A/N: I've been envisioning this scene for a long time. The one with the best spell name EVER! But I won't give any spoilers … So glad I finally got to write it!

Enjoy :o)

"No! Dwaco! I don't want to go!"

Teddy clung to Draco as he kneeled down to hug him goodbye.

"I know," said Draco, holding the crying boy tightly. "But you know those people over there?"

Teddy slightly turned his head to look at Wesley, Emily and Regina Granger, who were standing by a car already packed with their suitcases.

"They're all very important to me, and I'm going to need you to take care of them. Can you do that for me, Teddy?"

Teddy looked back at Draco and nodded. Draco smiled and wiped off the kid's wet cheeks.

"You stay brave for them."

Something meowed at their feet. Draco looked down to see Crookshanks rubbing at Teddy's leg. He laughed and gave him a pat.

"And make sure to take care of him, as well. He's really going to need you."

Teddy nodded again. He tried to pick Crookshanks up, but he was too big. Draco handed him the Pygmy Puff that had been sleeping on his shoulder and picked up the cat himself before leading Teddy over to the Grangers.

Lucius, Kingsley, and another large wizard, who had been standing off to the side, also walked over.

"Sergei here is going to take you all somewhere safe," said Draco, motioning towards the large wizard. "We'll send for you the moment this is over."

Emily took Crookshanks from Draco and gave him a hug and a kiss before climbing into the backseat of the car, already unable to control her tears.

Wesley stepped forward and shook Draco's hand. "Bring my daughter back safe," he said before pulling his son-in-law in for a hug and joining his wife in the backseat.

"I always knew there was something funny about your hippie family," said Regina, stepping forward, "but I never would have guessed you were involved with the Russian mob!" She looked skeptically at Sergei, who smiled and winked.

Regina reached her arms out and pulled Draco in.

"Why, Draco, is that a wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Uhh …"

Regina laughed. "I know what you are," she whispered. "I know what my granddaughter is. And I trust you will return her to this family." She glanced sideways at Kingsley. "Don't tell them I know, though. The last thing I need is damn wizards messing with the inside of my mind again."

Draco pulled away from her and smirked. "You are a wise woman, Regina. People don't give you enough credit."

Regina smirked back. "Now, Mini Albino, I've told you a million times to call me Grandmother."

She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek and climbed into the front seat of the car.

Draco looked down at Teddy, who was staring up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"You will come back, won't you?"

"Of course I will," said Draco, kneeling down. "And when I get back, Hermione is going to be with me. The two of us are going to take care of you, Teddy. I promise."

Teddy nodded and hugged Draco again.

"I love you, Dwaco."

Draco closed his eyes and breathed Teddy in. "I love you too, kid."

While holding Teddy in his arms, Draco lifted him up and carried him to the car. He gave him a kiss on the cheek before handing him and LD off to Wesley, who put him in the middle seat. Draco shut the door.

As Draco turned away, trying very hard not to cry, Sergei walked up to him and said, "Don't worry. I'll take good care of them."

"Thank you," said Draco, shaking his hand.

Sergei got into the driver's seat of the car and turned on the ignition. Teddy turned around and waved goodbye from the back window as they drove off. Draco waved back, somehow able to control his tears until the moment the car was out of view. Then he broke down.

XXX

Draco stood in the garden at Malfoy Manor - where he had been staying to avoid his empty house - trying his best to work on the spell from the Love Chamber, while Polly watched from atop the hedges. Only, he was having a hard time concentrating. In less than twenty-four hours, he would be in the midst of a battle for his wife, and he still had no trump card. Without this spell, how were they supposed to win?

Draco began kicking at the gravel out of frustration. He just wanted this to be over. He wanted Hermione to be home with them, he wanted Teddy to be theirs - even though he already knew he was going to have to fight the godfather for that one - and he wanted to live a normal, happy life where they would actually have time to furnish their house and shag in their extremely comfortable bed.

Taking out his pocket watch, Draco looked closely at the hands. Ever since Teddy had moved in with him, his name had appeared on it, as well. Right now, all three were pointed at 'MORTAL PERIL'.

"Draco?"

Draco looked up. His mother was standing beside one of the hedges a few feet away.

