Harry waited with increasing panic. Time was passing quickly, the Ministry would be due soon, as well as the Death Eaters, to the cottage. In fact they should be there right about now, and if Draco hadn't gotten there in time then this would have been a pointless endeavour.
What if Draco had ditched the plan? What if he was actually still on the side of the Death Eaters, and he'd just been waiting for the chance to mess something up?
No. That couldn't be it. Harry wouldn't believe it. He just needed to think logically, if Draco had intended to mess something up, chances are he would wait for something bigger before making a move. While this was not exactly a reassuring thought, another thing occurred to him, that Draco had been willing to change things, already thinking up a plan to fix the timeline before he'd even seen Harry. He'd sought him out when he hadn't had to. That was reassurance enough.
Still. There was a possibility something worse had happened. What if Draco hadn't changed the plan, but rather been thwarted? He could be struggling against a dozen Death Eaters right now and Harry would be none the wiser.
This image sent a rush of dread through Harry and before he even registered his actions, he was on his feet. Right as he'd made up his mind- he'd save Draco no matter what it took- a loud crack sounded from the bushes nearby, and Draco himself came stumbling out of the undergrowth.
Relief washed over Harry in waves at the sight of the silver-haired boy.
"Where have you been!"
Draco ran towards him, breathing heavily.
"I couldn-"
Harry cut him off.
"God, I was so worried, I thought you'd bailed on the plan and joined the Death Eaters!"
Before Draco had a chance to be insulted, Harry continued his rant.
"And then I realised, you wouldn't do that, you're still a dickhead but you're not that bad anymore," Draco rolled his eyes, "and then I had the most awful thought that you'd been captured instead, and I was about to get up and drag your sorry arse all the way here myse-"
Valiantly ignoring the meaning behind pleased flutter in his chest at hearing that Potter was worried for him, Draco pressed an exasperated hand over Potter's mouth.
"Okay, alright Potter spare me your overblown ego. I don't need the play-by-play of your unnecessary heroics."
Harry smiled bashfully, "Sorry, got carried away."
"Clearly." Draco responded, though there was no malice behind his words.
He hadn't realised when he'd stopped actually hating Potter, but he found he didn't mind his new indifference towards the boy.
"Okay!" Potter turned and trampled back through the bushes to the clearing the Death Eaters would soon be arriving at. "The Ministry should be here any minute now, we need to direct them to their hiding places and that should be it, we can leave after that." A contemplative look crossed his face, "Although, we could stick around just to make sure they do their job. In fact they might not even take it very seriously"
Draco nodded in agreement, "it wouldn't hurt to be careful, it certainly wouldn't be the first time they've failed to deliver."
Harry snorted in response, and they moved to the clearing edge and waited. Draco stayed just out of sight, hidden but ready to spring into action if need be.
Crack.
Minutes had passed, and a series of wizards and witches in Ministry robes appeared in the clearing. Harry stepped forward slowly. A portly man with greying hair turned at the sound.
"Ah, Mr Potter."
Harry nodded at him politely in greeting, "Hello, Minister."
The many other Ministry members fanned out around them, patiently waiting for an order.
"You told the Ministry there would be 'anti-muggle' activity commencing tonight?" The Minister asked, an edge of disbelief in his tone.
Harry and Draco had thought it best not to say 'Death Eater activity' specifically, considering the poor Ministry reception to that stance when Harry reported Voldemort's return back in their fifth year.
"Yes, Minister. A group of Dark Lord sympathisers are rumoured to be arriving here any minute now. I have reason to believe these rumours are true, and hope to stop the situation before any escalation."
The Minister nodded stiffly at that, "Yes, well, things do tend to stir up at events such as these. I'll have some of my aurors stationed here in case of such events." Fudge turned to the group of aurors. "Dawlish, Gore, Thicknesse, Flack- you stay here. Watch for any suspicious behaviour. I sincerely hope Potter has simply been lead astray by rumours, but it never hurts to be too careful. All aurors on duty shall be at the ready should the need arise for backup."
He turned back to face Harry.
"Thank you for your help Mr Potter, you may return to your tent. Your guardian, Arthur Weasley, is it? No doubt he will be curious of your whereabouts, I suggest you return straight home."
