Here's the new chapter! Thanks for reading!

Chapter Twenty

Draco ran through the hallway, alongside Ron. He followed him to the girl's bathroom that housed Moaning Myrtle, who came gliding out of her cubicle.

"Nice to see you again," she said breathily, pushing her glasses up. "I suppose you've been too busy to visit me this year?"

"I haven't been here this year, Myrtle," Draco said. "How have things been around here, anyway?"

"Draco! No time to catch up with the dead unless you want to be one!" Ron cried out.

Draco shrugged and smiled at Myrtle as he followed Ron around the sinks. Myrtle blew a raspberry at Ron.

"It's been horrible, from what I've heard, but who knows." She followed them around the sinks. "Did you hear one of the professors brought all the statues to life to protect the school?"

"What?"

Myrtle nodded earnestly. "I think we're getting ready for a fight."

Ron located the correct sink and a horrible strangling noise erupted from the bottom of his throat. Nothing happened, so he tried a few more times until the Chamber opened.

"Whoa!" Draco looked awestruck. "So there really was a Chamber?"

"You still didn't believe us?"

"I did, but I thought...I dunno."

"Get in!"

Draco nodded and jumped through the opening. He landed on something soft and looked disgusted when he saw that it was a large snake skin.

"Ron…you're sure this thing is dead, right?"

Ron nodded. "I saw it myself."

"Where do we go now?"

Ron looked around. "This way." He pointed down a hallway and their steps crunched over dead animal bones.

"This is disgusting."

"Hey, Draco, over there…that's where Lockhart's memory charm backfired on him!"

Draco managed a small smile. "Nice to know you've got some charming memories about this place."

Ron chuckled. They walked forward in silence. "So…what's up with you and Hermione?"

Draco stopped walking. Now he dreaded being down here with Ron. He knew that Ron had feelings for Hermione, it was obvious since their third year.

"Nothing's up with me and Hermione," he answered.

"Something's changed." Ron shook his head. "Something's different. She…she loves you. I could tell."

Draco fell silent. "She loves you, too."

"Not like that. Not anymore." The hurt was evident in Ron's voice and Draco looked away as Ron discreetly wiped tears from his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered.

"I'm sorry, too. And…if you hadn't actually turned out to be all right, I would be killing you right now."

Draco gave him a small smile. "You mean, you're not going to kill me?"

Ron blinked away tears. "She's changed. I could see it. She seems…I dunno…happier. I know it sounds a bit mad since we've been on the run and all, but there's something about her. You make her laugh, you make her joke. If you make her happy, why am I going to stop that? If I really loved her as I do, why would I stop her?"

Draco didn't say anything.

"The way she looks at you…she's never looked at me like that. Harry sees it too. He's the one who told me about the way she looks at you. Told me to get over her and let her go. And then I saw it for myself."

"Ron, you…you've actually become a friend. I would never—"

"You've become a friend to me, too. And if it were anybody else…hell, even the old Malfoy, I'd be pounding you to a pulp right now. But you're different, too."

"So are you. You've…matured. Even from September to now."

"I guess being hunted down by You-Know-Who helps you think about things differently."

"It sure does." He and Ron continued until they saw a large, open room. In the center of it lay a number of yellowed basilisk fangs. "And Ron?"

"Hmm?"

"His name is Voldemort."

Ron jerked up, looking at Draco in surprise. "You're the last person I would've ever expected to say his name." He bent down and grabbed an armful of fangs. "Well, I suppose we could do it here." He pulled the cup out from his pocket. "You want to have a go?"

Draco shrugged. "I think he knows that I'm against him, so…Voldemort. Hermione said that fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself…"

Ron smiled. "Actually, it was Dumbledore who said that."

"Well, it sounds better coming from Hermione! And yes, I would."

Draco held the fang high above him and stabbed the cup. Screams emitted from it and it sounded as if the cup was dying. He continued to stab it until he heard nothing more from it. He picked up the mangled cup and stowed it in his pocket.

Ron chuckled. "Feels good, huh?" He and Draco were heading out of the Chamber now. "So, seriously, what are you going to do with Hermione? You saw how long I waited and…it seems I lost her…to you, no less." He grimaced.

"Nothing," Draco said. "Once the war is over and everything is done with, she's not going to feel the same about me. Look at me the same way. She's just going to think of me as Malfoy, that git who used to make fun of her all the time."

