Rating:
15
House:
Schnoogle
Ships:
Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Characters:
Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Hermione Granger
Genres:
Drama Angst
Era:
Harry and Classmates During Book Seven
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix Half-Blood Prince
Stats:
Published: 11/28/2006
Updated: 03/15/2007
Words: 148,035
Chapters: 51
Hits: 126,771

Draco: Phoenix Rising

Cheryl Dyson

Story Summary:
Dumbledore is dead, Snape is a traitor and Draco is a Death Eater, but is he really cut out for a position on Voldemort's team?

Chapter 30 - The Hog's Head

Chapter Summary:
Various conversations...
Posted:
01/18/2007
Hits:
2,182


Chapter Thirty - The Hog's Head

Hermione watched Draco and Harry leave the Great Hall. She moved to follow, but Ron grabbed her arm.

"Hey, Hermione, now that Fred and George are here, they can teach you those new spells they showed me and Harry."

"You can teach her those, little brother," said Fred.

"Or Harry can."

"We've got new ones to show you today."

"That's why we're here."

"What is Malfoy doing here?" Fred asked.

"And why hasn't Harry killed him, yet?"

"It's kind of a long story," Hermione said absently and detached Ron's fingers from her arm. "Ron can tell you."

"You know, I don't remember the part about Luna very well," Ron said. "You should tell it. After all, you brought the git here, remember?"

Hermione glared at Ron's bitter tone.

"You know perfectly well why I did! I suppose you'd prefer that we had left poor Neville in Voldemort's hands?"

Ron scowled. "Of course not. I just wish you'd left Malfoy somewhere else."

"Yes, like back at Malfoy Manor to be tortured and killed with his parents."

She got to her feet and stormed out before Ron could stop her. She sighed. She supposed she shouldn't be so upset with Ron. How could she expect him to get over his hatred of Malfoy so quickly? He hadn't been through the same situations with Draco that she had. She paused in the front hall and wondered where Harry and Draco had gone.

She started upstairs, figuring the library to be the most likely neutral place. Draco certainly wouldn't let Harry into the Slytherin common room, nor would Harry allow Draco into the Gryffindor common room, especially if Ginny had retreated there.

To Hermione's annoyance, the library was deserted. She sighed heavily. Maybe they had gone outside. It looked to be a beautiful day. She fingered the coin on her chest, but decided against using it. If Draco was with Harry, he most likely wouldn't answer her. She went outside and headed for the Quidditch Pitch. Hopefully they weren't doing anything stupid, like practicing Quidditch. That would most likely involve trying to knock each other off brooms and sending Bludgers after one another.

The Quidditch Pitch was empty but for a flock of birds. Out of patience, she grabbed the Galleon and tried to contact Draco. There was no response. Either he was ignoring her or he wasn't wearing his coin.

She went back inside and stopped off at the Slytherin common room. It was completely empty. She even looked in Draco's room while half-expecting him to be waiting there to pounce on her. By then, she was heartily frustrated and stalked straight to the Gryffindor common room to ascertain that Harry didn't have anything to do with Draco's latest disappearance. As it turned out, he did.

Ron was sitting on the sofa folding a piece of parchment into a lousy semblance of an origami animal. He started when she approached and then looked extremely guilty.

"What?" she demanded.

He wordlessly handed her the note.

Malfoy and I are checking out the RAB connection. I'll be perfectly safe, so stop worrying. Cover for me. H

The parchment was crumpled in her fist before she could stop herself.

"Did you know about this?" she gritted to Ron.

"Not until I saw the note! I didn't see him at all after he left the Great Hall. I only found the note a minute ago--he left it on my bed."

Hermione was fuming. "Of all the bloody reckless, dangerous-- We can't even go help them because we have no idea where they went!"

She wanted to rage at Ron for keeping her in the Great Hall when she should have been with Draco, reading the message he'd received. She sat down across from Ron instead, feeling helpless and somewhat betrayed.

"He should have told me," she said quietly.

"He couldn't tell us or we would've demanded to come along," Ron said and she didn't bother to correct his assumption that she meant Harry. "Hopefully, they'll be back by dinner so we don't have to stave off any questions." Ron got to his feet. "Fred and George want us in the Charms classroom. You might want to fetch Ginny or she'll be even madder than she is now. I wouldn't mention Harry, either."
Hermione wasn't in the mood to learn new spells, nor deal with Ginny's temper tantrums. She wanted to figure out where Harry and Draco had gone.

"You go ahead. I'll be along with Ginny shortly."

Ron gave her a dubious look, but went. Hermione went up and told Ginny to meet them in the Charms classroom. Ginny glared at her from her position on the bed where she was scribbling furiously into a journal.

"I thought you'd be done with diaries after..." Hermione said.

"It's no diary. It's a story. It started as a love story about me and Harry, but it's now turned into a tale where Harry is brutally maimed."

Hermione was shocked.

"You don't seriously want that to happen?"

