Preparing To Fight!

A./N.: Hey guys, thank you so much for your nice reviews and your support of this story. I'm still waiting for more ideas to drop into my head and thought I should elaborate a bit on the order's actions so far. Hope I don't disappoint you. Enjoy the reading and please leave me a review.

When MacRae returned from the prisoners' cell to the small room Severus and Narcissa waited in, he was smiling. Narcissa was surprised. Since she knew the young man he had always had the same facial expression. Grim and humourless were words she had associated with him. When he spoke it explained his sudden happiness.

"I stole food from the kitchen. Professor, you won't believe it! The house-elves are all very eager to help. They say that they haven't forgotten Dobby … oh"

Guiltily he looked at Narcissa and then dropped his gaze nervously.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Malfoy, but the house-elves are all too afraid of their masters. Once they enjoyed to work for the old wizarding families but now they are mistreated and beaten. Anyway … they are on our side when we free Professor McGonagall and Charlie's mum. So what is our plan? I thought that we could maybe ask the Dark Lord if we, well Professor Snape and I, could take our turn with the 'blood traitor sluts' and smuggle them out. Then we apparate to St. Mungo's and get them healed. What do you think?"

Snape and Narcissa looked at each other and then at the over-eager puppy of an ex-death-eater. He sure was excited and full of energy. But Narcissa didn't want to be the one to burst his bubble. She turned expectantly to Snape. If someone was really good at crushing any hope, it was he. Snape snorted at her and bit into the bitter apple.

"Have you noticed the flaws in your plan? Minerva McGonagall is not a normal prisoner witch who all his followers can have their way." Narcissa took in a sharp breath and glared at Snape. Snape ignored her. "She is the Dark Lord's personal … shall we say, toy? … and he is the only one who comes near her … at least in that special way." Narcissa's glare intensified even more and she kicked Snape's shin. "Molly Weasley is … please, don't hit me again … Lucius' personal plaything. Narcissa, put that wand away! Narcissa! I don't want to hurt …"

Narcissa had her wand out and pointed it directly at Severus. Hatred and anger flashed in her eyes.

"Shut up, Severus! I know why Lucius married me! You don't have to rub my nose in it! Just shut up!"

"All right, Narcissa. Calm down. I won't say another word but it is the truth. And I have to know how far you will go to rescue Minerva and Molly. How much I can trust you. And you're obviously defending your husband so …"

"So WHAT? I hate that man! I was forced to marry him, just the way they intended to force Miss Prewett into the same marriage. So ok, my wedding wasn't as forced as hers would have been. But I was so damn young. Just out of school. Most pure-blood wizards treat their wives like breeding machines and pieces of meat with a hole to satisfy their perverted fantasies! I will get Molly out of here and if it's the last thing I do before I die, FINE!"

Snape and MacRae were shocked by her outburst. They had silently backed away from her while she was yelling her heart's pain out. Severus had never before imagined what the life of a death-eater wife was like. But then again there was only one woman allowed to actually be a death-eater … Bellatrix … the only one … what … the … hell!

It hit him finally. The women were not dragged before the Dark Lord and didn't have to swear their loyalty because the Dark Lord automatically assumed that their husbands had them under control and that their wedding vows would suffice to ensure their cooperation. And they had no chance to betray their husbands AND get away with it. Their children belonged to their Husbands and the marriage laws of the Wizarding World stated clearly that a woman was her husband's property, allowing him to do everything he wanted to his wife and rape in a marriage was not possible. After all it was one of her wifely duties to honour and satisfy his wishes.

"Narcissa, I'm so …"

"Don't", suddenly her voice had lost all strength and rightful anger, "Do not pity me. I couldn't bare that. Please, Severus. Just help me get Molly out. … Oh, and Professor McGonagall. She never treated me badly just because I was in Slytherin."

"I know what you mean. Me neither", MacRae threw in shyly. He wasn't at all sure if it was save to draw attention to himself just yet but thought he would risk it.

"So what about you, MacRae? How far will you go?", asked Severus. He was not sure if the excitement of the boy would last very long.

