Chapter Ten

Draco landed flat on his back. There were black spots in his eyes and he couldn't figure out what went wrong. He knew that the Ministry obviously found out that Potter and his friends had somehow snuck their way in, but he couldn't figure out how.

He vaguely remembered Potter breaking out one of the witches who was being interrogated by Umbridge, but it was all a blur to him. He only remembered struggling to hold on to the Cloak and following Hermione and Potter as close as he could.

Draco closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He noticed the grassy scent around and saw that they were surrounded by trees. He groggily sat up and looked around, seeing Potter, Weasley, and Hermione nearby. He heard a groan come from Weasley's mouth and crawled closer. Hermione was on her hands and knees at Weasley's head and he was turning back into the ginger that Draco remembered. Blood came from his sleeve and his face was a strange grayish-white color.

"What's happened to him?" asked Potter.

"Splinched," she answered.

He and Potter exchanged a grimace.

"Harry, quickly, in my bag, there's a small bottle labeled 'Essence of Dittany'-"

While Potter rummaged through Hermione's bag, Draco knelt down next to Hermione and leaned down until he was almost nose-to-nose with Ron. "Will he be all right?" he asked.

"I don't know," answered Hermione. She snatched the bottle from Potter and started dabbing it on all of Weasley's wounds.

"Let me help," Draco insisted, taking the bottle from Hermione's hands. "You're shaking." He pulled out his wand and used it to spread the dittany over Weasley's wounds. Then he trailed his wand down Weasley's left side, murmuring in a low voice. At once, color began reappearing in Weasley's face and the wounds began to heal. Draco looked up at Potter and Hermione. "He's not fully healed, he's lost too much blood. But he should be fine, I think."

"Where did you learn that?" asked Hermione. She stared at him with an unfathomable face.

"My uncle taught me," he answered. "He was trying to teach me a lot of things that I never knew how to do before."

"Ted?" asked Potter, uncertainly.

Draco nodded. He stood up and wiped the soil from his pants. "You should set him up in a sling or something. Make sure it heals right." He walked away, but not before noticing a glance exchanged between Potter and Hermione. He pulled out his wand and began to walk in a wide circle around them.

"Salvio Hexo…Protego Totalum…Repello Muggletum…Muffliato…"

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Potter asked, running to walk beside him.

"Protective spells. It seems we're in the middle of the forest where anybody could see us." He gestured to Weasley. "Blood traitor." He pointed to Hermione. "Mudblood." He pointed to Potter. "Undesirable Number One." And he pointed to himself. "Dead Death Eater."

"Former Death Eater," Potter corrected.

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Why are we here anyway? I thought we were heading back to Grimmauld Place."

"Hermione said she accidentally showed Yaxley the door to Grimmauld Place, meaning that she let him in the secret, too."

"So it's not safe there?"

Potter shook his head. "No."

"What about Kreacher? What if you summon him? He's supposed to go to you at once."

"If-if we do, he might…not on purpose, but he might bring along-"

"Oh, okay." Draco looked crestfallen. He seemed to be lost in thought for a few seconds before raising his wand again. "That sucks, I was actually quite looking forward to his steak-and-kidney pie."

Potter smiled. "Where did you learn this, anyway?" He gestured to Draco's wand.

"Kingsley, Remus, and Uncle Ted. Wasn't much I could do when I was stuck at Uncle Ted's, so they taught me some stuff. Uncle Ted was trying to teach me to Disillusion myself when they-when he-when…you know."

"I never pegged you to be a brain."

"How can anyone in our class be when Hermione over there is ready to kill you if you get better marks then her?"

Potter looked as if he was about to laugh. "Um…I…I think I have a confession to make."

Draco dropped his wand, curious. "What?"

"I…I suspected you last year…I had a feeling you were up to something."

"Well, it was a correct feeling."

"If…if Dumbledore had listened to me-"

"Then he'd be alive, probably."

"Well, it doesn't matter now."

"I suppose." The two fell into a somewhat awkward silence. "Hey, those…vision things you have with the Dark Lord…can you control them?"

Potter shook his head. "No. I only know that it's coming on. But sometimes, it's a surprise. And it always happens when he's angry. Really angry."

"Have you ever tried to keep him out of your head? I've, uh, Hermione seems pretty…forceful in that department."

"I've tried, but it hasn't worked. Snape tried to teach me Occlumency in fifth year."

"Can't clear your mind, Potter?"

"Well, it's not like Snape was the best teacher, anyway. Don't you know how to do it?"

Draco nodded. "Aunt Bel—um, Bellatrix taught me. It wasn't…it wasn't difficult for me. Probably because…never mind." He knew it was because he already shut everyone out, but he didn't want to divulge information about himself to Potter just yet.

"When you've finished chatting over there," yelled Hermione. She was struggling to pick up Weasley from the ground. "I could probably use a hand."

"You finish, I'll help," said Potter.

"Cave Inimicum!" Draco flourished his wand to the sky and headed over to where Potter seemed to be setting up a tent. He helped Potter drag Weasley into the tent and carefully laid him on one of the beds. "I suppose we should guard. Let's take shifts, shall we? I'll take the first one." He left the tent without letting Potter or Hermione speak.