"Of course not. But in the story, Harry is bedridden and I have to nurse him back to health." She scowled. "It's probably the only way I'd get to spend time alone with him. Sometimes I wish he wasn't the Savior of the Wizarding World. Makes it bloody hard to have any kind of normal relationship."

"I'm starting to think there is no such thing as a normal relationship," Hermione said quietly. Ginny looked at her quizzically. Hermione forced a smile.

"Don't mind me. I'm in a rotten mood today."

"Me, too. Let's go torture Fred and George," Ginny suggested.

"Okay. I'll meet you there. First I need to go ask Lupin something."

"I'd ask what, but I'm sure it's super secret," Ginny said bitterly.

Hermione laughed. "You really are in a rotten mood."

"You have no idea."

It took Hermione forever to locate Lupin. She finally found him in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. He seemed surprised when she entered the room.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked before he could ask her the same question. He looked around ruefully.

"I spent so much time in here that I find it somewhat familiar. I come here to think sometimes. Tonks thinks it's dreadful. Very gloomy."

"I don't. You were an excellent teacher. Best we had."

Lupin smiled somewhat sadly.

"Well, I doubt you sought me out to discuss my stint as a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. What can I do for you?"

"I have another question about Regulus Black."

Lupin looked puzzled. "Why do you keep asking about him? I haven't even thought about him in years."

"Mostly curiosity. I keep wondering what he might have done to earn a death sentence from Voldemort. Did he do something to actually harm Voldemort? Or was it a simple case of annoyance? Also, it's been suggested that he didn't really die. That he went into hiding somewhere."

Lupin sighed. "Well, that one I can confirm, anyway. Regulus is definitely dead. Sirius wasn't allowed to attend the funeral, being out of favor, of course, but we all went along later so he could pay his respects to his brother. James, being James, opened the coffin when Peter pulled Sirius outside for a moment. It was most assuredly Regulus. James said there wasn't a mark on him, so it was most likely Avada Kedavra."

Hermione had thought it unlikely that Regulus was alive; anyway, otherwise he would have surfaced long before now. Then again, Peter Pettigrew would still have been masquerading as a rat, but for Sirius. However, for someone as egocentric as Regulus apparently was... it would have been difficult to stay in hiding.

"We also checked out the place where he died, long after the Dark Mark had dissipated, but we found nothing unusual. The place had been burnt to the ground, so if Regulus had left any sort of message, it was lost in the fire."

"You know where he died?" Hermione asked, striving to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Yes... somewhere on the northwestern coast. What was the name of that place...?"

Remember, remember, remember, Hermione willed silently, but Lupin shook his head.

"It's been so long. I can't recall. It doesn't matter, anyway."

Hermione wanted to tear at her hair and howl that it did matter, but she didn't dare make Lupin suspicious. If he found out Harry had fled the school, the entire Order would be in a dither. She nodded and tried to cover her disappointment. She would just have to trust Harry and Draco not to get into too much trouble. The thought made her cringe. How could they not?

She left the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and muttered to herself.

"If you two make it back here in one piece, I'm going to strangle you both."

* * * * *

Draco staggered when they appeared at the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Harry swore roundly. Malfoy probably shouldn't have Disapparated them both after losing so much blood. Harry steadied him, but Malfoy shook him off.

"Hands off, Potter. I don't swing that way."

"Shut up, Malfoy. Come on. Let's stop at the Hog's Head for some food. At this rate, you'll pass out before we make it halfway to the school. No one should recognize us at the moment."

"Scrimgeour nearly did."

"I don't think so. I think he was just suspicious and wanted to know who we were. He's fairly clever."

"For an obnoxious git."

"Yeah."

They pushed into the Hog's Head, which was decently crowded, given the proximity to the dinner hour. They took a table near the door and a busty barmaid sized them up with an interested smile. Harry flushed, but Malfoy looked her up and down with an air of long practice. Draco ordered food and a couple of ales and she sauntered off with a coy look over her shoulder.

"I'm surprised you didn't choose the Three Broomsticks," Malfoy commented. "This place seems a bit rough for you."

Harry didn't reply. Even though Madam Rosmerta had been under the Imperious Curse, it was difficult for Harry to see her without feeling betrayed.

Malfoy ate his kidney pie like a starving man and chugged two ales in short order. Harry finished most of his meal and sipped at his ale. He was none too thrilled with the unclean state of his glass. He wondered how many meal remains were caked to it. Malfoy finally sat back with a contented sigh. He looked so unlike himself with black hair that Harry almost felt like he sat with a stranger.

Malfoy propped an elbow on the table and started on his third ale. For a moment, Harry envied the air of casual elegance that accompanied Draco's every move. He wondered if it came naturally or was something Malfoy had to work at.

"I suppose I owe you a bloody favor, now, too," Draco said morosely.

Harry shook his head. "Actually, I was hoping this kind of squared us after the whole Sectumsempra incident."

