Draco was thrilled to be out of Malfoy Manor. Just a few days back was enough to get him excited at the prospect of travelling to a remote cave to look for a dead body. Even the nauseating apparition hadn't dampened his mood.

"Over here," Regulus shouted from in front of him.

The sleet falling made Draco carefully step over the wet stones as James trailed behind them. He was lacking his usual cheer, having been despondent since he'd fought with Regulus about the Lovegood girl, and it had only gotten worse. Neither had spoken to the other within the last day. It was annoying and inconvenient, but Draco shouldn't be responsible for their relationship.

Regulus stopped in front of a wall of stone, and Draco steeled himself. Before they left, Regulus had thoroughly explained everything they needed to do to get into the cave, the first of which was for Draco to slash his palm open.

He hissed as the cold air hit the open wound and again when he smeared it against the rock. The rocks shifted, allowing them entrance. Regulus impatiently waited for him to cast a healing charm and then lead them into the cave.

Draco hated it. It was dark and cold, and it was depressing knowing that this had been the last thing Regulus saw before he died. There was a large lake spreading around them with an island and pedestal emitting an eerie glow at the far end, but it was too dim to see clearly.

"This place could do without all the doom and gloom, eh?" James attempted to joke.

"Pretty sure that was the point," Regulus said dismissively and made his way to the water's edge.

Draco lit his wand and walked beside Regulus, frowning at the water. Even with the light, it was too dark to see clearly through it, but there were no signs of the Inferi Regulus had warned about. James looked a bit pale as he stared at the black water.

"How did Kreacher ever get your ring if you died with it here?" James asked.

"He probably came back at some point. He liked to collect trophies from family members. Pretty sure he raided my great-grandmother's grave for a finger."

James grimaced. "Are you really in there?"

In place of a response, Regulus turned towards Draco. "Shall we?"

Draco took a deep breath, pointed his wand to the lake and summoned Regulus's body. It felt silly to use such a simple spell, but he immediately felt the tug of magic and latched on. As expected, it was more difficult than normal; Regulus's body was resistant to leaving its watery grave.

Small waves began to form as Draco pulled harder, and whatever he was summoning approached the shore. When it was close, Draco dropped to his knees and caught the body, hauling it from under its shoulders farther onto the rocks. Once it was out, he got a proper first glance. Regulus's body had lost whatever clothes he had died in, but otherwise, Draco was amazed to see him fully intact, save for a few deep scratches along his limbs and torso. He had been frozen in whatever state his soul left his body in.

"Well, this makes things easier," Regulus said, kneeling and inspecting himself, looking pleased.

"I learned those bloody mortician spells for nothing," Draco said, still unsettled by having grabbed the dead body, but he was also pleased. It was in better condition than they could have hoped.

Regulus hummed and reached to touch his chest, but his hand went right through. "On the bright side, this means my magic is probably still intact. This preservation is unnatural."

"Draco, take off my ring," James said suddenly, and Draco turned to look at where he was standing behind them. His face was ashed and scrunched uncomfortably. It looked like he was going to hurl.

"Why?" Draco asked, confused.

"I can't look at it," James said, eyes clenched.

Draco gave a questioning look to Regulus, who rolled his eyes and nodded, so Draco took off James's ring.

"He's always been weird about death," Regulus said. "He needs to learn to get over it."

Draco bit his tongue. Regulus was right, of course. There was going to be a lot of experimenting with Regulus's body in the next few weeks, and they needed James there for it, but Regulus was acting more callous than usual. It was normal to be upset by a dead body, and it was normal to be upset thinking about the people you loved dead. Draco wasn't sure what he would do if he had to face Harry's lifeless body like this.

"Kreacher!" Draco ordered, and the elf instantly appeared and then cowered when he realised his surroundings.

"Why is Kreacher being called to such a dark place," the elf rasped, sounding panicked.

"We need to get Regulus's body back to Grimmauld, and your apparition is better than mine." Draco stepped aside so the elf could see the body. "I told you we are bringing your Master Regulus back. This is the first step."

