Author's Notes: So so sorry the delay! I've been working all week trying to ear some money before university starts again and the rest of my time was spent watching the Olympic Games! Oh well now that its over, the next chapter will be coming up very shortly; its already half written.

Important! Now about chapter 7, I'd like to warn younger people that it contains some horrid stuff because of the Death-Eater meeting and Draco seriously lacks moral beliefs in this! As I'm not too sure what is considered R written-wise, I prefer at least giving this warning. The real R chapters will come later.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, everything belongs to J K Rowling except the characters you do not recognise such as Abigail.

Before you eagerly read on; I'd like to personally thank all those who reviewed last time. They meant a lot to me! And I hope to get a lot more:)

Obbsesive: Glad you like my OC character. She's important as she adds a different perspective to the Harry Potter world. This chapter is ALL Draco, hope you like it!

Total-nirvana: I really appreciate your comment on Abigail. I'm also not a big fan of OC's, especially in with HP, they all seem to be foreign exchange students from the states!

Roguish muse: Hey, thanx for reviewing! I wonder who recommended the story. Hope you get your share of Draco in this one!

Mammakitten121: Hello and thank you for your comments on chapter 6. Your reviews mean a lot and I look out for them! I dedicate this chapter especially to you as your review made me want to update quicker! Thanx again and enjoy!

..~**~..

Chapter 7

It was a bright autumn morning as Draco walked back towards Hogwarts castle. He had been called last night by the Dark Lord to attend the usual Death Eater 'ceremonies' and had apparated from the Forbidden Forest at sunset.

As Draco hurriedly made his way across the grounds before the other students woke up and caught sight of him from the tower windows he recalled last night's events, which flooded clearly into his mind.

..~**~..

Voldemort's cackling voice resonated throughout the large hall. His pale, twisted, bony hands clapped together as he watched the scene before him. Dozens of Death Eaters were standing in the hall, looking down victoriously at their recent victims.

A Muggle family lay strewn across the stone floor, dead. They had been randomly chosen by two of the Death-Eaters and kidnapped for the ceremony.

There was no warning, no pity for them, simply death.

Death had violently struck all members of the family and it appeared to deeply amuse the Dark Lord. Draco looked down at them as well. He was dressed in black robes from head to toe and his large black hood hid his angered face.

Bloody idiots!

The Muggles had tried to resist their inevitable fate. But it had only made matters worse, and the slaughter that stretched out before him confirmed that. Bodies or body parts were strewn across the sacrificial table and floor. Blood covered the robes of all those who had taken part in the massacre, including Draco's. They all had had to be murdered, assassinated, slaughtered and the Lord had made sure his newest Death Eater had taken part. Voldemort had specifically ordered him to 'finish them off' and it was that particular order that angered Draco more than anything else.

He can't even finish his own dirty work! He needs someone else to kill his prey once he's done playing with it.

Sure, they were Muggles and they deserved no pity, but all these sacrificial ceremonies meant bullshit to him. There was no pleasure in torturing and slaughtering random Muggles. Of course, Draco had been taught to hate them, and he was glad to get rid of some over protected bunch of idiots. They had to die; so be it. But there was no need for pleasure during the massacre. Draco secretly thought the Dark Lord's killings were simply degrading for Pureblood wizards.

Disgusted at the hideous sight of the dead Muggles, Draco looked up at his father, who was now in deep conversation with the Dark Lord. Lucius had looked down approvingly at his son after he had killed the Muggle husband, still alive after hours of torture. This had only increased Draco's feeling of disgust with the Dark Lord, with his father, and also with himself.

Leaning against a pillar, standing aside from the other Death Eaters, who he loathed just as much as Voldemort himself, Draco awaited his next orders whilst carefully listening to the conversation behind him. As always Voldemort sat menacingly on his black throne at one end of the hall whilst Lucius loitered continuously by his side.

"Tell me about the wizard, Lucius," the Dark Lord hissed.

Draco listened as his father's voice became uneasy. "Everything is going according to the plan, my Lord."

"Has he revealed anything yet?"

Lucius paused. "No, my Lord."

The hall became deathly silent as Voldemort's shrill shriek caught every Death Eater's attention. "That's not good enough you imbecile!"

