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Draco grabbed his wand, pointing it at Hermione before she had a chance to react, she felt like a raw egg had been cracked over her head and her skin started changing into the same color as the bed she was lying in. She realized it was disillusionment charm. He opened the door only to find a house elf facing the floor.

"Mistress Lestrange has left the Manor. She told Linny to tell Master Malfoy to meet her tomorrow at 7 in the morning." The elf conveyed the message in a meek voice.

"Did she say where?" Draco asked

"In the manor, sir." Linny replied, timidly raising her head to face Draco before lowering it back again quickly.

"Fine." Malfoy replied curtly before slamming the door in front of the tiny creature.

With another wave of his wand, the charm he had cast minutes ago was gone. He could see Hermione darting a disapproving look at him.

"I'm sorry, Granger, next time a house elf knocks my door I shall salute them and invite them in to have some tea. Actually, maybe I should have my meals in the kitchen with them, that way we could all have a happy tea party!" Draco spat disdainfully before heading to his bed, expecting her to retort at any time, but she didn't.

Hermione shifted in her bed. Her body was drenched in sweat and with every wave of pain, she thought she won't be able to take it anymore until the next wave hit more furiously than the previous one. Finally she decided to drink the potion Draco had left her, after hours of reasoning with herself she reached a conclusion that he wasn't trying to kill her. Why was he keeping her in his room, bringing her food and cleaning her wounds? She didn't know that, but she was positive about one thing, Draco Malfoy was still his usual self, only this time, he was using her for something she couldn't figure out yet.

A little timid voice inside her was urging her to believe he was actually trying to help, that people could change and there was nothing as a natural born villain. But her memories of him calling her a mudblood, attacking Harry in the Hogwarts Train on their sixth year and finally, the fact that he was assigned to kill Dumbledore, all those memories silenced that timid voice that rose inside her. But he didn't kill Dumbledore the voice argued, he would've done it if Snape didn't beat him to it...Snape, her mind drifted to her treacherous professor.

How could he? How could he stand in front of the man that trusted him when nobody did and kill him so coldly? She can still remember the look on Harry's face when he broke the news to them, how every time Snape's name was mentioned ever since, his eyes blazed with fury. She knew Harry was never the vindictive type, and to see him vowing to avenge, showed her how deep the man had hurt her friend.

Another stab of pain snapped her out of her thoughtsÙˆ taking her by surprise and forcing her to let out a whimper.

Draco's eyes flew open at the barely audible whimper, his hands automatically went to grab his wand which he always kept beneath his pillow. Jumping out of his bed he glanced at the door and then headed straight towards Hermione. "Homenum Revelio" he muttered, letting out a short sigh when the charm didn't reveal anybody in the room.
He finally turned to Hermione "You look terrible, Granger, what happened?" he inquired, his eyes travelling all over the room with a frown.

"Nothing" Hermione replied weakly "a stab of pain surprised me so I unintentionally let out a whimper, I didn't mean to interrupt your sleep, I didn't know such a low noise would wake you up." she explained, pain took over her leaving no place for ego. Later, later she would get back at Malfoy for everything. When she's on her legs again, with a wand in her hand. But now, her mind was too overwhelmed with pain, she couldn't remember even the simplest charms. Her trembling hands couldn't possibly hold a wand and her legs were burning.

"Why didn't you drink the potion?" He demanded. Hermione looked at him blankly, she knew even Malfoy was smarter than asking this question. Almost as if he read her mind, he sighed heavily shaking his head and knelt beside her bed his eyes looking directly into hers.

"Listen, Granger and listen well because I'm not sure I'll be able to say this again" He paused for a second waiting for her to show any sign that she's listening, at her nod, he continued "I am not going to hurt you, this potion is not poisoned and in case you haven't noticed, you've been safe the moment you entered this room, more safe than you've ever been in months, actually. I am not doing this for you, your welfare and your life in general are my last concern. I have a plan of my own and you're going to help me with it; because you won't have any other option and because you owe me. I saved you from my aunt who had a long list of plans for you, non of them included you surviving at the end." he smiled bitterly.

"I know what you think of me Granger, but honestly, I couldn't care less about your opinion, or anybody else's. Everybody is in this war for something, even you. You can put on whatever facade you want, but I know part of you is going through this war so mudbloods and pure bloods can be treated as equals, so you don't have to hear the word you just flinched at." He paused to smirk at her, only it came out as a bitter ghost of a smile. "You could run away, we all know he's only after Potter. You can even hide in the muggle world and nobody would care to hunt you down, but you won't, because there's something in this war for you. I too, am willing to fight for a thing or two. And you're going to help me, not just you, the whole order will, but they won't trust me without some..." he paused to find the right word "persuasion, on your side. And in return I can offer them some desperately needed help." he added after a thoughtful pause.

It took Hermione a couple of minutes to digest the information she had just been told. Were his words true? Did a part of her she never recognized actually want a personal gain from this war? NO!
And which is more...Malfoy isn't loyal to Voldemort? He wants to help the order? He wants her to help him earn the order's trust? Can she even trust him? NO!
This was Malfoy who had enjoyed making her life miserable for years...this was Malfoy who almost killed Dumbledore! Almost, the timid voice inside her repeated. But is it the same Malfoy? During their school years if somebody had told her Malfoy would be cleaning her wounds and saving her from his lunatic aunt she would've thought of it as a sick joke. But what if it wasn't? What if he did actually change over the past year? Did she have it in her to trust him? So far he hadn't done anything to harm her, on the contrary, he was more helpful than he had ever been since she knew him. She should try to see the good in him, Hermione decided, she would hear what he has to say but she won't tell him any valuable information about the order until she knows if she can really trust him, after all, he was her only way out.

"Are you trying to say you're switching sides, Malfoy?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I never belonged to one in the first place, Granger. I'm saying I have thought about this approaching war thoroughly and I decided to take whichever side that would give me what I want." Draco replied with a slight tilt of his chin.

"Alright, you should know then, that I do not trust you, not one iota. But I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. You have to be more clear, though, what is is that you want and the order can give you?" Hermione asked inquisitively.

"A safe place for my mother to hide at, until the war comes to an end or -in case the dark lord won- forever." He replied in the most serious tone she had ever heard from him.

"You...you mean you and your mother?" Hermione inquired, unable to believe that the reason why Draco Malfoy wanted to help order was for somebody else's benefit. The Draco Malfoy she knew would never perform an act of selflessness even if it was for his own mother.

"No, Granger, I was very clear and I'm not in a habit of repeating my words." He stared at her coldly before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

A puzzled Hermione reached for the bottle next to her and gulped it down.