The Malfoy's Secret [Draco Malfoy fanfic]

Chapter 18

"Stop zoning out! We won't get anything done if you keep doing that!" I shouted at him before he could snap at me again. I turned to Snape waiting for the answers to my unasked questions. I could only think of one person he could have taken, and I was after any confirmation that I was thinking of the wrong person.

"How could they have taken her? I only saw her yesterday morning and they haven't had enough time to get in her-" Draco rambled on, but cut himself off when he saw the weird look I was sending him.

"What are you talking about? He's had plenty of chances to take her. It's all our fault, we should have asked her to go into hiding. It was obvious she wasn't as safe anymo-" I too was cut off this time by Snape glaring at the two of us. Thinking about it, now probably wasn't the time or place to become rambling idiots.

"The two of you need to stop talking and think for a minute. It's neither of your faults that your mother has been taken," I heard Draco let out a sigh of relief and turned quickly to ask him how that news was relieving when Snape cut across me for the second time. "All this means is that you have to work harder on your mission from now in and get it finished as soon as possible!"

We both nodded and carried on looking at our professor, waiting for something more to be said. I don't know if I was expecting advice or him to start questioning why we were stood in the dungeons at this time of night. Nothing else followed though. He just swiftly walked out the room leaving me and Draco stood there looking at a blank wall.

"Who were you talking about earlier?"

"Mum, obviously. Come on, we need to go and check that Slughorn's still asleep."

I followed him through the door into Slughorn's quarters, secretly wondering who Draco had been talking about. It wouldn't have been mum if he'd been scared someone had snuck into the castle. Well, I can't say I'm surprised he didn't tell me. Our family has quite a knack for keeping secrets, I'm walking proof.

"Okay, the 'mead' is over there on his table. I attached a note to it with Dumbledore's name on so that in case that bit of the charm hasn't worked," I scoffed at his choice of words. Slughorn was under a curse not some charm a first year could work. "Anyway, I've made it so that he thinks the 'mead' was a Christmas present that he forgot to give and will hopefully drop it by Dumbledore's office tomorrow."

He was smirking; clearly proud of the work he'd carried out. I had my answer as well, as I could now see why he'd taken so long. I smiled back at Draco to show I understood his thinking and slowly started walking back towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Draco called after me. I stopped and waited for him to catch up, not having the energy to shout to him. When he was by my side, I slowly started making my way up the stairs again, listening out for any noises that would show someone was coming.

"Back to my dorm, I'm absolutely knackered. Everything's in place Drake, we don't have to worry about this for a while now. It'll just play out its course and we won't look like we're involved in it," I yawned. I didn't even have the energy to climb the stairs to the Ravenclaw tower, never mind explain the situation we were in.

"What're we going to do about mum?" he whispered. The tone of his voice gave away how worried he was, even if he was whispering. Or maybe it was just because I knew him so well...

"There's nothing we can do is there. All we can do is hope this 'mead' plan thing works and finish fixing the cabinet," I finished, finally arriving at my common room. I could feel Draco behind me and knew he had something else to say.

"Are you sure-" Draco started to ask, but I cut across him, not in the mood to have an argument with him at this time.

"What else is there to do Drake? We'll do it, I know we will," I reassured him, but it sounded like I was talking more to myself than him. I pulled him into a tight hug and then walked into the common room leaving him stood out in the corridor on his own with his thoughts.