Chapter One:
"You don't know what you want..."
"And that class is how you make the Len Heart Potions." Snape replied motioning to Neville Longbottom who was up in the front demonstrating the potion. "Now put your potions in a vial, name on it, and return it to me at my desk." Snape said turning to his desk to fill out a grade book from to mark grades. Everyone started marking and filling vials in their correct places in the selves made for each student.
"...and then the Cannons shot another goal..." Ron explained from one corner of the room to Harry Potter and Seamus Finnegan while they finished up cleaning their work area while Hermione and Ginny worked on helping clear the tables out of the way so Snape could set up for his next class period.
"Is that all they will talk about? It makes me want to scream!" Ginny laughed as she and Hermione walked down the hallway to the library after Potions to do their essay for Transfiguration.
"I know what you mean, but Ron was so happy that the Cannons actually pulled out a game for once in their lives, it does help that Oliver was chosen for Keeper." Hermione said as they started to pull books and walked to a table to put them down.
"That was excellent timing too, they were about to start the season when he was signed." Ginny said as she pulled out all of her quills and parchment.
"True, maybe they can win the Cup this year." Hermione said staring on her essay. The women continued to talk when the men finally filed in to the library talking loudly and ushered themselves to the table that Hermione and Ginny occupied.
"Can we share this table with you?" Harry asked setting his bag on the table. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and nearly laughed, they knew that Harry and Ron would both weasel there way over here to get help on their essays.
"Of course you can, you know that." Hermione said making room for both and some extras. Neville Longbottom brushed past Seamus and Dean to set his bag down and work his way back for books.
"Neville is going to help with the essay, I still don't understand it all, and McGonagall has gone mad." Seamus said as he slumped into a chair next to Ginny.
"I know it was a hard topic but you know she has her reasons for giving us these things." Hermione said pulling open a book and flipping the pages.
"No she doesn't. She gives it to us so we have no time for anything else." Ron answered popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth. "You all know it to be true, don't deny it. All the teachers have been doing it for at least three weeks now, they all seem to have something else on their minds and it takes so much time they don't teach us and instead they are giving us homework." He finished.
"That is not true. And if it was, how would you know?" Hermione asked.
"Because you have seen them. I mean they barely pay any attention to any of us anymore." Ron answered, most agreeing with him. "Don't say you haven't seen it Hermione. McGonagall didn't get on to Crabbe or Goyle when they nearly blew up the classroom and she left every ten minutes to 'check on something'." Ron said.
"I know but maybe there is a reason, one we shouldn't be putting our noses in." Ginny piped up. Harry looked at her and nodded his head in agreement.
"You know what happens when we do." Harry said. Everyone laughed and Ron looked at him. "We always end up getting into trouble, most that we don't need in the first place." Hermione said pointing her quill at Harry and Ron. "You being the leaders of it." Luna Lovegood shot in when she walked by.
"Of course we are, who otherwise?" Ron said standing.
"Sit down King." Harry laughed throwing some paper at him. Ron sat and looked over at Luna who had gone to sit with the Ravenclaws.
"I still think we should at least look into it, not do anything big like the last five years but maybe find out what is going on and I think it has something to do with Draco Malfoy." Ron said.
"And why would you think that all of a sudden?" Hermione asked knowingly.
"He hasn't been here, I mean even he of all people would be here when school started and do not pretend I was the only one to notice his absence." Ron said and everyone nodded.
"We all noticed you know we did. But I still think we should leave it alone. If it was that important you know Dumbledore would have told Harry who would have told all of us by now, you know it to be true." Hermione said quoting Ron's own words.
"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you." He said going back to his essay.
"He suspects you know." Blaise said to Draco later that evening.
"Who? Potter? Nothing new you know that." Pansy put in from across the room.
"No this time it is Weasley and Granger is far more advanced than him and will figure it out in no time. You know Dumbledore will not keep it from Potter for long." Blaise said picking up Pansy's dagger.
"Put that down and both of you need to quit your worrying. He won't find out and I will make sure she doesn't." Draco said.
"How will you do that? None of them know you are here, you are supposed to be 'gone', I have no idea why, because you will not tell me, or anyone for that matter." Blaise put in.
"You don't need to know." Draco said, walking to the portrait hole. "Besides. You have your mind on—"
"Don't say it. I know." Blaise said putting up a hand.
"Potter won't take kindly." Draco said. "You know it too, he will find out. You need to stop your feelings, they will take you nowhere."
"I know, I will in time." He replied walking past him out the portrait.
"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked, picking up her blade and placing it in its holder at her side.
"You will find out, so why tell?" Draco told her walking out the portrait Blaise had moments ago.
"Men. Think they know everything." Pansy smarted, braiding her waist length hair.
Hermione made her way to the Great Hall later that evening to feed the house elves that lived in the kitchens. She moved quietly so that Harry, Ron or Neville would not wake from the library where they slept supposedly doing their essays for the next day, they would have a great surprise when they tried to leave later. She walked farther, closer to the kitchens when she heard a noise behind her, she kept walking making sure that whoever it was didn't know that she knew they were behind her.
"Shouldn't be walking all alone in the dark my dear." Hermione said to the person behind her.
"How—well I shouldn't be surprised that you heard me." Draco said as he sped up to her.
"I heard you behind me a while ago." Hermione said facing him. He was a head taller than her, built well in the shoulders and it also seemed that he didn't know the word 'haircut' all that well.
"How did you hear me?" Draco asked walking up and taking her wrist, mostly because she was walking so fast and he had also wanted to touch her, even if it was her wrist.
"You're very loud when you breathe even when you are trying to sneak up on someone who isn't paying any attention what so ever." Hermione said turning back around, taking her wrist away from his grasp and making her way to the kitchens.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked. He knew what it was but it was the only way he could keep conversation with her and follow her at the same time.
"You of all should know, I do not like the idea of you just keeping conversation with me. Was there are reason you followed me out of the Slytherin Common Room?" Hermione asked, finally stopping laying a hand on his chest to stop him.
"How did you know I left the Common Room, what if I had left the Great Hall?" Draco asked as he took her hand and matching her fingers to his.
"I saw you, once again you are not very clever in the art of sneaking." Hermione said as he took the ring from her left ring finger off and held it in the dim light.
"Married Granger?" Draco asked as he looked at the little diamond on a silver band. "Quite expensive if you ask me." He finished as he put it back on her.
"I do not think that is any of your business but no I am not married, you think I am that desperate...or stupid?" Hermione asked.
"Desperate no. Stupid—"Draco started.
"Please I am in no mood to hear one of your supposedly witty remarks Malfoy." Hermione said holding up one small, pale hand. "You can go now." Turning she started walking again but Draco's arm came around her waist pulling her to him.
"What if I want to come with you?" Draco asked. She looked at him giving him one of her looks, she stepped back, straightening her skirt and then she—laughed? "What is so funny may I ask?" Covering her face with one hand Hermione finished laughing and looked at him.
"You want to come with ME? You of all people I would say would rather laugh at someone than go with them." Hermione said taking his hand and looking at the palm.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked. Hermione continued to trail her fingertips along his palm as if she were reading.
"I am looking at your lines. Strong lines." Hermione said then as suddenly as she had taken his hand she dropped it and turned to walk away.
"You never answered my question." Draco said as he tried to catch up with her.
"What one was that?" Hermione asked as she turned to face him, her long brown hair coming up to rest on her shoulder as she looked at him with intense dark eyes.
"Can I come with?" Draco asked, he knew that she knew EXACTLY what he was talking about but was not about to say it aloud yet alone to him.
"If you answer one question." Hermione said as she took a flower from her skirt pocket. She laid it in his palm and she closed his fingers around it. "What is the secret to your life?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Draco asked. She shook her head and turned.
"Until you can answer that, I think you shouldn't come with me." She answered and walked away into the dark leaving him to contemplate her strange question. 'What is the secret to your life?' what in the hell did she mean by it and how in the hell would he answer a question like that.
