Heya guys! Sorry I keep taking ages between posts, can you believe I'm busier since my exams finished!? How stupid is that?? Argh. Doing a talk tomorrow on 'do we need men'- all biological fact, of course, y chromosomes and all that.

Anyway- thanks for all the reviews, theres a couple of general notes-

Gyver21 and everyone else who asked, yes, fine, you can have cookies!!

All the people who asked what's up with Faith and Xander… is it really that hard to figure out? They kissed, Faith freaked, Xander left. (hehe, I love writing angst!)

All go read Becks89, witchlight, and shootingstar19's stories- they're very cool.

Ooh, now, another fun chapter. I have a feeling I may be disappointing at least one person, but you'll probably be able to guess some of what's coming if you've read my other fics…

Chapter 49-Flight

            It wasn't until she'd nearly reached the entrance hall that the answers to the various questions buzzing in the back of Faith's mind came together.

Why had Malfoy specifically said Granger? He'd said, 'You, Granger' and for some reason it had bugged her. Why had he gone back in the opposite direction to which he had been heading? Why had he really been watching them? What was that green thing in his pocket? That was when she froze.

Granger.

He'd heard Hermione say she was going to the library.

Something green…

Green Liquid.

Faith turned on her heel, and ran.

            Hermione's eyes were wide as Malfoy held her hard against the wall.

            "Don't try to scream again." He snarled. "That would just be stupid." He took his hand away from her mouth.

            "What the hell do you want?" She spat.

            "Just shut up." He said, digging in his pocket with his free hand. He pulled out the small vial of green liquid. "I have my orders, that's all." He awkwardly removed the cork from the bottle, and looked at Hermione. "Now don't make a fuss." He said nastily. Hermione did.

            "Get the hell off me!" She snapped, trying to knee him, but he held her back with his own body, the arm across her chest preventing attack with her arms. They were so close that each could hear the others heart beat. Malfoy shifted his arm, gripping her jaw as she slammed it shut, turning her face away as much as she could. He wrenched it back, and raised the vial.

            Hermione looked up into the eyes of the Slytherin boy she had hated for over five years. She was fighting tears, refusing to give him such satisfaction as he looked down into hers. His silver grey eyes were feverishly bright, and his jaw set. As he squeezed, forcing her mouth open, Hermione just waited for the acid green liquid to be dripped in. Her head tipped back, she could only just see the vial, but her mind was skimming through every potion and poison she could think of with a vaguely similar colour. Would she have time to get an antidote? Or would he maybe hold her here until… she could barely think it. Maybe it wasn't so bad, maybe just to threaten her… but he said he had his orders… but who would give him orders, other than Voldemort… only why would Voldemort be interested in her? Through all this, it took some time for Hermione to realise that even though he'd got her here, with everyone else at dinner, even managing to force her mouth open, the vial only inches away, he hadn't done it yet. He was just looking at her. The hand that held her face was shaking violently. Suddenly, Malfoy shoved her hard against the wall, but let go, and flung the vial across the floor, where it shattered. He marched quickly away as Hermione slid to the ground with her hands to her throat, gaping at the spot where the vial had smashed.

            Malfoy hurried away, turning the corner so fast he almost ran head long into Faith, but didn't even pause as he knocked into her shoulder. Faith starred at him for a moment, awful scenarios filling her mind. She ran round the corner to see Hermione crouched against the wall, hands at her throat, and eyes wide. She rushed to the girl's side,

            "Hermione." She said desperately, "Can you hear me?"

Hermione blinked a couple of times, looked at Faith, and nodded slowly, before returning her gaze to the ground. Faith followed her line of sight, and grimaced. Pieces of broken glass were scattered over an area of the floor where something green was burning into the bare stone, fizzing and smoking. Faith's eyes widened, "Oh god, he didn't…?"

Hermione shook her head,

            "He didn't." She croaked. She frowned, looking at Faith with a little more clarity. "He got me here, could have done it… but he didn't."

            "You stop him?" Faith asked. Hermione shook her head,

            "Couldn't… he just… stopped." She looked vacant for a moment, then said, "He said that he had orders. Said he was following orders."

            "From the big V?"

            "I guess… only I don't know why he'd be interested in me."

            "Pick a number." Faith scoffed, "You're muggle born, you're best friends with Harry, you're probably the brightest girl in the school…"

            "Whatever." Hermione snapped, "Point is… if Voldemort ordered him to… to… kill me."

            "And by the looks of it, he did." Faith added.

