Draco didn't get a good look at what form the Patronus had taken before it zipped out of the window, off to summon Hermione. Hopefully, she would have more answers about whatever was going on. Of course, if she didn't, Draco had no one else to help him. Or did he...?

Draco grabbed a jacket, throwing it on and running to the door. Just as he was about to throw it open, he glanced back at the broken wand on the floor. If he got it to work once, maybe his luck would last. It couldn't hurt...Unless the broken wand spewed random spells at people. Well, things couldn't get much worse than someone poisoning the most Light person living. Draco grabbed the wand and shoved it into his pocket, charging through the door.

If Harry caught him, it might be game over, unless his Patronus actually did what it was supposed to and Hermione trusted him enough to do some digging. With his luck, everyone would think he poisoned Harry, and with his experience with potions the idea wasn't too far fetched. "Damn," Draco muttered as he ran down the seemingly endless stairs of the apartment. Draco didn't trust the lift. Give him magical staircases over Muggle technology any day.

The sun hung low in the sky but he kept running as he left the apartment complex, through the streets of Muggle Central (they were everywhere. Gross). He charged down the sidewalk, towards the park and soup kitchen, praying that his friends were still playing chess, safe and unaware.

Of course they were unaware, Muggles are always unaware. Yet Draco was about to destroy their blissful ignorance. Heart pounding in his ears, Draco finally saw Fiona and Trevor sitting at a secluded stone table, still playing chess.

He screeched to a halt in front of them, knocking over several pieces. He stood there huffing and puffing, struggling to breathe as his friends watched in shock. Finally, he managed to clam himself so he could speak. "Danger...boyfriend," wheeze, "crazy. Motherfucker... poison....Bad!"

He waved his arms around as if that might help them translate his confused words. But just as Trevor the Troll opened his mouth, a darkness fell over the area. A black funnel appeared from the sky, cracking and hissing. Draco had seen enough Death Eaters Apparating to know what it was.

Harry Potter materialized, dark robes billowing in a sudden wind. "Draco," he said, relief written in his sickly hollow face. "You're still alive."

Harry began walking towards Draco, arms open wide. Draco took several steps back, and Harry tilted his head in confusion. "Dray," Harry was suddenly at his side. Damn magic. "You're in danger I need you to wear this."

Harry held out a small ring, eyes darting all around. He put it in Draco's hand. Draco eyed it for a second, then glared at Harry, or what was left of Harry. "What the hell is this? We've been experimenting, we're not even dating and you're already giving me a ring?"

"Just put it on Draco, I'll explain later. I'm not proposing," Harry did not look happy. So of course, Draco kept pestering him.

"Is it cursed? Are you gonna turn me into some sniveling ferret you can let lounge around your neck so I don't keep leaving. Is this a punishment for playing chess with harmless muggles? I'm starting to feel like a prisoner in that stupid flat."

Harry's eyes kept darting around, landing on something in the distance. "I don't have time for this right now. Put the goddamn ring on it will save your life."

Fiona and Trevor stared in terrified silence. Trevor moved to speak but before he could even raise his head, Harry had his wand aimed at them, shouting "confundous" at them. They both fell over, silent.

Draco shook his head, glaring at him. "I don't need you to save me, Potter. We're not in Hogwarts anymore. There's no evil Lord or monster after my head."

"Yeah? Well there is a monster after you. I just cut off one of its heads. But there are so many more," Harry grabbed Draco's hand and shoved the ring onto his finger, slamming a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. "And this monster can change shape. And it looks just so barely human, nice and helpful, saying it will make things better, give things to people. But it's black and ugly. And it's after you, Draco. As soon as your pathetic Muggle friends are taken care of, they're going to try and kill you. And this ring will save you."

Harry took his hand off of Draco's face and replaced it with his lips, pulling Draco close. Draco tried to pull away but Harry's hands held his head in place, pulling the completely unglamoured Draco Malfoy close, kissing him with a passion that frightened him. Harry didn't kiss like this. He moved to get away again when he heard a noise. Someone whispered a spell.

He finally managed to pull away from Harry, trying to reason with his heart that this was not his Harry, but a blackened and sick one. Turning around slowly, he saw Fiona and Trevor laying on the ground, Mythas Lester and two masked Aurors standing over them.

"What...?" Draco breathed.

Mythas grinned, "I've been waiting a long time for this Draco Malfoy."

"Your ability to hide was good, you managed to stay away from the Ministry's eyes for years. Mr. Potter's ability to hide you, however, was less than adequate," Lester snorted, smirking like an insane person.

Harry put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "There's the monster, Draco. The Ministry of fucking Magic."

-_-_-_-_-

Hermione flipped through yet another book on the history of the Mind Altering Spells, nodding to herself as she raised a cup of tea to her lips.

Ron was in another room, probably still muttering to himself about how wrong it is for Draco and Harry to be banging behind his back. She could still hear him talking to himself: "I mean, Draco Malfoy! Who would want Draco Malfoy's prick up their ass! He's a sodding, low, bag of scum! I mean... he tried to kill us!"

Hermione sighed, leaning back in her chair, "Ron will you please quiet down. Some of us are trying to get valuable work done and not complain about other people's life choices."

She rolled her eyes, asking herself for the millionth time why she settled for Ron Weasley of all people.

She closed her book, not finding any useful information. Hermione was trying to figure out why she had lost a day or two of her memory when a flash of light shined in the corner of her eye. A stag made of blue slivery light appeared through the high window, leaping down to the floor. "Harry's stag?" she wondered, standing up.

She noted that one of the antlers was broken, cracked. The stag didn't look as big and powerful as Harry's, like it had been malnourished, but who else could it belong to?

It bucked its head and nudged her. She heard a voice, hurried and urgent. "Someone poisoned Harry Potter with a potion to turn his Light magic into Dark magic, or at least I think that's what it is, I can't find anything to stop it, you have more books than me so good luck."

The stag reared its head, and vanished in a shimmer of blue haze. It was Draco Malfoy's voice. But how could Draco, a dark wizard, cast a light spell like the patronus?

And why was it a stag like Harry's?

——

Hello my fishies

I hope you enjoy the chapter. Any of you have any theories why Draco's patronus is a stag?

I've been trying to animate something and thus far have made a dog jumping that took me four hours. Animation is super hard, so hard, and I'm not even a good artist but I wanted to do something with my life besides sitting around moping and worrying about COVID. If any of you animate, and have words of wisdom, it would be much appreciated lol