Author's note

This is a revised chapter which eliminates some earlier continuity errors.

Chapter 41-Escape

For what felt like an eternity there was a tense standoff, a red mist had descended upon Theo as he took in the scene, it was all too obvious that the pair had just been intimate and he seriously considered doing for his childhood friend, knowing that it would leave the way clear to Hermione's affections. That was until the fog cleared and Theo realised that she would never, ever forgive him if Draco came to any harm.

"Bastard," Theo ground out, "you're supposed to be dead, I mourned you," he accused as he dropped his wand.

Hermione knew the moment had come they had to either entirely trust Theo or kill him.

"What are you going to do?" Draco asked his old fried warily as he calculated a means to defend Hermione and himself should he need to.

Hermione had trusted Theo but she sensed her may have an ulterior motive for helping her and now that Draco was here, her husband and a rival to Theo could she still trust the dark haired man?

The door sealed behind him before Theo could answer. One of them had used wandless magic to close it. Theo knew he was no match for either of them if it came to a duel his choices were to join them or… Theo didn't dare think, they were both more than capable of killing him with little more than half a thought but Theo knew he would not betray them he had long since lost faith in Voldemort's cause; If he had ever even believed to begin with.

"I will help you," Theo replied, "You need to get out of here."

"Yes," Hermione agreed, "you need to leave Draco it was foolhardy of you to come here you need to leave."

Draco looked at her incredulously, "not without you, not this time," He told her adamantly.

"I can't leave Draco, it would cost us too much," she told him.

"And what will it cost you if you stay?"

She knew what he meant, she knew if she stayed it would shatter her, shrivel her soul.

"What will it cost if I don't?" she asked him, "I can't be selfish, we can't be selfish."

"I know," he told her quietly, "but I want to be," he stated pulling her close again, "I want to keep you safe." she smiled up at him indulgently.

Theo felt like the third wheel but he was also stunned by the desperate love with which his friend clung to the petite witch he too had coveted. He hadn't thought Draco capable of that sort of love and he wondered for a moment if he had ever known the blond at all.

"I'm sorry Theo," Draco turned to him, "sorry to have done this to you, if there had been any other way…"

Theo just nodded in acknowledgement.

"Go," Hermione told her husband knowing that the ancestral wards would allow Draco to apparate away.

"I love you," he mouthed before he disappeared.

Hermione collapsed to her knees and sobbed clutching her hand to her forearm as it burnt. Theo also grimaced, they had been summoned.

As they rushed towards the Manor drawing room Hermione suddenly realised something was amiss.

"Theo," she asked in a hushed tone, "why are you still here?"

"That was what I came to tell you, Arthur has escaped," Theo replied whilst at the same time nodding his head to indicate that he hadn't helped, "I don't know how," he continued.

"Shit," Hermione cursed, "then the Dark Lord will assume we have a traitor in our midst."

Theo nodded solemnly, they both knew what this meant, someone would have to pay.

Hermione rounded the last corner before the drawing room but as she did a hand caught her wrist and yanked her into the shadow of a doorway.

"Lucius!" she exclaimed as she recognised the pale face that glared down at her.

"You need to get out of here now, both of you," he indicated Theo who had halted behind her, "he suspects you."

"Mipsy," there was a pop, "get my daughter-in-law and Mr. Nott out of here now."

There was no time to discuss it and it was clear from the elder Malfoy's expression that he would brook no argument. Hermione didn't resist as the tiny elf took her hand and she felt the pull of apparation. She didn't have time to think of how Lucius had chosen to save her for the sake of his son.

Hermione's ears popped as they landed.

"Thank You Mipsy," she said to the forlorn looking creature, "you may go Theo and I will be fine,"

"Yes, mistress Hermione," the little elf dropped a tiny curtesy and disappeared.

Draco reappeared in the Kitchen of Grimmauld Place, Harry, toast midway to his mouth suddenly tensed.

"What did you think you were doing?" Harry yelled, "You could have been caught, exposed Hermione got both of you killed."

Riled by the sudden and unexpected aggression Draco yelled back;

"She's my wife, she was in trouble, what would you have me do?"

Harry took a deep breath, visibly making an effort to restrain himself from pushing his volatile ally any further.

"Is she okay?" Harry asked more calmly as his anger deflated.

"For now," Draco told him, "I tried to get her to leave; this Dark Lady act is destroying her Harry." Draco confided more calmly.

"I assume she refused?" Harry deduced.

"She's nothing if not stubborn," Draco responded.

Harry shook his head knowingly, I only hope it doesn't get her killed, he concluded to himself.

Draco had barely sat down to join Harry for breakfast when the sound of an unexpected apparation into Grimmauld Place caused a rush of panic. Harry and Draco looked at each other both jumping from their chairs and raising their wands before they raced into the entrance hall expecting Death Eaters. Their expectations were correct two Death Eaters stood just inside the door.