Draco sat there brooding. He hated being his fathers little agent! He had secrets, but no one even his father knew them. Draco sat in a stupor through his charms class waiting for the time to end where he could head back up to the common room and try to sleep. Even with this thought he knew it was impossible, he could not keep visions and nightmares out of his mind when he tried to sleep. He had not had a full nights sleep for such a long time….
Draco was in his home, the Malfoy mansion. His father was standing over a figure, a blonde haired woman… his mother! He saw that she was crying and whimpering as if he had just hit her. Lucius spoke in a sharp tone dripping with rage,
" This is the last time you fail me and the dark lord. You were supposed to put the poison in his food. Why would you refrain? The dark lord has found out our secret. Draco must die. He is only your son." Mustering up the last of her strength Narcissa looked strait up at her husband, her eyes swimming with what seemed like all of the hate in the world.
" I cherish my son far then me you. You may be pure blood, but you are so evil you are not fit to lick slime from your own son's shoes. I would rather die than kill him!"
" So I guess that you have made your choice… but first lets make you feel the wrath of Voldermort and his faithful servants! Crucio!"
Draco fell out of his desk to the sound of his own screams.
Suddenly Professor Flitwick shook Draco awake.
" Wake up boy, it was only a nightmare. Maybe you should go to the hospital wing." Said Flitwick kindly. Draco nodded, but when he tried to get up he collapsed. His legs felt like Jell-o. "Someone help him, you Granger." Flitwick now sounded truly worried. Hermione gingerly took Draco's arm and started dragging him along. As soon as Hermione knew she was out of sight she propped him up against the wall and said,
"What happened?" Draco's head swam as he tried to answer,
" Home… mother…being murdered… father evil b…" Draco tried to finish his sentence but fainted dead away.
Hermione hoisted him up and carried him to the hospital wing.
An hour later when charms class was over Harry and Ron went to dinner expecting to see Hermione already eating. When they had walked up and down the Griffindor table a few times it became obvious that she wasn't there. Harry went to the hospital wing while Ron went to the Griffindor common room and then the heads common room. Harry found her where he had expected, sitting in an armchair beside Malfoy. She looked rather worried and kept glancing at Draco's pale face and becoming more agitated by the minute. Harry walked over expecting her to explain everything but as soon as she caught sight of him she said,
" Oh Harry, I was hoping you would find me up here! I need to know where dumbledor's office is and the password." Harry was taking lessons from Dumbledor this year to find out about Voldermort's past but still couldn't see why Hermione needed the password. He found the whole thing rather curious.
"Why do you want the password? What happened?' Harry asked. Hermione had only failed to answer his question once, and that was the fact about her going to the ball with Krum, but now she said,
" I can't tell you, it's a secret." Harry was bursting with curiosity.
"Why the bloody 'hell not?" said Harry. Hermione cringed; she hated keeping secrets from Harry. Hermione was desperate now.
