shinrielwilkenshire: I'm sorry about my "bloody long periods of silence", but it takes a long time to perfect a chapter and work put all the little plots! But it's finally up, so enjoy.
Sam: Draco is back in the picture like you wanted! Hurrah!
fairy-lights1: Thank you for continuously supporting my story. I'm so glad to have someone love it so much.
BlackDragon7037: I couldn't have Cho be crying and yelling in every chapter, now can I? I matured her quite a bit, as you will learn in this chapter. And as for calling someone to help with the mission, well, it's quite pointless, isn't it? If they are caught, then they are all busted, so why risk anyone else getting hurt? In my portrayal of Harry, he thinks the less people, the better, being the noble Gryffindor he is. I love your long reviews. Keep expressing your opinions!
AZnGurLY02: Aw, kind reviews always make me feel so special. :) TY!
Zero Arsonal Hopeless Savage: "Pure dead magic"…? I'm not sure I know exactly what that means, but it sounds like you like it, so thanks.
bleugrl: I hope you understand that Harry will get hurt. I'm sorry, but he's Harry Potter, and Harry Potter is cursed, poor thing.
chochang0614: Reviewers like you are the reason I continue posting this online. You're divine!
LiL-Miz-Chief: Yes, Harry is to be pitied, especially in coming chapters. Thank you, and I'm sorry for taking so long.
Elektra05: Me and my lazy arse… I find myself on the Internet and watching TV for countless hours, while I could be writing. Sorry for the wait. :)
Lucy: My apologies, but one of your two requests cannot come true. Read on and enjoy.
SilverTear: It almost made you cry? Wow, you don't know how much that means to me. Thank you so much.
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All: Cheers to you for reading this story. Love you all. So sorry for the delay. I just couldn't find the time to post.
Chapter Six
Rescue Mission
Slimy walls greeted her fingertips as she stumbled through the dark. The rank scent of mold and moss among other things reached her nostrils; the damp feel of the air weighed heavily upon her skin, making her feel queasy. She felt disgusted at her surroundings, and reluctant to draw oxygen into her lungs. She was certainly not accustomed to this; it had been a long time since she had gone on these missions. Her nerves were on the edge. There was so much at risk, and the ever-constant stab of paranoia was not helping things.
Cho felt embarrassed, to let herself feel so disgusted. She hurried to catch up with Harry, her feet sloshing in the water. He didn't seem to mind the vanities of the situation. He must be so used to this. She felt sorry for him now, as she looked upon his hardened face. He was born just like anybody else, but blessed, and cursed at the same time. She knew that he had gone through horrors that she couldn't even dream of.
Harry suddenly stopped. He turned to face her. "Remember the plan, all right?" He told her urgently, anxiety apparent in his eyes. "We go in, we find Thomas, and we get out," he said, though the tone in his voice told her that he doubted very much it would be as simple as that. "I've got amulets and trinkets to help us go unnoticed. But if anything should happen to me, grab Thomas and save yourselves. Don't linger. It's pretty hopeless as it is…" His voice cracked. "You cannot hesitate."
"Harry…" Cho grasped his arm. "You shouldn't say such things. You're not going to die. Really."
"You shouldn't have come." He turned around.
"No, you couldn't have stopped me, and I won't be just an interference. I'm here to help. Now lets go, we're wasting time."
*
A thin ray of light shone a path for them. Huddled under an invisibility cloak with Harry, Cho kept her eyes cast downward, concentrating on her footsteps and the beam of light. They were in a dark passageway somewhere in the vast Malfoy Manor. Harry had muttered a spell that enabled his wand to release strip of light that acted as a tracking device, leading them to Thomas. They now followed this thin ray of hope, praying that they would soon be able to hold their precious child in their arms again.
The light became more pronounced as they rounded a corner, finally resting upon a door at the end of the passage. Cho's heart skipped a beat.
"Wait. There are probably sensory devices put up all around the room." Harry muttered some well-chosen spells as Cho waited with excitement rushing through her veins. Gingerly, Harry pushed at the door. The door gave way surprisingly easily, but the sight of their baby drove the suspicion out of their minds. There was a crib in the middle of the room, and they Cho rushed to reunite with her son.
Thomas at first seemed to be at sleep, but when Cho picked him up, she let out a yelp. He was deathly cold to the touch. Her happiness vaporized instantly, and fear overtook her. "H-Harry—look—he-he's cold!! What's wrong with him—why…" She froze.
"He isn't breathing."
Harry's face paled and shakily put an ear to Thomas's face. Wide-eyed with shock, he reached for a pulse, but found none. Their hearts both stilled at the realization of what had become of their son.
