Hermione had spent a good portion of Saturday morning in the library
looking up information on The Peach of Erised. The only think she could
find with out the aid of the restricted section, is it comes from the
Enchanted Orchard of Hera and it was outlawed in the twelfth century.
Giving up on her research she left the library and headed for the dungeons to see Professor Snape, to tell him what Draco had given her.
As she walked down the third floor corridor she heard voices coming from a nearby classroom. There were no classes on Sunday. She peaked around the corner and saw Remus Lupin talking quietly to Harry and Ron.
He knows!
Hermione leaned in trying to hear what they were saying. She silently cursed herself for not stopping by Fred and George's joke shop to purchase some extendable ears.
"She was there last night. With the Malfoys and Lestranges." Lupin whispered.
Harry's face fell at the mention of Lestrange and crossed his arms. "How can you be so sure?"
"I am half wolf, Harry, I picked up her scent. She was so close by."
"Why would she be there? She hates the Malfoys. The Malfoys hate her. It doesn't make any sense."
"I don't know." Lupin couldn't provide the answers, Hermione felt a bit relieved.
"Do you think Hermione has gone to the dark side?" Ron looked nervous.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm done with this conversation" Harry said bitterly and headed for the door. Hermione leapt behind a corner, praying he wouldn't go this way.
She was wrong.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry looked surprised to see her.
"I was on my way down to see Professor Snape, about some extra credit." She wasn't entirely lying.
"Oh. Good luck with that." His voice once again void of emotion. He walked away headed down the hall.
She resumed her spy work on Ron and Lupin.
"Think about it Ron, she was the last one to see Ginny. Which by the way your mother is on the verge of an anxiety attack."
"I don't know if I can believe Hermione killed my sister. She's my best friend. I've known her for so long. She would never do anything like that."
"I don't want to believe it either Ron, but it all makes sense. She was there last night with the Malfoys, she's been disappearing at all hours of the night. How else can you explain it?" Lupin's voice was growing louder.
"Fine Ill talk to her about it. Find out what she's been up to." Ron said angrily. "Ill let you know."
"Ron you have to talk to Dumbledore about this. Only he would know how to confront it. Why don't you go see him now?"
Ron groaned. "Fine. Bloody hell, Remus, this just isn't right. You're all wrong about Hermione." Ron turned and headed towards the door.
"Excellent. I must be going, let me know how your meeting with Dumbledore was, send me an owl tonight."
Hermione took off in a sprint down the hall the way Ron would be heading. She had to do something. Dumbledore would surely catch her. She was not going to Azkaban.
She ducked behind a hallway and listened to Ron's footsteps get louder and louder. Finally she saw him pass her.
"Hello, Ron." She said, a bit too quickly.
"Hermione! Where have you been lately? You're getting everyone all worked up."
"Busy. Working on a project." She said coldly.
"A Project? What kind of project?"
"Oh its top secret. I've been doing at night in Hogsmeade, so no one would find it. Would you like to see it?"
Ron, who's attention span was that of a fruit fly, completely forgot seeing Dumbledore. "Yes of course!"
"Alright lets go. A passageway is right through here.." She lead him down the hall, looking over her shoulder for Lupin to the statue of the Humpbacked Witch, the same one Harry used in their third year.
"I thought Filch sealed this up." Ron said as he climbed down into the passage.
"Apparently not." Hermione had just thought the same thing. She knew this passage lead to Honeydukes and they would have to go out onto the street in Hogsmeade, which meant they may be spotted. It was a chance she would have to take, otherwise Ron would tell Dumbledore of Remus' suspicions which meant she would end up in Azkaban.
The pair climbed out of the basement of Honeydukes, passing patrons along the way and finally made their way onto the street.
"Where is it?" Ron asked.
"Just a bit further." Hermione gave a faux smile and turned down the alley where Hog's Head was. She strolled into the smoky bar, Ron following clumsily. Finally making it to the basement.
"So where is your project Hermione?" Ron asked innocently.
Hermione took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. It was either her or him.
"Its just through here." She sighed. She felt a familiar surge of power welling up inside of her and a voice begged her to do it already. She grabbed Ron's hand a put it on the blue candle.
"Hermione where are we?" he said a little annoyed. "I didn't know you were going to Portkey me anywhere."
"I know, I swear everything will be worth it when you see what's upstairs." Hermione smiled thinly.
She started hopping up the stairs Ron following behind her clumsily. She lead him down the dark hallway.
"Lumos." She heard him whisper and the hall was flooded with blue light. Hermione cringed. She forgot about his wand..
"Ron, may I see your wand, I know a charm that will make it brighter..."
He handed her the wand. "Hermione this place is creepy."
"Oh don't be ridiculous Ron. My project is just through this door." She held his wand in her hand, it waved around causing eerie shadows on the wall.