The Great Hall was very quiet at night when no one was in it, no decorations, no magic going on in this place at night. It was quiet and still almost like in a dream. Neville walked to an empty table and sat with his flashlight, one that Hermione Granger had given him for Christmas when he was learning how to become a better potions maker, and his textbook and began his homework for Potions, and essay on dragon's blood, due in two weeks but wiser to get started and be nearly finished than do it the Ronald Weasley way and wait till the last minute and try to slam something together. He worked for a few hours but stopped when he could barely keep his eyes open, shutting the book he stood but then he heard a slight noise coming from a corner of the hall. Moving from the table he made his way to the source of the noise and turned when he heard it behind him.
"Don't move." Someone said and he felt something press into his back. He decided that it would be wiser to turn and see who this person was. Neville made a quick turn grabbing his/her's wrist and he felt the blade hit his cheek and then the blade hitting the ground, then he felt a boot, a female boot, connect with his jaw before he went sprawling.
"Pansy Parkinson?" Neville moaned as he got up slowly, said woman holding the blade to his shoulder.
"Who are you?" She said trying to get a look at him in the light, the little that there was in the room.
"Neville Longbottom. Only trying to do my homework when you made your soft but obvious noise over here in the corner." He said as she helped him stand.
"I apologise for hurting you, I am usually the only one here late at night." She explained, she turned to face him and gave a grim look. "I cut you. I didn't mean too." She put her hand to his cheek and rubbed the blood that dribbled down it with her thumb.
"It'll heal." Neville said taking her hand, the one on his cheek in his own and removing the blood with his fingers.
"At least let me help you with something, as a debt for my actions towards you." Pansy said as she took her hand away too quickly and put them at her sides.
"How about we call it even and next time we see each other we just say hello and next time you won't have a blade to me." Neville said as he picked up the blade that lay at her feet and handed it to her. "Why do you have it? That blade I mean." He asked as she put her hand on it but his did not release.
"For protection." She replied replacing the blade in a holder at her right side.
"Protection from what?" Neville asked. She hesitated before she turned, almost as if she was going to run but Neville put his palm on her waist and her eyes snapped to his. "What do you need protection from?" He asked again and she didn't say anything but only took his hand and kissed his fingers.
"My nightmares that haunt me day and especially the night." She said putting her head down as if ashamed of the confession.
"Ashamed?" Neville asked, she looked up quickly as if wounded by his words.
"Why would you think that?" She asked, "Why would I be, you have no right to think anything when you don't even know me or who I am for that matter." She turned but Neville laid a hand on her arm and with a quick reflex of her left arm she had the blade against his good cheek.
"I don't like to be touched, especially when I don't know when." She said and pulled the blade down and back in the holder as quickly as it had come.
"You don't like a lot of things." Neville said moving his hand back to his side and looking at her pointedly.
"One of them being you at this moment." Pansy said, moving her long blonde hair behind her she held perfectly still as if waiting for him to foul up.
"You don't want me to know that the Pansy Parkinson everyone has grown to know might actually have a flaw." Neville said and Pansy turned cold, dark green eyes on him, they quickly grew a flame and she slapped him, hard, across the cheek.
"I have no flaws." Pansy said and Neville holding his cheek only smiled.
"That only concludes my theory." Neville said and Pansy laughed.
"You don't know the first thing about me. All you Gryffindors think about me is that I have no feelings, no heart, no nothing. But I would like to point out Mr. Longbottom that if you had even given me a chance I might have been nicer to you than all of you put together. You only thought that since Draco Malfoy was evil that all Slytherins were just because of what all say. But not all of us are like that. Only you had to ask and we would have told you. The other thing is that you don't know the first thing about hurt, you have everything laid out for you." Pansy choked out her voice filled with tears.
"You think you know it all don't you? You—"Neville said but stopped holding one hand up. "Never mind. It is my hardship, not yours, I shouldn't lay it all on you just because of the way I feel." Pansy looked at him and her eyes softened.
"You are like what they say." Pansy said as she laid a hand on his arm. He looked at it and turned his blue eyes to her green ones.
"And how is that? What do they say?" Neville asked her.
"You are very compassionate." Pansy said, with great skill and a little hope she leaned forward and gave him a kiss and turned.
"Why did you do that?" Neville asked. "No reason." Pansy perked quickly. Neville pulled her to him and held her there and kissed her again, but with more than what she had and with more feeling.
"You know why and you know why I did." Neville said. Giving them some room between each. "We should go." Neville said quickly when he heard voices.
"Who is it?" Pansy asked. Neville moved to where his bag lay and picked it up and put it across his shoulders.
"I don't know but I am not about to stick around and find out." Neville said. Putting his arm around Pansy's waist they walked to the door. "I'll walk you to your common room so I know you get there."
"I can get there." Pansy said but Neville put a finger to her lips.
"Just let me." Neville said and Pansy nodded and together they walked down the quiet and dark halls.
Morning broke and the Great Hall filled for breakfast some still in their rooms getting ready for the school day and some in the Owlery sending letters to their families. Carrying her glass ball that she carried for good luck, Ginny Weasley walked back to the Great Hall for the breakfast that she had left unattended while she went to answer the notes she had been receiving since the beginning of the school year. She had yet to tell anyone of them, for the fear of whom it might turn out to be. Ginny knew it to be male as the notes were secret admirer notes, but she had yet to find out whom it was. Walking back slowly Ginny contemplated on whom it could be but everytime she did she couldn't think if anyone who would. Putting her head down Ginny watched the ball turn her favorite colors, she closed her eyes for a moment to see if could see the man who was sending the letters. As soon as she had she hit a solid chest and her charm fell from her hands and shattered at their feet.
"I am such a klutz. I should have been watching were I was going instead of daydreaming!" Ginny cried out as she kneeled to pick up the broken pieces.
"We all make certain mistakes when we have something important on our minds." Blaise Zabini said as he lowered to her level to take one of her hands. "You must be careful. Glass is not patient and will cut." Taking his wand he said a quick spell and the charm was together and in his palm.
"Thank you." Ginny said. Looking up at the seventh year Slytherin, Ginny's heart did a flip in her chest and she felt silly knowing that this man wouldn't give her the time of day. Reasons being that she was younger than he and a Gryffindor. Not of his rank or wealth.
"You are most welcome Ginevra." He replied giving a slight bow and making a move to pass her but her hand came to his forearm.
"Kindness comes in all forms." She said smiling at him and letting go she walked off to the Great Hall.
"She holds your heart Zabini." Draco said as he walked up behind him. Blaise looked to him and nodded.
"She does and yet she doesn't even know she does." Blaise said. Draco laughed and clapped him on the back. "Still sending those silly letters. You should come out and tell her." Draco said and Blaise looked at him as if he were mad.
"You're crazy. All of Gryffindor would be on my head if they found out I fancied there littlest." Blaise said.
"But hiding you feelings hurts you, deeper than you know." Draco said. Blaise looked at him and almost laughed. It didn't hurt him, nothing did and nothing ever would. But this woman did hold something and it made him want more than he knew he could have from her.
"You need not worry Draco. I will be fine and I will get past the feelings; once I know what they are." Blaise said and walked into the door of the hall.
"You only think you do not know the feelings. You are in love with her." Draco said and at that same moment Hermione walked behind him giving his ponytail a tug, Draco caught her wrist and turned her.
"Can I help you Mister Malfoy?" Hermione asked innocently. Draco looked at her; she was so different than she had once been. She now had straight brown hair her eyes were sharper than they used to be, they could see anything and know everything. She had small delicate features that required no make-up and if she wore any at all you could not tell. She smiled and with a small pull had her hand and with a slight curtsy Hermione was in the hall.
"Touching her is dangerous. Especially when Gryffindor is around." Pansy said as she walked to his side. Draco nodded his agreement and they started into the hall together.
"You were out late last night and who were you talking to outside the portrait?" Draco asked and knew immediately that he had struck a nerve as she had stiffened next to him.
"I had another nightmare and went to the Great Hall to work through it. Without your and Blaise's help." Pansy said and with a quick look her gaze skimmed over to the Gryffindor table and on to Neville she made a slight smile and looked back at Draco. "It was nothing, need not worry my brother."
"You know I want you safe and walking around at dark in this school is not." Draco said as they sat. "It could be dangerous and we can not afford that at the moment."
