My Color: Gray
Ch: 19
Disclaimer: Absolutely not mine. All publishing rights go to those who are
not me.
"This," said Draco as he unrolled the diagram, "is my house. I have marked every room, secret passage, entrance, exit, and invisible rooms on this page." Harry whistled softly. Draco's house must be HUGE! He could tell by the floor plans alone that it must be at least three stories. Harry could see three separate wings sweeping out from the main floor.
"God, this house is huge! And you live here?" Draco spared a small grin at Harry's amazement.
"It's even bigger in person," commented Pansy. "But the inside is beautiful, too. Mrs. Malfoy is a great decorator. Full of gold and silver with flowers and tons of paintings-" Pansy quickly silenced as Draco glared at her.
"As much as I love to hear how well my mother decorates, we have other issues to attend to. This," Draco pointer to a large room on the third floor, "is my room. Down the hall to the left is a secret tunnel created by my mother for my use. We will creep in through that tunnel and make our way to my room. Then, after I retrieve some things from the secret panel in my wardrobe, we will proceed down the hall to another passage hidden behind the portrait of my father."
As Draco mapped out his floor plans, he duplicated the map and spread them out through the waiting crowd. "Draco, what happens if we get caught?" asked Vivian.
Draco shook his head. "You won't but if you are, you are at Voldemort's mercy. You shouldn't be caught anyway, at least not on the third floor. My contact promised me she would keep the third floor free." Harry suddenly knew who Draco's contact was- and he was immediately worried.
"Your mother?" Harry asked. Draco nodded. "Isn't she worried that she'll be caught? I mean, I know what Voldemort would do to her and it isn't pretty."
Draco reached over and gently rubber one finger against his lips. "Don't worry about her, Harry. Mother knows the risk she's taking but she told me she'd rather die a hundred horrible deaths than to see me die at Voldemort's hands. Trust me, love, she knows the risks." Harry only nodded. Then Draco straightened up and became all business again.
From the depths of his robes he pulled out what looked like a small ball of brown, melted tar. "This is an Explosive Amulet. We'll place one here, here, and here on the third floor. Then we will spread out and place them on the second floor. After that is done, we will make our way back to the passageways and out of the house. I will place one in front of every secret passageway that I know and will meet up with everyone when I am finished. I've set the timer for five minutes after I've said the activating charm."
Everyone stared at Draco in silence. Then Hermione said, "Why are we destroying your house? What about apparation or fire extinguishing charms? And what about the first floor?"
Draco nodded at her intelligence. "First, it's the only shot we have of killing as many death eaters and Voldemort as possible. None of use could take him on one-on-one. Second, mom has put up anti-apparation wards and replaced any other charms that will stop up. Also, mom has most of the ground floor and basement floors already prepaired. I sent her two dozen of these things, complete with a Concealing Charm so father won't notice. The death eaters will meet here," he pointed to a long room on the east side of the house. "This is the Gallery. Mother has confirmed the date of the meeting. Father said someone was close enough to Harry that Voldemort has called everyone together to form a new plan. Why he chose our house, I'll never know. If there is anyone left after the blast, kill them. No mercy, understood?"
Everyone in the room nodded in understanding. Every face was filled with determination, even Hermione's. "After everyone is out, file around the house, positions at every fifty feet. Do not let anyone escape!"
"Draco, what about Wormtail? We have to capture him so my godfather can be free."
"Harry, I don't know how to get him to leave Voldemort's side."
Harry shook his head. "I can do that, Draco. All I need to do is reach Wormtail unnoticed."
Draco shook his head. "I don't know how to-"
"The Invisibility Cloak," came Hermione's voice. Everyone turned to look at the small witch. "The Invisibility Cloak, Harry!"
Harry smiled. "That's it! If I can get close enough to him while I wear my dad's cloak, I can knock him out and take Wormtail away-"
"And just how do you plan on knocking Wormtail unconscious in a room full of Death-Eaters?" asked Draco. His voice was filled with anxiety.
"I-er- I can sort of- um- knock people unconscious with my powers" muttered Harry.
"WHAT?"
Harry nodded sheepishly. "Yup. I can tap into their brain and overload their sensory strip until it becomes so loaded with sensations they just pass out."
Draco shook his head slowly. "Brilliant. Just brilliant! All right, I'll get you as close as I can. Then you do your stuff and drag his body out this passageway here, next to the Gallery. Do it when no one is watching. Okay people, we will leave tomorrow. Get some sleep because we will be gone for a few days and tell no one. Good night and good luck."
The room slowly filed out, each one of its participants holding a map in one hand and a small bag filled with the exploding devices. Finally, only Hermione, Harry, and Draco remained.
"What should I tell Ron?" she asked. Harry and Draco smiled slightly at her, both of their faces filled with sorrow. They all knew, even if they didn't voice it, that some of them would not come back unharmed.
"Tell him you love him, Hermione. Tell him that no matter what happens, you'll always love him and nothing will change. Then make wild, passionate love and when the time comes, say you have to work in the library and double back to meet us," said Harry.
Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and smiled at his new and tentative friend. "Do as he says. You might never see him again."
Harry suddenly reached out and hugged the small witch. "I am so glad you're my friend, 'Mione. I love you like my family and wish you luck."
"I love you too, Harry. Until tomorrow." They let go and off Hermione went, tears splashing down her eyes.
"Come one, love. Time for us to be alone. I love you."
"And I lobe you, Harry. Forever." With one hand around Harry, Draco wrapped up their things and led his soon to be lover off to their rooms. It was time he took Harry up on his own advice.
