~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHAPTER 02

"Lucius Malfoy?!" Hermione stared open-mouthed. "You know, Harry, I do believe you might be right… how fearful."

She was silent for a moment, then said very quietly, "It was only a dream."

Harry bit his lip and looked away. He stared into the pale blue sky for a few moments, lost in thought. After a number of minutes, he felt the gentle touch of Hermione's fingers on his shoulder. He flinched.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered, removing her hand.

"Don't be," Harry coaxed, "You just startled me. That's all." He took her hand and gently kissed her fingers.

Hermione stared at her hand. Harry, still kissing Hermione's fingers, raised his eyes to gaze into her face. Her sleek hair, russet-colored with ginger highlights, shimmered in the gentle sunlight, and a few stray strands blew in front of her face in the soft breeze. She smiled, biting her bottom lip, and leaned down to kiss Harry's forehead.

Harry's heart quickened. He tried to control his breathing as he moved his kissed up Hermione's arm and towards her neck.

Hermione gulped and closed her eyes, a smile still on her face.

Grinning widely, Harry laid a muted kiss on each of her eyelids, then her cheek, and finally, her sweet lips.

Hermione kissed Harry back and grinned.

Harry pulled Hermione closer to his body and put his hands around her waist. Hermione leaned into Harry's next kiss, absorbing all of his tall, strong body into her small one. Suddenly there was a gasp from behind them.

Standing in Harry's room was Ron, his mouth open and his eyes wide.

"What were you two doing?!" Ron whispered frantically.

Harry got off of Hermione very quickly. Ron scowled. "No sex!"

Hermione couldn't help giggling. "We weren't having… oh Ron…"

"Well, it would've turned into that had I not entered the room," Ron pronounced very matter-of-factly.

Harry shook his head and smiled. "Ron, I was only kissing her. A lot."

"No snogging, then."

Harry cracked up.

Ron wasn't laughing. "It's not funny!"

"It is, though," Hermione insisted, her smile fading.

"What if you'd been seen by my mum or something?" Ron put his hands on his hips. "Be more careful, please."

Hermione and Harry climbed back into the room and sat on the bed.

"Sorry," they both mumbled.

There was an awkward silence. Ron cleared his throat. "Did you know Seamus Finnegan asked Ginny out?"

"He didn't!" Hermione gasped, laughing.

Ron nodded. "He did. She's been to his house thrice this summer, and come back with a very guilty look on her face every time. She went all the way to Ireland to see him." He shook his head in near disbelief.

Harry grinned.

"I'm going to get some breakfast," Ron said, "Though no one else is up yet and I don't expect anyone to be up for a few hours…" he winked. "I'll just… lock this." He slipped through the door, twisting the lock first.

Harry smiled again. "Oh, Ron…" he mumbled.

Hermione stood up and cleared her throat. "Well, I'll let you rest for a bit, then." She turned to leave.

Harry grabbed her arm. Hermione stopped walking. She turned around.

"No… stay." Harry flashed his knee-weakening smile.

Hermione melted. "All right, then," she said quietly, sitting on the bed beside Harry and taking his hand in hers. She stared out the open window with a content look upon her face.

She looked so beautiful, Harry thought.

***

He's so handsome, Hermione thought to herself, still gazing out the window. She wanted to kiss him, wanted to touch him.

"It's chilly," Hermione noted, shivering as a cold breeze blew into the room. "I'll go close the window."

"Or you could get under the covers," Harry suggested innocently, "Nice and warm under here."

Hermione chuckled. "I'm sure it is."

Doubts though she had, Hermione wanted more of what she'd gotten on the roof, so she peeled back the thick quilt and climbed in between the sheets.

"That's much better," she whispered.

"Is it?" Harry asked, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulder and pulling her closer to him.

Hermione nodded as Harry leaned down and kissed her. He touched her face gently.

"Harry?"

"Mm hmm?"

"Do you still like Cho Chang?"

Harry flinched. "No." he said automatically. "Not at all. Not anymore."

"If I… asked you something, would you… would you think I was a prat?" Harry asked cautiously.

"No, I don't think so," Hermione replied. "But I suppose it depends. What are you going to ask me?"

"Hermione," Harry took a deep breath, though his voice still shook, "I have loved you for ages. I didn't realize it, but I have. I still love you. Will you…. Would you… be my girlfriend?"

