I don't own the characters/sets/etc, they're all J.K.Rowling's, in case you don't know it already!
Special thanks to bobin221 :o)
***Harry and Ron were sitting in the common room, sighing. They had to make a second dream diary for Trelawney’ s lesson and they had decided to make up some dreams, along with their explanations. Full of injuries and deaths of course, since those where the kind of things that their professor liked to read. Everything for her was an omen of death.
“What will we write this time?” mumbled Ron.
“I dunno,” Harry answered, playing with his quill.
“Open your inner eye!!!” Hermione yelled, imitating Trelawney’ s voice. She was sitting neat the fireplace, reading one of the many books she had borrowed from the library. She was chewing a sugar quill.
“Yeah, right. I’ll just explore my imagination.” Ron said.
Harry agreed. “Now, then… I’ll write that on Tuesday I saw myself playing Quidditch and catching the Snitch, which obviously means that I will be hit by a bludger and I’ll be unconscious in the hospital for five days.”
“That’s good. I’ll write that on Wednesday I dreamed about a candle flickering, which means that the candle of my life will soon blow out,” Ron said dramatically.
“No, you can’t. You had also foreseen your death the previous week.”
“Oh, right,” Ron said disappointed. “Then… um… I can write that I’ll be seriously injured by… a giant pumpkin that will fall on me!”
“A giant… How did you think that of?? How can a giant pumpkin fall on you??”
“I don’t know. Accidents happen.”
Harry tangled his hair.
Ron gave a look at Hermione.
“Hermione, d’ you mind if we foresee your death in a dream?” he said.
Harry was trying to keep a straight face, but eventually he laughed.
Hermione stared at them surprised, with a disapproving look on her face. She got up and said in a strict way, “Don’t you dare mix me up in your stupid imaginary dreams! I am going to the library to give back the books.” She took her books and left.
“We wouldn’t do it anyway,” Ron said blankly.
“No,” Harry agreed.
***Hermione was walking quickly along the corridor, heading to the library. Suddenly, she stumbled on the carpet and the books fell of her hands. “Great,” she mumbled. She picked them up and began to walk again, when she heard a voice.
“Hey, Granger! What’s this little piece of parchment here?”
She turned around and saw Malfoy, having a sardonic smile, holding a piece of parchment that had fallen through Hermione’s books.
She wondered how thick she could get. She should have remembered to leave that on the dormitory. She blushed. “Give it to me. It’s mine.”
“Of course it’s yours,” Malfoy said and unfolded it.
“Don’t!” Hermione yelled.
Malfoy read it and his smile got wider. “Oh, is that so, little mudblood? That’s an interesting piece of information… Is it known yet?”
“Yes,” she lied decisively.
“S’pose that means that if I say it aloud right now, nobody will go ooooh and aaaaah?” said Malfoy, who of course hadn’t believed her and he put the piece of parchment in his pocket.
“DON’T!”
“So, it’s not known.”
“No. No one knows. Now, can I have it back, please?” she said defiantly.
“Of course not! You have to be very careful with these things… You have to make sure that they won’t fall into the wrong hands…”
“You mean to your hands!”
“Yes, and that…”
Hermione didn’t know what to do. Malfoy now had her in his grasp.
“Come. We must talk,” he said and Hermione followed without protesting.
***Harry and Ron were going to the Great Hall for dinner.
“How didn’t we think of that earlier!!” Harry exclaimed. “We should have foreseen Voldemort’s death!!”
“Voldemort’s?” Ron said in surprise, shuddering. He still couldn’t get used to that name. ”Yeah, why not... From now on, that’s what we‘ll do. Foresee the death of a black-haired adult with red eyes and evil dispositions.”
Harry agreed. “And the one of Wormtail’s. It will be some kind of revenge.”
“We ‘ll beat the Divination hollow!” Ron said happily.
They saw Hermione sitting on the table. They sat opposite to her.
Hermione looked at them surprised. Then, she looked at the Slytherin’s table. Malfoy was smiling at her with significance. Hermione immediately went to sit near Neville and Lavender.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances.
“What’s wrong with her? Did we irritate her or something?” Ron asked.
