Attack!
Alastor awoke with a start the next morning as the sunlight pierced through the window. He had a split second of confusion. Where was he? What was going on? It was a horrible, disorientating feeling, but it was marginally less horrible than the moment when the memories returned.
Confused and shaking, and still not sure what to do, Alastor struggled to pull himself to his feet.
No sooner had he done so, he heard a loud cracking sound outside. he grabbed his wand and his staff immediately. He knew that sound. It was the sound of apparating.
The windows of the hut were too small and grimy for him to adequately see outside, so he went straight to the door. There was no point in hiding away in any case. If he was going to be attacked better, that it be out in the open rather than confined in the tiny hut. What some might have perceived as cover and protection, Alastor recognised at once as being a problem, as it would have trapped him if the enemy were to get inside and corner him.
He burst out of the door.
He had held on to a tiny, secret shred of hope that just maybe he had been wrong about Draco. Just maybe, he hadn't betrayed him? Secretly, almost not daring to admit it to himself, Alastor had held on to a glimmer of hope that he had been wrong. As he stepped outside of the door that last scrap of hope died.
He was surrounded.
The hut was surrounded by death eaters. Eight, no, nine of them, no! Ten! Ten figures clad in black, wands raised ready to attack him, and there at the back of the group who stood right before him: Draco Malfoy, perfectly dressed in rich black robes, his hair immaculate, a smug gloating smile on his once-beautiful face. Alastor felt his heart break in two.
Something of his emotions must have been readable on his usually reticent, battle-ready face, as Bellatrix, who stood at the front of the group, laughed out loud as she looked at him.
'The great Auror Moody!' She cackled in her cold, cruel voice. 'Rather outnumbered, aren't you? Perhaps if you hand over the children we're seeking as hostages we could see our way to sparing your life... although I doubt it!' She concluded with a horrible grin.
It took a split second, but then Alastor realised just what she had said. Again, it was out of character, but his confusion was visible on his face. No sooner had confusion flashed across Alastor's face then if appeared of Bellatrix's face too as she suddenly took notice of the size of the tiny cabin from which Auror Moody had emerged. It would have taken some undetectable extension charm to have made that place large enough to have housed the number of hostages they were seeking...
Bellatrix was just about to turn back to look at her nephew for some kind of clarification when suddenly there were several loud snapping sounds from all around them. Her look of confusion changed in an instant to a look of horror...
Draco, who's wand had been pointing at Alastor, moved like lighting and before anyone could process what was happening he yelled:
'Experiamus!'
And knocked Bellatrix's wand from her hand.
That very second the others present realised what was happening.
Alastor was, for a second or so, rooted to the spot, frozen with shock, as the scene unfolded before his eyes.
In clouds of white smoke, the Aurors appeared, surrounding the circle of death eaters and outnumbering them three to one. In the moments it took for the death eaters to realise firstly that they were in trouble, secondly that Draco Malfoy had disarmed their leader and thirdly that this has been a set up all along, the Aurors had disarmed each one of them and immobilised them.
It had all happened at lightning speed and poor Alastor who was still reeling from having experienced more emotions in the last 24 hours than he could remember experiencing in his lifetime, was still staring in genuine shock as he realised what had just happened.
Bellatrix glared at her nephew, her eyes like furious fire.
'You will regret this, you filthy blood-traitor!' She hissed, straining against the grip that Kingsley Shacklebolt had on her. 'If not by the Dark Lord's hand then by my own! You will regret this, you will regret ever being born you stupid, double crossing, ungrateful little brat! You're no family of mine! You'll beg for your own death by the time I'm done with you, you...'
'That's enough!' Kingsley shouted over her. 'You'll have a job carrying out those threats from the place we're taking you.' He asserted crossly.
Alastor continued to stare in disbelief. Tonks, who had been part of the attack, but had already handed her hostage death eater over to two of her colleagues, approached Alastor. She slapped him hard, but affectionately, in the centre of his back.
'Hey there, old man!' She grinned. 'We heard you were in need of some back up.'
Alastor nodded but couldn't quite manage to speak. He hadn't taken his eyes off Draco who still had his wand drawn and was doing his best not to look terrified as the nine death eaters glared at him with similar murderous intentions to those which Bellatrix had expressed.
Kingsley handed Bellatrix over to two ministry guards.
'Tonks...' He commanded. 'I want you and Savage to oversee the escort of these nine individuals directly to Azkaban.'
'Yes sir!' Tonks replied, winking at Savage, proud that it was they who were in charge of this task.
'Dawlish, Remus, you're with me.' Kingsley said. 'I want everyone else as part of the escort team. High numbers I know, but we don't take risks with the likes of this lot.'
Alastor took one step towards him, half expecting to receive an order himself, and he would probably have followed it under the circumstances. Shacklebolt was certainly capable of being in charge when he was of a mind to be.
'Alastor, you're with Dawlish, Remus and I. Plus, you still have your charge to look after. You don't get rid of him that easily!' Kingsley grinned as the team, lead by Tonks and Savage departed with the captured death eaters, Tonks calling out goodbye to Alastor as they left.
Alastor turned to stare at Draco, who looked somewhat more relaxed now that the death eaters had gone, but still had eyes as wide as saucers and a face that was even whiter than usual. Only now did he slowly lower his wand and put it safely away.
'Draco...' Kingsley spoke before Alastor could either speak or move. 'Good work. Rather unexpected, certainly, but you thought fast and acted very bravely. Your patronus took its message to Professor Dumbledore who just so happened to be meeting with the Minister and myself last night...'
Draco looked almost as though he might start to cry with relief.
'Good work.' Kingsley said again kindly and he smiled at him. 'You're safe now kid. You're back with your guardian... see...'
Kingsley stepped aside clearing the space between Alastor and Draco who stared at one another.
Alastor's heart was pounding against his ribs. He could almost hear it, which was a surprise to him as he was sure that only moments ago it had broken in two, or stopped beating at the least! He clearly needed to hear the details of what had happened, from Draco's point of view, but enough pieces had fallen into place now for it to make sense.
Draco had been kidnapped by his aunt and somehow, in the last 18 hours he had convinced the death eaters and possibly even the Dark Lord himself to mount an attack on the tiny hut, promising them it contained hostages. In addition to this he had cast a patronus charm and sent a message to ask for back up to capture the death eaters in a trap. He had been braver, cleverer and more loyal than some Aurors Alastor had known. Alastor was speechless and overwhelmed with amazement.
Draco stared at him, his pupils dilated, his mouth beginning to form a grateful smile when he could stay still no longer. In a flash he had leapt towards Alastor and flung his arms around him with a passionate sob of gratitude and joy.
Alastor was still questioning the reality of all that had just occurred, but the second he felt Draco's body against his once more, suddenly everything was real again. Draco, his Draco hadn't betrayed him after all! He was back, back in his arms and was holding him so tightly, frantically caressing his back, his neck, his hair, breathlessly muttering his name over and over.
Remus, Kingsley and Dawlish stared, feeling more and more confused with each passing moment.
Alastor opened his mouth to try and speak, perhaps to ask Draco if he were alright or perhaps simply to say his name, but he didn't get the chance. The moment his lips parted Draco could resist no longer. The second he got a glimmer of a chance, Draco kissed Alastor passionately for all his life was worth.
