DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter stuff, not mine. Buffy stuff, not mine.
SUMMARY: HP/BtVS. When you want to keep something really safe, where do you send them? To two of the most powerful families the wizarding worlds has ever seen of course…
RATING: PG-13 for language.
TIMELINE: After BtVS and season four finale of Angel. Set during book five of HP, but is AU. Everything happened as written in books 1 thru 4, but I am changing book five significantly. Connor and Dawn are in their seventh year (with the Weasley twins).
Deliver Me From Evil by Kiara
PART FOUR- BEGIN
Dawn rushed back to the Slytherin tower and headed up the staircase. She knocked twice on the door but didn't wait for an answer as she opened the door to Connor's study.
He was surprised to see her looking so flustered, she didn't get that way over just anything. "Dawn? What's wrong?"
"Tell me, do you want to be a death eater?" She demanded, searching his face for clues. She needed to know for sure.
He laughed nervously. "What? Of course. My father-"
"Isn't here." She walked closer to him and took his hand, still trying to find the reaction she was looking for in his eyes. "It's just me. Tell me."
"What's all this about, Dawn?" Connor asked softly. He didn't like talking about his future, mostly because he wasn't sure he'd have one after he'd shown his true colours. And, even though Dawn was his friend, he didn't want to say something and regret it later. As the muggle wartime saying went: careless talk costs lives. In this case, it could be his life on the line.
"My father asked me if I would become a death eater. I didn't know what to say."
Realisation clicked in Connor's mind and he felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. He knew Dawn better than to think that she'd become a Death Eater. "You don't want to join the Dark Lord."
Dawn looked at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. He had the information that could kill her if the wrong person found out, maybe even her own father. But Connor knew how she felt, because he felt it everyday. He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I don't want to either."
Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Now she had someone to share it with. Her first instinct was to talk to Connor, something in her mind knew that he'd understand. His father was a Death Eater, just as Dawn's was, but Connor didn't have the killer instinct necessary to follow in his footsteps. Neither of them did.
"He'll kill us if we don't take the mark."
"I know." He'd been thinking of ways to get out for the last year. They had been getting steadily more ludicrous by the day as he neared graduation and became increasingly desperate.
"We could leave. I have friends in America-"
"He'd find us. We'd need help hiding from him- we'll only be just out of school." It always came down to that, but he'd never known who to go to. Who would believe that a Malfoy would want to fight against Voldemort?
Dawn thought it over. There was only one person powerful and open minded enough to help them; the only man crazy enough to believe them and the only one that Voldemort was afraid of. "Dumbledore?"
Connor nodded grimly. He didn't like the idea- Connor had always thought the headmaster to be a bit senile, brilliant, but senile- however the headmaster was the only person with enough power to help them against Voldemort. He just hoped that Dumbledore would believe them. If he didn't, then they were as good as dead.
Dawn bit her lip, her nerves showing. "We should do it soon." 'Before we chicken out' she added in her head.
He nodded again. "Tomorrow's Saturday. We have no classes."
"Tomorrow it is then." She stood there for a minute, decided whether or not to ask her question. In the month or so she'd been at Hogwarts, Dawn had been keeping Connor at a bit of a distance but that was getting more and more difficult as they got closer. She was starting to not care about her previous worries about something developing between the two of them; she was even starting to hope that it might, despite the obvious risks to their friendship. But right now, she needed his friendship more than anything else.
"Do you mind if I stay here tonight?"
Connor raised one eyebrow at her suggestion and smirked at the blush that stained her cheeks. At times she could be so easy to wind up with a suggestive innuendo- he couldn't help himself; she was cute when she was embarrassed.
"Not like that. I just don't want to have to go back to my dorm and pretend everything's okay." Dawn wasn't really close to her roommates- they'd all be friends long before she'd come along and it was hard to break into a group like that.
Connor agreed immediately. Dawn was his closest friend at Hogwarts and already he was finding it hard to deny her anything. "Of course you can."
They sat and talked for a while longer; trying to get their minds off the situation they were going to face in the morning. It would be so easy for Dumbledore not to believe them, to think that they were trying to spy for Voldemort. It would also mean telling the headmaster that they're parents were death eaters, although both Connor and Dawn were hoping to bypass that fact. They did still love their parents, particularly Dawn, and didn't want to see them locked up in Azkaban.
A couple of hours later when they were both talked out, Dawn made as if to settle down in the arm chair in the corner of Connor's study. He put a stop to that.
