Disclaimer: Yes I have been making my readers wait unreasonably long times for story updates, but no I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, Harry Potter does not belong to me!
A/N: Hello all! I hope everyone is doing well. I would like that thank all my reviewers and readers who are sticking with my story even though the updates (especially the last one) are taking so long. You all are awesome!
HarryPotterFan670, Ihearttomfelton, Chantal J, roundrockrules, Sunflower18, bigred20, FallenBrokenAngel – Thanks for the reviews!
Hermione Weasley192– glad you enjoyed that scene, and no worries the rating won't change ;) Now lets see, will we be visiting anyone's grave . . . we'll just have to wait and see!
Ginny-W13 – happy to hear you like the story so far, and you'll find out what's going on with Blaise soon ;)
Shuggr-holic – glad you liked the chapter, hope this update didn't take too long for you!
Melovedraco – glad you like and, and that you think it's getting even better as it goes. And yes, Voldemort is definitely seeking revenge on Draco.
elektra30 – I'm glad you liked the tension cause there will definitely be more of that! And you're fic is good, it just takes time to get people into it. I would say update it soon, but I'm obviously in no position to tell anyone else to update when I've been doing such a poor job of it myself! lol
Karma Chameleon – sorry you had to read it over cause I took so long, but I'm thrilled that you like it enough to do that! Also according to the hp-lexicon, the nosebleed nougats do have a cure; I think in the book the twins just had trouble developing the cure at first. Thanks for bringing it to my attention though; I'm always happy when I find out that my readers are paying attention to the details! ;)
FalconWing – No Draco did not get a 0 for the assignment, Snape gave him an exemption from it, sorry I forgot to include that! I don't want to give anything away, but Blaise's worries are very important to the story.
Sirius-harry-n-remus – glad the thing with Voldemort intrigues you, and yes, more about Blaise's problem is soon to be revealed!
SwTnDrEaMyPnAy03 – aww that's so annoying when things get interrupted like that! Anyway, no Blaise did not tell Draco what was so important on their way to the hospital wing, Draco wasn't really in the mood to listen to anyone at the time, he was in pain.
Cold-eyes-for-you – I'm so glad you felt it was worth the wait! I hope you like this chapter just as much! Thanks!!
Zuvalupa – so glad you like it! And yes, there will be more about Blaise's problem soon.
Anonymous-139 – So happy to hear that you liked the first story, and are enjoying this one as well!
Now without further adieu, here is chapter 7! Enjoy!!
Chapter 7: What's going on?
Hermione just barely made it to transfiguration in time, she arrivedjust as professor McGonagall entered the classroom from her office.Hermione ran up to her usual seat, but to her surprise found that neither Harry nor Ron were in their usual seats next to her. Instead she was sitting beside Dean and Seamus. She smiled slightly and said hello and as professor McGonagall was preparing her lecture materials for the day, Hermione glanced around for Harry and Ron. Her eyes met Ron's first, and he was staring daggers at her despite his bruised eye. Hermione bit her lip as she surveyed the injury, it looked much worse now that she was actually looking at it, and she was sure that it was very painful. In the back of her mind, she wondered why he had not gone to the hospital wing, surely it would have been easily cured by Madam Pomfrey in an instant. Ron scoffed at the sympathetic look Hermione gave him and turned away. Hermione sighed and looked to Harry, silently seeking support and comfort. But there was none to be found in Harry, for he was also glaring at Hermione. Hermione frowned and mouthed 'what?', but he just rolled his eyes and looked away. Hermione frowned even more, disbelief and hurt seeping through her. She could at least understand why Ron was pissed, but Harry? That just didn't make sense. Besides, neither of them had any right to be angry with her, she hadn't done anything. Hermione sighed with frustration, and did her best to focus on the notes professor McGonagall was giving them. But her mind was not fully in it, and her notes were a good page and a half shorter than usual (though they were still much longer and more detailed than anyone else's notes.)
At the end of class, Harry and Ron disappeared before Hermione could pack up her things, so she didn't get a chance to talk to them. Not that she would have known what to say if she did get to talk to them, she grit her teeth at the thought.
They had no right to be mad at her. What she did, who she was friends with, and who she dated was no business of theirs. With that somewhat rebellious thought, Hermione wandered down to the Great Hall for dinner with the hope that some food would clear her mind. The hall was nearly empty when she arrived, which she was thankful for because she was not really in the mood to deal with large groups at the moment. Hermione sat towards the end of her table away from the other Gryffindors who were at dinner early. She sighed slightly as she filled her plate, wishing she could somehow straighten out her life.
