It was only a few days later that the Headmaster pulled Brogan aside at lunch with a gleam in his eye.  Brogan tried to gleam back but it was hard.  True, she had felt much much better after Bill's letter, after meeting with her friends and pulling together a list of spells to study, items to carry with her in a little bag shrunken and stuffed in her pocket.  And she was hugely relieved the waiting was finally over.

She was also relieved, just a bit, deep deep inside, that her da wasn't coming with them.   Brogan was becoming very fond of Snape, in many ways they were a lot alike and of course if you're determined to not like someone and you're a lot alike it's just going to make you vicious about slamming doors or thrown jars of bat eyeballs, things that you might not even notice otherwise.

But despite all the relief flooding through her she could still remember the way Tom Riddle's diary had screamed and the black ink that had gushed like blood after she stabbed it.  Plus the headmaster still had that withered hand, dark evidence of the curse that was slowly choking off his life.  This was not going to be a fun trip to the seaside even if Draco and Hermione had brewed up a sunscreen potion and stuffed it in her tiny bag.

"It would suit us best if I'm seen during the dinner hour Miss Snape, but it would not do to linger over my pudding.  Perhaps at 7:00 we can meet near the front door?"

"Of course sir," Brogan replied demurely to the headmaster, "but won't my da have obligations at that hour?  There are almost always detentions or prefect meetings at that hour."  She didn't quite dare to lift her head, unsure of how innocent her eyes were at this moment.

"Ah yes, well, unfortunately there are some security concerns in addition to your father's hectic schedule and it will be just the two of us my child."

Brogan really had to look up at that, some surprise would be good too but it was just too much effort.  "Alright then sir, seven o'clock it is."  She turned away and left before she saw it but whatever face she had shown, whatever degrees of disappointment, disdain and resignation; the headmaster was more shaken than she could ever have predicted.  He sagged in on himself as he watched her walk away, regret thudded behind his eyes but this was the course he had chosen and he didn't think he could change it now.

Brogan's heart was thudding too, finally finally finally.  She slid into the seat next to Draco's at transfiguration; linking their hands she leaned near his ear to whisper, "seven o'clock tonight."

Draco squeezed back and brushed his lips over her cheek as he turned to face the front, neither one moved to unlink their hands for a long long time.  They spent the second half of the class transfiguring white handkerchiefs into doves and then chasing the birds around the room (and vanishing messes).  It was all too easy during the melee for Draco to pass the time along to Ron.

Five minutes later Hermione was over near their table scooping up her perfect white bird, "kitchens at six?" she murmured.  Brogan smiled brightly and nodded back.

 

Actually kitchens at six was a horrible idea, the elves were super busy but felt awful anyway about not instantly laying out a seven course meal.  They ended up hiding in an empty classroom with a picnic hamper.  Ron was the nervous eater of their grim little party so he inhaled most of the food.  Draco picked at something and then tossed it down and wiped his hands, he bumped Brogan's shoulder and announced to the room, "We will have to ask Dobby to cater the debriefing.  I can't eat now, but later, when you're back safe we'll all stay up shockingly late eating those tuna things and rehashing every detail."

Ron smiled broadly at the rest, thankfully with his mouth closed, and after a big swallow he informed Draco, "I can eat when I'm relieved too so tha's alright."

The others laughed and let Ron distract them.  They checked Brogan's bag one last time and Hermione took some of the more sturdy fruit from their hamper and stuffed it in with an apologetic smile.  Brogan hugged them all goodbye in the classroom, trying desperately to not make it a big deal, and then walked off to meet the headmaster.  She wasn't surprised at all that Snape was already waiting there.

Snape inspected his daughter carefully as she walked towards him; she was wearing black pants and a black sweater over a dark green long sleeved shirt.  She had stout boots on too.  They seemed to be early so she pulled out her bag and unshrunk it before passing it over wordlessly.  Snape opened it and saw the invisibility cloak, some fruit that would probably be smashed soon, sandwiches, a potion knife, a few bottles labeled as sunscreen and pepper-up, a towel which seemed odd and unnecessary, and some coins. 

