Nearly all of the lamplight and candlelight along the corridors had been snuffed out. This likely meant that additional Death Eaters had been assigned to patrol the hallways to guard the perimeter and round up any straggling guests.
They were still able to move quietly and quickly, Draco having intimate knowledge of the layout of his home. He was also able to enlist the help of family portraits.
There was a large painting of his great-grandfather in the southern wing which only proved to be helpful when questioned in French. Hermione cast a subtle Lumos.
It was portrait of Aramis Malfoy in his late eighties, showing a virile-looking, silver-haired gentleman seated astride a white charger, family standard blazing in the wind. He was holding a flaming sword, which occasionally would set light to the banner and had to be put out by an annoyed Aramis.
It was a colourful picture, though the better description was probably garish.
"Pepe, tu n'as vu personne passer par ici ce soir?" Draco hurriedly asked.
Aramis busy eyeballing Hermione from head to toe, stopping for good measure at her chest. She folded her arms and gave the old man a withering look.
"Ah, ?a fait plaisir de te voir avec une demoiselle, mon gar?on. J'avais peur que tu ne deviennes comme ton pere. Tu te prepares pour ton rendez-vous galant, a ce que je vois. Bravo Draco!"
Hermione's French was admittedly patchy, but she understood enough to bite her lip and stare at the carpet.
Draco was a study in Patience. "Avez-vous vu des hommes masques passer par ce hall? C'est tres important."
Aramis looked intrigued now. "Tout a fait! Un gars avec un masque est passe plus t?t. L'avait l'air presse. J'ai pense que c'etait bizarre, but bon, la fille qui s'occupe du lieu a de dr?les de tendances."
"Thank you," Draco said, finally.
Hermione tugged on his sleeve. "I missed that last part, did he see anyone or not?"
"Yes. So be on guard."
They continued further, stopping next at Pansy's room. Draco decided it would be worthwhile checking if she kept anything in there they could use.
His hand was nearly on the door handle when a Death Eater appeared between them. The subtle mist of Apparition clouded Hermione's vision momentarily.
There was a flash of bright green light and Hermione instantly feared the worse. Her wand was wrenched violently from her grasp. It clattered to the floor and then there was complete darkness because her Lumos had been the only bit of light in the long, narrow corridor.
"Run!" Draco called out and she could have swooned with relief to hear his voice.
Of course, he was an idiot to think she was going to obey him. Grasping wildly around the floor with her hands, she located her wand within seconds.
"Lumos!"
There was a full-fledged duel going on the likes of which she hadn't seen since Harry's mission to the Ministry in their fifth year.
"Stay where you are!" Draco ordered her.
Hermione could only plaster herself against the wall and do her best to avoid getting hit. This was no school dueling club. These were not friendly, practicing spells. They were meant to maim if not kill. She knew that Harry and Ron did face situations where spell casting meant actually trying to kill your enemy, but seeing it demonstrated at such close contact still made her stomach flip over.
And then the unknown Death Eater cast a spell Hermione hadn't even heard of. Suddenly, she lost all sense of space and balance. Up was down and down was up. She clung to the wall, feeling like the corridor had become a spinning tube.
Draco was unaffected. He was blocking the effect. Hermione could see the force of the spell being bent away from him by an invisible field from his wand. He then threw a hex that caught the Death Eater in his midsection.
The man flew backwards, slamming against a wall. He began coughing. The horrible vertigo ended, just in time too because Hermione had been about to lose the contents of her stomach.
Draco walked over to him, not in any particular hurry. He bent down to pick up the man's wand and then snapped it in half with a dramatic sigh.
"I wonder who would be stupid enough to use one of my own spells against me? Let me guess..." He flicked the cloaked man's mask off with his wand.
"Hello Dominic," Draco said, conversationally. He hauled the man up. "It's been a while. What are you doing here tonight?"