A/N: This is, to be honest, most of the original chapter. The rest was removed and reworked because it was choppy. Now that it's three times its original size, it's going to be its own chapter. I should be posting it soon as I'm still on vacation. And it is still raining. Three days of vacation. Three days of rain. Three chapters posted. Coincidence? I think not.

Chapter Twenty-one: An Unexpected Guest

The voice was heard clearly even though no one was in the room. Severus Snape was calling his name. Draco struggled awake and grabbed his wand pressing it against the tattoo on his right arm.

"What?" His annoyance was obvious.

"I'm so sorry. Did I wake you?" The Sarcasm in the Professor's voice was perfection. "Trouble is coming. I thought you might like to know."

"Him."

"He's busy. He's searching for something." His voice changed to one of calm. "By the way, he did like my newest idea."

"Am I going to like it?"

"That isn't important. Someone else doesn't like it already. I assume Miss Parkinson told you. She said she did when she passed the warning on to me as well, for your sake."

"I know. Uncle Vernon."

The door to his room opened. Mick looked in. "You busy?"

Draco nodded, missing what Snape was saying. Mick said that Arthur Weasley was here. He had some news. Severus Snape asked Draco if he had heard what he said. "Yeah, um, no."

Severus asked who was there.

"Who's here?"

"Someone is there with you. Who is it?"

"Who's here with me?"

Arthur Weasley peeked into the room and saw what was going on. He told Mick that Draco was talking to someone. Mick asked if that was like using the telephone. Arthur smiled, saying he thought so but he's never used one of those muggle devices. Was that like using the fireplace? Draco mouthed that they should shut up. He wished Aideen was there to tell them what he said. Severus Snape was insisting that Draco quit repeating everything that he said and answer his question. "Who is with you?"

"I'm in bed. You woke me up. Remember."

"Then who are you talking to. I know someone is there."

"I'm not talking to anyone." Arthur told him to talk normally. They would remain quiet. Severus was getting . . . Worried? Anxious? Angry? All of the above? "Fine. I'm with Aideen. I was making sure I didn't wake her."

"The girl? She could be pretending."

"She's deaf. She'd have to be looking at me. Here, I'll prove it. HEY, AIDEEN." So much for protecting her virtue.

"DON'T YELL!"

Draco's whole body shook. He dropped his wand and watched as it rolled off the bed. Arthur walked over and picked it up for him. Draco thanked him and put the wand back against the black mark. "I understand," he said in a shaky voice. "Don't yell. There is no volume control, I assume."

"Is Aideen still asleep?" Severus Snape had an expressive voice. Draco could hear the smirk on his face.

"Barely. I'm wide awake now."

"Good. You are ordered not to be upset about your uncle's death."

"Couldn't be if I tried."

"That is also good. The Dark Lord doesn't want you to hold a grudge because someone else stole your fun."

"Right. No grudges because I'm not killing my own relatives. And you woke me up at, uh, whatever time this is, to tell me that?"

"Yes. And to let you know that Rabastan Lestrange revealed to someone that he has a plan to make someone important proud of him. At your expense. Those Weasley ears are very useful."

"How long ago?" Draco was guessing that the answer would be less than an hour ago.

"How long have we been talking?"

Definitely less than an hour.

"Draco?"

"Still here. I need to ask. Where is Rabastan?"

"I can tell you where he was just before I woke you. He apparated from the Leaky Cauldron." Snape casually added. "I don't think he paid for his drinks."

"Anything else?"

"I won't moralize. In the future all I ask is that you be more discreet when you talk about the company you keep. Good luck, Draco."

"You're not coming?" It was a small hope that he would.

"HE wants to talk to me. That is why I think Rabastan let me overhear his remark."

In muggle terms, Severus hung up. Janice was standing in front of him asking if the conversation was over.

"WHOT YOU MEAN YELLIN' LIKE THAT. WOKE UP ANDY AND CHERYL. DON' YOU KNOW WHOT TIME IT IS?"

