Draco: Phoenix Rising

Chapter Five - Headquarters

Hermione stared at the coin in her hand and felt a sudden rush of sympathy.

I'm tired of being used.

She closed her hand tightly around the metal and thought about a reply. What could she say? That she understood? That she had felt the same way so many times? Her friends would be horrified to hear it. Hermione felt guilty even thinking it. She knew they loved her, but sometimes she felt like Harry and Ron's personal encyclopedia and homework checker.

Why did she feel she continually had to prove her worth? Was it pride? She enjoyed being the smartest, the most competent, and the cleverest. But by the same token, she also resented the others' steadfast expectation that she always be the smartest, the most competent, and the cleverest. Someday she was going to fail them. Already, she could feel failure breathing down her neck with this Horcrux thing.

The coin had grown cold. She slipped the chain that held it back over her head and felt the chill as the Galleon settled on her skin. She had only been asleep for an hour when the heat of the coin's activation had awakened her. She lay back on the bed in a fog of exhaustion, but doubted she could go back to sleep. It was too bright outside, even with the rain. She supposed she could draw the heavy curtains, but the Black house was dreary enough without adding darkness to the mix.

She thought about her new Death Eater "friend." Who could it be? Devlin Whitehorn? She'd never heard the name. It didn't sound even remotely familiar. Certainly it wasn't one of the names pegged to the wall downstairs. The Order kept close track of all known Death Eaters. Maybe Hermione would have a new name to add to the list. Not yet, though. He had helped her, once. She wouldn't betray him until she had a clearer picture of where his loyalty lay.

She heard movement downstairs. Probably the other Order members in residence having breakfast. She should join them, but she wasn't feeling quite up to dealing with Ron, yet. Since Dumbledore's death, Ron acted like everyone around him would spontaneously combust. He was nicer to his brothers--although Fred and George had yet to return the favor--and treated Ginny like a cuddly stuffed animal. She had nearly turned him into one the last time he had hugged her, nudged her head with his knuckles and said, "Here's my sweet little Ginny-winners."

He was different with Hermione, too. At first, she had been glad to see him treating her like a girl instead of a walking textbook. He hugged her often, and held her hand, but it was not a boyfriend/girlfriend type of affection. It was more like I'm-afraid-you-could-die-at-any-moment-please-don't-leave-me type of affection. She hoped he would snap out of it once Harry returned. Ron was always a bit lost during the summer. At the Burrow, Ginny could play Quidditch with him, but here they were trapped inside. Ginny spent a ludicrous amount of time in her room with the door shut, listening to The Weird Sisters and writing torrid romantic stories about her and Harry. Those she carefully rolled up and stashed under a loose floorboard in her room. She had shared a couple with Hermione, who blushed at the memory. The girl had a vivid imagination.

She needed to sleep. She tried not to think about Horcruxes. She ordered herself not to think about Horcruxes. She shut her eyes and tried to will herself back to sleep with a pleasant memory. The Yule Ball. That was always a nice one to relive. She smiled and remembered dancing with Viktor, swirling through the gaily dressed couples, and laughing happily. Hogwarts had been decorated so nicely. The grey walls had barely been visible through all the greenery Hagrid had dragged in. She sighed. Poor Hagrid. She must send him another owl. He'd been so devastated by Dumbledore's death, she wondered if he would ever fully recover. She gnawed on her lower lip and wondered if Dumbledore had ever mentioned Horcruxes to Hagrid. Probably not, as the Groundskeeper could not even keep silent about the three-headed dog guarding the Stone their first year. He would have let something slip by now...

Hermione pounded a fist on the bed in frustration and opened her eyes. Horcruxes, Horcruxes, Horcruxes. Damn Voldemort! And damn Dumbledore for keeping the matter so bloody secret. How were they supposed to destroy something they couldn't even find? To make matters worse, Dumbledore had sworn Harry to secrecy about the Horcruxes, so they weren't even allowed to ask the Order to help them. It was so unfair!

She climbed reluctantly out of bed and got dressed. She might as well try the Black's revolting library once again, although if she had to read one more paragraph about pureblood nobility she thought she might vomit. She wondered if the Malfoys were as obsessed with the whole pureblood ideal. Draco spouted the rhetoric constantly, but she wondered if every book in the Malfoy library related to the subject. She hoped not. One family like the Blacks was enough.

