Can't Fight The Moonlight

Night was Hermione's least favorite time of day.Night brought the darkness back.Night made her remember.
"Go away," she hissed at the thoughts swirling angrily in her head."Go away and never come back!"But, as always, they didn't listen.The memories haunted her waking hours and gave her nightmares in her sleep.No wonder her friends had told her only yesterday that she looked like a walking zombie.She felt like one.The look of concern on Harry's face had nearly been her undoing and she'd had to quickly leave the table for fear that she'd suddenly blurt the whole sordid story out.And that's the *last* thing she wanted to do.This burden was hers alone to bear.
"Mrow?" the soft meow of her cat shook her out of her musings and she had to smile at the familiar, comforting warmth that invaded her as Crookshanks, her cat, curled up on her stomach.Somehow, he always seemed to know just when his human needed him most.Giving Crookshanks a quick scratch under the chin, Hermione turned her mind back to her musings.
"I can't hide this much longer," Hermione said aloud."I can't keep doing this... one of these days, someone is going to get hurt."Crookshanks just looked at her and Hermione continued, "Somehow... I think it's going to be me."
"Mrow."
"I look at him, see his trust, and I want to cry.I haven't done anything to deserve that trust.If anything, I deserve to be hated."
Crookshanks batted at her with one big orange paw as if to say, "stop it!"Hermione had to smile.Cats understood far more than most humans gave them credit for.
"Thank you for listening, Crookshanks.Sometimes I just need to get it out.What would I do without you?"
Crookshanks looked at Hermione his eyes saying, "you'd go crazy if I wasn't around."To which Hermione laughed.
"I know."
"Mrow."That definitely sounded like a "GO TO SLEEP" order and Hermione hastened to obey.After all, she had Potions with Ron and Harry first thing in the morning and she didn't think she could handle all three (being Harry, Ron, and Snape) if she didn't get some sleep.Reluctantly, her eyes closed and she slipped into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

* * * * *

"Miss Granger, is there a reason you are suddenly unable to follow instructions?" Snape said to her halfway through Potions.She was about to put a dash of pixie hair (instant explosion) into her otherwise perfect potion and the sound of his voice made her look up.Hermione shook her head and tried to ignore Harry's worried look.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said softly to Snape, allowing him to take the pixie hair away from her.Snape just shook his head and returned to his desk to supervise the class.Hermione looked back at her potion and tried to remember what they were making.Shrinking potion?Hair-removal potion?Looking over at Harry and Ron's potion didn't help because it was nowhere near the color of hers, so she guessed they weren't as far along as she was.She snuck a glance over at Draco Malfoy's potion, since he seemed to be the only other one in the class to truly grasp the art of making these things, much to Professor Snape's delight (she imagined it would be delight if the man ever smiled).But Malfoy's was red and hers was still blue, so that was no help either.
"Hermione?" Neville, standing next to her, muttered under his breath."Shouldn't we be adding the wormwart about now?"
"Wormwart?" repeated Hermione, looking confused.
"Four drops of wormwart.Hermione, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Neville..." Hermione's voice trailed off as she reached for one of the vials on the desk she and Neville were sharing.A hand suddenly grabbed her arm and Hermione looked up to find Snape standing at her side once again.
"Miss Granger!Honestly.That's powdered Mandrake root, not wormwart."
"I'm sorry..."
"You said that already, Miss Granger."Snape looked around the room before his eyes settled on her friends."Potter, I suggest you take your friend here to the hospital wing," he commanded, nearly making Harry drop the beaker of potion he was holding, waiting for Ron to add the next ingredient.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't make me repeat myself.Take her.Now.Weasley can bring you your bags and your homework later."
"Yes, sir," Harry said, gently taking Hermione's arm and pulling her out of the room after him."Herm?"he started as they began walking.
"What?"Hermione's mind was a thousand miles away.
"Is something wrong?You've been... different somehow."
"Different?"Hermione pulled her arm from Harry's grip."Nothing's wrong with me.Nothing is different.I'm just tired, that's all."
"Herm, being tired wouldn't suddenly make you decide to blow up the Potions lab.I didn't think you hated Snape enough to do that!"
Hermione didn't even crack a smile."I lost my concentration."
"And Snape sent you to the hospital wing.If he's noticing a difference, Herm, then there's something wrong."Hermione couldn't argue with Harry's logic and he knew it."Please, tell me."
"It's nothing."Hermione stopped and looked Harry right in the eyes."Trust me?"Inwardly, Hermione was screaming at the look of total trust on Harry's face.She didn't deserve his trust, his devotion.But it seemed she had it anyway.
"You'll tell me someday, right?"
Hermione smiled a bit sadly."Someday, Harry.I promise."Before Harry could say anything else, they were at the hospital wing and Hermione patted Harry's arm and went inside.Harry stayed in the doorway, watching, and thinking.
"Well, dear, there's nothing medically wrong with you that I can find," Madam Pomfrey told Hermione, a puzzled expression on her face, "but I can tell by looking at you that there's more going on than you're telling your friend."
Hermione glanced over at Harry."It's nothing, really.Why does everyone keep insisting that something's wrong with me?"
Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue."Your friends must have a reason to think it if they keep accusing you of it.Have you thought about that?"
"BUT I'M FINE!I swear, I'm perfectly fine.Please, just let me be."
"All right, dear, but I'm doing this under protest."
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."Hermione hopped off the bed and walked over to Harry."See, I'm perfectly fine."Harry looked over at the older woman and Madam Pomfrey nodded.
"Hermione is free to go."
"All right then," Harry sighed, following Hermione out of the hospital wing.It wasn't until they were actually outside that Harry realized something was up."Where are you going, Herm?"
"I'm going for a walk. You're going to go get the work we missed from Professor Snape."
"Thanks," said Harry dryly."I'll just go talk to my favorite teacher now."
"Oh, you!" she laughed, throwing a stick at him.Harry tossed it back at her and disappeared back into the school.Sighing heavily once he was out of sight, Hermione finally allowed her carefully controlled mask to slip.It was getting harder and harder to keep the facade up.Sooner or later she was going to crack.And that didn't bode well for any of them.
Especially Harry.

