Seeker Found
Draco couldn't sit around and brood all day, as much as he would like to. He was in possession of one of the most comprehensive dark magic libraries in magical Britain, and he'll be damned if he didn't take advantage of it.
But still, he rubbed his face with his hand, resting his left elbow on the desk he now practically lived at. On one side, who knew when he would next get the opportunity to research, on the other, if he was discovered, a fight was near guaranteed.
He wasn't sure if he would survive a fight with Sirius this time. Between his leg, arm, and chest, he was weak. There was no way around it. Even now, his right arm sat in his lap, basically useless.
From what Kreature had overheard, Greyback had broken both of the bones in his forearm, to say nothing of the bite itself. Even with the bones healed from Severus' healing spells, he still couldn't use it without pain. The bite seemed to burn, and there was a strange ache to it, like it was still bruised, despite the fact none were visible. Even the thought of clenching his fist brought waves of nausea, let alone holding his wand or writing.
For the second time, Draco was violently grateful to his mother for forcing him to write and cast with both hands.
It was night, according to the large window in front of the dest, though that may be completely incorrect, there was no way to tell with magical ones. He would prefer if he didn't have to walk the hallways, even though he knew he could, so he tried something else.
Picturing the house in his mind, he willed a way directly to the library. The house didn't seem to move, but he stayed the course. It was his house, and it would listen to him if it wanted to still be standing tomorrow.
He opened his eyes, and there was a door. He smirked, he could get used to that.
Picking up his cane again he pushed himself up and to the new door. He’d been practising, when he wasn't sleeping, trying his best to emulate his father’s confident gait. So far, it wasn't anywhere close. His father didn't really need a cane, and Draco could barely still function with one.
And he didn't have any pain potions.
He could steal some, even though he maintained it was his house and thus not stealing, but Lupin would notice immediately. Draco was operating under the assumption they knew he was still in the house, because with his luck, they probably did, and even if they didn't, missing medical supplies would give him away. So he grit his teeth and let the pain climb higher and higher as his last dose wore off. If he had thought it was bad before, it was ten times worse now.
It still had nothing on his aunt's crucio however, so he kept going. There was no other way. Merlin be damned if he let himself be drugged right now, he needed every bit of his mind.
He walked to the door, his cane blessedly silent on the plush carpets, and leaned on the wall to take the weight off of his leg, so he could let go of the cane to actually pull the door open. Having only one functioning arm was a fucking nightmare.
When he opened the door, he was greeted with the Black Family Library. Draco nearly smiled, so relieved to see the rows and rows of books. He scanned for a table, and found one under another window, similar to the one in the Master's Suite. He dropped onto the table with relish, not even bothering with the chair, just laying back on the table itself, making sure to hang his cane off the edge. It felt nice to leave the top floor, to see something so familiar as a library.
He pondered on what to research first, revelling in the familiar feeling of choosing a book.
Dark magic? Most certainly.
Curses? He already knew quite a bit about those.
Glamours? There was an idea.
Keeping his leg propped up in front of him and sitting up, he felt for the magic of the house, and past that, the magic of the library. Soon enough, three books floated onto the table. The first was fairly thin, looking like an instructor's book for cosmetic glamour, the second was the same, but more modern. The third book however, was much thicker, and much older.
It was leather-bound, with uneven and stained pages. Draco pulled it into his lap, seeing the book was labelled with “Healing Magic for the Gifted Witch”
He grinned, swiping his hand over the cover, satisfied to see it change. It was now almost pristine, with a cover that said “Herbology for the Amateur” He repeated the movement a few more times, just to see how many subjects it could be glamoured to look like.
It was easy to forget how nice magic could be. To see it used for nothing but simple tricks and illusions, that was his favourite kind of magic. The kind that delighted. The kind that slipped through your fingers like sand.
