Chapter Five

Hermione flopped back on her bed and massaged her temples. She was still aching from all over from Voldemort's use of the Cruciatus Curse. Bastard, bastard, bastard! How the hell does Harry put up with that so often without going mad?

Thinking of Harry jolted her. Pulling herself to her feet, she pressed an ear to the door. She couldn't hear anything from Draco and assumed that he had gone to sleep. When they had got back from the meeting, he had wrapped his arms round her and kissed her, trying to soothe away from the pain. Hermione felt her heart melting as she lost herself in him but when he had offered her a drink, she had felt it harden again. Obviously Draco was going to keep on 'drugging' her, he wasn't going to let her slip out of Voldemort's fingers. Regardless of what she had seen in his dream, Hermione wouldn't let herself think of Draco having any feelings for her – that would make what she had to do even harder. She would bring him down, no matter what she felt for him. Killing Voldemort was more important than a teenage crush.

Pulling open the door, she crept down the stairs and out into the school hallways. Striding down, she nodded to the ghosts that drifted past, letting them think that she was on patrol. Letting herself into the Gryffindor common room, she saw Harry and Ron, asleep on the comfiest sofa.

Shaking them gently to wake them, she pulled up an armchair and sat in front of them. When they opened their mouths, she shook her head and held up a hand. ''Potion first, answers after that.''

Without another word, they pulled out the vial of Veritaserum that Harry had 'liberated' from Slughorn. Hermione took a sip and looked at them expectantly. ''You need to test that it's working.''

They looked at each other. ''How long did you have a crush on Ron for?'' Harry asked finally.

Hermione went bright red. ''About three years, from third year to last year.'' Immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth. ''You shouldn't have asked that Harry, it was taking advantage.''

''Well you wouldn't ever have volunteered that information.'' Harry pointed out, and then apologised as he saw the looks that his two friends were giving him. ''Shall we get on with this? Hermione, have you joined, or do you have any plans to join the Deatheaters?''

''No. Although I am prepared to pretend to be a member if it will result in a positive outcome.''

''Fantastic.'' Ron and Harry breathed out and then listened intently as Hermione regaled them with the details of her evening, breathing in at all the right places and so on.

Finally, she was done and the two boys began to tick her off for her enthusiasm. ''Hermione, please don't think that we don't appreciate what you've done, you've been amazingly brave, but that was so stupid! Walking straight into Voldemort's clutches! What if he'd seen something out of the ordinary and decided to kidnap you or kill you there and then?''

''I didn't really have that much of a choice! What was I supposed to say, sorry Draco, can't make it this evening I'm not in the right frame of mind?''

''No, but…''

''But what? I couldn't get out of it, it went really well, nothing to complain about.''

''Fine.'' Ron took a deep breath in. ''What are we going to do next time?''

''I can't take a tracking device in with me. They scour the chamber for devices before Voldemort came in. I asked Malfoy once we got back.''

''Did you recognise the place?''

''No.'' Hermione shook her head dejectedly. ''I think the only person who actually knows where it is, is Voldemort. All the Deatheaters just take a Portkey there. I suppose it stops people getting in by mistake.''

Harry tipped his head back and breathed in deeply. ''We can't tell the Order that: we've managed to infiltrate Voldemort's ranks but we don't know where they meet or anything like that.''

Hermione nodded in agreement. ''I suppose I could carry on a little longer and then I'd know about big attacks in advance and we could tell the Order that.''

Harry nodded. '' But I don't want to put you in that position.''

''You're not putting me in that position Harry. I'm putting me in that position. You and Ron are too noticeable, Voldemort wants me there, I'm choosing to go.''

''Hermione…''

''Not another word Harry.'' Her eyes flashed. ''Ron and I are never going to leave you to do this by yourself, whether you like it or not. And you are going to have to accept that help.''

Ron nodded and grinned at Harry.

''So, if I want to go into Voldemort's ranks and destroy them from the inside, I will damn well do it! Are we clear on that?''

Harry grinned and shifted to one side, so Hermione could come and sit next to them. Ron slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. ''So, three years huh?''

''Quiet Ron.'' She blushed again and then, looking at the smiles on her two friends' faces, began to giggle. Before long all three of them were laughing hard, and Hermione's heart felt like it was expanding with love for the two of them. Honestly, I couldn't be luckier. I would give anything for these two. And even as she thought it, she knew that they would do exactly the same for her.

Draco woke up in the morning, and felt his jaw stiff from where he had been grinding his teeth all night. He couldn't believe that bastard had tortured Hermione. In fact, he could believe it, he just didn't want to.

But why can't I face it? He treats all of his Deatheaters like that, Hermione isn't going to be any different.

