Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room, and wasn't expecting to find such a gloomy setting. Ginny and Ron were both sitting on the arm of the couch Harry was sitting on, his body hunched forward as his hair fell in front of his face.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, making sure to keep her voice soft as to not startle the others. Ginny looked up at her, a sad expression planted on her face, but she remained silent. Even Ron who had lifted his head up to look at her, remained silent.
Her eyes drifted back to Harry, and watched as his shoulders were slacked, his fingers fumbling with each other as he gazed at an invisible spot on the floor.
Hermione approached him cautiously, taking a seat opposite him on the other couch. "Harry?" She tried softly, and after a good few seconds he finally lifted his head up. His face was crestfallen, a disheartened look plastered on his face.
"You were right, Hermione." Harry began, his voice hinting a deep sadness. "About the Potions book." He explained, and Hermione turned to look at him with a puzzled expression. What was he talking about?
Harry went on to explain what happened in the bathroom when she had stormed out – although, Harry didn't know that, of course – and told her about the spell he used, and what it did. Hermione let out a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened.
"Where's the book now?" Hermione finally asked, and Harry fully turned to look at her now. "We brought it to the Room of Requirement." He said, a faint smile tugging on his lips which made Hermione frown. "We?"
"Ginny and I." Hermione swore she could see the red tint forming on Harry's cheeks, and when she turned to look at Ginny, she could see the same reddened cheeks. Even though the situation was anything but worth smiling about, she still couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth tug upwards, having a pretty good idea of what happened in there.
Ron, however, seemed completely oblivious to whatever was happening right in front of him.
Thinking back to what happened, she had many mixed emotions, to say the least. The main reason why Harry had used that spell against him, was because Draco tried to throw an Unforgivable Curse at him. That's what upset her the most. Her view of Draco had been changing several times over the past few months, and she fully convinced herself he couldn't be bad after all the teasing conversations they had.
But knowing he cursed Katie, tried to kill Dumbledore, and most likely having been the one to poison Ron as well in order to try and kill Dumbledore again.. How could she still even waste her thoughts on him?
How could she still sit there, in front of her best friend that had nearly gotten an Unforgivable Curse thrown at him, and her other best friend that had been poisoned and could have been killed, and still wonder how Draco was doing?
Disgusted with herself, she told the others that she would go to the library as to avoid any unwanted questions. It was even worse to know she'd have to wait an entire week to presumably get some answers out of him. That was, if he stuck with what he said.
Her legs carried her through the corridors, easily guiding her through the familiar halls of the castle. But she came to a stop when she passed the corridor that would lead her to the Hospital Wing, where she was certain Draco would be.
No one would be roaming the castles after their body had just been sliced open by a spell, even though Snape seemed to have taken care of most of the damage. An internal battle formed inside of her, one between her mind and her heart.
All logic she had outweighed what she felt – what she really wanted to do. Yet, she couldn't help but fight that logic – try to see reason with what she felt. Don't waste your steps. The war inside her head fell quiet as the tired voice rang through her head.
I'll decide that myself, thanks. She snapped at the voice. Even though she was slightly concerned for his wellbeing – which she tried to desperately convince herself otherwise of – she was still angry with him for so many reasons.
I don't want you here, Granger. As tired as he might have been, there was still such a certainty clinging to his voice. Another emotion was also hinted, but without his facial expression she couldn't pinpoint what that was.
Hermione nibbled on her bottom lip, debating on whether to listen to Draco or to what her gut told her to do. But at last the logic outsmarted her and she turned on her heel, walking down the many stairs of the castle without so much of a backward glance at the corridor that would have led her to where he was.
But every step she took, was as heavy as if weights had been attached to her legs, making every step seem unbearable to take. Everything inside of her screamed to turn back around, to ignore what he said and act out on what she felt was right.
But she couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to turn around and go back. In so many ways had she betrayed her best friends already. She wasn't going to add that visit to an already huge pile of lies and secrets.
Not this time.
The days dragged on painfully slow, yet the amount of work they got from their teachers helped her take her mind off whatever it was that Draco was planning on showing her. There was no use in dwelling on it, for it would only provoke more questions than answers.
But when Friday finally came around, she hadn't ever before been so excited for a class to finally end. Tapping impatiently with her fingers on her desk, she constantly looked at her watch, groaning in frustration as the time went much too slow for her liking. Or perhaps that just had to do with her checking her watch every few seconds.
