Welcome to Part 2 of Sight Can Be Deadly! In this chapter there is a small time skip from the end of the First Task straight to the Yule Ball, but don't worry! There is an explanation of what happened during that time also within this chapter.

I have been creating more and more plot lines for this story and I am very excited to get to some of the future parts. I can already tell this fic is going to be a long one.

Thank you again, my loyal readers, for the reviews you send me. They give me motivation and excitement to continue writing this fanfic.

Without further ado, please enjoy chapter 6.

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Part 2

The day of the Yule Ball came faster than anyone would have expected, as time passed in a blur of assignments and routines. Once or twice a week Draco meet Viktor and they worked on defeating the Imperius curse. Their friendship was getting stronger the more they got to know each other. Harry Potter continued to wait for an opportunity to strike out at Draco in what he perceived as revenge. Hermione buried herself in her studies, and Ron visited the hospital often to make sure that his injury was healing correctly, as there was dark magic contaminating the wound.

Charlie and Draco's relationship was still rather rocky, as Ron's injury hung over the two and Charlie's words plagued Draco, despite his efforts to forget them. They had met the day after the First Task and apologized to each other, but it would take time for the tension to dissolve and for them to understand each other. Tentative plans were being thrown about, but nothing concrete yet.

Fred and George had also conditionally started to help Draco, much to the Slytherin's surprise. According to Charlie, the Dragon Tamer had always been rather close with the twins, and Draco supposed that was what convinced them rather than anything he was able to offer or do.

Luna had also begun to pop up randomly at Draco's favorite study spot in the library, and the two would often do homework together. Despite the disapproval of many of the Slytherins, Luna was a Pureblood and therefore it was only her personality that they could complain about. Draco was prepared to ignore the petty complains, and he found himself enjoying Luna's company. She was a spot of brightness in his life, and she could always make him smile because of her antics.

Draco continued his "courtship" of Daphne, sending her the flower messages every so often in order to capture her interest. From what Pansy said, she was very intrigued and impatient to find out who the mystery sender was. On the day of the Yule Ball Draco sent an invitation only, with a suggested color scheme and a time and place only. No name. He had an idea that Daphne could guess by now.

Viktor had kept his promise and asked Pansy to the Yule Ball in the middle of the Great Hall, complete with flowers and chocolate. Actually, the two had hit it off quite well and could often be seen in the other's company.

Pansy, Blaise, Theo, and Greg were a constant presence at Draco's side, as they had been since First Year. Draco was glad they were all by his side despite his changing of sides, as he couldn't imagine life without them. It was hard to see Vincent drifting away from them and befriending older Slytherins who were definite future Death Eater recruits.

Because progress on their plan was slow, Draco had eventually stopped meeting individually with Charlie and opened up the discussion to a few others. Now, as often as possible, he would meet with a select few: Severus, Charlie, Viktor, and Pansy. He was contemplating letting the other Slytherins or Luna in on the meetings, but he wanted to keep it small so that as few people as possible would know dangerous information. Out of all the Slytherins, he felt he could trust Pansy the most and that she would be able to contribute to their discussions a considerable amount.

It was the morning of the day the Yule Ball would occur when Draco finally slipped up and Potter caught him alone. He had thought that, due to the early hour, it would be safe to slip up to the Owlery and send Daphne a flower. However, he was surprised when a stinging hex hit him from behind, and he whirled with his wand drawn to find Harry Potter, eyes practically flames of anger.

Immediately Draco touched his hand and called out to Viktor, knowing that this could get ugly. "Potter." He said blandly, trying to keep things calmer than the last time they had been alone.

"Malfoy." The sheer amount of hatred packed into that one word was pretty impressive, Draco thought with grim humor. He hadn't thought Potter capable. "You've been parading around free while Ron suffers. It's sickening, watching you pretend to be innocent. Pretending you aren't just like your father."

The spark of anger that came at those words was undeniable, but Draco kept it carefully tempered. "Really, Potter, I am nowhere near as cruel and ruthless as my father." Memories came to his mind unbidden, and he wanted to flinch but didn't allow himself. "Just as you are nowhere near as in control of your magic as you would like people to think."

The surprise stilled Potter's wand. "What do you mean by that?" He hissed, green eyes glowing with contempt.

