Chapter Seven: Escape

"The Great Escape" -Boys Like Girls

The next few days passed quickly and without incident. Draco avoided his father as much as possible, though his mother had forced him to sit through a couple of very awkward tea times filled with strained small talk about the bloody weather and the nice china they were using to hold the biscuits that no one touched.

A letter came from the ministry Friday during breakfast. It was basically a carbon copy of the last, requesting a personal audience with the Death Eaters to discuss terms. Lucius had penned out a quick message, declining, stating that they had already made their terms known.

Draco had been trying to avoid spending time in Granger's room, though he still slept in the armchair every night, waking to her screams as she thrashed about in her unconscious state. He'd wake her up, wait until she'd calmed herself, and then return to his chair to watch as her body relaxed and sleep consumed her again. He'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't thought of just crawling into the bed with her, burying his face in her brown curls as he held her. But that was ridiculous. He was starved for female attention and was dropping his standards to subpar levels. Or that was what he tried to convince himself. In his gut, he knew that it was something more. And that repulsed, entranced and terrified him at the same time.

What made matters worse was the fact that she wasn't making it easy for him to stay away. He should be sleeping in his own bed, not caring if night terrors tormented her through the night, but instead he was sleeping in an armchair in the corner of her room like a fucking guard dog. Every morning she would ask him if he would stay again and every morning he would smirk at her and tell her he would think about it.

But he didn't need to think about it, for his mind was already made up. So, in the evenings when he was sure she would already be sleeping, he would return to her room and curl up in the chair, waiting for the screams that were sure to come.

"Can you take some food up to Granger?" Draco asked Blaise, who frowned at him from across the table. "That's three days in a row now you've been asking me to take her food, Draco. What the fuck is going on with you two?"

Draco scowled. "Nothing, other than she's driving me nuts and I don't want to be around her any more than I have to."

"Is that why you sleep in her room, then?" Blaise retorted.

"She's far less irritating when she's asleep."

Blaise rolled his eyes, "Yeah, okay. I'm not taking it. I've got my own hostage to feed. Get over whatever it is."

"Pansy already took them food," Draco protested.

Blaise rolled his eyes and shook his head, standing up and sliding his chair back underneath the table. He turned and left the room before Draco had the chance to pressure him to change his mind. He sighed, standing up and grabbing up a plate.

He pushed the door open to her room, striding over to where she was reading on the bed. She tore her eyes away from her book and her eyes widened in suprise when she saw him, quickly narrowing as she scowled.

He raise an eyebrow at her expression and sat the plate down on the bedside table. "What have I done now?" He demanded, when she continued to glare at him, ignoring the plate of food he'd brought.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Hermione demanded.

"I'm not," Draco lied, ignoring the guilty feeling in his gut.

"You've been sending Blaise with food and Theo to escort me to the bathroom. The only time you even come in here is when I'm asleep and then you leave as soon as you wake up."

Draco shrugged, "I've been busy."

"Yes, I can see how you'd have a very crowded social calender. I must have missed the invitation to the fugitive Death Eater's ball. "

"You wouldn't get an invitation any way. You're not a Death Eater."

She sighed loudly, and turned back to her book.

He watched her silently, a strange feeling brooding inside of him. He suddenly needed her to pay attention to him. He had been avoiding her company for days and now that he had it, she was choosing to pretend he didn't exist. It just wouldn't do.

He reached out and tugged the book from her hands, causing her to gasp in protest. He held it out of her reach as he sat down beside her on the bed so that their shoulders were touching. "What are you reading about?" he asked, turning his eyes down to the page she'd been studying. "Love potions, really?"

Her face pinked and she refused to meet his eyes. "A completely random choice," she muttered.

