Chapter 26
Harry's eyes widened and the mug he was holding a couple of inches above the table landed with a thud.
'Malfoy? Did you speak to him?'
'Actually I did.'
Harry's look of shock and anger suddenly turned to concern.
'He didn't hurt you did he? I swear if he laid a finger on you or cursed you I'll kill him with my bare hands!'
'Calm down Harry, he didn't touch me, he didn't draw his wand at all actually. It was me who had my wand out and in his face for most of our conversation.'
'Why didn't you curse him and hand him into the Ministry? You do know he's a wanted wizard?' Harry asked.
Ginny rolled her eyes and tutted loudly.
'Really Harry? Is he? I never knew the Ministry wanted Malfoy, one of the few still roaming Death Eaters. Why didn't you mention it?'
Harry's gaze fell on to his half empty mug, silently acknowledging his question had been ridiculous.
'The thought did cross my mind Harry, believe me,' Hermione continued, 'but he said something that made me reconsider.'
'What could he possibly have said that would stop you getting him arrested?' Harry exclaimed, recovering from his earlier embarrassment.
'He said he knew one of the curses Ron was hit with.'
Harry stopped dead still and Ginny's mouth opened in disbelief.'
'Well did he tell you what it was?' asked Harry standing as he did so, his chair nearly upended by his actions.
'Do you think I'd have waited until now to tell you that if I'd have known?' Hermione said, slightly riled by his attitude, 'no he didn't tell me, he wants something in return for his information.'
'Of course he does,' Ginny said with a smirk on his face.
'What does he want?' Harry asked.
Hermione looked up at the wizard and saw the anger in his eyes. She knew the hatred Harry felt for Malfoy was overwhelming. Whilst she disliked the blond wizard immensely she didn't share Harry's belief that he was evil. She couldn't imagine the pressure he must have been under from his father and mother to do what they thought honoured the name of Malfoy, and she understood how much he must have needed to prove himself to them and everyone he knew.
She still thought he was arrogant, conceited and in general, a very nasty piece of work, but she felt sorry for him. She knew he had deserted Voldemort when he was nowhere to be seen on that night. If he had truly believed in his cause he would have been there fighting to the death like everyone else.
Yes she disliked the wizard with a passion for the torment he had caused her and her friends over the years, but she would always pity him too. However, Harry's views on Malfoy would never change, the phrase 'evil little shit' was the nicest way Harry described Malfoy. She knew Harry's reaction to her next comment would be interesting to say the least.
'He…he wants to see…he wants to see you actually.'
For the second time in five minutes Harry was rendered temporarily speechless. It didn't last long though.
'Why in the name of Merlin does he want to see me?'
'To talk to you I expect.'
'Hang on,' Ginny said, 'so what does he think will happen exactly? Surely he doesn't trust Harry enough to let him near him, when he could instantly curse him and hand him in?'
'No you're right, he doesn't, but then again he's probably relying on the fact that we desperately want and need that information. If Harry does that, he won't tell us a thing.'
'That sounds like Malfoy.' Ginny replied.
'What else did he say?' Harry asked,
'Well he gave me an enchanted coin so we could arrange a date and place to meet.'
'Let me see it,' Harry demanded.
'No,' Hermione replied quietly.
'Why not?' Harry asked annoyed.
'No one's touching it except me.'
'You don't trust me with it do you?' he snapped.
'I didn't say that.'
'You think I'll use it to get Malfoy somewhere on his own so I can turn him in don't you?'
Hermione sighed and looked up at him.
'I won't deny the thought crossed my mind.'
'Well thanks a lot Hermione, it's good to know after everything we've been through you don't trust me!' Harry shouted causing Hermione to flinch.
She glared at him.
'Harry, it's because of everything we've been through that I know exactly what you'd do to Malfoy if you saw him. I will not risk knowing how to wake Ron up on a stupid and pointless revenge mission. I know you think we could catch him and force the information out of him but he's too good for that.
