Serpent in the Lion's Den

43. Aberforth & Ariana

"Right, are you all ready?" Molly asked, gathering up the group going into Hogwarts directly through Ginny's passageway that she wouldn't provide details of. The group nodded, silently going through the plan in their heads to supress the nerves that were carved onto all their faces. Draco however, looked closed off and empty, as though he had just woken up.

"Okay?" Hermione asked out of earshot as everyone gathered small belongings and vials and dropped them into Hermione's extendable bag. Draco simply nodded and it was then that Hermione realised he was Occluding and that he was most nervous out of all to be returning to Hogwarts, the only place that was a home from his house and was tainted with the darkness that corrupted him.

"It'll be okay, I love you."

"I love you more"

Hermione smiled, "piss off" and Draco tutted whilst smiling "Language Love"

"Ferret, Mione lets go" Ginny called, pulling out a small galleon in a cloth and held it in the middle in the circle forming in the kitchen.

"Coming Weaslette" Draco replied and gripped Hermione's hand as he walked over to the portkey. On Ginny's count of three they all placed their hand on the portkey and felt a tug just below their navel, the same as apparition and they landed roughly on the floor just outside of Hogsmeade.

"Okay... follow me and stay quiet, Harry, Ferret and Mione get under the cloak, you're most at risk and if Ron and Luna can fit have them under there too. Everyone glamour a feature about yourself as well just in case" Ginny whispered, constantly looking around to check for signs of activity as the wizards changed hair and eye colours. Harry, Luna, Hermione and Draco just managed to squeeze under the cloak together with only their shoes visible without a disillusionment charm, leaving Ginny and Ron out in the open.

"Ferret and Ron, you'll keep swapping out, you're both well-known and we need to make sure people don't recognise you if you're out too long" the witch ordered and the wizards nodded, folding the cloak back down.

"She's just as bossy as you Potter, guess birds of a feather flock together after all" he smirked as the four moved in sequence towards the town.

XXX

"Right, Ferret, switch out, and this'll be the final switch" Ginny muttered over her shoulder as the group ducked behind a series out buildings outlining the town. Draco stepped out and switched with Ron,

"You ever going to stop calling me that Weaslette?" he groaned as they walked together through the town

"Nope" Ginny said happily, "it's a shame your hair no longer matches your fur though." She teased as Draco had glamoured his hair similarly to his time in London, longer and dark brown, as well as turning his eyes blue and making his nose slightly smaller so he was unrecognisable from a distance. Both wizards walked quietly along through the winding streets, only hearing the wind and the occasional 'Muffliato' from Hermione to silence their footsteps.

"Okay we're almost... crap!" Ginny groaned as three unknown death-eaters walked towards them and both wizards froze as well as their invisible party. "Merlin, I'm sorry Mione and Harry" Ginny yelped and suddenly pulled Draco's lips crashing into hers.

"Weaslette, I know I'm much better than Potter in almost every department but at least spare him from watching," Draco smirked as soon as the guards were out of sight and turned towards where he guessed the golden trio were and winked, "sorry Love, but I promise you're still my witch."

"I'm sorry Harry!" Ginny said rushed over to her own guess, threw the cloak off and wrapped her arms around Harry.

"It's ok Gin but I should stay under the cloak" Harry laughed as Hermione walked over giggling and kissed Draco on the cheek.

"Right. Who is going to apologise to ME! I just had to watch my sister snog Malfoy!" Ron said, folding up the cloak and throwing it to the floor in anger.

"I'm sorry Ronald"

"Luna you didn't do anything but thanks."

"Keep your voices down and get inside!" a voice came from the house across the street and the wizards looked back to Ginny for approval. She nodded and the group rushed into the house,

"I'm a better kisser right Gin?" Harry asked almost shyly as they jogged across the road.

"Of course," Ginny reassured, trying not to turn bright pink and avoided Harry's eyes.

"Everyone, this is-"

"Aberforth Dumbledore" Hermione finished Ginny's sentence for her and Ginny nodded, still not looking Harry directly in the eye but for different reasons,

"He's the one you've seen in that mirror shard Harry..." Ginny started, "and this, in the picture, is Dumbledore's sister Ariana Dumbledore. She's the gateway for the passage I was telling you about, Aberforth's been helping us out the best he can with Snape running things."

The wizards and witches nodded to both Dumbledore's siblings and shuffled uncomfortably, Draco and Harry most of all. It wasn't easy to stand in a room with the siblings of a man you'd been tasked to kill, nor was it to stand in a room with the siblings of a man you'd idolised and done nothing to stop his death. From the silence, Aberforth gave out butterbeers and muttered to his sister's portrait which vanished from sight. She reappeared ten minutes later and smiled at the rooms occupants as her portrait swung open to reveal a tall brunette boy with a prominent jaw and nose, wearing a cable-knit cardigan buttoned up over a greying shirt.

"Hey everyone, how's things?" said Neville Longbottom.