Chapter 8

"Lucius, you disappoint me. With all your claimed connections, you'd think you could find out something so simple. Now why is it you can't?" a dark hissing voice demanded.

A cowering robed figure, also known as Lucius Malfoy, shivered a little and answered, "I don't know My Lord. He's not connected to the floo network, and all owls find him at Hogwarts."

"There are other ways to find a man Lucius, you know that. Use them or you'll regret not doing so. And just to keep that in mind, crucio," the voice hissed again.

He waved his wand and the figure started seizing and screaming. Loud shrieks that would have had made normal people ill. It didn't last long and afterward the man with the wand smiled.

Harry bolted out of bed gasping for air. Sweat was dripping down his body while he shook violently. He moved to get up, but stumbled on the sheets twisted around his legs. He got back up and made his way to his desk. There he wrote down everything he could remember from the dream he had. It wasn't until afterwards that he realized he didn't know when Hedwig would get back.

"Abet," Harry called hoarsely.

There was a crack and Abet squeaked, "Yes Harry Potter?"

"Could you help me to Snape's room?" he asked him.

"Yes sir. Its just a few doors down," he answered.

"Thank you," Harry replied.

He draped an arm over the house elf's and let it lead him. It was a little awkward with the elf being so much shorter than him, but it didn't take them long.

When Harry banged on the door Snape answered in his dressing robe, a disgruntled expression on his face.

"What is it you want Potter?" he demanded.

"I had a dream sir, about Voldemort," he gasped.

"Good for you Potter, what do you want me to do about it?" he said.

"Get this to Dumbledore," he said as he handed him the parchment, "Good night sir."

Snape took the parchment and the boy, when he fell onto Abet. He laid Harry down in a chair and read the paper. When he was done, he added a postscript asking Dumbledore to send Draco to them. He then handed the letter to Abet to be sent. After that, he woke Harry up.

"Why are you sending Dumbledore reports of your dreams Potter?" Snape asked.

Harry rubbed his scar and replied, "Because the Headmaster said they were actual events. That I was seeing through Voldemort's eyes in a round about way."

"So you thought that Dumbledore should be made aware of this?" Snape inquired.

"Yes, sir," Harry said sleepily.

He fell asleep again as soon as he said that. Snape carted him back to bed and went back to his room with a glass of firewhiskey. He settled in waiting for yet another arrival from the Headmaster.

Snape had fallen asleep in the chair before he came. He awoke to someone shouting boo from the fireplace. Dumbledore's head was sitting there patiently.

"I see you where waiting up for me again Severus. Well it would appear as if Harry's dream was correct. There is someone trying to find the location of my household," the Headmaster told him.

Snape nodded and said, "What about Draco?"

Dumbledore frowned, "He doesn't want to see you, but he will take any messages you want to send."

"In that case I shall go to bed yet again," Snape said as he got up.

"Hold on Severus, I have a favor to ask of you," Dumbledore detained him.

Severus turned around and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Can you get Harry to agree to talk to Sirius? They need to resolve this," Dumbledore requested.

Snape just rolled his eyes, walked into his bedroom, and shut the door.

The next morning both Snape and Harry where groggy. Neither of them said much of anything, and when they did, it was mostly grunts or monosyllables. Abet tried to get them to eat, but they just ignored him.

Snape looked at him halfway through lunch and said, "It seems I've come to your way of thinking Potter. Something has to be done about the Dark Lord."

Harry looked over at him in shock. "Well its about time."

"We'll need help though, to convince Dumbledore. Draco would be a good choice, and… so would your mutt," Snape said.

Harry poked at his food in silence.

"You need to start talking to him eventually. This would be a good a time as any," Snape told him.

Once again, Harry didn't reply.

"Damn it Potter, are you even listening you insolent prat?" he demanded.

"You've used that one before sir," Harry sulked.

Snape glared at him and went back to his own food. Reticence reigned while each of them stewed.

As usual, the Gryffindor was the one to break it. "I'll talk to him, only if you get him here, and if Draco shows up. I imagine he's not very happy with you right now."

"Smug, as always aren't you Potter. Well then, you have a deal," Snape said nastily.

'Now I just need to find a way to get Draco here,' he thought to himself.

It was a stretch, but he thought it might work. It had irked him that he had had to get permission for this little jaunt. Apparently, the wards kept things in as well as out.

It wasn't difficult to sneak into the manor. Lucius Malfoy was so self-assured in his abilities as a wizard he didn't see the need to guard his secret passages. Lucky for Snape that he knew that.

He followed the passages between the walls until he came to the door to Draco's room. The young man was inside reading. He didn't so much as flinch when a section of the wall opened. He sat there patiently until Snape stepped out.

"Get the hell out of my house," Draco demanded.

"Not until you listen to me," Snape responded.

He walked over and took the chair opposite Draco.

"Go away before I yell for my father," he threatened.

Snape smiled at him twisted, "You really need to stop relying on daddy if you're going to be anything other than a Death Eater lackey."

"What are you doing here? I recall saying I didn't want to see you until you where done playing with Potter," Draco said snidely.

"Its good to see your memory isn't failing you. I need you to come with me to Dumbledore's keep," Snape told him.

Draco looked at him as if he was daft.

"No," he replied sharply.

Snape stared right into the child's eyes as he waved his wand. Draco slumped into his seat unconscious. Snape waved his wand again and Draco was floating behind as he made his way out of the manor.

Harry got up the next morning to find an extra grumpy person at the table. Draco was busy glaring at his toast so he didn't notice him come in. He sat next to Snape and started eating without saying a word. When they finished breakfast Harry went upstairs to send off a letter to Sirius.

Sirius arrived a couple of hours later looking drab again. His robes were a little crumpled and it seemed he hadn't slept in a few days.

Harry didn't even glance his way before leading him into the library. Draco and Snape were also there. They weren't talking to each other as well.

Sirius got tired of the silence first. "So what are Malfoy and I doing here?"

Snape glanced as Harry as if encouraging him to speak.

"Snape and I are tired of being ordered to run just because Voldemort is after us. We want to take action. We figured you two were the best able to help us," he replied crossly.

"Oh, and why is that?" Draco asked glibly.

"You have know how to get to Voldemort and, rash as he is, the mutt just might come in useful. We all know his so called skill is little more than chance," Snape answered.

Sirius jumped out of his chair and once again brandished his wand at Snape. "I won't take that kind of crap from you Snivellus! Just because you couldn't stand loosing to us all the time at school!"

Snape jumped up himself and started yelling, "You're delusional mongrel. Have you any actual idea as to what…"

"Severus!" Draco yelled just as Harry yelled, "Sirius!"

"What?" they shouted back.

"We need to work together. Snape this was your idea, if you can't stop fighting with my godfather for two seconds then Malfoy and I will think of something to do without you," Harry said.

Sirius looked at him angrily. "Like hell you will. I won't let you two go in there by yourselves. Who knows what will happen to you."

Snape looked at Sirius sourly and said, "As much as I hate to admit it, I find myself in agreement. We can temporarily put aside out differences to keep you two from doing something foolish."

They all sat down and started planning. There was a little less hostility for the remainder of the day thanks to that outburst.