1994 – Summer Holidays

"I feel it in my bones Cissy, that group of Neanderthals is going to be trouble, especially that Potter."

"They're first years, try not to judge them too quickly."

"Why are you defending them, I thought you liked that Siverus boy, they clearly do not."

"Severus, his names Severus. He's a sweet boy and yes, I don't like how they treat him, but you aren't exactly a saint Lucius."

A young Narcissa Black sat upon a bench in the Viaduct Courtyard at the front of Hogwarts, a year her elder, Lucius Malfoy sat beside as he glared across towards two young boys who were grappling each other, trying to bring one another to the ground.

"Careful now Lucy, if the wind changes your face will stay that way."

"That's a preposterous idea Andromeda, wherever did you learn that piece of information? And honestly, how long are you going to continue calling me Lucy for!?"

"Ted told me, not sure how much truth is in it." Andromeda Black, the middle sister of three in the Black family, had a sharp voice and an equally sharp wit about her. Lucius knew better than to argue with her or to voice his opinion on her close friendship with a muggle-born, a topic that was quite sensitive, instead he grunted and remained transfixed on the duo before him.

Andromeda sensed the tension the second she mentioned Ted's name, it hurt her each time someone had this reaction when she discussed someone that she cared so deeply for.

"Never, I'll never stop calling you Lucy." Narcissa couldn't fight back the laughter any longer as she watched his face scrunch up in frustration, she laughed with her sister until it hurt and she found herself clinging onto her stomach as it ached.

Andromeda moved around to sit on the arm of the bench, facing inwards towards her sister with her feet lifted up onto the seat.

"So, what's got you especially pouty today?" Andromeda asked, following Lucius gaze towards the now group of boys across the courtyard.

"He has a bad feeling about one of those boys over there."

"A first year?"

"Mmm, Potter I think his name is."

"I said the group as a whole." Lucius snapped, exasperated by the two women he sat with.

"Well considering that group is made up of my cousin, who's harmless. That short kid that looks like he's just following them around, perhaps has no other friends. That lanky kid that looks super quiet and reserved, this Potter kid, that seems to have introduced what I know to be a muggle sport into his mix of friends, which tells me that he's either a muggle-born of a half-blood. Either way, I'm with Cissy on this one. Its this Potter kid you're unsure of and I think I've just pointed out why."

Draco collapsed into an armchair in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor, his mother blinked once or twice as she regained her focus.

"You knew them?" Draco asked his Mother breathlessly. She hadn't quite recovered enough yet to answer with words so instead she nodded in response.

Draco reached for a jug of water and poured the contents into two glasses, passing his mother a glass before taking a sip from his own. Once seated again, he place the glass aside and turned back to his mother.

"Are you ok? You let me stay longer than before."

"You needed to. You need to learn. This may not be as important as Occlumency but it could still be crucial to know."

Draco nodded at his mother, still not understanding her desire to teach him such skills, but he trusted in her enough to follow her lead.

"They were all close then? Sirius, Potter, Pettigrew and Lupin, even back then."

"They were." Narcissa kept her answers short, she wanted to hear her sons ideas before she had any input that could sway what he believed.

"James Potter was a pureblood, that couldn't have been the reason father didn't like him."

"To this day, I don't know the real reason."

"Maybe it was a jealousy thing. The way he had such a strong friendship group, the kind of friends that were loyal by choice and not by fear of because of some weird sense of duty."

Narcissa couldn't hid her ears at her sons complex analysis of his fathers dislike towards a boy five years younger than him. It was the same reason she had come up with all those years ago, although she had never told another person that was what she thought.

"It didn't turn out that was though did it."

"Pettigrew was a coward."

"It takes a strong person to choose love when doing so means they have to over come their fear. Pettigrew was a coward, yes, it doesn't necessarily mean he didn't care for his friends, he just cared for his own life more, his fear for the Dark Lord was greater." Narcissa explained to her son, it was difficult to suggest that the decision Pettigrew made all those years ago was indeed the wrong one when she was currently living with her own, she was trying to teach her son ways to protect himself when the inevitable did happen and the Dark Lord return, rather than leave and let him live a normal life.

"Would you ever consider changing schools?" She asked her son, mostly out of curiosity.

"And go where?"

"Durmstrang perhaps?"

