Hagrid placed Draco's cage in a bag and, from what he could tell, tied it to Witherwings, which was rather stupid considering hippogriffs ate ferrets. Draco spent the rocking, jostling trip burrowed under the tea towel, hoping not to become the mid-flight snack. Witherwings landed, however, without Draco becoming a meal, but he stayed under the towel as a precaution until he heard disgustingly familiar voices.

"It's really that far?"

"If my calculations are correct, then yes."

"I reckon we should Apparate as close as we're able before using Witherwings."

"We'll have to Apparate in stages, especially with a side-along."

"We risk picking up a tail that way."

"I don't know if we have another choice," Potter said. Draco felt the cage dip and rise, and then Potter sounded like he was standing right beside him. "Hello, boy. Did you have a good flight?"

Witherwings made a noise that could have been an affirmative, or it could have been gas. The cage moved again. "Here, Ron."

"Which is the bag with the girl ferret?" Weasley asked.

"I'd definitely say the one in your hand." Potter sounded sickened by something.

"I cannot believe Hagrid would think we'd condone breeding ferrets just to send them to their deaths," Granger complained. "It's barbaric."

"Witherwings has to eat," Weasley said. The cage thumped on the ground beneath Draco's paws.

"I don't care what Hagrid says, we won't be feeding him any of the kits when they're born. Witherwings can have food bought from the grocers like the rest of us." Light appeared at the top of the bag and Draco backed further under the tea towel when he saw Granger's bushy head of hair. He heard the brush of heavy cloth against the side of the cage and the light grew brighter.

"I don't see any ferret," Weasley said.

"She's probably afraid and hiding."

Afraid? Draco sniffed haughtily. He wasn't afraid of anything, especially not these three gits. He poked his head out from beneath the tea towel, chin tilted imperiously.

"Eee!" he screamed in fright. Granger and Weasley's hideous faces were pressed up to cage. They were horrifying! He darted back under the tea towel. "Kek-kek-kek-kek-kek."

"Brilliant." Potter laughed, a light, girly sound that Draco didn't think he'd ever heard before. "Give the poor ferret a fit, why don't you?"

"I'm sure she's merely shaken from the trip," Granger said snootily. "I'll fetch her some water."

Draco peeked out from beneath the edge of the tea towel when he heard the cage door open. Granger's beefy hand reached inside. "Kek-kek-kek."

"I'm only getting your water dish, sweetie," Granger's tone became syrupy, "Would you like some food, too? Huh, pretty girl?"

Draco saw Weasley mock-gagging behind her head. He heard Potter stifle another laugh. Granger's face screwed up and she huffed as she withdrew her hand, holding the dishes. She shut the cage door and glared at Weasley.

"What?" Weasley said, all innocent.

"You know exactly what, Ron," Granger said, rising to her feet. She shot a dark look at Potter and then stalked from the room.

"You're going to get it now," Potter said.

Weasley smiled dreamily. "I know."

Draco retched.

"Oi, you don't think the ferret's sick, do you?" Weasley said, peering into the cage. The tip of his big nose poked between the wires. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. "Yeow!"

"Dook-dook-dook-dook-dook," Draco laughed and jumped in a circle. Weasley clutched his hands to his bitten nose.

Potter laughed again, and Draco spun to a stop, facing him. Arched attic beams and a straw covered floor filled the room. Potter stood beside Witherwings, petting the beast's gray-feathered neck. He looked pasty and worn around the edges. His smile split his chapped lips and gave him premature wrinkles.

"Sod off," Weasley said, wiping his bloody nose with his sleeve. "Hagrid didn't say she was vicious."

"You're right. His letter said she was very docile." Potter tilted his head, as Witherwings began combing his hair, the sharp beak sliding through the mid-length strands. "Hermione's probably spot on about her being shaken from the trip."

"Yeah." Weasley leaned close to the cage again and retreated before Draco could take another bite. "Uh, Harry. Does this ferret look familiar to you?"

Potter glanced at Draco and his brow furrowed. "Now that you mention it, yeah."

Uh-oh. Draco backed casually towards the tea towel, a thread of panic weaving through him.

"You don't think Malfoy's been turned into a ferret again?" Weasley grinned maliciously. "That would be wicked."

"Kek-kek-kek," Draco chattered fearfully.

Potter drew his wand in a blink and aimed it at Draco. "Finite."

"Eeeee!" Draco dove for his nest, but he was too late. He felt the spell hit, the slight burn running along his skin. He slammed his eyes shut and waited for the curses to be thrown.

A bird chirped.

"Guess not," Potter said, and Draco opened an eye cautiously. He was still at foot height.

The spell to cancel other spells hadn't worked. Draco slumped in relief when he saw he had four paws and perfect white fur. Either Snape was a brilliant caster, or Potter really sucked. Neither boded well for Potter's side of the war.

"She really does look like Malfoy did when Moody- I mean, Crouch cursed him, though." Potter walked around the cage and knelt beside Weasley. He peered through the wires. Draco stared back. "She has Malfoy's gray eyes and everything."

Potter knew the colour of his eyes?

Weasley gave Potter a funny look. "You know the colour of Malfoy's eyes?"

"Well, yeah. Don't you?" Potter said.

"I don't even know what colour Hermione's are."

Potter's cheeks pinked, making him splotchy. "I reckon I'm just more observant than you."

"Uh-huh." Weasley's lips twitched.

Potter shoved his shoulder. "Sod off."

Weasley snickered, and Potter stuck his wand up his sleeve. He opened the cage door, placed his hand on the lip, palm up, and wiggled his fingers. "Come here, girl."

