Draco: Phoenix Rising

Chapter Thirty Three - Borrowed Luck

Hermione and Harry were caught running from Firenze's room. Hermione's heart sank, but she had known they were in trouble the minute Harry had run into Aberforth. Unfortunately, they were confronted by a formidable group: Rufus Scrimgeour, McGonagall, Moody, Percy Weasley, and Jack Williamson.

"You see?" McGonagall said after a shocked look at Harry's altered appearance. "Here is Mr. Potter, now. His guardians suggested he stay with Hermione, who is here doing some research for me during the break. I am sponsoring her." Harry looked at Hermione, who was amazed at McGonagall's flawless ability to lie like a trooper.

Scrimgeour's jaw worked and he seemed personally affronted by Harry's platinum hair.

"Succumbing to fads, Potter? I would think you, of all people, would maintain a more serious demeanor."

Harry shrugged. "I thought you and the Ministry had Voldemort under control. You don't need me at all, right? I thought I might join a band or something."

Jack snorted a laugh that he covered with a muted cough. Hermione had no patience for verbal skirmishes when Draco was in the forest being tortured.

"Professor, I need to talk with you. It's very urgent," she said quietly after sidling to McGonagall's side.

"Why were you at St. Mungo's today?" Scrimgeour demanded. "And who was that with you?"

"I was visiting a friend," Harry snapped. "Frankly, I wasn't aware that I needed permission from the Ministry prior to visiting the hospital. I'll be sure to schedule my next injury."

"How dare you speak to the Minister that way? Don't be cheeky, Potter, we're only trying to help you," Percy said disapprovingly.

"I don't really feel it necessary to be followed around by the Ministry," Harry snarled.

"Professor, please," Hermione begged. McGonagall gave her a severe look, obviously still annoyed at Harry's departure. Hermione, realizing it might take forever to extract themselves from the group, suddenly clapped a hand to her stomach.

"I don't feel very well," she said shakily. She bolted for the stairs, sending a mental apology to Harry for deserting him while she tried to think of a way to remove him, also. She ran all the way to the Gryffindor common room and had to pause, gasping, while she clutched at a stitch in her side. The wizarding world was in severe need of elevators.

She hurried through the portrait hole and straight into a heated Weasley discussion involving Ginny, Ron, and the twins. Ron leaped to his feet.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" he demanded.

"Malfoy's been captured by Wormtail," she gasped, still holding her side. "He's in the forest. We've got to get him before Peter takes him to Voldemort!" None of the Weasleys moved. She scowled at the lot of them.

"Harry was waylaid by Rufus Scrimgeour and Percy in the Front Hall. I don't know how to get him away from there, if he hasn't already gotten himself clapped in irons by shouting at the Minister."

The twins leaped to their feet.

"Rescue Harry? That we can do."

"One diversion, coming up."

"Tell Harry I'll meet him by Hagrid's hut," she said.

She took the stairs to the boys' dorm two at a time and snatched up Harry's broom. Her hands shook as she walked to the still-open window.

"What are you doing?" Ron yelled as he entered the room behind her.

"You can't seriously be thinking of flying out that window?" Ginny added. "On Harry's broom?"

"Oh, yes I am," Hermione said quietly.

"But, you can't fly," Ron protested.

"I'm a witch! Of course I can fly."

"But, you suck at it," Ginny said.

"I don't care. Wormtail has Draco in the forest and he's torturing him with the Cruciatus Curse. I have to help him."

"It's Draco now?" Ron snapped. "Good riddance, I say!"

Hermione turned on him savagely. "How can you even think that, Ron? Who are you? If that's your attitude, then you're no better than... than a Death Eater!"

Ron's jaw worked furiously, but it was Ginny who looked repentant.

"Come on," she said and took Harry's broom from Hermione. "I'll fly you down."