* * * * *

"Hermione?" she heard a voice ask behind her.A familiar, if not entirely welcome, voice.
"Hello, Professor," she greeted.
"What are you doing up here?" Professor Snape asked her.She was sitting at the edge of the highest tower of Hogwarts, just looking out over the grounds.He was standing just inside the window that she had opened to let herself out.This was her refuge, her hiding place.Her baby blanket, so to speak.
"Thinking."
"About?"
"Everything.Nothing."To most people this answer would have seemed confusing, but Snape just sighed.
“Perhaps you should do your thinking in here, where it’s warm.And where your friends can find you.I do believe they think I’ve turned you into a rat or something equally unpleasant.”
Hermione turned to look at him.“They what?”
An almost-smile played at Snape’s lips.“Go find Potter and ask him yourself.”Then his face turned serious again.“He’s worried about you.”
“He shouldn’t be.I don’t deserve it.”
“Hermione...” Snape paused, thinking about his next words.“Have you ever thought of telling him?”
“Are you insane?” She shouted at him.“TELL HARRY?”
“It was a thought.It might make you feel better.”
“No, it will make him hate me.And I can’t handle that right now.It’s better that he doesn’t know.”
Snape just sighed and turned away from her.“Come inside, Hermione.It’s dinnertime.”
Scrambling in the window after him, Hermione raised an eyebrow.“You came all the way up here to tell me that?”
Turning to look at her, Snape shook his head.“No, I came up here to tell you to beware of Draco Malfoy.I heard him talking to those goons of his and I think Lucius may have told him.Or Draco may have figured it out himself, I don’t know yet.Watch your step around him, Hermione.Don’t give him reason to doubt you.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.“I don’t know what I would have done without you these last few weeks.”
Snape rolled his eyes.“Ever the Queen,” he said.Hermione opened her mouth to ask him what he meant by THAT comment, too, but he held up a hand.“Now, go.Get changed and on your way to dinner, think up some reason why you weren’t in any of your classes today except mine.”Hermione just nodded and preceded him out of the tiny tower room.He gave her a five-minute head start and then followed her back down into the bustle of the castle.

