I Dream of Sin
Chapter Six: Drawing Further In
A year and two and a half months later
"Here, this will help you," Hermione said covertly, slipping Ron a small potion. Felicus Felix. A luck potion. He would need it in order to pass the Quidditch try outs because of what Hermione knew, his knowledge of the sport was technical but his actual playing skill was passable and not the talent needed to get on the field. She knew technically they weren't supposed to make this potion, or brew it, but she needed to get on Ron's good side, more than she already was.
"Are you sure?" he asked, looking uncertain and stupid in that Quidditch outfit of his. Hermione never found the point in sports, human or wiccan. So what if you won a game? No real progress was made. It all was erased when the new season began. If Hermione was going to put so much effort into something, she wanted to see long lasting results that had a consequence. And not something only for the entertainment of stupid viewers.
And yet, Qudditch was vital to both Ron and Harry and she would be foolish to write off it's merits. She could use it to get into their good graces. Which honestly wouldn't be so hard. Boys were so much easier to fool than girls because their egos made them believe false praise more easily.
"You'll be fine," she assured in a honey sweet voice that was more a purr. "It's only a little bit more extra luck. It'll help you pass the tests and get you on the team. No one's going to get hurt if you do this."
"Alright," he said, nodding his head and taking a tiny sip from the already small vial. Nothing happened but it didn't need to for the potion to be working already. "Best of luck out there," she whispered and he went off, clutching his broom stick tightly and jutting his chin out, already feeling more confident.
Harry had seen the exchange however, from a hidden spot he had been standing in up to now, and as he approached the brunette it was clear he was upset. "What are you doing. You can't have him drink that!" he exclaimed in an angry whisper.
"A bit late for that now," she said before smiling brightly at him. "Besides, it's not a real luck potion. I lied to him about it so that he would feel more confident. And if he readily believes he can't fail, he won't."
Harry blinked owlishly at this, his anger dissipating. "Oh, I hadn't known."
"Let's go watch and support him," she said, having lied to Harry about the true nature of the potion. Not that he ever needed to know.
They sat in the spectator's spot, supporting and cheering Ron on when it was his turn. The luck worked and Ron was able to score points, protect passes, and overall dodge unsavory balls heading for him. It was clear he would get the spot.
When he came back to them, all sweaty and red in the face, but grinning widely, he let them shower him with praise. "Thanks," he said before his smile drooped. "I only wish Ginny were here to see this."
Hermione startled on this. Ginny? Could it possibly be the same Ginny who liked to bug her? She did share red hair with Ron.
"What about your sister?" she asked and Harry cringed at the question. "You don't know?"
"No," was the simple answer. For once, she actually didn't know more than them on something.
"She went dark," Ron said flatly.
"Dark?" but Ron was already marching ahead, his good mood ruined. She and Harry watched him go, the boy needing his space, even as she burned with questions. "What do you mean she's gone dark?" she turned to Harry, hoping the bespectacled boy would tell her more.
"No one knows why she did it. But one day she just up and attacked the family, killing one of her brothers, Fred, and then running away. No one's heard from her since."
Well, that was an interesting tid bit. "And before all this, she loved Quidditch. She was a star player." Harry shook his head. "And I liked her too."
Even more interesting, she thought to herself, and for once she hoped to see Ginny's freckled face so she could quiz her on this.
As Hermione made way into the castle with Harry a familiar face was seen across the hall.
Draco saw Hermione coming down the hall and he blanched, going the other way with his side kicks. Hermione smirked to herself. Good. He was still afraid of her.
"Wonder what's wrong with Malfoy now," Harry frowned, not privy to the true reason why Draco was acting like this.
"Maybe he's gotten bored of bothering us," Hermione shrugged not caring about him as long as he didn't bother her ever again.
She and Harry separated on the stairs and she went to the girl's dormitory while he went to the library to check out some books that he needed for his project. When she got upstairs, she found that her wish had come true.
