A/N: "Moggy" has really gained a decent amount of popularity… There's only been one other time I saw I had more than three e-mails in my inbox, and that wasn't reviews, I was just separated from my computer for a week. : P

Up to 11,800 hits. (Yaaaaaay!) : 3 REVIEW PLEASE!

Chapter Twelve

Evil or What?

"What's he doing here? Harry, look!"

"He's up to no good, of course."

"Careful, don't let him see you!"

"Just tell me when, George, I've got my wand ready…"

"Is that a cat he's got there?"

"Oh, get out from under that window, you look positively stupid." Xanthe walked across the living room, glaring at Harry, Ron, Fred and George, who were all crouching by the window, peering up over the sill through a slit between the curtains.

Xanthe approached the door and saw Crookshanks was pawing at the wood. His tail moved impatiently from side to side.

"What are you doing?" Ron hissed as she waved Crookshanks away and started to unlock the door. "You can't let him in!"

"Hush," she said. She opened the door up to see Draco Malfoy standing with his fist raised, about to knock on the door. There was a very awkward silence. Xanthe glanced at the brown-eyed cat he held in one arm and a smirk appeared on her face.

Harry, Ron, and the twins all stood up and edged towards the door, glowering suspiciously at him, and all holding their wands tightly in their hands.

"Um," Malfoy put his arm down at his side. "Um… hi."

The syllable hung in the air, seeming overly absurd in this situation. Xanthe unsuccessfully tried to suppress a laugh and spoke with in a mock tone of anger. "'I don't want the goddamned thing, it's not mine…'"

Malfoy realized she was talking about Moggy and scowled. "Well – at least she doesn't say anything I don't want her to say!"

"And you're calling her a she instead of a thing. Adorable."

The four young men behind her now had expressions of bewilderment. And why wouldn't they? Wasn't Malfoy their enemy? And he was being ridiculed right in front of them.

"I need to talk to you," Malfoy growled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Fine, come in," Xanthe replied.

Malfoy picked up the suitcase that had been at his side and hesitantly walked inside. The audience of their strange conversation drew back in shock, especially Harry and Ron. He ignored them and followed Xanthe down the corridor, glancing around at the area. It was a shabby sort of place, just like he thought it would be.

Xanthe held a swinging door open for him. As he walked inside, Moggy began struggling in his arms. "You can let her down," Xanthe said.

He let Moggy go, and she bounded down the hallway and back into the living room. She tried to get Harry and Ron's attention, but that didn't seem to be working.

"Why does she seem so anxious to see them?" Malfoy asked.

Xanthe shrugged. "Come on, then, will you?"

He walked through the door, and his sister followed him closely. He froze with surprise when he entered the room. It was a very small kitchen, and several people had all been crammed into the space. He recognized a few of them, including McGonagall, the Weasleys, some Aurors…

He'd just dragged himself into a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix!

"Damnit, Xanthe – " he muttered trying to exit quickly before they noticed. The blonde woman grabbed him firmly around the forearm and said, loudly, "No, no, don't leave, Draco!"

Every curse word he possibly knew raced through his mind as she turned him to face dozens of pairs of eyes, all looking at him with fear, astonishment, and anger. He clenched his hands into fists nervously and gulped.

"Xanthe Roberts, what in the – " McGonagall started, drawing her wand and marching towards them, but Xanthe cut her off.

"That's not necessary, ma'am, I just wanted to ask Molly if he could have a room upstairs."

Molly Weasley made a small squeaking noise, indicating that she didn't feel very cooperative with that. Arthur's jaw dropped. "Isn't that… isn't that a Death Eater?"

"Yes, and he's also my brother," Xanthe said brightly before McGonagall could answer.

Absolute dead silence. All eyes were now turned to her. She continued to grin, a grin that looked extremely out of place. Malfoy stared at her also, amazed that she could say that to a bunch of anti-Voldemort wizards and witches and still smile, whether it was fake or not.

"Xanthe," McGonagall said finally, straightening her glasses with quick, jerky movements. "Why… why did you bring him here?"

"I didn't bring him, he came himself."

McGonagall grabbed Xanthe and gave one fierce tug, pulling her over to her side. She whispered to her so that Malfoy couldn't hear. As they were having their own silent conversation, Malfoy looked over toward the Order again, and then turned away quickly after seeing their cold, stony stares.

Xanthe stepped back over toward Malfoy and said, "You can come and sit down now."

"Sit…?" he started. Xanthe nodded and gestured toward the group arranged around the table, all still looking at him. McGonagall, walking briskly back to her spot, gave a terse flick with her wand and a chair appeared next to one of the members, who must have been one of the Weasley brothers, with his red hair. It seemed like the one Greyback attacked long ago, in Malfoy's sixth year at Hogwarts…

Why did Xanthe have to keep smiling? He was getting sick of that damn grin…

Malfoy breathed in, starting to shake a bit now, as he went over to the table to sit down beside many people who'd already decided he was an enemy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hermione was trying to get Ron and Harry to notice her again, but of course, her efforts were in vain. She pawed at Ron's leg, and he shook her off, saying, "What is with this bloody cat?"

"Don't push it towards me!" Harry lamented. "It's evil, it's been in Malfoy's house…"

"Did you call me evil?" Hermione hissed. "Did you just call me evil?!"

"Nice, Ron," Fred said. "Now it's pissed off."

"Come on, let's go find out what's happening in the kitchen…" Ron suggested, ignoring Fred's remark. Harry shook his head. "No, I'll go up and see Ginny. You can all go."

Ron shrugged and went with Fred and George down the hall, while Harry marched up the stairs. Hermione was about to sink into another of her depressed episodes, but quickly she shook it off. No, she thought. No, they have to know. I have to tell them somehow. Why not try writing to them?

Hermione wagged her tail with satisfaction. It was perfect. There was no way it couldn't work. All she needed was some paper and something to write with, and knowing her way around the Burrow, that would be easy…