A/N: Wow. Can't believe how well this story is doing! Although many stopped reading when they read the Harry and Lavender part. I seriously can't believe how people would believe I would do something like that to Harry! How dense can people get? Honestly! Anyway, onto the chapter.

DISCLAIMER: Hell no I don't own Harry Potter!

Chapter Six: Hidden Behind a Mask

"Harry have you seen Hermione?" asked Pavarti as she found Harry and Ron exiting the school grounds to head to Care Of Magical Creatures.
"No. Didn't she have Charms with your sister?" replied Harry.
"Yeah. I wonder where she could be?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders, "Most likely getting work off Flitwick for extra credit."
"Most likely," added Ron.

"What I am about to tell you Miss Granger may come as a shock to you," said Dumbledore looking at Hermione, "But you must know."
Hermione nodded and looked at her hands.
"As you now know Jo and Barry Granger are not your real parents. But they are muggle. Not any type of magic lives within their veins. They did however know of the magical world. Jo was bestfriends with Lily Potter. And being bestfriends they told each other everything."
"What's that got to do with me?" asked Hermione.
"Well nothing. I was just telling you how they knew."
"Oh. Sorry."
"No need to apologise Miss Granger," said Dumbledore kindly, "Now. When Voldemort was first at full power. He had two extremely loyal and powerful followers. Your parents. They were Janice and Heath Verbatim. When they had you Voldemort had already planned your future. It was known to everybody that you were going to become a powerful and extremely smart witch. He had planned for you to become his heir, possibly his future wife."
Hermione's mouth fell open at the last part. Sure the rest of it was a lot for Hermione to take in, but the last part... that was more than anyone could handle. The thought of marrying Voldemort was enough to make anyone want to kill themself.
"When news reached the order of your birth we knew we had to act fast. You could still become great and powerful in a good way or a bad way. The Order knew they had to save you from the evil way of life. And we did. The night Voldemort went to the Potter's was the night myself; Sirius and Lupin went to your parents place and took you. You were taken to the Grangers under the new identity of Hermione Ellawise Granger."
"You just came and took me? What about my real parents?"
"They believe you were kidnapped of course. And they now believe you to be dead. Until recently. Word reached Voldemort of you being the brightest witch to ever come to Hogwarts. He most likely put the pieces together and worked out who you are. That is why Jo and Barry were killed."
"So you just took me from my parents?" said Hermione looking at Dumbledore, "Just like that?"
"That is what I said. You parents now know of your existence. The security here at Hogwarts has increased greatly for your safety."
"But what about what I want?" yelled Hermione, she suddenly felt angry at Dumbledore, "What if I want to meet my parents! How could you just take me away from them? I grew up with... with... two adults who weren't even my real parents! You took me from a life I never got to know!"
"It was for your own good Miss Granger. Could you imagine what life would have been like for you as someone who was to become the next Dark Lordess?"
Hermione closed her mouth and looked out the window. She could imagine her life that. But she was a Slytherin. She could picture herself marching through the corridors hexing anyone who dared look her way.
"I don't want to be that way," said Hermione quietly, "I don't want to be a killer."
"That is why we saved you. We believed you could be something good and you are Miss Granger. The Order has taken great pleasure in watching you grow up into somebody kind, smart and extremely friendly to everybody."
Hermione smiled and wiped away a few tears, "D-do you know who killed my Mum and Dad?"
"Four of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters. Most like your real parents."
Hermione nodded wiping away more tears, "Is there going to be a funeral?"
"Yes. I will let you know the date when everything is planned."
"M-my parents... my real one's, will they be looking for me?"
"The Order is doing all they can to find out their next move. When we do find out you will be told."
"Is there anything else you need to tell me sir?"
"No Miss Granger."
Hermione stood up, "Thankyou for telling me and I'm sorry for yelling at you."
"No need to apologise Miss Granger."
"Good day Professor."
"Good day Miss Granger."
Hermione turned and left hurrying to her Care Of Magical Creatures class.
McGonagall who had been there the whole time walked over to Dumbledore.
"How do you believe she will cope Albus?" asked McGonagall softly.
"I believe she will put on a front but will be struggling to cope underneath. And the last person we expect will only be able to see through the act."
"Not Draco Malfoy? That boy does nothing but try to humiliate Miss Granger."
"Yes Draco Malfoy Minvera. The boy himself wears a mask hiding the war he is battling deep inside him. Anything is possible in this word Minvera. Look at what happened with Lily and James."
McGonagall sighed, "If you say so Albus."