"Amortentia," he said, his eyes roving over the familiar potion. Potions had been one of his best subjects in school, ranking him just barely under Granger, but what was new? Their sixth year had been the worst, because not only had he joined as a Death Eater and been set the terrible task of murdering his headmaster, but it was also the year that Potter had somehow bested him in his favorite subject when before he had been less than mediocre. Draco had always assumed he'd cheated, especially since Hermione had seemed equally as flustered with her friends sudden potions proficiency. He figured knowing she was being outdone by her cheating best friend would put her in that mood.

"Why this potion?" He asked, his thoughts returning to her reading.

She gave a small cough, her cheeks darkening as her blush deepened. "Curiosity."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly, no."

He frowned and handed the book back. She took it without meeting his eyes.

"Is this about the Weasel?" He couldn't help the bitter note that crept into his voice unbidden by him.

She looked suprised at that and then embarrassed. "No... No, it's not."

"You're with him though, aren't you? I saw you at the final battle. He was clinging to you like a lifeline."

"He's my friend."

"You always kiss your friends on the mouth, Granger?"

Her mouth fell open and she snapped it back shut, repeating the motion twice before settling into uncomfortable silence. Finally she spoke, her quiet voice barely distinguishable. "That was... It was the heat of the moment. I thought we were most likely going to die. I don't see him as anything more than a friend and I realise now that it was a very stupid and selfish thing to do, because I think he might view that kiss in a completely different light. I thought at one point that maybe we could be something more, but... I'm a terrible person." She flung herself back against the pillows, draping her arm across her face.

Draco couldn't explain the relief that had flooded through him at her words and he did his best to ignore it, choosing instead to focus on her. "Cut that out, Granger. Self loathing gets you no where. Trust me."

She peeked out from behind her arm, a tear glistening on her cheek. She gave a soft chuckle. "Are you lecturing me, Malfoy? I think I should be the one giving you lessons in that department."

"How could I take you seriously when you're wallowing in your feelings, having yourself a pity party?"

She smacked at his arm and he grabbed her hand. "Ah, ah, ah. No hitting the master."

"Master of vanity."

"You wouldn't have me any other way," he teased.

"I'd have you any way," she grinned. He tensed and her smile immediately faltered. "I- No, I didn't mean it like- You know I wouldn't-"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Granger. I know you don't think of me like that." His stomach had plummeted, and he hated the feeling that he had in that moment. "Eat your food." He stood, laying her book back down onto the bad and picked up one of the other disgarded books at random, carrying it over to the chair and cracking it open. His eyes roved the pages, though he absorbed none of the information, instead consumed by his own thoughts.

After a minute or so he heard the plate clink, indicating that she'd listened for once.

He didn't realise he'd fallen asleep until her screams woke him sometime later. He jumped up, the book laying on his lap skittering to the floor as he hurried over to the bed. She was thrashing about wildly and he reached for her hands, to keep her from striking him as he tried to wake her. "DRACO!" she screamed. "PLEASE, DO SOMETHING!"

Dammit, he hated that. The fact that he frequented her nightmares made him physically sick. "Granger," he said loudly, shaking her in an attempt to rouse her. She continued jerking about. "Hermione!" he snapped, pulling her sleeping form into a sitting position, and shaking her once more. "Hermione, wake up!"

Her eyes shot open, immediately brimming with unshed tears. She hadn't assaulted him like that first night on any of the previous, but he knew by looking at her now that she wanted to fling herself at him. So, he held his arms out, suprising not only her but himself. She wasted no time in latching herself to him, sniffling a bit as her breathing slowed. He smoothed her hair away from her face, not saying anything at all, just holding her. When she was finally settled enough that he thought she could go back to sleep, he released her and made to move away.

She snatched his wrist as he began to stand. He turned back to her, meeting her terrified chocolate eyes with his wary steel grey orbs. "What is it?"

She bit her lip, causing him to clench his eyes shut against the feeling that stirred in his groin. When he opened them again she was watching him guardedly. "I want to ask you something, but I'm scared of how you'll react."

"Ask away."

