Title: Behind the Battle Lines
Author: Ella Marie
Disclaimer: Surprise! I own nothing.
Summary: Sometimes it's what goes on behind the scenes of a battle that are the most important. Note: My beta has the flu and is out of commission. I think I caught most of the mistakes but do be patient with the ones I didn't.
...And really, I think that's the only way." Harry finished and sat back down at the cold, round, stone table. The only light in the room came from the huge fireplace at one end of the hall. He looked to the Minister of magic for approval.
"Thank you Harry." Ron nodded, looking around at the small gathering. They were the elite of the resistance against the Dark Lord , Harry Potter and Hermione; his life long friends, McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, Dean Thomas, and a man he never imagined he could work with, Draco Malfoy. "Any comments?"
Draco stood. "It simply won't work. In the last 18 months, I've refused the dark mark, I've disowned my family, moved in with Weasley's; the most respected and prominent family in the resistance, and fell in love and am engaged to their youngest. I've given you every secret I know about the death eaters, their identities, activities, and possible hideouts. And now, you want me to waltz back into my father's house, and say it was just a phase! I would be killed before I got to utter a hello."
The heads around the table nodded in agreement. "It's true." Snape spoke up. At the beginning of Draco's sixth year, Snape had quit to become a 'full-time death eater.' Not until Draco had joined the top-secret circle of the resistance had he found Snape had really quit to become a full time double agent. "There are at least five bounties out on Draco's head that I know of. His father is not stupid. However, I don't imagine that they would kill Draco.."
"See!" Harry interjected "it would work!"
Snape cleared his throat. "As I was saying. They probably wouldn't kill him, but hold him hostage and torture him until he cracked and told them what they wanted to know or possibly ransom him to us for whatever they wanted and that would probably be your head, Mr. Potter."
Dumbledore, sitting beside Snape added, "Luis Malfoy is not known for his forgiving nature. Draco would almost certainly meet with an unfortunate and painful end, Minister" (Ron cringed. No matter how many times he told Dumbledore to call him Ron, he always called him minister or sir. And the one time he pushed Dumbledore said he would only call him Ron if Ron called him Albus, which was a virtual impossibility for Ron.)
"All right then. Any other suggestions." Ron asked once again looking around the table.
"If I may." Draco began. "I suggest a secret mission team consisting of Minerva, Dean, your beautiful wife," He said winking at Hermione. "And if I may be so forward, myself. We'll go down to.." Draco began to outline an intricate plan that he and Ginny had been working on for weeks. It involved infiltrating other death eater camps and destroying them from the inside out. Both of them were sure the plan would work, but were hesitant to employ it. The plan would take many months to play out properly and Draco wasn't sure he was ready to be separated from his fiancée for that long. But the idea of being eternally separated because one of them was killed by death eaters had even less appeal. ".With the sub-camps in a wreck, it should be easier to infiltrate the main stronghold. At that time, we will need everyone there to help, but until then I think a small team would be best."
Ron was always amazed at Draco's strategizing, this was no exception. "That's a remarkable plan. There's only one problem."
"What?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My sister would kill me for sending you away from her and toward mortal peril for that long."
Draco chuckled. "No, Ginny and I made this plan together. She knows that it has to be this way. She would tell you herself, if she was here." Ginny wasn't there because when they had these meetings, someone had to stay home with the Weasley family, who knew nothing about Draco, Hermione, Harry or even Ginny's activities. They knew they worked in the ministry, but they had no idea, that they were more than mere clerks, officers, or pencil pushers. Jobs they assumed Ron had pulled strings to get for them when he became minister of Magic. They had no idea that their 'children' were leading an attack on Voldemort. They knew, as everyone did, that the Dark Lord was rising. But like the general public, they had no idea just how powerful Voldermort and his army had become or the enormity of the threat he posed. That being the case, one of them had to stay home to protect the other Weasleys from a danger they didn't even know that much about. Ginny, Draco, Harry, and Hermione rotated between themselves (Ron, being Minister needed to be at every meeting.) One of them came down with a cold or a headache, or a lot of work to do everyone Tuesday night, while the others 'went out for a butter beer.' Tonight Ginny had to 'finish some very important ministry documents.' He couldn't wait to get home to her. If this plan went through there would only be a few days before he left and he wanted to spend every moment of them with her.
