A/N Hey guys, sorry this is a tiny bit late! Anyway how did last chapter go? Hope you'll enjoy this one! If you're reading this a year from now then feel free to review anyway!

Chapter 21 - Destination Death Eater

It was an understatement to say he was nervous. Draco was bloody terrified. He knew he was an idiot, knew he was screwed. He was dating a muggleborn, who was as opposite as his parents side as it was possible to be. But he really, really liked her. It was fine when she was around, as he didn't really have to think about what he was getting himself into - or out of. Ever since he'd really liked Hermione, he'd been drawing further and further away from the death eaters, the dark side. If he was being honest, which everyone seemed to be doing a lot of lately, he really didn't want to be what the mark on his arm branded him as. He just wanted to be a normal kid, with the normal stresses of a teenager taking their N.E.W.T.s. But no. He was in a war and he was on the wrong side. And Hermione was on the other. And Harry frigging Potter - where the hell was he?! He was meant to be the saviour! And he was gone with the Weasel and no one seemed to know where. Apart from Hermione, who went temporarily deaf whenever the subject was brought up.

So the main reason he wasn't eating his porridge that morning on the Slytherin table (which wasn't actually the Slytherin table), wasn't Pansy admitting her life was as messed up as his, wasn't Hermione admitting she liked him, wasn't Snape thinking he was an idiot for defying the dark lord, wasn't his realisation that his parents had brought him up wrong. It wasn't the fact that Potter wasn't here to save the day, wasn't the fact he had a hole in his stomach that had been recently healed, wasn't the fact he was on the wrong side of a war. Wasn't even the fact he had his exams that year, or the fact he wanted to date a muggleborn. No, the reason he wasn't eating his porridge that morning was that it tasted disgusting. He shoved the bowl away, and pulled a platter of bacon towards him, grinning. However, all of the above were the reasons he was terrified.

If he was confessing he liked a muggleborn, and Pansy was confessing her life story, then did that mean a lot of other Slytherins or death eater children felt the same way. In the first wizarding war, most of the death eaters had fought alongside Voldemort. Maybe things don't just slip back into old habit as easily as they'd all hoped. Sure, the adult death eaters were all rioting and having a laugh killing muggles but their kids? Well Draco wasn't too sure anymore. Hadn't he been the Slytherin Prince? Wasn't he still? So if he was having doubts...

"Theo! Blaise!" Draco hissed. And then, "Pans!" All three looked around. They were all sitting in the Slytherin common room. It had been exactly a week since Pansy had confessed. Saturday the 22nd of November now - this month had been so long. Oh Merlin - that meant Christmas! He wasn't going to add that to his growing list of troubles just yet though. "What!" Called Blaise from one of the sofas. Draco beckoned to all three of them and, groaning and grumbling, they all got up and followed him to a private corner of the room. "What," Blaise repeated. Draco decided to get right to the point.

"Do you want to be a death eater?" He asked, as if this were a question you'd ask your best mates any day. All three of his friends blanched at the straight outness of the question, but didn't answer. Neither of them were death eaters yet, Blaise and Theo were getting their marks sometime after Christmas, and Pansy hadn't had her date set yet' but it would probably be after school finished. "Well?" Draco persisted.

"Mate," Blaise laughed nervously, "It's our future."

"Yeah we gotta get the mark," Theo said, as if it wasn't up for negotiation.

"No you don't get it. Do you want it?" Draco asked annoyed. It was Pansy who gave him his first proper answer.

"No," she said after a minute of foot tapping. All three boys looked at her. "No I don't want the mark. I don't - I don't know," she clarified. Draco decided to elaborate. "Is it just me who seems to think killing muggles and muggleborns for sport is wrong? Do you think it's wrong?" He asked, looking at each of his friends.

"Is this about Granger?" Blaise asked almost instantly.

"It's not just about Granger! Hell, it's about everything! Do you think it's right?" Draco repeated loudly, but not loud enough to attract attention. "No," Pansy replied, "Now you say it, I suppose they're just people, like us right? I mean we're better because... I mean... Better because of our parentage, I guess. But no I wouldn't kill and torture them. I mean that's kind of like discriminating someone because they're a girl, or their hair colour, or their race even. I mean who'd ever judge someone by their race? It's just stupid. So why do we do it with muggleborns and muggles?"

"Yeah but Mum's always saying how they stole magic and how they don't deserve it," Blaise said edgily.

