Disclaimer: JKR owns all recognizable characters.

Dose of Your Own

By: OurLoveIsForever

Chapter Thirteen: Plan

It didn't happen. That is, I would ignore that it did. There was no way that the prat meant any of it. He was known as a bit loose in his moral standards. I knew that it was all part of some great plot to unhinge me, to make me crazed. Sadly, he seemed to overlook the fact that I was already well off my rocker. That served no other purpose than to take the mickey out of me…Yes, I would ignore what happened. I would ignore him as much as humanly possible.

That course made the most sense.

Denial. I was very practiced at it. Not only that, but I could put the skill of it to good use.

Yes, it didn't matter and I would ignore him.

Of course that was easier said than done. Living in the same manor proved to be a strain on my already limited sanity for the next two days. I kept to myself, reading books stolen from the Malfoy family library. They had a surprising amount of literature ranging from well-known Muggle authors to the smallest of Wizard philosophers. I kept a collection of the workings of William Shakespeare by my bed, my wand being used sometimes as a bookmark within the pages.

Seemingly, little to no progress had been made. I sometimes felt resigned to that fact. Other times, I wanted to turn every person in the house over to the wolves at the gate if it would result in my freedom. It really was too bad that I had a conscience. Otherwise I feel that I would have been off the hook and the noose taken from 'round my neck.

"Greengrass?" A voice called through my door. "I've got some news."

"News?" I replied dryly, crossing my arms over my chest. The door opened slowly revealing Nott's tired features. "Oh yes, please, enlighten me, dear saint, for I do so hate being deprived of information."

"Don't be a harpy. I came to speak with you."

"Offering news to the poor uninformed—"

"I've a plan." He cut me off.

"A plan? Do you mean one that doesn't involve sitting around waiting for rescue or death?"

Nott nodded, taking a seat at the end of my bed. "I wanted to run it by you before I mentioned it to the others." He sat slouched, his shoulders folding forward. "It's not the best plan that I have ever thought up."

"I've never been impressed with your plans before." I grinned, slipping from underneath the brown chenille blanket that I had been curled under before. I placed my feet on the fluffy off-white carpet. "What makes you think that this one will be any different?" As I walked over to the small dressing table in the corner, I felt a wave of nervous energy flow over me. It made my insides squirm horribly. Something about the expression in the green of his eyes made it seem as if it were a terrible plan indeed.

"I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes, Astoria. I need your help." His tone was slightly patronizing, sounding as if he were talking to a three year old toddler who could only understand key words.

Staring at my desk, I felt something akin to happiness for the first time since I had stepped into Malfoy Manor four days ago. There was a chance. Spinning around, I narrowed my eyes at the man on my bed. "What do you need?" My hands landed on my hips without thought.

Nott sighed, falling backward onto the foot of my bed, his hands coming up to cover his face. "Astoria, I wish I could protect you."

I froze, a bit shocked by his words. They were something that he wouldn't have said lightly. "Theo…" I wasn't sure if this plan was something that I really wanted to hear.

"My plan is dangerous, even more than I wish to understand. I've been thinking this over all night. I keep coming up blank. There is no other way that I can see. What with your friends unable or unwilling to aid us and the block on all of our means of escape…"

"Nott, get on with it." I said, becoming irritated with the run-around.

He sighed. "I found a spell deep in the old spell books owned by the Malfoy family. It will allow one person to teleport via floo, for lack of a better word, directly through a ward."

"That's far too convenient." I replied automatically, pulling the heavy drapes open. I kept my eyes on the grounds outside while listening.

"That's what I thought and truly, you are right. There is a price. A Malfoy and the person teleporting must spill blood for the escape to work correctly. There is quite a bit of ritual that goes behind this spell, Astoria. It is very old and very complex magic. I thought I would die looking for a chance like this." He heaved a heavy breath. I could imagine his chest rising only slightly because of his thin frame. "It is the best that we have. We will not get help from the Ministry unless we pull some strings. We cannot pull strings unless we can leave. We cannot leave while we are trapped."

