CHAPTER 1

It's just the way his eyes sweep over the room that make her feel like he is going to run out of the room any second. She knew it would be hard for him, she expected him to back down, she didn't believe that he was really ready to look past the all the prejudices and actually make an effort to mend his relationship with them.
The lone Slytherin among the crowds of Gryffindor, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.
But it's not like his actions were not justified.
They all knew that his father had gone into hiding just like Karkoroff, the Dark Lord was coming for Lucius Malfoy and his family was in danger, he was safe in Hogwarts of course but they knew his mother was facing all the wrath from other pure blood families or really death eaters who now considered the Malfoy's an outcast.
Malfoy who always took pride in being a pure blood did not do well with a label of an outcast which, apparently was his new status among his friends. He had befriended other Slytherins but spent most of his time alone.
How he came to know about the Dumbledore's army no one really knew. But when he confronted Harry about it, Harry knew Malfoy was going to cook up trouble for them, little did he expect Malfoy to ask him to add his name in the list. Did harry trust him? Did anyone trust him? But of course they had no choice, it was of course very Slytherin of Malfoy to blackmail harry into letting him join. Add his name to the list or watch him go to Umbridge and rat about the new found DADA club.
The room of requirement fell into an awkward hush as Malfoy walked in the sound of his footsteps echoing and hushed whispers filled the room. He walked to the corner of the room and raised his eyebrows as he noticed everyone eyeing him like a hawk.
"uh, ahem, uh" harry stammered as he tried to explain to everyone the surprising arrival of Draco Malfoy.
"So what I was trying to say is, that a..." and as harry continued the presence of Malfoy was no more a concerning topic. Not that it wasn't a topic much talked about between the members of the DA.
Hermione had her own set of questions to interrogate harry with. " So is he technically in the Dumbledore's Army or is he just attending the sessions so that he can only protect himself and run away like a little ferret when the time to fight actually comes?" she asked Harry for the hundredth time. "how do you know he is not actually spying for Umbridge!?" she fired at harry. " I really don't know 'mione" he told her, " but if Umbridge knew she would bust us the second she would come to know, and Malfoy had already attended three sessions, plus he couldn't be in the inquisitorial squad, he loathes them all his old friends are in it, he can't stand them anymore, everyone has noticed that."
Hermione considered his answer and was going to ask him another question but Harry stopped her mid breath and said in the most defeated tone " I am as confused as you when it comes to this situation, but there is nothing we can do we are trapped, so just let it be and if you want to complain about it, go to ron he is definitly the one who malfoy pissed off the most".
He left her alone in the corridor as he hurried for his divination class and she spun around her heels and hurried to her arithmancy class.

" Bloody malfoy is working for umbridge! I know it. Why else would he so interested to join us? He tries to threaten us eh? Let's obliviate him, everyone else will reckon that its probably you-know-who and his cronies who did it!"
" ron your making no sense I already told you what harry thought about malfoy working for umbridge and I think he is right, and the fact that we could obliviate him and blame it on you-know-who is just absurd. People don't even seem to believe he is back"
Ron replied with a shrug, " but whatever, malfoy is trouble I know it"
Hermione sensed it too and though everyone had different takes on malfoy, their history made her despise him.