Hey... maybe two chapters tonight will happen…. ponders, then starts typing
Chapter 7
The Plan
I split the day between worrying about Hermione and whether or not I would make it through the night. I wore a track into Meaghan's crème carpet from the window to the kitchen. She wouldn't be very happy with me when she got home. Not that I would be here. I wouldn't put her in that kind of danger again. It wasn't fair to either of us. I just wished Dumbledore would-
A pecking at the window stopped my thoughts. I hurried over and slid it up. The white owl swooped in gracefully and landed on the back of a chair. It stuck its leg out and I removed the letter.
It was from Potter saying he didn't know where Hermione was and that he hadn't heard from her in about two weeks. He also wanted to know why I wanted to know where she was. I scribbled a quick reply and wrote another letter to Dumbledore. He had to know where Mione was. I sent the owl of with a treat and the order to hurry. It gave me a reproachful look and took off into the weakening sunlight. I glanced at the clock and swore. It was 5:30. The dinner began in an hour. I wasn't sure how long the poly juice would last, but betting on Draco's proficiency with potions and Snape's probable guidance, it should be strong enough to last about 3 hours. But just to be safe, I was going to be late.
Heading for the bathroom, I grabbed the little brown parcel. I showered carefully, not knowing how long I would have to wait for the next one. After getting out, I finite'd the charm on the package and it resumed normal size. Inside was the most magnificent set of wizarding robes I had ever seen.
They were a deep silver that would perfectly math Draco's eyes, and made of the softest material I had ever touched. I had no clue what it was, but I liked it and vowed to get some pants in the stuff.
The only problem with them was that the pants were a bit short, as were the sleeves. It was also a bit tight across the shoulders. Shoes didn't fit either, but those would be easy to pull on after. Looking in the mirror, I quickly decided this shade of silver was definitely NOT my color. It clashed horribly with my dark hair. Glancing at the clock I heaved a sigh. It was almost 6:30. I walked into the spare bedroom and threw my things in my duffle bag and shrunk it to fit in my pocket unobtrusively. Then I stood in the middle of the room trying to memorize Draco's speech. An owl broke me out of my reverie. I let it in and gave it some bread crusts. The letter it carried was from Dumbledore.
Mr. Zabini
I regret to inform you that Miss Granger is not in residence here at Hogwarts. I was unaware she would be arriving last night. I will keep my eyes open and I hope she turns up.
I am also deeply sorry that Mr. Malfoy and I were unable to inform you of our plans before last night. I hope you have spent enough time around Mr. Malfoy to carry this out successfully. I wish you the best of luck.
Albus Dumbledore
I pulled my duffle out of my pocket, then resized it. Tearing through it, I found my cell phone and flipped it open. Cursing through the set up, I dialed Hermione's number. It went straight to voicemail where I left a message and hung up. I dropped the phone in my pocket and pushed my palms into my eyes, then pinched the bridge of my nose to try to relieve the tension settling there. The clock struck seven.
Five minutes until I had to become Draco Malfoy. I double checked the portkey in my left pocket. I had pinned it to the inside. I wasn't taking any chances. I pulled the vial of polyjuice out of the other pocket and re-shrunk my duffle. The clock ticked over to 7:05 and I downed the potion.
NASTY!
It slid down my throat and I felt my insides twitch and I ran to the bathroom. After rinsing my mouth out I looked in the mirror.
Wow. The suit looked fantastic. I practiced 'stoning' my expression and was surprised at how hard it was. That would definitely be the hardest part, but I knew I could do it. I pulled Draco's elegant hair back and tied it with a small, gray ribbon. This was crazy. Suicide, really.
Straightening my jacket, I walked back to the kitchen where I scribbled a quick note to Meaghan and left the apartment. I met her on the stairs coming up.
"Draco! What are you doing here? Isn't the results ball tonight?"
"Yes, it is. I was just visiting Blaise but I need to hurry. I'm already late." I went to pass her, but she coyly backed me up to the wall.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to be a few more minutes late, will it?" She rubbed the back of my neck and started to lean in for a kiss. I grabbed her hand and moved it, then stepped away from her.
"I need to go. Blaise already left. Goodbye, Meaghan. Best of luck." I pushed past her and hurried down the stairs. I half smiled to myself. She had been pretty shocked by my- Draco's refusal. I smiled to myself. Perhaps tonight would be a bit more interesting than I had previously believed.
I apparated to the ball and was immediately surrounded by beautiful women as soon as I stepped through the door.
Not that I was complaining, mind you, but most of them seemed to know Draco's turn-on spots quite well and that it was a bit uncomfortable. Their forwardness made me miss Hermione's gentleness even more.
When Lucius spotted me, I almost ran. I mean, I would have had there been somewhere to go. Which there wasn't. A great misfortune on my part.
"Good evening, Draco." He gave me a look and I nodded in respect.
"Good evening, Father." Wow… this was weird.
"You were very late this evening."
"I had a few ... things… to take care of." I tried to be nonchalant and to keep my face blank but it was proving to be harder than Draco made it look.
"I see." He gave me another indecipherable look before continuing. "I trust you have a suitable speech prepared?" I nodded gracefully. "Good. It would not bode well for you to embarrass me, Draco. It could prove to be quite… unpleasant for you."
"Nothing would make me want to embarrass the Malfoy name, L-Father." I cursed inwardly. Lucius merely raised his eyebrow.
"The Dark Lord is pleased with your success, Draco. Don't disappoint him." With that he turned to speak with some wealthy someone-or-other. I carefully schooled my features and pulled myself together mentally. Glancing at my watch and heaving a sigh internally, I turned to a conversation behind me. Only an hour til showtime.
When (soon to be ex) Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge stepped up to the microphone, the hall instantly fell silent. He blathered on about for twenty minutes about how it was an honor to have served the wizarding community for so long and how incredibly sad he was to be retiring (definitely forced, the man was deliriously power hungry). Finally, he got around to the little envelope in his meaty hand. He then took another five minutes to give 'whoever the next minister would be' some advice.
"And the next Minister of Magic will be-!"
You actually expected me to tell you this now? Laughs Nope… not quite. Next chapter! (Reviews might speed up the process hint hint)
K