He didn't want to be in the tent with a bleeding Weasley. Nor did he particularly want to be stuck alone with Potter or Hermione. Not at the moment, at least. He needed some time to get his thoughts together and hoped that they would leave him alone.

Draco's come to realize that they were pretty overbearing, especially Hermione. She seemed to care a little too much and receive a lot less. He remembered when she came to his aid the night before. In just twenty-four hours, he couldn't believe that they had broken into the Ministry and retrieved that locket thing from Umbridge.

He thought about seeing Yaxley again. The last time he and Yaxley had been near each other, Yaxley was torturing Draco's aunt and uncle. Like his father, Yaxley claimed to have feigned innocence during the First Wizarding War. He was kept out of Azkaban and he and his father had remained close. Draco grew up, thinking of Yaxley as an uncle to him. And now, when he thought of Yaxley, all he could think about was ripping him from limb to limb.

He had grown close to Ted and Andromeda Tonks. He didn't realize it at first, but now, after spending so much time with them, and then not knowing where they may be or what's happened to them…it worried him. And most especially since he had not heard from his mother since he and Remus had left the Tonks' house. He desperately hoped that his mother was okay.

And he had also realized how close he's gotten to Remus and Nymphadora. He grew up an only child and while Draco reveled in it and loved every moment of being an only child, he always longed for a brother or sister. Nymphadora has somehow, in a strange way, become that older sister to Draco. He loved to antagonize her and she loved to tease him.

So much had changed for Draco in the course of one year. He never would've thought that he would be in hiding with Potter and his friends. Last year, at this time, he believed that he was going to be revered amongst the other Death Eaters by the Dark Lord for killing Dumbledore.

Draco did enjoy their company. In some strange way, they filled a void for him. Though they've been in hiding and are facing some of the most dangerous things they'd ever faced before, Draco had felt more at ease with them then he had with his own friends that he grew up with. Except Weasley. He seemed to continue to hold some grudge against Draco. And Draco couldn't blame him. Potter was there when Draco turned away from the Dark Lord. Hermione seemed to…try and look past people's mistakes. Weasley had no reason to welcome Draco.

"Hey, you all right out here?" Potter asked, heading out of the tent.

Draco nodded. "If there's a disturbance, I'll be sure to alert you."

"Listen, Hermione and I were talking—"

"And Weasley was listening?"

"Well, it was voted two to one, but…now that we're all actually on the run, I think….Hermione and I think that we should tell you what's going on."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "This task that Dumbledore set forth for you, that Remus was not allowed to be in on?"

Potter nodded. "The very one."

"Why are you telling me?"

"It's the least I could do." Potter held up the locket that they retrieved. He handed it to Draco, who traced his finger on the S.

"Okay. You want to give me jewelry, Potter?" Draco smirked.

Potter rolled his eyes. "Have you ever heard of Horcruxes, Malfoy?"

Draco shook his head. "No. I don't think Remus or Kingsley ever mentioned that before. What is it?"

"It's…it's an object that…that can hold a piece of your soul. It can…technically…enable you to live forever. To be immortal."

"And the Dark Lord wants it?"

"He's made it. Seven, actually."

"Seven? How—what—I'm confused."

Potter actually smiled. He held up the locket. "This is one of them. And I don't know if you remember, but your father planted a diary in Ginny's books in second year—"

"Yeah, I remember."

"That was another one. A ring, but Dumbledore destroyed it already. The diary's destroyed, too. Hufflepuff's Cup, and something of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's, I think. Oh, and the snake."

"Nagini?"

Potter nodded. "Yeah."

"How—how, why…the Dark Lord wanted to be immortal."

"Right. So he made the Horcruxes to be immortal."

"And you're trying to find them?"

"Yeah. To destroy them first."

"Then you'll kill him?"

"I'll try to."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Potter bit his lip and stared at Draco for a few seconds. "To ask you for your help."

"You don't need my help, Potter."

"She's really going to hate that I'm going to say this, but…you can do things that we can't. You could help us. All that stuff that Ted taught you. It could be useful."

"I'm going to help because I don't have anything better to do. After all, I'm already stuck with you, aren't I? But I really don't think you need my help." He gestured to the locket. "How are you going to destroy it?"

"Don't know that yet. I was sort of hoping that it would come to me along the way."

"So…no plan, Potter?"

"Just to find the Horcruxes and destroy them."

Draco nodded. "And then be home by dinnertime," he joked.

"He's having another vision," Hermione said, frantically. "Look at him!"

Weasley glanced up from his bed, deep into the tent. Draco stood up, but didn't know what to do, so he sat back down. Hermione, however, walked right up to Potter and started yelling his name.

When he opened his eyes, Hermione scolded him, declaring that he wouldn't be like this if he had learned Occlumency. Potter brushed her off and told them what he saw in his vision.

Draco barely listened to Potter. He was thinking about his mother. As long as she stayed out of the Dark Lord's thoughts, she must be safe. That's what he was going to believe. As long as Potter didn't see her, she was fine.

