Chapter 5

'Damn the world,' Draco thought to himself as he flung a vase across the room. The porcelain antique shattered into about a million pieces of different shapes and sizes. The crash of the object itself would have attracted attention, if Draco had not asked the Room of Requirement specifically to make sure the room was soundproof.

He was beyond frustrated today. It had all started that breakfast, when he had received a letter from his father. He was shocked at first, at the thought that his father was even allowed to send mail. But he supposed with all the Azkaban breakouts, that the security had become more relaxed. He had come straight to the room, and opened the letter. It was a Saturday, so few would notice his absence.

Draco,

I am doing well in Azkaban, and will soon be rejoined with you. Your mother had informed me of the task that the Dark Lord has given you, and what you are required to do. Draco, this is your chance to prove your loyalty to the Lord. This is your chance to show him how great of a wizard you truly are.

I am sure you know how angry the Lord was that I had failed him in receiving the prophecy. I was careless and proud. I allowed that wretched half-blood Potter to best me by stalling until the Order showed up. But Draco, this is our chance for redemption. If you succeed, then you will forever be in his favour. If you succeed then our family can have our prestige and honour restored in his eyes. There is so much riding upon your success, so Draco, do whatever must be done in order to complete your mission.

Do not disappoint me son,

Lucius Malfoy

Did his father seriously not think that Draco knew how much relied on this? He couldn't give two shits about the fact that it would restore their honour. But what he did care about was his poor sweet mother; the same mother that would lose her life if he failed to complete his task. While the Dark Lord never stated that he would kill his mother if Draco failed, but he explicitly implied that he shall.

Draco was getting desperate. The cabinet still could not transfer living things back and forth. While the bird would now come back with a pulse, it was a very faint one. The last thing Draco wanted was for a bunch of half dead Death Eaters in the school. That would only cause them more bad than good.

He walked over to the table and picked up a bottle of mead that he had gotten Rosemerta to deliver to him at the school. It had taken a while to get here, due to Filch's tight security, but it finally had. He knew the plan was a weak one, but he needed to show some sign of progress. He was getting impatient with Draco, and the last thing he wanted was the fury to be released upon him. Draco had seen the things that happened to people who failed the Dark Lord, and Draco did not want to ever be on the wrong side of that wand.

He unscrewed the bottle and poured a vile of poison that he had stolen from his former Godfather's cabinet, and poured it into the bottle. He magically sealed the bottle and left the room. He wanted to hand the bottle straight to Dumbledore as a Christmas present, but he knew that it would be far too suspicious. So he looked for a teacher. He needed one who was close to the Headmaster, but not strong enough to overthrow his magic.

As he exited the classroom, he walked toward the potions room. He was careful to cover the bottle with his cloak. Draco knew exactly which teacher it was that he would be targeting. It wasn't really a hard choice to be honest. While it was arguable that the Gryffindor head was one of the closest teachers, Draco new that Slughorn would be the better and easier choice. Now to confound him into doing his biding.

It was done. Draco had given the drink to the teacher shortly before, and now he was now sitting in the common room of his house. He had always loved the darkness of the room, which was fairly natural due to the fact that it was under the great lake. He was sitting on a leather couch, opposite to Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, who were fellow housemates in his year. The three of them were alone in the room, and they had cast a spell around them so they couldn't be overheard, just in case. Unlike Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise and Theo were far more intellectual companions, and were easier to talk to.

"Draco," Blaise said in an irritated voice. Draco looked up and saw the closest people he had to true family, staring at him intently. "I've been calling your name for a couple of minutes now."

"Sorry," Draco muttered.

"Are you thinking about the task again?" Theo asked him, with a worried look upon his face. While they knew he had a task, the two of them only knew the basics. Unlike the rest of his house, the two of them didn't want him to fail his task to higher themselves in His ranks. They would help him as much as they could with the minimal amount of knowledge they knew, and for that Draco was grateful.

He nodded and the two of them knew something was up.

"Draco, are you sure you want to do this? There is plenty of time after school ends for us to prove ourselves to him," Theo asked him. While Theo's father was insistent that he join the ranks, Theo was insistent that he waited. He used the argument that a Death Eater with half an education would be worthless in His ranks, and had gotten his father to accept it for the time being.

Blaise, however, was neutral on the entire war. The Zabini's believed in pureblood dominance as much as the next pureblood family, but were insistent that they do not join. The Dark Lord had seemed to accept it for the time being. As long as they weren't against him, then he would allow them to live.

Draco shook his head. It was always the same argument between his friends, "You don't get it. If he doesn't kill me, then my father will."

