Summery: Draco decides to stay away from Harry for their last year at Hogwarts. But being separated from him finally makes Draco realize how much he cares for the depressed Gryffindor.

Disclaimer: As much as I would love too, I do not own anything that has been previously mentioned in The Harry Potter Books, which is very unfortunate for me.

The Tale of a Dragon

Ch7: The Truth will Set You Free

Draco woke with his cheek resting on the top of Harry's head. He could tell Harry was still asleep because he was still snoring, even if it was quieter then before it was annoying Draco, but he didn't have the heart to wake the sleeping boy.

Harry whimpered as Draco gently let go and slipped out of the bed. With a quick glance around the room to make sure everyone was still asleep, he kissed Harry on his forehead and turned into a white ferret.

He scampered across the room and squeezed through the gap between the door and the wall, before tripping and rolling very ungracefully down the stairs. Just to see Hermione and Ron making out on the couch.

Ferret Draco yelled as loud as he could "Knock it off"

They broke apart. "Who said that? Who's there"

Draco snickered to himself as he went over to the back of the portrait. Not surprisingly, it was closed. Draco scratched at it and started making ferrety noises.

"Oh, look Ron, a cute little ferret."

"Yeah…Cute… Now, where were we"

"Ron, how can you think of that when that cute creature needs help"

"Easily."

"I can't believe you! Are you always so selfish when you fight with Harry? Just apologise already." Hermione stood up and walked over to Draco. "Hello little guy." She picked him up and cradled him as she opened the portrait. "Be careful you cute thing you. You're lucky it's so early so you wont get trampled."

She put him down and went back inside the Common Room, no doubt to give Ron a good talking too.

For twenty minutes Draco wandered aimlessly around the castle in human form. Because he was Head Boy, if he ran into any teachers (or Filch), they wouldn't give him a second glance. His mind was blank, but seemed to be going a hundred miles an hour at the same time. He tried going to his room, but couldn't sit still for more then two minutes.

He didn't know what had possessed him to go to Harry's room, or even to write the letter in the first place. He had just wanted to see if he was ok. It was a spontaneous thing.

Soon he found himself in the Defence Against the Dark Arts corridor. There was a dim light coming from under the door of the classroom. Curiosity got the better of him and he pushed it slowly open.

Fable was sitting at her desk in the front of the classroom with her head on a stack of parchment and a puddle of drool under her.

"Err, Professor"

"Gow way."

"But Professor, you're drooling on your stuff."

"Wa" Draco walked over and gave her a sharp jab in her shoulder. "All right I'm up… Mr Malfoy? What are you doing here, it's… THREE AM"

"You were drooling, In case you didn't know."

"Oh, crap! I have to give this work back to the students today. Oh Crap" Draco took out his wand and cast a drying spell on the work, Fable looked embarrassed. "I was just about to do that, thank you. What are you doing out of bed"

"Couldn't sleep."

"I see." Fable looked (very indiscreetly) at Draco's hand, which still displayed marks from holding the silver dagger. "Mr Malfoy." She paused to find the right question to ask. "I haven't seen you in the great hall lately, where have you been eating"

"The kitchens. Why"

"Because people are beginning to think you have something to hide. And I think I know what it is." Draco did his best to control his temper. According to Lupin, mood-swings were a temporary side effect and would be easier to control after his first transformation. Fable seemed to think about the problem for a moment. "I think I may have a solution that would help you and your… problem, with one of the Slytherin colours." She smiled in a very sly way.

'She's worse then Dumbledore' Draco thought, as he looked his professor in the eye.

"Would you mind being relieved of your head boy duties"

"No, I wouldn't mind." Draco had thought about it for a while and he didn't think he could cope with being Head boy, a Werewolf and a Deatheater.

"Next time in my class, get in a fight with one of the Gryffindors. I'll do the re..." She tensed all of a sudden and her fingernails scratched the table as she clenched her fists "I suggest you try to get to sleep. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have to be somewhere."


A man was standing in a room, which was dark and cold and had boarded up windows and a layer of dust on almost all the furniture. The floor had a few footprints coming from each of the two doors, which were on opposite walls.

In front of the man, kneeling on the floor, were three people. The one in the middle was a hysterical woman who had sunk down on both knees and was making no attempt to pull herself together. There were two people in black robes kneeling on one knee in a bow on either side of the distraught lady.

"My Lord." One of the bowing people said, after they had used 'silenco' on the one in the middle. "We've brought her here, as promised." The one talking was a male and had a deep, steady voice.

"Yes" He hissed harshly. "I can see that Snape."

"I apologise my Lord."

"Shut Up." His gaze shifted to the person on the other side. "You have the device." It wasn't a question.

"Yes My Lord." This one was female. She produced a globe with a long pointy stick from her robe pocket and held it above her head, so it could be taken from her with out him having to bend down.

He caressed it with his long pale fingers. "Good work. You will both be rewarded for this. Stand her up."

They were able to drag the woman to her feet. He grabbed her hair and pulled it down so her tear stained face was facing the ceiling.

"Don't bother struggling Sybill. It's useless." He placed the point of the 'device' in between Sybill Trelawney's eyebrows and it slowly started spinning.

The clear globe quickly filled with smoke and Trelawney sank to her knees again as he romoved it.

