Hermione took the plans to Prof. McGonagall, who asked, rather snippily, if Ginny Weasley had any part in them. Hermione shrugged.
"She is Head Sixth Year." She pointed out uselessly.
"Pardon?"
"Head Sixth Year. Like I'm Head Girl and Draco's Head Boy. Ginny's Head of the Sixth years."
"I don't suppose they know about this, by any chance?" McGonagall asked.
"No. But then, it's not like Ginny's throwing her weight around. She just happens to be really organised and full of good ideas."
"Being Head Girl does have its responsibilities." McGonagall lectured.
"I know that. But its not like I'm going to let her do everything herself. And anyway, both me and Draco are participating in some way."
"Oh?"
"Well, if I can convince Blaise to play at the Yule Ball, the I'll be singing and Draco'll probably be playing drums. And if not…we are arranging other stuff."
"You've left the whole thing a bit late." McGonagall said reprovingly.
"Well, there's been a lot happening recently." Hermione said with a half-shrug.
"Yes…" McGonagall paused. "I should say that I don't really think you're relationship with Mr Zabini is a good idea."
"I'm getting that idea myself…" Hermione said. "But for the moment, its working. I don't love him, Professor. I don't even like him that much. If it comes to breaking it off I don't think I'll find it that difficult."
"If you say so, Miss Granger. How's Amelie coming on?"
Sparklingly, thank you. Amelie chirped.
"Well." Hermione said dryly. "Sparklingly, she says."
"Oh, good." McGonagall smiled. "If that's all-"
"Cool. I gotta go and …find something constructive to do. Bye, professor." Hermione smiled and dsahed out the door. Only to be waylaid by Zabini.
Hermione couldn't help thinking of him as Zabini. She was counting on this fact to prove she didn't like him all that much. Which she actually didn't. He was just so very good-looking and sexy and he totally turned her on. That didn't mean she liked him. Hell, Pansy could turn Draco on – she had been witness to it a couple of days ago. It hadnt been pretty. Although what had been gratifying was that Draco had shoved her off him almost instantly, and he hadnt even known Hermione was watching. The human body was very indiscriminate.
Which would explain certain noises she was making as Zabini pressed her into the wall and kissed her. His long lean body held her against the wall as his hands wandered along her sides and under her shirt.
"Blaise!" she gasped eventually, resigning herself to using his first name when they were together. After all, you didn't generally call your boyfriend by his last name.
"Alright, alright." He muttered. Hermione saw a small group of people approaching and realised with a sinking heart that it was Harry, Ron and several other Gryffindors.
"Kiss me again."
"What?" He glanced over his shoulder and smirked, before kissing her again. Hermione kept her eyes open and saw Ron and Harry glance in their direction, before doing a classic double take.
"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, disgusted. Hermione separated herself from Zabini with some effort.
"Ron!" she exclaimed. Zabini slid his arms around her waist behind her and kissed her neck. "Hi!"
"Another Slytherin?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised. Hermione considered glaring at him and decided against it. Zabini released her momentarily, but she was a little distracted.
"In case you hadnt noticed, Ginny's dating Draco. So yeah."
"You got over him fast." Harry commented. Hermione shrugged, then jerked as she felt a chain around her neck. Her hands flew to her throat and she found a pendant there that hadnt been there a moment ago. She twisted in Zabini's arms.
"Thank you!" she squealed, kissing his soundly. When she looked over her shoulder at Harry and Ron again, they were gone.
&
Later that night, Hermione came into the common room, feeling very depressed, very weighted, and almost in pain. She collapsed onto the couch with a groan.
Take the necklace off. Amelie instructed. Hermione tiredly reached up to her throat and tore the chain away, throwing it at the entrance, just as it opened and Draco walked in. He automatically caught the pendant, then dropped it like he'd been burnt.
"What the fuck was that?" He swore, closing the entrance behind him and crouching by the fallen necklace.
"My necklace." Hermione said, stretching out on the couch and closing her eyes.
"Where did you get this?" Draco demanded.
