DISCLAIMER: As much as I'd like to, I don't own Harry Potter nor, though it pains me to say it, none of the actors...including Daniel Radcliffe... sigh...

Chapter 21: Nobody Knows Me Like You

It had been exactly one week, four hours, two minutes and thirty-eight seconds since Sirius had so romantically asked her out and Hermione was still on cloud nine. Not only had she managed to snatch up Hogwarts' most eligible male teen, but she had also managed to somehow elude the Ministry.

However, even as Hermione's happiness grew, her irritation also grew to surpass that as each Potion's class went by. Slughorn had stepped up in his pursuits in getting her to join the "Slug Club" and somehow even managed to persuade Lucius to talk to her, a mistake which the Slytherin teen never repeated after Hermione had threatened him with hexing his angelic locks right off his head after putting him in a full body bind.

Slughorn was weary yet fascinated at the weird concoctions that Hermione brewed, inventing a sort of competition between himself and her for him to guess the concoctions and for her to make one where he could not possibly fathom a guess. Everyone watched as Potions would near an end and Slughorn was forced to admit Hermione's tremendous skill; not even Severus matched her in some areas which was a shocker to everyone.

One particular class, Hermione was talking quietly with Lucius while their dichromatic potion simmered on low for fifteen minutes. Hermione had found this particular potion in a ancient looking book that Dumbledore had lent her to gain some extra studying for NEWT's as well as for after graduation when she expressed a desire to broaden her studies in potion making.

This particular potion was one which allowed the drinker both physical and mental strength for a certain time period. It was much stronger than the average strengthening potion for it often allowed a clarity of mind which the strengthening potion clouded.

Slughorn had already passed by their station twice, each time looking for a fault but unable to find one. Hermione gave him a quick smirk of satisfaction each time he clamped his mouth shut and walked on by. Lucius laughed quietly under his breath each time this happened and lounged further back in his chair, having transfigured the old stool into a comfy chair of dark, forest green.

As their timer rang, Hermione rose from her stool and turned the fire off as she stirred the potion clockwise twenty-five times with the very tip of her wand; too much exposure to the magical wood would cause the potion's effects to reverse. The potion was now shimmering brightly and small, silver sparkles rose from the cauldron, dancing in the air.

Lucius stood from his seat and waited for her to step back so that he could help her remove the cauldron away from the heat and place it on the work table where it would have the chance to cool for five minutes before being bottled up.

Hermione smiled as she checked the book once more, happy with the outcome of the potion. It was exactly how the book had said it should be. After waiting the set five minutes, Hermione ladled some of it out into a vial. She looked up just as she was about to put the stopper in it to find Slughorn watching her very intently. Sure enough, he was soon bearing down on them.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger," he said cheerfully as he stood in front of them, a large smile on his large face, "what have you brewed today?"

Hermione quirked a brow. "Do you, Potions Master, not know?"

There was definite sarcasm in her voice when she said 'Potions Master' and Slughorn would have had to be an idiot to not notice.

"Very well Miss Granger," he said shortly and took up the vial in his hands. "Let's see now, blue-green in colour; slight fragments here; not real thick but not too thin either…," he paused and missed Hermione's intense look of disdain. "Why, my dear girl, this is rather easy, if I may say so myself."

"Then if it is so easy, sir," Hermione replied flatly, "why don't you tell us the conclusion at which you have arrived at after observation."

"This is clearly a phantasm potion that causes the drinker to be at the will of the giver for a time frame of two hours. Quite efficient in a sticky situation."

Slughorn had an arrogant look of satisfaction on his beefy face and Hermione found herself basking in his blatant ignorance in potions that were not very common. She, herself, felt a certain pride that her studios attitude had caused her to surpass this particular professor in a general region of study.

Hermione stuck a sickening smile on her face as she said sweetly, "Professor."

Slughorn glanced around the room, clearly wanting everyone's attention. "Yes, Miss Granger," he replied, smile in place, "you may congratulate me at any time now."

Don't count on it, you old bugger. "Actually Professor, I was going to say that," pause for dramatic effect, "you're wrong."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Miss Granger, no one can always be right. We all….what?" he stopped as what she had just said registered and looked down at her.

