Pieces of the Past Chapter 25: Checkmate, a harry potter fanfic

AN: Yes, yes I'm aware it's been forever and a day since I've posted and I apologise but sometimes life swoops in and has its own ideas of what is important. I haven't given up on this story or any of the others, but it will take me a smidgen of time to catch up.

Also. There is a bit of discrepancy in this chapter. In chapter 24 I mentioned Draco & Hermione's chambers were across the hall from Xander's and in this chapter they're beside each other. Let's just pretend they were always beside each other because I wasn't of a mind to rewrite an entire section because of it. Hopefully that's the only thing and if there's more well I'm sure someone will make a point to inform me.

As always thanks for reading. *kisses*

Chapter 25 – Checkmate

"Take me. Nothing will hurt worse than that. That's your goal isn't it? To cause as much pain as you've endured? What could be worse than taking Hermione Granger's husband? She'd never forgive Harry Potter and he can't function without her. Leave them here to wallow in their own misery. Take me."

"Why…why did he do that?" Hermione sobbed into Xander's dark curls, holding him so tightly he grunted in pain, pushing against her chest.

"Hermione…"

"No Harry, she's going to kill him. You know she is. Did you see her?"

"Hermione…"

"If anything happens to him Harry, she's right, I'll never forgive you." Hermione stumbled into Malfoy Manor without a backward glance.

Harry knew she would be gone before he stepped foot inside. He had seen the fire in her eyes. She wanted to go home. He didn't blame her, he couldn't. He could scarcely breathe at the thought of Astoria and Ron in Cho Chang's evil clutches, but he wasn't authorized to do a bloody thing.

"Fucking Kingsley." Harry muttered angrily and blasted a nearby innocent shrub.

"Potter, are you aware that your best mate Granger is blasting Malfoy family heirlooms and bloody Lucius is helping her?" Blaise Zabini managed a small snicker until Nick shoved him into the shrubbery.

"Aiight Harry, come on then. We've gotta do sumthin' otherwise I'm uh pretty sure Hermione is gonna cut our balls awf."

"What is it you'd like me to do? Shacklebolt has ordered me to remain here."

"Pussy." Nick spat and while Blaise was mildly impressed with the American Aurors assessment, he was more concerned with the shrieks of rage stemming from within the Manor.

"I-you…you're not being fair!" Harry threw his hands into the air with exasperation.

"This ain't about bein' fair, Harry. This former flame o' yours has killed a buncha people. We can't just sit hea and do a buncha nuthin'."

"The American's right, you're Harry bloody Potter. It's not like the Minister is going to fire you for finding your bollocks."

Harry closed his eyes, unconsciously rubbing his scar and recalled the events which had led them here.

"Oh yes, the illustrious Mr. Potter has graced us with his inept presence." Lucius Malfoy smirked in the way only a Malfoy could while he sipped upon his goblet of elf wine.

"Yes, Lucius go on then mock me if you like. It's not exactly conducive to anything, but by all means anything to make you feel better." Harry wished his wife were beside him, cuddled into his side while their son slumbered in her arms.

Instead he was bound to an uncomfortable chair forced to listen to Lucius Malfoy while Hermione and Draco were nowhere in sight. He assumed they were putting Xander down for the night, but he knew it wouldn't be long before they were following Daphne and Nick's sickening example.

"Enough Potter, I believe we've been tasked with using the Trace. Have you put any thought into the matter or are your bonds keeping you from utilising your magic?" Harry couldn't be sure if Lucius was sincere or facetious once more and quirked his head to the side in silent contemplation.

"You going to release me then?"

"Perhaps." Lucius Malfoy was enjoying the irritation stemming from a bound Harry Potter and he smirked accordingly in the moments before he flicked his wand to release the bonds.

Harry leapt from the chair, wincing as the feeling tingled its way back into his limbs. He swished and flicked his wand, muttering under his breath until thin wisps strewn from the end of his wand. He sighed in relief as they twisted and spun in the air, seemingly leading him.

"Lucius…" Harry whispered, his eyes tight with anxiety.

"Potter." Lucius interrupted as he often did, sucking back yet another quip as his grey eyes followed the swirling wisps until they gathered in an almost corporeal form near the front door of the Manor.

"She's here." Harry whispered creeping down the long corridor as he watched the wisps of magic hover delicately.

