Chapter 46- The Horror of Valentine's Day
For the past three days, Hermione reflected, she had been surprisingly cruel to Draco. She couldn't help it, though. It was rather cute the way his left eye twitched whenever she mentioned the ball.
Smiling to herself, she stood in front of the mirror in her dress robes. They were black, and the material was somewhat sheer, but did not show too much. It was not exactly body-hugging, but it did hang beautifully on her hips. The neckline was as low as she would let Ginny make it, with an elegant keyhole. It sat a few inches from off the shoulder. The sleeves were long and fitted, with embroidery of curling vines in jet. They came to a point over her hand.
With a wave of her wand, she pinned her hair up elegantly, leaving a few strategically placed curls to flow loosely at the back of her head. Another wave gave her smoky eye makeup and a sheer, iridescent lipstick. Smiling again at the mirror, she slid into her simple but pretty black shoes and left for the common room.
For once, she had to wait for Draco. He exited his corridor in velvet robes of deep red trimmed in black. She saw the worry in his face, knowing that it was about the mushiness he expected, and smiled.
"Shall we go, muffincake?" Hermione prompted, slipping her arm through his. She could see him bite back his remark. She successfully held her smile in place, not letting it grow wider or smaller, but pasted on to mask her delight at Draco's horror of Valentine's Day.
"Isn't this exciting, honeybunchcakenesskins?" Hermione sighed as he escorted her down the hall. "I can't wait to dance with you."
She was sure she could hear Draco restraining a gag, and pursed her lips to seal in a giggle. She would have to remember that name for later. *Honeybunchcakenesskins…I'm getting pretty good at this.*
His face grew more worried with every step, and Hermione's more eager. When finally they entered the Great Hall, Draco's worry disappeared. He took in the tastefully romantic decorations, the couples dancing and talking and sitting, and the display of desserts.
"It's not all…pink and…frilly. But how?"
Hermione grinned when he looked at her. "Oh, come on. Do you *really* think I would have asked those two to help me with it? I had Ginny help me plan the decorations."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"
"Oh, that wouldn't have been any fun. Let's dance."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled him to the middle of the floor. His right hand went to her waist, and his left took up her right. She placed her left hand on his shoulder.
Draco had switched his promise ring to his left hand, so their rings would touch when they held hands. Hermione glanced at the adornments and smiled. It had been only a month and a half since they made the rings, but it felt like forever. They had always been connected, it seemed.
They twirled in place, slowly and synchronically moving in time to the music. Hermione paid attention to nothing around her, feeling his presence too strongly to be aware of anything else. She was lost in him, and she could feel him supporting her with his entire being. It was absolute bliss, dancing with him there.
Sometime later, she would wonder what people thought when they saw the Head Boy and Girl dancing together, looking at each other in purest love. She wondered how surprised everyone looked when they thought about the unlikely relationship. At that moment, however, none of the other students existed.
"Hermione."
"Mmm?"
"I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Ask me anything."
"Well…I was wondering if, after the year ends, you know, during the summer or something, you wanted to come…uh, come to London. And stay with me."
"Are you asking me to live with you, Draco?" she prompted, suddenly as alert as she could be.
"Well, I…ah, yes."
A smile split her face, and she pulled him down and clung tightly to his neck. "Of course. I would be happy anywhere if it were with you." They stayed that way for a long time. Although she could not see him, she knew a grin was pasted onto his face. *Draco Malfoy, grinning. Now this is a front-page story.*
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, guys," Ron's voice came. Draco and Hermione pulled apart. Surprisingly enough, Ron actually did look sorry.
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked, sending a be-nice look to Draco.
"Have either of you seen Harry?"
"Do we look like we've been watching Potter all night?" Draco snorted. He cleared his throat then, before Hermione had the chance to step on his foot. "Sorry. What I mean is, we haven't really been paying attention."
"Why, don't you know where he is?" Hermione asked concernedly.
"Well, he went to the bathroom, but that was at least half an hour ago."
"I thought girls always went to the bathroom together," Draco said innocently. Hermione thought Ron's glower looked forced, though she could have been imagining it…
"Anyway, I checked the bathroom, but he wasn't there. I'm not sure where to look."
Hermione glanced up at Draco, who looked uncharacteristically worried. "Are you sure you don't know where he is?" he asked.
"No idea."
