"How nice to see you, Draco," the werewolf teased, strutting into the shop. "So – it looks like you've made your decision."

Draco nodded firmly, then turned his attention back to Savannah, who now felt so weak that her eyelids were drooping as Draco held her in his arms.

"Don't worry about her," said Greyback, waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "Half-bloods are tougher than we give them credit for."

The Carrows sniggered in unison.

"Amycus, relieve Yaxley and Malfoy Senior, would you? I know Lucius would not want to miss such a proud moment."

At Greyback's command, the male Carrow sibling approached the two men lying in a heap behind the old display case. With a few waves of his wand, Yaxley and Lucius returned to consciousness, mumbling and moaning as they slowly picked themselves up off the floorboards.

"Don't do it," Savannah whispered so quietly that only Draco could hear.

"Ssh, darling… don't worry," he whispered back, rocking his fiancée to calm her.

"Ah, Lucius," smiled Greyback, as the elder Malfoy began dusting himself off and retrieved his cane which he had thrown to the side.

"What did you do to her?" Draco snarled at his father. "Why is she bleeding?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Draco," Lucius warned as he sauntered over to the pair of them.

"Now, now, Lucius," said Yaxley sarcastically. "The boy's only curious. Why don't you tell him what you and… Savannah… have gotten up to tonight?"

Greyback, Amycus and Alecto laughed. Lucius smirked at their reaction.

"Let's just say, Draco, that Savannah here needed a little… persuading… to engage in the activities which we had planned for her this evening. Activities which you very inconveniently interrupted."

Draco thought he was going to be sick.

"You're revolting," he spat. "Look at her!"

Drops of blood from Savannah's wound had fallen onto the floor. The back of her jumper was now damp and crimson, along with Draco's hands. She was blinking rapidly, trying ever so hard to stay awake. The colour had drained from her face. She was clinging on to Draco's suit jacket as though it were the only thing keeping her alive.

"Draco, for Merlin's sake, I did not raise you to show this level of compassion for dirty-blooded wizards," Lucius snapped.

"She is my fiancée. She is going to be your daughter-in-law. She's going to mother my half-blood children and your half-blood grandchildren."

Lucius looked disgusted. He went to draw his wand from his cane but Draco saw it coming. He lifted his wand first and, in tears, sent another stunning spell at his father.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU HURT HER THE WAY YOU HURT ME!" he screamed, although his father was already deaf to his words.

Silence.

The Death Eaters looked at each other in amused shock. Draco wept helplessly.

"Draco…" Savannah whispered in a broken voice.

Her tired brown eyes met her fiance's scared grey ones. Draco howled and lowered his head. Savannah was still too weak to move her weight, but wrapped her arm around Draco's neck. She stroked his blond hair soothingly as he cried into her shoulder.

The onlookers exchanged awkward glances. This was news to them, as well.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Savannah whispered into the material of Draco's suit.

Draco did not reply. He could only cling onto Savannah even tighter. She felt constricted, crushed; but she would not dare pull out of her fiance's embrace.

They cried together for a few more moments before Yaxley cleared his throat.

"Let's get on with it, Draco," he drawled in his calculating voice.

Draco lifted his head and looked at the Death Eater standing before him.

"N-not until you let her go," he stammered.

He turned around to find Greyback.

"That was the deal, wasn't it? If I agreed, then you would let her go."

Nobody spoke.

"I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING UNTIL YOU SAY SHE CAN GO!"

"Draco…" Savannah rubbed his back and rested her head against his shoulder.

It took all of Draco's willpower not to curl back into her protective hold.

Yaxley sighed.

"Fine. She can wait outside."

"She needs to go to St. Mungo's," Draco said urgently, watching the trail of blood leaking down Savannah's spine.

"And you think we're as stupid as to let you take her, and then trust that you'll come back to us?!" Yaxley roared. "No. She waits outside. Or, if you'd prefer, she can stay and watch."

"Draco, don't…"

Draco shushed his fiancée again. He adjusted his posture and gained the strength to lift Savannah.

"Put her in the alleyway around the corner; beside Potage's Cauldron Shop."

"She stays where I can see her," Draco said with every ounce of bravery he could muster.

Yaxley's patience was wearing thin.

"Fine," he shouted again. "Put her across the street. You'll be able to see her through the hole in the door which you so gracefully blasted open."

Draco took Yaxley up on the offer, and, followed by Alecto, carried Savannah across the cobbled street and laid her feeble body to rest against the steps to a small shop named Moribund's.

"Draco, please," she pleaded one last time, tugging on his black suit jacket. "You don't have to."

"I do, my love," he muttered, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. "Now, you stay here. I won't be long. Then I'll get you to St. Mungo's, okay?"

"But…"

Savannah sniffled and began to cry in panic.

"Sweetheart."

Draco lowered himself to the ground so that he could look in her eyes. He had calmed down now; he knew what he had to do to keep Savannah safe, and he was ready and willing to go through with it.

"Sav, let go," he said gently, prising her scarred hands away from his jacket. "I'm doing this for us, okay, darling?"

She listened fearfully, shivering in the cold night. Draco took his suit jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders like a cloak. She liked it. It was warm and smelled of Draco. If she closed her eyes she would be almost be able to imagine that he was there, holding her.

"Trust me," he whispered.

Savannah nodded, although not without some hesitation.

"Some time this year would be nice, Malfoy," the female Carrow sibling spat, disgusted by the pair's affection for one another.

Draco kissed Savannah's forehead once more, before walking back across the cobbles to Borgin and Burke's, Alecto hurrying in his wake with her wand raised threateningly. Savannah cried as she cuddled into herself under Draco's jacket, and watched as he re-entered the antique shop to seal his fate.