A/N: Alrightie Chapter 18!

Within the next couple of days Hermione was back to teaching and didn't have much time for anything else. She had received plenty of letter from Harry but hadn't had time to open any of them yet, and she was in desperate need of a good nights sleep because of late she has been having nightmares again. Right now it was only second hour and she had already given her students their assignment and was just sitting there staring at the papers she was supposed to be grading. There came a knock at the door and she barely lifter her head before Draco walked in.

"Sorry to interrupt but could I see you for a second."

She nodded and stood from her seat. "Keep working." she said to the students as she walked out side. She closed the door and turned to Draco. "What do you need?"

He smiled at her irritability. "Hey don't get mad at me for not sleeping at night."

Hermione scowled. "Don't start with me. What do you want?"

"Just wanted to let you know that Harry sent Hedwig again." she gave him a so-what look. "He wasn't disillusioned he just swooped in through my classroom window."

"What! You're window?"

"That's what I said." she glared at him. "Sorry. Yeah well here's the letter if you want to read it." he pulled a letter out of his robes and handed it to her. "But seeing as how you are so busy I'll leave you to your work."

"Busy? Ha! I wish I was busy. I'm supposed to be grading, but I just can't concentrate."

"Baby you know you really need to relax. But I have to go because I still have a class I just knew you would want to read that letter." he said pointing at the letter in her hand.

"Oh thanks. And sorry for being so hostile I really need some sleep."

"I know. Now get back in there and grade." he gave her a kiss and walked back in the direction to the dungeons.

Hermione stepped back into her room and sat back down at her desk. She decided to wait for a little while to open the letter and started grading. As she was grading there was a knocking on her window and she turned to see Hedwig floating outside of it. She rolled her eyes and got up to let the bird in. He offered it's leg and she took the letter and small package that was attached. He took the treat she offered and flew out the window. Hermione sat back down and opened the new letter.

Hermione,

I know you're in class right now, but Ron and I are going to go to Hogsmeade this weekend and we were wondering if you wanted to come. But really that's not why I'm writing. How come you haven't written me or Ron back with the twenty some odd letters we've already sent you? Have you even read them? Or has Draco been keeping you 'busy'? No, I'm just playing. I know you're busy with classes and such. Well anyways hope you like the package. I know you needed it.

Harry

She smiled and opened the package. Underneath all the wrappings was a new cell phone, it was pink and had a little picture of her, Harry and Ron during their school years. There was also a note attached.

I told you, you needed it. Anyways Dumbledore made sure it would work at Hogwarts.

She placed the phone in her pocket along with the letter, and grabbed the letter Draco gave her.

Draco,

Hey, yeah I know you're probably wondering why I'm writing you, right? Well actually I was wondering how Hermione was. She hasn't wrote us back since the first couple of letters we wrote her. And I know if we asked her she would tell us she was just fine, so that's why I'm asking you.

Harry

Hermione's smile had just officially turned into a scowl as she finished the letter. They were keeping tabs on her. Did they not trust her or something? She placed the letter in her pocket and curtly turned back to her grading; she was going to have a talk with them this weekend at Hogsmeade. She finished grading and dismissed her class, third hour was her break and she was going to take the time to read some of the letters Harry and Ron had written.

She walked out of the room and towards hers and Draco's. As she was walking she noticed that many of the students would run past her quickly and all in the same direction, her room. Hermione quickened her pace and reached her room to see clothes and things being thrown out of the room Travis was staying in. She pushed her way through the pack of students and into the room. She drew her wand and pointed at the back of the person, and cleared her throat. The person turned around and she lowered her wand, it was Travis.

"Travis." she hissed. "What in the world are you doing?"

He looked out into the hall and saw the mess he had made and all the students standing around. "Oh sorry, I was looking for something."

"Yes I can see." she said giving him a motherly scowl. She turned the students. "Get to class before I give you detention. And you put that down it's not yours." the students ran off to their classes and dropped the many things they had picked up. Hermione walked back into the hall and started gathering the things up. She brought them back in and handed them to Travis. "So what were you looking for?"

He blushed slightly. "Uh… actually my wand." he hoped she couldn't see the partial lie written on his face.

She stood there gaping at him. "Your wand? Your wand! How in the world do you lose your wand!" she rolled her eyes. "Well it looks like I have to help you find it."

"Don't be serious sis, you go do whatever you had to do and I'll find it."

"Are you sure?" he nodded. "Alright I'll be next door if you need me." he nodded and went back to looking. She rolled her eyes again and walked into her room.

The desk in the room was cluttered with letters, all of them from Harry and Ron. Hermione took a deep breath and walked over to the desk. The first letter was simply a letter like the one from that day, asking how she was and why she hadn't written them back; she threw it away. She picked up another letter and found this one a little interesting.

Hermione,

Ok I know you're going to get mad about this, but we don't trust your brother. He seems a bit edgy. Like for example the other day when we were there and he was answering your questions he seemed like he wasn't sure about his answers. I don't want you to get mad I just want you to keep an eye on him. Oh and just want to let you know he's probably looking for his wand. Well Ron and I have to go. We'll talk to you later.