After a bit of thought he reached into his coat and pulled out two more bottles, "blood replenishing," he enunciated clearly twirling the bottle a little so Brogan would recognize it again and added it to the bag then "pain reliever" and showed her that too.  He dropped it in and handed the bag back.  They were already standing quite close so it was easy to drape his arm across her shoulders and hold her close, "ten points to Slytherin for being well prepared."

Brogan turned so she could hug him properly and then stepped back a little, "I learned a few more spells too.  -Not that I'm fishing for more points or anything."

"No never, I'm sure.  However, return in one piece tonight and I promise to persuade the headmaster into giving us the house cup."

"Oh, imagine if we made it a house competition, there are what four left, we could have all the houses racing to destroy them.  And we'll just sit back to watch them win the war for us."

"A scavenger hunt, we can put clues in the Daily Prophet."  Snape joked along with her.

"Exactly, there's no need for me to hog all the glory like this."

Snape hugged her again, "There is no need, but you seem to have just enough ridiculous Gryffindor in you."  The voices in the Great Hall seemed to rise just then, students were finishing their supper.  Snape pushed Brogan behind his back and flared out his robes to better hide her, "quickly, put your cloak on."

Brogan did so and then she stood quietly.  Snape's body remained angled so that the students streaming past them couldn't see his hand oddly grasping the empty air next to him.  Eventually the headmaster arrived, ridiculously flamboyant as ever and spoke quietly to Snape who seethed a little, just for show, and then the Headmaster departed -through the front door with all the students watching and one student invisibly following.

Draco was loitering on the stairs a flight or two up from the front doors; his eyes narrowed as he watched the grand exit.  This was more than the Headmaster leaving Snape behind to supposedly protect the students, this was setting a trap.  Involuntarily Draco sought out Ron, his brain just had to find Ron and confirm this with him; Ron was closer to the Great Hall doors and he was scowling too.  A trap it was.

 

Ron lied to Ernie Macmillan about going out with Hermione over the weekend so he could patrol the halls that night.  Draco set himself up in the Slytherin common room with a clear view of the door and monitored every student coming and going.  Hermione piled a table with books near the entrance to the library and surreptitiously pulled out the Marauder's Map.  Next to her was another highly enchanted piece of parchment, this one had a protean charm on it so that she could write back and forth to Draco.

They hadn't really expected the Headmaster's show except they had expected something and so had pulled together their surveillance plan.  Hermione had asked about working with or at least telling Professor Snape but Brogan had scoffed.  "It isn't worth someone overhearing us or giving it away some other way.  You, especially you and especially Ron, have to act completely suspicious of my da.

He probably suspects you'll do something like this anyway, and even if he doesn't it will only take him seconds to figure it out and go along."

And although the first hour dragged by inexorably the second one flew.  Draco was disillusioned now and creeping after Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini was covering for him back in the common room, Ron was patrolling a corridor over from Professor Snape (following Hermione's instructions -they had their own parchment) and Hermione was quasi-hysterical watching them all converge on the astronomy tower.

She watched the Theodore figure step out on top of the tower, the Draco figure was lurking one floor down.  The Snape figure was stalking and pacing, it was amazing to see it pace, then it paused (Hermione racked her brain trying to figure if there was a window nearby or not) and then the words Severus Snape were whizzing towards the astronomy tower too.  Hermione glanced at the clock as she watched words slide down a hall towards the stairs. 

Her job was to watch the map and send updates; the library was closing in fifteen minutes and it would take her five to get back to the tower.  Hermione had no idea what to do, she really didn't want to have to pack up and talk to Madam Pince while exciting things were happening.  Not that she could tell how exciting something was just looking at the map.

She packed up the books while she thought, flicking her wand to add them to the restacking cart.  Ron must have heard Professor Snape running because he was chasing him too, damn.  Hermione hadn't decided about telling him that Snape was apparently doing something or not, she was leaning towards not just because she didn't really want her hot-headed Gryffindor charging into a very Slytherin-looking showdown.  She paused and wrote ‘DISCRETION RON, STEALTH!' on his parchment, knowing he probably wouldn't look at it anyway.

