Title: One Minute to Midnight.

Summary: Daphne Greengrass is known as the Ice Queen of Slytherin for a reason. But after a painful failure in the service of the Dark Lord, she is given a chance to redeem herself with a new mission that may prove more challenging than anything she has attempted before: courting Blaise Zabini.

Warnings: This story contains descriptions of war, violence, death, language, and other mature and/or disturbing content not necessarily suitable for minors. Please refer to the rating and genre before reading.

Disclaimer: All characters, locations, and setting in this story belong to J.K Rowling and do not contribute to any personal profits or other tangible material gains.

Chapter 1.

Quiet footsteps scuttling across the hall alerted me to the presence of another. I swallowed, trying to restrain my breathing and lower my heart rate as Lestrange had taught me. An unpleasant, thick layer of saliva clung to the roof of my mouth. Slowly, I drew my wand from its holster and took a step forward into the next room.

The floorboard creaked beneath me, producing a groan that seemed impossibly loud in the silent building.

Steady, Greengrass! I ordered myself, flattening my back against the wall in case I came under spellfire. The words for a strong shielding charm were on my lips, wand levied.

A rodent scurried across the floor and dissapeared out of sight, seeking refuge in some small nook. But there was no one else there.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't let my guard down. I had made that mistake before, and it nearly cost me my life. No, whether there was anyone there or not, I would be ready.

I motioned to my right, giving the "all clear" signal, and my partner stepped through the other door, backing towards me with her wand covering our rear flank.

"Keep alert," I muttered. "I don't see anyone now, but that doesn't mean they're not Disillusioned or Obsfucated."

She looked up from underneath her hood, meeting my eyes, and gave a single nod. The petite girl moved swiftly to the ward stone in the center of the room. It was hard to make out in the low light of evening, but there were runes etched alongside either side of the stone, glowing with faint resonance. There was a palpitable feeling of raw power eminating from it. I kept my distance.

My partner waved her wand a few times, performing the Charms needed to make the correct diagnosis of the facility's wards. I held my breath, fighting a twinge of anxiety. We always worked in pairs, that was the rule. We had been trained that way since the Dark Lord's return. A lone teenager is a cause for suspicion anywhere, but two teenage girls together? That was the most ordinary thing in the world.

I trusted her ability, of course. Nevertheless, I always found myself a little nervous at these times during our missions, where even a slight mistake could lead to ambush by Aurors or even a Hit Wizard team. I kept my face perfectly calm as she worked, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek. It wouldn't do to show any mistrust or weakness in the face of danger.

There was a flash of light. I turned my head reflexively before regarding the source. An image of our minder appeared in front of us, his face shrouded by an enchantment of some sort.

"What have you discovered?" he said simply. We did not use names while on a mission. The walls have ears, after all, especially where magic was concerned. Anything could be recorded or overheard with the slightest ease.

I gave deference to the other girl, who had her wand raised, maintaining the connection.

"At first glance, there doesn't appear to be much security at all," she said, squinting back at the runes. "I disabled the basic alarms and monitoring wards but they're hardly more complicated than OWL level. But there is an extra layer of warding beyond that and I'm not familiar with the runes used."

"Copy them with the Protean charm and I will let you know. Have either of you run into anyone else?"

I shook my head, watching my partner amass all her concentration into casting the charm while maintaining the connection to our minder.

"Let's see," he said now, talking more to himself than anyone else. "Sun Rune. Rune of Plentiful Harvest. Water and oak. These are Welsh runes. They symbolize concealment and protection. I would advise something a little more potent than the standard counter. Erect your own concealment ward and make that cover the existing ward. This way, the existing system thinks that you ought to be keyed in, but you won't have to bother with the risk of disabling it. Leave at once if anything goes wrong."

He cut off the charm and his image dissipated, leaving us once more in the dark.