* * * * *

"Hi," Hermione said as she bonelessly collapsed into her seat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table.
Ron raised an eyebrow at her disheveled appearance."You look like you ran."
"I did... I was in the library and lost track of time."Ginny gave her a funny look, but Hermione ignored her."Studying for the N.E.W.T.S. and all that."
"Our Hermione," Harry said fondly, pulling gently on the ends of her hair.She smacked him, like she always did, and shared a laugh.It felt good to act normal.She'd almost forgotten what laughter and relaxation were.
"Hermione, you weren't IN the library," Ginny hissed in her ear once Harry and Ron's attention was focused elsewhere.Hermione glanced over at the younger girl.
"But Harry doesn't need to know that, does he?"
"Why don't you want him to know?"Ginny pressed and Hermione's face tightened.Ginny quickly backed off."I'm sorry--"
"Don't worry about it," Hermione tried to soothe, her face relaxing again."You're worried.I understand."
"You've just been so weird this last while..." Hermione cut Ginny off mid-sentence.
"I know, I know.And I'm sorry.I'm just a little stressed with all this work and all the studying we're going to have to do soon."
"You mean you haven't started yet?" cracked Ron, overhearing the last bit of their conversation.Ginny kicked Ron under the table while Hermione subtly altered one of the floating candles so that it dripped candle wax all over his head.And until he actually felt how hard his hair was, Ron didn't know why everyone was laughing at him.From the look she got, Hermione knew that this little war wasn't over.Not by a LONG shot.And from the gentle tweak she got on her hair, she knew she had an accomplice in crime if she asked.So she laughed, and was reminded again of how good it felt.
Then she made the mistake of looking over at the teacher's table and suddenly it all came crashing back to her.Snape was looking at her, rubbing his left arm.Hermione's face drained of all color in all-too painful understanding."Hermione?" she vaguely heard Harry ask, but she couldn't take her eyes off the teacher's table.
Finally, Snape stood up and slowly walked over towards the Gryffindor table."Miss Granger, may I speak with you outside?"
"Y-yes, sir," she stammered, following him out of the Great Hall.
"You know what this means."
"Yes."
"If you need anything, go to Dumbledore."Hermione shook her head at Snape's words and he gripped her shoulder."No, listen to me.GO TO DUMBLEDORE.He knows."
"He what?"
"Hermione, this place has no secrets from the Headmaster."Was that a note of pride she heard in Snape's voice?It was gone too quickly to tell."He knows everything.If anything should happen..."
"I understand," she said dully.
Snape looked right in the eyes and she had to force herself not to look away.For a minute, it seemed like Snape was going to say something else about the Headmaster, but all he said was, "I know you do, child," before he disappeared in the direction of the teachers' quarters and she knew he was going to prepare himself for the night's 'activities.'It was strange that she should care so much about what happened to Snape, when just a short while ago he'd been the person she hated most in the world.With the exception of maybe Draco Malfoy.Or Voldemort himself.But Snape had definitely been up there.
Then things changed.She still wasn't sure if it was change for the better, but whatever kind of change it was, she was stuck with it.Rubbing her arm absent-mindedly, she didn't even notice as she passed right by the door for her dormitory and just kept walking.Through the third-floor corridor that had once housed Fluffy.Past dozens of unused classrooms, kept clean by a small team of house elves.Then a subtle tap on one of the bricks set into the wall and she was in her little cupboard that she adopted as her own personal thinking spot.She'd discovered it by accident while exploring one night and had used it almost every night since.Nobody had ever found her here, and she intended to keep it that way.
"If anything happens, go to Dumbledore," Hermione repeated Snape's words from just a few minutes ago."How can I go to him with- with this?"She leaned back against the wall and sighed heavily."How can I possibly tell him that..." her voice trailed off, unwilling to speak the words she'd been avoiding for months."No, I can't.Not even for him."
But what about Harry? the voice in her head asked her.Don't you owe him something?
This was getting her nowhere.Sighing, Hermione let herself out of her little cupboard and headed for the tiny tower room that she'd been using as her watch post.She'd gone up there every time he left, watching until he got back because she knew she wouldn't sleep until she knew he was downstairs talking to Dumbledore.It was her ritual.And at this point in her life, rituals were all she had left.
For hours Hermione sat there, until the sun barely sat above the horizonStretching her thoughts a bit, Hermione found that Snape wasn't back yet.Sighing, she settled in to wait for a while longer.Then a tiny white dot approached her post and Hermione watched it get closer and closer, finally revealing itself to be Harry's snowy owl, Hedwig."Hello, pretty girl," Hermione greeted the creature.Hedwig affectionately nipped the girl's finger as she came in for a landing right on Hermione's left shoulder.This was *their* ritual.Hermione found it oddly comforting.
Curling up in the window together, girl and owl watched the night sky, waiting for that signal only they could hear.

