Chapter Six

The four of them stopped in front of what looked like an old sewage pipe. The stench that was coming from within could only be described as awful. Inside was pitch black, however Hermione seems to have come prepared. She brought out a torch and flashed it on. Flashing everyone her 'are you ready to go' face she set off into the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness.

The three boys followed close behind not wanting to be left stranded in the darkness. Draco being a little nervous about what he was about to do grabbed what he thought to be Harry's hand but what turned out to be Harry's crotch.

Harry let out a yelp of surprise that caused Ron and Hermione to stop in their tracks and ask what the matter was. "Oh, it's nothing…keep going."

He then offered his hand to Draco and even threw the darkness Harry could tell that the blonde was blushing.

"Sorry." He said quietly so the other two wouldn't hear him.

"It's ok, I just don't think this is the time or the place, not that I'd say no of course."

"I think the two of you should keep your minds on the task ahead." Ron said from somewhere in front of them in the darkness.

The tunnel didn't open up for another hour at the least by which time the four nineteen year olds were tired and dirty. Draco was now seriously regretting wearing white.

Before they had left the four of them had been given guns to defend themselves with, even Draco though he wasn't so keen on using it, he knew that having them increased the risk that they themselves would get shot.

However the three-trained shadows had determined looks on their faces and Draco didn't think that anything he could have said would have deterred them in doing what they were about to do. Harry made a few funny hand movements to his friends; Draco failed to understand them and gave Harry a questioning look.

However Harry just snaked his fingers through Draco's hair and pulled him into a loving kiss and whispered so softly it was almost unheard, Ron and Hermione certainly didn't hear what Draco was told.

"I want you to wait here for us, we will be back for you."

"But Harry…"

"No buts…I love you to much to put you in unnecessary danger, I won't let you get hurt."

"You don't have the right to make that choice Harry, I want to come with you…to make sure you don't get hurt, what if I want to protect you?"

"You're not trained to protect me, I am trying to reduce the risk that you could possibly cause in the field."

"What are you implying? That I'm more trouble than I'm worth."

"Of course not love, just if I know that your fighting then I will always have one eye on you to make sure your ok, it could distract me from what I have to do, I'm not doing this to hurt you…I couldn't…just please, stay here."

"What if you don't come back for me?" Draco said almost in tears by this point, the fact that Harry wanted to leave him behind hurt him more than he cared to admit and for the first time since they entered the passage Draco was thankful that it was so dark.

"I will…have faith."

Draco closed his eyes as Harry's lips descended upon his own once again before he was left with the cold damp tunnel that offered little comfort and distraction. Only worry played through his mind as he slumped against the damp stone wall and dried his eyes.

Harry, Ron and Hermione emerged though what was unfortunately an occupied bathroom; a random deatheater they didn't recognise was sitting on the toilet. They all exchanged confused looks the shadows unsure what to do and the deatheater just shocked that three teenagers had disrupted his private toilet goings.

"Who the fuc…"

Ron silenced him by hitting him round the head with the butt of his gun which rendered the deatheater unconscious. They looked at each other and closed the trap door behind them so the discovery that they were here would be later rather than sooner.

They made their way down the hallways quiet as mice so not to be noticed, the deatheaters were scarce fortunately however the manor was so huge this did not surprise the golden trio in the slightest. Their main aim was to find out who Voldermort was and take out as many deatheaters as possible without endangering their own lives.

Draco had long since dried his eyes and was getting more worked up by the minute, he was getting more and more paranoid as each minute past. In his mind bloody images were playing over and over in his mind, the waiting was driving him crazy, he wondered how long he'd have his sanity if this continued. Not long if Harry didn't return very soon.

Having had enough of the bad thoughts and the constant feeling of worry he too let himself into his old childhood home and into the bathroom. He couldn't help but gasp upon seeing the knocked out deatheater lying on the floor; he recognised the man as Avery, an associate of his fathers.

The thought that Harry had been responsible for it made him feel slightly sick but instead of dwelling on it he continued on his way, hoping that he was going in the same direction Harry had taken.

However the next person he saw wasn't his lover, it was his father and the look on his face when he saw his only son was back at Malfoy Manor. His shock however was soon over come and replaced by a much more dangerous emotion especially in the case of Lucius Malfoy. Anger.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had somehow managed to stumble across a main meeting room where it seemed that Voldermort was conducting a meeting. His voice was harsh and demanding, it left no room for argument.

The golden trio made an unspoken acknowledgement that wouldn't like to go up against this man alone. Especially since all his followers seemed to be afraid of him. The three of them were forced back into the shadows where they couldn't be seen when they heard footsteps approaching.

It took a lot of self control on Harry's part not to jump to the rescue when he saw a girl who could be no older that nine bound and gagged, being dragged aloud by what could only be a deatheater. He wore long billowing black robes and a white mask covered the majority of his face.

