In The Arms of the Monster

Chapter Five From the One and Only Ferret

        Third Person Point of View
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When Hermione wakes up the first thing she notices is the note. She must have missed it last night. She walks over and picks it up. She reads it and her eyes narrow the whole time. "Ginny!" She shouts, not bothering to be polite. Ginny is there in seconds. "What is it?" "A note," Hermione says. "Who's it from? What does it say?" Hermione reads it, "It says; Dear Granger, I am quite sore from She-Weasel's curse by the way. But that is not why wrote a letter. Anyway, I would like to meet you and She-Weasel sometime in the next few days. Just the two of you, otherwise I will not talk to you. Got it? Good. We should meet when the clock strikes twelve times for the second time, at the place that harsh words were shared, in 2,880 minutes. Well I hope you like my riddle. Have a good-day Granger. From, the one and only ferret. Twelve strikes for the second time is midnight, the next one is harder, there are a lot of places but I'm guessing he means the place we landed last night because he wouldn't tell me who had murdered your father even though he didn't know. And then the last one is two days, yes I did the math in my head. Okay?" "That works," Ginny says. "Okay, so we won't tell anyone that we are leaving, and if we do we won't tell them who we are meeting." Ginny nods miserably, "When we get back, we'll have a heck of a time explaining why we were talking to Malfoy and what we found out, if anything."

Two Days Later

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        "Hermione it's time for dinner," Ginny calls up the stairs. "I'm coming, I'm just getting ready for our girls night out." Ginny nods, this was their explanation, girl's night out was believable. They wouldn't be back until late. Hermione walked down the stairs and Ron looked at her and groaned, "My stupid choice..." "My choice, not his," Hermione says loudly. Mrs. Weasley looks down at the plates in her hand and sighs, "Daughter... Two..." Hermione stops listening feeling bad for her. "We're gonna leave after dinner, and we won't be back until late so don't wait up." Mrs. Weasley nods and turns away. "Alright everyone sit down." Everyone leaves the head seat vacant, even Mrs. Weasley, as if Mr. Weasley might walk in and sit down. "Well, pass it around." Mrs. Weasley grabs the potatoes and begins passing the food around. When the food as been distributed she even put a little bit on Mr. Weasley's honorary plate. Everyone eats without a word, which is uncommon in the Weasley household. When Ginny and Hermione finish eating Ginny gives Harry a peck on the lips and Hermione and Ginny apparate away. They land in a mall. The plan was to get some things, take them to Hermione's room and then meet up with Malfoy on the grounds that they are going to get drinks and don't want to take their things with them.

        "Oh Hermione look," Ginny crows. "Oh that's pretty, it would look good on you." Ginny and Hermione were looking a lacy black dress with a low cut top and a short skirt. "Harry, is going to love it," Ginny gives Hermione a withering look as she steps out of the dressing room. On Ginny the dress came down low, but it wasn't too revealing. The skirt came up to the middle of her thigh and hugged all of her curves. "When would I wear this?" Ginny asks. "On a date." "No," Ginny says flatly, but she buys it anyway. They apparate to Hermione's room and drop off the bag. They twist away and Hermione takes them towards the place where she had shared harsh words with Malfoy, his house, not his mansion, his house that was only his. They are two minutes early. When they land Hermione collapses, the memory of that dream coming to her, even though it had happened at a completely different spot. "Granger, are you okay, I really don't want to have to reschedule." "Malfoy, what do you want?" Ginny growls. "I want to talk to you and Granger, so don't snap your wand in half now She-Weasel." Ginny says nothing, but looks as if she is about to snap her wand in half despite Malfoy's, so called, warning. "Whatever," Hermione finally mutters, "It doesn't matter, I'm fine, now what are we here for?" "Well you two are here to talk to me. I'm here to give you information." "What information?" "The information you seek, who murdered your," he points at Ginny, "father." Ginny winces as Malfoy says the word, Malfoy notices. "Sorry," he says sarcastically, "I didn't mean to shoot your knife wound." He makes up his own metaphor and he wonders if it will catch on. "Well that's okay, Malfoy," Ginny says tersely, "But I believe the saying is salt in the wound." Malfoy scowls but turns to Hermione, "Well, I found a lead for you to follow, I believe that my father has escaped Azkaban, along with my mother and few of my father's cronies." "It's a trap," Ginny calls and grabs Hermione's hand tightly. Hermione doesn't think that Malfoy is leading them to a trap, he sounds bitter as he says his father's name. "Hermione let's go," Ginny says quietly. Hermione shakes her head.

Hermione walks up to Malfoy, while Ginny try's to pull her back. Hermione shakes her friend off of her and studies Malfoy's eyes. "Ginny," she says, not taking her eyes off of Malfoy, "Go home, I'll be there in a minute." Ginny doesn't move, "Ginny," Hermione says more forcefully. Ginny apparates away and Hermione stares at Malfoy. "Why are you hurt?" Hermione doesn't relax her wand, that is in her hand, but her face softens some. "I don't like my family," Malfoy says quietly. "Why not?" "Because I don't like them Granger," Malfoy says, weary now. "What did they do to you?" 'They took away my childhood, they didn't let me have any fun," Malfoy says slowly as his barriers start to fall down. Hermione nods, "I think if you apologize to the Weasley's, all but Ron, should forgive you pretty easily after you explain that he forced you to do all of those awful things." Malfoy looks away from her, "I don't think that anyone will ever forgive me, least of all the Weasley's." Hermione says, "Malfoy, it's never to late to try, think about that, hopefully I see you tomorrow at the Weasley's to apologize." Hermione apparates away and lands in her bed. Ginny try's to ask what is going on but Hermione won't tell her, so Ginny gives up and goes to sleep.