A Fate Worse Than Death
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs solely to JK Rowling and her chosen associates.
Chapter Four: A Beast in Care of Magical Creatures.
It was late afternoon two days later. The sun was already sinking behind the purple tinged mountains and the temperature was dropping so quickly that you could hear the air crack with ice.
A cold wind was rattling the windows of the Hogwarts Library where Madame Pince was walking between the narrow rows of books with quick, efficient steps.
She carried her wand in one hand, with which she was magically lighting the lamps, and a feather duster in the other to chase impertinent pieces of dust.
The Library was almost totally deserted with students preferring the banked fires of the Great Hall or the Common Rooms to do their homework.
Madame Pince now made her way up the aisle containing books and parchments relating to the History of Magic. A furious scratching of quill on parchment informed her that a student was hard at work at the small desk situated at the window end of the aisle.
As she approached the desk Madame Pince was interested to note that this student wasn't just working in the History of Magic section but was working at History of Magic as well. A very unusual occurrence, the small desk was hedged around with opened parchments and heavy textbooks.
Madame Pince raised her wand and magically lit the lamp above the desk. This revealed the bushy haired head of Hermione Granger bent low over a parchment that already extended two feet off the end of the desk.
The Librarian bestowed a rare smile of approval at the sight. Here was one student who knew how to treat books properly.
On the other hand a sudden outbreak of giggling, from the direction of the Muggle Studies aisle, revealed a couple of students who did not. Madame Pince whirled around and pattered away to do battle with the after effects of that damnable day of student distraction known as Valentine's Day.
Hermione gave a slight sneeze and tried to ignore the grumbling of her stomach that informed her that Supper was about to appear on the tables of the Great Hall.
She was wearing a heavy woollen cloak and fingerless gloves to combat the cold of her location. Her sneezes were not due to the cold however, but the dust that she had let loose when she had unfurled the parchments and opened the ancient text books piled high on the shelves around her.
Like Madame Pince, she also suspected that it had been a long time indeed since anyone had worked this diligently on a History of Magic essay. It was probably true to say that no-one had ever tried to answer Professor Binn's NEWT level question on the proceedings of the Warlock's Convention from1740 to1745 with as much detail since he had first set it decades before.
But she had found the dry subject a useful distraction which had managed to drive away all thoughts of a blasted Potion's Master, sneaky Slytherins and damned Love Potions out of her mind.
Except that it hadn't worked.
It would have been all right if there had been any evidence to back up Professor Snape's supposition of a Love Potion. By this morning however, she would have expected some sign that Slytherin mischief was about to hit the school.
At Breakfast, Draco should have been triumphantly preening in front of the gathered Slytherin's. Pansy Parkinson would be all adoring, Crabbe and Goyle unable to stop their guffaws and obvious pointing at potential victims and the rest of Slytherin should have been showing signs of excitement.
It was a collective fault of Slytherin House that although they were able to hide their plots until they were ready, they were never able to disguise the fact that something was afoot.
But this morning a quick glance at Slytherin table had shown Draco to be sitting somewhat apart from the other sixth years. He had ignored Pansy and had even spoken angrily to Crabbe and Goyle when they had started a moronic shoving match over the Weetabix.
Hermione had therefore been unable to dismiss it all as an infantile plot, much though she had wanted to. But how was she going to find out what was really going on? If she approached a group of Slytherins asking about a Love Potion they would never let her forget it.
Well, she couldn't approach a group it was true but she could approach a certain one of them.
She made up her mind and packed up her homework with stiff cold fingers. Putting away the reference books unleashed another torrent of dust and she was still sneezing as she reached the Arithmancy aisle.
As she had hoped, another lonely figure was at work at the solitary desk located there. As she drew nearer she recognised, as expected, the dark features of Blaise Zabini.