"What do you think you're doing?"
She looked to him, the question clear in her eyes.
"Come on. There's plenty of room in the bed and we're eighteen years old. I think we can be trusted not to do anything." He said, pouring them both a glass of water.
Dawn grinned at her friend. "Speak for yourself." Connor choked on his water. Dawn almost blushed, hearing how that innocently intended statement had sounded. "I mean, my birthday's not until August. I'm still seventeen. But you're right. Perfectly trustworthy."
He nodded. Then as a thought occurred to him, he started rummaging in his chest of drawers until he found a white button down shirt. "Here, you can sleep in this if you want. Stop your clothes getting messed up."
Dawn took the shirt gratefully and went into the bathroom to protect her modesty whilst she changed. A few minutes later she was back and they lay on the bed facing each other.
"Are you okay, Dawn?"
She chewed on her bottom lip, a clear sign that she was nervous that he'd noticed within a week of her coming to Hogwarts. "Not really. Tomorrow, I betray my father."
"He may not be a death eater." Connor murmured, not truly believing it. He'd seen Snape at his house when the meetings were being held there.
Dawn voiced his thoughts. "Then why does he keep going to death eater meetings? He might never talk about it in front of me, but he's in deep and you know it as well as I do. Don't you feel guilty about telling Dumbledore about your Dad?"
"Hopefully I won't have to; Dumbledore will already know anyway- everyone knows about him. Besides, he's not my Dad. Sure he his technically, but the only reason he had children was to provide the Malfoy line with an heir. He doesn't really care about me or Draco." Connor said. He wasn't sad, just stating a fact that he'd come to terms with long ago.
She wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that, denying it would be pointless, confirming it heartless. Lucius Malfoy would have traded his heart for more power if his body didn't need it to keep beating. The Malfoy's had never had a real family dinner; they sat spread down the long dining table in silence. They never went on family outings, excluding photo opportunities at the Ministry. Connor wouldn't miss his father's affection, because there was none there to miss. She placed a hand on his shoulder, offering what comfort she could from a touch.
"It's okay, really; it doesn't upset me- I don't know any different. But everything will be, okay I mean. It'll work out, Dawn. That's the way it's meant to be, right?"
She managed a smile for him, but couldn't make it reach her eyes. The next morning they would become outcasts from their family and friends and a target for one of the most evil wizards to ever walk the planet. How exactly could things ever be okay again?
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When Connor awoke the next morning, he looked over to see Dawn lying next to him already awake. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"
She shook her head. "And I kept having these really weird dreams."
"What about?"
"Not important. Do you think it's too early to go to Dumbledore?"
Connor looked at his watch. By the time they were dressed and ready to go, it would be gone eight o' clock. "We should be fine."
Dawn hopped out of bed and picked up the pile of clothes she'd left next to his bed. Then, almost as if it were a second thought, she went back over to the bed and kissed Connor on the cheek.
"Thanks for letting me stay here."
He returned the smile, and watched her lock herself in his bathroom to change out of the shirt he'd loaned her to sleep in. He couldn't help but notice the way her hips swayed as she walked, making the splits in the shirt open that bit further and showing him a generous amount of thigh. The moment she shut the door he shook his head, as if trying to loose the thoughts from within. Now was not the time to be thinking like that, not with everything that was going on. He would not get a crush on the one person who understood what he was going through.
All he had to do now was quell the little voice in his head saying that it was too late; that the feelings for Dawn were already there.
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"Miss Snape, Mister Malfoy." Dumbledore greeted slightly surprised and also hopeful. How many reasons were there for them visiting him this early on a Saturday? "May I ask the purpose of this early morning visit?"
Dawn looked to Connor to do the explaining. She was surprised at how quickly she trusted him to take the lead, to look after her. She hadn't had any close friends in America but already she'd found someone who she trusted completely; it felt natural to go to Connor after the meeting with her father, who else was there? Who else would she want there? It was then that Dawn reluctantly admitted that she was falling for Connor Malfoy. She'd had a bit of a crush on him in the past, but she'd thought those feelings had faded. Apparently she had been wrong.
"Well, we were thinking about our futures sir." Connor began. "We're aware that there are certain things expected of us and-"
"We don't want to be death eaters!" Dawn blurted out.
