A/N – Here we go, we're getting to the final countdown! Read on and you will get a bit more action. 3 I'm so excited to finish this Fanfiction!
Everything began moving extremely quickly. Hermione found herself almost always in the company of Scarlett, Amber-Rose or Draco and Draco seemed to have sorted his issues. In fact he was livelier than ever. He seemed to be forever planning something new for them to do together or surprising her with every little bit of romance he produced.
Of course she still found her brain working over time from all the strange little moments. She was still turning Scarlett's cryptic apology around in her head and her confusion became stronger when one day Amber-Rose asked her how Harry Potter never seemed to get in trouble when coming back from D.A meetings. Hermione, thinking nothing of it at the time, explained the Marauders Map. But later she wondered what might have possessed Amber-Rose to ask such a question.
To Hermione's surprise Scarlett seemed to have become less giggly. She had come to the conclusion that Scarlett's hyperactive-ness was just her hiding from the pain in her memories. She had expected, now that the memories had been renewed in Scarlett's mind that she would be even bubblier than ever but now she was just quiet. There were moments when she said something that seemed too cynical for her personality.
One day Hermione was heading to her Ancient Runes class when Draco intercepted her, kissing her in the middle of the hallway causing several heads to turn. Hermione, feeling a little uncomfortable, pulled away after a few seconds and stared at him. He had a big smile on his face which actually seemed almost forced.
"Meet me tonight" he told her in a whisper. "Meet outside the statue thing of the One Eyed Witch." At those words Hermione remembered the conversation with Amber-Rose about the Marauders Map but she pushed it from her mind.
"What are we doing?" she asked and they began walking towards her classroom together. "Do you know about the secret passageway?"
"Uh…yes" Draco said, shrugging. "My father knew about it in school, he told me. But I think we might not be disturbed if we get out of the castle." Hermione nodded slowly. Was he lying to her? She could never tell.
"Right, okay then" Hermione agreed, curious despite her better judgement. "I'll be there"
"7:30" Draco called as he began running in the opposite direction. Hermione turned to see Amber-Rose standing there and suddenly her spirit sank.
She remembered what Scarlett had told her about Amber-Rose liking Draco. Was he acting so strange because he was trying to hide something? Were Amber-Rose and Draco sneaking around behind her back? The thought chilled her to the bone and she could barely focus on her class. She translated everything wrong and the teacher told her she was very disappointed but that it might have to do with stress as the exams were coming up. Hermione agreed, not wanting to talk about it.
"Hermione!' she turned as she walked out of her class to see Harry rushing towards her, his face white. "Hermione, I have to talk to you"
This was surprising. Harry hadn't wanted to talk to her since she had betrayed him and Ron. In fact they hadn't even said two words to each other. What could he have to say to her now that they were practically living in two different worlds? It was in that moment that Hermione realized she missed the Gryffindor world. Drama hadn't been so superficial there. It hadn't been all about boys. She didn't worry that she was being cheated on. And when she was in Gryffindor there were no prophecies about her and she didn't have to keep somebody from joining the dark side.
"Harry?" she stared at him as he came to a stop in front of her. "You have to talk to me? About what?" Harry just shook his head and pulled her down the hall and around a corner. They climbed stairs and dodged people until they reached a deserted corridor. There Harry began to speak.
"The map is missing" he told her.
"The Marauders Map?" Hermione asked and Harry nodded. A chill ran through Hermione's body as her conversation with Amber-Rose came back to her. "Do you think it was stolen?"
"Well, the room was ransacked" Harry explained. "But it could only be a Gryffindor who is in the D.A. They are the only ones who know the map exists and can get into the Gryffindor dormitories unless…" he trailed off and Hermione thought she knew what he was about to ask. "Have you told anybody about it?"
Hermione blushed. "Well…yes, I told Amber-Rose. But…"
"But? You told somebody? I was going to ask but I never thought you would say yes" Harry exclaimed, glaring at her. "Why would you tell her?"
"You can't honestly think Amber-Rose stole it. She can't get into Gryffindor tower. Look, I'm sorry Harry but you're blowing this out of proportion. In fact, you and Ron are blowing everything out of proportion. We haven't spoken in months and…I miss you"
"I miss you too" Harry said quietly and Hermione smiled.
"Please don't think Amber-Rose did anything. I don't know who did it but it wasn't her. I don't even know the Gryffindor password anymore, none of us Slytherins can get in"
"Right" Harry agreed and began to turn away. After a few seconds however he turned back. "And the password is Pudding…just in case you ever need it"
"Pudding?" Hermione asked, failing to hide a laugh. Harry laughed too. Then he turned and walked away. Hermione smiled to herself.
After dinner Hermione entered the Common Room. In the corner by the fire once again sat Scarlett and Amber-Rose deep in whispered conversation. Hermione headed over to them and was rather surprised when the minute she got within hearing distance they stopped abruptly and turned towards her.
"Draco told us to tell you to meet him inside the statue" Amber-Rose told her. "You know how to get in and everything, right?"
