A/N: Thanks for sticking with me and thanks for the reviews! :)

I've altered the time line of the book's events slightly but it doesn't result in any major changes.

Disclaimer: I do not own the fantastic world or characters created by J.K. Rowling but I will use some of her words and ideas to further my plot. :)

Chapter 31 – Birthdays and Surprises

Harry left Snape's office after a gruelling and useless detention. Everything was quiet, which meant that the Quidditch match was over. He dreaded going to Gryffindor Tower and seeing all of those disappointed faces. What kind of captain was he? He had gotten himself banned from the one match that really mattered all because he had lost his temper with Malfoy. He was so stupid sometimes.

Gryffindor House should be mad at him. He had ruined their season.

He felt even more miserable as he stepped through the portrait of the Fat Lady. What was he supposed to say? However, his head lifted as he was greeted with an excited roar. Everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room was celebrating? His eyes zeroed in on Ron, who was still wearing his gear and was holding the Quidditch Cup!

"We won!" He exclaimed triumphantly. "We won!"

Harry stared at him in shock. He couldn't believe it. Gryffindor had won, and without him! They had won with Ginny as Seeker. At the thought of her name, his eyes sought her out. He found her and as soon as their eyes locked, she ran towards him. She threw her arms around his neck and he caught her with a groan and a chuckle. He wasn't sure what prompted his next action, but he disregarded his well thought out plans and all of the reasons why this was a bad idea, and the fifty or so other people in the room who were watching them. Perhaps he channelled some of Malfoy's advice because he kissed her, and it wasn't a quick, innocent, friendly kiss. It was the kiss that he had been thinking about for months.

He kissed her like he meant it and he didn't remember much after that. He barely reflected on the fact that Gryffindor had just won the Quidditch Cup.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Hermione glanced at her watch again as she waited as patiently as she could for Draco to meet her at the top of the Astronomy Tower. She knew that it was dangerous and reckless to be out of her room this late, but she couldn't resist risking it tonight. In ten minutes it would be Draco's seventeenth birthday. It was a wizarding milestone that deserved to be celebrated.

She lifted her head when she heard footsteps on the staircase. "I was getting worried you weren't coming," she whispered.

"I had to wait for Blaise to fall asleep," he replied.

"Understood." He approached her slowly and once he was within arms reach, she pulled him into a tight hug. She pressed her face against his chest and inhaled his distinct scent. She had a feeling that all too soon she wouldn't be able to have a moment like this.

"Something wrong, Granger?" He asked in concern as he threaded a hand through her thick hair.

"No," she murmured. "I just want to do this for a minute."

He didn't question her after that.

She held onto him for several more minutes before she whispered, "Happy birthday."

He looked down at her with a smile. "Is that why you called me up here?"

"Of course," she answered in a groan. "You're of age now. That matters."

He stepped out of her hold and shrugged. "It matters because the trace is off me now, but not much else."

Hermione frowned in disappointment. "Well I got you a present anyway." She reached behind her and grabbed a wrapped present off of the floor. She handed it to him and knew that he would be able to tell immediately what it was by the weight of it.

"More books," he smiled, "thank you."

"I think you'll enjoy them," she told him rather timidly. She could tell that he was on edge about something. Despite his attempts to smile and appear as if everything was fine, she could tell that he was coiled like a snake ready to strike. "Draco, what's wrong?" She finally asked. She had hoped that tonight would be a fairly happy occasion, they hadn't had many opportunities to be alone together since she had gotten released from the hospital wing, but she couldn't ignore the troubled look on his face.

He turned his back on her and looked out over the school's grounds. "I don't think I can see you tomorrow, and after that I don't know," he told her quietly.

She tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He spun around and narrowed his eyes. "You know what I mean," he snapped.

She sighed before nodding. "Yeah, I know." Since they had started working with Draco she knew that the chances of seeing him once the year was over were slim. She almost knew that regardless of any outcome, she, Harry and Ron would be going one way and Draco the other. "What's happening tomorrow?"

"I have to do something and it will change...everything..."

"What's happening?" She asked impatiently as she stepped towards him.

"If I told you to stay in your bedroom and not go poking around tomorrow night, would you listen to me?" He asked quietly.

"Of course not," she replied quickly.

Draco was unable to hide a small grin. "Of course not," he said mostly to himself.

"Is it about your mission?" She asked even though she already knew the answer.

He continued to grin as he took a step towards her, bringing them within arms reach. "You are far too smart for your own good, you know that?"

She opened her mouth to retort but he quickly covered it with his own. He kissed her desperately, with more need than he ever had before and instantly, her worst fears were confirmed. He was prepared to run, or worse. The kiss slowed as he slipped his hands underneath the back of her skirt and she melted against his chest.

"I left some things for you in our room," he spoke breathlessly once he had pulled away from the kiss. "Get them when it is safe."

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" She begged as her grip tightened around his waist.

He shook his head solemnly. "I can't. You know that I can't."

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" She persisted.

"You are infuriating," he chuckled. He kissed her again before he grew solemn once more. "You need to hide your parents, okay? They know where you live."

She gulped in fear. "They do?"

He nodded in confirmation. "So as soon as you can you need to get them out of England."

She took a deep breath as she felt almost all of the air leave her body. She had known for a while now that she would be deeply involved in this war, and she had accepted the dangers that accompanied that. She had accepted the dangers of being Harry Potter's friend since first year. But her parents were not a part of this world, and they didn't deserve to be hunted by Death Eaters. She didn't know what she was going to do.

As if sensing the worrisome questions in her head, Draco gently grasped her chin between his slender fingers and whispered, "If anybody can figure it out, it's you. Brightest witch of the age," he added teasingly.

She dug her fingers into his waist in response. "Knock it off!"

"I'm serious," he insisted, "which is why you need to help Potter figure out all this Horcrux business. He needs you, no matter what he says."

"I know," she smiled knowingly. "We're in this together."

There was a long silence before he spoke again. "I have something that I want to give you."

"What?" She laughed. "It's your birthday!"

"This...this is different," he explained weakly. He pulled his Malfoy family ring off of his finger and conjured a thin chain with his wand. He slipped the ring onto the chain and offered the makeshift necklace to her. "I want you to wear this." She looked up at him in confusion so he elaborated. "I got it for my birthday when I was five, and so of course as a boy I was careless and a little forgetful so my father cast a charm on it. It's impossible for me to lose it, so if you have this I will at least know that you're safe."

She loved that he cared more than he was usually willing to show. It made him exasperating, but also very interesting and rewarding to know. He was more complicated than most people gave him credit for. She kissed him hungrily before she grabbed the necklace and clasped it around her neck. She tucked the ring beneath her shirt with a smile. "Yes, I'll wear it."

"Thank you," he murmured. "We should really head back to our dormitories now."

She nodded in agreement but didn't move an inch. She didn't want to let go. She took a single step backwards and Draco instinctively grasped her hand. She looked down at their joined hands with a shy smile. He didn't want to let go either. They had grown even closer through his visits during her stay in the hospital wing and the thought of him leaving made her stomach ache.

"Stay safe, Granger."

"You too." She paused before she asked, "Are you sure everything changes tomorrow?"

"I am sure," he answered dejectedly.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco awoke early the following morning and decided to take one of his new books to the Slytherin Common Room. There were quite a few things that he wanted to do today. He wanted to fly around the Quidditch Pitch and walk the castle grounds, he wanted to have a large breakfast in the Great Hall, he wanted to speak with Daphne...he wanted to says his goodbyes of sorts, but he would start with reading a book.

He had only gotten to page five when Theodore sleepily walked into the room. He yawned and scratched his chest as he took a seat on the sofa beside him.

"Something wrong, mate?" He asked.

Draco shook his head as he turned down the corner of the page that he was on and closed the book. "No, there's nothing wrong. I just couldn't sleep any longer."

Theo narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I've ever been," he retorted.

"If something was wrong, would you tell me?"

"If I could," Draco responded honestly.

Theo seemed to understand his underlying message because he nodded and turned his gaze to the floor. "I get it. Whatever you've been doing all year is finally coming to a head."

Draco didn't comment but he really didn't need to.

