Note: Well, sorry I took so long to get out this chapter. It's spring break. I'm enjoying it. Lol… Here is the next chapter. Enjoy…
Chapter twenty:
Possible suspects
If there is one thing upon this earth that mankind love and admire better than another, it is a brave man, - it is the man who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil." - James A. Garfield
Hermione sat out by the bleachers watching Harry and Ron fly around. She had nothing better to do today and didn't want to hang around Draco at the moment. She was kind of apprehensive about the whole kiss. It was a great kiss, but he was her partner in finding out who had the necklace, her dorm mate, her friend.
The sun merrily shone down on top of her head and danced across the bleachers. Clouds whipped across the sky as if in a race. It was definitely Spring. That meant school was almost over. She sighed. How fast it flew by… never stopping…. Just flowing…
He leaned in and they kissed. It was a simple kiss, lasting no longer than a few seconds. Hermione had pulled away, shocked. She stood, and slowly walked into her room. Only there did she stop to reminisce in the after glow of the kiss.
It had been sweet, short and magical… Hermione decided.
"Hey, Hermione," Someone called up to her, glancing down she noted it was Sam. "Hey, there's been another attack."
Hermione stood quickly, rushing down the bleacher. Halfway across the school yards and she ran into someone, who until now had been lying low. "Liam, what are you doing?"
"You looked like you were in a hurry. I'm just delaying you." He shrugged.
"You are ridiculous," Hermione huffed. "Just leave me alone."
"Mudblood, I would, but I love watching you get angry."
Hermione frowned, "You are a bastard. You know that?"
"Oh, I know. I do work at it." Liam laughed.
Hermione took a deep breath, raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek. Pushing past him, she didn't even wait to see what he did next. He didn't follow her that was for sure.
Hermione sighed when she reached the steps leading up to the oak doors.
~
The child had not been murdered, merely paralyzed. Hermione couldn't believe it. This person had done everything. He had murdered, paralyzed, lacerated a child's arm… The scene where he had been attacked had been cleaned by the time she had gotten there so she hoped that Draco had found something. The smallest something was all they needed. Just something to fill in empty pieces because right now all they had was a picture, a list, and a Ravenclaw scarf. Well, of course the facts. The figured it was somebody who was in the school, because the book had said that you had to be within fifty feet of your target. That was unless that had sneaked in through one of the hidden passage ways, but Hermione told Draco to think positive and hope he didn't.
She sat in the library where they had always agreed to meet. Hermione hoped he showed up. She really needed to speak to him. Random students milled around the library. One familiar face that seemed to keep popping up was over by the potions section. She walked over to him, "Jasper, what are you doing?"
"What! Oh," he turned around. "You scared me there for a second."
"Yea, I could tell. You jumped. Are you okay?"
"Me? Oh, I'm fine. You?"
"Good, just waiting for Draco."
"You two have been hanging out more lately," Jasper noted.
"Yea, we're working on a project."
"Oh, really, that's interesting." Jasper smiled. "Well, there he is right now."
Hermione turned around, seeing Draco enter the library, most of the girls looked up. "Lucky bastard," she heard Jasper mumble from behind her. Hermione laughed. Draco wasn't really all that lucky as most people pictured him. She turned around to thank him and just caught a fleeting glimpse of his brown hair disappearing behind the bookcase.
Hermione began her trek over to Draco. "Hey, how are you?"
"Good, didn't see you today due to no classes with Gryffindor."
"Yea, well, so, did you get any information."
Draco took her arm, leading her over to a silent corner. "I have reason to believe that it is Liam."
"Why? The evidence I have seen doesn't point to him."
"What do we have? A picture? A scarf? Both could have been the others, not his. I mean, what I saw today leads me to believe it was him."
"Why?" she repeated.
"The person who was down was Dominic Heart."
"So…" Hermione trailed off.
"Dom and Liam were the biggest rivals I have ever seen. Plus, Dom was clutching Liam's necklace in his hand."
"Well, that's a little careless, don't you think?"
"Maybe he didn't know that the necklace was ripped off. Why are you defending him? You don't like him anyway, do you?"
"No, not at all, but I want to get to the bottom of this."
"Look, I'll tell Dumbledore I think that's who it is. The ministry, at this point is desperate. They'll come get him and I'll go check his stuff in the room. Simple as that. If it's not him, we'll keep looking."
"But, do you really think Dumbledore will believe you?"
"I'll convince him of it."
Hermione stood, "Ok,"
But, unknown to them a single pair of eyes had watched their conversation and a single pair of ears had listened…
And was silently planning…
~
The next day, during Potions, the strangest thing happened. We were all copying notes from the board when a man in a expensive black dress robe walked in and handed Snape a piece of paper while skimming the class.
"Liam, come forward." No last name…?
"Yes, sir," he walked forward.
"This man needs you to come with him."
"Why?" Liam asked bluntly.
"We just need you to come with us," he said. And it was then that Liam noticed the rest standing by the door.
"What if I don't want to go with you? I don't know you, I shouldn't have to go."
"You have to come."
"I'm not moving," Liam stated.
"Liam, just go," Snape ordered.
"No,"
"Very well," the man in the expensive black dress robe grabbed Liam by the arm and pushed him towards the door. Liam struggled futilely and gave up, but he settled for looking behind him at the class. His cold eyes landed on Hermione and Draco.
He knows... Hermione thought…
The only things
surrounding you now
Are the circular memories
Effect your conscience
They are the make up of your worries
Regrets and doubts
Note: Well, that's it… how was it? Interesting… Not… I know it was incredibly short… I'm really sorry.