"Then it is so." Ron said with an air of finality, after a few questions and a general agreement to the plan. The room was silent as they realized the importance of this decision. It would either bring ruin to themselves or the death eaters. There would be no stalemate this time. "The four of you will leave Sunday night. The rest of you I will see next Tuesday. Now let's get out of here. I need to show my wife how much I'm going to miss her." Everyone laughed and the tension was broken, at least for the moment.
Draco began to gather his things, anxious himself to get home to Ginny. Potter (he could not think of him as Harry as much as he tried to) crept up to him, a weird smile playing on his face. "You didn't like my plan Malfoy?" It was a question posed with more malice and sarcasm than he thought six words could hold.
"It wasn't reasonable, that's all." Draco said stuffing parchments into his briefcase, all but ignoring him.
"I don't know. You in the grips of a Crucio curse seems pretty reasonable to me." His eyes telling Draco he'd like nothing better than to do it himself.
"Potter, get out of my way. I've got places to be and a beautiful woman waiting for me. Don't you? Oh no, that's right you don't" Draco poured on the fake sweetness. "Cho dumped you, again. That's too bad. Now, if you'll excuse me Ginny's waiting." He walked past Harry, but Potter called after him.
"Oh, but Malfoy, that pretty little girl is just what I wanted to talk to you about. She's gonna be awfully lonely and scared without you. I just wanted you to know I'll take care of her." He grinning evilly, letting Draco know exactly what he meant.
"You give Ginny way too little credit, she won't be scared without me. She would take on Voldemort herself, if Ron would let her. And dare I say, since we live in a house with more then a dozen people, she won't be that lonely. At least not lonely enough to give you a second look. She got over the infamous 'boy who lived' a long time ago. Now you're just a pathetic man who lives off his reputation."
"I don't know about that Draco," Harry lowered his voice to an insinuating whisper. "Have you ever noticed how she gives just a little gasp whenever I touch her? How she flushes whenever I enter a room. How flustered she gets when I just look at her. Or how red she turns when I talk to her."
"You lie Potter" Draco hissed. "If you believe that, you're seriously delusional."
"Oh I don't know. I still see the desire in her eyes when she watches me. You should notice it, it's quite obvious. And remember last Valentine's Day, when she wore that gorgeously short and almost sheer dress? When I leaned in close I could see her aroused nip.."
"Say another word and I will kill you. Right now." Draco grabbed Harry by his robes.
"Draco, Harry. What's all this?" Ron demanded walking over with Hermione in tow.
"Nothing." Harry said, removing Draco's hands and straightening his dress robes. "Malfoy's just a little nervous about his trip, that all."
"Well, beating Harry up isn't going to help anything." Hermione scolded. "Come on, let's get home, I'm sure Ginny's anxious to hear the news." Since the Dark Lord's power had been rising, most of the Weasley children, their spouses and their children had moved back to the Burrow. Many families had taken to this conglomeration. It seemed like a safer and kinder way to face what could be a very bleak future. Only Harry kept an apartment and didn't live at the Burrows (though in reality he spent enough time there to be considered living there.) When Ron had been appointed the Minister of Magic, he had financed a complete renovation of the Burrows. It's was now much bigger and much nicer. Even Malfoy had to agree that it was one of the loveliest places he'd ever stayed.
The four apparated and ended up in the kitchen. "Gin, we're home." Draco called.
A bolt of red ran down the stairs and launched itself into Draco's arms. "I missed you. I missed you. I missed you." Ginny laughed, punctuating each phrase with a kiss.
"I missed you too." Draco said joining in her laughter and pulling her into another kiss.
"Wow, how are you two going to stand it, when Malfoy leaves next week?" Harry asked off-handedly.
Hermione gasped and frowned at Harry. "Hush." Harry just shrugged.
But Ginny had heard Harry's words. She stiffened in Draco's arms.
She looked at the three friends. "Can you give us a moment?"
"Sure Gin." Ron nodded and the 'dream team' retired to the living room, Hermione chiding Harry the whole way.
