Reunions And Retaliation

Narcissa Malfoy

While she walked toward the huge kitchen in her home, she tried her best to not to look impatient or suspicious to the many unwanted guest inside the manor. Just a while ago, her sister had come home injured (although not mortally wounded) yelling like a maniac that she should kill all Weasley's with her own hands for daring to hurt her or simply for being an annoying bunch of filthy blood traitors that do nothing more than defying Lord Voldemort when they all should be bowing down to him. Apparently, she had the Granger girl on her grasp and Harry Potter securely hold, while the Weasley boy was hopelessly bleeding to death and 'unable' to do anything to even help himself. However, somehow, the boy had managed to hurt her while barely able to move and shortly after they all escape with the help of the traitorous Dobby who unexpectedly show up with the Lovegood girl and Olivander.

Since then, she had been impatient to get some news from the house elves, but so far she got nothing. Deeply worried that something really bad may had happened to her son, she got out of her sister's room with an excuse and headed for the kitchen where Kragkor was doing his best to keep up with her sister's demands. The elf had been occupied bringing things to her enraged sister after she had been properly healed and it has been just his luck that she haven't end up kill him, just because he was a house elf, no matter how odd among his kind he was.

Oh, yes, that house elf was odd indeed and for some reason he had taken a linking to Draco since he was a child. As an only child, Draco had grown up mostly alone, occasionally playing and interacting with other kids his age in their inner circle and perhaps because of that, sometimes the little elf played with him. Draco came to like him when he was six to the point that he begin to secretly teach him proper manners, in a hope that Lucius and her would like him and let them play if they were found. Of course, when they find out that Draco was 'lowering' himself by teaching the elf the ways of the superior wizards and playing with a dirty creature, they forbid the elf to be in close contact with their son. The only reason they didn't dispose of the thing, was because thanks to Draco's teaching it was easier to deal with house elves matters with him, than the rest of the less educated ones.

Now she was relaying on the little thing to keep her informed of what his son was doing and to watch over him. So many things she had done wrong in the past that now she barely could sleep at night. Life certainly didn't spare people of any kind or class of their judgment, sooner or later the price of your own doings will get to you eventually. How wrong she had been and her son was now paying the price. She wonders if Lucius and her had raised Draco differently, letting him be what he wanted to be when he was an innocent child, free of prejudice, afraid of his fathers dark collection and willing to teach and play with elves, what kind of future he would have ended up living? Perhaps it would have been a better one, a happier one or a safer one. Still, it was too late to take things back, there was only one road ahead of her and it was doing anything in her power to keep his son alive. After everything was over and if they were still live, they could all begin anew.

"Madam..." A voice said behind her, just a few steps away from the kitchen door.

"Kragkor, do you know anything about Draco? I know Bella has keep you busy, but it has been long hours since you last knew something of Draco and I'm worried. If the Dark Lord comes home now, he may even summon him or perhaps Bella herself will call him back as she is so enraged with the Weasley's. She may even want to take the boy's sister from Hogwarts as she sent for the Lovegood before and last time I saw Potter, he wasn't with the Weasley boy. I just need to some news about my son." She said impatiently.

"I'm sorry Madam, but I have no news from him or Dobby." The small elf respond.

"Well, was the Weasley boy with Potter too, as Bella said? Perhaps he stayed behind when they came here last time?" She asked hoping that perhaps she was wrong in thinking that Draco was the one injured.

"No Madam, Ron Weasley is not traveling with Harry Potter anymore." The elf clarify, but his statement only make Narcissa more worry more.

"If Weasley wasn't with Potter, then who was the one that hurt my sister and looked just like him?" She asked fearing it was somehow her son.

"I don't know..."

"Then go and find out. I will take care of my sister, you go and make sure Draco is alive and well and as soon as you got news of him, come back and tell me." She order.

"Of course..." And a second later he was gone.

"Oh, please be safe Draco. I will never forgive myself if otherwise." She whispers to herself before going back and wait.

