A/N: Hi, everyone! So I got a lot of comments on the last chapter of people wondering if it was someone Polyjuiced as Hermione. I can confirm that it was 100% Hermione. There would have been a TON of different tags on this story if it was someone else. I just want to put everyone's mind at ease that it was absolutely Hermione, and not someone pretending to be her. I put Draco through a lot in this story, but I wouldn't do that to my poor bb!
Hope you enjoy this one!
AlphaBet love to BiscuitsForPotter and DisenchantedGlow
Potter lay in the next bed over, his chest expanding and contracting with each deep breath of slumber. Draco sat in his cold bed for several minutes trying to quell the storm of emotions swirling through his body.
Granger had left. She'd come to him, gotten what she needed from him—whatever that was—and slipped out before dawn. Rationally, Draco surmised that she left because she hadn't wanted to put Potter in an uncomfortable situation. But his wounded pride was twisting into something akin to rage. Despite Granger's warmth over the past few days, they had yet to truly mend fences. And still, she'd come to him for some kind of comfort last night.
Why?
Why now?
He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the painful sinking in his chest. Analysing Granger's motives would only drive him insane. He chose to focus instead on the hope that accompanied the knowledge that she had come to him. Whether that meant she was ready to move past what she'd seen, it certainly seemed promising.
Pushing his emotions down, he stood from the bed and quietly pulled on his pants before heading for the shower. Regretfully, he washed away Granger's scent from his body, trying to scrub his mind of her as well. He wouldn't be able to focus on his duties today if the smell of her still lingered on his skin.
After his shower, he returned to his room to dress. Potter's bed was empty and sunlight was streaming in through the windows. He could hear chatter drifting up the stairs from the main level.
He made his way downstairs and discovered a house mad with activity. Order members were bustling about, speaking frantically to one another.
"What's going on?" Draco asked Ginny as she passed by him.
"Kingsley just called a meeting. Apparently it's quite urgent. Is there anyone else upstairs?" She craned her neck to look to the dark upper level.
"I'm not sure. Probably," Draco replied, stepping past her, his eyes seeking brown curls.
Everyone was filing into the dining room, and Draco followed.
Granger was already seated at the table next to Potter. Their heads were bent together as they spoke quietly. Weasley leaned forward from his seat against the wall behind the two, and Draco heard him say, "What's going on?"
It gave Draco great satisfaction to see Granger clench her jaw and turn to the redhead with a scowl. "Just wait, Ronald."
Suppressing a smirk, Draco took his own seat.
As the room filled, chairs were pushed closer together to accommodate the increased number of people. Draco was squished shoulder to shoulder with Ginny and Dean. The last few stragglers were forced to stand in front of the closed doors. Draco leaned forward with his elbows on his knees to grant himself and his neighbors more room.
Shacklebolt entered, pushing past people as he made his way to the front. "Quiet down, everyone."
The frantic whispering in the room diminished, and in its place settled a tense silence. Everyone's wide eyes were focused intently on the Minister. No one seemed to even breathe as they waited for Shacklebolt's announcement.
"Alright," he began, looking around the room. "Thank you all for assembling so quickly. We don't have a lot of time to waste, so I'll just get straight to it."
Draco's heart quickened.
"Last night, our scouting team reported that a large number of Death Eaters has amassed at the Yaxley property. It is our belief that they will plan to attack us within the next few days. There are still small numbers stationed at their other safe houses, but they are likely attempting to organize a siege."
A flutter of whispers accompanied the nervous glances of everyone in the room. Draco glanced at Granger. Her eyes were fixed on the Minister, but unlike most of the people in the room, she didn't seem surprised. Nor did Potter.
"So, I met with a small team late last night, and we've decided that the best course of action would be to beat them to the punch."
The murmuring in the room grew louder. George's voice cut across the din. "So you mean…"
The Minister raised his voice to be heard. "We attack this afternoon."
Granger still had not reacted. She kept her eyes trained on Shacklebolt, waiting for the chatter in the room to die down so that more instruction could be given.
