When Draco collected Tonks from the entrance hall, he was amazed. His cousin had changed from the leather clad tom-boy that he had met in the department of mysteries into one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. As they walked through the corridors heads turned and people whispered behind their hands, wondering who Draco Malfoy was taking somewhere. By the next morning rumours had spread throughout the entire castle, some saying Draco had summoned a succubus from a cauldron, some saying that Draco was dating a supermodel. No-one guessed the truth, no-one who wasn't at Slughorn's party anyway, and they don't count, because they were told it.

'Hello Draco,' Slughorn boomed, a huge smile across his already ruddy face, he gestured to the student who was serving the drinks- Neville- who came over with his tray and Slughorn dished out a glass to Draco and to Tonks.

'So, Draco, tell me. Who is your ravishing guest?'

'Professor Slughorn, let me introduce you to my cousin, Tonks. Tonks, Professor Slughorn.'

'Tonks. That is an unusual name isn't it m'dear?'

'Not for a surname. I happen to prefer it to my Christian name.' Tonks said a little bit haughtily, finding Slughorn's attitude slightly condescending.

'I quite see. I've never been particularly fond of Horace myself.'

'It is still better than Nymphadora.'

'Quite so, Tonks.'

'Thank you, Horry.' Tonks replied. She was rewarded by seeing Slughorn blush puce. Not long after, Harry arrived with Luna, who Slughorn seemed slightly shocked to meet and then Hermione rolled in, wearing a dress that made Draco's heart plunge in the knowledge that he would never be able to call her his girlfriend, let alone his wife. All hope of that was extinguished when she saw who Hermione had just walked in with. Ron. Draco wondered what Lavender thought about all of this, and then decided that if she knew, she thought they were going as friends, or else Ron and Lavender were no longer an item. Well, that would be an interesting one for tomorrow, but for now, Draco wanted to enjoy the party. He hadn't enjoyed himself this much for quite some time. The nibbles went round and were frequently restocked, the wine went round after it, and whilst they weren't allowed that much, it made a pleasant change from pumpkin juice. This was the sort of thing Draco hadn't been to in years, and the first time he wasn't treated as a youthful novelty at one of these events. This time, he was here as himself, not as his father's appendage and he had a beautiful woman on his arm. Not only was Tonks beautiful, but she was funny and brainy. A perfect match, if she hadn't been close family. Mind you, if she hadn't been close family, there was no way that she'd be here right now as she'd have refused to come. Quite understandably too, after all, what auror would really want to spend their time with a bunch of kids and a few old fogeys? Tonks, apparently, as she seemed to be having a great time, but Draco felt this was just a front for the sake of being polite. When the evening came to an end, Draco accompanied Tonks back to the entrance hall, gave her a hug goodbye and apologised if she felt it had been a dull evening. She said it hadn't, gave him another hug and disappeared into the night.

Draco walked slowly back to the common room, stopping at every window to breathe in the heavy, wintry night air. Inside Draco felt the turmoil of confusion. Certainly, he had just had a very nice evening with his cousin and should feel happy, but why was even this tinged with sadness? Was he incapable of happiness? Hermione and Ron had appeared happy, so had Harry. The only other person in that room who didn't seem perfectly thrilled to be there was Ginny, who for the last couple of days had been looking out of sorts. Probably something to do with her breakup from Dean. That wasn't going smoothly. Curiously enough, Harry seemed rather happy about it all. Arriving back at the Fat Lady, Draco said the password, 'bauble', snuck in and went up to bed. The last day before the holidays was an uneventful one, with only a rescheduled History of Magic lesson interrupting what was otherwise a day of packing and preparation for the journey home the next day.

NEWT level History of Magic was different to OWL level by a large margin. For a start, Binns actually seemed to be interested in it and had actually learnt Draco's name. Draco was for his part getting on quite well with the late Professor whose style had changed from a bored monologue into having active and engaging discussions with his sole pupil. Draco wasn't sure what had brought on the change, but suspected it might have been the novelty of the situation, since Binns hadn't had a NEWT student for some time. Today, they were going through Draco's essay on the role of wizardry in ancient Rome. There were no major flaws in Draco's argument, but Binns did suggest some techniques for polishing his essays which Binns claimed would help in exams. Draco took note of them, but also reckoned he'd run them past someone else first, just in case they were more relevant to the 18th century examiners than they were to today's.