"Goyle—"

"Has not responded to owls within the past twenty four hours. We assume that he has been compromised."

"Compromised? Nott, this isn't some muggle drama!"

He snorted, shaking his head. "No, perhaps it is not, but we're running out of options quickly. We can't stay here forever. My plan is simply put: I want to send you to the Ministry to place a bribe. We need that help. We need them to be detained."

"You think I don't know that?" I ground out, shaking my head.

Nott gave a tired sigh, putting his head in his hands. "Trust me, will you?"

I watched as a white peacock strutted past the large willow in the yard before me. It was gorgeous, a showcase of the wealthy Malfoy family. I observed as it stopped, glancing this way and that, as if searching for the person watching it. Finally it turned its eyes up to me. Grey eyes flashed in my mind. Without realizing it, I flattened my palms to the glass, leaning forward to get a better look at the animal. It watched me keenly, looking me up and down. As if in some statement, it raised its head. With pride, for that is how I interpreted the expression, it fanned brilliantly white feathers open. I observed, almost getting the feeling that it was showing off. Something about that bird made me think of Malfoy.

It's just as cocky, I thought, chuckling to myself.

"Hello?"

I jumped, drawing my eyes from the magnificent sight. "What?"

"You're not listening to me. You just spaced out." Nott responded, raking a hand through his hair.

"I'm listening now. What is it you were saying?" I glanced to the grounds one last time before moving from the window. The peacock had disappeared. Probably became disinterested.

Nott shook his head. "I need your trust, Astoria. I would never do something to endanger you. You know that."

I sank into my desk chair again. I did want to do what I could. I wanted freedom again, but for some reason, I was highly aware of the risk to my life. I certainly didn't want to die at such a young age either. Slytherin ideal to the core, I suppose. Self-preservation. I stared at the floor, sorting through my thoughts. If I were to go through with this, the chances of succeeding were fair, but the downside was death. It was succeed or be killed. My heart was racing. I had never been in such a position.

"The best that clever Nott mind can think of, eh?" A voice said from the doorway. I jerked my head up to see Malfoy standing just inside my room, his arms crossed as he leaned into the jamb. "Can't you do a bit better than sending her out into the mouths of the wolves?" He chuckled, pushing off the wood and moving farther inside. "I would almost think that you are willingly sending her to her death."

Nott snorted. "Hardly."

I stared at him for a moment, my eyes taking him in, drinking him in as if he were some exotic drink. Exotic may not have been the drink to describe him. A hard liquor perhaps... He wore black slacks and a button white shirt under which you could vaguely see the tank underneath. For just a moment, I could feel his hands in my hair again. I shook my head to relieve myself of those rampant thoughts. "Leave, Malfoy." My voice hard, unyeilding.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes taking in every detail, lingering a little longer on the lower part of my face, my lips, than necessary. "No. No, I don't think I will." He continued to stroll further inside, throwing himself nonchalantly into the chair beside the bed, across the room from me. He flung his gangly legs over one arm of the plush chair. I kept my eyes on his. His gaze dropped to my lips for another moment before he grinned. "I want to know what Nott has planned. I swear that he has been muttering here and there about some scheme."

Nott lifted off his back up to glare at Malfoy. "Indeed, I have, but right now, it is no business of yours."

"That's strange. I believe that it is my business as this is my home that I am barricaded into. Not to mention, I am not cowardly enough to allow a woman to save me."

"I would hardly be doing it to help you!" I bit out angrily. In the back of my mind, I thought my words may have been a bit of a lie. My own thoughts were betraying me!

Malfoy's eyes widened a bit. Imperceptible to anyone, even Nott, I believe, except me. He narrowed them a moment later as I prayed he would know when silence was preferred about certain subjects. If Nott knew—If he knew—

"Really, then pray tell, why would you risk your life?"

