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Hermione could not concentrate. This is the second time today. What is wrong with me? she thought angrily. It was highly unusual for the bushy-haired, studious girl to find her attention ebbing away in her first class of NEWT level Transfiguration, especially as she had to catch up on half of the chapter that had already been finished in the class.


Hermione could feel herself being watched by someone. Her chair creaked as she turned on her seat and found - sure enough - Ron staring at her blatantly. Hermione cocked her eyebrows; Ron caught her eyes and immediately turned away, his ears going crimson. It’s just him. Oh God! Can’t he just give it a rest for a second? Hermione thought distraughtly.


Yes, Hermione was hostile towards Ron. She still shuddered when she remembered that day at the Burrow. Following Fred’s, Lupin’s and Tonks’ funeral, she had wandered off alone towards the fields away from the hustle and bustle at the house. She was sad and just needed some time off on her own. And suddenly out of no where she found Ron walking next to her, so sensitive, so kind. It was like having a comforting shoulder to keep her head on. Ron understood. He cared, right? Apparently not. It only took days after their blissful union that an ugly side of Ron emerged that Hermione hadn’t imagined existed.


Ron was drunk that night. That was the only explanation Hermione wanted to think of. She cringed thinking if it he actually knew what he was doing. She was sleeping in Ginny’s room. Ginny was downstairs helping her mother with dinner. Hermione couldn’t hear the door creak open, nor could she hear his words. But she did feel it when frantic hands reached inside her robe and started feeling her up… Hermione hadn’t talked to Ron since that night. And all his apologies reached deaf ears. Hermione was shocked Ron could ever do such a thing.


After the tumultuous feelings of joy and pain following the end of the War, Harry and Ron were having second thoughts for returning to Hogwarts; plainly because they didn’t know if they would be accepted back having had dropped out of school in their seventh year. But the new Prime Minister Kingsley Shaklebolt made an announcement that the witches and wizards could return for their education. Hermione contacted her parents and lifted off the Memory Charm. And they insisted that she finished her school. Harry and Ron were excited because they had been offered a place at the Auror Training School by the ministry, but according to Educational Decrees, they still needed their NEWT level scores. Ron suddenly showed a desire to join Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes following Fred’s death but before he could decide on anything, Mrs. Weasley took the matter out of his hands by making it very clear that she did not want Ron to end up as a dropout (‘The shop is doing great darling, but don’t you dare think I’d approve you of becoming George’s assistant!’). So, Harry, a very eager Hermione and a thoroughly reluctant Ron joined Hogwarts about a week before Halloween.


Late comers had a slight disadvantage. Firstly the classes are already started and NEWT level classes are extremely hard to catch up with. Secondly, the School Appointments were already offered to someone else. Susan Bones and Ernie McMillan were the Head Girl and Head boy. Hermione was definitely disgruntled at having missed the most important appointment, but immediately filled her schedule with tasks and brought enormous volumes from the library. Before settling on a couch in the common room, she threw a disgusted look at Ron and Harry. They were going to start up fresh after the Halloween Feast (‘I can’t concentrate when I know that a feast is awaiting me a few days from now,’ Ron had said). Boys, thought Hermione.


After going through all her textbooks and the notes that Lavender had lent her (it looked like passages out of Hermione’s old Ancient Runes textbook), Hermione had really been looking forward to one of her favourite classes – Transfiguration. This explained why she was at a complete loss as to why she couldn’t just try to listen to Professor McGonagall. Harry was looking at Professor McGonagall but his eyes were blank. She could tell Ron was staring at her again. She was feeling uncomfortable, but it wasn’t just because of Ron. She had a strong intuition something was about to happen today. But what?


‘Now, if you’d turn to page sixty-three of your textbooks, you’ll understand the hideous things that can happen when human transformations go wrong,’ came Professor McGonagall’s crisp, stern voice.


There was a sudden rustle of paper. Hermione opened the page as instructed and saw grotesque diagrams showing a man with a withered claw and a lion’s paw for hands, as well as a very painful expression on his face. Hermione gulped. The withered skin reminded her of Voldemort’s form before he died. She quickly ruffled more pages until she found the beginning of the chapter. It read “Advanced Animagus Transformations�. At least that explains the withered claw, thought Hermione.