Harry

Still inside the library, Harry looked at the mirror for a few minutes in hope to see some of his friends at the other side, as Snape had suggested he would, but so far he didn't saw anyone from the other side at all. He had called Ron first, then Ginny, but none of them answer him back, despise he could hear some distant voices from the other side. As his paced right and left with anxiousness, he keeps asking himself whatever he should tried it louder or maybe at a later hour. Night was going to fall soon, so perhaps they would be around in an hour or so?

"Oh, come on guys... can anyone listen to me for a second? Who's there anyways?!" Harry asked almost yelling at the mirror with frustration. Maybe Snape was playing with him and there was no one to communicate with in the first place and the noise he hears was something else entirely. Maybe he should ask Dobby to give the others a message or maybe...

"I swear Ron, I heard Harry's voice." Someone said from inside the mirror, a bit closer this time. It was definitely Neville's voice, so Harry dare to hope to hear from his friends again.

"Huh? When?" Ron asked.

"Just a second ago." Neville responded.

"Hey guy's, I'm here! Can you hear me?! Ron, look at the mirror! The Mirror, Neville!" Harry yelled as loud as he could. There was a lot of noise coming from the other side of the mirror now, so he guesses that Ron and Neville were not the only ones out there. Maybe he would be lucky enough to even talk with Ginny, God knew he missed her a lot.

"Hey, be quiet! I just hear it too. It's the mirror! Look, it's Harry alright..." Someone else said and soon enough he could see a bunch of faces as well, all of them trying to look at him at once. Harry laughed at the disaster that follow next. Many of his friends wanted to talk to him and they were talking none stop at the same time and he could barely catch a few words here and there from the endless questions.

"I can't hear all of you at once..." Harry said with a smile and just a second later a red-headed girl make her way toward him with a piercing look that make his heart run faster. "Ginny..." Harry whispers a bit intimidated with her hard gaze on him.

"Harry James Potter, I was worried about you! I spent hours trying to reach you through this broken thing, but you weren't there! You never answer me..." She said, coming closer.

"I'm sorry Ginny, I was helping Hermione with Malfoy's wound (for some complicated reasons he is traveling with us now) and that took a lot from both of us and I honestly didn't know that I could talk to you trough this until Snape told me about it. How are things back there? You are okay, right? You are not doing dangerous things, right? I heard that you and Neville go to the Forbidden Forest and..."

"We are fine Harry, just tell us what happen with you and Hermione. How did Malfoy find you and why is him with you?" She asked first, but many more follow hers from different voices including Ron as well.

"Well, that's a very long story, that can be resumed in a few things right now. He came inside our tent a minute after Ron got out, telling us he have something for us from Dumbledore. Of course, we face him at first and Hermione even slap him once, but once we read Dumbledore's diary, everything changed. We have doubts of why Dumbledore sent him to us, but when one of Malfoy's house elves came to warn him that Luna had been taken to the Malfoy's manor, we leave all differences behind for her sake. He proves himself there and help us rescue her. He also saved Hermione twice after that and me once. I know this is hard to believe guys, but I need to say this now, Draco Malfoy is one of us and he was seriously injured while risking his life for Hermione. She is fine (well, mostly) but he is still fighting for his life, we have no doubts now that he is trying to help us defeat you-know-who. He even destroyed the Horcrux we have." Harry resumed and the noise coming after that was a bit too much.

"He destroyed the Horcrux?" Seamus asked in disbelieve.

"With what?" Ron asked.

"Why him and not you or Hermione?" Ginny asked as well.

"How did he did it?" Someone else asked.

"Is Luna alright?" Neville asked next and so on, the questions keep coming and coming and he was doing his best to answer them, still there was something he needed to do, something that he knew was on Ron's mind as well.

"Guys, just shut up for a second! There will be enough time for all your question later. Sorry Ginny, but I need to borrow this for a second. I need to discus some private matters with Harry." Ron said taking the mirror from the wall inside the room of requirement, ignoring the multiple protests of the many members of the DA and going up to the tunnel that leaded to Aberforth place. He used his wand to illuminate the tunnel but didn't go too far inside, just out of earshot.

