The Greatest Love, The Highest Sacrifice

Chapter 6 – Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like….

 
Things are unraveling fast now,boy!
Disney’s Aladdin

 
The last of autumn disappeared rapidly, and the snow began its heavy falls. The hatchlings were moved closer to the castle so the students could still visit them, and Draco and Norri organised to visit Ra’ed together every evening for ten minutes before dinner. On the occasions that Charlie was already with the hatchlings, Norri would suddenly remember something she had to do, and disappeared in a flurry of footsteps, leaving a bewildered Charlie and an increasingly annoyed Draco behind her. Despite his promise to Norri that he would wait until she was ready to talk with him, Draco found it harder and harder to desist from his usual covert means of discovering the truth behind his friend. Norri’s behaviour towards Professor Weasley bothered him, not least because it was so unlike her usual consideration for others. A lifetime of Malfoy inquisitorial skills tempted him almost constantly to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding Elsie Norr – and the temptation was proving more and more difficult to withstand.

On the days when Norri and Draco actually made it to the nest, Ra’Ed would greet them eagerly, clicking away as fast as he could. He was adorable to work with, and undoubtedly was far and away the most advanced of all the hatchlings. His scales were the same mottled grey-gold that his egg had been just before it hatched, and he was just starting to breath fire, although it would be several months before he actually had enough power to be able to fly. The little flames he emitted were enough to thoroughly singe their robes, however, and Draco’s hands received a scorching one afternoon when he held Ra’Ed a little too tightly for comfort. After this, Draco and Norri took a detour on their trip to Hogsmeade and invested in some of the dragon-gloves Charlie always wore in their lessons.

After their dragon-protection purchases, Norri convinced Draco to stop in at Weasleys’ Weirds and Wonders, the joke and sweet shop Fred and George had opened after graduating from Hogwarts. Draco was not overly surprised to discover that the twins knew Norri – she was, after all, Ginny’s best friend. But he was dumbfounded at the conversation he later managed to overhear between the trio. Having stepped outside to check where Ginny was at Norri’s request, Draco had reentered the shop, inadvertently failing to allow the doorbell to ring as he returned. As a result, neither of the twins, nor Norri, was aware of his presence, and they continued the conversation they had obviously begun upon his departure.

“So, you say you trust Draco – well, it’s your party”, George was saying as Draco reentered “Just don’t reveal anything you’re going to regret in the long run. He’s as slippery as a snake – all Malfoys are.”

“I know, I know,” was Norri’s reply, and Draco’s head had shot up in hurt that his friend agreed with such a damning judgement of him. ‘Even though it’s true?’ a part of him had asked himself, but he brushed that thought aside angrily.

“And what about Charlie?” Fred had intervened. “Does he suspect anything at the moment?”

Draco’s ears pricked up at this mention of his professor. He was curious as to how the Weasley twins could be aware of Norri’s strange behaviour around her Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and even more confused considering they appeared to support Norri, rather than their brother.

Norri sighed. “No, I think he’s still unaware. I’ve had a few close calls lately, but between my disappearances and Cináed’s help, we’ve pulled through so far. If he knew…”

“Don’t even think about it,” the twins had advised simultaneously.

“It’d just make you even more unnatural then you probably are right now,” George had added, and Fred nodded in agreement. ‘They definitely know her well,’ Draco had thought to himself wryly.

“We’d better finish up,” Norri had said nervously then, “Draco’s sure to be back any minute. Thanks for the supplies – and I’ll see you this time next month if everything works out O.K.”

“Not a problem,” Fred had replied calmly, shoving something wrapped in a brown paper bag over the counter towards her. “Oh, and next time you visit Remus late, tell him to owl us for more details if he’s interested.”

“No worries,” Norri answered, and Draco had lost any other commentary in the noise he made pretending to enter just at that moment.

Draco had been sorely tempted to confront Norri with what he’d overheard. But there were too many aspects of the conversation he had no grasp of whatsoever; what was Norri’s relationship with the twins – or Remus Lupin, for that matter? What were the supplies? And how did Charlie fit in with it all? Still smarting from the fact that Norri had agreed with George’s assessment that he was untrustworthy, Draco decided that he was going to find the answers to all his questions. ‘And if it means being my usual deceiving self, so be it!’ he determined.

