Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters of the book. They are the property of J.K Rowling, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only / Here you are my lovelies, an actionpacked new chapter. Enjoy!
The morning after returning to the Manor Draco had told his parents that he had to get back to Hogwarts with the excuse that the term was about to start and he needed to study. However, it wasn't school he headed to when he disapparated from the Great room. It was the Burrow. Swaying on the snowy lawn outside the rickety house, he felt dizzy. He hadn't slept more than four hours in the last three nights and he was exhausted. But seeing Hermione had charged him with determination and there was nothing stopping him from getting her from that wretched island.
"Malfoy," said Harry who'd stepped from the house and came walking towards him across the lawn.
"Potter," Draco said steadying himself.
"How did it go? What happened?" Harry demanded frowning at him. Draco thought it seemed he wasn't the only one deprived of sleep. Harry was pale, his eyes were bloodshot and he seemed anxious.
"I wasn't caught if that's what you're asking," Draco said, rubbing his cold hands, and then "Are we going inside or what?"
"Whatever, did you manage to retrieve more information?" Harry asked as they walked towards the house.
"Granger told me some things, strange things," he answered stepping over threshold into the warm kitchen.
"What things?" Harry asked when they'd sat down at the table.
Draco told Harry what Hermione had told him about the Captain conversing with a plant at the Leaky Cauldron and the ship being indestructible.
"A plant?" Harry asked incredulous when Draco had finished.
"Told you it was strange," he said.
"Neville was talking about a plant the other day, I wonder, "Harry started, and then he called to Neville, who came ambling into the kitchen soon afterwards.
"What is it, Harry?" Neville asked.
"Malfoy found out the Captain of Nightshade was talking to a plant in a chest or box of some kind. And I remember you talking about something yesterday," Harry said, talking fast.
"Deadly Nightshade," Neville muttered, staring out the window, and then "that makes sense. As I told you, the plant has the power to work as a form of intermediator between a wizard, or witch, and an inanimate object – like the ship!"
"Okay, but what does that mean?" Draco interjected.
"It means. That whoever has the plant controls the ship and if you destroy the plant," Neville started.
"You destroy the ship," Harry and Draco finished his sentence in unison. They had their answer at last.
"That's it then. We have to steal the plant and destroy the ship," Draco said.
"Not quite," Harry disagreed, "we're going to steal the plant and commandeer the ship."
There was a pause and then Harry swivelled in his seat.
"Kinsley, are you hearing this?" he yelled and Draco watched the stately Auror enter the kitchen.
"Yes, and I agree with you. We need the ship to carry the prisoners from the island, since its reach is too far for apparition. However, we need to move fast. People have started asking questions," Kingsley said.
"I think we should do it tonight," Draco said resolutely, and then, "the prisoners are unarmed though. And they're going to need the means to defend themselves if we run into trouble".
"Good point. I'll ask Ollivander for every wand he can spare," Kingsley said.
They rushed to work out the details of the rescue mission and after receiving an owl carrying a bag of nearly a hundred wands from Ollivander they were ready to put their plan into action. But night had fallen before Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna, Kingsley, Dawlish and himself set off for the island.
Draco brought them by side-along apparition to the east seaside outside London and everything went smooth until they reached the small islet in the midst of the roaring sea. It was too miniscule for them all to fit on which resulted in Neville, Luna and Ron ending up in the icy water. Draco watched them scramble to get on their brooms, however both Neville and Luna seemed to have trouble manoeuvring their broomsticks. Draco glanced at his watch, it was nearly eleven and at this speed they wouldn't reach the island until early the following morning.
"Can you hurry up!" he shouted to Neville and Luna, who'd finally managed to mount their brooms and keep them fairly steady, although their pace left much to be desired. They charged through the chilly air and the wind whizzed around their ears, but at least Draco had remembered to tell them all to wear gloves. The journey felt twice as long as it had the previous night and Draco sighed in relief when the small island finally came into view beneath them. Soon he would see her again, he thought as they landed in the midst of the junipers next to the barracks.
Casting his broom to the side, he charged into the barrack labelled 'M" stopping in his tracks when he saw Granger. She was sleeping on Blakely's shoulder with the man's hand resting on her stomach. Draco felt his vision momentarily obscured with hatred for Hermione's new friend, but then he quickly found himself and sitting down on her bed he shook her awake.
"Draco, what are you," she started but he cut her off.
"We're here to rescue you," Draco said determinately, disregarding the part of him who wanted to abandon the plan and just crawl into bed with her.
