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Chapter 7- Suspicious

Hermione turned around in her chair to face Harry and Ron. "What do you think that was about?" she asked. They both shrugged and looked up in the direction of Professor Nova's office.

She looked pensively in that same direction. A few moments before, the Professor had given them an assignment and excused himself from class without any explanation.

Nova was a tall man, with blue eyes and wavy blond hair. Ron kept commenting that he looked a bit too much like Lockhart. Hermione had to agree. Going on her past experience with DADA teachers, she did not quite trust him. So far, though, he had not done anything suspicious. This short display of completely unexpected behavior was the first thing Professor Nova had ever done to make her wonder.

"Does this mean we can leave?" Harry asked. He had not sounded so excited to leave a DADA class since their second year.

Shrugging, Hermione turned to gather her books. Only ten minutes were left in class anyway. Seeing as the teacher had left, she, as Prefect, was the authority figure in the room. She took it upon herself not to mention this to the other students as she and her friends exited.

Ten minutes later, they ran into Ginny. Her face was set in a satisfied smirk. "What's going on, Ginny?" Harry greeted her with a kiss.

Giggling a little, she explained. "Well, Malfoy came into Transfiguration with a note from Snape. We were reviewing Animagi, you know, for O.W.L.S. She asked him what he remembered about it, and he drew a complete blank! She even took points from Slytherin, as she said, 'for having a sieve for a brain'."

Harry and Ron laughed. Hermione laughed as well, but she snapped at them, "And what do *you* remember about Animagi?"

"More than you know about Quidditch," Ron retorted.

Ginny and Harry laughed then, but Hermione crossed her arms tightly. "I seem to remember it was Harry who couldn't keep up with the Quidditch World Cup."

Ron joined Ginny, and Harry grew quiet and a bit red. "Well *I* seem to remember *you* using the term 'Wonky-Faints' during fourth year."

At this, Ginny fell on the floor, holding her stomach, and Ron's eyes widened in amazement. "Wonky-Faints? Did you really say that, Hermione?" He appeared to be too scandalized to laugh.

"He knew what I meant," she said through gritted teeth.

"Wonky Faints?"

"Oh, shut up, Ron."

"I'm not the one who mistook cat's hair for Millicent Bullstrode's."

"No, but you are the one who actually paid attention in class and took notes for me while I was in the hospital wing."

"Shh!" Ron motioned for her to be quiet as he looked around to make sure no one heard. "You're going to ruin my reputation!"

Rolling her eyes and huffing, Hermione pushed past them and started toward Gryffindor Tower. In a few steps, Ron had wrapped an arm around her shoulders, preventing her from going further.

"Don't be upset, Hermione," he murmured. "Not everyone can be a Quidditch expert."

Hermione gave him an are-you-serious look. He was making a sad puppy face at her. It was becoming but incredibly stupid-looking. She had to laugh.

"I'll try not to tell people you studied. Because god forbid anyone knew you were capable of a decent grade," she said sarcastically.

Ron nodded. "I know." He actually sounded serious. Hermione shook her head, but this time Ron held her hand as she walked down the halls. They seemed to have lost Harry and Ginny, but she did not even want to know where they had disappeared to.

"Do you think anyone would care if we went away for an hour?" Ron did not seem to know he had spoken aloud.

"No, but I have to do my Arithmancy homework."

"Please?" He waggled his eyebrows. "I guarantee it'll be worth it."

"Ron, I'm a Prefect. What kind of example would I be setting if I didn't do my homework?"

"Will you forget about this bloody Prefect stuff for one bloody minute? Hell, it's like you never have fun anymore."

"Don't swear," she said sharply. She almost wanted to agree with him, though. Her Prefect duties had interfered with the mischief they would have been getting into this year. "I have to do my homework."

Ron pulled her into the nearest empty room. It was an unused classroom. Hermione remembered someone saying it used to be used for private lectures. "I'm serious, Ron. If I don't get this done-"

She did not get to tell him what would happen in that circumstance. His lips had covered hers. She gave in, however reluctantly, and melted with him. She loved to kiss Ron. She loved it so much, she completely forgot about her homework.

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Hermione stormed into the common room after Arithmancy, slamming her bag down on top of the chessboard. A few of the pieces cried out as they were squashed. "Watch it!" Ron protested. "I was winning!" As though he had ever lost against Harry.

Hermione scowled at him. "I am not speaking to you for the rest of the night."

"Is this about the homework?" Ron asked.

Harry guessed what they were talking about. "Let it go, Hermione."

"I will not let it go!" she screamed, rounding on him. His eyes widened. "You mind your own business, Harry." She turned back to Ron. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, and two additional essays! Padma Patil teased me through the entire class. She'll tell Parvati, and you know what happens after that!"

