Authors Notes: I am soooooooo sorry, but I won't beable to update this story for a few days. I got orientation week starting up and I need to be there. But I promise that I will give you an extra looong chapter once I get back.
Another note for those who read my one-shot story Unspoken Words, I thank you. I was really dead bored and when I'm bored I come up with alot of weird things in my head so I had to write this down once it popped up in my head. But I'm not going to continue it until I finish this one here. And if anyone is interested for me to make Unspoken Words a real story let me know.
Now back to this lovely story, go on and read. Hopefully it will clear a few people's minds about the reason why he cares. And I'm sooo damn twisted yes I am. I'm sorry for those who like straight forward stories. This is not for you then lol. Go on and read now.
Chapter 16: Warnings
Hermione woke up the next morning feeling light and a bit excited. Blaise kissed her and she got Draco back for all the shit he tried to pull on her. Everything seemed to go in it's place until Ron walked in while she was combing her hair. He didn't seem at all pleased but his light blue eyes should so much concern for her.
"Good morning Ronald." Hermione said cheerfully. She put her Gryfindor cloak on and turned to face him completely.
"Hi Herms." Ron said not so cheerful. He put his hands in his pocket and stared at her for a while.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Who did you see last night? You owe me that much as a friend who's been worried sick about you all night."
"I was with Blaise." Hermione replied.
"Oh, and did he try to do anything cause if he did-"
"-no! He was a gentleman."
"Okay." Ron replied unsure but all the while relieved.
"Listen Ron, I'd love to chat but I'm starving. Care to walk me to the Great Hall?" She asked remembering how she had made his eyes practically fall out of his sockets. Ron gave a grin and took his hand out.
"Sure." Ron took her arm and dragged her out of the Prefect common room. They both walked arms linked and although she was taking it as a friendly gesture, not a lot of students were. They pointed and whispered like it was the most intriguing thing they've seen. That's until she passed by Lavender, who by the way stayed clear from Hermione ever since their 'friendly' encounter. Lavender gave her the look over and frowned.
"First Malfoy, then Zabini now back to Ron?" Lavender stated. Pavarti who had noticed the discussion tried to grab her friends attention. Hermione had the perfect comeback but Ron stuck up for her.
"Shut up Lav. Get a life and stop trampling with others." Ron spat and dragged Hermione over to Harry and Ginny who happened to notice the little outburst.
"Usually I'd ask what is going on but seeing the way you two are holding arms I'm not asking!" Harry said and took a bite of his blueberry muffin. Hermione patted his head like a little boy and laughed.
"Ron and I are just playing around. Right good sir?" Hermione said looking over to Ron who was going along with this whole thing.
"Of course malady."
"Please! This is so stupid!" Ginny said watching them a bit skeptically.
"It's just a joke! Geez, people take things the wrong way these days." Hermione said.
"I know! To think you and me? That's absurd!" Ron piped in. Hermione would have not found it absurd if it was the end of their fifth year. She really did like Ron and she still does but not in the way she's been for a certain Slytherin. Which Slytherin she couldn't figure out. Ron and her decided to keep their feelings to themselves and get over it. Being best friends was far better for the both of them.
"Okay, enough with the weirdness. Please release each others arms and sit down." Harry retorted. Harry knew about their little crush back in fifth and forth year but was glad to have his best friends back as best friends because he would have felt like a third wheel.
"Fine mate!" Ron said and sat down on the opposite end of Hermione. The whole time Hermione caught Draco staring at her giving her a disappointed look but that wasn't her problem, now was it? She sat their for the next ten minutes eating and chatting with her friends until an owl appeared swooping over the Gryfindor table. The moment she looked up to see who it would land at, a letter dropped in front of her. But a second later, hundreds of owls began to come and throw letters at her. She was practically covered in letters making everyone in the Great Hall notice and watched her with such interest.
"What the bloody hell is this?" Ron asked picking one of the thousands of letters piling around her. She too had picked one up herself and stared at it.
Those who meddle with the snake will die a poisoned death.
It was the same threat that was sent to her over a month ago, Harry who also picked up a letter and read it stared at Hermione quizzically.
