A/N: Please remember that I am not J. K., and that this is my a/u. I will try to be as faithful to canon as possible, but if I happen to break canon, this is after all my a/u so please bear with me and see where the story goes. FYI; All our heroes and heroines are at least 17/18, and therefore of legal age in the Wizarding World. A word of caution; in later chapters, there will be allusions to torture, nudity, and things of explicit nature referred to, so I advise a rating of at least M on this story.

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Chapter Three: The Great Plan; or It's All Relative

The next morning the girls had all awoken first, and their sleeping arrangements were already transfigured back into the original forms.

While Harry and Draco'd been gone the previous evening, the remaining guys and girls had discovered they were all on at least nodding relationships with eachother.

A class here and there shared, friends with a mutual friend, the normal way any schoolmates recognized each other. It might not have made the girls bosom buddies, but it did make for a companionable and convivial trip down to breakfast in the Great Hall.

It was slightly different on the guys' side. There were five against one, the one being Draco Malfoy.

The guys were just beginning to wake, and the first order of their business seemed to be to eye Draco with varying degrees of suspicion and malice.

The tension was becoming decidedly uncomfortable, so Neville Longbottom decided to break the silence.

"Girls," he said with a stretch and a yawn. "I'll never understand them! Put more than one or two together at a time, and they gang up into packs like a pride of wild lions, ready to rip you to shreds!" He yawned again.

Harry and Ron looked at eachother, and burst out laughing remembering their own experiences with female packs when the Yule Ball had been announced.

Draco grinned wolfishly, and murmured, "Well, well Longbottom! You've just proven you're not a complete idiot after all. That's the most accurate way I've ever heard females described. But I've also discovered that if you put yourself out just a bit, the herd can be culled to your satisfaction."

At that, Fred and George both guffawed uproariously. Then in their simultaneous twin-speak they said, "Hear, hear for culling the herd to our satisfaction!" Both bounced out of bed on the opposite sides, in perfect mirror image of the other, and quickly donned their muggle-style jeans and homemade jumpers. As they done up their respective trainers, Ron abruptly sat up.

It had just dawned on him what they meant as they called over their shoulders, "Hurry up, or all the good ones will have gone!" He hollered to their retreating forms, "Hey! Paws off Luna! You guys know how I feel about her!"But the door had already shut off his shout.

Ron leapt up, and hurriedly jerked on his jeans and jumper. He left the room hopping on the one foot, as he was pulling on his second trainer. "Sorry, Harry! But, well . . . , you know how it is. Right?"

Harry gave him his best foster-brother grin, and said, "Go on Ron, or all the good ones will have gone." And with one last glare at Draco, Ron quit the room with a hearty bang of the door, and a dead-run down the stairs.

"What's the rush?" asked Neville, swinging his feet out of his cot. He proceeded to dress himself at a much more leisurely pace. With a wry shake of his head, he drew his wand and carefully worked the transfiguration charm to tidy up behind himself and the unruly Weasleys.

"Thanks, Neville," said Harry. "They don't mean anything by it. I'd have done it for them myself when I did mine. They're not like us. They're used to having a mum to tidy up behind them."

Neville nodded, and gave a shrug of his shoulders, "It's nothing. Gave me a chance to practice, is all." Then to change the subject, he asked Harry, "What is it that makes girls act like they do? For that matter, why do guys act the way we do?"

Harry groaned, and got up and began to get dressed himself. "I don't know, Neville. With Fred and George it's always 'sex and girls' and 'girls and sex'," he said. "That's all they ever talk about." He saw Draco out of the corner of his eye, and turned to look in his direction.

Draco froze in mid-scratch as he watched Harrys' gaze stray towards the itch he'd been ministering to. "I say Potter, I know I've teased you about it and all, but you're not a 'girlie man' are you? A buggerer? You know . . . , gay? I mean it's your private business and all, but it would explain why you've never shagged Granger before."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Harry with horror. "No, no, no! Of course I'm not gay, unless endless wet dreams about Cho means that I'm gay."

"Ah," said Draco. "I remember Cho. I'm impressed, Potter. You have good taste in women."

Neville paused, his hand resting on the doorknob. He cleared his throat and said, "If you're both done pissing in the wind, I'm leaving for breakfast before I get put off my appetite." With that he stepped into the hallway and slammed the door behind himself.

