Chapter 3: Draco knows.
Hermione was walking down the halls nervously, trying to get to her potions class.
She was way to nervous to eat at breakfast, even too nervous to tell her friends what she witnessed.
She was about to make the turn to her potions class, but someone grabbed her arm, and she was pulled back against the wall in a corner.
Hermione tried to grab for her wand, but the person was too close for her to move.
Her arm was lifted and her sleeve was lifted along with it.
" Where is it!" The voice growled.
Hermione knew that voice, she looked up at Draco's face.
He was looking at her other arm now.
" Where is it!" He asked again, looking at her.
" Draco, let me go!" Hermione pushed against him.
" Where is the mark." Draco asked, a little quieter this time, not noticing at all at her struggling.
" mark?" That made Hermione stop struggling.
" Yes, he marked you. I felt it. Where is the mark?" Draco asked.
" Why do you want to know?" Hermione asked.
" Because I want to know that it's true." He said.
Hermione was silent for a minute, but then sighed, if Draco knew more about this stuff, considering he was marked, maybe he could help.
" It's on my back, and no I'm not going to show you, it's too weird." Hermione said.
Draco looked at her confusingly, " Why would he mark you?"
" I don't know, why don't you go ask him? What does this mean anyway?" Hermione asked.
" It means you work under him now, and if you fail him or disobey him, he can and will kill you. Not that I care." He said.
Hermione was about to yell at him for saying something like that, but they were interrupted by the potions room door opening.
" Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I suggest we get into the potions class, and discuss relationships later on." Slughorn said, eyeing the two curiously.
Hermione quickly moved away from Draco and went into the room quickly.
Draco was slow but followed her, and as the day went on, the two stayed on opposite sides of the room.
Hermione felt his eyes on her though.
Just as potions was finishing up, she began putting away her stuff, and the familiar bird shaped paper came flying up to her.
She caught it, and undid the paper.
She read the short letter.
Meet me in the ROR(Room of Requirement), I will teach you the ways of the dark lord, that is. IF you want to survive. Make sure you are alone.
~Draco.
Hermione looked up, and noticed the room was already empty.
" Is there a problem, Ms. Granger?" Slughorn asked.
" No, I was just leaving." Hermione said, picking up her things, and left.
She remained silent at dinner time, though Harry and Ron were loading her up with the same question, ' What's the matter Hermione.'
Dinner passed, and they headed to the dorms.
Hermione stayed up, laying in her bed, with Crookshanks purring lightly beside her.
A couple hours passed and she looked around, making sure no one was still awake.
When the coast was clear, she slipped on some slippers, and snuck out of the dorms.
Soon, she found herself standing in front of the wall that held the room of requirement.
She closed her eyes, imagining an object that would be in there.
When she heard the metal sounds, she opened her eyes again.
She slipped though the doors.
She walked around the big room.
" Oversleep?" Draco's voice asked.
She looked over at a chair that he was sitting so comfortably in as if he'd been there a while.
" Alright Draco, I'm not here to play games, what do I need to learn about the dark mark?" Hermione asked.
He remained seated as he answered, " First of all, I suggest we learn to trust eachother. Second of all. The dark mark is something Voldemort forms on people with a dark heart. I didn't think I had a dark heart."- Draco stood up then "-And to be honest, I didn't think you did either. I just don't see that in you. Yes you have quite the punch. But," Draco sighed, and paced around the room.
Hermione watched him.
For the first time ever, she was beginning to feel sorry for him.
Draco was an average boy who picked on people. That wasn't a dark heart, it's what almost every teenager had in them.
Finally she asked, " You didn't want to be marked did you?"
He stopped pacing and looked at her, " No, I didn't want to be marked. I thought I did, but... I was wrong." Draco said.
" So you really wanted to kill people?" Hermione asked.
" NO!" He said loudly, and she heard the sadness in his voice.
He rested his head against the wall, leaning against it.
Hermione couldn't help it, she walked up to him, put a hand on his shoulder, turned him, and hugged him assuringly.
Draco didn't take the time to be surprised, instead he relaxed in the hug, long lost tears falling from his face.
