How nice am I updating again? lol, things start to get back to the original plotline now, although everything has been relevant in some way or another but it gets more direct now.

Things start to get a bit hectic for me from now on, I finish my degree in 21 days and have a lot of work to do before then so updates mught not be quite as fast but I'll try my best :)

Thanks for the reviews people, much appreciated.

Step


Chapter 24

Hermione was still sobbing into the quilt covering Ron, it was like all of her frustration was being released, only to be replaced by anger. Suddenly she sat up and wiped the tears off her face, she stood up and started pacing again, back and forth along the side of Ron's bed. I have to get out of here, she thought, she was starting to feel claustrophobic in the small cubicle. She saw a shadow move under the curtain, it started to move towards Ron's bed. Panicking slightly she turned on the spot and once again fought her way through the wards which were supposedly protecting the hospital and it's patients.

A second after she disapparated the curtain was pulled back and Harry looked into the cubicle. To get himself into the hospital he had only had to ask the receptionist if he could go and see his best friend. She had recognised him instantly, and although he was slightly ashamed of doing so, he laid his misery about Ron on a bit thick and because she felt sorry for him and somewhat fancied the famous Harry Potter, she turned a blind eye to his quick disappearance up to the fourth floor.

He had seen shadows moving underneath the closed curtain and knew it was Hermione in there, however he realised his approach had been detected when she stopped moving. When the shadow disappeared completely he ran the last few steps towards the curtain and pulled it back, but his efforts were in vain.

'Crap! Hermione, where the hell have you gone?'

He looked at the quilt covering his best friend and saw the remnants of Hermione's eyeliner and mascara smudged across it, he noticed the tearstains too and sighed deeply. Not having a clue where she had disapparated to he turned on the spot and after successfully fighting the wards as Hermione had done, a second later appeared in front of Ginny, the frustration showing on his face.

Hermione had reappeared in Hogsmeade, she didn't know why, she just knew she needed to be as far away from home as she could be at the minute, and you didn't get much further away from the South East of England than the highlands of Scotland.

She leant into the wind wishing she had thought to pull a cloak on, or even her summer jacket before she left the house. She walked up the deserted street trying to calm herself down but she couldn't. She was tired of not knowing how to plan her life out, whether to go on thinking Ron was going to wake up in the next few weeks, or whether to think the thing she hadn't let herself think since they found him that night, and start to plan a life without him. She just didn't know what to do, and that scared her more than anything.

As she walked on down the main street in the village, past the shops she had visited many times with Harry and Ron whilst they were at school, she didn't notice the cloaked figure following her in the shadows.

As if tracking her mood the sky had been greying ever since she arrived, and now rain started to fall from the dark clouds. It fell fast and hard and Hermione ran to the cover of a shop front. She could have just disapparated home and the thought crossed her mind, but she didn't want to face what she knew was waiting for her. She knew it would lead to questions, some of which didn't have answers and some she didn't want to answer at all.

A shadow appeared to her left and before she noticed it, it uttered words she had heard many times before, but not for a long time.

'Well if it isn't the filthy little Mudblood.'

Hermione's head snapped towards the hooded person and she raised her arm, wand in hand ready to strike if needed.

'What in God's name do you want Malfoy?'

The last time Hermione had seen Malfoy was three months before the final battle, as for the event itself he had been conspicuous by his absence. However he was still wanted by the Ministry.

'You know, hearing you spout that muggle religion is quite endearing, it's good to know you're keeping your muggle views, seeing as though you are one on the inside.'

'Give me one reason why I shouldn't curse you this instant and turn you into the Ministry Malfoy.'

'Oh give it a rest Granger, as much as this is the most human contact I've had in weeks I don't intend on it becoming a regular thing, I have some information that you might find…intriguing.'

'What the hell could you possibly say that I would need to know?'

'You know what Granger, I don't need this grief, I guess you don't love the unconscious Weasel as much as I thought you did,' a smirk crossed his face as he watched his words have the desired effect.

Hermione took the pace between them and pressed her wand into his Adam's apple.

'What do you mean Malfoy? What do you know about Ron?' she snarled.

'Well let's just say I might know why he isn't in the land of the living.'

She pressed the wand harder into his skin. He swallowed and winced, refusing to back away from her, refusing to show any sign of weakness.

