Wednesday 6th July 2005

Harry returned home from work early again after another day of no luck finding the artifact. He could tell Malfoy was getting more and more less hopeful that there was something there. He had noticed that Malfoy had been acting differently with Harry today, he was still the obnoxious twit he usually was, but he kept staring at Harry and smiling; it was so unusual, he didn't know if it was genuine or he was plotting something.

Harry watched Morty sulk into the room with a mouse in his mouth and climbed up the armchair next to him. He noticed he was quieter than usual and didn't beg for food every time he saw him.

"Where do you keep getting all this food from?" He asked him.

Morty ignored him.

"Don't make me ask you again Morty, where do you keep getting all this food from?"

"You did jussst asssk again," Morty said laughing. moving off the armchair to get away from Harry.

"Don't you dare leave this room," Harry shouted as Morty's tail end disappeared behind the door. "Bloody snake."

At 6 pm Harry went to Hermione and Ron's house. He left Morty at home this time he still didn't know why Morty was in such a bad mood and how he was feeding himself.

"You're going to knock those over Ronald," Hermione said as she watched Ron leaning against a stack of large cardboard boxes that weren't there last time Harry had been round and when he came to think of it their house was looking bare and full of the same boxes.

"Are you guys moving?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Harry, we told you weeks ago we were moving," Hermione replied.

Harry shook his head slowly. "No I don't think you did, I think I would remember you mentioning a move."

"We did tell you, mate, it was when Fred and George came round, and they made their famous pasta dish," Ron said as if that would jog his memory as Fred and George always made their pasta dish when they came round.

"Oh yeah," Harry lied, he thought it would be easier to agree, as him forgetting things seemed to be a regular argument between them recently.

They all sat around the table eating their plates of spaghetti bolognese, Harry and Ron were both drinking firewhiskey, but Hermione had neglected the glass Harry had poured her and was just sipping on pumpkin juice.

"I've not seen you in the office this week, mate where have you been?" Ron asked with sauce stains around his mouth; he wondered what Malfoy would say about that.

"I have been out on a job for your Father," He replied trying to avoid telling him who he has been working with.

"Oh really, are they short in that department?" Ron questioned.

"No, he just needed an Auror for back-up, I think," He twisted his fork around the spaghetti and let go and repeated the motion, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Ron wouldn't let up. "So who are you working with off there, for back-up?"

He knew now that Ron knew very well who he was working with and just wanted Harry to say it, it wasn't like it was a big deal, why should it be? It's not like Harry fancied Malfoy, he didn't have to admit that he got slightly turned on when he saw Malfoy smirk.

"Harry?" Ron poked.

"I am working with Malfoy, no big deal," Harry shouted defensively then blushed when he realised how he had acted. "Sorry."

Draco walked into one of the dimly lit rooms in the east wing of the Manor, only himself and his parents could find the room to any other person it was just an ordinary wall. He faced the ceiling to floor glass cabinet in front of him; it was filled with odd objects, things anyone would wonder why it would be in a protected room.

He placed his hand on the glass, and it slid slowly open, he let go and took a cautious step back. The porcelain black cat on the shelf came to life as it noticed a disturbance and began to move off the shelf, Draco took his wand out and quickly stunned it back to a lifeless ornament.

He opened the bag he was carrying and used his wand to guide the object out of the bag and onto the space on the shelf in the cabinet. He kept his wand tightly in his hand and pointed at it as he stared at it in awe. It was such a moment of obvious stupitity when he realised that the artifact wasn't in the Manor but actually outside the Manor. They hadn't needed to touch it because they had their wand to unlock the door.

The black round door handle was still, it had a black snake coiled around it with the head erect and sharp fangs and tongue on show. He tapped it with the end of his wand, and the snake came to life startling him. His hand and wand shook as the snake uncoiled itself and started wrapping itself around his wand snapping his fangs towards him.

"Fuck off," He said to the snake quivering. He shook the snake off his wand and back on to the ring quickly tapping it back to inanimate. He slammed the glass shut and panted heavily trying to get his heartbeat back to normal.

Once he was sufficiently composed, he stared through glass smirking at the snake, it was to him a worthy possession to now own, he would never try to use it again, but that was now one of his new favourites, along with the hand of glory, the poisoned goblet, and the cursed snitch.

He caught his father's reflection in the glass, he turned around to the doorway where he was stood with his arms folded his long white hair loose around his shoulders, his grey eyes observed him curiously.

"Yes, Father?" Draco asked him impatiently when he hadn't spoken.

"Your mother has told me to tell you dinner is ready," He replied with a hint of annoyance. "Sometimes I feel like a house-elf with her," He muttered more to himself than to Draco, so Draco ignored him and left the room ensuring that it was fully sealed behind him.

The dining room table had two extra guests tonight, Blaise Zabini and Ginny Weasley. Draco frowned at the sight of them. He had forgotten they come around every Wednesday for dinner.

"Good evening," Draco smiled curtly at them as he slid into his chair on his Father's left who was the head of the table. Blaise was next to him, and Ginny was sat next to his mother who was on the right-hand side of his Father.

Tonight's starter was wild mushroom soup with warm bread rolls which Draco enjoyed very much. The tension around the table stuck out like a sore thumb and he knew he should probably speak before his Mother had another mental breakdown.

"So Blaise how are things at Gringotts?"