Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other character. Neither do I own the places. All I own is the plot. The rest belongs to J.K Rowling.
Chapter nineteen: Escape
Draco shuddered. Hermione layed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay. You don't have to tell more."
Dumbledore coughed. "Miss Granger...this explains the condition you arrived in...but not your escape."
An agreeing murmer filled the kitchen. Hermione looked at the faces. Harry, Ron, Ginny...the twins. Even mr. and mrs. Weasley were looking at her with expecting faces.
"You do believe him, don't you?" she said, her voice slightly faltering.
"Tell us of your escape, miss Granger." Said Dumbledore, sounding almost like a friendly grandfather.
She swallowed. Draco looked at the floor, blank.
"Yes...our escape. We had Pansy to thank for that."
"She kept coming down to our prison. She was convinced that Draco would marry her, so we decided to use that as our ticket out of there. It was...not nice, but then again neither was she."
"Yes. Our plan was that I would convince Pansy that I loved her and that I would indeed marry her. She fell for my charm and believed me. I got her to stop the torture...or at least to bring it back to the minimum. After a week or two I got her to give us our wands back, that had been taken away from us when they had found them during the torture."
He closed his eyes and waited before he continued.
"Then, one day, they came to collect us both to be taken up. We waited until they had their backs to us, then we took out our wands and cursed them. Hermione managed to tie them up before we ran. We ran into the secret tunnel we had used before. I had taken one of the cloaks of the men we had left in the prison and I pretended to be one of them. In the tunnel there were two guards. But we decieved them with the cloak. I said I had been ordered to take the prisoner outside. Before they had figured out it was a trap we had hexed them. Then we just ran and ran. We didn't rest until we got here...and that was it."
He finally looked up. The faces around the room were still, concerned, strange. Dumbledore got up.
"I think we should let you two rest now. It must have been hard to tell us. Go on, everybody, leave this kitchen, do something fun for a change."
The kids left the kitchen, last came Hermione and Draco. Both of them stared at the ground as they walked. Ron was the first to break the silence.
"So...you've been through quite a lot...man..."
Hermione just nodded.
"And...you two...are...you know..."
"Ron, please don't. Could you just leave us for now, this wasn't easy. Painful memories, okay?"
Ron nodded. "I understand. I'll go to Harry and Ginny. If you want to talk to us, we'll be in the livingroom."
"Thanks Ron."
Harry sat on the couch. Ginny had started reading her book. Ron closed the door behind him.
"What do you think?" he asked Harry.
Harry shrugged.. "I believe they spoke the truth. Why would they lie."
Ron scratched his head.
"Listen, about Hermione...she and Malfoy..."
"What about them?"
"Well...I saw them...I saw them kissing. They're together."
Harry shot Ron and angry look.
"You're lying!" he shouted.
Ron looked hurt.
"What? Why would I do that? I saw them kissing! And who blames them after all they've been through together, it's only logical!"
"No!" Harry shouted again. "You're lying! You're just jealous! You want to come between us, you love her, you said so yourself!"
"That was ages ago! I saw them, I'm not making this up!"
"Why would I believe you?"
Ron stared at him. Why was Harry like this? He turned around, leaving Harry looking angry. Harry breathed heavily. He sat down on the couch again.
A cough reminded them that Ginny was still there as well.
"Harry...why would he lie? You've got to understand."
"Understand what?"
"Understand that Draco was there for her when she needed someone. Draco saved her and got her free. They went through torture together...and he was there for her while you weren't."
"But I tried to save her!"
"Yes, I know...but she doesn't."
It's my brother's birthday today, another reason for celebration. And another reason for an update I'd say ;) I'd better hurry up with typing those last few chapters. I'm running out of finished chapters...
Dark Angels: I only checked my email AFTER posting chappy 18, so I didn't know you already had reviewd Shadow. Thank you for that review by the way :) I hope you get well soon!
Mojo the Rock Chick Munchkin: thanks I wasn't quite sure about that last chapter...I felt like I was repeating myself...
Iron Morgan: The chapters are the length I gave them for a reason...ad I'm not going to change anything about that. But what you said about repeating myself...Yes, I felt that too. But I felt I had to explain what Draco and Hermione had been through together. The others in the Order needed to know that and of course, I wanted to explain a few things form an earlier chapter. But you're entitled to your won opionion. I agree about the repeating myself. But, I have said this loads of times before to more tha one reader: I'm not changing the lenght of the chapters. It would cost me too much work, because I've already written the entire thing. I sincerely hope you liked this chapter better.
Suzaku's Rose: I am so happy I was able to bring across emotion like that! Because that means that my writing was believeble and that it was acurate enough. I hope you'll keep reading this fic.
Okay, this must've been my quickest update yet...but I felt like it...so, I'll see you all again I hope, baibai!!!
-Raven55