Disclaimer: I own absotively nothing! I look nothing like J.K. Rowling, and I have no copyright papers in my hand! (or anywhere else) Soooooo…please…no suing…
Chapter Summary: Harry refuses to leave without Moony there alongside him...
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Chibi Ame! This reviewer, I don't know…it must have been the fact that the reviewer was scolding me to begin with (well deserved scolding…believe me, I know), using my own words against me and all, and then moving the primary feel of where the review (I felt) was going, to that of really liking my story…to say the least I was taken aback. But the review hit home (haha, it even made me want to hurry up and finish the little bit of my chapter I needed to finish before I was completely satisfied), and I loved it, scolding (well deserved) and all! Anyway, I just felt I needed to get that out of the way, and dedicate the chapter to said reviewer. –Smiles-
A/N-2: Part 2 to Part 1! Typed and ready for your reading enjoyment. –Grins- Life's been hectic, and I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Truth be told, I didn't take as long this time as I did last time…but I'm not sure if that's consoling or not…hmm…in any case, the point is that the wait is over. –Smiles- Now, I know I said everyone (mainly Order members, Sirius, Dumbledore, Arthur, people of that kind of category, really) was going to be in this chapter… (I had initially meant for these two chapters to solely be a part 1 part 2 type thing), but (sadly or not sadly, depending on your feelings on it) everyone 'won't' be in this chapter…Well, they were going to be. That had been my original plan. (Making this chapter extra long! –Grins-) But, -sighs-, seeing as how you people aren't that patient, (and trust me, neither am I when it comes reading fanfiction, so I understand all of you who are all "Update PLEASE!") I've decided to break what was going to be my 'long' part 2 into a 'nicely sized' part 2, and to bring you a 'nicely sized' part 3 (which 'will' have everyone I've mentioned above) here soon. Sorry if that disappoints anyone out there, but if I didn't do it this way, you all (thanks to my school, who likes to work me endlessly) would have had to wait longer than you already have. Sooo…in a way…this is a good thing…right? –Looks around hopefully-
Anywho, I hope you all enjoy the chapter as much as I did writing it. Now, after all this (lengthy typing for me, lengthy reading for you) let's just get on with the chapter, shall we? –Smiles-
Chapter 29: Teamwork and Rescuing - Part 2
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Harry and Draco crawled through the passage in silence. It took them a fair amount of minutes, but the two eventually made it to a nicely sized four-way opening. The two boys were not terribly tall for their age - at least, Merlin knew Harry was not… - and were able to stand once they reached the opening. Straight ahead, and to Harry's left and right, were more passages that led to other parts of Malfoy Manor - the one behind them, leading no where but back to the dungeons they had just escaped from.
The young Potter gulped as he gazed around; the adrenaline he had acquired earlier was now beginning to leave him. It was not until he noticed Draco walking to the right corner of the small room that his attention was brought back to the blonde that had now, not only helped him twice, but had most certainly just saved his life back there. The Malfoy heir turned around impassively, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and slid down, placing his arms on his knees before taking a deep breath and releasing it in a drawn out sigh. Opening his eyes once more, Draco's gaze returned to the gaze that had fallen on him. Silver-grey meeting emerald green, almost calculatingly.
I wish I knew what he was thinking… Harry thought, wondering absentmindedly why they had stopped and had not kept on going.
"Don't make wishes like that, Potter, they might come true. I don't like hearing people's thoughts; I don't think you'd like it after a while, either…"
Harry was taken off guard, to say the least; he had forgotten Draco could hear his thoughts so loud and clear…talk about embarrassing.
"…Sorry," Harry muttered, sitting down in the corner opposite the blonde, and - copying him - laid his arms on his knees as well.
"You really need to get rid of that word," Draco commented dryly. Harry gave the Malfoy a confused looked which merely caused the boy to roll his eyes. "Ugh…forget it, Potter. You're hopeless."
He's calling me 'Potter' now…I wonder if I did anything to make him mad at me… Harry thought to himself. Sure, the two had not verbally agreed to be friends, but the messy raven haired boy had been sure they were at least on a first name basis. At least…they had been, anyway.
