Lavender's death had everyone on edge. For a time, Lavender's best friend, Parvati Patil, stopped eating and coming to classes, or at least that's what her twin sister Padma Patil told Luna.
Many students were afraid to walk the halls alone, and it seemed like a repeat of the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Only Astoria, Ginny, Hermione, and Luna knew the truth, and the latter three walked in a group anyway, lest Astoria try to strike.
After a few weeks, the scared jumpiness subsided, and things at Hogwarts returned to normal. Or as normal as possible in a magic school.
Astoria had decided to keep her head down, and the girls had not received letters from 'A' recently, which could be classified as a pro of Lavender's death. It was thoughts like these that let the remaining clenches of guilt eat away at their insides.
Hermione was probably the most upset by Lavender's death, because had she not told the girl her secret, Astoria wouldn't have brutally murdered her.
Christmas was just around the corner, and Ron and Hermione were on prefect duty. Hermione seemed spacey and distracted. Ron remembered Harry mentioning that Ginny had been the same way, and wondered what was happening.
"Mione, what's wrong?"
Hermione sighed and stared at her redheaded friend. "First of all, my name's HERmione, secondly, nothing is wrong."
Rolling his eyes at her corrections, Ron stopped walking, causing Hermione to bump into him harshly.
"Come on," Hermione said. She grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him away, down the hall. The pair passed Draco Malfoy in the corridor, near the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, looking lonesome.
"Hello, Hermione. Weasley." Draco beamed at Hermione, but gave Ron a curt nod in greeting, making the redhead jealous.
"Hello Draco," answered Hermione, stopping to talk. Upon Luna's request, Draco had become nice to both Hermione and Ginny. However, his kindness did not extend to Ron.
Ron may have found it strange that Draco was standing alone outside the Room of Requirement, but Hermione obviously did not. Ron watched on as the pair chatted away like old friends.
"How'd it go today?"
"Well, we haven't been caught yet, so..." Draco shrugged nonchalantly. He jerked his head in the direction of the room, silently alerting Hermione that Luna was inside, preparing to leave.
Hermione nodded. She understood. Ron, on the other hand, did not.
"What is going on! What are you two barmy bats talking about?"
Before Hermione could respond, Draco tapped the tapestry. "We're not barmy, he is," the boy replied smugly, gesturing to the portrayed picture of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet.
Ron seethed. "Are you two dating or something?"
The pair exchanged looks. Then they burst into simultaneous laughter, as if this were the funniest thing in the world. It didn't help that Draco's real girlfriend was within earshot- on the other side of a wall.
"No," Hermione spluttered between breaths, continuing to giggle. Draco let out a snort, which only sent him and Hermione into more peaks of laughter.
Ron stormed off angrily. He would get his revenge on both Hermione and Draco. How dare they date, when Ron had liked Hermione since the Yule Ball!
His anger made him open to control, and that's why Astoria sought him out.
Click!
Luna was mad. Eloise Midgen and Mandy Brocklehurst had been giggling over a paper at breakfast.
Originally, she thought it was the Daily Prophet, or even the Quibbler, but it was a different publication.
In big letters, spelled across the top was, 'The Hogwarts Herald!'
The front page had a picture of Hermione and Draco, laughing at some private joke only they knew.
Picture-Hermione put her hand on Picture-Draco's arm, laughing harder. Luna felt a hard lump in her throat.
Were Hermione and Draco dating? It seemed a cruel twist of fate that Draco would cheat on her with Hermione, at the same time he was cheating on Pansy with Luna.
The latter stood up and ran away from the Great Hall, in tears.
"Alright," Astoria announced to the two Gryffindor boys in front of her. "The new paper looks great, Weasley."
Ron sent Colin Creevey a smirk. Even though he was new to the 'A-Team,' as Astoria called it, he was already being praised.
Astoria wasn't done. "And Colin, that picture you took of Granger and Malfoy looks like their dating. I believe Malfoy is going to have quite a few angry girls on his hands."
That was the part Ron didn't understand. If Malfoy wasn't dating Hermione, then why we're they so buddy-buddy all of a sudden? Who were the angry girls? Pansy was one, obviously, but who was the other? Was Malfoy dating Ginny?
Colin and Astoria both looked at Ron, whose brow was furrowed in thought. "The less you know, the better."
"But Colin knows everything!"
Astoria's eyes held a nasty gleam, and Ron regretted his statement. "Who I choose to tell is my business. Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll do as you're told!"
Ron gulped, nodded furiously. Inside, he was upset that he was taking orders from a third year.
"And Weasley?"
"Yes, Astoria?" Ron asked, snapping out of his reverie.
Astoria sent him a wicked smile. "I'd like to remind you that I am no ordinary third year, but if you tire of taking orders from me, you could join Lavender."
Ron's eyes grew wide as saucers, as Astoria stuck her wand under his chin. "The choice is yours," she said.
Then she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "Always remember, Weasley. Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead."
Astoria smirked again and sauntered away from the library. She turned around just as quickly, scowling.
"Colin! Follow!" She snapped her fingers, and the mousy-haired boy followed the Slytherin, in a daze.
Ron was left alone with his thoughts. He touched the place Astoria had jabbed him with her wand and murmured, "Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead..."