Disclaimer: I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.

Like Indecision to Call You

As the night broke into the daylight sun, Hermione finally gave in and went to her room to change and resume her place in front of Draco's door for him to come out. Draco on the other hand had not even bothered to fall asleep the night before so as soon as she left her spot of vigil, he left his room to go to the Slytherin Common Room to resume his assessment of his current situation. On his way though, he ran into the Headmaster who upon seeing Draco's disheveled appearance asked him to join him in his office for a chat.

Draco followed dispassionately behind wondering aimlessly if the events of last night with Hermione was going to be their topic of conversation. Much to his surprise though, it was not.

"Mr. Malfoy, I called in to discuss with you further the details of your plans as they relate to Voldemort and the Deatheaters along with some Head duties that need to be organized as well. We'll start in order of importance, so enlight of your and Miss Granger obvious falling out..." Professor Dumbledore began. He knew it...just couldn't leave well enough alone could you old man, he thought to himself. "I thought it might be wise to try a more indirect approach." he finished.

"Like what? I am here to seduce her to the Dark side, how am I suppose to achieve that without her involvement?" Draco returned.

"Precisely my question to you young man. But your obvious avoidance of her this morning lends me to the belief that you may have other ideas in mind." the Professor replied.

Man, he always had a way of luring you in for the kill. He's trying to convince me to make nice and let bygones be bygones. But I can't just yet. I need time to harden myself to her before I can do that, he thought.

"Actually, I was considering sending word that she was being more stubborn that orginally thought and maybe other alternatives would have to be discussed." Draco ventured.

"Do you really believe that all is lost with Miss Granger? That all you have risked prior to now is was all for nothing?" he scoffed.

"Why should I believe any different? She betrayed me not the other way around." Draco protested.

"Yes, well I believe that there is a muggle saying that may help you for now, Draco. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Or perhaps you would prefer...He who is without sin shall cast the first stone?" the Professor mused.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco fumed.

"Simply speaking, you are both young and under a great deal of stress and pressure. Haste is the better part of valour. You have made great strides to set yourself apart from Lucius but are showing the same unforgiving nature as he while you stand here before me. Just consider what I have said, will you at least do us all that kindess?" he requested.

"I will take it under advisement. Now, what of the Head duties do we need to discuss?" Draco replied.

"You and Miss Granger need to begin organizing the effort for the Valentine's Day Ball. Please discuss it with her and get the Prefects duties in order so that the preparations can begin." was the only reply to that.

"Yes sir, anything else?" Draco asked.

"Yes, once again the Heads will attend with each other provided our other plans go well. So I suggest you two work out your issues as quickly as possible." and with that Draco was excused.

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Hermione sat on the floor with her books for what seemed like hours and not a single sound came from the room behind her. What could he possibly be doing in there? He had to come out some time, didn't he? How could he be so cold? So many questions filled her mind and no matter how hard she tried, she could only come up with one answer to them all. She had done wrong by him but it wasn't intentional. Her heart and her mind just got tangled up and then the preverbial doubt had crept in. When would this end and when he would he at least talk to her so she could explain?

As the guilt and frustration began to take its toll on her already fragile exterior, Hermione heard the portrait open and in walked Harry, Ginny and Ron. One look at Hermione and Ginny knew that her worst fears had come to pass. She ran over to Hermione and hugged her with all her might while Harry and Ron just gazed at them in confusion. Boys, they never see anything coming do they?

"Why are you sitting outside Malfoy's door?" Harry inquired.

"We had a fight and now he won't talk to me." Hermione confessed.

"About what?" Ron piped in.

"I did a terrible thing." she said and then told them the whole story of how she had hurt him with her doubts and loss of connection to him. She played the song for them that Draco had used to break things off and began to shuddered from the tears she was holding back with all her might.

"Malfoy get out here now." Harry and Ron both shouted as they pounded on his door.

No reply. Not even the slightest trace of a sound.

"Are you sure he's still in there?" Ron questioned.

"I thought so but maybe he slipped out at some point." she wondered.

"I'm going to try to find him. Stay here with Ginny and Ron and I will bring him back. We're going to get this worked out right away. I'll have Chey and Katie come up as soon as we find them too." Harry stated firmly.