He opened the book, but all the pages were blank. Glad for the challenge, he thought about the ways he could unlock it. There was always blood, which worked a solid 50% of the time in dark magic, but it seemed too simple. There could be a code, some word he had to say, but he would never be able to guess it, so he disregarded that option.
He brushed a bit of raw magic over it, not really with any goal, and was surprised when ink suddenly flooded over the pages. He nearly dropped the book, but soon enough, the ink soaked back into the pages, revealing academic-sounding text with hand-written annotations. This is what he needed.
If he couldn't erase the weakness outright, he would trick others into thinking he had. If he could cast a full body glamour, he could erase his scars and limp in one fell swoop. After that, he could refine his apparition, so he didn't have to walk at all.
Blaise would say it was just him being lazy, but Draco thought Blaise was projecting.
Absently rubbing his leg, he turned the book to the beginning, and began to read.
—------
Draco was jerked awake by the sudden knowledge that someone was in the room with him. Sitting up and cursing violently to himself for having the gall to fall asleep, he tried to stay as still as possible, which was pretty still. Blaise had told him once that it was unnerving, how little he moved sometimes, but now it served him well.
Inhaling, he tried to place the magical signature. It was familiar, so it must be Lupin.
Fuck. Another werewolf. Did he have a sign on his back that said “please bite me, I'm delicious?”
Draco hardly let himself breathe as he waited for the ex-professor to either leave or find him, but his leg had begun to scream at its position on the table, and holding himself so tense worsened the burn of his arm. He grit his teeth, willing his body to obey for once in his miserable life.
However, because the universe was out to get him, Lupin walked around the corner, stopping a few feet away from Draco's table. He didn't seem to register Draco, instead just blinking in confusion.
Draco wasn't about to remind him, and so he just stayed still, holding himself taught.
That was, until Lupin took a step forward.
Draco flinched back violently, nearly falling off the table. He brought a hand up, to shield himself or push Lupin away, he didn't know. But In doing so, he transferred his weight to his right arm, which immediately gave, causing him to thud back down onto the table.
He was forced to curl inward when every part of his body began to light in pain. He slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the scream that tried to leave.
It was paralysing. He couldn't even begin to describe the feelings happening over his body.
The burning of his arm and knee, the pulling ache of his chest, the fear of being discovered.
Get. It. Together.
He took a deep breath, prepared to look up and see a wand directly at his neck, but when he did raise his eyes, Lupin was in the same spot.
There was an inscrutable look in the professor's eyes, but he hadn't gone for his wand, so either he didn't have it, or didn't plan on using it. Draco kept a firm eye on his hands in either case, not willing to speak first.
He was not going to apologise for sneaking around in his own damn house.
"Well hello, Draco," Lupin said, just standing there, "You haven't had any pain potion."
Draco didn't reply, he wondered how fast he could get off this table, fast enough Lupin couldn't catch him? Probably not. He would apperate back to his rooms, but he was pretty sure they were unplottable, and thus only accessible via elf or house magic.
Lupin just continued on, seemingly uncaring of Draco's silence, "I could get you some, if you'd like. I know as well as anyone how painful werewolf bites can be." He smiled in a self deprecating manner, as if inviting Draco in on the joke. Well, Draco wasn't laughing.
"If I wanted them, I would've taken them already." He said, after the silence had already stretched long.
"Ah, well, no matter, I won't force you." Lupin said, taking another step forward, but stopping when Draco pushed himself further back.
If he could keep Lupin talking, he could get his wand from where it had rolled away from him in his sleep. As it was, he was slowly inching his hand closer.
"I hear you've had an eventful week." Lupin remarked, as if they were talking about the weather.
"One could say that, yes."
"You shouldn't be up, you'll prevent things from healing correctly."
Draco snorted, unbelieving, "Yes, well, I had rather more pressing concerns."
Lupin tilted his head, "Like what?"
Draco almost smiled, before the scab pulled and reminded him where, exactly, he was, "If you expect me to fall for this, then you're not half as smart as I thought you were."