"I would think it would be obvious. Or…do you not even realize you are doing it? Surprising. It is obvious that anytime that you lose control of your emotions your magic permeates the air like a cloud of power." He gestured towards the many owl feathers levitating in the air with a smirk. "So why is it that you always seek me out as your target, whenever the world gets to be too much? If we keep meeting like this, I will begin to think I am important to you." His voice dropped an octave, trying to keep Harry from exploding and causing damage.

Harry's hand that held his wand trembled, but Draco couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling. He continued to speak in a quiet, almost hypnotic tone. "If you don't take notice, your control will get even worse. Instead of levitating feathers, it will be people getting hurt whenever you get angry, or Potions exploding when Snape sneers at you, causing who knows what kind of damage to the students. Use your brain for once, Potter, and think about why you are so angry with me. There is no reasonable explanation, because the truth is that you're just mad, and you think I am an easy target. After all, no one would believe the Slytherin troublemaker over the Gryffindor Golden Boy…right?" He stalked closer into Potter's space, trying to get close enough to seize the wand.

"Stay back!" Harry Potter snarled the words like a rabid animal, and Draco stopped in place, raising his eyebrows challengingly.

"Too close to the truth for comfort?" Draco drawled, leaning against a heavy oak table and staying where he was, eyes never leaving Harry's face. Despite the appearance of relaxation, his body was tensed and ready to spring into action.

Instead of answering, Harry spat out, "I hate you." The look in his eyes confirmed the truth of his words. He took a step toward Draco and continued to speak. "You have no morals, no loyalty, and no courage. You're a coward, who will do anything your daddy tells you to. Probably enjoy every last bit of it." Draco could see that he was escalating, and he hoped that Viktor would arrive soon. "You have tormented me and my friends since our first day in this school, and I have had enough of it." His wand moved, and he cast a spell as Draco whipped out his own wand and cast Protego.

Draco blocked the first spell in time, but his sleep had been irregular and his eating habits were poor as usual, resulting in increased fatigue. He couldn't keep up with Harry, who had been training for the Tournament almost daily. A nasty curse caused Draco to fly back into the table he was leaning against, banging his head against the thick surface.

Woozily, Draco tried to protect himself, but his head was bleeding profusely and his vision was fuzzy. He was able to hit Harry with a scorching hex, but the damage was mild and not enough to delay casting on Harry's part. In quick succession he was hit with a wall of magical force and an extremely powerful stinging hex, which sent him painfully flying to the floor.

Potter disarmed him and threw his wand out of reach. Tapping his wand against his thigh slowly, he neared Draco and stepped on his shoulder, grinding his boot into the bony joint.

Draco clenched his teeth to keep from screaming at the pain as his shoulder was dislocated. At that moment, Viktor came rushing into the room and Harry suddenly disappeared from view. Invisibility Cloak?

Draco could barely move he was so dizzy. He could tell that Viktor was saying something, but he couldn't make out the words due to the pounding in his head and rapidly darkening vision. He managed to touch his own hand and send a pulse of magic through their bond. Okay. He could just make out Viktor's relieved face before he passed out.

…..

When he awoke, it was to unbelievable pain. He groaned at a slight movement and then vowed to stay still, not even trying to sit up. The bright lights were giving him a pounding headache, so he squeezed his eyes back shut and did his best to just breathe steadily.

Someone was moving around his bedside, but he didn't dare to try to open his eyes again. The lighting in the room dimmed and he slowly pried his eyes open to regard Greg Goyle.

"Draco, I know you feel terrible right now and I'm sorry. You weren't supposed to wake up this soon. I sent for Madame Pomfrey as soon as you started to come around, she is bringing you some pain meds."

Draco blinked once to let Greg know that he was listening, but couldn't muster up the willpower to try and reply. Pomfrey bustled into the room and she and Greg lifted Draco as gently as possible into a sitting position, causing him to bite his cheek in order to keep from yelling out in pain. A countless number of potions were shoved down his throat before he was lowered back down to the bed, and finally the blessed numb feeling began to sink in and Draco was able to find his voice. "What day is it?" he asked urgently.

Goyle frowned at him disapprovingly. "Lucky for you, still the same day. Otherwise, you would be standing Daphne up. As it is, you probably won't make it to the Yule Ball. It starts in about ninety minutes." He took a seat by Draco's bedside and continued, "It was incredibly stupid of you to go out alone, you should have woken one of us. You know we wouldn't be upset with you."