At that moment, Harry and Ron made their way to the portrait when it opened and Malfoy walked in nonchalantly as if everything were perfectly normal. He looked and nodded to Harry, then Ron and finally at Ginny but stopped there and began to make his way to his room. Hermione immediately jumped in front of him and stopped his progress.

"I need to talk to Draco. No excuses, we have to get this out in the open here and now." she pleaded.

"I've said all I have to say. If there's something you need to say then out with it so I can go to bed." he retorted icily.

"Can we do this in private?" she asked meekly.

"Why? Afraid your friends here will learn the truth about you?" he stated matter of factly.

"Just give her a chance, Malfoy. You don't want to do this, do you. Throw it all away over a simple misunderstanding." Harry said.

"What would you know ,Potter? Has she ever questioned your loyalty or feeling for you or anyone else but the big bad Malfoy, aka Ferrett boy?" Draco seethed.

"Please, I never meant to hurt you. Just hear me out, ok?" Hermione begged. That was a first, Draco looked at her quizzically.

"Alright, inside but make it quick." He demanded.

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She went directly over to his bed, sat down and looked up at him with tender eyes that longed for some type of emotion or rather affection to be displayed from behind them. Her eyes betrayed her, showing all of her feelings just pouring forth from them. Although Draco didn't want to see it, he could literally feel the caress of her love pulse through them. A great battle was waging within himself at that moment, one part wanting to grab her and forget the previous days fight and the other that wanted to drop kick her out of his and put her memory behind him.

"I listened to the song last night and I don't know what to do or say to make you understand that I never meant to doubt you. I was just confused and I told you that it was something that I had to work out in my own mind. That's why my mind imprisoned me there, so I could sort through all the details and get rid of all the negative stuff. You know, kind of purify the soul. I never stopped loving you or caring for you, I just needed to work out in my own heart if it was all worth the risk." she whispered.

"And you don't think that I didn't have the same thoughts and fears? And all the while that the calculations were waging in my head, did I turn my back on you? Even for a second?" she berated her.

"I know, I made a mistake. If you would have been here, it would have been easier but because I couldn't see you or hold you, my mind sort of played tricks on me." she defended.

"Oh, so it's my fault? I had to go, you know that."

"No, I didn't mean to imply that it was your fault only that you weren't right there and that made it harder. Why can't you see it from my point of view? I gave you everything I had...my heart, body and soul. And I had a moment of weakness but I worked through it and it's done. No doubts, no regrets...except that you don't want me anymore." she sobbed.

"Why can't you see that a single moment of weakness is all Voldemort to get inside your head and kill us all? This is just about us. United we stand, divided we fall. I tried to make you see how much I would sacrifice for you so that you wouldn't have any reason for doubt but I failed and it could've been the death of us all. So I decided that together we are a point of weakness. We unite as allies to rid the world of Voldemort and leave everything else behind so nothing can cloud our judgement. Do you understand where I am coming from?" Draco tried to reason.

"Yes, but you can't turn this off and on like a faucet. I will love you always and by your estimations that makes me weak but Harry's parents used their love to fight and kept Harry safe because Voldemort couldn't destroy what he didn't understand." she replied.

"Our love is not pure and unconditional like that of a parent to a child. You've proven that yourself so if you can't put that aside then maybe you're a detriment to the fight and should recuse yourself before you put someone else in danger." Draco fired back at her.

"But, but....do you think I'm a danger to you and everyone because my love for you isn't pure? Does everything in your freaking world revolve around that word?" she spat back angrily.

"Yes, obviously that is what is beyond your comprehension. Pure is good and muddled is weak. Weakness kills. Draw your own conclusions." he finished and turned to open the door. Succumbing to defeat, Hermione got up and walked out but not before turning to say...

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"You might want to think I'm weak but I'm not. I still love you and I guess I have just thirty days to show how strong that can really be. Nothing can change that and maybe it's you that needs to find strength in it, not me as I still believe." she stated simply and without reservation.

"Hermione," he added sharply, " Dumbledore wants us to start organizing the Valentine's Day Ball, let's start tomorrow so I can get some rest, ok?"