Dumbledore looked over to her. So did Connor; so much for his carefully planned speech protesting their innocence. He couldn't help but smile as she blushed under Dumbledore's searching gaze.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair and looked at his two students before him. He had honestly not seen this coming, especially as a rather distraught Snape had informed him of his daughter's intent to join Voldemort not twelve hours before. He had believed that Connor would join Voldemort, even if it were not what it truly wanted. It is a difficult thing to go against ones parents. Dumbledore remembered how it had taken Regulas Black years to be true to himself, only to die a few days later. He didn't want that to happen to anyone else, but he still had to be careful about who he would trust in these darkening times.
Connor looked back at him, little emotion showing on his face, but by looking in his eyes Dumbledore could tell he was not lying. He'd always been a good judge of character and he could tell that Connor was bordering on desperation. The boy, for he was little more than that, did not know what to do, he just knew what he didn't want.
Dawn looked more worried. She was chewing on her bottom lip and fidgeting. She calmed down a little as Connor took her hand under the table where he thought Dumbledore couldn't see and offered her a reassuring smile.
Dumbledore made up his mind. "Very well. I will call your father in here, Dawn, and-"
"No! I mean does he have to know?"
Dumbledore watched as the girl in front of him struggled, torn between loyalty for her father and the knowledge that her father was a death eater. He decided to take pity on her.
"My dear, he was quite upset when you told him you planned to join Voldemort. He will be most relieved when I tell him the truth."
"Huh?" Her father had spoken to Dumbledore? He had been upset when she'd said she'd be a Death Eater? But that wouldn't make sense, not unless…
"He's a spy." Connor exclaimed, realization dawning. Snape was certainly good at it; he would have never suspected it and to fool Voldemort, one of the most skilled legimens of his time, was no mean feat.
"Indeed Mister Malfoy."
Dawn looked hurt. "Why didn't he tell me?"
"I believe he wished to find out your gut reaction, so to speak, before attempting to sway you to our way of thinking. If you were to find out before we knew your intentions would be potentially dangerous for both you and your father." Dumbledore explained gently. He did not want to cause any problems between Dawn and her father, particularly after seeing how distraught Severus was the previous evening.
She nodded. That was acceptable; he'd only wanted to keep her safe. "He's pretty good at pretending."
Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Indeed. I shall go and send the message; I trust you shall be fine here until I return."
They nodded yes and Dumbledore left the office giving the teens a few moments alone to mull over what had just happened.
"So your dad's one of the good guys. That makes things easier." Conner said with a smile. He was pleased Snape wasn't one of the bad guys for himself as well, it would mean another adult on their side in the school which could only be a good thing. And Snape had always been good to the Malfoy boys, Connor respected and liked him.
"Yeah, for me. What about you though? Are you sure you want to go through with this? Your Dad won't be happy when he finds out."
"I know he won't be. But… We never really got on anyway, it was all fake. I can't be something I'm not for him, not anymore." He looked torn, the recognition that his parents may disown him finally hitting home verses the realization that he was doing the right thing. His father was proud of what he'd accomplished in his life and what he would (or so be believed) achieve in the future. That was about to be over and, while he couldn't regret his actions, it would mean an end to a part of his life- the part as the Malfoy heir.
"I get it." Dawn assured him.
"They'll kill me." Connor said simply. He saw no point in lying to himself about it. "Or if I'm really lucky they'll just throw me out on my own."
"I'm here."
He caught her gaze and suddenly couldn't leave it. He saw emotions swirling in her eyes, she was like an open book and suddenly seemed so vulnerable; all he wanted to do was gather her up in his arms and protect her from the world. Dawn could see the same emotions in his eyes. Usually, Connor didn't show much emotion so it meant something to her that he did when they were together.
They were broken from their moment by Dumbledore coming back into the office with Professor Snape right behind him. Dawn was by her father's side in an instant, needing his approval.
In a move that shocked everyone in the office, Snape pulled his daughter close to him in a hug. He wasn't what you'd call a tactile person by anyone's standards, Dawn couldn't remember the last time he'd hugged her and it took her a moment to respond.
When they pulled apart, Snape stroked one hand over Dawn's hair and allowed a small smile to grace his lips. No more needed to be said.
They joined Connor and Dumbledore, sitting in chairs by the large desk, and waited for the headmaster to speak.
"I don't feel that it is necessary to inform anyone else of your decision yet." Dumbledore said in his raspy voice. "That would only endanger you sooner than we have to as we know Voldemort in intending for you to complete your education before taking up the mark. However it is only a few short weeks until the end of term. Connor, are you happy to return to Malfoy Manor for the Christmas holidays?"
Connor nodded. It may be the last time he got to see his home, his family so he did not wish to miss out on that if possible. It would give him a chance to say goodbye.
"Capital. If that changes at any point or if you feel that you are in any danger then you will find refuge at the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. I would suggest that neither of you tell your housemates of your decision."
"I need to tell Draco. I need to find out how he thinks." Connor spoke up. He wasn't sure how his brother felt about the possibility of following Voldemort. As the oldest, that responsibility had automatically fallen on Connor's shoulders so the subject had rarely been mentioned to Draco. But they were still brothers and Connor needed to look out for him.
Snape and Dumbledore exchanged significant looks. "It would be best if you could do so without revealing your decision." Dumbledore said tactically.
"I'll try."
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well, although I would urge you not to worry. Draco is still only in his fifth year, he still had two years of magical training before he is of any use to Voldemort. For the moment, I am more concerned with the seventh years such as yourselves. If the time comes when you are to take the mark, we will take steps to ensure that that doesn't happen."
The two teens looked visibly relieved. "Thank you."
Dumbledore beamed at them. "Not at all, not at all. The fewer death eaters there are the brighter the future looks for us."
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CZECH REPUBLIC- December
The group huddled together, talking in hushed whispers. That had been happening a lot with this particular group of monks lately. They were the ones charged with watching the Key, making sure that she was protected at all costs. And, though they had not found out anything certain, they were uneasy. Now how to break it to their superiors?
It had seemed like such a perfect place at the time; Hogwarts was said to be the safest place in England and Severus Snape, and by extension his 'daughter', fell under the protection of Albus Dumbledore- the most powerful good wizard since Merlin. All official releases from the magical government spoke of peaceful times, in fact they claimed things were going almost perfectly, as did the main wizarding newspaper- 'The Daily Prophet'. So why were they uneasy?
They couldn't get into Hogwarts. The protection that kept the dangers out also kept them out so they hadn't been able to keep as closer eye on her as they had when she had been with the slayer. Also there had been some underground mutterings of Voldemort returning- one particularly loud statement coming from a half-giant in the pub local to Hogwarts, a fact that a few other patrons had seemed to agree with.
"She was safer with the slayer." One monk muttered. "At least there we could keep a proper eye on here."
"We knew the dangers there. We don't know what's happening here." Another agreed, this seemed to be the opinion of most of the others.
"Exactly, we don't know." One said fervently. "She could be perfectly safe."
"But the giant said-"
"A giant isn't the most trusted source of information." He interrupted bluntly. "There will always be a few rouges proclaiming the end of the world, but we don't know if it's true. With the slayer the end of the world is a constant and real threat. Let's not be hasty, there's no real evidence of war. Nothing at all from official sources, no increase in deaths or fighting. Nothing."
The other monks nodded, some a bit reluctantly. It was true, they had no proof, but they weren't convinced of the safety of the Key. A few were privately thinking that they should get the slayer involved again- despite everything, she'd kept the Key safe for many years.
"We'll keep watching." He was still uncertain, something didn't feel right about that world. "The moment things change…"
The monk who had been defending the wizarding world nodded. "We'll think up a new plan."
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HOGWARTS EXPRESS- December
The rest of the term passed in a blur for Dawn and Connor. Dawn was busy learning those spells which had not been covered by her previous school on top of the heavy seventh year work load and Connor passed his time with work and his prefect duties. He had tried to approach Draco when he had a spare minute and was able to track the younger boy down, but Draco was still angry about the dragging incident and another occasion when Connor had been forced to take points off his brother for fighting (again) only this time Professor Flitwick had been in the vicinity so he had had to take a more active form of punishment. Connor resolved to speak with Draco over the Christmas break. Before they knew it, they were on their way home.
They were talking in low voices in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express that Connor had managed to get to themselves- there were some advantages to being feared by the younger students.
"Did you speak to Dumbledore about staying at the Order?" Dawn murmured, keeping half an eye on the compartment door to make sure no one overheard them.
"Do you know where it is?"
"Sort of. It's heavily protected, I can't explain more." Dawn said as an explanation.
Connor frowned, then realization hit. "Fidelius then? I wouldn't expect them to tell the beget of Lucius Malfoy anything, least of all the secret location of the resistance."