Malfoy's relief was evident. "Thank God. It was bad enough owing Weasley." He grimaced. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"You owed Ron?"

"The damned Weasel showed up when the Carrows were having a bit of fun using the Cruciatus Curse on me. Frankly, I'm surprised he stopped them."

"Did Ron happen to call in this debt?"

Malfoy's silver eyes measured him for a moment and then flicked to the white-haired bartender, who seemed to be watching them.

"Did you ever have a thing for Granger, Potter?"

Harry was surprised at the change of subject.

"You mean a boyfriend/girlfriend thing?" Harry laughed. "No."

"Why not? Don't you think you two would make the perfect little Gryffindor couple?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they say opposites attract, you know. She's brilliant and you're an idiot. She's... well, she's rather turned into an attractive package--for a Mudblood--and you're homely as hell. She's read about a million books and you've read... what? Six?" Malfoy laughed.

Harry scowled and shrugged. "I've just never thought of her that way. She's always treated me as her rather dimwitted younger brother."

"Maybe you should kiss her. Dispense with those brotherly feelings," Malfoy suggested slyly. Harry thought about it for a moment. Hermione had become nice-looking over the past year. He thought about kissing her and had to choke back a laugh. He could picture Hermione evaluating his kiss in a clinical fashion and jotting off a checklist for him in areas that needed improvement. He shook his head.

"No, thank you. Never happen."

"She's a lot more woman than those scrawny things you usually favor. I mean, Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley? Have some taste, Potter."

"There is nothing wrong with Ginny Weasley!"

"Have you met her mother? If little Ginny follows in those hefty footsteps, she'll be a domineering, shrewish fishwife by the time she's twenty. I wouldn't even wish that on you, Potter."

"I don't think your opinion of anyone named Weasley is exactly unbiased. Frankly, I think you would be a better match for Hermione than I would." He grinned as Malfoy's eyes flashed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"As you said, opposites attract. She's noble and good; you're pure evil. She's sweet and kind; you're an obnoxious prat--"

"You're hilarious, Potter." Draco's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you're actually trying to interest me in Granger? I thought she was your friend."

Harry snorted. "You have a point. Regardless, I think she should be allowed to make up her own mind on the subject."

Malfoy's grey gaze measured him. "What are you saying, exactly?"

"I'm saying... why does that bartender keep watching us?"

Draco didn't bother to look over his shoulder. He shrugged.

"Probably because he finally figured out who you are. I'm sure a properly irate group of Phoenix members will be here shortly to escort you back."

Harry stared at him. "The bartender is in league with the Order? How do you know?"

Draco burst out laughing. "Can you possibly be that dense? Oh wait, I forgot who I'm talking to. The bartender is Aberforth Dumbledore, you idiot. Don't tell me your great pal Albus never mentioned it. Did he not let you in on a single secret? Ever?"

Apparently not, Harry thought angrily. He looked at the bartender carefully, trying to find a resemblance to Dumbledore. There wasn't much, except maybe the nose. Where Dumbledore's eyes had been wise and kindly, Aberforth's were calculating and suspicious. His beard was unkempt and dirty, as were his clothing.

"How is it that you know who he is?" Harry demanded.

"It's common Death Eater knowledge. It pays to keep tabs on Order members, although I'm certain there are some at the Ministry the Dark Lord doesn't know about. Yet."

The bartender left the bar suddenly and wandered over to sit at their table.

"If you two are finished, I suggest you get your arses outside. Wait for me 'round back and I'll escort you back where you belong." His blue eyes were cold when they looked at Harry. "Looks like Albus was right about you bring reckless, eh?"

Harry met his gaze serenely and said nothing. Aberforth actually chuckled.

"No excuses? Cor, you are your father's son. Let's hope that doesn't get you killed. Now, scoot. Lot's of rough customers hereabouts. You're ripe pickings for more than You-Know-Who's followers. Robbers and ruffians don't care who you are. They'll kill you for your coin just the same."

Malfoy snorted as they got to their feet and took up their brooms from the rack near the door.

"After the day I've had, I'll bloody welcome a fight."

"Are you drunk?" Harry asked.

Outraged silver eyes flashed at him.

"Malfoys don't get drunk. Especially after only three small ales."

Harry shook his head and they walked to the rear of the building. The back door opened, but no robbers emerged, only Aberforth Dumbledore, who had his wand out. His eyes carefully searched every bush and tree. Harry didn't expect trouble. It was hours yet until dusk, with the sky cloudless and the longest day of the year only a couple of weeks away.

"Maybe you should put on your cloak and hide, Chosen One," Malfoy suggested. Harry ignored that.

"How long does this spell last?" he asked, pointing at his pale hair with his wand.

"About twelve hours. Or until I cancel it."

Harry grinned. He couldn't wait until he saw Ginny's face when she saw him.

"On your brooms," Aberforth ordered. "Let's go."

Aberforth walked while Harry and Draco floated in front of him, heading for Hogwarts.