Draco laughed, and it felt like sandpaper was sliding across his throat. "It was moronic of me, I admit it." Greg handed him a glass of water, which Draco gratefully downed. "How's my face? Will I scare Daphne if I show up like this?" He tried to smirk but the pounding in his head worsened at the attempt, so he gave up.

"Your face looks the same as always, but you cannot be considering going to the Yule Ball, Draco. There is a reason you can barely move, and your body needs to rest and recover."

With a wince, Draco slowly sat up and began to test his range of motion. "If I take enough potions, it won't matter. This is important, Greg. I put a lot of time and energy into this plan, and I need to collect the fruits of my labor, or find out if it was all worthless. I am sure I am stabilized enough if I woke up. I can rest and recover after tonight. What's the diagnosis? Concussion?"

Goyle's lips pinched together, and he sighed. "When you came in you had three broken ribs, a gushing head wound, a welt that looked like a whip mark across your back, a dislocated shoulder, and yes, a pretty serious concussion. Pomfrey put your shoulder back into place, repaired your ribs, and stopped your head wound from bleeding. The rest she hasn't been able to fix yet. Your entire body is probably black and blue at this point, particularly your ribs."

Pomfrey scurried back into the room. "Young man, I don't know what you were doing to get in this poor of shape, but Dumbledore will want to know just as soon as this Yule Ball business is over. You can expect a summons from him." She checked a chart next to Draco's bed and scowled at him over her glasses.

Draco shook his head, and instantly regretted it as piercing pain shot through his skull. "I have to go to the Yule Ball, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I don't want to stand up my date. Please, I will be the best patient you could ask for after the ball, but in the meantime, just give me whatever potions I need to get through the night without collapsing."

Pomfrey protested, but Greg argued with her until she gave in. Draco quickly downed the potions and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing unsteadily. Greg took his arm and helped him leave the infirmary. Luckily, everyone was in their own dormitories preparing for the Yule Ball except for some first and second years, so there weren't many people to gawk at Draco as he returned to the Slytherin dormitories.

Draco had never been so grateful for Greg's large frame as he was now. "Thanks," he muttered breathlessly as he leaned heavily on his friend. "I'm afraid you are going to have to help me get ready." He muttered quietly.

Goyle just smiled at him. "Of course I am going to help you, don't be an idiot." Greg didn't say anything about what happened in the morning, but Draco knew that after the Yule Ball, he would be quizzed to find out who it was at that person would be…dealt with.

Just as they were about to enter the dormitory, Draco straightened and began to walk on his own, the pain potions kicking in enough for him to pretend nothing had happened. Heading into their room, Draco took a quick shower, making sure to get the blood out of his hair and inspect his bruises. He stepped out and pulled on well-tailored dress robes, combing his hair to hide the bruises on his temple that were caused by hitting the table so hard.

As he stepped from the bathroom, he found his friends all waiting: Pansy, Blaise, Theo, and Greg were all looking at him in concern.

Draco smiled, trying to ease their worries. "Smart bunch we are." And indeed they were. In that moment, they looked far older than their years. "Pansy, that dress is gorgeous on you." She wore a shorter gown with a one-shoulder style, scarlet red in color. Her hair was curled and in a half-up twist.

Theo handed Draco a box, which Draco recognized as his own cufflinks. With a smile, the blonde put them on. "Thanks, Theo. Anything else I am forgetting?"

Blaise stepped forward with the flower he had selected for Daphne: amaryllis, signifying worth beyond beauty. "This might be important." He smirked at his friend, before adding more quietly, "What happened, Draco? Who attacked you?" Blaise's voice hardened at the second question.

His friends' eyes fixed on him, waiting for an answer. "We will talk about this after the Yule Ball." Draco answered firmly, but his eyes were soft as he looked at them. He was so thankful for such loyal Slytherins by his side, and he had done nothing to deserve their trust, keeping as many secrets as he was. But more was at stake here than his guilty feelings, so he kept it to himself. "Thank you all." He didn't explain why he was thanking them, but they could assume whatever they wanted.

Pansy moved to his side, smile happy and her eyes sparkling. "No, thank you, Draco. This year has been the best yet." She gave him a gentle hug, which Draco endured for a few seconds before pulling away.

