TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of rape and torture during the Wizarding War.
- The Quidditch World Cup, 25th of August 1994 –
The silver trio and all their friends and families were sitting in one of the best boxes to watch the Quidditch World Cup finals. All apart from Lucius Malfoy, that is. The elder Malfoy was extremely displeased that his wife had decided to grant their box to his son's friends . This meant he would have to share his seats with the Weasleys . Lucius quickly decided to sit with the Minister instead.
Draco, Hermione, Luna, and Blaise were sitting on the edge of the third row. Harry, Ginny, and the rest of the Weasleys were in the front row of the box. Lady Zabini was still attempting to get into Lord Lovegood's good graces, but the man seemed as aloof as his daughter. Hermione's dad was taking a lot of pictures, putting even Colin Creevey to shame. Jean and Narcissa laughed at his antics.
Ron and Harry were almost hanging over the side of the box, watching through their omnioculars to see what was happening.
The Bulgarians flew onto the pitch, Viktor Krum showing off his skills. Harry cheered loudly at his idol.
Draco chuckled. If only his best friend knew that the boy would soon be gracing Hogwarts with his presence. Perhaps, the Bulgarian would even fall for Hermione again.
It was then he heard the oohhs and aahhs of his male companions. Ah. The veela must have arrived.
"Ehm, why is everyone going crazy?" Hermione wondered as she huddled closer to Draco with worry in her eyes, looking at all the other male occupants of their box going wild and whistling at the Bulgarian team's mascots. She quickly hooked her arm in his and hunched her shoulders from the loud yelling behind her.
"They're just responding to the veela allure." Luna said, seemingly bored. She was knitting some sort of orange hat and hadn't glanced at the pitch once. "It will be over once the Bulgarian mascots leave."
Hermione looked at her Ravenclaw friend incredulously, unsure about what she had just said.
"Oh," Luna said, her eyes glazing over for a second, nearly missing a stitch. "I forgot you haven't learnt what they are yet. They're semi-human magical beings. Their allure can be quite seductive, which is probably why nearly all the boys are trying to get closer to them."
"So, the veela down there are luring in anyone who is attracted to women?" Hermione wondered out loud.
Luna nodded absentmindedly. She took hold of Blaise's hand, leaving her knitting behind. One touch and her boyfriend snapped out of the allure. He smiled at her gratefully and she winked at him, taking up her knitting again with one hand and checking if the orange hat fit on his head. Merlin, if Blaise would start wearing the same colour palette as Luna, he'd clash with the dark and gloomy Slytherin boys' room.
As Draco watched the veela finish their dance, a wave of confusion coming from Hermione hit him.
"Why are you unaffected?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Because you're holding onto him. A lover's touch will always protect against the allure," Luna sighed happily. "It worked when I held Blaise, did it not?"
"Luna!" Draco scolded her as both his and Hermione's face turned beet red. "That's not the only reason and you know it."
The blonde witch winked at him. "I suppose a skilled occlumence can fight off the allure as well. I just knew your face would be worth a thousand galleons, Draco. Also, if Ginny doesn't grab onto Ron in the next five seconds, he will fall to his death."
All three Slytherins whipped their heads to the front row. Indeed, Ron was almost climbing over the railing. Luckily, Ginny started holding onto her brother with her whole body weight, yelling at him to calm the bloody fuck down.
Mrs. Weasley scolded her daughter as she was holding each of her twins by the shoulder. Right after, she continued telling them that they could not bottle the allure for one of their inventions, as that was impossible.
The four teens on the third row of the box couldn't help but laugh.
After the teams' introductions, the group of friends watched the finale together with their parents, having a good time.
Draco wondered what Deandra would have thought of the sport. She'd only ever seen him fly at Hogwarts. The World Cup was something else. Sadly, the spirit wasn't with him as she was staying with the goblins for a while, helping them to figure out if Harry would be able to take an Avada to the face without suffering any harm.
The Slytherin had missed the spirit's presence in the back of his mind, and he had spent the past weeks trying to spy on his father on his own, calling in Dobby for help. That elf had spent too much time around the remaining Marauders not to have learnt a thing or two about blending into the wall and gathering information without being noticed. They had to figure out who was helping Voldemort this time around. It couldn't be Barty Crouch Jr. as he had been kissed by the Dementors. But then, who ? One of the Eastern European death eaters who gave his father that cursed book? He knew they were planning something for the Quidditch Cup finals. Just like last time. Draco came prepared, however.
