The scarlet train the students are riding arrived at King's cross station after sunset. It was dark but the platform nine and three quarters was fairly lit with post lamps and lanterns. A little before the group of Slytherins next to his compartment awaken and sat up to examine their surroundings, Draco rose to his seat and slid the glass partition open, luggage and wand in hand. He was vigilant the moment he stepped out of the Hogwarts express, scanning the crowd for his parents.
"There they are! Ron! Harry! My dear right here!"
There was a loud bellow from the crowd and Draco turn his head to see a cluster of red heads huddled together in the cold with a particular plump woman waving madly at the students pouring out of the train. That's how he saw Hermione, with her flowing brown mane and pair of watchful eyes which are directed at him, standing behind her two best friends with a rather drowsy Ginny Weaseley clinging to her like clothes on a line.
Draco threw her a quick glance in the split second she decided to do the same, but as always, she was the first to avert her eyes. They did all they can to stay away from one another since what happened in the room of requirement, Except in Potions class where they work silently beside each other, much to their classmates astonishment.
In his peripheral vision, he saw Hermione took her head into her hands and rubbed furiously at her drowsy eyes. And Draco, who had been feeling strange things for a long time now, felt an odd desire to go up to her and gaze into them, just to see what she was thinking right now, what emotions are running through her perfect little head. And then after realizing his own thoughts and feigning disgust, Draco told his head to shut up and hauled his luggage up to secure it in his grasp.
He continued walking, observant, one foot after another as he scanned the throng of witches and wizards with haggard faces hurrying to get home with their families. When he spotted his parent a few feet away, he felt his heart swell up.
"Draco." Except for the expensive robes and shiny staff on his gloved hand, Lucius Malfoy looks dire and gaunt. His blonde hair was swept in a slick on his back as always with a few silver strands falling on his arrogant countenance.
The two exchanged minimal nods and then two frail arms wrapped him in an embrace, one hand on his lean body while the other rested at the back of his neck. "Draco, my dear, Draco." Contrary to his father's cold greeting, Narcissa did not hold back. Draco felt a massive relief swept up his body and he sighed in ease. This feeling was better than anything and if you hadn't painstakingly waited for something important for so long that you feel your brain pulsating with every thought and your heart screaming the same noise in your head then you couldn't possibly know how it feels. Just imagine, Draco Malfoy, the cold arrogant antagonist closed his eyes tighter as he felt warm tears threatening to spill.
Lucius saw this immediately and had shielded him from the crowd and motioned his family to leave unless someone sees, what for him is something weak and embarrassing.
Hermione was watching all this from afar, like she's peering at Draco through a microscope, noticing the tiniest details invisible to bare eyes. She felt sorry for him, but she felt even sorrier for herself. At least he still has a family to go home to, hers are wandering somewhere in Australia completely oblivious that she exists.
Then as if contradict her miserable thought, Molly Weaseley pulled her in a bone crushing hug as she regarded how skinny she was and how bad she needed her to fix her hair to make it tolerable.
"We'll figure something, dear, I promise you." Molly was saying, rubbing the brown tresses between her fingers.
"Oh, er—thanks, Molly." Hermione replied as she patted her hair down feeling conscious of its lack of elegance.
The following moment consist of loads of maternal question from Molly with Arthur Weaseley constantly throwing in odd questions about muggle contraptions like, "Harry, Hermione, I recently found this thing that's blows off tornado when plugged and it resembles something I used to see from those muggle buses that floats in the air, Say..Maybe you could help me identify what it is?" Then Percy who was looking far too happy announcing them he was getting married. And finally George, he was wearing a necklace of a clock hand with a picture of Fred Weasley grinning from ear to ear around his neck, making up for the four months he wasn't able to tease Ron and Ginny. The jesting and catching up lasted for a while until an impatient Ron Weasley prompted them all to leave.
"Who would you rather snog, Filch or his cat?"
"Let us sleep, George." Replied Ron in a sluggish voice, later that evening inside his room. "I'm begging you."