But even as he thought it he knew why he was angry. Hermione wasn't meant to be treated like the rest of the Deatheaters because she wasn't really one. She had truly chosen to join them, she didn't have any longing for any sort of power, and she was 'innocent'. He didn't want her killing anyone, regardless of what Voldemort had said.

Standing up, he wandered into his bathroom and got into the shower. Once he had gotten out, he made sure that he put his cologne on, knowing how much Hermione loved it. He hadn't failed to notice that she breathed in deeply whenever she was snuggled into his neck, sighing quietly in appreciation. And he needed that appreciation more than ever today, needed to make sure that she hadn't backed out of the venture after her rough treatment.

Running down the stairs, he saw Hermione kneeling at the coffee table, sorting out her books for the day and slotting them neatly into her bag. Her shoes were lined up on the floor next to her, ready for her to step into. He felt a small smile at his mouth as he admired her tiny form, neatly filing away the large books.

She looked up at the sound of his footfall and smiled angelically, a beautiful beam lighting up her whole face. Without another word, he stepped over to her, pulled her to her feet and pressed his lips straight to hers with the kind of urgency that he hadn't felt since he was fourteen. Now, at the age of eighteen, he would have thought that he had some sense of timing, how to treat a girl so that she would melt, and urgency seemed to remind them of fumbling and awkwardness. But Hermione inspired the kind of feelings in him that didn't leave him with any chance of delaying his actions. Thinking back to the night when he had had to leave her for a meeting, he realised that he had never told her how he felt.

''I absolutely, bloody adore you, you know that, don't you?'' he told her, his voice slightly hoarse as he held her in his arms, whispering into her soft hair, wishing with all his heart that he didn't have to drug her every evening so that he could say this to her honestly. He had managed to make it into a routine that they drank together every evening (or so he thought, not realising that Hermione was drinking without any side effects), and every time he watched the mug rise to her lips, he felt a twinge at his heart.

Hermione couldn't answer, just kissed him, her lips moving in a silent acknowledgement of what he had said, and (although she didn't want to admit it to herself) an enthusiastic return of the sentiment. The gorgeous scent he wore, musky and manly enveloped her as she pressed herself against his muscled chest, not wanting to ever leave him. Finally she pulled away, feeling herself enough in control to lie to herself, to tell herself that she didn't mean it when she said ''the feeling is entirely mutual.'' She flicked her hair back and smiled again, and began to turn back to her books.

Oh Merlin. He does have feelings for me – does that make things better or worse? He could be wanting to keep me safe, if I was a Deatheater, I wouldn't be at so much risk. Or does he want to please Voldemort more than he wants to be with me? But he said he adores me, he wouldn't have to say that…oh, Draco, you're breaking my heart, and I'm letting you do it…stupid, stupid, stupid Hermione.

Draco watched her, and then bent down to press a small kiss on the invisible downy hair next to her delicate ear. Hermione breathed in, ecstatic at the contact.

Tell yourself what you want, justify it how you want, but you know that you adore him right back. The thought popped into her mind, and without thinking any more, she turned around, pushing Draco back onto the sofa, kissing him so ferociously that he could barely catch his breath. Soon, they were a panting, ruffled mess of clothing and sprawled limbs as each showed the other how much they cared, wanting to show their devotion in the only way that they could, without their words and their lies getting in the way of their feelings. As Hermione arched her back and gazed into his beautiful blue eyes, Draco looked right back at her, lush and warm and welcoming and the most utterly gorgeous thing he had ever seen. Their breathing increased as they stared into each other's eyes and forgot who they were.

Harry and Ron smiled as Hermione trotted into the Room of Requirement, smiling in apology for being so late. ''Malfoy and I got caught up, he wanted to make sure that I was ok after last night.'' She ignored the niggling little voice in her head. It's not an entire lie, he asked me if I was ok this morning. She tried and tried to justify it, and then realised that she was falling back into her old patterns. I need to tell them. I really do. But now? Can I still turn him in? Yes…but not without pain.

Taking a deep breath she turned to her two friends. ''Please don't get really angry at me, but…''she took in another gasp of air ''I still kiss Malfoy.''

''You have to do that Mione. You're keeping up a front, remember?'' Harry jostled her slightly with his elbow.

''I think…I think I'm being slightly more enthusiastic than I need to be.'' Hermione's head was bowed, and she didn't dare to look at her two friends.

Harry looked at her. ''Is this your way of telling us that you still have a crush on Malfoy?''

''I guess so…but…''

''Mione, if it's helping you play the part…I'm not happy about it, but I don't control you. We can't tell you who you can and can't fancy.''

Hermione breathed out in relief. ''You guys are amazing.'' She turned to Ron, who was nodding as well, although slightly more reluctantly.