"Hum, Harry... I... well, I'm sorry for what I said last time... bloody hell I was sorry the moment I disappear but something else come up and..."

"I'm sorry too Ron, for everything I said before, it was wrong of me. While dealing with the recent disaster I brought upon us, I have come to realize that you were right, having no real plans, no one to help us with such a huge task and facing great dangers on our own was by all means crazy. I have put you and Hermione in danger as well as many others while on hiding, even if I never want it and carrying the Horcrux only make it all worse because the thing affect us in different ways. You should see how Hermione reacted when she confronts it before Malfoy end up destroying it. It took your form and accuse her of a few things... it was very odd at the very least..."

"So it seems... you guys find a way to destroy that cursed thing. How?" Ron asked, he was curious of how did Malfoy manage to destroy the locket when none of them could even scratch it before.

"I saw a patronus on the woods and I follow it to a freezing pond where the sword of Gryffindor could be seen at the bottom of it. Apparently, Snape was the owner of the patronus and he wanted me to find the sword, so the Horcrux could be destroyed. The whole thing was... unexpected, but it worked out for us at the end." Harry said thinking that Ron looked a bit disappointed.

"I see. So Harry... are we still friends?" Ron asked timidly. He knew that he should have been with them while they faced new dangers, they were his friends and provably counted on him to be there when they need him, but still, he couldn't refuse going back to Hogwarts when he was worried about the safety of his family, when he was told that one of them was going to be killed.

"Yeah, best of friends Ron, as we always will be even if we end up fighting like that again." Harry responded smiling, feeling like a huge weight had lifted from over him.

"That's brilliant! I'm so glad that we can be friends again, but Harry... what about Hermione? Is she still mad with me? I mean, she can really hold grudges and well... you know how she is." Ron continue, making Harry a bit uncomfortable with the sudden matter. Harry was well aware that Hermione interest was heading in another direction, but maybe he was wrong and it was nothing, something that will pass as soon as it came. It was too early to tell just yet.

"We were on a fight twice in a short amount of time Ron, we honestly didn't have much time to think about this, but I think she is no longer mad at you for leaving. We have a few bad experiences on our end and right now she is trying to nurse Malfoy back to health." Well, he could say that much at least.

"So, is it really that bad that she has to take care of him..." Ron asked a bit jealous. He just couldn't picture Hermione taking care of her former enemy, trying hard to save his life when he had done so many awful things to them and specially to her.

"Yeah, it's bad alright. We thought he would not make it. He was bleeding a lot and Hermione's potion wasn't healing him the way it should. We didn't know what was wrong with him at first then we find out he was poison, in a lot of pain and close to dying with each second. It really was something that I never want to watch again and it got us both at the edge of panic. Still, he holds up and make it through somehow. I guess Malfoy is stronger than he looked. I thought he was nothing more than a coward relying on his family power, but he proves us wrong Ron." Harry smiled weakly a bit afraid that Ron will mind for them to trust a former enemy.

"Okay, so... bleeding, poison, dying? Just what happen to you guys? How did you get in such situation in the first place? Where are you now? Is Hermione really okay? Can I talk with her? And what about Luna? What happen to her? We kind of need her here to find our Horcrux. It seems that ghosts can be picky too..."

"Hum, ghosts? What ghosts?" Harry asked confused.

"Long story, well let's tell each other everything that happened to us after we parted ways. I want all the details before Ginny comes to take the mirror from me to tell you how much she missed you etc, etc." Harry laughed at that and then he got serious. There was something regarding Ginny that keep coming to his mind.

"Ron, I need a big favor from you, please take care of Ginny for me. We... well, the thing is that Malfoy attacked Bellatrix while he looked like you. We thought that it would be safer for you if the Death Eaters think you are still with us and Hermione give Malfoy the potion... you know which one but... Bellatrix was very furious when Malfoy injure her and I think it's possible she may want to take revenge. They took Luna because her father was supporting me, she may want to take Ginny this time to lure me in and hurt her. Just don't let her alone at any time and if something happens, tell me immediately." Harry said, hoping nothing happen to her, otherwise he may lose it completely and do something that may cost him his life, which he would gladly give it to save hers anytime.

