Disclaimer-- I own nothing but the plot, if I did I would be rich not in a ton of debt.
Chapter 37
Ginny made her way to the dungeons with Pansy at her side. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts back to the meeting that she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a hand waving in front of her face.
"Jeez Pans, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She said trying to force her heart back down into her chest where it belonged.
"No I was just trying to bring you back from whatever planet you went and landed on. I have been talking to you for 5 minutes now and then I asked you a question and you didn't even know I was there."
"Sorry," Ginny replied, "I was just thinking about the meeting earlier, I'm worried about both Draco and Dumbledore."
"That's exactly what I was talking about." Pansy said as they entered Draco's room.
Ginny dropped her bag and plopped onto the bed on her stomach, Pansy joined her. "What do you think could be wrong with Dumbledore? And why won't he tell us?"
"Well he did say he would tell us, Gin, just not yet. But I don't like the way things were sounding. And I'm worried about Draco going to the Manor."
"Can you believe Harry volunteering to go with him like that? That took me by surprise. I mean I didn't really think he should go alone in case something went wrong, but, Harry?"
"What about Potter?" Drawled a voice from behind them. Both girls looked up in the mirrored wall to see Draco and Blaise enter then room but Draco stopped short causing Blaise to walk right into him.
"Oy, Draco what is the hold up?" Said Blaise steadying himself.
A smirk crept onto Draco's face. "Sorry mate, but it's not everyday that I walk in to find two beautiful women lying in my bed." The smirk quickly vanished as Blaise hit him upside his head. "Ow, what the hell was that for?"
"The red one is mine." The dark haired boy replied shutting the door behind them. The girls laughed as a smirk spread again over Draco's thin lips.
"Ok but I don't think it's me that Pansy wants."
"What the bloody hell are you on about?" He looked over at the girls then a look of understanding dawned upon his face. "I meant the red clothes, you arse, not the hair." Ginny couldn't help but smile at the exchange between the two friends, even in the face of all that was happening in their lives they always found ways to make life a bit happier. Odd, really considering most of the school thought all Slytherin's to be cold and unfeeling. The reality of it was they were a rather playful and emotional lot.
Draco dropped his things in the collection pile now forming on the floor and sat beside Ginny, slowly he moved his fingers along her back kneading into her tense muscles. She let out a small moan as her body began to relax at his touch.
"Hey hey now, you two can wait until we leave to get into that stuff." Blaise said parking himself next to Pansy.
"Oh alright. You are just no fun today Blaise." Draco said, yet his fingers still moved gently over her back as though drawing an imaginary picture only he could see. "So, what were you saying about Potter?"
"Oh we were just saying that it's a bit odd, you know, Harry wanting to go with you tonight."
"I think the stranger thing is Dumbledore okaying it. Really think about it this is the boy who is supposed to save the world, right? So why send him as back up to the Dark Lord's right hand man's house, you would think it a bit risky, no?" Draco stopped his drawing s for a moment, apparently pondering his own questions.
"Yes but Dumbledore seemed very certain that the information Snape would be giving Lucius would take quite a bit of time. I wonder what is happening to our Headmaster that could be of that much importance to the Dark Lord?" Pansy said.
"I think he is dying." Draco said, "But the real question is why? He said it was important for him to know why but that he would not fully understand. That only the Dark Lord himself would understand the meaning behind it. So what is killing him?"
The four friends pondered this and other points, until a knock was heard at the door at 8:30. Ginny got up to answer it. When she opened the door the potions master was there, his long black hair falling into his face. She stepped aside to allow him entrance.
