Disclaimer: I still don't own anything, just my plot.

I know any amount of excuses and begging does not make up for my long time taken to update. But still, I'm sorry. It's been busy lately, I had a performance, which equals to hours of practice, then there's the family dinner, and then the MWord on my laptop won't work so I have to find another laptop instead to work with… plus I had a case of writer's block…so here it is!

Numerous thanks to my loyal readers, be it new or old. This is for you!

A few seconds later, a familiar weaselette stepped out from the fireplace. Draco scrunched up his nose in response, wasn't one Weasley enough for him to deal with? The Golden Trio crowded around her, all of them squealing relatively the same things: "Ginny! We're so glad to see you!" "What are you doing here?" "Did you bring me some food?"

He scowled, repulsed and annoyed at the same time. What happened to trying to convince him to join their stupid quest?

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that Chase was also watching them wearily, so was the guy beside her. Draco's features hardened when he saw him lean over to whisper something in her ear, causing her to grin. He rolled his eyes. He couldn't care less about that mudblood, if she wanted soil herself some more with that other mudblood, then why should he care?

Unconsciously, he brought his hand up to his left cheek. The pain from the slap was still clear in his mind, and so was the image of the unstable girl who had caused it. Of course he was furious when she did it- who wouldn't be? But when she walked she walked away bitterly, with tears rimming her eyes, he felt another slap. That one was on his chest. He wasn't familiar with the feeling, but he refused to think it was guilt. He reasoned that it was probably just shock to have a bruise on his ego for letting her get away with it. Next time, he vowed, she would see it was a mistake to mess with a Malfoy.

The Gryffindors were halfway done with their reunion, with Ginny whispering, "I'd never thought you'd be here… but I'm so glad you're all okay." He noted disgustedly that her eyes were on Potter as she said this. Being a disgrace to the purebloods was one thing, but ending the line with a half-blood? It's preposterous!

"How is Albus doing?" the crazy horse asked.

"He's fine, and he's still recovering, but doing better. He wanted to be here himself, but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow him, so he sent me instead," the weaselette answered.

And the crazy old coot was at it again, being the psychic wizard who knows everything. Why am I not surprised, Draco mused.

"That's good to hear. Why are you here, Ginny?"

The weaselette raised her eyebrows when she heard her name being mentioned, but replied, "To bring Harry, Hermione and Ron back to Hogwarts, of course."

Draco cleared his throat, and the weaselette looked surprised, as if she didn't notice him there. It hurt his ego to ask for someone, a bloody Gryffindor, no less, to bring him away from this place, but he was getting desperate and desperate situations calls for desperate measures. "You wouldn't mind if the ferret stays here, do you?" she asked the crazy horse.

Draco glared at her, and was satisfied to see her cowering a little.

"Ginny, I know you mean well, but is that really what Albus has asked of you?" the crazy horse looked at her inquisitively.

The weaselette suddenly found her shoes to be interesting and remained silent.

"Ginny?" Potter whispered, taking a step towards her.

A sob tore through her, and in seconds she was blubbering in hysterics. "He- he said that all of you would be here, a-and he asked me to help you w-when the time comes. He- he t-told me to s-stay until- until everything here is done, and until… until he won't be there to protect Hogwarts anymore."

Granger was holding the girl in her arms, patting her back, calming her down, even though silent tears were running down her face. Weasel was at the side, looking puzzled and torn at the same time. Potter's features were etched in pain.

Why are all Gryffindors so dramatic? Draco wondered. Sure, he was a little taken aback by what she said, but no need to get all emotional. So the old bat finally accepted his inevitable death. Admittedly, he probably had accepted it the moment Draco's wand was aimed at him and he didn't even resist, but the fact that his death was only delayed… he took it quite well, and Draco had to respect him for that, even though it was stupid.

Unconsciously, his gaze wandered over to Chase again, and this time, she caught him staring. He found himself still unnerved by her stormy gray eyes that were identical as his, especially now that he could see pity and acceptance in them, exactly what he felt at that moment. It was the first time that he looked away first instead of her in their staring matches.

"Chiron… the quest?" the guy who stole Chase's attention spoke up, interrupting the tense silence.

"I suppose it can't be helped. All of you will leave tomorrow morning, including Clarisse, Connor and Travis. Oh, and Ginny here," the crazy horse said without a second thought.

There were no protests from the she-weasel as she fell asleep, dried out from all the crying she did. There were, however, protests from everyone in the room excepting the crazy horse and him, mostly because it would be pointless to say anything when everybody's screaming at that time.

