Chapter Nine

You Get What You Bargain For

It took a moment for the boggart to transform, but when it had Hermione was faced with what she least expected. Standing in front of Draco, wearing a Hogwart's school uniform and a scolding frown was Hermione Granger, in all her frizzy-haired glory.

Everyone was so shocked, that it took a moment before they all started to laugh. Hermione looked at Draco who was looking absolutely pink. She would have laughed, but she was too stunned.

The boggart was shuddering from the laughter of the people in the room, and as Hermione stepped forward, the boggart shifted its attention to her. Bodies began stacking up and rolling across each other as the boggart took on what she feared most; mass destruction of the world she loved.

"Ridikulous," She said still business like and the boggart shattered into a million pieces of light.

There was a silence in the room those first few seconds after Hermione banished the boggart, and it set the hairs on the back of her neck on end. Draco Malfoy was afraid of her.

"How long have you been harboring a fear of my sister," Fred asked guffawing at the young Malfoy's expense.

Draco looked like he wanted to cry, or crawl into a large hole. Hermione felt like smirking, blushing, or trying to defend Malfoy, but she did none of these things, and just stood there. Frozen by her confusion.

"She is awfully scary when she's angry," Fred said as if conceding that perhaps Draco was justified in his fear of Hermione.

Hermione turned on her heel and marched out of the room, suddenly not wanting to be anywhere near Draco. He was like a huge thorn in her side and if he was scared of her, good for him, he had every right to be, because if he ever touched her again she was going to hex off certain important bits of his anatomy.

As she waited for the lift, tiredly rubbing her neck, Fred showed up, still grinning.

"I never expected that," Fred said and he gave another burst of laughter and hugged Hermione.

"It's not that funny," Hermione said sulkily, pulling out of Fred's arms and glaring at the doors to the lift, williing them to open faster.

"My dear, let's look at this from a different perspective. Why is he afraid of you? Okay, you are talented with a wand, you're bloody clever and you hate him, but what made him fear you?"

Hermione actually listened to Fred and began to ponder his line of thinking. He had a very good point, and somehow she thought she had the answer. The lift doors opened and Hermione walked in, now thinking very hard. Fred followed her in and watched her intently, waiting for what was sure to be a brilliant answer to his questions.

"I don't think he's scared of me, persay. Now, given that vile ferret deems it wise to kiss me, I would have to say that I think he's afraid of what I represent. I'm everything he should hate and stay away from, but somehow I think that's why he's come onto me," Hermione said and she shrugged.

"We could always slip him a Canary Cream. He's be spitting feathers for at least a week," Fred said evilly and Hermione laughed.

"Always looking for an angle to introduce your products. Very sneaky," Hermione said shaking her head.

Later that afternoon Mrs. Henderson mysteriously invited Hermione into her office. At first Hermione thought it was because perhaps the older woman had finally, finally taken a liking to her, but as the interview (for that's what it felt like) went on she realized she was highly mistaken.

Mrs. Henderson hammered Hermione with questions about her childhood, about nearly all aspects of her life, as if she was being interrogated for some crime. It all made Hermione very uncomfortable.

Finally it seemed as if Mrs. Henderson got bored with her borish answers and she stood from her chair, signalling to Hermione that she could finally leave.

"Be sure to tell your brother I enjoyed his company this morning," Mrs. Henderson said and Hermione noticed she seemed to be saying it for the sake of making conversation instead of sincerely meaning it.

"I'll be sure to let Fred know," Hermione said dammingly.

Mrs. Henderson stopped in her tracks and turned around.

"Err I mean Robert," Hermione said quickly, but she knew the damage was done.

"You're not really who you say you are," Mrs. Henderson said, now sounding scarily enough like Lucius that Hermione shuddered and took a step back.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said trying to act confused, but inside her heart was pounding like a caught bird's.

"I knew there was something suspicious about you. 'Arnold' isn't really your brother is he?" Mrs. Henderson asked

"I don't know what you're on about, but I'm not listening to another word of your accusations," Hermione said in her best bossy tone and she fled the hallway.

Once in the lift she cursed under her breath, she hadn't meant to blurt Fred's name, but she had forgotten herself for one fatal moment. She pushed the buttons hastily and the lift descended at an agonizingly slow pace. She ran a hand through her hair and moaned loudly. They were in a world of trouble now that she'd blown their cover, and she needed to tell Fred.

