"Severus, a certain fact has been brought to my attention," Lucius began, his eyes focused on the greasy-haired man he'd known since he was eleven. "And it's disturbing to me."
"Yes," was all Snape said. Lucius frowned.
"I've been told that you've been spying on our Lord and reporting your findings to Dumbledore. Surely you know that in the end, this can only serve to your disadvantage."
"How so?"
"You know as well as I that our Lord is much stronger than Dumbledore could ever hope to be. He has a more loyal and level-headed following, as well." Snape arched an eyebrow, and Lucius could only guess that he was thinking of the LeStranges. He cleared his throat. "Well, on the whole, anyway."
"Are you turning me in to the Dark Lord, or not?" Snape asked flatly. Lucius massaged his temple gently.
"I don't want to, Severus, but in light of recent events, you give me no choice. We've been friends a long time, and it pains me to do something like this."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, give me a reason not to. Give me a reason not to do it." Lucius leaned forward expectantly. Snape looked mildly surprised.
"Is there anything I could say or do to deter you from your intended course of action?"
"Prove to me that you can be loyal to Our Lord. Prove to me that you can stop being that old fool's liaison, and reenter the fold truly."
"Let me make sure I understand fully what you're asking me to do," Snape said, arching an eyebrow. "You want me to renounce my spy status and become a full fledged Death Eater again?"
"Yes," Lucius nodded emphatically. "That's exactly what I'm asking. You know who the winning side will be, Severus. Deep down, you know. And now we've got invaluable weapons on our side. Our victory is all but guaranteed."
"You are, I assume, referring to the two Weasley children who are here this evening?"
"Yes."
"And how do they constitute valuable weapons, may I ask? The boy is nothing more than Potter's shadow, and the girl..."
"You already know the girl's value. If you didn't, you wouldn't have alerted her brother to the fact that she was going astray."
"Let's assume for a moment that you're right, and I know their value," Snape said, stroking his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "How do you know that they won't turn coat and run back to Potter at the first sign of trouble?"
"Ginny's already had plenty of chances to run, and she hasn't. She defended my son before they became enamored of each other. As to the boy, I have to question your odium for him."
"He's Potter's sidekick. They do everything together, and the laws that apply to regular people like you and I do not apply to them." Lucius shook his head.
"I think you're wrong, my old friend. Ron has become fast friends with Pansy, and although I can tell that there is still friction between he and Draco, he has done his best to be friendly towards him for his sister's sake. The boy is smarter than Potter gave him credit for, I think. Is it possible that your loathing of him is simply an extension of the loathing you feel for Potter?"
Snape considered this carefully before replying with, "It is possible." Lucius nodded knowingly.
"Would you consider my plea, then? We've been friends for too long, and I would hate to see anything happen to you, especially when I could have prevented it." Snape nodded.
"I will consider it." Lucius sat back in his chair and touched his fingertips together.
"That is all I can ask." As they sat in silence, a knock sounded on the door. "Come in." Narcissa opened the door and hurried to Lucius' side.
"Darling, there's something you must see." She handed her husband a rolled-up piece of parchment, and he unrolled it. His eyes moved quickly over the page. When he'd finished, he jumped up.
"Have you told Draco yet?" His wife shook her head.
"No, I brought it straight to you."
"Is something the matter?" Snape asked. Lucius nodded.
"Indeed, there is something wrong. Draco has the right to know, and we'd better go tell him now." With that, he took off, moving quickly through the corridors, until he came to Ginny's room. When he went inside, he found that Pansy and Ron were sitting on the floor near Draco, while Draco remained in the same chair he'd been sitting in since he'd brought Ginny home. He looked up when the three adults entered.
"It's not ready yet," he said, frowning. It's only been an hour."
"I know it's not ready yet," Lucius said. "A Ministry owl has just been here, and your mother brought me the letter. I think you should see it." Draco's frown deepened as he unrolled the parchment his father handed him.
Ministry of Magic
Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Wizengamot Administration Services
To Whom It May Concern:
It has been brought to the attention of this office that an order of protection was granted earlier this morning to you against Harry J. Potter. Please be informed that the statement the order was based on has been confirmed as falsified, therefore the order is rescinded. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Best Regards,
Amelia Bones
Minister of Magic
Draco crumpled the parchment into a ball and hurled it across the room. He turned to Pansy and Ron, his face red with rage. "Potter's gotten the protective orders rescinded." Pansy gasped, and Ron stared.
"He's done it again," he murmured, turning to Snape. "He gets everything bloody well handed to him on a silver platter! It's not going to matter if we pursue anything legally, because he's going to find a way to undo whatever we do!" Snape arched an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.
"What can we do?" Pansy asked, gesturing helplessly with her hands. "Now he can follow us again."
"He wants Lucius," Snape offered softly. All eyes in the room turned to him, and he turned to look at his friend. "He wants you, no matter the cost. The boy is a loose cannon, and he is reckless. Use it against him."
"How?" Lucius asked.
"How did he find out where the statements came from?" Pansy paled and turned to Draco.
"Do you think he realized who supplied the statements?" Snape snorted derisively.
"Don't be stupid, girl! He doesn't have to realize anything. He's got people scattered all over the Ministry building who will give him information at a moment's request!"
"So how do we fight him?"
"He's already been dealt a severe blow, and he's going to be out for blood."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"Apparently Miss Granger was attacked this afternoon." Draco's face turned scarlet.
"Attacked, my arse!" he raged. His mother gave him a reproachful look that he ignored. "She tried to perform Raderan on my fiancée!"
"Have you proof?"
"Of course! I have her wand and the empty vial from the potion that she slipped Ginny."
"What good is the proof going to do us if Harry's got the Minister of Magic in his pocket?" Ron asked.
"Not much," Pansy conceded quietly. Ron looked thoughtful for a moment, and then slowly lifted his eyes to meet Lucius'.
"We can't fight him through conventional means," he said pointedly. Lucius blinked in surprise. "We have to use his own weapons against him."
"What weapons?"
"Obviously they've been working on the Raderan spell for a while," Ron said. "They never told me what they're planning to use it for, but surely we can find a counter spell for it. There is one; Hermione told me about it when we talked about the spell."
"I can take the information to our Lord and see what he makes of it," Lucius offered. Ron shook his head.
"I want to be there." Pansy gaped openly at Ron, and Draco nodded.
"Do you realize what you're saying, Ron?" she asked disbelievingly. "In order to do that, you'd have to take the mark."
"He hurt my sister," Ron said, his expression hardening. "He was just going to let her walk away from us. Then he banned her from the meetings, pushing her farther away. He tried to interfere when I said I wanted to get her back. And now he would have erased her memory. What happens to him for his illegal activity? Nothing. He gets a pat on the back, and the orders are rescinded. I can't let that happen."
"You'd be willing to mobilize against Potter?" Draco asked cautiously. Ron turned determined eyes to him and gave a slow nod.
"I would." Lucius glanced at Snape, who raised his eyebrows. Ron turned to Lucius. "When can I join?"