A/n- Thanks to those awesome people who reviewed the last chapter: heart5, Lindasweden, Syranda, ThePrincessWolf, Lidaani, bundibird, OBLuvr13, and Dwindlingcandle. And everyone who didn't review: thx for reading too (you're loved just as much).

Disclaimer: Ahahahahahahahahahaha... wooo... mmmm...wahahaha.

Summary: The beginning of the end- sort of.

The Other Side of Fate

The days- and months- after Ron's induction into the Hogwarts infirmary, and his release from it, passed with what Draco thought was very little action or notable experience.

There was one quip of interest, on April tenth or so, when news of Katie Bell spread through the castle. She was let out for a brief holiday from St. Mungo's to be with her parents; she returned to the hospital soon after for more care- they said she wouldn't return to Hogwarts that year. Most suspected this was a ruse, Draco surely did. Perhaps her parents were just scared; didn't want their daughter in peril, did they?

May soon slipped away with nothing to do; it was kind of monotonous if Draco was to be frank.

In fact, it got even dryer when Harry had stopped divulging to the group anything that had to do with Horcruxes. To their knowledge there were still three left; and then one night, Harry Potter never came back to the Common Room.

"This isn't normal." Hermione flopped down onto one of the armchairs by the fire.

Draco sniffed and went back to his work.

"Where's Ron?"

Malfoy looked over at her. "The same place he was half an hour ago; his dormitory." Hermione looked slightly distracted as she wrung her hands together. Draco raised an eyebrow at her; she looked overly worried. "Come here." He said softly.

Hermione looked at him and he made a slight kind of motion.

She got up and sat down next to him; he pulled her into an embrace.

"I wouldn't worry about Potter; he's fine on his own." Draco ran a hand through his hair and tried to ward off his own feeling of unease.

Hermione bit her lip. "At least with Ron up here I know he wouldn't do anything too adventurous."

"How is the Weasel by the way?" Malfoy had remembered how sullen the boy had been when he came out of the Infirmary. It was either because of his falling out with Lavender Brown or the fact that Harry had started dating Ginny- Draco had no idea why he knew this and, to be perfectly honest with himself, felt kind of abashed to fill up his quite useful and cunning brain with Hogwart's social idiosyncrasies.

Hermione opened her mouth and then shook her head, giving a full shoulder shrug. "Who knows?"

Draco put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap as he laid back against the couch. Hermione looked at him with wide eyes but Draco only smirked.

"Whatif-"

"Shh, everyone's in bed; who would come out at this time of night?"

Hermione relaxed into his shoulder and rested her head against his chest, sighing gently. Malfoy ran a hand through her bushy hair, twirling it round his pale fingers, marveling at the way the golden brown hue made him look even whiter.

He could feel Hermione's breath warm his collarbone.

"Draco?"

"Mmm?" He fluffed her hair and traced his finger across her shoulder blade, up across her neck and down her front. He could feel goose bumps as the pad of his finger crossed to the swell of her breast.

Hermione shifted slightly. "Stop it."

Draco snickered and thought that she didn't sound very convincing. He planted a kiss on the shell of her ear.

The fire flickered and they both jumped as the log in the hearth cracked and popped as it broke apart. Draco felt Hermione relax again, yet he could tell something was on her mind, she was usually more… responsive then this.

"What?"

Hermione paused as if weighing her answer.

Draco could tell he wasn't going to like this.

"Your father."

Malfoy groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Lets not, shall we?"

"But-"

Draco glared but Hermione continued.

"Have you gotten another letter yet?"

"No." Malfoy shook his head. "I would think that given the nature of my- well it wasn't really a letter… my words- he would have done something…"

He winced as Hermione slid onto the couch and off his leg. "Well, I'm sorry to have brought it up. I just wanted to know."

Draco smiled and looked into the dying fire, the heat hitting him in the face. "I'm sure everything is just fine."

Hermione yawned and stretched out on the couch; Draco took her legs into his lap. He smiled down at the knee-high flannel shorts upon which dancing witch's hats were printed.

"The Weasel's mum give you these?"

Hermione shook her head. "Bought them a little while ago in Hogsmead."

"Cute." Draco let his hand play around the hem of one of the short's leg holes.

After a moment's pause, Hermione spoke up again.

"I'm tired; I think I'll go to bed."

Draco looked at her, his eyes wide and a sly smile on his face. Hermione noticed the look and shook her head, a similar smile flickering across her face.

"No. No, no, no, and no."

Draco propped himself up on his knees and leaned over her laid out form. "But you know how lonely I am here in the Common Room by myself."