As Viktor Krum caught the snitch for Bulgaria, the Irish fans went completely wild. After all, Krum had only caught it to save his team's dignity. Ireland had simply scored too many goals.
They said their goodbyes to Susan, Amelia, Draco's mother, and Hermione's parents before heading back to the enormous tent owned by Sirius. The silver trio and their friends were staying on the camping site. Mr. Weasley and Sirius were singing some old quidditch songs as they celebrated on their way back to the tent.
Once they arrived at the camping site, Draco pulled Hermione and Harry into one of the smaller bathrooms in the tent with him. He quickly locked and silenced the room so no one could interrupt them.
"What's up, mate? You've seemed quiet today." Harry observed, his cheeks sunburnt from being outside all day.
'Mione also noticed and waved her wand at him with a cooling charm, making the raven-haired boy sigh in relief. The witch nodded in agreement. She had felt Draco's apprehension almost all evening. He hadn't even felt that excited about being able to witness the World Cup finals.
"Did you get the trace removed?" He was stunned that Hermione had so casually pulled out her wand and dared to cast a spell when they were not behind the wards of either Grimmauld or Malfoy Manor.
"We both did," Hermione answered. "But that's not important. Now, tell us what's wrong."
The blond pulled his hand through his hair and sighed. "I think the death eaters are making their move tonight. I've been trying to spy on my father ever since he left that blasted book with Ginny in our second year. Just, keep your wands close. Let's sleep in Harry and mine's compartment. Ginny, Luna, and Blaise too. Ron will probably bunk with the twins and he's safe with them."
"What about Daphne?" Hermione asked, worried for her friend.
"Lord Greengrass and Cedric will protect her and her sister." Draco assured her. "Let's just get out of here before someone sees us."
He was already too late it seemed. The twins were standing ready with their extendable ears, about to try and listen in on the conversation.
"Harrykins!" Fred yelled, hiding the gadget in his pocket. "What are you three snakes planning? Anything fun ?"
Harry laughed. "If you need help with pranks, ask Sirius or Dobby, guys. I'm heading to bed for the night."
Fred and George kept pestering Harry on the way to the rooms he and Draco shared, so he eventually agreed to join them for a butterbeer. Draco noticed the Boy Who Lived's hand was close to his wand, nonetheless. Good. The blond had been trying to teach both Harry and Hermione to be more vigilant. That's what they would need if they were to win the war.
Hermione had run off to Ginny and Luna, hooking her arms around their elbows. "Gin, Luna, you want to come and have a slumber party in Draco and Harry's room?" She asked, innocently. "Blaise you will come too, right?" She asked the dark-haired wizard.
He nodded, taking his pyjamas with him.
Draco looked at Harry one more time before entering the compartment.
With a curt nod, his best friend let him know he would be there soon.
The six of them eventually kept talking until late at night, before dozing off one by one. Draco could get used to this. Just hanging out with his friends and joking around. Luna had even provided some entertainment for them when she whispered a spell and small magical lights lit up the tent's ceiling like the night sky, trying to form the outline of various animals. One of them had dared to get close to Blaise. He'd sneezed when it came near, making the light zoom away to the other side of the room, hiding behind Luna as it seemingly trembled in fear. All of them laughed.
Draco couldn't help but wonder if this was what peace felt like.
- The Quidditch World Cup, 26th of August 1994 –
For the second time that month, Draco woke to the sound of someone screaming. He did not want to get used to that. He raised his wand, lighting up the room with a Lumos charm. He counted his friend's faces, making sure they were all alright.
Blaise, sleeping soundly since nothing could ever wake him up, was lying flat on his stomach drooling. Draco nudged him awake with his foot.
"Sod off, Malfoy." The wizard said sleepily, turning around. Draco nudged him again, and Blaise sat up angrily. "Listen, my sleep is a precious commodity, so unless there's some sort of emergency-"
Another ear-piercing scream could be heard from outside, shutting up Blaise immediately. He now realised that his friends weren't joking around and trying to wake him up for laughs.
Draco had to get them safely out of here. That was his top priority right now. Perhaps he should've suggested they all stay over at the Manor that night… But that would've just made his father suspicious.
"Harry, Blaise, upfront and protect Ginny and Luna in the middle," Draco ordered, slipping back into war mode, as he put on his cloak over his sweatpants and t-shirt. He grabbed Harry's bag which held his invisibility cloak and threw it over to him. " Mione, you stay with me at the back of the group as we make our way to the main living area. Everyone, keep your wands at the ready."