"I know it and you know I can take care of myself without Blaise and you following my every move as if I were a child." Pansy said. "I feel five around you, not seventeen."
Most at the Gryffindor table were completely enthralled with trying to find out what was wrong with the teachers, before something happened. The men were trying to make a plan on which they could go on to see if anything they could do would help them find out while the women thought all they were going to do was get themselves into trouble they did not need.
"Neville what happened to your cheek?" Hermione asked as she saw the small gash across his cheek.
"Nothing I really don't remember how I got it." Neville said and almost laughed. A woman with a dagger was a dangerous woman.
"It looks like it hurts." Ginny said, "How else could you have gotten it? Did you cut yourself working on one of your sculptures?"
"I might have. I must have been so tired I don't remember." He replied, he really wanted to change the subject before anyone found out that Neville had almost gotten his butt kicked by a girl, but she had been good at kicking his ass.
"Be careful next time. You are an artist, you do not want to go ruining your good looks." Hermione said laughing.
"Thanks for the pointer I'll remember it for next time. We should get going. Potter! You know we have to be on the field at two?" Neville asked and Harry nodded.
"I got it thanks. I'll bring Ron and Ginny with me." Harry said.
"Just make sure. You know how the other teams get picky if we are not there on time." Neville pointed.
"I know." Harry said and they all got up for Potions, the Great Hall cleared and without anyone watching Draco, Blaise and Pansy made their way to the High Table were Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall waited for them.
"They suspect." Draco said motioning to Gryffindor table, Dumbledore nodded.
"What are we going to do? We cannot just sit around and let them guess on it. I nearly killed Neville Longbottom last night when I was waiting for my owl from the Order. What can I do when you are letting them roam free at night?" Pansy argued, Blaise and Draco eyeing her on her confession on Neville.
"I had no idea students were walking around late at night but since it is a Gryffindor I hold no surprise." Dumbledore said, and then turned his look on Draco.
"You were with Miss Granger last night. You should not include her in what you're doing. It could be dangerous to her and we cannot afford any foul ups." Snape said.
"I understand. I just left my meeting with Lupin when she was walking to the kitchens to see those damned elves." Draco said. Dumbledore nodded and McGonagall smiled.
"You know that she will find out, she always does and we need to be prepared to handle it. She will come to you first and then to us. We need to be able to get her to keep it from the men in Gryffindor. We cannot let Harry know what we are doing. Miss Lovegood has kept them at bay but you know that will not be for long." Dumbledore said.
"You Mr. Zabini are the only one who holds a clear mind on the matter and I need you to go to the Dark Forest and call on Firenze. We need his help and we need to make sure that all students are in their towers at night before any of you go out again. I want you away from Granger and Longbottom. No one is to know anything." McGonagall said and with a slight bow from each they exited the hall to Potions.
"I want you all to wait to start your potions." Trawleny said as she passed out the ingredients. "Your potions master should be back any second to give you instructions."
"Where is Professor Snape anyway?" Ron asked, just then the door to the dungeons slammed open and came Snape followed by Pansy, Blaise and Draco.
"That is indeed none of your business Mr. Weasley. I may remind you that it is wise to hold your tongue on matters you do not know." Snape said.
"Yes sir." Ron replied and looking behind him he saw the three take a seat in the back with the rest of the Slytherins.
"Now you know what to do get started on the potion that was assigned to you." He barked and everyone jumped onto the potion.
"What do think? I think they all are involved I just don't know how yet. But I will. Watch I will know by the end of this week." Ron said as they walked from the dungeons.
"Just leave it alone. You need not bother with it. You will not find anything out." Luna Lovegood said. She was trying desperately to get Ron off their backs but so far she was having quite a difficult time with it.
"They are hiding something and the teachers know but they don't want us worried well they are making us worry when they are withholding information from us that could be important." Ron said.
"You have no right to butt into someone else's business when it is not your own." Pansy Parkinson said walking up to the five as they walked down the hall.
"You are hiding something and I think we all have a right to know." Ron said and took a step towards her.
"You do not know what your right is. You need to butt out before you get hurt Weasley." Pansy snarled. "It would be for your own safety to stop this little plan of yours and bury it."
"What would you know? How do I know you are not working for Voldemort this very minute?" Ron asked. Pansy smirked; she walked close to his face and smirked.
"You'll just have to trust me. Or not, what ever is your preference. Just stay out of my way if you know what is good for you." Pansy said and slinging her braid behind her she walked away.
"She knows something. For that I am sure." Ron said walking briskly to the field.
"You just need to leave it alone Ronald. It will get you nowhere!" Luna cried.
"How could you do that Pansy? Why?" Draco yelled at her when she walked into the common room.
"It was my decision. That man was getting on my nerves thinking he would find out. I just told him he better just beware of what he might find." Pansy said standing to face him.
"That could ruin everything. You know that and I know that. We cannot jeopardize what we have. You have to listen to me." Draco said.
"I do not have to do anything." Pansy said, "The Granger woman was with him, Luna was trying to get him to stop. He won't and she will find out and it will be our heads so why not warn them?"
"That is not your decision to decide." Draco said. He started to pace the common room.
"I will do what I so please. I am not some toy you can command. Just because I am a woman does not make me lower than you." Pansy said. "I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?" Draco asked grabbing her arm harshly as she walked to the portrait.
"Is that your business Father?" Pansy snapped, wrenching her arm free.
Snow lightly covered the ground outside the castle of Hogwarts, still falling as Neville made his way to the courtyard to finish his latest sculpture. He took out his tools from his coat, laying them gently next to the half finished sculpture that he had yet to name or figure out what it was. As he began to chip away the pieces of rock he heard the branches snap, so standing he turned to Pansy behind him, in nothing but her Hogwarts uniform, a skirt and her vest, her sleeves rolled, her hair in its usual waist length braid, but she was standing there silently, the holder at her side but not hidden as it had been the other night.
"Are you insane you could catch a cold." Neville said as he quickly slipped his coat from him to her shoulders and as if the coat weighed more than she, her knees buckled and she fell into his arms. "Pansy? Are you all right? Pansy?" Gently touching her face he found it warm and then he saw the bloodstain seeping threw her shirt at the base of her vest. Moving aside the shirt he saw the stab wound through the top of her left shoulder. He pulled the dagger from the holder and saw the blood marking it, had she? No, someone else had done this. So lifting from his knees and leaving his work he walked back into the school and made his way to the common room. Stepping in he found most of Gryffindor working on homework, noting the presence of most of the women he at first didn't know what to do until Hermione saw him.
"Neville what are you—"Hermione said and then saw the blonde braid hanging from the side and the blood on his hands and on her clothes, she immediately ran to him. "Ginny, we need towels and fresh sheets on one of the beds! Get Harry and also get my first aid kit from my trunk. Neville bring her to the couch. Dean get your ass off the couch." Immediately jumping from the couch Dean helped lay Pansy down. Hermione moved the shirt away from the wound and looking at it carefully she concluded that it would need to be healed with magic not Muggle medicine.
"I need someone to go to Slytherin and get Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini and someone else to get Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said as she put a towel on the wound.
"I'll go to Slytherin." Ginny said and ran from the common room. Harry then stood as if to go to the Medical Wing. "No I need you here Harry you know the medical ways more than I. Ron you go." Hermione said and Ron ran to go get Madam Pomfrey. "Do you know what happened Neville?" Harry asked as he cleaned the blood away from the wound.
"No, I heard someone behind me and when I turned I found her and when I put my jacket on her she fell as if it weighed too much for her and that is when I saw the blood. She has a dagger she carries with her and that is what held the blood but I doubt very much that she would stab herself." Neville explained.
"I agree with you. There is a reason Pansy told Ron to butt out this afternoon and this is one of the consequences of him not listening." Harry said.
Ginny finally reached the portrait hole of Slytherin and tried to remember the password that Hermione had told her right before she left but her brain was to full she could not remember. Trying many words that she thought were the password and finally after trying at least a million she cursed.
"Dammit!" She screamed slamming her palms onto the wooden frames that were around the portrait. "Let me in god dammit!" Banging as loudly as possible she hoped that one of them could hear her. As soon as she started to bang the portrait swung open and Blaise Zabini, stepped out.
