Running Free

My Second Entry: The Malfoy Problem

August 14, 1997
I know it's been a couple days, but I needed to take a break, collect my head and make sure I remembered everything I was planning on telling you. I think I have it all.

At this time I was thinking of Professor Linz as someone who was making a big mistake. I blamed her for everything that happened to me in the beginning. I blamed her for this assignment. I blamed her for being as observant as she was. I blamed her for seeing what I did not. . . . Oh no, I'm telling you too much already. We haven't gotten to that part yet. It's coming.

By now I had realized that this project we had been assigned would be the hardest I would ever have to accomplish. Now that I think back on all that has happened I'm starting to believe that that is what it was supposed to be. A trial set before all of us, to see if we had what it takes. Many of us didn't.

Hermione was in the library until dark looking up everything she could find on the assigned curses. She hadn't seen Malfoy in days, except in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She had done all of the research on this project by herself. It was 9:00 PM when Hermione threw down her quill and left the library.

She was walking as quickly as possible so as not to get caught by Filch or Mrs. Morris when she ran into something hard. She grunted in pain when she hit the ground and all of her things were scattered all over the hall.

"Look where you're walking next time, Mudblood." Draco Malfoy was kneeling down next to her. His eyes boring into her brown ones sent shivers down her spine.

"What are you doing down here, Malfoy? It's almost past curfew."

"I'm here to work on the assignment, Mudblood."

"Well, where have you been? I have working like crazy for days. Why weren't you here earlier?"

"I don't want anyone to see me with a Mudblood."

"Get over it, Malfoy. Our entire class knows that we're paired together." Malfoy said nothing and continued to the library. Hermione picked her things and went after him. "Malfoy, we're going to get caught. You know we can't be out of our dorms this late unless we're making rounds."

"We will get caught if you don't shut your mouth." His words were full of venom.

In the library, for the second time that night, Hermione pulled out her books and did more research. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she looked, Hermione could not find the counter-curse to Minuos, the bleeding curse. Minuos caused the blood in your body to slowly stop flowing and then reverse until you died. It wasn't listed in any of the books in the library that she had been through so far and Malfoy wasn't helping the situation. "Malfoy, I have already looked through all of those books."

"Yes, but you could have missed something."

"I did not miss anything!"

"Keep your voice down, Mudblood."

Hermione was growing angrier and angrier by the minute. Malfoy had insulted her, called her names, and been rude to her since they bumped into each other. She couldn't work like this. "Stop calling me that!" Hermione screamed.

"Be quite!" They were silent as they listened for signs that Filch had heard them, but nothing came. "Did your stupid Muggle parents not teach you to be silent?"

"Listen to me Mal-" Then she heard it, a meow coming from around the corner. Malfoy heard it too and they slammed their books shut and ran from the library. Hermione stopped and listened again. Filch was coming towards them on their left, so Malfoy grabbed her hand and ran down towards the dungeons. He pulled Hermione into a dark corner and covered her mouth. They were too close for comfort and Hermione tried as hard as she could not to struggle away from him. She could smell him. His cologne was intoxicating and was filling her nostrils with a masculine scent that caused Hermione's eyes to drop suddenly.

"I think he's gone." Malfoy looked down and pushed Hermione away from him. "Now I have to scrub my hands. Get back up to the tower where you belong!"

Hermione sighed in exasperation, but stood her ground. "When are we meeting again."

"Ugh! Tomorrow night after hours, if I can put a silencing charm on you."

"Malfoy I am not coming back here tomorrow night. I am not going to get caught for your pride."

"Tomorrow night or do this project by yourself!" With that Malfoy strode off down into the dungeons.

Hermione stamped her foot on the ground and walked carefully back up the Gryffindor tower. Oh, that Malfoy! How dare he think that he could boss me around like that! He doesn't own me! I'm not his slave. Stupid prat, I'm going to cast Minuos on him and never give the counter-curse, the stupid little toad.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady.

"Quidditch cup."

