First of all, let me apologise for going off-grid for so long. I was right, the last few chapters have been... let's say challenging to be polite. This is absolutely the last time I try to post a story before I at least have a reasonable first draft down. Respect to those writers that can make it up as they go along... the stress nearly killed me. Inevitably I fell back on my usual stress response - hiding the laptop behind the sofa and watching endless reruns of my favourite TV shows instead.

But it's finished... finally, and here they are, the final four chapters, all yours.

For the last time... I do not own any of JKR or Marvel's characters and make no money from this story.

Enjoy

Merrick x

Pat Donnelly added milk and two sugars to his tea before sticking his head into the small office just off the hall.

"I made tea. Sure you don't want a cup? Or coffee…. if you could use some caffeine I can make coffee" The slight black clad figure neither looked up, or answered. "It's the real thing. They have one of those fancy French press things…." Still no answer. Shrugging Donnelly turned back to the two mugs on the side.

"Cafetiere"

"What?"

"This is England Donnelly. They call them cafetieres over here… and please piss off because I really need to concentrate and it's impossible with you crashing around. Following tracking spells isn't like tracking GPS you know. It isn't just a matter of following a dot on a screen."

Donnelly held his hands up. "Hey. No worries. I'm outta here". Picking up the two mugs from the worktop, he took them out onto the terrace. Bumping the door closed with his foot, he cursed as he spilled hot tea over his hand. "Fuckin' uptight English bitch"

"You'd better not be talking about me Donnelly , or I'll blow your bollocks off." Imogen Mason sat on a wooden bench, feet propped on a low table cigarette in hand. Pushing her feet to one side Donnelly placed the second mug in front of her, next to her newly cleaned .45.

"Relax Mason. I gotta lotta things I could call you, but uptight isn't one of 'em. I'm talkin' about Morgan le Fay in there."

Mason took a sip of her tea and nodded appreciatively. "I'm impressed Donnelly, you finally learned to make a decent cup of tea… and actually I'm even more impressed that you know your Arthurian legends."

Donnelly lowered himself gingerly onto one of the cheap wooden chairs which creaked ominously beneath his weight. "Old girlfriend of mine had a thing for this freak seventies movie about him… lots of smoke and weird shit. Woman who played Morgan le Fay was hot stuff though… a real goer. Not like her in there."

"The film was called Excalibur and the actress you're talking about is Dame Helen Mirren you philistine." Mason watched a pair of car headlights winding up the side of the valley in which they sat, and took another pull on her cigarette. "Do you think she's really a witch? I've seen a lot of strange technology and stuff since I was recruited - not to mention the Inhumans... but real magic?"

Donnelly shrugged. "What else could it be… you said she laid out Romanova from eight feet away then disappeared with her into thin air. Shame she couldn't've brought us here the same way. These fuckin' mountain roads are a bitch."

Mason pulled a face. "Aww, poor baby. I thought you were going to spend the whole trip with your head over that bag..." Her partner glared at her but refused to rise to her taunts.

They sat, sipping tea, content for now to simply wait the night out. Eventually Donnelly let out a frustrated sigh, putting his mug down on the table harder than he truly needed to. "Spendin' a lotta time staring into that bowl of water isn't she. Thought witches were supposed to use crystal balls."

His partner rolled her eyes. "That's fortune tellers you fool." They sat listening to the silence stretch out around them, just a few night animals, and the soft hiss of Mason's cigarette discernible. "My parents had a holiday home not far from here, near Abersoch. I used to come here with my mother when I was home for the holidays. Sometimes we'd drive up into the mountains and she'd make up stories about magic, dragons and knights and witches. Not when he was around though. He didn't believe in fairy tales."

"Your Dad"

She nodded. "Bastard. He died in a car crash when I was fifteen. They said he must've fallen asleep at the wheel because he'd taken some pills." Her eyes slid sideways. "I put them in his coffee. I was such a good little daughter."

"Didn't they do a blood test like they do on the TV?"

