Chapter 2-The Hidden Agenda
"Ron what if she doesn't want to get back together!" cried Harry as he fell back on his bed in the seventh year boys' dorm. It was already ten o'clock at night but all the other guys were downstairs having an Exploding Snap tournament, everyone in Gryffindor save for a few were downstairs engrossed in the event.
"Trust me Hermione wants to get back together with you as much as you do! She told me that she regretted breaking up with you and that she wants more than anything to get back together!" Ron cried back.
"Are you sure because when we broke up two weeks ago she said that she wouldn't date me even if we were the last two people on the planet." Harry asked.
"Harry what do you expect?! Of course she was mad then! Wouldn't you be mad if you saw the person you loved playing tonsil hockey with the person you hated? She had a right to be! You had your tongue so far down Cho Chang's throat I thought you'd suffocate each other!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?! I wasn't kissing Cho! At least not on purpose! She came up to me in the Hall and started kissing me! I don't even know why? We broke up at the end of fifth year when I told her I liked Hermione."
"Duh Harry! That's why she did it! You know that Cho and Hermione hate each other! They've been at each other's throats since then! How much do you want to bet that was another attack on Hermione! Listen write a letter to Hermione, tell her you'll meet her in front of the Great Hall the hour before lunch."
"Why an hour? Don't we have potions?" Harry asked dumbly.
"Jeez, this is really getting to you isn't it? Harry, Potions has been cancelled for the rest of the week. Don't you remember? Neville spilled that boil potion on Professor Snape yesterday and the antidote didn't work because Neville messed up so bad."
"Oh yeah. What do you think I should say?" Harry asked yet again dumbly.
"Explain what happened with Cho, you say you're sorry, and you tell her where and when to meet you so you can prove to her that you are sincere." Ron suggested.
Satisfied with the idea, Harry began to write out the message, pausing every now and then to think. Ten minutes later Harry was done writing his letter and Ron read it to make sure it was okay.
Hermione,
I am really sorry! Honestly I didn't want to kiss Cho. That kiss meant nothing to me. You're the only girl for me, I couldn't love anyone else if I tried. Give me another chance because I have been an absolute wreck all this time that we've been apart. To show you I am sincere meet me tomorrow in front of the Great Hall during our cancelled Potions class. If I'm not there then I promise you, you have the right to not take me back.
Love,
A very sincere and sorry Harry who hopes you are in a forgiving mood.
"Okay Harry I'll take this to Hermione."
Five minutes later…
"I don't know about this Ron." Hermione said sitting on her bed with Harry's letter in her hand.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Ron asked as he sat beside her.
"How can I forgive him after kissing Cho like that?"
"Hermione I thought you wanted to get back together! What happened to 'I want to get back together more than anything'? He wants to get back together too."
"I know I said that but the image of them kissing…that scene has been playing over and over in my mind."
"Hermione, listen to me. Harry has been crushed for the past two weeks. You've seen him haven't you? He's not eating well, his grades are slipping, and he is really sorry." Ron said almost pleading with her.
Hermione bit her lip and shook her head sadly.
"How would you feel if Lavender did something like that to you? Huh? How would you feel to see your long time girlfriend kissing you enemy? What would you do if you saw Lavender kissing…Draco Malfoy?"
"Well, first I'd hurl. Then…" Ron stopped at the look Hermione gave him and with a smile playing at his lips continued. "Herm, take back Harry. He's a giant prat but you and I both know that he's good at heart."
"Well I guess so…but only because I miss him. It doesn't mean I'm taking him back though." Hermione warned. "It doesn't erase what he did. I have to think about this before I fully forgive him. That doesn't mean that I don't love him though," she mumbled.
"See, there you are then! He made a mistake but despite that you are willing to forgive him! That's a good enough reason to take him back, right?"
"Right. I should at least write him a letter back."
Harry,
How can I refuse the offer to meet tomorrow? Listen I know you're sorry, I'm sorry too. Maybe I should have let you explained what happened before jumping to conclusions like that. We'll have a lot to talk about. I haven't been myself all this time we've been apart either. I'll see you tomorrow.
Love always,
Hermione
P.S. I happen to be in a very forgiving mood.
"There you go." Hermione said handing the finished letter to Ron.
"Okay, well I better get back it's getting late. I wouldn't want to be caught in here." Ron said smiling.
"You didn't seem to worry about being caught when you and Lavender came back from who knows where all those times." Hermione said teasingly.
Ron who had turned a lovely shade of red said. "How did you know about that?"
