Disclaimer: I'm born as WickedlyAwesomeMe. Get over it :D Therefore, I'm not JK Rowling and I do not own the Harry Potter series!
A/N: So… here's Chapter Twenty-Nine of Only a Pretense. I'm pretty sure it's the much-awaited chapter of most of you *wink* *wink* Surprised that I updated earlier than usual, huh? Well, it's because I love you all and if I could give out hugs and kisses, then I would XD
Just a quick explanation, by the way. In the previous chapter, Hermione was wearing her bewitched glasses; hence Macnair did not recognize her. Blaise and Teddy were not also supposed to recognize her, but remember the condition for the glasses to work, right? They must know who they were looking at to clearly see the disguised person. Therefore, when Draco told them "Find Hermione Granger", then, they fully recognized her despite the glasses? Savvy? :D
So, without further ado, I present the twenty-ninth chapter of Only a Pretense. Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Secret Revealed
The corridor was eerily silent as the four Slytherins trudged back to their rooms. It was not surprising, actually. After all, it was nearing midnight and the patrollers were probably roaming around the whole school. The other three never knew that because of Hermione's privilege, they would never get caught.
Speaking of the brunette, she was unfocusedly staring at her feet as Blaise guided her through the dark corridor, a protective arm wrapped tightly around her waist. For safety reasons, she had donned her Death Eater robe with the hood pulled really low down her head just so she would not be recognized. But then again, the corridor was vacant; nobody would be able to see and feel the thick tension surrounding the four seventh years.
Hermione felt sicker as they neared the Slytherin common room. She could not believe her luck. First, it was Rookwood and now it was bloody Macnair. She could have just turned the doorknob and pushed the door open to reveal her parents whom she had been longing for months now.
Unwanted tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and she willed them away. She hated feeling like this; helpless and ultimately guilty. And now, her other two roommates knew that Hermione Granger was actually alive! Oh, she could already imagine their reactions once they arrived at their room, away from prying eyes and eavesdropping ears.
"You…" she rasped out, finally managing to talk. Her voice, albeit extremely soft, rang loudly around the whole empty hall. She flinched and then, "You… you shouldn't have followed. I was… I was almost close."
Unsurprisingly, it was Draco who reacted first.
A loud scoff escaped from his lips and Hermione could feel his mercurial orbs burning holes into her robes. "Shouldn't have followed?" he roared in unadulterated fury. "Nuisance, do you fathom what would have happened to you if Macnair recognized you?"
Affronted, she looked up and met the eyes of the blond. Despite the darkness, she could perfectly see his beautiful eyes shining in the darkness. But then, her gaze slightly wavered upon seeing this crazed look on his eyes. She forced herself not to look away.
"I could have perfectly handled it myself, Draco Malfoy," she said through gritted teeth. "I… had a plan" –
- "A plan to die, perhaps" –
"And it was going on smoothly!" she cried out in indignation, halting in her steps to fully stare at him. The blond followed her lead and stood tall and menacing, looking down at her through his hardened eyes. "I am not dumb, Malfoy. I have a wand with me. I could have hexed him into oblivion without blinking my ey" –
Her words halted once the blond roughly grabbed her arms and tightly gripped them. She released a shout of surprise and pain but his hold did not slacken. "What were you thinking?" he asked, his voice sounding slightly strangled and slurred. "You could have died, Granger! You could have died! DIED!"
"Draco," Blaise softly butted in, trying to pull the blond away from the petrified brunette. Draco budged and allowed the Italian to completely pull him away from Hermione. "Let's talk about this in our room. Not here. Not where anyone can hear us."
He was breathing heavily and was staring intently at Hermione. She, on the other hand, was staring at him with a mixture of complete awe and fear at the same time.
Draco was the first one to break their eye contact as he roughly pushed Blaise's hands away from him and stomped back to the Slytherin common room.
Blaise sighed as he turned to a still quiet and horrified Teddy and a slightly shaking Hermione. "Come on," he beseeched, grabbing each of their arms. "Let's go back."
The Italian, seeing that he was the only sane one among the four of them, had no choice but to drag back his roommates and finally settle things once and for all.
