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Hogwarts, A Mystery	By : Marionne25 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 3452 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not making any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Author's Notes:
Rainy season in my country!!!
I'm back.
So I'm back into writing on all my works.
My music recital for my students just finished last Sunday. We did it at my old uni at the very same hall I had my graduation recital a year and a half ago and hey, it was great.
My students played good and I'm very proud and happy for each of them.
How is everyone doing?
Rainy season and back to regular work. I do have extra time in my hands so I can write a bit more especially over the weekend since my recitalists' classes haven't resumed yet.
Hope all is well at your end.

Please do enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think.
If there is any beta out there willing to beta this, just message me.
Thank you!!!

PS
Like my other stories, i'm using the 'italic' parts writing as flashbacks in my stories.

Chapter Six
Mysteries and Secrets

“Are you sure about this?” his calm voice asked her as his eyes stared worried at her.
“Yes.” she replied in a heartbeat.

Silence came between them.

She heard him walk closer to her, cautious but determined.

“You still have a few hours to think about this.” he gently offered her as he shifted closer and she felt his hands on either side of her shoulders. “I assure you that you still have time.”

“I don’t have time and I don’t want anything else.” she replied slowly turning to him to meet his eyes. “This is what I want. This is what I desire. You understand that, yes?”

He looked at her, pain in his eyes at his reluctance to go through this.

But he understood her.

“Yes.” he replied closing his eyes and moving his face to hers to kiss her forehead. “Yes, I do. And I will be with you until the end.”

She sighed, her muscles relaxed as she rested her head on his.

She could feel his labored breathing telling her that despite that he understood her and would be with her through this plan, he was not agreeing with it.

He never agreed with it but his affection for her was above all of his other feelings.

“Is everyone else ready?” she asked breaking the skin contact of their forehead as she looked up at him.

He stared back at her black eyes.

“Yes.” he replied looking at her gentle and happy eyes. “But I do not understand why some people needs to be within this plan. I don’t trust them.”

Her brows furrowed but she gave him an assuring smile.

“They’re my friends.” she told him pressing his hand into hers. “And I trust them. Don’t you trust your friends too? And aren’t they with us?”

He looked at her reluctantly again.

It was like he was going to withdraw from the plan.

“Yes?” she pressed on. “They’re in it but I don’t like some of them.”

“You only don’t like one of them.” he told her nodding at her. “I don’t understand why they have to be here.”

“Because we need them.” she replied. “Trust my judgment. Despite all of this, beyond all of this, they have something to gain. A gain they can’t refuse. You trust me, right?”

He didn’t feel right about tonight.

He had told her time and again that it wasn’t a good idea – that they weren’t a good idea to go with through the plan.

But time and again, she reminded him that she trusted them and that for as long as they had something to gain out from it, they would not betray her or any of them.

But other than her, he didn’t trust anyone else outside the three other people he trusted in the world.

His eyes moved to her and he knew that she was determined to go through with it and will remain with her decision no matter the consequences or reasons he would give her.

“Do you trust me?” her voice came hopefully waking him away from his own thoughts.

He looked at her, unwilling to answer that because despite that his mind told him differently, his heart couldn’t deny the truth.

“Yes.” he answered her placing his arms around her again and this time, tightly embracing her as if it was the last time he could do it. “I trust you completely.”

“This can’t be happening.” Harry muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, lips tightened.
“Harry?” Hermione’s voice came. “Is everything alright?”
Things didn’t feel right.
His scar was slightly hurting at the moment as they sat by the Common Room finishing their homework.

“I’m fine.” Harry answered looking up at her and then quickly looking back over the parchments over his lap.
He tried to calm himself down and tried to ignore the growing pain.

He didn’t want to make a fuss and if Hermione finds out, it’ll soon be a big deal.
But Hermione wasn’t one to be easily swayed off.

“You look pale.” Hermione pointed out moving a little closer to him from across the couch. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”

“Yes.” Harry said forcing a smile so she would put the subject down. “I’m good.”

