Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

I forgot to put the disclaimer on chapter nine, and I don't feel like fixing it, so just pretend it's there. :D

Okay, so I know I didn't get it up this weekend, but a day late isn't too bad, is it? lol. Well, I think it's a bit longer than the last couple I put up, so at least there's that. I think this chapter clarifies some things. I'm sure there's some differences from the book, and there will be a lot more as the story progresses, but I'm trying to stay pretty close to the timeline.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling and taking up space and precious time. I hope you enjoy. Review and let me know what you think!

Ron and I didn't have to sit in awkward silence for long, because Harry and Hermione returned, giving everyone something to do.

It probably wasn't the worst thing that could have happened, but it shouldn't have anyway. Harry and Hermione did go to his parents graves, but they also went to his old house. It had never been rebuilt, it was still standing, in the same condition that You-Know-Who left it in. Many people had come to Godrics Hollow just to see it, and had signed their names, or left words of encouragement for Harry. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was obviously something that Harry and Hermione had different personal views on; it seemed to me that Harry was touched by it, and gave him a little more confidence knowing these strangers believed in him so much.

Anyway, while they were looking at Harry's old house, a little old lady walked up to them. It wouldn't have been that odd, except that they were under Harry's old invisibility cloak, and they knew she could somehow see them. It turns out that this witch, I think Harry said her name was Bathilda or something like that, turned out to be You-Know-Who's snake, Nagini. While it was still in the form of the old witch, it separated Harry and Hermione, and then tried to attack Harry.

"Hermione was bloody brilliant," Harry was beaming, as I was pouring a clear colored potion on his hand. He winced as the liquid ran into his wounds, but it was a fast pain, the gashes were already turning into smaller and smaller cuts. "She noticed something was wrong, so she ran up the stairs to tell me… We probably wouldn't both be here if she hadn't found out on her own." He looked over at Hermione, who was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest. All she did was shake her head at him.

"If you ask me, you two were just lucky that nothing worse happened to you," I started, but Ron interrupted me, although his words mirrored what mine would have been.

"How could you think that following some old bat home would be a good idea? And she never said a word to you? What in the name of Merlin were you thinking?"

I nodded my head at Ron, then at Harry and Hermione, showing that I agreed with him.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know… I just – you know how so many people are saying all sorts of things about Dumbledore since he died? Apparently Rita Skeeter got most of the contents of her book from this Bagshot woman, and Hermione had heard of her, so I figured it would be safe to follow her… I just wanted to know if what we're doing is really right; if it's really what I should be doing."

No one spoke for a minute, but I was a bit confused, so I asked, "Are you saying that you don't know if fighting You-Know-Who is what you're really supposed to do?" I started out quiet, but as my anger rose so did my voice. "Are you trying to say that you don't know if it's worth your time to fight the most evil wizard that any of us are ever going to hear of? You don't know if this is the right path for you, Potter? I'm going to tell you this; I'm only going to say it once, so listen closely: if Albus Dumbledore left you with a task, then it is your responsibility to do that, because there is nothing that that man has ever been wrong about."

Harry looked at me, his mouth open for a moment. "Draco, you don't know what I'm talking about, so I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to me about it."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Oh, I'm sorry, please, excuse me for telling you to stop being a prat and do what you were always meant to do,"

"How would you know what I was 'meant to do'?" Harry asked, looking at his two friends as he did so.

"You must be more dense than I ever thought possible. Do you realize how many meetings I have had to sit through with You-Know-Who? Do you think he knows nothing? Obviously not. Before he found out about me and Hermione, I was in on almost everything that happened. The information of the prophecy included."

"You know, I think I was right not to trust him," Harry said, looking down his nose at me. "He obviously knows more than he lets on. I'm sure he's just here to spy on us,"

"Harry! Don't you think if he was still working for You-Know-Who he would have already alerted someone? If he were still working for You-Know-Who, we would surely be dead by now," Ron rounded on Harry. "All he's been trying to do is help us - help you! He wants to get rid of You-Know-Who just as much as you do."

I know, who would have thought Ron would have stood up to his best friend, for me?

"You think he wants You-Know-Who dead more than I do? He killed my parents, Ron."

"And he's been torturing his for years." Hermione added.

"They chose that life," Harry yelled. "It's their own fault. But I have to fight for their freedom – how is that fair?"

"It's not." I said. "I know it's not, but that's how it is. It's because of you that we're all here. Because of you most of the wizarding world is trying to fight against the Dark Lord, and it's because of you that people are still hopeful for a happy ending." I told him, calming down slightly.

Harry shook his head at me. "I don't get you Draco. We hated each other for years, and now, all of a sudden, you're changing sides and you believe in me? What's that all about?"

"You don't 'get me' because you're not trying. You're not really looking at me as a person." I paused. "I never hated you; I was jealous. You were going to bring the down-fall of You-Know-Who, and all I could do is sit at his side and do as I was told. I didn't think it was fair. That's why, when Hermione and I started to spend more time together, I tried to think of a way to get away from You-Know-Who, so that I could help get rid of him. Ron's right, if I were still under his command, none of you would be alive right now," I said the last part quietly. We all knew it was true. Now if we were caught, not only would my three friends be killed, but I would too.

"We're looking for something." Ron said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Ron, shut up!" Harry shot at him.

"No. He's told us what we needed to hear. Why he's here. He just told us what we've been wondering since he showed up,"

"No he didn't, Ron." Harry told him. "He told us part of the reason he came. You didn't find us just so that you could help get rid of You-Know-Who, did you?"

I looked at Harry, not sure what to think of him at that moment. "Harry, the only other reason I wanted to find you, is because of Hermione. I had to be near her, and I had to be sure that she was safe. Without her, a world with You-Know-Who would be nothing,"

Hermione sighed, looking at me. She slowly got to her feet, and took a few shaky steps toward me. I stood up quickly and rushed to her. "Draco," she whispered. She nuzzled her face into the crook of my neck, where she started to sob uncontrollably. "I'm so glad you came," she choked out between sobs.

I pulled her tighter against me, rocking her back and forth slightly. After a moment, I looked over at Harry and Ron, who were now sitting next to each other. "I don't know if you guys can understand, but this is all that matters to me now,"

"Hermione, or the war?" Harry questioned.

"Both. Don't you get it? This, us, is all that will end it. We have to work together; we have to fight as a team. You need my help to find what you're looking for, obviously. I've been with you this long, and you haven't found it,"

"Well, we found one," Hermione sniffled.

"What? How many things are we looking for?" I asked.

"We have one, but there's still three more. We think we know what one of them is,"

"What is it?"

"Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?" Ron asked.

"Maybe," I said, my brows furrowed in thought. "I think I might have heard something about them, somewhere… It's, a piece of a soul or something, right?"

Harry nodded. "You-Know-Who has a lot of them. We have one right now, but we don't know how to destroy it… We don't have anything right now."

Hermione and I settled down so that they could all fill me in on everything that Professor Dumbledore showed Harry. They finally told me what Dumbledore told them needed to be done; what we were doing. They told me how You-Know-Who created his Horcruxes, and their theories on what they might be. This was definitely something they needed for; I knew You-Know-Who better than all three of them, even if I couldn't get inside his head.