The next few days there was a rush of activity. The very next morning after the meeting was held Dumbledore addressed the school to let them know how the evacuations were to happen. All classes had been cancelled and there was a complete halt on communication in and out of the school. There was an influx of Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members into the school and the prefects were to do double the amount of patrols than what was usual. You couldn't walk down a hallway without seeing students talking in hushed and worried tones to each other, or groups of students being lead to the portkeys to evacuate.
As Head Girl and Boy, Hermione and Draco were largely in charge of organising the students to evacuate via the portkeys that Dumbledore had set up and as such did not have much time to so much as stop and breath over the long days. If they weren't evacuating students they were in meetings with the Order of the Phoenix, discussing where Draco was to go once the fake 'Draco' was killed. The plan was to send Draco to a safe house, unknown to Draco or Hermione or anyone other than the inhabitants of the house and Dumbledore. Draco was not at all happy with this plan and many heated arguments ensued. Safety, however, was the number one priority, and Dumbledore continued to insist that no one was to know the location.
On the third day they had evacuated all but the fifth and sixth year students. Draco had spent a rather enjoyable morning with Hermione before she rushed off the meet Harry, Ron and Ginny before they continued their Head of school duties that day. He sighed and throw his blanket off himself to get ready for his day. Maybe the order's information was misguided, he thought to himself, they'd nearly evacuated half the school and there wasn't a Death Eater to be seen.
The only positive he could really see to the whole evacuation, was that he no longer had to dodge any more of his parent's owls thanks to all communication being halted. Their letters were becoming more and more desperate due to the fact that Draco either didn't answer, or when he did, he sent short cryptic responses. It was probably a good thing that this happened now. If it went on any further, Voldemort may become suspicious as his parents worried about him. On this note he pulled on his cloak, briefly grimacing at the sight of the ugly marking on his left arm, which was constantly throbbing these days, before yanking his sleeve to cover it and striding from the room.
He had only made his way 50 meters down the hallway before he heard his name spoken from the classroom to his left.
"Malfoy." Blaise Zabini was lounging back on a chair with an arrogant grin , his feet up on the nearest table. Draco couldn't help himself and he walked into the room until he was in front of Blaise.
"Zabini." Draco surveyed him carefully. "I didn't realise you made a habit of hanging out in empty classrooms when there is no class."
"Actually I was waiting for you." At this Blaise stood up and closed the distance between the two of them, his sharp eyes locked on Dracos.
"And why would be bother to do that?" Draco looked at his old friend with disdain. "I'm sure there would be better uses of your time, no?"
"Just checking to make sure you haven't gotten cold feet." he smirked. "I'm sure Mummy and Daddy will miss their itty bitty Draco. Although, if they find out what is really going on I'm sure that they will send you to the grave themselves. If I wagered I guess I'd imagine that old Lucius doesn't have much patience for his only Pureblood son to be slumming it with a Mudblood."
Within a second he was smashed back against a wall, with Draco's hands around his neck.
"Don't you dare call her that." He snarled, his body shaking with anger.
"Well, well... we have been hanging out with the Muggleborns for too long, You didn't even think to reach for your wand?" Blaise acted as though nothing had happened, nonchalantly raising his eyebrow to add to Draco's frustration.
"No, I just thought I would get more pleasure from physically hurting you." Draco paused for a second and then dropped his arm. "But I mean it Zabini, I will be watching you. I'm not letting anything stop this plan from happening." He growled, his face still inches from Blaises.
To his surprise Blaise lightly laughed. "I wasn't sure I believed you before, but I don't think even you are this good of an actor Malfoy." He rubbed his neck and lounged back in the chair he had previously vacated, way to casually for Draco's liking.
Draco looked at him in shock. "What, you're trying to test me? Where do you get off trying to test me?"
"I'll assess how I see fit Malfoy." Blaise shrugged his shoulders. "If you are lying you put my safety in jeperady."
"You're the one who should be watched!" Draco exclaimed. "I've proved myself already."
"Yeah, to Hermione." Blaise scoffed. "Excuse me if I want more proof. Besides, there's only one person in this room with the dark mark on them. And I can sure as hell tell you that it's not me."
"And I'll have to live with that every day for the rest of my life." Draco muttered darkly his eye's narrowing. "Once we are both away and safe, maybe then we will be able to be friends again and trust each other once more. But until then, don't be too offended if I keep my distance." With that he turned on his heel and headed back out the corridor. He looked at his watch and growled. Bloody Blaise and his useless tests had made him late to his meeting with Hermione and Dumbledore.
When he made it to the Headmaster's office he was surprised to find a very grim looking Hermione and no portkeys to be seen. He strode forward and sat next to her on the couch.
"What's wrong?" He looked at her concerned. "Where's Dumbledore?"
"He's late." Hermione sighed. "And I think that something is happening. I've just witnessed the teaches rushing around looking as if the world is about to end."
"Well, isn't it?" Draco replied, getting cut off as Dumbledore strode into the room.
"Prepare yourselves." he looked at the two of them. "They have started trying to break through our defences."
"Already?" Hermione looked at him, horrified.
"I'm afraid so." Dumbledore sighed. "The Death Eaters are here."