Bit of a time jump from the last chapter to this one, and it's also a short one, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Chapter Sixteen

Tea with Narcissa Malfoy had, somehow, become a monthly thing following each of the death eater meetings Elaine had attended, and now that the school year was almost over, all Elaine could think about in their last one was Draco. Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Narcissa put her tea down and looked at her. "What is it?"

"He has two months," Elaine said softly, looking up at her. "Both of them do, don't they?" Even though Elaine and Severus hadn't spoken much since that afternoon he'd gotten completely drunk, she still found herself worried about him, found herself walking to his chambers to speak with him, to apologize, only to get there and change her mind. He had apologized, but she still found herself hesitating.

Narcissa pressed her lips together so tightly they nearly disappeared. Elaine knew the older woman wasn't coping well the longer things dragged on, what with her home becoming headquarters for the dark lord and his followers, and her own family being in the thick of things. But she'd had to ask. "Yes," Narcissa said finally. "Draco was given until the end of the school year." She looked up at Elaine. "How is he in classes?"

Elaine bit her lip. "He's attending them physically, but that's about all I can say. He won't speak with me, he knows where I ... where I stand in the war, so I think he's avoiding me and everyone to do with the dark lord, and focusing on his task."

"He's not going to succeed that way, and I've tried explaining this to him," Narcissa said bluntly. "He's had since August, and it's been nine months. All that he's done is cursed and poisoned fellow Hogwarts students." Narcissa leveled her gaze. "Speaking of the other students, they've both returned to lessons?"

"They have," Elaine said. "Katie Bell doesn't remember anything, so I think it's safe to say Draco is in the clear as far as that." She fidgeted, twisting a bracelet around and around her wrist. "He's a child. It is completely unfair this is all on his head."

"The dark lord doesn't exactly care about things being fair," Narcissa reminded her.

Elaine let out a small laugh. "This is true." They were quiet for some time, drinking their tea. "I want things to be different, you know," she confessed. "These months without Rowan - They've been the worst in my life. I want him here with me, but I want him safe, and I can't have both, can I?"

"Unfortunately we can't." Narcissa smiled at her, sadly. "I wanted to send Draco away - had a spot for him in Beauxbatons, but Lucius insisted he stay." She rose from her seat and went to the window, looking out into the gardens. "I am tired of war."

Elaine walked back into the castle, greeted immediately by a pale Severus. He grabbed her by the arm without a word and dragged her into an empty classroom. He slammed the door behind him, turning slowly to face her, his entire body trembling.

"Severus?" Elaine questioned, taking a small step forward. "What's happened?"

"You just returned from the Malfoys?" he demanded of her. She nodded slowly, and he paced from one end of the room to another. "Had the owl arrived already?" Elaine slowly shook her head.

"Severus, what's happened?" She stepped forward some more, grabbing his shoulders and holding them. "Talk to me."

Severus's eyes met hers. "Draco's in the hospital wing. He was attacked."

"Attacked? Wh-?" Severus pulled away from her. "Who attacked him?"

"Harry."

Elaine stared, "Why on earth would Harry attack Draco?" It didn't sound like him at all; Elaine knew about the rivalry the two boys had had since their first year, but they'd never attacked each other to this extent.

Severus wouldn't look at her. "He has my potions book. I don't know how, but he has it. I need you to get it from him. He won't be in trouble, but that book has dangerous spells in it, spells nobody should use."

Elaine was completely confused. "What are you talking about Severus?"

Severus finally sank into a chair, casting a privacy spell on the door. "When I was in school, I studied spell inventions, and succeeded in quite a few of them. But I was heavily into the dark arts, and the spells represented that. Especially the one that your brother used on Draco this evening. If I hadn't been nearby and heard Myrtle screaming, he would have died and your brother's soul would have been split."

Elaine felt herself shaking her head. "And you want me to get this book back from him? You really think he hasn't hidden it?"

Severus looked up at her. "I know he's hidden it. I just don't know where; after last year he knows I'm efficient in legilimacy, and he won't meet my eye. I need you to-"

"What, betray his trust? Severus, I don't think I can!"

"You can, and you need to, because if you don't, another student may get ahold of that book. It should never have been in circulation, and I don't know how Potter got ahold of it."

Elaine sighed, picking at her nails. "Fine. I'll go talk to him."