Chapter One: Birthday Surprises

"If there's one thing I hate more than house-elves," Draco Malfoy said, "it's Harry Potter."

Draco was sprawled on a couch in the Slytherin common room, his feet in Pansy Parkinson's lap and a textbook balanced on his chest. He was scowling darkly at the fire. Dobby had been waiting to clean out the grate for some time now, but Draco and his pretty girlfriend showed no signs of retiring.

"If Snape were still Potions master things would be different," Draco went on. "Potter wouldn't have got away with that bezoar trick with him."

"Slughorn's a prat," Pansy said. "And so is Potter. You needn't bother with them."

"I needn't! Well that solves that, doesn't it?" Draco said sarcastically. "You know better, Pan, he's up to his usual tricks. He's been following me." His scowl relaxed into a thoughtful frown. "I wonder…?"

"What?"

"Nothing." Draco pressed his mouth into a thin line, as though trying to keep from telling her; but it was no use, for a moment later he burst out, "He can't know, can he?"

"Draco," Pansy said, sounding frustrated, "I don't know what you're always on about, so if Potter does I'll go find him right now and ask him what –"

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Draco muttered. "Give it a rest, I'm not going to tell you."

"Then stop going on about it! You're always rambling on about this goddamn project. How am I supposed to help if you…"

Draco and Pansy often fought like this. Dobby had tried stopping his ears at first, but after the first few rows he gave up and listened. He, too, wanted to know what his old master was up to. It made his blood boil to think how Draco spoke of Harry– Dobby wished he were able to help, but Draco did nothing but complain, never said anything that might give away his plans. Also, Draco knew that Dobby would help Harry if he could, so he had strictly forbade Dobby from telling.

Draco and Pansy were winding up their argument now; Pansy was calling names, which meant that Draco would storm off soon.

"If you would stop harping I could think –"

"All you do is think about yourself, you whining, snivelling –"

"I don't have to take this," Draco said, standing. "You don't know anything about me."

"Because you won't talk to me! Draco, please," Pansy pleaded, catching at his robes, "please let me help you."

Draco's lip curled. She dropped her hands and looked for support from Blaise Zabini, who had just entered. Finally she sighed. "Never mind. Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Pansy." He swept away, making no sign that he had seen Blaise's pleasant nod.

Blaise sat next to Pansy, rubbing a comforting palm down her thigh. "What's the problem?"

"Oh, you know what he's been like," Pansy said. "I can't think of a single way this will work out."

Blaise leaned back, fixing his eyes on her. "You mean his plans?"

"Any of this! Draco and his big ideas, they were always going to get him in trouble. As if he'll make any difference to the Dark Lord," she said scornfully.

"I'd say that a bit softer if I were you," Blaise said. "Malfoy's not been gone long."

"Draco can stuff it for all I care!" Pansy snarled. "I'm going to bed."

"Would you like a cup of tea first? You're not going to get any sleep, you're in a state," Blaise commented, watching her critically. "Let me call a house-elf for you."

"No," Pansy said, "I'm going to go talk to Draco."

"I'll get him for you." Blaise stood and stretched. "Where will you meet him?"

"I don't care, so long as it's got a Silencing Charm on it."

Blaise nodded. "Go to the classroom at the end of the hall. He'll be there soon."

Pansy hesitated, and then went out. Dobby waited until Draco had followed her before he left his hiding place. As he scrubbed he thought very hard. Even if he couldn't speak to Harry about this, he might just visit the Gryffindor common room tomorrow night. There was more snooping to do.

OxOxO

Dobby was unable to get a shift in the Gryffindor tower. One of the senior house-elves decided he preferred bedsheets to books, so he assigned Dobby to the library. Dobby knew he would be bored stiff and talked Winky into accompanying him.

"Winky is not wanting to do this," Winky moaned as she clambered onto a bookshelf, gripping her duster. "The kitchen needs Winky, she is not liking it here. There is bad things in this place." She cast a black look at the Restricted Section.

"Winky knows she will do better to come here," Dobby said fiercely. "It is helping you to get off the bottle. Butterbeer is expensive to Professor Dumbledore!" He nearly fell off the bookshelf in his agitation. Winky squeaked a protest.