She smiled lazily, and lit another cigarette. "I persuaded the DI that was looking into it that he'd been taking them for stress." The look on her face left Donnelly in no doubt of the form that 'persuasion' had taken. "He liked me to dress up like the naughty little schoolgirl I was… that was alright, although the ankle socks were a bit creepy. In the end I got bored, borrowed a video camera then threatened to send the film to his superiors if he didn't fuck off."

"He left you alone after that?"

She shrugged carelessly. "After a fashion. They found him the following day. He blew his brains out. So I suppose he was the second man I killed. And speaking of killers, how are you getting on with our new houseguest?"

Donnelly scowled. "She should'a let me put a bullet through that bitch's head soon as I got the chance. You see a mad dog n' you shoot it or you leave it alone. You don't tie it up in the cellar and wait for it to work out how to get loose'n rip your throat out."

"Ah come on Donnelly. You mean you wouldn't if you had the chance? I saw you watching her in the street with that partner of hers. From the bulge in your trousers I'd say you enjoyed the show. You certainly looked pretty pissed when he scooped her up and carried her off. Come to think of it, he was pretty hot stuff himself, with some serious skills given the way she was reacting… I wouldn't say no"

"You'd better say no Mason, or it'll be the last thing you ever say…" Neither Donnelly nor Mason had heard the door open, but Araposa was standing in the shadows. "Get your arses into gear you two. They're on the move. And make sure our 'guest' is well secured before you move her."

ooo0ooo

Stark's helicopter was –as Harry had expected – state of the art, and its pilot had it ready and waiting for them on the tarmac when they arrived.

"Welcome aboard Mr Smith, Mr Black, please make yourselves comfortable gentlemen. We have clearance to take off in ten minutes. Weather reports indicate some issues over Snowdonia, so we'll head up to Liverpool and along the coast. Flight should take round about two hours, then Mr Stark informs me that we need to carry out some survey work on the South Stack cliffs."

Seeing Draco eyeing the helicopter dubiously, Harry smiled. "That's sounds fine, thank you. You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a nervous flyer."

"That's no problem Sir, you should find this a very stress free experience. Just buckle up and enjoy the ride. Water, snacks and soft drinks are available in the locker in front of you. If you need to speak to either myself or my co-pilot, please feel free to use the headsets provided.

Once they were in the air Draco relaxed visibly. "Well I have to say that, as muggle transportation goes, this is very… tolerable. How did you manage this anyway Harry?"

"Tony Stark is Iron Man remember" Harry smiled smugly. "And Iron Man is another of 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' and therefore a friend of Tash's. He was the one I spoke to on her phone at the hospital last night."

Draco was silent for a moment. Then he smiled knowingly. "You devious little shit. And here was I thinking we were off on one of your madcap death or glory solo missions. Where are we meeting the rest of the Avengers?"

"Ah." Harry looked a little uncomfortable. "Sorry Draco, just you and me. They did offer but… I said we'd handle it. The helicopter is as far as their help goes I'm afraid"

"What! You had Earths Mightiest Heroes on speed-dial and you said no thanks?" Draco rubbed his temples, fighting the beginnings of a headache. "Why?"

"Relax Draco, It's not as crazy as it sounds. Natasha is former KGB, raised on secrets and as secure as Gringott's itself. Let's just say that other members of the Avengers may not be as reliable when it comes to leaving weapons like Merlin's staff and journal in the care of a load of English Wizards. Good guy though he seems to be Stark is a notorious showman and far too fond of a drink for my liking, and from what I've heard of Captain America, there's no guarantees that he won't decide that they should end up in SHIELD's vaults somewhere, he's a soldier through and through, and prefers to play by the rule book."

Draco was silent for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. "Reluctantly, I have to agree with you. Tempting though the idea of dragging in supercharged back up is - the fewer people know about this the better. God forbid if the average wizard in the street discovered that we'd been working with the muggles. The Statute Office would have our heads." Draco leaned forward and opened the locker. "Oh well. What would you like to drink…?"

ooo0ooo

Harry dozed off just as the sky to their right was paling into pre-dawn and the lights of London were receding into the distance…

As muggle transportation went, Draco thought, settling back in his seat, one of Stark's helicopters wasn't a bad option. To be sure it was still noisy, but it was less risky than apparition, and a damn sight warmer than a broomstick. Thinking of all those days spent crushing his balls as well as freezing them off on the Quidditch Pitch, all in the desperate hope of finally proving himself to that bastard father of his - proving himself better than the man beside him - made Draco chuckle. Hearing him, Harry lazily opened one eye.

