A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. A special shout out goes to shalimar1981 who figured out the movie-No Way Out with Kevin Costner! Way to go!
Disclaimer: All belongs to JKR
Power in All its Glory
Chapter 23: The Inquisition, Part II
Draco nonchalantly walked away from the door of the interview room. He needed to be careful; he knew Professor Snape was becoming suspicious. It would have been easier if the times of the specific interviews had been announced, instead of each participant being summoned with only a moment's notice. He supposed that was to keep them off balance. Still, it meant he had to hang around to try and catch Sibyll before she went into her interview.
He walked farther down the hall. It would not help at all for Snape to catch him again. Madam Pomfrey had just left. He tried to mingle with the shadows as he waited for the next person to arrive.
A movement down the hall caught his attention. Professor Trelawney had reached the interview room and was fidgeting nervously. As he watched, she turned around and seemed to be on the point of leaving again before turning back toward the door. This occurred several times, and he wondered at the mental anguish she was going through.
This was his chance. There wasn't much time, and he had to talk to her. He moved toward her but before he could reach his destination, the door to the room opened abruptly.
The seer jumped in surprise.
"Professor Trelawney," Snape said with slight sneer. "Please wait. I will be with you in a moment."
She did not answer but nodded her head up and down in response.
He glared at her one last time before retreating back into the room.
Once the door was safely closed, Draco rushed over to her.
"Sibyll," he whispered fiercely. "I need to talk to you."
"Leave me," she replied coolly. "I don't wish to speak to you."
As he got closer to her, he noticed the smell of sherry.
"Have you been drinking?" he asked.
She looked directly at him then.
"It helps to free my inner spirit."
Not that she needed any help in that area! He decided to move on.
"I want to explain about Hermione … I mean, Miss Granger."
This just seemed to agitate her more and she started wringing her hands.
Draco realized at this point that she was not going to listen to him. He worried that Snape would return at any moment.
"Put this in your ear," he instructed.
"I do not want your help," the older witch snapped.
It was time to get harsh with her. She had to listen to him.
"Fine," he told her calmly. "I will get Professor Snape, and we can just explain everything to him. How I was in your rooms in the early hours wearing nothing but …"
"Alright," she conceded, holding her hand up to stop his flow of words. "The spirits are telling me to trust you."
He resisted yet another temptation to roll his eyes.
"Put this in your ear," he repeated holding out the red pebble. She took it without a word and put it in her ear as the door was flung open.
She again gasped in surprise. He wondered if her Inner Eye was a little too sedated by the sherry to work properly.
Snape gave them a curious look as he motioned for her to follow him into the small room.
Draco retreated to the quiet spot he had picked out earlier. He did not want to be interrupted. The room was close. He didn't know the range of the devices, and he wanted to be near in case she needed him. The blond young man shook his head. When had he become so protective of her?
The Divination teacher preceded Snape into the small room.
"Now Professor Trelawney, I just have a few questions …"
"This is a waste of time," she interrupted testily.
Momentarily surprised, Snape wondered if she knew something.
"This time could be better spent meditating in my rooms!"
Obviously not.
"By all means," he stated coldly. "Feel free to discuss it with the headmaster. After all this was his idea. After we are finished, of course."
Stay calm.
She could hear Draco's smooth voice in her ear.
When she didn't reply to his comment, Snape continued with the interview.
"Let's talk about your classes, shall we?"
The interview continued on uneventfully for a while. Snape asked his questions, and Professor Trelawney gave him short answers in return.
She was doing well, Draco realized with a feeling of pride. Perhaps he shouldn't have worried so much.
"Have you given any detentions?"
She looked surprised at his question.
"Of course not!"
"Had meetings with students other than during class times?"
"Well, let me think. Draco …" she began.
No!
"Mr. Malfoy," she quickly corrected herself.
Snape gave her a strange look.
"Interesting."
Don't say anything else!
"Of course, there were others. I can't be expected to remember them all."
"And yet you remembered your meetings with Mr. Malfoy," he remarked almost to himself.
Snape wondered what she was covering up. Was she protecting someone?
He walked slowly around her as she sat quietly at the small table with a faraway look on her face.
Listen to me! How can I help you if you do not listen to me? Say what I tell you to say!
Snape watched as she started nodding her head up and down. Was it a ruse to throw him off or was she really this crazy? He had smelled sherry as she walked past him. Perhaps she had just a little too much?
The Potions master decided to change tactics to try and catch her off guard.
"Have you met with any students after curfew?" he asked.
Absolutely not!
"Absolutely not!" she answered dutifully.
Perhaps he should ask it in a different way.
"Do you know of any students who were out after curfew?"
Hermione Granger
Draco supplied this answer before she could form her own.
"Hermione Granger."
Snape immediately became more alert.
"You saw Miss Granger out after curfew?"
When no answer came from the small pebble, Professor Trelawney answered him truthfully.
"No, never." She gave him a surprised look that he would ask her such a question.
Severus Snape narrowed his eyes.
"Then how do you know she was out after curfew?" he couldn't resist asking.
If he was expecting an enlightening response to his question, he was soon disposed of that notion.
"You of all people, Professor Snape, should realize I am all-seeing."
She was becoming more confident. Draco was not sure that was a good thing.
Snape decided to discontinue that line of questioning. No matter how she knew, even if it was just a guess, he needed suspicion to be thrown off of Hermione.
The sooner he concluded this charade the better.
He addressed the Divination professor impatiently.
"I just have one last question."
Finally!
"Finally!" Professor Trelawney repeated with the same amount of venom.
Snape gave her an annoyed look.
That's enough!
"That's enough!" she stated loudly without really knowing why.
Snape walked over to her. Although he would usually never tolerate such insolence from anyone, in this case he wasn't even sure she was talking to him.
Do not repeat everything I say!
"But I thought that was what you wanted me to do. If you …"
"Excuse me," Snape interrupted her apparent internal struggle.
Draco and Sibyll both became silent. They had almost forgotten the Potion master was there.
"Who are you talking to?" he asked almost afraid of the answer.
Draco held his breath. He dared not whisper anything to her at this point.
The room was quiet as they each waited for her response. It seemed longer than the actual few seconds it took for her to answer truthfully.
"The voice in my head, of course."
Draco waited to see how Snape would react to her announcement.
"You may go," Snape replied wearily.
