PART TWENTY

The Wonderful World of Eavesdropping

"Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Hermione looked up from the floor and spotted Ginny, falling in step beside her as they made their way to the Quidditch stands one morning. She clutched her books tighter to her chest, wondering whether or not she'd allow herself some company. She really wasn't in a talking mood right now, what with her promise to herself that she would concentrate on trying to hate Malfoy with all her guts again. And because after their small group hug at Hagrid's hut the other day Harry said that he somehow believed that his visions all point to Malfoy and his conniving deceptions, she now vowed to herself more than ever to really hate Malfoy.

"Please? I won't take long, if you need some space or anything," Ginny pleaded, searching her face for an answer.

Hermione sighed. "No, it's okay, Ginny. We can talk if you like." It was time to put things back the way they were. Lift up the heavy cloud and the damp mood—go back to hating Malfoy like before.

"Great," Ginny smiled. "Listen, I know you're all worked up about Malfoy—" Hermione cringed at the mention of his name, "—these days, but there's just something I want to ask you."

They stepped into the stadium and started climbing the Gryffindor stands. "What about?" Hermione asked, raising her voice a bit amidst the noisy hustle and bustle of the students prepping up for the match.

"It's about—" Ginny paused and looked around her. She leaned close to Hermione's ear and whispered. "It's about Dean."

Hermione looked at her in shock, and Ginny blushed at this. They shuffled with the crowd until they found their seats and settled down. "Has he done anything to you?"

"No!" Ginny immediately snapped, then regained herself. "I mean, it's just that, I think I'm starting to, you know, really like him."

"Ginny, everyone knows that you like him," Hermione said, subconsciously scanning the fields for any sign of Malfoy, but stopping herself. "We just like to keep quiet about it. We barely mention it or tease you about it because we didn't want to make a fuss."

"Well, the thing is, I…" Ginny blushed again. "I have this really strong suspicion that he likes me, too."

Hermione craned her neck to look for Malfoy again, then shook her head. Hate Malfoy, Hermione; hate Malfoy. She turned to Ginny. "Really? That's so great for you, Ginny…"

"Thanks," she smiled. "So what do I do?"

"What do you do?" Hermione repeated. "Well, nothing more, I guess…if things are going great then just go with it and enjoy the moment…" she trailed off, remembering the blissful days of love she'd spent with Malfoy. And now that it was all over, she actually regretted being so submissive to him. "But…don't get too carried away with your emotions…regret is one of the most difficult things to experience…"

Ginny's eyes softened in concern and sympathy for her. She took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry, Hermione…it will all work out in the end somehow…I know it will…I promise."

Hermione gave her a genuine smile. "Thanks, but hey, I actually think I'm starting to get over him. I hate him with all my guts." Even though I'm just saying that, she added. "Let's just…enjoy the game. And if something does happen between you and Dean, I want every detail, okay?"

Ginny bobbed her head and laughed. "You got it!"

At that moment, Terry Boot's voice boomed across the field. "Ladies and gentlemen!!! Welcome to the third Quidditch match of the season!!!"

***

Malfoy tugged on his black leather gloves and repeated the action of closing and opening his fist, as if trying to make sure that the gloves were a perfect fit. He flexed his right hand, staring at it for a moment, wondering why on earth his cut hadn't hurt at all since the start of term. He hadn't exactly been Little Boy Obedient. He figured his father had finally decided that the ends would justify the means—meaning as long as he would get his Dark Mark as soon as possible, the means wouldn't really matter.

He took a step closer to the entrance to the field and cringed as his knees gave way, almost making him stumble had he not grabbed on to his broomstick at the last minute to support his weight.

"You okay, Captain…?" Eric Polansky asked him, eyeing his weak position in concern.

"Don't tell me you're getting all jelly-kneed now," the other Beater, Ted Conkram, joked.

Malfoy flashed him a menacing look and Ted stiffened. "What the hell is there to be jelly-kneed about with this kind of opponent?" he snapped, straightening himself. Damn, he cursed inwardly, glaring down at his legs as if they would start functioning properly if scolded. This was not good…he'd been limping all throughout the campus, and it was a good thing they'd be on broomsticks out there or else he'd completely be a disabled player.

"Ladies and gentlemen!!!" Terry Boot's reverberating voice strayed all the Slytherin team's attention from Malfoy's legs. "Welcome to the third Quidditch match of the season!!! And now, playing for the win, the humble HUFFLEPUFFS!!!"

Malfoy smirked in disgust as the whole stadium cheered—barely anyone was, as expected, going to side with Slytherin today, considering what had happened to Cho. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw hated Slytherin now more than ever. And as the Hufflepuff team zoomed into the field to the deafening cheers of three-fourths of the student body, Malfoy rolled his eyes and turned abruptly to his team lined up behind him.

"Okay, listen up," he demanded, and all heads turned to him. "I know we'd been practicing for playing Hufflepuff for a while, but I have to say we're switching strategies."

"What???"

Malfoy frowned at his team's protest. "I know I said we'd play around with them a bit just to make things interesting—because honestly, what kind of Quidditch game would it be if we won just like that? I know I said we'd prolong the match just to be assholes, but I've changed my mind. Right now I'm not really in the mood to toy with them. Just beat the hell out of their asses. Make sure they don't get to score a single point—not even touch the Quaffle—and I'll make sure I catch the Golden Snitch in five minutes tops," he finished, a manic sparkle in his eyes.

And as his team grinned evilly in agreement, Terry Boot called out their team with a very evident note of hatred in his tone. "—the SLYTHERINS!!!"