"Isn't this the same-" Harry began. Hermione grabbed random letters, each one had the same thing written on it.
"Yes! Oh someone is truly trying to scare me out of my wits and it's beginning to work." Hermione said nervously looking over at the Slytherin table. Blaise who had entered a few minutes ago was now watching her with concern and Draco arched his eyebrow in suspicion and confusion.
"Ms. Granger, may I have a word with you?" The Head Master asked walking casually over to her. Hermione nodded not knowing what else to do or say.
"Do you want us to come with you?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head, she could deal with this alone.
"Harry, Ron, please clean this up." Dumbledore said kindly. Then Hermione followed the Head Master outside the Great Hall and began to walk through the corridors with him.
"Those letters, can you kindly tell me what each of them said?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"It says: Those who meddle with the snake will die a poisoned death." Hermione replied.
"Have you ever received this kind of message before?"
"Yes I have."
"Ms. Granger, what I have to tell you is for your ears and your ears alone. It's rather important that Harry doesn't know of this."
"What is it?" Hermione asked curiously.
"There are certain information I held back from Harry knowing how he would react. During an initiation of a Dark Mark, Voldemort makes sure that his loyal followers can handle his tasks. So he gives them a task which is to kill a muggle born witch or wizard. It's part of the rules they must follow. But knowing that we only have one person to worry about, I am afraid that our friend Draco will end up doing something beyond our control. The Dark Mark is rather powerful, and it changes the characters attitude and behavior."
"Sir, are you trying to tell me I might be the target for Malfoy's task?"
"No, I am just simply informing you. Knowing that Mr.Malfoy and Mr.Potter aren't exactly friends."
"But sir, you will make sure that Malfoy doesn't get initiated right?"
"I can only try. But these Death Eaters might get him somehow, but I am watching his every move. And if worse comes to worse I might have to put him in the safety of the Order. You see, Draco Malfoy is going to be the first youngest Death Eater if we do not stop it. And knowing Lucius already escaped Azkaban there's not much I can do if he wishes to see his son. After all, I am not under Mr.Malfoys complete care."
"I see, is there anything I can do about these letters? And what do they mean?"
"Someone is warning you. That is all I can say for now."
"Can't you get rid of them? From coming back."
"Of course but as long as it serves it's purpose."
"What purpose?"
"Ms. Granger, read between the lines and you shall figure the rest out. I am well aware of that." The Head Master gave her a wink and left her alone. Hermione walked back to the Great Hall puzzled and must of all worried. If Draco hates her the way he claims, he would of course take the offer of Voldemort the moment he becomes a Death Eater. Harry, Ron and the rest of the Gryfindors watched her as she walked back to her seat.
"Well?" Ron asked.
"It's nothing." Hermione replied.
"Nothing?" Harry asked a bit confused.
"Some one was just playing a practical joke." Hermione lied.
"Does Dumbledore know who's doing this?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, he'll take care of it." Hermione lied again.
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For the rest of the day, Hermione was too worried to concentrate in her classes. Her head revolved around one person and one person only, Draco Malfoy. Harry had been watching over Hermione the whole day, he kept asking questions like if she was okay or if anything was wrong. Hermione always replied with a big fat lie. Harry had too much to deal with on his own, she couldn't tell him her own problems.
"For the last time Harry, I am fine." Hermione said sternly while they both sat quietly in Charms class. He gave her a disappointed look, like he expected her to come out with the truth.
"All right." Harry answered and returned to his work. She felt really bad for not telling him or Ron the truth but she couldn't at the moment. It was too risky and although Harry always told them what Dumbledore said, he asked her to keep quiet. So she shall. Half way through the class, Draco passed her a note and she gave him a dirty look before she took it. He didn't return the glare but waited for her to read what was on the note.
I need to talk to you. It's important. Meet me in the library after class.
Hermione looked back up at him but he was talking to Goyle, avoiding any eye contact with her. Hermione gave a shrug and also went back to her own business. After classes Ron and Harry decided to head over to the Quidditch pitch and Hermione said she would stay in the library. Half way walking there Draco met up with her.