A small smile appeared on Draco's lips as he saw Hermione's resolve slowly breaking down. He trailed a finger down her cheek over and over again; she was staring at his lips.

Hermione regarded him coyly. "Fine. But I'm not staying down here all night."

Malfoy let out a small sigh as he let himself down on top of the girl, propping his head up over hers' to kiss her. He saw Hermione's eyes flutter shut.

Perhaps he could persuade her…

.o.o.o.o.

It was nearly midnight when Draco awoke, something making him jump mid-sleep. The Common Room came into focus as a blur; he rubbed his eyes and something stirred next to him. Looking down to his left he saw Hermione curled under one of his Slytherin blankets. He smiled.

Getting up gently as not to wake her, Malfoy pulled the blanket higher over the girl's shoulders, over the nightshirt with the three undone buttons near the top. His hand trailed down her arm and she rolled over.

Looking around the room, he noticed that the fire had been re-stoked and was blazing gently.

Draco started pacing.

Something was bothering him; he had had a dream.

He paused mid-stride.

But he couldn't remember it.

The pace continued.

Twice he glanced at Hermione; her calm face and closed eyelids that flickered with sleep.

He felt tired, his grey eyes lidded, but something kept him up.

On a whim, a very insecure whim, he exited the Common Room; his veins screaming for fresh air and his mind scrabbling for a calm, noiseless room. The portrait hole swung open noiselessly and as he slid out, he was sure to close the picture with care.

Looking back in the frame, he saw the Fat Lady snoring on her little table.

He walked slowly, carefully, for he had no invisibility; that little gem was with Potter. As his footsteps reverberated off the stone, Draco lapsed into thought.

Perhaps just a short walk around the lake. It was dangerous, he might meet a teacher, but then… everything seemed so quiet the last few months. The lack of uproar was definitely due to the lack of… anything concerning the Slytherins.

Reflecting now, Malfoy had a pretty good guess as why Blaise was able to secure the upper hand on the House; he intimidated. And as for Pansy and the rest of the girls? Well, male Slytherins had always prized themselves on image, so they had no problem lapping up whatever propaganda Zabini was feeding them, but the women? He was probably terrorizing them, threatening them not to tell anyone about whatever he was doing.

But why?

If he was a Deatheater, if he did have the Dark Mark, then the answer was obvious- he was building a Slytherin army… of mostly males. He never seemed to trust women- even Pansy when they all use to be together. Malfoy never had asked why. Perhaps something led to his mistrust of the Slytherin girls.

As he stepped down into the Entrance Hall something banged up the staircase- a door had snapped shut. Draco swiveled around and saw something black and bat-like sweep around the corner.

His heat was beating loudly as he sprinted to flatten himself against the wall.

He waited a long while until he was sure there would be no other sound, doubled back, and crept up the stairs towards the movement that went off down the corridor. He pulled out his wand in the process.

From somewhere above, Malfoy could hear the wind crash against the walls of the castle, rattling the windows and sending a chill down through its hallways.

The brackets into which torches were held barred chilled wind as the long wicks flickered, nearly dying as their red flame dipped low against the wax. Red turned flame blue as the heat was whisked away by the breeze.

Who was strolling the corridors at this time of night? Zabini?

Malfoy's wand, held close against his chest, was steady; its tip pointed a fraction out in front of him.

A sudden chill swept the dark hall and goose bumps raised upon his flesh.

Draco wished he hadn't left his cloak back in the Gryffindor Common Room. Musing, Draco noted how particularly cold it was at this time of night.

The cold…

Draco ran a hand through his pale hair.

He had more pressing things to think about then the cold.

Something had been making his hair stand on end for months- the whole year even. It wasn't Blaise; he was a bother but it wasn't a hair-raising chill he got from the boy.

But this… person… strolling the corridors. This was probably the only time he would be able to investigate.

Malfoy kept his back against the stone wall, his body pressed against it as he slowly followed the sounds of softly padding feet.

There was no turning back now, he was bound to figure this whole thing out sometime, he just had to bite the bullet and take the plunge.

Grudgingly, very grudgingly, Malfoy wished Potter would hurry back from his fool's errand with Dumbledore. As much as he had grown close to the boy, if whatever kind of thin trust there was could be called 'closeness', Draco was still reluctant to admit he needed help.

Still, he would have liked to have a little more wand power- other than just himself- if anything should happen.

