Author's Note: I'm sorry this is a bit of a shorter chapter as I'm really busy with schoolwork right now. This story is about to come to an end, by the way. There's about two more chapters to go and that's it. Some of you might find this to your liking and some of you might now but anyhow, thanks for all the support:)

Chapter 18

It's been one long week since Ginny visited him. One long week of trying to investigate what and how to kill the Dark Lord while training the Death Eaters and planning their very first raid. It was exhausting; both mentally and physically and Draco didn't know what to do anymore. He had to always be meticulous and cautious in fear of making the Dark Lord suspicious and so far, Voldemort was unaware. Draco spent his days at Slytherin's mansion, training and planning but he spent his nights at the Malfoy library where he researched and read books on phoenixes and unicorns but there was no information that he did not already know.

He closed a heavy leather-bound book shut with a thud and leaned back on his chair, closing his eyes. He couldn't even remember when he last had a good night's sleep but he knew it must have been with Ginny. He was really getting more and more frustrated by the minute. He couldn't ask for anyone's help. He couldn't ask Pansy; who had the intellect of a giant and was always busy with wedding preparations even if Draco never actually asked her to marry him. She wasn't even his girlfriend. Draco didn't even bother to stop her from preparing the wedding because it kept her busy and away from him; only coming to see him to ask his opinions on some details to which he quickly decides on the same thing she wants just so she can get out of his office as soon as possible. It's cruel of him, Draco knew but he just couldn't really be bothered by anything right now other than finding ways to destroy the Dark Lord. And what was worse was that there were only 10 days left till the day of the raid.

He also couldn't ask his father, who was now back in the Manor, for obvious reasons. They just did not get along and Draco knew that if his father found out about his helping the Order, he would be no less than dead.

He was almost drifting to sleep when he suddenly heard the creaking of his office door; indicating that someone had just entered. He sat up straighter and looked up, startled and even more surprised to see his father, looking very prim and proper despite being only dressed in his nightrobes. A few moments of awkward silence passed until surprisingly, Lucius broke the ice.

"Why the sudden interest in unicorns and phoenixes?" he asked, looking down his nose on Draco, who looked sullen and tired but managed to look very composed.

Draco tried not to panic. His mouth was dry and he couldn't think of an answer.

"Do you think that I am unaware of your suspicious activties?" Lucius then asked, a hint of danger evident in his voice. Draco's head snapped up to look at his father. He knew? But Draco was meticulous and cautious in his every move. "Do you think that I do not know of your working for the Order and your desire to destroy the Dark Lord?"

"If you knew then why didn't you tell on me?" Draco asked bravely, masking the fear and panic he was feeling. Lucius laughed. A low and short laugh.

"I never thought in my life that I would say this," Lucius said, looking down on his shoes. Draco raised an eyebrow. This was very unlike his father. "but I am very proud of what you are doing."

Draco's eyes widened in shock and his eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. What did his father just say? Did he just say that he was proud of him betraying the Dark Lord behind his back?

"What?" was all that Draco could say. As of now, he was the most confused person in the world.

"When I first found out that you were helping the Order, I was infuriated. But it also got me thinking. After all the years I've served the Dark Lord, what was it that I gained? I gained power, yes, and wealth and respect also. But my greed and evil ate me and I lost what should have been my top most priority: My family. Close that mouth of yours boy!" Lucius said sternly at Draco's gaping mouth.

But Draco's jaw dropped even more, if that was possible, and his eyes widened so much that he felt his eyeballs were going to pop out anytime soon. Lucius noticed the shock expression on his son's face and let out a low laugh again.

"I understand why you are utterly shocked. My point is, living in the Dark isn't any fun at all. I made that mistake and I don't want you to do the same. Moreover, I have realized your strong feelings for Miss Weasley and she for you. I do not wish to let you raise a family under the Dark Lord. It would only turn you into me," Lucius said. He then sat down on the chair in front of Draco, crossed his legs elegantly and said as if it were the simplest thing in the world, "Therefore, I shall help you destroy the Dark Lord."

Draco blinked, mouth still agape, a bit too unelegantly to his father's liking. If this was a dream, Draco never wanted to wake up. He was brought out of his shock and reverie when his father cleared his throat. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Are you feeling quite alright?" Draco asked, scanning the appearance of his father for any discoloration or indication of somekind of illness. Lucius raised an eyebrow and glared at his son. Draco noticed the agitated look on his father's face and immediately straightened and cleared his throat. An uneasy silence hung in the air again.

"So," Draco said, finally breaking the silence. "How do I kill him?"

Lucius raised an eyebrow again. He sighed and settled himself more comfortably into the chair before speaking. "As you know, he has used up his last horcrux. Unicorn and phoenix blood are the only things keeping him alive and therefore he takes them regularly. Snape once said that by doing so, the Dark Lord could develop characteristics of a vampire and will eventually crave more than just unicorn and phoenix blood. Fortunately, that has not happened yet."

