Chapter 8: Friend or Foe?

Well after yesterday and I guess this morning's events, one could say I am exhausted and overwhelmed by emotions. Exhausted literally because I could not fall back asleep after the Draco incident and overwhelmed by emotions because…well I saw the man in his underwear for Merlin sakes. Not to mention that he also saw my night clothes that were not appropriate for company. Today we are supposed to be having high tea with the Malfoys at the Ritz. Well Mother and I are, Father actually has a meeting to attend. Some sort of Dentist conference at the last minute. This means, Draco and I will most likely be left to entertain each other while our mothers talk endlessly about well whatever it is they talk about. Unless Draco decides to not come, which may be a miracle at this point.

OOOOOOO

"No. Absolutely not. The one I picked out for you will be more appropriate dear. This is high tea not a polo match."

"I detest red." I told my dear mother.

"Why? You look lovely in red."

"Lovely? Mother please let me wear the green."

"No. If you must wear a different colour, you can wear the silver-blue shirt."

"Fine, anything but red." Reminds me of Gryffindor, and I am not a Gryffindor.

"Mr. Malfoy, the phone for you Sir." The maid said as she walked into my room.

"Thank you." I said and reached for the phone. "Hello."

"Hey mate, so listen about the whole fight with Granger, I really think you should give it another chance. Just apologize and make it right again."

"Blaise, everything is fine with Granger…er Hermione." I added after seeing my mother scowl at me calling Granger, well Granger.

"Wow first name basis, that is progress, how did you fix it?"

"Blaise, not is not a good time, I have to get ready for high tea."

"High tea? Is this something your Mother is insisting you are going to?"

"Yes."

"With the Grangers?"

"Yes."

"What is with the lack of information mate? Is your mum sitting right there?"

"Yes." I said smiling at my mother to let her know everything was good and that we were not talking about Granger or her."

"Ok, I will call you later. Bye."

"Sarah, please send a note to Mrs. Granger that we will be in the lobby in 10 minutes."

"Yes Mrs. Malfoy. Right away Madame."

"You will be polite to Miss. Granger won't you Draco." Mother said as she adjusted my tie.

"Have I yet to be rude?"

"Well not while I am around, but I trust your character is still well mannered even if I am not in the room. She is a lovely girl, so smart, so pretty. Much nicer than Miss. Parkinson."

There is that "lovely" word again, "Mother, you picked Pansy out and told me to date her. If I recall I was engaged to the girl."

"Well I would hardly call that an engagement, my goodness we talked about that when you were twelve. Besides I will admit that I may have misjudged Miss. Parkinson, I am however not wrong when it comes to Miss. Granger."

"Well Mother, the likeliness of Hermione and I ever coming close to getting engaged is practically null, she probably wouldn't even hold my hand if I tried."

"She already has Draco, I don't see why you are so indifferent to her."

"Mother you know that her and I come from different worlds. Yes she is accustomed to the magical world as though she was born into it but we are still different. You know that it would not work out between Granger and I. Be thankful we are able to be in the same room as each other and be friends." I said, I could tell mother was upset but I just said what she already knew.

She pursed her lips together and stepped back, "Well then, I guess we should go. Let us hope you can control your emotions during tea. Outbursts during High Tea are inappropriate. Pretend you are dining with the Queen of France and do not say any of those things to Mrs. or Miss. Granger." She said before she turned and walked out of the room.

"There is no Queen of France mother!" I called after her. Why I am even invited to high tea?

OOOOO

"So Hermione did you have a nice day yesterday. Your mother told me you went to the Louvre, I bet that was magnificent." Mrs. Malfoy said. We, the four of us, had sat down to tea and the waiter has just brought the tea and little sandwiches.

"It was amazing, I am glad I went to see it."

"Draco should have went with you, he did disappear for a bit yesterday but I have yet to figure out where he went to." She said, and Draco got a panicked look on his face.

I smiled, "Well I think I can clear up that mystery, he was at the Louvre with me. My cousin Travis managed to get us two passes and that allowed us to skip the line."

Well he certainly looked relived now, "Oh wonderful, Draco why didn't you tell me that."

"Sorry, I must have forgotten." He said as he took some sandwiches and sent a smirk in my direction.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but a note arrived for you Miss. Granger." The waiter said as he extended the silver platter he was holding in his hand.

"Thank you." I said taking the envelope off the platter.

"A note? Who knows you are here dear?" Mum asked with a slight unease in her voice.

Not wanting to alarm her, "Well I told Ginny I was having High Tea here and would not answer my phone. She is probably just trying to message me about her boyfriend", I said as I opened the envelope and pulled out the card.

Should have picked a different place to hide out Miss. Granger. Paris is a little too obvious, you have made it very easy to find you. 6 'o clock, Arc de Triomphe. I advise you to come alone and not tell anyone. Wouldn't want mummy and daddy worrying.

