AN: Bluh. It's been six weeks now, but my motivation to keep this story going has been at an all-time low. This chapter is about twice the length of my usual ones, though. I feel like none of it is coming out the way I intended, and that I can't get the characters written the way I want. I do need to do a lot of technical editing on the past chapters, but right now moving the story forward is more important. That said, it's been one year ago today since I posted the first chapter of Haunted, and I've had a lot of fun writing for you guys, and I've met a lot of great writers and great people. Thanks for all of your feedback; I always like to hear what my readers think. Lyrics are from Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse.

-Ophelia

Your number has been called

Fights and battles have begun

Revenge will surely come

Your hard times are ahead

Best, you've got to be the best

You've got to change the world

And use this chance to be heard

Your time is now

Don't let yourself down

Don't let yourself go

Your last chance has arrived

The sunlight seemed to jab me hard in the eyes as the curtains were swept back. I blinked blearily, trying and failing to glare at the intruder who had so caustically woken me up. Oh Merlin, they're here to attack me, aren't they? I blindly scrabbled for my wand on the bedside table, eyes squinting hopelessly against the unwelcome brightness. The intruder slid onto the foot of the bed, forcing me to sit up as they closed the curtains again. "Hermione, wake up. I need to talk to you." With the hideously bright light gone, I could plainly see that my wand was in my pocket, right where it was when I had fallen asleep last night. I pulled it out, comforted by the protection it promised. I hadn't even changed my clothes or brushed my teeth last night, literally crying myself to sleep. How... pathetic. That sort of drama had always seemed reserved for girls like Lavender and Parvati, and I had spent years trying to distance myself from any of it.

The intruder waved a hand in front of my face to get my attention. "Hermione! Didn't you hear me?" Oh, it's just Ginny. She peered anxiously at me, her hair a fiery cloud around her face. There were dark circles under her tired eyes and her freckles stood out sharply against her pale skin. I sat up, frowning, concerned to see her in such a state. If there was anybody at Hogwarts who almost constantly bubbled over with cheeriness and vitality, it was Ginny Weasley, and right now she seemed most unlike herself. "The whole House is a mess," she informed me, answering my question before it had had a chance to pass my lips. Her voice was hoarse, as if she had spent hours shouting. "They've been fighting all night, trying to decide if they should kick you out of here or not. Everyone seems torn between Ron and Neville."

"Neville? Did he take my side?" That was quite surprising, considering the not-insignificant involvement you had with the destruction of his family. I thought that he, more than anybody else, had the right to be angry with me for protecting you. Ginny smiled faintly.

"Well, you know Neville, Hermione. He knows what Bellatrix has done, but he also knows you, and he knows better than to condemn you for her crimes." She fixed me with a suddenly stern look, reminding me strongly of Mrs. Weasley. I shrunk back a bit, suddenly wary. "I agree with him, of course, but we'll need to hear your reasons for this. You're smart, Hermione, and I'm sure you didn't just blunder into something this serious."

I nodded, surprised and gratified to have the support of at least two Gryffindors, particularly two that have led the House against Snape and the Carrows all year with me, Ron and Harry away from the castle. Their opinions were very meaningful, and their steadfast support and friendship was much more than I had dared to hope for after Ron's declaration last night. "Thank you, Ginny. Just… thanks."

She blushed slightly and smiled, her eyes now warm and sparkling just like her mother's. Ah, now here's the Ginny I know. "That's what friends are for, yeah?" She reached over and playfully punched my arm, the way I had seen her do with her brothers countless times. It felt nice to be able to slow everything down and hang out with Ginny again like we always had at the Burrow; the war had torn away even my friendship with the youngest Weasley.

"So, who's on what side?" I asked, trying to sound casual, as if this matter was nothing more than a mild curiosity. Unsurprisingly, she didn't buy it, and rolled her eyes.

"Smooth, Hermione. The younger kids who never really knew you well agree with Ron, and they all think you betrayed us. Same with anybody whose family was attacked by the Death Eaters, even if it wasn't Bellatrix personally." My shoulders slumped; after such a brutal war, that was just about everybody. "There are a few of the older students who side with me and Neville, but like I said, we all want to hear your reasons for protecting her. Everyone's trying to hear out both sides, but then they get lazy, and they all just turned to Harry for an answer." She sighed. "Well, you can see their thinking, I guess. You know, they all think he's their leader and savior after killing Voldemort, so they'll side with him. But Harry didn't have anything to say, he went up to bed right after you left."