When she reached their floor she bolted out of the lift, nearly tripping over the threshold and hitting the wall across from the lift, before sprinting down the hall to their room. She had left Fred there, so she didn't have the key and now she pounded on the door and tried to catch her breath.

"FRED," She shouted three times, not caring about the other guests.

"Bullocks," She muttered and apparated into the room.

It was as if a tornado had ripped through the room while Hermione was gone, the bed was overturned and leaning against the far wall, and all of their stuff was strewn across the floor. Hermione knew what had happened, they had come and captured Fred and he had put up a rather good fight, but it hadn't been enough.

Hermione went about using a spell to put all her things into her bag. She packed Fred's things too, and then she shrunk their bags and stuffed them into her pocket. As she performed these rather normal functions, her mind was racing from idea to idea. She had to rescue Fred, it was her fault that he'd been snatched in the first place. Her eyes searched the room for anything she could use, and they fall on a half shredded moose hat that was tucked under a broken chair leg.

"Seymour," She said softly and 'acio'd' the ridiculous object of Fred's to herself. She hugged it to her chest as she thought about what she was going to do now. What she really needed was an ally. She didn't want to do this on her own and it was then that she came up with her most brilliant, yet insane plan to date.

Five minutes later, she was knocking on another door. It swung open this time and a surprised Draco Malfoy was staring at her, before his face turned red and he sneered at her.

"Come to gloat?" He asked snidely and Hermione was thrown for a moment.

"What do you mean," She asked as she blew past him and into his room.

He shut the door with a growl and turned to face her.

"How about you completely humiliated me in the dining room with the boggart," Draco said as if talking to an idiot.

"Draco, that's not why I'm here. It's actually quite important, so it would help if you paid me your full attention and didn't say one sarcastic, snarky word until I'm well and done ," Hermione said in a rush as she sat on his bed.

"Go on," Draco said tiredly and he sat on the bed also, although he kept a good distance away from her.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is confidential, so you must not repeat a word, or I will find you and fillet what remains of your corpse after the rest of my allies are done with you. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Draco said impatiently and Hermione glared at him for a moment before going on.

"Fred has been taken capture by Mrs. Henderson, because I'm an idiot and let slip his true identity and I need your help to get him back," Hermione said and Draco frowned.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to help you, who I hate by the way, to rescue one of my removed family members from another of my family members, who has sheltered me, just because you say so?"

"Well when you put it that way it sounds terrible," Hermione said trying to sound lighthearted but failing miserabley, "Draco, I know all the reasons why you shouldn't help me, but I am begging you. If anything happens to Fred I will never forgive myself."

"Wait a minute, why are you and Fred here under assumed names anyway?"

Hermione wanted to snap at him for changing the subject, but instead she sighed.

"It's a long story that I am not at liberty to reveal," Hermione said and Draco looked thoughtful.

"You're here fishing for information on my family and in particular, my father, aren't you," Draco said after a moment and when Hermione looked about to say something he held up his hand to shush her, "Don't say anything that you'll regret. You can't get in trouble with whoever you're working for if you didn't tell me."

"Thank you," Hermione said surprised and then she turned back to the matter at hand. "Fred is in grave danger and I will do whatever it takes to get him back."

She had unthinkingly brought her wand close to Draco's chest and was nearly jabbing him with it.

"Hey, I'm not really afraid of you. You can't intimidate me into doing what you want" Draco said and Hermione ignored him.

"Draco, where would Mrs. Henderson put someone if she was holding them prisoner," Hermione asked. Draco seemed to think about it and then completely blew off her question.

"You like him, don't you?" He asked and when she wouldn't answer or look at him he said gleefully,"Oh this is way too good, wittle Ronniekins would have a fit."

Hermione turned crimsom, which Draco noted and remarked on.

"Please try to be more mature," She said and he just laughed.

"You really are insane, Granger. Falling for a Weasley, and not the one everyone would expect," Draco said and he smirked as Hermione fumed beside him.

Then as if flipping a switch he scowled at her.

"You want me to help you save him, so you can run off and have your happy little ending," Draco sneered and he shook his head in disgust.

"You're getting a bit ahead of yourself," Hermione said and Draco shook his head as if to stop her.

"That's how these things end," He said as if she were stupid.

"Draco, please, we are wasting time," Hermione said frantically and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine I'll help you," Draco said and he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

As her hand clasped his, Hermione had an incling of the trouble she had just gotten herself into.