That love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing
There is a surprise in this chapter, I hope you will enjoy it :)
Draco was very surprised to find his father sipping some tea and smiling proudly at the Daily Prophet in his hands, when he came down for breakfast. It had only been a few hours since Chloe had left but Draco was feeling very energetic, even with a few hours of sleep. He continued to watch his father as he finished reading the paper, putting it down on the table between them and pushing it towards Draco.
"You see Draco, things are going according to plan"
Draco looked down at the paper and read the big headline on the front page "Royston Turner arrested: Is he the man behind recent events?"
"We both know he isn't" Draco said, pushing the paper back towards Lucius and reaching for the sausage and eggs.
"We are not on their side Draco; we can know the truth"
"Why him father?"
"Now Draco, is it not for you to know… yet."
"He didn't do it; I know you wouldn't be so careless as so leave a true memory behind. What will happen when the Ministry gives him Veritaserum or pries into his memories?"
"I took care of it, just as I did with Frank"
"You gave him a false memory"
"Precisely, Royston Turner will be found guilty but he will not lead the Ministry much further"
"He's a distraction then"
"Of sorts. There will be another meeting this afternoon, and you are expected to attend. Your new assignment will be given then"
"Another one?"
"The Master isn't done testing you Draco"
He nodded and continued to eat. When he was done, he left for work. He hadn't been in on a Sunday in months but his lack of concentration the week before, due to his upcoming encounter with Weasley and Granger, had caused him to fall behind and he really needed to catch up. Yet, his efforts proved to be futile for the first few hours and he didn't accomplish much as his mind raced over what his next assignment would be. He looked over to the fireplace when the flames turned green, eyebrow raised. He wasn't expecting any visitors, no one knew he was here and this fireplace was mainly for personal use.
"I trust you have seen the paper already?" Chloe said, stepping out of the flames.
"Yes, but I didn't read it pass the headline. How did you know I was here?" He said, leaning back on his chair and stretching.
"You mentioned something about coming here last week. May I?" She said, gesturing to the chair facing his.
"Please"
"Mr. Turner is a wealthy investor from Wales, currently living in northern Liverpool. He has been known for buying suspicions items at Knockturn Alley and he has a record with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. One of the officials in Kingsley's office recognized him not long after I got the memory and the aurors arrested him immediately. And, as it turns out, he is the brother of Isla Cromwell"
"I don't recognize that name"
"Her husband is going to publish Ava's book on Harry. They were questioned in length this morning but appear not to be involved. Mr. Cromwell was furious at his brother in law and Harry told me Isla doesn't want to ever see her brother again. Royston has shamed the entire family, according to her"
"Has he said anything yet?"
"Only that he is innocent. He claims not to know Frank or have any recollection of a meeting between them. They gave him Veritaserum and he still proclaimed his innocence"
"Are they going to look into his memories?"
"Yes, of course. Ms. Evelyn was already working on him by the time I arrived at the Ministry with Harry"
"Will they let you work on him?"
"No, Royston is far more important than Frank and they want someone with more experience" she said, with a hint of resentment.
"You seem upset about it"
"I'm not" She protested, unsuccessfully.
"You don't have to lie to me. You undoubtedly want to be a part of it, and after your success with Frank I'm astonished they are keeping you away. That's very discourteous of them"
"You know, for a Slytherin, you can be very thoughtful"
"And for a Ravenclaw, you can be very emotional"
"I suppose it doesn't work quite like that"
"Well observed. Now, they will eventually find a memory of the meeting, just as Frank's. Father saw to it"
"Your father is very skilled, tempering with people's memories is challenging"
"He enjoys manipulating people"
"Well, he is doing an exceptional job"
"Let's try not to commend my father, shall we?"
"Only giving credit where credit is due"
"I prefer you don't. Shouldn't you be at the Ministry, with Potter?"
"I'm supposedly out getting everyone something to eat for lunch and this is the only time I could come see you. Harry insists that I come spend the night at his place so we can train together again because we haven't in days"
"Is it really lunch time already?" He asked, glancing at the clock.
"You must have been very busy if you didn't even notice the time"
"I haven't been busy, though I should. My father told me we have another meeting today and that I will be given a new assignment and I have been speculating as to what it will be"
"That means you are progressing, which is good but"
"But I might have to do something appalling again"
"Tell me what it is and I will try to help"
"You shouldn't get more involved then you already are"
"I came to you for help, remember? I'm deeply involved already"
Draco was about to protest when they both heard a knock on the door. Draco asked for the person outside to wait and Chloe hurried to the fireplace. After writing down a note to her, he followed her to the fireplace.
"I'll contact you later" He said giving her the piece of parchment and she nodded before being engulfed by the flames "Come in"
"What are you doing here on a Sunday Draco?" Lucius said, taking a seat on the same chair Chloe had just been in.
"I have some paperwork to look over. It must be delivered to Gringotts first thing tomorrow"
"Shouldn't this have already been taken care of?"
"I was busy getting ready for Saturday"
"I see… make sure this is taken care of before you leave. The meeting will take place at the Parkinson's at four"
"I will be there"
"I won't, and I trust you will behave in a more appropriate manner this time"
"Where will you be?"
