Chapter 5
In the morning, Hermione was afraid to open her eyes. And she did it right. When she opened them, she realized that she was lying on Draco's chest, who was peacefully snoring. Judging by the closed curtains, it was early morning. The brownies didn't even cook breakfast. If she stood up carefully now, she would be able to go to her room unnoticed.
Carefully rising, the girl threw back the blanket and quietly moved to the edge, stepping barefoot on the cold floor. Fragments of the previous night burst into her mind.
"Oh, Merlin, what have we done..." she said, quickly picking up her things and getting dressed.
"Don't beat yourself up. It won't get any better," the guy said and stretched out in bed.
"Are you awake?" The girl looked at Draco.
"You're so smart!" He smiled. "By the way, how was your night?"
"It was the first and last time. No one should know about this, especially Mom.
"Do I look like an idiot?" Malfoy glared at her.
"Well, actually, yes."
"Well, we'll see about that," he threw a pillow at her. "Merlin, there's a train today.…"
"That's right, I've completely lost count of the days!" Hermione said and left the room. With all these problems, she forgot to pack her suitcase. Draco probably is too, so she's going to do it now.
After the shower, the girl took out her black leather suitcase for Hogwarts from the dressing room and began to put all the necessary things there with the help of magic. Who knows, maybe they will have to return home before the end of the school year? What if Malfoy decides to do something today and they have to come back?
Next, breakfast, which was held in the family circle. Narcissa was drinking coffee and reading The Daily Prophet. It was obvious from her shaking hands that she was worried.
"Mom, is everything okay?" the guy asked, to which he received only a smile and a nod of his head.
"I can handle it, please believe in me," his eyes from the lighting now seemed not gray, but blue, like an innocent child. Narcissa took a deep breath and covered his hand with hers.
"Yes, Draco. Please help each other. Stay close. These are troubled times."
Suddenly Malfoy grimaced and quickly rolled up the sleeve of his black jacket. At the same moment, Hermione screamed too. Both of them had a mark on their arm, calling to their lord. Narcissa immediately rushed to her children, as if they were going to be executed.
"Mom, I'll keep an eye on her!" That's all Draco shouted, before taking the girl by the hand and apparating.
The apparation was unexpected for her, because as soon as the young people found themselves in the forest near an unknown hut, Hermione vomited into the bushes. Draco immediately conjured a handkerchief and some water.
"Thank you," she said, tidying herself up. "Come on."
"Hello, my children!" Voldemort greeted the Malfoys with sincere joy when they entered an unknown place. "I hope I'm not interrupting your business."
"Greetings, my lord," Draco bowed, followed by Hermione. "How can there be anything more important than you?"
"That's right, Draco," he smiled a predatory smile and looked at the girl. "Miss Malfoy, how do you like your new status?"
"Thank you, Dark Lord. It's all right," Hermione said in a barely audible voice.
"I won't keep you. I could have sent you a message, but I thought I'd better give it to you personally and make sure Miss Malfoy is okay," he said, waving his wand in the shape of a white bone, and a rolled parchment appeared in front of the Malfoys. "And remember, I don't forgive mistakes. I wish you good studies!"
Draco immediately took the girl by the hand and apparated her home, after which Hermione burst into tears. Mrs. Malfoy was already waiting for them there.
"Well, well, my girl," the woman herself had tears in her eyes.
Draco won't let her get involved in all this at school. He will act only by himself.
"What is it, Draco?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.
"This is a list of possible victims. Dumbledore comes first. The rest are optional."
"Don't read it. Give it to me," Narcissa moved away from the girl and took the parchment in her hands.
Albus Dumbledore;
The Weasley family;
Charity Burbage;
Remus Lupin;
Nymphadora Tonks;
Alastor Moody;
Rubeus Hagrid;
Colin Creevey;
Dennis Creevey;
Justin Finch-Fletchley;
Later, when the whole family was already at the train station, Hermione lost all mood from the upcoming trip. On the train, she and Draco were sitting with the other Slytherins, Pansy and Blaze. The girl was looking out the window and nervously fidgeting with the hem of her dress. She was in no hurry to change into a robe.
Suddenly it was dark all around, as if a dementor had visited them on the train. Hermione grabbed Draco by the sleeve and darted around.
"Hush, hush, do you smell it? Instant darkness powder," he hugged her. "Probably, one of the freshmen is messing around."
The girl sniffed the air. And indeed, he and Draco used this powder as children, until one day they scared their mother. Oh, and they got it then. Draco's father forbade him to fly on a broom for a week, and Hermione was loaded with lessons.
"Hogwarts is a pathetic excuse for a school," Draco was supposed to start a conversation with Parkinson and Zabini. They knew about the Malfoy marks, but they didn't know about Draco's assignment. "I would rather have thrown myself off the tower than study there for two more years."
"What do you mean?" Pansy asked, distracted from the scenery outside the window.
