It took Hermione a while to get herself together, but she had an apparition class in two hours and couldn't afford to miss a lesson. Flying was not for her and she didn't particularly enjoy travelling by floo powder. So she plastered a smile on her face and headed down to the Gryffindor Tower.

The common room was not yet filled with students, most of them sleeping in on a Saturday. In her room she found Parvati and Lavender huddled together busy whispering. Hermione, not feeling like explaining her absence, ignored their apparent stares.

"Go ask her."

"No, you ask her. He's your boyfriend." Hermione heard them say as she got ready to take a shower. Lavender shot up and blocked the way to the door.

"What do you want," she sneered, tired of her classmates constant interfering. Lavender flinched at the tone of her voice but didn't back off.

"What did you get my Won-Won for his birthday?" she asked, nodding towards the gift wrapped package that had been sitting on Hermione's nightstand. She smiled maliciously.

"If you want to know so bad, maybe you should just open it," she told her and walked past her to the bathroom.

"Don't do it, Lav, she's jinxed it," Parvati exclaimed in a panic. She had not, but ever since the ending of the DA they had become very careful about touching her stuff, scared off ending up like Marietta.

The shower did Hermione good, enabling her to let her mind range freely without thinking to much about Draco. She would wait for him, wait till he was ready to come to her. It could take months, years, but they were young, their whole lives laying ahead of them.

After drying her hair with an effective new charm that left it somewhat straight she went and knocked on the door frame of the boy's dormitory.

"Goodmorning," she said a little more cheerfully than she felt.

"Can you not?" screeched Ron as he scrambled to get the covers up to his chin, a blush creeping up his face. She let out a laugh and threw him his present. "Happy birthday, Ron."

Ron let out a muffled 'thanks', his face stuffed with chocolate cauldrons, while Harry was busy eyeing the Marauders map, something he had taken a habit to lately. Neville eyed her nervously and she sensed he was trying to get dressed.

"I'll see you guys at breakfast."

She did not, however, see them at breakfast, nor did she see them waiting for their apparition class in front of the great hall. Hermione grew increasingly worried as the group entered and the hoops appeared in front of them.

"Now, think of the three D's," their instructor's voice rang through the hall. Hermione decided to let go of all of her worries, determined to get it right this time. She did not even notice Malfoy, who stood a few rows behind her, trying to burn holes in her back with his eyes.

Hermione let out a wail of anguish. Next to the feeling of being compressed by a great force a searing pain shot through her body. Looking down she found she was standing in the hoop, a wide smile spread across her face. She had done it! She had apparated. Only when she turned around to search for the instructor did she discover the three great slashes across her belly through which her intestines were trying to escape. She let out a surprised 'oh' staggered and fell to the ground.

Moments later she woke to find Professor Snape standing over her and felt a cold tingling sensation spread across her stomach.

"Well done, Miss Granger," applauded the instructor as he fought his way through the crowd surrounding her.

"Though this may seem like a fail, I've never seen anyone apparate this much of themselves after only four sessions," the man said, positively beaming. Professor McGonagall gave her what seemed to be an encouraging look before ushering back the students to their assigned hoops. Snape gave a snort and a scowl, he usually saved those for when she put up her hand in his class. Only Draco was left standing in front of her, his face emotionless.

'I'm fine,' she mouthed and gave him a small smile at which he turned around and stalked away. Hermione sighed, this was how it was going to be then.

She was unable to apparate again, but Twycross did not seem surprised and ensured her that it was normal to be drained after such a first try.

Hermione had not noticed the commotion that occurred at the end of the hour, focussing vividly on the centre of her hoop, drowning out all other noise. Only when everyone started chatting loudly did she look up.

"What happened?" She turned to Neville, who was standing next to her.

"Don't know," he shrugged, "Professor Slughorn ran in in a panic asking for Professor McGonagall to come with him straight away." Hermione looked up just in time to see the green ends of McGonagall's robes disappear between the great doors.

With no one able to concentrate and one Head of House short Twycross decided to let them go early. Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors up to the Tower, listening to their wild speculations and theories. But before Seamus could give the password the portrait of the Fat Lady opened and Ginny came sprinting out of it. She stopped briefly in front of Hermione, ignoring Dean's question about whether she was okay and started pulling her with her.

"What is wrong?" Hermione asked as they were running down the corridors.

"It's Ron, he's been poisoned, McGonagall just told me," she said, panting. They stopped in front of the oak doors, that let to the hospital wing, almost colliding with Harry, who had been pacing in front of them.

"What happened," Ginny asked him pressingly. After a moment of silence Harry started telling the story. Hermione could hear this was not his first time repeating it, he seemed a little worn out.

They had been in their dormitory, just after Hermione had left it became apparent that Ron had swallowed Romilda Vane's love potion. Harry had taken him to Professor Slughorn who had swiftly cooked up an antidote. After which they had poured a bottle of mead and how Ron had fallen to the ground after drinking it, foaming at his mouth. It had only stopped when Harry had forced a bezoar down his throat. Professor Slughorn had called for Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall and Ron had been moved to the Hospital Wing. Harry had waited there ever since, not allowed to enter.