"With Him. I have to go now, don't be late Draco"
It was midafternoon and he had left work earlier to meet with Lucius. The events of the past few hours had created a small commotion and this kind of attention was not welcomed. A knock on the door and Lucius came in, looking very pleased with himself.
"Royston Turner? Explain yourself Lucius"
"You asked me to implant a fake memory in Frank, in case someone broke through his defenses Master"
"I did not ask you to incriminate Royston" He almost screamed at him.
"If I may Master, you have complained about him for months, saying he is an unworthy follower and just the other day you were looking for a way to get rid of him. I simply provided you with a way"
"I wasn't looking for something so drastic Lucius. The Turners are well connected in both Wales and London and they are very close to my family, this puts me in a very difficult position"
"You can use this to your advantage Master. Royston is not going to reveal any information, he knows he will be killed otherwise, and he can serve as a warning to any other disobedient and impertinent followers. And he is the perfect disguise, no one will truly suspect you for being the mastermind, this will send the aurors in the wrong direction"
"I see you thought this through…. Nevertheless, you should have consulted me first Lucius"
"My apologies Master"
"See to it that it never happens again. You might be my most trusted servant, but don't think you can act behind my back"
"Certainly not, Master"
The meeting had more people than any of the ones Draco had attended before, the majority of them wearing masks. The more time passed, the more it became clear that someone was working hard on enlisting new wizards and witches. He sat down between Gregory and his father, pretending not to have seen Pansy wave him over to an empty seat next to her. The first few minutes of the meeting were very confusing as everyone in the room addressed the two hooded figures in charge of today's meeting, asking about Royston's arrest and how that could endanger them all. Draco listened, without much interest, as the figures calmed everyone down and reassured that we were all safe.
"You were summoned here today to discuss our next move. A week from today, we are going to attack Hogsmeade. The idea is simple, we are going to simultaneously enter each of the buildings during their busiest hours, in groups of three, and stupefy as many people as we can in thirty seconds before we apparated away. This is only to create panic and insecurity, we have orders not to actually kill anyone" The figure to the right said, looking across the room.
"We will assemble here first, at precisely six o'clock. Then we shall apparate there, split into our groups and conduct the attack. The timing must be exact and there is absolutely no room for errors" The other figure added. Then he reached for something behind him before looking forward again "Draco Malfoy, this is yours"
Draco walked towards him and accepted the mask he was holding; it was just like everyone else's.
"Take this as a sign of our confidence in you Mr. Malfoy, but know that we do not trust you entirely yet. There is one more thing to be entrusted upon you and it is very important. One of us has successfully infiltrated Potter's close circle but the Master has decided he wants more. We need access to those closest to Potter, those who are his weakness. Draco, your new assignment is to approach Chloe Lewis and use her to our gain"
"You want me to approach Potter's girlfriend? I presume you do realize he and I never got along and that he will stand in the way?"
"Of course we do, and that is precisely why He chose her as the one for you to approach. You cannot expect an easy assignment to prove yourself worthy Malfoy; anyone can point a wand to another witch or wizard and torture them. This, this will show us whether you truly want to serve Him"
"It will take time"
"We are not in a rush. But do not tarry Draco, the sooner we can have another grip on the other side, the better off we will be"
"Tell me again why we are meeting here?" Chloe said, using her wand to destroy the piece of parchment Draco had given her the day before with the address.
It was late Monday night and they were at the Malfoy's Winter State, north of York. His father had bought the secluded property less than a year ago, as an anniversary present to his wife. Chloe and Draco were currently at the main balcony, looking down at the valley far below them.
"Mother wants to come here soon and father sent me to oversee the house elves work. They have been cleaning the entire place since this morning and preparing it for her arrival in two days. Seemed like a safe place for us to meet and talk"
"She is coming by herself? That doesn't sound very enjoyable"
"Father and I will be joining her on Friday, though we have to leave for a while on Sunday. And that is one of the things we need to discuss" He said, recounting Sunday's meeting.
"Do you think they suspect anything?" She asked, biting her lower lip and looking at the dark horizon.
"About what?"
"Us, Malfoy! It is very ironic, not to mention coincidental, that they have asked you to approach me"
"Blimey, I hadn't thought of that" He admitted.
"Perhaps it is just a coincidence…. We have been very cautious; they cannot possibly know it"
"Whether they do or not, they expect me to approach you and it makes things easier for us"
"Possibly. Malfoy, I can't keep the Sunday's attack from Harry… not entirely"
"What are you proposing?"
"That I invite Harry, Ron, Hermione and a couple more aurors for dinner at the Three Broomsticks. We can sit towards the back and because I know what its coming, I can protect them, but most it will mean a quick response"
"All of you would just happen to be there, then?"
"Yes, I can come up with an excuse other than just wanting to spend time with all of them, if I have to"
"That would be best"
"Tell me, how will you go about approaching me and gaining my trust?" She asked, in an amused tone.
"Your father didn't tell you?"
"My father?"
"The Malfoy's proposed to invest on his company's new developing model. We expect to hear back by the end of the week"
"Malfoy, if my father gets hurt" She began, staring daggers at him.
"He will not. He is the means to an end, nothing else"
"Do I have your word?" She asked, arms crossed.
"Yes"
"That's better. I should really get going now. Be careful on Sunday…."
