Lions Vs Snakes

Chapter Nineteen

As all his fellow Griffindors slowly left the common room to retire to their soft four-poster beds, Harry thought about his angry white ferret.

Harry had decided , if no one was going to help him he would have to save Draco himslef. He recalled the time when he had tried to run off on his own and hoped this time Dobby wouldn't try to stop him.

How could they, Harry thought. Draco is not evil. If anyone is it's Hermione's no good, for lack of a better word, boyfriend.

Hermione had ended up having the same exact idea that Harry had. Hermione however had been unable to prepare much of a rescue plan. She knew the boys would go with her if they hadn't set out on their own already.

She had witnessed the evils of her lover being stripped of his pride. Seen the blood and felt the pain of Bella's wrath. She could not sit there safely at Hogwarts whist that pain and agony danced upon her lovers bloodstained back.

Despite the strict castle security, and one tiny house elf's attempts to keep them safe, the trio successfully made it outside of Hogwarts grounds. Where they could apparate as they pleased.

"Harry, Hermione, where exactly are we going?" Ron knew they were looking for his best friends' missing lovers, but where were they looking? "I mean where did they take them?"

Hermione snapped "Where else Ronald!?"

Ron was startled at his friend's behavior. Hermione would never be so snappy like that. She must have been stressing out.

"Malfoy Manor." Harry said.
"Hermione what's the plan?"

"Why must I always come up with the plan?" Hermione sighed.

Yes. Ron confirmed to himself. She is very stressed.

With little effort to plan, the trio apparated just outside Malfoy Manor. It seemed far more creepy now that it was mostly abandoned. Or at least made to look that way.

The group crept along the hedges outside the gate to the mansion. From afar Ron noticed a figure on the porch.

"Harry..." Ron shook Harry's shoulder and pointed at the figure. "Is that...oh..."

Harry looked at the figure "Draco?"

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. His eyes must be lying to him. Wearing his signature black suit and white dress shirt, Draco stood on the porch of his huge house.

His lover looked healthier than Harry had imagined him. He wasn't locked up in a basement somewhere reduced to eating food worse than that of Askaban.

He was free to go where ever he wanted. He could have returned to Hogwarts if he had really wanted to. No. Harry wouldn't think like that. Somehow he was trapped in the manor. He hadn't joined the deatheaters again and he sure as hell didn't leave Harry willingly. He didnt. He wouldn't.

"Harry. I don't think Draco needs any rescuing from us." Ron stated what Hermione had wanted to say.

"You don't know what happened!" Harry snapped at his friends. Tears swelled up in his eyes. "I know Draco and he would never join them!"

"Harry!" Hermione shouted but it was too late. Harry was running toward the manor. He magically unlocked the fence (a trick Draco and Snape had showed him), and ran to Draco.

Harry was convincing himslef that Draco would go with him back to Hogwarts and explain everything. Then everything would go back to the way it had been before and everything would be okay.

When Draco saw his boyfriend his face brightened. The happy look on his face didn't last long. He jumped as he heard his aunt Bella unlock the front door. Quickly he tackled Harry, and they fell behind a bush.

"Draco!" Bellatrix's scream shattered the crispy late night air. "Draco you little runt!"

Draco whispered "stay down" to Harry and stood up. Brushing the leaves off him. "I...er..."

Bella cackled "think I didn't see your little boyfriend!?"

She brought up her wand and pointed it at the bush. As she was about to send a spell, Hermione jump out of the other hedges inside the gate and with her own wand, blocked Harry from the spell.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled. He was outside the gate still. He was struggling to open the gate.

Quickly as he could Harry took over the fighting with Bella's spell. Hermione unlocked the gate to the mansion and Ron came stumbling to the now large deatheater crowd.

Spells were being fired from both sides. Draco ran into the house taking one final look before dissappearing into the darkness.

Hermione's eyes mindlessly searched the crowd for Severus not sure where she wanted him to be. Or if she would ever see him again.

The trio fought hard but Hermione got knocked out by a spell she wasn't quick enough to counter.

Within seconds Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been captured. Their wands confiscated and still no sign of Snape or Draco.

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So sorry the update took so long!
Hope this is a good chapter!