Chapter Three
Good Byes and Train Rides

Ariana sighed, "I don't know yet, but one thing I do know is that you can't stop this alone. From what I've gathered at least twelve of their son's are going to be keeping watch and reporting back to their fathers. You need help."

"But I've helped stop things before." Draco protested. He didn't like asking for help, he preferred to do things himself.

"This is some not small plot by a few Death Eaters or a memory this is an army. You will need help." Ariana explained. Draco knew where this conversation was heading and he didn't like it. "You need to ask them for help."

Oh joy them. The 'Golden Trio' of Gryffindor; Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Why out of all the people on God's green earth did he have to ask them for help?

"Look, you are going to have to ask someone for help and why not three someone's who have faced Voldemort before?" Questioned Ariana.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Because they won't. You think I haven't tried? Remember I offered Potter my friendship and he flat out refused me." Draco fumed.

Ariana now watched Draco storm around his room and mutter to himself whale putting on a new robe for dinner. Once he had calmed down a bit Ariana started to talk again.

"I'm not telling you that you have to make friends with them, although it would be a very large step up from Crab and Goyle, just to work together for the common good." Ariana reasoned floating behind Draco as he reapplied his hair gel.

"But they hate me. I'm 'their worst enemy' they wouldn't help me even if I was dying." Explained Draco. "In fact Potter and Weasley would probably be the ones to kill me." Draco sighed and continued to get ready for dinner. "How do I look?" Draco asked stepping away from Ariana to let her see.

Ariana sighed and thought a moment. "What about Hermione?"

Draco gave Ariana a very strange look and said, "What about her?"

She ignored his question and glided over to his desk where his Hogwarts letter still laid. "Isn't she a Prefect?" Ariana asked. Draco only nodded. "Why don't you ask her?"

"She wouldn't help." Draco stated.

"Why wouldn't she? I mean from what you've said about her and that 'spew' thing. I mean she tried to free the house-elves!" Ariana laughed even after two years the thought of Hermione's S.P.E.W. campaign still caused her to laugh.

"Yeah," Draco chuckled. "She would be the one to help, if any of them. But a problem; how do I get her alone? She's always surrounded by people."

Ariana shrugged and disappeared as they heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Draco asked as he finished fastening his robes.

"Charles sir, I've come to inform you that dinner is served." Then with a short bow he left. Draco gave himself one last look and followed the butler to the dining hall.

Dinner was finally over and Draco was about to leave to talk to Ariana about how to ask Hermione for help. Yes he was going to ask her for help. Some time during the third course he finally made up mind that he would brave the know-it-all Gryffindor Prefect and ask for her help; after all, it was for the good of the wizarding world.

"Draco I want you to meet me in my private study in ten minutes." Lucius rose from the table and left the rooms with his long black robe billowing out behind him. Draco looked down at the table and Narcissa held back a cry. He got up from his chair and walked over to his mother.

"I'll be fine mother." He said hugging his mother. After a moment he pulled back and gave a sad smile, "He can't do anything to bad, I'm leaving for school in the morning."

Narcissa sniffled and nodded. Draco gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and left to see his father.

Draco reached the large wooden door with large snaked carved into it. He knocked twice waiting to be called in.

"Enter." Said the cold voice of Lucius from behind the door. Draco entered the large room decorated silver, green and black, a patriotic Slytherin if he ever saw one. No wonder Potter and his friends, along with over half the school thought that he was Slytherin's heir. Lucius nodded and Draco took his usual seat in front of his father. He looked at his son over his drink and smirked. "Today I was visited by an associate of mine and do you know what he told me?" Asked Lucius

Draco shook his head no and Lucius continued.

"He told me that out Lord is planing his attack on that school of yours and cleanse it once and for all." His smirk widened. "He also said that the Lord wants information on the school and that you will be providing it."

Draco's stomach flip-flopped and he felt as though he would either be sick, faint or scream. Of course he did none of these, for a Malfoy never shows his emotions.

Seeing his son's emotionless face Lucius continued, "Kohr's son is very eager to please the Dark Lord and will be assisting in anyway he can. So are everyone else; Goyle, Crabbe, Nott, Zabini, Anders, Young, Melnik, Screen and the DeVore twins. Now tell me what do you think?"

"What does the Dark Lord plan on doing?" Asked Draco.

"During the winter break there will be another ball, courtesy of Miss Kramer, we will attack. Knowing Dumbledore the old fool will be too into the ball and then we will slip in unnoticed." Lucius sat back in his chair and stirred his drink and continued, "You will be sending me the details of his little dance, which I will then relay to our Lord"

'Our Lord' Draco inwardly cringed. He didn't want to serve that man, if you could call the deformed monster a man, he didn't want to be a Death Eater and feed of the fear of others. He wanted to be himself. However, if his father knew this Draco would be killed. A disgrace to the Malfoy name, so he just nodded.

"Good." Lucius said and Draco stood up to leave. "I didn't dismiss you boy. Sit back down." Sneered Lucius.

'Oh no.' Draco thought as he sat back down.

"Now about last night and the new news that Miss Parkinson told me." Said Lucius.

Draco looked confused and asked, "What news father?"

"The news that you didn't see fit to tell me about." Draco still looked confused and didn't say anything. "I'll tell you then. I was informed about how you let that mudblood Gryffindor slap you in front of your entire grade." Explained Lucius. He was still talking in a calm quiet voice and this scared Draco because he knew what was coming, and it wasn't going to be good. "Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

"It was along time ago and I-" Draco trued to explain but was cut off by his father.

"I don't care how long ago it was. If Pansy could remember it, what makes you think that the others don't?" Lucius stood from his chair and was now only a few inches form where his son sat.

