Chapter 5: The Battle Begins
The boys ran through the corridors, pushing their way past the flustered and terrified students moving in the opposite direction. More than once, Draco could be heard muttering a quick apology for Theo as he knocked someone into a wall as the two of them moved away from the Great Hall where the students were to be assembled. "Theo, stop, will you please listen for a moment! Don't you think that she'll be making her way to the Great Hall, just like everyone else?" Draco panted and clutched at his side as they raced up, yet another staircase filled with students running downward.
"Have you met Hermione Granger? Honestly Drake! The bloody woman will try to put herself in the thick of the battle, not hiding away with a bunch of students." Theo shot back, looking over his shoulder as he kept his eyes peeled for anyone that might try to stop them. No one was paying attention to the two Slytherin boys though, all lost in their own worried conversations about what the headmaster could possibly want with them. "No, she's going to find where the fighting is and that's where she'll be." Theo insisted, as a group of Gryffindors passed them, only lingering long enough to glare at them - the Marked Death Eaters that they were.
"The bloody Gryffindors are hiding somewhere, how many of those fucking bleeding hearts have we found trying to make it up towards the seventh floor? I'm betting it's the room of hidden things, and you know we aren't going to be able to get in there with whatever precautions Longbottom has taken against the Carrows." Another group, a mix of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors pushed past them, all with their hoods pulled up and looking towards the ground trying to draw minimal attention to themselves. "We aren't going to just be able to find Granger looking for her this way. Please Theo, we have to think rationally!" Draco pleaded with his boyfriend, reaching his hand out and grasping Theo's wrist and stopping their ascent. "Please, I know we've got to find her, but this is not the way to do it." Draco's silver eyes were full of desperation, and as the last few students trickled past, Theo sighed and nodded his head.
"We find her, and we get the three of us the hell out of here, we are not getting involved in what is about to go down." Theo said, as Draco nodded in agreement. Both boys had seen enough carnage to last their lifetime, and they were not willing to risk any more than they had to at this point, especially not to be martyrs for pureblood supremacy that they didn't even believe in. "No matter who wins, Potter or the fucking maniac, we're not getting a happily ever after. Either we're ex-Death Eaters that will be shunned from society and possibly thrown in prison for life or Hermione is being hunted because of her blood. There's no happy ending for the three of us in England, and I'm not giving either of you up, do you understand me, Draco?" Theo said, turning on his heels and moving down the stairs, with Draco's hand in his, towards the Great Hall where all the students and faculty were.
The closer they came to the Great Hall, the more crowded the corridors were. There were a few lingering students, mostly younger ones who were too frightened to step inside. Near the entrance, there was a group of Slytherins who were separated from the rest of the student body. The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs were all mingling together, keeping the 'bad guys' out of their group. The boys weaved their way through the Slytherins and slipped silently into the back of the group, blending into the best they could. Draco had pulled his hood up to conceal his signature white-blonde hair, because even when standing behind the likes of Crabbe and Goyle, it always drew attention to him. Reaching out and taking his lover's hand, Theo gripped tightly looking around, searching for Hermione's identifying wild curls, but there were none.
Theo let out a low groan when he realized all the students in the hall were wearing school robes. The yellow, scarlet, and navy mixed together, making it even more tasking to try and find one area of the hall to look for her. Even though he knew that she had not been in attendance the past year, that didn't mean that she wasn't among the crowd of student. Hermione could have easily borrowed robes from another student to help not draw attention to herself. The clever witch that she was would have realized how beneficial it would be for her, Potter, and Weasley to not stick out by looking like they've been camping for the entirety of the school year. No, even though the rumor was that Potter, and by extension Hermione, were in Hogsmeade, Theo knew better than to believe that they hadn't found their way into the castle.
His eyes darting around looking for any sign of her, Theo could vaguely hear McGonagall planning with the other professors on how to evacuate the younger students. As a prefect this year, technically he should be listening about helping with that, but his mind was elsewhere. He, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all let out a hiss as their left arm kept burning. The marked students knew that their 'master' was summoning all his Death Eaters to Hogwarts, but still, Theo paid no mind. The only thought he had was where the fuck Hermione could be and how badly he needed to find her. He couldn't stop searching, not until he saw… "Hermione," he breathed out her name like a prayer as his gaze landed on her.