Ron leaned towards Hermione to see the page number. Their shoulders brushed gently and Hermione turned her head sideways, her heart suddenly thumping hard. They looked into each other’s eyes. Their lips were inches apart … This is ridiculous. We’re in clear view of the entire class! If he tries something stupid this time, I’m going to kill him. They were close… much too close -


THUD!


The door of the classroom suddenly flew open with a considerable force. Students turned around on their seat to find - Argus Filch, the crackpot caretaker, standing near the entrance with one arm outstretched against the door. His dark brown robes were dripping in grime and stinking of hay. Something was wrong. He glared at the turned faces of everyone in the class and then fixed his glance at Ron for a moment. He wheezed his way up to Professor McGonagall and started making a whispered conversation. He looked very sober, which was very disorienting, as nobody had ever seen him in anything except foul mood.


‘What’s going on?’ asked Hermione, looking at them.


'Ron, did you do something? He was staring at you,' Harry asked.


‘I dunno,’ replied Ron. ‘It looks like he’s telling her he’s finally found true love.’ Harry tried to muffle his laughter while Hermione rolled her eyes. Why can’t Ron say something intelligible for a change?


Filch left as abruptly as he had arrived and Harry’s eyes followed him as he walked to the door, trying to search for a possible reason for his calmness. A poke near his elbow made him look sideways at Ron, who was looking at Professor McGonagall, his eyebrows arched. Harry followed his gaze and saw why. Professor had suddenly become very grave too. Hermione just stared incomprehensibly at her. What the hell’s going on?


‘Students, Mr Filch has just reported to me a shocking piece of news. I believe you remember the rumour about a Death-Eater being found near the Hogsmeade village, close to death.’ Professor McGonagall’s eyes wandered over the class. A few heads were nodding. That particular news had created a lot of panic and speculation among the people.


‘It seems a few Death-Eaters had tortured a fellow Death-Eater and left him to die,’ Professor McGonagall continued. ‘His battered body was discovered by a couple, about a mile and a half south of the Hogsmeade village. He was sent immediately to the Ministry for his recognition and then to St. Mungo’s. He was in a very bad shape.’


That was an understatement, thought Hermione who was closely following the reports from St. Mungo's appearing in the Daily Prophet. They said that due to the excessive blood loss, his pulse rate was far less than normal. His injuries ranged from a few burns to gashes in his leg to a fracture in his arm. And there was a high possibility of him sinking into a coma.


‘It seems his memory was wiped of the latest chain of events. He is currently in the Hospital Wing under the watchful eyes of Madam Pomfrey.’ A very shocked silence greeted her words.


‘He’s here?’ came Lavender’s fearful whisper. ‘What is he doing here?’


Professor McGonagall turned her head to look at Lavender, apparently annoyed at being interrupted. ‘Miss Brown, if you had read about the incident, you would probably remember that it took place about three weeks ago. His treatment at St. Mungo’s has been completed since then,’ she said in a tone that clearly indicated that she would not be entertaining any more queries about it. ‘However,’ continued Professor, as if no intrusion had taken place, ‘it’s the recognition of the wizard that is more consequential to Hogwarts and to you all. I-’


‘Who is it Professor?’ interrupted Dean Thomas. He couldn’t take any more suspense.


Professor McGonagall looked solemnly around the class once more. Her next response filled the quiet classrooms with faint gasps from the girls. A few boys (Ron included) just gaped at the Professor with their mouths hanging open, as if the Headmistress had just announced that the NEWTs were starting from tomorrow.


‘He is a former student, by the name of Draco Malfoy.’




A/N Thanks for reading this FF. Chapter two will be up soon. Meanwhile, a review would be perky : )

It was right after the bell went off, signalling the end of the class. A sudden rustle of activities filled up the otherwise dormant corridors. There were so many black cloaks swimming ahead of them that Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn’t think of a way to reach the Hospital Wing first.



Harry suddenly reached into the crowd of rushing bodies and grabbed someone by the waist, someone who was going to be trampled by the chaotic hurry. That ‘someone’ happened to have a smooth mane of brilliant and fiery red hair.



‘Oh Merlin! It’s a complete bedlam,’ panted Ginny. ‘I never realised there were so many students at Hogwarts.’



‘You okay?’ asked Harry, looking very concerned.



