One Per Day

As small as that moment was, it marked a huge change for Hermione, or Helicia as she was now called. To anyone else, that potions class seemed completely insignificant. It was just two teenagers talking with each other. But to Hermione, it reminded her of why she was hiding and it reminded her that nothing could make her slip up.

Hermione made herself fall even further into the background. She would only talk if someone spoke to her directly, she would never raise her hand in class, would sit in the back of class rooms and forced herself to get average marks.

Being the intelligent girl that she was, Hermione made sure to gradually slip into shadows. She started talking with her friends less and less and by the time winter came around, she was completely isolated.

The only real interactions she had with anyone was her weekly dinners with Harry and Ron. The two worried about her constantly and all three were grateful that Hermione got a chance to be herself.

At the beginning of November, Hermione was exhausted. She just wanted to be herself and was seriously tempted to give up the whole facade. But during the first week of November, Voldemort acted.

It was in the middle of breakfast, Hermione was making herself as small as possible, not talking to anyone as usual, when there was an ear-splitting screech.

Hermione brought her hands up to her ears and when the ringing in her head stopped, she looked around to see that everyone else had been doing the same thing.

She was about to look up at Dumbledore to see if he would make an announcement when a voce rang out through the hall.

"During the summer, as I am sure many of you cretins know, my death eaters attacked the house of Hermione Granger, the mudblood who is so close to Potter," the voice spit out the last word. Hermione looked up to Harry and he nodded, confirming her fears. It was Voldemort who was speaking. He continued, "Apparently, we underestimated her and she escaped. I have been searching for her and I am very close to finding her whereabouts. But to save us all a lot of trouble, I suggest that she is handed over to me. In fact, until she is, or her location is revealed, I will kill one muggle family per day, just to demonstrate how serious I am. I suggest you hand her over soon."

When he stopped speaking there was silence in the room. No one questioned who it was who had been speaking, but everyone needed to know two things. Where was Hermione Granger? And why did Voldemort need her so badly?

Hermione was frozen in shock. She had no idea what to think. Luckily, Dumbledore cut off her thinking when he stood up and said, "I think it best that every one be excused from their classes for the rest of the day." He said nothing else but walked out of the Great Hall, with Snape following closely behind.

Hermione felt as if she should follow them but instead stood up with the rest of the students and left the room.

All around her students were voicing the questions that were burning in Hermione's mind. Not wanting to hear them talk, she hurried in front of the crowd and walked up to her dormitory. She collapsed on her bed and closed the curtain around her. She started panicking immediately and her breaths came in short gasps.

Hermione suddenly heard two of her room mates walking up the stairs and forced herself to be quiet.

"But who do you think is hiding her?" asked one.

"I'm not sure. Whoever it is, they must be really smart."

"Yeah," agreed the first girl. There was a slight pause and she said, "Do you think it's Dumbledore?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, who else would it be? You Know Who has always been scared of Dumbledore, and he is really powerful. I bet he could hide Hermione easily."

"You're right. I bet it is Dumbledore. But do you think he'll give her up?"

"I have no idea. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would willingly hand a teenage girl over to You Know Who...but at the same time...how could he let so many people die if he doesn't?"

There was silence as the two girls thought about what could happen. "Poor Hermione," whispered one.

"Yeah," agreed the other in an equally sad voice. "I can only imagine what must be going on with her right now."

Hermione lay in her bed, clutching her sheets with tight fists. She wanted to get up and run away, but then they would know that she was listening to them. Not to mention they would see how upset she was by the announcement. Hermione could not risk it.

The two girls left soon and Hermione go out as quickly as she could. Not even making eye contact with anyone, she made her way to the room of requirement as fast as she could with out raising suspicion.

She arrived at the right corridor and walked back and fourth across it three times. The door materialized and she burst through it. Not even bothering to wonder what the room had become, she saw a couch and collapsed on it, sobbing.

She suddenly heard the door creak and before the person entering could see around the room, she took her wand out and made the entire space go pitch black.

The person yelped in surprise when all the lights went out and called out cautiously, "Hello?"

