AN: Thanks for the hits and the reviews for the last chapter. At least people are reading it. I'm surprised no one's said anything about the chapter titles though... here it is cuz Snape's being a little bastard and annoying me with potions.
Chapter 17: Cold
It was the first Hogsmeade visit of the year and it was freezing! Not even the fire Hermione conjured in her hands did any good. She, Ron, Harry and Ginny were going quickly into every store and staying as long as they could to stay warm long. Of course they saw Draco but he immediately turned out of sight and Hermione tried hard to figure out what she had done.
"Don't worry about it Hermione, he's probably in one of his moods. Guys can be mad too you know." Ginny yelled over the howling wind as the four Gryffindors walked up the way back to the school
"Yeah she's right- oh look Mundungus." Ron yelled pointing up ahead
Harry looked at Mundungus talking to a shady looking character that reminded them of the bartender at the Hog's Head. They seemed deep into a conversation when Mundungus opened up the briefcase he was holding and showed its contents to the man. As Harry and the others got closer, the bartender looking guy left and Mundungus looked around and freaked out when he saw Harry coming at him. He dropped the suitcase and Harry bent down to help him.
"Good to see you're not in the obituaries yet Mundungus." Harry said and handed him a goblet that fell out but Hermione and Ginny noticed something
"Hey that's Harry's stuff." They both cried and Harry instantly saw the Black crest on the goblet Ron was handing him; Harry let instinct take over and he rammed Mundungus into the wall behind him, causing him to drop the suitcase and Hermione picked it up and made sure nothing was left on the ground
"You stole my stuff? You dare steal MY stuff?" Harry banged Mundungus' head into the wall again
"I- no- I just-" Mundungus stuttered but silenced himself when Harry began to yell
"You dare steal my stuff right from under my nose and expect me to let you go! How dare you steal Sirius' stuff! Huh, you think this is entertaining?"
"No!"
"You think this is some game?"
"No- I-"
"Don't even start Mundungus." Hermione whispered and the two men turned to her "You…are a disgrace to all wizards who were even in the presence of Dumbledore and Sirius Black. You…are not to go near my cousin nor the Black mansion at all for the rest of your days." Hermione pulled Harry from Mundungus and put her hand in his face
"Oh now Hermione…you can't possibly be able to perform wandless magic…" Mundungus said before Hermione smirked and turned her hand to touch his cheek. She caressed it for a second before holding it a centimeter from his face and smiling at him, suddenly Harry, Ron and Ginny began smiling devilishly too
"Yes I can." Hermione grinned more and Mundungus was flung meters away from their position but Hermione was next to him in seconds, bending over him as he cowered at her power
"I am warning you Mundungus: Stay away from the Black mansion. Stay away from my cousin and stay away from the Order unless they call you. Unless you want to get hurt." She glared and Mundungus nodded before Apparating to Merlin knows where
"I could've handled it Hermione." Harry said when Hermione came back, all the fire in her eyes gone
"I know but I just had to. He always got me angry because he smelled bad." She said as they walked the way up to Hogwarts, the wind suddenly became evident to them once again(AN: I don't even know why I made her do that... someone tell me why...)
"Yeah that's true…Oh no. Katie!" Harry yelled and Hermione saw what had him freaked out
"KATIE!" the others yelled as they ran to the floating girl and her sobbing friend
"Katie, come down! Come down!" Leanne, Katie's friend, cried trying to tug her down
"What happened?" Ginny asked as they pulled on Katie's legs to bring her down
"She came out of the bathroom with this box. She wouldn't tell me what was in it and we were arguing. We fought over the box and she touched whatever was in it! Oh Katie!" Leanne yelled
"I'm getting help!" Harry yelled as they finally got her down and Katie was safely on the cold ground
"Hurry, Harry!" Ginny yelled after him and Hermione searched the ground for the open box
"I've seen this before." She muttered as she grabbed the amulet from the floor with her scarf and held it in her hands as they saw Harry come down with Hagrid
"Hold on. I got her." Hagrid said and picked up Katie and the troop followed them; Hermione and Harry looked back and saw a swish of blond hair entering the Hog's Head; ignoring it, she followed after the half-giant clueless but Harry took this critically and planned to look at the map later
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"Guys, I saw Malfoy outside when Katie was attacked yesterday." Harry told Ron, Ginny and Hermione as they laid back in the common room, unheard by the studying pupils that were fretting over tests
"Harry, many people were in Hogsmeade yesterday." Ginny said and Ron nodded
"Yeah Harry…maybe he just saw what happened and didn't want to be cornered like we were." Hermione reasoned hoping she was right
"I don't think so Hermione. I mean, between practice and duties, hasn't he been more…I don't know, colder? More isolated? When was the last time he had a decent conversation that didn't deal with school or duties?"
