Drarry: The Boy Who Loved

The Plan

Harry couldn't exactly remember how they'd gotten into this conundrum. The last few hours were a bit of a blur; Narcissa had bound their wrists and ankles with loose rope and led them directly to the dungeon, where they'd spent the past fifteen minutes in the dark, in silence.

"I can't believe this," Ginny said finally, her voice echoing slightly.

"I can," Ron said sourly. "Malfoy was probably on his parent's side all along."

"He wouldn't do that," Harry sighed. "He probably doesn't even know we're here."

................

Harry was right. Draco was completely unaware that his roommate and apartment friends were just on the other side of the wall, trapped and talking about him. 

No, he was listening to his father's ridiculously detailed plan with horror, realizing that yes, it could actually work, even if it wasn't likely. 

And then he was being sent upstairs by his father and ushered hurriedly to his room by his mother, who shut the door firmly behind him. Draco was left alone in the dark with only his fears for company.

They didn't even give him pajamas. 

So he shrugged off his robes and fell back onto his bed. It was midnight. Roughly seven hours ago, his father was arriving at his front door. I should've said no. I shouldn't've answered. I should've stayed hidden. I shouldn't've given up.

The thoughts whirled around his head until he couldn't take it anymore. He snapped on his bedside lamp, grabbed a razor off his nightstand, and slashed.

.................

"I got it," Luna whispered. "I got it!"

"What?" Ron asked grumpily.

"I cut the ropes. Let me see your wrists."

Ron sat up, instantly alert. "Yeah, okay."

"Yay, Luna!" Neville whispered, sitting up.

One by one, their ropes were scattered on the ground. They were free.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Hermione sighed, massaging her wrists. 

"I think I know how to get to Draco," Harry whispered, and then: "Expecto Patronum!"

The stag burst out of his wand tip and cantered around the room, throwing a silvery light onto everything. Harry gently touched its nose. "Take us to Draco Malfoy," he instructed. Instantly, the stag whirled around and faded right through the door.

"We don't have a key!" Ginny realized, but Cho pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. "Don't worry guys, I got this." She inserted it into the keyhole and turned it right, then left, then right again, until a loud click announced it had worked.

"Where'd you learn that?" Ron asked incredulously.

Cho's face fell. "Uh, Fred taught me," she said quietly, "When we were in fifth year."

"Oh," Ron responded, voice choked. Hermione put an arm around him.

Harry opened the door, hoping to escape the awkward conversation. The stag was waiting patiently for them on the other side. As soon as they were all out, it stepped carefully up the stairs and then down the hallway, passing through some sort of library and into a long hallway. Then up another flight. And then it stopped, shimmering just outside a large, black door with an ornate knob.

"I think this is it," Harry breathed, his heart thumping wildly. 

"How do we let him know we're here?" Ginny whispered.

"I got this," Harry murmured, and bent down, slipping the tip of his wand under the door.

................

Draco's eyes were half-closed and blurry when something small and silver flew into his room. Then it got bigger. Then it stood right over him.

Draco was almost afraid to open his eyes, but he did anyway. What he saw took his breath away. It was a silver stag, stood patiently over him as if waiting for him to wake up. "Potter," he whispered, and sat up, stretching out a finger.

Before he could touch it, it stepped delicately over to the door and then waited. Draco frowned and stood up. He walked over to the door and looked at the stag cautiously. It seemed to him it nodded slightly. He reached a trembling hand out and wrapped his fingers around the doorknob, hesitated, and then pulled it open. 

He almost screamed.

There were all his friends, dressed in wrinkled formal clothes. He would've laughed if he weren't terrified. 

Harry felt a kind of fierce joy when he saw Malfoy, bathed in light from the stag standing next to him. He jumped up and slammed Malfoy into his chest, hugging him tightly. 

"Finally," Ron said from behind him. "For the love of Merlin, don't scare us like that again."

"I scared you?" Draco asked, his throat dry. "I scared you?" 

"Sorry if we startled you," Hermione said, dragging Harry off of him. "But we should get out of here."

"Wait, hold on," Harry said, holding up his hands for silence. "Why'd they take you here?"

Draco sighed inaudibly. "They're increasing their ranks again," he said quietly. "It seems they didn't catch all the Death Eaters."

"That makes no sense," Cho said, confused. "Why're they getting together? Their leader is dead!"

"That's their plan," Draco said, staring directly at Harry. "They're bringing Voldemort back."