Rose and Harry had sent a letter to their cousin to get some news and tell him how their first weeks of school went. They wanted him to know that they weren't going back on their word. They would keep in touch with him. They asked him about his own first weeks of school, how he was doing... They sent the letter the previous night and didn't expect an answer before a few days, maybe even a week. They would have tried to use the mirror, but they were afraid he'd get caught by his father or another muggle and rather waited until he contacted them with it first.
"Ready for potions?" Rose asked Neville as they waited in front of the door.
They were the first at the class's doors, the others weren't there yet. They had probably taken a detour by the bathroom or stayed back to talk with someone.
"I'm never ready for potions but with the help you've given me, I think I'll do okay this time. It's easier now that you help me understand and be less nervous." Neville replied.
"Rose." Draco nodded her way, saluting her as politely as he could in present company and showing her that he was willing to make an effort to be civil with everyone, even a Gryffindor, as long as they were civil with him too.
"Draco." She nodded back.
She had read his note and thought that his idea was brilliant, so of course she agreed to help him out.
"Come on Draco, don't waste your time talking to this lot. Especially her. She's nothing, just a half blood worthless B…" Pansy complained but was cut off by Draco.
"Shut it Pansy. I'll speak to whoever I want to speak to and you should try to watch your tone. Try to be polite too, would you!" Draco snapped, annoyed.
"You should watch what you say about half bloods, Pansy, because your parent's little master is one as well. His father was a muggle who didn't have any magic in him and who absolutely hated people with magic." Rose snapped with a smile on her face.
"How dare you!" Pansy exclaimed angrily, her wand out while Draco moved in front of Pansy to stop her and Neville got his own wand out to defend his friend.
"Hey Rose, you forgot your notebook in Sirius's class." Harry called out to his sister, handing her the notebook she had left behind and interrupting the scene.
"Oh, I totally forgot about it. Thanks Harry." Rose smiled as she took the notebook back.
"Everything okay here?" Harry asked his sister when he saw Draco so close, wondering if he should get his wand out.
"Yes, everything's fine. Draco was just being polite, unlike most of the other members of his house." Rose replied.
"Alright." Harry nodded, accepting her explanations.
If his sister was willing to form a friendship with Draco Malfoy, he wasn't going to discuss it too much, but he was determined to keep an eye out, to protect her. He didn't want her to end up betrayed or attacked.
"He actually defended Rose against Pansy when she became quite rude and when you arrived she was about to hex Rose!" Neville added, willing to follow Rose's lead in making peace with the other houses.
Harry was about to reply when the door opened and Snape told them to get inside and take their seats. Rose was pretty sure he had heard everything and was waiting to see if he'd have to intervene. He seemed proud of the way things happened and she wouldn't be surprised if he ended up congratulating Draco Malfoy in some way for his behavior.
As usual, Rose sat between Neville and Harry and Snape couldn't deny that the two boys were doing much better, without doing any cheating, with her around. Somehow, Rose managed to motivate them to work a bit harder and he thought it was a good thing. Nothing had exploded in their class since the beginning of the year, so that was good.
"Today's assignment is on the blackboard, get to work immediately. There will be no talking necessary, you may use your books if you need them but I insist on the no talking part. Am I making myself clear, Potter?" Snape said, looking at Harry.
He didn't mean anything by this, it was just the way he always acted in class with Harry Potter and he had to keep it up, especially with so many death-eater's kids in the classroom who'd be able to report an act of kindness to their parents quickly.
"Yes." Harry replied with the usual fake glare he now had in this class and Snape swore that he saw something he didn't like in the boy's eyes.
Something he used to see in James and Sirius before they pulled a big prank.
"Yes, sir." Snape insisted.
"No need to call me Sir, professor." Harry replied and Snape knew that Harry had done it just so he could get a detention, to keep up his cover.
In the class, everyone held their breath, almost expecting Snape to blow up or something but also enjoying the show. Half the gryffindor had smiles on their faces at Harry's remark.
"Detention, Mister Potter. You should take example on your sister more often. Now get to work, everyone." Snape declared.
"You took it way too far!" Rose whispered to her brother.
"Come on! It amused him, I could see it in his eyes." Harry replied in a voice just as low.
"Do you want to join your brother in detention Miss Potter?" Snape asked.
"No sir, sorry sir." Rose replied before she got to work.
Everyone went to work and the rest of the class went uneventful.
"Miss Potter, Mister Potter, I'll need to speak with you a moment. There is no need to wait for them, I've had breakfast this morning, I'm not going to eat them." Snape declared, saying the last part to Neville, Ron and Hermione who stopped by the door.
Once the door was closed and they were alone, Snape's face relaxed a little.
"Sorry about earlier sir, I was just… You know, acting like I usually do. Seamus noticed that I was much more serious in your class and he found it weird. Rose's presence can only explain so much. I had to do something to show that nothing had changed." Harry declared as soon as the door was closed.
"I get it. Rose, I received your letter. I'll happily help you make wolfs bane potion. Given your natural gift with potion, I'm sure you'll be able to do it on your own after two months. I'll expect you in my office on the Friday before the full moon, at 8. You can tell people that you managed to catch me in a good day and I agreed to help you study some ancient potion you found." Snape told her.
"Or I could come here without being seen." She suggested.
"That could work too." Snape nodded.
"What about Harry's detention?" Rose asked.
"Thanks for the reminder." Harry frowned.
"I'm sure Hagrid will find him something to do tomorrow night. 8pm." Snape replied.
"I'm doing my detention with Hagrid? Really?" Harry asked.
"Your godfather has already sent me all the manual labor I needed and more." Snape smirked.
"There were more girls who got detention with him hoping to be alone with him for the night?" Rose asked.
"So far the count is 15. Everything is sorted and cleaned. I don't know why they look so unhappy when they get here, after all the efforts they make to get this detention." Snape said with a smirk.
"Poor girls… I'm sure Sirius finds it very fun." Harry commented.
"He has come under disguise to watch their faces a few times, yes." Snape nodded before he told them to get out of his class before they were late to their other classes of the day.
"What did he want?" Ron asked as soon as they left the classroom.
Indeed, they were waiting for them in the corridor.
"He told me I'd have to do my detention tomorrow night with Hagrid because he's too busy watching the detentions Sirius gives the girls who like him." Harry replied.
"Why did he ask for Rose then?" Neville asked, worried.
"He told me that so far I had done a fairly good job at keeping my brother in check and he suggested I kept on keeping him calm in class or the next detention Harry got would be a double detention with me." Rose lied.
"Well, I don't care what he says, Harry, it was awesome." Ron told his best friend as they high fived.
"By the way Rose, you missed Fred. He gave this rose for you." Hermione said, handing her friend another beautiful rose.
"Smells wonderful… He's such a great guy…" Rose whispered.
"Yes, this flower is really excellent magic." Hermione complimented.
"Remus told me that the smell of this rose is Fred's personal signature, that a rose transfigured by another person wouldn't smell the same, or anything at all. He added that if he transfigured one for someone else, it would not smell the same because he doesn't feel the same for anyone else." Rose explained.
"He must really care about you." Hermione insisted.
"Well, I really care about him too." Rose replied.
.
Draco was about to go to bed when he noticed his owl in front of the window. Goyle opened it to let him in and Draco grabbed his letter. His aunt had already answered him.
"Draco,
Your father was upset that you didn't write to him personally, but it doesn't matter. The Dark Lord is very pleased with you and your idea. He approves.
We understand that this plan could take some time, and we trust you to be smart enough to adapt the plan to events, even unplanned ones. After all, you were samrt enough to come up with this plan in the first place.
Getting close to Potter through the weakest links in his close circle was a great idea. I'm proud of you nephew and I assure you that you are, with your initiative, restoring the family status that your father weakened when he got caught.
The Dark Lord will make sure your house mates don't get in your way by warning their parents. They should be warned to leave you alone and to obey you and trust you in the next few days.
Severus Snape should receive orders soon to teach you the art of Occlumency, so you can hide your true thoughts from Dumbledore. Make sure to learn, practice and be good at it. It could save your life.
If you need advice, I'm here.
Good work Draco.
Your proud Aunt,
Bellatrix"
Draco smiled. This was going better than he thought. They had fallen for it and he'd be free to find a way to leave. Over Christmas, he'll speak to his mother, ask her if she'd like to leave, to follow him away from the Dark Lord, and together, they'd be safe.
What did you think?
Do you think Bellatrix and Voldemort truly believe in Draco or is he in danger?
I'm having visitors for the next few days, almost a week, so this is why this chapter is the second of the day. I won't be able to update again until at least Tuesday.
Lorelei Candice Black