Chapter 29-

AN- Hullo. I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed!!! 165 reviews!!!! Yeah! Well, Thanks…

Happy reading…by the way, this chapter isn't too exciting, but it will get better.

Two weeks after Draco's meeting with Voldemort, he was once again sitting in Dumbledore's office.

"Over the past two weeks, Professor Snape and I have been discussing the best way to get you out of the Death Eater training." Dumbledore began. "You will need to send You-Know-Who a letter, telling him that you will not be able to come. You will tell him that I am sending you and Ms. Granger to a conference over the vacation. Tell him that you couldn't get out of it because I knew that you would have no where to go since your father is in Azkaban, so I figured that you wouldn't have any plans. Finally, tell him that the conference will be lasting throughout the entire vacation, so that he will not suggest that you come for one day to be initiated. You will need to owl He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tonight, and tell him that you just found out today. Okay so far?"

Draco nodded so Dumbledore continued. "This letter must be believable. You must make him believe that you are telling him the whole truth, that you don't want to go, and that you are totally loyal to him. It is most important that he believes you, so I give you permission to say whatever you need about me and about this school. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think so, but are we still going to the Weasley's house?" Draco asked.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. You will still be spending the majority of your vacation at the Weasley's."

"The majority?"

"Yes, we have other plans for the last week of your vacation, but that conversation is for another day." Dumbledore replied, eyes twinkling. Then, his expression went serious again and he said, "I am sure that Voldemort will be a little skeptical of your story, so he will probably ask Snape to confirm your story. Snape will tell him of the conference, and I hope that will be good enough."

"Okay."

"Very well, have a good vacation with the Weasley's, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger."

"Thank you, Professor." Draco said as he stood and walked towards the door. 'Great, now I have to lie to the most evil wizard in England…no not just England, more like the whole entire universe. This is going to be fun. Riight…' he thought sarcastically as he walked down the stairs. When he was back in the empty corridor in front of Dumbledore's office, he took a deep breath and headed to the owlery.

My Lord,

I regret to inform you that I will not be able to come home this vacation. The headmaster is making me go with to a stupid conference over the entire vacation. Your daughter will be with me also. That is the only good part about this whole ordeal.

Anyway, I wish that I could get me and Hermione out of this, but Dumble-dork has already got it planned. He assumed that I wouldn't have anything to do over the vacation because of my father and mother, so he signed me up for this conference thing.

I will try to get away and come home, but I have been told that I will be very busy. I will owl you when I find out.

Your Humble Servant,

Draco Malfoy

****************************************************

~December 1st~

"Let's go Draco!" Hermione yelled from the Common Room. "We are flooing out of here in like five minutes!"

"One second." he called down to her.

'Riight.' she thought as she walked over to one of the couches and took a seat.

Four minutes later, Draco came bounding down the stairs. "Let's go, what are you waiting for?" he said when he saw Hermione sitting on the couch.

"What---never mind, let's go." Hermione replied as she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. They headed straight for Dumbledore's office. As they were walking, Hermione thought about the announcement Dumbledore had made the day before. He had told the entire school that Draco and her were going to a conference in America over break. He did this in order to ensure that the truth didn't get to Voldemort. So, if no one knew, no one could tell. Dumbledore was even having Draco and Hermione floo out of his office, while Harry, Ron and Ginny had to take the Hogwarts express to London.

"Aren't you excited?" Hermione asked as they reached Dumbledore's office.

"Yeah, I kinda am." he replied truthfully.

"Good. We are going to have so much fun!"

"I guess we will."

"Of coarse we will!"

"Well, here we go. 'Strawberry Short Cake'" he said to the gargoyle, who leapt aside, reveling the staircase.

Draco grabbed Hermione's hand as the entered his office. "Hello, Professor." Hermione said.

"Hello. Are you guys ready to go?" he asked.

Hermione and Draco nodded. "Good. Now, do you want to go at the same time or at different times?"

Hermione glanced at Draco as he turned his head to look at her. She nodded and he said, "Same time."

Hermione nodded in agreement and they walked into the fireplace. They were still holding each others hands tightly when Dumbledore approached Draco with a small bowl in his hands. "Don't forget to speak very clearly." he said as Draco took a handful of the powder.

