I didn't write nearly as much as I was hoping to this weekend, so I have so bad news, well, I think it is bad news. I won't be able to update daily anymore . Good news is I will still update every other day as long as possible.

Thanks for all the support guys, you are wonderful!

Read and Review Nothing is my Own.

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Chapter Twenty-Six: The Dark Mark and the Break-up

The wind swirled around like small torrents of anger. Other than the occasional howl of the wind the night was silent.

"Bring them forth to me," hissed a snakelike voice.

Harry looked around desperately for the source of the voice, suddenly realizing he wasn't seeing though his eyes.

"Master," muttered a young man cloaked in a dark hood as he knelt down before Harry.

"You wish you join my followers?" the voice hissed again.

The young man bowed his head, "yes master."

Harry knew that voice, he had heard it hundreds of times, jeering at him, mocking him. Now it was humble, calling him master.

"I hope you turn out to be a better servant than your pathetic father was. He was punished, along with other less worthy servants."

The young man's body shivered in the pale moon light, "I will master."

"Hold out your arm, and prepared to join my ranks."

The young man slowly held out his arm, Harry felt his eyes burning into the young man before him. He couldn't control what his body was doing. He took out his wand and placed in on the young man's skin, muttered words of a forgotten language.

The young man shrilled in pain, his cried begging for mercy in the emotionless night.

"You will come when you are summoned," the voice hissed again.

"Yes master," the cloaked figure said fighting back the pain searing though his veins.

The laugh, that evil laugh, "enjoying the view Potter?"

Harry felt his heart stop in his chest, although he wasn't quite sure where his chest was at the present moment. He tried to shut his eyes, to block that horrible laugh from his mind, but he couldn't, with all his strength he screamed.

"HARRY!"

Harry Potter sprang up from his sleep, from his dream.

"Malfoy, he took the Dark Mark!"

Ron back away fearfully, "you're have dreams again, aren't you?"

Harry tried to control his erratic breathing, "he knew I was there Ron, he knows I know."

Ron lowered his eyes, "he might be trying to trick you again. Remember what happened last time."

"I DON'T NEED TO BE REMINDED!" Harry shrilled, losing control of his temper.

"Will you two pipe down," Seamus muttered from behind his bed curtain.

Harry ignored Seamus, rubbing his scar subconsciously.

Ron continued to eye Harry, "is it your scar again mate?"

Harry nodded, "I think Wormtail is dead."

"Why?"

"Cho asked me who Wormtail was the other night, she said he was trying to talk to her though the Death Journal. He told her he was a friend of mine," Harry said suddenly.

"So what happened in your dream?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head, "Voldemort was angry at Draco's father about something, he said he was punished."

"You saw Malfoy take the Dark Mark?" Ron continued.

"Yes," Harry said without thinking, "well, I think it was Malfoy, it sounded like him."

"We should go to Dumbledore right now," Ron insisted.

Harry shook his head again, "and say what, 'I had a dream where somebody I think was Malfoy take the Dark Mark.' He'll just lecture me not to trust my dreams and to practice my Occlemency."

Ron lowered his head, "maybe you should ignore your dreams."

"How can I ignore them? He knew I was there."

The next day Harry did something he never though he'd do in a million years. He spent the entire day searching for Draco Malfoy. He hoped by catching a glimpse of him, he'd get some proof that his dream was real. If Draco was up last night taking the Dark Mark, he'd look tired, weak. The one time he was trying to find his arch enemy he was nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you looking for?" asked a soft voice that made his stomach feel slightly funny.

"Hello," Harry said shyly, hoping he wouldn't have to answer her question.

Cho smiled faintly, and bit her lip, which Harry had learnt she did when she was nervous, "so who are you looking for."

"Actually, I was looking for you," Harry lied, feeling guilty for saying it immediately.

Her face turned a light shade of pink as she lowered her head, "well, I guess you found me."

Cho suddenly giggled, "have you heard the horrible rumors going around yet?"

Harry shook his head no.

"Well, they're saying the other night I locked myself in my room to have a private rendezvous with you, and Hermione caught us," Cho continued to smile.

"I don't see what's so funny about that," Harry confessed.

"Oh, well, I found it amusing. You know what people come up with," Cho rambled nervously.

"I guess I'm just fed up with rumors," he stated flatly.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Cho said softly.

Harry forced a smile, "you didn't."

She glanced nervously down at the floor, "I'm going to study in the library later tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to meet me there?"

"I'd love to, but I have detention," Harry confessed.

Cho closed her eyes, "I really like you Harry," she blurted out.