Realisation swept over Draco like a chill.
She knew.
She'd been in the small team meeting last night. She knew they were going to be battling today.
That's why she'd come to him. In case she never got another chance. In case they didn't survive the day.
She'd come to say goodbye.
Draco felt cold.
If he'd known… would he have done anything differently? Perhaps he would have taken his time more, or held her longer, or…
No. He shook those thoughts away. It made little difference now. He had to focus. There was going to be a battle. They would face countless Death Eaters today. Death Eaters who wanted them both dead—perhaps even more than anyone else in this room.
He would do whatever it took to keep her alive today, and then they would talk. They would have all the time in the world to talk.
Shacklebolt spoke loudly to quiet the group of energised witches and wizards. "We have a lot of details to go over, so I need everyone to calm down and listen closely."
A hush fell over the crowd, but everyone seemed to almost lean in towards the Minister in anticipation.
For several minutes, Shacklebolt spoke about the plan, strategies, and tactical details of the day. Draco would be sent first with Potter under the Invisibility Cloak. They would break the wards and then send for the rest of the Order using some kind of coin that Potter pulled from his pocket. It looked like an ordinary galleon to Draco, but when Shacklebolt said that it was Granger's design he trusted that he wouldn't need to ask questions.
Draco assured the Minister that he would be able to break past the wards, but that he couldn't guarantee that it would happen within a specific timeframe. If the Death Eaters were smart, they would have increased the security of their wards since Draco's last attack on their safe house. And with Theo free, Draco was sure that at least one intelligent Death Eater was whispering in Dolohov's ear.
"The scouting team has gathered some information for us, but we cannot guarantee the layout of the house, as wards have been in place for years. They estimate that there are at least thirty high-ranking Death Eaters inside, including Antonin Dolohov," Shacklebolt said, his eyes glinting dangerously at the mention of the High Minister. He glanced around the room, taking a moment to rest his eyes on several people, Draco included. "He is the main target today. Consider him Undesirable Number One. If we can remove Dolohov from play, it is our hope that the Death Eaters will crumble. Perhaps we can gain a victory in their confusion."
Several people nodded, and Draco wondered if they were each hoping to be the one to incapacitate Dolohov in one way or another. Potter had taken down The Dark Lord, but the person who took down Dolohov would be granted similar glory. Draco didn't particularly care about any of that, or even killing Dolohov for that matter. His main priority today was…
"Theodore Nott is Undesirable Number Two," Shacklebolt announced as if reading Draco's mind. "He is extremely powerful and is capable of dangerous wandless magic. He must be incapacitated on sight. If he is conscious, he is considered armed whether he has a wand or not. Is that understood?"
The Minister continued down the list, reading the names of the highest priority Death Eaters. Yaxley was third. Greyback was fourth. And Macnair was fifth.
"Everyone will be given a Portkey which will transport them to and from Headquarters, and another one which will take you to and from a holding cell in the Ministry. If you stun a Death Eater and have the opportunity to transport them immediately, do so. If you do not have that opportunity, well… use your best judgement on how to deal with the situation in order to keep yourself and your fellow Order members alive and unharmed." Shacklebolt closed the folder of high-ranking Death Eaters and clasped his hands together on the table.
"Sir," Bill Weasley piped up, his freckled face quite pale. "Do you mean to imply that the use of deadly force…?"
Shacklebolt cleared his throat. "Approved."
No one spoke.
"Each person will give a detailed report of their actions today following the battle. I will conduct these personally. Or…" He paused, pursing his lips tightly for a moment. "Or the next highest ranking Order member will conduct them."
Draco felt a chill run over him. The Minister was making arrangements in the event of his death. Draco had never considered that Shacklebolt might not survive the war. The man was so stoic and strong. He seemed untouchable. Draco knew that the Minister was a skilled dueler, but perhaps he was also aware that if Dolohov was the Order's main target, Shacklebolt was likely theirs.