"You're the mastermind that managed to save the wizarding world? You do have a penchant for stating the obvious." Lucius sniffed with disdain.

He squared his shoulders and marched toward the imposing ornate door. Harry dutifully followed, gripping his wand, preparing to battle whomsoever was on the other side. He didn't imagine it was Astoria. She would never venture to Malfoy Manor alone. A small piece of him hoped against hope Ron had managed to escape and bring Astoria to safety even as Lucius casually opened the door.

"Ah yes, Ms. Chang, do come in."

"What are you doing?" Harry hissed, hiding behind a leafy potted plant beside the door.

"Do you think I'm stupid Mr. Malfoy? I might be a little out of my mind, but that doesn't make me stupid. I assume Harry Potter is cowering behind the door. It wasn't particularly smart to gather all these tempting treats in one location now was it? It was much more difficult when they were dispersed, so thank you for that." Cho Chang actually winked at Lucius Malfoy as she dangled his wand from her fingertips.

He was quite put out he'd never heard her utter a solitary word, nor felt the extension of himself vanish from his fist. She was more accomplished than he thought which really was his downfall. Cho had the nerve to wink at him before casting the spell which sent him flying into the shelf of antique vases. As his eyes fluttered shut, Lucius groaned, not from the pain but from knowing the cost of replacing Narcissa's prize trinkets.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego. Really Harry, after all this time, you still rely on first year spells? How terribly quaint of you. Come along then, we've got a bit of work to do. Where is she?" Cho stabbed her wand into Harry's throat, reveling in the satisfaction of power over the Chosen One.

"She's not here." Harry spat, his green eyes blazing. For a moment he wondered how he had ever thought her attractive.

"You always were a terrible liar. Astoria screamed until she was hoarse when I carved into her skin. She begged and pleaded. I almost had half a mind to listen to her, but in the end I decided against it. Be thankful I didn't mar her face." Cho laughed lightly and shoved Harry down the corridor.

"Hermione would never come here. She detests Malfoy Manor, even you should know that much." Harry glanced around the foyer quickly, silently wishing the portraits would give him aid or even that Lucius would awaken.

Instead he was face to face with a man he never thought to suspect. For a moment Harry wondered if he could make a break for it. The stairs were just to his right and if he could make it to the curve, he'd have half a chance. If his newfound enemy on the other hand, ventured toward the bedchambers Harry knew he didn't stand a chance. The others would believe him and all would be lost.

"Finally! It took you bloody long enough now didn't it? You were supposed to secure the others before I arrived." Cho gestured with her wand, which gave Harry ample opportunity to shove her.

She hadn't the sense to use his silly first year spell on him and therefore Harry retained use of his wand. Later she would curse her error in judgement but as it was she was busy flailing across the marble floor attempting to avoid yet another shelf of precious family heirlooms. Her partner in crime simply gaped as she crashed into a curio cabinet filled with china, hissing as the glass showered over her.

"Stupefy!" Harry's shaking hand flung the spell toward Cho's companion, missing him by mere inches.

"Reducto!" He shouted, blasting the wall nearest the Boy Who Lived in a desperate attempt to cause mayhem.

Harry spun on his heel and raced up the staircase, banging on every closed door until he reached Draco and Hermione's chambers. He was vaguely aware of more shouts and crashes below him and assumed Lucius had regain consciousness to join into the fray.

"Open up you wanker!" Harry's fists pounded the heavy wood desperately. He fumbled for his wand and removed the Silencing charm with a quickness. "Malfoy! Come on!" He heard fumbling on the interior and bounced on the balls of his feet.

Draco threw open the bedroom door with anger in his silver eyes while thrusting his arms into a robe. His mouth opened as if to berate the green eyed interrupting wizard, yet stopped upon seeing the abject terror in his eyes.

"Malfoy! She's here!" Draco yanked Harry into the bedchamber and slammed the door shut, instantly casting various protection spells.

"Nee, Potter's going to take you to the nursery. Please don't argue love, I can't risk you." He kissed her forehead and rushed to the wardrobe.

"Harry? What's going on? Is she really here? How did she get through the wards? I don't understand." Hermione wrapped her arms around her midsection while backing away from the door slowly.