There she was, standing next to the bloody weasel of all people, proudly wearing a set of Gryffindor robes that were at least two sizes too large on her, hiding her hands and feet from view. Just from what he could see of her, she looked like she'd been through hell. Her hair was tousled and wild as ever, sticks and leaves were in the matted mess. She was bleeding from her head. Of course, she was bleeding. A large gouge on her forehead and a busted lip, and she was filthy, disgustingly so in fact. Dirt was smeared across her face, mixing with the blood making her look like Athena, the Greek Goddess of War, but he'd never seen a more beautiful sight. She was alive and within his reach.
Theo nudged Draco, who's eyes were still darting around the Great Hall, not having noticed her yet. Draco jerked his head looking at Theo, who motioned towards where she stood. Draco's eyes widened as he spotted her, his mouth slightly opening in shock. Theo and Draco shared a look, silently communicating with each other on a plan to reach her. They had to get to her and moved through the thick crowd of students and faculty, drawing as little attention as possible to what would be interpreted by any witnesses as an abduction. There was no way their little lioness would be coming quietly. They knew she would be determined to stay and fight in the upcoming battle, and there was no way in hell they were letting her put herself at risk in such a reckless manner.
The boys began stealthy movements through the crowd, nearing the gathering of Hermione and her little gang of halfwits, their heads bowed together discussing something. Theo scowled slightly, knowing that this would be moderately more complicated than he'd like, but such was life. His wand hung loosely in his hand as he crept closer, accepting that he might have to stun his little witch and maybe a couple of Weasleys in the process. Theo didn't care, his end goal was to get his Mia, and that's all he needed to stay focused on at the moment.
Of course, fate wouldn't be so kind. When he was finally close enough to her, a high-pitched voice rang out causing all of the hall's occupants to cover their ears in pain. A shiver ran down Theo's spin as he recognized the voice that had been commanding his life since his last birthday.
* "I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
Total panic erupted in the hall as students began shouting and shoving each other out of the way. The smaller younger students were falling to the ground as some of the older ones pushed their way towards the exit. The previously somewhat orderly evacuation of the younger students had transformed into utter chaos as the fear of the reality that was to come took hold. Before Theo could take advantage of the new cover, however, someone ran into him, knocking his wand from his hand. "Shit," he cursed, "Accio!" He called the spell out, turning his body towards where his hornbeam wand had clattered to the floor. His wand flew into his hand, and gripping it tighter, causing sparks to fly from the tip, he spun back to where Hermione had just been.
A string of curses left his mouth as he spotted his love's familiar bushy hair rushing out of the Great Hall alongside Potter and Weasley. She'd dropped the oversized robes and was wearing a bright pink sweater and jeans, making her much easier to spot in the crowd. It also meant that if he didn't get her out of here soon, she'd be a very convenient target for the Death Eaters as well. "DRACO!" Theo yelled out to the blonde, waving his hands over the bobbing head of children running for their lives. Before Draco could move however, Crabbe and Goyle had also spotted his platinum head of hair and had descended upon him. Flanking Draco's side just as they had in their younger years, Theo realized that it would take time to rid Draco of his old sidekicks, time that they didn't have. Well, this complicates things, he thought as the trio all looked towards him.
When Draco shook his head and motioned towards the exit, Theo understood the silent message. There would be no ridding him of the junior Death Eaters, Theo was going to have to go after Hermione alone. Knowing that he was going to have to find Draco after he'd secured Hermione, Theo took off at a sprint, dodging anyone who got in his way, trying to not knock scared children to the ground, unlike some of the other older students fleeing. The faster he moved; the better chance they could get out before Voldemort's army was released upon the school. As he weaved through the crowd, no one paid any mind to him as everyone else was either preparing for battle or to try and escape.
Theo had hardly stepped into the corridor when he saw the Golden Trio gathered discussing something on the main staircase, completely unaware of Theo watching them. When Potter split off from Hermione and Weasley, Theo saw his chance to get Hermione. With the chaos raining down around them, Theo ought to be able to easily grab Hermione after stunning Weasley from behind. He quickly moved towards the two, who were still talking when suddenly they took off running up the first flight of stairs towards the second floor. A growl of frustration rippled through Theo as he made to follow the duo. It seemed they were heading towards the fucking haunted girl's loo, but for what? To check on fucking Moaning Myrtle? Theo had no idea what the real reason was, nor did he really care.
