Hermione followed behind Ginny, Ron, and Harry. She walked alone. Fred was behind her with George, discussing ways to improve the elixir, to make it not so potent. She was irritated with Fred at the moment, and he'd picked up on this, so he left her alone. The group made their way across the Hogwarts grounds and into the town of Hogsmeade. They split up and began searching the headstones when they got to the graveyard.

"Over here! I've found him!" Hermione called out. Harry walked over to her, while the rest ran. She brushed away the moss, dead grass, and dirt that had collected around the stone.

"Xiaver Gillium. Born: 2nd of September, 1616. Died: 6th of April, 1677. Convicted murder. Left behind one daughter, Delsiah Gillium and wife Havannah Gillium, maiden name Blackthorne. May he rest in peace, like those he took with him." she read. She looked up at Fred and George who's eyes were wide with shock.

"Do you think that once her father was put in Azkaban, Delsie could've taken her mother's maiden name?" she asked.

"Possibly, why?" replied Ginny.

"Because the Potions Professor back in nineteen forty-two was Julia Blackthorne. Maybe there's a connection." Hermione explained, standing up and shaking the dirty of her hands.

"Then let's get back and start researching Havannah and Delsiah Blackthorne." Ginny started walking back towards the castle.

" I'll check Hogwarts, A History for information on Professor Blackthorne, maybe we can link her." Hermione suggested.

"Hermione, do you mind if we stay in Hogsmeade for a bit?" Fred asked, blushing a bit. Ron scowled at them and walked off after Ginny. Hermione looked at George.

"Oh, I get it... just you two then."

"Yeah, thanks." Fred told his brother, and gave him an apologetic look. They watched the others depart, leaving them the only ones in the cemetery.

"Are you still mad at me about what I did to Malfoy?"

"A little... but I can't say he didn't deserve it I guess." she sighed.

"You guess? He insulted you too, Hermione."

"I know... but all you did was give him the reaction he was looking for... and it's only bound to get worse. You know how he is, and now with him knowing about us, we've given him fuel for the fire. You can't go transfiguring him every time he says something, because he is going to say things." she told him, trying hard not to scold.

"Do you want to get a drink at the Three Broomsticks?" he asked.

"Sure." she just wanted to get out of the graveyard, so she followed him down the hill and into Hogsmeade. He opened the door to the pub for her and followed in behind. Hermione groaned slightly, seeing that everyone else had in fact decided to stop for a drink as well.

"Should we sit with them?" Fred asked her quietly.

"No, it's okay. There's a table over by the window we can take." she replied and walked over to the vacant seats.

Fred sat across from her and ordered butter beers when Madame Rosmerta came over to them. Hermione was a bit surprised that he didn't gawk at her like he and his brothers were known to do. She looked over at the table Harry, Ron, Ginny, and George were sitting at. Ron kept glancing over at them with an irritable look on his face. She wondered how much this had damaged their friendship. He'd get over it, right? She looked at Harry, who was engaged in some sort of animated conversation with George. She glanced up at Fred. He was looking out the window, but realized she was staring at him and faced her.

"So, do you have the diary on you?"

"Yes, but I really don't think this is a good place to be reading it." she remarked.

"Why not? He's not here. And them, they'll just think it's a textbook and we're trying to find information." he replied and moved to sit down in the chair next to her. She saw out of the corner of her eye, Ron watching their every move. Fred sensed this too and laughed slightly.

"Don't worry about him, he'll get over it." he commented.

He leaned in close and kissed her lips softly. She kissed him back, and he puts his arms around her. She was just getting into the kiss when he pulled away, with the diary in his hand. She looked over at the table and saw Ron stand up and leave the Three Broomsticks, Harry and Ginny followed after him.

"That was cruel, Fred." she snapped slightly, and pulled the book out of his hands.

"He has to get used to it. Now everyone knows, I'm not about to hide my affection for you." he stated and sat back in the chair.

"Your affection for trouble, you mean." she sat the book on the table and opened it to the first page.

"Don't be jealous, Lady Michief doesn't have twice the charm as you do, my love." he smiled.

"Uh-huh." she cocked an eyebrow at him, then turned her attention towards the journal.

1st, September 1991,

First day at this school. My father wanted to send me to Durmstrang. He believes I'd get the right kind of education there, but my mother wouldn't hear of it. I'd be too far away from her. Mother worries too much. We arrived to Hogwarts this evening, I can't believe the lot I've been stuck with in my year. It seems the infamous Harry Potter got accepted into Hogwarts, despite his knowledge of anything in our world. This is one reason father wants Dumbledore out of position. People like him should just remain ignorant. I was sorted into Slytherin, of course. Potter became a Gryffindor. I could tell he would. He stood up for the Weasleys and has even befriended them. What a git. My father refers to that family as the trash of the purebloods. I didn't understand what he meant until I laid my eyes on the group of them at the feast. They look like paupers. Can't even afford new robes. They need to learn to stop breeding hordes of sheep. I can't say that any of the Slytherin's are better though, I've got two of them following me around like puppies. I suppose they could be useful eventually.

