Death by Granger

Chapter 12

"Hermoine! Hermoine, come down! Are you awake yet?"

Hermoine groaned and sat up. She smiled when she saw Ginny on her own bed. She quickly cast the spell on her arm before pulling her sleeve down. She lazily walked down the stairs to see Harry shushing Ron.

"What's wrong with you two?"

"Oh, hello Hermoine," Harry said. "Where were you last night?"

"Probably in the library. Why?"

"We were looking for you. Didn't you come for the Halloween party?"

"I didn't even know there was a party last night." She wasn't exactly lying. Luna had told her the day before.

"Well, Ron almost attacked Malfoy. I think he thought you were that girl with Malfoy, what was her name Ron?"

"Aileen. She reminded me of you, okay. Much as I don't like him, I wouldn't attack him for nothing."

"Actually Ronald, you would."

Ron frowned and folded his arms.

Hermoine smiled. "I think Ron was jealous. He thought I was with Malfoy!" Hermoine began laughing. "Oh, Ron. That's just hilarious."

Ron scoffed from the couch. "I was not. In fact, I'm going out with someone."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, the love potion girl. I know."

Hermoine giggled. "Romilda Vane? Good luck, Ron. Ginny's mentioned that she's a bit clingy."

Ron pulled his tongue for Hermoine. "So mature. Anyway, boys, if that's all you needed, I'm going back to bed."

"Hermoine," Harry called, "Classes!"

Hermoine turned back. "I'll catch up tonight."

She turned and went back to bed.

Later, in Potions, Draco very reluctantly went over to Harry. He sat down in the seat behind Harry and hit his shoulder from behind. "Potter!"

Harry turned and so did Ron. "What?" Harry asked.

"Where's Granger?"

"What's it to you?" Ron asked.

Draco rolled his eyes as Theo took a seat behind him with Zabini and answered. "Just checking on my ex."

Harry rolled his eyes. "She's not your anything, Nott," Ron said.

"She's not your anything, either, Weasel," Theo countered.

"She's asleep. The library must have been full of life last night. She looked exhausted."

"Thank you, Potter. At least one of you know how to answer a question." Draco shot Ron a pointed look. Ron pointed a threatening finger at the two Slytherins and sputtered before turning and slouching in his seat.

Harry shrugged and faced the front. Draco and Theo relaxed in their seats, although Draco cringed when he heard Pansy's shrill voice next to him. "Come on! Can't you leave me alone for one day!"

Draco turned and found her in the seat next to him.

Pansy rolled her eyes and leaned on the desk. "So, Draco, are you gonna tell me which mudblood that was with you?"

Two Slytherins eyes bulged and two Gryffindor choked on air. Draco didn't even blink. "No."

"Why not? She's a Death Eater like you, what's there to hide?"

Draco stared. "I'm afraid you'll kill her."

Pansy shrugged. "Only if it turns out to be Mudblood Granger."

Again, Blaise and Theo's eyes bulged. Pansy didn't notice the four boys that reacted when Hermoine was mentioned, not even once.

"So what if it's Mudblood Granger?"

Pansy was appalled. "You wouldn't. She's a mudblood. You're a pureblood. It's just not right."

"Aw, getting jealous, Parkinson?" Draco couldn't help but tease the girl.

"Of your girl? No. But it better not be Mudblood Granger."

"And if it is?"

"Then I'll kill her. I'm not giving you up for her."

"Then I'll have to end your sorry life."

"My life is not sorry," she hissed.

"Yes, you're depressed beacuse my girlfriend is a Death Eater and you're not. My apologies, I thought that screamed a sorry life."

Draco heard Ron whisper to Harry. "Aileen's a Death Eater?"

To which Harry replied, also in a whisper. "Yes. Hers and the boys' Marks kept flashing every hour or so."

Draco almost laughed. If only they knew how loud their whispers were and that Aileen and Hermoine were one and the same. Meanwhile Pansy on the other hand was fuming.

"I swear, if it was Mudblood Granger last night with you, I will find her and I will kill her."

To the four other boys' surprise, Draco replied, "Sure. Go ahead." What he said next made more sense. "You couldn't even if you had help."

"Oh? And why's that?"

Draco leaned forward and hissed in her face. "Because if you even try to kill Granger, you will have three Death Eaters to deal with." When Ron cleared his throat, quite loudly, Draco sighed and added, "And probably half the Gryffindor seventh years."

Pansy was almost red in the face. "Pureblooded git."

Draco leaned back and smirked. "You say it like it's an insult."

Pansy, now speechless, stood up and stomped off to another table. Draco turned sideways so he could see Theo and Blaise. "You two are so lucky she didn't see you two."

He lowered his voice so Harry and Ron wouldn't hear. "If she was any smarter, she'd have figured out that it was Granger. Merlin, you two are stupid."

Blaise and Theo were about to answer when Ginny appeared. "Someone sitting here?" She gestured to the seat Pansy had vacated. Draco shook his head no and glared one last time at the two before turning to the class.

He checked the clock and then leaned forward again. "Potter!"

"What now? Oh, hello Ginny."

Ginny waved. Draco snapped his fingers in front of Harry. "You're Slughorn's prize student. Go find him."

"Um, no thanks. I'm enjoying the free period."

Ron shook his head. "If Hermoine were here she'd knock you on the head."

"Actually she'd hit you."

Draco sighed and leaned back as the two bickered.

"Was it Hermoine?"

Draco turned to Ginny. She was so quiet, he thought he'd imagined it. "When?" He spoke just as low. He knew she was referring to last night. He also knew that she had promised Hermoine she wouldn't tell and now didn't want Harry or Ron to hear.

"At the party. 'Aileen'?"

Draco nodded. "Why?"

Ginny gave a slight grin. "Because I had checked the library before heading down to meet Harry and Ron."

Draco nodded again. "Why would you offer to keep it a secret for Granger?"

Ginny shrugged. "Despite what I know, she's still my friend and it's kinda her call on who knows. Maybe we can be friends again, I just need some time."

Draco nodded. "To be honest, I never expected Granger to accept."

Theo leaned forward and joined the conversation. "To this day, I don't know how she fooled Voldemort."

Blaise leaned forward too. "She's a skilled Occlumens, dimwit, better that Malfoy even."

"No need to rub it in," Draco muttered.

Just as Ginny was about to say something, the Potions professor walked in. "Sorry for the delay, students. Now, where did we stop last time?"