Draco curled his lips to the strong smell of mud and sweat. He didn't know why his father had insisted on him coming with him. It wasn't his mission to capture the Lovegood girl so her father would stop writing positive stories about Potter. Why did he have to be exposed to the disgusting filth of the underworld? It wasn't like his father even needed him there, snatchers were the lowest of low in the ranks of the Dark Lord, only the truly insane would have even thought about doing something untoward with a marked Death eater, even one as disgraced as his father.

"It'll be just a moment, our boss is a bit...occupied."

The seedy looking man grinned darkly at Draco making a small shiver crawl up his spine. The regal blond snapped his eyes away choosing any direction but the one the man stood in to turn his cobalt eyes. There was only the man before them and another by a fire. The entire camp look like it had been made in haste, he suspected that their job required them to move around a lot.

A deep groan from the tent beyond turned both blonds attention and his father cleared his throat adjusting himself to stand just a bit straighter. It was a position Draco had long since learned meant his father was uncomfortable with the circumstance. As if standing taller would make him appear stronger. Draco, of course, had naturally absorbed the gift but not the intimidating stare that went along with it.

The man who had greeted them grinned and turned towards the tent but neither blond turned to follow. Instead, they stood at the door waiting to be greeted like they should have been from the start. Their wait wasn't unbearable but still longer than what was respectable and Draco could feel the impatience wafting off of his father. It was just when he was sure he was to go in himself when the door to the tent finally came open.

"Lucius! So sorry to keep you waiting." The man looked as though he'd been dragged through hell. His face was heavily scarred on one side with the eye a stark murky white against his weather-tanned face. He walked with a small limp but Draco was sure he wasn't as incapable as he appeared. All in all, he was definitely someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

"It better have been worth it. As you know there is a bounty on your head from the Dark Lord himself."

"And yet, you still seek my services. Quite brave of you."

"Do you have her or not?"

"I do." The man looped his thumbs into his belt loops, his head tilting a bit as though he'd heard something before his sharp green eye turned back to them, "Where's the rest of my bounty?"

Lucius jabbed Draco with his elbow, prompting the teen to pull out a pouch of galleons. As much as he didn't want to approach the man he had no choice. Swallowing down the bile that had risen in his throat from the smell of the man, he moved forward to place the pouch into his waiting hand. As he placed it inside, his eyes shot over his shoulder where the tent had remained partially open.

His heart skipped a beat when his eyes caught sight of the bed—or rather who was laid upon it. He blinked dumbly as he was surely seeing things. Her head was turned towards him, the red band around her fixed eyes searing itself into his mind. What he could see of her body was bare, her chest fluttering weakly as blood ran down the arm that had fallen to the floor. It was just a glance, but it was an image that would surely haunt him in his dreams. He was sure he was seeing an illusion, a trick of the senses brought on by the horrid smell of the man before him.

Draco dropped the coin into his waiting hand before a sharp movement caught both of their attention. They turned in unison to a dark figure that appeared to materialize out of the shadows cast in the waning sun. Draco felt his blood run cold as his Godfather came to his full height, his sharp eyes piercing directly into his soul; judging him for something he wasn't even aware he'd done.

"A rather foolish move, Lucius."

"Stay out of this Severus." Lucius was non-pulsed by the man's appearance. Believing him to have been simply spying on him and his methods for seeing to the Dark Lord's wishes.

"Best do as he says." Marxan grinned darkly, thumbing a bit of blood that he knew had gathered at the corner of his lip, "Where's my elf?"

"Dead, as you should be."

"Pity, good help is so difficult to find these days."

Before the pissing match between all of them could even begin a large explosion from inside the tent captured the attention of all those present. The snatcher who had been retrieving Luna flew yards away from the hole blasted in the side, his body landing in a crumpled heap in a thicket of thorn bushes. There was a second of confusion before spells came from all directions.

Luna couldn't believe she'd managed to take the snatchers' wand, what she hadn't been prepared for was the chaos her action would have created. Having exploded her way out of her cage she'd tried to make it towards the back of the tent before a large burst of slicing flame cut diagonally across her back. The spell wasn't direct but it was enough to bring her face down into the dirt.