I wasn't sure myself, but I was willing to take the risk. I stared at him, my eyes lost in his. He held my gaze, looking at me as if he knew the answer. His nose was raised a bit, a small smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. He had cornered me. That smirk was a triumphant one. A while before, I would have hated that cynical look in his eyes, but for some odd reason, I found it endearing. I knew why I would take the risk…but I couldn't admit it, not even to myself. Breaking the gaze, I shook my head. No, it couldn't be.

Nott glanced between us as he crossed one his right leg over his left, rubbing his hands on his knees. "It's the only option we have. As I am the son of a Death Eater, I can hardly stroll into the Ministry. You most certainly cannot go in demanding help. Look at this logically, Malfoy."

"I look at everything logically, Nott." Malfoy spat, rolling his arms over his chest. His eyes darted from Nott to me and back again. His lips pulled over his teeth in a sneer. "Fine, do what you want!" In his apparent anger, he stood and strode from the room. I stared at the chair where he had sat, a little dumbstruck. What in the world…

"Fool." Nott murmured, standing. He turned to me, a frown plastered on his face. "Bloody fool." Shaking his head, he headed for the door. "I'll talk to the idiot. He'll cooperate. Get some rest tonight, Astoria. We'll start the ritual tomorrow afternoon." The door closed with a quiet click, leaving me to my thoughts.

Just what did I want to save?

I laid awake hours later, my arms folded over my eyes. In the corner sat my desk, a single candle cast the only light, shimmering with an unfelt wind. The candle served to relax my tension, rending away the butterflies and fairies, and other tiny monsters that were loose in my abdomen. My dressing gown lay at the end of my bed, the dark blue fabric over my feet as they had been a bit chilled earlier. My mind wondered from thing to thing, unintentionally avoiding the subject at hand, the reason why I was unable to sleep.

"You see, Lady Greengrass is under my protection."

It was five in the morning and I had not slept a wink. I was well on my way to becoming bloody irritable when an onslaught of thoughts and memories hit me out of the blue.

"You'll regret that Greengrass."

"You had best stay out of my way."

"That's not the point, Nott! The woman is a hag, an infection, a scourge..."

"Skanky bint!"

I inwardly rolled my eyes at the memories. He was such an immature tosspot. I wasn't even sure how he and Nott could even get along. Malfoy was an infuriating jerk. And yet I couldn't—

"Care to make my evening complete then, Greengrass?" Those eyes stole my sanity from me. They haunted my thoughts, my dreams. I simply couldn't rid myself of his eyes. They held so many emotions that I could barely comprehend. It was when he had suddenly bared himself in front of me that I even recognized the fact that he was a man.

"You see, Lady Greengrass is under my protection."

My heart fluttered a bit in my chest. This was impossible.

I couldn't possibly... It was outrageous, pure inanity.

His lips on mine. Those warm, soft, and firms lips that devoured mine in a way that I could have never imagined. The ghost feeling of his hands winding through my hair, wrapping around my waist, trailing along my skin. The strange pull that I felt whenever he was near me. The way I couldn't stop thinking of him…

"Oh bullocks!" I muttered, pulling my arms from my head, slamming them into the bed. My eyes were wide as they stared at the ceiling. "Bloody hell… I fancy Draco Malfoy." The whisper left my lips like a confession. I turned to my side and closed my eyes tightly. Some part felt a weight lifted off my chest with the admission. It was crazy, barmy and complete madness, but it was true.

I jolted a bit when I heard a noise from the direction of the door. I froze, hearing the unlocking spell being muttered outside. Quietly, I eased to take my wand into my right hand. I listened as the door opened, casting the shadow of a man onto the curtains of the room. I closed my eyes, appearing to be asleep. I took on the riskiest task that I had ever before attempted: I tried to keep my breathing steady and my body relaxed.

The other edge of my bed depressed with the weight of whoever had entered. I wondered if perhaps it was Nott coming to wake me like he had done a couple times before with some scheme or different plan. Perhaps it was Zabini seeking to play yet another prank.

I kept still, waiting.

"What a bloody load of rubbish!"