Bear Me Safely Over

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Bear Me Safely Over

Chapter Three: The Burrow

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Once outside the gate, it was a simple matter of getting to the portkey they had set up specifically for this mission.

When they reached a small, insignificant looking bush, Draco looked perplexed as Hermione dropped to her knees and began rooting around under it.

Draco arched one brow. "You know, I wouldn't dig around there too much. The Dark Lord has quite a few dogs that are walked around these grounds."

"Voldemort likes dogs?" Harry asked interestedly.

"He's rather fond of those little Terrier things."

"Voldemort likes Terriers?"

"Well, evil Terriers, of course."

They were interrupted by a muffled sound of triumph.

"Oh look, the bush is trying to tell us something," Draco muttered boredly.

Dusting off her robes as she stood up, Hermione spared a quick glare for Draco before she held up a small, hinged wooden box. As she lifted the lid to reveal an ornate brass key, Draco snorted.

"Laugh all you want to, but this is a portkey," Hermione said haughtily.

"What? Using a key for a portkey? Isn't it a wonder then, that the ministry hasn't rounded up old Voldy and the gang, with creative geniuses like that?" Draco observed.

"What were they supposed to use? A broom? Yeah, we could have that under a bush'" Hermione snapped.

"They could have used a bloody acorn for all I care. Let's just get out of here," Harry interjected quickly, before Hermione and Draco could start bickering again. They all gathered around the portkey, touching it at the same time.

Hermione took a deep breath as she felt the familiar tug. She hated traveling by portkey, it reminded her of flying, the same loss of control, disorientation.

Landing with a thud, Hermione and Harry were a jumbled mass of arms and legs, and Draco, while not actually landing on his feet, ended up sitting gracefully on the grass as though he had decided to take a mid-afternoon picnic. While Harry and Hermione untangled themselves, Draco stood up, surveying his surroundings, then wrinkled his nose in distaste when he caught sight of the tired, sagging Weasley home.

"You expect me to live in this old dump?"

Hermione scowled at him. "Be nice, Draco. This is one of the safest places outside of Hogwarts. This old dump may save your life. Besides, no one said anything about you living here. We'll have to ask Dumbledore."

Draco eyed one of the rooms, held up by magic, but still swaying alarmingly in the wind. "Yes, you run off to Dumbledore like good puppets."

"We're hardly puppets!" Hermione said indignantly. "Dumbledore is a good man who would never manipulate any of us."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "I never said anything about manipulation."

Before Hermione could open her mouth to say something scathing, Mrs. Weasley came running out the door, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. "My Goodness! I wasn't expecting you 'til later. It's a good thing that I made up the guest rooms this morning." She hugged Hermione warmly, then firmly grasped Harry's face, pulling him down for a peck on the cheek. To Hermione's surprise, she walked over to Draco and kissed him on both cheeks as well. Draco seemed too caught up between revulsion and bemusement to make any sort of nasty comment.

"Well, I'm sure that all of you will want to change out of your clothes. Harry, be a dear and show Draco the room he'll be staying in. Hermione, you go freshen up, then meet me in the kitchen. Since Ginny started her new job, it seems like she's gone all the time. But she's here now, and I know she'll want to know everything you've been up to." She gave Hermione's arm another affectionate squeeze before heading back into the house.

***

"Look, you might as well change. Your robes are dirty and torn. Mrs. Weasley can fix your robes later."

"What kind of prat would wear these clothes?" Draco said, holding up a maroon and orange striped shirt.

"Those are mine! And that," Harry added, while yanking the offending garment out of Draco's hands, "is my favorite shirt."

"Does Hermione know you wear this?"

"She bought that shirt for my birthday."

"Oh, Merlin. Figures."

"She said it looked very fashionable on me."

"Harry, that's not fashion, that's visual assault."

"You can shut up about my clothes or walk around naked," Harry said flatly. "And I'm not sure that I'd want to be naked when Ron comes home and sees you here, if I were you."

Draco seemed to consider it. "Well, may I commend you on your lack of taste?" he asked as he began unbuttoning his robes.

Harry had to suppress a smile in spite of himself. "Just get dressed."

***

Hermione hissed as the hot water hit her body.

When she was finished, she'd have to talk to Dumbledore and let him know what was going on, though she doubted that he wouldn't already know. He had an uncanny ability of guessing what each of them were up to, especially Harry.

She sighed as she turned the water off. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to go to bed, but she still had a few things to do. Molly had hinted that they needed to have a "girl talk," and she didn't want to hurt Molly's feelings. She knew how lonely life could be here.

Besides, she figured that they'd probably need her there when Ron came home. Ron knew that the mission had something to do with Malfoy, but he hadn't been told the exact nature of their assignment. Heads would roll when he realized Malfoy was staying in his house, even if only for a short time.