"No."

Janice stopped in her tracks. Draco had never only answered her question. It was always a challenge for him to see if he could defend himself, either by telling the truth or lying. She knew it was serious.

"How bad?"

"That depends on the wards. Trouble is coming and I don't know when. He could already be here."

"Draco?"

"The man doesn't like me but he can't hurt me. Not directly. He killed my uncle. And if wants to hurt me, you would be an excellent target."

Arthur had already opened the door fully and was casting a spell. The patronus charm. He turned around to assure everyone he sent a message to the command center. Someone is always there and awake.

Janice ordered Draco to get dressed. She would rely on Arthur to get them to a safe place. Draco nodded. Arthur Weasley may have had his own reason for coming by but that could wait. It may have been important but something else took its place.

"MICK," he called, pointing to his hooked claw with his stump. "It would be a big help."

Mick had it strapped onto his arm in two minutes. It usually took Draco at least five times that long on a good day. After that, dressing was easy. A spell tied his trainers. And a jumper had no buttons. He grabbed his coat and was out in the cold night. He still had no idea what time it was.

Arthur was standing outside the door, guarding it. Charlie was with him as well as two of the McFusty clan. A moment later, there were popping noises. Six more of the clan, including Angus.

"What ye done now, lad?" the man asked. Arthur answered. Trouble. By the name of Rabastan Lestrange. In answer to where, Arthur pointed around. He could be anywhere. Angus told him no. None of the wards had been set off. If the man was around, he wasn't in the direction of the perimeter. Or in the fields. Nor inside any of the houses in the area. The man began giving orders as more of the clan arrived. Search the woods. Any copse of trees. And be careful. The man was a killer.

Mick came out of the house with Janice and the children. Kreacher was holding Andy, doing a wonderful job of keeping him quiet. Mick said they were ready and asked where they were going. Angus told them to get back inside. They would leave from there. It would be safer in case someone tried to follow.

"We're leaving?" Cheryl asked. She pulled herself from her mother's hand and turned toward Draco. He knew she wanted to say goodbye but his gut instinct said she shouldn't. He was right. She had taken two steps before her mother reached for her. Janice was pushed back as a man apparated between them.

"I couldn't have planned it better," Rabastan Lestrange said as he crouched against the wall of the cottage, holding Cheryl in front of him. His wand was at her throat. Cheryl started to scream and he shouted, "Silencio." She kept screaming but no sound came out.

"Better." The man looked around. Mick holding Janice, slowly backing away. Kreacher looking to Draco who told him to keep Andy safe. Draco knew he was eyeing the dozen or more men and women around him, all with their wands drawn. Rabastan smiled calmly. "All of you do know that she will be dead the instant anyone starts casting a spell? Good? Is there anyone here who would like me to kill her? Then everyone make sure to keep their distance." Everyone, except Draco, stepped backward. They formed a half circle to cover his escape. Angus took the time to tell him that if he harmed the girl, it would be his last living act.

Rabastan laughed. He looked at the girl who had stopped screaming but was still shaking. She was looking at Draco, pleading for help. The fact that she couldn't make any sound only scared her more.

"Time to talk, then?" Rabastan asked Draco.

"All the time you want."

"Lower your shields."

"Whot?"

"I've a theory. Your occlumency is a sham. I think your precious Uncle Severus taught it to you as a ruse. I think the two of you have plans of your own."

Draco sneered. It was appropriate that this man would be a legilimen. "And when I pass out from the pain?"

Another laugh. "Then I'll find out what I can before the pain kills you." He paused. "But if I do that, the dragons will come." A hateful smile. "Fire and death will be everywhere. IF you feel pain. And if I'm right, I'll read your mind while you stand there. And I swear this to you. If I find I'm right, I'll use the Cruciatus curse on you until you're dead. OH, but that means the dragons will come. Too bad for everyone in their path."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll apparate at once and leave clues on where to find her body. It's your choice."