"Everything is set," Snape said once the silencing charms were set, "Harry will meet you in the room of requirement. Simply need our meeting room and there is a portkey waiting on the table, it will activate at exactly 9 o'clock so do not be late. It will take you to the point just beyond the stables of the estate; it will be quieter than allowing you to apparate just in case your father decided to be fashionably late. Remember to hold onto Potter when entering the property so as to not set off the alarms. Go in, get what you need and get out. Here is a pair of gloves and enchanted pouch to put the locket into, do not touch it with your bare hands and do not try to wear it, we don't yet know what type of enchantments might be on it. And do not let Potter come into any contact with it; we have reason to believe he may be more sensitive to it than anyone. Go back to the same point to apparate back here, you will have to use your necklace and come directly onto the ground, it is too risky in case something goes wrong to apparate to any other area in case you are followed. Make sure that you and Potter stay together at all times, he will have his invisibility cloak it may be a bit tricky to cover you both completely but stay under it just the same; and you will have to have him side along on the way back since his necklace is not yet finished, you should be safe to apparate down by Hagrid's cabin so that none of the students see you. You will have at least an hour, but do not forget to allow time to get back off the grounds, you know what can happen if you try to apparate within the estate. Are there any questions?" Snape asked handing Draco the gloves and pouch.
"I won't need the gloves, Father held it in his bare hands and unfortunately he is just fine and dandy." Draco spat, as thought the words tasted bad in his mouth as he said them.
"Yes well humor me then and just wear the damn things. Now I must be going, I need to be in the Hogsmede soon. Good luck, be careful and make sure nothing happens to Potter or that locket." And with that Snape twirled on the spot and left the room, his cloak billowing behind him as always.
"Well, " Draco said turning to Ginny, "I guess I should get going. I will be back soon." He pulled Ginny in to his arms sending a shiver through her whole body. She hugged him tightly burying her face in his chest until his hand gently lifted her chin so her gaze met his. "I will be fine and so will Potter, there is much more we must do in this war and you know that, so please don't worry." His kissed her soundly on the lips, making her knees go weak. All too soon he was pulling away from the kiss and turning to his two friends still on the bed. "You guys stay with her until I get back and for the love of Merlin don't let her do anything stupid. The last time I went away like this, I came home and found her branded." Draco smiled down at her one more time, kissed her forehead and whispered an "I love you" before leaving.
Ginny just stared at the door after he was gone, true she knew that Harry and Draco had much more to do in the war, that didn't mean that nothing would go unscathed now, just that it would be nothing life threatening; and that thought did not make her feel much better at all. She could feel strong hands on her shoulders turning her around and pulling her into a tight embrace. For the second time in just minutes she buried her face in robes, but this time she didn't need to be strong so she let the sobs come. Blaise just held her tighter and let her cry against him, stroking her hair. At some point in time she felt Pansy join them and the three stood there holding each other in a comforting embrace.
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After an unsteady landing from the portkey Draco glanced around to get his bearings, the stables were just ahead on the other side of the 15 foot hedges that bordered his family estate.
"Great so how do we get over or around those?" Potter asked while repositioning the cloak around the two of them.
Draco pocketed the spoon that had served as their portkey before replying. "We don't we are going through them. There is a small space between two of them about 30 feet down that way that is big enough for us to get through." He nodded off to the left.
"Are you sure?"
"Potter, this is my home you know. I grew up exploring every inch of these grounds just to be outside of the manor, so yeah I'm sure." And they set off.
"Sorry, I forgot. Believe it or not lately you have been so different I almost forget that you are a Malfoy."
"Ok, uh thanks. I think." Draco said as they emerged on the other side of the bushes.
"Holy… you grew up here? This is your house?" Harry asked in awe.
"Well actually no. This is the stable," Draco pointed straight ahead, to a large building, "and that is the pool house to the left. The greenhouse to the right and the elves quarters just beyond that."
"That is where you keep the house elves? But its huge, it is easily three times the size of my aunt and uncles house. I thought house elves were treated badly by your family?"
"Well when you consider there are over a hundred of them sharing that house it's really not all that great."
"A hundred? So then where is your house?" Harry quickened his pace to keep up with Draco who knew how far they had to go and was walking rather quickly.
"You see those roofs over there, beyond that hill?" Harry nodded. "That is the Manor, it sits down in a small valley between three hills and has a lake bordering the fourth side which we own all the property surrounding it so that there is no chance of getting to it by the lake, my father is a bit on the paranoid side about being invaded. Now come on we have a lot of ground to cover we may be better off if we run the rest of the way." Harry appeared for once to be speechless and Draco couldn't help but smirk.
They had taken only a few steps when a sudden noise made them both jump. "What the hell was that?" Harry asked looking around for whatever made the noise, but Draco just began laughing.
