A/N: Hi, I'm still here, though I'm astonished by the fact other people seem to still be. Huge thanks to Jadely31 and Phoenixx Rising for their reviews. Jadely31 – writing Oliver offering to help hide a body was tremendous fun! ;-)
A Subtle Change
Chapter 27
Druscilla Thornfield leaned heavily against the knife-scarred kitchen counter at Grimmauld Place, the morning sun warming her pleasantly through the window, contemplating pouring herself yet more coffee. It had been a long night, Fudge had proved surprisingly receptive but had kept her talking until the early hours, determined to pick over every last detail. On some level she'd been impressed, this paranoid, obsessive approach, debating every detail and angle, that was likely what had got him where he was. He'd become complacent in office but there was still a whisper of the officious details-man she remembered from her visits to her father's office as a young girl. There'd been no definite answer from him but she was sure that was just a matter of time and negotiation now.
Still, sleep had not come easily afterwards. As she'd tossed and turned she'd wondered, not for the first time, if she'd ever end up like Fudge. She snorted, have to actually get the Minister of Magic position first, time enough for navel gazing once Voldemort was dead. Sighing, she turned her attention to the large cafetière. With the first sip of the rich, scorching hot, black coffee, she felt some of the tension flow from her body.
"I thought you were banned from Coffee. Do I have to report you to Percy?"
Remus Lupin. The wryly amused tones were a touch more reserved than usual but she was simply grateful to hear them. She looked up and smiled thorough the steam rising from her mug. "We called a truce."
He nodded, a small trace of a smile hanging about his lips as he poured his own beverage, liberally mixing in cream and sugar. "Ah."
She was quiet for a moment. "Maybe we could do the same?"
He sighed, all sign of a smile vanishing, "Maybe. Being your friend is somewhat exhausting, Druscilla, and I think we've both got enough to worry about as it is."
The horrible calm finality in his tone left her momentarily at a loss for words. Before she could regain any powers of speech they were joined in the kitchen by Snape.
"We're about to start, if you're intending on joining us."
Remus responded to the sardonic tones with the usual genial affability that Druscilla suspected annoyed the hell out of Snape. "Thank you, Severus." He gestured politely for the other man to go ahead of him and followed the potions master through to the dining room, leaving Druscilla trailing in his wake.
The woman shook herself firmly before entering the dining room, no need to look like a love-crazed school girl after all. She did however slip into the chair beside Remus, the worst possible thing she could do for her own sanity really, but thoughts of self-preservation seemed a little bit late now. She was well aware that for the first time in her adult life someone had caught more than just her attention. Remus Lupin seemed to have simply caught her. With no apparent effort to do so. No compliments or flattery, no apparent overt interest, no attempts to impress.
Oh Remus was attracted, of course he was. Druscilla knew the power of her own charms and she'd been observing men as a bird of prey does small fluffy things since she was a teenager, she knew exactly what to look for. She also knew that attraction could be nothing more than passing fancy, the acknowledgement of the desirability of another human being. It did not necessarily follow that there was a desire to act on it. There had been moments when she had thought that Remus was interested, but the repeated fights, her repeated slip-ups, had pushed him further and further away. Her theory of pressing his buttons until she found the right one might simply have led to her pressing the self-destruct on the entire situation.
There were many people, not least Remus himself, who questioned Druscilla's professionalism, but anyone who'd worked with her quickly learnt that when it counted she could be the consummate professional her job required. She had worked too long and too hard to be distracted by foolish notions of romance and so, with no small amount of difficulty and regret, she pushed her feelings aside and brought her attention to bear on the issues at hand.
There was only one issue the Order ever discussed these days. Harry. How to get him back. How to defeat those who held him. When useful discussion, if it could even be termed that anymore, ran out, emotions started to reveal just how high they were running.
"Severus, you've not said much about Harry of late." The desperate, dying hope in Remus' eyes seemed to have some effect even on Snape as his response was more moderated than usual, if still not what Druscilla would have liked.
"That is because I have not seen him for some time now. I would have heard if he were dead though." Druscilla nearly dropped her head into her hands at what she could only presume was the potions master's own unique brand of reassurance.
