Chapter 7

By the end of the supper, everybody was feeling a bit more relaxed – fooled by the familiar décor – and the chatter was louder. When the plates were cleaned up, Hermione was about to tell the first years to follow her, but some obnoxious new guy – probably planted there by Snape or something (she did had ditch the prefect meeting in the train earlier) – had already took control of things. Hermione, annoyed, was about to follow Neville and Ginny in the stairs back to the Gryffindor's common room, when she heard a "pssssst!" Ginny heard it too and they both turned around. Malfoy tilt his head to the left and made it clear that he wanted her to follow him. Ginny rolled her eyes, but made not comments as she kept climbing the stairs. Hermione made her way through the wave of students going back the other way and finally joined Malfoy.

He grabbed her wrist and made her follow him into a darker corner. "Well, that's something", Hermione thought. If someone had told him only a few weeks ago that she'd be following Draco Malfoy in the darkest place of Hogwarts, she wouldn't have believe it.

Once they arrived in a place where Malfoy was sure they wouldn't be seen, he turned his face to her. He looked worried.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes wondering near her mouth which had been hit.

"I'm alright", she said.

To Hermione's grand surprise – and pleasure – Malfoy sighed in relief.

"Good", he said.

Suddenly, he frowned, looked at Hermione and shook his head. She wondered if he'd just realize how odd it was that he was concerned by his well-being.

He cleared his throat.

"Anyway", he said. "You heard Snape's speech? What's the loser's army's plan?"

Hermione frowned. Partly because he'd called Dumbledore a loser and partly because he made her suspicious.

"Why?" she asked, still frowning.

"Because", Malfoy said impatiently, "we must strike as quickly as we can. They all expect us to obey now. If we don't do anything, their power will only grow stronger."

Hermione crossed her arms, still slightly suspicious.

"What do you propose?" she asked.

He didn't hesitate.

"You know that Loony chick?"

"Luna!" Hermione corrected him with severity.

"Yeah, yeah, anyway, she was sitting at your table! And nobody said a thing about it. How about more and more people sitting at the same table? It shows unity amongst the houses and it's a subtle way of rebellion."

Hermione nodded.

"Clever", she commented. "But how can I be sure this is not some trap? How can I trust you?"

He didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Trust my rage", he said finally.

The next morning, Hermione didn't tell Malfoy's plan just yet. She was not an idiot and she truly had not valuable reason to trust Malfoy. Ginny was still silently judging Hermione for going with Malfoy the night before so they mostly listened to Seamus's summer stories in silence.

The schedules were passed and Hermione and Neville groaned. First period, 'Dark Art with Amycus', the death eater, common with the slytherins.

"Well that's just great", Neville said, annoyed.

Ginny looked at his schedule and had a little laugh.

"Sucks to be you" she said before leaving for her first period.

Hermione and Neville exchanged a look and stood up.

They entered the class groaning again; they were late. The only places left were on the front row. They sat, exchanging a look. Suddenly, Malfoy arrived in class in a hurry. They both stared at each other, and then at the only place available left, next Hermione. Neville snorted when Malfoy sat down. Then Amycus walked in.

The class went silence. Most of the students looked scared, but Hermione saw a few slytherins exchanging a vicious smile.

"Drop the 'Defense', kid," Amycus said, "welcome in the Dark Arts class. As you all know, our dear dark lord has the power so you'd better get your mind straight; there is no such thing as good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it."
"That's not true!" said a voice behind Hermione.

They all turned to face him.

A slytherin.

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"You're a slytherin…" said Amycus, as surprised as Hermione.

"You're damn right I am", the slytherin answered.

"What's your blood statue?" The death eater asked.

The slytherin snorted.

"I'm half-blood."

"You see, I don't like to spill pure-blood's blood, but you… you're not only a shame to your own house, your blood is also full of filth. Let's see if I can clean it!"

Before anyone could do anything, Amycus raised his wand.

"Endoloris!"

"No!" yelled Hermione, but not loud enough to cover the scream of the slytherin boy who was twisting on the ground.

Amycus raised his wand and as he was about to cast the spell again, Hermione rose to stand between the slytherin and their teacher. Amycus raised his wand in surprise.

"Hermione Granger", he said, "or most famous mudblood… Endoloris!"

Hermione screamed. She had never felt that much pain. It was like every bit of her body was on fire and her bones were breaking over and over again.

Suddenly, from afar, she heard someone yelling "stop it!" Neville, she thought. But when she opened her eyes, it was Malfoy who was standing between her and Amycus. The whole class was so quiet, no one dared to breathe. Amycus looked like he was about to torture Malfoy as well, but instead he shouted: "OUT! ALL THREE OF YOU! OUT!"

He didn't need to say it twice. Malfoy and the slytherin guy were already helping Hermione get up. As they were leaving, Hermione glanced at Neville. He looked like he had been struck by lightning. Without another look back, the three unlikely allies left the class.

Once out, the slytherin boy turned to Hermione.

"Thank you", he said. He looked about to say something else, but Malfoy interrupted him.

"Yeah, yeah. Just go to the infirmary wing!"

For some reason he looked angry at the poor boy. Once he and Hermione were alone, Malfoy glanced furiously at her.

"Dammit, Granger!" he half-shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you? He could have killed you!"

"Yeah but he didn't."

"Because I stopped him!" Malfoy snapped. "Do you have a death wish or something?"

"I'm not gonna achieve anything if I don't take any risks. And any way why do you care?"

Malfoy looked at her with disbelief.

"What?" he asked.

"Why do you care?!" Hermione exploded. "You despised me before! You were a real twat! What changed? Why do you care if I live or die?"

Malfoy looked at her with round eyes.

"You know what changed", Malfoy said. "Everything."

Hermione rubbed her eyes.

"Fine", she said. "I'll accept that excuse for the 'Why are you suddenly on our side' question. But why you care about me?"

They looked at each other without saying anything for a long while. Then suddenly Malfoy grabbed Hermione by the waist and kissed her. Hermione answered his kiss with just as much intensity. Malfoy pushed her against the wall, his head in her neck while Hermione moaned in his hair. They stopped to look at each other but before it had been 5 seconds, Hermione grabbed Draco's shirt to get him closer. His lips found hers and the universe exploded in Hermione's mouth.