"I want to rescue Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall just as much as Mrs. Malfoy. They don't deserve this kind of treatment. I already tried to spare McGonagall as much as humanly possible when I had to whip her. I don't care to be tortured and murdered when they find out that I help them. I have delusions, Professor Snape, everybody will very angry and in a murderous rage. I just want to make sure they're ok and in safety."

It hadn't been a rage-filled, passionate speech like Narcissa's. MacRae had spoken softly and had looked deeply into Snape's eyes while speaking, never averting his gaze. He had simply spoken the truth.

Snape sighed heavily and put his wand to his temple. When he pushed the wand back a silvery mist followed the wand's tip. When the mist settled on the ground it took form of a doe.

"Inform Dumbledore."

The doe raced away and disappeared.

"Narcissa, MacRae, I have to put blindfold over your eyes. You're to see where we are going."

----

The order was more than surprised when they all were awakened by Dumbledore's voice. It was late at night and most of them had already gone to bed. When they opened their eyes, they came face to face with a silver phoenix-patronus.

"Report to Headquarters immediately!"

It was a very simple order and everyone rushed to obey it. Within three minutes every last order member was squeezed into the magically enlarged kitchen of Grimmauld Place Nr. 12.

Arthur was a nervous wreck. Would they finally decide on how to get Molly and Minerva back? It sure as hell was time for it! It stood by the stove, the same way his wife had so many times, and searched the crammed room for any sign of Albus Dumbledore. Bill and Charlie were both standing at either side of him and tried to reassure their father with their mere presence. It was working. Arthur needed to know his wife was well and safe back at Headquarters. They had long before decided that The Burrow wasn't really safe. It would be the first place the death-eaters would search for Molly, if … NO, when he got his wife back. If Lucius Malfoy got in his way he would kill him. Snape had told him in detail how injured Molly was and, according to the lists Rolanda and Aurora had found, he had Malfoy to thank for that.

Finally Dumbledore arrived. He strode into the kitchen purposefully. The Hogwarts staff minus Umbridge, Filch and Snape followed him with anxiety in their faces.

"Is Severus here?"

They all shook their faces and some raised their eyebrows questioningly. but Dumbledore didn't elaborate. He just sat down in the chair at the head of the table and put his fingertips together. The staff exchanged worried glances and sat down too. Behind them appeared Fred, George , Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione. Arthur gasped.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school."

"No, Arthur, they're supposed to be right here", said Pomona Sprout gently.

Arthur had snapped in her direction.

"Why? And don't you think you should have asked me first? They're my kids!"

"Arthur, there was no time to contact you first", Sybill Trelawny took up the explanations, "but Harry has a vital part to play in the rescue and your children refused to stay behind. The twins threatened to tell Umbitch everything about the order should we insist they stay in Hogwarts."

Arthur fixed a very nasty glare on his children. Especially the twins. None of them seemed fazed in the least. He had to learn a lot from Mrs. Weasley if he wanted to intimidate his children. Ginny had tears in her eyes though and ran to her father.

"Daddy, I'm so scared. I want mummy back."

Arthur's hard gaze broke and he held his trembling daughter tightly.

"I know, my little girl, I know. We'll get her out of there. I mean, that is the meaning of this meeting."

He tried to assure himself just as much as his dear girl. He too wanted to have Molly back, rather sooner than later.

Suddenly they heard the front door open and close again. Wands were drawn everywhere and most looked to Dumbledore for orders. But none came. Albus just sat there, still engrossed in his own thoughts.

Snape appeared in the doorway and with him came to blindfolded people.

Pomona was not the only one to gasp when she noticed who was in Snape's company. Narcissa Malfoy and John MacRae stood there in front of the assembled Order of the Phoenix.

Snape nodded to Dumbledore and took the blindfolds off his two … prisoners? … friends? … whatever?

"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix! I was informed that you plan to help us rescue Molly Weasley and Minerva McGonagall. Now that you are here we can start the planning of our actions."