Another chapter, just one more and the first part of the story is finished! Yay! I am working on it, I promise. I am also very aware that this is a very confusing kind of writing, but I never have been really good at writing conflict between characters, so this is really my only first batch. (lets just say I haven't had much expiriance of conflict in relationships and leave it at that) so Ron's confusion is probabaly more disjonted and confusingl, because I haven't got any idea what I'm talking about. So please forgive me that at least, and enjoy the chapter. This one os slightly longer I think.

Read, Review and Enjoy!

Chapter 12

Draco spat a mouthful of blood at his father, delighted when he actually managed to make it land on the bastards immaculate clothing. His mouth twitched upwards into a small smirk when the man looked disgusted. "Why would I tell you anything?" he said, voice hoarse. His father had gotten in a few lucky blows that had made his break his promise to himself not to scream. But only three times, and given the curses used, he was rather absurdly proud it had been only three times.

"Draco, Draco." Lucius stepped towards his son, stopping before him. "This is not for me, my son, this is all for you."

Draco debated between spitting again, or laughing at the mere idea. "For me?" he asked, deciding that neither of them was probably a good idea.

"Of course. I do not understand why you left us Draco… Had you not we could have won. The Dark Lord is not pleased with your defection."

Draco frowned, what on earth was his father talking about. "The dark Lord is dead father." he said, with great certainty. He doubted that Potter would still be alive if he was not.

"No, Draco, he is not dead."

Draco blinked, clearing his blurry vision. Obviously his recent torture had damaged his hearing, or his mind, his mere thinking capacities. The dark Lord, alive? He didn't think so. After all, he had heard Weasley go on about it for weeks. Finally his brain settled the matter by claiming that Lucius was just insane, and therefore nothing he said held any truth. When he was free, and back at the Animagis base he could figure all this out.

That depended, of course, on whether he was going to be able to get himself out of this. He supposed he could wait for Ron to rescue him, after all, he did have the mentality of never leave a man behind, so he could be reasonably sure that eventually Ron would come back for him. But he couldn't take that chance. He scowled, this was just like being back at the beginning of their partnership, when he had always had to be sure he had a backup plan to get himself out of messes that cold have been easily avoided if Weasley had just done what he said.

"You need to ingratiate yourself with me Draco." his father said, breaking into his thoughts.

Draco looked at him. "And why would that be?" he asked, annoyed at how scratchy his voice had become in only a few seconds.

"Now, now Draco, How do expect me to allow you to rejoin our ranks if I cannot trust you."

Draco looked at him disbelievingly. He had known his father was insane after Askaban, but not to this degree. There wasn't even a word for this type of insanity. "What ranks?" he grit out, not understanding, none of this made any sense, especially not after the curses he had suffered through.

Lucius smiled, a secret smirk that told of things better left untouched.

"How are you controlling the Chirloc father. Tell me!" he tried again.

Lucius didn't drop his smirk. "You do not need to know that Draco. I shall leave you for now. I really must see how our other little visitor is doing."

Draco barely heard him leave the room. But the second the door clanged shut he summoned up the magic needed to break the chains, only to find it woefully inadequate to do it's job, most of it already rushing to heal whatever injuries it could. With a frustrated sigh he let himself slump against the chains, worried, more than he liked to admit, about what his father was going to do or say to Ron. He didn't need anymore mud stirring the waters, or whatever that muggle saying was!

X

Ron didn't know what to think when it went silent after that last scream. It had been over five minutes ago now he supposed, which could mean anything really. He couldn't understand why he felt this rush of concern. He knew he had felt it before, numerous times over the past eight years, but… Damnit his thoughts were just too jumbled for this. He hadn't had a chance to consider anything, no time to sort out this mess of thoughts. Not when he had to keep a close watch on the Chirloc in the corner.

"Feeling at home yet?"

He looked over at Lucius with a dark glare.

"No need for that Weasley. I have merely come to see how your stay is progressing."

"Where's Mal--Draco?" he demanded to know instead, only just remembering that they both had the same last names.

"Oh, he's quite all right."

What exactly did that mean? That he'd switched sides, been killed, or was languishing in some other cell?

Lucius waved his wand and Ron fell forward in surprise as the chains released him. Before he had time to recover the Chirloc was towering over him. Lucius smiled pleasantly at him. "Come along, You can be reunited for a time."

Ron was forced to follow by the demon presence behind him. Out of the cell and down past two doors, when they reached the third, which was standing open, he was given a push and stumbled into the cell by the demon. He turned t glare at Lucius, who locked and warded the door. He scowled until that smirking face disappeared, the Chirloc presence vanishing with him. He turned back round warily. After all, Malfoy might have changed sides and was waiting to kill him. All he found was a figure slumped in chains. He resisted the impulse to rush over. This could still be some sort of trap. He knew inside, that it wasn't. but he was clinging to it in his confusion. He didn't know who or what to believe anymore.

