A/N: Phew! Two chapters in one night! I'm worn out, but anyway, hope you like it! Please R&R!!!!

Chapter 9

The three tired, and somewhat traumatized students followed Professor Snape as he carried Hermione into the castle with their heads hung low. They new just by looking at the expression on Snape's face that they were in big trouble, so none of them dared say anything.

Snape led them all the way up to Dumbledore's office where he unceremoniously pried Hermione off of himself and tossed her into a chintz armchair where she landed with a squeak.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk surveying the students with a twinkle in his eye.

Snape was the first to break the silence. "What were you four thinking!!?" he snarled. "Falling off the astronomy tower like that!"

They all looked up at him, surprised. He seemed almost like a worried parent!

"And you!" he added rounding on Malfoy. "I would have thought you would have more sense than to go gallivanting off with Griffindors, and not just any Griffindore's, these Griffindore's!!!" he said in a sneering tone. "What were you doing with them anyway?"

Malfoy glanced at the trio, who were watching him intently, and met Hermione's eyes. They reminded him of Doe eyes. Harry and Ron looked like they were asking the same question.

Malfoy looked back to Snape and shrugged. "I was having fun, sir!" he replied simply.

Snape glared. "I trust it was a one time thing, Mr Malfoy, otherwise, what would your father think?"

Malfoy didn't seem phased by Snape's obvious threat to tell his father, after all, his father wouldn't be so bothered when he told him why he was befriending the Golden Trio.

A crunching noise interrupted them and they all turned to Dumbledore, who was cheerfully munching on a lemon drop.

At this sudden attention, Dumbledore held out the elaborate dish that held his favorite sweets. "Lemon drop anyone?"

They all shook their heads.

"Ah, well, your loss!" he stated. Then he got down to business.

"Now, tell me. What were you all doing up on the astronomy tower?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

Harry spoke first. "We were having a sleepover / homework night, Professor." He explained. "I suggested the sleepover and Hermione suggested it might be a good opportunity to do our Astronomy homework while we were up there."

Dumbledore nodded, then motioned for them to go on.

Ron took over. "We finished our Astronomy homework first, then we told ghost stories and stuff. Then Malfoy showed up!" he said calmly.

Dumbledore looked at Malfoy.

Malfoy nodded. "Yes sir, I did, I heard voices while I was in my common room and looked out of the window and saw Granger sitting on the wall in her nightdress. I got curious and went up there to see what she was doing, and found Potter and Weasley with her. They asked me if I wanted to join them, I did, so I ... well did!" He told Dumbledore truthfully.

Dumbledore nodded calmly, surveying the four over his half-moon spectacles. "And how did the four of you come to be hanging off the astronomy tower?"

"That was my fault, Professor!" Hermione piped up.

Everyone looked at her. Harry and Ron's eyes shone with pity. Malfoy kept his expression blank, afraid they might see something he didn't want anyone to see. Snape glared at her as if to say he thought as much and Dumbledore inclined his head at her, urging her to speak.

"I was standing near the wall, and Harry's owl, Hedwig came over, looking for a place to land, so I offered her my arm, and slipped as I leant over. Ron caught me just in time!" She explained.

"And then I started slipping, and Harry caught me!" Ron put in eagerly.

"And I started falling too, so I called to Malfoy to help too!" Harry added.

"So then I grabbed Potter and we both went tumbling off the tower, luckily, Potter managed to grab hold of the wall." Malfoy said as-a-matter-of –factly.

"And we hung there until you and Professor Snape came to our rescue." Hermione finished.

"I see." Dumbledore said chuckling.

Snape looked at him, frowning. This wasn't funny!

The four bemused students looked at each other as Dumbledore started to laugh so hard, he could hardly breathe!

Snape was getting impatient. "Headmaster, I think a punishment is in order!" he said beseechingly.

Dumbledore finally composed himself. "Excuse my laughter, children, it's just that I have never heard anything so funny for a long time!" He wiped a tear from his twinkling blue eyes and turned to Snape. "I think, Severus, that hanging from the Tallest tower in Hogwarts for 10 minutes is punishment enough, don't you?"

Snape was so mad, he had to excuse himself from the room and bade goodnight to all before sweeping off down to his dungeons to scream into a pillow.

"Well, I think all is well, so it's off to bed with you!" Dumbledore said good naturedly as he swept the four towards the door.

Harry turned to him. "Thank you, Professor!"

Dumbledore smiled warmly. "Don't mention it, Mr Potter!" he leaned down. "and just between you and me, I got up to more mischief than you could ever imagine when I was your age."

Harry grinned before following the other's out of Dumbledore's office.

As they walked through the corridors to get back to their common rooms, Malfoy watched Hermione as she padded along between Potter and Weasley with her head down.

He shook himself to shake off the strange feeling that he could feel creeping over him. But he couldn't resist stealing another look at her. She was rather pretty, and she looked like an angel in her nightdress.

'no!' he scolded himself silently 'she's still a mudblood, and anyway, you can't get too attatched to these three! You have a plan to go through!'

Malfoy smirked as he recalled his plan. He turned his smirk to a smile as Hermione's head turned to look at him.