For the remainder of the hour before the meeting was dismissed, Shacklebolt designated teams to sweep the Death Eater property together. There may have only been thirty at Yaxley's house, but the moment the attack began, Death Eaters would likely pour in from all their other locations.
And there was no telling how many would join their ranks at that point.
Shacklebolt also sent coded messages to Order allies around Britain, and according to him, they would be arriving throughout the day to join the cause and offer support. Granger reported that she had contacted a few of her trusted coworkers from St. Mungo's who would be assisting them at Headquarters later that day to set up triage for the wounded. Draco briefly hoped that she would be staying with them. After all, she was best when she was Healing.
But his hopes were dashed. "I will be on the battlefield with everyone." She spoke with an air of bravery and selflessness and every other stupid Gryffindor quality she possessed. "If you find yourself in need of medical help and cannot reach your Portkey to return you to Headquarters, send up red sparks and I will do my best to find you."
"How can we ensure that these Portkeys won't be used by the wrong people?" Angelina piped up. "If one of us is killed and they find it in our pockets, they'll have access to Headquarters."
Shacklebolt answered from the head of the table. "We will have two guards stationed at the Portkey landing area. The moment you arrive, you must say the word 'Hinkypunk' clearly and loudly. This is how they will know that you haven't been Polyjuiced. If you fail to do so, you'll be stunned and incarcerated until later interrogation."
Several people closed their eyes and mouthed "Hinkypunk" as if trying to commit the word to memory.
"If you come across a fellow Order member in the field and have reason to doubt their identity, say the word 'Niffler.' The correct response in return is 'Hippogriff.' Hopefully this will cut down on time so that personal questions aren't needed to verify identities. Do this whenever you let a new person into your ranks. If there is further question of someone's identity, ask a personal question. We don't know how likely it is that they will try to use Polyjuice to infiltrate our ranks again.
"We know that the plan isn't perfect," Shacklebolt pressed on, his voice heavy with the severity of the situation. "Mistakes will undoubtedly be made. But it is our hope to minimize Order casualties as much as possible. Myself and the small team were up quite late last night in order to plan out as many details as we could. But as we all know, plans can only take us so far. The reality of war changes things quite quickly. Stay on your guard today. Try not to get separated from your team. Look after one another."
Draco looked around the group of frightened, but resolved Order members. How many of them would be watching his back today? He wondered if any of them would bother blocking a hex for him. His eyes settled on Granger. There were a few people he would try to protect. People he now called his friends. Ginny, Luna, and Potter certainly. But if the choice was between anyone and Granger, he knew he'd pick Granger every time, even throwing himself in an Avada's path if it meant saving her.
He clenched his jaw. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.
He thought of watching her duel all those months ago from that high window in that small village when the Death Eaters had attacked. He'd been able to predict her every move because of her careful and precise wand technique. He wondered if any other Death Eaters had picked up on her weaknesses on the battlefield. She was powerful, but not without flaws.
"Draco," Shacklebolt said, snapping Draco from his thoughts. "You and Harry will leave here at two o'clock sharp. And you'll update your progress every fifteen minutes whether you've broken the wards or not, understood?"
Draco and Potter nodded.
The Minister pressed on, addressing the entire Order this time. "I need everyone else ready by two as well. If they don't check in by two fifteen, we'll Apparate to the site and begin our assault immediately whether the wards are down or not. The element of surprise is in our favor. We can only hope that we break their wards and can cause some damage to their ranks before their reinforcements arrive."
Draco checked his watch. It was nearly noon. That gave him just two hours to prepare. Potter met his gaze from across the table and offered him a quick nod of reassurance.
His eyes slipped to Granger next, she was looking at him with an oddly peaceful look, as if she was resigned to whatever the day would bring. Good or bad, she had made her peace with it.
Fuck that, thought Draco. They were going to survive, damnit. And if they both couldn't, then he would at least be sure that she would survive.
Shacklebolt wrapped up the team selections and directions for Apparition points for each team so that the Death Eaters could be flanked from all sides. Once all of the pertinent details had been shared, he dismissed the group so that everyone had the opportunity to prepare.