Although he had taken potions and he could feel no pain, Draco's whole body felt heavy and exhausted. Remembering how he had felt an hour ago, he didn't even want to think about how he would feel tomorrow, after a night of stretching his body past its limits. For his own sake, he better turn in early this evening. Casting a quick Tempus spell, he checked the time. He was due to meet Daphne in a few minutes.

His friends smiled at him, seeming to read his mind. "We can leave together, and I will stay with you while they meet their own dates. After you go with Daphne to the dance, I will come back here and work on your task." Greg reassured him.

Draco wanted to collapse on his bed, but instead he steeled himself and schooled his features into his normal haughty expression. "Great, thanks. Let's go then." The five of them left the room together, then split off their separate ways to go meet their dates. Greg and Draco continued to the corridor where Daphne and Draco had agreed to meet, Goyle trailing slightly behind. Daphne had not arrived yet, so the two waited a few minutes before she showed up.

Her hair was thick and flowed down her back in a wide plait, highlighting her sharp cheekbones and striking eyes. Her dress was a deep forest green and off-the shoulder. A diamond necklace sparkled around her neck, showcasing her wealth and elegance.

She smiled when she saw Draco. "I suspected it was you. It is gratifying to know I was correct."

Because it was custom, Draco took her hand and kissed it chivalrously, despite the Flashes. He resisted the urge to raise his eyebrows. He hadn't realized how spoiled she was. "I am happy that you find this acceptable. What of my other proposal?"

Pursing her lips, she took Draco's arm and they began to walk towards the ball room, Goyle staying out of sight behind them. "I am afraid I will have to decline." A sharp pang of disappointment resounded through Draco, but he didn't reply, waiting for her to continue. "There simply isn't enough reward for the risk, my dear. I am not in the habit of putting myself in danger unless I stand to gain something. I am sure you understand."

Draco dipped his head. "That is understandable. Of course I am disappointed, but we all do what we must. Regardless, I will do my best to ensure you have a lovely time tonight."

Daphne chuckled, and the sound was husky. "I am sure you will not have to try very hard, looking like this. We will certainly stand out from the crowd."

Draco sighed. Reduced to arm candy, but at least he had tried. If nothing else, at least Daphne was an excellent conversationalist and not completely self-absorbed, like some of the other Slytherin girls. "Most certainly." He echoed, lips quirking upwards in the semblance of a smile.

They continued arm and arm into the ball room, where many couples were already gathered. A minute or so later, the Triwizard Champions were announced and walked into the room. First was Cedric, with Cho Chang on his arm. Then Fleur came in with Theo, which was a surprise to Draco. Next was Harry with Granger, who was stunning. At last, Viktor entered the ball room with Pansy, who looked a little starry-eyed. Draco smiled in pride. They made a handsome pair.

Viktor and Pansy joined him, and Draco introduced Daphne to Viktor. As they engaged in small talk, Draco touched his hand discreetly. Thank you for coming so quickly. Things might have been much worse if you hadn't.

Viktor narrowed his eyes at Draco. We will discuss this later. Recklessness is not like you…you must be more careful. Saying their farewells, Viktor swept Pansy away onto the dance floor.

Draco and Daphne were then approached by Theo and Fleur. Draco congratulated her for her performance on the First Task, as they had not seen each other since that time, and again introduced Daphne. She looked positively smug to be around so many important people.

Feeling a stare on his back, Draco turned to meet the guilty gaze of Harry Potter. Trying not to clench his fists, Draco looked quickly away and turned his attention back to the people around him. He and Daphne excused themselves to the dance floor, where he twirled Daphne around with evident skill. Dance lessons were included in all wealthy Pureblooded education, pre-Hogwarts of course. Daphne had always been an excellent dancer as well, so it was a pleasant diversion from his troubles.

They didn't dance long, as Draco wanted to take care of his body as much was possible. After dancing, he and Daphne also greeted Blaise and his date Tracey Davis.

To Draco's surprise, Harry Potter completely avoided him, not even glaring at him once the whole night. As Draco went to get Daphne some punch, Luna approached him with a dreamy smile. "Hello, Dragon." She took a closer look at him and frowned. "It seems the Wrackspurts just won't leave you alone. Would you like me to ask them to go away?"