Lucius, along with many others, were unable to cover up their snickers with coughs and ended up sounding like a bunch of hacking elephants. Hermione, meanwhile, merely stared at him with well hidden amusement.

"I said," Hermione repeated more slowly and clearly as if she was talking to a five year old, "that you are wrong."

"Impossible!" he cried as students all around them started laughing very loudly indeed. "All the visible indications are there! I've…."

"You've misread them," Hermione interrupted, taking the file from his flailing hand and holding it up in front of her. "The colour is not blue-green, it's dichromatic. The 'fragments' as you called them are, in fact, fine, silver powder from a Fairydorn plant collected on the fifth night of every month. It is a smooth texture with slight balls of chocolate-like phrine which is used to educe weaknesses."

Slughorn stood there as Hermione calmly placed the vial back into his now frozen hand, smirking at him, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "So clearly, sir, it is not a phantasm potion. It is, in fact, an extremely rare strengthening potion that provides both mental and physical strength along with clarity of the mind."

The classroom applauded her as she finished her analysis of the potion while Slughorn still stood there staring down at her. Only a few were not clapping, those of course being the pristine members of the 'Slug Club' which included Lily.

The bell rang then, and, with a quick swish of her wand and a few muttered words, the materials whisked themselves away to their rightful place, along with the excess potion which disappeared, and the cauldron collapsed. Hermione packed her stuff away while the students clattered about around her and shouldered her bag.

Sirius was grinning as he waited for her by the door, not caring really that Lucius remained by Hermione's side. Remus and Lauri walked behind them as Lily had stayed behind to talk to Slughorn. James, under Lily's painful grip, was forced to stay as well.

The Slytherins were torn between hexing the Gryffindors for 'corrupting' their leader and applauding Hermione for her blatant disdain towards Slughorn and her small acts of rebellion that in no way could get her in trouble. Of course, they decided for something in between and merely stood to the side shooting malevolent glares at the group.

Stephanie was sitting in the Great Hall when they entered for the small break in between classes and waved at them. She was smiling goofily, Hermione noticed, and she could only speculate what she was so darn happy about. The Slytherin girl had a small skip in her step as she joined up with them to sit down at the table in front of the fire.

"Hello all," she greeted as she stopped in front of them and took a seat beside of Hermione on the bench. Lauri sat down beside of her while Remus sat on the other side.

Lucius, who had yet to get on even a semi-friendly basis with the Marauders (six years of hating one another took a bit of time to get over), touched Hermione on the shoulder and whispered, "I'll see you later, all right? Library, eight o'clock."

Hermione nodded and watched as he walked away, joining up with the 7th year Slytherin group that had just walked into the Great Hall. She turned, after he started up a conversation with Jugson, to Stephanie and smiled.

"So, Miss Rezzet, what are you so happy about exactly?"

Stephanie smirked a genuine Slytherin smirk and said, "I think that Severus may finally ask me out soon. He's been acting like a jealous prick since the Hogsmeade trip…it's so endearing!"

Sirius started to gag as he leaned forward a bit to look between Stephanie and the group of Slytherins where Snape stood. "Snivellus? But…but….he's so…greasy!"

Stephanie got this dreamy look on her face as she looked over to where he stood a little ways away from the group, sulking as usual, and breathed, "I know."

Sirius pretended that he was retching and Hermione hit him in the stomach playfully, smirking at him as she stood and moved out of arm's reach. He gave her his best puppy eyes, causing Hermione to laugh and shake her head as she backed away further. She had known him for way too long now for that to work anymore.

"Hey lovebirds," Remus said amusedly, drawing Sirius' and Hermione's attention to him, "Lauri and I are going to go to the library to pick up a book or two and Stephanie left to go with Severus. Do you want to come with us?"

Sirius' instant 'No' was countered by Hermione's eager 'Yes' and the two looked at each other imploringly. Hermione sighed, "Fine, let me go get a book and then we'll go wherever you want to for the last fifteen minutes."

Sirius, overly excited that he had finally gotten his way for once, did not notice that Hermione had allotted herself thirty-five minutes in the library, but Remus and Lauri did causing them to laugh at which they had to asphyxiate with their hands.