Ginny sat on her spread, reading one of Hermione's books as she waited for her. "Excellent," Hermione said as she tossed her robes off and sat down at her desk. "Just the person I wanted to see."
"I thought I was the person you never wanted to see again. Why the sudden change?"
"Ron told me something interesting."
"Oh, and what was that?" Ginny continued looking at the book, words even.
"He told me his dearest youngest sister Ginny had disappeared from the family after going dark. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
"If you already know it is, why bother asking me," Ginny snorted, putting the book aside and stretching her arms over her head. "And I didn't go dark. People only call that what they don't understand as dark, as evil."
"Why not tell him the truth. Why hide from him?"
"I have a much more important destiny than to be the last child of the Weasley family. I would never get the recognition I deserve being with them. Besides, I despise them."
Hermione wouldn't question Ginny's hatred for her family. She knew too well how it felt to not be understood. To be thought crazy. She did have more questions about just how Ginny had gone dark but asking too much would be a weakness and then Ginny would have an advantage over her and Hermione hated not having the upper hand in situations.
"Are you ever going to tell him?"
Ginny shook her head no.
"Why not? He's your family."
"You had family too but they didn't matter in the end."
"Yes, but your family is full of wizards and witches."
"I didn't take you for a pureblood fanatic."
"I'm not."
"You speak like one."
"Shut up."
"All those readings and texts got to your head."
"Don't act so friendly to me. You know I'm still upset at you for what you did."
"If I didn't make you do it, than you would have still been stuck in that shithole life, afraid to do anything else. Afraid to make the next move. Face it, you love me for helping you."
Hermione tsked at Ginny who had jumped off the bed and approached her. The red head wagged her brows. "You have your uses for now," Hermione grudgingly admitted. And conversation on that topic was ended for now. "Help me learn how to fly better. I need to impress your dunderhead brother and his friend."
"Gladly. The greatest rumored witch to be, yet she's afraid of flying," Ginny teased.
"Shut it," Hermione hit Ginny on the arm as they left to go to the field.
They trained under the light of the moon, using stolen brooms. Ginny was patient in her methods to teach Hermione, for though Hermione tried not to show it, she wasn't the greatest fan of heights. Still, she pushed away her fear, knowing if she could not overcome even this simple and easy task, this part of witch culture, than what use was she to the cause?
She needed to be strong for them.
They needed to be able to look up to her and to rely on her.
"Did you make any progress?" Ginny asked as they slowly hovered ten feet from the ground, she letting Hermione get used to the slightly higher wind and the way it tugged on the broom under her.
"Why do you ask?" Hermione archly said.
"I just want to know."
"Checking up on my progress?"
Ginny sighed out. "Is it so hard to think that I care for you. As a friend? As a fellow wiccan sister?"
"Yes," Hermione spat out. "I don't like being used. Or tricked."
Ginny shook her head. "And how many times must you understand, it was needed. Needed for you to unlock your true potential."
Hermione shook her head angrily. "Cease talking about this now, or I will force you too."
And Ginny smartly clamped her mouth shut at this, because Hermione's magic was not to be trifled with. The rest of the time was spent merely flying on brooms.
"I've learned of Horcruxes," Hermione explained to the mysterious figure waiting for in Three Brooms, a shady bar outside of Ireland's capital. Hermione was polyjuiced and so was the other person, so it would be hard to tell who they were, if Hermione didn't already know who it was. Their unique scent was hard to forget. Or overlook.
"Potter stupidly trusted me and told me about their existence-"
"You must do nothing with them," hissed the figure, on edge and not impressed like Hermione thought they would be. "Just make sure that whatever Potter captures or finds, is safely guarded."
Hermione nodded her head. She knew what a Horcrux could do but she didn't know whose it was. Was it her mentor's? Or was it Voldemort's?
