Traitor: A Draco Malfoy Story

sixty-one

"Professor!" I called out, hiking up my skirt to jog after the man, who was sweeping down the hallway at a speed I didn't know was possible to walk.

He whirled around, black hair whipping across his face, his eyes boring down at me. "I will forever be impressed how Harry Potter and his little friends seem to have a knack for eavesdropping."

"Except Harry doesn't want to help you. I do."

Snape scoffed a short, quick breath. "With what?"

I stepped closer. "Do we have somewhere we can go that's a little more...secluded? If I heard you and Draco talking, I'm sure anyone can do the same to us."

He shot a glance my way and then took off like a shot again, with my struggling to keep up in the ridiculous heels I was wearing. Snape moved through the castle and the Defense Against the Dark Arts room like a liquid, barely skirting around desks and chairs and yet never stopping or hitting an obstacle. I ran into several chairs before he snapped. "Discreet really isn't in your vocabulary, is it, Miss Beckett?"

I rolled my eyes and followed him into his office as he slammed and locked the door.

"Speak," he demanded.

"The necklace didn't work, and he needs a new plan."

Snape's eyes flashed, but that was the only indication that he'd reacted to what I'd said. I continued. "And worse, people saw me take the dark magic out of the necklace. McGonagall and Hagrid know I can. He can't use a curse like that again, because they know I can just remove it from the target."

The brooding professor still said nothing. My confidence wavered slightly, but I kept going.

"I think we should poison him."

Snape continued to stare at me, his entire body tense. After a beat, he spoke in a low, level voice. "And what kind of poison did you have in mind?"

"Death cap mushrooms. I saw the store that Slughorn has in the Potions closet."

"And how do you propose you get the Headmaster to ingest your...death cap poison?"

"I hadn't really thought that through yet."

Snape snorted. "So eager to help, so incapable to actually do so."

"Listen," I snapped. "Draco's sanity is hanging by a thread and he has no other ideas. You said yourself he needed your help."

The professor stalked around his desk and took a seat, taking out a quill and ink. "You should hurry back to your dormitory before you get caught out so late. I will not take the fall for a broken curfew."

"So you're not going to help?"

"Go to bed."

"What about the Unbreakable Vow?"

"I said, GET OUT," he barked.

"Unbelievable," I muttered, and let the door slam shut behind me. Why did I think Snape would actually be useful?

I trudged towards the Slytherin common room, thinking. The house elves wouldn't slip Dumbledore the poison, they were too loyal. Who else...

The idea hit me so hard I stopped walking. I smacked my forehead with the heel of my hand, barely believing I could be this dense. I was plotting a fucking poisoning, and I hadn't even considered that the Imperius curse would be okay. A newfound hope blossomed through me, and I walked faster towards the common room.

-------------------

Draco sat staring into the flames when I came downstairs later that night. Jenna had wanted to know all about the party and kept me far longer than I had wanted to stay, but now the sound of her heavy breathing filled the space in our dorm, mixing with the other girls' sounds of sleep and I snuck down to find him exactly where I knew he'd be.

"Draco."

His head snapped up and he wiped his eye. He must have seen the look of concern on my face because he snapped, "I'm fine."

"I didn't ask if you were."

His brow furrowed. "Well...I am."

"Good."

"Good."

I sat gently on the couch, leaving a space between us large enough for both Crabbe and Goyle to fit their big asses.

"How was the party?" He asked stiffly.

"Awful," I admitted. "Well, good at first. But my date went off the deep end. Again."

He didn't ask me to explain, and I didn't offer it. The awkwardness of the situation wrapped around my chest and tightened.

"Look," I said at the same time as he started to say something else. "You first."

"I'm out of ideas, Azalea. I'm out of ideas, and my family will die because of it."

"How convenient I have one," I said, beginning to grin. "Snape already agreed to it."

A lie, but I'm sure if Draco asked him, he would help. Snape seemed hellbent on it earlier this evening. The blond's eyebrows rose, and I took that as my opportunity to pitch my plan.

"You know I can absorb curses. So a curse won't work. I was thinking a poison. You've used the Imperius curse before, and you can use it again. On Rosemerta from the Three Broomsticks. Christmas is coming, and you know someone will want to buy Dumbledore a gift. Why not poison his favorite mead?"

A dull light began to fill his eyes with a sliver of hope. In two steps, he bridged the gap between us and pulled me up into a hug, burying his face in the crook of my neck. Startled at first, it took me a second to hug him back, but the embrace lasted for a long time. It had been a while since I'd been in his arms, and the smell of his cologne and strength of his frame was a place I'd longed for for so long.

Suddenly, he pulled back. "This isn't because you still want to kill him, is it?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "No. You were right about my intentions. It was selfish of me to want that for myself when you have so much at stake. No, I want to do this for you. No one knows loss like you do, the fear of the Dark Lord like you do, and I just want you to be safe. I want to make you feel safe. So let me help you, Draco. Please. I--"

I love you. That's what I wanted to say. But his finger on my lips stopped the words from escaping.

"Don't. You can't. Not yet."

My eyes fluttered closed, focusing on his touch as his hand gently brushed against my cheek and I nuzzled into it. "Soon."

His lips grazed mine in a barely-there kiss. "Soon."