Hermione cautiously made her way to the boys' dormitories. She needed to use the Marauders map and the Invisibility cloak to get to the Slytherin common room so she could tell Lucius that she didn't like him in that way. He'd been bugging her for the last week and the Christmas Ball was later on that night and if he pleaded with her one more time to go with her, she'd smack him into next week. Her patience was wearing thin, especially when he kept trying to kiss her! She sighed in irritation as she knocked on the boys' door for the fifth time. Feeling frustrated, she peeked through the door and saw something rather unexpected. The four boys were sitting down on the ground with their heads rather close to each other. She suspected that they were plotting a prank of some sort against either the Slytherins or the teachers.
"Um . . . hello?" Hermione asked wearily. The boys' heads shot up, looking startled.
"Hermione! What are you doing here?" Sirius questioned. Hermione smiled.
"I was wondering if I could use the Invisibility cloak and the Marauders map" she said, glancing at James. James looked shocked.
"How'd you know?"
Remus rolled his eyes as he looked exasperated.
"You forget that she's from the future Prongs!" James blushed.
"Oops, sorry"
"It's alright, so can I use it?" Hermione asked. James nodded as he gave her the Invisibility cloak, then he pulled out the Marauders map from his trunk. He looked from Hermione to the map, then cleared his throat as he put his wand to the parchment.
"Here, I'll do it" Hermione offered as she touched her wand to the parchment, she cleared her throat as she called out "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good"
Everyone stared at her in shock as she giggled.
"What?" she asked.
"How'd you know?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Hello? I'm best friends with the two trouble-makers in school! Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, I'm bound to pick up some stuff and anyways, Harry somehow found out the password and told Ron and I what it was"
The Marauders grinned at this piece of information.
"Look, I'll see you guy's later, okay?" They all nodded as she left. Throwing on the Invisibility cloak and scanning the Marauders map, she set off on her search for Lucius.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Hermione waited impatiently in Lucius' room. She knew that he was with Snape right now and that he'd be arriving in his dormitory at any moment, considering the fact that she'd heard him say those exact words. She whipped off the Invisibility cloak and stuffed the Marauders map in her pocket, just as Lucius wandered into the room. He looked shocked to see her.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?"
"I needed to talk to you" she told him. Lucius smirked.
"What about?"
"About how you keep annoying me!" she snapped "I'm sick of it. I just want you to leave me alone, alright? So, just to let you know, keep away from me tonight" Lucius merely grinned as he moved close to her.
"Are you sure that's what you wanted to say?" he asked. Hermione narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me, I need to go meet my boyfriend" she informed him as she left, but Lucius wasn't leaving her alone that easily.
"At least, let me escort you to where you need to go" he offered. Hermione took a deep breath as she quickly made her exit from the Slytherin common room. Luckily, no Slytherins were in there at the moment, she started to run as soon as she'd made it into the corridors. Lucius ran after her and pulled her into a spare classroom.
"Can't you just take a hint?" Hermione spat, her eyes flashing dangerously. Lucius' lip curled.
"I know that you came to me for a reason" he told her. Hermione clenched her hands into fists.
"Look, I just wanted to make sure that you kept away from me tonight and for the rest of my life! I HATE YOU! Just looking at you makes me skin crawl" Well, not as much as Pettigrew, but you're close, she thought. Lucius just continued to smirk.
"I know you're just playing hard to get" Lucius told her. Hermione felt like screaming. Lucius just didn't seem to get the fact that she hated him! Without warning, he'd pinned her to the wall and stuck his tongue down her throat. Hermione's eyes widened in shock and disgust as she tried to push him away, but he was too strong as he had her arms in a vice-like grip. She shut her eyes and hoped against hope that someone would find them and stop him.
"Hermione, there you . . ." the person's voice trailed off as Hermione slowly opened her eyes. Lucius was still kissing her and Hermione felt like crying. The person that had found them was Sirius, but he didn't look angry, like she'd hoped. He looked hurt! Realization suddenly hit her as she realized that he thought that she was kissing Malfoy! With all the strength she could muster, she tried pushing him away again, but this time, it seemed to be with ease. Hermione spat on the floor and wiped her mouth.
"You are disgusting!" she screamed at Lucius, who was grinning madly.
"You wanted it" Lucius said. Sirius' right eye twitched as he glared angrily at Hermione. Hermione's jaw dropped.
"You don't believe him, do you?" she questioned incredulously. Sirius looked away and didn't meet her eye. Hermione gasped.
"Who are you going to believe? A Slytherin" she spat out the last word as if it was a dirty swear word "Or your girlfriend?"
