Chapter 7
The next morning, Hermione dragged herself out of bed. She had lain there for hours awake and worrying. She washed her face and looked in the mirror and gasped. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and lack of sleep.
She pulled her hair back roughly and put it in a clip. As she slowly dressed in her Gryffindor robes, her mind refused to dwell on anything other than Draco. Where was he? Was he alright? She couldn't get his terrified face out of her mind.
Pull yourself together, Hermione. You're Head Girl.
The problem was, at that moment she had no interest in being Head Girl. She had no interest in her studies. She had no interest in being at Hogwarts at all.
Everything she cared about right now was currently in Azkaban.
She gathered her books and put them in her messenger bag. She slung the bag over her shoulder and went down the stairs to the Common Room. Harry and Ron were waiting for her there, and they fell into step silently beside her as she wearily left the tower.
It was raining today. Good, thought Hermione. It went along with her mood. As far as she was concerned, it could rain until the day that Draco came back to her.
The walk to the Great Hall was a long one. Along every corridor, people stopped to watch their progress. Hermione could hear low murmuring from the students walking behind them.
Didn't she just go through this yesterday?
"TAKE A BLOODY PHOTOGRAPH, WHY DON'T YOU?" Ron roared from beside her, causing her to jump almost out of her robes. He looked ready to do combat with half the students at the school.
Hermione grabbed Ron by the arm and pulled him over to a stone bench under one of the great arched windows and sat down. Harry followed them and stood close by, watching the students out the window who were hurrying about the grounds and trying not to get too wet.
"Ron," Hermione said softly, "I appreciate your trying, but you can't fight all of Hogwarts for me."
"It's not right," Ron fumed. "You haven't done anything wrong."
"Look, Ron, I could give a flying fart in space what everyone thinks. Right now I'm just worried about him." She couldn't say his name. Just the thought of it made her want to cry again.
Ron was silent for a moment. "Hermione, why didn't you tell me you were still seeing Malfoy?"
Hermione sighed. She had hoped this wouldn't come up so soon. She took a moment to watch the students make their way down the crowded hallway. The portraits on the walls watched them come and go with interest.
"There were several reasons we kept it a secret," she said, trying not to sound too defensive.
"Harry knew."
"Draco told Harry, Ron. I didn't." Ron glanced over at Harry who nodded briefly and then went back to looking out the window.
"I thought we were friends," Ron said finally. Did you think you couldn't trust me?"
Hermione sighed. "We are friends. Look, I can't do this right now." She started to get up off the bench to leave but Ron's hand on her arm stopped her.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione. I won't bring it up again, okay?"
"Okay," she said gratefully.
"How about I take you to Hogmeade next trip to make it up to you?" Ron asked. Hermione thought she heard Harry mumbling something about overkill under his breath.
"Sorry, but I don't think so."
"Just think about it, all right? It's still two weeks away and it may do you good to get out of the castle some..."
Hermione was never going to get to breakfast at this rate. "Fine, Ron, I'll think about it."
"Excellent."
With Ron apparently satisfied for the moment, Hermione got up and started once again for the Great Hall. She wasn't hungry in the least but she wanted to get her copy of the Prophet. Lately Death Eater arrests had been making the front page.
Ron walked alongside her now with a little skip in his step. For the most part, Harry was trying his best to keep from laughing out loud at Ron and how unbelievably obvious he was.
When they entered the Great Hall, Hermione didn't given anyone a chance to stare at her. She practically ran to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Only when she was in her seat did she dare to look around. Noone one was paying her any attention at the moment.
Except Pansy Parkinson.
Pansy was staring across the Hall at her with such a look of utter loathing that Hermione felt it in the roots of her hair. She returned the gaze with her own version of disgust until Pansy snorted and went back to her breakfast.
Just then the mail arrived. Hundreds of owls in all sizes and colors swooped into the high windows of the hall and glided lower, dropping packages into the hands of the students. A rather average looking barn owl landed in front of Hermione with his leg held out with her copy of the Daily Prophet. She dropped a knut into the pouch on his leg, and he flew off again.
When she spread out the paper in front of her, she gasped. There on the front page was Draco Malfoy in all his glory, staring up at her with his trademark smirk. The picture somehow made him look evil, even to Hermione. She scanned the article quickly.
Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy (currently in Azkaban) and Narcissa Black Malfoy, was arrested last evening on suspicion of joining He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as one of his Death Eaters. Sources tell us that young Mr. Malfoy could have joined as early as last summer. Top Aurors in the Magical Law Enforcement Office are currently attempting to determine if this is true. Mr. Malfoy was apprehended at Hogwarts School of Withcraft and Wizardry where he has been an undercover spy posing as a student.