"Plenty could happen while he's still alive," Moody warned grimly.
"Alastor!" Druscilla literally threw her hands up in despair at the man's outspoken cynicism. "That is not helping anyone!"
Moody did not look in the least chagrined by his telling off.
Remus looked haunted, there was no other word for it and she was beginning to find it physically painful to look at him. Her hand reached under the table and gripped his almost harshly, trying desperately to communicate what she didn't know how to say. Despite his distant attitude of earlier, he didn't pull away.
XXXXXXX
Percy watched the meeting in bemused silence. His boss was unusually quiet. He had been in her office first thing, hoping to hear about her conversation with the Minister, but she hadn't turned in to work and he'd not seen her until she'd wandered in, a few minutes late, to the 10am Order meeting. Afterwards, when she finally left Remus' side for two minutes, he managed to gain a moments quiet conversation.
"Percy," she gave him a small smile, "Sorry I didn't make it in this morning, I was up rather late last night."
"Did you speak to the Minister then?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes." She did not elaborate further.
Percy frowned. "I thought you were going to present something to the Order?"
"Not yet. It's going to take more than one late-night visit from me to persuade Cornelius to action. Kingsley and I are meeting with him again the day after tomorrow."
"I see he's grasped that time is of the essence here then."
Her smile took on a sardonic edge. "You're sounding as cynical as me. Don't. Believe it or not, after years of what's practically been open warfare between the Minister and I, this is pretty good progress. Come on, you were his assistant. How many times did you watch me land him in it?"
"Surely he doesn't think you'd do that now?!"
"Percy, if he doesn't think that then he's much dafter than I believed he was," she gave a snort of amusement. "No I wouldn't do that, but if I were him I wouldn't trust me either."
"While you two work out whether or not you can trust each other someone's life hangs in the balance."
Druscilla was unphased by Percy's hard tone and patted his arm slightly condescendingly. "Welcome to politics, babe."
Percy watched as she sashayed away, before closing his eyes and willing himself not to scream. Breathing deeply and slowly, he opened his eyes again to find a handsome scot watching him from across the other side of the room. His lips twitched involuntarily into a smile. Maybe work could wait, just this once, it was nearly midday after all. He crossed over to Oliver's side, dodging his mother who was thankfully distracted by something his father had either done that he wasn't supposed to or not done that was supposed to. Either way, she was annoyed, his father was confused, and Percy was able to pass unquestioned.
He greeted Oliver with a smile. "Lunch?"
Oliver's expression blossomed into a grin. "Sounds like a plan." He winked mischievously, "Your place or mine?"
"Oliver!" Percy glanced around nervously.
"It was a joke," Oliver's smile had disappeared.
"I know," Percy sighed, "Just not here, ok?"
Oliver had a feeling that sooner or later there was a conversation that was going to have to be had and he suspected it wasn't going to be pleasant. He wasn't about to start it here and now however. While everyone's lives and futures seemed so uncertain he was willing to allow the issue to drop. "Come on, let's go and get something to eat." Oliver led the way out. "Knowing you you'll be running back to work in no time, I'm going to demand you eat something first."
Percy tried to smile but could tell Oliver's levity was forced. "You're worse than my mother."
"You can go and have lunch with her if you'd prefer."
"Of course not." Once they were well out of sight of Grimmaud Place and wandering down a quiet muggle street, Percy placed an apologetic hand on Oliver's arm. "Why don't we go to yours and grab a sandwich, I can't take too long and I don't feel like dealing with anywhere busy."
Or you don't feel like being seen with me in public, Oliver thought grimly. He forced a smile. "Sure, why not."
Percy knew Oliver was still unhappy but had no idea what he could say to improve things. He couldn't do what he was sure the other man wanted and be more open about the two of them, and frankly given that it hadn't even been a fortnight yet he wasn't entirely convinced Oliver wasn't somewhat overreacting.
Lunch was a quiet affair, subdued almost, until eventually it was Oliver who found himself asking Percy what was wrong. Half expecting either a dismissal, or an admission that he was uncomfortable with the idea Oliver might want their relationship to become public knowledge, Oliver instead discovered that Percy's over-active brain had been dwelling much more on the events of the Order meeting than on their conversation afterwards.