He certainly wouldn't have asked Weasel to come; he had enough problems to deal with apparently. With Harry gone and Ron dismissed as a possible companion, Hermione would certainly had accompanied him, but that would have been stupid and Draco knew it. If this… thing was dangerous, if what was going to happen would put him in harms way, then Hermione had to be kept out of it for as long as possible, she had to be protected.

Draco stopped short as he realized the footsteps he had been following had ceased. A breath shuttered from within his chest as adrenaline coursed through him, his heart beating loudly in his ears.

Slowly, Malfoy inched forward along the hallway to a cracked door that seemed to be etched right in the stone of the wall. Malfoy's jaw dropped open at the intricately carved wood and frame, his wand lowering by a fraction. Hollow sounds echoed from within the room and out into the hallway, spilling darkness.

Malfoy's wand snapped back up.

He could do this; he was Draco bloody Malfoy- the true Prince of Slytherin.

He wasn't afraid.

He sucked in a deep breath from between his clenched teeth and lunged forward, throwing open the door to the class room; it swung back against its hinge with a bang and the a pitch blackness emanated from within.

Squinting, Malfoy peered into the room, his wand out as he leaned farther in.

"Lum-"

With a brilliant light, the room illuminated, blinding Draco momentarily, his hand not holding the wand flew up to cover his grey eyes.

That wasn't his spell.

As the room dimmed, Draco's eyes adjusted. Slowly, his hand dropped, and Malfoy peered over his palm.

He froze.

It wasn't the pure whiteness of the room that had stunned him.

It wasn't the large oak cabinet erected in the center of the floor, rattling loudly, that had caught him off guard.

It was that, standing next to the cabinet, in the whitewashed room, was a figure leaning against the wood- one hand on the handle of the cupboard and the other on his wand, his silver white hair shinning and pale blue eyes staring.

A smirk crossed the thin lips of the lounging figure, a dangerous gleam reflecting in his cold eyes.

Draco couldn't speak.

He couldn't breath.

Draco Malfoy was staring at Draco Malfoy.

"No…" Was all that issued from Draco's parted lips as the counterfeit Malfoy raised his wand.

"Imperio!"

And the world dissolved.

.o.o.o.o.

It was lovely; just the pure whiteness that Draco had been wanting, aching for. Faintly, he could hear words and laughing, and a smile twitched over his lips.

Was it he who was laughing?

Was it Hermione?

His smile faltered and he felt his legs and arms stiffen.

Hermione?

Something told him not to relax, not to breathe, not to do anything. The laughter in his ears died.

If he was to be blissfully happy, he wanted Hermione to be there and yet, every time he thought of her, she was gone. At one moment he could see her fawn eyes and her bouncing hair, hear her sweet laugh- which was nothing like the maniacal giggling from before. But then, why was she gone once her memory resurfaced?

"Hermione!" Malfoy fell to the ground and something came up to meet him, sharp, stinging. His vision cleared momentarily and he saw he was sprawled out, the moving staircase steps below him. His knee had hit the sharp edge of one of the steps.

"Shut up! Shut up!" A haunting voice said in his ear. His own voice- Draco's voice- his own, his… "Get up, stand up! Imperio!"

Ah, nothingness, whiteness, blankness. Calm like the ocean pressing up against his ears. To be so relaxed. He saw Hermione smile at him in his mind; he smiled back. But then, the image faltered and Draco's mind was clear.

The Imperious Curse.

"No. No!" Draco was lashing out but the other Malfoy had both his wands.

The best way to resist this curse is to think of a subject/time/object (etc.) that not only clears one's mind and makes one calm, but also provides a good solid basis for complete thought and logic. Something familiar.

That was it.

Draco focused on Hermione so hard he felt pressure behind his eyes, and when he opened them again, he saw the seething Malfoy across from him, standing, as Draco was now crouched on the floor, sweat dripping off his forehead.

Something was wrong with the counterfeit Malfoy, for he looked strangled and lopsided, as if he was taller then he should be. Draco watched as the skin on the fake Draco bubble.

Polyjuice potion.

Draco's mouth dropped open as the figure holding a wand to his throat rippled and the façade slowly faded away.

Severus Snape stood before him.

"You bastard." Draco spat. "You bloody son of a-"

Snape kneeled down and pressed his wand to Draco's neck with more force.

"I would be quiet if I were you, Mr. Malfoy, lest the whole school comes running."

"I won't follow you! Potter was right, Potter said-"

Snape hit Draco's forehead and Malfoy's skull cracked on the stone behind it. He had been backed into the wall.

"I will hear nothing about Harry Potter! You will be quiet Draco! Crucio! Imperio!"