"What do you want?" he asked, slipping the watch back into his pocket.

"It is a bit chilly out here and I thought you might like your cloak," she said, holding it up.

"No thanks. I like the cold."

Draco turned back to face the albino peacock he had been casting his spell on. "Tuitio!" He might as well start from the beginning.

Narcissa sighed and put the cloak on a nearby bench. She had just started to walk away when she heard Draco ask, "Do you miss her at all?"

Narcissa turned around and raised her eyebrows. "Andromeda?"

Draco nodded, his breath hot and visible in the harsh, cold air.

"Well, I … I barely knew her."

"That was your choice. Your family doesn't control you anymore. You could have changed that."

"Yes, I suppose I could have." Narcissa crossed her arms to keep herself warm and took several steps towards him. "But I was taught to hate her from a very young age. Feelings like that do not just go away overnight."

"But she was your blood," said Draco, his nostrils flaring. "Your family."

"So was Bella, and I think we can both agree that we are all better off without her."

"Andromeda was not like Aunt Bella. She was good. Kind. She did not deserve to die as she did."

"Probably not," said Narcissa. "But she is gone, and you need to accept that."

Draco took a deep breath. "I will never understand how you became so cold." He returned his attention to the peacock and raised his wand. "Contego!"

This one was his own. While the spells from the Love Chamber had focused solely on protecting a single person from all offensive spells for a period of time, this one focused on protecting them from only one spell. The Killing Curse. After all, wasn't that the point of self-sacrificing love? To protect those most important to you from dying?

Of course, now Draco was having a hard time bringing himself to cast a Killing Curse on a peacock. He kept his wand pointed at it but was frozen and unable to say the words.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The peacock fell back, dead.

Draco turned around to see his mother standing there with her wand raised. She lowered it and frowned. "You know, Draco, Protective Spells are often the most powerful when combined with other ones, as well. It is rare that anyone will cast just one to defend themselves for more than an instant."

Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She was right. He didn't know how he hadn't thought of it before. This was supposed to be a spell he and Hermione created together, so why should only one of them be able to cast it?

"Thank you," he said, looking back at the dead peacock.

Narcissa nodded. "I will send the house-elf to clean that up. Now, come inside. It is far too cold out here for you to dawdle any longer."

"In a minute."

Narcissa nodded again. She picked the cloak up off the bench and went over to put it on her son's shoulders. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before going around the corner of the hedges.

Draco went and took a seat on the bench. He kept staring at the dead bird before moving his gaze to Polly. She did not look pleased.

"Sorry, girl," he said. "This is exactly why I was not practicing on you."

The owl hooted.

Staring up at Polly, Draco started to think of the summer he and Hermione had fallen in love. He thought of the good times, the bad times, and their time here, in this very manor. He thought of her lying on the floor of the drawing room, nearly dead as a Dementor sucked the little life she had left right out of her. He had wanted to protect her in that moment. More than anything. So he did. By casting his -

"Patronus …" Draco whispered.

That was it! His Patronus. It was the ultimate form of protection, and the spell that had helped bring him and Hermione together.

"Expecto Patronum!" he shouted.

A small, translucent dragon appeared. He could make it bigger, but this was just a test.

With his Patronus walking around, Draco pointed his wand at it and said, "Contego!"

A blue shield slowly sunk into the dragon. It began to roar as the light radiated off of it, eventually surrounding Draco, Polly, and the hedges.

Draco looked at the owl, aimed his wand and cast a Stinging Hex. While nothing happened to Polly, she still flew off the hedge and started pecking at his head. Draco just laughed and waved her off.

"Relax, girl. I knew you would be fine."

Eventually the light receded but that could hardly take away from Draco's reverie. He had finally done it. Made some actual progress with the spell. It was about bloody time.

XXX

Sneaking past his mother, who was sitting in the parlor, Draco made his way to the room in the far back of Malfoy Manor, where they were keeping Ron. Harry and Ginny were currently sitting with him. They both looked up when he entered.

"How'd it go?" asked Harry.

Draco took a seat in an available chair and said, "Not bad, actually. If I cast the shield on my Patronus it becomes more powerful."

"Oh, that's brilliant!" said Ginny, trying to be encouraging. "Do you think it will be ready by tomorrow?"