"I can't believe Hermione is complaining about extra homework," Ron said, shaking his head. "Are you sure you didn't request it?"

Resisting the urge to scream at him, she stomped toward the stairs.

"What about dinner?" Ron called after her.

She turned her glower on him. "I'm not hungry." She stomped up to the dormitory. Vaguely hearing Ron promise to bring her something, she checked to be sure Parvati and Lavender were gone. Then she pressed her face into a pillow and screamed.

He was so infuriating. He made her forget a homework assignment, then acted like it didn't matter. She had been tempted to suggest he miss the next Quidditch match to spend time with her, but he probably would have broken up with her for even suggesting it.

Why did he have to be so…so…amazing. He really was. He did things to goad her on, but she knew when dinner was over, he would come and say something to make her melt. She hated him. But she loved him.

She really was hungry. She had not eaten much for lunch that day. Her stomach grumbled. Groaning, she refused to give in and go down to the Great Hall. But she couldn't just sit there. She opened her Arithmancy book and started one of the essays.

After an hour and a half, she had written four feet of parchment's worth of an essay. Deciding that this was enough, she thought up a clever concluding sentence and ended with a flourish. Satisfied with her work, she rolled it carefully and sat it aside.

Just as she finished, she heard footsteps on the stairs. "You do realize dinner ended half an hour ago?" she pointed out as Ron came in with a bundle of food. He didn't answer, but placed the food on her bed and sat on the floor.

"Sometimes I wish I could be more like you," Ron said.

"Why would you want that?" Hermione asked sarcastically before biting into a drumstick.

"There is nothing you can't do."

Hermione lowered the drumstick and narrowed her eyes. "What happened."

"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. Just Malfoy being his-"

"I told you not to let him get to you."

"See? That's just what I mean. I can't help it. Even if he is offended, he won't show it. But I'm not going to just let him get away with- with what he did."

"Why, what did he do?" Ron glanced at her before staring at the floor. "Ron?" He remained silent. "Ron, tell me."

"You don't want to know."

Hermione pushed the food aside. "What. You are obviously upset. Come on, tell me." She knelt on the floor.

Ron did not look at her. "He was talking about you again. And how I'm not good enough 'even' for a Muggle-born. At first I was going to smash his face, but then he said I…I would end up getting you killed, and I sort of just walked away."

Hermione lifted Ron's chin with her fingers. She was shocked to find tears in his eyes. She stroked his cheek gently. "Do not think for one minute that we were not meant to spend our whole lives together."

"I just don't want that time to end before its due." Ron shrugged.

Hermione stood swiftly and pulled Ron to his feet. Considering the difference in their weight, it was a difficult thing to do.

"Where are you going?" Hermione turned on her heel before answering.

"I am a Prefect, Ron. I am going to inform Professor McGonagall of Malfoy's detention, before I tell him. Then, I will inform Lavender and Parvati as well. In fact, I think the entire Gryffindor Common Room will be privileged by a little speech."

"Hermione, please."

"What?"

"Don't."

She turned slowly, surprised that Ron didn't jump on the opportunity to humiliate Malfoy. "He has to learn, Ron. We can't just let him do whatever he wants. Someone has to teach him a lesson, and apparently the teachers aren't doing it, so…" Ron's forlorn expression made her trail off.

"I don't want him to know I heard. Besides, we'll have other chances to get Malfoy in trouble. Come on, eat something."

Hermione sighed and let him lead her away from the door. She sat next to him on her bed. They both ate the food he had brought silently. Hermione wanted badly to give Malfoy that detention, but Ron had asked her not to. She gritted her teeth to keep from cursing the blond idiot. They sat with their fingers interlocked for a while, until Parvati and Lavender entered, chattering away. They stopped short when they saw Ron.

"You do know this is the girls' room?" Parvati said, crossing her arms.

Lavender giggled. "And you're definitely not a girl."

Hermione glared at them. "You want to go for a walk?" She said in Ron's ear.

"Yeah," he replied. They stood and left the girls giggling quietly together. Hermione and Ron exchanged eye rolls and smiles.

Suddenly Ron pulled back, restraining Hermione. She thought he might be fooling around, but he held a finger to his lips and pointed down the hall. Hermione looked where he indicated. Professor Nova walked purposefully away from them, apparently intent on reaching some destination. In his hand, he held a long, gold-hilted dagger.

Curious, they crept after him. In a little while, he turned left. Hermione and Ron were quite a bit behind him. By the time they reached the place where he had turned, Snape strode toward them. He was walking in a very Snape manner, robes billowing appropriately and looking very pleased with himself and unhappy with the rest of the world.

"What are you two doing?" he sneered. "It's curfew in half an hour. If you don't hurry you might not make it back. I suppose it is not such a tragedy for a *Prefect*," his sneer deepened, "but Weasley, now that's another story."