I looked from side to side, standing guard over my partner as she now set to work with a small knife she kept with her, carving an additional set of runes around the edge of the ward stone. The girl was only a year younger than me, but already had an incredible knowledge of subjects like Charms, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy, performing them at NEWT level. This wasn't an accident. The Dark Lord in his wisdom had ensured that all of his operatives had complementary skills. I was better at Defense and Potions. As the elder, I was also in charge and responsible for the success of the mission.

"Hurry," I intoned, gripping my wand a little tighter. "We have to get moving soon if we don't want to get caught."

I didn't intend to sound harsh, but that wasn't always my strong point. I had built a reputation on getting my way.

She spun around to face me. "Then don't just stand there, come here and help me. I just finished with the last rune." Although her face was barely visible, her voice betrayed her distress.

I might have reprimanded her for this lip if she hadn't already taxed herself so much with the spellwork. Besides, we couldn't afford to get into a fight with one another. Not here.

I shrugged my shoulders in apology, stepping behind her and casting a Lumos. While my knowledge of Runes wasn't as extensive as her own, I could still check her work. After a brief minute passed, I nodded in confirmation, and we joined hands.

Holding our wands in the other hand, we activated the new ward together, watching the vibrations of the ward stone grow stronger as the resonance frequency was altered. It was sort of captivating, really, feeling the powerful magic respond to our will and imbue itself in the stone. The spectacle of light would have entranced me if not for the present danger of our situation.

Superseding the concealment ward had revealed a new door at the other end of the room. There was a plaque on the door. It read:

MOST DANGEROUS WARD FOR MOST DANGEROUS ARTIFACTS

DO NOT ENTER

OR – DON'T EXPECT TO LEAVE

We exchanged glances, moving to it without delay. My partner gave me a look. Of course we were going to enter. We came this far, didn't we?

I took the lead, placing my hand on the handle and cautiously turning it. It gave way – there was no other locking charm – and I stepped ahead into the next chamber, already casting a scanning charm to detect any other presence.

But this room was also empty. There was only row upon row of locked cabinets.

We had been well briefed on this place beforehand. Each artefact was stored in its own box, labelled by a number. The boxes were protected by some of the strongest anti-burglary Charms. They could only be opened by a single Muggle-type key that was uniquely identified by the wards. It was for this reason they didn't bother to leave any guards in the immediate vicinity.

Luckily for me, I had the key. We had been passed it in advance by our minder, who had procured it from his contacts at the Ministry. The key had a series of digits on it. It didn't take me long to find the right place, which was second to last along a long row of locks near the floor.

It was a risky job for two underaged witches, but nevertheless a necessary one. Minors weren't subject to the same laws as adults and would rarely be sent to Azkaban for crimes. Their families were often levied hefty fines if they were purebloods, or else they were expelled from their schools or given some sort of temporary punishment, like being confined to the Restricted Ward at St. Mungo's. For two children in the service of the Dark Lord, who was powerful enough politically and magically to negate any of these options, these were hardly a punishment at all, as long we didn't carry the Dark Mark. And we didn't. That would be foolish while still in school, under the careful watch of Light wizards such as Albus Dumbledore.

By contrast, adults could receive long prison sentences or permanent exile from the Wizarding world. They could even have their magic taken from them or receive the Kiss for particularly noteworthy crimes. That's why I knew the greatest danger were whatever traps and enchantments were guarding the object that we were sent to steal.

An important Dark heirloom had been seized by the Ministry during the last war and had been held in secrecy. An insider at the Ministry had managed to get it transferred to the private collections at the British Museum of Magical History. It wasn't an easy place to get into, but it wasn't the Department of Mysteries either – now under extreme scrutiny after the events in June with the Potter boy.

I pressed the key in the lock and was relieved to see it turn cleanly, the little steel door on the compartment swinging open on its hinge. I let out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding.

Reaching my hand inside, I pulled out a thinly-bound book with a dark navy color. There was no title on the spine. I had been warned not to open it. Despite my curiosity, I was not a foolhardy Gryffindor and I was well aware of the danger of some magical artefacts. I gave a thumbs-up to my partner and closed the compartment, removing the key. I slipped it, along with the book, in my bag and made immediately for the exit.