Harry pretended he was unaware of her disheveled nature, deciding now wasn't the time to berate the couple for their amorous activities. Hermione dropped her head, blushing brightly as she began buttoning her nightgown and smoothing the wrinkles. Harry offered her the blush silk robe from the end of the four poster bed and averted his eyes.

The shouts and spells firing were growing louder by each passing second. He knew it was only a matter of minutes before Chang came bursting into the bedchamber to snatch her away. It was bad enough Cho Chang had murdered witches and wizards for some convoluted sense of justice but knowing his wife and Ron were among her…well he couldn't even say the word casualties let alone think it. The idea that Hermione could be next was eating him alive. He had promised to protect her, years before Draco Malfoy was ever a blip on her romantic radar. Harry couldn't imagine Draco taking it well either. He loved her in a way Harry had never thought him capable.

"Malfoy." Hermione whispered as she plucked the sleeve of his light blue button down. She stroked the material softly, willing the tears to remain at bay.

"Nee, it'll be alright. The nursery is just next door. I'll create a door in the closet. You won't even have to step into the hall. I'll contact Nick as well. He's just on the other side of our chambers of which you're well aware." Draco smirked while he smoothed Hermione's unruly curls from her forehead.

"Please, don't go." Hermione shuddered slightly and swallowed hard. "We can just…send a Patronus to the Ministry and…"

"They'll come in wands blazing and we'll never find Stori or the Weasel. I can't live with that and I don't think you could either." Harry suddenly found the wall coverings incredibly interesting and studied them as Draco drew Hermione into his arms. "She'll kill you if she gets the chance. She won't care that you're pregnant, not now. She's too fucking angry. I need you to stay here. I need you to hold Xander tight and keep our little one safe. I know you want to argue with me Granger. It's who you bloody are. I know you detest standing on the sidelines when the people you love are out and about fighting their arses off but you have to understand, love. If you're out there, I won't be able to do what needs to be done. I won't be able to concentrate."

"But Malfoy, if you'd just…"

"No. I can't. You're the first woman I've ever loved. You're the first woman who showed me I was capable of loving anyone besides myself quite frankly and…and…dammit, I can't. Don't ask me. For once in your bloody life just do what you're fucking told, would you?" Draco shook her a bit, his fingers digging into the soft skin of her arms as tears pricked her eyes.

"Hermione as much as it pains me, Malfoy's right. You might be the brightest witch of whatever but that doesn't mean you have to go around trying to fix everything. Chang got the drop on Lucius for Merlin's sake. She wouldn't hesitate to incapacitate you and that puts your child in danger. Quit being so bloody stubborn, get your arse in the nursery and let us handle things. We're fucking Aurors for Merlin's sake!" As the sounds in the corridor turned into a cacophony of violence, Draco dragged his wife into the closet.

Hermione stumbled after him, surprised by Harry's outburst yet knowing he wasn't wrong. It hurt her to admit such things, but even she knew now wasn't the time for such laments. She watched with ever present curiosity as Draco murmured the magical words which created the door between rooms. She was unable to make her feet cross the threshold, gasping in surprise when Draco swept her up into his arms. He kissed her temple and her cheek while whispering 'I love you' in her ear and set her on her feet near the extraordinarily large bed. Draco waved his wand, transforming the bed into a crib for safety before he brushed Xander's dark hair from his forehead and bent to kiss his brow.

"Stop it, please stop it. Stop acting as if this is goodbye. It'll be alright, you'll be alright. You were an amazing Auror and well Harry's fine and…"

"Hermione…" Draco reached for her hand, but she snatched it away, her chest heaving with quickened breaths.

"No, don't do that. You don't call me Hermione, not ever." Draco despised seeing his wife in such a state and it pained him.

He wanted nothing more than to hold her tight until all the madness ceased to exist but he was long past childish ideals. It was time to put an end to the moments which caused his wife to tremble in fear. It was time to magic a pair of brass bollocks onto the Wonder Boy and finish this once and for all.

"Nee, she's right down the hall. Do this for me, please." Xander fussed in his sleep, their heads instantly spinning toward the toddler when the door blasted off its hinges eliciting a screaming wail from the grumpy child.

"Well well well, what do we have here? If it isn't the Malfoys and a Potter. Do come out Potter, now isn't the time to cower away like the pathetic wizard you are." Adrian Pucey flicked his wand and Hermione was pinned to the wall.

