Chapter 13- No going back

Harry and Draco were outside the Manor just a few short hours later. It was nearing midnight and the house looked nearly invisible in the darkness. Harry only knew it was there from the darker than black silhouette that ghosted the horizon.

"So, we're here...what now?" He asked, hoping that Draco had some idea of how they were going to get inside the Manor.

"Follow me" was the answer he got and he felt Draco's hand find his in the darkness. He grabbed onto it, as if for safety, and he followed the sound of his footsteps crunching on the ground beneath them.

They walked for what seemed like hours, through a thick forest it seemed but it was only a small wood. Harry had scraped nearly every inch of skin on tree branches that had hung in his way and he was starting to wonder where the hell they were.

Just as he was about to tell Draco to stop, he did. They were stood at the back of the castle, on top of a large hill that enabled you to see the whole of the back grounds of the Manor.

Harry was in awe of the place. The grounds stretched for miles, beautifully laid out gardens that reached right across the great expanse of land they were stood in front of, looking down on. He had never seen anything quite so beautiful in all his life.

In one corner of the Manors grounds was a darker patch of land, it looked like a graveyard but a smaller one that usual.

The Manor stood in the center of the gardens, surrounded in crawling plants and tall trees that protected and hid the Manor from the outside world. Harry thought the manor would be very hard to find if you didn't know what you were looking for. It was magnificent, but frightening.

"We get in this way" Draco whispered, pulling Harry down a slope towards the castle. They came across a small shack that was leaning against an old oak tree at the bottom of the slope, it looked ancient and Harry didn't like the odds of him coming out alive. But nevertheless Draco pulled him inside.

It creaked and groaned from the effort of trying to stay upright when Draco flung the door wide, and stepped onto the wooded floor. In front of them was a trap door, and that was all that Harry could see inside the small shed. It was completely plain and had no signs that anyone even knew it was here. It continued to creak, beginning to sway as Draco moved across the floor and bent to lift the trap door open.

"Draco, are you sure this is safe?"

"Trust me Harry, I'm the only one who knows this is here, and I've placed an innumerable amount of charms on it to make sure it doesn't cave in. We're totally safe"

Harry reluctantly stepped forward, wand at the ready and followed Draco into the hole in the floor. He dropped down into a small cavern that led onto a tunnel. A dim light was coming from a candle that burnt slowly on the wall next to them and Harry turned to see Draco grinning at him.

"What?"

"Saviour of the Wizarding world? Please! Scared of a wooden shack of all things!"

"Shut it you!" Draco just laughed quietly

"You remember the spell right?"

Harry nodded and mouthed the words "Expedio solvo" quietly to himself while waving his wand over an imaginary object.

"Remember you have to hold hands" Harry reminded Draco, wanting this to work as badly as Draco did.

Draco took his hand once more, and continued to lead Harry down a narrow passageway that curved twice before Harry saw any sign that it was coming to an end. But it didn't end, it just became thinner and thinner and before long they were crawling through the dirt.

Draco stopped a few minutes later and began to burrow upwards, his hair was matted with dirt, his clothes were covered with mud but he didn't seem to care. Harry guessed Draco never liked to use this tunnel much as a kid and he smiled to himself. Typical Draco. He moved several items from above him and then Harry could see a tiny room.

Harry was led out of the tunnel and he found himself crawling out of a hole in what felt like a wooden box.

"We're in my wardrobe so be quiet, I have no idea who could be in my room" Draco warned, as he helped Harry out of the hole and brushed the dirt off of him.

"Had to choose the dirtiest route did we Drake?"

"Nah, I felt like making you crawl" Harry scowled at him and elbowed him lightly

"I'd have thought it would have been better protected" Harry whispered to Draco "anyone can get in here!"

"Nearer the outer walls it is" he replied "My father liked to walk in the grounds on occasions so he made sure the security was good enough on the outer edges of the grounds. He doesn't expect anyone to get past the walls to be honest"

"But that entrance we went in is outside the walls"

"I told you! I put charms on it; no one can see it but me."

Harry really did admire Draco's ability to make any charm work for him. Draco was the most brilliant Wizard Harry had ever met, but without his magic, Harry knew Draco felt like he had nothing.

Draco peered through the gap between the wardrobe doors, looking for any sign that someone was there, listening for any sign that they had been caught.

When nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary Draco carefully stepped from the wardrobe and out into the darkened room.

His room was just as breathtaking as the manor itself. Lavishly decorated in Slytherin green, it eked wealth and arrogance. Harry could have guessed that Lucius decorated it even before they stepped out into the room from the expensive smell, but he could just faintly make out the smell of vanilla and coffee that reminded him so much of Draco.