They had finally arrived in their room. When the three of them entered, the weary blond was sitting motionlessly on his bed, his head buried in his hands.
Hermione felt more dreadful as she slowly strode towards her bed, removing her Death Eater robes and her bewitched spectacles. She was fully exposed now and she was not able to see how Teddy recoiled in shock.
Her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she turned around, finally facing her three roommates. 'This is it, then,' she thought, helplessly sitting on her bed.
The time had finally come; both Blaise and Teddy knew of her deceit. It was inevitable, after all. But Hermione wished they could have known about her secret after she had finally accomplished her task. Maybe they would have understood it more.
She started wringing her wrist, at loss for words. The witch had no idea where to start and what to stay. Both Blaise and Teddy were looking at her expectantly. Draco, on the other hand, had chosen that time to look at her straight in the eyes, this time, his fury slightly mellowed. Instead, it was replaced by something foreign she could not decipher.
Hermione then looked away and chose to stare at her hands. She took a deep breath then uttered a soft, "I'm… sorry."
'That's a start,' she thought. She heard Draco release an exhausted sigh but did not comment anything any further.
"I…" A lump formed in her throat and she forced it away. "I don't k-know what to say."
"Start from the very beginning, I guess," Blaise offered.
Hermione was very thankful for Blaise that time because he seemed to be the only unaffected person in the room. Even adorable Teddy was deathly quiet. She wished she could be able to read what was running through his mind.
"The… beginning," she puffed out, running a hand through her brown tresses. She absentmindedly removed her bewitched spectacles and gingerly placed it on her bedside table. "As you all know, Hermione Granger died on the fifth of August just last year. Her grave is buried in the Forbidden Forest, still close to Hogwarts."
A rueful smile appeared on her face as she stared at Blaise. "Obviously, it was a lie," she continued. "A sham. It was supposed to look like I died for my own safety. I was… hunted by Voldemort" - she pointedly ignored how Teddy visibly flinched – "and his minions. Merlin, they even burned my house down! I was actually supposed to die. But I did not."
"Harry… oh, Harry. If he wasn't there… if I hadn't invited him to join my family for dinner, I would probably be buried six feet under the ground, not some bewitched pillow to look perfectly like me."
[1] A faraway look settled on her face as her gaze traveled to their window, showing the velvety sky. "I was brought to Dumbledore and he offered to hide me. I stubbornly refused, telling him I couldn't go into hiding when my parents are slowly dying under Voldemort's clutches."
She started to cry at that moment. Softly and silently. Her tears gently fell down from her doe-like eyes and noiselessly landed on her red cardigan before completely disappearing. "I was gi-given the task to save them." She suddenly chuckled. "No, actually, I suggested this task. Both Harry and Dumbledore were adamant that this could be dangerous for me. I mean, fraternizing with Slytherins? No offense, but you guys had a pretty… bad reputation. But that was not it. I wanted to be a Death Eater, too."
"Why?"
Her eyes landed on Blaise, who was sincerely looking at her in worry. She offered him a small smile, which he returned. "Well, I figured out that the only way for me to save my parents in a place full of Death Eaters is to become one," she answered. "It's not exactly the most thrilling thing to do, but I was decided then. I cannot back out anymore."
Silence ensued. Hermione took that time to survey the looks on her roommates. Blaise was still wearing this worried look on his face. Draco's fury had completely evaporated and was instead replaced by a pensive look. Still, Teddy's expression was indescribable.
"I… I'm sorry," she said, breaking the silence. "I know how you had treated me wonderfully these past few months. Merlin, even the whole Slytherin population can act nice if they wanted to! I wanted to tell both of you. I really do. There were times when I actually felt guilty for keeping a very big secret from the two of you. You trust me with your whole heart; I can see that. I do not want to break your trust just because I lied to you."
"U-understand that I'm doing this not for my own selfish reasons," she continued. "Well, a bit selfish because all I want now is to hug both of my parents. But… it's perfectly reasonable, isn't it? I just… I want them back."
She had shut up, hastily wiping the tears away from her face. "Oh Merlin, I look stupid," she said, releasing a few chuckles.