Sirius looked up at her and Hermione felt nervous. He had mixed emotions of anger, hurt, betrayal and sadness all on his face.
"Maybe you should consider yourself as ex-girlfriend" he muttered as he stormed off. Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes as she turned, ready to pounce on Lucius, but he seemed to have disappeared. Hermione couldn't believe it! Sirius had just dumped her, before getting the facts! He just assumed that she was making out with Lucius! Well, she'd heard all about Sirius' reputation, about how he'd go out with one girl, then go and make out with another. Maybe this would make him realize how it felt. Yet Hermione still felt upset and angry that Sirius believed a Malfoy over her! Hermione slumped down onto the ground and put her hands around her knees as she burst into tears.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Hey, have you seen Hermione?" Ginny asked Sirius "I haven't seen her all day"
"Maybe, you should go find her new boyfriend and ask him. I'm sure he'll tell you where she is" Sirius said bitterly as he put his head in his hands. Ginny stared at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" she questioned.
"Hermione" he spat out her name "has been seeing Lucius Malfoy behind my back!" he yelled. The Marauders, Lily and Ginny stared at him in horror.
"You're joking!" James exclaimed.
"No, I'm not. I saw them both making out" Sirius whispered, looking wounded.
"That little bitch!" Peter said spitefully "How could she do that!"
Ginny stared at them in disbelief.
"You honestly think she would snog a Malfoy willingly?!" she cried "In our present time, she detested all Malfoy's! They're all a bunch of murderers and Draco is a nasty piece of work! Sirius, don't be so ridiculous!"
"She looked like she was enjoying it" Sirius said as tears welled up in his eyes. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're exaggerating! Your mind is playing with you, I know Hermione and-"
"You obviously don't know her that well!" Sirius spat, looking outraged "And are you calling me a liar?"
"Yes, I am!" Ginny said defiantly "You don't know Hermione as well as I do Sirius!"
"So, you're on her side?" Sirius growled.
"What?! What are you talking about?!"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" James said "Hermione's a Death Eater"
Ginny gaped at him in shock.
"I can't believe you! You're all jumping to conclusions!" she cried. Sirius folded his arms over his chest.
"I know what I saw. Believe it or not Ginny, Hermione's bad news. How she came to be in Gryffindor, I don't know"
Ginny stared at him in disbelief.
"Yesterday, you and her were so in love and now you're saying you don't trust her?! Let me tell you something, if it was the other way around, Hermione would've forgiven you!"
"It's not that! It's the fact that she was making out with a Slytherin!" Sirius shouted.
"Are you all against Hermione?" she questioned. The Marauders glanced at each other, then nodded. Ginny looked hurt as she stared at Remus.
"Even you? Let me ask you something Remus, are you agreeing with them because they're your friends and you don't want to lose them? Or is it because you really do think Hermione's bad news?" Remus narrowed his eyes at her.
"I think Hermione's bad news" he growled "How dare you think otherwise!" Ginny narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, don't mind me, just considering the fact that that was exactly what you told Harry, Ron and Hermione" she snapped as she stormed off, tears streaming down her face.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Don't you think we're overreacting just a little bit?" Lily asked cautiously "I mean maybe it was a plan for Sirius and Hermione to split up. I've heard Malfoy discussing with Snape about how they're going to get rid of Hermione's lover boy" Remus gaped as comprehension dawned on him, but James, Sirius and Peter remained clueless.
"I don't get what you're on about Lils" Sirius said gruffly.
"I mean, that the Slytherins have been trying to get her to go out with Malfoy for ages"
"Look Lily, nice try, but Hermione's bad news" James told her. Lily sighed.
"Alright, believe what you want"
James looked questioningly to Remus and Peter.
"What do you guys think?"
"I think that Hermione's bad news" Remus and Peter said in unison, yet it was clear that Remus thought otherwise, yet James, Sirius and Peter seemed completely oblivious to it.
"I'm gonna get another date for tonight. Granger can go with Malfoy, I don't care. Hey Spinnet!" Sirius yelled as he ran up to Clare Spinnet. She looked at him questioningly.
"Wanna go to the Christmas Ball with me tonight?" he asked, putting on his winning grin. Clare blushed and nodded.
"Great, I'll pick you up at seven" he told her as he strode back over to James and gave him the thumbs up.
"No more Granger. Shame I didn't bed her" Sirius said, letting out a sigh. Lily looked worried. Without Hermione, Sirius was the same guy he used to be. Sirius needed Hermione more than he let on and Lily decided to put a plan to use. This certain plan concerned Veritaserum!