"You as well"
On Wednesday night, Harry arrived home ready for a warm bath and a full night of sleep, but it seemed that someone else had a different idea in mind. Chloe was waiting for him on the couch, the Firebolt her father had given him resting on her lap.
"Any updates?" She asked.
"The Ministry has arrested the man who sold the objects found at the shop to Frank, they got his name from Royston and, according to another memory Evelyn obtained, the man has been selling objects enchanted with dark arts to Royston for years. They were sent to Azkaban just a few hours ago, along with Frank"
"Azkaban? Why aren't they staying at the Ministry?"
"We cannot have the aurors guarding them anymore; they are needed in the field"
"Right. Any other leads?"
"Unfortunately, no, but we are confident that we can obtain more from them"
"I'm sure you will. Hey Harry… I was thinking, we haven't done anything as a group in a while. How about we invite Ron, Hermione, Liam, Landon, Willa, Jasper and Ava for dinner at the Three Broomsticks on Sunday?"
"I… that would be fine"
"Why did you hesitate?"
"Nothing really. Listen, Ron and I need your help with something"
"Okay"
"Can you take Hermione out on Saturday for a few hours and then come meet us at the Burrow for dinner?"
"Yes, I suppose. But why?"
"You will see. Now, why do you have my broom out?" He asked, sitting down next to her.
"I would like for you to take me flying again, if that is alright"
"Absolutely!" He said, getting back up with a new found drive "Back to the Manor then?"
"Actually, I would like to fly over London"
"I don't know Chloe; someone could see us"
"You do realize we can perform magic, right? Besides, it is nighttime"
"Let's go then"
She stood up enthusiastically and handed him the broom, picking up her cloak and scarf. But as they made it to the window and placed the necessary spells them us and the broom, she looked far less eager to fly.
"We don't have to go" He said, hugging her.
"I'm just a tad uneasy, but I will be fine" She replied, resting her head against his chest.
They took off and she kept a firm grip on him the entire time they ascended; her head pressed hard against his back. He stopped flying up once we were high enough to still discern the buildings and roads below them and began flying towards the center of London. Slowly, Chloe's grip on him grew weaker and he felt her straighten her body, though she was still taking deep breaths ever so often. He continued to fly leisurely over London, and the few times he looked over his shoulder at her, Chloe was gazing down with a small grin on her face.
"Harry" She said timidly, after several minutes had passed.
"Yes?"
"Can we land there for a bit?" She asked, pointing at the parliament building.
He did as she asked and as soon as they landed, she dismounted the broom and walked to the edge of the roof. Climbing on it, she sat down and brought her legs close to her body, resting her chin on her knees. Putting the broom down next to them, Harry sat down by her side.
"Next month will be our first Christmas together" She said.
"Will you be going to your uncle's again?"
"I was thinking about asking father to have Christmas at our place this time. We could host you, Ron and Hermione, my family and the Weasley's… Mrs. Weasley, Aunt Elizabeth and I can get together and cook… I think it would be nice"
"Would you like me to ask them?"
"Thanks, but I'll owl them soon. I just hope that, er you know… Ginny will be alright with that"
"She will be fine" He reassured "You really shouldn't worry about that"
"I guess you are right"
"I am" He said, inching closer to her and putting his right arm around her shoulder "May I ask why you wanted to come here tonight?"
"One time, after my parents had a big fight, mother took me to Diagon Alley for ice cream and then apparated us here. We sat in silence watching the Muggles go about their lives for the longest time until I finally asked her why she had brought me here. She said watching all these people helped her put things in a different perspective, because it reminded her that there is more to life than what we experience every day and that the realization made her fight with dad seem very dim and inconsequential. She said we often get caught up on things that shouldn't matter all that much and now and then one needs to take a step back and look at the bigger picture"
"Sounds right… what are you caught up on?"
"Nothing in particular" She said, but he had the impression she was holding something back "Are you ready?"
"If you are" He said, helping her stand up and reaching for the broom.
"Actually, do you mind?" She asked, reaching for the broom herself.
"Not at all, but are you sure?"
"No" She admitted with a nervous laugh.
"Take your time flying us back" He said, kissing her forehead "I'm right behind you"
Their trip home was slightly longer, as expected. Chloe stopped midair a few times, breathing heavily and telling herself that she could do it, and we eventually they made it back to Harry's flat. They dismounted and Chloe looked at me, visibly proud.
"I did it"
"Yes, you did"
"Thank you for being there for me Harry"
"Always" He said, pulling her in for a kiss.
They wrapped their arms around each other and not even the loud thud of the broom falling to the ground when Chloe let go of it disturbed them. Before long, he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them to his room.
On Saturday, Chloe flooed over to Hermione's midafternoon. As Harry had asked, she was going to keep her busy until dinner and the girls had decided to visit George at work before going to Flourish and Blotts. Chloe wasn't sure visiting the bookstore would be enough to keep them occupied until dinner, but Harry assured her that Hermione would take her time there.
"Hello Mione" Chloe said as Hermione came out of her bedroom "Are you ready to go?"
"Hi Chloe. Yes but, well, we are actually waiting on someone else"
"We are? Who?"
"Um, Ginny. I'm truly sorry I didn't tell you before, but Ron just told me she was home and would like to come with us. I hope that is alright?"