“I don’t think so. She’ll probably be… in a weird mood.”
Hermione left before them.
*** “Maxima Concordia.”
Harry and Ron went into the common room and found Hermione writing furiously.
“What are you writing so passionately?” Harry yawned.
“Huh? A-an assignment on the potions,” she answered without looking at him.
“On potions? For Snape? But you finished it yesterday!” Ron said.
“So? I am writing it again! I can do whatever I want, do you have a problem?” Hermione yelled irritated, but without stop writing.
“No, I just… I…”
“I care about you, I love you?” Harry whispered.
“It’s that I…”
“I want to come there and kiss you?” mumbled Harry.
Ron hit him on the shoulder. “I just think that you study too much.”
It was true that he actually wanted to tell her all the things that Harry was mumbling, but that was not the right time. In fact, it was never the right time to tell Hermione something like that.
Ron had fallen in love with Hermione. He didn’t need to tell Harry since he had noticed it by himself, but he shivered in the thought of telling it to her. Judging from Lockhart and Krum, she would never look at him in the way he wanted.
“I’ ll study as much as I want!!!” Hermione yelled, being almost in tears.
Harry and Ron thought it was wiser not to continue this conversation.
*** “McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout,” Malfoy said.
He and Hermione were standing outside the Great Hall. It was still very early; they didn’t want anyone to see them.
“They ‘re too many! I can’t,” she said.
“Where did I put this piece of parchment…” Malfoy pretended searching.
“All right, all right! I ‘ll do it.”
“I knew you were clever enough to do the right thing, you little mudblood. At night. But you must come to Slytherin’s common room. I want to supervise you.”
“What? I can’t come to Slytherin’s-“
“Saying something?...”
“No. I will come,” Hermione said.
“Pleased. At 9:30. Go now, people are coming,” he said leaving.
Hermione looked to the stairs. Among the students getting down were Harry and Ron. They went to her.
“What were you talking about with Malfoy?” Harry demanded.
“Oh, he was just offending me, again!”
“I can punch him if you want,” Ron said indifferently, but he really meant it.
“No, Ron, I would appreciate it if you didn’t,” Hermione replied coldly and they went for breakfast.
*** At night, the common room of Gryffindor was full of people.
Ginny was teaching a friend to play wizard chess.
Harry and Ron were chewing their sugar quills.
“How d’ you think Voldemort should die this time?” Ron asked.
“I dunno. I think I’ ll write that on Tuesday I saw a butterfly flying near him, which will mean that he is gonna be stung by a giant butterfly with genes of acromantula, and ... he’ ll die,” Harry answered in boredom.
Ron giggled.
Then they saw Hermione going down the stairs silently and heading towards the portrait, holding books.
Harry looked at a watch. 9:20.
“Hermione, where are you going?”
“Nowhere,” she said and left.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know,” Harry answered. “Maybe she’s going to exchange books with the Ravenclaws…”
*** “Luna?? That young Hufflepuff we saw yesterday is thinking of dating Luna??” Ron asked bewildered. He, along with Harry and Ginny were at the Great Hall, eating breakfast.
“Yeah,” Ginny said. “It’s weird, I know, but we don’t all have the same tastes…”
“But…But he seemed... too normal for Luna! I mean… she surely needs someone more special. Not to offence the guy, I don't even know him, but…”
“I see what you mean, Harry, but it’s a matter of taste. Think of it this way: Hermione is not very popular with the boys because she’s bossy and stuff, but there’s a certain red-headed here, who happens to be my brother, that fancies her a lot…”
Ron blushed. “… Hermione! Where’s Hermione?” he asked looking around.
“Oh, she’s not coming for breakfast. She went to bed very late last night, I don’t know where she was. She’ll go straight to classes,” she answered.
*** In History of Magic, which was their first lesson for the day, Harry and Ron (mostly Harry, because Ron had fallen asleep) tried to chat with Hermione, but she was keeping notes. Her attention was distracted only when Malfoy sent her a message and she gave him an angry look. This one Ron saw it, he had woken up.
*** Later, in the library, Hermione didn’t pay attention to none of them. She was pale and was furiously making notes from the books she was reading.