"Is there—Ginevra?" He said and looked down at the small redheaded woman who was slumped on her knees.
"Draco!" He called into the Common Room then her turned back to Ginny. "What is the matter, what happened?" Blaise said standing her up to his level.
"Pansy, she is in our common room. Something happened to her. Neville brought her back with a stab wound in her left shoulder and she isn't awake and we went to get Madam Pomfrey." She explained and Blaise looked at her and knew that she was telling the truth. That minute Draco walked up with a pissed expression on his face.
"Is there a reason we are all yelling?" He asked then looked at Blaise and then at Ginny who was standing at his side.
"Pansy has been hurt and is in the Gryffindor common room." Blaise told him and Ginny nodded when Draco found her eyes.
"Come I will take you to her." Ginny said and the three ran to the Gryffindor common room. Finally reaching the common room, Ginny said the password and they all walked into the room and found Madam Pomfrey with Pansy and Neville at her side as the woman healed Pansy. She was awake and talking to Hermione as Madam Pomfrey put something on the wound and then wrapped it. Telling Pansy something the woman walked past the three near the portrait and stepped up to Ginny and whispered something to her and she nodded and then Madam Pomfrey left.
"Is she all right?" Draco asked walking to her and kneeling at her side. Pansy nodded and sat up so she would not look hurt, at least not too badly.
"I am fine. Nothing really just a nick." Pansy said looking at her hands. Draco lifted her chin.
"Who did it?" Blaise asked and she shook her head. "No I will not tell you." She answered. She stood and walking to the window she stared out and turned back. "I actually don't know who it was. I was in the forest and then it hit and then the next thing I knew I was behind Neville while he was working. Somehow he heard me and then I was here." Pansy said.
"We have to go. We need to go." Blaise said, his hand still on Ginny's, she looked up at him and he shook his head and with that the three exited the room, Ginny close behind.
"Blaise!" She called, he turned and looked at her clear violet eyes and she smiled at him. "You shouldn't hold your feelings in, they will hurt you." She said and walked back into the common room.
"What did you tell her?" Pansy asked, she was putting most her weight on Draco, as it was hard for her to keep her footing.
"I told her nothing, yet she knows something I don't." Blaise said as he took Pansy's other arm helping hold her up.
"What did you say to him?" Hermione asked Ginny when she walked back into the common room.
"Nothing. I said nothing to him. Why would you ask?" Ginny asked trying to cover up anything that she might have done.
"Are you all right? Why did you talk to him anyway? You wouldn't have a crush on him now would you?" Ron asked almost laughing.
"Where would you come up with something so stupid?" Ginny squeaked. Ron jumped up laughing. "I knew it! You've had that look in your eyes since he walked in here!" Ron said Harry laughing with him, then the exchange of money, from Harry to Ron.
"You were betting on me?" Ginny cried outraged. Ron looked at her and with a slight nod handed over money to Hermione. "You too?" She cried pointing at Hermione.
"Yes. It was completely obvious. I am so sorry but I needed the extra galleons for Hogsmeade." Hermione said slipping the money into her skirt.
"You might have won your stupid bet but it is not like he will give me the time of day you know." Ginny said walking to the window. "I am a Gryffindor and not of his rank." Turning she brought out all the letters from her secret admirer. "And I have this guy to deal with and I am not in the mood to have someone not wanting me." She said walking away.
"She does love him." Hermione said looking at Ron who nodded his agreement.
"Who did it Pansy?" Draco asked when they reached the common room. "We know you know and we are going to find out so you might as well spill." Pansy looked at him and raised her hand.
"Wouldn't that be my decision, to tell you?" Pansy interrogated. Blaise threw his head back and groaned and Draco nearly had a silent heart attack when the words escaped her mouth.
"No I don't think it is. Pansy, you were stabbed, with your own dagger and you don't want to tell us who it was?" Blaise asked, Pansy looked at him, a frown on her lips.
"I don't want to be put under the Zabini and Malfoy surveillance." Pansy said.
"You will be if you don't tell us who stabbed you." Blaise said, standing up near her, putting his hand on her wound. "We need to know who did this so we can protect you and this school." Turning away from her he thought of Ginny and the way she had talked to him, knowing more than he thought he might know.
"Fine. But this does not go to Dumbledore. Of course they all probably know what happened to me and know who did it. But I don't want it to come from either of you." Pansy said. Both of them looked at her and nodded. "It was Peter Pettigrew. I would know him from anywhere." Before Blaise or Draco could get a word in she continued. "I was in the forest, like I knew I wasn't allowed to be and I did it because I was mad at you Draco and I wanted to be away from you so I went to the forest and I saw Neville out there. I wanted to talk to him because I knew I wasn't supposed to because of you all and the teachers. But before I could get over there someone was behind me and there he was with my dagger. He lunged at me and I kicked him and that is when he caught me in the shoulder. I knocked him out in the forest but he would be gone by now." She finished slumping onto the couch.
"I thought Peter Pettigrew was dead." Draco said and Blaise looked at him. "Apparently not. Which we will have to tell the Order, they will need to know." He said noting it.
"How did you get to Neville then?" Blaise asked. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I don't remember. I just remember his back to me and then him turning around and yelling at me for not wearing a jacket and then the world was black." Laughing she stood.
"What is so funny?" Draco asked. Pansy looked at him. "I don't understand you at all Parkinson."
"I just remembered the way he—he cared about me." She laughed and turned to them. "I am going to my room. Awake me for Lunch. I am not finishing out my classes." She said leaving.
"We have to get to DADA." Blaise said to Draco.
They entered the classroom and stares bombarded them. They sat in the back and waited for the teacher to show himself. But while they waited everyone continued to stare at them as if they were some animals in a cage. Ginny Weasley stood with her brother, the Potter boy and Hermione Granger. She looked at Blaise and smiled. She turned away from Potter who was talking to her. Walking over to were both sat she pulled a chair where she sat across from them.
"How is she? Pansy I mean." She asked. She had her hands crossed and dangling from her fingers was the ridiculous glass ball key chain.
"Fine, just at bit tired that is why she is staying in her room for the remaining of classes. But she will be back for lunch." Blaise said looking at the small Weasley girl. No longer little, Ginny had striking red hair that she wore down and curling at her waist. Her eyes were what captivated him the most, violet in color and yet shown silver in the trickery of light. She smiled at his face and took his hand; the key chain flopped around as she moved her fingers on his.
"If you ever need to talk don't hesitate to talk to me." Ginny said squeezing tightly on his hand before she lifted from the table her bright gold nails staring after her.
"What are you going to do now?" Draco asked Blaise. All he did was put his head in his hands and shook them from side to side. "I thought so." Draco laughed. They continued on through the class, before Lupin could hand out an assignment Lunch was called, everyone rushed from the room.
"Slow today aren't we Granger?" Draco asked as he slid up next to her as she pulled a book from her bag. She looked up from were she squatted on the floor. Her green eyes twinkled when she smiled at him.
"Usually I am crushed if I try to be the first one out of the classroom. So I stay to the back and make my way out after everyone has. But you would know that if you knew me." Hermione said standing up, facing him. She wore her grey skirt and socks but she only wore her white shirt tucked in and her hair falling over her shoulders.
"That is why I wanted to talk to you." Draco said becoming nervous as he spoke. He was never nervous.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. Draco swore out loud making Hermione jump slightly. "I have no idea what I am doing." He said raking his hands through his hair.
"Just tell me. I don't think it can be that bad." Hermione laughed touching his hands softly.
"I think I know the answer to your question you asked of me a couple nights ago." Draco spilled with a gulp of breath afterwards.
"DO you now?" Hermione questioned. He looked at her and shook his head. "What is your secret then?"
"You are. I started to think about it and I figured out that the answer was you. I want to get to know you. I think I might love you." Draco said. Hermione froze, her face draining of all color.
"No. You can't love me." Hermione said looking at him as thought he was crazy. "I can't—won't be tricked into anything by you."
"Who said you where being tricked. I want to love you. If you will let me." Draco said trying to step forward but she just took an equal step back.
"You don't know what you want." Hermione whispered as she turned and walked from the room leaving Draco there to wonder.
"You don't know what you want..."