There was a moment's silence.

Hermione suddenly grinned widely. "Of course I will be your girlfriend, Harry, I love you, too…" she kissed him. "I just can't believe ---"

Her next words were silenced by Harry's ecstatic kisses.

***

"Father, I won't."

"You will, Draco, it is not your decision."

Draco Malfoy shot a look of disgust at his father, Lucius. "I am nearly sixteen, Father--"

"You are nothing but a silly little boy," Lucius spat, narrowing his steely eyes.

There was a silence broken only by the crackling of the angry fire.

Draco shook his head and glowered. "I am not your son."

Lucius started. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open in horror. "Not my son?! You are me in every sense of the word."

"I am not you! I am Draco, my own person with my own mind, Father!" Draco's voice faltered and he looked away. "You think I am still eleven years old, wrapped up in my heroic father. You are no hero. You're a villain who cares nothing for anyone but himself. You care only about your own progress in the social and financial aspects of life, but what about when you die, Father? What then?"

Lucius sank into an armchair near the fireplace in the dimly lit study and rubbed his temples. He closed his eyes and sighed, "How you've changed, Draco."

Draco had indeed changed. His once slick, oily appearance had been changed to a more relaxed look. His blonde hair had grown out a bit, and he'd let a few strands fall in front of his face, with his slightly tilted blue eyes and sharp chin. His frame and smile were appealing; he was quite handsome.

"You are accurate, Father. I have changed. I am no longer deaf. I am no longer blind. I hear your words. I see what you've done. Can't you see how very wrong you are? How very… ignorant --"

"I will NOT be spoken to like that!" Lucius shouted, standing up from his chair and clenching his fists.

Draco shook his head. His green robes glowed bright green and his sapphire eyes shone with odium in the firelight. "Father, I have no more respect for you. I will NOT be a Death Eater."

"You'll be a poor Auror, that's what you'll be," Lucius spat. "Penniless, like that stupid prat Arthur Weasley."

Draco swelled with rage.

"Psh." Lucius pronounced. "You're becoming a Muggle-Lover, Draco. And when the Dark Lord rises again, you'll be sorry, you'll be on the losing side!"

"The Dark Lord hasn't been seen in months!" Draco hissed. "Dumbledore is stronger than the Dark Lord will ever be again!"

"That old fool!" Lucius scoffed, his voice full to the brim with malice.

"I've had it, Father." Draco said seriously.

"Oh, you've had it, have you?" Lucius replied, an amused look on his slimy face.

"Yes." Draco looked grave and offended. "I'm leaving."

"And where are you going?" Lucius tried to hide his panic, his eyes flashing.

"I'm going to London. I've got my Gringotts key." Draco attempted to look confident. He extracted a tiny golden key from his inside robe pocket. Then, Draco turned and exited the study. A few minutes later, he returned, lugging his heavy trunk filled with everything he'd need for school. Then, without a glance back, he muttered, "Goodbye, Father."

Draco kicked the heavy wooden French doors open and gazed out into the thunderstorm. "Tell Mum I said goodbye," Draco mumbled. He walked out into the rain and to the sidewalk. There, he extended his right arm, and soon, the multiple-floored, purple Knight Bus pulled up. The doors opened, and Draco looked up into Stan Shunpike's bright, merry eyes. "London, please," he said. "Diagon Alley."

***

Ron yawned as he stretched.

"Morning already?" He groused.

In the twin bed across the room, Harry too awoke. "I think it must be," Harry responded. "Most unfortunately."

"I suppose that's… ow…" Ron had sat up too quickly; his head was pounding.

"Y'okay?" Harry whispered. Fred and George were still sleeping.

Ron nodded mistily. "I suppose that's what we get for playing Exploding Snap and Wizards' Chess with Fred and George 'till three in the morning."

"Correction," Harry pointed out. "That's what you get. I'm fine. Heh heh!" Harry laughed teasingly.

Ron stuck his tongue out, strongly resembling a six-year-old.

"Think we'd best be off to breakfast, then," said Harry.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, crawling out of bed and shivering.

The two boys changed sleepily into wizard's robes. (Harry had decided he preferred dressing like a wizard to dressing like a Muggle boy.) Harry wore bright red, in honour of Gryffindor. His floor-length robes were made from luxurious crushed velvet and clasped with golden clips in the front. Underneath the robes, he wore a white button-down shirt and black pants. Ron wore hideous orange robes that clashed horribly with his hair. Ron's favourite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, wore orange robes, and Ron had always wanted to look like the Chudley Cannons. Underneath his robes, Ron wore a black Chudley Cannons T-shirt and jeans.