"I doubt it." Draco sighed. "The problem is, while it may expand and shield people from powerful spells, there isn't really a way to pick and choose who it protects. I don't want to accidentally shield the enemy."

"Well … maybe just keep your dragon small and move it from person to person," suggested Harry.

"Yes, because that doesn't sound like a hassle at all." Draco rolled his eyes. "But, if you can believe it, my mother actually had a fairly decent idea."

"And what was that?" asked Ginny.

"She reminded me that Protective Spells are the most powerful when combined with other spells. Meaning, maybe the reason this prophecy is about two hearts joining is because it will take two people to cast it."

"That sounds probable," said Ginny. "But it will be hard to come up with the second half without your other half." She smirked.

"Yes, I realize that," said Draco, smirking back.

"You know, not having a spell already sure makes this entire thing seem pointless," said Harry. "I just don't understand why the purebloods have been keeping Hermione for so long. Do you ever feel like they know something we don't?"

"All the time," answered Draco, standing up and walking over to Ron's bed. He looked down at him and sighed. "We should make it a top priority to get rid of Mr. Greengrass tomorrow. Make sure we don't give him the chance to escape."

"My family already plans on cornering him and taking him down," said Ginny. "While we don't normally condone killing, we are all willing to make an exception."

"Good for you Weasel's." He smiled.

After a little while longer, Harry and Ginny had to leave since they were supposed to spend the evening at her parents' house. They were having all of their children and grandchildren over before the battle tomorrow. Just in case it was their last chance to all be together.

Draco led Harry and Ginny towards the front of the manor, turning each corner first to make sure his mother wasn't lurking somewhere. When they got closer to the drawing room, they could suddenly hear voices. All stopped and listened.

"Is someone here?" asked Ginny, immediately noticing that the man's voice she was hearing was not the drawling baritone of Lucius Malfoy, but something far less sexy.

"Not that I know of," said Draco, taking several cautious steps forward. When Harry and Ginny tried to follow, he held out his hand to stop them. "Wait here."

Draco rounded the corner and took those last few strides towards the drawing room. "Mother?" he called.

The voices halted. A pause.

"In here, Draco!" Narcissa called.

Draco stepped through the doorway to the drawing room, his body stiffening when he saw his mother and father standing in the center of the room with Stuart Parkinson, Gorden Goyle, and Orson Crabbe.

"Ah … you see, Lucius? He is home. And you thought he wasn't," said Stuart with a smile.

"My mistake," said Lucius, successfully managing to remain composed. "I was sure he had stepped out."

"We stopped by your house looking for you, Draco," said Stuart, "but your neighbors informed us that you had left early yesterday with a suitcase. Such kind people. It's a shame what happened to them, really." He grinned wickedly.

Draco refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"I must admit, I'm a little surprised to find you here, of all places. Hadn't I heard that you swore to never come back here again, or something?"

"I never said that." Draco looked over at his father, catching his eye and trying to form some sort of plan nonverbally. It was pretty damn difficult considering neither of them were known for their expressive faces, but his father did nod slightly towards the liquor cabinet. "I just did not want to come back here until my wife was comfortable with it. She has some bad memories in this place."

"Yes, yes, I've heard that," said Stuart, waving it off. "Speaking of your wife, I'm sure you know by now that we know where she is. And she would really like to see you."

Draco's eyes narrowed as his nostrils flared.

"We tried to tell you the other night, but things got … a little out of hand."

That was putting it mildly.

"Blaise and Quinn have been known to get carried away at times. But don't you worry, now. They've both been punished severely for it."

Stuart, Gorden and Orson all exchanged looks and laughed.

Draco was not amused, nor did he want to play these games of bullshit. "Why do you want to take me to her now?" he demanded. "What is with the sudden change of heart?"

"Let's just say we have someone on our side who is a hopeless romantic."

Draco did not miss his mother rolling her eyes.

"She would like to see the two of you together again. Before … well, before it's too late."

Lucius walked over to the liquor cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of mead and a glass. He began pouring.

"Too late?" repeated Draco, furrowing his brow. "Too late for what?"

Stuart sighed. "I'm afraid your wife doesn't have much longer to live."

"And why is that?"

