Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related.
Next chapter! I didn't take too long with this one. Didn't want to keep anyone waiting too long. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for all of the lovely reviews!
...
Lucius and Snape were walking down to their rooms in the dungeon after their patrol duties were over for the night.
"You're glowing." Snape remarked.
"Of course I am. How does someone like me not positively glow charm and dashing good looks?" Lucius replied casually.
Snape snorted. "Aside from your charm and dashing good looks, your necklace is green."
Lucius gave an annoyed look down at the pulsing green necklace. "The boy will live, he always does. Probably dreaming about spiders." Lucius muttered.
They kept walking in silence until Lucius's necklace started to throb an angry red.
"That's one hell of a dream he's having." Snape said.
"Bloody hell! Why does fate have it out for me?!" Lucius stormed. "You're glowing." Lucius pointed out as he turned and fled to the front of the castle.
"Really? Never thought I was one with that irresistible charm and devilish good looks." Snape said mockingly as he followed Lucius to the front entrance of the school.
...
"Help!" came a small urgent rasp of breath from Ron. If he stayed coiled inside of Nagini any longer, his eyes would surely pop.
"What are we doing to do, Harry?!" Hermione asked urgently.
"Start throwing curses at it!" Draco yelled.
At that moment two men came to a crashing stop in the doorway of the house.
"For the love of God! Do you see what I get stuck with?!" Lucius asked Snape in a disgusted voice.
Snape smirked. "How do you plan to fix this one?"
"Come on, boy! Slide on out of there." Lucius commanded, keeping a wary eye on the snake.
"What?!" Draco, Hermione, and Harry screamed.
"I did not stutter." Lucius snapped. He turned and looked at Snape asking, "Did I, Severus?"
"I do not believe so." Snape answered.
Remus came charging into the door, knocking Snape and Lucius to fall forward in front of the snake. Both men stumbled, tripping over their robes onto the ground.
"Feed us to the snake, why don't you?!" Snape asked furiously.
"Watch out, Professors!" Harry yelled.
Nagini struck forward at Snape and Lucius. Both men pushed back to land on their heels, leaning as far back as possible. Remus threw a protecting spell over them, causing Nagini to slam into an invisible wall. The grip she had on Ron loosened, causing him to suck in a big breath of air. Draco threw a fire charm at Nagini, causing her to quickly turn towards them.
"Great one!" Harry yelled.
"I was trying to help." Draco yelled back.
"This is most definitely not the time to fight!" growled Hermione.
Lucius and Snape were both on their feet again, trying to figure out how to get Ron while keeping the other three safe.
"Don't look into her eyes!" Remus called.
Nagini was slithering closer to Hermione, Harry, and Draco, slowly releasing Ron.
"What to do, what to do?" Hermione muttered to herself.
"Why must you get into danger every time I turn around? My hair won't stay this color forever with you around, Weasley." Lucius said sharply.
"I didn't exactly plan this, sir." Ron grumbled, slowly pulling himself away from Nagini.
"A little help is in order, I would think." Draco called nervously.
"Perhaps we should stop worrying about your good looks for a time and try to rescue our ignorant wards." Snape suggested.
"What a novel idea!" Harry called.
Nagini was hissing low, slowly sliding two feet away from Harry, Hermione, and Draco.
"We need something to kill her with, these curses aren't working." Remus said frantically.
Draco threw a slicing curse at Nagini, nicking across one of her fangs. A loud hiss filled the air as blood poured from her mouth. She thrashed around angry as the fang hit the wood floor, blindly striking at anything. Harry and Draco pushed Hermione to the floor.
Hermione had an idea. Seeing the fang lying on the floor, she started to crawl quickly towards it. Everyone was down on the ground while Nagini violently thrashed.
Hermione wrapped her fingers around the bloody fang, and stood up.
"Hermione!" Snape yelled.
Hearing her voice, Hermione turned to Snape. Snape threw a curse at her, knocking her off of her feet as Nagini barely missed her. Nagini quickly turned towards Snape and unexpectedly struck. Snape waited for the fang to sink into his skin, but never felt it.
Hermione stood in front of him, twisting the other fang into Nagini's body. The loud hisses filled the air as she fell. A red light burst from the body of the dead snake, loud screeches echoed through the room.
Hermione trembled as she dropped to the ground. Snape fell down next to her on his knees gathering her up against him.
Harshly, but softly, he whispered into her ear, "Don't you ever do anything that stupid again, you foolish girl." He had her in a tight embrace with his face in her hair.
"We destroyed another horcrux." Harry said in a little awe.
Remus moved to the door and called over his shoulder, "We'd best get back to Hogwarts before something else happens."
Lucius studied the dead snake. "Whose brilliant idea was it this time to leave the school?"
"Your son's." Harry and Ron piped up happily.
Lucius looked over at his son and raised an eyebrow. "Draco, letting bad influences kill your good judgment? Fifteen points from Gryffindor for dragging a poor unsuspecting Slytherin into their grasps of false chivalry."
