Return to Eden

Return to Eden

Chapter 15: Writing's On The Wall

Pansy had a plan. It wasn't the Invasion of Normandy, but it was a plan all the same.

She'd had enough of everyone thinking she wasn't worth more than a good fuck. She'd had enough of all the righteous bullshit shoved down her throat by her parents her whole life. She'd had enough of her mother's whining this summer about finding a good and wealthy husband to marry after she graduated from Hogwarts. She was just plain fed up. The thing topping the cake, however, was that Draco Malfoy, the boy her parents fully intended for her to end up in holy matrimony with, had curled up to Hermione Granger, the former Mudblood.

Now, Pansy knew that Draco had been having an on again/off again relationship with Blaise for the last four or five years, and she had tried to tell her mother as much. Blaise was a Zabini and Pansy could never compete with her so she always gave her space, but for him to be with the bushy beaver over her was like a slap in the face. She didn't care about her being a Rosier or not.

Every time she saw them in Potions, with their furtive glances and secret smiles, it made her sick to her stomach. They hadn't actually said anything publicly about their relationship, but it was all over the school. The gossip mill had really outdone itself in spreading all kinds of interesting rumors concerning the Heads, each one more graphic than the last.

It wasn't in Pansy's nature to sit back and do nothing. She wanted to get even. If there's anything she knew how to do, it was getting what she wanted, but she didn't actually want Draco. She wanted for him to feel just as betrayed as she had when she got passed over, and maybe she could hurt Granger in the process.

That's where the plan came in. And she knew the person she should execute the plan with.

Her parents wanted the wealth, and she wanted the looks. So now she just had to overlook that nasty little Gryffindor thing and everything would be perfect.

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"You're what?!"

Draco nearly fell over at Blaise's admission. He had to take a deep breath before it penetrated the fog that was consuming his brain.

"I'm pregnant, Draco. You know. With child." The corners of Blaise's mouth tilted up slightly in amusement at Draco's near fainting spell. The situation was dire, but she always had time to laugh at her partner-in-crime.

All the color rapidly drained out of his already-pale face, and he struggled to swallow past the lump in his throat. "It's - it's not m-mine, is it?"

Blaise crossed the room and laid her hand on his arm trying to calm him. "Breathe, Draco. In and out, that's good." Her eyes suddenly glazed over as they connected with his gray gaze. "No, the baby's not yours. I wish it was though instead of whose it actually is."

While he was getting over the fear of becoming a father, Draco carefully studied his friend for the first time since school started. She was paler than normal and dark circles framed her large violet eyes. Her form was much thinner as well. He could pick out several places where her bones visibly protruded from beneath her skin. In all, she looked the worst he'd ever seen her, but there was no evidence of a baby.

Her last statement finally registered. "And whose child is it?"

Her eyes dropped from his and she seemed to close in on herself. "That I can't tell you. Ask me something else, anything else."

"How about why can't you tell me?" His suspicion spilled over into his words. She'd never kept secrets from him before. It was making him very uneasy.

She turned away from him, not wanting to see his reaction at her fault. "He's married." Blaise finally let her tears out after quietly admitting what had been tearing her up inside.

"He's what?!" Draco's eyes nearly popped out as his watched the back of his oldest and longest friend. "Blaise." He tried to compose himself without success. "Blaise, how could you be so stupid?! How could you sleep with a MARRIED MAN?!"

She whipped around so fast it made his head spin. Her eyes were burning an amethyst shade and hot tears were pouring unrestrained from their depths. "It's not like I planned this!" Her voice was fast becoming a hysterical rant. "Yes, Draco, I screwed up! Is that what you want to hear me say?! All those years, you warned me to stick with one guy, but the only guy I wanted was emotionally unavailable! So, I made a whore of myself! I KNOW THAT!"

Her body began to shake as she broke down completely. Draco moved to her and gathered her trembling form in his embrace. Giving her a slight squeeze, he tried his best to comfort her while his mind raced. Things in his world were, once again, turned upside down.

Blaise clutched him by the front of his robe as she buried her head in his shoulder. "What am I gonna do, Draco? What am I gonna do?"

Waking from a pleasant slumber, Hermione heard the commotion going on outside the bedroom door. She quickly redressed and went outside to investigate. Finding a sobbing Blaise in Draco's arms, she knew something was wrong and a feeling of dread started creeping into her heart. She turned eyes on the raven-haired girl.

She spoke with her voice barely above a whisper. "Blaise?"

The girl in question untangled herself from Draco and launched her person towards Hermione. The two girls caught up in a tight hug from the other as one cried out her pain and the other tried to soothe her anguish.

Hermione looked over Blaise's shoulder to gaze at Draco. She lifted an inquiring eyebrow towards the blonde boy and watched in confusion as he turned to the side. After observing him gesture in the air to a non-existent curve in front of his stomach, she understood what he was trying to tell her and what Blaise's predicament was.

Dear Merlin.

She held Blaise closer in silent sympathy. Trying to keep the waver in her voice from showing, she took several deep breaths before trusting herself enough to speak. "How far along?"