‘You saved my life!’ Ginny cried out dramatically, flinging her arms around Harry and kissing him on the cheek. (‘Ginny! Not in the corridors!’ Ron exclaimed irritably) ‘Oh, my valorous knight, where’s your shiny armour?’ she pretended to bat her eyelids at him in an impressed manner. Harry flushed.



‘We’ve to get down to the Hospital Wing fast,’ murmured Hermione, standing on her tiptoes and craning her head over the mad rush.



‘Calm down, Hermione,’ said Ginny, finally letting go of Harry. ‘There are three floors between the Hospital Wing and this floor. Let those baboons run down, we are sliding.’ With that, she turned left to face the wall and walked untill she reached the portrait of a pretty angel in a white flowing robe wearing a wreath and holding a harp. Ginny glanced at the trio and let out a small smile.



‘Being the sister of Fred and George has benefits doesn’t it?’ Her grin widened as she ran her hand across the harp. Following a rather subdued grating noise, a huge slab of brick displaced itself from under the picture, revealing a low dark passageway. Ron’s mouth was hanging open.



‘How come Fred and George helped everybody with the secret tunnels except me?’ he asked indignantly, but Ginny had already entered the tunnel.



‘Let’s go while I’m still young,’ came her muffled voice from inside the tunnel. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged wary looks before following Ginny into the passage.



Sliding down the stinking, slimy tunnel had its own merits. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were the first to reach the transparent glass doors of the Hospital Wing ahead of the crowd of ‘baboons’ still coming by means of the staircase.



‘I can’t see anything. Where is he?’ Hermione whispered, pressing her nose against the doors.



‘Sympathizing with the enemy?’ Ron smirked. Hermione shut him up with a look of utmost disgust.



Suddenly they heard footsteps. Before anyone could get time to react, they were face to face with the strict matron – Madam Pomfrey.



‘What is it?’ came her stern voice. ‘What is it this time?’ Her eyes wandered from one face to the next until they stopped on Harry. ‘Oh! It’s you. What’s wrong now?’



‘Nothing,’ muttered Harry, annoyed at being recognised by Madam Pomfrey. Having ended up in the Hospital Wing every year had created a sort of reputation of him being “delicate�.



‘Madam Pomfrey, we heard from Professor McGonagall that Draco Malfoy is currently in the Hospital Wing. We came to visit him,’ Hermione said courageously.



‘Really? That’s nice, he hasn’t had any visitors ever since he was brought here.’ She looked around at them once again. ‘Didn’t you bring him any cheering up present?’ They looked at each other blankly.



‘Of course we did,’ laughed Ginny, waving her wand quietly behind her back. The next instant, Ron drew out a bunch of beautiful red roses from behind his back, looking amazed.



‘Oh, how touching. Well if you must know, Mr. Malfoy was relocated to his dormintory a few minutes ago. His medication is over. He was just resting here. I believe you’ll find him in his common room,’ said Madam Pomfrey.



A distant rumbling noise came to their ears. ‘Thank you, Madam Pomfrey,’ said Harry hurriedly, and they darted from the Hospital Wing, leaving a bewildered Madam Pomfrey to cope up with the crowd that was now thundering down the staircase. The trio and Ginny stopped in the front courtyard, completely out of breath.



‘Well, that was fun,’ panted Ginny, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. Not exactly sure what to do with the roses, Ron handed over the bouquet to Hermione, who took it from him unconsciously.



‘Yeah, it has worked up my appetite for supper,’ said Ron lavishly, rubbing his stomach, and withdrawing a few chocolate frogs from inside his robe pocket. Ginny exclaimed in disgust.



‘Ron, is there anything else in this world that could interest you more than food?’ she asked him rhetorically. Then turning to Hermione, she added, ‘Hermione! Why so pensive?’



‘His own people did this to him. I mean I know they are an inconsiderate lot, but you’d expect them to treat their fellow members better, right?’ Hermione pondered aloud. Ron suddenly choked on his third frog.



‘You’re feeling sorry for that…that git?’ sputtered Ron incredulously. ‘Hermione, he’s a Death Eater for Merlin’s sake.’ Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously at Ron, as they always did whenever he tried talking to her these days.



‘Yes, he’s a git and a Death Eater, but he’s also a human being, Ron,’ Ginny muttered impatiently.