"You mean he's a vampire?" Draco asked incredulously.

"Turning into one," Lucius corrected. "And everyone knows that the only way you can kill a vampire is by driving a wooden stake into his heart."

"But Voldemort doesn't have a heart."

"He does. Only its black and unable to feel." Lucius shrugged.

"Is this why we aren't allowed to bring our wands whenever we're with him?" Draco asked. Recently, the Dark Lord has been forbidding the Death Eaters to come near him unless they're free of their wands. It didn't make sense at first but now it was suddenly clear as to why.

"Precisely."

"Are you sure that this will work?" Draco asked, feeling nervous and thrilled at the same time. Finally he was going to be able to relay very useful information to the Order. He can redeem himself in the Order's eyes now; especially Ginny's.

"Not too sure but if the Dark lord fears it himself then I assume it's most effective."

"Very well," Draco said, getting up. "I need to inform the Order."

"At 2 in the morning?" Lucius asked.

"As soon as possible," Draco said and without further warning, he touched the galleon alerting the Order and quickly disapparated to Grimmauld Place.

Draco picked up his glass of whisky, something which he just couldn't stay away from these days, and drained it in one gulp as he paced his office. He just couldn't sit still. He had just gotten home from the meeting with the Order which lasted almost six hours. Everyone from the Order was there; including of course, Ginny. A very distant and cold Ginny. He wondered vaguely if she would ever forgive him and if they could possibly go back to normal. He had half expected her to at least talk to him and tell him that she was glad that he had found the most crucial information they would ever need but Draco didn't even get one glance from her. And that hurt. Draco checked the time on his watch, knowing that the Dark lord would soon be calling for him and sure enough, a few moments later, Draco felt his Dark Mark sear with pain but he did not flinch nor make a face. He rarely reacted to the pain it brought him nowadays. He was already used to it. He refilled his glass and quickly drank its contents before disapparating to Slytherin's Manor.

"What in the bloody name of Merlin is this?" Voldemort yelled, slamming the Daily Prophet down onto the stone table. Draco and Lucius remained silent. "There is a traitor among us. Otherwise the Order wouldn't have postponed the re-opening of Hogwarts!" Voldemort stopped and slammed his fist on the stone table. Draco cringed. That must have hurt. "Find the traitor and bring him to me," Voldemort growled.

"Yes, My-"

"It was I, My Lord," Lucius interrupted Draco causing Draco's eyes to widen and look at his father as if he was growing another head. What the hell was Lucius doing?

"I sent an anonymous letter to the ministry as a threat. I told them to postpone the re-opening of Hogwarts and send the aurors and possibly, The Order as well to Hogwarts on that day instead. That way, we can attack all of them in one go," Lucius said calmly.

Draco looked at his father's stoic and calm expression and if he was nervous or even afraid; he hid it perfectly well and it made Draco look at his father with a sense of new-found respect. He was actually covering for him.

Voldemort looked at Lucius scrutinizingly, looking for a sign or a change in expression that would give away his ulterior motive to his actions but found none. Lucius' face was as expressionless as the time he came into the Manor. He even tried legilimens but was outraged when Lucius' mind blocks warded him off. He was about to yell at Lucius when Lucius suddenly bowed down low.

"Forgive me my Lord but I ask that you not question my motives. They are of good intention and I assure you, My Lord, that I am loyal only to you," Lucius said "Forgive me."

Voldemort stood indignantly and glared at Lucius. "You acted without my knowledge nor consent. You will not be exempted from being punished only because your are one of my most loyal servants. Rise!"

Lucius slowly stood up straight.

"No!" Draco cut in, a flash of panic in his eyes. Voldemort turned to look at him questioningly as did Lucius. Draco looked from Lucius to Voldemort. Lucius was glaring at him with a look that seemed to scream "What the hell are you doing?". Voldemort looked at him inquisitively. Draco couldn't just let his father take the blame. Not after he had helped him and the Order the way he did. But he knew there was nothing he could do to spare his father right now for he would only worsen the situation so he gave up. "Go on," Draco reluctantly relented, bowing down to Voldemort.

Draco watched as his father take the Cruciatus curses that Voldemort sent hurling to him. The curses that were by all means supposed to be his. He watched as slowly, blood began to ooze out of his injuries and parts of his robes began darkening with blood. Lucius did not even utter a sound of pain nor show a pained expression. Draco tried to be brave like his father; tried not to flinch and to show emotion and was quite successful at it. A lump formed in his throat as he watched his father being tortured because of him. The feeling of anger and revenge gripped him again but for the first time in his entire life; he felt a sense of love from his father.