Draco blinked, his lips quirking up in a small, amused smile. "That would be most helpful." He agreed. "Maybe then I can finally have some peace and quiet."

Luna beamed at him. "Hello, Wrackspurts. Draco would like some peace and quiet, so please go away. Perhaps you could go to Harry Potter, he seems to need your help."

Draco's smile faded a bit at the mention of that name, but he thanked Luna anyways. "You look beautiful, by the way." Luna wore a sparkling gold dress shaped rather like a cupcake, but she wore it well. It was sleeveless and short, and she wore golden shoes with ostriches on them. "Who did you come with?"

Luna twirled in her dress, happy to show off. "Michael Corner asked me to go with him. Normally I would refuse to attend an event like this…there are too many Nargles. Because I wanted to talk to you, I decided to come. I am glad I could get rid of the Wrackspurts for you. Bye Dragon!" she skipped back to her date, leaving Draco shaking his head with amusement.

Daphne smirked when he returned. "What did Loony Lovegood have to say?"

Draco gave her a sharp look. "Luna is a friend of mine, so please use her name instead of childish insults. She was helping me with a problem."

Daphne's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't respond to his rebuke. The dance continued in a similar vein: Daphne behaving snobbishly but well within acceptable Pureblood behavior, Draco indulging her and wishing he could be asleep rather than enduring her company.

To Draco's relief, the night eventually came to an end and he was able to leave Daphne in the Slytherin common room. Greg was waiting in the dormitory. He frowned at Draco's pale face. "The pain potions are wearing off, aren't they?" At Draco's wordless nod, Goyle came alongside him and supported him. "Let's get you back to the infirmary. Sleep for a few days and don't worry, I will take care of everything. I'll even get the others to bring you your homework."

Draco just nodded again tiredly and let Greg help him back to the Hospital Wing. Once there, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into an exhausted sleep.

When he next awoke, no one was nearby his bed. He cast a wandless Tempus charm and found it to be one in the afternoon. Most likely Madame Pomfrey was having a lunch break, and his friends were in class.

He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Unbelievable pain shot through his head and abdomen, so he quickly relaxed his body and stopped trying to move, focusing on his breathing just like the day before.

Draco didn't know how long he sat there before a person finally came in. It could have been minutes, or hours. The pain distorted his perception of time, and it had felt like days.

It was Pomfrey who had come in. She looked surprised to see him awake. "Mr. Malfoy, I expected you to sleep for at least several more hours. I am sorry you had to wake up in such pain." She bustled around, shoving potions into his hands and lifted him bodily into a sitting position. Draco was surprised at her strength.

He downed the potions, wincing at the pull in his ribs and the pain in his shoulder.

Pomfrey watched him, an unreadable expression on her face. "I will let Dumbledore know you are awake; he would like to speak with you." She disappeared before he could protest.

With a heavy sigh, Draco settled back against the bed's headboard, unable to escape this conversation. While he was certainly the type to assign blame when due, for some reason Draco knew Potter was hanging over a precipice of sorts, and it was entirely possible Draco might be the one to push him over it, and he didn't want that.

To lie, or not to lie. The worst possible outcome would be catching Dumbledore's attention in some way, which was most likely to happen if he didn't tattle. However, if he told Dumbledore what was going on, Harry might be destabilized, which was hazardous with Death Eaters running amok. It really depended on one simple factor: did Dumbledore care for Harry Potter's well-being? Or was Harry simply his tool to defeat Voldemort?

Draco couldn't say for certain, one way or another. Dumbledore's actions could lead to both conclusions. Therefore, he had to give his best guess, and take some sort of risk.

In this situation, he knew self-preservation was more important. He was a Slytherin, after all. The consequences of piquing Dumbledore's interest and subsequently alerting his father to Draco's changing loyalties was a risk that Draco was completely unwilling to take. Not to mention, in no way did he want Dumbledore meddling in his business.

Thus, Potter would have to take care of his own problems, Draco decided. The Golden Boy was the one behaving irrationally and irresponsibly anyways, so he would have to suffer the consequences.

Glad to have made up his mind, Draco released the tension in his body and sunk lethargically back even further into the bed. There were three days left until the Second Task, and there was still very little progress on their last plan. It was Draco's hope that, after the Second Task was over, some kind of information about the final task would be leaked, and they would be able to contrive a better plan.