It was hard to contain my excitement at the prize we had claimed. We had done it! I couldn't wait to report back our success to the Dark Lord. I thought of all of our ancestors, and the great works they had done, only to be treated as criminals and demonized by so-called benevolent wizards, who were more afraid of Dark magic than anything else. It was disgusting. Our community had only suffered since then, forced into the shadows over time. Anything I could do to help our side in the struggle for freedom and restore respect to our people, I would do, no questions asked. Now, we just had to get out of this infernal place.

We were no less than five steps from the door when I was blasted off my feet by a tremendous explosion. There was a great shudder beneath my feet, and I didn't even have the time to put two thoughts together before I felt myself falling, utter blackness enveloping me as my Lumos charm extinguished and I knew no more.

I woke up in a fog, my senses completely disconnected from any awareness of reality. I felt an acute pain in my shoulder and groaned, rubbing it tenderly as I reached around for my wand, only to find it missing. There also was an uncomfortable burning beneath my ribs and I reflexively lashed out with my hand, but instead made contact with something solid, which rolled away from me and fell onto the floor with a crash.

"You've awoken," a cold voice said from somewhere above me. "Reparo."

I opened one eye just in time to see the pieces of a destroyed potion flask fit themselves back together in mid air. Then I turned my head, and saw a figure standing only a foot or two away, looking at me expectantly. My blood ran cold. The Dark Lord was here. Where was I? And more importantly, what the hell had happened?

I immediately attempted to sit up straight, though I felt dead sore. "M'lord..." I muttered, making a clumsy attempt to bow my head in deference.

This was only the second time I had ever seen the Dark Lord in person. He seemed to stare at me for a long while, and I twitched uncomfortably under his gaze, waiting. I was really starting to wonder what was going on, but it would have been out of line to start demanding answers from Lord Voldemort.

At last he spoke.

"I ought to Crucio you for your failure."

I frowned. Failure? What was he talking about?

"...I'm sorry, m'Lord, I don't understand-?"

This wasn't quite the right thing to say and seemed only to antagonize him.

"What is there to understand, you foolish girl?" he spat. "The object that you retrieve had an additional curse attached to it, one that you did not check carefully enough for. When it activated, you were knocked out and trapped by one of the security wards. I had to send in Malfoy to rescue the both of you. You seem to have fared all right, but the girl you went with, I'm afraid to say, was not nearly so lucky!"

I felt a twinge of guilt. "What- what happened to her?"

"She is alive, but only just. She will be recovering for some time, no thanks to your carelessness."

My stomach sank. Even though some protections could be very difficult to spot, it was nevertheless unacceptable to have made this sort of elementary mistake. I had never failed in a mission before. Still, whatever my own feelings or regret, there was nothing I could really do to assuage the Dark Lord's wrath. He was very angry but honestly, he had a right to be.

"I had my reservations about selecting you in the first place and it seems that I was right to doubt your ability," he continued. "I was not sure if you were ready for the responsibility of acting the part of a Death Eater. These missions are essential to winning the war and there is no room for childish error. Is this what I am to expect from the Greengrass family? Is your sister at Hogwarts also this weak?"

I sat there motionless, taking in his words. I was responsible for this. The failure of the mission. My partner's safety. It wasn't something that I took lightly. I felt like a small girl being scolded, but instead of a spanking, this man could very well just kill me on the spot. Or worse, I thought with a gulp.

"Fortunately for you, none of you were caught, but it raised alarms so we cannot return any time soon. And worse, Lucius reported to me that the book was very heavily damaged – a priceless artefact, completely ruined and beyond repair!"

I knew that I was really was mere moments from being Crucioed or worse, so I decided to speak up quickly to try to mitigate the situation. I put on my most innocent face.

"I am sorry m'Lord, I take full responsibility and accept whatever punishment you deign fair. I promise I won't fail you again."

He laughed as if I had just said something highly amusing.