His dark eyes were shining with an unmatched hatred even Draco didn't understand. Draco wasn't surprised by the former Slytherins arrival. He was used to such betrayals from his house. Adrian took a few small steps into the room and removed his cloak.

"Do you know how demoralizing it is to be forced to work beneath Harry Bloody Potter? What is he famous for? Oh yes that's right, not fucking dying which is absolute bollocks if you ask me. It didn't matter that I've worked my arse off at the Ministry, not one bit because Harry Potter here is the Saviour of the world and we should all bend over and let him shove his celebrity right up our collective arses. I couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled across Chang dumping Edgecombe. How do ya think she always managed to stay one step ahead of you lot? She's smart enough but combining our inside information was bloody genius if I do say so my…"

"Avada Kedavra!" Cho Chang, looking slightly worse for the wear stumbled into the nursery with fire in her eyes.

Her blue robes were a bit mussed, with specks of soot and even shards of glass clinging to the fabric. Her dark hair was tangled and knotted as well. Cho's face showed the evidence of a scuffle and Draco hoped his father had injured the bint, but she seemed to be capable of remaining on her feet. The deep gouge on her cheek dripped blood down her cheek to her chin, before sliding down the column of her neck and Hermione managed to squelch the smile dancing at the corner of her lips.

"He always did talk too much." Cho kicked Adrian's inert form with a curled lip of derision.

Hermione slid down the wall the moment Adrian Pucey took his last breath. She rose to her feet slowly, so as not to draw attention to herself and stood in front of Xander's crib defensively. Draco threaded his fingers with hers, holding her tight.

"Why?" Harry took a tentative step toward the angry witch.

He tucked his wand into his back pocket before holding his hands out in silent supplication. Cho wiped the blood from her cheek, smearing it across her jaw and frowned. He knew she was struggling internally and part of him wondered if he even wanted to know the answer.

"It's obvious Harry." Hermione whispered, consciously blocking Xander from view.

"Go on then Miss-Know-It-All; tell the esteemed Harry Potter why I'm systematically killing off his friends." Cho crossed her arms yet kept her wand trained on Hermione. She knew Harry Potter would never risk his precious friend's life.

Draco released a low growl but the warm hand tightening on his soothed his rage to a certain extent. He wanted to rush her, slam her into the wall and perhaps even raise his hand against a woman for the first time in his life, but he didn't. He was most unwilling to risk his family, even to catch a notorious serial killer.

"Cedric Diggory." Hermione countered and while Draco knew her knees were shaking, she looked cool, calm and collected.

It was almost satisfying to watch Cho Chang's almond eyes widen as they filled with horror and pain. It would have been better if she had slipped with her wand, but Draco knew better. Harry blinked a few times, pretending to take a moment to process the information, but it wasn't anything Hermione hadn't shouted at him before.

"You're blaming the wrong person. It's not my bloody fault the madman that killed my parents and basically destroyed my life decided to kill an innocent. He killed lots of bloody innocents. Are they all my fault as well?" Hermione frowned and Harry swallowed hard.

He was losing his temper and that was the last thing they wanted to happen. It was necessary to keep her distracted and Harry fervently hoped the Ministry team was able to discover the whereabouts of his wife and best mate. He had taken a risk in contacting Shacklebolt in the scant moments before Chang ventured into the Manor, but it was a risk he had to take. Harry hadn't expected a reply, nor had he received one yet it did not keep him from praying. He disliked being the sort of wizard who had something to lose. It wasn't a position he was familiar with and it set him on edge. He couldn't imagine the horrors flitting through Hermione's mind or even Draco's palpable fear. Harry had his own demons and he finally decided after this mission, he was done working for the Ministry. He had finally found something to life for and it wasn't putting away former Death Eaters.

"I haven't the time for such nonsense. I'm going to assume you've already contacted the Ministry Harry which really doesn't leave me with a bit of time. Come along then Hermione, you wouldn't want me to have to resort to blasting away your husband or even that child you're hiding behind you." Cho chuckled lightly, covering her mouth and for a moment, Harry was reminded of the demure witch she had once been.

Hermione took the smallest step forward, even as Draco held her hand fast and Harry frowned. She was always a selfless sort of person, which is probably why she wound up sorted into Gryffindor in the first place. Her mine knew no bounds but it was her heart which carved her path in life.