The astronomy tower was further away than Gryffindor, it would take her ten minutes to get there because she'd have to go down a flight and then over a corridor...  And she wasn't patrolling tonight, curfew was coming.  "Really Hermione?" she found herself arguing with herself out loud in the library.  Madam Pince looked at her with a tiny bit of alarm.

Hermione gave her a vague smile back, "I apologize madam, homework stress you know."  It was best that she leave the library in any case.  The hallway was darker than the library as Hermione trailed along it but there was a torch near the window so she wandered over there.  The window had a view of the actual astronomy tower too, Hermione was almost so bookish that she didn't bother looking up -after all it wasn't like she would be able to see a bunch of Slytherins dressed in black lurking around up there, except she could.  She could see a student and Professor Snape facing each other on the roof, she could see them quite plainly in the green light of the Dark Mark that was shining above them.

Hermione looked down at the map, desperate to make sure the student was Theodore Nott and then she saw Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter come streaking across the grounds and towards the tower.  She looked up once more but couldn't see them, but then she could see the headmaster, he was on a broom.  He was landing as far away from the others as he could, Harry must be under his cloak but his name came to rest as well.

Hermione had to tell Draco and Ron that the others were back and up there but she didn't think they would be checking their parchments anymore.  She could run there and find them, but then she couldn't watch.  Hermione heard the first shout, another student somewhere had looked out a window and seen the Dark Mark too.  She ran for the astronomy tower.

 

The trip to the cave had been about as bad as it could be considering they weren't dead yet and had the locket, the trip back to Hogsmeade was a hazy blur but then seeing the Dark Mark had done something to both Brogan and the headmaster.  Dumbledore stood up straight and strong; Brogan felt the charm on her eyes drop away as a rush of magic flew over her.  She raised her wand and called, "accio brooms" not caring a whit who's brooms came bursting over to them.  They mounted but before they could fly the Headmaster wrapped a hand around her broomstick.  "Miss Snape, put the cloak on now."

It was wasting precious time but foolish not to preserve whatever advantages they could.  Brogan ripped it out of her bag and dropped it over herself, shooting off a quick glare before she disappeared.  For a moment she thought that being invisible might mean she could fly like the devil and reach the tower before the Headmaster but he didn't fly fair. 

They landed behind Theodore Nott; Dumbledore somehow heard the ridiculously soft sound of her boots touching down because he shot an immobulus charm and caught her.  For a moment Brogan was furious and determined to break free but then a wave of agony crashed over her.  Her head was on fire and if she hadn't been frozen she would have been screaming and screaming.  He was here, he was here, how, where: her poor brain was trapped in an endless motionless voiceless scream and for a moment she thought, ‘oh god I'm going to go insane.'

The headmaster was not aware of the hell he had just condemned his student to, but he didn't hear her move again so he was satisfied that his spell had caught her.  He turned and approached the others.

Snape was speaking softly to Theodore Nott.  "Mr. Nott this is rather dramatic but someone will have to take the blame for it and I must say it shall not be me.  This could easily get you expelled, perhaps even some time in Azkaban and then what service will you be to our Lord?"

Theodore Nott faced his head of house without fear, "why don't we ask our Lord?" 

He raised his arm and a band that had been wrapped around his wrist dropped to the ground.  "Engorgio!" shouted Nott with that familiar Death Eater mania leaking into his voice.

The snake grew and grew until it was twelve feet long, coiling and twisting.  It reared up and stared right at Snape who felt Voldemort's presence wash over him.  There was no doubt that Voldemort was possessing his serpent at this moment, no doubt that he was aware of every word that was said here, every movement.  Snape could kill Nott, he could probably kill the snake too but Voldemort who was safe somewhere else would see it and know.  Dumbledore could arrive but he would have to kill all three of them and Snape knew he would never do that.  Dumbledore would not lose his best spy to save a person already dying, especially if that person was himself.