Draco moved quickly back to his room to change into the proper clothes. His black dragonhide boots, black trousers, and a short sleeve black t-shirt in lieu of his typical jumper. He was likely to die of heat stroke if he wore his jumper in the July heat.
As he straightened his shirt, Potter entered the room and began changing as well. Draco focused on himself, trying to Occlude away any distractions. He was determined to look out for Granger, yes, but before that could happen he had to break through the wards. Wards that were likely almost as heavy as the ones surrounding Headquarters.
He spent an hour inspecting a book on advanced wards, not learning anything he didn't already know, but keeping it fresh in his mind. He then Occluded some more. Pushing everything else down, and drawing only what he knew about wards forward. Potter was in and out of the bedroom several times, never saying anything to Draco, but sometimes eyeing him with uncertainty. Draco barely acknowledged him, focusing on his meditation.
Finally, Draco was pulled from deep inside his mind by Potter's serious voice.
"Malfoy, it's nearly time."
Draco opened his eyes and took in the Auror before him. He was sensibly dressed and already held his wand tightly in hand. There was no fear behind Potter's eyes, and Draco wondered if he was even capable of feeling it anymore. Potter had never known a life without war. Death and destruction had followed him since his birth. Draco wondered if Harry Potter even cared if he lived or died anymore. He wondered if he cared either.
Pushing himself to stand, Draco picked up his wand and nodded at Potter. "I'm ready."
The two made their way downstairs. Shacklebolt was distributing Portkeys. Each one was wrapped in a handkerchief which was labeled with a red H for Headquarters or a blue M for Ministry. Draco took his and placed one in each pocket, mentally repeating that Headquarters was right and the Ministry was left.
Next, Percy handed him a phial of the familiar antidote. "Everyone's required to take one," he explained. "Just in case."
Draco didn't fancy the idea of feeling the potions effects again. If the Death Eaters unleashed their deadly potion on the battlefield, he wanted to be prepared. He uncorked his phial immediately and tipped the potion into his mouth. Potter followed suit.
Shacklebolt spoke to Potter and Draco briefly. Reiterating the details of their task. The two nodded along, already having committed these details to memory. Their Portkey would drop them into the wooded area to the west of the house. They would stay under Potter's cloak for the entire time it took to break the wards. Potter would update the Order on their progress every fifteen minutes. He knew all of this already, but allowed Shacklebolt to repeat everything.
Once they were dismissed, Draco and Potter made their way towards the front entrance. Potter pulled his cloak from his pocket, but Draco stepped sideways into the sitting room where Granger was standing near Ginny.
He stopped in front of her and their eyes met. He lifted his hand to cup her cheek gently, his thumb sliding over her cheekbone as her eyes darted back and forth between his.
"Find me when you arrive and stay with me," he said quietly. "I'll keep you safe."
Granger's jaw clenched, and Draco knew that she was fighting the urge to tell him that she didn't need protection. But whatever battle she was waging with herself ended quickly and she nodded.
He glanced at her lips, wondering if she would let him kiss her, and while he was debating it she stood on her toes and pressed herself against him. He kissed her hard, his hand delving into her curls.
Her arms circled his neck, gripping him hard. The clock struck two, and they pulled away. Granger's eyes were set with determination that he knew was mirrored in his own. She nodded at him again, and he stepped away.
Potter was pulling away from Ginny as well, and Draco saw the redheaded witch send her boyfriend a wink as the Boy Wonder made his way towards the door. Portkey travel was too conspicuous for the Invisibility Cloak, so they'd decided to Apparate to Yaxley's property.
Knowing that looking at her would make leaving that much harder, Draco turned away from Granger and moved to stand next to Potter. With a resolved look at each other, Potter clenched his jaw and threw the Invisibility Cloak over both of them.