Children from every year were running around him, trying to escape without anyone leading them, meaning that most of them were just chasing after each other, hopeful that they were going in the right direction. Most were, and the few that weren't seemed to realize they were going the wrong way and righted themselves without too much direction. It slowed his progression, but he kept going, following the girl his heart belonged to and the wanker he was going to pound into the ground for allowing her to be in the thick of a war. Just as he saw the twosome yank open the door to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, he caught sight of a pair of Hufflepuff first years huddled together in the corridor sobbing, their faces wet and puffy and their eyes red. Theo glanced back up at the door she'd just gone through, knowing if she came out, he'd notice before turning towards the two first years. Putting on a friendly face, he crouched down in front of the small students, Hermione would have to wait because he couldn't just leave these children here to die when the fighting broke out.
"Can you stand?" He asked, assessing them for any physical injuries with a wave of his wand, noting that beyond a few scrapes, they were both fine.
"Y-y-y-yes." A small black-haired girl responded, clutching her hands tighter in robes of the boy that looked strikingly similar to her, they must be related, Theo thought. Her face was smeared with dirt, and the boy's cheek was scuffed, and his body was trembling as he nodded his head that he too could stand as well.
Theo waved his wand and conjured a piece of parchment, which he tapped with his wand creating a map with instructions on it. "Follow this map. It'll bring you out of the castle and to a cave on the outskirts of the village. That's where the rest of the students evacuating will be heading, do you understand?" He asked, the pair nodded that they did. "Stay there until someone comes to collect you."
The girl reached out, taking the map in one hand and gripping the boy's hand in her other as they stood. "Stick together!" Theo called to their retreating backs before turning and running into the bathroom he'd seen Hermione and Weasley disappear into.
Bursting into the room Theo began running around kicking open all the stall doors, knocking some off their hinges and shattering the wood of others.
"HERMIONE!" He screamed out her name, not finding her anywhere in the now destroyed loo. In a rage, as he threw his head back screaming. The porcelain sinks shattered at his burst of accidental magic as he had realized that he was alone in the bathroom and the fear sank in. If she wasn't fucking here, then where the fuck could she have gone…
ooo
Draco looked around another corner, pointing his mother's wand he knocked another Death Eater off their feet just as they were about to curse Professor Flitwick in the back as he dueled two others in front of him. The Charms Professor hadn't even noticed the danger he was in, nor did he now realize that he'd just been saved. I swear to Salazar, if I get out of this, I better get an 'O' in Charms. He turned and began running up another staircase, looking anywhere that Theo could have gone to hide with Hermione.
As much as he wanted to help his boyfriend look for her, Draco was limited in what he could do in order to help find her. As they reached the seventh floor and turned another corner, he cursed inwardly at his own poor luck, as he still had…
"Hey, Malfoy, what do you think Potter is doing?" Crabbe said, stepping forward pulling Draco from his thoughts. The imbecile shot off a bombarda without warning towards the Potter, Weasley, and (of fucking course) Granger. The section of the castle they were in violently shook as the explosion hit a rafter above them.
Draco quickly reached out and grabbed Crabbe by the scruff, pulling the large teen back just as a chuck of ceiling fell to the ground exploding into dust where the idiot had just been standing.
"Are you really that thick!?" Draco seethed at the pair in front of him, they at least had the grace to look slightly ashamed about another slip up. "You're going to get yourself or all of us killed doing impulsive shit like that." Draco gave the warning, even though he knew it was pointless, this was the fourth time that one of his old friends had almost gotten them killed tonight.
Draco turned back around just in time to watch just as Potter, Weasley, and Granger were stepping into the Come and Go Room Turning back to the other two, knowing that he didn't have time to ditch them, "Come on then, let's see what they're up to. And don't go blasting off any spells until we absolutely have to." He instructed, looking directly at Crabbe before the trio of Slytherins slipped into the quickly disappearing door in front of them.
