AN: thanks to all who are reading my story and thanks mostly to the one who are correcting my little mistakes. I have to apologise for writing Zambini instead of Zabini and I was wrong in writing that Ginny met Tom in her second year, it was her first year. So thanks to everyone who helps me to make it better.

13.

Hermione was wandering in the castle without really looking where she was going. When she turned an angle she bumped on Harry. He smiled at her "I was looking for you" and then he added "I heard that Malfoy insulted you."

She smiled at him "Yes, but don't worry. I'm not upset about it. After all this years I'm immune to his offences."

He looked at her sceptically "Are you sure? You know that you can talk with me about anything."

She thought a bit about his words and then she said "Harry promise me that you won't get angry with me."

He nodded and she went on "Well, there is something that I have to tell you and it's about Draco. I, hum, I'm seriously thinking about his marriage proposal."

Harry was shocked "Hermione I hope you aren't serious. Tell me that I haven't heard you right."

Hermione paled at his plea but she decided that it was time to start fooling her friends about her marriage. "Harry, I'm so sorry. He is different when we are alone. He wants to marry me because he likes me."

Harry laughed "Please Hermione I don't believe a word of what you are saying. Tell me what's going on."

Hermione lowered her head and some tears fell on the ground "I'm sorry Harry. When I received his petition I was shocked but then I started to think about it and it didn't sound that bad. Do you remember that you couldn't find me the night of my birthday? Well I spent it with him and I had a great time."

Harry remained silent for a while. Too many things were passing through his mind. Hermione was starting to worry and she took his hand in hers "Please Harry, say something."

He took away his hand and tried to contain his anger and jealousy "You lied to me about your birthday's night and about your feelings."

She was getting desperate for his forgiveness "Harry, you told me that you loved me. How could I tell you that I was falling for him?"

He looked at her with disdain "You were sad that night because of him. The person you were desperate to impress was he. And I, as a stupid, kissed you while you were pining for Draco Malfoy!"

She nodded "Yes Harry, he asked for a chance. At the beginning I didn't accept his offer but then I realised that everyone deserves a chance. Today we had a little disagreement but nothing really important. He is not that bad Harry, you should give him a chance too."

Harry moved away from her "Hermione I need time to absorb what you said. I'll talk to you another time" and he left for the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione was left alone with her thoughts. On one side, there was Draco the boy she has grown to like and on the other, Harry the boy she has sworn to protect and to be loyal to. She was so distressed because Harry hadn't taken the news well and she was scared that he would do something to Draco.

She decided to visit her mentor, the man she would trust with her life, Severus Snape. He surely would help to keep Harry away from Draco.

Near the lake…

Blaise was walking with Ginny around the lake, when he spotted a bench which was overlooking both the lake and the forest, he took her there. He was scared of Ginny's reaction to his offer. He was very nervous and he didn't know how to start the conversation.

Ginny was aware that something was wrong with her boyfriend, she could feel his tension and when the silence became too much she blurted out "Do you want to break up with me?"

Blaise was shocked "Why should I do such a thing?"

She smiled feeling better "I don't know Blaise. You took me out here and I can feel your nervousness so I thought that something was wrong."

He smiled at his smart girlfriend "Something is wrong but it's not this. Ginny, I received a proposition from Severus Snape. There is no easy way to say this, so I will just explain you everything and then we can talk about it." She nodded and he went on "He wants us to become spies for the Order. He wants us to infiltrate the Death Eaters' ranks. I know that it's a very dangerous task but I want to do it. But if you don't want, you shouldn't do it."

Ginny's mind was swirling with thousands of thoughts, to spy and to see Tom. She sighed, how she had missed him! He was evil but the time they spent together when she was younger had been a dream. He looked so handsome and he had been a good talk. She wanted to see him again, no, she needed to see him again. She put on a brave mask, Blaise shouldn't know the reason of her decision.

"Will my family know that I will be a spy?" she asked and Blaise nodded "then there isn't anything to discuss, I'm going to do it and with you at my side everything will be all right."