Hermione mounted behind Ginny and they soared out the window and flew swiftly to Hagrid's hut. Ron flew down and landed next to them. He threw her an apologetic look, but she wasn't ready to forgive him quite yet. It seemed forever before Harry ran out of the front doors, followed by Tonks and Lupin. Hermione groaned, fearing another delay.

Harry accepted his broom from Ginny and grinned as she examined his blonde locks. He tugged at his hair in a familiar gesture.

"Nice, huh?"

Ginny shook her head, but smiled ruefully.

"Not really, no."

"We'd better hurry," Lupin interrupted. Hermione blinked at him. "Tonks told me Draco was captured. Harry said you know where he is."

"Firenze told us. He can't return to the forest or the other centaurs will kill him, but he recognized the spot and told us how to get there," Hermione said.

"Hopefully, we don't run into any centaurs, either," Tonks commented.

"Or spiders," Ron added with a shudder.

Lupin and Tonks mounted their own brooms. Hermione immediately took up position behind Harry. At the moment, she didn't trust Ron to take her anywhere near Draco. She gripped Harry's waist tightly. Ginny shook her head, but moved quickly to mount behind Ron.

"Let's go," Ginny said. The six of them took off across the top of the forest.

"Hold on, Draco," Hermione pleaded silently.

* * * * *

Draco was tired. He'd used the final reserves of his strength in his last escape attempt and now he just wanted to let go and sink into oblivion. Seven days was a long time; maybe he would find a way to escape in the interim. Before Greyback turned him into a werewolf. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Draco's eyes were closed and he lay perfectly limp, not willing to look into Greyback's leering visage any longer. He wished the werewolf would get off him--he was finding it exceedingly difficult to breathe.

Fenrir's left hand released Draco's right arm. Malfoy's left hand was cold and numb from Greyback's wand and grip cutting off his circulation. He felt the werewolf grip the neck of his grey shirt and tear viciously downward, popping buttons and baring Draco's chest.

This can't be good, Draco thought grimly. Bloody hell, what would The Boy Who Lived do in this situation? Probably conjure up some miraculous solution with his infinite Gryffindor luck. He needed to borrow some of that luck.

A moment later, Draco sucked in a tortured breath as Fenrir's sharp fangs tore into his flesh near the hollow of his right shoulder. The pain didn't stop there--Greyback dragged his teeth in a jagged path diagonally across Draco's chest. He stopped at Draco's diaphragm and began to lick his way back up the bloody gash, lapping at the blood.

Draco's right hand unobtrusively moved until his fingertips touched the smooth wood of Fenrir's wand. The werewolf was too intent on his gruesome task to notice, until Draco spoke.

"Serpensortia," Malfoy said quietly. Fenrir's head snapped up in surprise. His mouth was horrifyingly red. Before he could as much as blink, a huge snake launched itself at Fenrir's face. The fangs sank into the flesh of one eyebrow and the werewolf flung himself backward with a shriek.

The instant Greyback's weight left him, Draco rolled over groggily and Accioed his wand. The werewolf tore the snake from his face in a sanguine shower and glared yellow daggers at Draco, just as the wand snapped into Malfoy's outstretched hand.

"Expelliarmus!" they both shrieked at the same moment, but Draco's was born of desperation and was slightly faster; Fenrir's wand flew out of his hand. Draco's next spell smashed the werewolf backward into a tree and his third immobilized Greyback. The werewolf hit the ground stiffly and didn't move.

Draco sighed deeply and laid his cheek in the dirt, too exhausted even to feel relief. Blood trickled down his chest. He knew he had to get up and deal more permanently with Greyback. Tie him up, or kill him, or something. He just needed to rest for a moment. He shut his eyes.

He heard a shout and debated opening his eyes, assuming it could only be the next wave or horror coming to assault him--Greyback's chums or Wormtail's reinforcements.

He was suddenly dragged upward by the shoulders and enveloped in a warm embrace that caused the wound on his chest to flare with renewed pain.