"If I go with you…you can't hurt them." Hermione's voice trembled even as she ignored the pain in her fingers.

Draco was unaware he was gripping her so tightly, his concentration broken by Xander climbing to his feet, his hands stretching toward Hermione's long dark curls. From the corner of his eye, he could see Xander frowning with frustration as he was unable to reach his mum. His cheeks pinkened and his dark eyebrows furrowed. Draco knew it was only a matter of moments before there was yet another explosion of uncontrolled magic and he could only hope it would work to his advantage.

Hermione was vaguely aware of Xander's small feet bouncing in his crib and his mumbled murmurs of 'mum mum mum', but she kept her eyes focused on Cho. She knew Draco would be furious with her, but she had to believe Cho wouldn't hurt her. She was angry. She was bereft of guilt and consumed by grief. It was obvious she was incapable of thinking clearly and yet she hadn't irrevocably harmed any expecting witch while on her rampage.

"You really are quite the do-gooder aren't you? It must be absolutely exhausting." Cho sighed and tapped her forefinger against her jaw as she contemplated Hermione's words. "Alright then, I solemnly swear I shan't hurt a hair upon Draco Malfoy's head nor the child. I refuse to make any such promises where Harry Potter is concerned and if you press me on the matter I'll Avada all of you where you stand."

Hermione nodded quickly, accepting the terms. She knew the end game was always Harry and expected nothing less from the disheveled witch. She took another step forward, but Draco refused to release her hand.

"Malfoy…" She pleaded, glancing at their entwined fingers, knowing he was struggling to maintain his composure.

"I'm so fucking angry with you." Draco's lips barely moved and the tic in his cheek fluttered furiously.

"I know. I'll be alright. You'll find me. I've got to go." Xander stamped furiously shrieking as his bright eyes flicked between his new parents.

"No! No go! Mum! Want mum! NOW!" Xander bellowed and Harry was hard-pressed to keep his hands from covering his ears.

He closed his green eyes which was a mistake as he missed the brilliant flash of light, hearing only the loud boom, reminiscent of thunder. He opened his eyes to find them clouded with smoke. Cho Chang was coughing, still keeping a firm hold on her wand whereas Draco crossed his arms with a smirk, quite satisfied with himself. Harry glanced about the bedchamber to see Hermione and Xander had disappeared.

"She tricked me that bitch!" Cho Chang's hands trembled with barely contained rage.

Draco and Harry knew they had to move quickly before the Killing Curse escaped her lips once more. Harry drew his wand, yet before he could utter a single spell he was overcome with a coughing fit, rendering him useless. Draco attempted to push past Cho in order to suss out where his family had ventured off too, yet he was struck with more force than he expected. He stumbled backward, flinching as his back hit the corner of a wall.

"Impedimenta!" Cho shouted in their direction before she spun on her heel to race through the corridors of the Manor.

Harry chased after her, shoving Nick out of the way while he shoved Daphne back into their bedchamber. Harry was aware of Nick heavily warding the door before following him down the corridor. He assumed Draco wasn't far behind and part of him even hoped Lucius would be waiting for the deranged witch at the bottom of the stairs.

Instead he was greeted with a scene he never expected. Cho had blasted Blaise and Lucius into a sea of potted plants and rushed out the front door to run smack into Hermione and Xander.

"I didn't do it. He did it, I promise." Hermione backed away slowly, cradling a fussy Xander in her arms.

"My mum." Xander sniffled into Hermione's hair, his sweaty fists tangled in her curls. "No go."

Cho staggered on her feet before her lip curled in distaste. Harry was half inclined to hex her but Cho shoved her wand against Xander's throat stopping everyone cold. The rapid succession of feet across marble slid to a halt. The angry voices ceased their shouts and it was almost as if time stood still.

"Please, don't hurt him. I'll go with you, just let me…please let me give him to Malfoy and…"

"You've just got it all don't you?" Cho's voice dripped with venom yet she couldn't tear her eyes from the curly headed brunette in Hermione's arms. "Give him to me."

Hermione shook her head quickly, stumbling backward. Draco growled and Hermione was thankful Harry was holding him back. The last thing she wanted was any of them caught in the cross fire of Chang's misplaced rage. It was obvious she didn't know how to hold the witch off and Cho's eyes narrowed dangerously. Hermione swallowed hard, never feeling more inept then she did at that moment.

