12 Grim Old Place

Chapter 2
Date Started: 02-27-07
Pairing: Hints of TonksxRemus and OMGWTF MinervaxAberforth (if you squint). XD Future DM/HP
Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own them. Wish I did...but nope. The idea wasn't even mine. It was Yami Bakura's. I had thought of something like this... but my idea was a lot stickier so I knew deep down I'd never write it. XD Yami Bakura

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A few days later Snape had apparated to the edge of Number Twelve, dark eyes surveying the street. It was early morning and there was soft gray whisps of fog that stretched over the landscape. Everything seemed calm but within minutes figures seemed to appear from no where in the middle of the street. He stood face to face with at least a third of the Order. He imagined that the rest were busy, or doing something else. None of the Weasley's were present, he assumed they could be with their son.

Though Sanpe would never say so aloud, the most formidable to him was Hagrid. Who seemed to tower completely over the rest of the group although he was in the back. Remus appeared to be in a conflict of emotion. After all, Snape was the one to produce his dose of Wolf's Bane. Minerva looked as though she felt sad. Snape had to look down. Kingsley and Tonks were both staring at him with a look of pure hatred. One that Snape wasn't so sure if he didn't deserve.

There was a subtle clanking behind the group when Alastor came hobbling along, him to appearing out of no where. Snape made no effort to move, he knew what took Moody so long. His thoughts were confirmed when a pair of objects fell from the limping man's arms.

Tonks gasped, neither had activated yet.

Minerva looked closely at the objects before adjusting her robes and frowning, her pointed black hat tipping ever so faintly atop her head. "What brings you here, Severus...?"

"I need to explain."

"Ha! There be none of that. Yer a bad man, killing Dumbledore like that. Ought to be 'shamed of yerself." Hagrid barked, his lips curving down and making the bushy beard shift.

Minerva looked back at Hagrid, frowning faintly before nodding her head and turning back to the previous Potion's Master. "What do you have to tell us?" she asked calmly, ignoring the clanking of Moody setting up the Secrecy Sensor.

"He knew. He suspected... of Malfoy's plans. Headmistress...," Snape paused when he saw Minerva flinch but continued, feeling the need to fully express himself. "He knew what would happen and he accepted it. He knew of the vow I had made to Narcissa. I told him. I felt he held the right to know. After what happened to his hand, he was visably weakened. I'm sure you all had noticed." His eyes traveled around to the other members.

Moody gave a grunt when neither of the objects reacted.

"Dumbledore accepted this and even requested that I fulfil my end of the vow. I was prepared to die if Mister Malfoy could not complete the task." Snape contined, forcing himself to remain straight and not waver from his spot in the slightest. The distance of a few feet between them seemed unbearable. He hadn't realized how much he truely felt he needed these people. "The Dark Lord has accepted me in Lucius place. No one is closer."

"You're switching sides?" Remus broke in, looking slightly hurt by the prospect but Tonks grabbed his hand and gave him a stern look. His eyes didn't shift.

"I hadn't planned on it." Snape admitted. The idea of being loyal to Voldemort was something he greatly hated. He would dismiss himself from the Death Eaters if it meant it.

"Where is Young Malfoy, Severus?" Minerva spoke, shifting her robes nervously. She had heard from counts from Harry that it seemed Draco couldn't do it and hadn't wanted to. He had been frightened.

"He is safe... I'd like to bring him here, where the Dark Lord is least likely to find him." Dark eyes clouded for a moment at the thought but he didn't continue with what he had originally thought to say.

"Potter will have to accept the boy..." Minerva shifted again. She greatly disliked the idea of Draco being forced into solitude when he hadn't in fact done anything. It seemed cruel and unsuited for a boy not even of age. The rivalry may be enough to insist to Potter of Malfoy's unworth.

"I understand. With the death of his mother, Draco has little place to go. His father's imprisonment hasn't helped matters. The Manor is in his name, yet he can't possibly return." Snape's voice broke slightly, though he tried to fight back the thought.

"I will send owl to Potter. He's still under protection." Minerva gave a curt nod before adjusting her robes again and looking back at the remaining members. "You will be alerted as soon as possible, Severus."

***

Harry sighed heavily, laying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. He'd been forced home for the time being. He hated it.

