"Okay," she said, arms wrapped around her because of the cold. "I'm here. What do you want, Malfoy?"

It was an hour after they'd made the deal. He said he'd give her an hour to get changed then they were going to the Whomping Willow.

So here she was. Outside with Malfoy, at sometime after midnight, by the mad tree.

"Okay, firstly, my name is Draco. Not Malfoy."

"So?" she barked.

"So call me Draco."

She shrugged. "I think of you as Malfoy."

"I don't care. Call me Draco. People call my father Malfoy."

Hermione grinned. "That's just 'cause they can't pronounce his first name."

"Purebloods can," he returned. "And you can't talk to me like that because then I'm not telling you anything."

"So I have to be nice to you, even when you're nasty to me?" Hermione asked.

"Exactly," she couldn't see much in the dark but she could see the smug grin rested on his face.

"So, can you tell me where Harry is now? Since I've been ever so nice? Please?"

"No," he told her. "Now, I want to see your belly button."

"WHAT?"

"Your… Belly…. Button," he said slowly, as if talking to an infant.

"Why?"

"Because you got it pierced. I heard Pansy and her friends talking about it."

"You really don't know anything, do you? This is just some weird game you and the gorillas are playing. For Merlin's sake, one of my best friends could be dead right now."

"Yes, Potter could be dead. I mightn't know anything. But are you really planning to take that chance?" he sneered at her and watched as her eyes admitted defeat.

Hermione sighed and slowly lifted up her top an inch to show him her belly button.

He looked at it for a while. She felt uncomfortable, as if showing him more than her belly. Why is Malfoy… Draco doing this? She thought. I should be in bed now.

Does he really know where Harry is?

"Okay, now. Tomorrow we have that potions test," he said.

"Yes. Chapter twelve."

"I want you to fail it," he told her. "Badly."

"But I studied," she said matter-of-factly. She had, for three and a half hours.

"Exactly."

"Please," she said, adopting a lower tone. "Tell me one thing. Is Harry still alive?"

Malfoy answered her. "Yes."

"You know that for sure?"

"Yes."

Hermione looked at him closely. It was strange but she did believe him. It seemed as if Malfoy did know some things.

''''''''''''''''''''

The day was passing slowly. She had failed her Potions Test with flying colours as Malfoy had requested and she felt awful after it.

At lunchtime, Malfoy dragged her into a corridor she'd never seen before.

"Malfoy! You gave me a heart attack!"

"It's Draco. Try and remember that, Mudblood."

She opened her mouth, snappy comeback ready when she suddenly said, "Sorry, Draco."

He sneered, happy. "You're learning."

"What is it you want?" she said, trying to keep her voice light.

"Here," he handed her a small package. White powder was inside.

"Don't worry, Granger. It's not drugs." Seeing the look of relief on her face, he continued. "I just want you to slip it into Weasly's drink."

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened. She took a deep breath and said, "But-"

"Just do it. No questions."

He walked off; smirking to himself as he left her dumb founded.

''''''''''''''''

Hermione could feel Malfoy's eyes on her at dinner.

"Ron," she said, leaning over to him. "You'd do anything for Harry, wouldn't you?"

He nodded but looked afraid as if she wanted him to do something like fight the Dark Lord himself right at that moment only equipped with his knife, fork, leg of chicken and his teacup.

"And you know, I'd do anything for Harry as well. Something I wouldn't normally do. Maybe something that'll puzzle you. I don't know if you understand. I just need to get my best friend back."

He nodded, still looking at her, searching her face for a clue of what she meant.

"That's all I wanted to say," she said. He smiled at her, somewhat meekly, and turned back to his conversation with his brothers.

She slipped the stuff into his drink and hoped Malfoy didn't give her something that'd kill Ron.

Ron took a sip of his drink.

''''''''''''''''''''

Ten minutes had passed. She thought nothing was happening. Ron didn't seem to be acting any different.

She looked over at Malfoy but he had his eyes fixed on Ron.

And then Ron began swelling up.

Hermione turned to her red headed friend and watched as Ron got fatter and fatter. The chair broke underneath him and he fell on his bottom. He continued growing. Neville was nothing size-wise compares to the new Ron.

"Ron!" she cried, grief stricken.

He looked terrified behind his swollen cheeks.

It was horrible. Ron had stopped growing now. Silence rang through the hall and then suddenly, everyone started laughing.

Guilt hit Hermione right through the heart. She couldn't help Harry and now she had made everyone laugh at Ron. What kind of a friend was she?

