Chapter 6: The Painful Mark
Three weeks passed by since her encounter with Draco. Ever since that day he had stayed far away from her, ignored her and even stopped his insults. Harry and Ron hadn't noticed anything different with her or Draco. They seemed so excited about their first Quidditch practice, since the judges were going to have a word with the players from each house. Hermione tried to be happy for them but the truth was she felt left out and lonely, this was the time she needed girlfriends. Although Ginny and Luna were nice friends to talk to, they weren't like Harry and Ron.
Hermione strolled to the library that Saturday and decided to read quietly. Once again she found herself a secluded area and she sat down. Hermione took out a book from her school bag and settled comfortably and read. But before she even read a line, Draco walked over and saw her. Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to pay attention to her book.
"Granger, we need to talk." Hermione looked up from her book and stared at him coldly.
"About what?" Hermione asked.
"This!" Draco passed her a picture of Draco leaning in to kiss her. Hermione glared at him, she felt violated, abused and most importantly taken advantage of. Was that why he tried to make a move on her that day? It explained a lot and Hermione was getting angry again. Draco was capable of switching her to this mood very often.
"What the hell is this?" Hermione said. "How dare you try to use-"
"-did it ever occur to you that it wasn't me?!" Draco said angrily.
"Why on earth would I think that?! You're capable of doing something as low as this!" Hermione said pointing at the moving picture. Who ever took that picture had a perfect angle, it almost looked like they were a couple.
"For your damn information, this is posted up all over Hogwarts! And I won't let you get away with this!" Draco sneered.
"Excuse me? I did not do that! Why the hell would I try to make myself look bad?!"
"Because you wish to get something from me! But I'll be damned to let that happen!" Draco yelled.
"You're the one who was trying to get something from me!"
"I was just fucking with you!" Draco said. Hermione's stomach went in a knot, he had just admitted to her that he was fooling around. Why was this getting to her? Why was he getting to her?
"Would you two kindly leave my library?" Madame Pince, the librarian said. Hermione had forgotten that she was in the library. Her librarian probably thought she had gone crazy but she had no time to worry over that. She got up grabbing her bag and heading out the door, Draco tagging not far behind.
"Explain to me why you did this! This will look bad on me!" Draco hissed. Hermione turned around to face him once she reached the corridors.
"It looks just as bad on me as it does you! I would never do something like that! Despite what you believe." Hermione said coldly. Draco put a hand through his hair and tried to calm his self down. He placed his hands on his waist and looked down. Hermione found it rather funny that he was trying to compose himself when he usually didn't care how angry he looked.
"Listen Granger, I want to know who did this." Draco said calmly but still gritting his teeth.
"Where are the other pictures?" Hermione asked. Draco looked at her angrily, grabbed her arm and dragged her through the corridors until they came upon the area where Peeves floated about. Hermione tried not to think about him and focused on the pictures pasted around the two opposite walls.
"I'm telling Dumbledore!" Hermione announced. Draco took his wand and erased all the pictures from the wall except the one in his hand.
"And get me in far more trouble?"
"Why the hell would you get in trouble? It's not like you did this...unless.." Hermione said placing a finger on her chin.
"Shut the fuck up!" Draco hissed.
"Well, I'm telling Dumbledore." Hermione replied angrily and stalled off towards Dumbledore's office. Draco caught up to her and didn't say anything until they reached a spiral staircase.
"I wanted to catch the person myself!"
"Like you can catch anything." Hermione said sarcastically. Before she had the chance to knock on the large wooden doors, the Head Master stepped out as though he expected them.
"Ms.Granger? Mr.Malfoy?" Dumbledore said quizzically.
"Sir, we have a problem." Hermione said. The professor nodded and waited for Hermione to continue.
"You see someone has taken a picture of me and Malfoy and posted it along the walls of the corridors." Hermione replied. Draco took out the picture in his robe pocket and gave it to Dumbledore. The head master glanced at it and frowned slightly.
"I see, and you two wouldn't know anything about the culprits?" The professor asked. Hermione shook her head and Draco reluctantly shook his head too. "It seems that I can catch the person who violated the school rules soon enough, but I suggest that you two not to get intimate in the school halls." Hermione cringed at the thought of her lovable head master think she was getting intimate with Draco Malfoy. Draco just nodded angrily and walked down the spiral staircase.
"Sir, it's not what you think." Hermione said the moment Draco left.