Harry was sitting upright on his bed, listening to George's nonsense musings from the makeshift bed he laid on the floor. From his position, he has a clear view of the crescent moon illuminating the field outside. He was tired but could not sleep and even though they were home, he felt an odd feeling of unease. It magnifies the faintest sound he hears, Ginny and Hermione's muffled voices two floors below, the rustlings of tall grass outside, creaking floorboards under someone's weight, and George and Ron's squabbling. Knowing full well he's not getting close to sleep, Harry slid off his bed.
"I'm going outside." Harry said abruptly making his voice sound a little brusque.
Ron and George stopped bickering for a moment and exchanged baffled looks.
"Are you—mad—did I say something to make you mad?" George asked.
"Oh no, I'm not. I'm not mad." Harry said, waving his both his hand in front of him to emphasize his words.
George pushed himself up and stood at his height, he was so tall that he was looking down at Harry. "Really? Listen, I feel like you're mad. So maybe you should just talk to us about it."
Ron, who was feeling irritated and intensely drowsy, pressed a pillow on his face, groaning. "Bloody hell George, he said he's not mad, let him go and let me sleep."
"I'm just going for a walk outside, that's all." Harry said.
"My name is Harry Potter. I'm mad." George said, tugging at Harry's lip.
"Alright, that was great. Thank you. Thanks for that. Your fingers are salty." Harry said, wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his sweater.
Something he could not place is rolling at the back of his mind and the only solution to quiet it down might be to go for a walk even though it's well past midnight, not to mention deathly cold outside. He reached for his wand at the bedside table for precaution and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to secure it in place.
The floorboards protest under his weight at every step, he was feeling the walls to find his way the poorly lit staircase and had to squint multiple times when reached the end, slightly blinded by the light in living room of the Burrow.
"Harry?" Hermione called from across the room. "Where are you going?"
Since the war, it became typical for anyone in the Burrow to stay up the entire night because of trouble sleeping. Hermione would often spend this time teaching Ginny muggle stuffs such as baking, cooking, fixing one's hair, without using magic. Tonight, they were huddled together over a thick book on the kitchen table.
"I'm going for a walk." He replied placidly, moving closer to get a good look of what they are reading.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Hermione offered.
"No, I'm alright." Harry replied.
"You'll freeze to death outside." Ginny stated, she walked up to Harry and draw out her wand. "Let me at least cast a warming spell on your clothes." With a flick of her hand, a wave of heat spread through Harry's body.
"Thanks." Harry said, smiling at her gratefully.
Ginny beamed at him smugly and then to Hermione she asks, "So, the apple was poisoned?"
It was quiet once he was outside. It's as if the world had stopped its rotation to speculate at the lone wizard wondering out in the cold at night. It wasn't the scar on his forehead that was bothering him, no, it hadn't troubled him since Voldemort's downfall two years ago. It was something else, a black ball of unexplainable feeling. He lifted his gaze to the sky but it was too dark too see anything. There were no stars, just the massive illuminated moon hanging menacingly above. And then suddenly, there was a pinprick of light. And another. Harry squinted at the field, he could see faint glows shooting from a distance and then finally someone apparated among the tall grass just outside the protection charm of the Burrow.
Was their home always this ominously dark? Draco thought. He was sitting at the other end of the table at dinner with his family. His eyes regarding each piece of furniture in the room with his usual icy glare, the pure gold candelabras, the intricate patterns in the tapestries, expensive plates and silverwares, everything have ostentatious and elaborate decorative harmonizing with the family's house color of green.
"Is something wrong, Draco?" Lucius called from the other end of the dining area. "You haven't touched your food."
Draco cringe at the sound of his voice as it traveled down the long table, licking his lips before answering, "I reckon I lost my appetite."
Lucius raised one eyebrow apprehensively at his son, making the similarity in their countenance more palpable. Pale pointed face with pale blonde hair and cold grey eyes, even the traces of suffering from the war, it seemed, they too shared strongly. "Too tired, perhaps?"
"Yes."
"Don't you mean, yes father?" Lucius corrected.
The heavy tension building up in the room made Narcissa stopped chewing her food to look back and forth the two until her gaze landed to Draco's balled hands, a clear indication of his ill temper close to its breaking point. "Draco, what news do you have of Hogwarts? How are your classes?" She said, shifting the topic to a more casual matter. Her hair was tied into a half-bun behind her, with streaks of platinum hair on each side among the mass of the Black's genetic hair color.
