But I know you won't leave me 'cos you told me so

And I've no intention of letting you go

Just as long as you let me know you won't be bad to me

Chloe didn't have to wait very long for Malfoy to arrive, much to her relief as she was ready to get this over with, but neither of them knew how to go about attacking Ron and Hermione and the first several minutes of Malfoy's visit were spent in thoughtful silence.

"Can we agree on doing this on Saturday? Potter will be gone then"

"But that will cause us to rudely leave Cromwell's house, once someone contacts Harry"

"Are you bloody serious?" He snapped "This mission is more important than your little dinner"

"It isn't just a little dinner, Malfoy. My best friend's career is on the line" She replied, just as heatedly "And I know it is more important"

"Saturday then?"

"Late Saturday"

"Fine, send me a message when dinner is almost over and I will do it then"

"Okay…. But what exactly will you be doing….."

And they fell silent again.

"I might have something" He said, after several more minutes of silence dragged by "I'll send them an owl pretending to be Potter and ask them to meet me for drinks, after the time he would be back from Wales. Once they arrive, I will attack them from somewhere they can't see me"

"That could possibly work… Let me write Harry's letter though"

"Are you sure you want to get this involved?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Emotions have no place here Malfoy, I'm looking at this logically"

"And the logic behind it is?"

"I know him better than you do, I can fake his letter with no trouble and do a better job at it"

"I see… so we agree on this plan?"

"I can't think of any other way… I'm not letting you into their house and it will be too hard to attack them at the Ministry, so it will have to be a public place. But how are you going to do it without getting caught?"

"On the letter, tell them to meet Harry outside the Leaky Cauldron. Come up with whatever reason as to why he would want them to meet at a dark alley before going in. I will attack them then"

"Okay" She said, biting her lower lip and trying very hard not to let the guilt she was feeling overtake her.

"And send the letter exactly before you leave for Wales"

"And I'll enchant my owl to look like Harry's new one, because I won't be able to use his"

"Would you like me to tell you how I will attack them?" He asked, looking at her with the closest thing to sincere concern she had seen on his face since Frank's attack.

"I do not. I'm involved enough as it is… just promise me you won't hurt them too bad"

"I won't" He agreed, and Chloe nodded.

"Malfoy… I know you said you father has made his choice and you have made yours, but when the time comes will you really be able to turn your back on him? Turn him in?"

"I'm doing this for mother and myself now, I do not care as to what will happen to him"

"That's quite a change from the boy you used to be" She observed.

"What do you mean?"

"You used to adore your father Malfoy; everyone could see it"

"Well, things change"

"And so do people"

"Not my father"

"Not your father…." She agreed.

They had no more contact until Saturday afternoon, when Chloe sent him a message to let him know she had just sent her owl to Hermione. It felt like a huge act of treachery sending them that letter, knowing that by the end of the night they would be hurt. She kept telling herself why she was doing such a thing, and that it was better for someone like Draco, who was on their side, to be carrying out that mission but she still felt terrible about it. She just hoped it would all be worth it in the end and that, if the trio ever found out about what she had done, they would forgive her. After delaying her trip to Harry's as much as she could, she put on a brave face and a smile as she stepped out of Harry's fireplace.

"Just in time" He said, kissing her forehead "The portkey will activate in a minute"

He handed her the feather he had been holding, and then placed two of his fingers on it as well. Holding his gaze as they waited for the portkey to work was hard and she involuntarily blocked her mind from his. Soon, they felt the familiar push of the portkey and after a few seconds, they arrived at the Cromwell Manor.

"Ah, Ms. Chloe, what a pleasure it is to see you again" Alastair said, as one of his house elves took the feather from her.

"Pleasure to see you again" She said, shaking his hand "Mr. Cromwell, this is Harry Potter"

"What an honor Mr. Potter, it is truly a pleasure to meet you"

"Thank you sir, likewise" Harry said, also shaking Cromwell's hand.