"The reason I decide to return to Hogwarts instead of going back to you guys, was because Dumbledore leave me a message telling me that someone from my family was going to die. Trust me on this Harry, I will never let anything happen to my sister nor at the rest of my family. That's why I'm here in the first place."

"About that... I kind of know which..."

"I'm aware of whom, but it will not happen. Not in this reality anyway, I will make sure of it. Now tell me how Malfoy came to find you and how did you end up fighting that mad woman..." And so they talked about their mutual experiences for a while, leaving no details behind. As they talked Harry felt better, he had missed his friendship with Ron and now that it was back, he was going to treasure it more, the same way he had come to treasure his with Hermione. He only hoped that if Hermione end up with Malfoy, Ron will be able to move on without braking their friendship again because Hermione too, deserved her happiness whatever with or without him.

Hermione/Draco

A low noise wake her up from her troubled sleep while she rested in one of the sofas inside Malfoy's room and Hermione open her eyes to be face to face with something small with huge eyes looking at her. Seen something she wasn't expecting make her build up a scream inside her chest, but the little elf in front of her gesture her to keep quiet and she swallows it, realizing it was Draco's house elf who have probably come to see what have happened to his master.

"Sorry to wake you up, but you looked like having a bad dream and Dobby told me to bring you this. He is going back to Hogwarts, the feast will be served soon and he already had spent most of the day away from the castle." The small elf said giving her a silver tray full of food. She didn't knew for how long she had slept, but her stomach sure remember it was time to eat. She took the tray from him and while doing so, her curiosity got the best of her.

"You know, you seem to be different from Dobby and perhaps different from the rest of your kind. What Draco did to gain your loyalty? Did he free you too?" She asked tasting some of the food he brought for her. She had to give credit to all house elves around their magical world, they make such wonderful food it was hard to stop once you taste it and she was starving.

"Master Draco and I were once good friends when he was a little kid, just before his parents found out about our friendship. He teach me how to speak better and I played with him when he was alone. I was found of him and I was grateful for caring about a dirty creature like me. Once, he tried to dress me with fine clothes, he was too young to know that by giving me clothes he was freeing me from serving his family and I liked and respected him too much to accept them. When he grew up however, he forgot about all that, becoming cruel just like his parents expected him to be and it sadden me to watch him turn into something so different of what he truly was before. It was just recently, after he was torture that our bond have reconnected and we have return to our old ways. It was me who convinced the other elves to go along with Master Draco's plan. The Malfoy's weren't the best masters around, so it wasn't hard to convince them to become free elves and serve Master Draco which was willing to pay them for their service the same way Hogwarts was paying Dobby." Hermione smiled at that, feeling a new kind of respect for the young man laying down in his bed. He had made an unlikely alliance that had work well for him and them as well.

She looked at him for a moment, feeling like she was seen him for the first time. He still looked ill, paler than usual, thinner and less perfect, but she kind of like the new man she was looking at. He had risked his life for her sake and learned a thing or two about real friendship along the way. He was facing his destiny with courage now, leaving behind his cowardly ways and becoming someone worthy of their trust. Just a while ago she had yelled and slapped him, distrusting his intentions for showing up in their tent where he was supposed to be hunting them down, but now her heart beated a bit faster while watching him rest like a wounded king in his oversize expensive bed and thinking that he could have died a few hours ago make her heart ache with a new kind of pain.

It was curious how feelings worked in such strange ways. She didn't have that much experience in the love department, with a hopeless crush on Ron first, then a short relationship with Krum, but so far she could only name love as unpredictable. Two days ago, she honestly thought that she loved Ron Weasley as she always did, but now she had doubts that things will be the same as they were before the new Draco enters in her live. Did she still love Ron? Well, the answer would be yes as part of her still love him, but it was also undeniable that another part of her was making space for someone else. If that space was going to grow bigger with each passing day or reduce to something insignificant instead was yet to be seen, but for now Draco Malfoy was making his way in with a strong pace and for once, she didn't mind it. If she was honest with herself, just the night before, sleeping on Draco's warm arms felt good although her reasons for doing so were not romantic ones. Still, it was so good in fact that she unconsciously didn't want to let go of him in the morning.

