Review Responses:
DarthRoden – I love Remus and Dru so I'm pleased other people like them as for Draco and Pansy well you'll see how far I'll spare them. Personally I'm wondering what JK'll do to them. Thanks for reviewing!
Dark-Lady-Devinity – Glad you liked, Ron is so the sensible one of this group! Thanks for the review!
Only two of you seeing as I only updated only two days ago but hey thanks for being so quick on the uptake it reassures me that people are enjoying this fic.Chapter 13
Winter had set in early that year, Percy noted as he made his way to work one morning, for early December it was several degrees colder than usual and a fine layer of ice covered everything. The ministry building was boiling hot in comparison and he quickly stripped off scarf and cloak before glancing at the morning's post.
He had no time to open any of his post however before his boss arrived in the doorway looking grave.
"Percy, I need you to get someone here from the Order so I can brief them and you at the same time. Something's gone rather wrong." The tone she used suggested that this was somewhat of an understatement and Percy suddenly remembered the quiet, sorrowful attitude of everyone he had passed on the way to his office that morning.
"What's happened?" he asked.
She shook her head, "Just get an Order representative here who can go and brief Dumbledore properly, I'll need you all day so I can't send you to do it and whoever Fudge sends will give the version Fudge decides he likes rather than the truth!"
Percy nodded, knowing when not to question his boss any further. She rarely insisted on things without explanation but when she did it tended to be for very good reasons. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "I'll be in my office, bring them to me when they get here."
The only Order members easily contacted who were readily available were Remus Lupin and Molly Weasley so Percy decided to ask for Remus as the look on his boss's face suggested that this was not going to be pleasant and he'd rather save his mother the worry.
Within ten minutes Remus was stood with Percy outside Druscilla's door. She took a moment to respond to their knocking before opening the door herself and hurrying them in. They both sat down expectantly.
"Right, do either of you know what happened last night?" she began.
They both shook their heads.
"Ok, at least that means the press still don't know." She hesitated, "Last night some aurors were sent out on a reconnaissance job to check out some unusual magical readings from the middle of some open countryside believed to be uninhabited. And, just to be clear, the order for this came from me. It was a team of five aurors, none of whom returned. They were ambushed, from the sounds of things someone told the Death Eaters they were coming. This ministry has more leaks than a colander!" she slammed her hand onto the table, "So, there you have it. Five aurors dead and our leak is getting worse. I'm going to see what I can do about that as soon as I can. Remus, could you brief Dumbledore," she handed him a folder that had been lying on her desk, "The details are all in there. Percy," she turned to her young assistant, "I know you're supposed to be researching possible locations of Voldemort's hideout but this leak problem is more immediate. I can't explain why but I need you to research a spell to track floo communications, that can tell you where the fireplace was connected to and maybe even what was said?"
"Is that possible?" Percy asked.
"I think so. Well, the location might be anyway, I very much doubt you'll be able to trace anything that was said but don't worry about that."
The young redhead nodded, "I'll get to work right away."
"Thank you, Percy," she bestowed him with a small smile, "I'm confident you'll find what I need."
He nodded politely and withdrew from the office, closing the door quietly behind him.
Remus looked at her, "So you're going to try it then? Use the minister's junior assistant's office fireplace to try and prove he's the spy?"
She nodded, "If Percy can find me the spells necessary, then yes. Also, it will hopefully provide us with information as to Voldemort's whereabouts at the same time. Anyway, I hate to rush you off but we both have work to do. I'll see you out."
She guided him out of the office and they set off together down the corridor. "How bad was it?" he asked.
"The whole thing was a disaster, Remus. They were slaughtered." Her hard tone and emotionless expression were betrayed only by the dark circles under her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
She shrugged coldly, "It happens."
Fast footsteps approached from behind, "Professor Thornfield?" the voice broke slightly.
Remus and Druscilla turned to see a middle aged witch with red rimmed eyes.
"Yes," Druscilla frowned, puzzled, "How can I help you?"
"I'm Robert Davison's mother."
Druscilla looked blank for a moment before recognition dawned and she spoke, "I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a dedicated and talented young auror and he'll be much missed."
"You're sorry?!" The woman looked furious, "You were his boss, you gave the go ahead on this crazy plan! If it weren't for you my son would still be alive!"
