A Dangerous Project – Part Nine – Who are you?

Hermione reminded herself to breathe as the person outside came closer. Why hadn't she thought to have some kind of light in the hall? The person continued to creep slowly towards her door and Hermione had to force herself not to fling the door open. That wouldn't be very helpful. Just as the figure was coming close enough for her to be able to see his or her face –

- a door in the hall slammed shut. The person spun around and strode down the hall.

Hermione gasped. All this work and now she wouldn't know who it was! She fumbled with the door handle. She had to know who this person was. She sprinted down the hall as the black robe fluttered around the corner.

She was too late. By the time she rounded the corner, he or she was long gone.

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Harry and Ron glanced at Hermione curiously. She had actually stomped into the Great Hall this morning, and was currently giving her muffin a look that by all rights should have flattened it.

"Er, Hermione?" Ron attempted nervously. She looked at him dangerously.

"Yes?"

Ron cowered, and shot Harry a pleading glance.

"How are you today, Hermione?" Harry asked cheerfully.

"Peachy," she snarled.

She was currently stabbing her muffin with her fork.

"That's great!" Harry said with a huge grin, as Ron attempted to become one with his chair.

The muffin was now in very small pieces.

"Know why I'm so happy?" Harry persisted, with a mischevious smirk.

The crumbs on Hermione's plate did not even remotely resemble something edible at this point.

"See, last night I was looking at the map," Harry started offhandedly.

Hermione abandoned her fork and sat up straight.

"And?" she asked cautiously, attempting to mask her interest.

"And I saw someone...oh, nevermind," Harry said with a sigh, "I'm sure you're not interested."

Ron was sniggering now, and Hermione looked as though she was going to give Harry's head the same treatment the muffin received.

"What?!" she nearly strangled him.

"Hermione," Harry said seriously, "Let me read you something I found last night."

She tapped her foot impatiently as Harry pulled out a sheet of parchment.

"Piffroot," he read, "is not a very powerful herb. It is, however, capable of producing male impotence when mixed with –" Harry paused. "Guess what?"

Hermione fidgeted. "Um, I don't know. When mixed with what?"

"Several of the bloody ingredients we put in our potion!" Ron exploded, looking very injured.

"Oh. Er..." Hermione fumbled for something to say.

"And since I really don't think your intent was to kill me and Ron's chances of producing heirs," Harry snickered, "How about you tell us next time you have a good idea for catching our mysterious helper?"

If possible, Hermione looked even more shocked than before. "How did you guess?" she stammered. Harry shrugged.

"We couldn't find the list of ingredients you had," Ron said, "But neither of us remembered seeing that stuff. So we checked it out."

"Yeah, Ron voluntarily went to the library for something," Harry teased. "I think you're having a good influence on him, Hermione!"

Harry fell to the floor, laughing uncontrollably as Ron and Hermione tickled him mercilessly. Only those two knew exactly where to tickle to make him absolutely collapse. Suddenly, Hermione stopped and sat up abruptly.

"Harry! Ron!" she shrieked. "You never told me who it was!"

The two looked at each other guiltily.

"Well," Ron began. "It's kind of strange."

"What's kind of strange?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"That it wasn't someone we expected at all," Harry said uncomfortably. "In fact, we think the map might not be working right."

Hermione frowned. "It's never been wrong before. Tell me already!"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other nervously.

"Malfoy," they said simultaneously.

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"I don't care what the bloody map said! The person I saw was much bigger than Malfoy!" Hermione glared stubbornly at the two boys in front of her. They were sitting in Hermione's room, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Are you sure you weren't mistaken?" Ron persisted.

"Ronald Weasley," she growled. "If you tell me I'm wrong again, I'm going to curse you like there's no tomorrow!"

Ron looked at Harry in bemusement. 'PMS' Harry mouthed. Ron looked terrified.

"Right," Ron said hastily, "I've got to go work on my Transfiguration essay. We can talk again later!" He fled the room without another word.

Harry and Hermione smiled at each other. "We'll figure it out, ok, 'Mione?" she nodded, and Harry reached down to give her a hug. "I'll talk to you later," he called, exiting the room.

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Hermione lay in bed, frowning. She couldn't sleep with this problem on her mind. One of my many faults, she thought wryly.

It couldn't possibly have been Malfoy. For one thing, he had no idea she needed the ingredient. Secondly, he was definitely smaller and skinnier than the person she saw. Not that he hadn't beefed up a bit, but he wasn't that tall yet. And for Merlin's sake...why would he help them?

Hermione groaned. For the thousandth time, she thought how frustrating this whole thing was. She glanced at the clock. Definitely time for sleep. She drifted off, thinking back fondly on the adventures she, Ron, and Harry had had in the past.