"This is my wife, Isla" He said, motioning to the woman next to him. She was tall and slender, with shiny blond hair that fell down to her waist. "And my two sons, Henry and Edward"

After they had all exchanged pleasantries, the Cromwells walked them back to their drawing room, where Ava and Jasper were already waiting. They had barely sat down when more house elves appeared, this time carrying trays with hors d'oeuvre and different drinks. Chloe reached for the Firewhisky, as did everyone else but Isla and Ava who settled on wine, and she tried a couple of very delicious hors d'oeuvre as she listened to the conversations around her, hoping no one noticed her shaky hands.

"Your mother must have beautiful blond hair like mine Chloe" Isla said, running a hand through a strand of her hair "Your hair is lovely"

"Thank you" Chloe said, blushing a little "Her hair was never as long as mine, but it was the same shade of blond, we resembled each other a lot"

"You speak of her in the past, is she no longer living?"

"No, she passed away a few years back"

"Oh, how terrible. I am very sorry"

"Thank you. You have a charming home" Chloe said, looking around the room, eager to change the subject.

"That's very nice of you. I do pride myself in the work I have done to this Manor, and the boys were no help, as you can imagine. My husband and sons work, and I take it upon myself to instruct the elves on how to keep this place, and I'm always making changes"

"Mother used to do the same, although my father liked to help her. We have changed a few things since her passing, but some things we just can't bear to move"

"That is understandable"

"You would have liked her mother" Ava joined in "You two would have had lots in common as far as decorating goes"

"I have no doubts" Isla said with a smile "Now, I've hard you two have been friends for a very long time?"

"Yes" Ava replied.

"Henry has told me many good things about you Ava, it seems that Jasper holds you very highly"

"He would be a fool not to, I'm a great girl" Ava said, simply.

"Oh yes, I've also heard about your bluntness" Isla said with a chuckle "I like that in people"

"Then you are going to love Ava" Chloe said, taking another sip of her drink and Isla nodded.

"Dinner is ready Master" A house elf said with a bow.

They all stood up then and followed Alastair to the dining room. Chloe silently gasped at the size and décor of the room, which was larger and more lavish than the dining room at home. Once they were all seated and served, they began to eat. Chloe asked for small portions of almost everything available, and nothing she tried tasted less than magnificent. After dinner, Isla took the girls to see her art collection and Henry and Edward went outside to smoke so Alistair and Harry went back to the drawing room for another round of Firewhisky.

"Now Harry, I didn't invite you here today to discuss business, but you will have to forgive me for my curiosity. Why did you decide to let Ava interview you for this book?"

"Several reasons but mainly, as Chloe helped me see, because it gives me a chance to share things from my perspective and doing so with somebody I know and can trust seemed like the right way to do it"

"You have a lot of trust on Ava, I see"

"Not as much as you would think, but Chloe does and that is enough for me"

"And Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley are still in agreement?"

"Yes, sir"

"Brilliant. The three of us will have to meet fairly soon to discuss the allocation of the profits from the book, you are entitled to a share of it. But we shall discuss this another time. Tell me, have things in England calmed down? Last I heard, someone was killed at the Ministry?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss that incident, but things have calmed down some."

"My apologies, I didn't mean to meddle. What a disgrace that people out there are still hanging on to the Dark Lords ancient beliefs"

"Some things, unfortunately, will never change. There will always be Dark wizards to fight"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Chloe tells me you are an auror, what an honorable position Mr. Potter"

"Thank you, sir, after everything I have been through nothing else seemed right"

"Of course. And Ms. Chloe seems to be the right kind of lady to stand by your side. For what I have seen, she has quite the fire in her"

"She's great, and I'm very lucky"

"That you are Harry Potter, don't ever forget it" Ava said, coming in with Isla and Chloe.

A couple of hours after he heard from Chloe, Draco grabbed his things and apparated to the alley by the Leaky Cauldron. As He waited for Weasley and Granger, he put on the hood and mask his father had given him earlier in the day, the same ones people had worn to the meetings Draco attended in order to keep their identities hidden. He waited in the shadows, holding his wand with a tighter grip than necessary; his stomach sick. Only a few minutes had passed when two loud noises rang in the otherwise quiet night and he watched as Weasley and Granger apparated a few feet from him.

"I still don't understand why Harry would want us to meet him here first, there are plenty of other places we could talk without being overheard" Granger's know it all voice said.

