Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter Warning: Like three cuss words

Long live the pioneers

Rebels and mutineers

Go forth and have no fear

Come close the end is near

It's our time to make a move

It's our time to make amends

It's our time to break the rules

Let's begin

Draco wanted to be alone, but he saw no other option when he found Hermione Granger sitting in a chair in the library reading. He sighed heavily. "I thought this place would be empty. I was hoping to be alone."

Hermione glanced up at him before looking back at her book. "This house is large enough; I'm sure you can find another unoccupied space, or we could share this one in silence."

Draco slid into the chair next to her. "I'm surprised Tom and Longbottom let you out of your room after the condition you came here in yesterday," Draco commented.

Hermione glared at him. "Silence I said. Alone you said. Alone means silence and no one around. In this room at this moment, silence is all you'll get."

Draco chuckled. "That's why Ravenclaw was never an option for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I want to be alone. To you, being alone means letting the quiet envelop you and having no one around. Alone can mean many things to different people."

"What does it mean to you?" She asked. "It has to mean something to you if you state that alone can mean many things to different people. Clearly we have different meanings for alone."

Draco sighed. "Just because I want to be alone doesn't mean I want to be alone. I just want someone to make the choice of me."

"What is wrong with you?" She snapped.

"Pardon?"

"When you aren't negative, you only see one option in life," she answered. "Everything you do requires a choice. You have to make a choice with every breath you take. Somehow you are too stupid to see that."

"And that's what has led you here, Granger?" He questioned. "You knew visiting this place would be seen as a betrayal to the Order and yet you came. You knew that there was a chance of Weaselbee flipping a lid and turning against you. You knew that having Longbottom as your confidant would put him at risk too. You knew from that moment at Hogwarts that Voldemort was the man who practically raised you. You didn't have to come to know that. You didn't have to lose place with the Order. You didn't need to put your life, or Longbottom's, in danger."

"But I chose to anyway."

"Why?"

She slammed her book shut. Draco flinched at the sound. It reminded him of staying with his grandfather Abraxas. Cygnus treasured the boy, mainly because he was Narcissa's son and Cygnus adored his youngest daughter more than life itself. Abraxas was a harsh man and had little tolerance for childish actions. Draco understood why his father tried to be so kind and considerate to him without being transparent about it after the first summer with Abraxas.

"That's why," She stood up and started towards the door. "You can be alone now."

As she closed door, Draco sighed. Hermione Granger had just built another wall around him.

Theo ran into Draco stalking down a hallway near the kitchen, grumbling to himself. "What's wrong with you?" Theo asked him.

"Fucking Granger," Draco mumbled.

"You're screwing Granger?" Theo wiggled his eyebrows. He knew it was false.

Draco tried to punch him but Theo caught his fist. "Since when did you become a stone cold badass?"

Theo smirked. "I will have you know that I am flesh, not stone, and warm, not cold. As for the badass part, I have always been one."

Draco scoffed. "No need to be a smartass too. I don't know how you have everyone respecting you. You do nothing."

"I love and am considerate to those who need. I don't nag too. I do what I can and help when needed. Daphne thinks it's manly."

"You're so whipped," Draco chuckled. Theo nodded in agreement. "I was looking for some place to be alone and I wandered into the library—"

"Which library?"

Draco looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean which library? There's one library and it's on the first floor."

Theo rolled his eyes. "No wonder then. Carry on with your story."

"Anyway, she was there but I saw no other choice but to sit there with her. She got mad at me when I asked her a question. We got into an argument about being alone and it's meaning. She left me there to ponder."

It made sense then. Draco didn't like it when people questioned his one choice only method or his perception of views.

"I'm sure she didn't mean any harm by it, Draco," Theo said. Draco sighed.

"She's just so...odd. She did these things knowing what could happen, and then she slams the book and says that's why."

Draco punched the wall in frustration. Theo grabbed his shoulders. "Calm down, buddy. It's going to be okay. We're all adjusting to this, and we're all adjusting to this differently. I'm sure she was just like you and wanted to be alone."

Theo let go of Draco when his breathing returned to normal. "We have to stick together. Remember when we were little and you, me, Marcus, Blaise, Greg, and Vince used to play aurors and criminals around your house while our mothers had tea? We had to stick together to outsmart our opponents and evade our mothers' wrath when we injured each other or broke something."

"This isn't a game we're playing," Draco snapped. "This is reality."

"And there goes your one mindedness," Theo said. "You don't see what this is. Just think about what I'm saying, Draco."

"I don't want to be a part of this, Theo," Draco groaned. "I want freedom."

"Tell you what, if you think about what I've said, and think with multiple views, I'll talk to Granger and maybe get her to apologize to you. Deal?"

"You're insane."

"I know."

"You have a plan, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Theo asked with a smirk.

Draco didn't say a word. He just thought until he gave up trying to understand his friend. "Just go do your magic."

Theo grinned. "Alright then. Levicorpus."

Draco began to rise towards the ceiling. With a swift flick, he was dangling by his ankles. "What in Merlin's pants was that for?"

"You were being whiny." Theo turned around and headed towards the stairs.