Hermione ran across the school grounds towards Hagrid's hut. It was thirty- four minutes into the lesson with thirty-six minutes remaining.
Hagrid who had been talking to Harry looked up at the sound of feet coming towards the class.
"Ello 'Ermione. Where yer been?" asked Hagrid.
"Umm... I was doing Headgirl duty for Professor McGonagall. Sorry I'm late," lied Hermione.
"S'all righ'. We were jus' looking through books for the assignment. Best go find Malfoy."
"Okay."
Harry gave Hermione a questioning look. Hermione smiled reassuringly and went over to Draco who was flipping through a book.
"Where have you been Granger?" snapped Draco.
"With McGonagall. You know that," replied Hermione.
"Oh yeah. What was in that letter?"
"None of your god damn business. Have you picked an animal to study yet?"
"Course not. What do you want to study?"
"What about Salamanders?"
"Sounds good."
"Good, we agree. Least something's going right today."
"Meaning what?"
"Nothing. Find stuff on the Salamander animal alright?"
"Nobody orders me around Granger."
"Well I am so shut up and read!" snapped Hermione causing everybody to look at her in shock, including Draco.
Hermione quickly grabbed a book and sat down making the book hide her face as tears silently trickled down.
Draco looked down at Hermione. Little did Hermione know that Draco Malfoy could see the tears she was hiding from everybody else.
Draco felt a strange twinge in his heart. Stamping his foot, Draco ignored the feeling and went on reading.

A week snaked past slowly. Hermione never gave into Harry and Ron's questions of what caused her to snap in Care of Magical Creatures. Her answer was always the same 'I was stressed and Malfoy just annoyed me to the end of my thread'. Dumbledore had been correct about the mask. With Harry, Ron and everybody else Hermione put up a front, pretending everything was okay. But at night, in the privacy of her dorm Hermione would cry like a lost scared girl. But Dumbledore was also right about another thing. Draco could see Hermione was wearing a mask. The wars raging inside them might not be the same, but they both were hidden behind them. And never once during the day did the masks slip.

"Good morning Draco," greeted Blaise at the Great Hall on the Saturday after the first week at school.
"Morning," mumbled Draco, "What are you doing today?"
"I don't know. Don't you have a meeting tonight with Granger?"
"Don't remind me."
"What do you think of the Weasel's sister?"
Draco looked over his shoulder at Ginny who was talking fast to Hermione. Draco's gaze fully settled on Hermione. He watched, as she would nod every now and then, not completely listening to whatever Ginny was rambling on about.
Hermione looked up at the feeling of someone starring at her. Draco quickly looked away before Hermione caught him.
"Well?" asked Blaise.
"Well what?"
"What do you think of Weasel's sister?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I've talked to her a few times this week. She seems nice."
"Blaise, she's a Weasley. What would your parents think if they knew you had a crush on Weaslette?"
"I'm interested in her. Not a full-blown girly crush. She's pureblood, funny, easy to talk to."
"Well how am I meant to know what she's like? I've never talked to her before."
"Exactly. This is what I've been trying to tell you man. Your living by the rules your father has set out for you. You keep saying your going to live by your own rules and your not! You won't even try and be civil to Granger."
"She's different alright? Us two both can't stand each other! We just don't work together!"
"Have you even tried man? I have and she seems nice!"
"Why are you pushing me to talk to her? Are you trying to hook us up or something?"
"You know what? This is pointless," sighed Blaise standing up, "See you round Draco."
Draco watched as his best mate walked out of the hall angrily.

"Hermione? Hermione? Her-my-knee!"
Hermione jumped sky high at the sound of her name being yelled. Startled she looked up from her porridge to see Ginny looking at her curiously.
"Sorry," muttered Hermione.
"Girl are you alright?"
"Fine. Just a little distracted."
"You've been a 'little distracted' for the past week. What is going on?"
"Nothing at all."
"You're not telling me the truth."
"I'm fine."
"Hermio-"
"Everything is FINE! Quit bugging me please!" snapped Hermione standing up; "I'll see you later."
Ginny sat mouth open as Hermione stormed out of the hall in search of peace.

Twenty minutes later Hermione found herself inside the meeting room the Heads shared.

Why can't they leave me alone? Its always 'Hermione are you okay?' or 'Hermione you're not fine.' I know they care about me greatly and I love them all but when I say I'm fine a hundred times I'm bound to snap! I know I should tell them about everything, but than they'll treat me like some sought of alien, and I don't want that. I'm still Hermione Granger no matter what... I think. No one would understand the war raging inside me. I feel like a nobody. Like who am I really? What are my parents like? I know they are Death Eaters, but other than that what are they like. What was my original name?

