Author's Note: This is somewhat of a slow chapter, like a lot of them before, but it gets a hell of a lot better after this one. As for the next installment of this: It's getting better and better by the day. I love it. The main character of that story will be in this one but not till later chapters. I think you will find something in that character that you like and something about them that annoys you, but enough about that person. Let's get to chapter nine!

Chapter Nine

Harry laid awake, the pain of his scar increasing every now and then and then lowering. He wondered where Hermione had been all this time. He wondered what was wrong with Jane and why she sounded so different. He wondered why Lucius Malfoy had tried to kill his own son. He wondered where Slughorn had been the whole time…

Harry sat up hearing the familiar giggle of Hermione and Draco's whisper. He got out of bed and peered out the door which hadn't been shut all the way.

"I can't wait to get out of these clothes. It's so annoying getting dressed up." Hermione said. Harry looked down and noticed they were holding hands. She reached up and kissed him, draping her arms around his neck and then nuzzling her face into his shoulder. He placed his hands on her lower back. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. If this didn't bring the school together, nothing else would.

"Harry," Ginny whispered in the background. Harry kept gazing though. He had never seen Hermione's eyes so sparkly and what not. Harry felt a sharp stinging in his stomach. He had never felt this kind of angry bubbling feeling. And if he had, then it hadn't been for a long time. Finally he watched them go into Hermione's room and shut the door. Harry turned, leaning on the door and making it shut all the way.

Ginny turned on the lamp and looked at him. "Harry, who was that?"

"Hermione and Malfoy." Harry said their names as if they were pieces of scum.

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Draco watched as Hermione took off her dress and chattered on. Her body was perfect, not too extravagant, not too plain, but perfect. She seemed so comfortable around him and it took Pansy so much longer to be like that. She then slipped into pajamas and crawled on the bed next to him. She exhaled greatly and looked at him.

"Why was there an attack tonight?"

"Because Jane is here, possibly and I didn't tell anyone. They want the horcruxe that Slughorn has. If they can get Jane off that potion, she'll find it somehow." Hermione sighed. "Ever since I chickened out, killing off Dumbledore and everything, they Death Eaters have held a grudge against me, my father especially."

"Oh," she said, not really paying attention anymore but watching the ceiling swirl, around and around, thinking of Cedric. Cedric would be back soon and none of this would matter anymore. None of it.

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Hermione, Harry, Pansy and Draco had been called to the Great Hall early that morning. Harry didn't say a word to Hermione and she couldn't understand why.

"Why can't you just tell me what's wrong?" Hermione whispered.

"If Cedric was still here, you wouldn't have done it."

"Done what?" she asked Harry.

"Kiss Malfoy. You look like you meant it and wanted it."

"Harry…" she said quietly.

"There's really no excuse for this one Hermione. You haven't had the time to think of one, have you?" Harry said, reminding her that it had been a few years since Cedric had died and she hadn't told them until now.

"Harry, what about Ron and Pansy, huh?"

"Don't try to change the subject, Hermione. And promise me you didn't do it with him."

"I didn't!" Hermione said loudly. "God Harry, I'm not a slut."

"What would Cedric think of this?"

"I wouldn't have done it if Cedric was alive, Harry. Don't you think it's time to move on?" No, she thought. Cedric was going to come back and she had kissed someone.

"Well…to Malfoy?" he asked. "No…maybe to Ron, but to Malfoy? It was so sudden, Hermione. Were you planning on telling me or just keeping it a secret?" Harry asked.

"Of course I was planning on telling you. It's just that-" Hermione stopped talking and looked up at the Great Hall. She stuck her arm out in front of Harry and stopped him as well. She couldn't believe it, that one of the doors to the Great Hall was actually falling off, or actually, not falling off, but being taken off. Harry's jaw dropped. Hermione backed away even more as it crashed to the floor, creating a very loud noise and shaking the whole school. Dust flew up into the air, making some students who had been watching start to cough.

Hermione started to walk down the stairs and found McGonagall waiting for them with Pansy and Draco already there. "We have a lot to discuss…" she said strictly turning to the doors. They followed her into the Great Hall and then through a corridor which Harry recognized right away. They came into the antechamber.

"Sit down," McGonagall told them. Hermione sat on the end, next to Harry, in a big leather chair. Draco sat on the other end.

"As you know…the school was attacked last night. By about five Death Eaters. We have decided to tighten security even more around here, to make the school-"

"Even closer." Pansy piped up. They had heard that only about a hundred times so far that year.

"Yes. Your duties will become more hectic. Hufflepuff will share a tower with Gryffindor and Ravenclaw with Slytherin." Draco swallowed angrily, trying to get a grip over himself, but it didn't seem to be working. "We have decided however to put Quidditch back to the old way, seeing as you all have been controlling yourself very well. Hermione and Draco made a perfect example of bonding last night, however it was ruined." McGonagall kept a close eye on Draco.

"Oh, just ask it, McGonagall. You're dying to know." Pansy started angrily "Did Draco know that this was going to happen? Why would Draco's father try to kill his own son?" Everyone looked at Pansy and then Draco.

"I didn't know it was going to happen!" Draco said outraged. "Nothing private can happen when you share a dorm with Potter and Granger. And I don't know why he tried to kill me!"

"Calm down, Malfoy. We will have everything worked out soon. Jane is coming to a conclusion."

"About what? How she's so freaky?" Hermione spat. "I know that she's the 'Death Eater' princess of the world. She can change her voice, with her second pair of vocal chords. She has all the powers in the world. Annie has to take care of her every second of her life. She's like a bloody seeing eye dog!"

"Miss Granger…I'd appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself. Like you said, everything magical comes naturally to Jane and with her on our side, Voldemort will go down and Hogwarts will be back to how it was. Before all of you showed up…" McGonagall said coldly. Draco bit his lower lip glaring at her.

"What about the Great Hall doors? What's the point of taking them down?" Harry asked.

"The Death Eaters could have easily gotten in that way, although we don't know exactly how they got in. Your duties will be posted in your rooms, please do not question them. If there are no more questions, you may be on your way."

They got up and left her, feeling somewhat depressed that everyone except Harry had had an outrage. And to think that Harry Potter could be calm about it, when he had the most problems…