‘Precisely,’ nodded Hermione in approval. But as Ron continued staring at her shrewdly, Hermione felt her anger rise its hood again, ‘Oh, just forget it, Ron! I’d expect nothing more from an insensitive wart like you,’ she muttered in a stage whisper and stomped off indoors.



Harry raised his eyebrows. ‘What was that all about?’ He didn’t notice Ron’s ears going pink.



Hermione passed through the Entrance Hall, just glancing over her shoulder at the students having their meal. She had suddenly lost her appetite. The noise in the Great Hall reduced to a rumble as she crossed the driveway. She was still fuming about Ron’s comments when she walked on the grassy slopes of the hillock near Hagrid’s hut. I had actually fallen for this unfeeling jerk? She found herself wondering.



And her thoughts suddenly switched to what Ron had said, ‘He’s a Death Eater.’ If he’s one of them (Ron’s a hundred and ten percent sure about it) then what was he doing here? Why was he banished from the Dark side? And what wrong could he have possibly done that merited such extreme punishment? Hermione couldn’t think of answers to these intriguing questions. From the moment Professor McGonagall had revealed his identity, Hermione was one person who was neither shocked nor sorry for Malfoy. She was curious.



She suddenly took a deep breath and shook herself mentally. STOP thinking about Malfoy. Looking around, she realised that she had traversed all the way until the level of the lake. It was very serene there, with not a single student around. She sat down on the hard ground, watching the descent of the sun across the lake; illuminating its surface and making it sparkle like a diamond. She saw the lazy progress of a dried leaf on the water, and looked up at the misty edge of the Forbidden Forest. What she saw made her freeze.



There was someone on the other side of the lake, right next to the boulders that marked the entrance to the Forest. She could see a hazy outline but due to the distance and twilight, couldn’t make out who it was. Maybe a sixth year, she thought, but now, at this hour? She decided to go and investigate. As she reached near the cloaked person, she saw he’d crouched over with his head drooping, as if he was asleep.



‘Excuse me! What are you doing here? You should be back inside the castle,’ Hermione raised her voice authoritatively.



‘Yeah? Well, then what are you doing out here?’ responded a wheezy voice Hermione couldn’t recognise.



‘I’m a Prefect. I’ve the authority to go and check if there’s anyone outside,’ said Hermione.



‘Yeah? And where’s your badge?’ the wheezy voice retorted.



Hermione indicated at the lapel of her robe for an answer, hoping that he’d see her red and gold Prefect badge in the steadily approaching darkness.



‘What am I supposed to be looking at?’ he asked, his voice now barely hiding his amusement. Hermione looked down at her robe in confusion, which soon turned to a jolt of surprise as she found that her Prefect badge was missing.



‘But it was right here!’ she exclaimed in astonishment. ‘It must have fallen off when we were coming downstairs through that stupid tunnel. Oh, I should never have listened to Ginny,’ she muttered irritably, although more to herself.



‘Secret tunnels, huh?’ he asked in a teasing voice.



‘It’s not what you think,’ she retorted, although she wasn’t sure why she was justifying herself. ‘My friends and I were just trying to be quick in making it to the Hospital Wing,’ she said.



‘Oh, I am sorry,’ he said suddenly sobering up.



‘Never mind,’ she waved away his apology. It was quickly getting dark now that the sun had completely set, and they were vulnerable, standing next to the Forbidden Forest. She glanced at her watch.



‘Can we please go inside now. It’s getting really late. Filch will shut the doors anytime now,’ Hermione begged. Finally, the stranger started getting up. Thank Goodness. Hermione noticed that he had trouble getting up. When he was on his feet, she whispered, ‘you seem to be hurt. I think you should go to the Hospital Wing first.’



‘No,’ came his short and simple reply. ‘Madam Pomfrey’s against serving good food in the Hospital Wing,’ he added, making Hermione smile.



‘Lumos,’ Hermione whispered and the region where they were standing was filled with a strong beam of light.



‘Could you keep that away from my eyes? It hurts,’ he requested.



‘Sure,’ she lowered the wand so that only the path was lit. But in that instant when her wand’s light filled the space between them, she had noticed something gleam on his chest.



