Transfiguration Is Not Easy by Buckbeak22
The next two weeks were frantically hardworking. Draco was very relieved at having no time to think, as when he thought of what lay ahead of him, he found he wanted to throw up. It seemed that cowardice was steeped so far into his character that the promise of a new life could not oust it. However, he was determined to show no sign of weakness in front of Parvati, and especially none in front of Dumbledore or his golden trio, and never thought that what he was doing, in spite of his fear, was brave.
Dumbledore was somewhat surprised and greatly relieved to find that Draco had a head start on Occlumency, but there was still a lot to learn. Parvati was thankful for her DA training with Harry, and envious of the speed at which Draco picked up the new spells. Learning new ones gave them both a competitive edge, which made them both quite enjoy the training. They trained in dodging (Draco was much better at this than Parvati, as his Seeker skills were still honed from practicing each morning.) Parvati, however, after practice, was not a clumsy bird, and managed to blend into shadows easily. Dumbledore himself did not think anybody would recognize her for what she really was, which reassured Draco to some extent.
As they trained, Draco gained a new respect for Parvati. He had always assumed from her feather-brained gossipy style, that she was low in the brains department, (he was a Slytherin after all, and did not know her powers as well as the Gryffindors) but she was quite quick to catch on, (perhaps not quite as fast as he was) knew far more jinxes than he did (from her training in the DA), could produce a brilliant Patronus (in the shape of a horse) and was not afraid to work hard. She even managed to keep her nails polished and shiny through their hectic schedule. He began to see that the public person was very different to the real Parvati. As she had told him, she was not an airhead. However, he was far from comfortable taking her with him. Parvati seemed made for the light, parties, picnics and fun, and he could not imagine her anywhere near a Death Eater. Added to this, he had been taught by his father to regard women as useless, but decorative objects whom one did not trust with anything difficult or dangerous. He had enough knowledge of Parvati now to know that she was a partner, and deserved to be treated as such, but his old-fashioned upbringing left him doubting that it was right to expose her to the dangers he knew would surround them. And he knew how impulsive she was.
When Parvati had gone to practice some flying, he tackled Dumbledore about it. Dumbledore, who was sitting in front of a fire, exhausted, rested his hands on his knees and looked into the flames.
“I can’t stop her going, if that is what she wishes to do,” he said. He looked up sideways at Draco. “Do you know why she is going?” He removed a box of lemon drops and offered it to Draco. Draco couldn’t believe that he was interested in sweets at a time like this, and waved it away impatiently. Dumbledore took one and sucked it with obvious enjoyment.
“Yes, I know that! She has some crazy idea that because she is my girlfriend, ‘love will conquer all’ or something. A kind of romantic holiday in the Death Eater’s camp. Actually she is so completely flamboyant that she may just give us away! She trusts any and everybody, no secret is safe with her - and you saw how Padma reacted to Snape! What will the Death Eaters think if my raven flops off my shoulder onto the floor in a faint every time they use the Cruciatus Curse on somebody?”
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “I believe you wrong her greatly. Parvati is afraid for you to go among the Death Eaters. I must admit that it has taken a weight off my mind to have her go with you.” He slipped a few of his memories off his wand and into the Pensieve next to him, in preparation for another Occlumency session. “All your life, you have been among Death Eaters. Even your closest companions at Hogwarts have been Death Eaters, or the sons of Death Eaters. We have heard your comments on Muggle-born wizards,” he looked hard at Draco over the tops of his spectacles, as Draco’s face flushed fire. “Oh yes; not much escapes me. You have agreed with a lot of what Voldemort stands for. You were backing the Heir of Slytherin, if I remember rightly. If you go back among those people, who have had such a strong hold over you all your life, you may go back to being one of them. Unhappiness, misuse of power and misery can be addictive, even compulsive. That is why Parvati goes with you. She is your link to the outside world, and the reminder that there is another life than the one you go to. Also, she is stronger than she seems or you may think. Most people are,” he added ruminatively, taking another lemon drop. “Are you sure you won’t try one? Muggle sweets you know, they are very good.”
