Dancing With Dragons

Chapter 25: Duels and Doom

February was always the bitterest month of the year. The land froze over and all the brightness and humanity of the world seemed to be buried underneath the gray depression of winter. Hermione use to think of it as a transition period, a death re-birth cycle. In a few short weeks spring would burst through the glum and it would be happier and brighter than the year before. All the cold desolateness of February would be forgotten. But nothing special or bright was awaiting Hermione in the months to come so the depression of winter seeped so deep into her that she became February. Bright sun and blooming flowers wouldn’t change the world as it was. She became quite and stern.

She had always been serious in a sense but there use to be a practical happiness about her. Now she rarely raised her hand in any of her classes. Her assignments were done just to do them. None of the joy of writing, reading, or studying remained. She didn’t even find joy in helping students who still came to her for help, or relying up the Death eaters. She used her voice only to give orders in DA and to plan. She had consumed and become a dark, frozen landscape. It kept her safe.

And good to promise she didn’t speak a word to Draco Malfoy for weeks now. She could almost pretend that she had never loved him. Except when she saw him talking in dark corners and their eyes met she knew it wasn’t true. In the very depth of her she worried for Malfoy everyday.

The enlarged pixies in the Professor’s lounge were a good start for the DA. It had kept the room out of service for nearly a week; not to mention wreak havoc all over school. ‘Maybe there is an evolutionary reason pixies are as small as they are,’ Hermione thought when she walked into Muggle History and one was flying about throwing chairs.

And also, when they snuck into the room Hermione had retrieved several coded letters. She was still racking her brain in how to decode them. She wondered if Malfoy would know, sure that the code was something the death eaters used to communicate, but she resigned herself to keeping her promise. She wasn’t even sure how to get the information out of him, and he was no longer trustworthy she would constantly remind herself. The letters were now hidden away under her mattress taken out on occasion when she had free time. The plan had been incredible orderly and precise and it gave the DA motivation to take better and bigger risks.

She had of course been called into Snape’s office but he had no proof. And he would be damned to admit that important letters lay out in the open so foolishly, and so the topic was left untouched. He warned her that he would blame her for anymore “accidents” that happened in the school. She simply told him, “Do be sure it wont be my doing as it wasn’t this time. But there is nothing you can take from me now that would scare me. Good day Headmaster,” and she left smiling but it wasn’t warm.

A week after the Pixie prank the DA had taken to destroying the potion rooms that resided on the third floor. Several of the DA that were still prefects were sent to scope out rooms while the Pixie “accident” was being taken care of by a majority of the Professors. Christine who was an above average potions student was sent with the prefects to learn what she could of the potions.

There turned out to be some very expensive and lethal potions in the room. Some were very difficult to turn ineffective with out danger. There was Draught of the Living Dead, Blood- Replenishers, Exploding Fluid (especially dangerous), Memory Potions, and Polyjucie Potion to name a few. Hermione shuttered to think what they were going to use these for, and she couldn’t wait to get rid of them.
They were being made in mass quantities. She realized that even though these things could be bought some of the more dangerous potions, when purchased, were kept on file of who and when, and most couldn’t be found in this amount. There were stocking up for something. Months worth of work that she would also feel bad destroying if it wouldn’t be enjoyable to see the Death eater’s faces.

Her, Seamus, Luna, Ginny, Neville and Christine had spent five long days and nights figuring out to destroy them. Between the six of them they came up with an amazing plan. During Sunday when most of the Death eaters left for their meeting, including Malfoy these days, they would sneak into the room. Hermione was sent to discard all the wards that were placed on the room, which Hermione had spent an entire night figuring out. And spent many hours after her meeting with her five co-conspirators to figure out how disarm them. They were complex and layered.

She realized that when breeched wrongly they would send an alarm, to whom she wasn’t sure but it wouldn’t be good. She wouldn’t be able to completely destroy the, and she didn’t want to because she didn’t want them to know what had happened right away. She would be able to hold them for twenty minutes safely. So for that gave them only fifteen minutes to get in and destroy the potions. There were several dozen cauldrons in the room. To get it all done they brought in several other DA members and each were assigned a certain potions or two to destroy.

They crept alone the halls that night. Still needing to fear the Slytherian perfects who were kept on late in the night just for the purpose that the Death eater would be gone for hours. Hermione had started to weave he wand in strange and fantastic motions. Slow and tedious was the job, but it had a kind of soothing rhythm to it. When she was positive she had a hold of them she sent the group of thirteen DA members in.

