A/N: Thank you for the reviews! I know at least that I haven't been desserted! Just wait and see, I know so far, it may seem boring, but it's really about to get interesting! big adventure ahead. Also, I need to change the storyline. The story has turned out a little different than I had planned! Anyway, Please R&R!!!!!

Chapter 11

It was now Thursday and Malfoy had decided that his plan to get the trio into the Forbidden forest would suffice, if not, he had a back-up plan. He made sure he kept close to the trio in the two days he had left before he would execute the perfect plan. His father was taking care of the rest.

Consequently, spending time with the trio had its surprises. Malfoy found that Ron was an excellent Wizard's Chess player and Ron found that Malfoy was quite a challenge at the game too. Although, Harry got miffed when Ron said he would be happy to play Malfoy at Chess anytime, coz he was much more of a challenge than Harry.

Hermione found Malfoy to be quite intellectual, and spent a number of hours pouring over books with him and discussing their theories about various subjects. Malfoy regarded this with some outward relief, having an intellectual conversation with Hermione was a nice change from the pointless and dull conversations he had with Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry discovered that Malfoy loved quidditch just as much as he did, and found that he actually enjoyed talking with him about the sport. Malfoy enjoyed this interaction with Harry too, but on the inside, Malfoy was at war with himself over this whole thing now! He was starting to…dare he say it… warm up to the three Griffindors! He hated himself for actually enjoying their company! However, he couldn't deny that a tiny part of him felt almost grateful for their acceptance of him. He knew it was hard, especially for Harry and Ron, but in true Griffindor style, they had worn their hearts on their sleeves, just to give him a chance.

At these thoughts and feelings, Malfoy shuddered. Time for another talk with his Father!

On the Thursday night, the trio sat in the Griffindor common room and they had brought Malfoy in with them, much to the discomfort of their fellow Griffindors.

They were talking quietly about how interesting Potions had been that day when all of a sudden there was a loud popping sound and Malfoy jumped, having been startled at the unexpected noise.

Harry and Ron laughed at Malfoy's response and Hermione cast him a reassuring look.

"It's okay, Malfoy, it's just the notice board letting us know there's a new notice!" Hermione said getting up and walking over to the board.

After a few seconds, Ron got curious at Hermione's expression. "What's it say, Mione?"

Hermione turned to them looking a little flustered. "Dumbledore is hosting a ball in honor of Professor Snape's birthday!" she replied.

The three boy's jaws dropped simultaneously as they gawped at her.

"Snape's birthday?!" Ron spluttered. "Since when in the five years that we have been here have we ever even been told about Snape's birthday?!"

Hermione shrugged. "Well….never, but he does have one, and Dumbledore probably thinks it would cheer him up!"

Harry snorted in laughter. "Is it even remotely possible to 'cheer' Snape up? I'm sure his face would crack if he tried to smile."

Hermione continued to look flustered.

"When is it set for?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione bit her lip and frowned. "This Saturday night!" she replied.

Ron and Harry stood up so fast, they sent the chess pieces flying all over the place, and a castle piece smacked Malfoy in the forehead, but he was too disturbed to notice.

"Saturday night!" Ron and Harry cried in unison.

"But that's in two days!" Harry said in panic "What's with the outrageous amount of short notice!?"

"How are we supposed to get dates in such a short space of time!" Ron bellowed, flinging his arms around in protest, causing Malfoy to have to duck to escape being swatted.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It doesn't state that you need to bring a date!"

"But still!" Harry protested. "It's just weird to go alone!"

Ron nodded vigorously in agreement.

Malfoy rung his hands in frustration. This was going to complicate things! Why did Dumbledore have to pick that night to host Snape a birthday party?

"Are you worried too, Malfoy?" Hermione's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He looked up to find the trio looking at him.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked them.

"You were doing this." Ron replied as he wrung his hands and contorted his face to match the expression Malfoy had worn.

Hermione and Harry nodded.

Harry pointed at Ron. "Yeah, just like that!" he said as if to verify.

Malfoy snorted a laugh. "No way," he said shaking his head in disagreement. "I'm not that ugly!"

This comment earned him a cushion in the face with love from Ron.

This led to the three boys engaging in a cushion fight and several Griffindors exited in haste for fear that Malfoy would start throwing hexes around in anger. However, the worst Malfoy threw was a gigantic couch cushion at Harry, knocking him to the floor where-upon Ron and Malfoy dog piled on him.

The three of them howled with laughter, while Hermione flitted around calling out warnings like; "Now really, some-ones going to lose an eye!" and "You'll all be sorry if McGonnagall comes in!"

Malfoy was having such a good time, he quite forgot about talking with his Father.

After a while, they settled down and sat on the couches, which now had their cushions back in place.

The three boys sported a mussed-up look. Harry's hair, if it was possible, looked even messier, Ron's was in his eyes and over his ears and Malfoy's was poking out in all directions. All three of them were bright eyed and rosy cheeked from their battle.

"Well, I suppose I had better head back to my dorm." Malfoy said as he stood up. "It's late."

Harry and Ron and Hermione walked with him to the portrait door and saw him out bidding him goodnight.

When the trio were alone, they looked at each other, at a loss for words.

"Not bad once you get to know him!" Ron said cheerfully.

Harry agreed and Hermione sighed contentedly.

On his way back to his common room, Malfoy encountered several students who all gave him funny looks. Some shocked, some repressing laughter.

He was about to grab a terrified first year to interrogate, who had been gaping at him in shock, when one of his fellow Slytherin's passed by.

"Hey, nice hair Draco!" the boy had pointed out, before laughing. "Is that a new look or what?"

"What are you talking about Zambini?" Malfoy demanded.

Blaise Zambini sauntered casually over to Malfoy and the struggling first year and produced a mirror and then handed it to Malfoy.

