For all of seventh year, I wore my sleeves rolled up past my elbows. I did it because I wanted my forearms to show, so people would know that I was not a Death Eater. At the end of sixth year, I was supposed to kill Albus Dumbledore as my initiation into the Death Eaters. In the end, he offered me sanctuary and saved me from a life I was sure to hate.
From that day on, I was an outcast in Slytherin with only Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini as companions as they, too, went against their parents' wishes to join the Death Eaters.
At first, we only concentrated on surviving in the snake pit. It was only when we'd heard about the battle that was to take place at the beginning of May at Hogwarts did we begin to formulate a plan to help bring down the dark and align ourselves with the light.
Draco was finishing his rounds for the night. The nightly patrols were his least favorite part about being Head Boy. They always seemed to drag on for eternity and only every once in a while did he ever catch someone out of bed and they almost always had a note saying they were returning to their corridors after a detention. There seemed to be no point in wandering the halls late at night to catch miscreants when there were rarely ever any miscreants to be caught.
He was just about to turn down the corridor that would lead him to the dungeons when he heard it. A soft rustling noise. Draco's heart leapt. He hadn't caught anyone in over a month and he wasn't about to let this chance to take house points slip by him.
Ignoring the possibility that it might just be a rat or an owl, Draco surged into the entrance hall in time to see six students attempting to open the door to the Great Hall noiselessly.
"You there! What do you think you're doing out of bed at this hour!?"
Six faces turned to look at Draco, all holding similar expressions of excitement, worry and disdain. Immediately, Draco recognized the faces in front of him. They belonged to the Gryffindor Trio, Weasel Junior, Longbottom and Loony-Lovegood. It was only then that Draco remembered the significance of the night. It was May Second. He hadn't heard what date exactly the battle was supposed to take place on, but he knew it was to take place at the beginning of May.
Potter stepped forward, grim determination on his face. "Malfoy, we don't have time for this."
Draco's eyes traveled from face to face and watched as each of the students began to dawn the same determination as Potter. "You guys are going to fight, aren't you?"
Potter stiffened. "If you try and stop us, I will petrify you into next year."
Draco's eyes landed back on Potter's. "I'm not going to stop you."
Potter's determination cracked. "What are you talking about?"
Draco took his time and walked up to the group. They were the sorriest looking group of misfits he'd ever seen, but the looks on each of their faces gave him a bit of the confidence they all had. He really felt they could win. "I am not stopping you."
Potter glanced from Draco's face to his uncovered forearms, then back at his face. "You're really going to let us go, aren't you?"
Draco held up his hands in surrender, but also to show his unmarked arms to the rest of the group. "Yes. I only ask one favor."
Potter looked at him skeptically, but didn't say anything.
Draco smirked and held out his hand for Potter to shake. "If you see my father, kick his sorry arse."
Potter's mouth turned up at the side with a half suppressed grin. He reached for Draco's hand and gave it a squeeze. Draco glanced down at their joined hands. He never noticed how small potter's hands were with fingers so thin they were almost feminine.
"Harry, we have to go."
Their hands broke apart at Weasel Junior's words. With one last nod of encouragement, the six of the tugged the door to the Great Hall open, no longer worrying about keeping quiet.
"Potter," Draco called out just before he disappeared behind the door.
"Malfoy," he said in return.
Draco began to walk backwards, towards the staircase to the dungeons. "You have a few snakes on your side. We'll keep the other snakes at bay."
Potter grinned again and waved. Draco turned around and jogged to the staircase.
As soon as he reached the bottom, he knocked on the portrait to the girls' dormitory. He thanked whatever powers that be that Pansy had answered the knock.
"What is it, Draco?" she asked groggily.
"It's tonight. Get ready."
That was enough to wake Pansy up from her half slumber. She nodded and closed the portrait door. He heard her mutter a few spells. He added his own strengthening charms and locking spells on the outside of the door.
Next, he went to the boys' dormitory. He gently nudged Blaise awake. He held a finger n front of his mouth to keep him quiet. He leaned down to whisper, "It's tonight. Let's get started."
Blaise was up and awake in a second and running to the portrait door, locking and strengthening it. Draco was moving from bed to bed, casting a quiet "Stupefy" on the students he knew to be Death Eaters and lifting the covers of the blankets of those he didn't know about to see if they bore the Dark Mark on their arm and stunning all those who did.
A crash was heard from somewhere up above them. Blaise and Draco locked eyes. The battle had begun.