I'm ill right now, which means I'm stuck at home and have nothing to do. And that means I can finally update the story. It also means: don't blame me for the mistakes in this chapter. blame my fever :P

Christmas is a Time for the Family

Two sisters sharl fighte,

A mothr of a childe and a servant of a Master,

A redde lettre sharl screem

And the Dargonne sharl be redde,

Yette, his minde is made up

And nothinge wille change it.

XXX

'This is not Christmas,' Narcissa complained.

'What do you mean?' her sister asked.

'Well, you know, without Lucius and Draco…' said Mrs. Malfoy 'It's just not the same.'

Bellatrix didn't say anything.

'It's your fault,' Narcissa said after a moment of silence 'It's your fault that Draco didn't come home for the holidays.'

'It is his own fault,' Bellatrix argued 'It's not my fault that he couldn't talk to some stupid chilren and -' she suddenly stopped talking. She rolled up her sleeve and looked at the Dark Mark on her arm.

'Master's calling me,' she said.

'He always knows when to call…' said Narcissa sarcastically.

'What am I going to tell him?' Bellatrix said worriedly before she Disapparated. Narcissa just sighed…

XXX

'For Malfoy!' Fred Weasley was shocked 'You actually sent one to Malfoy, Mum!'

'Well, you know,' his mother explained 'the poor boy probably didn't get any presents from his family this year.'

'Well, yeah, but, you know what it looks like?' Fred said 'Almost like you think he's on our side, like you… like you trust him…'

'Professor Dumbledore always says you should give everyone a chance,' his father reminded him as he walked into the room.

'We're talking about Malfoy, Dad!' George said.

'You know he is having a lot of problems now,' the father said 'Imagine what Lestrange will do to him when he comes back home.'

'Well, he deserves it, doesn't he? For being such a -'

'Look, Fred, he might even switch to our side now…'

'Great joke, Dad!' said Fred and both boys started to laugh.

'It's not funny,' said Mr. Weasley 'It's true.'

Sirus, Kingsley and Tonks stopped their discussion about where the Aurors searching for Sirius should be sent this time.(1)

'It's impossible,' said Tonks 'If Malfoy believes in that pureblood nonsense -'

'I don't think he believes in anything,' Molly said.

'That souds like my brother,' said Sirius.

'I thought he was a Death Eater?' Tonks was surprised.

'He was a coward. Joined them because he thought mother would like it and chickened out when they told him to actually go and do something.'

'And then they killed him?'

'Yes… No… Not exactly. He tried to warn me that there was a traitor in the Order. Then they killed him.'

'Where do you think he would be now,' asked Molly thoughtfully 'if he was alive?'

Nobody answered the question, but they all knew what she meant. Everyone believes in something sooner or later, which just might mean that the most unbelievable thing is about to happen.

(1)'No, we can't send them to Antarctica! Most of them came back from Tibet with a terrible cold. And besides, do you think anyone will believe that you're hiding in Antarctica!'

XXX

The Dark Lord was talking to the small group of Death Eaters. Bellatrix, however wasn't listening to him too carefully. She couldn't concentrate. She looked around nervously, wondering how her Master was going to punish her for the failure at Hogwarts. Of course she was not the only nervous one. Hardly anyone ever felt comfortable in Lord Voldemort's presence.

'Wormtail, I will not give you a new hand if you bite this one off,' the Dark Lord said and a few of his servants laughed when they saw Pettigrew biting his nails.

'I- I'm sorry, Master,' the rat-like man stuttered 'I'm just a little nervous…'

'And why are you so nervous?'

'Uh…' Wormtail wasn't really sure. In his case nervousness was not a feeling, but a feature of character 'The Antichrist, my Lord,' he finally said 'I am worried about what can happen if- if something goes wrong…'

'Nothing will go wrong,' Voldemort assured him 'will it, Bellatrix?'

The woman looked at him, terrified. How angry was he going to be?

'There- there seems to be a little problem, Master' she said.

'A problem?'

'Yes,' she said 'Draco hasn't managed to do it.'

She looked up at her Master again. He really was furious.

'Yet' she added hopefully, but it was too late.

'Crucio' said the Dark Lord pointing his wand at her. Bellatrix screamed with pain and made a mental note to torture Wormtail twice as long as the Master was going to torture her.

XXX

The new term had began and the Great Hall was once again filled with students. Everybody had come back to school after the holidays and it was time to get used, once again, to the fact that you should wake up in the morning and go to bed in the evening, and not the other way around. After breakfast the first lesson of the new term was about to begin. It was time to get back to normal everyday life.

Draco was not very worried about the first lesson. It was the everyday life that frightened him so much. He had realised recently how stupid all this was, with two biggest idiots in the school as his best friends, a task he knew he could not fulfill, a family who would be mad at him if he failed, an eleven-year-old girl who could beat him up and all other problems. And what had he done about it? He had made it all even worse! Why the hell had he decided to do it? Why couldn't he just leave it all the way it was? It was all Young's fault. After that discussion with the Them in the library Draco Malfoy had made the decision that was going to change his whole life. He had become their friend. He was now on their side. And they were on Potter's side. He was now on Potter's side! His enemy had become his friend! This had not been that bad when the school had been nearly empty, during the holidays, but now his old friends were back. His enemy… their enemy was his friend now. Which meant his friends were likely to become his enemies when they find out. And now his life had really turned upside down.

'What are you thinking about?' he heard a voice next to him. He didn't answer.

'Are you OK?' the voice asked again. Draco understood that he had no choice.

'Yeah, I guess,' he said 'why?'

'You were thinking about something' Goyle explained 'and -'

'Just because you never think, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with everyone who does.'

'Uh… all right then.'

'You going to eat this?' Crabbe asked looking at Draco's plate.

'No, you can have it.'

'Thanks.'

'Whatever.'

And then, suddenly Draco's owl flew in and dropped a letter. Not just any letter. A letter in a red envelope!

Draco wanted to hide as Aunt Bellatrix's angry voice filled the Great Hall. What a shame! His usually pale face went red as the whole Slytherin table stared at him in shock. His aunt screamed louder and louder, calling him eveything she could think of: a fool, a blood-traitor, a shame to the whole family. Draco didn't listen. Listening to that noise could have damaged his ears really badly. Just trying to imagine such a loud scream could have made him half-deaf.

When it was all over, the Hall seemed incredibly quiet. Everyone was still staring at Draco. He stared back at them, thinking about his situation. He had just received one of the loudest Howlers in the history of the school. Everyone knew whose side he was on now(2). And he wasn't even sure he cared.

(2)and it was not the safest side to be on for a Slytherin.