I want to say a quick thank you to everyone reading this story, you've all been wonderful.

The end draws near.

Chapter Fourteen

Painful Adjustments

Draco awoke, his head still pillowed against Hermione's thigh. Both of her hands were clasped around one of his and, as he looked up at her, he found her silver gaze fixed on the door to the tower.

"Good, you're awake," she said, her voice low.

She hadn't turned her head to look at him, nor had he stirred, so he couldn't help but wonder how she knew.

But then he felt a thrill zing through the pit of his stomach. There was some sense of urgency—he wasn't certain how he knew, but he was sensing it from her. No, no, that wasn't right. He wasn't sensing it from her, they were sharing the sensation, somehow.

"Something's coming," he whispered, shooting to his feet.

Hermione jumped up beside him, her arms slipping around him as he wobbled in place.

He groaned, putting a hand to his swimming head. "What the bloody hell? I was fine a moment ago."

"Remember it took me about three days to adjust? I think it'll probably be quicker for you—since you took it from me and not the unicorn—but we can't stay here with you in this state. If they see you like this, they'll think I forced this on you."

He laughed tiredly as he stood and draped an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to support at least a portion of his weight. "Where are we going to go? We're in a warded tower."

"The warded tower of a castle that had all its magical defenses stripped during the Battle—your father is trying to rebuild them, but he hasn't had the time, or the energy, to protect every part of the castle against everything it used to be, just yet." She spoke quickly, her words tumbling out in a rushed whisper as she guided him into the stairwell that led up to the boys' dormitories.

"How can you know that?" He couldn't help being mystified at her certainty.

"I can feel it from the air, is all." She turned her head to exchange a quick glance with him as they moved. "It's really strange, but I'm not sure. It's like explaining how to breathe. Once you know how to understand the energy around you, it'll simply work."

Draco cast a quick look about, before speaking to no one in particular. "C'mon, understanding . . . . Any time now, that'd be great, thanks."

Hermione laughed in spite of their serious situation as she shook her head.

She couldn't account for how fast Lucius and Narcissa could act as a unit—Narcissa could possibly get through the door the moment her husband dispelled the ward. They couldn't be out here in the open like this. The last thing they needed just now would be for either of the Malfoys to catch a glimpse of their silver-eyed son before she and Draco could pop out of sight.

"Granger," Draco said, wondering how he was managing to keep his thoughts straight at all with the way the stairwell kept whirling around him, "What is the plan?"

If she meant for them to hide under a bed, or something . . . . But then, he reflected with an inward chuckle as she pulled him into the first dorm room they reached, that was one of those notions that was so stupid, it just might work.

"Your father's dispelling the ward as we speak. The moment it's done, we'll Apparate . . . back to the forest manor, if you can make it that far. He doesn't know where it actually is, after all."

He nodded, remembering the only reason they, and Potter, had not risked Apparating into the castle, itself, when sneaking in was the loads of dark witches and wizards crawling about the place, and the uncertainty of knowing who might be present wherever they popped up.

But then swayed on his feet.

"Oh, dear," Hermione said, backpedaling with her arms still around him to pull him with her until they were supported by the wall behind them. "Okay, you can't make it that far."

They felt the snap of energy in the air around them and he understood—the ward had been dispelled.

Her eyes shot wide as she met his gaze, an idea striking. "We'll need to go somewhere closer. But we need to move now. Ready?"

Swallowing hard, he nodded.

Harry watched from the corridor as Lucius dispelled the ward. He couldn't recall a time he'd felt so useless. He'd already cast a Confundus charm twice on the man to trip him up, anything more and he risked giving himself away.

But then he saw the way Narcissa hung behind her husband's shoulder. She wanted to go in there, he thought, but she was also likely fearful of what she might find.

That scream of Draco's . . . it had sounded like someone was murdering him in there.

Taking the opportunity, he crept around them as they undid the ward. He pressed himself to the wall beside the portrait, waiting for the moment the entryway would pop open. He had no idea what he'd do when he got in there, but he had no idea what Draco's scream meant, and he couldn't leave Hermione to face the Malfoys alone in her condition.

As the ward fell away, and the passageway opened, Harry slipped in and hurried to one side so the Malfoy's wouldn't trip over him as they ran in. He drew his wand, but as he faced into the common room, he found the place empty.

Frowning, he looked about, watching as the Malfoys scanned the room, the same confused expression on each of their faces.

As he watched them head toward the staircase to the girls' dormitory in their search, he moved to follow.

Harry . . . .

He halted, looking about, again. "Hermione?" he whispered.

I left the cloak I was wearing in the first room of the boys' wing. Go get it and leave by the castle's main doors. Mr. Malfoy will most likely have his people comb the castle as soon as he confirms that we're not hiding somewhere in the tower. We need to give them a false lead.

He frowned, but moved to the boys' dormitory wing. "Where are you? Are . . . ?" He had no idea what the blood was doing to her, but after Thayer's story, he realized it was unwise to underestimate what she could do, now. "Are you talking in my head?"

She laughed. No, stupid. I'm using the lines of energy left from the magic around the tower to create sound close to your ears.

Harry couldn't help pausing in mid-stride as he reached the dormitory corridor. "How did you even know how to do that?"

I've no idea. And this is hardly the time to chat about it, either. I just wanted to talk to you, and suddenly, I was.