"Being completely logical here," Theo began, to which Draco snorted at his mate's logicality, "There must have been magic blood in their family, it's just that they must've married muggles."

"Really?" Blaise asked in wonder. Draco snorted again at his mate's stupidity. "Explains a lot I suppose," Blaise thought aloud.

"And purebloods just inbreed, so there's nothing really pure about us," Theo continued.

"So, back to my question," Draco asked.

"No," Pansy replied.

"I don't think killing them is right," Theo said fervently.

"Nah, I don't want to kill nor support killing mud - muggles or muggleborns," Blaise said, shaking his head.

"Do you want to be a death eater," Draco persisted. A longer silence followed this.

"Mum and Dad are, so I - we kinda all have to be," Theo said.

"No Draco," said Pansy annoyed, "None of us actually want to be a death eater, or go around killing innocent people, or be with the Dark Lord. We all secretly pray that Potter will kill him and win the war, but he's vanished to Merlin knows where and... And that's it." Draco sighed, at least one of his friends could answer straight. "What she said," said Theo after a pause for breath.

"Yeah that," Blaise cottoned on.

"I don't want to be a death eater," Draco muttered. Pansy gasped.

"What are we going to do about it then?" Theo asked after ten minutes. They had gone back to the sofas, but still had complete privacy as everyone was very much immersed in their own conversations. "What do you mean?" Draco asked.

"Well you made us rethink our life and childhood and future. You're not just gonna expect us to do no shit about it," Blaise said annoyed. Draco sat and thought. And thought. And thought until, "Don't get the mark. Help Potter and friends win the war, Dark Lord dies, go out for drinks and get drunk."

"And pull some girls," Blaise grinned. Pansy made a disgruntled look.

"And how do you propose delaying the mark?" Theo asked. Draco looked up to the heavens. Why was he the sudden leader of the not-quite-death-eater revolt? "I don't know, just give me time and I'll think of something," he ended up saying. Pansy smiled vaguely, as if trying to restore some hope. "On a brighter note," Blaise began, looking very smuggled with himself, "Daphne wants to go on a date."

"With you?!" Theo asked incredulously.

"Of course with him dumbass - why else would he look so smug," Pansy sniped, hitting Theo round the head.

"Oww!" Theo grunted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Date," Draco murmured. Now that was something he still hadn't organised.

"Talk of the devil," Theo smirked, as a tall blonde approached them and sat on Blaise's lap. The black hair dye, which had covered one side of her head on Halloween, had evidently been removed. "Hey baby," Blaise said softly to his girlfriend.

"Hi babe," she smirked, then smiled showing every single one of her shining white teeth. She leaned back into him and he wrapped his arms around her, looked at his mates, and shrugged. "I guess I'll leave you two to it. Oh hang on - no I won't. Blaise told me to ask you if you want to make out," Theo said to Daphne, who shot her head up to look at him. Blaise shut his eyes and when he opened them, he was staring at Theo with annoyance. "Oh not with me! No he wanted me to ask you if you'd make out with him because he didn't want to ask you," Theo clarified.

"What?" Daphne asked. Then she grinned. Blaise glared at Theo. Draco smirked.

"Oh for heavens sake just go but don't use my bed!" Pansy laughed, shooing one of her best friends away.

"Promise," Daphne replied, as she leapt up and tugged at Blaise's sleeve, giggling. Blaise followed, smirking, and turned, sticking his middle finger up at Theo. Then they were up the stairs and heading for the seventh year girls' dorm. "Best date he could've hoped for," Draco smirked.

"He'll be thanking me for it later," Theo assured him. Pansy smirked and said something about meeting Tracy and Millicent, and left.

Five minutes later, Theo and Draco were immersed in a game of chess, and the death eater topic wasn't brought up again for the remainder of the day. "Check mate," Theo grinned.

Draco however, soon had other things on his mind. Just one day free from thoughts - but no. Theo had opened his big, critical mouth and decided to say, "You know when Blaise was talking to us about Daph and dates. Well I swear you muttered something at that. Asked the bookworm out yet?" Draco straightened his back and glared at him. "Take that as a 'Well basically, but I hoped it would vanish away in a puff of smoke.' Does that mean she asked you out? Alright alright I'll stop asking! Don't look at me like that! Have you got her a Christmas present yet?" Draco looked stonily as ever back at him. "Okay, nope, gotcha. Got anyone a present yet?"

"What makes you think I'm getting you one?" Draco snapped.

