A/N: For some reason I had a really difficult time with this chapter. I kept erasing and rewriting. Finally I can say I am content with this chapter. A little. Chapter title is a bit lame, but I couldn't really think of anything. Oh and my heart goes out to all the people in London who are suffering from the riots. Be safe. Disclaimmer: I do not own Harry Potter.
I slept most of the time I was at my Uncle's house, no one bothered me except for meal times and when my aunt came to check on me, my silence must have worried her. It was the third day of me staying there, my last, the next morning I would be boarding the train back to Hogwarts, when someone knocked on my door.
"Come in," I said looking up from my essay, which to muggle eyes looked like regular paper instead of parchment.
"Um, hi," Kortney said timidly. She hesitated at the door when she noticed my school books out, "Am I interrupting?"
"No," I said, moving my books and papers to make room for her, "I just finished."
She sat down, and tucked her hair behind her ear, "So you're going back to school tomorrow?"
I nodded, "I will be returning when summer starts."
I had been informed the previous night that my Uncle Robert and Aunt Daisy had custody of me until I turned eighteen, the legal age of an adult in the muggle world. If I had my way I would never step foot in their home again. It wasn't Kortney's, Max's, or Aunt Daisy's faults, they were all warm and welcoming, but Uncle Robert's presence was enough to kill any thoughts of home this place could ever have.
"Are you excited to go back?" She asked, bringing me out of my thoughts of strangling her father.
"Yes, I miss my studies," I said tapping the book that was charmed to look like a history book.
"I saw you the other night," Kortney stated suddenly, "With that boy."
"What boy?" I asked keeping my face devote of any emotion.
"The one with the strange bathrobe on, with blonde hair," She said, picking at the lint on the bedspread, "Is he your boyfriend?"
I snorted, "No, he is just some arrogant bastard that I have the misfortune of going to school with."
"School? Isn't your school in the States? How did he get here?" She asked.
She looked up from the bedspread suddenly and frozen when she felt my wand against her temple. I saw a look of fear flash across her face; she could tell the piece of wood in my hand was something powerful.
"What are you doi—"
"Obliviate!" I whispered.
I smiled sadly as she fell next to me, "Sorry, Kort, it's for both our safeties that you don't remember that, I don't need any more blood on my hands."
When I arrived the next night at Hogwarts it felt as though an enormous weight had been taken off my shoulders. No longer would I be confined to a room, or have to refrain from using magic.
The castle looked as beautiful as ever, the gleaming marble floors, elegant stair cases, and even the sight of Peeves had me grinning from ear to ear as I made my way into the Great Hall.
Dinner was already in progress when I walked in, the noise in the hall dimmed a bit when I was seen, but then went back to its normal level once I took my seat at the Griffindor table.
Ron, Harry, Ginny, Neville, and Dean all got quiet when I sat down. They exchanged glances and then tried to continue on with their meal, trying to maintain normalcy.
"Er, how was it Hermione?" Ron asked mid-bite into his roast. Ginny shot him a furious look that would have quieted even Draco Malfoy.
"It was as to be expected," I said stiffly reaching for a roll.
Harry smiled sadly, "We're here for you Hermione."
His gazed was intense and I had to look away quickly mustering up tears.
"It was horrid." I buried my face in my hands, "I thought it would never end."
Harry patted me on the back sympathetically, and I avoided his eyes. It was hard lying to a boy who had lost his parents, even if the truth would hurt him more. Like I have any right to start having a conscience, I thought bitterly piling food on my plate avoiding Harry's eyes.
It had begun to rain sometime around midnight, making the castle drafty and cold. I longed for my four-poster bed, but continued down the hall silently. I pulled the door open to the Astronomy Tower and quietly entered, pulling the door shut tightly behind me.
"You're late Granger."
"You never set a specific time." I snapped, pulling my robes closer to keep out the chill.
"Temper, temper Granger." Malfoy chided stepping out of the shadows, "Do I need to remind you who your elders are?"
"I haven't got all night Malfoy, some of us don't have the pleasure of becoming invisible." I scowled.
He smirked and threw a piece of parchment at me, "Here, now there will be no excuses for the next time I call you."
It was the Marauder's Map.
