Twenty-five. Draco
Draco, come here." My father's voice was calm, for now. I looked worriedly into his eyes and continued to take slow steps backwards. "Draco," he was slowly getting aggravated and I knew if I stepped to him now what he would do.

I turned swiftly on my heels and ran as fast as I could. The Malfoy Manor garden was large, but not large enough.

"Draco, come back here NOW!" My father bellowed some feet behind me. I slowed to a stopped and stared at the hedge in front of me. I could feel his cold blue eyes boring into the back of my head and the hairs on my neck stood on end. The heavy tap of his shoe on the cement echoed around me and I shut my eyes as I turned.

"Father I…"

"Draco," his voice was stern as he stepped towards me. "What have I told you about being near muggles?"

"But father they are my friends," I tried to explain.

"Friends," he whispered whilst surveying me through narrowed eyes. "I told you never to associate with those wretched people." I blinked back tears.

"Yes father."

"Especially that filthy girl down the road. It'll do well for you to mix with people on the same high status as you," he held his head up proudly.

"Yes father," I repeated staring down at my polished shoes.

"Now, what did I tell you those kinds of people are?" I opened my eyes widely to look at my father, willing him not to make me say the word. "Draco?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Dirty blood-traitors," I whispered whilst avoiding my fathers gaze. He smiled down at me.

"They're nothing but?" He waited for me to finish his sentence.

"Mudbloods," I answered more boldly and brought my eyes to his.

"Good boy," he messed his hand through my hair before striding off down the garden.

Mudbloods?

I propped myself up on my elbows and looked around at the room. I lifted a heavy hand to my head and felt the cold sweat drip from it. My body still shook from the fear I held of my father when I was an 8 year old child. He still affected me in the same sort of way. It took all my courage to stand up to him.

"Finally," came a cheery voice from the corner. "We thought you were never going to wake up." A Plump woman with bright red hair walked towards me with a small smile on her face. It had to be the Weasel's mother.

She bustled out of the room and shortly returning with company. I could feel the grin spread across my face as I saw Hermione enter the room; she flung her arms around me and I squeezed her tightly.

"I was so worried," she sniffed into my shoulder. "We thought maybe they had given you something and you were going to…to die." I patted her back softly and a small chuckle left my mouth.

"You worry too much," she pulled away and smiled at me. I leant forward and touched my lips to hers intending on a small kiss but she deepened it immediately and pulled me towards her.

A cough came from somewhere near the door and we both turned to see Mrs Weasley, the woman who helped save me, a man I recognised as Remus Lupin and stood there frowning at me, Harry and Ron. I suddenly felt highly uncomfortable but Hermione squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Have you told him?" Ron asked coldly whilst throwing me his dirtiest look. I looked at Hermione expectantly.

Hermione shook her head, "no. Do you mind giving us a second?" Everyone nodded and slowly traipsed from the room leaving the two of us alone.

"A lot has happened in the short time you were gone," she began with a smile on her face.

"A lot of what?" I asked quizzically.

"Draco, the war is about to begin." My heart thumped loudly. I didn't know what to think. I felt nothing. "Harry and Ron have found the 6th horcrux."

Twenty-nine. Hermione

I wasn't sure how he was going to take it. I'd never heard of Draco Malfoy being afraid but this was going to be the biggest thing to happen to the wizarding world in fifteen years. I tried to smile at him but it slowly left my face; I was scared. Draco was frowning.

"I want to help," he whispered though his voice was full of determination.

"Draco," I began shaking my head. "You're too weak. Whatever they did to you has weakened you immensely. I don't think you should put yourself in so much danger."

"You think I'm going to stand back and let you fight him with out me?" He asked stubbornly.

I sighed and started fidgeting with my hands. "Of course not. I'm just…"

"Don't be," he said before I could finish. "Don't be scared to lose me Hermione. You need to understand that I have to do this. I have to prove myself."

"You don't have to prove yourself Draco. You've been through enough already."

"I need to do it." I bit down on my lip as I looked into Draco's eyes.

"What do you need to prove?" I asked shrugging.

"Hermione, you're in Gryffindor, everybody knows that you will jump straight into this war to fight for the future of others. But I come from Slytherin which means not only do they expect me to be fighting for the other side, but they expect me to wimp out and run away."

"No one expects that of you Draco."

"Yes they do." He said flatly. "I heard Harry last night saying how I was too scared to kill Dumbledore and he was right. I was too scared. I'm not naturally brave and courageous like you Hermione; I'm scared."

I looked into his sad eyes and reached out to hold his hand. "What is Gryffindor?" I began. "What is Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff or Slytherin but the last name of some founder? Do you remember what the sorting hat said to you when you sat on that stool back in first year?"

Twenty-six. Draco
Slytherin!...

