THE ANSWER IS IN THE VISION
"It could be Death Eaters," Hermione said absently, still staring at the door. "I just don't understand why Dumbledore hasn't let us out yet."
"I have a few ideas," Malfoy muttered, flinching as Hermione glared at him.
The Horcrux book sat in the fireplace grate, where the fire burned continuously. But as Hermione watched it, the book remained where it was—the white pages visible behind the flames.
"Malfoy!" Hermione jumped up and ran to the fireplace, whipping out her wand and Summoning the book. It looked just as it had looked before Malfoy threw it into the fire the previous night.
"Merlin's beard," Malfoy said in astonishment, reminding Hermione of Ron. They both stared at the book, Hermione slowly turning the pages and examining the spine.
"It didn't burn up!" Hermione managed to say, her mouth still hanging open.
Malfoy folded his arms across his chest. "So what? Dumbledore cursed the bloody thing so I couldn't do anything to it."
Hermione didn't respond, but went back into Malfoy's study and sat down to read more of the book.
"Granger, didn't we already discuss this?"
"If Voldemort really is responsible for Parvati's death, I'm going to do my best to help Harry bring about his downfall."
Malfoy continued to stand in the doorway as Hermione scanned the book. But try as she might, she couldn't find any more clues about the location of the final Horcux. She tossed the heavy book aside and picked up Cinderella, seating herself on the couch in the living room.
Malfoy sat in the armchair across from the couch. "Granger, care to fill me in?"
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, Ferret."
He reached over and snatched the book from her hands.
"Malfoy!"
"Cinderella again, is it? Still hoping Weasel will realize he's your Prince Charming?"
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"I want answers," he said simply. "I want to know why that blonde cow was snogging Weasley. And I want to know—" He leaned in so he was at her eye level. "—what you know about the Horcruxes."
"I don't trust you, Malfoy."
"Why not?" He said it automatically, but he knew she had a thousand reasons not to trust him.
"Give me back my book!"
"Mmm, what's this?" He flipped to the end of the book and noticed glowing words on the once-empty pages. "Written our own little ending, have we?" His eyes scanned the page, and a smirk was crawling across his face. "I see you've included details about their wedding night."
"I have not!" Hermione shouted, glaring at him.
"Oh no, of course not. It only stops when they pull the covers over themselves." He rolled his eyes. "Well, I suppose you'd want to write about stuff like this. Since it'll never happen to you."
Hermione pulled out her wand. "Shut up, Ferret. Don't talk to me like that again."
"Okay, fine. I won't. On the condition that you tell me what I want to know."
"I'm the one with the wand, Malfoy. You're not in any position to make conditions."
"What happened between you and Weasel?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Granger, for someone who's always got their hand up in class, you're not as smart as the professors give you credit for."
Hermione stared at him with a blank expression. "What?"
Malfoy walked up to her, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her violently. "I'm not the ignorant clot you think I am. I know the last Horcrux is protected by powerful magic. And I also know that Dumbledore may be off his rocker, but he wouldn't put us together for no reason. He knows how much we hate each other."
Hermione bit her lip, fighting back tears. She wouldn't meet his gaze, but began telling him about Ron.
"Ron and Lavender got back together after we—after it happened," she began awkwardly, feeling her face grow red.
"He broke up with her last year, I thought? Wasn't he, like, murmuring your name while he was in the hospital wing?"
"He and I started going out last year after the whole Lavender thing, but there were never really any sparks. He finally convinced me that we needed to prove our love, so we should—you know. And then he decided he didn't really love me, and that we should only be friends. So, now he's back with Lavender."
They sat in silence for a moment, until Malfoy asked, "What about the Horcruxes?"
"There are six of them, not including Voldemort's current body."
"Don't say the Dark Lord's name," Malfoy growled, feeling his temper rising again.
"Oh, that's right, you call him the 'Dark Lord'. Well, I'm not particularly worried about that, Malfoy."