The teenagers all nodded at him, putting on their cloaks quickly to protect themselves against the cold that the terror had brought with it.
When they ran into Sirius and Mr Weasley in the living area of the tent, they noticed the two men had no clue what was going on. They were rubbing the sleep out of their eyes and seeing as there was an empty bottle of fire whisky on the table, well… They probably weren't too sober either.
"Is everything alright?" George asked as he poked his head out of the compartment he shared with his brothers. He too had his wand at the ready. Ron looked as sleepy and annoyed as Blaise and was being urged forward out of the room by Fred.
"Death eaters." Was all that Draco answered, immediately sobering up the two adults with them.
Draco was glad his mother had decided to portkey home after the match. She did not need to witness this. To see what his father and his so-called friends had been planning to do tonight. Their relationship had been strained for years. She would be quite displeased if she learnt that her husband had reverted to his old ways, especially now that she had reconnected with her sister and the Black family. Jean Granger had also become a dear friend of hers, the women often going for a cup of coffee in muggle London when their children were at school. Narcissa Malfoy would no longer tolerate bigotry, that much was certain.
Sirius looked grim, but immediately jumped into auror mode. He too had lived through a war before, and he would not let any harm come to the teenagers in front of him.
"Everyone, take this portkey to Grimmauld Place." He said as he pulled out a sickle from his pocket and cast the Portus charm on it.
They all nodded and huddled around Sirius who was now putting his hair in a ponytail and transfiguring his pyjamas in attire more appropriate for battle.
"It will leave soon. Me and Arthur will stay behind and help other families leave." He said. "Tell Amelia to put on the kettle and that we will come home as fast as possible. And to send for some extra aurors and Moony. I know she can still call on Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody."
"We'll stay," the twins exclaimed, ready to fight and help their father and role model. "We're almost off age, Dad. We can help."
Arthur smiled at his sons but shook his head. "Your mother would have my head. Protect Ron and Ginny. That is more than I could wish for. Just be responsible for once and take care of the younger ones, alright?"
His sons reluctantly nodded at their father but agreed. They would take the others to Grimmauld.
Draco reached out with his magic, unconsciously brushing Hermione's as he did so. Mhm. The portkey was already ticking down. How long did he have? He was not about to leave while his father was roaming around, torturing muggles. He'd show those death eater cunts a thing or two. Perhaps even curse his father like he'd been longing to do for so long.
Whatever notion he'd had before that his father could be saved had been thrown out of the window ever since he dropped that cursed book into Ginny's cauldron. His passive-aggressive comments about his choice of friends had also become too much to bear. Lucius Malfoy was beyond saving if he truly had proceeded with this attack tonight.
Mr. Weasley kissed Ginny on top of her head, patted his sons on the back, and ran out.
Sirius immediately followed him. He quickly put up a defensive shield consisting of Black family magic in the doorway. Lord Black turned around one more time, winking at the teenagers, joining the fray and chaos outside, sure that all of them would end up at home safely.
Draco was mentally counting down the seconds. The only one he was holding onto was Hermione. If he would just be able to pry her off him, then…
"Don't you dare, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione warned him. She must've felt his conflicting feelings. His determination and loathing. She'd recognized it for exactly what it was. He wouldn't be going with them to Grimmauld Place.
Feeling that the magic was about to pull them away, he pulled his hand out of hers.
She looked down, panicked.
Harry grabbed onto her more tightly, realising what was going on, and told Fred to grab Draco.
Draco took a step back to get away from his friends. "I have to do this alone." He told them as magic started swirling around them. "My father is responsible for this. I won't let any of you get hurt."
Hermione nearly growled at him. "No, you won't!"
In the last split second, before the portkey could pull her away, she smacked her elbow upwards towards Harry's face, making him lose his grip on her. Realising what she was doing, he too tried to get out of his friends' tight grip. But he was too late.
As the Weasleys, Luna, Blaise, and Harry all screamed for their friends and disappeared, Hermione stumbled forward into Draco's arms.
"What have you done?!" He nearly hissed at her. "Have you completely lost your mind, Mione? What were you thinking?!"
She shoved him away from her angrily. "What were you thinking, going at it alone? We're in this together. We've always been. If George wasn't holding on so tightly to Harry, he would be standing here right with me."
"You're not even off age, Mione. What could you possibly do against the death eaters, if they-"
"And you are?" Her voice laced with sarcasm. "Off age?"
He blinked. Well. He was technically.