"And that class is how you make the Len Heart Potions." Snape replied motioning to Neville Longbottom who was up in the front demonstrating the potion. "Now put your potions in a vial, name on it, and return it to me at my desk." Snape said turning to his desk to fill out a grade book from to mark grades. Everyone started marking and filling vials in their correct places in the selves made for each student.
"...and then the Cannons shot another goal..." Ron explained from one corner of the room to Harry Potter and Seamus Finnegan while they finished up cleaning their work area while Hermione and Ginny worked on helping clear the tables out of the way so Snape could set up for his next class period.
"Is that all they will talk about? It makes me want to scream!" Ginny laughed as she and Hermione walked down the hallway to the library after Potions to do their essay for Transfiguration.
"I know what you mean, but Ron was so happy that the Cannons actually pulled out a game for once in their lives, it does help that Oliver was chosen for Keeper." Hermione said as they started to pull books and walked to a table to put them down.
"That was excellent timing too, they were about to start the season when he was signed." Ginny said as she pulled out all of her quills and parchment.
"True, maybe they can win the Cup this year." Hermione said staring on her essay. The women continued to talk when the men finally filed in to the library talking loudly and ushered themselves to the table that Hermione and Ginny occupied.
"Can we share this table with you?" Harry asked setting his bag on the table. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and nearly laughed, they knew that Harry and Ron would both weasel there way over here to get help on their essays.
"Of course you can, you know that." Hermione said making room for both and some extras. Neville Longbottom brushed past Seamus and Dean to set his bag down and work his way back for books.
"Neville is going to help with the essay, I still don't understand it all, and McGonagall has gone mad." Seamus said as he slumped into a chair next to Ginny.
"I know it was a hard topic but you know she has her reasons for giving us these things." Hermione said pulling open a book and flipping the pages.
"No she doesn't. She gives it to us so we have no time for anything else." Ron answered popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth. "You all know it to be true, don't deny it. All the teachers have been doing it for at least three weeks now, they all seem to have something else on their minds and it takes so much time they don't teach us and instead they are giving us homework." He finished.
"That is not true. And if it was, how would you know?" Hermione asked.
"Because you have seen them. I mean they barely pay any attention to any of us anymore." Ron answered, most agreeing with him. "Don't say you haven't seen it Hermione. McGonagall didn't get on to Crabbe or Goyle when they nearly blew up the classroom and she left every ten minutes to 'check on something'." Ron said.
"I know but maybe there is a reason, one we shouldn't be putting our noses in." Ginny piped up. Harry looked at her and nodded his head in agreement.
"You know what happens when we do." Harry said. Everyone laughed and Ron looked at him. "We always end up getting into trouble, most that we don't need in the first place." Hermione said pointing her quill at Harry and Ron. "You being the leaders of it." Luna Lovegood shot in when she walked by.
"Of course we are, who otherwise?" Ron said standing.
"Sit down King." Harry laughed throwing some paper at him. Ron sat and looked over at Luna who had gone to sit with the Ravenclaws.
"I still think we should at least look into it, not do anything big like the last five years but maybe find out what is going on and I think it has something to do with Draco Malfoy." Ron said.
"And why would you think that all of a sudden?" Hermione asked knowingly.
"He hasn't been here, I mean even he of all people would be here when school started and do not pretend I was the only one to notice his absence." Ron said and everyone nodded.
"We all noticed you know we did. But I still think we should leave it alone. If it was that important you know Dumbledore would have told Harry who would have told all of us by now, you know it to be true." Hermione said quoting Ron's own words.
"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you." He said going back to his essay.
"He suspects you know." Blaise said to Draco later that evening.
"Who? Potter? Nothing new you know that." Pansy put in from across the room.
"No this time it is Weasley and Granger is far more advanced than him and will figure it out in no time. You know Dumbledore will not keep it from Potter for long." Blaise said picking up Pansy's dagger.
"Put that down and both of you need to quit your worrying. He won't find out and I will make sure she doesn't." Draco said.
"How will you do that? None of them know you are here, you are supposed to be 'gone', I have no idea why, because you will not tell me, or anyone for that matter." Blaise put in.
"You don't need to know." Draco said, walking to the portrait hole. "Besides. You have your mind on—"
"Don't say it. I know." Blaise said putting up a hand.
"Potter won't take kindly." Draco said. "You know it too, he will find out. You need to stop your feelings, they will take you nowhere."
"I know, I will in time." He replied walking past him out the portrait.
"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked, picking up her blade and placing it in its holder at her side.
"You will find out, so why tell?" Draco told her walking out the portrait Blaise had moments ago.
"Men. Think they know everything." Pansy smarted, braiding her waist length hair.
Hermione made her way to the Great Hall later that evening to feed the house elves that lived in the kitchens. She moved quietly so that Harry, Ron or Neville would not wake from the library where they slept supposedly doing their essays for the next day, they would have a great surprise when they tried to leave later. She walked farther, closer to the kitchens when she heard a noise behind her, she kept walking making sure that whoever it was didn't know that she knew they were behind her.
"Shouldn't be walking all alone in the dark my dear." Hermione said to the person behind her.
"How—well I shouldn't be surprised that you heard me." Draco said as he sped up to her.
"I heard you behind me a while ago." Hermione said facing him. He was a head taller than her, built well in the shoulders and it also seemed that he didn't know the word 'haircut' all that well.
"How did you hear me?" Draco asked walking up and taking her wrist, mostly because she was walking so fast and he had also wanted to touch her, even if it was her wrist.
"You're very loud when you breathe even when you are trying to sneak up on someone who isn't paying any attention what so ever." Hermione said turning back around, taking her wrist away from his grasp and making her way to the kitchens.
"Where are you going?" Draco asked. He knew what it was but it was the only way he could keep conversation with her and follow her at the same time.
"You of all should know, I do not like the idea of you just keeping conversation with me. Was there are reason you followed me out of the Slytherin Common Room?" Hermione asked, finally stopping laying a hand on his chest to stop him.
"How did you know I left the Common Room, what if I had left the Great Hall?" Draco asked as he took her hand and matching her fingers to his.
"I saw you, once again you are not very clever in the art of sneaking." Hermione said as he took the ring from her left ring finger off and held it in the dim light.
"Married Granger?" Draco asked as he looked at the little diamond on a silver band. "Quite expensive if you ask me." He finished as he put it back on her.
"I do not think that is any of your business but no I am not married, you think I am that desperate...or stupid?" Hermione asked.
"Desperate no. Stupid—"Draco started.
"Please I am in no mood to hear one of your supposedly witty remarks Malfoy." Hermione said holding up one small, pale hand. "You can go now." Turning she started walking again but Draco's arm came around her waist pulling her to him.
"What if I want to come with you?" Draco asked. She looked at him giving him one of her looks, she stepped back, straightening her skirt and then she—laughed? "What is so funny may I ask?" Covering her face with one hand Hermione finished laughing and looked at him.
"You want to come with ME? You of all people I would say would rather laugh at someone than go with them." Hermione said taking his hand and looking at the palm.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked. Hermione continued to trail her fingertips along his palm as if she were reading.
"I am looking at your lines. Strong lines." Hermione said then as suddenly as she had taken his hand she dropped it and turned to walk away.
"You never answered my question." Draco said as he tried to catch up with her.
"What one was that?" Hermione asked as she turned to face him, her long brown hair coming up to rest on her shoulder as she looked at him with intense dark eyes.
"Can I come with?" Draco asked, he knew that she knew EXACTLY what he was talking about but was not about to say it aloud yet alone to him.
"If you answer one question." Hermione said as she took a flower from her skirt pocket. She laid it in his palm and she closed his fingers around it. "What is the secret to your life?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Draco asked. She shook her head and turned.
"Until you can answer that, I think you shouldn't come with me." She answered and walked away into the dark leaving him to contemplate her strange question. 'What is the secret to your life?' what in the hell did she mean by it and how in the hell would he answer a question like that.