"Oi, I'm still dangling and you're leaving!" He heard Draco shout. "That's not how the spell works!"

"Modified version," Theo hollered back. "Someone will be around to let you down. Until then, just hang around and think about what I've said and your actions."

When Hermione heard the door opened, she immediately groaned. It was probably Tom or Neville checking on her or Malfoy coming to annoy her. She shook her head. Malfoy wouldn't wander into this library. She was surprised when she looked up and saw Theodore Nott standing there.

"May I help you?"

"I came to check on you," He replied. She watched his eyes dart around the room until landing back on her.

"Nice excuse."

"I'm serious. I ran into Draco down stairs; he was being a whiny prat complaining about you. I figured that yes you may have been rude to him—"

"Excuse you!"

"—But he must've done something to provoke you because he's Draco. So I came to check on you. And before you ask, it was just a couple of minutes ago I finished talking with him. I knew you'd be here. I haven't been wandering around aimlessly looking for you. I have better things to do with my time."

"I'm surprised you knew about this library," she then mumbled, "Considering it's in the attic and its contents."

"I'm pureblood not an intolerant, ignorant racist."

"I never said you were one."

Theo shifted to lean against the bookshelf to his left. "It was underlying. You don't trust most purebloods, especially those from Slytherin. Think of all the classes we've had together since our first year. When have I done something to make you believe I'm an intolerant, ignorant racist?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "Sixth year. You laughed at me with Malfoy in potions."

Hermione saw Theo's eyes shifted to the ceiling in thought. "Ah yes. I remember that day. First day of potions. Draco made a joke about Slughorn being an idiot for not realizing you were a muggle-born," Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Theo stopped her. "Come off the pedestal, Granger. Your hair is as big as cauldron from first year. Any person raised around magic was well aware of Sleekeazy's. We weren't making fun of you but Slughorn instead."

Hermione glared at him. "I used it once fourth year. It worked perfectly fine, but it was just too much work to use constantly; I was also perfectly fine with my bushy hair. It doesn't matter. I'm doing fine, Nott."

He blinked. Hermione shifted under his gaze. "I wanted to say thank you for yesterday once more."

"I didn't do anything."

"But you were ready to," Theo pointed out. "Lyle could've done a lot worse."

"You seemed to have it all under control. When did he stop groaning?"

"Marcus said it was when he exited the floo," Theo said. He glanced over at an old, tattered book and picked it up. "Ever read this?"

Hermione looked at the book. It was The Art of War. "No."

"Maybe you should."

Hermione studied him. "What's your angle, Nott?" She asked. "We may have never associated with each other but I've heard things about you."

"Rumors are different from facts. You need to know the difference."

"You evaded my question."

Theo smirked. "Did you know that if your aunt and uncle had been dead you and I would be twins?"

Hermione stared at him. She couldn't believe what she heard. "You're older than me by four days. Tom told my father that night you would be passed off as my twin sister if you had no surviving family."

"Why tell me this?"

"Because you may not have been passed off as my sister but now that I examine the possibility we would've done well."

"Because we are alike," Hermione concluded with a nod. "You still haven't answered me, Nott. I haven't forgotten."

Theo smiled. At least Hermione thought it was a very small and faint smile. She couldn't ever remember seeing Theo without a smirk or frown or straight face. The slight smile made her uneasy. "Hermione, who are you loyal to?"

Hermione frowned. She stayed silent. Theo took her silence as an answer. "That means you aren't loyal, or as loyal as you once were, to the Order. On the contrary though, as much as you, more or less, trust Tom, you would never join his cause. That we both know."

"Your point?"

"You don't know which side to lean to. Daphne and I going to stay neutral from the two sides. Draco wants freedom. I've yet to talk to the others. Considering my prior knowledge of our ragtag group, I'd say they want the same thing."

"Your point, Theo?" Hermione snapped. She was tired of his little games.

"When you come to a fork in the road, do you go on the path to the right or left?" He questioned. "Or do you go straight between the two? Or do you go back the start? Or to the left of the left or right of the right? Or do you stand there waiting for help?"

Hermione contemplated what he said. She reached out and grabbed the beaten book in his hands. "'The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting'," Theo whispered as she grabbed the book.

"'In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity'."

Theo's left eyebrow arched. Hermione could almost detect the small smile trying to reappear under his cold exterior. "I thought you'd never read this?"

Hermione smirked. "I've read The Art of War but I've never read this," Theo chuckled at her answer. He couldn't say she answered incorrectly for she had answered what he asked, literally. "I've read every book in this library. Tom made it into a library when I was 8. Rooms here have changed and grown. A use of magic. Except for this room and the one I'm staying in, this house isn't what I grew up in. This house is a sign that the Thomas I knew is gone. I swore when I last saw him as Thomas he had sold the house. Apparently not."

"Apparently not," Theo agreed.

"I'll do what you asked," Hermione conceded. "But I want full knowledge of all your plans."

Theo grinned. Hermione blinked and squinted her eyes to make sure it was an actual grin she was seeing not a smirk. It was. "You have a deal, Hermione. We can do this. We'll help create a better future."

Hermione nodded. "Talk to the others, even Neville and Astoria. I'm sure we can come up with something."