Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to JKR, anything you don't is mine.

A/N: Thanks to peanutfreak for the review!

This is completely off topic, but are any HP fans out there also Hunger Games fans? I just finished Mockingjay...can't decide if I liked the ending or not...did you?

Chapter 36

"Dad," I whispered, "What are we supposed to do?"

"We have to tell!" he said quickly. "Otherwise Harry will be sent to Voldemort! Do you want that?" I closed my eyes briefly and shook my head before opening them again, still shaking my head.

"No, I don't," I said quietly. "But what else do we do? If we tell, then Moody – Crouch – will kill Harry anyways! Plus Riley and Sam and – What if you tell, but I don't? Do you suppose he'll still know then?" I squeezed my eyes shut when I saw him nodding his head slowly. "How will he know, though?"

"Those detectors are strong," Dad said. "Mad-Eye Moody wouldn't buy just any detectors, he would make sure they worked. And good. And I realize he's not really Mad-Eye, but he has to convince people that he is, and we know those are his things." At my blank stare, he shook his head and said, "In other words, yes, he would know even if I told."

"Damn it!" I cursed. When I saw him raise his eyebrows, I shrugged. "What? Like you wouldn't cuss if you were in this situation!"

"In case you haven't noticed," he pointed out, "I kind of am." I didn't say anything. It was silent for a moment until I finally asked,

"Do you think it's going to happen during the third task? That Harry will be brought to Voldemort?" Dad frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in thought for a moment before he replied,

"Now I do! Shit," he cursed. I smiled. "Oh shut it. We need to come up with some sort of plan so we can tell, without raising suspicion on those detectors. Before the final task."

"That's less than a month away," I muttered. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Okay, here's an idea," Dad said thoughtfully. "Those detectors work as something happens. So what if you make sure you get a detention from him somehow, and then, on the night of your detention, I'll tell somebody. He can't blame you for telling somebody when you're right there!"

"That's an idea," I said. "Hang on – do you suppose the detectors can detect us coming up with this plan right now? Can they tell I'm talking to you about it?"

"No, they shouldn't, since I already knew," he said, waving his hand impatiently. "He said he would know if you told somebody, and you're making a plan, which isn't, technically, telling somebody. Besides, his magic eye can see through walls, and if he looked, all he would see you doing would be checking your hair or makeup or something in the mirror."

"So...do you think we could come up with a better plan, or do you think that'll work?" I asked after a moment. "You could do it while I was in class, too. Then he won't even be in his office."

"No, he won't, but when he goes into his office afterward and sees his detectors going off, he'll think that sometime when you weren't in his class but he wasn't in his office, like during another class or something, you told somebody. Even if he's not really Mad-Eye, he's obviously smart."

"Oh, dang it," I muttered.

"Alright, when do you have Moody next?"

"Friday," I answered. Dad groaned.

"Alright, it'll have to do. Unless you can somehow make sure you do something when he's the only teacher around, which is difficult, just do something in his class to get a detention. I don't even care what it is, I don't even care if a letter gets sent home, just be sure you get a detention."

"Okay," I replied, "the only problem is, if I do something bad enough to get a detention, he's likely to turn me into a ferret or something." I cringed at the thought.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. I quickly explained the story of "Malfoy, the amazing bounding ferret," as Ron called it.

"Just be prepared to dodge any spells from him coming your way," he said when I was finished. "And somehow make sure your detention is in his office, alright?" I nodded. "Now, it's getting late, you should be going to bed." I rolled my eyes. It wasn't getting late. Oh well.

"Fine. Goodnight Dad. Love you."

"'Night Abbey, love you too. Remember to be careful."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Friday came a lot quicker than I would have expected. Maybe it was because I was anticipating Friday. I acted out in class all the time, and this time, I had permission from Dad – Dad, not Father – to do so. I was also a little nervous. Not that he would turn me into a ferret, or rat, or something, but that he would get angry at me and kill somebody I loved anyways. Surely he wouldn't, though?

Let's just say, it's a good thing I'm a good actor and good at hiding my feelings, because nobody noticed anything strange that entire week. And if anybody did, I would attribute it to the fact that the third task was coming up in about a month, and my brother was going to be fighting to survive.

