DISCLAIMER: All characters, settings, and magical occurrences were all conceived and created in the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Nothing except the glorious plot is property of mine. No profits are being made from my writing.

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Chapter 11

Time didn't seem to place to slowly since he'd had his discussion with Remus days before. He still hadn't brought himself to go back to his quarters to speak further but the animosity was gone between them. That alone left Draco feeling better. Even if it was only a little.

The night he decided he'd finally stop by and have the conversation they desperately needed to have, he was summoned. If there were such a thing as bad timing, that was it. He was only thankful he'd fully recovered from his last summoning. And deep down he was silently praying he'd not have to endure anything like that again for a long while. Did that make him weak?

He walked as quickly as he could to the Forbidden Forest and apparated out and to Malfoy Manor to meet his father. It was only two hours later that he found himself back in the Forest again, only a slight tinge of pain hindering him as he made his way back to the school.

He was rather surprised to find Remus awake and waiting for him. He always seemed to know when he'd be there. And he was always a reassuring sight to behold when he got there. Remus ushered him right in and onto the couch to lay down, not wanting to take any chances again.

"It wasn't that bad tonight. He seemed in a relatively good mood." Draco tried to be reassuring. He really felt better than he had at most meetings he'd been to in the past. There had been more important things on his agenda that night and Draco luckily been able to sink back into the background without much notice. Until Voldemort had needed a report on Potter.

"Don't say that. The things he does are never anything less than terrible. You don't have to do this anymore. You don't." Remus sounded almost as though he was pleading and he hated sounding like that to him. It was one thing to say it all to Dumbledore but not to one of the biggest suppliers of information that the cause had. What made Remus even more mad was that they looked at him as just that.

"You know I have to as much as I do. If I don't go I'm as good as dead."

"Yes but you almost are if you do." Remus was trying to reason now. Anything to make him see. If he was at the same risk going, why did he feel he had to? At the beginning it had never bothered him as much.

"But at least I can feel like there's some purpose to my life. Sev's time is running out, we all know that. Pretty soon all of the dependence will be upon me. I have to do it." He rationalized almost in the tone he used when he forced himself to go to the summonings.

"There's purpose to your life without the Death Eaters, Draco."

"Well until now I never felt like there was. Like I was doing something worthwhile. I have to do this. Please don't make me feel bad about this, Remus."

"I'm not trying to. I'm just making sure you're doing this for you and not because you feel pressured." He admitted sinking back into the armchair beside the couch.

.-.

Ron had never run to the Common Room so fast. Maybe to the Great Hall at Breakfast time but never back to his room. There was definite cause this time. His eyes had to have betrayed him. It was the only rational explanation. He felt stupid for his pace for he knew as soon as he got up there, Hermione and Harry would explain to him how unjustified his worry had been. At least he hoped they would.

The pair of them were in the Common Room even at such a late hour with a few hours. Seeing Ron's face they quickly found a quiet corner to discuss things out in private. Ron was glad for that indeed. Hermione studied him hard for a moment before being the first to speak.

"Ron, whatever has you in a huff like this?" She questioned, crossing her arms across her chest. She might have looked disinterested to some but Hermione was dying to know on the inside.

"I think I may have some bad news. I think there's a Death Eater at Hogwarts." Harry stiffened instantly. He knew there was and he'd taken it hard enough. Ron on the other hand was much easier to anger and jump to crazy allegations than himself.

"Ron…" He started but the red head wasn't quite done yet.

"In fact, I think there's more than one." That startled Harry. If he wasn't talking about just Malfoy than who else could Ron suspect in such a manner. Sure even he suspected Pansy, Crabbe, and even Goyle but never in such a manner. Besides, most of it had seemed unworthy since he'd taken time to notice that each of them was still mark free. We were learning how to notice such things.

"Slow down, Ron. What do you mean more than one?" Hermione looked completely perplexed by such a statement and leaned forward in her seat.

