Title

Among the Serpents

Chapter 5

By

Adrienne Black

Draco shoved the last of his breakfast into his mouth violently. He hadn't seen Hermione all morning, and he couldn't help but think she was with Potter, because he was absent from breakfast as well. Just then the Hall doors opened, and in waltzed Potter, looking like he owned the place. He grinned at Ginny, and sat down next to her. Once again, he couldn't help but notice he didn't kiss her, like he always did. He began to get impatient, then annoyed, then angry. Fifteen minutes later, Hermione still wasn't at breakfast. Draco got up and intended to go look for her, when the Great Hall doors opened for a second time. Hermione came in, looking flushed. She sat next to Draco, kissing him on the cheek-which she never did.

"Where the hell were you?" he demanded in a hoarse whisper.

"Doing Prefect schedules Draco, calm down."

"You look like you've been having sex." he spat at her.

"Excuse me? I ran into Snape on the way down. Really, ran into him. Draco, stop. Let go of my arm." She said, for he had grabbed onto her wrist.

"Well why was Potter late too then?"

"He's Head Boy, Malfoy, he has to do schedules with me. Now let go of me."

"You're such a whore."

"That's an insult Draco, I would never stoop as low as Potter. You're as low as I can bring myself to do." she sneered at him, wrenching her arm from his grip. Before he could say another word she was out of the Great Hall. Draco got up and followed her.

She seemed to be going to the Slytherin Common Room, which was never good. There was too much gossip brewing already. It was common knowledge that their relationship had been on edge since the end of 6th year, and her storming in to cause a scene wouldn't help, and all this gossip somehow always swam right into his father's ears. He cursed to himself.

"Mione'! Wait! I'm sorry!" He called out. He knew he was right, and she was wrong, but his reputation would be ruined if she slept with another Slytherin. Slytherins have no respect, and they weren't to be trusted.

"Draco you've made it perfectly clear that you think I'm a slut, I think that's all we need to say to each other." She choked out. It looked like she was about to cry.

"Babe, I'm sorry I didn't mean it, bad morning, please forgive me, don't cry," he said hastily, unaware that she was crying by will, emotion had nothing to do with it.

"I… just…w-why do we f-f-fight so much!" she said between chocking sobs. "I can't do it anymore D-Draco! It's too hard!" she wailed, putting her head on his shoulders. How could he possible see the manipulative smirk playing over her lips. She knew it was wrong to trick him, but what could she do? Draco was her entire image, if he was gone so was her secret.

"I'm sorry, Mione' this is all my fault, we won't fight anymore, I trust you." he said, rather untruthfully. But Hermione was his world, if she broke up with him… well he didn't want to think about it just now.

"Are you s-sure?" she sobbed, rubbing the tears out of her eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sorry."

She hugged him again, smirking on his shoulders. She pulled away from him and nodded. Picking her bag up off the ground she looked at him with a half smile.

"I need to be alone I'll see you later maybe."

"Yeah. Are you sure you want to be alone?"

"Y-yeah"

With that she turned around, and walked away, leaving Draco feeling miserable. I'm a bloody git, I can't believe I made her cry! I feel like such an ass…of course she wants to be alone…Her and Potter? God what's wrong with me!

Blaise lingered in the Great Hall, making sure he and Potter were the last ones out the large oak doors. He had a plan, he was going to get Granger, he was going to make sure Draco didn't throw his life away with that slut. Even Pansy would be better than her. He got off the bench at the same moment as Potter, and followed him into an empty corridor. He grinned and yelled out "Wotcher Potter, we need to talk."

"About what Zabini? Make it quick I have to meet Ron and Ginny."

"Yeah Yeah whatever." Blaise stood in front of Harry, not really sure how to approach the subject of Hermione. He must have been silent for a while because Harry turned around and said:

"I don't have time for this Zabini," and began to walk away.

"Ohh, yes you do. What do you think of Granger?" he blurted out. Honesty is the best policy…well sort of.

"She's a bitch, a slut, and a right pain in the arse. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I have a proposition for you. You and Granger live in close quarters and…"

"Good job Zabini, did you figure that out all for yourself?"

