Draco stared at his father's dead body in front of him in confusion. He didn't remember saying the spell. He looked over at Harry but he was bent over Cassie. He looked around the room. He jumped when someone touched his shoulder. He turned round to see his mother standing behind him. She was lowering her wand.

'It is over Draco, now you must look after your sister, you will be her lifeline, her connection to the real world. She will need you more than ever to get through this.' She squeezed his shoulder and briefly smiled at him before kneeling before Cassie.

'My dearest Cassandra,' she bent down and kissed her on the cheek. 'I should have stood up to him. I shouldn't have let him do this to you. You brave little girl. Keep fighting. I love you.'

She straightened up and looked back at Draco, 'I am so proud of both of you. Look after her Draco, she will need your strength and I don't just mean literally.' She took out her wand, closed her eyes in concentration and whispered a spell.

Draco nodded as he was beginning to understand. His mother apparated away. Draco couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he looked around the room. The horcrux was destroyed. Lucius was dead. Harry was completely unharmed. It was a shame that you couldn't say the same about Cassie who was breathing shakily and slowly.

'Draco?' Harry alerted his attention in an urgent tone.

'Oh, right...' he swallowed trying to collect his thoughts.

'Is it safe to move Cassie? I think we should get out of here as soon as possible,' Harry looked down at Cassie.

Draco tried to pull himself together and knelt down examining Cassie. Her pulse was slow. As his hand touched her wrist he felt a strange sensation. It was as if some of his strength was following out of his body. He pulled his hand away and the sensation ebbed away. Now he really did understand. Father had used Draco's proximity to Cassie to strengthen his spell to control Cassie from afar. In her fragile state the ending of the connection had nearly killed her as there had been an associated loss of strength – Lucius'. Cassie had somehow clung on and Mother had enabled Draco to give Cassie some of his strength through physical contact. His head throbbed with the complexity of the situation. He lifted up Cassie and had to steady himself as he stood up as more strength was transferred. He let his body have a few moments to adjust.

'Is she going to be ok?' Harry looked concerned.

'I think so, well she will be if I have anything to do with it.' Draco knew that he should explain what was happening to him but that wasn't his top priority. No, his top priority was to get back safely to the Burrow.

Harry was confused. He had initially thought that Draco had killed Lucius not really taking on board that the voice had been a female voice. As soon as Lucius fell to the floor he could see Cassie fading rapidly. What had Narcissa meant about Draco's strength? Whatever she had done seemed to be working at the moment. Harry was desperate to know what was going on but he knew that Draco would not appreciate being questioned. He followed Draco out of the hut pausing to pick up the cup that had held the horcrux. Draco raised his eyebrow when he saw the cup but remained silent and looked around them.

'I am thinking that my...' Draco paused before continuing. 'That Lucius may have been acting on his own agenda as I think Voldemort would have stopped Cassie if he had been aware of what was happening before it was too late. Maybe he was trying to get back into Voldemort's good books or covering up for the fact that he was responsible for Harry Potter finding out about another horcrux.' He took a deep breath and Harry looked at him curiously. Draco was always pale but he looked almost ghost like and didn't seem to be his normal graceful and controlled self. Having experienced the cruciatus spell himself he knew of the effects but Draco had only been subject to it once so shouldn't be this affected by it. There was something else going on.

'Draco, are you ok?'

'Yes,' Draco said quickly which confirmed Harry's suspicions. 'Let's just go straight to the Burrow. We wouldn't still be alone if anyone else had known.'

Harry watched as Draco apparated with Cassie. He shook his head in confusion and then did the same.

He blinked as he tried to adjust to his surroundings. He looked around and saw in horror that both Draco and Cassie were laying still on the ground a few feet away. He ran over and shook them both.

'Ok, ok,' Draco muttered before slowly opening his eyes.

Harry spoke low and firm, 'you need to tell me what on earth is going on.'

Draco sat up slowly. Harry noticed that he made sure he stayed in physical contact with Cassie.

'Mother did this spell... don't ask me what it is... I have no idea... anyway basically it enabled Cassie to use some of my strength to stay alive. I am fine, apparating just took it out of me.'

'And you didn't think I should know.'

'It wasn't top of my to do list, no. We needed to get out of that place.'

'Right, what can I do to help?'

Draco looked at him confused, 'help? I don't think you can help, the spell is between me and Cassie.' He stood up slowly and stumbled. Harry stretched out and took Draco's shoulder to steady him. Draco run a hand through his hair. He bent down.

'What are you doing?' Harry asked.

'What does it look like? Cassie isn't really in any fit state to make it into the house on her own.' Harry noticed that the Malfoy sneering tone had returned reflecting Draco must be reaching exhaustion.