"What?"

"I was just thinking about all the years I spent trying to outdo you at school. I was a fool. I picked the wrong sort… not you."

Harry shrugged. "Ancient history Draco. The irony is that you've proved a better friend to me than Ron ever did… so maybe you were right that first day in the hall."

"The question is, would you have kept me on the straight and narrow or would I have dragged you into the mire with me?" Draco couldn't repress a shudder at the thought of how that could have worked out, the Dark Lord and Harry Potter working together.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "You were never really Voldemort's man Draco, I think at heart I probably knew that from the start – don't get me wrong, you were a complete shit, but you were never going to be a Death Eater. I should have played it differently, that day in sixth year, not tried to kill you. Any idiot should've seen how desperately needed a way out, even a sixteen year old idiot."

"How would you have done that? The state I was in at that point I would probably have killed you…if you'd given me the chance that is."

Harry smiled, warm and wicked… the first since they had found him in the muggle hospital. "Oh that's easy Draco. I should've just sent Hermione into that bathroom instead…"

Draco said nothing, pretending to be absorbed in the view from the window. But he could feel the hot colour scorch his face, and hear Harry's chuckle.

"Bastard…"

ooo0ooo

Both Harry and Draco were fast asleep when the pilot called through to announce they were approaching the Anglesey Coast. Rubbing stiff neck, Draco looked through the side window, across the Menai Straights to the low lying headland opposite, and the lights of Beaumaris.

"I hate to worry you, but I don't see much in the way of cliffs there Harry. Are you sure we're in the right place?"

Still blinking blearily, Harry fumbled with his headset. "Can you take us around the northern coast of the island first please. We need to inspect any cliff faces we encounter. I believe that the place we need is on the southern cliffs below the South Stack Lighthouse, but I have to be sure."

"No problem Mr Smith…"

ooo0ooo

It had taken them at least forty minutes to work their way around the island when the Holyhead port came into view and the pilot's voice cut into the cabin.

"Excuse me gentlemen. We have approximately thirty minutes flying time before we need to refuel at Anglesey Airport. We should be able to cover the Holyhead Coast, but that will be as far as we go."

"Thank you, hopefully that will be fine…"

Harry returned to the window looking over the cliffs, and resumed his vigil. There were a number of cliffs, crevices and platforms, but no combination that looked right to him thus far. Draco, seeing the island for the first time had to admit that the clifftop scenery, sharply delineated in the early morning light was truly spectacular. As they rounded another headland, with only a few minutes of flying time left Harry gave a yell of triumph loud enough to make Draco's ears ring.

"That's it… that's the place. I knew it. That's it."

Taking the headset, Draco contacted the pilot. "Captain. I think we have it. Can you set us down please?"

ooo0ooo

The sun was well up, but a certain post-dawn chill lingered, when the helicopter set them down in a tourist car park close to the Lighthouse. Despite the heavy jacket borrowed from Harry, Draco shivered in the brisk wind that blew off the sea. "Why do we never end up solving cases in Brighton in the middle of August?" He paused to take in the towering cliffs for a moment. "Not that this isn't spectacular… stunning even. Just cold. And if we're going down there… cold and wet."

Harry smiled. "Draco, are you a wizard or not. A quick impervious charm to their clothes meant that they did at least have a fighting chance of staying dry before Harry hefted a small pack containing some basic emergency supplies and they headed for the cliffs. They followed the path as far as they could, until it turned sharp left towards an area of lower lying rock pools and shingle. Peering cautiously over the edge Harry looked at Draco.

"Ready?"

