Draco's Redemption
Disclaimer: Same ol' same ol' the characters aren't mine, I just play with them.
Chapter 6
Harry and Hermione stood frozen in the entryway of The Burrow. Never in a million years would they have expected to see Draco Malfoy holding hands with Ginny Wesley. They looked at each other and back to the couple several times.
"Harry, I think we got sucked into an alternate universe."
~~~
"Have more potatoes Harry, you're much too thin." Molly said as she spooned more food on to Harry's plate—which he'd already emptied twice.
"Aww Ma Weasley, I could eat your food all day long." Harry said with a wink. He'd started calling Molly "Ma Weasley" in his 5th year, mainly because she's been the only mother figure in his life.
Molly blushed. "Well, you deserve some good cooking after living with those Muggles." Molly never could call the Dursleys by name. She turned her attentions to Draco. "Draco, you haven't touched a bite. What's wrong?"
Draco looked up from pushing ham and potatoes around his plate. "It's nothing for you to worry about. You've done enough worrying about me already." He frowned and went back to making railroad tracks in his potatoes with his fork..
Arthur looked up from his supper and looked at Draco. "Draco, you know if you need to talk, all you have to do is ask."
Draco politely smiled and slightly nodded. "May I be excused please? I don't really have an appetite right now."
Arthur and Molly nodded their heads. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were discussing their upcoming trip to Diagon Alley for supplies. Ginny was half listening to them. She was too worried about Draco.
Draco pushed his plate away from himself, got up, and left. Ginny started to go after him but Arthur put his hand on her arm. "Let him go. I think he needs to be by himself. He has a lot on his mind." Ginny nodded, sat, and joined in on the conversation at the table, which had turned to Quidditch.
~~~
Draco sat on the bed and surrounded himself with his summer homework. He duplicated last year's History of Magic essay for Professor Binns. For some reason Binns never did notice that Draco turned in the same essay every year with only a few slight changes. The topic was always the Goblin rebellions. It made one wonder if there was more to magic than Goblins. He hadn't even looked at his Potions homework yet. Usually Professor Snape let the Slytherins get away with sloppy work, but this year things might change, since Draco practically turned his back on Slytherin after running away from his father and the Death Eaters. Draco was going over his Transfiguration work when he started feeling drowsy.
~~~
Draco looked around in surprise. What was he doing in the Forbidden Forest? He hadn't been here since his first year detention with Hagrid. He jumped behind a tree when he heard footsteps approaching.
"Master, we have been unsuccessful in locating my son."
"We will continue to search. He will be beneficial to our plan for young Potter."
"He may be hiding at Hogwarts. None of the Slytherins have seen or heard from him."
"No, he's not at Hogwarts. I'd know if he was."
Draco covered his mouth so nobody would hear his gasp. That was Snape's voice. What's he doing?
"You are certain of this? He may be in hiding where you haven't seen him."
"I am his head of house. Dumbledore would have come to me if young Malfoy were going into hiding at Hogwarts."
"Not necessarily. Dumbledore knows you're one of us. My son is hiding from me, and all Slytherins. I think Dumbledore is hiding him at Hogwarts right under your nose."
"Lucius, you should know, there is no such thing as keeping a secret at Hogwarts."
"Young Malfoy is not at Hogwarts. Avery swears he saw him walking with a witch in some park. Unfortunately, Avery can't remember where."
"Master, are you sure?"
"Avery said he placed a location spell on young Malfoy and followed him and this girl to a park, however he was captured by Aurors soon after and his memory Oblivated."
Draco sighed to himself. The Weasleys were safe…for now.
"Master, I have an idea."
"You may speak."
"There are only a few wizards at the Ministry who are not willing to help me in my quest to locate my son. They are all under the supervision of Arthur Weasley"
NO!
"Weasley? Why would he go to Weasley? The Malfoys and Weasleys have been feuding for years. He'd never go to Weasley."
Thank you Professor!
"You're getting to be stupid in your old age Severus. Weasley is the only one at the Ministry not under my power. Who better to run to?"
Draco bit his lower lip so hard he could taste blood.
"I've had those two boys in the same Potions class for six years. They can't be in the same room together without fighting or tossing dung bombs in each other's cauldrons. It's impossible that he can be in the same house with several Weasley's."
Professor, you are an expert at bull-shitting.
"Severus does have a point there Lucius."
"I still say we check at the Weasley's. Big deal if they end up dead. They aren't worth much anyway."
Draco turned and started running. He had to warn the Weasley's their lives were in danger. He only ran a few feet when he started to feel himself falling…falling…falling………
~~~
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Draco sat straight up in bed. He was in his room at the Weasley's. Was that all a dream? Were their lives in danger? He jumped when his door slammed open and his room filled with Weasley's, one Potter, and one Granger.
"Draco, my word, what happened?"