Blaise pulled away sniffling. She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand and hiccupped a few times before answering. "Almost four months."

At that, Draco went off again. "Four months?! And you're just NOW telling me?!" His angry outburst was quieted after a stern look from Hermione.

"I - I know I should have said something, its just..." Her lips quivered. "I was still reeling."

"Well, that's perfectly understandable." Hermione led Blaise over to the couch and sat her down. She crossed over to the left of the living area where a small cupboard stood and proceeded to conjure up a hot cup of tea. Handing the teacup to Blaise, she smiled and tried her best to look reassuring. "Don't worry. Draco and I will take care of you."

Blaise peered at Hermione over the brim of her teacup as she took a sip. "Why are you being so nice to me? You don't owe me anything. You should probably hate me since I've had such a turbulent relationship with Blondie over there."

Draco sat down on the couch on one side of Blaise while Hermione sat down on the other and took her by the hand. "You were nice to me while I was going through a very difficult time. All I can do is return the favor."

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Snape was brooding.

The reply he'd received from his sister, Melina, had been disappointing to say the least. She hadn't been able to pry anything out of her husband since he hadn't been in contact with any of his siblings in months. He was currently at a dead end.

After speaking with Albus and owling Melina, Snape blew threw his study like a tornado in search of his files from the first war with Voldemort. In a locked and spell-hidden drawer, he found them concealed in a folder marked 'Confidential' with some very dangerous curses and charms protecting it.

He lifted them with a few waves of his wand and began to peruse the long-neglected papers for something he wasn't even sure was there. Most of the articles were notes he kept while he was spying and fighting, but there were several newspaper clippings and a few official messages from Order meetings. After a few minutes of thumbing through the pile, he came across something interesting. It was an entry from the sixteenth of February, 1981.

Albus recovered the Rosier baby from the Ministry after learning her mother's fate. Evan was killed in the raid by an Auror. He has taken her to a Muggle orphanage for safe-keeping, but I can tell that there is something he isn't telling me. The baby is important, I know it. He has called an Order meeting for tomorrow. He says the end is in sight.

Snape's brow creased as he reread his old note. He continued looking through the papers as the dates changed, up until Baby Potter's miraculous defeat of the Dark Lord. There was no more mention of the Rosier baby, or Miss Granger as it were.

He went back over them again with a critical eye, just in case he missed it the first time, but there was nothing. Not even a slight reference to the lost baby

He could remember discussing what a terrible tragedy the orphanage fire had been with his sister, and he recalled the write-up the Daily Prophet had done on the loss of the child and how important she had been. Why wouldn't he write about those things?

Something was niggling at the back of his brain. Something important. Something bad.

If only he could remember what it was.

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After watching Blaise and Draco practice for the upcoming Quidditch season, Hermione leisurely walked through the corridors of the school on the way to her room. Her Charms homework awaited her, but for once, it wasn't at the forefront of her mind.

Life was pretty good right now. She and Draco were 'together' though they weren't about to start kissing and cuddling in public. Even without the question of blood, they were still in rival houses.

Blaise was doing much better about her 'situation.' Draco had filled her in later about the father being married, and they had learned she'd been using a Concealment Charm on herself to keep the pregnancy under wraps. She'd finally given in and started eating better after hearing a long and tedious lecture from Hermione, but she refused to give up her Chaser spot on the Quidditch team even after many memorable arguments with Draco, the team captain. Blaise insisted she could still play until her third trimester.

The Head Girl thing was going well also. Hermione couldn't complain about it and Draco made sure to do his half of the work. The prefects' meetings went smoothly altogether and they had accomplished quite a bit for only being back in school for a few weeks.

The only blights on her shiny outlook were the looks and whispers that still followed her once the news of her parentage spread around, and the way Harry and Ron still continued to treat her. At mealtimes, she would sit with Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati while the boys just glared. She, as well as Ginny, had tried to get through to them, but they just wouldn't be reasoned with.

Hermione didn't understand how her best friends could have such a low opinion of her to think she would change and become a different person just because her origins had changed. It was true that she wasn't nearly as self-conscious and less ridicule was aimed her way, but she was still the same Hermione, just with better clothes.

Her thoughts came to a dead stop as she turned into the corridor that housed the Head dorms. The blood in her veins felt as cold as ice and her breath caught in her throat as a chill rippled through her body making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

The door to her dorm was in splinters and it waved precariously back and forth on its hinges. Looking past it into her common room, she could see bits and pieces of various objects scattered carelessly across the floor.

Anxiety gripped her heart as she drew her wand and entered what was left of her living space. She wasn't prepared for what she found.

Everything was completely destroyed. Furniture and books had been torn apart until there was nothing left and from where she stood, it looked as if her bedroom had received the same treatment. Flecks of paper and parchment were swirled up as she moved further into the room. It looked as if someone had let loose a Shredding Hex. This wasn't what upset her, however.

