Disclaimer: I am not JKR

Liberation

Chapter 12

Draco paused for a fraction of a second to stare at the sand rushing through the cracks in the golden walls before he pulled himself up and lunged for the sarcophagus lid. The sand had buried the lid except for a small corner which Draco grabbed at and tried to pull free. There was too much sand on it to free with his hands and he was afraid that any spells would take too long to clear it. Draco's lungs were beginning to burn and the sand began to fall so heavily around him he could no longer see. Gripping his wand tightly in his right hand, and the Ankh in his left, Draco Apparated out of the tunnel and right into the tent still sitting where he and Bill had set up camp several days before.

Once inside the tent Draco fell to the ground in a heap and clawed at his eyes in a feeble attempt to get out the sand that was scratching his delicate corneas. Bill, who was waiting in the tent for Draco, rushed over and dowsed his face with water from his wand, after which he poured a healing salve directly over Draco's eyes. Draco tried to thank Bill for healing his eyes but the dust and sand clogging his throat made it impossible for him to speak. After a long coughing fit, Draco was finally able to breathe normally.

"Thanks." Draco's throat was hoarse and dry. Bill squatted down and handed him a cup of tepid tea and another healing potion.

"I'm so sorry, mate. I really thought I bollixed the whole thing and just left you there to die." Bill was resolutely trying not to look at Draco, but his eyes kept straying to the golden beetle shaped Ankh still tightly wound up in Draco's fingers.

Draco was gripping the broken Ankh so tightly he actually had to use his other hand to unwind his fingers and free it. His palm held an impression of the details on the Ankh, including the crack right down its middle. Draco placed the Ankh gingerly on the floor of the tent directly in front of where he was sitting. Bill went from his squat to a full sit on the floor directly across from Draco.

"You didn't ruin anything. You had to go," Draco said looking Bill directly in his blue eyes trying to convey how sincerely he meant it. There was no way they would have survived the collapsing tunnel if Bill was in there still trying to fight Draco for the Ankh.

Bill met Draco's eyes for a moment before turning away quickly. Draco could not help but notice that the other man's eyes were red-rimmed and sad.

"Really, Bill, you did great. I got it, no sweat, and you can't even feel the evil coming off it anymore." Draco waved a hand over the Ankh as if to say 'see, nothing.'

"I know. I just never thought I had that in me. I mean, I have been hunting treasures for years and never had the desire to steal one let along fight someone for it and put people in danger. I have seen it, but I have never felt anything like it before. I can't help but feel ashamed." Bill tugged a hand through his dirty hair and finally met Draco's eyes willingly. "I am chuffed that you're back though, I was really worried."

"Well, I'm only angry I wasn't able to save any bit of the sarcophagus or the scroll with Kashta's messages on it," Draco admitted trying to make light of Bill's worries. The red head would never know how deeply indebted Draco felt towards him just for believing in him and being there at all.

Bill finally smiled and stood up quickly. He walked to the tent's little kitchen and returned to Draco who remained seated on the floor. In Bill's hand was the very scroll that Draco was missing.

"How did you get out with that?"

"When I took off my pack it fell on the floor. I think maybe when we were fighting it got shoved in between my bag and my back." Bill handed the scroll with the ring wrapped back around it to Draco happily and with an expression that clearly said he was glad he did one thing right.

Draco took the scroll gratefully and placed it next to the Ankh. "See? Without you, I probably would not have this."

Apparently it was not the right thing to say because Bill instantly went solemn. Draco left him to his thoughts and getting up on shaky legs he sealed his treasure in his pack (not that he didn't trust Bill) and went into the tent's makeshift shower. Draco didn't emerge from the water until there was no hint of sand anywhere on his person. His whole body was covered in tiny scratches and bruises from the crushing pressure of the sharp little rocks. When Draco finally emerged from the shower it was to the welcoming scent of frying eggs and bacon. His stomach gave an audible rumble and Draco tried to remember the last time he'd eaten and couldn't remember when it was.

"I'll be leaving in just a little while, time to get home to Fleur and Victoire," Bill said without turning around, but in that same defeated tone he'd used earlier.

Draco set out a couple of plates and sat down at the table. "I think I am going to stay for a couple more days. I want to go back to the Valley of the Kings and revisit Tut's tomb, and I would like to stop off in France on my way home."

Bill nodded and served up the food. They sat in silence for a few more minutes chewing thoughtfully before Draco couldn't take it anymore.

"Bill, you did nothing wrong. If anything I'm sorry I had to knock you out. We knew the Ankh was calling to me and not you, and we also knew that there was a chance one of us would react the way we did." Draco slapped the table with the last word as if to emphasise his point. "So will you relax?"

Bill gave a half hearted nod in agreement before turning back to his meal. Draco pondered what could possibly make Bill so upset over his reaction. Was it that he thought Fleur would be disappointed? Was he just guilty about fighting Draco and slowing him down? If that was the case then he needed to get over that because Draco could have never succeeded without Bill's help. The only other possible explanation Draco could come up with was that Bill expected to be the one that was pure of heart and having an ex-Death Eater show him up was grating on him. Draco did not want that to be the reason Bill was upset.

"Bill, tell me honestly, man, are you bothered that it was me, the once supporter of Voldemort who was able to destroy the Ankh and not you?" Draco asked sharply as if daring Bill not to answer.

Startled Bill did not answer immediately. Finally his shoulders sagged in defeat. "It did cross my mind, and that makes me ashamed more than anything because I know you are not like that. This was your mission, I just forgot all that when I fell under the power of that hidden magical core. I always get a bit defensive and sulky when I fail a mission. Don't mind me."