"I'm not certain, but your lives may be in danger. I heard my father talking to Voldemort. They're planning to look for me here and kill you."
"Draco, what are you talking about?"
"I was in the Forbidden Forest. I heard voices. My father was there with Voldemort and Professor Snape. They were talking about me. They want to hunt me down here. You have to do something!"
Harry turned to Ron and whispered, "For once he's not after me."
Ron playfully punched Harry on the arm. "Shut up Harry."
Molly sat on the edge of the bed and took Draco's hand in hers. "Draco, you were just dreaming, but if it will make you feel better, we can get Dumbledore for you."
"Yes, he needs to know. It was too real to be just a dream. Somebody wanted to warn me and sent me there."
Arthur thought for a minute. "Should I use the floo or send an owl? If it is what you say, who's to know that somebody isn't waiting for one of us to contact him?"
Hermione, who had been listening from the hallway quickly snuck back to the room she was sharing with Ginny. She went into her trunk and took out an ornate looking hand mirror. She then snuck into an empty room. "Severus..." She watched as Snape's face appeared in the mirror.
"What is it Hermione? I need to get to Dumbledore's office soon."
"Draco had a nightmare. He said he heard Lucius, and Voldemort talking in the Forbidden Forest. Mr. Weasley wants to contact Dumbledore, but he doesn't know which would be safer, floo or owl."
"Damn. I just got back from a meeting with Lucius and Voldemort. That's why I'm heading to Dumbledore's office, to give him an update. Did Draco say anything specific?"
"He said something about a plan to search here for him, and the Weasley's may be in danger."
"Shit. Lucius must have used a dream spell in an attempt to locate Draco. Fortunately the Fidelius charm worked and Draco remained unseen. I'll inform Dumbledore. We'll Apparate there shortly."
"What should I tell the Weasley's?"
"Hermione, who are you talking to?"
Hermione jumped and hid the mirror behind her back when she heard Ginny's voice. "Ummmm....well..."
"Nice view Miss Granger"
Hermione gasped and glared into the mirror.
"Hermione? You're acting quite weird." Ginny started to step toward Hermione.
"Go ahead and tell her Hermione, but make sure you swear her to secrecy. If word gets out it could be disastrous. I'll see you in a few minutes."
The mirror went back to showing Hermione's reflection. Hermione turned to Ginny. "You'll never believe this. Sit down."
Hermione and Ginny sat down on the bed. "Ginny, you MUST promise not to breathe a word about this to ANYONE Ok?"
"You know I'll never blab. Except in my first year when I found Percy kissing Penelope Clearwater." Ginny giggled.
"Professor Snape and I have been working together this past year. We've been trying to develop a potion that will make Aurors invisible to Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but still be seen by other Aurors."
Ginny nodded. "Ok, but what does that have to do with you talking to your mirror?"
"You promise you won't breathe a word to anybody?"
"I PROMISE!! Sheesh, you act like you're going to say you and Snape are dating or something."
Hermione grinned and blushed.
"OH MY GOD...you're NOT?"
"We are. He gave me the mirror so we can contact each other. It's safer than floo or owl. He's going to Dumbledore about Draco. He said they'd Apparate here soon."
"We better tell Mom and Dad then. Dad's beside himself trying to figure how to contact Dumbledore."
Hermione and Ginny went to Draco's room. Arthur was pacing in front of the fireplace, mumbling to himself "floo or owl, floo or owl".
"Neither Dad. Dumbledore is Apparating here."
"How? Well, not HOW is he apparating, but how does he know?" Arthur looked about as confused as Crabbe or Goyle after asking them their names.
"It's pretty simple Arthur" Everybody in the room jumped and turned toward the new voice in the doorway. "Ms. Granger contacted Severus, and he came to me. I would appreciate it if Severus and I could have a word with young Mr. Malfoy."
After all the Weasley's, one Potter, and one Granger leave Draco turns to Snape and Dumbledore. "That wasn't a dream was it?"
Snape and Dumbledore look at each other. "No it wasn't Draco, you were there."
A/N: Sorry this took so long. Writers block and real life got in the way—BIG TIME!!!! Also I had the rare opportunity to spend a week in New York City, and I took it. Met my favorite sexy actor Alan Rickman (Anybody who can…you have to see Private Lives, it's AWESOME) and got his autograph (framed it of course). Photographs can be seen at http://dddmiller3.tripod.com/index.htm and click the link for "Private Lives" to see Alan. The others are my 'diary' of the week and pictures I took around NYC. The mirror is a take on Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I thought it would be better if two people could actually communicate through it rather than just watch. On a humorous note…I ran my spell check through (new puter, didn't have the names in the dictionary yet)…for Draco it suggested Drano (unclogs drains incase you never heard of it), Weasley/Wesley, Diagon/Dragon, Hermione/Hormone, Snape/Snipe, Slytherins/Slithering, and for Muggles, it suggested Snuggles. LOL J