By the Light of the Moon
Chapter 7: Live Off the Army
Disclaimer: All rights to the world of Harry Potter go to J.K. Rowling, etc., etc. There may also be references to other books, fanfic, TV shows, or movies in this story. All are cited at the end of the chapter.
Chapter Summary: In which there are mysterious visitors, plots, and snogging.
xXx
Harry stared at the strange girl in disbelief. The dying sunlight caught in her intricately braided hair, momentarily dazzling him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione's mouth turn down in a frown as she clutched her wand.
"Hello," the girl said again, smiling around at them all. "My name is Evangeline."
As she spoke, the sun dropped behind the wall of cliffs before them and plunged them into darkness.
"Lumos," Harry whispered, and heard two other voices echo his. The girl, Evangeline, was revealed to have no wand, simply standing there again with her hands out. Harry began to think that perhaps there was something wrong with her, or that she was a bit slow.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, stepping forward, shining her wand in Evangeline's face. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to help you with your quest," she said.
"How do you know about our quest?" Harry asked a split second before Ginny's foot descended on his.
"I know more than you think." She smiled knowingly. "For instance, I know that soon another will join us here."
She smiled again, (Harry was really starting to think there was something wrong with her) and then walked to the edge of the clearing and lay down facing the woods.
Harry, Ginny and Hermione wandered toward the base of the cliffs, and, by unspoken agreement, as far as possible from Evangeline.
They huddled together, their wands pointing inwards, almost touching.
"I don't trust her," Hermione whispered immediately, shooting a disapproving look toward the woods.
Harry wasn't sure he trusted her either, but he didn't want to make that judgment too soon. "I don't know, Hermione," he said. "She's mysterious, sure, but she doesn't seem dangerous."
Ginny looked from one to the other before sitting back on her heels and frowning. "I agree with Harry," she said, but she didn't seem happy about it. "I mean, she doesn't even have a wand. What harm can she possibly do?"
"Plenty," said Hermione, sighing. "But I suppose we can't send her away tonight. What was that she said about someone else coming?"
"Dunno," said Harry, shrugging. "I guess we'll find out, though, won't we?"
There was nothing to do but huddle together, there by the side of the cliff, and try to get a few hours sleep.
When Harry woke in the morning, it was to the sound of Hermione shrieking in his ear.
"Don't come any closer!" she yelled. Harry opened his eyes blearily and started to sit up. Hermione's voice became slightly hysterical. "You know I'm faster and nonverbal spells than you. I can hex you before you can hex me!"
"Calm down, Granger," said a familiar voice. "If I'd wanted to hex you, I would have done it already. I just want to talk to you."
Harry was on his feet in a flash, wiping sleep out of his eyes and reaching for his glasses. In his peripheral vision, he saw Ginny standing up behind him.
"Malfoy," he ground out harshly, gripping his wand in a fist so tight he was afraid he'd break it in half. "What are you doing here?"
Malfoy smirked at him, actually smirked, and began strolling away from Evangeline and across the clearing toward them. "I told you, Potty, I just want to talk to you."
"Talk to us?" Harry choked out. "You want to talk to us? You don't want to kill us all the way you were going to kill-" Harry stopped. He couldn't say it.
For a moment, Malfoy looked disconcerted. Then his face smoothed. "Yes, Potter," he said, doing a credible imitation of patience. "That's what I told your bushy haired friend over there, and that's what I'm telling you."
It was Ginny who gathered herself together first. "What do you want to say, Malfoy?" she asked fiercely.
Malfoy sat down cross-legged in the middle of the clearing, pointed his wand in front of him and said "Incendio!" Immediately, a small fire sprang up on the grass.
"It's always so cozy to have a fire when you're camping," Malfoy said. "Don't you agree, Potty?"
"Just tell us what you're on about, Malfoy."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Fine. Now Potter, don't get the idea that I want to join your weary, rag-tag band, because I don't. But I'd like to stay with you."
For a moment, all three stared at him in shock. "You what?" Harry asked finally.
"Bit hard of hearing, the lot of you, aren't you? I said I want to come with you, to find the Horcruxes."
Harry didn't know what to say, but thankfully Ginny came to his rescue. "You actually expect us to believe that, Malfoy? You expect us to believe you've repented and want to help us now? And I suppose tonight after we've fallen asleep you slit our throats, is that it?"
"Have you been reading trashy muggle novels again, Weasely? I can't see where you get such ideas."
Hermione found her voice. "And I suppose she's your accomplice, is she?" She pointed to Evangeline, still standing by the trees. Harry was now almost sure there was something wrong with her.
"Who, her?" Malfoy glanced behind him casually. "I've never seen her before in my life."
"We're not gullible just because we're Gryffindors, Malfoy," Hermione said.
