Disclaimer : All Harry Potter things are copyright of the one and only JK Rowling. I don't own a thing, I'm not making money off of this, and I don't even have any money that anyone could get if they sued me. So, erm, yeah.

The Darkest of Wishes

Chapter 9

Quidditch in December

"Remus?"

"Hermione..."

Hermione waited for Lupin's explanation. She was not letting him go without one.

"It's not what it looks like," Remus held up both his hands.

"It's not?"

Hermione then realized that they were not thinking along the same lines. Since she knew that Snape was a member of the Order, she figured that somehow Lupin had found out.

"I'm not working for Dumbledore," Remus whispered, as if he thought the walls were listening. "I'm sure it looks that way."

"Er..." Hermione was caught off guard. "All right."

"Can you keep a secret, love?"

Hermione snorted.

"I knew you could." Remus moved across the small space. He was now only a few inches from Hermione's face. "There's a traitor to the Dark Lord within Hogwarts."

So, we are thinking along the same lines, Hermione thought

"Oh, not Snape!" Hermione exclaimed. "He would never do such a thing."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?" Lupin caressed Hermione's cheek and placed a playful kiss on her nose.

Hermione was slightly taken aback by the kiss and didn't know how to react. She forced a smile and averted her eyes to the floor.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?" Hermione kept her eyes to the floor.

"I'm telling the truth, you know." Hermione looked up and saw that Lupin had straightened his entire body in a very menacing pose. "Even if you don't believe me."

Hermione said nothing, but kept her eyes square with Remus's. She was not going to show weakness, at least not now.

"I'll see you at the Quidditch match, Miss Granger." Remus spat her name as if it were poison and then he left so quickly that Hermione thought that she could have imagined it all.

x x x x x

Hermione knew that she was going to be late for the Quidditch match, when she saw Peeves in the hall across from her. It was just a feeling.

"Looky! It's a Slytherin!" Peeves called out. "Slithering around the castle, are we? When everyone else is outside watching the match... must be up to something, Grangy Granger!"

Hermione ignored Peeves and continued on her way. She figured it would be the best thing to do. Peeves flew down right in front of her and blew a large raspberry. Hermione waved her hand in front of her.

"Grangy Granger... you're no fun anymore!" Peeves called out as he flew through the closest wall.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She finally was outside and running towards the Quidditch pitch. As she climbed the stairs to one of the Slytherin seating areas, Hermione hoped that her roommates would be in the other area.

Her luck was horrible.

Millicent waved her large arms, which Hermione thought looked a lot like ham hocks. "Granger!"

The Slytherins closest to her moved quickly out of the way to allow her to get to her "friends."

"You almost missed the beginning," Graham said as she patted the seat beside her. "They're just starting."

"What kept you?" Pansy watched the toss of the quaffle and then looked over at Hermione.

Hermione didn't know if she loved Quidditch in this life, but she was set on loving it now. She ignored Pansy and stood up, placed her hands in the air, and gave an excited scream...

"Weasley... scores... bloody h-WHAT AN AWESOME CHEAP SHOT!"

"Mr. Zabini!" McGonagall warned. "We allowed you to do the commentary after your injury in hopes that you'd give an unbiased call!"

"Yes, professor." Blaise Zabini continued on with the commentary. "Ginny Weasley is up and flying again. I'll admit it; she's a good Chaser. But, that brother of hers..."

"Zabini!"

"... I'm not saying anything!" Blaise huffed. "Restart of play... Henson has the quaffle... for a fifth year he's not so bad... but then again, he is a Ravenclaw... OH! A bludger from Gryffindor's own Alex Potter just knocked Henson right off his BROOM... what an arm on that Potter... too bad it's a Gryffindor one. Oh... OH... OH! Get 'em! Knock 'is block off!"

"Commentary, please!"

"Yeah, yeah... right... well Henson didn't like the bludger... so now he's being thrown out of the game for unsportsmanlike conduct, it seems. Must have said one too many curse words at Potter. Merlin, I love this sport. All right... play resumes and Ravenclaw now has Miss Charlotte Gramm in Henson's spot. Gramm has stolen the quaffle from Creevey... she's shooting up the pitch... she tosses back to Mapother... she shoots... SCORES! Weasley is the most horrid-"

"Zabini!"