"I suppose Potter is living quite the limelight, having the time of his life hearing praise after praise from your Professors. Speaking of which, are they still the same fools or have they been, thank the gods, replaced?" Lucius continued to drawl. "Believe you me, that boy is nothing but lucky."
"That boy saved our son's life, Lucius." Narcissa shot at his husband.
Lucius gritted his teeth, taken aback at her coming in defense to the boy who lived. "Since when have you been patronizing that arrogant Scarhead?"
"Hardly!" Narcissa choked in indignation. "We are in debt to him, have you forgotten? If it weren't for Harry Potter we'll all be in Azkaban by now."
"Do not pretend—"
"STOP!" Draco cried out, banging his fist on the surface of the table. He ran a hand through his hair and pressed at his temples. "THE LAST THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS HARRY POTTER."
His parents exchanged reprehensible looks and then Lucius said, "Lower your voice, Draco" in an admonitory tone.
"I had been trying to get in touch with you for the last three months, I was dead worried!" Draco continued his voice rising in a helpless manner. "Does anyone of you mind telling me what happened? Mother? What was that you're going to tell me about father?"
"Ah, I see." Lucius began, looking at Narcissa accusingly. "I suspected right."
"What's happening?" Draco inquired, eyeing both his parents. He was feeling utterly confused.
"You've been following me." Lucius told Narcissa, ignoring his fuming replica on the other side of the table.
"And I was right to." She retorted.
"TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Draco bellowed once again, slashing the noise in the room.
Narcissa's lips, murky red, was pressed in a tight line refusing to look neither of the two. "Your father had been meeting Fenrir Greyback in secret, Draco." She said and when she finally lifted her eyes at them it was dangerously sharp, carrying the air of two daunting reputable pureblood family combined.
Draco's jaw dropped. "You—bloody—" He stood up and turned to leave, his head was starting to throb and he felt as though he was somersaulting. But before he knows it, Lucius had crossed the room taking him by the shoulder and turning him back around.
"Contrary to what you like to believe we don't have a choice in this matter. He will kill us, and I'm only trying to do the most sensible thing for this family!" Lucius yelled despite the close proximity, his nostrils are flaring and his eyes red with hostility. "I told you from the beginning, we can risk moving further North and you can continue your study in Durmstrang. That was the initial plan but you refused! Was it because of the mudblood? You were talking about her in your sleep! I'm telling you Draco, I wouldn't have you associating with that mudblood or you're no son of mine!"
They were both breathing heavily by the time Lucius stopped talking. Fear and Anger, these were the two things he had learned from Lucius as he was growing up, but now as he stared back defiantly at under his cold stare, he felt nothing but pure anger. "It has nothing to do with anything. I am simply done with everything that has to do with Voldemort, father! Can't you see—" Draco had been shaking from rage that his voce came out strained and breaking. "—how much the dark arts have ruined our lives?"
At the mention of Voldemort's name, Lucius's eyes widened in fear, he shoved Draco away from him causing him to reel back and fall on the marble floor. "Have you lost your bloody mind? Take him away, Narcissa." He hissed as he backed away, looking at his own son as he would look at filth.
Lucius knows nothing. He doesn't know he joined Dumbledore's Army or the troubled he went through after that to protect his family, and if he had known, he would not only disown Draco but he will probably use the Cruciatus curse on him willingly whether Voldemort ordered or not.
Maybe she was right. Draco's thoughts reeled back to the day he went to sought Potter's help two years ago.
"You're not a lost cause." Hermione told him inside the room of requirement. At that time he wasn't sure whether she said it out of pity or she was really telling the truth.
At this point however, it dawned on him how she might be right. He may not be a lost cause, even though his father clearly was, he still has choice. Draco picked himself up, Narcissa standing aid by his side.
"He didn't fully commit to them yet." Narcissa tried to assure him.
"But he was considering." Draco replied. He dusted off his robes and threw a sharp look at the direction Lucius exited. "We both know full well there's no changing his mind."
"Take some rest, I'll try to talk some sense into him."
"Great, while you're at it, maybe you could also bring up changing this house color from green to red and gold." He scoffed.
