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Chapter Ten: Cavalry.
"Get me Blaise!" Malfoy ordered collecting his potion ingredients together. Mrs Weasley and Luna raised their brows at his attitude while Ginny simply placed her hands on her hips, a younger version of her mother, and glared. Pride of being on the right side of the war strung her tall, and being insulted by her enemy made her sneer.
"He's in interrogation, like you will be soon, he's unavailable." Ginny spat in disgust. How dare he speak to his captors in such a way? He should have been thankful for their mercy! Her thoughts were sour towards him and grew dark. Oh, how her wand hand itched to send a nasty curse at the pale prick.
"Get him." He barely glanced at the Witches as he poured two vials into a cauldron. He was typically neither unconcerned by her angry manner nor tactful enough to respond appropriately, but with a cold, hard truth, "Or risk Granger dying."
The three women glanced warily around. None wanted to trust the Death Eater but with little choice they had to obey. Luna was the one to leave, hurrying in a dance-like run. The others simply watched his preparations. A pinch of grey powder, a drizzle of green liquid, a lump of red stone. All went in in quick succession, causing smoke and hissing. Mrs Weasley squeezed her daughter's hand before stepping forward resolutely.
"Tell me how to help." She demanded. The woman who could scold any child into submission had no acknowledgement but the sliding of a scalpel and three, purple, shrivelled nuts her way. Nodding she chopped them into slices.
"If she wakes, give her this." Draco handed Ginny the slices, "Three only." Gathering them in her freckled hands, she took them to the unconscious Witch's bedside and sat waiting, "Prepare a second cauldron with octopus powder." Without demanding manners, Mrs Weasley complied, "And for Salazar's sake, where is Blaise!"
Suddenly, Granger began screaming through a clenched jaw, body twitching under the body bind. Ginny quickly pried her best friend's lips opened and slotted the nut slices between her teeth. The girl choked and hissed around them.
"Hermione, please, swallow them, come on Hermione!" Ginny begged as her eyes welled with tears, "It's not working!" She snapped and turned her wand on Draco who remained calm and busy, "Damnit, sort her!"
"I can't!" He suddenly roared. Turning to face the furious Witch with matching temper, he bellowed, "She is dying and I can do nothing!" But his heart broke to know the truth. He could battle to save her but her life may not be saved yet.
"Like hell you can't!" The ginger girl screamed and launched herself at him, wand forgotten. Her hands closed around his throat and they both fell to the flood with a thump. Quickly, Malfoy flipped the two over and had the red head pinned to the ground by her own throat and his wand aimed at her temple.
"Hex my daughter and I'll kill you." Mrs Weasley yelled with her wand tip on the back of his head.
The infirmary doors opened and Blaise and Luna entered. Luna immediately had her wand to hand but did not point it. Blaise simply sighed and approached the stalemated trio. Malfoy growled and stood up.
"Take your time mate." He grumbled before the two Slytherins got to work. Not a word was shared but perfect synchronisation connected the two. Like two bodies sharing one brain. Mrs Weasley checked her daughter before anyone noticed the silence. All heads turned to Granger's bed and found Luna holding Hermione's head all the way back.
They could have laughed at the simplicity of such a resolving action if the situation was not so dire. Finally Hermione's body was lay down flat again and everyone broke their watch. But the peace would not last long, they all knew that. Tireless effort began to prepare to rescue the Muggle born Witch from the depths of agonising death.
Draco and Blaise returned to their potions making and occasional words were shared, suggesting spells to accompany the potions. Both kept their wands close by as they chopped, crushed, and cut ingredients. Feeding them into the bubbling liquids. There was a reason why Snape preferred his snakes in potions class. On the contrary to beggars' belief, they were not favoured for their house, but their inherent skills.
Mrs Weasley watched the boys, both guard and observing healer. She was confounded by Hermione's condition and hateful for the necessity of the two boys before her. Who had bullied her children. Who had tortured many. Who had killed nearly as many in the sake of being a Death Eater. They made her furious at her inability, yet she was thankful for their help. Without them, her adopted daughter was surely lost.
Ginny kept her wand trained on the two Wizards. She would defend her family to the death and nothing less. By Gryffindor she was too loyal to fail them. Deep rooted hatred plagued her at watching her enemies save Hermione, her best friend, her sister. Given half the chance, she would bat bogey hex them until they suffocated on their own mucus. They deserved everything they got for everything they had done.
Luna left hurriedly. Wanting to deliver an update to desperate bystanders who gathered in the dining hall for news. Wondering whether the brains of the Golden Trio would survive to fight another day. Silence reined in the medical room other than breathing and potion creation. A tense truce resigned.
With an echoing bang the doors barged open, smacking the walls hard enough to dent. The last two of the Golden Trio came running in. Wands raised to attack and fearful rage clouded their expressions fiercely. They would defend their sister in anything. A protective aura shimmered in the air around them and the Slytherins turned. Their own wands held defensively. A moment of tension, so thick a knife could not cut it, held a wall between the rivals.