A/N sorry this is a bit later than usual but I have only just finished writing it. Hope it's all okay! Remember to review if you have time and post your thoughts!

Chapter 28 - Mission Kill Mudblood

"Fuck..." Draco murmured into the deadly silence. She looked at him, alarmed. What could possibly have gone wrong? Why was he looking so uptight and jumpy. These questions tumbled through Hermione's head until it pounded and she could no longer bare it. "What?" She asked with anticipation. Draco gripped the arm of the sofa hard.

The days succeeding Christmas were fairly quiet. Hermione had spent time with Ginny, Draco had hung with his Slytherin cronies and all in all the rest of the holidays were quite blur. The most exciting thing that had happened following Christmas was Hermione dragging back a drunk Draco from the Hogs Head in the early hours of New Year's Day. The six of them had all snuck out in the evening for a few drinks - or in some people's cases more than a few. There was one very me memorable part though. At the strike of midnight, they drank their first glass. "Happy New Year!" Hermione laughed and drank. Draco couldn't take his eyes off her. He knew what he had to do. "Draco you alright?" Pansy asked teasingly. He didn't know how to do it. She looked at him and he couldn't get the words out. "Draco -" Hermione began but he just closed his eyes frustratedly and when he reopened them she was still looking at him, bushy brown hair shaping her face. Finally, he looked her in the eye and took a deep breath. Finally, he said very carefully, "Hermione Granger. Will you be my girlfriend?" Hermione gasped at this sudden question, as did the rest of the table, too shocked to believe it. But he could see it was a happy shock. "Merlin Hermione get in girl!" Ginny clapped. It was clear that both Theo and Blaise were gleeful beyond explainable and Pansy was torn between thrill and a slight pang of regret but she swatted it away.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed happily and hugged him tight. "Yes of course," she whispered. The entire table cheered and the newly formed couple grinned before kissing. "I'm gonna have to get a lot more drunk to watch you two going at it for any longer," Pansy said loudly and they broke apart, still grinning. "Hermione you got a boyfriend," Ginny smirked.

"Shut up," Hermione joked.

"Told you you'd -" Theo began.

"Shut up, Theo," Draco said seriously.

"Rounds on me," Pansy exclaimed.

In the hours that came after that, the six of them had had a lot to drink. Pansy and Ginny had gotten extremely tipsy and Blaise had started leaping around the room singing the national anthem. Even Hermione was acting a little dazed and giggly. Draco on the other hand was wasted and Hermione was conscious enough to realise that he was starting to talk about stuff she knew he'd regret when he was sober.

So, they'd struggled back to the castle in a semi conscious state, laughing and tripping like normal seventeen year olds, barely noticing anything going on around them. Draco only remembered some of what happened after he'd become Hermione's boyfriend and had questioned Hermione about what'd happened later the following day. And that had been that. Until now.

"You didn't even say anything," Hermione continued to say, confused by his outburst, "I stopped you. Why are you annoyed about that? There was no need for -"

"I'm not pissed about you stopping me talking when I was drunk, Hermione. Thank Merlin for that. It's just you reminded me of... Look it doesn't matter. I'm going to bed," Draco sighed as casually as he could, heading straight for his dorm. Hermione raised her hands at him but said nothing. "Night!" She called to him as the door banged shut. She glared at him but put it down to lack of sleep. The holidays were over and lessons had started up again with no delay, teachers breathing down their necks and new assignments being set every day.

Draco leant against the back of his door, breathing hard. Hermione had told him he had started to talk about his parents that night and that had only reminded him of... He stormed over to his desk, wrenched out the stiff draw and tipped the contents onto his desk, rifling through the mess until he saw the scroll of parchment. He pulled it out and read it, growing increasingly frustrated with every word he read.

"Dear son,

I hope you are adequate and recovering from your minor injury and that you have learnt your lesson. I am sincerely disappointed in your actions and behaviour, let alone your manners. However, luck is truly on your side at this point in time, as the Dark Lord is offering you another chance. A chance to prove yourself and be honoured. The family name will be credited as much as it used to be if you take the chance and succeed. The Dark Lord wants you to complete a task. He has not as of yet told me the nature of this task, but he wishes to meet you on Saturday the 17th of January. This will allow you time to plan your other duties around this set date. We are highly disappointed in you, I hope the pain has taught you a thing or two about manners and loyalty.

Sincerely,

Mr Malfoy"

It was the letter he'd been sent what felt like an age ago, just before he'd first started learning occlumency - which was going very well, far better in fact than his patronus. The words "task" and "Saturday the 17th of January" stood out like a cold laugh in a room of silence. He stood there feeling arrogant and angry but down he was terrified. Task? Secret task? If it had anything to do with finding Potter or killing another frigging Order man then he was done. He would literally walk out. To hell with the lot of them, his life would be so much better without the death eaters. But then - his parents... He couldn't do it though he just couldn't accept another task from the Dark Lord. He could think of an excuse. But there was one tiny little flaw. Today was the 16th.

He rolled into bed, extinguished the lights with his wand and thought. He stared at the ceiling. He knew he had one choice. He would go home tomorrow and pray that his occlumency lessons had paid off. Snape had said that he was proud of his progress and that was saying a lot so maybe he could just be able to pull it off. Pulling that off would be a piece of cake though, compared to how he'd have to lie to Hermione the following morning. He didn't want to but it was the only way to keep her safe. He had to do this task to keep his parents and himself safe and he had to shield his mind from the Dark Lord to keep Hermione safe. He didn't want to do it, but it was the only way.

Saturday morning came and with it came a bitter wind, sweeping the grounds like a cloud of bats. It rattled the panes in the windows and distinguished any light in the corridors. Draco however wasn't as of yet affected by this, as he was pacing the windowless common room in deep thought, an untouched mug of coffee on the sideboard.

At last, the familiar beeping noise sounded and (five minutes later) Hermione emerged in a white dressing gown and slippers. "Morning," she yawned. Draco grinned at her and replied with, "Nice to see you awake. Finally."

"It's the weekend," she complained, opening the bathroom door.

"And you have potions homework to do," Draco smirked.

"I finished it yesterday," she smirked back. Draco's jaw dropped.

"We were only set it yesterday!" He retorted, shocked. She just smiled and turned to have a shower. "Well I'm going down to the Slytherin Common Room for the day, won't see you till late," he called annoyed.

"To do homework?" She called back, door half closed.

"Sure," he replied.

"What a load of rubbish," she said, closing the door and grinning behind it. He dropped the facade and looked away from the door she'd just closed, his gaze falling upon Crookshanks. "What do you want?" Draco asked it irritatedly. It glared at him as if he knew that Draco wasn't trusting its owner. "Stupid cat," Draco muttered and left the room, letting the arrogance and fear take over again. Everything he'd done before this year had been a screw up. His task in sixth year had been a screw up, the way he had treated others had been a screw up, the way he saw his father before had been a screw up, what he'd believed had been a screw up and how he'd treated his dorm mate had been a screw up. This was a new year, a new page a new him. He was going to make sure that today wouldn't be a screw up. His parents life depended on it. Hermione's life depended on it and if her life depended on it then surely Potter's life could depend on it. The entire outcome of the war could depend on him not being a screw up.

"Mate what are you doing?" Blaise asked as Draco barged his way into Slytherin common room and seized Blaise and Theo by the collars, dragging them into a corner. "No time to explain," he muttered, "Where's Pansy?"

"Over there. HEY PANS!" Blaise hollered. Pansy looked round tiredly but her expression changed when she saw the trio of boys huddled in the corner. "What?" She asked.

"Whatever happens, make sure Granger thinks I'm in here with you lot," he said hurriedly.

"Why?" Theo asked before Pansy could.

"Just trust me!"

"Trust a Malfoy?" Blaise asked and Draco hit him. "Hey! Alright I'm sorry!"

"And during lunch? Then what?" Pansy asked, annoyed that he'd assume them to be fine with this.

"She wouldn't approach you lot when the entire school's here," Draco said, "But if she does I'm sure you'll think of something. You deceived the world for your entire life after all." Pansy scowled at him but nodded all the same.

"Just make sure she doesn't get suspicious," the blond instructed.

"We're suspicious," the three of them said.