As they just stepped inside, the boys had their wands raised and ready to engage with the Gryffindors when they realized that they were utterly alone. The sounds of movement ricocheted off the maze of lost and forgotten objects around them as the others ran about. "Alright, we'll split up. It sounds like they aren't together either, so it shouldn't be a problem if we can sneak up on them. Disarm and detain only, The Dark Lord wants Potter alive, and the other two might be considered prizes as well." Draco instructed his childhood friends, who nodded their meaty heads in agreement. While the look on Goyle's face was obedience, Crabbe's eyes slightly narrowed towards Draco before they all took off running in separate directions.
Hopefully I can find Granger and get her out of here before either of them finds us. Now, I just have to find Granger and not one of her friends. Draco thought to himself as he took off in the direction of where he could hear someone muttering to themselves. That has to be her, he thought, remembering all their time in class together when she'd converse out loud with herself, never realizing that he could hear her from his desk behind.
"Just fucking breath, Hermione. You can do this, just find the diadem and destroy it. Easy. Then it's just the snake, how hard can it be to kill a snake?" Draco heard her saying as he rounded the corner. With her back turned to him, he let out a sigh of relief that he was able to find her before either Crabbe or Goyle. If either of them had found her standing here so utterly open for an attack, they would have cursed first and asked questions later.
He noted that her hair had sticks, leaves, and rubble in it and the oversize pink jumper she was wearing had a rip in the sleeve where he could see blood seeping through from an injury she'd sustained. She was bent over digging through a mess of items, and if he hadn't been in such a state of panic, he would have enjoyed the view of her arse in those wonderful muggle denims that she always wore. As it was though, the castle they were in was under attack by his nightmare of a house guest and his cult of deranged followers. So, Draco desperately wanted to grab Granger and Theo to get them all the fuck out of here.
"Granger," Draco hissed, making noise loud enough to get her attention, but not alert anyone else to their location. He vividly recalled how dangerous she could be and had thought it best not to surprise her by walking up behind her and tapping her on the shoulder without warning.
She whipped around, wand raised to him and a wild look in those chocolate brown eyes as they landed on him. Her lip was busted open, and she had a small fresh cut near her eyebrow, where blood was still slowly dripping down onto her cheek. Salazar, she truly was a sight. But even this disheveled, she was still a stunning creature.
"Granger, Theo is looking for you. We've got to hurry and meet up with him." He told her, opening his jacket to show her where he had his mother's wand stored before raising his hands in a non-threatening manner as he slowly approached her.
"I'm not going with you, Draco," she said, surprising him with the use of his first name, also keeping her voice low so as to not alert the others. "I'm not leaving Harry, we're looking for Ravenclaw's Diadem. I'm not going to ask you to help, but I can't leave." Draco could hear a small hitch in her voice as she said the last part.
Theo had told Draco that Granger knew everything about their relationship, but he was still shocked at how easily she seemed to trust him, at least somewhat, that he wasn't going to harm her. Her wand was still gripped tightly in her hand, clearly not completely trusting him, she was no fool.
As she attempted to stand steadily, he could see the slightest trembling in her legs. He also noted that instead of returning to her task, she refused to turn her back on him. Smart girl, because he'd stun her the moment, he got an opening.
"Granger, the castle is coming down. He's here, you heard him, he's looking for Potter, and he's not going to show any mercy to you. I need you to come with me. I don't want to fight you, please." Draco said, still slowly approaching her, keeping his strides short and non-threatening.
"We have to find the diadem and destroy it, Draco. It's the only way to end the war. It's the only way to kill him," Granger took a tentative step backwards, clearly suspicious of him, even as he remained unarmed.
"Let Potter play the hero, Granger. I'm taking you out of here and we're going to find Theo and get all of us to safety." At the mention of Theo again, Draco could see tears welling in her eyes. Her free hand drifted up so that it was covering her heart before dropping to cover her stomach. Realizing that he'd found the key to her, Draco, ever the Slytherin, preyed on that weakness.
"Theo's here, in the castle, and he's looking for you, Granger." Draco said, still moving slowly towards her. "Theo's not leaving Hogwarts without you. I can tell you; he was not very pleased to find out that you weren't with your parents. When I told him about what happened at the manor, he told me everything. I know what the two of you mean to each other, and how much he loves you."