Snape realized he was kneeling before Nagini, to Nott's amusement perhaps.  He bowed his head and then stood back up awkwardly brushing his knees and honestly not remembering when he had decided to kneel.  Perhaps his knees had just given out in the face of such catastrophe.

But Nagini was here, Nagini could be killed and that would be one less horcrux.  If the headmaster was seen by Nagini and then struck quickly enough...  Snape could kill the headmaster afterwards, it would be difficult of course, but he could do it and then Nott would bear witness and they could escape.  Well, Snape could escape back to being their best placed spy, perhaps Nott could get captured and be one less Death Eater. 

"How does our Master plan on leaving here?  Surely the students will notice such a fearsome sight, and though many will run a few may attempt to fight."  Snape wasn't sure Nott would answer his question, he would be a fool if he did but he was young and had obviously worked hard on this plan.  Theodore Nott wasn't as physically captivating as Blaise Zabini or as charismatic as Draco Malfoy, he was often overlooked in his own house and a direct question from his Head of House, with a bit of flattery and Nott's new insanity; Snape hoped it would be enough.

"Our Lord knows the secrets of Hogwarts better than many, better than the fool Dumbledore -that's for sure.  There are ways for a... snake to travel unnoticed, many ways, and our Lord knows them all.  Knows them from the mighty Slytherin himself..."  Nott bragged but as soon as Snape heard him say ‘secrets' he was reaching the inevitable conclusion.  A castle that could hide a bloody basilisk and allow it free enough passage to attack students could certainly help a mere twelve foot serpent slip out into the night.  They were idiots not to think otherwise.

Nagini could leave right now, Snape was sure they had chosen this tower just because it had the most favorable escape route.  Nagini could leave now, Nott could kill himself and the Headmaster, Nott could make it look like Snape and the Headmaster killed each other and slip away disillusioned in the bedlam.  The worst case scenario was suddenly incredibly worse.

Albus might bring Brogan here too.  Would she watch her father kill a classmate of hers, or kill Albus Dumbledore, or would she interfere?  Could he commit murder in front of her?  It isn't murder with Albus he reminded himself weakly.

 

Hermione arrived at the tower in a mess of flying hair and parchment.  She was as quiet as she could be but it wasn't much since she had run the whole way, plus she wanted the boys to know she was there.  After half a thought she decided to lock and bar the door behind her, she cast a quick locking spell and then another and another and then she pushed a desk in front of it and then Draco and Ron were there and piling another desk on top and a chair and then Draco yanked out his wand and cast a strange little charm on all of it that turned it to rock.  He noticed Hermione's face and gave her a bashful look, "it won't last very long but it should make them a lot harder to push out of the way."

Ron nodded his approval too, "but why have we locked ourselves in here?  Who else is up there?"

"Theodore Nott, Professor Snape, and it looked like the headmaster and Harry just flew in on brooms.  Nott cast the Dark Mark in the sky above the tower, I expect the castle is going into lock down now and the other professors will be trying to reach the tower."

"And we're locking them out because..."  Ron had to ask.

"Maybe we're just locking us in, so Nott can't escape."  Draco snapped, he was completely rattled by Teddy being the mysterious sloppy assassin of doom.  They had been sharing a dorm since they were eleven for Merlin's sake, and sure he knew Teddy was a Death Eater - in Slytherin they were all sort of Death Eaters but only in the most nebulous keeping our families safe kind of way.

It had never occurred to Draco that Teddy might actually have bought into the garbage party line, that he was plotting all year long and had never confided or bragged or anything to Draco.  How was it even possible that he hadn't let a single word slip?

"I can't believe that's Teddy."  Draco finally sighed.

Hermione had spread out the map, "No, it's definitely Theodore Nott Jr. that's up there with Severus Snape and, oh my God, Nagini is there too.  How did that snake get in and how does a map know that stupid creature's name?"

Ron shouted "Nagini?" at the same time that Draco shouted "Junior?"

"What?" said Hermione, "Draco you first."

"Teddy is the third Theodore Nott, it must be his father with polyjuice up there.  Maybe he got frustrated about the other failures and decided to take his place."