In fact, nothing was good.

He felt terrible.

He had been lacking sleep as everytime he slept he was having the same nightmare over and over again.
He didn’t feel good as well that Lupin seems to be ignoring him or rather most of his questions at the little time he sees him.
He was serving detention with McGonagal with a schedule that will coincide with a Quidditch practice.
And on top of all of that, he was being kept from the plans of the Order against the Dark Lord.

Yes, everything was fine.

“How was detention?” Harry asked trying to ignore the pain again as it slowly ebbed away. “What did she make you do?”

“Nothing.” Hermione casually replied moving away from him and returning to her work. “We did a little bit of archiving her reference books and I helped her clean and organize one of her drawers.”
“She what?” Ron curiously asked joining them. “I thought she made you do something terrible?”
“What?” Hermione asked turning at the boys.
“Snape said.” Harry quickly said in defense.
“Professor Snape.” she irritably corrected him. “What did he tell you?”
“Well he told me differently.” Harry reasoned. “He told me that you’ll serve a worse detention than I would when he split up the detention.”
“No.” Hermione answered him with a look over her face. “I was worried about you the whole time we were cleaning in her office.”

“So nothing drastic or painful?” Ron asked staring over her parchment for homework answers.

“Painful?” Hermione asked rolling her eyes at them. “What did you think I was going to serve? Azkaban?”

The two boys stared at her in disbelief.

“So she didn’t ask you to do anything that was dangerous or anything?” Ron asked again for assurance.

“She didn’t make me do anything unreasonable.” Hermione said. “If anything, it was just like I was cleaning her small library collection. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“You wouldn’t mind doing it again?” Ron repeated with a tone.

“Yes.” Hermione replied. “And she even showed me her full collection. Told me should there be anything I need, I can check if she has a reference.”

“What is this?” Ron asked her. “Some Muggle-Buddy hanging out in her library? Did she just buy you with her books?”

“Unbelievable, Ronald.” Hermione snapped at him. “She was just being nice.”

“There’s nothing nice about that woman.” Ron snapped back at her. “Remember. She’s different and she’s quiet. And you know what they say about the quiet ones?”

“No.” Hermione lashed at him. “But I know what they say about people who speak ill of others without knowing everything.”

Harry stared at his friends, unwilling to join in their argument about Laura and her intentions around the school.

Harry wanted to inquire more about her detention but seeing Hermione enraged now, he didn’t want to further anger her.

“I’m not sure, ‘Mione.” Ron told her putting down his things and staring closely at her. “But I know when people are lying.”

“Excuse me?” Hermione incredulously said eyes wide at him as Harry moved forward alarmed now between the two of them.

“You said you were going to get some references after detention.” Ron pointed out breathlessly. “But you’ve been somewhere else.”

“I haven’t been anywhere else after detention.” Hermione said. “I got my references right after.”

“You’re lying.” Ron said unable to control himself. “Neville said he saw you leaving the greenhouses.”

Harry quickly looked back at Hermione whose eyes had widened for a split moment but she had quickly recovered herself.

“I was doing it for Herbology.” Hermione said suddenly avoiding their gazes. “I haven’t finished it.”

“You haven’t finished it?” Ron continued. “Really? Since when were you ever late and behind to your own study schedule?”

“Would you be interested in seeing my study planner?” Hermione angrily said this time around.

“No.” Ron argued back. “But I’m interested to know why you were with Malfoy.”

Harry’s eyes turned from him towards Hermione and this time, he was very sure that Hermione had turned pale and looked guilty for something.

“Malfoy?” Harry slowly asked her. “Why were you with Malfoy?”

“Don’t deny it.” Ron said. “Neville said he was sure that it was Malfoy. He saw him leave the place after you.”

“He must be mistaken.” Hermione casually answered avoiding his gaze.

She turned to her things, aware that the two boys were staring closely at her.