Harry nodded, "Of course, thank you, Minister."
Fudge smiled lightly, a false thing, gesturing for Harry to leave through the undergrowth.
Harry followed his hand, rushing straight back to the spot he knew Draco stood in wait.
"Think he's taken you seriously?" Draco asked.
"Nope."
"Think they'll be able to stop them completely?"
"Also nope."
Draco smirked, "Well, I think this is our time to shine then, Potter. Wouldn't you agree?"
Harry grinned.
"That I would."
———-
It didn't take long for the pair to notice the commotion. If the bangs and flashes from the clearing hadn't been a giveaway enough, the red sparks of 'Danger!' flying from the treetops certainly were. They had been right. The four aurors definitely weren't enough.
The two of them pelted through the woods, stopping as they took in the scene before them. The aurors had certainly been given the upper hand, the element of surprise had aided them greatly, yet they were outnumbered.
Half the Death Eaters were stunned on the floor, masks stripped from their faces; as well as Gore, seemingly unconscious, clearly having been caught at the wrong end of a stinging hex. Dawlish and Flack were both caught in intense duels, each one taking on three Death Eaters at once. Thicknesse was nowhere to be found.
Draco fired two stunners at the Death Eaters fighting Flack, when Harry spun and sprinted in the opposite direction, towards the campsite.
"Where are you going?!" Draco called, alarmed.
"The camp! They didn't get all of them, I'll bet the rest've gone to do as much damage as they can before they're all caught!" Harry shouted back, not slowing his pace.
Draco realised with a start that he was right, the heat of the battle wouldn't be here, it'd be out there. At once, he set off after him.
When Draco crashed through the trees onto the hilltop, he was met with a horrifying sight. Many a tent was burning, ash floated all around and the sky was filled with plumes of thick black smoke. At least this time there was less of it, and no muggles to accompany the blaze.
Amidst the chaos, Draco couldn't see Potter anywhere. He ran frantically, calling his name, putting out fires wherever he could.
"Potter!" His throat was growing sore from the smoke.
"Potter! Where are you?" He searched and searched, he was nowhere to be found.
As more time passed, more and more people had fled into the forest, and more aurors had arrived- putting out fires, grappling with Death Eaters. Draco still had not found Harry.
The smoke was suffocating now, and almost all the civilians had gone, save a few stragglers. Draco was distracted by a flash of red and a shout. A duel was going on nearby, and Draco wasted no time in running towards the commotion.
He stumbled in his approach, and to his horror, saw Potter facing off against two Death Eaters, faces hidden by shadow. Draco sent a curse at the Death Eater on the left, and the other fled at the sight of him.
Coward.
Harry turned to face him, eyes lighting with gratitude. The Death Eater whom Draco had cursed clutched at his abdomen, firing one last curse at Potter before disappearing into the mist. In his distracted state he'd had no time to deflect, and the curse hit Potter square in the chest, sending him backwards into the rubble.
"Potter!" Draco cried, rushing to his aid.
He grabbed Harry's shoulder, looking him over in concern.
"Potter, are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"It's okay, it was just Expelliarmus, just hit me badly is all."
"Are you sure? You didn't break anything did you?"
Potter smiled teasingly, "'You worried about me, Malfoy?"
Draco flushed, "Obviously! That could've been a fatal curse and there'd be nothing I could do! Forgive me for not completely trusting your curse-identification abilities." He said sourly.
"Awh, you were! It's okay, you needn't fret, dearest Malfoy. I'm bruised, but alive." Potter drawled sarcastically.
Draco smacked him across the head. Potter only laughed in response.
Their bickering was interrupted by a figure approaching. Draco clutched Harry tighter.
The figure moved into the light, pulling a wand and hissing a spell, "Morsmorde!"
A flash of green light burst from his wand, and suddenly a most haunting image appeared in the sky. An image Draco knew only too well.
The Dark Mark.
The man left, and it seemed many things happened at once. There was a series of cracks, and all at once Draco and Harry were bombarded with curses. Harry cast a large 'Protego,' only in the nick of time. They were soon surrounded by Ministry wizards.
Harry and Draco shared a nervous glance.
This was sure to be a long night.