"I don't think so. You know when I knew for sure she was falling for you?"

Draco looked at him.

"Whenever you talked to Hermione about the house-elves."

"She told you about that?"

Ron shook his head. "She told Harry who told me. She's been fighting for house-elf rights since fourth year. Came up with something stupid, SPEW, or whatever. I think you changed in her eyes then. You certainly did in mine. You and her…I really hate to say it, but you're a better fit."

"Why are you so calm? You never struck me as someone level-headed, especially about her."

"Because…she already said goodbye to me. And…for some strange reason, I'm okay with it. She's one of my favourite people, though, Draco. One of my best friends. You hurt her, I'll kill you."

Draco nodded and furrowed his brow in thought as he and Ron levitated themselves up to exit through the sink. Myrtle was nowhere to be found. Draco extended a hand to help Ron up.

"Thank you, Ron," he said sincerely. "And I give you full permission to kill me if I ever hurt her. Then bring me back to life because I'm sure Harry would want a hand at it, too."

Ron laughed and walked out of the bathroom to complete silence. "Where is everyone?" he wondered aloud.

"Ron! Draco! There you are!" Hermione's voice carried down the hallway. "Everyone's gathering in the Great Hall. We're going to fight!" She ran down and stopped, panting. "You got it! You got the fangs! Go back to the Room of Requirement. We need somewhere to keep it safe. I'm going to head to the Great Hall."

"Draco, go on to the Great Hall. I can manage bringing these up to the Room of Requirement."

Draco nodded and handed over the fangs he held. He followed Hermione toward the entrance hall and a voice began to reverberate through the walls. It sounded as if Voldemort's voice was speaking right next to him.

He grabbed Hermione and they braced themselves against the wall. The voice created a weird headache and they clutched their heads as they slid to the floor.

"…Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded."

"Hermione, come on!" he said, pulling her up. The doors to the Great Hall were already open and he saw a number of people in there, but it was completely quiet. It looked as if every eye was on Harry, who seemed to have found himself in the middle of the room.

"But he's there! Potter's there!" yelled Pansy Parkinson. "Someone grab him!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Stupid girl."

"Draco…" Hermione said, putting a hand on his arm. The pair of them stopped in their tracks as they saw the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws stand between Harry and the Slytherins.

"Come on, Hermione."

Draco pushed himself to the front and found himself facing Pansy.

"Draco! You're alive!" she exclaimed. "Grab Potter! He's right there!"

Draco looked to his right, where Harry appeared, and looked back at Pansy and the rest of the Slytherins. He shook his head and took a step forward, moved in front of Harry, and glared down all of the Slytherins.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said Professor McGonagall. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow."

Pansy didn't break her angry gaze at Draco. "Blood traitor!" she hissed as she passed by him.

Draco glared down every other Slytherin, who all seemed to say something to him. Blaise Zabini stopped in front of him. Draco looked up at the taller man. He stood next to Draco and didn't follow the rest of the Slytherins.

"Zabini?"

He looked down at Draco and gave him a half-nod through his scowl. "This year has been hell, Draco, even for us."

As soon as they all left, everyone sat down, gathered around the House tables and waited for instructions from Kingsley. As soon as they were given, Zabini patted Draco's shoulder, gave Hermione a small nod and ran after Fred and George Weasley to block the entrances to the school passageways.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other in confusion.

"Did that really just happen?" he asked. "Zabini go with the Weasleys?"

"Maybe if you talked to your housemates a little more than intimidate them, you'd get to know them a bit better!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Now where's the fun in that?" Hermione shoved him, but smiled. "Let's head back to the Room of Requirement."

"Where's the cup?"

"We destroyed it in the Chamber."

They ran through the halls, trying to avoid the crowd and headed for the Room of Requirement. Everywhere they ran, people were screaming, looking for their friends and siblings. They saw Ron and Harry standing at the bottom of the stairs that headed toward the Room of Requirement, holding the fangs.

"Hermione! Draco!" they both called.

"Harry reckons he knows where the diadem is hidden!" Ron exclaimed.

"Where?" Hermione asked, panting slightly. She stopped and leaned against Draco to catch her breath.

"In the Room of Requirement."