"Go 'way. I'm tired." Hermione complained, turning onto her side so she faced the back on the couch, burying her face in the cushions.
"Hermione…" Draco scooped up the necklace by the chain and dropped it in his breast pocket. He then went over to where Hermione was lying and picked up her top half, slid beneath her and put her down again, so her head and shoulders were in her lap. He took the necklace from his pocket.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, dangling it over her face. She covered her eyes, feeling dizzy with the thought of it. "Answer me." He ordered gently.
"Zabini gave it me. And it makes me feel sick. Throw it away somewhere."
"Zabini?" Draco held it up to the light, squinting at it. "So he did. Do you know what this is?"
"Other than painful and pretty? No."
"It's a Zabini Black Diamond. They're called that because there are like three mines in the world, and Zabini owns them all."
"That's nice."
"They are also excellent conductors for pain, suffering…"
"Not so nice."
"That's why you don't like it. You've got all that pain and suffering literally on your chest."
"And the point of giving it to me would be what, precisely?"
"It's a link to you. Zabini can probably almost always find you as long as you have this with you."
"Oh, yay." Draco smirked at her reaction. "Is there a way to make a copy?" she asked suddenly.
"Why?"
"Because I cant wear that one. But he'll expect me to because we're meant to be going out. If we make a copy then-"
"He'll notice almost instantaneously. People like me and Zabini are quick to recognise and sense pain and suffering in any object. That's why I dropped it when I caught it. If you wore a fake, then-"
"What if we made them seem the same?"
"The only way we could do that is to make another one. And you can only make another one by having someone hold it while in intense pain."
"Like cruciatus."
"Like cruciatus." Draco confirmed.
"You can perform Unforgiveables, cant you?"
"Yes, I can. And no, I wont."
"You don't understand how much this hurts, Draco!" Hermione said, reaching up and grasping her shoulder.
"Cruciatus would hurt a lot more." Draco said stonily. "And why do you think making another one will make you feel better?"
"It's a try. I have to either try this or wear his, but when I wear it I…" she trailed off, pushing his hand from which the diamond hung away from her, and turning her face into his chest so she couldn't see it.
"You what?" Draco pressed. Hermione shook her head, not turning to look at him. She heard the clunk as it hit the floor, and cautiously looked upwards, and he showed her his empty hands.
"I feel like I'm falling apart. Even Amelie's commented on it."
"She comments on everything." Draco pointed out.
Hey!
"Yeah, but this time-"
"Let me talk to her."
Everytime Hermione changed to Amelie or Amelie to Hermione, there was something that changed about her. Draco couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but he liked to think he would always be able to tell the difference between the two.
"She's right, you know." Amelie said, looking up at him from eyes that were turning purple even as she spoke, her hair lengthening and turning blonde and going curly. This change from black hair-brown eyes to blonde hair-purple eyes was somewhat shocking.
"Will you not do that?" Draco asked. Amelie shrugged.
"Sorry. The Zabini diamond will rip her apart internally if she wears it for any length of time. Fucking hell, she's only been wearing it for about four hours, and she's already falling to bits!"
"She's not strong enough to cast Cruciatus. Which means I have to do it to her. That isnt going to help."
"It will. Her suffering will be in whatever pendant she chooses and she'll be wearing it, so it wont hurt her."
"Zabini will notice." Draco said stubbornly.
"Unlikely. And if he does, she can deny all knowledge. She's getting better at lying."
"That won't save her life."
"Neither will wearing a necklace that could and probably will eventually kill her. After all, it would be the ultimate irony: you and Ginny break up so you can go back to Hermione. Blaise gets Ginny, you get Hermione, only for Hermione to die. I'd bet he'd find that highly amusing."
"Knowing him, he probably would. You know what she's asking me to do."
"Cast the cruciatus on someone you love. I know. I also know how hard it is and what strain it puts on the caster. I know precisely what she's asking, and I know precisely how it'll feel, Draco. But you have the satisfaction on knowing she wont be dead in the end. My friends all died."
