Paws 4-Silence

"Paws 4-Silence"

I stared at Hermione, my jaw dropped.

"Who-who are you?" I asked, in a small voice.

Hermione's grin broadened.

"Just another Mudblood. I can't believe I did this," said Hermione disgustedly.

"MALFOY?" I exploded.

"Gee, your smart," said Hermione sarcastically.

"Did you use the Poly Juice Potion? Why?" I asked astonished and angry.

"Just as a surprise, and to see what kind of a reaction I'd get from you," said Hermione grinning.

"Where is the real Hermione?" I asked angrily.

"She fell asleep in the library. That's where I got a strand of her hair. She's still there,"

Just then, Hermione's form vanished and Malfoy's appeared. His blue eyes were filled with malice and he was grinning. He was dressed in his black robes.

I stood, completely confused. I started to feel strangely. Malfoy was actually charming. Was I starting to fall in love with him? They say opposites attract. And if I was, why haven't I realized it before?

Just then, the real Hermione walked in.

"Hey! What is he doing here? How'd he get in?" demanded Hermione angrily.

I paused. Then, I answered.

"I let him in. Just to talk," I replied.

Hermione's jaw dropped.

"You let him in? Why on earth would you let him into the girls dorm?"

"As I said, just to talk. Now if you'll excuse us, we'll leave," I said, as I grabbed Malfoy's arm and dragged him out of the girl's dorm.

HERMIONE.

I stared after Lucy, completely dumbfounded. She was siding with Malfoy! I didn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. I shook my head. I followed after Lucy. She and Malfoy were gone. I looked at my watch. It was nine thirty. I was tired. I climbed into bed and fell asleep.

In the morning, I headed down to breakfast in the Great Hall. The Hall was noisy with excited talk; it's usual volume. The enchanted ceiling was a beautiful dark blue with white clouds. I found Ron and Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table. I went over to them and sat down.

"Hey, Hermione. Why so glum?" asked Ron as I sat down next to Harry.

"Have either of you seen Lucy yet?" I asked.

"Nope. Why?"

"She let Malfoy into the girls dorm. Then, she disappeared with him," I said, still stunned.

Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"What?"

"Yes," I said.

"Blimey, what's she up to?" mused Ron.

"I don't know, but I have an awful feeling she's starting to turn against us, otherwise why would she say she invited Malfoy into the girls dorm? She knows how much we despise him. He's even insulted her!" I cried disbelievingly.

"I dunno, Hermione. Maybe we should ask her. Here she comes," said Harry, nodding toward the aisle in-between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff table.

I looked up.

Lucy was walking down the aisle with a smug expression on her face. Her hair was slightly disheveled and she looked like she was glowing. She plopped down beside me.

"Where were you? I didn't hear you come into the dorm last night," I asked, narrowing my eyes as I studied her.

"Oh, I was with Malfoy the whole night," said Lucy nonchalantly as she smoothed her hair down.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"What exactly do you mean, 'I was with Malfoy the whole night?'" asked Harry.

"Just as it sounds," said Lucy smiling. "He's wonderful."

"Wonderful? Lucy, he's insulted you, me, Ron and Harry! How could you say he's wonderful?" I asked, disbelievingly.

"OK, so he's given us a hard time! That's no reason to hate him!" said Lucy.

OK. Now I was completely lost. I looked at Harry and Ron. They too, looked as confused, shocked and angry as I was.

"What are you saying, Lucy?" asked Harry slowly.

"I'm saying that just because he gives you three a hard time, doesn't mean he isn't really nice under all that!" said Lucy huffily.

"Nice?" said Ron, goggling at Lucy like she was a boggart that just had changed into a spider. Ron hates spiders.

"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go sit with Draco," said Lucy as she abruptly got up from the Gryffindor table. "I can't believe I was put with such losers."

The whole of the Gryffindor table had heard her and looked up at her, glaring angrily.

"That's not what you thought earlier," said Harry stiffly, but I heard hurt in his voice as well.

I could tell the way Lucy was acting right now really bothered him. I think he had started to develop a crush on her.

"Earlier I had no idea that you three were so blind," said Lucy.

I stood up.

The Gryffindor and the rest of the tables were watching curiously and intently.

"Lucy, I can't believe you're acting like this. Why is the better question. You protected us earlier from Malfoy! You changed right in front of us! If you didn't like us, why'd you stand up for us? I don't understand!" I said.

"Because, Hermione, I wanted to throw you off guard. I thought if I could get in good with you three, I could see how you three operate. Then, I could hand you over to my master. Am I a good actress or what? But, I will kill you first. Imagine, a simple little girl handing over the one person that was thought to be impossible to get," said Lucy grinning.

At that, Ron, Harry and I looked at each other with shocked and terrified expressions on our faces.

