A/N: Yes, yes, I know I said I would post in a week, but my stay at my cousin's house was extended a few days, so that's why I didn't put this chapter up until now. Um, a bit of a warning... though this chapter does contain some important information, it is a bit of a filler because I didn't want to write what was supposed to happen in this chapter... in this chapter. I'm going to write the rest of it in the next one. So I kind of divided the chapter into two instead of one. Hope you like it anyway.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did... but I don't! And I'm not making any money off of writing fanfiction, it's just for pure entertainment (of the readers, you, and the writer, me).
Chapter Five: The Truth Behind The Curtain
"Explain what, Harry?" Hermione asked, approaching him slowly. Though she was completely serious, her face was slightly pink, for what reason, Harry hadn't the slightest idea.
"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, reverting subjects.
"Explain what, Harry?"
She was now two inches away from him, her head only reaching his shoulder. Hermione turned her head up to look at him.
"If something's wrong, you know I'm here and you can talk to me about it," Harry continued.
"Explain what, Harry?" she asked again.
"GunnercameuptomethismorningandtoldmethatLavenderandParvati...foundoutFeliceisavampire. IsaidIwouldtakecareofitandItoldLavenderIwoulddoanythingsolongasshedidn'ttell. I KISSED LAVENDER BROWN AND PARVATI PATIL, OKAY!?" he yelled at last.
"I'm not avoiding you, I'm just embarrassed about what happened last night, okay?"
They ended up speaking at once and then both exclaimed, "What? WHY?"
"YOU DID WHAT?" Hermione shrieked.
"Why are you embarrassed? Is it because you think what happened last night shouldn't have happened?"
So began Harry and Hermione's third-ever argument.
By the time breakfast was over, Harry was angry at Hermione and Hermione was furious that he would do something like that.
Ginny came up behind Harry while he was on his way to Potions, his first class of the day (much to his misery) and grabbed his arm.
"Harry Potter, why in the world would you ever do such a thing?" she asked angrily.
"Ginny, now's not the best time. I'm late to Potions, so if you don't —"
"Answer me!"
Harry put up his hands in defense, almost scared of what he knew the redhead was capable of.
"I had to do it, Ginny. I didn't have a choice!" Harry snapped.
Ginny huffed and stalked away.
Upon reaching the Potions classroom, Harry walked swiftly up to Lavender and Parvati and hissed, "Do you two take pleasure in ruining other people's lives?"
Lavender smirked. "You're the one who said you would do anything, Harry dear." She ran a finger across his cheek, only to have it slapped away.
Harry glared fiercely and walked away.
Potions, no different from any other day, was hell... to say the least. Hermione made it clear that she would sooner pair with Draco Malfoy than pair with her backstabbing boyfriend, and Ron as well seemed slightly miffed and took to pairing with Neville. Of course Gunner and Felice paired with each other. This left Harry to be partnered with Blaise Zabini, a crude sixth-year Slytherin boy.
Harry caught Hermione as she walked out of the dungeons.
"Hermione, listen to me," he pleaded.
He grabbed her arm and turned her around, only to find her crying.
"Why would you do something like that?" she questioned thickly.
"To help a friend out!" Harry answered immediately. "Would you not do the same, had it been you?"
Hermione looked down and sniffed. Harry put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You'd do the same wouldn't you?" he asked. More tears spilled onto her cheeks as she nodded solemnly. Harry pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered and kissed her on the forehead.
News travels fast at Hogwarts. By lunchtime, everyone knew that Harry and Hermione were going out, that they'd had an argument, and were now back together... not they'd ever been apart in the first place, but neither Harry nor Hermione were in any position to deny the whole of Hogwarts this gossip.
Harry walked with Hermione to Herbology, and they passed Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Lisa Turpin in the midst of a heated argument. It seemed that Pansy had found Malfoy and Lisa making-out in a broom closet, though it was questionable whether Pansy was looking in that broom closet for Malfoy, or if she wanted it for her own use since she had been holding the hand of a very smug-looking Theodore Nott.
"I told you so," Hermione mumbled.
"Maybe we should find our own broom closet, hmm?" Harry suggested jokingly.
Hermione slapped him on the arm good-naturedly. "I'd much rather use an empty classroom," she answered. She winked at him.
-----
It was known throughout the school by the next day that Gregory Stevens had been the one elected Minister of Magic. It was all over the headlines in the paper.
"There he is, the big oaf," Hermione mumbled.
Harry looked down at her. "I have a feeling you resent the man for some reason, and I'm going to say that it's... because his hairline is receding?" he asked her playfully.
Hermione patted his cheek with an impish grin on her face. "Not quite, Harry dear, but you were extremely close!" she squealed in a flaky 'Lavender and Parvati' way.
"That doesn't give you the right to take away my girlfriend!"
Harry and Hermione turned around. Ginny, flaming red hair and blue eyes, was being followed by a menacing-looking Dean Thomas and an angry Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"YOUR EX-GIRLFRIEND!" both Ginny and Justin were quick to point out.
Ginny stopped abruptly causing Justin, who was behind her to crash into her and they went tumbling to the floor.
"What a cliché," Hermione whispered.
At that moment, Gunner and Felice walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand. They seemed to be becoming more and more used to the fact that they were virtually married in a sense.