"And I've got one more good reason why you should let me stay," Malfoy said, sounding triumphant. "I know where a Horcrux is."
xXx
The werewolves began arriving en masse the following day. Luna had an excellent view from her spot tied up to a tree in the middle of the camp. Werewolves walked past her, and some detached part of Luna's brain marveled at the fact that they didn't look abnormal at all. They looked like regular people, like the ones she saw in Diagon Alley or the ones who had tea with her father during summer holidays.
A young looking werewolf with red hair walked by, and for a moment, Luna was struck with the thought that it was Ron. Then the werewolf in question leered at her, and she shuddered, wishing Ron were truly there with her right then. He probably couldn't anything, but she could talk to him, and maybe he would look at her the way he did that night at Hogwarts, with the snow falling softly down around them right before he ran away.
Luna closed her eyes, almost feeling the snowflakes gilding her eyelashes, then snapped her eyes open again. It was selfish of her to wish Ron there with her. If he was here, he would only be killed, and she couldn't bear that. Suddenly, Luna realized that of all the people that she couldn't bear to have die, Ron was at the top of the list, after her father. She wondered when that had happened.
xXx
Hermione couldn't believe he had the audacity to tell such an utter lie. "You do, do you?" she asked. "You know where one of the Horcruxes is?"
Malfoy didn't answer, only looked at her scornfully. Hermione scowled. You'd think that doing this, she'd have gotten away from Draco Malfoy at last. But apparently it was her fate to be followed about by him, teased mercilessly, until she died.
"Yes, Granger, I know where a Horcrux is," he spoke slowly, as though to a half-wit. "Ravenclaw's in fact. I can't think how old Voldemort got hold of it, but there you go. Never underestimate the powers of evil."
"I don't," said Harry, still sounding as though he was physically restraining himself from hexing Malfoy where he stood. Well, sat.
"You stay right there," Hermione said, deciding she'd better take things into her own hands. "Don't move."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Malfoy said, sounding angelic. He made Hermione sick, the smug little-Oh! She just couldn't stand him. And yet, he hadn't been his usual evil self during their conversation. Sarcastic, yes. Demeaning, yes. But there was something under all that that made him tolerable. Fear, she realized with a stab of pity. Draco Malfoy was scared.
Hermione shook her head, trying to clear it of these confusing thoughts. He was the enemy; she couldn't pity him. She pulled Harry and Ginny over to the base of the cliff where they'd slept the night before.
"So, are we letting him stay too?" Harry managed to choke out. "After he tried to kill Dumbledore, after he ran off, are we letting him come along?"
Ginny looked ready to back Harry up. Hermione spared a thought to wish that she wasn't still so besotted with Harry and would take her side once in a while.
"He's scared, Harry, can't you tell?" Hermione asked. "And that's what makes me think he's telling the truth about joining us. Maybe something happened; maybe Voldemort threatened him, I don't know." She looked beseechingly from Harry to Ginny, and saw Ginny's face begin to soften marginally. "And besides," she went on, "We need to find out what he knows about this Horcrux."
Harry snorted. "You think he's telling the truth about that too?"
"I don't know, Harry-"
Ginny broke in. "And even if he's not, Harry, there's no harm in listening to his story. Even if he's lying, we won't know any less than we know right now. And we might learn more."
Hermione could see Harry weakening in the force of Ginny's argument, which, she thought, was a true testament to the power of love, as she didn't find it all that convincing herself.
She looked over at the fire as Harry and Ginny began listing all that they did know about the Horcruxes. She saw that Evangeline had finally left her place by the trees' edge and had come to sit next to Malfoy. She turned her head away and joined in the others' conversation, just in time to hear Harry say, "All right, he can stay."
xXx
Draco sat beside the campfire, watching Potter and Company argue about him by the cliff. He wondered if they'd allow him to stay. Not that he had much hope of that. His melancholy thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of that other girl, the one he didn't know.
"Hello," she said, smiling at him. "My name is Evangeline."
"Draco Malfoy," he said shortly. He wasn't in the mood to engage in pleasantries with strangers at the moment. He looked toward the cliff face again. They were arguing. Granger, hair all bushed up and her face pink, seemed actually to be disagreeing with Potter.
"Well, will wonders never cease?" he muttered to himself.
"What was that?" The girl, Evangeline, sprang around the fire toward him, barreling into his chest and knocking him down. She took her time climbing off of him too, he noticed, unable to keep himself from smirking slightly. Apparently, the old Malfoy charm even worked when he was dirty and his hair uncombed.
"What's the matter?" he asked her.
"I thought I heard something in the woods," she answered, huddling close to him.
The next logical step seemed to be to put his arm around her, so Draco did so. The next thing he knew, she had reached her hand up behind his neck and lifted her mouth to his.