The ground trembled and her heart nearly left her chest as she was sure she'd just signed her death warrant. What happened next left spots in front of her eyes from the explosion of spells coming from all directions. Her body fatigued and adrenaline running through her blood, she crawled her way under the remains of the table that had exploded mere moments after she'd fallen.

Bravely, she turned her head up, trying to see into Hermione's eyes as she laid motionless through it all. The only indication that she was alive at all was the twitching of the left side of her face as the sound of magic crescendoed. She could have apparated, she'd learn the spell—but her heart told her to stay, to fight. She'd just rolled onto her side to look behind when a strong hand took her by the arm hulling her from the dirt. A flash of blond hair was all she registered before her stomach turned from the force of apparation.

Severus snarled as Lucius and Draco took the easy way out. Pushing their way through Marxan as the man turned his attention on him. The duel between them was impressive though Severus was surely under-matched. He had seen the Lovegood girl for only a moment before Marxan had used his signature spell to send her to the dirt. He didn't know why she was there, nor why Lucius apparently was paying for her capture. It was a puzzle for another time.

Severus had silently made quick work of the three other snatchers in the camp before having made his presence known. His soul felt lighter when he'd sent them to their graves. Not directly no, but their wounds would take them soon enough. Even with his hatred for what they'd done, the killing curse was something that fractured the soul and after all he'd done thus far; he wasn't sure how much he had left. Death was the easy way out anyway. He wanted them to suffer, to die slowly, painfully, fearfully. It was his own justice.

Marxan was a dangerous man but even he knew when he was outmatched. His strength came from his numbers and it was very clear that no one was coming to his aid. With his bounty still in hand, he cast out one final spell creating the diversion he needed. With nothing but the coin in his hand, he disappeared with an untraceable portkey. He may have lost the battle but the war was far from over.

He knew that Snape would destroy the camp and find the other half of the dragon head. To him, it was only a small setback. The girl was of no consequence, though once the stones were reunited, he'd have fewer pieces to fight for. It was the silver lining in his dark cloud of retreat.

Severus growled low in his throat lowering the arm that had come up to shield his head. His heart filled with rage as the dust settled and his opponent gone. His eyes twitched as he forced himself not to scream out in anger. He was so close to ridding the world of that man once and for all. If it hadn't been for Lucius he would have killed him on the spot. His need for information having stalled his hand too long. He needed answers. There was so much more than what he originally believed to be going on. So many webs of deceit.

It was only as the adrenaline started to drain from his system did even even register the searing pain in his shoulder. The black material of his coat was parted, revealing red and pale skin. He blinked dumbly for a few moments before he realized he was bleeding—and heavily. His chest felt heavy and his wand arm numb as he raised the wood to seal the hole. It was crude and would most certainly scar but at present he couldn't have cared.

His dark eyes swept over to the partially collapsed tent and he pushed himself closer. His vision tilted from blood loss but he wouldn't allow himself to let his guard down. By some miracle, he managed to make his way inside, the remains of the twisted metal cage caught his eye for only a moment before turning to Granger.

A dark bruise had already formed over her pale neck, her chest still fluttering as she choked on the smoke filled air. With a hiss he brought himself closer, forcing himself to move despite his body trying to fail him. He blinked slowly, trying to clear away the darkness around his vision before he made it to the bedside.

Collapsing down to one knee, he wrapped his wounded arm around her chest and raised his wand, "Accio Dual Dragon."

The stone burst forth from a trunk at the end of the bed, caught in his wand hand with a sharp snap. With what was left of his strength, he wrapped his arm tighter around her frame and whispered the activation spell for the portkey that would take him directly to his rooms.

oOo

"What the hell was that!?" Draco could hardly contain his anger.

His mother jumped from his outburst as she'd been mending a cut along his brow when he'd exploded. His father, as slippery as he was, had made it through the fight completely unharmed though was presently trying to save the life of the Lovegood girl that they were simply supposed to contain.

"Silence boy." Lucius had known the risks of dealing with Marxan he just hadn't predicted Snape sticking his big nose in. He was still trying to figure out how he'd known about their meeting but nothing logical came to mind. He hadn't spoken to anyone aside from Marxan himself. Draco hadn't even known where they were to be going until he'd requested him to come. It was supposed to be a simple exchange; how had it all gone wrong?

