Delilah stirs milk and sugar into her tea as Draco pours himself a cup of the dark liquid, deciding to forgo milk but adding a generous amount of sugar. The silence was deafening as the occupants of Delilah's office wait for the other to break the silence.
"Do you have the mark?" Delilah is the one to finally break the silence in her office.
"I didn't want it," Draco's voice cracks and Delilah reaches over, placing a comforting hand on top of his.
"I know," Delilah's voice is gentle as she speaks to the younger wizard who has become a close friend.
"He threatened my mother," Draco continues as Delilah sits silently, allowing the boy to spill his heart to her. "If I didn't do as he asked. He said he'd kill her"
"He's given you a task?" Delilah asks and Draco nods his head. "Can I ask what it is?"
"He wants me to kill Professor Dumbledore," Draco whispers.
Silence falls again as Delilah leans back in her chair, a frown on her face as she tries to process the task Draco had received.
"Personally I'm all for it," Delilah mutters and Draco stares at her in disbelief. "It was a joke!"
"You're not funny, D," Draco huffs but the small amused smile that had fallen on his face told her otherwise.
"What are you going to do?" Delilah asks.
"In the Room of Requirements there's a two-way cabinet which is the last resort," Draco replies. "But it needs fixing"
"To keep yourself and your mother safe, you need to make attempts," Delilah advises the boy. "Nothing that is fatal to anyone, maybe a hexed object or a mild poison. Dumbledore isn't a fool, he'll discover the attempts straight away"
"Are you going to speak to him?"
"No," Delilah shakes her head. "As I said he's no fool, he'll figure it out. We need to make a plan that can delay the inevitable for as long as possible. Plus if he actually does kick the bucket, I won't be weeping. I'll be dancing in celebration"
"What are we going to do?"
"First things first," Delilah begins. "We need to speak to Professor Snape, I have no doubt he's aware of your mission. Correct?"
Delilah and Draco make their way towards Snape's new office due to his new position as Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
Delilah wraps her knuckles against the wooden door of Snape's office. Draco stood behind her, nervousness radiating from his body as he picks at a loose thread on the sleeve of his robes.
"Delilah Potter, what a surprise," Snape drawls. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"She knows," Draco pipes up from behind Delilah.
"You told her?" Snape asks Draco. "What were you thinking? She's the sister of his perceived rival!"
"Harry doesn't need to know," Delilah attempts to reason with the older Professor. "Our priority isn't who knows what, our priorities consist of helping keep Draco and his mother safe and trying to delay the death of Dumbledore without arousing suspicion from certain members of the wizarding community"
Snape stares at Delilah who had a comforting hand placed on her younger friend's shoulder.
"Do you have any ideas?" Snape asks, a resigned sigh leaving his lips.
"Make attempts Dumbledore will be able to recognise," Delilah replies. "Hexed items, a mild poison"
"It will get to a point where Draco must have fixed the two-way wardrobe,"
"I know," Delilah says. "Draco and I are going to work on it, albeit, slowly"
"Very well Delilah," Snape says. "Let's make a plan"
Delilah, Snape and Draco remain in Snape's office as they bounce ideas off of each other. It was a long and tedious process with tensions occasionally brewing over between the witch and the older wizard at times.
"There's one issue we haven't considered," Snape begins. "Your brother's infernal cloak"
Delilah turns to Draco, she waves her hand in front of the blonde's face. A red sheen temporarily coats his vision before rapidly fading away.
"Now you can see through enchanted items-" Delilah says.
"Even-?"
Delilah slaps the boy upside the head when a cheeky smirk falls upon his lips.
"No, only the cloaks you disgusting boy," Delilah clips his ear as he continues chuckling.
"Potter will undoubtedly be sneaky in his ways of trying to uncover the truth," Snape says. "You must err on the side of caution Draco"
"I will try my best to steer Harry away," Delilah states. "There's already trust between Draco and Harry as my brother does not question my judgement. But if Harry does discover the truth, I will handle it"
"Draco, it's time for you to head to your dormitory," Snape tells the boy who nods.
The head of platinum blonde hair disappears as Delilah takes a sip from the teacup in front of her. The witch listens until Draco's footsteps are no longer audible.
"He's not killing Dumbledore," Delilah places the cup on the desk. "He's a kid"
"So what do you recommend Miss Potter?"
"You're going to think I'm insane," Delilah sighs. "But Dumbledore has to die, there are no two ways about it. If he doesn't Draco and Narcissa Malfoy are not safe. You have to kill Dumbledore"
"What?"
"Think about it," Delilah replies. "Your standing in the death eater ranks is precarious, you kill that old codger and none of them will question your loyalty"
"If I kill Albus, I signing my own death warrant," Snape replies. "I will be the owner of the elder wand, the most powerful wand in the world"
"Unless Draco disarms him," Delilah replies. "And that detail is kept quiet. If you are not the owner, he will never be able to use the wand to its highest power. But the question is, are you willing to die for this cause?"
"To protect Draco? Yes, I am,"
"I remember that night," Delilah prepares to drop the bombshell of her knowledge. "I remember you coming into the nursery. You loved my mother didn't you?"
"I did,"
"Do you still love her?"
"I do,"
"After all these years?"
"Always,"
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