The Clever One

"Must we look for that Mu-"

"Mr Malfoy, if you dare say the word Mud-Blood I again in my presence, I will personally make sure your tongue is tied tightly around your throat." Harry said calmly. Ron had his wand at the read, eager to cast the jinx.

"I was going to say. Must we look for that … Muggle … girl."

"Hermione's not exactly a Muggle." Ron said.

"I was trying to avoid using … a particular … terminology."

"I see." Harry said. "Yes, Draco, we must look for Hermione. She is an old friend of mine and she could be a great asset to the Fellowship."

"How so?"

"Miss Granger is the Vice President of the Magical Intelligence Division in the Bureau of International Sorcery's Security."

Draco's jaw dropped, he blinked and closed his jaw. "Indeed, she would be a great asset."

They've reached the Bureau of International Sorcery's Security. It's situated in a Medical Centre in the busiest street in London.

"Here we are." Harry had to yelled, but no doubt, he was excited. Harry needed to yell in order for his friends to hear him.

"Draco, I would suggest that you remain outside and have a coffee at that café over there." Harry suggested. Draco nodded and headed for the café.

"I don't think it's a good idea to have him in the Fellowship at all." Ron complained. "Hermione would think you're probably in the Imperius Curse. Besides, she wouldn't agree to working alongside a Malfoy, it's absurd."

"Look … I have reason to trust Draco, alright."

"Yeah … Dumbledore thought he had his reasons for trusting Snape too you know."

Harry knew where Ron's coming from, but since Voldemort's also after Draco's head, Draco has no reason to join up with the Deatheaters just yet. Besides, Draco has no leverage on Voldemort if he was hoping to get back to his good side, if Voldemort even has a good side to him.

Harry was fighting the crowd so that he may move in the direction he needed to go, but he was excited to meet the only friend he did not insult.

The Medical Centre is surrounded by busy traffic of vehicles and people and once they've pushed their way through they immediately hopped through the doorway facing another door. Harry made himself look tidy and opened the next door.

Harry was crest-fallen. If Harry was not mistaken, he would've thought he had just stepped back into London by accident. The Bureau's building was magically enlarged to fit all the staff and a large number of the magical community filing miss persons' reports, reporting incidents and making complaints.

"I don't think Hermione's in the mood to see us." Ron said. "I think she might be a little busy."

Then from the side, one of the lady staff squeezed their way through towards Harry and Ron.

"Gentlemen, follow me please, the Vice President is waiting for you."

Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment and Ron asked. "Did Hermione expect us to come today?"

"Indeed, she expected you to have arrived hours ago, but we forgot to take into account that you two and Mr Malfoy would choose to come through the entrance via the streets of London."

The staff member took them to through to a dark hallway which is guarded with five guards, four Aurors, two gargoyles as well as a trap, which is well hidden in Harry's opinion. Harry had to take his gun and his wand out of his pocket in order to enter.

The hallway was dark except for the candles on the walls and it's quiet as soon as they stepped into it, obviously a spell.

"Alright Hermione, the gig is up, show yourself." Harry said.

"Our Vice-President is at the end of the hallway." the staff member replied.

"Oh, really?" Harry looked at the staff member suspiciously.

"Ok wise guy, how did you know?" the staff member's voice changed into the friendly tone Harry missed very dearly.

"Although it's been a while, my Auror training from Mad-Eye has its rewards."

Harry opened his arms and invited Hermione to hug him. But Hermione pointed her wand at Harry instead.

"I told you she wasn't in the mood to see us."

"Not so fast Missy." Draco materialized himself behind Hermione with his wand pointed at her head.

"Malfoy?" Hermione recognised Draco's voice. "You were supposed to be outside and how did you get passed security."

"Well, you know how some of us see things in double and I'm sure you're familiar with the term "bug"." Draco replied. Draco looked over Hermione's shoulder and looked at Harry and said. "She's not so happy to see you anymore is she Harry?"

"And why would I be?" Hermione replied malevolently. Hermione has been hiding a secret from Harry ever since they first met …

"Hey Harry, want to come to the library and study with me?" Hermione asked. Hermione knows that she knows everything down to the last detail for the Nastily Exhausting Wizards Test, but that's not why she wanted to go to their library.

"Nah, we've been there a lot lately and I think I'm actually ready for the test."

"Really, read my tea-leaves?"

"Erm …" Harry was gob-smacked, he had revised every subject he has except for Divination. "I though you don't believe in reading the future."

"Yeah, but I do believe in destiny." Hermione was trying to hint something to Harry, but she was afraid …

"Gimme your cup." Harry took Hermione's cup and stared at it in awe. "Wow, Hermione … your cup is saying a lot about you."

"Oh, really." Hermione felt uninterested.

"According to his cup, you only have three more years to live and you're going to die alone."

"Harry you all that is nonsense."

"No, Hermione. I checked everything Professor Trelawney had foreseen. Believe it or not, almost all of it came true."

"Oh yeah … name one."

"The week before Dumbledore was murdered she warned Dumbledore that it would soon come to pass. She foretold that Wormtail would return to Voldemort and bring him back. When Ron and I made up our fake predictions about not being friends before the Triwizard Tournament she gave us top marks and to my surprise, our predictions had come true-"

"She predicted that you would be dead on your first lesson, what about that?"

"Hermione, it's true that we will all die one day."

"You don't hear her saying Voldemort will die one day."

"Well … he might not."

There was a moment of silence, until Hermione became really frustrated.

"Listen to yourself Harry, you're actually believing what that old hag is saying. Yet you don't listen to my logic and opinions."

"Hermione, for once … you're wrong."

Hermione stared at Harry for a moment, she had nothing to say. Right now, she doesn't know what she is feeling. She looked away from Harry and headed for the library alone.

It was hard for Hermione to hear those words, especially from her best friend Harry, her most beloved friend Harry. But why does it hurt so much, Ron could say it in every sentence he makes with her and she wouldn't anything, but irritated. But when Harry said it … it …