A silence fell between the two boys as they allowed their minds to wander over the events that had transpired earlier. It was Harry who was the first to break the silence…with a word he felt he needed, and wanted, to say.
"…Thanks."
Draco raised an inquisitive eyebrow at this.
"What for?"
"…For helping me. I don't know why you did it back there…for still doing it now, but…thank you."
I don't know why I'm doing it, either, Draco thought to himself. He felt a 'Your Welcome' rise to his lips, but pushed it roughly back, and simply nodded tersely. He was helping, yes, but he refused to become friends. Refused. He could not. His father could punish him for what he was doing 'now' - in Draco's opinion, his father and his friends deserved not to be allowed to kill the 'boy-who-lived'…they hurt too many people. Too many… - , he, Draco, would be okay with that. Punishment for doing that would not bother him that much - no matter how painful it could become… - , but to go so far as becoming friends with Potter? To do that to his father? No…he could not allow himself to do that. His father was…his father, after all. There were limits, of course.
"So…erm…where are we?" Harry interrupted Draco's thoughts, curiously.
"…I'm pretty sure we're in between the ceiling of the second floor and floor of the third…" the blond replied after pondering the question for a moment.
"We're…sitting on the ceiling…?"
"Of the second floor…yes, and we're under the third floor's...floor. We're in between."
It took Harry a few seconds of thought before he was able to comprehend this fully, and Draco could not help but smirk.
"You can be slow sometimes…"
"Hey!"
"Well…you can be."
Harry glared at Draco, who merely continued to smirk. How could someone so…similar to him in ways, and somewhat kind at times…be so…different in other ways, and mean at times? Sighing, Harry decided it could not really be helped. People were the way they were.
"How do you know so much about this secret place?"
"I explore my house a lot when my dad and mum aren't home."
"You're here alone a lot?"
"Sometimes…but I don't mind."
Yes, you do, Harry thought to himself sadly, sensing the emotions Draco liked to keep suppressed. The blonde glared daggers at the green eyed boy, but said nothing. Harry's thoughts betray him to Draco, but Draco's emotions betray him to Harry…it was an odd equilibrium...
Oops…I'm so dumb… Harry reprimanded himself, realizing why it was that Draco was glaring at him. Rolling his eyes, Draco shook his head.
"Anyway…the thing is that those guys from before are too big to fit in here, so we'll be okay for a bit. But…to be safe…we shouldn't stay here long."
Harry nodded at this. Yeah, they could not stay long. He had to find Moony…he would not leave unless Moony was with him.
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Torturing the werewolf as he waited for the arrival of his guest of honor had, granted, been entertaining for a bit. Although it was not long before the Dark Lord became annoyed at the prolonged time Avery and Nott were taking. An uncomplicated mission. Retrieve the Potter boy. Not even remotely difficult. The boy was in a chamber specifically made to confine his powers, a simple stupefy - if that much! - and it was done. Why were they taking so long?
Serpent, however, the Dark Lord did not fail to notice, seemed as if he were enjoying himself all too entirely as he leaned, at ease, against the wall, with a smug smirk to complete the look… - Which did not help the Dark Lord's annoyance lessen any… - Whether from watching the werewolf's torture being carried out or from the fact that he, too, had noticed the time Avery and Nott were taking, Voldemort was uncertain. Sadly - in Voldemort's opinion - Xantos Potter had become quiet the proficient Occlumens in the time that he had served as a Death Eater, as had Severus Snape... True, there were beneficial uses for Occlumency, but…
It was at that moment that the two magnificent yew wood doors, that led this far into Malfoy Manor, broke open. Revealing the two dolts - as Voldemort tended to call them whenever he thought of them - as they came rushing into the large circular chamber that was ghostly illuminated by the sparse torches around the walls, throwing themselves at the Dark Lord's feet, and kissing the hems of his robes before both burst into immediate explanations. Needless to say, their rueful display did nothing to lighten the Dark Lord's mood - as they had most certainly hoped it would… - rather…it rapidly began to increase his anger.
"I-In t-the chamber it—"
"-and the c-cell i-it—"
"A-And then we w-went to l-look—"
"—and i-it…t-the wall, and w-we—"
In this manner were the two speaking. Stuttering, voices shaking, cutting each other off, not even able to complete one coherent thought.