'You know he'll have taken an antidote to Veritaserum and he's too good an Occlumens for Legilimancy to work. The only way he'll give us what we want is for us to meet him on his terms, I will not risk getting Ron back on anything and frankly I'm surprised you would.'
He glared at her, realising every word she said was true.
'Fine!' he snapped, 'what are his terms?'
'We meet somewhere, no wands except for me, he tells us what we want to know and then you talk.'
Harry went to talk but Ginny cut in.
'He offered to tell you his information first?'
'No, he wanted it the other way round but I said he had to tell us first then he could talk to Harry.'
'Is everyone missing the point that I'll be unarmed?' Harry exclaimed.
'So will he. He said I could meet him first and check before you arrived, and I'll have mine if he tries anything.'
Harry made a noise that sounded like a smirk.
'Thanks Harry,' Hermione said, obviously riled, 'now who has trust issues?'
Harry looked at her, knowing he had upset her.
'I'm not questioning your skills Hermione; I'm concerned that he doesn't need a wand to cause harm. You're not telling me Voldemort didn't teach him a trick or two!'
'Yes well Voldemort's tricks didn't help in the end did they, and you're forgetting who taught me what I know.'
Harry let half a smile creep onto his face.
'Look, I know this seems insane but I just know Malfoy wants this as much as I do. He couldn't care less if Ron wakes up or not, but he knows we'll do almost anything to make that happen. If he wants something doing or whatever, he knows we're his best chance. He's not going to give that up is he?'
Harry sighed.
'I suppose not.'
'So what happens now?' asked Ginny.
'Well, I suppose we think of somewhere to meet him.' Hermione replied,
'It'll have to be somewhere secluded, maybe somewhere that isn't easily accessible, and if he's around Hogsmeade he may want to stay there,' said Ginny.
'Maybe, than again he may want to meet somewhere well away from any wizards,' Hermione replied.
'I'm not sure if that'll bother him too much. I mean as far as we know he disappeared from the Death Eaters a few months ago, if he's been hiding from them, and Voldemort when he was alive, for that long, then he did it well and has continued to do so.'
Hermione turned to Harry who had retaken his seat opposite her.
'Can you think of anywhere Harry?' Harry stared at the table deep in thought.
'As much as I don't really want to go near the place again, there's that cave Sirius hid out in outside Hogsmeade. No one in their right mind would willingly go there. What do you think?'
'That's the only place I'd thought would be suitable.'
'Ok then, when?' Ginny asked.
'I err…I dunno, when do you think?' Hermione replied to no one specific.
'Tomorrow?' Harry asked. Hermione and Ginny's eyes widened, 'I don't mean after-we've-gone-to-bed tomorrow, I meant Sunday. I know it's a bit soon but I don't want to give him time to change his mind.'
'I don't think he will somehow but I'd rather get this over and done with, the sooner we know what Ron was hit with the sooner we can figure out how to wake him up.'
'That seems like a good idea,' said Ginny, 'but he might have other ideas. You'll just have to see what he says. Are you going to change the coin now?'
'Oh…yeah, I'll go get it. It's upstairs, I'll be back in a minute.'
She got up and ran up the stairs to her bedroom and rummaged in her jeans pocket for the gold coin. A minute later she was sat at the table, coin and wand in hand.
'This takes me back,' she muttered. Both Ginny and Harry raised half smiles.
She transfigured the letters on the edge of the coins to tell the place and date they had agreed on.
'Well, that's that I suppose. Now we just wait.'
'Yep, I suppose we do,' Ginny replied, 'what time is it?'
Hermione looked at her watch she had yet to take off.
'It's three o'clock, well, just after.'
'Well, I don't know about you two but I'm going to bed.'
She stood up and walked around the table to Hermione. She pulled her friend into a hug.
'I'm sorry about earlier H. I know you love him, and you'd never do anything to hurt him.'
Hermione smiled and hugged Ginny tighter.
'Thanks Gin, but please stop apologising, you reacted in a way any sister would ok?'
'Ok.'
'Now get to bed before you fall asleep standing up.'
They pulled apart and Ginny walked towards the kitchen door.
'Night Hermione.'