Ron and Hermione shook their heads in his general direction. It was almost unbearable to listen to the girl's screams as they tortured her, there was no reason for it, just the pleasure factor and Harry hated it. He wanted nothing more than to kill Voldermort right there and then but knew full well that the odds of him coming out of the fight triumphant were slim.

"Lets go." Harry mouthed stepping out of the shadows and moving on swiftly down the hall unnoticed and unheard by those inside the room they had just past.

Once they were out of earshot they stopped to discuss what they had seen and heard.

"Its totally barbaric." Hermione commented, obviously not happy.

"We could have saved her." Harry said sadly. "She couldn't have been older than eight or nine…how could they."

"Let's move on." Ron said, he was the kind of person who didn't like to dwell on feelings that made him feel depressed. "We need to plant the cameras, I think to make this job quicker we need to split up."

"I agree, I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to and we've left Draco on his own so lets get a move on, I say a floor each, Hermione top floor Ron the floor above and I'll do this one."

Not wishing to argue they nodded and set off to dispatch cameras round the house so headquarters could get a better look at what Voldermort and his followers were doing even though the golden trio now had a pretty good idea.

Lucius had not been pleased upon the discovery that his son was lurking around. He had immediately sent three deatheaters that had been with him at the time in search of other intruders. Not wanting his master to know that there had been a security breach he had not taken Draco to Voldermort.

Instead he had set about asking questions but Draco was all too familiar with his father's interrogation methods and was not bothered by them, he just shrugged the questions off. However this apparently wasn't a smart move as it made Lucius extremely angry.

"Why are you here?" Silence. "Are you alone or are you accompanied by others?" Silence.

The questions were endless but none of them were answered. Draco rolled his eyes, sighed and slumped back in the chair he was occupying as if he was unconcerned by the fact that his father now had the gun he had been given by Harry.

Harry meanwhile had just completed the task of bugging the ground floor and was cautiously walking down the corridor leading back to the bathroom that they had entered through when he heard a voice that sounded slightly familiar, like something he had before.

He stopped and listened very carefully, then it hit him, he hadn't heard that particular voice before but a voice similar. It had to be Lucius Malfoy's voice. He edged closer to the door, checking that the coast was clear down the corridor he began to eavesdrop on the conversation going on inside, although it wasn't a conversation, it was more of an interrogation. His heart literally froze when he heard his lover's name.

"Maybe I should shoot you Draco and be rid of you, it wouldn't be any loss, your certainly not saying anything, not that you ever useful information."

Harry's heart began to beat faster as he heard the click of a gun being prepared to fire. He could hear no sign of anyone else being inside of the room and there for took what he knew to be a foolish chance but right now he'd do anything to save his lovers life.

Brandishing his own gun he barged into the room and pointed the gun directly at Lucius' head. He dared not smile, or make a single facial expression, Draco had turned around in his seat at the sound of the door being opened and looked relieved to see his lover standing there.

"Let Draco go and I shall spare your life." Harry said in a low and dangerous tone that Draco had not heard him use before and was not going to use in his presence again if he had anything to do with it.

"Oh, it's you." Lucius said in his usual drawl. "You do realise Potter that I know full well what you are and that people like you never work alone."

"Wop de doo." Harry said in mock happiness. "Now let Draco go."

"Gladly, he always was a vile thing, unworthy of the Malfoy name, take the brat, I hope he causes you much pain Potter, that or I kill you before he has a chance."

Lucius picked Draco up by the collar and threw him towards Harry who caught him and steadied him. Lucius however was never the smart one and didn't make a run for it while Harry was distracted; instead he remained standing there as bold as brass ready to mock them.

"Let me tell you something Potter, love never lasts, Malfoy's don't love."

"Is that why you killed mum, because she loved you?"

"Your mother was an idiotic fool who got involved in things that she shouldn't have got involved in, similar to what you have just done my son."

"I am no son of yours." Draco said enraged, he grabbed the gun out of Harry's hand and fired at his father. The shot rang out loudly; no doubt others in the building had heard it. Harry took back the gun and shoved it back in his belt before grabbing Draco's hand and making a break for it, leaving the dead Lucius bleeding on the polished wooden floor.

"Ok two things, one, what the fuck did you think you were doing and two, good shot."

"Thanks now lets get out of here."

The two of them made it to the bathroom and down the trap door without being caught which was lucky as before long deatheaters were swarming everywhere. They closed the trapdoor with no sound at all.

What they were horrified to find was that they were alone in the tunnel, Ron and Hermione had not made it out and clearly they were not going to make it back to the trap door anytime soon.

"What should we do, we can't leave them?"

For a minute Harry wanted to, he wanted to show them what happens when they followed rules and regulations to strictly and didn't break them even when a friend or a loved one was in danger. However these selfish thoughts were soon quelled, he couldn't leave them to die like that poor girl had done.