She tried to smile at the students as they passed, but her heart was just not into it. She continually looked up waiting for either Harry and Ron, or Draco to pass (though she seriously doubted that Draco would be out of the hospital wing yet.) Once the Great Hall was nearly full, Harry and Ron finally entered. Hermione looked up at them hopefully, but they walked right passed her, each wearing a frown, and neither looking at her. Hermione hung her head, and let her fork fall to her plate with a small clatter. She held her head in her hands, suddenly feeling incredibly weary from all the frustration. She didn't look up until she felt someone plop down beside her. Hermione turned her head and was unsurprised to see Ginny sitting there with a concerned look.
"Are you alright?" she asked as she began to pile food onto her plate.
"Fine," answered Hermione mechanically, not even attempting to sound convincing.
"Liar," commented Ginny, "so what's going on between you and Harry and Ron? I just went over to them and asked what happened, and they basically told me to get lost."
"Who the Hell knows," spat Hermione bitterly.
Ginny immediately stopped eating and stared at her friend. "Hermione, you never talk like that, please tell me what happened!"
Hermione let out a frustrated breath, but conceded to tell Ginny all about what happened in potions. "I just don't get it!" she finished, "why are they so pissed at me? I didn't do anything, and if Ron would just learn to control his bloody temper, then nothing would have happened in the first place."
Ginny paused for a moment before speaking; trying to decide the best was to handle this situation. "You're right; they have no right to be mad at you over this. But surely you understand why they're really angry."
"Of course I do!" Hermione snapped, "but it's been months, why can't they just get used to it!"
"You know them," reasoned Ginny, "they're stubborn."
"I don't know what to do Ginny, it's like I can't even talk to them anymore, they're always so distant, like they don't trust me anymore or something."
"That's not it Hermione, they both care for you very much, and they just think you're making a big mistake."
Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes, "that just proves that they don't trust me, and they don't trust my judgment."
"It's not you that they don't trust Hermione, it's Malfoy."
Hermione let out an exasperated breath, "how many times must we go through this! He's not the same person he was!"
"I know, I know" said Ginny quickly. She didn't want to push Hermione away from her as well, but she had to try to make Hermione see what was running through the boy's heads. "Hermione, they just want you to be careful, they may hate Malfoy, but they know he's not stupid. This is how they see it; they do trust you, but Malfoy is in Slytherin, and is therefore very cunning. Plus he's smart, so they're just worried that he'll manipulate you somehow, and hurt you. They don't want to see you hurt."
Hermione had a stubborn look on her face, and everything Ginny was saying was pretty much going in one ear and out the other, which was not something that Hermione often allowed to happen when someone was talking to her. "Well if they don't want me to be hurt or upset, then the way they're handling it is not working, because now they're the ones hurting me!" Hermione ranted a bit louder than she would have liked, but she didn't care. She got up, and stormed out of the room, feeling as if all the people and voices in the Great Hall were closing in around her, and she had to escape.
Ginny sputtered in protest as Hermione stomped off, but didn't really try to stop her, she had learned when to try to talk, and when to just leave Hermione alone. She turned towards Harry and Ron, giving them a reprimanding look. She was a bit relieved to see that they both noticed Hermione's angry departure, and that there were definite traces of guilt on their faces. Ginny pushed away from the table and marched over to them. "Well?"
Ron quickly averted his eyes, while Harry continued to look at Ginny, though not meeting her eyes. "Well what," mumbled Ron.
"Did you hear what she said?" pressed Ginny.
- - - - - - - - - -
After Hermione had stormed out of the Great Hall, she went to the common room, "good evening Miss Granger," greeted Godric.
"Yeah right," muttered Hermione, "credo dans fatum." The portrait door opened and she climbed into the common room. She glanced around for Draco, though she hadn't expected him to be out of the hospital wing yet. With nothing to occupy her mind, she felt helpless, so she retreated to her room and pulled out the yearbook information. She and Draco were to be presenting the idea to the prefects the next day, and she wanted to make sure everything was set and ready to go. She sat at her desk, rereading the parchment she and Draco had created together, making notes for clarification and adding a few last minute ideas.
As usual, the work helped her forget about her daily stresses, and soon she was back to being happily excited about the upcoming project. She knew it would be a lot of work, but she pictured it turning out great, and it being something that everyone could participate with and enjoy.