She kissed hungrily, moving her lips beneath his. For a moment, he was too stunned to move. Draco had kissed a lot of people, but no one had ever kissed him like that. It was so possessive, so all-consuming. But something didn't seem right, Draco thought as Evangeline pushed him down on the grass and straddled his hips.
I hope she doesn't burn herself, he thought muddily. Evangeline's hands were in his hair now, threading though it. Well, he couldn't blame her, really, it was luxuriantly fine, if he did say so himself.
Suddenly, Draco felt a sharp tug on his head.
"Ow," he said, breaking the kiss. Evangeline sat up, still straddling his hips. All the color drained out of her face. Draco craned his head to look above and behind him. Potter, Weasely and Granger stood staring down at what must seem to an outside observer to be an entirely wanton display.
"Whoops," Evangeline said.
For a moment, Draco thought he caught a flash of hurt on Granger's face, but the moment later, he thought he must have been mistaken, for her disgusted expression was evident.
"Oh, honestly, what do you expect to happen when you snog in the middle of a clearing, in plain view of everybody? Get up." She made a swooping motion with her hands. "Malfoy, Harry's going to lend you some clothes. You can't go around with us if you're dressed like a Death Eater."
Draco looked down at his sweeping, if tattered, robes and frowned, before realizing the implications of what she'd said. "You're letting me stay?"
"Yeah," said Potter, tossing Draco a worn shirt that must once have been Gryffindor red, but now looked more like rose pink. "Don't make us regret it, Malfoy. And keep your sexual exploits to yourself."
Evangeline, standing at his side, blushed. Draco was already beginning to regret snogging her. There was something about her that made him distinctly uneasy. He looked instead at the shirt in his hands. Then he saw the tag.
He thrust the shirt back in Potter's direction. "I can't wear this."
"Why not?" Potter sounded genuinely bewildered.
"I can't wear poly-cotton blend," Draco exclaimed, outraged. "I have sensitive skin."
Potter rolled his eyes and grabbed the shirt. Granger stepped forward. "I suppose we'll have to buy you something then. I saw smoke rise in that direction this morning," she pointed off toward the woods, "So there's got to be a town there. I've still got some muggle money. But you'll have to wear Harry's shirt until we get you something else."
"Fine." Draco sighed in a long- suffering way, reaching out a hand for the shirt. "But let's go right away. I'll break out in a rash. And besides, I look horrible in pink."
"It's red!" Harry shouted.
"No need to be so touchy, Potter. And maybe next time you get your eyes checked, see if you're color-blind as well. Come on, Granger."
"I'll come too," Weasely said, hurrying to catch up with them. "We'll need to get more food. And make sure Malfoy doesn't kill you," she added in and undertone.
"I can still hear you, Weasely," Draco called out. "Now let's go. I can already feel this polyester working its evil magic."
xXx
Harry shook his head. It wasn't fair that they leave him all alone. Even that Evangeline had traipsed off after Malfoy looking like a sad puppy. And Malfoy, he was being ridiculous, Harry thought, almost smiling. Then he remembered the look on Dumbledore's face just before he'd died. Malfoy wasn't funny; he was evil, and Harry could never forget that.
Harry was alone with his thoughts for a while; he didn't know how long, before Malfoy came back out of the woods alone.
"Malfoy," Harry called. "What are you doing? Where are the others?" It was suddenly clear to him. Malfoy had killed all the others off and now he was coming for Harry. He drew his wand. "Malfoy! Answer me."
Malfoy didn't speak, just continued to walk toward Harry across the clearing. Harry backed up until his back was against the stone wall of the cliff. He didn't know why Malfoy hadn't drawn his wand yet. Harry should have cursed him then, but he waited. Soon, Malfoy was only a few steps in front of him, then two steps, then one.
Malfoy moved even closer, bracing his hands on the rock wall on either side of Harry's shoulders. Harry could feel the other, slightly taller boy's breath on his cheek.
"Malfoy, what are you- mmph." Malfoy sealed his lips to Harry's, effectively cutting off all protests. Harry tried to pull away, pushing his hands against Malfoy's chest, but Malfoy only held on tighter, placing one hand on Harry's waist, the other around his neck.
Harry couldn't breathe and he could almost feel his lips bruising under the pressure Malfoy was applying. Harry flailed helplessly.
Finally, Malfoy stepped back, grinning like a just-sated lion. Harry wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, pushed his glasses up his nose, and glared angrily at Malfoy.
"Malfoy, what the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what, Potter?" drawled Malfoy, emerging from the trees.
xXx
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Austin, because he wanted to see some guy on guy action (don't even try to deny it, Austin!) And how about some reviews, eh? The sooner you review, the sooner I update.