And then there I was on Friday sitting in the middle row next to Sean in Defense Against the Dark Arts. I found myself wondering what to do to ensure myself a detention. I couldn't call out in class, that would just ensure points taken from Gryffindor.

I had already not done my homework. I didn't think that would be enough. Next, I planned to send notes to Sean (which we already did anyway) except this time I planned on getting caught. Although that might get Sean in trouble too. But I would just make sure I wrote something horrible about Moody or something on it. Plus, it was nearing a full moon, so I was already moody (no pun intended), which could finally be of some use to me.

"Alright, pass your essays to the center and I'll come down the aisle to collect them," Moody said as soon as class had started. Sean looked to me, his eyebrows rose – I had told him beforehand that I didn't feel like doing it, so I wasn't going to. I shook my head slightly and he rolled his eyes. He, however, had no room to talk – he had only written about half of what he was supposed to.

"Miss Black-Lupin, do you have your essay?" Moody asked as he collected them. I shook my head slowly.

"No, sir, I don't."

"Can I ask why?" I shrugged.

"You can, yes." I could feel his magical eye on me even though his back was to me. He didn't take points off for my cheek, though.

"Why?"

"I just didn't want to." I could feel all the eyes in the classroom on me in surprise. I always did my work, even though I complained about it all the time.

"Well, Miss Black-Lupin, you'll have to make that up in a detention with me. My office, tonight, seven o'clock." Just what I wanted. I nodded.

"Alright."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What, were you trying to get a detention or something?" Draco asked me during dinner that night after I had told him about what had happened in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Maybe I was," I said indignantly, crossing my arms.

"Why would you want a detention?" Crabbe asked, shoving some dessert into his mouth. I frowned at him.

"She was being sarcastic," Blaise said matter-of-factly, staring at Crabbe in disbelief.

"Oh."

"Anyway, it's not a big deal," I said, shrugging. "It's not like I've never had a detention before. All I have to do is write the essay. It's easy, it'll only take me a few minutes." I had already told Dad about the detention at seven. He told me I would have to delay it out because he was planning on telling Father first, and then they would probably go to Dumbledore, and he was afraid that would set it off too.

"If it's so easy, why didn't you do it in the first place?" Draco asked. I shrugged.

"I didn't want to." I saw Draco roll his eyes out of the corner of my eyes. "Not to mention I've had a lot going on lately."

"Like what? You haven't told me about anything." He actually sounded betrayed, and I felt pretty bad, which is something I've never felt around the full moon before in my life. "I can tell you've been hiding something from me, but I can't figure out what it is."

"You're good at hiding the fact that you know," I pointed out.

"So you're admitting that you're hiding something?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. I looked around and saw not only Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle listening to us, but about half of the Great Hall. Many, like the nearby Ravenclaws, tried to hide the fact that they had been listening, but the Slytherins didn't even bother hiding it.

"I don't think we should talk about this here," I said quietly.

"Why?" he asked angrily, his voice raising instead of lowering. Even some Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs on the other side of the room were now listening in. It's not like I'm not used to the stares, I just didn't like people I didn't know knowing my personal business. "Why can't we talk about it here?"

"Shh," I said, noticing Moody staring at me with both eyes from the staff table. "Look, I can't tell you here, especially not with everybody listening."

"Then where? When?" I leaned in closer to answer so that only Blaise and Crabbe and Goyle would be able to hear us, but Draco started shaking his head slowly. "You know what? I don't care right now. I'll see you later, alright?" He stood up slowly.

I stared up at him, my mouth slightly open. I knew my devastation showed on my face. Why did I even have to open my fat mouth and tell him about the detention?

"Crabbe, Goyle, come on," he snapped, motioning for them to stand up. They each glanced at me, looking slightly worried, but then hurried to stand up. "I'll see you two later." He left, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. I couldn't help but realizing it was the first time since my birthday that he hadn't kissed me goodbye. I turned to Blaise quickly.

