Thanks again to my new reviews! You guys always make my day!
-Mel :D
All hell broke loose.
Draco watched as Davies blocked professor Lupin's spell and ducked as Granger sent a stupefying charm to the guy beside him. He ripped the gag from his mouth and threw himself behind the wall that separated the sad piece they called a kitchen to that shabby excuse of a living room.
He immediately regretted the action as he slid his arse to the floor, his injury instantly reminding him that he was in no shape to break out into a run.
He brought a shaking hand to the twig still poking out from his chest.
His silk blue shirt was now unrecognizably red and moist as it dripped down from the wound. Carefully letting go of it, he looked at his hand.
He grimaced and looked away.
He needed to get out of here.
The shattering of a nearby window seemed to emphasize his thought so he stabilized his wound again with his bloody hand and pushed himself back up.
Even if he had his wand, he knew he wasn't strong enough to apparate by himself. It was a miracle he didn't get splinched when Granger tried it earlier that morning.
He let out a cry of frustration. But it fell deaf to his ears. Granger's silencing spell was apparently still in effect.
With a bitter huff, he started to move.
He had no clue where to go.
He also had to stop every three steps because breathing was now a chore and it was getting really annoying.
He made it to the back of a hallway and leaned against the wall to give himself another respite. His eyes closed as a spout of lightheadedness surged.
When he opened them again, a backdoor came into view.
Finally!
Hermione ran and ducked behind the living room couch as one of its cushions' exploded, sending feathers flying everywhere.
Professor Lupin seemed to be handling Davies alright on his own, having blasted him through the front door and chasing after him.
She stood up, sent another stun and plopped back down for cover.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley seemed to be doing alright as well. The ministry official they were fighting was on the defensive; being the unfortunate bloke that had to deal with two against one.
That left the last one to her.
Thus she continued her game of pop goes the weasel with the man named Donovan.
Adrenaline surged through her when more feather's exploded, this time right near her head.
That one was way too close.
She stayed crouched for a moment, quickly trying to formulate her next plan of action when a surprised shout came from the kitchen.
"Molly!"
Oh no.
"Protego!" Shouted Hermione as she held her wand up and made a break for Mrs. Weasley.
Her temporary shield held up as Donovan advanced and joined his colleagues in the kitchen.
She stopped for a moment, dead in her tracks as she saw Mrs. Weasley on the floor, unresponsive.
Davies emerged from outside and now joined his colleague.
Roles were reversed as a distraught Mr. Weasley stood in front of his unconscious wife, deflecting spell after spell.
Professor Lupin was nowhere in sight.
"Stupify!" Cried Hermione as her vision blurred up with tears.
Her spell hit the unnamed official who hadn't seen her coming and he crashed against the kitchen sink, out cold.
"Stay out of this you meddlesome girl," growled Davies.
He jerked his wand above his head, "Fyrefiriendis!"
Hermione jumped back as a wall of flame erupted from Davies' wand. It cut off her sight to the kitchen; she couldn't see what was happening to the Weasley's.
The flames burned from the floor and rose until they licked the ceiling in front of her.
"Aguamentis!" She tried. The water flew out from her wand and crashed into the wall of fire, sizzling into steam.
But the fire continued to roar, unbothered.
"Aguamentis!" She tried again. Same result.
She swerved her head looking around for anything useful. The house was empty. Save for the couch. But that wouldn't do her any good.
No problem, she reasoned, she'd surprise them from behind.
Hermione took off running to the back door. It was already opened so she ran through it and hurried along the edge of the house back to the front porch.
By the time she reached the front, the house had become quiet.
She halted and pressed her back against the wall near the kitchen window.
A growl of anger filled the air.
"Tell no one of this," said Davies.
No one answered.
Hermione craned her head to look inside.
Davies was leaning against the sink, his back to her and was blocking her view of the rest of the kitchen.
Her sneakers crunched shattered glassed on the deck and she snapped her head back away from the window.
Wand semi-raised, she waited as her heart pumped in rapid beats.
Nothing happened.
No movement or talking.
But she knew they were still in there.
She weighed the risk between being discovered and taking another look inside.
She decided it was worth it.
Carefully placing her foot back on the glass, she held her breath and slowly moved her head back to the broken window, wand at the ready.