"Oh, the Room of Hidden Things," said Draco.

Harry nodded. "He—"

"Voldemort, right Ron?" He smirked in Ron's direction while Hermione's mouth dropped open. Ron smiled and shook his head, looking away. Draco smiled and gently pushed Hermione's mouth close.

Harry looked taken aback at Draco's casual mention of Voldemort's name, but nodded. "Yeah, he hid it exactly where I hid my old Potions book, where everyone's been hiding stuff for centuries."

"Where the Vanishing Cabinet is hidden."

"He thought he was the only who knew about it." Harry led them back to the Room of Requirement and saw that it was empty except for three women: Ginny Weasley, Nymphadora, and an elderly witch who left as soon as they entered the room, praising her grandson, who apparently happened to be Longbottom.

Draco ran down the stairs and threw his arms around Nymphadora. "Nymphadora! Congratulations! Where's Teddy?" he asked worriedly.

She smiled at him. "At home with my mother." She hugged him and cupped his face. "What have I told you about calling me Nymphadora?"

"Oh, you know I would never listen to you."

She rolled her eyes. "And that's why you are such a pain, you know that?"

"The first thing I'm going to teach Teddy is how to spell Nymphadora."

She narrowed her eyes at Draco. "You do that and you're dead."

Draco scrunched his face up in mock-concentration. "Now…is it with a 'y' or an 'i'? I'm sure dear Teddy would love to know."

"Come here, pain!" She gave him another hug and pointed her wand at him behind his back. His blonde hair turned pink.

Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Ginny burst out laughing.

"What?" asked Draco.

Nymphadora leaned up and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek. "Nothing. Although you might want to check the mirror. You look so pretty! Just like bubblegum! I love you, little cousin!" She sped up the stairs and left.

"What did she do?" Draco asked, looking at the four of them like they were mad. He walked over to the nearest mirror and shrieked when he saw his reflection. "My hair is pink! Hermione, get rid of it!"

Hermione was laughing too hard to even pick up her wand.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed.

Seeing that they were nowhere near ending their laughter, Draco took another glance at the mirror and saw how ridiculous he looked. He started laughing and bent over, holding his stomach.

After a few moments, Harry stopped laughing and said seriously, "Ginny, I'm sorry, but you need to leave. Just for a bit."

She looked delighted at leaving the room and ran up the steps.

"But you've got to come back in!" he yelled after. "Come back in!"

Hermione stepped forward, still grinning and ran her fingers through Draco's hair. "I think I could learn to live with this."

"Good. Then you wouldn't mind pink hair, too!" He pointed his wand at Hermione. A long streak of her brown hair turned to pink. They all laughed before the thought of the looming battle settled in on them.

"I reckon we have to leave the room first, don't you think?" Harry said.

Draco nodded. "Everyone's safe, right? We're not forgetting anyone. The younger years are out, everyone's preparing for battle. It's not like there are house-elves here to die for us, right?" He tried to make a joke in light of the inevitable battle.

"But there are house-elves!" Hermione said in a shrill voice.

"There are house-elves here?" asked Draco. Hermione nodded. "I didn't know that." He looked indignant.

"So, we ought to get them fighting?" asked Harry.

"No! They'll just end up like Dobby! The Death Eaters don't care about them!" Draco said passionately. "They'll kill them or command them to kill us!"

Hermione stared at him with a starry-eyed gaze.

"We have to command them to leave," said Ron.

"But the Horcrux," said Harry.

"Ginny. We could give her the Cloak. Tell her to get them out of the kitchens. It's right down the hall, she should be fine, Harry!"

He nodded to him as they headed out of the Room of Requirement. Ron had a rushed conversation with Ginny as Harry, Draco, and Hermione ran back to the stretch of wall beyond which the Room waited to the bidding for the next entrant.

Draco walked alongside Harry, thinking the same thoughts that he did the year before. When the door materialized in front of them on their third run past, he briefly thought of the last time he had been here.

The moment he stepped inside, the door shut of its own accord and the sounds of the battle disappeared. All was silent.

"Let's split up. Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara! It's standing on a cupboard…"

They sped off down adjacent aisles and Draco was comforted by hearing the others' footsteps echoing around him. He went deeper and deeper into the room, passing by the Cabinet, and stopped.

A sudden thought came to his mind.