"I know more dark magic than you can even fathom." He said defiantly, yet his words were weighed down by an underlying vulnerability. "Remember when I told you that I know things that would make you despise me? There are things I can do, things that I've seen, that might make you question everything you know."
Hermione narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "I know you, Draco Malfoy. Give me a break. Nothing you could ever do would make me think you're the spawn of evil. Nothing would make me distrust you."
He couldn't help but bark out a laugh, even if his heart beat faster slightly when he realised her trust in him didn't waver for a second. "Not even when you know I can do this?"
Draco waved his wand over himself, transfiguring and glamouring himself to look like his older self, albeit with dark blond hair and blue eyes. He even made sure his cheeks were a bit rounder, getting rid of his signature jawline and pointy face. No one would think him to be a Malfoy now.
Hermione seemed entirely unimpressed. "Two can play that game."
Twirling her wand over herself, she grew at least half a foot. Her eyes turned the same green colour as Harry's did, and her hair became black and sleek, reaching just below her ears. If Draco didn't know any better, he'd think he was looking at Harry Potter's twin sister.
"How did you-" He began.
"How did you ?" She challenged him, quirking an eyebrow.
He sighed in defeat and looked away from her. He couldn't divulge his secrets to her. Yet, she was making it so difficult. It wouldn't surprise him if she was starting to be the least bit suspicious of him.
She tapped his shirt with the tip of her wand, and soon his clothes changed to be completely black. His shirt and cloak melded together to form a dark black hoodie.
"I've been training with Tonks and Remus for the past three weeks." She said as she walked up to him and adjusted his collar, making sure the clothing she'd transfigured for him fit. "Me and Harry both have. We figured that the best defence was to be invisible. To be able to change our appearance. In honour of our friendship, we both changed our personas to look like each other. Harry can turn his hair into brown curls, even if he still has some issues with his eyes." She giggled. "Last week he was running around with one green, and one brown eye for a whole day at Grimmauld."
"Why were you practising?" He murmured, as she took a step back and changed her own sleeping gear to match his. They were both completely clad in black.
"If what Harry has seen is true, then Voldemort will return." She said quietly. "We need to be prepared. One way or the other. We figured it was better to start learning more defensive spells sooner rather than later."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She smiled knowingly. "I didn't think you needed our help, which was correct seeing as you could change your appearance with so much ease. Besides, you have your secrets. I have mine. If you're willing to share, then so am I."
Hermione marched towards the exit of the tent, Sirius' shield having disappeared as he thought the children would have left safely by now.
Draco took her by the arm, stopping her. "I will call for Dobby and tell him to bring you to Grimmauld Place. I won't let you go out there. It's too dangerous."
She forcefully pulled her arm out of his grasp, clearly more than a little annoyed at him. "I don't need protection!" She hissed at him. "Could you possibly be more mature and perceive that I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions? I explicitly stated that we're in this together. So, let's go. I've always had a desire to hex Lucius Malfoy for his spineless insults, branding me a 'mudblood' behind my back."
The blond dropped his head and sighed. "You're right. You can make your own choices. But is it wrong of me to want to protect you, 'Mione?"
"Is it wrong of me to want to help and protect you, you bloody imbecile?" She nearly yelled at him, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.
He took a step back and studied her. What had gotten into her lately? She had become so… Like her. Courageous. Determined. Stubborn.
"Thank you," he whispered sincerely, trying to make amends with his best friend. "I don't deserve your help, 'Mione. And I do not want you to get hurt. But thank you. For wanting to protect me too."
Her face softened and she smiled at him. "That's what friends are for."
They both jumped when a familiar backpack suddenly fell from the sky, attached to a familiar sickle.
"Harry!" Hermione smiled, walking over to her friend's bag to take out his invisibility cloak. "He was probably restrained by the others, but he couldn't resist lending us a hand. I'm astounded that he managed to cast the Portus charm. He's been practising it for a week now. I'm still struggling to cast it."
"We don't fit under it with the two of us anymore," Draco deduced as Hermione held up the cloak towards him. "Why don't you use it? You can have my back, and if we run into trouble we'd have the element of surprise. They won't suspect there to be two of us."
She nodded and put the cloak over her, her body disappearing.
"Harry told me it also has shielding properties." She said from behind him, putting her hand on his shoulder so she could follow him outside. "If we do get hit from the back, anything short of the killing curse will probably rebound."
"Just, be careful," he told her. He pulled his hood over his head. "Let's go. Me and my father need to have a little chat."