"You work for You-Know-Who," said Harry quietly.

"Yup. Now, either you come with me quietly, or I'll kill everyone here, including her," whispered Lucy as she pulled out her wand and aimed it at me. She was glaring at Harry.

Ron went to stand up, but Lucy moved her wand onto him.

"No. I just want these two," said Lucy motioning to Harry and I.

Fear gripped my chest. I felt my heart pounding loudly.

Harry and I looked at each other before we followed Lucy out of the Great Hall and onto the Hogwarts grounds. Harry and I walked side by side, our shoulders bumping occasionally. I fearfully gripped Harry's arm.

"It'll be OK, Hermione," whispered Harry.

"Sure," I said, not wanting to believe my own words.

Lucy led us toward the dark forest. Now, I was literally terrified.

Lucy led us deeper into the forest until we stopped almost at the center. She turned to face us. She aimed the wand at Harry and ropes shot from the end of it, wrapping around Harry's body. He fell sideways as the ropes tightened around him, binding him.

He struggled to move, but he couldn't.

Then, Lucy moved her wand onto me. The ropes shot out again, wrapping around my legs. They tightened and I fell backwards onto my rear end. She tucked her wand back into her robe. Then, she changed into the wolf. I began frantically struggling to get the ropes off, but they wouldn't budge. The gray wolf snarled, snapping her jaws. Thick, clear saliva dripped from her bottom jaw. The ears were laid back flat. Her jaundice colored eyes were locked on me. I still frantically tried to get the ropes loose.

"Hermione look out!" cried Harry.

The wolf had charged at that moment I had looked at him.

I screamed and rolled out of the way. I felt the wolf fly past me, skid into a turn, then faced me again. I then realized I could get at my wand. I pulled it out, but just as I was about to use it to loosen the ropes, the wolf charged again, clamping her jaws around my wand. She snapped it in half. The splintered halves fell to the ground. Now, I felt totally vulnerable.

I could still see Harry struggling to get loose as well. The wolf charged at me again. She knocked me over onto my back. She was standing over me, her jaws inches from my throat. She growled angrily. A bit of saliva dripped onto my robe on the shoulder. I shut my eyes, until I heard Harry's angry cry.

"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE! IT'S ME YOU WANT!"

The wolf slowly raised her head to look at him.

Harry had somehow managed to get loose. I saw why. He had rubbed the robes against a tree. It had been enough to fray the rope, and he was able to snap it. Now, he stood, his wand aimed at the wolf like a sword.

"Leave Hermione alone, Lucy," said Harry angrily.

I've never seen him this angry before. He was really angry when Malfoy hit me with the Furnunculus charm in 4^th year, but not as angry as he was now.

The wolf growled at him.

"I said, 'leave Hermione alone'," said Harry in the same low tone Professor Snape uses when he's mad.

The wolf snarled and turned around to face him. I sat, frozen with fear. My breathing was rapid and sawing in and out. The wolf charged Harry, all four paws hitting the ground in rhythm. Harry raised his wand and shouted, "Stupefy!"

A jet of red light erupted from the end of Harry's wand. It hit the wolf square in the chest. The wolf fell to the side stunned.

Harry threw down his wand and rushed over to me. He crouched down in front of me and began untying the ropes.

"Are you OK?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I'm OK," I said.

He helped me to my feet.

I didn't want to tell him that I was totally terrified.

I felt my body shaking.

"Hey, it's over now," said Harry as he gave me a quick hug.

I hugged him back.

Somehow, that hug helped calm me down immensely. He released me and jus then, we heard shouting.

We looked up. Ron was hurrying toward us with Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

"Potter! Miss Granger! Are you two alright?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Yeah," Harry and I replied in unison.

"How'd you know where we were?" asked Harry.

"Mr. Weasley told us," said Professor McGonagall.

"Good thinking, Ron!" I said as I quickly gave him a hug.

His ears went pink and he blushed.

"Yeah, good thinking!" said Harry.

"Miss Davis was working for You-Know-Who, huh? I would've never guessed," said Professor McGonagall as Professor Snape magicked the stunned wolf onto a stretcher and we began heading back toward the castle.

"She had us fooled, Professor," said Harry rather quietly.

"She certainly did. We thought for sure she was with us, but she wasn't," I added.

"We did a little background hunting on Miss Davis. She was a huge supporter of You-Know-Who. She went from school to school, acting like she was against You-Know-Who, then turning in innocent witches and wizards," said Professor Dumbledore.

Harry, Ron and I looked at each other.

"At least you three are alright. That's the main thing," said Professor McGonagall relieved.

Harry and I looked at each other. He grinned and winked before we headed into the castle.

We later found out that Lucy was sent to Azkaban for a long time.