This was a hard chapter for me to write, for some reason. I always knew this chapter would be one of the hardest, but hopefully the next one will be a lot easier to do. Even with it being hard, I'm proud to say I managed to write it in about two days, which has to be a record for me.

Chapter Eight

The next week was odd for Draco. He found himself avoiding Hermione; he was slightly afraid that she would think he was a great sodding prat for spewing out his thoughts to her like he'd done. Part of him was also ashamed to have been seen crying. Hermione never mentioned anything, and the times when he had to be around her, he got the impression that she was giving him space to think. When he mentioned it to Blaise, the boy just smiled. "See? I told you it was a good idea. I'm sure she's done a lot of thinking, and I'm pretty sure she wants you to think about it, too." Draco knew that Blaise was trying to help, but thinking was exactly what he didn't want to do; he'd been doing far too much thinking in the past few weeks, months even. He just wanted some time to relax.

Two weeks had passed, and still Draco was beginning to feel comfortable around Hermione once again. She had given him a friendly smile a few nights ago when he entered the common room, before going back to her book. He took it as a sign that she didn't think he was a fool, a thought who brightened his mood considerably that day.

An announcement had been posted on the boards in each common room and in the Entrance Hall; McGonagal had something important to say and wanted everyone to hear it. The next night at dinner, Hermione heard most of the students discussing McGonagal's announcement. No one had any idea what she wanted to say, but it was plain that many thought it wouldn't be good. Finally, McGonagal set aside her napkin and got to her feet, a small smile upon her lips. "As you are all aware, the winter holiday will officially begin in a week's time. I know that many of you wish to go home to your families for the holidays. However, there is an event which many of you may want to stay here for. Dumbledore expressed a keen desire to give you all a night of well-mannered fun. He wished for you all to take your minds away from the events outside these walls and enjoy yourselves."

The students sat motionless, listening silently to the Headmistress. McGonagal continued, "That is why, on Christmas Eve night, we will be hosting a dance. It is not a formal event by any means, as I do not believe Dumbledore would have wanted you all to have to go to any lengths to prepare. A host from the WWN has agreed to come to provide you with music." She glanced around the Hall for a moment, her mouth forming a tight smile. "The dance will officially begin at seven-thirty, and will end promptly at two, although you may, of course, leave earlier if you wish. As hesitant as I am to allow such an event, but Dumbledore wished for it, and I feel obligated to fulfill that wish." She sat again, staring down at her empty plate with a weary expression on her face.

The students were silent for a moment more, then the quiet talking began. It seemed Dumbledore had known what he was doing; all around, students were talking excitedly about the dance. Hermione looked over at Harry. He gripped the edge of the table with white-knuckled hands before taking a deep breath and looking at McGonagal. Then he turned to Hermione and Ron, who was across the table form them. He gave them a tiny smile and said quietly, "I'm not going." Across from him, Ron sighed softly and nodded slightly. Hermione looked between them and then hung her head. "You're still leaving then?" she asked quietly without looking at either boy. She felt, more than saw, Harry nod slowly. "I have to, Hermione," he said gently. "We have to." He gestured at Ron. "I know you want to stay here, and it's already hard enough to leave you and Ginny," Hermione heard his voice strain at the thought. "We need to go as soon as we can." Hermione nodded. "I understand," she said. Then she rose from the table and proceeded out of the Hall. Ginny, sitting a few seats down, saw Hermione leaving and also rose from her place to follow the older girl.

She found Hermione standing at the base of the marble steps at the end of the Entrance Hall. "C'mon," Ginny said, throwing an arm around the older girl. "Let's go up to your dorm and put on some music." Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. The two girls made their way up to the fourth floor, unaware of the two boys who had unknowingly followed them.

Draco had left the Great Hall the moment McGonagal had finished her announcement. He had a hot, burning feeling in his stomach. He knew, without knowing how, that Potter had been there that night. His instincts that night had been telling him the Dumbledore couldn't have been alone. Which meant that Potter had seen, and heard, everything. And he had undoubtedly told Granger and the Weasleys. They had not looked at him, and yet he felt certain that if they had, Potter would have been glaring death at him. That feeling alone made him feel sick and he left without anyone's notice, save for Blaise, who had been watching him closely. Silently, Draco thanked the other boy for giving him a minute alone once he got outside the Great Hall. After Blaise had joined him again, the two made their way slowly up to the Head's dorm. Neither spoke, but Draco knew they would undoubtedly get to talking once they were settled in the common room.