The slippery fabric slid over Draco's shoulders and down to his ankles. He stepped closer to Potter and watched as the cloak fell to the floor. It was far closer than Draco ever wanted to be to him, but it would have to do for now. Bodies pressed tight together, they shuffled forward and through the door. Once beyond the wards, Potter grabbed Draco's arm firmly and Disapparated.
Yaxley's Estate was on the outskirts of Norwich. The sun was high in the sky when Draco and Potter landed in a small clearing in a wooded area. They both looked around, wands in hand, searching for nearby Death Eaters who may have heard the crack of Apparition.
When none appeared, Draco watched Potter visibly relax a little. They were alone, and with a silent glance at each other, they headed forward in the direction the map had indicated the house would be.
Draco peered through the trees, looking for some sign of a residence, but he saw none. "Notice-Me-Not Charm," he hissed to Potter, who nodded in return. They moved slowly, careful not to make too much noise on the dense undergrowth of the forest floor. Potter was much quieter than Granger, but Draco supposed that they'd both been trained for stealth in a similar way.
Soon, Draco could feel the hum of magic and he slowed, crossing his arm in front of Potter to make him stop as well. This part would be difficult. If they tried to cross beyond the boundary, the Death Eaters may be alerted to their presence. But without finding exactly where the wards began, Draco had little hope of breaking them.
A few spells could be used to help find them. Ones which were unlikely to set off any alarms. Draco gripped his wand and released one of them. Colourless and noiseless, it skittered forward across the forest floor and out of sight. Every few steps he repeated the spell, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of the wards. At last, he saw the spell dance across the brush and then it was abruptly deflected by an invisible force.
He and Potter halted abruptly. Draco looked around. There was no trace of Death Eaters or even what the wards were protecting. He lifted his hands and brought his magic forward, feeling it probe against the barrier.
"They're strong," he murmured to Potter. "It may take a while."
"Will you be able to break them?" Potter reached into his pocket and fished out a galleon.
"Yes, definitely. It's just a matter of time."
Potter tapped the galleon, and Draco watched as tiny words appeared around the edge. Potter pocketed the galleon again and looked at Draco expectantly.
With a deep breath, Draco set to work.
The first step was figuring out what kind of wards surrounded the property. He knew that there were cloaking charms and Notice-Me-Nots used. He decided that undoing those would be a good place to start.
He worked slowly and carefully. The last thing he wanted to do was alert the Death Eaters within that they were there.
After a few moments of precise spell work, the Notice-Me-Not Charm faded away, and Draco and Potter were able to see the house within.
Potter inhaled sharply. There were no less than ten Death Eaters roaming the grounds around the enormous Estate home. Draco held his breath as one passed by them. But they seemed not to have noticed that their defenses were being systematically lowered one-by-one.
Glancing at Potter, Draco nodded. Potter pulled his galleon again and sent another message to the Order before urging Draco to continue.
The next issue to tackle was finding a way in. He hoped that there would be an obvious weak spot. Casting a variation on his previous spell, he watched the colourless ripple of magic dance along the shield charm in search of a way in.
These wards were much stronger than the ones he encountered at the other Death Eater safe houses all those months ago. They barely registered the small spell's presence on them as he poked and prodded them repeatedly.
He kept going for several minutes, determined not to fail. He wanted this over and done with today. Theo was probably inside, and Draco was itching to find him and raise his wand to his former friend.
Every fifteen minutes, Potter tapped the galleon with his wand to update the Order. After an hour, he insisted that Draco take a short break. After two hours, he insisted that they sit down.
"Are you sure you can break them?" Potter asked as Draco sank to his knees.
Draco glared at the Auror. "Would you like to try?"
"I'm not the wards expert. You are."
"Exactly. So just trust me when I say I can break them. Just be patient. We're nearly there."
Potter was silent for several minutes while Draco continued to work.
As he worked, Draco noticed Potter shifting uncomfortably next to him. He even opened and closed his mouth several times as if about to speak.
"What?" Draco hissed, lowering his wand and turning to his companion.
"Don't let your anger force you into making a mistake."
