WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS
Following the gruesome events of Draco's last day at Hogwarts, he finds himself back in the midst of the Order with several things left to prove. Will he be welcomed in, as Snape has predicted, or will it be just too much to deal with?

//…//

DISCLAIMER: All characters, settings, and magical occurrences were all conceived and created in the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Nothing except the glorious plot is property of mine. No profits are being made from my writing.

WARNING: This story will contain some SLASH, as it will be the main pairing. If this bothers, offends, or just grosses you out, you can save yourself a lot of pain and heartburn and just click the back button. Otherwise, stick around. I can only hope not to disappoint. If you already read the prologue, you know there are HBP spoilers. If not be warned. And if you have not read the book, go check it out at the library. It is worth it. :-D

Slight editting going on. Nothing to the actual story but structural, grammar things.

//…//

He flipped over uncomfortably in the rickety cot beneath him. It was definitely nothing he had ever been used to in his entire life. Plush and overly expensive maybe, but he was far from it that night. Instead of even the four-poster beds he had found himself used to for six years, he was curled up, wooden slats stretching a very thin mattress across them. Eyes met the less than welcomed sight of the ceiling.

Draco had been there only a few hours and he still had not managed to feel anymore at ease. This was perhaps mostly for the disruption in his life brought on by his former professor. This led to one of the hardest things he had ever had to sit through, feeling nausea the duration of the conversation. Snape was a spy. All of this was a rouse. A rouse orchestrated by none other than Dumbledore himself at the slightest hint of an uproar. He knew that Draco had been commissioned to murder him and that the blonde would not have done it had he not felt obligation to his family. And most importantly that they had been counting that there would be no allegiance lost now that Draco was presented with another path and plan.

Snape outlined to him the intricacies of the plan that he been in the works since the beginning on his sixth term at Hogwarts. He could not help but find himself slightly resentful. If he had known all of this, would he be in that situation now? No matter how he tried, he could not shake the feeling that he would not. That all he had needed was someone that could seriously push him in the right direction. That was obvious, as he had struggled with the idea of being the one to murder Dumbledore. Deep down, he knew he would never have been able to do it. All of the words that the old man had spoken to him had mixed amongst the same things he had heard elsewhere in the months leading up to it. He just would never have been able to.

He had grown steadily angry, as his conversation with Snape had progressed. If they had just come to him, would Dumbledore still be alive? Would he still be at Hogwarts? Would he not feel so disgusted with himself? So many things that he could never be certain of but it did little to keep him from speculating.

Finally, he received a proposition he had never really been prepared for. Would he turn then and go back to the Death Eaters who would have him back, albeit with a deadly chance or would he take the other path that Dumbledore was so entirely certain he would? A second chance that would lead him to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. To deliver the one message that he had been counted on to deliver. Knowing very well the gravity of what he had been asking that evening, Snape had suggested that he sleep on it and give his answer in the morning and he had to give an answer in the morning. Time was slowly being wasted and action needed to be swift.

This left Draco without the ability for sleep, and more on his mind than he would have liked. There was this inner turmoil playing out over and over in his head. On one hand, he had his mother who left at his mercy. His entire involvement had her life hanging over her head. At the other, he had doing something much beyond himself. Without Dumbledore, things were bound to be chaotic and he could bring it all together. That was if they were to accept that he was not exactly what he seemed. On that end was Ron. And he knew either way he chose it would be completely selfish.

But was he not entitled to the right? Dumbledore had been no different. He had done anything in his power to make sure that everyone would be doing, as he had wanted. In that right, Draco found himself a pawn of another sort. Though he knew it would have a completely different outcome than the first. He could have a life. He could be his own person, something he had never had much opportunity to do. He knew he had reached a decision before he actually had but it meant taking care of one more thing before acting. He closed his eyes and fought for just a few hours of sleep before he was shaken awake.