Ginny, who was amazing witch, put up an incredible strong silencing spell around the room after Hermione finished. Than dashed into the room to take care of her part of the work with only ten minutes left. But Hermione had to admit it was incredible strong spell. Hermione couldn’t even hear herself breath. Fourteen minutes and forty-five second later the group came out disheveled but smiling. All of the had handfuls of potion ingredients. They figured they should take as many as possible to keep them from making more. Not to mention the DA not had a hold of a stock pile of expensive and some hard to find ingredients for themselves.

Only two cauldrons remained, whose content couldn’t be labeled and made them too dangerous to destroy. Non-the-less it was a job well done. They scattered about finding friends and professors to give them proper alibis for the night. No one would guess that a group of underage witches and wizards would be able to do such a complete job in less than thirty minutes. The rest of the DA was to give alibis about where their fellow friends for the missing thirty minutes on the chance it was brought up. They only had to wait for the shock and anger to come.

Hermione and Neville had taken the stolen potion ingredients to the RR. Neville really did have away with the room. When they asked for a place to store the stolen goods it had given them a large room with a stockpile of belongs that most have been hidden by students through the centuries. If Hermione and Neville didn’t need to get back to the common room she could have stayed in that room for hours. She reigned herself to come back to room on another date.

The DA were going to wait for their latest “prank” to settle down before they persuade another. For a couple days after, it was the lightest she had felt since her altercation with Malfoy, but soon even the joy of her accomplishment faded and she felt tired, weighted down and lonely again.

It was a combination of things that weighted on her these days. Students from a range of years and houses still solicited her help and advice. Just during the late three weeks she had to get three students of out of detentions, snuck some food in the dungeons for those who already were, and sent one young hufflepuff student into the hospital ward after he tried to kill himself when he found out of his mother’s death. She even had to talk one Gryffindor down from trying to leave the school grounds when she found out her brother and mother had disappeared. Trying to leave the school was suicide in itself she tired to explain to the crying fourth year. Her replay was, “what is my life without them. There are all I have in world.” The poor girl had already lost her father a few years before. But eventually Hermione got her to stay by tell her they probably went into hiding but couldn’t risk sending a letter and knew she be far safer here for the time being. Hermione didn’t believe it but she knew hope was all they had left.

And she tired her best to help these students but it never seemed enough. Her words of kindness held a shallow lack of truth of them. But she kept digging through the problems with all the energy she had. Be damned those who said she could save everyone. The DA held suicide watch for students who weren’t holding up well, or had lost loved ones. It helped to take some of the pressure off her, but she didn’t like the idea that hundreds of students’ lives lay in a group of thirty student’s hands.

Among the wounded students was Tom Everclear. Just five days after her talk with the professor it had been confirmed that his sister, brother in-law, and nephew lay dead. The bodies couldn’t be recovered, which lead Hermione to believe there was a spy but she didn’t dare ask. She held Tom the night he found out. It had been a horrible, cold night. The only kindness was that Professor McGonagall promised to send a message to his mother in person as Tom wouldn’t be able too. The only person more dead inside than Hermione herself was Tomas Everclear. Though he still showed up to DA meetings never the less. The first DA meeting after the news of his loss had been dedicated to his fallen kin, and those who had disappeared. It had been a sobering experience for the group. Not an eye left dry.

On top of this, watching Pansy parade around in Head Girl robes was like squeezing lemon elixir into a wound. She’d practically taken all the points she could from the houses until it didn’t even matter any more. The poor Hufflepuffs were going into the negatives, which was a first in Hogwarts history. But curler than that the school administration had now completely turned its backs on the students. Only a handful of original professors remained. Those who were lucky or cowardly had gotten out while they could. Though Hermione couldn’t be too judgmental most had families.

The only one who still held an iota of power was professor McGonagall, and she had to deal with the bigger broader problems. Plus, Hermione had to admit begrudgingly, she was only one person. The students, though Hermione hadn’t known this till after her “resonation,” saw her as a beacon of light in the school administration. A Champaign for their wellbeing. She felt even more like she had failed them.

The only part she enjoyed about being dismissed from her former position was she wasn’t being punished by Malfoy’s presence. At the same time she wished she could be. She was like an addicted. Wishing to rather punish herself with his essence than lack it totally.

