Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all in the Harry Potter universe.

Courage to Find the Strength

Chapter 5

Harry Potter stood looking out of the window for any signs of Hermione's return. He continued to mutter curses under his breath for letting her go out on her own. She'd been gone a few hours now, and a deep horrible feeling was forming in the pit of his stomach. He glanced back at the sleeping figure of Ron Weasley whom he'd had to spell into sleep because Ron had worked himself into such an agitated state that Harry feared he'd wake the whole tower. Hoping it wouldn't come to the point he'd need to wake Ron up to go in search of Hermione, Harry again turned back to scanning the treeline for any sign of the missing girl.

There! Just like when she entered the forest after Draco, Harry saw some of the low branches on a few trees violently shiver, and he watched a few bushes look like someone brushed by them. Hermione was on her way back, and she was coming back at a fairly good speed. Harry left the window and made his way down the tower to the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room careful not to be detected. A few minutes later, the secret entrance swung open and a breeze blew by the hidden wizard. Harry reached out at the last second and pulled the cloak off Hermione. She almost cried out in surprise, but he put a hand across her mouth.

"Shhhhhhh," he whispered, "it's only me, 'Mione." Hermione nodded and gestured for him to get under the cloak, which he promptly did. They backed out of the Gryffindor common room and made their way to the empty girl's lavatory on the second floor like they had done on countless occasions when they needed a private place to talk. Luckily, Moaning Myrtle was off someplace else when they entered, and the entire place was theirs.

"What happened out there,'Mione? You look scared to death." Harry's voice was full of frightened concern for his closest female friend.

Hermione was leaning over a sink, clutching it with both fists and her eyes were screwed shut. Harry thought for a moment she would be sick. "Oh, Harry, it was so awful."

Her voice was quavering, and Hermione had tears in her eyes when she looked at him. Harry felt the deep furious rage that mostly surfaced in his friend Ron, but he had no time to react because Hermione suddenly threw her arms around Harry and was crying into his shoulder. His arms came around her as they had done countless times when she was sad or hurt or stressing over some big exam. The brotherly love he felt for the girl swelled in his heart, banishing the dark fury of a moment before. Still, he had to know what was going on. ""Mione, what happened?"

Hermione's soft cries stilled. "Lucius disowned Malfoy, Harry, when he wouldn't give in to his father's requests."

"What did Lucius Malfoy want?"

The room was deathly quiet when Hermione answered. "He.he wanted Malfoy to kill me. He said if Malfoy did, then every bad thing that had been happening to him would go away. But, Malfoy refused saying he did things on his own terms. So, Lucius said he would disown him if he didn't obey, but Malfoy didn't answer him, so Lucius just said he'd made his choice and disappeared. Then, he.," but Hermione caught herself and didn't continue.

"What aren't you telling me? What happened then?" Harry prompted her with a suspicious tone to his voice.

"He became upset and all." She shrugged, still not able to tell her closest friend the full truth that Draco had again threatened her and again stopped himself.

"Are you sure that's all that happened?"

"Well, yes. He just became quite upset when his father left, and I just felt so sorry for him that I left him alone and ran back here." She hoped that was enough for Harry, and apparently it was. As Hermione stepped back away from him, Harry had a deeply thoughtful look on his face like his mind was a million miles away from here.

"Okay, so we know that Lucius is pressuring Malfoy to become a Death Eater. But, we need to find out why Malfoy doesn't want to become one. Do you really believe it's because he doesn't want to be bullied into it? Sounds like there's something more going on." Harry had begun to pace back and forth as he went over the events in his mind. He knew he must find out more about Lucius and the other Death Eaters and thus, what the Dark Lord was up to. "But, how are we going to find out?"

"You mean besides keeping an eye on Malfoy?" Hermione queried, also speculating in her mind what could possibly be happening.

"Yeah. So far watching Malfoy is the best solution we've got." Harry did not look at all happy about his choices.

Harry and Hermione both sighed. Smiling at the coincidence, they once again headed back to their dorm rooms under the cover of the cloak.

The next morning after filling Ron in on the events of the night before as far as Harry had been told, the trio again observed Malfoy getting the cold treatment from his housemates. His obvious disgust with the situation and the attempts he made to sit by his fast retreating housemates at breakfast made the two boys laugh along with the rest of the hall. When he finally flung his tray down and stormed out of the room amidst the now roaring laughter, only Hermione remained silent without so much as a smile on her face. It was truly awful, she thought, even if it had its slight poetic justice.

Draco stormed down to the Slytherin dungeons in a fury. They were laughing at him! The most feared albeit hated guy in the school! He shook his head in hurt and anger. He reached down and flung the first thing he could get his hands on at the nearest wall, but the clattering of the small brass bauble as it hit the floor did not to abate his feelings. He marched off to his room and stopped dead in surprise. A group of his father's house elves were holding his traveling trunks that looked to be full of his possessions judging by the emptiness of his newly barren quarters. The little creatures made a dash for the door, nearly knocking him down as they pushed past him. They made an incredibly fast break for the stairs and were gone by the time Draco realized what was happening.

"Get back here, you nasty little buggers!" He bellowed after them. By the time he reached the stairs, they were gone and no trace of them could be found in the hallway beyond. Back in his room, he had only a few changes of clothes remaining, the rest of his books, and a few course linens on his once sumptuous bed. Scowling and cursing his father, Draco grabbed his books and made an early start for his classes.

Hermione rounded the corner and came face to face with Malfoy holding a younger Slytherin by his collar forcefully against a wall. Malfoy's intent was clear, but the younger boy had only disdain written on his face that was strangely absent of fear.

"Malfoy! Let him go at once!" Hermione cried.

Draco thrust the younger boy away who backed off slowly before heading around another corner. "Well, if it isn't the little spying mudblood, Granger. Did you and your friends have a little laugh at my expense last night?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. After seven long years, he would never stop calling her that disgusting name. "For your information, you pompous idiot, I didn't even go into your little crying jag."

He looked slightly surprised, but didn't say anything. Hermione was surprised he hadn't blown her off by now and continued on his way to class. She didn't know what else to say so she said the first thing that came to mind, "So, um, how are your ribs today?"

He snorted while eyeing her warily. For a split second, he thought she was actually concerned about his well being. "Fine," he said gruffly. "What's it to you?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I'm a decent human being and I knew you were hurt," Hermione scowled.

"Come off it, Granger. In all the years we've been forced to endure each other's company, you've never once cared how I was. You're just after information like you were last night," he answered accusingly. She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off.

"You think you're onto something big this time, don't you? You think you've got it all figured out, right? You don't know shit, Granger. You and your stupid little friends have no idea what's going on." He started to walk off, but stopped and returned to her.

"And another thing, mudblood. I don't like being followed. Do it again, and I guarantee you won't like what's coming to you." Draco again stormed off, but instead of heading towards his class, he headed down a side hallway that would eventually lead him onto the school's grounds. She weighed the consequences of the horrible detention she was going to receive if she ditched her morning classes, but her Gryffindor spirit got the better of her. Hermione was going to get to the bottom of this, and she was certain there was no other way as she headed off after him.