Chapter Nine
'Subitus Succurro'
Unexpected Help
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FLASHBACK TO NIGHT OF ESCAPE
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Draco lay on the dungeon floor, listening intently to the sound of Tonks' shallow breathing – she was not going to make it unless he could get her medical attention. Perhaps he could convince the Death Eaters that she was more use to them alive than dead, although now that they had orders from Lucius, it was highly unlikely that they would listen.
He had grown really close to Tonks in the two months that they had spent together in this cell, her almost nauseatingly perky outlook on life and her ribald sense of humor had been a soothing balm to the situation in which they found themselves. They had depended on each other to mentally, physically and emotionally for the last eight weeks, and he was gutted at the though that he could do so little for her now when she needed it most. Resting his head against the slimy dungeon wall, he closed his eyes trying to fight the fear that threatened to overwhelm him.
He did not know how long he had been asleep, but he woke to the unexpected sensation of cool fingers clumsily patting his head.
"Poor young master Draco, it is not fitting that you should be here." A voice said softly, "Master Draco was always good to Dobby when he was his house elf. Dobby understood that young master could not speak out against his father. Dobby always knew that master Draco was like his mother."
"Dobby!" he almost screamed the name as his eyes flew open and he threw his arms around the tiny house elf in his joy.
"Dobby is sorry he could not come sooner young master Draco, but it has been dangerous times in our world so it has. Dobby was making plans to help the young master escape." Dobby touched Draco's bruised and beaten face and gave an indelicate sob. "Such pain the young master has had to endure; Dobby could not stand to see the young master treated as less than vermin by his awful father."
"Dobby, please…is there any way you can get us out of here?" Draco asked, his voice low, his hopes soaring.
Dobby nodded his bulging eyes keen, alert and if Draco could says so, looking decidedly devious to boot.
"Dobby has obtained a wand for young master Malfoy" Dobby pulled a wand out of the pocket of his rather new looking suit, made it appeared, out of one of the most hideous table cloths ever designed, and handed it to Draco. "Dobby has taken the liberty of arranging a diversion upstairs so that Master Draco may escape with Pinky Head Tonks. Dobby has to go straight back to Hogwarts, he is need there most urgently, but he has made a tonic so that Pinky head Tonks will be well enough to take Master Draco with her to safety. Pinky head Tonks is always nice to Dobby."
Draco held the wand like a lifeline, and gratefully used it to immediately divest them of their restraints, as the manacles fell to the floor, Dobby gave Tonks a bubbling purple potion and she regained a state of semi-consciousness.
"Draco?" Tonks raised her head, frowning as the thumping began behind her eyes, looking across from Draco she saw someone else. "Dobby?"
Draco shook Tonks slightly and cursed himself for not being more careful when she gasped in pain. "Tonks, no time to explain, we need to apparate out of here now. Is it possible that you can get us somewhere that the Order can find us before the Death Eaters do?"
"Need a wand…don't know if strong enough for two…try...?" Tonks said, her head lolling on her shoulders.
"Why isn't she fully conscious?" Draco asked Dobby.
"Dobby is only a house elf Master Draco, I knows only potions that last a little while in humans. Pinky Tonks should be able to get to safety before it wears off, at least Dobby hopes so, for Master Draco's sake."
Draco stood her up, placing her arm across his shoulders, wincing at the pain that jettisoned through his body and trying to ignore the groan of pain from Tonks.
"Tonks, we need to try." He handed her the wand, she shook her head as if to clear it and then took the wand from him in a shaking hand.
Dobby clenched his hands, his ears folded back to malformed skull, and stood back from the couple holding on to each other, barely able to stand. "Quickly young master, you must go now!"
As if to illustrate that point, an explosion rocked the upper level of the Manor, and Tonks waved the wand, thinking of Number Eleven Grimmauld Place.
Seconds later, Draco found himself and a barely conscious Tonks standing outside a run down building in the middle of London. Tonks' head lolled on his shoulder, her eyes rolling back dangerously in her head as her knees collapsed from under her. Draco lifted her into his arms, trying desperately to ignore the pain surging through his body, threatening to overwhelm him.
"Tonks, where do I go?" Draco asked frantically, fighting off waved of nausea and dizziness, apparating had cost them both dearly. "Tonks, please wake up. I can't do this alone, I need you."
"The middle one," was all Tonks said, as she opened her eyes one more time and seemed to concentrate on something he could not see.
To his shock, the two buildings, Number Eleven and Number Thirteen slid apart to reveal the walkway to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, his first step onto the path to the light began as he staggered to the door, with a now unconscious Tonks in his arms. He kicked at the door, and held his breath as it was opened.
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End Flashback
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Fred's watch beeped, startling everyone in the room.
"The serum should be wearing off in about a minute, you OK Malfoy?"
"Tired, hungry and in a bit of pain." Draco said his face pale and his eyes heavy lidded with the emotional strain that telling his tale had placed on him. "I know that what I've told you tonight is not really useful to help stop Voldemort, but maybe tomorrow you can start asking me things that I might know that could help the Order?"
The look on his face was so hopeful that Fred had to admit to himself that there was the slightest possibility that he had misjudged Draco, and he offered him a very Weasley smile.
"Sure Draco, we can do that tomorrow...if you're up to it of course. Not being rude, but you look like crap."
Draco chuckled realizing that in Fred's flippancy, lay acceptance.