"Malfoy's a Death Eater. I saw his Mark and he was…well he was going to Lupin's quarters. Lupin seemed awfully glad to see him, even with Mark in plain sight." Malfoy had been careless. Harry felt a pang of worry in the back of his mind at that thought. The last time Draco had taken such little care, he'd wound up in the Infirmary. Though Harry wasn't quite sure why he cared anyway.

"We have to tell Dumbledore! This could be very serious." Hermione instantly began, having already mapped out a game plan in her head. Harry knew he was going to have to speak up before things went any further. Though he felt like he was betraying Remus by spilling the information he'd given him.

"Dumbledore already knows. And Remus isn't a Death Eater."

"But I saw Malfoy there and there is no way that Lupin couldn't tell…"

"Ron, Remus knows that Malfoy is a Death Eater. He looks after him as his meetings." Harry suddenly felt terrible for keeping all of that from his best friends. But it wasn't as though that was information he could just give out. The less people that knew the better. Dumbledore had already told him how risky things were getting as it were. Throw into the mix the fact that Ron thoroughly disliked Malfoy, well things weren't looking good.

"You've known this entire time and you never said anything?" His voice sounded a bit hurt as he bit out the question. Harry could tell this wasn't going to be an easily solved conversation.

"It isn't exactly something I can just slip into conversation casually. I went down to Remus' after another bad nightmare and Malfoy was there after a meeting."

"It all makes sense. Lupin has looked terrible lately and it corresponds with Malfoy's absence. His absence which could be due to a Death Eater attack or something of the sort. Why I didn't see the connection before…" Hermione chimed in, her cool logic putting the rest of the pieces together.

"Ok fine, but why Lupin? Surely Snape would much rather held his Golden Child."

"Snape's under enough suspicion as it is. From what I've gathered, it's almost better if Malfoy severed all connections with him at all. Not that this alliance with Remus is any better. If his father found out, it'd be the end of a lot of things. Malfoy genuinely seems to get relief when being there after he's with Voldemort. I can understand where he's coming from even if I really wish he'd have gone to anyone else." Harry had been watching his step lately. He even felt bad about going down to his old friend's rooms. He didn't want to intrude upon anything.

Did that mean Harry suspected there was something to intrude upon? The way Remus had been acting it was altogether possible. It scared Harry. Situations like that couldn't result in anything good. In fact, the bad would definitely be of the worst kind. Not only was Malfoy at a huge risk, but by involving himself in such a way with a certain werewolf, it left him at a risk as well. Harry's instincts were telling him things were heading into territory that they probably shouldn't. Who knew what might have happened had he not come back to class and intruded. He sighed.

"What does Lupin say about all of this?" Hermione asked quietly. She seemed able to look past the fact that their friend was offering sanctuary to their sworn enemy.

"He just seems to want to help the bloody git."

"There's more isn't there, Harry?" Hermione was too quick for him.

"There might be. I'm still not quite sure."

.-.

It had been an hour since his arrival. And hour since the tense conversation that the two had shared about Draco's responsibilities. Sleep just wouldn't come for the blonde no matter how hard he'd tried. His mind was buzzing with questions.

"Remus?" He questioned into the darkness. He figured the other man had found sleep a while before and was very surprised to receive an awake voice in response.

"Yes?" From the sound of it, he shifted up a bit from the chair, more on edge to be closer to the couch. He suspected Draco had been sitting in silence much as he had been but he wasn't sure the right words to say at that moment. Were there right words for then? He certainly wasn't capable of finding any.

"The other day, you said something about circumstances surrounding us. What did you mean?" He'd started to ask the question days before but he'd been interrupted by Potter himself. He was growing to despise him with every passing day, he thought inwardly.

"Draco, I'm your teacher." Remus wasn't sure they should even be having this conversation. It was much easier to ignore the attraction he felt by denying it. Sweeping it up underneath the rug to be forgotten. These feelings couldn't be right. Just longing and Draco was the first to even begin to understand him.

"Yes, but only for a few more months. After that…"

"I'm still old enough to be your father." He replied hoarsely cutting the blonde off mid-sentence.