Hermione climbed through the portrait hole to find Harry siting up by the fire. "Hermione I was worried about you. Where have you been?"

"Down in the library with Malfoy working on our Defense Against the Darks Arts assignment."

"Why would you be working on it so late?"

"Oh, we made a breakthrough on one of the curses." Hermione hated telling lies to her friends.

Of course, Diary, I didn't realize that I was going to be telling a lot more lies later on in the year. Worse lies than why I was in the library after hours.

"Don't worry, Harry. It won't happen again."

The next day during potions Hermione was so tired that she added the incorrect ingredient into her potion and it bubbled over onto the floor. Snape was so furious that he took off 50 points from Gryffindor and gave Hermione a detention. She couldn't hold back the tears as much as she wanted to. The next few days were the same until she was in Defense Against the Dark Arts again.

"Today I want you to put your wands away. While you are working on your assignments, and I know for a fact you are working really hard, I'm going to give you a break on curses. We are going to study Vampires. Can anyone tell me three features that are recognizable in a Vampire?"

The class looked to Hermione, but she didn't raise her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the blank sheet of parchment in front of her.

"Anyone? Miss Granger, are you feeling okay? You're not sick are you?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm not sick, Professor."

"Are you sure?" Hermione nodded and then looked back down to her parchment. "Class open your text books to page number 157 and read the chapter silently. We'll have a quiz after."

Hermione leaned over groggily and pulled the book from her bag. Professor Linz watch as Hermione's head dropped a number of times slightly as she read.

"Is anyone still reading? No? Okay, same question: what are three features that are recognizable in a Vampire." Not one hand went up. "Potter?"

"The vampire has fangs, paled skin, and red eyes."

"Five points to Gryffindor. Next question: what repels Vampires?"

Hermione's head was dropping lower and lower. She was sleeping only four hours every night since she started meeting Malfoy in the library every night. The assignment was too hard with all of her other classes to get done without help.

"Parkinson, how about you?"

Hermione's head finally hit the desk with a soft thump and the class started laughing. Hermione's head popped back up when she heard the noise and looked around.

"Be quiet!" The class was silenced instantly. "I don't tolerate that in my class. I thought you were mature. If you can't work together that means I'm going to have to assign more inter house projects. Is that what you want? I didn't think so."

The quiz went on until class ended. Hermione went to get up, but was stilled by a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here, Hermione. I want to talk to you for a moment."

Hermione nodded and then put her head down on the desk. "Sure, Professor. Anything you want."

"Hermione what is happening to you. You are a wonderful student. What's wrong?

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just . . . yawn . . . tired."

"Have you not been getting sleep lately?"

"I've . . . yawn . . . been studying late."

"Well, maybe you could do with a little less studying."

"I can't. We haven't . . . yawn . . . been able to find . . . yawn . . . the counter-curse."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. . . . yawn . . . I've just been studying, that's . . ."

"I'm taking you to the hospital wing."

"No . . . Professor. I'm not sick."

"I know, but you need sleep. Mobilius corpus."

Hermione's body rose gently from her seat and Professor Linz brought her to Madam Pomfrey. "What happened to her?"

"Nothing she just needs rest. Give her a sleeping drought for me, will you?"

The bitter liquid was swallowed and Hermione fell into a deep sleep.

Hermione could hear people whispering around her. Her eyes opened and Harry and Ron came into view.

"I knew this was a bad idea. How could you let her stay out every night to study in the library, with MALFOY!"

"Shut up, Ron! I didn't know she was doing it! She told me it wouldn't happen again."

It dawned on Hermione that they were talking about her and the pang of guilt came back. Lying to her friends was killing her, but she wanted to get the assignment done. If meeting Malfoy in the library every night was going to get the job done, then fine.

"Shh. She's waking up. How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"Rested."

"I copied my notes for you from Potions."

"Oh my god! I can't believe I missed Potions! We were going over Veritaserum today! I know that it's going to be on the test!"

