Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and settings belong to J.K. Rowling.
Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy!
"Okay dear, do remember the rules of our game?" McGonagall asked Harry as they stood at the entrance of the castle.
Harry nodded. "You Gwandma. Me Henry."
"Good boy," McGonagall nodded and smiled at him. Severus had already glamoured the child, turning his hair to a light brown, his eyes a pale blue and his scar hidden. She glanced at Hermione. "You sure you don't mind taking him flying?"
"Of course not, it will be fun," Hermione said easily. "I thought I would take him to see Hagrid as well."
McGonagall nodded. "Sounds good. Make sure to bring him straight back if anyone comes around and acts suspicious of him."
"I will," Hermione promised. She took Harry's hand and winked at him. "Come on, Henry."
Harry giggled. He liked this game. "Bye Gwandma!" He called over his shoulder.
McGonagall chuckled. The child was simply adorable.
HP
Hermione stood in the Quidditch pitch watching as Harry flew on his broom. He was giggling like mad as he flew circles around her. As much as she missed having her friends around, it was nice to see Harry young and unburdened by everything.
"Who is that?" A voice asked.
Hermione snapped her head up to see Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott walking onto the pitch. "Why are you out here?" She asked with a frown.
"We wanted some alone time," Theo smirked. "Usually no one is around out here this time of day."
"Ew," Hermione muttered, focusing back on Harry.
"So who is that?"
Hermione sighed, wishing they would go away. "His name is Henry. He is Professor McGonagall's grandson," She said. "I'm babysitting while she is teaching."
"Aw, such a good Gryffindor to babysit for your Head of House," Pansy mocked.
"Hey kid, your broom is pathetic!" Theo yelled at the toddler.
Harry stopped flying and hopped off his broom. "It is not!" He shouted. He loved his broom!
"Oh please, it can barely even fly," Theo rolled his eyes.
"He's a toddler, what kind of broom do you expect him to use?" Hermione snapped at him.
Theo shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. You two can leave, Pansy and I want to be out here now."
"No," Hermione said, turning away and smiling at Harry. "Do you want to keep flying?"
Harry nodded.
"Accio broom!" Pansy said and gave a mean grin when she caught it.
"No! Mine!" Harry wailed.
Hermione pointed her wand at them. "Give it back right now." She said in a furious voice.
"Nah, I think I will burn it instead," Pansy said, laughing along with Theo.
"No!" Harry cried out. He turned to Hermione, his eyes filling with tears. "Mione!"
"What is going on here?"
"Draco," Pansy simpered as the blonde approached them. "Haven't seen much of you lately."
"Preparing for O.W.L.'s," Draco said, standing next to Hermione. His eyes flickered to Harry and Hermione before focusing on his housemates. "Why are you picking on a baby?"
Harry looked like he was going to protest so Hermione discreetly put her finger to her lips.
Harry sighed but didn't say anything. I'm not baby, he thought grumpily.
"We want to be out here. Alone." Theo said, putting his arm around Pansy.
"Go to one of the Greenhouses then," Draco said in a bored voice.
"Don't be jealous just because she isn't interested in you anymore," Theo said with a smug look.
"She isn't interested because I turned her down," Draco shot back.
Theo's face darkened.
"You've turned into such a prat, Draco!" Pansy spat out. "Sticking up for a Gryffindor's brat? Are you not a Slytherin anymore?"
"Bullying a toddler doesn't make you a Slytherin," Draco rolled his eyes. "Professor Snape would take points from you with how reckless you're being. Attacking the grandson of a Professor? And not just any Professor but the Headmistress? Are you really that stupid?"
Pansy glared at him and then pointed her wand at the broom. "Incen -"
"Expelliarmus!" Both Hermione and Draco shouted and the force of their combined spell made Pansy fly back several feet.
"Accio broom!" Hermione grabbed Harry's broom.
Theo helped Pansy up and both shot dark looks at Hermione and Draco.
"I bet your father would love to hear about how strange you're acting," Theo snarled.
"And yours would love to hear how impulsive you are being," Draco returned, twirling his wand casually in his hands. "Maybe you're more Gryffindor than Slytherin these days." He said with a smirk.
Hermione shook her head in amusement at the looks of horror that crossed Pansy and Theo's faces. As if it was the worst insult in the world to be called a Gryffindor.
"Mione? Do they need naps?" Harry asked innocently.
"They need a time out," Hermione responded, giving Pansy and Theo cool looks.
"You filthy little -" Theo snarled.
"Silencio!" Draco quickly cast at Theo. He looked at Pansy. "And because I can't stand the sound of your voice, Silencio!"
Pansy and Theo gave him dangerous looks.
"Now get out of here," Draco said, his wand still pointed at them.
With extremely disgruntled looks, Theo and Pansy finally left the field.
Hermione handed Harry his broom. "Here you go."
"Tanks, Mione," Harry said happily.
Hermione looked at Draco. "Thank you." She said softly. "You didn't have to do that. It won't cause problems for you in your House will it?"
"I can handle it if it does," Draco shrugged. He grinned at Harry who was already flying around the field. "Looking good, runt!" He called out.
"Tanks Dwaco!" Harry giggled as he zoomed around the field.
