Aloha mis amigos! Yes I do realize that I just combined two languages together (it was on purpose). Anyway, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in such a LONG TIME! But I was so busy with summer work and homework (I know, my teachers are so cruel that they give us work due in the MIDDLE OF SUMMER), and just stuff like that. I'm also beginning college apps, so WISH ME LUCK!
But anywhooo, ENJOY THE CHAPTER! I hope you all like it, if you have any suggestions at all, do send me a message or review or somehow get in touch me and TELL ME! I love love love love love love it when people tell me ways to improve and I do need lots of improvement. So, READ ON, MY FRIENDS, READ ON!
Ps. I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. Just the plotline
* * *
Hogwarts continued in an uneventful pattern for a few weeks. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies were brutal because of the Carrows' penchants for using human guinea pigs for demonstrations. Fortunately, none of the Golden Trio had yet to experience the public torture sessions. The students were piled with endless amount of homework and exams. Even Hermione was complaining about the amount of homework she had. With the additional work required by her position as Head Girl, she was completely overwhelmed with work. The only bright side to all this was that Malfoy and she had somehow reached a tentative truce. When they weren't at each other's throats, they were efficient in completing all the duties.
* * *
Hermione was sitting in the library, finishing up her Herbology homework on senescent tubers, one Tuesday night when Ron and Harry approached her.
"Hey Harry, haven't seen you in awhile without Ginny permanently glued to you hip. Where is she anyway?" Hermione asked with a laughing twinkle in her eye.
Harry sheepishly grinned and said, "I'm actually meeting her in the common room but I thought I'd come see you with Ron for a bit. We really haven't had time to catch up."
Ron coughed (fakely) and Harry quickly added, "Well, now I've seen you, got to go, bye!" Harry dashed out of the library earning a disapproving glare from Madame Pince.
Hermione quirked her eyebrow. "Hmm, that was quick." She began feeling rather uncomfortable when Ron ungracefully plopped down besides her and draped a heavy arm around her.
"So…" she said nervously.
"Sooo…" he said back. Hermione looked at him quickly. Big mistake. As soon as he saw her, he began leaning in with eyes half lidded and a hopeful hangdog look on his face.
Jumping up Hermione lied, "Sorry Ron, I actually have to go meet Malfoy. Head business and all that fun stuff. She chuckled nervously and smoothed down her skirt when she stood up. "In fact, I'm probably late now."
"Uh well I don't think so Mione, I mean he's right there."
"What?" Hermione turned in the direction to where Ron was pointing and saw Malfoy sitting at a table in the opposite corner, feather quill tickling the bottom of his chin, with Blaise Zabini.
Oh bugger it all. He had to choose TODAY to go to the library? I didn't even know he knew where it was. Ugh quick, think think think.
"Oh well, umm, he probably forgot. Let me go get him. I'll see you later Ron!"
"I'll come with you," Ron offered quickly.
"No!" Hermione said too quickly. "I mean, thanks but I think I can handle the twitchy ferret by myself."
"No, it's fine. I'll come."
Left with no choice, Hermione reluctantly began walking to Malfoy's table with Ron. As she approached him, Malfoy turned to give her a withering glare.
"What do you want Mudblood?" snarled Draco. Beside him, Blaise stopped his quill scratching and looked up from his Muggle Studies essay.
"Oh perfect timing Granger! Professor Alecto gave us this essay for homework and I was just working on it. You know, I was actually beginning to question whether Muggles are as filthy and idiotic as they are said to be and you come along and instantly set my doubt to rest. If you're any representation of Muggles, they're far worse than I suspect," sneered Blaise.
"Oh good one Zabini, why don't you come up with something even more UNoriginal?"
"Gladly, how about-" Blaise was cut off.
"Enough," Malfoy ordered. The two immediately froze their argument. "Answer my question Mudblood."
Hermione was about to retort something about how she was not to be ordered around until she caught Malfoy's gaze. Her previous bout of bravado instantly wore off with one look at his expressionless face adorned with eyes full of malice and threat.
"I-uhh-I just wanted to remind you of our Heads meeting…now."
Malfoy's eyebrows slightly furrowed until he glanced at Ron's attack mode position and then he quickly glanced back at Hermione's half masked pleading face. A smirk formed wickedly across Malfoy's face.
"No. I don't think we have a Head meeting now. I'm quite sure it was actually set for later tonight," he said with a look of angelic innocence.
"Oh! So if the meeting's later, then let's go," Ron said to Hermione while glaring at the two Slytherins.
"No I can't Ron. Something urgent actually just came up that Malfoy and I need to discuss. McGonagall just talked to me this morning about it. So we really need to, um, go talk about it." Hermione widened her eyes as she said, "Now."
"No, Head business can wait for later. We can't do anything about this supposed 'urgent' matter now. So go run along and play with Weasel," Draco said condescendingly.
All through this exchange Zabini kept quiet and he suddenly put down his quill, folded hi arms behind his head, leaned back and said, "You know, I get this feeling that Granger doesn't want to hang out with the Weasel. Not that I blame her really, I mean just look at him."