"Actually yes, Potter. Anyway, I want you to spy on her. I want you to find every bit of incriminating information about her that there is to find. Everyone has something to hide, and I think hers will ruin her. You want that every bit as much as I do."

"You must think I'm pretty stupid, don't you? What is Malfoy and Granger under the stairs, ready to hex me if I so much as nod? I'm not buying this. Your Malfoy's best friends." Harry started to walk away, but Blaise grabbed his arm. Harry's free arm shot to his wand, but Blaise continued hastily. This needed to work, it was his only plan.

"That's exactly why I'm asking you to do this. If she doesn't have anything to hide, then she's not who I think she is, but if she does, well then it proves she's not good enough for Draco. Wouldn't live up to his family name."

Harry let out a laugh.

"What are you on about? Lucius screws everything with big boobs and a nice ass. He has more secrets than Mad-Eye Moody. Hermione would fit right in."

"Watch it, Potter, I may be striking up a deal with you, but that doesn't mean you can insult the Malfoys. He let go of Harry's arm, and turned around. "Just think about it. You can get back to me later."

Well, thought Blaise, I'd say that was a complete failure.

Saturday evening finds Hermione curled up on the couch reading one of her favorite books: The Poisonwood Bible. She must have read it seven times, but it never bored her. Every time she read it she came upon a new understanding of the theme, or plot, or character. It was like reading a new book every time.

Hermione felt her crying charade worked perfectly. Once again, Draco was her string puppet. She had gotten worried for a bit, things had never been that rocky between them before. But, alas, things all worked out to her advantage. They always did.

She knew it was a bit risky to read a well-known muggle book in Hogwarts. She could easily be figured out, but this was her private common room, after all. And no doubt Potter was out with the little blood traitors. She figured he wouldn't be back anytime soon, so what's the hurry? Little did she know that after Harry's run in with Blaise, he took a little detour to the common room. But since Hermione was unaware of that she just sank deep into her book, and didn't even realize that Harry had walked into through the portrait hole.

"Oi, Granger, is that a muggle book you've got there?" He grabbed the book from her before she even knew what was happening. "Ha! I think it is. The proud pureblood reading a muggle author, never thought I'd see the… hey you would've had to been in a muggle booksto.."

He couldn't finish his sentence because Hermione had jumped up from the couch, snatched her book back and smacked him over the head with it.

"For you information, Potty, I confiscated it from a second year. Thought it was unconventional school reading. I was just skimming through it when you stuck your ugly face where it didn't belong." It was a lie, yes, and not a very good one, but it was the best she could think off in such a short amount of time.

"Tsk tsk, didn't your Parents teach you not to lie, or throw hurtful insults at people who don't deserve them? I'm disappointed in you," he teased.

"Oh grow up you arrogant bastard. And stop staring at my chest! Do you mind!"

"Nope, not at all."

"Well I do!" She took her book and stormed into her dormitory.

Harry was no idiot, he did manage to become Head Boy after all, the signs would all come together eventually, and Hermione knew she needed to be more careful.

Potter entered his bedroom with a head full of Zabini's words. Everyone has something to hide… He hadn't believe that Hermione (Hermione? No Granger) Was anything more than a normal Slytherin, the whole nasty lot of them harbored at least a dozen secrets. But now, well, what was Granger doing with a muggle book? And he knew it was muggle, he had seen it on the Dursley's shelves over the summer, and Merlin knows nothing but normal makes it's way into that house. So why did she have it?

And that books was the size of their Transfiguration textbook, no way it belonged to a second year.

But what could that possibly mean? So Granger read a muggle book, even though she's a muggle-hating Slytherin. And so she was bossy and organized even though she pretended to be a slacker and a slut. People changed around others all the time, but then why couldn't he get Zabini's words out of his head?

Maybe he could snoop around a bit, not for Zabini of course, just to settle his own curiosity. What could that hurt?

It never crossed Harry Potter's mind that Hermione could hid anything as tremendous as she was, or that she had many secrets, all of which could condemn her in the Wizarding world. But if it had crossed his mind, and he did know her secrets, he might then wonder: Why had all this happened to Hermione Granger?