The day was cold and brisk for the London world. It was November, almost December. The holiday season was going to pounce on them before they knew it, but no one in the Order really realised it. Everyday was just another day they got to live, and another day to add to the seemingly infinite war. Hermione was sitting on her floor, studying. The desk had gotten too small. It was filled with books and papers that she had taken notes on. Drafts and drafts of all kinds of different plans were near to completely covering three of her four, previously plain, walls. Apparently, it took a lot more than just studying for twelve to fifteen hours a day to get her mind from straying to her ex-boyfriend and parents.
As she looked at the blueprint of the manor Draco had drawn for her at their last meeting, the picture began to blur a little, and she rubbed her eyes. She had to stay strong. She pushed the blueprint aside and instead picked up an old copy of The Daily Prophet. The words suddenly began to blur a little, and Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. She opened her eyes again and squinted at the words, trying to make them out as she studied. Harry Potter seems to be on the run with his friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Their whereabouts have beedildakdamericalkdjff criminal of warhadjsk.
Hermione stopped reading again and rubbed her eyes again. Maybe just a little break would do. Just a little one, then she'd go right back to studying. The coin in her pocket suddenly warmed considerably, and she pulled it out and stared at the time. Er, five minutes?
Confused, she pulled on her coat and got ready to go out quickly before rushing out the door with a quick goodbye to Molly and Apparating to the Shrieking Shack.
Malfoy was there, pacing, and she opened the door hesitantly.
"Why did you want to meet right now?"
Draco, looking a little fearful, slipped his hands into his pockets before clearing his throat and letting his stoic demeanor take over. "Everyone is going to be out of my manor tomorrow," he said in a rush.
Hermione frowned. "What? That's so soon! Too soon."
Draco ran a hand through his already mussed up hair. "It's rare they all go out at the same time. The Dark Lord has us under lock and key most of the time."
"What makes this any different?"
"Well, the Dark Lord wants them all at Godric's Hollow. Not sure why."
Hermione frowned. "That sounds…strange."
"I know, but they informed me to keep watch of the manor and his stupid snake until they get back. It's more like the Dark Lord has his snake watching over me." He scoffed, but it was half-hearted. She could tell he was nervous. "They're leaving at 2 tomorrow afternoon and will be out till the evening."
"Do you know the exact time?"
Draco thought for a moment. "My father said around seven. He hopes to come earlier, but I doubt it. Death eater raids or meetings usually run long." Draco was looking increasingly more uncomfortable, something that was out of character for the usually cocky wizard.
"You all right?" she asked.
"Yes," Draco replied quickly. Too quickly. "I'm just worried my family and the Dark Lord will know I'm out, so I want to make this quick."
Hermione nodded, but she didn't quite believe him. "Well, how will we get in?"
Draco cleared his throat. "There's a large forest in the front of the manor, so your lot should Apparate there at 2:10 exactly, no earlier or else you might run into my father or some other Death eaters. The anti-Disapparating and Apparating wards will have to stay up, because my father knows when they're taken down. But I'll leave the gate open and the door, and you get in, do your business, and then run out back to the forest. You should try and leave by six." He was fidgety. "I'll be out of sight, and when you leave I'll close the entrances."
"What about your mother?" Hermione asked. "Is she a part of the Death eaters?"
Draco nodded. He wouldn't look at her.
"You sure you're all right?" Hermione asked, concerned, and touched his arm. Draco quickly ripped his arm out of her grasp.
"I said I'm fine," he snapped, and took a step away from her. "Just…be careful. Be really careful." His grey eyes looked at hers, worried and anxious, and Hermione was a little disturbed, but she had to ignore it. She smiled and approached him.
"Thank you so much Draco," she said, ignoring how stiff he got when she hugged him. She looked up and kissed his cheek. "It's a great plan."
"Yeah, whatever," Draco said, running a hand through his hair again. Hermione, put out by his reaction, released him and stepped back.
"I guess I'll be going then." She turned to leave when Draco's voice suddenly stopped her.
"Hermione." His voice sounded shaky.
"Yes?" She turned back around and was surprised by how worried and anxious he still looked.
"Take all precautions, and be ready for anything. They may have kept something from me, you never know."
Hermione nodded. "I will Draco, thank you."
He strode up to her and kissed her hard, surprising Hermione yet again. When he pulled back, his eyes were anxious, and he nodded at her. "Good luck."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you."
She Disapparated, and, in arriving in front of the Burrow, burst into the house and rushed up the stairs to Harry's room. It turned out he was in the kitchen, and Hermione gathered up her plans and blueprints before rushing down to him.
"Harry!" she called, and, huffing and puffing, she took a breath, her brown eyes wide and ecstatic. "I have a plan! But it'll have to take place tomorrow afternoon."
Harry, who was in the middle of eating a sandwich, took a moment before grinning widely, food still in his mouth. "That's great!" he mumbled in a voice as happy as one could with food in ones mouth, taking the liberty to cover his mouth before chewing quickly and drinking some water. "Here, let me take a look."