Draco remained silent for a moment as he thought on his mothers words, going to a new school would be a chance for a fresh start, away from Saint Potter and his heroic antics. But then that would mean also being away from Hermione, something he couldn't do. Instead of answering her question, he changed the subject.

"Why now? Why teach me Legilimency now, and what's the rush?"

"Draco…" Narcissa sighed, she took her glass and sipped at the water slowly as she gathered her thoughts. There was nothing Narcissa Malfoy loved more in the world than her son, which is why she found herself stuck for words in this moment. She wasn't sure how to explain to him how now more than ever the threat for Voldemort's return was greater than before. How to explain that the dangers she had warned him about were closer now the Death Eaters where on the rise.

"Do you trust me?" She asked her son after a moment of silence.

"Of course I do." Draco answered sceptically, he knew she was hiding something from him, her avoidance on answering the question only made him more nervous.

"I've been to no meetings this summer, I've barely seen father, and you've been teaching me Legilimency every opportunity you get. Somethings happening and nobody is telling what."

"I thought you'd prefer not to go to meetings with your father, are you telling me now that you enjoyed them after all?"

"No. I am grateful he has left me out of them this summer, it just seems odd that's all."

"Don't question it then, just be thankful."

Draco let out a frustrated sigh as he stood up and glanced at his mother once more before he headed towards the doors in the drawing room. As he reached for the handle, it turned before his fingers reached the brass knob and the door opened before him, his father on the other side.

"Draco." Lucius greeted his son before walking past him towards his wife.

"Are you ill my love?" He asked Narcissa as he looked down at her pale complexion, with a look of concern on his face only she could see. Draco could not picture in his head what this expression would look like on his father as he stared at the back of his head.

"No dear, I just had a little faint spell. I'm fine now. You're home early."

"Yes." Lucius said as he straightened himself and stood tall, turning towards his son. "We have a meeting to attend, I just need to get something and then we will floo their together."

"You spoke to soon." Narcissa said to her son with a sympathetic smile on her face as she heard her husbands footsteps disappear into the distance.

Draco was putting on his cloak when his father appeared back in the room with large envelope in his hand. He watched as his father crossed the room and gave his wife a kiss on her cheek. Something he did each time without fail before leaving the house, but not something he usually did in front of Draco. It made him nervous that his father was openly being affectionate to his mother all of a sudden, it only added to the sense that something big was coming.

~X~

Draco sat at the familiar table in the Goyle residence, surrounded by his fathers associates, a position he had not missed being in. He glanced around the table at all of the faces he wished were not so familiar to him, finally finishing on Alecto Carrow, a small stocky women who's hair was pulled back so tightly, it forced her eye brows to sit higher on her head than the average woman. Her lips were so thin that unless she was talking, her stern expression caused them to almost disappear. The life this woman chose to live showed evidently on her face, she looked haggard and worn out. Her eyes locked onto Draco's and the right side of her lips pulled up ever so slightly it almost looked like she was smirking at him. He averted his eyes instantly and looked back down at the table, for the first time he hoped that the meeting would just start already.

Augustus Rookwood walked into the room, Lucius by his side, no longer holding the envelope he had arrived with. The two men were talking quietly with each other when Lucius finished with a nod and walked towards the empty seat beside his son, Rookwood taking the seat opposite him. Lucius seated himself first, whilst Rookwood remained stood, clearing his throat before addressing the room.

"Thank you all for coming today, I know this was a little bit of a last minute meeting, but with the World Cup being tomorrow, there was no other time to do this."

Draco's ears perked up once he heard Rookwood mention the World Cup, he could only have meant the Quidditch World cup, the most anticipated sporting event in the Wizarding World that only happened once every four years.

"It has been 13 years since we have made a public appearance and because of that, the term Death Eater no longer brings fear in the way it used to, the way it should. Tomorrow that will change."

The table remained silent where it would ordinarily break out into whispers, Draco looked around at the expressions of those sat around observing Rookwood as he spoke. Expressions of disbelief, concern, excitement and intrigue.

"A few of us will be attending the Quidditch World Cup tomorrow. After the game has finished and the festivities begin, we will attack. The first time in over a decade we will show ourselves."

This was when the room broke out into chatter, Draco watched as his fathers associates spoke across the table to one another about all the different ways they were going to cause havoc.

Rookwood raised an eyebrow as he glanced around the room, smirking and shaking his head as he turned back to Lucius and rolled his eyes.

"It won't be without rules I might add." Lucius spoke loudly, causing a few people to scowl at him.