Summary: Sometimes it's what goes on behind the scenes of a battle that are the most important. Note: My beta has the flu and is out of commission. I think I caught most of the mistakes but do be patient with the ones I didn't.
...And really, I think that's the only way." Harry finished and sat back down at the cold, round, stone table. The only light in the room came from the huge fireplace at one end of the hall. He looked to the Minister of magic for approval.
"Thank you Harry." Ron nodded, looking around at the small gathering. They were the elite of the resistance against the Dark Lord , Harry Potter and Hermione; his life long friends, McGonagall, Snape, Dumbledore, Dean Thomas, and a man he never imagined he could work with, Draco Malfoy. "Any comments?"
Draco stood. "It simply won't work. In the last 18 months, I've refused the dark mark, I've disowned my family, moved in with Weasley's; the most respected and prominent family in the resistance, and fell in love and am engaged to their youngest. I've given you every secret I know about the death eaters, their identities, activities, and possible hideouts. And now, you want me to waltz back into my father's house, and say it was just a phase! I would be killed before I got to utter a hello."
The heads around the table nodded in agreement. "It's true." Snape spoke up. At the beginning of Draco's sixth year, Snape had quit to become a 'full-time death eater.' Not until Draco had joined the top-secret circle of the resistance had he found Snape had really quit to become a full time double agent. "There are at least five bounties out on Draco's head that I know of. His father is not stupid. However, I don't imagine that they would kill Draco.."
"See!" Harry interjected "it would work!"
Snape cleared his throat. "As I was saying. They probably wouldn't kill him, but hold him hostage and torture him until he cracked and told them what they wanted to know or possibly ransom him to us for whatever they wanted and that would probably be your head, Mr. Potter."
Dumbledore, sitting beside Snape added, "Luis Malfoy is not known for his forgiving nature. Draco would almost certainly meet with an unfortunate and painful end, Minister" (Ron cringed. No matter how many times he told Dumbledore to call him Ron, he always called him minister or sir. And the one time he pushed Dumbledore said he would only call him Ron if Ron called him Albus, which was a virtual impossibility for Ron.)
"All right then. Any other suggestions." Ron asked once again looking around the table.
"If I may." Draco began. "I suggest a secret mission team consisting of Minerva, Dean, your beautiful wife," He said winking at Hermione. "And if I may be so forward, myself. We'll go down to.." Draco began to outline an intricate plan that he and Ginny had been working on for weeks. It involved infiltrating other death eater camps and destroying them from the inside out. Both of them were sure the plan would work, but were hesitant to employ it. The plan would take many months to play out properly and Draco wasn't sure he was ready to be separated from his fiancée for that long. But the idea of being eternally separated because one of them was killed by death eaters had even less appeal. ".With the sub-camps in a wreck, it should be easier to infiltrate the main stronghold. At that time, we will need everyone there to help, but until then I think a small team would be best."
Ron was always amazed at Draco's strategizing, this was no exception. "That's a remarkable plan. There's only one problem."
"What?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"My sister would kill me for sending you away from her and toward mortal peril for that long."
Draco chuckled. "No, Ginny and I made this plan together. She knows that it has to be this way. She would tell you herself, if she was here." Ginny wasn't there because when they had these meetings, someone had to stay home with the Weasley family, who knew nothing about Draco, Hermione, Harry or even Ginny's activities. They knew they worked in the ministry, but they had no idea, that they were more than mere clerks, officers, or pencil pushers. Jobs they assumed Ron had pulled strings to get for them when he became minister of Magic. They had no idea that their 'children' were leading an attack on Voldemort. They knew, as everyone did, that the Dark Lord was rising. But like the general public, they had no idea just how powerful Voldermort and his army had become or the enormity of the threat he posed. That being the case, one of them had to stay home to protect the other Weasleys from a danger they didn't even know that much about. Ginny, Draco, Harry, and Hermione rotated between themselves (Ron, being Minister needed to be at every meeting.) One of them came down with a cold or a headache, or a lot of work to do everyone Tuesday night, while the others 'went out for a butter beer.' Tonight Ginny had to 'finish some very important ministry documents.' He couldn't wait to get home to her. If this plan went through there would only be a few days before he left and he wanted to spend every moment of them with her.