"Professor, please, we were just going-"

"What, Miss Granger? Going to find a closet for you little exploits? I suggest you keep your late night wanderings down to a minimum. You might get yourselves into trouble."

"Professor-"

"Have you not heard a word I said? Unless you want to lose house points, go back to Gryffindor Tower and I will forget this little encounter."

"Listen-"

"Anything you have to say, Weasley, would not be worth listening to." With that, Snape crossed his arms and tapped an expectant finger.

Ron looked about to lunge at Snape. Though angry at the Potions professor, Hermione knew better than to let Ron act. "Let's go, Ron." She started to drag him away, realizing that by that time, Professor Nova would be too far ahead to catch anyway. Ron reluctantly let himself be pulled down the hall, shooting exaggerated death-glares at Snape.

Thankfully, the common room was crowded and noisy, and no one noticed them enter. Harry and Ginny sat together, smiling sickeningly. Ron angrily went to them and sat on a couch nearby. Hermione followed, feeling almost as upset as Ron looked. Snape had no right to act the way he did. If ever a teacher deserved detention, Snape did.

"Why the hell is he so bloody grating!"

Ignoring Ron's horrific word choice, Hermione shook her head. "The question is, where was Nova going with that knife." Despite her efforts to get Ron's mind off Snape, her own mind wandered back to that conversation. "I wonder what he meant, he'll forget?"

"He probably means he want *us* to forget about it," Ron growled.

Hermione put a finger to her lips. "I think you may be right." But why would Snape care if they remembered seeing him in the hallway? Harry and Ginny looked questioningly from her to Ron. Before she could explain, or think on Snape's suspicious remark, McGonagall entered the common room. She made straight for them.

"Dumbledore wishes to see you four in his study. Now."

"At this hour?" Hermione said. It was almost nine o'clock, and students were expected to be in their dorms.

"Apparently," McGonagall. She gestured for them to follow. Shrugging, they did.

After opening the study, McGonagall left them. Harry was the only one who failed not to laugh. At first, anyway. When Ron repeated, "Chocolate Frogs with Syrup?" the rest of them burst out laughing.

Dumbledore's office was as wonderful as ever, with pictures of past headmasters blinking tiredly on the walls, and Fawkes sat unsteadily on his perch. He was closer to the beginning of his cycle, and not all his feathers had grown in yet.

"I see you are all present," Dumbledore said as he emerged from the door in the back. "I think a year ago it would have been just the three of you, but now Ginny is quite involved with you. I have no doubt she would have known anything I am about to tell you, so I decided to save you the trouble of repeating it."

Ron, Hermione, and Harry exchanged smiles. Ginny looked proud to be included. Dumbledore continued.

"I call you to me tonight to discuss something not even all the teachers know about. Before I begin, you must understand that you cannot tell anyone. Not one soul must know outside this room."

The four of them nodded. "Why us, though?" Ron asked.

"Because, Ron, certain people would expect the teachers to know, but know one would expect me to involve students. Judging from your past experiences, I think you will be able to handle it."

Dumbledore opened the top drawer of his desk. Pulling out a long gold-hilted dagger, he laid it on his desk. "Professor McGonagall found this lying under a painting of a Pegasus in a fourth floor hallway. His name is Inori. I believe Hermione knows the picture."

Hermione tried not to blush. So he *had* seen her. "I've passed it a few times," she shrugged.

"Someone was trying to get to what is behind that Pegasus. The picture, of course, was unharmed. Pegasus' virtual invulnerability is the very reason I chose him to protect someone. No one was nearby when the Professor found the knife. First, I must ask you if you have any idea who would attempt such a thing."

Ron and Hermione glanced quickly at each other. He wanted to tell Dumbledore about Professor Nova. "I have an idea, Professor," she said before Ron could speak, "But I don't want to say anything until I know for sure." Ron nudged her, giving her an are-you-crazy-of-course-it-was-him look. Hermione just shook her head.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "Very well. I will finish, then. I am hiding a young creature here in the castle. Her mother cannot protect her, because she is injured. Once she has recovered enough to walk, they can be taken out of the castle and brought to a place where they will be safe. However, no one must hear of or see any of this."

"And you want us to help you?"

"Yes. Now must tell you the part that makes this all very dangerous. Voldemort is after the one I am protecting."

Somehow, Hermione was not surprised. "Why does he want her so badly?"

"She is a unicorn."

Hermione was shocked speechless. If Voldemort got his hands on a young unicorn…

"Only two of your Professors know of this."

"McGonagall, and Snape." Hermione did not, of course, mention Professor Nova.

"Yes, Hermione. Quite right. But even they must not know where we take them, when the time is right. I trust them completely, but they would be expected to know where they are to be hidden."

