Where are you and I'm so sorry

A darkness had overshadowed Draco ever since he boarded the train and had to leave Hermione behind, especially considering how upset she was. All he could think about was her no matter how hard he tried to stop. He knew he needed to stop before he saw his father or Voldemort or they would know about he love for the mudblood (their word not his). As the train pulled into the station he didn't see his father or his mother...quite to his displeasure he saw Pansy's father standing there. I wonder what's up, Draco thought to himself.

"Your father sent me to get you as they are all preparing for your training." Mr. Parkinson directed.

"Where will we be going, sir?" Draco asked.

"Home." and that was all he said before the apparted.

"Well, it's about time you got here." Lucius seethed.

"Sorry Father." Draco replied with his head bowed.

"The Dark Lord has been waiting for you." he returned.

"Yes, sir. Shall I go in now?"

"Yes, and don't disappoint me or you know the punishment will be severe." he replied coolly.

"My Lord, where would you like me?" Draco said submissively. He could see a cloaked figure with evil yellow eyes staring at him from a chair in the middle of the room. He didn't look as fearsome as in the dream but that he was sure would change if angered.

"Ah, the Slytherin Prince has finally arrived. I have great news for you my son, you have been chosen for a delicate mission, one which will yeild you whatever you desire and more. But first, we must apprise you of some of the most feared and difficult of dark curses so you will be prepared when the moment presents itself. Do you have any questions?" hissed the cloaked figure.

"No, my Lord, I only await your orders." he replied.

"Excccccccellent, now go get the others so that the ceremony may begin."

With that Draco turned and left the room to retrieve his father and the others. He was sent to his room to change and prepare to receive the Dark Mark, he stood in his room and prayed that this wasn't happening but it was. Hermione give me the strength to do what needs to be done and give me refuge from the guilt for the evil I must do right now. Just then there was a knock at his door to indicate that the ceremony was ready to begin. He took one last look in the mirror and thought to himself...I will remember you always Hermione and turned, put his hood up and walked to the ceremony like a condemned man walking the long mile to his death....

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Hermione had finally fallin asleep and Ginny was in the room watching her while the others were out in the Heads' Common Room discussing the day's events. Hermione's complete loss of control scared the rest of them because they now feared that if something were to happen to Draco that she would shut down completely. They all knew she wasn't happy about Draco becoming a deatheater or the danger that it put him in but they had no idea she felt sooo strongly about it that it might endanger her mental or physical state. Of course, Harry and Ron should have known better if they had really been thinking about her best interests and feelings instead of the prospect of taking out Voldemort. All they were thinking at this moment was, my God, what have we done?????

In Hermione's room, Ginny was listening to some of Hermione's music on her CD player and reading the cases with the liner notes to pass time when she began to her slight moans and groans coming from her. Please dear Lord, let her be having a good dream and not a nightmare. She didn't think she could handle another out burst with as hard as it had been to calm her earlier. Ginny had been trying to find an upbeat CD to listen to just in case Hermione woke up, she didn't want anything sad to be playing as it might get all riled up again so she ultimately decided to listen to this band called "Sliva" as they looked like a bunch of wizards with the long dark hair and dark clothes. For some unknown reason she stopped and listened to this one song which was a fast paced song but the words were a little distrubing, she was trying to convince herself to stop the song but she was memesorized by it:

"I hear a voice saying "don't be so blind"

it's telling me all these things that you would probably hide

am i your one and only desire?

am i the reason you breathe or the reason you cry?"

"Always, always, always, always

I just can't live without you"

"I love you, I hate you

I just can't get around you

I love you, I hate you

I just can't live without you

I just can't take anymore this life of solitude

I guess that I'm out the door and now I'm done with you"

While the song was playing Ginny thoughts were on Harry and all the feelings that she thought she had put aside for now..they each had their own boyfriend or girlfriend and it wasn't each other...but she couldn't help but take the words in and start to feel angry...

"I feel..like you don't want me around

I guess I'll pack my things, I guess I'll see you around

It's all been bottled up until now..

as I walk out your door..all I hear is the sound"

"Always, always, always, always

I just can't live without you"

Her mind kept going to Harry and Ron not letting her in on what was happening to Hermione and Draco and how mad she was and how hurt she felt...and what is that sound...who's talking...

"Stop right there....don't think...close your mind...NOWWWWWWW!!!!"

"Who's there???" she asked out loud and looked around the room.....Hermione was asleep still, so who said that? Then it dawned on her and she leapt up and ran out of the room screaming at the top of her lungs for Harry, Ron and anybody else who could try to help her......

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Meanwhile, back at Malfoy Manor.....

"You must concentrate to break through her mind...I will help you at first...but we need you to do it on your own soon so we can see what the enemy loves and needs...what his weaknesses are." hissed the cloaked figure.

Draco was trying his hardest to send a message to the only person he could reach...his concentration was breaking because he was having to block Voldemort from seeing his mind while breaking into the youngest Weasley's. Finally he broke down and for the slightest of a moment Voldemort could see one face clearly....Hermione. He started to laugh as he thought he saw something from Harry's mind, not understanding that it was actually from Draco's and then the connection broke.

