A/N: Thanks to my reviewers shaymars, Becqi, VAMPIRESEX and Have a Nice Dream!
CHAPTER 12-
I was dying to think of a reason to go and find Draco, but none sprung to mind. I was sat back on the Hogwarts Express, staring out of the window once more, impatiently tapping my fingers on the seat.
'Hey, Ro-'
'Go and get your own sugar quills and chocolate frogs. I want to know what was up with Hermione just before Christmas.'
'Well, actually I was going to say Lavender wanted to speak with you, but you can get some sweets as well if you really want to.'
'Oh, right. Be back in a minute.' Ron went out of the compartment and down the train in search of his girlfriend, sliding the compartment door shut.
'What's happened?' Harry and Ginny were sat on the edge of their seats, eager to hear why I was so happy. I opened my mouth to speak, but I remembered Luna who was sat next Ginny, quietly reading the Quibbler. 'Luna's not going to tell anyone. Now get on with it, woman!'
By the time I had finished telling them about Christmas night, Ginny looked like she had been left breathless, and Harry's expression was stuck in between happiness and concern.
'Do you really think you should be dating a death eater? If this was maybe a couple of years ago, then that would be fine, but everyone knows that the war's coming.'
'Harry,I couldn't care less about him being a death eater. If he turned into Professor Snape, I would still date him!'
'Well, we've established now that Snape's actually a good guy, so that wouldn't be such a bad thing.' I laughed and Ron came back in.
'Are you sure Lavender wanted to talk to me, Harry?'
'No, put judging from your hair, she certainly wanted to kiss you.' Ron blushed as bright as his hair and began to flatten it down as he sat down next to me again. The compartment door slid open and we all turned to see who it was.
'Oi, Hermione, Professor McGonagall wants to see us in the Heads Compartment.' I held back a smile as I saw Draco stood in our compartment.
'Now?'
'Yes, right now. I know you're busy with your boyfriends, but-'
'Okay, okay. See you later, guys.' I got up and left, following Draco down the train to the Head's compartment. 'Do we really have to see McGonagall?'
'Yes.' I started to get worried.
'Isn't there some other reason you took me away from my friends?'
Draco turned to me and narrowed his eyes. 'No.' He registered the confused look on my face then grinned. 'Your face, Hermione! Of course there is, but I couldn't kiss you in front of your friends, now could I?' I rolled my eyes and shoved Draco to the side of the train to let me walk on ahead of him. 'You had to admit that was hilarious though.'
'Nope.' I walked into the compartment and stood by the window. Draco laughed and shut the compartment door, pulling down the blinds so no one could see into the compartment.
'Will this make it better then?' I turned to look at Draco to see him holding a black square velvet box. It was quite flat, and about the size of my potions book. I narrowed my eyes at him and took the box, opening it to find and a golden necklace with a small snake dangling off it, which had red gemstones in it.
'Draco…' He smiled and took the box off me, taking the necklace out of its wrappings and putting it on for me. 'It's beautiful. Thank you.'
'I'm glad you like it.' I pulled Draco's neck down to kiss him, but just as our lips were about to touch, there was a knock on the compartment door. Draco made some sort of growling noise before telling them to come in.
The door slid open and Colin Creevey was stood there with his camera. 'Hermione, Malfoy, there's a fight in the next compartment and I can't find any prefects, and you're the Heads, so…'
'One minute.' Colin walked off and Draco folded his arms. 'I think you're forgetting, Draco, that we share a common room.' Draco sighed and left, beginning to shout at some sixth years next door, giving them all detention with Filch for a week. Maybe if no one had disturbed us, he would have just taken some points off. I walked next door and joined him, holding back a smile as I watched him shout.
At about ten o'clock that night, we had finished up with meals, lessons, teachers and friends, and now we finally had the time to talk to each other without everyone around us thinking we had gone insane.
I was sat on the loveseat when Draco came in from the Dungeons. He dumped his bag by the portrait door and came and sat down next to me. He put his arm around me and leaned in to kiss me, but I put a finger to his mouth.
'I want to see it first, Draco.' He raised his eyebrow. 'Your dark mark.'
'Hermione… I don't want you to see it. It was horrible and I just want to forget about it. I don't want to be a death eater.' He took his arm from around me and turned to stare into the fire. I wrapped my hands around his muscular left arm and kissed him on the cheek.