"I agree, if we leave they die, however if we go back in and they have already got out another way then could be risking our lives for nothing."

"So what do you propose?"

Harry pondered this for a minute; it was a difficult decision, and one he didn't want to make. He checked his watch and spun the silver outside ring round until it beeped and Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"They are together and they haven't been discovered. I think we should go, they are stronger together, plus I'm not taking you back up there, its to dangerous."

"Harry please stop treating me as if I'm a child, if you want to g back up there after your friends then lets go, if that is what they trained you to do then lets do it."

"I know full well your not a child Draco but I hate putting you in unnecessary danger, I can't stand putting those I love in the direct path of danger, it doesn't feel right whatever the train me. We are going to go and we will find away of communicating with Ron and Hermione later, there is nothing else we can do at the moment,"

Without anymore arguing words the two of them set of down the tunnel not stopping once to regain their breath. They continued on until they met daylight and still they kept walking. Not until they found a B&B to spend the night did they stop.

Guilt was consuming Harry's mind now he had nothing to preoccupy it with. He collapsed on the bed in their tiny room that was more of a cupboard than anything else, the only furnishings being the one double bed and the wardrobe.

Draco observed him from afar not knowing what to say, do or even what to think at this point. He was dirty and smelly so he decided that the best course of action was properly to take a shower, knowing full well that his lover was in the same state as he himself was offered to shower together. He had meant this in a non-sexual way of course but Harry's head lifted his eyebrows raised in a suggestive manor.

Draco couldn't help but smile, even when everything was collapsing around them he still wanted sex. "I didn't mean it like that." He said. "But I wouldn't mind." He added as an after thought. Harry casually sat up and watched as Draco removed all his clothes apart from his boxers, which remained on as he walked into the bathroom.

Harry too disposed of his clothing (including his boxers) and went through where he found that Draco was already in the shower. Licking his lips at the sight before him he got in beside his boyfriend, which was a tight fit with the shower being so damn small but they managed it.

In an instant Harry had pulled Draco into a heated kiss that both moaned into as they ran their hands to places that they shouldn't be but knew so well. The raven-haired teen taking in the perfection of his lover's body the smooth curves and the feel of the flawless skin.

They remained in the shower for a good two hours and the suns blinding light had long since faded to be replaced by soft moonlight and twinkling stars. With only a towel on Draco stood by the window listening to the traffic passing by, watching the velvet night sky. This had always been a favourite past time with Harry when their lives had been simple and carefree.

The blonde relaxed into his lovers him embrace as he felt strong arms encircle his waist and a head rest upon his shoulder. "What you looking at?" Came the familiar voice that he loved so much and once again their lives were simple and carefree.

"The sky." Draco replied. His mind cast back four years ago when they had first met one another, Draco had been starting a new school and Harry had been assigned to show him around the school grounds and make sure that he didn't get lost.

They had been friends a year before their feelings had been admitted and they had become officially together. Draco smiled recalling their first nervous kiss, the first time they had made love and when they had first said that they loved one another just before Harry went away, only a year they had been together.

"What are you thinking about, you look lost in thought?"

"I was just remembering…us."

"What about us?"

"Our firsts mainly, how scared we were and now look at us, if someone had said that we'd end up here in exactly four years would you have believed them?"

"Properly not, back then I was ignorant to the fact that my parents were shadows, back then I hadn't even admitted to myself I was gay…but the past is the past, we live in the present and sometimes even in the future, the fact is that I love you and nothing is ever going to change that."

"What do you see in our future?" Draco asked still watching the night sky as the stars twinkled down happily at him.

"In a year from now I see us happy, living together, with this life behind us, in about five seconds I see us on that bed together kissing."

"I like the sound of that future." Draco said turning away from the window and facing his lover, their eyes met and then their lips, soon the two of them hit the bed and the night was lost to passion, sweet kisses and worshipping each others bodies in the most pleasurable ways they could think of.

In those blissful hours problems faded away into nothing and worries ceased to exist. It was pure heaven for the two of them, it may not have been a luxury hotel room or even a very comfortable bed because they had each other and that was all that seemed to matter.

When Draco awoke next morning it was not to his lovers body next to his, nor to the sound of the shower, in fact the room was deadly quite, he was the only one to occupy it, however Harry had not left without a word, on his pillow was a letter written in his italic scrawl.

Hey guys, I know it's been a long, long time (three weeks) since I last updated but I was in Australia, but now you can woop and cheer because as of yesterday I am back home and ready to write, I even have a couple new story ideas, that's what 22 hours on a plane does to you.

Any way there is only one chapter left of this story so thank you to every one who reviewed, I should have the chapter up later on today though I have A LOT of work to catch up on but I will try my best. Any way I shall leave you to it. Enjoy and please review. SS xxxx

MERRY CHRISTMAS