She had discovered that she shared a mutual fascination with Blaise about Arithmancy back in their third year and although their difference in House meant that they could never meet as friends they occasionally met up in the Library to go over particular problems. Due to certain anti-intellectual elements of Slytherin or "great big Trolls only fit to guard the vaults at Gringotts" as Ron put it, Blaise preferred to do the hard work that a good grade at Arithmancy demanded in the relative peace of the Library.
"Sod Off Granger," Blaise growled good-naturedly at her. "This book's mine until Friday." His fingers curled protectively around the large green book open on his desk.
"That's OK, Zabini, I'll wait," Hermione replied. She had read that particular book last October and the homework that he was working on was already lying finished in her bag.
"I want to ask you something. On Valentine's Day a friend of mine didn't get the attention of the person that they've got a real crush on. I heard that Slytherin are pretty good at coming up with a solution to this problem and that there might be something available soon."
"Whoo Hoo! Granger is in lurve!" Blaise mocked, "It's about time. Pansy Parkinson was taking bets that you had to be a bit of a –"
"Oh Shut Up Zabini! You know I'm not like that. Is there a Potion or not?"
"Not I'm afraid. Snape scalped us alive last year when he found the Amor Profundis Potion and between us all, Slytherin must have prepared enough Potion ingredients to last till next Valentine's. We're running scared of Love Potions."
"Oh – My friend will have to resort to more legal methods I suppose."
"Yeah – you can tell Ron Weasley to try that slug vomiting trick again – the girls find that really attractive!"
Hermione really couldn't help herself but she had started Draco watching again.
She sneaked glances during every meal, observed him during the classes that they still shared together and once even followed him down a corridor when it seemed that he was heading somewhere interesting but it turned out to be a Boy's Bathroom that she was not aware existed.
She was chased off the Quidditch pitch as a "Gryffindor Spy" for seeing if he was up to anything suspicious at Quidditch practice.
She even set Crookshanks to patrol the Dungeon corridors one night under orders to report anything suspicious. The next night however the cat just made himself as heavy as possible on her lap when she asked him to go and dug his claws firmly into her robes to emphasise his point.
Her only conclusions from all this were that Draco was acting a little out of character, more pensive than usual, less inclined to hang out with his usual crowd of hangers-on and, on one occasion, not answering back to one of Ron Weasley's jibes about his abilities as a Seeker.
This did not add up to a plot to flood Hogwarts with a strong Love Potion. Perhaps he had just started his own private collection of ingredients, thought Hermione with frustration, but she still could not forget the look of fear that Draco had given Snape.
At last her luck changed. It was nearly time for a Care of Magical Creatures lesson and the students were gathering in small groups in the fountain courtyard before heading down the hill to Hagrid's Hut.
It was bitterly cold with a dusting of snow now lying on the frozen ground and Hermione was standing, waiting as usual for Harry and Ron, wrapped in her warmest cloak and boots with her scarf covering her face up to her eyes. She was looking forward to seeing Hagrid as he now spent most weekends out in the Forbidden Forest, caring for Grawp and the three friends were missing their visits to his cosy hut.
Draco Malfoy emerged into the courtyard to join Pansy Parkinson and was clearly looking around for Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione noticed that he had a large backpack strapped to the back of his cloak. This was an unusual sight as Draco normally went about the school unencumbered by schoolbooks or evidence of study declaring that to do otherwise marked you out as a swat.
Ron and Harry finally emerged from the castle and made their way across the courtyard.
"Sorry 'Mione." said Ron as they reached her. "We were discussing a new defence strategy for the next match using my set of Wizarding Chess and didn't realise the time.
He turned to Harry. "I know it will work – all round defence you see." "Who covers the back of the goalposts then?" countered Harry. "Well I do of course – it's simple." "Ron - that means you have to be in two places at the same time."
The conversation continued as they set off down the hill with Hermione's Draco fixated mind now dwelling firmly on the backpack.
Halfway down the steep stone steps she suddenly called out "Bother, my boot laces are undone. I'll catch you up." and stooped to tie her boot tops.