"Promise me you won't leave the room, even if the answer is no."

He was much too tired for this. "Bloody fine, get on with it, then."

She hesitated, tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "Will you stay with me? In the bed?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but she rushed on,"I'll sleep way on that side, and you can sleep on this side. I won't touch you. I... I just need to know you're here."

He frowned, eyeing the chair in the corner and then the spot of the bed next to her. He finally sighed, relenting. "Fine. Scoot over."

She smiled widely, reaching up to wipe away a few lingering tears as she made room for him to climb under the blanket.

He lay his head down on the pillow and immediately was glad of his decision. After so many nights in the chair, laying in a bed felt amazing. He opened his eyes to find Hermione staring at him. He narrowed his eyes at her, "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing," she said, her eyes widening at being caught staring. "Sorry," she murmured, turning over onto her other side, facing away from him.

He smirked behind her back, secretly enjoying the fact she'd asked him to share her bed, even if it was only to chase her nightmares away. It felt nice to be needed.

Hermione woke early, the sky outside barely beginning to lighten. She was still tired, and she groaned, upset with her mind for stirring her at this ungodly hour. A weight around her middle shifted and she realised what had woken her from her (finally) dreamless sleep. Draco's arm was thrown casually across her waist, his torso pressed flush against her back, his breath blowing warm tufts into her matted brown curls.

Her breathing increased and a tingling feeling like electricity flooded through her body. Her body's reaction to his touch was embarrassing. It wasn't as if he was even conscious to the fact that he was touching her, and he would probably be disgusted to wake up and realise that he was. But that didn't stop her mind from drifting back to the passages she'd been reading about Amortentia, before she had falled asleep.

In their sixth year, Professor Slughorn had brewed the potion during one of their lessons. She had smelled it, identifying parchment and freshly cut grass. But the other smell had eluded her. She'd thought for a while that it had been Ron's scent, because of the traces of it she had picked up after he'd had a Quidditch match. It hadn't been until she'd slipped into Draco's Quidditch jersey that she had realised what Ron's scent had always been lacking from the smell of the Amortentia. She had been shocked to discover that Draco's cologne was the missing link. Why the scent of his Quidditch jersey had been ruminating out of a love potion, specifically enhanced to appeal to each person individually, was plaguing her.

The past two weeks had done a number on her, and Draco was her one constant in this turbulent time. She enjoyed his company more than she ever believed that she would or should. But that wasn't what bothered her. Not particularly, any way. What bothered her most, was the fact that she had smelled Draco Malfoy in the Amortentia potion last year and hadn't even realised.

Draco stirred behind her, his arm leaving her side and she glanced over her shoulder expecting to find his horrified eyes, repulsed by the position they'd just been in. Instead she found him still sleeping, now sprawled on his back. She couldn't resist turning over to study his sleeping features. He was handsome, she had to admit. His blonde locks were disheveled in a way that most people would spend hours trying to perfect and here he was, pulling it off in his sleep. Long, dark lashes fanned out over his pale skin, his chiseled cheekbones prominent even on his relaxed face.

She watched his chest rise and fall as he dozed on, completely unaware that she was watching him with such rapture. She pursed her lips, considering for only a moment before she made a rash decision. She scooted closer to him, settling herself in the crook of his arm, praying that he wouldn't wake, before laying her head against his muscular chest.

The steady 'thump, thump' of his heart lulled her back into a sleepy state and she had no trouble then, sliding back into unconsciousness.

It was extremely too hot, Draco realised as his brain began to sluggishly return to consciousness. He would have fought harder to hang on to sleep had he not been burning up. His eyes popped open and he stared at the stone ceilings, trying to comprehend his surroundings. Right, Hermione's bed, that's where he was.

Speaking of, he now realised why he was so hot. Her head rested on his chest, her bushy hair sticking up in every direction. Her arm was thrown across his abdomen, clinging tightly to his shirt even in her sleep. One of her legs was wrapped around him like a vise, holding him hostage against her body. It was like sleeping with the giant squid.