"Well," Draco said, "We should probably find him, you know the kind of trouble he somehow manages to get into."
The three of them left the Hall, making for Gryffindor Tower. Hermione led the way. "What are we doing, Hermione?" Ron asked. "I don't think he would have gone back to the dorm without me."
"Well, chances are he's still on school grounds. We can use the marauder's map to find him, right? He doesn't carry it around with him, does he?"
"No, usually he leaves it in the room- Manticoris." The fat lady swung out to allow them to enter.
Ron went to Harry's room to find the map. Hermione would have followed, but Draco pulled her back by the arm. "Nothing's happened that we can't take care of, right? I mean, he's not in any real trouble or anything?"
"Why, Draco, I'm amazed. You're acting like you *care* about Harry?"
"Me, care about Potter? You must be…damn it. I think you're right. Ugh, we've just become not enemies and now suddenly we're friends? What is the world coming to?" He hit his forehead. For need of a new subject, he looked around. "So this is the Gryffindor common room. Cozy…and entirely too red and gold." He sat. "Though I do like this couch. Good for snogging, I would assume."
Hermione giggled. "Ginny could tell you. I've seen her snogging Seamus on that couch…"
"Please, no bad mental images for tonight, Hermione."
Ron returned. "I've found it, now we just have to activate it. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Suddenly Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, and tiny dots wandered the areas. Most congregated in a miniscule Great Hall, but a few were in other places. Like three labeled Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Draco Malfoy.
"Do you see Harry's anywhere?" Hermione asked. She scanned the parchment many times, but didn't see it.
Draco suddenly pointed. "There," he said. "That's Potter. Can't you read it?"
Hermione squinted. Finally she could just barely make out Harry's name. His dot seemed unusually small. "But where is that? I don't think I've ever seen that part of the school," Malfoy wondered.
"Oh, no," Ron and Hermione said, in an oddly overlapping timing. They exchanged the oddest looks.
"What, where is it?"
"This area here is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Hermione said, pointing.
"Which means that Harry is in the Chamber of Secrets," Ron added.
"What? You mean that place actually *exists*!"
"Yeah, Malfoy, it exists. Disgusting place, really. Well, he hasn't been there for very long. Maybe it's still open. Come on!" Tucking the map into his robes, he sprinted away. Hermione took Draco's hand and followed.
Ron had reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom before them. He had just resorted to kicking and hitting one of the sinks. "Come on! Open, damn you!! Open!!!!"
"Weasley, what are you doing?" Draco asked, looking wary.
"This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, but you can only get in if you can speak Parseltongue! Damnit, this isn't bloody fair! Let me in!" He tried to rip the sink clean off, but it was connected to sturdily.
"Oh, leave him," an annoying voice said suddenly. "I've been wanting some company, and Harry always said he would visit me if he was a ghost."
"Myrtle, do you know what happened?" Hermione demanded.
"Oh, not exactly. But I do know that Harry is down there, and he doesn't need help from you. Even if he did, you wouldn't be able to get in there, so why bother trying?"
"What do you mean, he doesn't need help?" Ron yelled.
"Well," Myrtle said sweetly, "soon he won't need *anyone's* help. Ghosts rarely do, since they're not alive…"
Ron let a startling yell out, and he went for the sink again. "No! Come- on- you- stupid- bloody- sink!"
"Perhaps I can help you with that," someone said from behind them.
"Sagittus, what are you doing here?" Draco asked suspiciously. "You haven't been following me again, have you?"
"Well, I noticed you had gone, and seeing how happy you were dancing, I knew something had to be happening. Anyway, if you're looking for a Parselmouth, I happen to know one who can be here in no time."
"Who?" Draco's eyebrows had drawn down at this last statement.
Sagittus' mouth quirked in a Malfoyesque smirk. "Me."
He stepped up to the sink, and let out a command in Parseltongue. The sink began to move and the Chamber of Secrets was open. "Be careful down there," Sagittus said. "I hear the basilisk was killed, but who knows what could be down there."
"Uh, thanks. That's really comforting," Ron said, and he jumped into the deep hole.
************************************************************************
"Harry, what happened down there?" Ron asked. The four of them were in his room.
Harry shook his head again. "I don't know, all right? I can't remember anything."
