Author's note: Happy New Year everyone. Hope everyone had a great start to this New Year! Well here's the next chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to review!
Hermionemalfoyforever: Hope I didn't make you wait for long. Here's the next chapter! Thank you for reviewing!
Maesde: Thank you for the review! Well here's that chapter which you have been waiting for. Hope you like it.
Starzinmieyez: Yes exactly. He's going to be different and very supportive of the Light side. Thank you for the review.
x-FireEmpress-x :Thank you for reviewing. Hope you like this chapter as well.
101FrozenFire101: Here's the next chapter. Thank you for the wonderful review. Enjoy this one as well!
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"I'm ready to give you a chance." Hermione clasped Draco's hand in hers. "I'll give you a chance only if you are willing to do what you say, that you really don't want to be a part of them." Hermione's heart was beating quite frantically in her chest. Yes, Draco had said he wanted to make a change but she wasn't sure just how much he was willing to do at the moment. He looked at her with sadden eyes and nodded his head weakly.
"How?" His voice was just above a whisper. "How will I do this? The Dark Lord will send for my death once he knows I've betrayed him, my parents will disown me after this treacherous work, the Order will kill me on sight."
"I know Draco this is not easy for you. It takes a lot of guts to do what you are doing. Not everyone can do this Draco, to betray You-Know-Who and your parents and their beliefs. It's not easy I know, but it's also time for you to stand for yourself and to stop those people from pushing you. It's time you decide for yourself now." Her voice was soft and she squeezed his hand.
He nodded his head. "I'll do whatever it takes, I'll try my best." He gave her a weak smile and she returned it with another squeeze.
"How will you give me a chance? People will hardly accept me." There was doubt in his eyes and she could read it perfectly. He needn't tell her this but she saw the doubt he had placed on his capabilities.
"That is why I'm here Draco, to help you make a choice. I'll give you a chance but after that it will be your decision whether to accept it or not, whether you want to be a part of it or not. I can just provide you with a chance but the choice will be solely yours, I will not help you with it." He straightened a bit and was about argue but she continued, "No, not because I don't want to but because I can't. It's your choice Draco. I can be there for you if you want, but I can't make a decision for you. That will be your choice."
"I understand, you are right." he nodded his head.
"Fine then, here is your chance to make a change in your life." she shifted a little closer to him and he greatly accepted the warmth that radiated off her. His eyes were intent on her as she started speaking,
"Draco, a few months after school started some fifth year students got particularly scared for their practical OWL exams. And you know the theory-bullshit which the Ministry introduced this year led them to panic even more. You see some of them wanted to become an Auror and something like that. So many students approached Harry and persuaded him to teach them Defence against the Dark Arts, you know spells that we learn theory on and could be asked in our practical's." Hermione stopped to see how Draco was reacting to this.
"Yes Hermione but what has this got to do with giving me a chance?" he looked confused and Hermione gave me a patient expression.
"I'm getting to that part. It's related." She waited till he nodded and signalled her to continue. She took a deep breath and continued further. "So we started as a group of fifteen people mostly from fifth year who were worried about their OWL's. It was just Gryffindor in the beginning but I don't know how but the word got around and people from other houses started coming. The number of people gradually increased and so did our aim. Harry was just going to teach strictly on curriculum basis but the danger of You-know-who and Umbridge increased to such an extent that we couldn't ignore the possible signs of danger. Students were scared and when the signs of this possible warning war started; people wanted to fight; with Dumbledore gone everything was in danger. They wanted to fight for their only home."
Hermione stopped again; the next part was going to reveal everything. She just wanted to make sure that he understood correctly. She began slowly, "So we transformed this small private tuition into something in which everyone could take a part in, every student who wanted to fight for something in their life, and Harry was willing to give them a chance to fight. So the…"
"Wait a second." Draco was now sitting very straight, his eyes were bright and were entirely focused on Hermione's delicate face. "Do you mean to say that Potter is running a fucking illegal association right under Umbridge's nose?"
"An army would be an appropriate word." Hermione whispered and Draco had to strain his ears to hear her.