*

In the interim of discovering the truth behind Norri, Draco continued in his friendship with her. Although he had been hurt by her comment to George, deep down he knew that she was a real friend, and that she considered him to be one also. Over the months since the beginning of the school year, they had discussed almost everything under the sun; families, politics, education…and argued on many points as well. Knowing it to be a sensitive issue, Draco consciously continued to tease Norri about Muggle Studies, even though he enjoyed Muggle literature as much as she did. He knew from his conversations with Norri and Ginny that Professor Dumbledore expected high standards from his class, but he argued that it couldn’t be compared with the excruciating work all the seventh years were doing for their Arithmancy subject, let alone for the Potions Assignment Snape continued to hound them about. When he said as much to Norri, she snorted disdainfully.

“Obviously, you prat! But its not because its harder work that you think they’re better subjects; its because you like them more”.

“That’s garbology and you know it! I infinitely prefer reading poetry – and Muggle poetry at that – to anything involving Arithmancy.”

“Yes, but if someone asked you which elective you’d take in order to get a decent job…”

“Well, we can’t live on nothing, now, can we?”

Draco noticed that Norri was not convinced by this argument. When he asked her what her real reasons were for taking Muggle Studies she laughed.

“The teacher, naturally.”

“But you didn’t know Dumbledore was taking it until you got here. Nobody did.”

Draco noticed that Norri shifted a little as she admitted that she had received inside information. But she wouldn’t tell him how she knew that Dumbledore was going to teach Muggle Studies, no matter how many times he tried to get it out of her. Although he soon gave up, the issue stayed in the back of Draco’s mind. He added it to the slowly developing file he had started on ‘things Norri shouldn’t know but did’. He couldn’t understand how she seemed to float through all her classes, although he acknowledged that her mind was as good as his or Hermione’s. But he had caught her out once or twice by reading ahead and then asking her to fill him in, pretending it was work he had failed to do. Invariably, she had known the exact details of what he was asking, and he was sure that not even Hermione could match a skill like that.

Muggle Studies appeared to be the only subject that Norri let herself sit back and enjoy what she was learning. In every other class, she appeared as focused as Hermione; much to the amusement of Draco, who often allowed his attention to wander and still received perfect marks. He didn’t know exactly what it was like in Muggle Studies, considering he had refused to take the course himself, but several comments from Ginny made it clear that it was a great deal more enjoyable than many of the other subjects.

“Why do you like Muggle poetry anyway, Draco?” Ginny asked Draco one afternoon when the three of them were sharing lunch in the grounds of Hogwarts. It was one of the last warm days of the year, and Norri had pleaded for them to eat outside.

Draco leaned back against the tree he had sat under, uncertain whether to answer the question or not. After a moment’s pause, he decided the truth wouldn’t hurt – at least, not this time.

“My mum loves it,” he answered, “and she used to come and read it to me on the nights my father was away.” ‘Working with Voldemort,’ he added silently, feeling once again a strong surge of hate for the father who had made his life so difficult. He looked up to see the sympathetic gazes of both girls, and writhed. He didn’t want their pity. Falling back on the easiest retreat, he shot out a question of his own at Ginny Weasley.

“And tell me again why you are doing a seventh year course?” Draco he asked condescendingly. Before Ginny could bite back, Norri stepped in calmly.

“Because she’s the best Muggle Studies student the school has ever had and Dumbledore personally asked her to join us.”

Draco was impressed, but he wasn’t about to let on how much. “I guess growing up with so many Muggle-lovers it must come naturally.”

Ginny glared at him, but said nothing. Something of a truce had been reached between Ginny and Draco, although it had never been openly discussed, and it was never alluded to in conversation with Norri by either Draco or Ginny in the absence of the other. Draco still found the most enjoyable part of his day was tormenting Ron in Potions, but he quickly developed the tact not to mention his victories when the youngest Weasley was around.

Ron himself could not understand why his little sister tolerated Draco, or how it was that he seemed to spare her the usual insults that were part and parcel of Weasley-Malfoy relations. Norri suspected that a great deal was owed to Charlie, for whom Draco had great respect as the Care of Magical Creatures professor. She also had an intuitive sense that Draco appreciated Ginny for merits entirely her own, but Ron was the last person she was about to confide that idea in.

Besides, it wasn’t as if the two of them were best of friends or anything. Almost every week there was some minor kind of confrontation, which Norri really couldn’t blame Ginny for, considering that half the time she wholly agreed with her best friend. But she was determined to stay on Draco’s good side, so she did her best not to get involved in any arguments that did occur. Which was much to Draco’s amusement, she suspected; he loved arguments, and seemed to sense that she did too.

