Chapter 72

Mr. Dumbledore

Lily's POV

Flying on a broom was nothing compared to flying on a dragon! Draco smiled at me when I looked at him. It was one of those peaceful moments. I didn't know how long we'd been flying but we'd left the city behind. We were over water and the dragon was flying lower.

"We have to jump!"

My eyes widened and I froze.

"Lily take my hand! Take my hand and don't let go!"

I took Draco's hand.

"NOW!"

We jumped and hit the water. I couldn't see the bottom and I started to panic. Draco pulled me up.

"Don't look down. Just look at the sky." He told me.

I did as he said and swam forward. When my feet touched the earth I was relieved. Draco pulled me out of the water and waved his wand. I was dry and warm and Hermione handed me my cloths after pulling them from her beaded bag. The boy turned away, well, not Draco. I enjoyed the feeling of his eyes wandering over me. I looked into his eyes and gave him what I hoped was a sexy smirk. I saw the desire in his eyes and winked.

"You dressed, Lily?"

I finished quickly and told them I was done.

"We're going back to Hogwarts." Harry said.

"Well, we need a plan." Hermione said.

I rolled my eyes because I really couldn't help it.

"Hermione, when have any of our plans actually worked? We plan, we get there-"

"All hell breaks loose." I finished.

Harry nodded.

"One problem. Snape's headmaster now, we can't just walk through the front door."

I sighed.

"Maybe you can't, you're too big."

I felt their eyes on me.

"But I can."

"No. There's dementors-"

"But they don't react to animals."

We all looked at Draco.

"Third year you told me. After Black attacked the tower you followed his trail. A dementor flew past her and didn't even take a look... or a sniff... or whatever they do." Draco said.

He put his hand on my shoulder.

"She can get in."

Harry looked at me seriously.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded.

"We have to go to Hogsmead first. We can't just apparate onto Hogwarts grounds."

I nodded again and Draco looked at me. Hermione gave him dry cloths and I looked down at my bracelet. When I looked up, Draco was shirtless. I smiled and he looked at me.

"Harry? Could you, Ron and Hermione give me a minute with Draco? There's something I want to talk about. Something between us. Please?"

Before Harry could agree or disagree, Hermione nodded before dragging him and Ron away. Draco looked at me with a worried expression.

"What's wrong?"

I walked closer and he put his hands on my arms.

"Tell me."

"It's just dad."

"What about him?"

"You-Know-Who is gonna find out that he's been helping Harry sooner or later. He'll kill my dad. I used to have these nightmares. I saw my dad killed by that bloody snake. I don't want to lose my father."

He pulled me to his chest and held me tightly.

"Shhh-hh! Listen to me, your father is one of the strongest wizards I know. He'll be alright. And we'll be there to help him. I know how much you love your dad. He taught you everything he knows."

I closed my eyes and held onto Draco.

"Look at me, darling."

I looked into his sliver-blue eyes and he smiled gently.

"This'll all be over soon and we'll have the life and future you want. We'll get married, we'll find a house or a flat, we'll have all the children you want and we'll have a big family Christmas. I promise."

I nodded and he kissed me softly. When we separated I stroked his cheek with my thumb.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

With one last kiss we went to join the others.

"SO, Hogsmead it is." I said.

Draco's POV

The second we apparated to Hogsmead an alarm started to go off. Lily turned into a Weasel and I put her in my pocket.

"Here! Potter!"

The old man from the Hog's Head was waving at us. He waved his wand to make our tracks disappear and made us all hide in the cellar. I actually heard him start yelling at one of the death eaters. Saying if he wanted to let his cat out he would and he didn't care what they said. Personally, I thought the old bloke had guts. I set Lily down so she could turn back and then put my arm around her. The man came in and she looked at him.

"Thank you, Mr. Dumbledore."

I frowned and looked at her.

"Mr. Aberforth Dumbledore I presume."

I looked at the old man and he smirked.

"I'm surprised my brother ever mentioned me."

At that she looked down a bit nervously.

"Ah, of course he didn't. What do you think you're doing coming back here, Potter?"

"You're the one who sent Dobby!" Harry said.

"Where have you left him?"

I wrapped my arms around Draco and buried my face in his shoulder.

"He's dead."

"Sorry to hear it. I liked that elf."

Draco rubbed my back and had me sit.

"Where did you get that?"

Harry was pointing to a broken mirror on the wall.

"Mundungus Fletcher. Gave it to me about a year ago."

I clenched my fists.