To her surprise, Draco started to talk once again. "Still," he said, his voice sounding even, "it wasn't an excuse for you to act so recklessly, Austen."
"Draco," she said, pointedly looking at him, "we've talked about this before, right? Anything for them. Even if I have to sacrifice my life just to save them."
"Stop being such a bloody Gryffindor for a moment, will you?" he suddenly snarled, eyes dangerously flashing. "That's the reason why people sorted in Gryffindor are slowly decreasing in population. Your recklessness causes your downfall."
She wanted to be angry with him. She really did. But he had a point and a very good one it was. So instead, she sighed and ran a hand through her curly tresses. "I… know," she whispered. "But love can make you do stupid things, Draco."
He huffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms in the process.
"How come Draco knows when I don't?"
All eyes landed on Teddy, surprised that the carefree Slytherin had talked for the first time that night. Instead of seeing the usual cheerful bloke, they were staring at an extremely furious Theodore Nott. Hermione reckoned she had never seen him so furious in his life before, even when she had spewed all over Draco.
"Teddy…"
"How come I don't know?" he thundered once again, standing on his full height.
"Theo, really," Draco said. The carefree Slytherin's eyes snapped at the blond. Draco rolled his eyes and stood up, slightly approaching his irate best friend. "I discovered it purely by chance."
A look of hurt settled on Teddy's face. "And you did not tell me?" he said, sounding upset. His face then morphed into pure fury. "Draco, how could you? Didn't we promise to tell each other our deepest and darkest secrets?"
"Really? The last time I checked, I have some privacy, you know," he shot back.
"We're best friends!" Teddy hollered back. "I TRUSTED YOU!"
"Teddy…"
"Quit being melodramatic, Nott," Draco shot back, starting to get furious himself. "This isn't about you."
Theodore hissed and glared. "We were best friends for years, Draco. YEARS! And you hid your discover from me? And Blaise...!"
"I know."
"He didn – WHAT?"
Teddy swiveled around, his eyes landing on a calm Blaise.
Both Draco and Hermione's eyes widened simultaneous, also staring at the Italian in extreme shock.
"You… knew?" Draco asked, sounding breathless.
"Yes," Blaise asked, unwaveringly holding Hermione's gaze. "For a while now."
The carefree Slytherin trudged toward his best friend and showcased his humongous hurt through his eyes. "And you did not tell me?" He stepped back, his face contorting back in rage, and thundered, "Am I the only one who doesn't know?"
"Apparently so," the blond said, glaring at his best friend. "Let's face it, Nott. You are too dense for your own good. Even that little second year imp of yours knew about that. You're the only one who doesn't know that you're an extremely dense person, enough proof that you are actually one."
Teddy opened and closed his mouth, not knowing what to say, and then finally pursing his lips tightly.
He turned around and Hermione had to hold her breath as he slowly walked towards her. Nott had this murderous look on his face as he finally stood a few meters away from the brunette.
"Teddy…"
"How could you?" he started, his voice laced with pure hurt. Hermione couldn't help but release a few more tears from her eyes. "I trusted you."
"Nott, really…"
"Shut up, Draco," Teddy snarled, swiveling his head around to glare at his blond best friend. The Malfoy heir gladly glared back and huffed when Teddy looked away from him, putting his attention back to the exposed brunette.
"I trusted you, Hermes… or should I say Granger?" He spat her real last name like it was acid. Huge pain stabbed through her heart and she had to look away. She couldn't stand the look of anger in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Teddy," she whispered, discreetly wiping her tears away. "I… I… please understand. I merely disguised myself to save my parents from that dark bastard. Please don't be mad at me."
"Mad? MAD?" he thundered, clenching his hands into fists. "I'm absolutely furious, you… you bloody Gryffindor! You had the nerve to lie to me and dress like a man for your own bloody reasons? Merlin, I feel like I'm going to be angry with you forever. What you did is undoubtedly unforgivable."
