Chapter 4 - Trust
Both of their heads whipped back. Draco heard Harry mutter the name many wizards and muggles fear. Voldemort.
Draco dropped to his knees, much to Harry's shock. "Master," Draco said in a low voice.
Harry gaped at him. "You're a-"
"Deatheater," the Dark Lord answered for Draco, chuckling. He walked, or rather, floated, until he was just beside Draco. Draco tried hard not to cringe at the closeness and the warm feeling emitting from the dark creature. "I thank you, my child, for bringing the person I most wanted to see - and kill. Just when I got my powers back."
Harry glared at Voldemort, then narrowed his eyes at Draco. "You led me into a trap?"
Draco chose not to speak, for he was channeling all the energy he had to locate where Hermione was. He did, though, eye Voldemort carefully, to make sure he did not do any harm to The Boy Who Lived.
Voldemort raised his hand. A few worms were crawling on it. Draco could see that Harry was trying not to hurl. "This time I will kill you," he hissed.
Draco stood up just then and shielded Harry. "Master," he said. "Don't you think he deserved to die slowly and painfully?"
The Dark Lord narrowed his beady eyes at Draco. "Draco," he said calmly. "You do not interfere with my killings." He snapped his fingers, which was weird since Draco had not noticed Voldemort had any.
Wormtail hurried over. Curses flew out of Harry's mouth but only Draco heard them. "Yes, Master?"
Voldemort pointed at the two men. "Send them to the same dungeon the mudblood is in."
"Draco Malfoy included?" Wormtail squeaked.
The Dark Lord glared at him. "That's what I said."
Wormtail bowed, as humanly low as possible. Wait a minute, Draco thought, oddly amused. Is he even human? "Follow me."
Hermione looked around, her hand holding the wand tightly. I can't break through this adamantine wall, she thought miserably. From what she had learnt, adamantine was used to keep magic from escaping. One of its purpose, anyway. She just thought she would try.
"I'm stuck in here," she whispered, her fingers running over the cold, grey walls surrounding her. "Where is a saviour when you need him?"
At that moment, the dungeon bars moved apart. Hermione sprang to her feet, thinking it was Voldemort coming to give her one of his "pleasant" visits.
"Don't touch me," a voice snapped, a voice that sounded insanely familiar to Hermione.
"Harry?" she called out as softly as she could, but still audible.
Two men stumbled forward. Both of them glanced at her before breaking into identical relieved smiles. "Thank goodness you are alright, Hermione," Harry murmured.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry and hugged him in a friendly manner. "What are you doing here?" She looked at the other man, a blonde, for answers.
Harry jumped back and pointed shakily at Draco. "He brought me here. To a trap!"
Hermione's eyes popped open. "What?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "He wanted to look for you," he said, shrugging. "So I brought him here."
"Hermione," Harry cut in. "Do you know that Malfoy is a deatheater? God, I hate to think you agreed to his proposal without knowing that little fact."
Hermione looked at Draco for a while before replying. "Yes," she managed to say. "Yes, I did."
Harry gaped at the brunette. "And you didn't care?"
Hermione looked away from the blonde's unreadable grey eyes. "It's... difficult to explain, Harry."
Harry let out a short laugh and shook his head. "Love," he spat. "I pity Ron. To think he liked you so much."
The brunette drew in a sharp intake of breath. Draco noticed and narrowed his eyes at Harry. "You can't still be dwelling about his death, Potter," he drawled. "I just knew it. You're gay, aren't you?"
"Stop being a git, Malfoy," the brunette finally spoke up.
Harry smiled smugly at Draco. He, too, had noted the addressing and was somewhat pleased that Hermione did not have much of a soft spot for the insufferable blonde like she used to. Not only that, Hermione was no longer wearing her green and silver ring. Instead, it hung around her chain, gleaming brightly.
"Are you three going to stop squabbling or do I still have to wait?"
The sudden high-pitched voice shocked them as they had not expected it. In fact, it sounded like...
"Azura!" Hermione exclaimed.
The elf-like faerie fluttered her wings to their eye-level and gave a mock curtsy. "Good day, my fellow witch and wizards."
"In case you're wondering, we are not having a good day," the dark-eyed brunette muttered. Fortunately, the thumb-sized faerie decided not to take offence.
Draco glared at her, his lips slightly apart. "What are you doing here, Azura?"
Azura stuck her tongue out at him. "I came to save you, Master. One would think you could at least sound grateful."
Harry looked at the faerie, then shifted his eyes to Hermione and Draco. "Who is this?" he asked finally, giving up the pretence that he knew every creature in the world.
Azura flew gracefully and paused at Harry. "I'm Azura. Master Malfoy's guardian angel."
Draco stifled a laugh. Guardian angel? he thought. Right.
"Enough of chatting," the blue-eyed faerie said, as loudly as its voice allowed it to. She glared at Draco as she spoke. "We haven't got much time. Now all of you, hold hands around me."
The three of them looked at each other uncertainly, thinking the same thoughts in their heads. Can a tiny faerie save us?
Azura let out an irritated sigh. "You got to trust me, silly humans."
Hermione forgot she could read minds.
The three of them took each other's hand. Harry and Draco were more reluctant as they did not want to have anything to do with each other.
The faerie flew high above their heads, yet managing to stay in the center. "Orbis of transportation," she murmured. "Transporto nobis sicco!"
Twinkling blue light circled them slowly. It was so bright that all of them had to close their eyes. Except for Azura that is. She was the one doing the spell after all.
The three of them opened their eyes as soon as the bright light was gone. Hermione could have kissed Azura but she did not want to cover the petite faerie with her saliva.
They were in Narcissa Malfoy's gardens. The point is, they were no longer in the dungeons.
"Azura," Draco said calmly. "Can't you send us home?"
Hermione shot him a dirty look. Sometimes, he really was demanding. He ought to be thankful enough that they were out of the creepy place Voldemort had planned to lock them up in.
Azura did not mind though. Perhaps she was used to Draco's demands.
"Master," she replied. "I can only stay out of the Manor for a short while. It has gone beyond my time limit and I have to get back." She paused. "Unless the three of you would like to stay till tomorrow."
The twenty-two year olds exchanged looks. "No thanks," they answered in unison.
The faerie nodded and waved before disappearing.
The three of them set out to find the broomsticks Draco and Harry arrived in. They found it within a minute, thankfully. Hermione glanced at the broomsticks. "How am I supposed to get back then?" she asked irritably.
Harry waved at his broomstick. "Come, Hermione, you can share mine."
The brunette glanced at Draco, who was looking back at her. His eyes told him to share it with him, instead of goody-goody Harry. She looked away with a lump in her throat as she mounted up Harry's broomstick.
][ A u t h o r 's N o t e ][
In the next chapter... (1) Hermione forgives Draco for the slap but a worse shock awaits Draco.
* I think that's it. Might not be a long chapter, the next one.
** Orbis of transportation, transporto nobis sicco means Circle of transportation, send us out. At least, I hope it meant that.