A Christmas Wish - Part Twenty-Seven
Dec. 23rd, 2013 09:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alisanneTitle: A Christmas Wish - Part Twenty-Seven
Author:alisanne
Prompt used:![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
slythindor100/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
slythindor100's 2013 Christmas prompt #23: Don’t Open until Christmas underpants.
Word Count: 1025
Rating: PG
Warning: EWE, AU.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's Notes: Thanks tosevfan and emynn for the beta. This is part twenty-seven in my Christmas Wish Series.
Previous parts are: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five, and Twenty-Six.
~
A Christmas Wish - Part Twenty-Seven
~
Leaning against a window, Harry watched as the snow fell, thickly blanketing the ground. Was Draco inside or out? Was his magic being extracted as Harry stood around doing nothing? Will I ever find him?
Frustrated, he spun and, grabbing a random Christmas cracker party favour that just happened to be on a nearby table, he pulled it apart. It burst, spilling its contents: a set of tin handcuffs, a tiny key, and a pair of silky red underpants that read ‘do not open until Christmas’ across the front.
“Will you please stop fidgeting?” Hermione said from across the room.
Shoving the underpants into his pocket, Harry turned to face her. “I wouldn’t be fidgeting if I was the one conducting the interrogation.”
“You can’t, you’re too close to the case,” Hermione reminded him.
Harry huffed but had no answer to that because it was true. Pacing back and forth in front of the window, he bit out, “Fine, but what’s taking so long?”
“Actually, I’m just glad that Kingsley let us use these rooms in his mansion for the interrogation in the first place,” replied Hermione evenly. “Especially given that there’s still a reception going on. We’d still be trying to get a proper interrogation room if we’d had to haul Smith all the way to the Ministry.”
That was true, too. Harry didn’t have to like it, however. “I still wish I was the one questioning Smith,” he muttered darkly.
Hermione sighed, walking over to him. “I know you’re worried, Harry, but we can’t rush this. We have to get all the information the right way.”
“And if we don’t find Draco in time?” Harry’s hands clenched into fists.
“Luna’s on standby waiting for a Floo call,” Hermione said, tone soft. “The second we find him she’ll be there.”
Which didn’t answer Harry’s question, but he knew better than to ask it again. She was right, everything depended on Ron extracting Draco’s location from Smith. And if that failed-- Harry closed his eyes. It can’t fail. It just can’t.
The door to the other room opened and Ron emerged, looking grim. Harry hurried towards him. “Well?”
“Honestly? I think his mind’s cracked.” Ron ran a hand through his hair. “He keeps going on about how Malfoy owes society and the best way for him to pay us back is by giving up his magic to those who can use it for good--”
“What about Draco’s location?” Harry interrupted.
Ron shook his head. “All he’ll say is that Cho gave him coordinates and that’s where he met her. He admits to hexing Malfoy so Cho could take him, but after that he’s useless.”
One of Ron’s team, Miller, approached. “Cho Chang’s flat is clean,” he said. “And the neighbours last saw her this morning. I left someone watching for her.”
“Do we know what she does?” Hermione asked.
“She’s a Healer trainee,” replied Miller. “I’m trying to get in contact with the Head Healer at St Mungo’s, a man named Dugan, but he’s on holiday this week. His second was in the office today, but is out this evening.”
“So basically we have no clues.” Harry, who had started pacing again, paused. “Wait, does Cho have an office at St Mungo’s?”
Hermione pursed her lips. “I doubt trainees get an office, but I imagine they have a room where they keep their things, equipment and such.”
Miller nodded. “I’m on it.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Harry.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want to wait and see if Smith cracks?”
“It’s taking too long.” Harry drew his wand. “You know as well as I do that the chance of Draco remaining unharmed goes down the longer he’s missing.”
“Shall I come with you?” Expression concerned, Hermione clasped his shoulder.
Harry smiled. “George is going to kill me if I keep you out much longer.”
She shrugged. “He knew what he was getting into when he married an Unspeakable.”
Ron smirked. “Yes he did.” He coughed as Hermione turned to glare at him. “Right, you two go and I’ll handle Smith. I’ll send a Patronus if he says anything useful.”
Minutes later they were standing in front of St Mungo’s. “I’ll talk to the staff about where the trainees keep their stuff,” said Miller before trotting off.
Hermione looked around, shivering. “It’s cold tonight. I really hope he’s inside.”
Me, too. Harry nodded. “Maybe you should go inside as well. I’ll do a quick sweep of the grounds, then I’ll join you.”
Nodding, Hermione started for the door, and Harry stomped around the building, scanning as he went. Behind the hospital there was a street, separating its grounds from a park, with snow-covered park benches dotting the park’s perimeter.
The night was silent, the only sound Harry’s boots crunching in the snow. He rounded the third corner and froze. Someone was bending over a figure that had collapsed in the snow. “Oi!” he called, starting towards them.
The person straightened up and Harry recognised Cho. Wand out, Harry began to run.
Cho’s face twisted. “You meddler!” she shouted, pointing her wand.
Before Harry could do anything, however, Cho toppled over into the snow and the figure that had been on the ground slowly sat up. His white-blond hair glinted in the cold light of the streetlamp.
“Stupefy”! Harry shouted as Cho struggled to get up. He smiled grimly as she once again collapsed.
When he got to Draco, he looked almost frozen, with snow covering most of him. “Are you all right?” Harry asked, dropping to his knees in the snow and gathering Draco to him. “Draco?”
Draco, who had been visibly shivering, went still in his arms. “Took you...long enough...” he whispered before his eyes rolled back in his head.
Frantic, Harry somehow calmed enough to close his eyes and gather his will. “Expecto Patronum”! he cried. When, a moment later it was before him, he snapped, “Get Luna. Get Luna and Hermione!”