She gingerly reached for him but her hand recoiled back, finally falling limply back at her side again. "I repeat," she said softly, now holding his gaze unwaveringly. "I'm so sorry, Teddy. But like what I've said, I just did it to save my parents. I did not mean to h-hurt you."
Something shifted in the carefree Slytherin's eyes and she had to blink exactly three times to convince herself that she was merely imagining it. When she blinked for the fourth time, it was still there on his face. A smile.
Teddy was smiling.
And Merlin, it was so brilliant she had to take a few steps back in surprise. Wasn't he furious with her a few moments ago? What the bleeding hell was he doing now, looking as if he had won the International Quidditch World Cup all by himself?
To further surprise her more, Teddy suddenly pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. A loud gasp of surprise escaped from her lips as she stared at Draco and Blaise, wide-eyed. Draco looked positively furious while Blaise merely looked annoyed and tired.
"Teddy?"
"Whatever, I changed my mind." The cheerful Theodore Nott was back. "I'll only be angry with you for a few minutes."
'What the hell?' Hermione gushed in her mind, astonished beyond comprehension.
"Sweet Salazar, you are a girl?" he continued in exclamation. The boy was almost literally jumping for joy, only his hands were wrapped tightly around Hermione. "That is so… so awesome! I cannot believe it! And Hermione Granger!"
He slightly pulled her away from him and stared intently at her petrified form, his adorable grin growing larger on his face. "I always knew that if you were not a Mud – Muggle-born, you'd be sorted into Slytherin! Why, you deceitful witch! You made me think I was slowly falling i - ."
His words instantly died on his lips as his cheeks colored.
Hermione was too distracted by happiness to mind his almost slip-up.
"So… you're not mad anymore?" she asked almost breathlessly.
"Of course not!" he exclaimed, recovering from his initial horror of realizing he almost confessed his deepest and darkest feelings for the brunette in front of him. "Why would I when you apologized?"
Of course.
Theodore Nott was a bloody immature git. How could Hermione forget? The young man had extreme mood swings – one moment he would be so cheerful you could literally see him shining with extreme happiness and the next thing you knew, he'd be barking at you angrily and commanding you to call him 'Theodore' instead of his nickname.
Oh, Hermione was absolutely happy for Teddy to be born that way. Sure, it was annoying at times but good lord, she wouldn't know what to do if the carefree Slytherin would be angry with her until graduation.
"Thank you, Teddy." And she meant every letter of it. "For understanding."
She gave him the biggest smile she could muster despite the tears staining her face. He, in return, turned into a furious shade of red before offering back a shy smile of his own.
Hermione did not mind when he hugged her tight again. In fact, she even allowed her hands to settle comfortably on his back. She had no idea that Teddy was hugging her, tightly, for something not-so-platonic.
Teddy then was roughly pulled away from her by an annoyed Draco. The carefree Slytherin glared at the blond, already missing Hermione's warm body, but his best friend merely glared at him in return.
"Being too enthusiastic now, are we?" Draco snapped. Teddy pouted and crossed his arms like a petulant child.
Sighing, he ignored his immature friend and looked back at Hermione. The brunette looked back at him intently and noticed that she was actually happy now. She really did not want Teddy and Blaise to hate her. His mercurial orbs involuntarily softened before speaking, "Now that your secret's out, what now?"
Hermione pursed her lips, thinking deeply. She ran a hand through her hair and with uncertainty in her voice said, "Well… I think, we should inform Dumbledore that both Teddy and Blaise knew about my secret already. I mean… it was supposed to be a secret, after all. I think Dumbledore has the right to know that two more people knew about my merely disguising as a guy. He'd think of something to do."
"Now?" the blond asked, sounding annoyed.
The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Draco, now," she said. "This is extremely important. We cannot go busting my task now, can we? Not that I'm distrusting both of you, Teddy and Blaise. But… let's just go to Dumbledore, okay?"
"It's past midnight!" Teddy whined, although he gladly budged when Hermione grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. "I'm tired."
"Please," Hermione said. "Dumbledore has to know."
Draco rolled his eyes at the ridiculous look on the carefree Slytherin's face. Goodness, should she really say the 'magic word'? Now, Teddy looked as if he couldn't refuse her request anymore.