Everything seemed perfectly normal on Number Four Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon had shown his distaste by yelling at the TV and calling the people stupid and a few other names that weren't quite as loud. He missed Ron. He missed Hermione. He missed Hogwarts. He missed the Order. He would rather be anywhere than in the false sense of security he felt here. Things were too normal for his liking. Voldemort was rising to power again. Dumbledore was dead.

When he felt the familiar burn behind his eyes, Harry pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and rolled over, burrying his face into his pillow. The day was sunny and warm and he couldn't help but feel unbearably cold. They were almost forcing him to stay in his spot. If he dared to use magic to get away the Ministry would be after him as well.

Hedwig fluttered in her cage, large white wings spread as a barn owl flew through the open window, dropping a letter on Harry's bed and perching itself atop the lamp, clicking its beak. Harry lifted his head, looking at the owl then the letter before sitting up. He hadn't recieved a letter since the trainride home.

He reached for the letter, opening it quickly and staring down at the page.

Dear Mr. Potter,

Certain circumstances have come into our view. We would like you to come to 12, Grimmauld Place for a few days. You will not be taking up residence here, so please do not ask.

We will send owls to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Mr. and Mrs. Granger. I'm sure you would love to see them both. We have matters to discuss with you, however, so we request you arrive early so that business can be taken care of.

I trust you will speak of this to the Dursleys. Sturgis Podmore and Hestia Jones will be by at the end of the week to retrieve you and escort you here. I expect your owl as soon as possible accepting our request. Please send it with Flora. She should be waiting.

Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Minerva McGonagall

Harry read over the letter at least twice. The way it was wrote made it sound like there may be the possibility that he'd be allowed to search for the horcruxes. Ron and Hermione were both of age and he would be soon. Perhaps there would be a hearing of some kind to grant him permission to use magic. He felt his heart flutter and he quickly got up and went to find his quill and some parchment.

Hedwig rustled in her cage and Harry looked up at her. "Sorry, Hedwig. You can't take this. Everyone knows who you are..." She hooted and he frowned when her large golden eyes fixed on him for a moment before rushing over to his bed to sit and write out the return letter.

Professor McGonagall,

I'm very excited to be able to come. I'll be waiting.

Sincerely,

Harry

He folded up the parchment and secured it to the owl's leg before sitting back and watching it take flight to through the window. He sighed happily. He'd be leaving the Dursleys and he'd get to see Ron and Hermione again. He really missed them.

***

Snape returned to the old shabby house to find Draco staring blankly at a few of the muggle items. He had a pen, notebook and large eraser placed out infront of him on the bed. Snape had to remind himself that none of these things meant anything to a Malfoy and moved to the bed to sit.

Draco had seen him, he was sure but asked anyway. "May I sit?"

The blonde haired boy looked up, his hair had taken to simply falling to either side of his face without his usual arrangement of items to slick it back or brush it to the side. "Of course."

Snape gingerly sat beside the boy, idly wondering where in the house he had managed to find the items, but deciding against it. Locking up a sixteen year old boy, he expected as much. Draco probably now knew his family's old house better than he ever had. Though, most of his time had been spent hiding from his father and mother when they fought. The day he moved out with his mother had came all too quickly.

"What are you doing?" Snape asked calmly while watching as Draco carefully took each part of the pen apart, frowned and attempted it's reconstruction.

"Playing with these damned muggle things." Draco snorted, his gray eyes narrowing when the pen didn't seem to fit back just as it was to begin with.

Snape had to fight back a smile. The boy's expression rivaled his when working on a potion. Snape reached over, opening the notebook before gingerly extracting the pen from the boy and drawing a rather squiggly circle on the paper. Draco looked positively shocked. After all, Snape hadn't dipped the item into ink.

"It's a pen..." Snape started before deciding that it wasn't important. "How about we fix something to eat... then I have some things to speak with you about."

Draco looked up and nodded.

***

Minerva sighed, reading over the letter. Potter clearly wasn't aware and was more than less likely getting high hopes for something that wasn't going to happen. She wanted to pace but she felt physically drained. A man slowly stepped up to her from where he'd been watching her in the doorway. He placed a hand on her shoulder, a hand much like his brother's, a hand that Minerva knew a little too well. She lifted her hand without truely thinking, carefully placing it over the elderly hand and leaning back against the man's stomach, feeling her hat have a run in with the long gray beard.

