Chapter Twenty-Five
"Hermione, Draco's getting worried about how he is going to complete his mission. If he is even going to with his new place as spy," Luna whispered to me. I looked at her with hardened eyes. Draco of all people had to do a near impossible mission. He would be branded as a villain if people new exactly who let the death eaters in. Tom specifically asked me that if Draco asked for my help I was to oblige. It was complex enough to find a way to get ten to twenty death eaters inside Hogwarts without the use of me apparating them myself, while simultaneously making sure the students were safe. In all that I still needed to kill Albus, put Lucius and Narcissa in the spies contract with Albus' backing before I kill him. And after doing that, still keep myself in Tom's high opinion and act as his queen. It was too much for one person to handle and I could feel myself straining from the stress.
"I've talked to Albus. He has resigned himself to death and to let the death eaters inside the castle," I spoke with a sigh. I gave into annoyance at having to deal with that man. For heaven's sakes he was this jolly wizard one moment and than the master of manipulation in the next. It was hard enough reading him, and I hardly had as much of a pull with him as I do with Tom. At least Tom was considerate of my busy schedule with being Head Girl among other school duties.
"He's willing to die? Even with the curse, it has slowed down enough to give him at least another year," Luna replied looking rather stunned that the headmaster was not fighting to keep himself alive.
"He resigned himself to death, not to dying at the moment. He wishes to fake it in some way. We will not let that happen," I spat out. Thinking about all the wrongs he had done against Severus, Harry, and Tom made my blood boil in anger. Here was the headmaster simply allowing death eaters to enter the school full of innocent children to possibly be killed, through some unknown entrance that he is relying on someone else to figure out while he would fake his death and give orders behind the scenes in safety. He simply asked for too much, that senile fool.
"Hermione," Luna asked worriedly.
"What was that event with Montague last year," I suddenly asked, the idea coming to fruition in my head.
"He was stuffed in a cabinet. He overheard voices from a shop occasionally, though people said he just went a bit mental from being stuck inside a cabinet. It was a miracle he returned to us in a normal enough state to straighten everything out," Luna replied back the event without much trouble. That mind of hers was nearly as extensive as mine.
"Exactly," I gasped. "I was thinking that maybe he wasn't just imagining things."
"You mean that he was in an actual shop?" Luna continued to question.
"Think about it," I paused to look at her with a grand smile on my face as I figured out one solution to one of the many problematic missions in my agenda. "A vanishing cabinet. They were very much popular during Tom's first ascent and I know there is one in Borgin and Burke's shop in Knockturn Alley." She pondered over it for a moment, sinking into her thoughts and looking beyond for any hint that this was how it was to be played out.
"It is hazy, but I think you are right." Luna breathed out slowly as her hazy eyes flitted back and forth. "It is broken, though."
"I guess I'll just have to fix it," I smiled. Luna returned the warm gesture, knowing just how relieved Draco would be to have a new development in his mission to offer the Dark Lord when the time comes.
"Do you have any clues?"
"Ironically I think I might. Tom gave me an entire library worth of book. I remember putting one away under magical artifacts," I spoke with excitement.
"Hermione, are you getting in too deep with him? I mean he is still the Dark Lord," Luna mentioned, her eyes were slightly narrowed as he looked at me, concern was evident in her eyes. I gave a small smile before taking her hand in mine lifting it to trace my finger over the lines of her palms.
"We all start here in the beginning," I pointed out to the line between her thumb and index finger. Trailing my fingers until the branching point I continued on, "We get to choose which path we take, let's say we take this one. Sometimes it isn't a clear path, sometimes life branches of just a bit more," I traced the second branching, letting my fingers halt there, barely touching the palm of her hand. She looked at me curiously. "And sometimes that second branch can give way to a lesser evil."
"You can't change him, Hermione. Like you said before he is too far gone," Luna protested. I gave her a saddened smile.