At that moment, however, they were caught unawares by a strong bind of ropes, making them fall to their knees. Two wizards donned in black garb hurried over to snatch away their wands. Cho was struck with cold fury. Whether it was directed at herself, or at their captors, she could not distinguish. Here she was again, caught and bound by filthy Death Eaters, this time clutching her dead baby.
"We had a deal," Harry spat. The room filled with gleeful and triumphant laughter. They had finally caught Harry Potter, and he was at his knees, and at their mercy.
"And why should we play by the rules? Might I remind you, you didn't exactly follow the plan either, now did you?" A thin man said with mirth. "Dead or alive, you would never know, and you would still come…so why should we have let a filthy offspring of yours live?"
Harry opened his mouth with a snarl.
"Silencio," the Death Eater said, almost lazily. He nodded to the others, and they moved forward. "The Lordship will be most pleased…Take him!"
Harry, fighting, was forced out of the room by a circle of men. Cho glared at the rest.
"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you…" Thomas was wrenched from her grasp.
"Give—," she began furiously. But then she herself was jerked roughly out of the room. Struggling all the way, she was led down to the dungeons. Was Harry there, too? She was pushed roughly into an empty cell. She was sent sprawling onto her back with a shove, where she looked up hatefully at the leering faces. One knelt close beside her with a truly sick smile on his face.
"Lucky Potter…" His eyes roamed all over her body, making her feel uneasy, though she continued to glare at him defiantly, not wanting to show weakness. "Well, not so lucky anymore." His eyes stopped upon her face. "I will make you a proposal. If you cooperate with me right now," His fingers lightly grazed her chest, sending a repulsed shiver down her spine. "I will let Potter off easy…for today anymore. Do you want him to suffer?"
Cho shoved him away with surprising force. "You're disgusting. I wouldn't 'cooperate' with you if you were the last person on Earth. Besides, how can I take your word for anything, you lying, twisted snake?"
The Death Eater got to his feet with a sneer. "Fine. I guess we'll just have to do this the hard way." He closed the distance between them, dragged Cho to her feet and pinned her against the wall. Scratches were made on his arms and neck as Cho tried to push his face and every other part of his body as far away from her as possible. The Death Eater smirked nastily at her futile efforts. "I could just pin you magically to the wall, you know, but this way is much more fu—"
But in one swift movement, Cho had thrust her knee upward as hard as she could. With a gasp of pain, the Death Eater released her and doubled over, hands over his groin. Swearing, he managed to straighten up again, his face contorted in pain. "You are going to pay for that," he hissed.
"Crucio!" At once, unthinkable pain erupted within her. She felt as though her innards were being ripped apart, as though her brain was exploding along with her skull. She couldn't see, hear, or think anymore. All that she was aware of was the excruciating pain. So unbearable… Then it was over. She expected to be a bloody mess, for her internal organs to be strewn across the cold floor. When she forcefully opened her eyes, though, she was surprised to see that she was still intact. No huge physical sign of the torment was apparent. She was on the floor again, head throbbing, throat aching from the shrieks that she doesn't even remember omitting. Her body was throbbing horribly, the pain all but forgotten.
"Looks like we're going to have some fun with you after all." Now all of the Death Eaters advanced upon her, forming a half-circle, wands at the ready. Over and over again, she was hit with the torture curse, her body uncontrollably shuddering.
Her last thoughts were of Harry before she was struck with the final blow of all the Death Eaters united.
*
She felt warm. Life stirred in her again with renewed vigor and she felt her body tingling. A low, muttering voice was near—she could hear it, her eyes still closed. And as it continued its mantra, she felt herself getting gradually stronger. Slowly, the voice stopped, and her head and torso were lifted gently into someone's arms.
Something cool reached her lips, and she knew she was being fed. "Drink this. Open your mouth," the person cradling her said. She obliged, and a warm sensation spread in her body. She had the energy to open her eyes now, to see who was it that so kindly nursed her back to health. Cho turned her head to see the face of Draco Malfoy, to her utter appall.
Cho Chang had grown a lot over the past few years. Be it a couple of years earlier, and she would've completely lost it upon seeing Draco again, and maybe even have broken down to tears again. She certainly had done that many times in the past. But she had matured a great deal after her parents' death. It was finally time to grow up, and she realized she couldn't keep crying, and learned to keep her emotions at bay. She had felt absolutely joyous when Thomas had been born, so when he was snatched away from right under her nose, she had let another tantrum escape her. She had quickly recollected herself, though, and felt bad for Harry, having endured so many of her screams and cries. So she had turned tears to anger, and determination. She didn't need her outer self to be expressing the hell that was her inner self.