The two Slytherins made their way outside. It was pure chaos, just like the first time. Back then he'd gloated, claiming that Hermione should be careful considering she was muggle-born. He cringed at his behaviour as he still felt her hand steadily on his shoulder blade. All of that, just to impress his father. What an absolute wanker he'd been.
Multiple tents were on fire, and he could see a small group of death eaters levitating and torturing a muggle family ahead of them.
Mr. Weasley and Sirius had been joined by Amos and Cedric Diggory, and Lord Greengrass. They were fending off some adversaries further down along the row of tents.
"I hope Daphne and Astoria are alright." Hermione whispered behind him, barely audible due to all the noise around them.
Draco nearly shuddered at the thought of the two girls running about somewhere in this mayhem. Some of the death eaters had only joined the cause because they wanted to sow and reap chaos. Finding a few little girls along the way, no matter if they were pure-blooded or not… He tried to shut out the memory of some of Voldemort's cronies raping some muggle-born witch, Draco's aunt forcing him to watch, her wand at his back.
" Draco! Hermione! " Deandra suddenly yelled in both of their minds, her presence taking up less space in his mind than he remembered. He'd missed her and was glad she had come to aid them when they needed her most. "What are you two doing? This is dangerous! If you'd called on me sooner, I would have-"
" We'll be alright. Especially now that you're here. " He thought as he disillusioned himself and he and Hermione made their way to the smaller group of death eaters, ready to pick them off one by one. Oh, he would enjoy taking a few of them out. Hopefully, if they ended up in Azkaban more lives could be saved.
"Did you learn any offensive spells, Mione?" He asked her as he looked for a good vantage point to start taking out the death eaters.
"A more powerful stunner. Incarcerous. Confringo. I mainly worked on my shielding and transfiguration. They come more naturally to me." She replied.
Deandra's pride filled both of them, urging them onward. Giving them strength. " Your magical core has been developing rather well, Hermione. You can always call on my magical reserves along with Draco if you need more. Try and fire a few spells but focus on shielding. You two do not want to be taken out by a stray spell."
All agreeing on the plan, Draco stunned two of the death eaters from behind, as Hermione got another one.
The remaining two turned around to see who had been attacking them and started casting random spells behind them. Idiots. They'd already moved out of the way and he could feel Hermione's protective magic at his back, shielding them from possible harm. He had no clue how these lunatics were supposed to be the Dark Lord's best .
By the time Draco and Hermione had positioned themselves better, aurors were surrounding the death eaters. Good.
"Should we try and backtrack? See if any stragglers were left behind? Or if there are any families left behind in the chaos? Perhaps we could help?" The witch asked.
Not seeing his father or any other death eaters nearby, he agreed. As they were crawling down from the small hill they'd been standing on, they suddenly saw movement near the woods. A death eater! Chasing-
"No!" Hermione yelled, her feet carrying her faster than Draco ever deemed possible.
He reached out with his magic, not being able to see her under the cloak, and pulled her backwards. "Silencing charms first," he reminded her. " We don't want them to see us coming ."
Hermione's magic settled over him, and the two Slytherins took off sprinting as fast as they could. They were slowed down significantly by random curses flying overhead. But the girls' screams, deeper into the forest, kept them going. Right until they were abruptly interrupted by what Draco assumed to be a silencing spell.
" They probably thought the forest was safe. " Hermione nearly cried at him.
Somewhere in the distance, they could hear Cedric calling their names. Daphne. Astoria.
"Focus on Daphne's magic," he urged her, as he did the same. "That's the only way we will find them now ."
"She's terrified." Hermione concluded as she took his hand, leading both of them deeper into the forest.
She was still hidden underneath the invisibility cloak, and he was disillusioned, but they couldn't take any chances. He peeked carefully from behind one of the thicker trees in the forest when they were finally getting closer to one of their best friends' location.
Daphne was shivering in her pyjamas, her long blond hair streaked with mud. She was aiming her wand straight at the death eater that was approaching her and her little sister. He saw that she was trying to cast spells, but no sounds came out of her as they had been silenced. Astoria was silently screaming. Fuck. He should have urged his godfather to help the snakes get more proficient in silent casting. He made a mental note and was ready to cast a body bind at the death eater until he spoke.
"Fresh meat." The broad-shouldered death eater grunted out, licking his lips.
Draco came to a halt, Hermione nearly stumbling into him. No. Not Greyback. He could take on death eaters alone, but apart from Bellatrix, Greyback was probably the most unhinged of them all. He was so in tune with his werewolf powers, actually enjoying being one, that he was way better at resisting magic than Lupin ever was. He cursed on the inside, wondering what to do. Backup. They needed backup. Desperately.