"He talked about Quidditch with me," Hermione said before looking away "two weeks ago."
"See. What happened two weeks ago or even three that would cause this change in him?" Harry asked and the prefects looked at each other
"His father visiting him." They said simultaneously and Harry's eyes widened
"I'm looking at the map." He rushed up and brought it down in two seconds "If I'm thinking right, then his father is putting him up to something. I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." He tapped the paper and the four searched it thoroughly
"He's not here." Ginny muttered and the others nodded, Hermione did so reluctantly though
"I can't believe it though. The night he told me… this was not the Malfoy I'm used to this year."
"Yeah but this is the Malfoy you've been used to for five years Hermione. He's back to no good as usual."
"Not even Pansy ever knows where he is. She's always asking Crabbe and Goyle and they only look at each other and shrug." Ginny put in and Hermione looked outside 'I know something is up. I can feel it in my bones. And I know that Kanna knows something she's bound not to tell me. And Draco's… different. Colder than his real self. I mean… he's even colder than when we first met.'
"Hermione? Hermione are you with us?" Ron asked waving his hand in front of her face
"Yeah. I'm with you. But until we have definite evidence though, maybe we could just leave it. Ginny has enough with OWLs and doesn't need to become a detective. You have Transfiguration and everything and we just lucky that Snape let you in Potions with your grade after McGonagall persuaded him."
"Yeah well, I'm guess your naggings finally paid off."
"Don't get me started Harry. I'm on a roll. Thirdly, me and Ron have prefect duties so we can't go everywhere with you and help you out like we used to."
"Since when did I need your help?" Harry asked incredulously but playfully
"The Devil's Snare, the chess game, the polyjuice potion, my timeturner, my help with the tasks, and on top of that, we helped with the DA and helped you in the Department of Mysteries. Need I mention something else?" Hermione glared and Harry cringed
"Don't be cocky sweetie." Ginny rose and pecked Harry deeply on the lips, grabbing his face and bringing it up to her "Just listen to your cousin and it'll be ok. Trust us." She gave him another deep kiss, silencing him as she walked up the stairs to the girls' dorm and his eyes followed her movements before Ron punched him in the back of the head but he took no notice
"That's my sister you're staring after."
"Oh leave them Ron." Hermione said as he looked at Harry, love struck as can be about her best friend, she was happy for them "They love each other, and didn't you see the look in their eyes? Leave them." Hermione soon noticed that a giggle had attracted Ron's attention away from her and she turned to see Lavender waving shyly at Ron, who smirked back "And no one is hearing me. I don't need this aggravation. I'm gone. They'll notice in an hour or two." Hermione grabbed her stuff and the Marauders' map and went to her dorm
"Kanna, down, now." Hermione said in a commanding voice as she slammed the door behind her and dumped her stuff on the bed, no one else was here which was good
"Yes, Mistress?"
"What do you know about Draco Malfoy? I want to know all of it." Hermione's eyes blazed at her water phoenix
"Mistress I cannot-" Kanna began
"You will comply, Kanna." Her eyes softened "I need to know why he's so inconsiderate now."
"I can understand Mistress. I have already spoken with Conner about the men in your life. He agrees that you should know about Draco Malfoy. But you can't." Kanna flew next to Hermione on the bed
"Why not? And why have you and Conner been discussing me?"
"Draco has you in the dark because, as he says, 'this little lioness is too important to the whole world to be subjected to my selfish little petty world. I can't taint her. She hasn't been sucked into that part of the wizarding world yet. May she keep whatever virtue she has before I am the cause of an evil that she will never forgive me about.' That is why he has been nasty. He cares enough to protect you." Kanna leaned her head on Hermione's arm, who patted her absently
"To protect me… Very well. I will comply with his wishes. Is there nothing else you can tell me?" Hermione asked
"No… it's for your own good Mistress." Kanna replied and Hermione nodded, grabbed the Map and headed to stand alone in the cold on the balcony.
She breathed in the cold December air and felt her insides chill at the contact in her lungs. This was how cold Draco had become. She had to figure out why chunks of her life felt missing. She had to figure out if Lucius' visit had any thing to do with Draco's change. But it probably did; his father always brought out the worse in him. She knew this for a fact: the Draco that had come to her house in the summer was always different from the one she saw in public with his father. And the fact that his father was Iris' boyfriend was heartbreaking.
