Breaking All the Rules

Chapter Ten

Breaking All the Rules

Rule Number five

Calling in a Favour

~*~~*~~*~

Ginny waited at the front door as Draco went running after Blaise and Julia. She had no idea what was going on. She had watched them talking and braced herself when Draco began walking back to the house.

She stood her ground; she could be strong about this. She was sure she could. Perhaps.

He took the steps up the front of the house in twos. When he passed her, she was shocked that he wouldn't even look at her.

She turned to watch his retreating back again. "Um, Draco."

"Not now. I'm trying to spare you as much as I can." He walked up the main staircase. He wondered why Blaise always had to have steps in his house. There was that house in Borneo but that seemed to be the only one that didn't. It's not like he used them all the time. He apparated everywhere anyway.

"Sparing me? From what, exactly?" She was following him, he hadn't even noticed that. He turned right after consideration and took the stairs with more care than he had run down them a few minutes before. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to do that anytime soon. That is, if Blaise could help himself.

"From doing this, Ginny."

"Doing what?" she said exasperated.

"This!" he said angrily turning toward her. She jumped in shock at his sudden action. He moved his hand between them. "I don't know if you've noticed but we're not exactly supposed to be on good terms right now." He shook his head at her look with a sardonic smile and walked off. He looked absently at the photographs on the walls as he passed.

Ginny wasn't going to let this go. "I'm stronger than you think, you know. My husband-."

"I couldn't care less about your husband," he said still walking. That wasn't exactly true. He hated him actually, with every fiber of his being. "I do care about the fact that I have been hired to kill you but instead I'm saving your life at every chance. About a tenth of the Wizarding world is looking for me and that stunt in the park probably set them on our tracks more than I know. My own employer is looking for me to deliver your body in a coffin and even though he doesn't know where I am, he's going to find out if it kills him." He raked his hands through his hair and stared at the wall. The waving hands from the photograph distracted him and he smiled momentarily before setting them back on Ginny. "You may be strong, Ginny, but not all of us are able to balance such pressure. If I'm found, Blaise is found. If he's found, say good bye to your life because if he can't save you then I sure as hell can't-." He stopped and looked again at the photograph on the wall.

It was a picture of him and Blaise in front of the 'Guidelines' to being an assassin. He smiled as he recalled them.

He had always wondered about that one. How could an assassin look out only for himself and yet put the mark first? He shook it off. It never did him any good to think about that rule. There had been a long debate about it in class when he had brought it up. The headmaster had not liked that.

Then, something happened upon him. Suddenly, grabbing the frame off the wall, he spun around and ran back down the corridor, down the steps and out into the courtyard he had just left Blaise and Julia.

***

"What is this all about, Malfoy?" Blaise said sitting down on a sofa.

Draco stopped in front of him. "Do you remember this picture?" he said holding the frame in front of him.

He took it and scanned the contents. When he was finished, he looked up at Malfoy with a strange look. "Of course I do," he said with a smile. "It was graduation." Draco nodded. Blaise raised an eyebrow. He dropped it on the table in front of him. "So now that you've tested my memory, what is this about?"

"What is that we're standing in front of?" he said pointing to the waving men in the photo.

Blaise frowned and leaned forward to stare at the photo. He narrowed his eyes to see it. "The ru- 'guidelines,'" he said using air quotes smiling.

"Exactly."

He frowned. "Exactly what? Where are you going with this, Draco?" he said showing his confusing well.

"What's rule - number - five?" Draco said knowingly.

Blaise thought for a moment going through them one by one.

1. An assassin looks out for only himself.

The frown smoothed on Blaise's face. "Right then, so how are we going to do it?" he said rubbing his hands together.

Draco began to pace the living room. "Well, he's a wanted man. I'm sure that there must be someone who wants him brought down."

"Maybe, but let's not get in over our heads. He's not exactly on the side of all things good right?"

"Well no, Zabini, but we're not exactly there either, are we?"

"Hush, Malfoy. What I'm saying is, which large ministry is after all things bad?" he said with a smile. Draco smiled at his brilliance. "Well," Blaise said, "I think it's time to call in a favour, don't you, Draco?" He raised an eyebrow in his direction.

Draco's smile got even wider. "I've got just the person too." He got up and walked out of the room.

***

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Harry?"

"Yeah, go on. I'm sure you'll want your quality time anyway, Ron," he said in a whisper as Hermione came out of the bathroom and headed to the front door with a smile.

