Orpheus' Legacy

The Thin Line Between Reckless and Brave

Harry waited with increasing panic. Time was passing quickly, the Ministry would be due soon, as well as the Death Eaters, to the cottage. In fact they should be there right about now, and if Draco hadn't gotten there in time then this would have been a pointless endeavour.

What if Draco had ditched the plan? What if he was actually still on the side of the Death Eaters, and he'd just been waiting for the chance to mess something up?

No. That couldn't be it. Harry wouldn't believe it. He just needed to think logically, if Draco had intended to mess something up, chances are he would wait for something bigger before making a move. While this was not exactly a reassuring thought, another thing occurred to him, that Draco had been willing to change things, already thinking up a plan to fix the timeline before he'd even seen Harry. He'd sought him out when he hadn't had to. That was reassurance enough.

Still. There was a possibility something worse had happened. What if Draco hadn't changed the plan, but rather been thwarted? He could be struggling against a dozen Death Eaters right now and Harry would be none the wiser.

This image sent a rush of dread through Harry and before he even registered his actions, he was on his feet. Right as he'd made up his mind- he'd save Draco no matter what it took- a loud crack sounded from the bushes nearby, and Draco himself came stumbling out of the undergrowth.

Relief washed over Harry in waves at the sight of the silver-haired boy.

"Where have you been!"

Draco ran towards him, breathing heavily.

"I couldn-"

Harry cut him off.

"God, I was so worried, I thought you'd bailed on the plan and joined the Death Eaters!"

Before Draco had a chance to be insulted, Harry continued his rant.

"And then I realised, you wouldn't do that, you're still a dickhead but you're not that bad anymore," Draco rolled his eyes, "and then I had the most awful thought that you'd been captured instead, and I was about to get up and drag your sorry arse all the way here myse-"
Valiantly ignoring the meaning behind pleased flutter in his chest at hearing that Potter was worried for him, Draco pressed an exasperated hand over Potter's mouth.

"Okay, alright Potter spare me your overblown ego. I don't need the play-by-play of your unnecessary heroics."

Harry smiled bashfully, "Sorry, got carried away."

"Clearly." Draco responded, though there was no malice behind his words.

He hadn't realised when he'd stopped actually hating Potter, but he found he didn't mind his new indifference towards the boy.

"Okay!" Potter turned and trampled back through the bushes to the clearing the Death Eaters would soon be arriving at. "The Ministry should be here any minute now, we need to direct them to their hiding places and that should be it, we can leave after that." A contemplative look crossed his face, "Although, we could stick around just to make sure they do their job. In fact they might not even take it very seriously"

Draco nodded in agreement, "it wouldn't hurt to be careful, it certainly wouldn't be the first time they've failed to deliver."

Harry snorted in response, and they moved to the clearing edge and waited. Draco stayed just out of sight, hidden but ready to spring into action if need be.

Crack.

Minutes had passed, and a series of wizards and witches in Ministry robes appeared in the clearing. Harry stepped forward slowly. A portly man with greying hair turned at the sound.