"Yeah, yeah... he's just not that good at keeping the quaffle out... oh... WOW! What a move! The two Seekers are going at it! I forget the Ravenclaw Seeker, but I hope he beats the bloody pulp out of old Longbottom out there... and... and... AND... RAVENCLAW WINS! By a score of 240 to 50! I knew Ravenclaw would win! Hey - CLEARWATER! Where's my GALLEONS!"

"Zabini! Gambling is against the rules!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Zabini shrugged...

Hermione was upset that Gryffindor had lost, but she thought that Ginny, Ron, and Neville had all done decently. "What a game!"

"I didn't think you would have gone that nuts over a Ravenclaw victory... but hey... it is better than those muggle-loving Gryffindors winning." Pansy retorted to Hermione's happiness.

"Not all Gryffindors love Muggles, you know." Hermione spat.

"How do you know?"

"Read it in Hogwarts, A History. Great book..." Hermione paused. "... for finding out dirt about the school."

"Oh..."

"Well, I'll see you girls later!" Hermione rushed down the stairs and towards the locker rooms. She would not miss out talking to Ron. Not in a million years.

x x x x x

Hermione figured that the Gryffindor team would wait until the crowd had left until they started to leave. She watched as Ginny left first along with another girl that Hermione recognized, but didn't know her name. Then Neville and the two Creevey brothers came out. Then Hermione felt as if she were going to faint... it couldn't be... it wasn't Harry, was it?

The boy had dark, jet-black hair that looked very unkempt. Hermione reassured herself that it probably looked like that because he had just been playing Quidditch. The name on the back of his jersey also said 'Potter,' and Hermione remembered that he had been a Beater. She was surprised with herself that she hadn't really listened all that well to Blaise Zabini's commentary, especially with a Potter on the pitch. Then he turned around and Hermione lost all of her Granger sense. He didn't wear glasses, but he did favor Harry. Hermione felt a large tear fall down her cheek.

"Oy!"

Hermione paused. He was looking over at her. Wasn't he?

"Oy, you!" The boy jogged over to her and gave her a look that showed that he had seen her Slytherin robes. He seemed to bethinking about running away. "You okay?"

Hermione couldn't speak. He certainly didn't sound like Harry.

"Er... hello?" The boy waved his arms as if he were a chicken.

Hermione sputtered at the sight of a look-a-like Harry waving his arms like a chicken. It was a sight to behold. "I... I'm okay... you... I... er..."

The boy stared at her. "Maybe you've been stunned... I should take you up to Madame Pomfrey."

"NO!"

The boy jumped back.

"Er... no... it's... I'm fine. Really." Hermione ridded herself of her halted speech. "I'm just waiting on an old friend."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Hermione nodded. "Thank you though."

"I don't think we've ever met properly... I'm Alex."

"Hermione-" Hermione started, but then a tall, lanky red head appeared beside Alex.

"Potter - what are you doing! Don't talk to her... she's vile."

Hermione blinked at her old friend. He obviously hated her. Hermione knew that it had been too much to hope. Well, at least, she had talked to Alex for a little while.

"Hermione!" A voice called behind her. Hermione turned and noticed Graham nearby. She had obviously been looking for her.

Hermione turned around quickly. How would this look, a Slytherin being friendly to Gryffindors... it wouldn't do.

"Well... Weasley... I suggest you go back to that little trash kettle of a home and learn how to play Keeper before we create a song in your name." Hermione stuck out her chin and glanced over at Alex, who was obviously surprised at her outburst. She nodded towards him; "It was ever so lovely to meet you. And, you, Weasley, do try harder next time."

x x x chapter end x x x

Author's Note : Ooh - Alex Potter. Coincidence? Or not?

Sorry this chapter took a little while. I've been going back through the chapters and uploading the Beta'd versions (Chapters 1-3, for right now. Chapters 4-6 will be the next update... and this will continue until I'm caught up. This way I can start posting Beta'd chapters!).

If you read, please review. I like knowing what's going on within my reader's heads.

Chapter 10 Entitled:

Circle of Hell