"I just can't believe it!" states Madame Maulkin of Madame Maulkin's Robes for All Occasions. "I fitted him for his very first school robes. I knew he was a rude child but I had no idea he was capable of this!" To see more character testimonials from upstanding wizards and witches in the community, see page 4.
Hermione's tears made dark splotches on her copy of the Prophet. Spy indeed! Would the Daily Prophet ever stop making up their own version of the news?
But that was how she got to know the real Draco, wasn't it? He had spied on her not too long ago.
Just then, Hermione was stunned to see the Malfoys' majestic eagle owl fly into the Great Hall. He soared around the high wooden beams once and then swooped down to the Gryffindor table straight to where she sat. To her further surprise, the owl dropped an ominous red envelope in front of her. He flicked his tail slightly, tossed his head, and with a look of disdain he was gone again.
The envelope started to smoke. Hermione wondered if she should make a run for it.
"We're right here," Harry said from beside her.
Hermione finally picked up the envelope like it was a poisonous snake and slid open the flap. At once the envelope jumped out of her hands and opened wide. Horrible, hysterical screaming began issuing from it in the unmistakable voice of Narcissa Malfoy.
And she had the entire student body's attention.
YOU! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! IF ONE HAIR ON MY SON'S HEAD COMES TO HARM, IT IS ON YOUR HANDS, MUDBLOOD!
With that last insult, the envelope exploded in front of Hermione, showering her with sparks and singeing her face and hair.
Hermione noticed several things then. Her left cheek stung where it had been burned. Harry and Ron were looking at her with horror on their faces. Professor Sprout had gotten up from the staff table to come and assist her. Half of the students in the hall seemed to be in shock, and the other half seemed to be trying to act like they had not heard anything.
And Pansy Parkinson had burst out laughing.
Hermione watched as Pansy got up and slung her pack onto her shoulder. She was still chuckling to herself as she left the hall with her usual group of Slytherin girls. The doors had barely closed when an overwhelming feeling of rage came over her. She slammed her fists onto the wooden table suddenly.
"THAT'S IT!" She yelled. Harry jumped beside her.
Hermione was out of her seat and through the doors like a shot. When she got to the corridor, Pansy and her friends were halfway to the other end. Before she could even think, she pulled her wand and pointed it straight at Pansy's back.
"PARKINSON!"
Pansy whirled around and gasped. She quickly pulled her own wand out and pointed it at Hermione, eyeing her apprehensively.
"Careful where you point that thing, Mudblood," Pansy said with a sneer.
"Watch it or it just might slip," Hermione told her, looking murderous. The other students were beginning to file out of the hall now and crowded behind Hermione to watch what was going on. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had all worked their way to the front. They looked positively gobsmacked but had their wands in their hands, ready to help if needed.
"Is there some reason you want to die today?" Pansy asked her. Her wand hand seemed to shake a little as she said it.
"I just want to know why, Parkinson. Why did you turn him in? You were supposed to have cared about him!"
Pansy's eyes narrowed. "You think I turned him in?"
"Didn't you?"
"I have no idea how a Mudblood's mind works," Pansy said with disgust, "But surely you realize I would rather feed you to the giant squid than to hurt Draco?"
Hermione hesitated. "You're lying."
"You aren't important enough for me to lie to," Pansy spat. "I didn't turn him in. I wouldn't turn him in. Are you sure you didn't?"
Hermione was about to stun Pansy when Professor McGonagal burst through the Great Hall doors. "What is going on here? To your classes, everyone! Now!" She glared at Hermione and Pansy who warily lowered their wands. Pansy took the opportunity to quickly exit the corridor, her friends right behind her.
As the other students filed out, Hermione stood there for a moment processing what Pansy had told her. She realized she believed her when she said she didn't turn Draco in to the Ministry. But if she hadn't done it, who had?
She turned to find Harry, Ron, and Ginny waiting patiently behind her. "I...I don't think I'm going to class today," she told them. "I thought I could do it but I just don't think I can..."
Ginny patted her shoulder sympathetically. "You go back to the dormitory. I'll see your professors and get your assignments for you."
"Thank you," Hermione told her gratefully. With a small wave to Harry and Ron, she turned and went back in the direction of Gryffindor House. Harry and Ginny started down the corridor, but Ron watched Hermione until she started up the staircase before leaving for class.
When Hermione got back to her dormitory, she wasted no time in taking off her cloak and uniform. After pulling on some comfortable pyjamas, she crawled into bed and pulled the red and gold covers up to her chin. After a few moments, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of the blonde-haired boy who had somehow become the whole world to her.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, that very same blonde-haired boy lay on a small bed in a cold dark cell dreaming of her.