"Boos" were heard everywhere from all sides when they climbed on their broomsticks and zoomed out, except of course the Slytherin side, who were cheering their lungs out. The angry faces on the remaining three houses made Malfoy's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. At that moment, he made a vow he'd catch that Snitch in three minutes.

And when Madam Hooch blew her whistle, Malfoy gave his team a meaningful nod and they all set off, determined glares in their expressions.

In a flash, Ted Conkram had slammed Hufflepuff Chaser Andy Lawrence's face with a Bludger, which Ted had meant to ricochet off to hit the other Chaser Nicky Tan.

And it did. In an instant the two Hufflepuff Chasers swerved out of balance and out of their way. Madeline Brown freely shot the Quaffle past the Hufflepuff's distracted Keeper and scored.

One minute.

The Hufflepuff Beaters, enraged, hit two Bludgers towards the Slytherin Beaters, but Eric Polansky and Ted Conkram had stirred the remaining Hufflepuff Chaser Cody Cruz in their way, and Cody got hit instead. Twice. Slytherin Chaser Tristan Gonzales scored past the once again distracted Hufflepuff Keeper and scored.

Two minutes.

It was at that moment, when his Chasers tried to score again, that Malfoy spotted the Snitch by the Gryffindor stands. He grinned and his Light Year Twenty Ten spun towards it. This was just too easy.

Three minutes.

***

"I hate them! I hate Slytherin for being so damn good! I hate Malfoy for being so damn leader-like! I hate them! I hate them all!" Ron vented, as the three of them exited the stadium and made their way back to the castle. "Why couldn't they have had stupid players and an even stupid-er Captain???"

"C'est la vie," Hermione mumbled.

"What the hell was that?" Ron cocked his eyebrow at her. "Was that supposed to make me feel any better???"

Hermione sighed as she waved at Ginny, who was running off to catch up with Dean. "C'mon, Ron. Why are you taking this so hard? So Slytherin ended the match within three minutes. It's not like they cheated or anything. Besides, isn't Harry the one who's supposed to be fuming? And Harry isn't even saying anything about it, so why should you?"

"I just—"

"Look, I hate Slytherin too, but if it'll make things any better, I'll give you a hug, okay?" Hermione said, and Ron immediately blushed at this and didn't say another word.

That was when Harry stopped in his tracks. The Slytherin team was walking towards them, past them. It was a miracle Malfoy didn't say anything, but soon Harry found out why.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was standing right behind the three, with his own group of pals. Malfoy had brushed past Harry because he'd wanted to talk to Justin, as he heard Malfoy say behind him. But why?

"Harry?" came Hermione's voice.

Harry waited for Malfoy to leave, Justin trailing behind Malfoy in terror. The two of them headed to the edge of the grounds, leaving the Slytherin team and Justin's friends where they were.

Harry grabbed both Hermione and Ron's wrists and sped in the opposite direction, then crept out back and, hiding behind some bushes, spied on Malfoy and Justin's conversation. Hermione and Ron looked puzzled, but Harry shushed them with a meaningful look.

"Nobody seems to be swooping down on me just yet, Mudblood. I'm guessing you're keeping your end of the deal," Malfoy said, smirking.

"It wasn't even a deal, you blackmailing scum," Justin said bravely. "You threatened me and you know it."

"What's the difference?" Malfoy shrugged. "We both got what we wanted, right? Besides," he paused for effect, and almost laughed out loud at the look in Justin's eyes. It was obvious that despite his words, Justin was scared of him. Damn scared of him. "Aren't you forgetting that you'd probably be in bloody minced pieces by now if it weren't for me?"

"Y-You were the one who g-got me into this in the first place!"

Malfoy sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn't?" He shook his head. "Believe what you want. I just hope you keep your fat mouth shut or you just might get an encore performance." He smiled at Justin in a menacing way, and Justin scurried off back to his friends in fear.

Harry watched as Malfoy chuckled to himself and started heading back to his waiting team as well, but stopped a few meters away because his knees almost gave way. Harry could've sworn he heard him groan in pain a bit, then continue walking away.

When Malfoy was safely out of earshot and out of sight, Harry, Ron and Hermione emerged from the bushes.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ron asked.

"I knew it," Harry said softly, realization dawning on him. "It was Malfoy who'd done those things to Justin."

"What?"

"The night before Cho was released from the hospital wing. Justin's condition…the Full Body Bind and the Leg Locker Curse…just outside the Forbidden Forest…Malfoy must've done those things to Justin, and he threatened him not to tell on him or else he'd do it again," Harry explained, his anger growing more and more evident by the minute. "Welcome to the wonderful world of eavesdropping."

"But why would he do that?" Ron countered.

"Because he's a jerk?" Harry snapped, and it finally showed in his expression that although he'd been keeping quiet all this time, he'd still been fuming at Malfoy.

"But why," Hermione suddenly spoke, "is he limping…?"

Ron shrugged. "Reckon Justin gave Malfoy a little one-two before he got Petrified."

Well…I guess this will be all for now:D I'm sorry it's really short, I know, but I'll upd8 soon :D It's kind of getting harder and harder to write now because the story's building up:D In the next chapters, I'll be starting to explain some things already, so I'm taking my time to write so that I don't miss any loopholes and so that I can tie all loose ends perfectly:D Thank you so much for all your reviews and your praises and your support!!! Despite the difficulties I've been having, you guys have always been there for me:D Your comments are keeping me going!!! I'll do my best not to disappoint everyone!!! See ya in a few!:D