She breathed in again. Was it really him that had turned the other way when Katie had been attacked by that amulet? Harry had told her about the amulet when he had Floo over to Knockturn alley instead of Diagon Alley. He had entered Borgin and Burkes once and she had as well, again by accidental Floo, and into the same store and had seen the amulet. The owner hadn't been there and she had looked around before hearing him stir in the backroom and slowly scampering to Diagon Alley. That was where the amulet had come from and she knew it. Just…who would give it to Katie? Sweet lovable Katie… maybe it was for someone else. Katie has no enemies but other people in this school do. What if it was Harry? No… he hated wearing jewelry. Any Gryffindor students other than Harry were stupid. No one out of the school knew about his relationship with Ginny so that was safe. Ron was hopeless even to Voldemort. It was known that Hermione was Harry's cousin because they had been proclaiming in public but they should've known that she doesn't wear necklaces at all, especially one that old and ugly. So who do it and who was it for?
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Dear Draco,
The attack on the Gryffindor was ingenious! Dumbledore must be shaken up by it. But you need to change your targets. It cannot be random students anymore Draco. You have to go for the goal. You know who I am talking about so it's not necessary to state it. But try harder. Lucius
Draco reread the letter and looked at the back one more time and threw it into the fireplace, angry at his father. This was one of those rare times that he had been in the Head Dorm and right now it was almost time to start patrolling with Hermione. This was the hardest time for him since it was the day right after Katie's attack. It wasn't meant for her, of course not. He wasn't THAT cruel. It was of course 'the goal'. He had merely turned around and entered the Hog's Head when it happened and he was sure that the cousins had seen him. He knew Hermione wouldn't think anything of it, lots of people were blonds. But, ever since the night that Draco found out Henry being Hermione, Harry had begun eyeing him critically. Harry of course didn't know, because he would've asked Hermione already if anyone else knew and out Draco's name would go.
"Draco? Ready?" Hermione came down the steps of the second floor and though she was merely dressed in a pair of tight blue jeans and a pink turtleneck with her hair down and curlier than ever, he thought she looked beautiful when the firelight his her cheeks. But he couldn't think that, he put up his emotional walls and spoke.
"Yes. Come on." Draco said, leading the way by mere footsteps as they entered the cold hallways. They walked side by side, her in her pink turtleneck and him in his black one and Hogwarts cloak with Slytherin patch. She soon began to shiver and rub her arms as they turned unto the seventh floor, the coldest floor in school.
"It's so cold up here. Isn't it Draco?" she looked up at the man at her left and he stared back down at her, swiftly taking off his cloak and placing it on her shoulder in one swift moment.
"Now it isn't." he said, giving a ghost of a smile before she beamed at him.
"No, now it isn't. How's Quidditch going?" she asked happily looking into classrooms for students having fun.
"Pretty well. The team is doing a lot better now that we aren't so tough on each other. But I hope you're not talking about Bulgaria. You're there too you know." 'Oh, I'm already breaking down with her. Dammit, I need to build stronger walls! Her happiness is not good for me when I need to be alone.'
"Yes I know. I can't wait for tomorrow actually. Henry's going to have fun." She said nearly skipping beside her more composed companion 'He's finally opening up!'
"I bet he will." He said in a quiet tone and Hermione stopped to look at his back, he turned to arch an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?" she asked putting a hand on his left arm and he flinched away 'Oh why's he so cold again dammit?'
"Don't." he said and continued walking, she rushed to catch up 'Why'd she touch the Mark?'
"Don't what?" she asked stopping front of him 'Why's he like this all of a sudden? I'm such an idiot!'
"Don't ask me what's wrong. Don't touch me. Don't care so damn much." He said and it pained him to say it. Why he wanted to protect her, she didn't know. Hey, maybe he didn't know but he protected her by being cold and cruel and this was the only way Harry or Voldemort or Lucius wouldn't kill him or her.
"Why not? You're a fellow prefect, a Hogwarts student, my teammate. How can't I care?" she touched his forearm again and he twitched away quickly but slower than before 'He needs me somehow, I know it.'
"Easy. You're a muggleborn, you're a Gryffindor, and you are competition. I'm pureblood and a Slytherin, we can't mix Granger. Never can. Don't think about it. Come on now. You probably have a precious bedtime to comply with and we still have a little less the a third of the school to patrol." 'Why does she have to be so determined? Dammit!'