Ron winked at him as he shut the door. "Well, see you tomorrow then, mate."

"Bye Ron. See you tomorrow." He helped him finally close the door to signify he really didn't want to go. He didn't. All he wanted to do was curl up in front the television with an ice cold beer and a large bag of chips.

That's just what he did. At least it's what he had started to do when the fireplace seized up and turned green.

Harry groaned. Not work, not now I just got home. He dropped the chips on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room. He really hated it when he was on call; he never had a moment's piece. He went to stand in front of the fire place and waited for the face of his employer to appear. It never did. Instead, a scarlet letter flew out of the flames and landed in front of the hearth and slid a little way before it stopped at his feet.

He looked at it for a while wondering if it was going to blow up or something. Then the fire ceased and returned to a flickering yellow.

He bent down to pick up the envelope. Cautiously, he separated the overleaf from the glue and cracked open the seal. The parchment inside was a rich shade of red also and the golden writing inside lit up as fire against it.

You'll find out who I am soon,

I require a favour. You owe me, Potter.

Rip the page in half.

Harry stared at the words on the page wondering what the hell they meant. His frown increased and he turned it over to look at the back and then turned it over again. He blinked as the words changed before his eyes.

Turning the page over isn't going to help you find me, Potter.

I haven't got all night. I have someone here you're possibly

going to want to meet. You may be a tad surprised yourself

and want to run home to your beer and chips. Believe me

I don't even want you here but I haven't got much time and

I'm running out of options, Potter...

Now rip - the fucking - page - in half.

Harry took the page in both hands and tore it down the middle. He shut his eyes as his room spun around him and he parted his legs to gain a means of balance. When the room stopped he opened them and fell back. He shook off the dizziness enough to realise he was seated in a chair.

"Damn things always have that effect, don't worry it'll go away," someone said behind him. He turned quickly at the voice, his hand on his pocket where his wand was. When his eyes caught up with his head, he focused them on a dark haired man walking away from his chair. "Welcome to my home, Potter. I trust you've been well all these years."

"Who are you?" he said suspiciously.

He shrugged. "Just a friend of a nemesis." He smiled and leaned against the wall he had walked toward. As he leaned back another man walked in to stand next to him.

Blaise turned to Draco. "Where is she?" he whispered.

"With Jules," Draco replied. "I'm not sure she can hold her for long though." Blaise smiled.

"You want me to-." He nudged his head toward the living room.

"No, stay here. I need your expert negotiating skills," he smiled and walked toward Harry.

"Who are you people?" he said again.

"Why Potter, you don't recognize me? I'm wounded. Honestly, some people keep up their pet hates after so many years. I guess I've not been on your brain huh?"

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man before him, pondering on who he could possibly be. The man before him smirked and crossed his arms like the other man behind him. At that instant, he knew who he was.

"Malfoy?" he said shocked.

"Got it in one, Potter. Now, I haven't much time so I'll just ask this straight. I need a favour, you owe me a favour. I want you to help me help someone else."

Harry shook his head sorting this all out. Malfoy had summoned him here, he was playing guess who and now he was demanding favors. "What? What the hell are you on about?"

Draco sighed heavily in annoyance. He had no time for this. "Potter, I don't think you get the urgency in my request of you. I am trying to help you, you know. Or at least friends of yours, that is, if you even remember her."

"Her? Who-."

"Will you slow down!" came a voice from the doors.

"No, I am going to speak to him!" came a reply. Both Draco and Harry turned toward the doors to see who was coming in.

Just then, another person with red hair came flashing into the room, storming through the open doors. Julia ran in after her but stopped when Blaise stuck out his arm. He warded her off and pulled her back to stay out of it. "Sometimes, you just need to watch them. This is their problem, not ours."

"But-." He placed a hand on her mouth.

"If they want help, they'll ask for it." She went to the other side of him and leaned on the wall. Both of them secured their barriers.

Harry looked at woman who had just stormed in. She in turn just stormed at Draco. "You need to stop avoiding me! We have things to sort out Malfoy," she said poking a finger in his chest.

"Her." Draco pointed to Ginny answering Harry's question. "Potter, meet the bane of my existence."

Ginny turned to him. Potter? She looked at the messy black hair, the green eyes and the tell tale scar. "Harry?" she said slowly.

Harry frowned at her just staring. Suddenly his features smoothed. "Ginny?" he said in shock.