"He what?" I clenched my wand hard in my fist, furious. What was he playing at, refusing to say anything about this mess? How could he leave me to stew in this mess by myself? If he had vouched for me, taken just a few minutes to explain, I wouldn't have to deal with the entire school hating me. I didn't need to hear it from Ginny to know that this was how everything would play out; the Hogwarts rumor mill moved notoriously quickly and once the other students got wind of this, they would turn against me as well. "He was there, though, in the hospital wing. He heard everything, all the stuff that we said to McGonagall about the plan, he knows everything that I need to tell you. He… he…" Ginny put a hand on my arm, looking sympathetic.

"I know, Hermione, it wasn't fair at all for him to do that. If he had stuck up for you, everybody would trust you, but instead they listened to Ron and think you're selfishly protecting a murderer for your own gain. Which is ridiculous, really," she added fiercely, "because everyone knows that there's nothing at all to gain from hanging around Death Eaters. Of course there has to be more to it, it just doesn't make any sense."

I took a deep breath. "Well, a lot of this has to do with that law that the Ministry passed, Ginny. You know, that one-"

"-Where innocent Muggle-borns, who have just been hunted down and persecuted by the Ministry, are being forced to marry Death Eaters, who just spent a year torturing and killing them for fun? Yes, I was there when Kingsley told you about it, remember? It was in the Daily Prophet the other day, did you read the article?" I shook my head slowly, wary of the kind of twist the Prophet would put on the story to try to sell it to the public. There was no way a hare-brained scheme like this would be accepted, none at all. Then again… they had accepted the Muggle-born Registration Commission with no problem, hadn't they? Ginny continued, her voice gentle, clearly noticing my distress. "Well, it had some new clauses that Kingsley didn't mention before, probably stuff that he added after he announced it. There are parts that are supposed to help protect you and the other Muggle-borns, but of course, these people are criminals. Breaking laws has never stopped them from hurting people before," she admitted.

She paused, screwing up her eyes in concentration as she tried to remember what the article had said. After a moment, she seemed to remember, continuing in a solemn voice. "For example, they'll send a Ministry representative to the couple's home every month for the first five years of the marriage, where they'll talk to both of them and make sure the Muggle-born isn't hurt. If she is, the Death Eater will be convicted of domestic abuse, and they'll serve time in Azkaban just as anyone else would. If the bride dies, or mysteriously disappears, then the Death Eater will get the Dementor's Kiss." The words seemed to linger ominously in the air long after she said them, silence falling in the small dormitory. The Kiss was certainly not something to be issued lightly, and even the threat of it showed that the Ministry of Magic meant business.

At last, I cleared my throat and spoke. "But suppose something happens to the Muggle-born, like some kind of accident. Will the Death Eater get the Kiss if she dies without him doing anything to her?" As little as I wanted to defend them, I didn't want such a fate bestowed on anyone as a result of their wife falling off a broom, for example. But Ginny shook her head, her long fiery hair whipping around her face.

"They'll use Veritaserum to find out what happened, in every case. The Death Eaters are getting a great deal with this law, being kept from Azkaban just by treating one woman as a bloody human being for once," she said bitterly, and I had to agree. "But, anyway, they changed it somewhat so that you should be safer now, if not any happier. But what does this have to do with you suddenly marrying Bellatrix Lestrange? I thought you would be with Malfoy, I thought they had arranged that one as an example?"

I sighed, then pulled the curtains apart for a moment to make sure that Ginny and I were quite alone in the dormitory. The fewer people that knew the details of our plan, the better. "I'll tell you and Neville all of this at the same time, it'll be easier. But- wait, where are you going?" Ginny had thrown back the curtains suddenly and jumped out of the bed, leaving me dazzled by the sudden sunlight pouring in once more.

"Well, I have to go get Neville, don't I? We're settling this right now, Hermione, this can't just wait until later." With that, she swept out of the room, leaving me staring at the closed door in bemusement. I slid out of bed myself, snatching up my beaded handbag from the nightstand and digging around for a change of clothes. By the time Ginny reentered the room with Neville in tow, I had changed from yesterday's wrinkled outfit into a new set of robes and was dragging a brush through my stubbornly knotted hair. Ginny threw herself lazily onto my bed again, sprawling out leisurely, while Neville perched himself carefully on Lavender's bed, looking nervous and uncomfortable at being in the girl's dormitory.

I carefully put down the brush, feeling their eyes on me, and nudged Ginny until she sat up and made room for me on my own bed again. It was Neville who broke the silence, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep, steadying breath. "All right, Hermione. Ginny and I trust you, we really do, but I think we deserve to know just what's going on here. You know what that… woman… is, you don't need us to remind you why the rest of the House has a problem with you marrying her. We want to hear why, and we want to hear it from you." Ginny nodded in agreement, and the pair stared at me expectantly.