Ron opened the door to the room and looked around. All he could see was the giant arm chair in front of the dancing fire.
"Hermio ---.:"
"Stupefy!" She yelled, causing him to fall over on his face, immobilized.
"Lord Voldemort, I've brought you another one." She said with a hint of joy in her voice.
Voldemort stood up from the chair and faced her. "Excellent work, Granger."
"He was going to tell Dumbledore. Remus Lupin suspects me."
"I see. Well you've done well Granger." Voldemort stepped into the light. He looked different to Hermione. His eyes, that were yellow and snake like looked more human, and were blue. His skin wasn't a gray color, it too was more peach like. Voldemort was transforming back to his human form.
"Does my appearance bother you, Granger?" he felt her eyes looking him over.
"No, my lord. I was wondering why you are transforming."
"Honestly, I want to be able to go out again. Do things. Last night you had dinner with the Malfoys and Lestranges, its been some time since I've done anything like that. I've made a choice to reverse my magical transformations and resort to my original appearance." He said, his voice wavering between a hiss and a human tone. My transformation will be complete by tomorrow night."
"Excellent, sir." Hermione smiled at him.
"Also, Miss Granger, we are having a meeting at Malfoy Manor tomorrow night. It was initially going to be for some Muggles, but now that we've gotten another Weasley in our hands, it should be quite entertaining."
"I understand, Lord Voldemort." They were going to torture and kill Ron and some muggles tomorrow night.
Ron gave a small moan on the floor.
"Wormtail!" Voldemort barked, Peter came scurrying from the corner. "Take care of Mr. Weasley."
"Yes sir."
Hermione made her way back to Hogwarts feeling quite pleased with herself. She had nearly been discovered. She was not going to give up her new life of money, luxury, friends, parties, and freedom, because Remus Lupin had a hunch. It just wasn't going to happen.
She had finally made her way down to the Dungeons, which is what she originally set out to do anyway. She let herself into Snape's office. He was sitting on his sofa, admiring the medallion she had given to him yesterday.
"Hello Professor." She grinned.
"Hermione, what brings you down to the Dungeons on a Sunday afternoon?"
"I wanted to come and see you."
"Is that so? About what?"
"Just to talk for awhile. About everything." She sat down next to him black leather sofa that rested against a stone wall.
"Very well." Snape said, his voice quivering with a hint of boredom. He placed the Medallion on the end table.
"I brought him Ron." She said quietly.
"Why?"
"Lupin knows. He told Ron. Ron was going to tell Dumbledore."
"So you brought him to the dark lord?"
"Yes." Hermione smiled, pleased with herself.
Snape couldn't help but smiled back. "Miss Granger I don't ever remember you to be so...cunning."
"Well, Professor, I had to live up to those Gryffindor qualities."
"Indeed. How I wish you were a member of my own House."
Hermione playfully touched his pale hand. "I wish I was in your house too, Severus."
"Yes, we would be sure to win the house cup every year.."
"Why aren't you wearing this?" Hermione suddenly said, she reached her thin body over his bony frame, practically laying on his lap, grabbing for the medallion. He snatched it away off the table holding it out of reach. It was quite a comical scene.
"I was admiring it." He looked from her to the medallion that was swishing in the air. She lunged for it again, squirming over her teacher. "I really do like it, you know."
Hermione stopped moving and sat up. "You do?"
"Yes. Its been a long time since anyone has gotten me a thoughtful gift." The coldness not entirely gone from his voice. She looked up into his dark eyes for a moment and suddenly felt an impulse to feel his lips against hers.
"Perhaps you should go get ready for dinner, its nearly five." Snape said, looking away.
"Right, of course." Hermione smiled, though couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She left the Dungeons to head for the Great Hall.
After dinner she remembered she had one last task to do. She picked up some parchment from the Gryffindor common room and went up to the Owlery. She too out her wand and tapped her quill.
"Scribere Ron Weasley!" she whispered to it. Her quill shook for a second and them remained inanimate. She started writing on the quill in Ron's exact handwriting.
"Remus - Guess what! I spoke with Dumbledore and he's chosen me to do a special project with Ginny! He sent her off to London a few days ago to get started on it, and he says hes sorry for not telling Mum and Dad so. Now he wants me to help with it! Isnt that great! I also told him what you thought about Hermione and he assured me that she was still one of his most trusted students. Well I need to go pack, going to London tomorrow morning!
-- Ron
P.S. Dumbledore wants you to meet him tomorrow evening for a drink at Three Broomsticks. He said he would be there around seven."
Hermione rolled the parchment and tied it to Pigwidgeon's tiny leg and sent it out the window. When it disasppeared from view she headed back downstairs to find what she would wear for tomorrow evenings get together.