Snape was standing up, with Hermione still in his arms. He just couldn't bring himself to let her go. "Come, my dear." he murmured lightly into her ear.
Ron was skirting around the lifeless body. "What should we do with the snake?"
"I've an idea…" Harry trailed off with what they should do.
Lucius and Snape gave each other a knowing look and shook their heads.
...
Back up at the Riddle House, Pettigrew slunk outside to the front porch. There sat a brown package with a note. Neatly written was, Voldemort.
Pettigrew's whiskers twitched slightly as he hulled his bulk around the porch, peering out into the night. Someone had just left the package on the steps. Picking it up, he slowly made his way up the stairs.
He crept to the drawing room door that sat slightly ajar. "M... Milord." he called nervously.
"What is it?" Voldemort's raspy voice demanded.
"A pa-package." Pettigrew called into the room.
"Bring it in." Voldemort shifted in his chair and asked, "Have you seen dear Nagini tonight?"
"I ha-have n-not."
Nervously he trailed into the room, avoiding eye contact with Voldemort. He set the package down on the end table while laying the note down with it.
Voldemort reached his long deathly fingers out to grasp the letter. Opening it, he read:
Another horcrux found, another horcrux dead. "All hail the Almighty Lord!"
Voldemort tore open into the brown package with caution. His angry gasp filled the air.
Pettigrew leaned forward to take a look into the box. "I-I think y-you found h-her."
Nagini's head sat on top of a pair of green snakeskin boots.
...
Harry groaned and clutched his head to the blinding pain. "I think it's safe to say he didn't like our gift."
Hermione sighed. "Well if being Harry Potter wasn't going to get you killed, then sending him that package surely will."
"Jolly good fun that was." Ron said laughingly.
Lucius gave Ron an annoyed look. "Almost getting killed? Yes, that was jolly good fun watching."
Ron paled considerably under the mention of his near death experience.
"Congratulations the lot of you!" Snape said in false cheer to them all in the front entrance of the school.
Draco raised his eyebrow. "For what?"
"For landing yourselves in, not only the care of us, but in the same living lodges." Lucius answered. "Even you, son."
Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco all gaped at Lucius and Snape.
Hermione sputtered, "Excuse me?"
Lucius sighed. "Why does everyone act like I stutter?"
"Maybe you're not as charismatic as you think you are." Snape suggested.
Lucius gave a small snort. "A Malfoy not charismatic? What are you, delusional?"
Remus cleared his throat. "Back to the topic at hand. The four of you shall be residing with Lucius, Severus, and myself in one of the vacant towers."
"We are on house arrest?!" Harry asked outraged.
"Not exactly…" Remus started.
"If you weren't pulling such bloody stupid stunts, we wouldn't have to go through the torture of sharing a tower with the likes of you!" Snape growled irritably.
"If you didn't try to stop us from trying to pull our stupid bloody stunts, then we wouldn't be in this position!" Harry yelled.
Lucius gave an incredulous look. "Do you know what you just said?"
"Boys, boys, boys!" Hermione said, stepping in between Snape and Harry. "No need to go neck to neck."
Remus was nodding. "Right you are, Hermione! Our new living quarters are by Hufflepuff."
"Hufflepuff?" Lucius sneered.
"I don't believe he stuttered, Professor." Ron said.
Lucius took a step forward and started grumbling, "By God if that spider and snake can't kill you, I will!"
Remus quickly stepped in again. "If you all will follow me, we can get settled in for the night."
They came up to display of armors against the wall.
Lucius pushed Ron forward. "You try the password, lemon tea."
Ron gave a wary look over his shoulder. "Lemon tea." Instead of the doors opening, a charm was sent out and knocked Ron backwards about five feet.
Lucius started snickering. "Oh! Silly me." He took a step toward the guards and said, "Green tea." The two took a step to the side as a door appeared. "Must of slipped my mind."
Remus hurried everyone into the tower, closing the door behind him.
"Right, the boys will share a room on this side of the tower up those stairs with Remus. Lucius, myself, and Miss Granger will be over on this side." Snape said.
Ron got a furious look on his face. "Are we even sure we can trust you?"
"Ronald!" Hermione yelled.
With that she stomped up to the right side of the tower stairs and slammed into a bedroom.
"Good going, mate." Harry called as he started going up the left side.
Snape clenched his jaw as he stared at Ron.
"You'd best get up those stairs before he can't hold back any longer." Malfoy muttered as he passed Ron.
As everyone retired, Lucius and Snape sat on a sofa in front of the fire. They were both deep in thought. Snape sorting through his feelings for Hermione, Lucius on his Voldemort problem.
"I think I have a solution." Lucius said.
Snape cut his eyes at Lucius. "For what?"
"For finding The Dark Lord his 'traitor'."
"What is your plan?"
Lucius gave a cold smile. "It goes something like this…"
...
Sometime during that week, Lucius and Snape snuck out, leaving Remus to guard over the four wards. They slipped out of the building and through the front gates. They had quickly apparated to their destination.
Dolohov was slinking in the shadows up a head, waiting for one of the Order Members to appear.
"Spying, I see." came a deep male voice next to Lucius and Snape.
Both men gave a startled jump. "Trying to scare us to death?!" Snape whispered furiously.
The man chuckled. Lucius glared. "The least you could do, Kingsley, is give us a little bit of a warning. A little, "I'm right behind you." Never hurt anyone."
Kingsley chuckled quietly again. "Are you sure this plan of yours is going to work?"
"Not absolutely positive…" Lucius started.
"But if it doesn't, we can kill him." Snape finished casually as he watched Dolohov.
"Right. Well, I'd rather skip the whole killing thing, if you both don't mind." Kingsley said.
Lucius snorted. "The Dark Lord will do it anyways."
"Better him than us." Kingsley muttered.
"Here he comes!" Snape called quietly. "Get out there, Kingsley."
Kingsley walked out into Dolohov's view. "Dolohov!" he called out friendly.
Before Dolohov could so much as sneer, Snape took him under the control of the Imperius Curse.
Kingsley gave a friendly smile. "Any more news for the Order?"
Dolohov moved forward to shake Kingsley's hand. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
"Great. The other news you've been giving us have been help to our cause." Kingsley said conversationally.
"I do try." Dolohov said. "Voldemort is planning an attack after Christmas on Hogwarts. It will be war time then. He will only wait an hour after his arrival is announced, so that anyone willing, can be made a Death Eater. Those who fight against him, will not be spared."
Kingsley seemed to contemplate this. "I'll deliver the message to the Order Members. Thank you, friend."
Kingsley turned and disapparated a few feet away. Snape lifted the curse from Dolohov who looked momentarily confused. He turned and stalked back to look for the Order Member who had left.
Lucius and Snape both smirked as they quickly disapparated.
...
Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Draco all sat in the common room contemplating how to destroy the Slytherin ring.
Draco muttered, "Maybe we could leave it in Gryffindor common room. It would surely wither away in there. I know I would."
"Very funny." Hermione said in an annoyed tone.
"How else would you destroy a ring like this? Fire doesn't even char it." Draco commented.
Harry was turning the ring over in his hands. "We should have tried stabbing the ring with Nagini's fang."
Ron visibly shuddered. "Like any of us wanted to stay there any longer than needed."
"More like none of us thought of it." Hermione said.
Harry passed the ring over to Hermione. She held it in her left hand in between her thumb and forefinger. She slowly ran the tip of her fingers of her right hand over the designs. Closely looking at the Slytherin crest.
Draco quickly snatched the ring out of Hermione's fingers. "Hey!" she yelled.
Draco smirked and slipped the ring onto his ring finger. The light glowed green then died just as quickly. "Look! I'm heir of Slytherin." he said jokingly.
"That's not funny, Draco. Take it off." Ordered Harry.
Draco muttered, "You're no fun, Potter." as he tried to pull the ring off.
"What's the hold up?" Ron asked.
"I think we may have a bit of a problem." Draco said.
Hermione sighed. "Stop playing around, Draco."
"I'm not!" Draco growled. Hermione tried to pull the ring off. "Ow, ow, ow!"
"Stop whining!" she grumbled as she pulled.
"You're trying to pull my bloody finger off!" Draco said disgruntled.
The door flew open as Snape and Lucius both sauntered into the room. They stopped and observed the scene before them. Harry and Ron were both sitting across from each other watching as Hermione pulled on Draco's finger.
"Are we…interrupting something?" Snape asked quietly.
"No, no, no!" Hermione quickly replied. She let go of Draco and stood as she smiled.
Lucius studied his son. "Then what exactly are you doing?"
Draco stood up next to Hermione and put his hands behind his back, trying not to look like a kid stealing cookies. "Nothing, Father. Just…playing a game." he said hurriedly.
Snape gave a dark look. "A game?" him and Hermione both asked at the same time.
Snape raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Oh, right! A game!" she said cheerfully.
Lucius started towards his room muttering, "Children are weird, good thing I was never one."
Snape choked on the laughter trying to come up. "Stay out of trouble." He said, giving a hard look to the four in the common room as he followed Lucius.
"Great, now what?" Hermione asked.
Draco flinched slightly, turning pale. "Nothing at the moment. Business calls." With that, he turned towards the door leading to the corridor and summoned his Death Eater robes. Lucius and Snape came back down quickly, giving Draco a wary look. It would seem Voldemort is calling all of his ranks.
...
My best friend wanted me to kill Nagini with a toothpick, but I just can't see her dying that way. What an imagination. I did, however, brainstorm with her, and agree to send the dead snake to Voldemort as adding insult to injury. What a lovely idea. Let me know what you think!