"Good. That just proves that good and evil are not black and white, and no one, absolutely no one, is immune. Don't be ashamed you assumed ill of me, people do it all the time. Some of us just have to go through life proving that we are decent, and thanks to my history I am one of them. I have come to terms with it. All I can do is try to make the right decisions from one day to the next. Now, before you leave will you give some time to write a letter for you to take to Hermione?"

Bill agreed knowing that having Draco as a friend was going to be very good for him.

Hermione looked at her watch for the fiftieth time that evening causing one of her employees to snicker.

"Hot date, tonight?"

"What?" Hermione replied looking at her watch again and then blushing. "Not a hot date, no."

Siobhan wasn't convinced. "I've never seen you so eager to have a shift over before. You are the boss; if you want to leave you can leave. We don't need the help tonight."

What Hermione was waiting for was an owl. Draco had said three days. If she didn't hear from him in three days she was to go and visit with Fleur to tell her what was actually going on in Egypt. Hermione did not want to make that trip and there was only ten more hours left before that task might befall her. She was really hoping to have received and owl already, or even better, a visit from Draco himself. She kept telling herself that it was too soon in their relationship to get so worked up over him going on such a dangerous mission, but who was she kidding? If something happened to Draco, Hermione knew it would take her a very long time to get over it. She may be getting to know herself, but that much she already was fully aware of.

"You're right, Siobhan. I am going home." Hermione decided it would be much easier to fret at home with an old favourite film in the background rather than the already stressful hospital sounds.

By the time Hermione was at home she was down to nine hours before she would have to visit Fleur. After a long bath in which she tried to relax she was down to eight, and by the time she'd finished drinking some tea, eating a sandwich, and cleaning her kitchen she was down to seven. It was five in the afternoon and the despite how badly she wanted Draco home, the day was whizzing by. Time was so finicky when one wanted it to just stop.

Hermione selected a romantic comedy that was exactly two hours long and turned it on, but before the opening credits were even finished there was a loud knock on her door. She jammed a fist in her mouth to stifle her scream and then removed it laughing nervously at herself. It is probably just Harry, she thought.

To Hermione's bittersweet surprise a dazed looking Bill was standing at her door.

"Bill! Are you all right?" Hermione exclaimed her hand fluttering to cover her loudly thumping heart.

Bill shook his head as if to clear it and grinned broadly at Hermione's flustered expression. "I'm fine; it is just that International Portkey travel makes me a little dizzy. Before you ask, Draco is fine, and no, he is not with me, but he sent this."

Hermione sighed with relief and disappointment as she took the proffered letter in Bill's outstretched hand.

"Would you like to come in? Have a drink?" Hermione asked stepping back and opening the door wider.

"No, I really want to get home to my family. Thanks for the offer though. I will be in touch soon, Hermione!"

Bill Apparated away without another word. That was odd. Hermione shut the door quickly and opened the letter without even sitting down. Bill hadn't told her anything really, not even if they'd found the Ankh and she hoped the letter had some answers. It did.

Dear Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you safe and well. I wanted to let you know before anyone (besides Bill, of course) that I successfully retrieved the Ankh and it is everything I expected it to be. The mission was accomplished with minimal drama, no injuries, and I will give you a full report upon my return. I want to thank you for your endearing support in this mission. I saw the worry in your eyes when you left us in Egypt and it fully convinced me that your concern for me was genuine. I wanted you there so that I might be able to demonstrate to you that what I was looking for was real and not some vestige of a boyhood whim that I refused to let go. Perhaps my appeal to you was unnecessary because your support was always genuine and unwavering. I suppose I wanted a witness in the event that we failed and never came home. You felt that awesome power and only you would have been able to lead people to the correct location. I apologise deeply if you find that offensive, but it felt it necessary at the time, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for prevailing upon you in such a way. I admit that I was concerned for Bill's safety far above my own, but my thoughts were constantly with you and it was you I thought of first when I was finally free of the Ankh's prison.

At this point, Hermione began to wonder if the letter was turning into a 'Dear John' letter and Draco was planning to leave her before they could finally be together.

I will not be returning to England for a couple more days. There are few things I want to see in Egypt and then I plan to stop in France to visit an old friend. I am missing you terribly and look forward to seeing you as soon as possible, but this stop in France should not take long and I will be home soon. Once again thank you for understanding why I had to do this and I look forward to seeing your beautiful face again.

With Love,

Draco

Hermione read the short letter three full times before clutching it to her chest and fighting back tears. He did want to be with her. She was only just wondering what on earth would make him want to stop in France before coming back to England, but it was not up to her to decide how to live his life. He really didn't have to assure her of anything considering they had only been a couple for a few weeks, but he did and that was really the sweetest thing he could have done. The letter was successful in the expulsion of her worry, but it only fuelled her desire to see Draco again.

That night Hermione slept with Draco's letter tucked under pillow just like one might expect of a schoolgirl. Her sleep was not fitful for once and she had no dream which was relief. When she awoke she was more refreshed than ever and beginning to feel confident that her life was finally back on track. Every time she thought of Draco her heart raced and she felt short of breath and the only thing that was making her nervous now was if he felt for her as strongly as she did for him. She only had two days to find out.

*************************************************************************************A/N: Okay, short chapter with no big cliff hanger. Got my settings redone so it is back to UK English. Sorry for all the inconsistency. Thanks to all the reviews from the previous chapter and please be kind and review this one too! I will update again within a week (I hope). Oh, and btw, I did not get that link posted for the banner. Trying to get it fixed soon.