“No, I don’t think so.” Ron said. “Neville sounded very sure of what he saw. Tall, blonde, Slytherin robes – and let’s not forget a jerk-“

“Ron, I was just-“

“Neville saw you.” Ron pointed out dropping his books over the floor. “He was going to return a book to professor Sprout but she wasn’t there so he decided to leave but he heard someone leaving one of the greenhouses. He saw you, Hermione. And he saw Malfoy after you.”

Hermione’s face turned to him and Harry saw a different kind of scowl in her face.

She was staring at Ron with a very dark stark in her eyes.

“I said, I was alone.” Hermione said. “If Malfoy was following me, I think I’d know and I’d hex him if he was trying something.”
“That’s not what Neville saw.” Ron said sitting at the edge of the couch. “Is there anything you would like to tell us?”
“Enough!” Harry suddenly said staring at the two of them. “I’m having a headache. I don’t want you two to add up to that.”

“Hey! Where are you going?” Hermione called out darkly staring at Harry’s suddenly retreating form.
“I want to see Lupin. Or I just want to be alone.” Harry called back at her with an obvious irritation in his voice.
And without another word, he disappeared from the Common Room

Harry raced his way to Lupin’s old office where he knew the headmaster let him use again as Laura was using a different room anyway and not the usual Defense Against the Dark Arts quarters for the teachers.

Harry found Lupin at the end of the corridor that led to the library before the staircase that led to his quarters but he was also walking fast.
He ran after Lupin but his attention was focused somewhere else.

“Laura!” Lupin’s voice called out. “Laura!”
She acted like she completely didn’t hear him but he knew that she did.
“Laura, please.” Lupin’s gentle voice echoed behind her as he reached her and he quickly caught her arm.
They stood at the corridor they thought were empty – except that Harry was at the very end of it, watching them quietly and closely.

“Laura.” Lupin’s voice called her name again.

She stood before him, unmoving and back turned to him while he still held her arm.

Something about the two of them being alone felt different.
Harry noticed that Lupin’s voice sounded different, strange.
Suddenly, Laura turned to him.
From the distance, Harry could see Laura’s features and could tell that she was wearing an indifferent expression.

Something she didn’t wear when other people were around.

“What do you want?” she quietly asked him.

Her head turned around them as if expecting that someone was spying on them.
“What’s wrong?” Lupin asked. “It’s just us here. We can talk somewhere else.”
“I don’t have time.” Laura said staring back at him. “Did I not give you enough time already?”

“That was fifteen minutes.” Lupin said holding her close but Laura remained unmoved by his gesture. “I mean, can’t we really talk?”
Her black eyes moved from his hand around her arm and then up at his face.

“I’m sorry.” Lupin quickly said gently removing his hand from her arm and keeping a small distance between them. “I didn’t mean to be aggressive.”

Silence passed them.
“Why are you here?” Laura’s voice came after a while. “Why are you staying here?”
“I came under the headmaster’s orders.” Lupin answered truthfully. “He needed my help.”
“So cat’s out in the bag, right?” Laura said and her tone was suddenly different. “After all this time, the headmaster doesn’t really trust me that he has to ask his little group of-“
“I’m here because Voldemort is gaining power and the headmaster needs me to be here as extra protection for the boy.” Lupin cut her out.

Harry couldn’t see his face but he was sure that Lupin was giving Laura one of his important and serious looking facial expressions.

Laura’s features changed and her eyebrows were slightly raised.
“Then do your job.” Laura said moving a step away from him. “Focus on that and stop following me around.”

“But I want to talk.” Lupin insisted. “Don’t you want to talk with me?”
“There is nothing we should talk about.” Laura told him with a heavy sigh. “Lupin-“
“You will call me that?” Lupin asked her. “You will really call me that?”

Harry watched as her expression completely changed – she was suddenly giving him a kind smile, a genuine smile and for the first time, he saw her features relaxed.

It was as if she trusted him to see the real woman that she was – and only to him.