"It wasn't an excuse, McGonagall gave us a weeks worth of detention."

Cho took a deep breath, "that isn't what I'm talking about."

Harry looked at her slightly puzzled, "you know how I feel about you."

"No I don't," she stated almost instantly.

"I like you too," Harry said softly.

Cho gave a nervous chuckle, "I don't know how to act around you anymore. Everyone keeps asking me what's going on between us, and I don't know what to tell them."

"Tell them we're friends," he said calmly.

Cho lifted her eyes to meet his, "are we just friends?"

Harry sat there looking at her for what seemed like an eternity, he knew what the answer to her question was, but he didn't know if he was strong enough to say it.

"Listen, I've got to go talk to Professor Sprout about my Herbology project, we'll talk about this later I guess," Cho said breaking the silence.

Harry felt his heart beat growing faster and faster, as the moment to act slipped though his fingers.

"Cho, do you.?" Harry trailed off before she started to walk away.

She smiled, "more than anything."

Harry took a deep breath, "will you meet me for dinner, before I have to go to detention?"

"At the Gryffindor table?" she asked skeptically.

"We won't bite," Harry joked.

Cho nodded nervously, "alright, I'll see tonight then."

He had done it, he had finally chosen, and amazingly it felt good. She was the one person he wanted to let in right now, he some how felt he needed her. Just as the thoughts of being with Cho filtered though his mind, the image of Pavarti made it's intrusion.

How was he going to tell her? What would she say when he confessed that he and Cho were now together?

"HARRY!" Hermione yelled waving her arms madly in the air.

Harry narrowed his eyes as she approached, "Hermione, what's wrong?"

She was breathless, "where is Ron, we've got to find Ron!"

"I haven't seen him since Transfiguration, why? What's going on?" Harry demanded.

Hermione didn't answer him, she grabbed his hand and tugged him though the halls. Harry feeling slightly puzzled, thought about voicing objections to being dragged along like a knot on a log, but held his tongue.

"NEVILLE!" Hermione yelled spotting another Gryffindor, "have you seen Ron?"

Neville shook his head, "not since breakfast, if I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"NO!" Hermione said sternly, "don't tell him."

She started to pull Harry along again.

"Hermione stop! What in the bloody hell is going on?" Harry said annoyingly.

Hermione took a breath, "Ron's going to kill him if we don't find him and calm him down, or bind him, or something."

"Kill who?" Harry said still frustrated.

"Dean!" Hermione said quickly, "he just broke-up with Ginny for another girl, and she's really upset."

"Dean Thomas? Who is he dumping Ginny for?" Harry said slightly amazed.

"Some seventh year Hufflepuff girl, I don't know her name," Hermione said eagerly tugging on Harry's hand.

"Is Ginny okay?"

Hermione nodded, "she's just a little heartbroken, but if Ron sees her crying over Dean, he's going to lose his temper, I just know it."

"Who's going to lose their temper?" Ron asked as he approached.

"RON! Thank Merlin," Hermione said suddenly pulling her wand out of her robes, "Petrificus Totalus."

"What in the world did you do that for?" Harry asked desperately falling to Ron's side, to make sure he was okay.

"Ron, you've got to listen to me, you can't over react," Hermione said slowly, as if talking to a dangerous animal. "Ginny and Dean broke-up."

Ron's eyes darted suspiciously as Hermione spoke, but it was the only part of him that was able to move.

"Dean broke-up with her for another girl, and she's a little upset, she's afraid you're going to do something rash."

The more Hermione spoke the colder Ron's eyes grew, Harry recognized that Weasley rage anywhere.

"I need you to promise me that you won't do anything to Dean if I take this curse off you. If you promise blink twice," she finished.

Ron's face was growing deep red, but he blinked twice.

"Hermione wait, maybe we should let him calm down a few more minutes," Harry said suddenly as she lifted her wand.

"I don't think keeping him in a full body bind is going to calm him down," Hermione stated matter of factly before saying the counter curse.

Ron flung himself on the floor, "DID YOU HAVE TO BLOODY PUT ME IN A FULL BODY BIND!"

"Ron! Calm down!" Harry warned.

"WHERE IS GINNY!" Ron shrilled, "I'LL KILL THAT BLOODY BASTARD IF HE HURT MY SISTER! IF SHE SHEADS ONE TEAR!"

"I think you just made him madder," Harry said with shock as Ron pushed past them and headed towards the Gryffindor common room.

"The Weasley's sure are frightening when they're mad," Hermione said as her and Harry turned to chase after Ron.

