Guess who's back? Back again? I am back! Tell a friend! Haha just kidding but yes I am back. I actually got back from camp a long time ago (three weeks ago I think) but I needed a little while to get back into the swing of things but anyway here I am and sorry for the cliffie but here comes the next chappie oh and sorry for any spelling mistakes but it's 12:30 give me a break
Disclaimer: I have decided to make this my last disclaimer bc I would hope that my very intelligent readers would have realized by now that I am not queen jk
Hermione arrived at Hogwarts alone that evening. Ron had collapsed and shortly thereafter, he apparated out of Hogsmeade. Ron hadn't explained his sudden attack of illness, but instead he kissed Hermione on the cheek and said he would be back after the feast.
Hermione had no intention of attending the feast. Dumbledore had given her the choice since Malfoy wasn't going to be present. She had no desire to see overly happy students stuff their faces with pumpkin pie and every other festive food associated with Halloween.
Hermione was in a mood.
Hermione walked up the marble steps one by one, up to her dormitory. She was the only student not heading for the Great Hall. She finally made it the corridor leading to the Heads' rooms when she saw Harry, leaning casually against her door, talking to Ginny.
"Oh my God" Hermione whispered s she contemplated between going back downstairs or give Harry and Ginny yet another verbal beating. Unfortunately for Hermione, Harry decided to glance in her direction as soon as she made the decision to leave.
"Hermione! We've been waiting for you!" Harry called as he started walking towards Hermione.
"Oh, pity, if I had known, I would have gone to the library" Hermione said sarcastically, walking right past Harry. she knew she sounded childish, but she didn't care how she sounded when talking to Harry.
"Oh, come on, Hermione, you can't be mad at us forever" Harry said to Hermione's back.
"Harry," Hermione started, turning around to face him, "you're acting as if I don't have a right to be mad anymore. Don't you remember what you did…with her?" Hermione asked. At this Ginny looked up, finally showing a sign that she could hear what was being said. "Don't you remember how I wasn't enough for you?"
"Hermione, that's not it at all. It's just, me and Ginny are perfect for each other" Harry said, immediately wishing he hadn't, seeing the hurt and angry expression on Hermione's face.
"Perfect for each other?" Hermione asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Who took notes for you for six years? Who quizzed you on every subject? Who helped you pass potions so you could qualify to be an Auror eventually? Who helped you figure out how to escape Voldemort the past couple years? Who helped you get over Sirius dying? Who wrote you all last summer just to make sure your ungrateful ass wasn't lonely? Me! Me, me, me, me, me! And she's the one who's perfect?! I wasn't enough to support your precious, heroic image?! You just needed me to get through the rough patch in your miserable life, so then you could get a real girlfriend who you could fuck anytime you wanted to?!" Hermione screamed. Tears were running freely down her cheek, unchecked. All the resentment Hermione felt blocked out any determination she had not to cry.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled. "Is that really what you think? That I… cheated on you because I didn't think you would sleep with me? If it is, you've got it all wrong. I did care about you. But you were so busy with Head Girl duties and I had quidditch; I never saw you. But I saw Ginny a lot; she helped me, too."
"So are you saying it's my fault that YOU cheated on me because I'm Head Girl?"
"No!" Harry yelled. "That's not what I meant. I just… because of our positions, you, Head Girl, me, Quidditch captain, it never would have worked."
"Even when I loved you?"
"Hermione, I really didn't know…"
"Harry, I was so depressed when you stopped talking to me. I was ready to make time for us. I was ready to give things up. But you just wanted to give up. You're making it sound like you only started seeing Ginny because it was more convenient. And for that, I hate you. I hate you so much, Harry Potter."
Harry stayed silent. He knew Hermione was sad, angry, and hurt, but up until that moment, he thought he could fix his mistake.
"Hermione" Ginny said in a small voice, speaking for the first time "you aren't any less perfect than I am. I'm not perfect at all. You were…are great."
"But not great enough" Hermione said, turning to say the password to her rooms. "Sa puissance"
"Hermione, please. I'm desperate. I want thing to be the way they were before" said Harry, as Hermione entered her room.
Hermione turned around slowly and looked at Harry, sorrowfully. "It can't work like that, Harry. Because first, we were friends who had only ever like each other. Then I fell in love with you. And you broke my heart. There's nothing left for us, Harry. You gave me up, and now, I'm letting you go."
Meanwhile at Malfoy Manor…
Draco had arrived at the death eater revel a few minutes early. The pain in his left arm had finally started to subside, so he could act normally. Her didn't care that Pansy had seen him apparate; she was an inch from being a death eater herself. Draco had only been in the Manor a few seconds before he saw his father walking up to him.
"Draco, pleasure" Lucius said, as if Draco were just another death eater, not his only son.
"Sir" Draco said in the same tone; this man had stopped being a father to Draco a long time ago.
"The Dark Lord is pleased with you" Lucius said.
"I am glad."
"Come, then." Lucius ushered Draco into the main hall, where death eaters were waiting.
"My Lord, my son has arrived" Lucius drawled as he presented Draco to Voldemort.
"Ah, the young Malfoy." The sight of Voldemort used to make Draco cringe. The white skin, the red slits he had for eyes, his high pitched cackle, everything. But now, he only saw his father's master. "You make your family proud by joining my ranks" Voldemort continued.
