Day 21
"I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones
Enough to make my system blow
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Welcome to the new age, to the new age
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh, oh, oh, I'm radioactive, radioactive
I raise my flag and dye my clothes
It's a revolution, I suppose
We're painted red to fit right in
Whoa
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus
This is it, the apocalypse
Whoa"
Song: Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
"So what's the plan?" Anthony asked enquiringly, he was looking at Hermione, as was everyone else; she didn't know at what point exactly she became the unofficial leader of their little group.
So lifting her brow in contemplation she glanced between the faces of the other three, then realising she would have to call the shots, she sighed, but not before taking in the satisfied smirk from the obnoxious ferret.
"We go in if course. Them leaving just now is perfect."
Draco nodded in agreement, still smirking; Anthony and Maria on the other hand was frowning.
"If they feel confident enough to leave the castle alone for hours on end, then the castle must be well protected?"
It was Anthony that spoke, still frowningly, Hermione knew it was a logical assumption to make, so she didn't scowl at him as she in truth wanted to, but she had already gouged their warding abilities, and it wasn't so great.
She fully expected it to be better after her little visit, but she doubted their abilities would somehow magically have morphed into Snape greatness within a few days.
And besides, she had Malfoy.
He was second to her only in school, and she doubted there had been many better after them, especially in the new regime.
She knew muggle borns were identified as babies already, and then taken from their muggle parents, who in turn was obliviated, and placed in muggle born magical orphanages.
From there they were raised in the wizarding world only, but in the submissive class, they were also not accepted into Hogwarts, instead sorted to the lowly public wizarding boarding schools, their whole curriculum was also different, no advanced magic or defensive magic at all.
Only everyday magic, to better serve their superiors, as it was programmed into these new age children from birth, Hermione had also become privy to the rumours that the exceptionally gifted muggle borns were given to selected half blood partners, and selected gifted half bloods were partnered to certain pure bloods, they had finally realised that inbreeding between the pure bloods will cause their own demise, and thus with above process they were refreshing the bloodlines selectively.
In the end, she knew she and Draco were the best in this arena, with the added experience from actively participating in the war, and only someone with the calibre of Snape or even Malfoy senior or Dumpledore would be able to deter them in this arena.
So with an amused smile she only smiled at Anthony, and then shook her head.
"Trust me. They can't keep Malfoy or me out. It would take Severus Snape or Minerva McGonagall to keep us out."
With that Draco barked back a peel of quiet laughter, and then casually threw his arm around her shoulders and pressed her casually to his side in a shoulder hug.
"Exactly St Claire. You forget, Granger here is the brightest witch of our age. It's luck that they haven't paired her yet with some selected partial blood for their blasted breeding program."
Hermione scoffed at him, she was very confident in her abilities, some would say too confident, but she wasn't arrogant about it, not like Draco liked to be, and now he was arrogant for her!
She just stepped away from him shaking her head, he only continued to grin at her, but Maria spoke up then, a very deep frown in her face, as well as her voice.
"You know Malfoy, it's a worrisome thought actually, why haven't they paired you yet Granger? You are by far the most gifted muggle born, surely you would have been the first to pair off?"
Hermione felt a feeling of heavy dread, it was in fact a very good question, why?
She could see Draco losing his smirk as he glanced toward Hermione briefly in worry, but it was quickly masked by his unreadable expression, Hermione had the distinct feeling he knew something, something that held relation to this all.
Fixing her gaze on him she glared harshly.
"What do you know Malfoy."
It wasn't a question, and she took note on how his shoulders tensed; barely perceptible, it confirmed that he knew something.
"Just trust me Granger. Some secrets you do not want to know."
As quick as a flash, Hermione's wand was out and pointed straight at his throat, Draco quickly help up his hands in the surrender position, but she was feeling that heavy feeling of dread morphing into the familiar swell of red rage, Malfoy were holding secrets from her, that obviously concerned her, and it was enough to drive her to the edge of reason.
"Speak ferret! You know I'll hurt you if I want to!"
Draco swallowed nervously, but he didn't back down; he kept his hands up, and locked his gaze on hers, effectively trapping her eyes to his.
"Granger... Think, do you want to hurt me? Think Granger. Calm down and breath. I can't tell you what I know. For various reasons, I ask you to trust me. I've helped kept you alive for the last decade, and for that reason alone I ask you to trust that I'm not here to harm you. You'll find out what everything is when the time is right. Think Granger..."
Hermione realised he was whispering, and comprehension dawned, he didn't want the microphones to pick up what he was saying, so whatever it was, it was bigger than all of them here.
A snicker caught her attention, giving a quick glance to her side he saw Anthony watching the exchange gleefully, his eyes narrowed on Draco, Hermione saw that he actually hoped that she would harm Draco.
The muggle born really had issues with Draco Malfoy.
That was what finally pushed through completely, how could she harm Draco, he was the one she had promised to save, not harm him for the entertainment of a disturbed Anthony St Claire!
And so she lowered her wand, and with a contemptuous look at Anthony, and a quick peck to a surprised Draco's cheek and whispered 'I'm sorry' in his ear, she walked off to the bridge.
Xxxx
It took Hermione and Draco twenty minutes to break through the strengthened new wards, she was surprised that it was better than she thought it would be, but it was still not what it would have to be to keep her and Draco out.