"You always know how to ruin the fun don't you Lucy!" Alecto teased.

As soon as the undesirable nickname left her mouth, Lucius slammed a first down on the table, causing her to flinch and the smirk to disappear from her face.

"I beg you to continue Alecto, give me reason to see to it that you will not attend tomorrow." Lucius spoke slowly, venum dripping from every word he spoke to her. The woman sat up straight and remained quiet, averting her eyes from Malfoy Sr.

"As I was saying, there are rules. This mission is mostly about destruction and instilling fear once more. People used to fear the mention of Death Eaters almost as much as the Dark Lords name, now it is a thing of this past, this mission is about changing that. Make a scene, cause a fuss, the more people who witness, the more people will relay the story onto those who weren't there, the more people to spread the fear, however, the two only rules we have are these – no harm will come to the Minister and no one is to be killed."

Lucius made eye contact with each person around the table as he said the rules slowly, as he did his eyes landed on Goyle who mumbled something along the lines of 'I'll do as I please' under his breath, only, Lucius could lip read far better than Goyle cared to hope.

"Goyle – you're the first to volunteer to stay behind and be one of our decoys." Lucius said with a fake smile across his face, this was a look Draco was familiar with.

"Excuse me?" Goyle scoffed as he adjusted himself in his seat.

"We need people to stay behind for when the Ministry inevitably come knocking, you will stay put and be here for when that happens."

"Wha- No! I'm coming!" He spat, bubbling with anger as he glared at Lucius.

"No. You have just proven why you cannot be trusted attend." Rookwood said sternly.

"We have agreed that there will be no deaths not because it wouldn't bring us great joy to watch as muggles mourned their loved ones or because we don't believe the wizarding world would benefit from a few less mud-bloods, but because we have to smart about this. After tomorrow the Ministry will make their way around to every known suspected and convicted Death Eaters house, they will be running examinations on all of our wands to check the last spells used. As long as there are no unforgivable curses used, we can claim each spell was used as defence and not as attacks. They will have no proof that we caused any of it to happen." Lucius explained, his reasoning was enough for everyone who was sceptical to begin with to understand and now agree with him, except for Goyle Sr.

"So, Goyle, you simply muttering that you will do what you want proves that you cannot be trusted to be one of those among us who will be there because afterwards, you will be caught. A trace of an unforgivable will be discovered in your wand and they will have grounds to use a truth serum, giving each and every one of us up. So you will remain at home." Rookwood added onto Lucius' explination.

Goyle scowled at Rookwood as he told him once more that he would not be joining in along with everyone else, his fury seeped off of him as he pushed away from the table and left the room mumbling to himself before he slammed the door behind him.

"Does anybody else have any further questions?" Lucius asked the room.

"Forgive me, but why must the minister remain un-harmed?" Crabbe Sr asked Lucius, Draco detected a hint of nervousness as he spoke, likely because he has just witnessed his closest friend receive a scolding.

"I understand your scientism with this one Crabbe, fear not, I would be shocked if someone didn't question this. This is because if the Minister is harmed, it changes the message entirely. We don't want people to look back on tomorrow and see it as an attack against the Minster, we want people to see it as the day the Death Eaters returned. For this to happen he needs to remain unharmed."

Crabbe nodded at Lucius, satisfied which is reasoning as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"How will we know went to strike?" A man Draco knew to be called Avery asked.

"Several hours after the world cup ends, that is when the attack will happen. This will ensure that everyone is well into celebrating and their guards will be down. Make sure you are masked and be sure to be in groups no less than two. Anyone on their own is at risk of being captured." Rookwood answered.

Everyone nodded silently, some were more eager than others for tomorrow to come around. It was clear to Draco who out of these people that surrounded him, enjoyed the theatrics and the act of tormenting more than others. He had learnt by now to read the difference between those who acted out of loyalty and those who acted out of fear. It was only then he considered his mothers words on Pettigrew, perhaps she had been right, overcoming fear was more difficult than it seemed.

~X~

It was 10 o'clock in the evening with Draco arrived back at the manor with his father. He turned his Lucius when they arrived and noted the exhausted look on his face, for the first time every Draco found himself feeling pity towards his father.

"Go to bed Draco, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow and an early start."

