Echoes
Ch 3
By: Chibi Pyro Duo
He was in his room again. The one where he kept the wardrobe that was essential to his plan. He had his first major victory in how to complete an invasion of Hogwarts. He was able to travel inanimate objects, next step, living things.
He came out of the room, nodded to Crabbe and Goyle to leave, and wrapped himself in a cloak of darkness. He had learned since almost getting caught by Filch a couple of times now, mainly the reason why he did not travel with his clumsy minions now.
He headed down towards the dungeon using an alternate route, when he heard it; the soft yet clipped sound of heeled boots. His heart leapt. Since Christmas he had longed and listened for those footsteps. It could only be her. Bunny was the only one to wear shoes that foolish and not be able to get caught.
He lost his caution and ran after those footfalls. He rounded a corner and picked up his speed, he ran for what seemed like hours (but really was only a couple of minutes). Then he came across the trail of blood. He skidded to a stop and examined it. It belonged to a human, and it headed down the hallway towards the kitchen. He picked up the pace, feeling his adrenaline spike, for a different reason this time. He had to skid to a stop again when he saw a pair of red boots peeking from around the corner.
He trembled when he saw his friend. She was lying unconscious on the floor. Having finally succumbed, to what he could only assume was blood lose. She had so many injuries he did not know which one might be the cause of the major blood loss. He knelt by her side. Oh the blood.
He tried to pick her up, but ended up dragging her. He needed to get help, but he had a feeling he would not be doing her any favors by getting adults involved. Only making her situation more desperate. Before he knew what he was thinking, he was dragging her towards the kitchen, tickling the pear, and leaving more blood behind then he was comfortable with.
He got her all the way into the kitchen before he noticed the house elves. That's where he started to actually loose his wits. He was so overwhelmed by the situation, "Come on Bunny," he was shaking her, "You need to wake up. I'm not good at this you are." He panicked. The house elves knew about his family, they were horrible, he had a feeling that they would not be pleasant to him, these free elves. He kept shaking her trying to get some sort of response.
"Stop," said a firm voice. A voice he recognized.
"Dobby?" He asked in desperation, "Help her please."
Dobby, five steps ahead of him, got the other house elves waiting with crude medical supplies, warm bandages and soap. A timid looking girl elf peeled Draco off her.
Dobby opened his palms over Bunny, "Dobby wishes Mistress Bunny would not go out." He took the brooch off the bow of her funny looking outfit, putting her in a flash of light and ribbons to her school uniform.
Dobby lifted up the bottom of her shirt revealing a torn up piece of meat, which was suppose to be her stomach. Where those claw marks?
"Dobby do you know what Bunny's been doing?"
Dobby flickered his wide eyes towards his former master. He clapped his hands together and laid hands on her wound. It slowly mended itself.
Dobby waved forward another elf that had a warm clothe. The elves started cleaning her healed skin, making all of that horrible blood disappear, "If Mistress Bunny has not thought to tell you, I will not be telling Mistresses' secrets." The elf walked away to another part of the kitchen.
Draco got up and went after the elf, "Dobby she is getting herself hurt, I deserve to know how to help her. She's my friend!"
"Dobby not reveal your secret, so Dobby will not reveal hers." He gave Draco a glare, "Friend or no."
Draco stepped back, "What secret of mine do you know?"
Dobby stared at him hard, but they were interrupted by someone else coming into the kitchen. The elves shielded Bunny by pushing her into a little nook, then crowding around the entrance. They all performed a funny hand gesture, and they disappeared. Draco was pulled down behind the counter he was standing next to by Dobby.
A man stepped through the portrait hold, wearing a tuxedo and a mask covering his face, "Where is it?" he gasped. He leaned on his cane, his pant leg ripped.
An elf, not shielding Bunny, approached offering to fix his leg. A familiar gesture, like they had done this before. He waved her off and limped further into the kitchen, "Where is it? We need it. It's all that matters."
Draco was about to stand, but Dobby pulled him back down. The house elf gave him a meaningful, keep quiet look. When had Dobby gotten a backbone? This was not the meek elf that Draco remembered from his childhood.
Dobby headed out from behind the counter, speaking for the elves, "We do not know what you speak of. Now we must ask you to leave. We have much to do."
"Don't trifle with me elf. I followed the blood here."
"What blood?" The elf clapped his hands and sparkled with power dangerously, "Now leave, before we must alter Master Filch that there is a student out of bed."
The man in the mask limped over to Dobby, raised his cane, then turned around and left.
When the coast was clear, Draco stood up, "Who was that?"
Dobby walked back over to him, and dropped the golden brooch the Bunny wore into his hand, "He is a fellow student."
Draco walked back over to where Bunny was. He knelt next to her and was relieved to find that her breathing was normalized. He saw she was clutching something. He clasped her hand gently, "Please Bunny, you have to pull through."
He held up the brooch to Dobby, "The last time she was hurt she used this and it helped heal her."
"Mistress has to activate it."
As he held her hand, he felt her grip loosen and she mumbled, "Protect."
He looked at the little locket she gave him, it was star shaped and played a twinkling lullaby when opened.
Draco pocketed it and traded it for the brooch, which would heal her when she awoke.
He sat down and pulled her head into his lap, stroking her blood mated hair. Draco looked at Dobby mournfully, "Can you tell me how to keep her safe, please?"
Maybe it was the please, that caught Dobby's attention. The elf sat down next to her and he fixed her clothes, with more magic. "I can give you a hint. Look into a witch called the Moon Princess."
Draco nodded and gave her over to the elves. Dobby directed them to clean her up and take her back to her room.
Dobby stopped Draco on the way out, "You must be careful, if you wish to protect Mistress Bunny you must get her to let you help."
Draco stood in the kitchen on his own, watching helplessly as the elves did what he could not. He pulled out the locket and listen to its haunting music. He pocketed it and left the kitchen.