Lucius walked back over to the others. He was about to take a sip when Gorden yanked the glass from his hand. He smirked before drinking it himself.

"Well, because we're going to kill her. Not yet, of course. But soon."

Draco's fists clenched at his sides. "Fuck you."

Stuart's face tensed. "If you do not come with us now, then the next time you see your wife she will be a bloody, rotting corpse," he said through gritted teeth. "Do you understand?"

"I'll take my chances you fucking bastard!"

Before Stuart had a chance to retort, Gorden suddenly started choking. Everyone looked over as he dropped his glass and fell to his knees.

Lucius walked over to him, smirking as he put his foot on Gorden's chest and kicked him over. "One might think that you, of all people, would know better than to drink strange mead, considering you and Orson brought me over some laced with Veritaserum last year."

"That was just to find out where your loyalty was," spat Orson, staring down wide-eyed at his friend. "Not kill you! Besides, you didn't even drink it!"

"Not that night, I didn't," said Lucius. "As I recall, I had to escort you out early. In favor of a surreptitious rendezvous with the Minister." Lucius paused and smiled. "So, tell me, Orson. If you had succeeded that night in finding out my true intentions, what would you have done?"

"Left!" said Orson almost convincingly. "Not fucking kill you, Malfoy! Now, stop this and help him!"

"I don't think I will." Lucius looked down at the writhing and vomiting Gorden on the floor and smiled some more. "He has about ten more minutes of this before he dies. But, maybe if you bring me my daughter-in-law …"

"No fucking chance!" spat Stuart. His eyes moved to Narcissa. "It's time to show us all where your loyalty truly is, Sweetheart. If you want to be on our side then save him now. And, if not …"

"How dare you speak to my wife so infor - What the …?"

Without hesitation, Narcissa waved her wand and sent Lucius sliding across the floor backwards until he hit the wall, his arms now pinned against it.

"Mother, what are you doing?" shouted Draco, stepping forward.

Orson took out his wand and used it to push him back.

"I'm doing what is right, Draco," said Narcissa, walking up to her immobile husband and searching his robes until she came out with a small phial. She held it up and tossed it to Stuart. "Lucius never uses poison without keeping an antidote close by. Just in case it ends up in the wrong hands."

Stuart knelt down and forced the antidote down a choking Gorden's throat. He didn't get much time to catch his breath before Harry stepped through the doorway and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" sending both Orson and his wand flying.

Draco took this free moment to take out his own wand and began dueling with Stuart while Harry took on Gorden, who was finally able to get back on his feet.

By the time Orson got up and located his wand, Ginny had run into the room and was shooting a hex at him.

All the while this was going on, Narcissa was standing off to the side next to a pinned Lucius, watching nervously as Stuart tried to hit Draco with the Cruciatus Curse.

"What are you doing, Narcissa?" Lucius asked, glancing sideways at her.

"What I have to do," she answered. "You and Draco will understand in time that this is for the best."

"No … we won't," he drawled.

Lucius sneered at her before looking back at the small battle in front of them.

Draco had just blocked another attempt of the Cruciatus Curse that had been thrown at him, but it had been so powerful that he was still thrown back. As he climbed to his feet, someone suddenly grabbed his collar. He looked up to see Quincy Nott, who had appeared out of nowhere, staring intensely at him.

"Legilimens!"

No! Draco wasn't prepared for this. He wouldn't be quick enough to block him. While he did manage to push Quincy successfully from his mind, he knew it was too late.

"He knows where she is!" Quincy shouted, releasing Draco and letting him flop back to the floor.

"Where the hell did he come from?" Lucius asked, as confused by Quincy's presence as Draco was.

"He came in with the others under an invisibility cloak," answered Narcissa. "Took the idea from Draco." She smiled proudly.

Lucius froze. "How do you know about that?"

Narcissa did not answer.

"They're planning to attack us tomorrow!" Quincy continued to shout.

"Cissy … Tell me you were not the one to destroy that microphone …"

Narcissa took a deep breath. "I had to do it, Lucius. One day you will -"

"Shit!" shouted Stuart, waving his wand and binding Draco, while Gorden knocked Harry against the wall. "We need to get back and block them out."