He could just leave right now through the Cabinet. As far as he knew, the other Cabinet still worked.

"Hold it, Potter."

Draco turned around suddenly. He recognized that voice and hadn't heard it for a long time. He ran down the aisle and saw Crabbe and Goyle standing in front of Harry, shoulder to shoulder, wands pointed at Harry.

"How come you two aren't with Voldemort?" he asked.

"We're gonna be rewarded," Crabbe said.

Draco's face fell. What were they doing there? How did they get in?

"We can do Diss-lusion Charms now!" Crabbe was saying. "…What's a die-dum?"

"Talking to someone, Harry?" Ron's voice echoed to Draco's right.

Crabbe pointed his wand up and shouted "Descendo!"

Draco ran forward, his wand outstretched. "Crabbe. Goyle. What are you doing here? Get out!"

Crabbe looked at him in surprise. "Malfoy?"

"It's true, then?" Goyle said, taking a step forward. "Potter and his pals have really Confunded you? There's no way Malfoy would ever join with Potter."

"GET OUT!" Draco yelled, brandishing his wand at them. He looked back and saw Harry within inches of the diadem. "Get it, Harry!"

Hermione ran around the corner and shot a Stunning Spell at Crabbe. He dodged it with the agility of a smaller person and yelled when he saw her.

"It's that Mudblood! Avada Kedavra!"

An intense rush of anger flowed through Draco. He deflected the curse to hit a full shelf of junk that rolled to the ground. "CRABBE!" he yelled.

"You are with them, aren't you, Malfoy?" Crabbe jeered. "You and your dad are finished anyway. Everyone knows it."

Draco furiously pointed his wand at Crabbe. "Cru—"

"Draco!"

He felt Hermione's hand on his wand arm, pulling it down.

"He's trying to kill you, Hermione!" He pulled her down, out of the way.

"You don't have to the same thing back to him." She shot a Stunning Spell at him that just missed.

"Is the filthy little Mudblood your girlfriend now, Draco?" Crabbe said in a mocking voice. "Do you love her?"

Draco's fingers tightened around his wand and he was about to stand when Hermione tightened her hold on him. "Don't stoop down to their level, Draco," she said sternly. "You're better than them."

"He's trying to KILL you!" he yelled.

Ron looked back in between throwing jinxes at Crabbe and Goyle. "Are you two really having a row right now?" He ran forward, after Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco looked at Hermione and rolled his eyes. "If he tries to kill you again, I will hurt him."

"Dr—"

He held up a hand to stop her before running after them. "And that's the Slytherin way."

She shook her head as she took after Ron. Draco followed close behind. They found Harry digging feverishly through a pile of junk.

"It's somewhere here!" he yelled. "I saw it. Help me look!"

Draco glanced up and saw flashes of light in the room. "Hermione, help him look. I'll go—"

"Don't stoop to their level, Draco," she warned, climbing over a pile of old armchairs.

Draco gave her a slight nod as he ran through the crowded room.

"Like it hot, scum?" Crabbe said. He brandished his wand and immediately waves of fire erupted from it.

Ron's eyes widened at the fire. He turned around and ran from where he came from. Draco raised his wand. "Aguamenti!"

The water didn't seem to faze the fire. If anything, it looked like it grew bigger. Draco and Ron looked at each other.

"RUN!" they yelled. "HARRY! HERMIONE!"

Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons followed them wherever they ran. Finally, they caught up with Harry and Hermione and proceeded to run as fast as they could. Crabbe and Goyle disappeared from sight. The fiery monsters drew closer and formed a circle around them.

"What do we do?" Hermione screamed. "What can we do?"

"Here!"

Harry seized three heavy-looking broomsticks and threw one to Ron and another to Draco. Draco swung his leg over the broomstick and pulled Hermione on behind him. They kicked off and flew over the flames. Draco kept looking down, keeping an eye out for his former friends. He noticed Harry doing the same. Harry swooped low, so close, over the fire and Draco followed as closely as he would dare. He would not let Hermione come close to danger again if he could help it, but he still felt a pang for his old friends.

They may not have been true friends, ones that talk and support each other, but they were there with him, every moment and every step of the way from the day he stepped foot onto the train when he was eleven years old.

"Let's get out!" yelled Ron. He flew in the direction of the door.