"Yeah well you should trust me!" Draco said angrily.

"And you think she don't trust you? She's your girlfriend man!" Blaise retorted.

"You think I don't know that!" Draco yelled, causing some heads to turn. He turned to look away and tried not to break something. The other three looked very taken aback by his sudden eruption. "I think you need to trust -" Theo began but Draco had had enough.

"I trust her with my life Theo, you got that," he said in a deadly whisper, "But I also love her and if she gets hurt because of this then I won't be able to live with myself!"

"What exactly is 'this' Draco?" Pansy asked in just the same tone of voice. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I need to -" he began but Theo had sussed it.

"You're going home aren't you? Aren't you?!" He demanded in a whisper.

"He hasn't given you another task has he?" Pansy asked. Draco was biting his lip, furious.

"I don't know anything okay! All I know is that I don't want her finding out! I don't want her getting hurt. All I want you to do is give me a day. One day. Just one," he finished heatedly. The other three looked at each other before nodding. Draco nodded before turning to go.

"Draco," Pansy called tentatively and he turned back around. "You can always talk to us you know. I know it's not really a thing us Slytherins do but things are changing. You of all people should know that," she said quietly. The three of them looked at the head boy, who nodded again before striding back through the doorway. "Something's up," Pansy said seriously, "Something bad."

Draco arrived on the driveway to his manor in a heated state. He should've never asked her out. It wasn't just her he'd put in danger, all of his mates could be suspected if this all screwed up. He strode up to the high iron bars and was greeted face to face with Scabior, who wasn't moving. "Open the gate Scabior," Draco growled.

"What are you doing here," he demanded.

"It may seem to you that I'd like to be here but I actually had other plans," Draco said coldly.

"Well why don't you turn around and walk then?" He asked back icily.

"Because I don't serve to displease," Draco sneered back.

"You don't serve, Draco," Scabior snarled, "You don't want to risk coming here."

"I do believe that that's up to me," he said just as coldly.

"Heed my words Draco and leave. Now!" Scabior hissed.

"You think I'm weak?" Draco asked coolly.

"I certainly don't think you'll leave here as you came, if you don't leave now."

"Open the fucking gates Scabior!"

"Better not use that language to the Dark Lord Draco." Draco had had enough and drew his wand. "I'm trying to help you," the older death eater hissed.

"I know you are, Scabior, but if I don't turn up today, then I'm as good as dead anyway. Now let me into my own house!" Draco said angrily.

"This isn't going to end well," he sighed, opening the gate enough for Draco to stalk through. It creaked shut the moment he'd advanced through.

As soon as he stepped onto the shiny, polished stone floor, the door banged shut behind him. "Just don't think," he told himself over and over again. After a milliseconds worth of hesitation, the platinum haired death eater strode towards the double doors in front, standing straight and rigid with an emotionless persona. Almost as if he were a mind washed servant who's sole purposes was to serve the Dark Lord. Almost. There were signs that he was still human. His fist was slightly clenched and his eyes moved the tiniest fraction every few seconds. "Don't think."

The double doors were open ajar. He pushed them open almost robotically and was greeted with an assembly of faces. Once the door had closed behind him, everyone looked up. There were seven of them, standing in a group. It looked as though the Voldemort had just finished giving three death eaters instructions. "You are dismissed," Voldemort hissed in his snakelike tone. The three men, who Draco recognised to be Antonin Dolohov, Rabastan Lestrange and Thorfinn Rowle, quickly departed, brushing past Draco and giving him odd or disgusted looks on the way out. He moved out the way of the door and stepped into the room. "Draco," hissed Voldemort, "How nice of you to join us at last." Draco continued to stand still, a cold look snatching his features for milliseconds then being taken over by the emotionless facade again. The other people in the room, his mother, father and Bellatrix, were standing just to the left of Voldemort, Bellatrix and Lucius looking disapprovingly down at him. Draco let his attention glance in their direction before returning to Voldemort's cold, snakelike eyes. "My Lord," Draco said tonelessly, inclining his head ever so slightly.