_______ ________
Well do you like it? I need to remind you people that unless I get loads of reviews, good or bad, I wont continually update. Just a reminder. Hope everyone is enjoying the story.
Giving up on her research she left the library and headed for the dungeons to see Professor Snape, to tell him what Draco had given her.
As she walked down the third floor corridor she heard voices coming from a nearby classroom. There were no classes on Sunday. She peaked around the corner and saw Remus Lupin talking quietly to Harry and Ron.
He knows!
Hermione leaned in trying to hear what they were saying. She silently cursed herself for not stopping by Fred and George's joke shop to purchase some extendable ears.
"She was there last night. With the Malfoys and Lestranges." Lupin whispered.
Harry's face fell at the mention of Lestrange and crossed his arms. "How can you be so sure?"
"I am half wolf, Harry, I picked up her scent. She was so close by."
"Why would she be there? She hates the Malfoys. The Malfoys hate her. It doesn't make any sense."
"I don't know." Lupin couldn't provide the answers, Hermione felt a bit relieved.
"Do you think Hermione has gone to the dark side?" Ron looked nervous.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm done with this conversation" Harry said bitterly and headed for the door. Hermione leapt behind a corner, praying he wouldn't go this way.
She was wrong.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry looked surprised to see her.
"I was on my way down to see Professor Snape, about some extra credit." She wasn't entirely lying.
"Oh. Good luck with that." His voice once again void of emotion. He walked away headed down the hall.
She resumed her spy work on Ron and Lupin.
"Think about it Ron, she was the last one to see Ginny. Which by the way your mother is on the verge of an anxiety attack."
"I don't know if I can believe Hermione killed my sister. She's my best friend. I've known her for so long. She would never do anything like that."
"I don't want to believe it either Ron, but it all makes sense. She was there last night with the Malfoys, she's been disappearing at all hours of the night. How else can you explain it?" Lupin's voice was growing louder.
"Fine Ill talk to her about it. Find out what she's been up to." Ron said angrily. "Ill let you know."
"Ron you have to talk to Dumbledore about this. Only he would know how to confront it. Why don't you go see him now?"
Ron groaned. "Fine. Bloody hell, Remus, this just isn't right. You're all wrong about Hermione." Ron turned and headed towards the door.
"Excellent. I must be going, let me know how your meeting with Dumbledore was, send me an owl tonight."
Hermione took off in a sprint down the hall the way Ron would be heading. She had to do something. Dumbledore would surely catch her. She was not going to Azkaban.
She ducked behind a hallway and listened to Ron's footsteps get louder and louder. Finally she saw him pass her.
"Hello, Ron." She said, a bit too quickly.
"Hermione! Where have you been lately? You're getting everyone all worked up."
"Busy. Working on a project." She said coldly.
"A Project? What kind of project?"
"Oh its top secret. I've been doing at night in Hogsmeade, so no one would find it. Would you like to see it?"
Ron, who's attention span was that of a fruit fly, completely forgot seeing Dumbledore. "Yes of course!"
"Alright lets go. A passageway is right through here.." She lead him down the hall, looking over her shoulder for Lupin to the statue of the Humpbacked Witch, the same one Harry used in their third year.
"I thought Filch sealed this up." Ron said as he climbed down into the passage.
"Apparently not." Hermione had just thought the same thing. She knew this passage lead to Honeydukes and they would have to go out onto the street in Hogsmeade, which meant they may be spotted. It was a chance she would have to take, otherwise Ron would tell Dumbledore of Remus' suspicions which meant she would end up in Azkaban.
The pair climbed out of the basement of Honeydukes, passing patrons along the way and finally made their way onto the street.
"Where is it?" Ron asked.
"Just a bit further." Hermione gave a faux smile and turned down the alley where Hog's Head was. She strolled into the smoky bar, Ron following clumsily. Finally making it to the basement.
"So where is your project Hermione?" Ron asked innocently.
Hermione took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. It was either her or him.
"Its just through here." She sighed. She felt a familiar surge of power welling up inside of her and a voice begged her to do it already. She grabbed Ron's hand a put it on the blue candle.
"Hermione where are we?" he said a little annoyed. "I didn't know you were going to Portkey me anywhere."
"I know, I swear everything will be worth it when you see what's upstairs." Hermione smiled thinly.
She started hopping up the stairs Ron following behind her clumsily. She lead him down the dark hallway.
"Lumos." She heard him whisper and the hall was flooded with blue light. Hermione cringed. She forgot about his wand..
"Ron, may I see your wand, I know a charm that will make it brighter..."
He handed her the wand. "Hermione this place is creepy."
"Oh don't be ridiculous Ron. My project is just through this door." She held his wand in her hand, it waved around causing eerie shadows on the wall.
Ron opened the door to the room and looked around. All he could see was the giant arm chair in front of the dancing fire.