‘Hey, are you a Prefect too?’ she asked him, suddenly curious. The stranger didn’t reply immediatly.



‘Yes, but it’s a pain in the neck,’ he replied smugly. Hermione was surprised.



‘You really think that way? I think being a Prefect is a work of great responsibility,’ she said. He shrugged for a reply.



‘If you don’t mind my asking, what were doing out there, all by yourself?’ asked Hermione as they crossed the spot where she had been originally sitting.



‘Just felt like being alone for a while. Things in my dormitory are too fast to keep pace with,’ he replied quietly.



‘And what about your injuries?’ asked Hermione, unable to contain herself.



‘What injuries?’ he asked innocently. The Great Hall was a few feet away.



‘You were…are… limping,’ explained Hermione. She could see the candles floating inside.



‘Oh! You know, bumps and bruises,’ he said airily. They were about to cross the broad driveway.



Hermione realised that she was still holding the bouquet of roses that Ginny had conjured. ‘Well, you can take these.’ Hermione handed the roses to him. They really didn’t mean anything to her. Maybe they’d cheer him up.



‘Thanks.’ He appeared a bit surprised. ‘Actually this is a role reversal; shouldn’t the guy be giving roses to the girl? Well, maybe I can return them sometime when I’m better from my limping,’ he added hopefully. It was good that it was so dark; the stranger couldn’t see her cheeks getting redder by the minute. They were almost at the huge doors to the Entrance Hall.



‘Well, thanks for your time. It’d have been a pretty boring walking all the way up here without company,’ he thanked her. He sounds sincere, thought Hermione, thank goodness, not all people are as rude as Ron is.

‘You are welcome. So, after this enticing conversation, do I get to know your name?’ she said in a playful tone, finally looking at the stranger’s bruised face in the lighted Entrance Hall.

‘I’m Draco Malfoy. I’m in -’ He stopped abruptly, seeing Hermione’s face. His pale face went even paler (if that was possible). His eyes widened and his mouth slowly dropped open. He couldn’t believe this. Granger? It was Granger all this time…I was flirting with the…? Bloody Hell! he thought suddenly mortified.

‘Slytherin, we know Malfoy,’ called a voice from behind Hermione. She whipped around to see Ron facing Malfoy, a look of utmost contempt on his face. ‘So you came back. Your Death Eater pals not good enough for you any more? Hey, what happened to your face? Tell me Malfoy, did they really smack you up, or did you do this to yourself?’ said Ron, leering in an unusual manner.

Hermione was also looking as though she had been struck by lightening. She was too stunned to speak. Malfoy! I was chatting with Malfoy? I couldn't recognize him? She made a quick mental note to kick herself when she'd get to her dormitory. For a moment, Hermione was convinced that she was in a gentleman’s company, the way he joked with her and thanked her. But she couldn’t imagine in her wildest dreams that the gentleman was, of all people, Malfoy.

‘It’s because of you piece of rubbish, that Dumbledore’s dead today. You messed up Malfoy, you messed up big time,’ Ron was really having a go; he was attracting attention now. People were starting to come out of the Great Hall, although surprisingly, no Slytherins yet.

‘Tell me, how many people have you killed ever since you joined the ranks of the Death Eaters? Loads I bet,’ Hermione could see Harry and Ginny rising from their seats at the end of Gryffindor table. Malfoy had not retaliated. Not yet. ‘And now you’re here, to terrify others no doubt. You know Malfoy, you deserve the same fate as You-Know-Who did. You should be taken off this earth too!’ Ron finished triumphantly.

He looked around expecting cheers from the crowd, or at least from the Gryffindors, but none came. Everyone was too busy taking in the dishevelled appearance of Draco Malfoy standing alone, helpless in the Entrance Hall, the lights hurting his eyes. Hermione was taken aback with the sharp things Ron said. She had expected an outburst from Ron and maybe he was right in his place, but the crudeness in his voice disturbed her. She just stood there between him and Malfoy who still hadn’t said anything in his defence.

Then, inexplicably, Malfoy turned around and started walking toward the entrance to the Dungeons, still clutching the bouquet of blood red roses tightly in his hands. Hermione merely stood there, staring at his retreating back


A/N Sorry for the wait...How did you like it? Feedback needed folks! Hope you enjoyed reading it and kindly review if you have time.