More research would be needed. And oh yes, Hermione would keep the Horcruxes safe alright, but only so she herself could see what use they would be to her. She didn't mind working for the cause but she found they were getting a bit too controlling of her. And she hated to be controlled. With her powers, she should be able to do whatever she wanted to.
They had encouraged her to take and take, after all. So why should she not take what was hers? Even if it meant taking from the cause.
But it was one thing to learn about the Horcruxes and another to find them. Still, she made steady progress. With her legimency skills, she had no trouble diving into Harry's mind. But, finding and picking out memories was hard, given he could put shields up on his mind. Snape had trained him in his fifth year and Hermione often couldn't get deep enough before his subconscious defenses kicked in. He never suspected her but she didn't want to risk it.
Ron's mind was easier to deep dive and so she rushed through it, laughing when she found he had a crush on her. It was amusing. And certainly never to be returned, though it could be manipulated. But that was for later.
She did however find something alerting and set up a meeting with the figure from before, this time the two of them having lunch in a muggle cafe. "One of the Horcruxes has been destroyed." Her face was grim but her expression did not startle when the figure slammed their fist into the table top, disrupting the waitress walking by and making her tray fall.
She bent down to clean the mess and the figure made a silencing spell around them so no eavesdropping could commence unintentionally.
"What do you mean?"
"The diary has been destroyed." She had seen it from Ron's eyes as the lingering smoke from the diary burst, taking on the shape of a young Tom Riddle. Hermione knew enough from Harry that this was Voldemort when he was younger. "I can't keep that part safe. But I can keep the rest safe."
"Then do that," was the hissed answer. "Or else it can lead us to ruin."
"What aren't you telling me?" Hermione leaned in, the mustache of her borrowed look curling up in anger.
"You don't need to know everything," was the response as the figure leaned back in their seat, pushing back some dark locks from a dark face of their borrowed look.
"I think I deserve to know. We've been through too much," she indicated between them.
"I will not compromise our mission for the sake of feelings. The cause comes first and first most," and then they stood up while Hermione crossed her arms angrily over her chest.
Something was coming in between their relationship and she had a feeling it was all Voldemort's fault. She grit her teeth. Another bully.
That wouldn't do.
Hermione knew something was up. It was written all over Harry's face if his thoughts hadn't been screaming loudly enough the fact that he was going to go on a top secret mission with Dumbledore. And a top secret mission could only mean one thing.
Horcruxes.
She needed to be there. But she couldn't feasibly just show up and demand to be included. No. This would take meticulous planning. Which would be hard, since Harry himself had not been briefed on plans so Hermione couldn't just search his thoughts or stun him and do a quick piensive reading. No doubt Dumbledore would just take him along and the rest of the mission would be explained there.
Which was why Hermione needed to be there. But how...?
She found Snape working in organizing his extensive collection of potions supplies at the end of the school day. "Yes, Miss Granger," he said in that derisive tone of his. He really didn't like her. And she really didn't care.
"What's Dumbeldore up to?" she asked, not having time for pleasantries. According to Harry's erratic thoughts, he and the headmaster would be leaving in two weeks time.
He stilled in his motions and she knew he was trying to read her thoughts. She blocked them and he tsked angrily at being foiled. "I don't know," he answered at last, turning to place a vial of black liquid carefully upon a shelf.
"You're supposed to be Dumbledore's confidant. And a spy for us. So why don't you know?" Hermione asked unkindly, picking up an unlabeled jar and tossing it from one hand to another. "Put that down," he growled, flicking his wand and snatching it out of her hands and placing it on a top shelf.
"And to answer your question, he does not always impart everything to me. Especially when it concerns the boy."
Hermione knew Voldemort had a thing for Harry. Wanting to kill him because apparently it was Harry's fault that Voldemort had been killed in the first place. Hermione thought the bald headed man foolish for that because surely, what threat was a 16 year old boy to a man nearly double his age and magical prowess.