She looked back to him, lifting her free hand to press her glasses up on her nose a bit further. "How are you...?"

The man smiled, slowly moving from his position to take a seat beside her, his blue eyes glistening in a way that she had previously thought only one man's could ever twinkle. "I'm quite fine, Minerva. How are things?"

The woman sighed and fixed her hat, before carefully folding up the paper and returning to her stern expression. "Potter has accepted the invitation. Mister Weasley and Miss Granger haven't replied, yet. I suspect that they may be busy. I believe Ronald's brother is to be wed later this month."

The elderly man grinned, his eyes once again lighting up slightly. "I see... That's very good then. You believe things will go well?"

"Oh, I honestly have no idea how things shall proceed. Potter has a lot of resentment to Young Malfoy. He will still have to have Severus's envolvement explained."

"You believe Severus?" He raised a single pale brow, his lips quirking curiously.

"Alastor seems to. He grunted his approval." She gave a coy smile before standing. "I suppose Mister Malfoy will be expected to undergo the same explination of himself."

"It would seem so." The man said, looking every bit as wise as any Headmaster ever could. He even had the same calm and assertive smile.

"You trust him, Aberforth...? After what he done?"

"My brother trusted him. That's all the proof I need."

***

Draco sat, staring at Snape while he cooked. He looked completely shocked at the way things were happening. He had no idea that so much time and effort was put into such a simple thing as making a sandwhich. He'd eaten them all the time.

Snape wanted to bristle, those large innocent gray eyes and that small mouth just slightly open were grating on his nerves at a rate which he couldn't fully process. He had, afterall, known that Malfoy was made to be a primped carbon copy of his father, but his amazement over the oddest things was unbelieveable. Did Lucius keep his son in a box so that Draco would only be exposed to him when exposed to anything? The more Snape considered that idea, the less he wanted to consider it. Draco was clearly brainwashed into his father's views from before he understood what they meant, if he even fully understood now.

Pushing the plate across the table, Snape raised his brow slightly, staring at Draco for a moment. The boy's eyes widened even more. Draco never would have guessed that Snape could be so resourceful. He was definately a Slytherin. He reached forward, picking up the morsel and taking a large bite before looking up at an ex-professor that was smirking at him. He blushed faintly and quickly chewed and swallowed, making sure to eat more daintly from then on.

"I went to the Order today," Snape began as he sat down without bothering to fix himself something, "and they seemed to accept my alligations." His lips curved slightly by the way Draco was now staring at him. It was as if the boy's hunger had completely disappeared and the food was no longer important. "They are bringing Potter to Headquarters at the end of the week. You'll be going there then."

"Potter?" Draco started, his previously curious gray eyes turning cold. "He will turn me away." He began eating again, only hoping that he wouldn't choke due to his own forcefeeding.

"You forget that this is Potter. He's far too trusting for his own good, though in your case, I'm sure he has nothing to worry about. After all, a spoiled brat like yourself can't really do much harm to him."

Draco coughed, quickly swallowing down the rest of his bite before turning a glare on Snape, who felt oddly reminded of Lucius. "I am not a spoiled brat."

Snape tilted his chin up defiantly. "You can't even feed yourself if I'm not here."

Draco blushed and glared down at the plate. That wasn't his fault. It was his parents... his mother's. He frowned, suddenly dropping the food and moving his hands into his lap, feeling slightly sick to his stomach and curling over slightly.

Frowning, Snape made to stand, moving over and placing a hand on the boy's back, sliding it over the fabric of the sweater, slowly moving it in slow even circles. "Finish eating. You only have a few days before you'll go see Potter."

Snape turned and left the room, leaving Draco staring sourly at his food before blinking back the dampness that threatened his vision before giving his head a proud toss. He straighted and sighed. He really shouldn't show any such weakness infront of someone. He picked up his food and began eating at it slowly. He'd have a lot of mental preparation before he could possibly face anyone and do the one thing his Father had told him never to do. Trust someone that wasn't pure-blood and ask for their help.

***

A/N - Were you wondering when Harry would magically appear? XD Yeah. There he is. He's alive!...and miserable. Like he is every summer. I can't see any members of the order letting him wander off to find horcruxes while being underaged. We'll see what happens when it gets closer to his birthday.

R&R