NOTE TO REVIEWERS: Thank you so much to Polgara for those wonderful reviews. I must admit that the scenes where they are coming up with the plan and in the closet are two of my four favorite scenes. They were so much fun to write, too. Also, about the dream...Yes, it means something, but you have to figure it out yourself...;-) Love ya!

Onto the next chapter...


Chapter Seven

"So, you thought you could send me away," Potter said smugly as Draco and Hermione sat struggling against the ropes around their wrists and ankles. "Let me guess, Malfoy. You didn't want any competition, did you? Of course, you didn't, you need all the help you can get to rise to the top."

"I could take you anytime, Potter," Draco sneered.

"Really? How about right now?" Potter chuckled before crouching to be eye level with Hermione. "So, why did you do it, 'Mione? To get me back?"

"I wouldn't take you back now if you were the last thing in this universe, and don't call me 'Mione," Hermione said through clenched teeth.

"Really?" He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "So, what about Malfoy? You know the truth about him just like you know the truth about me. Are you just using him? Are you going to turn him in when this is all over? You know he would have turned you into Lord Voldemort if you two succeeded." He pulled back and brushed his hand through her hair. "You know, I wasn't lying when I told you I was thinking about you while I was with Parkinson. We could still be together." He rubbed his forefinger down her cheek and neck while Hermione cringed and tried to pull away, but the wall stopped her.

"Get your hands off her!" Draco yelled, fighting to free himself from the bonds.

Potter grinned at him before kissing Hermione. "It's a shame we can no longer be together, however," Potter continued to her while Crabbe and Goyle gagged a struggling Draco. "You and I…With your brains and my strength and power, we could rule this planet."

"Why? Why would I want to; why would you want to?"

"The control, the power, the respect…Why wouldn't I want to?"

"The hatred, the fear, the hiding: Is that really what you want? You want people to hate you and fear you? Even your followers hate you because they're afraid of you. Do you want to hide for the rest of your life?"

Potter exploded to his feet. "Hide! Who said anything about hiding? I'm tired of hiding! I don't need to hide anymore!"

"Then why did you hide your change from me? Were you afraid I would do something?"

"Well, you did, didn't you?"

"Or were you afraid I would stop you? Are you afraid I will stop you?"

Potter's face reddened as he pulled Hermione to her feet and pulled his arm back to slap her.

Hermione held her head higher as she prepared for the blow. Instead, he threw her to the floor, causing her head to hit the wall. Hermione fought the pain and the urge to allow herself to pass out. She barely heard the three Slytherins leave laughing. She squinted her eyes against the pain. Taking deep breaths, Hermione felt the pain lessen slightly. She rolled her head to see Draco struggling against his bonds. "Malfoy," she croaked. "Draco," she said just a little louder, causing him to look at her and stop moving. "Draco, the wand…They dropped a wand close to the door."

Draco turned, saw it, and squirmed toward the wand on the floor. With difficulty, he managed to grab the stick of wood and roll back to the witch who took it from him.

She pointed it at the bonds on his hands. "Finite," she said weakly. The ropes dropped limply from his wrists.

He quickly removed his gag, the bonds on his ankles, then Hermione's bonds.

"What do you think they're going to do?" Hermione asked as she and Draco sat leaning against the wall.

"I don't know."

"They took everything, didn't they?"

Draco smirked. "Everything that wasn't important anymore."

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

He reached into a pocket in his cloak and pulled out some parchment. "I managed to grab the map and his schedule when I heard someone trying to open the door."

"You are perfect for this job." Hermione thought for a moment as she looked around the room and focused on the door. She swallowed in an attempt to moisten her dry throat. "You know, what's the point of having a bloody spell to lock a door when a first-year can open it?"

"It's the way of the world."

"Not to Muggles."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even the most simple lock requires an expert to open it."

"Or a wizard."

"Or a wizard." She watched him finger the wand in his hand and twirl it between his fingers. It seemed to be an extension of him. "I take it that's your wand?"

Draco looked suddenly at his fingers twirling the wand. He stopped. "Yeah. I guess they still have yours."

The witch grimaced and sighed. "So, what are we going to do? He's going to try to figure out what we're planning."

"Trust me, he won't figure it out."

Hermione shook her head. "You underestimate him. He can put together any puzzle."

"But he's missing the most important pieces, including you."

"He'll still figure it out; he doesn't need me. The question is when?"

"Well, let's not give him a chance, then."

"But we still have awhile before we can implement our plan, and we need to know whether or not he'll be expecting us."

"Well, it's going to take him more than a couple weeks to figure this out."

"No, it isn't."

Draco jumped up. "Bloody Hell, Granger! Will you stop disagreeing and listen to me!"

"Well, if you weren't being so stupid in underestimating Harry!" Hermione shouted, quickly regretting it as she winced in pain.

"Stupid! I'm not the one being stupid!"

"You're going to get us into trouble." The witch struggled to stand up then started stumbling to the door. "Maybe I should just go," she said wearily.

Draco grabbed her arm to stop her, his face thoughtful. "No. Don't." Realization crossed his face. "That's what he wants: He wants us to split, so we'll be weaker, and he doesn't have to figure out the plan. So, this is what we do…We make it easy for him—"

"And easy for us," Hermione finished. "On the outside, we'll be split, but actually, we'll still be doing our job, and we don't have to worry about him figuring out the plan—"

"Because he'll think he won't have to."

The two smiled evilly at each other.

"Watch yourself, Granger: You might turn into an evil, slimy Slytherin."

Hermione smiled mysteriously. "What are you talking about, Malfoy? I've always been like this." Despite the throbbing in her head, she confidently strutted out the room, leaving a stunned Draco behind her.