He reached down and grabbed her hand, gently unclasping her fingers from his shirt, trying not to wake her in the process. She sighed in her sleep, and rolled onto her back without waking, making it easier for him to make his escape.

He started to breathe easier once he was safely out in the hallway. He stopped at his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed new clothes from his waning collection and took a quick shower. He would have to remember to look up some laundry charms. He could probably just ask Granger. She was basically a walking library. He chuckled to himself.

When he walked into the dining room, it was evident that something was wrong. Everyone's faces were doom and gloom. Fuck, this can't be good, he thought, carefully double checking his mental barriers to ensure that his father wouldn't hear any snarky comments that might pass through his frontal lobe.

He pulled a chair out, ignoring his father's glare as it scraped across the stone floor. He sat down, glancing at Theo with a quirked eyebrow, silently asking 'What happened'. Theo shrugged his shoulders almost imperceptibly.

Narcissa cleared her throat and Draco looked up to meet her gaze. "Lucius, would you like to tell us what was in the letter, now that we're all accounted for." Draco rolled his eyes at the subtle reprimand.

Lucius looked as if he would rather do anything but. He pressed his lips together, glancing around the table at each of them before he finally spoke in a cold voice, "The Ministry refuses to even awknowledge our requests without a formal meeting. They laid out their terms in this letter," he said, holding up the offending bit of parchment, "and they include: turning ourselves in now in exchange for a 'fair trial' in front of the Wizengamot and safely returning the four children we took." He sneered out the word children, a look of pure disgust on his face.

Draco still didn't see the reason for his sour mood. He had known all along that the Ministry wouldn't fall head first into this plan. They weren't going to act until they saw no other option. Draco could almost feel the color drain from his face as he realised which direction his father's thoughts had most likely taken.

"What are you planning to do?" He asked, meeting his father's icy glare with an equally cool gaze.

"They need to know we mean business. We're going to have to take drastic measures. Maybe receiving an appendage in the post will hurry along their decision."

Draco's stomach turned and he could feel bile rise in his throats as he thought about the Kingsley Shacklebolt opening up an envelope, expecting a letter to find a finger in its stead. He gagged.

Yaxley rubbed his hands together gleefully. "I want to do it, Lucius. Let me do it."

"Calm yourself, Yaxley. I've sent a reply giving them one final chance to accept our terms without consequences. If they refuse, which I'm almost certain that they will, you may do the honors. I wrote them that I expect a return owl no later than tomorrow morning."

Yaxley's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Think I'll trim one from the Mudblood. Good choice, wouldn't you say, Draco?"

Yaxley was goading him, searching for a reaction. Holding his Occlumency boundaries firmly in place, he shrugged. "Makes no difference to me who you take it from. A finger's a finger, isn't it?"

He could feel the uncomfortable pressure as Yaxley tried to probe his mind. Finding no weakness Yaxley grinned. "Awfully strong mental boundaries for some one who cares so little."

Draco smirked. "Yes, well. I've grown tired of defending myself over snarky comments that remain inside my head. The ones that come out of my mouth are much better material."

Theo sniggered beside him and Draco's smirk grew.

"So, you don't mind at all if I sever an digit from your little pet?" Yaxley asked, seemingly unfased.

Draco clenched his jaw. "Why would I care?"

Yaxley shrugged, picking up his glass of pumpkin juice and swirling the liquid around inside. "Seemed like you might when you so rudely interrupted Dolohov and I. We were making real progress you know."

Draco inhaled sharply through his nose, struggling to keep his external composure and his internal barricades in place. "Didn't seem like you were making much progress to me. Remind me again how rape was going to help convince her to write a letter?"

Yaxley scowled. "I've said it before: it was a scare tactic."

Draco snorted, "Right."

