Shackles

Chapter 6

There was a misty silver haze in front of Draco's eyes, and no matter how much he blinked, it wouldn't go away. He wandered around in it aimlessly, but there were no landmarks anywhere to mark his progress. He wasn't scared, but it was terribly boring just hanging around in the mist. Every once in a while, he'd hear an echoing voice that sounded distant. He couldn't make out the words, but he thought it sounded like Potter.

He'd been sulking in the fog for a while when he felt a change. The mist started clearing a bit, and the edges became tinged in gold. He heard the voice more clearly, and it was getting closer.

I need you on my side

He felt like he was rising out of the mist, slowly. He blinked his eyes, and the fog started clearing faster until he could feel the hard floor against his back, something soft under his head, and warm fingers threaded through his hair.

Green eyes looked down at him in concern and it took him a moment to recognize Potter.

"What–" he coughed and blinked some more. "What's going on, Potter?"

"I found a room full of potions, and I remembered which one you said cures you. We're still there, by the way, in case you wanted to look at all the potions."

Draco frowned and asked, "Are we still in the stupid challenge thing?"

"Yes." The fingers in his hair curled tighter.

"Idiot. I told you to leave me there."

"I refused. There's no way I could leave you there, by yourself. You were defenceless!"

"I would have been fine." Draco bit his lip, wondering whether he should tell Potter his suspicions on why they were there to begin with.

"So are any of these potions useful in our future struggles to escape this mad place?" Potter asked, rubbing his free hand over the back of his head.

Draco sat up, missing the feel of Potter's fingers on his scalp before quickly and mercilessly battering the longing down again. There was no time for this.

"Polyjuice? Hard to brew and valuable. Veritaserum," he uncorked the nearest one and smelled it. "Not this one. This isn't even a potion, it's vodka. This one? No scent."

He thought of every clear potion that had no scent and came up with nothing that would harm him. He dipped a finger in the vial and licked it. No taste either.

"Potter, ask me what colour my eyes are."

Potter did, and he even as he tried to say "brown" he felt compelled to say "grey".

"Veritaserum..."

"You just took Veritaserum?" Potter asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, but only a bit. Not even the regulation three drops."

"How long do the effects last at that dosage?"

"At best, a couple of minutes." Draco became slightly nervous, suddenly realizing that there were a few things that he knew that he definitely didn't want anyone finding out.

"Do you know why we're here?"

"Yes. I would have answered that one even without Truth Serum you know, Potter."

"How do you know?"

"I figured it out from what we've been shown. Specifically, the memories in the pensieve."

"Are the people who have us here dangerous?"

"Oh yes, very."

"Malfoy, why didn't you bloody say something then?" Potter's green eyes were narrowed.