Descending Orpheus

Traitor

Author's Notes: Yes, this is a short chapter, damnit! Bear in mind though, it's also rather vital as it contains the big turning point of this story (which by the way, should soon be drawing to a close). Ok, i'm done.

It's all about power.

That was one of the first things Harry had come to learn when he had defected to the dark side. That power was what kept you above and ahead of your enemies, if you used it wisely. To hold the power of life or death over another was the greatest and most satisfying power that one could ever wield.

To one like Harry Potter, who had always felt his life was so horribly out of control when he was younger and a whole lot stupider than he was now, it was a wonderful feeling to actually find himself in control for a change. Not only was he in control of his life at last, he was in control of others.

And he loved it.

He had chosen to spare Draco. He had realised just as the young man lost consciousness that he would, much as he hated to admit, miss having him around.

Of course the big draw back of this decision was that Draco now wouldn't even look at him. They had slept together since (it wasn't as if Draco could refuse after all) but his beautiful partner had been utterly emotionless throughout.

He'll get over it. He knows what will happen if he doesn't.

Hermione peered through the gloom of the crowded public house and frowned as the door opened again and a tall, lithe figure stepped in. Even in this pub, populated entirely by those of the wizarding community, the woman stood out a mile. She was expensively dressed and also exceptionally beautiful, if aloof.

Just like her son.

The woman squinted around, finally saw Hermione and sailed over with an elegant grace that after the war was now damn near impossible to find.

"Hermione Granger," The woman said as she drew up to Hermione's table.

"Narcissa," Hermione responded blandly, not wanting to portray any of her feelings to the Malfoy woman. She felt something a lot like hate building up but reminded herself that she had, after all, agreed to meet her regardless.

If only for her dear son, most likely.

The woman took the seat across from Hermione and there was a very strained silence.

"Why did you agree to come?" Hermione asked, voicing something that had been puzzling her for a while, ever since Narcissa had replied to the message that Hermione had finally been able to slip through to Draco.

"Because Draco wanted me to." Hermione nodded, exactly what she had suspected. "Obviously you aren't aware of this Miss Granger but even if he had desired to my son cannot help you with your plans against the Dark Lord and Potter."

Her first thought was to correct the 'Miss' part of Narcissa's addressing of her but stopped short at this little revelation about Malfoy.

"Why is that?" Asked Hermione, perplexed but very curious.

"When Voldemort tracked Draco down, he wanted to kill him," Narcissa explained without any trace of emotion. The fact that her son's life had been in danger didn't seem to perturb or upset her in any way. "It was Harry's intervention that stopped him from doing so. Draco owes Potter a life debt for that and I'm sure your former friend was aware of that at the time also." Hermione nodded, inwardly reflecting upon how much Harry had changed since their school days.

Before he had never been very good at planning ahead, was always far more a spur of the moment type person.

Now he was cold, calculating and ruthless. She shuddered at the thought.

In some ways, it made things so much harder. Hermione had hoped that her knowledge of Harry and the way his mind worked from the time they had been friends would provide a certain advantage to her, Ron and the rest of Orpheus.

This, it now seemed, had been wishful thinking on both her and her husband's part.

Yet, in other ways, it made things easier.

Such as, if it came down to a final battle between her and Harry, the fact that she no longer knew this person who called himself Harry Potter would make it far easier for Hermione to...well, kill him.

Yes, it certainly made the thought of a battle to the death so much easier. She found she didn't like this idea very much. Perhaps, at the back of her mind, Hermione had hoped perhaps to reason with Harry.

She knew now that this would be an impossible waste of time.

Hermione continued to talk with Narcissa and gather information from her.

Already in the back of her mind a plan was forming.

Draco paced the Entrance Hall to the castle, eyes sweeping the area around him. Inwardly he knew he looked guilty as sin by doing so but right now he didn't care. He just wanted his mother to come back safe.

He wanted to know what Granger was going to do. He had to know.

A part of him felt deeply ashamed at going behind his lover's back like this, to plot his death (no need to ignore that obvious fact). But another part barked at him that this was the same lover who not only had tried to kill him just for a sick kick simply because he had the power to do so, but also the same lover who, when the fancy struck him, shared his bed with a person who was barely human.

The thought almost made Draco retch.

The doors creaked open and a cloaked figure entered. With a gentle grace it lifted off the hood and Draco breathed a somewhat too audible sigh of relief.

"Come with me," His mother murmured.

"I have much to tell you."

Author's Notes (updated): Well, i have some bad news for anyone who was hoping to see this story finished - the outlook is pretty bad. This story has simply not worked out as well as i had hoped it would and i have no plans at the moment of continuing it. Possibly i might re-write it more to my satisfaction in the future but in the meantime i would chalk this one up as being unlikely to ever be finished. I am really sorry and will understand if your pissed off with me however it cannot be helped.