Kreacher slowly approached the body, tears welling in his eyes.

"Of course, Master Malfoy," Keacher croaked, then tenderly cradled Regulus's head and disappeared.

Regulus started towards the cave's exit, but when Draco tried to follow, he tripped. Scraping his palms against the rocks, he was able to catch himself and jerk his head around to look at what his foot had caught on. A rotting grey hand gripped his ankle. Before he could even try to free himself, it tugged hard, and Draco was pulled half into the lake.

"Draco!" Regulus yelled, panicked.

Draco tried to grab onto the rocks on the shore, but all the stones were too small and loose, and his fingers just slid through them. He heard more splashing from the water, and another set of hands grabbed his other leg. He scrambled frantically, trying to kick off the Inferi, but he was dragged under.

Draco couldn't see beneath the water, but he could feel hands tearing into him, each nail punctured his skin, and as he pulled, they dragged further into his flesh. He fumbled for his wand, trying to remember what Regulus had told him about fighting Inferi. Light and heat. They hated both, hence why fire was the recommended counter.

He jerked hard against the hand holding his right arm and freed his wand. He tightened his grip, determined. He was not going to die here. He would not repeat what Regulus had done.

Lumos, he screamed in his mind.

The flash of light blinded him, but he felt the hands recoiling, so he kicked up to the surface. He gasped in a breath and yelled, "Incendio" at the skeletal hands that were reaching once again for him. He pulled himself to shore, keeping his wand pointed, pouring more flames out of it until he was several paces away from the water.

Regulus knelt beside him and inspected the cuts on his arms. "Don't alarm me like that again."

Draco panted heavily, listening to the Inferi screech. "I'll try not to make a habit of it."

Regulus didn't say anything about his wounds, so presumably, they weren't bad, and he gave Draco a minute to compose himself. "That was bloody awful," Draco said and then turned to look at Regulus, "Do you remember it?"

It probably wasn't the most appropriate question to ask, but Draco's body was still buzzing with adrenaline. That would have been a grim way to die.

"Yes, and I am sorry you had to experience it," Regulus said, standing, and Draco followed.

With a disturbing new bond between them, Draco made his way out of the cave, then back to Grimmauld to make sure Kreacher did what they asked, and then finally to the manor where his mother was waiting for him. He barely reached the front steps when she strode out to meet him.

"You will not leave this house again!" She approached and clamped down on his neck, hauling him back inside.

"Get off!" Draco pulled, but she reached for his arm, gripping exactly where one of the Inferius had. He flinched, and she jerked her hand away.

"Are you hurt?" She asked hurriedly.

"I'm fine," Draco said, stepping past her.

"Draco, please." There was that 'please' again. Something his mother seldom said. She didn't need things from others, and yet here she was, asking to help her son. A swell of emotions built up inside of him. He genuinely didn't know if he hated her for everything she'd done, but he still craved her comfort.

In the end, he let her heal him. She attempted to question him, but he shrugged it off, saying it was for the Dark Lord. He didn't pay attention to what she cast on him, but when she'd finished, there was only the faintest hint of where the Inferi's nails had cut through his skin.

She dismissed him with, "Stay in the manor. I'll know if you leave again."

Of course, Draco left again two days later. It was Christmas, and despite their ongoing fight, Draco knew that Regulus still wanted James's body to experiment with. It seemed like a fitting Christmas gift, and besides, he'd already dug up the grave once. It was easy compared to what they had to do to get Regulus's body back.

"Do you want to come?" Regulus asked James as Draco pulled on his travelling cloak.

"Of course I do," James said unconvincingly.

"Tell us the truth. I know you don't. You can't handle it," Regulus said.

"Excuse me if I don't want to dwell on the deaths of me and my wife!"

"Lots of people are dead. It's a fact of life; you need to get over it."

"I won't just get over it. I need to keep fighting for them," James said stubbornly.

"Right, so you'll just make the rest of us uncomfortable while you have a mental breakdown? Draco needs to stay sharp, not stress about your unproductive feelings."