Blaise eyed his girlfriend. He had known of her adventure in her first year with The Dark Lord and sometimes he thought that when she was telling him of that times she had a strange look in her eyes. Longing. Did she still have feelings for the Dark Lord? Was her acceptance only an excuse to see him again? Blaise shook his head in the attempt to get rid off these thoughts.

He smiled at her "Then I will tell Severus that we accept." She was pale but resolute when she nodded again her consent.

Heads common room…

After her talk with Severus and the meal in the Great Hall, Hermione was going back to her quarters. She had been reassured when Severus promised to keep his eyes well open in order to avoid Draco and Harry's confrontation.

And now, she was very curious about Draco's confession because she couldn't really imagine what had happened to both Pansy and Draco to make him switch sides.

Draco was pacing the common room. He was very nervous and he didn't know whether it was too early in their relationship for the kind of things he was going to tell her.

She entered the common room almost holding her breath. When she saw him, he stopped pacing and nervously he passed a hand in his hairs. She smiled at him and after kissing him softly, she took his hand and led him to seat on the sofa.

He was trying to think how to start and when he looked at her beautiful eyes full of warmth he started speaking. "Hermione what I'm going to tell you may change our relationship forever and at the moment I don't know if it will be for the best or for the worst."

She was starting to get nervous as well. "Draco, just tell me what's happened and I'm sure that no matter what, we are going to be fine."

He smiled at her optimistic thinking. "Hermione as you know I have never been a nice person. By the beginning of my fifth year I started to be even nastier than usual. The only person I allowed closer to me was Pansy. Contrary to everyone's belief, she wasn't in love with me. She was my best friend, I loved her like a sister. At least, now I know that it was love, at that time I was too young and too close minded to see it."

Hermione was very alert. She was listening carefully.

He went on "At the end of the fifth year, you, Potter and some others managed to send my father to Azkaban. I was angry with you all. I already hated the world and so I decided that I wanted to join the Death Eaters. The Dark Lord was very pleased with me. I was the more willing to kill and rape muggles. I didn't care about anything I just wanted to see people suffer."

She was surprised by his admission and maybe a bit sick to hear which kind of things the Death Eaters did.

He took a long breath and then started again "During the holiday, I used to write to Pansy every day and we used to see each other once a week. She was going out with a guy but she never told me his name or who he was. I assumed he was some pureblood wizard but I was wrong. She was seeing a muggle guy."

Hermione was shocked, she couldn't believe it. "Pansy was involved with a muggle?"

He nodded "Yes, if she had told me, I may have prevented what happened but she kept quiet about him and then, one night at a dark revel they brought her. Her parents had discovered her with the muggle, they had killed him and taken her to the Dark Lord for her punishment."

Hermione paled, she was thinking about how cruel they had been.

"We were in the circle with her in the middle, I knew what was going to happen and I was stepping forward to defend her. In that moment I didn't care about loyalty or anything I wanted to save my best friend. But she shook her head, she looked at me and I understood."

Hermione was seeing tears in his eyes, Draco Malfoy was crying in front of her. "What's happened then?"

He took again a calming breath. "She stood up and she faced the Dark Lord. What she said is still etched in my brain. She said that blood didn't matter at all and that we should all live peacefully with each other. She said that she loved that muggle and she didn't regret her choice. She would never forget about him. The Dark Lord was enraged and Crucioed her but she stood there without uttering a single word. He then ordered us to" and then his voice broke "to do whatever we wanted with her."

Hermione took his hands in hers, they were so cold. He was crying but he still went on "I knew then that she was going to die a painful and slow death so I did the only thing I could think of. I Avada her. It was my way to tell her that I loved her."

Draco was so upset but he decided to finish his tale "The Dark Lord wasn't pleased with my action and he sentenced that I should take Pansys' place."

Hermione was breathless, she didn't believe she could move or say anything at the moment. What kind of torture did he suffer?

He then finished his story "After that night I had two things in mind. To avenge Pansy and myself. But mostly I thought about what she said and I now believe that blood doesn't make me better than you. So Hermione, do you think you can stay with a man who killed his best friend?"

AN: Thanks for reading. Next chapter we hear Hermione's relpy.