"Please, just give me the password, its urgent!" Hermione had a pleading tone in her voice so Harry said,
"Its levitating gumdrops." Without as much as thanks Hermione rushed of to dumbledors office behind the gargoyle statue and practically shouted the password at it. She ran up the revolving staircase to impatient to wait for it to carry her up at a sedate pace. When she came to the thick oak door she did not bother to use the gold griffin knocker but burst through the door to find Dumbledor talking to the paintings of the old headmasters. Dumbledor looked up looking a little surprised he spoke, his voice was not stern, more amused,
" Ah, ms. Granger! I presume it is important for the fact that you nearly tore my door off." Hermione looked back at the door, which was slightly crooked on its hinges now and was creaking sadly from side to side. Hermione turned back to Dumbledor ignoring the squeaking. She needed to tell Dumbledor about Draco's parents. Hermione blurted out the story very fast. Dumbledor listened calmly and when she was finished he said only one word,
"Thanks," and with a puff of scarlet smoke he was gone. Hermione stood somewhat awkwardly in dumbledors office for a few moments before striding out. She went back to the hospital wing to find Harry, Ron and an unconscious Draco. As soon as Harry saw Hermione he leapt up and demanded,
"Can you PLEASE tell us what's going on?" Hermione wanted to but she knew that she couldn't tell Harry or Ron what Draco had seen. Hermione gulped and then shook her head. At the look of shock on Harry's face Hermione exclaimed,
"It's a secret, I can't tell you! I'm sorry! Hermione looked close to tears so Harry dropped the subject. Hermione knew they would drop it if she looked upset. (Hehehe!) She didn't like faking tears to Harry and Ron but it was the only way she knew how to keep Draco's secret. That night Hermione waited for Draco in the common room. He walked in looking even paler then usual but much healthier. Draco was half way across the common room before he noticed Hermione. He froze like a deer in the beam of a headlight. Her nightgown was a two-piece. It was a beautiful golden colored Egyptian cotton with black tassels. She looked like she had just gotten out of the shower because her hair was wet and shiny. Her nightgown was flowed over her body and Draco could clearly see her hourglass figure and trim waste. She looked a little to thin actually, as if she was slowly starving to death. He knew he must look the same way. Suddenly he noticed something that made his heart stop and then start again, this time very fast. Around Hermione's neck was a black silk ribbon with a silver werewolf fang hanging off of it. Hermione, with hopes of charming Draco then crushing his heart had hoped he would be stunned by her vela charm, but instead he looked horrified. He clutched something under his shirt then ran up to his room so fast that it took her a while to realize he was gone. She blinked then ran after him trying to figure out what had spooked him. Hermione thought he was acting rather like a feral cat, bolting away suspiciously at the first sign of change. She came to his door and knocked softly.
"Draco, what is it? What happened, are you hurt? Did you have another vision?" Draco didn't answer immediately he had to make an excuse for his dash away from her. He leaned against the wall adrenaline pumping through his body, and his hands shook as he stroked a silver werewolf fang on a black silk ribbon…
The next day was Saturday and Hermione was delighted that it would be a Hogsmeade trip. This would be a good time to continue project-woe-Malfoy. It was perfect! If he liked her he couldn't stand to hurt her by giving her secrets to the dark lord. Then sadness swept over her like a wave. She hated lying, tricking, and so on. She wished everyone could just get a long. All this talk of war lately made her feel sick. Hermione dressed and walked down the stairs. Draco was sitting there staring into the flames. At the sound of footsteps he turned and his jaw fell open. Last night he had realized she was pretty, but now she looked drop dead gorgeous! She was wearing a bright blue spaghetti-strap tank top and hip-hugger jeans. He noticed the fang necklace and again he turned white. Hermione followed his gaze. She suddenly understood.
"Is this what's bothering you?" said Hermione Draco shook his head wildly. He again clutched at his neck. Hermione knew he was lying but inquired no further. She made a soft tinkling sound when she walked from her bracelets and anklets. Her onyx earrings glittered in the firelight. Draco closed his jaw as she walked across the room. Hermione looked at him and then asked in a resigned voice,
" I suppose you'll be wanting to come to Hogsmeade with me wont you?" Draco nodded dumbly. Hermione fought hard to suppress a grin. Things were working out exactly as she had planned them to. Even if she didn't like the plan at least it was going right. Hermione slipped out of the portrait hole with Draco and head to Hogsmeade.
As Hermione entered Hogsmeade many heads turned. Hermione was getting admiring looks from the male population and the female population was glaring down their loses at her and shaking their boyfriends. The girls weren't the only ones glaring though. Draco was glaring at all the other guys as if to say she's mine! Mine I say, so keep your grubby mitts off! Hermione noticed this and said so to Draco,
"I'm not your property Draco, you can't stop them." Draco looked surprised that she had noticed. She was marvelous at reading expressions. He was too but to most people his thoughts were unfathomable. Hermione groaned suddenly. Draco looked at her, alarmed. She spoke as she grabbed his hand and started dragging him away through the crowd.
