Author's Note: Hm…not much reviews since the last chapter, for a quick update I have to admit I expected a bit more. Anyway, here's another chapter, please review more. Hopefully it's good.

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling, and some parts of the plot-most actually-belong to Prongs97

Enjoy

Hermione was restless that night, not only had her brother been put into the Tri-wizard tournament, but both Arsenio and Malik were not responding to her telepathical calls.

She tossed her cover, and felt cold so she pulled it back on, only to feel hot again, turning, trying every sleeping position, but with no avail. She got up, and checked the time. It was 11 o'clock, too late to go out, but she had a feeling her father was awake.

She walked through the halls nervously, hoping not to run into anyone, until she reached the dungeons and knocked on her father's office's door.

"Insufferable, rule-disregarding little…oh Hermione, come in quick" He looked out the door to make sure no one was stalking her, and closed the door and locked it.

Hermione admired how much he changed to her, from the scary potions master, to the over-protective caring father he became, never losing his scary sarcastic aura.

"I believe you weren't able to sleep, yes?" he asked. Rubbing his temples, as the worry lines under his eyes became more visible.

"I… I am worried about Malik, and Arsenio as well"

"I can understand you worrying about Malik, but what has Arsenio got to do with it?"
"When I tried talking to them, you know, with the telepathy and such, they blocked me out, both of them. I think Arsenio might be as traumatized as Malik, he…he doesn't want to lose him"
"I suppose, you want to know what happened after you left am I correct?"
"Yes please, he…he doesn't have to compete right, he can't"

Her father gained interest in the floor and wouldn't meet her eyes, "Despite the boys keeping their last name, I…convinced their headmaster that they might be related to me somehow but not directly, and that I have nothing to do with them. I couldn't show any favorism. Malik has to compete, and so does Potter"

There was an uncomfortable silence after he was done, both at loss for what to say. Snape took a chair and placed it in front of Hermione and sat. He lifted her chin to face him and said, "He will make it, you and Arsenio can help him, he won't be alone"

Hermione headed back to her dormitory, with the same hope not to cross path with anyone, but somehow more relaxed as she began to think of more tactics she can help Malik with.

She woke up in the morning and went down to breakfast. She made the mistake of asking Ron where Harry is, "Oh him, upstairs in the dorm, probably complimenting himself on his plan for putting himself into the tournament"

"What? Ron don't be stupid"
"That's me, Harry Potter's stupid friend, suppose you're siding with him"
"I'm not siding with anyone, and don't say that"

They fell into silence, munching on their breakfast till Harry arrived, "Morning Hermione"
"Morning Harry, how are you feeling?"

"Oh brilliant, and Ron made my mood a lot better"

"Shut up will you, don't think you're more famous now just because you're 14 but still joined in the tournament…"
"RON! He's your best friend"

"Fine, side with him like you want"
Ron stood up, grabbed his plate, and went to join Seamus and Dean, sending Harry and Hermione occasional glares.

In potions class, Snape told them to read the instructions from their book and complete the potion. He sat on the chair behind his desk, checking papers, with the occasional rubbing of his temples when he came across a paper of a rather…challenged student. He put down the papers, and walked around, inspecting the potions.

"Great job Mr. Malfoy, finally someone who understands potions, Potter!"

Harry, who was carefully placing the asphodel into his cauldron, flinched and dropped a little more than needed, causing the potion to turn into a black sludge, while it was supposed to be light brown.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, so that next time Potter you will notice that you need to stir while adding the asphodel, bottle your samples and leave the class, Miss Granger, will you stay please"

Harry eyed Snape suspiciously, and left the class, still not meeting Ron's eye. After everyone left, he stated, "They're avoiding me, could you please try to talk to them, preferably now"
"Ok, you look tired, have you slept at all dad"
"I…had things to think about, now can you try?"
Malik, Arsenio, I need to talk to you, please.

What do you want?! Came the harsh reply

Arsenio? What's wrong with you? Err…can you come down to dad's office?

Hermione? Sorry I've been busy, don't mind Arsenio, he's in a bad mood. We'll come down in a minute.

"They're coming, Malik is fine, but Arsenio…"
"What?"
"He didn't seem like he wanted to talk to me"
There was a knock on the door, and two boys stepped into the room

"Wow, this place is…cheerful" Malik commented, his words dripping with sarcasm

"I liked it before, now, I feel the need to redecorate. I have to remain the scary professor though."
"Can you start talking about something useful already?! You interrupted our useful activities to talk to us. What do you want?!" Arsenio interrupted harshly.

"Arsenio can you please explain why you're so angry? Dad was just joking, what's wrong?"
"WHAT'S WRONG, YOU'RE WRONG. BAD STUFF HAVE BEEN HAPPENING SINCE YOU STEPPED INTO THE PICTURE, AND NOW MALIK IS GOING TO JOIN IN A SUICIDAL TOURNAMENT JUST BECAUSE DAD DOESN'T FEEL THAT HIS CHILDREN ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAT HIS PICTURE. MOM WOULD BE ALIVE IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU HERMIONE, AND SHE WOULD NEVER LET THIS HAPPEN!" He concluded, with defiance, until he saw Hermione's eyes brimming with tears, and his father's look that said you-are-grounded-for-eternity and apologize-to-your-sister.

