I hope you liked the last chapter! It can't all be love all the time! There has to be conflict or it gets really redundant!! Sir Andros Bastillo is my OC. I don't own Harry Potter obviously, although I wish I did. I'd be sitting pretty on a throne of money. Anyways, review review review! Tell me what you like! Please tell me what you don't like!

There's something out there and it
Don't seem very friendly, does it?
If I could help you
I would help ya'
But it's difficult
There's somethin' much more powerful
Than both us possessin' me

Love or Destiny?

"Draco, this project is bigger than both of us," said the head of Sir Andros Bastillo in Draco's suite fireplace. "You cannot be too skittish to kill a unicorn, not the great Draco Malfoy."

"It's illegal," he reasoned. "There must be something else."

"There is nothing else," Andros snapped impatiently. "you must make sacrifices. Think about the power with this potion. Think of what we could do!"

"What are you planning to do? That sounds suspicious."

"I am not planning to use it for my gain, of course not," Andros lied convincingly. "It could protect those who have people after them. It would give the ministry of magic a great service."

"I doubt you would be doing this if only the ministry of magic benefitted," Draco replied. "What's in it for you and me?"

"Riches, respect," Andros answered forcefully. "Forgive me, sir, but aren't those two things something your family has been known to be after for over a century?"

"Well, yes," he admitted.

"And isn't earning it better than wheedling it out of people by a combination of robbery and trickery?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then what's the problem?" Andros demanded. "Cowardice will not bring respect or money, and it certainly will not bring you power. Think about that, Draco."

"I'm just having qualms about it morally," Draco informed him, reluctantly. "I mean, is death ever meant to be stopped? Aren't there worse things?"

"Albus Dumbledore is gone, Draco. Although his views live on, he is dead. He is no longer the great leader of the wizarding world. Times have changed, and I believe the witches and wizards in this world are willing to."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt was one of Dumbledore's close confidantes. He was a key member of the Order of the Phoenix back in the day. I don't think he will quietly veer away from Dumbledore's teachings."

"He'll come around," Andros said. "I firmly believe that if there is a way to stop death, then we are meant to find it. Why else, would it happen to be possible?"

"It happens to be possible at a great price!" Draco proclaimed. "We aren't mixing together boomslang skin and jellied leeches! This is the most precious animal in the world that we are talking about!"

"It's called a sacrifice, Draco," Andros hissed. "I thought you would understand!"

"Then you do it," Draco offered. "You can zap right into this fire in the dead of night and go do it. Turn yourself invisible. God knows you have made a potion for that."

"Yes I have," he answered, "and if you want any part of this potion's excellence, then you will do the work."

"Yes, I will do the dirty work," Malfoy argued. "Of course. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Andros shouted, outraged. "Even when you were my apprentice, I considered you as an equal. This is how you repay me? I compensated you, and I trained you. You cannot do one favor for me?"

"This isn't asking me to pass the lacewing flies!" Draco roared. "You are asking me to commit a crime similar to killing a human, not to mention it will take a lot of effort and skill!"

"Which is why I'm choosing you!" Andros informed him, finally finding a reason to run with. "I am older and not as fast. You, Draco Malfoy, are immensely skilled and talented, and you will be able to put the poor beast out of its misery quickly and hopefully, nearly painless. I have no chance at doing that. The crime would not be as bad that way."

"What if I watched the forest every night for the next few months?" Draco suggested, "And see if one gets killed or wounded, then I could grab it, and we wouldn't have to kill it."

"The odds of that are slim to none, and the blood would most likely be contaminated," Andros replied flatly. "The blood cannot be contaminated. It would make the entire potion null and void. It would be a less tasty goblet of pumpkin juice."

"I'll think about it. What's in it for me again?"

"Power, riches, respect," he began to list, "and years of travel with me discovering even more secrets. It would be exciting, my friend, much more so than teaching at this school. Leave this garbage behind to the lesser talented. There is nothing for you here. Come back with me."

"I…can't," he replied, looking down while blushing.

"Why?" Andros demanded, but he saw the look on Draco's face. "Let me guess…LOVE." He jeered at Malfoy. "You are telling me that you will let some girl come in between yourself and your destiny. You are weak, Draco Malfoy. Love is not powerful. It is just a feeling, especially prevalent in the immature. I am disappointed in you." There was a silence as Andros surveyed Draco.

"Come with me, son," he offered in a begging tone. " I can help you forget about her."

"I cannot just forget about her," he spat. "I cannot stop thinking about her."

"How long has this been going on?" he asked Draco.

"Only a few days."

Andros laughed cruelly. "You aren't in love. It is lust! Who is this girl?"

"Nobody knows about it," Draco mumbled, "But her name is Hermione Granger."

"Is that the girl who had that high profile divorce a year ago? The MUDBLOOD?!" Andros sounded enraged.

"You must be taken away from here! This is raving! This is absolute madness! Draco Malfoy, how could you let yourself fall for trash?!"

"She is not trash," Draco growled defensively. "Don't you dare call her trash or mudblood for that matter."

"Draco, Draco, Draco," Andros moaned, shaking his head. "Come with me. You need help, and the best medicine for lovesickness is separation. You are acting like a child, which both highly surprises and worries me. Come, Draco, let me help you. We can shake you of this. You do not need anyone but yourself and maybe me!"

"Give me some time," Draco requested. "I need to think. Give me a week!"

"Draco, the damage could be irreparable by then!"

"I don't give a damn! I need to figure out if this is true, or if it is just a fling! I am not a child, and you do not make my decisions!"

"Be reasonable…"

"Get out!" Draco snarled, threateningly, "Or I will not help you no matter what you say to me! LEAVE NOW!"

Resigned and obviously disappointed, Andros returned to his fireplace. Draco was frazzled and confused. He wanted to do the right thing. But Andros made sense. If it was possible, why shouldn't they pursue it? Does this mean it is meant to be? Is it meant to be pursued? Draco needed to try and figure that out before he made a decision. This could make or break his entire life.

And what about Hermione? Was Andros right? Is it just a childish feeling, or is it something so powerful that even Andros cannot understand it? After all, he is only human, and he is not omniscient. He could be wrong about things. Hell, he could be wrong about everything. He was a damn good alchemist, and that is how Draco knew that his theories on the potion would be accurate, stunningly accurate. This fact served as a seductive lure for Draco's curiosity. No matter what happened, Draco knew that he would not be happy.

When Hermione Granger was a student at Hogwarts, she absolutely loved sitting by the lake, especially on beautiful days like today. The problem was, students never felt comfortable with her around. They always felt like she was out there to spy and report troublemakers. Therefore, if she wanted to bask in the sun, she had to hike a fair ways around the lake, away from students. It was on the edge of the forest, and it was peaceful. Today she sat out there thinking.

Why on earth did Ron have to make an entrance back into my life at the instant that Malfoy was truly showing up for the first time? Of course that would happen to me. I'm starting to move on and he insensitively hinders that.

Deep in thought, she didn't realize Draco was there until he sat next to her on the ground.

"Hey," he said.

"How did you know I'd be here?" she asked.

"I saw you walking this way when I was going outside to deliver a message to Parkinson," he explained. "I thought we could come and talk. We haven't gotten to talk that much since Weasley interrupted us yesterday. It had been such a good day until he came."

"I know," Hermione moaned. "He has the worst timing. Then again, he always has." She said this with a loving tone, and Draco caught it much to his dismay.

"You still have feelings for him, don't you?" he sadly accused her.

"It's not that I have feelings," she quickly explained. "It's just…he was a huge part of my past, and now that he's back, I have to keep reminding myself that he isn't in my life as a friend even."

"It's okay if you still feel for him. I'd understand. I just hope that you feel for me, too." He seemed childlike in the way he said it, obviously wounded.

"The feelings I have for Ron are miniscule compared to you," Hermione passionately gushed to him. "It's just me getting over him completely, and since you have walked into my life, I've gotten so much closer. He broke my heart in an unforgivable way. You do not have to worry about Ron Weasley."

"Good," Draco sadly replied. Hermione could still see that something was wrong, and she had a feeling there was more than just Ron.

"Is something wrong?" she questioned, concerned.

"No," Draco lied.

"You aren't a very good liar!" Hermione laughed. "You can tell me."

"That's the thing," Draco explained, "I'm not allowed to."

"You aren't allowed to tell me?"

"I'm not allowed to tell anyone."

"Draco, I won't tell anyone, I promise. I can see that it is eating up at you. Is it something with your family?" Draco shook his head. "Is there a problem within the school?" Again, Draco denied it. "Well then what is it?"

"I really wish I could tell you, Hermione, but how big it is…I wouldn't be surprised if there would be consequences for even uttering a fraction of it."

"I can undo those."

"He's powerful."

"Who's powerful?" Then she gasped, figuring it out. "Is it Sir Bastillo, the alchemist?"

Draco nodded.

"What about him?" Hermione asked. "Is he in trouble?"

"No," Draco firmly stated. "I'm in trouble, not him."

"Tell me, maybe I can help you. We could go to McGonagall."

"No, you see, Hermione, I started this. It is my fault! I cannot back out now!"

"Draco…please…what is it?"

"Do you remember the Praesidium potion I told Neville about? Did you hear about it?"

"Neville mentioned it, yes," she replied, "But isn't it a finished product?"

"It was," Malfoy confirmed, "until Andros figured out how to make it the immortal potion. Now, he wants me to get him the final ingredient, the most powerful one."

"And what is it?" Hermione asked, dreading the answer. She didn't know what it was, but if it scared and upset him, it couldn't be good. Also, it would guarantee immortality.

Draco was about to answer, when he all of a sudden felt a hot burning. He winced and let out a shriek of pain. He knew he could not say 'unicorn blood'. He would endure the worst pain and possibly more.

"Draco, what is it?!" Hermione cried, panicking.

"It…burns…" he gasped. "I…can't…say…it!" He sat still and tried to relax. Slowly, the painful sensation ceased. He was breathing hard. Hermione would have to figure it out for herself.

He pointed to the forest.

"The forest?" Hermione asked confused. "Something in there?"

Draco nodded, afraid to speak.

"I'm confused…is it an animal?"

Again, Draco nodded but did not speak.

"Are you afraid to kill an animal?"

Draco shook his head.

"Then what is the problem?"

"We aren't allowed to kill them," he whispered fearfully.

Hermione blanched. "Unicorns," she said slowly, needing no confirmation. "Oh, Draco, you can't! It's horrendous!"

"But it's supposed to be a sacrifice," he tried to explain. "It's for the greater good!"

"That was Grindelwald's saying, and he was a very bad wizard! Draco, do you know what happens when you kill a unicorn?! You get cursed forever! You become less than a man!"

"Yes, but I'm not killing one for personal gain!"

"You would be killing it for the gain of man, and I bet you anything that would be considered personal! Please think long and hard about this!"

"I have been, and I'm so confused. You both make great points. I don't know what to do!"

"I don't know if I can be with a killer," Hermione whispered to him. "Have you ever thought about that?" She kissed him softly on the lips, got up from the ground, wiped the occasional leaf from her robes, and set off back to the castle leaving Draco alone to think.

Whoever can tell me the name of the song at the beginning wins! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Hopefully I can write more soon! REVIEW if you want more! I mean it!

XOXO,

CHRISTINE