We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need somebody to lean on
Please, swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
You just call on me, brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
-Bill Withers
-Lean On Me
Previously...
"Draco helped me"Luna said simply, not wanting to explain the whole thing.
"Who?"Ron asked. Draco rolled his eyes and said
"Me. I helped her"Everyone went silent, trying to let the words sink in. Harry walked over to Draco.
"Well then uh... Thanks"Harry said uneasily.
"Sure"
"Well you can leave now"
"We need him"Came Hermione's voice as she walked up to the two boys.
"Why would you need me?"Draco asked.
"Because you're the only one who can use the Elder wand"
"'Mione we don't need the Elder wand we just need to keep finding the Horcruxes!"Harry said
"And that could take forever"Hermione argued.
"No there is no way in hell we are getting help from a Death Eater"
"Harry you are a Horcrux!"Hermione blurted.
"What? Are you going mad?"
"Harry you're a Horcrux. If you want to kill Voldemort by destroying the Horcruxes, you have to die. And I don't want my best friend dead, this is the only way"Hermione and Harry looked at Draco."Are you going to help us?"Hermione asked
"Why should I? It's hard for me already to live a double life at Hogwarts and you want me to live a triple one now"
"Draco please"Luna's dreamy voice begged as she walked next to him.
"He doesn't deserve it"Draco whispered to Luna.
"Why not?"
"He-He's cheating on you with the Weasley girl"
"Draco you really must stop lying, seriously"
"I'm not lying!"He blurted. Everyone was staring at him now. He sighed"Fine I'll help you keep your precious potty alive"A sigh of relief came from everyone.
Chapter 3: Draco Malfoy-Prisoner?
Continuing from last time…
"Can I go home now?"Draco asked.
"I don't think so. What if he tells He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that Harry is here"Arthur Weasley said from the crowd.
"Why would he do that? He saved me. He is clearly on our side"Luna argued.
"No Luna, Arthur is right. We can't fully trust him"Harry said.
Draco didn't say anything, he figured anything he said would be held against him considering the fact that there were about 30 aurors in the room and they already had a bad judgment about him. Draco didn't blame them one bit. So he just stood there awkwardly while everyone determined if he would go home or stay at the burrow. Much to Draco's disapproval the aurors and the ministry voted that he would stay and be observed.
It was now about 11:30 p.m now. Draco laid in Percy's old bed thinking of a way he could escape. His room was in between Hermione and Ron's and Harry and Luna's. They seem to have thought of everything. Stupid aurors just had to out me between the golden trio didn't they?. Draco asked himself. Draco could hear talking and footsteps from the living room beneath him, it annoyed him greatly. Why are these people still awake?! Merlin haven't they heard of a good nights sleep?. He thought. I could apparate but Lovegood has my stupid wand.
Draco was thinking of various and very outrageous ways he could leave unnoticed when he heard yelling and the sound of hexes being casted. He sat upright in bed and stared at the door. He stood up and walked towards the door and opened it where the noise tripled. He was about to walk down the steps to the living room where it seemed the lights were out when a panicked Hermione ran right into him and they both fell.
"Granger! What the hell is going on!?"Draco yelled as he shot up and panicked as well when he heard unforgivable curses being used.
"The Death Eaters!"Hermione shrieked as she dragged Draco back to the room he had occupied. About 5 seconds later Ron ran into the room with Ginny and Luna."Where's Harry?!"Hermione asked or rather shouted over all the commotion from below.
"I'm not sure"Ron admitted.
"What is going on?!"Draco shouted.
"The Death Eaters are doing an attack! It's a bit obvious!"Ginny shouted in Draco's face.
"Lovegood give me my wand!"Draco commanded. Luna checked her pockets and behind her ear but no wand was found.
"I think I left it in the other room"Luna frowned while Hermione was rummaging through her bag and pulled out a wand and handed it to Draco. As soon as Draco touched it, it lit up and sparks flew around the room.
"This isn't my wand how-"Draco began
"It's the Elder wand"Hermione said simply. Draco nodded and before anything else happened he ran out of the room and down the stairs.
"Lumos"Draco muttered and the tip of the Elder wand lit up brighter than when he used the spell with his regular wand, it practically lit up the whole room. Draco looked around the room while dodging the many hexes that were sent his way. He spotted a head of messy black hair and ran over to Harry and dragged him away. Harry still fought the Death Eaters as he was pulled away."Stop fidgeting!"Draco yelled. Harry recognized the voice of Draco and stopped.