They glared at each other. "What were you reading about yesterday, Mudblood?"
"If you're going to call me that, I have no problem saying Voldemort's name," she said smoothly. "And what I was reading about is none of your business."
"How many of the Horcruxes have been destroyed?"
"Two: the diary and the ring."
"And which are left?"
"Hufflepuff's cup, Ravenclaw's diadem, Nagini the snake, and one other."
"I'll bet you're supposed to find Ravenclaw's diadem. Weaselette was saying something about that outside, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, but Dumbledore said we need to focus on the unknown Horcrux. I think Harry's got the diadem covered."
Malfoy rubbed his hands together slowly. "Granger, what you read yesterday. It had something to do with me. Am I right?"
Hermione shook her head, not meeting his gaze. She wasn't sure Dumbledore wanted Malfoy to know about the secret yet.
Correction: She didn't want Malfoy to know about the secret yet. She didn't want him to know that she would need him to complete the job. Death Eater Malfoy would have to help Hermione Granger—the girl he hated the most (besides Pansy Parkinson, Hermione recalled with a smile).
"Fine, don't tell me. But remember, the sooner you tell me what else you know, the sooner we can get out of here."
Hermione stole a glance at him. He was still rubbing his hands together, staring at her with an eager expression. He thought she'd cave and spill the beans. But no, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.
"If it's all the same to you, Ferret, I'm going to my room."
"I'm going to my room," Malfoy muttered under his breath, in a crude imitation of Hermione's tone as she got up from the couch. She smirked, knowing that he wouldn't give up until he'd learned the secret.
The secret! She spun around to face Malfoy again, staring at him with a panicked look on her face. She tore her eyes away from his and glanced at the doorway to his study. Understanding dawned on his face, and he was at the doorway in three strides.
"I need that book!" Hermione shouted, running after him and launching herself into the room. He threw out his left arm to stop her from going any further, but she put more weight into the fall than he had anticipated, and she fell against him.
She felt her mouth open and a strangled cry echoed around the room—followed by a shout from Malfoy, but neither of them cared, because something was happening.
Images flashed across Hermione's mind. She saw the Room of Requirement, only it looked almost brand-new. Someone was standing in front of a large chest of drawers, banging on it frantically. The image faded and she saw two teenagers standing together, a young boy cupping his hands around a girl's face. The boy was tall with jet-black hair and pale skin, while the girl had blond hair and a peaceful smile on her face. The boy lowered his lips to hers in a sweet kiss—but the vision changed in a whirlwind of silver light and the boy's face was contorted with rage. Hermione stifled a gasp as she recognized his face…the blond-haired girl lay at his feet, her body covered in blood, as he raised his wand towards someone Hermione could not see…
The image changed again. Hermione saw Parvati, with an angry look on her face, standing in front of a Death Eater. She drew her wand, but a jet of green light hit her chest before she could do anything—and she fell onto the carpet in the Hogwarts entrance hall. When the image faded yet again, she could see Malfoy standing at the door to her side of the room, only two days previously. He listened as she hummed to herself—and a smile graced his face. Then he knocked and she called back with disdain before he said something about dinner…and then Ron stood before her, glaring at her. He was talking to her, but she couldn't hear anything he said. After a moment, he raised his hand back and struck her across the cheek, and the sting of the blow hit her like a ton of bricks, like it had really happened.
And the visions were gone. Hermione looked around, realized that she was in Malfoy's study, and let herself fall—but she never hit the floor. She felt cold arms wrap themselves around her, and she lost consciousness.
I know this chapter was a little bit shorter than my usual, but I've got a bit of writer's block. Thanks to everyone who offered ideas from the last chapter, I'm going to use them in the next few chapters! And the writing in the Cinderella book is going to come into play VERY soon, so it wasn't just there, there's a definite purpose for Hermione's extended ending in the Muggle fairytale book :D Review, please!