Malik went beside Hermione, as she buried her head in his shoulder, Arsenio looking on in horror at the distress he caused for his sister.

"H…Hermione I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say any of this, you're an amazing sister, I was just worried for Malik and I got out of hand. I know this was so out of line, will you forgive me" She looked up at him, trying to stay mad, but his pleading eyes made her yield "You're forgiven"

Malik said, "I'm glad Ara didn't witness this, she would have cried her eyes out"

"Hermione where have you been? You skipped lunch. Were you crying?" She mentally cursed herself for not checking how she looked, and wracked her brain for a suitable excuse

"I...uh, wasn't hungry. I was…you wouldn't want to know."
"Hermione" Harry said warningly

"Fine, I was in the library" she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

He looked at her with doubt for a second more, and she kept eye contact till he carried on walking, and heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't press the subject further.

At the end of the day, Hermione put her head on the pillow and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

The next day, new badges appeared, but they looked nothing like the prefect badges, Hermione noticed. As Harry walked past one of the Hufflepuffs, the badge changed into a sickly shade of green, but she couldn't make out the writing from the distance.

As she neared them, she saw that it said, Support Cedric Diggory. They offered her a badge and Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff, told her, "Once Potter comes close the badge will change, reading, you stink Potter, impressed? Well you should be, made it ourselves"

"Keep it, you can give it to someone else"
Before she left the Malfoy's that summer, she and Narcissa made a plan, but there was one thing missing, and unknowingly, the Hufflepuffs helped her. She needed badges, but right now she will stick to breaking the fight that is going on between Ron and Harry.

"You're a right foul git, you know that" Harry was still sour because Ron hadn't told him that he went to Hagrid to see Charlie who was bringing Dragons from Romania for the first task. That reminded her that she had to tell Malik. Karkaroff will tell Krum, but he won't pay heed to Malik at all, even though that if Malik wins, Durmstrang will still win the tri-wizard tournament
"You think so?"
"I know so"
"Anything else?"
"Yeah…stay away from me"

Draco jumped from the tree he was sitting on, hoping to make an entrance, "Why so tense Potter? My father and I have a bet you see, I don't think you're going to last 10 minutes in this tournament, he disagrees, he doesn't think you're going to last 5"
"I don't care what your father thinks Malfoy, he's vile, and cruel. And you look pathetic"
Draco's face grew breath, as he muttered under his breath and took out his wand. But Moody was quicker, with a flick of his wrist, where Draco stood, was an albino ferret.

Professor McGonagall made it just in time and saved the day. Draco probably now has a new boggart.

After sending a secret message to Pansy that Arsenio and Malik were going to meet up with us before dinner that night, she told me that she will send Blaise to get them, and Daphne will get Ara as well-that reminded her, she hasn't seen Ara in a while.

"Hermione? Hermione" came the low whisper of Astoria's voice.

"I'm here"

"Okay, follow my lead"

She started running, for no apparent reason. "Astoria, we were in this corridor just a second ago, we circled it two times already"
"Hush, I know where I'm going"

They continued circling it for the third time, as a door started materializing on the door.

Draco stood at the door, and Hermione fought the urge to laugh. This morning's events were still replaying in her mind. "Jumpy little ferret" she muttered teasingly as she took in the room in front of her.

The room had a homey feeling to it, and it looked similar to the common room, only that it didn't represent any of the houses, it was all shades of brown, caramel, and all those warm colours. She took her place on one of the couches, as Draco came to join her and Pansy while Astoria stood at the door waiting for the others to arrive.

"Jumpy little ferret?! Think that was funny do you?"
"Actually Draco, yes. You make a very cute ferret"

Draco stomped off, leaving the girls in hysterics. "So, what is this place anyway"
"This is the room of requirement, it is a…" Pansy tried explaining
"Oh right! I read about it in…"
"Hogwarts: A History" Pansy recited

Blaise arrive a little later with Malik and Arsenio, pursued by Ara and Daphne.

"Hey little sis, haven't seen you in a while"

The conversations droned on, until Hermione remembered the most important thing that she needed to tell Malik.

"Um…Malik, I don't mean to scare you or anything, but the first task includes Dragons"
"What?!" He shouted, horrified

"Do you want to know to types of Dragons they brought?" He nodded his head, his tongue probably tied into a knot because of the peril he will be facing. "There is, the Welsh Green, the Chinese Fireball, the Swedish Short-Snout, the Hungarian Horn-Tail and the Peruvian Vipertooth, just pray you don't get the last one"
Blaise said, on a hopefully happier note, "At least you might get a cool scar"
If looks could kill, Blaise would have dropped dead by now, he was receiving the glares of all those in the room.

"I've got your back Malik don't worry, we'll survive, if you die in this tournament, I'll kill you." He pretended to choke him and Malik played along, feigning death.

"You killed him, well…at least now he won't have to participate in the tournament." Ara shrugged.

After a night's worth of talking, they left the room just before curfew, skipping Dinner, but with guidance from the two troublesome boys Draco and Blaise they took a couple of snacks from the kitchens-the boys wouldn't tell them how to enter though-and went to their respective dorms.