Shooting up in bed with his arm outstretched, and his hand grasping at the air, Draco was looking around the room he was in wide-eyed before taking a deep breath as he looked over his surroundings, quickly remembering where he was. After he got done patrolling the halls last night, Draco arrived back at his dorm to get some sleep but once again only lied awake for hours with his eyes open. Seconds, minutes, hours stretched before him as his mind wouldn't let him drift off into blissful dreams.

Although he was overcome with exhaustion, Draco threw the covers off himself and prepared for another day of lessons. His first class being potions with Snape, the only class he could remotely tolerate.

When Draco arrived at the classroom he caught the eye of Snape before sitting down at his table. Snape on the other hand noticed that Draco was acting a little odd. Yesterday in potions he looked very uncomfortable, especially when he made eye contact with him.

He probably knew that Draco was still trying to get over the memories of having to spend time with the Dark Lord, and of what the Dark Lord was teaching him and making him do. Snape knew that a person couldn't just get to forget about it overnight.

Snape was concerned, and he planned on talking with Draco today. He felt a little sorry for the boy, knowing he had no one else to go to. Hopefully, he would feel comfortable in talking to him.

When all the students had arrived and were seated, Snape addressed them all about the potion they would be working on today.

"Everyone get your ingredients ready, you will working in groups of two for this assignment." Snape said as he looked around the room and smiled to himself, seeing that the number of students was odd because apparently one person was out sick today. "This is a complicated potion, and if any of you mess it up I promise you, you will not like the consequences. So with that being said, I will be picking the groups."

Snape then saw the disappointed look on most of the student's faces and smirked.

He began putting the groups together, making sure to put Ron with a different partner than Harry knowing the two were friends, and paring Harry up with Crabbe, hoping that between the two boys poor potions skills, something would go wrong.

"Longbottom, you will be working with Granger." Neville nodded nervously and got up from his table to go sit next to her. "I hope that will decrease the chances of us getting killed by at least half."

The Slytherin's in the class laughed at that, even Draco smiled a little. Snape finally finished pairing up people, purposely making sure that Draco's name was not said.

"Alright everyone, you may begin making your potions. You have forty minutes." After he announced that the students all began working, except one.

Draco slowly raised his hand in the air, getting the professor's attention.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked.

"Sir, I don't have a partner."

Snape raised an eyebrow, pretending to look surprised. He then started to look around, glancing at the other groups.

"Well…it seems that every one else is paired up. This potion is too difficult to work on by yourself, and it's too important for you not to do it." Snape then rubbed his chin. "And if you were to be added into a group, I believe that would only complicate things."

Draco sighed a little in frustration while Ron chuckled a little under his breath at the position Malfoy had been put in. Ron looked over and made eye contact with Harry, grinning at the other boy.

"I thought Malfoy was his favorite." He mouthed quietly.

"I don't think it would hurt if I helped you out with this potion, Mr. Malfoy. Bring your things up to my desk." Snape finally decided.

The rest of the class looked up in shock that Malfoy was getting the potions master of all people, to help him with his potion. Draco smirked at them all while Ron turned back to Harry, the look of glee his face once had was replaced with a look of disbelief.

"He is." Harry mouthed back.

Ron narrowed his eyes as Draco strutted up to the front of the classroom before shaking his head and muttered something under his breath, something about 'bloody Snape and his favoritism.'

Draco and Snape both put their gloves on as Draco kept turning around and flashing smirks at the class.

"So, how are things going as Head Boy?" Snape asked as he prepared the ingredients.

"Not too bad." Draco replied.

"You look tired. Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Uh, last night I had to patrol the halls for the first time. I guess I just had a hard time getting to sleep after getting done."

Snape nodded as he tired to think of some other way to get the young boy to talk. He took out and placed it in front of him, then pushed some roots towards him.

"Here, chop these up."

Draco stared down at the small knife for a second before picking it up and cutting the roots up carefully, just as Snape had asked. Suddenly, he began to hear the sound of his own voice in his head. A white flash then went before Draco's eyes.

"My lord, I will serve you…" Draco's voice trembled a little, "As well as I can. I will do anything you ask."

The Dark Lord gazed upon him for a few second before pulling a long, sharp knife from his robe. Draco's eyes widened as he looked down at the blade.

"Now," Voldemort breathed in the merest hiss, "I must ask you to prove yourself Draco. Prove yourself to be worthy."

Voldemort then held out the knife for Draco to take. He hesitated for a second before reaching out and taking it into his hand.

"You must prove you will do what is necessary. You must prove you are willing to take a life."

Snape looked at Draco when his hand started shaking rapidly. After a few more seconds, he lost his grip on the knife and it fell to the floor, causing the rest of the class to look up when they heard the noise.

"Come with me, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said while gently taking his wrist and leading him out of the classroom. "The rest of you get back to work."

"I'm sorry, Professor." Draco said after Snape shut the door.

"What happened? What's wrong?"

"I don't know I just got some kind of weird flash. It was a memory of…"

"The Dark Lord?"

Draco nodded.

"Listen, Draco." Snape sighed. "Why don't you go back to your dorm, try to get some sleep. I let you make up this work some other time."

"Thanks, Severus."

Back inside the classroom, Harry kept looking back at the door wondering when the professor was coming back. He thought that something might have went wrong with his potion and having Crabbe as a partner was no help at all.

"When is Snape coming back? I need to ask him something." Harry asked, out loud.

"I'll help you, Harry." Hermione said while getting out her seat and heading over to his table.

"Snape probably took Malfoy to a closet to snog." Ron joked. "They're practically having an affair with each other."

Ron then froze when a familiar voice said calmly behind him;

"See me after class, Mr. Weasley."