There, on the wall opposite the outside door, in red two-foot letters, were the words PUREBLOOD SLUT. She ran into her bedroom and there, above what remained of her bed, was MALFOY'S WHORE in the same letters.

Hermione clasped a hand over her mouth as she sank to her knees. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rocked her body back and forth trying to keep in the tears that wanted to escape.

After several moments, Draco came into the room behind her. He was still damp from the showers and had his wand held out in front of him. He took in the words on both walls and he pursed his lips as two bright spots of color appeared on his cheeks. He clenched his fists so tight he almost snapped his wand in two.

He went to Hermione and gathered her up in the circle of his arms, but his eyes never left the crude letters on the wall. Finally, he heard Blaise come into the room with an audible gasp. Draco could feel the rage bubbling up inside of him and his voice was barely controlled when he spoke.

"Blaise. Get Dumbledore."

Tense minutes passed as they waited. Hermione continued to rock on her knees in Draco's embrace and the look in the boy's eyes was positively murderous as he continued to stare at the writing on the wall.

Blaise soon flew back in the room with three teaches on her heels. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape took in the destruction of the Head Girl's dorm and the vulgar graffiti with appropriate expressions of shock and horror.

Who could have done this to Hermione?

As they moved into the bedroom where the two Heads were embraced on the floor, their revulsion grew in leaps and bounds. Nothing was sacred as they glanced around at the remains of all her belongings. All her new clothes, even her underwear, had been ripped to tatters. And the words loomed over them like a deadly curse.

Draco opened his mouth to speak not once moving his eyes from the wall. "You find who did this. You find them and you make them pay. Or else, I will."

Snape could hear the wrath thrumming under Draco's tone. He thought the best way to calm him would be to support his threat. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. We will do everything we can to find the perpetrator and that person, or persons as the case may be, will be expelled."

Draco just nodded as he finally moved out of the room taking Hermione with him. They went across through the meeting room and into his dorm waiting for the teachers to conduct their inspection. Blaise soon followed them with a look of worry on her face.

McGonagall spoke up first after the students had exited. "Albus, who could have done something like this? Surely you don't think it's a student?"

"Yes, Minerva, I'm afraid so." The twinkle had completely left Dumbledore's eyes as he turned to the two other professors. "These children have been breeding hate between them for years, and it was only a matter of time for an incident to occur after news of Miss Granger's pureblood background spread."

Snape was aghast. "You weren't expecting this, were you? Look at that wall and around the room. They destroyed everything and made a mockery of her heritage."

Dumbledore turned his eyes on the younger man. "No, Severus, this has me as astonished as you are and is not to be taken lightly. You promised expulsion to Mr. Malfoy and I intend to carry it out. Now," he pivoted towards the common room door, "let's figure out how they were able to break through the wards."

A few flicks of the wrist and muttered words later, Dumbledore's face became a mask of gravity. "Whoever it was cast Vis Patefacio to get in."

McGonagall clutched at her chest as she absorbed the information. "But Albus, that's dark magic. Why didn't it set off the alarms?"

Dumbledore gazed at her with dull blue eyes. "It's not dark enough to be considered dangerous. It just forces a person's way into anything meanwhile severing all the wards." His gaze then fell on Snape. "I can discern that a Shredding Hex was cast and probably a Shatter Spell as well."

The Potions Master nodded indicating he was remembering all this for future reference. He glanced around the room and made his own observations when something caught his eye. Crossing over to the far right corner of the room, he bent down and picked the object off the floor.

It was one of Hermione's Gryffindor ties. The tie itself was interesting because it was still in one piece, but there was something else. Someone had scrawled words in black ink upon the silk texture, staining it.

We don't want you anymore.

The message was loud and clear to the teachers as they stared down at the offending object.

McGonagall seemed to find her voice first though it sounded strangled. "I guess we should start looking in Gryffindor for the persons responsible."

Sadness seeped into Dumbledore until he was nearly overwhelmed by it. "It seems so."

Snape tucked the tie within the confines of his robes. "I'll test it and see if I can get the type of ink used and possibly pinpoint the person through the handwriting." The other two professors silently nodded as they gazed towards the dorm of the Head Boy. Snape saw it and voiced their thoughts. "What are we going to do about the children now?"

Dumbledore didn't answer, moving forward to enter the other dorm instead and they followed wordlessly behind him. They found the three students huddled up on the couch together with Hermione in the middle.

Snape showed her the tie as Dumbledore explained what they'd discovered. The tears she was holding back finally fell as she witnessed the words marring the red and gold fabric. The spots on Draco's cheeks just grew brighter with each passing second as Dumbledore spoke. Blaise watched on quietly.

After discussing the spells executed, Dumbledore came to the heart of the matter. "We can put your dorm back together and repair your belongings, but it will take some time. Until then, we need to find somewhere to put both of you since you are not safe here." His eyes were desolate as was his tone.

Taking one last mournful glance at the tie, Hermione met Dumbledore's gaze head-on with determination as she made a decision. "Put us in Slytherin."

Next chapter: The death that I've been talking about will occur and we'll learn more about what Snape is searching for.