Ron lunged forward and took an angry swipe at Zabini but Zabini casually dodged the blow by leaning his chair even further back so that now he was balancing precariously on the hind legs of the chair and calmly continued, "But, maybe it's just me, but I thought that people usually enjoy time with their significant others, even If he is a…" Blaise waved his hands trying to sum up Ron's entirety and finally settled on, "savage. Could there be problems in paradise?"
"None of your business," Hermione retorted flustered. "But Malfoy, we really need to discuss this-this-thing at the umm, the-the meeting."
"About what? I'm rather curious about this pressing issue. We've already finished planning the ball and we already finished the patrolling schedule and we finished the tutoring schedule as well. I really can't think of anything else to do until…until December."
"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Hermione said exasperated. Professor McGonagall requested that we do some additional work regarding the ball. Listen, I don't need to be interrogated for trying to fulfill my duties as Head Girl. Maybe if you would spend a little more time helping out, we wouldn't be in this situation. We have a head meeting. NOW!"
Throwing Zabini a bemused look, Malfoy said directly staring at Ron's face, "Alright Mudblood, I'll humor you, just this once. Let's go have this supposed meeting of ours."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione said, "Sorry Ron, maybe tomorrow." Ron glared at her for a moment before his face softened and leaned in to kiss her. Hermione deftly turned her head so that Ron only grazed her cheek.
Hoping Malfoy hadn't noticed, she hurriedly turned on her heel and started walking toward the library doors. She could hear Malfoy's long strides next to her.
"Were you that desperate to get rid of the Weasel? Awww, what's wrong Granger? Weasel not meeting up to your standards?
"I have no idea what you're talking about Malfoy but do me a favor and keep your snide remarks to yourself. Why don't you just go and irritate someone else. I have neither the time nor the patience to hear your drivel," Hermione snarled heatedly.
Before she knew what was happening, Hermione felt cool stone through the material of her clothing on her back when she was forcefully shoved into the wall. Malfoy leaned down with a dark glint in his eyes, both arms pinning her on either side of her head, "You better watch your mouth Mudblood. The only reason I was following along with your ridiculous fake meeting was because I pitied you. I was doing you a favor but clearly my thoughtful action is unappreciated. Perhaps next time you come pleading desperately to me, I should just leave you alone in the company of your boyfriend. Consider this the end of our truce."
Malfoy maliciously glared at her once more and swiftly walked away, robes billowing royally after him.
Hermione gave an involuntary shudder after Malfoy rounded the corner. That's the second time that I've been afraid of him. Snap out of it Hermione. He's just Malfoy, all things cowardly and childish. But somehow, she wasn't able to convince herself of that.
* * *
Hermione and Malfoy kept up their war for about a week. They avoided each other as much as possible in class, in the commons, library, talking only when necessary and even then with as little syllables as possible. But when they did encounter each other, nasty comments were thrown, each one more hurtful than the other.
Hermione was complaining to Ginny one morning during breakfast in the Great Hall. "Everything's so inefficient now. I wish he's just get off his high horse. We can't even be in each other's presence for more than 30 seconds before we have to leave. I mean, granted I shouldn't have snapped at him so rudely after he had-I guess helped me? - but he was making such nasty remarks. I couldn't help myself."
"He's Malfoy, Hermione. What do you actually expect from-"
A flurry of owls flew in from the seemingly invisible windows of the Great Hall and one great tawny owl dropped a package into Hermione's goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Tergeo" Hermione said, siphoning off the pumpkin juice from her Daily Prophet. The front page headline caught her eye.
DARK MARK CAST ABOVE FAMILY OF MURDERED MUGGLEBORNS
Hermione caught her breath and proceeded to read the article. Fists clenched, knuckles white, and teeth gritted, Hermione looked up with tear brimmed eyes and whispered, "Voldemort murdered a family of nine. Nine. Seven child witches and wizards." Eyes shining with unshed tears, Hermione slowly stood up, shrugged off Harry's hand which had reached out to comfort her and walked out of the Hall. Her thoughts clouded with numbness and anger, she didn't see Malfoy climbing out of the portrait guarding the Head dorm and slammed right into him. Hermione, being lighter, fell to the ground.
"Right where you belong Mudblood," Malfoy sneered.
Staring him dead in the eye with pent up outrage and anger, Hermione got up.
"Where were you yesterday night huh Malfoy? Hanging out with all your Death eater friends? Did you have fun murdering those children, the parents? How old were the children? I forgot, were they all younger than 12 years old? You think you have so much power now that you're capable of taking advantage of helpless people? You think you should be feared because Voldemort sent you, his pawn, to do his dirty work for him? The article said the bodies of the family were bloody. Did you see the blood? What color was it? Was it any different from yours? Did you see mud and dirt? Was it disgustingly filthy? Do you feel proud for being a cold blooded killer? You're nothing but Death Eater scum."
Through her rant Malfoy stayed deathly silent. But now he spoke with enough malice and hatred to scare even the most stolid man.
"I am not a Death Eater."
"Prove it. Prove it then. Prove that you're not one of them."
"I have nothing to prove to you. I owe you nothing," Malfoy said quietly, enunciating each syllable, and strode away with hands clenched at his sides.
