Mr Loverman: a Draco Malfoy Fanfic

Chapter 39

Returning was one of the hardest things. No one seemed to care her family was in the order. She was still in Slytherin. And Slytherins are evil. Slytherins are meant to get bad, to join the Dark Side. Slytherins are not to trust. As if the traits to be cunning and ambitious had lost worth, and the only trait left was evil, bad, the enemy.

People were scared. They were searched in the Hogwarts Express by Death Eaters. Small children with the desire to learn and grow, but whose innocence and childhood was about to be stolen by what waits ahead. Scared people need something to blame, or someone, it lets them feel control of things, like, it was clear and not a big Smokey blur, and who else to blame than her house. They were like the plague.

"Welcome, to a new year at Hogwarts, we have two new staff members this year. Amycus and Alecto Carrow, who will be taking over Dark Arts Class and Muggle Studies" droned Severus. As much as she hated him right now, there was no denying he looked ill and a little dead too. The dark circles on his eyes were notorious even from afar.

Pansy, Blaise and Daphne did not look too different. Their once young and mischievous smiles gone. Their expression constantly blank and hollow. She wondered how similar she looked.

That night, the Slytherin table was silent. Y/n sat with Daphne and Blaise on one end, while Draco, Pansy and Theodore sat in the other. They didn't speak or talk to each other since the second they came into the castle. A bare mumble here and there, but no conversation. The vivid and the cunning, ambitious, the resourceful, the devilish and mischievous that identified them all, seemed to be a ghost of the past. Now all was empty. The new Slytherins looked equally, some even like they'd rather go home than to be Slytherin too.

As they headed back to the common rooms, a voice called for her name. "Miss Lyron, the headmaster would like to speak to you" said Professor Slughorn with an echo of his once pompous voice and cheerful smile.

"Oh, yes sir, when?"

"You are to go to him tomorrow at 4. Well now, go on" he dismissed her.

Barely aware of the world around her, she didn't give much thought as to what it might be about. For now, she just wanted sleep.

~~~

"Come in Miss Lyron"

She walked cautiously inside, with growing curiosity yet expressionless, of why her in all people, is needed by Severus Snape.
Someone else was there, Y/n recognized the boy, he was in Ravenclaw.

"I have summoned you to personally inform you that the both of you have become head boy and head girl" said Snape Lazily, handing each the badge. He pinned it above his prefect one, she pinned it under her captain badge.

They both looked a little astonished, at least he'd been a prefect, what had she done? Barely being quidditch captain!?

Snape gave them a small speech of their duties and responsibilities, and then dismissed Davies.

"Please wait Miss Lyron" he asked as Davies headed out.
What is this about?

All of a sudden, the portrait of none other than Albus Dumbledore awoke and began to speak, taking her by surprise and stumble back almost knocking a little table.
"Good evening Miss Y/n Lyron"

"G-good evening... sir?"

Dumbledore's portrait smiled at her pleasantly. What the hell is going on here?

"You might be surprised to be required at the present moment and situation, but I think you are fitting for what we need"

"We?" She asked before she could stop herself.

Snape was tense, "We, Miss Lyron, as for Dumbledore and I. We happen to require your assistance".

What? For what? Why? "I'm sorry sir, but I don't see how can I be of help of any sort. I'm not even in the order" she answered honestly.

"Ah, you see, you are exactly the person who can help us, we can explain, but we must press on you, if you accept to help that is, that you are not to speak of this to anybody, not even your family, for it is of outmost importance and crucial to keep secret, for your security and Severus's" said Dumbledore through his Half Moon spectacles.

She still didn't understand. What's so secret, and come to think of it, why are Snape and Portrait Dumbledore allies? Didn't one literally murder the other? Without giving it major thought, she agreed.

"I won't speak sir, you can have my word" she said simply.

"Harry Potter and his friends are on a mission I have left to them, but every once in a while, they will need a small push, a hand, to keep on going. We need you to lend them that" explained Dumbledore. Y/n felt her insides disappear. Helping Harry Potter is close to giving yourself a death sentence.

"How am I to help him sir? I don't understand" she said cautiously. Growing stress and second thoughts.

"Why would you put this pressure on a Slytherin?" Said a second portrait slyly.

Y/n's cheeks went pink. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want to help Potter, and due to him end up stranded into Death Eater HQ, in Malfoy Manor...

"You happen to be someone no person would suspect, no one would think you to get involved, because you stand in the middle, in a conflict between your heart and your family" said Dumbledore soothing.

"You will be under the cover of getting on with your head girl duties, whenever we need your assistance" added Snape simply, to her still puzzled look.

"Oh, right". How nice to be appointed head girl because no merit, but because your help is needed. Whatever. At least she could prove not all Slytherins go wrong, we are not damned monsters. When this is over...
"I will help sir, but I can't help but wonder, how exactly am I to fulfill the task?"

"You won't be put in danger, you will just plant the help, and they will find it. No one but Severus and I will know of your involvement"

"Good"

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" Said the old man in his portrait.

"You may go now Miss Lyron, I will let you know when we require of your service" Snape said, dismissing her.

She gestured bye and left.