"Stupefy!" Orson shouted, causing Ginny to fall backwards.

"Ginny!" Harry ran over and caught her, then hurried to reverse the spell.

"Let's go." Stuart headed for the exit, since there was no Apparating in or out of Malfoy Manor, with Orson and Gorden on his heels.

"Wait!" shouted Quincy. They all turned. He smirked. "The Weasley boy is here."

"Oh?" said Stuart, raising his eyebrows. "Narcissa, why did you not tell us this?"

Narcissa walked towards them and said, "I was not aware. As you know, my son hardly confides in me."

"Let me take care of this," said Orson. "There is something I have always wanted to do."

"Then get on with it," said Stuart, tapping his foot.

Orson raised his wand and smiled. "In honor of my son."

A roaring, billowing noise echoed through the room as monstrous flames shot out of Orson's wand. Everyone stared wide-eyed as a fierce fire engulfed them.

"What have you done?" Narcissa shouted, quickly waving her wand to free Lucius from the wall and Draco from his binds.

Everyone darted in different directions, trying to evade the flames that were now pursuing all of them.

"You fucking idiot, Orson!" shouted Stuart. "Why the hell are you casting a spell you don't know how to control?"

"Because that fucking Malfoy brat needs to suffer for failing to save my -"

"Stupefy!" Lucius shouted, his wand aimed at Orson.

Orson fell back. Gorden turned to retrieve him, but the flames were already engulfing him and soon his body was consumed by the pack of fiery beasts.

Narcissa screamed for her husband and son, but Stuart grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the exit.

"They'll be fine!" he shouted at her.

Soon, Lucius lost sight of his wife through the flames. He looked over at his son to see that he had been separated from Harry and Ginny through the flames.

"RON!" Ginny screamed, aiming to leap over the fire to get to her brother. Luckily, Harry pulled her back.

"Escape through the window in the kitchen!" Draco shouted over the roaring thunder at them. "I'll go get Weasley and meet you outside!"

Harry nodded and pulled Ginny towards their only exit, both being quickly pursued by the growing flames that were turning everything Draco had ever known to soot.

The clock Hermione had been so haunted by chimed. Draco looked up just in time to see it strike seven before it became nothing in the mouth of a blazing dragon.

Lucius headed down the only hallway he could and Draco dashed off towards Ron's room. The flames pursued him down the corridors, slamming against walls, destroying century-old art and charring family portraits. Generations of Malfoys screamed as the only remnants of their lives became dust in its wake.

Draco could hear the billowing noise close behind him, but he could not look back. There was no time for hesitation.

Finally, he reached Ron's room, opened the door and slammed it behind him. The wall between him and the flames gave him the moment he needed to position Ron onto his back. He now cursed himself for placing him in a room with no windows.

Draco used his wand to blast a hole in the wall and ran through it just as the flames burned through the door. He kept blasting walls, running through rooms filled with memories as flaming beasts continued to chase after him, a chimaera even getting close enough to singe Ron's hair.

When they eventually reached a room with a window, Draco blasted it open, sending shards of flying glass everywhere. He leapt through it, not even caring that small pieces of glass were cutting into him. When he landed, he repositioned Ron and began darting through the hedges, the flames still in hot pursuit of him. Literally.

Polly appeared out of nowhere and began swooping near his head, hooting uncontrollably as she took the lead and guided him towards the exit. Finally, he reached the cobbled pathway that now led to the charred remains of what once was the grand Malfoy Manor.

Lucius, Harry and Ginny were all standing outside the gate, already working on setting up shields to keep the flames locked inside. The moment Draco and Ron were out, the shields were up, and the fiery beasts pursuing them appeared as if they were slammed up against a glass wall. They began engulfing the space they were trapped in until all that could be seen was a plethora of dancing flames.

The moment they were safe, Draco collapsed to the ground with Ron, everyone attempting to catch their breath.

"Why is it that every time I'm caught in fiendfyre, Malfoy, I just happen to be with you?"

"You can blame the Crabbes for that one," Draco answered. After taking a few more breaths, he stood up. "We need to go."

"Go where?" asked Ginny, touching Ron's cheek to make sure he was still frozen.

