The days passed quickly for Draco. Classes were merely tedious obstacles he had to overcome. He focused on his main goal: to complete the task given to him by the Dark Lord. He had a couple of unsuccessful attempts over the year, before he started his big campaign.

The first attempt almost led to him being discovered by Potter. He had managed to cast the Imperius curse on Madam Rosmerta during one of the Hosmeade trips, forcing her to deliver a small package containing a cursed opal necklace that he had bought at Borgin & Burkes. Madam Rosmerta delivered the package to Katie Bell, a seventh-year Gryffindor. She told Katie that it was a Christmas gift for Dumbledore, and that it should be delivered immediately.

This probably would have worked, had Katie not accidentally touched the necklace during a fight with her friend Leanne. The curse immediately started upon Katie. Draco watched from a distance as Katie rose gracefully into the sky, her arms outstretched. Those who had a first-hand account would have said it was eerie… Her hair whipped around her face by a fierce wind, but her face was empty of emotions. She rose steadily to six feet, and suddenly let out a terrible scream. Her eyes flew open and whatever she saw was clearly causing her anguish. She screamed, long and loud. Leanne screamed as well, tugging on Katie's ankles in hopes of pulling her back down.

Draco let out a few chuckles. It was too bad this wouldn't work, but at least he got a bit of sport out of it. He watched as Katie tumbled from the sky, writhing in pain. She was almost caught by her friends, only to twist out of the grasp onto the cold ground. She thrashed and screamed, unable to recognize any of them. Of course, Potter had to rush in and save the day. Draco moaned in defeat as he watched that wretched Potter call attention to his cursed classmate. Of course, Potter told Professor McGonagall that he suspected Draco, and Draco received a detention.

Later in the year, Draco was heading to the Room of Requirement to work on fixing the Vanishing Cabinet. Argus Filch caught him as he was passing in front of the curtain, and Draco quickly thought up an excuse for being out after hours.

"I was heading to Professor Slughorn's Christmas party, sir, and was delayed." Filch dragged him by the ear all the way to the party, eager to punish a Slytherin.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, a maniacal light of mischief-detection shining in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Draco pulled free of Filch's grip, rubbing his sore ear, looking furious.

"All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate-crash, happy?"

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement that was completely at odds with look of utter jubilation on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand airily. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco."

Filch's expression of outrage and disappointment was almost satisfying to Draco, even though it matched his own. When was he ever going to get a chance to fix that Vanishing Cabinet? He couldn't run his Master Plan without it. As Draco glanced around the party, skimming past the vampire and other out-of-place guests, he noticed Snape glaring at him. Draco quickly pasted a smile onto his pasty face and murmured thanks to Professor Slughorn.

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn. "I did know your grandfather, after all…:

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir." Draco spoke quickly. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known…" Draco hoped he could get out of here soon, someone was bound to notice the dark circles under his eyes and the grayish tinge in his skin. Sleepless nights alone with Voldemort threatening you can change a man, after all.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Snape suddenly. "Follow me." They walked down to his office. Or rather, Draco sulked down to Snape's office. Once inside, Snape turned on Draco.

"You cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled –"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Draco angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? The Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about – don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work – I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah… I see that Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!"

"So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco –"

"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" jeered Draco.

There was another pause. Then Snape said, "You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!" Draco was still on the defensive.

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low that Draco could barely hear him, "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco –"

"Looks like you'll have to break it , then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!" Draco was so sick of hearing Snape's excuses. If only he could have a night of sleep, a night without nightmares of Voldemort.

"What is your plan?"

"It's none of your business!"

"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you –"

"I've got all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes –"

"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!" Draco was yelling now, and his face a definite shade of pink.

"Keep your voice down!" spat Snape. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres –"

"What does it matter?" said Draco. "Defense Against the Dark Arts – it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts –"

"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco! Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle –"

"They're not the only ones; I've got other people on my side, better people!"

"Then why not confide in me, and I can –"

"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"

There was another pause, and then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but –" Before Snape could finish speaking, Draco turned on his heel and burst out of the door, striding away down the corridor in anger.

A/N: I think I cut some things from this. I don't think I had time to write them in, and so I just made some painful executive decisions. I have a feeling Ron didn't make it into this cut. Maybe some day if I have time I will go back and write all of that in.