Developments

After they left the Heads' dorm, Ginny directed Hermione to the Gryffindor tower.

"So what's up?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Well…" Hermione gave her a questioning look. "I'll tell you when get there, ok?"

"Ok…but this better be good."

Ginny gave no reply but the slightly uneasy expression that slipped across her face. The pair continued walking in silence until they reached the Gryffindor portrait, said the password to the Fat Lady, and entered. Inside the common room, among the other Gryffindors, were Harry and Ron, who watched the two girls make their way over to the girls' staircase. Hermione ignored the glances she knew they were giving her and quickly followed Ginny into her bedroom.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Hermione said as she sat down on the bed.

"Umm…" Ginny looked slightly nervous as she sat down next to Hermione.

"Spit it out, Ginny."

"I will, calm down—why are you so edgy!"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Maybe because every time I'm with Draco, one of my friends just has to interrupt…"

These words seemed to only intensify the anxious look on Ginny's face. "You know, maybe I'll just tell you later…" Ginny said and began to stand.

"No, no—might as well tell me now that I'm here. So what's this big thing you've got to tell me?"

Ginny sighed again. "It's not that big of a thing…Ok, so I was in the Owlery after dinner, and when I was there, someone's bird flew in. This fell off its leg." She proceeded to produce a letter from her robes. Hermione rolled her eyes, and Ginny continued. "So, curiosity getting the better of me, I just took a peek—"

"And this has to do with me because?"

"It's from Draco's father," Ginny said and handed the letter to Hermione.

Draco, it read;

I hope this letter finds you doing everything you should; your mother sends her love and hopes you are well. Everything is going swimmingly at the mansion, of course, and I trust you are keeping up with your studies as well. However, I have not written this letter to inquire about your academics; more important things have developed at home. It seems the date that we had previously agreed upon must be changed and your service will be needed sooner than planned. Therefore, instead of next June, I expect that you will be prepared to take up service immediately after this Christmas. I will personally come to get you after the winter break begins. Be sure that you are ready then.

L.M.

"And so this is the thing you wanted to tell me?" Hermione said as she handed the letter back to Ginny.

"Aren't you the slightest bit concerned, Hermione?"

"About what?"

"Don't be daft about this, Hermione." Ginny dropped her voice to a whisper although no one else was around. "Do you know what this means? Draco's going to be a Death Eater!"

Hermione sighed. "We don't know that, Ginny. Although, I suppose you could conclude that from the letter. But you could also conclude a lot of things."

"Yeah, but this is about Draco. His father is already known to be a Death Eater. And what else could Lucius be talking about? I mean, the language is all secretive and—"

"Ginny, it doesn't matter whether or not that's what the letter really means. Draco's not going to be a Death Eater anyway."

"Oh really? And why not?"

"Because he doesn't want to be," Hermione said, standing. "And he won't."

"Hermione, stop and think about this for a second. What makes you think that he doesn't want to be a Death Eater? And even if he doesn't, do you really think that's going to stop his father from making him one?"

Hermione lowered her gaze to Ginny's face. "I think I know Draco a little bit better than you do, even if I don't know what's going to happen." Hermione turned away and began walking to the door.

"That's the point, Hermione—you don't know. And how much do you really know about Draco anyway? I'm just saying, watch out."

"Well, thanks for the advice. It's nice to know that now all of my friends don't trust me," Hermione said as she closed the door behind her.

Ron and Harry watched as Hermione sped down the stairs from the girls' dormitory. She had obviously been bothered at whatever Ginny had to say and left the dormitory as quickly as possible. Moments later they saw Ginny come down the same stairs with a similarly annoyed expression on her face. She was looking around the common room when she caught the boys' curious glances.

"I thought she might have at least stopped to talk to you," Ginny said as she approached them.

"She looked too angry for that—what happened?" Harry asked.

"Come over here," Ginny said, moving towards a more secluded corner of the room. "Look at this," she said, handing them the letter. The boys quickly glanced over the paper and then handed it back to Ginny. "So what do you think?"

"I think we've got something to worry about…" Ron said.

"Where did you find this?" Harry asked.

"In the Owlery," Ginny replied.

Harry's face scrunched in thought. "We've got to tell Dumbledore about this."

"Is that such a good idea?"

"You saw what it said, Ginny. 'Your service will be needed sooner than planned'? There could be something really big happening with Voldemort," Harry said, and ignored the flinches resulting from the mention of You-Know-Who.

"What did Hermione say when you told her?" Ron asked. "I can see why she was upset now."

"Oh, no you don't. She refused to listen to me." They both gave her puzzled looks. "She doesn't think this means anything."

"I always knew Malfoy was no good," Ron cut in.

"Yeah, I can't believe he managed to trick her this badly," Harry said. "And she didn't listen to you? Gods, now I have even more of a reason to bash his face in…" He stood, and the others stood too. "Well, we've got to tell Dumbledore right away. Let's go," he said, and they walked towards the portrait, earning several curious glances from the rest of the people in the common room.

Hermione had rushed out of the Gryffindor tower because she was angry, but it wasn't just the news from Ginny that had made her so. She hadn't said it, but even now she began to worry if what the letter implied was in fact the truth. She quickly headed back to her own dorm, hoping to put her fears to rest with the sight of Draco, hopefully engaged in some normal unsuspicious activity. However, he wasn't in the common room when she entered, so Hermione went to her own bedroom to lie down and gather her thoughts.

The idea that, most likely, Draco was on his way to being a Death Eater, had hit her like a pile of bricks as she read the letter. Hermione wanted to trust in everything he'd told her, and that he would never submit himself to Voldemort's service, but she feared that his father had indomitable control over his life. She didn't know what the elder Malfoy was capable of, but if what she heard was true, then how could Draco possibly escape the fate that seemed to await him?

Hermione was taken with fear of what seemed to be the inevitable, and she could hardly force herself to continue this train of thought. She rolled off the bed and stood, then left her bedroom for the common room. Draco was sitting on the couch, seemingly awaiting her appearance.

"Hey," he said as she sat down beside him.

"Hey yourself…have you been here since I left?" she asked.

"Of course not. I made a short visit to the Slytherins—haven't been there in a while. And now I'm back here," Draco said. "Did you have fun with Ginny?"

Hermione fought to keep a guilty expression off her face. "Yeah, I guess…"

"What did she want to talk to you about?"

"Uhh, just girl stuff really."

"Girl stuff? Sounds like some kind of excuse…"

"It's not—just information you probably wouldn't want to hear."

"Ok…"

"Let's just not talk about it…" Hermione's gaze wandered off around the room, and she gave an involuntary sigh.

"Is there something wrong, Hermione?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I don't know…well, I was just thinking about something—I don't even know why…"

"About what?"

"Well…" She turned to face him with an anxious expression on her face, and her eyes pleaded with him for an honest answer. "Draco, are you going to be a Death Eater?"

"Of course not. I thought we talked about this before."

"I know, but are you sure?"

"Whoa, hold on. Why are you even worrying about this? Is that what Ginny had to say to you?"

"No, no. I don't know why it even came to mind."

"Hey, don't worry about it," he said, gathering her in his arms. "Nothing like that's going to happen."

"But are you sure? What about your father?"

"I don't know what will happen with my father. But I promise you that I will never become a Death Eater. Ok?" he said, looking into her eyes.

"Yeah. Ok."