Chapter 40 - Reservations and Resolutions

It might have been hours or even days later, for how refreshed Draco and Hermione both felt when they woke up. Almost from the second that Draco had opened his eyes and gotten out of the cot, he had felt fully energized, and Hermione even more so as she realized that, contrary to expectations, her friends were not back yet, as Dobby had promised. Something had happened, they were both sure of it, but what?

While Draco paced the tent back and forth, debating between going back home and checking directly or sending a patronus to find out what had happened, Hermione set about quickly packing up everything within the tent, as it was clear that they could no longer stay there if Dobby and the others weren't coming. Something bad must have happened to delay them, she thought, and no matter what the case, she sensed that her friends needed her now.

And Draco...well, he had given no indication of what he was going to do next, but whatever it was, Hermione trusted that he would make the right decision.

As they almost finished packing, quite unexpectedly it was not Dobby or one of their friends who spontaneously arrived in the tent, but a patronus, that Hermione distinctly recognized as Luna's hare. To her further surprise, the message was intended for Draco.

"Sorry I didn't send this out earlier, Malfoy, but things have been a bit busy around here," the hare said, in Luna's usual calm tones. "I just remembered that I never got around to thanking you for helping us escape, but it did work and I thought I'd mention it now. I got away just fine with Harry, Ron, and Dobby, and I assume Ollivander got away as well.

"We're all waiting to hear from you and Hermione now and hope that you're alright as well. I don't think anyone's contacted you until now, but Bill said it might not be safe and told us to wait a bit. I hope Hermione hasn't been worried. Oh, and if she can hear me, hello Hermione, and sorry we didn't say anything earlier. Dobby says that we should have apparated to where you are, except there was a bit of trouble with our escape. Harry's in a bad way now, I'm sorry to say, and we haven't been able to move him for a while. We're all waiting to hear from you though, to let us know that you're okay.

"Oh, and Malfoy, one more thing. About the unicorn blood, I did manage to get it, though it really isn't as much as I thought. If you still want it, you can come along with Hermione and I can give it to you then, as we agreed. See you when we can. Bye, Hermione."

And then, its message delivered, the hare waited as though for a response, which Hermione quickly conveyed by saying that they would be with their friends—well, her friends, anyway, though Harry counted as both of theirs—soon.

Once the hare was gone, Draco crossed his arms and gave Hermione a skeptical look. "You do realize she didn't tell us where they are?" he prompted.

Hermione, who had gone back to packing immediately, paused and gave Draco what was almost an amused look. "Oh, she did, though not directly," she said. After all, after having years of deciphering the ditzy Ravenclaw, Hermione was an expert at determining what she meant, no matter how cryptic or silly it sounded. "They're at Shell Cottage—that's the home of Ron's oldest brother, Bill."

"Ah." Draco paused, looking deep in thought. "I don't suppose there's any reason for me to go there, then."

Hermione nearly dropped what she was holding. "What? Whyever not?"

Draco shrugged, his expression grim. "Hermione, we both know they'll be happy to see you, but I'm a different story. Harry and even Luna might be fine seeing me, but I doubt that the Weasleys or Dobby will be so thrilled. Besides, it's my family that did this to you all, and didn't you hear what Luna said about Harry?"

Hermione nodded. She realized the fact alright, but was compartmentalizing her worry so as not to cloud her judgement right now. She was going to be of no use to Harry if she started assuming the worst without seeing his condition for herself, so even if inside she was terrified of how serious it might be, on the outside she wasn't going to allow herself to panic.

"Yes, Draco, but—"

"I think we have to be realistic, Hermione," Draco sighed. "For moments at a time, maybe we can both forget that there's a war going on and that everything's good when it's just the two of us, but...out there, in the real world, there's still everything that's against that, and—"

"—and I can see that no matter how many times I tell you something or prove something, it still isn't getting through to you, is it, Draco Malfoy?" Hermione challenged, stepping in front of him and crossing her arms. "I mean, Merlin, you must want to be miserable and alone, based on how you're going on!"

"That's not—"

"Come with me, for Merlin's sake! Even Ron has to accept that you helped aid our escape and that without you—"

"Hermione..."

"—I might not be alive right now! None of us would be, because you could easily have turned Harry in to Bellatrix and we'd all be in Volde—"

"Ssh!"

"Right, his hands by now!" Throwing up her hands, Hermione stepped back and also began pacing, clearly exasperated with him. "You just won't accept that things have changed!"

Privately, Draco thought that Hermione was maybe speaking too soon, as in his mind there were still many opportunities for him to betray them, betray her, and therefore cast aside everything that had happened between them. But then, that was just his pessimistic Slytherin's mind at work, and might not necessarily reflect the true state of things. She trusted him, but he still couldn't trust himself.

That didn't mean, though, that he wasn't willing to take a leap of faith...

"Alright. I'll come."

Hermione stopped. "Good. That's what you should have said in the first place."

Draco sighed and shrugged. "I guess I'm difficult that way sometimes."

"'Sometimes?'" Hermione quirked an eyebrow. Then, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him, she said, "Draco, you're always difficult." Then, at his surprised look, she added, "Maybe that's what I like about you."

Returning her embrace just as she was about to pull away, Draco rested his chin on top of her head. "That goes two ways, Granger. No one can keep up with you."

Hermione smiled. "You'll have to try, Draco. If we're in this together, you'll have to try."

And, for what it was worth, they were in this together, as fully committed as they could feel themselves to be, and it was on this resolution that they proceeded together, apparating hand-in-hand to Shell Cottage.

