's Gambit
Words: 3133 Words
Harry was sitting next to the window of the train, looking out at the sun and watching as it dropped lower and lower in the sky the further they went. He, Draco, Ron and Hermione were on their way to what had once been Miller's Crossing. The closer they got, the worse Harry felt, but at the same time, his determination grew. He was once again torn with his feelings, but he was nervous, more so than he had been before.
Draco sat beside his lover with a book in his lap. He was trying to read but mostly he was worrying. He glanced nervously at the dwindling light. Then smiled at the profile of Harry against the window.
Harry sighed and looked away from the sun, his knees bouncing nervously. He saw Draco smiling at him and he returned a small one of his own and laid a hand on his leg.
The blond smirked, Harry's touch enough to send a shiver through his limb.
Harry chuckled very quietly and shook his head at Draco.
All four of them were very strangely quiet, Ron simply looking out the window like Harry had been doing and Hermione reading like Draco.
Draco leaned over whispering in his lover's ear, "I want you. I always want you." Harry smirked now and whispered back, "Is that such a good idea?" There was a slightly amused smile on his lips, but his eyes glittered.
Draco nuzzled his lover's hair and whispered again. "Are you suggesting we do it on the train?"
"How?" Harry asked, glancing quickly at his friends sitting just across from them.
Grinning, Draco shook his head, pressing kisses to Harry's cheek. "You are insatiable," he teased. "I suppose we could find an empty compartment."
Harry sighed, wanting nothing more than to get up from his seat and do just what Draco had said, but now that he thought of it, it didn't seem like such a wise idea. "Maybe we shouldn't," he said a little sadly.
Draco was hard just from talking about it. He huffed and sat back, trying to calm down.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, grinning a little guiltily. "I promise when we get home."
"Well, it's a good thing we took care of things before we left home," Draco smiled, "but I still can't get enough of you."
Hermione looked up from her book then and raised an eyebrow at Draco's words.
Harry smiled and blushed slightly.
Draco rolled his eyes and picked up the book again, trying to concentrate. He didn't know if he was actually managing to take in what he read but at least he was calmer.
Harry scooted in closer to Draco and looked down at the book in his lap. "What are you reading?" he asked, wanting to take his mind off things for at least the little while they had before the train ride was over.
"It's Muggle," Draco laughed. "A collection of short stories by Saki."
Harry shrugged. "Oh," he said and then yawned, feeling a bit tired. He had been feeling more worn out than usual lately.
"Shall I read you a story, Harry?" Draco asked.
"Sure, if you want," Harry said, smiling and leaning against Draco's side. He brought his legs up onto the seat and tucked them under himself.
Draco opened the book and read, "The Story Teller." It was one of his favourites -a story about bored children on a train and he was amused that even Ron and Hermione listened.
Harry felt relaxed, the sound of Draco's voice soothing and calming while he rested his head on Draco's shoulder. He'd enjoyed the story and it seemed that Ron and Hermione had too. Draco was a very good reader, Harry decided. He had a good voice for such a thing. Perhaps Harry would have him talk him to sleep one day.
When he was done, Draco closed the book and tucked the small hardback away. "I think we are at the next stop," he said with a smirk.
Harry sighed and sat up, the warmth and safety that he had felt just moments before, slowly trickling away from him. He rubbed at his eyes for a few seconds and then got to his feet, Ron and Hermione doing the same.
They disembarked in the twilight. "Maybe we should stay here for the night and go on to Miller's Crossing in the morning," Draco said, looking around nervously.
Harry looked at Draco and considered for a moment. "It will be no different now than it is in the morning. It was daylight when we went to the graveyard and that didn't stop it from being horrible. Let's just get it over with."
Draco wanted to argue, but he didn't have a good reason. So he frowned and nodded.
"So how do we get there now?" asked Ron, looking around like Draco.
"Unless you have some type of Muggle transportation idea," Draco sighed, "we walk."
“It doesn't look like there are any taxi cabs here," said Hermione.
"How far is it?" asked Harry, pulling his coat tighter around himself.
"Three Kilometres," said Hermione. "Which means it'll probably take us about forty minutes, maybe a little less, to get there."
Harry sighed, but nodded. "All right, let's get going then," he said.
Draco had his wand in hand under his robe as they walked. The area was wooded and he found himself walking down an old road but watching every shadow in the deepening twilight. It was quiet except for the crunch of their steps in the snow and the huffs of their breathing, white trails in the air.
"Damn it's cold!" Ron hissed quietly after they'd been walking for a half-hour.
"Shhh!" Hermione said, frowning at him. "We're nearly there."
Harry had to agree with Ron. His fingers and toes were cold, and he couldn't feel the tip of his nose anymore. He held his wand too, lit, as it was dark by now.
"How are you doing, Harry?" Draco asked.
"I'm all right," Harry said, sniffing and sounding stuffed up. He half wished they had chosen to stay now, but determinedly carried on.