"You should have seen Snape. He tested the potion on Dean, and without even having Snape ask Dean looked at him and told him he was a greasy git! I thought I was going to die of laughter, but Snape took thirty points, so it wasn't that great."

"That's funny, Ron." Hermione smiled and hugged him.

"I don't want you seeing Malfoy after dark anymore, Hermione. I worry about you and I don't trust that git."

"I can take care of myself. If Malfoy doesn't want us being seen together then that's fine with me. I don't like being seen around him either."

"What Ron means Hermione-"

"I know what Ron means and I said that I can take care of myself!"

"Hermione, we don't doubt that, but-"

"There are no buts Harry. I can take care of Malfoy."

"He knows more dark magic than you or I could think of."

"You don't know that, Ron."

"I don't know that! Look at who his father is!" Ron's voice was getting so loud the other patients were stirring.

"Ron, please-"

"No, Hermione! I mean this! As your friend I am telling you not to be anywhere with Malfoy at night!"

You're seeing what I saw, right? I understood that Ron was protecting me and being defensive of me, but he didn't understand that the incident on the train to Hogwarts still rattled me a bit. If I didn't have to piss off Draco Malfoy, then I was going to try not to. I wasn't scared, but I was unsure of what Malfoy's limits were, and I wasn't too keen on finding out.

"Ron, Harry, I think you need to go now. I'm still a little tired. I'll see you in class tomorrow." Hermione turned over in her bed and pulled the covers up over her head.

"But, Her-"

"Go Ron! Good night."

I can't believe it. He is being such a jerk. Then the little voice popped up. He cares about you, Hermione. I know he does, but this assignment is important to me. He knows that, but you're important to him. That's not the same thing. It's not? No, he cares about me and I'm human, but I care about an assignment, something that will end soon. He's afraid that you might as well. I don't think that Lucius Malfoy or his son are trying or going to kill me.

Confusing you? Don't worry it confused me as well.

Hermione grabbed the vial next to her bed an swallowed the rest of the potion. She couldn't stand listening to that little voice anymore.

The next day Hermione was working frantically to study the notes from the previous day. On top of that she was planning to meet Malfoy in the library that night. The lack of progress was killing her. It's not possible that Professor Linz would give us a curse and tell us to learn the counter-curse if there isn't one, would she?

Pretty soon she and Malfoy had to start practicing the curses and deflecting them, but of course how could she do that if Malfoy won't be anywhere near her in the day. There is no possible way of not getting caught if they were practicing curses after dark. No way that Filch or some other teacher wouldn't catch them.

Once again Malfoy wouldn't look in her direction during Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Yes, I know! I don't understand why I cared that Malfoy wasn't looking at me either.

That night Hermione stayed in the library until Malfoy showed up with a new stack of books.

"Where did you get those?"

"My father sent them to me."

Hermione huffed. Couldn't even find a simple counter-curse without the help of his daddy. "Have you started looking through them yet?"

Malfoy shook his head and slumped down into a chair to start reading. Hermione watched as his eyes started to close involuntarily. He shook his head slightly and began to rub his temples.

"Do you have a headache?"

"What's it to you, Mudblood?" His steel eyes lifted from the page to settle on her face.

"Nothing. I'm sorry that I even asked." Hermione went back to reading. About twenty minutes later she slammed her book closed. "This is pointless I have been researching this for almost two weeks and have found nothing."

"You mean we have been searching."

"No, I mean I have been searching. Up until a couple of days ago you hadn't done a thing. We aren't going to find it."

"It has to be somewhere. She wouldn't assign us a project that couldn't be completed."

"Well, Malfoy we're running out of time. The project is due in eight days and we haven't tested anything, yet. At this rate we aren't going to finish."

"We will. I refuse to get a failing grade in Defense Against the Dark Arts because some Mudblood can't locate a counter-curse. I thought you were supposed to be smart."

"How dare you. I have been trying my hardest. I can't say the same for you. The only reason you would get a failing grade is because you don't want to defend against the dark arts." She gasped at her own words and by the look on Malfoy's face she was immediately sorry she said them.