When the lesson was over, Binns drifted out through the blackboard and Draco walked out through the door and downstairs to the Great Hall for an early lunch. Lunch passed quickly and Draco headed back up to his dorm to pack. On the way up he passed Ron and Hermione heading down for lunch and then came across Harry and Ginny walking down not far behind. Why was it that he was always left on his own? Never mind. Draco carried on upstairs and was soon in the dormitory. Slowly, he began to pack. There wasn't any rush after all. Spare trousers and shirts went down the bottom of the trunk, just on top of the hefty textbooks that raised the base by a good few inches. Soon his few clean shirts were neatly folded away and everything else was thrown in on top. There. Packed. Draco sat heavily on his bed which squeaked in protest. Sitting there, elbows on knees and head in his hands, Draco felt sorry for himself. His eyes moistened, but he soon rubbed that away, steeling himself to ever greater stoic heights by repeating what had become his mantra. I must not be weak, he thought, over and again. He would overcome this. Hermione had chosen Ron. She didn't care for him as anything more than a friend. That was fine; it was how it had always been. He had been a fool to hope for anything different. Anyway, there were plenty of girls out there like her. Plenty. He just couldn't think of any at the moment. It wasn't as if she was perfect anyway, Draco thought as his thoughts slid down an ever darker track. She was more dedicated to being good at what she did than she ever would be to Ron, let alone him. She had a vicious streak running through her a mile wide- just think what she'd done to Edgecombe the previous year. Not to mention she was muggle born and he was a pure blood. It couldn't have worked anyway, a thousand years of breeding told him. Somewhere in the back of his mind though, he remembered that James Potter had married a muggle-born. No he couldn't hold that against her. But, Draco consoled himself, it wouldn't have worked anyway, it was just a passing fancy, that was all. A passing fancy, that comes one day and is gone in the wind the next. Draco kept repeating it to himself, whenever he was alone and he fell asleep that night repeating it, hoping that if he repeated it enough times, it might become true.

Draco woke that morning wondering why it was so light. Then he realised it was morning and time for him to leave. He got up, dressed himself and finished off the tiny, last little bit of packing. He heaved his heavy trunk onto his bed and headed down for breakfast, sure in the knowledge that by nightfall he would be at home with his uncle. After breakfast with Harry, Ron and Hermione, Draco left for a walk around the grounds, before the aurors came to escort them to the train. Halfway round, he bumped intoAlbus Dumbledore.

'Hello, Sir.'

'Hello Draco.' Dumbledore said, waving his withered hand at him. 'Yes, it's not nice, is it? A result of failing to think before doing. I was rather hoping to talk to you about it.'

'About your hand, Sir?'

'Yes, well, no, not really. You see, it's a curse Draco. A nasty one at that and it'll kill me before the year's out.'

'I'm sorry, Sir.'

'Don't feel sorry for old men who have lived their time Draco, feel sorry who never lived to reach their prime. Being bowled for 115 is a good innings.'

'Very respectable, Sir.'

'Yes, you could say that, I suppose and productive too, even if I say so myself. At any rate, what I really wanted to tell you was that for my memorial I want a cricket match to be played between current and former students. I was wondering if you'd be the captain for the home team. The match will be in the second week of May.'

'Is that when you're going to..?' Draco paused, unsure of how to mention the oncoming change tactfully.

'Die? No, It's not, I hope, but I wanted to see my memorial while I was still alive. Doesn't seem much point having one to celebrate the life of me if I can't enjoy it. So if you could have a think about that. I hope it's not too much trouble.'

'No trouble at all, Sir. It'll be an honour.'

'Thank-you, Draco. Well, I had best be heading back to the castle now, and so should you if you don't wish to miss the train.'

'Yes, Sir.'

'Oh, and Draco.'

'Yes, Sir?'

'Before you do anything foolish, remember young love often doesn't last.'

'I will Sir. Thank you.' What was all that about? Draco headed back to the castle and met up with Ron and Hermione.

'Hello, you two, everything packed?'

'Yup, you?'

'Yeah, finished it last night.'

'Alright for some, I was doing it all morning.' Ron moaned.

'Well, if you don't get started sooner, what can you expect sweetums?' Hermione responded.

'Come off it, Hermione. You're sounding like my mother.' Ron retorted. A flash of grief crossed Hermione's face and Draco couldn't blame her given how her boy was comparing her to his mother. And not in a favourable light either. The aurors arrived and spread out through the column of students that had assembled to walk down to the train.