Whatever it was, she couldn't be more gratefully as the bell finally rang, announcing the end of class. Giving the boys a hurried excuse that she'd go to the library, she quickly got on her heels and walked all the way up to the castle, until she reached the seventh floor.
Hermione had purposely not waited for Draco, not wanting to draw any attention to them, and he seemed to have the same plan in mind as it took him a good ten minutes to show up. They didn't need to worry about students walking by right now, for the weather had been taking a bright turn, the sun providing the students some pleasant warmth.
Looking to her right, she watched as Draco closed his eyes, not even bothering to take one look at her. The days spent in the hospital seemed to really have done him good, the sleep he had caught up with was reflected on his face as it was now glowing once more like it used to do.
I need a place where no one will find me. A place where everything shall be hidden. Hermione knew that sentence. She had heard it too often over the months, and was finally pleased as she watched a door appearing at the former blank wall in front of them, allowing them entrance to whatever place Draco had walked off to.
Draco started walking, entering the room with big strides, and Hermione had to make a run for it to make it in time before the door disappeared again. The sight that met her eyes amazed her, and she couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp.
She knew the Room of Requirement was huge, for she had seen it enough last year. But it looked even bigger now when piles of objects were littered around the room. And for a moment, she wished she could add her own pile of secrets and lies to the many objects laying around.
The shuffling sound of footsteps brought her back to what she was doing here, and she watched as Draco headed straight to something in the distance, and upon taking a closer look, she watched as a cabinet came from underneath a cloth he pulled off.
Recognizing the cabinet from the views she had seen from him, she took a few steps closer as she watched in curiosity. But that curiosity soon made it to her forehead, and turned into a frown. Tearing her eyes off the cabinet, she turned to look at Draco on her left. "Why are you showing me this, Draco?"
The use of his first name went unnoticed by her until he raised a surprised eyebrow at her before fixing his look. "I mean.. I already saw this." She stammered slightly, feeling a bit awkward for she didn't know how much he minded calling him by his first name.
Sure, to others it might not seem like a big thing, but having called your enemy by their last name ever since you've known them... Well, let's just say it was strange to both say it in their presence, and to hear it.
His hand was lifting up, and she watched as his relatively long fingers gently brushed the rim of the cabinet, following the outlined patterns engraved in the wood. And as she let her gaze wander to his face, she noticed the curious fascination his eyes held. As if what he was touching was to utmost value to him.
But upon taking a second look, she also noticed the slight frown that had settled between his eyebrows, as if what he valued also brought him a certain pain. And it was safe to say that by now she was even more confused than the months before.
Hermione cleared her throat softly, and this seemed to snap him out of his trance, as he composed himself and dropped his hand back to his side. And for the first time that day, did he turn his head to her and looked her straight in the eye.
He didn't seem mad, annoyed or amused with her. In fact, his expression was quite calm. "Why don't you come back when you figured it out?" Was all he said, and Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of him, hoping to find something in his face that would help her out with what he meant. Any hints of what she needed to figure out.
But as she took turns in looking between him and the vanishing cabinet, she came to the realization that today wasn't going to be that day that she'd have her answers. And so with one last sigh, she nodded and turned around – leaving him to do whatever he was planning to do.
Leaving the room, she double checked the corridors for any sign of students, but was pleased to see that most of them were anywhere in the castle except for that corridor. Her thoughts whirled around in her head as her legs automatically carried her to the Gryffindor common room, wondering what in the world Draco's point was on showing it to her. Like she hadn't seen it enough in visions she saw.
"What were you doing with Malfoy?" Hermione's head immediately snapped to Harry and Ron in front of her, the Marauder's Map in Harry's hands. Frowning, she tried to look as innocent as she could. But he raised a challenging eyebrow, daring her to lie.
Heaving a sigh, she pushed past them and led them to a corner, where they were granted with a bit more privacy. "All right, I was trying to see what Draco was up to. After my classes, I saw him going up the seventh floor, and I couldn't help but wonder."
This peeked Harry's interest, and even Ron seemed attentive, listening to what she had to say. "And?" Harry urged her on, but Hermione shrugged. "Nothing, Harry. There was absolutely nothing he was doing."
Now it was Harry's turn to frown. "I saw you both disappear off the map." Shit.
