Donation gift: On the Edge of Curiosity
Title: On the Edge of Curiosity
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco
Rating: PG
Warning(s): None
Word count: 550
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Donation gift for callistianstar, in thanks for the Help New Zealand VGift. Gift request was for a sequel to Standing on the Edge of Me
Summary: Draco's defection to the Order pays dividends and arouses Harry's curiosity.
Harry could tell by Malfoy's stricken expression that he'd rather be anywhere but on the battlefield. It was the reason he'd called out to the other boy. Harry's decision had been spontaneous, and no one could have been more surprised than he when Malfoy defied his parents and ran to join Harry.
Malfoy's hastily-cast Expelliarmus had succeeded in disarming his father, but Narcissa Malfoy still had her wand. Face twisting into an ugly sneer, she raised her wand and aimed it at her only son.
Harry flung up a protection charm just in time to deflect Narcissa's hex.
Malfoy skidded to a halt beside Harry and whirled to face his parents. The stiff set of his shoulders relaxed when he realized they had Disapparated away. Malfoy turned to look at Harry, his expression grim. "Now what?" he asked.
~*~
"I can't believe you brought him here," hissed Hermione. Here was Grimmauld Place, which was the only safe house that Harry trusted.
"He turned against his own parents, Hermione," Harry patiently explained. "He wouldn't last a day on his own."
"No big loss, I say," snorted Ron.
"He could be invaluable to our cause," said Harry.
"If he doesn't kill us all first," Ron grumbled.
"Which I could have done easily, with the three of you huddled together around the table like that."
Harry's wand fairly leapt into his hand and joined Ron's and Hermione's in aiming at Malfoy where he stood in the doorway. Malfoy's empty hands were at his side, and Harry relaxed and reholstered his wand. "Did you sleep well?" he asked gruffly.
"No," said Malfoy, taking a seat at the table without invitation. He helped himself to a biscuit from the platter.
"I don't trust you, Malfoy," snapped Hermione, glaring at him as she tucked her wand up her sleeve once more.
"I don't blame you for that," he said agreeably.
"Why are you here?" Ron demanded, leaning over the table aggressively.
Malfoy tossed the remains of his biscuit down on the table. "I'm tired of it," he said. "I'm tired of the death and the destruction and of listening to my parents and everyone else tout their pureblood supremacy beliefs. When Potter offered protection, I saw it as my one chance to escape the lunacy." He turned his attention to Harry. "I appreciate that, by the way, and I'm prepared to provide information in exchange for the protection you promised me."
"Good, that's good," Harry said slowly, mind already whirling with the implications. "Are you willing to be questioned with Veritaserum?"
~*~
Malfoy had been interrogated, both with and without Veritaserum, and he had provided the same information in both cases. Members of the Order had already been dispatched on one small, successful raid, boosting everyone's confidence. The others hadn't exactly warmed up to Malfoy, but at least their level of hostility had decreased.
For Harry, Malfoy's presence here and apparent willingness to cooperate only increased his curiosity. As he made his way through the dim corridors of Grimmauld Place, Harry hesitated outside the door of the room Malfoy had been assigned to. He reached for the door knob but halted himself. There would be time enough later, after the war, to indulge his curiosity where Malfoy was concerned.
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco
Rating: PG
Warning(s): None
Word count: 550
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This fic/drabble was written for fun, not for profit.
Written for: Donation gift for callistianstar, in thanks for the Help New Zealand VGift. Gift request was for a sequel to Standing on the Edge of Me
Summary: Draco's defection to the Order pays dividends and arouses Harry's curiosity.
Harry could tell by Malfoy's stricken expression that he'd rather be anywhere but on the battlefield. It was the reason he'd called out to the other boy. Harry's decision had been spontaneous, and no one could have been more surprised than he when Malfoy defied his parents and ran to join Harry.
Malfoy's hastily-cast Expelliarmus had succeeded in disarming his father, but Narcissa Malfoy still had her wand. Face twisting into an ugly sneer, she raised her wand and aimed it at her only son.
Harry flung up a protection charm just in time to deflect Narcissa's hex.
Malfoy skidded to a halt beside Harry and whirled to face his parents. The stiff set of his shoulders relaxed when he realized they had Disapparated away. Malfoy turned to look at Harry, his expression grim. "Now what?" he asked.
~*~
"I can't believe you brought him here," hissed Hermione. Here was Grimmauld Place, which was the only safe house that Harry trusted.
"He turned against his own parents, Hermione," Harry patiently explained. "He wouldn't last a day on his own."
"No big loss, I say," snorted Ron.
"He could be invaluable to our cause," said Harry.
"If he doesn't kill us all first," Ron grumbled.
"Which I could have done easily, with the three of you huddled together around the table like that."
Harry's wand fairly leapt into his hand and joined Ron's and Hermione's in aiming at Malfoy where he stood in the doorway. Malfoy's empty hands were at his side, and Harry relaxed and reholstered his wand. "Did you sleep well?" he asked gruffly.
"No," said Malfoy, taking a seat at the table without invitation. He helped himself to a biscuit from the platter.
"I don't trust you, Malfoy," snapped Hermione, glaring at him as she tucked her wand up her sleeve once more.
"I don't blame you for that," he said agreeably.
"Why are you here?" Ron demanded, leaning over the table aggressively.
Malfoy tossed the remains of his biscuit down on the table. "I'm tired of it," he said. "I'm tired of the death and the destruction and of listening to my parents and everyone else tout their pureblood supremacy beliefs. When Potter offered protection, I saw it as my one chance to escape the lunacy." He turned his attention to Harry. "I appreciate that, by the way, and I'm prepared to provide information in exchange for the protection you promised me."
"Good, that's good," Harry said slowly, mind already whirling with the implications. "Are you willing to be questioned with Veritaserum?"
~*~
Malfoy had been interrogated, both with and without Veritaserum, and he had provided the same information in both cases. Members of the Order had already been dispatched on one small, successful raid, boosting everyone's confidence. The others hadn't exactly warmed up to Malfoy, but at least their level of hostility had decreased.
For Harry, Malfoy's presence here and apparent willingness to cooperate only increased his curiosity. As he made his way through the dim corridors of Grimmauld Place, Harry hesitated outside the door of the room Malfoy had been assigned to. He reached for the door knob but halted himself. There would be time enough later, after the war, to indulge his curiosity where Malfoy was concerned.