Sour Grapes

Chapter 39 - The Set Up

A/N: Welcome to FINALE WEEK! We are coming to the end of the story, and I will be posting a chapter a day until it is complete. Let's do this!

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Draco should have taken dreamless sleep potion.

It was Friday morning and he hadn't been able to keep his eyes closed for any extended period of time all night. His mind had become a veritable obstacle course of things to worry about, and he hadn't wanted to knock himself out in case anything happened.

He knew that his father was up to something. He knew that his mother was up to something.

He desperately hoped that Hermione was also up to something.

Although, he supposed that if his father had taken her, they would have found out by now.

Then again, he had been over and over these same thoughts for hours and had come to no logical conclusions.

What he wouldn't have given for a penseive.

There was one at Hogwarts, but the likelihood of Minerva McGonnagal giving him access to it was not great. Plus, he only had a vague inclination that it would lead to some solution.

He padded through his dark living room, the first signs of sunlight were beginning to creep over the horizon, visible through his floor to ceiling windows. Blaise had gone to bring Gabrielle to her home in France, not wishing her to be in harm's way if Lucius decided to somehow descend upon the loft apartment. The silence in the room was broken by an owl flying through the hatch, and Ptolemy stirred indignantly on his perch in the far corner of the room at the sound of the intruder. It looked to be a Hogwarts barn own, and Draco had a moment of unease recognizing that he had just been thinking of the school only moments ago.

He brought a treat to the visiting bird and detached its missive, ripping it open with haste.

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Dear Malfoy,

Pardon the early hour, but I'd like to meet with you as soon as possible. I have managed to get the engagement ring back from the goblins and can now accept your offer to have it privately resized. However, I cannot go too far from Hogwarts at the moment, given the end of year workload. Would it be too much trouble to ask that you meet me in Hogsmeade? Today at your earliest convenience?

Please send the school owl back with your reply including the time you can be there.

Many thanks,

Neville

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Draco held the letter in his hands, a scowl on his face, for a long moment. Something was incredibly odd about this. Yes, he had offered this deal to Neville less than a fortnight ago. The timing of his procurement of the ring was not off. The fact, however, that he had not mentioned Hermione was not on at all.

The truth of it washed over him and his heart began to race. No, Neville would surely not send a letter this casual at a time this grave. It must have been his way of calling Draco there in code.

He looked around the empty apartment. Blaise was not there to consult. Astoria had gone off with Ron, distracted by healer's visits and magical tests to be administered on their baby. A baby whose fate they were both blissfully ignorant of. Potter was off on some blasted mission that no one seemed to know anything about. Even his house elf was otherwise occupied.