"Fucking army? Are you bonkers woman?" Draco had leapt out of his seat and was standing in front of Hermione as if he was seeing her for the first time.
"Yes." Hermione said in a small voice and stood from her place and walked to where Draco was now standing looking disbelievingly at her.
"We are now an army of seventy five. I know it's huge." She couldn't stop being proud when she said that. "I mean we gathered so many people in just about three months, we are still recruiting though, you know people who still want to be a part of this."
She looked up at Draco. He hadn't moved from his place nor did the disbelieving look which he had given her just moments ago.
"This is mind-fuck bullshit." He roared.
"Stop swearing Draco." Hermione was angry now. She had hoped for a positive reaction not some swear words.
"What? This…this is suicide. If Umbridge comes to know…"
"You asked me for it." Hermione said quietly cutting him mid-way. "You asked me for it Draco and I gave it to you." She looked up at him with a longing expression.
"What do you want me to do with it?" he held her hands and intertwined their fingers.
"Be a part of it." she said slowly, as her eyes searched his. He let go of her and turned to face the window.
"And how do you suppose Potter and Weasley will take it?" he turned back at her. "If you have noticed we aren't best of friends."
A small smile crept on Hermione's face. "They have agreed."
"WHAT?" his screamed at her. "They what?" his voice boomed in the empty classroom.
"They agreed." Hermione said in a low voice.
"I don't believe it. It must be some trick of theirs. They are not someone who will easily accept me." Draco shook his head in a disbelieving way. "Potter hated me since the first moment and Weasley? Well….I don't need a reason to hate Weasel."
"This attitude of yours is going to get you nowhere Draco." She screamed at him and then continued in a soft tone. "Yes, they have agreed because they realise that this war though it may be a warning one is far greater than you and me, greater than your rivalry. They realise it Draco, house rivalry has no place in this war, it will just weaken us even more and plus we are looking for Slytherin students who are indifferent towards the war. It will help us Draco. Forget it, forget everything. You said you wanted to make a change, here is your chance. Take it."
She held his hand and squeezed it gently. He combed his fingers through his hair, thoughts running at top speed in his mind. It wasn't easy. Four years of endless teasing and fights was not going to evaporate just because he decided to switch sides but he was willing to do it for Hermione.
"What about the others, I mean they are 75 of them. Some of them will kill me on sight."
"No they won't. They are very loyal to Harry. They won't dare raise their wand on you. If Harry believes in you, they will blindly follow his lead and trust you too, without a question. Please Draco. We need this and you need it too."
Draco sat on the bench thinking about everything Hermione had just told him. Yes, he wanted to make a change, he wanted to change himself. But this was a big step; to leave behind his past was difficult. He knew it wasn't going to be easy; to forget everything that his parents had taught him, to forget and fight against his parents. But they weren't really the best parents ever. They hardly had time for him as a kid and on second thought he never really knew them. Their presence was like a shadow in his life, distant and visible but unreachable. He had accepted this fact a long ago that if time came his parents would sacrifice him to the Dark Lord without a second thought.
His eyes found Hermione; she was sitting near the window lost in her own thoughts. His eyes greedily took in her features. He knew she didn't love him back but he was sure she had fallen for him. He had to make a choice. If he choosed his family who he doubted ever loved him he would lose Hermione who he loved with all his life. And if he choosed Hermione who he wasn't sure loved him back he would lose his family.
But Hermione had made a change in him, she made him look at the brighter side of life; she showed him a new perspective of life when he had lost all of hope. Surely, he was brought up as a Death Eater's kid; he had been taught all those vicious things about muggles and muggle-borns and how they did nothing but impure the wizarding world with their mere presence. He sighed as he looked at the muggle-born who had changed him, given him hope and made him lively again. He didn't want to lose her.
To hell with it! He wanted Hermione above his family and his parent's love; at least she cared about him. He made his decision and walked over to her. Hermione heard his footsteps and turned to look at him. She stood in front of him waiting for his decision.
"I have decided." He held her hand in his and took a deep breath. "I'll join."