Draco stopped dragging Harry when they reached the bottom of the stairs.
"What the hell are you doing!?"Harry exclaimed angrily.
"It's not safe you dimwit!"
"You're not my protector. Go run off with your stupid Death Eater friends"
"No, you're right I'm not you're protector but as long as I'm helping you so that you don't die I sure as hell am gonna make sure that you don't"Draco huffed as he pulled Harry up the stairs. They entered the room where Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Luna were waiting and panicking.
"Harry!"Ginny exclaimed and ran over to Harry to hug him.
"We have to get out of here"Ron said.
"And run like cowards?"said Ginny.
"I didn't mean you Gin, only me, Harry, Hermione, Luna and Malfoy"
"Why me?"Luna asked but nobody seemed to notice.
"We don't have time to discuss this!"Draco shouted. All of a sudden Luna was writhing on the ground. Everyone looked to the door to see Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Draco?-"Bellatrix was interrupted by Draco pointing his wand at her and saying
"Obliviate"Bellatrix then fell to the ground as well. Luna was still on the ground but she seemed lost for words, she hadn't screamed or made a sound while she had been tortured which surprised everyone greatly. Hermione went over to Luna and helped her into a sitting position.
"We have to get out of here now"Harry said plainly.
"We'll apparate"Ron suggested.
"But where will you go is the question"Ginny pointed out.
"To Malfoy's home"Luna nearly whispered but everyone heard her clear as day.
"I'm not sure being at Malfoy Manor is much different from what's going on downstairs"Ginny said.
"I have my own home"Draco stated.
"Let's just get out of here!"Ron yelled as he took Hermione and Harry's hand. Hermione took Draco's hand, Draco helped Luna up and took her hand.
"Let me concentrate"Draco said as he focused on his home that might as well be known as a refugee camp.
"Bye I'll miss you"Ginny said as they apparated away.
The five escapees landed on the ground quite roughly. It was dark, so dark that they could barely see each other. And cold, colder than Draco or Luna had ever experienced while living at Draco's house. Luna was the first to realize that they were nowhere near the place she somewhat considered home. Though Draco's home was in the middle of a forest, Luna knew it wasn't this forest. For starters it was much colder and snowing while the forest where Draco lived had perfect weather and was open, the forest they were now in was crowded with trees. After everyone's eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could see clearer.
"I don't see a house Malfoy!"Ron shouted, his wand pointed at Draco's chest.
"Point that somewhere else Weasley. I don't know what went wrong"Draco said without having to think about it. It was true, he didn't know what happened, Draco had never failed when it came to apparating. All of a sudden Luna fell to the ground and clutched her arm in pain. Hermione, Ron and Draco ran over to her while Harry stood where he was.
When Hermione reached Luna, she gasped. It was horrid, there was blood trickling out of her left arm and a horrible bite. Hermione was sure she could see a bone. Ron fainted at the sight and Draco shuddered. Draco could see something slithering up Luna's arm to her chest. It took him nearly no time to figure out that a snake had bitten her.
"A snake bit her! Quick we have to do something!"Draco panicked. Hermione's eyes widened and she jumped up, retrieved their tent from her bag and nudged Harry, pulling him out of his trance. Harry was suddenly aware of what was going on around him and was fiercely trying to put up the tent without magic until Hermione pushed him aside and pointed her wand at the tent.
"Erecto!"
While that was happening Harry went over to his girlfriend and winced. Draco noticed the snake was curling around Luna's neck. He panicked and without even trying Draco began to speak Parseltongue. The snake suddenly looked at Draco and uncoiled itself from Luna and slithered into the forest.
"Harry get Ron! Malfoy bring Luna!"Hermione shouted as she held the tent open for them to walk in. Harry attempted to pick up his girlfriend whom was near death but she was already in Draco's arms. Harry went over to Ron but was unable to pick him up so Harry dragged him through the snow instead.
Draco swiftly put Luna on the floor in front of the fireplace once he caught sight of it. He saw Harry drag Ron inside and with Hermione's help put him on the couch. Hermione disappeared then came back and ran over to Luna with various vials in her hands. Hermione set the potions down.
"Which ones should we use?"Hermione asked Draco. He was the best at potions perhaps because Snape adored him.
