Ch. 23: The Plan Won't Fail

No matter how many times Draco told the story he had affectionately dubbed 'When That Arsehole Wood Got His Just Desserts', he never grew tired of telling it.

He had told Harry twice. The first time he had been slightly angry with him, but the second time around the story drew laughter and a lovely snog that left both of them feeling rather uncomfortable below the belt.

They were equally annoyed and relieved when they were interrupted by Remus delivering the black bag full of potions that had been deposited and promptly forgotten upon Severus' arrival.

Harry crawled over to the bag, pulling it open. "Which ones are the Wolfsbane?" he said, trying to distract Remus from the situation they had been caught in.

Remus pulled out each numbered phial, carefully placing them on the bedside table. "I've already taken them out. I've already dosed myself once."

"Oh. So these are all for Draco, then?"

"Yeah, it looks like Severus outdid himself," Remus said with a ghost of a smile. "He said to do the same as you did last time. He also said that if it is at all possible, could you at least try to take better notes. You are to write Draco's exact words."

Draco snickered, carefully crawling over beside Harry and laying his head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry he didn't appreciate your lovely descriptions."

Harry rolled his eyes. "He doesn't appreciate my work. It's understandable..."

Remus shouldered the bag and chuckled, "Yes, because 'cold, white, and glowy' explains everything."

"'Course it does," Harry sad matter-of-factly. "Shouldn't you be asleep? You have a long night."

Draco wrinkled his nose and Remus shook his head. "Tonight is the full moon, Draco. That's why I'm having a long night. Nothing... like you are thinking."

"What you're thinking is scheduled for tomorrow night," Harry added, prompting the werewolf to shove the teen and look highly offended.

"I'm going back to bed," Remus grumbled. "I don't deserve this type of treatment. What did I do to earn this?"

Draco cradled his head in his hands and moaned, "Need you even ask? I've told you this, but you went temporarily insane. I know it, Harry knows it, I'm sure you must know it."

The werewolf sighed. "Wanting to sleep with someone, even Oliver Wood, is in no way insane. He is exceedingly polite and a lot of fun to talk to. I don't understand why you and Harry hate him so much."

"I don't hate him," Harry stated flatly. "I just don't understand him. I never did."

"And he said some really hurtful things to Harry," Draco snarled. "You don't do that. He's an arse. I don't leave that out."

"He's not an arse," Remus pushed, but his heart wasn't in it. "He's just young. He's probably less mature than you and Harry."

"Which makes the fact that you slept with him all the more creepy," Harry grumbled, picking up the first phial and handing it over to Draco.

"And I appreciate you highlighting that fact," Remus said as he strode to the door. "Do what Severus assigned. I'm going to bed to sleep. I'll see you two sometime tomorrow afternoon."

Draco nodded vaguely and Harry wished the werewolf a feeble 'good luck', both trying their hardest not to envision the horrors that Remus would soon be facing.

They had decided to distribute the potions evenly throughout the week ahead of them, the last of them to be taken the morning of September 1st before Harry and Severus returned to school. It gave them all something better to think about besides the looming threat of Hogwarts.

The first two, the first of which was taken soon after Remus had delivered them and the second that was taken just after dinner, proved to be rather pointless. Aside from dizziness and slight nausea, neither did anything. Harry recorded their findings just as the sun sank from the sky.

The house was eerily quiet. Draco had pointed out that Severus more than likely performed some high quality silencing charms on the room where Remus was kept, and Harry felt inclined to agree.

It was rather easy to sleep, even with the absence of both Severus and Remus. With Draco curled up beside him, his fine blonde head resting lightly on his chest, Harry found it exceedingly hard to care.

Hermione arrived two days after the full moon looking a pleasant mix of refreshed, cheerful, and thoroughly debauched. Obviously her visit to Ron's had proved eventful, not that either her or Harry would bring it up. Draco probably would have, but he hadn't yet figured it out, for some odd reason. He was usually really perceptive about that sort of thing.

After two more complete duds potion-wise, one that made Draco's eyes bleed, and one that made him violently ill, Hermione was a pleasant distraction. She came bearing news from both Ginny and her gossip and other news that had been overheard from Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. According to them, Dumbledore had been unaccounted for for some time. Harry assumed that the letter that the headmaster had sent to him was quite possibly the last time anybody had heard from him.

Severus was hardly ever seen. Both Harry and Draco knew that he had left the house more than once, but for what they were unsure.

Remus could most commonly be found in the library, revising and taking more notes for both his and Draco's use. It was easier than worrying about what was going on outside, it seemed. Everyone knew there was something big being planned, but no one had any clue what.

It was mostly quiet by the third day. Hermione and Draco had decided to join Remus in the library, silently guilting Harry into going as well. He took along the Braille book that Draco had given him to learn from, intent on learning to read how Draco did. He would have to write letters with a special typewriter, he might as well learn to read it. It was going to be his surprise for Draco before he had to leave. He thought it was a rather good idea.