"Fine, I'll let the others know." she finished and started to leave once again but turned back to him and stood toe to toe looking deep into his hurt eyes. Then without any warning she leaned in, grabbed his head and gave him one last kiss. She felt his tough exterior begin to crack as her warmth and power courses from her to him and back. As she pulled away she gently lifted his head and gave him one of his patented smirks just so that he knew she felt it too.

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As she walked back out to the common room, everyone turned to see what if any reactions their was. She looked tired and worn out but there was spark in her eye that wasn't there before. Hermione had a plan and all the fight in her was beginning to surface. The lack of Draco's presence with her, told the group that they hadn't resolved the relationship problems so Hermione's newly found fire confused them to now end.

"What's going on, Hermione" Harry asked.

"We have to focus on the plan to take out Voldemort right away. He will not live to see February, do you understand." he replied sternly.

"Of course, but what about you and Malfoy? Is everything worked out." Ginny questioned.

"As good as I'm going to get for now. Don't worry about, that's for him and me to sort out. What I need from all of you is to begin recruiting others for the fight. We need the best and the brightest that Hogwarts has to offer...we need a tactical team, a defensive front and an offensive structure. Ginny and I will handle the tactical side. Harry, you and Ron will need to work on the defensive end and I'll talk to Snape about the offensive side. Any questions?" she stated sharply with all the candor of a five star general. She was in full attack mode and no one was stand in her way.

"Alright, but what kind of scenario are you thinking of engineering?" Harry asked.

"I'm not sure but I think the muggle history will provide us with a good stragedy after a little research. Time's a wasting, so let's get started. Ginny, come to the library with me, please." she replied and then headed for the portrait hole.

The rest of the group just stared at each other before Ginny left to catch up to Hermione. Harry didn't know what to make of it all so he walked to Draco's door and knocked on it lightly to see if he knew what was going on.

"Malfoy, open up, we need to talk about Hermione and her plans to defeat Voldemort." Harry said.

Draco opened the door quickly and looked quizzically at Harry. "What are you talking about? There's no plan yet, is there?" Draco spat.

"She's on a rampage. What happened between you two? She a terror on two legs. Ginny and her are on their way to the library to research old muggle history for battle plans. She called the tactical side. Ron and I are supposed to start working on the Defensive stand and she said something about talking to Snape about and offensive stragedy. What did you say to her to put such a fire in her?" Harry offered.

"Merlin, she's incorridgible. I told her that she was a weakness to our front because of her indecision. I only wanted to protect her from her own emotions. You know eliminate her exposure to Voldemort because if he discovered her weakness, he would use it against her and us in turn." Draco looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"How could you say that to her. You really should have known better. She probably is looking at this as though it's her chance to prove herself worthy to you. And you just reeled her in. Now what are we going to do. We'll never convince her to change her direction." Harry fumed.

Change of direction...oh god the song. The reality struck him like a bolt of lightning and he understood where she got the wrong idea. She always believed there was another way to do this and no one would listen so when he called her weak it ignited her passion and courage to prove everyone else wrong. Well at least she didn't go off to do this alone but what now. I swear one of these days I'll learn to keep my mouth shut, he thought as he looked at a very angry Harry and Ron.

"You started this Malfoy, now it's up to you to see it through. You're the only one who can talk some sense in her." Ron lectured him.

"At this rate, I'll never get any rest." he spat as he went back into his room to retrieve his cloak and head for the library. How could have misjudged this so badly, Hermione never did anything impulsive like this but she never had him provoking her so pointedly either. He just hoped it wasn't too late as she was as stubborn as he was cunning. Mentally he kicked himself all the way to the library trying to figure a way out of this mess never once considering the possibly that she may have on to something.

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On the way to the library, Draco ran into someone who proved to be a real distraction to the task at hand. He had never seen this person before and found himself unable to remove himself from their presence. It was like a piece of metal to a magnet, no matter how hard he tried to leave and make his the library, he just couldn't. He couldn't understand it, this person wasn't overly friendly or truely remarkable but something in the eyes made him want to follow behind without a care in the world. It was the eyes, they were not one specific color or shape just vast and wide and he felt like he was swimming in them with no land in site.