"Wow, first time I've actually agreed with Malfoy on anything. He would've been much better off at Durmstrang." Fred commented, as Hermione turned the page. She rolled her eyes.

13th September 1991,

Everyone sucks up to Pet Boy Potter. Even the professors are giving him special privileges just because he did something that he has no recollection of as a baby. It's disgusting the way they just fall at his feet. It's as if he's their savior and they don't see through to the boy-who-lived image to the truth that he is the-boy-who-can't-do-anything. They've put him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, which is against school rules. First years can't even own their own broom. Do they really expect him to catch the Snitch using a school broom? It's that blindfold they are wearing again that makes them believe he's got some sort of special powers. It's going to be Slytherin who benefits from their foolishness. Maybe they'll open their eyes after we win the Quidditch House Cup. The classes I can't stand the most are the ones with the Gryffindors. I'm not speaking of only the incessant chatter of Potter in my ear from ever student, but the fact that Gryffindor has some of the most annoying people. My father mentioned that Gryffindor's had big egos, but to completely try and take over the class? There's one in particular, have not learned her name. She insists to show me up as being best student. I can't allow that to happen. Her downfall will be my greatest victory.

"Think he has something against Harry?" asked Fred rhetorically.

"Der." replied Hermione, sarcastically. He kissed her forehead.

1st November 1991,

Dumbledore has no control of anything that happens in his own school. Someone released a troll during the middle of the Halloween Feast. He just merely told everyone not to panic, and had us escorted back to our rooms. Potter of course has no regard for rules. He and that Weasley kid thought they could catch themselves. What idiots. They should've just let it eat that annoying know-it-all Granger. Now they're acting as if they're her best friends. I really don't get it. They hated her as much as I did that afternoon. Even going as far as to making her cry. I was beginning to think there might be some hope for Potter after all, but apparently his ego and delusion to this new found life of celebrity destroys any chance of him actually having a future. When the dark lord rises again, as my father says he will, Potter will be one of the first to go. I can already see it. He'll think it's up to him to fight against the Lord. He has no idea what he's in for. I can only hope that I'll be there when the squib meets his end.

"Kiss me." Fred said quickly.

"Why?" Hermione was confused.

"Why? You're my girlfriend, you need a better reason?"

"Yes."

"George is walking over here, maybe if he sees that we're busy he won't butt in." he answered and moved in for the kiss.

"I hate to interrupt your little snog session, but could I borrow Fred for a moment?" George asked. Hermione pulled away and nodded, holding the journal close to her so that he couldn't see what it was. Fred groaned then got up and followed his brother over to the table the rest of the group had been sitting at. Hermione decided to continue on without him.

12th May 1991,

I've figured out the reason that Granger and Weasley have befriended Potter, and it annoys me that I didn't think of it first. I suppose I could've been nicer to him in the beginning and won him over. Anyway, the reason I believe is that anyone associated with him gets to completely overlook any rule. The three snuck out one night and I followed them, knowing they were up to no good. I figured if I caught them in the act of breaking the rules, I would be rewarded for turning in the troublemakers. I was right, they'd gone to the home, if you could call it that, of that oaf gamekeeper and helped him hatch a dragon. Any other student would've been expelled immediately. Not Potter and his groupies, instead all they received was detention, as did I. Completely unfair, I wasn't doing anything wrong, I was trying to uphold the school honor. It's not like it was me who was helping keep an illegal beast on school grounds. This school's love for Potter is getting on my last nerve. We had to serve detention helping the oaf catch something in the Forbidden Forest. Sure, we'll let you get away with breaking a rule of the Ministry's, but your punishment will be to risk your life and help an uneducated git find something in the forest, therefore risking not only your sanity but your life. This school is a dump.

Hermione began going through the pages, scanning through them for anything with nutrition. Fred came back over alone, and she watched George leave.

"What'd he want?" she asked.

"For us to be nicer to Ron, I think he may be a little bit jealous too though. He fancied you too and we'd made a firm decision that neither of us were supposed to pursue those feelings... but when have I ever been one for rules, eh?" he shrugged and sat back down next to her.

"Your mum isn't going to be too pleased when she finds out, is she?"

"Oh, I think she will. She's always had a feeling that you'd eventually become part of the family. Just we all thought it'd be Ron. Oh well." Hermione felt herself going white. Part of the family? Things were rushing a little too fast for her and she didn't want to think about it. She turned back to the diary.