“Remus.” Laura’s voice gently came. “Please. You’re making all of these more difficult than it already is-“
“No.” Lupin answered her. “You’re making this difficult. Please.”
“Remus, I’m just content to where I am. Please let’s not go all over this again.”
It was a tone Harry has never heard from her and never imagined of hearing from her.
Lupin moved closer her and Harry saw him place both his hands on either side of her shoulders.
“At the weekend.” Lupin offered her. “A drink at Hogsmeade.”
“We are not children, Remus.” Laura said in a tired voice. “Why do you insist on this?”
“For old time’s sake.” Lupin said moving closer her and Laura’s eyes widened for a moment at the sudden movement from Lupin. “I want to know how you have been doing.”
“You know how I’ve been doing all these years.” Laura said and she gently moved his arms off the sides of her shoulders. “Please stop this. There is absolutely nothing to talk about.”

“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not avoiding you.” Laura answered him. “But I want you to know that things aren’t the same. Just leave me alone.”
“Dumbledore trusts you.” Lupin said taking a step back from him. “I need you to know that you can still trust me.”
Her black eyes moved to his and their glares matched.
“Do you trust me?” Laura suddenly asked him, a challenge in her eyes and her tone back into its coldness. “Do you trust me, Remus?”

Harry listened, crouched painfully at the end of the corridor as he tried to hear Lupin’s answer as he continued to spy on the two.
“Yes.” Lupin answered in a heartbeat. “I trust you more than anyone in this castle.”
There was a gleam in Laura’s eyes and then she gently moved him from her.

“You’re a trusting man.” Laura said walking away from him. “You should be careful.”
He watched as she began to walk away from him and Harry quickly moved away from sight.

He stared as Laura stopped her steps but didn’t turn back at Lupin.

“I haven’t forgotten, Laura.” Lupin called desperately back at her. “You can still trust me. After everything, after all this time, you know you can trust me.”
Laura sighed heavily, closing her eyes and opening them again as if restraining herself from doing something she was going to sorely regret.
“I know that.” Laura said as she slowly folded her arms back into her usual cold façade. “I know that you’re still here for me.”

And then with that, she began walking away from him leaving Lupin standing and staring after her wake.

Thursday..

“I will bet galleons and all that something is definitely going on between them.” Ron gloated as he waited for their last class to wrap up before lunch. “I mean, come on. The way you heard them? We’ve never heard him that way.”
“I don’t know.. I’m not sure it’s supposed to be somewhere romantic or what.” Harry said as he packed his things as they finished Transfiguration. “Did it sound romantic, Hermione?”

“I don’t know.” Hermione snapped at them both as she zipped her bag. “First of all, it’s not my business and secondly, I wasn’t there to hear. And don’t you feel bad about it?”

“About what?” Ron asked her staring at the two.

Harry looked away from her, ashamed of himself for what he did.

“About spying on Lupin.” Hermione said scowling at them. “I mean that moment was obviously and supposedly private for the two of them.”

Harry opened his mouth to say something but McGonagall suddenly spoke.
“Would you three like to go or are you staying to sit-in at the first year class?” McGonagall’s cold and strict voice came.

The three looked around and first years began filing in the classroom and most of them staring up at Harry realizing who it was.

Annoyed by the first years gawking over his forehead, Harry nodded and quickly left the classroom with the other two.

The three of them were continuing on an argument about an assignment when at the opposite corridor from the moving staircase, they all saw Laura.
She was walking fast and her face was straight ahead of her as if she was in a hurry for something important.
“Who is that?” Harry asked from their distance pointing at Laura’s disappearing form.

“Who’s who?” Hermione asked as they turned to another staircase to lead back to their Common Room for an hour of free period before lunch.
“The man behind her.” Harry casually said. “Are there more visitors we don’t know of?”
Hermione halted in her steps that made Harry and Ron nearly bumped into one another as they followed and walked closely behind her.