"That will be fine" Chloe lied, suddenly feeling very unease.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, she is coming for Christmas at the Manor and she will always be a part of Harry's life, we might as well get used to each other"
The flames in the fireplace turned green and Ginny stepped out, her hair still damp. She walked towards Hermione and gave her a tight hug, before turning towards Chloe.
"It is nice to finally meet you, Chloe" She said, offering her hand.
"You too" Chloe said, taking it.
"Ginny, you should really dry your hair before we leave. It is freezing outside"
"I'll be fine Hermione, thank you. Are we ready to go? George is waiting"
Hermione and Chloe nodded, then followed Ginny to the fireplace and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. From there they entered Diagon Alley and, walking close together, their cheeks and noses red from the cold, made their way to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. They shopped around the store while waiting on George, who was currently busy helping a customer. When he was done, he gave them a warm greeting and invited them upstairs for tea. The girls stayed with him longer than planned so, after exchanging their goodbyes, they hurried to Blotts where Hermione quickly abandoned Ginny and Chloe to browse around in the time they had left, her passion evident.
"Is she always like this at bookstores?" Chloe asked Ginny as they watched Hermione reach for a thick book with the same expression of a child reaching for a present on Christmas morning.
"Yes" Ginny said with a chuckle "Harry and Ron used to pick on her about it all the time"
"They still do, but she doesn't seem to care"
"She learned not to a long time ago. You know, it really is nice to finally meet you Chloe, I have heard many great things about you"
"Oh, thank you" Chloe replied, blushing "I have heard a lot about you as well, and I actually remember you from Hogwarts… you were an amazing Quidditch player. Well, you still are"
"Thanks. Do you play?"
"Not really, I prefer to watch"
"Our team has been very pleased with the new Firebolts purchased a few weeks ago. Your father is one of the owners, isn't he?"
"Yes. Um, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Not at all"
"Does it bother you that I'm dating Harry?"
She looked at Chloe, blinking a few times as if the bluntness of the question had caught her off guard. Then she smiled and shook her head.
"Maybe I should have brought this up sooner, I can tell it's been upsetting you. Harry and I are over and have been for a while. I'm happy for him, truly. You seem to be a lovely person and he deserves someone good. From what I have heard, you are exactly what he needs. No hard feelings, really"
"Harry and Hermione have said similar things before. I guess I just needed to hear it from you. I hope you know I don't mean to get between the two of you, you are always welcome, anytime!"
"Thanks Chloe"
"Oh, there you are" Hermione said, walking towards us with a pile of books in her hands "Aren't you going to buy anything?"
"No, and we should really get going actually" Ginny said, looking at her watch "Or we will be late"
They followed Hermione to the register where she paid for all the books and promptly shrunk them, placing them inside her bag. They hurried out of the store and made their way to the Cauldron and then to the streets of London, where they found a deserted corner to apparate back to the Burrow. As they walked up the road, they noticed that part of the yard seemed to be illuminated.
"Are we eating outside?" Hermione asked.
"I believe so" Ginny replied.
They continued to walk and the closer they got the more details they could make. There were little orbs of light dangling from the branches of a tree and from the ceiling of a tent, by the tree. There were tables and chairs under the tent and a table set aside for the food, or so Chloe assumed. There was a small group of people standing on the edge of the tent and standing directly across from the trunk of the tree was Ron, fidgeting nervously.
"What is going on? Are those my parents?" Hermione asked, looking at Ginny and then Chloe.
Ginny simply smiled a knowing smile as she continued to walk. When Hermione looked at her, Choe gave her a puzzled look, for she truly didn't know what was going on any more than Hermione did.
"Hermione, will you please come here?" Ron asked, once they were close enough to hear him.
Ginny and Chloe walked over to the rest of the crowd as Hermione made her way to Ron, looking around suspiciously.
"Ron, what is going on?" She asked.
"Hermione, you know I'm not good at these things… but I'm going to try. You have been in my life since I was eleven, and through the many fights we had you never gave up on me. I told Harry once we wouldn't last a day without you and it is true. What happened to us the other night made me realize I might lose you someday and I cannot bear the thought of that happening"
"Ronald" Hermione said in a shaky voice, her eyes filled with tears.
"I knew then it was time to do something I've been thinking about for a while… and I wanted all of our families and friends here to share it with us"
Hermione gasped as Ron took a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee.
"Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?"
With a squeak of delight Hermione nodded yes. After Ron slid the ring on her finger, he stood up and picked her up, the two sharing a passionate kiss. Once they separated from each other, their parents came forward to congratulate them and eventually so did everyone else. After Harry and Chloe spoke to them, they walked back to the tent and sat down with Charlie, Bill, Fleur, George and Ginny.
"You knew all along, didn't you?" I asked Harry "Why didn't you say something?"
"I promised Ron I wouldn't. Thank you for keeping her away today"
"Sure, the three of us had a good time"
They were interrupted by Mrs. Weasley announcing that dinner was ready. With a wave of her wand the dishes came flying from her kitchen and landed neatly on the larger table. And for the rest of the night they ate, drank, and celebrated, all the troubles and worries of everyday life temporarily forgotten.
