Disclaimer: I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.

This Sick Strange Darkness Comes Creeping on So Haunting Everytime

Draco was awaken late that next morning by his father telling him that his presence was required immediately by the Dark Lord. As he began getting dressed preparing to go to his father's old office on the opposite end of the manor, Draco was struck by an overwelming sense of relief that could only come from Hermione having gotten his message and understanding what it is that she must do. It amazed him that for the first time in the last week he could actually take a deep breath and let it out with a feeling of relaxation that instantly brought a smile to his face. In the distance he could here a song in his head that he wasn't completely familiar with:

I swear that I can go on forever again
please let me know that my one bad day will end
I will go down as your lover, your friend
give me your lips and with one kiss we begin

Are you afraid of being alone
cause I am, I'm lost without you
are you afraid of leaving tonight
cause I am, I'm lost without you

I'll leave my room open till sunrise for you
I'll keep my eyes patiently focused on you
where are you now I can hear footsteps, I'm dreaming
and if you will, keep me from waking to believe this

Are you afraid of being alone
cause I am, I'm lost without you
are you afraid of leaving tonight
cause I am, I'm lost without you

Are you afraid of being alone
cause I am, I'm lost without you
are you afraid of leaving tonight
cause I am, I'm lost without you
are you afraid of being alone
cause I am, I'm lost without you
are you afraid of leaving tonight
cause I am, I'm lost without you

I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you
I'm lost without you

It must be from Hermione...something she's listening to or maybe she's trying to send me a message. He focused on the words more closely as the irony and the message came into focus...

I'll leave my room open till sunrise for you
I'll keep my eyes patiently focused on you
where are you now I can hear footsteps, I'm dreaming
and if you will, keep me from waking to believe this

Some way, some how he needed to get to her tonight before sunrise in her dream for a meeting..or at least he hoped that's what it meant....

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back at hogwarts

"I felt him Harry but I'm still not sure if this is a good idea. I mean if the next time I feel him envading my mind, I start reciting this song, he might get the wrong idea and if he can't come tonight I won't be able to explain." Hermione stated venting her worries.

"We have to catch Voldemort off guard. He thinks Draco has a direct link to you. It might actually be better if he believes that your fighting him somewhat. Nothing is ever that easy and not be a trap. At least this way it will seem more natural and if Draco knows anything about you at all he'll understand why we have to do it this way. We need just a little more to prepare the proper meeting where Voldemort will think that you've switched sides at Draco insistance but we'll be waiting for them." Harry reasoned with her.

"It's the only way to divert suspicion away from Draco should we fail to destroy He Who Must Not Be Named." Ron said quickly coming to Harry defense.

"I suppose you're right but I'm having a hard time with the words because it's not fair without warning him first." Hermione followed.

Love was very new to her and she didn't want to do anything to make Draco question her motives or feelings. He was extremely vulnerable right now and while being surrounded by evil it made for the kind of situation where maybe he would be swayed to side with the Dark forces. Ginny sensing something was wrong decided to remind Hermione of what she knew of the new Draco.

"He sought you out remember, he doesn't want anything to do with them or their cause. You have to trust in him to make the right decision or it will never work." Ginny told her.

"I know but sometimes it all just seems to be too much for ones so young to have to deal with. Wizards and witches that were older and wiser couldn't destroy him, what makes us believe we can?" she retorted.

"Because we have Harry and the prophecy. We have to believe in each other and the roles that we are meant to play in this. Even if we fail, at least we tried and never backed down to somehting so obviously evil and wrong. Remember what your Gryffindor heart is telling you to do and not what your human heart fears it will lose." she returned and then turned to leave Hermione to her own thoughts.

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to Malfoy Manor in a darkened study

Draco was standing at the entrance to the study in a state of complete obdience awaiting the Dark Lord's instruction as to what was needed of him. His thoughts kept wandering to the muggle born witch that he is smitten with despite his best efforts to force those images from his mind. When Voldemort finally acknowledged his presence he almost jumped out of his skin.

"Young Dragon, I have called you here to begin the next phase of your training. While our plans for the mudblood are progressing nicely, I have decided to allow you additional information as to our plans and your prominent role in them. Once the mudblood is sufficiently under your spell, you will convince her that her friends will never condon your relationship and begin to alienate her from them. Potter and the Weasley clan will begin to notice her withdrawl from their attentions and it will be your responsibility to keep them at bay so that we can begin the mind control similiar to Imperious curse but not quite as obvious. We must weaken her spirit and make it so that the only person she trust and believes in is you so that her dominence will be assured. After that is achieved then we can torture her until she is merely a shell of a person that will obey your every whim. You will have complete discretion as to what extra activities she will be expected to comply with so long as it doesn't distract her from our ultimate goals of informer status. Is this understood and agreeable to you?" he offered.