Draco turned to Harry and asked, "Reckon Longbottoms' gay?"

Harry just shrugged and shook his head.

There was only one table laid out with food and places, so placement was limited at breakfast. Harry slid into his usual place between Hermione and Ron, and was thankful for the steaming cup of coffee that appeared in place of the usual pumpkin juice.

Draco crossed to the opposite side of the table to take a seat between a darkly beautiful Slytherin girl, and a petite auburn haired beauty that Harry recognized as a Ravenclaw classmate of Lunas', Miranda Waverly. Draco felt a degree of comfort, and begun to fill his plate.

"WELL? Care to fill us in, Harry?" Hermione asked the question that everyone wanted the answer to.

Harry grimanced , his first sip of coffee turning bitter in his mouth. He carefully set down his cup, and indicated Draco with a wave of his hand. "It seems as if Draco's been on our side, spying for Dumbledore all along. I suppose we must trust him, but just the same, I'd watch my back around him for the time being. No offense intended, Malfoy."

"None taken, Potter," replied Draco as he popped a ripe, red strawberry into his mouth.

Harry continued with a roll of his eyes, "And we have to somehow or other free Snape from St. Mungo's, where the Ministry is holding him until he's fit for trial and sentencing. We also have to cure him, where all the medi-witch staff at St. Mungo's has been unable to do, and get him back into fighting trim. That's if the Deatheaters and Dementors don't get him or us before we can get him back here to Hogwarts." He looked around, then asked, "Any suggestions?"

Everyone was silent up and down both sides of the table, faces furrowed in concentration as Harry looked around. Fred, or was it George?, was drumming their fingers on the tabletop, lost in thought.

Harrys' searching gaze froze. Seated directly opposite himself sat a slender girl, with long, straight blue-black hair that reminded him slightly of Cho. That is she did until she lifted her alabaster face, and his green eyes met a pair of the deepest amethyst eyes he'd ever seen. He felt like he'd literally taken a bludger to his chest, so taken was he by her beauty.

One ink-dark eyebrow arched upwards quizzically, as she stared back at him. Harry just wanted to dive into her eyes and swim in them, if it'd been possible.

"Too bad Snape's not a minor," said Ron around the rasher of bacon he was chewing on. "If he was, a parent or guardian could get him into private care, if they could provide adequate security, with an order of Release from the Ministry."

The dark goddess spoke, "I'm related to Professor Snape, distantly. I believe our mothers were fourth or fifth cousins. Would that be close enough for me to sign him out?"

Malfoy had noticed Harrys' interest in the dark girl, so with a wicked smile he slid his arm possessively around her shoulders, and gave her a small squeeze. "Now, Elle," Draco purred, "you know fully well how the Wizarding World works. It's always been a patriarchal society, so . . . , no. I'm afraid maternal relationships won't suffice."

He continued, while examining his perfectly manicured nails, "However, Severus IS my godfather, and I AM still head of House Malfoy, . . . at least I am until Lucius finds and kills me." He looked Harry in the eyes and finished, "I believe that with 'proper' documentation, I could have myself appointed Severus' guardian and obtain his release into my custody."

Hermione had been listening intently, with genuine interest. A sneaky smile spread across her face, and she turned to Harry, grabbing his arm. "Merlin! Harry, it could work! The Dark Lord wouldn't even know you were involved, and that would buy us the time we need to fix Snape!"

Thirteen pairs of eyes turned to look at Pomfrey, fourteen pairs if you counted Hagrids', waiting expectantly for an adults advise. Her cheeks flamed with sudden embarrassment at being thrust into a position of authority, and she murmured, "Oh dear!"

After a few minutes had passed, she said, "Well, I'm no solicitor, but I believe the Ministry will require genealogical proof of nearest living male kin. And it will need to at least appear to be legally drawn up, and have Minister Fudges' signature and seal to actually obtain Severus' release."

"Okay then," Harry said, "Draco needs a family trees connecting him to Snape that looks nice and legal. 'Mione, would you?" Before he could finish, she was on her feet calling over her shoulder, "I'll be in the library."

Elle pushed Dracos' arm off and stood up, calling after Hermione, "Wait up, Hermione! History is one of my favorite subjects. I'll come help you."

"Harry, I've been really studying up on medicinal plants and herbs lately," Neville spoke up. "Perhaps if Madam Pomfrey were to make out a list of needed medicinals, I could search the grounds and the Dark Forest for them. I mean, if we DO get Snape back, he'll need healing, right?"