Draco understood one thing. It took him a while to put the pieces together. Uncle Severus had told him that Voldemort was away. He also told him that he spoke to the dark lord and was going to speak to him again. This was another test. One in which he was sure to fail. And Voldemort had placed his uncle in a position where he could be praised or easily killed. He also knew one other thing he had never told anyone. When Voldemort read his mind, that night the monster was restored, the pain came from the sudden feeling returning to his body, not from the fact that someone was reading his mind. He remembered his father asking for his trust.

"Fine. I'll do it." His voice became angry. "But if you kill any more of my prey . . ."

He smiled because Rabastan's smile faltered. The man began to doubt. Then Draco felt the prod. He lowered his mental shields, enough for Rabastan to enter his mind, but he left the shields up just enough so that he could feel the man in his head. Draco concentrated his thoughts and pushed them at Rabastan. A locked door. A prison door. He felt the man react, to try to open that door.

What happened next, Draco could not explain. Nor could he repeat what he did. It was instinct, reflex, wild magic. He couldn't say. Uncle Severus would tell him that what he did was supposed to be impossible. The best way he could describe it was that he grabbed at Rabastan's thoughts, somewhat like grabbing a man's arm to keep him from getting away. It wasn't accurate but at least it gave an idea of what happened.

Rabastan's mind was now open to any thought or memory that Draco wanted him to see. He opened that door. It was the memory from his days with Alastor Moody. When he was tied to the bed, a screaming madman. Draco relived these memories with Rabastan. The demons that clawed at him, that tore his flesh then reformed it and tore at it again. The horror of seeing them. The terror that their cacophony of noise inspired in him. The foulness that made every breath a torture all its own. And always the pain, never constant and never ending. His one advantage was that he knew what to expect. Rabastan did not

Minute after minute he relived these memories, all the time forcing his enemy to share them.

Until one moment when Rabastan was suddenly gone. It was Draco alone in his head with the nightmare. Slowly, he suppressed the memories, pushing them back and locking them in their private prison within his mind, to stay there until he released them again. Then came the effort to come to his senses again. As he recovered, he found himself on his hands and knees, gulping in air as though he had been holding his breath the entire time. Someone's hand was on his shoulder. A voice was asking him how he was.

With help, he was raised to his feet. As he stood, he looked toward the wall of the cottage. No one was there. The someone who helped him pointed to what he thought Draco was looking for. It was Rabastan Lestrange lying on his back on the ground. His wand was held in both hands. He was dead.

Draco pulled out his wand and put the point over his right arm. "Uncle Severus. Rabastan Lestrange is dead."

He felt someone else and heard the voice. "Draco. Repeat what you said to Severus Snape."

"Rabastan Lestrange is dead."

"And you are telling me this from a secure location?"

"In front of half the McFusty clan and anyone else who heard the noise. Lestrange made it a point to let everyone know about us."

Voldemort was surprisingly calm. "And how did he die?"

Draco smiled. "I learned a new trick. If someone tries to read my mind, I can let them feel the pain instead. Rabastan Lestrange forgot to let go."

"Good. This is an excellent time to put Severus's plan into effect. Deny me. And please mean it. I want you to offend me."

Draco paused. A new game was being played. One he should know about. "YOU WHAT? I Gave You My Trust And You Do This?" He was proud of the hate in his voice. "Know This. From This Moment Forward, I Am Your Enemy. I Am Your Destruction. I Will See You In Hell If I Have To Drag You There Myself."

Voldemort said, "well done", and broke the connection.

He shoved his wand back into his pocket and looked around him. At the McFustys. At the Weasleys, present and future. At Mick and Janice.

Cheryl was with Janice, clutching her dress and crying. She was watching Draco. Relieved, he took a step toward her. She screamed and ran behind her mother. The only emotion she showed was fear. Fear of him.