Green and Silver Tie
Chapter Four
The sound of Weasley's footsteps against the stone floor echoed in the darker part of the hallways in Hogwarts. She desperately tried to swallow her ragged breath as her legs started to ache and Weasley once again rounded a corner.
The torches flickered past as Hermione whirled past the corner, only to abruptly halt in her tracks and with the reflexes of a cat, retreat to her position a second before.
With her hand on the stone wall, she cautiously leaned forward and shivered at the sight.
Weasley, with his flaming hair and dark robes had run into – or rather met up with – a figure hidden in the darkness of the hallway, dressed in a black cloak with a hood that cast vast shadows over its features. She glanced to the sleeves of the cloaked person, searching for any evidence that there was a human underneath, but ended up more panicked, as she saw no skin or hands.
Hermione gulped, immediately regretting her decision to follow lousy Weasley when she recognized the tell-tale signs of a Death Eater.
Adrenaline pumped through her veins as a thought came crashing into her mind with full force. How had the Death Eater come in? Or was it a student?
Her thought row was broken off by another arrival. Footsteps echoed behind her, and she reacted on the spot by a flick of her wand, casting a Disillusionment spell. Her body suddenly turned grey, the exact same colour as the stone wall behind her.
A pair of black robes whipped behind the pale new addition to the group clad in black. Pale hair and a pale complexion rushed past her in long strides.
He greeted the two other males coldly, "Weasley, Yaxley,"
He received his own name spoken with the same cold, that sent shivers down Hermione's spine. She hadn't experienced such cold in her two classmates – although Slytherin – since she'd met them the first time.
The hooded Death Eater, identified as Yaxley, lifted his wand and flicked it. A sudden buzzing filled Hermione's ear, slowly reaching a peak before dying down. Overcome by the sudden dread of being seen, she quietly turned around to sneak away – only to walk straight into a wall.
Hermione's eyes flew open and her hands met the cold surface of a stone wall. It hadn't been there before, as much was certain. It was the exact same way she'd gone after Weasley! She had a distinct feeling that she had trespassed onto magical ground, and she was stuck there, trapped with Death Eaters, until they decided to lift the jinx.
Letting her gaze wander over her own body, she sighed in relief as she realized her Disillusionment spell hadn't been removed.
A booming voice made Hermione jump, "Congratulations!"
Two muffled replies echoed coldly, the word 'honour' mentioned with contained bitterness. Hermione wanted the wall that recently had caged her to evaporate. She didn't like the mood nor the tension between her Slytherin friends and the man.
"The Lord will be pleased with you," Yaxley said, sending shivers down her spine and fright to grow under her boiling skin.
They were indeed Death Eaters. Of course, she knew from before, but she'd always had a seed of doubt growing in her, which now was killed by a single name, The Lord.
A whisper tickled her ear in the cold breeze that barrelled through the hallway, flickering the torches.
"How exactly are we supposed to that, sir?"
The further conversation was held in whispers, and as time continued at snail-pace, Hermione became more and more impatient to get out. Her shoulders had begun to ache due to the constant tension in her muscles. She was leaning heavily into the wall when she was startled by an ear-slitting crack.
Her bewildered eyes flew open as she looked around the corner, and it was revealed to her that Yaxley had Apparated away.
Weasley turned to Malfoy with a furious expression, his mouth thin as a line.
"I wish I could Avada you right in your smug face," he spat, but Hermione noticed an underlying tone that hinted towards the fact that it would never happen, despite how gruesome his voice sounded.
"Oh how I wished I could see you try," snorted Malfoy mischievously.
The differences between the two suddenly stroke her like an electric shock.
Malfoy, with his snow-white, thin hair and bleak grey eyes, along with his porcelain skin, looked like a bleached version of Weasley, whose red hair reminded her of fire, and striking blue eyes contained the entire ocean. His freckles stood out, tinting his pale skin. Compared to Malfoy, he was a clash of fighting colours.
"Just wait 'till I've mastered that spell, Ferret boy, and you'll see who's going to take you down. I bet you aren't even better than Potter!"
The strong voice of Weasley was abruptly very near – too close for her liking.
With a weak yelp, which she bit back immediately, she edged closer to the wall. The cold seeped through her robes as her breathing became shallower.
"You should beware, petty Weasel, as I'll always be the stronger one of us,"
Something clicked in Hermione's mind when she realized they had nicknames. Silly ones as well. Maybe they weren't just Death Eater? Perhaps they were part human too? She shook her head. They were porcelain dolls that only knew the sick pleasure of inflicting pain, like robots designed to kill.
The two Slytherins rounded the corner she'd been hiding behind and she pressed herself further into the stone. The two passed her without even glancing in her direction.
With a choked gasp, she realized the wall that had trapped her had dissipated soundlessly.
The two stopped walking, and Hermione felt a pang of fear erupt in the back of her mind. With a sigh of relief, she noticed they didn't look her way. Weasley scowled at Malfoy, "So, Forbidden Forest, eight o'clock?"
Malfoy sneered, "See you tonight,"
Then they once again started walking, bringing a cold gust of air with them. In the darkness, they had disappeared completely, and Hermione once again reclaimed the control over her own body.
Forbidden Forest, eight o'clock.
What were they supposed to do in there? Didn't they know it was dangerous? Deadly, even. She swallowed hard. What was she feeling, concern? For the Slytherins?
The room suddenly became unbearably hot, making her pull the hem of her shirt. Did she feel concern for…Weasley?
Weasley, as in the same guy that had bullied her with Malfoy all her years at Hogwarts? As in the person who had jinxed her frizzy hair into a monster mop of tentacles in year three? As in the person who had locked her in a room full of pixies, while laughing cruelly behind the door?
Or as in the person that had been civil to her while mixing a Potion? As in the person who had guided her and given her advice on her technique in Potions, and sent her vague glances once in a while to check on her?
Of course, it wasn't concern, Hermione concluded. It was sympathy.
Sympathy for him being an ignorant, malevolent, biggity git!
At least that's what she convinced herself as she hurried through the maze of corridors, on her way to the Gryffindor tower to do her Charms assignment. She had to finish it, as she had to reach her newly gained agreement at eight o'clock in the Forbidden Forest.
A/N: Thanks for waiting (faithfully, I hope) for this chapter! I am genuinely sorry for the long wait, but I've had some uploading problems. Fortunately, they are now fixed, so don't worry! Thanks to all reviewers! I love your feedback!