Disclaimer: I do not own anything. The story and the characters belong solely to J.K, Rowling. I'm just playing with them and making no profit from this.

Chapter 11

Ron sits with his head in his hands. Guilt is coursing through his veins. Lavender is sitting next to him, looking rather content given the current situation.

Harry eyes Ron a bit but doesn't comment, thinking he is worried about Hermione and probably hasn't slept well. Though he'd kept Hermione at a distance after they had found out about her family, he now feels truly worried about her.

Ginny, on the other hand, is eying Ron with suspicion, noticing how gleeful Lavender was sitting next to him. "Any word yet from our spy?" she asks Harry, and so making Ron look up at her.

Seeing the look on his face, she is absolutely certain her suspicion is right. Instead of worry, his face is covered with guilt. It's visible mostly in his eyes but seeing as she's known him since she was born, Ginny can easily detect it.

Harry just starts to answer her when Ginny interrupts, "Or do you not care anymore, Ron?"

Harry chokes on his tea and mumbles something outraged that sounds like, "Ginny!"

On Ron's face, however, lays clear understanding.

"It's not what you think."

"And how can it be anything else?" She goes to stand, her hands leaning on the table as her anger overtakes her.

Hermione is her best friend, she won't let this happen to her. Especially now, when she is Merlin knows where.

"What's not anything else?" Harry asks, clearly confused and still breathless due to almost choking on his breakfast.

"Your best friend sleeping with his ex a few hours after his girlfriend is abducted by the enemy." Ginny indicates with her hand furiously from Ron to Lavender and then to the door, emphasizing the missing Hermione. Where, in the meantime, Snape has appeared, looking at the situation without show of any emotion.

Harry, who hasn't noticed him yet, gets up and screams, "You what!" Ron's ears are as red as his hair.

"Maybe this issue of infidelity can be postponed until another time," comes the drawl of Snape, who walks into the kitchen.

"Do you have news?" Ginny asks immediately, ignoring the red and guilty looking Ron, the shocked Harry and the bored looking Lavender.

"Yes," he drawls. Having heard the argument, Snape changes plans and decides to tell them everything. Knowing his godson, he just knows they had bonded yesterday evening. "But I'm afraid nothing can be done for her."

Ginny lets herself drop into her chair again. "What do you mean?"

Everyone, including Lavender, is now paying close attention to their former teacher.

"Exactly what I said," he drawls, enjoying the shock on their faces. Although Snape seems like a cold and distant man, he cares a lot for his godson and he his happiness. Seeing his godson suffer for all these years because of the missing Sophia - or Hermione, whichever she preferred - he knows she is going to be the one to make him happy. And he doesn't plan on helping the heroes get their friend back. Though Snape wants to defeat the Dark Lord, Draco's happiness has nothing to do with that.

"Miss Weasley, have you ever heard of male Veela?" It is such common knowledge around pureblood families that Snape is positive that even the Weasleys have heard of them. Shocked, Ginny throws a hand in front of her open mouth. "Oh no!"

Ron, who is sitting right in front of her, turns frantically to her. Harry's green eyes are wide and he even looks a bit pale due to Ginny's exclamation.

"What is it?" Lavender asks, also intrigued. Though she wants Ron back from Hermione, she doesn't wish any harm to the girl. She isn't evil.

Slowly lowering her hand, Ginny looks at Ron (he has never heard of them either, but then again he never listens to their mother) and Harry, and explains slowly all she knows about male Veela. How they need a mate but that it is chosen by magic. She tells them what she knows about the bonding. How the Veela has powers over his mate and how the mate has the power of life and death over him. When she is done Harry's face has gone ashen. It looks like he might pass out at any moment. Lavender's face has gone a lot paler than it normally is. Ron, on the other hand, keeps getting redder. He seems ready to jump up and throw something, but he keeps his place when Lavender places a hand on his arm. Ginny puts a hand on Harry's arm as well, worried by how sick he looks. Harry takes her hand in his own, soothed by the fact that his Ginny was sitting here right next to him.