'Let me do it, Draco, you just hold her hand or something.' Draco didn't seem to have much energy and so didn't argue with him. Cassie was light in his arms. Draco gripped one of Cassie's hands firmly. They walked slowly and carefully to the house.

Draco couldn't remember the last time he felt so weak. It was a struggle to just put one foot in front of the other and he was grateful that Harry seemed to be aware of this and was taking it slow. The house seemed miles away but they finally reached the front garden but before they could open door what seemed to be a blur ran out. Draco blinked and the blur slowly turned into Ginny, Hermione and Ron. They were looking at them in concern.

'Oh my goodness what's happened?' Ginny asked, at least that is what Draco thought Ginny was saying if it was Ginny. He was finding it really hard to concentrate and all that he really wanted to do was crawl into his bed and sleep.

'Where shall we start? We met up with Malfoy senior. He had created a connection with Cassie and when I went to say goodbye to her we were transported to Hogsmead. Lucius wasn't exactly pleased to see Cassie. He used her blood to make a key that opened the box with the cup in. Cassie though then freed Draco and myself from where we were tied up. Cassie somehow destroyed the horcrux. Lucius was killed by Narcissa. Cassie is only just alive and only because Narcissa cast a spell that means Cassie is drawing on Draco's strength to keep fighting.' Harry said quickly.

'Great summary, Potter. Now please can we go in and sit down before I fall down?' Draco tried to smile. He blindly followed Harry into the living room. It was such a relief to sit down on the sofa. Harry gently placed Cassie beside him, her head on his lap. Mrs Weasley hurried over.

'Oh my,' without waiting for an explanation she started to examine Cassie. 'Her pulse is faint, her breathing slow. There doesn't seem to be any injuries other than,' she stroked the large bruise on Cassie's face that had been a result of the run in with the cane. 'Here and then here.' She looked concerned at Cassie's wrist. The blood had stopped for the moment. She bustled out of the room for a moment before returning with an ice pack which she gave to Draco to place on Cassie's face before cleaning up her wrist. She gently bandaged up the wrist and looked tenderly at Cassie, and stroked her face.

'Poor little thing, how much more can she take?'

'Here, Draco, I think you more than deserve one of these.' Draco looked up, Harry was offered him what looked like a butterbeer. Draco found himself drinking it in one go enjoying the restorative effect it seemed to be having on his body.

'Cassie said once that she preferred tea to butterbeer,' Harry stroked a hair away from Cassie's face. Draco smiled.

Mrs Weasley stood up, 'I think she will be ok. It may take some time but she is fighting for all she is worth.'

Draco let the conversation go on without him. He found himself slowly falling asleep. He tried at first to keep his eyes open but it wasn't long before his eyelids were far too heavy. Draco welcomed the darkness that sleep brought.

Everyone, including Harry, watched as Draco fell asleep. His hand still gripping Cassie. Someone suggesting waking him so they could move them both somewhere more comfortable but it was decided to just let them be for a while. They had left them in peace in the living room and retreated to the kitchen for dinner. Harry was surprised that despite everything that was going on he was able to eat. But then his last meal had been breakfast and as his stomach rumbling reminded him breakfast was hours away. The others were full of questions for Harry which he tried to answer as fully as he could. In a way though he wished they would just leave him alone for a while. He was trying to comprehend all that had happened. Lucius was dead, and the horcrux was destroyed. One less horcrux to worry about. Cassie was weak, very weak, but as Mrs Weasley had said she was fighting. Harry knew that Draco would willingly give his sister every single ounce of his strength if it would help. Harry wished again that there was something he could do.

Harry walked back into the living room. It had been a couple of hours since they had returned from the cabin and everyone else was retiring to bed. Draco and Cassie were still sleeping soundly. Cassie seemed to have slightly more colour in her cheeks. Harry paused before waking them up.

'Draco,' he gently shook Draco's shoulder.

'Ummm,' Draco mumbled as he stirred. He blinked a number of times before opening his eyes completely. 'Oh, where is everyone else?'

'In bed where I think you should both be.'

'How is she?'

'She looks better.'

Draco looked down at Cassie and stroked her head. Cassie stirred.

'Cassie? Can you hear me? Open your eyes, sweetie.' Draco whispered.

Cassie blinked before opening her eyes. She seemed to take in Draco and Harry looking at him before whispering, 'I don't think I have ever had so much male attention before.'

'Cassie, thank goodness.' Draco pulled her into a tight embrace

'Steady on, gosh, anyone would think I had nearly died or something.' Cassie smiled weakly and Harry noticed that there was a glimmer of a sparkle in her eyes. He sighed with relief, maybe everything would be ok after all.

A/N – Two more chapters to go and then an epilogue if I can actually decide on what I want to happen in it! Take care.