Title: I Will Be Good At Making Bad
Author: Agent M (loveofhavok@colourovers.net)
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Pairings: Draco/Harry, various others
Disclaimer: Don't own anything that isn't mine.
Archive: Tainted Wings (www.colourovers.net/wings)
Notes: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and sent me love notes. It means a lot to me that you like my crap. Thanks to VinylNoMiko, my muse and beta reader, for everything.

Lucius stood in the center of the room attempting to direct the chaos going on around him. Stumpy and the other house elves were struggling to move all of the furniture out of the parlor and at the same time bringing in the giant organ that was normally kept in the attic. Narcissa was moving around the sidelines dressed from head to toe in black tulle sprinkled with little diamonds that sparkled with her every move. The trick was getting all of the antique furniture out of the room without damaging the hardwood floors. Without making too much noise. Without taking too long. House elves are good at doing a total of none of the above.

Lucius rubbed his temples with his fingers and pinched his eyes tightly shut. He was at the end of his nerves and all he wanted was the damn organ in the room so that he and Narcissa could engage in one of their favourite pastimes.

Finally, after a good half hour of Lucius barking orders at Stumpy, the organ was in place and Lucius began to play. Narcissa floated into the room and after a few notes began to sing.

"In sleep he sang to me,
In dreams he came…
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name…

And do I dream again?
For now I find
The Phantom of the Opera
Is there -
Inside my mind…"

Lucius picked up where Narcissa left off.

"Sing once again with me
Our strange duet…
My power over you
Grows stronger yet…

And though you turn from me,
To glance behind,
The Phantom of the Opera
Is there -
Inside your mind…"

Narcissa was ready to sing again when a noise at the parlor door caught her attention. Lucius stopped playing when Narcissa missed her cue and turned to see what was wrong.

Leaning against the door jam was Caius looking quite amused at both Lucius and Narcissa's theatrics and the fact that Narcissa was wearing incredibly revealing clothing.

"Caius, when I said stop by any time today I wasn't expecting you to actually do it," Lucius admitted stepping away from the organ. "To tell you the truth, Caius, I wasn't expecting to see you until the Ball."

"The Ball? The Syndicate Ball? You know you can't… Uh, I mean." Caius paused and scratched his head. "Was that 'Phantom of the Opera' you were playing?"

"Darling," Narcissa cooed, "you are mistaken. That is a song that Lucius wrote for me years ago."

"Really?"

"Isn't it romantic. Its like a nice old fashioned orgy without the clean-up."

"It's just that I've heard that before when I was…"

"If you have," Lucius started cutting Caius off, "it was because I was robbed. All of my ideas are stolen from me. Especially the good ones. And do you know who does it?"

Caius shook his head.

"Muggles!" Lucius yelled and both Caius and Narcissa winced.

"It's quite tragic really," Narcissa confirmed.

"I mean whose idea was it to have a light in the pantry that will turn on when you open the door? Mine! Whose idea was it to have little pieces of scrolls with a sticking spell on the back for notes? Mine! Hard pumpkin juice? Friday night strip scrabble?! Crotch-less robes?!"

"He gets like this sometimes," Narcissa whispered and Caius nodded sympathetically.

"And what do my ideas get me? Nothing! Nothing because of those low life, no good… ARG!" Lucius turned back to the organ and pounded out a few notes. "Now, was there something you wanted, Caius or can I get back to my music of the night?"

"Actually I just came to get the final details of the plan so that I can present them at the ball this weekend."

"Well, there's really no need for that, is there? Lucius will be there to present with you," Narcissa informed Caius.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see the Syndicate Ball is very exclusive…."

"Oh, don't worry I understand perfectly," Lucius confirmed giving Caius an almost pleading look, not wanting Narcissa to discover that they actually weren't invited.

"But that isn't it…" Caius started.

"Thank you Caius, we'll see you on Saturday." Lucius waved Stumpy over to show Caius out. He let out a sigh of relief and promised himself he would tell Narcissa that they weren't going to the ball at some point… maybe.

He turned back to Narcissa. "Now, where were we?"

---

Remus leaned over and pulled Sirius up off the ground, brushed him off and steadied him on his feet. Sirius glared at Remus and immediately sat back down behind the bush.

"Look at them," Remus whispered, pointing across the field.

"You look at them," Sirius countered. "I'm tired."

"Padfoot, we came out here this morning because you wanted to make sure that Harry is okay. My idea of a good time is not standing in the bushes at ten in the morning. This was all your idea and therefore I think it should be you spying on your godson, not me."

"Moony?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

Remus chose to ignore Sirius and instead watch the joint Care of Magical Creatures class with the Gryffindors and Slythereins. Both houses were keeping to themselves and concentrating on some sort of feathered animal. In fact, they were paying so much attention that Lupin could only see them from behind. He couldn't even be sure that he was watching the right year.

"Oh, I give up," Remus said and lowered himself down next to Sirius. "I don't even know who I'm watching.. I don't even think that's his year. Padfoot?" Nothing. Again, louder, "Padfoot?!"