"Give it a rest Hermione" Weasley replied.

"Don't tell me you don't find this weird Ronald, Harry would…."

The rest of her sentence was lost as Draco used a nonverbal spell to pin their bodies to the wall, directly behind them. Granger screamed and Weasley cursed, but they would not be heard by anyone else other than Draco, thanks to the silencing charm he had placed earlier. With another wave of his wand, theirs came flying my his and he stepped out of the shadows, grabbing the wands with his free hand.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Weasley said, madly trashing against the spell and pointlessly trying to take a step in Granger's direction.

"Silence" Draco said, stopping a moment to take in how his voice sounded with the spell he had placed on it "Where is Harry Potter?"

Granger remained silent, her demeanor surprisingly calm, as Weasley continued to scream at him. Growing tired of his voice, Draco silenced him with a spell. He asked for Potter a few more times, but as expected, they didn't cooperate.

"Very well, if neither of you will help me get to him, I will use you as a warning…"

Draco pointed his wand at Weasley and uttered the spell. It similar to the cruciatus curse but not as strong and not one of the Unforgivable Curses. That was a line him and Chole had agreed on not crossing, and Draco knew he wouldn't not have been capable of using the cruciatus curse anyways. He watched as Weasley screamed, but no sounds came from his mouth and after a few seconds, he ceased the spell. Weasley was breathing heavily and his body was hanging loosely, his eyes closed. Draco watched him for a few seconds, his stomach turning; he was fairly certain he would be sick before long. He had never wanted to torture people for the Dark Lord, and now he was having to do something similar for another person he didn't even support, because of his arrangement with Chloe; he hated it.

He uttered the spell again, pointing my wand at Granger this time. She screamed and trashed, but not as hard as Weasley who was alert again. He alternated looking at her and then looking at Draco, his anger visible even in the faint moonlight. Ignoring him, Draco ceased the spell and walked till he was inches apart from Granger. Her body was shaking, but her eyes met his with a fierceness he didn't quite expect.

"Harry Potter was never coming to meet you… you failed at recognizing the letter didn't even come from him. Hear my words carefully… you will not win. All of you will die, one by one. You are vulnerable and you are not safe, as you can see. Resisting is pointless"

With two more waves of his wand, he stupefied them both and with another wave released the spell holding them against the wall. After their bodies crumbled down, he dropped their wands down, walked to the edge of the alley and waited until a wizard stepped out of the Cauldron. He used casted a few sparks to draw the man's attention and it worked, so he walked back into the shadows and watched as the man found the bodies and ran away calling for help. He looked again at the two bodies, feeling even worse than before. Walking further away, his entire body shaking, Draco leaned down and vomited. His father would say he hadn't done a very good job scaring them, that he should have hurt them worse but Draco would not have forgiven himself if he had done worse, and he knew Chloe would never have forgiven him also. As the sound of footsteps drew near, he took one final look at them and apparated away.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop Ava" Harry said, as they came in and sat down.

"I wasn't" She replied nonchalantly, reaching for a dessert pastry.

"Harry, you must come see Isla's sculptures, they are astonishing" Chloe said, sitting down next to him "You would enjoy the reproduction of the first official Quidditch game"

"You will perhaps enjoy my broom collection as well" Alastair said "I have some rare models, though I suspect your father has a more complete collection at home, Chloe. I have been told his collection is hard to match"

"That might be correct. Father's love for brooms and their manufacturing knows no boundaries" Chloe replied, visibly proud.

"I would still like to see yours" Harry said to Alastair, not willing to pass on such an opportunity.

"Right this way then" He said standing up but as he began to walk towards the door, his path was obstructed by a house elf.

The elf seemed distressed and would not speak until Alastair leaned down. They all watched the them and when Alastair turned to face them, he looked gravely concerned.

"Mr. Potter, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley were attacked just a few minutes ago. They are well but shaken, and were taken to St. Mungo for observation. A man named Liam is waiting outside our gates for you"

Everyone in the room was silent, Harry's mind going momentarily blank. Then he felt someone gently squeeze his hand and turned to find Chloe staring straight at him.