But now what? Thomas was dead, Harry as good as, if not already, and she was here in a cold cell, being nursed back to health after being nearly killed by none other than Draco Malfoy. What was he doing here anyway?
And that was precisely what she inquired with an even tone was she crawled away from his grasp. She made to stand up, but her knees were still too weak and useless from the attacks. Draco's sturdy hands hurried to support her as she crumpled, but she waved them away.
"Don't move. You need to rest yourself."
"I'm fine." Cho settled herself down on the floor again, her back resting upon a moldy wall. Her body still felt the lingering after-effects of the spell, and it hurt. Looking around the cell, she noticed many odd flasks and bottles, and even a cauldron with a magical fire lit underneath. A book lay open beside it, and Cho felt surprised to find Draco sitting on a dirty dungeon floor, usually being the pristine, pompous person he was.
"What are you doing here?" She repeated.
Draco stood up, and started gathering the various containers from the ground. "To make you better. I have done my job, I see, so I shall be going now." His tone, like hers, was carefully steady, and the usual sarcasm and irony were noticeably absent. Cho was grateful for this. She didn't have the energy to exchange hateful words with Draco, and the careful civility was much appreciated.
Curiosity overtook her, and she asked, "Why did you have me drink those anyway?" Draco straightened up and looked down upon her. "I mean…I'm going to die soon anyway, right?"
"No."
"No?"
"I've managed to convince them to let you live." He said vaguely.
"Oh, really?" Cho forgot about the careful words and plunged on. "And why would you do that?"
Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Why, I thought you'd be glad and perhaps even thank me for saving you life," he said with a small smirk.
Cho scoffed. "Thank you?" And she let a little bit of her past emotions get the better of her. "For continuously killing every single family member I possess? No, you might as well just kill me, too."
Draco's smirk disappeared. "I jest. I'd be a fool to expect anything more than tears and accusations from you." He paused. "And it's certainly not some sort of perverse little goal of mine to kill every sodding family member of yours…it's not my fault you married bloody Potter." An ugly look was on his face now. "You know, you've got to stop blaming me for every single thing that goes wrong in your life. I didn't kill your baby, I didn't even know it was your parents' house we were attacking until you came foolishly running into the room, and I most certainly did not expect you to come along on this little rescue mission, much less tortured and molested by those filthy bastards."
"W-What did they do to me after I passed out?"
A fire kindled in Draco's eyes for a moment. "They didn't manage to accomplish what they intended to do. I got there just in time." Cho lowered her eyes, trying to focus on the anger that was ebbing away. It was much easier when she was angry with Draco.
"Also, just to set the record straight, I didn't mean to 'break your heart' or any of that trust crap that you love to yell about. I did what I had to do, and you just don't know the whole story."
Cho glared at the ground, but she was much too tired to ask what the whole story was. She then realized she didn't even want to know what the whole story was anymore; it was all in the past, and that certain topic could bring no good.
"What, no tears?" Draco softly joked.
Cho raised her eyes to his, "None."
He smirked. "Well, you've changed."
"Crying won't get me anywhere. I've learned to control it."
Draco scooped up the remaining flasks and walked to the door. "No doubt you'll be questioned, be prepared for that. After that, who knows? Maybe you'll be set free."
"It doesn't matter."
"Don't give me that. You'll live."
Her demeanor towards Draco softened. She still didn't exactly forgive him for what he had done all those years ago, but he was making a huge effort doing what he did, bearing in mind his stubborn pride and all. And though his words could hardly be considered kind, she began to wonder what those reasons Draco spoke of really were. Could they be justifiable to what she went through? A clear 'No' rang in her head, but doubts still remained.
He opened the door to depart.
"Why do you do that?" Draco turned to look at her. "Why do you always come back, to make me question your sincerity and your actions? Can't I just hate you in peace?"
She regretted asking that the second they made eye contact. It made her sound ungrateful, and she felt guilty because Draco was the one that saved her, once again.
"Hopefully you can, soon." His voice was soft, and he sounded almost somber, and he turned his head away.
"Is he—is he dead yet?" There was no point in this question, Cho knew. She was fully prepared to receive a "Yes" or a nasty "Not yet, but soon" and it was foolish to hope for escape, for there surely will be none. But what she got was a quiet "He's still alive", and the thudding of a closed cell door.
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A/N: Please understand, I HAD to kill off Thomas. Hope I didn't upset anyone too greatly. Anyone wanna take a shot of guessing what's going to happen next? Please REVIEW, they motivate me and help me write, and post faster; constructive criticism is always welcome.