He whipped out his wand.

"Avada Kedavra." In a flash of green light, Trelawny fell to her side. Dead. Neither of the Deatheaters flinched. "You're dismissed." They both turned to go, but a pale hand grabbing her shoulder painfully stoped the female. "Not you."

When Snape had closed the door behind him the Dark Lord put his mouth close to the woman's ear.

"You thought you could get away, didn't you" No answer. "I own you. My mark on your arm proves that. You've had it long enough to know that you should always stay behind after a killing."

"Yes My Lord."

He hissed angrily. "SAY IT" He demanded. He just loved people reactions.

"Yes L-Lord V-Vol" she swallowed "Voldemort."

Voldemort shoved her hard and she fell backwards onto the bed. He climbed on top of her and said. "Now that I have the Prophecy, you have to find a way to bring Potter here."

"Yes My lord." He hit her as hard as he could and she cried out. "Y-Yes V-V-Voldemort" She sounded like she was about to cry, which suited him just fine. Her fear excited him and he ripped off the woman's shirt… then her mask.


Harry sat upright with almost impossible speed. He was breathing heavily and was shaking uncontrollably. He coughed as his irregular breathing irritated his already sore throat.

"Ron" Harry became aware of the red head standing over his bed with slightly swollen lips. "Voldemort has the prophecy! And Professor Trelawney's dead! A-And…"

Ron had paled and went a light shade of green as he held up his hand to stop Harry. "Hold on, ok. I'll go get Dumbledore. You stay here and calm down… Have a drink of water." He added when Harry started coughing again. He left and Harry decided to do what Ron had suggested and have a drink then to try and calm himself.

Maybe it was a trick. Someone had used a Polyjuice Potion. She definitely wasn't acting normally.

'It's impossible. Professor Fable is not a Deatheater… She can't be."

Thinking of Deatheaters made him think of Draco. Harry looked around the room, but he wasn't there. Not completely understanding why he felt disappointed, he looked for a note, but was unsuccessful in finding one. He let out a choked sob. He decided to think of the previous night to get his mind off his dream.

He remembered talking with Draco and regretted blurting out that he was bi, but he also remembered how the blonde had tensed his entire body when Harry had rested his head on him. He cursed, as it was obvious the Slytherin didn't like affection, especially when it involved his neck. Hermione had filed him in on the fact a while ago and he was surprised had forgotten it.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts by an especially violent series of sneezes.

"Gesundheit." Harry looked up into the worried blue eyes of the Headmaster. "I assume you're not feeling any better."

"No I'm not.'

Dumbledore clucked his tongue sympathetically, a habit he probably picked up from the previous Headmaster, Professor Dippit. "I've heard you had another dream. Would you care to enlighten me on what it was about"

Harry took a deep breath as Dumbledore conjured up a chair. He explained the dream in detail and was thankful he wasn't interrupted, Ron looked like he might say something at times, but each time he stopped himself. Harry 'accidentally' forgot to tell Dumbledore that Voldemort threw Fable onto the bed and ripped of her shirt.

"Yes" said Dumbledore. "I unfortunately knew Voldemort was interested in Sybill, may she rest in peace, but I wasn't told why, I guessed, of course, and it turned out to be quite accurate, not that it matters now. I, unfortunately, had underestimated his resources and didn't realize that he would be able to get his hand on a Previous Insight Extorter, or PIE for short… But Professor Fable… Now that's interesting…" He trailed off stroking his beard and appeared to be lost in his thoughts.

"Professor" Ron waved his hand in front of Dumbledore's face and he snapped out of it.

"Mr Weasley, could you find Professor Snape and ask him to wait for me in my office. Now, Harry, I'm afraid you missed breakfast. Your first lesson is Defence Against the Dark arts, if I remember correctly. Could you please ask Professor Fable to come to my office to see Severus and myself? That is, if you feel up to going to class today.

"I'll will Professor, and I'll be fine." Harry added when he saw a concerned frown on the headmaster's face. He got out of bed and Dumbledore stood up and said his goodbyes.


Draco sat in the back of the classroom, appreciating how calm Fable looked when she knew a huge fight could break out at any moment. At the moment Fable was casually observing the students as they completed their written work on the Unforgivable curses. Draco knew it all, so had finished a lot quicker then the others and was sussing out who he could pick on. Harry was out of the question, as he was still sick.

'… Not that I care or anything like that. It's just too easy.' He hastily added to himselfHermione wouldn't go for the bait, Ron would but it was too risky knowing that Fred and George could easily make his life a living hell now that they had no boundaries any more, and they surely had a secret way of getting into the castle.

Then his eyes fell on Neville. Draco smirked to himself. Neville was easy to intimidate and had a deep hatred for Deatheaters. He was also getting very powerful and Draco was curious as to how much of a punch the chubby boy possessed.

When Fable eventually looked in Draco's direction he gave a small nod and her eyes sparkled not unlike Dumbledore's.

"I gotta go for a moment. I'll be back in a jiffy. Behave while I'm gone, or else." She threatened the class with her finger, and as she passed Draco's table she gave a small wink in his direction.

As soon as the door closed, Draco leaned back in his chair and shouted across the room.

"Hey, Longbottom"