"Shut up, Regulus," Draco snapped and turned to James, "Should I take off your ring?"

"That's probably best," James admitted, and Draco did.

"He needs to be stronger," Regulus said.

"And you don't need to be cruel about it. You love him, don't you?" Draco said, annoyed. "He's trying. Don't be a dick."

The corners of Regulus's mouth quirked downwards. "Never thought you'd sound so much like him."

Draco shrugged, pulled the cloak over his head and once again left the manor.

It was dark, and Draco hoped it would keep prying eyes away, although they hardly saw anyone nearby. Already knowing where to go, Draco walked quickly but couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was outside. It was odd to think of a graveyard as beautiful, but the way the snow was lightly falling, dusting everything, and muting lights from the village was almost charming. Draco wished James was here to see it; he would be the kind of sap to enjoy something like this.

Draco used the same process as last time to dig up the grave. Once they had the coffin open, he called for Kreacher. He wasn't nearly as thrilled to be moving James's body as he had been with Regulus's but was still remarkably unbothered with transporting another corpse.

Draco was about to rebury the empty coffin when a voice shouted at him, "What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?"

Draco's blood went cold as he whipped around. He knew that voice.

Regulus cursed from behind him, knowing they should have kept better watch. The figures they had seen walking along the edge of the cemetery were now only a few paces away. Draco's heart leapt into his throat as Harry stopped dead in his approach, wand raised, staring shocked at Draco.

"Draco?" He asked. Granger shuffled uneasily next to him as she raised her wand.

"It's not what it looks like," Draco said quickly, holding his hands up and pointing his wand non-threateningly to the sky. "Well, maybe it is, but it is for a good reason."

Harry looked from him to the empty coffin to the headstone. Outrage coloured his face, and Draco realized how much he missed seeing Harry's anger. "Where. Is. He?" Harry snarled.

Draco took a step backwards, hand still raised. "Kreacher has him."

Harry spluttered but tried to order, "Kreacher!" The elf didn't appear, and fear crossed Harry's face. "What did you do?"

"I'm the Black Heir now, but -"

"What are you doing with my father?!"

Draco clenched his teeth, desperately wanting to explain that he was trying to resurrect the man, but James wasn't there. Draco didn't know what James would want him to say, and they had other priorities to talk about. There was an ever-growing list of everything he needed to tell Harry.

In a rush, he said, "Don't say the Dark Lord's name; it's a taboo. The ministry is monitoring it."

"What?" Harry asked, not comprehending as Granger scrutinised him.

Draco continued, there was so much more Harry needed to know, "Ravenclaw's Diadem is still at Hogwarts in the Room of Requirement, and I found where another horcrux is. Bella has it in her vault at Gringotts."

"Harry, we should go, he'll call the others," Granger warned.

Draco's heart stopped, they were in Godric's Hollow, he should have started differently. "Yes! you need to leave. Nagini is here somewhere and she'll kill you!"

Harry was looking at him like he'd gone mad. "What is this? Are you just saying that to get away with robbing my father's grave? Anything else I should know?"

There was too much to say. "If you have Phineas Black's portrait, you should toss it. Snape's spying on you," Draco said quickly.

"Let's go," Granger said and grabbed his arm.

"No, wait!" Draco shouted and then dropped his voice when they both paused. "I missed you," he told Harry.

"Missed me? Is that why you stole my father's body? This was the first time I was going to see my parents and," his voice cracked as eyes welled with angry tears. "I already have nothing of Sirius, and now you take him too!"

Draco's mind spun. Nothing of Sirius? "You don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"You should talk to Lupin when you get the chance," Draco said. Sirius better not have gotten himself killed in the last months.

Harry said, "Stop being cryptic - "

A crack of an apparition sounded and cut off anything else. All of them whipped their heads around, and Draco couldn't believe how dreadful his luck was. Bella was here. Another crack and her husband appeared right behind her. The two spotted Draco instantly and started towards them.

Dread poured into his veins. One of them was going to die here, and Draco didn't think he could watch it be Harry.