"I only wish to please you and my family, My Lord" Draco lied. He worked for himself, and himself alone.
"He has loyalty. That will come in handy. Now, young Malfoy, enjoy yourself tonight. I think you might, I daresay, make a new friend." The way Voldemort had said 'friend' had somewhat disconcerted Draco, but he decided to ignore it.
Draco started to mill around once his father had finished with him. He didn't speak to anyone; he just observed. He saw some people he recognized; he saw MacNair, the Zabinis, Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband, and some others. He ran into Snape, but didn't speak to him. It was an unspoken agreement between them; they didn't talk about being death eaters.
Draco made his way to the bar that had been set up and ordered a shot of firewhiskey. Being around this many death eaters made Draco need a lot of alcohol. But as soon as Draco put the drink in his mouth, he spit it all back out.
'No! I did not just see that!' he thought to himself. But after a numerous amount of blinking sessions, Draco couldn't deny what he saw. Ronald Weasley was in his house.
Draco watched Ron move around the hall, exchange a few words with Voldemort and other death eaters, and drink firewhiskeys. After about 15 minutes, Draco finally decided to confront the supposed best friend of Harry Potter.
"Hello, Weasel" Draco said as Ron poured himself a drink. Ron slowly turned around and faced Draco.
"Hello, Malfoy. Nice party, huh?"
"Cut the shit, Weasel. What the hell are you doing in my house?"
"Relax, Malfoy. I was invited."
"Like hell you were" Draco said incredulously.
"Want to see?" Ron asked, pulling up his robe sleeve, revealing his Dark Mark.
"What the fuck are you playing at, Weasel?!"
"What the fuck does it look like I'm playing at?"
"You're a death eater!"
"Oh my God! So are you!" Ron said sarcastically, picking up his drink and walking away.
"But why?" asked Draco, speeding up in front of Ron.
"Why the hell should I tell you?"
"Because I'm the one keeping precious Potter from knowing what you really are."
"Malfoy, you don't scare me. And besides, if you told, it would be your head, not mine."
"Weasel, Voldemort wouldn't kill me. No one would ever suspect that I, son of Lucius Malfoy, would rat a death eater out."
"Fair enough. Fine, if I do as our Lord asks, I get money and Hermione."
"What?! You want Hermione?!"
"Not that it's any of your business, but that's why I became a death eater. Harry knew I liked Hermione, but he still went out with her. Bloody bastard."
"I don't fucking believe this."
"Well, you better start fucking believing this, because the Mark is there. When you're called, I'm called. It's not coming off. Now if you'll excuse me…" Ron left to go join Voldemort, who was calling him over.
By the end of the revel, Draco still hadn't gotten over the initial shock of Ron's new found allegiance to Voldemort. It was almost one o'clock in the morning when Draco returned to Hogwarts. He had apparated right outside Hogwarts grounds and ran up to the castle. Even if he had tried, he couldn't keep this from Hermione.
He sprinted up to their dorms and didn't stop until he was in front of Hermione's door. He knew it was late, but he had to tell her. after pounding on her door, Draco was faced with a sleepy, very grumpy looking Hermione Granger.
"Draco?!" Hermione asked, pulling her hair up. Even at this hour, Draco wondered how Hermione could look so good for just having woken up. She wore a small gray tank top with black pajama pants. Draco took a minute to glaze over her body before he remembered what he had come here to do.
"Hermione, you have to stay away from Ron."
"What? Wait, come in here, explain." Draco quickly walked in and started pacing. Hermione sat in her chair and watched Draco intently.
"Hermione, please, you have to trust me. Stay away from Ron."
"Why? Ron's the only who cares about me at all."
"No, Hermione, you don't understand. You cannot be friends with Ron."
"Draco, I know you don't like him, but he's my best friend. He's always been there for me. Why shouldn't I be friends with him?"
"Just trust me."
"Well, I need a better reason to abandon my best friend of seven years than that.:
"Fine. He's a death eater." Silence.
"Wh-What?" Hermione choked out.
"I was at a death eater revel tonight, and so was Ron."
"But, he wouldn't, he's too sweet. He still cringes when people say Voldemort."
Seeing Hermione's devotion to her friend was touching, but Draco had to make her understand, Ronald Weasley was a death eater. "People change, Hermione."
"No! I won't believe it! You're just trying to come between us; you're the death eater. You just want me to tell Dumbledore that Ron's a death eater!"
"Dumbledore! Shit!" Draco yelled.
"What now?!"
"Dumbledore! I have to tell him! he has to alert the others immediately!"
"Draco, what are you talking about? What others?"
"Weasley knows! Weasley knows where it is; what if he told Voldemort?!"
"Draco, please explain what you're on about! Ron knows where what is?"
"No one's safe there. The members will have to leave; we need new headquarters. Why hasn't Voldemort killed them yet? Surely he knows?"
"Draco, what the hell is going on?"
"Hermione, we have to find Dumbledore! We have to warn the others! We need to get to 12 Grimmauld Place, now!"
A/N: ooh bet you didn't see that one comin now did ya? Just kidding you prolly all saw that one but whatever at least I updated. Now review! go on, do it do it do it do it