"Snape will think he's facing some sixth year."

"How can we warn him?"

"We can't," Draco sighed, "but maybe we can make sure he doesn't escape alive."

"I wonder how they're planning on getting Nagini out?"  Hermione asked aloud.

"Probably the same way she came in,"

"And how was that Ron?" snapped Hermione.

Ron shrugged, "I don't know.  I don't even know how big the ruddy snake is; Harry said it was big but what does that mean, five feet long?"

"It's closer to twelve feet." Draco softly volunteered, shuddering at the thought of that hateful snake up there.

"Harry should have said it was huge," mused Hermione, "but I guess he's seen bigger snakes with the basilisk."

"The basilisk!  Hermione you're a genius again, that's how they're getting it around.  Tom Riddle knew the basilisk, he commanded it, so he must know how it travelled in the pipes and that's how he sent Nagini."

"So it could find some drain pipe up there and just slither down to the Chamber of Secrets and then slip out whenever."

"Harry said the chamber was below the lake somehow, there's probably a pipe so that it could just swim to freedom."  They were all talking over each other now and as one they turned back to the map but it just showed them their little names huddled together.

Hermione gave a choky little sob, "Please," she started putting her wand on the parchment, "Moony, Padfoot, Prongs, can you show us the pipes?"

Draco was thoroughly confused for a moment and then writing appeared on the parchment, "Little marauder, we would if we could but we don't know where they run."

"Dammit!" Ron cursed and then hurt his foot kicking the stone desk.  Draco started pacing around too and Hermione struggled to dry her eyes. 

She tried to get a hold of herself, "okay, so there's no loo up here or sink or anything.  It must be a drain pipe that they're using or maybe a vent.  Would it be on an outside wall?  Can we look out the windows and see if there's a drain pipe?"

They each ran to a window but it was dark and they couldn't tell.  "If it was raining we could listen for the water."  Hermione had decided to think out loud for the time being, in case it spurred someone else on to a better thought.

"There's a spell to find water," Draco said casting it instantly but whatever pipe they were looking for was too dry to show up.

"Alright, so that's a dead end," Ron finally said, "now what?"

 

Dumbledore was so doomed.  The potion he drank in the cave was choking him as if he had dementors in his blood, he could just blearily see that Teddy Nott and Severus were facing off against each other in front of him but he didn't know how far Severus might have gotten in talking Teddy down.  He hadn't really expected Nott;a pureblood Ravenclaw maybe or even another Gryffindor betrayal along the lines of Peter Pettigrew but this was unexpected.  And unexpected was bad.

Severus seemed frightened too, perhaps Teddy had back up.  But how could that be possible?  He needed to communicate with Severus, as stealthily as possible he crept around so that he could make eye contact.  He was hoping that they could cast legilimens at each other, it would be tricky from this distance but they were so familiar to each other. 

He had known Severus Snape since he was eleven years old after all.  Had known him all through his difficult years at Hogwarts being picked on and teased by the Gryffindors, that horrible night when Sirius Black tried to trick him into seeing Remus transform.  The horrible night when Lily had died, when Severus had come to him sobbing and clawing at his own arm, filled with such regret and despair. 

And recently of course, he had watched Severus and Brogan inching their way towards being a family.  Hogwarts professors were a rather lonely lot, cooped up and boarding with all the children all the time.  Most had chosen this career but Severus had less of a choice than the others and it really didn't suit him.  The children annoyed him, the professors were either too old and remembered him as a child (thus embarrassing him) or they were his age and embarrassed themselves with their frivolity.  Severus Snape was an exacting man and cautious in his friendships, Hogwarts was simply too small a pool for him to make connections.

But family was different from all that, and if there was one person in all the world that craved a family more than Severus it was Harry.  Dumbledore shuddered then, thinking of his own family as the potion stirred up his regrets again.

Maybe it was that sudden movement, more likely it was just because he had no idea the snake was there.  But Nagini rose up then, towering over Dumbledore and hissing.  Theodore Nott spun around with a crucio on his lips and Dumbledore - with his cursed hand and the potion and the giant killing snake inside his school and now a sixth year casting a surprisingly powerful unforgivable curse at him-  Dumbledore was doomed.