Back in first year the sorting hat had sorted me almost immediately. I couldn't even remember it speaking to me. I assumed that it said something but it was obviously of no significance to be because I had discarded the memory.

I shook my head slowly. "I remember what it said to me," she whispered before she recited what the hat had told her. "'Oh there are great things in your mind. Many great things. You hold wisdom beyond your age and being a muggle born that is fascinating; very fascinating. The pupils in Ravenclaw will push your knowledge all the way, helping you to the top. But there is courage. You are a brave girl my, my yes, it is all here in your head. You will stick loyal to your friends no matter what and stand up for what you believe in.' Obviously, it decided to place me in Gryffindor. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

I felt stupid. Was what she was saying complete nonsense or was I just being that dumb. "Hermione I do not have a clue where you are trying to take this." She sighed.

"You know, Harry was nearly placed in Slytherin," she said simply. I scoffed and she smiled.

"He doesn't have a Slytherin bone in him," I laughed lightly.

"He must have," she stated. "Or else the hat wouldn't have thought it suited him. What I'm trying to say Draco is that what house you are placed in does not make the person you are; we have bits of them all in us. Just because some one is in Ravenclaw does not mean they are cleverer than every other house. Some one in Hufflepuff is not more loyal than any other person. Because I was placed in Gryffindor doesn't mean that I am more courageous than you are and like wise, being in Slytherin does not make you more cowardly than I. Slytherin's main trait is not its cowardice Draco."

"Have you ever met somebody who did not suit the house they were place in at Hogwarts?" Her gaze fell to her feet and I knew I had her there. I never had met a person with the unusual case and I was sure she wouldn't either.

"I met you, you are no longer a typical Slytherin whether you see it or not. But that's not the point Draco. Being sorted into houses is a way to place everyone. It's a way to fit people into different dorms, to sort people onto different tables for dinner and to divide them into different classes. The houses were not meant to divide everyone but over the years it caused house rivalry and that is what happened. As we grow up we should all have seen this but everyone was always blinded to the fact that Slytherin's usually ended up on the dark side. Why can't that change? You've changed Draco. A few months ago if I had been told I would be loved by Draco Malfoy I would have laughed in their face. People have to expect change Draco because whether they like it or not, it's on the horizon. If Voldermort is defeated, what reasons do people have to believe that Slytherin's will join the dark side then, if there no longer is one? Hopefully this war will bring the four houses together"

I pondered over her words for a while. "You're a clever woman Hermione, do you know that?" She smiled triumphantly at me.

"So I've been told," she answered. I pulled her towards me and kissed her, she let out a small giggle but the serious look came over her again when she looked at me. "So I hope you see now that you're not scared because you are a Slytherin, you're scared because you are human. And if you choose not to fight no one will say it is because you are a cowardly Slytherin. Because I'm scared Draco," she whispered into my ear. "And I'm a Gryffindor."

I held onto her tightly for a minute and rubbed her back reassuringly. "So what's it going to be Draco? Are you going to fight in this war just to prove to everyone that you're not a coward?" She looked expectantly at me.

"No," I answered slowly. "I'm going to fight in this war to prove to everyone that change is coming. I'm going to fight in this war as a sign of inter-house unity. And I'm going to fight in this war to save the lives of the next generation."

"So you're going to fight?" She asked with a frown.

"Yes and Hermione my dear, I am going to fight right there at your side. Whether you like it or not."

Thirty. Hermione

"Listen boys, I love her. There's nothing you can say that will make me think otherwise."

I jumped back from the door when I saw the handle turn. Harry and Ron had asked to have a word with Draco and took him into the library. They were in there for about 45 minutes before the door swung open and Draco emerged looking slightly dishevelled.

"How'd it go?" I asked worriedly. Draco shrugged and turned to Harry and Ron as they to left the room.

"Well, I'm sure he loves you." Harry said to me. I sighed and looked at him expectantly. "Listen Malfoy, I'm sorry but I'm just finding it too hard to get over everything we've been through. Everything you've done."

"Me too," Ron murmured. I chewed my lip nervously.

"But it's clear that you love Hermione," Harry began.

"And what you did to escape the deatheaters was quite amazing," Ron said wide eyed. I looked at Draco who smirked smugly. I elbowed him affectionately and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I can't trust you right now and I wish I could say we'll give it time, but there isn't any. So we're going to have to go out on a limb and keep a close eyes on you," Harry winked at me and I pulled him into a bone crushing hug before turning to Ron and doing the same. "Besides, if we had tried saying we refuse to let you fight we would have had Hermione to answer to."

"I know what you mean," Draco said before sliding his arms around my waist and kissing me passionately.

"If you do that in the war," Ron said cringing. "You'll be dead." He almost looked happy at the thought of Draco dead but I laughed it off as we were called in for dinner.

It was our last dinner before the war in fact. The message came just before we settled down to eat; the deatheaters had begun their attacks.