As it turned out, Ron and Hermione's engagement was the perfect excuse for dinner at the Three Broomsticks the following night. Everyone Chloe had already spoken to agreed on coming and Ginny, George, Angelina, Bill, and Fleur decided to come as well. They arrived a little past six and were shown to their table, the furthest from the door as Chloe had requested. She managed to sit on the chair directly facing the door and surreptitiously moved her wand from her cloak's pocket to the seat, right next to her leg.
Shortly after they arrived, Madame Rosmerta brought them a tray full of buterbeer and Firewhisky and it wasn't long before their party was the loudest and cheeriest in the room.
"Chloe, what is it?" Ava's voice asked from the left.
"Come again?" Chloe said, turning to face her.
"Are you waiting on someone? You keep looking at the door"
"Really? I didn't notice" She replied, dismissively.
"Is there something you are not telling me?" Ava asked, leaning in so only Chloe could hear her.
"Of course not"
Ava looked as if she was about to protest, but thankfully George chose that moment to retell the story of the eventful day him and Fred left Hogwarts and they all quieted down to listen.
The mood around the room as they waited for the time to leave was of pure exhilaration, many of those present acted as if they had been waiting for a chance like this for years. They had been sorted into small groups and assigned a building to attack before going over the plan, in excruciating details, one last time. Draco didn't know two of the people in his group, they refused to tell him their names, but he was more than familiar with the other three. Pansy, Gregory and Blaise stood next to him, snickering at the prospect of the chaos they were about to unleash.
At precisely six twenty-eight they were told to get ready and exactly a minute and a half later, their group to Hogsmeade. The streets were mainly deserted, as expected considering it was supper time and freezing outside. The heavy snow provided them with some cover and they all made it to the outside of the buildings without any issues. When their watches rang six thirty, they began. Draco waited as Blaise stormed inside the Three Broomsticks with the others close behind him, before going in himself. In the few seconds it had taken him to come in, the place had fallen into disarray, momentarily disorienting him
George was almost done telling them the story when it happened. The door opened violently and a couple of hooded figures came in and immediately began throwing curses at anyone they could hit. Panic ensued as people began to scream, duck under their tables, and trip over people and furniture alike as they tried to run away from the door.
Chloe reached for her wand and successfully stupefied the one who had come in first, before he or she had the chance to hit more than one person, but before she could do anything else, Harry's hand pushed her down on the shoulder and she soon found herself under the table.
"Stay there" Harry screamed over the commotion.
Chloe rolled his eyes at him, even if he couldn't see it, and crawled to the other side of the table. She came up just as Angelina was hit and fell down again as she tried to hold her, but her weigh proved too much for Chloe to handle all of a sudden. When she finally succeeded in pushing Angelina's body to the side, the hooded figures turned to leave. Two of them reached for the one Chloe had hit and carried him out of the room, Landon, Liam and Ron running after them.
The group arrived back a few seconds apart from each other. There was much celebration and loud noises as people recounted the attacks to each other, but around Draco's group the mood was slightly different. One of the men whom he didn't know was cursing under his breath as he placed Blaise down and undid the spell, at which point Blaise shot up and stretched his sore muscles.
"They knew we were coming!" Blaise shouted and those around us stopped to listen.
"What are you mumbling about?" The man asked.
"He is right" Pansy said "Potter's girlfriend was the one who stupefied Blaise and she reacted far too quickly"
"My eyes fell on their little group right after I came in and she was looking directly our way. It was like she had been waiting for it all along. I'm telling you; she knew!"
"Calm down Blaise" Draco said "She had no way of knowing"
"Maybe someone told her, maybe we have a traitor among us" Pansy said in a high-pitched voice.
"I'm telling you mate" Blaise said, grabbing Draco by the shoulders "She knew"
"What is this commotion about?" A voice said.
Blaise let go of Draco and stepped to the side. The two figures with the different masks, responsible for the directing the attack, were now upon them. By now the entire room was silent and everyone seemed to be looking directly at Blaise.
"Well, what is it?" The same voice, belonging to the man on the right, said.
Pansy and Blaise recounted their observations and suspicions, and then silence. The two men leaned in and whispered at each other for a while, before looking over at Blaise again.
"I will only ask this once" The man to the left said "Did anyone here inform the other side of our plans? This is your only chance to turn yourself in and suffer minor consequences"
He waited, but there was only silence. Draco looked around, as did some other people, trying his best to look above suspicion.
"Very well" The man continued "We shall inform the Master about your concerns Mr. Zabini and Ms. Parkinson. I'm certain that he will take it very seriously and deal with it accordingly"
"You may all leave now" The other one said coldly.
"Chloe? CHLOE?"
Chloe turned around from helping a stranger to find Harry looking for her under the table.
"Up here, Harry"
"What are you doing there? I told you to stay down here" he said, straightening up and making his way around the table.
"I chose to ignore that. And now is not the time"
As he walked towards her, visibly annoyed, she leaned over Angelina and used the counter spell to wake her up. Then they both joined the others as they walked around the room, murmuring counter spells and helping people get up. Luckily for them, one of the wizards present was a healer and he tended to the people that had hurt themselves from falling or being stepped on.
"The entire village was attacked" Ron announced as he came back in.
"Is anyone hurt badly or dead? And where are the others?" Harry asked, moving closer to Ron.
