Within the Smoke

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. Their J.K. Rowling's.

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Draco began to wonder what prison would be like. He imagined himself sitting in a cell as his spirit was slowly drained from him by Dementors. He shuddered at the thought and couldn't think of a worse existence.

===Note====

I'm fond of this chapter too. I think this will be another surprising twist =)

Within the Smoke

Chapter 12: He Resigned to his Fate

Harry had screamed before running toward her. She watched him fall to the ground as the curse hit him. The memory played repeatedly in her mind. Shaking her head, Hermione tried to discard the cruel recollection that haunted her. Instead of diminishing, it only strengthened as the Dementors drifted closer. Misery devoured her savagely and she lost all reasonable thought. She was forgetting herself in the past, leaving behind only a shell of her person.

Hermione heard faint screams from the present but could barely recall the situation they were in. She didn't notice Draco yelling at his father. She paid no heed as Lucius lost the fight with his own insanity. And, it mattered not to her when the madman turned the wand on himself and screamed the curse. She was consumed by her own demons of guilt.

Dimly, she heard Draco's voice as a whisper and wondered what he was saying. He was shaking her, she realized. Slowly she withdrew from her memories and found herself staring into his face. His eyes were urgent and his voice panicked, and it made her wonder what was wrong.

"Hermione, we have to run!" Draco screamed at her before dragging her into motion.

In her dreamlike trance, she barely realized that her legs were moving. Flashes of Harry and Ron flitted in her mind. She relived each of their deaths again and again. It was hell a thousand times over. Misery was the ocean in which she was drowning and desperately she looked for help. Hermione's vision focused on the blonde haired man beside her. She remembered the words she had spoken just moments before. He was her savior and her hope. The memories of the past dimmed until they could be repressed.

Hermione's sense of reality returned rapidly and she realized Draco had hold of her arm and they were running. Turning her head back briefly, she saw why. The Dementors were following them. The sight confused her. The creatures had been sent for the purpose of handling the deatheaters. What were they doing now?

She voiced her question. "What's happening? Where's your father?"

Panting, Draco didn't even glance at her when he answered. "He's dead. Dementors want souls. One was just taken from them."

Hermione puzzled over the response. She didn't recall Lucius dying. She had been preoccupied with her own inner suffering. Draco's answer allowed a confused dread to rise. Surely he didn't mean the Dementors would take them as compensation for Lucius' lost soul? What about the Ministry? What about the law?

Hermione never got a chance to argue as Draco pushed to increase her pace. She felt relief as camp came into view. Ministry members were rushing forward; they were running out to help them. There were screams and gasps as people realized what they were seeing.

Blinding flashes of light lit the area before her and she closed her eyes to them. They were summoning Patronuses to fend off the Dementors, she realized. Nearly sightless, Hermione sprinted the remainder of the way back to camp with Draco beside her.

=======

He had left his wand behind, Draco knew. He had managed to convince himself for some time that due to the gravity of the situation, he had simply forgotten it. The truth however, could not be long suppressed. He had left it because with ferocity the realization struck him that it was a murder weapon. It was the weapon that killed his father. Knowing this, Draco couldn't bring himself to pick up the wand from where Lucius had dropped it. The object represented death now, and he didn't know if he could stand carrying that reminder with him.

So, hesitating only briefly, he had left it where it was on the ground. It hardly matter to Draco if he ever saw the wand again.

He was resting in his tent now after that last adventure. It was fair to say the Ministry members had been shocked to see Dementors hunting innocent people. The creatures were subdued immediately and Draco and Hermione were rushed back to their tents. Not having the energy to protest, he had allowed himself to be steered back to his quarters and ordered into bed. Assuming Hermione was doing the same, Draco at last relaxed and allowed himself to sleep.

Dreams danced in his head and faded into nightmares. Visions of war and death twisted and turned through his subconscious. It was as if he was under the dementors' spell once more.

With a gasp, Draco awoke. Sitting up in bed, he wiped the sweat from his brow. Looking around him, he realized he was in the safety of his tent. A candle had been lit and it cast a warm glow beside him, bringing him comfort. Slowly, his breathing quieted and returned to a regular pace. It was over, he realized. Voldemort was dead, his deatheaters captured. They had won the war. So why did he still feel like a failure?