Once they landed on the beach, they sensed that they had set off some sort of warding spell, which was confirmed a second later when a strong immobilizing hex was sent their way. If Draco had not been quick with his wand, they might both have been in for a nasty shock.

Looking around in alarm, Hermione had a moment to lament her wandless-ness, before she caught sight of Bill and Ron headed their way, wands drawn.

"Hermione!" Bill called, relief evident in his tone. Ron, looking at Hermione appeared to be equally relieved, though the look he cast Draco was reserved and full of suspicion.

Hermione accepted Bill's hug readily, and tried not to be hurt by Ron's own holding back. At the very least, the redhead should have been able to say something, but in the next moment Luna Lovegood had come up behind the brothers.

"Hermione! Malfoy!" Digging into her pocket without preamble, she held out a small vial with silvery-blue liquid. "Just in case you forget to ask," she said in response to Draco's surprised look.

"Thanks," Draco mumbled, tucking it away and feeling appropriately awkward. Not that there was much time for any personal feelings though, as Bill quickly led them towards the cottage and explained what had happened to Harry since they'd last met. Their focus entirely diverted, Draco and Hermione each had different reactions to what they heard.

Hermione, for all that she tried hard to remain calm, couldn't help herself from gasping in shock and pain, as though she had been the one to be stabbed instead. She hastened ahead of the others and dashed into the cottage before anyone could stop her.

Draco, on the other hand, for all that he was shocked and dismayed at what was the most serious consequence he had heard of yet, managed to remain outwardly calm and, for those who didn't know him well, unfeeling. Make no mistake though, he was horrified because of what had happened to Harry—what his aunt had done—but there was something else nagging at the back of his mind, something that he felt he should remember that was relevant to what had to happen next.

Inside, he heard Hermione questioning Fleur on what she had done, what she had used, and how much of what she had administered to Harry. Through the open doorway to the sickroom, he could just make out the pale form of The Boy Who Lived, who might soon be outliving that title at a time that was still premature.

"I don't understand," Hermione whispered—but it was so quiet in the house that no one had any trouble hearing her. "The wound has closed perfectly and there's no swelling, no organ damage, nothing else to heal. So why...?"

"It is poison," Fleur replied. "Nagini's poison. It is in his system and I can't get it out."

Digging into her bag, Hermione searched out a book of antidotes, as well as what potion stores she had on hand. She always had the answers—surely she would find one now.

Draco, watching her from the doorway, kept his eyes fixed on her expression even when Ron rudely shoved past him without apologizing. For, by now Draco's own mind was hard at work on an important train of thought, and he felt that he had to see it through to its conclusion or things would truly be lost for Harry.

Something about...poison...Nagini's poison...

...poison...potion. Wait! Yes, a potion!

It all came back in a flood, but Draco remembered it perfectly: a private lesson on poisons and antidotes that he had learned about under Severus's advanced tutelage. It wasn't standard potions-making that was taught at Hogwarts, either, but something entirely new and unexplored.

Something...that he could use that might be strong enough to combat Nagini's poison.

Because, as he watched Hermione grow steadily more and more frantic as she flipped through the pages of her advanced manual, he knew that there were no answers to be found there. All the books in the Wizarding World dealt with known poisons and known antidotes, but Nagini's potent brand of poison extended beyond that and was laced with the Dark Lord's own evil magic. Nothing they had would be enough and Harry was already running out of time.

Draco turned to leave, just barely avoiding knocking Luna over as he did. For, out of everyone, she was the only one who paid any attention to the young Malfoy, and now was looking at him quite curiously, as though she had caught him in the process of running away.

Briefly, Draco considered telling them all about his plan, but that would only raise hopes in some cases and arouse more suspicions in others—and right now he didn't want to do either. Taking his plan for what it was worth, right now he only had the bare minimum set in his mind, and needed to consult with Severus before it became a more definite idea. But, if he was right and if it worked...

"If Hermione—if anyone asks about me, tell them that I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispered to Luna, drawing her aside.

"Where are you going?" Luna whispered back, glancing towards the sickroom.

Draco shook his head. "You'll know later, but..." And then, bringing his hand up to where he had stored the vial of unicorn blood, he hoped against hope that he wasn't doing this for nothing. "For now, I need you to keep quiet, Lovegood."

"Will do," Luna said with a shrug, taking the information in stride as she did most things. Then, just as Draco was about to leave, she added, "Oh, and by the way, you can call me Luna now."

Draco was surprised to hear it, but not unpleasantly so. Quite without intention, it seemed he had secured another person on his side, and it was better yet that she was also Hermione's friend. "And you can call me Draco," he replied, realizing that Luna was waiting for an answer.

A shy smile on her behalf was the last thing he saw before he apparated away—back to Hogwarts.

A/N: Hello, hello everyone and welcome back! So, it's been a long, busy, and tiring first month of the year for me, but in the months ahead—until May, at least—I'm looking at a lighter workload than what I've had so far, and therefore can focus more on my personal hobbies as well as my schoolwork.

For those of you who've been lying in wait and anticipation, I'd like to extend my personal thanks to you for sticking around, and hope that the story is good enough to reward your patience! Thank you to all you awesome witches and wizards out there!

As you may have noticed, my writing's not exactly at its best in this chapter, and that's because I've been writing it in snippets whenever I got the time. Hopefully though, the direction that I'm going with this is compelling, so please do follow, favourite, and review to let me know what you think now that we're back!

Very soon, in about one or two chapters, I expect us to be past this Malfoy Manor arc, and move on to the next big thing from canon—does anyone remember what that might be? ;)