"Oh my god. It's Zacharias Smith! Come on, we got to get out of here!" Hermione dragged Draco all the way to the hog's-head. There were no students in there other than Draco and herself. Hermione heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed irresistible beauty wasn't all it was cut out to be. Hermione sat in a shadowed corner while Draco went up to the counter and ordered two butter beers. When he returned Hermione started to talk as they popped the cap off of the bottles.
"I'm going to madam Malkins to get my costume." At Draco's confused look Hermione continued in an exasperated tone,
" You know, for the masquerade ball?" Draco suddenly understood. He had forgotten completely about there being a masquerade ball. Draco knew he would have to go get his too. He and Hermione finished their butterbeers chatting animatedly. When they arrived at Madam Malkins Hermione found Ginny and dragged her off to find a costume. Hermione looked through the shop trying to find the perfect outfit. She was hurrying along an isle with Ginny who was following her picking up an outfit every once in a while and looking at Hermione. Suddenly Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and Ginny bumped into her. All the costumes she had been wearing fell out of her hands and scattered all over the floor. Hermione didn't pay the incident any heed. She reached out her hand and grabbed an outfit.
"Its perfect." Hermione whispered. She completely ignored all of the clothes scattered around her and she examined the outfit. The outfit was black with intricate silver swirls mixed into it with had spaghetti straps and a slight v-neck and a slit up the calf section. The dress wasn't floor length; it was just below her knee. The fabric was silky and as soft and cool as the night air. Then Hermione noticed the bottom of the outfit. It was diagonally cut and faintly flared. Ginny had a look on her face that said rather obviously that she wanted to do Hermione's makeup and hair. Hermione knew that she had no choice than to let he. As Hermione paid for the outfit Ginny asked her the question she knew they would get to sooner or later.
"So, Hermione…" began Ginny slyly. "Who are you going to the ball with?"
"Nobody yet." Responded Hermione. Ginny looked crestfallen the said hopefully,
"I could hook you up with…" but Ginny's offer was cut off by a sharp
"NO!" from Hermione. Hermione knew that Ginny wanted her to go with someone but she didn't like other people to pick out her dates. Hermione decided it was time for Ginny to receive some questions,
"Who are you going with Ginny?" asked Hermione. She had an idea who it might be.
"Harry," said Ginny, blushing furiously. Bingo! Guessed right. Thought Hermione. Ginny and Hermione giggled and girl talked all the way to Hogwarts and Hermione promised to let Ginny into the heads common room before the ball. Ginny parted from Hermione mumbling a list of makeup and accessories to bring. When Hermione arrived at the common room she was just about to go put away her costume when she heard Draco enter. Hermione swung around and hid her outfit behind her back. Draco did the same. Hermione edged up to her room so Draco couldn't see her outfit. As soon as she was gone Draco hurried up to his room. He wanted his costume to be a surprise. Hermione set her costume underneath her bed for safekeeping. For the first time in her life, Hermione couldn't wait for the ball to arrive. When Draco arrived at the Slytherin table the next day he was immediately seized by pansy. She was trying to make her voice seductive but it sounded more like she had a bad head cold to Draco.
"Oh, Dracee-poo don't you have something to ask me?" Pansy said. Draco was disgusted. He hated pansy and he thought she had gotten that from his hint at the beginning of the year. She was obviously even dumber than she looked, (ohhh-boy, that's pretty bad!). Draco pried her man-ish hands off of his arm before saying,
"I'm not going to the ball with you pansy, I've already got a date." Draco knew this was the only way to get her to leave him alone. He just hoped she didn't ask who it was. He had no idea what he would say. Thankfully pansy dropped the subject and sulked off to complain to some of her butt-ugly buddies. Now Draco had no date. Great he thought. He knew his father would want him to ask Hermione but Draco dreaded the task. It wasn't that he didn't like Hermione, matter of fact he liked her very much. But he didn't want to hand potter over to the Dark Lord. Then Draco remembered how his father had tried to kill him. Draco decided something then and there; he would never be a death eater and was going to stop following his father's orders. With all that said, that still left the choice, would he ask Hermione to the ball?