His two friends didn't say anything. They knew what Draco was saying was no exaggeration as someone who didn't know him might think. His father had often punished Draco for his many failures, and to Lucius Malfoy, death would simply be a step up from his usual treatment.

"I need to step out," Draco told the two of them. As he stood up, he watched the two of them exchange a silent look.

"Draco, let us help you," Blaise tried. "You don't even need to tell us of your mission. Just tell us what we need to do. You know by know that you can trust us by now. Let us help you Draco."

He wanted nothing more than to let them. He trusted them, he really did. But he didn't want them to get mixed up into the twisted plan that the Dark Lord held for them. He wanted to keep his friends safe from the horrors that were in store for him.

"I can't. No listen to me. I can't let you guys get involved in this and get hurt. The less people who are involved the better. I don't want you guys to have to go through this to," Draco told them.

"Draco, that's nice and all, but remember what we said last year? We said that regardless of what happened to us, forced or not, we would stick by each other. We promised we would help each other through whatever it was that needed to be done. Draco, we don't care about the consequences. The only way He could find out if someone was helping you, is through you. And you are already skilled at both Legemens and Occlumency. So you don't need to worry about that," Theo argued back. He ran his hands through his black hair in frustration, as the Italian boy beside him frowned in response.

Draco sighed. It couldn't hurt to tell them what he needed to do, could it? "I need to fix the vanishing cabinet. The one Montague got trapped in last year by those Weasleys," Draco told them.

The two of them said nothing. They remembered what their classmate had gone through the year before, as he told anyone who would listen about his discovery. They also knew what it meant for the school, should the cabinet be repaired.

"Shit," Theo said softly.

"Oh hell," Blaise said in response.

Neither of the two looked at him judgingly, or pityingly. They looked at him with understanding and compassion. It was times like this that Draco was grateful to have the two of them in his life.

"We'll look into it Draco. We'll go to the library and see if we can find anything on the cabinets. If it's in a book somewhere, then it will be there," Blaise assured him.

"Can I assume that it's still in the Room of Requirements?" Theo asked curiously.

"Yes, it's still there."

The two of them nodded as they got up and gathered their stuff. Draco got up as well, and decided to make his way back to the room.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He very rarely said those words, and the two of them nodded, understanding what it meant to him.

He knew that most of the people in the school were either away for the holidays, or at Slughorn's party, so it would be easy for him to slip there undetected. He walked quickly, with his footsteps making as little noise as possible. He heard noises and music coming from a couple hallways over, and Draco knew that it was where the party was being held.

He got caught up in listening to the music so much that Draco didn't even notice as he sent a suit of armour crashing to the ground. He winced as he heard the loud noise that he made, which were quickly followed by a set of footsteps rapidly approaching him.

Draco ran away from the steps, toward the party. He would have made it too, if he hadn't tripped over a stupid cat.

"I know you're here!" Filch screeched, as he rapidly approached. Once the caretaker saw the boy on the floor, he smiled wickedly.

"Ah Mrs. Norris, you've managed to catch the little brat," he squealed joyously. Looking at Draco, he continued. "Boy, what are you doing out of bed?" he asked, as he picked him off the ground and held him by the collar.

"Get your hands off me you filthy Squib!" Draco demanded.

"Why are you out of bed?" He demanded again.

Draco rolled his eyes, "If you must know, then I'm on my way to Professor Slughorn's party," Draco said, lying through his teeth.

Filch narrowed his eyes. For a second, Draco thought he would let him go. But he was wrong.

Filch dragged Draco all the way to the party, by the ear. He argued and insulted the man the entire way there, but it didn't seem to have any effect on the stupid Squib. No wonder he couldn't preform any magic.

As they arrived at the party, all eyes were upon them. Draco saw Granger standing beside Potter. While she wasn't as dressed up as she was at the Yule Ball, she still looked fairly good, for a mudblood anyway. Rumour was that she was here with McLaggen. Personally, Draco knew that it was just to get the Weasel jealous. It was verified by how disgusted she looked by him as he stood beside her.

"Professor, this one says he was invited to this party," Filch said gleefully, knowing fully well that Draco had lied.

"Alright, I lied. I was trying to gatecrash the party," Draco said, lying once more. He knew he would looked down upon for it, but it was much better than telling them the real reason he was out of bed.

Slughorn looked like he was about to say something, but was stopped by his Godfather, who now stood in front of him.

"Severus, it's the holidays, do go easy on the boy. I don't see any reason why he can't stay," the professor said stupidly. Yeah right. Like Draco would want to stay at this ridiculous party any longer than he had to.

