Festina Tempus (Rewrite) -Harry Potter Fanfiction-

Chapter Thirteen : Escape

Draco stood motionless for several moments, Harry feeling like lead in his arms. He wouldn't risk trying to stun or harm the snake, but he had to get past it to get to the door.

He walked slowly across the room, hardly daring to breathe. The ten or so feet between him and the door felt like dozens. Eventually he neared the door, not daring to take his eyes off Nagini. He was almost out when her tongue flickered out, head moving just a bit. Draco froze.

Can it smell me? Draco had completely forgotten about charms to mask his scent. Stupid, stupid, stupid...Draco held his breath, waiting for her to move. After what felt like hours, she lowered her head, curling further into herself. Draco slowly let out his breath, lungs burning.

He made it to the hallway, wondering if he should shut the door and put charms on it to hinder her. He stood for a moment, deliberating, but then Harry shuffled in his arms and Draco realized he had to get out, now. Harry needed to see Pomfrey of Dumbledore or Snape, or someone, but it needed to be soon.

The stairs stayed quiet under his silencio, though it shook and rained dust as he went down. Draco hurried his movements, able to see the trap door. He was so close! Draco was tempted to mock the snake in his mind, but decided against it. He needed to get to Hogwarts first.

Maybe his silencio had worn off, maybe he had stepped outside of where he cast it because he was distracted. Either way, a floorboard underneath his foot let out a deafening creak as he stepped on it. Draco almost dropped Harry from the surprise.

He didn't move, didn't breath. He waited, and waited, and waited to hear the snake. Some shuffling, creaking, hissing, something to let him know it had woken up. It must have, there's no way it didn't...

But Draco had cast silencio charms throughout almost the entire path. He wouldn't be able to hear the snake unless it hissed.

He heard it. The slightest hissing from above his head, still on the second floor. Draco almost didn't hear it over his own heartbeat. It's coming.

Draco ran. He threw open the trap door, not caring as it slammed against the floor. Holding Harry tightly, he jumped down the hole, barely keeping his balance enough to reach up.

The snake launched at him as he grabbed the handle. Draco slammed the door shut, catching it's snout. It's hissing seemed to be the loudest thing Draco had ever heard as he cast locking charm after sticking charm on the door to keep it shut. He ran down the hall, unable to hear anything besides his own breathing and Nagini beating against the trapdoor.

It was difficult to run crouched while carrying Harry, but he couldn't allow himself to slow, or for fatigue to catch him. Harry still hadn't woken up, hadn't moved or made a sound. Draco was terrified.

"There is no way I just did the stupidest, most Gryffindor thing ever in my family just for you to not make it out of this," Draco muttered to Harry. Dirt fell from the ceiling, choking him as he ran.

He felt like he was going to hyperventilate until the moment he could see slivers of light from the exit. He cast the strongest immobulus he could at the tree and leaped out of its range. It didn't completely immobilize it, but it did slow it down enough for Draco to make it out with only a scratch on his cheek from a small branch.

No one was outside. That was fine for Draco, morning classes probably hadn't even started. He ran into Hogwarts, thanking Merlin that the entrance was as close to the Hospital Wing as it was.

"Madam Pomfrey!" He shouted, bursting in the doors. She bustled out of her office, wand in hand.

"Harry! Something happened to him," Draco said, panting and only then realizing how hard he'd been running. "He needs-I don't know- there was a snake and-"