The days felt like they grew increasingly longer and longer. Food was scarce and many times, they were forced to go without eating. Draco, having lived a life of luxury, was not used to this at all, but he's learned to hold his tongue, especially when it came to complaining. Whenever he complained about something, he remembered his father's walking stick come down hard on his shoulder. The damn snake head would practically eat his shoulder.

Weasley, on the other hand, never had such a lesson. He complained constantly about the lack of food. And always seemed irritated with everybody.

They moved around, never staying in one area for long. Draco could tell that Potter hoped this meant that they were heading somewhere, making some headway into the mystery of the locket, but he could also tell that it was just a way for Potter to feel like they were doing something.

Things were looking hopeless. More so than they were before. And that was before Potter went on an expedition into a local wizarding town to steal some food. When he returned, there was no food. Instead, he came back shivering and pale, having met dementors.

"Can you normally produce a Patronus?" Draco asked. Potter had just told them that his Patronus wasn't working.

Potter nodded. "Yes, I can. It's a stag, it's always been a stag. But it wouldn't come today." He looked at Hermione for answers.

Draco rolled his eyes as he laid his head back into the armchair. Weasley started complaining about the food and this time, Potter was yelling back. It was all too noisy in here.

"Of course!" cried Hermione, clapping a hand to her cheek. "Harry, give me the locket. You're still wearing it."

Potter looked down and pulled off the locket. Draco could tell that he felt better because color flooded back into his face.

"Better?" she asked.

"Yeah, loads better!"

"I'm starving!" complained Ron.

Draco rolled his eyes again. It was taking everything inside him to not curse Ron's mouth shut.

Hemione was saying that they would have to end up sharing the load of the locket, saying that they were all going to wear it and keep guard of it so that nobody would fall to its evil.

"Was there anything about destroying Horcruxes in any of your books, Hermione?" Draco asked. He picked up a book from Hermione's stash.

"Yes, there was, but—"

Potter and Weasley were arguing again. Draco swore that they were worse than old married couples. The lack of food was getting to everyone and he could tell that they were all rather tired of each other. He looked back down at the book and tried to tune everyone out. Hermione followed his lead and picked up a book, as well.

When Draco decided to listen again, he noticed that they were now arguing about the possible places that the Dark Lord could have hidden any other Horcruxes. Potter seemed set on a Horcrux being at Hogwarts while Weasley mocked Potter for thinking of Hogwarts as a home.

If Draco was in the right mind, he probably would have mocked Potter for thinking of Hogwarts as his home, too, but he would have freely welcomed the sight of Hogwarts to spending another day in the forest.

It was starting to grow cold. He didn't know how much time had passed since they broke into the Ministry. At first, he tried to keep track, but he lost it after days four or five.

Draco glanced at Potter. He noticed that Potter grew more and more agitated. He also noticed that Potter kept doing a weird twitch every so often. Draco marked the place in the book where he left off and stood up.

"Potter, a word." He gestured to the front flap of the tent.

Potter shot Weasley a dirty look and followed Draco out. "What is it, Malfoy?"

"Your scar. Are you having visions again?"

"No. Just glimpses."

"If you want, I can teach you Occlumency. In…in exchange for you teaching me the Patronus charm."

"You want to learn the Patronus charm from me?"

Draco nodded. "Hermione told me that you taught all of Dumbledore's Army how to make them. And Remus was supposed to teach me, but…" he waved his arms around him.

"Okay," Potter agreed. "Remus taught me how to make the Patronus charm. When do you want to begin? Now?"

"What? Already?"

"You asked. And since we're apparently not going to eat tonight, might as well fill it with something useful."

"Okay, well…what do I do? Clear my mind?"

"No…just focus on a single, happy memory. Think of that first. A single, happy memory. The happiest memory that you can think of."

Draco closed his eyes. He tried to think of something that made him happy, made him truly happy, but nothing was coming to mind.

"I don't—I don't think we could do this right now," Draco said, miserably. "I…I don't have a happy memory…"

Potter looked uncomfortable. "Erm…okay, then."

A twig snapped near them. Draco turned around in fear, but saw no one. He and Potter held up their wands and Hermione and Weasley came out of the tent, their own wands outstretched.

Potter raised a finger to his lips. He opened the flap of the tent to listen for his Sneakoscope, but there was nothing.

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out four red strings. She hastily passed them out and they inserted it into their ears.

Within seconds, Draco heard a familiar voice that made him almost want to run towards it.

"So, how long have you three been on the run?" Ted's cheerful voice was still so.

Potter glanced at Draco and put a hand on his shoulder. He shook his head slightly and again, raised a finger to his lips. They listened as this group seemed to be having supper.

"…bit of company. What about you, Ted?"

Draco took a step forward, but was stopped by the tightening grip on his shoulder. Potter shook his head again.

"Knew they were coming for me," Ted answered.

He heard as Ted described how he went on the run and met up with Dean. Draco quickly glanced at Hermione and Potter to see if they had any desire to run forth also. They seemed to be beside themselves in silent excitement. Weasley, too.

It just seemed like a relief to hear from people they knew. Their thoughts on their hunger seemed to fly out the door and they were silently overjoyed at the sound of the voices.

Perhaps, there was still hope, after all.