Malfoy Flavor

-24-

The next evening found Draco and Harry waiting on the sofa in Severus' quarters. Currently they were wrapped around each other and engaged in a battle of tongues to see who would gain dominance. And neither seemed to care who won or lost.

This was what Severus saw when he returned to his rooms. He cleared his throat to get their attention, but they just ignored him.

"What, may I ask, are you two doing?" he asked sarcastically. He wasn't really expecting an answer, but hoped it might break them apart.

They did break apart momentarily, so that Harry could answer. "We're keeping each other distracted so we're not stressing about tonight," he explained before he went back to kissing Draco.

Severus rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else. The boys' strategy appeared to be working, so he wasn't going to argue with it. They would be under plenty of stress later. He moved through his rooms, gathering the package from Lucius with the boys' robes and his own robes and mask. Harry was obviously at least a little aware of his surroundings because he blindly held out a hand to Severus to give him his invisibility cloak to add to the pile Severus was gathering. Severus took it and rolled his eyes again.

Severus also pocketed several potions that could possibly be needed that evening. Several more he lay out on the table in readiness for when they returned. Only one potion he held onto. It was a potent pain relieving potion that would hopefully keep Harry from being in too much discomfort in Voldemort's presence.

"Boys, it will be time to go shortly. You need to get on your robes so we can leave," Severus said.

Both of them groaned, but they separated and did as they had been told.

Draco looked down at his new Death Eater robes. "Aren't these just spiffy?" he sneered.

Harry looked simply nauseated when he stared at himself in the mirror. Draco realized and came up behind Harry, wrapping his arms around him. "It's okay, Angel. It's not like you'll ever have to wear them again."

Oddly, Harry perked up at those words. "Hmm, maybe they could be useful another time, though," he said thoughtfully.

Draco and Severus both heard those words, and both closed their eyes, not sure if they really wanted to know what Harry meant by that.

"Let's just get through tonight first, okay?" asked Draco.

Harry seemed to have regained his confidence, and turned in Draco's arms to give him a quick kiss. "Okay," he said brightly. "Are you ready to watch a performance tonight, Father?" he asked Severus in a teasing tone.

Once again, this child was making Severus roll his eyes. It was going to be an extremely nerve-wracking evening. He laid a hand on each of the boys' shoulders. "You two be very careful tonight."

"We will," they chorused, and then grinned at each other.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. It was also going to be an extremely long evening.

He handed each of them a portkey and told them how to activate them. Finally, he had the boys cover themselves with Harry's invisibility cloak and he led them out of the dungeons and on towards the main gates of Hogwarts where they would Apparate to the Death Eater meeting. Before they left, they stashed Harry's invisibility cloak and Severus had Harry drink the pain relieving potion. At that point, there was nothing more they could do to prepare, so they Apparated away.

~*~*~*~

All three took a deep breath, and then walked forward into the room where they were meeting. Severus took a spot next to Lucius and they placed the boys in between them. They stood silently as they waited for everyone to arrive.