* * * * *

"Hermione?"Hands shaking her shoulder."Hermione?"
"Wha?" Hermione blinked the sleep out of her eyes and found Dumbledore standing just inside the door.
"Hello, Hermione.You didn't come right downstairs when he came back so I thought I'd come get you and send you off to bed."Hermione smiled wryly that Dumbledore didn't even have to tell her who "him" was.
"Thank you, Headmaster.Is..."
"I don't think anyone can be okay after facing Voldemort," Dumbledore told her."But he's still in one piece."
"Always a good thing." Stretching, Hermione finally allowed her exhaustion to catch up with her and she found she had to fight to keep herself upright."What time is it?"
"Six in the morning.Some of your schoolmates will be up, so you should be careful when you go back to the Common Room."
"Thanks."Giving the Headmaster a tired smile, Hermione slipped out of her tower and went back to her "normal" life.Well, normal was relative in her case.Normal for her would have been a living hell for almost anyone else.
"Granger," Malfoy's voice sneered.She rolled her eyes.
"Go away, Draco."
"Caught out of bed... hm..."Malfoy pretended to think."I think you're in trouble!"
"You're out of bed, too," Hermione reminded him tiredly."So don't pull this with me."Inwardly she was cursing at having been so STUPID as to walk by the Slytherin wing of the school.Of all the ways she had to choose, it had to be this one.Snape's warning from earlier that day still rang in her head.
"*I* have a note."Malfoy was almost leering at her and Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"So you have a note."
"I have a reason for being out of bed."
"So does Miss Granger," Snape said, coming up behind them both, Dumbledore at his side.If she didn't know better, Hermione would have sworn that Dumbledore made a face at Draco.But her attention quickly returned to Snape.He looked like walking Death and he seemed to be leaning a bit on the Headmaster for support.
"And what is her reason?" Draco asked, eager to get a "Mudblood" into trouble.
"She's been helping Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing all night.Her detention for disrupting Potions this morning."
Malfoy looked at his Head of House closely."Are you sure?You seem tired, Professor."
"I'm fine, Mr. Malfoy.Go on back to your dormitory, Miss Granger.Before Professor McGonagall has my head for keeping you out all night."Snape nodded his head down the hallway and she was quick to obey, not wanting to arouse suspicions.She couldn't afford to make Malfoy even more of an enemy now.
"Password?"the Fat Lady asked as Hermione approached the door to the Gryffindor dorms.
"Sweetcakes," she said and the Lady let her in.Once the portrait hole was closed behind her, Hermione allowed a sigh of relief to escape.Everything was right in the world.
For the time being.

* * * * *

Breakfast.A week after the incidents in the Potions lab, meaning Harry and Ron had completely forgotten about her strange behavior.They were too caught up in Quidditch and Divination to remember her.Quidditch for fun and Divination because they seemed to think that the more mortal danger they "saw" themselves in, the higher marks they got.That alone made Hermione question the whole point of the class, but she wisely kept her opinion to herself.
"So, Hermione," Harry said to her conversationally while she was eating, "any more plans to blow up Snape's lab?"
Hermione nearly choked on her juice.When she had composed herself, she glared at him."Very funny.So, no.I don't have any more plans to blow up the Potions lab."
"'Cause that was priceless, Herm," Ron chimed in."The look on Snape's face!"
"Excuse me."Quickly, before they could see how upset she was, Hermione left the table.Their teasing and laughter only made her feel worse about the whole situation.Standing just outside the Great Hall, she barely noticed as a small black owl swooped down and sat on her shoulder.When it nipped her ear, Hermione turned to glare at the tiny creature."Oh, go away."Then she noticed the note tied to its leg and her face paled.It had come at last-- the very thing she'd been dreading for months.Of course Malfoy had to walk by her just then.
"What have you got, Mudblood?" he sneered at her, reaching for the owl."YOW!" The little black owl had bit him when he had tried to remove the note.
Hermione smothered a giggle."None of your business, Malfoy."
"This isn't a school owl."Hermione shifted a bit uncomfortably."The teachers can't protect you forever, Granger," was all Malfoy said to her as he swept into the Great Hall, leaving her alone.Gesturing for the owl to follow her, Hermione led it to a quiet corner of the school where she could open the note in peace.Not that she didn't already know what it said.Her hands trembling, Hermione gently took the note from the owl and unfurled it.
You will take the Invisibility Cloak tonight and finish what you started, the note read.Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, all the energy gone."No," she quietly whispered to herself.She didn't know how long she stood there before the owl gently nipped at her shoulder, reminding her that he needed a reply.Taking a quill from her bag, Hermione jotted a quick note back.
"Delighted.As you bloody well know," she muttered, tying the note to the owl's leg.Hooting at her softly, the owl left her alone with her thoughts.And now, her plans.Sighing, Hermione carefully turned off her emotions as she had been taught, so that she wouldn't give herself away as she worked.That would only get her-and her friends--killed.


