Chapter 19 – Making changes

"No Harry! You cannot do this," Ginny was looking furious. They were both crouched beneath the table, the muggle coin between them. Harry looks up from the coin at the furious words of his girlfriend.

After he had read the note for a second time he got up and went after her, waking her up. Now he somehow wished he hadn't as her eyes were looking furiously in his.

"I'll be careful… I might even see Hermione," Harry tried to abate Ginny. It wasn't working, as she somehow looked even more furious.

"Yeah right, as if Malfoy is going to make it that easy," Ginny snapped back at him. "Don't you dare touch that thing!" she shrieked then when Harry put his hand forward.

"Ginny, sweetheart. I'm going to be careful but I've got to do this, I have to try."

"You don't have to. Harry what if something happens you?" anguish was evident in Ginny's voice now.
Hearing that he focused his emerald green eyes on her blue ones as he spoke gently. "Someone has to take the risk. If we go on the way we are now, we're certainly going to lose the war."

"But why you?" A first tear escaped her brave face.

Wiping it away he whispered, "I'm the chosen one, remember?" Bowing over the coin he now leaned in to give her a soft short kiss, and as he leaned away he took the coin his hand before she could stop him. Harry felt a tug at his bellybutton as the portkey took him away from Grimmauld place. Leaving Ginny alone beneath the table in the kitchen, crying to herself.

XXX

Landing with a soft thud Harry lost his balance and fell as he put his glasses straight, wand in his hand he looks around.

The only sound to be heard was of water dripping behind him through a leak in the roof, where the water of the pouring rain flittered through.

Harry had landed in an old empty living room of an abounded house. In the only seat available there was a man with blonde hair waiting for him.

"Took you long enough," was the greeting Harry received as they made eye contact, green meeting grey.

"Malfoy," Harry said as he rose his wand and pointed it on Draco.

Ha"What do you want?" Harry then asks, wand still clasped in his hand. His green eyes searching for any indication that this was indeed a trap.
"To negotiated," Draco still had his wand in his hand, keeping an eye on Harry's. "Where's Hermione?" Harry had completed his search of the building and focuses solemnly on Draco now.

"Safe and sound," Draco said with an pleased smile.

"Where?" Harry pressed on, taking a step closer.

"Not here Potter, relax. You don't really believe I would take her here do you? Now grab a seat and put your wand away."

At this Harry narrows his eyes, "why should I trust you?"

"You don't, but if I were to kill you I would've done it already. All I want to do is talk to you. Now I'll put my wand away but only if you do to."

As if to show he meant it Draco hides his own wand in his sleeve and holds his hands up in surrender.

Harry still didn't trust it, "Talk about what?" he asks keeping his wand trained on Draco and while looking around the abandoned room.

"The end of the Dark Lord."

At this Draco got Harry's full attention. His green eyes got sharp as his sense of this being a trap got up. "What are you on about?"

"Nothing, I'm sick of this war and I'm sick of being under that bastards will," Draco was getting annoyed. This whole plan was bound to fail, why did he believe Hermione anyway.

Lowering his wand Harry looks stunned at Draco. "Fine, what's your proposition?"

A smirk appears on Draco's face now as he lazily bows to pick up something behind him. Which immediately causes Harry to worry and hold up his wand again. As Draco shows the hidden object, Harry stares at it confused. "A book?" he then asks.

"Not just any book Potter. It's had an old spell in it, old magic. Which can make a man invincible," he offers the old brown book to Harry, who takes it reluctantly.

"It took me quite some time to get a hold of it. If it wasn't for your spy I would've had it a long time ago in my possession."

Harry, who had been looking in the book, looks up annoyance shining in his green eyes. "You didn't have to kill my man."

Draco smirked again, "I didn't do it Potter. I have men of my own."

Still annoyed Harry closes the book with a thud. It was very small and fitted in a person's hands, you could easily look over it. "So Voldemort wants this?"

As Draco nods his confirmation Harry looks it thoughtful over again.

"We got to find a way to make him think he's got unlimited power, but make sure he doesn't."

"Smart Potter, that's what I've thought about from the moment I got my hands on that book."

"So then tell me your master plan Malfoy, if you at least have one," Harry throws the book back at him.