Hermione handed him the papers, grinning madly. "I did some of my own spying around the Manor—" At Harry's incredulous look, she rolled her eyes. "Well how did you expect me to formulate a good plan? Anyhow, and I found Draco Malfoy taking a walk by himself, so I disarmed him and questioned him with Veritaserum (he really is a sniveling coward) and he told me that the Dark Lord will be out with his Death eaters, leaving his precious snake behind. I think it's to keep watch over the house, or it could be for something more sinister, I don't know. And I waited till the Veritaserum wore off before Obliviating him."
Harry's eyes were wide at her story, and she smiled. She'd thought it out well. "That's why you've always got to keep Veritaserum handy on you Harry."
"You're a bloody genius," Harry blubbered, and Hermione just smiled and continued on.
"We'll need around eleven people, not including us, of course, to go. Three to keep watch in the front, another three to keep watch in the back, another three to keep watch inside, and two to keep watch on the second floor. The second floor is where the Dark Lord stays, so you and I will look for Nagini there." Her thoughts went to Ron, the other piece in their trio who had always accompanied them on these dangerous missions, and her eyes misted. Harry seemed to be having the same thoughts too, because he suddenly cleared his throat, staring at the paper. After a moment of silence, he looked up and nodded.
"Good. Let's see. We'll take George, Percy, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Angelina, Seamus, and Dean. Will you tell them for me?" he asked, and Hermione nodded, but suddenly stopped.
"Harry, are you sure Percy and Lavender are going to be up for this? This is their first real mission, and they haven't had a lot of time to prepare."
Harry frowned. "I think they'll be fine."
"Harry, really, a less dangerous mission."
Harry sat in thought, then shook his head. "We need to train them somehow."
Hermione, sighing heavily, just nodded. "Whatever you say." And she left to go tell them.
Disturbing, paranoid thoughts were beginning to plague her mind.
In the middle of the night, Hermione was woken rudely to a horrid scream. She listened to the sound which sent chills down her spine, and she scrambled out of bed to go find the source, holding her wand in an offensive position. She opened her door and walked outside to find several other doors open as well. She exchanged looks with the other members of the Order before they all began to walk around, trying to solve the mystery. Hermione scanned the hall, searching with her ears as she turned her head. People began to whisper amongst each other, but at the same time, they shushed everyone to try and listen. The screeching had stopped, but the noise still lingered in the air, leaving everyone feeling uncomfortable with a sense of dread.
Thunder sounded, and Hermione realized it was raining. She looked at the people around her, all still whispering and unaware of her, and she continued her search for the screamer. She searched every room with caution, till she reached Harry's room. Turning the knob slowly and hoping to Merlin that nothing was wrong, she entered cautiously, holding her wand out in front of her. There on the floor was Harry, freshly dead with his green eyes staring in horror, and someone, in a dark shadow with their back to her, was looming over him, sobbing quietly. Hermione clenched her jaw in horror, fury, and devastation. "Turn around, you murderer," she snapped shrilly, and the wizard turned. Hermione's eyes widened in horror. It was Draco Malfoy.
"I didn't mean to," Malfoy sobbed quietly. "I didn't mean to. The Dark Lord, he told me to! He told me to. I didn't want to. You got to believe me. I didn't mean to." He continued sobbing, and put his handsome face into his large hands. Hermione set her jaw again.
"You meant it! You always meant it!" She raised her wand, Stupefy on her lips, when the face looked up again. It was Ron. She gasped.
"Ron!"
"I didn't mean to," Ron continued to sob. "I didn't mean to. I'm so, so sorry 'mione. I didn't mean to…"
Hermione snapped awake, gasping. She hated dreams. She hated them so much that she would stop sleeping if only she could survive without it. She looked up at the clock; only a half hour had passed since she'd fallen asleep. Closing her eyes with a groan, she threw her covers off and went downstairs to take one of the dreamless sleeping potion. Aberforth hadn't forgotten to supply them this time, and she was glad for it. More than glad, really. As she poured the potion into her mouth, she thought of Ron; Ron, her first love. And Draco…what was he to her? Nothing but a spy, was he? Or perhaps…more? Was he going to take Ron's place? That could only be impossible!
The next thought pushed everything else out of her mind; it wasn't impossible. It wasn't impossible at all. Draco would never completely take Ron's place, but she could give him her heart. But he couldn't be trusted. They'd established their trust long ago. During war, you didn't have time to go around dabbling around in the lilies. She felt herself get sleepier and sleepier, and Hermione was glad. Sleep was always an antidote for anything; especially dreamless sleep. She walked back up to her room and closed the door quietly and slipped into bed.
"Draco, you wouldn't," was what she whispered, before succumbing to the potion.
A/N: Ah, now it's getting a bit more interesting, I hope? It was fun to write. The next chapter will be even more interesting for me. I hope you all liked it. Thank you for reading this chapter and please review!