"If you'd spit it out, I wouldn't be angry."
Potter frowned and pulled out the galleon again to tap it with his wand. "Just be careful, is all. I don't want to have to take you back to Headquarters in a body bag."
"If I die, there's a pretty good chance you will too." Draco rolled his eyes. "Besides, what do you care? Getting soft on me?"
Potter's gaze was steady on Draco's, unbothered by the quip. "I just don't think Hermione could bear to lose you."
Draco's stomach flipped. "What?"
"Look, I know you two have had your difficulties recently, but I've talked to her a lot, and I've heard even more from Ginny. She's still in love with you. And I actually think you're good for her. So I'm just letting you know that if you get yourself killed today, I don't think she'll ever recover."
Warmth bloomed in Draco's chest. She still loved him… according to Potter anyway. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the wards. "Thanks, Potter," he mumbled. "Rest assured that I have no intentions of getting myself killed today. But if I do, it won't be for nothing. Keeping her alive is my main priority."
Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Potter nod. After that they were both able to focus on the task at hand. The galleon was updated twice more before Draco figured it out. The Death Eaters had included names on their wards as well. All Draco had to do was convince the wards to accept him as well. Once inside, he would be able to break them. He was sure of it.
"I can't break them from out here. But I can if I go inside."
"Let's go."
Draco shook his head and gestured to his left arm. "I've had to use the mark to confuse it. Rather than letting people in by name, it will let anyone with the mark in. So you can't come with me. Once I'm inside, I can break the wards within a minute. So you better go ahead and call the Order, because the Death Eaters will notice the wards are down pretty quickly."
Potter clenched his jaw for a moment. "Take the cloak," he insisted. "You'll need it more than I will. I can hide behind a tree or something."
Draco scoffed. "I'm not going to take The Great Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak. You could be spotted."
Potter leveled Draco with a stern look. "You're far more likely to be spotted inside their wards than I am out here with all this tree cover. Besides, my important role in the war is done. It has been for over two years. I'm no more important than you are today." He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. "In fact, you're probably more important than I am today. Take the damn cloak… That's an order."
Draco stared at Potter, their faces quite close under the cloak. There was no uncertainty in his green eyes, only a hard determination that suddenly made Draco realise how he'd managed to rally so many people to his side at such a young age. The man was a born general.
"Yes, fine," Draco clipped. "But at least disillusion yourself. And call the Order now. I'll have the wards down in less than a minute."
Potter nodded and tapped the top of his head with his wand. The Disillusionment Charm trickled over his body, leaving him transparent. With a deep breath, Potter ducked out of the cloak and Draco saw his shimmery form slide between the trees to hide.
Turning back to the wards, Draco took a deep breath and stepped through. The barrier accepted him, and a cursory glance around indicated that the Death Eaters hadn't been alerted to his intrusion. He turned back around, murmuring a series of spells to lower the many wards on the home one by one. The admittance shield was last, and with a well-placed spell, it glowed bright and dissolved.
Draco saw the exact moment that the guards scattered around the property registered the threat. In an instant, their heads swiveled around, looking in all directions for the unseen threat. Shouts warbled across the lawn as the alarm was raised in the house.
Draco reminded himself that he was invisible as Macnair darted out of the house. Should he begin hexing them? It would give away his position.
Just as he was debating the possibility of beginning the battle himself, the loud cracks of Apparition echoed all around. Then the Order was charging forward from all sides and the air was set alight by flashes of red, green, and gold.
Potter raced past him, fully visible as he removed the Disillusionment Charm.
Draco wheeled around. A dozen Order members were barreling down on him, wands aloft, curses flying. Ducking down, he wrenched the Invisibility Cloak off to avoid being accidentally hexed by one of his own teammates. He shoved the silky fabric into his pocket as his eyes darted about the chaos in search of brown curls.
"Come on, mate." Charlie grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. He gave Draco a hard look of fierce determination, and together they swept forward into the fray.
A/N: Updates every Monday
Next Chapter posts: September 7th
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