I remembered what McGonagall had told us, the lie we would have to sell to Kingsley and the Ministry to get them to allow us to marry in the first place. It needed to start right now, right here with Ginny and Neville. "Well, the thing is, guys… I'm marrying Bellatrix because…" I looked down at my feet, unable to meet their searching gazes. "I love her," I mumbled. I could feel a flush spreading across my face and refused to look back up until someone spoke. The moment stretched on and on, until…

"No you don't," Ginny said bluntly. "That's complete rubbish."

I looked back up at her, frowning and trying to appear indignant. "No, its not. It's completely true. I'm marrying her because we want to be together, that's why she asked for me a few days ago, when the Order had her locked up. I promised that I would do anything I could to help her, and this is what it came down to. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I- I've made my decision a long time ago. I can't help how I feel," I finished, crossing my arms resolutely across my chest. I felt distinctly proud of myself for spewing all of that out without thinking of a speech beforehand, as I had planned to do for when I broke the news to Kingsley. But Ginny laughed, and Neville shook his head with a grin.

"You're a terrible liar, Hermione." Neville told me. "For one thing, you have this look on your face when you talk about her, like you were looking at something nasty."

"You don't sound happy talking about spending your life with her, the woman you love so much," Ginny added with a smirk. "Besides, when exactly were you able to fall in love? When did you ever meet outside of a fight?"

"What do you like best about her? The way her face lights up when she says your name? Does she even know your name?"

"Does it bother you that she's old enough to be your mother? Or that she's a woman?"

"What's your favorite thing to do together? Have you ever gone on a date? Did she send you something for Christmas?"

"All right, all right, stop it!" I held up my hands, feeling my face burning as they continued to laugh. My grand plan had fallen to pieces almost instantly, and I had no idea where to go from here. "Fine, you caught me out, I didn't mean a word of that, obviously. It was McGonagall's idea, to say all that to Kingsley as an excuse for why I'm not marrying Draco," I explained, failing to keep a note of desperation out of my voice. Neville and Ginny stopped laughing then, looking thoughtful.

"Well, it might work, but not if your acting is so bad," Neville told me. "But you haven't told us why you're trying to protect her in the first place." Ginny nodded, and I took a deep breath. How could I even begin to explain this?

"The day after the battle, McGonagall came to find me. She told me that the captured Death Eaters were being held in cells in the Room of Requirement, and that they were allowed to talk to one person on the outside. Bellatrix had asked to see me, for some reason." I left out what Draco had told me, about how she only wanted me because she felt that I would be easily manipulated. The very thought of it made my hackles rise, and Neville and Ginny didn't need to hear about it. "Well, when I got there, the Order had beaten her within an inch of her life. I- I couldn't stand it, not even seeing someone like that in such pain, I couldn't leave her like that."

"But then she ran off," Ginny said, frowning. "She escaped and you went to find her. Did you let her go? Why did you change your mind?" Neville looked between us, gaping in surprise. He hadn't heard any of this story at all.

I shook my head. "I didn't let her leave, but she took my wand. It's.. a long story, but I got knocked out. But the Order had poisoned her before, so I went to bring her back so that she didn't die. I don't know why I did it…"

"Well, because you love her, of course. McGonagall's right, that's really the only way you can sell this to the Ministry. So you saved her, but why marry her? Why keep protecting her?" Neville asked, frowning. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head, how he struggled to hear me out while battling his hatred for you. He wanted to keep me as a friend, but nobody who protected his enemies was a friend of his. I needed to make my point, and quickly.

"Bellatrix offered that I married her instead, in the hospital wing. She said that she had been raised expecting to marry someone she hated, but Draco wasn't, so it would be easier on her than on him. But she also said…" It wasn't nearly as awkward to say this to my friends as it was to say to Draco's face, but the moment was nonetheless uncomfortable. I stared down at my hands in my lap, refusing to meet their eyes. "She also said that if I marry Draco, I would be expected to have kids with him. That's… really all she needed to say. I don't want to be forced to sleep with someone, I really don't."

Ginny nodded, looking concerned but understanding, but Neville had turned bright pink and looked down at his hands as well. The last thing he wanted was to talk about anything related to sex with two girls, especially while sitting in the forbidden girl's dormitory. His discomfort somehow made me feel better about the whole situation, until I remembered what both Draco and Ron assumed after hearing what I just said. "I'm not gay, though," I added quickly, and watched as Neville's shoulders slumped in relief. He had been bracing himself to ask, I could now see, and I had spared him the embarrassment. "I won't be sleeping with Bellatrix either, that's not the point of this."