" Is that the one who turned Remus? " Hermione asked, also realising that the death eater in front of them was no mere man.
" Yes. We can't take him on our own." He conjured his Patronus and mentally urged it to find Cedric, Lord Greengrass, Sirius, and Mr. Weasley. The otter didn't need to be told twice and ran off in the direction where Draco had last heard the Hufflepuff captain call for them. Dear Merlin, he hoped they wouldn't be too late.
Now, he needed to plan. They needed to hold off Greyback for as long as possible. He looked up at the trees. "Physical damage would be best to harm the werewolf. Perhaps we could let a tree fall on him?"
"That might bring Daphne and Astoria in danger," Hermione mused. "Perhaps if we get closer and swing some of the larger rocks at him? "
"He will hear us coming. But we need to risk it. All we can do is hope he's too distracted by the girls in front of him. You stay here at the tree line, he might not notice you if I distract him. Then you can take him out, 'Mione, " he told his best friend.
" You two can do this," Deandra encouraged them. "All you need to do is hold him off until the others arrive ."
" I could use some of that Gryffindor courage right now. " Draco muttered as he tried to walk closer to the werewolf, as silently as he could. He'd tried to hide his scent, but werewolves were notorious for hearing and smelling anything. When he stepped on one of the forest's branches, he cursed inwardly. The wolf turned its head around and sniffed the air, a wicked grin appearing on his face.
"Malfoy, how nice of you to join us. Want to have some fun with them yourself?"
Well, no more use in hiding he supposed. He swallowed deep, his hands clammy from fear. Greyback could probably smell it on him. Fuck. Draco threw off the disillusionment charm and walked closer, still hooded as he pointed his wand at the sisters, making Greyback laugh. Daphne and her sister were scrambling backwards, the fear evident on their faces. Then, as he was close enough, he aimed his wand at Greyback, casting a stunner at him.
The wolf tilted his head like a dog in wonder as he easily flicked the spell away. "And here I thought you'd join me and your father in having some fun," he grinned. "Did that little mudblood friend of yours make you weak, boy? Or has your daddy not taught you how to have fun with some little girls? Lucius always felt too good for that. Thought it was beneath him to soil himself with some mudbloods. But these two… They aren't like your mudblood. These are pure ." He sniffed the air again and swallowed thickly, hunger in his eyes.
Draco's heartbeat increased. He knew about Mione? And what was that about his father? Had he joined them in… No way. He thought he was going to be sick.
The werewolf laughed as he picked up on Draco's ever-growing fear, showing off his sharp teeth. "Oh yes, I know all about your little friend. Hermione . Your father has told me all about her. And her parents ."
Not trying to get distracted, Draco casually flicked his wand to the Greengrass sisters, Astoria's sobbing now obvious.
Daphne, realising she had her voice back, seemed to be out for blood. "Diffindo!" She yelled, stabbing her wand forward toward the death eater, his werewolf reflexes making him easily jump aside.
"Oh, a feisty little girl," he said. "That makes it way more interesting . Way more fun ."
The werewolf waved his wand in their direction again, the roots from the trees grabbing hold of their ankles, keeping the sisters from running. Daphne was casting Incendios at her feet, trying to slow the roots down, but to no avail.
As the death eater started approaching the sisters, Draco's fear turned into anger. How dare he be preying on the sisters. How dare he insinuate he would go after Hermione? "Pick on someone your own size, Greyback!" Draco spat as he cast a dark curse his way.
The death eater deflected it with his wand, grinning. "Seems like daddy has taught you some tricks, after all, Malfoy. Sadly, magic doesn't work as well on a werewolf like me."
He cursed inwardly. Of course, it didn't. He used a levitation charm, smacking a giant sharp rock into the werewolf's back, but he just stumbled slightly and shrugged it off. Where were the others? His Patronus should have reached them by now. Stalling Greyback was harder than he'd thought. And what was Hermione doing?
"Perhaps, I should teach you a lesson your daddy has never taught you." The werewolf said as he now prowled towards Draco, grinning wickedly.
" Get out of there, Draco !" Deandra said urgently.
" I can't leave them here alone !" He answered. If he did, they would be… It would be his fault .
" My loyalties lie with house Malfoy ." The spirit answered, trying to force his body to back up. "I can't let the heir die. I'm sorry. The bond between your family and I won't let me ."
