Disclaimer: I was doing gymnastics when I saw a scary bee, I quickly put on my fuzzy pink slippers and ran to the nearest scooter, I had only managed to go about two inches when I tripped over a shadow. And that's how I broke off half of both my front teeth.
A week later found Hermione and Draco sitting in the exact same place in the library with Harry happily munching on yet another cookie nearby. Dusty sunlight shown down on them as Hermione, head clutched in hands, asked for what must have been the 10,412th time, "Now are you sure you interviewed everyone in Slytherin?"
"Everyone." He responded dully, "down to the stupid little first year that shot spit-balls at me through the entire conference!"
"And how do you know they weren't lying?" she shot back shrewdly.
"Legilimens."
"Ah, yes. I forgot, you would know things like that."
Draco grinned in response and asked, "Well, have investigated in any of the other houses, or just Gryffindor for that matter?"
"O yes," she answered sarcastically, "because I'm so sure a Gryffindor would want to kill off Ron and Hagrid!"
"Well they could." He muttered unconvincingly.
She quashed his feeble protest with a skeptic look, "No, I just know it's a Slytherin, we went over the whole "everybody in your house has Death Eater parents" discussion already.
"Well, people in other houses could have parents working for Voldemort." Drat, yet another pathetic objection crushed by Hermione's "that's a stupid idea and you know it" look.
Harry had finished his cookie and begun stacking books vertically to form a large tower. Hermione watched him idly, no longer worried by the consequences his behavior. She then said thoughtfully, "You know, I wonder if Voldemort has any knowledge of Harry's, erm, condition."
"Well he probably knows about the insanity part, and maybe even the special talents, but I doubt he knows about Harry's invincibility to magic. I mean only a few of us know about that." This was true as they hadn't been to keen to spread this little fact around in case there was a need for it later. It was a secret weapon, so to speak.
Hermione twirled her quill between her fingers, a habit she had picked up from Draco, "You think Voldemort will attempt attack Harry at the end of this year as usual?"
"Probably." They sat there in silence for a bit longer for neither could think of anything left to discuss. The expanse of quiet grew longer and more awkward with each passing moment until it became unbearable, so, still puzzled, the two students said their farewells and departed.
As the days dragged on Hermione rapidly became obsessed over who the culprit could possibly be. At first it was understandable for the victims had been two of her best friends, but when she began to ditch class simply to go to empty classrooms and pace Draco started to worry. And so, one day during potions (the third class in a row that she had not attended) he decided to find her and possibly talk some sense into her.
"Hey Potter!" he hissed, jabbing his partner in the ribs to get his attention.
Harry, thinking it was some new game, poked him back in quite the painful manner. Draco stifled a yell. Still glaring at Harry and rubbing his side he continued as if there hadn't been an interruption, "Do you have that map with you, you know, the one that shows all the people in the castle?"
Harry nodded happily and handed over the Marauder's Map. "Well that's convenient." Thought Draco. "Okay Potter, behave while I'm gone."
"Here-way re-hay ou-yay oing-gay?" asked Harry in pig Latin.
Draco looked confused for a second, then got the gist of what he had been asked, "Oh, uh, bathroom." He responded. For some reason Harry didn't look the least bit confused as to why someone would need a magical map with them while going to the restroom. Instead he simply nodded sagely and went back to his potion (the hardest one in the book, for he had completed the class assignment ages ago).
"Mr. Malfoy?" Snape questioned at Draco's raised hand.
"Sir, could I please use the restroom?"
Snape glared at him for a moment (he hadn't been favoring Draco as much since he found out that he had become friends with Harry and Hermione), but just nodded and moved on.
Draco sprinted out of the classroom to the laughter of his fellow students. He followed the map up a couple flights of stairs and into a nearly empty classroom, nearly empty except for Hermione. She jerked out of her trance as he entered the room. "Oh, hello Draco. What are you doing here?"
"Trying to find out why you're skiving class to sit in an empty classroom. I mean, I know they were your friends and all, but don't you think this is a bit extreme?"
Hermione gave him a perplexed look for a moment before the light of understanding dawned in her eyes, "Oh, Ron and Hagrid, no I've given up on that problem for the moment." Draco gaped at her; it wasn't like Hermione to give up on a problem so easily, especially one of such magnitude. "No, you see, Mrs. Weasley invited Harry and me to the Burrow for the Christmas Holidays and I was wondering how to ask her to let you come along as well. That is if you want to, I know your families have been mortal enemies for the past few centuries."
"No, no that would be lovely, I-"
But Hermione threw up her hand, effectively cutting him off. Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, "Did you leave Harry unattended in a classroom full of potential accidental victims?"
"That's a bit harsh, I mean they are seventh year students and Snape is in there too…" But Hermione had already bolted out of the classroom. Cursing, Draco followed.
When they reached the classroom Draco had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. It appeared that Harry had encased the class, Snape and all, up to their necks in a giant mound of magical chocolate-chip cookie dough. With a quick wave of her wand, Hermione dispersed the goop and rounded on Harry. "What on earth compelled you to do this?" She yelled, gesturing to the rather dazed and soggy students picking themselves up off the floor.
"A nice little voice told me to!" responded Harry, picking up and devouring stray bits of cookie dough off the floor.
"A voice, oh ha ha, very funny I'm sure some invisible person just came up to you and, wait a second…invisible! Harry, did you see the person who was talking to you?"
"Nope!"
The three of them dashed upstairs to Harry's trunk and, sure enough, his invisibility cloak was missing.
A/N: Sorry, for the wait. I went on a ten day camping trip with my family. Roswell, NM must be the strangest place on earth…and in space (yay for those of you who get the lame joke). Anyway, I got rather mixed opinions on the Hermione/Draco thing…so why don't you all review a whole lot more so I can get a good range of them. Oh, and about the disclaimer, sometimes it's best just not to ask…