Draco woke up the next day, frightened, nervous, and yet fresh. He didn't know how the day would go or if he was walking straight into a trap, but he didn't care. To him, it was death either way.
"Whimsy!" He shouted.
A house elf appeared looking as scared as ever. "Y-yes..sire?"
"Bring me a cup of coffee. I'll be needing it."
"Right away, sire," it said before turning into a whisp of smoke.
It was ten o'clock, two hours before the meeting. He wasn't sure where the Burrow was, but he'll manage. After all, he was used to using the floo.
Whimsy came back with the coffee which he drank heftily. He didn't drink alcohol, thought it was below him. Instead, the caffine all came straight from - coffee.
At eleven o'clock, he began preparing himself; showering, shaving, dressing. By eleven fifty, he was ready. Thinking it was better to be sooner than later, he floo'ed to the Burrow.
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Coughing caused by the powder and ash, he began to hear voices of shock and surprise. With his first glance, he saw the Order in front of him from the sixth year Ginny Weasley, to the seventh year Potter, Weasley, and .. Granger..to his former DADA teachers Lupin and Moody, to McGonagall.
It was strange seeing them here, all together waiting for him, knowing full well they were once his foes, fighting against them for a different cause, for a different belief. It was strange to know they are against him.
Silence was kept between the Order and himself. Finally, he said brokenly, "I'm sorry. Am-am I interrupting?"
Still no reply. But now, instead of surprised faces, glares and disgust filled the room.
"Mr. Malfoy," his former Defense Against the Arts professor said. "It was just-. We didn't expect you to floo in. And so soon."
Draco stepped awkwardly out of the fireplace. He coughed again, looking at his school mates. Potter looked like he could kill him. So does Weasley and his sister. No surprise there. Then his eyes travelled to Hermione Granger, the girl he's had his eye on since the first day of school. She looked at him blankly, worried he might do something sudden. She was distant. Of course. It wasn't expected that the Order would just welcome him with open arms.
He's still their enemy.
"Shall we start then?" Professor McGonagall said.
His eyes snapped to her, the woman that wrote to him.
"The sooner this is over with, the better," she said.
"Malfoy, try anything and we won't hesitate to kill you," Potter cringed.
Draco didn't say anything. It'd be stupid to do so. He was surrounded, if anyone cared to notice, by trained wizards. He was not in a friendly enviroment, at least in his case.
He noticed Hermione gripping Harry's shoulder, trying to calm him down. Draco winced. She still loves him.
"Right this way, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said bitterly. She led him into what looks like the kitchen. He looked around disgusted. What sort of Wizard would live in this dump? It's ridiculous to the pureblood name!
He was close to saying these things, but shut his mouth once he realized what he was about to do.
"Sit down."
He did as he was told. He sat down on one of the Dining chairs and across Professor McGonagall. Everyone else gathered around us. Granger stood right behind the Professor, clearly visible in Draco's eyes.
McGonagall poured something into a cup and handed it to me.
"What I just poured is a potion known as Veritaserum. I trust you know what it is?" She asked.
Draco nodded slightly. "It forces the drinker to tell the truth. About everything."
"Correct," she said. "This is how we'll test you. Would you drink it?"
Every eye was on him, as hateful as they are. He took the cup and drank the potion. It tasted bitter more than anything else.
"How does it taste?" Moody asked.
Draco stuck his tongue out. "Bitter."
Granger laughed. Draco looked at her, feeling pleasant. As their eyes met, she looked away only for a moment.
"Tell us, why are you really here?"
The young Malfoy sighed. "I want to change. Go to a better side. After my mother was killed, I felt nothing but hatred towards the murderer."
"Who was it that murdered your mother?"
"The Dark Lord."
"You deserve it, you prat!" Ginny Weasley exclaimed. "After what -."
"Ginny!" Another woman shouted. The lady was a rather short woman, with red-hair. Draco imagined this woman is the mother. "I have never taught you to speak like that!"
The young red-head looked at her mother but didn't reply.
"Go on," Lupin urged.
"After the task was completed," Draco began.
"You mean the task to kill Dumbledore?" Potter hissed. "That task?"
Draco muttered quietly, "Yes, that task."
"Harry-" Lupin said.
Potter's lips straightened, glaring at Draco.
"After the task, the Dark Lord called me to meet him. I thought he wanted to congradulate me for thinking up the plan. He did, congradulate I mean. Before I knew it, mother was also brought into the room.
"He told her of my small accomplishment, but he said I had failed a part of it. It was I who had to kill Dumbledore and I alone... Yet when the time came, I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill the old man.
"Snape then did my bidding for me. That's what he told my mother. That's why she died. Because I couldn't kill to keep her alive."
Several people gasped, one including Granger. His eyes swerved to her face; her mouth was slightly opened, eyes slightly wider. It was the effect of the story that had caused her to do so. For once in the six years he had known her, she paid attention to him and only him. He grinned.
Mad-Eye caught this grin. "What are you smiling about?"
Draco tried to fight back, tried to keep this thought hidden. Just this thought. But it didn't work. "Hermione Granger. Her and those lips."
He kept on staring at her, almost ignoring everyone else. She met his eyes and a blush crept up on her cheeks. Her mouth closed, but her eyes kept the same.
"Mr. Malfoy, what can you tell us about his army?" Professor McGonagall started. "Tell us of its conditions."