"Very well, Miss Weasley." For a moment they all expect him to give Gryffindor a point but then they realize that they aren't at school anymore. And haven't been for a while.

"Don't tell us that Hermione…" Ron's sentence trails off, but they all knew what he means.

"Hermione or, as she is rightfully named, Sophia, is mated," Snape drawls.

Ginny again throws a hand over her mouth. Ron looks in shock at Snape and even Lavender looks affected by the idea. "Who?" she asks, her eyes wide in shock as she looks at Snape.

Snape waits for a heartbeat longer before he drops the bombshell.

"Draco Malfoy."

A deathly silence stretches in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

XXXXX

In growing horror, Hermione frantically flicks her hair back, taking it in one hand and twisting it to her left side – and privately enjoying how smooth her blonde hair is. Leaning closer to the mirror, she looks with wide blue eyes at the little mark of silver embedded in her skin. Precisely the spot where Draco had bitten her yesterday. Slowly, she traces one finger over the mark. It is as smooth as her skin and seamless, too, without any appearance of scarring. Just a small silver line that is a part of her skin. Showing, to the people who knew, that she belongs to Draco.

Biting her lip, Hermione stares as though hypnotized at the little line on her neck. When you just look at it, it is kind of beautiful, she thinks. Sighing, standing straight and letting her hair fall loose, she looks into the reflection of her own blue eyes.

Draco had left almost two hours ago. She had at first lingered a bit longer in the bed, dreading to get up and face the world, before getting up to take a relaxing shower.

Closing her eyes, she takes a few deep breaths, trying to understand her conflicted feelings. A large part of her is still in love with Ron and needs to get back to him. But there is now also a large part of her that has feelings for Draco and though she knows it is wrong, she can't help but think how beautiful and sweet he is. Hermione curses the bond for that, almost positive that it is his doing. She also can't help but notice how her loneliness and nausea is gone. The things she has felt the last month, even when she was with Ron. It had passed the moment Draco had pulled her into his arms.

Opening her eyes again, she gathers her courage and leaves the bathroom, walking into the closet searching for some clothes to wear. Shock spreads through her again when she notices the amouns of clothes that are hanging for her. No Muggle clothes, of course, though they are the ones she prefers, but many Wizarding gowns and robes. Seeing as it is a rather warm day again, she pulls a light gown off the rack. The pale yellow won't be too attention-seeking and the cut is rather modest. It has simple, short sleeves with a V-neckline and a flowing skirt. Slipping on some low heels in the same color with red diamonds on the front, she hurries out of the dressing room. Sliding into the low chair before her vanity, she quickly takes a few hair pins and pins the front part of her hair back.

Hermione does this all rather quickly as she doesn't feel comfortable using these things. Draco had probably bought everything for her. When she thinks about it, it gives her chills.

Throwing the door open, she only takes one step into the hallway when Tinky appears in front of her. Just like yesterday.

"Miss is looking something?" Tinky asks Hermione, her big eyes shining up at her.

"The library?" Hermione asks, not really sure what she should do or what is expected of her. She tries to tell herself that it is not because Draco suggested it but because she loved reading, which she does, and she truly wants to find out more about the situation she has tumbled into, or as she liked to refer to it: her rabbit's hole that she has tumbled into.

The house-elf nods and starts walking down the white hall. Hermione closes the door and follows the quiet creature.

Tinky stops in front of the doors to the library and gives one final bow before disapparating with a soft pop.

XXXXX

An hour later, Hermione sits with her feet tucked next to her, her shoes on the carpet, with the same book Draco had given her yesterday in her lap. The sun shines brightly into the room, illuminating the magnificent library. She starts at the beginning of the book but fifteen minutes into reading about the history of Veela and the differences between male and female Veela, she decides to skip the section. This isn't the information she wants to know, and she has changed a lot since her Hogwarts years. Not to mention how dull that information was. She goes to the index, to search for a theme that will interest her. The chapter titled Male Veela and their mates had seemed interesting, but after half an hour reading it, she comes to the conclusion that it isn't, noting with irritation that the title is misleading. Having almost had enough of the big heavy tome, Hermione turns her head to the door, which has suddenly opened.