Back in his room, Draco lay half-naked on his bed with eyes transfixed on the ceiling, feeling more lost than before. He thought going home will finally put his mind at rest but instead it multiplied his worry ten folds, finding himself in a helpless place once again. Was he really talking about her in his sleep like what his father said? And if so, who else know? Could it possibly be the reason why Blaise had been teasing him mercilessly with her ever since the school year began? His head pounded on thought after thought trapping his mind to a stupor until he finally succumbed to weariness and sleep.
In the other room, a sullen wizard sat on a chair staring across the room where his wife sleeps soundly. He watches her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. His waxen hair hung until his waist and his placid façade set permanently into a sulk, with eyes as hollow as a cloudless sky, sporting dark circles underneath. He was about to stand up and join her when his wand heat up from inside his robe. He fished it out swiftly and stared dreadfully at the sparks emitting from the tip of the wood. He thought he could buy them more time. It was never his intention to jeopardize his own family again. Lucius was threatened repeatedly, his service in exchange for sparing their lives. But Fenrir Greyback was growing impatient and cynical, and as it seems, decided to come for them in advance.
Draco wakes with a start. There are noises outside, sounds of whispering and people trying to be quiet but failing. He inches towards the large window and he could hear gravel crunches under leather boots somewhere in their backyard.
"Mother." Draco whispered to himself mechanically and jumped out of his bed in a flash.
Narcissa was standing right outside the master's bedroom when Draco arrived in the hallway, one hand on the doorknob while the other is raised to her lips motioning him to be quiet and trying to say what needs to be said with only her eyes.
Don't make a sound, don't utter a word. Draco seems to understand. He could see flashes of light outside the window, spells from wands. Then there was an ear-splitting crash.
"Lucius Malfoooooy." A raspy voice said in a sing song tone.
Narcissa dashed towards him, grabbing Draco by his shoulder. "Go to Harry Potter." She said in an undertone. "Seek for help."
Draco stared at her as though he would rather die than do exactly as he was told. But the fear in her eyes and continues crashing left his logical capacity worthless.
"Where's father?" Draco managed to blurt out, his heart was beating inside his mouth and if he ignored everything else and just focus on one matter, he swear he could taste death on his tongue.
"There is no time, Draco." Narcissa took something out of her pocket and shoved it into his hands. Draco threw a quick glance at the paper before giving Narcissa an inquiring look.
"It's an address." She explained, the noise in the background sounds closer at every second. "Kingsley ordered me to go there if we should flee."
"Aren't you coming with me?"
There were about seven Death Eaters including Greyback and they just reached the floor they were in, laughing raucously at the destruction they are causing.
"We'll follow you, I promise." Narcissa said, her voice hurried and panicky.
"Lucius?!" A coarse voice called from the end of the hall. Draco gets to see the large man with a brutal face before Narcissa pushed him roughly to a shadowed corner. He has grey matted hair and whiskers growing on his jagged face with pointed yellow teeth and long yellow nails that completes his bestial appearance.
"Draco, Now!" His mother yelled, the same time Fenrir Greyback made sense of what was happening and leaped to pounce at Draco to stop him from apparating out of Malfoy Manor. The air thins and Draco heard a loud scream and then he felt a tight grip on his arm and leg before everything goes white.
Racing down the stairs in his sleeping robes and messy hair, Arthur Weasley looks around wildly trying to find something unlikely. The alarm of their protection charm notified him of a particular someone who has entered the invisible shield surrounding the Burrow.
"Where's Harry?!" asked Arthur, staring at Hermione and Ginny intently.
"He went outside." Ginny answered and after seeing the concern in her father's eyes added, "Is something wrong?"
Not too long after Arthur came, Ron, George, and Molly Weasley followed down. All of them sporting the similar look of grogginess out of having woken up in the middle of their sleep except for George, who was vigilant and had grasp the situation immediately just by eyeing his father. He nodded at once and sped out the door, wand at hand.
"Where are you going, George? Dad? Where is he going?" Ginny pressed on.
But Arthur was one step out of the house already while Molly had begun chanting spells to fortify the charms protecting their home.
"I'll check the perimeter, stay right here!" He said before disappearing into darkness.
