The Lost Timeline | Dramione | ✔

#21 Kindling Kinships

The colossal failure of Draco's attempt at murdering the headmaster set into motion two things. One of which will go on to cause an uproar. But for the time being, it solidified the alliance between him and the two Gryffindor boys, tense though it might be.

"We'll just tell her that Harry is planning to start an anti-death eater squad in school to destroy him and his death eaters." Ron said absentmindedly while eating a pie in the room of requirement. The lone table, which originally looked like it couldn't have handled the weight of a feather, now held a pile of food which wobbled precariously.

"The dark lord will never believe that," Draco said, "He knows that Harry has things like honour and how much he values friendship, something you clearly lack."

Ron's ears seemed to have caught fire at the speed at which they turned as red as his hair, "The dark lord this and the dark lord that," he said hotly, "You positively adore him... How do we know this is not some kind of trap to get us to trust you so you can report back to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

The blond raised his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation and continued pacing around. The room accommodated them, creating nooks that each would enjoy, including a shared common area in the middle which sat an elaborate round table that Hermione said looked similar to the carved table of Arthurian fables, to which Draco pointed out, "Actually happened, which you would know if you weren't such a muggle." Which, in turn, caused Ron's eyebrows to shoot up into his hair, because he half expected him to spit out 'mudblood' and was surprised he didn't.

"As if Hermione hadn't thought of that before, give her some credit, will you?" Draco said. Hermione paused her scribbling but haven't decided whether it was a compliment or an insult until–

"Okay, instead of going off on each other, could we please focus on the issue at hand, please?" She interjected, looking up from her homework but still scribbling away.

"How are you multitasking?" Ron asked, "I think we'd all like to know that. How are you still doing," he peered at what she was working on and said, "Arithmancy? While we're all trying to think of a way to, I don't know, help this git who has been nothing but foul to us until daddy dearest was sent to Azkaban?"

"I think we're getting off point here... Selgentar wants him to spy on us – why? What is she hoping to hear? I think that you should figure out a way to find out what she wants so we know what kind of information to give her." Harry said from beside Hermione.

Draco chafed at their closeness but didn't say anything other than, "What would you want to know about your enemies?"

"How they sleep at night," Harry deadpanned.

"Harry." Hermione chastised, eyes not leaving her homework. "Maybe you should tell her that Harry is trying to find out where Voldemort is hiding and we're starting to suspect you because it's hard to ask us for information when you are unable to give us any."

There was a stunned silence from the boys before, "A bit close to home isn't it?" Harry said while fidgeting with a Sneakoscope.

"The best lies are seeded with truths."

Harry turned to grin at her, recalling how Hagrid thundered after Hermione and demanded to know what was going on, to which Hermione coolly replied with, "Draco has something that doesn't belong to him and I'm going to make sure he returns it." And marched Draco back into Hogsmeade. It was a comical scene, to be sure, and a befuddled Hagrid even funnier still.

"Yes, we all know how intelligent Hermione is," Draco said, pulling Hermione and Harry out of their little reverie. The boy planted his hands calmly on the table while leaning into the space between them, "Without her, I'd dare say you'd never make it this far."