"Father…" Draco began, when he suddenly felt lost for words. He wished there was a way he could help his father, lighten the burden he so clearly felt, but he knew there was nothing he could say or do that would make him feel better. He hated his father for his involvement in the Death Eaters, and by extension, the involvement he forced onto Draco, but he something big was coming, he felt it in the pit of his stomach, nothing could prepare them for what ever it was.

"Goodnight." Draco said, his father gave him a curt nod before he headed to his office, leaving Draco to wander the house and towards his room by himself.

Once he finally got tucked up into bed, he found himself wondering how tomorrows events were going to play out. He hated the Death Eaters for ruining such a big event, something he had looked forward to for years, something that will forever be tainted. As he drifted off to sleep, the only thing he could take comfort in was knowing that Hermione would never find herself at a Quidditch World Cup.

~X~

Hermione woke to the sound of excited Weasleys cheering and singing Quidditch songs whilst packing their bags. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes as she tried to focus in on the clock and groaned.

"Finally, you're up!" Ginny said excitedly as she entered her bedroom.

Ginny closed the door behind herself and bounded over to the bed Hermione had been sleeping on, landing on it with a bounce. Hermione scowled at her friends enthusiasm and cursed her for being so chipper at such an early time in the morning.

"We are nearly ready to go. We are just waiting on the last few people to get ready, which is you and Harry. Mum's made breakfast for everyone, so I suggest you hurry up and get ready if you want to grab something before we go." Ginny said quickly with a huge grin on her face, there no hiding the youngest Weasley's excitement on this day. It wasn't very often a Weasley could say they had tickets the Quidditch world cup, but this year, they could all say it.

"Gosh Gin, excited much? You can't keep still." Hermione said as she pulled the duvet off her and climbed out of bed.

"I'm super excited! How are you not? I know you don't like Quidditch and all, but this is the world cup! This only happens every four years!" Ginny squealed whilst Hermione dressed herself begrudgingly, "Besides, we are going to see Ireland vs Bulgaria, do you know what that means?"

"There will be a bunch or Irish and Bulgarians there?"

"Victor Krum will be there!" Ginny squealed again, Hermione winced at the high pitched tone of friends excitement, with no idea who or what she was talking about, but through fear of having to endure another squeal, she simply nodded at her friend and beckoned her to leave the room with her now she was ready.

As they entered the kitchen, Hermine noticed that it wasn't just Ginny who was full of excitement and particularly more chatty this morning than what was ordinary. Her eyes wandered over to Ron who was rambling on about Quidditch tactics with his older brother Charlie who had travelled over from Romania to attend the world cup with his family.

Hermione poured herself a cup of coffee and grabbed a piece of toast before leaning against on of the kitchen side, her eyes transfixed on the window as she noted that the sun had barely risen.

"Not a morning person Mione?" George said from beside Hermione, causing her to jump as she turned to face him, unaware that he had moved to stand next to her.

"Or a breakfast person it seams." Fred said from the other side of her after taking a bite of her toast that she had been holding without eating for a few minutes.

"I'm not the only one, there a few people here who ordinarily are not morning people and a far worse that I am, it seams this Quidditch game has everyone too excited to care."

"This Quidditch Game she says." George said as he shook his head in disbelief.

"Like its just any old Quidditch game Hermione." Fred continued, moving to lean against the counter opposite her.

"This is the Quidditch World Cup!"

"It only happens once-"

"Everyone four years, yes I know." Hermione sighed.

George rolled his eyes and wandered over to his brother Charlie and Ron to join in on their conversation, whilst Fred remained staring at Hermione with a more serious look on his face now.

"Hermione, try to act a little more excited. I know you don't like Quidditch, but this isn't like any ordinary Quidditch game, you will have fun I promise." Fred explained, Hermione rolled her eyes in disbelief as she took a bite of her toast.

"If you don't believe me, then at least pretend like you're excited for Dad's sake. These tickets weren't cheap and you're like family so he would've wanted to include you regardless."

"Now I just feel awful." Hermione said as she placed her coffee down, her faced scrunched up into a frown as guilt waved over her.

"My intention isn't to make you feel bad Mione, but I know you'd feel far worse if I didn't tell you and you didn't at least try to enjoy yourself." Fred gave her a small smile and pushed himself off the counter.

"So slap on that beautiful smile, drink that coffee, and have another slice of toast, you'll need your energy."

"But I haven't even finished this-" Hermione began before Fred snatched the piece of toast out of her hand on took another bite before wandering off to join his brothers.

