Draco Malfoy and His Quest to Sensibility

by cleury

Chapter XXII

"For Crookshanks!" Hermione screamed. Jean turned his attention to Hermione and fired a spell in her direction, but she shifted sideways and dodged the spell. Because they outnumbered Jean, the pirate moved around the room to keep his distance. He bolted for the door.

"You're not getting away!" Draco shot a spell in his direction but Jean dodged it. He took advantage of his angle and shot a hex at Hermione. She ducked under and shot a spell back at him. The hex clipped him on the shoulder and it sent Jean flying back.

Draco could help but admire how well Jean was holding up against the two of them, he hadn't even pause to take a breath. Clearly his experience at fighting gave him an advantage.

"How dare you take him from me?" Hermione charged at Jean, she refused to give him time to recover. Draco tried not to worry too much, and kept his eyes trained on Jean. If he glanced sideways, he'd leave himself vulnerable and end up getting hit.

"Hermione, move back!" yelled Draco. She was so close to Jean that he couldn't fire spells at the man because he was afraid he might hit her. Jean aimed a hex point blank at Hermione and she threw up a shield-charm. She inched closer and closer, and his back pressed against the door, unable to put distance between them. They had locked themselves in a deadly fight, a game of guts where the first one to flinch and move away would give their opponent an opening to hit their enemy straight in the chest.

"He's the only one I have left!" It looked as though she was about to overwhelm him when—

"Protego!" Jean yelled, a white light flying from his wand. Hermione swerved and managed to duck, she rolled away to the side and tried to gain her composure. Draco covered for her as she put some distance between her and Jean.

Draco was starting to feel tired. He had little stamina in dueling and preferred to out think his opponents, not overpower them. From Hermione's quick and shallow breathing, he could tell Hermione getting tired too. Obviously she hadn't had serious battles since the War.

Jean smiled and knew that even though there were two people fighting against him, his day-to-day fights had given him the upper hand.

I have to stall for time! Draco thought, Adrian's coming with the authorities. Draco didn't wear a watch, and he had no idea how much time had elapsed since they had been here, but he guessed that Adrian would be there soon.

Draco saw a flash of red fly in the corner of his eye, and ducked just in time. He threw a shield charm but knew he couldn't hold it for long. As soon as he let go, he would need a split second to recover and Jean would—

"Expelliarmus!" yelled Hermione. Draco dispelled his shield before switching to offense. Jean threw a shield charm and the pair hurled hexes at him. Jean couldn't keep up his shield-charm forever and when he dispelled it, he'd be hexed into the next century.

They had given up on trying stupefying him; it was easier just to fling the Verdimillious Charm at the shield to cause damage. It was faster and required less effort to concentrate.

Ping! Hermione's charm hit Jean's shield and he flinched at the impact.

Dracocasted a vicious hex at the man before he could gather himself. Pong!

"Hold on for just a while longer…" panted Draco.

Hermione gave him a glance.

Ping! Pong!

"…Adrian's bringing the authorities."

Ping! Pong!

Jean stopped his shield spell and sent an arc of raw magic towards Hermione and Draco. They froze for a split second not having expected this, then dived behind the couch. Draco winced as the spell cut a large dent in the wall. Splinters flew across the room. "That was close!"

He saw Hermione wince, and he wiped sweat from his brow.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Never been better."

"I know we had a plan to beat the living daylights out of him," said Draco as he jumped up to fire a spell in Jean's direction. He missed and the spell hit the back of the wall, shattering a photo frame of a young Jean Kidd, and what looked like to be his mother. Draco hissed in disappointment and dropped back down. The pirate aimed a nasty spell at the couch and the padding in front of them exploded with a large bang. White feathers fluttered through the air. Crookshanks yowled, and scampered somewhere else to take refuge.

"That's not going to change," said Hermione with renewed vengeance, after hearing her cat's distress. She jumped up from behind the couch, yelling a particularly savage knock-back jinx.

He heard Jean cry out in pain as he flew back into the wall. There was a loud sound of impact as bone met wood and the man slumped momentarily, dazed. That was enough incentive for Hermione and Draco to leap over the couch and approach him. When they was just a few meters away, when all the blood drained suddenly from Jean's face.

"You brought the Ministry into this?" he screamed.

Draco's heart leapt. This battle would be finished soon! All they had to do was to fight until the ministry came. And at the way the battle was going, Hermione and Draco could get a few extra slashes at Jean for taking Crookshanks— but then he saw the look of total madness in Jean's eyes, and flinched.

He had seen it often.

"Hermione!" Draco yelled, pulling her sideways.

Those eyes still haunted him in his nightmares.

"Avadakedavra!" screamed Jean.

Draco instinctively pulled himself downwards, dragging Hermione with him. Time travelled slowly for the new few seconds. Draco closed his eyes on reflex as he landed on the ground and heard a sharp crack. His head contacted the floor, and he saw a burst of green light. He heard Crookshanks yowl. A thought flitted through Draco's mind. Guess that's what happens when both of your hands are occupied. One left hand was still on Hermione's arm. The other held his wand. Or was that his right hand? Draco couldn't tell, he was rapidly losing consciousness—

"ExpelliarmusStupefyPetrificusTotalus Impedimenta Impedimenta Impedimenta!"

He heard Hermione yell a rapid succession of spells. He heard a crunch. That was most likely one or many of Jean's bones breaking. He guessed Hermione's ranting came in use at times like these. She was so used to speaking rapidly; she could pronounce all the difficult words perfectly and in such a fluid way…

"Draco! Oh my god, he's dead!"

Draco wanted to ask who was dead. But then he felt like he was the one slipping away. He sincerely hoped he wasn't dead. He didn't want Jean Kidd to die either, because that would make Hermione a murderer...