"What do you think happened?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
"I- well…I'm just not sure. The how is easy enough, but the why is another matter. I wouldn't have gone there on my own. I must have been compelled, because didn't I tell you I was going to the bathroom, Ron? Well, I did." He sighed. "Bloody hell. I really don't know what happened. The only thing is, it had to be someone who speaks Parseltongue. How many people do we know with that talent?"
"Three," Draco replied. "You- and we know you didn't make you do it, Sagittus, and we know he didn't make you do it, and Voldemort. Now, that one is the most likely suspect, I'd say."
"You got that right," Harry muttered. "Well, that makes sense, but how would he get inside the school?"
"Maybe it has something to do with last time," Ron suggested tentatively.
"What do you mean, Ron?"
"He means Ginny," Hermione answered. "Right?"
Ron nodded. In a few moments, they had brought Ginny up to the room. Hermione had to spend about five minutes exclaiming over Ginny's red robes, with its very low neckline and its very body-hugging shape. Then, they finally asked the question.
"I didn't see you at the ball, either," Ron commented. "Is there a chance it might have been you?"
Ginny tapped her chin thoughtfully, then pressed her fingers to the sides of her temples. "Yes, it's possible. I don't know if that's what happened, but... Seamus says I disappeared for about two hours, and turned up after Hermione and Draco had left the ball. I guess I told him I would meet him there, and then I was quite late. He asked me where I had been, and I told him I was dressing, and then not to be so impatient. It was then that he told me what time it was. Two whole hours later than I thought."
"I know you don't want to revisit this, Gin," Ron said apologetically, "but in your first year Vol- Voldemort had a tight hold on you. Maybe he hasn't completely let go."
"He could still have enough of a hold to control you, at the right time and place," said Hermione.
Ginny looked at all of them. "I don't know," she said helplessly. "It's almost like I did have a trance, how else would I have lost track of all that time? Harry, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault, Ginny."
"I wish there was some way we could figure out what happened, then we could keep it from happening again."
Everyone was silent, all trying to think of a way to make that come true.
Draco shifted. "Well," he began, "there is one way."
End Chapter 46
Ah, another chapter. I'd like to thank most of you for your reviews. There are a few people I do *not* thank, and you probably know who you are.
Merry Holiday! Holiday confetti of your choice.
For the past three days, Hermione reflected, she had been surprisingly cruel to Draco. She couldn't help it, though. It was rather cute the way his left eye twitched whenever she mentioned the ball.
Smiling to herself, she stood in front of the mirror in her dress robes. They were black, and the material was somewhat sheer, but did not show too much. It was not exactly body-hugging, but it did hang beautifully on her hips. The neckline was as low as she would let Ginny make it, with an elegant keyhole. It sat a few inches from off the shoulder. The sleeves were long and fitted, with embroidery of curling vines in jet. They came to a point over her hand.
With a wave of her wand, she pinned her hair up elegantly, leaving a few strategically placed curls to flow loosely at the back of her head. Another wave gave her smoky eye makeup and a sheer, iridescent lipstick. Smiling again at the mirror, she slid into her simple but pretty black shoes and left for the common room.
For once, she had to wait for Draco. He exited his corridor in velvet robes of deep red trimmed in black. She saw the worry in his face, knowing that it was about the mushiness he expected, and smiled.
"Shall we go, muffincake?" Hermione prompted, slipping her arm through his. She could see him bite back his remark. She successfully held her smile in place, not letting it grow wider or smaller, but pasted on to mask her delight at Draco's horror of Valentine's Day.
"Isn't this exciting, honeybunchcakenesskins?" Hermione sighed as he escorted her down the hall. "I can't wait to dance with you."
She was sure she could hear Draco restraining a gag, and pursed her lips to seal in a giggle. She would have to remember that name for later. *Honeybunchcakenesskins…I'm getting pretty good at this.*
His face grew more worried with every step, and Hermione's more eager. When finally they entered the Great Hall, Draco's worry disappeared. He took in the tastefully romantic decorations, the couples dancing and talking and sitting, and the display of desserts.
"It's not all…pink and…frilly. But how?"
Hermione grinned when he looked at her. "Oh, come on. Do you *really* think I would have asked those two to help me with it? I had Ginny help me plan the decorations."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"
"Oh, that wouldn't have been any fun. Let's dance."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled him to the middle of the floor. His right hand went to her waist, and his left took up her right. She placed her left hand on his shoulder.