"They're all infighting while Harry's life's in danger! I thought once we had a location that'd be it, that we'd swoop in and get him out." Percy sighed, "Which was admittedly ridiculously short-sighted. There's only one way I can see that we could do that and it involves getting Minister Fudge's cooperation and he hates every last one of us."
Oliver frowned. "What do we need Fudge for again?"
"How do you fight an army of Death Eaters?"
Oliver had noticed that Percy often answered his questions with more questions, trying to get him to work things out for himself rather than just telling him what he was thinking. When it came to more personal matters Oliver found this vaguely infuriating, but he was aware that when it came to other issues Percy was in effect saying 'you don't need me to tell you, you're quite capable of working this through yourself'. For someone who'd never seen himself as stupid but certainly never considered his intellect anywhere near the likes of Percy Weasley, it left a warm feeling inside to be treated by someone whose intellect he so respected as though he were quite capable of keeping up with them. He wasn't, no one was capable of keeping up with Percy intellectually in his opinion, but the fact Percy treated him as his equal was just one of the many things he was coming to love about the other man. The other man who was beginning to look impatient as Oliver stared at him with what was likely a dopey expression, instead of engaging his brain as Percy wanted him to. When he finally gave it some thought, it was mere moments before realisation dawned on Oliver's handsome features. "With an army of Aurors?"
Percy nodded grimly, "I would assume so."
Oliver couldn't help it, he reached out and took Percy's hand. The more the other man surprised him, the more he saw of his dedication and intellect, the passion he hid from the world as much as he possibly could, the more Oliver wanted him. Physically, mentally, emotionally, he found himself more and more drawn to the pompous redhead. Oliver had never been the relationship type, even once he'd worked out why the girls who seemed so keen on him didn't interest him, he'd always found it easier, and perfectly satisfying, to spend a few hours in bed with someone and move on. No complications or attachments, no distractions from quidditch and his career, and until now no one had made him want anything else.
Percy's eyes went first to their joined hands, then up to meet Oliver's gaze. Whatever he thought he saw there seemed to make him uncomfortable and he squeezed Oliver's hand hard, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm sorry about before," he said quietly. "I'm just not ready to have certain conversations right now."
"Yes, I'd gathered that." Oliver tried to keep his resentment from showing. "It is perhaps not the best time, you have enough to worry about." That at least he could be sincere about, this really wasn't the time. Might be worth seeing if they both made through the next few weeks intact first. His hand tightened around Percy's at the thought.
Percy kissed him, "Thank you for understanding."
Oliver's smile was more of a grimace. "You should probably be thinking about going back to the office."
"Yes." Percy was well aware Oliver was hurt and trying not to say so and his guilt sent him running. "I should get back, Thornfield will be wondering where I am."
"So, your boss," despite being the one to suggest he go, Oliver seemed reluctant for Percy to actually leave and called him back as he reached for the floo powder, "What's she a Professor of anyway?"
"Chaos?" Percy finally voiced aloud what he had often thought in the privacy of his own head.
They both laughed, dispelling something of the awkwardness that had arisen. "It's an honorary title she got for doing some Dark Arts lecturing years ago," Percy clarified, "I think she still lectures every once in a while."
Oliver frowned, "You mean Defence Against the Dark Arts?"
Percy shrugged. "She wasn't clear, and there are questions I've never thought it wise to ask her..." He turned to leave and shot a humorously grim smile back over his shoulder, "...she might just answer them."
Oliver felt that for once Percy stepping delicately around an issue instead of tackling it might just be for the best. He grinned, goodness knew what that woman would say with a little encouragement.
XXXXXXX
Percy was not the only one who had left the Order meeting with a feeling of frustration. In Snape's case though the frustration was mingled uncomfortably with a, possibly mistaken, notion that he might just be able to do something about it all.
