A/N: Sigh, I had wanted to post the chapter on April 20th, but I'm one hour off. Blast. I had wanted to post it then because….IT'S MY BIRTHDAY. Well, at least it was on the 20th. So…I would like nothing more than to see a big happy birthday from all my reviewers. It would mean the WORLD to me:-) I am upset that the party lasted so long…I'm just one hour off! I had been waiting all week, cuz I'd been done after a couple days from the last post. Sigh, that's what happens sometimes though. Thank you all for being so patient.
ILOVERON: Tee hee, I will! Hope to hear from you again!
Phillyactress: Mwuahahahah…writers never tell…lol. Take my word though, the best one wont:-)
Syd: Lol, why thank you. I'm glad you like it. Hope to see your review pop up every once and awhile!
RainDateChick: Hehehehe…I love doing that. Hopefully they'll get better though.
crazywendy: I always thought that would be scary too.
Disclaimer: I am not J.K.Rowling, and anything in here that you recognize is NOT mine. Happy Birthday to me, lol.
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Hermione gasped and stepped back into the table, knocking over a blue vial that smelt of poppies. She eyed Draco and he, very much like her, was scared beyond all reason. He quickly composed himself however, and took a step forward, his chest rising and a dominating look about him. "What kind of man are you, killing off innocent people, when it's people like YOU who should be getting killed!"
Lucius slapped Draco hard on the cheek, and a red print was already starting to form below his right eye.
"How dare you talk to me like that, after I've raised you to be nothing but the best? And now here you are, coinciding with a …filthy mudblood. The name is ruined Draco, ruined because of you." Lucius glared at his son, insinuating a known fight between them.
Hermione looked up from her coward form before. She looked at Lucius straight in the eye and asked timidly, "How the hell did you know who I was. I look nothing like my old self?" Lucius laughed and put a look of all-knowing on his face.
"Stupid idiot, can't you figure things out? Owls can still find you, maps can still see you…but…I figured it out," he said softly, "by spying on you." He quirked up his eyebrows and smiled at Hermione. He was pure evil and Hermione had an odd sense of attacking him right there. At the moment though, she was too scared to do any harm to this man.
"What do you mean spying on me? How did you do this?"
Lucius looked over at Draco and nodded. Hermione's eyes popped out of her skull as she stammered towards Draco. "What…how could you!" she screamed. "I trusted you…and we are…were friends!" She pushed away from Draco who was coming towards her and slapped his hand away.
Draco looked like he was about ready to cry and shut his eyes for a moment. "Hermione, listen to me. I have no clue what is going on, I swear. I've never once helped him to get to you, I'll swear on my life." He opened his eyes and looked at Hermione, begging her to believe him.
Lucius huffed and rolled his eyes. "No not…my god, I've raised a moron. See that ring that he has on his right hand?" he asked Hermione. She looked down and sure enough there was a ring, she nodded towards Lucius. "That m'dear is how I've been spying on him."
Draco blew up, "You've been using me…wait a minute…I've had that ring since I started school." Realization struck upon Draco's face and for a minute he looked defeated. "Of course," said Lucius, "since you've become enrolled at Hogwarts I've seen everything that you do…and who you're always with." He cast a knowing glance at his son.
"You are purely sick…" Draco said stepping away from his father. "I can't believe that you would stoop so low. You've seen everything I've done…and you've known about "Janeia"…you have been planning on killing her from the moment…that I've befriended her." Draco turned his head away and cursed silently. He looked towards Hermione who had tears streaming down her face. He reached over to grab her hand for comfort when he was pushed down onto the broken glass on the floor.
Lucius had the death glare on his face and was raising his wand towards Draco. "Never," he began, "touch a mudblood in my presence unless you're going to do this."
He pointed his wand at Hermione and said an unknown chant. Blue flame shot from the tip of the want and engulfed Hermione. She rose into the air for a moment, before landing with a thud.
'I can't take much more of this,' she thought to herself. Hermione could feel herself getting weaker with each passing minute, and they needed to finish the potion soon.
"No!" Screamed Draco, he pushed himself up from the floor and charged at his father, who easily knocked him down once again.
"That's what happens when you fool around with this girl. Don't you care about your family line!" Lucius yelled at Draco.
"No, I don't. I couldn't care less because she's my friend. You don't choose who you have a connection with. You can't help who you fall for!" Draco stopped and was stunned by what he had just said. He had just announced that he had fallen for Hermione, in front of his father.
Lucius was shocked and looked at Hermione, blame was rising in him and a crazed look began to form on his face. He raised his wand again at the helpless Hermione and said to Draco without looking away from Hermione. "You've fallen for this…mudblood? Well, then she'll have to pay the consequence for your idiocy."
"Avada…."
Suddenly, a force knocked Lucius's wand away. He turned around quickly and saw Harry, Ron and Herbert standing in the doorway. Ron, who had said the spell, had his wand out and was full of rage.
"Move away from her Malfoy," he sneered, "or else I might very well blow you into smithereens."
Laughter filled the air and Lucius was having a hard time keeping his composure. "You?" he laughed, "YOU are going to attack me? Oh what has this world come to?" He laughed again and picked up his wand and started walking towards Ron, his manner suddenly serious. "Don't mess with me boy, I'm far superior than you'll ever know."
"Leave the boy alone Malfoy." Herbert lazily walked toward the scene. "Pick on someone your own size, or wit. Better yet," he said, "why don't I go get you a rock to fight with?"
Lucius growled and lunged towards Herbert, who easily knocked him away with his wand. He turned to the four others and said, "Get out of here quick. Go find a place to perform the potion; I'll distract him as long as possible."
They didn't need to be told twice, grabbing Hermione's hand; Ron pulled her out of the room, Malfoy and Harry by their side. They ran for awhile before they came to a three-way split in the hallway. Some Death Eaters were coming towards them from the hallway. Ron didn't waste any time in forming a plan.
"Ok, Harry and Malfoy go down the right and hide. Hermione and I will go left. Malfoy, do you have the ingredients?" He looked at Draco, who quickly got the spell book and bag from his robes. He handed them to Ron and then looked at Hermione with a worried glance.
"Good, now go!" Ron tore off with Hermione down the left hallway, but after about 20 steps she tripped.
"Ron," Hermione said, "I can't run anymore, I'm too weak."
'Please don't leave me' she said.
"Here." Ron picked her up and ran into the nearest room, which held a library. He ran down to the farthest shelf and hid themselves with carts of books.
"Ron do you know what your doing?" Hermione asked him, "I don't want the potion to go wrong and have me…well, you know."
"Hermione, I am very much capable of taking care of my girlfriend. Now just trust me." Ron opened the book and got the ingredients. He read carefully and mixed what was needed in one of the vials.
"Ok, now we need to run and make sure they follow us and don't find this potion." He got up and kissed Hermione softly on the forehead. "My love, I won't let them hurt you. I promise. I'd sacrifice myself rather than have you leave me again." He pushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her again, this time on the lips.
"Ron we need to get going." She saw the look on his face, "Don't take it to mean I don't like you…I just want to get out of here, where we'll be safe."
"Right, well then let's go." Ron grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers with hers and peered out the door slowly seeing no sign of Death Eaters anywhere. He motioned with his head for her to follow him and he led the way to the door outside.
They were almost there when Hermione heard a tiny noise…that kept getting louder and louder. It was a screech almost and Hermione looked at Ron. "Ron?" she asked, hoping that he'd know the answer when the noise suddenly got ear breaking loud.
Then it was dark.
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A/N: hehehehehehe…..i did it again didn't I. Review please! I'll love you forever and ever!
