Voldemort was livid. He was positively fuming as he set his gaze on the scene before him. He arrived at the Malfoy Manor, eager to meet the infamous Mudblood that Potter held so close to his heart, only to find Bellatrix's dead body sprawled on the cold floor of the drawing room. Her eyes were wide open in shock and they bore holes into the ceiling. Voldemort approached the body of his most trusted Death Eater, obfuscation coursing through his veins. It wasn't possible for a Mudblood to overpower and kill Bellatrix. It just wasn't possible. He had once again underestimated someone that may possibly lead to his downfall.

"Incendio," he muttered silently. Bellatrix's mop of hair went up in flames instantly. The fire spread from her hair to her face, the flames licking her frame as the seconds ticked by. In a matter of minutes, she was entirely engulfed by the fire. The fire was contained by Voldemort as it didn't spread towards anything else in the drawing room. Not even the floor was damaged by the fire. With a wave of his hand, whatever that was left of Bellatrix's burnt body disappeared. It was as if her body was never there.

Staring at the spot where Bellatrix's body was moments ago, he began to plan. That Mudblood was going to pay. He was going to personally see to it that the infuriating Mudblood got what she deserved. Voldemort's lips curled up into a sinister smile. This was just a small glitch in his agenda. It was something he could fix easily. He closed his eyes as he summoned one of his Death Eaters knowing that this particular Death Eater would do anything to prove his loyalty after being told that his counterpart in the real world failed miserably. In a matter of seconds, the silent crack of Apparation was heard.

"My Lord," said the obedient Death Eater. Voldemort turned to face the Death Eater with an evil gleam in his eyes.

"You will do as I say, will you not?" asked Voldemort. His voice was demanding. It wasn't a question for the Death Eater, it was a reminder – do as you're told for your life is in my hands. That was what it really meant.

"Yes, my Lord. Anything for you," replied the Death Eater with a steady voice.

The Death Eater set his gaze on the floor, trying his best to avoid looking at Voldemort straight in the eyes. Voldemort usually met his Death Eaters in groups during meetings. It definitely wasn't a good thing when a particular Death Eater was summoned because it usually ended up in death, or severe punishment. The very first time Voldemort summoned a Death Eater individually, he tortured the Death Eater until he was hanging onto life by a thin thread. Then, he made sure the Death Eater was healed and repeated the process until he thought it was time for the Death Eater to die. On other occasions when he called for a particular Death Eater, he gave said Death Eater a task and when one was lucky, he or she will complete the task and be rewarded. Most of the time however, there would be a glitch in the plan and Voldemort would be furious.

"Your son, Lucius. I have a task for him," Voldemort said. Lucius' eyes snapped upwards to meet the Dark Lord's. What could Draco possibly do for the Dark Lord? Was this finally the time where Draco would be put to the test, and he will be given the Dark Mark if he proved himself worthy?

"Draco, my Lord?" Lucius asked as he kept his voice strong.

"Yes, Lucius. If he manages to perform this task well, I will reward him with the Dark Mark."

"Of course, my Lord. He is my son and a Malfoy. He will serve you and support your cause," said Lucius. Lucius supported the Dark Lord with every fibre of his being, but he knew that this task would be daunting. There was a high possibility that Draco would end up dead. Nevertheless, Lucius was thrilled that his son was being given this opportunity.

"I expect great things from him," the Dark Lord continued, his gaze still set on Lucius. Voldemort basked in the fact that he taught Lucius well as he was willing to hand over his son without hesitation. Though it wasn't obvious, he knew that Lucius loved his family, but he would love nothing more than to have his heir follow in his footsteps. That was exactly what Voldemort used to his advantage.

"He will bring your family glory. The Malfoy line is the oldest Pure-blood line there is, and with my aid, your family will be more recognised than it has ever been. It will be the most recognised Pure-blood family in the eyes of every witch and wizard," Voldemort hissed.

Lucius was beyond ecstatic. He prided in the fact that the Malfoy line was and is one of the longest Pure-blood lines around. With Draco's success, he would probably be ranked higher than most of the Death Eaters in the inner circle, and the Malfoy family would be greatly rewarded.

"Yes, my Lord. My son will serve you like every Malfoy has done before this. He will succeed, I will make sure of it," replied Lucius. Determination and ambition was clearly seen in his eyes. Draco will not fail him and he will not fail the Dark Lord. Lucius would see to that.