Hermione quickly shut her journal at the entrance of Draco. Hermione's eyes narrowed at the sight of him, as did his eyes at the sight of her.
"You," growled Hermione, "What do you want?"
"It's not just your room Granger. So don't even think of telling me to leave," replied Draco.
"Well why can't you? Can't you go and... find some girl to screw?"
Draco smirked, "That may be a good idea, but I came to talk to you."
"Me? What could I have done now?"
"Yes you. And you let your... let's say... you let you mask slip."
"What the hell are you on about?" asked Hermione standing up to face him.
"Look don't play stupid. It doesn't suit you. I can see you are hiding something from everybody who could somehow care for you. That scene you had in the Great Hall with the Weasley girl proved my theory. You are hiding a big secret. Hiding behind a mask."
"I have no idea what you are on about Malfoy. So why don't you do me a favour and mind your own business alright?"
"What's the point?" said Draco in frustration.
All through breakfast he had been thinking of what Blaise had said about being civil with Hermione.
He'd come to the decision that he would try. That way he might find the guts to stop living by his father's rules.
"What's the point of what?" asked Hermione.
"You are so damn confusing and hard to get it's impossible! What do you have against me?"
"Where do you want me to start? I have a list that could go around the world ten times."
Draco ran his hand through his hair, "Forget about it Granger. Dwell in your problems on your own."
"I'm not dwelling! I'm lost and confused! So just leave me alone! That's all I want! TO BE ALONE!" screamed Hermione storming out of the meeting room.
Draco fell onto the green couch. Why did he do that? Why, why, why? How stupid was he? Try and be civil with Hermione. Try and help her out. Why was she so difficult?
Draco hit himself on the forehead with his hand.
She was just the annoying, know-it-all who was bestfriend with the Boy-Who- Lived-To-Be-A-Cockhead-All-His-Life. Just Granger. That was all, nothing more.

Hermione stormed into the Gryffindor tower, pasted Harry, Ron and Ginny, upstairs to her room.
Harry, Ron and Ginny flinched as her door slammed shut with enough force to crumble the castle.
"Whoa," said Harry, "What is eating her?"
"She won't say. One minute she's all happy, laughing, having a great time," said Ginny, "The next its 'go away. I don't need you'. I wish she would tell us."
"Maybe its just that time of the month," said Ron, "Except ten times worse than normal."
"Trust you to think like that," commented Harry.
"Look let's just give her space. I'm going for a walk," sighed Ginny standing up and leaving.

Draco walked through the school corridors in search of his brown haired hazel-eyed friend. He had cooled down after his latest Hermione encounter; only he knew he had to face her wrath later that night.
"Blaise!" called Draco spotting him near the library entrance.
Blaise spun on his jogger heel, "Draco. What's up?"
"I tried being civil to Granger."
"And?"
"If she had remembered she had a wand and she Advardaed me... well the spell would've worked," sighed Draco, "She's impossible that girl! I know something is eating away at her... and I feel like I should help, but whenever I go to talk to her, only insults fly out of my mouth."
"Maybe you two have to take it really slow. Like controlling your insult section. I don't know. Look man, let her... I dunno sought herself out or something like that."
"Maybe. Dude I'm going flying. Talk later," said Draco waving as he headed off.
"Later."
"Hey."
Blaise turned towards the library to see Ginny smiling at him.
"Hello."
"So... let me guess. It was Malfoy's fault for Hermione storming into the common room and slamming her dorm door so hard it could've caused and earthquake?"
"She slammed it that hard?"
"Oh yeah."
"Some temper she has."
"Something is troubling her, but she won't tell anyone what."
"Draco noticed that too. He umm... tried being civil to her."
"He did?"
"He did. And he said if she had remembered she had a wand and she Advardaed him the spell would've worked and killed him"
"Whoa. I never knew she was that angry."
"Actually I think she is going through a confusing stage."
"Hmm... well enough talk and the lovey dovey's. How are you?"
"I'm going good you?"
"Very well. So what are you doing?"
"I don't know. Want to go walking?"
"Sure," grinned Ginny.

A/N: And I'm off to bed. It's 11pm and I'm pooped! So what do you think? Is that a twist or what? Anyways, you know the drill my lovely reviewers!

Love yas!

Love Coz!