The Rising of Merlin

The One Where They go to Camelot

"I'm sorry Harry, but I haven't noticed anything weird. Not since he admitted to being a Warlock." She said but kept her eyes on the book in front of her.

"Hmm," He mused. "Well, I will try and keep an eye on him for now on when we're with him."

"I don't think it's a good idea to interfere in his business." Hermione looked up at him.

"You know something, don't you?" Harry realised.

"No," She shook her head with a look of utter disbelief. "Why would you think that?"

"You do." Harry stated with an air of incredibility in his voice and looked at her. "I can't believe it." He stood up and started to pace. "What did he say that made you promise not to say anything?"

"He hasn't said anything." Hermione stood up as well and met his eyes with a stern look. "It's just not my place to tell you. He will do it when he's ready."

"So there is something?" Harry said with triumph and saw Hermione's resigned look when she sat down again.

"Please don't go and force him to tell you. It will only make it worse." She pleaded.

"Is this why you got so close before Christmas?" Harry asked and sat down to. "You shared his secret and thought that it meant he liked you more than friends."

"No, it wasn't like that." She said silently. "I figured it out on my own around the same time we discovered my Old Magic. It was when we had lessons together, and when he comforted me after Ron and Lavender, that's when I started to realise I had feelings for him. But I don't any more." She directed a stern look at Harry. "It was nothing more than attraction."

"I believe you." Harry said and placed a hand over Hermione's clenched fist. He didn't believe that it had only been attraction that drew her to Marcus, but at least she seemed to have gotten over it.

"Good, so promise me you won't go to Marcus and demand answers." She gave him a look that indicated no disobedience.

"I promise." He sighed, but he made a mental note to still be alert whenever Marcus was around. He knew the Warlock knew more about Horcruxes and prophecies than he let on.

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The rest of January went by fast. Hermione still didn't find an answer to the Horcrux dilemma and Harry wasn't closer to figure out what Marcus was hiding. When February eventually came, so did the apparition lessons.

The first lesson was a bust but Harry overheard Malfoy talking to Crabbe and Goyle and he was now even surer that he was up to something.

"Are you going to tell me what it is we're doing?" Ron asked Harry after they had run all the way from the Great Hall, after the lesson, and up to the common room.

"Up here." Harry said and climbed up the stairs to the dormitories. He headed straight to his trunk and began looking for the Marauder's map.

"Harry..." Ron sounded confused and slightly worried.

"Malfoy uses Crabbe and Goyle as look-outs. I overheard when he argued with Crabbe just now. I want to know... ah, there it is." He said when he found the map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good... or at least Malfoy is." He muttered. "Help me find Malfoy." Harry told Ron eagerly.

They searched the map for a few minutes before Ron found him.

"There!" He pointed at the map. "He's in Slytherin's common room, look... with Parkinson and Zabini and Crabbe and Goyle." Harry was at first disappointed but he collected himself quickly.