Draco narrowed his eyes. During his teaching sessions with Dumbledore he had acquired a lot more respect for the Headmaster, but he was hard put to it to stop the thought ‘Silly old bat’ running through his head. He found Dumbledore’s reasoning offensive, and his passion for sweets childish.
“I am quite competent to go myself and do what I have to,” he said sulkily, ignoring the lemon drop box. “I chose which side I believe now to be right. I may be of the opinion that a pure bloodline is the best, but I do believe in freedom of choice. I am forced to admit too, although I do not like her, that Granger does not show any sign of depleted powers. And Potter, who had a Muggle born mother has a truly formidable strength. I am not fond of Dementors, and hardly want them given the run of the wizarding world, as would the Dark Lord. I think that I have chosen wisely, and will not easily change my decision!”
Dumbledore shook his head. “Parvati is the wiser. Voldemort is stronger than you imagine. You found it hard enough to resist your father. Indeed, it is only recently “ and in his absence, may I add - that you have done so. It is harder to fight off your upbringing than you realize, here at Hogwarts. Chains from the past can be thrown off, but it will take tremendous willpower. You will have some bad moments, not just when you have to deal with what life brings you there, but also when you must battle yourself. And it is good to have a friend near. Parvati has made her choice. Do you think that I could talk her out of it even if I wanted to?” He added thoughtfully, “Remember too, that she will go as a raven, and thus unable to speak!” his eyes twinkled slightly. “So you worry needlessly about her impetuosity, because I agree, that is the one thing that I think could be a problem, although emotionally I believe her to be strong. Remember too, Padma was operating under curious circumstances. She was actually able to feel Snape’s pain. Firenze tells me that Parvati is competent in that area, but no more, so she will not experience any horrors in the same way.”
They had finished their talk just in time, as Parvati came bounding in breathless and windblown from her time outside. She had persuaded Harry to take a break from teaching and practice with her, pretending she was the Snitch, so it had been an intense session. She collapsed into a chair beside Draco, still a little breathless, and looked over at him laughingly, “Well, I doubt any curse could catch me mid-flight now! Harry gave me a really good workout.” Draco could not help stiffening here, and Parvati glanced over at him nervously. “I wish I could tell Cho that I was an Animagus, as it seems hard to have to ask Harry for help when he is already doing so much?” She looked over at Dumbledore, but he shook his head at her, so she sighed, and shrugged apologetically to Draco. “Well, I am off for a very quick shower, and then I guess we can get back to work!” Dumbledore noticed the exchange, and for a moment looked grave, but when Parvati looked over, he seemed tranquil, and offered a lemon drop from a rather nice jeweled box. She took one. “Yum! These are my favourites! Thanks!”
She looked over at Draco again, and he felt that odd quiver in his stomach that happened whenever his eyes met hers. He could see she felt the same way. There was a ‘no kissing’ rule at Hogwarts, and they were feeling the strain of always being with a teacher. Parvati got up and went out, leaving the room feeling drained of energy. Draco did not realize he was staring after her. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows thoughtfully.
“Shall we continue?”
********************
Two evenings later, the day before they were to depart, Dumbledore stopped training early. “I think we have done enough. You can get some rest, and relax. I don’t think I could teach you anything more that you would remember. I suggest you go and catch a meal with your classmates, and then maybe take a walk by the lake. I appreciate all the time and energy you have given to your training. I know it has been difficult for both of you. Tomorrow we will start implementing your arrival at the Death Eaters’ Camp.” He yawned. “I myself have got to go and have something to eat besides lemon drops. I will see you tomorrow morning, early as planned.”