 

*

The one thing they did openly disagree over was Charlie Weasley. Draco could not understand Norri’s total aversion to the Care of Magical Creatures professor, especially when she obviously got on with the rest of his extended family. The issue came to a head over their visits to Ra’ed. Draco was annoyed that the little time they could actually spend with the kit was destroyed whenever Charlie happened to be with the eggs, which was on a fairly regular basis as the weather deteriorated. He was even more frustrated by the fact that Norri wouldn’t tell him why she couldn’t bear to be near Charlie, and his patience was wearing thin. One evening, when Norri had to leave suddenly yet again, Draco decided that enough was enough. He almost gave up on his plan when she failed to come into the Great Hall for dinner, but he knew that she had a Potions assignment she had arranged to pick up from Snape that evening. So he decided to wait around in the hall outside the Potions dungeon until she emerged, and then confront the issue once and for all.

“So, Norri, when are you going to end the farce and get on with life?” he asked softly as she closed the Potions door behind her.

She turned around, and Draco realised that it probably wasn’t a good time for a confrontation. She looked exhausted, and her eyes were rimmed with red. From the expression on her face, she obviously did not feel at all like listening to him. But, Draco considered, if he didn’t get it out of his system directly, he wasn’t sure if he ever would.

“Well?”

She looked at him darkly.

“I don’t want to discuss this Draco – not now, and not here.”

Her tone rendered argument pointless; but Draco had not spent most of his life achieving his own ends for nothing, and he was increasingly determined to get this over with once and for all.

“O.K., point taken. This is definitely not the best place. But we’re talking tonight, Norri. Curfew’s not for another hour and I know you have no clandestine meetings with Lupin this evening – I checked.”

“You what?!” choked Norri, so taken aback by this revelation that she unconsciously let Draco steer her up several flights of steps to the main hallway, and then up the flight of stairs leading to the Astronomy Tower. Draco could tell that she was starting to get angry, but he figured that she would have been by the conclusion of their conversation anyway, and if she lost it now she might let slip the key to the mystery he had been attempting to solve for the last five months.

“I asked Lupin if you had an appointment to see him or not. I know how often you slip out of the Gryffindor common-room and into his office, so I wanted to make sure that this wasn’t one of those evenings.”

“And what did he say?”

Draco knew how much his smoothness annoyed her, so he purposefully used his most smarmy tone as he replied, “Well, he was a little taken aback that I knew so much I think – mind you, I wouldn’t want my personal trysts with a student to become common knowledge if it was me in his place – but he recovered enough to tell me that he wasn’t expecting you at all this evening, so I figured that if I waited for you outside Snape’s office it was a sure thing.”

By this stage, they were both in the Astronomy Tower, and Draco had just turned to close the door behind them. He could practically touch the fury radiating from Norri by now, and as he slipped his wand back into his robes, his mind began formulating a plan; simply, but brilliant in its effectiveness…if it worked. Draco heard Norri take a deep breath, and turned back to face her, steadying himself for the onslaught that was sure to follow.

“I don’t believe your nerve, Draco Malfoy! How low are you capable of stooping?! Spying, stalking – next you’ll be telling me you used Rita Skeeter to listen to my conversations with Remus!”

She didn’t even realise her slip in using Lupin’s first name. Draco grinned; this was going to be easy. He leaned against the door comfortably, his arms crossed.

“Well, actually, I didn’t, but it’s a great idea. I’ll have to keep it in mind for next time.”

“Next time? Next time?! You’re not going to get a shot at a next time. I thought I could trust you, that you were different from the rest of your family. But you’re just like the rest of the Malfoys. I should have listened to Ron and Harry and given up on you long ago!”

This was closer to home than Draco had bargained for, and despite his intentions, he felt himself getting riled. Moving away from the door to where Norri stood in the centre of the room, he began his own attack, and let fly with everything he had.

“Well then, why don’t you just finish condemning yourself out of your own mouth while you’re at it, Elsie? You have the gall to talk about trust and listening to advice from others when I’ve proved to you constantly over the last few months how I am trustworthy and I can take your advice. Who’s living the farce, Norri? At least mine’s been consistent and open for the last seven years – no one could accuse me of deceiving my best friends and lacking respect for teachers where its due (except Hagrid, who doesn’t count) –”

“Hagrid doesn’t count?!” Norri spat at Draco furiously.