She couldn't think straight. She could barely breathe and her family's life was being held in a precarious balance. She closed her eyes as the tears began to fall, wondering for a moment if this was how Lily Potter felt in the seconds before she died. She would do anything for Xander, for Draco, even for their unborn child and while she didn't wish to die, Hermione would willingly throw herself before any curse so they may live.

"Draco…" Hermione whimpered when Cho wrenched her arm from Xander, twisting it painfully.

Draco Malfoy made a choice. He shoved Harry Potter and his father with such force they hit the ground with a thud. He wrestled away from Nick and Blaise, foregoing his wand for Muggle violence. He ran across the stone portico as fast as his feet would carry him. With a passionate rage he hadn't felt since the war, Draco grasped Cho Chang by the shoulders and flung her to the ground before standing protectively in front of his family. He felt Hermione creep up behind him, her palm pressing against his shoulder blade and the warmth of Xander against his back. Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his wife was terrified and his son, sweet Merlin he gasped at the enormity of emotion he felt for the child as he watched Chang struggle to her feet.

"You're going to bloody pay for that Malfoy. The question is whether it will be your wife or child." Cho sneered, her face contorted in such a way Hermione could barely recognise the girl she once was.

Draco took his eyes off Cho for a moment, knowing it would confuse her and kissed Hermione hard. He stroked Xander's curls and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you," he whispered, "forgive me." Draco turned his back on them, closing his eyes so he could not see the hurt, the confusion and finally the understanding in Hermione's eyes.

"You've made your choice then?" Cho laughed, her voice cackling with deranged glee even as Draco shook his head.

Cho Chang's eyes shone with delight and she nodded eagerly reaching for him. Draco ignored the shouts of protest, the warm fingers grasping to the edge of his shirt.

"Protego" He muttered, trapping his family, loved ones and even Potter behind him as Cho dug her wand into his throat with a smile. "Potter!" Draco shouted, waiting for the green eyed wizard to look upon him. "I'm counting on you!"

With a flash of laughter from Cho and a glower from Draco, they were gone and Harry felt the weight of the world on his shoulders once more.

Hermione Granger was used to having the answers. It had always been her way to immediately venture into the library and scour various tomes until the pieces put themselves together and a brilliant plan emerged. However, in this case, she was truly at a loss and it shook her to her core. She paced the drawing room of Malfoy Manor, ignoring the fact it was a room which once brought her terror and stroked Xander's back, willing her mind to wake from its trance.

"Mum-mum." Xander patted her face, pulling away from her tight embrace to study her eyes.

She felt as though she were looking at her father, waste of space that he was, as Xander's clear blue eyes stared into her brown. She swore the child was worried for her but that was ridiculous, wasn't it? It was obvious he had magic bursting in him from the seams, but there was knowledge there as well.

"It's alright baby, we'll figure it out. Da will be back soon." Hermione didn't believe the words but she had to tell him something.

"Da? Want Da. My Da bye bye." Xander angrily crossed his arms, immediately pouting at the very thought he couldn't have exactly what he wanted.

"That's right little man, your dad had to go bye bye with that bloody bint and…"

"Blaise! Language!" Blaise Zabini had casually sauntered into the room needing a reprieve from the constant bickering between Harry and Nick.

He scooped Xander from Hermione's arms and ruffled his hair. He'd never spent much time around small children, but he didn't mind Xander. He thought the kid had been dealt a rough hand and it was obvious he had been denied the basic love and attention every child requires by how quickly he'd become attached to the Malfoys. Xander smiled up at the tanned wizard and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Fuck, bad. Shit, bad. Bint, bad. Da sayes no. Want Da now peas." Xander's bottom lip thrust forward in a heart wrenching pout which managed to pull at Blaise's hardened heartstrings.

"I'm sorry little man. Your dad had to…" Blaise sighed, looking to Hermione to rescue him but she was staring into the fireplace. "There was a woman and she's not a nice woman and she took your Da away for a little bit. We'd like to go and get him but we can't quite do that…"

"Why?" Xander inquired while patting Blaise's cheek. He had a quiet sort of obsession with cheek patting but it was endearing.

"Well uhm, we don't know where they are." Blaise choked on the words despising the fact he was forced to say such things to Malfoy's kid.

"Down." Xander kicked his feet until Blaise had no other choice but to set the boy on his feet unless he wished to suffer extensive bruising of his abdomen.

