A Whispered Confession Can Change Everything

Chapter 28

School owls circled the ceiling and Draco smirked secretly. His evil plan was about to commence. Albus and the other teachers climbed to their feet in alarm as parchments were deposited in front of student after student. Draco cleared his expression, opening the parchment along with the others to see a blank page, just as he expected. All except for the words:


Write your name on this parchment and be amazed


Boys and girls looked to one another before scrambling from the table and running for the dormitories. Panic seemed to ensue amongst the faculty, trying to figure out what was going on and chasing after children who would not be stopped. Cassie and the others were amongst them, except for Hermione who was giving Draco a look as if to say: You? He grinned and bolted with the others, he and Harry weaving amongst the others and racing for their rooms.

Throwing open his door, he spun to his desk and watched as his recording spell etched out name after name as they were written. Taking out his master copy, he would take a name that appeared and ingrained it into the spell as a specific square at the bottom of a page. With the last of them, he had more than twenty little squares. Remembering who was who was going to be the trick but he experimented just a little. Taking out his quill, he tapped the square at the far right. Pansy’s square.


D: Is my message coming through?

P: Of course, what is going on?


Tapping a different square.


D: Everything alright, Harry?

H: I haven’t a clue what’s going on...where is this amazing thing we’re supposed to see?

D: You’re seeing it. This would be the multi-sender parchment I was talking about it.

H: I’m on my way.


By the time Harry had arrived, he’d written everyone who’d responded a little note, enjoying their snippets of replies and swearing them all to secrecy. The home kid’s secret. They were thrilled. One last step. He set up the duplicating spell and set it to replicate, watching as it appeared and disappeared once for every child and sending an explanation of what to do. He’d leave it up to them to figure out who’s square belonged to whom.

“Alright, Mr. Malfoy, you have some explaining to do.”

Sending Harry a grin, inclining his head, “You remember asking about making a parchment for more than one person. I figured it out. It’s limited but it will do for now.”

Harry looked over Draco’s shoulder, watching as handwriting appeared from different people, asking questions, “You know that’s going to get annoying.”

Shrugging, “Not really. I’m used to their questions. Now I just don’t have to keep my patience to their faces. And the parchment automatically expands so the writing won’t overlap.”

“And what happens when it’s twenty feet long?”

Grinning, “It automatically stops at four feet. They’ll just have to wait their turn after that point.”

Kneeling down, watching as the writing appeared and a different square would glow, “Different squares
for different people?”

Nodding, “One each, of course. Slightly different ink color and of course, the telling sign of their
penmanship.”

“Draco. Would you like to explain to the rest of us?”

Both boys looked at the Headmaster who didn’t look particularly happy. Hesitantly shrugging, “It’s just a writing parchment.”

Inclining his head, “And you could not include the rest of us in this particular affair because...”

Starting to understand his guardian was not pleased, “I...it was a surprise?”

“Draco. You nearly scared the life out of all of us. We assumed it was a trick or a trap. A simple
warning would have relieved a lot of problems for all of us. As it is, I expect you to reassure every single aide that it was merely your foolishness and not a Death eater plot.”

Lowering his head, “Yes, sir.” He hated being wrong. He hated being chastised even more. What made it even worse was Harry was here to hear about it.

“Then, you will spend the next two days in your room thinking about it...without your parchment.”

Wanting to sink down into his chair, voice quiet, “Yes, sir...”

Albus nodded and looked to Harry who was looking decidedly uncomfortable, “Harry, why don’t you run along, now.” Harry knew a command when he heard it and nodded, swiftly leaving the room. Albus knelt down and gently lifted Draco’s blushing, miserable face, “Now Draco, it’s not all that much of trouble, is it?”

Glancing up and then away, “At least you didn’t yell.”

Chuckling, “I see...well, you’d best get started...”

Sighing with a nod, whining softly, “Two days, Albus? You didn’t ground me when I broke the rules to go after Harry.”

Standing and raising an eyebrow, “Should I have? Was I too lenient?”

Eyes widening, scurrying for the door, “No sir! You were perfectly strict. Two days...completely fair.”
No way was he going to talk himself into more time in his room under arrest. And Albus didn’t forbid him from potion making so he had that. He hurried out the door, Albus’ soft chuckles chasing after him.

***

Cassie felt decidedly bad for Draco. They’d been moping about the Quidich field all day, not having the Sergeant around to drill them through flying practice. It just wasn’t fun without him. Harry tried but even he wasn’t enjoying himself. Slapping her hands on her knees and grabbing her broom, “This is stupid!”

She took off into the air and veered towards the castle, searching along the building for Draco’s balcony. It was a windy day and even at a slow speed the wind still whipped through her hair. Harry and the twins followed after her, Alex pointing when the familiar window gleamed to them like a welcoming beacon. Hen made a crow of glee and the three of them veered for it. Landing next to Draco’s telescope and putting her broom out of the way, she rapped lightly on the glass.

Harry grimaced, “Dumbledore’s gonna have a fit.”

After a moment, Draco opened it with a surprised look on his face, “Wha-“

Grinning and shoving past him, “You’re lonely and we’ve come to cheer you up.”

Harry gave a sheepish wave and followed with Alex and Hen running in and flopping on his bed. Still wary, “Albus doesn’t know you’re here, does he?”

Shaking her head, “Nope, so you’d better be quiet or we’ll all be in trouble.”

Harry closed the window and scuffed his shoe, “Sorry.”

Draco sighed before shrugging. What’s the worst Albus could do? Okay, he didn’t want to think about
that possibility. Instead he reasoned what’s the worst Albus would do...chew him out and ground him further. He could deal with that possibility, “Don’t worry, Harry. It was becoming dull without you.”

The brunette grinned, “Hey, Dray, what’s in here?”

Draco tore across the room and grabbed Cassie before she could go in. Panting, “That’s my potions lab.
Right now I’m working on something very delicate. Going in could destroy it so I’ve erected a temporary containment spell around it. Were you to touch the wards you’d get the shock of your life.”

Cassie backed up several paces, “Mad scientist at work...got it...” Harry giggled and Cassie turned, “You understood that one?”

Shrugging, “I was muggle raised so I know some of their sayings.”

Cassie had a new respect for the brunette and a spark of mischief in her eye, “Neat.”


Authors note:
Whew. Big update. Sorry, school's hell. Just to warn you for further in the series (yes, I said series, I'm almost done with the second installment) I will be taking random events from the books, the ones that occurred without the boys' interference. There is a point to this...promise.