"Oh no, you have one thing wrong, girl. Your fate is mine to decide regardless of what you choose to 'accept' or not! And you won't fail me again, because I am removing you from any further missions of this nature. You have shown me you are not ready yet; you need more training and perhaps when you are of age I will reconsider..."

I lowered my head shamefully, feeling the bitter disgrace. It had all happened so fast, and I was not used to failure. Up until now, I had felt utterly calm, collected, and in control of my future. I was doing well in school and had respect in Slytherin. Wherever I went, those around me hung on my words and heeded my quick curses. Since the time I was very young, I realized that I had this power over others. With a few breathless words and a flip of hair, I was able to control people, influence them, and manipulate them to do whatever I wanted. Some natural charm and a little wand work went a long way.

I was desperate to say something to my Master, to protest, to do anything to save myself from this new humiliation, but once the Dark Lord made a decision, it was final, and my fate felt entirely out of my hands.

"However," Voldemort said. "This is your first slip up and I have decided to be merciful. You have skills and Lord Voldemort always recognizes potential. I intend to put those skills to work on something else of interest to me. You shall be given another chance, but not in the field."

I tilted my head in confusion, broken out my thoughts. Not in the field? Was he giving me some menial task? Was I to spend the next months combing through dusty books, or even polishing the boots of his Inner Circle?

"There is a boy at Hogwarts that I am interested in recruiting to my service. Blaise Zabini, I believe you know him, he is one of your classmates, yes?"

Zabini? Of course I knew him. "Yes, m'Lord. He is in my year in Slytherin."

"My other spies at Hogwarts have reported that Zabini shows great promise and has an affinity at dueling, with top marks in your year in Defense just after Potter. If he has power, I want him to be ready to join my ranks just as you have. Furthermore, his mother is well known in our community, of course, the widower, and her wealth would be most useful to our cause in this war."

I nodded a few times. All of this was true, I was aware of it, but what was the Dark Lord getting at?

"Nevertheless. I know that Dumbledore has made outreaches to the Zabini family in the past and I cannot count on his automatic loyalty. He has not avowed any particular allegiance, but it seems that he has stayed aloof of our usual circles. If he has sympathies with the Light, as I suspect he may, whether it's the Ministry, the Order of the Phoenix, I don't really care, I want them squashed!"

Now I started to see where this was going. "You want me to spy on him, m'Lord."

"Spy on him, lie to him, learn everything you can about him. And most importantly, I want you to seduce him."

I blinked. This was further than I had expected the Dark Lord to go. Not that Zabini was bad looking or anything, he had a certain dark handsome appeal, I suppose, but I had never really thought much about him in that way, and this was a little outside the realm of anything I had ever been asked to do.

"Seduce him? You mean, like, make him fall in love with me? Would that really help?"

It sounded like something a naïve schoolgirl would ask, rather than Daphne Greengrass, proud Pureblood, and I regretted it as soon as I said it. Sure enough, the Dark Lord was quick to correct me.

"I would not have ordered it if I did not think so, so watch your tongue. Do not underestimate the power of love can be used against friend and foe alike. It is a pathetic weakness when you let it control you, yes, but wielded as a tool, it has served me well in the past when necessary. So yes, that is exactly what I mean for you to do."

I knew that I could probably manage, of course, but nerves fluttered in my stomach. I had been with my share of boyfriends, but honestly, it was far easier to slit the throat of a potential enemy than to court one.

"What am I to do specifically, m'Lord?"

The Dark Lord smiled icily. "Make him sing your praises, let him get close to you, become his friend until he holds you in the highest regard. Only when he trusts you completely will you have a chance to convert him to our side. The stakes are higher than ever right now and we need every supporter we can get. Do whatever it is that you have do."

He strode towards the door, leaving me lying there in the bed in which I had awoken. He peered back at me, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as I felt his powerful magic stir.

"Oh and one more thing, Greengrass."

"M'lord?"

"Do not fail me this time, or there will be consequences."

With that, my Master was gone, and I knew that everything had just gotten a lot more interesting this year at Hogwarts.