Draco snorted, shaking his head. "Still a lousy liar, Potter," he grumbled.
"So, I'm cold," Harry said defensively. "So is everyone else. I'm fine."
Draco considered doing a Warming Charm on his lover but decided it would put him at greater risk if they ran into trouble. If there was anyone or anything sensitive to magic out in this Muggle backwater, then Harry would be lit up like a torch.
"Are we close?" asked Ron after a few more minutes. "Can you feel anything, Draco?"
"Besides cold?" Draco snorted but then took a deep breath and concentrated. He stepped away from Harry. "Something," he said, "but it is either very old or shielded. Up ahead though."
Harry clutched his wand tighter and walked a little quicker. If Draco could feel something, it meant there probably was a Horcrux. What were the chances of there being anything magical other than that out here?
They came around a bend and the fog was thicker here. There were buildings, or at least the remains of buildings with masonry sticking up like bones in the snow.
"Merlin," said Ron quietly as the village came into view.
"This is horrible," said Hermione, frowning sadly while she looked around.
"Where would it be if it were here?" Harry asked, also thinking that the sight of the little village was awful, but still wanting to find what they needed quickly and get out of there.
Draco pulled out his wand and closed his eyes, allowing himself to concentrate. Then he opened his eyes and picked his way through the snow covered rubble in the dark. It was slow going since the snow made it easy to trip on buried rubble.
Harry, Ron and Hermione followed behind Draco, stumbling and tripping.
Harry kept his eyes and ears open, nervous in this dark, depressing place. The hair on the back of his neck was on end and he stuck close to the blond in front of him.
Draco shivered but it wasn't the cold now. He had begun to sweat and he was feeling a prickling of dark magic that made the hair on his arms stand up.
"Is it near?" Harry whispered to Draco, feeling uneasy.
"Stay here a minute," Draco said, holding a hand up.
Harry frowned and paused, not really wanting to, but thinking he should let Draco do what he had to. Ron and Hermione stilled too, wands at the ready, just in case.
Draco kept his eyes half-closed only really looking at his feet to keep from tripping but using that other sense to let it pull him toward the magic. He came to an old building, still mostly intact, but burned out.
Harry watched Draco, waiting for some sort of signal from him for them to move forward. He still felt like there was something bad going to happen, but he figured it was probably just his nervousness about retrieving a Horcrux.
"Down!" Draco yelled suddenly, throwing himself sideways into the snow just as the bolt of magic came out of the dark interior. It hit stone and shattered it.
Harry gasped and dropped into a crouch. Hermione gasped as well and ducked down, covering her head with her arms. Ron dove forward and landed at Harry's side in a crouch as well, holding his wand out.
Draco had tried to roll, but the snow had made it difficult to move. He had also landed on something sharp and hard that had hurt. The only thing he could think of was Harry. A dark figure appeared in the doorway, firing at him. Draco sent a Body-Bind Spell back into the dark.
Harry jumped back up to his feet and ran as fast as he could toward Draco.
"Harry, no!" yelled Ron, heading after him.
Harry ignored Ron and shot an Impediment Curse where the first spell had come from and where Draco had cast his.
Draco jumped to his feet, getting between the doorway and Harry. "Get! Down!" he yelled.
"Harry!" Ron yelled again. "Listen to him!" He shot a Stunner.
Harry bared his teeth and ducked down only a little, sorely tempted to push Draco out of his way.
Draco snarled, crouching and firing hexes into the darkness. "Ron!" he screamed.
Harry was confused when Draco yelled for Ron, but there was no time to wonder. He was just about to fire off another hex when he suddenly felt arms around his waist and was lifted bodily from the ground.
His eyes widened and he was too shocked to do anything at first, then he realised that Ron had grabbed him and was now carrying him away. "Ron, what?! No!" he yelled, struggling in his arms.
"Harry, stop!" Ron shouted, voice strained.
Harry pushed and writhed and tried to get loose and managed, falling to the ground and scrambling back up, but Ron grabbed his legs and dragged him a few feet before picking him up again and throwing him over his shoulder like he had with Ginny that day in Hogsmeade.
Harry kicked his feet and clawed at anything he could reach to try and get down, but Ron was strong and kept moving and Harry could only watch as they moved further and further from Draco. "What are you doing?!" Harry screamed. "Draco!"
Draco covered their retreat, crouching and trying to keep whoever was in the house busy while Ron got Harry to safety. He fired random hexes, not even knowing if they hit the mark most of the time. He had felt the surge of someone Apparating inside just before the first spell hit. Now he could feel multiple magical signatures in the ruins. "Get out!" he yelled again, hoping the trio listened.
Hermione was firing hexes and jinxes with Draco and at his words she faltered and looked behind her where Ron was still struggling with Harry. She looked as if she didn't know what to do.