Everyone at the table was watching their exchange in silence, and Draco wondered that his father hadn't put his two cents in yet.

"So, you'll help me then, Draco. You can hold her down, while I curse her finger off. Maybe we should take two or three... just to be sure the point is carried across."

Draco swallowed back his angry retort. "Sure," he smirked lazily across at Yaxley.

Yaxley snarled his lip, obviously upset that he could penetrate neither Draco's guarded mind nor his guarded temper.

Draco stood from his place at the table, throwing his napkin down on his untouched plate. "Let me know when they send their reply. I don't want to miss out on all the fun."

He clomped up the stairs, his stomach in knots as he mulled over the crazy thoughts running through his mind. He shouldn't... He shouldn't... He shouldn't... Fuck it. He was going to. He flung the door of Hermione's room open, finding her standing beside the window, her hair just as much of a haystack as it had been when he'd left earlier.

"Shit, I should have brought you something to eat." He said. It had slipped his mind when Yaxley had started in on him.

"It's fine. I'm not hungry." She said, moving toward him. "Draco... what's wrong?"

He smirked at her, doing his best to keep his wits about him. "I haven't the slightest what you mean, Granger."

She frowned at him moving closer. "Don't lie to me, Draco, you're really quite terrible at it."

"Am I?"

"Stop that," she snapped, standing directly in front of him now, mere inches between them.

"Stop what?"

"Avoiding my question!" She exclaimed, exasperatedly.

"What question was that again?"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, you tell me what's going on this instant!"

"Oh, look, bossy Granger is back. Tell me, how did you know my middle name is Lucius?"

She rolled her eyes and huffed out a sigh. "A well educated guess."

"Well, that you are, aren't you? And what pray tell is your middle name? I would take a swing, but you see, I know nothing about you and therefore my guess would be far from educated, it could in fact be construed as down right daft."

She regarded him with an expression worthy of a second head sprouting from his neck. "Why do you care what my middle name is?"

"It's only fair, Granger, don't ruin my fun."

She raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Jean."

"Jean?"

"Jean."

"Well, that's... yeah."

Hermione cracked a smile. "You don't like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it... It's just very 'muggly'."

"Is 'muggly' even a word?"

"It is now. I'm coining it. Let it be known that Draco Lucius Malfoy coined the term 'muggly' on this day to one Hermione Jean Granger." She nearly doubled over, a melodic peal of laughter flowing from her grinning mouth. He was thankful that he'd successfully distracted her. Tears streamed from her eyes as the laughs shook her body. "Okay, Granger, I'm not that funny."

Her body continued to shake and he was apalled to realise that her laughs had turned into sobs.

"What the fu- Granger, what the bloody hell are you crying for?"

She sucked in a shaky breath, wiping at her eyes as she tried to regain control. She sniffled, and said in between sobs, "It- must be- bad. You're being- too n-nice."

He frowned, grabbed her wrist and led her over to the bed. "Granger, stop."

She glared at him through her tears, heaving heavy breaths as she tried in earnest to keep the tears back. Bless her for the effort, Godric he hated seeing her like this.

"Fuck it. If you must know, the Ministry has refused to come to your aide, again. My father's written to them, giving them one last chance before he takes... drastic measures."

"Such a-as?" She sniffled, wiping her arm across her streaming eyes.

He grimaced, "Sending a severed finger in the next letter."

Her eyes widened and she squeaked, "Finger?"

He nodded swiftly and the tears began falling in earnest again. "Stop that. You're not going to have to worry about it."

She glanced up at him, her dark eyelashes clumped together around her brown eyes from the salt of her tears. "W-why?"

"I'm getting you out of here."

"What?" she asked, her mouth falling open in astonishment.

"Out, Granger. I'm getting you out." He stood up from the bed, leaned over to her brushing his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the moisture there. She gasped at his sudden touch. "Stop crying. I'll be back soon." And then he was gone, disappeared through the doorway without a backwards glance, leaving her to sit in dazed confusion.