An information leak couldn't be counted upon, though…they needed to prepare a contingency plan. Since it was likely he would be holed up in this room for at least two more days, he would have to learn Madame Pomfrey's schedule in order to arrange a meeting when she was away. Perhaps the day before the Second Task, they could discover a time.

Draco heard murmuring voices approaching the Hospital Wing, and deduced that Dumbledore had arrived to question him. Sure enough, a moment or two later, the Headmaster of Hogwarts stepped inside, eyes twinkling in that maddening way of his.

"Hello, Draco. I heard that there has been some trouble. Because of the events yesterday, I was unable to come by and sort this out. Would you like to tell me about it now?" Dumbledore hovered over Draco's bed, not taking a seat.

Draco supposed this was some sort of power-play, trying to make him feel intimidated by looming over him. It was ineffectual. "And what, exactly, do you want to know?" Draco's voice came out haughty, and he smirked just as a Malfoy would be expected to. "Do you want to know how Potter cornered me in the Owlery when I was alone and half asleep, how he hexed me into unconsciousness? Or were you wanting to hear about how he has been following me around for weeks in an attempt to attack me, and you did nothing? I am really quite curious to know what it is that you're interested in hearing." Inwardly, Draco chuckled at the level of snootiness he had just delivered in those statements. How would the esteemed Headmaster respond to that?

Dumbledore's face turned grave. "So it is your claim that Harry Potter was the cause of your current state of injury?"

Draco snorted proudly. "It is not my claim; it is the truth. All you would need to do to verify that is to check Potter's wand. Although, being such a Gryffindor and all, he will probably confess it all if you ask him."

Dumbledore's expression seemed mildly irritated, indicating his clear bias for Harry over Draco. "And Harry was not hurt…at all? Considering your past altercations, I find this difficult to believe."

Draco sneered. "Surprised that I finally wised up? You see, I noticed a trend…anytime Potter and I fought, I was the one punished and blamed for everything. It got tiresome, so I decided to ignore Potter. Too bad he was too obsessed with me to do the same." A sharp pain surged through Draco's head and he did his best to keep his face straight. Stress and arguing clearly wasn't good for concussions…If Dumbledore didn't leave soon, he would have to get Madame Pomfrey to chase him out.

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I see, I see. Well, I will have to speak with Harry and get his version of events."

Rolling his eyes, Draco leaned back against the bed again. "You do that. I will inform my father of these happenings, and I assure you, he will not be pleased with how poor the discipline is at this school." He made sure to keep his tone bored, disrespectful, and aristocratic.

Dumbledore's face twitched but surprisingly he did not snap at Draco. Instead, he said simply, "I hope that your healing goes well. Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy."

After he left, Draco snickered to himself. From Draco to Mr. Malfoy. Well, it seemed his poncy act had gotten on the Headmaster's nerves.

About twenty minutes later, hurried footsteps sounded outside and Draco glanced up in curiosity. To his complete and utter surprise, Charlie Weasley stood in front of him, face pinched in worry. "I heard from Ron and his friends that you were here. What the hell happened, Draco? You look awful."

A sardonic smile stretched across Draco's lips. "Thanks, Charlie. Always good to hear that sort of thing when laid up in the infirmary." He didn't answer the question, but instead looked at Charlie, eyes a little hooded from exhaustion. "Why are you here?" he asked.

Charlie's mouth thinned into a line. "I was worried, it sounded quite serious. And it must have been, judging by how exhausted you seem. But don't think that will get you out of answering my question. What happened? How are you feeling?"

Closing his eyes, Draco signed in resignation. "If I tell you what happened, I have a feeling that this will lead a similar direction to the Hogsmeade attack. You defending your family's acquaintances and me trying to keep myself alive, which it seems I am doing quite poorly at." He folded his arms over his stomach. "If it's all the same to you, I would rather go to sleep than argue with you right now. As for how I'm feeling…well, I'm used to it."

Charlie moved to sit on Draco's bed, unable to stop a fond smile from crossing his face. Cheeky brat. "I have no intention of arguing with you, as I already know that it was Harry who fought with you. I just want to know the cause of the fight." He didn't comment on Draco's second answer. It was just so sad to hear Draco say something like that, something that implied he was hurt so many times that he just became used to it.