He struggled against her for a second, not wanting his legs to move. Greyback saw his chance and jumped at him, knocking only his hood away from his face as Draco's quidditch reflexes saved him and he jumped out of the way at the last second.
Daphne gasped, her hand in front of her face in shock. Even Greyback seemed confused. The kid had smelt exactly like Malfoy's runt. But this wasn't a kid. This was a man, somewhere in his early twenties. Teenagers didn't grow muscles like that, and even if the brat played quidditch, he shouldn't have been this broad-shouldered yet lean at his age. Or this tall. He didn't even really look like him.
" Now! " He heard Hermione yell at Deandra, as he felt both Hermione's and a part of Deandra's magic wash over him. What was she doing?
The surge of magical power he felt made him feel as if he could take on the world again. It was way less than the power he'd gotten all those years ago when he became Lord Malfoy, but it was still significant. He wasn't back to his regular magical power yet, but he could feel that his core had been growing more steadily than it had the last time. He was unsure what exactly had brought that about, but he would never say no to being stronger. To be able to protect his loved ones.
" The greatest magical power of all makes all of us stronger, little dragon," Deandra said as she was straining to hold up the influx of power together with Hermione now that they were so far from the Manor. "I thought you'd realised by now that the love of your family and friends is what makes you get stronger? "
" That sounds awfully like some Gryffindor bullcrap." Draco answered, making Deandra laugh.
" That bullcrap is giving you nearly all of my magic. Now do something, you idiot! " Hermione yelled.
Love? Was she sending him her magic through… Love?
He held his wand tightly, and pulled at the ground with their combined magic, trying to enclose Greyback into the earth itself.
Bloody Hell. " It worked !" He told Hermione.
"The Aurors are getting close. I think I heard Sirius just now. " His best friend barely whispered, clearly tired. "Just try and keep him there until-"
Greyback started breaking free from his earthen prison, as Hermione's magic wavered. She'd drained herself.
He could hear a loud thud somewhere in the forest behind him, and Greyback whipped his head around at the sound. Fuck. Hermione didn't even have the strength to keep standing anymore.
Sniffing the air, the werewolf grinned at him evilly. "You brought the mudblood. And my oh my. Does she smell divine."
Right as the werewolf was about to attack him again, they could hear men yelling. Wands were lighting up the forest behind them.
"This isn't over, Malfoy!" The death eater spat before he disappeared in a whisk of black smoke. Fuck. Draco should've taken his wand when he had the chance.
" Are they safe? " Hermione barely whispered in his mind.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm down and walked over to Daphne and her sister. "Are you two alright?" He whispered as he crouched down on his knees next to the Greengrass sisters.
Daphne had been hugging Astoria closer to her and she nodded numbly.
"They're in shock. But they're fine," he told Hermione. " Are you still in the same spot? I'll come get you ."
"I'll be right back. I just have to go and get the hero of the evening. She drained herself trying to save you, Daph." He spoke to the two girls.
As he turned around, a wand was aimed straight at his face. Sirius Black was looking at him in a very threatening manner, and Draco slowly raised his hands, showing he meant no harm.
"Who the fuck are you?" Lord Black asked, as more and more people ran into the forest.
"He saved us." Daphne trembled. "He and his friend."
"I thought a dog like you would be able to sniff me out, Padfoot." Draco smirked at the elder man, making him stumble backwards.
"Draco?" He whispered. "Is that you?"
He slowly reached for his wand, motioning to the auror in front of him if it was alright if he used his wand. With a wave, he slowly started returning to his regular self.
"It's me." He said, feeling the last bit of transfiguration magic roll off him, shrinking down to his regular size again, his hair colour changing to its normal pale blond. "Now if you don't mind, I have to get Mione. She's drained after that little display of her."
Sirius gaped at him as he walked towards the forest. Some of the other men who'd run towards them raised their wands at him, but Sirius told them to stand down.
Following the flicker of Hermione's magic, he crouched down and reached out his arm carefully to grab the invisibility cloak off her. She'd returned to her regular self after spending that much magic, and she looked sickly pale.
"That was dangerous." He scolded her as he checked her over for any other damage, casting some minor healing spells as he did so.
"So was getting ready to rumble with a werewolf." She quipped back, the hint of a smile on her lips.
"Think you can stand?" he asked her as she reached out to him, wincing in pain.
She shook her head, and Draco reached forward, lifting her into his arms. Hermione held on to Harry's cloak and hugged it closer to her, basking in it's protective magical warmth.