“Hermione, you just wrote down the properties of the red pea from another book, a minute ago!” Harry said.
“I want to write it in other words, too. So simple.”
“Why?” Ron asked. “There’s only one assignment you ‘ll do, yours. You never let us copy, anyway.”
Hermione bit nervously her lips.
Then, Malfoy came around.
“Granger, little mudblood, a word with you?”
He whispered something to her ear.
*** “Honestly, I cannot understand what could possibly Hermione talk about with that ferret, Malfoy,” Harry told Ron as they were returning from the Quidditch practice.
They went up the stairs to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Before they had time to say the password, the portrait opened and there came Hermione, holding books.
“Hermione! We were just talking about you! Where are you going again?” Ron said.
“Nowhere,” she answered and left.
“Nowhere!” Ron yelled.
“Isn’t she acting a little weird?” Harry wondered aloud.
*** The same thing went on for a few days.
Hermione was spending all her free time in the library and each night she left from Gryffindor, holding books and saying she was going nowhere. She was always coming back late. She hardly spoke to anyone, Harry and Ron couldn’t get a word from her on what she was hiding from them, whereas day by day she seemed more and more pale and tired, until one morning she showed up having scratches. She simply said that she slipped on the stairs.
*** “We have to know where she’s going,” Ron said to Harry.
They had just seen Hermione leaving, for once more.
The time was 10:30.
“Yeah,” said Harry. “If you only consider that we ‘re not allowed to go round the castle’s corridors at night and Hermione keeps braking that rule, that means she must have a serious reason.”
“Yes! She may even have a problem that can’t tell us! She might need help!”
“Exactly! She’s our best friend, we have to know! Besides, I’m starting to worry.”
“Me too.”
“See? We have to know.”
“The map,” Ron said.
“What map?” Harry marvelled.
“What map, Harry, the Marauders map! That’s the only way to find out!”
“Right!”
Harry ran fast to the dorms and brought the map.
Moments like these, he was feeling great gratitude towards the three Marauders. He didn’t consider Wormtail as a marauder anymore, though, or at least he didn’t feel gratitude to him!
No-one was in the common room at the moment, so they could open the map undisturbed. They watched Hermione’s steps…on the stairs…on the corridors…
“Look, Dumbledore’s pacing again,” Ron said.
“Concentrate!” Harry snapped.
“For Merlin’s name!!” Ron yelled, “Hermione just entered the Slytherin’s house!!”
Harry saw it, too. He was as confused as Ron.
Why did Hermione go every night in Slytherin?
“Mischief managed,” Harry said quickly to the map, as steps were heard.
From the boys’ dormitory came Seamus.
“Ron, can I eat a chocolate frog, from the ones you have on your bed?”
*** Hermione was walking along the dark corridor. She had a big bruise on her hand and scratches everywhere.
I’m going to tell them, she thought. I’m going to tell them, no matter what happens. Things are getting on top of me. This can’t go on.
She reached the portrait. As soon as it opened and Hermione saw Ron playing chess with Harry, she immediately changed her mind.
I won’t say anything. Not a word. I can’t. It would be a disaster, Hermione thought. It was too difficult for her.
“Hermione!” said Ron.
“Goodnight,” she answered blankly and went to the dorms.
*** “I was thinking what Ginny said once- not only once, no, she kept repeating it to me on The Burrow the whole summer!- that I fancy… you know…”
“Hermione!”
“Yes, shout it in the bargain so that the whole castle will know!” Ron said annoyed and his ears went red. “Yes, I meant her… How could Ginny know? I mean, I thought you were the only one who knew it…Or that’s what I used to believe… How did she know?”
Because it’s so obvious, maybe? Harry thought. He had already tried a few times to convince Ron talk to Hermione for his feelings, but since Ron kept denying, he had stopped the efforts.
“I was thinking, we have to know what Hermione does in Slytherin. I don’t believe she turned to their side… Huh?” Harry said worryingly.
“No, she would never… Would she?”
“And what are all these scratches that she lately has? And the fact that she doesn’t sleep? And that she almost fainted in Snape’s class!”