"But, you'll have to tell Kingsley otherwise," Ginny pointed out. "If you really loved her, you would want to be with her like that, in every way…" Neville and I stared at her in horror. Merlin's beard, she was right. How was I supposed to pull this mad scheme off now?

"But you won't have to have a baby, Hermione," Neville said quickly. "You can't, there's not much anyone can do about that. So there's nothing to prove that you two… you know… and nothing to prove that you didn't. And it's not like someone will be watching you, they'll never find out." He crossed his arms resolutely, his face still pink.

Ginny threw up her hands in exasperation. "Oh, stop it, you two. This is exactly why we didn't believe that you love her, Hermione. You can't look so disgusted talking about this kind of stuff, or even look uncomfortable being around her. You'll need to put on a perfect act, all the time, if you want to pull this off, otherwise you won't get married and Bellatrix will be sent to Azkaban."

I shook my head. "No, not sent to jail, she'll be killed. I-" I swallowed, trying to compose myself. "I don't want her to die, not when I can save her. I wouldn't want to be responsible for it, guys, and I really couldn't explain why. But I can stop this and I will, I have to."

Neville's voice was surprisingly gentle. "She doesn't deserve to live, Hermione, she-"

I cut across him, far angrier than I had intended. "You haven't seen what I've seen of her, Neville. When she ran off, I went into the Forbidden Forest to get her, and we… talked. Nobody but us knows what it was about, and that's what McGonagall wants us to play up when talking to Kingsley."

Neville looked somewhat taken aback, but not angry. Ginny took my hand and squeezed it. "That's it, Hermione. You need to act like that, like you care about her, and the rest will come much easier." She paused, looking thoughtful, then a mischievous smile spread across her freckled face. "I've got the perfect solution. Just take a love potion right before you talk to Kingsley."

Neville looked delighted. "That's great, Ginny! Oh, how did we not come up with that before?" But I shook my head.

"Love potions are too obvious, they only create lust," I reminded them impatiently. The idea had occurred to me as well, but I discarded it after only a moment, recalling how bizarre I had behaved on a love potion a few days ago. I shuddered at the memory. Never again, I promised myself.

Ginny looked impatient too. "Well, of course they do, the really strong ones are too obvious. But a weaker one will just create affection," she explained. Neville looked hopeful, watching us carefully.

I shook my head again. Honestly, doesn't anybody around here read? "I've never seen that anywhere, Ginny. Either the potion works or it doesn't, it's impossible to determine the strength before the user actually drinks it. And you can't wait for it to wear off a bit and then have me talk to Kingsley, because it all comes off at once. Either you're over the moon about someone, or you feel the same way as you did before, and-" Ginny cut me off by clapping a hand over my mouth, fixing me with a glare.

"All right, Miss Smarty-Pants, but I didn't finish. You can make a weaker love potion, I've been working with Fred and," she paused, her eyes filling with tears as she recalled her dead brother. Neville got off Lavender's bed to hug her, her hand still over my mouth. The poor Weasleys had lost two sons in a week, and here I was planning to marry a Death Eater instead of mourning them properly. I lowered my head, ashamed of myself, but Ginny grasped my chin and forced me to look up at her again. Her brown eyes sparkled with unshed tears, but blazed with confidence.

"I've been working on one, on what they were going to market as a friendship potion. They wanted to use it for stuff like getting teammates to get along during practices and matches, or something like that, but it would work just fine for this situation too. I know it would, Hermione. We've tested it and it works, it creates fondness rather than lust. You won't have to act when you take it." I sighed, seeing no way out. Loath as I was to use any product intended for a joke shop to help arrange my wedding with a demented Death Eater, this potion was probably the only way follow McGonagall's plan, and to convince Kingsley to let me marry you rather than Draco.

Ginny moved her hand away and looked at me expectantly. "All right, I'll do it," I sighed. She smiled, and she and Neville stood up.

"Well, that's settled then," she said lightly. "We'll have to get Bellatrix to cooperate, though, we'll need her hair or something so that the potion can have you fixate on her. Then, you can just take it right before talking to Kingsley, and you won't look like you're about to throw up just thinking about her."

Neville nodded. "Glad this is all settled, then," he said, rather gruffly. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and I could see that he was still struggling to come to terms with what was happening here. The two exited the room, and I slumped back down onto the bed and groaned. A friendship potion, honestly…