Finally, on with the next chapter. You all should be happy to know that I just finished the detailed outline for the last ten chapters of this story, so expect plenty of foreshadowing that you don't even know about (my favorite kind). Sorry it took so long to update, but a crisis had to be dealt with.

Oh, and I'd like to thank the people who have reviewed the story so far but I haven't replied to. I'd just like to say that I don't reply if I can't find anything to reply to in a review.

So for those of you that write general reviews:

Thanks anyway.

-Lycan

Chapter IV

The putrid dampness of the sewer-way clung to every crease and crack available, permeating the very fabric of reality. A river of ungodly water rushed past the concrete walkway they stood upon, nearly drowning out the screams that still echoed above their heads. Draco, wand still at Dieter's neck glanced upwards to watch dancing shafts of light wink in and out of existence as people passed above. The sight remained in his vision when he stared at Dieter again.

"Who were those men after you?" he hissed, jabbing his wand deeper into the man's throat.

"I svear I have no ideas." Dieter replied through clenched teeth.

"Bullocks and you know it!" Draco kneed him in the groin unflinchingly. He almost smiled watching Dieter double over in pain. The bastard deserved it after all for leading them right into a trap. Wand still pointed at the German, Draco drew himself up to his full height. "I'll only ask this once again you hapless fool, tell me who the hell attacked us?"

"But of course," Dieter wheezed, "But of course. Unfortunately zhis is not zhe place or time. Vhe must keep moving, it is only a matter of time before zhey find us again."

Draco paused. As much as he didn't want to trust Dieter, his words seemed a sound judgment.

"All right," he replied after deliberating, "But give me your wand."

Dieter looked up in surprise, "Vhat?"

"Did I slur? I said give me your bloody wand!" He spat impatiently and watched as Dieter pulled his wand from a pocket much too small to fit it.

"What else do you have in there?" Draco demanded, taking the wand. It was clever, having an enchanted pocket.

"Oh, nozhingu. I just keep my wand zhere."

"You'd better." Draco pointed down the sewer-way, "You go first, try anything funny and I swear you'll regret it…Go on, hands where I can see them."

Dieter started walking, hands up, "You don'tu trust me?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

Draco was thrown off by this, but didn't skip a beat. "I wouldn't."

"Vhy?" he sounded incredibly innocent asking this. If Draco hadn't known better he would have thought the man an honest sort of chap.

"Just shut up and walk."

And walk Dieter did, his hair a pale blue weave in the rolling pools of light dotting the skyline. Draco wondered off-handedly how the man seemed so calm, even happy presumably knowing the full danger they had been in only moments before. Himself his hands were still trembling from adrenaline and blood continued to dampen his back from where the curse had struck him. The pain though, wasn't unmanageable.

"Dieter?"

"Vhat?" Dieter turned around, a distracted smile creeping across his face.

"You have anything for a cut?"

"Sure I do, but I need my vhand."

"Then forget it and keep walking." Draco replied nastily. He had hoped Dieter was dumb enough to reach for that pocket of his. It was dangerous not knowing what he hid there. "You sure you don't have anything else in your pocket?"

Dieter chuckled, "Yes, itz just for my vhand." He looked over his shoulder at Draco, smiling. "You still vhant to know who vhas chasingu me?"

"Yes." He replied slowly.

"Vell, I can't tell you thot either."

Draco glared, ready to sock Dieter.

"But," he shook a finger ruefully, "I con tell you vhy."

He hated being patronized. Dieter obviously didn't realize that a man in his situation had no right to be cheerful. It was sickeningly indecent.

"All right," he grudgingly relented, "tell me."

Dieter smiled, apparently enjoying the irritation he wrought. "I rohbbed a bahnk."

Draco stopped. "You robbed a bank?"

"Ya."

"Do me a favor,"

"Ya?"

"Sod off," He stormed past Dieter, who had a confused look on his face. This was the last straw, danger or not he wasn't going to spend another minute with the glib little cockroach.

"Sod off?" Dieter called, catching up to him, "I don'tu underhstand."

Draco wheeled around, seething. "It means- Do you take me for a bloody fool?!"