Again Draco smirks, unfazed by Harry's anger. He bends down again and pulls out an identical copy of the book. Throwing it at Harry he explains.

"I made some changes to the spell and instead of making him more powerful, it should make him less."

"Won't he notice that?" Harry opens the identical book to find it a perfect match of the previously one.

"That was what I was worried about at first. So I made some more changes. The Dark Lord will have the feeling of being invincible and when he'll finally finds out he isn't you have to make your move, Potter."

Harry looks up from the book, confused. "Why do you need me? Why not do it yourself? You could take everything in and be as powerful as you want Malfoy. You've gone through all this work and you need me to just finish it?"

An annoyed look appeared on Draco's face now as he averted his grey eyes.

At this Harry suddenly got it and he laughed, his green eyes twinkling with joy for the first time since a few months. "It's Hermione isn't it?"

Draco shot an murderous look at Harry and got of his seat. "No Potter, she doesn't know anything. Don't you think I can control her? She's got nothing to do with this," he pulled the book out of Harry's stunned hands. "You have been told, be ready when the final fight comes. Don't miss Potter!"

Before Draco could Apparate away Harry quickly asks one more question. "But why?"

"Believe it or not Potter, but people change," and Draco Apparated away from the abandoned building.

"People yes, but you," Harry said in the silence only disturbed by the dripping of water. Looking around one final time Harry Apparated out of there to.

XXX

Opening the door the only thing Harry saw was a flash of red hair before someone threw their arms around him.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," sobbed a terrified Ginny, "you could've been dead."

"I'm not Ginny, sweety," Harry held on to her tightly, as she continued on crying. Behind her Harry saw Lupin, Arthur and Moody appearing in the kitchen doorway. Hands folded before them and a disapproving look on their faces. He'd have lot of explaining to do before any of them would believe what just had happened. Harry still had some trouble processing what just had happened.

As Ginny quieted down he gently pushes her away. Taking her hand he leads her with him to the kitchen where half of the Order was waiting for him.

XXX

"Draco, you surely must be becoming insane?" Snape's black eyes stares unbelievingly and angry at his godson.

Draco his silver eyes guard his godfather with calm, he had been expecting this reaction, and so he was not surprised.

Early afternoon light shone through the study room in Malfoy Manor. The sunbeams were already very warm, no sigh of air as it was another smothering day in August.

"I'm not becoming insane Uncle," Draco lets himself fall into an armchair.

Snape black eyes focus on the figure of his godson sitting in the armchair, looking quite defeated. The only thing he was ever concerned about was the welfare of his godson, who he always thought to be a smart boy. So Snape sits down in the chair in front of his godson, more elegant than the boy hanging in the chair.

"Then tell me what you are planning Draco."

The steel grey eyes of Draco guard his godfather with care before he speaks confidently about his fears. "I don't want to live in a world ruled by Voldemort," Draco confesses to his godfather. "That's never been my decision, so I decided to change my ways."

"And you changed your ways all on your own, or has a certain someone been quite a help with that?" Snape wonders aloud, a bit amused as he leans back prepared to hear the whole story why his godson decided to change his ways now.

XXX

Fourteen pair of eyes stared at the Chosen One. He must've lost it, the war must've finally pulled him under.

Harry could feel none of the gathered Order members believed him. Even Ginny, holding his hand, had a look of disbelief in her eyes.

If he hadn't been there himself he would've had trouble believing it to. But none of the Order members had seen the sincerity in Draco's eyes. Nor had they seen the look on his face as he mentioned the fact that Hermione had gotten to him.

"Look I'm not crazy. And this might be hard to believe but where's the harm in trying to?" Harry looked first at Moody, standing near the door, then at Lupin, in front of him.

For a few moments nobody spoke and were all eyes on their Chosen One, as Harry starred deliberately in everyone's eyes one by one. In the end Lupin was the first to give in and nod and so having Arthur and eventually everyone else present nod to, they were putting their fate in Harry decision.

XXX

Early evening light enlightens the ground floor sitting room in Malfoy Manor seeming in huge contrast to the mood the people in the room were in.