"What's his problem?" I demanded. Blaise sighed, looking as though he felt sorry for me – or maybe he felt sorry for Draco – and shook his head slowly.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I have an idea, but I don't know for sure." I expected him to say something more, like what his suspicion was, but instead he just finished the food on his plate. Finally, after a moment, I asked,

"And what's that?" Blaise blinked, looked around to make sure nobody was listening, and leaned toward me slightly.

"I don't think I should tell you," he said quietly, as though it were a big secret. I slammed my fist onto the table, turning most of the eyes in the room back onto me.

"Like hell you won't!" I said quietly but angrily. "I'll get it out of you if it's the last thing I do." I had almost completely forgotten about my detention with Moody before Blaise spat,

"You're keeping something from him, he's keeping something from you. You're even. Why bother messing with each other?" He paused. "By the way, if you don't leave for your detention now, you're going to be late. Or miss it altogether." I huffed as I stood up, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

"Don't think this is the end of the interrogation," I muttered, frustrated, just before I stalked out of the room behind Sam and Katie, who were holding hands. When Sam noticed I was behind him, he hung back to walk beside me. I wasn't surprised when he asked me about what had just happened between Malfoy and I. I sighed and answered angrily,

"Nothing! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to be going." I quickly walked away from him and Katie, knowing they were staring after me. I heard Katie whisper to Sam as I left,

"Is she alright?" But Sam's answer got cut off as I rounded a corner bitterly and marched right up to Moody's office. I didn't even bother knocking and instead threw the door open irritably, slamming it shut behind me.

"Miss Black-Lupin. You're early."

"I'm pissed," I snapped. "Don't try to talk to me." He's not a teacher, why do I care about what he says or does?

I slumped into a seat across from him at his desk, pulled out a quill, ink, and parchment and started writing my essay. I had only gotten about two lines into it when Moody asked,

"And what are you pissed about?"

"Stuff that's not any of your business, whether you're Moody or Crouch."

"Does it have to do with Mr. Malfoy? You two seemed pretty upset with each other at dinner."

"I said it's none of your business," I said. "Leave me alone."

"I think – "

"I said, leave – me – alone," I snarled through gritted teeth. Moody shut up immediately. Maybe he knew pissing off a Black-Lupin when they were already angry by the full moon was not a good idea.

We worked in silence for the rest of the time. I tried to stall, but fifteen minutes later I was already about halfway done and the detectors had yet to go off. I kept glancing up at them, repeatedly, every five or so seconds. After about three minutes, Moody noticed. He put his quill down, as he had been grading papers, and asked,

"Why do you keep looking at my detectors?" I looked up from my essay, not realizing how obvious it was that I had been looking at them. I quickly came up with a cover-up.

"What are they? I mean, know some of them. But what are those three?" I motioned to three of them at random, even though there were plenty more than that. Not only was that a good cover story, but it would take some time for him to explain them. Moody spun around in his chair, looked at the three had I had motioned to, and opened his mouth to explain, but...

The sneakoscope, which I recognized immediately, began to whistle. I saw Moody tense and turn to me, lifting his wand. I was sure to look confused and scared, putting my hands up in a surrender position.

"Who did you tell?" he snapped. I shook my head slowly.

"No-nobody!" I stammered. "How could I? Even if I did, nobody would believe me!"

The other devices began to spring to life. Swirling, changing colors, whistling, morphing. Moody knew immediately that somebody knew. But I could tell he was confused. I was right here, and if somebody knew, it would be going off right as I had told him. Still, he knew the only way that somebody knew was if I had told them. So, his wand stayed on me.

"The only way anybody knows is if you told them. Who did you tell?"

"I've been right here in front of you! You know those things work right as somebody finds out, so I would've had to just told somebody, or be telling them now! And, quite obviously, I can't have told anybody within the past few minutes! Who do you think you're kidding?" Moody sighed and started to lower his wand, but his gadgets just started going off even more. He rose his wand again.

"Hmm...I think the Cruciatus curse might get you to tell me who knows, don't you think?"

A/N: Like it? Love it? Hate it? Leave me a review to tell me your opinions! Constructive criticism is appreciated! You can even tell me what you'd like to see happen later in the story if you want.