Harry smoothed the soft fabric on the green covered bed and made a mental note to ask Draco what material it was later and get some for his own bed.

"Nice isn't it?" Draco grinned when he noticed Harry touching the bed covers with such care and gentleness "Mother chose it"

Harry gave Draco a sympathetic look and smiled slightly. Draco just shrugged and carried on

"We have to keep moving. We'll be found otherwise. We have to get nearer to the place where I think the twins are which means using stairs"

"Do you know where everyone is?"

"I would think that everyone would be in bed around now since its 10 to midnight" he replied as he peered around the bedroom door

"Ah" Harry replied, keeping close behind as they crept from the room and into the shadows of Malfoy Manor "wont be needing my invisibility cloak then?"

Draco paused and looked at Harry

"You know, telling me you've brought it now kinda defeats the object..."

"Wanted to make you crawl" Harry smirked as Draco frowned and grabbed the material from Harry's hands spitefully

"Smug fucker" he mumbled as they were both lost under the protection of the cloak.

"I think we're jinxed you know"

"Don't be stupid"

"No really, we have to be. We stumble upon some magical world while doing something we shouldn't, we decide to run away-"

"That was our fault-"

"-we run away and nearly get killed, but we get found again and NOW look where we are! Some sodding castle in the middle of no where with a bunch of smelly people in black cloaks and hoods!"

"We aren't jinxed, we're just stupid"

"OK that too"

Willow was pacing the room they had been placed in days before, with Alex watching her circle him time after time. He was starting to feel a little nauseous but didn't say anything.

"Well we cant just STAY here! If Remus was coming to get us he'd have been here by now"

"Willow, I don't really think many of them survived"

Willow stopped pacing and slumped on the floor next to her brother.

"We've ruined everything" she whimpered into her hands. Alex put his arm around her and sighed. He'd seen the massacre, he didn't have to be a wizard to know when people were dead.

"We have to get out Alex, I bet mum and Dad are doing their nut!"

Alex smiled at that thought, he knew they had been probably thought of as dead for many weeks now so he was surprised that Willow was being so naïve.

But nevertheless she was right, they had to get out. He didn't know what their captives were waiting for but he knew if it didn't happen soon they would be killed.

He got up and faced the door. He was guessing there would be a few spells on the door so he was wary when he stepped closer and examined the lock.

Just like any other lock. Easy to pick.

He placed a hand gently on the knob and ran his fingers slowly round to hold it fully. When nothing happened he turned it roughly and pulled. It was locked as he'd expected, but at least he could touch it without being thrown across the room.

He reached into his pocket while Willow watched him intently, hoping he knew what he was doing. When he found what he was looking for he pulled it out and inspected it. A tiny hair pin sat in his palm, slightly bent, but perfect for his needs. He knelt in front of the door, not expecting any result. What idiot just locks the door? There had to be some kind of spell to prevent them escaping. But after a few seconds of picking the lock, the door clicked loudly.

Alex blinked. He got up and turned the handle once more, this time when he pulled the door opened revealing the long corridor they had been dragged down.

He blinked again and turned to his sister.

She was just as amazed as he was.

"What now?" she asked, coming to stand next to him in the door frame.

"I don't really know. I think I remember coming up some stairs. We can just get lost in this place for a while and figure out a way to get a message to someone. Its better than staying here waiting to be killed"

Willow agreed and they left their room, closing the door behind them, and made their way towards the stairs, keeping in the shadows of the corridor.

They found the stairs just minutes later and began to descend, being careful not to make a noise, and keeping against the rough stone of the wall behind them.

Alex was still expecting a spell to leap out at them from some hidden place, just waiting for them to try and escape, but none came.

Roughly half way down the stairs he became more confident, and moved faster making sure that Willow was always close behind him.

It was when he hit an invisible wall did he nearly lose his composure and confidence, and it was difficult not to cry out. Willow hid behind her brother, waiting for hoards of hooded figures to come running at the slightest noise, but it was exactly midnight and all sound was drowned out by the loud chiming of the clocks around the house.

All Alex heard was a soft "Shit!" followed by rustles of cloth against cloth, but all he could see was air. He reached out to touch the wall again, and found a fabric caressing his fingers.

"Odd" he thought as he grasped the fabric and the rustling became more frantic. Just as it began to pull away from him he pulled roughly on it and revealed Harry and Draco huddled together in the darkness.

Harry had his wand pointed menacingly at Alex who just stared back in amazement, while Draco had hidden behind Harry for defense. They obviously hadn't realized who they had bumped into due to the darkness of the manor.