"Kreacher and I are gonna have some fun when this is over." I hissed.

"Easy, darling." Draco whispered.

I took his hand but said no more.

"He had no right! That belonged to-"

"Sirius. Albus told me. He also told me that you and your sister would be hacked off if you ever found I had it. But ask yourself this, where would you be if I didn't?"

He had a point. I wasn't angry with him, just Fletcher. He brought us butterbeer and I drained mine. Draco smiled a bit and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Do you hear from the others much? The Order I mean." Hermione asked.

"The Order's finished. You-Know-Who's won."

My eyes widened and I jumped up.

"Lily look at me!"

Draco had me look at him and he shook his head.

"The only way he wins is if Potter dies." Draco said.

He looked at Dumbledore.

"We've kept him alive this far and I don't plan on failing." he said.

"Anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves, Malfoy."

"Well we need to get into Howgarts."

"I thought we already had a plan."

"You take one step put there even as an animagus and they'll catch you. A random weasel wandering Hogsmead? No. That plan is off." Harry said.

Everyone else agreed and I sighed.

"We need to get in tonight. Dumbeldore gave us a job to do."

"Did he now? Nice job? Easy?"

"We've been hunting horcruxes. We think the last one is somewhere inside the castle but we need help getting in."

"That's not a job my brother's given you. It's a suicide mission. Do yourself a favor Potter, go home. Live a little longer."

I didn't have a home anymore. There was noting for me to go back to with dad still acting as You-Know-Who's follower.

"Dumbledore trusted me to see this through to the end." Harry said firmly.

Dumbledore rounded on him.

"What makes you think you can trust him? What makes you think you can believe anything my brother ever told you? In all the time you knew him did he ever mention my name? Did he ever mention hers?"

He looked towards the painting of the young girl.

"Why should he-"

"Keep secrets? You tell me."

I looked at Draco and he kissed my forehead.

"Whether you help us or not, we're going to get into Hogwarts."

Harry nodded.

"We trusted him."

"That's a boy's answer. A boy who goes chasing horcruxes with his sister and friends on the word of a man who wouldn't even tell him where to start. You're lying!"

I looked at my brother.

"You're not just lying to me, that doesn't matter. To yourselves as well. That's what a fool does. You don't strike me as a fool, Harry Potter. Even less you, Miss Snape. So, I'll ask you again. There must be a reason."

Harry looked directly into his eyes.

"I'm not interested in what happened between you and your brother. I don't care that you've given up. I trusted the man I knew. And we need to get into the castle, tonight." Harry told him.

They continued to stare at each other before Dumbledore finally looked at his sister's portrait.

"You know what to do." he said softly.

A soft smile appeared on her face and she walked away.

"Where have you sent her?" Draco asked.

He didn't answer him.

"That's your sister, Ariana isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?" Hermione said gently.

He slowly turned.

"My brother sacrificed many things, Mr. Potter, on his journey to find power. Including Ariana. And she was devoted to him. He gave her everything... but time."

Harry looked at me and I smiled at him.

"So don't make the same mistake he did."

He looked from Harry to me before leaving the room.

"He's right."

Harry walked over to me and Draco.

"Lily loves you. You make her happy and that's all I need to know. You have my full blessing to marry her."

My eyes widened and I smiled. Draco smiled at him and shook his hand.

"She'll always be safe and happy I swear."

"I trust you."

Harry then hugged me tightly.

"No matter what happens tonight, I love you. You're my sister and I never should've given you such a hard time about... Draco. I'm sorry."

I hugged him and happy tears welled in my eyes.

"I love you too, Harry. When this is all over things will be better."

He nodded and kissed my cheek.

"She's coming back." Draco said.

We all looked at the painting.

"Is there someone with her?" Ron asked.

I looked closer and confirmed Ron's suspicion. The portrait opened and there stood Neville. I smiled and so did the others, well, Draco mainly shifted nervously. I took his hand and squeezed to reassure him.

"Neville! You look-"

"Like hell I reckon. This is nothing, Seamus is worse."

He looked at Draco.

"You're one hell of a blood traitor these days, Malfoy."

"What?"

"You-Know-Who and all his followers. You're a blood traitor to them."

They all looked at Draco and he smiled a bit.

"Well, what do you think, Miss Snape? Am I still worthy of your hand in marriage?"

I laughed a bit.

"More than you ever were."

He smiled at me.

"Can we trust him?"

"Without a doubt." Hermione said.

I smiled gratefully and he helped us all into the portrait hole.