Hermione smirked as she grabbed a hold of Sirius' hand and waited for Remus and Lauri to get up from the table. Together they walked out of the Great Hall and towards the library. Sirius was still grinning and Hermione felt a little guilty…a little.

They were almost to the library when the grin fell off of Sirius' face and he pulled to a stop, Hermione having to stop with him since her hand was still securely in his. He slowly turned to face his, the small wheels in his head turning.

"You tricked me," he said accusingly.

Hermione smiled as she patted his cheek affectionately. "You're a Marauder, my dear, you trick, you're not tricked. I remember you saying that to me once."

Sirius' eyes narrowed on her. "You, Miss Granger, are evil."

Hermione rose up on her tip toes and kissed him chastely on the lips. "I learn from the best, sweetheart."

When he still glared her, Hermione patted him lightly on the head and smiled. "You know you can't stay mad at me, Sirius, so quit pouting and come on. You agreed."

"I didn't think I was agreeing to thirty some minutes in the library," he whined, removing his hand from hers as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"Then you shouldn't agree too quickly," Hermione returned smartly, placing her hands on her hips as if she was chastising a child, which with it being Sirius, she kind of was. She grabbed his hand back and tugged him towards her. "Now be a good boy and come along and you may just get a treat for good behaviour later."

Hermione's suggestive smile cheered him up and he allowed her to pull him to the library. Remus and Lauri shared a look but followed them anyways. They did need to get to the library after all.

Upon entering, Sirius automatically stepped closer to Hermione so that he might as well have been walking on top of her. Hermione glared at him as he stepped on her heels for the fourth time.

She gave a loud huff and made to walk away from him but he countered her movement by stepping right up against her side. Hermione stopped and looked to the ceiling, asking the Gods to help her to maintain her temper with him.

"Sirius," she said through clenched teeth with a chilling smile, "please get away from me."

"But…but…," he immediately began to stutter, his eyes darting this way and that, "we're in the library."

Hermione jaw tightened as she slowly turned towards him. "Sirius, I know this. When one wants to get a book, one often goes to the library. Now please step away from me."

Sirius whimpered as she stepped away from him and immediately hurried after her, almost sending them both crashing to the ground as he ran straight into her. "Remus," Hermione hissed after she had regained her balance, "get your friend away from me."

"Can't," Remus said as he calmly flipped through a large book that he had just picked up off a nearby shelf. "Sirius and James both have a phobia of libraries. Their philosophy is if you have to go, get in, get out, otherwise stay out. Besides," he added with a smile and a glance in her direction, "he's your boyfriend."

Hermione narrowed her eyes on him and was about to go and hit him but Sirius continued to cling to her which ultimately would not let her move towards Remus. Finally, she looked at Sirius. "How, pray tell, have you passed these last few years?"

Remus, nose still stuck in a book, raised his hand. "That would be all thanks to me, I do believe."

Hermione glared at the lycan as she fully rounded on her boyfriend. "You came in here last week, Sirius Black, and nothing happened to you so suck it up."

"I wasn't in here that long then," Sirius protested, still glancing around warily.

Hermione stared at him for a moment longer before an evil thought entered her head. With seeker-like reflexes, Hermione reached out and plucked four books off a nearby shelf and shoved them into Sirius' arms.

He was forced to take a hold of the books as she turned and walked to the next shelf, taking two more down and placing them in his arms. She continued to do this on down the aisle.

"Hermione!" he sputtered as the number of books continued to grow as she made more and more trips to and fro. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping you, dear," she answered calmly, not looking at him as she shoved two more books at him. "You have a problem, so I'm helping you solve it."

"I like my phobia, thank you very much," he said hotly, shifting the books in his arms.

"Forgive me," Hermione said with a small, apologetic smile as she took some of the books from his arms, "I didn't know that I was dating a coward."

The change was instant. He snatched the books back out of her arms with a small growl. "I'm not afraid of anything."

Hermione smiled. "Huh, and I thought 'phobia' meant fear of something."

Sirius narrowed his eyes on her and opened his mouth to respond but someone near them cleared their throat.

