"Ron, did you bring the butterbeer?"
"Ginny was supposed to bring it!"
"I thought I was?"
"No, Harry, we're doing rotations, remember? You had two weeks ago!"
"Ah, well, no matter. I brought enough, Gin, are you still with us?"
"Right here Harry! It's a bit dark, though…"
"Just a minute, lumos!"
The end of Harry Potter's wand tip lit, revealing a good portion of Gryffindor Tower seated in the center of a large, comfortable lounge. Ginny and Harry were curled up together on one of the plush couches, while Ron and Hermione took separate overstuffed armchairs near the fireplace. The eldest of the two reheads pointed his wand at it, and soon the room was toasty warm and dimly lit, vaguely reminiscent of the Gryffindor common room. Vaguely, because there were absolutely no traces of green, silver, blue, or black in their usual meeting place… the prefect's lounge had been made purposely to accommodate all of the houses.
"We're so lucky you've been made a prefect, 'Mione." Ginny yawned, and stole a sip from her boyfriend's mug of butterbeer, too comfortable to reach across the table for her own. "This room is the only nice place to meet after-hours, you know. None of the other prefects would be out this late."
"Mmm." Ron agreed, also nearly as content as his sister in the red chair closest to the fire. "Plus, you can take points from all the Slytherins."
Harry and Ginny laughed, but Hermione strangely didn't find it funny. Was it because of Draco? Or because she was finally beginning to realize that the Slytherins were people too… just with more money? And signficantly better looking, at least in a certain case…
"Anyway, now that we're all here-" Hermione started, trying to change the subject before her mind ran away with her again. "Harry, Ron said something was up with Voldemort? I figure we're as safe to talk here as we would be any place."
Harry and Ginny shared a worried look, and the youngest Weasley reached up to run a hand lightly over his scar. He kissed her softly, causing Ron to squirm in his chair a bit, and then turned back to Hermione.
"Basically, Hermione, it's just the scar again… except it always used to hurt just for a few seconds, or a few minutes at most. Now it's been dully aching for two days or so- makes me think that Voldemort's up to something big. Something so big, he'd have to be killing people left and right himself…"
"I thought the Death Eaters did most of his dirty work." Ron said, a scowl coming to his face only from talking about it. Ron was on track to be an auror, Hermione knew- he wanted to fight the Death Eaters. He probably hated them more than Voldemort himself. That he always left up to Harry… but Death Eaters were everything that Ron hated in a person. Proud, cruel, spineless and -on the whole- filthy rich.
"Not all the Death Eaters are as powerful as Voldemort himself." Ginny thought aloud, shivering even in the warmth of the fire and Harry's arms. "Sometimes, when a particularly powerful good witch or wizard comes along, he'll need to take them on himself. Moody told us all about it when he came to dinner last year, remember Ron?"
"I wasn't paying much attention." he laughed, stretching out on his chair and sipping at his butterbeer. "Mad-eye's all right, but a bit boring in the conversation department, I'm afraid. Sirius, though- he told me he's going to work on getting me a job as a junior auror as soon as I graduate next year."
"Really? That's wonderful!" Hermione smiled, feeling a rush of pride for her friend. Sirius had been cleared of all charges about a year ago, when Peter Pettigrew revealed himself as a Death Eater in Voldemort's inner circle, and was now working as an auror, tracking Peter and the others down. He'd taken quite a shine to Ron, inviting him (and Ginny) to stay at his house in Scotland with Harry over the summer. She'd been invited as well, but had told him she'd be going home-
"Going to enjoy your summer with the Muggles, Herm?" Ron asked sympathetically, following her train of thought as close friends often did. "I can't see why you don't just tell your parents you're going to stay with Gin at The Burrow, and come with us-"
"I want to see them, Ron." Hermione lied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "They're growing worried about me, I haven't gone home for break in ages-"
"I understand." Ginny said, looking between the two. "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't see Mum every once in a while, and don't pretend you're not the same, Ron." The redheaded boy only laughed, grinning at his little sister.
"I'd say my life would be a good bit easier if I didn't have to face her, Gin. Now it's getting late, what say we all head back home? I know our very own little prefect's got to get some sleep, what with OWL's coming up and all…" Hermione shook her head, holding in a laugh and pretending to look scandalized.
"Like I'd waste precious studying time with sleep! Ronald Weasley, I thought you knew me better."
"Oh come on, Hermione." Harry said, helping a very sleepy Ginny to her feet. "We all need some rest. None of you lot should be worrying about Voldemort, anyway."
"Harry, we're your best friends and girlfriend, respectively." Ginny smiled, wrapping an arm around his waist affectionately. "It's our job to worry about you, and protect you from anything that'd try and harm you."