"Ready"

With a quick check around for any passing muggles the two wizards vanished from the clifftop.

ooo0ooo

Their landing on the rocky ledge below was tricky to say the least. Sea polished rocks that are soaking wet and covered in seaweed don't make for secure footing, and for a hideous moment Harry was convinced that he and Draco would perish at the final hurdle, either swept out to sea and drowned, or smashed to smithereens against the cliffs. Finally finding their feet, they scrambled over the rocks towards the towering rift in the cliff-face that had featured so vividly in Harry's dream, Draco cursing roundly as he slipped into a rock pool, filling his good dragon hide boots with icy sea-water.

"Why can't we go searching for magical treasure in a nice warm restaurant, or manor? Why is it always cold, usually wet and..." he curled up his nose fastidiously as they entered the mouth of the cave, and the smell of seabirds and rotting seaweed greeted them, "...frequently smelly"

Harry lit his wand, looking around him cautiously. "Stop being such a ponce Draco, it still doesn't smell as bad as that cellar full of dragons in Macclesfield." His second in command refused to dignify that with a response, just glaring at him in his wand light.

"So what are we looking for?"

Harry shook his head. "Not a clue. I've been following wherever this leads me since I got that bloody message from Kingsley. Whatever doesn't fit I suppose."

"It would have to have been bloody well-protected to stay hidden all these years."

Harry shook his head. "Without ropes and tackle there's no non-magical way down here, did you see the rocks below sea level. If you tried to land a boat here you'd be smashed to smithereens. And really... why would you? The only use for caves is for smuggling, and if you can't get a boat in, and can't get the goods out the back there's no point. There's no note of it, but I'm beginning to think that our Brother Caron must have been magical too. I mean how else would you get down here - set up whatever protections are in place. If he was, he hid it well living in a monastery. I'm pretty sure they took a dim view of stuff like that in those days."

Draco circled the cave carefully, muttering charms as he went, while Harry prowled in the other direction, scanning the walls visually for any irregularities that might indicate some kind of hidden clue. They had been searching for about half an hour when Draco gave a triumphant shout.

A narrow fissure in the rock in front of him was glowing a strange and lurid shade of green under Draco's wand, Harry had seen most things over the years, but there was something about the way the light swirled and writhed that was distinctly unnerving. It looked almost... alive.

"What is it?"

Draco – who had spent some time working with Hermione in the Department of Mysteries hunched over the glowing rocks, muttering under his breath, for several minutes, before looking up, grey eyes confused.

"So what is it professor?"

Draco was peering back into the light, an abstracted frown on his face. "I hate to have to admit this... but I haven't got a clue. I don't think it's a curse. It isn't a shield, that's certain... and I don't think it's a glamour, but I can't be certain."

"...what about a portal?"

Draco shook his head slowly. "I don't know... it doesn't behave like any kind of portal I've ever seen - or look like one now I come to think about it. But that would make the most sense. And if it is a portal, where the hell does it go... and .."

"And...?"

"And if you go through it, what are your chances of getting back in one piece?"

Seeing Harry's expression he stepped sharply backwards. "Oh no... absolutely not. I'm the brains of this partnership remember – Stupidly reckless courage is your department. I'm just here to pick up the pieces. Besides, this is your damsel in distress we're rescuing, not mine." Meeting Harry's eyes he shrugged ruefully. "As far as I'm aware, my lady fair is still safely at home in London where she belo..." The body bind came out of nowhere sending him crashing to the floor. Harry whirled, the portal forgotten, wand in hand.

"Well isn't this touching... Potter and Malfoy. I must admit I didn't see that coming when all this started. Don't you make a sweet couple." Disillusionment fell and a tall figure stepped out of the shadows at the entrance to the cave, wand in hand. Seeing Harry's wand twitch, a stunner shot over his shoulder, his hair ruffling with its passing. "Now that was just a little warning shot Harry. Keep your hands where I can see them, try not to do anything stupid, and maybe there's a very small chance that you might make it out of here alive. Just bear in mind though, if you so much as twitch in the wrong direction I'm quite happy to start cursing off body parts"

Harry and Draco's eyes met in stunned shock. It had been some years, even for Harry, but the voice was all too familiar.

"It can't be..."

The figure stepped forward, into the band of bright light stretching from the cave entrance, across the rocky floor pushing her hood back to reveal her face for the first time.

"Ginny Weasley...?"