April 20, 1997
Malfoy looked around the deserted common room and shook his head, walking up the spiral staircase. She followed shortly behind. He opened the door to the boys dormitory and walked in with a slight thump. On the other side of the door, she heard Nott speak.
"Dropped her off?"
"No....she dropped me off" Malfoy started. His voice was low and confused. She stood there for a moment waiting for him to throw out an insult but he didn't. "She seems off. It's like I entered the library with a different chubs and left with a different chubs."
"Hold on- chubs?"
Malfoy slowly chuckled. "It's what I want to call her, but I'm afraid she'd get offended. I've noticed.....I've noticed the difference in her weight. She's put a bit of weight, I reckon." Nott laughed hard.
"You don't like her anymore?"
"No! No. Of course I do. If I'm being honest....I like her better. I like her how she is. She's.....great. God those honey brown eyes and those cherry lips. Her soft pillow hands. I like everything about her. She's amazing." Malfoy paused for a second.
Nott seemed to stay listening. "I've just......I've had my fair share of those other foul girls. Who want nothing but my money. I don't want to like someone for their body because it's pointless. I just want someone who'd take care of me better than my father."
"You're drunk" Nott sneered.
Malfoy sighed and sheets were shuffled.
She waited- seated on the quiet staircase for a whole hour. Her eyes feeling heavy. It was almost half past 2 when she finally heard nothing in the Slytherin boy's dormitory. She hid herself properly under the cloak and quietly opened the door.
Four beds were in each corner. The room was dark and was only lit by the bright moonlight. The bed closest to the door had Blaise Zabini in it, tucked tightly and sound asleep. Christian Scamander was sleeping on the next bed. The one next to him was Theodore Nott. Beside Nott was Draco Malfoy.
She tiptoed her way to Malfoy's bedside. She drew his curtains and took a glance at his face. Malfoy had a very stern face and his eyebrows were scrunched up against each other. Grabbing the wand that was buried in her robes, she pulled it out and waved it at his body.
Malfoy's body instantly went limb and his face was more relaxed. His chest rising up and down. Heaving a big sigh, she grabbed his left arm with shaky hands. Taking a big breath, she pulled his sleeve and her eyes went wide.
"You lied." She whispered.
On Malfoy's left arm, there was a black skull with a snake coming out of it, staring right back her. Darker than any black she has seen. Her eyes started to water and her breathing went rapid. Her lips started to quiver. She couldn't believe she was lied to.
Draco Lucius Malfoy is Death Eater.
Her shoulders dropped along with a bunch of tears. She felt weak- numb. At this moment...all she wanted to do is run. Run as far from him as possible. She halted and the door and turned back to him. His words coming back to her. What he had said to Nott earlier.
But that didn't matter. She was lied to and she was betrayed. Malfoy was a Death Eater and she wanted nothing to do with a him. Tears ran down her face and she ran across the corridors towards the Gryffindor's common room. The invincibility cloak clutched in her hand.
She slammed the door opened when she arrived at the boys dormitory. Neville, Ron, Dean, Seamus and Harry all woke with sudden urge and widened their eyes at her. Seamus covered his bare chest. "Harry." She breathed with tears.
Harry got out his bed and immediately pulled her into a hug. Ron followed and stood beside them, waiting for Harry to let go of her before he, also engulfed her in her tight embrace.
-
It was now 3 in the morning when Hermione, Ron, Harry and her sat in front of the fireplace in their common room.
"You were right all along. Malfoy is a Death Eater." She mumbled, weakly. They exchanged glanced back at her as if she was late to realize something. Which she was. "I found his bookmark. In this book...in the Restricted Section today. I then went to his dorm and checked his arm. It was there. The Dark Mark."
Harry examined the book and handed it to Hermione which Ron looked at, over her shoulder. Harry sat down beside her and hugged her sideways. "It's okay, Rye. All that matters is you knowing what he is. A Death Eater. He's no different than his father."
Her jaw clenched. She looked away from Harry, staring at the fireplace. "You reckon he would've hurt you?" Ron asked handing the book back. She shook her head and placed the book in her lap.
"He wouldn't."
Hermione sighed and looked into her eyes. "Malfoy's mark must've been hurting. The mark only hurts when Voldemort calls for them. Draco had something to do with that cabinet. We just don't know where it is."
"I do."
-
In the morning, she had shown them where the Room of Requirement was and where the cabinet was. Though it was hard to find through all the rubbish that was in there.
In Snape's class, she sat as far away from Malfoy as possible, avoiding his eye. She sat with Harry and worked on the project by herself there and managed to hand it in. He tried to talk to her but her friends pulled her away at any given opportunity.
Christian helped her organize the book shelves in the library and she was confused to see him staring from time to time.
By the time class was done, she and her friends had figured something out they couldn't for a long while.
"Go on then, drink it." Ron ushered. Harry held the liquid luck his his hands staring at it. He popped the cap and chugged down the whole lot and stared right at her. "Are you alright, Harry?"
Hermione nervously looked at Harry and bit her lip. Harry suddenly stood and smiled brightly walking towards the portrait hole. "Harry, where are you going?"
"To Hagrid's. I have a really good feeling about it."
The three glanced at each other nervously.
