Best Friend-Worst Enemy

By Rochelle Lynne



It was Hermione.

Plain and simple as that. Three words that Harry and Ron had thought at the same time. In the small amount of time before Hermione had fainted on the floor.

They simply stared at one of their best friends, laying in a pool of cold water.

"Ron?" Harry asked, his voice extremely quaky. "Are you okay?"

Harry's eyes darted to the side so he could see Ron.

"Why her?" he asked no one in particular. His eyes were filling up with something that looked remarkably like tears, but he brushed them away before they had fallen.

"I would have rather it been me!," he screamed to Harry, who looked sympathetic, but taken aback.

"Damn those bastards, making her the one. What bisness did they have? She has NEVER done anything that was wrong, not once," he ranted.

"Ron, yelling isn't going to do any good. Let's get her off the floor," Harry said, bending down to lift Hermione. Ron gulped and followed suit. Taking a deep breath, he pulled down her robe sleeve, covering the mark.

"Hermione, wake up," Ron gently said as he cradled her face in his hands. Ron really did care an awful lot for Hermione, something that he told Harry the first week of new term. But he had failed to mention one word of it to Hermione.

"Common Mione, wake up!" Ron said a bit more urgently. Hermione's eyes fluttered a bit and opened. She saw blurry visions of her friend's heads, and blinked several times until they came into focus.

They all stared at one another for awhile. Hermione sat up and wiped her eyes.

"It's me," she said. She hung her head, feeling dejected. Her arm lay protectively over the mark beneath her sleeve. Taking one last glance at Ron and Harry, she stood up.

"Harry, I want to think reasonably about this. We can't have any contact until I can be sure it is safe." Ron and Harry nodded dumbly.

"If I send you anything, send it to Sirius or someone so that they can check it for enchantments or spells or curses. And whatever you do, don't forget that you are one of my dearest friends. I'm sorry," she said, launching herself into Harry's arms. He wrapped an arm around her waist awkwardly and patted her head. Soon, sniffling, she pulled away.



"Ron, I'll try my best not to kill Harry. I swear I will. I don't think we should see each other over summer holiday until I get this figured out. I mean, I could kidnap you as a way for Harry to come closer or something and I..."

Hermione was cut short be Ron kissing her fully, but gently on the lips. He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"Oh Ron! I'm going to miss you so!" And without another word, she ran from the Girls' Bathroom.



***



The next day, the Hogwarts Express left Hogwarts, bringing all students home. There were three people on board with exceptionally bad moods. And they were sitting at opposite ends of the train.

Harry and Ron had decided to sit at the front, so that the older students and Prefects could keep an eye on them. Hermione, in turn had decided to sit at the caboose, which, unfortunately, held Draco and his gorilla like bodyguards.

"Well well well, it looks like the almighty Granger has decided to come and grace us with her presence," Draco said, casting his ice blue eyes in Hermione's direction.

"Shove off Malfory," she said, keeping her eyes on the passing scenery.

"Looks like her boyfriend Potty dumped her." The remark, surprisingly, came from Goyle. But his moment of fame and glory were cut short as Hermione cursed both Crabbe and Goyle, knocking the idiots, eyes closed and onto the floor.

"Dimwitted, ain't he?" Hermione asked, smiling up sweetly at Draco. Draco looked taken aback for a second, before choosing to sit directly opposite her.

"Slytherians, out now!" He commanded to the rest of the students in the car. All of them (all Slytherians) left without a word.

Draco smiled at Hermione's astonishment.

"Something in the Slytherian house. We have ranks. You are looking at the Ruler of the Fifth Years. The Sixth Years when we get back," Draco informed.

"How nice for you."

"Something is different about you Granger.... I can't put my finger on it...."

"Nothing is different, just tired, that's all."

"Where are your friends?"

"I don't have any, not this summer."

Draco blinked. And suddenly, he got an idea. Reaching into the front of his robe, he brought out a black crystal he had on a chain around his neck. He squeezed it ever so gently and watched Granger.

Hermione grabbed the mark as she felt it prick. She noticed Malfory watching her intently.

"It's just a cut," she lied, taking her hand away from her arm.

Draco studied her closely.

"It's the dark mark, isn't it?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled up his sleeve and showed her his.

"I didn't want it," Hermione said.

"I didn't want mine either."

Hermione's eyes filled up with tears of fear as she pulled up her sleeve. She hadn't had the courage to look at it herself, but as she compared it to Malfory's scar, she noticed it was different.

There was a tiny X above the right eye socket of her skull.

"How did you get yours?" Hermione asked, as she hid the gruesome thing.

"Before any of us say anything, I want you to swear not to tell this to anyone. I will swear not to tell of your secret," Draco said.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"My father," Draco began. "he is a death eater. My mother knows, but doesn't approve.

"My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps. The first year, I told the hat I wanted Slytherian. That's where my father wanted me.

" This year, during Christmas break, he..... he told me we were going to a party. And when we got to the house....

"He forced me, against my will. He had his wand pointed at my temple the whole time. He said he would kill me if I didn't...." Draco choked on his words. He looked out the window before regaining composure.

"Tell me, how did you get yours?"

The whole story spilt out. About Ron's trance, about the dark mark appearing. About staying away from Ron and Harry.



"It seems we finally have something in common Granger," Draco said, with a semisweet smile.

"It's Hermione, Draco. Call me Hermione."

***