"You are not allowed to aid him in any way. This is his task and his alone. Let this be his initiation," Voldemort snapped. Lucius looked a little dejected, but he understood the process of initiation. Each Death Eater had their respective task to perform before being given the Dark Mark and each task was different.

"Yes, my Lord. I understand."

"Ask him to meet me in the Lestrange Manor tomorrow at noon," ordered Voldemort.

"Not a minute later, my Lord. He will be there."

"I look forward to working with your son, Lucius," Voldemort said. Before Lucius could even reply, the Dark Lord left the drawing room. It was finally time for Draco to be part of the rising power of the Dark Lord. Before this, Lucius kept Draco in the dark. Draco knew about the Death Eaters, but he knew nothing more. Lucius walked towards the study of the Malfoy Manor, eager to let Draco know that it was finally his time to prove himself worthy of the Dark Mark.

The first place Draco and Hermione Apparated to was the Forbidden Forest. Before Hermione could voice out that they should leave this place, she experienced another pull at her navel as her surroundings merged together in a blur of colours. Draco's grip on Hermione's hand never loosened as he Apparated from one place to another. Hermione allowed him lead her without making any objections even if she didn't know where they were at the moment. The urgency in his voice when he said they had to leave left no room of doubt. She had to trust him with her life.

They appeared in many different places. Of which, some she didn't even know existed. They mostly appeared in the midst of a forest. There were once or twice where they appeared in a cave, but they never stopped for more than a minute. It was obvious that Draco was getting tired. Hermione could see sweat beads form on his forehead as he prepared to Apparate them to a safer spot. His clothes clung tightly to his body as he shifted the weight of the bag of supplies. They were currently in the heart of a forest that Muggles didn't know about in Newport.

"Hand it over," Hermione urged, her eyes shifting towards the bag on Draco's shoulder.

"Hand what over, Granger?" Draco panted. Despite the fact that he was fit, Apparating that many times was exhausting. Not to mention that they covered quite a distance during each Apparation.

"The bag. You're tired, Malfoy. I'll carry it."

"Just one more stop, Granger. The next one will be the last," Draco mumbled.

"I don't care! Let me do something!" Draco was rather stunned at her outburst. She was obviously uncomfortable with not doing her share of work. He gave in and handed the bag over to her. Besides, he was honestly tired and the bag increased in weight after each Apparation. Satisfied that she got the bag, Hermione held Draco's hand again.

"Where to?" she asked.

Not bothering with a reply, Draco Apparated them into an apartment. It was bigger than Hermione's apartment and more beautifully decorated. Draco plopped down onto the couch instantly as he tried to catch his breath.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked as she took in her surroundings. She expected to end up in another cave or forest, not some beautifully furnished apartment.

"Paris," Draco said after a few deep breaths.

"What? You did international Apparation?" Hermione asked. She was baffled. International Apparation was almost impossible for wizards and witches in their year. No wonder Draco looked like he was about to pass out. It required lots of energy and concentration, and Draco was already lacking the former from the amount of times they Apparated.

"I had to. No one knows about this place. They wouldn't bother to look here just yet especially when they think you're alone," he mumbled.

"Where exactly is this place?" she asked again as she set the bag on the floor and lowered herself onto an ottoman.

"My house, Granger. Enough questions," he said. His voice showed that he was not to be argued with. Hermione had lots of questions to ask, but she kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to further exhaust Draco despite the fact that she was positively annoyed that he told her to stop asking questions. Besides, he saved her once again. Staying silent, she looked around the house. There were portraits of famous witches and wizards around the living room. Her eyes roamed the entire area until Draco cleared his throat, bringing her eyes to rest upon him.

"You can get cleaned up. The bathroom is through that door," he said as he pointed towards a cream coloured door. She nodded, pushed herself off the ottoman and walked towards the door. She stopped and turned to face him as she was halfway there. She just remembered something important.

"Malfoy? Can I ask one last question?"

"What, Granger?"

"Bellatrix. Her body. Where did you hide it?"

"I didn't," he replied nonchalantly.

"What?" she screamed.

"I'm not stupid, Granger. I didn't hide it, but I charmed it so that she looked like she just died. So when he finds her, he wouldn't give it a second thought."