"Well done my faithful. It appears that boy has a fondness for the mudblood. She just may be the pawn that we need to complete the plan." laughed the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, should I try to befriend the mudblood, gain her trust and then wait for your orders?" asked Draco knowning full well that was going to be the plan.

"Yes, my loyal servant, she will be instrumental in trapping and disposing of my weakness. His heart will not allow him to wisely once she is in our control." He said approvingly. This young man was going to prove to be a valueable asset to him yet. He is smart and resourceful, yet, willing to please.

"What happens now, Father?" inquired Draco to his father.

"Now it's time for the marking." he said flatly.

There was a small coal fire set up in the dungeon with what looked like a hot poker in the shape of a skull with a snake surrounding it heated to an orangish red just waiting for him as he walked into the room. Deatheaters were surrounding him chanting something in Latin which sounded like a bunch of jubberish to Draco as his father walked to him with the Dark Lord watching on. He instructed Draco to hold out his left arm with the palm, exposing the inner part of his wrist and repeated another phrase in Latin and then proceeded to place the hot poker to his son's bare flesh. Draco took a deep breath of air and swallowed hard throught the pain...5..4..3..2..1. And then it was over except for the stinging, burning sensation and the distrinctive charred smell of flesh to fire. There was great roar of jubilation and many pats to his back followed by words of celebration and congratulations. The rest of the group drank and talked into the wee hours of the morning with Draco went upstairs to dress his wound and prepare for bed.

Once he was upstairs and away from the celebration, Draco let his mind rest and tried to use his new power to locate and talk to Hermione. He couldn't reach her, he couldn't connect to her and his only thoughts turned to the song he heard resonating in his mind when he reached the Weasley girl. He knew the song but the words just wouldn't leave him...they turned over and over like a broken record....

"I love you, I hate you

I just can't get around you

I love you, I hate you

I just can't live without you

I just take anymore this life of solitude

and now I'm done with you"

Could have have blocked him out? Is she done with him now that he's a Deatheater and can invade their minds? Maybe she thinks that they've turned him against her or that it was all just a ploy? Maybe she doesn't love or believe in him anymore....

"I left my head around your heart

Why did you tear my world apart?"

Songs had always represented so much between them, was this her way of letting go of him? But if it was, how could she know that he would hear it? Or was the Weasley girl trying to turn Hermione against him? No, they wouldn't do that. Something else must be going on....but what?

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As Ginny came running out of the room, everyone turned and looked at her to see what the problem was. Harry and Ron jumped up to try to calm her down when she started to frantically spurt everything out all at once at a hundred miles an hour.

"Just calm down and try to tell us what is going on, is Hermione alright?" Harry urged.

"Yes," she said after taking a couple of deep breaths. "It's just that I was in there listening to some music, it was this song that was making me feel, well, really angry and I wanted to turn it off but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Then I started thinking about the Draco and Hermione situation and how you guys had left us out and my anger was growing more and more and then I thought I heard something. So I started to look around but no one was there and then this voice from no where told to close my mind and stop thinking. At first I didn't know what was going on but then it hit me.."

"What hit you?" Ron urged.

"What Harry said about what it's like when Voldemort's in his mind." Ginny said.

That piece of information caused the other two girls to gasp in horror at the thought that Voldemort had invaded her mind. Maybe he knew everything now...oh no this can't be. Draco would be in terrible danger not to mention the rest of them.

"No, No, you don't understand. It wasn't Voldemort that was talking to me...it was Draco." Ginny explained.

"But how?" Harry wondered.

"Maybe it was a part of his training. Maybe he contacted me so that we would know that Voldemort's going to trying to get into our heads." she finished.

"We have to wake up Hermione and tell her before something happens. You know how vulnerable we are in our sleep." Ron said.

At that point, they all got up and went in to check on her and see if they could get her up...

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Draco laid in bed alone that night only thinking of Hermione and trying desperately to reach her. He needed to find her and tell her he loved her so that he could put his mind at rest. He just kept thinking of their last night together, thinking of the perfect gifts they had exchanged and if he succeeded in his plans, how perfect their lives would be. He needed to listen to some music, that would calm his mind. Goodness it has only been less than twelve hours since he left her but it seemed like years. This has to be love, there's no other explanation. That thought brought a smile to his face as he would never have believed it possible a mere six months ago.

As the song started to play, Draco didn't know if she was gone from him but he was struck by the fact that if she was, it still would all have been worth the last couple of months just to feel this way at this moment...

"This may never start

We could fall apart

And I'd be your memory

Lost your sense of fear

Feeling insincere

Can I be your memory?

So get back, back, back to where we lasted

Just like I imagine

I could never feel this way

So get back, back, back to the disaster

My heart's beating faster

Holding on to feel the same

This may never start

I'll tear us apart

Cannot be your enemy

Losing half a year

Waiting for you here

I'll be your anything

This may never start

Tearing out my heart

I'd be your memory

Lost your sense of fear

(I'd be your memory)

Feelings disappear

Can I be your memory"

Help me Hermione....find me....where are you....I'm sooooo sorry but it's the only way....where are you....I need you.....

Finally, he drifted off to sleep and thankfully to a beautiful dream. Hermione and him in a garden surrounded by friends and family...oh yes, he knew this dream well he thought and settled into joy of it not even realizing that this time there was an extra guest....an uninvited guest.........