"Silence!" Voldemort hissed vehemently…and not only did Nott and Avery snap their mouths shut, but the few Death Eaters around the chamber, who had been muttering, fell silent also at hearing the venom in their Master's icy voice.
"Where…" the Dark Lord whispered dangerously, eyes flashing dangerously, making the red in them more prominent as they narrowed on the two in front of him. "…is Potter?"
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"Potter, keep up, would you?"
"Where are we going?"
"We're getting you out of my house. Where else would we be going?"
Harry stopped abruptly from their crawling through the compact passage, and looked at Draco as the boy continued on oblivious to the fact that his crawling companion had stopping moving.
"That is unless you wanted to stay…I mean, I'm sure no one would be bothered if you did…" the blonde remarked sarcastically. He waited for the raven-haired boy to reply defensively as he continued crawling…none came. He slowly came to a stop, waited a beat…still no reply.
"Potter?" he questioned, as he looked over his shoulder to see Harry, a good fifteen feet behind him, looking at him as if he had just seen him for the first time. "Potter…what's wrong?"
"I've gotta go back…I…I can't leave yet." And as if on command, the emerald eyed boy, worry filling his gaze, turned - albeit difficultly - around and proceeded the way they had come.
"W-Wait! What're you…?" Draco asked, as he also turned around, taken aback by Harry's sudden decision.
"Moony's still here, I can't leave him." Harry answered unwaveringly, not looking back at the surprised blonde.
"I think he'd want you to leave while you could," Draco called after him.
"He might…but I won't. He's done too much for me…to leave him here…Malfoy." Harry's voice was full of conviction, emotion, and the blonde knew no amount of persuasion was going to get the other boy to change his mind. Draco groaned to himself as he began to follow the Potter heir… Greeeeaaaaatttt. This was just going to be bloody brilliant…bloody…brilliant…
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"Where…is Potter?"
These words echoed in Remus' weary mind as he tried to get a grip on himself. He had been Crucio'd so many times…put through so many innumerous hexes…he was surprised he was still in his right mind. He knew most of the things he had been put through would not have happened if he had just agreed to join Voldemort's ranks…heh…but like he would ever do that. Not to Sirius…not to Harry…he would rather die first. Which he had been very close to wishing for…Voldemort was colder and crueler than one could ever imagine…and wanting death only granted you more excruciating life.
But as the Dark Lord's furious words continued to echo in Remus' mind, finally registering as to what they truly meant, he could not stop the grin - that eventually turned into a mix grimace as he fought back the pain that could be felt on every inch of is body - that began to spread across his face from where he lay. He had just previously been levitated and slammed head-first - amid the Death Eater's cackles - into the adjacent wall to Voldemort, and had had the opportunity to unceremoniously slump down it, leaving him in the position he was currently situated in.
"We…we l-lost him…sir…" Avery whispered, fear unmistakably found in his voice.
"He somehow…escaped from his cell, w-we don't know ho—" Nott began, but was abruptly interrupted.
"Impossible," came the condescending voice Remus knew to be Xantos', as the man left his comfortable position against the parallel wall to Remus', stepping a few steps forward. "Potter wouldn't be able to get out of that cell even if he 'had' a wand. Which, mind you, he does not."
As all attention was turned to Xantos, Remus took the chance to slowly lift himself, using the wall for support, wiping stray blood off the corner of his mouth with his free hand, wincing, his muscles aching horribly. It took all the strength he could muster just to maintain himself upright, but it was essential that he hear all of this correctly.
…They don't have Harry? …They 'lost' him?
"He would have needed to have had outside help, from someone who had a wand, and knew the counter spell, to be able to get out of there, lest he or they be electrocuted. And anyone who does know the counter spell, are currently, and have been since the night started, in this very room," Xantos drawled.
"But surely w-with his power—"
"Sealed by the cell," Xantos cut across lazily.
"B-but t-then—"
"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed icily, anger reaching its boiling point, wand pointing coldly at the two Death Eaters before him.