In his time Severus Snape had done many things that he had been forced to concede were less than wise. He had a permanent mark on his forearm reminding him exactly how foolish he could on occasions be. It did not however seem to have acted as the desired warning against his latest act of what was, he had to admit, senseless suicidal nonsense - it wasn't even something Dumbledore would have requested! Grumbling internally at his own stupidity, Severus made his way swiftly towards the room that had become Harry Potter's cell and threatened to become his last resting place.
The boy was slumped in a corner, he didn't even look up as Severus entered.
There was absolutely no good reason the man could come up with for being in here, but he'd had to do it. The pathetic hangdog expression on Lupin's face was beginning to bother him. Not that he would ever admit that.
Never removing his mask, he crouched beside the boy and turned Harry's face firmly towards him. The once bright green eyes were bleary, dull and unfocused. He'd not eaten in days and his lips were cracked and bleeding. Severus wasn't even sure when the last time he'd had water was. If the Dark Lord's plan involved keeping Potter alive then it was one of his worst carried out to date. The boy struggled weakly in his grip but his heart didn't seem to be in it. Severus pulled out the bottle of water from his bag and pushed it into the boy's hands. "Don't die, Potter, we've got plans for you yet."
He wasn't sure if his words had been intended to be ambiguous. If the boy recognised his voice, which he gave no outward signs of doing, then maybe he'd be bright enough to realise that the Dark Lord wasn't the only one that might have plans for him.
XXXXXXX
Another day, another tedious Order meeting. Another chance to recount what stupidly risky ventures he had undertaken lately all in the name of a brat who couldn't think before he acted. Severus was feeling unusually sour the day after his pointless expedition to check on Potter. The whole reason for going had been to be able to give the Order, to give that damned werewolf and his permanently morose expression of late, some news of the blasted boy wonder. Now that it came to it though he found he felt mildly uncomfortable with the idea of admitting that he had purposely sought the boy out to check on his welfare. He allowed the meeting to drag on in it's usual pointless manner, saying nothing and wondering if perhaps he should simply have told Dumbledore beforehand. That would have been the sensible option, then he might even have managed to find an excuse not to be there at all.
His patience with the situation however ran out around about the same time that Molly Weasley's composure did. "We don't even know if he's alive!" she choked out in reference to Harry. The woman was clearly not in a good state of mind and tears seemed imminent.
Severus cut across her forcefully, almost snapping. "He was alive yesterday. Not looking much like staying that way but I gave him some water and he was semi-responsive," his gaze shifted to Remus, "He's not going to die just yet."
"Thank you." Remus' voice was quiet and warm.
Sat across from him, Percy couldn't help thinking Remus sounded almost as affectionate as he had ever heard him, even when talking to Druscilla. A glance at his boss revealed a small, soft smile playing at the edges of her lips as she watched the two men.
"Why are you thanking him for being fundamentally cruel?" Molly's tears were beginning to break through and Arthur had his arm round his wife in an instant, trying to soothe her. It was clear though that no matter how harsh her words, she was relieved to hear something of Harry's well-being.
Remus' golden eyes never left Severus' dark ones through the entire exchange. "He's not."
Severus, predictably, scowled.
When Dumbledore spoke it was with a note of suspicious briskness, as though he were suppressing some emotion and anxious to leave before it got the better of him. "Thank you for that, Severus, I think on that note of hope we will adjourn for today." He gestured to Severus to go ahead of him and left quickly. His guilt over the risks Severus took on seemed more clear than ever.
Remus, fighting back tears of relief, found Druscilla at his side, smiling softly and proffering her arm. "Walk me back to the office?"
"The Ministry's miles from here, and it's raining." Remus took her arm nonetheless.
"So your reluctance would be entirely based upon the distance and the weather, not about the company?"
He smiled, his answer clear. "I don't know how you walk between the floo and your office in those shoes," he glanced down at yet another pair of designer heels. "I certainly don't know how you can consider going miles in the rain in them."
She admired her shoes with a grin. "Years of practice. Also they came complete with cushioning and water-repellent charms. And they make my legs look amazing."
He laughed. "No arguments there, but from someone who thinks of herself as practical your footwear's often an odd choice..."
"Oh Remus, not everything in life can be practical all the time, that would be no fun at all! And I bet I can do more in these heels than you'd expect," she teased.
