The Dark Mark
As they moved across the room Hermione felt herself getting lost in the music. The whole thing, the clue, dancing, becoming friends with Draco Malfoy of all people, it felt like a fever dream. She couldn't believe it and now she was dancing the tango with him.
Suddenly the music stopped so they stopped too. "I've got to say Granger, you are better at dancing than I thought, you did step on my shoes once or twice but is nothing we can't work on."
He stepped back and walked over to the table where he conjured two glasses of water and two smaller shot glasses filled with an amber liquid.
"What is that?" She asked pointing to the smaller glass.
"Fire whiskey, I needed on after the last week I have had, I thought maybe you would like one too."
She picked up the small glass and downed the shot. "Mmm tastes just how I remembered."
"Really Granger I didn't think of you as the kinda person to drink Fire Whiskey." He said as he drank his.
"I actually quite enjoy a glass, I first had some right after the war, I thought I deserved something a bit stronger than butter beer." With that she conjured herself another glass and drank that as well.
"Hmm that's probably the first thing I would have done too."
"If you don't mind me asking, how is it you know how to dance, Draco?"
"Well growing up in Malfoy Manor had its down sides. My parents paid for tutors to teach me mathematics, literature, art, science and basic magic, and they picked out hobbies for me as well, dancing was one of those hobbies." He shrugged. "I suppose they probably expected me to dance at balls they would host as I got older but that never happened because of Voldemort."
"I'm sorry that happened, I don't think anything went the way we thought it would."
"Don't be sorry, I'm actually quite glad I never had to dance at their balls." He joked.
"So what other hobbies did you do?"
"Umm, so there was dancing, chess, piano and fencing."
"Merlin, that's a lot."
"Yeah."
"You know, I have always wanted to learn fencing."
"Well maybe I should teach you that as well." He smirked.
"Okay then. Teach me now."
"Seriously you want to know now." At that he conjured two wooden swords and handed in to her. "It's not that hard really once you know the basics, then you can just keep practicing."
"So what do I do?"
"Hold it like this." He stood closer and adjusted the sword in her hand. "Now try and strike me with it." She swung at him with the sword, her wooden blade hitting against his. He then dodged before taking a swing at her. She blocked it but before she knew it he had his sword pressed against the nape of her neck. "You know granger, you aren't bad for a beginner." He lowered his blade.
"Any way you could teach me fencing instead of dancing?" She joked.
"You are actually better at it than I thought you would be, I'd say you would be able to hold your own against most people with a sword." He smirked at her. "I'll tell you what. Seeing as you hate dancing so much, and it is because of me you have to do this in the first place, when we meet up to dance I will also teach you to fence."
"Deal." She smirked back. "Why is it that you do fencing in the first place, surely using a wand is a far better weapon than a sword."
"Always searching for the logical aren't you, I have absolutely no idea why I do fencing." He joked.
Draco reached for on of the glasses of water and as he brought it ti his lips he winced in pain and grabbed his arm, the glass falling to the floor, smashing on the marble.
"Draco, are you okay? What happened?"
He let go of his arm and vanished the water and smashed glass. "I'm fine, it was nothing."
"No you are not, it was your mark wasn't it."
"No."
"Why are you lying? Let me see it."
He reluctant showed her his arm and when she looked her eyes widened. She took his arm in her hand and traced her finger lightly over the tattoo. Before when she had seen it, it had almost faded to a light grey but now it was a violent shade of ebony, the colour so stark against his pale skin that it almost looked raised.
"This isn't good Draco."
"I know."
"I don't know what this could mean because we saw him die, we saw him disintegrate." She let go of his wrist and placed her hands on the table.
"I know that he used horcruxes to survive after he tried to kill Potter, and I've been looking at them, I think there is a chance that a very small part of his soul may have survived in one of the horcruxes."
"We have to tell one of the professors."
"No! We can't, I may be wrong about this and if for a second they doubt me they may send me to Azkaban, you remember how people ridiculed Potter when he thought he was back. We need to be sure."
She looked up at him. "Does it hurt often?"
"Yes, every day, it's been getting worse. Just now was the worst it has ever been."
"What did...what happened when he would summon you?"
"It would hurt like this, and then I would feel a jolt of magic like an electric shock."
"Do you think he is trying to summon the other death eaters?"
"He might be, I'm not sure. What is this Granger, twenty questions?"
"I'm just trying to get an idea of what's going on. First you have pain in your scar, then there is this thing with the basilisk pages missing from that book, it's a lot, and there is a lot that could go wrong."
"I know, we need to figure out what's going on."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Hermione knew who is was before she had even answered it. Harry swung open the door. "Hermione, Malfoy, we have a problem."
"What do you mean?" She replied. She was shocked at how frantic Harry was, his eyes were wide like a startled deer and his complexion was pale as if all the blood had drained from his face.
"It's easier if you just come with me."
Just as they were about to leave the room Harry continued. "Malfoy you had better transfigure yourself or something."
Draco pulled out his wand and quickly changed the colour of his hair to a chocolate brown, changed his eyes to a light hazel and waved his wand over his face scattering it with bronze freckles.
"Wow Draco you really look different." She said as they walked through the corridors to the Gryffindor common room.
"Let me guess, you preferred me before."
"Yeah you are right." She smirked. "I guess I know what you mean now."
As soon as they got into the common room they were met by crowds of people around the magic radio in the corner.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked but she was met by Ginny shushing her.
Ginny responded in a whisper. "There has been an attack of some kind."
Just then there was the sound of the familiar crackle on the radio and a radio presenter started talking.
"Breaking News, this evening two young security aurors were found severely injured on the grounds of Azkaban prison. Witness reports from visitors of the prison said dementors were flying rampant about the grounds and attacking staff for no apparent reason. Investigation is underway and..."
Suddenly the man stopped and another voice could be heard in the background but the words were indecipherable. Then the man continued his voice slightly shaky. "We have just received more news on the incident, all one hundred and fifty seven of the previously convicted death eaters sentenced in the last year have escaped due to a malfunction with the apparition wards regarding their cells. This seems to be the reason why the dementors on duty were startled. Investigation is underway and more information will be reported shortly." Then the news cut off and music started to play.
Hermione turned to look at Malfoy, even though his complexion was already pale she could still see as the colour drained from his lips and his hands started to shake. He immediately left the room, Hermione following shortly after.