52Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Snape's POV
Severus was not avoiding the headmaster, no matter what the old bat said. He just didn't feel the need to spend his evening listening to another insane theory about what happened to the Potter brat. He had managed to keep Draco's disappearance hidden, mostly. He was sure a few of his friends were suspicious. He sighed dropping down onto his armchair.
In the week that the two had been missing. So far the headmaster had been able to keep Potter's disappearance hidden. Just as Severus had hidden Draco's but if they didn't return, soon. They wouldn't be able to keep it quiet.. He could just imagine the stories. star crossed lovers, or Draco kidnapping and enslaving Potter for the Dark Lord. While he might have found a few amusing, he was starting to become too worried to find any of this funny. Even Lucius hadn't heard from his son and his old friend had assured him neither had his wife.
Severus knew for a fact that his Lord didn't have a hand in the two going missing. His Lord had a plan for Draco, one that wouldn't be possible with the young Malfoy missing, and that meant if the Dark Lord found out he would be furious. He knows the Dark Lord would think betrayal or cowardice. But Draco wasn't a coward and that he wouldn't betray them.
But as the days passed, Severus could even see his old friend was starting to have doubts. He prayed that Draco was okay, and even if he wouldn't admit it to another living soul, he prayed the same for Lily's son.
He pulled out his wand waving it at the small bar in his room, then watched as a bottle and a glass floated across the room. The bottle tipping itself and pouring until the glass was full. Then he reached out, just as his fingers brushed the glass, a tapping sound came from the room's single window. A small brown owl sat outside it.
He sat the glass down. The owl wasn't one he recognized, but he got to his feet and walked over. When he opened the window and the small bird hopped in, he recognized the Gringotts seal. He tilted his head, he hadn't requested anything from the bank and he was sure his accounts were all in order. Confused, he took the letter, fed the bird a treat, then shooed it out the window.
He opened the letter.
Mister Severus Snape,
Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm.
Please be punctual and inform no one as to your whereabouts.
-Grimmhook
He glared at the letter.
"The hell?" he muttered. He had never heard of a goblin demanding a wizards presence and doing so while telling him to keep it a secret? That was strange.
But he was curious. So, he quickly got dressed. It was easy to sneak out of the castle and then apperating to Diagon Alley.
Fred's POV
"George I'm telling you that snakes skin will not make these taste better." He looked at his twin who was grinning at him. "Nope, brother of mine, but it will make them glow pretty." They both laughed.
"We could also add-" he started but was cut off by a tapping sound at one of the store's windows.
"You get it," they shouted at each other in unison.
He snorted and walked over and opened the window. The dark brown owl hooted at him and flew into the room. It dropped down on their counter, close to a fresh batch of Nosebleed Nougats. He watched amused his brother lunged across the counter, waving the bird off. George stuck his tongue out as he moved the candy away from it. Fred chuckled at his brother. Who was then bitten by the owl.
George cursed and eyed the bird. His eyes sparkling with mischief and Fred knew that second, his twin was debating what would happen if he gave one to the bird.
He sighed, and used his wand to pull the treats away from his brother's arm and sent them flying to the other side of the room.
"The letter, brother," his brother pouted at him, but unclipped the letter from the grumpy owl.
"Huh" was all his brother said, before the letter was tossed to him.
Misters Fred and George Weasley,
Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm.
Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts.
-Grimmhook
"We going?" George asked moving to stand next to him.
"Of course we are," he said grinning at his this was, it seemed like it might be interesting
Lucius's POV
He was running out of ideas and ways to stall the Dark Lord. The man was demanding to see Draco, going on and on about having a mission for the younger Malfoy. So far, Lucius and Severus had managed to sidetrack and lie about his son but he wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.
He couldn't reach out. Anyone he spoke had the potential for the information to get leaked back to the Dark Lord. It didn't matter whose side they were on. To make matters worse, Severus had mentioned Potter missing class this week. If the Potter boy was missing as well, and people learn of Draco, rumors would fly and he might not be able to help his son.
He snarled and threw his glass at the wall. He didn't believe his son would go after The Boy Who Lived. Not only because it was illogical but because Lucius was positive his idiot son was half in love with the hero. He also knew his son wouldn't betray him. Or at least he had been sure, but his own mind was starting to doubt it, because it didn't make sense that if Draco was in trouble he couldn't reach out. To him or to his godfather. He sighed.
"Dragon, where are you?" he whispered to the empty room.
A sudden tapping at his window pulled him from his thoughts. He glared at the brown owl outside the window, but waved his wand, letting the creature in. It flew towards him and landed on the arm of his chair. He sat down and released the letter bound to his foot. He waved the bird off, he hooted at him then flew out the window.