The Great Hall was very quiet at night when no one was in it, no decorations, no magic going on in this place at night. It was quiet and still almost like in a dream. Neville walked to an empty table and sat with his flashlight, one that Hermione Granger had given him for Christmas when he was learning how to become a better potions maker, and his textbook and began his homework for Potions, and essay on dragon's blood, due in two weeks but wiser to get started and be nearly finished than do it the Ronald Weasley way and wait till the last minute and try to slam something together. He worked for a few hours but stopped when he could barely keep his eyes open, shutting the book he stood but then he heard a slight noise coming from a corner of the hall. Moving from the table he made his way to the source of the noise and turned when he heard it behind him.
"Don't move." Someone said and he felt something press into his back. He decided that it would be wiser to turn and see who this person was. Neville made a quick turn grabbing his/her's wrist and he felt the blade hit his cheek and then the blade hitting the ground, then he felt a boot, a female boot, connect with his jaw before he went sprawling.
"Pansy Parkinson?" Neville moaned as he got up slowly, said woman holding the blade to his shoulder.
"Who are you?" She said trying to get a look at him in the light, the little that there was in the room.
"Neville Longbottom. Only trying to do my homework when you made your soft but obvious noise over here in the corner." He said as she helped him stand.
"I apologise for hurting you, I am usually the only one here late at night." She explained, she turned to face him and gave a grim look. "I cut you. I didn't mean too." She put her hand to his cheek and rubbed the blood that dribbled down it with her thumb.
"It'll heal." Neville said taking her hand, the one on his cheek in his own and removing the blood with his fingers.
"At least let me help you with something, as a debt for my actions towards you." Pansy said as she took her hand away too quickly and put them at her sides.
"How about we call it even and next time we see each other we just say hello and next time you won't have a blade to me." Neville said as he picked up the blade that lay at her feet and handed it to her. "Why do you have it? That blade I mean." He asked as she put her hand on it but his did not release.
"For protection." She replied replacing the blade in a holder at her right side.
"Protection from what?" Neville asked. She hesitated before she turned, almost as if she was going to run but Neville put his palm on her waist and her eyes snapped to his. "What do you need protection from?" He asked again and she didn't say anything but only took his hand and kissed his fingers.
"My nightmares that haunt me day and especially the night." She said putting her head down as if ashamed of the confession.
"Ashamed?" Neville asked, she looked up quickly as if wounded by his words.
"Why would you think that?" She asked, "Why would I be, you have no right to think anything when you don't even know me or who I am for that matter." She turned but Neville laid a hand on her arm and with a quick reflex of her left arm she had the blade against his good cheek.
"I don't like to be touched, especially when I don't know when." She said and pulled the blade down and back in the holder as quickly as it had come.
"You don't like a lot of things." Neville said moving his hand back to his side and looking at her pointedly.
"One of them being you at this moment." Pansy said, moving her long blonde hair behind her she held perfectly still as if waiting for him to foul up.
"You don't want me to know that the Pansy Parkinson everyone has grown to know might actually have a flaw." Neville said and Pansy turned cold, dark green eyes on him, they quickly grew a flame and she slapped him, hard, across the cheek.
"I have no flaws." Pansy said and Neville holding his cheek only smiled.
"That only concludes my theory." Neville said and Pansy laughed.
"You don't know the first thing about me. All you Gryffindors think about me is that I have no feelings, no heart, no nothing. But I would like to point out Mr. Longbottom that if you had even given me a chance I might have been nicer to you than all of you put together. You only thought that since Draco Malfoy was evil that all Slytherins were just because of what all say. But not all of us are like that. Only you had to ask and we would have told you. The other thing is that you don't know the first thing about hurt, you have everything laid out for you." Pansy choked out her voice filled with tears.
"You think you know it all don't you? You—"Neville said but stopped holding one hand up. "Never mind. It is my hardship, not yours, I shouldn't lay it all on you just because of the way I feel." Pansy looked at him and her eyes softened.
"You are like what they say." Pansy said as she laid a hand on his arm. He looked at it and turned his blue eyes to her green ones.
"And how is that? What do they say?" Neville asked her.
"You are very compassionate." Pansy said, with great skill and a little hope she leaned forward and gave him a kiss and turned.
"Why did you do that?" Neville asked. "No reason." Pansy perked quickly. Neville pulled her to him and held her there and kissed her again, but with more than what she had and with more feeling.
"You know why and you know why I did." Neville said. Giving them some room between each. "We should go." Neville said quickly when he heard voices.
"Who is it?" Pansy asked. Neville moved to where his bag lay and picked it up and put it across his shoulders.
"I don't know but I am not about to stick around and find out." Neville said. Putting his arm around Pansy's waist they walked to the door. "I'll walk you to your common room so I know you get there."
"I can get there." Pansy said but Neville put a finger to her lips.
"Just let me." Neville said and Pansy nodded and together they walked down the quiet and dark halls.
Morning broke and the Great Hall filled for breakfast some still in their rooms getting ready for the school day and some in the Owlery sending letters to their families. Carrying her glass ball that she carried for good luck, Ginny Weasley walked back to the Great Hall for the breakfast that she had left unattended while she went to answer the notes she had been receiving since the beginning of the school year. She had yet to tell anyone of them, for the fear of whom it might turn out to be. Ginny knew it to be male as the notes were secret admirer notes, but she had yet to find out whom it was. Walking back slowly Ginny contemplated on whom it could be but everytime she did she couldn't think if anyone who would. Putting her head down Ginny watched the ball turn her favorite colors, she closed her eyes for a moment to see if could see the man who was sending the letters. As soon as she had she hit a solid chest and her charm fell from her hands and shattered at their feet.
"I am such a klutz. I should have been watching were I was going instead of daydreaming!" Ginny cried out as she kneeled to pick up the broken pieces.
"We all make certain mistakes when we have something important on our minds." Blaise Zabini said as he lowered to her level to take one of her hands. "You must be careful. Glass is not patient and will cut." Taking his wand he said a quick spell and the charm was together and in his palm.
"Thank you." Ginny said. Looking up at the seventh year Slytherin, Ginny's heart did a flip in her chest and she felt silly knowing that this man wouldn't give her the time of day. Reasons being that she was younger than he and a Gryffindor. Not of his rank or wealth.
"You are most welcome Ginevra." He replied giving a slight bow and making a move to pass her but her hand came to his forearm.
"Kindness comes in all forms." She said smiling at him and letting go she walked off to the Great Hall.
"She holds your heart Zabini." Draco said as he walked up behind him. Blaise looked to him and nodded.
"She does and yet she doesn't even know she does." Blaise said. Draco laughed and clapped him on the back. "Still sending those silly letters. You should come out and tell her." Draco said and Blaise looked at him as if he were mad.
"You're crazy. All of Gryffindor would be on my head if they found out I fancied there littlest." Blaise said.
"But hiding you feelings hurts you, deeper than you know." Draco said. Blaise looked at him and almost laughed. It didn't hurt him, nothing did and nothing ever would. But this woman did hold something and it made him want more than he knew he could have from her.
"You need not worry Draco. I will be fine and I will get past the feelings; once I know what they are." Blaise said and walked into the door of the hall.
"You only think you do not know the feelings. You are in love with her." Draco said and at that same moment Hermione walked behind him giving his ponytail a tug, Draco caught her wrist and turned her.
"Can I help you Mister Malfoy?" Hermione asked innocently. Draco looked at her; she was so different than she had once been. She now had straight brown hair her eyes were sharper than they used to be, they could see anything and know everything. She had small delicate features that required no make-up and if she wore any at all you could not tell. She smiled and with a small pull had her hand and with a slight curtsy Hermione was in the hall.
"Touching her is dangerous. Especially when Gryffindor is around." Pansy said as she walked to his side. Draco nodded his agreement and they started into the hall together.
"You were out late last night and who were you talking to outside the portrait?" Draco asked and knew immediately that he had struck a nerve as she had stiffened next to him.
"I had another nightmare and went to the Great Hall to work through it. Without your and Blaise's help." Pansy said and with a quick look her gaze skimmed over to the Gryffindor table and on to Neville she made a slight smile and looked back at Draco. "It was nothing, need not worry my brother."
"You know I want you safe and walking around at dark in this school is not." Draco said as they sat. "It could be dangerous and we can not afford that at the moment."
"I know it and you know I can take care of myself without Blaise and you following my every move as if I were a child." Pansy said. "I feel five around you, not seventeen."
