A/N: I know, it's unlikely, but who cares?!! ;)
Disclaimer: None of the terms or characters that appear in any literature authored by J.K. Rowling belongs to me. They rightfully belong to J.K. Rowling. Any other allusions mentioned on this page do not belong to me either.
Chapter 39
"Draco tells me that he was a assigned to do a Potions project with your brother?" Mrs. Weasley said directly at Ginny.
"I don't know anything about that," Ginny replied and caught Malfoy observing her casual outfit with scorn. He was dressed in proper Wizard robes.
Snape put the lid back on the cookie jar and confirmed the assignment. "Yes, I did choose both of them to work together on it. Narcissa contacted me last week since she's going to be away for reasons she wouldn't disclose and asked if Draco could be left under my care. I thought it would be perfect for him to be here so he could start the project."
Ginny and Harry both dropped their jaws. And evil smirk came upon Malfoy's face. The doorbell rang again and Mrs. Weasley left to go get it. There was an awkward moment of silence until Ginny heard a scream from upstairs and knew it came from her room.
"That's Hermione!" she said and looked at Harry.
"What's going on?" he said, and then they heard the scream again.
"Oh, sounds like she's dying," Malfoy snickered. Ginny ran up to her room and was closely followed by Harry. She opened the door to find Hermione scolding the twins who were on the floor laughing. They were both holding the alien masks they used to scare her earlier.
"That's really not funny! Especially when I'm almost falling asleep!" Hermione exclaimed. "You two! You both need to get over thinking that you can frighten me with that alien rubbish!"
"But we did frighten you," said Fred.
"Just admit it, 'Mione, and we'll never bother you again," George proposed, his stomach on the floor.
"Admit what?" Hermione demanded.
"That you believe that the aliens are out to get you!" Fred answered, putting his mask back on.
"Ginny, can't you talk some sense into your brothers?" she asked her with a face red out of anger.
"We have a much bigger problem then this, Hermione," Ginny responded and swallowed.
"Yeah, a much bigger problem," Harry repeated directly to the twins. "I think we should get Ron first."
"Oh, we'll tell him!" the twins exclaimed in unison and then simultaneously dissaparated out of the room and apparated back about a minute later.
"He's coming," said George. "It took us awhile to convince him to come down here."
"Yeah, he was playing with some famous Quidditch player figurines," Fred added and then rolled his eyes.
"Now, what do you want me for?" Ron asked cantankerously as he was opening the door. "What's so important? I was busy."
Ginny and Harry looked at each other nervously. "You can tell them," Ginny said softly.
Harry started to explain and when Ron heard the name 'Malfoy', he yelled, "WHAT?!"
The twins started to yell obscenities and Hermione looked as if she was going to be sick.
"Why is he here? How did he get here?" Ron demanded. "He's not coming in my room!"
"Snape invited him over!" said Ginny.
"I thought Snape was supposed to be helping you!" Ron said to Harry. "Not bring you down!"
"Snape is helping Harry. I'm sure he came here for Order business," Hermione said seriously, "but he still has to be on the Death Eaters' good side."
"So, what next? Is he going to throw a surprise party for You-Know-Who?!" Ron exclaimed.
"It's not like we have been forced to go into the Malfoy Mansion that he always talks about," Hermione brought up. "That would be a lot worse than this."
"This could actually be quite fun," Fred responded and rubbed his palms together.
"I think I know what you mean," George said. "There a bunch of us, and one of him. No, two of him, or them."
"Snape can't be hanging around the whole time if they're planning an Order meeting," Fred said with a devious smile.
"Oh, please say you aren't going to do something stupid," Hermione said digging her face into her palms.
Fred and George exchanged smirks and said, "And we're off!" The two disappeared.
"Um, Harry, you didn't say why Malfoy is here," Ginny pointed out.
"Oh, right," Harry agreed, "Ron, do you remember when Snape requested a group of people to do a project over the summer and you volunteered Malfoy and then Snape agreed but added you to the group too?"
"Somewhat," Ron answered slowly and seemed as if he was trying hard to remember. He slapped his forehead and said, "Oh no! I forgot about that! Didn't he add you too?"
"No, you volunteered Hermione and I after that and Snape said no so we wouldn't be teaming up against Malfoy," Harry said.
"I thought someone else was going to work on the project as well! Who was it?" Hermione mentioned.
"Yeah, who was it?" Ron asked, trying hard to think. "I think he was a Gryffindor."
"I don't remember. I hope it was a Gryffindor. We don't want anymore Slytherins coming around these parts," said Harry. "And it's not Neville because he already got detention after Trevor leapt onto Snape's head."
"I hope it was Parvati. She owes me a couple knuts," Hermione said casually. Ginny was secretly hoping it was Parvati as well. The only other Gryffindor fifth years were Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas. Ginny wasn't ready to face Dean yet with what went on that summer with Harry. Ginny hadn't thought about Dean for a long time until then.
"Never mind about that, it's kind of strange how Malfoy is here," said Harry. "His mother asked Snape to watch him while she went away, but she didn't say where."
"She clearly went to Azkaban to visit Mr. Malfoy," said Hermione. "Where else?"
"But why should Malfoy be allowed to come here? And Harry's here! Malfoy is evil! Like Father, like son!" Ron exclaimed with sudden anger again.
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. "There are some people to see you!"
Ron let out a deep and long breath and headed for the door. "Please don't let me do this alone." Harry, Hermione, and Ginny agreed to come downstairs with him.