On an ordinary summer day, Harry wouldn't really have wanted to wear floor-length robes, but today was dreary and wet. Cold raindrops dribbled down the windowpanes, and the chilly dampness permeated everyone to the bone.

Harry and Ron crept out the door and down the stairs. Under normal circumstances, the two boys wouldn't be awake at six in the morning while on holiday. They wouldn't be heading down to breakfast until ten or perhaps eleven. However, today was not a day of normal circumstances. Today was the day that Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Nora, Fred, and George went to get fitted for new robes, buy new books and restock on Potions ingredients. Also, they planned on going over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for some sundaes.

The two boys reached the base of the stairs and entered the Leaky Cauldron.

"Morning, boys," said Tom, the innkeeper and bartender jovially. "Up rather early, aren't we?"

"We want to be first in line this morning to buy our school things." Harry's voice echoed in the empty pub. Or at least, he thought it was empty.

"Your friends are in a parlour over there." Tom pointed to the private parlour in the corner of the pub. He grinned toothily.

"Thanks!" Harry said, sounding somewhat puzzled.

"No problem, boys. Can I get you something to drink?" Tom asked.

"I'm a bit chilly," Ron replied thankfully. "How about a butterbeer?"

Tom nodded with a smile. "Same for you, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded gratefully. He reached in his pocket and pulled out some silver sickles and paid Tom, who poured the two butterbeers and handed the steaming mugs to the boys.

Ron and Harry headed past the empty tables, several still with chairs and wooden stools laid upside-down on their surfaces. They unlatched the heavy mahogany door and pulled it open. Sitting and talking at the table were Hermione, Ginny, Nora and…

Draco Malfoy?!

"What's he doing here?" Ron demanded irately. He snarled and narrowed his eyes.

Harry said nothing but stared in horror.

"Look, chaps, there's a perfectly logical explanation to all—" Nora began, but was cut off by Ron.

"There is no explanation. He does not consort with our kind." Ron looked daggers at Malfoy, who didn't look up. In fact, Malfoy gulped as he stared into his butterbeer, and he had his eyes lowered. He almost looked… could it be? Harry thought. He looked… shamed.

"Ron!" Hermione's eyes were red, as though she were about to cry. "Just hear us out, all right?"

Ginny didn't say anything at all. Actually, Harry noted, she was staring blankly out a window.

Harry sat down next to Hermione, who placed a soft good-morning kiss on his cheek.

Ron stood, clutching his butterbeer mug as though he feared Malfoy would steal it.

"Sit down, Ron," said Ginny quietly. Ron sat.

Malfoy stared intently into his torrid butterbeer.

"Draco," said Nora in a soothing voice, "Why don't you tell them what happened?"

Draco cleared his throat and looked up groggily. "First of all," he began, his silky voice still carrying a hint of its old iciness. "I want to apologize. To all of you. To both Weasleys… I'm sorry I mocked your… er… financial situation."

Ron shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Draco looked impassive. "And to Potter… I'm sorry I was so jealous of your fame and glory. You really are a very nice person."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows. Were his ears deceiving him?

"And to Granger… I mean… Hermione… I'm sorry I made fun of your Muggle heritage." He cleared his throat again. "I was so very wrong. But earlier this summer, I had a revelation. An awakening, you might say. My parents… well, everyone knows they're Dark. But I don't want to follow in their footsteps. I know as well as anyone else that He-Who-Must… I mean… Lord Voldemort," Everyone at the table but Harry flinched, "is rising slowly again, gaining power and followers again… but I refuse to be one of his followers. I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want to get involved in all of that. I don't want to be a Dark Wizard."

"Good for you, Draco!" said Nora enthusiastically.

Draco smiled weakly and continued. "I want to be on the Good side. Even if it's the losing side. I don't care anymore. I don't care if we're winning right now, I just care about not killing anyone, not going to Azkaban… just because my parents are evil doesn't mean I have to be evil, too."

Harry squinted. Ron looked suspicious.

"I suppose you're right, Malfoy, but… how are we supposed to trust you? You were so… cruel… to us these past few years," Harry said quietly.