"Where did you find this?" I asked raising my eyebrows.
"Same place I found the cloak. Strange the things people leave behind when they are in a hurry," He said in a mocking tone.
I stayed silent and watched the map absentmindedly waiting for him to speak. He let out an exasperated sigh.
"It's time you start spilling your guts Granger." He said eyes darkening, "We need information on Potter and we need it now."
"He is going to begin having secret meetings with Dumbledore, Saturday is his first one," I spoke, tucking the map away into my robe.
"What about? Where will they be going?"
"Harry isn't sure; he thinks they will have something to do with defeating the Dark Lord."
Malfoy nodded and looked thoughtful.
"Stay close to them, figure it out. I will expect another report back in a week. "
Without another word he slipped on the cloak and disappeared.
"Hermione you look awful, did you sleep last night?" Neville asked sitting beside me and piling pancakes onto his plate.
"No, I couldn't sleep last night so I opened my potions book to get a head start on today's lesson, then I just lost track of time." I mumbled.
He grimaced, "Has Potions got better now that Professor S-snape stopped teaching?"
I shrugged, "It's the same to me really. Slughorn's boasting can be just as annoying as Snape's glares."
"At least you're gaining points for the right answer, and not losing them." Harry said sitting down across from me.
"Yes and I am earning them by studying, not following a silly old book that belonged to a complete stranger." I growled.
Harry gave me an abashed look and changed the subject, "So Quidditch tryouts are this week Neville, are you going to try out?"
Neville looked up alarmed, "N-no, I never was g-good on a broomstick."
"Reckon your better than me," Ron said gloomily, taking a seat next to Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Honestly we have been practicing all week and I think you have more than a shot on landing the Keeper position."
"Yeah but who says someone better wont show up?" Ron asked in between bites of eggs.
"I think I've lost my appetite," I said giving Ron a disgusted look. "I'm heading to Potions."
I was looking through my bag to check if I had all my books when I bumped into someone and fell straight to ground. My bag went flying and dumped its entire contents on to the floor. Luckily none of my ink had busted.
"Ow! Watch where you're going, I just got my nails done!"
I looked up and glared at Lavender Brown, who was examining her nails for any sign of imperfections.
"Maybe if you spent half the time you do on your nails and more on your manners then someone might be able to look past your ugly mug and ask you out on a date."
Draco Malfoy offered his hand out to me; I looked at him suspiciously and quickly began to gather my things and stood up.
Lavender looked closed to tears and I had to hide a smile as she shot me a look of pure loathing and stomped off. Malfoy sniggered. I glared at him.
"That was unnecessary Malfoy," I snapped.
He grabbed one of the books on the floor and gave me a hurt look, "What no thank you? I was only trying to help you Granger."
I snatched the book from him and rolled my eyes, "Since when is the Great Draco Malfoy willing to help anyone but himself?"
"Great, I like that," He said winking.
I ignored his comment and continued walking towards the dungeons. He walked beside me and shot me his famous smirk.
I pursed my lips, "Do you need something Malfoy?"
"Just making sure you get to class safely without that ignorant snot Brown trying anything." He said in a sickly sweet voice.
"Since when do you care about my safety?" I growled.
"I don't really, it will just give me a chance to hex her, she has been following me around like a puppy since third year." He said ruffling his bleach blonde hair.
I sniggered, "I don't understand why you hate Harry so much, you guys are practically twins."
He stopped and gave me a glare that made me feel like he was trying to burn a whole in my head.
"I am nothing like that arrogant bastard," He spat.
"You both do the hair thing I meant," I mumbled.
His face became a mask of indifference, we reached Potions class and I slipped into a seat up front while he took a seat on the other side of the room.
Ron and Harry noisily arrived a few minutes later plopping their stuff into the seats beside her. Lavender took the table behind them batting her eyes at Ron and then shot me a glare. I ignored Harry and Ron's questioning looks and took out my Potions Book.
Slughorn brought the class to attention, "Today we will be working on the Calming Drought, spilt into pairs of two and we will begin."
Ron and Harry sent me an apologetic look and moved their cauldron to the table across from where I sat.
I looked around and I grimaced as I noticed the only two people without a partner was Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Draco Malfoy.