She went downstairs to see who was in attendance. The kitchen table was crowded, as usual. People tended to gather in the kitchen, since it was the only room in the house that had been thoroughly de-Blacked. Many of the Weasley's own possessions had been brought to 12 Grimmauld Place, including the Weasley clock, even though it didn't vary much from "Mortal Peril" these days, which wasn't exactly helpful. The Burrow had largely been abandoned, as they expected it to be a prime target for a Death Eater attack.

Lupin was present, of course. He rarely left, as most of the Order had unofficially elected him their new leader. He had proved to be a master organizer and had created a rotating schedule for the various duties that made Hermione sigh with envy. Tonks was seated next to Lupin. Her spiked hair was buttercup yellow today. Hermione grinned. If Hermione were a Metamorphmagis, she would be going around looking like Gwyneth Paltrow, but she supposed it was a matter of personal taste.

Next to Tonks, Moody was slurping his tea like a St. Bernard and ignoring Molly's tsking noises. Elphias Doge sat across the table from Moody, noisily chewing on eggs and sausages. Sturgis Podmore was on his left, starting gloomily into his teacup. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour were at the far end of the table, holding hands and looking as though they would slip away for a snogging session at any moment. It wouldn't be the first time. Arthur Weasley was apparently already gone. Due to short staffing, he often had to work weekends. Rufus Scrimgeour had made plain his dislike of those who steadfastly maintained loyalty to Dumbledore, but with Voldemort's followers on the loose, he needed every able wizard to maintain order.

Ron noticed Hermione lurking in the doorway and leaped up to fling an arm around her neck. He squeezed happily while she tried to pry his fingers loose and avoid asphyxiation.

"You're up! Great! Mad-Eye was just telling us about the raid on your parents' house." He glared at his mother. "Since some of us couldn't go. Even though we're of age." Molly ignored him.

She escaped Ron's arm and sat down next to Doge. Ron took the chair next to hers.

"How did it go?" she asked Moody. His glass eye swiveled in her direction. He grunted.

"Not well enough. I winged one of 'em and Tonks got one with a Leg Locker."

"Not the one I was aiming at, since I tripped on something," she complained.

"Couldn't tell who all was there, since they had those bloody masks on... pretty sure Mulciber was one of 'em, though. I got him with a Confundus right when he was Disapparating. Hope he ended up in Timbuktu." He snorted. "They popped out right quick, though. Ruddy cowards."

"Apparently, the tip you received was accurate, Hermione," Lupin said. "Too bad we don't know who your note writer is."

"Well, if he's on our side, he'd better keep his head down, because I don't plan on taking names before I curse any Death Eater scum I see," Moody snarled.

"I'm sure he knows the risks, Alastor," Lupid said calmly. "I'm surprised any of them are brave enough to betray You-Know-Who now, when his power is growing."

"Regulus Black did," Hermione mused and picked up a piece of toast. "Last time, at the height of his power."

Lupin nodded. "I always wondered why. He was a 'chip off the old Black,' Sirius used to say. Mrs. Black was ecstatic that he roamed around torturing Muggles and spreading the pureblood idealogy. God, he hated James."

Hermione stared at him with the toast halfway to her mouth. She lowered it to her plate.

"You knew Regulus Black?" she asked and then cursed herself for the stupid question. Of course Lupin would have known him. He was Sirius's younger brother.

Lupin laughed humorlessly. "I knew him well enough to not like the little git. James and Sirius used to torment him almost as much as Snape. He called Sirius 'Blood-traitor' at school. He hung around with a nasty group of Slytherins, mostly for protection. Sirius didn't pull any punches just because Regulus was his brother. I would have felt sorry for him, except that he was a mouthy little weasel. He asked for a lot of it. Quite a lot like Draco Malfoy, actually. He was handsome like Draco, too. A younger version of Sirius."

"Sounds like he would have been a perfect Death Eater, then," Hermione said. "I wonder why he turned against You--Voldemort." She had been trying to use Voldemort's name more frequently, since it annoyed Harry when they used the nickname in hushed tones.

"Sirius and James puzzled on that, too. They never came up with a satisfying answer. Everyone thought You-Know-Who wanted Regulus to do something that went against his morals, but from what I recall, he was pretty lacking in that department. It had to be something else."

Hermione shook her head. Whatever it was, it had angered Regulus enough to send him after a Horcrux. She only prayed he had succeeded in destroying the locket before Voldemort had caught up to him. It would be one less bloody Horcrux for them to worry about.