"A few bruises here and there but no losses. Landon is trying to calm people down and restore some order and Liam went to the Ministry. C'mon mate, Landon needs help"
"Go on, I'll be fine" Chloe assured him as Harry looked back at her.
"If you can, bring the injured here so I can tend to them" The healer said without looking up from his work.
Harry and Ron left, followed by Ava, Jasper, Angelina and George who went to fetch those who were hurt. Bill and Fleur left soon after, as did some of the other people. Once there was nothing else for Chloe to help with and Harry insisted that she should go home, Ava and Chloe left for the Lewis Manor while Jasper offered to stay and help. It took them a few minutes to explain everything to Chloe's dad and they both gladly escaped to Chloe's room as soon as he was done asking questions. They walked there in silence, which was broken by Ava the moment she shut the door behind them.
"What are you not telling me?"
"What?"
"You kept looking at the door the whole time we were there, and then the entire village gets attacked!"
"I've told you; I was not looking at the door"
"You are a lousy liar, Chloe. Tell me the truth, how did you know there was going to be an attack?"
"Ava! Listen to yourself, how could I possibly know such thing?"
"You tell me"
"Are you mad? I didn't know about it, Ava, I had no way of knowing"
"I don't believe you"
"Some best friend you are!"
"I can tell you are hiding something…"
"Whatever you say"
"I'm just going to believe that you have a good reason to withhold something from me"
"If I were hiding something from you, it would be exactly because of that. Just so you know…"
"Just promise me you won't do anything dangerous"
"Absolutely. Can we talk about something else now?"
Ava gave her friend a long, hard stare before finally giving in. "Like what?"
"The Christmas party at the café, my uncle asked me to organize it. Can you help me?"
"Oh yes!" She said, jumping on the bed.
Chloe laughed and reached for her feather and some parchment before sitting down next to her friend. They worked on a list of food and decorations for about an hour, taking so long only because Ava was impossible making decisions as she constantly changed her mind about something. After they both got letters from the boys assuring them everything was ok, they visited the kitchen for some food, as they hadn't had a chance to eat dinner earlier. They were halfway through devouring a plate of sandwiches when Chloe's father came in.
"Chloe, I forgot to tell you" He began, sitting down next to her "I need you to come to my office tomorrow, after work. Aedan and Faolan are coming on behalf of their team again and we are taking them for dinner. I would like you to come with us. And you are welcome to join us as well, Ava"
"Thank you, Mr. Elliot, but I have to turn in the first three chapters of my book on Tuesday and I need to work on it some more"
"You can't take a break to have dinner with two internationally famous Quidditch players?" He joked and Chloe giggled. He knew her all too well.
"Well, I suppose I could work on it tonight…."
"Ava" Chloe lightheartedly reprehended her.
"What?" She said, casually taking another bite of her food "They are internationally famous"
"I wonder what Jasper will think of that" Chloe teased.
"And what about Harry?" She snapped back.
"He has met them before and I'm the daughter of one of the company's owners. It only makes sense that I should go"
"And I'm your best friend and honorary family member, makes sense that I should go as well"
"Girls" Father said with a smile, knowing all too well they could go on like this for hours on end "'ll be in my office going over some paperwork. Do try to finish dinner, the food is growing cold"
They each took a few more bites after he left and Chloe waited long enough to make sure he couldn't hear them before speaking again.
"You are not going to tell Jasper, are you?"
"Of course I am… Tuesday when we meet for lunch. What?" She added when Chloe began to laugh again "It's only dinner Chloe, honestly"
By Monday morning, news of the attack had spread faster than fire. Almost all departments in the Ministry were receiving letters from panicked and angry wizards and witches and several reporters were in the atrium, and had been for a few hours, waiting for Kingsley to make a statement. Throughout the day, many of the same safety pamphlets given out during the Dark Lords time were being printed and sorted for distribution. Every single auror was assigned a greater workload due to Kingsley's orders to have at least four aurors patrolling Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade at all times, and two aurors were also assigned to Hogwarts. Security was once again tightened up at the school and the Ministry, and everyone was cautioned to stay vigilant.
Chloe saw Harry for just a few minutes during her lunch break, when he stopped to say good bye. He was on his way to Hogwarts and would be staying at the school for the next three days, with Willa. Before leaving, he made her promise to message him with their fake galleons three times a day and if anything happened, to send Kreacher for him. Surprisingly enough, Chloe got done at work over an hour earlier, so she decided to go ahead and make her way to her dad's office. She walked towards the atrium, noticing that people were looking edgy and anxious. While waiting in line for one the fireplaces she could hear bits and pieces of people's hushed conversations and her stomach turned. She was beyond tired of waiting on things to happen, there had to be something else Draco and her could do to help the Ministry put an end to the terrible things happening.
When it was her turn, she flooed to father's office. Stepping out of the flames, she saw he was busy reading some papers, and he looked up at her with tired eyes.
"Hello sweetie, you are early"
"Hi dad. Yes, I hope that's fine. Are you ok? You look drained"
"It's been a long day. Of course it is, I have one more appointment and then we can go"
"Can I use your loo? I would like to change"
He nodded, looking down at his papers again. She walked across his office and opened the door to his personal bathroom. After freshening up and changing, she placed all of her things back on her bag and walked back into the office.