Draco stormed down the hallway to Lovegood's room, slinging the door open without knocking. Theo jumped at his entry, tearing his hand from Lovegood's but it wasn't fast enough that Draco hadn't seen. He shook his head, choosing to ignore it for the moment. They had bigger issues to deal with, "Theo. I need a word."

"Hello, Draco." Luna greeted him, airily.

Draco gave a grunt of awknowledgement, glancing between her and his friend.

"Look mate, it isn't what it looks lik-"

Draco held up a hand to silence him. "Don't care. Get your arse out here and help me find Blaise and Pansy."

Theo grinned, hopping up off the bed and striding out the door without any more hesitation. Draco snapped it shut, replacing the charms. "10 galleons says they're shagging."

Draco rolled his eyes, "I'm not losing 10 galleons to you, Theo."

Theo gave a loud guffaw, slapping his knee. "So, what do we need with those two?"

Draco ignored him, making his way down to Blaise and Pansy's room. Pansy's moans reached their ears when they were still a few feet away from the door and Theo cocked an eyebrow, giving Draco a look that clearly said 'I told you so.' Draco reached up to pound on the door and the noises stopped. "Sorry, Theo, no time for a peep show today," he laughed at his friend's crest fallen face.

The door cracked open and Zabini's naked torso poked around the the edge. "What the fuck do you want? We're busy."

"We know," Draco snapped. "Ever heard of a silencing charm?"

Blaise grinned sheepishly. "What's so important that you had to interupt my shag?"

"Let us in and we'll talk about it," Draco said, shoving the door open and stepping around his naked friend, ignoring his protests. Pansy sat in the middle of the bed in a black lace negligee, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oi!" Blaise snapped, grabbing up his boxers and sliding them on. "Quit ogling my girlfriend!" A shoe hit Draco in the back and he scowled.

"It's not as if it's anything I haven't seen before, Zabini."

Pansy flushed pink and glared at him.

"Tell me what it is you want, Draco, before I have to beat your arse."

Draco strolled over and perched on the edge of the bed, earning himself a burning look from Blaise. He smirked at him, silently challenging him to do something about it.

"I want to break them out," he said as Blaise started for him.

Blaise stopped short and Theo choked on a biscuit he'd taken from a tray on the dresser. "You want to... What the fuck, Draco? Are you nuts?"

"Look, we're in deep shite regardless. If we get them out of here and back home, it will be better on us than just hanging around here until we're caught. My father is ignorant. I told him from the start that this was a terrible plan. Running was stupid. Kidnapping war heroes, stupid. Torturing said war heroes, extremely stupid. I'll gladly take a cell in Azkaban before I stand by him a moment longer. I'll get them out myself if I have to."

Theo grinned, rubbing his hands together. "That is an awful, dangerous, foolish bloody idea... and I love it. Let's do it."

Pansy sighed, "I'll help if Blaise wants to."

Draco looked to his friend, who had his face screwed up in intense thought. Finally he huffed and said, "Bloody fine! But you better have a damn good plan, because they'll kill us if they realise what we're up to."

Draco smirked. "Any one have any ideas?"

An hour later they had a loosely devised course of action planned out and were going over it one last time before they set it into motion.

"We'll start at 11 o'clock. I'll get them all ready to leave while Blaise and Pansy take care of the Carrows." Draco was saying, as Blaise nodded along.

"...and then I set the fire."

"No fires, Theo."

"Aw, come on!"

"For fuck's sake, we're trying to be inconspicuous, mate." Blaise rolled his eyes, twirling his wand between his fingers.

"You'll get the wands, Theo. They should be in my parents' room. Knock them out if you can, but try not to hurt my mother." Draco said, wishing to leave her out of this as much as possible.

"Wouldn't dream of it, mate."

"We'll all meet back up in the kitchen. Got it?"

His friends stared at him in silence.