To her surprise, Davies was gone and the kitchen was empty.
Hermione frowned and creased her brows in confusion. She hadn't heard sounds of apparition let alone footsteps. Where did they go?
The floorboards behind her creaked.
She threw her hand out faster than her head turned.
To her dismay, her wand was ripped from her hand.
He slammed the door open as he forced his legs forward, sluggishly descending the porch steps onto the dry grass. His breath was ragged and excruciating.
Draco looked around. No other buildings in sight. No tree line. Just an excess of tall grass and marshland.
He spun around again.
Nothing. The Wealsey shack was truly in the middle of nowhere.
A woman's cry emitted from inside the house behind him. It made his head swim.
Or maybe it was the blood loss.
He walked to the tall grass and crouched there. Hopefully, the ministry officials would make quick work of them and then he could go home.
A bubble rose in his throat. He tried to push it down but it only grew bigger. Hacking for a moment, he managed to cough it out.
Movement from the porch caught his eye and he watched as Hermione quickly crept around the house to the front.
Brilliant.
He stumbled getting back up but found the momentum to sneak after her. Granger hadn't even noticed the rustle of the grass he'd emerged from.
He heard himself breathing rather loudly as he approached the deck and snapped his jaw shut.
The first breath through his nose didn't satisfy his lungs.
God, she would pay for stabbing him. Tenfold.
He loosened his jaw just enough to let in small amounts of puffs that would go unnoticed.
She was peeking inside the kitchen now.
Was she trying to get a cheap shot at a ministry official?
That wasn't very noble. How very Slytherin of her. He dismissed the idea the minute it entered his head.
When she whipped her head back around and slammed her back to the side of the house, he ducked. Way to fast.
He shook his head as his vision swam before him.
He only had one shot at this.
When she turned to look back into the kitchen again, he lounged onto the deck, her wand the only thing in his sight.
He just ripped it out of her hand. As if she had barely been holding it at all.
Hermione slowly raised her good arm in surrender as her own wand pointed back to her nose.
"Malfoy give me back my wand," she whispered.
He opened his mouth to retort but no sound came out. Her silence charm was still in effect.
A little more confident, she tried again.
"If you return me my wand, I can lift the spell."
He sneered at her, revealing bloody teeth.
That'd be a no then.
Rustling from inside the house caught her attention but no one was there. She looked back at Malfoy, finding him leaning against the house, panting but wand still facing her.
He raised his eyebrows and jerked her wand to the house before pointing it back to her.
He was planning on handing her over.
Not happening.
Despite his confident demeanor, she wasn't feeling very threatened. He looked rather pathetic really.
Still, he had her wand.
With a little Gryffindor courage, she pushed past him hoping to make it to the tall grass behind the house. He hadn't yet cursed her, so she was banking on him not knowing any useful wordless magic to stop her.
She slowed down about halfway around the house.
If that was the case, why didn't she take back her wand from him? Even with her broken arm, she would clearly still be able to get it. She couldn't apparate without it anyway.
She did a one-eighty midstride.
Malfoy had just got off the last porch step, his injury noticeably taking its toll.
It was almost laughable. She mentally patted herself on the back for a job well done.
The determination in her eyes must have scared him because he raised her wand at her again and started to back up.
She reached him quickly and stretched for her wand with her good arm. He raised it over his head and out of her reach, his other hand still holding his wound.
She used it to her advantage and made a slow and obvious attempt to strike his chest. He instantly coiled in on himself, his hand descending in the process.
Hermione grabbed her wand and pulled.
Surprisingly, he held tight and when she didn't dislodge it he pulled back.
The change in momentum threw off her balance and they both tumbled to the ground.
Her wand was dropped.
She was closer to it.
As she reached for it, Draco picked up a rock. He brought it up high and smashed it against the deck, over and over again.
He was trying to signal the ministry officials, she realized.
When Hermione had a firm grip on her wand, she closed her eyes and thought of the first forest her, Harry and Ron even hid in.
Hearing footsteps rush his way, Draco used the last of his strength to grab a fistful of the bottom of her jeans. Hopefully, she would trip when she tried to make a run for it.
Suddenly, an uncomfortable pull at his navel immediately made him nauseous.
As the world around them distorted and vanished, the last of his strength completely left him.
End of chapter 5.