'What the bloody hell are you doing here?' hissed Ron, in total shock.
'Please, hear me out...'
'Get out you piece of scum!' Harry yelled
'Harry...' Malfoy began to plead.
'Oh so we're on first name terms are we now? Oh good. So hear this...Draco, get out of my sight!'
'Harry, he looks like he is in some serious trouble, can't we just…?'
'HERMIONE! If Snape didn't kill Dumbledore, Malfoy would have. He's on Voldemorts side!' Ron screamed.
'No, hang on a minute' Harry said thoughtfully, with his wand still raised and pointing at Malfoy's chest. 'Let's hear him out. If we're not happy, we'll kill him'
Hermione looked in state of panic and the last part of this comment, but decided to move aside to let Malfoy walk in the direction that Harry was pointing in. Ron however looked as if he could have keeled over. Malfoy, still trembling, walked with his head bowed into the hollow and edged himself right into a dark corner on the far side of the cave.
Hermione re-sat herself on the log and begun to play with the marshmallows, now strewn around her feet from where she dropped them earlier. She looked like she didn't want anything to do with this. Harry and Ron, still with their wands raised, indicated that Malfoy should sit down.
'So C'mon scumbag, what's brought you here?' Ron enquired cruelly.
'Ron…' Hermione said in a warning tone, that Ron completely ignored.
'Ok, yeah Ron back off a bit.' Harry said. ' Doesn't mean we're gonna be nice though!' He said in a more commanding voice when he noticed Malfoy's face lighten up slightly.
'Why did you go over to him Draco?' Hermione asked.
'Because of my father!' He was still trembling 'I did it to save him!'
'He was in Azkaban! He couldn't be saved' said Harry.
'Yes he could! He wasn't going to stay there forever was he? As soon as he came out, the dark lord would have killed him on the spot for letting him down! Mother was too distraught to do anything, what with the dark lord giving me the task. And he understood completely...'
'Voldemort? Understanding? Give over Malfoy…'
'Sshh...Let him finish!'
'I don't need you, mudblood, sticking up for me!' Malfoy raged.
'And you would be better of to appreciate any kindness you're receiving as you no where near deserve it! Ron seamed to have had enough. His veins were pulsing as he raised himself above the log, wand pointing squarely at Malfoy's chest, spit flying out with his words and his chest exhaling and inhaling like ever before.
'Ok Ok fine'
'But if you were given a task by 'his lordship'' Harry said with slight pompousness 'Why didn't you do it? Kill Dumbledore I mean?'
'How would you feel Potter? Being told to kill that brainless oaf Hagrid?'
'That is not the same is it? You hated Dumbledore! And you were most definitely the darkest student the whole school!'
'Oh you don't know the half of it Potter. You don't know anything about me at all! You just assume, just like everyone else…'
'Well you didn't try much to change it did you?' Ron piped up.
Malfoy ignored him. 'I hated my father! Never treated me like a son! All that talk about him being proud of me? Utter rubbish! A complete cover story! I wouldn't have cared whether or not Voldemort killed him…' by this time he was shaking with fury, that Hermione thought he was going to be sick.
'So what was with "my father this, my father that" eh?'
'It gained me respect! No-one dared be nice to me, to befriend me, to find out the real meaning of Malfoy, just to be hurt'
'My my, Draco with feelings, never of thought..' Ron said with utter sarcasm. By this time Hermione seemed of had quite enough.
'Ronald! If you honestly think you are going to get anything out of Malfoy, you're going the wrong ways about it aren't you? Now I suggest you shut up and stop acting all superior because all it is doing is making you like an utter prat!'
Ron just stood there, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, which he usually did when out smarted by Hermione, and sat down reluctantly back onto the log.
'Basically, all I want to know is, what on earth are you doing here?' Harry questioned.
'Well I realised, what with Voldemort being the reason that you are who you are, how your un-happy life has shaped, that you weren't going to just let him live were you? I know about the Horcruxes Potter. I also know about the 'lessons' you were having with Dumbledore...'
'How did you...?'
'Does that really matter now? Anyway the point is, I somehow knew that you would be going after the Horcruxes and stuff. And I knew you'd be coming here. he paused and looked at Harry's confused expression ' oh come on if I found out you were having private 'lessons' with Dumbledore you didn't think I'd find out about what they were about did you?'
'I under estimated the Dark lord's powers…'
'Stop calling his that, he is no more of a Lord than I am a Lady' said Harry
'Ok then. His powers are a lot greater than many think. He just doesn't show it' fear began to grow in his dark blue eyes again ' I couldn't take it anymore. All these things he was making me do…'
'Like what Draco?' Hermione asked sympathetically. He just ignored her.
'I had to come! Look what he has done to my father. My mother. Scared them hasn't he? Well he isn't going to scare me...'
'Well he obviously has' Ron muttered under his breathe.
'When it comes down to it' Malfoy drew in a deep breathe ' Potter, whatever you three are doing to stop him, I want to help.'
'Absolutely not!' Ron raised his voice so much that dust from the ceiling fell.
'Harry, we can't! Not at all! How do we know he is telling the truth!'
Soon enough, a full-blown argument had begun between the four teenagers. Ron was adamant that Malfoy couldn't stay and breath the same air as them a minute longer. Harry was busy holding Ron back from doing anything completely stupid and Hermione was sitting there saying he thoughts of Malfoy's presence having it's used and draw backs aloud.
'Well I for one don't think this will help at all! Harry, he might as well stay for one night yeah? I mean what can happen?'
'With a death eater sleeping near you? Do you want me to start a list?' Ron said.
'Ron shut up! Harry?' Harry looked unsure. 'Oh come on if you are left to be convinced he is not a death eater enquire him in the morning but we're not going to get much out of him when he is almost falling asleep?'
Harry gave a nod of agreement and indicated to Malfoy to get up and walk to the left where the others had set up their sleeping bags. Harry followed him with Hermione at his tail. They walked past Ron who has leaning against the wall and looking at the ceiling in great disgust.
'And if you're so un-happy with this arrangement, you can stay up all night and guard him! Goodnight Ronald.' And with that she left him to follow the others to bed.
''Yeah what a good night this will turn out to be if you get killed' he huffed under his breath. Again.
xxxxx
'Hermione?'
'What?' Hermione hissed.
Hermione and Ron were alone in the front of the cave, in the very early hours of the morning, obviously neither could get any sleep. Harry could be heard snoring healthily and Draco must have been so tired, he went out like a light as soon as his head touched his rock pillow.
'Why were you being so friendly towards Malfoy last night? He doesn't deserve it.'
Hermione's angry expression left her face. 'Well there is no real point in being nasty to someone unless you can prove they're done bad…'
'But Hermione he's…'
'I know what he was forced to do. He didn't do it out of his own will!' she started to get slightly angry again. 'What would you do if it were your family being threatened? And that the only way they're lay off is if you did something terrible?' a tear fell down from her eyes. 'I just don't think that we need any more hate than this world has already got.'
Ron still couldn't believe that Malfoy was totally innocent, but parted his feelings aside on the matter when he spotted that one single tear streaming down Hermione's rosy cheeks. He rushed over to her.
'I never realised…I'm so sorry' he said whilst wrapping his arm around her and wiping the tear from her face'
'It doesn't matter. I know it's hard for everyone…' but she was interrupted, as Ron had placed a soft kiss upon her, in Ron's opinion, perfect lips.