"You need to keep your filthy mouth shut about things you don't understand." He said rising from his chair in anger.

"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered, a bit surprised that she even said it.

Malfoy resumed his reading, but massaged his temples harder. After a while he started to grimace and sigh. She didn't know why, but it hurt to see that he was hurting. Hermione got up and walked behind him. "What are you doing? Don't touch me. I don't want your germs on me." Malfoy said, startled.

"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione said placed her wand tip at the top of the back of his neck, right at the base of his skull, and whispered a spell. Malfoy's features softened and he reminded her of the sleeping Malfoy she cursed in Defense Against the Dark Arts. His face was handsome when he wasn't scowling at people. He was very handsome.

"What are you two doing?"

Hermione's head snapped in the direction of the voice. Professor McGonagall stood there, her lips as thin as ever. "Professor, we were working on our Defense Against the Darks Arts assignment."

"School projects should be done in the daytime. I would have expected that two prefects would be making sure students weren't in the library after dark. I seriously doubt there is anything in your lives that is so time consuming you can't meet in the library during the day." Malfoy shot Hermione a disgusted look before plastering on a fake smile for McGonagall. "I don't want to see you two down here again. I will be checking the library from now on. Work during the day! Fifty points from both your houses. Now get to bed!"

"Yes, Professor." They said and collected their things.

Hermione walked through the cold hallways up to Gryffindor Tower with Malfoy in mind. Now, how was she going to get this project done? His face was so beautiful for a moment. Why can't he look like that all the time. Oh my god! I'm thinking about Malfoy's face. What is wrong with me? This is beyond rational thought, Hermione. You can't think about Malfoy's face unless you're thinking about slapping it. Malfoy is just a slimy git who hates you. He isn't worth your time thinking about. If that's true, then why am I?

The streets were dark, only lit by a few lamps. Hermione was hooded and passing the stores and inns up the sloping hill. Atop this hill was a large and menacing home, dark and cold. The lightning that flashed in the night illuminated the house with a ghostly appeal. Hermione drew the cloak around her and kept climbing up the long winding stairs until she reached the front door.

Upon the door sat a serpent knocker, it's tongue forming a loopy letter. She raised her hand cautiously and knocked on the large black door.

Immediately a hooded figure opened the door and beckoned her inside. The large hall was lit with green flames. Portraits of evil looking men were hung along the hallway. All of the men in the portraits looked down on Hermione in hatred. Their mouths were forming words Hermione couldn't here and pointing down at her.

She held her head high and followed the hooded figure through the house. It seemed to glide up the steps without touching them, like a ghost, just floating.

The hallway at the top of stairs was connected to the terrace outside. Doors lined the hallway. One door in particular, the fifth on the right, had a red glow coming from underneath the door. The hooded figure led Hermione to that door and opened it.

Inside was what appeared to be an office. The high, black chair behind the desk was facing away from her. Hermione thought for a moment that she was in a small library, except for the case in the corner containing dark magical items.

"Stay away," hissed a voice from the chair. "Stay away from us."

"What? Stay away from whom?" Then Hermione saw it. A body lay off to the side, also covered up by a hooded cloak. Hermione went to move toward it, but the voice stopped her. "STAY AWAY!" It hissed again. She didn't understand why, but she felt a call coming to her from the body. She wanted to be near it. She wanted to help it. Hermione moved toward the body again, but was stopped this time by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at it. It was grey and slimy, like it had decayed in water. It was the hand of a Dementor.

Hermione screamed and woke up in a sweat. She looked around the room with eyes wide, in search of the Dementor. It was no where in sight and she was back in her dorm. She breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the salty water from her brow.

"Hermione! What's wrong?" It was Lavender. She fell out of bed from being startled by Hermione's scream.

Hermione waited a moment to speak. She needed to get her heartbeat back down to normal. "I'm fine. It was just a bad dream. I'm sorry. It was just a dream. Go back to sleep."