''Mione, I would like to test you with Veritaserum on that one though.'' Harry was blushing as he spoke. ''I know it's humiliating, but I have to know. I really do. I can't let you do this if your…your feelings for Malfoy are going to get in the way of what we're trying to do.''

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, but she breathed in deeply and nodded. It's better that it comes out this way, that I've volunteered the information, rather than it coming up in another way. Reaching for the small vial, she paused before holding it up to her lips. ''No intimate questions?''

''Nothing personal.'' Harry nodded, and Ron rubbed her upper arm comfortingly as she swallowed the potion. ''So, you're…I don't know…you're seeing Malfoy?''

''Yes.''

''And you have feelings for him?''

''Yes.''

''Would you betray us to him? If he asked you to lead us to Voldemort would you do it?''

''Never!'' the vehemence of her answer shocked the boys. ''I would come and tell you. I might lie to Draco and tell him that I was going to, but I would never do that to you.''

''Are your feelings for him going to get in the way of what we're doing? Can you still hand him over to the ministry?''

Tears rolled out of Hermione's honey brown eyes. ''Yes.'' She whispered the answer. ''What we're doing is more important than my feelings. I'm going to help you two, no matter what I feel for Draco.'' With that said, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her face on the top of them, crying her eyes out.

Harry and Ron clustered round her, hugging her. Finally, she pulled herself together, picked up her bag, and wiped the tears off of her face. ''Please don't hate me. I'm so sorry.'' She hugged each of them and left, walking off to her next lesson.

The boys, not needing to go to a lesson, didn't feel any need to move. Staring at each other, they both sighed.

''Maybe it's our fault. We should have told her to get out while she still could. If we hadn't let her use herself as bait for Malfoy, the crush probably would have gone away.''

Harry nodded, and looked at Ron, both their faces entirely serious. ''We can't hate her Ron.''

''I never would! No matter how much she annoys me at times!''

Harry smiled slightly, but his face soon fell back to its grave position. ''She can't decide who she has a crush on, but we need to make sure that we know if she changes her mind about handing Draco over. That can be one of the questions that we ask her while she's under Veritaserum.''

''I feel like complete shit Harry. She's out there, doing all the work, risking her life, and tearing herself up while we sit here and talk about forcing the truth out of her.''

''I know. I hate it just as much as you, but if she can carry on with what she's doing then we'll be able to go in and take over.''

''But what about when it's over? When we win, and Voldemort's dead,'' Harry smiled gratefully at Ron's optimism, ''the Deatheaters are going to be rounded up and put in Azkaban. How's Hermione going to deal with that? She's going to have to deal with the idea that she helped to put him there. Because no matter what she says, mate, I have a feeling that this is more than a crush.''

With that in mind, the two boys stayed as close to Hermione as they possibly could. It was impossible for them to stay near to her when Draco was around, but in lessons when he wasn't near they sat together just as they always had. Hermione reasoned that if anyone did tell Draco, she'd tell him that she was doing it so as not to raise suspicion. She was so grateful that her two friends weren't alienating her because of circumstances beyond her logical control. She still took Veritaserum every evening and assured them that she had no intention of betraying them, but other than that, her world was perfectly blissful. Voldemort had not called for another meeting, so she was free to indulge her fantasies of being a normal teenage girl, having fun with her friends and her boyfriend. Now that Harry and Ron knew, she didn't have to justify herself all the time, and could relish Draco's kisses and caresses for what they truly were. She spent time formulating plans to get out of killing people, to alert Harry, Ron and the Order when a major battle was going to take place, but resolutely determined not to plan what would happen with Draco. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. Until then, she could just adore Draco.

Harry turned to Ron, opened his mouth to speak and was pre-empted. They had been spending so much time together without Hermione that each knew what the other was going to say before it was even said.

''I know. I feel bloody useless as well.''

''I was thinking though, what if we went and found the Horcruxes? While Hermione was still in Hogwarts, but busy? We could go through the secret passages to Hogsmeade, apparate out of there, find Horcrux, destroy it, and come back.''

Ron looked at him thoughtfully, and Harry was relieved to see that he hadn't dismissed the idea straight away. ''Well, I suppose neither of us have the tracer on, so we wouldn't be noticed by the Ministry.''

''And Mione's been helping me research Horcruxes. Dumbledore had a few ideas about them: we have to find something of Ravenclaw's, Hufflepuff's, the proper locket of Slytherin, and probably the snake.''

''And then…''

''Destroying them?'' Harry cut across Ron. ''A basilisk fang should work. We can fly down to the Chamber of Secrets and get some from there.''

''That's all good Harry, but what about finding the bloody things?''