'I don't see why we couldn't use the coaches.' Some high pitched voice asked in the distance. Draco didn't hear the reply, but thought that it was obvious – it simply wasn't as safe to be spread out as it was to walk down in one huge group. All the aurors on the Hogwarts protection detail were here and preparing to insert themselves into the column. Draco caught Tonks' eye and she came over to them.

'Hi Drakes. How you doing?'

'Fine thanks, Tonks, you?'

'Yeah, everything's alright here. I'm installing myself in the column and then joining you for the train ride.'

'Why? You didn't accompany us up?'

'Things have changed whilst you've been up here. Things they aren't sticking in the Prophet.'

'Such as?'

'More and more attacks are happening every day. Quite a lot of them are being fended off, but those that You-know-who has attended personally, well, they haven't been so lucky. We're concerned that there might be an attack on the train.'

'Any hard evidence or is this just a guess?'

'Just a guess, anything more and the lot of you would be staying here for the holidays, but our political masters want service as usual.'

'No change there then.'

'None at all. Ah, hello Harry.'

'Hi Tonks. How are you?'

'Fine thanks. We were just discussing the current theories about the security of the train.'

'Oh yes?'

'Well, Alastor reckons there's going to be an attack. Dumbledore agrees so he's getting several of us aurors to accompany you to London. We drew lots and I'm in charge of you.'

'Me?' Harry said, surprised.

'Yes, you. You're a valuable target Harry, at least you are to Voldemort. Second only to Albus, and we reckon that you're a far easier target to go after.'

'No I'm not. I can defend myself.'

'Yes we know, but seriously Harry, do you reckon that you're a better fighter than Dumbledore? Really? From what I saw in the ministry six months ago I'd say you were luckier, but not more skilled.'

'Thanks.' Harry sarcastically said.

'You're welcome.' Tonks said, ignoring it.

After the walk to the train, Draco's feet were aching as he stood on the platform. Before long the magnificent scarlet engine could be seen, huffing its way towards them. As it slowed to stop at the station, great clouds of steam whooshed up at them from below the level of the platform. Slowly the train stopped before coming noisily to a rest. Their luggage was loaded onto the guard's van at the back and they boarded the train. Perhaps because Tonks had climbed in with them, Harry, Ron, Draco and Hermione had the compartment to themselves- if you ignored Tonks that was. They didn't and had great fun on the way back, laughing, telling jokes and playing "Hunt the Exploding Snap Card" all the way to King's Cross. The friends parted amicably, with Draco heading home with Noctifer and the rest heading to the Headquarters of the Order with Tonks.

Noctifer's dark hair was now littered with flecks of grey. Apparently the stress of the Dark Lord's return to the open had not done him any favours physically, even if it had helped his business. Most of the Holiday Noctifer wasn't at home as he was out installing security charms into people's homes and the few times that he was at home he didn't seem as carefree as once he had. It was over a nondescript Christmas Dinner that Draco finally got round to asking his uncle what had happened at home since he had left for school three months ago.

'Oh, not much really. I've been busy. Mainly doing charms for other people, but I've installed quite a few round here too. Gringotts'd be easier to break into. There's only one charm left I could add, and that's the Fidelius charm. Come across it?'

'Yeah, loads of times, you built it into the headquarters of the Order, didn't you.'

'Of course I did. Made Albus the secret keeper too. Silly me. Should have thought about that. That's been a big worry too.'

'Has it?'

'Oh yes, I shouldn't tell you, but hey- as a friend of Harry's you're practically a member of the Order anyway, aren't you? Well, I've been busy. We've been doing random patrols of the wizarding areas when we can. I haven't had this little sleep since I was at Hogwarts, and I don't think I'm up to it anymore.'

'So what are you going to do?'

'I don't know. Dumbledore's made it clear he doesn't mind if I stop being quite so active, but I don't want to let him down, Draco. You understand, don't you?'

'Yeah, I do. I wouldn't worry about it though. I don't think Dumbledore's going to last much longer.'

'Why'd you say that?'

'He told me he's dying. He doesn't think he's got a year left to live.'

'Poor man.'

'It could be worse. I think he's ready for death in a way.'

'Particularly if that hand of his is hurting him all the time.'

'Yes.' Draco paused, 'Uncle Noctifer?'

'Yes?'

'Nothing. Sorry.' Said Draco, unsure of how to ask the question. Not that Uncle Noctifer, a lifelong bachelor, would necessarily know the answer anyway.