Chapter 3~Visited, A New Job, An Enemy Discovered

The next day, a house elf announced to Hermione that she had a visitor.

She walked into the library, and saw a tall, gangly boy with a mop of fiery red hair studying the titles of the books on her shelves.

"Ron!" she exclaimed, crossing the room to hug her friend.

" 'Mione! How are you?"

"Everything's changed so much since I last saw you, but I'm doing okay. Have you seen this house?"

"Yeah, it's amazing. So who's the neighbors?" He nodded at the manor situated at the top of the adjacent hill.

Hermione grimaced before answering. "That would be the home of our enemies, the Malfoys."

"What? You shouldn't stay here 'Mione. I don't trust them."

"Neither do I, Ron, but I love this place already. It's part of me now; I could never sell it to someone else. It would be like selling my parents to Voldemort."

Ron visibly shuddered. "I hate it when you say his name," he complained.

"Ron, I have nothing to fear from him. Why should I honor him by being afraid of his name?"

TWO YEARS LATER

Hermione Marinetta stalked through the halls of the Ministry of Magic. An Auror for the last year, she was a formidable opponent, and was quickly catching up to Alastor Moody's total of personally captured or killed Death Eaters.

Still living at Marinetta Mansion, she and the Malfoys had an unspoken agreement. They pretended the other(s) didn't exist.

Right now Hermione was on her way to a meeting with Lee Jordan, the head of the Triumvirate, or the Auror's Council.

"You wanted to see me, Lee?" she asked as she sat.

"Yes. Hermione, you are quite possibly the best Auror we have seen since Alastor. We need you to capture, Saber, You Know Who's right hand. We have an idea of who this person is, but we aren't positive of who he is at the exact moment. These are your orders, straight from the Minister himself, 'Catch or kill, Saber, the Dark lord's right hand, before any more innocents are involved.' Do you have a problem with this?"

"No. Of course not. It just came as a shock. Who do you believe Saber is?"

"Either Draco Malfoy or Tyler Sutherland."

"Oh, Merlin!" Hermione's hand flew to her mouth. "One of the two worst Death Eaters, aside from Voldemort himself. Oh, sorry, I forgot."

"Forgiven. 'Mione, I'm serious this time. This is the most crucial time in the history of the wizarding community. The rift has never been so large as it is now, and I along with Dumbledore (current MoM after Fudge died) believe you can help us mend it."

Hermione rose to leave, but Lee stopped her. "You'll need this." He said, and pressed a package into her hands.

"Thank you, Lee." Hermione left the office, and apparated home.

At a secret location, known only to a select few of the Death Eaters, Voldemort paced in front of Saber.

"This girl, the Marinetta, she's too much trouble for us. Get rid of her, Saber, or turn her. However you can. Seduce her, curse her, whatever. But do it quickly!"

"As you wish, my lord." Saber sat quietly in one of the armchairs placed before the fireplace. "Perhaps, my lord, you should have a seat. Some tea, maybe."

"Yes, Saber." Saber magicked the cup to his lord, and waited. "That will be all, Saber. Go find the girl."

Saber disapparated from the chair.

THE NEXT DAY

"Miss Hermione, there's a man to see you," squeaked Ebana.

"Thank you, 'Bena. I'll receive him in the study."

'Bena scampered off to find her visitor, while Hermione looked down at her outfit. Finding herself still in her nightgown, she opted to just put on a robe, instead of taking the time to dress properly. Most likely it was one of her friends, so it wouldn't matter anyway.

She walked briskly to her study. Her visitor was standing next to her bookcase, poring over a book.

"Those are my personal collection," she began, but stopped when she saw who it was.

At 6'2", with a well-toned body and aristocratic looks, Draco Malfoy easily made Witch Weekly's Top Ten Hottest Wizards List.

"I don't understand this, Miss Marinetta. How can a book with few words and still pictures make a child fall asleep?" asked Draco, holding up a book of nursery tales and lullabys.

"Come here, Mr. Malfoy. Have a seat," directed Hermione, sitting on the chaise against the far wall of her study.

Draco sat on the chaise, the book still in his hands, and look at Hermione.

"No, sit on the floor, and rest your head against my leg. And hand me my book." Wordlessly Draco did as directed, and Hermione opened the book.

"Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there lived a young girl named Ella. She was the apple of her father's eye, since her mother had died when she was very young. When Ella was older, her father remarried a widow, and her along with her two daughters moved in with them. But Ella's father took ill and died, leaving Ella alone with her stepmother and stepsisters. Now Ella was growing into a beautiful young lady, and her stepsisters were not belles of the ball, so they."

Hermione read until she was sure Draco had fallen asleep. Lifting him onto the couch, she checked his arms for the Dark Mark. Sure enough, burned in the flesh of his forearm was the symbol, although it was different from those of the other Death Eaters. Out of the mouth of the snake extended a sword, with an "S" inscribed across the blade.

'Malfoy is Saber!' thought Hermione, shocked. 'Well, now I know who to target. Question is, do I still want to?'