"Let's go" He said, grabbing her hand and standing up "I apologize for leaving so rudely but we have to go. Thank you for tonight"

"No need to apologize" Isla said "It was our pleasure, but go now. Your friends need you"

"We are here for you Mr. Potter, do not hesitate to contact us if needed be"

"Thank you" Both Chloe and Harry said.

"I'll owl you later" Ava said to Chloe, who nodded in response.

They followed the elf outside and down the path to the gates. Liam was there waiting for them, pacing, and he said nothing as Chloe and Harry exited the gate. As soon as they were clear from the Manor's protective charms, Liam reached for them and apparated away. They arrived outside the hospital and quickly made their way in. As they walked, Liam finally told then what he knew so far.

"Where is the letter I supposedly sent? I want to see it"

"Landon went to get it. He will work on it immediately Harry, but the chances we will learn anything from it are very small"

"Are they awake?" Chloe asked, in a small voice.

"Yes, Kingsley was waiting to talk to them when I left to fetch you"

They arrived outside the room Ron and Hermione were sharing; the hallway was empty. Liam knocked on the door and the three of them walked in. Hermione and Ron were in separate beds, side by side, looking shaken but otherwise okay. Kingsley was seated facing them, three of his senior officials standing behind them. Chloe slipped into a corner while Harry walked to his best friends.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes Harry, we are fine" Hermione said.

"They gave us something for the aches mate, we should be out of here in no time" Ron added.

Harry nodded and joined Chloe. They listened as the Minister continued to ask them questions while Liam kept watch by the door and it wasn't long before Harry was shaking with anger. Hermione had been tortured before and the idea she was hurt again was almost unbearable. And Ron, he had never gone through this before and it infuriated Harry that it had happened to him. After the Minister and his officials left, Harry walked over to their beds again, but Chloe remained where she was, trying very hard not to show how upset and guilty she felt.

The door to the room opened again and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in, followed by George and to everyone's surprise, Ginny. From the corner of Harry's eye, he saw Chloe's body stiffen and she seemed as if she wanted the walls to engulf her. He stayed by the beds as the Weasley's asked several questions and his two best friends recounted what had happened and but he kept glancing over at Chloe every now and then to make sure she was fine. When Hermione repeated what the man had said to her, before stupefying them both, Mrs. Weasley looked like she was going to cry, Ginny was red with anger, and Chloe looked very pale.

The moment Harry was told about what had happened, the guilt and anguish Chloe had been trying to suppress became agonizing, both mentally and physically. Her mind was racing and she felt sick, feelings that grew even worse when she saw Ron and Hermione and more so when the Weasley's came in. She watched them all interact as if from another world and suddenly she felt very lonely and out of place. As she continued to watch them, Mrs. Weasley now seated at the edge of Ron's bed, running her hands through his hair while Ginny stood by Hermione with a hand on her shoulder, Chloe realized I couldn't stand being there with them anymore. And as if the universe agreed with her, Liam stepped away from the door to whisper something to Harry and Chloe took the opportunity of their distraction to quietly make her way to the door and leave. She wandered absentmindedly for a few minutes, eventually finding her way to the lobby. She retrieved the sickle from her pocket and saw that Draco had sent her a note asking if they could meet. Halfway to answering yes, she thought of something she could do so replied tomorrow instead, put the sickle away and headed for the exit. Steadying herself, she went down a few blocks, walked into the empty phone booth and dialed the number. It was very late by the time she arrived at the Ministry, and the entire place was dark and silent. She passed a couple of guards on patrol, but they didn't bother her.

"Lumus" She said, raising her wand.

She walked the familiar hallways to the Aurors' Department in a hurry. The sudden realization that Harry would be concerned once he noticed she was gone was another painful encouragement to keep her moving, and fast. There were only a couple of people at the auror's office this late at night, one of them keeping guard at the door she needed to go in.

"Evening Willa" Chloe said to the auror by the door. She was one of her favorites and she admired her for being so courageous and one of only three female aurors currently working at the Ministry.

"Evening Chloe" She said animatedly "What are you doing here so late?"

"I need to speak to him" Chloe answered, nodding at the door behind her.