"Hermio ---.:"
"Stupefy!" She yelled, causing him to fall over on his face, immobilized.
"Lord Voldemort, I've brought you another one." She said with a hint of joy in her voice.
Voldemort stood up from the chair and faced her. "Excellent work, Granger."
"He was going to tell Dumbledore. Remus Lupin suspects me."
"I see. Well you've done well Granger." Voldemort stepped into the light. He looked different to Hermione. His eyes, that were yellow and snake like looked more human, and were blue. His skin wasn't a gray color, it too was more peach like. Voldemort was transforming back to his human form.
"Does my appearance bother you, Granger?" he felt her eyes looking him over.
"No, my lord. I was wondering why you are transforming."
"Honestly, I want to be able to go out again. Do things. Last night you had dinner with the Malfoys and Lestranges, its been some time since I've done anything like that. I've made a choice to reverse my magical transformations and resort to my original appearance." He said, his voice wavering between a hiss and a human tone. My transformation will be complete by tomorrow night."
"Excellent, sir." Hermione smiled at him.
"Also, Miss Granger, we are having a meeting at Malfoy Manor tomorrow night. It was initially going to be for some Muggles, but now that we've gotten another Weasley in our hands, it should be quite entertaining."
"I understand, Lord Voldemort." They were going to torture and kill Ron and some muggles tomorrow night.
Ron gave a small moan on the floor.
"Wormtail!" Voldemort barked, Peter came scurrying from the corner. "Take care of Mr. Weasley."
"Yes sir."
Hermione made her way back to Hogwarts feeling quite pleased with herself. She had nearly been discovered. She was not going to give up her new life of money, luxury, friends, parties, and freedom, because Remus Lupin had a hunch. It just wasn't going to happen.
She had finally made her way down to the Dungeons, which is what she originally set out to do anyway. She let herself into Snape's office. He was sitting on his sofa, admiring the medallion she had given to him yesterday.
"Hello Professor." She grinned.
"Hermione, what brings you down to the Dungeons on a Sunday afternoon?"
"I wanted to come and see you."
"Is that so? About what?"
"Just to talk for awhile. About everything." She sat down next to him black leather sofa that rested against a stone wall.
"Very well." Snape said, his voice quivering with a hint of boredom. He placed the Medallion on the end table.
"I brought him Ron." She said quietly.
"Why?"
"Lupin knows. He told Ron. Ron was going to tell Dumbledore."
"So you brought him to the dark lord?"
"Yes." Hermione smiled, pleased with herself.
Snape couldn't help but smiled back. "Miss Granger I don't ever remember you to be so...cunning."
"Well, Professor, I had to live up to those Gryffindor qualities."
"Indeed. How I wish you were a member of my own House."
Hermione playfully touched his pale hand. "I wish I was in your house too, Severus."
"Yes, we would be sure to win the house cup every year.."
"Why aren't you wearing this?" Hermione suddenly said, she reached her thin body over his bony frame, practically laying on his lap, grabbing for the medallion. He snatched it away off the table holding it out of reach. It was quite a comical scene.
"I was admiring it." He looked from her to the medallion that was swishing in the air. She lunged for it again, squirming over her teacher. "I really do like it, you know."
Hermione stopped moving and sat up. "You do?"
"Yes. Its been a long time since anyone has gotten me a thoughtful gift." The coldness not entirely gone from his voice. She looked up into his dark eyes for a moment and suddenly felt an impulse to feel his lips against hers.
"Perhaps you should go get ready for dinner, its nearly five." Snape said, looking away.
"Right, of course." Hermione smiled, though couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She left the Dungeons to head for the Great Hall.
After dinner she remembered she had one last task to do. She picked up some parchment from the Gryffindor common room and went up to the Owlery. She too out her wand and tapped her quill.
"Scribere Ron Weasley!" she whispered to it. Her quill shook for a second and them remained inanimate. She started writing on the quill in Ron's exact handwriting.
"Remus - Guess what! I spoke with Dumbledore and he's chosen me to do a special project with Ginny! He sent her off to London a few days ago to get started on it, and he says hes sorry for not telling Mum and Dad so. Now he wants me to help with it! Isnt that great! I also told him what you thought about Hermione and he assured me that she was still one of his most trusted students. Well I need to go pack, going to London tomorrow morning!
-- Ron
P.S. Dumbledore wants you to meet him tomorrow evening for a drink at Three Broomsticks. He said he would be there around seven."
Hermione rolled the parchment and tied it to Pigwidgeon's tiny leg and sent it out the window. When it disasppeared from view she headed back downstairs to find what she would wear for tomorrow evenings get together.
_______ ________
Well do you like it? I need to remind you people that unless I get loads of reviews, good or bad, I wont continually update. Just a reminder. Hope everyone is enjoying the story.