“What man?” Hermione asked turning to Harry. “Laura was alone.”
“No.” Harry said. “There’s that man – didn’t you-“
“She was alone, mate.” Ron said reluctantly staring at Harry. “I saw her first walking but she wasn’t with anyone. Trick of light?”

“We’re at the windowless corridor, Ronald.” Hermione said rolling her eyes at Ron. “There’s no trick of light. More like you’re hungry or something.”

Harry stared at her then back at Ron and back at the way where Laura had gone.

He was almost too sure that he saw someone behind her.

Almost.

Hermione opened her mouth to reprimand him again when his eyes suddenly widened.

The man was walking carefully at exactly the same place where Laura had gone.

“There he is!” Harry suddenly said pointing wildly across the corridor. “I told you there’s someone-“
“Harry, wait!” Hermione called out as she and Ron rushed behind him as he tried to run back at the staircase to cross at the other side.

Harry made his way to the man walking to the corridor leading to Laura’s office.

He could barely see who it was but he kept his eyes on the man as he made his way closer.

“Harry!”

He could hear the other two trying to catch up behind him, his name echoing from their mouths.

“Who are we following?” Ron asked Hermione as they marched up two more staircases because Harry had turned into another corridor instead of the one they thought he was making his way to.

“Harry.” Hermione breathlessly answered. “We’re following, Harry.”

“And who the hell is he going after?” Ron asked as they breathlessly tried to catch up after Harry.
Soon, they realized that they were all just led back in circles and into the corridor that led back to the grand staircase.
“Wait up!” Harry called halting into a corridor as the man continued to walk to the other direction. “Wait!”

Finally, he reached some light and realized they were just almost back at the grand staircase.

He looked around him and Hermione and Ron were just nearing him and just as he turned back, the man was gone.

He was completely alone in the corridor with Hermione and Ron’s footsteps bearing the only noises around him.
“Harry, stop..” Ron breathlessly said. “Harry..”

“Where did he go?” Harry gasped looking around the corridors. “Where did he go?”
“Where did who go?” Hermione asked catching up after the boys.
She looked around to where Harry and Ron was also looking but there wasn’t anyone else in the corridor.
“This is stupid.” Hermione said. “Who were you running after?”
“The man.” Harry insisted. “The one I told you about before. He disappeared again.”

He looked around him, calling out with nothing but the echo of his voice returning to him.
“Harry, nobody disappeared.” Ron told him. “There was no one here in the first place.”

“No, I was-“ Harry began looking around him then back at his two friends who were both staring at him in a particular way. “I was –“

“I think we should go back.” Hermione offered him. “There’s nothing around here, Harry.”
He looked at her and saw the worry in her face and back at Ron who was staring at him with question in his eyes.
He looked around him again, double checking but they were alone in the corridor.

“I wasn’t lying.” Harry said irritably. “I know what I saw.”
“Let’s just go back, mate.” Ron said offering his hand to him. “Let’s just go.”
“I’m not lying.” Harry said shoving his hand away and walking away from the two. “I know what I saw.”

“Harry, come back!” Hermione said calling after him and edging Ron they follow him again. “Harry, let’s go back to the dormitory-“

“Harry!” Ron called out after him irritated at Hermione’s persistence to get to Harry. “We believe you but let’s go back-“

But he didn’t look back at them.
He felt confused and disappointed and humiliated all at the same time.

This wasn’t the first time this happened and he didn’t feel good about it repeating at all.

“Did you see what he was looking at?” Ron asked Hermione as they followed Harry.
“No.” Hermione whispered back at him. “There was nobody. It was just Harry. This is bothersome.”
“Disturbing.” Ron agreed with her. “We need to get him back to the Common Room before-“

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” Harry’s earsplitting voice suddenly screamed all the way down the hallway.

Hermione and Ron stared at one another and then quickly ran as fast as they could towards Harry’s echoing voice.

