SEVEN LIKE HELL

Xander isn't sure how much time passes in that basement. He finds out that it wasn't Diana, Luna Lovegood was there, along with Ollivander. Xander remembers buying his wand from Ollivander's shop when he was eleven, funny how much things had changed since then. Funny how it wasn't funny at all. There was another prisoner, a goblin named Griphook, but he wasn't very talkative. The death eaters didn't get any information from Xander mainly because he didn't know anything, but he had the cuts and bruises to show for it.

"You shouldn't have come," Diana mumbled one day, "Now we're just gonna waste away together. You don't deserve this -- Alecks and Jo need you."

"And your family needs you," Xander reassured, "We're not gonna waste away, we're going to get out of here, I know it."

As if on cue, the gate that was locking them in opened, and they were met with two new figures tumbling down the stairs. The gate was immediately locked and the two figures slammed themselves against it but to no avail.

"What are we gonna do? We can't leave Hermione alone with her?" one of the figures asked and Xander recognized him as Ron Weasley. If that was Ron that meant the other had to be Harry Potter, but something about him looked off.

"Ron?" Luna called out as she came out from behind one of the many columns in the cellar, "Harry?"

Ron raised something in his hand that was too thick to be a wand and a ball of light swept through the air, lighting the lantern that had gone out days ago. Harry spoke next, "Luna?"

Xander cleared his throat, "Hi, we're here too."

"Merlin, what have they got you lot in here for?" Ron asked, sounding bewildered to see three of their former classmates together in a situation such as this.

"Aren't you Malfoy's friend?" Harry asked, "What're you doing down here?"

Xander shrugged, "It's been a bit complicated since he tried to murder Dumbledore, gonna be honest with ya."

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of bloodcurdling screams upstairs and Xander hated to admit it was something he had grown used to.

"We have to do something!" Ron exclaimed and Xander's heart grew heavy as he realized those screams must belong to Hermione Granger considering she was never seen without the two boys.

"There's no way out of here, we've tried everything! It's enchanted," Ollivander exclaimed, his voice scratchy and frail.

Harry knelt down and pulled something that looked like a piece of glass out of his sock, which drew Luna's attention as she commented, "That's a curious thing to keep in your sock."

The boy disregarded her as he spoke something into the glass that Xander couldn't hear. Footsteps sounded from above; someone was coming down the stairs. Ron snapped the object in his hand and the light went out. The gate opened to reveal one of the death eaters -- a small man with wild hair and a rat-like face -- held out his wand as he threatened them.

He pointed to Griphook, "You. Goblin. Come with me."

The creature listened and the gate slammed behind them, Ron clicking the light on again as soon as they were gone. Xander was about to say something when a creature seemed to apparate into the middle of the room -- a house-elf.

"Dobby?" Harry exclaimed and it seemed apparent that this house-elf was familiar to him, "What are you doing here?"

"Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter, of course," the house-elf spoke in a quaky voice, "Dobby will always be there for Harry Potter."

"Are you saying you can apparate in and out of this room?" Harry asked and Xander listened with eager ears. There was nothing he wanted more than to get the hell out of this basement. "Could you take us with you?"

The creature shrugged, "Of course, I'm an elf."

Ron shrugged, "Works for me."

Harry nodded, "Right, Dobby, I want you to take Luna, Diana, and Mr. Ollivander --"

"Shell cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth, trust me," Ron interrupted, "Xander, you stay and help us if you're able."

Xander nodded, but Diana tugged on his arm, "Come with us, I don't want you to get hurt. Either you come or I'm staying."

"Diana, I need to know that you're safe. Go with them, I'll see you soon, I promise. You know I never break a promise," Xander pushed her over to where Luna and Ollivander were standing. He didn't want her to go, but he knew she was in no shape to fight and he didn't want to put her in a situation where she would have to.

"Ready when you are, sir," Luna spoke to Dobby once everything was settled.