He then turned to the Slytherin Prince. "Draco!"

"My Lord," Draco barely answered from his pillar.

"You shall hurry with the heir by all means. I want results and my patience has limits!" His beady red eyes were fixed intently on Draco, but the Malfoy heir did not flinch.

"Whatever my Lord wishes."

..~**~..

Stripping off his black robes, revealing black trousers and shirt, Draco walked into the castle and straight for his room. He called out the password to the Head quarters, entering the common room and hurrying for the bathroom before Granger woke up and caught him. There would be some awkward questions if she realised he had been out all night, and although he could handle the Mudblood, he didn't relish the idea of Dumbledore catching wind of his nighttime expeditions.

Twenty minutes later, stepping out of the shower and into the steamy bathroom, Draco wiped the condensation off the mirror and looked intently at his own reflection. Although his soul had been considerably tainted the previous night, his pale white flawless skin seemed to shine after being washed. Merlin, he truly was a living paradox.

But he could not forget the Dark Lord's words. He needed to hurry up and discover more about the Serpent books for Voldemort - no, not for Voldemort - for himself. If Abigail Serpent became his ally, and her knowledge was indeed as great as the history books assured him, then nothing could possibly stop Draco from gaining incredible power. He would no longer need to grovel at Voldemort's feet or silently accept his father's punishments. He would be his own master, do whatever he pleased, and kill all those in his way.

But for that he needed to cautiously plan his next encounters with Abigail and gain her trust.

Lost in his thoughts he was caught off guard when Granger suddenly stepped inside the bathroom. Draco spun around to face her; he was still naked. He silently kicked himself for not having a towel around his waist, but soon changed his mind as he saw Granger's shocked expression. It was priceless and well worth the embarrassment.

"Like what you see?" he drawled at her with a faint smirk.

Blushing furiously the Gryffindor bolted out of the bathroom, muttering "sorry" as she left.

Draco finally grabbed a towel and once he was ready, he gathered his belongings and left the bathroom as well. She was waiting outside, lost in her thoughts, as he came out and brushed past her, heading for his room. He saw her collect herself and disappear inside the bathroom through the steam that was creeping into the common room through the open door.

Smirking to himself, Draco threw his things on his bed and then frowned as he suddenly realised that something was missing.

His robes.

"Malfoy! You forgot your -" He heard Granger's voice loud and clear from the bathroom. However, she didn't finish her sentence.

Storming out of his room, across the common room and into the bathroom, Draco stopped only inches away from her as she held out his robes, her eyes fixed on the blood stains.

"Is that - blood?" she asked in a whisper.

Angry with himself he snatched the robes from her. "Good thing you're smart Granger!"

..~**~..

Draco quickly descended the flights of stairs leading to the Great Hall. How foolish he had been! Granger was bound to relay everything she had seen to Dumbledore and then he would have to explain himself to the old man, or, even worse, he'd get expelled. Cursing himself once more the blond haired Slytherin reached the portrait of the Black Knight, a favourite meeting place of his, where he stopped and looked around.

Withdrawing back into a dark corner he waited impatiently for a brunette Slytherin to join him.

Pansy.

"Where were you?" he barked at her when she finally reached the portrait. She was late, and Draco didn't appreciate being kept waiting.

"I ran into Filch," she answered breathlessly.

His eyes narrowed to silver slits. "Don't lie to me Pansy."

She smirked at him. "I was - occupied with someone else."

She really had become a whore since they had broken up last year. "Did you do as I asked you to?"

"Of course," she said, stepping closer to him. "Here." She handed him a bunch of letters. Abigail's letters.

"She ripped some up, but I managed to fix them with a simple Reparo spell," she informed him. However, she pulled them away from Draco's reach before he could take them and then stepped closer to him.

"Not so fast Draco! Don't I get a reward for all this good work?" she purred in his ear, teasingly.

"Not now, Pansy," he replied bluntly. He really didn't have time for her games, and didn't feel the need to hide his disgust for her. Hearing his answer she stopped massaging his arm and pouted her lips in what Draco thought was a very vulgar manner.