Hermione's smile grew wider as the realization of his words sunk in. "Thank you." She whispered to him. She was relived, she wasn't sure she could see his soul being corrupted by those merciless beings.
"Okay so there are a few things I want you to do." Hermione was all excited and business like again.
"Already?" Draco cocked his left eye brow up as she let go of his hand.
"Yes. I told you about the other Slytherins which we wanted to recruit?" he nodded his head.
"Well I have a couple of people in my mind who I want you to convince."
He laughed. "I'm hardly the right person for that."
"Yes you are." Hermione's voice sounded offended so Draco quickly stopped laughing.
"Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass." She stated.
Draco looked genuinely shocked. "So you people do your homework ha?"
"Yes. These are the only people from Slytherin who are indifferent towards this war. And considering the boys are you best friends I don't think it'll take much to convince the girl either." Hermione sounded hopeful, a little too hopeful to be correct.
Draco sighed quietly and held her hand again. "Hermione I'll do it. I'll do everything you ask me to, if it means I'll get to stay close to you, so be it. I'll do it but you have to promise me that you'll try and give us a chance to happen."
Hermione knew this was coming and this time she was ready. "Yes." She whispered and a small smile spread across Draco's face.
"So tomorrow at 8'o clock meet me near the empty classroom on the sixth floor with the others." Hermione's heart skipped a beat as he answered her with a wink.
-….-
As planned at sharp 8'o clock, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass stood outside the empty class room on the sixth floor for Hermione.
"This is bloody ridiculous. I knew when you fell for this girl you were going to land yourself in some shit. What I didn't expect was for you to drag us in this." Zabini said pacing the length of the classroom door.
"On the other hand I think this is bloody genius. An army? Seriously? Bloody good idea if you ask me." Theo said halting Zabini from pacing.
Just as Blaise was going to give a rather corruptive response Hermione turned the corner and they all faced to look at her.
"Sorry I'm late. Filch." She said, turning to look back the way she had come.
"Not a problem." Daphne spoke for the first time. She was shy and didn't open up to people around her, but she was pretty smart with good reflexes when it came duelling.
Hermione smiled as she turned to look back at the boys, "Okay there's something I have to tell you before we go. All 75 members are present today. Normally we practice in groups of 25 to avoid suspicion but today we all have gathered for you; so you'll come to know who all are there."
"Won't Umbridge notice that 75 students are missing from their dorms? Bloody big number if you ask me." Theo cut in before Hermione could proceed.
"Umbridge is not in the castle today. She has gone for some Ministry meeting and won't return till tomorrow." Hermione stated.
Zabini's jaw dropped open. "How do you know?" he asked before Draco could.
"Sources." Hermione smiled and continued. "So I'll be taking you there. You'll sit and watch people today and make your decision. You can talk to any one of us or directly with Harry if you have doubts or want to know something. At the end of the meeting you will announce your decision. If you decide to stay, it will be much appreciated but if you decide against it you'll be asked to leave; once you leave through the door your memory of the DA will automatically get obviated." Four sets of eyebrows rose as she said the last part.
"Secrecy is essential. We can't have Umbridge storming in on one of our lessons. So are you ready?"
They all muttered their approval while Blaise said something that sounded like…bloody Malfoy…Git…trying to get us killed. Hermione led them towards the seventh floor's Room of Requirement.
"Granger?" Theo called out as he walked on her left.
"Yes?"
"What does this DA stand for?"
"Dumbledore's Army. But mostly we call ourselves as the Defence Army, so it wouldn't land Dumbledore in trouble.
"Bloody hell." Theo responded and smirked at Zabini and Draco as they wore shocked expressions while Daphne's was impassive.
They reached the seventh floor and walked the length of the long corridor towards the end of it. A small wooden door appeared as Hermione walked towards it a few steps ahead of them. She stood with her hand on the knob.
"Ready?" she asked, smiling.
"As we can ever be." Zabini responded.
"Here we go then." Hermione turned the knob and pushed open the door. The small group walked in and seventy five pairs of eyes stopped in their task and stared at them.
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Done! I know I'm leaving you guys hanging but I promise there will be an update within two days!
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