Back from vacation with a new chapter! Okay, so JB asked if I was planning on writing anymore stories. Actually, I did start a story while I was gone, but it was a sequel. So I guess I want to concentrate on finishing this story and than move on to something else. You all want this finished, don't you?
Harry's weight pushed me down to the ground. Our heads hit each other and I was surrounded by darkness.
The dream came back. The hard laugh, my mothers' screams, my fathers' cries for help. Then the greedy, deep voice I had just heard. I could see a flash of green light, blinding, from under the crack between the door and the floor. Then it came again. There was no sound except his laughs, soon those were gone too. My sobs came next. I didn't want to go out and see them, it was too painful. They didn't find me until they had been removed. Scooped into Jordan Brown's arms, placed in his house, sleeping with his wife next to me. I had no scar to show my pain, just the black dress and the tombstone. Brown still has the papers. I haven't the heart to keep them.
Again, the warmth of the sun opened my eyes. A tiny kiss on my forehead, the heat of a hand on mine. Draco was next to me, sitting gingerly on my bed. "Where's Harry?" I asked softly, memories flooding back to me.
"Shh," Draco chided me, "he's all better, gone back to Griffyndor tower. You, my dear, must wait for Snape to come with your potion." He used his free hand to lightly close my eyes, and I subdued to the call of sleep.
Some time later, how much time I wouldn't knew, Draco lightly pushed me. I opened my eyes and saw Severus standing over me. He was smiling, holding the potion I knew so well, waiting patiently. I sat up and took the cup from him, draining it without looking up. I handed the empty cup to him and he left, without word.
"Let's go talk to Harry and them," I say to Draco. I turned to get up, but didn't make it on the first try. Draco wrapped his arms around me, lifting my tiny body like Prince Charming would. He carried me to the tower. And put me down before entering.
The common room turned to look at us. I couldn't tell if it was me they were looking at, or the Slytherin that had come with me, holding my hand lightly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in by the fire, and looked up at us with the rest. I caught their eye and motioned for them to come to my room. They got up as one unit, moved as one unit. My little army.
I opened the door and walked in, still holding it for the others. After they had gotten through, settled on the bed, I let it drop with a bang. "Okay, that can't happen ever again," I started with the obvious, hoping someone else had a plan since I definitely did not.
"Well, no duh that can't happen again," Ron huffed, still seemingly angry about Draco's presence. "I say we get rid of Malfoy. His parents are dark wizards you know. They probably made him do this so they could have inside information!" The red head recoiled from the glare Draco gave him.
"I have done nothing of the sort!" the blond retorted. "I mean no harm to come to any of you. That doesn't mean I like you, but I don't want you killed. Besides, how do you know that I'm not here to offer you inside information? I have connections, it's true, but they can be used for good." The room settled into an angry silence.
I sighed, heavy with the weight of responsibility. "Blondy is right. But so is Ron. We have to have some sort of contract, magically binding, so we can't give out information. In the mean time, Ron, Hermione, you will have to be at every Quidditch practice, wands in the ready. Don't let Harry out of your sight. I'll talk to Black and Lupin to see if they can't be there too.
"Harry, you are never to be alone. I want you with someone, preferably someone in this room, Black or Lupin, a professor, or a ghost. We'll see if the other Griffyndors won't be up to the challenge either." And that was my great plan.
The others nodded quickly, even Harry, who didn't look happy one bit. "I'm glad we understand each other," I said, "now get out of my sight. I want to go to bed. And Hermione, draft that contract, if you get the time." Then they were gone.
But Draco stayed behind, looking at he, disgust in his eyes. "Blondy?" he asked with his eyebrows raised.
I smiled at him, then walked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, our eyes still locked. "Well, you're just so cute, I had to give you a pet name." He smiled but still wasn't happy. He leaned in and kissed me. When he pulled away, I added, "Now get out of my sight, I'm tired."
He's surprised eyes looked at me, but he was smiling still and kissed me again before backing out. He closed the door behind him. I was tired, but business always comes first.
Taking a pinch of powder from the jar attached to my small fireplace, I throw into the flame, than put my head in the fire shouting, "Jordan Brown, Montana!" The green flame spun around my head, faster and faster so I had to close my eyes. Suddenly, it stopped. I opened my eyes in Brown's office at headquarters. His back was to me, pouring over paperwork. A large pile lied by his "To do" box, the "Already did" box was empty.
I cleared my throat. He looked around at this fireplace. "Dobbins, what are you doing?" he sighed, seemingly exhausted beyond belief.
"I came to tell you something really important," I stopped and sighed heavily. This was hard to say, when you're the best. "I almost lost him."
Jordan almost fell out of his chair. "What?" he screamed. "You almost lost him? You can't lose him, it's your job to keep him alive."
"I know, I know!" I shouted back. "It's just Voldemort came to the Quidditch game and he grabbed Harry before I could get up. He threatened Harry's life and mine. Well, actually not Harry's, just mine, that he said."
Brown's face paled. We had a history, just like me and Severus. "I want you back home. Now Jen. No job is worth losing my best agent over. I'll calling Dumbledore and you're coming home on the next flight," he stammered over his words, thinking to fast for his mouth to follow.
"No, Jordan. I can't leave Harry, not to be killed like an animal by the likes of Voldemort. I will not abandon him to torture and death," I repeated from some movie I remembered. It was an honor thing, really, but Jordan understood being self-less.
Slowly he nodded. He didn't look happy about this one bit. "Thank you, Jordan. For everything," I replied before I left, spinning back to my room at Hogwarts.
The conformation played in my mind. I didn't release how many people depended on me staying alive. I was Jordan's best agent but also his daughter, Severus's best friend, a friend and protector to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and a girlfriend to Draco. Maybe more to Draco.
I climbed into bed and turned to face the window. The ashen moonlight dropped onto my face. I heard a wolf howl at the full moon, almost challenging it. I slept, like a baby, afraid and hidden in the light. Those who sleep in the moon's light go crazy.