As Nott and Avery's screams filled the chamber, Remus' heart was filled with hope. Harry had - Merlin knew how! - escaped! He had truly gotten out of his cell…he might actually have a chance to get back to Sirius, to get away. Oh, he hoped dearly that Harry had taken his opening to escape…that he had run as far and as fast as he possibly could… away from here…away from…all of this… It was something Harry did not deserve to have to go through.
The screaming continued for what felt like - to the two being submitted to the curse - an eternity, before Voldemort released them from it. Leaving the two sweating and gasping for breath on the ground. The Dark Lord turned unexpectedly around to face Remus, taking the werewolf by surprise.
"Where did he go," the Dark Lord demanded.
"…How should I know? Left, I would suppose," Remus replied, emotionless. Voldemort's eyes flashed in fury as he raised his wand threateningly.
"Heh, 'supposing' is for fools. I know he's still here," Xantos said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Like he'd leave you, Lupin. He's too much of a Potter for that."
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"I really don't think that you should go back, Potter. No one can be this important," Draco insisted as he crawled after the raven-haired boy.
"Moony is," Harry replied, unfazed, as they arrived - once more - at the four-way split passage. The two stood, straightening themselves out. Harry took a deep breath released it, and continued purposely forward, toward the other side of the opening, in order to be able to go through 'that' crawling passage, instead of the one he and Draco had just previously been in.
"No..." Draco commanded firmly, grabbing Harry by the shoulder, whipping the shorter boy around to face him.
"What are you doing?" Harry inquired, feeling, for the first time, annoyed at the blonde. Did he not see that they did not exactly have time to be wasting?
"Do you have any idea what you're doing? You're going to walk right 'to' them! Is Moony someone you're okay with dying for?" Draco demanded heatedly. Harry's eyes widened slightly, but at what the blonde was saying, or how he was saying it, or both, the Malfoy heir knew not. Harry's gaze fell to the floor, hands by his sides, slowly forming into fists. Draco removed his hand from Harry's shoulder, knowing the answer before the boy spoke it, as the Potter heir raised his head, determined emerald eyes meeting pensive silver-grey.
"Yes."
Draco sighed. This was not going to end well; he knew it was not going to end well. Because if Potter went, that meant he, Draco, had to go, because he could not find it in him to abandon the emerald eyed boy this far into the game, and that meant that not only could Potter be caught, but he, Draco, could very easily be caught as well! Was Potter not…was he not…
"…Aren't you scared?"
Harry felt like lying and saying that he was not, that he was completely ready for what might come, but lying to Draco would be like saying the truth either way, seeing as how the blonde could hear his thoughts…so why bother?
"I am scared. I'm really scared. Okay?" Harry could feel the prickling of tears at the corners of his eyes, and he turned around, wiping them away with his arm. He wanted to get out of this place…to get back to Padfoot, to his home. But home would not be home without Moony. …He could not cry about this now, especially not in front of Draco.
"Well, then why—"
"Because that's not what matters," Harry retorted softly, before proceeding towards the crawl space.
Because that's not what matters… Draco repeated to himself, amazed.
The blonde contemplatively followed the boy into the crawl passage, both beginning to crawl once more, now going in the opposite direction than where they had come from. Minutes passed in silence as they slowly progressed, before Draco decided he would break it this time.
"When you do get out of my house, Potter," - he decided thinking positively about the eventual outcome of things was better than thinking negatively about them, since he was going to go through with helping Potter either way… - "with your precious Moony, and I ever see you again, and I meet him, you had better hope I like him, so help me Merlin," the silver grey eyed boy threatened, and Harry smiled for the first time since Draco had aided him with his empathy problem.
"…I know you will."
"Yeah, well—" The blonde was cut off by an odd creaking and groaning of the floor of the crawling passage beneath them. Both boys stopped, and as they did, so did the weird creaking.
"W-What was that?" Harry asked, fear evident in his voice.
"I…I don't know…maybe this side isn't as strong."
"What do you mean 'isn't as strong'?"
"…Nothing, just keep going. We should be okay…" Draco replied, an ever so slight hesitance slipping into his tone.
