Nothing is Ever Easy

Author: Renegade Moon

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy are killed by the Dark Lord. But Draco is in danger too, Voldemort has vowed to kill every Malfoy so that he would be the one and only Slytherin heir. Draco has to change his identity, and that means a new appearance, a new name, a new life. Things will be hard for him. But then again, nothing is ever easy.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK Rowling, except the plot.

Author's Note: Hey everyone, here's the new chapter I had promised. See, it didn't take too long! Again, I apologize for my so very long absence. Please review, I need to know if people will be reading this, or it won't be worth continuing. So REVIEW, and FLAME ME too of you want, I don't mind. Flames can be useful. Thank you all and enjoy this chapter!!

Chapter 11 : Secret Powers

Draco sighed. "Come on, stop staring at me like that."

Harry, however, didn't take his wide opened eyes from Draco. Draco! He was Draco Malfoy! Harry blinked twice, then finally looked away. It was all so confusing.

The four of them were sitting on the armchairs beside the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, and Draco had explained everything to Harry and Ron. Harry looked surprised, like he couldn't believe such a thing. Ron, on the other hand, didn't seem to be taking this very well. His face was crimson and he was glaring at Draco.

"For how long have you known, Herm?" Ron asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. His tone sounded slightly accusing, and his eyes were still on Draco.

Hermione, who was on Draco's lap, glanced worriedly at her friend. "I don't know... A month or so, I guess..." she answered, fearing Ron's reaction. But to her great surprise, he only nodded, and turned his gaze to the window.

She turned to Draco. "So now, you and Harry have to look for the other two Heirs?"

"Yes, but we don't know how," Draco said.

Harry looked up at him. "You felt different when you saw me, didn't you? And my scar hurt, too. Maybe that's the sign. Maybe that's how we'll recognize the Heirs."

"Let's go to the library," Hermione said, getting to her feet.

The boys stared at her. "What for?" Harry asked.

She let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "To search through books, of course! There must be something, like a family tree or a book on the history of the Howarts Founders that could help us find their descendants!"

********************

On their way to the library, Ron gripped Draco's arm and pulled him a few steps behind. Harry and Hermione, who were in deep conversation about Godric Gryffindor, didn't even notice.

Ron looked at Draco straight in the eyes, a dangerous look on his face.

"I don't know how much you've changed, or how much you're pretending to have changed," Ron said through gritted teeth. "And I don't care you're fighting on our side for now. You may look different, but you're still Draco Malfoy to me."

Draco smirked— something he hadn't done for a long time.

"I have not changed," he said, yanking his arm free of Ron's grip. "I only hate and want to kill the same man you want to kill."

"I never trusted you, Malfoy. And I never will. I don't know why you're pretending to have fallen in love with a muggle-born, but I'm keeping an eye on you. Don't you dare hurt her, Malfoy."

"I'm not pretending, Weasel. And don't think I feel sorry at all for taking her away from you."

With that, he whirled around to catch up with Hemrione, took her hand in his and gave her a kiss, before glancing triumphantly back at a crimson, fuming Ron.

********************

It was getting dark when Madam Pince, the librarian, told them it was time for them to go away. They had searched for hours and had even missed dinner, but hadn't found anything.

"I'm tired," Ron yawned. "Let's go, we'll come back tomorrow."

"Yeah, that sounds like a wonderful idea to me," said Harry.

"I guess you're right," Hermione said, closing the huge book that was on her lap. "There's nothing here anyway."

The three friends waited, expecting Draco to say something, to agree, but nothing was heard. They looked at him and saw him staring at a book before him, eyes wide, unblinking and still as a statue.

"What's wrong, Drac—"

But Hermione never finished her sentence, as a blinding silvery light had emerged from the book Draco was staring at, and its pages flipped rapidly all by themselves. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light extinguished and the pages stopped turning, just as Draco blinked.

"What was that?" Harry exclaimed as he, Ron and Hermione rushed towards Draco to see what had happened.

"I-I-I don't know..." Draco stammered without taking his eyes from the book. "I just... I thought 'If only I could read this book through faster', and... that light appeared, and..."

He looked up at them as they waited for him to continue.

"And I read it through."

********************

Draco stormed out of the library, determined. Harry, Ron and Hermione were on his heels, as he ran back to the common room. It wasn't until they were back through the protrait hole that he stopped. Though it was saturday night, the common room was empty. It was about half past midnight, and everyone was already asleep.

