Well, it clearly hasn't been years. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It's good to know that I am not forgotten. :) So, without further ado, Chapter Nine.

Chapter Nine

Harry stormed out of the infirmary furious at Ron. Of course he was bitter about being tortured, any sane person would be. But to accuse Hermione of being a fraud, or a traitor, or a fake—it was impossible. He'd seen her. McGonagall and Ginny wouldn't have missed any concealment charms. Ron's words couldn't make any sense. Harry wouldn't let them. Hermione was alive, even if it was Harry's fault that she was a Death Eater.

There had been two wizards on the ground floor, but otherwise the building appeared abandoned. Harry signaled to the stairs, Ron ascended before him and Hermione brought up the rear. At the top of the staircase there were three hallways. "We should split up," Ron said, "The place seems clear."

"Don't be stupid," said Hermione. Ron stiffened, "There were two Death Eaters downstairs, it isn't safe alone."

"They didn't have time to call for help."

"We don't know that. Harry?" Both looked at him expectantly.

"We have no reason to believe this place is highly guarded," he said, "We split up. But if any of us sees anyone we retreat immediately. Under no circumstances do we engage alone."

Hermione looked ready to argue. "This is a bad idea, Harry."

"We meet back here in ten minutes, okay?"

Hermione sighed, knowing she was outnumbered, "Very well."

They split up. Harry moved down his corridor slowly, his back to the wall. From where he was standing there appeared to be three rooms. Though he wore his Invisibility Cloak he moved with the utmost caution. He approached the first door. Before entering the room he listened for any sound. There was only silence. Harry breathed deeply and entered the room.

He could see no one. Harry moved slowly along the wall, navigating around a table and debris on the ground. There was a window in the wall opposite the door. It was open. He studied it apprehensively. The glass was not broken, and there was no dust on the sill. He approached and studied the dust on the floor. There were no footprints, but it appeared as if the drapes had been pushed away from the wall and caused the dust the arc out. A shiver snaked its way down Harry's spine. He left the window open and retreated back to the hallway.

He moved quickly to the next room and entered with all of the caution he had previously employed. This room had no windows. Instead a huge wardrobe rotted against a wall. Harry could barely make out the shape of it, the room was so dark. Deciding that it was more important to see, he whispered "Lumos," and his wand cast sufficient light about the room.

In the hallway he heard footsteps. He quickly muttered, "Nox." And backed up against the wall.

"Be careful with that, you nitwit," a woman's voice hissed.

Harry peaked his head out the door. Four robed figures made their way down the hall heading towards Hermione and Ron's sections of the building. Knowing it was risky, but feeling he had no other choice, Harry stepped into the hall before the robed people could pass him and hurried towards Ron's corridor. The people behind him were too focused on their task to notice him. He turned down the center hallway and the figures behind him continued straight, heading towards Hermione. Trusting Hermione's skill, Harry continued toward Ron. He found him in a room down the hall.

"We've got company." He whispered, removing the hood from his Invisibility Cloak. He held up four fingers and gestured with his head toward where they went.

Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione."

"I know," said Harry. "Do any of these rooms have a window?" Ron nodded. "Get out through one. I'm going after her."

Ron looked ready to argue.

"There isn't room for the three of us under this thing anymore. Now go." Ron turned and entered the closest room. Harry heard a window open. Knowing Ron would exit, he pulled his hood back on and headed towards the presumed Death Eaters down the hall. He couldn't see Hermione, but he didn't expect to. She would be hidden by a cloaking spell and hiding from the Death Eaters. He kept repeating that to himself.

The floor creaked loudly beneath his feet. Harry froze. Until he heard a choked gasp. He sped down the hallway. But before he reached anyone he heard the telltale crack of wizards apparating. He entered the room where the sound had come from.

No one was there.

A crate sat in the middle of the room, but Harry did not take the time to investigate it. He rushed outside to find Ron hiding in a shrubbery outside the building.

"They have Hermione."

Elena did not look forward to Sunday. She had two days to prepare and she planned to use them to ignore Draco as much as she could. And to become Elena Hisham again. It had been so long since she had truly let Hermione out that it hurt to repress it all again. She refused to admit to anyone, including herself, exactly how much she missed her old life. If she wallowed in self-pity and doubt it would take the Dark Lord about three seconds to figure it out, and then no matter what she called herself, she would be dead or desperately wishing to be.

The dossiers still lay on the table, unmoved from before Draco had arrived. She now had a twofold task: betray a new Death Eater, and supply information to the Order. There were hundreds of names to choose from, but her eyes kept returning to one name she'd been avoiding for five years.

Severus Snape.

He should have become a favorite after killing Dumbledore, but he hadn't. Instead he lived his life in relative obscurity, unable to show his face to any person who wasn't a Death Eater or a Muggle. She had been reluctant to single him out at first since to do so may have brought attention to her double identity, and she still couldn't quite believe that he was wholeheartedly a Death Eater. But no one at the Order had implied that he was still working for them. And why would they need Draco Malfoy as a double agent if they already had Severus Snape? Elena smiled.