"Have you decided where we are eating? I'm star" She stopped mid-sentence when she noticed her father was no longer alone. Sitting on the two chairs directly across from him were Lucius and Draco Malfoy "Oh, I'm sorry"
"It's ok; I informed them you would be stepping out soon. This is Mr. Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco; I believe you might know him from school"
"A tad, he was ahead of me"
"You have a beautiful daughter Mr. Elliot. Isn't she, Draco?" Lucius said, standing up and offering me his hand. Next to him, Draco nodded a little.
"Thanks" Chloe said, taking his hand.
"I have not chosen a place yet Chloe, we can talk about it when I come back" Father said, standing up as well.
"Where are you going?"
"We have a quick meeting to attend, to finalize the details of Mr. Malfoy's investments. We won't be long, and Draco will be staying here so please keep him company"
"Alright"
Chloe wondered if her father saw the triumphant smile Lucius flashed on his way out, but there was no need to wonder if Draco had seen it; the sneer on his face said it all.
"Who did I hit yesterday?" She asked as soon as their fathers were gone.
"Blaise, and he wasn't happy about it. Actually, we need to be more careful, Blaise and Pansy were certain that you knew they were coming and now the Master will look into it… you reacted too soon"
"Oh… sorry. Should we be worried?"
"I'll handle it. Father has decided to have all the owners of Firebolt Broom Company and their families for dinner, Saturday night" Draco said casually, smoothing out his shirt.
"So, I'll be having dinner at your Manor in a few days?"
"Precisely"
"I don't know about that"
"Why is that?"
"Two words, Harry Potter"
"You let your boyfriend control you like that? I must say I'm disappointed in you"
"You know I don't, but he is going to try and stop me…"
"But you won't listen to him"
"You were ordered to get close to me, giving us the perfect excuse to be together. I must go so we can make it look like you are succeeding, whether Harry likes it or not… He will probably try to come with me, though"
"I'm terribly sorry, but he was not invited"
"I know that"
"I would enjoy seeing his reaction when you tell him though. Can I be there? I can fit in your wardrobe and"
"Malfoy!"
"C'mon Chloe"
"You are impossible"
"You have no idea"
Boom. The door to the office burst open and in came Ava, smiling widely.
"Jasper stopped by to see if I needed help with the book, right as I was getting ready to leave, so I told him about dinner tonight. There, are you happy now? And can you please read over this for me, I need to…. What is Draco Malfoy doing here?"
"Our parents are currently in a meeting. Mr. Malfoy has decided to invest in the company" Chloe replied.
She glanced over at Draco, he was looking at Ava with a curious expression and she was certain he already knew exactly who she was, based on the few things Chloe had said to him about her.
"That doesn't answer my question. What is he doing here? And why are you alone with him? Don't you remember him from school?"
"OI, I'm right here you know" Draco said, standing up with an annoyed face.
"Yes, I see that and it is exactly the problem" Ava replied, looking at him for a millisecond before turning her angry face back to Chloe.
"My father asked me to keep him company until they are done. It's quite alright, Ava"
"I hope you realize that your boyfriend would not be happy about this" She said.
"Imagine when he finds out she is coming for dinner at Malfoy Manor on Saturday" Draco said, almost savoring his words. Chloe scowled his way.
"You are what?" Ava nearly yelled, her tone of voice suggesting Draco had just told her Chloe was planning on jumping out of the window.
"Mr. Malfoy has invited the owners and families for dinner, and father and I will be in attendance. You can stop with that now, Ava"
"Chloe, he made your boyfriend's life almost impossible at Hogwarts. You remember that, right?"
"Stop it, that was years ago. Let me see what you have" Chloe said, reaching for the parchment and hoping for a change of subject.
Ava looked over at Draco again, staring him down. Chloe was about to call her name againwhen she snapped out of it.
"It's only the first two chapters" she began, her eyes drifting over to Malfoy ever so often "I've done several edits but, can you let me know if there is anything else I need to fix?"
"You are writing a book?" Malfoy asked mockingly.
"About Harry and You Know Who… you and your family make a few appearances" She replied, unkindly.
"As with the many books already written on this subject" He said, coldly.
"Yet none of them have actual interviews with the Golden Trio" She spat back, proudly.
"I see…. Perhaps you should interview me as well"
Ava gawked and Chloe looked up from reading the first chapter, in astonishment. Across from them, Draco stood with arms crossed, looking at ease.
"I…. well I guess… but maybe" Ava stuttered.
"A simple yes or no will suffice" Draco said.
"It's not a bad idea" Chloe began. Draco smirked and Ava looked even more surprised "It will make your book stronger, it can only help"
"I suppose" She whispered in contemplation.
"You can reach me here" Draco said, handing her his business card just as the door opened.
Elliot and Lucius came in and Chloe introduced the later to Ava. As they sat down again, Chloe excused herself and Ava and dragged her out of the office.
"Harry is going to bloody jinx us both" She complained, the moment Chloe closed the door.
"Don't exaggerate, it will be perfectly alright"
"Really? You are going to Malfoy Manor for dinner and I'm interview Draco Malfoy for my book, in what universe is this going to be perfectly alright?"
"I'll take care of it, Ava"
"Harry will be furious, and rightly so. Not only were him and Draco enemies, Malfoy is better looking and you will be with him for an entire night"
"I'm sorry, what?" Chloe said, blinking at her in disbelief.