"Well, good luck and try not to get yourself killed."

Draco involuntarily chuckled at that. "I will try my best."

Theo smirked, "That's all I'm asking."

The dark-haired boy slowly got to his feet and tightly clapped his friend's shoulder. Draco looked up at him and they had an unspoken exchange that only close friends could have. Draco was glad that they didn't have to say anything else because he wasn't sure what he would say. He wasn't good, or used to, this kind of thing. He couldn't imagine that Theo had much experience in these matters either. His friend was an outspoken young man but he didn't talk about his feelings a lot either. Theodore Nott Sr. certainly wasn't a warm and fuzzy type of parent.

They were two Slytherins, and they genuinely cared about each other, but they would never be able to say it out loud.

"I'm gonna go back to bed," Theo finally laughed. "I'll see you in the Great Hall?"

Draco nodded before he watched his friend leave and then resumed reading his book.

Draco went about the rest of the day exactly as he had intended until he reached the last item on his agenda: talking to Daphne. After supper they sat next to each other near the Black Lake and lazily threw stones into the water.

Eventually Daphne grew tired of the small talk and asked him, "Why did you bring me here, Draco?"

He laughed it off at first. "What? I can't ask you to spend time with me?" She quickly arched an eyebrow and his chipper facade abruptly fell. He picked up a stone and threw it as hard as he could. He waited until he heard a splash before he spoke. "Tonight may be my last night at Hogwarts."

She stared at him with wide, confused eyes. "What?"

"I can't tell you much more than that," he sighed, "but I wanted you to know, and I know that you'll tell Theo and I want him to know too."

It was much easier for him to talk about this with her, but that didn't diminish his relationship with Theo. At least not in his mind. He considered Theo and Daphne to practically be the same person anyway, they told each other everything.

She huffed in annoyance. "And that's all you're gonna tell me?"

"It's for the best," he responded, and his annoyed tone matched hers. "I want to tell you but that's all that I can tell you. I don't want to bring you into this." He felt like he owed Theo and Daphne an explanation, they were his too closest friends after all, but he didn't want to endanger them. Their fathers were Death Eaters but they hadn't pledged their service to the Dark Lord. No, that was just him.

She gently smacked his arm before she ran a hand through her long hair. "Come on Draco, we're all already in this."

"Not as deep as I am," he muttered. "I may as well be Potter at this point," he added with a laugh. Daphne couldn't stop herself from laughing at that one and it made him smile. "See? You can't be mad at me for very long."

She hit him again. "And I hate that about you!"

He chuckled before he tossed an arm around her shoulders and leaned in to press a kiss to her temple. "Thank you for being a good friend to me," he whispered.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "You're not so bad," she told him with a sad smile. "Be safe, okay?"

He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile but he knew that task was easier said than done.

*~()-()-()~*-*~()-()-()~*

Draco took a deep breath as he stepped into the Room of Requirement around seven o'clock. He clutched his wand tightly in his right hand as he approached the Vanishing Cabinet. He had gotten word that Dumbledore had left the grounds with Potter, as planned. They were after a Horcrux, which pleased him, but their absence meant that it was time.

Time for him to set in motion what he had been preparing for all year.

Time for him to complete the most difficult task that he could ever imagine.

It was time for him to change the course of this war, but he still did not know if it would be for better or worse.

There had always been two parts to his mission. The first had been frustrating and time consuming but it hadn't weighed on him: repair the Vanishing Cabinet. He had done that and now he was about to use it. It was the second, and most crucial, part of his mission that he had actively pushed out of his mind.

He had to kill Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of all time. He wasn't sure what Snape and Dumbledore had planned to try to get them all out of this one, while maintaining his and Snape's covers, but he supposed that he would see tonight. He would feel more confident if he knew exactly what was going to happen tonight, but he didn't. But he did trust Snape, so he was going to have to put some faith into that relationship in order for this to work.

A/N: I know that you can guess what's going to happen next! Only 2 chapters left! Also, I would like to say that I am not a personal fan of the Harry/Ginny relationship, but it allows Harry and Draco to connect on a level that is necessary for this story.

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