Disclaimer: Don't own-at all.
Right-sorry for the latness-I had other things I had to sort out first-and for once it wasn't assignments. Anyway. Sorry, but here's chapter 5, it may not be the best chapter I've ever written-but I did try. The first couple of paragraphs are a little confusing, but just roll with it.
Chapter 5
All Draco could think as he reached the corner he had seen Potter turn down was that this had all been too well planned. Somehow the Chirloc had known where they would be. Even though he was exhausted, and needed to cling to the wall for support, his mind was still active, still racing along. It was probably the only thing keeping him on his feet. It wasn't normal for him to have healed so slowly after a poisoning-that was the first thing that was wrong, obviously his body and his magic had been fighting it off all night-thus leaving him weak today. And the amount of Chirloc-that concentration of them wasn't normal. Too many in one place. It had been an ambush-and if that failed there was that last one he had fought. He knew the Chirloc had become organised, but this was insane. Someone had known where they would be.
That was all Draco could come up with. And if someone knew where they would be, it had to have been someone within the organisation. Which meant they had a traitor in their midst. Draco stopped, leaning his back against the wall, as his thought's continued, he knew he should be going on, finding Potter. But this suddenly seemed so much more important. No one but himself and Ron knew what ways they would be taking Potter, Granger and the child. He didn't even know what way Ron was taking Granger and the child, and Ron didn't know where he was. Not that he suspected Ron at all-he knew his partner far to well for that. But it meant that even if Ron had been captured and tortured he couldn't have given them the information.
It could have been just his own paranoia brought on by physical exhaustion, but he doubted it. It was far to coincidental. Finally he pushed himself off the wall, hoping that Ron wouldn't be an idiot and try to impress Granger if they were attacked.
"Potter!" he called, sensing the man was somewhere close. "Potter, we don't have time for you stupid games-get your ass out here now!" his voice didn't have the same bite to it as it would have normally.
"Malfoy?" There was something akin to concern in Potter's voice that made Draco straighten unconsciously and turn steely eyes to him.
"Come on-we still have a fair way to go." He began to move on, ignoring Potter, his hand still resting on the wall for support as he did so.
Harry, who had taken cover in a little alcove down the road when he had come to his senses and realised he would have to wait for Malfoy, because he didn't know where the Portkey was, studied Malfoy for a second. He looked about ready to drop. Harry didn't understand how sealing a demon could take that much out of him. Silently he followed Malfoy down the road-toying with the idea of offering him some help.
X
"What's happened to him!" Hermione demanded to know as the medic rushed over, potion in hand.
"He's been poisoned-badly." The medic said rapidly, putting the open neck of the bottle into Ron's mouth quickly and empting the contents inside. He then turned his attention to the ripped clothes and bloody marks on Ron's chest and arm, ripping the remains of the shirt off he quickly summoned all the things he would need. Sparing a glance to Hermione he said. "Could you go to the room two doors down and tell whoever's inside that I'll need the crash kit up please."
Hermione's eyes widened, having it confirmed that Ron may die, before she got to her feet and ran out the door, down to the room the medic had stated, didn't bother knocking just opened the door and said. "The medic needs the crash kit now!"
The young woman in the room sprang to action immediately, opening one of the big cupboards at the side of the room and pulling out something very similar to the crash kits found in muggle hospitals. "Who is it?" she asked as she flipped a few switches to turn the machine on, turning to wheel it out.
"Ron Weasely." Hermione said, her eyes darting to the room at the end of the hall.
The woman winched in sympathy. "Is Draco with him?" she asked, finally getting the machine into the hallway and moving towards the door.
Hermione shook her head.
The woman's eyes widened. "Shit-what the hell happened to him then?" she asked as they quickly reached the door.
"We were separated." was all Hermione could think to say.
The woman took one look at Ron and all conversation fled as she rushed to the medics side, as fast as she could lugging the crash kit with her. She knelt beside the medic and all Hermione could do was watch as they fought to save the life of her best friend.
X
Finally, two hours later, a lot longer than Draco had hoped, they reached a little travel agents-inside was a Portkey back to headquarters. Pulling away from the wall he reached out a hand to grab the door, pushing it open.
Harry had a grudging respect for Draco, after watching him continue on, especially when he looked like he should have collapsed hours ago, and was in pain. Yes, a grudging respect, because he didn't really want to find anything admirable about Draco, but he was sure that if it was him, he would have probably packed it in the first five minutes down the road.
Draco stumbled a little entering the shop, but he caught himself quickly, his eyes sweeping the shop for the portkey. He caught the faint magical energy from it, a pen on an empty desk. "Potter-green pen on the third table-get it."