Pain and bliss mingled over Draco's body and as much as he wished to cry out in pain the only thing that gurgled passed his lips was a half laugh half moan that was bitten off in the end as he tried to close his mouth. Blood swept down his throat as he realized he had bitten his tongue.

"Up."

Draco stood shakily.

"Now, you're going to do exactly as I say."

Malfoy knew, after a few moments, that before, Snape had underestimated Draco. This new Imperius Curse was a redoubled effort and was borderline painful. Malfoy felt his wand press back into his palm and as much as he envisioned Hermione and as much as he wanted to hex the old Potion's teacher into the next century, his feet would only move as he felt himself go up and up and up flights of stairs.

Inwardly, he wanted to weep.

"Now Draco, you will do everything I tell you to. I know you know Occlumency but the Imperius Curse renders you incapable of countering my ability to invade your mind. Perform well, Draco Malfoy, Deatheater, and loyal one to Voldemort."

Malfoy could do nothing as Snape dissolved into the shadows and Malfoy was forced to climb higher to the Astronomy Tower door. He could hear noise behind it. The clamp on his mind tightened and the world spun dangerously under his feet.

"Aohomora!"

The door burst open and he jumped though it shouting, "Expelliarmus!"

The hazy figure before him's wand flew up into the air.

Draco fought himself, felt a Curse bubble up inside him, and tried to counter it.

"Avada- Reducto!" The wand of the figure's bust into a million little fragments and fell around the pair like rain. There seemed to be no one else in the tower.

"Good evening, Draco."

Malfoy felt his lips move as sweat rolled down his cheek.

"Who else is here?"

"A question I might ask you. Or are you acting alone?"

Malfoy's mind raced; it was Dumbledore. He had to stop this. He had to- Hermione, think about Hermione.

"No!" He shouted, and this time, it was his own real voice. But then, pain licked his body like fire and he ceased to think.

Moments later his mind seemed to reboot. Sound whizzed by his head like it was on fast-forward.

"… You're at my mercy." He heard himself say.

"No, Draco," said Dumbledore quietly. "It is my mercy-" he was about to speak but Malfoy suddenly burst though- painful though it was.

"Stop!" He shouted, his lungs burning, as he nearly fell over; his wand dropping. What would Hermione say if she knew what he was doing?

The Headmaster paused momentarily, leaning forward.

"No! Stop!" Draco clutched his head. "Get out! You bastard! Get out of me!" His hands came off of his silver head and his wand pointed back out at Dumbeldore, yet his hands were trembling and his wand dropped a fraction.

Suddenly there were footsteps behind him and whiteness was swirling again in his mind.

"Dumbeldore cornered! Dumbledore wandless, Dumbledore alone! Well done, Draco, well done!"

His head ached. His lungs burned. He couldn't think strait and he ignored the conversation carrying on without him.

There were banging noises behind him.

But his head, oh his head. Draco kept Hermione in his mind; her lips, her breasts, her smell…

"Now, Draco, quickly!"

But his hand was shaking so badly, his whole body was quaking.

"I'll do it." Someone said.

"No!" Someone else yelled harshly.

Draco screamed. He didn't know if it was outloud or not.

"Severus…"

Malfoy panted, his hands on his knees, and he realized he was doubled over, shaking. His mind was clearing; he could see what was going on. His lifted his head up, but with what little strength he had, it was all he could do.

Snape was gazing at Dumbledore, his back to Draco. Malfoy could see apprehension in his shoulders, see the man tense.

"Severus… please."

Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbeldore.

Malfoy twitched.

"Avada Kedavra!"

A jet of green light shot from the end of Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore squarely in the chest.

Draco's scream of horror reverberated around the tower as he bolted forward, stumbling; someone had pushed him from behind.

The Headmaster's body flew back and over the battlements and out of sight.

For all the old man's insanity and batty old ways, Potter had always spoke highly of him… he was the foundation of Draco and Hermione's ability to stand up to the school. He had given them courage, praise, and hope. He had accepted them. He was more a father, however distant, than Draco's own.

Draco felt tears running down his face.

"Now." Snape reached down and pulled Malfoy up by the collar. "We're getting out of here." Draco was being dragged across the stone.

Momentarily, though the haze of pain and loss, Draco realized that a silencing charm must have been placed over him- because he was still screaming, yet no sound issued from his lips.

A/n- I know Katie Bell was suppose to be back at school, but she's not. Heh. I hope the length makes up for the lateness.

I'm gonna be 18 on Saturday! Woo!

Review if you like it, love it, hate it. Maybe as a birthday present?