If I Had A Heart

Nine

Draco

The damned cabinet was being stubborn again. He placed the granny smith apple into the cabinet yet again, and muttered the words to send it on to Borgin &Burkes. There was a popping noise like that of someone disapparating.

"Come on, come on, please work," Draco muttered aloud. He opened the cabinet and there was a bite mark in the apple. He didn't know if it was from Greyback, his Aunt Bellatrix, or Mr. Borgin himself, but he was assured that someone would be in the store at all times to monitor his progress on the vanishing cabinet.

There was a crash in the room, and he pulled out his wand. He investigated the source of the noise, and saw Hermione admiring a rather beautiful sapphire diadem.

"H-Hermione?" He asked, clearing his throat.

She turned to face him, startled. "Oh!" She put a hand to her heart. "I didn't think anyone else would be here. I was told to come grab this diadem for storing in a safer location. What are you working on?"

Draco side stepped to try and cover up the large vanishing cabinet behind him. "N-Nothing. Why do you need some stupid piece of jewelry?"

Hermione laughed. "Let's just say that it serves the Dark Lord's purposes to keep it safe. But I already know your plan."

He hated being put on the spot like this. But what was more weird was that it was likely that she knew why he had to kill Dumbledore to begin with.

"And what is that?" He asked, playing dumb.

Hermione shut the diadem up in its case, and shrunk it down to fit in her beaded bag. "You plan on using the vanishing cabinet to bring deatheaters into the school. I can help with that you know."

He drew back from her. Even after a year, it still hurt that they were forced to break up, he rather liked Hermione more than he was willing to admit.

"How? What's in it for you?"

Hermione shrugged. "The sooner I can stop playing this farce of being Potter and Weasley's friend the better. Especially, considering that the ginger idiot is enamored with me. I have a much better man by far."

Draco turned back to the cabinet, and said, "Fine. What do we send back to prove that this thing works?"

"Ravenna Ravenclaw's diadem," Hermione answered. "If the Dark Lord is at the shop, he will send a rose to let me know he received this treasure. If not, well, all for the best, since we both want this as far away from Potter and Albus Dumbledore as quickly as possible."

He had a feeling that this had to do with the secret meetings at the Manor, which only the Inner Circle could attend. But he knew it was better not to press his ex girlfriend for details. Besides, he knew that she wasn't allowed to divulge the details of the meetings in any case.

He watched as Hermione enlarged the cherry oak box to regular size, and opened the cabinet door. She placed the box inside, and muttered the spell for sending. It made a soft pop, and then another one sounded. Hermione opened it, and not only was a red rose placed there but also a sealed envelope as well.

She grabbed the items, and teared up. Draco felt a sharp jab of jealous rear its ugly green head. She tucked the letter away to read later, he noticed. She kissed the rose, and he felt sick to his stomach.

"Well, I guess the thing works," Draco grumbled. "I have to go back to trying to kill the Headmaster now."

Hermione laughed. She read the letter. "No need. I think that we will be rid of our dear Headmaster soon. You see, the old bastard is going to be ordering Severus to do it, because he was stupid enough to touch something that doesn't belong to him."

Draco moved to touch her ring, but she snatched her hand back from him. "Don't touch it! It has a very nasty Toujours curse placed on it. Dumbledore tried to steal this ring from the Gaunt family home, even though there were wards placed upon it. Somehow, Severus was able to bring it to his home, and it was delivered to me on his orders. I'm probably one of the only people besides the Dark Lord himself who can wear this ring without harm."

"And what is the diadem?"

"All in good time, Draco. You just do what you have to do, and I will do mine. Got it?"

Draco knew any chance of turning her back to the side of light was gone in that moment. "Yeah, I get it. You love him, don't you?"

"Of course, I do."

"Thought so. Well, thanks for your help, then," Draco conceded. "I'll kick his ass if he hurts you though, remember that."

"I will," She hugged him. "Thank you, Draco. I'm just sorry things worked out like it did. Be careful of Harry. He's becoming more unstable as my husband's plans are unfolding."

"I'll remember that, thanks."

They left then, and as Draco went to dinner that night, he felt like a failure somewhat, because he had wanted at least one of them to make it out of this war unscathed. But of course, he now knew that that was impossible, and he learned his lesson: in war, no one comes out without scars, no one. He just prayed that the Dark Lord treated Hermione like a Queen, she deserved that much. He also hated to concede defeat, because she seemed happy, and that was all that mattered to him.

Geez, Draco pipe down. Since when did you come over all hearts and flowers for a Gryffindor of all witches? He put the poisoned wine in Slughorn's office, and waited for Dumbledore to drink it. Yes, he knew that had to work. It had to, because he certainly did not want to go to Azkaban like his dad. His dad was still haunted by what happened to him while behind bars.

A few days later, Weasley accidentally drank the poisoned wine, and had to be sent to the hospital ward. It was then that he realized that he had to do the unthinkable and kill Albus Dumbledore openly. Then, and only then, would he have truly proven himself a deatheater. He just hoped that it was worth it in the end, because if he failed, the Dark Lord would certainly kill him, and Hermione would not be able to do a damned thing about it. He had to succeed, or else, and that was exactly what he was going to do, because he was a Malfoy, after all, and Malfoys never back down from a challenge, never...