"Then it is so." Ron said with an air of finality, after a few questions and a general agreement to the plan. The room was silent as they realized the importance of this decision. It would either bring ruin to themselves or the death eaters. There would be no stalemate this time. "The four of you will leave Sunday night. The rest of you I will see next Tuesday. Now let's get out of here. I need to show my wife how much I'm going to miss her." Everyone laughed and the tension was broken, at least for the moment.
Draco began to gather his things, anxious himself to get home to Ginny. Potter (he could not think of him as Harry as much as he tried to) crept up to him, a weird smile playing on his face. "You didn't like my plan Malfoy?" It was a question posed with more malice and sarcasm than he thought six words could hold.
"It wasn't reasonable, that's all." Draco said stuffing parchments into his briefcase, all but ignoring him.
"I don't know. You in the grips of a Crucio curse seems pretty reasonable to me." His eyes telling Draco he'd like nothing better than to do it himself.
"Potter, get out of my way. I've got places to be and a beautiful woman waiting for me. Don't you? Oh no, that's right you don't" Draco poured on the fake sweetness. "Cho dumped you, again. That's too bad. Now, if you'll excuse me Ginny's waiting." He walked past Harry, but Potter called after him.
"Oh, but Malfoy, that pretty little girl is just what I wanted to talk to you about. She's gonna be awfully lonely and scared without you. I just wanted you to know I'll take care of her." He grinning evilly, letting Draco know exactly what he meant.
"You give Ginny way too little credit, she won't be scared without me. She would take on Voldemort herself, if Ron would let her. And dare I say, since we live in a house with more then a dozen people, she won't be that lonely. At least not lonely enough to give you a second look. She got over the infamous 'boy who lived' a long time ago. Now you're just a pathetic man who lives off his reputation."
"I don't know about that Draco," Harry lowered his voice to an insinuating whisper. "Have you ever noticed how she gives just a little gasp whenever I touch her? How she flushes whenever I enter a room. How flustered she gets when I just look at her. Or how red she turns when I talk to her."
"You lie Potter" Draco hissed. "If you believe that, you're seriously delusional."
"Oh I don't know. I still see the desire in her eyes when she watches me. You should notice it, it's quite obvious. And remember last Valentine's Day, when she wore that gorgeously short and almost sheer dress? When I leaned in close I could see her aroused nip.."
"Say another word and I will kill you. Right now." Draco grabbed Harry by his robes.
"Draco, Harry. What's all this?" Ron demanded walking over with Hermione in tow.
"Nothing." Harry said, removing Draco's hands and straightening his dress robes. "Malfoy's just a little nervous about his trip, that all."
"Well, beating Harry up isn't going to help anything." Hermione scolded. "Come on, let's get home, I'm sure Ginny's anxious to hear the news." Since the Dark Lord's power had been rising, most of the Weasley children, their spouses and their children had moved back to the Burrow. Many families had taken to this conglomeration. It seemed like a safer and kinder way to face what could be a very bleak future. Only Harry kept an apartment and didn't live at the Burrows (though in reality he spent enough time there to be considered living there.) When Ron had been appointed the Minister of Magic, he had financed a complete renovation of the Burrows. It's was now much bigger and much nicer. Even Malfoy had to agree that it was one of the loveliest places he'd ever stayed.
The four apparated and ended up in the kitchen. "Gin, we're home." Draco called.
A bolt of red ran down the stairs and launched itself into Draco's arms. "I missed you. I missed you. I missed you." Ginny laughed, punctuating each phrase with a kiss.
"I missed you too." Draco said joining in her laughter and pulling her into another kiss.
"Wow, how are you two going to stand it, when Malfoy leaves next week?" Harry asked off-handedly.
Hermione gasped and frowned at Harry. "Hush." Harry just shrugged.
But Ginny had heard Harry's words. She stiffened in Draco's arms.
She looked at the three friends. "Can you give us a moment?"
"Sure Gin." Ron nodded and the 'dream team' retired to the living room, Hermione chiding Harry the whole way.