"We understand, Professor Dumbledore."

"That is all. But I must warn you. Stay alert. Do not let anything take you by surprise. Do not breathe one word of this conversation where others can hear you. The lives of many are depending on you."

"Yes, Professor." They began to turn away.

"Oh, Hermione, there is something else I wish to speak to you about."

She looked at Ron. "It's okay, I'll just see you later."

"Ron has my permission to listen in." Dumbledore smiled knowingly. Hermione and Ron grinned. Dumbledore really did know everything. Harry and Ginny, unsurprisingly, had already left.

"What is it, Professor Dumbledore?"

"I have been debating whether to give you the position of Head Girl next year."

All Hermione could say was, "Oh."

"You are, in my opinion, the best choice for the position. You are at the top of the class, and I know you would be up to the challenge. You probably have more potential than any witch or wizard here."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, a bit dazed by his praise. She elbowed Ron when she caught his grin.

"However, you do remember your tendency to get into- difficult situations. You may think being Head Girl would give you more freedom, but in truth you would have less. Between your schoolwork and added duties, you would not be able to see what you were about to stumble over. Voldemort has been almost silent for a year and a half. He will not remain so. I do not doubt you could handle the burden. I merely believe that you should be free of the extra concern, free to worry about protecting your life, and the lives of those you love." He looked pointedly at Ron before settling his gaze on her.

Hermione was not sure what to say. "I have never thought of it that way. I suppose it would be better that I *don't* hold that position." That had been very difficult for her to say. It must have shown on her face.

"I have been considering this for a while. I thought you would see things the same way, once I explained it to you. I also suspected you would not like it. I have developed a solution."

Out of the top drawer of his desk, he took four badges, and handed them each two. They were shaped differently, one as a stag, one a unicorn, one a phoenix, and the last a centaur. They looked strangely like- "Patrona?"

"That's right. Each of these badges takes the shape of a Patronus. I made them for you two, Harry, and Ginny." Hermione remembered, then. Once they had all been asked to create Patrona. Harry had done it right away. After a few tries, each of the others had gotten it. Ron's had been a centaur, and hers a unicorn. Ginny had made one in the shape of a phoenix.

Each figure had five raised letters across the middle. "SDADM?"

"Student Defense Against Dark Magic."

Hermione glanced at Ron, surprised. "Wicked," he said. He must have understood the implications of this job as well as she.

"I have already informed your teachers of this. These badges allow you to go places and do things others are not allowed to. However, if you use your power for a purpose other than that meant, the privilege will be taken away, and you will not get it back."

"Don't worry, Professor. We *will* use them honorably," Hermione said excitedly.

"If you find anything, come directly to me only. You must not inform anyone of anything you find, even if you know you can trust them. The main purpose of these is to give you the freedom to do," his eyes shone with amusement, "What you would do anyway. When we have a security problem, you will be informed. Do not think I have not noticed how you figure things out before many of the teachers. Ah, well, you may take your badges. Tell Harry and Ginny anything you wish. Send them to me to get their badges. That will be all, unless you have another question."

Hermione hesitated before speaking. "Can I have that knife? I think I know what to do with it."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. Despite what he might have thought, he picked up the gold-hilted blade and handed it to her.

Outside the study, Ron asked, "Okay, what's this about?"

"We're going to see Nova for a minute," she said simply, starting toward the DADA room. They had to knock on his door for a full minute before he answered.

"Hermione, Ron. What are you doing here?"

"We have something of yours. You dropped it. Dumbledore told us to give it back to you." She took the knife out and handed it to him.

Nova stared at the knife in his hand and swallowed. "Dumbledore told you this was mine?" his voice was quiet.

"Yes. He found it by a picture of a Pegasus. He was wondering how it got there."

"Thank you," Nova said after a moment. "I have been looking for this for days. I thought someone might have stolen it. I guess it just slipped from my pocket. Goodnight." His face was twisted under strained control. He quickly closed the door.

"Not again," Ron groaned. Hermione knew what he meant. Their first year a dark wizard, the second a self-centered idiot, third a werewolf, fourth an auror impersonator, and last year the teacher had record mood swings and disappeared without a trace in May. Why couldn't their DADA teachers just be normal?

End Chapter 7.

Wow, that was long. Free of typos!! Mostly. Right.

If you've been reading and not reviewing, a plague on your house! A compass in your eye! Many horrible things visited upon you while you sleep! So REVIEW.

Teaser:

"Why don't *we* get badges?" Harry whined. They were all in the Great Hall them morning after the meeting with Dumbledore.

"Well, you can go ask him about it. We're just special," Ron said. Hermione hid a smile.

"Fine, we will."

There you go. See you soon!!! Mwah.