A sob broke through her throat as Granger continued to take another step back away from him. "I have to do this, Draco. Please, you don't understand…" She pleaded as her back collided with the shelves of books and crates filled with knick knacks behind her. "Please tell Theo that I love him, keep him safe and tell him that I'll find him, I promise I'll find him." She choked out as Draco continued to stalk closer to her, backing her further into her corner. Even though Granger was the one who was armed with her wand trained on his chest, Draco still felt like a predator after his prey. Like he was the cat, about to catch the mouse.
"You know I can't do that Granger; I can't show up to Theo without you. Not again, he may love me, but he wouldn't forgive me if I allowed you to fight in this battle. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either." Draco confessed the last bit, making Granger drop her wand arm just slightly, he was right in front of her as the tip of her wand brushed his robes. "Come on, Hermione." Draco whispered her name as he slowly reached a hand out towards her, "Come with me."
It was as if she were hypnotized by his eyes, and he by hers. The shouts in the background were nothing that either could pay any attention to this close to one another. He could smell the light scent of the soap she'd used last mixed with the earthy smell from the dirt coating her skin. The lavender broke through, just as his face was centimeters from hers. Her shocked murmur of 'spearmint' before her lips met his. Draco stilled for only a moment in the surreal awareness that he was truly kissing Hermione Granger, before he lifted his hands to cup her face and pull her closer. His thumb stroked her jaw and he reveled in the feel of her. The tip of her wand pressing painfully into his sternum normally would have made him nervous, but Draco was so lost in her that he couldn't feel anything but her. He'd wanted her for such a long time.
It was as if a dam had burst, they were desperately hungry for one other, as if they were the forbidden fruit that had been off limits for far too long. His grip on her face tightened as he pulled her even closer, she nipped his bottom lip then ran her tongue over the injured flesh to soothe it. Salazar, he needed to feel her, feel more of her. He released her face, and his hands began to drift towards the hem of her jumper before one of her hands gripped one of his wrists, halting him. What? Why?
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" The shouted unforgivable caused Draco to whip his head around, breaking the kiss, his lips bruised and his body aching to be against hers again, as he realized it was Crabbe's voice shouting out the killing curse just a row behind them.
The flash of green light caused an explosion, shaking the entire room. The disruption broke whatever trance Draco had managed to put Granger under. With Draco distracted, Granger, being the most frustrating witch to ever walk the Earth, was able to dip under his outstretched arm and was running towards the unhinged men casting killing curses.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Draco shouted, taking off after her as soon as he noticed her back running down the aisle.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" He heard Hermione shouting before he could see her. He rounded the corner and watched as Goyle's wand flew out of his hand and into her outstretched one. Her triumphant grin as she stood next to Potter and Weasley only lasted a moment before Crabbe scurried back from his duel to stand with his now wandless friend.
A sneer crossed Crabbe's face as he looked between Granger and Draco. "What were you doing with the mudblood, Malfoy?" Crabbe spat out, literally spitting on the floor as if speaking of her had put a dirty taste in his mouth. "I should have known you were weak, just like your father." He continued, puffing his chest up, like he was close to exploding. "Blood-traitor, though? Never would have guessed coming from you, not after everything we've been through. But I've seen the way you make eyes at Nott, a mudblood would be the next step, huh? Can't wait until I tell The Dark Lord that I killed Potter, two blood-traitors, and a mudblood. I'll be greatly rewarded!" He shouted, and before Draco could react, Fiendfyre shot out the end of his old friend's wand. A giant basilisk of fire roared to life above them and Draco knew fear as he screamed, reaching for Granger.
A/N: Funny story about this chapter. It's been written since I published the last one, but I felt out of breath when I read it. So... The other half just got pushed to chapter 6 AND this chapter got a much needed facelift.
All my love to Ceilidhchaos and allisonsnead for helping me get through this mess!
Now, off to facelift chapter 6 (formerly known as the end to chapter 5) titled: Love and Labor.
Reviews and comments are always appreciated, but I'll never hold a chapter hostage for a certain number
OHHH BIG NEWS (well, kinda?) I'm on TWITTER (technically have been for four years, but sigh, don't ask) You can follow me if you want for more of my witty self and to see what I'm working on that day! My handle is sarahfhickman