"Okay." Draco said before he turned to Hermione and said, "Ready?" Hermione nodded apprehensively. She never did like this much. It always gave her an uneasy feeling. She was after all, born a muggle who was taught fire is dangerous. Draco seemed to notice this because he squeezed her hand lightly. Hermione immediately felt much safer and she smiled up at Draco. Their eyes connected for a short moment before he threw the powder down and yelled, "The Burrow."

As the green fire erupted, Hermione squeezed Draco's hand and he responded by squeezing hers back. Suddenly they seemed to be flying through darkness. Draco couldn't tell whether his eyes were open or closed.

Finally, Draco felt a solid weight under his feet and he blinked his eyes to adjust to the light. When he could see again, he found that he was standing in a huge fireplace. He then turned his attention to the people in front of him. There, looking at them expectantly, was a group of four red-headed Weasleys.

"Well, it's about time. How are you, Dears?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she rushed forward to dust them off.

"Fine, Mrs. Weasley. How are you?" Hermione asked politely.

"Oh, we are very good. It is so nice to see you again, Hermione." She replied, smiling brilliantly.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Weasley." Draco said in an attempt to be nice.

She then turned to Draco, whom she had apparently not seen before, and her smile faulted slightly. She quickly regained her composure immediately and smiled at him. "Good afternoon." she said shortly before turning back to Hermione. "Well, Ron said that you were bringing someone, but he didn't say who."

"He didn't tell you that Draco was coming?" Hermione asked.

"No, he failed to mention that, but that's not your fault, dear." she said before she turned to Fred and George, who had come home for the holidays. "Would you please take them to their room?" she asked them and they nodded. "Thank you."

They nodded again as she turned back to Hermione and Draco. "I am sorry, but I thought that you were bringing a girl and I put you in the same room. I am sorry." she said mainly to Hermione.

"That's okay, Mrs. Weasley. I don't mind." Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah. It's okay."

"Well okay then. Now Fred and George will take you to your room. Make yourselves at home. See you at lunch." she said as she took Mr. Weasley's arm and left the room.

Fred and George went straight to Hermione and they each gave her a bone-crushing hug. When they let go Hermione frowned.

"Where are Harry, Ron and Ginny?" Hermione asked the twins.

"The train had a slight delay. They will be here soon." Fred replied.

"Oh." Hermione said.

"So, you friends with him?" George asked Hermione in a slightly shocked tone.

"Yeah?" Hermione replied.

"Well, okay then. As long as you are just friends we won't kill him." Fred said.

"But--" Hermione began as George moved forward and swept her off of her feet.

"You must be exhausted, Milady. I will take you to your quarters." he said as he started walking towards the staitcase.

"You don't have to---"

"Nonsense. I am taking you to your room and I won't take no for an answer." he said.

"George. I wanted to be the one to sweep her off of her feet." Fred whined.

"Too bad. She's mine now." he said as he began walking again.

"Fine, but I get to carry her next time." Fred said as he jogged after them.

"Really, George, put me down." Hermione said, but he was ignoring her. She glanced back at Draco and saw the furious expression on his face. She mouthed 'Sorry' as she was being carried up the stairs.

~Draco's POV~

When they had landed at the Burrow, the Weasleys totally ignored him until he greeted them. Draco was getting really pissed off. 'I am going to kill that stupid Weasel!' he yelled to himself as he stood there and listened to what they said. 'Me and Hermione get to share a room? Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' he thought as Mrs. Weasley finished talking.

Pretty soon Mr. and Mrs. Weasley left, leaving the twin Weasleys behind. They went up and talked to Hermione, ignoring him once again. She asked them where Harry, Ron and Ginny were and then they asked her if she was friends with him.

"So, you friends with him?" George asked Hermione in a slightly shocked tone.

"Yeah?" Hermione replied.

"Well, okay then. As long as you are just friends we won't kill him." Fred said.

"But--" Hermione began as one of the twins moved forward and picked her up. 'What in the hell does he think that he is doing?' Draco wondered.

"You must be exhausted, Milady. I will take you to your quarters." he said as he started walking towards the staircase.

"You don't have to---" Hermione said, but he was no longer listening. Then the other twin came up to them and they fought over who got to carry her. Draco was getting really angry now. He was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Then Hermione looked at his and mouthed an apology to him. He sighed and followed them. 'This is going to be a long vacation.' he thought as he followed them down the hall.