I looked up from the note, first to Draco then to my Mum and Mrs. Malfoy. I swallowed and then put on a smile, "I was right, just Ginny being dramatic. If you'll excuse me I think I should give her a ring." I said before I excused my-self from the table and hurried to the washroom.

I stood in front of the mirror with the note clutched tightly in my hand. Two weeks after the war I had gotten a similar note telling me to watch out and other vague threats. I did not think much of it because I knew I still had a vast amount of enemies. I suggested going to Paris to get away from everything. To give my parents a break and to have an excuse not to see the therapist every week. I just wanted to have a break from that life, from living in constant panic. I don't know why they are targeting me. Whomever they are. How did they know I was here? Only Ginny knows. I did not even tell Harry and Ron. The only other people that know are…the Malfoys. Draco. Was he behind this? Maybe that is why he snuck into my room last night, to finish me off, to leave a note. I knew I should have kept my distance. He followed me to the Louvre and who knows if he has been following me everywhere.

I heard a knock on the door. "Granger?" he called. An instant panic shot through me. I backed up and pulled out my wand keeping it close to the side.

The door slowly opened, and he stepped in. He looked at me, "Granger, what's going on?"

"You tell me." I said as he closed the door behind him.

"I came to see if you were alright."

"I'm just fine."

"Clearly not because your wand is out. Who did you expect to walk through that door?"

"You tell me." I said again.

"Why do you keep saying that? Merlin Hermione I don't know what's happening but if this is about last night…"

"I am such an idiot."

"No you're not, in fact you have proven many times you are the farthest thing from an idiot."

"No I am an idiot for letting my guard down. For thinking you were different. For thinking you actually changed. I even, sort of trusted you. I swear Malfoy if you even touch my parents it will be the last thing you ever do. Tell your friends I will do what they want as long as my parents stay out of it. And if I think they are getting too close I will leave, and this time it won't be somewhere as obvious as Paris."

"Hermione I have no idea what you are talking about. I would never hurt your parents and I have changed."

"Well than what do you have to say about this?" I asked and I shoved the note into his chest.

He scanned it, "I have no idea what this is about. I didn't write this. I don't have anything to do with this."

"If this is a joke tell me now and I won't say anything."

"I don't know what this is Hermione. I swear, I don't know who sent this."

"Well it isn't Voldemort because he is dead so it has to be someone who really didn't like me."

"Hermione…"

"If you call me that one more time, I will hex you."

"Ok I think you need to calm down and think rationally."

"Think rationally! Malfoy, I don't have time to play this back and forth lie game with you. Stay away from me and my family. I guess I will see you tonight with your friends. Now get out of my way." I said as I pushed past him.

OOOOOOO

I quickly moved so she could get passed. I flushed the note down the toilet and walked out. I got to the table, "Where did Hermione go?" I asked.

"Oh she said she didn't feel too well and she needed to lie down. It may have been the ham sandwiches so don't eat any dear." Mrs. Granger said.

OOOO Later that day OOOO

I sat in the lobby, pretending to read the newspaper, waiting for Hermione to walk past. I was not about to let her walk into this alone.

I saw she walk past at her usual fast paced almost run and I watched her turn left when she exited the hotel's entrance. I followed her, keeping my distance.

We were both in the tunnel under the road that lead to the Arc and as soon as the other person who was walking the opposite way passed I ran up and grabbed her arm.

OOOOOOOOO

I felt as though I was walking to my death as I walked through the tunnel. All of a sudden I felt someone grab my arm and I spun around with my wand out and pushed them against the wall.

"Granger, it's me."

"Why are you here? Are you going to finish me off in the tunnel, can't wait till we get to the Arc?

"What the hell Granger, I am not going to kill you." He said pushing me away. I kept my wand pointed at him. "I wasn't going to let you come here alone. I do not have anything to do with that letter or anything."

"Why should I believe you? If it wasn't you than who sent me this? Who else know I'm here?"

"I don't know. Voldemort had hundreds of followers and most of them escaped Azkaban. There are probably people all over this city and you are a pretty obvious person to recognize. And what were you thinking, walking into this by yourself. You think they would just let you leave the same way?"

"I don't even know who they are!" I shouted. He rushed over to me and put his hand over my mouth.

"Shut up. Do you want them to hear you? Now, come away. Let's just go. Just ignore the letter and let's leave, convince our parents to travel to Nice or somewhere and then just keep going."

"Keep ignoring them. That won't work and you know it. I have to go there and see what they want."

"Then I have to go with you."

"Why? I mean nothing to you, you can walk away and not deal with any of this."

"That's not true. You do mean something to me Hermione."

"Miss. Granger. I thought I heard you, please come with me." A voice in a black cloak said as he emerged from the shadows.