"You-"
"Cast cruciatus and then avada kedavra. Daddy's orders, of course, but it doesn't make it any easier. Hermione's strong enough, Draco. She can take it. And it might just save her life."
"Alright. Hermione?" it was that change again, and Draco saw with strange relief that Hermione changed completely back to what was normal for her – wavy brown hair and amber-brown eyes.
"I can do this, Draco."
"Do you have a necklace?" Hermione nodded and got off his lap, stepping delicately over the black diamond on the floor and disappearing into her room. Draco started casting wards around the room to stop anyone noticing the Unforgivable, and cast a silencing charm on it too.
Hermione returned carrying a silver chain in her hand, from which hung a peridot the same shape and size as the black diamond. She fastened it around her neck, and looked expectantly at Draco, her hands stiff at her sides to hide their trembling.
"It'll last about twenty seconds." Draco said, with more bravado than he felt. "It'll feel like your being ripped apart. I cant help that. I'll make it as short as I can." He guided her to a spot in the middle of the floor then backed off. He locked eyes with Hermione, raised his wand, and spoke.
"Crucio!"
Hermione's body exploded in pain. He was right, it did feel like she was being ripped limb from limb, by red hot tongs. It felt like billions of blunt needles were pressing had against her skin, like her head was going to explode and like her entire body was on fire. She could hear screaming in her head and hoped to god it wasn't her. She felt herself collapse onto the floor, crumpling in on herself in futile effort to ease the pain. Anyone who felt this would surely wish to die.
Then the pain faded, and Hermione choked on a gasp, even as she felt strong arms gathering her up and carrying her, then placing her on a bed. An aftershock from the pain, burning like fire, shot down her spine and she arched her back, gasping. Then is subsided and her conscious brain slowly returned to the surface.
She was lying on her bed, next to Draco who had his arms around her and was whispering things in her ear that she couldn't quite hear. Tears ran down her face, though she didn't make any noise.
"Baby, I'm so sorry." He muttered, pulling her gently so she was cocooned against him. "I'm so sorry. It's over, it's okay." Hermione dragged enough energy from herself to turn over into Draco's grasp,and he hugged her tightly against him, kissing her hair.
"Have you had cruciatus put on you before?" Hermione whispered. Draco paused.
"Before." He muttered, but said nothing else.
Did I scream? Hermione asked silently.
No.
I heard screaming.
The pheonix was screaming. Amelie sounded subdued.
It hurt it then?
The pain of cruciatus was split between the three of us. You didn't feel the full brunt of it, but it was enough.
Are you alright?
I'll have second thoughts about doing it to anyone else. Amelie replied darkly.
"I'm sorry." Draco said, holding her almost gingerly.
"I told you to. I hold nothing against you whatsoever." She murmured, turning her face to look at him. His face was blank, the way it got when he was upset, although his eyes swirled and moved, expressing the worry and remorse he felt for the spell. Hermione picked up the pendant at her throat. It was a darker green than before, although it didn't feel any different. She held it to Draco.
"Does it feel any different?" she asked. He took it and dropped it immediately.
"It feels plenty different." He answered coldly, standing up from her bed and making his way to the door.
"Draco!" Hermione said, sitting up. He looked back.
Let him go. Amelie said softly.
"Nothing." She finished, looking away. When she looked back, he was gone.
&
It was easier than Hermione thought it would be to convince Zabini to let her sing, and thus play at the Yule Ball. She had been singing softly to herself in the library when he approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I didn't know you could sing." Zabini commented. Hermione laughed.
"There's a lot about me you don't know. But on the subject of singing…" Hermione twisted in his arms and he immediately bent to kiss her. When he pulled back, she smiled. "Blaise, I was trying to talk! Now I cant even keep my thoughts in a straight line."
"Bent is fun." He commented mischieviously. Hermione grinned, but pushed him away slightly so she could breathe.
"You're in a band, arent you?" she asked. He nodded.
"Why?"
"Because I'd like you to play at the Yule Ball." She said, mentally crossing her fingers.
"You want us to play at the Yule Ball." Blaise said disbelievingly.
"Why not?" she asked with a shrug.