AN: My lord, this is longer than I wanted! I hope everyone likes this and cheers to Jabberwalkin, who IM'd me, and I hope you get your chapter up soon! Sends evil death glare Anyway, thanks to my reviewers. Enjoy! ~Ta-ta
"This," said Draco as he unrolled the diagram, "is my house. I have marked every room, secret passage, entrance, exit, and invisible rooms on this page." Harry whistled softly. Draco's house must be HUGE! He could tell by the floor plans alone that it must be at least three stories. Harry could see three separate wings sweeping out from the main floor.
"God, this house is huge! And you live here?" Draco spared a small grin at Harry's amazement.
"It's even bigger in person," commented Pansy. "But the inside is beautiful, too. Mrs. Malfoy is a great decorator. Full of gold and silver with flowers and tons of paintings-" Pansy quickly silenced as Draco glared at her.
"As much as I love to hear how well my mother decorates, we have other issues to attend to. This," Draco pointer to a large room on the third floor, "is my room. Down the hall to the left is a secret tunnel created by my mother for my use. We will creep in through that tunnel and make our way to my room. Then, after I retrieve some things from the secret panel in my wardrobe, we will proceed down the hall to another passage hidden behind the portrait of my father."
As Draco mapped out his floor plans, he duplicated the map and spread them out through the waiting crowd. "Draco, what happens if we get caught?" asked Vivian.
Draco shook his head. "You won't but if you are, you are at Voldemort's mercy. You shouldn't be caught anyway, at least not on the third floor. My contact promised me she would keep the third floor free." Harry suddenly knew who Draco's contact was- and he was immediately worried.
"Your mother?" Harry asked. Draco nodded. "Isn't she worried that she'll be caught? I mean, I know what Voldemort would do to her and it isn't pretty."
Draco reached over and gently rubber one finger against his lips. "Don't worry about her, Harry. Mother knows the risk she's taking but she told me she'd rather die a hundred horrible deaths than to see me die at Voldemort's hands. Trust me, love, she knows the risks." Harry only nodded. Then Draco straightened up and became all business again.
From the depths of his robes he pulled out what looked like a small ball of brown, melted tar. "This is an Explosive Amulet. We'll place one here, here, and here on the third floor. Then we will spread out and place them on the second floor. After that is done, we will make our way back to the passageways and out of the house. I will place one in front of every secret passageway that I know and will meet up with everyone when I am finished. I've set the timer for five minutes after I've said the activating charm."
Everyone stared at Draco in silence. Then Hermione said, "Why are we destroying your house? What about apparation or fire extinguishing charms? And what about the first floor?"
Draco nodded at her intelligence. "First, it's the only shot we have of killing as many death eaters and Voldemort as possible. None of use could take him on one-on-one. Second, mom has put up anti-apparation wards and replaced any other charms that will stop up. Also, mom has most of the ground floor and basement floors already prepaired. I sent her two dozen of these things, complete with a Concealing Charm so father won't notice. The death eaters will meet here," he pointed to a long room on the east side of the house. "This is the Gallery. Mother has confirmed the date of the meeting. Father said someone was close enough to Harry that Voldemort has called everyone together to form a new plan. Why he chose our house, I'll never know. If there is anyone left after the blast, kill them. No mercy, understood?"
Everyone in the room nodded in understanding. Every face was filled with determination, even Hermione's. "After everyone is out, file around the house, positions at every fifty feet. Do not let anyone escape!"
"Draco, what about Wormtail? We have to capture him so my godfather can be free."
"Harry, I don't know how to get him to leave Voldemort's side."
Harry shook his head. "I can do that, Draco. All I need to do is reach Wormtail unnoticed."
Draco shook his head. "I don't know how to-"
"The Invisibility Cloak," came Hermione's voice. Everyone turned to look at the small witch. "The Invisibility Cloak, Harry!"
Harry smiled. "That's it! If I can get close enough to him while I wear my dad's cloak, I can knock him out and take Wormtail away-"
"And just how do you plan on knocking Wormtail unconscious in a room full of Death-Eaters?" asked Draco. His voice was filled with anxiety.
"I-er- I can sort of- um- knock people unconscious with my powers" muttered Harry.
"WHAT?"
Harry nodded sheepishly. "Yup. I can tap into their brain and overload their sensory strip until it becomes so loaded with sensations they just pass out."
Draco shook his head slowly. "Brilliant. Just brilliant! All right, I'll get you as close as I can. Then you do your stuff and drag his body out this passageway here, next to the Gallery. Do it when no one is watching. Okay people, we will leave tomorrow. Get some sleep because we will be gone for a few days and tell no one. Good night and good luck."
The room slowly filed out, each one of its participants holding a map in one hand and a small bag filled with the exploding devices. Finally, only Hermione, Harry, and Draco remained.
"What should I tell Ron?" she asked. Harry and Draco smiled slightly at her, both of their faces filled with sorrow. They all knew, even if they didn't voice it, that some of them would not come back unharmed.
"Tell him you love him, Hermione. Tell him that no matter what happens, you'll always love him and nothing will change. Then make wild, passionate love and when the time comes, say you have to work in the library and double back to meet us," said Harry.
Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and smiled at his new and tentative friend. "Do as he says. You might never see him again."
Harry suddenly reached out and hugged the small witch. "I am so glad you're my friend, 'Mione. I love you like my family and wish you luck."
"I love you too, Harry. Until tomorrow." They let go and off Hermione went, tears splashing down her eyes.
"Come one, love. Time for us to be alone. I love you."
"And I lobe you, Harry. Forever." With one hand around Harry, Draco wrapped up their things and led his soon to be lover off to their rooms. It was time he took Harry up on his own advice.
AN: My lord, this is longer than I wanted! I hope everyone likes this and cheers to Jabberwalkin, who IM'd me, and I hope you get your chapter up soon! Sends evil death glare Anyway, thanks to my reviewers. Enjoy! ~Ta-ta