Harry looked over his shoulder at the blonde, sensing the wariness about him. Detecting the raven-haired boy's eyes on him, Draco stopped gazing around at the compact walls carefully, and turned his gaze to Harry's. The Malfoy heir nodded once, indicating that other boy could continue. Harry's eyebrows creased as he gave Draco a last studying look, before he let it go and proceeded to turn his head back around. The two began crawling once more, greeted almost immediately by the groans and creaks of protest from their surrounding walls and floor. Deliberately ignoring them, the two pressed heedlessly onward.
"Hey, there's a hole up here…" Harry called back to Draco as he continued forward, a good seven feet ahead of the other boy.
"What?"
"It's a hole," Harry repeated for him.
A hole…? Draco thought to himself pensively. But the only hole in our house is the one… Realization of where on the second floor they must be crawling over, hit the blonde like a ton of bricks. Why had he not realized it sooner? Sensed it? Sensed…them?
"Wait, Harry!"
The use of his first name, right when he had arrived at the hole and was about to look down in, caused the emerald eyed boy to turn back, which in turn, caused the tight passage to groan dangerously…before the floor gave way…
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Would Harry leave him here, like he very well should - Remus thought to himself - , or would he feel compelled to stay for the lycanthrope's sake? Remus did not want to admit it, but Xantos was most likely right. Harry was still here…somewhere…
We should have talked about what to do if we ever found ourselves in this kind of situation. We knew that there was a possibility that this might happen…but we had never thought things would happen the way they have…Harry's still just a young boy…
"I'll go in retrieval of the boy, my Lord," came Severus's smooth voice as he stepped forward from the circular ranks of Death Eaters around the chamber. Voldemort's cold gaze shifted from Remus to Snape. Xantos turned around to see Snape, as well, hazel eyes narrowing on the man.
"You deem yourself capable enough to retrieve Potter, knowing full well that these two fools-" The Dark Lord's icy red eyes flashed in the direction of Avery and Nott, who visibly flinched. "-were incapable of doing so?"
"I'll go as well," Xantos interjected, before the greasy-haired Death Eater - though it was concealed by his hood - could reply, giving Snape a suspicious look. The other man looked like he was about to make a slick retort to Xantos' plan, when a loud groaning crack was heard, as if something was finally snapping. Heads shot up just as a part of the ceiling came crashing down…
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A/N: -Grins- And there it is. Part 2 to the Part 1 of the Parts 3 that there are going to be. (Rhymed a little didn't it:-P ) Last time there was no cliffy, so I couldn't help myself from inserting one this time… -Smiles apologetically- Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did (and even if you didn't) please review and tell me what you think! Opinions (for this author, anyway) are everything. –Smiles- Anywho, onto other matters now. Right?
About last time' 'Curiosity Fulfiller': I believe many of you confused "Which Marauder…is the best Marauder?" (Which was my question) with "Which Marauder…is your personal favorite Marauder?" (Which was not my question, but I enjoyed hearing your answers to that none-the-less –grins-) For those of you who saw the question for what it was: many of you agreed with me that it was James was the 'best' Marauder. Not particularly my 'favorite' Marauder (for my favorite is another, but James is second!), but the 'best' Marauder. He was the glue that held the Marauders together, he was practically the founder of them and their friendship, and the mischievous leader of the four (Sirius being second-in-command). So…erm…yeah…and all that jazz. Anywho, for the others of you, who also understood my question, and didn't agree with me on James being the 'best' Marauder, you all had right and legitimate reasons for your opinions and answers. A few people almost converted me…but I still stick by my answer. –Smiles-
Now, for THIS CHAPTER'S 'Curiosity Fulfiller' –Grins-
"Which Weasley Twin is your favorite? Fred the Faithful or George the Genuine?"
My answer: Personally… (Don't get me wrong, I love the twins. They are high up on my line of favorite characters but…) George is my favorite. I don't really have a tip of the tongue reason as to why…I've just always subconsciously (now that I honestly think about it) liked George more…even though it seems, on the top of it all, I love them both equally…grr…this is hard to explain…even to myself. Lol.
Anyway, thanks sticking with me everybody! We're a chapter away from 30 chapters! –Smiles contentedly and hands everyone a distinct HP character plushie.- Byes for now!
Till next time…
-Chloe
A.K.A – Japanime1