Siren's Call Chapter 8

Hermione's stay at the Weasley's started like it usually did, with a meeting in Ron's room. Harry who hadn't yet arrived was of course absent; but in his place sat Ginny.

Of course, once Harry arrived, she would no doubt still be included in secret discussions. However, the Gryffindor trio would still meet to discuss secret things that couldn't be discussed in front of Ginny. It wasn't that she couldn't be trusted because she could; but the less she knew the less of a target she would be. They tried to keep the things that Dumbledore relayed to Harry in between the three of them.

They didn't have much of a chance to discuss what happened in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione wondered if Sirius had spoken with Harry about taking matters into their own hands. Remus had a long talk with her on why she should not have gone. She had never seen him so angry or worried before.

"We didn't have a choice," she tried to say; but she knew he was right; there was always a choice. Hadn't Snape said something similar once before? She could not recall.

Hermione came back to reality when Ginny tapped her on the shoulder. "You, OK?" she asked.

"Yes." Hermione said, "Just thinking."

"What about?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing really," Hermione said, "Did your parents scold you and Ron for going to the Department of Mysteries? Dad and Sirius weren't happy with me."

"Mum ranted at us for getting into trouble at first," Ginny said, "but after she cooled down, she cried a lot. She was mostly worried."

"Dad was mostly the same, only with less crying and more pacing," Hermione said, "Do you think that Sirius will have the same conversation with Harry?"

"I don't know," Ginny said, "Neville wrote that his Grandmother was very proud of him. Neville sometimes thinks that she compares him to his father, without meaning to."

"It must be hard," Hermione said, "Sirius sometimes treats Harry like he's his father, I've even heard him call him 'James' once or twice."

"Do you think Remus compares you to your Mum?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, "I think he's more worried that I'm going to get hurt. And I think he's more worried that there isn't anything he can do to prevent it."

"Have you made any more headway with your second animagus form?" Ginny asked changing the subject.

"Dad has encouraged me not to," Hermione said, "it's not safe and until I come of age there's still the trace."

"I didn't think of that," Ginny said looking discouraged.

"What's Fleur been like?" Hermione asked, "your mom was intent on getting me up the stairs without seeing her."

"She's a terror," Ginny groaned, "she thinks she runs the place and tries to butter up to Mum by agreeing with everything she says."

Hermione laughed, "Sounds horrible."

"Almost every male in the house is attracted to her except for Fred and George. They were mooning over you for the last few weeks. Fleur didn't seem very happy about it."

Hermione smiled. "What else has she done?"

"Oh just the other day Mum was complaining about Fred and George's store, well fleur started copying her and said they weren't being good sons by not getting a decent job and acting like silly boys." Ginny said with a laugh, "Mum defended them to her.

"Now I can't wait to see her again," Hermione said, "seems like she hasn't changed at all."

"Not that we knew her very well during 4th year when they were visiting," Ginny said.

This should be interesting, they both thought to themselves.

Over the next week, Ginny, Hermione, and Fleur would wind up in the same room together, they would just ignore her. Ginny started calling her phlegm behind her back and mocking her in a French accent. Hermione could not help but laugh, even though she knew it was wrong.

After Harry's arrival, they avoided her as much as they could. Not to hurt Bill's feelings but they could not stand the French witch. Fred and George visited as much as they could. Most of the time they would be found in a secluded corner with Hermione, listening to her read or talking about products they were inventing.

By the time summer came to an end, most of the Weasley's were happy to see Fleur leave. Bill hadn't been very happy with the reception of her. However much they disliked her, it was apparent that Fleur was in love with Bill Weasley completely. So, the subject was dropped completely by nearly everyone. Ginny hoped that after they were married, that not so many males would be attracted to the quarter Veela witch.

Molly Weasley, with the protection of a few Auror's, took Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione to Diagon Alley to purchase their school supplies.

The alley was mostly deserted of shops, however, the ones that they needed things from were still in working order. It was on the way to the twin's shop that they saw Draco Malfoy and a woman they assumed was his mother walking down Nocturn Alley. So being the risk-takers they were, they decided to discreetly follow them.