* * * * *

"Ginny, have you seen Hermione?" Harry asked Ron's little sister when they finally noticed that Hermione wasn't in the common room with them.
Ginny shook her head."Lavender said she saw Hermione in the library, though."
"Library!" Ron said, smacking his head."Where does she spend most of her life?"
"No kidding."Quickly, the two of them headed for the library, but she wasn't there, either.Ms. Prince was putting books away nearby, so Ron walked over to talk to her.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked, but she shook her head.
"No, I haven't.Quite unusual that she hasn't been in here at all for nearly a week."
"What?" shouted Ron.
"I'm sorry, boys," Madam Prince told them, looking genuinely sorry.
"Thanks anyway," Harry said to her on their way out.Ron was looking angry while Harry was just confused."Why would she lie to us like this?"
"She's hiding something."
"But what?"
Ron shrugged."Got me."His shoulders slumped, almost defeated."I just wish she'd tell us!I'm tired of asking her what's wrong and her saying it's nothing.'Nothing' wouldn't turn her into a zombie like this."
"Nothing wouldn't make her nearly blow up the Potions lab."
"And nothing wouldn't make her lie to us about coming to the library to study."
"Something is going on," Harry concluded."We should ask--no, make her tell us.We're her best friends!"
"Wouldn't she have told you if there was something wrong?" Ginny asked from behind them.
"But...but..."Harry started.
"Never mind," Ginny cut him off, looking much wiser than her years, "just trust her.Like you said, you're her best friends.She'll tell you.When she's ready."
"All right," Ron agreed, looking unhappy."I'll trust Hermione."
Outside the common room, where she'd heard every word of their conversation, Hermione choked back a sob.Why did they insist on making this so hard?