"Don't worry, Ms.Granger. Your secret is safe with me." The head master said and winked. Hermione nodded and left as well, she was angry and shamed. Hermione walked down the corridors with little student's moving about and found Harry and Ron speaking to a seventh yearer, who probably was their coach.
"Hermione!" Harry said greeting her after the coach left and Ron looked over his shoulder and smiled.
"Hello you two." Hermione said. "How was practice?"
"Okay." Harry said.
"Has the mark left yet?" Hermione asked.
"No, but if this was just some damn dream experience thing, why is it still on me?" Harry replied.
"Maybe there's more then what we know." Ron said. Hermione smiled, that was the first time he hadn't complained and actually said something positive.
"He's right, what if there's more to it. What about Halloween night?" Hermione asked. Harry scratched his head and thought about it for a while. Hermione could tell he wasn't sure what will happen that night when it was only four weeks away.
"I don't know. I wonder where they will initiate him and what if I get initiated as well?" Harry said.
"True, what if? Hmm...we will just have to wait and see. I don't want you to become a death eater but we got to figure something out." Hermione replied.
"Why don't we try and stop Malfoy?" Ron said.
"How?" Harry and Hermione said at the same time.
"I don't know." Ron said and shrugged. "Let's go and eat. I'm hungry." Hermione nodded and began to walk towards the Great Hall. Harry didn't say anything the whole way there, maybe he was thinking the same thoughts as her. How will they stop Malfoy from becoming a Death Eater?
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For the following two weeks, Hermione forgotten about Draco and the Death Eater initiation. She ended up becoming busy with school work and Harry and Ron became busy with their practices. That evening Hermione was informed she had a meeting with Professor McGonagal after dinner. She had no idea what the meeting was about but Hermione was anxious all the while.
"Why you eating so fast?" Ron asked watching Hermione chew her chicken vigorously.
"I have a meeting to get to." Hermione said after she swallowed the contents in her mouth.
"What meeting?" Harry asked looking over at them.
"I don't know yet." Hermione replied and continued to finish her food. Ron and Harry both shrugged and also ate quietly for the duration of the time. Afterwards Hermione walked quietly down the corridor towards the professor's office. As she strolled, thinking to herself she noticed Draco and his two body guards approaching her direction. Draco had left her alone ever since the incident with the pictures and the head master hasn't said anything about the person who has done it. Not a lot of people found out because Draco had seen it the moment it was put on, luckily. Hermione did her best not to stare at him as she turned the corner.
"I'll be off boys, don't do anything stupid." Draco ordered and the next thing she knew he caught up with her also turning the corner.
"Why are you following me?" Hermione asked.
"I would never follow you, I happen to have a meeting." Draco replied with a sneer.
"Oh bloody great! I have a meeting too!" Hermione said. Draco looked at her angrily and kept quiet until they both reached Professor McGonagal's office. The professor looked up from her desk when she saw the two of them and ushered them in. They both walked over to her desk and stood there solemnly.
"Ms.Granger and Mr.Malfoy, I would like to ask a favor of you." She said sternly.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"Well, there are a few forth year student's in my classes and other classes who have difficulty in their studies. I've noticed this and was wondering, since you two are top student's, would you like to be tutors?" She asked. Hermione gave her a weak smile, she liked to help others especially in studying. Hermione did good when it came to Ron and Harry so maybe it would be fun. Not only that, she would have something to do during Harry and Ron's Quidditch practices.
"I would love to." Hermione replied. Draco who had been glaring the whole time, snorted at Hermione's response.
"Figures! Professor I'm not-"
"-I understand that you have a lot of things to do already but Ms.Granger can not do this alone." Professor McGonagal interrupted.
"Why can't someone else help her?"
"All right, if you feel that strongly against the idea, I understand. Hermione I guess it is up to you alone. Good night." The professor said sternly. Draco smirked and walked ahead of Hermione out the door.
"You're an ass." Hermione said the moment they left. Draco twirled around and glared at her.
"What?!" Draco said annoyed.
"You heard me clearly. You. Are. An. Ass!"
"How the hell am I an ass? Because I couldn't help you out with this stupid tutoring?" Draco asked.
"Hell yea!" Hermione thought that was obvious enough. Sure she didn't want to spend time with him because he was the worst thing next to Voldemort but then again she couldn't do it all on her own. She needed help and he was the only other student that was just as good as her. Hermione glared at him with so much hate that Draco ended up laughing. She looked at him confused, why was he laughing?