"Come on, you know I'm right. The bad guys are always better looking"
"Are you girls ready?" Elliott said and they both jumped.
Neither of them had noticed him approach, followed closely by the Malfoys. Ava and Chloe exchanged a quick look and Chloe was glad to notice she wasn't the only one flushed. Risking a glance towards Draco, she blushed even harder; he was smirking widely and she could only assume he had heard Ava.
"I'll be waiting for your owl" Draco said to Ava "Till Saturday, Ms. Lewis"
The three of them watched the Malfoys leave, in silence, Elliot completely unaware of the awkwardness. After his secretary handed him a final message for the day and gathered her belongings, the girls followed him back to his office and used the fireplace to floo over to the Leaky Caldron, where Faolan and Aedan were staying.
Harry arrived back from Hogwarts Thursday afternoon and after filling the necessary reports, catching up with Ron, and having a quick meeting with the Minister, made his way home. Kreacher was hard at work cooking dinner for, but Chloe was nowhere to be seen yet. Harry had a quick shower, changed into comfortable clothes and, against his will, reached for the thick pile of memos he had been giving by Kingsley earlier on. Chloe arrived about an hour later, collapsing face first on the couch next to him with a groan.
"I'm exhausted!" Her muffled voice said.
"Long day?" He asked, placing a hand on her back and rubbing it.
"Eight of us have been working since ten this morning up until half an hour ago on the same case, nonstop. The only reason I was able to check in with you using the fake galleon was because I absolutely had to use the loo"
"What happened?"
"An old witch cut her children out of her will, deciding instead to donate everything she had to a Muggle orphanage, making them furious and so they decided to enchant all of her belongings without her knowing. She died two days ago and when her things were delivered to the orphanage… you can imagine…. It was bloody chaos Harry"
"You should go rest right after dinner"
"Thanks, but I haven't seen you since Sunday and prefer to spend time with you. I can sleep the whole day Saturday… you have to work then, right?"
"Yes" He said with a sigh "I'm patrolling Hogsmeade for the day"
"Dinner is ready master Harry" Kreacher called from the kitchen.
"Let's go eat" He said, getting up. Chloe responded with another groan.
"Would you like me to bring you a plate?"
"Tempting… but I'll come join you" She said, slowly getting up.
Once they were seated and Kreacher had filled their plates, they began to eat. Chloe, who looked far more alert now, immediately began to devour her food.
"Slow down love, you are going to choke"
"Sorry" She said, slowing down just a little "Up until now I just felt really tired but the moment I smelled the food, I realized I'm ravenous"
"You really shouldn't have worked through lunch"
"I know, it kind of just happened… Oh, I just remembered! Ava heard back from Mr. Alastair and he was very pleased with the first few chapters"
"That's brilliant. I'm going to meet with her tomorrow afternoon, a little later than usual though"
"Why?"
"She said something about interviewing someone else at the time we have usually met, but she wouldn't tell me who"
"I can tell you, but first promise me you won't get mad" She said, eyeing him cautiously.
"Why would I get mad? Who is it Chloe?"
"Promise me"
"Fine, I promise. Just tell me"
"She's interviewing Draco Malfoy"
Harry said nothing, he simply stared at her with a look of incredulity. If he had been upset when he first heard Draco's name, he was positively furious by the time Chloe finished telling him how it came about.
"Are you bloody serious? And why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?"
"You are mad" She observed, looking down at her plate "I knew you would be… I thought it would be best to tell you personally, and honestly Harry, it's just an interview"
"With a Malfoy, you know I still don't trust them"
"Well, then you are really not going to like what I'm about to tell you next. Mr. Malfoy has invited all the Firebolt owners and families for dinner at the Manor this Saturday, father and I are going"
Hus fork made a loud noise as it fell on the table and Chloe looked up at me with concern. Behind them, Kreacher's head peaked in to make sure everything was fine then quietly disappearing back into the kitchen.
"I don't want you to go"
"I know"
"But you are still going"
"Correct" She said, recoiling as Harry hit the table with both hands "Please don't be upset"
"I don't like them, Chloe"
"I know that, but this is a dinner for several people Harry, I won't be there alone"
"Are any of the Malfoy's friends going?"
"I don't think so"
"Find out then. These people were involved with Voldemort and it is very likely that they are behind recent events. I would like for an auror to accompany you and your father"
"The Malfoys won't like that"
"I don't bloody care. Willa is off on Saturday, I'll ask her"
"You won't budge on this, will you?"
"No"
"Ok then, I'll ask father to owl Mister Malfoy… aren't you going to finish eating?"
"I'm not hungry anymore"
"I'm sorry I upset you" She said softly.
She had stopped eating as well and was looking at him with sad eyes, like she was about to cry. Standing up, he walked over to her and stopped behind her chair. Leaning down, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
"You know I love you, right?"
"I love you too, Harry"
"What do you say we meet Hermione and Ron for dinner tomorrow night? To properly celebrate their engagement"
"I would like that…" She said, standing up and resting against his chest "Hey Harry?"
"Yes"
"Can you help me with Hermione and the Weasleys presents? I really need to get those"
He nodded and they walked back to the living room, sat by the fireplace and brainstormed until it was bed time.