* * * * *

How Hermione managed to get through the rest of the day was beyond her.Snape had only glanced at her once, so she figured she was safe there.He couldn't know what she was up to.At least, she hoped he didn't know.Glancing around quickly, she noticed that Draco Malfoy was sitting the next table over from the one Hermione and Ron were currently sharing.Ron was just clueless enough for this plan of hers to work.Hermione almost wondered if Snape *didn't* know she was up to something with the way he'd made them change lab partners when they came in.And Ron had played right into her hand, asking her to be his partner before anyone else had a chance to.Harry had been stuck with Pansy Parkinson, who happened to be sitting right in front of Draco Malfoy.Everything, so far, was perfect.
"Hey, Goyle..." Hermione dimly heard Pansy's voice as she addressed Malfoy's lab partner, Goyle."Were we supposed to add the Russian mouseblood before or after the horsefly wing?"Hermione didn't hear Goyle's answer as she was too busy listening to Snape berate Neville-yet again-for his failed potion.Sensing everyone was distracted, Hermione set to work.
"Ron, is our potion supposed to look like Malfoy's?" she asked innocently, discreetly taking out her wand under the table and pointing it at Draco's table.
"I don't think so," said Ron thoughtfully, studying the other boy's potion intently.
Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath."Allecto," she whispered so softly even Ron couldn't hear.Obediently, Malfoy's potion exploded, sending a spray of burning liquid everywhere.Ron quickly turned her around so that only the back of her robes got it, but Pansy wasn't so lucky.She'd moved between Harry and the exploding potion at the last second.
"MY EYES!" Pansy shrieked, clutching at her face.Snape pulled her over to the emergency shower and doused her face, washing most of the potion away.
"Crabbe, Goyle, take Miss Parkinson to the Hospital Wing," Snape ordered, handing Pansy over to Draco's two very shell-shocked friends.They seemed shocked that a Slytherin had just gotten hurt-- and they could hardly believe it was one of their own that had done it.That's why Hermione had chosen Draco Malfoy to be her 'assistant'--people were so quick to blame Slytherins.Nobody would ever suspect a good little Gryffindor student.And even though she'd been aiming for the potion to hit Harry, this was even better.Slytherins attacking Slytherins was SURE to cause chaos.Just what she had been ordered to do.Now nobody would notice the final phase of her plan, set for later that night.
Snape came back in the room just then, glaring at all of them with a terrible look on his face."What.Just.Happened.Here."Enunciating his words like that made the class terrified he'd turn them all into slugs if they answered, but not answering was probably going to get them turned into bouncing ferrets.Finally, one brave Gryffindor raised her hand.
"Sir?" Lavender Brown asked, voice trembling, "I saw what happened."
"Do tell," Snape said, speaking almost normally now, as if he had realized what his tone of voice was doing to the psyche of the students.
"Pansy was talking to Goyle, asking him a questions about ingredients, when Draco Malfoy threw his potion at her."
Snape raised an eyebrow."Are you sure?"
"Yes sir," whispered Lavender.
"Very well then... one hundred and fifty points from Slytherin.Mr. Malfoy, come with me.The Headmaster will hear about this.A Slytherin attacking another Slytherin!"
Draco didn't even try to defend himself, knowing it was hopeless."Sorry, sir..."
"You better be..." Snape's voice trailed off as he and Draco disappeared down the hallway.The rest of the students, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, stood in the classroom silently.Finally, a few students started trickling out into the hallway until the classroom was empty.Hermione managed to slip away from Harry and Ron, claiming she'd forgotten something in the Potions classroom.Snape still wasn't there when she arrived and Hermione thanked her lucky stars.
"Now to clean this up so no one can trace it back to me," she whispered to herself.A few choice spells later, the room was as clean as it had ever been.Hermione smiled, just a bit."Point to Granger for creativity.An extra point for making Malfoy the most hated boy in his House!"With that thought, she slipped out of the room to rejoin her friends, obedient little Gryffindor once again.

* * * * *

At some point during dinner, Hermione managed to sneak away from her friends and head upstairs to Gryffindor tower.She needed Harry's Invisibility Cloak for the rest of her plan to work.Sighing with relief when she found the common room deserted, she quickly entered the boys' dormitory.Again, it was empty and thankfully, Harry's bed was easy enough to find.The Cloak lay wrapped in tissue in the bottom of the trunk at the foot of his bed, so Hermione quickly reached inside and grabbed it.Package safely under her arm, Hermione made a dash for the girls' dorms, not stopping until she collapsed on her bed in a heap.Almost done.One more ingredient needed.
Quill and parchment were summoned, a quick note jotted down, and then she had a school owl take it down to Harry, still at dinner.She'd managed to grab a sample of Malfoy's handwriting when she was cleaning up the Potions lab and it was easy enough for her to mimic it.So now Harry would think Malfoy wanted to duel with him in the courtyard at midnight.Little did he know that Malfoy was currently on his way home to his parents in disgrace.The person Harry met in that courtyard would be her.And if everything went according to plan, he wouldn't live to see morning.
IF everything went according to plan.In spite of herself, Hermione hoped that it didn't.But, like it or not, the final part of her plan was in motion and there was nothing she could do to stop it.Not anymore.After hiding the Cloak amongst her own things in the girls' dorm, Hermione snuck back down to dinner and forced herself to act normally.The school owl had done its job in delivering her note, she noticed.The single piece of paper lay beside Harry's plate, an ever-present reminder of things to come.And when their eyes met across the table, Hermione cringed at the trust she saw there.The complete, foolish trust he had in her would be his undoing.
Which had been the whole point of this little exercise in the first place.Now, it was only a matter of time.