Draco crept up the stairs to investigate.  First he saw Nagini swaying in the slowly fading light of the Dark Mark.  Her head was the same height as a man's and she was gazing down on the headmaster who was writhing below her, it was quite likely the most gruesome sight he had ever seen.  Brogan was nowhere to be seen, probably under her cloak, and quiet -probably spelled so by the headmaster otherwise her ridiculously tiny and brave self would be defending Dumbledore no matter what.

Dumbledore looked horrible, Draco couldn't help but hope someone granted him the mercy of death soon, and as advantageously as possible.  Voldemort was probably possessing Nagini to witness Dumbledore's death but after that she could certainly die too.  And Teddy, well it wasn't Teddy was it, it was a full grown Death Eater in Hogwarts so he could die last Draco decided.  But after Nagini so the Dark Lord wouldn't know who had done it.  So: Dumbledore, Nagini, Nott -and then Snape should escape, that was all sorted.

Snape was standing next to Nott now, watching with Nagini.  Draco tried to creep around behind the serpent while it was transfixed.  Although he was disillusioned the beast might scent him, but then again he had no intention of getting the slightest bit close.

Snape was exhorting Nott to cease his petty torturing and Nott did actually end the spell, he stepped closer to the groaning old man, whose harsh breaths were echoing weirdly in the sudden quiet,  and stripped the wand from his nerveless fingers.  Nott stepped back and gestured grandly to Snape, "Professor?" he invited twirling the stolen wand.

Dumbledore was twisting on his back looking as though he was still being tortured.  Tremors after crucio were common, it could have also been the poison though.  Or perhaps he was just being dramatic and trying to keep as many eyes on himself as he could.

Nagini was certainly transfixed, her head bobbed as though she was laughing but Snape was as steady as anything.  He gave Nott a venomous look, nodded deferentially to the observing serpent and easily cast the killing curse at Albus Dumbledore.  Draco took one breath in the sudden silence afterwards, another,  and then cast a vicious dark slicing hex that decapitated the serpent with a spew of blood, he whipped around quickly to the shocked Theodore Nott and cast an explosive expelliarmus that had both wands flying in the air and Nott tumbling backwards.  Snape threw another spell at Nott and his body was tossed off the side of the tower. 

Draco and Snape stumbled towards each other, Draco panted at his professor, "that wasn't..."

"I know," Snape soothed, "I could tell when he twirled the wand.  Is Brogan here?"  He was twitching a little now, he wanted to go to Dumbledore, he wanted to make sure the snake was dead, he wanted to peer over the side at Nott's body, he needed to escape, but first, first he needed to check on his daughter.

"She should be up here, under the cloak though.  I assumed that the headmaster put a spell on her but now that he's... it should have lifted..."  Draco could vaguely remember where the Harry Potter name had been on the map, he started crawling to that area reaching out with his hands and searching.  He found a broom and handed it to Snape, "you can use that to escape."

Snape took it but he didn't look like he was trying to escape yet, he had just found the edge of a silky cloak and he was dragging it off a still form.  They knew Brogan was alive because the dead don't bleed and the scar on her forehead had split open, in the dim green light it looked like black sludge oozing into her hair. 

Draco was glad that he was already on his knees, "If the Dark Lord was possessing Nagini here, right in front of her, it must have been like one of those vision attacks...  It must have been excruciating and she was immobilised...  She could be..."

"Draco, Draco stop.  She will be okay," and Snape reached out blindly to grab Draco's hand.  "She's alive, and the attack has ended, it will be okay."  He wanted to cast an ennervate on her, but he wasn't sure what he would do if it didn't work.

Draco nodded in the darkness and took a fortifying breath.  "You do need to get her to Madam Pomfrey though," Snape continued,  "and I'm frankly shocked that Minerva hasn't burst up here yet."

"We blocked up the door downstairs."