"I'm a light sleeper I heard you guys. That and Lav told me." Ron looked at her in disbelief. "What? Do you honestly think that she would keep secrets from her best friend?"
"No, I guess not. Remember to go easy on Harry."
"Oh Hermione are you going to forgive Harry?" Lavender said coming through the door.
"It's not for sure, I'm going to talk to him tomorrow." Hermione yawned. "I have to get some sleep, it's way too late."
"Yes it is. Good night loves." Ron said giving each a kiss on the cheek and then leaving.
"Ron is just so cute, I just can't seem to ever get mad at him." Lavender said with a squeal of delight.
"Yeah, it's hard to stay mad Harry as well." Hermione said on her way to change into pajamas.
As soon as the lights went out a snake slithered out through the small crack of the open door. It had been there for the whole conversation, hidden from the view of everyone else. It slithered out of the tower through cracks that had formed over the years towards the dungeons. Draco Malfoy looked nervously about but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the snake enter the room.
"Father there you are. I came as soon as I got your letter. What is this all about? Why is that cauldron there? Are you brewing a potion?" he asked as Lucius Malfoy, an unregistered Animagi, transformed in front of his eyes.
"Don't ask so many questions," he barked.
Without another word Lucius sprang to the cauldron, grabbed a ladle, and forced the potion down his son's throat. Draco went into a sort of trance and stared ahead blankly.
"Listen Draco. Tomorrow when you normally have Potions class with the Gryffindors go in front of the Great Hall. Potter will be there and I want you to taunt him. Do not stop until he is infuriated. Understood?"
"Yes father." Draco replied in a monotone voice.
"Good. Get to your dorm."
As soon as Draco left (after popping out of his trance and asking a few annoying questions about what just happened) Lucius looked down at his hand. More specifically a ring on his hand. The ring had the face of Voldemort on it.
"Malfoy, did you give your son the Hypnotism Potion?" said Voldemort communicating through the ring.
"Yes, Master. He will be there to taunt Potter. It is all arranged for you to sneak in. We've had Death Eaters working all day to weaken the charms protecting the castle. Also Master, the Spirit Potion is complete, when you drink it you will be as invisible as a ghost. You will also have the ability to pass through wall and such."
"Good. Tomorrow the hero becomes the enemy."
"Ron what if she doesn't want to get back together!" cried Harry as he fell back on his bed in the seventh year boys' dorm. It was already ten o'clock at night but all the other guys were downstairs having an Exploding Snap tournament, everyone in Gryffindor save for a few were downstairs engrossed in the event.
"Trust me Hermione wants to get back together with you as much as you do! She told me that she regretted breaking up with you and that she wants more than anything to get back together!" Ron cried back.
"Are you sure because when we broke up two weeks ago she said that she wouldn't date me even if we were the last two people on the planet." Harry asked.
"Harry what do you expect?! Of course she was mad then! Wouldn't you be mad if you saw the person you loved playing tonsil hockey with the person you hated? She had a right to be! You had your tongue so far down Cho Chang's throat I thought you'd suffocate each other!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?! I wasn't kissing Cho! At least not on purpose! She came up to me in the Hall and started kissing me! I don't even know why? We broke up at the end of fifth year when I told her I liked Hermione."
"Duh Harry! That's why she did it! You know that Cho and Hermione hate each other! They've been at each other's throats since then! How much do you want to bet that was another attack on Hermione! Listen write a letter to Hermione, tell her you'll meet her in front of the Great Hall the hour before lunch."
"Why an hour? Don't we have potions?" Harry asked dumbly.
"Jeez, this is really getting to you isn't it? Harry, Potions has been cancelled for the rest of the week. Don't you remember? Neville spilled that boil potion on Professor Snape yesterday and the antidote didn't work because Neville messed up so bad."
"Oh yeah. What do you think I should say?" Harry asked yet again dumbly.
"Explain what happened with Cho, you say you're sorry, and you tell her where and when to meet you so you can prove to her that you are sincere." Ron suggested.
Satisfied with the idea, Harry began to write out the message, pausing every now and then to think. Ten minutes later Harry was done writing his letter and Ron read it to make sure it was okay.
Hermione,
I am really sorry! Honestly I didn't want to kiss Cho. That kiss meant nothing to me. You're the only girl for me, I couldn't love anyone else if I tried. Give me another chance because I have been an absolute wreck all this time that we've been apart. To show you I am sincere meet me tomorrow in front of the Great Hall during our cancelled Potions class. If I'm not there then I promise you, you have the right to not take me back.