"Wait, you two know about the passageway too?" Hermione asked. "I thought nobody knew…aside from Harry, Ron and I"
"Well, you were mistaken" Scarlett said, sucking on a Sugar Quill. She picked up the bag and offered it to Hermione who took one and sat down in her own armchair. This area was becoming a pretty regular meeting place for their group. The only person missing was Draco. Maybe he was planning things for that night.
The three girls talked about classes and what was going on with the other Slytherins until Hermione noticed Amber-Rose nudge Scarlett a little. It appeared she was trying to be subtle. Then a look that Hermione couldn't quite place passed over Scarlett's face and she stood up.
"We have to go" she said, quickly bending down and giving Hermione a stiff hug. "We have some studying to do. If we don't do it now we never will, you know?" Amber-Rose nodded in agreement but she rolled her eyes at the same time. Hermione just looked confused. "Bye" Scarlett said, before fast walking to the exit and leaving.
Amber-Rose smiled a little. "See ya" she said, turning to follow Scarlett out.
And now Hermione was alone again wondering how on earth she could have chosen such strange friends. She looked up at the big magically charmed clock in the Common Room and saw that it was 7:25—nearly time for her to go meet Draco. Deciding it would be best to give herself time to get there she stood up and exited herself. It was kind of odd that Amber-Rose and Scarlett had left only a few minutes before she was meeting Draco….but everything was strange lately.
She reached the One Eyed Witch without much interruption. The statue had always creeped her out a little and she remembered the disapproval she had felt when Harry had began using the passageway to get in and out to Hogsmeade. Now she was being just as rebellious. Maybe instead of her being a good influence on Draco he was just a bad influence on her.
Quickly she wracked her brain trying to remember how you got into the statue. "Dissendium" she remembered, tapping it with her wand. It opened up and tentatively she dropped inside.
When she landed she found she couldn't see a thing. The passage was completely dark. She had no idea if Draco was here yet. Feeling a little nervous she found a wall and leaned against it, deciding it would be good to wait.
"Lumos" Draco's voice floated out of the darkness and as his wand ignited she saw his face. It was twisted up and he looked as if he was struggling with something. It's intensity scared her and she jumped away from the wall.
"Lumos"
"Lumos"
Two more voices she recognized spoke and suddenly she saw Scarlett and Amber-Rose standing behind Draco. They were making a sort of triangle blocking the rest of the passageway. Scarlett and Amber's faces were seat, stone cold compared with Draco's. What was going on?
"Expelliarmus" Amber-Rose said, and Hermione realized she had fished her wand out of her pocket. It went flying to the floor and Amber-Rose picked it up, smiling.
The fluttery feeling she always got when she was working with Harry to try and stop Voldermort came back. She was taken back to her third year with the time turner and the never halting action. The feeling of the butterflies floating around in her stomach made her sick. She felt in danger, but she couldn't be!
"What's going on?" she asked and her voice came out in a whisper. She hadn't realized that she was shaking and she hid her hands behind her back wishing her nerves would end. "I thought…"
"You thought Amber and I were going to study?" Scarlett asked, still staying rooted to her spot in their makeshift triangle. "Haven't you noticed that she and I have been studying a lot lately?" Hermione bit her lip but didn't speak.
"Where did you think we were going?" Amber-Rose asked her wand moving from hand to hand as she spoke. "Not to mention…I know that Harry Potter told you his precious Marauders Map got taken…weren't you suspicious? Did you not for one second consider that I managed to get the Gryffindor password and take it from his room?"
"Did you?" Hermione asked, her mouth dropping open. "How?"
"You truly are a Gryffindor" Amber-Rose rolled her eyes and laughed scornfully. "It didn't even cross your mind that I might have ways of convincing other Gryffindor students to give me the password"
"You don't mean…"
"The Imperius Curse? Yeah…I do mean that" Amber-Rose laughed again. "Trust me; it's easy once you get the hang of it. I can't remember the boys name…Colin something or other"
"Why would you do this?" Hermione asked, her eyes travelling to Draco at his place at the front. "I don't understand"
Draco's face wasn't screwed up anymore but he looked miserable like he was being forced into something. Maybe he was. He raised his wand towards her and held it there, his hand shaking.
"Please, you have to understand" he said, sounding on the verge of tears. Hermione had never seen Draco cry before and she didn't really want to. It was almost like seeing your father cry. "I have to do this"
"Do what?" Hermione exclaimed, beginning to cry herself. "What do you have to do? What's going on?"
"I have to kill you" he almost whispered, one tear escaping from the corner of his eye. He swiped at his face to get rid of it angrily.
Hermione found herself breaking down the tears coming faster and faster. She looked at Scarlett, remembering her break down from a few days before. Now she was cold faced and silent.
"And you're helping? You're a part of this?" she addressed Scarlett directly. "After everything you've been through with your brother you're going to be just like his murderer's."
"Look, I apologized" Scarlett snapped. "I told you why. I'm not losing Draco; he's one of my best friends. If you think I would let the Dark Lord kill him then you're crazy. This is the only way"
"Just do it, Draco" Amber-Rose commanded holding her wand out in much the same way he was. Scarlett mimicked the movement and walked past Hermione to stand behind her obviously to stop her from trying to make a break for it.