Call Me Psyche - Dramione

15

It was the smell of Hogwarts that told Draco he'd arrived. It hit him in a wave of feelings and memories as he stepped out of the Floo and into the Entrance Hall. He hadn't been back since Snape dragged him away after Dumbledore's death. The scent in the air was damp stone, cinnamon and gravy from the kitchens, and the trace of sulphur rising from the potions lab.

There was no time to reflect on it. No sooner had the Floo smoke cleared than two massive, meaty hands grabbed Draco by the front of his jacket and shoved his spine against the fireplace mantle.

"Let go of me, you oaf," he said. "Honestly, Crabbe, what kind of welcome do you call this?"

"It's Malfoy," Goyle said from over Crabbe's shoulder, as if Crabbe might lack the wits to recognize him. He was grinning and twisting Malfoy out of Crabbe's clenched fists.

Crabbe let him go but remained serious. "Things have changed around here," he said, his voice lower than Draco remembered it. "We got sentry duty. Guarding the castle from undesirables."

Malfoy brushed the wrinkles out of his clothes. "Yeah? Well, keep up the good work. As for me, I've got my own business here today. Excuse me, gents."

"What business?" Crabbe said, side-stepping into Draco's way.

Draco blinked hard, speaking to Goyle. "What's got him all wound up? Get him out of my way."

"He takes our responsibility seriously," Goyle said, growing graver himself. "We're not kids no more. Everything is serious now."

"Yeah," Crabbe agreed. "If you don't take things serious, your enemies get away right under your nose. Know what I mean, Malfoy?"

Though Draco could scarcely believe it, here was Crabbe with the nerve to block his way, scolding him for Potter's escape from the manor. Theo had said Crabbe and Goyle had been dazzled by the new order at the school. This was what it looked like. Annoying, and perhaps dangerous.

"Just leave your wand with us and we can let you in," Goyle said, keen on ending the impasse. "Everyone has to. It's the Carrows' rule number one."

Malfoy scowled. "What do you mean, leave my wand?" He maintained his offended tone, trying to keep them on the defensive. "You know Potter escaped our house. So you should also know that he nicked my wand on his way out. I don't have one to leave with you, obviously. Why else would I be traveling by this filthy Floo network?" He kicked at the hearthstone with the heel of his shoe.

Crabbe closed in on him. "Anyone who won't hand over a wand has to be searched. That's rule number two."

"So search me, if you must," Draco said, raising his arms to let Crabbe pat him down.

The fact was that Draco had come to the school with Bellatrix Lestrange's wand hidden in his sleeve. Under normal circumstances, Crabbe would be about to discover it. But these were not ordinary circumstances. Before Draco left his Aunt Andromeda's cottage that morning, she had used her Black Sororal Triad wand and concealed Bellatrix's wand.

Draco held his breath anyway as Crabbe pawed at him. He flinched when Crabbe's hand clamped right over the wand. "Watch it. You know I'm ticklish."

But the concealment spell seemed to be tactile as well as visual and Crabbe said nothing of it. "Right, state your business then," he said, standing back, his feet wide apart, arms folded.

"The headmaster called for me," Draco fibbed.

"How come?" Crabbe pressed.

"That's confidential," Draco answered. This wasn't a lie.

"That answer isn't allowed."

"I'm not breaking the headmaster's confidence to satisfy the pair of you," Malfoy said.