DISCLAIMER: I do not own any characters. All J K Rowling's genius work.
This story was inspired by wishimight's Bella/Edward story, Dangerous Affections. Unfortunately, that story was pulled down, but I would still like to thank wishimight for creating such a lovely story, and inspiring my own.
Chapter Two – The Plan
"Whenever I am speaking, I expect you… to pay attention, Mr Malfoy."
Draco looked up from his doodle, straight into the eyes of his 'boss', Severus Snape. His cold black eyes bored into Draco's silver-blue ones, reminding the boy of light-less, endless tunnels.
He flinched and blinked, and said, "I apologise, sir."
Snape nodded curtly, before continuing his lecture in an oily voice. "As I was saying, Mr Malfoy, you and Mr Zabini are tasked to… bring down one of the Three who have brought upon us this menace of the Liberated Years."
Draco cocked a fine, golden eyebrow. Only one of the Three?
Snape caught the look, and nodded again. "Indeed, Mr Malfoy. Only one."
The dark haired boy sitting beside the blonde haired Draco Malfoy, stirred. "May I ask why, sir?"
Snape's attention snapped to him. "The agency sees it fit that she is the weakest link amongst the Three, Mr Zabini."
"But she's the smartest of them, sir," Blaise Zabini argued.
Snape's shoulders flexed, as if hiding an involuntary shrug. "It matters not. She will be your target. But none can know of our interference. This job needs to be quick, concise, and a secret. It must look as though she has not… disappeared, merely nothing more than an explained absence. You must acquire her trust, and when she is at her weakest, eliminate the threat."
Draco eyed Snape, contemplating, while Blaise had another question. "We heard that she has been tied, sir, so seduction is out of the question—"
"You will find, Mr Zabini," Snape interrupted loudly. "That seduction is not out of the question."
Blaise shut up, and let Snape deal out the rest of his bomb.
"Ms Greengrass and Ms Parkinson will take care of the Second."
There was a hiss of outrage. Snape's eyes turned once more to the blonde.
"That is beyond the point, sir," Draco snapped back. "The Second is well into the Third, and, no offence meant, but neither Greengrass nor Parkinson has quite the talent—"
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy," Snape said coldly, "For assessing Ms Greengrass and Ms Parkinson's skills. However, they need not rely on beauty alone, which you obviously find inadequate. We have several items which could befuddle the Second's mind easily enough."
Draco shared a look with Blaise. They agreed on one thing. Their boss had finally gone mad into thinking that Greengrass and Parkinson could handle seducing the Second. He'd probably run away screaming at the top of his lungs when he saw them.
"Do not be so doubting of our power, Mr Malfoy," Snape retorted, after seeing the glance. "If neither Ms Greengrass nor Ms Parkinson can accomplish it, we have one last resort, a Final Plan B."
He smirked, then continued, after seeing the boys speechless at having a Final Plan B. "You shall begin immediately. Ms Greengrass and Ms Parkinson have already begun their mission, a week to the date, and it is of perfect time now for you to begin as well."
Blaise shot one look at Draco before sullenly asking, "Do we both have to seduce her?"
Draco almost laughed. His friend was jealous in case the Third chose him? Oh, the hilarity of it all.
Even Snape's lips twitched. "You may go."
Both boys got up from the steel table, Blaise still mumbling under his breath, and Draco still smirking.
"You have to tell me now, Draco," Blaise snapped as soon as they were beyond earshot of Snape and the steel room. "Do you want the Third or not?"
The laugh that the blonde had successfully kept in during the lecture now exploded out of him. "Jealous she'll choose me?"
"I'm just wondering if it's worth trying, if you want to play your seduction cards!" his friend shot back.
Draco laughed again, as he slowed to the door of his room. "Seriously, Blaise, I don't believe I'll have to play too much. If she fell in love with someone like the Second, seducing her would be too easy."
"If you say so, Draco," Blaise replied, walking past him to his own room. "Let's just hope this one goes as planned."
"Don't worry so much, Blaise," Draco said arrogantly. "When have we ever failed?"
Blaise hissed. "She's the smartest of the Three. I bet you it'd be kinda hard."
Draco laughed as an idea crossed his mind. "Wanna bet?"
Blaise narrowed his eyes. "If I win, I get her, and if you win, you get her?"
"Really, Blaise," Draco chided. "I never knew she was your type."
Blaise's hand jumped through his dark hair. "You can't deny it yourself, Draco. She's good-looking. And smart. That's probably why we're chosen for her. Undeniable."
"You're losing your edge, Blaise. I wouldn't mind handing her off to you just to get your edge back, but I ain't backing down from a competition like this."
"Pah. Go and pack up, you bastard."
Draco laughed again as he entered his room. The first thing he did was change. He put on black pants, a black coat on top of a black turtleneck, and a black shirt underneath. He had a pair of black shin-length customised leather boots.
He then picked up a black sports bag and began packing. He didn't know how long he'd need to stay nearby. He didn't know how long it'd take for the Third to finally crumble. After all, she'd been one of the most stubborn people he'd ever met in his life.
Never be caught weapon-less, had been the fundamental point drilled into him.
Smirking to himself, he hid a knife in a hidden strap in each of his boots, a Glock 33 into his side holster that was hidden by his long coat, and a small Smith & Wesson pocket gun in the inner front pocket of his coat. He hid the rest of his goodies into the black sports bag, then piled more clothes on to it.
He pulled out another bag, this time a laptop briefcase, packed his laptop and papers into it, and for good measure, three cash bundles; one bundle of a hundred twenty's, one of a hundred ten's, and the last of a hundred fifty's.
He frowned at his small luggage, before pulling out another black sports bag, bigger than the first, and began to pile some of his bulkier belongings: shoes, coats, towels, boots, and a couple of books.
Satisfied, he slung the smaller of the sports bags over his shoulder, and carried the heavier of the remaining in his right hand, and the laptop briefcase in his left.
He stepped outside, locked his room, headed down the corridor and joined his friend.
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