The library trip, he soon discovered, wasn't a very good idea. Not only was Remus doing an uneasy combination of tapping a quill on his knee, staring sightlessly at a book he had laid out in front of him, and occasionally sending a nervous glance at the doorway as if hoping that Severus would come swirling in, but he kept sending fake-brave glances to the three of them as if assuring them that he was fine and everything would be alright, even if he himself didn't believe the blatant lie.

It had finally come to the point that Harry believed that it was physically impossible for Remus to sit still any longer and the werewolf stood, muttering something about cooking dinner, even though it was around three in the afternoon. No one stopped him; it gave him something to do that didn't annoy the rest of the house.

As Harry studied the intricacies of Braille both Draco and Hermione sat reading, Hermione her Ancient Runes text and Draco a book that looked suspiciously like 'The Boy-Who-Lived: The Life, Times, and Struggles of Harry Potter'. He didn't ask.

Harry pressed on with the Braille, not sure how Hermione and Draco had learned it so quickly. But he would learn it for the simple reasoning that Draco wanted him to, and he cared about Draco more than anything.

"Has he awoken?"

"No my Lord, he is still unconscious," Lucius said softly as he pressed a kiss to Lord Voldemort's knuckles. "He hasn't spoken."

Voldemort nodded once, leading Lucius into the dungeons and taking slow, measured steps. "Excellent. Have you spoken with Severus regarding the cover?"

"Yes my Lord. He is coming here to speak with you. He had to do something of relevance at Hogwarts and he will be here as soon as possible. He knows nothing yet of our prisoner or the genius plan you have set in motion."

"You told him nothing?" Voldemort said, sending a slow glare at Lucius.

"I'm leaving that to you, My Lord," the blonde man said as he came to a halt in front of the only cell that was occupied.

"Ah, and here he is now," Voldemort said as fast footsteps reverberated off the walls as Severus approached, a hard look on his face. "Hello, Severus. So glad you could make it."

Snape's eyes didn't leave Lucius and he bowed slightly to the Dark Lord. "If my presence is required of you, my Lord, then my presence you shall have. Lucius told me of a plan."

Voldemort's thin lips pressed together in an eerie smile. "Yes, a plan to procure both the youngest Malfoy and the youngest Potter. I have learned that they are being held in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, something that you yourself have told me."

"Yes my Lord," Severus said darkly, still staring at the sneering elder Malfoy.

"And you have repeatedly told me that the headquarters in Unplottable and you are unsure of the Secret-Keeper," Voldemort continued in the same tone, the smile widening on his snake-like face.

Severus nodded curtly, finally tearing his eyes away from Lucius and saying, "Do you think you have figured out who the Secret-Keeper is?"

Voldemort steepled his fingers under his chin and said, "Not only do I have the Secret-Keeper figured out, I have him in custody."

"May I ask who you think holds that knowledge?" Severus said slowly, silently praying that Voldemort was wrong and that he had no idea who…

"See for yourself," he hissed, gesturing to the darkened cell with undisguised triumph on his face.

There, sprawled on the grimy floor was Albus Dumbledore, his white hair and beard dirty and matted. His eyes were squeezed closed painfully, his half-moon spectacles missing. Severus closed his eyes and said, quietly, "This will be hard to explain, my Lord."

"We have a plan," Lucius said, obviously unable to restrain himself any longer. "We have created a Polyjuice potion with Dumbledore's hair and I am to be him. Simple, really. I, as Dumbledore, will call a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix to let everyone know that Dumbledore is alright. He has been missing for quite some time."

Severus' face remained neutral. "This plan poses a problem, my Lord. You still have to get the location of the Headquarters from him, and I am sure this will be next to impossible."

"You doubt me?" Voldemort said. "That is not a smart decision, my servant."

"If anyone can do it my Lord," Lucius said in a smooth tone, "it will be you."

Voldemort looked at his two servants in turn and, his eyes settling on Snape, said, "You aren't to speak of the plan to anyone."

"Who would I tell?" Severus said as he bowed swiftly. "I must go, my Lord. I am needed at Hogwarts."

"Go," Voldemort said, dismissing the Potions Master. Watching him go a few paces Voldemort pulled out his wand, aiming it at the back of his head and crying, "Obliviate."

"I don't trust him," Lucius said slowly, watching the dark-haired man stall, then continue on his way. "He is hiding Draco. He is helping the Order."

"That's why no one will suspect him when he finds you as Dumbledore," Voldemort said, looking from the near-dead Dumbledore in the cell to Lucius. "That's why the plan won't fail."

Lucius smirked and said, "Yes, my Lord. It won't fail."

Thanks to brionyjae for the beta!