Malfoy was another concern altogether. He had become extremely vicious lately. Though surprisingly not towards her. Her presence was enough to clear him of a room, which hurt a bit. She had caught him several times dueling a student in the hallways. There wasn’t much to be done. Going up against the Heads were a garneted punishment, which many had found out the hard way. The most she could do was scare him off with her mere existence and help the student to the hospital wing. And not a single student wasn't hauled off to the wing after he got through with them.

He never hurt them too badly but he made it clear who was stronger and in control. A couple students said they had just looked at him “wrong.” It was scary and telling.

That was how Hermione found Malfoy almost a month since she’d spoke to him. She rounded a corner with Ginny and both had to fall to the ground to miss a wayward spell.

“What the bloody hell,” Ginny spat but Hermione had a pretty good idea who belonged to the dark booming voice.

“Fucking Malfoy. He’s been dueling crazy lately. Gets away with it the prat,” she spat as they slithered on their bellies around the corner again.

What had been a total surprise was whom he was fighting. He wasn’t being gentle this time either.

“I think that’s Zabini,” Hermione gasped as she peaked her head around the corner. Ginny pushed herself around the corner under Hermione’s arms to get a better look.

“Trouble in paradise?”

“Seems to be…oh shit!” Zabini was flying backwards and skirted to hauled right besides them. Hermione could tell he had a couple nasty cuts and was having trouble standing but he started to get back up.

Malfoy rounded the corner and bellowed. They both shirked and dove further behind the wall. Right where they had been standing was now a dark spot that was smoldering.

“That could have been our heads. That bastard,” said Ginny flushed with dangerous excitement.

Both boys danced around each other as they took the corner and came into full view of the girls again, but didn’t seem to notice them there.

“What the fuck Malfoy?” Zabini yelled limping a bit.

“I said no!” From the way Malfoy looked Zabini had given as good as he taken up to this point, but the fall had obviously knocked the will power and energy from him. Malfoy didn’t seem about to stop though. HE raised his wand and pounded Zabini with another curse. This time it hid home.

Both girls hissed and straightened up as blood poured from Zabini’s nose and he fell to his knees. Hermione had to do something. She had no love or allegiance to this boy, but she still felt she owed him some how. He'd never been too unkind to her and he taken her to the hospital wing that time.

Malfoy started stalking Zabini, but the Slytherin was to caught up in trying to catch his blood as it spilled grimly about. Hermione pulled her wand and stepped out behind Zabini.

“Stop right there Malfoy.” Ginny followed but looked unsure of where to point her wand. Ever loyal she followed but she didn’t like it.

Malfoy finally noticed her and smirked horribly at her. “Don’t stick you be ugly fat nose in the middle where it don’t belong Granger. Thought you would have learned that by now.”

“Couldn’t be satisfied with bullying innocent people so you started on your friends? Classy and very loyal of you Malfoy. Though some how totally not shocking.”

“Get out of her Granger I don’t need your help.” Blood that had poured into Zabini’s mouth spattered on the ground as he spoke. The bleeding hadn’t slowed down much and it scarred Hermione.

“You’re right you’re doing a bang up job on your own. I guess I should leave you here to your fate.” Zabini body posture changed just enough for Hermione to know he was nervous. She stayed.

“You should listen to him mudblood. No one here needs your precious help. You don’t even know what we were fighting about. Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to judge. But I forgot that is your greatest past time.”

“Just let them fucking kill themselves if they want Hermione,” Ginny said.

“No.”

“Zabini doesn’t want your help. LEAVE,” Malfoy bellowed.

“How about you let someone speak for themselves for once, your fearless leader. If Zabini says he wants to come with us than you let him go. If not I’ll leave him to his fate.”

Malfoy smiled. “Fine.”

“Zabini what would you rather do? Stay to finish a duel you’ve already lost, but that Malfoy doesn’t feel finished, or will you come with us to the hospital wing?” Malfoy didn’t use words to compel the kneeling boy he just started maniacally at him.

Zabini kept looking between the two. Deducing the possible ramifications of his actions. Even bleeding like he was, he was Slytherin to the core.

“Making a decision you idiot my hand is getting tired,” Ginny spat.

“No decision needed. Just heal my nose and I’ll be fine.” Hermione went to raise her wand realizing that Zabini had lost his wand some where in the brawl.

“NO! You make a fucking choice now Zabini,” Malfoy spat.