"In a year's time, we will hardly have to spend our time on lessons."
There was a chuckle from Blaze. This guy is definitely going to get into trouble someday because of his frivolity.
"Are you having fun, Blaze? Let's see who gets the last laugh."
Hermione got goosebumps. She knew what he meant. The girl was in no hurry to enter into conversation, and then she heard a suspicious creaking from above, where small bags were lying.
Late in the evening, everyone was already at the station.
"Draco, help me," Hermione asked and pointed to her small bag on top.
The guy let it down to the girl.
"Are you coming?" She took his hand, but he pushed it away.
"Go on, I need to check something."
Hermione went to the wagons with Blaze and Pansy, and a few minutes later her brother came.
A search was conducted at the school gates. Draco and Hermione exchanged glances. They don't have anything forbidden that protective charms can detect. Only Filch was interested in Draco's cane. It made Malfoy angry, and he wasn't going to give it away. It was my father's cane. Hermione's book on the dark arts was almost taken away from her.
The Weasley family passed by not far from her. Except Potter was nowhere to be found. Most likely the work of Draco.
The Great Hall was especially dark and cheerless. A new potions teacher has appeared again. Draco's godfather, Severus Snape, has now become a professor of Defense against the Dark Arts. The director also asked not to go alone and help each other.
"Hermione, how are you?" Pansy touched her lightly on the shoulder, which made her flinch.
"Thanks, Pansy, it could have been better."
"Today we will arrange gatherings on the Astronomical Tower after lights out. Shall we have a chat, like in the good old days?"
"I don't mind," Hermione smiled. Parkinson was her only friend. Their mothers were friends with each other, and the girls often spent time together.
After dinner, when everyone was walking into the living room and through the rooms, Draco hugged Hermione to him and whispered in her ear.
"Don't be afraid of anything, I'm here and I'll always be there for you."
Hermione said nothing. The school year has never started as badly as this one. What if Draco already knows how to kill the director? And what if everything happens tomorrow and they go home.
After lights out, as usual, the Slytherins went to the tower. Every year, several times a month, Hermione and Pansy held such gatherings. They were sitting together, eating something delicious that the housekeepers brought them by order and talking. We discussed the latest events, the school, the guys and just admired the view from the tower. The weather was gloomy today, which did not bode well. Thunder rumbled outside the window.
"Has something happened?" Parkinson asked, taking a bite of a tartlet with cottage cheese and fish. "You and Draco look kind of glum. I understand that they have accepted the dark mark and all that, but there is something else, isn't there?"
"Yes, but I can't tell you yet," Malfoy replied, sipping her apple juice. "We have difficulties in our family. We are trying to be together now, to help each other. I am very worried about my mother. She was the only one left there, at the manor."
Draco was in the Rescue Room at the time and was busy writing a spell on parchment. He read it in his home library. But his mind was on one girl. The one who had lived with him since childhood, helped with difficult spells and potions, protected him from his parents and supported him. What a fool he had been to let himself make her cry. How can such a sensitive know-it-all be able to kill someone? No way.
Something had to be done. If Hermione doesn't kill at least one of the list, the other Death Eaters and the Dark Lord will be puzzled. What did she do at Hogwarts? Draco, for example, needed to solve something with Dumbledore.
There was only one thing left: to seek advice and help from the godfather. Although it was already quite late, Severus had never been in the habit of going to bed early. Therefore, upon entering his office, the guy knocked on the professor's room and immediately heard: "Come in."
"Hello, Professor," Draco entered the room and closed the door behind him.
"Why is it so formal?" Snape rolled his eyes and closed the book, and put the pen back in the inkwell. "What brings you at such a late hour?"
"I do not know what to do," Draco's nerves gave out. He sat down at the table and dropped his head into his hands. "I can't let Hermione risk herself. As you know, the Dark Lord gave me a task. Before the trip, we were also given a list of possible victims. I've been assigned to kill the director. To her— any of the list. But it's Hermione! If she doesn't make it, we're finished. It is necessary to protect her and her mother. I know that Potter is going to destroy the lord in some way. Do you know anything about this?"
"I know," the professor nodded. "Dumbledore told me he was going to collect horcruxes. These are objects that contain particles of Voldemort's soul. With the help of their destruction, you can defeat the Dark Lord."
"Straight to win? I haven't heard of them.…"
"They are written about in the classified literature of the Forbidden Section of the library. There's only one way to help you. And, perhaps, this is the only way out. Erase her from the memory of everyone she knows and who knows her. The girl will have a completely different life with false memories.
"It's the only way out, but it's the wrong way out," Draco replied and got up from the table. "I will protect her. They wouldn't dare lay a finger on Hermione."
If Malfoy erased her memory and everyone else's, he would lose everything. She will no longer see that mischievous gleam in her eyes, she will no longer yell at him because he often drinks and upsets his mother, there will be no support and support that she gave him in difficult moments.