"I know, Potter… Harry… but, can I convince you to forget the past? Or at least forgive it? I had to run away from home to escape the Dark Arts, and for what? To be doubted. Not to be believed. Look, I'm sorry about what I've done, really, really sorry. I can't change the past, but I can change the future."

He extended a trembling hand for Harry to shake. Reluctantly, Harry gently shook Malfoy's hand. Ron was not so easy to convince. He eventually shook Malfoy's hand, though, and after a bit, the entire group headed over to Madame Malkin's for robes.

"You know, Draco, this is the place that I first met you," Harry said in a falsely tender voice, batting his lashes jokingly at Malfoy.

Malfoy started to say something, but his comment turned to a genuine smile.

The bell on Madam Malkin's door tinkled as the crowd of teenagers entered the store.

"Hello, dears. Hogwarts robes?" Madam Malkin pulled out her magical tape measurer, which zipped around each of the students in turn, taking their measurements.

"Let's see, we have Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, Mister Weasley, Miss Cardeen, Mr. Potter and… Mister Malfoy…" Madam Malkin looked a bit shocked at the concept of Malfoy and Harry entering a store together. Harry didn't blame her. It was almost common knowledge that the Malfoys hated Harry, and vice versa.

After everyone had been measured and bought their robes, they went to Florean Fortescue's. Everyone got sundaes and sat outside at a large table.

"So, tell me, Draco," said Nora, "Are you a prefect this year as well?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. Most unfortunately, it's me and Pansy Parkinson."

"You have regrets, don't you?" Hermione said quietly after a moment's silence.

Draco sighed. "Yes. I wish I hadn't been born the son of Lucius Malfoy. And I must admit that there was a time that I was genuinely evil. People will have a hard time believing I have a desire to change my ways. They won't like it. They'll doubt me." Ron slid down a bit in his seat. Draco continued, "I'm in Slytherin. You Gryffindors and Ravenclaws would be really surprised to see how many future Death Eaters there are in Slytherin House. I wish I could change houses. But I've had an idea."

"What's that, Draco?" Pressed Nora.

Draco looked directly at her. "I'm going to be a spy."

Harry looked puzzled. "How do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm going to stay in Slytherin House and listen to what the students say about what their parents are doing and the like. I'll take that information straight to Dumbledore. He'll believe me, I know he will."

"Draco, that's going to be really hard to pull off…" Hermione sounded cynical.

"How do you figure?"

"I mean, you hanging out with Ron and me, and especially Harry, people are going to be really suspicious on both sides." Hermione explained.

Draco sighed.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be seen at Hogwarts being friends with us," Harry suggested. "You could pretend to hate us."

Draco chuckled. "That might be a bit too much fun."

Hermione grinned. "But it just might work."

"When should we start?" asked Harry.

"Nowish?" suggested Draco.

"Sounds good to me," shrugged Ron. "It's easier for me to pretend to hate you than try to like you, Draco." He smiled weakly.

"I'm going to take that as some sort of twisted truce, Weasley." Draco stood. "I've got to go to the Quidditch store. I've got to get some wood polish for my broomstick. I'll meet you all at the Leaky Cauldron at eight. Meet me in the private parlour. We'll have supper."

Everyone nodded. Draco walked away.

"I can't believe it!" said Hermione. "Draco… not evil… It's amazing!"

Harry nodded. "It's… a bit odd, I know, but… well, I think I actually believe him."

Ron bit his lip. "I don't know… he seems really serious about it. I mean, people do change. I suppose. But he's been so very mean to me these past few years…"

"We've got to try to get past that," said Nora. "I think deep down, he's really a good person."

"You know, Nora, I think you fancy him!" Harry gasped.

Nora went pink. She cleared her throat. "You know, I've got to go the Magical Menagerie to get some things for my cat."

"I've got to go to Ollivander's," said Ginny. "This stupid cheap wand. Needs to be replaced, really, but I can't afford it. I'll just have to see what Mr. Ollivander can do for it."

"I'm going to the book store," Hermione told them.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm going to stay here and finish my ice cream."

"I'll come with you, then, Hermione," Harry said, standing and extending a hand to help Hermione out of her chair.

Everyone went their separate ways, having agreed to meet for supper at eight.

Hermione and Harry walked down the cobblestone street to Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore of Diagon Alley. It was stale and stuffy inside the hot, crowded shop.