He shook his head, "Then I suppose we'd better get walking and you can prove it."
XXXXXXX
Even before the Hogwarts teachers had made their swift exit, Percy noticed his mother slip away towards the kitchen with a muttered comment about making tea. His father, looking keen to go after her, was caught in conversation by Moody and no one else seemed to have noticed. Leaving Oliver to head off to an early evening practice, Percy headed quickly after his mother.
He found her staring out of the kitchen window, sobbing quietly. He lingered awkwardly in the doorway for a moment judging what to do.
Percy always found it hard to understand his mother. He loved her but sometimes even basic conversation felt difficult, a trial to be avoided lest relations deteriorate further than the bemused distance they seemed stuck at usually. It wasn't just that she was so different to him, (he didn't honestly have much in common with his father either), but her seeming inability to accept that difference. She had trouble understanding him, though possibly still understood him better than he did her, and was clearly upset by this and desperate to 'fix' it. All this served to do however was make Percy uncomfortable and strain things further. His mother's emotional outbursts often baffled and unsettled him.
He did love her though and, uncomfortable as he found the situation, he could not simply leave her to cry. He approached her, with enough purposeful noise so as not to take her by surprise and risk an accident with the steaming kettle in front of her, and put his arms around her from behind. She looked back at him (and a good way upwards) and gave him a weak smile. "Now what's got you sentimental, you're not generally the hugging sort." Her tone was pragmatic, almost scolding, but her hands clasped his tightly.
"It'll be alright, mum." He found his voice unexpectedly thick and he let his mother go, grabbing a tea towel and polishing a nearby glass that probably didn't need it.
"Silly boy, of course it will," she smiled brightly, wiping away her tears and focusing more than perhaps was strictly necessary on making a huge pot of tea.
"Mum," he chastised, "I'm not 5 any more, you don't need to pretend to be alright."
"Neither do you." She eyed him sharply, "There are things you don't tell people, Percival Weasley, and I suppose as an adult you're entitled to your privacy," she looked dubious about this, "or so your father tells me at any rate, but you're hiding things and it's not good for you! There's something going on, you're almost never at home and I'm starting to find it hard to believe even you can spend this much time at the office! Is it a young lady, Percy? You know we'd be delighted to meet anyone you were becoming involved with!"
Percy shook his head wildly, "No, Mum! There's no young lady!"
"Percy with a young lady? That doesn't sound very likely."
Percy flushed horribly at Bill's amused voice floating from the kitchen doorway. "I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself." His response, stiff and pompous, would have provoked the likes of Fred and George further than ever. Bill however, with Charlie at his heels, simply smirked.
"Whatever you say, Perce."
"Oh boys, don't!" Molly snapped, prompting Bill and Percy to share matching guilty expressions and Charlie to punch Bill in the arm.
"Sorry, mum." Percy left quickly, shrugging off Charlie's hand as he passed.
"Ooh!" Molly let out a frustrated noise, "Go and fix that! Right now, William!" She pointed after Percy and Bill obediently sauntered out of the kitchen after him.
Molly sighed and turned to Charlie, "Go and make sure he doesn't make things worse."
Charlie grinned and hugged his mother impulsively before dashing off a mock salute and chasing after his brothers. Molly sank back against the kitchen counter, some days she felt like the collective noun for a group of siblings should be an argument.
XXXXXXX
Charlie caught up with his brothers in time to hear Bill needling an annoyed looking Percy still further. "You reacted a bit strenuously to mum asking if you'd got a girlfriend." Bill looked as though he were trying to provoke Percy but Charlie couldn't fathom why.
"Well I haven't!" Percy snapped, almost shouted, face an unflattering shade of red.
"Ok Perce, I think we got that," Charlie tried to soothe his younger brother while shooting Bill a warning look.
"You should both just learn to mind your own business," Percy huffed, stalking out like a cat whose fur had been ruffled.
"What are you thinking?" Charlie frowned as Bill watched Percy leave.
"Nothing. Just..." Bill hesitated and shook his head, his tone turned light and teasing, "Wondering if we'll ever see the day again when he does find himself a girlfriend."