She could hear Malfoy laughing from the Slytherin table.

'''''''''''''''

"Hermione," Ron's voice called out through the hallway. She turned. He was back to his normal size, thank Merlin.

"Hermione, did you do that? Did you make me balloon up?" Ron's voice was oddly serious.

She didn't answer.

"Why would you do that?" Ron barked. People were stopping and looking at them. Malfoy was there.

She still didn't answer.

"Because I'm a bad influence on her," Malfoy said now, walking up and putting his arm around her.

She didn't move. She didn't know what to do. She just knew she had to play along.

"Hermione?" Ron's eyes were as big as golf balls.

Malfoy shot her a glance.

"Yes," Hermione answered.

"I thought you were with that muggle? Phil?"

Malfoy looked disgusted. "Hardly. My Mudblood knows better than that. Isn't that right?"

"I hate Muggles," her voice sounded thick. A lot of people were gathered around.

Ron looked disgusted. But, what really bothered Hermione was the amount of hurt evident in his eyes. He stormed off.

"Maybe you should go talk to him," Malfoy suggested lazily.

She nodded and shrugged off his uncomfortable arm. She walked away but she could still hear Malfoy's cold voice. "Am I with the Mudblood? Hell no. But she has been looking hot lately and she's good in bed."

Hermione practically ran through the hallway. She didn't go to Ron's room but to her own. She jumped onto her bed and bawled her eyes out.

She cried herself to sleep that night.

''''''''''''''''

"Granger, Granger!" A voice hissed. "Will you wake up?"

"Ugh," She grunted than saw Malfoy through stuffy eyes.

"Happy to see me?"

She groaned, looked at her bedside clock and groaned again. It was three in the morning.

"Just wanted to tell you that you did well today. You got more guts than I thought. Now you have to call up that muggle you're dating now and dump him."

Hermione felt so stupid. "And how do I do that? No electricity, remember. What am I supposed to do? Send him an owl?"

"Here." He handed her a mobile phone. "It's magically enhanced."

"You know, Ron's dad would get you for having stuff like this," she said, examining the phone with interest.

"Yes, I'm terrified." Sarcasm again. "Now, ring him."

"I'm surprised you even know what a phone is," she said with the same grim interest.

"I know a lot of things. Like where Harry is and what's happening to him." Malfoy shot back. "Now, ring."

She punched in a couple of digits and, after receiving a lot of abuse from Phil's parents, got put on the phone to Phil.

"Hey Phil."

"Hey Granger!" Phil's voice was as lively as ever, even at Three A.M. "How's it going? Why are ya calling so early?"

"He calls you Granger!" Malfoy hissed, looking tragic.

She nodded to Malfoy sharply, hoping he'd just shut up after that, and said into the phone, "Look, Phil. I think we should break up. I mean, I'm so far away and well…"

"Hey, honey," Malfoy said. "Come to bed."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him angrily.

Phil asked, with a darker tone in his voice than she'd ever heard, "Who was that?"

"Er… he was… my…"

"Honey," Malfoy said, leaning purposely into the phone. "Come on. Who you talking to? Let's have some fun."

"Hermione?" Phil said. Crap, she thought, he called me my real name. He's really annoyed.

"Look, Phil, I've met somebody else." She pulled the phone away from Malfoy as he opened his mouth to say something else.

"Well, thanks for telling me the news. Thanks a lot!" said Phil's furious voice before he hung up.

Hermione pushed the phone back into Malfoy's hands with unnecessary force. "There. Happy? Now can you please, please go away?" She was ashamed when her voice broke.

No way am I crying in front of him, she thought.

"You know, Granger, we could get together. Just for one night. I mean, I'm here now, in the middle of the night, and everyone thinks we've already done it. Why not?"

"I wouldn't even touch you, Malfoy. Anyway, I'm surprised. I mean, I am a Mudblood, after all."

"Hey, Mudblood or not, you've been looking nice lately," he said offhandedly.

She pushed him away from her. "Tell me where Harry is now!"

"Okay," he said suddenly. "Okay. But I can't tell you."

"So, I've done all this for nothing?" she screamed.

"I said, I can't tell you but I can show you," he said calmly.

"You… you're showing me where Harry is?" she asked, her voice lowered.

"If you want to see Harry, follow me," he said.

She got up out of bed and followed her, terribly curious.

She was terrified. What would she see? What would Harry be like?

Would he be dead?