“Fine! You’ve lost your bloody mind and I am Slytherin enough to know when I’ve been beaten. I’ll leave but this isn’t the last time we fight about this Malfoy! You can’t stop me.”

“Zabini I said…” Malfoy started.

“He made his choice. You lost now be good to your word,” Hermione said.

“A Slytherin good to their word? I didn’t know Gryffindors believed in such a thing?”

“We don’t. You’ll fight for him if it comes to that, but three against one Malfoy? I am sure even your smart enough to back out graciously while you can,” Ginny said.

“I was planning to keep my word blood traitor. Take him out of my sight. Oh and I’ll see you three for detention tomorrow night. I’ll sent a letter for when and where,” said Malfoy as he lowered his wand.

“You are a dick Malfoy. And as for you Zabini I don’t think you were worth it,” Ginny spat but pulled him up to his knees. Malfoy chuckled darkly.

“Get him to the hospital wing and try to stop the bleeding if you can Gin.”

“You know I can and you’re coming. You made a promise Mione.”

“It still stands. I just making sure he keeps his word. I’ll be there in a few.” Ginny left pulling the bleeding Slytherin away.

“Just couldn’t help but be alone with me Granger?”

“As if. The mere thought of being alone with you revolts me now. I don’t give a shit if you want to kill yourself slowly but keep my students out of it.”

“Oh they’re your students now? Please your can’t even back that pathetic claim up anymore. Remember you’re not Head Girl. But you were to busy fucking me to keep a true eye on them than so why give a shit now? Get no one better to do?”

“Go fuck yourself. Having fun living the life of a Death eater? Going off at all hours of the night, torturing people, and have your slag Pansy hanging on your every word. Oh Merlin I think I might almost be jealous,” she mocked.

“It a fucking blast you bitch. But back to what really matters here. Zabini is not yours and you had not right to get involved.”

“And he’s not your either. Don’t me mad at the rest of us because you gave up your freewill. If he wants my help he has it. I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

“There you go again talking out your ass about shit you don’t know the first thing about. You can’t save everyone just make yourself feel better Granger.”

“And you can’t keep beating everyone to a bloody pulp to make yourself feel better. You lost this one. Even your friends feel no loyalty towards you. Now leave.”

“Fine I don’t want to be around your stink anyway.”

“At least I don’t smell of death and weakness.” But Malfoy had already turned and walked away form her so she ran to catch up with Ginny. Her first true encounter with Malfoy in nearly a month and she wanted to slap him across the face. Maybe some things had gone back to normal.

Hermione caught up with the odd duo a few halls way from the hospital wing. The bleeding hadn’t stop.

“Ginny I know you hate Zabini but you can’t bloody let him bleed to death!”

“I tired but what ever Malfoy hit him with is resistant to everything I did. And I don’t hate him I just don’t like him much,” Ginny spat angrily. She figured the anger was more towards her fruitless efforts than at her. Ginny was normally a superb healer.

Hermione grabbed Zabini’s other arm and helped Ginny. He wasn’t walking well now. Zabini looked up at them. “Sentiment is the same all around Wesley, Granger,” he slurred.

“Good to know now stop bleeding all over my favorite robes you ungrateful git,” Ginny sighed but seemed more worried than angry.

Zabini chuckled as his head bobbed down and he started loosing consciousness. Suddenly a flash back, from when Hermione had to carry a bleeding Harry back to the Wesley’s came to her. She felt like crying. “Fuck he is loosing too much blood.”

“I see that. Stupid- traitorous-Malfoy. Merlin I thought you were done with his shit Hermione.”

“Not know Ginny. I couldn’t just watch Malfoy beat the living hell out of him.”

Finally they got the bleeding Slytherin in the hospital wing. He as much fussed over, and Professor McGonagall and Flitwick excused both the girls of their absence. Ginny and Hermione stayed with Zabini due to curiosity about the fight. What wouldn’t Malfoy let Zabini do? He came to in a weakened state about an hour later.

“Lets ask now while he out of it,” Ginny whispered as his eye fluttered open.

“Rise and shine Zabini,” Hermione said.

“Oh Merlin’s balls? What are you two still doing here? I am fine and you’ve caused enough trouble already. If anyone sees me here with you…”

“You’re welcome ass,” Ginny said. The two smiled meanly at each other.

“Enough children. Who cares if anyone see us I am sure Malfoy will tell the whole story,” Hermione replied.