"Oh, Bill!" Charlie smacked him on the arm again, "You shouldn't be so hard on him!"
Bill gave him an odd smile and turned away muttering, "Not quite what I meant."
Charlie refused to enquire further. "Don't you start as well! I get quite enough of people being cryptic around here."
Bill laughed. "Certainly the last way anyone would describe you. Those two on the other hand," he nodded over to where Druscilla and Remus were walking out of the house together in quiet conversation.
Charlie smacked him for a third time. "You're turning into a curtain-twitching gossip!" He looked around cautiously and added in a low tones, full of merry affection, "Mum'd be proud."
XXXXXXX
As he closed the door quietly behind them, Remus heard suppressed giggling from the two eldest Weasley brothers and shook his head, there was something wonderfully resilient about youth. Sighing at the weather, he allowed Druscilla to lead the way down the narrow garden path. "I'm not entirely sure why you wanted to walk in the rain."
She moved her, predictably green, umbrella to cover him as well. "I am very fond of walking in the rain."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Of course you are."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Only that you're contrary. Doubtless had I extolled the virtues of inclement weather you'd have given me a lecture on the pleasures of sunshine."
She smirked, "With you as my personal sunbeam I consider there to always be sunshine in my life."
"You are impossible."
"So many have said." She didn't seem in the least apologetic about this.
He chuckled. "I meant what I said yesterday you know, being friends with you is exhausting. But I suppose I don't always mind being exhausted by you."
She smiled, expression inscrutable, but remained quiet.
"Isn't this where you insert your usual innuendo?" he asked.
She donned a disingenuously puzzled expression. "I thought you wanted me to behave?"
Remus looked amused and shook his head. "There's a line between playful and downright inappropriate, you're usually quite good at straddling it."
"Nope." She shook her head and pressed her lips together firmly to hold back laughter. "No matter how many times you use words like inappropriate, insert, and straddle, I refuse to be drawn."
"No?" He smiled. "Shame."
She grinned wickedly, "Well, if you really want me to, I suppose I can accommodate you," she winked.
He laughed, more genuinely than he felt he had since this whole awful affair with Harry had started. "I'm sorry. I may have overreacted to the whole thing about Severus."
"Perhaps, but I was deeply inappropriate about him and you charged most gallantly to his defence." Remus opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off with a grin more wicked than ever. "Now, now, I know you two aren't yet ready to admit the fact that you secretly don't wish each other dead after all, but seriously it's getting a bit obvious. I mean you do realise that he just did something stupidly dangerous to make you feel better!"
"He did it to check Harry was still alive, you crazy woman!"
"Oh please, as he'd already told you, had it been otherwise he would have known! It would seem that perhaps even he is not entirely immune to your puppy-dog eyes and you, by the way you keep defending him, are clearly much fonder of him than you'd like to admit."
"Well he's still not my favourite Slytherin," Remus grumbled.
"Well of course not," she said, as though he could hardly have said anything more obvious, "That's me."
Remus groaned, "Why do I put up with you?"
She shrugged, "Could be the same reason I put up with you."
He looked at her for a moment as though he was trying to trace something in her expression. Whatever he was searching for, it seemed he found it. "Yes, perhaps it could."
XXXXXXX
Back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore tried to leave for his office alone but was stopped by his potions master. "There was something else I didn't want to raise at the meeting."
Dumbledore sighed tiredly, "Come up to my office, my boy." He glanced at Professor McGongall, showing no signs of leaving them, and Severus nodded. "You too, Minerva."
Inside his office Dumbledore sat heavily in his chair and gestured for them to be seated as well.
Severus wasted no time in getting to the point. "I can bring the wards down when you're ready."
Dumbledore nodded quietly. "Thank you, Severus."
"He'll know once it happens?" McGonagall's voice was steady but her hands had clenched, Dumbledore noticed, her concern for Severus obvious.
"Almost certainly." Severus quickly changed the subject. "What will you do once they're down? I can't imagine you're going to attempt an all out assault with our handful of Order members."