They sat down in front of Harry and Hermione who were now initially over the fact that Justin had just planted a smooch on Ginny.
For some reason, Felice's canines were looking more profound today. She seemed to be trying to cover them up by pouting incessantly, but in Harry's opinion she'd have been better off smiling.
He leaned forward, seeing Hermione do the same and together they whispered, "Is something wrong?"
Felice, seemingly having just noticed them, smiled and shook her head. "No, nothing — vhy do you ask?"
Before they could answer, Drake Benson approached the Gryffindor table, his wife latched onto his arm.
"Gunner, little brother! How nice it is to see you," the black-haired, silver-eyed professor drawled.
Gunner conspicuously rolled his eyes. "Haven't seen you in a while," he answered icily. "How was your stay in America? Did you have fun?"
Harry could tell that the two brothers were only talking for the sake of public politeness. He noticed that Felice and Melanie were exchanging glares and scowls.
"Uh — Uh," Harry stammered, trying desperately to cut-in. "Professor Ben—"
Drake turned his attention away from his brother to Harry. The smirk that had been placed firmly on his lips quickly dissipated and was replaced by a scowl. "Harry Potter — I've heard a lot about you," he sneered.
Harry as well rolled his eyes and answered with a, "Hasn't everyone? I'm starting to think that some of these people know me better than I know myself."
Drake let out a false chuckle.
"Sure, whatever," he said and turned to go. Before he walked away with Melanie he added, "My name is Professor Drake, and no one should know otherwise."
Harry mumbled something incoherent under his breath before he said out loud, "So, 'Mione, what class do we have first today?"
Hermione, thinking about it a moment first, replied, "History of Magic."
The pair nodded goodbye to Gunner and Felice who said they would catch up momentarily.
"It should be an interesting lesson," Hermione said.
"Oh really? Why is that?" Harry inquired.
Hermione smiled and took his arm.
"Because we're learning about witch burning," she answered.
Harry's face looked puzzled a moment.
"What? Didn't we learn about that in the summer before third year or something?"
Hermione nodded.
"Yeah, but it's supposed to be more in-depth or something like that," she said.
Lessons were quite dull that day. Harry didn't have any of his 'worthwhile' classes that day, which included DADA, Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration.
Draco Malfoy wasn't seen for the rest of the day, which Harry figured was probably due to the fact that Pansy had hexed him after he'd told her that he had been cheating on her.
Hermione, that night in the Common Room, gave Harry and Ron a bit of chilling news.
"Malcolm Davenport just told me that Malfoy Sr. was found beat up and bloody outside of Knockturn Alley today. Draco's been Portkey-ed to St. Mungo's already," she said.
"Serves him right after that stunt he pulled end of last term," Ron said. "Bloody bastard deserved what came to him."
Hermione looked horrified at even the prospect of Ron being happy about someone else being injured.
"Ron, you are the most insensitive, selfish, egotistical, imbecilic idiot I have ever had the misfortune to meet! No one, NO ONE, deserves anything remotely close to what happened to Malfoy Sr.!" Hermione fumed.
Harry took her by the shoulders from behind and, pulling her back a step, said, "Whoa there, Miss Mega Fury..."
Hermione redirected her rant from Ron, who chose that moment to sneak off, to Harry who backed away quickly.
Hedwig, Harry's (as he thought right then) miraculous bird decided to swoop through the window and dropped a letter atop Hermione's head. Harry removed it hastily.
A handwriting he didn't recognize had printed, "Potter" at the top in sketchy letters.
He quickly unfolded the creamy parchment, which had the Slytherin House seal on it.
The letter read,
Potter,
God knows I hate doing this, but I must, knowing it is my responsibility as Lucius Malfoy's son to put aside my hatred toward you for a brief moment.
I will not say any more for fear that this letter will be read by someone other than you and your lap dogs.
I'll get straight to the point. Meet me in the Room of Requirement (yes, I know about it) tomorrow night at midnight. I'll be back on grounds by that time.
Don't worry, this is no ploy to kill you. It is a life or death situation for an acquaintance of mine and I… well, I… ugh, I need your help.
Just meet me at the Room of Requirement, and I will explain.
One more thing, the only person you can bring is your girlfriend. I dare say she's smart enough to just maybe be able to help me out.
Draco Malfoy
Harry gulped.
Hermione, who'd been (trying very hard to) reading over his shoulder, said, "Are you going to go?"
Harry nodded. "I think I should. Doesn't seem like he's going to pull anything. Are you coming with me?"
Hermione nodded vehemently. "Of course I am!" she exclaimed.
"You don't think he'd —"
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "He gave his word. I really think he's serious this time.... I wonder if this has anything to do with his father getting hurt?"
"Must be... because I don't think he'd ever ask us for help unless it was life and death," Harry said.
A/N: Please R&R! I would really appreciate it, and I would like to thank those of you who review every chapter and those who even just reviewed once, it means a lot to me to know that people actually like my work and that they are reading it. Thanks again! Oh, and sorry about the filler!
-:- Wicked Dreamz -:-
Chapter Six: "Family History"
What could Malfoy want with Harry? Help? Maybe it is a ploy to kill Harry Potter once and for all. Plus, Gregory Stevens pays Hogwarts a visit as the new Minister of Magic... but the question is, is he on their side?