As they reached the portrait, Draco wondered if Hermione and the Weasley girl had already come up. He had seen them pass as he stood hidden in the shadows off the Hall, but they had gone up the stairs and out of his sight before Blaise appeared at his side and suggested that they go somewhere else. Seeing that Draco was wrapped in his own thoughts, Blaise gave the password and prodded Draco into the room. They stopped short as the portrait closed gently behind them.

Hermione lay on her back on her couch with her legs up over the arm, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Ginny sat in the armchair nearest the fire with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring at the flames with an odd frown on her face. On the coffee table was a stack of colored papers. Hermione's enchanted CD player was on, and a woman's voice was pouring out of it. For a moment, the boys weren't sure if the girls had heard them, but then Ginny looked up and Hermione said, "I thought you'd be along shortly. You two always are." She sat up and twisted sideways so she was sitting normally. Ginny reached over to the coffee table and picked up a piece of paper from the stack and tapped it with her wand. The paper folded itself in mid air, forming a small crane before flapping its paper wings and soaring toward the two boys.

Draco walked listlessly over to his couch and sat down, watching the paper crane fly around the room. He noticed several more cranes scattered around the room. He watched as Hermione took another paper off the stack and tapped it with her own wand just as Ginny had done. The paper folded into yet another crane and flew in a circle before going over to land on Draco's knee. He looked at it blankly for a moment before shooing it off. Blaise was still standing by the door, looking around at the other three with a bemused expression on his face. They looked like they were all awaiting some certain doom. He crossed him arms and said, "What's with you all?"

Three pairs of eyes turned to him. Draco looked troubled, which Blaise could understand; but why did Granger and the Weasley girl also look the same? Hermione gave him a tiny smile. "Are you going?" she asked him quietly. "To the dance?" Taken by surprise, Blaise shrugged. "Are you?" he asked her in return. A grim smile flitted across her face. "I have to." She looked at Ginny and murmured, "They can't, so I have to go for them." Blaise wondered if she was talking to him still, but he doubted it.

Draco suddenly lifted his head at looked at the two girls intently. "Potter was there, wasn't he?" he shot at them, a hint of desperation in his voice. "He was there...that night." Ginny turned to look at the boy, a frown on her face. "Yes," she said quietly. Draco visibly paled. "Then he told you," Draco said in an odd voice. "He must have, he had to have seen, had to have heard-" Hermione cut him off. "Yes, he told us," she said quietly. "And he wants to hate you all the more." Draco closed his eyes and looked away. He didn't think Potter could have hated him any more than he already did.

Blaise sat down in the other chair. He wasn't sure what was going on, not really, but it was clear that these two girls, and Potter, knew something about Draco. Something that Draco clearly didn't want to be widely know. He was about to ask what was going on when Ginny spoke. She was looking at Hermione with an odd light in her eyes. "They're leaving, aren't they?" she asked the older girl. "They're not staying." Hermione said nothing, only looked away. Ginny curled into ball with her arms wrapped around her legs and pressed her forehead against her knees.

Draco looked at the girl in slight surprise. "What the...?" he looked at Hermione for an explanation. She glanced at Ginny, then at Draco, and sighed. "They're leaving the school," she said quietly. "Harry and Ron, once the holidays begin." She shook her head and looked away. Ginny managed to look up at Draco as well. "We're staying," she said, a sad smile on her lips. "They won't even stay for the dance. They said they don't have time." She went back to staring at the fire.

"Well I'm staying here," Blaise said to the room at large. "I don't really have anywhere else to go, and this dance thing might be fun." Draco stood abruptly and walked over to the doors to the balcony. He stood there staring out at the evening sky. "I can't," he said in a quiet, strained voice. "I can't, not if anyone knows. The teachers must know, Potter will have told them. Hell, I told them. I can't go, I can't." He turned and disappeared up the stairs to his room without looking at them.

Blaise watched him go with a frown on his face. Then he turned to Hermione and Ginny. 'You said Potter's leaving? Him and Weasley?" The girls nodded, looking troubled. "But, I mean, why aren't you two going with them?" Blaise asked, confused. Hermione took a breath. "They've got...something they need to do." She said quietly. "I guess I should be going, too. But Harry wouldn't hear anything of Ginny coming, and I couldn't bear to leave her here without anyone. And...and I'm Head Girl, I have responsibilities, I couldn't just leave." Blaise nodded slowly. That's Potter for you, he thought to himself. He'll allow his two friends go with him to do...whatever it is he's trying to do. But he won't let the Weaslette. Probably wants to protect her or something...Gryffindors... He shook his head.