"You think I'm smart?" Lupin smirked.
"Are you twelve?" Draco scoffed, unimpressed.
Lupin's smile fell, but he didn't look angry, "I'm not going to hurt you, Draco."
Now it was Draco's turn to smirk, "I notice you left your mutt of a husband out of that sentence, is he still mad about losing a fight to a teenager with blood loss?" If Lupin wouldn't expose himself, Draco would force him into it. There had to be a line he could cross, something that would cause the whole facade to fall.
Lupin's mouth just lifted at the corner, more genuine this time, "He maintains that because you ran, he was the one that won the fight."
Draco would have raised an eyebrow, but again, facial wounds, "The fact I was able to get away, with severe blood loss, says far more about his abilities and intelligence than mine."
"I agree."
This was a trap, he knew it. Something was just wrong. He would continue talking to Lupin, only for Sirius to jump out of the shadows, or for Lupin to stun him. Something would go wrong, Draco just knew it.
"You know, your godfather is furious with me." Lupin remarked mildly.
Draco froze, so Severus knew where he was. Was he the one who had brought him here? Did he trust Lupin now? No, Severus hated Lupin, why would he drop Draco at his doorstep? Unless Severus was planning on Lupin killing Draco as a very round-about way of fulfilling The Dark Lord's wishes?
"Draco!" Lupin shouted, distracting him from the panic.
When had he gotten that close? He was only a foot or so away now, and Draco scrambled to the edge of the table, pointing his wand at Lupin.
The werewolf paused, both hands going into the air.
"Get away from me." Draco said slowly, keeping his hand level despite the urge to shake.
Lupin backed up a few steps obligingly, "I'm not going to hurt you, Draco."
Draco laughed, "What would you think, in my place?"
"I don't know, I've never been in your place, but I do know what it's like to be hated by everyone around you, for something you hate about yourself. And I know that being the thing they're afraid of won't make it feel better."
"Don't compare us." Draco spat, ignoring Lupin's flinch, "It's not the same, don't act like it is. I made the choice to be what I am, you didn't. Like it or not, there is no pretending to be different, because it's what I am."
He looked Lupin directly in the eye, "I am a Death Eater. You're a member of the order, you want to kill me. Those are all facts."
Lupin looked struck, something endlessly old about his face, "Draco, I don't want to kill you, even if I thought every Death Eater deserved it, I would never kill a child."
"Such gryffindor sentiments. Would that answer change if I said I would? That I have?" he challenged.
"Have you?" Lupin asked.
"Does it matter?" Draco answered.
Lupin looked at him, and Draco remembered his occlumency training. He looked at Lupin's nose instead, noting the long white scars over it.
"No, Draco, It wouldn't matter, not to me. And besides, I don't think you have." Lupin said finally.
"But you don't know." Draco said.
"No, I don't." Lupin put his hands down, though he kept them visible, "If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you while you were delirious with fever in the guest bedroom."
Draco considered this. Lupin was right, if he wanted Draco dead, he would have done it already.
And if Draco could count on one thing, it was gryffindor ideals.
He let his shoulders relax, just enough that he could still move if he had to, "If you don't want me dead, what do you want?"
Lupin smiled, "Right now? For you to let me check you over, or see Severus, so he doesn't maul me for letting you out of my sight."
Draco snorted at the mental image, but grabbed his cane from the edge of the table. If nothing else, he might be able to gain some information about the Order's movements.
Lupin's eyes immediately zero'd in on the movement, and Draco swore mentally. Had he not noticed it earlier? Had Draco just given himself away?
"You shouldn't be walking on your leg. It'll only make it worse." Was all he said.
Draco gave him an unimpressed look before pushing himself to the edge of the table, elegant as he could, before slowly settling his weight back onto the ground, using his cane to support his left side.
He raised his chin, daring Lupin to comment, to try anything, but the professor just turned and walked to the library door, looking both ways before exiting.
Left adrift, Draco followed.