He angrily puffed his cheeks and trailed behind. Now that Hermione Granger's secret was out and his roommates accepted it a tad bit enthusiastically, he had to absolutely guard his roommates' every move.
"Are you coming?"
He rid himself with rubbishes as he shook his head and stared at Blaise. "Of course I am," he retorted back.
A weird look settled on the Italian's face but before Draco could completely delve into it, Blaise looked away.
Draco sighed and begrudgingly started to walk again. Why did he have this feeling that he should guard the every action of Blaise's more than Teddy's?
A scowl appeared on his face and he glared at Hermione's back.
'Damn you, bloody witch,' he snarled inside, 'for making us feel this way.'
Professor Dumbledore had finally finished his weekly report he had to send to the governors of Hogwarts. With a silent yawn, he pulled his half-moon spectacles from his electric blue eyes and cleaned the eyewear.
Truly, this day had been extremely tiring and he couldn't wait but to crawl under his bedcovers and sleep. People used to think that the greatest wizard of the century did not sleep because he had to do other important things than that. Their silly notion always made the old man laugh. He was still human, for goodness' sake. Like other humans around the world, he needed a goodnight's rest.
But then, he had this feeling that he wouldn't be able to sleep for a while now. Years and years of teaching in Hogwarts made him so familiar with it that he even had this gut feeling in his stomach every time he knew that something was amiss or his students had this huge problem hiding in their deepest and darkest recesses of their hearts. He had no idea if it was magic; that Hogwarts had bestowed him such… feeling for being the protector of Hogwarts and everything inside it. But nonetheless, he was grateful. It had saved numerous lives before.
Just then, his office door burst open. He looked up in surprise. He knew he shouldn't retreat back to his bedchambers because judging by the fact that Hermione Granger without any disguise trudged inside his room together with her other Slytherin roommates seemed alarming and skeptical at the same time.
"Professor, please let me explain," the brunette said once she stopped a few inches away from the Headmaster's desk. She had seen the surprise in his electric blue eyes and she wanted him to understand before jumping into conclusions. "Something… happened."
"I believe something did," the old wizard said, eyes landing on both Teddy and Blaise. The carefree Slytherin seemed uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze whilst Blaise tried his very best not to look a bit scared.
"Mister Malfoy?"
The blond sighed and rolled his eyes at Hermione, whose gaze landed on him. "Let her explain," he said.
Her eyes widened in slight horror. She knew that Dumbledore would somehow get disappointed at her for being so reckless and following her heart instead of her logic. And she did not want to see that expression on the teacher she most respected.
Draco realized her alarm and once again, he merely rolled his eyes. "You placed yourself in this situation, nuisance," he shot back. "You explain yourself."
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, now looking a little grave. Hermione slowly looked at him, guilt engulfing her whole form. The Headmaster entwined both of his fingers calmly and rested his chin on them. "I'm going to listen once you are ready."
The brunette visibly gulped and helplessly sat on the chair opposite the Headmaster's. "I'm sorry," she started, sounding a little choked up. "I… I… I've disappointed you, sir. I had been reckless! I was stupid to be so overwhelmed by my feelings and thwart my logic. But I… but I was close, sir! I was almost there! Just a door away and… and…"
"Hermione," the old man piped in. The Gryffindor incognito snapped her lips shut upon being addressed by the teacher by her first name. "You are babbling, I'm afraid."
A nervous chuckle escaped from her lips and she ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. She took a deep breath then, "I once again tried to save my parents all by myself."
Like what she had predicted, surprise and disappointment mingled in his eyes. "Miss Granger…"
"I know, I know, it was dangerous," she said. "I've heard that countless times before you, Professor." She shot Draco a very meaningful look, which he returned back with a dark glare of his own. "But my plan had been going on very smoothly until… Macnair came."
"Does Harry know?" the professor asked.
Hermione vigorously shook her head. "Oh no, no, no," she said. "Harry would go ballistic if he discovered I'm formulating another plan behind his back. He almost got mad when he discovered I did it before and was almost busted by Rookwood."
