Lizzie's POV:

"Miss Samuels," he drawled carefully. "Have a seat."

"Headmaster-" I began, trying to defend myself and the other three who had attempted the heist beside my side.

"Have a seat, Miss Samuels," Snape pressed on, gesturing to the wooden chair in front of him. He was now seated in his chair behind his desk, making him appear powerful, but it wasn't fooling me. I wasn't scared of this man, but I sat in the chair. "Thank you. Would you like some tea?"

"Sir, I don't want you to-"

"Would you like some tea?" he urged, looking at me through narrowed eyes.

"No, sir," I muttered, backing down.

"Now, Miss Samuels, I'm sure Draco told you of the conversation I had with him the other day," the man prompted.

"He did, sir," I replied with a nod, careful not to make direct eye contact.

"I figured he would do as much. Now, I'm not sure the two of you took it in the right direction. I did not mean for you to join up with Potter's Gryffindor pals." It was odd to hear Severus Snape to say the word 'pal'. "I was implying that the two of you act on your own."

"Sir?"

"If the Dark Lord were to hear of your actions today alongside Potter's friends, he would be beyond displeased, but if he were to hear of you do something recalcitrant with only Draco beside you, it could easily be twisted into something that would ensure your safety and the Dark Lord's pleasure."

"May I speak freely, sir?" I asked hesitantly.

"I suppose so," he replied, pursing his lips.

"He was the one who brought about the death of my mother and there is nothing I want more than his own death. So, I am planning on fighting him in any way possible, and, as a Slytherin, the path that I see bringing me the most success is the one with those people beside me."

"I do not recommend repeating that to anyone, Miss Samuels. Even saying it to me is very dangerous," Snape said sternly.

"I realize that, sir."

"If you feel most confident fighting alongside Longbottom and Weasley, then I suppose there is nothing that I can say or do to dissuade you from that, but I can warn you: be very careful. There are very few people you can trust in this world."

-----

"Draco!" I huffed, hurrying into the common room, where we agreed to meet once the theft was finished.

He was lying on the sofa, sprawled out with an arm draped over his eyes, but when he heard me enter, he sat up. "How'd it go?"

"They got caught!" I was panting due to the fact that I had ran all the way to the dungeons from Snape's office.

"What do you mean 'they were caught'?" he asked anxiously. I sat down beside him and breathed deeply for a few moments, trying to catch my breath.

"We got there easily and spent a few minutes trying to guess the password. You'll never guess what it was."

"What?"

"Bloodroot."

"No way," Draco gawked. "Do you know what that means?"

"No?"

"He knew you were going to need to get into his office. I mean, there are millions of other passwords he could have used, but he chose the one that had a significant connection to you."

"What an ass," I mumbled. "Anyway, we got in and the sword was behind the desk. Neville was just going to grab it, but I warned him that it was probably under a really strong protection spell. I tried to use revelio, but nothing showed up, so we had no choice but to just grab it. We were fine at first, but then they froze."

"They froze and you didn't?"

"Exactly," I confirmed. "I tried to help them, but nothing was working. Then, Snape came in. When he saw that I was with them, he petrified and concealed me."

"What? Why?"

"The Carrows followed him in, but didn't see me. They took Neville, Luna, and Ginny, leaving me alone with Snape."

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "So they're probably off somewhere in the castle being tortured?"

"Probably."

"What did Snape do once they were gone?"

"He talked to me. He said that he thinks we misinterpreted the conversation that he had with you. We're supposed to act alone, not with Harry's friends."

"And?"

"And I told him I want You-Know-Who dead."

"You what?!" he exclaimed, jumping up. "Lizzie, do you know how dangerous that is? What if he tells?"

"I don't think he will."

"What makes you think that?" Draco snapped.

"Croyez moi. I may not be fluent in French, but I know enough to know what that means. 'Trust me'. Snape chose that password. He also chose the password to his office. Bloodroot. He told you to rebel. He didn't punish me today. He could have sent me with the Carrows, but he sat me down and asked me if I wanted tea. Snape is on our side, Draco."

Draco pursed his lips, furrowed his eyebrows, clasped his hands behind his back, and began to pace.

"Oh, don't you start that," I said as I rolled my eyes. "You're going to make me even more anxious."

"Snape on our side?"

"We've already had this conversation, remember? It was right after your initial conversation with Snape. You're the one who said you thought he was on our side."

"This is different!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air with exasperation.

"No, it isn't," I frowned.

"You told him that you want the Dark Lord dead! Do you realize how big of a deal that is?"

"Of course I do," I replied.

"You don't seem like you do! If Snape tells, you're dead, Lizzie! He'll kill you in a heartbeat!"

"At least I'll die fighting for the right cause," I argued.

Draco made a frustrated growling noise before throwing his hands into the air again. "You'd be dead, Lizzie!"

"We covered that."

"Elizabeth Samuels!" he exclaimed angrily.

"Draco Malfoy," I replied calmly.

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop being so calm! You just handed Snape your death certificate and he has the choice to hand it over to the Dark Lord or not!"

"He won't."

"How are you so confident about that?"

"How are you not? He's your godfather."

"That doesn't mean anything!"

"That makes him part of your family, and you're supposed to trust your family."

"I'm sure the Dark Lord would say the same thing!"

"Stop calling him that," I huffed. "It makes you sound like a Death Eater."

"I am a Death Eater!"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't, actually. Please explain it to me." Draco folded his arms in front of his chest like he does when he gets defensive.

"When you call him 'the Dark Lord', it makes you sound like a loyal Death Eater, but you're not."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you, Draco."

"Do you? Because you obviously don't know well enough to keep your opinions to yourself in dangerous company, so how's the rest of your judgement?"

"What are you saying?" I asked with a dangerous tone, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm saying that I don't trust your judgement."

"You don't trust my judgement," I repeated. "Well, I'm judging that you are an utter arsehole, Draco Malfoy."

I didn't wait for an answer. I turned on my heel and stormed into my bedroom, locking the door behind me.