Turning Points

Frustrated with her decision to use a pureblood wizard to help her accomplish her goals, Hermione decided that she might as well be blunt. 'It's not like he'll understand anything else. Too much explanation would probably fry his brain,' she thought to herself.

"I'm going to be the next Dark Lord. Er, mistress, I suppose?"

"Why not just Lordess, Granger? Then you'll have a name as filthy as your blood and as stupid as your brain," he sneered. "How is a filthy mudblood supposed to take down the self-proclaimed greatest wizard ever?"

Ignoring his comments, Hermione replied, "Now, I really wanted Zabini to be my right hand man, but he is extremely stuck in his ways and actually wants to be a mindless minion, so I guess you'll have to do." At this, she started looking him up and down, appraising him.

"Wait a minute, Granger, who says I agree to your filthy plans in the first place?"

Hermione laughed, "I honestly can't picture you kissing the hems of robes worn by a half blood when there is obviously a much better option. If you pick me, then we rule together. Queens do have more power than kings though, obviously, so you'll still be below me, but I wouldn't make you grovel and beg for your life. All that drama is overrated. Oh, and no skull with a snake coming out of its mouth on your arm either. That's just plain bloody stupid. Who broadcasts their minions to the world? 'Hello Voldemort! Do you want them to be captured?' Bloody idiot..." she trailed off. "I'm not even so bloody big on torture so you're pretty much guaranteed a life free of the Cruciatus Curse--unless you disagree, of course. You see, I can't have you running off and telling daddy dearest about my plans because he'll alert Voldemort and this has to be a completely surprise attack and--oh, I'm rambling again, now where was I? Oh, yes, so if you disagree, you'll have to be memory wiped just like your pal over there," she pointed a finger behind her, "And Voldemort's is the wrong side to be on anyway. He. Will. Lose. So during the battle, I guarantee I'll make you wish you had picked me," she said, smiling evilly.

Draco could do nothing but openly gape at her for her audacity to even think to take down The Dark Lord. He was in the midst of pondering her sanity when she said, "If you're going to be that way about it," and started to raise her wand.

"No! Wait a bloody minute, Granger. That's a lot to process in thirty seconds."

"Fine. Take the day. Give me your decision after dinner or it is 'Obliviate!' for you. And if you utter a word to anyone, on paper or otherwise, I guarantee you will lose your most precious body part." She smirked, turned and removed the charms she had placed, and then walked out of the classroom, leaving Draco alone with Zabini who was finally coming around and demanding an explanation.

After dinner, Hermione walked the corridors aimlessly waiting for Draco to approach her with his decision. When he didn't show by curfew, she fumed and headed up to her room contemplating all the ways to make him suffer for his insolence.

At midnight, she decided it would be best to worry about clearing his memory of that afternoon later, so Hermione headed to the library to catch up on some light reading. While contemplating the use of a hex that slowly inflicts instantly healing, but very painful knife cuts on the victim, Draco snuck up on her and sniffed, "I can't believe you would even consider going to a Zabini before a Malfoy. Do you know who my family is?"

"So I take it you accept?" she grinned.

"Of course. I never was one for all that purity bollocks. His blood isn't even pure."

"Mhmm," she mumbled, still flipping through Deadly Uses for Not So Deadly Curses. "You're still going to pay dearly for not heeding my warning and finding me after dinner," she added.