"Harry," he said urgently. "Go get your Invisibility cloak, please."

Harry frowned. "How do you know I have a—"

"Please! It's important!"

"W-Well, ok," he said as he ran up the stairs to the dormitories.

"What the hell is that all about, Malfoy?" Ron asked menacingly.

"Call me Alex. Someone could hear you,' he answered calmly as he began pacing.

"I don't care if people hear!" Ron spat, ready to punch Draco in the face.

However, Hermione stepped between the two. "But I care," she said sharply. "Stop that, you two. You'd better not fight, ok?"

Harry came back with the cloak and handed it to Draco, who put it over himself. "Do you see me?" he asked.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all shook their heads, confused. Draco took the Invisibility cloak off and threw it over Hermione's head.

"Do you see her?" he asked again.

"Of course not!" Ron said. "That's what the cloak's supposed to do, make you invisible."

"But Draco sees me," said Hermione's voice from somewhere behind Ron.

"What?" Harry and Ron exclaimed as one.

Draco ignored them and fell onto a couch, his head in his hands.

"So I've already got Salazar Slytherin's secret powers, then."

They all stared at him.

"But it can't be," Harry protested, as they sat on the couch in front of Draco. "Dumbledore said the heirs would only inherit the powers by doing a ritual."

"I know..." Draco said thoughtfully his brow furrowed. "Someone else must have done the ritual. Someone who wanted the powers."

"But I thought only the Heir could inherit the powers," Ron asked.

"So it must be someone who thought he was the Heir," Harry added.

Draco shot to his feet. Sudden realization lit his forest-green eyes, but they were soon filled with sorrow. So now he knew why his parents were dead, and why he had to hide from Voldemort.

He turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Voldemort killed my family, and tried to kill me. When he thought I was dead, with all the Malfoys gone, he was to be the only Heir left for Slytherin. So he did the ritual. But he doesn't have the powers now, I do."

"So now he's coming for you," Hermione finished.

********************

That night, Draco was unable to sleep, so he decided to go on another of his late night walks on the Hogwarts ground. As silently as he could, he got up from his bed and threw his cloak around his shoulders. He made his way out of the castle and towards the lake, but was surprised to see that someone was already there.

"Hermione?! What are you doing here?" Draco exclaimed when he recognized the figure throwing rocks into the water.

She jumped and turned to see who it was, and Draco saw that her eyes were red from crying. "Same thing as you, I suppose. I couldn't sleep."

Draco walked to her and put his arm around her waist, kissing her on the cheek. "What kept you awake?" he asked, "And what made you cry?"

She shook her head, her eyes glistening. "I'm so worried, Draco! Dumbledore told you and Harry to find the two other heirs very quickly, but how are you supposed to find them? You can't make everybody stand in line and examine each of them to find the right ones. I don't understand how Dumbledore expects you and Harry to find the heirs without everyone finding out the truth about you and those secret powers..."

Draco remained silent. She had just voiced his own thoughts and worries. There was nothing he could answer to that, nothing that could be said to ease the pain of the uncertainty that awaited them. When he became Alex White, Draco had erased his past and built a new one. It had been easy enough. But he couldn't do that with his future; he couldn't create it, or make it all up. What would happen, would happen, and right now there was nothing he could do. Perhaps, when everything is finally over, he would be able to erase everything again and make up his own story. But for now, he had to suffer the anxiousness and the fear of not knowing what lay ahead. And he hated that feeling.

"I love you, Hermione," he whispered in her ear as they sat at the feet of a huge willow. She looked surprised to hear him say that, and he felt his face go slightly red. He hadn't even realized he had said it out loud. She huddled close to him and kissed him passionately. They stayed this way for a long time, watching the silvery moonlight reflecting on the lake, neither of them saying a word.

"Draco," Hermione asked quietly after a moment, breaking the silence between them. "When all this is over, will you change back to your old self?"

He was a bit startled by his question. "No, I can't. The potion I took to change my appearance is permanent."

"No. I didn't mean your physical self."

a/n: hey guys, here you are, I hope you liked this chapter. I know that last line might seem a bit strange. My sister didn't understand it. But then again, my sis is stupid, so it figures. lol. Anyway, if it doesn't make sense, just tell me, but mostly, REVIEW!!!!!!