"She doesn't even know about this-" Granger reasoned.

"Isn't this too dangerous? What if she gets hurt-" Potter, obviously.

"What if there's not enough food?" Trust the weasel to make the availability of food as the major crisis.

"It's not that she's not wanted, but-" a girl with braided brown hair and green eyes, who was so attractive that Draco himself wondered how he had missed her, said.

"There's not enough rooms-" a guy that looks suspiciously like an elf shrilled.

"I don't see a problem, but she doesn't know anything-" Draco glared at the bloke beside Chase earlier. Doesn't know anything? She's a witch, and although she's a blood traitor, she sure as hell knows much more than a mudblood! Filthy, little git that will rot in hell once he's through with-

"I don't trust them."

Draco snapped his head to search for the one that said it, but he knew the owner of the voice before his stormy gray eyes settled on her now dark, cloudy gray ones.

Every person in the room stopped talking at once. "I knew it," Granger hissed. "I knew there was a reason why I didn't exactly like you while you had Harry wrapped around your pretty little pinky finger-"

"Hermione, shut it," the weasel aid almost tiredly.

"What, Ron, you too?" Draco noted there was a hint of hurt in her angered tone. Oh, this was getting delicious.

"Think about it, 'Mione, would you trust them if they appeared out of nowhere at Hogwarts? And I don't think the presence of the ferret is helping us to gain their trust." The nerve of that bloody weasel, when he gets his hand on him… Well, Draco vowed, it won't be pretty.

Granger stared at him, as if surprised that he actually thought about it, but then nodded, not quite looking at Chase when she muttered her, "Sorry." Chase shrugged it off, like her accusations and apology didn't matter, and said, "Contrary to your belief, I do believe you, and Harry, and Ron. But I don't know her," she gestured to the weaselette, and glared at him, "And I don't trust him."

"All of us don't, so it's ok, you can hurt him," the weasel offered. Draco's rage was barely contained, but he continued, "And Ginny's my sister, you can trust her."

Gryffindors and their bloody trusts, Draco thought repulsively. It was no wonder that the Dark Lord hadn't been stopped, because the so-called 'most powerful wizard in the world' Dumbledore trusted him, even when it was clear his intentions weren't good when he was still Tom Riddle.

Chase nodded at the weaselette, but still turned and glared at him. He glared right back, unflinching. Then she smirked, causing him to blink. "Bugger," he cursed under his breath as she turned to the crazy horse, and said, "I propose that he sleeps in Travis and Connor's room."

The crazy horse let out an amused chuckle, and even the git, the elf, and the pretty girl smiled. That could only mean one thing: It wasn't good.

"No," he objected before the horse had a chance to say anything. "And didn't you hear me? I'm not going to your pathetic little quest, no matter-"

"It is not pathetic-" Chase cut him off.

He scoffed. "It must be if you need our help."

Potter cocked his brow, his face a mixture of disgust and hilarity. "Our,Malfoy? Who is this our because I'm sure that you wouldn't include your pure-blooded self with us."

Draco cursed himself for his slip, and said, "I said my, Potter, not our. You must be deluded if you think I would ever side myself with you filthy mudbloods and blood traitors."

At this, Granger barked a humorless laugh.

"Blood traitors? What about you, Malfoy? Aren't you a blood traitor too since not only did you fail to kill Dumbledore, but you also saved him? You betrayed your father, your family, and Voldemort, the one you so highly ship but is also a mudblood himself. If I were you, I'd be ashamed, and not to mention feel foolish."

"Don't you fucking dare talk about my father! Or my family, for any of that matter!" he shouted, "Maybe I should have killed that old bat! Maybe I should've killed him there right on the spot, push him off the tower, and then kill you!"

"Fine then! Go ahead, kill me now! Then maybe Harry will kill you, and he and Ron will finally live peacefully without you and finish off Voldemort!"

"Fine! Avada-"

"Enough!" Annabeth pushed herself in between the two, holding them both away at arm's length. "Nobody's killing anybody in here! You should know better, Hermione, that killing won't solve anything." She turned to look at him.

He had expected a glare, a telling off, anything in that category, but instead, her eyes softened, and although she didn't smile or offer any other forms of acceptance, he still felt befuddled. "You did the right thing," she said softly. "Nobody's blaming you."

For once, he believed her.

How was it? Suspenseful? Confusing? Downright idiotic?

On the bright side, once I start writing, I won't stop.

Especially when reviews start rolling in… :)

-NK

P.S. DaughterOfArtemis- Yes, I did notice that you had logged in. Thanks for that!