Almost before he had left the room, Draco was striding over to Parvati, who met him halfway, with open arms and brilliant eyes. He pulled her into his arms, and stood looking down at her with a queer smile on his lips. “I can’t believe how much I have been wanting to do this!” he said, before kissing her gently at first, and then as she responded so generously, with more passion. When he pulled away, her eyes were shut, and her arms round his neck, her hands in his hair. He undid the plait that she had been wearing again, and loosened her hair, reveling in the feel of it running silkily through his fingers. He was just about to kiss her again, when Hermione entered. Parvati noticed the change in Draco immediately. His muscles tensed, his lip curled, and the sneer, which had been absent from his face for a while, returned.
“Well Granger, what is it?” he said impatiently.
In answer, Hermione tossed him two sets of black robes that she had carried in over one arm, and a phial of blue liquid to Parvati. Draco only just caught the robes, having to unwind himself from Parvati first.
“See how you like those. They are reversible.” She stood waiting, and Draco handed a robe to Parvati. They looked like hooded black robes to him. He bet that the Mudblood had waited until the opportune moment to interrupt him, but as his lip started to turn into a snarl, Parvati, who, being more at home with Muggle terminology had looked inside, gave a gasp. “Why Hermione! These are great! Look Draco!” She turned her robe inside out, and it became an invisibility cloak. Draco was forced to swallow the rather clever snide remark he was about to make. “Great,” he said unenthusiastically instead. Hermione looked at him as if he were a bubotuber spouting pus. Parvati was whirling around the room with only her head and hands showing.
“Hermione!” she sang, “Thank you for my anti-screening potion! And the cloak! I have always wanted one of these! Thank you! How did you get them?”
Hermione blushed. “I got some of the house-elves to spin the fibers that we made in Potions class the other day into some Demiguise wool. I found some while I was sorting out Snape’s office. He had a barrel full from of our stuff from all the classes he has done, and the Demiguise wool came from Dumbledore. Then one of them sewed these cloaks together for you.” Parvati’s eyes rounded, but she held her tongue. Draco was not so kind.
“Well really Granger!” he drawled, “Imposing on the house-elves! Isn’t this a bit against your ethics?”
Hermione put her nose in the air, and snapped. “Actually, I offered them a wage”
“And they accepted?” Both Draco and Parvati were incredulous. Hermione developed two pinkish patches on her cheeks. “No, they didn’t, as a matter of fact. But I did offer, and they were able to refuse. If you don’t offer a salary, they have no choice at all. Besides, I can’t sew, and in these times, it just seemed as though you should have them. In the long run, it will probably benefit the house elves too.”
Parvati knew the effort this would have cost Hermione, and she whirled over to give her a hug “ which surprised Hermione more than she could say, but also pleased her. Draco, however, saw this as more of an opportunity than otherwise.
“I wouldn’t have thought of your compromising your integrity for my sake,” he simpered, swirling the cloak, black side up onto his shoulders, and mincing across the room to a large mirror that hung on the wall. “Granger, I am flattered.”
“I am not doing anything for your sake!” Hermione flashed. “Once I mentioned that it would be possible to make them, Ron asked me to do it, if you must know!”
Draco opened his mouth, smirking, but Parvati was quicker. “Thank you Hermione. Draco and I are very grateful. He just has an odd way of expressing it.” She stepped on Draco’s foot hard, not bothering to hide it from Hermione.
“Thanks Parvati “ if you keep him in line, it will prevent me from hexing him into the middle of next week.” She looked at Draco with dislike. “I am trying to restrain myself, as Dumbledore assures me we can trust you. Personally I don’t.”
Draco eyes flashed, and he stepped forward, but Parvati yelled “Expelliarmus!” and Hermione’s wand, which she had picked up, left her hand. Parvati stepped between Draco and Hermione, handing back Hermione’s wand to her. She turned on Draco, irate. “Not that I wanted you both to start a duel, but what were you thinking? Hermione could have hexed you no problem “ you didn’t even get to your wand! What was all that training for? I am sure the Death Eaters will be quicker.”