Hermione looked around to find Remus standing beside of Stephanie and Severus at the end of the aisle. She also noticed the odd expressions that both wore.

"What's wrong?" she asked automatically as Stephanie glanced at Severus before answering,

"It's Lucius…something's wrong…"

"What happened?" Hermione asked even as she made her way to where she had earlier deposited her bag.

"He got a letter from this odd owl…," Stephanie informed her.

"The owl gave him a letter and then took off. Lucius left the room shortly after another owl arrived carrying a black letter," Severus finished shortly with a significant look at her.

"Where's he at now?" Hermione asked and didn't miss the exchanged look between the two Slytherins before Stephanie said softly, "We can't find him."

Hermione closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, releasing it as she looked at Sirius, a pleading look in her eyes. "Sirius…."

"Go on," he whispered, his eyes veiled and Hermione asked somewhat cautiously, "Do you care?" She was watching him closely as he took a step closer to her.

"No," he said. He walked over and kissed her on the forehead. "We'll meet up later. I'll be on the Quidditch pitch or in the common room until class starts."

"Alright," Hermione said with a nod, watching him leave the library. She then turned to Severus and Stephanie. "You guys go on, there's something that I've got to do first."

After they had left, Hermione turned and walked straight towards Remus who now stood alone since Lauri and left him to find a book in the Restricted Section. She looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Do you take me for an idiot?"

A look of total confusion passed over his face as he gazed at her. "Hermione?"

"Yes or no, Remus," she interrupted, "it's a simple question."

"No, Hermione, I don't. In fact, I think you know more about us and this war than you're letting on," he stated. "Actually, I think you know a lot more."

"Good, then I need to see it. You know what I'm referring to so don't deny it," she added quickly before he could open his mouth to protest. "I have to find him quickly, Remus."

Hermione willed him to think faster as he stood there studying her for a moment. It was true, she did need to find him quickly, especially if the black letter meant what she thought it meant. Finally, he nodded and slowly extracted what appeared to be a plain old sheet of parchment from his bag and held it out to her. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

Hermione took the map from his hand and thanked him quickly before dashing out into the hallway. She found a hidden crevice where she could stop and study the map without being seen. Looking left and right, she quickly dived behind an old suit of armour and into the crevice, mouthing a silent, "Lumos," when she was fully enveloped in darkness.

Her eyes scanned quickly over the black ink, searching. Kim, Ashley, Narcissa, Alice… but where was Lucius? He was still in the castle…he had to be in the castle.

There, sixth floor, small hidden room behind a portrait of Andros the Invincible. The tiny black dot labelled 'Lucius Malfoy' remained still even as numerous dots passed by outside. Hermione folded the map back up after wiping it clean and slipped out of the crevice. She would have to hurry to make it to him before he moved but careful enough to not attract any extra attention.

The staircases were working in her favour today for they neither moved or purposefully pretended to not see her. Yes, her journey was going smoothly to the point that, in any other circumstance, Hermione might have stopped and wondered about it. However, today she just did not have the time.

The hidden room was actually very easy to find. In fact, it was located rather close to her old rooms which she had before school started behind the portrait of Falco Aesalon. She had, in fact, visited this place in her own time one night when her and Harry had been exploring while Ron had himself detention.

She stared at the portrait for a moment while the tall and lanky man in it stared back at her. A silent battle, Hermione knew that she needed to get in there while the portrait knew that the room's occupant wanted to be alone.

Falco had eventually came to her aide after returning to his portrait, informing Andros exactly who she was and the fact that she was to be granted permission.

The portrait swung open, though he looked begrudging to allow her entrance, and Hermione climbed through. Once inside, though, she was frozen by the sight in front of her.

Lucius was sitting against the wall, a plain letter in his left and a black one in his right. His eyes were locked on a point in front of him. His wand and what appeared to be ashes laid to left, Lucius was left handed after all.

Hermione walked over to him slowly and, with his minimal approval, removed the letters from his grasp, letting her eyes scan over the context. Once done, she looked up and found his icy eyes on her, the letters falling to the floor as she fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around him.

Abraxas Malfoy was dead and the Dark Lord was summoning Lucius to his side.