Chapter 2: Fish Eyes and Tea
Danger. Danger. DANGER! Move, move, keep moving. No, don't stop, don't ever stop, or they'll get you! Potter and his crew. They'll find you and tear you to bits, Draco Malfoy. They hate you. Hate. They'll kill you. Kill. Kill. DUMBLEDORE! No, please, no, don't make me…it burns, this mark. This branding. Tired. So very, very tired. Please, rest. Give in, give up, and surrender. Give up, give up, give up, GIVE UP!!
Draco awoke with a gasp, glancing about wildly. His heart was beating frantically against his ribcage, as if it was trying to escape. "Just a dream, just a dream", he muttered to himself, "Just another bloody dream". His sleep had been punctuated by such dreams all night. Dreams about Dumbledore, about facing the Order. He tried to go back to sleep, but found it impossible. He was too on edge for any sort of peace now. He was covered in sweat and he could feel it drying on his skin, adding yet another layer of filth. He stared at his arms, wincing at their dull, lightly grayish color. He was so dirty, so disgusting. The fact that he'd gotten used to his own stench and could barely even register that he reeked was testament to his pathetic situation.
He sighed, and looked across the small cave; Snape was sitting cross-legged, hunched over. He was staring blankly at his hands, as if they held the answers to life's problems, or at the very least to his future. Draco snorted; perhaps they did, but they would never figure it out. He was sure Trelawney would like to give it a shot though, delighted at the chance to inform yet another hapless victim of their impending doom, telling them just how short their lifeline was.
Snape slowly raised his eyes to Draco's, and held his stare. His black eyes were full of something Draco could no quite name, but it quickly fled, and Snape's eyes became unfathomable once more; dark as the Abyss, and dull. They looked like the eyes of a dead fish, and Draco had go fight the urge to break his gaze.
"Well, I see you are awake", Snape said without a trace of emotion. "Good. We can set out soon, then. Remember all I told you yesterday. Expect nothing by the way of kindness from them. They have lost a beloved leader, thanks to us. We should count ourselves lucky if they grant us audience at all, much less believe us."
Draco nodded tightly. He knew what was at stake. At least he knew what was at stake for him. He was just the silly boy in their pairing. A Malfoy, a Death Eater, and the reason for the attack on Hogwarts, yes, but definitely not Dumbledore's killer and a killer. If he thought he was screwed, Snape was out and out raped.
"Come with me then", Snape ordered.
He led Draco outside the cave and into the woods. Draco once again fruitlessly wondered where they were; Snape had refused to tell him where he had Apparated them, claiming he had no true need to know. Lost in his thoughts, he failed to realize Snape had stopped walking until he almost ran into the man. Snape wordlessly held out his arm, which Draco grasped just as quietly. With a loud CRACK Snape Disapparated them from their home of the past month.
They reappeared in front a house, which Snape identified with a mutter as Headquarters. Draco tugged on his sleeve, asking "Wait. How do you know this is still Headquarters? Wouldn't they have up and left, after your betrayal? Wouldn't they be scared you'd rat the place out?"
Snape waved aside his questions, drawling, "Not quite. There are few places for them to make their base, and this happens to be the most convenient, the best. It took me a while to nose it out, but I eventually realized that Moody has placed the house under an odd, yet very powerful protection charm. I know not what it is exactly; all I know is that only those who have been Order members can see and enter the place. As it is, what you see is not Headquarters. It is a fake; Headquarters is to its left, and I can see it, though you cannot."
Draco opened his mouth again, only to be cut off as Snape continued, "As to the question of how they could leave themselves so open as to allow me to enter, well they haven't. I should have said people who have been Order members apart from myself. The place, I gathered, will more or less attack me should I attempt to get too close, and alert other Order members of my presence."
Draco gaped at him, then stuttered out, "B-but how…? How do you know all this?"
Snape snorted, but answered, "For the past two weeks or so, I have made myself useful. I have Apparated around, transformed myself into my Animagus form –- no, before you ask, I will not tell you what it is, and no other members of the Order do not know I am an Animagus, I'm unregistered…Oh, don't look so surprised. As I was saying, I transformed into my Animagus form and proceeded to wait until I could eavesdrop on some members. Now enough chatter, we've been out here too long. Remember, be calm"
Draco swallowed difficultly, wishing vaguely that he'd taken a piss before they'd left, so he wouldn't embarrass himself. He looked on as Snape waved his wand slightly, muttering to himself, as he performed what looked to be a series of protection spells. He then looked, clenching his jaw. He shot out his wand into the air, sending up green sparks and lights, which whirled around the air to the left of the fake Headquarters, making loud, high-pitched noises. Quickly snatching Draco's wand from him, he walked forwards swiftly, and after a moment's hesitation, placed the wands down on the ground. He returned to Draco, staring straight ahead.
Draco tensed, and tried not to fidget. He wished for all the world that he could have his wand back, but he knew why Snape had taken it and laid it down. It was a gesture of peace, and of trust, the equivalent of an animal exposing its underside to another. It was a smart move, but Draco felt odd without it, like he was missing a limb.
The two wizards didn't have to wait long; Snape's light and sound display had not gone unnoticed, and Order members rushed swiftly out of what seemed to Draco like thin air, wands held out warily. He recognized Moody, Lupin, Professor McGonagall, Arthur Weasley the Muggle-loving blood traitor, and, of course, the Golden Trio. They all slowed down as they took in the sight before them. Snape calmly put his empty hands out in front of him in a gesture of peace, and sank to his knees. Draco hastily followed his lead, taking in the expressions of the Order. They stared blankly for a minute or two at the pair, and then anger and incredulity sunk into their faces. He noted the anger seemed most present on Potter's face, followed closely by the Weasel and Lupin. But then again, the Weasel always seemed thunderous, so that came as no great surprise. Potter, however, was surprising. He looked not just enraged, but positively murderous. Granger's face, on the other hand, was empty save a vague look of surprise and foreboding.
Potter quickly stepped forward, growling, "Why you… I can't believe you two had the nerve to come here! How DARE you show your faces here! Traitors and cowards alike, the both of you! Pathetic dredges of humanity! You greasy sons of bi—"
"That will be enough Mr. Potter", Snape said, sounding amused, "We get the gist, trust me. And before the rest of you come to your senses and realize you should have already attempted to disarm us—honestly, werewolf, didn't you teach DADA?—I draw your attention to our wands in front of you on the floor. Obviously, they are meant to signal peace, so I would appreciate it if you would store that away in your minds".
Draco stared at Snape, shocked. The man spoke as though this was an everyday event and they were merely dropping by for tea, not as though they were in the lion's den. Small pulses of awe and unease ran through him simultaneously; he wasn't sure if Snape had balls, or if he was just insane. At any rate, it looked as if Granger was thinking the same thing. Weasley meanwhile, looked as though he were about to explode with anger.
Draco became aware of Moody growling, before spitting out, "That means nothing, Traitor! For all we know you planned that so we'd think you passive! Well sadly for you, we exercise constant vigilance, and hold no trust for scum like you. Now, everyone, together!"
Snape tensed and cursed under his breath wearily. Suddenly, all Draco could see were red lights shooting out of wands and coming straight at them, as cries of "Stupefy!" abounded. And then, Draco felt as though he'd been hit by hippogriff, and he barely registered Snape falling over next to him, as his world faded swiftly into black.