He had another question to ask, but he wasn't sure how the two girls would react. He took a breath and asked, "What was Draco talking about, what's Potter told you that's got him so...shaken?" Hermione looked at Blaise in surprise. "You don't know?" she asked quietly. "He didn't tell you?" Blaise frowned. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." He said looking at Hermione with his head cocked to the side. Draco's voice came from his room; he hadn't closed his door all the way and their conversation had carried up the stairs. "I didn't tell anyone, Granger," he said, leaning against the doorframe. He looked away and said in a voice that was little more than a whisper, "I never even told Snape. But he already knew anyways, so what did it matter?" There was a bitterness in his voice. Blaise turned to Draco. "I think you should come down here and talk," he said. "Because I have no clue what's going on here." Draco grimaced and slowly came back down to sit on his couch again.

"You know what happened last year, Blaise," he said. "Don't pretend that you don't already know that I was involved." He chanced a look at the other boy, who was looking rather uncomfortable. "Well, I mean, everyone thought so, when you went missing." Blaise said quietly. Draco took a breath and said, "I was supposed to do it, Blaise. I was supposed to, not Snape. He said he'd kill my mother if I didn't." Blaise looked a bit concerned.

Hermione looked away and bit her lip. "Harry was...he had something to do. He said he was going with Dumbledore and might not be back for a few hours. He asked us to keep an eye on things and then he left. The attack started. Malfoy got past us and headed for the Astronomy tower. He set off the Dark mark. He had Madam Rosmerta under the Imperius Curse; at least, that's what Harry said." Draco cringed and looked away. "It sounds so strange, hearing you say it," he said. "It would appear that Potter told you everything he heard." Hermione looked at him and bit her lip before continuing. "Harry and Dumbledore saw the Mark and came as fast as they could. Malfoy was waiting. He...he was supposed to kill him. Dumbledore."

Blaise was looking back and forth between Hermione and Draco. "You're serious?" he whispered. Draco just nodded. "I tried. But I couldn't," he said, turning back to the others. "I couldn't do it. Potter will tell you that. I had my want pointing at the old man's chest, I was ready to do it, I thought I could. I was wrong." He shuddered slightly. "I couldn't do it," he whispered again, more to himself than anyone else. Hermione continued in an flat, expressionless voice, "Snape came. We didn't stop him, we thought he was coming to help. But he...he did it. He killed Dumbledore. When he came down with Malfoy, we didn't stop him then, either. He shouted "It's over" to the Death Eaters, and they all ran." Hermione turned away. Blaise sat in stunned silence. "So, Draco was supposed to kill the old man, but couldn't, so Snape did it instead? And then they managed to get away?" he asked. Ginny nodded. Blaise stared at the floor. "You weren't kidding," he said softly. "You weren't kidding that day, on the train. You said...well, I guess you never really said it, did you?" he shook his head. "Merlin..." He stopped and stared at Draco and then at Hermione and Ginny.

Draco looked at Hermione with an oddly pained expression on his face. "How can Potter hate me even more?" he asked in a quiet voice. Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. I think...he can't bear the thought of you still being here, at Dumbledore's school, when you tried to kill him." She looked up. "I don't think he really hates you more, he just wants to." Draco laughed bitterly. 'You see why I can't go to this dance thing? It's in the old man's memory, it's because he would have wanted it. If I go..." "No," Ginny was looking at Draco with a determined look on her face. "No, you should go," she said. "Otherwise, people will think that you're not sorry. They'll think you don't care enough to honor his wishes. People already hate you enough for it, why give them another reason?" Draco looked at her and shook his head. "Or they'll all hate me even more for daring to go." Blaise sighed. "I never thought I'd say it, but I agree with Weasley. Anyone could see you wish you could take it back, and I think Dumbledore probably knew that. Knows, really. You owe it to him, as a final apology." Ginny and Hermione nodded in agreement. Draco sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "I'll think about it."

I know this is a really short chapter, but it pretty much has to be. It was annoying as hell to write, although my beta, Tracy (angelpiphi) was a real help to me. gives her a cookie

The next update should be a real chapter, I promise.