As Draco was caught in the rapture of his new acquaintance, Hermione and Ginny rounded the corner and stopped dead in their tracks as well. Hermione was staring at Draco, Ginny was staring at Hermione and Draco was just completely lost. At last the newest edition to Hogwarts noticed that they had company and turned to acknowledge two girls before her. She introduced herself as Tara Forrester, a new student that transfered to Hogwarts from Canada after the untimely death of her mother. She had come to live with her uncle and his family in Surrey when they contacted Dumbledore to see if she could pick up her magical training here due to her special circumstances. Her mother had been training her from the home, so her knowledge in certain areas was vast while certain other subjects were lacking, therefore, Dumbledore was going to be tutoring her with the help of some other students to get her up to speed with the other seventh years. The sorting hat had just placed her in Gryffindor and she was supposed to be on her way to Head's Dorm to find someone named Hermione Granger so she could get settled and begin her tutoring.

Hermione immediately understood why Draco was staring so placidly at the new girl, as she herself couldn't even gather herself up enough to tell the girl that she was who the girl was looking for. Her eyes, she thought to herself, a mixture of blue, green, brown and a touch of grey reminded Hermione of one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen. They were so bright and innocent but drew you in so that your mind felt like you were in a trance like state. Ginny, however, seemed unaffected by the girl, and snapped the other two from their collective state of animation by introducing herself and Hermione and pulling the others along by their arms back to the common room.

Once they arrived, the password was given to the portrait and she once again dragged Draco and Hermione along with Tara in tow, to meet the others and read the parchment which she had been given by the new face. Almost immediately after entering the fog seemed to lift from the two love birds and seemed to flow to Ron and Harry. All they could do was stare and stammer through the introductions, but Harry seemed the most taken of the bunch. He displayed the goofiest smile and moved in time to Tara's movements. Hermione after regaining her composure began steady stream of questions to Tara to try to gage how much knowledge she possessed and in what subjects she was lacking. She took in the young girls appearance in an attempt to try to discover what was so enticing about this small but captivating individual.

She was no more than five foot tall, black hair with red tips and a fair but flawless complextion. Her features were soft in stark contrast to the dark hair and she reminded Hermione of the girls she had seen in some of London's underground clubs. Mysterious but inviting would be the words that hung in her mind because the girls eyes played across her face but told no tales. There was alot of sadness and longing playing against the surface but her answers to all question were firm and abrupt. Friendly but not open. Harry was completely enthralled by her much to the disappointment of his girlfriend, Cheyan, who did not seem amused by this turn of events. There was something very special about this girl, something magical but Hermione just couldn't put her finger on it. She had never sensed this about anyone else before but she knew she had heard tale of it but the answere loomed just out of her reach.

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Hermione could feel something so familiar but foreign all at the same time, eminenating from Tara and it was really starting to get underneath her skin. Then out of nowhere a song popped into her head and she had a devish idea of a way to try to read her. Draco had unwittingly opened a segment of Hermione and Ginny's mind with the envasion of them and she rushed off to her room to grab her favorite cd so she could play the song and try to read the new girls reaction. She'd heard it quite a bit in the clubs and thought if it struck a chord with the girl then her mind might be able to break through and get some answers.

When Hermione returned to the common room, she pulled Draco off to the side and told her of her plan. This way, she thought, if she couldn't succeed then maybe he could and find out what she was hiding or at least what exactly she is to cause such dramatic reactions from strangers.

Draco agreed and stood off to the side focusing on Tara while Hermione told everyone that the Valentine's Day Ball preparations were starting to be made and she wanted there opinion on a band she liked. She loaded the cd and sat back and watched to see all of their reactions as the music began to play...

No lost words, whisper slowly, to me.
Still can't find what keeps me here.
And all this time I've been so hollow, inside,
(I know your still there).

Watching me,
Wanting me,
I can feel you haunt me down.
Fearing you,
Loving you,
I know I'll find you somehow.

Haunting you, I can smell you, a ? ?
Your heart pounding in my head !

Wanting me,
Fearing me,
I won't let you haunt me down.
Deceiving me,
Bringing me,
Watching me !