Harry looked at him in surprise for a moment, before he started towards the desk and the aforementioned pen, he lifted it, glad all the workers were busy. He brought it back to Draco. "Should we really be doing this in front of muggles?" he asked in a whisper.
Draco turned weary eyes to him. "Do I look like I care Potter-if we wait we could be attacked again-just hold onto the damn pen." he grit his teeth as he moved his right arm, it had been sending spasms through him for a while-it was broken, he just couldn't wait for it to go numb and stop bothering him. He shook his bracelet pendant loose and caught it awkwardly in jerking fingers, touched the pen and concentrated on the medics room-damned if he was going to walk the whole way there-Potter could make his own way.
A swirl of magic later and they landed in the medics room, to find the medic, Hermione and one of the girls Draco thought he recognised from one of the other teams, who always seemed to be hanging around here, all crowding round a bed. And if Hermione was there it could mean only one person.
"What the hell has he done to himself this time?" Draco asked, no emotion evident in his voice
The medic turned, eyes widening when he saw the state Draco was in. "He's been poisoned Malfoy, badly."
"Is he dead?" Draco asked, shaking off his own weariness to settle cold eyes on the medic, who was coming towards him, complete with bandages.
"No-but there's a chance he could-"
"If he's not dead yet then he's not going to die. He's too stubborn to." Draco switched his gaze o the woman, avoiding looking at Ron for the moment. "You-Lydia-Linda-whoever you are-take Potter, Granger and the child to the council."
"But-" Potter began.
"Don't argue with me Potter-just go-now! The last thing Weasely needs is you lot hovering round. Now get out!" he snapped.
The woman nodded, taking Hermione's arm and leading her away from the bed, she was well used to Draco's outbursts and need for privacy with Ron when either of them were injured.
Draco sagged to the bed beside Ron's as the door snapped shut, letting his eyes drift to Ron's face. He sighed, letting the medic fuss around him, healing what injuries he could, bandaging those that wouldn't heal right away. Finally he handed Draco a cup of something. Draco downed it without thinking, his eyes still glued to Ron's face, reading every flinch, every restless movement.
"I'm sure he'll be alright." the medic said softly, seeing the far away and worried expression on his face.
His concentration broken Draco raised his eyes to the medics. "Go away." was his response.
The medic smiled-it was rare to have Draco in such a state of openness, despite how he tried to hide it. But it worried him. If injured an Animagis drew upon the strength of their partner, he had seen Animagis pairs die when both were too injured to offer the other the support they needed. He made his way to his little office to give them some privacy.
Wincing as his broken arm and ribs protested to being forced to move, Draco shuffled across to Ron's bed. "Move over you stupid Weasel." he said quietly. Subconsciously Ron must have caught the command, because he shifted over in the bed, just enough to allow Draco to fit onto the bed. Glad he was slender enough to fit Draco lifted the blanket and crawled in, gritting his teeth against his own pain, avoiding jostling Ron.
When he was in, and somewhat comfortable he closed his eyes, his exhaustion rising up to the point the couldn't push it back anymore.
"If you dare die after all the time I spent training you-I'm going to…" he trailed off, sleep taking him finally.
In his little office the medic looked out, seeing the two of them in the one bed-all he could do was pray that they survived.
X
"Is he going to be all right?" Hermione asked finally, unable to keep her questions inside anymore.
The woman, Lois (not Lydia, or Linda), smiled kindly. "He'll be fine so long as Draco's there." she said.
"Malfoy-what good will he do him-he's in just as bad shape." Harry said, worried about Ron. "What happened?" he asked.
"Ron sensed one of those demon things, told us to run. We waited for him at the pub he told us to, he showed up all bloody and injured, and we port keyed here." Hermione said quietly, she closed her eyes and shoved her worry aside-there was nothing more she could do for Ron right now. "Where are we going? Who is this Council?" she asked.
Lois smiled again. "They're the boss men. They get to decide what safe house you go to until we find out what's going on." she turned a corner into another corridor. "Don't worry-everything will be fine."
Short-I know, I know. I do think I got a little cuteness into Draco though-I got to thinking when I was re-reading chapter 4, that Draco has turned out a lot like the Alan Rickman verson of Snape in the films. I don't know why, but when I was reading what he thought about Harry again it just struck me. Does anyone know if you can upload pic's onto this site? It's just that I have some cool ones for this story, reall cartoony some of them, and then some better ones. If you know if you can, please tell me how.
Thanks, and thanks to all who review-please review some more, and get others to as well!