Hermione's fingers were digging into his waist. He could feel her face buried into his shoulder, clutching him tightly and remembered that she hated flying. He tried to somehow reach back and comfort her.

"Over there!" Harry yelled, pointing downward. Draco followed his gaze and saw Goyle's large hand reaching for the sky. Crabbe looked as if he was unconscious and Goyle was holding onto him. "I'll get them, you guys go!"

"The diadem, Harry!" yelled Ron.

"I've got it!"

Harry swooped back and extended an arm to Goyle. Draco looked back and saw that it slipped a few times from his grasp, but Goyle managed to get on the broomstick behind Harry. He saw Goyle pulling Crabbe up, but his hands were probably too sweaty and Crabbe slipped from Goyle's fingers, falling into the fiery chasm below. Draco forced himself to look away, reminding himself that Crabbe had just tried to kill Hermione so he wouldn't feel any sadness. He looked forward and flew closer to Ron, following him out of the door.

They swerved, avoiding the giant fangs of a fiery serpent. Hermione screamed and dug her fingers tighter into Draco's waist, so tight it was beginning to hurt. Through the smoke, Draco saw a rectangular patch on the wall and flew so close to Ron that he was practically on his tail. He steered his broom toward it, and moments later clean air filled his lungs as he and Hermione tumbled from the broom, rolling into the wall on the opposite end of the corridor. Ron was nearby, on his hands and knees, gasping for air and Harry and Goyle flew through and lay facedown, gasping, coughing, and retching.

Goyle rolled over. "C-Crabbe," he choked out. "C-Crabbe…"

"He's dead," said Ron harshly.

Draco's face hardened and Hermione placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Goyle stood and ran—or tried to—down the hall, holding onto the wall for support.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Hermione said sadly. "I know he was—"

"He was nothing," Draco said angrily. He stood up and wiped his face of sweat. "Did you get the Horcrux?" he asked Harry.

Harry nodded and pulled off the diadem from his wrist. He held it up for them all to see and Draco could almost make out the tiny writing on the front of the small crown. A bloodlike substance, dark and tarry was leaking from the middle of the crown. The thing vibrated in Harry's hand and broke apart, screams filling their ears.

"What was that?" asked Ron.

"It was Fiendfyre," answered Draco. "Cursed fire. But even I've never learned it, I don't know how Crabbe—"

"Must've picked it up from the Carrows," Harry said grimly.

"Don't you realize?" whispered Hermione. "This means, if we only get the snake—"

She broke off as sounds of yells and screams filled the air. The four of them looked around in fear.

"Ron, Hermione, you guys go on. We'll catch up." Harry looked worriedly after they ran down the hall towards the battle. He turned to Draco and shoved him against the wall and pointed his wand to Draco's neck.

"Harry, what—"

"You and Hermione, is it real?"

"What are you talking about?"

Harry's green eyes pierced Draco's gray. "Do you truly care for Hermione?"

"Of course—"

He pressed his wand deeper into Draco's neck. "And if we survive this, you will still be this person, this new—"

"Yes, I-I hope—"

"Do you love her?" Harry pushed his wand deeper.

Draco looked into Harry's eyes and his own filled with tears. "I love her. But she doesn't feel the same for me…she won't."

Harry pushed his wand deeper and looked into Draco's eyes. After a few seconds, he dropped it. "You two are both pathetic, you know. She says the same thing. She loves you, but thinks that you don't feel the same. Pathetic." He and Draco turned toward the sound of battle that was getting closer. "Word of advice: tell her. Show her."

Thanks for reading!

I know Ron seems more mature than how he would normally react, but I like to think that Ron genuinely began to like Draco. And that Harry warmed him up to the possibility of Hermione and Draco after walking in on them nearly kissing, but neither had the nerve to say something to one another until faced with battle.

I also didn't like how no Slytherins came to help Harry and the rest of Hogwarts. I thought it just reinforced the whole "Slytherins are all evil" thing, so I thought Blaise would probably be a good person to switch over. Someone somewhat neutral to the whole Death Eater vs. the world thing, though he still had his Mudblood prejudices.

And I loved writing that little interaction between Tonks and Draco. I wish there was something between the two of them in the books that acknowledged that they came from the same family tree, but that's too much of a stretch, I guess.

Thanks again for reading!