Harry was still kicking and screaming for Draco and Ron was making strangled noises and apparently trying to get him to hold still, panting. "Harry, stop!" he let out in that same strained yell. "Harry, the baby!"
Everything seemed to stop for a single spark of a second and Harry's eyes went wide and he let out all the air in his lungs. He stopped struggling and went limp and almost frozen with terror, his eyes filling with tears that didn't spill over.
Almost as soon as Harry stilled, Ron stopped and then Apparated suddenly, leaving both Hermione and Draco behind.
Draco felt more than heard the pop as Ron and Harry Apparated out. "Granger, go!" he yelled. He had his body shielded behind a low pile of bricks that used to be a wall. He saw her returning spells with the others in the ruins.
Hermione stared at Draco fearfully for half a second. "What about you?!" she yelled as she sent another hex. A curse barely missed her.
"Go, and I will too!" he snapped, ducking another hex.
Hermione hesitated, looking torn and terrified, but then she closed her eyes and was gone with a loud crack.
Draco sighed and closed his eyes, concentrating. He felt the hex hit before he could make the jump.
***
Harry was shaking as he and Ron appeared in the entrance hall at Malfoy Manor.
Ron was pale and shaky too and he was still panting. He placed Harry gently on his feet, but didn't let him go completely. "Stay here. I'm going back," he said.
Harry's eyes widened. "Then I am too," he said, voice barely a whisper. He hardly knew what to feel. He was in shock still that Draco was all the way across England with what had seemed like an army of Death Eaters and Harry was safe at home.
"Harry, the baby," Ron said quickly, his voice pained.
Harry made a sort of whimpering sound and had never felt more conflicted in his entire life. Just then there was a crack in the air and Hermione was there, white-faced.
"Where's Draco?" Harry asked as soon as Hermione was there. "Where is he?"
"He said he was coming right after me," Hermione said, eyes wide and fearful as she looked around her, almost as if she expected to see Draco there.
"Where is he?" Harry asked, voice getting higher with fear.
"I'm going back," Ron said again.
Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.
"I have to. I'm not leaving him there," Ron insisted.
Harry was nearly hyperventilating now.
Ron rounded on him. "Don't you leave here," he said. "Don't you dare fucking leave." He spoke to both Harry and Hermione now. "I don't care how long I'm gone. Don't either of you go back there."
Harry couldn't look at him. He was shaking uncontrollably and trying to hold himself back from Apparating with every ounce of willpower he possessed.
Ron moved forward and kissed Hermione's forehead. "Don't you dare let him leave," he said, and then he was gone again and everything seemed far too quiet to Harry.
When Ron Apparated back into the ruins, there was no sound. No hexes or blasts, no yells or screams.
He crouched low to the ground, his long legs bent sideways. He stared all around him, his wand out, and tried to hear a sound, anything. His heart started pounding when the thought crossed his mind that he was already too late.
As he made his way to where he'd last seen Draco, the wind blew cold and strong. But nothing else seemed to be moving.
The only sounds he could hear were the natural sounds of the night and his own panting. He was terrified, but his wand was steady.
When he reached the spot where Draco had crouched behind the wall, something caught his eye, a darker spot in the snow. When he looked closer he found a brooch - a brooch in the shape of an eagle, lying in the middle of an impression of where Draco had fallen.
He stared at it with wide eyes. There was no way in hell that a Horcrux would simply be laying out in the open. He reached for the brooch and picked it up.
Nothing happened. It was cold from laying in the snow but otherwise nothing seemed unusual about it.
He was confused and scared and his brows were low over his eyes. He stood straighter, looking around him. Something was definitely not right - obviously not right. What the hell was going on?
There were lots of footprints in the snow, but no one else. Whatever happened after they left, it was done. The Death Easters were gone and so was Draco.
Ron did not want to believe it. He could not fail Harry. He clenched his fist and closed his eyes, holding back the scream of rage that threatened to overtake him. He stood cold in the snow for a few minutes, his eyes still closed. He covered his face with the hand that wasn't holding his wand and tried to pull himself together. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up to watch the mist rise up into the sky. Finally, he took one last breath and Disapperated.
Harry had collapsed to his knees while Ron was gone and Hermione was on her knees next to him, holding him and rocking him, telling him that it was going to be okay and sounding like she was trying to comfort herself as well.
Harry barely heard her words. He wanted to scream and yell and cry, but he could do nothing and he hated that he had a reason to do nothing. He wished he didn't. He wished he could be reckless and go after Draco, but the reason was inside him and he wished it weren't right at that moment.
Ron appeared back inside the entrance hall and he saw Harry and Hermione huddled together and had to close his eyes again as they both looked up at the crack.
Harry was filled with quick relief at the sight of Ron, but there was no Draco with him and then Harry filled with even more dread. "Where is he?"
Ron looked like he was in pain and he shook when Harry asked his question. "Gone," he said in one simple word.