Blinking harshly a few times, he took in the surroundings around him. Instead of the hum of snores of his fellow students and the dim lighting that the dorms afforded, he found himself staring straight into the face of his head of house. It affirmed that he certainly had not been dreaming or anything close to it. It was all reality.

Snape gave him a hard stare that came as a surprise to neither of them. He had said, the night before, that he needed his answer as early as possible. And as Draco could see the sun deciding to make an appearance that morning, he sat up in bed and ran his words through his head again.

"What about my mother?" His scratchy voice asked, eyes falling against the end of the cot.

"She's a smart woman. She certainly knows what she's doing," Snape assured him but it just was not enough.

"He's going to go after her."

"She's prepared for it. She has spoken to me often in the past few weeks. She knows what is going on. She just wants you to be safe," Snape's tone alarmed Draco. Though the pair of them had a sordid history through Draco's father and then Hogwarts, he had never quite heard the other man sound so light and almost broken. Draco knew that all of what had happened with Dumbledore had taken its toll on him.

"Then I guess I'll stick to the plan," Draco still did not look up, finding himself hanging on to a little of his anger from the night before.

"We have a lot to cover and not much time to cover it in. It would do you good to get out of bed. Most of this will be done on foot." He had not quite realized that as soon as the words left his mouth, he would begin something he could very well regret. Nevertheless, he had no time to argue. Snape walked out of the room and it left Draco simply to ready himself.

Upon the furthest wall rested an old mirror, a large crack running through the top left corner and dingy from years of resting into the small shack he was currently in. Draco took a deep breath before daring to meet his reflection. Looking back at him, he saw so many things. Many different things that he hated and others that he just could not understand. A hand instinctively fingered a few pieces of his hair, which was lying tangled at his shoulders. He dug through his pockets digging for something to fasten his hair back for the day. It did little to help. He felt incredibly filthy and knew that he was not about to be offered a warm shower anytime soon. With a sigh, he moved away from the wall, slipping his robes back on, and joined Snape outside of the room.

//…//

Hanging above his head, Ron could still feel the gravity of the situation around him and the choices that he had made following Dumbledore's funeral. He had enlisted himself in some of the deadliest of work done during the war and inevitably, something that could help rid the wizarding world of Voldemort forever. He wished that all of the years he had known Harry had better prepared him for it all. It just seemed to be so much hitting him all at once from many different directions.

He found himself in Grimmauld Place for that last summer, mixing amongst the family and friends that comprised the Order. He watched Harry anxiously, knowing full well that the other man wanted to be out of there. Free from the confines of the home of his late Godfather. Nevertheless, it was not that easy. They had other things they needed to take care of. Hermione had seemed to settle into some sort of funk herself. When she was not sitting amongst a large stack of volumes reading up on Horcruxes and anything that could help them, she was almost like a walking zombie. He could not help but wonder if it was Dumbledore or just the weight hitting her as well.

Contrary to the popular belief, he and Hermione had maintained nothing but a friendship, a very good one, but just friendship. They had done a lot of growing up over the last year and had come to a simple decision. They would be nothing more. This was of course after the bit of a hit she took when she herself discovered the nature to one relationship Ron was harboring. If she had been hurt by it, she did not let it show too much, instead she had instantly launched into her mothering mode, knowing full well that Ron was making some very controversial decisions. And while he knew she would never agree, she would become his sounding board about everything. Almost everything.

He never could open his mouth about all of the information that Draco had given him surrounding what his course had been. Every time those thoughts crossed his head, he felt sick to his stomach that he might have been able to stop something from happening. That some how, he could have fixed everything. Though then Dumbledore would still be dead and Draco would probably begin rotting away in Azkaban. However, it might have been better than where ever he was then. He knew that the Death Eaters would not take kindly to Snape finishing the job off for him.