"I know that. Just like I know that in the end I might be the one to kill him," I said softly. "And it will hurt me to do so, but right now I can give him a friend. I can be someone he can talk to."
"You will be betraying him even more if you get any deeper. You are his queen, Hermione. He admitted to thinking of you as something more. You might just end up breaking yourself by killing him if you begin to care for him like you do us," Luna's voice turned from its usual serene self to something much harsher and colder. She was scolding me like a mother would and I couldn't help but smile at her concern for me.
"I've told him," I admitted. "I've told him that one day I might turn against him and betray him. Do you know what he said?"
"Hermione," Luna whispered.
"He said that it would be a fight to remember. That in the end a Dark ruler will come out of this war," I smiled. I looked up at the sunny sky that was charmed to show on the ceiling above us. "I didn't have the heart to deny what he said." I looked at Luna's astonished face. She believed the hard to hear truth that I said. In her eyes she could see where I was coming from. She was, next to Severus and Elena, the person who knew me the best. "I don't think I believe that I'm more light than dark now. I won't be coming out of this war as someone who is solely Light." The frown on Luna's face grew deeper as my words sunk in to her.
"What have you gotten yourself into?" she gave out heave a sigh.
"Something I don't regret. Tom deserves to have someone to accept who he is fully, to in some form care and love him. You know I'm right, Luna. He is still very much a wizard who longs to be accepted, fully as himself for what he is and what he has become."
"You will hurt him or he will hurt you if you face against each other in the end." Luna commented. There was a strange look in her eyes, something like concern but with hints of anxiety, interest, and mischief as if it was interesting her to see the dilemma I was in. It was an odd look on her, but one that was still very much like Luna's core self.
"And we will mourn each other for our loss," I breathed out. "I am setting myself up to be hurt. I know that already. Just like Severus knows that I have begun to care for Tom. He accepts it. My priorities are still in line to benefit us, not Tom. You must accept my decision as well." The blonde haired witch gave me a saddened smile. She knew how much everything is affecting me. She could see beyond with the Fates, and because of that she knew I was leading myself down one path and one path only. There was nothing stopping it anymore. I was in far too deep.
"Who died?" Harry joked suddenly. He popped up in front us before sitting down opposite of where Luna and I sat. Ron sat down next to him. He muttered a quick good morning, or at least that's what I thought it was before heaping loads of food onto his plate for breakfast.
"No one. Just some girl talk," I threw out casually. The lie was so quickly flying form my lips I hardly thought it was even a lie. I was getting to good at that.
"About Slughorn's party I'm guessing?" Ron retorted dryly. We all ignored the tone and still kept the pleasantness to the morning.
"No," Luna replied. "Though I believe we have forgotten about that for a while. When is it again?"
"In two weeks," Harry commented. "You really forgot about them? Then again you have been awfully busy, Hermione. So it shouldn't surprise me."
"Term's ending. You know me, I always swamp myself with everything," I joked.
"Just try to keep safe. In whatever you are doing," he said a bit more seriously. The look in his eyes told me though that there was more bothered of my absence and what it meant.
"Trust me Harry. I'm as safe as can be," I lied. In a certain way it was true. I was under the protection from Tom, I was supposedly part of the Order by association and this protected me to a certain degree. And in most instances, other than when I visited Tom, I was protected within the walls of Hogwarts.
"So any dates yet for the party?" Harry changed the topic back to the original one he had brought up. He looked earnestly at us.
"I'm guessing you don't?" I teased.
"Still free. So are you?"
"I'm going with Draco," Luna announced. Harry snapped her head to Luna who sipped on her tea with an air of carefreeness.
"Malfoy," Ron gasped.
"You're going with Malfoy?" Harry continued. They couldn't believe it and I laughed out right at them. "Why are you laughing? Are you joking or something?"