Pansy, dressed in a soft pink gown with her straight dirty blonde hair loose around her face, enters the library. Seeing Hermione sitting there, a tentative smile spread around her lips. When Hermione smiles in response, Pansy's brightens.

"Good morning, Sophia," she says, closing the door and walking to the sofas.

"Good morning, Pansy," Hermione says. Though she is a bit wary of her, her defensive posture has lessenedwith her since yesterday.

"How are you feeling?" she asks tentatively.

"Alright, I guess," Hermione answers honestly, flipping through the huge blue book.

Pansy goes to rummage through the bookshelf. After a few minutes, she seems content with a particular book and pulls it out. Walking back to the sofas she takes place on the one in front of Hermione's, who is still flipping through the huge volume. Suddenly she stops and looks up at Pansy. "Can I ask you something?"

Pansy looks up from her reading and gives a confirming nod.

"Were we friends? You know, as children?"

Pansy's eyes go wide with shock and she stares at Hermione.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," mumbles Hermione, feeling very uncomfortable and casting her eyes to the book in her lap again.

"No, no. It's nothing Sophia," Pansy quickly assures her. "I was just surprised you asked. I thought you didn't care."

Hermione casts her eyes up again. "Of course I care. It's my past! Why did you think I didn't?"

"Just yesterday..." Pansy says.

"Yesterday I was abducted by Zabini and got to hear that I was Draco's mate! It's hardly fair to think I don't care," she replies, outraged.

Pansy laughs, making Hermione, surprising herself, laugh with her too. Pansy is an easy person to get along with and Hermione easily falls into a pattern with her that you only can have with a childhood friend.

"Sophia," Pansy says, after she stops laughing. "Don't you think you can say 'Blaise' now? After all, he sees you as a sister."

Hermione bites her lip and nods. "Perhaps you're right."

Pansy then closes her book and places it on the small table next to her sofa. "We were friends, Hermione." Hermione smiles at Pansy. Pansy using the name she prefers is something she doesn't expect and makes her trust Pansy a bit more. But Hermione also knows that Pansy will only used the name now. They all prefer Sophia because that is the girl they knew and loved.

"You were my best female friend." A gentle smile plays on Pansy's lips.

Hermione lets her eyes drop on the book in her lap and plays with the corner of a page. "Somehow I knew that."

"Now… Is there anything you want to know about being mate to a Veela?"

Hermione looks up, surprised at Pansy. In her eyes is the question if she knows anything about it. As Pansy knew her, she could easily see it. "Well, in that book you're not going to find anything except if you want to read the whole thing. And I assure you, it's rather dull. Or at least that's what Draco thought when he learned about his heritage. He explained afterwards everything to me and Blaise so we know everything, really." She is looking gently at Hermione, and Hermione just opens her mouth to ask something when she jumps up in fright of a soft pop next to her.

"Miss, lunch is served," Tinky says.

Pansy laughs again at Hermione's reaction, the huge book falling to the ground. She gets up and picks up the book from the floor, placing it onto another small table. "We will follow you, Tinky."

The house-elf bows in front of Pansy and shows them out of the library. Hermione quickly slips her shoes on and hurries after Pansy.

XXXX

AN: Again a great thanks to Sarah Liz B, who helped me made this chapter to what it is and helps me make this story even better! =)

Probably some people may have a problem with me letting Hermione and Pansy getting along so well, and even letting Hermione think Pansy is easy to get along with. But I have a theory for that =). I've never really thought that Pansy and Hermione really knew each other, nor even really noticed each other. The thing is they had gotten along when they where little.

So my guess is that even if you do grow up and even if you don't remember there's still something, some kind of bond hanging between you and the other one because of that close friendship in the past, and you can't make that go away. .. That's why I put it there..

I can understand lots of people will have trouble with this... but it was something my mind came up with while writing and it stayed in there for some reason.. =)

Leave a review if you like! ^^