"The forest outside of the Daphne and Goyle's. Didn't you hear them? They're planning to shut us out. If we don't get in there now, we might never get another chance."

Harry nodded and took out his phone. "Ginny and I will contact everyone and have whoever can, meet us at the closest Apparating point straight away."

"Good," said Draco. "I'm going to see Ollivander. Maybe all of the stuff he has gathered together for a worst case scenario might help us some." Draco struggled to keep Ron on his back. "Have Phillip and Sophie meet me there. I'm going to need the wizard's brawn if we're going to keep lugging this bastard around."

"Shouldn't we leave him somewhere?" asked Ginny, looking worried.

"And just where do you proclaim we leave him, Mrs. Potty?"

Ginny had no answer.

"That's what I thought."

Draco then Apparated him and Ron to Ollivander's shop. Lucius followed him there. When Draco looked at him curiously, he said, "You didn't give me a task."

Draco nodded and he and his father walked into the wand shop.

Ollivander walked out from the back when he heard the bell. He looked at them and froze. "It's time, isn't it?"

Draco and Lucius said nothing.

"Right this way," said Ollivander, leading them towards the back. Several backpacks were waiting there. "Each one is packed with the essentials. Food, water, potions, antidotes, a tent, extra clothes, blankets, spell books. Anything you can think of, I've got it in there."

Draco put Ron down and grabbed a backpack. Lucius did the same.

The bell sounded again from the front and, a moment later, Sophie and Phillip were running into the back room.

"Oh!" Sophie looked at the backpacks brightly. "Are we going on a meession for wand supplies again?"

"Not today, Soph," said Draco, tossing her a backpack. "Phil, do me a favor and carry the heavy luggage, will you?" He motioned his head towards Ron.

Phillip went over and picked Ron up, placing him on his back similarly to how Draco had earlier. Draco, Lucius and Sophie began grabbing the extra backpacks. To their surprise, Ollivander picked one up as well.

"You're coming, old man?" asked Draco.

Ollivander smiled. "Of course I am. If it weren't for me, you and your wife wouldn't even be together. It would just be wrong if I wasn't there for the reunion."

Draco smiled back. "Fair enough. We're all Apparating to the closest point we can near the Greengrasses forest. Do you all remember where that is from the map we drew up in the meeting?"

Everyone nodded.

Without another word, Draco Disapparated. They all followed.

When they got there, Harry and Ginny were already waiting with all of the Weasleys, Kingsley, the rest of the Thinx employees - including Atticus Quartz - the majority of the D.A. members, the Aurors who weren't two-faced bastards, and a few other miscellaneous faces.

"Hagrid and McGonagall went to help the giants get here," said Harry when he saw Draco. "The other Hogwarts staff and several students who are of age are currently on their way."

"Good," said Draco. "But we don't have time to wait. Longbottom."

Neville stood at attention.

"You wait and guide them in when they get here. Hannah Bear can wait with you."

Neville narrowed his eyes at him but still nodded.

Draco, Lucius, and Sophie began handing out the extra backpacks. Chastity offered to take Ollivander's from him, but he wouldn't hear of it.

"Let's go."

Taking the lead, Draco began running as fast as his feet would take him towards the forest outside of the Greengrasses home, hoping with all of his heart that they weren't already too late.

XXX

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" shouted Stuart as he, Gorden, Quincy and Narcissa marched into the parlor in Daphne and Goyle's home.

"What has happened?" asked Rita, standing up from the sofa. She looked at each of them. "Where is Orson?"

"Gone!" shouted Gorden. "Killed by fucking Lucius Malfoy!"

"How dare you! He was killed by his own stupidity!" spat Narcissa. "Orson should have known better than to cast fiendfyre when he doesn't know how to control it! And my home! My beautiful, beautiful home …"

"Who cares about your fucking home? Our friend is dead!" Gorden walked over to sofa and slumped down onto it. Daphne put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"They know where she is," said Quincy, stepping towards Rita. "I saw it in Draco's mind. They were planning to attack tomorrow, but after the lovely show we just performed, I would suspect they're already on their way here."

"But … how could they know?" asked Rita, her eyes immediately darting towards Goyle. Daphne grabbed onto him protectively.

"Not him," said Quincy. "It was the Weasley brat. He blabbed after Astoria got to him."