After working a while, when she realized the time, she vaguely thought of visiting Draco in the hospital wing. She hadn't expected him to need to stay the night, so she was concerned. Yet something stopped her, perhaps it was the voice of her friends, and what they would say if they knew she had stopped working to visit Draco. She threw her head back in frustration wondering why it mattered to her what Harry and Ron would think. For one, they wouldn't know, and two even if they did, she could do whatever she wanted, and there was no reason she shouldn't visit her boyfriend in the hospital wing, right?
"Ugh forget it" she muttered to herself. Then, thinking that what she really needed was to be alone and truly relax, she decided to take a nice soothing bath, with lots of bubbles.
- - - - - - - - - -
By the time Madam Pomfrey allowed Draco to leave the hospital wing, he was looking as good as usual, though his face was still tender to the touch from the burns. Since he had refused the disgusting slop Madam Pomfrey called dinner, he first made his way to the Great Hall for whatever was left of the schools dinner. By the time he arrived, nearly everyone was gone, but there was still enough food left at the Slytherin table to make a decent meal. Draco was surprised to see that he was not alone at his table, besides Crabbe and Goyle, who normally ate as much as possible for as long as they were allowed, Blaise was also still there. He was sitting alone up at the very front of the table, where the first years normally sat. Draco suddenly remembered how Blaise had been trying to tell him something important earlier in the day, and now seemed like the perfect time to find out what it was.
- - - - - - - - - -
Ron and Harry were just getting up to leave the Great Hall when they saw Malfoy enter. Harry continued to get up, but Ron immediately sat back down, glaring at Malfoy, who didn't appear to even notice their presence.
"Ron," whispered Harry, desperately wanting to avoid another fight, "please let's just go, if we stay here, it will only piss you off more."
But Ron wasn't listening. He was still staring at Malfoy, unblinking, and his gaze unwavering. He didn't know what was making him stay, but he found himself unable to move.
- - - - - - - - - -
Draco sat beside Blaise, and began selecting items for his dinner before he spoke. As he buttered a roll, he glanced over and spoke nonchalantly, "what's up?"
Blaise continued looking down, shaking his head. Draco was stunned, Blaise never acted like this. His abilities at maintaining an expressionless and proud exterior were second only to Draco's. "What is it mate? Did Pansy refuse to let you break up with her or something?" Draco joked.
Blaise looked up at Draco with terror in his eyes, "I can't break up with her," he finally whispered.
Draco viewed Blaise disbelievingly, "come on, you've been trying to tell me something all day, you cannot tell me that whatever is so important has anything to do with Pansy Parkinson."
Blaise didn't respond, instead he just dropped his head.
"Are you serious?!" Draco gasped with surprise, "all of this is about her! You're pathetic man."
"No! It's not just that, I can't break up with her, she'd be furious."
"So? What's your point? She's annoying as all hell, you can't enjoy dating her."
Blaise shook his head, "I don't" Blaise's voice was barely audible, "but I can't break up with her."
"Why the hell not?" demanded Draco.
"Because," Blaise continued looking down, "she'd kill me, literally."
Draco laughed, and it took him a moment to regain his composure, "Parkinson! She doesn't have the power to kill anyone."
Blaise turned to Draco, looking dead serious, and staring him directly in the eye for the first time, "She does have the power Draco, Pansy Parkinson is a Death Eater."
Draco's fork fell to his plate with a loud clatter, "What!" he shouted, momentarily forgetting that everyone would assume that he would find this to be good news and drawing the attention from the limited number of people still in the room, including Harry and Ron. Draco's head shot up, and he glared at everyone who dared to stare back. His eyes fell upon the two Gryffindors he least wanted to see when he was discussing something important, his silvery eyes darkened when he saw them, and there was a scowl on his face.
Blaise, who was apparently either filled with despair or desperation, now held his head up with his hand. He felt Draco stand up next to him and grab his robes, "come on," ordered Draco, "we're leaving."
Ron and Harry watched as Draco practically dragged Blaise out of the room, a furious look on his face. He was moving fast and determinedly. Obviously whatever they were talking about was very serious, and Draco obviously didn't want anyone to overhear.
"What was that all about?" whispered Harry curiously.
"They're up to something," answered Ron, "and I am sure as hell going to find out what it is."
Blaise was stumbling behind Draco, wondering where he was being dragged to, since it obviously wasn't the Slytherin common room, nor was it some place anywhere near the dungeons for that matter. Meanwhile Draco was thinking things over, the repercussions of what Draco had just found out, were to horrible to even think of. Suddenly, without warning Draco stopped in front of a huge portrait of the Hogwarts founders, causing Blaise to cash and stumble backwards.
"Evening Mr. Malfoy," said Godric, much more formally than he greeted Hermione.
