His Girl by greenflowerpot

Chapter 6

- NOT MY STORY!! ALL CREDITS TO @greenflowerpot ON A03!!

The house was two stories. It had three bedrooms, one entrance in the front and another in the back. Six windows on the ground floor and four on the second.

Alec and Marie would likely be asleep in the master bedroom upstairs. Draco knew this safe house served as a home for several other rebels as well, newer recruits and junior soldiers and the like. But they only had thirty minutes before the wards came back on; Alec and Marie would have to suffice for tonight.

Draco directed a nod at his men and they moved to enter the house. Subtlety was not always a quality of the Dark Lord's forces, but certain operations called for precision. They had thirty minutes—closer to twenty-eight, now—before the wards would come back on. Anyone with a Dark Mark who remained in the house after the wards returned would find themselves immobile and unable to use magic, paralyzed and at the mercy of the rebels. As a result, each soldier had a spell on them that would automatically apparate them out before the wards reactivated.

Draco put on his mask and his soldiers did the same. Two stayed on the ground floor to man the exits while the other two went with Draco up the stairs.

They found Alec first.

Sandy hair, round face, looking just like the photos in the report. He was asleep at his desk in the office, maps and parchment spread out before him, but he woke with a start when they entered. He managed to roll to the side just in time to miss the first killing curse, tried to yell out for his wife.

"MARIE! THEY'RE HE—"

Draco waved a hand and a silencing charm blanketed the room, swallowing the rest of Alec's words. One of the soldiers fired a second killing curse. It landed, but not before Alec thrust his wand upwards to cast a final spell. Draco reached forward, tendrils of dark magic shooting out of his fingertips to intercept the beam of orange light, but it was too late.

A ringing siren sounded and the walls of the house began shaking. An alarm.

Draco swore. He heard shouting coming from downstairs, footsteps and then the sound of shattering glass as spells were fired.

"Go help the others downstairs!" he commanded. "I'll take care of the other one."

Marie was easy to find, had rushed out into the hall at the sound of the alarm with her wand in hand and panic in her eyes.

"Alec!" she screamed, freezing when she saw Draco. He lifted his wand but she moved faster, throwing a handful of black powder at the ground that sent the room into darkness.

Draco sent three blasts of fire towards where Marie had been, lip curling in fury when he heard them collide uselessly with the wall. He stalked slowly, silently, curving his path around the sides of the room where he guessed she would attempt to hide.

Draco kept his breathing quiet, relying on his sense of hearing. Downstairs, the sounds of dueling and combat had slowed. He cocked his head at the faint but unmistakable noise of a door creaking a few feet from him, darted forward and with a forceful push of his hand sent a blast of energy through the room, knocking Marie to the ground and sending her wand flying away from her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement as someone reached up and caught the wand.

Draco spun to face them, was already in the process of sending a curse in the direction of the movement when his eyes widened and he jerked his arm to the side so the spell missed.

It was Hermione.

She looked terrified, her chest rising and falling with short breaths. But her arm was steady as she pointed Marie's wand straight at Draco.