Seconds passed. Voldemort looked down upon the boy, his eyes lingering on what had once been a gaping hole in his stomach, mildly amused. Narcissa was trying to look emotionless but Draco could see the worry seeping through from the corner of his eye. Lucius' eyes were full of bitter hate and loathing. Bellatrix was smiling wickedly, eyes glinting with malice. His gaze returned to the red eyes in front of him which were looking right into his soul.

"Welcome, Draco," said Voldemort coldly, "It's been a while, hasn't it. And I look down upon you and I confess myself -" he paused and dropped his voice to a mere hiss, "Disappointed." Draco looked up at him, expressionless. "You repeatedly fail to be little more than a failure in my service, Draco. If it weren't for your father's loyalties in the past then I would have disposed of you. You are of no use to me, Draco. A disappointment to the name Malfoy." Draco looked up at the beast before him but avoided his penetrating glare. "You wouldn't want me to reopen old wounds would you?" He asked venomously. Draco's hand subconsciously went to his stomach and Voldemort laughed a high, cruel laugh which echoed from the high ceiling and walls, making it sound as though a dozen Voldemort's were laughing. "I thought not," he said suddenly in a deadly, quiet voice.

"Let me just remind you, Draco, of why you are here," Voldemort spoke in a stern, business like tone. Draco tried to look placid but there was a definite arrogance in his stance. "You are here because you are a disappointment to me, and you are going to change that," he continued, "You are here because you failed to kill Dumbledore and instead left it for someone else to do. You are here because you don't turn up to our council meetings. Not once have you ever found need in attending our meetings. You do not receive special treatment Draco, even if you are still at school. Mr Nott and Mr Zabini will be receiving their marks in March and I expect them to show greater loyalty than you have shown. You failed to extract the information from Podmore and in doing so wasted valuable information about the Order of the Pheonix, an organisation run by fools who think they will win the war. And yet you stand before me, Draco, with no more than a glare upon your face. Do tell me that you aren't continuing to displease me?" Draco instantly swapped his expression to what he hoped was casual, but somehow doubted his judgement. "I see," Voldemort murmured coldly, "Tell me, Draco, what causes your fascinating attitude towards me? You do enjoy being a death eater do you not?" Draco thought hard.

"Yes, my Lord," he answered quietly to the floor.

"And you agree with all my motives?" He persisted.

"Yes, my Lord," Draco repeated quietly.

"Then you will be glad to hear that I have a task for you, a mission as it were," Voldemort smiled nastily. Draco looked up from the floor, finally hearing something worth listening to. The reason he was here. "A chance to redeem yourself," Voldemort continued, "It has recently come to my attention that Harry Potter is no longer at Hogwarts. Is that right, Draco?"

"Yes, my Lord," Draco answered monotonously.

"Therefore he is no longer under that fool McGonagall's protection," Voldemort paused, then began again, "Harry Potter is the reason there's going to be a war at all, Draco, did you know that? If it weren't for him then there would be no hope for them. Not that there will be any hope. I'm going to kill him, Draco, and I need you to find out where he is." Draco looked at him and his face showed the first signs of genuine emotion it had since he'd stepped foot in there. He was confused. "I do believe," Voldemort went on, "That the mudblood they are friends with, what's her name again Lucius?" Draco bit his lip to keep in the anger bubbling up inside him.

"Um," Lucius coughed from the side of the room, "I believe it's Miss Granger, my Lord."

"Yes," Voldemort said, "This mudblood, this Granger will know where Harry Potter is. Even if it doesn't, Potter will come back right into our hands if he thinks she's in trouble. Your task is very simple, Draco. Listen well and hard because I don't want it to slip your mind. I want you to ask the mudblood where Potter is." Draco caught his breath, suddenly very nervous and very angry. "You will find out where he is or your parents will suffer. And after you've found out, you will kill her."

Draco's heart stopped beating. There was a deadly silence. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't do this anymore. "No," he said quietly. He couldn't live this life, lying to the people he cared about and causing them to suffer. He couldn't kill her. He'd protect her with his life. Bellatrix, who'd been playing with her hair, turned to face him, furious and shocked. His parents looked flabbergasted but his mother mainly distraught. "No?" Voldemort asked, amused.

"No," Draco clarified.

"No what exactly, Draco," Voldemort asked, flicking his wand out. Draco eyed it warily before answering.