He opened the letter.
Mister Lucius Malfoy,
Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm.
Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts.
-Grimmhook
The hell? He thought.
Blaise's POV
"You heard from Draco?" Pansy asked sitting down next to him in the common room.
He shook his head, just like he did every night when she asked. He knew they were both worried about Draco, but why she thought their friend would reach out to him and not her he didn't understand.
Plus he was starting to get annoyed with the way she watched him lately. It caused an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Like she was watching him too closely and suspected he would lie to her. Which made him think that maybe he should. He shook his head, he didn't like doubting his friends, but with Draco missing and Pansy acting off, it felt like that was all he was doing.
"You think he killed Potter?" Theo asked from his spot on the floor. Blaise looked up at him, to find the tall burnett was staring at him. Blaise wasn't sure about Nott, while he counted him as a friend, his father's allegiance to the Dark Lord was well known amongst the slytherins and it made Blaise careful about what he did or said around him.
Blaise and his mother still held their neutral ground, not siding with Voldemort or Dumbledore, but she had written him more than once since school started, telling him that she was getting pressure from both sides and telling him to be careful.
It was all giving him a headache. He missed the days were he didn't have to watch what he said to his friends. Or when he knew for sure who those friends were.
He sighed, "I'm going to bed."
Nott was the only one to acknowledge him, with a small nod before the brunette turned and started talking to Goyle.
When he walked over to his trunk and was about to drop his bag onto it he noticed a letter. He looked around carefully before picking it up. The Gringotts seal was clear on it and he wondered how the hell it got into their room.
Then he broke the seal and read it.
Mister Blaise Zabini
Your presence is requested at Gringotts bank, tonight, September 26th at 8pm.
Due to your age and location, it has been requested that you seek the Head of your House as his appearance as been sought as well.
Please be punctual and infom no one as to your whereabouts.
-Grimmhook
He grabbed his coat and pulled it on. Shoving the letter into one of his pockets, he used his wand to cast a notice me not spell, taught to him by his mother, over himself and snuck out.
He tried not to run as he rushed towards Professors Snape's private room. When he turned the corner and saw the man walking away, he sped up.
"Professor!" he called. He actually heard the man sighing as he stopped and turned around.
"Zabini, I am unavailable right now. Come back tomorrow." His professor started to turn away,
"Wait," he called again, reaching out to grab the man's arm. Not his smartest move. He felt the man pull his arm back, and looked up to see a surprised look on the Head of Slytherin face.
He let go and quickly reached into his coat and pulled out the letter, shoving it towards the man. Snape's eyes widened, then his face turned neutral and he handed him back his letter.
"It seems we have a meeting to attend. Don't linger."
George's POV
He felt nervous as he and Fred walked into Gringotts. He could tell from the way his twin looked around that he wasn't the only one. They had tried to figure out what the letter was about, but nothing came to mind. As they walked, their path was suddenly cut off by an older looking Goblin.
"Misters Fred and George Weasley, please follow me." Then the goblin started walking away.
He looked at his brother, who just shrugged and followed after the goblin. He sighed and caught up to his brother. "If we die, it's all your fault." His brother chuckled.
They were led to a large room, where two couches sat across from each other, the only other occupant of the room had both of them freezing in the tracks. Not that the goblin noticed.
"Wait here, we are expecting two more" then the goblin left, closing the door behind him.
He looked at his brother, what do we do? He asked without words. Dunno, his brother's face said.
"Mister Malfoy," he said, stepping away from his brother. "Sir, do you know what this is about?"
He tried not to let his nerves show as he addressed the elder pureblood, not only was he worried about the man's associations but about customs and manners. It didn't matter that their family wasn't as popular or powerful as the Malfoy's; there were certain things about being a pureblood that still stood, and that was being respectful of their elders. His father had made sure they understood that, and while he would rather start throwing hex's at the bastard. He wasn't about too.
The blonde man looked up at them from his seat on the farthest couch, "I do not," he said, then seemed to consider something, "but with the two of you here, I am starting to get an idea."
"Harry and M-Draco," his twin said, moving around him to sit on the couch facing Malfoy. The man nodded. Fred looked over his shoulder at him, his eyebrows raised, You think they know what happened to them?
"What could the goblins know?" he asked moving to sit next to his brother, Malfoy's gray eyes following him. "I don't see Harry running off and hiding in a bank… though that's not a half bad idea." His brother laughed.
"I do-" Mister Malfoy was cut off by the door open again, him and his brother turned to look at the door.
"I think we are now outnumbered by snakes," his brother whispered, well stage whispered. He snorted and saw Snape roll his eyes.