Accidental Affection

25 - Sophia Madrid

As Draco began to hoist himself up to the main floor, something glistening caught his eye, causing him to drop back down into the cold room. His foot slipped slightly on the floor which had begun to ice over.

"Draco! What are you doing?" Hermione called down frantically.

"I see something. Hold them off."

"There's too many! I can't hold them off for long!"

"Please, Hermione! You're doing great. Just give me a moment."

Reaching out his hand he rubbed the small area that he had saw glisten, revealing a grimy port window, just slightly larger than his hand. Wiping the grime that had transferred onto the palm of his hand onto his slacks he peers into the streaked window.

"Hermione, I see her! She's down here."

"Who?"

"That girl that Zabini was dragging. She's still unconscious. I can't figure out how to get in."

"Draco hurry!" Hermione cries out as the dementors begin to push up on her Patronus.

Draco's fingers frantically glide around the surface of the wall.

"RON! GEORGE! Please come help!" Hermione calls over her shoulder.

Within seconds Draco heard a thud on the ground as a beagle began to frolic about the dementors.

"Oi, what's shakin'?" George asked as he appears alongside Draco.

Draco's fingers slide across a small opening, reaching his fingers in, he pulled, unlatching the door. "Hurry! Help me."

Together they unbound Sophia from the chair, dragging her body toward the opening.

"Hold her a little higher," Bill's voice directed.

"We can't hold her any higher without dropping her!" George called up.

"I'm coming down," Harry warned before dropping. "Ron, Hermione, help them levitate Sophia. I'll hold off the Dementors!"

Hermione and Ron's Patronuses disappeared with a silvery mist before pointing their wand toward Sophia.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry's stag burst through the tip of his wand, causing the dementors to stumble backward.

Working together they successfully and carefully levitated Sophia's limp body through the small opening.

Once again, two silvery mist shot downward, taking the form of the otter and the beagle to hold off the dementors allowing the three men to hoist themselves from the musty cellar.

Hermione began to back away from the hole, her Patronus still frolicking around the cloaked figures. "Let's get out of here!"

She's met with a few mumbles of agreement as George and Bill work together to drag Sophia's body through the doors out into the thickly forested area. Hermione, Ron, and Harry work together to ensure the dementors stay put allowing the others time to escape, before rushing out and disappearing and reappearing back to the burrow.

~~~~~ * ~~~~~ * ~~~~~ * ~~~~~ * ~~~~~

Hermione and Ginny exit the room in which Sophia lay still unconscious on the bed, Mrs. Weasley followed close behind, closing the door with a soft click.

"How is she?" Harry stood from the floor in which he had been resting.

"She is alive." Ginny began, "but she's really bad off."

Hermione swallowed hard, "She had 2 broken ribs, her right hand was broken, both eyes swollen shut and her lip is split pretty bad."

"I patched her up as best as I could. We'll keep a close watch on her," Mrs. Weasley assured.