Draco had switched his promise ring to his left hand, so their rings would touch when they held hands. Hermione glanced at the adornments and smiled. It had been only a month and a half since they made the rings, but it felt like forever. They had always been connected, it seemed.
They twirled in place, slowly and synchronically moving in time to the music. Hermione paid attention to nothing around her, feeling his presence too strongly to be aware of anything else. She was lost in him, and she could feel him supporting her with his entire being. It was absolute bliss, dancing with him there.
Sometime later, she would wonder what people thought when they saw the Head Boy and Girl dancing together, looking at each other in purest love. She wondered how surprised everyone looked when they thought about the unlikely relationship. At that moment, however, none of the other students existed.
"Hermione."
"Mmm?"
"I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Ask me anything."
"Well…I was wondering if, after the year ends, you know, during the summer or something, you wanted to come…uh, come to London. And stay with me."
"Are you asking me to live with you, Draco?" she prompted, suddenly as alert as she could be.
"Well, I…ah, yes."
A smile split her face, and she pulled him down and clung tightly to his neck. "Of course. I would be happy anywhere if it were with you." They stayed that way for a long time. Although she could not see him, she knew a grin was pasted onto his face. *Draco Malfoy, grinning. Now this is a front-page story.*
"I'm really sorry to interrupt, guys," Ron's voice came. Draco and Hermione pulled apart. Surprisingly enough, Ron actually did look sorry.
"What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked, sending a be-nice look to Draco.
"Have either of you seen Harry?"
"Do we look like we've been watching Potter all night?" Draco snorted. He cleared his throat then, before Hermione had the chance to step on his foot. "Sorry. What I mean is, we haven't really been paying attention."
"Why, don't you know where he is?" Hermione asked concernedly.
"Well, he went to the bathroom, but that was at least half an hour ago."
"I thought girls always went to the bathroom together," Draco said innocently. Hermione thought Ron's glower looked forced, though she could have been imagining it…
"Anyway, I checked the bathroom, but he wasn't there. I'm not sure where to look."
Hermione glanced up at Draco, who looked uncharacteristically worried. "Are you sure you don't know where he is?" he asked.
"No idea."
"Well," Draco said, "We should probably find him, you know the kind of trouble he somehow manages to get into."
The three of them left the Hall, making for Gryffindor Tower. Hermione led the way. "What are we doing, Hermione?" Ron asked. "I don't think he would have gone back to the dorm without me."
"Well, chances are he's still on school grounds. We can use the marauder's map to find him, right? He doesn't carry it around with him, does he?"
"No, usually he leaves it in the room- Manticoris." The fat lady swung out to allow them to enter.
Ron went to Harry's room to find the map. Hermione would have followed, but Draco pulled her back by the arm. "Nothing's happened that we can't take care of, right? I mean, he's not in any real trouble or anything?"
"Why, Draco, I'm amazed. You're acting like you *care* about Harry?"
"Me, care about Potter? You must be…damn it. I think you're right. Ugh, we've just become not enemies and now suddenly we're friends? What is the world coming to?" He hit his forehead. For need of a new subject, he looked around. "So this is the Gryffindor common room. Cozy…and entirely too red and gold." He sat. "Though I do like this couch. Good for snogging, I would assume."
Hermione giggled. "Ginny could tell you. I've seen her snogging Seamus on that couch…"
"Please, no bad mental images for tonight, Hermione."
Ron returned. "I've found it, now we just have to activate it. I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Suddenly Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, and tiny dots wandered the areas. Most congregated in a miniscule Great Hall, but a few were in other places. Like three labeled Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Draco Malfoy.
"Do you see Harry's anywhere?" Hermione asked. She scanned the parchment many times, but didn't see it.
Draco suddenly pointed. "There," he said. "That's Potter. Can't you read it?"
Hermione squinted. Finally she could just barely make out Harry's name. His dot seemed unusually small. "But where is that? I don't think I've ever seen that part of the school," Malfoy wondered.
"Oh, no," Ron and Hermione said, in an oddly overlapping timing. They exchanged the oddest looks.
"What, where is it?"
"This area here is Moaning Myrtle's bathroom," Hermione said, pointing.
"Which means that Harry is in the Chamber of Secrets," Ron added.
"What? You mean that place actually *exists*!"