Love,
A very sincere and sorry Harry who hopes you are in a forgiving mood.
"Okay Harry I'll take this to Hermione."
Five minutes later…
"I don't know about this Ron." Hermione said sitting on her bed with Harry's letter in her hand.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Ron asked as he sat beside her.
"How can I forgive him after kissing Cho like that?"
"Hermione I thought you wanted to get back together! What happened to 'I want to get back together more than anything'? He wants to get back together too."
"I know I said that but the image of them kissing…that scene has been playing over and over in my mind."
"Hermione, listen to me. Harry has been crushed for the past two weeks. You've seen him haven't you? He's not eating well, his grades are slipping, and he is really sorry." Ron said almost pleading with her.
Hermione bit her lip and shook her head sadly.
"How would you feel if Lavender did something like that to you? Huh? How would you feel to see your long time girlfriend kissing you enemy? What would you do if you saw Lavender kissing…Draco Malfoy?"
"Well, first I'd hurl. Then…" Ron stopped at the look Hermione gave him and with a smile playing at his lips continued. "Herm, take back Harry. He's a giant prat but you and I both know that he's good at heart."
"Well I guess so…but only because I miss him. It doesn't mean I'm taking him back though." Hermione warned. "It doesn't erase what he did. I have to think about this before I fully forgive him. That doesn't mean that I don't love him though," she mumbled.
"See, there you are then! He made a mistake but despite that you are willing to forgive him! That's a good enough reason to take him back, right?"
"Right. I should at least write him a letter back."
Harry,
How can I refuse the offer to meet tomorrow? Listen I know you're sorry, I'm sorry too. Maybe I should have let you explained what happened before jumping to conclusions like that. We'll have a lot to talk about. I haven't been myself all this time we've been apart either. I'll see you tomorrow.
Love always,
Hermione
P.S. I happen to be in a very forgiving mood.
"There you go." Hermione said handing the finished letter to Ron.
"Okay, well I better get back it's getting late. I wouldn't want to be caught in here." Ron said smiling.
"You didn't seem to worry about being caught when you and Lavender came back from who knows where all those times." Hermione said teasingly.
Ron who had turned a lovely shade of red said. "How did you know about that?"
"I'm a light sleeper I heard you guys. That and Lav told me." Ron looked at her in disbelief. "What? Do you honestly think that she would keep secrets from her best friend?"
"No, I guess not. Remember to go easy on Harry."
"Oh Hermione are you going to forgive Harry?" Lavender said coming through the door.
"It's not for sure, I'm going to talk to him tomorrow." Hermione yawned. "I have to get some sleep, it's way too late."
"Yes it is. Good night loves." Ron said giving each a kiss on the cheek and then leaving.
"Ron is just so cute, I just can't seem to ever get mad at him." Lavender said with a squeal of delight.
"Yeah, it's hard to stay mad Harry as well." Hermione said on her way to change into pajamas.
As soon as the lights went out a snake slithered out through the small crack of the open door. It had been there for the whole conversation, hidden from the view of everyone else. It slithered out of the tower through cracks that had formed over the years towards the dungeons. Draco Malfoy looked nervously about but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the snake enter the room.
"Father there you are. I came as soon as I got your letter. What is this all about? Why is that cauldron there? Are you brewing a potion?" he asked as Lucius Malfoy, an unregistered Animagi, transformed in front of his eyes.
"Don't ask so many questions," he barked.
Without another word Lucius sprang to the cauldron, grabbed a ladle, and forced the potion down his son's throat. Draco went into a sort of trance and stared ahead blankly.
"Listen Draco. Tomorrow when you normally have Potions class with the Gryffindors go in front of the Great Hall. Potter will be there and I want you to taunt him. Do not stop until he is infuriated. Understood?"
"Yes father." Draco replied in a monotone voice.
"Good. Get to your dorm."
As soon as Draco left (after popping out of his trance and asking a few annoying questions about what just happened) Lucius looked down at his hand. More specifically a ring on his hand. The ring had the face of Voldemort on it.
"Malfoy, did you give your son the Hypnotism Potion?" said Voldemort communicating through the ring.
"Yes, Master. He will be there to taunt Potter. It is all arranged for you to sneak in. We've had Death Eaters working all day to weaken the charms protecting the castle. Also Master, the Spirit Potion is complete, when you drink it you will be as invisible as a ghost. You will also have the ability to pass through wall and such."
"Good. Tomorrow the hero becomes the enemy."