She waited until the following group of Slytherins had passed, ignoring their comments which centred around whether she and Madame Pince had exchanged Valentine's cards, and then hurried to catch up with Ron and Harry, who had finally realised that she was not with them and were waiting to make sure she got safely past the Slytherins.
As she passed Draco she made as if to slip on the icy steps and fell against him.
"Shove off Mudblood," he yelled pushing her off him.
"Oops, sorry Ferret Face," she called lightly back as she headed on down the slope, almost sliding out of control and being caught in Harry's arms as her boots slipped.
They reached Hagrid's hut without further incident. Hermione was feeling totally elated. As she had fallen against Draco's back she had heard the most satisfying clink from his backpack.
The lesson was held under the sheltering pine trees on the edge of the Forbidden Forest and consisted of Hagrid attempting to show the frozen Sixth years how to milk an enormous and very annoyed forest slug.
Hermione was trying to concentrate but was now distracted by the fact that her nose appeared to be freezing off and why Draco seemed to have brought the stolen ingredients to this place.
The lesson ended and most of the students fled straight away for the warmth of the castle far above them.
Hermione joined Harry and Ron to enquire about Grawp's progress.
"Doing fair well he is Harry." Hagrid was booming as quietly as he could. "I'll make a gen'lman of him yet. See if I don't."
Hermione was also watching a small group of Slytherins on the other side of the glade. Draco was clearly telling Crabbe and Goyle to return to the castle and they eventually set off with many exaggerated nudges and guffaws directed towards Pansy Parkinson who had remained with Draco.
She turned to him expectantly once they were alone and Draco bent and spoke into her ear, pointing towards the school above. Whatever he had whispered pleased Pansy greatly as she nodded and almost giggled then left through the trees.
Harry and Ron had their attention focused on Hagrid and Hermione pretended to do the same as Draco surveyed them keenly across the clearing. He seemed satisfied that he was not observed, pulled the hood of his cloak over his head and then set off deeper into the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione was amazed – Draco's reluctance to go into the Forest and the fear he had shown on previous visits was well known. It might be Midday but that did not make the forest any less dangerous.
"Um Hagrid, can I use your …" "Of course 'Mione, this cold does get to you doesn't it? It's round the back."
Hermione set off for the hut but bypassed it and headed into the forest. She was able to move swiftly, the pines grew thinly here and a thick carpet of needles cushioned her footfalls.
She soon caught sight of Draco moving through the gloom and was drawing near to him, when a tall hooded and cloaked figure stepped out from behind the thick trunk of a tree and accosted Draco. The figure took hold of the boy's upper arm and began to draw him deeper into the forest.
Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest. What was she doing here – out of call of Hagrid or her friends? This had now gone beyond a schoolboy prank; there was an outsider involved – was Draco selling Potion ingredients?
Hermione knew she should turn back but she now felt a perverse sense of concern for Draco too.
She continued to follow the pair at a distance, watching her step across the uneven ground.
Finally the two figures came to a halt in a clearing caused by a fallen tree, which allowed a few weak rays of sunshine to pierce the gloom.
Draco turned to the taller figure, which had released his arm and now stood looking at him. The young Slytherin raised his hands to his hood and pushed it back, the sunshine bringing a gleam to his hair and illuminating a nervous smile on his face.
The other figure raised his gloved hands and dropped his hood revealing a matching head of white-blond hair falling in long tresses onto his shoulders.
It was an impossible sight.
It was Lucius Malfoy.
TBC
Authors Note: Sorry,sorry – please indulge a first time author with a cliff-hanger.
(Although looking at my chapter sketches there are a few more ahead.)
I had to use the setting of Hagrid's Hut from the film version of POA – it's just so interesting.
Thanks to my reviewers especially Vickie211 who has reviewed each chapter.
EternalDreamerEnchanted: I suppose that this story is a Romance although a very warped version of one. It will take a dramatic twist to get Severus and Hermione to fall into each-others arms but oh boy will he fall!