Dumbledore looked grim, "I suspect the answer to that little conundrum is why Kingsley and Professor Thornfield have been so secretive lately. One them will talk Cornelius round, I'm afraid they both have a rather better relationship with him than I do. When you take into account that one of them's out to steal his job, that really does bring home just how badly I have done in maintaining the school's relations with the Ministry."
"There's nothing you could have done to prevent that." Minerva snorted, "Cornelius is good at worrying about the wrong things. His job, instead of the fate of the Wizarding world. You, instead of the woman who's been closing in on him steadily for years..."
"Waiting to cut his throat when he's not looking," Severus interrupted, a note of humour in his velvet tones.
Minerva chuckled, "You like the idea of a Slytherin in charge don't you?"
"She can hardly do a worse job." From Severus this came close to being an endorsement.
"She has her own weaknesses," Dumbledore mused, "But unlike Cornelius she is mostly aware of them. It's hard to deny she'd be an improvement, though I suspect if and when it comes to it she'll have to do a little more growing up rather quickly. But it's nearing dinner time and if you two aren't on time your respective houses will no doubt begin a war to put all of this to shame." His eyes twinkled as they glanced at watches and at each other and seemed to agree with his assessment. "Go along, I'll follow you down in a few minutes."
The two House Heads made their way down towards the Great Hall in silence but, just as Severus thought he was going to make it without a lecture, his colleague stopped and placed a hand on his arm. "Severus..."
"Are you going to tell me to be careful?" there was a mocking note in his tone Minerva found infuriating.
"No, Severus, I'm going to tell you to barge in there like a bull in a china shop and get yourself killed because that will be so much more helpful to us." She glared at him.
He couldn't hold back a laugh and was secretly delighted by the woman's clear frustration. His games with the Gryffindor Head were one of the highlights of his days, and moments when he truly got a rise out of the calm, dignified witch were always memories he cherished.
"Severus, if you carry on being so difficult all the time it won't be the Death Eaters you'll need to worry about," she warned darkly before striding away towards the hall without him.
The man decided it would be best never to voice his thoughts that, if it really came down to it, the idea of an angry Minerva was far more frightening than perhaps even the Dark Lord himself. The worst the Death Eaters and their Lord would do would be torture and kill him. The woman stalking away (he could almost imagine the angrily swishing tail that would certainly have been present were she transformed) was, he suspected, rather more terrifyingly inventive than that.
XXXXXXX
Druscilla had eventually agreed with Remus that walking all the way to the Ministry was a trifle unnecessary and so made it back to her office only a hour after Percy, who she discovered sat at her desk rifling her paperwork. He looked up with a frown, waving a scroll at her. "Do you file anything?"
She ignored the question. "Hello, Grumpy, what's bitten you?"
Percy frowned, "It's nothing." He coloured as she raised an eyebrow, and vacated her chair allowing her to sit down. "Family stuff," he elaborated as she continued to stare at him. "Mum's on at me about a girlfriend."
Druscilla raised her eyebrows, "Well, sounds like you've got a fun conversation ahead of you there."
"Not really my priority right now. Have you made any more progress with whatever it was you were plotting?"
His word choice amused her. "Plotting. I like that. I am plotting. Plotting the overthrow of a tyrant and my own ascension. Going to try to do away with Voldemort while I'm at it too." She winked.
Percy was unimpressed by her levity. "I only really need to hear the parts regarding the Dark Lord. It's best if I have plausible deniability when the Minister mysteriously disappears."
She narrowed her eyes at him, utterly unable to decide if he was cracking a joke (unlikely surely). She judged it best to let it drop. "Kingsley and I have a plan, we finally have Fudge's approval, and I'm ready to take it to Dumbledore and the Order." She hesitated for a moment. "It really is very much the obvious, the cooperation that's been lacking for too long. We have to stop fighting each other and start fighting them. Sit down, I'll tell you everything."
XXXXXXX
A/N: This was originally just the first half of chapter 27 but I decided to split it here, which meant I could get an update out quicker (if 10 months has any right at all to be referred to as 'quicker'...) but the bonus of this is that Chapter 28 should follow a lot faster than it would have otherwise. I'm still plugging away and I'm going to go out on a limb here and promise never to leave a gap that long again! To anyone reading, thank you, you make my day. X