Severus graded papers late into the night, forcing himself to focus on the sloppy handwriting and hardly coherent sentences until he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open. He slashed through the last paragraph of one of his third years, then wrote the grade in harsh red ink in the lower right hand corner, tossing it onto one of the stacks on his desk. He rose slowly, his body stiff. He stretched, arching his spine and stretching out his hands, feeling his muscles pull taught, then waved his hand absently, the flames of the candles on the wall blowing out silently. He let himself in to his quarters silently, aware that Hermione was probably fast asleep. He rounded the couch, surprised to see her still there, curled up beneath a blanket, her wild curls strewn over the leather and dangling towards the floor. He figured she'd have gone to her room, though now that he thought about it, he hadn't actually changed any of it to accompany her now human form. She'd only been human for two, now three days, and he was honestly surprised Albus hadn't forced her out of his care by now. He would soon enough, that was for certain.

Severus chuckled at the thought of the old man, and how Hermione had surprised the both of them by summoning their wands. She'd almost walked out of the room with them, too, but Albus had re-summoned his, and Severus had gotten his on the way back to their quarters. He had not commented on the bit of pride he'd felt when she'd tapped into her Gryffindor courage to gain a semblance of control in what had been a dangerous situation.

He stood looking at her for a moment, the dim light in the room casting shadows on her face, making it difficult for him to make out any clear details of her. He wondered when he had started seeing her differently, like a possibility for something. Something he'd never thought he'd have, or could have. Something that he shouldn't have, really, not now, not with him as a spy in a bloody war, but God, he wanted it, didn't he? He wanted her.

He turned away, fighting the idea of it, though he knew it was futile. He couldn't keep arguing with himself over this. It was up to her, anyways. He'd leave it up to her, and then he'd know for sure that it was what she wanted, whatever it was. He knew without a doubt that he wanted it, and that he'd keep fighting himself over it, but that, at the end of the day, he'd give into her without a whisper of an argument.

Severus woke the next morning after a typical fitful night of sleep and padded barefoot into the living room, rubbing his eyes and running one hand through his tousled hair. Hermione was still asleep on the couch. He had no doubt that she needed all the rest she could get, as she still needed to readjust to being human again, and she'd had quite the adrenaline rush the night before that her body needed to make up for.

She sighed heavily, shifting in position on the couch, wrapping the blanket up in her hand and pulling it up over her shoulder, burying her face into the soft material. He smiled and walked past her to the kitchen, making himself a cup of tea and some toast.

Hermione was still asleep after he'd gotten dressed, so he scrawled a note with slanted script and left it on the table beside her for when she woke, along with a cup of tea with a stasis charm cast on it. He would spend his Sunday with her, but he had some very important matters to attend to.

Namely Draco Malfoy.

He'd been trying not to think about him while he was addressing the curse in Hermione and the possibility of it in the other two thirds of the trio, but it had been almost a week since he'd discovered the Dark Lord's plans to have the boy murder Albus, and his Lord wasn't one to wait. It had been plaguing him and he wanted to know what the boy's plans were, if he had any. They only had a month to leave the Dark Lord a cold corpse of the strongest wizard in the world, and Severus still wasn't confident on how long his work on Albus's hand would last, nor how he was going to convince the Dark Lord that Draco had indeed put forth his best effort at murdering Albus, all while doing the deed himself to gain the Dark Lord's unwavering trust.

Severus strode into the Slytherin Common Room, silence in the room falling as soon as his dragon hide boots breached the threshold, as if he had a wand pointed at every single student who lounged on the furniture gracing the pristine room. He glared at one of the more troublesome occupants, who paled and gulped under his harsh obsidian eyes, and stopped in the center of the room, his baritone voice rumbling easily through the dead silent space.

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?"

No one said a word, but it seemed as though they all turned to look at the empty stairwell leading to the boy's dormitory at exactly the same time.

"Looking for me, sir?" Came the snide remark of the lean blond who descended the marble steps.

"Come with me." Severus snapped, instantly irritated with the boy's entitled tone. He had no patience, not for this. He was being pulled far too thin to spare the boy of his raw personality, especially considering the way the Slytherin spoke as if the entire world revolved around his perfectly groomed blond hair and jangling coins in his pocket.