"I don't know what eating you Malfoy but I don't like it. Even if I am in a different house and bloodline, I am still in your school and in Bulgaria, on your team. If it's about your mother though, I can under-" Hermione gasped as Draco quietly, but hard, slammed her into the wall, shadows form the armors they were in between hiding them as footsteps were heard. He covered her mouth with his hand and looked into the hall to see Snape walking past them. 'He's so close… Snap out of Hermione! Those kind of thoughts aren't necessary!'
"We're following him. Stay quiet, I've heard you're a good spy." He whispered before he used the Disillusionment Charm on both of them and pulled her to follow him. Snape walked around the Room of Requirement and cursed when whatever he wanted wouldn't show up.
"Damn you godson. You're as smart as you boasted. I will get in though. Your father will agree with me no matter how much I disagree with his type of discipline." Snape swore more before heading to the staircase
"Damn. Why would he want to go in?" Draco muttered to himself after taking off the charm
"I think that whoever's his godson had a lot to explain. Any idea who?" Hermione asked as they walked back to their dorm
"No. I don't know who his godson is, or remember." 'I don't even know who I am, dammit. I'm still his godson? After everything I've done to him and said?'
"Oh well, what do you think he wanted in the Room of Requirement?" 'He's all quiet again'
"I have no idea." 'Did he want to find me or to have proof that I wasn't trying hard enough?'
"That makes two of us. I guess Harry was right about Snape after all." Hermione shrugged and Draco stared at her
"Harry was right about Snape? About what?" Draco asked 'This girl…no get back here Hermione!' She had gotten a few feet ahead of him
"Well, that Snape was still working for Lord Voldemort and that he's spying on Dumbledore instead of Voldemort like he said he would. Overall that Snape's not on our side." Hermione continued and Draco was soon right next to her in seconds
"Not on our side?" 'He's finally making conversation again! YAY!' She didn't notice that she was slipping up
"The side of light and good. Not with Death Eaters and against Voldemort in general. Why do you ask?"
"You're little DA from last year is on the side of light right?" 'This is a lot of information this girl is spilling'
"Of course. Most in the school are. Why?" Hermione looked at him
"Then you are in the Order of the Phoenix aren't you Granger? You are in the Order of the Phoenix with McGonagall and them and Dumbledore is your little general." Draco gripped Hermione's upper arms and she finally realized her slip up as he stared into her eyes
"Draco…um…not really. We know what's going on but we don't fight with them."
"But you're in on their plans aren't you?" Draco stared deeper into her eyes and she felt what Legilmency was like
Hermione stood in the old living of Grimmuald Place surrounded by Harry, Ron, Ginny, Bill, Dumbledore and all the members of the Order except Snape and Mundungus and some who couldn't make it but were trusted. They all stared at the two cousins, though they didn't know it, who merely blinked at the adults clueless at why they were called.
"Hermione, Harry, we have an idea that will probably give us the advantage in this war against Lord Voldemort." Dumbledore began and the two stiffened with the posture of soldiers
"What do you need us to do sir?" Harry asked, gripping his wand ready for a fight
"It seems that no Death Eater or Voldemort had ever mastered this so it will be difficult, even for Hermione. You are to learn wandless magic." Hermione's eyes widened and Harry merely stared before snapping out of it
"By when?" they both asked together
"Whenever you can. Practice frequently. I will teach you how to form some spells but you will be on your own when it comes to advanced Dark Magic that you will probably have to use against the Death Eaters. Harry, you should do quite well with Dark Magic seeing as you're a Parseltongue and have some deep mental connection with Voldemort. Hermione, though you are the most clever in our year, you must be careful. I don't know how the Dark Arts would affect someone like you."
"Muggleborn?" Hermione looked determined but still hurt
"Someone that's of heart more pure than an angel's. That is why you would probably find this difficult."
The image faded and went to Harry and Hermione dueling without their wands in the upper drawing room
"Tarentallegra!" Harry yelled and Hermione rolled and held up her hand
"Protego!" she yelled and smirked when it narrowly missed Harry
"Dammit Hermione!" Harry pouted but Hermione laughed and conjured canaries nonverbally
"Oppungo!" Hermione sent her birds while Harry was still pouting and distracted
"Ahhhh! Langlock!" Harry yelled and Hermione clutched at her mouth, where her tongue had stuck to the top
"GRRRR!" Hermione growled and thought her next spell and Harry was turned upside down by his ankle
"I give, I give! Finite!" Hermione's voice came back
"Liberacorpus!" Hermione thought and Harry fell down hard on his face
"How did you do that?"
"I read about it in one of Snape's books. I had to 'borrow' it of course. McGonagall helped me though."
"Oh hah ha Hermione! I think I need a break."