"Oh, Draco, thank God you're alive," Hermione Granger's voice breathed in his ear. He smiled in bemusement. How the hell had she found him? He opened his eyes, after all, and saw Harry Potter standing over him. Beyond Potter stood two Weasleys, Lupin, and the pink-haired Order girl. Lupin was hovering over Greyback and Pinkie held her wand ready to blast the werewolf. Ginny Weasley stood behind Harry, expressionless, and Ron's gaze was ice. The Weasels probably wished Fenrir had eaten him.

Draco allowed himself to melt into Hermione's embrace for a moment, drinking in the scent and feel of her just to spite Ron. She drew back and gripped his shoulder with one hand while the other brushed the dirt and debris from his face. Her shirt was red with his blood.

"What took you so long, Potter?" Draco said wryly. Harry shrugged.

"We had to flip a coin. Heads, save Malfoy; tails, let Malfoy rot."

"Lucky me it was heads, eh?" Draco said. He jerked a thumb. "Wormtail is caged over there."

His eyes met Hermione's for the first time and he felt a strange rush of emotion at the look in her brown eyes, which were bright with unshed tears.

"You look terrible," she said quietly.

Draco frowned. "I thought you'd like my black hair. It's very... Harry Potter, don't you think?"

"I mean, you're covered in blood and you look half-dead. We've got to get you to a hospital."

"We can't," Harry said. "He doesn't dare Apparate in his condition. The last one nearly killed him. We'll have to take him to Hogwarts."

Draco sneered. "I'm fine, Potter." He tried to get to his feet, but found he didn't quite have the energy as everything began to go black. Hermione pressed him back quickly.

"Stay still!" she ordered.

Lupin walked over. "You captured two Death Eaters? Again? They seem to flock to you every time you step out of Hogwarts. Are they attracted to you?"

Draco laughed shortly and jerked his chin at Greyback. "Well, that one certainly was."

"Let's get out of here before he attracts any more," the pink-haired girl said. She held the cage containing Wormtail.

"I'll take Malfoy," Potter said and knelt next to Draco, who tried to wave him back.

"Forget it, Potter. I can ride my own broom."

"Until you pass out and fall to your death. Skip the bravado or I'll simply knock you out."

Harry lifted Draco, who wouldn't have admitted under torture that he was glad the matter had been taken out of his hands. He wasn't entirely certain he would have been able to fly alone. He rested his head on Harry's shoulder and sighed dramatically.

"You've wanted to hold me all day, haven't you, Potter?"

"You know where you can stuff your wisecracks, Malfoy," Harry growled.

Potter stepped over his broom and in moments they hovered in the air. Harry hadn't shifted his grip on Draco. Potter was the only person Draco knew who could have managed it--flying without hands.

Soon they were zipping over the trees. At some point during the journey, Draco succumbed to darkness, safe in the knowledge that the Gryffindor Golden Boy would never drop him.

* * * * *

Hermione hurriedly mounted behind Ron as Harry and Draco took off. Ginny rose into the air on Draco's broom. Tonks carried Wormtail's cage and Lupin levitated the bound and unconscious Greyback beneath his broom.

Hermione chewed her lip with worry. She hoped they had reached Draco in time. He had been white as a ghost and so limp in her grasp she feared they were too late. His shirt was saturated in blood. She remembered Bill Weasley's encounter with Greyback--the wounds had been the devil to close. Madam Pomfrey was not at Hogwarts. She lived in London in the summer and volunteered at St. Mungos. They would have to fetch her.

With that thought, she released Ron with one hand and cast a Patronus that streaked away toward Hogwarts. As the spell shot from her wand, Ron yelped in surprise and Hermione screamed and grabbed him reflexively as the broom dropped several meters.

"Damn, Hermione!" Ron yelled over the rushing wind. "Warn a guy before you do that!" The broom climbed slowly to its former altitude.

"Sorry! I sent a message to McGonagall."

When they reached Hogwarts, Harry was already inside. He was followed by Ginny, who carried their brooms. The instant Ron touched down, Hermione leaped off and bolted, ignoring Ron's shout of protest.

