"As we all know, Potter's friends are the reason why he is so successful in his narrow escapes. By eliminating his assistance, Potter will become more accessible." Voldemort gives one sweep around the dining room, which was once festive at Christmas time. Nagini, his snake from hell, slithers onto the table with a disgustingly silent move. "So, It has come to me that we must kill the brains in Potter's group in order to succeed."

"My Lord, does that mean we must kill the Granger girl?" Aunt Bella says with glee. "My Lord, I beg of you. Can I kill her?" I keep my eyes trained on the snake. For fear that the snake might have un-snakily abilities, can it sense the fear I feel? There is a murmur of excitment around the table, but I keep my mouth shut.

"Bellatrix, although I admire your...enthuasiasim, I do not favour your lack of patience." Voldemort says. Aunt Bella immediately leans back into her chair and casts her eyes downward.
"But yes, we must kill Granger and Albus Dumbledore."
Another murmur of excitement. I try not to fidget in my seat, I try to sit as normally as I can. At least I don't have to do it. At least I do not have to face Granger or the old bag and kill them. Coward. I tell myself. Keeping my eyes on the snake, my hands in my lap and my back straight, I listen to Voldemort as he continues.
"Now..." He stands up with a horrible screech of the chair, and for the first time since the snake slithered up onto the table, I look up. Voldemort is walking down the length of the table and I pray to the muggle God that he does not stop at my family.
"I must choose who will kill them, Severus, you will kill Albus Dumbledore. I assume he trusts you?" he stops and looks at Snape. We all look at Snape. But without missing a beat or without a quiver in his voice he says, "Yes, My Lord."
He keeps walking. I don't look over my shoulder, but I hear his footsteps echoing on the marble tiles getting closer. And closer. Until finally, "Draco. You will kill the Granger girl."
I see from the corner of my eye that my mother has tensed up. I look up at Voldemort's red eyes and snake-like face, and nod. Hoping and praying with all my might, he will go away. And that will be it. But it's a waste of time.
"Draco my boy, in order to become a death eater, you must befriend the Granger girl before you kill her."
There is a small outburst and I stare at him like he might be crazy, and maybe he is. Suddenly I realize it might have been a mistake, because with a flick of his wand, I could be dead. But instead he makes his way back to his seat and even though I have just been given a mission to become a killer, I am relieved. As Voldemort hushes the crowd, a million things run through my mind all at once. It makes me feel like that time I ate too much chocolate frogs as a little kid. My stomach flipping and flopping, dropping and rumbling. I grip my wand in my hands and force myself to look into his eyes.
"Before Draco kills her, he must earn her trust. To earn her trust, he must befriend her. Before the girl dies, we will try to get as much information about Potter as possible. So you Draco, must bring her here for a visit. Draco...if you succeeded you will be greatly rewarded. If not, then you and your family will pay for you foolish mistakes just like your father. That way, we will know where your loyalty lies. You may go, as you are not a death eater yet, this does not concern you."

I get up slowly and make sure my mask is on so nobody can tell what I'm feeling. I walk at a faster pace, and force my twitching leg not to run. Do I even know what I'm feeling? I must befriend the mud blood, and when I know her trust in me is real, I have to betray her. I have to bring her hear to this abominable place that I once called home. I push these thoughts away and think of my family. I think of my mother, whom has loved me through everything. Who still kisses me on the forehead and whispers 'I love you' even though The Dark Lord could easily kill her. All the while my father watches and doesn't so much as give me a hug. Not that I need one from him. His foolish mistakes have lead our family to be a laughing stalk of Voldemort's side, and more worse brought up a terrible sadness in my mother. As atrocious as my family may seem at the moment, they are family nevertheless. So it is clear, kill Hermione Granger or suffer the unbearable consequence of my cowardice to kill her. Voldemort may very well kill all of us, I imagine. As I turn the doorknob to my bedroom door, I remember the detail that may very well be the decision to my success. I must befriend the mud blood. Befriend! What a joke. What an utterly ridiculous thing to ask of me, Draco Malfoy, whom she has hated since first year. Blood-statuses aside, she is bossy and quite a bitch, if I am trying to describe her.

I plop down on my bed, and for once, since the moment I woke up, I relax my tense muscles. Hell, even my face is sore. I shake my head and try to think of ways to become her friend. It's not impossible, I know that. I can do this. All I have to do, is make her believe that...that what? That I changed for the better good? No, it has to be something more simple than that. She started that rubbish, S.P.E.W, I guess that means rights are important to her. After a couple more minutes of mulling it over, I snap my fingers and sit upright in my bed. I smile to myself, mentally clapping myself on my back. All I have to do, is make Granger think that I have forgotten about blood-statuses. Simple as she is, It shouldn't be hard. I pride myself on getting that over S.P.E.W. Tomorrow, I should have this in a bag. Hermione Granger will be my friend, and alongside the betrayal part, it will be easy.

My family is going to be okay. We're going to be fine.

The next day.

As we wait on platform 9 and 3/4 for the train, my father goes off into the crowd saying he will be right back.

I hope the train arrives before he comes back. After he is not visible anymore, my mother leans down and whispers in my ear.

"Draco, sweety, I have a plan to help-" She begins. But before she can go on, I interupt her.

"No mother, I can do this myself." I turn to face her. "Mother, I can do this. It's got to be simple. Befriending her, I mean. It's Granger we're talking about. The mud blood is too forgiving." I say this calmly and like my old self. Before The Dark Lord punished my father. Before he moved into my home. Before I asked to become a Death Eater. Although I sound calm, that is not what I feel inside. Inside it is havoc, like a natrual disaster. She inspects my face for a tell, but damn lucky me, I can hide them. Tears spring her eyes and she nods her head quite stiffly.
"Alright...I...I will stay out of it." She pulls me in for a hug, and I greatfully take it. But I have a strong feeling she has lied to me. She sniffles and wipes her nose with a hankerchief what seemed to manifest from nowhere. I bet it has.

"The train should be here, hadn't it?" She says. And as if on cue, the train rolls up. We say our goodbyes, and I prepare myself for the beginning of my mission