"I just want to be sure we're all on the same page here." Draco said, raising his eyebrows, waiting for one of them to speak.

"Page? We're not even in the same ruddy library, Draco!" Pansy snapped.

"Never been one for books any way," Theo said. "Can't we be in the same tray of cookies or something?"

Draco groaned, raking his fingers down his face. This was going to go swell.

An owl pecking on Ron's window woke Harry. He'd barely dozed off, the insomnia of the past few nights finally catching up to him. He rubbed his eyes groggily, reaching up to straighten the glasses that still hung on his nose. The owl flew in noiselessly other than the ruffle of his feathers as he settled himself on the cot Harry was using.

"For me?" He asked, reaching for the letter on the owl's leg. He hooted, shuffling forward and offering the leg out. Harry hastily untied it, then pointed to the tray of food beside Pigwidgeon's cage. "Help yourself." The owl flew over, landing gracefully, giving a soft hoot of thanks as he began to eat and drink.

Harry's stomach was in knots. He didn't know any one who might be sending a letter to him, now, especially at this hour. He ripped the scroll open to find only a few short words written in a looping, elegant scrawl.

Sometime tonight.

Hogsmeade.

D.M.

Harry re-read it once, twice, three times before rushing over to Ron, smacking him in the back of the head. "Wake up!" he hissed.

Ron groaned, rolling over and blinking. "Time is't?"

"Doesn't matter. We have to go."

Ron sat up straight, picking up on Harry's tense vibe. "What's happened?"

Harry thrust the scroll at him, sliding on one of his trainers at the same time. Ron snatched it from him, reading it over. "D.M. You don't think that's Malfoy?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know any other D.M. so, yeah, I'd say there's a good chance."

"What if this is a trap? What if they're planning on taking a couple more hostages?""Harry paused. He hadn't even considered the possibility. "We have our wands and we're prepared for an attack. We'll be fine."

Ron looked unconvinced. "I think we should let Kingsley know. We might need back up..."

Harry frowned. "Since when have we ever called for back-up?"

Ron shrugged. "Never, but we've needed it a few times. I don't need to tell you that we've scraped by by the skin of our teeth on more than a few occasions, just because some one showed up in the nick of time."

Harry mulled it over. He wasn't wrong. He nodded, "Send an owl. They can meet us there."

He shot a blasting spell causing the door to burst open and Draco entered, crossing the room quickly. "Come on, Granger," he said, grabbing her hand. "Up you get." She frowned, looking between him and the still open door.

"You were serious?" She asked incredulously.

He wanted to laugh at her expression but now was not the time. "I'm always, serious. Now come on. We don't have much time."

She swung her feet off the bed, suprising him by keeping hold of his hand. He tried to ignore the way that made him feel. She was waiting for him to make a move. "Oh, right." He murmured, pulling her towards the open door. He stopped in front of a second door, blasting it open. He didn't have time to fool with undoing all of the charms on each one if they wanted to make it out of here. He heard shouting down below and tried to ignore it. Neville sat stunned in the bed.

"Let's go, Longbottom. Get a fucking move on." Draco snapped, as he sat there like a lump.

Neville looked at Hermione uncertainly, his eyes flicking down to her and Draco's linked hands. "He's helping us, Neville. We have to go." She urged, just as a commotion sounded in the hallway. Yaxley was barreling for them, his wand brandished. Draco spun, barely managing to block the curse he'd hurled at them.

"Levicorpus!" He shouted, and Yaxley was jerked into the air, losing his grip on his wand which clattered across the floor stopping at Hermione's feet. She bent to pick it up and Yaxley shouted, "Don't you touch my wand! Don't you touch my wand, you filthy, little mud-"

Draco flicked him wand once more, "Stupefy! Get it, Hermione. Let's go Longbottom!"

