~ CHAPTER SIX ~
Malfoy aimed his wand in the direction of their assailant and shouted, "Confringo!"
Screams filled the room as innocent diners dove out of their chairs; the Neo-Death Eater ducked just in time. The spell hit a chair instead, and the chair burst into flames. A bolt of green light came back in their direction, but Malfoy deflected it. In the distance, Harry could hear Ron and Ana shouting, but he couldn't make out their words over the terrified screams of customers scrambling for the exits. Ginny had risen out of her seat, too, shooting spells in the direction of the Neo-Death Eaters.
"Harry, get under the table!" Malfoy yelled as he shot a well-aimed Stupefy and a Neo-Death Eater crumpled to the ground.
"What, are you mad?" Harry shouted back, fumbling for his wand in his jacket pocket.
Without turning around, Malfoy stuck out his hand and grabbed Harry's shoulder, while shielding them from another spell with a flick of his other hand.
"Get under the table!" Malfoy snapped.
Before Harry could protest, Malfoy shoved him under the table to join their cowering waitress, who was screaming so loudly that Harry wanted to cover his ears. His hands shook with rage. He wasn't a coward, goddamnit! He didn't need Malfoy or Ron or Ana or Ginny to protect him. They were putting themselves in danger for him when they didn't need to — that's why he had become an Auror, so that nobody would have to risk their lives for him ever again!
Fuck Malfoy, Harry thought fiercely, and he scrambled out from under the table.
"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" he shouted, catching a couple of Neo-Death Eaters unaware and relishing in the way their bodies crumpled to the ground.
"Oh, damn it, Potter!" Malfoy yelled, sounding exasperated.
"Stupefy! Sod off, Malfoy, I can take care of myself! Protego! Incarcerous!"
Malfoy ducked, a spell whizzing over his head and destroying the painting on the wall behind him. "Fine, be that way! Stupefy! You're such a — Flipendo! Impedimenta! — bloody idiot! Incendio! At least head for the — Petrificus Totalus! — exit while you're at it, why don't you?"
Harry and Malfoy made their way to the stairs, bickering the entire way. Ginny followed them, putting up shields and blocking spells that they were too busy arguing to block. There were a few diners in the stairwell who screamed and scattered when the flustered motley crew burst in, but otherwise, the stairs were empty.
"Stop treating me like a child," Harry yelled at Malfoy as they scrambled down the stairs.
"Then stop acting like one," Malfoy said snippily, casting a Stupefy over his shoulder and narrowly missing Ginny.
"Would you two just shut up for once?" Ginny said from behind them, sounding angrier than Harry had heard her in a long time. "You can't even stop arguing when we're being — Confundus! — attacked by Neo-Death Eaters! You're going to be blown to — Diffiendo! — pieces! How are you two even alive right now if you can't work together?!"
Neither man had a good explanation, so they resorted into pouring out their frustration into their spells. It looked as though Ron and Ana had detained most of the Neo-Death Eaters on the tenth floor, leaving only a few to chase them down the stairwell. Spells bounced off the walls and took chunks of stone out of the stairs, causing Harry to trip on several occasions. A green bolt of light narrowly missed his head and destroyed the sign that said 7th floor.
"I said don't kill him!" one of the Neo-Death Eaters yelled from above.
"How else are we supposed to get the Elder Wand?" said another, pointing right at Harry. "Avada Keda—!"
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled.
But before the spell fully left his mouth, the Neo-Death Eater flew backwards, slamming into the wall. His killing curse missed and shattered the banister. Harry turned around to see Malfoy standing halfway down the next flight of stairs, his wand pointed straight at the unconscious Neo-Death Eater. Malfoy looked whiter than usual, his face strained and his entire body tense. His eyes flitted up and met Harry's for a second, before he lowered his wand and turned on his heel.
Ginny took Harry's hand and pulled him along, hurrying after Malfoy down the stairs. When they reached the 4th floor, Ginny let go of his hand and pushed him towards Malfoy.
"Go, I've got this last one," she said.
"What? No, I —"
"Oh, drop the hero act and go!" Ginny said exasperatedly, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before whirling around and scaling the stairs.
It was impressive how fast she could climb the stairs in high heels, but Harry was not about to let her put herself in danger for him. Luckily for her, Malfoy was not about to let Harry waste time playing the hero. Malfoy grabbed Harry's hand and yanked him down the stairs.
"Malfoy, what the hell — let go!"
Malfoy responded by holding tighter and nearly crushing the bones in his hand. Harry swore as they stumbled down the last flight of stairs and onto the main floor, where a group of Aurors was hurrying towards them. Malfoy let go of Harry's hand immediately and pointed to the stairwell.
"Tenth floor. There are a few in the stairwell, too," he said to the Auror in front, McKinley.
McKinley nodded and motioned to the Aurors behind him to follow.
"You alright there, Harry?" he said cheerfully as they passed.
Harry nodded, not trusting himself to open his mouth. Frustration over being babied roiled in his veins, and he nearly snapped when Malfoy placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Still have the Elder Wand?" Malfoy murmured.
He was relieved that Malfoy hadn't asked him how he was doing. "Yeah," he said in a low voice. "Yeah, it's in the pouch around my neck."
Malfoy nodded and pulled his hand away. "Good. After this, we're stopping by your flat to get your stuff, and then you're moving into Grimmauld Place, effective immediately."
It was a statement, not a question. Harry wanted to argue, but he knew now that he had been attacked by Neo-Death Eaters in public, his protests weren't going to get him anywhere. He sat down next to the hostess station in defeat. Malfoy stood near him and questioned the witches at the hostess station until Ana came back down the stairs.
"All secure," Ana said, stowing her wand in her robes. "No deaths, three civilian casualties, and five Stunned Neo-Death Eaters. The rest must've got away."
Malfoy swore.
"Ginny had them tied up by the time we arrived, so we sent them on their way to be questioned," said Ana. "You're free to take Harry to Grimmauld Place, and then we'll send someone your way in the morning to ask you two some questions."
Malfoy nodded curtly. Then he held his hand out to Harry, who stared at it uncomprehendingly.
After a few moments, a smirked twitched at the edge of Malfoy's lips. "What, Potter, never seen a hand before?"
"Why are you...?"
"We're Apparating to your flat," he said, sounding half-amused, half-exasperated.
"But what about Ginny? And her car?"
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Always the chivalrous Gryffindor. She's fine, Potter, didn't you hear? You can catch up with her tomorrow during questioning. It's my job to get you safely out of here, so you can worry about your girlfriend later."
Harry gritted his teeth together.
"Fine," he said irritably, standing and taking Malfoy's hand. As soon as their hands touched, Harry felt a tug and then they were whirling through pitch black space. Apparition was such an unpleasant feeling, as if he were being squeezed like a toothpaste tube or sent through a wringer. He squeezed his eyes shut, and moments later, the men landed in the hallway outside of his flat. However, it was immediately obvious that something was wrong.
"Shit," Malfoy muttered under his breath, while Harry swore loudly and openly.
His flat had been ransacked.