He turned and listened to Malfoy's polished dress shoes click on the floor. He was no doubt striding along behind with his chin held high as he looked down on what he surely considered to be "plebs" gaping up at him. Severus held the door open for the young man to pass through, then shut it with an effortless slam.

"What is this about, sir?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know full well." Severus snarled, grabbing the edge of Draco's crisp suit to drag him down the corridor and into one of the lesser known nooks in the stone wall. Severus hauled him around and pressed him firmly against the wall, erasing any pretense of a casual conversation.

"Have you devised a plan to fulfill our Lord's mission?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes." Draco spat, scowling despite the fear Severus knew he felt at the way he was being handled. Severus did not allow himself to feel any pity. He had to be tough. Draco and his family had really dug themselves a hole this time, though it hadn't been entirely their fault, and they wouldn't get out of it easily. Especially not if their son thought he could ride along on his wealth and status without lifting a single manicured finger, as he usually did.

The boy was smart and capable, and Severus knew he was not as confident and blood-conscious as he seemed, but it didn't matter now. Severus needed to do everything he could to make sure the boy succeeded, at least in the eye's of their Lord, even if Severus was the one to "pull the trigger", as the Muggle saying went.

"Pray tell, what is it? Poison his breakfast? Send him a pretty little cursed gift?"

"How -"

"Oh, Merlin. Seriously? Those were your ideas?" Severus's brow furrowed and he loosened his grip slightly in surprise. He'd thought Draco would have come up with something with some semblance of Slytherin subtlety.

"No!" Malfoy snapped too quickly. Severus stilled, then lowered his face until it was inches from the young man's pale profile.

"Tell. Me." He growled.

"No!" Draco wrenched himself free from Severus's grasp, brushing the wrinkles from his suit with an air of importance. "I will not tell you, Professor. This is my task! The Dark Lord gave it to me! I don't need your sorry excuse for guidance, or your judgment!" His voice lowered and he said with fear driven sternness, "I will plan this, and I will see it through. I will make my Lord proud and my family will become his most treasured and trusted supporters."

Severus's brow furrowed deeper, but he stepped back, letting the boy pass him and storm down the corridor and out of sight. The conversation had gone about as well as he'd expected, although he had hoped desperately that the young Malfoy would have seen how important this was, and accept Severus's assistance. Damn it. He wanted too badly to impress his Lord in a last attempt to save his family's name, prestige, and most importantly, their lives. Severus couldn't blame Draco, but going it alone was not wise.

Severus returned to his quarters to check in on Hermione, whom he was pleased to find still fast asleep. He let himself out of the doorway still located in her bedroom, and walked briskly down to Hogwart's tall gates. Albus had refused to alter the wards to allow the Potions Professor and double agent to apparate in and out of Hogwarts. It had nearly killed him a few times, when he'd been dumped outside the large imposing gates with near fatal wounds, only to wait for assistance that seemed to take hours. He couldn't count how many times he'd been left to stumble up to the castle without any help at all, on broken limbs, or with profusely bleeding gashes all over his body, or still quivering and quaking under the affects of the Cruciatus Curse, nauseous at the scent of his own soiled clothing.

He glared at the gates through narrowed eyes, reliving some particularly nasty instances that it had born witness to, as he passed through them and disapparated with a loud crack, only to appear before another set of iron wrought bars, this time glossy and painted white. The gate of Malfoy Manor opened without the slightest creak to admit the tall, black clad man into what had once been a beautiful sanctuary.

Pure white peacocks tittered and strode around the immaculately groomed yard, though the grass was not as bright as it had once been, along with a vast array of similarly rare creatures. Severus had never been quite sure what had possessed Lucius to begin such a collection. Surely the large, impeccably designed Manor was all that was needed to display the extent of the Malfoy's wealth and status, but apparently Lucius did not agree.

The door was opened just as Severus reached it by a small, trembling house elf that bowed and ushered Severus in, leaving behind the lanky cheetah that had been trotting beside Severus as he'd walked up the path.