"Right," she said as she whipped around and headed for the bathroom once again. Draco stared at her retreating figure and when she was out of sight, he let out a long sigh. Never before in his life did he have to Apparate that many times and cover that much distance. He wasn't even sure if the house was his when he decided to Apparate here, but he had to take his chances. He prepared himself to Apparate again the second they landed if this house wasn't his in this dimension, but thank Merlin it was. He never thought that one day, he would be saving Muggle-born Granger at the expense of his own life. He didn't regret his decision, no, but it was something he never expected to do.

A little chirping sound by the window caught his attention. Outside his window was an owl and tied on the owl's leg was a letter. Weird, Draco thought. No one was supposed to know he was here so who was the letter for? He walked towards the window, opened it and untied the letter. When the owl flew away, he closed the window once again and returned to his seat on the couch. He nearly doubled over when he saw the seal on the envelope. It had the Malfoy crest on it and anything with the Malfoy crest in this world was disastrous. He opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment that was inside.

Draco,

It is finally time! The Dark Lord has requested for your presence tomorrow at noon in the Lestrange Manor. Prove yourself worthy to the Dark Lord, son. Together, we will bring more pride to the Malfoy name. We will be the proudest Pure-blood family around. Do as the Dark Lord says. Do not disappoint him and most importantly, do not disappoint the Malfoy name. This is what you were born for. This is your destiny, son. Embrace it!

L.M.

Draco automatically scrunched up the letter and threw it into the fireplace. He didn't have the time before this to wonder if his father was alive here. That letter was unexpected and it hit him like a brick to the head.

"Granger! Get out here this instant!" he bellowed. He didn't care if she was taking a shower, he wanted her out immediately. Hermione came running out as soon as she could. She looked fresh, but her hair was still wet. Instead of her usual soft curls, her hair was now straighter from the weight of the water.

"Malfoy?"

"We have to leave," he said.

"What? Why?" she asked. There she was in the shower, feeling happy that this place was safe only to hear Malfoy telling her that they must leave. Unlike the previous time he told her they had to leave, she made a point to ask why as his voice didn't hold the same urgency.

"I just got a letter from my father. That means they can find me, and if they find you with me, we'd both be dead in a second. I'm going to freshen up. You can look around the house to see if there's anything that you might want to take with you. We'll leave once I'm done," he said as he got up and walked pass her. She charmed her hair dry with a flick of the wand and proceeded to do as he said. She headed towards the kitchen to look for longer lasting food. She then went to the library to look for books. When she was done looking around the entire house, she sat in the living room once again and arranged the items in the bag. Draco returned to the living room to the sight of Hermione sitting cross legged on the floor, reading a book.

"Granger," he addressed. Her eyes looked up at him. He was wearing jeans once again with a navy blue shirt that clung to his body.

"Any idea where we could go?" Draco asked. He was out of places to Apparate to, his house being his last resort. Hermione thought for awhile, biting her lower lip as she concentrated. Her eyes lit up after a moment or two.

"The Forest of Dean," she said.

"I don't know where that is, Granger."

"Gloucestershire, England."

"I don't know what it looks like. I can't bring us there," Draco replied indignantly.

"I know. Come on," she said as she extended her hand for him to hold. As he held her hand after grabbing hold of the bag of supplies, she took a deep breath. She was going to have to do international Apparation. She never tried it before, but if Malfoy could do it, she was sure that she could do it, too. The image of the forest in her mind was clear, and when she felt confident enough, the familiar pull of Apparation was felt by the both of them. They landed in a forest clearing and Hermione immediately got to work. She put up the protective spells she knew. She circled the perimeter with her wand in hand as she repeated the process. Draco just watched her, unsure about what she was doing, but decided not to bother her anyway as she was in deep concentration.

When she was done, she returned to where Draco was and started shuffling through the bag. He was so tempted to ask her what she was doing, but he refrained.

"I can't find the tent, Malfoy. Look for it while I strengthen the charms," she said as she returned to circle the perimeter. She kept a tent in there, he thought as he did what she requested. He finally found the tent and enlarged it to its normal size. He waited for Hermione to be done before entering the tent. When he entered the tent, he found out that it was much bigger on the inside than it appeared to be. It had a small kitchen as well as several bunks.

"Perkin's tent. I Accio-ed it," Hermione called out from behind him. He nodded in response. Hermione took the bag from him and started to sort out the things inside the tent. She looked too natural, like she has done this multiple times before. He had to ask as his curiosity got the better of him.