"That was Mira! We must have been talking too loud. Come on we should go before the elves come to investigate what upset her." Draco choked trying to regain his composure.
"Who the hell is Mira? That didn't sound like a horse." Harry replied.
"That's because she is not a horse, she is a dragon. My dragon actually."
"Wizards." Harry muttered. "Muggles usually only keep horses in stables."
"Yeah we have some of those too, a few thestrals and Mira, Evy and Lanti."
They made pretty good time getting to the House it had only taken about 15 minutes at a steady jog; they could make it back in about 10 if they really ran. When they reached the large French doors that led out to the back patio where he used to take after diner coffee with his mother, Draco stopped.
"Okay, we need to make sure we are covered, the house elves will be sure to appear as soon as the door opens but if they see no one they will just think that Lucius hit them too hard the last time he whacked them with his cane which is sure to have been earlier today sometime. Once they are gone just follow me as quietly as possible, and stay close so the cloak keeps us covered at all times."
"Alright." Harry said as Draco reached for the door knob. The instant the door began to open they heard a small crack; they made their way into the room silently and stepped off to the side. A small house elf was there to greet them, Draco recognized her at once as Sinty, she wore a dark green tea cozy with a black M on it that only the elves who are greeters and servers get to wear.
"Who is there?" She said with a small squeak. When no one responded she tried again. "Who is coming in my master's house?" Draco could hear the fear of punishment in her voice and felt horrible for the tiny creature. She slowly made her way to the door and peered quickly around outside before shutting it tightly and vanishing with another small crack.
Quiet as a mouse they made their way through the manor, until they reached the room the locket was in. There it was on a pillow in the display cabinet; Draco heard Harry's breath catch when he saw it. "That's it." Harry whispered.
"Okay I have to get it from the shelf because of theft enchantments on the cabinet and Snape and Dumbledore don't want you to have any contact with it anyways. You will have to hold the cloak up sideways to keep us covered while I retrieve it." Harry nodded and they slowly shifted around so that they were back to back.
Once the locket was safely tucked away in the pouch, Draco tied it to his belt loop and dropped it inside the rim of his pants. There was no way he was going to risk losing it. They repositioned again and began their journey back the way they had come. The exit was just a few rooms down one last hall but rounding the corner the boys stopped dead in their tracks.
"He must be punished for his carelessness, My Lord." Came a voice from one of the rooms.
"And he shall be, my dear Bella, but he did promise important information did he not?" Draco could feel Harry tense beside him at the familiar voice. One look was all the confirmation he needed to know that Harry thought they should peek into the room also. They peered around the doorway to see Bellatrix standing beside a roaring fire which contained the head of the Dark Lord himself.
"Yes, My Lord, but he has also drawn Lucius out of hiding. We can not afford for him to be caught again now. And besides you know my feelings on Snape, I have never trusted him. I still believe he is really working for Dumbledore."
"Yes, I have been feeling that more and more as of late as well, but still every piece of information he has passed to us has been proven correct. And we could use a bit of info on our little Headmaster anyways. Yes, Severus will be punished but after the information has been retrieved. I must go now Lucius should be here any moment with news of his meeting. Fear not Bella, Snape will get what he deserves." Before the Dark Lords head even had time to vanish, Draco and Harry broke into a run and did not stop until they were back by the stables.
"Shit!" Draco said out loud throwing off what little bit of the cloak was still covering him. "We have to get back to the castle and warn Snape."
"Yeah," Harry panted, "I don't much like the git but we need him right now alive." They climbed back through the gap in the hedges, walked a few feet further for good measure and side along apparated back to the safety of the Hogwarts grounds. They then ran past Hagrid's hut and back to the castle, neither one noticing the patronus that had taken off just ahead of them.
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A/N – don't get used to this update schedule but I really wanted to put this in that last chapter just couldn't get it typed but then I felt bad for putting in the filler chapter alone so hear is more of the actual plotted story. I will do my best to be more regular but we have all seen how far I got with that in the past, so no promises other than this story will be finished someday. Thanks for reading and please review if you have a second, 290 hits on that last chapter so far but only 4 reviews that's kinda depressing.