"What's going on?" Blakely asked, and Draco felt tempted to exclude him from the rescue altogether and leave him to rot on the island.
"Why don't you stop asking stupid questions and start handing these out," he said, tossing him the bag filled with Ollivander's wands.
"But I don't understand, you're on their side," the man asked in bewilderment, catching the bag with one hand.
"No, I'm not. Also, I'd appreciate it if you'd take your hands off my girlfriend," Draco said glaring at Blakely's other hand still resting on Hermione's stomach. The man glanced at Hermione.
"It's true," Hermione spoke before she hurried from the bed pulling a wand from the bag.
"Mione, is it morning?" asked the little girl who'd slept next to Granger.
"No, but I have to go do something. You stay close to Nate, okay?" Hermione told her before she left with Draco and making their way out of the barrack he glanced shiftily at Hermione.
"You two seem chummy," he said through gritted teeth.
"Really, Draco. Is this the time?" Hermione asked irritably.
"Fine, but we're having this conversation," he said leading her out the door.
The others were waiting for them outside and Hermione rushed towards them.
"I missed you so much!" she whispered, embracing Weasley.
"You have no idea how worried I've been," Ron said as they broke apart and Draco felt himself growing impatient and tapping his foot on the snowy ground he watched Hermione hug Harry next.
"Are we here for a rescue operation or a reunion party?" he asked sharply.
"Right, what's the plan?" Hermione asked eagerly.
Hermione listened to Harry run through the basics of the plan and she felt her heart sink. If she'd understood him correctly, they not only had to sneak aboard the Nightshade, but also find and steal the chest holding the Deadly Nightshade from Camilla – who was possible the most vicious witch Hermione had ever met. However, it was a close race between her, Bellatrix and Umbridge, she thought.
"So what do you want me to do?" she asked Harry.
"Nothing, I want you to stay here with the other prisoners," he answered her.
"Do you seriously expect me to sit here and do nothing while you go and steal the chest? She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes, that's exactly what we expect you to do," Draco interjected.
"I won't do it. I'm going with you," she said, glaring at Draco.
"It's not negotiable, I didn't go through all this trouble for you to get yourself killed at the finish line" He hissed at her and Harry nodded. Hermione felt the anger flare inside her.
"All the trouble you've gone through," she said, threateningly narrowing her eyes at them, and then "while I've been doing what exactly? Vacationing on this charming island?"
"We know that you've been through hell, Hermione and all the more reason for you to," Harry started.
"And all the more reason for me to be the one stealing the chest. Think about it, Harry. I know my way around the ship, I've seen things you haven't and I've met the Captain," she said with a note of finality and she could tell from Harry's expression that she'd argued a good case.
"Fine," Harry said defeated.
"Potter, you can't be serious! Look at her, she's starved and weak. This is insane!" Draco hissed to Harry, gesturing towards Hermione.
"Look I don't know the right answer here, but I do know there's no time to argue. We need to get going. Draco - you, Neville, Dawlish and Luna stay here and look after the prisoners. While me, Hermione, Ron and Kingsley will board the ship and once the coast is clear we'll send up green sparks. That's the signal for you to bring the prisoners to the ship. Got it?" Harry said, talking fast. Draco looked like he was about to argue but then he nodded.
"Got it," he said through gritted teeth and then he turned to her "If something happens to you,"
"It won't. I've done this kind of thing before, remember?" Hermione reassured him, and then she said" I love you."
"I love you too," Draco said and kissed her full on the lips.
"Guys, I really don't want to see that," Harry said turning away from them.
Hermione felt anxious as they made their way towards the ship. The three of them, her, Harry and Ron were huddled under the invisibility cloak, while Kingsley had cast a disillusionment charm to block himself from view. Wand clutched tightly in her hand, Hermione reminded herself of what she'd told Draco; she had done this kind of thing without fail in the past and there was no reason to think they wouldn't succeed this time.
It was a balancing act crossing the footbridge to the ship while being underneath the cloak since Ron kept stepping on her toes and the cloak kept hiking up to reveal her ankles. When they'd finally managed to get aboard the ship, she spotted the bushy-browed man sleeping against a barrel and he wasn't alone, there were several more slumbering crew members scattered across the ship. "Expelliarmus," Harry muttered sending the bushy-browed man's wand flying from his grasp and soon they'd gathered the wands from all members of crew.
"Go, Hermione," Harry whispered once they'd finished. Hermione stuck the collection of wands she was holding into the pocket of her beige overalls and walked out from underneath the invisibility cloak. Reaching the Captain's chambers, she whispered "Alohomora" and hearing the door unlock itself, she pushed it open. As she continued into the dark room, she saw Camilla asleep, her head resting on the desk and she was holding something.