"What did you do?!" Harry shouted, but Draco didn't know. His panic was overtaking him, and he had no bloody clue how Bella found him.

"Oh, Draco, what did you find here?" Bella cackled.

Draco looked at Harry helplessly, and something like pity crossed Harry's face.

Regulus stepped forward and said, "You can't let them leave. Bella will kill you if you let them go." I'll put you down like a dog, rang clearly in his head.

"Do you trust me?" Draco asked Harry. He trusted Regulus, but he wasn't about to force Harry to do the same. Harry needed to pick him again.

"We need to leave!" Granger yelled grabbing Harry's arm and starting to retreat.

Bella was close enough to see who he was talking to. "Get them!" she shouted as she fired a curse that Granger barely dodged.

Harry wavered, panic in his eyes but also a determination that Draco recognised instantly. "Yes, I'm a bloody idiot for doing so, but -"

Draco cast, "Incarerous." Ropes pulled out his wand, ensnaring both Harry and Granger.

"Let us go!" Granger yelled before the rope gagged them both. Harry's face twisted from confusion to betrayal.

Bella practically squealed as she pulled up next to Draco. Lestrange clapped him on the shoulder and hooted, "I can't believe you did it."

"Draco never ceases to amaze me," Bella said, grabbing Harry's hair roughly. She knocked his knees out from under him and then yanked, forcing him to look up at her. Draco poured all of his energy into staying still. He needed Regulus to have a plan.

Lestrange moved to manhandle Granger, and Regulus said urgently, "Listen to me. I can't talk much. You need this memory as intact as possible because the Dark Lord will scour it. Imperious Lestrange if you can. Get him to stun Bella, and then stun you. If it doesn't work, disarm Bella. She'll think it's one of them. Harry will get out, but you need to make it a fight, and you can't be the one to mess up."

Draco gave a single nod in understanding, and with one last glance at Harry, which he bloody hoped was reassuring, he did as Regulus wanted.

Imperio, Draco cast wordlessly. He felt a brief resistance, and slipped into his mind. Lestrange's hold on Granger visibly loosened, but he stayed still.

Stun Bella, Draco cried into his mind.

Without a second of hesitation, Lestrange dropped Granger and stunned his wife.

Harry and Granger's eyes went wide, staring at where Bella had dropped hard to the ground. Harry glanced back at Draco, and Draco prayed that he didn't imagine the hopeful look.

Stun me.

Lestrange put up the briefest hint of resistance but turned his wand on Draco. The moment he lost consciousness, the ropes would drop, and Harry would be free.

Harry shouted something behind his gag, and Draco's final thought was that he hoped they would be able to handle themselves once he lost his hold on Lestrange. With a flash of red, everything went black.

Draco awoke with a gasp and a hand pressing into his shoulder.

"What happened?" his mother asked forcefully.

Draco glanced around wildly. He was still at the graveyard. Two bodies lay next to him, and Draco had never been so happy to see Bella's messy curls.

"Harry escaped," Draco breathed out, and his mother let out a hiss.

As she went to her sister next, Regulus spoke quickly, "Harry's fine. The ropes dropped, and Granger stunned Lestrange easily. They stayed for about a minute arguing and then disapparated."

Bella hauled her husband upright, demanding to know how two children got the better of him.

"I have no fucking clue what you are talking about! We never saw Potter!" Lestrange yelled after she accused him of conspiring with Potter.

"That's what they were arguing about. Harry convinced Granger to obliviate Lestrange," Regulus said proudly.

Movement caught his eye as he saw a massive snake move towards them. His mother returned swiftly to his side and gripped him tightly as they warily watched Nagini move closer to the yelling couple. A moment later, Bella and Lestrange stopped their shouting and grabbed at their forearms. Nagini had already informed her master of what transpired, and he was going to be pissed.

With his mother's help, Draco got upright, and she apparated him to the manor. Draco's chest was tight with impending stress; He was going to have to fool the most powerful wizard in existence or he was going to be killed. Or tortured. Or permanently maimed.

