"What do you mean you've lost him?!"

"I'm so sorry," Ron said, driving both hands through his hair in exasperation, "one minute he was there following me and the next... I've looked everywhere and asked around but... nothing."

Panic began to overwhelm me almost instantly. Jack would have come if he was called. Even though he tried to be brave, the tunnels still scared him.

"Ron, did you go anywhere near the Main Tunnel?" I asked, as I reached across for my torch, frustration eating at me that I no longer had the use of magic.

The Main Tunnel - the tunnel that took you Upstairs. It was the only tunnel that wasn't protected by enchantments, and was accessible to anyone who knew how to tame the wild branches of the ferocious Willow.

If Jack wandered up there he wouldn't be protected. The Dementors would sniff him out within seconds. Not even the tree would be able to stop a Dementor.

Ron paled and I felt my insides instantly turn to liquid as trembling words fell from his lips. "I thought he was behind me."

Without saying anything, I yanked the door open and flew out into the cold, dark tunnels; my breath held and heart beating into the silence.

I couldn't lose him, I just couldn't.

*****

One hour earlier

Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

"I understand that you are all busy seeing to much more important matters, but it has been over three months now and they just don't appear to be moving along."

The familiar voice coming from the open door of Diggory's office caused Draco to pause quite suddenly in his tracks.

He discretely peered inside, his eyes landing on an extremely irate looking Umbridge, the thin lipped smile that usually disguised her displeasure vanishing as Diggory gave a nonchalant shrug, his feet up on the desk and hands behind his head as he flashed his widest 'I don't give a fuck' smirk.

Draco had almost all but forgotten about their little excursion to Hogwarts earlier that year; the impending birth of his unborn child pushing everything else to the back of his mind, invading his life.

But now, standing there and being reminded of it, the memory of his Patronus's strange behaviour flashed in his mind. And the laughter; he heard it now just as clearly as he had heard it then. A child.

He stepped back out of sight and waited until Umbridge exited the office, for some reason finding his heart racing wildly as though adrenaline was being injected into his veins.

He followed her for a bit, waited until they had left the confines of the department and reached the lobby where it was unlikely he'd be overheard.

"Dorlores," he said, clearing his throat as soon as the door shut behind him; quiet enough not to alarm her but loud enough to grab her attention.

"Draco?" She said, wheeling around with a startled look upon her features. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually," Draco muttered, drawing up to her side and swiftly ushering her towards the elevators. "It's me that's going to help you."

*****

Jack sucked in a deep shaky breath.

It was all his fault. He'd been cross.

So cross that he'd thrown Mr Dog away, and now he couldn't find him. He also couldn't find home.

Uncle Ron hadn't noticed him slip away; he'd been leading the way through the maze of tunnels talking about some adventure he and Auntie Hermy once went on with a boy named Harry.

But Jack hadn't really been listening - the not very nice feeling was still going round and round inside his tummy.

Mummy kept telling him that Mr Dog was his daddy, but Mr Dog was nothing but a stupid toy who drowned when you put him in your breakfast.

And now Uncle Ron was going to be a daddy which meant he was going to go away too.

He didn't want Uncle Ron to go away.

He didn't want to carry another daddy in his pocket.

Taking the dog out of his pocket, Jack threw it into the dark.

It made him feel good.

As they walked on further, however, Jack stopped feeling good. In fact he felt bad, very very bad.

He wished he hadn't thrown Mr Dog away. But the tunnels were long and dark and he couldn't remember where he'd thrown him and Mr Dog was so tiny that he might never find him ever again.

He placed his hands over his mouth, trying to hide the sound of his crying. He didn't want Uncle Ron to think he was a baby and he didn't want Uncle Ron to know that he threw Mr Dog away.

If he did, then he would think Jack would not be able to look after him properly when he becomes a daddy too, yet Jack would rather have Uncle Ron in his pocket than not at all.

Luckily, Uncle Ron was still talking loudly about his friend Harry and something about a rat that wasn't a rat, and hadn't noticed anything.

So, as quietly as he could, Jack slipped away, trying to retrace his footsteps, and hopefully find Mr Dog and make everything all right again.

******

Draco was relieved when Umbridge left him to it again - obviously keen to keep as far away from the Dementors as possible.

The Dementors didn't bother Draco like they did most people - not anymore at any rate. He was already feeling as bleak as it was possible to feel; already used to that suffocation of darkness pressing down upon his soul.

But yet he still managed to cast his Patronus; the little fox slinking out of his wand when he allowed his mind to be full of Blaire and recalled the love that they had shared.

He followed the fox across the grounds, hypnotised once again by its long bushy tail and purposeful stride. So much so, that he hadn't registered the direction they were headed in until the fox came to a halt.

The Whomping Willow.

This time, however, the fox didn't lay down upon the ground, nuzzling into the grass. This time it continued to slink low towards the trunk, Draco unable to follow due to the thrashing branches.

And, as Draco tried desperately to think of a spell he could use to freeze the tree; it stopped, the branches stilling so suddenly.

He couldn't have been one hundred percent certain, but the way the fox was looking back over his shoulder at him, Draco was pretty sure it had all been his Patronus's doing.

His heart raced wildly in his chest as he watched the fox disappear through what looked like a crevice inside the base of the trunk.

Draco scrambled towards it, suddenly desperate to follow, curiosity almost brimming over and not an ounce of fear inside of him.

Because when you've already lost everything, you no longer had anything else to fear.

He landed in what looked like to be a dark passageway, the light of the fox leading the way up ahead.

Draco had no idea this was down here, let alone where it led to. His head was full of questions as he looked up and down the long, dark tunnel. How long had this place been in existence? Did Umbridge know about this? Somehow he thought not.

He looked curiously at the fox, as though his Patronus would have the answers.

Come with me, its dancing eyes were saying, let me show you a secret.

******

"JACK!"

My voice was becoming hoarse as I tripped and skidded towards the Main Tunnel, ignoring Ron's warning shouts that it was too dangerous for me to go up without a wand.

But nothing was too dangerous when it came to saving my child. Ron didn't understand that yet, but he soon would.

He would soon understand that when you became a parent you would let nothing come between you and your child, that their existence becomes the single most important thing in your life and without them you couldn't possibly cease to go on, that your place in the world would become meaningless.

You would literally lay yourself down and die for them if that's what it came to.

My entire body was shaking and I was utterly terrified, terrified he'd somehow gotten out and had his soul consumed by a Dementor.

Jack knew he mustn't wander the tunnels alone; not without an adult. But I had never told him why, never told him about the Dementors which were more terrifying than any 'bad man'.

But he wanted to be brave all the time, even when he was afraid. It was a trait I was seeing in him that frightened me; a trait I recognised too well.

Colin had been brave. Neville had been brave.

And look where it had gotten them.

"JACK!" I screamed louder, trying desperately to ignore the coldness that had crept over my heart.

*****

Draco shivered as though someone had just walked over his grave.

He'd been walking for some time and the tunnel remained dark and empty except for him and his Patronus, yet he could feel something down here; feel a desperation of some kind.

Without warning, the fox suddenly stopped and moved no more. It was then that something shiny on the ground caught Draco's eye.

He crouched down, his heart contracting in his chest as he recognised it at once, scooping up the small silver trinket in his trembling fingers.

No... but it couldn't be.

And he realised he was shaking, shaking so badly, that he could barely keep it together.

But it was nothing, nothing compared to what happened next.

A small quivering voice spoken so softly, and so fearfully, he wasn't even sure it was real.

"That's mine."

******