Love Harry and Ron

She pursed her lips and stormed out of the room and into Travis'. "Just thought I'd let you know. Harry and Ron have your wand."

He spun around. "What! Well can I have it back anytime soon? I've been looking for it for three days now."

Hermione gave her brother a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry I don't have it. You'll get it back this weekend we're all going to Hogsmeade." he nodded. "Hey you want to come help me go through all these letters they sent me. There's like a million."

"Sure." he glanced back into his room, he had to find it soon or things were going to get bad.

She turned and walked back into her room followed by Travis. "Just take one it doesn't matter."

For the next hour they went through the letters. There were only five out of the twenty or so that had anything to do with the snake problem. All they said were, It's very deadly, Dumbledore could have died. And, We know it's run by a dark wizard or witch they're the only ones who can control them. And, It's called Black Crane Snake, we translated for you it was in Latin, but anyways its really rare and only found in caves. That's all the information they had sent, every other stinking letter was about Hermione and Draco, which she burned. After reading every letter third hour was over and it was time for her to go back to teaching and then to lunch.

"Come on, Travis, you have to go to class with me." she said as she grabbed her things and headed for her door. She didn't make it there though because she thought of something and turned back around. "Travis, why weren't you in Draco's class?"

"Well you see… um… He told me that since you didn't have a class third period that I could come and stay with you."

Hermione scowled. "You were never in his room, were you?" he shook his head. "The nerve of him! He's the one who doesn't trust you so bloody much and he lets you roam around. I swear once I get my hands on him he's going to wish he was never born."

Travis laughed. "You shouldn't be so hard on him, I mean I've known him since he was a tyke. He's only trying to make you happy, that's what he does."

She took a deep calming breath. "Thanks for the reassurance, Travis, but he's still got it coming to him." she turned back to the door. "Now let's go I have class."

Hermione was sitting at lunch with Travis and Draco, not looking at either one. She could hear them talking quietly to each other but couldn't figure out what they were saying. She rolled her eyes and kept eating ignoring everything that was going on around her, trying to find a calm in the sea of voices that filled the Great Hall. Draco leaned towards her and tapped her shoulder.

"Hermione." he whispered. She didn't look at him nor answer him. "Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked persistently.

She gave him a cold look. "Why the bloody hell does it matter?" she whispered in a hiss.

He recoiled and looked to Travis. "Hey, do you know what's wrong with Hermione?"

Travis leaned forward to look at her and then sat back shaking his head. "No, she's was fine during third hour. Maybe someone pissed her off."

Hermione didn't like that they were talking about her right there in front of her; she looked down at her half-empty plate and pushed it away. She pushed her chair back and stormed out of the Great Hall. She didn't pay attention to where she was going, she just walked, when she finally stopped she was standing in front of the Quidditch pitch. Hermione walked up the stairs and into the stands looking out over the pitch and took a deep breath.

"Why am I always in the middle of things like this?" she asked herself.

"Maybe it's because you have a knack for knowing things that most don't." came a voice from the shadows.

She spun around to see who was there. "Who are you?" she squinted into the darkness.

"Someone you don't want to be alone with." the voice was cold and bitter, sending chills throughout her body.

Backing up to the railing she stammered. "You won't get away with this they'll find me."

The figure stepped forward revealing a tall raven haired man in a black robe, his eyes a honey brown almost gold. "Just give me the necklace, that's all I want."

She shook her head and looked over the edge, she was up really high if she jumped she'd probably die and no one would know until that evenings Quidditch match. She closed her eyes and turned back around. "No!" Before the man could even remark she had jumped.

Hermione screamed as she fell to her death. She still had her eyes closed not wanting to see her fate. She had calculated the fall in her head the whole conversation and knew in a matter of seconds she would hit the ground. But the ground never came, no instead it was a soft landing and something was wrapping around her. She opened her eyes just a little and saw blinding blonde hair glistening in the afternoon sun. She opened her eyes to their full extent and saw Draco, she smiled at her savior even though he was glaring at her.

"What the hell did you do that for? Why the bloody hell did you jump?"

Hermione shook her head clearing it. "Uh… because he was there."

Draco screwed up his face in confusion. "He? Whose he?"

"The man who wants me. Well my necklace I should say."

Draco's face fell to a scowl and stayed fixed that way. "Who exactly was he?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I've never seen him in my life, but then again it's like I've known him forever."

Draco slowly descended in front of the giant doors that lead into the Entrance Hall. "I'm going back."

"No, don't be ridiculous, he's probably gone by now. I don't think he's stupid enough to stick around."

He bowed his head in shame. "You're right. We'll just have to tell McGonagall that he's been on the grounds and still might be." He took her hand and they walked inside.

Travis was sitting at the bottom of the stairs waiting and once they walked in he stood up. "What the bloody hell were you thinking, sis?"

"He was up there." Draco answered for her.

"What! We have to go find him. I'm not going to let my sister be on the watch twenty-four seven because some mad man is looking for her." he went for the door but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"No Travis. He's probably already gone. There's no need to worry, anyways, we're going to McGonagall she'll know what to do."