"I'm here." Hermione said in a non enthusiastic way.
"Where's Potty and Weasel?"
"Quidditch."
"Good, cause what I need to tell you can not be told to anyone else. Got that?"
"Whatever it is that you have to tell me might as well be told to the whole world, because I'm not keeping dirty little secrets."
"Stop jumping to conclusions, mudblood."
"Then lets lay a few rules. One, don't call me mudblood."
"Hmm..." Draco seemed to struggle with this. "..fine."
"Two, don't insult my two friends or me."
"Ugh! You know what I'd rather go to Dumbledore with this." Draco said and began to walk towards the direction of the Head Masters office.
"Dumbledore?" Hermione asked a bit confused, what could he possibly tell Dumbledore?
"Yes, Dumbledore the Head Master of this school." Draco replied as though she was stupid for asking.
"I know who he is! I mean what is it that you need to tell him?"
"If you'd stop giving me stupid rules, then I would have told you."
"What is it?"
"It's about the whole Death Eater thing." Draco said quietly. Hermione nodded her head and was hoping he would see things her way finally. So she took his arm and walked inside a small classroom near the Library. She locked the door and turned around to hear what he had to say.
"I'm listening." Hermione said. Draco was taking along time to say something, he kept looking around and his eyes never once met hers. "What I have to say, you'd probably laugh your ass off and not believe me, but it's true."
"What's true?"
"First of all, it's true that I'm being forced to become a death eater. I mean of course I would love to kill Potter but not when there are other things involved."
"Other things?"
"Stop interrupting me!"
"Okay, go on."
"Don't order me around either."
"Are you ever going to get to the point?"
"Yes, if you'd just shut up!"
"Okay, okay! My lips are sealed."
"Good, keep them sealed. I'll handle them later." Draco said licking his lips. Hermione rolled her eyes in aggravation. When the hell was he going to get to the damn point? "As I was saying, I have no choice whatsoever to become a death eater and I was just going to go through with it until the night my father visited me."
"The night you got attacked in your room?"
"Yeah, THAT night. Basically, Lucius, the lovable father of mines told me of a task I must do. It's part of the initiation of course and if I don't do it well I might as well kill myself."
"What's the task?" Hermione asked, but of course she had an idea already.
"The task is.." Draco was having a hard time letting it slip out and she knew it would come out. If he didn't tell her, she would tell him she knew already. "..to kill a muggle born." For some unknown reason, anger began to build up insider her. For the second time, she slapped him hard across the face.
"You think that telling me this will get any sympathy from ME? Why don't you bloody kill me in my sleep and get it over with huh? Why do you fucking have to tell me?" Hermione screamed tears threatening to come down her eyes. Draco watched her for a second, shocked and confused.
"You idiot I don't want to kill you! Do I fucking look like a killer to you!"
"Let me see, you're a death eater to be, you're a Slytherin and OH! you abused me before. Of course you're fucking capable of killing me!"
"Well despite the little pain I inflicted on you that doesn't mean I will kill you!"
"So why are you telling me this in the first place? To give me a few day's to say goodbye to my family and friends?"
"No! God! Would you just shut up and listen to me?"
"No I will not! I've given you the chance to talk but you can't expect me to stand around and let you tell me I will die!"
"I don't want you to die! And I'm not the one who will kill you!"
"What?!" Did he just say he didn't want her to die? Wait, hold on. Did he just say he wasn't the one who will kill her? This is just beyond confusing, this was fucking crazy.
"I said I don't want you to fucking die!" Draco screamed and put his hands through his hair. He turned around and trying to avoid any eye contact. "All those warnings gone to waste."
"Warnings? What?"
"YES WARNINGS! Haven't you received my warnings? Haven't I told you not to mess with Slytherins?"
"Warnings?" Hermione asked still confused. Warnings for what? What had he warned her about? Why couldn't he stop beating around the bush and tell her things straight. Hermione's mind began to juggle, the only warnings she's gotten were those letters. Was that what he was talking about? She gave a gasp of realization and slapped her hand to her mouth. Draco finally looked right into her eyes and answered the question that was going through her mind.
"Yes, it's been me who was warning you."