Right as he reached Sirius, Daphne, and Astoria, the Hufflepuff quidditch captain came running down the hill headfirst, his father yelling at him to be careful and slow down. Draco winced, realising that Mr. Diggory was right. Going in without thinking had gotten his son killed last time, just because he'd wanted to get to that stupid Cup. But not this time. Draco would make sure Cedric wouldn't be hurt. Perhaps, he could be another life saved…
"Daphne!" Diggory yelled as he crashed down next to them, bleeding from a cut on his head and face. The blonde Slytherin hugged her boyfriend tightly, her crying intensifying as she was holding onto him for dear life.
"Give her to me. You've done more than enough for tonight, son." Sirius said as he motioned to Hermione who was starting to have trouble staying awake. They should take her home as fast as possible.
He reluctantly let go of her, and Sirius carefully cradled her in his arms.
"What will Harry say when he sees you like this, kitten?" Lord Black joked as he too took in Hermione's poor state.
"He'll say I'm too Gryffindor for my own good from time to time." She smiled, her eyes drooping. "Please don't tell my mum and dad."
"I won't," Sirius promised. "But we should get you home soon. Let Andromeda have a look at you. You don't look too well."
Not long after, Lord Greengrass showed up with some of the aurors. He ran straight towards his daughters.
Draco could see the fear in their father's eyes as he watched both of his girls crying in their mud-streaked clothes. He hugged them closer to him, asking what happened. Cold fear gripped the older man, as Astoria finally spoke.
"Daddy! Draco and Hermione saved us from Greyback!" She half yelled, half hiccupped. The poor thing was still shaking, clearly in shock. Where was Remus and his chocolate when you needed him?
"Greyback?" Mr. Weasley asked as he and another Ministry worker were done scanning the forest for any other death eaters. "Are you alright, son? He didn't get to any of you, did he?"
"Nothing a Pepper-up potion can't fix, sir," Draco answered. "Although I'm sure 'Mione needs a few more. She's already out cold." They should get going instead of dawdling around. The three girls had had a rough night. Hell, he had had a rough night.
"You two did well, son," Arthur said. "But for the love of Merlin, never do that to us again. You could have died ."
Something inside of Draco shifted. Both Mr. Weasley and Sirius had addressed him so casually. Son . They had both worried about him. Told him he did well. His own father had never done any of these things. All Deandra could do was soothe him as he realised his own father was less of a father figure to him than the Weasley and Black patriarchs.
"Was that your Patronus that came to get us? The otter?" Lord Greengrass asked, still holding onto Astoria and Daphne. He lovingly touched their heads, making sure they were safe, before looking back at Draco.
"Yes, sir." He sheepishly nodded.
"Thank you, Draco," the blond man answered, adjusting his glasses. "House Greengrass will forever be in your and Hermione's debt. You can name anything you want. If it is in my power, I will give it to you."
"Daphne is our friend," he answered. "She and Hermione are joined at the hip. We couldn't let anything happen to them. Especially not Greyback ."
"Still," Lord Greengrass said. "We owe you two a double life debt. All you have to do is ask."
"I can't speak for Mione, but there is one thing which you could give me," Draco said, surprising the other wizards presents. "Your vote. On the Wizengamot. I will need it. We will need it."
"We?" He blinked at the 14-year-old boy in front of him, not expecting he would be making political alliances already.
As he listed all heirs, and sometimes even lords and ladies, of the houses that had allied themselves together, even Amos Diggory's eyes turned wide. A vow was made, and Mr. Weasley was in charge of binding the oath between Draco, Lord Greengrass, and Amos Diggory.
Afterwards, Sirius shoved a portkey into his hands, taking the three of them to Grimmauld place.
Amelia, being both worried and prepared, had already called in Andromeda in case anyone got hurt. Hermione was immediately ushered to one of the guest bedrooms, and Draco was pulled aside by Harry and their other friends. All of them had seen the state Hermione was in, and they were wondering what was going on.
An hour later, Draco finally found himself in Harry's bedroom, ready for some well-deserved sleep. "And so, the list only gets longer ," he thought before he fell asleep. "We can nearly start to slowly, but surely, change the British wizarding world with all these families as our allies."
Malfoy.
Potter.
Dagworth-Granger.
Peverell.
Slytherin.
Black.
Weasley.
Bones.
Longbottom.
Lovegood.
Abbott.
Zabini.
Greengrass.
Diggory.
Fourteen votes. And all would be under their control one day. Not his father's.