"Sir," Dobby repeated, "I like her very much." He grabbed everyone's hands before speaking to the three of them left, "Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds."

They nodded and then they were gone. Xander's heart was beating a million miles a minute as he, Ron, and Harry hugged the wall with their wands out -- waiting. The same death eater from before went to open the gates, but before they could attack, the man fell to the ground. Looking up, Dobby was standing there.

"Who gets his wand?" was all Dobby said. Harry, who Xander just noticed was wandless, picked it up, and walked up the stairs very carefully. A golden snitch was flying around, which struck Xander as odd, but Harry didn't bat an eye as he caught and pocketed it.

They had reached the top and were waiting for a moment to reveal themselves, but as Bellatrix braced her wand above an unmoving Hermione, Ron lost it as he exclaimed, "Like hell. Expelliarmus!"

Harry caught the witch's wand as they grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. Harry cast Stupefy against Draco's father and it was a little satisfying to watch him fly across the room if Xander was being honest.

"Xander!" And there he was. The boy Xander hadn't stopped thinking about in months, the boy who somehow betrayed and helped him on the same night. He wondered if this was real or if he was still in the cellar -- dreaming of a way out. "What are you doing here?"

They're interrupted by Hermione's voice calling out, "Stop!"

"Drop your wands," Bellatrix commands as she now had a shimmering knife to the girl's throat. "I've said drop 'em!" They do as they're told. "Take them up, Draco, now."

The blond boy walks over to where the three of them are standing, picking up their discarded wands. He leans in and whispers to Xander, "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you," Xander shot back, his voice pained as he meets the boy's eyes. He always knew they were enemies, he just never knew they would be on opposing sides of a war. He hated how much he loved the stupid boy in front of him. Seeing him again made it that much worse.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," Bellatrix comments as Malfoy retreats with their wands. "It's Harry Potter. He's all bright and shiny and new again. Just in time for the dark lord. Call him."

She looks over to Draco who looks utterly terrified. Briefly, Xander wonders who Draco is more afraid of -- Bellatrix or the Dark Lord himself. His father comes to stand next to him, raising his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark curling into his skin. The sight makes Xander sick. The man is about to summon him when a squeaking noise draws everyone's attention. They look up and there's Dobby, unscrewing the chandelier. Before anyone can react it detaches and Bellatrix shoves herself out of the way as Hermione is thrown into Ron's arm. There's a hand on his shoulder and Xander briefly realizes that Draco is pulling him aside -- out of the way of the pestering glass shards. They fall over to the side and Xander holds onto Draco as his life depends on it.

"Why did you come?" the boy cries, his face white as a sheet as he speaks.

"You idiot," is all Xander can think to say, "I've been in love with you since last term!"

Their conversation is interrupted by Harry who stalks over to them and rips the wands out of Draco's hand. He hands Xander his, saying "We need to go, now."

"I don't want to leave him," Xander argues, he doesn't know why but now that he has Draco he doesn't want to let him go.

Draco pulls Xander away for a moment, his hand cold against Xander's cheek as he says, "I love you, too, which is why I'm doing this --"

"What --" Xander could barely get the word out before Draco shoves him with all his force into Harry and pushes them back to where Dobby is waiting for them. "No!"

It's too late as Harry grips Xander and pulls him towards where they're all grouped together. Bellatrix calls out, "Stupid elf! You could have killed me!"

"Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure," is all the house-elf says in response. A woman who must be Malfoy's mother goes to cast a spell, but Dobby takes her wand.

"How dare you take a witch's wand? How dare you defy your master?" Bellatrix screams.

"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf! Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends."

He grabs onto all of them as they prepare to apparate. Just before they disappear, Xander looks over to Draco who is standing where they left him, tears staining his porcelain cheeks. As soon as he had him, he's gone once again. They leave Malfoy Manor and Xander wonders if he will ever see Draco again. I love you, too.