'Please.' Draco looked at me, his eyes shining with the light from the fire. He turned away from me and rolled up one of his sleeves. I looked down at his arm and I covered my mouth in horror as I looked at the serpent twisting out of the skull. My face felt wet, and I hadn't noticed I had started to cry. He looked at me and quickly rolled down his shirt sleeve, then his jumper.
'This is why I didn't want you to see it.' He kissed away my tears and I wiped my eyes. I leaned into Draco's chest and he held me as I thought about how Voldemort had scared him. I suddenly began to think about what Harry said about Snape on the train. Well, we've established now that Snape's actually a good guy, so that wouldn't be such a bad thing. I shot up and grabbed his hands. 'What is it, Hermione?'
'Professor Snape! He's a death eater, but he's a spy for the light side.'
'Yeah, I know. Dumbledore told me.'
'Well, what about you?' He raised an eyebrow, showing he didn't understand. 'Why don't you become a spy for the Order?' Draco stared at me open-mouthed.
'I don't know, Hermione. I don't really want to be on either side, I don't want to be a part of the war. Besides, things are dangerous enough as it is, with me being a death eater, you're part of the Golden Trio, and now you're my girlfriend, we're just practically asking for Voldemort to come and kill us right now.'
'But being on the light side would mean you're safe. And that would put my mind at rest.' I stared into Draco's silver pools for a long time before he nodded.
'Okay. Let's go and talk to Dumbledore.' Draco grabbed my hand and we ran out of the portrait and down the flights of stairs until we reached Dumbledore's office. 'Fudge.' The stairs curled around from behind the gargoyle and we ran up the stairs to find Dumbledore feeding Fawkes.
'Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy. You look slightly happier since the last time you ran in here. What's happened?'
'Professor, I had been thinking about what you said about me becoming a spy for the light side, and I've decided to become a spy with Professor Snape.' The old professor smiled and sat down behind his desk.
'That will prove very helpful, thank you. All you have to do is report back to me after a meeting to tell me anything that will be helpful to the light side. For example, if they are planning to attack a village, we can be lying in wait to help save the people.'
'Wouldn't it make more sense to evacuate everybody?'
'No. Then Voldemort knew there was a traitor in his midst. Anyway, before a meeting, you will meet Professor Snape down in his office. He will brief you on how to act, and you will arrive and leave the meetings with him. Understood?' Draco nodded. 'You may go to bed. I will inform the Order. Miss Granger, please will you tell Mr Potter and Miss Weasley?'
'What about Ron?'
'I don't think Mr Weasley is ready for any kind of revelation from Mr Malfoy quite yet.' Dumbledore winked, as if he knew what was going on, and began to write on a piece of parchment. We turned and left, going back up to our common room, but not before a conversation with Al.
'Hey, guys! The professor just told me! When did this happen?' The boy in the portrait sat on the edge of the chair he was sitting on, much like the way Harry and Ginny had done earlier.
'About ten minutes ago.'
'Not that. That.' Al wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Draco nodded.
'Christmas day.'
'That is so romantic! I told you it would happen.' I looked between Draco and the portrait with a bewildered look on my face.
'Al knew that you liked me? A portrait knew before me?!'
'Strictly speaking, first it was Professor Lupin, then Al, then Blaise, Pansy, and my mum sort of knows too. But I bet you've told people!'
'Yeah, I suppose you're right. I told my cat, Harry and Ginny. And McGonagall. But she worked it out.'
'Ah, McGonagall…' We turned to look at Al, whose expression had turned into a dreamlike state. 'I had a crush on her when I was your age. Still am your age, but, you know what I mean. The older version of me likes her too, but he thinks that she'll go for Professor Snape.' Al looked dejected and let his face smack into his hands.
'I think you… well, the older you, should ask her about her feelings. She said to me a few weeks ago that you only live once.' Draco put his arm around me and I sighed into his touch. Al thought for a moment.
'Yeah. Okay. I'll tell him what to do. Thanks, Hermione.' I shrugged and spoke the password, both of us going to sit on the love seat as soon as the portrait door swung open.
'Please can I kiss you now? I've waited since Christmas for this.' I giggled and finally gave Draco what he wanted.
