Harry's wrists dropped into his lap, and a second later Hermione had thrown her arms around him and was crying into his hair. Over her shoulder he could see Draco getting to his feet and brushing glass off his clothes. He was looking at Harry and Hermione and his eyes were very cold.
Harry put his arms around Hermione rather stiffly. For nor reason that he could understand, he was feeling extremely angry with her. 'Where's Ron?' he said sharply.
'Ron?' Hermione pulled away from him in confusion and rubbed her eyes.
'He's…he's back at school,' she said, startled. 'I left him a note.'
'You left him a note?' said Harry disbelievingly.
Hermione opened her mouth and then shut it again. She couldn't believe Harry was being so obtuse; she also couldn't believe that practically the first words out of her mouth had been Wheres Ron? Wasn't he happy to see her at all?
'Ron hates Draco,' she said in a shaking voice. 'He wouldn't have agreed to come.'
'Yeah he would,' said Harry.
This, Hermione had to admit, was true. 'Okay, he would have, since it was for you,' she said, 'but I would have to have explained the whole thing to him and he would have taken forever to come around to the idea of going with Draco and it would have taken hours, and I thought we'd be back by morning anyway, and Harry…..' Her voice broke off. 'Once I found out….all I thought about was getting to you and making sure you were all right.'
Harry was just looking at her with a very odd expression on his face. 'Did I hear you right?' he said. 'Did you just call Malfoy Draco?'
Draco stepped forward, putting himself between Harry and Hermione. 'Look, Potter,' he said sharply. 'I know you don't like me. I don't like you either. I would have let my father toss you in the dungeon to die if it were up to me. But it isn't.
And whether or not you believe me, you should at least believe Hermione that we are here to SAVE YOUR LIFE YOU UNGRATEFUL GIT!' Draco yelled the last part.
'So let's get going!'
Harry blinked. Then he said, in a perfectly controlled voice, 'I am not going with you.'
Hermione and Draco gaped at him. Even Draco appeared to have nothing to say.
Finally Hermione gasped, in a tiny voice, 'Why not?'
Harry sighed. Then he explained about Sirius, about McNair's plan to trap Harry at Malfoy Manor and hand him over to Voldemort, and about Wormtail. Finally he added, 'And I think there's something wrong with your mother, Malfoy.'
'Ah,' said Draco. 'Insults. Of course.'
'No,' said Harry, 'I mean there's something really wrong with her. She seems really unhappy and she fainted this afternoon when they brought Sirius in.'
This shut Draco up.
Hermione's lips were trembling but her chin was firmly set. 'That's it,' she said.
'We're on a rescue mission. We'll just have to get Sirius as well.'
'That won't be easy,' said Harry. 'I tried to get into the dungeon today and it set off all sorts of alarms-' 'There's spells on all entrances to the chambers under the house,' said Draco, 'you have to have Malfoy blood in you to even get the doors open. We don't like strangers.'
'Or anybody else,' said Harry. 'There's not a lot of positive energy in this house, you know that Malfoy? That's about all I've learned being here. That, and you really need a better central heating system.'
'Harry, I bet you've learned a lot of helpful stuff,' said Hermione placatingly. 'I'm sure you-' 'It's all homework to you, isn't it Hermione?' interrupted Harry rather nastily.
'Fine, then. I've learned that the Malfoys have madness in their family, which makes sense since everyone in this house is completely bonkers; I've learned that blondes do not have more fun; oh, and I've learned that Draco has a birthmark exactly the shape of the United Kingdom on his bum.'
'I do not,' said Draco.
'You do too.'
'Ooh, let me see,' said Hermione.
'No,' said Harry and Draco together.
'What do you care, Harry, it's not even your body,' Hermione pointed out reasonably.
'Well, if you behave, I might let you see Scotland.'
'It's my body,' said Draco sharply, 'and I will not let you exploit it. Look at you!'
he added, 'poncing around shirtless, you could hardly wait to get my clothes off could you? Nice to have muscles for a change, isn't it, Potter?'
'Don't be stupid,' said Harry. 'You've got pipe-cleaner arms, Malfoy, and you know it.' He windmilled them for emphasis. 'Look! All bone!'
'BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP,' said Hermione with finality. 'We should be talking about Sirius.'
'Oh,' said Harry, feeling extremely guilty, 'Right.'
And then it happened. There was a knock on the bedroom door. They all froze, staring at one another with wide eyes and hoping that whoever it was would just go away. But as the knocking became louder and more insistent, the door began to shake on its hinges.
Harry pointed at Hermione and Draco. 'You two,' he hissed, 'Into the wardrobe!
Now!'
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