In public, he played a good role. He wanted to find everyone involved in Dumbledore's murder and see them face a similar fate. And it was mostly true. However, he could not help but hope that they did not find Draco. Having lost Malfoy Sr., they would take advantage of whomever they could find. Especially as they knew from Harry's own mouth that it had been he that was to complete the task. The fact that he had not would not help him too much. Intention and motive were all there. Ron, on the contrary, could not help but feel a little better about it knowing that the blonde had not done it. That he could not.

As he found himself lost amongst his thoughts, he looked up to notice Hermione's entrance to join him in the parlor. She appeared to feel a bit better but looks were often deceiving with the young woman. She shared no words with him the first few moments she had taken a place upon the sofa beside him. Finally, she looked nervously to him and spoke.

"They think they may have a lead on Snape and Malfoy," Her voice was soft as she spoke, knowing that her words were not exactly too welcomed right then.

"Really? How accurate?" Ron questioned, his brow furrowing as per his nerves.

"We don't know yet. Harry just told me to let you know."

"What did you say to him about it?" Ron asked, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sofa back for support.

"Nothing. Harry does not like to hear anything that I have to say. He knows that Malfoy could not do it but it does not matter because he is off with Snape who he has pegged as terribly evil. I just have a feeling it's not that simple," Hermione was hypothesizing aloud. Ron could not help but wonder if any of that was directed at him to begin with.

"Hermione, I knew," He blurted out all at once, completely surprised with himself for having done so. She started back at him blankly for a moment, gathering her thoughts.

"You knew what? That Malfoy was going to try and kill Dumbledore?"

Ron just nodded back at her, as her gaze grew wide. She started at him hard for a long second before even beginning to think about formulating words. Ron knew what she had to be thinking. She was blaming him for it. He could have stopped it. He should have.

"Ron, why didn't you tell anyone?" She asked, not fully comprehending what had just been laid before her.

"I couldn't. They would have killed him. Then someone else would have just done the job for him. They threatened him, Hermione. His family. Everything. It was an ultimatum. And I tried everything to get him to change his mind. But he just kept saying that he had to," Ron felt himself rambling but did not stop going until Hermione fully cut him off.

"But he didn't do it. The things Dumbledore said to him in combination with what you said changed things," She concluded aloud, letting everything wash over her fully. Ron had been carrying around a rather heavy burden, she now knew. And she could tell from the look he was giving her that he blamed himself for most of it. "Ron, you did all that you could do. It's not wrong to have faith in some people."

"What do you mean?" He asked puzzled.

"You don't think that on some level you knew that Malfoy could never do it? That you were getting through to him?" He had not ever exactly considered that as a reason for things being as they had. Had he believed that Draco would do it? In reality, he knew that he could not think that. He never wanted to accept that as an option so instead he did not.

"It doesn't matter though; I had knowledge that could've changed everything."

"But you did what you thought was right. It may not have been the best thing you could have done but not everything you felt was ill placed. He did not do it after all. Be mad at Snape. He did."

They sat in silence a few more moments together before she touched his arm slightly, offering a weak smile and vacating the space completely. Ron knew it was beginning to grow later into the evening and that sleep should be something he began considering but he had a hard time at the thought. Instead, he sat there, going over the past few months of his life. The things Hermione had said, making a big impact on him.

//…//

Draco reached up and wiped sweat from his forehead causing his hair to stick messily against the exposed skin. He pushed up the sleeves to his shirt for the fiftieth time that afternoon, trudging on further behind Snape who looked almost like a man possessed on a mission. And they were. A very important one at that. They were searching out the former home of Nicholas Flamel, a good friend of Dumbledore's from the past. It seemed that in his home, he had held onto something that Dumbledore knew would be of great help to them.

The days that had passed around them had been much the same, traveling as far as they could before stopping to rest. Snape began taking these times to continue filling Draco in on the remainder of their plans. It seemed that there was much more to it than throwing him into the Order and hoping for the best. For where that would be a task, explaining things to Voldemort would be much more difficult.

