Welcome back readers and thank you for sticking with me!
Dearest Troll,
Taking pot shots at me is fine, but do refrain from hurting other writers. Especially someone who's writing for the very first time.
I truly feel sorry for you, I can't even imagine how sad your life must be for you to be so fixated on such a small part of mine.
Anyway, I suppose congratulations are in order as you managed to get another person to support you. I hope these tiny accomplishments help you become a better person in real life. I am referring of course to SwordAlone25, to whom also I extend my condolences for their life.
For both of you, here's a tip for being a better troll: Leave emotions out of it, if you really want to hurt someone, do your research and state a fact. An irrefutable fact would be even better. Also please note, opinions are very different from facts.
So go research, make time, take the effort and Bring it! Hit me with your best shot :)
Dear Ajd21596,
I'm so sorry that you are getting targeted by my haters. Please don't let it stop you from writing. There are many of us out there who are waiting to read from you! As mentioned in our conversations, I'm always here to help :)
Next morning was the final match for the Quidditch Cup. Ravenclaw v/s Gryffindor. Harry had been kicked off the team but Ron hadn't and He couldn't stop talking about it. Hermione had woken up hoping to find an excuse not to go the match. She felt the diary under her pillow, it was warm. It meant Draco had a message, the second she saw it her Heart sank. She scribbled back in a rush
Double potions
Draco had one hand in his bag all morning. He felt the diary warm up and read the message as soon as it was written.
Blaise had thought Draco would be in a better mood considering the odds of Ravenclaw annihilating Gryffindor were high, but he looked more on edge. He also looked like he hadn't slept at all. So when they were walking up to their first class, he cornered him in one of the corridors
"What's going on?" Blaise asked
"Nothing…" Draco said deflecting
"Are you sure, cause a couple of weeks ago you didn't come back to the dorm at night… and today you look like shit has hit the ceiling…" Blaise said
"What?" Draco was confused
Blaise swore under his breath…"For a smart guy you can be pretty daft… I'm asking you if is she's pregnant?"
"Whaaaat!" Draco said eyes bulging "Noooo… Merlin Blaise No… that's not… we haven't even… No!" He said finishing firmly and regaining a bit of his composure
"Okay, good…" Blaise said seriously… "But…" He added "You guy's really haven't yet?"
"I'm not having this discussion… Granger's honour is intact and we are going to be late" Draco said marching off
"Good" Said Blaise falling in step with him "So why do you look like shit today? Did she dump you…"
Draco snorted
"That's a no…" Blaise said to himself as they reached the potions classroom
—
Draco and Hermione were paired up and much to Harry and Ron's chagrin were busy whispering at each other. They kept carefully practiced scowls on their faces but the conversation was something else
"You look like you haven't slept…" She said
"He came to me in a dream… I was worried that if I fall asleep he'll see something he shouldn't in my head…" He said
"Dream walking, really… What did he want?"
"He want's potter…"
She looked at him and they glared at each other for a moment. If you looked closely you could see the worry in both their eyes.
"3 counter clockwise turns… I'll add the juice…" She said squeezing the Sopophorous bean "We can't let that happen… we need to get help…" she added
"Why, it's supposed to start getting clear… it is…" Draco said looking at the potion
"You know what I mean…" She said
"Who? I can't go to Dumbledore he isn't even here… besides what if HE finds out and does something to my mum…" Draco said
Hermione was silent, she took over the stirring as Draco chopped the rest of the ingredients. "Snape…" she said suddenly and a little louder than expected
Draco gave her a warning look as a few people looked in their direction including Snape
"I mean snap it Malfoy not cut it… read the instructions…" She said
He gave her glare and said "I can read granger I'm just shaving of the edges to get the length right…" then he whispered "Have you lost it…"
"Why not?" She asked
"Because… " Draco said leaving a lot unsaid
"Okay look I know we said we wouldn't tell each other things about the order and what's happening at your home but we do need help Draco… "
"So what? We start exchanging notes? What good will that do…"
"Draco, I'm trying to tell you that he" she said gesturing at Snape with her eyes "is part of the order…"
"No… Impossible…" Draco said..
"No really…" Hermione assured
Draco and Hermione looked at each other for a beat. Draco looked at Snape as Hermione when back to the potion adding the leaves. The potion turned light green just like it was supposed to as the bell rang.
Snape walked around their cauldron and then to Ron and Harry's giving it a disapproving sniff walked over to Nevill and Hanna's and vanished the green goop in it taking 5 points from the house. The rest of the class was bottling up the potions and keeping at the desk when Hermione deliberately broke the flask Draco and she had so that they would have to clean up and be the last ones there.
The classroom was nearly empty when Hermione placed the neatly labelled flask on Snape's desk. Draco was packing his bag trying to avoid the situation. Snape was looking over the essays they had submitted earlier today
"Professor Snape…" Hermione started…
Snape looked up irritated and then saw Draco as well, he raised an eyebrow and with a wave of his want shut the door and cast a non-verbal muffalito on the door…
"You can speak freely now miss Granger…" He said
"Err… well I wanted to thank you for this…" Hermione said returning the book on Occulmency "It was very helpful… but I was wondering, instead of protecting himself from legilimency, wouldn't it be better if Harry built up defences to Dream-walking? I mean what are the odds that he will come face to face with You-Know- in a dream?" She ended hurriedly
Snape looked from a scared Hermione to a Draco who looked like shit. It didn't take much to put two and two together. He got up and opened the door to his office and gestured both of them to get in there and shut the door behind him
"What happened?" He said looking pointedly at the two of them
"He came to me, in a dream…" Draco said defeated
"When?" Snape asked
"Last night…" Draco said
"What did he ask you to do?" Snape asked
"Find a way to bring potter to him…" Draco said
"Did you make a vow? Did he give you anything…" Snape asked
"No… " Draco said
Snape stood for a minute. It looked like he was putting together the pieces of a puzzle. He then turned to his private cabinet and pulled out a vial.
"Here, this is dreamless sleep potion… This should prevent any other visits… Don't do anything…"
"But sir…" Hermione began
"Miss Granger, I'm glad to see you care about Draco enough to come to me despite my obvious distaste for your friends… You are both children and so is Mr. Potter… This is a matter for adults…" Snape had been jaded for a long time. He had been hurt and betrayed so much that he believed in very little. But something about this odd and unforeseen pair sitting in front of him, stirred something in his heart - Hope…
Hermione had been effectively silenced but Snape knew, this could be more dangerous than it was worth. Yes the stupid boy was a splitting image of James, but he was Lilly's son too. Hope Snape thought is a dangerous thing to bet on, but he'd bet on a lot worse… and so he called out to the retreating pair as they were at the door to the classroom…
"Ms. Granger… I have something to ask of you…" Snape said seriously beckoning them back inside… Once they sat down again he said…"Please ensure Mr. Potter understands that he is being used by Dumbledore… He has been nothing more than a mere pawn in a very large game…"
Hermione opened her mouth but Snape held up his hand
"Let me finish… I am sure you believe like I once did that Dumbledore is doing things to keep Potter safe, however from everything I know, I don't think so anymore… I believe he's been raising Potter to have him die at the right moment…"
"What?" Both Draco and Hermione said in unison
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