Sirius was sprawled out on the grass with his eyes half closed, not hearing a word that Remus was saying. If he was asleep or not, Remus couldn't tell, but that didn't stop him from nudging him rather hard with his boot.

Sirius groaned. "What is it?!"

"Get up! We have to get out of here before someone sees us."

"Oh, I think it's a little late for that," came an icy voice from behind them. "Don't you, Black?"

"Snape," Sirius snarled.

Remus jumped up. "Severus!"

"It's always delightful to see you, Remus," Severus paused and eyed Sirius, "but what may I ask are you doing spying on my third years?"

Sirius elbowed Remus. "See, Moony, I told you it was the wrong group."

Remus rolled his eyes and walked off towards the castle with Snape.

"Fine!" Sirius called. "Leave me here! Forsaking me for a man, I see how it is."

Remus turned and glared at his best friend. "Are you coming or not, Padfoot?"

Sirius watched the retreating figures of his best friend and rival walk away before turning himself into Padfoot and running after them towards the castle.

---

Voldemort paced back and forth in his office. He had been in a state of disarray for the past few days and Chiron was of little help to him at this point. Not only was his super secret lair not completely furnished, he was beginning to feel that he was losing influence over his Death Eaters. People just didn't have the same desire to join cults as they once did.

"Wormtail!" Voldemort called and Pettigrew appeared at his office door a few moments later. "Wormtail, have you noticed anything odd going on lately?"

"By odd you mean," a pause, "odder than usual?"

Voldemort rolled his eyes. "Yes, odder than usual, you half-wit."

"Oh. In that case, no."

"What about potential recruits? Have we had any of those lately?"

"Not since Draco Malfoy, sir," Pettigrew reported.

"Malfoy was the last? That was months ago!" Voldemort sat down at his desk and put his head in his hands. "Why do I feel like I am the only one who cares anymore? Does this operation not matter to anyone else? Am I alone on this one?"

"Perhaps we are going about this all wrong. Maybe we need to spike the interests of the public again. Have a bake sale or something," Pettigrew suggested.

"A bake sale?" Pettigrew nodded enthusiastically. "A bake sale? You want to have a bake sale to increase interest in The Death Eaters?"

"Yes?"

"I'm intrigued. Go on."

"Well, everyone can bring something that they baked and we sell it. Not only do we get to keep the money but people will be more aware of us."

"Wormtail, that is a brilliant plan. I'm glad I came up with it."

"Of course, sir."

"Now, about Malfoy. Get him to send that son of his around next week. He should be out of school by then."

"Very good, sir."

"Oh, and Wormtail?"

"Yes?"

"Remind the Death Eaters that sleeping draught is not an acceptable ingredient."

---

"He did what?!" Sirius yelled. Across from him Remus and Severus slid their chairs backwards a good foot away from the table small wooden table.

Tea had started out well enough if you don't count the constant glaring and rude comments that were thrown between Sirius and Severus the entire time. Remus was strategically ignoring their antics and attempting to get information out of Severus on Harry's situation.

Eventually, after getting Sirius to shut up long enough to hear the details, Severus recounted the events of the other night telling them about Harry and Draco's date and how Draco had spent the night in the Gryffindor common room. And that's when Sirius exploded.

"I know. The Gryffindor common room is hardly the place to end a first date," Severus agreed.

"That's not what I meant, Snape and you know it," Sirius cried, pushing away from the table and marching towards Severus. "I just can't believe Harry. I thought I had brought him up better than this."

"Um, Padfoot, you didn't actually bring up Harry at all," Lupin reminding Sirius, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, yeah. Well, that's obviously the problem then, isn't it?"

"Oh, obviously," Severus replied, rolling his eyes. "But what about that time that you and Lucius did that…"

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Sirius interrupted, ignoring Remus' laughter. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't spread such rumors about me in the future."

"What rumor?" Severus asked receiving an elbow in the side from Remus.

"That's enough, you two." Remus said cutting off further arguments. "The question is what are we going to do about this, if anything."

Remus, Sirius and Severus looked at each other blankly. Remus bit his lip in concentration. Sirius scratched his head looking up at the ceiling. Snape had one arm crossed over his stomach and the other one at his mouth.

"Is there anything we really can do?" Remus asked eventually.

"I just don't want him poncing around with a Death Eater," Sirius insisted.

"Jr. Death Eater," Severs corrected.

"Whatever. The point is that it could be dangerous."

"Black does have a point as much as I hate to admit it." Severus said. Sirius smiled smugly. "But until something happens there is nothing much we can do but watch and wait."

"At least you'll be able to watch them, Severus. How much trouble can the possibly get into at Hogwarts?"

"You should know, Remus," Severus said with a smile. "You of all people should know."

Realization hit Remus leaving him with a half worried half shocked look.

"Precisely," Severus nodded.

"Shit."

"Exactly."

-end part 9-

this is Agent M signing off.