"Master will see you in the parlor, sir." The small being squeaked, closing the door gently behind him before shuffling quickly to lead Severus into the large, open room down the hallway and to the left.

Lucius was seated in a high backed white leather chair, stroking an elegant maned wolf that was seated primly at his side.

"Ahh, Severus. How nice to see you." Lucius said, not bother to rise to welcome his guest. "Have a seat, please." His voice was flat and without inflection, his entire body slumped and slim under clothes that were now too large on his bony frame.

Severus settled into the chair across from Lucius, wincing internally at the stiffness of the chair against his vertebrae.

"Hello, Lucius." He said crisply.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Lucius asked, twirling a strand of the wolf's curled black hair around one long finger.

"I'm here about Draco's task." Severus said, his voice rumbling with low tone and seriousness. Lucius sat up instantly, the wolf at his side pinning it's ears at it's master's sudden change in posture and energy.

Lucius cleared his throat, his complexion ashen. "I see."

"Lucius..." Severus started, but his old friend cut him off.

"Severus, please..." He whispered, leaning forward in his seat, alert with desperation. "I'm begging you..." His hands were clasped and trembling, and he was sliding forward, his knees almost hitting the floor in a prayer pose.

Severus shook his head, his eyes flashing with warning. It was not wise to speak of conspiracy in the Manor. Lucius knew it, but was far too out of his mind with worry to care. Severus was not going to let his oldest friend walk down the road paved with good intentions straight into Hell.

"I need to know if you are aware of Draco's plan, Lucius. He is reluctant to share it with me." He said quickly, enunciating his words with exaggerated facial expressions to portray his silent message. Keep up the pretense, Lucius. Stay on script.

Lucius looked down at the floor and slid himself back into his chair, wringing his hands in his lap.

"I wish I did, Severus, but I have not spoken to him about the details. I'll make contact with him immediately. I cannot have him hesitant to accept your assistance. I do not want him to let down our Lord." When he finally spoke, Severus felt himself sigh in relief, and he gave Lucius a slight nod of encouragement. "I do know that he has a plan, though, do not doubt him. He is very serious about this."

"He wants to be successful, Lucius. He wants to please our Lord. I do not doubt this. I merely think it is wise that he does not attempt to do it alone."

"Of course. I understand your intentions, Severus. Your involvement is something that our Lord has instructed. I will see to it that his wishes are carried out."

Merlin, what had happened to him? Severus felt anger rising in him all over again for the horrible master he had once sworn his allegiance to. He'd never thought he'd see Lucius in such shape, never imagined... He could barely hear the man, and he was hardly a few feet away.

"Very well. I will speak to Draco tomorrow to see if he has decided to be more receptible of my involvement. I'm sure with your advisement, he will not have an issue."

"Yes, he's always been good that way. A good son." Lucius's voice broke, and Severus caught the glint of a tear dropping swiftly down the harsh angles of Lucius's cheek. Severus looked away, should Lucius take the eye contact as an invitation to try and appeal to Severus's conscience. In his peripheral vision he saw the maned wolf nudging Lucius with it's long black muzzle, a low whine escaping between glistening white teeth. Severus thought of Hermione.

"Thank -" Lucius took a deep breath, fighting to control himself and continue. He lifted his sharp blue eyes to find Severus's shielded, stony face. "Thank you for stopping by, Severus. I'm sure the Dark Lord is eager to hear that you and Draco are working towards eradicating that despicable old wizard."

"Indeed." Severus rose, staring down at the shell of his friend. "I'll be in touch."

Lucius nodded and Severus left before the broken wizard could say something they'd both come to regret, and before Lucius could break any further in Severus's sight. Severus would keep the secret of the plans for him to murder Albus in place of Draco, but it didn't mean he wanted to. He'd rather not have his resolve tested by watching his friend crumble in despair for the safety of his only son.

The cheetah accompanied Severus back to the edge of the property, and Severus returned home to Hogwarts, his jaw clenched in frustration and a headache creeping into his temples. With a sigh, he pressed his hand to the cold metal and began his walk back to the castle.