"Okay, I knew it was going to be a long list. But I didn't think it would be this long."

Draco peered up at Harry, and then he looked at the stack in front of him, the larger one in front of Harry, and the two others on the desk, "Well we can start by making easy cuts. People who don't fit the criteria and people we know were never Death Eaters. And there are also probably repeats, you know people suspected then died. So most of that list will be crossed out probably," he said gesturing to the stack in front of Harry.

"Alright. But this is still a lot of list."

Draco sighed, "It is. And oddly enough staring at them won't help make them shorter." Harry grimaced and made no further comment but didn't make any move to work either, "Harry," Draco growled.

"I'm sorry! But I don't really see how this is going to help," Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

Draco frowned, "What?"

"It's just," Harry paused fiddling with a quill in his hands, "I don't see how shifting through all this parchment is productive. I really didn't think it would be this much, it'll take forever."

"Because once we find out who R.A.B. is we have a starting point for hopefully locating the locket," Draco paused, "Then we can destroy it and we're one step closer to our ends," Draco could feel Harry's eyes on him, but Draco couldn't look up, he didn't want to sound do desperate, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Yeah, I'll get Ron and Hermione. The more people working on this the faster it'll go," Harry said getting to his feet. He paused, "As they don't yet know you're helping," he sighed, "I don't know how they're going to react, "Draco nodded mutely still not looking up at Harry, nor did he look up when Harry paused at the door, "And I know what you mean," he gave a short humorless laugh, "It's always about the ends, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Draco breathed, "It always is."

The fire crackled and snapped under his gaze, but he wasn't thinking about the flames, his thoughts dwelled on Lily. She seemed the same, but something wasn't the same, but he couldn't put his finger on it. For all her talk of not having a change of heart he had the sneaking suspicion she wasn't speaking the truth. Even though he had detected no lies from her. And even the Dark Lord had clearly not suspected her of lying, he couldn't shake the feeling she was simply a more powerful occlumens than any one suspected.

Sighing he got to his feet. Because if she had had a change of heart, I could help. But I'd have to risk being discovered. And limited his uses now, he'd be even less useful dead. He poured a fire whiskey for himself and wondering whether it was a risk worth taking Severus sank back in to his vacated seat.

"But Harry, Ron should be resting. He's been through quite an ordeal."

"Hermione that maybe, but we still have a war to fight."

Draco looked up from his work when Granger and Harrys' voices permeated his concentration, time to see he thought warily.

"What are you doing anyway, you didn't say."

Harry pulled the door open, "We have a list of Death Eaters, we're looking for likely candidates for the identity of R.A.B."

"You keep saying 'we.' Who did you tell?"

Harry came into the room, mumbling, "You'll see," with a slight grimace in Draco's direction, he was clearly as wary about this revelation as Draco was.

"I bet it's Ginny," Weasley said as Granger followed Harry in, she looked around and her jaw dropped. Before anyone could say a word Weasley came in too. He stopped staring at Draco, all the color draining from his face. Then quite suddenly his face became bright red and he turned to Harry, "What's HE doing here!?" He shouted.

For all his apparent apprehension Harry seemed to have been expecting a reaction like this from Weasley because he didn't look phased in the slightest and said calmly, "Draco is here Ron because we need help. I needed help after you got back. I can't do this alone, and it's a good thing too. Draco's thought of a way to identify R.A.B."

"But he's a Death Eater Harry," Weasley ground out.

Harry shrugged, "He was."

"How do you know he's not one now? Lily was one thing, but this is completely different!"

Harry took a breath, steeling himself to defend his once enemy, "He's changed Ron. Besides he's been here how long? How can you still think he's still a Death Eater?"

"But how long have you been enemies!? How much does he know? What did you tell him?"

Harry shook his head, "That doesn't matter. I've given him a second chance and I've told him everything."

The blood drained from Weasley's face again, "Everything?" He repeated Horsley.

Harry nodded, "Everything. He's one of us now, so I'm not going to keep anything from him." Draco stared at him; he knew Harry had to trust him to let him in on all of this, but to be considered one of the Golden Trio? He didn't know that Harry trusted him that much.

"So, erm," Granger paused, she glanced at Draco then Ron then fixed her gaze on Harry, determinedly ignoring the other two boys, "Shall we get started?"

Harry smiled appreciatively at her, Draco frowned slightly, Ron however looked ready to explode again, "NO! I am not working with him!"

Harry opened his mouth, but Draco decided it was time to take this into his own hands, "Why not Weasley?" He sneered standing, "Do you see any real objection, or just a long standing grudge?" He went on ignoring Harry's warning look.

Granger was glancing from one boy to another, a frown on her face, Weasley was glaring at him, Harry's eyes were flicking form Ron to Draco and Draco himself was smirking at Weasley.

"Does it matter?" Weasley snarled.

"Of course it does Weasley," he drawled back.

"Harry! I'm not doing this!" Weasley yelled, turning away from Draco, "I can't. I don't know what's wrong with you, but I can't! Any normal person wouldn't either! You'd better be careful, or you'll end up like Dumbledore, he trusted Snape and look at what happened, people don't change!!!"

Harry said nothing, his face unreadable, considering Weasley for a long time, Draco and Granger both staring at the pair, worried about how Harry would react, "Then don't," he said turning to Granger, "We've complied some criteria by which to identify R.A.B. and now we have lists o-"

"Hey! Harry you can't just ignore me!" Weasley interrupted.

Harry gave him another long look, "You said you weren't going to do this. I'm not going to make you Ron." With that Harry turned his attention back to Granger, "We have a list, or rather several lists, of Death Eaters with descriptions," he continued as if there had been no interruption, "So we're hoping to find out who R.A.B. might be and then we may be able to get a better idea of where to look for the locket. So pick a pile and a seat, we've got a lot to do."

Granger glanced to Weasley then Draco again, "Alright," she said sitting across from Draco and pulled the nearest pile toward her. Draco stared at her for a moment then looked up at Harry and Weasley. Harry was watching Weasley, waiting for him to do something, Weasley himself was glaring at Granger, he then turned his glare to both Harry and Draco, then turned on his heel and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him, Granger flinched as the door slammed and stole a glance at the door and turned back to the pile.

Harry sighed running a hand thought his hair before returning to the table. Draco kicked him under the table, Harry looked up at him, "Thanks," he said, Harry smiled slightly, and nodded.