The young man looked back to the oldest lady. "I don't really know. I wasn't at the base long enough. But they're prepared. They've dementors, some werewolves, some goblins, perhaps some giants."
"Merlin! What of the Death Eaters?"
"The Death Eaters? They're hanging in, but some numbers were lost. They'll keep it strong though."
"Oh, flobberworm!" Mrs. Weasley muttered.
"How many, would you say, is able to fight?" Lupin asked.
"Perhaps thirty? Fourty?"
"You better not be joking!" Demanded Potter.
Moody then mumbled, "he's under the Veritaserum, Potter. He can't joke."
"Tell us, Malfoy, how strong is he," Ron said.
He looked at Weasley. "I would say, pretty strong."
Again, the room went quiet. "Well, a few more questions would do, I presume. Does anyone know you're here?"
Malfoy shook his head. "No, I didn't mention this to anyone."
"All right. Can we trust you?"
"Yes. Yes, you can."
"Are you willing to go against the Death Eaters, your former allies, and fight for us, your former foes?"
Draco hesitated for a moment before answering, "yes. Yes I'm willing to do that."
"Will you protect your life for one of us?"
This, he looked at Granger once more, staring into her brown eyes, not taking them off. "Yes."
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So, it was agreed. Draco Malfoy would be a part of the Order whether the members were okay with it or not. Potter and the Weasleys were especially hostile towards him, but the rest of the crew seems content.
"First thing tomorrow, we will go to your house and destroy it."
The shock overcame the happiness on Draco's face. "WHAT! You can't do that! I have valuables there!"
"I understand Mr. Malfoy, but it must seem like you have gone. Dead. You may bring a suitcase of your possessions, is that okay?"
Pouting, he answered with a yes.
"Tell your house elves to go to Hogwarts Kitchen. There, they'll be safe from harms way and their mouths hopefully will be kept shut."
Draco understood. He walked to the fireplace.
"Until tomorrow then." He shouted Malfoy Manor and dropped the powder.
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It was one in the afternoon when the boy started packing. He found the biggest suitcase he could find and stuffed in some clothing, a photo album of the family, his Gringott's vault key, a necklace owned by his mother, his favorite book from the library, and a medical kit.
Now, it was time to take a shower, probably a nap would do him good.
So he survived. He made it out of the shark tank alive and in. He couldn't believe it! First off, he didn't think they'd use a Veritaserum on him, and second of all, he couldn't believe all the things he guaranteed were true!
Perhaps it was for his own life, perhaps for Grangers. Who know's? But one thing's for sure, he would risk his life to save the girls'.
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During breakfast the next day, he called the house elves for a meeting.
"Listen, I have to move. I'm leaving this place. I can't tell you where, but I don't want you here. I want you to go to Hogwarts and to its Kitchen.
"There are a lot of House-Elves that will show you around there, understand?"
His ten house elves nodded their heads.
"Good. If anyone asks for me, tell them I've been kidnapped and nothing else. Should you say more," he began, "you are to cut your tongue out. So DON"T make that mistake. Is that clear?"
Again, they nodded.
"Now go. Go to Hogwarts."
Several pops occured as the elves apparated from his manor and to the school. He sighed. Is he doing the right thing?
Well, there's no turning back now.
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A knock came from the front door, which Draco opened hastily.
"Is everything ready?" Lupin asked as he entered the house along with Tonks and Moody.
"Tonks? Is that you?" Draco asked surprised.
The girl in the bubblegum hair smiled. "Hey. I haven't seen you since you were a baby at the reunion." Her voice was polite but distant.
Moody growled. "Is everything ready? Where are your house-elves?"
Draco turned his attention back. "They left for Hogwarts this morning. Don't worry, they'll keep their mouths shut."
"You sure?" Tonks asked.
He nodded. "They'll be fine...So, how do we destroy the manor?"
"We'll turn your house upside down, figuratively speaking of course. Anything you see, break it. Windows, break it. Sofa, tear it. Here," Lupin said as he handed Draco a bottle of red liquid. "Dragon's blood. Smear it around. But don't smear too much."
They went to work, flinging stuff across the room, breaking glass, smearing Dragon blood, crushing windows, tearing books, etc. After a hefty hour and half, the house looked absolutely wrecked. Nothing was in its original place.
"I think that's about everything?" Moody asked. "Is it?"
Quietly, Draco answered with a yes. He was fine with the house destroyed. He wanted no more memory of it.
But his mother...she had some joyous times in this place. She had memories she'd want to keep. Her belongings were broken, misplaced, abandoned. The only thing safe was the object in Malfoy's trunk. Her necklace.
"Good. Let's go then. We don't want anyone finding us here."
Malfoy went to get his suitcase and joined the party soon afterwards.
"Ready?"
The three Order members, including the newly joined, left the house and apparated out, with Malfoy holding onto Lupin. He never liked apparating, especially with someone he was uncomfortable with. Prefer Floo, and brooms for short distance.
For the second time in his life, he was back at Weasley's house, the Burrow.
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AN: Hey guys. Oops, I've already downloaded this chapter on the document file, but I haven't had time to upload it for you guys to read. Honestly, I'm in my Computer Design class and I know she's watching me, so I'll do it fast.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the next will be up on the weekends. I PROMISE!