Escaping Darkness [Book 1 of Through Darkness and Light]

Chapter 31: The End of Bloodshed

A/n: Hey, so listen to the song at your right. It pretty much sums up Draco and Harry's love life. :3 Um...and the picture is a sneak peek at the sequel's cover. Warning: This is a brutal chapter. It's a war. Blood and death is natural...okay, perhaps I was a little descriptive... But I think y'all will survive. So...don't hate me...please? There will be lots of happy Draco in the sequel...well, more happy Draco than now anyways... :/ Don't listen to me. Read. Fan. Vote. Comment. Refavoment. :D

~~~

Harry and Draco looked at each other, dismay and annoyance on their faces. “We’ve got to get people out of here,” Harry said firmly. “I’ll go with a few of the Order members, and hold off Death Eaters, while you evacuate everyone else. Hermione, go with Draco and help him. Draco, send me a thought when you’re done, so the rest of us can get out as well.”

Draco grabbed his arm before he could stand. “No, Harry, I won’t lose you,” he said desperately. Harry met his gaze.

“You won’t. Go.”

Wrenching his arm away, Harry took off, taking Blaise with him and leaving Pansy behind to help. “Come on, Draco, listen to your husband,” she cried, as Draco attempted to follow Harry. “He knows what he’s doing…”

“But he needs me!”

Hermione stopped him as well. “Draco, go. Harry will only be distracted if you don’t. You’re hurting him by not listening.” Draco frowned, unhappy, but he complied, racing with Pansy and Hermione towards the assembled guests. Faintly, Draco could already hear Harry rallying those who were Aurors.

“Tonks, find Lupin and Moody. We need them!”

A purple and pink-streaked head raced past the trio, as they ran towards the panicked guests. “We can’t Apparate away,” one woman shrieked. “They’ve put up Anti-Apparition wards!” Upon hearing this, Hermione frowned, and shut her eyes in concentration.

“I can break them down,” she called to Draco. “Protect the guests! Pansy, watch my back!” Hermione began to murmur things under her breath, waving her wand every few seconds. Draco looked around wildly, as things erupted. Lights flashed from wands, as a few of the guests began to drive off attacking Death Eaters. Draco Stupefied a few, before the majority of them were drawn off, towards Harry and his gang of Order members. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall were both protecting Harry’s flank, as he fought. For a moment, Draco was filled with admiration for his husband’s bravery. A spell whizzing by his head brought his attention back.

“Petrificus totalus,” he growled, his wand snapping towards the offending Death Eater.

“Got them!” Hermione crowed a few moments later. “Apparate, now!” Loud pops signaled the guests’ obedience and their frantic getaway. Soon, she called to Draco, “That’s the last of them! Get Harry and the others out now!”

Draco nodded, immediately dropping the barriers to his mind. Harry! he screamed in his mind. Get out of there!

To his horror, there was no response. “He’s blocking me!” he screeched to Hermione. He tried again, this time sensing a different presence. Draco fell to his knees as the presence turned from Harry’s mind, and focused on his, its weight crashing into him. He found himself throwing up his own barriers. “He’s Occluding!” he grunted, fighting against the intruding force. “Someone’s using Legilimens against him!”

Hermione’s face paled. “Where is he?” she demanded, looking around the mass of writhing bodies. Spells flew from everywhere, as more and more Death Eaters and Aurors appeared, and began to fight in small clusters. “Who’s using Legilimens?”