''Well, the snake's nearly always with Voldemort, so we could kill that before we get Voldemort. But the other stuff? I have no idea.'' Harry sighed and flung himself back across the crimson sofa. The Common Room was deserted at this time. A fire was flickering feebly in the grate, as though trying to decide whether it was worth staying alight. Ron flicked through a copy of the Daily Prophet, sighing gloomily at the announcements of so many murders. As he turned the page, he saw a familiar, simpering, toadlike face blink up at him. The headline read: Dolores Umbridge blames half-breeds for Ministry Troubles. Chucking the article to Harry, he pointed his wand at the fire. Just as the flames flared up, Harry sat bolt upright.

''Calm down, it's not that exciting. Although what it means for Lupin and Hagrid…''

''No! Ron look at her neck!'' Because dangling from Umbridge's thick neck was a glittering gold locket with the 'S' picked out in emeralds. ''That's Slytherin's locket!''

The two boys pored over the article but (somewhat unsurprisingly), the article didn't say anything about Umbridge's choice of jewelry.

Finally, Ron looked at Harry. ''We're going to have to steal that locket.''

His friend nodded glumly. ''I don't know how though. It's not exactly going to be easy, getting a necklace off her, or even getting near her.''

Ron leaned back into his seat and stared at the fire. ''What if she had to come in to speak to Hagrid? We could drag her off to one side, steal the locket, Obliviate her, and make a copy of the necklace.''

''And then Hagrid loses his job.''

''Ok…what if she came into Hogwarts to give a speech on the dangers of Half-breeds, and we dragged her off to one side, stole the locket, Obliviated her, and made a copy of the necklace?''

Harry tipped his head to one side. ''That could actually work. But how do we 'get her to one side'?''

Ron looked at Harry, and a sudden grin lit up his face. ''We'll use Malfoy! You know that he was on her Inquisitorial Squad? Well, we'll use Polyjuice Potion, and then say that we have something we want to show her, and then I can knock her out from behind!''

''Good! Ron, that's a plan worthy of Hermione. One flaw though.''

''What?''

''You seem to be assuming that I'm going to be willing to drink something with Ferret's hair in it.'' Harry laughed and threw the cushion back that Ron had chucked at him.

''Not to worry, we can play a game of chess. Whoever wins doesn't have to drink Malfoy's hair.'' Harry laughed at Ron's innocent smile, and resigned himself to the Polyjuice Potion. Pulling a quill out of his bag, he dashed off a letter to Umbridge:

Dear Ms Umbridge,

I am a long term admirer of your hard-line politics, and of your fearless stance in standing up for the rights of true wizards, rather than half-breeds. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to make a speech at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have already cleared this with the Headmistress, and can assure you that are guaranteed a warm welcome. Please send a response back with this owl.

With feverish anticipation,

An Admirer.

Putting that to one side, Harry dashed off a note to Professor McGonagall, explaining that he needed Umbridge to come to the school, and he would be sure to cause no disturbance to the normal school day. Sending Hedwig off with the two letters, he turned to Ron again. ''We need Hermione.''

Hermione crept into Draco's room that very evening, holding a sharp pair of scissors, and trying to avoid the thought that she must look like a crazy stalker from a Muggle film. Looking at Draco, she saw his eyelids flicker slightly as he dreamt, his mouth relaxed, his quilt pooled around his waist, showing a muscular torso. Smiling at how innocent and peaceful he looked, she turned her attention to his hair. If I muck this up, he's going to notice so easily – he spends so much time on his hair! Leaning down, she pulled out a tiny strand from behind his hair and snipped it, flinching at the harsh crunch of the scissors. I suppose I could have just pulled it out but imagine if he had woken up. Leaving the room as quietly as possible, she pattered down to her sitting room, where Ron and Harry were sitting, staring anxiously at the fire. Handing them the hair, they put it carefully into a little bottle.

''I miss you guys.''

''We miss you too Mione.''

''I mean, I know we talk in other lessons and stuff, but it's so weird not being able to speak to you whenever I want. And I miss Gryffindor Tower.''

''Don't you like it here?'' Ron asked slyly. He seemed to ignore the fact that it was Draco that Hermione was spending time with, which left him free to be as supportive as possible.

''I love it here. But I wish I could have the best of both worlds.''

Harry smiled and hugged her, rubbing her back. ''What you are doing is so amazing.''

''Naturally.'' Hermione smiled, and reached out her arms to Ron, hugging him tightly. ''Now, go back to bed, or Draco will hear you and wake up. Or I'll be forced to be the Head Girl and take away House Points.''

The boys laughed, house points had never been further from their minds. As soon as they had left, Hermione stood there in her pyjamas, looking into the fire. Walking up the stairs, she turned as though to go into her own bedroom, but then, before she could even register the change, moved into Draco's.

Draco, drowsy, felt a small body clamber over him and then wrap its arms around his neck, snuggling into his chest. Hooking his arms around the delicate shoulders, he fell asleep again, with Hermione nestled into him.