She passed Ginny and caught up to Harry on the stairs.

"He passed out," Harry explained. Hermione raced ahead to the hospital ward to prepare a bed. Harry set Draco down gently and Hermione pulled off Malfoy's bloodied shirt.

Beneath the black hair, Draco's face was nearly as white as the pillow under his head. Harry turned worried green eyes to her.

"He lost a lot of blood earlier today. I don't know how much more he can spare."

Hermione Accioed thick compresses from a nearby cabinet and pressed them against Draco's chest. She prayed for McGonagall to hurry with Madam Pomfrey. Ron and Ginny sat on a nearby bed and watched silently as the cloths became rapidly saturated with Draco's blood.

"It won't coagulate," Hermione whispered. "How did they heal Bill? Why didn't I pay closer attention?"

"It's really advanced healing magic, Hermione. I don't think you would be able to perform it, regardless."

A red-gold shape suddenly burst through the door and circled the room once before perching on the bottom railing of Draco's bed.

"Fawkes!" Harry breathed.

The phoenix hopped forward onto the bed until it stood over Draco. Harry took the compresses from Hermione's hands, exposing Malfoy's raw wound. Fawkes tipped his head and phoenix tears began to drip into the gashes. Astoundingly, the blood stopped flowing and the wounds slowly knitted themselves.

Hermione clasped her hands together in relief. When Fawkes was finished, she scooped up the phoenix in a joyful embrace and planted a kiss on its feathered head.

"You beautiful, beautiful bird!" she cried. Fawkes fluttered in protest and flapped away the instant she released him. It disappeared through the doorway and Hermione looked wonderingly at Harry.

"That's the second time Fawkes has helped us. Do you think Dumbledore told him to watch out for us? Or for Malfoy?"

Harry sighed. "At this point, I don't know what Dumbledore might have done. He apparently kept loads of secrets from us." She couldn't mistake the bitterness in Harry's voice. He continued, "At least our trip was successful, up until the point where Malfoy was taken. We found the locket. It looks like Regulus managed to destroy it before he was killed."

"What locket?" Ginny snapped. "Regulus who?"

Harry flushed. It seemed he had forgotten she was present. Hermione carefully bathed Draco's wounds, amazed that the gashes were now tiny red lines that would likely fade to match the Sectumsempra scars that crossed his chest in the other direction. Hermione's eyes met Harry's and she grinned.

"You might want to have a talk with her," she commented. She noticed a nasty bite mark on Draco's throat, but luckily the skin wasn't broken. There was a dreadful bruise on his left wrist and smaller bruises on his right. It looked as though Greyback had manhandled Draco brutally. He was lucky to be alive.

She could feel Ron's heated gaze on her the entire time she tended Draco and she knew another confrontation was brewing there. Harry got up and motioned to Ginny. They walked to a corner of the room just as McGonagall hurried in with Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione stepped back and allowed them to examine Draco. She quickly explained what Fawkes had done. Madam Pomfrey examined Draco and then hurried to her office. She returned with a number of potions.

"He has lost a lot of blood. This will help him rebuild it, but he will need a lot of rest."

She levered him up with McGonagall's help and forced two potions down Draco's throat. Then she turned and waved at them in a shooing motion.

"Out! I will take care of him from here. There will be no change in his condition for awhile. Thanks to the phoenix, it looks as though he is out of immediate danger. You can visit him later."

Hermione sighed and headed for the door, followed by Ron. Harry and Ginny trailed after them. At the door, Hermione gasped and then turned and ran back to Draco. Madam Pomfrey was removing his boots. She looked at Hermione warningly.

"This belongs to him," she said and pulled the braided cord over her head. She slipped it quickly over Draco's head until the Galleon rested on his chest. She brushed a hand through his down-soft black hair for a moment and smiled softly.

She sighed and joined Ron at the door, leaving Draco in Madam Pomfrey's capable hands.