"But-"

"No 'buts' Draco, weakness will not be accepted in this family." Lucius then through his drink across the room, it smashed against the black marble mantle causing the flames to rise higher for an instant. "Now I think it only fair that you be," he paused. "Reprimanded." Lucius turned to the fireplace and stared into the flames for a moment then he picked up the fire poker and stirred the logs.

Draco inwardly flinched as his father made his way back over to where he was sitting but with the fire poker in his hand.

"Stand up boy." Ordered Lucius. Draco did so looking away from his father's gaze. Lucius was now standing in front of his soon once more and raised his new weapon to his chest and hit it off his other hand. "Turn around."

Draco did and waited.

The first blow came across his shoulder blades. Draco faltered a bit.

"That boy was for not telling me immediately."

The second came, hitting him from his left shoulder blade to his right side, he closed his eyes and bit his lip in order to not cry out.

"That was for the year that went by without telling me."

The third came along his mid back. Draco gritted his teeth.

"That was for the next year. And this is for find out from Pansy."

The final blow struck his lower back. Draco knew that he wouldn't be able to sit properly for a good while.

"Now leave." Lucius dismissed Draco with a wave of his hand. Draco nodded and started for the door. "Oh and be ready at ten, Philip will be taking you to the platform." Said Lucius whale pouring himself a new drink.

* * * * *

"Hurry up!" Screamed Mrs. Weasley as she ushered everyone to the wall between platforms none and ten.

Mr. Weasley looked at his watch and ran faster. "Come on children! Only twelve minutes left!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley all began to run faster towards the plat form. Ron spotted the barrier first and went right through followed by Harry, Ginny and Hermione.

"Oh thank Merlin we made it." Panted Hermione, rubbing her side.

The four made there way on to the train and with a goodbye to Ginny the three sat down in their compartment.

"We made it just in time." Harry said as the train started to leave the station. Hermione gave him a 'thank-you-for-telling-me-something-that- I-already-know' look, Harry just shrugged and Ron laughed.

Draco had made his way to an empty compartment and tried to sit down but the pain in his back prevented him from doing so, so he opted for lying on his stomach again. However, his peace was short lived when Crabbe and Goyle thundered into the small room and sat opposite from Draco, which was not an easy task because they seemed to have gotten bigger over the summer holidays (if that was even possible). After five minutes of mindless talking between the two of him Draco stood up and left.

Draco was walking towards the bathroom when he heard Pansy's screechy voice from behind him.

"Draco!"

"Damn." He muttered under his breath, he then started to walk a bit faster. In hopes of loosing her he quickly ducked into a near by compartment. He held his breath and looked through the fogged glass to see Pansy's figure move safely past the door. Draco let out a sigh of relief and faced the compartment, only to find three very confused looking Gryffindors staring at him. He cleared his throat, "Hi." It took every bit of self-control and his promise to Ariana not to call Ron a fish, because he was doing a very good job with his big eyes and his mouth opening and closing.

Hermione was the first to speak, "Malfoy?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"Granger." Greeted Draco bowing slightly, but wincing in pain.

"What are you doing here?" Asked a very puzzled Harry, who didn't know weather to be mad or just very confused.

"Hiding from Parkinslut." Draco shrugged.

Hermione laughed at this. She had heard the rumors about Pansy and all of the stories about her and her late night 'friends'. "I'm surprised that she doesn't know what a car is."

Draco laughed at what Hermione had said because it was true. "Your right she doesn't, I asked her last year and she just stared at me!" Hermione started to laugh harder and Draco felt good for some odd reason, he like it when she laughed.

* * * * *

"Bored now." Ariana sighed as she floated around Draco's room. He had only been gone for about two hours and she was already bored. It was going to be a long year. "Maybe I'll go see what was for breakfast."

Ariana made her way to the kitchens and was in the process of floating in a left over plates of biscuits when a strange tingling sensation passed through her. She started to glide out of the table it felt like she was moving through peanut butter. She got out of the table but still had the same feeling so she looked down and her eyes got wide, there was a biscuit right in the middle of her stomach. Shakily she reached in a grabbed the offending piece of food and took it out letting it fall on the floor.

"Alright that was not normal." Ariana turned to the staircase, she didn't want to take the risk of getting stuck in the wall, and started to glide up. Half way up the tingling sensation grew and turned into a slight burning. There was a flash of white light and she fell on the top landing.

"Ow." Ariana lifted her head and looked around. "Pain." She winced her breath ragged. Then it dawned on her: she could feel pain. She hadn't felt anything sense she was alive. She got up and ran to the nearest mirror and she saw her reflection staring back at her but she wasn't transparent. She touched her cheek and wispered; "I'm alive. Or at the worst solid." She smiled and continued to look at herself in the mirror.

"I have to tell Draco." With that she tore down the many hallways, corridors and staircases until she reached a tapestry with the Malfoy family crest on it. "I, Ariana Malfoy demand you to let me pass." The tapestry slid open to reveal a huge room with hundreds of silver plates on the walls. Every plate had a Malfoy's name engraved on it and behind that was their wand.

Ariana walked down the many rows until she found her own. She pulled the drawer open and took her wand out. "Oak, ten and three quarter inches, and the heart string of a dragon." She smirked and put her wand in her pocket.

She left the wand room and headed for the outdoors, silently thanking God that Lucius was called away on important Ministry business. Once she was out side and on the far side of the lake she took one last look at the manor and said,

"Good bye." And with a soft pop she was gone.

* * * * *
AN: Don't hit me! I know it's been like what? A really long time and I am sorry so here is the next chapter and hopefully the 4th one will be out somewhat soon. Again thanks to all of the lovely, wonderful, beautiful, amazing, glowy reviewers. I heart you all. Love Francinator