This time she was more than happy to do her job.

She would have to fabricate documents, photographs, messages, and other incriminating evidence to truly make the Dark Lord believe that Snape had betrayed them. After all, he had been a trusted spy, and killing Dumbledore had placed him above reproach. Elena read through all of her records on Snape and considered what she knew of him through her time at Hogwarts and from the Order. She was certain she could come up with the proper angle from which to hang him.

Contemplating how to incriminate her former professor, Elena turned to copying her dossiers. She charmed a quill to directly copy from one parchment to another. It took little time with multiple quills working. In under half an hour she had a completely new set of dossiers ready to be sent to the Order via Draco.

That task complete she headed off to gather evidence.

Lord Voldemort sat in his Manor waiting. He did not wait on anyone in particular, he would allow very few of his followers to live if they kept him waiting. He waited in general, and for many things in particular. Most of all he waited for the day he would kill the annoying child, Harry Potter. Their little war had gone on far too long, but it seemed like things were finally starting to move apace on that front. He predicted that Potter would be dead within months, and once the Boy Who Lived lived no more, that pathetic Order of his would fall in days.

Nagini slithered into the room. "Cooper approaches." She told him and coiled herself beside his chair.

The wizard, Cooper, entered moments behind her. He was not a threatening looking man, nor did he possess the subservient nature of some of the Dark Lord's other followers. But the man lacked in great ambition; what he did not lack, however, was loyalty.

"Cooper, a pleasant surprise," said the Dark Lord.

"My Lord." He paused, unable to find his words. "Sir, it—This is a matter of a delicate nature, my Lord. If I did not believe this was of the utmost importance I would not bother you."

The Dark Lord waited silently.

"There is talk that Blaise Zabini is alive, and that he is living with a Muggle woman. I know that El—I know that he was taken care of, but..."

"Zabini is gone," the Dark Lord told him. "His betrayal was uncovered some time ago, but you're concern is noted. He was your friend, yes?"

Cooper froze, "I...we were not particularly close, no, sir."

"I see." The Dark Lord leaned back. "When did you hear this rumor?"

"Two days ago, my Lord." He did not hesitate, though apprehension was written across his face.

"And you waited so long to see me?"

"I did not want to waste your time with a hint of a rumor. I went to find Hisham, but I couldn't. So," he swallowed, "I came here today, sir."

"You did well, Cooper."

"Th-thank you, sir."

The Dark Lord waved him away and the man exited. He would never achieve a high rank, but his earnestness could be useful. He considered the timing Cooper described. What exactly had kept Elena from her duties for two days?

His lips pulled back in a facsimile of a smile. Maybe things would fall into place sooner than he hoped.

Saturday came and went with far too much speed for Elena's comfort. She had hoped to prolong the day for as long as possible, but before any time had seemed to pass, the day was over and she was waking up on Sunday morning. But her life was full of unpleasant tasks, and she prepared for this one just as she would any of the others.

At two o'clock Draco arrived, ready to escort her for tea. They made no mention of anything that had happened in the past week. No words were spoken about the Order, or what they did, or that they'd almost kissed. They pretended that nothing had changed.

But there was a new awareness between them. An awareness born of shared secrets, of shared emotions, and shared memories. Elena stridently ignored this, and Draco stayed silent on the subject. Until he could not help himself.

They were about to leave her flat when he burst out, "Does it bother you that the House Elves serve us at the Manor?"

Elena looked at him. "Only when I let it. Now, don't think about it." She walked to the fireplace. "Of everyone in the world who cannot know about me, consider your father number two."

"Doesn't he already know?" Draco was not talking about his father.

"He doesn't know that I know, I think. It would be best if things stayed that way, yes?"

"Agreed."

Elena grabbed a handful of floo powder and flung it down. "Malfoy Manor!" Draco followed behind her. They stepped through into the main sitting room at the Manor. Narcissa Malfoy waited for them. She smiled when she saw Elena and hugged Draco once he stepped through the fireplace. "It has been far too long." She gestured for them to sit. "Your father is not here yet, but the tea shall be ready shortly. So," she looked between Elena and Draco, "tell me everything that is going on. I simply cannot get out enough."

This warm version of Malfoy's mother always surprised Elena. She was supposed to be cold and aloof, uncaring about anything but preserving the Malfoy name and the strength of their pure blood. Instead she always asked after her son, genuinely interested in his activities, and she always turned a polite ear to Elena's conversation.

She was far too human for an enemy.

Lucius Malfoy entered the room. His eyes lit up when he spied his son, and he kissed his wife on the cheek. "Tea is ready," he said. "The House Elves have set it up in the garden." He led Narcissa out. Elena and Draco followed.

This was going to be a long afternoon.

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