"Connor-"
He waved off her denial. "They have a point; I haven't had a chance to prove myself yet. But Merlin knows how I'm going to do that when I can't even get my own brother to talk to me. If he doesn't see things my way…" Connor trailed off, once again thinking of his brother. He was quiet for a few moments before turning his thoughts to his other worries. "Everyone probably thinks I'm my Dad's clone. Let's face it, the best case scenario is that I'm betraying my entire family. Who'd want to be around someone like that? Not particularly trustworthy wouldn't you agree?"
Dawn grabbed his face in her hands and turned it so that Connor was looking at her. She was tired of Connor putting himself down. "Look at me. Draco will be okay, you are not your father and you are not a horrible person. In fact, some of us think you're pretty amazing."
His breath hitched in his throat as it occurred to him that Dawn was still cupping his face and they were mere inches apart. "Dawn, I-"
He was rudely interrupted by someone slamming opening the compartment door. "So that's where you are."
"Pucey, Montague. What do you want?" Connor asked bluntly not bothering with pleasantries. He could have growled in annoyance at the moment the Slytherins had interrupted. Connor was not naïve, he knew what direction they had been heading in a few moments ago.
Montague smirked. "We're not interrupting are we?"
Connor glared at them rather harshly. In fact, if looks could kill then Pucey and Montague would be six feet under. Of course they were bloody interrupting.
"What. Do. You. Want?" Connor had found himself loosing patience with the other Slytherins recently. He'd always found them infuriating, but now he didn't really bother to hide it. Especially towards Montague. It was guys like him that gave Slytherins a bad name.
"All the Prefects are needed at the front of the train. Little brother was told to find you, but as you two still aren't talking we volunteered our services." Pucey explained sounding bored. The fight between the legendary Malfoy brothers had been entertaining at first, but with the two of them storming around like hungover hippogryffs, cursing and hexing anyone that dared get in their way, it had soon gotten old.
"What for?" Connor asked ignoring the last comment.
"Do we look like prefects to you? Get going Malfoy, don't worry; we'll look after the lady." Montague said with a leer.
Connor glared at them both while Dawn just rolled her eyes. They both knew that it was just talk; nobody would dare try anything with Snape's daughter. In fact, most students actively avoided her.
"Will you be okay?"
Dawn rolled her eyes again. While she did quite like his protectiveness, it was still within her rights to tease him over it. "Of course. I can live without your almighty presence you know." She said with a teasing grin.
With one last glare to the intruding Slytherins, Connor left the compartment in a flurry of robes a la Lucius Malfoy. As Montague and Pucey sat down, Dawn sighed. "So you're not leaving then?"
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When Connor entered the prefects' carriage, he was immediately aware of his brother's glare fixed upon him. When he turned to look, Draco immediately turned his back on his brother. Connor rolled his eyes and turned to Roger Davis, the head boy, who was talking.
"…Just walk up and down the train a few times, make sure the students know we're about. Feel free to stop them doing things they shouldn't." Davis said in his usual pompous manner.
Hermione and Ron slipped in the back of the carriage, not looking particularly happy which wasn't all that surprising really seeing as his father was still in St. Mungo's.
A fact that Draco couldn't let lie.
"He's still alive then, Weasel?"
"Shut up, Malfoy." Ron muttered, for once not rising to the bait. After what had happened to his father, he was still feeling a bit shaky.
"It'll only last so long." Draco continued as he pushed past on his way out of the compartment. "Blood traitors have a habit of making enemies."
Roger Davis frowned as Hermione led Ron off in the opposite direction and went to follow them, stopping briefly beside Connor. "You should learn to control your brother, Malfoy."
Connor acknowledged the comment with a snort. "I'd like to see you control him."
"He's got to learn where to draw the line." Davis said. As far as he was concerned Connor was okay aside from the surname, but Draco was a, what was the politically correct term? Oh yeah: a little shit.
"Good luck with that." Connor muttered as he went after his brother. He caught up with him not far down the train.
"Unless you want Father to know what you've been up to this term, I suggest you stop acting like a spoilt child."
Draco stopped and turned around. "I beg your pardon?"
Connor walked forward, taking his own sweet time as usual. "Muggle brawls, detention, childish fights, the list goes on and on, Draco. And I know that you've been skipping History of Magic. Will I be forced to tell Father how you've been passing your time this term?"
Draco glared, unwilling to give up that easily. A part of him wondered how Connor had found out about his skiving classes when they weren't talking, but then Hogwarts was terrible for gossip. "I'll tell him that you gave me detention."
"I'm a senior prefect. You'd do the same thing in my position. He'd do a million times worse if he knew." Connor had won and he knew it.