"You like him too, right?" Kragkor asked her, amusingly watching her blush in a flash.

"Well... maybe? He is a bit different that what I thought he was, but anyways what happen with Bellatrix? He didn't kill her right?" She asked worried. She knew that Bellatrix was hurt, but she didn't know how badly Draco had got her.

"Master Draco is unable to kill, he doesn't have the heart to live with such sin. The wounds he gives her were not life threatening. Actually, they weren't deep at all. It seems that the spell he used was weak. I overhear that he used one of Snape dark spells on her and such spell could have killed her if it had been cast properly. The Madam agree with me, he didn't cast the spell with killing intent on his mind." Kragkor said making her sigh with relief.

"That's good, I'm sure that he will be glad to hear that he didn't kill her. He was only trying to stop her from hurting me." She said unconscious looking at her now bandaged arm.

"Dobby told me about what happen and Master Draco will not be happy when he wakes up. His aunt may be crazy and all, but Master Draco will never forgive her for what she did to you. I know him well enough to tell you he cares for you again." He said looking back at his master, then he moved closer to her and make her a signal with his finger to move closer too, as if he was going to tell her a big secret which she finds it amusing. How many dirty secret that elf knew about his master? She was very curious now and knowing a thing or two about the young Master wasn't going to hurt her in the least, but the contrary. It could help her understand the old him, before all kinds of prejudice became his only way of life.

"Master Draco did like you a long time ago when he was in his first year at Hogwarts. He keeps talking about you, about how much of a know-it-all you were, he was very annoyed with you all the time at first or so he said, but it turned out that the reason he was irritated was because he liked you. One night I overhear him telling his mother about it, he looked troubled by it, but his mother dismissed his feelings for you as nothing to be worry about. She said that he only 'liked' you because he liked smart girls and you were the smarter in classes. She then told him that purebloods don't like... muggles, so he begins to hate you instead. I was sad when he did so, I thought he was going to change back to what he was when younger, but it didn't happen. It took a great deal of pain and fear to change him back and I'm glad he is fine now." He finishes whispering and Hermione smiled. She liked that little elf, he was easy to understand, didn't try to kill you while trying to help you like Dobby and it was kind of funny at times. He was just like a kid and his voice also resemble one.

"I'm glad too. What will happen now? I mean what's happening at the manor? No one knows it was Draco who hurts Bellatrix, right? I couldn't see Draco until we came back to the tent and he was already transformed then. They still don't know he is with us, right?" She asked while she stood up to check if Draco was doing better now. His fever was lowering down when she falls asleep on Harry's lap.

"She believes it was the Weasley boy who hurt her. He is still safe for now, although it can change if he is summoned back to the manor. She is enraged and wants revenge, your Weasley's friends most be careful for now on. She may want to hurt them all. Dobby was going to warn the girl at Hogwarts, but I don't know about the rest of the family."

"We need to send a message to Ron's parents and brothers. Arthur Weasley works at the Ministry, so it would be easier to get him first, his work place is already full of Death Eaters."

"I will make sure they are properly warned, Miss Granger. Just take good care of Master Draco for me until I come back."

"Of course, please be careful. If they find out that house elves are helping us, it will put you all in danger."

"We know how to stand up to wizards when we have to, Miss Granger. Worry not about us." The little elf said and a second later he was gone. A few minutes after he leaved, Draco moaned in his dream probably still in pain and she unconsciously removed a blond lock of longer hair from his forehead. He looked vulnerable and tired, but she knew better than to call him weak. He had proved he possessed a strong will and she had come to know a few unexpected things about his past and she wished he had stayed the same as when he was a kid. If he had born into a family with open minds without caring for status of any kind, they may have become close friends or perhaps even lovers.

"So you liked me back then in our first year? I would never had thought it was possible for a Malfoy, with so much pride on blood status, could dare to put his eyes on a mare mudblood muggle like myself..." She whispers mostly to herself, while slightly smiling at the sleeping boy who she was beginning to know, but to her big surprise he open his eyes to look back at her.