Hermione hurried over to the History section. She scanned the spines excitedly. "Ooh!" she squealed, heaving a large, heavy book off of one of the shelves. "An Examination of Hogsmeade: The Only All-Magical Village in Britain. I've been waiting for this to come out for ages!"

"Nice," Harry tried to sound enthusiastic. "You buying it?" He rubbed dust out of his eyes and coughed.

"Oh, no, it's much too expensive. I'll just stay here and read it for a while." Hermione sunk into a huge, overstuffed armchair.

"Oh." Harry said, hoping Hermione would suggest that he could go somewhere else. The dust was really getting to him. "Er… I'll buy it for you."

"Oh, Harry, that's very generous of you, but no thank you," Hermione looked up from the book. "It's too expensive, and besides, I'm only interested in a few things in here. Although, I will have to tell Ron about it; there's a whole chapter on Zonko's Joke Shop."

Harry forced a laugh.

"If you want to go," Hermione said kindly, "I'd be perfectly fine with that. I can't imagine you want to stay in an old bookshop all day."

Harry nodded gratefully, and turned to go. Then, he turned around and kissed Hermione lightly on the lips before he left. Just across the way was Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry hadn't remembered that Draco was in that store, too, before he entered.

Harry was examining a small book that had been on display, Seekers' Strategies, when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Fancy seeing you here, Potter." It was Draco, sitting on a large pouf and reading Quidditch Through the Ages. He closed the book and tilted his head. "Here to learn how to be a good Seeker? I could help you there."

Draco's voice was smooth as milk, but his eyes flashed and he widened them, along with curling up his mouth in a small, crooked smile to show Harry (and hopefully only Harry) that he was joking. Harry decided to play along.

"Shove off, Malfoy. As I recall, you've never won a game against me."

Malfoy tried to sneer, and muttered under his breath, "Arse hole…"

Harry tried not to laugh; Malfoy did the same.

Harry pretended to be looking at a shelf filled with some more Quidditch books, but he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "Nice."

"Thank you." Malfoy whispered back, hiding his mouth behind his book. "Not so bad yourself. What are you doing here?"

"Forgot you were here."

"Oh."

"I've got to go get some Potions stuff. I'll leave."

"No!" Draco whispered hurriedly. "I've got to go get Potions stuff."

"Well, come over there in a few minutes. I'll probably be gone."

"All right. Then leave."

Without another word, Harry flashed Malfoy a hateful look before sauntering out of the store. He went next door, into a small shop filled with barrels of Potions supplies, some of them quite disgusting.

"Eurgh," Harry thought to himself as he examined a barrel of pickled pig snout. "Let's see," Harry mumbled, "I need… powdered beetles… uh oh."

Malfoy had entered the store.

"What, are you stalking me or something?" said Harry loudly.

Malfoy smiled sarcastically but said nothing as he looked at some solid gold cauldrons.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Harry.

"I got bored."

"Right…"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Hey, look, Potter, toad's feet." Malfoy picked up a toad's foot and put it in Harry's hair. Harry scrunched up his face, tipped his head forward, and the foot fell into a golden cauldron.

Malfoy leaned over the cauldron to extract the foot. Harry reached for a large bottle on a shelf labeled "Banshee Blood". Harry uncorked the bottle and slowly poured the lavender liquid over Malfoy's blonde hair.

"Potter!" hissed Malfoy.

"I'm just playing along," whispered Harry roguishly.

Malfoy froze. "L-l-look," he whispered, pointing at the cauldron, which was now steaming.

"What happened?" asked Harry frantically.

"I don't know… toad's foot and… what was that shit? Banshee Blood?! Eurgh… I don't know what happens when you mix those two!" Malfoy was frenetic.

They soon found out. The toad's foot, drenched it Banshee Blood, began to hiss as it steamed. Then it began to hiss louder…

Then it exploded.

Bits of toad's foot and splatters of Banshee Blood drenched Harry and Malfoy.

"Eurgh!" Harry said.

Malfoy grimaced. "Good thing nobody was around, Potter, or we'd be in big trouble."

It was true. The manager of the store, who had been standing behind the counter, had taken the only other customer in the store back to the storage room to show her some of their items not in the front room.

"What do you suppose is going to happen?"

"I don't know…"

"We'd better get out of here, and fast," thought Harry.