“No one will dare ask and Malfoy keeps to himself even more so now. So if you two just keep your mouths shut…”

“Fine,” Ginny started, “if you tell us what you and Malfoy were fighting about me and Hermione can pretend we found you hurt and took you unconscious to the hospital wing. Hell we wont say a word in less it’s brought up.”

“Why would you care what were fighting about?”

“Lets say it’s about understanding ones enemy better.”

“And they say Slytherins are cunning blackmailers.”

“Or me and Ginny could just blab the whole story all over school. What would your lackeys feel about you letting the blood traitor and mudblood fight your battles for you? Couldn’t even beat one little Death eater in a fight.”

“You’re a bitch,” Zabini shot out and scrunched his lips together in silence.

“So I’ve been told. Now if that’s your answer I think me and Ginny have to go to lunch…”

“You wont tell because I’ll kill either of you if you do. I am not telling you bitches anything. I don’t like it.”

“Obviously he has something to hid. I wonder what it could be,” Ginny said with a smile.

“I don’t know but I’d love to find out. I think the whole school would love to hear how Zabini got in a row with his best mate and pussied out, and had to have two girls come rescue him.”

“You know Malfoy one of the best duelers in school,” Zabini said in frustration.

“I’ve beat him,” said Hermione pointy and than went back to acting like he wasn’t there, “I think we finally found out the answer to our burning question Ginny,”

“What question?” Zabini asked looking up angrily.

Ginny laughed, “You’re right Hermione,” than she looked at Zabini, “We have always wondered who was better, you or Malfoy? I think we have and answer. Actually the whole school has been wondering that for years and now they will know.”

“Alright, alright, but Malfoy only won because I didn’t want to hurt him to bad.”

“Sure, and I want the truth,” Ginny spat.

“Yea yea. It’s nothing important or secretive really. I told Malfoy I was going to get the Mark and he blew up at me. He said I wasn’t allowed. I told him fuck that; he wasn’t the boss of me. He really lost it. He wants all the power for himself. Git.”

“Malfoy tried to stop you from getting the Mark?”

“That what I said. You can check my mind if you two will keep your fucking mouths shut. Wants to be the ultimate student tool to the Dark Lord and I guess I am threat to that. Stupid git we were suppose to be friends.”

“Truest friends you got,” Ginny said, “You should consider yourself lucky that he isn’t trying to line you all up to get the Mark. Why the bloody hell would you want to do that anyway?”

Zabini got quite for a second, and real serious. “I told Malfoy in the begging of the year that where he went I went. I thought I was his only real friend and he promised when he figured out what he wanted to do he’d tell me. We were supposed to fight this together. AND I don’t even know why I told you that. You two take that to the grave or I’ll make an early one for the both of you!”

“Yea yea. Lips sealed and all.” Said Ginny.

“Zabini,” Hermione said thinking to hard for her own good, “did you ever think that Malfoy choose a path he didn’t really believe in and he doesn’t want you to do the same thing?”

“Malfoy told me you talked about shit you didn’t understand. Zabini’s and Malfoy’s are pureblood and we were built for this. Are families go way back and I go where he goes.”

“Don’t let loyalty get you killed Zabini,” Ginny said as she looked in his eyes.

“I don’t care if neither of us completely believe in this pureblood shit I don’t have anyone but him. If he leaves me with nowhere to go, without him as my alley, I am dead meat. You understand that right? There is no neutral anymore. Not for people like us.” Hermione knew he was including Ginny and her in that statement and he was right.

“You’re not alone Zabini,” Hermione said softly. Suddenly Madame Pomfrey came in.

“Now you’ve seen that Mr. Zabini is still alive as I assured you he would be, so please let him get rest!”

“Thank you Madame Pomfrey. They were making my condition worse,” Zabini said feigning further weakness, but winked slyly at Ginny. The two girls left without goodbyes and headed to lunch.

Once out in halls, “So Malfoy dueled with him because he didn’t want him to get the mark? Doesn’t make sense.”

“No it doesn’t but that seems to be what happened.”

“Maybe Zabini is right and Malfoy wants to be the golden student.”

“Maybe but I think the Dark Lord would want as many student under his thumb as possible and Malfoy trying to stop that would get him punished not promoted,” Hermione said in thought.

“There goes Malfoy getting weirder and weirder.”

“Maybe I am too quick to judge?” Hermione mumbled.

“What?”

“Just thinking out loud. It’s nothing. Lets go to lunch I am starving.”