~
Author:
alisannePrompt used:
slythindor100/slythindor100's 2013 Christmas prompt #23: Don’t Open until Christmas underpants.Word Count: 1025
Rating: PG
Warning: EWE, AU.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's Notes: Thanks to
sevfan and emynn for the beta. This is part twenty-seven in my Christmas Wish Series. Previous parts are: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Twenty-Five, and Twenty-Six.
~
A Christmas Wish - Part Twenty-Seven
~
Leaning against a window, Harry watched as the snow fell, thickly blanketing the ground. Was Draco inside or out? Was his magic being extracted as Harry stood around doing nothing? Will I ever find him?
Frustrated, he spun and, grabbing a random Christmas cracker party favour that just happened to be on a nearby table, he pulled it apart. It burst, spilling its contents: a set of tin handcuffs, a tiny key, and a pair of silky red underpants that read ‘do not open until Christmas’ across the front.
“Will you please stop fidgeting?” Hermione said from across the room.
Shoving the underpants into his pocket, Harry turned to face her. “I wouldn’t be fidgeting if I was the one conducting the interrogation.”
“You can’t, you’re too close to the case,” Hermione reminded him.
Harry huffed but had no answer to that because it was true. Pacing back and forth in front of the window, he bit out, “Fine, but what’s taking so long?”
“Actually, I’m just glad that Kingsley let us use these rooms in his mansion for the interrogation in the first place,” replied Hermione evenly. “Especially given that there’s still a reception going on. We’d still be trying to get a proper interrogation room if we’d had to haul Smith all the way to the Ministry.”
That was true, too. Harry didn’t have to like it, however. “I still wish I was the one questioning Smith,” he muttered darkly.
Hermione sighed, walking over to him. “I know you’re worried, Harry, but we can’t rush this. We have to get all the information the right way.”
“And if we don’t find Draco in time?” Harry’s hands clenched into fists.
“Luna’s on standby waiting for a Floo call,” Hermione said, tone soft. “The second we find him she’ll be there.”
Which didn’t answer Harry’s question, but he knew better than to ask it again. She was right, everything depended on Ron extracting Draco’s location from Smith. And if that failed-- Harry closed his eyes. It can’t fail. It just can’t.
The door to the other room opened and Ron emerged, looking grim. Harry hurried towards him. “Well?”
“Honestly? I think his mind’s cracked.” Ron ran a hand through his hair. “He keeps going on about how Malfoy owes society and the best way for him to pay us back is by giving up his magic to those who can use it for good--”
“What about Draco’s location?” Harry interrupted.
Ron shook his head. “All he’ll say is that Cho gave him coordinates and that’s where he met her. He admits to hexing Malfoy so Cho could take him, but after that he’s useless.”
One of Ron’s team, Miller, approached. “Cho Chang’s flat is clean,” he said. “And the neighbours last saw her this morning. I left someone watching for her.”
“Do we know what she does?” Hermione asked.
“She’s a Healer trainee,” replied Miller. “I’m trying to get in contact with the Head Healer at St Mungo’s, a man named Dugan, but he’s on holiday this week. His second was in the office today, but is out this evening.”
“So basically we have no clues.” Harry, who had started pacing again, paused. “Wait, does Cho have an office at St Mungo’s?”
Hermione pursed her lips. “I doubt trainees get an office, but I imagine they have a room where they keep their things, equipment and such.”
Miller nodded. “I’m on it.”
“I’ll go with you,” said Harry.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want to wait and see if Smith cracks?”
“It’s taking too long.” Harry drew his wand. “You know as well as I do that the chance of Draco remaining unharmed goes down the longer he’s missing.”
“Shall I come with you?” Expression concerned, Hermione clasped his shoulder.
Harry smiled. “George is going to kill me if I keep you out much longer.”
She shrugged. “He knew what he was getting into when he married an Unspeakable.”
Ron smirked. “Yes he did.” He coughed as Hermione turned to glare at him. “Right, you two go and I’ll handle Smith. I’ll send a Patronus if he says anything useful.”
Minutes later they were standing in front of St Mungo’s. “I’ll talk to the staff about where the trainees keep their stuff,” said Miller before trotting off.
Hermione looked around, shivering. “It’s cold tonight. I really hope he’s inside.”
Me, too. Harry nodded. “Maybe you should go inside as well. I’ll do a quick sweep of the grounds, then I’ll join you.”
Nodding, Hermione started for the door, and Harry stomped around the building, scanning as he went. Behind the hospital there was a street, separating its grounds from a park, with snow-covered park benches dotting the park’s perimeter.
The night was silent, the only sound Harry’s boots crunching in the snow. He rounded the third corner and froze. Someone was bending over a figure that had collapsed in the snow. “Oi!” he called, starting towards them.
The person straightened up and Harry recognised Cho. Wand out, Harry began to run.
Cho’s face twisted. “You meddler!” she shouted, pointing her wand.
Before Harry could do anything, however, Cho toppled over into the snow and the figure that had been on the ground slowly sat up. His white-blond hair glinted in the cold light of the streetlamp.
“Stupefy”! Harry shouted as Cho struggled to get up. He smiled grimly as she once again collapsed.
When he got to Draco, he looked almost frozen, with snow covering most of him. “Are you all right?” Harry asked, dropping to his knees in the snow and gathering Draco to him. “Draco?”
Draco, who had been visibly shivering, went still in his arms. “Took you...long enough...” he whispered before his eyes rolled back in his head.
Frantic, Harry somehow calmed enough to close his eyes and gather his will. “Expecto Patronum”! he cried. When, a moment later it was before him, he snapped, “Get Luna. Get Luna and Hermione!”
~