"Good idea."

Harry widened his eyes in shock. "Can you hear me?" he whispered.

Draco, looking even more shocked than Harry, nodded slowly. His jaw dropped. "Harry… this potion's given us telepathy!"

Harry blinked. "Merlin!" he gasped. "We can talk in our brains… weird…"

"So, you can hear me?"

"Yes… this is bizarre."

"Sure is… let's get out of here, before the manager comes back!"

The two boys ran out of the store and went two opposite directions

***

That night, at seven fifty-five, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Nora were seated around the table in the private parlour. They'd been there for ten minutes.

"Where's Malfoy?" demanded Ron, "Bet he doesn't show."

"Relax, Ron, he's got five minutes 'till meeting time," Ginny said.

"Malfoy, where are you?" Harry thought.

There was a moment's pause.

"Stop pestering me. I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm waiting on purpose."

"Why?"

"So no one thinks I'm actually with you all."

"Oh. All right."

"I'll be there in ten minutes or so."

"He'll be here in ten minutes." Harry said aloud.

Everyone stared at him. "How do you know that?" questioned Hermione.

"Er…" Harry debated whether or not he should tell them why he could talk to Malfoy.

"Can I tell them that we have this power?" Harry asked Malfoy.

"Er… tell them about the accident, but say you don't know what was in the Potion."

"All right."

"There was an accident in the Potions supplies store today," Harry said. "Malfoy and I got telepathic powers from it."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "What was in the potion?"

"We're not sure, exactly, but it exploded."

Everyone looked impressed. "So you… you can talk to him in your head?" Hermione said in awe. "That's incredible! They've never been able to work out how to make a Telepathy potion!"

Harry smiled nervously.

There was a knock on the door. Tom walked in, carrying a tray of butterbeer mugs. "How's beef stew sound for you all?" he asked.

"Sounds great, Tom. We're expecting one more," Hermione said.

"Do you want beef stew for dinner?"

"Eurgh, no, I hate stew. See if they've got any fish and chips."

"Have you got any fish and chips?" Harry asked suddenly.

Tom nodded.

"Could you please make one of those stews a fish and chips?"

Tom nodded again and walked away.

"I didn't know you don't fancy stew, Harry," Ron said.

"I like stew. Malfoy said he doesn't like it, though."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "This is amazing!"

Harry laughed.

Malfoy walked into the parlour. "Hello, all."

"Evening, Draco," Nora said, beckoning Malfoy to the seat beside her.

Draco sat. "Did you happen to order me fish and chips instead of the stew, Harry?" he asked.

Ron looked amazed.

Harry nodded. Everyone ate dinner, laughing and talking like old friends. After supper, everyone headed upstairs to bed. They would need to be up early the next morning to get to King's Cross Station to catch the Hogwarts Express.

***

"How did she find the ring?"

"I'm not entirely sure, Master, but when her body disintegrated, the Ring was destroyed."

"Did you steal her soul before she died?"

"Alas, Master, I could not touch her. The Ring provided too much protection."

"Not even her heart?"

Lucius Malfoy was silent for a moment. "I am sorry to say, Master, that I was not able to obtain any of her soul at all."

The Dark Lord swore loudly. "I needed that girl's soul! I could have at least gotten by with her heart!"

"The thieves are at Hogwarts, Master."

"And all this year, they have been able to steal nothing?!"

"Nothing, Master."

The Dark Lord swore again. "They are too young."

"One is a sixth-year, my Lord."

"And the other?"

"She is a fifth-year."

"I see. She is of no further use to me as a thief."

Lucius was shocked. "What shall I do with her, Master?"

There was another silence.

"Kill her. But first, steal her heart."

"Yes, Master."

Hermione awoke with a start. She was drenched in cold sweat, and her erratic breathing was fast and shallow. Once she had settled down enough to stand up, Hermione put on her bathrobe and slippers and sneaked out the door. She headed down the corridor to Harry's room and knocked.

After a few moments, Harry came to the door, groggy and bleary-eyed.

"What is it, Hermione? Are you all right?"

"I've had another dream, Harry. Another premonition."

Harry was silent as Hermione told him all about her dream. Finally, he spoke.

"I think it is time to tell Draco."

***

A/N: Ooooh, another "premonition"! What does Draco think about Hermione's dreams? Read on and find out!!!! REVIEW!