Draco gave Potter's fingers a glance and arched a ferrety brow.

"I guess that's another reason we probably should've known it wasn't Malfoy," Weasley said.

"What's that?"

"She's a chit," Weasley said. He rubbed his tooth-marked nose and winced. "Even if she's got the same attitude as Malfoy."

"Hagrid could've been mistaken," Potter said, wiggling his fingers again with a doe-eyed expression.

"Yeah, but I doubt Malfoy would've let himself get buggered by a ferret, with Hagrid watching."

Draco cringed.

Weasley's mouth stretched into another malicious grin. "Then again, he might've, the freaky pillow-biter."

Hey!

"A-hem." Potter cleared his throat and leveled a hard glare at Weasley.

Weasley put up his hands "Not that all pillow-biters like getting off with ferrets."

Potter snorted and shook his head. He clucked his tongue and tried to get Draco to come to him again.

Draco sniffed in Potter's direction. His hand smelled like hippogriff, but that didn't provide an answer as to what to do. Since the finite spell hadn't worked, Draco was safe in his ferret disguise. That meant if he wanted, he could move about freely, perhaps find out what Potter and his chums were up to that had them at odds with Hagrid and the Ministry. He only had to allow Potter to touch him.

"Come here, girl," Potter said softly.

Draco slinked forward, sniffing reflexively. He could smell broom polish under the hippogriff. He supposed if he survived being molested by a squid, he could handle Potter touching him. It wasn't too much of a step down.

A slight curve rounded Potter's lips, as Draco bumped Potter's hand with his nose. Potter opened his palm flat. "You can come out," he urged. "Come on, Draco."

Draco?

"Draco?" Weasley echoed his thoughts.

Potter lifted a shoulder. "She needs a name, and she does look like ferret Malfoy…"

Weasley eyed Potter like he was barmy. "You're barmy."

"So I've been told." Potter grinned stupidly. "Besides, Malfoy'd have a fit if he knew we'd named a ferret after him."

Draco would, indeed, have a fit, if he weren't the ferret in question. And it was his given name. He'd know if anyone was talking about him if they used it.

"Draco," Potter sing-songed quietly. The name sounded odd coming from his tongue. "Come out, Draco."

Draco decided to take the invitation and darted out of the cage. Potter caught him around the middle with a laugh, as Granger re-entered the room. "Hey, Hermione, meet Draco."

"Draco?" Granger set down the water and food dish on top of the cage.

"Harry's gone barmy," Weasley said.

"Have not." Potter scratched Draco behind the ears. Draco squirmed in his grip and pretended the petting didn't feel good. "She needed a name, so I gave her one."

Granger bent and peered closer at Draco. Draco hissed in her face. "She does have Malfoy's eye-colouring."

"Ha!"

Weasley rolled his own eyes. "Forgive me for not having stared long enough at the git to know his eye-colour, like you two apparently have." He paused, and then gave Granger a sharp look. "Hey! What are you staring at Malfoy's eyes for?"

"It's called being observant, Ron."

"Ha!"

"Shuddup, you." Weasley knocked into Potter's shoulder. Potter merely grinned.

"Hmm." Granger leaned even closer to Draco. "You don't think…" She drew her wand.

Draco's gaze widened in alarm.

Potter pulled Draco close, suddenly. "We checked already."

"You're sure?" Granger said. Potter nodded, as did Weasley. Granger slid her wand back in her belt. "All right."

Draco was cuddled protectively against Potter's chest, and he could feel the warmth radiating from beneath Potter's robe. Potter started petting him again. He didn't like it at all.

"Dook-dook-purrrr."

Okay, maybe he liked it a little.

"We should probably bring her stuff downstairs," Potter said, rising to his feet, Draco cradled against him. "Witherwings might get the cage open and Draco will end up hippogriff chow."

"Where do you want to keep her?" Weasley said. He picked up the cage, after Granger lifted the food and water dishes.

"My room, I guess," Potter said. "I can keep an eye on her at night, since you two are usually busy with each other."

Granger coloured slightly. Weasley waggled his ginger eyebrows. Draco was going to be ill.

They headed out of the room, leaving Witherwings behind, and went down a set of stairs "How long before I need to start checking for babies?" Potter said.

Granger and Weasley were breeding? Now, Draco really was going to be ill.

"In forty days," Granger replied. Draco curled his lips derisively. It figured she would have it calculated out.

"Good. We won't have to worry about being gone, then." Potter nudged open a door along the dark corridor with his foot. He carried Draco into a rather sad-looking bedroom. A double bed with blue and gold threadbare curtains stood near a tall window. A writing desk crammed a corner next to a wardrobe cabinet. Clothing lay in piles on the carpeted floor.

"Where d'you want this, mate?" Weasley asked, raising the cage.

"On the night table, I reckon would be the best place," Potter said. He rubbed Draco's ear between his thumb and forefinger. Draco tried not to coo.

"If we're still going tomorrow, we'd better get back to work," Granger said, setting the water and food dishes inside the cage.

"Yeah." Potter came around side Granger and stuck Draco in the cage, too. Draco harrumphed unhappily. Potter didn't care, closing the door. "See you later, Draco."

"It's so weird to hear you say that name," Weasley said, as they headed out of Potter's bedroom.

Draco was left alone. He glanced around at his new living quarters. Shabby, but doable. He drank some water, fixed his nest in the corner, and settled down to plot how use the situation to his best advantage.

After he took a little nap.

tbc...