"I want one," he replied with a shrug, "Anyway, have you done that DADA homework yet?" Another cold look. "Okay what about the charms homework from a couple of weeks back?"

"Actually I did do that," Draco sniped.

"Good, good. Asked Know-it-all out yet?"

At this, Draco slammed his hands on the table, scattering chess pieces everywhere, and stormed out the room. Hermione was less hassle than him. "Hey don't leave you arse!" Theo yelled. Draco left.

Once the head boy had arrived back at the heads common room, he rapt on Hermione's door. "Who is it?" Came Hermione's reply.

"Who do you think?" Draco replied. She really wasn't as smart outside of lessons.

"Oh, hi Draco," Hermione replied.

"Can you um, open the door?" Draco asked.

"Nope," Hermione replied, and muffled sounds could be heard from inside, as if she were rearranging stuff.

"What you doing that could possibly be more imp-"

"I'm sorting through and putting away all the stuff I picked up from home!"

"You can do that later!" Whined Draco.

"Do your head boy duties!"

"Done."

"Clear up the sideboard!"

"That's a woman's job," Draco smirked. The shuffling stopped. Then the door swung open.

"Excuse me?" Hermione said icily, daring him to repeat what he'd said.

"Lovely! Got you out. Now come on!" Draco beamed, and pulled Hermione from her dorm and pushed her in the direction of the sofa. She stuttered for a moment, then obeyed, silently. "Grand," Draco smirked, nodding. He walked over to the sofa and sat opposite her, at least he would have, but he leapt up in an instant. "What the fuck?!" Draco yelled, as Hermione's cat leapt off of his sofa and onto Hermione's, curling up looking very disgruntled. "Oh Crooksies, did Draco sit on you?" She glared at him, "He's a bad boy isn't he -" and then she backtracked, realising exactly what she'd said. Draco grinned slyly.

"Hell yes I am," he murmured, and she glared even harder at him, furious. There was an awkward silence, in which Hermione stroked Crookshanks between the ears. "I assume you wanted to see me?" Hermione spoke coolly. Draco was slightly shocked at Hermione's tone of voice, but simply replied, "Yes, as a matter of fact I did." Hermione waited. "I need guidance," he continued.

"You mean you need help," Hermione corrected him, smirking slightly. Draco narrowed his eyes and continued.

"DADA homework," he said simply. Hermione continued to look at him.

When he showed no sign of elaborating, she said exasperatedly, "Oh come on Draco, surely you know how to cast a patronus." Draco scowled and, after a moments pause, shook his head. He looked away and admitted defeat in front of someone else for the first time in a very long time. "I, you're not serious, are you?" She asked.

"I'm a death eater, Hermione. Remember that whole 'pure of heart' shit you need to cast one?" Draco sniped coldly.

"Alright alright! I'll teach you," Hermione agreed. Draco grinned. "You've got a pretty pure heart to be fair," Hermione said in a very business like tone. Draco smirked.

Hermione moved the sofas back with a swish of her wand and levitated the table over to the kitchen, so that the two of them had a nice practicing space. Draco nodded. "Right then. Show me how you currently do it," Hermione smiled brightly. Draco looked blankly at her, then raised his wand and sighed as duly and boringly as he possibly could, "Expecto, Patronum." To nobody's amazement, nothing happened. Hermione was quite frankly amazed at how awful he was. "Stop stop stop! You're going to take someone's eye out! Besides, you're saying it wrong. It's Expecto PatrOnum. With emphasis on the 'O' sound. And you're doing everything else wrong too," Hermione stropped. Draco glowered at her. He didn't like people telling him he was doing it all wrong. "Try to think of the happiest memory, cast back to when you were at your happiest. Then say the incantation with meaning," Hermione explained, pacing and waving her hands around. Draco looked at her again, just as blank as before. "You mean you want me to think happy thoughts," he replied.

"Yeah, like... I don't know... Your father dancing around in a Santa Clause onsie -" That made Draco burst out laughing.

"What?!" He choked. "Santa as in Santa who comes every Christmas?"

"You know who Santa is?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"Well obviously, I saw him once." Now it was Hermione's fair share of laughter.

"Yeah..."

"I did! When I was seven!" Draco said angrily.

"Draco he doesn't actually... Exist. You know that right?"

"Of course he does! Who do you think puts presents in your stocking every year? The Easter Bunny?"

"Well when us muggleborns and muggles grow up, we figure out that it's our parents."

"Bullshit. Absolutely crazy."

"Meaning?"