"What's up with you? You've been in a foul mood ever since the start of school! Where's the fun Draco I knew? The one who never said 'no' to the occasional shag?"

"The 'fun' Draco, as you say, has more important things to do," he replied icily.

"Fine," she replied casually, the tip of her fingers lingering down his chest. "Then I guess I won't tell you who I accidentally saw Abigail become friends with the other day."

Draco's ears perked up at her words – he knew that Pansy spent a good deal of her time lurking in dark corners spying on others, and she often had some good information - but his face remained expressionless. "And this will interest me because..."

"Because if you don't want the info, then I'm sure it will interest some other Slytherin only too keen to exploit it and punish the bitch," Pansy spat back at him dangerously.

"Blaise."

"Correct."

Looking into her fiery brown eyes, Draco smirked. "Well I guess I'll just have to make you tell me first."

He pulled her closer to him and kissed her fervently. Smiling under his lips, Pansy grabbed Malfoy equally and dragged him into the nearby broom closet.

A pair of blue eyes continued to watch the scene in disgust as the couple disappeared into the small room.

..~**~..

Potter!

Ten minutes later Draco was in the library, skipping breakfast and reading Abigail's letters, but his mind was elsewhere. How could she become friends with Potter? Surely Pansy had misunderstood what she had seen, which wouldn't really surprise him. Still, it was good to know these things.

The letters proved quite an interesting read as Draco realised that the wizard imprisoned at Malfoy Manor was none other than Abigail's father. But that was not all.

So she thinks I'm a sadistic bastard?

Well, it was too bad she blindly did what her father told her, according to what Blaise had told him about her. Now she would have to accept Draco's friendship whether she liked him or not. When lunch finally came Draco realised that this was his chance to meet up with Serpent. As he was about to enter the castle he caught sight of her outside in the grounds, sitting on the rocks by the lake. Her long dark hair gleamed in the sunlight and her tanned skin seemed only too pleased it was such a bright and sunny day.

As he approached her Draco noticed something else. It was her bony arms and thin face. Abigail was incredibly skinny, as if she were sick, but due to her large school robes, he had never noticed before. Had she always been so thin? He couldn't remember. Preparing himself for the encounter Draco stepped up onto the rocks next to Abigail, startling her in the process. She was listening to music. Muggle stuff.

"Hello."

Nearly falling off the rock she was sitting on, she hastily turned off her music. "Malfoy! Merlin, you scared me."

Draco grinned devilishly back at her. "There's no need to be afraid of me. Are you expecting anyone? Because I need to talk to you. Then again, everybody knows that Zabini and you aren't an item anymore... so who could you possibly be expecting?"

He paused dramatically.

"Potter, maybe?"

Abigail glared back at him, but watched as Draco's white-blond hair shone incredibly bright as the sun's rays bounced off it. His stunning good looks were mesmerizing.

"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy," she answered quickly, looking back at the lake. "And for your information, no, I'm not expecting anybody."

Even better.

"What do you want?" she asked angrily.

"As I told you, I need to talk to you," he replied casually, "I heard your father wants you and I to become better acquainted."

Her eyes undoubtedly narrowed at his words. "How do you -"

"My father told me," Draco answered instantly. He couldn't have her suspecting that he had read her letters, or else his chances would be null. Luckily for him she seemed convinced by his answer. He stepped closer to her, facing her back and confidently clasped a hand around her shoulder as he continued.

"And I think you and I can become very close Abigail."

He felt her shiver at his touch. He knew that she felt uneasy by his sudden closeness, but he also knew that she liked it. Although her voice sounded distant and cold, he knew her body would respond to him. However, she quickly stood up and shrugged him off her. Gaining her trust was proving more difficult than he had previously thought. Any other girl at Hogwarts would have been delighted by his charming attention, although he could name of few exceptions, such as Granger.

Far from giving up, Draco stepped forward and took her by the shoulders, looking deep down into her dark eyes, almost trying to hypnotise her.

"Think about it," he urged her, "think about who I am and what I can offer you. Your father is no fool when he said he wanted us to be friends. Of course he wants what's best for his daughter, and I can give you that."

