He stared at it, heart pounding. Draco Malfoy never thought he'd see one flying in the sky again. He was sweating, despite his lack of attire and the cool night air. He was just staring and breathing heavily until someone knocked into him. That's when Draco noticed the screaming and general panic.

He needed to find Blaise. Probably Hannah. Draco was a bit worried about Ginny, but he knew she could handle herself. He definitely knew that after earlier. He was closest to Hannah. Draco took off running towards Madam Puddifoot's. He was almost there anyhow. He banged into the shop. Lots of people were already hiding out inside with shivers and whimpers and questions of why. They were watching out the windows with fearful eyes.

Someone screamed when they caught sight of his arm. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Draco! Oh my goodness. Where's Blaise? We have to find Blaise!" Hannah's eyes were wide and fearful.

"Come on."

Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her outside. He apparated them near Healing Hands. Sure, it wasn't that far away, but with the panic, he didn't want them to get separated. As it was, someone still bumped into them. Hannah stumbled as Draco pulled the both of them inside. There were several people hiding out in the waiting room of Healing Hands.

"Blaise!" Draco shouted, slipping an arm around Hannah's shoulders.

He was in his lab mixing up calming draughts and simple pain potions for the people who were in the lobby. Some had fallen on the streets when the panic began while others were about to have panic attacks. When he heard Draco shout his name, he quickly leaned out of his lab to see Draco with a shaking Hannah.

"Han!" he shouted, pushing through the people standing against the walls. When she crashed into him, he held her close. Blaise stared at Draco and was about to ask him what happened, when he noticed some people staring at Draco's arm. He motioned them back to his lab so he could keep an eye on his potions and they would be away from prying eyes.

"Draco, what the fuck happened?"

Draco was shaking. He was not aware that he was doing so, but his body was trembling.

"People were saying th-the Dark Mark was in the sky," Hannah whispered. "I was so scared."

Draco just nodded. He wouldn't say this, not ever, but he was just as frightened as Hannah was. Maybe more. He was fairly certain the Dark Lord could not come back this time, but what if there were people out still doing his work? The Ministry could not have possibly gotten everyone. Just like before. People like him had found a way out. Draco recalled what happened to those who tried to stay out, and had done what he had done. Karkaroff had been found dead. That's what had been reported, but what people did know, what was not said, what that they had never found all of Karkaroff. Enough to identify, yes, but not all of him.

Blaise's lungs froze and for a moment, he couldn't breathe. The Dark Mark in the sky? It just wasn't possible. There couldn't be an idiot in the world stupid enough to fire one of those at a location crawling with Aurors and Ministry officials.

That was when he noticed Draco shaking. He moved Hannah to one side and held out his arm for Draco.

Draco stared at them. He didn't want to intrude, but someone holding on to him just now might be nice. He wasn't above letting people who would never say anything see him be a little weak. He moved and held on to Blaise's other side. This was supposed to be over. He didn't want to have to leave again. He had things to stay for.

With her head tucked against Blaise's chest and watching Draco Malfoy be frightened was an odd experience. She never would have figured him for shaking like he was.

"Where's Ginny?" Draco asked.

"She went home. Yes, before any of this started. She's safe, Draco," Blaise said.

Draco nodded, feeling only slightly better on that count.

Then they heard cheering. Hannah made a face.

"You two stay here," Draco said with a furrowed brow. "I'll go look."

"The fuck you are. If you think for one second I'm letting either of you out of this room you're both out of your fucking minds. Stay here and I'll check. I need to give these draughts out anyway."

Blaise moved away from both of them and grabbed some potion bottles and opened the lab door. He turned around and glared. "I mean it. Stay. Here."

As soon as he closed the door, Draco nodded at it while looking at Hannah as if to say let's go.

"He said to stay here," Hannah said, feeling nervous.

"And you always do what you're told."

At that, Hannah raised a brow and grabbed some robes hanging over the back of a chair. She tossed them at Draco. "Come on."

They moved out. People were walking out. There was less panic and just general confusion. Hannah grabbed Draco's arm. They were standing just outside the doors to Healing Hands. Hannah was confused. Was this supposed to be part of the fireworks show? What looked like a giant purple peacock was eating You-know-who's green skull and snake. Then both Marks would repeat. It was sort of spooky. People were cheering every time the Dark Mark got devoured.

Hannah jumped when someone put a hand on her arm.

"I know you're enjoying being liberated from your time spent under the Wayne-ker's thumb, but when I get my serious face on, it would probably be in your good health to do as you're told," Blaise said warningly before turning to Draco. "You as well, you idiot. I hate to say it, but now really isn't the best time for you to be out in public, cheers or no."

Blaise looked past both of them and a confused look came on his face. "Isn't that Narcissa?"

Draco shivered. His mother was staring up at the scene in the sky and smirking. It chilled him. Yes, it was dark out, but he could still manage to see her face from all the lantern lights hanging in the village. He pulled the borrowed robes Hannah had tossed at him more tightly around his body and shivered a bit.

People were cheering as they sort of went back to partying a bit. Draco was bothered though. He didn't suspect for one moment that the Hogsmeade Village Association had planned any of this as part of their celebration.

"Yes. That's my mother," Draco said, numbness setting in. "I'm going home."

"Draco wait," Hannah said.

But he had already disapparated.

Hannah looked at Blaise with worry. "Blaise..."

He sighed and held Hannah close. "I have to stay here, love. I've got potions brewing and some people who need minor injuries healed. Work, you know. What about you? Will you be missed? I'll make your excuses if you think it'll be a problem."

I... I had just been about to go home. I was finished up, had said my goodbyes, when this started. I'll stay here with you... if... if that's all right. I'm worried about Draco though. He seemed so upset and shaken. More-so than I am, and I shake about just about everything. I know you can't leave yet. I wouldn't ask you to. I'm... I'm just worried."

He sighed and started pulling her back inside to Healing Hands and to his lab. "Try not to worry too much, alright? I'll have Didly check on him through the house-elves when I get home later. You're welcome to stay back here or go to the lobby and rest. I'm not sure who's in the exam rooms because Weasley left and I told people to go wherever they could, but if you want some place dark to rest you can go in the rooms and have a lie on the exam tables. I'm just going to making more draughts and elixirs."

"I'll just help you if that's agreeable. I'll just stay with you."

Blaise nodded.


{SUMMARY} A Dark Mark goes up into the sky. Blaise, Draco, and Hannah try to avoid the general panic. Not all of them succeed.