"Hm, I'm not sure I believe you," she answered lightly but her words rested heavily on him. "And I don't think the cause will like hearing how you've become useless and a failure at your job."
He swirled on her, eyes growing angry at her easy remarks. "Miss Granger-"
"Find me what I need to know. And I won't say a peep. But," at this she drawled in her native American accent, coming closer to him and patting him on the cheek patronizingly. "Fail me and you will have a far worse time."
Message and threat clear, she spun on her heel and left the potion's room, allowing Snape to stew in anger and worry.
He delivered two days later the information Hermione needed and smiling, she burned the parchment his reply had come on and set things into motion.
"It sucks to hear that Mione. We're sorry things ended up this way," Ron said sadly. He and Harry came to see the brunette off as she wiped away her crocodile tears. She had been suddenly called away due to her father's ailing health and she would be gone for a little bit so that she could stay by his side. This would mean missing school, but she had been pardoned and she figured Snape could not be happier to see her leaving. He also no doubt wondered if someone else would be sent in her place.
But she hadn't told him any of those things. He thought she was leaving and going to help the cause elsewhere. And that was all he needed to know in order for her to succeed.
"It is how it is," she said evenly, trying to keep her nose from wrinkling up as she pressed the tears back. "But stay strong. And send me an owl if you ever need help with homework."
Harry laughed at this and shook his head. "We'll owl you if we miss you, Hermione."
Those words filled her chest with warmth. How long she had wished to have friends like these that would trust and confide and like her. It made her feel a twinge bad for what she had to do next. But the cause was important and if they truly were her friends, they would understand things in the end.
"Hopefully I won't be long. And my father will get better and I'll be back here before you even know it."
"Hopefully," Ron chimed in and Hermione smiled at him, knowing he would be missing her even more because he had romantic feelings for her. They would come in useful at some point.
They said goodbye to her and watched as a horse and carriage took her away from the school. But instead of taking her to the train station so she could take the express back home to London, she had it drop her off at a little hut that was a ways in the woods past the grounds of Hogwarts.
"Are you sure this is the right place, miss?" the driver asked as they stopped on the gravelly roads. He looked at the intimidating woods in front of her and at how small and defenseless she looked.
She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm quite sure." And then she took out her wand and pointed it right at him, oblivating his memories of her and what he was even doing here.
He blankly sat there, shoulders lumped over as drool trickled out of his mouth. Hmm, seemed she had over done it with her powers. The spell had been too strong and she might have done some permanent damage. She shrugged. Oh well.
Not her concern anymore.
She took her suitcase with her and walked up the path to the hut.
"Are you ready, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he came to pick up the boy for their Horcrux mission. The boy was nervous, fiddling with his glasses.
"As ready as I can ever be," was the timorous response. And truly, how could he ever be ready if he didn't know the full extent of what was going to happen. All he knew was that he had packed a bag to bring with him, an emergency bag of sorts, in case of who knows what.
And it was a good thing he did bring it. Taking swigs out of his bottle helped calm his nerves a bit because it gave him something to do. Distracted him a bit from the harrowing adventure he was about to embark on. But long story short, he and Dumbledore were able to get the Horcrux and came back to Hogwarts in one piece, though Dumbledore was hurt. Badly weakened.
Harry eyed the headmaster's blackened hand with concern. How would Dumbledore protect them from Voldemort now? He was their strongest defense.
"You will have to protect them, Harry," Dumbledore replied, reading Harry's thoughts and giving him a grandfatherly smile. "The fate of the wizarding world rests in your hands."
The thought only made Harry glum. He didn't want to be a hero, but it seemed he would have no choice. With another Horcrux destroyed, it would be only a matter of time until Voldemort was weakened enough and viable for Harry to take on. He only hoped he could count on his friends to be on his side when the time arose.
A/N: Alright, now we're going to get into the crux of the story next chapter. I'll be doing a double update this month since this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. The next update should be on the 19th.