HP
The next day, Draco was walking to Snape's quarters from the library to help Hermione babysit when he saw someone he didn't expect to see, headed towards him, freezing him in his tracks.
"Draco."
Draco paled slightly. "Father. What are you doing here?" He kept his voice normal, trying not to show how unsettled he was to see his father at Hogwarts.
"Theodore Nott wrote an interesting letter to his father, who in turn contacted me," Lucius said smoothly.
Draco nodded. "I see. I expect this is about me stopping them from bullying a child?"
"Why should you care for a Gryffindor's child, Draco?" Lucius asked suspiciously.
"I don't, Father. This child is the grandson of Professor McGonagall. Those idiots recklessly taunted a toddler and were about to burn his broom. Slytherin would have lost a zillion points. It was disgraceful," Draco sniffed.
"I see," Lucius said slowly. "Theo also mentioned you appeared protective of the mudblood."
Draco held in his anger at the name he called Hermione. "I wasn't protective of her," he spat out. "I was protective of Slytherin."
Lucius still regarded him suspiciously.
Draco rolled his eyes. "I can't stand that mudblood," he lied. He hated this, hated pretending to be like his father. And talking about Hermione like this didn't sit right. Especially since he now knew her better. He gave a smirk. "She probably thought I was defending her. You know how girls are."
Lucius's eyes lit up. "You're right. What a splendid idea, Son." His tone was much warmer.
Draco looked at him in confusion.
"Potter and Weasley are at home sick, correct? So the muggle-born is alone. You could slowly befriend her and find out when Potter is set to come back to the castle. We can intercept him and finally deliver him to the dark lord." Lucius said in satisfaction.
Draco froze at the thought of Potter in the dark lord's hands. He didn't know how he would view him when he was a teenager again but he had a feeling he wouldn't hate him anymore. He couldn't. Potter knew what it was like to be abused by his family and as a toddler, well, the kid had wormed his way into his heart. "That is an excellent idea, Father," he said. "Will the dark lord approve?"
"I'm sure he will," Lucius said confidently. "You do your part Draco, and perhaps you will be able to take the dark mark this year as a reward."
Some reward, Draco thought sourly. "That would be brilliant," he said, trying to sound excited.
Lucius patted him on the back. "I will be in touch. Make me proud, Draco. I would hate to have to punish you for failing," he warned. "Perhaps your Aunt Bellatrix will enjoy dealing with you if you fail." He smirked.
Of course, she would, she's insane and cruel, Draco thought. "I understand, Father. I will not fail."
HP
Draco practically ran to Snape's quarters and quickly banged on the door.
Snape opened it, a slightly irritated look on his face. "Draco, there is no reason to bang -what's wrong?"
Draco stared at him for a moment and then glanced at Hermione and finally at Harry, who was sitting at a table happily coloring. "My Father was just here," he said finally.
Snape stiffened. "Lucius was in the castle? Why?"
"He heard about me telling Theo and Pansy off for bullying Harry. Of course, he doesn't know it was Harry."
"Did he hurt you?" Hermione asked with clear concern.
Draco shook his head. "No, but he questioned why I defended you. I had to talk like...like I used to about you." He admitted guiltily.
"It's okay, I understand," Hermione said softly.
Draco took a deep breath. "He wants me to befriend you and find out when Harry is returning to school. That way the death eaters can catch him and bring him to the dark lord."
Hermione gasped.
"I see," Snape said stiffly.
"I said I would," Draco said in a low voice.
"As you should have," Snape said. "Let him think you are going along with the plan. I'll talk to the Headmaster and we will have to come up with some false information for you to give Lucius."
"But when the plan doesn't work, what will happen to you?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"He said he would let Bellatrix punish me," Draco said with a shudder.
"No, that can't happen," Hermione said in alarm.
"We will figure something out," Snape assured him.
"Dwaco, want to color?" Harry called from across the room.
Draco gave a laugh. "Yeah, why not? Hermione, you going to color with us?"
Hermione thought about all the schoolwork she had wanted to get done that evening and then smiled at Harry's hopeful look. "Absolutely."
HP
"We can give false information that Harry is coming back by train," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "Then Draco can send a message to Lucius that the plan changed and an Order member is bringing him."
"Draco will still be considered to have failed," Snape said, tapping his fingers on Dumbledore's desk. He had come straight to the Headmaster's office after leaving the two teens and toddler.
"I know," Dumbledore sighed. "And when he goes home for the holidays…"
"Bellatrix and Lucius will hurt him." Snape finished.
"Hmm," Dumbledore thought for a moment. "He can stay at the castle for Christmas. We can make up a reason for him to so that Lucius and Narcissa accept it. Another idea is that he can publicly denounce the dark lord which would likely make Lucius disown him. That way they wouldn't expect him to go home."
"True." Snape considered.
"His Aunt Andromeda would take him in, I'm sure. Sirius as well, as they are second cousins." Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
"I wouldn't put Black in charge of flobberworm, let alone a teenager," Snape said in disgust.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Actually, I was thinking Draco could be in charge of Sirius. He does have babysitting experience now."
Snape rolled his eyes yet smirked at the thought.
TBC: