Chapter 16

The Final Task of the Triwizard Tournament

June 24, 1995

Draco and Theo sat in front of their fathers' looming presence, watching the Third Task, although there wasn't much to see at the moment. The last task had Hermione under the inky water of the Black Lake; he's relieved that this time she's safe at least. The Champions had been inside the maze for a while and the silencing spell Dumbledore had cast made it impossible to gather even the slightest hint of what was happening within the green walls.

With Thoros Nott keeping a keen eye on him and Theo, Draco didn't dare hold his boyfriend's hand. The man terrified him and any type of affection between the two young wizards would surely enrage the man. Lucius Malfoy was known for being callous and cold, but that was nothing in comparison to Lord Nott. It was no secret that he had killed his wife in cold blood two years ago, a fact he had barely bothered to hide from their social circle. The horrible truth was that it wasn't illegal for a wizard to kill his wife, though it was frowned upon to waste pure blood. His own father had reminded his mother on more than one occasion that she might be next, if she didn't behave according to his wishes. Draco had overheard the threats more often than he cared to admit after Lady Nott's fate had been discovered.

A commotion from inside the maze drew him from his troubled thoughts as Fleur Delacour's unconscious body was brought out on a stretcher by a team of healers. No one seemed particularly concerned down in the arena at the front of the stands; Nott senior even scoffed, sounding about as pleased as he could at the witch's condition.

As the elder wizards quietly commented on the scene below them, Draco took the moment to steal a look over at his witch. Hermione was sitting with the Weasleys, her glorious burnished copper and chocolate curls surrounded by a sea of red. She was chewing on her fingernails, expression tense as she stared unblinking at the maze and he desperately wanted to go to her, take her hands in his and soothe her. Instead, he did the next best thing and reached out through their bond to let her know he was there. The action caused her to turn, catching his eye for only a moment, and then looking behind him before swiftly returning her eyes to the maze before her.

Draco knew that Hermione's friendship with Potter had become strained under the weight of the championship and because of it, his entitlement to both her time and mental resources had risen exponentially compared to their previous years.

It had taken time, but Hermione was finally beginning to realise that Potter and Weasley felt that she owed them for their friendship, even though it was constantly Hermione who they needed to do their work and bidding. Once he had pointed it out to her, he saw her eyes narrow in the Great Hall or the Library when they'd arrive, dropping into the chairs next to her, and expecting her to not just help them with their homework, but do it.

Her secret rendezvous with him and Theo cut into her time to be at their beck and call and Draco loved it. He wanted every minute of her time to shower her with the love and affection she deserved. She stirred possessive thoughts in him that made his body tense and blood burn.

Someday she would carry his heirs.

If his father didn't kill them all first.

Another red spear of light shot up into the sky, signalling the second champion giving up. A stupefied Viktor Krum was brought out on a stretcher in short order and Theo chuckled darkly next to him. Draco knew his boyfriend would have liked to have cut strips out of Krum's hide for endangering Hermione in the Second Task. Draco's eyes flickered to Thoros behind Theo and shuddered. Theo wasn't without his own darkness and demons. Draco was grateful that Theo loved him.

Theodore Nott would be a terrible enemy to have.

"And that's our cue, Thoros," Draco heard his father whisper behind him. "Draco," he hissed, "stay where you are and make sure to be seen whatever happens." Well wasn't that fucking ominous.

Draco held himself as still as stone until his father and Lord Nott slowly disappeared toward the rear of the bleachers, somehow managing not to draw any attention to themselves. They must have cast a disillusionment charm. What in the bloody hell were those two psychopaths up to?

Theo barely waited until they were sure that their fathers were gone before Draco's hand was clutched in his own. "What the bloody hell is going on, Drake?" Theo whispered, fear laced in his voice.

"Nothing good," Draco whispered back, trying to stop the tremors in his hands from the nerves running through him. "It might be best if we get our witch somewhere safe, because if our fathers are up to something, she'll be a target…again." He tried to catch Hermione's eye again and when he did, tossed his head so she noticed the empty seats behind him. He could feel her fear through the bond and Theo's as well. Draco tried to keep a leash on his own terror, the others didn't need him adding to their anxiety. He tried to send love and support to them, their proximity making it easier to do, even if their bond was incomplete.

The mental images of what they would need to do to complete their bond had his heart beating in a way that had nothing to do with fear. He knew he had to be blushing, but even Theo didn't seem to notice. The minutes stretched on interminably and it felt as though the whole audience was holding their breath, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory, and the Triwizard cup appeared in the middle of the lawn before the bleachers. The band began a victory song, just before Amos Diggory shouted, "That's my boy!" with the pride and love a father should have for his son.

"He's dead, Draco, he's fucking dead," Theo hissed in his ear at the sight. Of course his brilliant boyfriend realised it first, always ahead of everyone else. Potter was literally bloody and clutching at Cedric's dead body as he screamed hysterically, making Draco's blood run cold at the sight. Mad Eye Moody - that bloody prick - dragged Potter away from the corpse towards the castle as the Triwizard Tournament staff flooded the field in a feeble attempt to block the view of the audience. Had they forgotten that they were wizards?

"Draco, we need to get Hermione. Right fucking now.," Theo nearly shouted, not bothering to keep his voice low as the crowd around them erupted into chaos.

Not needing to be told twice, Draco tightened his grip on Theo's hand, unwilling to lose him in the madness, as the crowd heaved and screamed. They wove their way towards the little witch, not caring who saw them. Draco sneered at more than one Hufflepuff who made the mistake of getting in their way.

Upon seeing their approach, Hermione silently slipped away from the Weasleys who were all desperately trying to get to the lawn below as their patriarch had followed behind Mr. Diggory. Their shouts of 'where is Harry?' were hardly audible as the distance grew between them. Hermione had hardly reached them before Theo was pulling her into his side, draping his cloak around her shoulders.

The pathways back to the school were deserted and the three of them nearly ran back to the castle. Draco wished that Hogwarts didn't have apparition wards; though he technically shouldn't be able to, he had been working on learning how for the past year. The desperate need for the three of them to be safe in their secret place without having to deal with anyone further was growing as more panicked students rushed around the grounds. The halls were eerily empty. Despite that, Theo stayed to her rear watching behind them and Draco led the way, his wand clutched in his hand. He didn't know what he would do if someone came across them, but he wanted to be ready.

When the three of them finally arrived at the Come and Go Room, they all rushed inside barely thinking about what they needed beyond a place to hide. When the door shut behind them, the trio looked up to find a mass clutter of discarded and forgotten items that under other circumstances they might have found intriguing. As it was, they shuffled through the mess, clinging to each other as they went until they found a place amongst the jumbled treasure to hide together. Arms grasping, clutching, holding each other tightly in the dimly lit room as they sank into the tattered sofa.

"What's happening?" Hermione whispered, her face in Theo's neck as Draco rubbed her back. "What's going to happen now?"

"We don't know, love," Theo whispered into her hair, as he looked over her shoulder up into Draco's eyes, "But it's sure to be nothing good."

Hermione released a strangled little sob as the realisation of the situation crashed over her.

Draco put his cheek on Theo's other shoulder and felt the fear for this girl that he loved so much heave inside him like a sea, threatening to drown him.

The three of them laid together, knowing that their lives were about to become so much more dangerous.

They each fervently prayed that nothing would tear them apart.