Finally! A new chapter! Sorry it took so long, I've been really busy with work! I also went to a concert of my favourite singer ever, Kate Rusby (whose songs feature a lot in this fanfic!) ;) Siriusly, she is brilliant, listen to heeerrr! Hehehe anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter! I will try to be more prompt in the next updates!

The cold wind blew Harry's hair into his eyes as he walked up the overgrown path through large, black, iron gates. Tugging his jacket closer around him he marched up the pale stone steps to the huge looming doors. It all gave off a very imposing and threatening feeling, which was probably what the owners were trying to achieve when they built it. He reached out and pulled the door bell, hard. A few minutes later the huge doors cracked open and a long nose poked through the gap.

"Yes?"

"I want to see Malfoy…Draco." Harry spoke to the nose.

"Well I'm afraid you can't. Master Malfoy does not wish for visitors so you'll just have to leave."

"I've come to settle a debt."

The owner of the nose opened the door a little more, and Harry could see a short, balding man standing in the doorway squinting and glaring at him.

"Master Malfoy has no debts. Leave now please." The doors started to close but Harry whipped out his wand and prodded it into the man's abnormally large nose.

"This is a debt that has not been settled yet, little man. Do not hinder me! Or I'll be forced to make you get out of my way!"

The little man squeaked a little before grumbling loudly and opening the door enough so that Harry could slip through.

"Well don't come crying to me when Master Malfoy sends you out with a bat bogey hex! In all my 30 years here, I've never been treated like this…mutter…grumble…."

Harry stepped into a large entrance hall. Ironic, he thought that the last time he had been here, Hermione had gained her curse. Now, three years on, Harry was back, trying to fix it.

"Come along please! Hurry up! This way!" The little man scuttled along a large, long corridor. The walls had huge family portraits of the Malfoy family, looking gloomy and austere. Harry paused at the one where Draco Malfoy was presumably 11 years old. This was the Malfoy he had first met. Cold and sneering. He hadn't changed much.

"Come along!" The small man had stopped at the door at the end of the hall. Harry could see a dim line of flickering, orange light coming from underneath the door.

"Wait here," and with that the little man went into the room, slamming the door in Harry's face.

"What is it, Gregory?" came Malfoy's drawl. He sounded tired.

"Please, Master Malfoy. A young man has come asking for you-"

"You know perfectly well, I do not require any visitors!"

"Yes but-"

"But nothing! Send them away!"

"But sir! He says that you… owe him…a debt…" Silence followed.

"I owe nothing to anyone! Show in this-"

But Harry had already pushed open the door and walked in.

"…Potter! I might have known!"

Harry looked at his arch-enemy who was leaning back, lazily in a big armchair next to a roaring fire. 'Gregory' was standing near the door, not wanting to approach his master whilst he was in so foul a mood.

"You may go, Gregory!" Malfoy dismissed him. The short man shuffled out and Harry could swear he overheard him mutter: "Young upstart!"

"Well this is a turn up for events!" Malfoy sneered at Harry. When Harry didn't react, Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "What do you want, Potter? I don't owe you a thing!"

"I've come to call in a favour, Malfoy!" Harry spoke. Malfoy's eyebrows furrowed.

"How dare you come into my house demanding favours! The Malfoys owe no debts!"

"You owe me your life Draco Malfoy!" Harry yelled back, his patience snapping, startling the blond boy.

"Since wh-"

"Since the Fiendfyre!"

Malfoy went silent and leant back into the chair again, looking at the flames. A few minutes passed.

"What is it you require of me, Harry?"

The use of his first name astonished him. But Malfoy looked resigned and it was only now that Harry noticed the frown lines etched into his forehead and the bags under those once piercing, now dull grey eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"None of your business! Now what is it? I haven't got all day!" he snapped back. Actually, it looked like Malfoy did have all day, but Harry needed his help, so he decided not to point this out.

Sighing, Harry recounted the details of Hermione's curse to Malfoy who sat still, watching the flames lick up the enormous chimney, his head leaning on his hand.

Eventually Harry came to the hard part.

"So what we need you for, Malfoy…is to break the curse…" Malfoy continued staring at the flames in silence. "…We need you to…-"

"Love Granger,yes I understand." He spoke not looking away from the fireplace.

"…Will you do it?"

"No."

Harry face clouded over. "Malfoy I don't want to have to threaten you but-"

"It's not that! You can't MAKE someone love another!"

Harry paused. This was true. You couldn't force someone to love another, it was impossible. Well how could anyone help them in that case? He placed his head in his hands and let out a long shuddering breath. He couldn't just let one of his best friends die.

"Malfoy …please," he whispered through his fingers. "You must be able to do something!"

"It's impossible! You can't just love someone in a day! It won't work, I can't help you!"

They sat in silence for a short while.

"You can't love someone in a day you're right…it takes time. Time which you seem to have-"

"You don't know that I have time to spare! You can't just assume things! Typical arrogant Potter!"

"It's not arrogance, its observation!" Harry was losing his temper. Malfoy always brought out the worst in him!

Malfoy's eyes narrowed to slits.

"I have just returned, this very afternoon, from several weeks of traversing the entirety of Ukraine non-stop, trying to find my parents, thank you very much!"

Harry frowned in confusion.

"They're free of guilt, you know? They can come out of hiding!"

"You think I don't know that, Potter? The Ministry informed me! But it's hard to inform them when I don't know where they are!"

So Draco Malfoy had been desperately searching for his family on his own for the past three years?

"They didn't leave you a note or message to tell you where they went?"

"No!" he spat angrily, but Harry detected a faint trace of sadness in his bitter sounding voice.

"They thought it would be safer for me. I was pardoned before the Ministry decided to pardon them too. They went into hiding before the decision." Malfoy leaned back into his chair again, turning his face towards the flames.

"Malfoy I'm truly sorry about that. But we still need your help. Desperately!"

"And I need to find my parents!"

Harry realised they were going in circles now.

"Look. If you agree to help Hermione, I personally will ensure that the Ministry will try to find your parents for you! They have better equipment for tracing lost witches and wizards."

Malfoy looked back at Harry. A new hope seemed to have appeared in his eyes.

"And how will you 'ensure' this?" he asked, trying not to betray his hopefulness.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt is an old friend of mine. I also have a lot of influence over the Ministry, believe it or not. Arthur Weasley has been promoted to a higher position and so he too has a great deal of influence."

This seemed to be enough evidence for Malfoy. However he reached out his arm.

"Swear to it. Make the Vow."

Harry had only ever made one Unbreakable Vow, to Ginny on their wedding day. He reached his arm out. If this would save Hermione's life, making a promise where if he backed out he would die seemed perfectly acceptable.

"You realise this means you must help Hermione if you do this Malfoy?"

"You just worry about finding my parents, Potter." Malfoy said in a peaceful, yet quiet voice.

Well? Whaddya think? Malfoy is now in the story! And when it says he has to learn to 'love' Hermione it just means like in a family way, not necessarily in a lovey-dovey way! That's Fred's job! ;) Hope you liked it! :D xxx