"Yes, of course my Lord. But aren't there limitations due to her taintedness that I have to consider?" he asked.

"Not especially." Lucius offered. "Entertain yourself as you see fit. Seduction and love can be used as a weapon to disarm even the most determined of individual once they are disgraced and tossed to the way side. Just make sure not to allow any personal attachments to occur as your reputation will be dependent upon your actions and possibly reactions as well."

"Yes, father. Will there be anything else?" he asked.

"Yes, we will try another connection before you are excused. Let see what the little mudblood is thinking about with all that we have given her." Voldemort mused.

Draco sat in a chair closest to the Dark Lord, he closed his eyes and began to search through the fog of his mind while calling out to her. Looking for a memory or glimpse of a picture that would guide him to her. A dark, swirling image appeared to him with a faint picture of her in the distance, sitting on her bed with puffy eyes and an unmistakeable ache painted across her face. Muffled sounds of music in the background that pulled at his heart as soon as they began to come into focus. The song was playing over and over again much to his dismay, not a love song or an inviting one but instead quite rough and biting in its demeanor. Instantly he got a sense of foreboding that this would definitely not please Voldemort as the words began to play in stereo, growing louder and louder with each verse..

I'm drunk off your kiss
For another night in a row
This is becoming too routine for me
But I did not mean to lead you on
And it's all right to pretend
That we still talk
It's just for show, isn't it
It's my fault that it fell apart

Just maybe
You need this
And I didn't mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There's no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you
(My friends over you)

Please tell me everything,
That you think that I should know
About all the plans you made
When I was nowhere to be found
And it's all right to forget
That we still talk
Its just for fun, isn't it
It's my fault that it fell apart

Cuz maybe you need this
And I didn't mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There's no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you
(My friends over you)

Just maybe you need this
You need this...
And I didn't mean to
Lead you on

You were everything I wanted
But I just can't finish what I've started
There's no room left here on my back
It was damaged long ago
Though you swear that you are true
I still pick my friends over you

The song and her presence did not match and it confused him more and more as he watched the scene unfold. Was this a part of the plan or was their another message hidden somewhere deep in the creavise of her mind. Too many riddles and too much to hide with the only answers to be had were too many miles away. He would have to tend to those matters this evening in the cover of darkness but not before he dealt with a very displeased Dark Lord who was pulling him out of the dream like state with a great amount of force at that very second.

"The mudblood has spoken to someone and there is now a very distinct riff that must be attended too." he surmised.

"How do you suppose we should that my Lord?" Lucius asked.

"Simple. Dragon must return to Hogwarts early to try to put our original plan into motion and seperate the mudblood from the light side as quickly as possible. If you fail Dragon, the punishment will be severe and swift. We will give one month, your mark will summon you to us and will require her presence as well. Now go and pack as you will return to school in the morning." he commanded.

As Draco left he was filled with the anticipation of seeing her again but the dread of a one month timetable to end this all for good or evil. Waste not, want not....no rest for the wicked...evil is as evil does...and every other cliche imagineable came to his mind but he clung to his motto as his last remaining hope....its better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all. Back at his room, he welcomed the strange darkness once again to try to send a quick message to Hermione as to the change in plans and his arrival the following day. The haunting feeling came back with a flash and tunnel appeared with her delicate face and the end of tunnel and the sounds of a much more welcoming scene filling the gaps of conscienceness...a melodic chorus playing ever so softly rolling off her lips as she stood in the bathroom preparing for some unknown event...he concentrated on the song because the voice haunted his dreams as the singer was one of her favorites.....

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase


When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me

You used to captivate me
By your resonating life
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

Throughout the song, Hermione would take small breaks to wipe tears away and pray that nothing would ever take him away from her but as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end she realized that he alone was there with her but she couldn't or maybe wouldn't hear him because her head had began to betray her heart and the confusion just wouldn't go away.....all she could think was how he reminded her of ghost shrouded in darkness haunting her from a distance completely out of her reach but still close enough to promote extreme danger to all she loved.........