"So pathetic. Do I look the least bit interested in helping stupid forth yearers? I got other important things to do." Draco sneered inching close to her. Hermione stood her ground hands on her waist. She decided to give in, he was just going to continue to argue with her and she knew she would be the better person if she just let this whole thing drop.
"You're right. You have so much more important things to do." Hermione said mockingly and passed by him and this time Draco didn't hold her back. Hermione went to the Gryfindor common room to find her friends and tell them what she would be doing. When she got there, they weren't around but Dean and Seamus were.
"Hey guys." Hermione said nicely. They both looked up from their game of magical cards and stared at her.
"Oh, hi Hermione." Seamus said smiling at her. Dean nodded his head and went back do dealing.
"Have you seen Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked.
"No." Dean said shaking his head. Seamus thought about it for a second and also shook his head.
"Okay." Hermione said quickly and walked by them and sat down at the couch. There was hardly any one in the common room and she felt rather bored. After a few minutes of staring into space Harry and Ron walked in laughing. Harry saw her sitting down and came over to her.
"Hey, what's up?" Harry asked.
"Nothing." Hermione said a bit out of place. Ron stared at her for a while then brushed his hair behind his ear.
"What was the meeting about?" Ron asked.
"Oh, I have to tutor some students." Hermione replied.
"That's good, you can put your skills to use." Ron said. Hermione snapped her head at him.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Hermione asked.
"I was just complimenting! Why do girls always take things the wrong way!" Ron said irritated. Hermione was about to argue but closed her mouth and began to walk out of the room. Harry and Ron ran out after her.
"You mad now?" Ron asked catching up to her.
"Of course not. Why would I be?" Hermione said dryly. Harry and Ron didn't answer and followed her outside towards Hagrid's hut when Hermione noticed from the corner of her eye Draco sitting by the lake, alone. He was the most complicating person she has ever met and yet as much as she tried to forget that he exists, he pops up out of no where.
"Hermione, it wasn't meant to be a rude comment..." Harry said trying to defend Ron but suddenly stopped and grabbed his arm. "Ow!" Harry winced in pain.
"What? What's wrong Harry?" Hermione said worriedly. Harry rolled his school dress shirt up and stared at the mark which was glowing red.
"It's burning." Harry said staring at it while biting his lip to hold out another scream.
"Guys." Ron said but Hermione ignored him and stared at Harry's mark with shock and fear. This mark was becoming stranger by the second.
"How badly?" Hermione asked as Harry kneeled down on the floor and she settled down next to him on the ground. Blood began to slowly ooze out of his skin. Hermione could almost feel the pain his face was expressing.
"Guys!" Ron said a bit louder.
"It hurts really bad. Shit! Fuck!" Harry winced. Hermione took off her school tie and started to wrap his arm with it. Harry winced in pain again and she was getting more worried by the second.
"Let's get you to the hospital wing." Hermione suggested. Harry nodded and raised himself up with his other arm.
"Guys!!!" Ron screamed.
"WHAT!" Hermione and Harry said at the same time turning their heads over at Ron. Ron felt satisfied that they finally paid attention to him and pointed out to the lake.
"Look! Malfoy." Ron said. Hermione and Harry turned their glances over at Draco who was on his knees holding his arm. Hermione could see the pain and angst on his face, which made her feel bad.
"Now what?" Harry said dumbfounded by the sight of Draco going through the same thing as himself. Hermione didn't reply, she couldn't pull away from what she was watching. Something from the pit of her stomach told her to walk over there and comfort him. After a few more minutes of watching him, he got up and acted like nothing had happened to him. He didn't even notice that Harry, Ron and Hermione were there. Once Draco headed back into the school, Hermione came out of her strange trance.
"Does it still hurt?" Hermione asked turning back to her friend.
"No." Harry said.
"Hmm...so if whatever that happens to you happens to him. We definitely have to stop Malfoy from becoming initiated, it's like you two share the same body." Hermione said. Ron gave a disgusted look and Harry nodded in agreement. The three of them walked back inside the school, forgetting to visit their friend Hagrid. Hermione was far to busy thinking about how she could be feeling so much sympathy for someone she hates so much. She tried to take it out of her mind but nothing seemed to work. It was a fact she had to face, she felt bad for him then and now.