Draco smirked at her. “I don’t have to do everything myself,” he pointed out. “I knew Hermione wouldn’t regard you as a threat, and I knew you would be guarding my back “ or what was the point of your training? I fully expected you to disarm her for me.” Seeing that he had taken her properly aback, and that she was lost for words, Draco turned to Hermione with finality.
“Thanks for the cloaks, goodbye.” He turned his back and pulled Parvati towards him, but the door opened again. Draco scowled, seeing Ron. “Great. I am finally living in a farce. If somebody could skip to the end so that I can see if the hero gets the girl, I will be most gratified. You bozos are really de trop, so could you de part?”
Ron was slightly confused by this attack before he had fully entered the room, but Hermione suppressed what Parvati suspected was a grin. Ron, however, was looking grim. He strode up to Draco, in a way that had the Slytherin tensing, and backing away from Parvati. If Ron were going to hit him, he would prefer her not to be in the middle. Not that he wanted Ron to hit him as Ron was now as powerful and muscular as a young bull.
Ron stopped just in front of Draco, and waved a photo in front of him. “Just how do you explain this?” he asked in a hard tone. Draco, almost cross-eyed, with his head craned back, tried to see the picture Ron had thrust in front of him with no success.
“Give me that,” he said irritably, and grabbed the photo. The next moment, his face paled, and Parvati thought for a moment that he was going to throw up. Ron stood with his arms folded in an accusatory fashion.
“Ron, what is it?” Hermione asked.
Ron’s expression was inscrutable. “Ask him.”
Draco walked over to one of the armchairs and sat down. Parvati went to sit on the arm of the chair, and he held the photo out for her to see. The photo showed a girl with her arm on the neck of a young dragon. She was laughing and waving, her platinum hair swinging dead straight behind her, and her silver eyes shining with happiness. The likeness was undeniable.
Draco looked over at Ron. He kept his voice steady as he asked, “Where did you get this?”
Ron still looked stern. “What is a girl the spit of you doing with the Aurors spying upon You-Know-Who’s stronghold? She passed basic Auror training with a false identity, and is posted right outside where you are going to be. Coincidence Malfoy? And where is she? We have been unable to locate her since the Sub-Ministry ran the match on your features.”
Draco looked up, swallowing, still pale. “You mean you can’t find her?”
Ron pointed his wand at Draco. “Don’t move. I think I ask the questions.” He held out his hand, but Draco kept the photo.
“She is Lilah,” he said quietly, but with an edge of steel. “And you need to find her. If she is missing from her post, she is in danger. She would not be a spy, if that is what you are thinking.”
“Don’t give me that, Malfoy,” Ron said coldly. “You offered to go over to You-Know“Who, remember? I wondered why at the time. Someone who would feed you information from our side? Double espionage?”
Draco leaned his head back against the chair, and took Parvati’s hand. “Oh, for love of Wizarding Weasels put the wand away you poverty stricken pureblood. You’re pissing me off. Lilah was my “ my “ well, I’m not sure what she was. Perhaps a half-sister? She lived with us. When she was sixteen, my father threw her out. She came back from school saying she had a Mudblood boyfriend. She would have changed her name when she was thrown out. If my father had found she was living as a Malfoy, he would have hunted her down. He thought she was a disgrace to our ancient and illustrious name. I haven’t seen her since she left. Get in touch with Peter Drake “ he is an Auror at the Malfoy Mansion. He can give you any more details. Good enough, or do you want to do some Legilimency on me?”
Ron stood with his mouth open, and his ears turning redder. Hermione walked over to look at the photo. She gasped at the likeness, and turned to Ron. “It should be easy enough to check his story,” she said. “McGonagall. Past registers. She would have gone to Hogwarts.”
Ron glared at Draco. “Actually, I have already done so. She does not remember a Lilah Malfoy.”
Draco looked annoyed. “She went to Durmstrang, which you would have known if you had been thinking. My mother didn’t like her that much, so they sent her to the furthest school they could. I was her only child, so I got sent nearer home.”