"I…" Druscilla was clearly lost for words, something Remus realised he hadn't seen before.
"How can you do this to people?!" the woman sobbed.
"Now, now what seems to be the problem?" Fudge seemed to materialise as though he had been waiting in the wings for this scene.
"My son is dead and it's all because of her!" the distraught witch shrieked.
"Madame I am truly sorry for your loss, Debbie, take her and get her a cup of tea and I'll be along in a minute and I'll personally talk this through with you."
The woman allowed herself to be led away by Fudge's secretary and Druscilla whirled to face him.
"You dare to use that woman's grief as your big propaganda coup and I'll personally see to it that it will be your relatives who'll be grieving next! If they'd really miss you, which I doubt!"
"Did you hear that?" Fudge lanced around in hope of witnesses, "She's threatening me!"
Druscilla almost growled, "Too bloody right…"
Remus stepped in, "Minister, I do apologise for my friend, she's having a hard day and she's under a lot of pressure. Please forgive her temper, she doesn't mean what she says."
"Yes I…" Druscilla was cut off by Remus' hand on her arm, pulling her away from the still fuming minister.
"What are you doing?!" she spat as he dragged her back into her office and closed the door.
"Stopping you getting arrested! Because if you threaten the minister for magic like that during war you'll end up in Azkaban for bloody treason!"
"What do you care if I end up arrested and thrown in Azkaban!"
"I've already lost one friend to that place when they didn't deserve it, I won't let you do anything so stupid! Besides, people need you to stay in your job, they need someone who cares about more than their own propaganda!"
She slumped in her chair.
Remus softened a little, "It's nice to see how you care sometimes, about more than your career that is. With you it's easy to forget that you actually do have principles under your political exterior."
She choked out a laugh, "Thanks, I think."
He sighed, "Will you be alright? Do you want me to come back and see you at the end of the day?"
"No," she shook her head stubbornly, "I want to be alone to deal with this."
"I don't think you should be alone with this."
"It's not the first time I've been indirectly responsible for people dying you know, I can handle it. I resent the implication that I need your support to cope."
"I don't think you need my help, I just thought you might like some company," Remus offered.
"Well you thought wrong, I have work to do."
"Then I'll leave you to it. I'm sure I'll see you at the next Order meeting."
"I'm sure you will."
Her voice was so dismissive that Remus decided it would be best to leave her alone, if she wanted to wallow in her misery then he would let her.
XXXXXXX
The majority of Hogwarts were blissfully unaware of the night's unpleasant activities. At breakfast the only people aware that anything had occurred were Snape and Dumbledore, neither of whom were inclined to discuss the issue.
Ron, Harry and Hermione were having a pleasantly peaceful week, Ron and Harry's strained friendship had seemed ever so slightly repaired thanks to Harry's worries being ever so slightly alleviated by the lack of too much bad news in the papers. Hermione was fussing over work and house elf rights as usual but things for the most part were better than they had been for quite some time.
Of course peace and quiet never lasts for long.
Ron had been growing steadily more and more annoyed with Hermione's house elf liberation plans. She would spend most evenings (when not still fulfilling Snape's quota of detentions) knitting more little hats, that still didn't really resemble hats that well, and Ron would spend most evenings after she had gone to bed finding and removing said hats. As a result he had an ever-growing collection of the things and had run out of ideas as to where to put them. Harry's only advice had been to give them to Dobby.
That afternoon the knitting began again and Ron could feel himself beginning to twitch in annoyance. The common room was almost empty and Harry had a detention to serve with Professor Snape during what should have been his free afternoon. Harry and Snape in an NEWTs level potion class was not something that had ever been likely to work and no one was surprised at how much time Harry was currently spending in detention with the potions master, even on top of the detentions Snape had assigned him and Hermione to do with Filch over the Hogsmeade incident.
After sitting in silence for a while, attempting to concentrate on a quidditch magazine, Ron eventually spoke up. "Hermione, I want you to stop doing this."
She glanced up in surprise, "Doing what?"
"This!" he brandished a small hat at her.
Hermione looked stern, "I'm sorry, Ron, but while there are still house elves enslaved in this castle I will carry on trying to help them."
