A/N: Hey thanks to all you wonderful reviewers! Especially to Pyrobabe and SweetiePiePirate! You guys are awesome! You two made my day!!...

Bad News:

The following week all of Hogwarts talked of only two things: the ball and the upcoming Gryffindor vs. Slytherin quidditch match a week from Saturday. So Tuesday morning on the way to potions it was no surprise that Harry, who had been named team captain the week before, and Ron were lagging behind Hermione and Autumn and were talking about last nights' practice and the first upcoming match of the season. When they arrived at the dungeons they joined the rest of the Gryffindors that had elected to take the potions N.E.W.T. class. (There weren't many of them.) At exactly eleven o'clock Snape banged open the dungeon door and the crowd (if you could really call it a crowd) of Gryffindors entered the dark, damp dungeon along with quite a few Slytherins, and a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Snape had just set them to work making a very complicated potion, not fifteen minutes into class when the door opened and Professor McGonogall entered. She made her way to Snape's desk where he was shuffling some papers and leaned over to talk to him quietly. Suddenly his face resembled a thunder cloud that was getting darker by the minute.

"Malfoy, Potter, Professor McGonogall needs a word with the two of you."

Snape said, his voice leadened with the promise of a heavy rain. McGonogall made her way back to the door where she waited as Harry and Draco got up and made there way through the rows of workbenches. Harry could feel the entire class's eyes borring into his back. Just before the dungeon door swung shut he heard Snape bark at everyone to get back to work.

Five minutes later Draco and Harry both re-entered the room both with expressions that rivaled that of Snape's a few minutes before. Slamming his book on the table Harry began to ready the ingredients for his potion. Hermione and Autumn who were working across the aisle from Harry and Ron exchanged worried looks. When Harry mashed his frog's eyes a little too hard and they sprayed all over a stunned Ron Hermione leaned across the aisle and muttered a cleaning charm seconds before Snape sent a menacing look in there direction.

"Harry are you okay?"

She whispered anxiously.

"What did McGonogall say to you?"

"Tell you later,"

Harry said through clenched teeth as he began to re-mash his frog's eyes.

"So?"

Hermione asked the instant they were released for lunch.

"They've moved the match to this Saturday."

He growled. Ron's face quickly turned a fiery shade of red.

"How can they do that?"

He practically shouted.

"I don't know mate but they have. We'll just have to throw in a few extra practices. Come on Ron, before Slytherin has the field booked solid."

And with that the two ran off up the staircase towards McGonagall's office.

After dinner that night Hermione went directly to the common room where she spread out on one of the tables to do her homework. She got a half an hour of peaceful work, in which she managed to finish her Ancient Runes homework and get a good start on a Transfiguration essay. Then suddenly the portrait opened with a bang and Draco slammed his way into the room.

"Well I hope you're happy."

He sneered at a startled Hermione.

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?"

She retorted angrily.

"Your pathetic little friend Potty managed to book the quidditch pitch solid for the next three days that's what!"

Draco was practically shouting now.

"Well if that is all than I would say that you're the pathetic one and I have homework to finish so if you can please carry on your little tirade elsewhere…"

She replied. Draco couldn't come up with anything else good to say(that's a first!) so he slammed his way up to his room where he stayed for a grand total of about two minutes before coming back down, giving her a scathing look and slamming the portrait shut behind him so hard that Hermione could have sworn the tower shook. To hours later Draco still hadn't returned so Hermione scribbled on a piece of parchment and attached it to the door to his staircase before heading up to bed herself. The second Hermione disappeared up her winding staircase the portrait swung open and Draco entered the now empty common room. He had just been to see Professor Snape and was deep in though about the quidditch match which would explain why he jumped at a sudden tapping on one of the windows. Looking up he saw that there was an owl at the balcony doors. Walking over he opened the doors and the bird flew into the room landing on the nearby sofa. Swallowing hard Draco approached it to see what it was carrying. He knew that bird. It was his father's. Taking the letter from the owl it hesitated only a few seconds before taking flight again. Sitting on the armchair he opened the letter anxiously.

Dear Son,

The letter began.

I hope that you are enjoying your Head Boy duties.

Pausing for a moment Draco closed his eyes. This didn't bid well. Lucious never said things like this, unless he was really, REALLY pleased, and that couldn't be good.

I am writing to inform you that I have been discussing you with our Lord and to let you know that he is very pleased with your successes at school. Though I don't see how being second to a mudblood in grades is worth congratulating. Our Lord is greatly looking forward to your upcoming eighteenth birthday in February and therefore your initiation and becoming a Death Easter at last. You will return home over the midwinter holidays for the ceremony. I expect that you will be ready to join our Lord's service forever and that you will not humiliate me again.. You will also be returning to the manor for the Christmas holidays.

Lucious

By the time that Draco finished reading the letter his heart was pounding in his chest. February. That wasn't much time left. He wasn't sure he wanted to be a Death Eater. He didn't want to be in service to anyone. But he didn't really have a choice did he? I mean he certainly couldn't tell that to Lucious not if he wanted to live to see his birthday. But there just wasn't anyway out. Sighing in frustration he crumpled the letter in his hand and chucked it into the fireplace. He watched as the flames licked at the parchment at it turned to ash. Getting up he saw the note Hermione has left him.

Draco,

I suppose we will have to work on planning the ball after the quidditch match on Saturday.

Hermione

"Terrific,"

He muttered under his breath and climbed the winding stairs to his room that was decorated in the green and silver of  Slytherin house. Shedding his robes he climbed into bed and tried to stop the steady stream of thoughts that were flowing through his head.

Draco. That was how she had written his name in that perfect handwriting of hers. Since when was he anything but ferret boy or just simply Malfoy?

Finally sleep overcame him and he drifted into a dream filled sleep.