* * * * *

Time seemed to move slowly that night as Hermione waited for 11:30.The Invisibility Cloak was burning a hole in the chest it was in under her bed.Everything was going according to her plan, but that didn't make her feel any better.Then she remembered what was at stake and made herself harden again.She couldn't afford mistakes.Not at this stage in the game.Finally 11:30 came.Quietly dragging the chest out, Hermione took out the shimmering Invisibility Cloak and threw it around her shoulders.Once settled, she took a deep breath and headed for the door.It was time.
Thanks to George Weasley, she had discovered another way out of Gryffindor tower, so she didn't have to worry about the Fat Lady remembering her leave.The secret passage just outside the Prefects' bath led down to a hallway near the courtyard.Silently, Hermione slipped out of the secret door and crept down into the deserted courtyard.Not even Filch was about and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.He was the only thing that could have ruined her plans.Now, it was just a matter of waiting until Harry arrived.And then the games would begin.
20 minutes to go.Hermione began to question if she was really doing the right thing.Shaking herself, the girl sighed. Now was not the time to be getting cold feet.
10 minutes to go.
5 minutes to go.
Midnight.
Silence was all she heard.Closing her eyes, Hermione focused on listening for the tell-tale sound of footsteps, but heard nothing.Suddenly, she heard a faint intake of breath and she whirled around.There, in the shadows of the far wall, stood Harry.Taking a deep breath, Hermione prayed to whoever was listening for the strength to see this through.Walking slowly towards Harry, she fingered the knife she held in the pocket of her robes.Spells were too easily blocked, and Harry had already proven he could survive the worst of them, so she didn't even bother thinking about those.No... the knife was a surer, if not messier, way.The house-elves hadn't even noticed it was missing after dinner.
"Where ARE you, Malfoy?" she heard Harry hiss under his breath.
Pitching her voice low so it wouldn't be recognized, Hermione answered, "not Malfoy."
"Who are you?"
"Someone who is not a friend."And you have no idea how true those words are, Harry, Hermione thought, a friend wouldn't do this to you.
"Wha--" his question was broken off by the swift downstroke of her arm, going for the killing blow.At the last moment, though, she stopped herself and glanced a cut down his arm.Staring disbelievingly at the blood now flowing down his sleeve, Harry blindly groped for his attacker.Hermione allowed him to grab her and rip the Invisibility Cloak from her face.As the last bit of cloak fell away, Hermione looked down and closed her eyes, not wanting to see Harry's face when he realized who had just tried to kill him.
Finally, though, she looked up.Harry just looked at her, a look of utter betrayal in his bright green eyes."Hermione?" he choked out.
"I-I'm sorry," she sobbed, nearly tripping over her robes as she tried to get away from those eyes.
"Why?"
"I'm so sorry, Harry..." but Harry was advancing on her now, coming faster than she could back away.And when he reached for the left sleeve of her robe, she flinched, only knowing too well what he'd find there.
"I guess I know now," said Harry softly, staring in dawning horror at the tell-tale mark.
"Harry..." Hermione reached out for her friend with her right arm, the unblemished arm, but Harry took a step back.
"Don't bother, Death Eater," he spat, giving her one last, disgusted look, then turned his back on her and walked away.Hermione just watched him go, tears streaming down her face.Soon he was out of sight into the safety of the school and she was alone in the courtyard with all her pain, grief, and guilt.Finally, all her tears spent, Hermione wiped her face and made a decision.
"I'm so sorry, Harry.I had no choice," she told no one as she bent down and gently placed something on the ground and walked slowly away.
It was a silent courtyard Ron found when he ran in seconds later.The only signs someone had been there was the bright red blood on one of the stones and something black lying nearby.When Ron picked up the small black object, he realized it was a wand.And as he stood there holding it, it activated itself and wrote words in the air above his head.
"Do what you will with it," the words spelled out."I'm no longer worthy of such an object."Ron just stood there, mouth hanging open in shock, barely registering as Professor Snape emerged from the school and came to stand beside him.
"Come, Mr. Weasley," Snape said quietly as the words disappeared back into the thin air they'd come from."Mr. Potter is waiting for you in the hospital wing."And as they went back into the darkness of the school, one could barely hear a voice whispering in the wind.
"Forgive me..."

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