A/N: Twisted.
For some reason I don't think alert emails have been sent out from lately...weird.
"Granger!" Hermione heard from her right. She turned, and it was none other than Pansy Parkinson who stood akimbo against the stone wall of the dungeon hall, smirking at her.
"Pansy," Hermione acknowledged, continuing on her way out from Potions.
"What, do you think I like calling your name for fun?" Pansy yelled at the other girl's back.
Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned around once again to see Pansy in the exact same position, with the exact same smirk plastered across her face.
"I want to talk to you. Alone."
Harry and Ron, who were walking out of Potions with Hermione, gave her a wary look. Hermione stood silent for a moment, and then gestured to Harry and Ron that she'd only be a minute. They walked away, and Hermione walked towards Pansy.
The dim lighting of the stone corridors was provided by scarce torch-lit lamps, one of which hung directly above Pansy. It made her look strangely illuminated against a sea of black.
"What." Hermione said curtly, hands resting on the strap of her book bag which lay across her shoulder. She had never talked to Pansy alone, and when she did talk to Pansy, it was when they were throwing insults back and forth.
The Slytherin looked Hermione up and down slowly, and then smiled.
"I know something you don't know."
It was said in such a playful, almost flirtatious manner that Hermione almost regarded it as a joke. It was only until Pansy's smile faded and took Hermione's arm and dragged her to the nearest broom closet that Hermione knew something was serious.
Pansy closed the door behind her and whispered "Lumos." She set the wand on a shelf and looked Hermione directly in the eye. Their close proximity made Hermione uncomfortable, and Pansy decided to take advantage of this. Pansy leaned towards Hermione until their faces were merely a foot apart. The silence in the closet was almost deafening.
Finally, Pansy spoke. "I'm going to be frank with you, Granger. You've got something I want, and I've got something you want."
"You don't have anything I want," Hermione said, extending her arm to open the door.
"Not – so fast, mudblood," Pansy whispered, pulling Hermione's arm back. She sneered at Hermione, and resisted the urge to slap the girl. "I have information that can make the difference between living and dying for your friend Potter." Hermione's eyes widened in the dim lighting.
"What are you talking about?'
"The Dark Lord is planning an attack. On Hogwarts. Sometime this year."
Hermione's heart started to race.
"Do you know how much protection magic this school has? It's near impossible for him to – "
"Who says it can't be an inside job?" Pansy interrupted, a knowing smile on her face.
Hermione was silent for a long time, pondering possibilities. She knew Draco and his cronies were always up to no good, but had Draco finally started working for the Dark Wizard himself? Did he have any power?
"I know when, where, and how. This is very valuable information for a near useless mudblood like you, Granger. Just think, you could save your little friend Potter's life – and prove you have a purpose, after all!"
These insults no longer affected Hermione, so she jumped right to the point. "Why, in the name of Merlin, would you ever, EVER even make the slightest OFFER to do something as tell me this?"
"Shhh…I told you," Pansy said softly, making small steps closer to Hermione. "You've got something I want. Something I've wanted…for a long time." Pansy extended her right hand and slowly pushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face. Hermione almost bolted, right there, but she knew better. Pansy placed her other hand on Hermione's waist, feeling the soft fabric of her cloak beneath her fingers and pulling Hermione's waist closer to hers until they were touching.
"Fuck…" Pansy breathed, eyes fluttering closed. Her hand shook slightly on Hermione's hip and her lips trembled. Hermione was petrified and confused; but most of all, she didn't know if she could trust the Slytherin.
"H-How can I trust you're telling the truth?" Hermione spoke suddenly. Pansy's eyes shot open from their daydream and she dropped her hands back to her sides.
"Can you afford not to?" Pansy gave Hermione the ever familiar smirk. "Now, tell me the password to your tower. I'm going to need a key for your room." Pansy started to breathe more rapidly as she looked Hermione up and down once again. Fear was prominent in Hermione's eyes, but she swallowed and shakily reached into her bag for a key.
"I'll tell you everything…when the time is right." Pansy dropped the key into her cloak pocket and without another glance, snatched up her wand and left the broom closet. Hermione stood in the dark, petrified, not knowing what was going to happen to her or if she had made the right decision.
Pansy, although it may seem, had never really hated Hermione. When she had first seen Hermione's naked body that night, she almost even complimented her. Instead, she bound Hermione to a bed post.
"What are you going to do to me?" Pansy remembered Hermione asking with a trembling voice. Pansy didn't want to scare her away into not believing she actually did have information, so that first night she just let Hermione watch as she touched herself.
She had always disliked Hermione, however. Hermione was a know-it-all who stood in the way of Voldemort's plans, and Pansy had, up until now, been completely faithful to Voldemort. But the betrayal was worth it. She had never thought she could obtain something – someone – she had obsessed over since her third year, and now the mind-blowing physical satisfaction was the only reason worth living for.
But as Pansy kneeled there over Hermione, staring at her forearm which was illuminated only by the moon, she began to wonder. How much control does Voldemort have over his servants? Once we have the mark burned into our arm, does he know if we have intentions of betrayal? There was a little over a week until Pansy made the trip to see the Dark Lord with Draco. Just…barely over a week.
A/N: I like reviews... what do/don't you like?