"He's in my house Horace. I'll punish him as I see fit," Snape said coldly, as he escorted Draco from the room.

Snape practically dragged them several corridors from the party before he said anything.

"How could you be so careless?" Snape demanded. "You're supposed to be careful Draco. The last thing you need is for anyone to find out what your mission is."

"Don't you think I know that?" Draco said irritated. "I know exactly what I need to do and what is expected of me. I know better not to fail."

"Potter suspects you Draco. I managed to get him off your case, but if he suspects you, then Merlin knows who else will."

Draco looked down frustrated. He knew exactly what was riding on this, and what would happen if someone other than Potter found out. He was lucky that neither Potter nor Granger had said anything to him about it. Hopefully, the two of them had decided to drop the subject.

"Let me help you Draco. I can help you get through this. Just let me."

His Godfather was a person who was far too close to the Dark Lord. While he would open up to him, the last thing he needed was for Snape to go report to Him that Draco wasn't capable of the task given to him.

"So you can take all the credit?" Draco sneered. "I don't think so."

"You don't understand! I made the Unbreakable Vow with your mother Draco. I promised to help you."

"Then I suppose it's your funeral now then isn't it?" Draco said coldly.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy. You listen to me boy. Do you have any idea what this task entails? Have you ever committed it before? Do you know what it does to your soul? Could you handle something like that, at an age so young? Draco, let me help you!"

Draco shook his head. "It's my task. He gave it to me, and me alone. I'm the only one who can do this. I need to do this alone."

Snape shook his head. "Draco, if you need me, then you know where I am. I won't ask you again, but I am always available for you, just know that."

Draco nodded, and his Godfather stalked off, leaving Draco to his thoughts. Little did he know that two individuals had watched the entire conversation.

"Snape's a traitor," Harry fumed angrily. "He's supposed to be on our side and he's betraying us Hermione!"

Hermione shook her head, "You don't know that. Maybe he's just trying to win his trust so he'll tell us just what he knows."

Harry was frustrated. "Hermione, you saw what was happening, how can you be so sure that Snape is on our side? He could be betraying us, and you wouldn't even know it!" Harry practically shouted.

Hermione stayed calm. "I know what I head Harry. We can argue about Snape's loyalty, or we can worry about the bigger matter. The fact remains that Draco has received some sort of task from Voldemort, and unless we manage to convince him to change sides, he will go through with it. And you heard what Snape was saying. It sounds like Voldemort wants Draco to commit murder. Harry we need to stop him. He's too young and pure to do something like that!" Hermione said frantically.

Harry was a bit startled by the intensity in Hermione's voice. She was a compassionate persona by nature, so Harry justified it through those means. After all, it wasn't as if Hermione actually had feelings for him. That would just be ridiculous now wouldn't it?

"Don't worry 'Mione. We won't let anything happen to anyone. We just need to convince him of that," he said, reassuring the girl who was like his little sister.

"I hope not. I don't want anything to happen to him," she said softly.

"Hermione did something happen between the two of you?" he asked her curiously.

She didn't say anything, but simply looked down. "Not in that sense. We talked, a couple times."

Harry was shocked by this. "About what?" He asked hurriedly. He was worried that she would get hurt by the boy he knew to be pure evil.

"The first time it was nothing of importance. He just said to get you to get you to leave him alone," she said, looking out a window now.

"And the next time?" Harry asked her again.

"He just sat with me. It was after Ron and Lavender came into the room that day, and you stayed with me while I cried. After you left, he came in and sat down beside me. I got the feeling he wanted to be alone, so I left him. But the second time he didn't insult me in the slightest. He didn't call me a mudblood, or treat me like any less. I think he can change Harry, but he isn't sure of what to do."

"What do you mean Hermione?" he asked. He wanted to know what Draco was up to and why he was talking to Hermione.

"Harry, he has grown up as a pureblood and has acted upon the things his parents taught him for years upon years to come. It's what he knows, the only thing he knows. Maybe he's feeling conflicted."

"Maybe Hermione. And if that's the case, then maybe we can convince him to join our side," Harry said, feeling hopeful for the first time in ages.

She smiled at him, "I do hope so Harry."

He wrapped his arm protectively over her shoulder, "Come on 'Mione. I'm sure McLaggen is curious of where you have gone." She shuddered and flashed him a smile as the two of them headed back toward the party.

A/N: I would like to take this moment to thank all the people who have read this story, and favourited/followed/reviewed. It means a lot that you guys read this, and inspires me to keep writing and updating.