Lavender Brown was irritated, her left heel clicked as she jiggled her leg impatiently. She was sitting on a bench in front of Professor Dumbledore's office attempting to read this week's issue of Witch Weekly. She glanced at her watch before looking back at the headlining story in the social pages "Youngest Weasley Son leaves Gryffindor Slag for Golden Girl." Lavender's upper lip curled into a snarl as she looked at the set of moving pictures attached to the story. Ron and Hermione holding hands, laughing and then him placing a chaste kiss on her lips. How sweet, she thought as she slowly crumpled the page in her fist.
Turning 17 had been the absolute worst thing that happened to Lavender. Within the span of about 72 hours, she found out that her sizable dowry and family fortune had already been lost when the markets tanked. Ron, her on and off boyfriend and the love of her young life had left her because of a completely untrue, smear campaign. Whatever hopes she had of her life ending in marriage and a happy ending had gone completely down the drain. And now she was wait for a meeting with her Headmaster two weeks before fall term for Lord knows what reason.
Lavender delicately pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She glanced at her watch again. He was late. Lavender looked back at the gargoyle statue, narrowing her eyes as if willing it to move.
"Miss Brown, thank you for coming," a voice from behind her said causing her to jump. Lavender spun around in her seat and came face to face with Professor Dumbledore and Draco Malfoy.
"Hello Sir," Lavender smiled. "Malfoy," Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.
"Brown," he replied. His ability to convey so much malice with one syllable is impressive, Lavender thought to herself.
"I do believe that if looks could move stone you would have easily gained entrance to my office by now," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter. "Pepper Imps." The statute jumped exposing the steps to his office. "If you and Mister Malfoy would please follow me I will tell you why I called you both here."
The two student's glared at each other behind his back before dutifully following him into his office.
"Take a seat," Professor Dumbledore said as he sat down behind his desk. "Miss Brown I'm aware that you are wondering why I asked you to meet with me today. To put it bluntly I believe you and Mr. Malfoy could work together and be great assets to the Order."
"What?!" Lavender replied, her head whipping back and forth between Dumbledore and Malfoy. "Headmaster, you can't be serious. Everyone knows what side he is aligned with, and it's not ours." Lavender spoke quickly as she reached out and attempted to grab Malfoy's left forearm.
"Don't touch me Brown," Draco's voice was cold and detached as he snatched his arm away from her. His grey eyes flashed as he adjusted his sleeve.
"Miss Brown that is enough," Dumbledore's voice cut through the room. "Mr. Malfoy has been working with me since the beginning of last year's spring term. I know exactly where his loyalties lie."
"So if you have your spy, why do you need me?" Lavender asked, while still glaring at Malfoy.
"I need you because unlike the older generation of death eaters, where women were to generally be seen and not heard, I believe that Voldemort is also giving missions to his unmarked female followers. Missions that his male followers aren't privy to. Mr. Malfoy has agreed to help a female order member infiltrate Voldemort's new inner circle so we can better understand the threat that they pose."
"How do you expect that to work professor? I've never spoken two words to him that weren't full of malice, and vice versa. "
"God, you must really be dense Brown," Draco drawled from the seat next to her. "You're newly single and poor, I'm an eligible pure blood with galleons coming out of my ears."
Lavender looked at him, sizing him up. She took in everything from his aristocratic nose to the way his well-tailored suit fit his body. He was all smooth lines and sharp angles. When her eyes reached his face again she realized that he was looking back at her. He quirked one eyebrow and a slow smirk spread across his face. Lavender dropped her eyes, her face cheeks went warm and she turned back to Dumbledore.
"You want me to pretend to be a niffter who's chasing him," she pointed in Draco's direction. "So I can gain access to He Who Must Not Be Named's inner circle? Professor I'm not sure how much you read gossip rags," she said as she smoothed out her copy of Witch Weekly and placed it on his desk. "But my reputation is already in tatters. If I'm seen with him, I'll lose everything. All of my friends, well those who haven't already ditched me, will refuse to talk to me anymore. Hell, my whole house will turn their backs on me. I'll be a social pariah."
"That's true. Miss Brown you would be an outcast in your house, at least for a little while, but your assistance would greatly speed up this war. You would be a war hero and more than likely awarded an Order of Merlin."
Lavender's eyes widened. An Order of Merlin would be more than enough to repay her family's debt.
"Why me? Out of all of the girls you could have chosen, what makes you think I can do this?"
"You're loyal, Miss Brown. You're vivacious and clever." Dumbledore smiled softly at her. "You also have a knack for getting people to tell you things. You seem to know what's happening in the school almost as quickly as I do. For example, until now Draco was operating under the assumption that only his housemates knew he was a Death Eater."
She nodded. "I'll do it." I'll do it, and save myself in the process, she thought to herself.