"Of course, you did." Snape managed to give him a slight smile.  "You and Brogan followed Teddy up here, Brogan was injured in the fight..."  He was checking her for injuries now with a quick little spell.

Draco winced, "I'd rather not be here at all, what if we duck back under the cloak and slip off?  Madam Pomfrey knows she's Harry, she can just think it was a bad attack because of the headmaster or whatever."

"That's fine.  You did well Draco, waiting until Nagini saw me kill the headmaster."

"You, you did well too sir, I know it couldn't have been easy to, to do what you did.  Even though I think it was, it seemed a kindness sir."

"It was Da," a soft voice shocked them both, "he drank some sort of poison in the cave too, there was no way..."

Snape scooped his daughter into his arms, blood didn't show up on his black clothes anyway.  "Are you injured, did anything else happen?"

"I'm okay, it was bad -having his presence so close through Nagini and, and being frozen like that, but it wasn't for long, I'm okay."

Draco was rubbing her arms and back too, he buried his face in her shoulder for a moment, "did you find anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, Dumbledore should have the locket," Brogan trailed off as they all looked over at the body that was lying so still with the snake corpse almost on top of it.  "Urgh," said Brogan as her face grew even whiter, "I don't think I'm well enough to fetch it right now." 

Snape wasn't ready to let go of his daughter with either of his hands so Draco cast an accio charm and the locket came skittering to him.  He slid it in his pocket and then stooped over to gather up the cloak. 

Ron and Hermione emerged onto the roof just then too, pausing only to lock the door behind them.  "McGonagall and the others are almost through our blocks now." Ron announced.

He surveyed the roof quickly, the mark was fading faster now it seemed, and then turned to wrap his arm around Hermione who was still fussing with the door.  He blocked her view of the headmaster and the gore with his chest and murmured in her ear while he carefully ushered her past everything and over to the others.  Curious as ever she tried to crane her head once but he touched her cheek and said, "please don't" in a tone Hermione had never heard before.

Brogan was angling herself away from the carnage as well, she took the handkerchief Draco passed her and held it up to her head with a grateful look.  "Time to retreat?" she asked.

Snape looked more pained at the thought than he had when he was executing Albus but there was a massive thud from the tower below them.  He gave her another squeeze and then gently let Draco take over supporting her.  He flicked his wand at the other broom on the roof and it flew towards Ron.  "Mr. Weasley, take Miss Granger on this broom and try to sneak into Gryffindor.  We've decided it will be easiest if nobody sees any students up here."

Ron nodded immediately and hopped on the broom, he pulled Hermione up behind him, pretending not to notice when she stole a quick look at her headmaster and then grabbed Ron tighter than ever.  Ron wrapped his free hand around hers on his waist.  "Good luck professor, Draco -I'll catch you tomorrow.  Take care mate." 

Hermione whispered her own, "Good luck sir," too and then they were soaring off, Draco and Brogan smiling a tiny bit as they watched Hermione bury her head in Ron's back and not look down.

Snape pulled the cloak out of Draco's arms and motioned for Draco carry Brogan, she settled easily with her legs around his waist and her cheek resting tiredly on his shoulder.  Snape fussed for a moment with the scar and the handkerchief and then floated the cloak down over the two Slytherins.  It was good they were clinging to each other so tight, the cloak just barely covered.

"You'd better go Da, McGonagall will shoot stunners at you and she might not miss."  Snape nodded and took off as well.  Slowly Draco edged along the perimeter and towards the door. 

Soon enough teachers were helpfully opening the door and leaving it wide behind them as they rushed through.  Someone cast a lumos and illuminated the whole scene, Draco cringed and slitted his eyes against the glare.  Someone let out a long deep cry that sounded as if their heart was being pulled out of their body.  Brogan started shaking in Draco's arms and he could feel her tears soaking into his collar.  He hadn't realized until then that he could hold her a little closer.

Severus must have spun around when the lumos was cast, or maybe it was at the cry, but anyway the professors all saw him and their anguish ratcheted up another notch.  Screams of traitor and coward chased him away as much as their stunners and curses but it looked to Draco like he got away cleanly.