Lucius felt the skin on his back crack open and the blood ooze out, running down his back and chest. He refused to scream or even groan. He refused to show the Dark Lord any weakness. He refused to show Draco, his only son, that he was weak. He fell to the floor, his fists clenched and eyes closed as he let the pain sink in. After what seemed like years, he felt the pain subside. He let out a breath he realized he was holding and opened his eyes, only to find himself looking into silver-gray eyes that were very much like his, only they were warm and glistening with unshed tears. He felt Draco put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, father?" Draco asked him, face etched with worry and concern. And it was only this time that Lucius felt that he hadn't really lost everything yet; that he still hadn't lost all hope. He still had his son.

"Yes, my son," he replied with a small smile and a nod.

"Should we have the wedding before or after the raid, Draco?" Pansy asked as she sat down on one of the couches in Draco's office. Draco paused and gripped his quill tighter, trying to resist saying something cruel to Pansy. He decided to ignore her and continued reading the paperwork in front of him.

"I asked you a question, Draco. If we have the wedding before the raid, we won't get to spend much time as a married couple. Who knows what can happen to us during the raid," Pansy went on.

Draco gripped his quill even more tightly that it snapped. He cursed inwardly as he fixed it with his wand.

"We can also get married after the raid. Then we'd have all the more reason to celebrate; what with our sure victory," she said. Draco closed his eyes and breathed before opening them again, thinking that he might as well get this over with.

"We won't have the wedding," Draco said finally, his voice shaky from trying to keep himself from yelling.

"After or before the raid?" Pansy asked, who seemed not to comprehend what Draco had just said.

Draco shook his head. When was this girl ever going to get a hint?

"We're not going to have the wedding at all," Draco said firmly. Pansy looked at him in horror.

"What? Why not? We've spent a lot of time and money in preparing for the wedding, Draco!"

"Correction, Pansy: You spent a lot of time and money. My money too, at that! I never asked you to prepare for a wedding. I never even asked you to marry me!" Draco said loudly, unable to keep his voice low any longer.

"Even so! Your father's never going to agree to this!" Pansy shrieked, standing up, not wanting to accept defeat.

"I am my own person, Pansy and I'm not marrying you," Draco said sternly.

"This is about that Ginny, isn't it? You can't just call this wedding off, Draco!" she cried, getting more and more desperate. Draco looked at her, his patience wavering.

"How pathetic can you get? There is nothing you can do or say now that will change my mind. I am not marrying you!" Draco yelled this time, making Pansy cower and break into tears all of a sudden. Draco thought he would feel at least a little sympathy for Pansy but he felt none. None at all. He only got even more annoyed and angry. Which made him briefly wonder whether he could actually still feel? With everything he was going through now. When he didn't do or say anything, Pansy got up and ran out of his office, a little too unelegantly and childish to his liking, causing him to scowl.

Draco sighed in relief. Finally, he got that burden off his shoulders. Not exactly the way he wanted it to go but he got the burden off anyway.

7 days.

7 bloody more days until the Raid. Ginny lay on the bed in the room that she shared with Tonks in Grimmauld Place. Eversince Draco came and told them about Voldemort turning into a vampire and was thus becoming even more powerful, Ginny's whole family had forced her to stay at Grimmauld Place where the whole family and most of the Order were staying now. Tonks was still downstairs with the others so Ginny revelled in the dark and quiet that her room had to offer. She gazed out the half-open window at the stars that dotted the dark sky and couldn't help it when her thoughts involutarily drifted to Draco. Thoughts of how complicated their relationship was ran through her mind and no matter what she did; she just couldn't shake off the thought of him.

She thought about the time they first met in so many years. The time when he ran to the Ministry and Tonks told her that she had to babysit him. She had been enraged of course but when the image of Draco's reaction when she told him that she was his bodyguard was, indeed, priceless. She then remembered the time when she didn't give Draco anything to eat; the time when they kept hexing each other with silencing charms and how they'd scream at each other and fight; the time when she had brought him to her pub and The Burrow and the time when Draco came to her when she was sleeping and confessed how he couldn't sleep. And how could she forget the time when Draco had let out a slip of tongue when he told her how he wouldn't make the same mistake as Harry. The bastard. He was doing it right now.

Memories of their special date; the night that they became lovers, filled her mind and before she knew it, she was laughing. She laughed even more when she realized that her face was wet and that the salty taste in her mouth was her own tears. I'm crazy. She was actually crying and laughing at the same time. Eventually, her laughter died down and her crying became more and more louder until she cried herself to sleep.

Outside Ginny's bedroom door, curled up on the floor against the wall beside her door was Ron, face buried in his arms as he listened to his sister's crazy laugh turn into heartwrenching sobs and couldn't help but feel the already tightened feeling grip at his heart and gut tighten even more.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.