"What?" said Arron, shooting up from his armchair.

It was only a coincidence that he was there right now. Rita wanted to have everyone around for backup when Draco arrived. Well …it looked like that wasn't happening.

"But I would have felt something if he died!"

"That's because he isn't dead. One of those bastards who works at the Mudblood company with Draco cast a powerful Freezing Spell on him. They have him frozen mid-death."

Everyone cocked their heads and looked at him curiously.

"You can do that?" asked Blaise.

"It appears that you can. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it in his head myself."

Rita closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. "Arron!" Her eyes shot back open. "Put up a shield."

Arron immediately ran out of the room to fetch a snow globe.

"Stuart! Quincy! Mila!"

Mila Parkinson stood up from where she was sitting and went over to stand near her husband.

"The three of you will go out and gather everyone you can. If it's a war they want then we're going to bloody give it to them. But not until we're ready! I'll find a way to contact you through the shield when it's time to strike. The rest of us will stay here and take care of any stragglers that make it through before the shield goes up."

They all nodded and headed for the exit, just as Arron came back into the room with a snow globe in hand.

"Well, this is not how I expected this day to go," said Rita, shaking her head. "And just when I decided to reunite the dear couple."

"And just why did you decide to do that?" asked Narcissa, crossing her arms. "My involvement in this was never meant to be discovered."

"Well, since you insisted on keeping your son alive at the end of all of this, I wanted him to know what he was losing before I took it away from him."

"But if he knew about the baby, he would undoubtedly fight for it. There is no way in hell he would sit back and watch someone else raise it."

"I didn't plan on having him remember the baby," answered Rita. "His memories would be altered, but that feeling of loss would always be there."

"That's an awful plan!" spat Narcissa. "I would never support that!"

"Which is exactly why we never told you. Now, Arron, put up the shield."

Arron nodded, raised his wand to the snow globe, and began casting.

XXX

Draco kept running, his father right beside him, Sophie and Phillip - carrying Ron - only feet behind them and Harry and Ginny just in front of the rest of the pack.

The lake was beside them now, which meant it wouldn't be much longer before they officially entered the estate. Suddenly, Draco felt a weird rush in the air. The sensation of it was enough to make him pick up speed.

Faster. Faster.

His feet felt like they were flying. He was so close to her. So close. And then he was on the estate. Followed by his father, Phillip, Sophie, and -

"OW!"

Draco stopped and turned just in time to see Harry and Ginny hit something hard. A few other people ran into them, squashing them flat against it.

"What the -"

He stepped forward and stuck his hand out, immediately hitting what felt like glass. Sophie began pounding on it.

"What ees zis?" she asked. "A shield?"

Draco looked up. A foggy haze was currently seeping down on them in a dome shape.

He looked back at the people on the other side with panicky eyes that shot around until he located Seth. "Keep the microphone close! On the parlor's channel! We'll find a way to get a message to you when we're ready to strike!"

Seth's nod was the last thing Draco saw before the fog covered everyone from sight. It glimmered and then cleared, making everything on the other side but the people that were supposedly standing there reappear as clear as day. Draco reached his hand out and met something solid. Yes. The shield was definitely still there.

"Fucking great! Only five of us made it through and one is bloody unconscious!"

"It could be worse," said Phillip. "At least we're on the side we want to be on."

"Over here, please!"

Draco, Phillip and Sophie turned to see Lucius beckoning them towards a clearing. They all ran over to him.

"I am sure they will be looking to see if anyone made it through their shield soon, if they are not already. I suggest we put up Protective Spells to cover us immediately."

Draco, Lucius and Sophie all threw down their backpacks, while Phillip put Ron down carefully beside them. They all took out their wands and began casting various charms.

Draco cast Protego Totalum while Sophie and Phillip cast strong Disillusionment Charms. Lucius cast every other Protective Charm he could think of and, before long, they were covered from view.

Only moments later, a swooshing sound could be heard nearby. Blaise and Quinn flew above them on brooms, looking all around the area. Draco, Sophie, Phillip and Lucius stood completely still, their wands raised, as their pursuers stared right at them. But then they flew away, causing them all to let out breaths of relief. They were in the clear. For now.