He watched the boy toddle to the center of the room with his arms wide. Blaise sat on the settee determined to watch him while his mother was incapacitated by what he imagined was guilt. Blaise never thought of Draco as a self sacrificing sort of bloke, but he supposed things changed when you loved someone as much as Draco loved Hermione.

Luna floated into the room with a blank stare, which startled Blaise slightly. He could hardly recall a moment when Luna didn't have a wispy smile pasted on her face. That wasn't exactly true, there was the day Luna became absolutely enraged with Harry due to the fate of some Nargles, but that wasn't a regular occurrence. He studied her stiff movements but she only had eyes for Xander. She squatted in front of the small boy and stroked his cheek.

"Are you ready honey?" Luna's singsong voice floated in the silence and Blaise braced his arms on his knees, a sense of foreboding coursing through his veins.

"Go now?" Xander nodded his head quickly, his dark curls bouncing with excitement. He tugged on his pajama shirt, decorated with some ridiculous fluffy animal and flashed Luna his dimples with an impish smile.

"Luna…" Blaise growled, instantly standing in preparation for whatever harebrained idea his wife was formulating.

He stepped forward only to be halted by a particularly strong Shielding Charm though he never saw Luna draw her wand. Blaise looked to Xander and the tiny imp smiled and waved, the little bastard. Hermione had finally shaken herself from her stupor but was also imprisoned by the Charm. It didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, almost as if she was used to such antics and perhaps she was.

"It's alright Blaise. Xander here is simply demanding his father." Luna smiled over her shoulder, trying to ease her husband's angst.

"We don't even know where the fuck he is Luna! You can't just go off with a bloody toddler!" Blaise was shouting, drawing the attention of the other witches and wizards.

He could hear their footsteps in the corridor, just outside the drawing room but Blaise was determined to keep his gaze set on Luna.

"Blaise? What's going on?" Harry Potter cracked open the door, his mouth dropping open at the scene before him.

"Harry, I think dat Xander kid has tossed up dat shield." Nick edged around Harry, studying the flickering edges of the Shield Charm with a practiced eye.

"Shouldn't you be shagging Daphne and leaving the sleuthing to those more qualified?" Harry was quite irritated with the American Auror if only for the reason Nick had sided with Blaise when it came to the ideas tossed about for a rescue mission.

"She's tired, thought I'd give 'er a rest." Nick winked and Harry's fingers twitched as he stroked the hilt of his wand.

"You're disgusting."

"Jealous much?" Nick chuckled while leaning casually against the doorjamb.

"Go now?" Xander poked Luna's arm incessantly drawing her attention back to him.

Luna smiled and nodded slowly while fluffing her multicoloured tiered skirt. She flung her long dishwater blonde hair over her shoulder and stood. Luna took Xander's small hand in her own and turned to face her friends.

"He's much brighter than any of you have given him credit. He hasn't quite mastered his magic but that will come with time and a bit of training I imagine. Xander is quite stubborn and while it isn't exactly in his best interest to go alone, he would if it came down to it. It's quite handy I was paying attention to the whisperings of the Blibbering Humdingers, of course they were laughing at me as they often do but they were quite informative when it came to sweet Xander here. They told me he was off on an adventure and while they would be happy to accompany him, he's much too young to go alone. Of course I had to volunteer, it would be unseemly otherwise." Luna's head bobbed and her ever present radish earrings swung erratically.

"I haven't the slightest fucking idea what she just said." Blaise huffed with a quiet sort of indignation, brushing the specks of gray lint from his black slacks in irritation.

"You're a terrible husband then. I believe Luna just told us Xander is off to retrieve Malfoy though I still haven't sussed out how exactly and she's going along for the ride because he shouldn't go alone." Harry smiled, quite pleased with himself until reality set in. "Wait, you can't just go off. We have to come with you; we're trained for this and…" Harry grasped desperately at the proverbial straws, practically pleading with a wispy witch and a toddler.

"Mum!" Xander shouted, his free hand held up so as to stop his mother from approaching him. "Lull loo!" He smiled and waved before he began tugging on Luna's kaleidoscope skirt.

"Just a minute love. Now Blaise, we'll be fine. I'll send a Patronus…"

"I go now!" Xander interrupted and with a barely perceptible flourish…they were gone.