"Damn right that was," the blond muttered under his breath.
She glared at him whilst Dumbledore released a reprimanding sound. Draco reverted back to silence and chose to stare at his hands sullenly.
The Headmaster exhaustedly sighed then started to rub the bridge of his nose. "There is no point scolding you now, is there, Miss Granger?" he asked. "What's done cannot be undone. As much as I want to tell it to you again and again that your task is dangerous, it seems like you do not listen to me at all."
Teddy chuckled, which he soon covered by a cough. Blushing he muttered, "I'm sorry. Please continue."
Dumbledore's eyes lingered on him and soon shifted his electric blue eyes to Blaise. His gaze was unwavering, almost defiant, and he smiled. "And what, pray tell, are you doing without your disguise? Mister Zabini and Mister Nott are here, if you must know."
"Oh," Hermione said, looking at her roommates. "I'm sorry, because of my recklessness, they discovered my secret. But don't worry, they accepted it, professor. And, that's why we are actually here. I had this feeling I have to inform you if more people discovered about my secret."
The Headmaster looked pensive for a moment before, to their surprise, brandished out his wand. "It is highly dangerous if more people knew about this secret of yours, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "And so, I'm afraid I have to Obliviate the memories of Mister Zabini and Mister Nott…"
A chorus of 'nos' erupted all over the room, startling a slumbering Fawkes. The loudest of them all came, unsurprisingly, from Teddy and Blaise.
"You can't do that, Professor!" the carefree Slytherin cried, unconsciously inching forward towards the brunette.
To their surprise, Blaise purposely strode forward and stopped just a few inches away from Dumbledore's desk. He held his gaze determinedly before taking a huge breath. "Sir," he started, voice sounding a bit restrained, "you cannot Obliviate our memories." Blaise chanced a glance at the petrified brunette and allowed himself to slightly smile. "We swear not to disclose this… this seemingly precious secret to other people, jeopardizing her. Right, Nott?"
"Yeah!" Teddy exclaimed, his face showing determination as he placed a hand against his heart. "I swear to all the candies in the whole wide world."
Draco chuckled in disbelief as he stared at his amused teacher. "And those sweets meant the world to him, Headmaster," he said. "Trust me."
Professor Dumbledore cracked a small smile, now looking at Hermione. "Miss Granger? Would you like to say something?" he kindly asked.
Hermione looked from both Blaise and Teddy and couldn't help but smile widely. Who knew they would end up to be two of the most important people in her whole life? "I trust them, Professor Dumbledore," she sincerely said, eyes landing back at the wrinkled face of their Headmaster. "Please trust them, too."
He searched her face for a while before breaking their eye contact. His electric blue eyes twinkled as he surveyed the other two Slytherins in the room. "Well, it seems like Miss Granger finally made her decision," Dumbledore said. Upon seeing the confused looks on their faces, he continued, "Well, my dearest Hermione, you did not really have to come to me to ask what to do next. If you wish them to keep their memories, then I won't stop you. If you wish to Obliviate their memories, Merlin forbid, I won't stop you either. This is your task, not mine. I'm merely guiding you. The decisions that are committed are always yours."
The brunette softly laughed and shook her head. Trust Dumbledore to suddenly put you under a test at the least expected time. "Okay," she said, absentmindedly tucking a stray curl behind her ears. "I don't want them to lose their memories about tonight's event."
The smile that stretched on both Blaise's and Teddy's faces literally lit the whole room.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, returning her smile. "After all, this is actually inevitable. All secrets must be revealed, my dearest student. And besides, it is good if more people you trust should know about this plan of yours."
Hermione nodded understandingly as she slowly stood up. "Well, I think that's about it, sir. We will - "
"No, wait!" Blaise exclaimed. He ignored his roommates' eyes on him as he determinedly closed the space between him and the Headmaster's desk. "I have one more proposition, sir."
Something flashed in Dumbledore's eyes but then, it was quickly gone before Blaise could dwell on it. "Go on, Mister Zabini," he prompted.
"I… I wish to be a spy for the Order," he said.
A loud gasp escaped from Draco's lips as he stared at Blaise. "Zabini!"