Draco ignored him and whispered the password so that Blaise couldn't hear. He poked his head in, relieved that Hermione was not in the room, because he didn't want her asking questions. Draco quickly ushered Blaise into his room, closed the door, locked it, and just to make sure that their meeting would be kept private, he turned back to the door, pointed his wand at it, and said "colloportus." There was an odd squelching noise, and the door was sealed. "Now," Draco began, turning to Blaise, and speaking in a very businesslike manner, "what is this all about, and you better not be joking with me right now."
"I'm not," assured Blaise, "she's a Death Eater, I've seen her mark!"
Draco frowned, he had no doubt that with Pansy as his girlfriend Blaise would have seen the Dark Mark on her arm. But that wasn't what disturbed Draco the most, Draco knew full well that no Death Eater was allowed to show their mark to anyone, except the Dark Lord, and other Death Eaters. But from the way Blaise was acting, he obviously was not a Death Eater . . . not yet at least, "but if she showed you the mark, then she expects you to . . ."
Blaise hung his head and nodded, knowing exactly where Draco's thought was leading. "You know what it's like Draco, everyone expects me to! My parents, everyone in Slytherin, all my parents' friends, that's why I need your help!"
Draco furrowed his brow, "why would you come to me?" Draco feigned ignorance, "My family is the same, and even worse as yours."
"But you escaped!" pleaded Blaise. "I know you escaped, my father told me you did. He told me not to have anything to do with you because you were a traitor to the Dark Lord. That's why you've got to help me! Help me escape the same way you did."
For one of the few times in his entire life, Draco was entirely speechless, his mouth sat agape, and he had no idea what to say. He stared at Blaise, brow furrowed, and his unblinking eyes were darker and colder than steel. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he glared at Blaise accusingly, and alert. "Wait a minute, why would Pansy be initiated, and not you? That makes no sense."
"I would have been initiated already, if I was 17, but since my birthday's not til Novermber, I'm not going to be initiated until the first of the New Year. That's why you have to help me, I can't do it on my own, I'm not like you, I'm not smart enough to evade the Dark Lord. How did you do it?"
"I was lucky, there's no way you can get out the way I did," answered Draco shortly wanting nothing more than to end this conversation immediately.
"Please! You have to help me, you're the only one who understands!" cried Blaise.
"Have you told anyone else about this?"
"I can't, I don't trust anyone else, please Draco I'm desperate."
Draco clenched his jaw, and turned his head, he was relieved to know that Blaise hadn't been stupid enough to tell anyone, but Draco had enough problems of his own to worry about Blaise's problems. After a long time in which both boys remained silent, Blaise sitting on Draco's bed, and Draco occasionally pacing around the room, a strange noise that sounded like something coming unstuck pulled them from their thoughts; the colloportus charm had worn off. Draco sighed, and directed Blaise to the door, "Look, I'll try to help as much as I can, but for now, just watch yourself, and don't behave or say anything strange around any Slytherins that would give them any clue that you don't want to join, and especially watch yourself around Pansy and Snape.
"I know," nodded Blaise, "thanks mate."
A momentary look of success flashed across Blaise's face, but it was almost gone before it was even there. Draco nodded, but did not look at all pleased; he ushered Blaise out the door, and returned to his room. He locked his door behind him, changed into his pajamas, and closed the bed hangings around him. But he could not find sleep; far too many disturbing thoughts were cramming themselves into his head.
Yet one thought, the most disturbing one of all stole most of his attention at the moment. If Blaise knew he had escaped, that surely meant that all the Death Eaters knew he escaped, since Blaise's parents were not even in the inner circle of the Dark Lord's followers, at least they weren't as far as Draco was aware. And if all the Death Eaters knew, then Pansy was sure to know, otherwise she would have been bragging to Draco about being initiated before graduating Hogwarts. But if she knew he wasn't a Death Eater, why was she not saying anything? Pansy was not the type to keep something like that quiet, unless she had been ordered to by someone much more powerful than herself. Something was definitely wrong; Draco's gut instinct told him that there was a piece to the puzzle that didn't fit, something that was amiss. Something more than the fact that he was not dead yet, as the Dark Lord was more than capable of killing him on the spot whenever and wherever he pleased, so why hadn't anything happened yet? "What is going on?" Draco voiced the question that was swirling through his head into the night.
I certainly hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts in a review! :)
Slytherin-kittycat takes out a box of sugar quills (excellent tools for dealing with writer's block!) and prepares to hand them out to all her wonderful reviewers.