With Ron and Hermione now talking again, Harry found his life turned completely upside-down. If even a year ago someone had told him that he'd be associating with a Slytherin, let alone Draco Malfoy, he would have laughed at them till he couldn't see straight. Now he felt he might risk his life to save the same boy he'd hated so much only a few months ago.

Not that he counted Draco as a real friend; they were still far from that. But he didn't think him evil, and that was what mattered. Harry had finally realized that they were, in fact, on the same side, and if that meant risking his life for Draco, Harry would do it.

It had been hard thinking up the plan, of course, but thankfully Professor Snape had been undaunted by the task ahead of him.

"Of course I can, don't be ridiculous," he had said to Dumbledore, and had immediately begun listing ingredients for the potion on a scrap of parchment. "Luckily I've had these lacewing flies stewing for the last three days, that should cut down the time needed on the potion. Of course, I'll have to set some more stewing for other things..." Snape trailed off. He quickly ordered Blaise, Fiona and Draco to gathering potion supplies, while Harry, Hermione and Ron were set to more menial tasks, such as conjuring a very hot fire, thoroughly cleaning two large cauldrons and tending to the stewing potion base.

Aside from the usual lacewing flies, leeches, powdered bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed, and boomslang skin used in the potion, Snape also set the three Slytherins to gather together mint, two silver unicorn hairs, Jobberknoll feathers, dragon liver, and a hearty glass of port.

"Port, sir?" Blaise asked.

"Yes, Zabini, port. I shall need several large glasses of it daily to keep my sanity. Now fetch those things, quickly!" he snapped. Once the ingredients were gathered (and the large goblet of port in his hand), Snape dismissed them all, saying, "If any of you are without your homework in my class tomorrow, you will have hell to pay. Now get to your common rooms, and get to work!"

"He needs to straighten out his priorities," Ron whispered quietly as they left.

The next week passed in the blink of an eye. The group had been so deeply engrossed in planning that even Hermione had put homework into the back of her mind.

"Hermione, Dumbledore gave us classes off, why are you thinking of homework at all?" Ron asked, after Hermione had stated that she'd given up on schoolwork for good.

"I just… can't stop. It's a very hard habit to break," she said, a little embarrassedly. She plopped down next to Draco on a sofa that had recently appeared in the Room of Requirements. To begin with, there were only books and a few cushions, but they'd been returning so often that every time they entered anew, there was something else useful to behold.

"I can't wait like this anymore," Draco said abruptly. "That potion will be done in a few days… my birthday is next week… we still don't have a plan."

"I have a plan."

All eyes turned to Harry, who had been much more silent than usual the last few days.

"Well? Don't just sit there looking smug," Draco said tartly. "Tell me!"

"You won't like it."

"Of course he'll like it, you silly prat, its going to save his life!" Blaise burst out. She actually thought Harry was very nice, and not a prat at all. She was so worried about Draco that her sense of reason was slowly ebbing away.

"Well… It's like this. The only person who can destroy Voldemort is me… and the only one who can bring him to full power is Draco, right? So…" he paused, gathering his thoughts, "so, Draco and I should switch places. Then, Voldemort can try to kill me, and instead, I'll kill him."

Now that he said it aloud, the plan didn't seem quite as well-formed as it had in his mind. He expected everyone to promptly tell him what a stupid idea it was, but Blaise and Hermione both looked considering, and Draco was nodding his head.

"I want to be there, though," Draco said finally. "He'll think I'm you, so when I show up, he'll come after me, giving you a chance to get him while he isn't paying you any attention."

"I can't find any flaws, really," Fiona said approvingly. "I mean, there're risks, of course…"

"Well, it's the best plan we've got, anyway," agreed Ron.

"I'll go tell Dumbledore," Draco said, and with that, everyone dispersed.

When Draco appeared back in the Room of Requirements, Hermione's and Blaise's eyes were already brimming over with tears. Fiona stood steadfastly unblinking, but her eyes glistening with tears that she wouldn't let fall. Ron was stone still and completely while, his hands balled in determinate fists. When Harry and Draco approached him, he gave them both a good, strong handshake, and said, "Be careful, mates."

Draco turned to Blaise, who was now shaking with sobs.

"Don't go," she pleaded. "You're the only family I have left."

"You still have Fiona, and now you've got Hermione and her friends, as well." He smiled a bit. "We're not on our own anymore, Firefly." She hugged him fiercely.

He moved from her to Hermione, who was no longer crying, but looking at Draco with an air of unstoppable determination.

"You'll come back." It wasn't a question or even a wish, but a statement said in such away to make it sound like fact.

"I will," Draco answered reassuringly, though he truly didn't know. He paused for a long time before hugging her tightly. "I love you," he said finally.

"I know," she said, "that's why you'll come back." Draco nodded stiffly. They hugged again, and when he let go, Hermione rushed to Harry, hugging him to.

After a quick shake of hands with Fiona, who assured him that he'd be fine, Draco and Harry walked out of the castle, and into the night.