It was obscene to be hidden there watching such raw grief but lying was as impossible as explaining.  Carefully and cautiously Draco edged them down to Snape's quarters, flattening around a corner once when Flitwick came barreling past murmuring to himself about aurors and wiping at his eyes angrily, other than that they made it alright.  He went straight through to Brogan's room only pausing to stuff the cloak out of sight before he climbed into the bed next to her. 

They lay there quietly for a moment and then Draco pushed himself up on one arm and looked down at Brogan, "Try to look wrecked and confused," he suggested helpfully.

"If you insist," Brogan answered thickly.  "Do you think he went to Voldemort?"

"Yeah, there will probably be a meeting tonight."

"I don't know whether I hope I see it or not."

"Should I get you a potion?"

"No, I'll just let it whatever.  What if Voldemort is angry about Nagini?  What if he realizes we know about the horcruxes?"

"Shhh," Draco said brushing her cheek,  "I don't think he'll realize anything.  Of course someone was going to try and kill that ruddy snake if it showed up at Hogwarts."

"You killed it didn't you?"

"Yeah, I was disillusioned and behind it.  She was looking right at Snape when I did it too so I think, I think he'll be alright."

"Thank you."

"You weren't poisoned too or anything were you?"

"No, but it was horrible, there were inferi.  I had never seen them before, and there were so many of them this whole lake of them and they were grabbing and grabbing at us, trying to drag us under with them."

"Shhhh, they're gone now.  You're safe, you're safe."  There was one lantern burning low near the door, Draco used the meager light to find another handkerchief for Brogan.  He mopped at her face and then gave her a critical look, "you're really nailing the wrecked look, but you might want to hold something in reserve for when they tell you about Dumbledore."

"You're such a prat," Brogan responded.  "I think I love you."

Draco kissed her softly, "I love you too and I'm going to stay right here with you."

"Thanks," said Brogan and then she dragged herself up.  "If I stay there I'm going to pass out and we should get the story straight first.  Da and I had a fight."

"A big fight, he wanted you to leave Hogwarts with him tonight and you wouldn't go."

"I've never picked a side in the war, that's why my mum was homeschooling me."

"Yes, so you had that big fight and then he stormed out and you called me to come stay with you."

"Because I didn't know if he was going to come back or not."

"Right."

"What about my head?"

"Hmmm?" asked Draco.

"The scar, does it still show?  Wasn't it bleeding before?"

"Oh, Severus healed it before he left."  Draco got up and inspected her forehead then tugged some hair over to cover it up a little.  "You're fine, no one will notice."

"I, I didn't even notice him healing me."  Brogan confessed with huge watery eyes.

Draco sighed and hugged her close, "we do need to put the eye charm on again though."

Brogan pulled her wand out of her pocket and squeezed her eyes shut.  "Got it," she bragged and Draco gave her a proud smile.

"Good job, do you want to lay down again?  I think that's enough story."  Draco patted the bed invitingly.

"Okay," said Brogan unlacing her boots and peeling off her socks, "we should keep our clothes on."

"Of course," said Draco kicking off his own shoes and stuffing his tie in his pocket.

Draco didn't think they would manage to sleep before someone came pounding on the door but they did.  Brogan looked truly awful and even managed to throw up when the aurors and Prof. Flitwick gently offered her a calming draught.

They wanted to bring her to the hospital wing for the rest of the night, or maybe see about waking up Luna or something but Draco somehow managed to convince them to leave well enough alone.  Flitwick was a godsend and dragged the aurors away eventually.

Draco led Brogan to the bathroom where they brushed their teeth and then he gently washed her face and then they both crashed into the bed.  Draco might have felt guilty about pulling Brogan on top of him, wrapping his arms around her back and tangling their legs but she was completely out and he needed to feel her heart beating, needed to feel the puffs of her breathing on his neck.  His mind was on overdrive, so much had happened, so much needed to be analyzed, so much more would happen tomorrow, so much needed to be planned, so much, too much, with great effort he slowly pared it all down to one thought: she's alive.  And it was only then that he was able to slowly drift off himself.