Her eyes dropped to the ground in discomfort as he leaned even closer, but he would not let her refuse him. It was now all too obvious the effect he was having on her – her skin was beginning to flush, and her lips were quivering with anticipation of where this might lead. Lifting her chin up gently with his hand, Draco's silver steel eyes continued to bore into hers.

"This is your chance to have everything you've ever wanted, everything you've ever desired - " his voice dropped lower, "including me."

But she did not seem to have heard this last part and appeared to have almost forgotten about him entirely for a second; she was so lost in her thoughts. Draco was confused by her lack of interest, and whilst he did not let it show, he could feel some panic rising in his stomach. Was she actually going to resist him?

Finally she spoke up. "And does this offer extend to the Muggle world?"

She paused.

"Actually, scratch that, do you have any influence over the Ministry of Magic?"

Her eyes suddenly seemed to sparkle. Draco let go of her, smiling to himself - she was so naive.

"It depends," he answered, intrigued. "What would you ask from me?"

She sat back down on the rock, refusing to meet his eyes. He could sense that they were coming to the crux of their relationship. If she confided in him now, she would be his forever.

"Well my mother - my mother is very sick and she's stuck in this Muggle hospital in London. The Ministry won't let her out or even let her change to St Mungo's. We've tried everything, appealing to them several times but apparently, there's nothing my father can do but -"

She turned around to Malfoy, who stood patiently by her side, masking his satisfaction. She smiled at him as she continued. "But maybe, if you could talk to them, persuade them, then -"

But her voice dropped, as she seemed to realise exactly who she was asking help from. Draco Malfoy - a Death Eater. She stood up and shot him a cold glare, one of disgust, but on the other hand, Draco suddenly realised just how close she was to him.

"Then, what would I have to do?" she inquired in a dangerous tone. "Grovel at Voldemort's feet, become some sort of junior Death Eater or something?"

"No," he answered truthfully, "being in my debt doesn't necessarily mean being in his. You would have to become my ally, teach me your magical knowledge and, maybe, you could become much more."

Draco leaned in towards her but was caught by surprise when Abigail was the first to crush her lips onto his fervently. Smirking inwardly, Draco responded. It was all too easy; once he managed to kiss a girl he usually had her in the palm of his hand.

But Abigail quickly pulled away. "No, this is wrong!" she breathed out. "I can't do this."

She stepped away from him, turning to gather her belongings, which were scattered among the rocks, and hurried back towards the castle before Draco could stop her. Left alone, he laughed softly. He was surprised by her reaction, but it hadn't gone so badly after all. She had admitted that there was something he could do for her, and he would do it, even without a precise agreement. Then she would be indebted to him, whether she wished to be or not.

..~**~..

"You're late Granger!" Snape announced, as she walked into the classroom.

Draco looked up from his desk and smirked at her.

"Sorry, Professor, I -" Granger started.

"Spare me the pitiful excuses Miss Granger! I have no time for them. Indeed, I will be in my office working, whilst you are in detention. I shall be back in four hours, at which time I expect to find a perfectly completed potion on my desk."

And with a swish of his robes Snape strode out of the classroom and was out of sight. Draco, however, knew better. He had purposely asked his teacher, and fellow Death Eater, not to be present during their detention. He had other plans for those four long hours.

Therefore, as soon as the professor left, Draco picked up his stuff and headed for the door.

"See you in two hours, Mudblood," he called out as he reached to open the door.

But Granger was quicker. "Colloportus!" she cast, effectively locking the classroom door.

Draco spun around, annoyed. "Granger, open the door."

"Excuse me?" she answered, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Like I said, I'll be back in two hours. That gives you enough time to do the Animagus potion," he said coolly.

"And where the hell will you be during that time?" she inquired, equally annoyed.

He opened the door with a simple spell and then answered her question. "That's strictly none of your business. Now get to work."

Before she could disagree he was out of view, although he clearly heard her call, "stupid ferret" as he hurried down the corridor.

..~**~..

Read and review! Its all I wish for and it makes me happy and want to update quicker!

Next chapter, Hermione's POV. Malfoy does come back and that gives them a whole lot of time together. I promise there will be romance though its never that easy between the Slytherin and Gryffindor. I'm off now, need to get some dinner! Muchos kudos!