Ron reached the Fat Lady and screamed the password into her face, and she looked at him coldly, muttering something about rudeness before allowing him to enter.

"Where is he Seamus!" Ron demanded as he found his fellow sixth year sitting on the couch.

Dean answered from the bottom the boy's dormitory stairs, "I didn't mean to hurt her, it just happened."

"JUST HAPPENED!" Ron screamed at him.

Dean lowered his head, but didn't waiver, "we're still friends, we ended on a good note."

"Stay the hell away from her," Ron warned, eyeing him dangerously. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs in her dormitory, she wants to be alone," Dean said sincerely.

Ron was now breathing deeply, and Harry had to hold Hermione back from him. Ron walked slowly towards Dean to where his face was almost touching his.

"If I ever see you talking to my sister again, I'll hex you so badly your parents won't even be able to recognize you."

Dean didn't move, "Ron, what happened between me and Ginny isn't any of your business."

Ron's face crinkled, and in a split second Dean was down of the floor and Ron was standing over him with his fist still clenched. The angry Weasley pushed pasted his fallen dorm mate and ran upstairs, cursing under his breath.

Harry ran over to Dean and helped him off the floor, "are you okay mate?"

Dean gripped his bleeding face, "I think he broke my nose."

"We need to get him to the hospital wing," Hermione said rushing over to help Harry.

"I'll take him," Seamus volunteered, "I think you need to go talk to Ron,"

Harry glanced at the clock, he only had thirty minuets before dinner, "I'm suppose to meet Cho for dinner tonight."

Hermione smiled, "so are you two, official?"

Harry just returned her smile without an answer.

"We need to let him cool off anyways, you go on to dinner, I'll wait for him to come down," Hermione said quickly.

"What's was all that yelling down here," Ginny said appearing at the bottom of the stairs.

Hermione looked at Harry dangerously, "it was nothing, Harry was just fixing to head down to the Great Hall for dinner."

Harry caught Hermione's hint, "yea, you want to walk with me down to the Great Hall?"

"That was Ron yelling, what happened?" Ginny demanded.

Hermione lowered her head, "Ron lost his temper."

Ginny glanced over towards Harry, "is Dean okay?"

Harry nodded he's fine, "Seamus just took him to see Madame Pomfrey."

"What did Ron do?"

Hermione tried not to smile, "broke his nose."

Ginny clinched her fist at her side before looking up the boy's dormitory stairs, "RONALD WEASLEY! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO STICK YOUR RUDDY NOSE IN MY PRIVATE AFFAIRS!"

"Come on Ginny, I promised Cho I'd meet her," Harry pushed.

She glared at him, "I'm not hungry," she stormed back upstairs and slammed the door shut.

"Hermione, I think it's best if we let these two fireball calm down a bit before we try to talk reason into them," Harry said flatly. He and Hermione left the Gryffindor common room and headed down toward the Great Hall, listening closely because they expected to hear more yelling at any time.

"I'm glad you quit being a prat and finally asked Cho to be official with you," Hermione said as they entered the Great Hall.

Harry held his smile back, "who said we're?"

"Oh Harry, it's written all over your face," she said.

The two took a seat next to the Creevy brothers, and Neville Longbottom.

"Have you guys seen Seamus?" Lavender asked from down the table.

"He's taking Dean to Madame Pomfrey, he should be down soon," Harry called back.

Pavarti looked questionable at Harry, "why is he taking Dean to Madame Pomfrey?"

Harry tried not to laugh, "because Ron broke his nose."

Lavender and Pavarti ducked down into their normal gossip mode. Looking up occasionally, then ducking back down again.

"Did you save me a seat?" Cho asked as she walked over from the Ravenclaw table.

Harry smiled and slid down to allow her room to sit.

"Hello," she said politely to the group Harry was sitting with, recognizing them from DA.

"So where is your other friend, Ron?" Cho asked softly.

"Insensitive prat lost his temper and punch Dean Thomas in the nose, now he's locked up in our dormitory," Harry whispered back.

Cho's eyes grew wide and she nodded with a smile. Looking around awkwardly at the inquisitive Gryffindors.

"So Chang, what bring you to the Gryffindor table tonight?" Dennis Creevy asked while shoving a fork full of mash potatoes into his mouth.

Cho blushed slightly, "Harry invited me."

Colin smiled over at Harry, "so are you two dating now?"

Harry felt a rush of blood surge into his head, why did Colin have to ask that question?

"Yes they are," Hermione stated for him.

Pavarti's head shot up from the end of the table and Harry caught a glimpse of her glare.

Dennis sat his glass of pumpkin juice back down on the table, "I thought you and Pavarti had a thing going."