"Yeah, wandless magic is pretty advance for forth years going to fifth." Hermione said as they headed down the stairs. That image soon faded as Draco released Hermione's mind.
"Herm-Granger…" Draco breathed 'I let my walls slip!'
"Draco, listen to me! You shouldn't have seen any of that." Hermione gripped his collar and implored
"You've been in the Order since you were fourteen years old. You and Potter have known it since then too. And, you have practically mastered the Dark Arts." Draco summed up and Hermione looked petrified
"Oh Draco, you mustn't tell."
"Sorry Granger. That is something I gotta do." Draco smirked and went into the Head Dorm that they were in front of
"No you don't Draco Malfoy!" Hermione charged after him and tackled him into the carpeted floor of the common room; all was quiet except for the scuffle of the two prefects
"Why are you like this? So damn cold? You were not like this when you came to my house in the summer. You were not like this at all in practice so why now?" Hermione whispered feverishly as she held Draco's arms over his head as she sat on his stomach
"Because I can. And you can't stop me." Draco grinned like a villain and flipped Hermione unto her back "You can't stop me and you wouldn't want to anyway." 'I feel so bad doing this. Must…keep…acting…'
"And why's that? You know that I'm capable of using wandless magic." Hermione glared back at him 'Must show no fear to the enemy. I have to learn Occlumency soon.'
"And yet, you haven't used it on me once? You've fallen for me Granger haven't you? You think that you care deeply for me. You think that you can tame this wild, cold dragon into a submissive little child. You're wrong Granger. You have to use force on me. C'mon Granger, hit me with your best silent shot." No one had came down and the two were free to talk at normal pitch
"But Draco I can't! Not on you. Ever since I met you in Bulgaria, you've been different. I liked that version of you! You've been your real self in front of me since then and now you've stopped that. I've wanted to bring you out of your rut but it looks like you keep leaving yourself in it without any hope of someone throwing a rope for you! I can't stand that! And you call yourself cold. Maybe you are. Maybe you're a damn right cold hearted bastard who can't understand my emotions but I don't give a damn. I believe in you so m-"
"You talk to much Granger." She gasped and he thought about the night from when he slammed her against the wall when he put his hand on her forehead
"Time to shut you up. Oblivisior." He said and she went limp under him while his eyes softened 100x over "Let's bring you up Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Hermione... I love it that you won't hurt me. But to not get you hurt in this war, I have to kill the part of your spirit that wants to help me so much. I'm sorry…" Draco muttered his apologizes as he lifted her in his arms and he found Rigel staring at him from his doorway
"Draco… She was in the way?" Rigel asked and Draco bent his head down to stare at Hermione in his arms
"I had to Rigel. I just had to." Draco said teary eyes when he came to look up at Rigel
"Draco you can't keep on Obliviating her. It might cause brain damage." Rigel said in all seriousness
"I have to. If I don't, she'll die. If I do stop, we'll all die." Draco turned and went up to the girls' room, set her in her bed and went out the balcony way to his bed right next to the glass door. He swiftly took off his shirt and put on pajama pants and stepped unto the marble cold balcony floor and felt the wind freeze his entire upper body as he thought about her: the girl sleeping peacefully behind him. He turned his face slightly to her and looked back at the lake, which was in full view.
"But Draco I can't! Not on you. Ever since I met you in Bulgaria, you've been different. I liked that version of you! You've been your real self in front of me since then and now you've stopped that. I've wanted to bring you out of your rut but it looks like you keep leaving yourself in it without any hope of someone throwing a rope for you! I can't stand that!"
Her cries entered his thoughts and he let the tears freeze on his pale cheeks.
"Oh she's right. I am a damn right coldhearted bastard…" Draco told the wind "But I have to be to save her and my friends by being so damn mean. I have to." Draco whispered to the air one more time and the moonlight engulfed his silhouette and his reflection glistened in the lake as that of a fallen angel.
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AN: Well, this next chapter... I didn't realize that I had made it so heartwretching. Well, for me it was a bit. Stupid Draco, poor Hermione. Smart Harry. I dunno about Ginny and Ron though. Whatever.
Oh and yeah so this makes the series AU from about forth year but Cedric still died and stuff as did Sirius and stuff but they were just training in the background. Why do you think Harry had such good luck and that Hermione was such a good actress when tricking Umbridge? Yeah... Tell me if you don't like the AU-ness or the emotional sides of Hermione and Draco.
REVIEW PLEASE! Or I will send boggarts and dementors on you! And Harry won't be there with his Patronus!
Please Review though seriously. See ya next chapter people!