"Santa comes on his flying sleigh pulled by enchanted reindeer every Christmas and delivers presents to magical and non magic people. I thought for a smart witch like you you'd know that." There was a pause.

"You mean he actually exists," Hermione asked, doubtfully.

"Of course Santa exists!" Draco yelled, looking to the heavens, "one of the only people in the world to own the elixir of life, too!" Hermione stared at him. "And you thought it was your parents," Draco tutted, "And no, my father has never dressed up in a Santa onsie for your information."

"Any happy thoughts?" Hermione asked.

"I think I've got one..." Draco pondered, "Okay."

"Now, you've got to say it determinedly. Believe!" Hermione encouraged.

Draco raised his wand and said loudly, "Expecto Patronum!" Nothing happened. He looked at her.

"Even Harry was practicing for ages until he got his, you can't just learn it overnight," Hermione said dismissively. He rolled his eyes. "Again," she urged.

"Expecto Patronum!" Draco shouted, and a slim pearly glimmer lit up the end of his wand, like an incredibly weak lumos. "I did it!" He exclaimed, stunned. "Now keep at it," Hermione smiled.

Half an hour later however, and Draco hadn't improved at all. "Maybe we should stop for the day?" Hermione offered, but Draco just glowered at her. "Draco you won't get anywhere in a bad mood!" Hermione stated.

"Potter can do it!" Draco glowered.

"It took him weeks to learn! And Professor Lupin taught him!" She shot back. Draco paused to consider this.

"Do y'reckon he'll teach me?" He asked. Hermione tilted her head, considering.

"Yeah... He most likely will. But haven't you got a lot on at the moment, like quidditch?"

"Quidditch, head boy stuff, homework, Pansy, Theo and Blaise, you, where do I begin?"

"Theo and Blaise are still nagging you?"

"No they and Pans just... So I'm free on Mondays. I've got Study of Ancient Runes last lesson, not too far from Loony's office."

Hermione tried not to notice Draco avoiding her question, or him calling Lupin loony, but just went along with it. It was his business, after all. A tapping from a window disturbed Hermione from her thoughts and she glanced up and around, looking for the source. Draco strode into his room and looked out his window. Sure enough, an owl was at the window - his owl, in fact, clawing and the sill. "Draco?" Hermione asked curiously. Draco spotted the scroll of parchment tied to the owl's leg and noticed his father's immaculate handwriting. He opened his window and snatched the letter from the bird who glowered at him, clearly waiting for a response. "Go up to the owlery, I can't answer this right now," he shot sharply at the bird, who took off angrily, hooting.

"Draco?" Hermione called again, standing up. Rolling his eyes, he slumped on his bed and tore the seal off the parchment, unrolling it out. He let out a hollow laugh upon reading it. It read:

"Dear son,

I hope you are adequate and recovering from your minor injury" He snorted at that, sick. Minor? "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 want 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"

Mr Malfoy? A pang of hurt shot through him. Not father, no love, not even a 'get well soon' or anything. Draco scowled the pain away, and swaggered back into the common room, taking his seat on the black sofa (which was now next to the far wall). Hermione eyed him from the sofa oddly to which he scowled at. Hermione looked away, feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. Draco knew he shouldn't take it out on her, but he hated his father so much at this point in time. "Who owled you?" Hermione asked, trying to clear the tension.

"None of your business!" Snapped Draco from opposite her. She shifted nervously, edging her hand towards her wand, Draco suddenly feeling a pang of guilt. Again, he glared this sudden emotion away. He was not in the mood. "Draco," she tried.

"I said it's none of your fucking business!" Draco snapped from opposite her, causing Hermione to cower slightly, but she instantly sat up straighter, all emotion drained from her face. "I'm going down to lunch," she said tersely, and left quickly without another sound. Draco stood up and walked around the room calmly, then turned aggressively and kicked over the small table which stood next to the sofa arm. The couple of books and a glass which stood on the table fell to the floor with a clatter and the glass shattered but he didn't care. Banging his hands on the wall, he yelled at the top of his voice, "FUCK!" And turned to kick at the next thing he saw, which happened to be the sofa. He didn't understand why, but he hated his father so much and him writing to him with that little emotion was sickening. "I hate you," he muttered, and went off to lunch.

A/N My least favourite character in Harry Potter is definitely Lucius. Anyway I'm going to have to do a write-athon seeing as I only have one chapter written left. Hopefully I won't be late with any of these. See you all next Tuesday!