Malfoy let go of the perplexed first year and the greatly relieved child tore away down the corridor as fast as his feet would carry him.

Malfoy raised the mirror so he could inspect his reflection. He let out a yell of fright, almost dropping the mirror. "Oh hell!" he cried. "My hair!!" he pulled out a comb and smoothed his hair back, slicking it into the usual style. Once he was satisfied he handed Blaise his mirror back and bid him goodnight and not to mention the hair incident to anyone, in spite of the fact that he had been seen by others!

The next day, Friday, was buzzing with news of the ball. Students were rushing around in a panic. Girls were asking each other what they were going to wear, and who they were going with. Boys were rushing around asking girls out.

The trio were happy to go with each other, they always went as a threesome, that way none of them felt left out. Although, several boys had asked Hermione, she politely declined their offers.

Malfoy had approached them at lunch, inquiring who was going with whom and when they had told him they were going all together, he asked if he might join them, as he didn't want to go on a 'date' with some pathetic simpering girl.

The trio welcomed him to come along and arranged to meet outside the great hall at 7:00pm the following night.

On the Friday night, Malfoy had summoned his Father through the Slytherin common room fireplace again.

Lucius appeared and strode out of the fireplace brushing his robes off.

"What is it now, boy!?" He asked anxiously "Is everything working out ok?"

"It's going just as I planned Father," Malfoy replied, ignoring the heavy guilt that was weighing his heart down. "The problem lies in the fact that Dumbledore has arranged a ball for tomorrow night to celebrate Snape's birthday."

Lucius Malfoy curled a lip. "That does present a problem!" he stated. "Still, you should be able to lure them out into the forest without any problems!" he finished confidently.

Malfoy avoided his father's eyes. "Yes father!"

Lucius eyed his son with suspicion. "Is there something wrong, boy? You seem downhearted about something."

Malfoy hesitated before shaking his head. He couldn't tell his father that he was actually enjoying being around the Golden Trio, especially Hermione! His father would hex him into oblivion!

Lucius continued to eye Draco suspiciously. He knew his son well enough to know that something was bothering him. No matter, Draco would tell him eventually.

"Tell me, Draco, how are you going to get them out there?" His father asked, almost eagerly.

Malfoy raised his eyes to look up at his father. "I thought about telling them that Snape needed some ingredients for his potions store, and that he had requested the four of us to go out into the forest to gather the ingredients." He replied.

Lucius raised one eyebrow. "Hmmn" he said thoughtfully "it perhaps would have worked if this confounded ball hadn't gotten in the way!"

Malfoy shrugged.

Lucius looked suddenly enlightened. "Tell me, Draco, just how close are you to the little Mudblood now?"

Malfoy's head snapped up and he paled for a moment, before he realized his father had been referring to his plan, not his actual feelings.

"She's hook line and sinkered, father!" he replied.

"Excellent, I did think her rather gullible!" Lucius said smirking evilly. "And what of Potter and Weasley?"

"They have accepted me father." Malfoy replied.

"Wonderful!" Lucius praised "I trust you have a back-up plan, Draco, to get them into the forest?"

Malfoy nodded almost sadly. He was beginning to feel bad about doing this whole thing.

"Well, what is it?!" His father said expectantly.

Malfoy sighed heavily. "I tell them that there is something really interesting in there that I think they would be very interested to see."

"As gullible as they are, not to mention curious fools, that should work quite nicely!" Lucius said evilly. "Try not to be late, Draco, we don't like to be kept waiting!"

Malfoy nodded as his father stepped back into the fire, and was gone.

Just then, there was a tapping at the window, and Malfoy went over to let in the snowy-owl he immediately recognized as Potter's owl, Hedwig. She held out her leg to him, displaying a letter from Harry.

Malfoy took the letter.

"Wait a moment." He told Hedwig as he opened the letter.

It was from Harry, Ron and Hermione telling him that they had planned to go to Hogsmead tomorrow morning to get birthday presents for Snape, as Hermione thought it rude not to and asked if he would like to come too, if so, requested that he send a letter with his answer back with Hedwig.

Malfoy scribbled his reply on a piece of parchment he found lying around, and tied it to Hedwig's leg. She sat looking at him expectantly and he looked back at her, thoroughly confused.

"What is it?" he demanded. Then it dawned on him. "Oh, you want a treat!"

He went to his bag of owl treats that were initially for his own owl and offered one to Hedwig, who appeared to inspect it before looking at Malfoy suspiciously.

"Just take it, will you!" Malfoy said impatiently. "they are for my owl, so they are the best owl treats that money can buy!"

Hedwig then took the owl treat and soared out of the window, heading for Griffindor tower.
Malfoy watched her go, then retired for the night, the events of tomorrow night weighing heavily on his heart. The only thing keeping him seeing his plan through was the thought of the Dark Lord being pleased with him.

Hedwig flew through a window in the Griffindor common room and landed next to Harry, holding out her leg to which Malfoy's reply was tied.

Harry took it off and read it aloud to Ron and Hermione. "Dear Potter and friends. I would be delighted to accompany you, weasley and Granger to Hogsmead tomorrow morning, I shall meet you at the bottom of the grand staircase at 8:00am. Yours truly, Draco Malfoy."

Harry held out an owl treat to Hedwig. She looked at him reproachfully.

"Hedwig, don't you want your owl treat?" Harry asked her.

He got an indignant hoot in reply. Apparently, since Malfoy's snack had been so enlightening to her pallet, she regarded the treats Harry offered with disdain. She grabbed the owl treat anyway, but didn't give Harry the usual affectionate nip on the finger to thank him; instead, she directly flew back out of the window towards the owlery, carrying the cheap treat in her beak to give to one of her owl friends.