"Ron…"

Ron started at Draco's scratchy voice. "What?" he asked warily.

Draco's body gave an almost convulsive shiver. "Get me down."

Ron started to move forward until he stood just out of reach.

"For the love of God Weasley! We don't have time for this now!"

Ron frowned. "Why not? The Chirloc don't seem to want to kill us, your father wants us alive. I don't see how we don't have time for this?"

Draco slumped, but his voice was clear. "For precisely that reason. I don't know how my father is controlling them, but somehow he is, or we would be dead. We need to get out of here and st

Op him. I can't do that chained up."

"So magic yourself out of them." Ron said.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to concentrate around his headache. He needed to find way to get Ron to trust him again, at least until he had had a chance to think about everything, and maybe talk it over. He grimaced, he didn't relish that conversation one bit. "Ron," he began, it was always better to start off with the first name, or so he had heard. "In all the years we have worked together, have you eve known me to do anything that would endanger the Animagis organisation?"

Ron thought about it. "Uh… no."

"So why would I do it now?" he asked tiredly.

"Because your father has a way to control them!" Ron spat.

"And yet here I am, chained to a wall, with a blinding headache; in the aftermath of too many curses t count, asking you to help me out so we can stop my fathers plans--whatever they are." it was safer not to mention the 'dark lord' stuff to Ron right now.

When it was put like that Ron didn't really have an argument against it. With a sigh he reached out, undoing the chains with his magic, catching Draco instinctively as he fell, holding onto him until he could stand on his own.

"We need a plan." Draco said, once he was standing on his own, leaning lightly against the all, rubbing his fingers between his eyes, trying to dispel his headache through force of will. It wasn't working. "Any suggestions?" he wouldn't have asked, only he needed Ron to work with him on this, that, and his headache was making it difficult to think.

Ron blinked in surprise. Draco never asked for his input.

"We need more information…" Draco was muttering to himself. "Killing farther without knowing how hw controls them… I don't.." he rubbed the bridge of his nose hard before letting his hand drop and opening his eyes. "Well?" he asked.

"We could capture him." Ron suggested, wondering at why he wasn't more… angry right now, more suspicious. But then, with Draco standing and looking half dead in front of him, he couldn't be.

Draco nodded briskly, winching at the spike of pain that sent jostling through his head. "It's the best we can do." he said. "I just hope he's still here."

The moved towards the door, Draco weaving slightly, before he managed to right himself completely. Ron saw it, and couldn't stop himself when he asked. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." came the short reply. Then. "Shit!"

Ron felt the stirring of the Chirloc in his mind, and without thought he turned, his magic already forming the tiger. He swiped out a clawed paw, making Chirloc appearing behind him pull back. He caught sight of Draco in th corner of his eye also change shape, though it wavered a little.

"I do not think my father is still here." he called out, a little breathless as he ducked around a demon, swiping out with his claws and catching it a glancing blow, enough that it moved back slightly, giving him room to take stock of what was going on. There were four Chirloc in the room, three more outside waiting to get in for their turn with them. Ron was in fighting form, his confusion being channelled into anger for the moment against the Chirloc, he however, was already dipping into his reserves. He didn't have the power required to seal any of these demons, nor the power to distract them all while Ron did it. As much as he hated to, the were going to have to retreat. "We need to retreat!" he yelled.

But Ron wasn't listening. "Damnit!" he muttered, barely avoiding the blow of a Chirloc. The blow of the second was harder to miss, and with a sickening crack it slammed into his side and he went down, his magic leaving him and he was back to his human form. "Ron…" he coughed, forcing himself back to his knees, ignoring the pain, staring up at the two Chirloc towering over him. Before the next blow fell, narrowly missing the poisoned claws, he leapt up and changed to his falcon form, though it also wavered slightly.

Ron looked over when he heard Draco cough out his name, just in time to see him take off into the air. His form was flickering, he was getting too deep in his reserves. There were too many demons for him to handle them on his own. With a scowl he realised they would have to retreat. But the question now was how? He could use up the last of his reserves he knew, break the Chirloc's barrier in his Animagis for and apparate back to the base. But Draco couldn't do that, and no matter how confused he was over this whole situation he couldn't just leave Draco to die.

A forced cry made his glance round quickly for Draco, finding him on the ground, struggling to get back up. But the Chirloc around him would not allow this. Acting on pure instinct, the instinct an Animagis always carries for their partner, he ducked under a swinging set of claws and bounded towards Draco, forcing the Chirloc back just far enough for him to position himself over his fallen partner.

He felt Draco's fingers reach up and curl around the magic that looked like his fur. When he felt the contact he concentrated. He had never done this before. Draco had once he recalled, he had been too inured at the time to pay it much heed, but he knew it could be done. He just didn't know if he could do it. Shoving those thoughts aside he apperated, just before the Chirloc's claws swiped the air they had once stood.

They landed, in an unceremonious heap on the medical room floor. Ron barely had the energy to roll off Draco before he lost consciousness.