Slightly Off-Kilter 2 (or What's With the Rubber Duck?)

Gayle didn't know who was more surprised at having a good time in Hogsmead, her or Draco. Outside of school and away from his Slytherin cronies, Gayle discovered that Draco was a very lonely and ignored boy. When she spontaneously crowed joyfully at Remus Lupin outside the Post Office, Draco seemed almost jealous that she was paying attention to someone other than him. Remus had been slightly discomfitted at being in her presence and Gayle felt guilty about deceiving the werewolf but knew it was for the best. Draco eventually drug her away to both males' relief.

Gayle worried for the first hour that perhaps Draco had some sort of crush on her. Why that would be she hadn't the foggiest notion, since it seemed ludicrous, but she got the idea that he liked the undivided praise and attention a bit later. He always "casually" asked her questions about what she thought of this or that and would either disagree or agree with her to get a response. If he disagreed, she immediately changed her opinion, stating she was bowing to his superior knowledge. The look on his face and the pathetic satisfaction in his eyes brought home to Gayle just how neglected Draco really was. She suspected that no one saw Draco Malfoy; they only saw Draco Malfoy. They saw only the family, not the boy himself.

It was sad really and made her feel slightly guilty about using him in such a callous fashion. He was only a product of his upbringing, which knowing Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy couldn't have been an entirely pleasant and wonderful thing.

They made their purchases as directed by Severus. Draco talked her into a dark green robe with silver threads woven into it and a matching medieval style silver dress at Gladrag's. She had to admit, the kid had excellent taste. The robe and dress were perfectly suited to each other and very flattering. At Dervish and Banges, he heard her raving over a book cover that reminded the reader what page and paragraph they were on last so that bookmarks wouldn't have to be used and purchased it without her knowing. He presented it to her as a gift when they left the shop. She'd purchased two romance novels and a complicated potions manual for Severus in ancient Greek (that latter one was done surreptitiously without Draco knowing to be owled to the school later). Draco had mumbled something impolite about the novels but Gayle ignored the comments, pretending she didn't hear. At Zonko's she went wild and Draco had a time controlling her. She had fun, using this store as an excellent outlet for her insane creativity. The only thing Draco let her purchase were some Exploding Snaps, Hiccup Sweets and two Biting-Teacups to use on Severus and Dumbledore.

Honeyduke's was Gayle's favorite place. Being female, chocolate was a required purchase and the two of them actually enjoyed picking out sweets and tasting Honeyduke's newest product samples. Draco interacted cordially with his fellow Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws, explaining when he was invited to accompany someone that he was helping out Professor Snape with his girlfriend, who needed an outing. Gayle was impressed. She wasn't too impressed with Draco's sneering comments at the Hufflepuffs, but she privately revelled in his occasional off-color jokes regarding "Gryffindorks".

The plan was to "bump into" Daddy Malfoy at The Three Broomsticks, or so Gayle thought. She was therefore startled to be taken down a back alleyway to emerge in front of The Hog's Head tavern. Suddenly nervous but determined not to show it, Gayle obediently followed Draco into the tavern, chattering at the boy about their purchases and how she was looking forward to a nice red currant rum or Butterbeer.

Draco seemed nervous as well, Gayle noted. Both of their eyes had to adjust to the gloom of the tavern's interior from the bright sunshine of the out of doors. The young Slytherin's hands were slightly clammy and cold when he took her hand to slip it into the crook of his arm. "Come on, Gayle," he told her in a low voice that tremored slightly, "I want you to meet my father."

He led her to a corner table where a long black cane with a silver snake head top rested against a chair that held a man hidden behind the morning edition of "The Daily Prophet". The headline emblazoned on the front read "Ministry of Magic Refutes Claims of You-Know-Who's Return".

Gayle swallowed hard and took a chance.

She reached out a grabbed the newspaper, forcing her face into a shocked expression, gawking at the headline. "Inconceivable!" she hissed in a conspiratial low tone. "They doubt that our Lord could rise again! Fools! Madmen! Idiots! Unbeliev-"

The paper was snatched away from her and Gayle looked into the icy-blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy. They glinted with anger for a moment before he calmed down. Lucius watched as Draco nervously pulled a chair out for Gayle to sit in and placed the duck conveniently in front of her. Relieved beyond belief, Gayle snatched the duck and informed Lucius's startled features, "This duck is the key to the greatness of my Severus. It must be protected at all times. Your son is undoubtedly this holy object's greatest champion yet. You should be proud of his prowess and skill."

Both Malfoys' mouths dropped open in astonishment. Draco blushed bright red, but from pleasure, humiliation or both, Gayle couldn't tell. Lucius' eyes narrowed and he held his hand out for the duck. "May I see this duck, Miss Hammersmith? I wish to further offer it the protection such an object of importance deserves."

Gayle inwardly quaked but managed to pull off a confused and uncertain look at Draco, who nodded encouragingly at her. His expression was just as uncertain as she felt, but Gayle handed the duck over dutifully. She hoped to hell that whatever Severus did to the duck wasn't revealable or she was in a lot of trouble.

Lucius smiled coolly yet without seeming to be threatening as he spoke. "I will do this quietly, Miss Hammersmith, as I cannot reveal all my secrets, now can I? You don't mind? You understand I would do nothing to harm your precious duck and detract from its," he paused to hold back a sneer, "worth."

Gayle managed to nod in a scatterbrained manner. "Just don't hurt it," she fretted. "My glorious Severus would be most put out if harm came to his precious Salvador."

Lucius paused, his eyebrows raising in curiosity. "Salvador? He named the duck Salvador?" Father looked at son, who only shrugged helplessly.

"Actually, my glorious Severus allowed me the honor of naming his precious object," Gayle added, wincing inwardly at the vision of Death Eaters laughing at the idea of Severus having a rubber duck named Salvador. Talk about a hit to the pride. She fought down a sigh. If she lived through this entire fiasco, Severus would probably kill her. That is, if she didn't get off the first hex.

Lucius gave her a comforting pat on the arm before pulling out his wand from the handle of his walking stick. 'Clever,' thought Gayle. 'Wish I'd thought of something like that.' He muttered several spells in a low tone, frowned once (which nearly gave Gayle a heart attack on the spot), muttered a couple more spells, nodded in satisfaction and carefully handed the duck back to her.

"Very well," the elder Malfoy said after taking a sip from the wine glass in front of him. "Draco tells me that you wish to speak with the Dark Lord? Why?"

Gayle widened her eyes, looked around furtively and leaned forward. "I wish to prove my loyalty to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I've seen the errors of my ways and wish to join his crusade. Besides," she wrinkled her nose for effect, "Mudbloods smell and Muggles can't be trusted to run the world properly. See the Holy Roman Empire for further proof."

Again both Malfoys blinked but Lucius recovered first. "I see," was all he said for several long moments. Gayle decided not to fight the urge to fidget and fidgeted a lot while she waited. When the silence drew out longer than she could stand, Gayle decided to add a bit of flattery to the mix to see how it would rub the elder Malfoy.

"I know that you are close to the Dark Lord. He must value your cleverness and power greatly. I know I would," she said authoritatively. She ignored Lucius' raised eyebrows and rushed on. "I wish to be of value to the cause. I can tell secrets and deliver traitors."

"Ah." Lucius smiled congenially at her. "Here we come to the heart of the matter. You do realize that your glorious Severus is considered a traitor?"

Gayle looked stricken. "Yes," she confessed in a whisper that Lucius and Draco had to lean forward to hear. "He can repent though, can't he? I mean, he can be punished and then forgiven, right?" She looked desperate, a look that wasn't at all an act. "It is the only boon I asked his Lordship, to punish my Severus accordingly and then grant him forgiveness, understanding that he was merely led astray by the wickedness of Dumbledore and his unbelievers in the Dark Lord's faith."

"We are not a religion, Miss Hammersmith," Lucius began irritably, but Draco said, "Father, listen." Lucius subsided, looking in askance at his son but nodding at Gayle to continue.

Gayle leaned forward to whisper. "I can tell you who members of the Order of the Phoenix are and what Dumbledore has planned to protect anyone who incurs the Dark Lord's wrath. I can also tell you that Sirius Black is an animagus who can transform into a large black dog. I can also find out the spells cast around Harry Potter to protect him when he's not at the school."

Draco looked anxiously at his father as the elder Malfoy considered Gayle's revelation. Gayle knew that Malfoy had to know that Sirius was an animagus, because surely Peter Pettigrew had to have told Voldemort. Surely the information would have gone a little ways down the chain of command. It had been an agonizing decision made on Dumbledore's part but he'd agreed to it on the condition that he could warn Sirius that the Death Eaters knew he was an animagus. It assuaged Gayle's guilt as well that Sirius had proper warning. The plus was that if Malfoy didn't know and had it confirmed by Voldemort, it made her all the more credible in wanting to give away secrets. It was a win-win situation for everyone except possibly Sirius, who was in continual danger anyway.

"Very well. I shall consider your proposal and, when I have made my decision, I will let you know through Draco." Gayle beamed brightly at Lucius, leaping from her chair before either wizard knew what she was about and threw her arms around him in a hug.

Lucius extricated himself from her embrace and shoved her gently toward his son. "It's time the two of you took yourselves and your purchases back to Hogwarts. In the meantime, Miss Hammersmith, I suggest you merely collect your information quietly," here he sneered, "and try to find some grasp on sanity should you have to present yourself." The words "to the Dark Lord" were left off but Gayle knew that it was understood to be interpreted. "Draco, send your mother an owl and explain your last abysmal Charms grade. She was most disappointed, as was I."

Draco looked crestfallen and Gayle, who knew for a fact that Draco had received the second highest marks in the class the last semester, fought the urge to kick Lucius Malfoy in the groin. She vowed that Draco would be laughing and smiling before he got to the castle if it killed her.

The two of them took their leave of Malfoy the Elder and headed back to the castle. True to her private vow, Draco was laughing uproariously at her antics as he opened the castle's doors to let them in. Severus and Dumbledore were standing in the main foyer, Severus with a worried expression and Dumbledore with one of relieved amusement. Draco handed over Gayle to Severus, handed the packages to Dumbledore (who'd offered) and made sure the duck was safely in Gayle's hands before he strode off in the direction of the Slytherin Common Room.

"She looks a bit tired, Severus," Dumbledore said, looking Gayle up and down critically. "Let's adjourn to my sitting room for some tea and cakes."

As soon as the door closed behind them in Dumbledore's sitting room, Gayle began to rant. "He has one of the highest marks in the class. I've seen that boy pore over his Charms homework like it's his life on the line and that unfeeling cretin of a father of his reprimands him for his "abysmal grade in charms". I swear I'm going to someday put my hands around that man's throat and squeeze real hard!" Gayle gritted her teeth on the last three words and made strangling motions with her hands, shaking her arms back and forth as if actually throttling Lucius Malfoy.

The two Hogwarts wizards merely watched her in bemusement.

"I take it that your plan went well?" asked Dumbledore.

Gayle turned to them both. "So far so good, I think. I think I convinced him enough that he's going to ask Voldemort's opinion on the situation at any rate. Draco's supposed to keep me informed of the progress. In the meantime, I think I'm going to faint."

Severus caught her just inches before she hit the floor.