I object ~slowburn

25| Wands Blazing

• Draco's POV •

We were all sitting around the Weasley-Granger dinner table but no one was really eating, which was actually shocking because I recalled Ron being quite the glutton.

"I feel awful, Harry's been through enough already, we all have," Hermione frowned.

"Yeah ever since the beginning of his life," I felt hot tears in my eyes.
The atmosphere was so heavy around us and it felt like he had died. Oh no don't think that. The very idea of that made me want to pitch myself off a cliff.

"That's it!" Hermione snapped her fingers, "the start of it all!"

Ron and I stared at her, not following.

"What are you saying dear?" He asked.

"No time to explain, we're apparating right now- Draco you're a genius,"

"Well yeah obviously but-,"

She grabbed all of our hands and the familiar stomach sloshing sensation overcame me as we apparated to Merlin knows where.

The stomach sloshing ceased and I opened my eyes to see my feet in a cobblestone road. The sky was dimming with the evening. It looked like an ordinary village to me.

"Godrics Hallow," Hermione breathed.
The Godrics Hallow? As in the one where little Harry defeated Voldemort for the first time? I looked around, half expecting to see a little raven haired boy being pushed in a stroller.

"This is where his parents..." Ron said.

"Let's go check the graveyard, him and I went there on Christmas that one time," she began to lead the way.

Sure enough, crumpled into a ball was Harry. My Harry.
All small and shivering. Somehow my heart shattered but soared at the same time. We had found him but why did he go-

The very unpopular red haired girl showed up in an instant.

"Ginny you stay away from him!" Ron yelled in a way that only older brothers could manage.
She ignored us completely and tugged on his arm.
I went to hex her but they were gone.

"She took him!" I screamed.
I screamed it over and over.

"Ron, where do you think she went?" Hermione asked over my shrieks.

"How should I know?" He snapped.

"Because you're her brother!"

He scoffed. "I don't know, her house?"

"Alright everyone gather around," She beckoned us.
Ron went red.

"I was only being sarcastic!" He exclaimed.

"Too bad it's our only lead,"

One stomach sloshing later and we were in the bushes in front of a two story cottage. It would have been a cute home if not for the inhabitant. I started towards it but Hermione pulled me back down.

"What the devil do you think you're doing?" I hissed.

"We need to time this right, I can see her, if we go in wands blazing he could get hurt," she explained.
That made sense. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. A trick I took from one of Harry's sessions with Arabella. I would have to give her a raise if we got through this in one piece.

We sat watching though the windows for a while. I really had to count hard after watching her stroke his hair back while he slept. Just as I do every morning and every time he has a bad dream.

Suddenly he woke up and was looking thoroughly confunded. They spoke but I couldn't hear it. He shoved past her.

"I'm leaving," he said.
More inaudible verbal exchange until I saw him mutter something to the above and lunge at her.
I couldn't help but grin as he ripped the bitch a new one. She fought back and they were circling around each other.

"Now!" Hermione led the charge and we were in. All three of us disarmed Ginny with an expelliarmus, sending her backwards and adequately cracking the wall.

Harry stood with his mouth agape. He looked at us as if he'd never seen us before.

"I had it under control," he muttered gruffly.

"Right," Hermione rolled her eyes.
I didn't hold myself back any longer and I ran to him. My arms wrapped around his torso and the momentum sent us backwards.

"Don't ever leave me again," I said against his chest. He inhaled sharply, making me realize I knocked the wind out of him.
"I'm sorry, are you okay?" I helped him sit up.
He nodded. He looked like he was still in a daze. The pain, the self loathing, the anguish, was all visible on his face. I wanted to kiss it away. And that was what I did, despite the room being occupied. To hell with them. I would have kissed him even if the damn Minister were here.
Oh wait.
She is.

His lips felt cracked beneath mine, but I paid no mind. I had feared that I may not have ever gotten the chance to do this again. Harry responded by cupping my cheek with his hand.
I laughed with relief.

"Oh get a room," Ron groaned.
I shot him a very nasty, Malfoy patented, sneer.

"What happens to her now?" Harry pointed to Ginny's limp figure beside the fireplace.

"We bury her in the backyard," I smirked. His eyes bugged out and he let out a whimper.

"Relax I'm only half serious,"

Ron picked his sister up and woke her with a spell. In my opinion, a kick to the side would have sufficed.

She blinked around wildly.

"Ginny Weasley, as Minister for Magic I am placing a restraining bind on you so that if you ever, ever come near Harry again you will be sent to Azkaban," Hermione said in her familiar authoritative tone.

Beside me I felt Harry let go of a breath he had been holding on to.

Aurors were summoned to officialize the bind and soon we were out of there.

Back at the Granger- Weasleys.

Harry barely uttered two words since we found him.

"Are you alright?" I put a hand on his knee. He nodded but it looked strained. I frowned

"Fine. I'm not alright," he whispered.

"Is it because of Ginny?"

"Sort of," he said.

"What is it?" I was nervous to hear, just as he was to say.

"Promise not to get too mad okay?"