Secrets and Masks

53. Good little boy

31st March

The problem with making plans is that something always goes wrong.

In the end, it didn't matter how much Hermione and Malfoy had gone over their plan to get the medallion, because something was always going to go wrong.

It didn't matter how thoroughly they'd obsessed over the details or how many contingency plans they'd made to make sure that everyone got through the day alive. It didn't matter that they'd made a plan B for almost every fucking aspect of the mission, or that they both had the map of Newstead Abbey memorised, because something was always going to go wrong, and it was always going to be the one thing that they hadn't prepared for.

They had a plan for if Hermione broke out of the Hex too early. They had a plan for if either of them was injured in battle and even a strategy to follow if Theo got a little too 'trigger' happy and killed too many Order soldiers.

What they didn't have a backup plan for, however, was Astoria, so of course - of fucking course - that was the thing that went wrong.

Three days before the attack, Astoria took ill. Very ill. Although her blood curse getting the better of her wasn't completely unheard of, the timing of it couldn't have been worse.

The entire group knew the risks that were involved in securing the medallion. They could be spotted stealing it. They could get caught in traps that Crouch Jr had laid in Newstead Abbey, or they could die securing it. Either way, the chances of them getting the medallion without being detected were slim, so naturally, they prepared for the worst-case scenario.

If the plan went to hell, drop everything and meet at the safehouse.

The farmhouse had been completely stocked to capacity and was thoroughly protected with wards. The enchantments they'd used made the house completely undetectable to outsiders - any person who didn't know its location wouldn't even be able to see the house, just an empty space of land where the farm should be - and the wards prevented anyone Apparating into its vicinity.

The only way into the farmhouse was by the three Portkeys they'd made, three silver pocket watches that were given to Quinzel, Malfoy and Blaise.

The plan had been for Astoria to go to the safehouse two days before the raid to ensure that she was out of harms way, just in case, but the problem came when Astoria grew ill the night before she was supposed to leave.

The safehouse was ready and waiting, an impenetrable fortress with everything she could ever need, but with Astoria so ill, they couldn't get her there.

Apparating her near the grounds was dangerous in her current condition, even with assistance, the chances of her getting Splinched were grotesquely high. There weren't any Floo connections at the safehouse, and after three days of vomiting blood, using a Portkey was out of the question.

Theo had suggested that they 'borrow' one of the Dark Lord's carriages to transport Astoria in, or even strap her down on Narcissa's back and have the dragon fly her there, but, as Malfoy pointed out, even if they warned the Order that they'd be transporting Astoria that way, muggle helicopters had a reputation of shooting Voldemort's carriages - and Narcissa - on site, and the group agreed that it wasn't worth the gamble.

They were completely out of comfortable options. The only one they had left was for the elves to stay with her and try to get as many Blood Replenishing and Pepperup potions down her neck to get her strength back up, and if they were discovered, Malfoy would signal for them to get out, and they'd have to hope that Astoria's strength had returned enough for her to escape.

Although it was risky, it was the only option they had, but it was making Blaise nervous.

"I should stay with Astoria," Blaise said as he stared out the kitchen window. Voice tight, hands balled into even tighter fists at his sides. "If something goes wrong -"