They caught up with him atop the main staircase that led down to the Great Hall and he was on the floor, eyes wide as he wildly looked around him.

“Blood!” he was screaming pointing at the floor. “Blood – but careful!”

Hermione and Ron stared at one another and all around Harry with a worried expression over their faces.

“Harry-“ Hermione said carefully approaching him. “Harry, there’s no bloody-“

“Can’t you see it?” Harry said pointing over the floor. “It’s all over-“

“Harry, there’s no blood!” Hermione anxiously said as she tried to help Ron pull Harry up to his feet.

But Harry was barely listening to them.

His eyes were wide at the pool of blood all over the floor, all around them.

Why couldn’t Hermione and Ron see what he was seeing?
There was blood everywhere and they were stepping right on top of the pool of it.

“Why won’t you believe me?” Harry called at them as his eyes moved around the shimmering crimson pool around them.

“Get him up, get him up.” Hermione whispered at Ron alarmed as they heard doors opening.
It was lunch time.

People were going to swarm around the main corridor soon and they were all going to see Harry at that state.
“Come, come up.” Ron struggled to get him up with Hermione bearing his other arm. “Harry, mate – come on, we’ll talk about this at the Common Room-“

“Ron, hurry-“ Hermione said as she grabbed Harry’s bag and fallen books over the floor as they both tried to pull him up to his feet or at the least at the side of the hallway.

But Harry wasn’t focused and soon, it was too late.
Footsteps started to echo and floor around them as voices and noises began all over.

Classes had been dismissed and everyone else was going to pass the very corridor they were in to head for the Great Hall for lunch.

“Call the headmaster!” Harry said pulling the hem of Ron’s robes. “Just call the headmaster and-“
“Harry, keep it down!” Hermione angrily said. “There’s no blood! You’ve got to bloody calm down or people will see you-“

“I am telling you!” Harry angrily said pointing around him. “There’s bloody everywhere and-“
“Get a grip, mate!” Ron warned him seeing that he was getting angry at Hermione now. “Keep it down! There’s no freaking-“
“I said there’s bloody everywhere!” Harry angrily screamed at him as he helped himself up to his feet and pointed all around him.

His voice echoed all around him and soon, his fear was realized.

People were slowly gathered around the room, halting at the scene before them and completely seeing him scream about bloody.
His heart thudded fast as he looked around him and realized that eyes were on him.

Hermione and Ron stood near him and were both looking worried at him.

His eyes moved across the room and he realized that the corridor and the floor were completely dry.

Not a single drop of blood could be seen around.

“No, it can’t – I was – I was sure-“ Harry breathlessly said seeing some teachers were already walking forward to see what was causing the blockage at the corridor.
“Mr. Potter?”

Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall staring worriedly at him.
“What’s going on, Mr. Potter?” she asked walking forward as the crowd let her through.

“He was screaming blood.” drawled a deep yet amused voice.

The trio turned and saw Draco come out from the crowd at the end of the other staircase where a full class was descending from a dismissed lesson.

Harry’s eyes flashed at his direction.

Draco looked particularly triumphant about something.

His eyes were focused back at Harry, hands in his pockets and he gestured to professor McGonagall.

“Mr. Malfoy.” McGonagall began. “If you haven’t got anything to say-“
“We were heading for lunch, professor.” Draco said nodding at McGonagall and walking closer to Harry’s direction. “And then we heard some running and screaming. We heard a voice screaming about blood. Isn’t that right, Granger?”

Hermione’s face turned red as Draco, out of the blue, turned to her of all people.
Her faced furiously blushed and she looked completely assaulted by Draco’s gesture.

Harry stared at Draco then back at Hermione then back again.

Something in the way that Draco spoke to her then smile at his direction felt terribly wrong.
He was missing something in there but at the moment, it wasn’t the time to ponder because everyone was looking at him as if he had grown an extra head.

The crowd gathered closer and most teachers were there already, staring avidly at him and waiting for his answer.
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Hogwarts, A Mystery