"I'm sorry but I cannot let you in without supervision"

"I know that, really, but this is important"

"I dunno Chloe…." She said, looking around with an uncertain look.

"Willa, I really need to go in. Something bad just happened and I have to help… and this is the only way I can"

"You are referring to Ronald and Hermione, aren't you?"

"Yes"

"I could get in big trouble for this…."

"I will tell them it's all my fault. Please!"

"Well… fine… just please be careful. Your boyfriend will jinx me if something happens"

"Thanks Willa!"

She nodded and stepped aside. Chloe opened the door and quickly slipped in expecting to find Frank sound asleep, but instead he was sitting upright in his bed as if he had been waiting for her all along.

"You don't look very good" he observed, giving her one of his disturbing smiles.

"It's been a rough night" She admitted, pushing the chair closer to his bed and sitting down directly across from him.

"You came alone today…. Where is Harry Potter?"

"Not important. It's just you and me today"

"And why are you here?"

"To get some answers"

"You will not succeed, resisting is futile… I've told you already"

"Yes, you have but I'm not going to give up"

"You won't succeed…."

"We shall see" Chloe said.

Be it because of her guilt, stress, hurt, anxiety or whatever else she was currently feeling, her mental attack on Frank seemed stronger tonight than ever before. She lost track of time rapidly, especially once she gained access to several of his memories, though they were all inconsequential. Frank fought hard against her, and sometimes he came very close to attacking her mind but she held her own against him better than she had expected. Fatigue began to overcome me after a while, but she refused to give up and then:

Frank was walking from the gates up a short walkway to a large house. He was greeted by a house elf and taken to a beautiful room, where the fireplace was lit up bringing light and warmth to the well decorated space. Steps sounded in the distance, until a small man with golden receding hair appeared. He scanned Frank from head to toe and it was hard to read from his facial expression whether or not he approved of the man standing in front of him.

"Are you the one sent to me, to serve me?" He said in a booming voice.

"Yes" Frank replied.

"Then we shall waste no time. I need you to go to a Muggle store tomorrow and bewitch objects so that the Ministry will have to send their people. And once they do, you will give this lovely lady" and he held up a picture of Harry and Chloe from Witch Weekly "a message. You will also take these two objects from Borgin and Burkes to ensure an auror will be present and to inflict some deserved pain into those filthy Muggles"

"And what exactly should I tell this girl?"

"You will tell Chloe the following"

Chloe listened as the man went on and on with all the things Frank was to tell her and she was now very familiar with.

"I will erase your memory of this meeting so you cannot be linked to me. You will only remember what you must do and say" And he pulled his wand, pointing it directly at Frank "You are about to serve a worthy purpose, I will not forget your assistance and when the Ministry is under my control, you will be greatly rewarded"

Chloe pulled back from Frank's mind at the sound of the door banging open and they both looked over to see Harry, Liam, and Landon at the door. Harry looked furious while the other two eyed Frank with caution.

"Bloody Hell Chloe, are you mad? After my two best friends get attacked you decide to disappear without warning? We have looked all over the place for you, your father is going bonkers with concern and I…" Harry said, his voice rising with every word.

"I did it" Chloe said quietly, and Harry stopped talking "I got the memory we need"

The three men, and Willa, who had stuck her head in to see what was happening, looked at her in bafflement. Chloe knew the memory wasn't real, that Lucius had planted it there and the man in the memory was not responsible, but she couldn't hide this from them. Maybe the man in the memory would prove to be worth something, there was a reason as to why Lucius chose him, of that she was certain.

"Landon" Harry began, trying to keep his voice still "Please go to Kingsley and tell him to meet us in his office, then tell Mr. Lewis we found her and that she is safe. I will personally take her home once we are done. Willa, continue to keep watch over him.

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Let's go Chloe" Harry added, in a tone that left no room for discussion.

Landon left, Willa resumed her stance by the door and Chloe stood up to leave. She glanced back at Frank who had been oddly quiet and he smiled at her again.

"The closer you seem to get to the truth, the closer you will be to the end of it all" He said "Good luck to you Chloe, you will need it"

Harry slammed the door shut and began the walk towards Kingsley's office, Liam and Chloe following behind. She waved at Willa and she gave Chloe a sympathetic smile.