'Goodnight Gin, night Harry.'
'Night,' he managed to croak out, but didn't meet her eyes. He followed Ginny out of the door and Hermione heard them walk up the stairs to Harry's bedroom.
She turned back to the table and picked up the empty mugs. She took them to the sink and started to run some warm water into the bowl. After a minute of just staring into the bubbling water she remembered her wand was sat on the table behind her.
She smiled inwardly smirking at herself; she turned off the tap and took her wand from the table. With a couple of waves of her wand the mugs were clean and she put them on the stand. She considered going to bed but her mind was racing too much and she knew she would just lie there in the darkness not falling asleep.
She walked to the table and sat down on it, bringing her feet up to rest on the chair. She propped her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her hands. She thought about what tomorrow – today – might bring. Would Malfoy contact them and say yes to their meeting? Or would he be a pain in the arse and mess them about?
It suddenly dawned on her that if everything went as good as it could then Ron could be awake in a matter of days. The prospect sent tingles through her body and a small smile crept onto her face. No, she thought, don't think like that, this could end up being Malfoy's idea of a sick joke. That thought chilled her to the bone, surely he wasn't that cruel?'
She was immersed in her own thoughts when she felt a hand lightly touch her on the shoulder. She jumped a little and turned round to see Harry stood behind her in his shorts and T-shirt.
'Jesus Harry, you scared me!'
'Sorry. I didn't mean to, you just looked so peaceful I didn't want to say anything,' he said quietly.
'I thought you went to bed.'
'I was going to, but I wanted to talk to you first.'
'What about?'
'Earlier. I owe an apology.'
'What for?'
'For saying you don't trust me, when I know you do. I mean, you put your life in my hands on many occasions in the past and all I can say is you don't trust me. I'm truly sorry Hermione; it was a stupid and insensitive thing to say.'
'Apology accepted. I think I owe you one too though. I shouldn't have presumed you were going to do what I thought you were going…to…do… Did that make sense? I think tiredness has found me.'
Harry smiled as he sat next to Hermione on the table.
'Yeah it did, but there's no need to apologise, as soon as you told me you had a way of communicating with him I was thinking of a way I could catch and…well I won't tell you what came to mind, it isn't pleasant and I'm not exactly proud of it.'
'Harry, I know this is going to be hard for you but I need to see this through. I don't think I could cope if a chance to make Ron well slipped through my fingers. I need to see this through, whatever happens. I hope you understand that.
'Oh Hermione of course I understand that. Once I started thinking about how this could all pan out I realised how selfish I was being. I promise I'll do anything I can to get any information we need out of Malfoy, but promise me one thing Hermione, please.'
'What is it?'
'Please say you'll not put all your hopes on this working out. He could just be playing us for information or Merlin knows what else. So please just see what happens and don't get your hopes up, please.'
'I was just thinking the same thing. I got so excited when I thought about what could happen if everything was to go right, but then I remembered that sometimes the more you hope for something with your heart, it means your head knows it's probably not going to happen.''
'I'm not going to be a pessimist and say it won't happen H, but just remember it's Malfoy, we're talking about.'
'I know it is Harry, but I saw a change in him, don't get me wrong he's still an arrogant shit who needs a good slap, but something's different. I don't know what but there's something.'
'I'll take your word for it.'
They both fell silent. Hermione felt her eyelids getting heavy. Harry looked at her and saw her eyes threatening to close.
'Come on, you're tired, it's time you went to bed, it's been quite a night.'
'Hasn't it just. God, we thought tonight would be dancing and a posh meal with some wind down time afterwards. How wrong we were.'
'Yeah you could say that!'
'When did life get so complicated Harry?' she asked as she slid herself off the table. Harry stood up and the two of them started walking towards the door.
'The second you opened a train compartment door and asked, "Has anyone seen a toad?"'
Hermione laughed, 'Aint that the truth!'
They walked up the stairs. When they reached the top Harry turned towards Hermione.
'Night H,' he said giving Hermione a hug.
'Goodnight Harry, she replied, 'sweet dreams.'
Please R&R ;)
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