"Yeah, Malfoy, it exists. Disgusting place, really. Well, he hasn't been there for very long. Maybe it's still open. Come on!" Tucking the map into his robes, he sprinted away. Hermione took Draco's hand and followed.
Ron had reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom before them. He had just resorted to kicking and hitting one of the sinks. "Come on! Open, damn you!! Open!!!!"
"Weasley, what are you doing?" Draco asked, looking wary.
"This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, but you can only get in if you can speak Parseltongue! Damnit, this isn't bloody fair! Let me in!" He tried to rip the sink clean off, but it was connected to sturdily.
"Oh, leave him," an annoying voice said suddenly. "I've been wanting some company, and Harry always said he would visit me if he was a ghost."
"Myrtle, do you know what happened?" Hermione demanded.
"Oh, not exactly. But I do know that Harry is down there, and he doesn't need help from you. Even if he did, you wouldn't be able to get in there, so why bother trying?"
"What do you mean, he doesn't need help?" Ron yelled.
"Well," Myrtle said sweetly, "soon he won't need *anyone's* help. Ghosts rarely do, since they're not alive…"
Ron let a startling yell out, and he went for the sink again. "No! Come- on- you- stupid- bloody- sink!"
"Perhaps I can help you with that," someone said from behind them.
"Sagittus, what are you doing here?" Draco asked suspiciously. "You haven't been following me again, have you?"
"Well, I noticed you had gone, and seeing how happy you were dancing, I knew something had to be happening. Anyway, if you're looking for a Parselmouth, I happen to know one who can be here in no time."
"Who?" Draco's eyebrows had drawn down at this last statement.
Sagittus' mouth quirked in a Malfoyesque smirk. "Me."
He stepped up to the sink, and let out a command in Parseltongue. The sink began to move and the Chamber of Secrets was open. "Be careful down there," Sagittus said. "I hear the basilisk was killed, but who knows what could be down there."
"Uh, thanks. That's really comforting," Ron said, and he jumped into the deep hole.
************************************************************************
"Harry, what happened down there?" Ron asked. The four of them were in his room.
Harry shook his head again. "I don't know, all right? I can't remember anything."
"What do you think happened?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised slightly.
"I- well…I'm just not sure. The how is easy enough, but the why is another matter. I wouldn't have gone there on my own. I must have been compelled, because didn't I tell you I was going to the bathroom, Ron? Well, I did." He sighed. "Bloody hell. I really don't know what happened. The only thing is, it had to be someone who speaks Parseltongue. How many people do we know with that talent?"
"Three," Draco replied. "You- and we know you didn't make you do it, Sagittus, and we know he didn't make you do it, and Voldemort. Now, that one is the most likely suspect, I'd say."
"You got that right," Harry muttered. "Well, that makes sense, but how would he get inside the school?"
"Maybe it has something to do with last time," Ron suggested tentatively.
"What do you mean, Ron?"
"He means Ginny," Hermione answered. "Right?"
Ron nodded. In a few moments, they had brought Ginny up to the room. Hermione had to spend about five minutes exclaiming over Ginny's red robes, with its very low neckline and its very body-hugging shape. Then, they finally asked the question.
"I didn't see you at the ball, either," Ron commented. "Is there a chance it might have been you?"
Ginny tapped her chin thoughtfully, then pressed her fingers to the sides of her temples. "Yes, it's possible. I don't know if that's what happened, but... Seamus says I disappeared for about two hours, and turned up after Hermione and Draco had left the ball. I guess I told him I would meet him there, and then I was quite late. He asked me where I had been, and I told him I was dressing, and then not to be so impatient. It was then that he told me what time it was. Two whole hours later than I thought."
"I know you don't want to revisit this, Gin," Ron said apologetically, "but in your first year Vol- Voldemort had a tight hold on you. Maybe he hasn't completely let go."
"He could still have enough of a hold to control you, at the right time and place," said Hermione.
Ginny looked at all of them. "I don't know," she said helplessly. "It's almost like I did have a trance, how else would I have lost track of all that time? Harry, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault, Ginny."
"I wish there was some way we could figure out what happened, then we could keep it from happening again."
Everyone was silent, all trying to think of a way to make that come true.
Draco shifted. "Well," he began, "there is one way."
End Chapter 46
Ah, another chapter. I'd like to thank most of you for your reviews. There are a few people I do *not* thank, and you probably know who you are.
Merry Holiday! Holiday confetti of your choice.