"Harry, its us!" Alex whispered at him grabbing his wand hand and pushing it forcefully away from his face

"oh god I swear they think I'm stupid" Harry mumbled to the trembling figure behind him and replaced his wand at the bridge of Alex's nose.

"Uh...Harry? What are you doing?"

"Uh...saving my skin" he replied sarcastically

Alex was very confused

"Harry, haven't you come to get us?" Willow asked, sounding a little distressed

"No we came for Alex and Willow. And you're coming along." Harry said spinning Alex to face his sister and prodding the wand into his back while grabbing Willow by the shoulder and forcing them to walk back up the stairs.

"Harry have you gone insane? We ARE Alex and Willow!" Alex hissed over his shoulder

"Yeah, and you're also the dumbarse that wasn't told I know about Polyjuice"

"Poly WHAT?"

"Um, Harry I think they're telling the truth"

Harry stopped and looked at Draco who stood at the top of the stairs staring into a door he had opened while Harry had taken Alex and Willow under control of his wand.

He pushed them towards it and looked in. Nothing.

"He would have kept them here; he only keeps prisoners that he wants to be found in the dungeons. This place is for special people, people that can't be found. It has to be them Harry"

"We picked the lock" Willow added

"I picked it, you just watched" Alex sneered back

Willow just rolled her eyes and looked back at Harry

"It is us Harry, honest"

Harry seemed to falter for a second, frowning and concentrating deep on Willows eyes before he lowered his wand and smiled.

"Well that was pretty damn easy wasn't it? Let's get out of here, as much as I like your home Draco I don't want to stay here much longer"

They descended the stairs, Alex and Willow in front under protection of the cloak just in case and Harry and Draco keeping watch from behind.

"You read her mind didn't you?" Draco asked as they rounded a corner and came in view of a large set of oak doors.

"I had other way of knowing, I wasn't going to believe them on their word alone" Harry reasoned, feeling bad for the invasion of privacy but at the same time knowing he had done the right thing.

"I know, but you're a sneaky bastard" Draco grinned checking his surroundings again

They reached the oak doors and he looked both ways, checking each corridor was clear before he let anyone move on. They had been OK up till now but this time he looked nervous.

"What is it?" Harry whispered

"I can hear something" he replied, looking down the corridor on their right "Come on behind here"

Harry and Draco slid behind a statue on their left and hoped the twins had found a place to hide, despite the fact they were well hidden anyway. They stayed still and waited, hoping what Draco had heard was nothing more than the wind outside but some minutes later just as Draco was preparing to tell Harry they could move on, a man appeared from the oak doors. He flung them open dramatically, stepping into the corridor with an air of power around him. He was followed by several others who didn't seem to have the same confidence, who shuffled behind and stayed low.

"It's Lucius" Draco murmured into Harry's ear as they swept past the statue "They've all been called"

Harry watched as they disappeared into the darkness, they were surrounded and engulfed by it until all he could see was Lucius' stark blonde hair in the distance.

Then someone sneezed.

In the far corner by the doors Alex and Willow had decided was the best place to be. They weren't counting on the doors being swung open so forcefully that they hit the wooden ornament next to them causing an avalanche of dust to rain down on them.

Willow had held the sneeze as long as she could. It wasn't quite long enough.

The blonde speck in the distance of the long corridor stopped abruptly and spun round.

Harry held his breath and shut his eyes, willing for Lucius to turn back and keep going. He waited, listened, and opened one eye.

Lucius had moved up the corridor, his eyes sweeping every inch of the space he could see. He kept his tall form perfectly still but Harry could see his dark eyes searching.

He knew they were there.

Draco didn't seem fazed by his fathers gaze, he was used to it Harry guessed. Draco carefully slid an arm round Harry's waist and pushed him further into the shadows behind the statue.

Lucius began to move slowly forwards, taking each step with extreme care, not making a sound with his feet as he inched towards their hiding place.

He raised a hand to just above his shoulder then, and made a quick movement, summoning one of the people from behind who had followed him out of the tall oak doors. They stood behind Lucius, as he addressed them:

"Go upstairs. Check the room"

Harry barely caught what was said before Lucius' head spun to face their exact spot.

He nearly fainted when he did that. The pure anger in Lucius' face was enough to frighten anyone into a coma for weeks. His eyes burned with pure fury, his brow etched with furious patterns of anger and concern. His fists balled at his sides, his teeth clenched, he spoke:

"Draco, I know you're here. I expected you. You're a fool to think I wouldn't catch you"

Lucius stepped forward once more, rounding their hiding place. Harry began to worry when he noticed this pattern, if he moved any further he would see Draco and take him. Just as Lucius stepped sideways once more Harry grabbed onto Draco's top and pulled him further into the shadows, as much as the limited space would allow.