Narcissa and Snape sitting in sofa's facing each other, Draco standing near the unlit fireplace and Lucius pacing in the small square. Each eye was turned towards him. The temperature was too warm to be comfortable but it was too dangerous to keep a window open. They were after all talking about treason.

"It's way too dangerous Draco, you're going to get killed," Lucius was furious as he still paced in the sitting room, which wasn't a habit of his.

"If a Death Eater were to hear us right now, leave out the Dark Lord! Why do you try to ruin everything I worked so hard for?" he turned to his son at this.

"Indeed, everything you worked hard for. Nothing I ever asked for is it Father?" Draco seemed calm on the outside, but in fact he was seething with anger. He knew this was going to be difficult, as he was not having enough doubts himself. But Snape had convinced him to tell his parents so they could stand behind him if anything went wrong.

"It was never anything I wanted, Hermione helped me see that," he said the last thing without thinking and Lucius became livid again.

"I knew she would be trouble. I knew it from the moment we realized she was Hermione Granger," Lucius said with his back to Draco, just as well. He might be his father but Draco just managed to calm his inner Veela down, ready to protect his mate. It was Narcissa who came to the rescue before Draco could say anything. "You should be glad she is here Lucius, otherwise your son wouldn't be," came the shooting voice of Narcissa. After all these years she managed to have acquired the skill to calm both of her men down.

"You're right," Lucius says while pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew he had overstepped a line when it came to Hermione.

"But I just don't understand why all of a sudden now change our ways? We're so close to the end!" Lucius lets himself drop next to his wife on the sofa.

"That's just why," Draco steps in. "I never realized this before but the threat of danger will not be over when the Dark Lord wins. That's going to be only the start. He's ruthless Father and being so close to him lately made me see that even more. I will not let Hermione live in a world ruled by him. She wouldn't be safe and I would have to hide her, her whole life. That's no way to live. Yes, she pushed a bit and helped me see what I couldn't see on my own and that is the fact that we have to stop this, now. Before it is too late. And now is the right time as I have worked out a plan which cannot fail," at this he looks at this Father.

Lucius holds his gaze for a long time before looking over at his wife. At her confirmed nod he guided the same steel grey eyes to his son. "If you say so Draco, we will follow you. Let us hear about your plan."

At this approval of his parents Draco sits down too, explaining his plan for the third time this day.

XXX

Hermione was reading a book in the bedroom. Having nobody in the house to talk to and too early to go to bed, so she opted for a one used to be favorite pastime.
After their talk in the bathroom a few days ago Draco had been away for most of the time. He was again secretive about what he was up to and Hermione didn't think it would be something good. She rather chose to ignore it now, as trying to persuade him let to no result. Finding another way to get out if here and warn Harry was the only option and the only thing she had been doing for the past days. It took her quite an effort to make it look like she wasn't planning anything. Although Draco wasn't around there were enough people to keep an eye on her.

Draco entered quietly, Hermione hadn't heard him. She was to engrossed in her book and only looks up as he pulls it out of her hands. Immediately Hermione notices how distressed his face looks and she's scared of what he might tell her. Being imprisoned for so long, she had no idea how the war was going. Except for that one piece of information when Harry had hit Draco with that spell a few days ago. Draco pulls her into his arms Hermione doesn't protest. But as tension is building in her she pulls away and looks at him with questioning eyes.

"Draco," she urges him to tell her with only his name, knowing he would understand.

"I've contacted Potter," he says his grey eyes honest and vulnerable staring into hers.

Suddenly Draco is thrown back from the feelings she's been feeling. Feelings he has never felt from her side before. Love, pure and clean love for him. He was only just getting used to that new emotion or she throws herself at him with enough force to knock him backwards on the bed. Leaning above him she kisses him for the first time. It didn't take long before he kisses her back and it felt so different from all the other times. Their love coursed through the bond and Draco just knew then that he had never had been as happy as he was now.

He pulled her closer to him and then rolled over so he was on top now. His mouth left her lips and traveled over every inch of skin that was in his sight.

AN: I have really no excuse for the delay. I'm had writers block, have been busy and kind of forgotten about writing for a while. I cannot promise anything for the next chapter, but it will not be abandoned, although it might seem so.

I hope you liked this chapter and where the story is heading! ^^