A/N:

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Chapter 13: Draco's Disgrace

The four of them watched Ron and Arthur anxiously. Hermione was the first to step forward pointing her wand out and cast the enervate at Ron and Arthur. They were still bound to the floor. Everyone excitedly waited and after a few moments they began to watch them struggle attempting to free themselves.

"What's going on?!" Ron said with fear in his voice.

"I don't know son. Where are we?" Arthur tried to be reassuring.

"Dad! Ron!" George cried out as he ran towards them but was abruptly stopped by Severus. "Let go of me!" He pleaded with Severus as tears streamed down his face.

"In a moment George we must see that they are truly themselves before letting them free." Severus barked at George scolding him for his brash behavior. "Hermione, how do we know if the potion has been successful?"

Hermione stepped forward unsure of where to go from this point. "I suppose you will need to interrogate them Severus. I do believe you are the most qualified." She stared down at Arthur and Ron unsure of what to say.

Severus stepped forward and knelt down at Ron's feet. He grabbed him up but the collar and pulled him towards his face. Staring him in the eyes and discretely casting, "Legilimens" he raced through Ron's mind catching glimpses of Hermione, Harry and himself in the Forest of Dean. Jumping forward to the battle of Hogwarts and then they were in a swirl of black emptiness. Ron had no memory of the past months since the Battle. Severus pulled back and repeated the process with Arthur ending with the same results.

Severus stepped back from them and turned to the group huddled behind him, "They have no recollection of the time between now and the Battle of Hogwarts. Almost as if they died and have just been resurrected." He threw his hand behind him and released them as George bolted past him and pulled both his father and Ron into a fierce embrace. Sobbing and mumbling incoherent fragments of what was probably a sentence in his head but mere gasps and sighs were released.

Severus turned to Hermione and wiped the tears streaming down her face away. He pulled her into a tight embrace whispering soothing words of comfort in her ear. Harry ran to Arthur, Ron and George and the four of them sat there holding one another. Ron and Arthur stared at each other in disbelief not understanding the tears that were being shed on their behalf.

"Severus. Could you be so kind as to explain what is going on?" Arthur still holding onto the boys but curiosity was getting the best of him. George hadn't hugged him so fiercely since he was a child.

Severus was still holding Hermione. He kissed her on the forehead and wiped away more tears as he pulled her to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist. He looked at Arthur with a blank face even though his insides were in shambles. He wanted nothing more than to sit and cry but was determined not to show any weaknesses to the Weasley's and boy wonder.

"Arthur you have been missing for some time now. Everyone believed you to be dead. You family buried you and Ron a couple months ago while I was still in St. Mungo's so I am uncertain of the time line. However, as you can see, we have found you and reversed the effects of the potion that Ron and you had ingested. Thanks to no other than Hermione herself. We will still need to monitor you for a few months. But I think all will be well." He turned back to Hermione ignoring Arthur's and Ron's stares of disbelief. He pulled her into a tight embrace and walked with her to the far side of the room. Anything else could be explained by George and Harry his main focus now was Hermione and what to do about Draco.

"Harry. Why is Hermione sobbing into Snape's chest?" Ron was staring suspiciously at the couple with a look of utter disgust crossing his face. "What the bloody hell is wrong with her? Has she suffered brain damage while we were apparently in la la land?"

Harry suppressed a laugh and attempted to be serious with his answer. Attempted being the key word, with an amused voice and half a laugh he manages to answer. "They…um…they are…dear lord….they are a "couple"." Heaving laughter is being suppressed at the look brandishing across Ron's face and the bafflement across Arthur's as they do double…triple…quadruple takes looking between Harry and the couple. And almost as if on cue Severus leans down and gently kisses Hermione on the lips pulls back and brushes a hair off of her face pulling her back into a tight embrace.

"But…but that's…No…surely not….Bloody Hell! Did he just…no…surely…dear Merlin have mercy?!" Ron spluttered incoherent babble. He closed his eyes tightly pretending Hermione didn't just kiss the greasy git. He thought he was going to wretch all over the floor.

"Does this mean we have to put up with the greasy git every single holiday?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head back and forth while ungracefully keeping his eyes tightly shut. "Are they still snogging in the corner for crying out loud?"

"For you information Ronald the answer to your questions are Yes and No!" Hermione was hurt but could understand his confusion and disgust. "Now that you're past the shock of the "couple" can we get down to business and explain the situation at hand. We have much to do and we aren't going to get anywhere with you staring at us while catching flies." Emphasizing could with air quotation hand gestures she held in a bit of a laugh when Ron slammed his mouth shut quickly and nodded.

Hermione leaned down and gave both men a fierce hug prior to sitting down in front of them preparing to explain their options. They could go home, considering the circumstances no one would blame them or, they could stay and help capture Draco. Arthur was the first to stand up and speak.