Hermione's mind was racing, hile Harry and Ginny started a heated discussion about who had wanted to poison Professor Slughorn, she could only think of one person. Though Harry must be thinking the same thing he had no proof to substantiate his argument. Hermione, however, had found him on top of the Clock Tower where he had all but confessed that he had given that necklace to Katie. She had long since figured out that Draco had been trying to kill their headmaster, but since she had been actively trying to push that thought out of her mind and Dumbledore was still the greatest wizard of his time she had not felt the need to tell him, she had been sure Harry had already enlightened Dumbledore with his theories. But that wasn't the worst of it. She had put her trust in Malfoy, believed he had changed and now her best friend lay in a hospital bed on the brink of death. No, this couldn't go on any longer. Hermione turned and walked away, answering Harry's question with a faint 'library'.

There was no need for the Marauders map, she ran in on Draco skulking only three corridors away. For a split second his eyes lit up at the sight of her, before she had roughly pushed him against the wall with a charm.

"Hermione, I-" he tried, but she was not having it.

"I can't believe you did this!" she yelled waving her wand dangerously at his face.

"It wasn't me," he said, unconvincing, trying to break free of the wall.

"And neither was that necklace, was it," she shot back sarcastically. "I saw you in that pub, Draco Malfoy, and you definitely weren't hiding any Easter eggs underneath your jacket."

"They told me to. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt," he said sounding suddenly defeated. He had given up fighting against the invisible force pressing him against the wall and stared at the floor.

"They?" The question was left hanging in the air for Hermione to connect the dots.

"Harry was right," she muttered to herself. She looked up at Draco, eyes filled with horror.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" Her voice filled with disbelief, as if there was still a chance he wasn't. Draco didn't answer. Instinctively he tried hiding his arm behind his back. Hermione, noticing the movement, caught hold of his arm and pulled it towards her. She pointed at his underarm with the tip of her wand and whispered, "Revelio". A glowing green light started pulsating underneath his sleeve burning a hole through the three layers of fabric he was wearing. His mark was showing, jet black ink on his pale white skin. He stared at it unwillingly, the snake moving ever so slightly, scared of looking up and seeing the revolted look on her face. Hermione couldn't say anything for a long time either, lost inside her own head, her fingers digging into Malfoys wrist.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you," she said softly, letting go of his arm. It fell back to his side lifelessly. She gave him one sad look before turning and walking away.

She knew she could not continue to deny the fact that Malfoy was a Death Eater, though she had known all along. Next to Harry's wild theories, which he voiced every other day, and the many clues she had ignored, there was the fact that she knew he had given that necklace to Katie.

She herself had aided him by not turning him in, but falling for him instead. One could argument she was just as guilty as him for not going to Dumbledore, she should have known better. And if it hadn't been for Harry's quick thinking she would now have been walking here with blood on her hands. Her judgement would no longer be clouded by the blissful sensation of love. Malfoy had picked his side, she had picked hers.

"Toffee eclairs," she said impatiently to the gargoyle who immediately leaped aside. The swirling staircase took her up and she knocked on the door.

"Come on in, miss Granger," Dumbledore spoke. She opened the door and was immediately absorbed by the sight of the many bookcases that reached the ceiling. How many books would he have here that she would not find in the library, she wondered.

"Mr. Weasly is doing fine, I'm told he will make a full recovery." Her attention snapped back to the old wizard sitting behind his desk studying her over the brim of his half-moon spectacles.

"I'm sorry to intrude, sir, but I need to tell you something." Dumbledore motioned for her to sit down. "I know who's been trying to kill you, sir. The necklace and the mead, Malfoy was behind it all. He's a Death Eater, I saw his mark." She couldn't bear saying his name, yet somewhere found the strength. When she looked up at Dumbledore he didn't seem the least bit surprised.

"I've known, for a while now, of Mr. Malfoy's attempts to assassinate me. As you might agree they were somewhat below his intellectual ability." Hermione didn't know what to say. "Mr. Malfoy has been brought into a difficult situation. If he fails to complete his mission he and his family will suffer and ultimately die."

"Can't you help him, sir?" she pleaded.

"He is save as long as he remains at Hogwarts plotting to kill me. Serverus and I have been working on a plan to keep him save during the summer after which he can return to Hogwarts. I rather hoped in due time you might help convince him."

"But this is eating him alive," she exclaimed, unsatisfied with the headmaster's solution.

"It is for his own safety he remains oblivious to the fact that we know of his mission. Voldemort will not be fooled," Dumbledore pressed upon Hermione.

A conflict sparked within her. To not tell him meant his soul was slowly rotting away, to tell him meant he would surely die. Why couldn't she just be thankful that Dumbledore would not let him be turned into a murderer and was looking out for his safety. But what of his well-being?

"It is of grave importance you do no not tell him, can you do that, miss Granger?" Hermione looked up, startled, and looked into the wizard's wise eyes once more, eventually she nodded.

"Good, you may visit mr. Weasley now," he said kindly.

In a daze Hermione stood up and exited the office. Had she made the right choice?