Draco had been kidnapped. At least that would be the story that was shared. The Order had taken him during an accidental run-in and fully planned to use him as leverage. This was the sort of thing that appealed to the Dark Lord, for he would do something similar himself. Of course, handing him over to the Ministry would make things more difficult for them and they would have no hand. This meant that Snape would no longer be welcomed into the Wizarding World, as a whole once they separated, though for a while, neither would Draco.

The older man had finally reached his destination it seemed as he walked up to the back cellar to a rather large manor that belonged to the late Nicholas Flamel. Draco stayed a few paces behind him as he muttered an incantation, which led to the soft sound of a click and the door to be opened at his will. He held it out only until Draco pushed it the remainder of the way and followed him in.

It was a dark and musty place that held nothing of much value it would seem at first look. Mostly old trinkets and knick-knacks acquired from the incredible life span of the former owner. However, from the look in his eyes, he knew that Snape was looking for something very specific. Draco watched on with rapt attention as the man began digging through a series of boxes until he pulled out a good-sized wooden box, with a muggle locked holding it shut. Snape fingered the lid of the box a moment, staring at it with a focused look on his face before turning back to Draco.

"This is going to save both of our lives," He told him, pushing the box it was contained in back and moving towards leaving the small cellar.

Draco frowned and followed, uncertain. "What's in it?" He questioned, feeling foolish for not having done for before.

"A prophecy. A very important one. Dumbledore was the one whom had first heard the prophecy about Potter all of those years ago but this, this is about Dumbledore himself. This is why he told me to stop you from killing him. Draco, this prophecy states that as long as Dumbledore was alive, the Great War would never end. That he would die before there would be resolution. That his life was holding Potter back," He started, lingering near the door to tell the story, fearing someone may see them should they stand outside.

"It's very old and when Voldemort first rose to power, he thought that it meant that his life was to end then. But when Voldemort disappeared so quickly, he knew that it would not be the last they would see of him. He had this prophecy removed and placed with his good friend to keep it safe. This prophecy is why he came to see me about you, knowing that it was to be his end but that he also might be able to save another soul in the process."

Draco stared at the box now, much as Snape had at the beginning. Things were clicking into place all around him. As to why Snape had so rapidly taken the responsibility to murder the headmaster versus urging Draco on to do it himself. Why it was so painfully obvious that Snape was all but destroyed on the inside. He could not help but feel that coming into possession of the box may make things that much worse for the older man.

"Now listen to me, for this is where we are to part ways. I have made you a map of how to reach Grimmauld Place. You have to take this box there and let only Potter open it. Dumbledore was completely clear on this point. Only Potter is to hear it. There are going to be those that are skeptical but he was certain Potter would be able to convince them otherwise. He is to be their leader now. You have to lay very low. Should they decide to contact me, have them send messages to that shack that we stayed in that first evening. It was placed under the same spell the Potter's home was all those years about but instead this time, the secret keeper died with the secret," Snape spoke in a rushed and nervous tone as he gave Draco all of his directions.

Draco on the other hand could not help but feel very overwhelmed by all that was placed before him. He had so many things that were now counting on him and he was not even certain he could make it inside of the bloody place without being lynched. It was a risk but he knew he had no option but to take it now. Snape dug in his pocket, pulled out a small skeleton key, and handed it over to Draco with a map as well. And once Draco had sufficiently tucked both things away, he gave him the wooden box as well.

"I'm going to go back and meet with Voldemort. Try to keep the damage to a minimum. You cannot be seen and especially not be caught. That would make things incredibly difficult for both of us." With that, Snape had left the cellar and Draco heard him mutter, as there was a faint pop that made it painfully clear that he was now standing there all alone.

//…//

Ron paced anxiously in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place waiting for Harry to get back. He had done a typical Boy Who Lived action and raced off at the first they had tracked Snape down. Ron knew it had been hard on him to watch Dumbledore die but it was slightly harder to watched Harry begin to snap as he was. That left Ron waiting for him to return with any news at all. They were not entirely certain of the source of the tip or they it could even be correct but it was all they had to go on. Snape certainly had done a good job eluding them.