“Hermione you stay away from him. One good deed, if that’s even what it is, doesn’t excuse all the bad ones he’ll make or already has.”

“No but it does make for some interesting incongruities. He tries to safe my live, helps Kamilla run away, and than stops his best mate from getting the Dark Mark. All the while gathering support for Voldemort and now wielding the mark himself…”

“Hermione…”

“Okay, okay. Thanks for helping me by the way. And sorry for the detention.”

“You owe me,” she laughed.

“True but now Zabini owes us.”

“What?”

“He was in a real bad way and if we are discreet about it he’ll remember he owes us.”

“It’s not like Malfoy would have killed him…right?”

“I don’t think so but Zabini might feel differently. He’s not our enemy yet per se. Maybe our words and Malfoy’s wand has forced a little sense into him.”

“I don’t know, maybe you’re right but how about we worry about keeping ourselves and those who want our help alive first.”


“ I am Ginny, if some one in the Slytherin house doesn’t want the Dark Mark but feels they have to, well can you just imagine how lonely that must feel. If we think we have no hope image what being alone on their side feels like.”

“They’re all alone Hermione. The Dark Lord and his minions don’t really care about these students. It just numbers in an army to them. Easily disposable. No mother or father who would allow their child to put themselves at risk by taking the Mark loves their children. That true loneliness.”

“True, but sometimes I fell, trapped in this school, we are just as alone.”

“That’s not true. You can’t let them make you feel like that Hermione. That is how those bastards want us to feel, locked off from salvation. But out there right now Harry and Ron and dozens of Order Members are fighting just as hard as we are in here. So don’t talk like that.”

“You’re right. Sorry. But if we don’t stick together and make use of what we have including willing Slytherins it might not matter what is going on out side these walls.”

“I am scared too Hermione but I have faith in goodness. IF you don’t than maybe you’ve forgotten what we’re all fighting for.” And Ginny rushed off to catch the tail end of lunch and Hermione followed mulling the girl’s words in her head. Maybe she had forgotten what she was fighting for. A part of her knew loosing Malfoy had to do with her lack of faith. She had really believed that by showing his love and goodness he would change. He would embrace it in some form, but it hadn’t changed at all, right? If she couldn’t fight and win one man, one little war, how was suppose to win the larger battles?

And she mulled over these questions as the end of February neared. She thought about them as she trained with the DA, and when she met Malfoy’s eyes in class. She thought about it as the hours stretched to days, and days to weeks.
-==================================================

Malfoy was some how happy and furious at the same time as he walked way from Granger’s daunting words. That stupid bitch, once again, had made little time to find the truth. At the same time he thought Zabini in good hands. Hoped in that ever Granger way she could show him a better life. He didn’t want this life for his best mate. It was terrible enough that Crabbe and Goly had also received the Mark, which now marked that more than half his friends were Death Eaters. Not Zabini he kept pleading.

It had only been a short month since he had received the Mark but Malfoy had woven, punished, and persevered his way up three higher ranks. He could tell his Lord had something planned for the school maybe even Granger, and the closer he was to the inner circle the closer to the truth he was.

He was content in a sad way as he plans moved forward. As each task he met with success and was rewarded. How each new position gave him more room to deny torturing more than was necessary and out right refusing women. It got him one step closer to insuring that what ever happened Granger might have a safety net. But that meant many sleepless nights. Either from running long late night errands or hearing the victims screams in his mind as he tired to rest his head upon his pillow.

The lack of sleep started to become apart of who he was. The brutal torture he endured at the Lords hands a mundane expectance. The physical and mental exhaustion almost rewarding. But the eyes, the blood, the twisted remains of those murdered in his sight, tortured by his hand were not something he ever wished to find rewarding, integral, or mundane. Yet this meant a scared, angry, guilt ridden life, but of that he found safety in. He never wanted to rape innocent people, or murder small children. He never wanted to torture someone and not fill with self-hatred. He never wanted to forget what it felt like to see the spark that all humans have leave the eyes of the newly dead. No, for if those things happened he would forever loose what little of himself he had left.

But maybe seeking truth in a den of sins was left better un-found. Maybe trying to insure Granger’s safety would ultimately leave his soul murdered? Of these things he was almost sure of when her heard what his mission was to be. That Sunday before the court of Death eaters Malfoy’s fate was sealed and so was Ginny Wesley’s. So funny was it that in trying to insure Granger’s safety he was ultimately dooming someone she held closest.