"Because we're missing a singer and a drummer. Malvennen quit."
"I know someone who can play drums. And I'll sing."
"So you'll sing…but I refuse to play with Malfoy." Zabini said stubbornly.
"Blaise!" Hermione said, wrapping her arms around her neck and pressing her hips against his. His eyes darkened somewhat. "Please let him play so we can have a band?" She whispered, twisting her hips and pressing a kiss against his jawbone. His hands closed on her hips, stilling them.
"What's it worth?" he asked breathily.
"Depends on how well you play." Hermione replied teasingly.
"I play well." He said, backing her against one of the study tables, then picked her up and deposited her on it, his lips against hers and his fingers deftly undoing her shirt.
"So you'll do it?"
"Yeah, I'll do it." He replied, his mouth moving down her neck to her now-bare shoulder.
"Hermione!" There was a crash as someone dropped several books. Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw Ron standing there, mouth open, with Harry behind him, the books at his feet. She pushed herself off the table, fastening her blouse and mentally thanking the two Gryffindors for their perfect timing.
"Sorry Blaise." She murmured, brushing a kiss against his ear. She went past him, waving merrily at the two boys, before hurrying up to the Head common room, and collapsing on the couch with relief.
"You look like you've been having fun." Ginny commented. Hermione flicked her off.
"What are you doing in here, anyway?"
"Spending quality time with my boyfriend." Ginny replied, looking Hermione over. "As it appears you've been doing. Where?"
"Library table. And fortunately your brother and Harry came at just the right moment. I don't even like Zabini."
"And it shows." Draco said, coming out of his room behind her, and dropping a couple books on the couch next to her. "The library? That's where Slytherins take their whores, for god's sakes."
"Thanks Draco. I'll remember that." Hermione answered, rolling her eyes.
Yeah, when you're trying to study! Amelie replied gleefully.
"Yeah, when you're trying to study." Ginny replied with a smirk. Hermione glanced up.
"That's precisely what Amy said." She told her. Ginny laughed.
"Who'd'a thought I'd be best friends with Voldemort's daughter?" she asked with a grin.
"Well, if we'd be able to find her, she and I would probably be engaged. Either that or her and Zabini." Draco commented with a smirk as he sat down on the other armchair and put his feet up on the coffee table.
"Nice." Ginny commented. "Any updates on the ball?"
"Zabini's agreed to play, with me singing and you playing drums since Malvennen quit." She directed this to Draco, who sighed dramatically.
"Do I have to?" he whined.
"Yes." Hermione and Ginny answered flatly.
"Hmph." He narrowed his eyes at both of them, before picking up his Transfiguration book and starting to read.
"Have you bought your dress yet? We've only got like a month left."
"A month I have to spend with Zabini. Speaking of which, Draco, he didn't say anything about the necklace."
"What necklace?" Ginny asked curiously. Hermione unclasped it and gave it to her unthinkingly. Ginny dropped it with a small shriek.
"That was smart." Draco commented, looking over the book at Hermione.
"I forget other people can feel it." She defended with a shrug.
"What the hell is that?" Ginny demanded, pointing accusingly at the necklace lying on the floor.
"A pendant infused with the suffering of others." Draco said from behind the book. "Namely, Hermione, Amelie and the pheonix's suffering."
"It took a lot of suffering to make it that bad." Ginny said tentatively.
"I crucioed her to get it that way." Draco said coldly. Ginny stared in horror at Hermione who made a sharp motion with her hand across her throat. Ginny nodded.
"That's nasty. How can you wear it?" Ginny asked.
"I don't feel it since its my suffering." Hermione answered, leaning off the couch to pick it up. Unfortunately, she leaned too far, and fell off.
"Oh, ow. That hurt…a lot."
"Word of advice? Don't fall off." Draco said sarcastically. Hermione didn't retaliate.
"I'll keep that in mind. Come on Ginny. We can think about decorations."
"And dresses!" Ginny said excitedly.
"And dresses." Hermione assured her. And then they disappeared into Hermione's room.
&
Ginny shut the door firmly behind Hermione, pulled her to the bed, and sat her down.
"Now what's going on? Why the hell did he crucio you?"
Hermione got up and pulled Ginny away from the door, casting a silencing spell on the door although she was pretty sure the damage had been done. From what Amelie had described, and from what she imagined, she was pretty sure that Draco was going through serious guilt issues. Even if they ignored the non-platonic feelings between them, they were still pretty good friends…and friends just didn't torture each other. Unless, of course, it was necessary or else one friend would die. Hermione had a sneaky feeling Draco was forgetting that last bit, focusing entirely on crucio-ing her and his guilt. Typical male – its all about them.
"Zabini gave me a Zabini Black Diamond necklace that was infused with someone else's suffering and it almost completely wiped me out. So Amelie suggested we make another necklace with my own suffering in it so it wouldn't hurt me…but Zabini wouldn't notice. To get the necklace as negative as the diamond was, Draco had to crucio me."
"Didn't it hurt?" Ginny asked, confused.
"Of course it hurt! But it was worth it…Ginny, I'm sure that necklace was literally hurting me…but now it's a lot better because its my suffering in it."
"So Blaise actually gave you this…diamond?"
"Yeah. A word of advice – don't go out with him. Ever. He'll hurt you." Ginny nodded slowly.
"So it seems." She sighed heavily. "But he was so hot!"
"I know." Hermione patted Ginny on the shoulder. "I believe now would be a fabulous time to move on."
"I need retail therapy." Ginny sulked.
"This weekend we shall give you lots of retail therapy and try to sort out dresses for the ball." Hermione said sympathetically. Ginny nodded solemnly.
"Oi, Mudblood!" Draco's voice interrupted their conversation.
"Stay here." Hermione ordered, placing Ginny behind the door where she couldn't be seen through the open door. Then she walked out, and saw Zabini and Draco facing off defensively.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" she spat.
"Your little boyfriend's here." He said coldly.
"I'd hardly call him little." Hermione shot back, mentally apologising. "And I'm here now, so we can leave. Come on Blaise." She took Blaise's arm and pulled him away and out the common room.
"How on earth are you going to convince him to play drums with us?" he demanded.
"I'll think of something. Either that or I'll make She-Weasel convince him."
"And how do you propose to do that?"
"I'll tell Ron precisely what she does with Malfoy. Or rather, I'll make sure her mother knows what she does with him. That ought to convince her to make him." Hermione flashed him and evil grin and shrugged. Zabini laughed.
"The rest of the band – i.e. Clawson and Andricks – want to make sure you can sing. So basically this is a fixed audition." He explained.
"Whatever." Hermione answered with a shrug. Zabini opened a door and gestured for her to go in, and she saw the other two members of the band waiting for them.
"Zabini." They stood, although they said nothing to her.
"You wanted to hear her sing, lets hear her sing." Zabini said shortly. One of the guys, both of which were very cute, incidentally, handed her a couple of pages of sheet music.
"Sing this without the accompliament first." He said. His voice was soft, almost deceptively so. Hermione nodded, looking it over. The music itself required a strong singer, especially if the singer was meant to work with the drums and various guitars that were involved in this. She nodded again.
"Okay. I can do this." The other two Slytherins looked deeply skeptical.
"You've had it all of three minutes." One of them said.
"You wanna wait longer?" she shot back.
"No, be my guest." He said sarcastically, but she smiled anyway.
"Don't worry, I will." She shot back. She took a couple of deep breaths, looking over the beginning of the music one last time. Then she started.
"When leaves have fallen and skies turn to grey,
The night keeps on closing in on the day,
A nightingale sings his song of farewell,
You better run from a freezing hell
On cold wings, she's coming,
You better keep moving,
Fall off, and you'll be learning-"
"That'll do." Zabini said. Hermione stopped with a shrug. The two other Slytherins looked suitably amazed. "Now will you accept she's good enough?" he asked. They nodded. He looked at her. "You'll have to practise with us until the Ball so we get used to each other…and the sooner you can get Malfoy in here the better…at least so he doesn't mess up and make us all look stupid."
That's unlikely.
"Okay." Hermione nodded. "Who wrote this?" she gestured with the paper.
"I did." Zabini said. One of the others shot him a poisonous glance and Hermione got a sneaking suspicion that Zabini either didn't write it at all or he wrote it with the help of the other two. Either way, he was lying.
Stupid egotistical bastard.
"It's good." Hermione said with a smile. He smirked.
That is getting very annoying. Hermione said with irritation.
You're telling me. That is so totally Malfoy's trademark smirk.
Definitely.
"Hermione? Are you alright?" Zabini asked. Hermione shook herself out of her daze and nodded with an apologetic shrug.
"Sorry. I got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory." One of the Slytherins snickered, although he was silenced by a sharp glance from Zabini.
"Yeah, well. Come on. I have something to show you." He lead her hand out of the room, but they were waylaid by Prof. McGonagall.
"Oh, there you are. If I may have a word, Miss Granger, we need to…finalise details for the ball." She gave Zabini a sharp glance. "It wont take long, Mr Zabini. And then you may have her back." Hermione smiled apologetically, and followed McGonagall, trying not to show too much enthusiasm.
McGonagall led Hermione to her office, and shut the door firmly behind them.
"Sit down. Tea?" Hermione shrugged and McGonagall poured her a cup.
When they were both seated, McGonagall gave Hermione a sharp glance. "When are you going to break up with Mr Zabini?"
"After Christmas." Hermione answered with a sigh. "And it couldn't be soon enough."
"If you dislike him so much, why are you dating him in the first place?"
"Because we're basically using each other." Hermione answered. McGonagall leaned back in her chair, sipped her tea, and raised an eyebrow, the universal sign among teachers that they wanted an explanation.
"I'm using him to make my break up with Draco seem more real…that and the fact Draco thinks Lucius might want to kill me, so if I date Zabini I don't have to worry about that. Draco's dating Ginny since she's a pureblood…they arent actually dating, I might add…and Zabini's dating me to get back at Ginny, who he doesn't realise isnt actually dating Draco, plus Zabini just doesn't like Draco at all, so he's dating me to get Draco jealous." Hermione explained. She took a deep breath at the end of it.
"So basically you're dating Zabini to make Malfoy jealous, who's dating Miss Weasley to make you jealous. Zabini's dating you to make Ginny jealous and she's dating Malfoy to make him jealous."
"Yep. We switched boyfriends to make everyone else jealous. And if that wasn't enough, only one of us actually thinks its real. Me, Ginny and Draco are messing around."
"With Zabini's mind."
"He's a sleaze bag. He deserves it." McGonagall raised her eyebrow again. "He tried to undress me on the library table! That's where the Slytherins take their whores, not their girlfriends." McGonagall choked on her tea, swallowed, then coughed hoarsely for about three minutes.
Amelie was laughing hysterically. Oh, for a camera! That was so picture worthy! Minerva finding out that Slytherins fucked their whores in the library! her words trailed off into helpless laughter which eventually diminished into giggling and finally faded entirely.
"Are you alright, Professor?" Hermione asked innocently. McGonagall narrowed her eyes at Hermione.
"If you were intending to give me a heart attack, you very nearly succeeded." She said snappishly.
"I'm sorry…I thought the teachers knew about that kind of thing." Hermione said with a sweet smile. "Surely you didn't think we were all virgins?"
"There are some things a teacher enjoys believing in, Miss Granger, and you've just popped that particular bubble."
"Sorry. I'll help you find a new one if you like. No one at school has any drugs, of course, so that's a good bubble." She smiled sweetly.
"That's enough, Miss Granger." McGonagall said firmly, rising from her chair and chivvying Hermione out of the room.
"Oh, and Professor? Thanks for rescuing me. Zabini wanted to show me something and I'm not entirely sure I want to know what it was."
"Indeed. Well, you're very welcome. And if I were you I'd head straight back to my common room, and that way you might miss Zabini."
"Thanks professor." Hermione smiled, waved, and slipped out the door, heading quickly for her common room.
&