Watching me,
Haunting me,
I can fear you haunt me down.
Fearing you,
Loving you,
I won't let you haunt me down.
Watching me,
Wanting me,
I can feel you haunt me down.
Fearing you,
Loving you,
I won't let you haunt me down

Draco noticed that Tara's eyes began to close and she started to sway slowing to the music. That was his cue. He closed his eyes and wandered through fog until he saw her standing in the middle of a darkened room over the body of an older but extremely beautiful woman. Grief was plastered all over her face with her hands were soaked with blood. It was a scene out of a modern horror flick like what he'd seen while he was in London, he could tell that some sort of struggle had taken place but what wasn't clear was whether she was the victim or the aggressor. Then without warning, the girl looked directly at him and with a flick of arms, Draco was thrown from his position and out of the girls mind. His eyes open with shot of electricity running through him and as he looked to where she was standing, he gaze was met with a dark and menacing smirk. Not far from one of his own but one that shook him to his very soul. Could she really be...yes, she had to be from the look on her face and the ice that was now running in his veins.......

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Hermione was unable to get anything from the girl at all but she noticed the look on Draco's face after the song ended and realized that he had seen something at least. His face changed so drastically, the color drained away from his normally pale face, his eyes widened like that of a deer caught in some headlights and his normally perfectly erect posture drooped slightly.

He looked as if he had seen or revealed something very bad and that caused all the alarms to go off in Hermione's brain. Without another thought, she grabbed Draco by the arm and drug his into her room to see what he'd found out.

His mind was running in circles as to how much to tell her. If he told her everything then she may be put in even more danger but this was just too big to keep from everyone. Maybe he should just go talk to Dumbledore and see if the old man knows what's going on and whether she presents any danger to the other students. Not this, not now was all he could muster up as Hermione looked at him expectantly for the scoop.

"What did you see and don't try to tell me nothing because I can see that whatever it was, it was big or bad or something." Hermione pressed.

"Listen, I need to talk to Dumbledore before I tell you or anyone else anything." he replied.

"Oh no you don't. Harry's in the other room with her in complete euphoria and if there's something wrong with this girl then we're taking care of this right now. Understand me?" she stated firmly.

"It's not that simple. I thought they were all gone but somehow she is and she knows that I know." he whispered to her.

"Who's all gone and so what if she knows that you know...and what is it that you know???" she asked growing more impatient with each syllable.

Draco was really at an impass now, he could tell her and possibly put her in more danger or he could run out of the room and to Dumbledore's office to ask him what to do. But that would tip Tara off and possible still put everyone else in danger or he could be wrong but after her reaction to him didn't believe that for one second. Not to mention who was the body at her feet and was she the one who did that to them. Wait, hadn't she said that her mother had died recently causing her to go to live with her uncle? Yes, she had and maybe it was her mother but Dumbledore would never knowingly put the students in harms way so she couldn't have done it, could she? This can't be happening, he thought, man he'd been thinking that alot lately. As he was mulling over his options in his mind, Hermione grabbed a hold of him and shook him violently trying to get him to talk so Draco did the only thing that came to him at that moment......

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meanwhile in the common room

Harry and Ron were having a very animated conversation with Chey, Katie and Tara about the importance of quidditch to eveyday life...

"No really, it dramatically improves your hand-eye coordination. Take for example, let's say that Tara and I were walking down the street and out of nowhere a ball comes flying directly at her beautiful head, I would be able to catch it before it was able to do any damage to that perfectly proportiate face. I would be a hero and you, Tara, would be ever so grateful for the save..." Harry boasted comically.

"Or, I would catch sight of it coming and simply move out of the way and you would flat on your handsomely configured face and blacken both of those erotically placed jade eyes and I would have to go on 24 hour call as your nurse." she replied flirtatously which practically sent Chey bounding over the couch to rearrange a certain perfect face.

"Oh, Chey, did you trip or something?" Harry asked distractedly.

"Yeah, I tripped. Anyone want to see my follow up move?" Chey fumed.

Ron, Katie and Ginny simply sat back and watched the fireworks eminanting from newly founded love triangle. Katie and Ginny had an overwhelming urge to smack Harry and Ron was just a tad bit jealous of him but thankful that Katie was giving him the looks that Chey was doling out to Harry. Chey was literally beside herself because her normally wonderfully sweet, charming and faithful boyfriend is acting like an alien. Falling all over this girl who appears out of no where and is trying to steal her beloved. This chic's going down, she began to forge a plan in her mind as watched the scene unfold in horror from less than two feet away. Having reached her breaking point, Chey jumped up, smacked Harry firmly across the face and stormed from the room shouting something about Typhoid Harry.....

