Little Secrets

Chapter 15

Everyone was on edge. The year was going by quickly and reports of Death Eater attacks were increasing. Despite the minimal information Draco gave her, she knew the number of Death Eaters that were killed or injured was drastically less than the number of innocent people getting killed. To make matters worse, Snape wasn't doing anything to reassure the students. Sure, he had to play double agent and pretend to be a Death Eater, but he could at least make an announcement reminding the students that Hogwarts was the safest place they could be. It was hard not to think about what Dumbledore would be doing in response to the current events despite how hard she tried not to.

Mrs. Weasley had written her a couple of times in the past month or two assuring Hermione they were all okay. The Order didn't keep in contact with her, but Hermione had the strangest feeling that the letters Molly sent her was how the Order was keeping track of her.

Ron and Harry didn't ever write, which she supposed that was good on them. Every now and then, she would be woken up by Harry's patronus and a short update. The updates usually only came after they'd found a Horcrux and informed her of the next one they would hunt down. Hermione only sent a patronus to them with important updates about what happened at Hogwarts. After writing a letter to inform them Voldemort was now a taboo word, she'd thought against it and sent a patronus where she spelled out the word and told them not to say it.

The DA was making substantial progress, but Filch had started wandering the seventh floor more. One of the fourth years had been caught walking back to the Ravenclaw tower, but it hadn't been after curfew so Filch hadn't really had a reason to be upset by it. The day after, however, Luna had reported that the same fourth year had had trouble with the Carrows in both potions and DADA.

When the Ravenclaw told her at their next practice she'd gotten weekend detention, Hermione had reinforced the protection spell on her and told her she had to be so incredibly convincing that neither of the Carrows questioned her. Hermione hadn't slept well that weekend until she received word that the girl had been a good enough actor the Carrows had been fooled.

As spring came, more reports of Death Eater sightings and attacks were printed. Draco tended to disappear on weekends more and more and she would watch him as he scratched at his arm some nights before leaving. He always wore her protection amulet so she knew he was safe, but that didn't stop her from worrying. When he didn't return on a school night, however, she knew something bad was coming.

"Enough of Slytherin is missing, people are beginning to notice," Ginny muttered at breakfast several days later.

Draco hadn't been back to Hogwarts for four days and Hermione was burning with nervous energy. She'd spent the last several nights with Ginny just so she wasn't alone with her thoughts.

"Draco's been gone for four days," she confided. Ginny's eyes widened and Hermione shot her a look. She tried to look nonchalant, but Hermione could tell the thought was startling. "He left without a word and he hasn't said anything since."

"What makes you think he'd say something if they were about to attack?" Ginny replied. Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she kept her eyes trained on the Carrows who had been getting more and more excited as days went on.

"Keep an eye on the Carrows," Hermione said, changing the subject from Draco. Ginny nodded and they finished breakfast in silence.

Hermione was glad she'd warned Ginny about the Carrows because it was that very day Amycus told them they would be learning the Unforgivable curses and Alecto said they'd be brewing poisonous potions. As soon as Amycus asked for a volunteer, Hermione was silently casting the protection charms on every student in the class. She was barely through with the first row when she heard her name called.

"Mudblood, come up and help me demonstrate," Amycus sneered excitedly. Hermione's heart sank to her feet as she realised she hadn't cast the charm on herself. She wasn't even sure if she could.

"With all due respect," Blaise Zabini said lazily, stopping Hermione before she could get up. "Wouldn't it be better served to cast the curse ourselves?"

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Blaise and Draco were close enough Blaise had to know about her and Draco's friendship at the very least. He couldn't honestly be suggesting students cast Unforgivable curses at each other. When he gave her a sharp look and darted his eyes back to the front of the room, she realised he was up to something else.

She took advantage of the stalled time to cast more protection spells on the students. As Blaise argued with Amycus about the pros and cons of reading about the curse and practicing it on things like plants, she heard Pansy Parkinson chime in as well.

"With a partner to compete against, we'd be better able to excel at the curse," she said.

Hermione was nearly finished with the room and if he could delay them just a few more minutes, she could cast it on everyone besides herself. Unfortunately, she could feel the effect of casting such powerful magic so quickly and so many times in a row without saying a word. She was beginning to feel light-headed from all the silent magic when class ended. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson had effectively stalled the lesson on Unforgivable curses.

Luckily, lunch was next and Hermione could warn Ginny about the upcoming lesson in DADA. Ginny told Hermione about potions and when Neville added a first-year had told him the same thing, they came up with a quick plan.

The Room of Requirement could be anything they needed. Right now, they needed to keep just about everyone away from the Carrows without them getting in trouble for skipping classes. It would take more planning than a single lunch period, but Hermione needed a quick solution.

"The DA meets tonight," she told them, interrupting Neville in the middle of his sentence. "Spread the word. We meet tonight and everyone is to bring all their friends even if they aren't apart of the DA."

Ginny and Neville looked at her like they had a thousand questions, but they didn't ask them. Instead, they nodded and began to spread the word immediately.

While Ginny got up and walked to the Ravenclaw table, Neville stood up and murmured something to a few of the younger Gryfinndors. Hermione could see Snape and the Carrows watching her closely, but she wasn't afraid of them at that moment. Someone needed to protect the students and if Snape wasn't willing to, she would. Even if it meant she'd have to skip all her classes in the afternoon just to prepare the Room of Requirement for what she needed, she'd do it. Unfortunately, when she left the Great Hall and slipped down an empty hall, she was stopped abruptly by Blaise Zabini.

"What are you doing, Granger?" he asked. He didn't sound surprised she was off to do something, but he did sound intrigued. While Blaise had stalled Amycus Carrow long enough for her to spell everyone in the room, she didn't know him well enough to trust.

"I'm feeling rather sick and thought I might spend the day in my dorm," she lied easily. He raised an eyebrow at her. She moved to go around him as she said, "Now, if you'll—"

"Draco sent me," Blaise interrupted. Hermione stopped. She and Blaise were shoulder to shoulder, but she didn't turn to look at him. "He didn't even tell me what was going to happen, but he wanted to make sure you were doing something about it."

"I am," she replied. Blaise nodded then glanced over at her. She stared straight ahead, refusing to look at Blaise.

"Good," he murmured. His lips twitched into a small smile—almost as if he was proud of her—before he walked away and disappeared around the corner.

She knew he would tell Draco what the Carrows were teaching and it would make him worry, but she couldn't risk sending him a letter with so many Death Eaters and Voldemort himself taking up residence in the Manor. She'd just have to hope they'd both be fine.