"But you're not helping them! Hermione, I'm sorry but you don't know what you're talking about! House elves enjoy their work! They don't know or want any other way of life and forcing freedom upon them is just cruel! You saw how desperately upset freedom made Winky! Dobby is not representative of house elves as a whole! I don't care how many books you've read, that doesn't mean you understand this issue! I've lived my whole life in this world, I'm a pureblood just as much as Malfoy is, the fact that I don't act like an arrogant git because of it is irrelevant, there are issues which as a muggleborn you simply don't understand because culturally speaking the worlds we come from are miles apart!"
Hermione looked at him in disgust, "Speaking of Malfoy, you sounded just like him when you said that. I can't believe you of all people are bringing up the pureblood issue!"
Her words hit Ron like a splash of ice water, "What?!" he gazed at her in astonishment.
"Just because you're a pureblood doesn't mean you know any more than I do!"
"Actually on this issue, yes it does! In the same way that you being a muggleborn means you know more about electricity and the muggle postal service than I do! It's about the worlds we were raised in, it doesn't mean I think I know more than you in general but I do know more about the magical world because I was raised here! You've never actually lived in the magical world, Hermione, Hogwarts is a different thing entirely! Boarding school does not give you an accurate impression of what life's really like in the magical community! I do not think muggleborns are in any way inferior, I think a quick comparison of most of our test scores would prove that to be a ridiculous idea, but muggleborns and purebloods are different! I'm sick of the kind of political correctness that can't accept people being different and so decides to act as though everyone's the same when we're blatantly not."
She looked at him in disdain, "You're right, you being a pureblood does give you a different perspective on this issue. You've been raised to think this enslavement is not only normal but that it is right! You're bound by the prejudices you were raised with, that the magical world indoctrinates into every pureblood! I wonder how well you'd survive without house elves to run around after you!"
"Hermione!" Ron thundered, "You're not talking to Draco Malfoy! The Weasleys haven't had a house elf in living memory and far beyond it! We don't have the money or the legacy that other purebloods do and so I can tell you that we can manage just fine without them! My opinion is not based on prejudice; it's based on experience! Experience of a world you can be amazingly ignorant of! You can't change a culture if you don't understand it and you don't understand! House elves should have better protection from cruelty, I agree with you, the way Dobby was treated was appalling and the fact it was legal makes it worse, but you are being just as cruel to the Hogwarts elves as Lucius Malfoy was to Dobby!"
Hermione shook her head quietly, "That isn't even worthy of an answer," she said quietly and stormed from the common room.
Ron collapsed into a chair, trembling in frustration and rage. He cared for Hermione but sometimes she simply drove him up the wall, she had a lot to learn and sometimes she seemed perversely unwilling to learn any of it or even acknowledge that there were things she didn't fully understand.
XXXXXXX
Hermione wandered randomly for a while thinking hard, perhaps Ron was right? It didn't seem very likely given his past record on these things but he had sounded so insistent and it wasn't like him to get fired up without truly believing in what he was saying. She frowned, annoyed at her own self-doubt. She didn't have to doubt for long though as she suddenly realised that there was a simple answer to her problem.
Hermione reached the kitchen portrait and tickled the pear. She would go and see the house elves again herself and see how hard they had to work for nothing and that would soon reassure her.
As soon as she entered the kitchens several elves raced up to her excitedly, "Can we's get you anythings?"
One elf offered her a plate of freshly baked scones which she declined.
"Hermione!"
She glanced across the room to see Dobby waving at her and scurrying to meet her.
She smiled benevolently at him, "Hello, Dobby."
"Hello, friend of Harry Potter! Can I gets you some food?"
"No, thank you," she refused politely, not wishing to hurt his feelings, "Dobby, you like being free, don't you?"
"Oh yes!" he exclaimed, "Harry Potter saved Dobby! Dobby very happy with freedom and with beings paid for works now!"
Hermione's smile broadened. "So your life has improved since being freed?"
"Oh yes, all thanks to great Harry Potter."
"Thanks, Dobby, that's what I wanted to hear."
"Can I offers you a cup of tea?"
"Oh no," she shook her head quickly, "I don't want to create more work for you even if you are being paid for it. I should get to the library anyway…" Hermione trailed off, staring across the kitchen to where an elderly house elf was being given a wide berth by the others. He was wizened and stooped but there was something very familiar about him. "Kreacher!" she exclaimed in horrorified surprise.