Draco's expression cleared a little. "That makes things easier. I can honestly say I am not sure what Potter was on about. His magic has been very volatile as of late. He's been following me for weeks, my friends even noticed. I guess he really just hates me, to the point of obsessively trailing after me for weeks. Pick your poison, because your guess is as bloody good as mine." He rubbed his temples, trying to ease the pounding headache caused by Dumbledore's questioning and not got more worked up. "Really, Charlie, I am glad to see you, but this is not the time. My head is pounding so hard it feels as if my skull might crack into pieces."

Charlie sighed, a sympathetic look in his bright eyes. "Come here and lie your head down." He patted his own legs invitingly.

Draco eyed him skeptically. "Getting Flashes is probably not the best thing for my head right now." He commented, guessing where Charlie was going with this.

"Then I'll wear gloves. Seriously, come here. This will really help, I promise." Charlie again indicated that Draco should lie down, and then Transfigured a handkerchief in his pocket into gloves and pulled them on.

With a wary look, Draco slowly complied and rested his head on Charlie's thighs. The older Dragon Tamer began to lightly massage his scalp, taking care to be very gentle and to avoid the heavily bruised areas. "I am sorry again for all the things that I hinted before, Draco. I was just really upset about Ron and I took it out on you. I know you have to be careful, for the sake of your friends and allies. You did all that you could considering the circumstances. I know I've apologized once, but I really mean it and I want things between us to go back to normal, not this tense feeling."

Draco's grey eyes met Charlie's gaze, and there was something eerie and otherworldly in their depths. "I understand." His voice was quiet, almost too quiet to hear. "We are running out of time, Charlie. If we do not figure out our next move soon, Cedric Diggory will die." Finality rang through his voice. "It is not my place to let disagreements interfere with that goal, but you need to make up your mind if you are willing to put aside everything else for this. You still haven't grasped the gravity of what I am asking you for. Anything that your family does or goes through is no longer of consequence to you. Dumbledore's rules or opinions have no place in our goals. You have to put aside all that you once were in order for this to be successful. Effectively…if you really want to go through with this, then Charlie Weasley will be no more."

The words baffled Charlie, and the confusion was written all over his face. "Draco, what are you talking about? Have you Seen something else?"

A shudder went through Draco's body when Charlie's hands kneaded a bit too hard, awakening waves of pain that caused him to clench his teeth for a few moments. "What I am trying to say is that you have to focus on the objective, to the exclusion of all else. Don't worry about collateral damage, don't worry about your family, don't worry about me. Once we have agreed on a plan, you have to see it through no matter what happens."

Charlie's brows knitted in concern. "That sounds an awful lot like you are preparing to do something stupid."

Draco smiled, but it held no happiness and was soulless. "I am. And it was your suggestion." Lowering his aching head into his hands, Draco sighed deeply, exhaustion seeping through every pore of his body. "I can't see any other way. I am going to have to do it…I am going to have to renounce our blood feud publicly. I have to make myself a target, in order to do a sleight of hand. Otherwise it will be to obvious." His mind was racing, shocked at the conclusions he had just come to. This would be very, very painful and tortuous. But it just might work.

"Sleight of hand? Draco, please tell me what you're talking about." Charlie shook his head.

"Just what I said. We have to provide…a distraction, so that our other actions will go unnoticed. We have to make people think we are…doing one thing, when really we are doing another." His voice trailed off once or twice in tiredness. "The only way this will be successful is if we manipulate them…into thinking what we want. Otherwise, we are screwed." The pain was lessening now, maybe Charlie was right about a massage making him feel better. His eyes were getting more and more droopy. Maybe he would just sleep for a few minutes….

Charlie sighed, and leaned forward, easing Draco's head off of his legs and onto the pillow. It lingered there for a moment, brushing the younger boy's hair back from his forehead, before he turned and left the hospital wing. Pausing at the door, he whispered solemnly, "I hope you know what you're doing, Draco. Because I am not sure how many more times you can pick of the pieces. Eventually there will be nothing left of yourself to put back together."

When Draco awoke, Charlie was no longer there. Instead, to his surprise, there were two other Weasleys: the twins, Fred and George.

They brightened, seeing him awake. "Good, you're awake-" said Fred, while George finished the sentence, "We were starting to get bored."