That's what you get for mingling in my business. Draco's voice rang through her head, a teasing undertone hinting at it. Oh, shut it. "I don't know why that is, Harry. We were still on the seventh floor." Well, that wasn't exactly a lie. The Room of Requirement didn't leave the seventh floor.
A frown found its way on Harry's face, but he kept his thoughts to himself. "So, you think I'm right then?" Hermione shook her head, "I didn't say that. In fact, the only reason I followed him was to prove you wrong."
"We'll see who is wrong in the end." Harry muttered under his breath as he kept his gaze on the map, and Hermione took this as her cue to leave the boys to their plotting. She had more important things at the moment to take care off, like wondering why Draco had shown her the vanishing cabinet, and her long forgotten homework.
You little annoying white ferret. Hermione cursed profusely at the white blonde haired boy sitting in front of the class, his gaze lingering on the window, not seeming to pay any attention to what Professor Snape was telling the class.
Draco suddenly jerked his head around, his eyes immediately falling on hers, a quirked eyebrow planted firmly on his face. Excuse me?
How can you possibly expect me to figure it out? It had been a good week now, and she still couldn't think of a reason why he had shown it to her. A small smirk tugged on his lips as he folded his arms over each other, a smug expression hinted on his face. You're the brightest witch of your age, aren't you? I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough.
Hermione quietly groaned, shooting him one last glare before packing her books as the bell rang, announcing the end of class. "Dare to be open-minded, Granger." The low voice caught her by surprise as the said ferret bumped into her, obviously on purpose, not seeming to pay her one last look as he strutted on.
"That foul git." Ron cursed next to her, as he went to pick up her books. Which she now discovered she hadn't even noticed she had dropped. "What is his problem?" Harry asked as they began to walk, and Hermione lazily shrugged. "Probably just being Malfoy, Harry."
Yet, she should have known that would not satisfy him. But she really did not want to listen to Harry right now, and so she quickly excused herself as she skipped dinner and headed straight to the library for some peace, wishing Harry good luck with Dumbledore, knowing they were going soon.
'Dare to be open-minded, Granger.' The sentence kept on being repeated in her head, and like a spiderweb her thoughts seemed to create a connection. Harry – open-minded – Katie – bathroom. She had walked in on him crying over Katie. She knew why he had been crying.
Draco Malfoy had hexed Katie so she could bring the necklace to Professor Dumbledore. To kill him. The colour left her face as more thoughts seemed to finally connect. Snape made an Unbreakable Vow to protect him – Draco demanded that he was chosen.
The Vanishing Cabinet. What had she read about those again? Right, they were popular in the era of Voldemort, to disappear for a while when he came. Voldemort.. was she honestly allowed to be that open-minded to think that he could possibly be a Death Eater?
When her eyes averted to the clock in the library, she saw that she had been pondering for a good hour and decided it was beyond time for answers. And so she practically ran out of the library, and up the many stairs – running to the only place she was certain she'd find him.
I need a place where no one will find me. A place where everything shall be hidden. Hermione desperately thought as she had neared the wall of the Room of Requirement. And sure enough, a door started to appear, and Hermione wasted no time in running towards it.
Panting, she looked around the room filled with many piles of old unused objects until her eyes landed on the one thing she was looking for: the vanishing cabinet and the boy who spent more time with it than he had done in any other part of the castle this year.
"Show me." Hermione demanded, yet her voice came out as barely a whisper. She knew that she was taking a risk right here. Even though she was quite certain that she was right, she'd still risk ruining whatever they had built up so far if it turned out she was wrong.
"What?" Draco asked, turning around with an unreadable expression as he stared back at her. "The Dark Mark. Show me." The certainty in her voice did not match the certainty she felt deep inside. But she had to know for sure. She had to see it with her own eyes.
Hermione could see him swallow, his eyes now opening slightly as he seemed both relieved and panicked. And after a few minutes of silence and staring, she was certain he wasn't going to do it. That he was going to tell her that she was wrong, and that everything they had been working on was now falling apart.
But then he rolled up the left sleeve of his black suit, revealing the one thing she had been so convinced of that he couldn't be. And for once in her life did she hope she hadn't been right. But she was – and so was Harry.
And what was even worse, was that the skull suddenly began to move – the black ink growing darker as the mark deepened. Hermione didn't know much about the Dark Marks, but she didn't need to be an expert to know that this wasn't good.