"As if Dobby cares what is expensive to Professor Dumbledore, Dobby who is making a Galleon a week. If –" Winky froze, then whispered, "Someone is coming!"

She and Dobby made themselves invisible at once, and edged forward. A pair of students were creeping between the rows – a girl and a boy. They were not creeping very well, in Dobby's opinion, for they kept on laughing, and sometimes they would make snorting noises in order to keep quiet.

"Sh!" the girl said, as the boy let out a particularly loud guffaw. She pressed a finger to his lips. "We're going to get caught."

"I don't care," he said, pulling her against him and tangling his fingers in her hair. It was very long, and red like Harry Potter's friend's. "You're worth a couple of detentions."

"Well you're not, you little – mph!"

Dobby and Winky shut their eyes so as not to watch the girl and the boy kissing. Then they were giggling again.

"Dean – wait, Dean, we've got to go – we've got practice tomorrow morning! Harry'll kill us if we're tired," she warned.

"No he won't," Dean said, not letting go of her. "Five more minutes."

"No."

"Three?"

"No! Dean, I'm telling you, we've got a game coming up. Harry will be so disappointed if we lose."

"Well if Harry would be disappointed," Dean said. Then, to lighten the jealous words, he added, "As if he'd care. You've got the team wrapped around your little finger, you minx."

She stifled a laugh.

"Ferret," he tried.

"Ew! Not that."

"If you were the ferret we would lose our next game," Dean said, laughing some more. "You'd be preening more than flying."

There was a long silence.

"I think he was dropped on his head as a child."

"Dean, you're stalling."

"Right, right. Harry wants you in bed."

The girl smacked him.

OxOxO

Draco fought with his big friends the next time Dobby was cleaning the Slytherin dorms. Dobby hid under one of the beds, dusting the floor now and then.

"I don't see why you care," Draco told them. "It's none of your business what I'm doing, and it's not your place to complain."

"We're your friends," one of them said. "We've got a right to know."

"It's okay, Crabbe," the other said, taking in Draco's mutinous expression. "Let's just –"

"Shut up, Goyle. Malfoy, we're going to be Marked soon, so you might as well tell us now or we'll hear it straight from the Dark Lord. Got it?"

"You think the Dark Lord will care? You don't get it, this has nothing to do with you and if you find out He'll –" Draco stopped himself, swallowed hard, then said, "I'm going to our Apparition lesson. I don't want to hear any more from either of you."

"Malfoy!" the one called Crabbe growled. He turned to Goyle. "We've got to get it out of him. I'm done sneaking around. I want to know what's going on."

"Malfoy knows what he's doing," Goyle said loyally. Crabbe smiled.

"Do you think so? I'm going after him."

Goyle threw up his hands as Crabbe left the room. Dobby hesitated for a moment, then followed.

Crabbe caught up with Draco in the Great Hall. The Apparition Instructor was lecturing the group, but Crabbe yanked Draco around to face him and they whispered angrily until they were told to be quiet. The moment they were able to speak again they did, louder than before.

"I'm sick of your games! How long are we going to be playing your stupid –"

"I don't know how much longer, all right? It's taking longer than I thought it would." Crabbe opened his mouth to retort, but Malfoy snapped, "Look, it's none of your business what I'm doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep a lookout!"

"I tell my friends what I'm up to, if I want them to keep a lookout for me."

Dobby jumped and nearly cheered at the sound of Harry Potter's voice. He wished he could applaud Harry for bringing Draco down a notch. Draco was just as surprised to hear Harry as Dobby was; he spun around, reaching for his wand, but was cut off by a call for quiet. Soon the students were trying to Apparate, and there was no more talk.

Dobby went back to the Slytherin dorms, vowing that he would find a way to communicate with Harry.

XoXoXoX

A/N: And that is chapter one! This story is intended to mirror the Half-Blood Prince as closely as possible, but with many exciting twists to make it, obviously, more exciting; and also because I don't see the point in rewriting the book (disclaimer alert! J.K. owns pretty much everything). I have to apologize right now for how rushed it is, and I'll probably be back to edit it later, but if you liked it let me know; if you didn't give me constructive criticism, or else press that friendly green 'back' button and find something else to read. If you sort of liked it keep reading, because stories grow and grow and grow...