            "But Malfoy didn't… well… Voldemort isn't going to be too happy about it, now is he?"

            "You got that right." Faith agreed. "He's gonna kill 'im." She said matter of factly, "Literally." She starred at the burned patch for a moment, before shaking herself into action mode. "Ok, Hermione, you go to madame Pomfrey…"

            "No. I don't need to… he really didn't hurt me."

            "Fine, then go to the common room, I'm going to Dumbledore." But as Faith rose, Hermione grabbed her arm,

            "Faith… I don't… I don't want him expelled or anything."

Faith gaped incredulously,

            "The dude tried to kill you."

            "But he didn't." Hermione said, "He could have, easily, and he didn't."

Faith sighed,

            "I know… I guess there is more to that boy than anyone knows."

Hermione found a smile coming to her lips,

            "That's why you chose Slytherin." She said quietly. Faith started,

            "What?"

            "That's why you chose Slytherin, to get close to Malfoy… you always believed there was more to him."

Faith smirked,

            "You see more than you let on." She said. "Look- go back to the common room. I'll go to Dumbledore, and tell him the deal… he'll know how to deal."

Hermione nodded slowly,

            "Ok." She murmured. She started to gather her books- it seemed like an age since her bag had split… and so much had changed since it had.

            "And Hermione?"

            "Yeah?"

            "You sure you're ok?"

            "I'm fine." She replied.

            It seemed like a very long time that Hermione had been sitting in the common room, alone. She knew that everyone, including Dumbledore, would have been at dinner, but it still seemed to be taking too long. She found herself fidgeting, unable to sit still for more than a second or two. Eventually, Faith reappeared through Buffy's door,

            "Come on- Dumble-D wants to see you." She said kindly. Hermione nodded, and jumped up. The two girls walked in silence to the headmaster's office, and Faith gave the password (Humbug) to let them in. The moment they were on the staircase Hermione could hear the uproar in the office, and began wringing her hands. As they reached the door, in a strangely mothering gesture, Faith placed her hand on the younger girls, and said, "Hey, relax." Hermione smiled softly, and let her hands fall to her sides. Then Faith opened the door, and Hermione was immediately hit by Ron, who hugged her tight, before holding her at arms length to check for damage,

            "What did that damned ferret do to you?" He demanded, "Are you ok?"

            "I'm fine, Ron." Hermione said, detaching herself. "Really, he didn't hurt me."

            "He attacked you!"

            "But he didn't hurt me." She repeated.

            "Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, drawing the attention of the whole of the large group within the office, "I would be grateful if you could tell me exactly what happened- do sit down."

Hermione took the proffered seat, and recounted the events, ignoring Harry and Ron's angry out bursts, which interrupted most of the story.

            "Where is the little bastard…" Ron cried, making for the door. Buffy was the one to stop him, pulling him back and shoving him into a seat.

            "Professor Snape is looking for him now." Dumbledore said calmly.

            "Snape?" Hermione cried, "But he'll be horrid! If it's him chasing him, Malfoy will run! He'll…"

            "Hermione, that's a good thing." Harry said with gritted teeth, "Malfoy deserves anything he gets!"

            "No!" Hermione cried, "You don't get it! He was ordered to do it by Voldemort! He will have known as well as any of us that Voldemort would kill him for failure in such a task, and yet he still didn't kill me, even though it was me, of all people. He hates me, you all know that- I'm everything that he despises, but he still didn't do it. He's not what he likes people to think he is… and if Snape goes running after him, Malfoy will flee the school, and then… then he's dead for sure."

No one spoke for a moment, all of them shocked by Hermione's outburst in defence of a boy she couldn't stand.

            "I assure you that Professor Snape will not chase Mr Malfoy from the premises." Dumbledore said. "However, he will need to be strictly reprimanded, you must understand. If he is truly receiving direct orders from Voldemort, we must be sure of his intentions."

Hermione hung her head, even herself unsure of why she was so concerned for Malfoy. Why shouldn't he be punished? Of course he should, part of her said, but much of her just couldn't agree.

            "I'd like to just go to bed." Hermione said tiredly.

            "Yes, yes of course." Dumbledore said.

            "I'll take her." Ron said.

            "Me too." Harry added. Dumbledore needn't have nodded to Buffy, as she was already by the door, ready to accompany them.

            "In fact, I suggest that everyone call it a night, we can do much more in the morning than we can now."

The group nodded and murmured their agreement, all heading out of the office after Buffy and the trio.