"No, Luna isn't joking. They hit it off quite well, though they haven't made much of an appearance in public. Not their thing really," I paused to look at Luna who still continued to sip her tea. There was a small smile forming with the curl other lips and I could feel her amusement coming off of her in waves. "Though I suppose they wanted to announce it with a bang."
"So you're really going with Malfoy?" Harry asked Luna. Ron seemed too quiet and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking in that precise moment.
"Yes. He will look very handsome in formal dress robes. Though he always does wear something more formal on most occasions. Do you think I can get him to wear a tux or will that be too muggle?" Luna drawled on as she looked blatantly at Draco from across the room with a smile.
"He is a Malfoy. He can wear what he wants and get away with," I threw out offhandedly.
"And you Hermione? Don't tell me you are going with some Slytherin too?"
"No. I'm going solo under the wishes of my darling sister, Elena. Though Snape is escorting me, once again, simply for formalities before leaving me to mingle. We will have one or two dances throughout the evening and then he will be escorting me back to my dorms to ensure my protection," I detailed out. "Elena is very thorough when concerning my wellbeing. She told me what my plans were the moment I told her I was invited." I laughed remembering the meter long parchment detailing what was expected of me seeing as Elena wouldn't be there and the plans to rope Severus into escorting me. Once again she consulted it with Albus who signed it off without another glance.
"You're going with the git, again," Ron spat, deciding this was the best moment to join in the conversation.
"Yes I will be. If you have a problem with whom Elena wishes to escort me then tough luck, Ronald. You just have to suck it up," I nearly snarled. I was being more temperamental lately. Each passing day I could feel myself unhinging even further from the control I kept throughout the past year. One of these days I really was going to end up breaking.
"I guess that means I have to find my own date," Harry sighed. He looked around reluctantly, not wanting to ask out another witch who wasn't Ginny. It was obvious enough.
"Won won," A girl shrieked as she entered the great hall. Lavender walked up to us, planting big kiss on Ron's lips as she nearly hopped into his lap. She really liked him that much was obvious. Whether or not Ron felt the same was up in the air.
"Hey, Lavender. Do you know if Pavarti might want to go with me to the Slughorn's party?" Harry asked hopefully. I had to muffle a laugh as Lavender turned to glare at the boy.
"After the Yule ball disaster," Lavender said hotly. "No." She turned back to snog Ron before whispering cute little things in his ear. Suddenly it felt awkward having to hear their little noises as I was eating. I mean, can't they get a room or something. Honestly, I was probably jealous. Severus and I can hardly ever do that outside his quarters, and it would have been nice to be able to flaunt whatever our relationship was.
"I'm not going to get a date, am I?" Harry sighed.
"Why not ask Ginny?" I gave Harry the push he needed and Ron looked a bit put out at hearing his sister's name in the conversation.
"Well, she's Ron sister and isn't she going out with Dean?" Harry stuttered.
"Nope. They broke up a few weeks ago," I added, giving Harry yet another push. Nodding to him in encouragement he turned to Ron who looked uncomfortable in his seat.
"Uhm, mate. Is that cool? I mean if I ask Ginny to go with me?" Harry muttered. He looked every bit as uncomfortable as Ron was who looked at Harry, turning red in the meanwhile.
"Yeah," he said suddenly. "Better you than Dean, right?" he shifted in his seat again, while Harry just nodded along not really knowing what else to say.
"I guess I'll go ask her now then?" He questioned strangely.
"Sure," Ron blurted out. "I mean, yeah that's fine." I looked at Luna who had a hint of a smile as she watched the boys. Even Lavender fought to hide the smile that was creeping up on her face at the troubling exchange of words the boys seemed to have in the conversation.
"Okay, then," Harry paused as he got up. "I'm going to ask her now, since you are cool with it. Right, Ron?" Harry questioned again.
"Definitely fine with it," Ron choked out. Harry left in the direction of Ginny and Ron suddenly slammed his head onto the table. "Bloody hell. Why does Ginny have to have nice skin?"