"Oh yes!" Dobby said suddenly, "Kreacher is new here!" He crossed the room with Hermione in pursuit and added, "Kreacher escaped from Malfoys too!" Dobby slipped an arm around the other house elf, "Kreacher and Dobby both mistreated by bad masters!"
"Oh, Kreacher, I'm so pleased you got away from that terrible family!" Hermione smiled in delight at the elderly elf.
The elderly elf gave her a rather creepy smile and nodded his head in recognition at Hermione. "You not tell anyone Kreacher's here?" Dobby asked suddenly, "Peoples blame him for bad deeds of his masters but he was bound to them, it not his doings!"
Hermione hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Of course I won't mention it to anyone, it wasn't your fault, Kreacher. Now I really must go."
She left Dobby with Kreacher and crossed to the door, where she felt a tug on her skirt. Looking down she saw Winky, not looking substantially better than she had the last time Hermione had seen her.
"Kreacher is bad house elf, you not trust him!" she little elf squeaked insistently.
"Winky, when are you going to learn that what wizards do to house elves isn't right?" Hermione sighed pityingly, "You should listen to Dobby, he's got the right attitude."
She left the elf, still protesting, not feeling up to another argument that day.
XXXXXXX
Back in the common room that night things were still strained between Hermione and Ron, and Harry was growing sick of the entire house elf rights issue. Hermione had intended to tell them both about Kreacher and about how he was another good example of a house elf enjoying their freedom but the still furious look on Ron's face made her feel that this was a time when things were best left unsaid.
The atmosphere at the ministry was not much better. Druscilla Thornfield had been in an appalling mood all day and everyone who came into contact with her ended up regretting it. She had been mulling over Remus' offer of company all day and was growing more and more annoyed with herself that her pride had not allowed her to accept it.
It was in this mood that she ran into Fudge at the end of the day in a deserted stretch of corridor. The man smirked at her unpleasantly, "Feeling a little less certain about your abilities to lead?"
Druscilla found herself more than ready to answer him. "No. More certain than ever, because now I have even more incentive to get you out of that office as quickly as possible! Maybe I do send those people to their deaths sometimes but at least I feel guilty about what happens to them, to you they and their families' grief are just another way for you to make me look bad and further your own aims and that disgusts me!"
He gaped in shock, they had never got on but Druscilla had never attacked him so blatantly before. "I've heard enough, I don't have to listen to this from you!" he huffed and hurried on his way.
"Cornelius?" she called after him.
He turned.
She gave him a sad smile, "How do you sleep at night?"
He scowled at her and stormed away.
Having given her rival something to worry about Druscilla felt slightly better and decided that further action really should be taken.
XXXXXXX
Remus had just sat down to eat dinner alone at Grimmauld Place, having declined Molly Weasley's offer of joining the Weasley family yet again, when he heard someone come in through the front door.
Curious, he made his way into the hallway, keeping his hand ready upon his wand.
"Hi, Remus," Druscilla Thornfield was stood in the hall looking slightly shame faced, "The offer for some company still open?"
He found himself smiling at her, "I was about to have dinner, why don't you join me?"
She nodded, "That'd be great. I'm sorry about before, it's been a rotten day."
"It must have been. I briefed Dumbledore, he said to tell you you handled it well, he said there was no way you could have seen it coming."
"I know, believe me, Remus, I've been through this before. Sadly, you do get used to it." She followed him back into the kitchen.
"I suppose you must do, does it get any easier?"
"Not really," she sighed, "Just less shocking. Anyway, can we talk about something non-war related for the rest of the evening? "
Remus smiled, "That sounds good."
When she dropped politics and manipulation for a while Remus discovered Druscilla was in fact very good company. She was still teasing and sarcastic but she was far more relaxed than usual. It was long after midnight by the time she left and Remus reflected that he had not had such an enjoyable evening in a long time.
XXXXXXX
Severus Snape however was not having such an enjoyable evening. As Death Eater gatherings went this one had been bearable but he was unable to slip away afterwards. Narcissa Malfoy had been there, a very unusual occurrence, she had come to question the Dark Lord (a very risky thing to do in any circumstances) about when she might see her husband again. Surprisingly she had manipulated the Dark Lord with no small amount of skill and though not receiving any particular answer had managed not irritate him.