"Why would you think that?" Cho asked Dennis.

Dennis looked at Harry nervously, "no reason."

Harry let out a soft sigh, before looking back in Pavarti's direction, she was gathering her things in a bit of rush, and didn't even look at him as she hastily left.

Neville took a big bite of his roll, "I hope Dean is okay. I bet Ron can hit pretty hard."

"He was bleeding pretty badly," Hermione offered, "but I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will be able to fix him right up."

Cho looked so out of place as she sat there, nervously eyeing her food.

"You don't look like you're having a very good time," Harry whispered over to her.

"Oh no, I'm having a wonderful time. I just don't think I fit in very well," she whispered back. Harry couldn't help but notice how cute she looked when she wasn't in her comfort zone.

"Malfoy," Hermione said suddenly nodding over in the direction of the Great Hall doors, apparently Ron had told her about his dream.

Draco Malfoy walked passed Harry suspiciously, rubbing his arm subconsciously.

Cho leaned over into Harry's ear, "he's evil."

Harry nodded, "indeed he is."

"What are you looking at Potter!" Malfoy snarled. "You and the filthy mud blood."

Harry took a breath, "what are you hiding there Malfoy?"

Malfoy quickly turned away and walked towards the Slytherin table without another word.

Hermione turned her eyes back to Harry, "we've got to tell Dumbledore."

"No," Harry said quickly, "if Malfoy is a Death Eater, I want proof before we turn him in. I'm not going to give him an opportunity to get out of it."

"Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater?" Cho said as she eavesdropped on the conversation.

Hermione eyed her nervously, "we don't know yet, not for sure at least."

Harry watched him the rest of the meal, but Malfoy never looked back over towards him, or touch his arm.

"Harry, we have Detention. If we don't get there soon McGonagall will probably extend our punishment," Hermione suddenly said while finishing her meal.

He looked over at Cho, "I'm glad you met me."

Cho smiled softly, "me too." She swiftly gave him a kiss on the lips and turned a bright shade of red.

"GO POTTER!" catcalled his fellow Gryffindors as they applauded, making Harry turn the same color as Cho.

"Breakfast, meet me outside the Great Hall doors before class," Cho whispered before leaving the Gryffindor table.

Hermione had a huge grin stenciled across her face, "you two are so adorable together."

"Oh shut-up Hermione," Harry said before rising from his own seat.

Hermione's grin didn't fade, "we better stop by the Gryffindor common room to get Ginny, it's on the way anyways."

Harry and Hermione walked brisk fully down the corridors, trying to make up for any time they might lose persuading Ginny to come to detention.

"RONALD WEASLEY!!! YOU ARE A MEDDLESOME PIG!"

The two Gryffindors stopped dead in their tracks, the entrance to the common room was still a few hundred yards away, but that scream could have been heard by the dead. Without a second thought, the two broke into a sprint.

"Don't go in there mate!" Seamus warned as he tried to block the Gryffindor entrance.

"YOU'RE A FOOLISH LITTLE GIRL! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GROW UP!"

"They've been at it for over thirty minutes. Early they were throwing spells at each other," said a frightened looking second year girl.

"I HATE YOU! YOU'RE THE WORST BROTHER IMAGINABLE, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE!"

"GINNY IF YOU TRY TO THROW ONE MORE SPELL AT ME, I SWEAR!"

"Harry, we've got to do something," Hermione urged.

"Like what, use another full body bind on them?" Harry asked sarcastically.

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes, nervously eyeing the Fat Lady's portrait.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A HEADACH!" Ron shrilled from the common room.

"IT ISN'T MY FAULT YOU CAN'T ACT ON YOUR FEELINGS, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO SCARE TO HAVE ASK HERMIONE OUT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO RUIN MY LIFE!"

Hermione suddenly turned blood red and angrily looked at Harry, "do something!"

"I AM NOT AFRAID TO ASK HER OUT, I JUST DON'T WANT TO!"

"LIER, THAT'S THE BIGGEST LOAD OF CRAP I'VE EVER HEARD, RONALD! NO WONDER SHE PICKED KRUM!"

"DON'T CALL ME RONALD!"

"I got an idea, let's burst though the door, I'll tackle Ginny, you tackle Ron," Seamus motioned to Harry.

*CRASH*

"GINNY, I TOLD YOU TO STOP THOWING SPELLS!"

*CRASH*

Harry eyed Seamus like he was insane, "fine, I'll follow your lead."

"Oh, move over you two," Hermione finally conceded pushing past her fellow house mates, "Whomping Willow."