"Vhat do-"

"Do I look stupid to you?!"

"Bot I-"

"Did you think for an instant I would honestly think a fish like you actually robbed a bank?!"

"Bot I did rob a-"

"No you bloody didn't you dumb fuck!" He stabbed his wand at Dieter's face, "Tell me you robbed a bank, I dare you!"

Dieter held up his hands in a lazy surrender, completely unalarmed. "Villiam."

"What?!"

"Viliam."

"What?"

"Calm down."

He snarled, "You have no right to tell me what to do." Draco dug his wand into Dieter's cheek, "I'm the one with the wand here, and if you think I won't kill you then you're sorely mistaken."

"You vouldan't kill me."

"You wanna bet?"

Dieter just looked at him.

"I've done it before," Draco added lamely.

"Even if thot ver true you still vouldan't kill me."

Draco lowered his wand, bewildered by the person standing so placidly before him. The man had simply shrugged off a death threat. His anger melted into confusion. "Why- why do you think that?"

"Ya?"

"You're a complete stranger, what makes you think I wouldn't just kill you?"

"I dohn't think you're thot cold."

"You don't?" Something eerie crept up Draco's spine as he stood under Dieter's calm gaze.

"You know vot I think Villiam?"

"What?"

"I think you ahre in trouhble, ahre ailone, ahnd need help."

Dieter, evidently, was much more than he seemed. Draco had never hinted or slipped what had happened, or why he was there and yet Dieter knew. Somehow he knew.

They stood there, time chafing between them for an eternity. Dieter's eyes: wells of sincerity.

"You, know…" Draco's words fell flat.

Dieter smiled without joy, "Vhe ahre more ahlike thon you think." He turned to lead once again down the tunnel, and Draco followed without protest.

He was much, much more than he seemed.

"You- you didn't really rob a bank did you?" Draco ventured after a while.

"No." Came with another painful smile.

"You won't tell me what you did either."

"Thot's right, and I dohn't vhant to hear about vhat you did."

Somehow Draco was fine with this. It didn't really matter anyway. What was most important was escape.

As if Dieter knew what Draco was thinking about he said, "I hauve a connehction in town thot haus offered to geht me out of here. You ahre very velcome to come alongu. It'z vhy vhe ahre here in zhe firhst place."

I haven't got much of a choice now do I?" He was overjoyed that Dieter had some sort of plan after all.

"Villiam?"

"Yeah?"

"May I hauve my vhand bock?"

Draco handed the wand over and watched Dieter reach into his pocket and pull out a small vial.

"You lied."

"Ya," Dieter smiled, "I do thot sohmetimes, but not ahs often ahs people think."

The vial turned out to be dittany, which Dieter applied swiftly and efficiently with a few well chosen spells to relieve what was a gaping wound on Draco's back.

"You shouhld be fine." He said afterwards, "But try not jump in front of curses nechts time ya?"

Remarks like that over a few hours of walking in the putrid labyrinth eventually put Draco in a decent mood. With pretensions set aside Dieter turned out to be most excellent company, with a near brusque sort of manner he could not help but admire. But no matter his conversation something gloomy lurked in his personage that Draco could not detect before, carefully tucked away to but the edges of the man's livelihood. A black aura hung about him, blurring the line between joy and sorrow. And despite the topic being off-limits Draco couldn't help but wonder what had happened to his new-found comrade that could mist a smile beyond recognition.

Dieter however, did not seem to share the same interest, for he had stopped beneath a man-hole.

"I think vhe ahre here."

"You sure?" came the automatic response.

Dieter looked at Draco, grinning. "Of course not, but thot's vhat makes it fun ya?"

As unnerving as the comment was, it was only a joke.

After Dieter gave the O.K. Draco pulled himself into a cramped alleyway lined with stoops and trashcans over-filled with rubbish.

Dieter climbed one of these stoops and knocked on its door with three resounding fists.

A shadow crossed the window, and the portal opened.

Well, there's chapter four. Mostly character-building yes, but I swear it's important. As always be polite readers and review.

-Lycan