Neville wasted no time in joining them as Hermione snatched up Yaxley's wand. She held it in her free hand, keeping a firm grip on Draco's hand with her other. He ignored the chills that shivered up his spine as she squeezed, tracing nervous circles across the back of his hand. They moved down the hallway stopping in front of another door and Draco didn't hesitate before blowing it off its hinges. Luna didn't look at all suprised to see them and Draco suspected that Theo had let her know what was going on.

"Hello again, Draco. Hermione, Neville, It's good to see you both!"

"Save the niceties for later, Looney, we're in a bit of a hurry."

She trotted happily out of the room, dancing ahead of them down the hallway. Last door, Draco thought, blasting it to bits. "Thomas," he hollered without even a glance inside. "Get your arse moving. We're extremely behind schedule."

Dean ran out into the hallway, a stunned look on his face as he took in the sight before him. He didn't comment, just nodded and kept pace as they made their way to the staircase, stepping over Yaxley's unconscious frame.

Theo met them at the bottom of the staircase, a fistful of wands outstretched. "Get yer wands here, just a galleon a piece, eh?" He waved them about, using his best salesman voice.

Draco scowled at him. "Not the time, Theo."

"Right," the other wizard nodded. "I don't know whose is whose." He held them out for Hermione, Luna, Dean and Neville to grab theirs. Dean immediately snatched his wand and pointed it at Draco, his eyes hard.

Draco held his hands up and glared. "I'm helping you out of here, Thomas. Don't do anything stupid."

Hermione stepped between them. "Dean, don't do this."

"Hermione, they've kidnapped us and held us hostage, tortured you and tried to rape you!"

Hermione scowled and shook her head. "Draco didn't do any of that. He's helping us."

Dean scoffed, shaking his head in exasperation but lowered his wand all the same.

"We need to get moving," Draco said. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or flattered that Hermione was defending him. He was leaning toward the latter.

They had barely made it up the hallway when Blaise came barreling through a doorway, Pansy on his heels. He slammed it shut, and hastily put a locking charm on it.

"Go, go, go," he said, pushing past and making a mad dash for the door, the others wasted no time in following. Draco's stomach clenched and he grabbed Hermione's hand, propelling her forward. Through the kitchen, the dining room, the sitting room, they were at the front door...

BOOM. Draco whipped his head around to see a door explode. His father stepped out, coughing and spluttering. "Draco!" he shouted, pointing his wand. "Stop!"

The spell came too quickly for Draco to block. He shoved Hermione through the doorway just in time, putting himself in its path. He groaned as the stinging hex slammed into his chest, falling to his knees. "No!" Hermione shouted, tugging on his arm, pulling him to his feet. She took aim over his shoulder, muttering under her breath.

He heard Lucius cry out, but didn't stop to investigate.

Crashing glass had him looking back over his shoulder. Theo was picking himself up from the ground, dusting glass shards off of his robes in front of the busted window. "What the fuck are you doing, Theo?" Draco shouted, as his friend started running to catch up with them.

"I wanted a dramatic exit." Theo grinned, a cut on his forehead the only mark he had to show for his stupidity. Hermione laughed and Draco cracked a smile. They were almost to the apparition spot. Their feet pounding against the damp grass was the only sound now, aside from their labored breathing. Draco glanced back over his shoulder to see the house disappearing over the hilltop. "Just a little farther and we'll be past the wards."

Their rag tag group was back in view now, and they reached them swiftly. "Well, that didn't go as planned. Where to now, Draco?" Blaise asked, an edge in his voice as his eyes scanned around for any suprises that might be lurking.

"Hogsmeade. They're meeting us there."

"Who is meeting us there?" Dean asked, immediately suspicious.

"Incoming!" Blaise shouted, taking aim and blasting Amycus Carrow backwards just as he'd topped the hill. "Let's go!"

There were several loud pops as they started apparating. Another figure topped the hill and Draco got one last look at his father's disgusted face, before gripping tightly to Granger's hand and disappearing on the spot.