Hermione felt compelled to answer, what harm could it do if they did not know who she was? "Hello," she whispered back, so they would not recognize her voice. "Who's there?"

There was a slight hesitation and the voice responded. "Does it really matter?"

"I suppose not," Hermione replied.

"Look, not that this isn't great and all, but can I turn the lights back on? I can't see a thing."

Hermione shook her head but then remembered that he could not see her. "No," she told him. "I'm sorry but the lights need to stay off."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Does it really matter?" Hermione responded, using his own words against him.

The boy chuckled. "Touche," he said. "Do you mind if I ask what you are doing in here?"

"Hiding," Hermione replied.

"What is there to hide from?" the boy asked, Hermione could hear the frown in his voice.

She sighed and knew that she could not answer truthfully. "My roommate thinks I stole something of hers and has recruited people to find me and make me give it back. Only problem is that I don't have it, so I'm hiding until she realizes that she lost it."

"Ah. You're roommate must be pretty hot headed then," he said, clearly not believing her story.

"Yeah," Hermione said, not even bothering to try and convince him. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. Escaping roommates," he told her.

Hermione was curious. "What did they do?"

"Well, they're all talking about Hermione Granger."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked. "What are they saying?"

The boy was reluctant to speak but ended up saying, "I'm in Slytherin so you can imagine that it's not the nicest thing in the world."

"I guess not," Hermione said. "What are they saying? If you don't mind me asking."

"Might as well," he said. Hermione pictured him shrugging as he said that. "They're arguing about what would be better. Having so many muggles killed or - or ... finally putting Hermione Granger 'where she belongs.'"

There was silence in the room until Hermione responded, "Oh."

"I know," he said. "Not exactly the nicest of conversations. What do you think about what happened today?"

"I don't know," Hermione responded, resisting the urge to scream out everything that she was feeling and thinking. "I can't even begin to imagine what must be going on for her."

"I know," he agreed. "How do you choose between handing yourself over to Voldemort or letting people die?"

"I have no idea," Hermione whispered. There was another pause in the room and Hermione broke the silence. "What would you do? If you had to make that kind of decision?"

He thought about it before he spoke. "Well...I'd like to think I would be able to sacrifice myself for the greater good but ... there's no way I could be that brave. I mean, slytherins put self-preservation above everything else. And I don't even want to think of what Voldemort would do to her, or me, I guess in this situation."

"You don't sound like any Slytherin I know," Hermione observed.

"Yeah well, I don't exactly advertise it," he said. "If my father ever really knew me, could you imagine what he'd say?" He lowered his voice to mimic that of his fathers. "'Good job, Draco. Just like the son I always wante-" He stopped talking, realizing what he had said. "Shit."

Hermione did not know what to say. "Draco? As in Draco Malfoy?" she asked, unable to wrap her head around the idea.

He sighed. "I just gave myself away, didn't I," he said in a defeated tone. "Yup. Draco Malfoy. The one and only."

"Never would have guessed," Hermione told him, not fully understanding the way the situation had turned.

"Do me a favor," Draco asked. "Can you not spread this around? You would not even be able to guess the consequences that would happen for me."

"Alright," Hermione told him softly. "Your secret is safe with me."

Draco paused slightly before saying, "Thanks. I don't suppose you'll tell me who you are? Or at least why you're really here?"

"I really am hiding," Hermione told him. "Just from something much bigger than an angry roommate."

The silence returned and a few moments later, Hermione heard the shuffling of feet. "I think I should head back to my common room. Thanks for the talk."

"You too," Hermione said. The door opened and closed and Hermione was left alone with her thoughts again.

Her mystery had more levels than she had even thought possible. But her mind was far away from Draco Malfoy. Hermione was focused on the dilemma that had presented itself. But she had to wonder the same thing that he did. Could she be so self-sacrificing? Hermione was torn. How could she chose between her two options? She either let countless people die, or gave herself up to Voldemort? There was no way she could win.

A/N: I'm really sorry that it took me so long to update. But life is... hectic. None of you really care though, which is completely understandable. But I really am sorry that I haven't updated in so long. I'll try to get better but I can't make any promises.

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