"No, I will not kill her. I will find out where Potter is, I will -"

"Draco you insolent fool!" Lucius burst out, "Just kill the stupid little brat!"

"I can't do it!" Draco yelled through clenched teeth. He was letting his guard down, at any moment Voldemort could delve into his mind and find out everything. But he'd rather die than kill the girl he loved. "Lucius silence yourself!" Voldemort snapped. "You won't do it?" Voldemort asked slowly. Draco shook his head. "This wasn't a choice, Draco, it was a task," Voldemort said icily, "You will kill her."

"NO!" Draco yelled. He could see his father, seething with rage; his mother, close to tears; Bellatrix, shocked and disappointed. Voldemort drew his wand and pointed it at him. "You fool!" He said angrily, "You are nothing more than a disappointment! Avada -"

"STOP!" Shrieked Narcissa, leaping away from the wall to stand in front of Draco.

"NARCISSA!" Roared Lucius furiously.

"Mother NO!" Draco yelled, pushing her away feverishly.

"He's just a boy!" She sobbed, "Please have mercy on him!" Voldemort contemplated the distressed, middle aged woman and pointed his wand directly at her heart. She froze, stopped sobbing, fell silent. Draco looked helplessly between his mother and the beast in front of him. "You will kill her, Draco, or your mother dies," Voldemort said in a deadly whisper. Lucius' back straightened. Draco's entire world melted away. He didn't know what to do. He just didn't know. A furious tear escaped his eye and he swiped it away angrily. "CRUCIO!" Voldemort shrieked, livid and instead of feeling white hot knives plunging into his skin, Draco saw his mother screaming before him. He went to move in front of her attacker's wand but Voldemort yelled, "Stay where you are!" Draco looked around helplessly, angry, desperate, scared and filled with loathing. What would his old self do? Easy, he'd kill the girl and be done, live a coward forever. But he wasn't his old self anymore. What would Hermione do? She'd sacrifice herself with her stupid Gryffindor courage. But that was out of the question. What would Pansy do? What would Pansy do?! She'd... "Alright!" Draco yelled, not being able to bear a second longer of the constant screaming. He lifted the curse off of her and looked at Draco with glinting eyes. "But what if she doesn't talk? And Potter may not even know if she gets killed. And if he knows she's dead, then won't he just be motivated to do whatever he's doing?" Draco asked, praying that he could get himself out of this. Voldemort considered this. A few seconds later, he said coldly, "That is true. But nonetheless, I want her dead."

"Surely, my Lord," Narcissa began from the floor, "We could just imprison her and lead Potter straight here?" Draco's heart sank, but he could protect her from inside the castle. Voldemort looked at her, disapproval etched all over his face. "That is true," he sighed, "You are a disappointment to me, Draco. I wish to kill you now but that would be of no use to me either. I need you, Draco. I need you to stay in the castle and keep an eye on the mudblood. I want information. I want whereabouts and I want it soon. Otherwise I will get someone else to dispose of it. Someone with higher regards to loyalty than you." He stopped talking, looked at the boy standing next to his mother. "But none of this helps you get out of a little lesson on why you don't defy me. CRUCIO!" He yelled and the boy screamed.

Draco regained consciousness, bloody and battered. His eyes opened the tiniest of cracks and he squinted at the figure above him. He could hear someone yelling, which was followed by a sound which he thought was someone being smacked. A second voice, a scream. And then a third, icy voice coming from the figure above him: "He's awake!" The voices stopped and his father came into view. "Get up you stupid boy!" He yelled, glaring down upon Draco. It hurt to open his eyes any further. "I said get UP!" Yelled his father again and he kicked him. "Stop!" Choked the second voice and his mother came into view, cowering slightly. Draco's eyes snapped open. He could see Bellatrix and his parents above him, each bearing looks of disapproval or in Narcissa's case, sorrow. "Up! Lunch is being served in the dining room in two minutes!" Lucius remarked before leaving him. Bellatrix followed. "Come, Cissy!" He called from the door. Narcissa gave her son a fleeting glance before heading after her husband.