Regulus ordered, "You need to dump the memory. Be thorough. You can't have him thinking you cast the Imperious. Now."

Draco walked into the manor with the ring pressed to his forehead, and he held back tears as he poured Harry into the ring. Their first reunion in months, and he was about to forget it entirely. As he pulled his hand away, Regulgus said, "I'll see you after."

Draco pulled off the rings, desperately hoping there would be an after.

It hurt. Draco couldn't even focus on what the Dark Lord was seeing in his mind. He had already replayed it a half dozen times but was looking again after he'd torn into the Bella and Lestrange. All three of them kneeled in a line before him as the rest of the Death Eaters watched on silently.

Draco sagged, barely able to brace himself against the floor as the Dark Lord stood. "So Potter has learned an unforgivable. I don't know what's more shocking. Righteous Harry Potter using the Imperious curse or you not being able to withstand it." He turned to glare at Lestrange.

"My Lord, I -"

"Avada Kedavra." Green light flashed, making Draco's head pound harder.

"Bella, stand. Show me your competence." Draco watched blearily as Bella stood. He'd never seen her look so unsettled. "Imperio."

Draco composed himself as he watched Bella. He understood this game. He had to resist enough to prove he wasn't weak but not enough so that the Dark Lord wouldn't be satisfied by the power he had over him. That wouldn't be a concern for Draco; he could only intermittently block the Imperious, and he had no energy at the moment.

Bella stood jerking for a full minute before casting a cutting curse on her arm and then collapsed to the ground like her strings had been cut. The Dark Lord turned to Draco. It felt strange knowing he was about to die.

"Draco," The Dark Lord said coldly, and Draco stood numb. "Imperio."

The comforting white enveloped him. There was no reason for him to fight his fate.

Bow. He did.
Curse her. He did.
Again. He did.
He never had to think again.

When he came to, it took all he had not to vomit. The Dark Lord was looking at him manically with his wand was raised.

"My Lord," his mother pleaded from where she was lying on the ground in front of him. With a jolt, Draco realised she was there because she had been the person he'd been unknowingly cursing. She dropped her head to the stone, the deepest bow he'd ever seen from her. "It was not Draco's fault. He'd gotten closer to Potter than anyone had for months, let him try again. He is one of your most valuable servants."

"This is rather touching," The Dark Lord said, "although I cannot tolerate weakness."

Draco shivered as cold scales brushed against his arms. Nagini was starting to wrap herself around him.

The Dark Lord continued, "But it would be also a shame to lose the one who killed Dumbledore. Do you believe you can deliver me Potter?"

Nagini was wrapped fully around his chest and making her way around his neck. "I do," Draco gasped as her hold tightened. A second later, he couldn't breathe, and then the pressure was so strong he thought his ribs were going to snap.

His vision was darkening at the edges, but he met the Dark Lord's red gaze as he said, "Remember this. This is what awaits you if you fail again."

With a hiss, he released Nagini, and Draco coughed, trying to get in more air but cursing his bruised throat for making it so painful. He sagged onto the floor, not sure if he deserved to live after such a pathetic display.

Later, he lay on his bed shaking and, seeking comfort, put on the rings. When the memory ring hit the base of his finger, his disbelief at being alive only grew. Impossibly, he'd successfully tricked the Dark Lord. He quickly put on Regulus's ring, Draco owed him everything.

"You're alive," Regulus sighed in relief.

"Lestrange isn't so lucky," Draco said, still feeling numb.

"It's not your fault. Are you hurt?" Draco shook his head, he'd had worse. "We need to tell James."

"I can't," Draco said, curling tighter on his bed.

"Put it on. I'll tell him."

Draco did, trusting Regulus.

"Draco, what - " James said, not expecting the sight before him.

"Quiet. Sit. Listen," Regulus ordered.

"No, you don't get to command me around like that. I -"

"Draco almost died," Regulus said harshly, and Draco could feel James's stunned silence. "So you will sit and listen because I am not making him relive it."

Draco turned over, wrapped his arms around himself and drifted off to the sound of their whispers.