Though they couldn't tell what Draco was looking at or pointing to, it seemed that he'd gotten thinner over the summer. He seemed gaunt and almost scared, the tall beastly looking man that was accompanying them didn't make things any better.

After a botched attempt to see what Draco was looking at, the three of them snuck back to the twin's shop. They were not as unnoticed as they thought they had been. Molly quizzed them on where they had disappeared to. Harry being his clever self, lied saying that the twins were showing them the back room.

She did not believe them for an instant until Fred who had been listening nearby affirmed their location. Hermione promised to make it up to him. Fred being Fred took her up on the offer. At their earliest convenience Fred, George, and Hermione escaped to the back room, where they could steal a few moments alone.

George placed her upon the work stool, before stepping behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist. His free hand went to her neck where he moved her hair off the nape of her neck and bit lightly, causing her to arch her back.

Fred stood in front of her, he ran his hands up and down her arms. He spread her clothed legs slightly so he could stand between them. He leaned in and kissed away her moans, causing her to squirm in delight. There was nothing she loved more than the taste of her mate's lips on hers. She could feel George run his hand from her waist and down her thigh. She didn't want any of it to stop, she was in heaven.

Their bliss wasn't to last, after a few moments there was a knock at the door, followed by a turning of the knob. In walked Lee Jordan, he hadn't paid attention to anyone in the room and walked around them; but the three of them knew that the moment of solitude was over. Eventually, they returned to the sales floor where Hermione was reunited with the rest of the Weasley clan.

...

As the summer ended, Hermione was more than ready to head back to school but more than unwilling to part with her mates. As they hadn't mated yet there was little that could be done. Hermione felt the world was working against her. The dreams had escalated, but Dumbledore and her father agreed it would have to wait until they returned to Hogwarts, as it was unsafe. The Wizarding community was in a panic, with the second rise of You-Know-Who.

Families were fleeing the country or being killed. Muggles were being targeted in large-scale groups.

The remaining active members of the D.A. sat in silence in their compartment on the Hogwarts Express. There was much to be said, but no one wanted to be the first to speak. Sometime along their trip to Hogwarts, Lavender visited the compartment, though she enjoyed Hermione's and Ginny's company she mostly wanted to see Ron.

Ron greeted her with a smile and then the two of them went for walk. Hermione smiled, they were probably going somewhere private to snog. Hermione gently reminded him not to forget about the perfect meeting later. Lavender and Ron both smiled, promising not to forget, as they were planning to patrol on their walk instead of just being lovey-dovey together.

Hermione sat back and thought about all of her mates. She missed them all terribly but she knew that they were planning to come to a visit during Hogsmeade weekends. However, it felt like an eternity to wait that long.

Draco was going over in his mind, the conversation he had had with the Dark Lord. There was no mistaking that that monster knew his father was up to something. There was also no mistaking, the look Voldemort gave him when he was demanding to know what he knows about it.

The Dark Lord didn't often forgive, or explain his reasons behind anything, but this time he did.

"Draco, I'm afraid that your father is keeping secrets from me," the dark lord said, "What do you know about his secrets? Surely you must know something?"

"He doesn't confide in me on many things," Draco said reluctantly, "I probably know less than you."

"Now Draco, there's no need to hide things from me," The Dark Lord said, "I know about his obsession over the Muggle-born Gryffindor. I fear that your father has lost sight of what is important. What I want to know is what's so special that he would forget himself."

"I don't know, My Lord," Draco said, "but I find that he could betray my mother so easily to be not only wrong but unforgivable."

"I'm glad to hear this Draco," The Dark Lord said, "however I am afraid that you must make up for your father's mistakes. I have a mission for you Draco. A mission that should you fail will mean death for not only you but your remaining family..."

