Draco was in Potions with Slughorn when he felt the familiar sensation of Legilimency. He was quick to put up his mental barriers against the intruder, and looked around the room. No one looked overly suspicious; everyone was listening to Slughorn drone on about what new potion they were supposed to try. His perusal of the classroom was interrupted by an elbow digging into his ribs.
"What," he snapped.
"What are you looking for?" Blaise asked.
He didn't reply; Draco shook his head imperceptibly and faced the front of the room again.
Xxx
"Well? What was that about?" Blaise was quick to ask once he closed the door to their dorm and put up the wards to keep it locked.
Draco was in the middle of toeing his shoes off and replied, "I-"
"-What was what about?" The curtains around Blaise's bed were violently ripped open to show an eager-to-know-everyone's-problems Pansy.
"What the fuck, Pans-"
"How did you even-?"
Pansy just sighed, "You guys should stop letting Goyle leave the room last. He never remembers to ward the room. You're lucky it's me who came in; there are tons of psychotic girls in the common room who would've taking this opportunity to steal your hairs and make a particularly vicious love potion."
"Yes. Lucky it was you who broke into our room." Draco said sneered.
"Draco, darling, don't do that to your face. It'll cause wrinkles," Pansy said airily, and turned toward Blaise. "Anyway, what's this you said about something happening?"
Draco and Blaise shared a look before Draco decided to respond. "Someone used Legilimency on me today during Potions. I don't know who."
Blaise's eyes widened, "Do you think it was Potter?"
Pansy snorted, "Please. As if that idiot knows how to use a spell like Legilimency. He can't even fix his own glasses without Mudblood Granger's help."
Draco shot Pansy a quick look that she didn't notice before saying, "We should go see Snape. Let him know."
"Tonight?" Blaise asked.
"We'll sneak out after curfew." Draco replied.
Xxx
Sneaking out was easy enough. After all, they've had enough practice over the past five years. When they got to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Draco quickly casted an Alohamora and the three of them walked in. He locked the door, and cast a silencing spell on the room so that passing prefects on their rounds wouldn't hear their conversation.
The candles of the classroom were still lit, but Snape was nowhere to be found. Figuring that his godfather was in his office, Draco was about to call out to him when they hear the sound of someone trying to open the door to the classroom. The three Slytherins exchanged frantic looks before huddling together in the back corner of the room. Draco had just finished casting a disillusion spell and a repelling charm over the three of them when the door opened.
The door quickly and silently closed on its own. Then, none other than Granger appeared, taking off what looked like an expensive Invisibility Cloak. How did Granger get a bloody Invisibility Cloak? Draco asked himself. He was about to demand that Granger explain what she was doing in Severus' classroom after curfew, when his godfather, himself, began to briskly descend the stairs that lead to his office.
"You're late," Severus said to Granger.
"There's still a few minutes before the meeting starts, Snape," Granger snippily replied before taking a seat at a table.
Meeting? Why would Severus have a meeting with Granger after curfew?
Xxx
"You need to teach your godson Occlumency, Snape. He has no barriers in his mind, whatsoever. It's dangerous," Hermione said.
"You used Legilimency on Draco?" Snape intoned, somehow sounding angry and uncaring at the same time.
"Yes. And he doesn't know how to protect himself. If he were in front of Voldemort, he wouldn't stand a chance. If we don't get him out of the school before he goes back to the Manor for Christmas Holiday-"
"-Then I suppose it's a good thing that the Order will be taking him and his friends to a safe house before the train reaches Kings Cross."
"His friends?" said a voice from behind them.
"Remus, you're late," Hermione said.
"I apologize, Hermione. This guy decided he wanted to see you," Remus said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the man who followed him down from Professor Snape's office.
"Mia, darling," Sirius smiled as he picked up Hermione and swung her around.
"Now that we're all here," Snape cut in with a glare towards Sirius, "perhaps we could continue with the meeting?"
"Are we ready to begin?" Remus asked with a sniff.
"What do you mean that the Order is taking Malfoy and his friends?" Hermione asked.
"We've promised to take in those whose parents are confirmed Death Eaters, Snivellus. We can't take in all of Slytherin just because they're friends with your godson," Sirius snorted.
"We're only taking Malfoy, Parkinson, and Nott," Remus added in.
"What about Crabbe and Goyle?" Hermione asked Remus, as she knew those boy's parents were at the Battle in the Ministry.
"Vincent Crabbe is very much involved with the Dark Lord's ideas. Gregory, on the other hand, isn't," said the new Defense teacher.
"If you won't protect Crabbe, then why are you insisting on the Order to take in Draco? He's an actual Death Eater with a mark," Hermione asked, not understanding why they were helping someone who is Marked, but not a boy who is only sympathetic to the Dark Lord.
"Because apparently Draco Malfoy is being forced to be a Death Eater. Or so Snivellus says," Sirius rose an eyebrow at Snape who refused to acknowledge the slight towards him.
" It's more than that. Voldemort doesn't plan on letting Draco live after the Headmaster is killed," Snape explained.
"But I thought that you weren't going to let him try to kill Professor Dumbledore. The Unbreakable Vow that you made with Narcissa Malfoy was supposed to ensure that Draco wouldn't have to try to kill the Headmaster. That you would do it."
"Yes. Which means that Draco would not fulfill his promise to the Dark Lord, and would be killed for that. If I allow him to kill Dumbledore, then I would be killed as per the terms made with Narcissa," Snape said.
"Well what about Zabini? His mother is a sympathizer of Voldemort and doesn't even hide it," Hermione added before Sirius could try to insult Snape again.
"I'm not sure, Hermione. I'll have to ask Dumbledore what he thinks," Remus responded, and then continued when he saw the questioning look in Hermione's eyes. "It's not because his mother is only a supporter and not a Death Eater. It's because if we take in the oldest Zabini, then we have to take in the younger ones, too. We only have so many safe houses, and so many people willing to look over all of these kids."
"Oh. I suppose I understand that," Hermione said quietly.
"We'll stick to the original plan. We take the Malfoy, Parkinson, Nott, and Goyle off the train before it stops at the station. Sirius and I will go talk to Dumbledore about Zabini and his siblings. Perhaps we'll have to take them before break starts. We would have to find a way to take the kids from their house," Remus said, with dismissal of the meeting.
As she was heading to the door, Hermione turned back around to face the two best friends following her. With the Invisibility Cloak in one hand, she patted the side of her robe with her other hand. "Do you need it?" she asked vaguely.
"Nah, that's okay, Mia. We've got Moony and Padfoot to sniff them out," Sirius said with a clap on Remus' shoulder and an exaggerate sniff of the air.
They followed her out of the Defense room and into the dark corridor.
"Goodnight, then," her voice was a little muffled under the sound of her putting on the cloak.
"Goodnight, darling."
Author's Note:
Hello! This is the first fan fiction I've ever written. Please R&R.