"You are not a mudblood Granger... I'm sorry to ever call you that." He whispers back with a hoarse voice. "Also, now that you were told about it... I have something to confess. I still like you right now... although you can have that win over me, I don't hold any hope in that matter." He confessed while holding her gaze.

His body ached all over and he was in pain, but he was half conscious when she say those words by his side and he couldn't help himself but to correct her. He had taken her by surprise, he could see it in her expression, but what took him by surprise was that she didn't laugh nor mock him for his sudden out-of-place confession. She simply stared at him with mixed feelings showing up on her beautiful face and Draco almost gasped in surprise when an impossible thought crossed his mind.

"Draco, about that... well..." She begins, not to sure of what to tell him about his confession, but Draco was already shocked. It couldn't be that she felt something for him too, right? That was definitely impossible unless he was still dreaming. Was he? He didn't remember all that happen to him with clarity, some parts were like blurred memories but he remembers enough to know what happen to her and him. So it was possible he was still in a delirium state and dreaming, right? And if it was just that, could he dare to do something that was forbidden for him while awake?

"I'm dreaming, right? You would never... Oh, to hell with all, I rather regret it later..." He whispers just before he raised his left arm to pull her closer, ignoring the pain his action bring to his beat-up body when her weight reached his chest and kiss her with a kind of need he didn't know he had. His move took Hermione by surprise at first, making her unable to think of refusing him (although she wasn't sure that she wanted to refuse him), letting her body react on his own to his demand, but soon she finds herself liking his kiss and wanting a bit more. However, the kiss felt way too good and real for just a simple dream to Draco, making his senses trigger a warning alert inside his body for the time it lasted, before the door to his room suddenly open with force, revealing a visibly troubled Potter and an amazed Luna.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, not really surprised to see them kiss.

"I'm glad you have resolved your differences, you two look cute." Luna said and Draco moaned in more pain when Hermione pulled herself up from his hold and momentarily out of her sudden madness, pressing him down on his bed in her hasted retreat.

"Harry, this isn't what you think..." Hermione begins as she stood up from Draco's bed.

"Oh God... What the hell I just did?!" Draco asked himself while realizing what was really happening and the mistake he had made. Apparently he wasn't dreaming at all. Oh, I'm such a stupid moron! Still, he didn't have time to duel on his own stupidity any further when Potter came closer with a death serious expression on his face.

"We have an emergency at Hogwarts, I need to go now." Harry said looking at Hermione.

"What happen? Is anyone alright? Did the war already started?" She asked, fearing the worst.

"I will tell you everything when I return. Stay here with Malfoy..." He said hugging the girl for a second.

"Harry, it really isn't..."

"If you have come to like him I don't mind Hermione, you have the right to chose your own path. If this is what you need now I can understand why and it's fine with me. You have support me from the beginning and all the way to end without caring for how dangerous it had become for you and I will never do less than that for you in return."

"Then tell me what happen..."

"While I was talking with Ron, Dobby showed up to warn Ginny that she was in danger, that all Weasley's may be in danger and she got out in a hurry, probably to send a message to the rest of her family and was ambush after leaving the room of requirement. There is also some turmoil going on in Hogsmeade with some lose Dementors."

"Then I will go with you, Luna can stay and..."

"No, you stay with Malfoy. I think he will be in danger too, soon." Harry said glancing at Malfoy for a second and just before someone else showed up inside the room. It was Kragkor. An instant later, Draco felt his mark burning his skin and he knew he was in deep trouble. He has been summoned back, by Lord Voldemort himself and not exactly to the manor.

"Master Draco, some Death Eaters had been order to attack the Weasley's houses." The elf said.

"Damn it! This is all going down to hell! I can't refuse this summon now, I need to go too..." Malfoy said trying to sit on his bed with a great deal of pain and dizziness, an instant later Hermione was at his side.

"What are you doing? You can't move just yet, you need more time to fully recover..." She said, while holding him by the waist.

