Hi guys! I'm sorry that I updated a bit late considering the fact that I just went on a bit of a food trip (yey me!) XD Anyways, thank you for the people who followed and favorite my story. And the PeanutCookiesXD thank you! I do understand that the partner thing is a tad cliche, but thanks for pointing that out.

Confession Number 4: The Dark Lord is a Monster.

Draco slept incredibly fine last night. There were actually multiple of reasons.

First off, it was because of the necklace. He finally found a way to make sure that it would be sent to Dumbledore. Who would do it better than a Gryffindor? His sights were set on Katie Bell, a Quidditch Player, who seemed to be quite enough to pull this stunt of. He might as well get it done before they could all go to Hogsmeade, which was three weeks away. Maybe he could actually send it to Dumbledore, and he'd die. His mother would be safe, and his father... well, screw him. He was the bloody reason why they were in this shit in the first place!

Secondly, it was the cabinet. He was about to try and test a spell to the cabinet and see if it work. It was almost Christmas, and he was in no absolute mood to fail this time.

Thirdly, it was the letter from his mother.

Usually, letters didn't do much for him as he only received a minimal amount of it through his last five years in Hogwarts. He only received them if his parents had heard complaints about his academic self or his conduct from his godfather. This letter, however, had anything but. And he couldn't help but smile.

Draco,

Hopefully, you are fine and well, and you are still paying attention to your studies. I'm sending this letter to you, to tell you that I'm alright. The Dark Lord hadn't visit us much since he gave you this mission. I am healing, if that was what you were wondering. The Cruciatus Curse was nothing... I have faced far worse than that, but I do thank you for your concern. How is the cabinet? I hope you are not working on it day and night, it would do you no good if you become stress. It would only delay your work.

I should blame you, however, for the houselves who seemed as if they didn't want to leave me, but I would let it pass.

But Draco Hyperion Malfoy, I am serious here. You should concentrate more on your work. Severus had told me that you have not given school work any regard, and by next week, I should be getting a letter from him that you are now doing fine.

Sincerely,

Narcissa Malfloy

The Slytherin shuddered as he could hear the faint screams that his mother had given before she dropped to the ground–almost lifeless when the Dark Lord was done with her. He could even hear the small hisses the snake had sounded as it circled his mother's neck and down her non-moving body. At the thought, the mark burned slightly. He hated it. He hated that his father had made them enter in a place that no one would return alive, or even sane in that matter. He could see the dark red blood dripping from his mother's cuts and the way her eyes fluttered when her body slammed to the ground.

He choked.

At least she was fine, he thought. There was that.

"Oi, Mate," he turned to Blaise who was dealing with his plant. His eyebrows were furrowed, and the way his fingers were clenched around the leaves showed that he was incredibly annoyed with it. Herbology wasn't his best subject; it may also not be his worst, but every Slytherin knew that Zabini hated it. "You want me to help you with Transfigurations? Free Period's next." He said, but it wasn't exactly 'Transfigurations' they were working on. It was the cabinet.

There were millions of ways on how Draco would say yes to that, but he also had the mudblood to worry about.

No... it wasn't her he was worried about, it was his godfather.

Technically, Snape had suddenly grown a fetish in reporting every single detail to his mother, even in his academics–that damned academics! Draco scowled, and he shook his head at the dark-skinned man. "Can't," he muttered with a shrug. "Working with Granger for the DADA later." At the sentence, Blaise guffawed. He put a hand on his mouth as laughter escaped his lips. A few Slytherins and Ravenclaws had glanced his way, but it didn't seem that he was that bothered by it.

"Granger?" he spluttered in the middle of his laughs. "You're finally doing school work with Granger? Dunno about you mate, but I feel as if the world's about to end."

"Oh, how I wish," Draco said dryly.

The other man scoffed, "Well, I would love to wish you luck, but I doubt that's going to be enough."

Draco walked into the library, ignoring the curious stares of some passerby's. Ah, the library. As much as he had loved it once back in second and third year, he now rarely even go back. When there was less time involved, he found himself concentrating on more important things. Books were technically the least of his worries. When he spotted the curly haired brunette, he sat down beside her only for her to look at him in surprised. "Malfoy... you came," she muttered, a bit gobsmacked by his presence.

"Of course," he shrugged, and he raised an eyebrow. "Should I leave? I technically have more things to worry about than this blasted project–"

"No. Stay."

The words slipped out of her mouth when he was about to get up. She blushed a deep shade of pink, "Malfoy," she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for what I've said the other day. It was rather... out of hand, and I shouldn't have mentioned it."

He sneered, "Ah, a Gryffindor Mudblood apologizing for doing something out-of-hand. The world's about to end." He had said it mockingly. His father was nobody's business, especially when it came out of some Gryffindor's mouth, especially when that same Gryffindor was the cause on why he was brought into this dilemma in the first place. He couldn't help but repeat that thought to himself over and over again, and it only fueled his anger towards the Golden Trio even more so. Granger turned into a violent shade of red that could match Weasley's strikingly orange head before crossing her arms.

"Look, I'm apologizing. I also don't want to be in this position any more than you do, so could you please stop being a prat and deal with it? Call me mudblood one more time, ferret, and I'll make sure what Moody did to you would be like child's play when I'm done," she spat, her hazel-brown eyes glittering with anger and defiance. Ah, he had never quite forgotten how feisty she could be when she wanted to. He started to unconsciously rub his face when the memory of third year started to play in his mind.

"Fine... Granger."

She smirked in accomplishment. His face soured.

"Okay, let's get started."

That was when she started to explain more and more about the DADA topic. She started handing out some parchment to him as she continued to speak about the three Unforgivables. The uncomfortable look on her face was far gone as minutes had pass. Draco could see that she was already in her comfort zone–her studies, and he couldn't help but find it amusing on how in she was when it came to academics. Fuck, she seemed to have memorized the text books on the Unforgivables from front to back.

"You," she pointed a finger at him. "Will start writing about the Cruciatus Curse. There are a few spells in the text book that have similar effects, so you could check that out. There are also some books in the Restricted Section, which you should get from Snape, of course. It is due in a few weeks, so you should get that done in four days time–"

"I am not a dog, Granger. If you're going to find someone to order around, you should've brought Potty or Weasel," he scowled. "Don't think you're above me."

Her bossy attitude wavered a bit, "I don't order anyone around," she argued hotly.

"You do," he snapped. "Look, is that all you got to say? Do this and do that? Because unlike you, studies are the least important thing in my list right now, mudblood."

She flinched, "Would you stop calling me a mudblood?"

It was his turn to smirk, "It's a bit of a habit, mudblood, and as you muggles say 'Old habits die hard.'"

"Some may also say 'Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.'"

"Well, that quote isn't going to work this time as I, so far, am not a muggleborn. You, technically, are."

Instead of her looking outraged like she usually did, she actually laughed. The sound of her laughter entered in his ears, and he found himself giving a small enough smile. It wasn't his fault that it was contagious! "You know, ferret," she said, a smile still on her lips. "You are a hypocrite. For someone who hates mudbloods and muggles, I'm sure you'd know tons of muggle quotes to slap me on the face."

"You are obviously and utterly wrong," he sighed gathering the parchment that she had given him. "Look, Granger, though this chat seemed to be inspiring, I have better things to do. I'll give you the parchment 'in the next four days', so if you please." He got up and was about to walk off, hearing Granger's voice when he was already a few feet away from getting out of the library.

"Read Shakespeare's work, I'm sure you'd get tons of quotes from that."

The Slytherin Prince shook his head and made his way to the cabinet.