From the far end of the table, a soft voice piped up timidly, "I'm also very good at potions and medicinals. May I go with you?" It was Gillian, trying to fend off an irrepressible George.

Pomfrey rose and said, "Right then, you both come with me. We'll go and take an inventory of Snapes' private stores of ingredients and replenish whatever's missing."

With Hagrids' also leaving to tend his animals, the group at table was definitely thinning out.

Fred said, "You know who we could really use?" George exclaimed, "Tonks! If anyone could forge," Fred picked up the sentence, "That is could OBTAIN Fudges' signature and seal, she's our girl!"

"Done!" Harry exclaimed, 'accio'ing parchment, quill, and ink. He wrote out, 'You are needed. Two hours. Same place.', and sealed it with the blood red wax and seal of the Order of the Phoenix. He then summoned Hedwig and told her, "Take this to Nymphadora Tonks, and don't wait for a reply. Come straight back here, and have an owl treat in the owlery."

Hedwig rubbed her face affectionately against Harrys' hand when he handed her the message, and hooted her understanding of his orders. Then off she flew in the direction of London.

Fred said, "No offense, Harry, but not really feeling like books." George chimed in, "Or picking flowers." They continued in their 'twin-speak', "We'd really rather practice our curses and dueling skills."

"Ooh, yes! Duelling!" chorused the remaining females excitedly.

"Ron?" querried Harry.

Ron had finally finished eating, and was wiping his lips and fingers neatly on his napkin. "Can't see helping to spring the greasy git, might affect dads' job at the Ministry if it goes wonky and all."

Harry leant over and whispered into Rons' ear, "Really not wanting to leave Luna at the twins' mercy?"

"Got it right on the first try," Ron whispered back wink.

"Want to see how it's coming in the library, Potter? That is if you're finished making out with Weasel, of course," Draco insinuated snarkily with his usual smirk.

Harry froze, then smiled sweetly and batted his eyes coyly as he cooed back, "Of course, Draco. After you, my luv."

Draco felt a distinct re-visitation of his just eaten breakfast in the back of his throat. 'Buggerer might just KISS me if I provoke him!' he thought, as he stood up and led the way to the library without another word. Malfoys were all about self-preservation, after all.

It had turned out that Elle had beautiful penmanship, almost calligraphy-like, so she was the one carefully copying out the 'father of' and 'son of' onto a pristine, first-quality piece of parchment with purest India ink.

The two girls were getting along like a house on fire, as loved to read just for the joy of reading and doing research for the love of knowledge, not simply because it was an assignment. They had quickly found what was needed in 'Valensius' List of Venerables', which was the Wizarding Worlds' version of 'Debrits' List of the Peerage' in the Muggle world. By looking up Snapes' pure blood mothers' family, and the Malfoy family, they'd found more than enough intermingling in the outermost branches of both family trees. It made for a most convincing appearing document.

Elle lay down her quill, and sanded their creation generously, before gently blowing it clean. Hermione smiled her approval. This Slytherin might actually become a friend.

Harry and Draco walked into the library just as Hermione was returning the research book to its proper place.

"Here you are, Draco," Elle said as she passed him the parchment. Harry intercepted it, and scanned over it before handing to an indignant Draco.

A pair of silver-blue eyes carefully and critically perused the document. He smiled genuinely at both girls, truly impressed. "Very impressive, ladies," Draco said. Then a crafty grin pursed his lips, and he added, "You know if we live through this, there will be a lot of people wanting to 'edit' their lineage to be 'politically correct'. You two could make a fortune forging documents."

Hagrids' appearance at the library door was the only thing that saved Draco from a serious hexing by a miffed off Hermione. Hagrid said, "Ready to go, Harry? Draco? Poppy's given us a bottle of 'Compliance' potion to coax the professor with, so he'll come along nice and quiet-like with us."

"Let's go, Malfoy," Harry said decisively. "We'll use the floo network from Madam Pomfreys' chambers. It's almost time to meet up with Tonks anyway."

"Whoa, Potter," said Draco. "Doesn't it rather defeat the whole 'keeping the Dark Lord in the dark' thing if you go, too?"

"Not if they can't see me," Harry quipped back with a sly grin of his own.

End Chapter Three

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