(A/N: This chapter will explain most things in this fanfic. That's all I'm revealing)

"What the bloody Hell are you doing here?" Danielle half-yelled in Malfoy's face. "You were not supposed to be here, out of Azkaban, in China, in the same room as I'm in," she muttered, looking at the face that she hated for so long.

"Well, a good evening to you too," Malfoy said sarcastically, his face fixed in a deranged looking grin.

"Don't talk to me like that, we're not eleven anymore," Danielle said.

"Well, if we were eleven, I would have expected a better welcome that that, especially my favourite cousin," Malfoy said, his hand stroking Danielle's face.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're not cousins," Danielle yelled hitting his hand away. "Your father made that piece of information clear, remember?"

"Don't you dare bring that up in front of me!" Malfoy yelled back.

"I am not your servant, Draco. I don't have to do whatever you desire on my own free will!" Danielle yelled back. "I'll never," Danielle muttered, turning away from him. "You used to," Malfoy muttered, his eyes fixed on his cousin, sadness suddenly appearing in his eyes. She turned her head around and looked at her cousin. She knew what he was thinking of because she was thinking the same thing, the same memory, the memory that appeared in their minds for the first time in six years, an incident that changed their lives and who they were forever…

5th December 199o, Malfoy Manor, 3.47pm…

"Drakie? Where are you, you silly goose?" a small platinum blonde girl said in a sing song voice as she crawled out from under her bed. "I'm not silly, you China girl in blonde hair," a small boy said, jumping out from a closet, tackling his cousin to the carpeted floor beneath them. The two of them laughed hysterically as they rolled on the floor, tears of laughter streaming from their eyes.

"Yes, you are," the small, ten-year-old Danielle said. "Jumping out from you hiding place during a game of hide-and-seek like that! Now you're it!" "Have to catch me to make me it!" the small Draco said, scrambling to his feet and running out of the bed room. "Come back here, you Latin dragon!" Danielle said, laughing as she ran after him past the many corridors and staircases of Malfoy Manor. Danielle stopped in the middle of a dark basement and just remembered that she was afraid of the dark.

She began to walk, her hands stretched out, trying to feel anything in front of her. She felt like Jennifer, walking around every day for the rest of her life in darkness, holding only a silver cane for guidance, can't see what's around the corner or anywhere else exactly. "Drakie. Draco, where are you?" Danielle said completely frightened out of her wits. "You know I hate the dark, Draco," she said.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth and dragged her to her right. She saw the out line of her cousin as a very faint light could be seen the dark basement. He lowered his hand and brought a finger to his equally frightened face. "I'm afraid of the dark too, remember?" he muttered. 'Call me silly to run into a dark basement. No, call me crazy."

Suddenly, a flickering orange-yellow sliver of light appeared along the floor and the wall. Someone had lit a fire in the secret room in the basement that Danielle had once ran into during a game of hide-and-seek. Needless to say, Draco never found her until she got bored and snuck up behind him and yelled in his ear while he was reading a book.

"No, Lucius, no," Danielle's father said from behind the door. Danielle and Draco looked at each other and snuck closer to the hidden wooden door that was open a little. Danielle kneeled down to let her cousin get a better view of the incident in the room. "Thanks," Draco whispered as he peeped into the room. A platinum blonde man looked calmly at a dark haired man in front of the fireplace. "I appreciate your offer, Lucius, but I think my daughter can take care of herself," Danielle's father said. "Nonsense, Felix, she's a girl and my son will look out for her as though she was gold, as he is currently doing," Lucius said, looking at his brother.

"Are you saying that my daughter is a weak, useless female who couldn't do anything herself? Because she can protect herself, thank you very much," Felix said, his Chinese face heating up from anger.

"Dear Felix, I am saying nothing of the sort," Lucius said, laughing. "I am just saying that it's a dangerous world out there, especially for a girl. If you would agree to my offer, your daughter will be in the safe hands of Draco. She needs a guard, Felix, and you know it," Lucius added.

"Do you want me to sacrifice my daughter's free will for safety?" Felix yelled. "Free will is a small price to pay," Lucius said. "No it isn't!" Felix yelled. "And this is coming from my brother!" "We are not brothers!" Lucius yelled. "Mother adopted you illegally and without signing anything! You are no brother of mine and Danielle is no Malfoy!"