"But I'm sure by now you've caught on that I hardly regard you in such a manner. You're the farthest thing from a father figure in my mind." Draco was reasoning out loud. The words fit in his head, it would be interesting to see how they all played out.

"The fact of the matter is that I could be. You can't say that it isn't strange to you."

"Yes I can. Age is not a discriminate that I consider. You've been there for me when I believe no one might be. I know you've said things as have I that I don't mean or are only a twisted version of the truth but I just want to know. Would you not feel bad about wanting to be with me if I were older?"

"No."

"Then it's something else. What makes you think that this is so wrong?" Draco was on a roll now. His mind had fully activated again, and he sat up a bit on the couch.

"Draco…"

"Please, I just have to know. I want to understand all of this." He pleaded for response. If he couldn't have what he so desired than maybe some closure would help. Inwardly he doubted his very thoughts on the subject.

"I'm a werewolf, Draco. Shunned by society. I'm damn lucky Dumbledore's even given me a job and I don't want to jeopardize it like that. I can't let you get yourself involved in that." His eyes had torn away from even the general direction of the blonde. It had all built up inside of him so long now. The truth not wanting to be spoken. It was too late for that and it sounded as terrible as it did inside. He was a monster. He'd heard it his entire life. He couldn't subject Draco to any of that.

"I know that. But you should know me well enough to know I do as I please. None of that hold relevance to me." Draco was so bloody persistent. He seemed not even to be changed by his revelation. Of course he knew that Remus was a werewolf. Everyone did. But until he'd even mentioned it just then, Draco had never let that information weigh too much on his mind. It didn't seem to matter.

"You're crazy. I'm one of the most dangerous creatures. That doesn't bother you?" Remus wore an incredulous look upon his face which one could probably see, even in the dark.

"No. I probably wouldn't be here if it did." Draco replied in all honesty. Years before, he'd never have come within a five mile radius of his now sanctuary. Now, sometimes he wished he didn't have to leave. It was no where near as glamorous as Malfoy Manor or even the rest of Hogwarts, but it was safe. And warm. And it was one of the closest things to home Draco had even known.

"Oh." Was his only response. The conversation died out between the two of them, Draco curled back up on the couch, Remus settling back into the chair. Draco couldn't make things easier on him. He found it much easier to resist any urges if he felt that the blonde boy despised his condition and in turn wanted nothing of the romantic nature to do with him. It seemed to be the utter opposite. Draco Malfoy was becoming a puzzle to him. A puzzle that he wanted to put together at any cost, despite his better judgement.

.-.

A/N: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I first and foremost want to thank my brilliant reviewers. Thanks as always for the encouragement to keep me going. I hope you all enjoy the chapter. I'd had so many ideas and honestly Ron was never supposed to make an appearance in this story. We'll see what he's up to later on I suppose. I've been scouring the site lately and I've pulled out some good D/R fiction for your reading pleasure other than my own of course. Tosca's Aconite is beautifully written and definitely a must read. I'll add more when I find them. If you have any let me know. I know there is definitely a lacking of the pairing which is dreadfully sad. So enough rambling, reviewers will be showered with candy and gifts and my undying love :-D And for those who have already left their reviews from the last chapter...

empath89: Thanks for the review as well as the story recommendations. I'd read most of them before and had actually been looking for the link lately. That's a rather large thanks for finding them. I guess there is no use in suggesting them to you now, is there? As I've done above, if I find any good fiction with the pairing I'll let you know. Thanks bunches for the review!

MyMindIsMyEchoSide: Thanks a ton for the review. I'm trying to get things out faster and I hope you stick with me. Reviews leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks again!

betsytheripper: Thanks so much for the review. And before I forget, have fun on vacation! I could sincerely use one right about now. Life has just been interesting as of late. In fact, I've almost been afraid to write lately. I'm usually so happy and fluffy but I'll tell ya what, I haven't felt like that in a bit with all the stress. So I sincerely hope you enjoyed the chapter! And as always THANKS for the review and thanks for the belated birday greeting!