Ron said fiercely, “I will need to check that story Malfoy. How come you didn’t tell us that you had a half-sister working as an Auror?”
Draco shut his eyes. Parvati sat still on the arm of his chair, with her free hand on top of his head. He looked fine, relaxed, bored even, but he was holding her hand so tightly it hurt, and she knew every muscle was tensed. “If the space you have between your ears was filled with anything Weasley, you would have heard me say that my father threw her out of the family. Technically she is not my sister any more if she even was in the first place. Besides,” he drawled. “She was dating a Mudblood.” He said the word as if it were disgusting, and looked over at Hermione, deliberately letting her see his derision, his lip curling with distaste.
She never got further than, “Save your breath, Mal…” before Ron made an explosive sound, his face redder than ever, and launched himself at the chair Draco was sitting in. Hermione threw herself at Ron, with the intention of holding him back, and Parvati jumped up off the arm of the chair in alarm. Hermione tripped in her haste, and grabbed hold of Ron, who caught the back of the armchair to stop himself from falling. Because Parvati was no longer sitting on the arm, the chair, with Draco in it, fell backwards, as the door opened for a third time. There was a second’s confusion, then five people shouted “Expelliarmus!” in unison, and five wands shot up into the air and landed clattering on the floor.
Harry and Parvati looked down. Hermione had fallen with Ron, and was on the top of the heap. Parvati helped her up, and she adjusted her robes, wincing a little at her ankle, which she had obviously twisted. Ron had a bleeding nose, where it had hit the back of the chair and Draco, at the bottom of the pile had a black eye “ a result of its meeting Hermione’s elbow rather hard. He looked a lot worse than he actually was, as in that short time Ron’s nose had bled copiously over his robes too. He looked terribly undignified, scrambling out of the wreckage of the chair. Immediately Harry leapt from the door to jump between Draco and Ron, as they were both by now enraged.
Draco had a vein throbbing in his temple, and his eyes shot molten silver fire. He looked murderous. Ron was red, his mouth a thin line and his eyes thunderously dark. His hair looked more rumpled than ever, and his fists were clenched. He didn’t look any less dangerous. Although Draco was obviously regretting Harry’s appearance, Parvati was glad he was there. Draco was not short, but next to Ron, he almost appeared delicate. Harry, being by far the shortest, looked ridiculous holding the two apart. She ran to help Harry, catching hold of Draco’s arm. He shook her off as if she were a fly, and deliberately relaxing his muscles, contemptuously made as if to turn away. He knew the honourable Gryffindors would think he had given up. As Harry relaxed, (though still holding Ron back with one hand on his chest) and Ron turned to glare at Harry, Draco whirled and hit Ron’s jaw, as hard as he could, over Harry’s head. It nearly broke his hand. Ron seemed to have a jaw of steel.
Ron gave a bellow like an enraged bull that has just entered the arena, and charged, sending his wand skidding across the floor as he kicked it accidentally. Harry was knocked flying, his glasses hitting the wall behind him, and Draco feinted cleverly, turned and ducked, obviously under the impression that Ron would go barreling into the wall. Not for the first time, he had underestimated Ron’s intelligence and speed. Had Harry and Parvati and Hermione not all grabbed a part of Ron’s anatomy, Draco may have been beaten to a pulp. Draco looked at Ron, held by the three, and smirked. It was an insulting enough smirk that Ron dragged them all a couple of feet, snorting through his nose almost like a bull again, his red hair looking almost as bad as Harry’s, before Harry, who may have been smaller, but who was wiry and very tough, managed to dig his heels in. Parvati, who had caught hold of one of Ron’s legs and was lying full length on the carpet stretched out behind him, held on for dear life and hoped Draco wouldn’t do anything else stupid. Hermione clung onto one of Ron’s arms with both hands. She looked over at Draco angrily. “If you insist on being immature, I am going to let Ron go “ in fact, I will help him.”