Breathing heavily, Hermione stormed up to her room where she locked the door. She let out an ear piercing shriek and blindly reached for her bookshelf. Tearing her books from the shelf, Hermione threw them every which way before she sunk to the ground with her back against the door, sobbing into her arms. After she had finished her heart wrenching confession through tears, Hermione gathered her books for class with a renewed sense of vigor and justice.
She made a vow to herself: she will avenge the family.
During class, the Carrows were unusually cheerful, going so far as to not giving the students any homework. Hermione had to physically restrain herself from attacking the both of them in each class. She was dreaming of ways to hurt them when she felt her bracelet burn up.
The bracelet had been given to her by the Order of the Phoenix as an inconspicuous means of communication. Order members had borrowed her idea of the galleons she had created for Dumbledore's Army two years ago. Every time they needed to relay the message of a meeting, the bracelet would heat up and a message would be etched on the inside of the bracelet. At the time specified on the inside, the bracelet would turn into a portkey especially made so that Order members who attended Hogwarts could leave. Ginny had a necklace whereas Ron and Harry wore watches.
Hermione looked at bracelet.
12 am.
* * *
Promptly at 12 am, Hermione touched her bracelet, muttered the password incantation, and transported herself to the headquarters. Loud voices penetrated the kitchen walls and she instantly thought, well this'll be a fun meeting.
As she, Ron, Harry, and Ginny entered the room, the people quieted. Hermione observed the ashen faces of her fellow members and immediately knew something had gone terribly terribly wrong.
"Where's Shacklebolt?" Harry asked, eyes skimming the crowd before him. Everyone turned to stone. Not a muscle or limb moved an inch.
Hermione assumed the worst, "He was killed, wasn't he?"
Bill spoke up, "Dolohov and Shacklebolt somehow got into a duel at the Ministry. Shacklebolt was easily beating Dolohov but Lucius Malfoy joined forces with him. They killed him."
"And where were all of you during this time? How could you just let this happen?! I don't understand!" Ginny shrieked.
This time it was Moody who answered, "We arrived too late. By the time we got to the Ministry, Shacklebolt was dead and Malfoy and Dolohov gone."
Eyes burning, Harry said, "We need to move quickly. We can't let this lose control. We attack next week. I'm ready."
"We can't."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN'T?" roared Harry. "HOW MANY MORE OF OUR PEOPLE, OUR FAMILIES MUST DIE BEFORE WE ACT? HOW MANY?"
"Harry, you have to understand, we cannot. Voldemort has made the manor practically impenetrable."
"So we bring them out on the field."
"You know we can't do that. We're outnumbered in the field. They have dragons, giants, trolls, dementors at Voldemort's beck and call. They know numerous dark magic spells. Out on the field, we'd be crushed like little bugs."
"So then what've we been doing? We need to train, we need to do something. We can't just sit and wait! Why do they have so much and us so little? We need to take action somehow!" Ron argued.
Harry asked right after, "What do you mean by impenetrable?"
Ignoring Ron's comments, Moody focused his attention on Harry's question. "Voldemort has made it a little game to penetrate the Manor's shields. He's set up a-I guess you can call it- maze, a cursed maze for anyone who wishes to enter. There are many steps to deactivating this curse and those who tried and break it ultimately failed. We sent our curse breaker to work on these shields but sadly he met a gruesome end. Voldemort has a layered convoluted network of shields. Even if we were to break the curses guarding the outside of the Manor, it's impossible to get to the room where Nagini and Voldemort are. All in all, we wait until we can figure this out."
"So we wait? We wait while more people are dying? We wait while Voldemort slowly corners us?"
"Harry, I understand your frustration, but you must understand that while we don't know anything about Voldemort's defense mechanisms, we're incapable of doing anything. That's what our spy is working on but it's difficult without raising suspicion. She only knows bits and pieces of the plan."
"Who is our spy? It's hardly fair we don't know who she is. Is it even a she? How do you know she's reliable?"
"I can admit that our spy is female but as to who she is, I cannot reveal her identity. That was part of our deal. She gives us information and we keep quiet about her true self. But I can tell you that she is being absolutely truthful. She took a Veritaserum test and passed with flying colors. I am sure of her allegiance and loyalty."
* * *
Hermione returned to her room at around 4 am after concluding a very unsatisfactory meeting. Few answers were given and more questions were raised. It seemed to her that the Order was not doing anything to help.
Hermione got lost in her thoughts on the couch in the common room when the portrait door opened and Malfoy stumbled in.
The two both stood stock still when their eyes connected.
Malfoy opened his mouth but then shut it.
Hermione stared at him in horror.
Malfoy swayed in his spot.
Hermione stood still.
Malfoy collapsed.
"Oh my God"
* * *
Darlings, I do hope you liked it.
Shout outs to Joucelin Hades, BroadwayNightOwl, AtypicalKiwi for reviewing! You guys are the best!
Ps. Just a little pet peeve of mine, if you do put this story on alert or anything like that, the least you can do is leave a review. Tell me what you liked! And especially what you didn't like!
Reviews = Love
xoxo abski