The Dark Lord's Playbook of Nefarious Misdeeds

Knock Me Off My Feet

KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET

"What can we do Tom?" I was almost afraid to ask.

"We need Harry Potter."

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"What?" I spluttered while blinking rapidly. Harry? What could Harry do?

"As if Potter would ever step foot in here" I rolled my eyes at Draco's bitter tone, but I agreed with him anyway. "and how the hell would we get him to agree to speak with us without him thinking we aren't imperioused?" My instinct was to jump to Harry's defence, but looking at it from his point of view....we would look a little crazy.

"Well we have his parents I would say that's an incentive" Lucius snorted a laugh at what Tom thought of as an incentive.

"At this stage, we have a pile of bones and Harry would think we are bonkers, besides we would be seen as being unnecessarily cruel that would not endear us to him" I laid a hand gently on Tom's arm.

"I didn't kidnap his parents or kill them I would say that was a plus" I couldn't resist a small smile, at least he thinks not murdering is a good thing.

"That is an excellent point, Tom, and while that may be, however, I think the first thing we need to do is make Harry see that Dumbledore is a man not to be trusted. The man did raise him essentially to be a martyr, a lamb for slaughter offered up to destroy you" the room went quiet for a while, contemplating Severus' point. Putting it that way made it seem more manageable because I knew that Harry did have some doubts whether he shared them or not. I think he just gave up on the idea that his life would be normal or that he would make it to his next birthday.

"As I told Hermione many months ago, we are pawns on Dumbledore's giant chessboard, disposable when we had served our purpose. And I admit I was like that too because I thought that was the only way to beat him. Now...with hindsight and sanity it's time to flip the board, and we do that with Harry" Tom spoke confidently that this was the right course of action assured that everyone would agree with him. Until Draco.

"Do we really need Potthead?" Narcissa poked Draco in the shoulder, getting his attention.

"Can you stop calling him that, my dragon it's so uncouth. And we need to make a better impression; he is the Black Heir through Sirius" I can't believe I had forgotten that...which reminds me. I smiled widely. I'm sure my eyes were twinkling with mirth and mischief.

"Tom" I stroked the inside of his wrist, rubbing circles with my thumb.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" he asked, seeing the sugary smile I had plastered on my face.

"It's never a good sign when a woman gives you that smile" Lucius commented grimacing a little while trying to avoid eye contact with Narcissa.

"You and Harry...are related too" I walked two fingers up his arm and then tapped him on the nose. He grabbed my wrist firmly, stopping any movement.

"How?" it was low and cold, and I was not expecting that reaction. I tipped my chin up stubbornly.

"Really? Did you do any research into the Deathly Hallows?" At his silence, Draco piped up, asking me "Are they real?" I nodded without taking my eyes off Tom.

"Let me guess you just researched the objects but not the people? Harry is a descendant of Ignotius Peverell, the younger brother and you from the middle brother Cadmus" after a few beats something rattled lose in my mind and the pieces started clicking in place.

"Oh..my...god...I can't believe I didn't see this earlier" a sense of urgency came over me, and I felt like I was on the verge of hyperventilation and exploding into a cloud of glitter. It made so much sense or at least a significant part.