"You're meant to be my brother! We're meant to look out for each other and you put me in detention because of Potter?!"
"Flitwick would have done far worse if I'd have left it to him. That's not the point here anyway. If Father sees us not talking then he'd want to know why and I'd hate to have to tell him." Connor knew that he was manipulating Draco, Draco knew he was being manipulated, but there was nothing that the younger boy could do and he knew it.
Draco was silent for a moment going over his very few options. He needed to start thinking things through in advance. "Fine. There's no need for you to tell him."
Connor nodded; he was glad his brother had taken the easy option. The truth was, he wouldn't have told Lucius about Draco's actions this term anyway. Lucius would have undoubtedly punished the younger boy and Connor didn't want that. But Draco didn't need to know that. "Well, best we got started on the rounds then. The sooner they're over, the sooner I can get back to…"
"Dawn? I'm not blind Connor; I know what's happening between you two. Just, be careful, okay?" Draco said quietly, some of the anger he felt towards his brother still present, but most of it had left as quickly as it had come. Draco and Connor never held grudges against each other and during the time they hadn't been talking, Draco had missed his brother. And he'd been worried about him.
"There's nothing to be careful about." Connor said, his eyes straight ahead not looking at his brother.
"I'm not an idiot." No anger or indignation, just the facts. "She may not be a pureblood-"
"You said yourself that Father approves of Snape's daughter. Why wouldn't he? He made Snape your Godfather."
"I wasn't finished. Snape- Dawn- may not be a pureblood, but she's still destined for things, big things, and I'm not sure you're ready for that." Draco said mysteriously. He'd gotten good at eavesdropping around Malfoy Manor (as his parents never told him anything) and picked up on the occasional bit of news. But he wasn't stupid enough to go around shouting his mouth off.
They walked on in silence. Connor wondering if Draco was implying what he thought he was implying, not sure whether to hope he was or wasn't. If Draco truly was implying that Dawn was important to Voldemort, then it would mean she was in danger. But the way he spoke lead him to belief that maybe Draco wasn't the death eater-in-training that everyone believed, after all, he was warning him about potential death eater activity. Maybe he wasn't a lost cause after all. Maybe.
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"So… Snape's daughter, huh? How's that working out for you?"
"Fine." She looked out the window, trying to give them the hint. She'd been polite to her classmates, but not much beyond that. Especially not people like Montague.
"Would it kill you to be pleasant, Snape?"
"You have met my father? Not big with the pleasantries. I guess I picked up on a few things." She said bored, watching the scenery pass by outside.
"I doubt Malfoy would agree with that?" Montague sneered. He didn't really like Connor, mainly because Connor didn't like him and had snubbed him on numerous occasions.
That got her attention. It took all her effort to keep her cool as she raised one eyebrow and looked at them. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me Snape." Montague leant forward. "When we came in here you were gazing into each others eyes like you were sodding Romeo and Juliet. And then you factor in the face-touching and the nose-brushing. It was quite sickening really."
"Montague." Pucey warned. It was not smart to get on the wrong side of Snape's daughter, you never knew what the man might do if provoked. But the other two students in the compartment ignored him.
"We are just friends." Said Dawn firmly.
"Not for lack of trying, eh Snape? What's the attraction then? The money? Or could it be his heritage?"
Dawn got up sharply. If she didn't leave now then there was an excellent chance that she'd say something she'd regret. She paused in the doorway and turned back to them, her face set in the cold mask she put on so well. "I'd watch who you talk to in the future, Mister Montague." She said curtly. "You never know who may fight back."
"Is that a threat?" He called out. Ron Wesley and Hermione Granger also got the full force of his comment as they walked past on their patrol of the corridor. They peered into the compartment as they passed.
"What are you looking at mudblood?"
Hermione put her hand on Ron's arm which was already reaching for his wand and pulling him down the corridor. "Leave it Ron."
"She's right, Weasley." Dawn injected, glaring back towards the Slytherins in the carriage. "He's not even worth it."
"What was that all about?" Hermione asked when they were out of ear shot.
"He's a prick." Dawn said, sighing as Hermione tutted over her language. "For Gods sake, Granger, we're fighting a war here; don't you think you should pick your battles?"
She was already down the corridor before her comments registered with the two Gryffindors.
"Did she just say we?"
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Merry Christmas!!! Or Happy Holidays for those who want politically correct seasonal greetings! Have an awesome time and a fabulous new year! X