Traitor [ON HOLD]

Chapter 3

It was dinnertime when Harry remembered something from the night before. He didn't want to cause a scene, so he waited until Lavender arrived and distracted Ron completely, then her spoke to the disgusted brunette across him.

"Hermione, I wanted to ask you something . . . don't get mad, okay? I'm just asking."

Hermione tore her gaze from the couple in front of her and smiled at Harry. "What is it?"

"Um, last night, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I started to play around with the Marauders' Map. Uh, last night, you were in the Slytherin dorms with Malfoy."

Hermione panicked. Please forget you ever opened the Map, Harry. She fumbled for an answer. "I . . . uh . . . I think I was sleepwalking."

Harry, who'd gone back to his dinner, looked up at Hermione. "Really? Where'd you end up?"

Hermione frowned. "Um, I'm not sure," she said slowly.

Harry nodded. "Well, you must've come back. I heard Parvati saying she had to call Ginny to help wake you."

Hermione's frown grew. What was going on? "Harry, did you wake in the middle of the night?"

Harry nodded. "I think so. I remember looking at the Marauders Map. I think I was going to open it, I sometimes watch people go around at night when I can't sleep." He shrugged. "But I think I went to sleep almost immediately after."

Hermione nodded. She glanced around the hall and noticed Draco walking away, a particular dark haired witch in pursuit. A dark skinned boy waited at the door, with his arms folded. He held Hermione's gaze for a few seconds before glancing around. "I think I'm going to head to the library," she told Harry. "Don't wait up, I'll be a while. I'll come to bed before lights out, though."

Harry nodded. "You should just build a tent in there one time, Hermione. You could shift your dorm there."

Hermione smiled as she stood up. "Very funny, Harry."

"I thought it was," he said with a proud grin as she left.

Blaise waited until Harry stopped watching Hermione before he too turned and followed. "We'd best get there before Malfoy and Pansy. If she sees you, it's going to be a bigger fight than then the Dark Lord finding Potter."

Hermione smiled. "I can't argue. Tell me, is Malfoy afraid of her?"

Blaise thought about it. "More like . . . disgusted, but you can't tell him I said so."

As Blaise led her into the dorm he shared with Draco and Theo, the latter exited. He cast Hermione a glance, smirked, and left without saying a word. Hermione sighed. She didn't expect them to like her - she was a Gryffindor, after all. She spoke to Blaise for a few minutes more about what the Slytherin house was like before Draco stumbled in and locked the door, both with a key and the charm. He took a deep breath and smoothed his hair back.

Blaise laughed softly and walked into the bathroom. Hermione heard a second door click shut and wondered where it led Blaise. Draco glanced at Hermione, noticing that she was wearing another school robe. Her other one was still on his dresser. He'd remind her to take it when they were done.

"Which do you need more?"

"Occlumency," Hermione answered without missing a beat.

Draco nodded. "Fine. Do you understand what you have to do? You said you know you can't learn it from a book, but I'm sure you've tried."

Hermione nodded as well. "I know what I have to do, I'm just not sure I know how to do it."

Draco nodded again. "You have to will your mind to close. You have to keep me out, close off your mind and prevent anyone from reading it. The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure."