This chapter written by floorcoaster.

Draco cast a furtive glance at Hermione, but she was resolute. "We're—"

"One condition." Everyone looked at Theo, whose eyes were fixed on Naylen. "You give us one of your devices."

An explosion sounded outside, loud enough to shake the ground and rattle something metal deeper in the tent.

"There's no time for negotiations," Naylen ground out. Then he let out a frustrated cry. "Fine. If—and that's a big if—you help us, I'll give you one."

Theo held out his hand, Naylen quickly shook it, then turned and stalked back to the entrance to the tent. He peeked out, a burst of red light illuminating his face. Draco gave Theo a questioning look, but he waved him off.

"They came in on the north side of the camp. We think there are twenty of them. There's nowhere to hide." Naylen grimaced. "I've seen the damage their spells can do; we'll be flattened."

Theo rolled up his sleeves. "You've got us. What do you need?"

Naylen gave the three of them one last look, and Draco realised he'd finally decided to trust them. Enough for now, at least. "First, there's a bunker beneath my tent. We need to get our non-fighting members securely inside it. They know what to do in case of an attack, but the fire is too heavy right now. Second, and possibly more urgent, we need to secure the Orb. The structure in the middle of the camp stands over our weapons cache. If we can't secure the Orb, we need to destroy it. We can't let that hardware fall into Death Eater hands, and we can blow the whole thing up if we need to."

"Right." With a quick glance outside, Theo nodded. "Draco and I will cover you while you move the Orb. Hermione can go with one of you to your tent." Theo looked at Hermione. "You do know how to fight, right?"

She snorted and regripped her wand. "You always talk this much, Nott?"

Draco smirked at his friend. "I'm ready." He hated the way his nerves were making their presence known. He'd avoided the fighting as much as possible during the war, but he hadn't been able to stay out of it completely. He certainly wasn't as adept as Hermione probably was, but he could manage to stay alive and help Theo, at least.

Naylen's two comrades disappeared into the tent and returned moments later with the Orb. They handed it to Naylen, who tucked it securely under one arm. Then he held up three fingers and counted them down. When he made a fist, the men burst forth from the tent. Draco threw up a large Shield Charm, while Theo sent attack spells in the direction of the main fighting. With Naylen and one other man, they ran as fast as they could towards the weapons bunker.

As soon as they reached relative safety, the Muggles hurried inside and started securing the tent. Draco put up wards to protect the weapons tent, while Theo kept watch on what was happening. When the wards were up, Draco looked towards Naylen's tent just in time to see Hermione usher in the last few non-fighters. She glanced his way and their eyes met, then she hurried inside as well.

Something awful welled in Draco's stomach; he hated the idea of being separated from Hermione. It was fine for her to help secure part of Naylen's group, but then she needed to be out, helping in the fight. A trapdoor in the ground was wrenched open, and Naylen's man began taking loads of weapons down.

Theo was antsy, itching to join in the action of the active fighting. After another minute, the door shut and was quickly covered with dirt.

"Okay. Come on." Naylen stepped out, now fully covered with an assortment of munitions. Slung over his back was a long tube with a cone-shaped tip.

Theo grinned at the sight and rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. Do I get one?"

Naylen gave him an inscrutable look. "You've got your wand."

"Nothing makes an impact like a rocket launcher, though."

"Let's just get in there and help my people, shall we?" Naylen didn't wait for a response before he crept out to survey the scene. The sounds of guns firing and spells blasting were nearly constant. Naylen looked at Theo. "Wizard, huh? You sure had us fooled."

Theo shrugged. "I'm good at what I do."

"Show me." Then Naylen charged out, headed straight for the fight.

Theo ran after him, rapidly shooting spells. Draco, who didn't quite know what to do with himself, ran after them, his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst. He'd only run ten yards before there was a flash beside him, and Hermione appeared, mid-stride, her wand raised and her expression determined.

"Granger!" he called. "I don't… I've never…"

"Stay close to me! Cast Shield Charms around our people, and if anyone gets hurt, you can work to heal them. I've got dittany in my bag." She didn't slow or pause in her spellwork. She was truly magnificent.

Draco did as he'd been told. He focused on protecting his side, mainly Hermione, while keeping an eye out for any injured. The sound of gunfire and the light of the spells were dizzying and nearly constant—Draco grew numb to them. He stayed as close to Hermione as he could, but it was difficult because she was drawing plenty of fire from the Death Eaters. He knew they had to be surprised to find someone in the Collective responding with magic, but that hadn't deterred them in the slightest.

From where he was, Draco couldn't tell what was happening. The gunfire kept up a steady presence, and whenever he saw one of their side fall, he Disillusioned himself and ran for them, pulling them to relative safety and checking for wounds. The Death Eaters weren't exclusively using the Killing Curse. For one thing, it took a long time to say, and for another, the caster had to really mean it. Other spells were quicker and easier, and the Death Eaters hadn't expected any magical resistance. The Killing Curse grew in frequency as the night wore on and they became more desperate.

Finally, just as the first tinges of gray began to creep into the sky, he saw the remaining Death Eaters turn and flee into the woods. He collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard, a relief unlike anything he'd ever experienced coursing through him. Hermione ran forward to join Theo and Naylen in examining the bodies. They had to make sure none of the enemy's fallen were faking injury or death. Draco forced himself to join them, staggering through the battlefield. In an unspoken, systematic manner, Theo and Hermione marked the dead of both sides, Levitating their bodies into two distinct areas. The injured were rushed into camp to be tended to by the Collective's lone doctor.

Draco wanted to help, but he was also terrified to uncover any of the faces of their foes. His worst fear was that he would see his father's face amongst the dead, so every unveiling came with a healthy dose of agony.

He'd just revealed another dead Death Eater, exhaling shakily upon discovering that it wasn't anyone he knew, when Theo cried out and called frantically for him.

Draco ran over, his every nerve screaming at him to run the opposite way, but knowing that he couldn't. Even if it was someone he knew, it wasn't his version of them. It was the other Draco's friends. Still, that didn't do anything for the state of his nerves or the rushing of blood in his ears. He'd seen enough death to last him a lifetime.

When he reached Theo's side, his eyes were wild and horrified. He pointed to the figure he'd unmasked, and Draco's breath caught.

"Oh, shit." It was Rodolphus Lestrange. Draco met Theo's equally anxious gaze. "Is he married to Bellatrix?"

Theo swallowed hard and nodded.

"Fuck." Draco knew that, once the Death Eaters discovered that Rodolphus had not made it back, his insane aunt would be out for blood. She would destroy the Collective in her rage.

"We need to tell Naylen," said Theo, Levitating Rodolphus's body to the pile where it belonged.

Draco nodded and they hurried to find the leader of the Collective.

Hermione had heard Theo's call and she came running, meeting up with the pair as they neared Naylen. Draco met her questioning gaze and said only one word. "Rodolphus."

Her face went white and her eyes widened, but she set her jaw and nodded. "What's the plan?"

Theo shook his head. "They have to leave."

"We can help," Hermione said. "We will help." She grabbed Draco's arm. "This is what the Order needs us to do. Naylen will have no choice but to trust us, believe us, if we help them."

"Agreed." Draco hated to admit that she was right. His nerves were shot and he mainly wanted to go back to the Order Headquarters, curl into a ball, and sleep for a few days. But the only way out was through.

As the trio approached Naylen, he dismissed the person he'd been talking to. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Your side has killed one of their top Generals, I'm afraid," Theo said. "We have to evacuate this area. Now."

Naylen paled. "What? Why?"

"Because his wife is a sadistic lunatic who will not stop until this entire compound is levelled to the ground." Draco clenched his jaw. "I would know; she's my aunt. She will return with the biggest force she can muster and raze everything she sees. We have to act, and we have to act now."

Naylen glanced around at what was left of his group. Of those who'd survived, half were wounded, and the other half were tending to them. Everyone was exhausted, completely depleted from hours of constant fighting.

"Do you have another location where you can go?" Hermione asked.

The stunned leader only shook his head. "We, uh, have a backup location, but it's hours from here. There's no possible way to get everything packed and ready to leave in less than two hours."

"They'll be here long before then," Theo growled. "Where is this place?"

Naylen pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to him.

Theo glanced at it and gave it to Draco. "Is it secure? Could we go there right now?"

"Yes, it's empty, nothing around for miles."

"I'll go." Draco studied the picture with determination. "Naylen, come with me."

Naylen gave him a defiant stare. "Why? Why should I do anything you say? You came into my camp, lied to me, pretended to be one of us. Why on earth would I believe a word you say?"

"We aren't Death Eaters, Naylen," said Hermione. "We're magical, yes, but we don't agree with their plan or their actions. We're part of a group of wizards and witches who want to end the war, who are against their leader. We believe Muggles and magical folk can co-exist, live peaceably side by side. I know this war you've been in has gone on for decades, but it's not too late. There was peace before You-Know-Who. Our side has been looking for someone on your side to work together. The Order had hopes that it might be your group. Yes, we came here and deceived you, but in the end, what did we do? In no way did we harm you. We only wanted information on the Orb because a device like that would hurt all magical people, not just the Death Eaters."

"They're coming for the Orb," Theo chimed in. "We can't let it fall into their hands."

"We don't have time to properly convince you." Draco shook the piece of paper. "Come with me, Naylen. I need you to show me this place and tell me what you need."

Naylen surveyed his compound once more, then sighed heavily. "I don't like it, but I don't know that I have much choice."

Theo scoffed. "Of course you do. You don't have to listen. You're free to stay here and be slaughtered by a horde of angry Death Eaters if you'd rather."

"Fine." Naylen's tone was clipped, resigned. At his word, Hermione dashed off and got to work, Theo heading after her.

Draco held out his arm. "You're not going to like this bit. Take my arm. The closer you are to me, the better for you."

Naylen complied, though he was clearly hesitant. "What? Why?"

Without warning, Draco Disapparated, clearing his thoughts and focusing on the photo from Naylen. When they landed, the other man stumbled and fell, then stood up and emptied his stomach into the nearest bush.

He stood shakily, wiping his mouth, eyes wide. "What—the fuck—was that?"

"We Apparated. We are now in the secure location." Draco walked toward the large, cleared area, thinking of the structures that were set up in their current hideout and mentally placing each one. He thought they would fit just fine. "You have some underground bunkers. How many do you need?"

Naylen, still gaping at Draco, shook his head slightly. Then he seemed to force his misgivings and worries aside, at least for the moment. "We've got two. One we use for long-term food storage and as a hideout, the other is a weapons cache. But it took us months to dig those out, there's no way they can be ready any time soon."

"Theo and I will take care of it. Now that I've seen this place, I'll be able to help get your people here."

Naylen chuckled slightly. "This is unbelievable. I knew your lot was powerful, but… what did you call it? Apparate? We just disappeared from there and appeared here, a hundred miles away? Is that how you plan to move my people here?"

Draco frowned. "No, that's impractical. We have other means of magical transportation."

"You called your friend, the other wizard, Theo?" Naylen stabbed the toe of his book into the ground. "He gave us a different name, which makes sense now. He's been with us for almost six months! I'd come to respect and almost trust him. Well, as much as I trust anyone, which is not saying a whole lot, but I've been betrayed more times than I can count, lost more people, more friends, than I care to remember. And I don't even know your name."

Draco turned to the other man, a wave of sympathy washing over him. Yes, he'd been fighting wizards, killing them, even—he'd shot Hermione!—but he was only trying to do his best to protect those he cared about. Draco couldn't begin to comprehend the world he'd grown up in, so he didn't try. What he knew of Naylen, he respected; he seemed fair and honest, which was probably hard to find in his world.

He held out his hand. "Draco. Malfoy."

Naylen's eyes widened as they shook hands. "Malfoy? Haven't I heard your name?"

Draco chuckled. "Probably. I used to be one of them. But I'm not anymore."

"And your girl? I shot her only, what, three days ago? I can't believe she's not laid up in hospital still. Did she used to be one of them as well?"

Draco grimaced at the thought. "No. She's always been against them. She's one of the best people I know."

"You two aren't really married, are you? That was just a cover."

"No, we're not married."

Naylen burst out laughing, much harder than Draco thought strictly necessary. When he doubled over with laughter, Draco scowled. Finally, Naylen straightened. "Sorry, mate. It's just… you two were perfectly believable in everything except at night. Your tent was quiet as a graveyard. We had quite a few conversations about it, you know."

Draco gritted his teeth, but it was quite amusing. After a moment, he let a smile crack. "Yes, perhaps it wasn't the best plan."

"Especially to say you were newly married. We'd expected to find you two in all kinds of places, tried to give you some privacy—I know living in a tent isn't the most ideal situation for being married." He peered at Draco mischievously. "Although, I did hear a few stories. My guys coming across you two, was all that just for show as well?"

"Yes," he replied stiffly.

Naylen clapped him on the back. "Well, at least those bits were convincing."

Draco sighed, deciding to let go of his annoyance over the topic. "She's one of the bravest, kindness, most loyal people I know. You're lucky to have her on your side right now."

"You know? I don't doubt that. I think she was almost more dangerous than Theo tonight."

"That wouldn't surprise me. She's also ruthless, cunning, and brilliant." Draco took one more long look around, familiarising himself with the area. "We should get back. There's still much to do."

Naylen nodded, eyeing Draco warily. "I suppose we have to do that Apparating thing again, don't we?"

"I'm afraid so."

Naylen looked a bit queasy at the thought. "Right, then. Let's get it over with."

As soon as Naylen opened his eyes once they were back, his jaw dropped. There was nothing left, though he could see the door to the underground bunker propped open. People were slowly climbing out, looking around in bewilderment and, in some cases, alarm.

"What's going on?"

Hermione approached then, wiping sweat from her brow. "Good, you're back. Everything's packed."

"Where's my camp?" Naylen demanded.

Draco thought the man looked as though his stomach dearly wanted another go at unloading its contents.

Hermione held up her beaded bag. "Everything is right in here. Except for the Orb. We decided it was too sensitive to risk shrinking it."

Naylen gaped at the bag. "In there? How is that possible?"

"Simple packing spells, really. We'll have all the time we need for discussion once we're safely away from here, but now isn't the time. We've got to get ready." She turned to Draco. "Theo and I have been talking about the Orb. We think the three of us should form a perimeter around it, magically sealed, and then you'll Apparate everything inside the perimeter to the new site."

Draco nodded. "Sure. And for the people, we should—"

"Portkeys." Hermione grinned and showed him what she'd been holding in her other hand. "Already collected some trash. You'll need to set them, since you've been to the new site."

Draco took the bag from her. "I'm on it."

"Granger!" Theo called, drawing her back to the Orb.

Draco watched her walk away, admiring the sway of her hips, the determined force to her stride.

"You fancy her." Naylen chuckled beside him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." Draco wrenched his gaze from her arse, amazed at the fact that, in the midst of all the hustle and chaos of what they were doing, he'd still managed to be distracted by Hermione. It shouldn't have been a surprise; it wasn't just her arse he liked. She had been in sync with him and Theo, as though they'd plotted mischief dozens of times, as if the three of them had been working together for years. She was the most attractive woman he'd ever met, for her mind not least of all.

"So, what are you doing?"

Draco started walking to where Naylen's people were gathered. "I'll be setting up the transports to get everyone to the new site. You need to address your group. They're probably scared right now and need to hear from you."

"You're right. I've got to snap out of this… whatever I'm in. Shock, probably. Disbelief, definitely. I never would have guessed I'd be thanking someone like you for saving me. For helping me. And not just me, everyone who looks to me to lead them. You're not half-bad, Draco Malfoy."

"Thanks," Draco muttered.

When they reached the huddled group, Draco hung back while Naylen spoke to them. He rummaged through the bag, selecting the best pieces to use for Portkeys. It was important to use items that were substantial; plastic was flimsy and sometimes didn't hold the magic necessary. Hermione knew this, of course, but she'd had to quickly gather what was available. Still, she'd managed to obtain a fair amount of metal items, which worked best, and he hoped they would be enough.

Naylen kept his speech short and sweet. "People, a lot's happened in the last few hours. I need to keep this short for now, but three of our erstwhile members, who we'd thought had betrayed us, have helped us survive a massacre this night. Unfortunately, the fight resulted in the death of a top General in the Death Eater ranks, and they'll be coming for us any minute. Those same people have, as you can see, completely packed up our camp and want to help get us to the new location. I need you all to trust me, as you've done for so long now, even if you don't trust them. I understand, trust me; not until I saw them fighting by my side did I even begin to think it possible to do so. This here is Draco Malfoy, and he's in charge of getting all of us safely away from here. There will be time for questions once we're in the new location."

"Draco!" Hermione called from across the field. "We're ready!"

"Give me a minute!" He turned back to the crowd staring at him, not a single look of trust on their faces. That didn't matter; what mattered was that they listened. Draco had prepared the Portkeys while Naylen spoke. "These are set to leave in three minutes. You must be physically touching the item to be transported with it. If you're not, you'll be left here. But don't worry, we won't abandon you. I'm going with the Orb, and Theo and Hermione will be in charge of making sure everyone gets away from here. Hermione will go with the first group. Theo will stay to make new Portkeys if necessary."

"Draco!"

He hurried over to where they stood around the Orb, she and Theo having already set up their parts of the barrier. Naylen followed. Draco tossed the Portkeys behind Hermione and repeated his instructions.

"Got it," she said.

Theo nodded. "I won't leave anyone."

Draco took a deep breath, then held up his arms, one pointing at Theo, the other to Hermione. He muttered the spell, closing the circle around the Orb. Then he focused on completing the spell to solidify the circle. It was one thing to Apparate by yourself, Side-Along Apparition was even less pleasant. He had never done this exact thing, though he'd read about it in school and after. Concentration was the key to successfully Apparating with an object.

When the barrier was complete, he left the circle and walked into it. Theo and Hermione spread out so they were standing opposite each other, maintaining the wall. Draco put one hand on the Orb, the other on the pedestal on which it sat. He closed his eyes and bent all his mind and will to seeing the destination clearly, as though he were looking at the picture again. Then, he stepped into the spell and began to swirl away. As he did so, however, he heard shouts.

When he landed in the new site, he knew instantly what had happened. The Death Eaters had returned and attacked just as he'd left with the Orb. He instantly wanted to return, but it wasn't safe to Apparate into a fight; it would be too easy to land in front of a stray spell or bullet.

He had to secure the Orb, which he did, knowing that the Portkeys should be activating any second.

After what felt like ages, he heard a crack and spun to see the four groups land. Most of the people, unused to such travel, fell or stumbled. He desperately sought Hermione, but he didn't see her. When he found someone he recognised, he rushed over to help her to her feet.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Death Eaters. They came back. Beth—or, whoever she is—stayed to fight. They had to make two more of these key things to get everyone out."

Draco growled, angry that he'd been separated from Hermione and unable to help. Portkeys needed at least a minute to set up, so he cleared everyone from the open space. When nobody arrived, he realised why.

"Fuck!" He grabbed the nearest person. "I have to go back. Don't let anybody leave! Keep them all safe, do you hear me?"

The other man nodded, clearly terrified. Draco released him and Disapparated to the far edge of the clearing, opposite the one where the Death Eaters had appeared the first time. The Collective had packed all their weapons, so they only had what they carried. Draco knew it wasn't nearly enough to fend off the full force of Death Eaters.

He saw a domed shield, and he knew Hermione and Theo were spending all of their energy keeping it up. Draco sprinted towards it, glad he was coming from the wrong side of the fight; hopefully nobody would notice his approach. He dove through the shield by casting the same Charm and melding it with theirs.

Hermione and Theo stood back to back, propping each other up. The rest of Naylen's people were huddled around them, crouched or lying on the ground to stay out of the way and out of the fight as much as possible. Draco slid to where the untouched bag of trash was, grabbed the first two metal objects inside, and set up two new Portkeys. He handed them to the remaining members of the Collective, who by now knew what to do. They huddled around them on the ground, lying in a circle with their arms stretched out to touch the objects.

While they waited for them to activate, Draco added his strength to the Shield Charm, backing up so he and the others formed a triangle. Once Naylen's people were gone, Draco felt relieved.

"Now what?" Hermione shouted.

"Fuck! Fucking shit, fuck!" Draco yelled, angry with himself. "I have to make one more for us! If this shield fails, we're done for!" He dropped out of the shield, quickly made another Portkey, then resumed his position. He held out the Portkey, a dented metal can, behind his back. "Touch it with your free hand!"

He felt Theo and Hermione's fingers reach the can, then he resumed his Shield Charm. The minute they stood there, the Charm being blasted by a hundred spells, was the most draining moment of his life. Yet he'd done everything he could; he'd given everything in him. All that was left was to hope that they could last long enough for the Portkey to activate.

The crashing of spells against the shield faded into a constant sound, and he almost smiled at the beauty of the different colored explosions raining down around them. He noticed Hermione's arm begin to shake, and he felt her finger slip on the can. "NO!" he shouted. "You hold on, Granger! Hold! On!" Her grip adjusted, and one of her fingers covered his.

Ten seconds later, the Portkey finally activated. He felt the pull behind his navel and wanted to relax, but he couldn't until they'd landed.

When their feet hit the ground again, all three of them collapsed. Draco, who'd been casting the spell for less time than the other two, didn't pass out. He pushed himself up to look around and saw, with relief, that Naylen was running towards them, followed by the doctor and another member carrying bottles of water.

Next, he looked to his companions. Hermione was out cold, her wand held limply in her hand. Theo didn't look much better, but Draco couldn't see his face.

"Shit, what happened?" Naylen dropped to his knees, white with fright, his eyes darting over the unmoving forms of Theo and Hermione.

"Exhausted." Draco groaned and rolled onto his back. "Utterly spent."

The doctor was beside Hermione first, checking her pulse. "It's weak but steady. She needs rest." She then went to Theo. "Same with him."

She approached Draco, but he waved her off. "I'm all right. I'm not injured."

Naylen sat back on his heels. "That… that was incredible. I've never—I don't—" He wiped his forehead and took a bottle from his mate. He opened it and handed it to Draco, who accepted it but still didn't feel like he could sit up to drink anything.

"What I need," said Draco, his breath coming in pants, "is in her bag."

Naylen hesitated. "You want me to get it?"

Draco nodded. "Just be careful."

He closed his eyes while Naylen worked, then felt the bag placed beside him. Draco reached in and tried to remember the rules of such magical items. He needed some kind of restorative potion, and he bent his mind towards locating one amongst everything Hermione stored in there. If he knew anything about her, it was that she kept a small arsenal of potions in her bag, though he doubted she'd ever imagined using one after fighting in a battle. They'd both thought those days were behind them.

After a minute or two, his hand closed around a bottle and he pulled it out. He grinned when he read the label: RESTORATIVE DRAUGHT. He tried to sit but his arms wouldn't support him. Naylen and the doctor hurried to his side and helped him up. Draco clumsily uncapped the bottle and swallowed just enough; he needed to save the rest for his friends. He instantly felt better and indicated that the others could release him. They did, apprehensively, but he didn't need them any more.

Draco stood, much to their astonishment, and hurried to Hermione's side. He lifted her head into his lap and tilted her so the potion could flow down her throat. Hands shaking, he opened her mouth and poured in more than half of what was left in the bottle. She made a strangled sound but her eyes fluttered open, then widened upon seeing him hovering over her.

"Draco!" She sat up quickly and flung her arms around his neck, pulling him against her like a vice.

He chuckled, supporting himself so he wouldn't fall over. "Hey, Granger." Her eyes were shut tight as she held him, and he could feel her silently sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her tenderly, everything around them momentarily forgotten. After a long moment, he brushed her hair away from her face so he could speak softly to her. "I need to help Theo."

Hermione pulled back, tear tracks running down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes, smiling as she continued to cry. "Yeah, right."

Draco left her there and went to the man to whom they owed everything. The doctor was there, Theo's head already in her lap. She opened his mouth while Draco administered the potion. Soon, Theo, too, roused, though he was a lot grumpier than Hermione had been.

When his eyes opened, he seemed completely confused about where he was and why, but then his gaze landed on Draco and he sighed. "We made it, then?"

"Barely. But we made it."

Theo sat up, stretching his sore arms. "Granger had potion?"

"Of course she did," said Draco with a snort. "But we all still need some proper rest."

"I've never seen anything like this." Naylen was shaking his head. "Do potions work on us, too?"

Draco shrugged. "They're not nearly as effective, since the magic in them works with the magic in us to cause their effects. I'm afraid I've no idea how the mixing of magical and Muggle technology works." He glanced at Theo, whom he thought was sure to know a lot more.

But Theo only shook his head. "It's not really something that's been tested. For as long as anyone can remember, there have been no efforts at bridging the two sides. The Death Eaters have made sure that no Muggles trust any of us." He looked at Naylen. "Hopefully, we can work on changing that."

Draco stood and helped Hermione up. Theo slowly rose to his feet. "I can't believe we did it. I thought for sure that Charm would fail."

"Everybody made it out alive. I can't believe it." Naylen stood and helped the doctor up. Everyone took long drinks of water. "And you still say that my entire camp is in that bag?"

Hermione retrieved her bag from the ground where Draco had left it. A quick look inside made her smile. "Everything is right where it should be. We can set up your camp whenever you're ready."

Draco looked at his friend. "Theo. They need two underground bunkers."

Theo nodded. "Maybe after a rest, yeah? I don't think I could Transfigure a button into a beetle right now."

When Draco woke up, the sun was nearing the horizon. He yawned and stretched, forgetting momentarily why he was so sore and still so exhausted. He'd never held a Shield Charm against so many attacks before, and it had significantly drained him. A quick glance around their rude tent showed that Theo was still passed out, snoring lightly in the corner. Hermione, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Draco slowly swung his legs over the side of the cot, his head thick and his whole body screaming in protest. He felt that he could probably sleep twelve more hours if given the chance, but he needed food and they had work to do. He left Theo and exited, squinting at the bright light outside.

The members of the Collective were huddled near the middle of the clearing.

"Naylen called a meeting."

He jumped, startled to find Hermione beside him. She had on a jumper, her hair was put up in a messy ponytail, and she had a mug of something steaming in her hand. When she saw where his gaze landed, she held it out to him. "Tea. It's incredible."

Draco held up a hand. "Thanks, but no. You enjoy. What are they meeting about?"

"Us, I suspect. Naylen and I had a long talk. He apologised for shooting me." Hermione chuckled and took a sip. Merlin, the way the dying light was hitting the serene expression on her face... Draco was struck by just how beautiful she was. "I told him all about the Order, how there are lots of magical people like us, who don't want to destroy everyone like him. You-Know-Who has gone to great efforts to sow discord between the two factions, culminating in an all-out war that's been raging for years. Before that, it was decades of guerilla warfare, groups attacking in the shadows, gathering intelligence, and sending out spies. They've spent so much time developing more and more sophisticated ways to destroy each other."

She looked at him, and he saw that she looked tired but content. "I've asked him if he'd like to meet with someone from the Order. My guess is, he's talking to his people. I think he wants to say yes."

Theo stumbled out of the tent, rubbing his eyes. "What'd I miss?"

Hermione laughed lightly, and Draco felt a little stab of jealousy—which was ridiculous, he knew. She had kissed him, had wanted him by her side, even when they didn't have to pretend. As if she had read his thoughts, Hermione stepped close and took his hand. Draco's annoyance melted, and he bent down to kiss her forehead.

Draco suddenly remembered the terms Naylen had agreed to in exchange for their help. "Why did you ask for a device, Theo?"

"Oh. That. Wasn't that a year ago? Merlin, I can't believe that was less than twenty-four hours ago. I figured, since we'd erased your device, we'd need another one. One for the Order to use to duplicate, and the other so you two could try to get home."

"Thank you, Theo." Hermione squeezed Draco's hand. "I think they're done."

They all turned to where the Collective had been huddled to see the circle widening. Naylen, the doctor, and another two of his people were headed their way.

Draco stepped out to meet him, and Naylen held out his hand. Draco shook it, something like pride swelling in his chest. It was a different thing to shake hands now that there were no lies between them.

Man to man. Like an equal.

"Now, about the rest of my camp." Naylen grinned.

Draco pointed at Theo. "We need to dig those bunkers."

Theo yawned. "Right. Just say where."

Naylen arched an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." Theo smirked. "We'll cast a spell or two and dig the holes, but you're on your own for getting them neat and orderly."

Naylen laughed. "That's quite all right. The digging takes the longest."

Theo yawned again. "Ready, Draco?"

"Yes." His stomach rumbled and he addressed Naylen. "Has there been discussion of food, by any chance?"

"Preparations are underway as we speak." Naylen pointed over his shoulder to where Draco could see a fire going. "And while I appreciate your desire to complete the digging tonight, before you begin, I want to tell you we have made a decision about meeting with your Order."

Hermione straightened, gripping Draco's hand tighter.

Naylen grinned. "It wasn't a long discussion, not after the way you three helped us today. Granted, had our devices not been disabled—by you lot—we'd have held our own a bit better, but in the end, I think this was the better outcome. There's no way we'd have survived a second onslaught. Not after what I saw in the few minutes of being under attack inside that shield." He grimaced. "Nobody who was there doubts you, and the rest didn't take much convincing once they heard that story. When you finally arrived, everybody thought you were dead."

"As good as," said Theo. "That was the most intense spell casting I have ever been involved in. Granger, you're unbelievable. She kept that shield in place through sheer force of will. I'd have quit long before we had a chance to escape. How did you do it?"

Hermione blushed prettily, her eyes darting to him. He encouraged her with a smile. "There was no other choice. We had to keep the shield up. I knew Draco would realise we were stuck and come back."

He squeezed her hand, his heart swelling impossibly at her absolute confidence in him. Nobody had ever been so sure of him in his whole life.

"Well, it was incredible. I don't know much about magic—" Naylen chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "—okay, anything really—but that looked extremely hard."

Hermione and Theo exchanged a glance, and Draco knew they had suffered most. She nudged closer to Draco and leaned her head against him.

"Fucking understatement," said Theo.

Naylen shook his head and the others laughed. "Listen, let's eat, then I suppose someone needs to set up our meeting. Then you two can start on the bunkers?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't see why not."

The others who'd come up with Naylen melted away, heading back to where dinner was being prepared and their fellow mates were congregating.

Naylen remained. "Listen, Draco. I won't say this again, but I really appreciate everything you've done." His eyes shifted to Hermione and then Theo. "Thank you."

Draco wondered if they'd accomplished more than simply helping Naylen's group against the Death Eaters and then saving their lives. He hoped that it was the beginning of something that would change the course of the war for the people in this timeline.

"We can start getting your camp set up." Hermione brandished her beaded bag. "It shouldn't take us long, and we can save the tents over the bunkers until they're ready."

Naylen rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose we do need shelter for the night, don't we? All right then, tell me what to do."

Draco looked at Hermione to find her watching him. He nodded slightly, and she smiled.

"Draco and I will work on it with you." She set her mug down.

"I'll go see about the food, yeah?" Theo stretched once more, then left them in search of the food.

She found his hand and grasped it firmly. "Where do you want to begin?"

After dinner, when the campsite was set up for the night, Hermione sent a Patronus to Order Headquarters while Draco and Theo worked on digging out the bunkers. It was dirty, sweaty work, not the sort that Draco usually engaged in, but it felt really good all the same. He couldn't begin to guess why, but it was the kind of mind-numbing work that enabled him to go completely blank. There was nothing to think about except the task at hand, no extra energy for his thoughts to spin out of control.

Halfway through the first bunker, Draco was drenched in sweat. They paused for some water, and Theo walked about ten paces away into some shade. Draco started to follow and saw Theo pull his shirt off. He wanted to do the same, but hesitated. He had so many scars, and the Dark Mark stood out plainly on his pale skin.

"Aren't you hot, mate?" Theo asked.

"Yeah."

Theo waited for him to say more, then chuckled. "Don't worry, you're not my type "

Draco felt his cheeks redden. He had been one of only a few people his friend Theo at home had told about having feelings for blokes. He wondered about this Theo.

"It's not that. I just... I have scars..." He trailed off, feeling more embarrassed.

Theo snorted. "Mate, if you've fought in a war, you're going to have scars." He turned around, showing Draco his back. It was a horribly mottled mess of skin, hastily healed wounds and botched patch jobs. Theo turned back around. "I haven't taken time to get it sorted, but magic keeps it from hurting too bad and it keeps me mobile."

Draco did his best not to grimace. "You ever been shot?"

"Yeah. Three times." Theo shook his head. "Almost didn't recover from the last one, but the Dark Lord takes care of his soldiers."

With a sigh and a decision to trust this man, Draco removed his shirt. His scars were primarily located on his chest, most notably the one given to him by Potter.

Theo's gaze swept over him in a clinical manner that made the scrutiny more bearable. Then, he nodded once. "Yup. Looks like you've seen plenty of action."

Draco took a long drink of his water and recapped the bottle. "The irony is, most of it's not from fighting."

"Oh?" Theo looked surprised, then his gaze drifted to Draco's arm. His eyes widened. "You'd mentioned a Mark. That's his symbol, isn't it?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. He branded his followers where I'm from. The Death Eaters were supposed to be a secret group, and this was a way to discreetly mark each one. He could communicate through the Mark as well, calling us whenever he needed something." His voice only wavered once at the recollection of some of the more gruesome calls he'd answered.

Theo shook his head. "I'm so sorry. Since we—the Death Eaters, I mean… I keep slipping, I know, old habits and all—are fully in the open here, I suppose there was no need for such a thing. Though it does sound like something he'd do."

"I had hoped it would fade with his demise, but it hasn't." Draco shrugged and took hold of his wand once more. "At least I'm never far from my mistakes. It keeps me grounded."

Theo put his water down and followed Draco back to the bunker.

Once they'd finished that one, they took another break. The sun had long set, and the messages being sent back and forth between Hermione and the Order flitted across the clearing like a light show. The Muggles enjoyed seeing the various animal shapes come speeding through, and Draco thought they were adapting to being around magic surprisingly fast—only to then remind himself that they'd lived in a world with magic their whole lives. The only difference now was that they weren't afraid of it. At least, not the magic they were seeing.

Draco and Theo went to refill their water bottles before beginning the second bunker. Naylen joined them after surveying their work.

"That's incredible. I suppose I thought you'd… I don't know, make it disappear or something." He chuckled at his own thoughts. "Do you want to do the second one tomorrow? We're loading up the weapons bunker now; we should be safe without a second for the night."

Hermione walked up then. "The meeting is set for dawn tomorrow, Naylen. The leader of the Order will be here to meet you, along with a few representatives."

Draco laughed. "Sounds like we're finishing tonight. It's alright though, nothing too strenuous."

Naylen looked at him and Theo skeptically, their shirts dripping with sweat, their hair matted to their foreheads. "Looks like you've run a hundred miles."

"The exertion is more mental than physical," Theo chimed in. "Concentration, keeping things contained and going where we want them to go. Things like that. We thought you might want that dirt saved for some other projects."

"Ah, yes, I suppose making it disappear wouldn't help with that goal, would it?" Naylen chuckled. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Hermione, could we discuss the meeting tomorrow morning while they're at work? Or do you want to help them?"

Draco wanted desperately to interject and tell her that she should really rest. After all, she had been shot very recently and then nearly spent herself on the shield less than twelve hours before. But he suspected she wouldn't appreciate his interference very much, so he scowled at the ground instead.

But he needn't have worried.

"I think they've got it sorted. I'm a bit sore, honestly, around the bullet wound, so I ought to take it easy tonight." She gave Draco a sideways look, as though she knew what he'd been thinking.

Naylen paled in horror. "Oh, shit, I—I'm so thoughtless. I'm sorry, Hermione. We can talk in my tent where you can sit."

Draco and Theo left them to begin the second bunker. The work went quicker this time because they'd learned a few tricks, and it was cooler, so the task wasn't quite so grueling. Naylen joined them as they were completing the finishing touches: smoothing the walls and edging the steps down into the bunker.

Naylen glanced at the space with something like awe. "This is incredible. To think, we spent weeks digging those other spots. And they weren't nearly as neat and square as this. You've more than demonstrated to me that I was wrong about wizards. Well, some wizards, at least."

Draco grinned, slightly out of breath. "Glad to hear it."

"I've come to show you where you'll be staying tonight. Draco, I put you in the same tent you were in before." He gave him a significant look, and Draco felt his cheeks burn. "Theo, your old hammock is up for you."

"Excellent." Theo clapped his hands together. "Is there a stream nearby? I need to wash up before I try to sleep."

"Yes, I'll take you both there." Naylen led them up the steps and out into the night sky. Most of the camp was quiet now, only the dying embers of the fire still visible. Crickets and night bugs chirped as they walked silently through the clearing and into the woods on the opposite side.

Draco felt his weariness all the way to his bones. He yawned as he followed Naylen, who started a quiet conversation with Theo once they entered the woods. He didn't even try to listen. When they reached the water, he and Theo stripped, bathed, and dressed in a matter of minutes. The water was so cold that neither had been tempted to linger.

Naylen led them back to camp and pointed out Theo's hammock. Then he grinned at Draco. "Camp is laid out essentially the way it was before. I trust you can find your way?"

"Sure. Right. Thanks, Naylen." He stifled a yawn as he waved, then began the short walk to where the tent he'd shared with Hermione should be located. And if Naylen's ridiculous smiles were anything to go by, he'd find Hermione there. Hopefully, she'd already be asleep and he could crawl in beside her. He didn't think he'd take two breaths before falling asleep.

He carefully unzipped the tent, not wanting to make a lot of noise. Once inside, he let his eyes adjust to the light. There wasn't much, so he could only make out where the cot was and saw that, indeed, there was a person-sized lump already there. His heart skipped a happy beat and he stared at the silhouette of her body. It was cold, naturally, so she would be wrapped in many blankets and her warmest clothes.

Draco stripped down to his shorts and crawled in beside her. Hermione stirred, turning to face away from him. That was no matter, however, as soon as he settled, he felt her move, scooting backward until her body was flush with his. Draco couldn't believe what a truly bizarre turn his life had taken, but he would forever be grateful for the witch by his side.

He turned to face her, wrapping his arm around her and tucking her next to him. She let out a sigh in her sleep that was slightly distracting, but as soon as he let his body fully relax, he was asleep.