Draco snapped his jaw shut but glared at his Father's back. His mother tried to soothe his temper with a gentle hand through his hair but he wouldn't be so easily consoled, "Why couldn't you just get her yourself!? Why are you so incompetent in everything you do!?"

"Lucius-" Narcissa's plea for her husband to control his temper came to a sudden halt as her head snapped to the side. Having moved between her son and the man who had helped to create him causing her to take the blow. Blood dripped freely from her split lip as she lost her balance falling into Draco as she tried to regain her composure.

Lucius seethed with raw power furiously looking over her head into Draco's dumbfounded face before he turned away. Disgusted with himself and the words that had hit harder than he'd ever admit. He needed a drink and silence.

Narcissa took her own calming breath, pushing Draco from the room before he could say anything else. Her head rung from the strike but it wasn't the first time Lucius had lost his temper in such a manner, though it was the first time their son had been the direct cause. His words had hurt her as well, knowing that she'd raised such an ungrateful son. How could he possibly understand the weight that had fallen over their entire family? The sacrifices that had been made to spare his soul?

oOo

"Miss Granger...?" Severus had miraculously managed to get Hermione onto his bed. Her entire body shaking from what he could only guess. She didn't respond to his words but she was clearly breathing. His own body was starting to give way now, and it was by will alone that he sat upon his bed. He banished away his ruined jacket, leaving the girl as she was to tend for himself.

His shoulder had reopened from the magic used in the portkey and crimson wamrth starting to run down his arm, the blood dripping into her hand that rested beside his thigh. He needed potions, problem was he didn't have the strength to summon them. He needed help, in more ways than one. How could he have ever believed he'd be able to juggle all of this?

He didn't even have anyone he could trust. Dumbledore was dead and all his connections and contacts believed him to be the enemy. There was no one.

His head lowered down to his chest as he took in slow breaths to rebuild his strength. It was during one of his long counts that the fingers beside him began to move. His eyes cracked open turning just far enough to watch the frail fingers take hold of his injured arm's hand. The small digits cautiously weaving their way through the sticky blood that had pooled in his palm.

Hermione could smell the thick iron in the air though smoke still filled her lungs. She hadn't known exactly what had happened only that it was exceptionally important. The Medicine Man was with her now. His soft, yet rough hand laying lax in her own. He was injured, she could hear his labored breaths. While her body ached inside and out, her throat feeling like nothing more than a narrow straw, she found strength to seek him. To bring him comfort.

When he didn't pull away, she gathered her strength and carefully pushed from her back onto her side. The movement caused her body to jolt and rise bile into her already burning throat. She tried to hide the pain on her face but it was nearly impossible. Still, she pushed forward; lowering her head down so that her nose rested against the heel of his hand. Her brow furrowed as she placed the faintest of kisses to his sticky knuckles before letting out a slow grinding breath.

Severus' had twitched to the feel of her soft lips against his flesh. Neither lust nor perversion filling his thoughts but rather a deep reverence for what the action symbolized. It was a sign of trust, something he very much didn't have the luxury of feeling. Though in that moment, he felt the smallest of lights growing brighter in his dark world.

A slow breath left his nose as he raised his hand up to cup her cheek. The action awarding him the smallest of smiles. A beacon through the darkest of nights. Just barely glimmering beyond the storm heavy clouds. It was in this moment that he allowed himself to lean down, letting his fractured heart guide his way. His lips rested like a whisper along her temple, a soft remittance. An unspoken understanding. A shared will.

The night was going to be long but they weren't going to spend it alone. Severus pulled back, gradually finding the strength for one more day. His magic flittered like a candle caught in a wind storm, her actions having shielded it from going out. It was with this small burst of energy that he managed to recast the healing charm over the cut on his shoulder and clear away the blood that covered them both.

His final act was to wrap her up in his blanket, still too weak to transfigure it into something suitable before his body unwillingly lowered down beside her. His eyes had already closed by the time he'd pulled her trembling frame to his chest. The vibration of her rattling cough catching just under his chin. Unable to resist—he fell, unable to do anymore.

A set of pale blue eyes watched from on high. Saddened deeply by the sight before them. The guilt weighing down the already aged face. A plan to save the world had damned so many. The weight of which held no body to bear still showed deeply in their gaze.