An Acceptable Risk
Part 12
Hermione waited in her room, and waited for Ginny to show up. The knock on her door didn't come until after midnight. She opened the door, and felt a small breeze as Ginny, in her invisibility cloak walked in. Hermione automatically locked the door and cast the wards to ensure that nobody could get in and quickly cast the spell silence their voices to those outside the room.
Ginny removed the cloak and looked at her friend. "I don't think I can do this anymore," she said right before she burst into tears. Hermione stood for a moment, at a loss as to what to do. As a former prefect, and now Head Girl, she was used to dealing with sniveling first years that were homesick, but this was different.
"Ginny, what's happened. Did that rat Draco, or his miserable excuse for a father do anything to hurt you?"
"No," sniffled Ginny. "It's nothing like that. Its just even being near Lucius Malfoy makes me feel dirty, inside and out. I've taken three baths so far this evening, and my skin still has this creepy crawly feeling."
"I know what you mean," admitted Hermione. "I feel the same way. Do you want to talk about this afternoon, or would you rather keep it too yourself?"
"No, I'll talk about it, because I'm going to need your help with something."
"What? Anything, Ginny, you know that."
"Well, Draco's invited me to the Yule Ball, and I told him I'd have to think about it because I'd outgrown my dress robes and that Mum and Dad didn't have the money to replace them."
"But Ginny, that's a lie, you've got those perfectly beautiful emerald colored robes that," she stopped as she realized why Ginny had said that. "Let me guess, you said that so you could go into some big speech about how much you hated being poor and all of that?"
"Exactly, besides, I don't want to wear those robes for anybody but Harry," Ginny admitted. "I know it sounds stupid, but they match the color of his eyes so perfectly."
Hermione walked over to her trunk and started searching through it. "I have my old blue ones from the first ball, but I don't think their right for your coloring."
"No, and the look to innocent for what I have in mind," said Ginny musingly. "I think I have an idea. Are you ever going to wear these again?" she asked Hermione.
"No, I've grown about four inches since I got them. They won't fit anymore, but they should fit you height wise. But Ginny," she said haltingly. "Don't you think they'll be a bit snug across the, um, chest?"
Ginny looked down at her chest, which while not overly large, was more developed than Hermione's. "Actually, that may work to my benefit," she said gathering up the robes.
"I have to meet with Dumbledore, I learned something very important today, and I have to let him know about it."
"Well, sure, I'll go, but why didn't you tell him as soon as you got back from Hogsmeade?"
"Well, Draco was with me all afternoon, and he introduced me to some of the Slytherin girls who stuck to me like glue. I swear, they are the must annoying stuck up bunch in the world."
"What do you mean?" laughed Hermione.
"How would you feel if you were stuck with a room full of Pansy Parkinson's for an entire afternoon?" Ginny asked dryly.
"Point taken. How are we going to get in to see Dumbledore?" she asked, changing the subject.
"I have the password, and we should both be able to fit under the cloak. It's not like you haven't done that before."
The two girls giggled as the enveloped themselves in Ginny's cloak. Hermione removed the wards from her door. The two stepped out into the hallway and down the stone steps that lead to the Gryffindor common room. The room was empty except for Harry and Ron who were sitting before the roaring fire. Before them, on the table were all manner of snacks purloined from the house elves. The two girls crept forward quietly, virtually ignoring the boys and their conversation. They were halfway to the door when what Ron was saying finally made sense to Hermione. He was talking about her.
"…really care about her," said Ron. "Actually, I can see us getting married some day. But I have to find a super job, and I really don't have any idea of what I want to do. I don't think I want to go into the Ministry like Percy and my Dad. Maybe Bill could get me in with Gringotts? Harry, are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, you, Hermione, Gringotts," said Harry, staring intently into the fire.
"'Course the thing is, Hermione's really smart, and she's going to want to work too. I'm sure of it, and she should. She's the smartest person in our year." Hermione smiled to herself at Ron's words.
"She probably won't want to be one of those mum's who stays at home with the kids. Not that I think that's a bad thing. It was great having Mum around all the time. Well, usually it was," he amended. "But Hermione, well she's just brilliant. She's destined to do great things. Actually, she's so brilliant that she'll probably realize that I'm the worst thing in the world for her," he said in a suddenly downcast voice.
"Hermione loves you, Ron, and you love her, now will you give it a rest!" shouted Harry. Ginny and Hermione stared at each other in amazement at his outburst.
"Tell me again about Draco and Ginny and Lucius Malfoy."
As Ron told Harry about the encounter in the Three Broomsticks, Ginny and Hermione began their escape toward the door, when this time Ginny paused.
"Ginny doesn't know what she's doing," said Harry. "She's going to end up getting hurt. Didn't she learn anything her first year at Hogwarts?" Harry absently rubbed his scar as he continued. "The Malfoy's are dangerous, she should know that. You know Ron, I'm beginning to think we haven't done her any favors by keeping her in the dark about Voldemort and the death eaters."
"Don't say his name," said Ron. "You know I hate that."
"But she's just a baby," Harry continued, ignoring Ron's outburst. "She needs to be protected." Ginny bristled at being called a baby, and Hermione quickly put her hand over her mouth to keep her from saying anything.
"In case you haven't noticed, Ginny may be my little sister, but she's anything but a baby Harry."
"You're right, she's not a baby, not any longer, but she deserves to be protected from the evilness in this world. I- I couldn't save Cedric, but maybe, I can save Ginny." Ron said nothing, but placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Ginny and Hermione waited several more minutes, but the boys remained silent. Finally, Hermione gave Ginny a poke, and the two made their way out into the hallway.
"What's the password?" Hermione whispered when they stood outside Dumbledore's office.
"Shhhh," whispered Ginny. "Someone's coming. The two girls pushed up against the wall and held their breath. Hermione felt Ginny stiffen when Draco, Crabbe and Goyle came into view. The three boys paused outside the entrance of Dumbledore's office. Hearing nobody, they continued on their way.
"Father says the tunnel is over here, behind this stupid knight," said Draco.
"When'd he tell you that," muttered Goyle. "Seems to me you were with that red-headed Gryffindor tramp the whole time."
Draco turned around, his eyes flashing angry sparks. "Watch what you say about her," he hissed. "You have no idea what you are talking about. She's not like the other losers in her house. She's different, she's special." Realizing that he'd revealed too much, Draco glared fiercely at his two sidekicks. "Don't worry about Ginny, I've got that situation totally under control. Besides, Father explained to me how to get out when I sent Ginny up to get us some butterbeers. He said to tap three times on the fourth stone up from the bottom, on the side where the knight's sword is, and the passageway will open up. We follow it out, and it will bring us just outside the grounds of the school, and we can apperate from there."
Draco reached behind the knight and tapped on the appropriate stone, and a small passageway was revealed. Draco pulled out his wand and whispered "Lumos" and the three headed down into the tunnel. Ginny started to follow them, but Hermione grabbed her. "We can't," she said. "We have to tell Dumbledore." Ginny reluctantly agrees and whispers "Coca~Cola," and the passageway to Dumbledore's office is revealed.