Hermione stood by the staircase, trying to make sense of what is happening. She grip her arm tracing the mudblood scar with her hand absentmindedly, if the protection charm is breached they would be in serious peril. A wave of fear and despair swept over her as the picture of Greyback and his army attacking the Burrow comes into picture inside her head. Then there was a series of knock on the door, it sounded desperate and urgent, jolting her on her feet. Ron cross the room in a swift and opened it to see Harry, he was breathless and struggling to hold something heavy, Hermione could not tell with Ron's lanky figure blocking her view and Ginny who instantly ran to meet Harry.
"Bloody hell!" Ron choked out, followed by low relentless voices and after some hesitation and a lot of cajoling and threatening and then whispering, Ron finally stepped aside to let them in.
Draco was half conscious, his vision is obscured with dark blotches probably caused by the intense throbbing in the greater part of his right body. But despite this, he could see clearly how her mouth fell open as she stared at him in astonishment.
"He splinched!" Harry exclaimed at everyone as he helps him on the sofa with great difficulty.
"Are we welcoming Death Eaters now? What if he's a spy!" Ron cried out.
"Oh dear, it happened. It's alright, we had an arrangement with Kingsley on this!" Molly Weasley said trying to maintain composed, tending to him as she gave orders. "Make yourself useful and go fetch me lukewarm water! Hermione, go to my cupboard and get me some Potion. Ginny and Harry please check your father and brother outside."
"Mom?!" Ginny protested.
"I'll explain later, now hurry!"
Everyone was on their feet in a panic swift but Hermione. She remained still, wondering if the series of events were real at all, although Molly's voice repeatedly calling her name had somehow proved that she is not in a bad dream.
"Hermione, I need the potion now dear. Quick!" Molly repeated. Draco flinches for a second, the blood coming out from his arm and leg was forming maps in the cloth she summoned with her wand.
"Yes, I'm sorry! I'm on it." Hermione said, shaking her head fervently to snap out of her trance.
Everything seemed to be upside down and her thoughts are all over the place, their safety, Fenrir Greyback, and more importantly, Malfoy. Malfoy who is lying in the Burrow, badly hurt, and the Weasleys are protecting him, although not everyone has a clear understanding of what was happening as it seems. Only Arthur,Molly, and George are the ones who doesn't find anything peculiar in this situation. The thought bothered Hermione deeply.
She set the tray of Potions beside Molly after getting them and kneeled beside her. There was a long gnash that runs from his shoulder up to his wrist. "His leg is bleeding." Hermione muttered, noticing the damp cloth on his trousers.
Molly ripped the material to see an open wound bleeding terribly on his right leg as long as the one in his arm. "Oh dear." She said, horrified at the sight.
"We're safe, they weren't able to follow him." Arthur exclaimed. He was back with the others, all panting heavily drenched with adrenaline. He looked from Molly and then to Draco, his expression mirroring hers after seeing his injury.
"They were attacked by Greyback and his men, he told me." Harry said, as if reading the puzzled looks on their faces. His hair was shooting up in different directions and his eyes containing a lively gleam in spite of the tiredness he was feeling a while back, every blood in his vein pulsating with vigor.
Arthur turned to look at him. "We have to notify Kingsley."
"I'll come with you." Harry said.
"Me too." Ron added.
"Alright." Arthur said, eyeing them both and then he turned to George and said, "You stay here and guard this family George, we'll be back immediately."
"Got it, Dad." George replied and the three disappeared with a soft pop.
Meanwhile, Draco began shaking violently, the blood in his wounds continued flowing and his face looks more ghostly than it usually is with his pale skin. Molly started muttering spells to stop the flow, her wand gliding over his wounds.
"He lost a lot of blood." Hermione stated. "I can make him a potion to help restore it, it will quicken his recovery."
"Yes, yes, how long will it take?" Molly asked.
"It'll be done by morning."
"Good. Well, you should probably get on with it." Molly said.
Hermione nodded at once and headed out to the kitchen. The house was silent once again except for Draco's labored breathing. He was covered in sweat and blood and his eyes are darting behind his lids restlessly. Molly kept muttering soothing words to calm him and as George helped apply the Potion to heal his wounds. From the kitchen, Hermione glanced at them with a deep frown on her face. Wondering why of all places, Draco apparated here.