'Tell me what you know, or so help me I'll curse you like you've never known.'

'Don't be stupid Granger,' he spat venomously, ' I've been tortured by the Dark Lord himself. Anything you did would be nothing compared to that, and even if you killed me, it would make a nice change from the pathetic existence you might call my life.'

She moved her wand away from him a fraction, breaking contact with the skin.

'He…he tortured you?'

'Don't start feeling sorry for me Granger, I don't think I could stand listening to your pity.'

'Fine, then tell me what you know about Ron.'

'Take your wand out of my face and I just might.'

She looked into his eyes which had just become visible as his hood fell back an inch. Any sign of life in them had been extinguished. For years she had seen a glint in them when he bullied her, using words to hurt her, but even that had gone. She lowered her arm and put her wand in her right hand.

'Thank you.'

She was shocked at the words, mainly because there was no hint of sarcasm in them, they seemed sincere.

'What do you know?' she asked almost kindly, almost.

'Well, let's just say I might know one of the curses he was hit with.'

'What was it?' she demanded, her heart hammering.

'Granger please, do you think I'm going to give up my one bargaining chip just like that? I want something in return.'

'You want something in return?'

'Did you expect anything else?' he asked, a smile creeping onto his face.

'No, but I had a glimmer of hope you had learned some sort or morality.'

'Oh get off your high horse Granger, I can't afford to have morals. I need you to he-' he stopped, disgusted at himself for almost saying that word to her.

'You want my help?' she said with a smirk worthy of the wizard opposite her.

'You can wipe that smirk of your face-'

'HEY!' she cut in, 'For someone who needs my help you're being damn rude!'

They both fell silent

'What do you want from me?' Hermione asked after a minute.

'I want to speak to Potter,' Malfoy replied.

Hermione stared at his grey eyes, looking for any kind of emotion in them, still she saw nothing.

'You want to talk to Harry?'

'Yes I do.'

'Why?'

'I'm not telling you that Granger, you'll find out if you help me anyway. I want you to be there to make sure Potter doesn't do anything stupid.'

'And what if I help you see him? What then?'

'Then I tell you what you're beloved Weaselbee was hit with, I might even be able to find out what the second curse was.'

'How do I know you'll keep your word?'

'There was a time when the word of a Malfoy was honoured.'

'Yes well that privilege was squandered somewhat when your father joined the Death Eaters wasn't it?'

Malfoy scowled.

'So how's this going to work then?' Hermione asked quietly.

'Well, you convince Potter to meet me somewhere and you'll be there too, oh and I don't want any wands-'

Hermione laughed despite herself, 'You think Harry will agree to that?'

'Fine, you can have one if it makes Potter feel better, I trust you more than him, not that that's saying anything. When we're all there getting along nicely, we'll talk and then I'll tell you what you need to know.'

'Oh no. We arrive, you tell me what I want to know and then you talk to Harry.'

Malfoy surveyed Hermione and noticed the defiance and determination in her eyes.

'Fine, but no wands except you. You can arrive first and search me if you want to' he sneered.

'Isn't that something to look forward to!' she replied, the sarcasm obvious.

'Here,' he said digging into his cloak pocket for something. When his hand appeared Hermione saw two gold coins, 'we can arrange a time and place using these, you should know how to use them.'

'Considering they were my idea I would look foolish if I didn't.' Malfoy smirked again.

Hermione shivered and tried to warm herself by folding her arms, needless to say the effort didn't work.

'Why were you wandering up and down Hogsmeade village at two in the morning Granger, surely life isn't hard for one of the saviours of the wizarding world.'

She considered for a moment telling Malfoy everything, she sometimes found telling people she wasn't extremely close too her problems easier than talking to her friends or family, as she wasn't bothered about upsetting or worrying them. This was an opportunity to do just that. Then her brain interfered. This way Malfoy.

'Oh piss off with the small talk Malfoy, like you care about what I might or might not be doing, and I could ask you the exact same thing,' she stopped waiting to see if he was going to give her any sort of answer, he didn't, she continued, 'I'll contact you when I've spoken to Harry, and don't be impatient, this could take time.'

'Fine, I can't wait to hear from you!'

Knowing it was time to go home and face normality she turned on the spot and apparated home.