Chapter 3

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Later that night, Arielle smiled as she sat down beside Hermione. Many would have been at a loss as to where to look for the renowned bookworm, had she been discovered missing from the girl's dormitory this late at night. Arielle, however, having grown up with her, had no problem finding her by a secluded part of the lake.

Hermione smiled too, "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to speak on the train."

Arielle turned to look at her, "I didn't expect we would. You mustn't go out of your way to accommodate us now we're here. We'll manage."

"I wasn't referring to Edouard. It's you I'm worried about"

Arielle frowned, "Hermione I don't think it wise for people to find out about our friendship. It will lead to too many questions and too much suspicion. You are in far too delicate a position to risk any of that."

Hermione sighed, she should have known. Arielle put the job first, she always had, and unlike Hermione she had the ability to separate her duty and her emotions. It was a useful skill to have with their responsibilities, especially when lives depended on their secrets being kept.

"I know. You're right." Hermione bit her lip. Arielle may be right, but she didn't like it. "Well if it's the job we're focussing on, where are all the others?" She cringed inwardly, her words having come out much sharper than intended.

It didn't faze Arielle though, as she recited what she knew of their Australian acquaintances. "I know Asch and Jaisen are hiding out somewhere in Europe. They're trying to complete the joining of their magic."

Hermione blinked in surprise, "I thought they'd given up on that. It's far too dangerous!"

"It is dangerous." Arielle conceded, "But they're willing to risk it. Together they could beat the Avada Kedavra curse." Arielle's voice dropped to a whisper, "They could save people from death." At that thought a single tear trickled down Arielle's cheek.

Hermione sighed, they were back to that night again. "Arielle, no one could have done anything to save Mae. Once Voldemort had her..."

"But I should have been able to do something Hermione!" Arielle insisted, "She was my responsibility. Just like Harry is yours."

Hermione sat in silence for a while. Unknown to anyone within Hogwarts, Hermione had long ago been charged with the responsibility of protecting Harry Potter. That had been the reason Hermione had insisted on hanging around him in their first year, leading to their eventual friendship, and, of course, the reason Hermione currently resided in Gryffindor. The same fault in the Hat's make-up that had allowed Harry to become a Gryffindor had allowed Hermione to do the same. Had the Hat known how manipulative and cunning she would grow to be over the years, she would never have been able to choose Gryffindor.

Thinking back to all her other Australian acquaintances she inquired next about the little boy who had almost never left Mae's side, "Joey?"

"Joey's back at The Lodge." Arielle replied blankly.

Hermione felt an unexpected burst of homesickness at the mention of the place she used to live. Now that Arielle was here she had a constant reminder of just how much she had left behind. "He was Mae's best friend wasn't he?"

Arielle ran a hand through her hair, "He shouldn't have to deal with this. They were so young."

"You can hardly be suggesting we would have been better off as orphans?" Hermione whispered.

"No," Arielle acknowledged, "we're all extremely lucky, but..."

Hermione nodded, knowing Arielle was thinking the same thing, "It's the price we pay."

Hermione watched as Arielle absent-mindedly rubbed her forearm. "So what's the deal with Malfoy?"

Arielle shrugged, slowly removing her hand from her forearm, "Voldemort marked him, and now I'm here to find out why."

"Yes I knew that," Hermione acknowledged, "but was he marked willingly?"

Arielle shook her head, "No, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sense the connection."

"You know, Harry is convinced Malfoy is a Death Eater, even though he has no proof."

"Really?" Arielle looked marginally surprised, "Maybe he's more observant than we thought he was."

"Maybe," Although Hermione thought it was more likely due to Harry's paranoia. "At least he's open to the possibility, whereas the Order is convinced Voldemort would never mark a sixteen year old."

"Dumbledore's Order?" Arielle scoffed, "What a bunch of pot-headed old fools"

Hermione grinned, "They're not that bad, just..."

"Idiots"

"I was going to say uneducated" Hermione finished.

"Fine," Arielle raised her eyebrows in an expression that clearly stated that's no excuse. "Uneducated idiots"

Hermione smiled; this was the first small flash of the girl she remembered. The stubborn-minded, mischievous one she had known growing up.

Hermione didn't want to spoil the good mood, but she had more questions that needed to be asked, "Are there a lot of unwilling Death Eaters out there?"

"Only two"

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered

Arielle shook her head; she wouldn't accept Hermione's pity. It wouldn't help.

As fewer and fewer lights could be seen lighting up the windows of Hogwarts, Hermione's thoughts returned to her Australian friends. "Do you know anything about Ben and Aleks?" She questioned tentatively.

She was watching Arielle carefully. Arielle for her part didn't move, but Hermione could see a rage of conflicting emotions reflected in her silver eyes. "They're tracking down some Death Eaters who could expose us. I have no idea where they are." She managed to reply in a monotone, but Hermione knew there was something Arielle wasn't telling her. Something else must have happened the night Voldemort attacked, but she knew that she wouldn't be finding out what it was tonight.

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