She smiled back and then continued walking.

Malfoy's smirk returned. He reckoned he might just have Granger won over. All that was left was Potter and Weasley.

They stopped when they came to the point where Malfoy would need to go a separate way to get to the Slytherin common room.

Harry stepped forward. "Thanks for coming, Malfoy. We should do it again sometime."

Malfoy laughed. "If it involves a death-defying dangle from the astronomy tower, I think I'll pass, Potter! But thanks anyway!"

He shook Harry's hand.
Next, Hermione stepped up. She hesitated for a moment.

Malfoy looked at her, wondering what she was going to say, and was caught by surprise when she leaned in and hugged him.

"I'm sorry I almost got us all killed!" she said tearfully.

Malfoy patted her back awkwardly, "That's okay, Granger, it was fun!"

She pulled away and stepped back in beside Harry.

Ron was next. He held out his hand. "Well, night Malfoy. Glad you didn't die or anything." He said gruffly. He still didn't trust Malfoy one little bit!

"Thanks, Weasley, that means so much to me!" Malfoy deadpanned, as he shook Ron's hand and put the other hand over his heart.

Ron blushed and stepped back in beside Harry and Hermione.

Malfoy flashed a wink at Hermione and bid them goodnight and went his separate way as the three Griffindor's went theirs.

Up in his deserted common room, Malfoy went straight to the fireplace and summoned his father.

Lucius Malfoy appeared and stepped out, unharmed by the flames, dusting soot off of his robes.

"Draco, you called?" He asked surveying his son.

"Yes father," Malfoy replied. "I need your advice!"

Lucius sat down on a chair. "Certainly, my boy, you may have it. What is this about?"

"Potter, Granger and Weasley." Malfoy replied.

Lucius raised one well groomed eyebrow. "I'm intrigued, do go on!"

Malfoy went through his plan with his Father, and when he was finished, Lucius Malfoy was grinning like a maniac!

"That's a wonderful plan, Draco, and you say you already have Miss Granger won over?" he asked eagerly.

Malfoy nodded. "yes, father. She trusts me more than Potter and weasley at any rate!"

Lucius clapped Malfoy on the shoulder heartily. "I am proud of you, boy!"

"when should I execute the plan, father?" Malfoy asked, his grey eyes twinkling malevolently.

"I think this Saturday night would be ideal." His father replied proudly. "Now I must away inform the others, you know where to go!"

With that, Lucius Malfoy stepped into the fireplace and disappeared.

Malfoy was left alone once more, excited about Saturday and what was to come.

He made his way to his dorm room, and got into bed.

Something was bothering him, however. A niggling feeling he couldn't quite place, he'd never felt it before, so he shrugged it off and closed his eyes.

In the Griffindore common room, Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in front of the fire, drinking hot chocolate and generally recovering from their ordeal.

The subject broached Malfoy again.

"I'm telling you, I don't like it!" Ron insisted.

"Ron, we've been over this!" Hermione groaned. "Give him a chance!"

"There's just something about him! I don't trust him! He's up to something, I can feel it!" Ron protested. "Harry, help me out here, mate!"

Harry nodded. "He's right Mione, he's acting a little too nice, if you know what I mean!" he offered.

Hermione looked to be considering this fact. "Do you really think so?" she asked doubtfully.
Harry and Ron nodded briskly. "definitely!" they chorused.

Hermione turned her gaze to the fire and stared into the flames. "I just think that he could be really reaching out for help!"

Harry frowned. "What do you mean, Mione?"

Hermione took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Well, what if he's reaching out a hand to us to help him change? What if the reason he seems to be being too nice is because he is trying so hard to make us see that he's changed!"

Harry contemplated this carefully, he agreed with Hermione, but there was a small part of him that was telling him to be on guard.

Ron shook his head, he was having none of it. "Well I think he's up to something. Probably setting us up so he can humiliate us in front of the whole school!"

"Oh honestly, Ron!" Hermione snapped.

Harry looked concerned for a moment. "What if Ron's right, Mione? What if it's some sort of elaborate plan to humiliate us? I mean, he has tried to pull stuff like that in the past and he is a Malfoy. Being mean is second nature to him!"

Hermione pondered Harry's concern for a moment, and shrugged, almost doubting herself. "I just think we should stick by what we said this morning and give him a chance." She said softly.

Ron and Harry sighed.

"Okay, Mione, you win. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt." Harry said, giving in.

"Thank you." Hermione replied.

"As long as we can hex him stupid if he tries anything!" Ron added sternly.

Hermione giggled. "alright, I agree!"

Happy with that, they finished their hot chocolate and retired for the night.

Hermione lay awake in bed for a while longer and thought about Malfoy. Harry and Ron obviously weren't comfortable with him at all, but at least they were trying. Malfoy seemed to be trying very hard to be nice to them, extending the hand of friendship as it were, and she felt sorry that her two best friends were shunning him. This made her feel more drawn to take Malfoy's side. A fuzzy warm feeling crept over her and she groaned. "Oh no! not this!" she groaned aloud. "Not a crush on Malfoy!!"