A/N There's so many chapters! I should really combine some, since my chapters are so short…maybe after I finish I'll go back and do that. :heart:

Thanks everyone for all the reviews! Please feel free to give me any suggestions you might have, though I do have a vague idea of where this story is going.

Chapter 52

Mrs. Malfoy sat by the fireplace, perched on the edge of the high-backed pink chair. She stared at the fire, pointedly not looking at her son. She knew the minute he had cast a muffliato spell that he had something to say that was trouble.

But then how could the boy possible get into more trouble than they had already placed him in?

"Mother, did you hear me?" Draco asked in a soft voice, as if worried he had upset her somehow.

She had heard him just fine. He had burst out that she needed to get away from here, tonight. She just didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Draco…exactly what is going on?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with worry. "Whatever it is, will you be safe?"

Draco looked taken aback at the question, but nodded. "I have a plan. Don't worry. I just need you to go to King's Cross tonight, and follow Nymp….er, the person who will be picking you up."

Narcissa scrunched up her face in thought. Narcissa? Her traitor sister's strange child? No, not a child; she was an Auror now. She was also suspected of being a part of the Order of the Phoenix…

"And what of you and your father? If any of us defects to the other side, the Dark Lord will surely punish the remainders…"

Draco looked surprised that she had caught on so quickly. She smiled. Teenaged boys, always thinking they're sharper than their parents…

"Don't worry. We'll both get away before anyone has even noticed you're gone."

She gave her son a hard look. She couldn't leave if her boys were in trouble…but if she didn't leave and they did get away…

She sighed. There wasn't any way she could change things, now. Draco had apparently already planned the whole thing, and there was no going back on it. She would just have to trust that escaping to the Order would somehow improve their situation.

She stood up and walked swiftly over to her son. He looked confused, like he wasn't sure if she were angry enough to slap him or happy enough to hug him. Like she had ever hit him! He really was around much too much violence lately…he was hurt too much, like what happened two days ago…

Maybe if Lucius hadn't been so insistent that she stop coddling him like a child when he entered school he wouldn't have been so surprised at what she did next. She pulled him into a hug, realizing just how tall he had grown in a year. "Draco, don't forget your potions for your…cut, and if your father gives you any problems you can tell him it was my idea." She reached up, smoothing his hair so it lay flat.

"Mom…" Draco said, stepping away as if annoyed but smiling in spite of himself. He headed for the door, canceling the muffliato spell. Narcissa watched him leaving, hoping she would see him and her husband, safe, soon.

***

The night was rather chilly for late spring. All the rain lately had succeeded in making everything cold and foggy, adding to the atmosphere of the death eater's task. Draco kept pulling on his hood, trying to keep it in place against the slight breeze. At least with all the heavy cloaks and the mask it as a bit warmer…

In the dark of night, the group made their way to the wand shop, not a soul in sight. As they approached the entrance, Draco chanced a glance towards Florish and Blotts. He didn't see anyone, but that was a good sign. It meant they were doing their job well.

He made sure to stick close to his father, his brain racing with the various excuses he could make to get them out of the building before anyone else. He had several scenarios' running through his mind…but the most believable would probably be a bit embarrassing. He sighed, resigning himself.

With a bang the door flew open, and he heard the strangled cries of the lone occupant being woken from his bed by the death eaters in front. He closed the door behind him, the last to enter.

Ollivander was dragged downstairs from his flat to the shop by none other than his dear aunt Bella, and Draco's heart went out for the man. Draco himself would have rather faced everyone else in the room combined than Bellatrix Lestrange. At least everyone else in the room was halfway sane.

"Dear Ollivander, the Dark Lord has some questions for you! Answer nicely, and we just may get through this quicker, ok?" She asked in a false sweet tone, her hand digging painfully in his hair as she pushed him to the ground.

"A…anything you want! I'll tell you whatever you need to know! But what would a wandmaker like me know that he-who-must-not-be-named needs?" The old man stumbled, barely audible over his panicked tears. Draco had wondered that as well…who knows? Maybe the Dark Lord just felt like attacking the old man. Maybe he insulted him at some point. He does have a temper, afterall.

But whatever questions were to be asked would be asked by the Dark Lord himself. Ollivander had no idea that there was no point in answering Bellatrix's questions; she was just supposed to put the fear in him. That's why they had all shown up: The Dark Lord wanted to have Ollivander good and scared by the time he was brought in. Less work for him, Draco guessed. The big group was necessary in case the ministry's Aurors showed up…

Draco suppressed a mad grin. The Aurors were already here, or at least one or two were.

As his aunt began to crucio the old man-and worse, drew her wicked silver knife- Draco pulled something small from his pocket. Something he had found recently at the bottom of his school trunk. Something he had swiped from a third year Gryffindor earlier that year…

He popped the sweet into his mouth as covertly as possible, sure no one had seen him. He gripped the antidote in his pocket with a fist, hoping he could choke it down. This was not going to be pleasant. He anticipatorily slipped off his mask.