"It may be true, but then why are you insisting Draco to be her guard when she's not his cousin or a member of this family?" Felix asked. Lucius gave him a look. "No," Felix said. "I will not marry off my daughter to someone who she thinks was her cousin." "It's the only way to bind our families together legally," Lucius said. "Alright, Draco can be my daughter's guard but he will not marry her, he will not be her husband and he will most certainly never hurt her in any way," Felix said after a few minutes, staring at the flickering fire that was dying out.

"You have my word," Lucius said. "Bring her down here with Draco and we shall let the ceremony begin." Felix walked quickly to the door and opened it, revealing two so called cousins who were listening to their every word. "Hi there," Draco said. "I have no time for this," Felix said, dragging Draco and Danielle to the middle of the room.

They sat in silence as their fathers flipped through an old dog eared book. They stopped at a page and looked at each other. Lucius walked to the two kids on the floor. "Stretch out your right arm," he muttered. "Roll up your sleeves and wait in silence." Danielle and Draco did as they were told and looked at each other.

Felix walked over to them and pulled out his wand. Lucius did the same and both of them pointed the tip of their wands to their child's arm. "Adnecto ambo catenatus," the two fathers said in unison. A stream of silver substance dripped from the wands onto their child's arms. It stung Danielle but she kept a straight face. The substance stopped dripping from the wands. The silver liquid stayed on their arms like mercury. Suddenly, it slowly disappeared and in its place, a symbol was left on their arms. It showed a symbol of two snakes curling around each other.

"When danger is near, this symbol will sting," Lucius said. "You are connected by pain and emotion, permanently. Now, go to your rooms!" The both of them scrambled to their feet and ran out of the room in silence. "Did you think they heard us?" Felix asked. "Yes. It would be a painful start for them but you have my word, your daughter is in guaranteed safety." "I hope you're right, but who is going to protect her when he's dead?" Felix asked. "An interesting promise in the spell, both of them can't die," Lucius said, smirking. "You mean," Felix asked. "Yes, they're both immortal," Lucius said.

To reality…

Hermione stood in front of Danielle. "Y-You stay away from Danielle!" she stuttered, holding her wand with a shaky hand. Beads of sweat clung to her frizzy hair and her eyes looked at Malfoy with terrified determination. She had never thought he would get to them so fast.

"Don't you dare hurt her," Lily said, raising her wand.

"I would never hur-" Malfoy began but was cut short.

The boys ran in and instinctively tackled Malfoy to the ground. "You stay away from her!" Ron yelled, punching his stomach. "You stay away from Danielle!" Sirius yelled, punching his limbs. Draco Malfoy lay under the group, wincing as every blow injured a part of his body. His head lay out of the pile, coughing out drops of blood. The girls around her cheered the boys on but Danielle still had a soft spot for her once favourite cousin. Tears ran down her cheeks as she saw him in this state. She turned away and tried to shut out the pain that also coursed through her body. She couldn't stand it any longer.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "Just stop it, he may be a murderer, he may have insulted everyone's family he may be the cause of my sadness a few weeks ago but he is still my cousin and I can't see him in this state!" The boys got off Draco who was wheezing with every breath. Every rib was broken and his organs were a mess. His limp hand let go of his wand which rolled away. She kneeled down beside him and broke down completely. Her head leaned against his messy hair and her hand wiped the tears that were streaming from his blank face.

"I think he's dead," Nadia said. "No, he's not," Danielle said. "He's breathing and his heart's still beating." "You think we should get a medi-wizard?" Lily asked. "No need," Danielle said in between sobs. "Danni, we're so-" James said. "I know," Danielle said. It was an odd sight to see but a good one to remember.

"Danni," Draco said in a hoarse voice. "I don't want to work for Voldermort anymore." "I know you don't I can feel it," Danielle said. Draco tried to say something but only choked mutters could be heard. "Don't try to strain yourself." "I'm sorry for the things I did," he said. "But he will kill my family. He'll kill you." "No he won't," Danielle said. "Danni?" Draco said. "Yes?" Danielle asked. "You're my favourite cousin," Draco said a real smile appearing on his face. The last bone in him healed and he could breathe normally again. "You're my favourite cousin too," Danielle said, kissing Draco's forehead as the others felt feelings of guilt and confusion.

(A/N: Let me tell you a secret, I almost cried when I read the chapter one more time. I'm very emotional. So, tell your friends and anyone who understands Harry Potter. Cause there's a new member to the travelling group and he's attracting some attention from the girls… Jealousy is a green-eyed monster in all of us, but Ron will be the scariest one of all)