Ron nodded, ruffling Harry's hair with a grin, and they headed out of the prefect's common room together, Hermione heading up the rear. She tried to ignore the pang of guilt she felt at Ginny's words- but the youngest Weasley was right. What the hell was she thinking, agreeing to spend the summer with Malfoy? Yes, she wanted very much to know what it was like on the other side, but what would she be sacrificing to satisfy her curiosity? What would she have to do? Cast the imperious curse on a Muggle like her parents? Avada Kendavra, even? Would she be asked to help in a plot against Harry?
She knew it was wrong, terribly wrong to even consider going with Malfoy, but something about him- about the way he spoke to her, the things he said, made it impossible for her to resist his offer. She didn't want to betray Dumbledore- never mind Ginny, Ron, or most importantly Harry. But what if Draco was right? What if there were only two sides, two separate and equal sides to the war, fighting against each other? And what if she could change things for the better, maybe even help her friends?
It was a risk she had to take, she decided, steeling herself for whatever questioning emotions she'd be feeling in the months ahead. After all, how hard could it be to simply keep up appearances for a week or so more at school? She had to be strong.
"Hermione, are you coming?" Ron called from the top of the stairwell, interrupting her thoughts with a familiar cheeky grin. "I swear, I can't leave you anywhere anymore. Someday you're going to find yourself cornered by those bloody Slytherins, and then what are you going to do? Your brains and beauty won't save you from that rubbish, I'm telling you-" he stopped in mid-sentence, sensing the third person who had just appeared at the top of the staircase.
"Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger! What on Earth are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall demanded, sounding scandalized. "Miss Granger, I'm ashamed of you! Prefect and all…"
"Professor, we were just-"
"No excuses, Mr. Weasley. I'm afraid I'll have to take fifty points from Gryffindor for this- completely inappropriate- behavior."
"But Professor!" Hermione exclaimed, sharing a worried look with Ron.
"Miss Granger, you'll be serving double detention for this. Prefects are supposed to set good examples for other students, not wander the halls with members of the opposite sex late at night! Now, I suggest you two both get off to bed."
The furious woman headed down the corridor, muttering to herself under her breath. Ron and Hermione shared a look, and both heaved an almost identical-sounding sigh, Hermione joining him at the top of the stairs.
"Oh, detention is just what I need, so close to OWL's and all." she groaned. Ron put a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'm sure if you're put with McGonagall she'll let you study."
"She doesn't even want to look me in the eye right now, Ron. I doubt she'd want to have me serve detention under her… ooh, I bet she'll put me with Snape!"
He hugged his friend closer to him as the fat lady sleepily let them into the Gryffindor common room, to find a very nervous Harry and Ginny waiting.
"Ron!" Ginny cried out, looking at the two. "What happened? You didn't stay behind to snog did you? Ew!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Ginny." Hermione scolded, blushing a furious shade of pink. "I let my mind wander, and we got caught in the halls by Professor McGonagall- I've got double detention next week."
"We best get to bed, then, before we get into more trouble." Harry said, as usual of late the voice of reason. "We'll see you girls for breakfast." He kissed Ginny goodbye, and he and Ron headed up the stairs towards their dormitory. Hermione started walking up the stairs as well, before realizing she'd lost Ginny.
"Well, are you coming?" she asked the younger girl, unable to hide the laughter in her voice. Ginny was still standing in the exact same spot Harry had kissed her, a blissful grin on her face. Her head snapped up as soon as Hermione spoke, though, face flushing as red as her hair.
"I'm sorry, Mione, he's just so… so-" she sighed deeply, gathering up the blanket they'd left their earlier and joining Hermione on the stairs. Hermione laughed all the way up the stairs towards their dormitories.
"Don't worry, Ginny, I know exactly how you feel." she assured her friend, before she could even think about what she was saying. Ginny blanched.
"What? Does the ice queen Hermione Granger have a crush? I must alert the Daily Prophet! Rita Skeeter will have a field day!"
"Quiet!" Hermione whispered, furious with herself and slightly paranoid, even though she knew all the other girls were asleep. "I never said anything of the sort, Ginny Weasley, and if you dare tell Harry or Ron one thing-"
"Don't worry, Mione, you're secret's safe with me!" Ginny said brightly, taking the blanket from her now blushing friend. She threw her arms around the older girl, hugging her happily, before heading into her dormitory, a new spring in her step.
Watching her for a moment and then heading up another flight of stairs, Hermione shook her head. The whole world seemed to be falling in love these days. Even her.
And even Draco Malfoy.