Afterwards she sought Severus out and engaged him in conversation before he could leave. He decided to take the rare opportunity of speaking to the woman and greeted her politely.
She smiled at him sadly, "Well it has been a while since I've seen you, Severus. Then again, without Lucius there's little to bring you to my home."
He inclined his head politely, "I should have come to see you were alright."
She shrugged, "You sent an owl to do that, it was quite sufficient," she met his eyes suddenly, "And much appreciated."
They walked slowly around the large, mostly stone building that Severus found himself continually called to. "You have been coping?" he questioned.
"I'm tougher than I look."
"I know." He did know. If nothing else, only a strong woman could have captured Lucius' heart in the way the petite blonde beside him had done. "You must miss him terribly."
"I do." The stormy grey eyes contained such pain and sorrow that Severus found his sympathy for her was genuine. They continued in silence for a while.
Almost everything Severus knew of the woman had come from Lucius, it was Lucius he had been friends with and though Narcissa and he had formed an instant respect for each other they had never had the opportunity to become close friends as the fall of the Dark Lord had enabled Severus to escape his connection with the Malfoys at least temporarily. However, through it all he retained a grudging liking for the family, it seemed that no matter how deep Lucius sunk into Dark Arts Severus could still see the remains of the person he had been.
Narcissa was known amongst the Death Eaters for her non-involvement, she was just as capable as her husband was but she had no desire to follow him in serving anyone. Narcissa served only herself and her family and that made her much more pleasant company than any of the Death Eaters.
At length she spoke again, "How is my son?"
"He's doing well."
"Still inseparable from Miss Parkinson?" a smile tugged at her lips.
"Sickeningly so."
She laughed, "Reminds me of Lucius and I."
In the following silence Snape decided to try and gain some information from the woman, "Things seem to be going fairly well at present."
She nodded, disinterestedly, "I suppose. Has Kreacher been any use yet?"
Severus frowned, "What do you mean?"
"Well, has he provided any information from Hogwarts?"
Snape had to make a concerted effort not to snap his head towards the woman in shock, "Kreacher's at Hogwarts?" he tried to sound merely mildly interested.
She nodded, "Yes, it was Bella's idea," her distaste for her sister was clear in her tone. "You know I usually prefer to stay out of all this," she made a vague movement with her hand which he took to mean 'the attempted genocide's your business, not mine'. "He's been there for a few weeks, I take it no one's suspected anything?"
Snape shook his head, "No. No one suspected a thing. No one usually goes down to the kitchens."
She raised her pale eyebrows, "Well apparently some prefect wandered in and recognised him earlier today, but it's alright he said he managed to talk her round."
"A prefect?"
She nodded, "Yes."
He knew that to continue the subject with her might make her suspicious and so he dropped it, his head spinning with unasked questions but he knew he had to get back to Hogwarts as soon as he could.
"I should return to the school before someone misses me."
She looked sorry to see him go, "I should leave myself. Do stay in touch, Severus, it was nice to talk to you."
An idea struck him and he asked on impulse, "You attacked Ginny Weasley didn't you?"
She looked defensive, "They hurt my son."
He nodded in understanding, "It will not happen again, I assure you."
"Thank you. Goodnight, Severus."
He managed with effort to return her smile, "Goodnight, Narcissa."
He disapperated to Hogsmeade instantly and set off at a run towards the school, damning Bellatrix Lestrange and her mad ideas and the fact that this one might have paid off but most of all the fact that it seemed one of the students had enough sympathy with the Dark Lord's activities to recognise Kreacher and yet say nothing.
XXXXXXX
A/N: Hey I updated twice in one week! This has got to be a record for me in recent years! Hope you're all still enjoying it and I hope you stick with it after book seven comes out because I'll continue to write and update.
On that note I hope everyone enjoys Deathly Hallows, I'll be queuing up at midnight once more and I'm just praying that it's good and that Snape gets a fantastic storyline! By the way I'm going to put out a theory, I think Snape's going to turn out to be Draco's father. I might be wrong but we shall see, it's just what I think.
I'll update again soon:o)