"Most of these entries are just mindless complaints of Potter... I mean Harry, Ron and I. Oh! Here's something, from our third year." she pushed the book closer to him, so that he could read it too.

2nd January 1994,

My father beat me. That was the first time he's ever laid a hand on me. Something worries him, I can tell. I don't think it was the remark I'd made about Granger either. I got my exam grades back and I made one comment about how I knew Granger's would be better. Hers are always better. Then he struck me. I think part of it has to do with the dinner we had this evening. The Parkinson's had been invited. Mother was certainly insistent that I befriend their daughter Pansy. It's not that I don't mind her so much, as is it the fact that I know her secret. She's not a pureblood and she holds no value to me on a relationship level. Crabbe and Goyle serve my purposes, more as bodyguards than actual friends. I don't need friends though, I do well on my own. My mother continued hinting at a possible romantic connection between Pansy and I, which is preposterous. She's a nice enough girl, I suppose, I just don't like her that way. My mother was quite upset with me when I mentioned that. Along with my grades came another letter for my father. I'm not quite sure who it was from, or what it said but after that he excused himself from dinner and I didn't see him the rest of the evening. I believe it has something to do with the Dark Lord, or perhaps the escape of the convict Sirius Black. I mean to find out before the end of the holiday and before I have to go back to Hogwarts.

"What a happy home." Fred sighed, jokingly.

"Fred!"

"What?"

"Do you have to make some sort of comment against him after every entry?"

"Yes. It is my Weasley duty." Fred smirked.

"Well then maybe it's best if you don't read anymore."

"Now come on, don't be like that." he replied and took the book out of her hand.

10th June 1994,

That damn bird escaped execution. I nearly die and it gets away! I know Potter has something to do with it. He always does. Rumors are circulating that he had something to do with the re-escape of Sirius Black as well. Upon returning home for the summer, I heard that it doesn't matter if Sirius' is found, he has nothing to do with the Dark Lord's plans. My father has informed me that the Lord has discovered upon a new piece of information as well as a long lost servant of his and that his new reign of terror is only a matter of months away.I am to be marked as a Death Eater upon the Lord's return. A servant and more than likely his right hand man when my father is deceased. Something is unsettling about this, but I can't figure it out. I'm excited yes and honored that he would consider me important enough to mark before I'm even of age, but I cannot say that I'm entirely happy about it. Things are going to get complicated at school and I can already predict that Potter is going to be keeping a closer eye on me. Just what I need.

"Fred." Hermione looked at him with a warning.

"I wasn't going to say anything! Honest!" he defended, putting his hands up.

2nd November 1994,

Dumbledore's Golden Child was selected to be in the Triwizard tournament. Now under normal circumstances I would be mad that once again Potter has been able to forgo rules and given special privileges. These however, are not normal circumstances. Everyone knows how dangerous the tournament can be, and Potter doesn't have what it takes. Bets have been going around the Slytherin Common Room like wildfire as to how long he will last. The most popular being he won't even survive the first task. I however voted that he wouldn't last the last task. After watching Potter over the past years, I've come to realize the staff bends over backwards to suit his needs, and he will with no doubt be given help in succeeding. I also know things that the others do not. My father told me that Potter would be entered into the Goblet. That was the plan. The Dark Lord wishes for his blood to be a part of his return ritual. My father explained the entire thing to me. Potter will get the help he's looking for until the last task, maybe he'll have his wits by then. Once he completes the final task, he'll be transported to the Dark Lord and "taken care of" as my father puts it. It also seems as if the Golden Trio has split. Weasley refuses to speak to Potter, and Granger has been at the mercy of them both. It's feels good to watch them suffer. If they knew what was in store for Potter in the end, then they wouldn't be fighting over such trivial things. But seeing as they are in the dark, they're going to regret never making up in the end. It will haunt them for the rest of their life. I like to consider it a bit of karma.

"He knew the entire time that Harry was going to have to face Voldemort." Hermione gasped. She noticed Fred's uncomfortable shift when she mentioned the name.

"Oh get over it. That's his name, and we've been using it for years." she told him.

"You wouldn't understand, you never knew what it was like being brought up to fear him. It's easy for you and Harry because you're so new to this. We've been hearing about what he did for years. George and I were three when he was defeated, we remember it."

"I'm sorry, Fred." her voice softened.

"Let's read on, shall we?" he asked. She nodded.