Hermione scowled with a smile and shook her head before heading to the table for more toast. Just before she grabbed another slice, she spotted Harry walking down the stairs, his long hair ruffled and misplaced as he rubbed his eyes whilst fighting a yawn. She poured another cup of coffee and grabbed a slice of toast and headed towards Harry before handing him both.

Harry mustered up a faint smile of thanks before taking a bite, eating it almost as slowly as Hermione had when she first woke up.

"Why are we awake so early?" Harry grumbled. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Harry struggle with his being awake as much as she did, she was glad she wasn't the only one who didn't wake up super excited.

"Not sure, but I should imagine that one the coffee kicks in, you will be just as excited as everyone else."

Harry grunted at her and looked around the kitchen of the Burrow, it was the busiest he had ever seen it.

"Morning Gang! Are we all ready?" Mr Weasley sang as he walked into the kitchen. "Grab your stuff and let's get going, we don't want to miss the portkey."

~X~

Hermione stood in the middle of the Weasley tent in complete awe. It felt like she was inside a large Gazebo/Markee, not inside a small tent as it appeared to be on the outside. There were sleeping quarters, a small kitchen area, even a living area for everyone to congregate. Never had she seen anything quite like this.

"Three years at Hogwarts has not prepared me for this moment." Harry said quietly to her as the pair continued to look around the tent. Harry had never experienced a family camping trip before, but he knew that if the Dursleys had been the kind of family to take him on such holidays, their tent wouldn't be quite like this. "I love magic."

"I don't think I'll ever tire of what we can achieve with Magic." Hermione told him, Harry nodded in agreement before heading over to kitchen to join Ron.

"Feet off the table!" Mr Weasley shouted to the twins as he wondered around the tent, inspecting and making sure everything was in order.

"Feet off the table!" Fred and George said in unison.

"It's alright isn't it." Ginny said to Hermione.

"Alright? It's marvellous." Hermione answered with a large grin on her face.

"Everyone put there stuff away?" Mr Weasley asked the group, after a sufficient amount of nods, he guided everyone outside and towards to arena, excited chattering continued behind him as he lead the way.

~X~

"Blimey Dad, how far up are we?" Ron panted as he climbed the never ending stairs of the Quidditch Arena.

Hermione had been thinking the exact same thing as her legs became heavier and heavier with each step. Despite the exhausting trek they had to endure, she couldn't help admit to herself that she was beginning to feel excited, Fred had been right after all, although that's not something she would admit to him.

"Well put it this way." A familiar voice came from below the Weasley clan, "If it rains, you'll be the first to know."

Hermione's body reacted faster than her mind did to the sound of the mans voice, Goosebumps spread across her arms and she shivered on instinct before she registered that the voice belonged to Lucius Malfoy.

"Father and I are in the Ministers box, by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself." Draco sniggered.

Hermione's heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, despite the back and forth of letters all summer, it was nice to finally hear his voice, even if he was being his usual arrogant self.

"Don't boast Draco, there's no need to with these people." Lucius continued, Harry scoffed and rolled his eyes before turning away from the Malfoys only to feel a tug against his jacket where Lucius had caught it between his cane and the railing.

"Do enjoy yourself Potter, while you can." The expression on his face turned Harry's stomach, he didn't trust the man before him any more than he liked him.

Free from Lucius' grasp, Harry turned around with the rest of the Weasleys and continued their climbed. Just as the last of them had left Malfoy Sr's line of view, he too turned towards the VIP box.

Draco smirked as he watched the remaining Weasleys climb the many stairs they had ahead of them, all before his smirk was wiped of his face as he spotted a familiar Gryfindoor he had not expected to see.

With his eyes wide and his mouth open, his stomach flipped and he turned cold as he started at Hermione, for the first time in his three years of knowing her, he wished she was not before him, staring down onto him.

The disappointment in her eyes was the least of his worries as she turned and walked away to join the Weasleys. Draco remained rooted momentarily as he filled with dread. The events that were going to spiral later that evening where something he didn't want Hermione to be apart of, she would be a prime target, she was a muggle born and she was friends with Harry Potter.

He played over every possible outcome in his head of him finding a way to warn her, each imaginary scenario ended with the Death Eaters discovering his intentions and his father disowning him, or worse.

"Come now Draco," Lucius shouted across to him. Draco nodded and stepped quickly towards his father.

He had to think of some way to warm her.