"Look at my mark Granger, I'm been summon by him. I need to go... Potter, if you can rescue her, bring her here. No, bring them all here, Hogwarts is no longer safe for anyone who supports you. I will see what we can do to help the rest. Go now and rescue her before is too late." He said while standing up with Hermione's help.

"I will owe you another one if you can do something for those at the Burrow. Please be careful, I have come to trust you Malfoy, remember that. Take care of him Hermione and be careful as well, just don't do anything too crazy and stay alive, the both of you. Take this... it's the mirror Sirius gave me, if you need to contact me, just use it. Come on Dooby we need to go now. You stay here too Luna." He said looking back at them, he knew there was a real possibility for him to never come back there, but he had made up his mind and it was saving Ginny from the monsters that took her. He was going to trust Malfoy's little personal guards with the rest, he had learned the hard way that he didn't have to do things alone, they needed to go in separate ways if they wanted to save the others.

"Dobby, take care of him and take some other elves from the manor if you need them, just make sure you all survive." Draco said and a second later they were gone.

"Oh, this is bad. You are in no shape to face Vol..."

"Don't say his name out loud. It's used to track you guys and I have no other choice. I can deal with the pain, I had done it before, it's this weakness what I can't handle. If you have something that can give me some strength even if just for a limited time, then give it to me now. He doesn't like for his followers to be late when summon."

"Luna, help him stand for a bit, Snape give me something that may do that for an hour or two." She said moving to the nearby table where Snape had leaved the potions and their instructions. One of them said 'only for an emergency' and she wonders if Snape knew that something like that was going to happen. At her back, at least ten more house elves appear inside the room asking Draco for instructions.

"Vrek, Jig, Zirry and Wrobby go find the remaining Weasley's and bring them here. You know where to find them. Alert the others to help Potter too, go, hurry!" Hermione hear him yell, although not as loud as he would have normally.

"Take this Draco..." Hermione said giving him the potion bottle. He didn't hesitate in drinking it in one go, nor did he complain for the taste. Once he drinks it all he gives her a look that remind her of the one he gives her when he told her he was sorry and she knew what he was thinking and it makes her angry.

"You are not going to die Draco Malfoy, don't even think about it, none of us will!"

"Kragkor, take care of her for me, if I don't come back, you can do whatever you wish, the same as the rest of the free elves. The only thing I ask is that you honor our deal and save my parents and just as a personal favor, promise me that you will make sure she doesn't follow me, do you understand?" He asked and the little elf nodded in understanding.

"I will not let you go alone, you are crazy if you think that I will stay here like a coward and..." He pulls her closer to kiss her again, probably for the last time and engrave the feeling of his lips over hers in his mind. It was a good memory to recall in his last breath.

"There is something I didn't tell you two, something that I try my best to deny it myself many times as I dared to hope. My chances of surviving this as a traitor were few from the start. Snape warned me that taking this path may bring me death at the end, just like his. Two of the five seers that Dumbledore visit saw my death at the Dark Lord hands and only one, saw me surviving this ordeal. The other two simply saw me becoming one of them. You however, had better chances than me, stay alive, it's all I ask." He said letting her go. One of the remaining elves came closer to bring his master his wand and a black cloak.

"Draco you are not..." But he disappears a second later. "DRACO!" She yelled at the empty space with despair.

"Hermione, don't worry, we will go too." Luna said at her back.

"Go? And where are we going? We don't know where he will be summoning them."

"Hum, Miss Granger, we know where. You see, the moment we make a deal with Master Draco, we put a tracing magic on him. Don't worry about the promise, he should have remembered that I don't keep promises that will put him in danger. Ready yourself for a fight if necessary and we will follow." Hermione laughed at the little elf and bent down to kiss his check.

"You are one hell of a house elf. Why your kind is treated like slaves is beyond me, you are the bravest creature I have ever known." She said moving to take her enchanted purse and a dark cloak from Draco's wardrobe. "Let's go then, I'm ready." And after Luna grabbed some things, they were gone too... right into the unknown.

AN: Thanks for reading. ^_^