I couldn't save him, Draco thought bitterly. He had pitied the man. He had even given him a second chance at life. But the result had turned out horrific. Draco acknowledged that he had made a mistake. But, if given the opportunity again, he was almost certain he would have done the same thing.

Rising from bed, Draco located a basin and filled it with water. He splashed his face to clear his head and fight off weariness. Returning to sleep did not sound appealing. The nightmares were tormenting and left him with a feeling of helplessness. Waking up unarmed too, did not aid in fighting the feeling.

Once wide awake, Draco considered what to do next. Finding there to be no entertainment in his tent, he decided to go see Hermione's status.

He was stopped before he could reach the opening. The Minister of Magic ducked his head as he entered and stood facing Draco.

"You're up. Good, good. There's something I wish to speak to you about."

Draco inhaled sharply. This was it. They would have found Lucius' body by now and know he had escaped. They would have questioned how it had been accomplished and all answers would point to him. He had always known it would come to this, yet he found himself completely unprepared.

Draco began to wonder what prison would be like. He imagined himself sitting in a cell as his spirit was slowly drained from him by Dementors. He shuddered at the thought and couldn't think of a worse existence. His soul demanded freedom, and if he was caged, Draco knew he would lose his sanity.

The cruel fantasies played in his head and distracted him from the present situation. Quickly, he snapped back to attention as the Minister began speaking once more.

"We found this by Lucius' body" A wand was pulled from the Minister's pocket. Draco only stared at it blankly. All evidence, he realized, connected him with the escaped prisoner.

"I believe, this is your wand," the Minister said slowly as he held the wand up for Draco to see.

Quickly, Draco considered what to say. He wouldn't fight this, he decided. He had known what he was doing, and the consequences would come. A confession would be the easiest and fastest way to end this. Otherwise he would just be waiting as the Ministry pieced together the clues before his eyes. He was trapped without any hope of escape.

"On behalf of the Ministry, I would just like to thank you." The Minister said, offering the wand to him.

Draco struggled to keep his face blank as astonishment rose inside him. What in hell was happening? He stared at the wand before him. The Minister was waiting for him to take it. With reluctance, Draco reached out to grasp the weapon he despised. He had hoped never to see it again.

Uncertain of what the Minister was saying, Draco asked hesitantly, "Excuse me sir? What exactly are you thanking me for?" He had expected to be accused of a crime, not thanked for some unknown deed.

The Minister looked at him in surprise. He laughed before continuing. "My, aren't you modest! I'm thanking you for stopping an escaped convict of course!" Draco only stared. "I mean I don't know what we would have done if he had gotten away."

The astonishment he felt only rose. He was being thanked for stopping Lucius? Did they fail to realize he was the one who released him in the first place?

Draco must have remained silent too long because the Minister was looking at him curiously. Words had left him however, and he had no idea what to say.

Obviously still under the belief that Draco was simply being modest, the Minister continued as if nothing was the matter. "Now, don't try to deny that you're the one who stopped him. We checked your wand for the last spell it cast. You know, I was very surprised that you would have the courage to do what it took to prevent the man from escaping. Especially since he was your own father! I'm very proud of you, my boy. You really know your duty."

Draco was certain his mouth was agape by now. The Minister believed he had killed Lucius to prevent him from escaping. He hardly knew what to say, so he said nothing at all. How could he confess the truth now? How could he tell him that his father had taken his own life?

Receiving no response from Draco, the Minister stood and prepared to leave. "Well, we're all stumped as to how the man got out. But thank heavens you stopped him, my boy." With a smile, he moved toward the exit. "Oh, and by the way, don't drop your wand next time. Wouldn't want to lose it now would you?"

It would be a full ten minutes before Draco moved again. His initial shock had subsided some and was replaced by an unbelievable feeling of relief. After all the misfortunes he experienced during this war, he found his luck suddenly much improved. Shaking his head, he still couldn't understand it. He had freed a dangerous prisoner. He had foolishly let the man steal his wand. And now, he was being rewarded for his actions.

Fate was playing its little games again. But this time, Draco found it very much in his favor.

===Note===

Ta da! And that's how I got Draco out of trouble. I thought it might be funny if the Minister checked the wand for the last spell (Like they did in the 4th book) and just assumed he killed Lucius. Then of course they wouldn't suspect him because why would he free a man just to stop him? Right, sorry there wasn't romance in this one, but I needed to clear Draco first. Next chapter coming soon. Review please =)

-Captive