As his aunt slowly drew her knife down the side of the wandmakers face, a look of pure enjoyment on her features, Draco vomited all over Donovin's patent leather shoes.

"Ah! What the hell, Draco!?" the man cried, jumping away. Several death eaters in the room turned to look, and broke into cruel laughter.

Aunt Bella looked pissed. She swiftly stepped over to her brother in law. "See, Lucius? Spare the rod, spoil the child! He's a weak stomached little thing, now! If he were my son…"

"I must say it's a very good thing he is not, nor is anyone else." Lucius hissed back, drawing close to the crouched figure of Draco, who continued to vomit. Draco reached up, grabbing onto his father's robes.

"O…outside. Father…I need air…"

Lucius nodded, though Draco hardly noticed through another wave of sickness. His father supported him the best he could without getting the disgusting substance all over himself, and pulled him out the door into the empty street.

All was going according to plan…sort of…

Draco couldn't help but feel that this dreadful Weasley invention was certainly not worth using to get out of class. Who actually bought this crap!? He felt horrible, and couldn't imagine how he was going to choke down the purple toffee in his pocket. He pulled it out, stuffing it into his mouth. Miraculously, he was able to swallow it and the sickness faded.

His father was watching him with wary eyes.

"What was that you just put in your mouth?"

Draco wanted very much for it to be his father asking that question, but unfortunately it came from a woman behind him. They had not exited the shop alone. His dear aunt Bella had decided her presence was needed as well, no doubt to call him out for being such a perfect coward when it came to torture.

"N…nothing…he said, eye's darting around madly as if hoping for some escape. Of course, the one person he didn't want following them out of the shop…

His father cast a quick scourgify on him, frowning. "Bellatrix, I can take care of my son. Just go back to your….duties."

She sneered. "Take care of him? Oh, I'm sure you will! The boy needs to be punished! Maybe he should be given a more…direct part in this mission? He needs to learn to toughen up!" She turned to Draco, her eyes blazing madly. "How about it, Draco? The Dark Lord will be most pleased if it is you who breaks out wandmaker for us…"

It was at that moment that a voice called out "Stupify!" and a blaze of red light came flying from Florish and Blotts. Unfortunately, Bellatrix's quick reflexes saved her from being hit, and she dodged quickly to the side.

Shit.

Looking in the direction of the attacks origin, Bellatrix let fly a silent spell, a wave of purplish light. Draco's heart clenched as he heard a distinctly female scream. (Well, female or Weasley. But this was no time for jokes.) He felt panicked at the thought of Hermione getting hit, but worse would happen if the other's heard the commotion and came to investigate.

He didn't have any time to think; he just whipped out his wand as quickly as possible.

"Stupify!"

Lucius fell to the ground, his mask falling from his face, just as he was pointing his wand at their invisible attackers. Draco winced. He hadn't had much choice; it was for his fathers own good. Bellatrix whirled around on him. "YOU!" She screeched, but before she could make another move a jet of red light smacked her in the back, knocking her to the ground.

Three figures slowly appeared in front of him, an invisibility cloak being whipped off and several disillusionment charms being released. He noticed Weasley was strangely absent. Hmm….maybe his joke was a bit closer to the truth than he thought? And wasn't the werewolf supposed to be there, too?

He was interrupted from his thoughts as Hermione appeared in his view, and she threw herself at him. He blinked, knowing full well that this was not the time for this…but he hugged her back nonetheless.

"Come on, we have to hurry." Potter said grumpily, stepping forward and nudging Draco's father's immobile form with his foot. "Are we really taking him back with us? You had to stupify him…is he really going to accept our help?"

Draco glared at the dark haired boy indignantly. "He will once we get him out of here. This was just the quickest way."

"Stunning him does seem to be walking a fine line of morality…" Hermione mumbled, stepping back from Draco but grabbing his hand. Draco smiled. Being chastised by Granger for stunning his father…not a scenario he would have expected to ever happen. "Harry…" she said, letting go of Draco to walk over to her friend. Draco tried hard not to feel a stab of jealousy as she touched his arm gently. "We just have to hurry. Ginny will be ok."

"We should take her with us, find out what the hell spell that was." Harry growled, glaring at the limp form of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Can't." Moody said in a gruff voice. "They'll just bust her out of Azkaban again. I would say we should make sure she stays out of the picture permanently…" Hermione gasped, and Moody quickly finished, "But if it's not during a glorious battle its just murder. Taking her back and holding her prisoner, alive, would make trouble for headquarters. Let's just leave her be."

It suddenly occurred to Draco what had happened. It was Weasley that got hit- but it was a Weasley of the female variety. No doubt her brother had apparated her out of here…

"What were the effects?" Draco asked, curious. He didn't like the idea of any of them getting hurt for his sake, honestly.

"She wasn't even supposed to come." Potter said, his shoulder's slumping. "I shouldn't have let her talk me into…"

"It wasn't your fault, and she'll be fine!" Hermione assured. She turned to Draco. "You'll see when we get back to safety." Hermione grabbed Draco's arm, and Harry did the same with Lucius. He had a look of pure disgust as he touched the man and apparated.