And so it was with a heavy heart that Draco accepted the task of Killing Dumbledore before the end of the School year. The Dark Lord told him that should he come through he would see to it that what family he had left would be left untouched. When Draco asked if the family that had been blackened from the family tree would be included, Draco sighed with relief when The Dark Lord answered in the affirmative. However, unbeknownst to either of them, Snape took an unbreakable vow to help Draco and finish the task should he not be able to. However, Narcissa, Bellatrix, nor Severus knew about the terms Draco had set with The Dark Lord...

Snape sat alone in his office; it had been one week since the beginning of term. The students seemed to be getting on his nerves quite a bit. It had not seemed fair that he hadn't gotten the position of Darks Arts Professor before now; but after taking a second glance at it, he understood. The position had been jinxed; Dumbledore needed him to be around.

His thought took a turn to what he and The Dark Lord had discussed the night before. Lucius wasn't doing his job; he was more concerned with getting Miss Granger under his thumb or better yet chained to his bed. The Dark Lord was still in the dark on the situation, but he knows something is up. Perhaps it would be better for all of the secrets behind Miss Granger to remain a secret for as long as possible.

This thought reminded him of another fact that he needed to speak to her of, mating. As weird as the thought was, it needed to be done and soon. She was in terrible danger if she didn't. He made another note to speak to her on it next he saw her.

From there his thoughts turned to Draco, would he be able to Kill the Headmaster? Snape didn't think so. Sure the boy put on a brave face, but surely he would choke up in the end. No, Snape needed to keep up on what Draco planned to do so that he could step in and help him when the time came. At least that was the plan, it was too soon to tell if it's what would happen. He needed to speak to Dumbledore again about it, and soon.

Draco was sitting in Potions waiting patiently for the rest of the students to arrive. He had been going over and over in his head about what his mother had told him. He wanted to tell Hermione that he knew about everything, he wanted to so badly to have her understand. He knew though that she would never believe him, he knew she would never accept him. He dared not hope that she would ever forgive him for his sins. She certainly wouldn't, unless he finished his task.

Draco fingered the folded note that he wanted to give to her, he had stressed over it all night on what to say. He just had to figure out a way to pass it to her without her friends seeing. As it happened, she came in before the rest of her class, he was about to slip it into her bag without anyone seeing. Professor Slughorn was paying attention to the setting up of ingredients and such. All Draco could do was hope that she saw it when she was alone. He didn't want boy wonder and his sidekick trying to corner him or something.

Soon after, the rest of the class came in, followed by Potter and Weasley. Draco scowled at them before Professor Slughorn told them to pick books out of the cupboard.

Draco sat anxiously, after hearing that Slughorn would be awarding the Felix Felicis Potion to the one to make the assigned potion the best. Draco sincerely hoped that he could get the extra luck, it was the only way that he was going to be able to complete his mission.

That night Hermione sat in the library, her mates had been on her mind all day and she hadn't been able to concentrate since Potions. Something was going on with Harry, he had never been that good with potions before. Something was off about the whole situation.

Hermione bent down to dig through her bag when she came across what looked like a folded-up spare piece of parchment. She unfolded it slowly unsure of what it could be, and what she found surprised her. It was a note from Draco Malfoy, did he know that they were cousins?

Hermione,

I know everything, I'm sorry about Aunt Katherine. I'm on your side

your cousin,

DM

It seemed that she no longer needed to worry about Malfoy. He knew and he was ok with it, she sighed in relief. She hoped that whatever he got himself into he was able to get himself out of it. Now she just needed to figure out how to keep harry from checking in potions class. How could he have done better than her? She was incensed.

Back in the common room, Hermione sat trying to finish her work; however, she could not get mating out of her mind. She closed her book and retreated to her bed. After closing the curtains and putting up a silencing charm she undressed and crawled under the covers. She envisioned them in her mind, imagined them all in the cottage her father gave her.

Soon she was so into the dream that she had fallen asleep, and she dreamed the sweetest of dreams.

A/N: SO I took out the scene where Draco and Hermione meet at the lake, it was cheesy and didn't really fit. A casual note was more fitting and more Draco's style.

P.S. I don't own Harry Potter