Most at the Gryffindor table were completely enthralled with trying to find out what was wrong with the teachers, before something happened. The men were trying to make a plan on which they could go on to see if anything they could do would help them find out while the women thought all they were going to do was get themselves into trouble they did not need.
"Neville what happened to your cheek?" Hermione asked as she saw the small gash across his cheek.
"Nothing I really don't remember how I got it." Neville said and almost laughed. A woman with a dagger was a dangerous woman.
"It looks like it hurts." Ginny said, "How else could you have gotten it? Did you cut yourself working on one of your sculptures?"
"I might have. I must have been so tired I don't remember." He replied, he really wanted to change the subject before anyone found out that Neville had almost gotten his butt kicked by a girl, but she had been good at kicking his ass.
"Be careful next time. You are an artist, you do not want to go ruining your good looks." Hermione said laughing.
"Thanks for the pointer I'll remember it for next time. We should get going. Potter! You know we have to be on the field at two?" Neville asked and Harry nodded.
"I got it thanks. I'll bring Ron and Ginny with me." Harry said.
"Just make sure. You know how the other teams get picky if we are not there on time." Neville pointed.
"I know." Harry said and they all got up for Potions, the Great Hall cleared and without anyone watching Draco, Blaise and Pansy made their way to the High Table were Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall waited for them.
"They suspect." Draco said motioning to Gryffindor table, Dumbledore nodded.
"What are we going to do? We cannot just sit around and let them guess on it. I nearly killed Neville Longbottom last night when I was waiting for my owl from the Order. What can I do when you are letting them roam free at night?" Pansy argued, Blaise and Draco eyeing her on her confession on Neville.
"I had no idea students were walking around late at night but since it is a Gryffindor I hold no surprise." Dumbledore said, and then turned his look on Draco.
"You were with Miss Granger last night. You should not include her in what you're doing. It could be dangerous to her and we cannot afford any foul ups." Snape said.
"I understand. I just left my meeting with Lupin when she was walking to the kitchens to see those damned elves." Draco said. Dumbledore nodded and McGonagall smiled.
"You know that she will find out, she always does and we need to be prepared to handle it. She will come to you first and then to us. We need to be able to get her to keep it from the men in Gryffindor. We cannot let Harry know what we are doing. Miss Lovegood has kept them at bay but you know that will not be for long." Dumbledore said.
"You Mr. Zabini are the only one who holds a clear mind on the matter and I need you to go to the Dark Forest and call on Firenze. We need his help and we need to make sure that all students are in their towers at night before any of you go out again. I want you away from Granger and Longbottom. No one is to know anything." McGonagall said and with a slight bow from each they exited the hall to Potions.
"I want you all to wait to start your potions." Trawleny said as she passed out the ingredients. "Your potions master should be back any second to give you instructions."
"Where is Professor Snape anyway?" Ron asked, just then the door to the dungeons slammed open and came Snape followed by Pansy, Blaise and Draco.
"That is indeed none of your business Mr. Weasley. I may remind you that it is wise to hold your tongue on matters you do not know." Snape said.
"Yes sir." Ron replied and looking behind him he saw the three take a seat in the back with the rest of the Slytherins.
"Now you know what to do get started on the potion that was assigned to you." He barked and everyone jumped onto the potion.
"What do think? I think they all are involved I just don't know how yet. But I will. Watch I will know by the end of this week." Ron said as they walked from the dungeons.
"Just leave it alone. You need not bother with it. You will not find anything out." Luna Lovegood said. She was trying desperately to get Ron off their backs but so far she was having quite a difficult time with it.
"They are hiding something and the teachers know but they don't want us worried well they are making us worry when they are withholding information from us that could be important." Ron said.
"You have no right to butt into someone else's business when it is not your own." Pansy Parkinson said walking up to the five as they walked down the hall.
"You are hiding something and I think we all have a right to know." Ron said and took a step towards her.
"You do not know what your right is. You need to butt out before you get hurt Weasley." Pansy snarled. "It would be for your own safety to stop this little plan of yours and bury it."
"What would you know? How do I know you are not working for Voldemort this very minute?" Ron asked. Pansy smirked; she walked close to his face and smirked.
"You'll just have to trust me. Or not, what ever is your preference. Just stay out of my way if you know what is good for you." Pansy said and slinging her braid behind her she walked away.
"She knows something. For that I am sure." Ron said walking briskly to the field.
"You just need to leave it alone Ronald. It will get you nowhere!" Luna cried.
"How could you do that Pansy? Why?" Draco yelled at her when she walked into the common room.
"It was my decision. That man was getting on my nerves thinking he would find out. I just told him he better just beware of what he might find." Pansy said standing to face him.
"That could ruin everything. You know that and I know that. We cannot jeopardize what we have. You have to listen to me." Draco said.
"I do not have to do anything." Pansy said, "The Granger woman was with him, Luna was trying to get him to stop. He won't and she will find out and it will be our heads so why not warn them?"
"That is not your decision to decide." Draco said. He started to pace the common room.
"I will do what I so please. I am not some toy you can command. Just because I am a woman does not make me lower than you." Pansy said. "I'm leaving."
"Where are you going?" Draco asked grabbing her arm harshly as she walked to the portrait.
"Is that your business Father?" Pansy snapped, wrenching her arm free.
Snow lightly covered the ground outside the castle of Hogwarts, still falling as Neville made his way to the courtyard to finish his latest sculpture. He took out his tools from his coat, laying them gently next to the half finished sculpture that he had yet to name or figure out what it was. As he began to chip away the pieces of rock he heard the branches snap, so standing he turned to Pansy behind him, in nothing but her Hogwarts uniform, a skirt and her vest, her sleeves rolled, her hair in its usual waist length braid, but she was standing there silently, the holder at her side but not hidden as it had been the other night.
"Are you insane you could catch a cold." Neville said as he quickly slipped his coat from him to her shoulders and as if the coat weighed more than she, her knees buckled and she fell into his arms. "Pansy? Are you all right? Pansy?" Gently touching her face he found it warm and then he saw the bloodstain seeping threw her shirt at the base of her vest. Moving aside the shirt he saw the stab wound through the top of her left shoulder. He pulled the dagger from the holder and saw the blood marking it, had she? No, someone else had done this. So lifting from his knees and leaving his work he walked back into the school and made his way to the common room. Stepping in he found most of Gryffindor working on homework, noting the presence of most of the women he at first didn't know what to do until Hermione saw him.
"Neville what are you—"Hermione said and then saw the blonde braid hanging from the side and the blood on his hands and on her clothes, she immediately ran to him. "Ginny, we need towels and fresh sheets on one of the beds! Get Harry and also get my first aid kit from my trunk. Neville bring her to the couch. Dean get your ass off the couch." Immediately jumping from the couch Dean helped lay Pansy down. Hermione moved the shirt away from the wound and looking at it carefully she concluded that it would need to be healed with magic not Muggle medicine.
"I need someone to go to Slytherin and get Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini and someone else to get Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said as she put a towel on the wound.
"I'll go to Slytherin." Ginny said and ran from the common room. Harry then stood as if to go to the Medical Wing. "No I need you here Harry you know the medical ways more than I. Ron you go." Hermione said and Ron ran to go get Madam Pomfrey. "Do you know what happened Neville?" Harry asked as he cleaned the blood away from the wound.
"No, I heard someone behind me and when I turned I found her and when I put my jacket on her she fell as if it weighed too much for her and that is when I saw the blood. She has a dagger she carries with her and that is what held the blood but I doubt very much that she would stab herself." Neville explained.
"I agree with you. There is a reason Pansy told Ron to butt out this afternoon and this is one of the consequences of him not listening." Harry said.
Ginny finally reached the portrait hole of Slytherin and tried to remember the password that Hermione had told her right before she left but her brain was to full she could not remember. Trying many words that she thought were the password and finally after trying at least a million she cursed.
"Dammit!" She screamed slamming her palms onto the wooden frames that were around the portrait. "Let me in god dammit!" Banging as loudly as possible she hoped that one of them could hear her. As soon as she started to bang the portrait swung open and Blaise Zabini, stepped out.