Draco smirked at them. In the beginning, it had been a frightful challenge to tell the two identical twins apart. Over time, though, he came to notice the differences that were definitely present. "I am glad I woke up, then. You two and boredom do not mix well."

With a chortle, the two both stood. "Our orders were to hang around until you woke-" Again with the finishing each other's sentences, "Up, so now that you are awake your Slytherin minions can come in."

Draco scoffed. "Big brother's orders?" he asked knowingly.

"Precisely!" The answered in unison, before leaving the room with a wave.

Draco rolled his eyes at Charlie's mother-hen ways. As the twins left, Blaise came inside to sit by Draco's bed. "Here's all your homework. Enjoy." The dark-skinned boy smirked at him.

Draco grumbled, nearly buried by load of books and papers Blaise had shoved into his lap. "I should have expected this, especially from McGonagall. Thanks, mate. Wouldn't do to get behind." Looking up from the pile of work in front of him, Draco questioned, "How are things? You seem a little down lately."

"Just tired. I didn't realize before how much control you exert over the Slytherins. Being your second is a pain." Blaise gave him a faint smile.

Draco chuckled. "It helps that my father is far more intimidating, politically, than your mother. It's not as if it was all me. Anyways, thank you Blaise, really. I couldn't do all of this without you."

An unhappy expression crossed Blaise's face for a moment before he smiled brightly and clasped Draco's hand. "Anything for my best mate." He laughed. "I will let you get on that homework now. It will take a while. Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

Draco nodded and waved him off, turning his attention to the stack of homework.

Quite a few hours later (as he had to take frequent breaks because of the concussion), everything was done. He was just about to try and stand up to find some food when footsteps halted his movements. He glanced up, expecting to see another of his friends. Instead, he was very surprised to see Cedric Diggory.

Cedric spoke first. "I heard that you were laid up in here and I wanted to stop by. Actually, Harry kind of sent me. He…wanted to make sure you were all right." He shifted awkwardly in place, waiting for Draco to respond.

It was hard to look Cedric in the face, having seen him die and all. So Draco avoided his eyes, and stared at his hands, which were clenched in the bedsheets. "You can tell Potter that I'm fine, and that he should just leave me alone like I've been asking all along. I was at the Yule Ball, wasn't I? In a day or two I'll be released. If that was all, then you can be going now." His Ice Prince mask was firmly in place as he stared at Cedric coldly, face unreadable.

Cedric hesitated. "That…wasn't really all." He seemed intimidated by Draco's distance, but got the courage to continue. "I am worried about Harry. I don't know him all that well, but his fight with Ron is really taking its toll and ever since you and he fought, things have gotten worse. He is depressed, moody, and barely talks to anyone. Hermione is trying but…he just isn't himself."

Draco clenched his teeth. "If it is all the same to you, I would rather not talk about the bloke who just put me in the infirmary, thanks. Harry Potter has hundreds of people who would love to meet his every need, to pamper him and tell him anything he wants to hear. Why are you even telling me this?"

Cedric stepped forwards, approaching Draco's bed meekly. "I-…I'm not sure exactly. All I know is that you are the one person I know of who doesn't treat Harry differently because of who he is, or because you're his friend and you feel like you have to protect him. I think you are one of the few people who Harry respects, even though he thinks he hates you because you challenge him and make him question things. He could really use someone like you to talk to him."

Draco's eyes were blown wide with indignation. "Are you messing with me, Diggory? Is this some sort of joke? Potter's blown his top and this is in no way my responsibility to deal with. In fact, I am quite knackered of even hearing Potter's name! And you are asking me to help him? Help the Golden Boy, who tried to kill me just a few days ago? Are you mad?"

Cedric chuckled nervously. "I…I suppose it is a little crazy. Forget it, I was out of line. Just…let me know if you change your mind." He left without a backwards glance.

Draco dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his temples, feeling as if he would have a permanent headache from all the stress piling on top of him. He wished his mother…no, that was stupid, don't even go there. In a few weeks he would be excommunicated at best, disowned at worst. His mother could no longer be a part of his life, not if he wished to follow what his logic and magic was telling him. And when had he ever done something that stupid? He wasn't about to start now.

He better enjoy life while he could. In a few weeks, he would have no family, no money, and no protection. And he couldn't even complain, because it was completely, one hundred percent his own choice.

Draco smiled mirthlessly. He better heal up…after all, he had a legacy to destroy.