Draco took a deep breath and staggered to his feet. A shooting pain shot up his body and he stumbled, gripping the back of a chair for support. Sighing, he staggered out of the room. He had no desire to dine with his parents and sadistic aunt but what choice did he have. As he was crossing the stone entrance hall, one of the last people he wanted to see caught his eye. "I told you so," Scabior growled, eyes roaming the cuts and bruises covering Draco's body. He didn't know how they got there. He didn't know anything at all that happened after he blacked out. He must've hit his head pretty hard during the fall, he concluded, to have blacked out completely. "I'm not in the mood, Scabior," Draco growled back.

"What the hell is wrong with you kid?" Scabior asked irritatedly, "Why come back if you know this is going to happen to -"

"I said I'm not in the mood, Scabior! You're just a snatcher! Not a death eater. You don't know things and you don't know me so stop pretending to act like you give a damn what happens to me!" Draco snapped angrily, stubbornly ignoring the growing pain in his muscles. Scabior narrowed his eyes at him and said, "Who's says I don't know things? I hear things. I hear them talk about you, as if you're a twig they can't wait to snap." At this Draco gave a slight shudder to which Scabior smirked. "As much as I think you are a disloyal, arrogant fool who won't follow the orders of the Dark Lord, I don't want to be around for your death. I've known you for how long?" Scabior asked. Draco closed his eyes and thought. Of course. Scabior had known him when he was an infant, watched over him as he'd grown up and not once had he done anything cruel to him. "I don't need nor want your help, Scabior," Draco grumbled, turning his back in him.

"Such a waste of a young man," Scabior muttered to himself. Draco quickened his pace.

He took his place at the long table, opposite his mother, father and Bellatrix. The four of them exchanged looks before he sat and Bellatrix smirked at him. Once the elves had laid the table and people had served themselves, Lucius was the one to break the uneasy silence. "You fool," he whispered. Draco looked up, angry and fists clenched.

"I did what I did to -"

"You did what you did because you're a selfish, unworthy traitor!" Lucius roared. Narcissa clutched her glass, knuckles white.

"I am not a traitor," Draco spat, "I just don't see how killing the girl will get Potter to come out of hiding!"

"It doesn't matter what you think, Draco!" Lucius thundered, "You've let down the entire family, you are a disappointment to the Malfoy name and -" Narcissa put a hand on his shoulder but he shook her off and continued "I'm ashamed to have to call you my son!" Narcissa stood up, angrily.

"He's our son, Lucius. He is under enough pressure at the moment without all this extra fuss!" She said angrily.

"Hold your tongue," he spat.

"How dare you!" Draco yelled as Narcissa's jaw dropped, "She's your wife! My mother! You evil -"

"How dare you talk to me like that in my own house!" Lucius roared.

"I'm going!" Draco shouted angrily, standing up and kicking the chair over furiously.

"Draco calm down," said Narcissa calmly and she tried to get him to sit back down.

"Pick up that chair Draco," Bellatrix said annoyingly. He picked it up and set it upon the mahogany floorboards loudly. "Let me talk to him," Narcissa sighed and she left the room after him.

Narcissa found Draco on the driveway speaking to Scabior. Once they'd spotted her, Draco sprang away as if he'd had an electric shock and eyed his mother. "I don't understand," she begun but Draco was already walking away. "Draco come back here!" She cried out but he kept walking. He couldn't do this anymore. "I love you mother," he said, just loud enough for her to hear before he disapparated with a pop. She rounded on Scabior. "What did he say?" She asked, lower lip quivering.

"That he wouldn't be coming back here for a long time if he could help it," Scabior muttered before locking the gates with a swish of his wand.

He didn't know what he was going to do when he reappeared by the front gates to Hogwarts, but he knew what he wasn't going to do. He wasn't going to let anyone die because of him. Not his mother, not Pansy, not Theo or Blaise, not even his father and definitely not Hermione. He was going to fix this, he just needed time. He'd completely forgotten about his current state before he stepped through the portrait to the head's common room. Hermione screamed.

A/N I like Scabior as a character and don't really think he's explained much. That's why I thought I'd include a little more of him in this week's chapter. I hope it didn't seem too unrealistic with Draco arguing with Voldemort but I didn't know how to put it any other way. See you in two Tuesday's time!