"Exactly how long will you be mad at me?" Chloe asked, walking faster to keep up with Harry "I'm sorry I left like that, but I had to do something… and I did it Harry"

"You shouldn't have left"

"I'm sorry Harry…. I just… I didn't feel like I belonged there and I couldn't deal with something else happening and us not having something to work with"

"You didn't feel like you belonged there?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes…. I was an outsider"

"Listen to me Chloe" he said, stepping in front of her "I love you and you belong in my life just as much as they do. Don't scare me like that ever again, please"

"I won't, I'm really sorry"

"I'm very proud of you for getting the memory" He said, kissing the top of her head, then resuming his walk.

They didn't have to wait long for Kingsley to arrive and he immediately gave Chloe the pensive to place the memory in. Chloe waited while the Minister, Harry, Liam and Landon took turns viewing the memory before they all settled down.

"You did exceedingly well, Chloe" Kingsley said "You may go home and rest now, we will handle it from here"

"Do you recognize the man?" She asked.

"No, but we will find him soon enough"

"Minister" Harry said "I would like to take her home before helping here"

"Then go, and hurry, there is much to be done"

They used the Minister's fireplace to access Chloe's house. They didn't say much to each other and Harry left, Elliot screamed at Chloe for over twenty minutes and threatened to lock her in her room for the next fifty years. He eventually calmed down enough for Chloe to apologize profusely and she apparated to her room soon after where she changed into more comfortable clothes and reached for her sickle. Malfoy had agreed on meeting tomorrow, which was now today, but Chloe couldn't wait any longer. Walking to her fireplace, she created an image of herself sleeping on the bed, as she knew her father would be checking in on her, grabbed some floo powder and stepped into the flames. Just as she had expected, the room was engulfed by darkness as soon as she green flames subsided. Heavy rain was falling outside, pounding against the window, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Who's there?" She heard Draco say, the point of his wand lighting up.

"It's me, Chloe"

"What are you doing here?" He asked, sounding groggy.

"I have something to tell you" She said, waiving her wand and lighting a few of the candles.

"OI!" Malfoy said, pulling the covers further up, his cheeks cherry red "Before you go entering people's rooms unannounced, you should keep in mind they might not be ready for company"

"Oh" She said, blushing as well "Malfoy you sleep"

"Naked, yes"

"Well, you come into my room unannounced…."

"Not in the middle of the night"

Chloe turned her back to him even thought he was covered. She could hear him getting out of bed and moving around but she didn't turn to face him again until he asked her to. He was back in bed, with trousers and a plain white shirt on, sitting over the covers. She walked over to the bed and set on the edge, across from him. Then she told him about everything that had happened since he attacked Ron and Hermione, and about the fake memory she had obtained from Frank.

"Father would do something like that…. And you are right, the man must mean something"

"I'm worried as to what. I know Kingsley will be cautious, we all know this could be a trap but I can't stop worrying"

"You shouldn't worry, it is useless"

"Thanks Malfoy, you are being very helpful" She said, rolling her eyes at him.

"Then worry, and see how far that gets you"

"You didn't tell me how it was"

"Successful obviously"

"That's not what I meant"

"It wasn't pleasant Lewis, I don't enjoy hurting people, contrary to what some may believe. Doing that to Granger took me back to the day my aunt tortured her…. I prefer to avoid such memories"

"Guess I shouldn't have asked…. I'm sorry you had to do that, Malfoy"

"It is done now, no need to dwell on it."

"Right… well, I've got to go. It's been a very long night and I could use some rest"

"Aren't you going to tell me the reason why you left the St. Mungus?"

"I did"

"Not entirely" He said, with a knowing look. Chloe hesitate for a moment.

"I couldn't handle being there, knowing the truth about their attack and not being able to tell them. And when the Weasley's came in…."

"You felt out of place"

"Rubbish right?" She said, looking unhappy.

"I know how it is, feeling like you don't belong. It isn't rubbish at all"

"Who knew you and I had so much in common" She teased.

"Only just. I'm coming to see you later, you and I will have lots to catch up on, today will be a busy day for everyone"

"Till later then"