She dried herself quickly and dressed in comfortable sweatpants and one of Harry's old quidditch t-shirts. She impatiently twisted her hair into a quick bun at the nape of her neck, suddenly eager to get the night over.

As she left the bathroom, Harry met her in the hallway, nearly running into her. "I left Draco in his room to get dressed. Are you ready to talk to Dumbledore?"

She nodded. It was best to get this over with, she thought as she followed him down the hall.

***

Hermione heard quiet voices as she neared the living room, which abruptly cut off as the floorboard squeaked protestingly under her weight.

Molly, Ginny and Snape watched silently as Hermione and Harry walked in.

At this point, Hermione was too tired to ask or even to care why Snape was at the Burrow

"Potter," Snape spat out Harry's name like it was acid. "Take me to Mr. Malfoy's room."

Harry bristled noticeably at being ordered about by Snape like a house elf, but stiffly obeyed at a pleading look from Hermione. As Harry and Snape left, Hermione turned to the others. "What's going on?"

"Snape was sent by Dumbledore to try to get the chains off Malfoy."

"How did he know?" Hermione asked amazedly.

Ginny shrugged. "You know Dumbledore."

"Yes I do," Hermione muttered to herself. She didn't like the thought that had just occurred to her. There was very little Dumbledore didn't know, and by his immediate response, it didn't seem as if he was terribly surprised that Draco was alive. Draco's unwelcome words came back to her.

"Yes, you run off to Dumbledore like good puppets."

She hated feeling manipulated.

***

Snape swung open the door without warning. Draco sat on the bed looking mildly affronted, "You know, some people knock."

"And some people care. I am neither kind." Snape said dismissively, stepping over Draco's wadded clothes.

"What if you saw me walking around naked? What if I was busy pacing?"

"Why would you be pacing naked?"

"I might, that's all," Draco said defensively.

A thought just occurred to Harry. "Malfoy, how did you switch your pants with those leg irons on?"

"I didn't"

"But there's your old ones on the floor right there..." Harry felt his face heat as he trailed off.

Draco winked knowingly at Harry. "I had to tear my old shorts off. I never thought that I would have to rip my own clothes off."

"As stimulating as I find this conversation to be, I have work to do," Snape interjected acidly, though he looked mildly amused, which was to say that he looked a little less dour than usual.

He knelt by Draco's feet, examining the shackles. "Mr. Malfoy, you must have been quite valuable to Voldemort. These chains are legendary. They are said to have been forged in the deepest pit of hell by blind mountain trolls. They are impervious to all known spells and potions." With this discouraging statement, Snape reached into his potions bag, and pulled out a hammer, saying a quick enlarging spell. "Fortunately, they're quite old, and the pins are weak."

"So, a good nice whack will work, you think?"

Snape nodded decisively. "It should."

***

The steam rose in wispy tendrils, warming Hermione's face. She took a small sip of her tea, letting it linger in her mouth a moment, before swallowing the warm liquid.

"Any questions?" She asked tiredly.

Mrs. Weasley looked horrified. "The poor dear. He's been kept prisoner for over two years?"

Hermione, who had avoided asking herself too many questions, merely nodded, let Mrs. Weasley think what she wanted. Ginny merely looked thoughtful, absently curling a lock of red hair around her finger.

The silence was broken by a mild pop as Ron Apparated into the living room before walking into the kitchen, where he pecked Mrs. Weasley on the cheek. "Hey, Mum. Ginn, Hermione." He said, nodding to the girls.

He took off his robes, and laid them on the counter. "Is that where your robes belong, Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley asked sternly.

Smiling sheepishly, Ron picked up his robes. "No, Mum. I'll take them up to my room."

As he was walking to the door, he seemed to remember something. "Hey, Hermione, how did your mission go?"

***

"For the love of Merlin, Malfoy, in two years, did it never occur to you to pry the chains off?" Snape asked.

Draco's cheeks colored. "Of course it did," he snapped. "But I couldn't exactly walk out of there by myself, could I?"

Harry frowned, "But you walked out of there with us."

"Why didn't you escape, then Apparate?" Snape asked suspiciously.

Draco's face darkened. "I didn't have my wand."

"What happened to your wand?" Harry asked.

"They took it away from me when I first went there..." Draco stopped abruptly. All eyes were trained on him.

"You went there..." Harry echoed weakly. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know the answer; this was dangerous ground. When they had found Malfoy, it was obvious that he was being held against his will, and that's what had convinced Harry to rescue him. But how Draco came to be in the service of Voldemort, well that could have been something all together different. Had he gone there of his own free will?

With a pleading look at Draco, Harry silently begged, "Don't say it. Don't say you went here on your own. Please, don't say it." Maybe, Harry would think later, he got his wish because Draco refused to say anything more on the subject.

But all that night, Draco wouldn't meet his eyes.

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To Be Continued...

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