And as the last ward successfully unwound;she lowered her wand with a triumphant smile at Draco, who sported a very arrogant smirk himself, they were good together she realised.
"They're down."
And with that she walked over the bridge with Draco next to her, for all the wizarding world her equal.
Xxxx
It was another hour later that the dynamic duo made their way back inside from where they had been on the roof, placing their own wards and enchantments.
Their wards were a lot better than what were on the castle when they broke through, as well as that they had placed a distinctively dark ward as well, one that Draco knew, and Hermione had read about.
Basically, instead of only blocking or even giving warning to the occupants when someone wants to enter, it actually disintegrates anything stepping into it.
Hermione had at first protested it, but then after a subtle reminder of kill or be killed, she consented, she figured the more died without her hand directly killing them, the easier it would be.
"Let's go see what good food there is in this castle Granger."
Hermione glanced at him with unreadable face, they had just reached the bottom floor where Maria and Anthony were lounging seemingly completely at ease in some armchairs.
So frowning at them she looked at Draco and nodded at him, without a word they turned on their heels and made their way up the grand staircase.
"Here we are Malfoy."
Hermione walked through the archway that was the entrance to the room where all the supplies were stacked, she then promptly sat down on her arse and started to ruffle through the packages and items, discarding anything that didn't pique her interest, Draco stood watching her for a few minutes, then followed her suit and sat down to start rummaging himself.
"Oh look!" Some cereal and powdered milk! That's would be a feast in exchange for the damn bars."
Hermione looked up at Draco's almost excited exclamation, and giggled at his awed face, then just as he wanted to glare at her, she threw him a empty bowl which he deftly caught.
"Well come on then! Mix your cereal so I can also!"
She smiled widely at him, Hermione wasn't sure why she felt so light hearted at that moment, but something in his face when he discovered the cereal, that almost boyish excitement, had affected her.
He laughed at her and quickly proceeded to pour some cereal into the bowl, along with the powder milk, then after throwing the two tins over to her, he proceed to pour in water with his mix.
Hermione saw a bag with utensils, and without wasting a moment threw him with a spoon, he was busy looking around him for a spoon so didn't see her throwing one, it collided with a thunk against his skull.
Glaring at her she once again started to laugh, and then he joined her, soon they had both mixed bowls of cereal and sat next to each other eating the distinctly muggle food, silly smiles on their faces.
"You know, I would die for a bath!"
Draco broke the happy silence eventually, they were sitting against a wall in the supply room, next to each other, legs stretched out in front of them.
Hermione rolled her eyes and elbowed him gently.
"What, spoiled ferret not used to living low and dirty..."
She giggled at his mortified glare, and then promptly burst out with full out laughter when he puffed out his chest in an attempt at dignity.
"Granger! You know I've been living down and dirty with you for days now! I think I've proven I can along with the rest of you."
Hermione shifted to better look at him, still grinning at him with snorts of laughter in between.
"Malfoy, you've been complaining like some spoiled child the whole bloody time! My hair... My skin... My hands!"
Her laughter rolled out of her as his cheeks flushed with twin spots of red, then he stood up and held out his hand to her, to assist her, glaring at her in irritation; as she grabbed his hand and let him pull her up, she realised he didn't even realise he was helping her.
"Granger I didn't complain like that every day..."
He retorted sulkily as she came upright next to him, Hermione swallowed her laughter and looked at his pouting face with a fond smile, then she patted his cheek.
"No you didn't Draco, you have surprised me remarkably in the last days, you're not completely a pansy as I thought you were. You've only had a few days that reminded me of the spoiled child I used to know."
With that she turned and left the room, only to stop at the arch to look over her shoulder back at him, still standing where she left him, starring out in front of him, seemingly lost in some thought.
"Well are you coming or not Malfoy? I'm sure there is a bath here somewhere."
Seeing him shaking himself out of his reverie, and starting to follow her, Hermione started down the hallway opening doors and peering inside.
Xxx
It was about thirty minutes later, as Hermione lowered herself thankfully into the tub filled with glorious warm bubbled water, that she allowed her mind to drift for the first time really to the secrets Draco was obviously keeping.
Frowning she looked up at the dull wooden ceiling, the whole game this year was a mystery she thought.
What happened that the pure bloods were chosen, or more importantly, who submitted the pure bloods into the goblet of fire?
Something was going on, something that made her wonder also about Draco's involvement, he knew something obviously.
He had been keeping her alive, for almost ten years, he was also submitted and chosen for this years games in some mysterious event that resulted in pure bloods being here.
He said it was because he loved her, that he kept her alive, she in truth didn't doubt it, she saw his love in his eyes and in various gestures everyday, even though she couldn't say that she loved him, but she couldn't help but feel there was more to it as well; and then he had been there the day of their entry submissions, she had thought it odd for him to be there that day, she recalled.
And now, the further golden question, why hadn't she been paired off in their breeding program?
Maria was right, she would have been their prime candidate, so why not?
Hermione lay in the bath, pondering all these thoughts over and over, it was as the last bubbles disappeared, and the water turned cold, that she finally resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't have the answers as long as she was in the arena, she had to rather just focus on surviving long enough to ensure Draco winning.