“Well, many people would faint in the sight of Snape…”
Harry gave him a strict look.
“But not Hermione. What if she really needs help?”
“The invisibility cloak,” Harry whispered as they entered into the Divination class.
*** On the same night, Harry and Ron were prepared.
When Hermione left at around 10:00, they put on the invisibility cloak and followed her.
It was hard to walk behind her, both being under the cloak, since now they had become taller and they had to duck a little.
When they reached the Slytherin’s portrait, they waited a few minutes and then it opened.
Malfoy, after checking that no-one was round, let Hermione go in.
Harry and Ron achieved to go in before the portrait had closed, although they almost fell on Hermione.
She sat on a table, put the books in front of her and Malfoy gave her a quill, ink and a parchment.
“For who?” Hermione asked coldly.
“For Snape,” Malfoy answered.
Hermione began to write.
“Write more clearly! I won’t be able to copy it later if you keep on writing like this!” he said strictly.
Hermione bit her lips.
“He asked the properties of pixie’s cry as well, don’t forget them!”
“I won’t.”
Malfoy was standing over Hermione, supervising.
“Why is she doing his homework?” Ron whispered.
Hermione raised her head abruptly.
“What?” Malfoy asked.
“Nothing, I just thought I heard… Nothing.”
“Voices? They ‘re from the dormitories, now keep writing!”
Hermione began to write again, when Malfoy shouted “Expelliarmus!” and the quill flew away from Hermione’s hand.
She, without saying a word, went to take it.
Malfoy shouted another spell immediately and threw the quill to Hermione, scratching her.
“These are the scratches,” Harry whispered.
“Could you please stop doing that?” Hermione said strictly.
“No! I like doing that! And I like throwing things on you,” Malfoy grinned and with a spell he threw a book to her.
“Well, I don’t!” she yelled.
“Did you say something that I didn’t hear, filthy mudblood? Where was that piece of parchment…”
Hermione sat down and went on with her writing.
Two hours later, Malfoy let her leave.
Just when she had gotten out from Slytherin’s common room, Harry and Ron took of the cloak.
Hermione screamed.
“Hermione, what d’ you think you‘re doing??” Harry said strictly.
“Why are you doing his homework, what’s the matter with you??” Ron yelled.
“That’s why you were taking double notes!” Harry added.
“Wha- What did you do?” Hermione yelled. “You‘ve been in there all this time? Did you see everything?”
“Everything,” Harry answered.
“Especially the parts that he was throwing stuff on you!” Ron growled.
“Why did you do that, you mustn’t have done that!” she said, both in anger and despair. “Never do that again!” she said leaving fast.
“Has she gone completely mad?” Ron said. “We are trying to help and she-“ He stopped.
Flinch ’s voice had been heard. “What is it, Mrs. Norris? Is anyone there? Let’s go check…”
Harry and Ron went under the cloak and ran behind Hermione.
When the three of them had gotten into their common room, Harry and Ron made themselves visible and Hermione, who didn’t know that they were behind her, screamed again.
“What is going on with you?” Harry shouted.
Hermione was almost in tears.
“Are you intending to follow a Death Eater’s career?” Ron asked sarcastically.
“Of course not!” Hermione said loudly, her voice trembling.
“Then what?” he yelled. “Is there anything going on between you and Malfoy? Any affairs maybe?”
“Surely not!! And now you ‘ll excuse me,” she said and went to the dormitory.
“I can’t understand,” Ron said while they were going to their dorms. “She goes into hysterics when we ask to copy from her ever a tiny simple sentence and now she’s doing Malfoy’s homework?”
“Sush… Not so loud, we‘ll wake everyone up,” Harry whispered.
There was definitely something wrong with Hermione. They just couldn’t understand what.
*** Harry heard someone crying. At first, he though it was in a dream or something, then he realized that he wasn’t sleeping any more. He kneeled on his bed and tried to see. It was quite difficult, since it was too dark. He saw a figure sitting on the floor… crying.
He put on his glasses. “Hermione?”
It was indeed Hermione, staring at Ron (he was asleep).
“Are you all right?”
She raised and wiping her tears she said a proud “Fine.” Then, she left.