Draco shrugged, but realized that he was outnumbered. He had got in a good blow too, that could not now be returned. He strolled by Ron with a viscous sneer to pick up the fallen chair. After a second, Parvati felt the tension go out of Ron’s leg. She let go and scrambled to her feet. Harry went over to the wall to find his glasses, which were lying smashed against the wall. Seeing them, Parvati lost her temper. She walked over to Draco, her eyes sparking dangerously, and faced right up to him, completely ignoring his own scowl. “I know you are furious,” she hissed “but if you try to pick a fight every time you get upset, so help me, I am going to crap down your shoulder every chance I get as a raven!”
Draco, who had been fuming just a second before, let out a shout of laughter so loud everyone turned to stare. She did it, every time. He could be totally furious, and she would make him laugh. He held her face between his two hands and kissed her hard on the mouth. “You try that, and I’ll put you in a pie,” he told her. He walked over to Ron quickly before the mood left him, and stuck out his hand. “OK. I am sorry I said Mudblood,” he offered. “And thanks for the invisibility cloaks.” Ron took his hand in a sort of daze, not able to believe the sudden transformation. Malfoy’s face was open and almost friendly. He was actually smiling! He actually shook hands and nothing terrible happened. The way Draco was looking at him however, made Ron aware that his mouth was hanging open. He shut it hastily and looked over at Hermione. She had noted the way Draco had looked at Parvati, and was half smiling. She shook her head at Ron.
“You can keep the photo if you want,” Ron offered, generous now. “We have more. And we will let you know somehow, if we find her.”
Draco struggled with himself, but the amusement from Parvati’s last remark had already fled. Saying thanks twice in a row, after having just been granted a favor was more than he could manage. Besides, it seemed he had given himself away where Lilah was concerned, which he had not meant to do. It was nobody’s business but his. Instead he said, his face back to its normal sneer “I hope you find her before I do. If she was with the Aurors then there is a chance the Death Eaters may have her now. And if you do find her “ don’t mention my name. You may just never see her again. I don’t think she is too fond of the Malfoy family.”
He looked around at everybody. “Now, unless there was something pressing, I really find the sheer number of your company overwhelming. I was planning a romantic moment for two and we nearly have a Quidditch team here. Parvati and I will say goodbye before the spectators arrive in droves.” He grabbed up the cloaks that they had just been given, retrieved their wands, and took Parvati’s arm, pulling her outside with him, and shutting the other three firmly inside.
He managed three steps down the corridor but no further, as Parvati was dragging her heels, which made it very difficult. When he turned to look at her, he saw her eyes blazing. “Draco Malfoy! I am NOT a possession! I can walk by myself.” She saw his expression change quickly to savage fury.
“You would prefer to stay with the marvelous Harry Potter, I am sure!” he flashed, snarling.
Parvati flinched, but for once she understood Draco’s anger as insecurity, in the disconcerting way she had of sometimes reading his mind. She did not know what prompted his jealousy of Harry, and dimly understood it was nothing to do with her, although it upset her. She moved forward, braving his anger and using her eyes with their long lashes to her advantage. “Darling, since you are obviously wondering, I found everyone’s presence “ including Harry’s - as irritating as you could have done, but I can be polite about it. Now let me say that you are going the wrong way. I know a room where we can be quite uninterrupted.”
Draco fell for the eyes immediately, and looked down at her with appreciation. Most girls he knew would have been carrying on about Lilah, and saying he should have told them, or crying, as she had earlier when he had blown up about Harry, but Parvati didn’t sound wounded, she sounded, well, amorous. And if she really did know of a room where they could be uninterrupted-! He could hope, anyway.
“Sounds better than my plan. I was going to make use of these invisibility cloaks, but lead on.”
Parvati shot him a sideways look. “Actually I think I would prefer to see where your hands are,” she said archly. They have a fairly wandering tendency…shall we say.”
Now completely at ease again, Draco wondered if he could possibly be any more attracted to her than he already was. He was already feeling uncomfortably infatuated. He hoped it didn’t show on his face.