Stepping into the first room, he found the cloak in a heap on the floor. He heard footfalls in the stairwell—the Malfoys would be there any moment. He snatched up the bundle of black fabric, tucking it beneath the folds of his Invisibility Cloak, just before stepping out the door and hopping out of their way.

He took advantage of the time their continued search offered and bolted down the staircase to the common room. "Where are you?"

In the Room of Requirement. It was as far as we could go with Draco like this.

Harry would have stopped short, again, if not for the fact that each moment he stalled was another moment he risked them catching him. He thought perhaps it was only the pounding of his heart against his rib cage that kept him moving toward the door.

"What do you mean? What's wrong with Malfoy?" He repressed the urge to chuckle—this was hardly the time for humor, but he never imagined himself inquiring about Draco Malfoy's well-being.

It's . . . it's probably better if I explain when you get here.

He didn't like the sound of that one little bit, but then he supposed there wasn't much he could do about it, just now. His best friend was using magic in a way he couldn't begin to understand simply to hold this conversation with him, he wasn't about to start an argument with the girl.

"I'll be there in just a few minutes, I promise," he said, hurtling himself down the stone staircase toward the main floor as fast as he could without stumbling.

Narcissa fretted as they finished their sweep of the last room. Wringing her hands, she frowned darkly. The sound of her son screaming like that was still bouncing around in her head.

"Where could they have gone?" Honestly, with that terrible wail, she couldn't help but think something had taken them, but that was preposterous—nothing could have gotten past Lucius' ward.

Lucius shrugged, huffing in anger as he turned on a heel and stormed from the room. His son was missing for the second time, and his silver girl was missing.

"This castle is full of more secrets than even Dumbledore, himself, knew and Granger and Potter were all over this tower when they were students. There's probably a hidden passage somewhere!" He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid to leave the girl unattended. Here he was, worried for his son and now . . . .

Now all evidence pointed to his son helping her escape.

"They knew the ward would be dispelled, sooner or later," he said, his voice reduced to a hissing mutter. "All they had to do was get to the passage and wait. Bloody hell. That scream was probably a trick to get us to drop the ward!"

His wife cast a curious glance around as they exited the stairwell and made their way through the common room. She was afraid to admit to him that she liked the scenario he'd just proposed—it meant Draco was unharmed. "Where do you think that passage would be?"

"No idea, my heart, and we'd only waste time searching." He was livid by the time they were on the landing outside the empty portrait, his pale complexion flushed a terrible red shade. "Wakeeveryone! Have them search this castle, top-to-bottom. I want every passage explored, every door opened, every room searched. No one rests until Draco and Miss Granger are found!"

Narcissa's footfalls slowed as she trailed her husband down the steps. She could only stare at the back of his head as they moved, her throat tight and unexpected—uncharacteristic, horribly unladylike—tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

Was it possible? Would Lucius hurt Draco if he thought the boy had done something to get in the way of his precious prophecy?

Harry's feet hit the main floor with a dull thud—he was only happy no one else was about to hear it. Chancing a quick look around, he didn't see anyone, yet, but he trusted Hermione's judgement. It made sense that it wouldn't be long before there was a legitimate search party of dark witches and wizards formed to find her and Draco.

Dropping Hermione's cloak on the wide, stone tiles, he spun around and headed across the floor. As he passed the Great Hall, he refused to let himself look inside. He doubted Kreacher had been moved, yet, and he couldn't be certain he wouldn't be tempted to do something that might give himself away—like stopping to search for something to cover the poor, crumbled elf.

Shaking his head, he rushed on. He could already hear commotion from the upper levels. Reaching the darkest recesses of the main floor, he slowed his pace, catching his breath as he closed his eyes.

Coming to a halt, he pleaded silently for the Room to show itself.

When he opened his eyes, the large, polished wood door had appeared before him. His shoulders drooped as he breathed a sigh of relief. Hogwarts was still on their side, after all.

Glancing about the corridor as he reached to open the door, he whispered to the castle with a smile, "Never should have doubted you."

As he closed the door—sealing the room behind him—Harry found himself in a duplicate of the bedroom in the forest manor. Hermione sat on the bed, clasping Draco's hand. Draco was curled onto his side in a fitful-looking sleep, his eyes squeezed shut.

A look of relief flitted across her features as she saw Harry coming toward them. She stood up from the bed, but clung to Draco's hand as her best friend stepped up and scooped her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Harry, I'm so glad you're okay!"

After everything, it felt better to hear her talking like herself than he could possibly find words for. "Told you, I'm always okay."

Pulling back, she smiled at him. "You did."

He couldn't not notice how she went on holding Draco's hand, clinging to him, really. Despite that he was there, despite that she could hold onto him, now.

A terrible chill wound through the pit of Harry's stomach as he considered what that meant. "Hermione . . . . What's wrong with him?"

Hermione gave a worried pout before she opened her mouth to speak, "Well, Harry, you need to understand that I didn't expect him to—"

"I'm fine, actually, Potter," Draco said, his tone hollow in an eerie way that sounded almost like Hermione's had just the day before. "I'm only . . . adjusting."

Harry blinked a few times in rapid succession as he watched Malfoy's pained face. "Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Because nobody's going to like it, but it's what had to be done."

Harry thought he felt his heart fall into his stomach. Draco opened forced his lids open and Harry found himself staring into eyes the same, unsettling silver as Hermione's.