"No, no, Draco, I really want to," Blaise said, turning around to stare at his best friend. "You very well know how much I loathe following that… that monster. I'm merely doing it because my mother said so, and I love my mother. But I think, this is the right time for me to pave my own path. After all, I have a greater reason why I should defy You-Know-Who's orders now." He gave Hermione a meaningful look, which Draco seemed to understand.
"It'll be dangerous," Draco said, his eyes softening as he, too, looked at Hermione. The brunette met his gaze with inquisition written all over her face.
"I know that," Blaise said with a humorless chuckle. "Although, I cannot fathom why you're putting yourself in that position if you yourself perfectly know that."
The Malfoy heir merely smirked.
Blaise smiled back, which then morphed the blond's smirk into a small smile. "Thanks, mate," he said. "I could help you, you know."
"I know," Draco only said.
Hermione looked from one Slytherin to the other and felt her heart swelling in fondness. 'They really cared for each other that much, huh?' she asked herself, finding herself smiling widely at both Slytherins.
"Hey!" Teddy exclaimed, suddenly breaking this special moment between best friends. He trudged toward Dumbledore's desk and leaned down, his hands firmly placed on top of the Headmaster's desk. "Me too! I want to be a spy for the Order!"
"You too, Mister Nott?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.
The carefree Slytherin nodded his head in enthusiasm. "Yeah, I want to help Draco, too, with his task," he said.
"Why then, why should I refuse when both of you willingly offered your services?" Dumbledore was positively beaming. "Of course, if you wish it."
Both Blaise and Teddy smiled simultaneously.
"Thank you, Professor, Blaise said.
"Yeah!" Teddy exclaimed. "You aren't an old nutcase at all!"
Instead of becoming offended, Dumbledore looked fairly amused. "An old nutcase?"
Draco, a little panicked, covered Theodore's mouth to stop him from giving Dumbledore another reason to refuse his offer to be a spy. "He's just sprouting nonsense, Professor. Don't mind him," he said. "He tends to be like that when he's exhausted."
The Headmaster chuckled and waved his hand in dismissal. "Then, I think it is best if you go back to your dormitories now," he said. "Goodnight, my dear Slytherins."
Hermione beamed and slightly inclined her head in respect. "Thank you very much, Professor Dumbledore," she said.
"Oh no, don't thank me, Miss Granger," he said. "Thank you." He looked at the other three Slytherins and fondly remembered the times when they caused such severe headaches to the old man. "I am glad to see that you found yourselves such good friends."
"I am glad, too," she said, looking at her other three roommates with a smile. They all gave back a smile of their own, which Dumbledore thought was absolutely heartwarming.
"We have to retire back to our dorms now," Draco said, grabbing Teddy's arm not-so-gently when he noticed that he tried to escape from his grasp to join Hermione's side. "Goodnight, Professor."
The other three bid their own goodnights before they completely walked out of the Headmaster's office.
[1] I know that the Slytherin common room is submerged under the Hogwarts lake. But after researching, they said it was half underwater. Therefore, let's just say that their room is above the lake :D
A/N: And, end of chapter twenty-nine! So, what did you think? Leave a review and make me happy! And yes, if some of you are wondering, Teddy's reaction to Hermione's secret was actually inspired and a little based on the Korean drama I've been blabbering about ever since I started this story :D So, I hope those who noticed it would be reading this :D Draco's reaction, on the other hand, is a little hysterical... okay, very hysterical. But that's perfectly understandable, right? I mean, what would you feel if the love of your life could have been dead if you weren't able to realize that he or she is in danger? Tell me XD
I apologize for the lack of review responses. It's my mother's birthday today and I was out the whole day. I normally write the responses every Wednesday… so, since I wasn't home, I was not able to write them. But I assure you that I'll be putting them up next week :D
Speaking of next week, it's the last week of my summer vacation. NOOOO, I can't believe it! And I'll be in my senior year in high school already! Oh well, at least we're the eldest *grins maniacally*.
So, that's it. It's almost midnight here and my eyes are drooping already. Once again, leave a review!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe :D