Author's Note/ back to Draco's POV. I listened to Creedence Clearwater- Have you ever seen the rain on repeat for this chapter. I have planned out the next 3 chapters. Around chapter 10 will be the time the 6th year is completed at Hogwarts. As always with the addition of Grace i did alter events but the outcome is similar. Like in the last chapter the events were different but Ron was still poisoned, and Harry grew even more suspicious of Draco.

Draco's POV

Chapter. 7 The Double Agent


I would owe Hermione Granger for this. I would owe her for the role she played in saving Grace. Although she had no idea she even had. That day when we'd done the Tenula charm on the Unicorn i'd heard Granger say it. "I read that their horns can be harvested and used in potions, and to cure some poisons." I had been trying so hard to ignore her.

In my mad dash across the castle grounds, i wasn't even sure where i was taking Grace. My feet were going, and i was following. It wasn't until i had passed Hagrid's house that i saw her, saw them both, and remembered what Granger had said. Thunder, and it's new foal. Is foal the right word for a baby unicorn? Granger would know.

It would have to be the mother i decided. I didn't have the heart to mutilate the little one, it was barely a day old. Yet another school rule i was breaking. I'm sure Unicorn defilement is bound to be somewhere in the Hogwarts rulebook.

Grace was limp, and her breathe was dangerously shallow. The Unicorns watched me as i sat her down. Grace's hand was bandaged i realized. That hadnt been there earlier. Had she glamoured it, i wonder? I didn't hesitate, for there wasn't time for it. It was a surprise that Thunder did not fight me. As i hacked off her horn i knew it had to be painful, her body was clenched. It was like she was offering herself up for this, like she knew Grace might be in some kind of distress. The amount of blood that came was another surprise. I never thought it could bleed. But it did, blood had soaked through my robes. Splattered on my shoes. The second day Thunder's insides had ended up all over me, this time though it didn't bother me. I was concerned with one thing, and that was Grace. I would do much worse than mutilate a Unicorn to save her, i realized and was disgusted with myself.

Once i'd gotten the horn off i didn't know what to do. Granger had failed to elaborate. Then the mother grabbed my shirt sleeve between her teeth and guided my hand to Grace. She was prompting me to put the horn down by her face. Did she need to drink the liquid inside? The blood inside the horn i wondered. I had nothing to lose, and so i tipped it back into Grace's mouth. Nothing happened right away, and panic was setting in. Thunder and her foal laid down next to Grace. Returning the comfort she'd given them previously. Then slowly Grace's color came back. She would live, and i could breathe again.

How had everything gone so bad so quickly? Damn Weasley. They'd drank the bottle i had poisoned. It hadn't been for either of them, and now yet again i would be forced to come up with another plan to kill Dumbledore.

I wonder if Weasley will make a recovery? I think as i watch from down the hall when they cart him in the hospital wing. It about killed me to leave Grace on her own, but i couldn't take the risk of anyone seeing me with her. Potter knew, he'd seen me take her from outside Slughorn's room but i'd be dealing with Potter soon enough.

There are teachers inside the hospital wing fussing over Weasley, and Grace. Any students who attempt to gather are quickly dispersed. I think the dangerous look in my eye night be what's keeping Madame Pomfrey from asking me to leave. I want to be close, i need to be close.

A girl named Hannah Abbott comes at one point. Sobs as they tell her she can't see Grace, then leaves in a flutter of indignation for not having been allowed to see her cousin. Cousin? Ah. That had been the girl sitting with the Slytherin's the day at the black lake. She was sitting with Grace. I want to tell Hannah her cousin will be fine, but how could i possibly explain how exactly i know that. Then i feel bad for not knowing she was Grace's cousin. How had i missed that? Six years at Hogwarts, and that had escaped my notice. Were there more things that had escaped my notice i wondered? I've been so preoccupied with everything i was failing to see a whole part of Grace's life. It's possible she tried to tell me about Hannah once and i might have ended the conversation. That was my go to where family was involved. It was best not to talk about that with Grace.

In a few days Bellatrix will lead the others through the cabinet. With them i now know that will be my best chance to kill the headmaster. There's no time for any other kind of plan. An ambush then. I'll disarm him and do what needs to be done. I pinch the bridge of my nose, i can't feel anything but the pressure on my skull, and it's killing me.

The sooner i'm gone the better for Grace. I've almost killed her today. I intend to say my goodbyes while she sleeps in the hospital wing. There's no reason to drag this out or upset her more. Better if i just slink away. Once she hears about Dumbledore she'll be glad i'm gone.

I'm in my own spiral of self pity when i'm jerked from my seat, and come face to face with my God father.

"What have you done Draco?" His voice is deadly.

"I don-" i try but he tightens his grip, and slams me into a door shoving me through. The transfiguration classroom i realize, it's empty. Snape slams the door without lifting a finger or even looking at it. He's not happy, and i've never seen him this unhinged.

"No more lies!" He tells me. "I want the truth from you, and i'll use veritaserum if i have to."

"A mission. From the dark lord. No one is to interfere, so i advise you to drop this now." I try to intimidate him, but the school boy in me is breaking through, my voice has trembled and Snape smells blood in the water.

"You think i don't know about your mission? You think i've been running interference between you and Potter all year for fun?"

Oh. "Then why haven't you said anything to me?"

"This is your mission, i was forbidden to know about it. There are things i cannot tell you Draco. But trust me when i say i am trying to help you." He steps toward me i wonder if he's sincere.

"Draco. Look at yourself. You're a mess." He's not wrong i'm still covered in the Unicorns blood. I scurgify myself quickly. "Draco the girl. Grace. I need to know have you, are you and she.." He pauses without finishing his question but i know exactly what he's asking.

"Potter's said something has'nt he?" I ask avoiding his question.

"He said you left with Ms. Lordon, he said she may have been poisoned like Mr.Weasley." I grimace. "Potter didn't have to say anything. I had suspected already. You're not nearly as clever as you think Draco. Do you understand the danger you've put her in? If anyone in the dark lords ranks besides myself finds out, they'll use her against you."

"I know that. It won't matter in a few days. I'll be gone, and she won't care about me after i kill Dumbledore." I say.

"You careless boy. Do you think that will matter to the dark lord? That he won't still go after her? Knowing what she means to you?" He asks. I decide i can trust him, and so i don't try to avoid his questions anymore. I am honest.

"You, and Potter are the only ones who know how i feel about Grace. I'm sure of it. I trust you sir, and When Potter runs into the dark lord i can't imagine they'll want to discuss me."

"The dark lord can read your mind Draco. Even if the girl hates you, he'll know you've only left her to keep her safe." That was news to me a Leglimens? No!

I take a seat at a desk suddenly feeling very unsteady. It had all been for nothing. I had doomed her from the start. All the effort i had put into making it appear she wasn't anything to me it had all been in vain. The second Voldemort reads my thoughts he'll see her. He will know how to hurt me most, by hurting her. Snape's trying to get my attention back i can hear him. He was right i had been careless. How could i have not known this? Did my father know this about the dark lord?

My cheek burns, and i find he's slapped me. He's holding me by the collar of my shirt. "Draco." He says. "Get a hold of yourself. There might be a way to keep Grace out of this, to keep her out of the dark lords hands."

"Anything, i'll do anything to save her. Please."

"So far you've been lucky he has had no reason to look into your thoughts, but after, after you've killed Dumbledore he will. He will want to make sure, he will want to see Dumbledore die through your mind. I can teach you Occlumency. Her memories will need to be altered. Your entire relationship with her will need to be wiped from her mind. She can't believe there was anything more between the two of you than sharing Slytherin house."

No. Not that. The only thing that had kept me going these last few months was knowing some part of her would remember me in some way. That she would have a piece of me with her Always. I'd given her those trinkets as another measure. Hoping that she'd be somewhere out there still wearing her butterfly clip, and the Unicorn hair coat. I had never dreamed i may have to leave her like this. A slow trickle of water escapes the corner of my eye. I'm not even embarrassed to have Snape see me cry. My problems just got bigger than that.

"You should make your preparations. Say your goodbyes soon. We will both be leaving." He's coming with me now? "The morning before Bellatrix brings the death eaters into the castle, i want you to bring Grace to my office. You can say your final goodbye to her there in private, and then i'll wipe her memories. We will leave her there, she will be safe from the others Draco." His hand cups my shoulder for a brief moment. It's fatherly, and more so than any of the times my father had attempted a gesture meant to be tender. "The other day you said the Unicorn had eaten your homework?"

"Yes." Unsure of where he was going with this i brace myself.

"I expect the assignment to be redone. I won't tolerate laziness. You and i have alot of work ahead of us. More critical assignments than homework to be sure but if i am to teach you to be an occlumens you will have to devote every brain cell you possess to it. The work will be hard, and you will be exhausted. But there is no other way to keep Voldemort away from the memories you need to keep hidden. This cannot be taken lightly. Grace's life depends on it, and now so does mine. You understand i am risking everything for you?"

"Yes, but why? Why are you willing to risk it all for Grace, for me?" I don't understand. He's gaining nothing.

"I told you there were somethings i could not tell you? Things i am bound not to tell you. But this i can tell you. When i was young, there was a girl i loved. But like you and Ms. Lordon, she would not have been a popular choice for me. She was a Gryffindor, and she was muggleborn you see? But i didn't care. She was brilliant and the circumstance of her birth didn't bother me in the least. I was young and careless. I thought i could have it all. I thought by joining the death eaters i could make sure she was safe, but it all went wrong when she married that fool. And they were marked for death, and so i betrayed the dark lord for her." I gasp. So the rumurs are true all this time he's been a double agent. "Yes, i stopped being loyal to Voldemort long ago Draco. You see i begged him, begged him this one thing just to spare her, spare one girl for me. For his most trusted follower. He agreed but i knew he was lying. So i went to Dumbledore and begged him to hide her, to hide her whole family."

A glimmer of hope grips me. "Hide them? We can hide Grace, and her family. That's perfect we won't have to wipe her mem-"

He cuts me off abruptly and without remorse. "It didn't work. The love of my life still died. HE found them and slaughtered them all. In front of their only son." Potter. Snape had loved Potter's mother. "He is incapable of mercy Draco. He will have none for you, your parents, or Grace."

There's no helping it then. Taking her memories really is the only way now.

"When can we start the occlumency lessons?" I ask. "Can we start now?" He nods, and begins another lecture centered around Occlumency, and legilemncy. I listen closely letting every word absorb into my memory like a sponge.

Hours later i'm exhausted and practically dragging myself out of the classroom. We had practiced over and over and het i felt no closer to hiding anything within the recesses of my mind. Snape helps me along. I spot Potter lingering nearby, close to where i had been sitting. He might have been waiting around for Weasley in the hospital wing but even as tired as i am i can't allow myself to miss this opportunity. We make eye contact, and i wonder if they were the same color as his mother's the woman who Snape had loved enough to betray Lord Voldemort.

"In case you might be wondering Potter, i'm going back to my room to get some sleep. I'll be there all night. So you won't be needing to follow me around tonight." Potter looks confused, and i can see he's trying hard to put it all together. To figure out what i've been doing and how Snape's involved. Then there's Grace. Good luck Potter. I know he will eventually figure it out, but by that time i will be back at the manor and Grace will have forgotten all about me.

"Come along Draco." Snape says as he holds against me a little tighter and pulls me along after him. Prolonging the reckoning Potter and i have coming.