It couldn't be, Hermione thought walking closer to the sleeping woman. But there it was, wrapped in the woman's arms - a small chest carved in wood and she was about to reach for it when something else grabbed her attention. Next to the woman was a glowing glass orb and Hermione recognized it as once. It was just like the ones that had scattered at The Department of Mysteries on the night Sirius was killed. A prophecy. Then something compelled her to reach for it and she hurried to shove the small ball into her pocket before turning her attention back to the chest. She started coaxing it from the woman's clasp, when.
"You!" Camilla exclaimed standing up, her eyes wide in shock, and reaching for something in her robe. But Hermione was faster and pointing her wand at the woman she yelled:
"Petrificus Totalus!"
She watched the woman go rigid as a plank and fall backwards onto the chair she had been sitting which toppled over with a clatter and then there was a muffled thud as Camilla landed on the floor next to it.
"Yes, that's right. And now this mere muggleborn witch will go and commandeer your ship," Hermione said with a victorious grin, clutching the small wooden box to her chest.
"Blakely, come on! We have to get down to the bridge," Draco told the dark haired man who was still busy distributing wands to the prisoners. But then he heard them: hurried footsteps coming towards them from the other end of the barrack.
"What the hell are you doing out of bed. Get back all of you!" Someone shouted and then Draco heard a shriek and saw green sparks issue from someone's wand. Fuck, he thought when he realized they'd been caught. Spinning around to find Blakely, his eyes caught sight of the girl, Sadie standing alone and looking scared in the passage in front of him and rushing towards the back exit he grabbed her.
"Blakely, I've got Sadie, get everyone out now!", he shouted over his shoulder as they made their way out the barrack.
It was pandemonium as the prisoners scrambled to get away from the Nightshade members, who seemed to be coming from all directions.
"Secumsempra!" Draco threw at a cloaked man in front of them watching him fall to the ground with a yell.
"You need to hide," he told Sadie once he'd put her down and he managed to turn just in time to shield them from a hex zooming through the air in their direction.
"Now!" He yelled at her and watched the girl crawl through the snow to the thick of the trees. He turned to the ship, there were still no sparks, and wondered what was taking them so long. He thought about Granger's weakened state and the fact she probably wouldn't last long in a fight.
"Malfoy! Look out," he heard Neville yell and jumping, he scarcely escaped getting blasted by a jinx cast by a man on his left. Draco quickly retaliated and shouted "Flipendo!" sending his opponent flying through the air.
"Thanks, Longbottom," he said and looking towards Neville he saw the green sparks in the sky behind him.
"Everyone to the ship!" Draco shouted at the top of his lungs and catching sight of Blakely he said:
"Blakely! Get Sadie and bring her to the ship!"
Hermione stood on deck, her eyes fixed on the scene of prisoners and members of Nightshade fighting on the island. Please let them be okay, she thought chewing her lip frantically. Harry had made her promise to stay on the ship, but now she was on the verge of breaking her promise. She couldn't stand the thought of Sadie, Draco and Nate in the midst of all the fighting. But then as she was about to leave, she saw them. They were at the front of the crowd of prisoners ambling towards the ship.
"Harry, they're coming!" she shouted rushing towards the footbridge and together she, Harry, Ron and Kingsley helped the prisoners onto the deck.
"Hermione, you okay?" Draco asked hoarsely, holding her at arm's reach and scanning his eyes over her before pulling her into a hug.
"You're okay," he sighed resting his forehead on her shoulder. Then she felt the pull from the ship as it left the dock and almost couldn't believe it, they had all made it out. She broke apart from Draco and walked up to Harry.
"Are you sure we'll be safe, I mean with Camilla and her crew still on the ship?" she asked.
"I reckon so, we have them locked up below deck and Dawlish and Kingsley are keeping watch," Harry answered putting an arm around her.
"And you're sure Neville knows how to steer the ship?" Hermione wondered, glancing at Neville who stood at the railing speaking to the plant jutting out from the chest.
"Without doubt, he's brilliant with that thing," he said and Hermione felt reassured, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I hate to ruin your moment," Draco started when he walked up to them, but then "No actually I don't. Hermione you should get some sleep."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she yawned allowing Draco to pull her away from Harry. They walked to the Captain's chambers and once inside they laid down on the alcove bed in the corner of the room. Hermione closed her eyes savouring the feeling of Draco's warm body next to her before allowing the waves to rock her to sleep.