Chapter 19: The Beginning of the End

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Draco stepped through the floo from his own home into the lavish entry hall of Zabini Manor.
"Draco" Blaise's shout drew his attention and he whirled around to see his best friend rushing towards him a small, silver blur at his side.
"Blaise" Draco said grinning as his friend embraced him. Outside of school Blaise was a very physical, affectionate individual and Draco had gotten used to 'attacks' like this over the years. Silver was soon clambering for attention and with a laugh Draco bent and scooped up the cat. He was a bit surprised to see Silver here, he had figured with the safety of the Manor Harry would have been running around as Harry but he wasn't arguing.
"He's bigger?" Draco commented as he looked at the cat. He was definitely a bit bigger, not huge but not as small as he had been at Hogwarts.
"Italian food" Blaise said with a smirk, "It's good for the soul"
Draco rolled his eyes though he was grinning as he gently set Silver back on the floor.
"Where's Sev?" The blond asked curiously, it was only during the school year that he referred to the Slytherin head of house as Professor Snape.
"On the beach" Blaise said, "Which is where we're headed. Someone as swimming lessons" Here he looked pointedly at the innocent looking kitten on the ground. Draco also glanced down at Silver.
"He can't swim? What about the fourth task?" Draco said as they headed outside, the blond was relieved he had brought his swim trunks, though he always did when he went to Blaise's place.
"Gilly weed" Blaise responded, "So he knows how to swim just not well"
"Ah" Draco said as they rounded the corner and he felt the hot, Italian sun on his face for the first time in a long time. Once outside, Silver slipped away and a few moments later a grinning, tanned Harry Potter walked around the corner wearing a pair of green swim trunks.
"Draco" Harry said with a grin, looking much better then the Malfoy heir had ever seen him.
"Potter" Draco replied with a smirk, though his eyes twinkled happily. "So Sev's on the beach? I just can't picture it"
"He spends a lot of time there. I think he likes the sun" Harry pipped up. Draco goggled at Harry, he'd known Severus for a long time but he still couldn't picture the man relaxing on the beach it just wasn't something he could understand.
The three boys continued on their way laughing and talking as they headed down the rocky stairs towards the beach.

HP/SS

Lord Voldemort frowned as paced quietly in front of the fire. He was in his personal chambers of Riddle Manor, many of his followers, especially those who were on the run, staying in different rooms of the large, muggle house. The last year had been odd for him, Dumbledore hadn't made any moves against the Dark beyond his usual speaking out against it. Potter was gone, training apparently, though he didn't believe it and weirdest of all Severus had a familiar. He knew he was missing something important, a big, glaring clue as to what was off about this year but for the life of him he couldn't make the connections between these seemingly innocent, if not odd, events.

As he made another turn he became aware of a large presence in the room, it seemed Nagini had decided to join him. He wasn't sure where she had been but judging by her hissing of rats and men she had been terrorizing Wormtail again, a favourite hobby of hers.
Nagini the man greeted as the large snake made herself comfortable in his abandoned armchair, roasting herself in front of the fire.
Master the snake returned, you seem troubled this evening the snake said as she watched him continue to pace.
I'm trying to work out a mystery Nagini, about this year. Do you remember Severus, my potion's master? Voldemort asked. He spoke to his snake frequently, bouncing ideas off of her. Nagini was incredibly intelligent for a snake.
The dark man? Who smells of herbs and burning? Yes I know him. The snake said, raising her head to watch her Master.
He has a familiar now, a kitten. Voldemort said with a sneer though he secretly liked Severus' new familiar.
I remember. The small grey creature. He doesn't smell like a kitten though Master, he smells like the rat man. Man and animal. The snake said looking at her Master with some confusion, hadn't he known the kitten of the dark man wasn't just a kitten?
Man and animal? Like Wormtail....Voldemort trailed off his mind firing rapidly as he began to put two and two together.
"Potter is the kitten. He didn't go away for training, he went into hiding, but why? Why would Albus hide him?" The man said, red eyes wide as he stared at Nagini. How the hell had he missed that and why was Severus hiding Potter? Something had happened, something had changed Potter, had changed Snape and had possibly changed his odds in this war. He needed to know what happened.
Slamming out of his rooms he went to find Lucius, he needed to know what had happened to Potter. Whatever had happened had happened last summer when Potter had been with his muggle relatives.

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