"I do believe it more prudent if we stay here Severus, Hermione." He was speaking to them both but reached his hand out to Severus to shake his hand in agreement. Severus took his hand and was immediately brought into Arthur's chest with a few extra slaps on the back. In barely a whisper into Severus's ear Arthur spoke the words of a true father.

"If you hurt Hermione you will have many to fear. However I'm afraid they won't have the chance for I shall kill you first and no one will be any the wiser." Arthur pulled back giving a fierce smile and a nod of approval. Turning back to Ron he pulled his son up off the floor. Wrapped his arm around his shoulder and shouted loud enough for all of Egypt to hear, "We are in!"

Severus with as much disdain as anyone had ever heard in his voice he gave a smirk and responded to Arthur's apparent cry of war. Completely ignoring the over protective father role he attempted to intimidate him with, which nearly made him laugh hysterically.

"Indeed."

Without warning a bright while light flashed before Severus and what looked as if a bear cub began circling around Harry's leg.

"Jeffery!" Shouted Harry!

Meanwhile…

Jeffery gather as many as twenty men into the small conference room that Harry and Severus Snape had occupied earlier the previous day. Their objective would be at the drop off in approximately 5 hours and the men needed to be briefed because it was quite apparent that Harry would not be returning.

As the men piled in and settled around the small table Jeffery stood and walked over to the side wall. He had found a picture of Draco Malfoy, he applied an enlargement and sticking charm to the picture and stuck it on the wall.

Many men laughed at Draco's photo while others mocked the former Lord and his son for being so low in society. Many comments about how the high and mighty has fallen resonated throughout the room.

Jeffery cleared his throat and closed the door; all the men silenced waiting for their orders.

"As you know the man in this picture is Draco Malfoy. What do you know about him?" Jeffery said sternly.

"He's dead!" Spoke up half the room. Cheers and clapping reverberating off the walls in the combined space.

"Anything else?" Jeffery said shaking his head.

"Back stabbing Death Eater!"

"Yellow backed ferret!"

Jeffery continued to shake his head at the various statements being shouted across the room.

"Silence!"

The room grew quiet and all waited with anticipation.

"Intelligence has provided us with information indicating that Draco Malfoy is alive and attempting to revive He Who Must Not Be Named! Our directive is to capture Malfoy unharmed. It is possible that he has been subjected to the imperious curse. We are to handle this situation very delicately. We must all disillusion ourselves. I sent a scout party out and I have found that we will each have a location to surround the area in which Malfoy will be, we cannot fail this mission boys. I can't even begin to imagine the consequences should we fail today." He fell back into a chair and laid his head into his hands with his elbows propped up on the table. Wondering how Potter had held together his whole life with such immense pressure on his shoulders and still made it out alive. He looked up at the men all staring at him with utter horror gracing their faces.

"Any questions?" He paused for a moment with no response.

"Good. And remember, we must take Draco alive. It is highly likely he is not acting on his own accord. Pair up and follow me."

Jeffery rose from the table still waiting for his partner to arrive. Harry had to return, but deep down he knew he was on his own. He turned to the group wondering how many would die today. He stared into each of their faces attempting to remember each line in their brows and parts in their hair. It may be the last time he sees some of them alive.

"We will disillusion ourselves now. Please proceed." He watched as they all enchanted their bodies and became invisible. He quickly cast his own spell, shouted out the address and apparated.

With a quick pop he made his way to his pre-determined spot and began his long wait for the proof he had been waiting for since yesterday. Looking around he could see a faint shimmer in each location and knew his men were ready.

They sat diligently waiting for Draco's arrival each hour passing agonizingly slow. After only two hours of waiting a man approached the drop off point that Harry had informed him about, a faint shimmer about the man indicated glamour's had been cast upon his person. The man looked all around and pulled out his wand pointing it at a leaf on the ground. When the man felt no one was watching he configured a park bench, turned and sat down and began to wait.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the galleon Harry had given them when they arrived in Egypt for quick and quiet communications. He thought of the message to begin inching up on the bench. However, the overwhelming feeling that this was to easy kept him from sending his message. Surely Malfoy wasn't arrogant enough to come alone. He decided to wait a few more minutes to scan the area prior to attack.

Pulling out the galleon once more he sent a message to two of the Aurors closest to the entrance to check the alleyways. After ten minutes the men returned his message with an all clear. He always heard of Malfoy arrogance but never believed it to be true. He cast a silent anti apparition spell and a quick stunner at Malfoy rendering him unconscious. He ran quickly over to the body on the ground and seen the trademark Malfoy hair. His glamour's had dropped once he was hit with his stunner. Jeffery cast petrificus totalus on Draco and levitated him up behind him and called out to his men.

"I have Malfoy and will be escorting him to headquarters. I will also notify Harry of his capture. Stand guard until the designated time and capture anyone who sits near or on this bench. Be safe men; Constant Vigilance!" With that he lowered the apparition wards and apparated back to headquarters. Once inside the building he sent word to Harry and set up Malfoy in his best holding cell preparing for Harry's return.

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