They all froze as an alarm bell tinkled over the stove.

"I'll see who it is," Tonks offered. She went out, heading for the attic. With all the recent activity at 12 Grimmauld Place, they had decided it was getting too risky to keep Apparating into the street and entering by the front door. All of the protections Dumbledore had set up still held, but Hermione and Bill had figured out a way to create a small place in the attic that allowed Apparition. The catch was that anyone appearing in the attic had to wait for someone to open the door from below.

Tonks returned a few minutes later with Arthur Weasley. Molly rushed over and hugged him. She was nearly as clingy as Ron, lately.

"Arthur, what are you doing back so soon?"

"I'm just taking a short break. Have to get back, but I saw something odd this morning. Mmmm, sausages!"

He grabbed one off the table and talked around bites.

"Yesterday afternoon I ran into Jameson Smythe in the elevator. He's always been a chatterbox. I'm surprised the Department of Magical Law Enforcement even allows him to go on field assignment, since he can't keep his mouth shut, but desperate times--"

"Get on with it, Arthur," Moody snapped.

Arthur scowled. "Yes, well he told me that he was off to check on Malfoy Manor. The Ministry has been keeping close tabs on it since Lucius Malfoy escaped from Azkaban." He picked up another sausage.

"Well, this morning I ran into Jameson again. I asked him how his mission went yesterday and he said, 'Fine. Just fine.' I couldn't get another word out of him, except he kept repeating, 'All is well.' Most unlike him. I think he's under an Imperius Curse."

Moody stood up.

"I'm on it."

Lupin held up a hand. "Don't be rash, Alastor. We need to think this through. If the Malfoys are back at home, it's possible You-Know-Who is there, as well. If that's the case, we don't want to frighten him off."

Moody sat down.

"What do you mean?"

"If we rush in there with wands drawn, we might capture a few of the Death Eaters, but it's a good bet we won't catch You-Know-Who, even if he is there, and then they'll scatter like rats. We need to find out for certain if they are using Malfoy Manor as their headquarters. If they are, we'll have an advantage because we will know where they are. We must set up surveillance. Very carefully. We don't want to tip them off."

Arthur nodded. "I'll leave it to you, Remus. I've got to get back." He kissed Molly and Ron and headed for the attic.

"It's too bad we can't send in a spy," Tonks said. Her features shifted and Bellatrix LeStrange stood in her place. Lupin swore.

"No! It's too dangerous. Both Voldemort and Snape are too good at Legilimency. Besides, Snape will expect something like that. Unfortunately, the bastard knows all our strengths. And weaknesses."

Bellatrix pouted and tossed her wild black hair.

"You never let me have any fun."

"Yes, I'm stubborn that way. Not allowing you any fun that could end up with you being killed. Damn me."

Ron coughed. "Tonks, can you drop that disguise? It might not fool You-Know-Who, but it's giving me the shivers."

Tonks was instantly back with her canary-colored hair.

"What's with the yellow?" Ron asked. Usually she preferred pink or purple hair.

"I'm in a sunny mood today because last night Remus and I--"

"Nymphadora!" Lupin bellowed. She scowled at him.

"I told you not to call me that."

Lupin's face was crimson. Hermione giggled.

"Can we stick to business?" Lupin choked. "We need to plan this Malfoy scenario."

"Fine. You'd better not leave me out of it, either," Tonks warned as she took her seat again. Remus sighed in relief.

Hermione gasped.

"Oh no! I've got HPD this morning! I nearly forgot!"

"You've barely slept, Hermione. I was going to stand in for you," Ron said.

Hermione shook her head. "I'll be fine. That nap I had did me good. I'm only on four hours today, so I'll be back by noon. I'll sleep, then."

Ron scowled and started to argue.

"Honestly, Ron, Harry Protection Duty is the simplest thing. You know nothing ever happens. I'll stand around, have a little chat with Figgy, and come back."

She hurried upstairs before he could retort and slipped into a pair of jeans and a U2 concert t-shirt. They had allowed her to purchase clothing for Harry Protection Duty, so now none of them stood around in wizard robes and pointy hats, thank goodness. Arthur really adored his three-piece Muggle suit. She checked the time. She still had nearly an hour to relieve Dedalus Diggle, but she wanted to talk to Harry, so she hurried to the attic and departed.