"Granger, how do you know so much about these things?"

Hermione stayed silent as a pang of nostalgia hit her. She decided in those few seconds that she'd tell him about their seventh year. It wouldn't hurt her. If anything, it would be better for the both of them if he knew more about her.

"Back in seventh year, Harry, Ron and I were looking for his Horcruxes. This is how we stayed. We moved from one place to another to avoid detection," she answered honestly. Draco kept quiet.

"It was difficult, but we got used to it. That's why I know all the spells to avoid detection. It's unlikely that we'll be found here, but to be safe, we have to move around every week or so," she continued as she plopped down on one of the bunks. She too, was tired.

"If Potter and Weasley could manage, I will, too," he said as he sat on the bunk beside Hermione's. She suddenly shot up and stared at Draco.

"Malfoy, remember how you told me when the two world collides, you and your counterpart becomes one? Does it mean that you now have your counterpart's memory?" she asked. It slipped her mind entirely, but now that she thought of it, she had to know.

"I would think so. There are some things I remember that aren't really mine, if you get what I mean, but it's nothing weird. It feels quite natural," he replied with a shrug.

"What are you like here?" she inquired. Maybe it was too personal of a question, but she really couldn't help it. It wasn't everyday you retain someone else's memories, even if that someone else happened to be you.

"Bigoted, annoying and a huge pain in the arse. I was brought up the same way. I was taught to hate Muggle-borns and believe in all that Pure-blood supremacy."

She didn't know what to reply to that, so she stayed silent. After a moment or two of silence, Hermione spoke up once again.

"What did the letter from your father say?"

"The Dark Lord wants to see me. My initiation, it seems."

"You mean your counterpart here hasn't been initiated?" she asked.

"Seems like it, Granger. That is a good thing, by the way, because I can't go marching in to meet the Dark Lord without a Dark Mark." Hermione's eyes grew wide in horror as she realised what Malfoy meant.

"You can't possibly be telling me you're actually going to meet him!" she said.

"I am and you can't do anything about it!"

"Have you gone entirely barmy?" she asked, frustration clearly building up.

"I have to! It's the only way to keep us safe and up to date, Granger! He has plans for me. It'll buy us time," he reasoned. At that, she kept quiet. She knew he was right, but marching up to the Dark Lord was a huge risk, and she wasn't sure if she was willing to let him take the risk.

"I bloody well know it's a huge risk, Granger, but it's a risk I have to take whether you like it or not. I don't need your permission," he uttered as if he read her mind.

"Fine."

She crossed her arms over she chest in defeat. Draco smirked. Hermione wondered how it was even possible for him to smirk when their lives were in danger. It was probably second nature for Malfoy to smirk. She rolled her eyes at him and lied back down on her bunk. She closed her eyes and drifted off to a much needed slumber.

When she awoke the next day, she couldn't find Malfoy anywhere. She ran out of the tent hoping to find him, but the surroundings were clear. She raced back into the tent and went straight to his bed only to find a note there.

Granger,

Left for the Lestrange Manor to meet Baldy. I'll be back soon.

Malfoy.

Hermione wanted to slap herself for waking up past noon. She told herself she would most definitely wake up before Malfoy left so she could remind him to stay safe, but she didn't anticipate that she would be so exhausted as to wake up so late. She read the note again and chuckled at his nickname for you-know-who. Perhaps you-know-who was too long to write. She set the note on fire with a wandless spell so that it would never fall into wrong hands.

Draco entered the drawing room of the Lestrange Manor with steady footsteps. He could see Voldemort sitting on the throne in the room, but he didn't slow his pace nor did he hesitate. He already shielded his memories and left that of his counterpart's free and available if the Dark Lord wanted to check. He reached the throne in about twenty footsteps and went on his knees.

"My Lord."

"Draco, my boy. Stand up," said Voldemort in hushed tones. Draco stood up and looked at Voldemort straight in the eyes, showing that he was confident.

"I have something to tell you, Draco. Listen well," Voldemort hissed. He then proceeded to explain to Draco about the alternate universe. Draco already knew everything, but he played it well. He listened intently, as though it was his first time listening to it.

"I have a task for you," Voldemort said once he was done explaining about the alternate universe.

"Anything, my Lord," Draco replied. On the inside, he felt like he was about to throw up from speaking to this snake-like man with such an obedient tone.