15th January 1995,

My parents have expressed their views on my future after Hogwarts. An arranged marriage has been set between Pansy Parkinson and I. It's to hide her family's indiscretions and make them acceptable amongst the other pure bloods again. I'm starting to feel like a tool they use for their bidding. My family has not been one that shows love and tender caring, but at the same time I never expected my father to stoop this low, knowing how I feel about Pansy. I do not love her and I've tried breaking up with her on several occasions. Who are they to decide who I will wed? I hope they don't actually expect me to remain loyal to her. Well, as suspected Potter was able to get through the first task with hardly any problems. I earned myself quite a share of the bet earnings. The next task is in a little over a month. I have a feeling I'll be rewarded with near the same amount. I've started up my own account at Gringotts, after my father told me of my engagement. He doesn't know of it, and I doubt I'll ever disclose it to him. Granger beat my grades, yet again. My father was a bit peeved. He keeps telling me there is no reason that a mudblood should out do a Malfoy. He obviously hasn't had many dealings with Granger. She's a remarkably good student, which shouldn't be construed as a compliment of course. She's an overachiever with no social life, barely clinging on to that of Potter's. The Daily Prophet sure had a field day when I told them about a possible love between Granger and Potter. I've never seen Granger go that red before. It distracted her enough for me to able to get a higher mark on our potion's essay. If this is what it takes to show my father that I'm better than her, so be it.

"He really has it out for you. I think though, that you can consider this the point where he begins to obsess on you." Fred pointed out with a smile.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because he complimented you, even if he denies it. And a Malfoy doesn't ever compliment a muggle-born." he explained. She hit him playfully and turned the page.

27th June 1995,

The Dark Lord is back. Potter didn't meet his end like I'd hoped, but he does seem rather shaken up by the whole ordeal. My father has helped convince the Ministry that Potter is a mumbling idiot along with Dumbledore, and so the Ministry has disregarded anything either of them says as hearsay. It really couldn't get any better than this. The Dark Lord being back, and the only two admitting this are considered loony. How foolish human kind really is. The Daily Prophet has started posting rumors to strengthen the Ministry's defense against Potter and Dumbledore, and I hear that Dumbledore's position in the Ministry is being considered for evaluation. This should be a really interesting school year. This summer my father plans to prepare me for the Dark Lord. We've already gone over the basics and the killing curses, but he wants to further my education in matters that he says won't be discussed this upcoming year at Hogwarts. He says the Ministry plans on putting one of their own into the school to keep an eye on Dumbledore's behavior. So I must say this summer will be nothing but tedious Dark Arts work. At least it'll show I know more than Granger, and chances of me getting more OWLs than her seem high.

"Who did get more OWLs?" Fred asked out of curiosity.

"We got the same amount. I think that's one reason why we were selected as Prefects."

"Well that doesn't explain how Ron got chosen."

"You're too hard on him sometimes, he's a good student when he applies himself. And he's done a good job as prefect." she defended.

"Your right, I'm being too hard on him. As I recall he's the only Gryffindor prefect who didn't try and ruin George and I's business." he replied with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"I thought you admitted earlier that you had been wrong."

"I said that only for the sake of our relationship." he told her, smugly.

"You don't expect, now that we're dating, that I'll be more lenient on your total disregard for the rules and safety, right?"

"To ask that of you would be asking to change your entire personality and system of ethics."

"Okay, smart ass." she replied, with a hint of a smile. They turned back to the journal.

16th February 1996,

So Harry Potter, the boy wonder has sunk so low in desperation for attention and to speak out that he gave an interview to the Quibbler, of all magazines. He might as well have written a stamp on his forehead claiming himself insane for all the good it's done. My father says the time is approaching for me to join the Dark Lord's army. I hate to admit it, but I've been having some rather harsh second thoughts. It's still an honor, but I also wonder the motive behind the Lord's plan. As of late it all seems based around Potter and he hasn't been looking at the big picture of things. I mean I understand, as I've had to put up with him the past five years, but such a motive seems to petty. He's a fifteen-year-old boy, why is he having such a hard time defeating him? I'm going to have to give this some serious thought. I mean I have to go through with it. I can't afford to be banished from the Mansion and left on the streets. While my bank account has been growing, it's nothing one can live on. With most everyone still believing that Voldemort is dead, now wouldn't be a good time to declare my defiance. I shall wait and see how things go. Maybe there are just some things I don't understand quite yet. I'll need to dig into my father's brain and see what he has in mind for the future. I'll base my decision off that.

"He lied to me." Hermione commented and closed the journal.

"About what?"

"He told me he didn't start working against his father until after we were paired up together. He's been having doubts ever since Voldemort returned." she replied absentmindedly. She looked out the window.

"It's not that big of a deal is it? He's still a prat."

"We better get back to Hogwarts, it's getting dark." she stood up and put the journal back under her robes. Fred paid the tab and they headed back to the school.

A/N: This is part 1 of 2. I wanted to get it up for Annie's birthday tomorrow. yay! Happy birthday Annie! huggles Part 2 will be up either tomorrow or Thursday. As usual if you read please respond, I like to know how I'm doing.