He worried a lot for his best friend these days. Harry was suffering a lot more than he let on. Sirius had only been a year before and then Dumbledore in addition to his decision to leave the school the next year. His entire world had been rocked and Ron was actually a little afraid of what it was that Harry might end up doing. He certainly did not need trouble. At least that he brought on himself.

"Still not back?" A voice questioned, pulling him back into reality.

"No. If they found anything, it could be awhile," Ron replied to his younger sister who carried a mug filled with what smelt like hot cocoa.

"Do you think they'll find something?"

"I don't know. Snape is not daft. He knows they are looking for him. He's going to be in hiding," Ron told her in all honesty. He did not quite expect them to find anything on their first tip.

"Well what about Malfoy? He's bound to slip up somewhere," She commented, figuring it would lighten the mood a little for Ron but the look she received negating that belief instantly.

Ron bit his tongue and did not say anything else but offered a small smile to his sister. He knew that inwardly and it was what scared him the most. Good, bad, he did not want anything to happen to him if he could help it. Of course, right then, he could not, which made him feel all that much worse.

"You really should lighten up, you're going to turn into Percy soon," She warned before leaving her brother alone to himself again. Ron sighed and sank down into an armchair.

He hated anxiety more than anything. The palms sweaty, knots in stomach anxiety. He just did not know how to feel. There was a chance that Harry could find them and then should they evade, Ron had a feeling that things would go infinitely worse for the pair. He could not live with that thought. It was an inner battle and it was growing steadily more frustrating. On one side, he knew that he had to stay loyal to the cause. Draco and Snape had gotten themselves into much more trouble than they could be saved. At the same time, he could not stand the thought of Draco being made to suffer for something everyone knew he had not done. Intentions or not.

Disrupting his reverie was a knock upon the door. Though he knew Harry would not knock, it could still be someone reporting to them about what had happened on the so-called raid. With a deep breath, Ron got to the door pulling it open, breath catching in his chest as he prepared himself for what might be before him.

It was then that Ron realized that the person standing at the door was not anyone bringing news of the raid but instead, clutching a wooden box against his chest was none other than Draco Malfoy. He swung the door open rapidly, staring bewildered at the blonde who looked exhausted mixed with just a little disgusting. Gray stared back, whatever front having been applied before approaching the house fading away as he sank into Ron's gaze.

"Draco…" Ron barely finished the second syllable before he had taken a step out of the house and had pulled the blonde into a fierce embrace. Draco rearranged his hands so one held the box but both encircled around Ron frantically. Standing in that doorway right then, every sacrifice along the way had seemed that much more worth it. "What are you doing here?" Ron questioned, pulling back slightly, hands moving to fall along either side of Draco's face, the desire to touch overwhelming him if just to assure himself Draco was indeed real.

"Things weren't exactly what they seemed," He began almost cryptically.

It was enough for Ron at that moment. Questions could be answered later. Sensing this, Ron leaned his head forward, bringing their lips together, softly at first to take a moment to be better acquainted before letting themselves sink into it further. After a long moment, both pulled back, Draco burying his face against Ron's neck and he could have stayed just like that forever before he heard someone clear their throat, both heads darting around to find Hermione staring back at them, lingering in the doorway.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy," She asked, finding herself not stunned by the display she had first been hit with. Draco was then faced with the same question for the second time and stepping around the redhead, he showed the box off to her.

"I've brought something for Potter, from Dumbledore."

//…//

A/N: Ok 'tis the beginning of my next Ron/Draco piece. Oh how much I enjoy writing them now. This piece will be, at present, about three/four parts long I believe. It depends on how much I cram into each piece. So this is just the beginning just to say the least. The prologue to this is stand alone really but as this story is following those activities, they just merged into one. Thanks for much for and reading and reviews are ALWAYS appreciated. :-D