"You disappointed me in the other world."

"I know not what I did, my Lord, but I know that I am loyal to you." Draco kept his demeanour calm as he felt a presence in his mind. He could feel the Dark Lord going through his memories, searching for anything that may show disloyalty. Draco strengthened his shields and pushed forward memories of his counterpart.

"I know you are, boy. This task will test your loyalty. Do not fail me, Draco," Voldemort hissed as he pulled out from Draco's mind.

"Never, my Lord."

"Good. Find the Mudblood girl. She killed your Aunt Bellatrix. I want her at my mercy. When I return to the real world with the Mudblood in my hands, Potter will give up his life for hers and I will rise to power," said Voldemort as he gripped his throne.

"If I may, my Lord, you're going to spare the Mudblood?" Draco asked as he took a step back. His insides twisted into knots at his usage of the foul word.

"Don't be a fool, Draco. Of course not. I have my plans for her. Now, go! Find the Mudblood. You have two weeks. When you find her, press this. Someone will come to you in a matter of minutes and you'll be given your next task," Voldemort muttered as he held out a circular object for Draco to take. Draco's fingers wrapped around the small object and he accidentally brushed against Voldemort's fingers. He was about to pull back his hand in disgust for Voldemort's fingers were ice cold, but he stopped himself just in time.

"Yes, my Lord," Draco replied as he pulled the object from Voldemort's hand.

"Remember, Draco. You're not allowed to ask for help. I have made this device undetectable until you press that button so that your father cannot help you. You are forbidden from speaking a word of this to anyone."

"Yes, my Lord. I understand my task," Draco said.

"Good. Leave. Your two weeks starts now. Do not disappoint me, Draco. There will be grave consequences."

Hermione sat on her bunk with a quill in one hand. On her lap was a book, and on the book was a parchment. She was making a list of things to do. It helped her feel like she was being useful instead of sitting around and waiting for Malfoy to get back. She bit on her bottom lip, pondering on what she should do. On the top of the parchment were the words 'To Do List' and it was underlined. She finally thought of something and quickly penned it down before she forgot.

1. Find out how to get back.

After a minute, she thought of something else. She dipped her quill into a bottle of ink and started writing.

2. Find Horcruxes – What are they and how to destroy them?

Before she got to number three, Draco appeared in the tent. His presence startled her and she knocked over her bottle of ink. Seeing that Hermione was irritated with the mess she made, he cleaned it up with a quick Scourgify.

"You can do wandless magic!" Hermione accused.

"Watch the tone, Granger. It's just wandless magic. I'm sure you can do it, too," he replied as he sat down opposite her. She kept quiet, but glared at him. At least he didn't have the nerve to insult her and tell her that she couldn't do it. If he did, she would gladly show him that she could perform wandless magic with a quick hex.

"Thought so," Draco said smugly.

"You're such a git. What happened?"

"I have two weeks to find you," he muttered.

"Don't speak gibberish, Malfoy."

"My task is to find you, Granger. I have two weeks."

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah, oh." Hermione rolled her eyes at his reply. She still didn't get how he could be so calm after meeting the world's most insane wizard alive.

"What else?" she asked. He proceeded to explain what happened during his meeting with Voldemort. She gasped when he told her Voldemort performed Legilimency on him, but he shrugged it off. After telling Hermione everything, he visibly relaxed. He didn't even realise he was tense. Hermione kept quiet as she thought about what Draco told her. It was funny that she never once thought about doubting him. A year ago, she'd rather be fed to Aragog than to trust Malfoy. Hours ago when they were Apparating from place to place, she had to trust him, she didn't have a choice. But now, she trusted him willingly. She didn't have evidence that showed that she could trust him, but she did.

"What do we do?" she asked Draco, breaking the silence. It was going to be like seventh year all over again. She could feel it in her bones.

"We come up with a foolproof plan," came his confident reply.

Author's Note : This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Ben, who is celebrating his 19th birthday today! He's a wonderful friend who never fails to try to make me happy when I'm down and I have so much to thank him for. So here's a happy 19th birthday to you, Ben. I updated much earlier than I intended to so you guys have Ben to thank! Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter. Keep them coming because I look forward to reading them. So do what you do best and give that review button a go. Oh, much thanks to my beta, Christine. xx

Aerinn Gwen