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back in Hermione's room

Draco grabbed her by the waist kissed her with every ounce of love, passion and desire that he had. It was not rough or lustful but gentle and satisfying like cold drink on a hot summer day. Hermione melted against his body and all thought, questions, anger and frustration melted away without a hint of protest. This is what she had wanted since their fight the previous evening and the pleasure just surged through her body like a bolt of lightning and the hairs on the back of her neck felt as though they were going to leap from her body. As Draco pulled away, Hermione remained standing there, eye closed, mouth open from the pure shock of it all. Slowly she opened her eyes expecting to see him standing there with his trademark smirk enticing her to make the next move but he was gone and all she could hear was the light sound of her closing. To her dismay, the kiss wasn't out of passion but instead out of feeble attempt to shut her up. Although his ploy worked, she thought to herself, he would pay for it dearly.

Draco then slipped past the three ring circus which was in progress in his common room as quickly and quietly as he could to avoid detection. He needed to get to Dumbledore and fast as the newest attraction to the circus maybe as dangerous as a lion tamers act with a half starved 500 lb kitty.

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When Draco arrived at Dumbledore's office, he gave the password "milk duds" to the gargoyles and ascended the staircase to come face to face with the Headmaster. He didn't even wait for pleasantries to be finished before he started grilling the Headmaster on the try identity of Tara.

"Professor, I have reason to believe that she is hiding her true nature from us all. I mean if I didn't see it for myself then I never would have believed it but I know she's one and I think she may be dangerous. Do you know what I'm talking about or has she hidden it from everyone?" Draco blurted out without even taking a breath.

"When did you meet Miss Forrester, Mr Malfoy?" Albus asked calmly.

"I ran into her in the hall on the way to the library to talk to Hermione but what difference does that make? She maybe be dangerous and she's just sitting in our common room practically shagging Potter." Draco stated earnestly.

"And what is it you think she's hiding and why do you believe this?"

"Well for starters, when I first ran into her the longer I talked to her the less I wanted to leave her. It was like I was in a fog and she was all I could see and longer I stood there focused on her the more I wanted her. Then, Hermione and Ginny came up and Hermione felt the same way but Ginny didn't. Ginny drug us back to the Head's dorm and the rest of the group was there and as soon as she saw Harry and Ron, they fell in the trance and Hermione and I were released from it. After watching Harry and her for awhile, Hermione decided to try to have me and her invade her mind to see if we could figure out what was going on. Hermione wasn't able to but I did and what I saw gave me the answer but at first I thought I was wrong because they're were supposed to elminated years ago. Then she looked at me and I knew I was right. She's a vamp...isn't she???" Draco asked.

"That would be a yes and a no, Mr. Malfoy. She had a witch for a mother and a vampire for a father. Although through all of our research we have not been able to ascertain how the fertilization processed has occurred, we still know that she is in fact a half breed. Her canines are small so as not to be to noticeable unless you're looking for them, which I assume is what you noticed once you suspected her nature and she doesn't have to feed but could if she so pleased. As for the question as to whether or not she is dangerous, it is the ministries stance that she is not, however, the circumstances surrounding her mother death have left questions. It is my suggestion that Hermione and you keep an eye on her, especially, around Harry and report any unusual events to me or a member of the Order immediately. Understood?" Dumbledore explained.

"Yes, if she wanted, could she put all of us under her spell or is her power limited?" Draco surmised.

"That also is unknown for now." he finished.

On the way back to the common room, Draco determined that he now had more questions, responsiblilities and complications that he did twenty-four hours before. Working for the right side of lineage seemed to be more of a hassle than he had bargained for, particularly so without Hermione by his side. What had he gotten himself into? Then it occurred to him that this latest devolpment may prove the answer to his other situation. He now had something or rather someone who he could use for bait for the Dark Lord. Someone so enticing that Voldemort surely wouldn't be able to resist......

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As he walked back into the Head's dorm, he greeted by all the usual faces except for Chey who was probably planning her revenge on Harry for his indescretion. He would have to check on her later because he didn't want to miss whatever it was she was planning. Although he had been getting along nicely with Harry lately, there was still a part of Draco that wanted to see Potter publicly humilated. Oh, well back to the matters at hand. Draco decided to talk to Ginny, who was the coolest head in the group next to Hermione, about what their options were now with Tara thrown in the mix.

"Hey, Ginny, can I talk to you for minute?" Draco whispered to her so the rest wouldn't notice....they were all still falling all over Tara, who did seem to notice the little exchange between the two but didn't want to draw attention to it just now.

"Sure." said Ginny and then got up and followed Draco back out of the portrait.

"We have something that's come up that may help us draw Voldemort here into a trap but I wanted someone else's opinion and can't go Hermione just yet." he stated to her.

"Ok, what's going to get him here?" she asked.

"Tara."

"Why would Voldemort want Tara?" she mused.

"Because Tara is special." he said.

"Not you too." she groaned.

"No, it's not like that. Listen, you can't repeat this to anyone else but she's part vampire. That could make her very appealing to him because of their powers and of course, they're rarity here." he told her.

"She's a vamp? Oh, we have to warn Harry or she'll....well you know....get thirsty.." she gasped as she turned to leave. Draco pulled he arm back and looked deep into her eyes with the most stern of gazes.

"No, we cannot tell anyone else...do you understand me. We will keep a close watch on them but I don't think she needs to feed like the others do but since I don't know for sure yet we'll just watch them. I don't know if she's dangerous or just out of place but she's not one to be trusted and cannot get the impression from any of us that she's been outed. We may very well need her later and she can't get away. Get my point.:" and with that he let her arm go but didn't break the eye contact.

"I suppose but how are we going to find out if she's dangerous or not?" Ginny questioned.

"Only time will tell that but we need to start by trying to gain her trust and finding out what happened to her parents and where her loyalities lay." Draco stated and turned to leave. Now he would have to go talk to Hermione see if he could convince her of her new role in the plan. He was dreading this after the kiss but he couldn't help himself. She was the reason he had started this and she was going to be the reason he finished it, then we all was done they could work on what they wanted. If only she would trust in him to know how to handle the Dark Lord and the others.....

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Just outside Hermione's bedroom door, Draco could here the sounds of Hoobastank playing and was fearful that she was in there plotting his downfall after that amazing kiss and then walking away just to shut her up. He found himself singing along to music in his mind and wondering if she was listening to this cd on purpose because even he had to admit that it was a perfect fit...

I don't want you to give it all up
And leave your own life collecting dust
And I don't want you to feel sorry for me
You never gave us a chance to be
And I don't need you to be by my side
To tell me that everything's alright
I just wanted you to tell me the truth
You know I'd do that for you
Why are you running away?...

He took a deep breath as he stepped over to her bed and shook her from her intent attention on the book she was reading...Everything You Need to Counter the Dark Arts...

"A little light afternoon reading, I see." he spoke softly to her.

"Well someone has to come up with a plan since everyone else just wants to sulk over the silliest of missunderstandings. Not to mention toying with with people's emotions just to prove that you can and then running away like a coward." she brooded.

"I am not a coward. I just needed to distract you so I could go and talk to Dumbledore before you did something irrational. We needed more information before we could come up with a plan and I think I may have something. Something as a sort of bait to get Voldemort here that doesn't involving exposing you to him." he stated sincerely.

"That's right because I'm a danger to everyone...isn't that what you said?" she returned.

"You know I didn't mean it that way...I just meant that you could be easily misguided because you were unsure of my feeling for you. I didn't mean to offend you, Hermione, only to get my point across and we all know I can be little crude in the process but I came to apologize for that. I just want to set things right and stop this silliness before we say or do something that we can't take back." he pleaded while grabbing her hand and looking directly into her eyes and quite literally straight through to her soul.

"Maybe that's already happened." she said not really meaning it but trying to make a point about the handling of the last conversation.

"You know as well as I that nothing has changed in our feelings towards each other just in the directions that we each want to follow. But that's irrelavant with the news I have for you. A new plan all together is coming, almost like a gift, now neither one of us is right or wrong. Would you like to hear or are you going to sulk now?" he chided her.

"What do mean?" she asked a little distracted as she caught a verse from the song in the background....

There's nothing that I can do or say
So now I need you to tell me the truth

Cause I did enough to show you that I
Was willing to give and sacrifice
And I was the one who was lifting you up
When you thought your life had had enough
And when I get close, you turn away...

"Tara, she's the key but we have to tread carefully as she isn't what she appears to be." he began.

"What is she then?" Hermione interrupted.

"She's part vampire." he said with the traditional smirk and satisfaction of figuring out something before she could.

"What?" Hermione was completely stunned, how could she not have guessed with the reactions of the people around her? She hated Draco getting it first...the competitive nature in her coming out. More of song raged in her mind before a smile appeared and all seem to fall into place.....

Why are you running away?
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
To make you change your mind
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
Is it a waste of time?
Is it me, is it you
Nothing that I can do
To make you change your mind
So why are you running away?
Why are you running away?
...What is it I've got to say...
So why are you running away?
...To make you admit you're afraid...
Why are you running away

He may have figured out about Tara but had he just admitted he was wrong and offered to change the plan of action...small victory for him....big victory for Hermione. But what now, what would Voldemort want with a vamp and more importantly, would they be able to convince Tara to go along? As these questioning were running through her mind, there was a knock at her door and the person behind it had some unexpected news of her own......

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Tara was standing at the door with a less than warm smile on her face. Hermione just stood in the doorway not saying a wordmost likely from the shock of her conversation with Draco. Draco however, stepped forward and invited her in with his most alluring smile leading the way. Upon seeing this, Hermione felt ill; had she ever really fallen pey to that ploy? Merlin, this must be love, she thought to herself. The sound of Tara's voice snapped her back into reality.

"The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects have arrived for you Ball meeting so I came to get you but I see that it may actually be us that need the meeting." she stated emotionless.

"What would mak you say that?" Hermione replied innocently.

"If you hadn't noticed, I can read your mind."

"You can do that? I don't remember vampires having mind reading powers." Draco said.

"They don't but I can, seeing how my mother was an empath. You all thought you were being so sneaky but you don't know anything that I didn't want you to know. Although your antics are truly amusing, would you like to try a more direct approach?" she said with a smirk that could rival all of Draco's combined. All of their efforts and come to find out that the object of their deception was just toying with them the entire time.

"Alright, I'll bite, who are you exactly and what are you doing here?" Draco groaned.

"Name's Tara, but we've already covered that, and I'm here to help you." she began but was interrupted by both Hermione and Draco blurting out "What". " In 1704, vampires helped rid the wizarding world of Galatrough, who was the Voldemort of that era but many wizards and witches were killed during the two year long fight. For whatever reason, the minister of magic at the time opted to make vampires out to be the agressors and that inspired the magical community to then hunt them down and eradicate the vamp population here. Many fled for other parts of the world and a hate towards the magical community was born. The two sides have fought against each other since. My mother Ariadne, an empath witch, and my father, Lisander, a vampire were pioneers in their worlds for peace between the them. I am supposed to be the catalyst to unite us all but then Voldemort came along and destroyed everything. He murdered my father and all of his clan while they were in London to meet with Fudge and then turned his attention to my mother and me. He had devoloped a connection to my mother so every we went he could find us. That's when she decided that she had to die to break the link. She couldn't kill herself so I had to. Then I had to come and find someone to join forces with and take my revenge. After wondering around London, I began to hear tell of Harry Potter and his fight against the Dark Lord. And so began my quest that lead me hear and to how I would find him and gain his trust. After talking to Dumbledore, I was faced with an indecision as to whether or not to call upon all of you." she explained.

"And that's when you ran into me?" Draco piped in.

"Yes, so what now? Do you really want me to be bait?" she asked.

"From what you've told us, he would probably be very interested in knowing you're whereabouts. His desire to find you may lead him to take unnecessary risks and ,therefore, give us our chance to take them down." Hermione chimed in.

"If you're willing to help me then I will be bait but you must understand that he has to die along with all of his followers and I will agree to nothing less. Understand?" she stated firmly.

Hermione and Draco were about to agree when something occurred to them and they both just looked at each other quizically. Every one of his followers....every one??????