Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 34 ~ Waiting takes more strength than action

Victoria's Pov.

When he broke away from me and looked at me with that typical Malfoy smile, I couldn't help but smile too.
I could see he had regained some hope.
He wouldn't give up that easily.
He would do anything in his power to finally get it over with.
He would do anything to avoid having to kill Dumbledore himself.
I noticed that his brain was starting to rattle.
I had a feeling he was beginning to come up with a plan that hopefully wouldn't go awry this time.
His smile disappeared and his eyes drifted off into the distance.
He seemed out of touch with reality for a short time.
He stared blankly down the dark, cold corridor.
"Draco, what's going on?" I asked him, clearly concerned.
He didn't answer me.
I put my hand on his chin and forced him to look at me.
He swiveled his head in my direction and looked at me.
I could see a storm of emotions raging inside him.
Something is bothering him.
He had a plan how to kill Dumbledore.
But something in his eyes told me it was risky and going to be difficult.
"Okay, tell me what's going on right now!", I raised my voice more strongly and saw how the ice prince opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak.
However, he couldn't get a word out.
I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him seriously.
"Draco?!" I was deadly serious now.
"I-I have an idea..." the Ice Prince said sheepishly.
"Out with it," I wanted to know urgently from him and waited until he started to speak again.
"It's risky.  I had had the idea before.
Classified it as an emergency plan though." He explained matter-of-factly and I couldn't read his face.
I said nothing.
I knew he would tell me.
To be honest, I had a bad premonition.
"I was going to kill Dumbledore with a poisoned mead..." Draco clarified, seeming to go over it all in his head.
"And how do you imagine that?
I mean, do you want to just hand it to Dumbledore in front of everyone in the great hall?" I expressed the main point of the plan.
"No, don't be ridiculous," the boy Malfoy quipped, seeming to take it as a joke.
I was just about to enlighten him.
However, he continued to speak.
"I was going to plant it on Professor Slughorn.
Slughorn doesn't drink mead. He will most likely pass it on to Dumbledore as a gift."
I noticed the biggest flaw in the thing.
"Most likely...?"
I had to point this out as there was a high risk of Slughorn drinking the mead himself or gifting it to someone else rather than to Dumbledore.
And if that were to happen, someone innocent, unrelated to the cause, would have to suffer the consequences.
I saw Draco begin to doubt for a moment.
He sighed, but then started to speak.
"It's risky, but my only and last chance to kill Dumbledore like this...."
He himself knew that his idea had many pitfalls and that it could be really dangerous if the poisoned mead got into the wrong hands.
Inwardly, I had to smile at my choice of words.
'Getting into the wrong hands'.
He was already in the wrong hands.
Namely in the ones of Draco and me.
We intended to kill someone with it and nobody else.
If the situation weren't so tense, I probably would have started laughing.
But on the outside, a serious facial expression adorned my appearance.
"Okay, do it!" I offered my opinion, looking at young Malfoy expectantly.
"I'll do it right now, Slughorn won't be in his office as dinner is about to start." He explained his plan.
However, one question remained unanswered.
"Right now?  How are you going to get the poisoned mead?"
He started smiling thoughtfully.
"I planned this months ago, the Met has been in my custody for a long time," the Ice Prince said proudly.
"I have to say, Draco Malfoy, you never cease to amaze me," I honestly admitted, following him to the Slytherin common room.
I linked my arm with him and winked at him.
He gave the password and disappeared into his dormitory.
I waited in the common room, looked up the stairs and waited for the Slytherin Ice Prince.
When he re-entered the common room after a while, he held a dusty bottle of mead in his hands.
"Okay, let's go," Draco said, trying to brush the dust off the bottle by running his palm over the bottle.
He slipped the mead under his cloak and walked towards me.
Careful not to be seen, we walked quietly towards Slughorn's office.
In front of the dark old wooden door, Draco stopped and turned to face me.
"I'll go in alone.  You go to the great hall and make sure Slughorn doesn't head to his office early, okay?"
I nodded, turned around and walked quickly towards the great hall.

When I entered the hall, no one paid me any attention.
The mood was exuberant.
There was laughter at every house table and everyone seemed to be in high spirits.
The teachers seemed to be having a great time too.
I walked towards the Slytherin House table and sat down a little apart from the other Slytherin students.
I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on the teacher's table.
I grimaced in disgust when I saw Slughorn talking with his mouth full.
After all, he didn't seem to be in any particular hurry to get back to his office.
I jumped when suddenly Draco flopped down next to me.
"How did it go?" I asked immediately.
"All right, now it's just a matter of waiting..." he announced, glancing over at the staff table, where Slughorn was just getting up.