            Ron and Harry had left Hermione at the bottom of the girl's stairs as they could not enter the girl's dorms. She had lain down without changing, just flopping back onto her bed, and wincing slightly as she landed on the bruises all over her back from the harsh impact with the stone wall. Of course no one knew about these, and they barely bothered her- they were nothing on what might have happened. Hermione wondered if Snape had found Malfoy yet. She wondered what Malfoy was intending to do now. She climbed off her bad and headed to the window, gazing out into the dark. Down in the grounds she could see Hagrid's hulking figure heading for his cabin. Another movement caught Hermione's attention from the corner of her eye: A much smaller figure running down the front steps, and heading down the long drive towards Hogsmeade. Hermione's eye flew wide, and she bolted from the room without a second thought. She flew through the common room, ignoring the yells as she shoved past people. She didn't care how loud her footsteps sounded as she hammered through the school, reaching the entrance hall in record time. Soon she was out of the front door, and pelting down the drive.

            Harry and Ron sat on their beds in the dorm. The others weren't up there yet as it wasn't quite curfew, though it wouldn't be long.

            "I can't believe Voldemort has sunk to the level of using Malfoy." Harry said, spitting the last word like something nasty.  

            "I know. Doesn't say much for his team, does it?"

            "I wonder if Snape has found him?"

            "Dunno, but I hope he strings him up by his own guts." Ron said. "Little rat bastard messing with Hermione… I hope Voldemort gets him."

Harry cringed- he knew what Ron meant. He was hoping that Voldemort would use the Cruciatus curse on Malfoy. But Harry found he couldn't wish that on any body. Having felt the pain himself, he just couldn't.

            "Hey!" Ron said suddenly, "Why don't you use the map?"

            "The map?"

            "Yeah, the marauders map! You can use it to find Malfoy!" Ron said triumphantly.

            "Good idea." Harry said. He got it out, and laid it out on his bed, touching it with his wand and saying, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

The two boys peered down at it as the green lines began to form, showing Hogwarts and all its secrets. "Huh. Well he's not in the Slytherin common room or dorms, or in Snapes office."

            "Not in Dumbledore's either… though Snape is." Ron added.

            "Where is he?" Harry murmured. His eyes trailed across the whole map, even scanning the outside, right down to the great long drive… he gaped. "Oh god." He gasped.

            "What?" Ron asked, looking where Harry pointed, just in time to see the little dot labelled 'Hermione Granger' disappear from the school grounds.

            Draco Malfoy had a bag slung over one shoulder in which he carried most of the contents of his trunk, and his broom was resting on the other shoulder as he walked through the deserted streets of Hogsmeade. He was getting a bad feeling about this. Just as he was lowering his broom, thinking that flying might be a better option, the broom whipped out of his hand, and figure in a black cloak walked out of the shadows to catch it.

            "Tut tut tut, little Malfoy." Said the masked deatheater, "Running away?"

Several pops announced the arrival of a ring of five more death eaters, surrounding the sixth year boy. "The master sent us. He wasn't particularly happy with the way you handled you first real assignment."

            "It… didn't work out the way I hoped." Draco stammered.

            "No, it didn't." The death eater snapped, "Seeing as how she's still alive an' all."

            "She… she fought back." Draco declared. "She knocked it out of my hand before I could…" He was cut of by the quick snap of,

            "Crucio!" And his words moulded into a scream. "Do not lie." The deatheater ordered.

            "Please!" Draco begged, "I'll do better… I didn't mean…"

            "You didn't mean what, Boy? To be a weak, pathetic little wretch; A disgrace to your family name?"

            "I didn't think I'd have to kill anyone…" He gasped.

            "This is all still a game to you, isn't it? Stupid, foolish child."

            "Give me mercy!" Draco cried, still writhing on the ground under the curse.

            "Mercy? Mercy!? Why should the master grant you mercy, you filthy worm?"

            "Pretty much cos otherwise he's gonna get his ass kicked." Declared a voice outside the circle. The next moment, with a couple of nasty thumping sounds, two death eaters collapsed before they could even turn. As the curse was lifted when the Deatheater's attention shifted to the newcomer, Draco squinted up from the ground- who could it be? The Potter girl? Black, maybe? But his eyes widened in shock when he saw who it was that kicked the wand from the next death eater's hand.

            "Granger?" He gasped.

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Sorry elsawriter! I know you said you don't like Draco not being a bad guy, and I promise he's not gonna be fluffy… you'll see. Anyway, Please Review!!

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