"I'm going to tell you which one I need and you're going to hand them to me, got it?"Draco said plainly. Hermione nodded and Draco continued"Blood-Replenishing Potion"Hermione immediately handed Draco one of the vials. Draco poured the contents into Luna's mouth and said"Dittany"Hermione gave him another vial and Draco poured the potion in Luna's mouth. Almost immediately Luna's bite got better. It didn't heal, it just looked less revolting"Wound-Healing Potion"
"But I just gave you Dittany"Hermione said.
"It's still not healed"Draco said firmly. Hermione nodded and gave him the potion and Draco gave Luna the potion and all Luna had left was a scar."Now Antivenom and the last one I need is the Dreamless Sleep Potion"
"Why would you need that?''Harry questioned.
"She was bitten by a snake and The Dreamless Sleep Potion calms emotional trauma, If you had a near death experience you'd have emotional trauma wouldn't you?"Draco countered angrily as Hermione handed him the vials and slipped it in Luna's mouth.
"That's all?"Hermione asked. Draco nodded.
"Okay now I'd like you to explain something to me. How the hell can you speak Parseltongue?"Harry asked.
"You can speak Parseltongue?"Hermione asked incredulously.
"Let's get to that later, I am personally more interested in the fact that your girlfriend almost died and you just change the subject so suddenly"Draco said seriously but found a smirk on his face anyway.
"She's okay now. Isn't she?"Harry asked.
"Yes Lovegood will be fine"
"Harry, he's right. Bellatrix was torturing Luna and you didn't do anything. Then she gets bitten by a snake and you're just standing around wasting time"Hermione agreed as Ron gained consciousness.
"Well I didn't know what to do. I wasn't sure what to do really"Harry frowned.
"It's a good thing me and Granger did then"Draco scoffed.
"Merlin! Is Luna okay?!"Ron asked quickly as he remembered what had happened.
"Yes she's fine"Hermione assured him.
"That's good. Now we can get out of this stupid forest"
"No we can't"Draco pointed out."If we try to apparate while Lovegood's still healing it could get worse"
"Let's just stay the night then leave in the morning"Hermione suggested. Draco, Ron and Harry nodded in agreement.
"I'll go put up the protection spells"Ron said as he stepped out of the tent.
"Well how can you speak Parseltongue?''Harry repeated. Draco sighed and glanced at his left forearm. His cloak covered his Dark Mark
"I'd like to get some sleep"Draco said with a slight grin. Harry knew that Draco was trying to change the subject so that he wouldn't have answer. So without thinking Harry grabbed one of the vials then tackled Draco and forced its contents into his mouth.
"Harry?!What are you doing?!"Hermione screeched.
"How can you speak Parseltongue!?"Harry shouted. He was desperate to know how it was even remotely possible, Harry only knew one other person that was capable besides himself and that was Lord Voldemort.
"When I took the Dark Mark I inherited the ability to do so. It's very rare 1 out of every 10th Death Eater has the ability to speak and understand Parseltongue"The words forced themselves through Draco's lips. He knew at once that Harry had used Veritaserum on him.
"Please get off of me"Draco said calmly even though inside he wanted to punch Harry. Draco learned how to control and compose himself if he ever had been under the effects of Veritaserum. Which was probably why he didn't curse Harry out.
Harry obeyed and sat down on the couch staring at Draco.
"Perhaps you'd like a picture"Draco sneered as he stood up and sat on the opposite side of the room.
"Harry why would you just jump on Malfoy like that?"Hermione asked suddenly with a hint of anger in her voice.
"He's just mad because he isn't the only one who can speak to snakes"Draco growled.
"What about speaking to snakes?"Ron asked as he entered the tent.
"Nothing"Harry grumbled. It was true, he was angry. He knew Hermione was angry with him because he'd been a fool to act that way towards Draco. He was also angry because his girlfriend was on the brink of death and he hadn't known what to do. Though he'd never admit it, Harry was grateful that Draco did.
Ron took a seat on the couch next to Harry, dismissing the fact that they hadn't answered his question. Hermione sat next to Draco which made him uncomfortable. Hermione sent a cold glance at Harry then looked at Luna's body which still laid by the fireplace. Then she met Draco's eyes and smiled.
"Thank you"Was all Hermione said but Draco understood perfectly and looked over at Luna as well.
"You're welcome"Draco said awkwardly.
End of Chapter.
Sorry for the extremely late update…