"Is there—Ginevra?" He said and looked down at the small redheaded woman who was slumped on her knees.
"Draco!" He called into the Common Room then her turned back to Ginny. "What is the matter, what happened?" Blaise said standing her up to his level.
"Pansy, she is in our common room. Something happened to her. Neville brought her back with a stab wound in her left shoulder and she isn't awake and we went to get Madam Pomfrey." She explained and Blaise looked at her and knew that she was telling the truth. That minute Draco walked up with a pissed expression on his face.
"Is there a reason we are all yelling?" He asked then looked at Blaise and then at Ginny who was standing at his side.
"Pansy has been hurt and is in the Gryffindor common room." Blaise told him and Ginny nodded when Draco found her eyes.
"Come I will take you to her." Ginny said and the three ran to the Gryffindor common room. Finally reaching the common room, Ginny said the password and they all walked into the room and found Madam Pomfrey with Pansy and Neville at her side as the woman healed Pansy. She was awake and talking to Hermione as Madam Pomfrey put something on the wound and then wrapped it. Telling Pansy something the woman walked past the three near the portrait and stepped up to Ginny and whispered something to her and she nodded and then Madam Pomfrey left.
"Is she all right?" Draco asked walking to her and kneeling at her side. Pansy nodded and sat up so she would not look hurt, at least not too badly.
"I am fine. Nothing really just a nick." Pansy said looking at her hands. Draco lifted her chin.
"Who did it?" Blaise asked and she shook her head. "No I will not tell you." She answered. She stood and walking to the window she stared out and turned back. "I actually don't know who it was. I was in the forest and then it hit and then the next thing I knew I was behind Neville while he was working. Somehow he heard me and then I was here." Pansy said.
"We have to go. We need to go." Blaise said, his hand still on Ginny's, she looked up at him and he shook his head and with that the three exited the room, Ginny close behind.
"Blaise!" She called, he turned and looked at her clear violet eyes and she smiled at him. "You shouldn't hold your feelings in, they will hurt you." She said and walked back into the common room.
"What did you tell her?" Pansy asked, she was putting most her weight on Draco, as it was hard for her to keep her footing.
"I told her nothing, yet she knows something I don't." Blaise said as he took Pansy's other arm helping hold her up.
"What did you say to him?" Hermione asked Ginny when she walked back into the common room.
"Nothing. I said nothing to him. Why would you ask?" Ginny asked trying to cover up anything that she might have done.
"Are you all right? Why did you talk to him anyway? You wouldn't have a crush on him now would you?" Ron asked almost laughing.
"Where would you come up with something so stupid?" Ginny squeaked. Ron jumped up laughing. "I knew it! You've had that look in your eyes since he walked in here!" Ron said Harry laughing with him, then the exchange of money, from Harry to Ron.
"You were betting on me?" Ginny cried outraged. Ron looked at her and with a slight nod handed over money to Hermione. "You too?" She cried pointing at Hermione.
"Yes. It was completely obvious. I am so sorry but I needed the extra galleons for Hogsmeade." Hermione said slipping the money into her skirt.
"You might have won your stupid bet but it is not like he will give me the time of day you know." Ginny said walking to the window. "I am a Gryffindor and not of his rank." Turning she brought out all the letters from her secret admirer. "And I have this guy to deal with and I am not in the mood to have someone not wanting me." She said walking away.
"She does love him." Hermione said looking at Ron who nodded his agreement.
"Who did it Pansy?" Draco asked when they reached the common room. "We know you know and we are going to find out so you might as well spill." Pansy looked at him and raised her hand.
"Wouldn't that be my decision, to tell you?" Pansy interrogated. Blaise threw his head back and groaned and Draco nearly had a silent heart attack when the words escaped her mouth.
"No I don't think it is. Pansy, you were stabbed, with your own dagger and you don't want to tell us who it was?" Blaise asked, Pansy looked at him, a frown on her lips.
"I don't want to be put under the Zabini and Malfoy surveillance." Pansy said.
"You will be if you don't tell us who stabbed you." Blaise said, standing up near her, putting his hand on her wound. "We need to know who did this so we can protect you and this school." Turning away from her he thought of Ginny and the way she had talked to him, knowing more than he thought he might know.
"Fine. But this does not go to Dumbledore. Of course they all probably know what happened to me and know who did it. But I don't want it to come from either of you." Pansy said. Both of them looked at her and nodded. "It was Peter Pettigrew. I would know him from anywhere." Before Blaise or Draco could get a word in she continued. "I was in the forest, like I knew I wasn't allowed to be and I did it because I was mad at you Draco and I wanted to be away from you so I went to the forest and I saw Neville out there. I wanted to talk to him because I knew I wasn't supposed to because of you all and the teachers. But before I could get over there someone was behind me and there he was with my dagger. He lunged at me and I kicked him and that is when he caught me in the shoulder. I knocked him out in the forest but he would be gone by now." She finished slumping onto the couch.
"I thought Peter Pettigrew was dead." Draco said and Blaise looked at him. "Apparently not. Which we will have to tell the Order, they will need to know." He said noting it.
"How did you get to Neville then?" Blaise asked. She looked up at him and smiled.
"I don't remember. I just remember his back to me and then him turning around and yelling at me for not wearing a jacket and then the world was black." Laughing she stood.
"What is so funny?" Draco asked. Pansy looked at him. "I don't understand you at all Parkinson."
"I just remembered the way he—he cared about me." She laughed and turned to them. "I am going to my room. Awake me for Lunch. I am not finishing out my classes." She said leaving.
"We have to get to DADA." Blaise said to Draco.
They entered the classroom and stares bombarded them. They sat in the back and waited for the teacher to show himself. But while they waited everyone continued to stare at them as if they were some animals in a cage. Ginny Weasley stood with her brother, the Potter boy and Hermione Granger. She looked at Blaise and smiled. She turned away from Potter who was talking to her. Walking over to were both sat she pulled a chair where she sat across from them.
"How is she? Pansy I mean." She asked. She had her hands crossed and dangling from her fingers was the ridiculous glass ball key chain.
"Fine, just at bit tired that is why she is staying in her room for the remaining of classes. But she will be back for lunch." Blaise said looking at the small Weasley girl. No longer little, Ginny had striking red hair that she wore down and curling at her waist. Her eyes were what captivated him the most, violet in color and yet shown silver in the trickery of light. She smiled at his face and took his hand; the key chain flopped around as she moved her fingers on his.
"If you ever need to talk don't hesitate to talk to me." Ginny said squeezing tightly on his hand before she lifted from the table her bright gold nails staring after her.
"What are you going to do now?" Draco asked Blaise. All he did was put his head in his hands and shook them from side to side. "I thought so." Draco laughed. They continued on through the class, before Lupin could hand out an assignment Lunch was called, everyone rushed from the room.
"Slow today aren't we Granger?" Draco asked as he slid up next to her as she pulled a book from her bag. She looked up from were she squatted on the floor. Her green eyes twinkled when she smiled at him.
"Usually I am crushed if I try to be the first one out of the classroom. So I stay to the back and make my way out after everyone has. But you would know that if you knew me." Hermione said standing up, facing him. She wore her grey skirt and socks but she only wore her white shirt tucked in and her hair falling over her shoulders.
"That is why I wanted to talk to you." Draco said becoming nervous as he spoke. He was never nervous.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. Draco swore out loud making Hermione jump slightly. "I have no idea what I am doing." He said raking his hands through his hair.
"Just tell me. I don't think it can be that bad." Hermione laughed touching his hands softly.
"I think I know the answer to your question you asked of me a couple nights ago." Draco spilled with a gulp of breath afterwards.
"DO you now?" Hermione questioned. He looked at her and shook his head. "What is your secret then?"
"You are. I started to think about it and I figured out that the answer was you. I want to get to know you. I think I might love you." Draco said. Hermione froze, her face draining of all color.
"No. You can't love me." Hermione said looking at him as thought he was crazy. "I can't—won't be tricked into anything by you."
"Who said you where being tricked. I want to love you. If you will let me." Draco said trying to step forward but she just took an equal step back.
"You don't know what you want." Hermione whispered as she turned and walked from the room leaving Draco there to wonder.