"Stay...back" Harry breathed into his lovers ear. It wasn't even words. He just let the air around them shape his words to something plausible so that he wouldn't be heard in the silence of Malfoy Manor.

Draco shuffled back in response to this and Harry wrapped his arms around him as much for comfort as to save all the possible space.

"Its pointless to hide son" Lucius continued "I was ashamed when I found out you had deceived me, I thought I had a weak son. I guess you've proved me right. Cant even get out of your own house without being caught. It's a shame you came to save a lost cause Draco"

Draco let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes to concentrate on the warmth Harry was passing him, blocking out the words of his father

"I know you are here. You may as well come out. I know exactly where you are hiding" and Lucius took one more step sideways. He was now diagonal to the statue. There would be no more hiding once he took that last step. They were trapped.

Just as Lucius was about to step one last time, the messenger he had sent came running back along the corridor, panting and gasping for breath

"Gone. Taken. No one is up there"

This was the final straw for Lucius, the anger seemed to erupt inside of him and he drew out his wand and cast Crucio on the suspecting messenger.

Harry and Draco could only watch as he tortured the man, his writhing figure sent pangs of sympathy up Harry's spine and down again, knowing what that felt like and understanding the mind numbing, heart crushing pain that he must have felt.

The Twins never remembered seeing something quite so horrific in their lives, seeing a man twist and curl in pain while nothing seemed to be near him. They could hear cracking of bones, and the man could barely make a sound by the time Lucius withdrew his wand and replaced it back in his pocket. He went limp, and three men scuttled forwards to remove the lifeless form before Lucius.

"See what I do to the weak Draco?" Lucius announced returning his gaze to the statue they hid behind "You're a foolish boy to think you could return here and escape me. It was a stupid plan to try and rescue those Muggles, because now I have you right where I want you. Just like when you were a child, do you remember that Draco?"

Draco squeezed Harry's hand and took a shuddery breath. Obviously...he DID remember.

"Remember you hid in the exact same place? We were playing the same little game we are now. Wasn't that a fun day Draco?"

Harry could sense Draco's anger building as Lucius spoke, every word bringing old memories to the surface where they could breathe, grow...survive.

"You were a naughty little boy Draco. It's a shame your mother didn't have such a firm hand with you. I suspect you still have the scar, I made sure that you would"

Draco opened his eyes and looked up, shaking, at the statue they stood behind. Harry followed his gaze and noticed it was a warrior. It held a shield made of ivory and gold in one hand, and a long, sharp looking silvery blade in the other that seemed to glow in the darkness.

It frightened Harry just to look at it. Its face twisted in an evil scowl, menacing and terrifying to anyone. A guardian of the doors, and a faithful one.

Harry felt lightheaded from looking up at the large, burly statue and looked back at his feet, images swimming before his eyes. He nearly fell back as an image as clear as if he was there appeared in front of him. An image of Draco as a boy playing.

Then it was gone, quickly followed by another in succession. This was of Draco hiding behind this very statue, Lucius standing in the same place, across from them both.

This disappeared to be replaced by an image of the Statue turned to Draco, pinning him high up in the stone wall behind them, trapping him, hurting him.

A flashing image of Lucius' face appeared, cackling evilly as he tortured his young son.

The last image was longer, Harry saw the statue pull its blade up to Draco's face, teasing him with it as the young boy cried for help. The statue then swept the blade across Draco's stomach in one swift movement, and Harry nearly vomited as the blood of such a young boy spilled down the wall and onto the floor.

The images faded to black, and Harry looked up to see Draco bent nearly double, clutching his stomach and bracing himself against the wall beside them.

He saw that Lucius had taken that final step and his grin widened, they had been caught.

Neither boy was in any state to put up a fight when men surrounded them from all sides and dragged them out. The only thing Harry could do before being forced through the large oak doors was to send out a silent plea to the twins to get the hell away and to safety, before they were found as well.

Alex and Willow watched, as their only hope of escape were piled into the room.

"We should leave" Alex whispered once the corridor was once again empty "I know Harry wanted us to, I could hear him"

Willow was sobbing quietly, but managed to reply:

"We're going in there aren't we?"

Alex nodded, took his sisters hand and dragged her through the rapidly closing oak doors, awaiting what they would find on the other side.

Alex had a feeling he would regret not listening to Harry, but once the doors closed with a tremendous crash behind them, he also knew there was no going back.

Im SOWWIE its late. Im getting lazy i know. Sorry for the really bad cliffie too...

Dunno when the next chapter will be finished....or started for that matter. I do alot at college now so hopefully soonish.

THANK U for all reviews. I love them all! Keep them coming!

Well must dash! toodles xxxxxxxx