“Don’t miss the forest for the trees, Elsie. I asked to talk to you because your treatment of Professor Weasley is abysmal. Its obvious in our visits to Ra’Ed, in your attitude towards him in class, and in the way you turn tail and run at every remote encounter you have with him. For someone who preaches tolerance, politeness and consideration, you’re doing a crap job at living it, you know.”

Draco watched her whiten, then go red, then a sickly ashen colour. He knew he’d hit home, but if the mystery was going to be solved, he’d have to push a little harder. His mind flew to several possible ways of sending Norri over the edge, then his eyes brightened as he hit on the perfect means. A small voice deep within him seemed to be protesting at his behaviour, but he squashed it ruthlessly. ‘You’ve been like this all your life. Its for her own good, and if she gets hurt – well, that’s just too bad right now.’ And he plunged forward.

“Now, it occurred to me that maybe you were putting of Charlie Weasley in order to convince someone else that you’re available. It didn’t take me too long to work out who that person would be. I mean, you almost killed me in that first week when you thought I’d stumbled on your secret passion for Snape….”

He got no further than this, because Norri completely exploded. Not even bothering to answer his allegations, she yanked her wand out and pointed it at him.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

Fortunately for Draco, he’d anticipated this reaction, and he threw himself away from the oncoming spell. Jumping to his feet, he pulled out his own wand.

“Temper, temper, Norri. I thought you’d promised never to use that spell again. When did you make that promise, Norri? How can you know Cináed when Charlie says its impossible? Why do you spend so much time with Lupin? Who are you really?”

Draco spoke, or rather shouted at Norri over the din her spells were causing as he dodged the fast-flying charms she was attempting to stop him with. She didn’t use Petrificus Totalus again, but all the spells she did use were designed to stop him and keep him in one place. But Draco had developed near-perfect skills at evading spells from the many duels he’d had with Harry and Ron since Lockhart had started the Dueling Club in their second year. Norri’s spells hit walls, furniture and stairs (causing damage to all of them) – but not Draco. As he eluded her, Draco searched for the perfect angle to cast his own spell, taunting her all the while to keep her from realising his plan.

“You have no idea how hurt I was when I realised you weren’t the perfect seventh year I thought you to be. You’ve been living a lie, and finding that out hurt more than all the hate and scorn I’ve received from Harry and Ron and practically the whole of Hogwarts ever since I got here.” He spotted his chance and moved in, still speaking. “But now your lack of trust has backfired, and your secret is coming out – for your own good, of course. And the truth will set you free.” Pointing his wand directly at Norri, intending to remove her capacity to cast spells that would catch him and enable them to have a calmer confrontation, he drew a deep breath and yelled out:

“Finite omnies incantantem!”

A loud clap of noise thundered through the Astronomy Tower and there was a blinding flash of light; and then both Draco and Norri were thrown backwards. Smoke filled the air as Draco pulled himself off the ground and walked over to Norri. She had fallen with part of her robes over her face, and she appeared to be unconscious. Meaning to slap her cheeks in order to bring her round, Draco leaned down and pulled Norri’s robes away from her face – and fell backwards with a gasp. Whatever he had expected, and he hadn’t really known what to expect, it hadn’t been this.

Instead of the seventh year he had come to know so well over the previous terms, Draco was confronted with the sight of a young woman with an elusively familiar face. Draco stared hard at the blonde hair and tapering fingers, then began to swear with impressive fluency. He had seen a picture of this girl before – a picture that hung unobtrusively in Charlie Weasley’s office. In the photo, Charlie and the girl had been sitting together at some kind of party, with linking arms and beatific smiles, waving happily at the camera. And Draco had noticed with interest at the time that there had been a glittering ring on the girl’s hand – a ring that he instinctively knew she was no longer wearing.

“Shit. Shit! Shit!!” he swore, pacing up and down the room. Then he stopped in shock as he heard footsteps approaching. The stairs led to the Astronomy Tower, and the Astronomy Tower only. And now someone was coming, and his unmeaning spell was about to expose Norri permanently. Draco took a deep breath and turned around just as the door opened. He blanched in horror as it swung clear to reveal an extremely concerned Charlie Weasley.

“Draco…” Charlie started, then stopped as he took in the scene before him. “What on earth is going on?!”