Love, War and Friendship - The Wizarding Way

Told From Harry's POV

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Weasley cries again wringing a tea towel tightly in her hands. "Molly," her husband sighs as I reach over to take Hermione's hand instinctually."There's really only one way to solve this."

"Dad you don't really believe this do you?" Ron exclaims in a crushed voice. "It's George!" Mr. Weasley looked torn between his fatherly instinct and the evidence before him.

"If Hermione says he called her that then he did!"

"Harry no one's saying he didn't," Lupin tells me lightly. "We're simply not sure what's going on."

"Well he certainly wasn't raised to say these kind of things," Mr Weasley says angrily standing to his feet. "Hermione I must apology once again for my son's rudeness."

She smiles and waves off his apology, her cheeks tinged pink. I know she hates it that she's causing this big a scene.

"Hey guys what's up?" George's cheery voice punctures through the tension filled room.

I feel Hermione grip my hand tightly and I shift slightly in my seat to obscure his view of her. Moody is standing in front of the door so George has no way of leaving if things take a turn for the worse, something we're all hoping won't be the case.

"Ah George," says Mr. Weasley a strained smile upon his face. "Right on time. Can you come here for a moment?"

can hear a sharp intake of breath from behind me as Ron holds his breath, probably praying for George to be innocent.

"Now be a good boy and roll up your sleeves for me would you?"

George crosses his arms suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly is this?"

"Look I'll explain later just -" There's a loud ripping noise as all the seams in George's shirt explode at the point of Lupin's wand revealing the glimmering black Dark Mark.

I gasp and Hermione beside me recoils at the sight that George is hurriedly trying to cover up as if we hadn't seen it already. Mrs. Weasley has begun to cry.

"There must be some reasonable explanation for this right?" Ginny asks desperately.

Out of the corner of my eye I can see Draco restraining her from running up to her brother to help him.

George raises his wand threateningly. "I thought you might find out sooner, with all these children running about getting into everything," he says like he was tens of years older than us. "But don't worry soon enough none of you will remember a thing when I'm done with you."

"Memory charms can be broken by a powerful wizard," I object standing up to face him making sure Hermione was still out of sight.

George smiles forebodingly. "Maybe so. But by then I'll be long gone." He points his wand to my chest. "I suppose you'd like to go first?" I close my eyes ready to say goodbye to my memories when -

"Stupefy!" A pale faced Ron stands facing me, his wand clutched tight in hand as George tumbles to the ground. I grin my thanks to him while Mr. Weasley just as white turns to Draco.

"I assume your father taught you how to make a Veritaserum?" he asks in perhaps the kindest tone I'd heard him use towards Draco since he'd arrived.

"Yes."

"In my trunks, top floor last room to the right you will find all the needed ingredients. If you wouldn't mind making one up as fast as you can."

Draco nods, disappearing after giving a distracted Ginny a kiss on the cheek. Ropes from Mr. Weasley's wand encase his son's arms and legs to a chair. He sighs heavily before turning to his wife.

"I wondered if it might come down to this. Lee Jordan's parents contacted me a few weeks before. Seems Lee's been the one leaking information. George too probably. You all can leave whenever you'd like," he addresses me, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Lavender. "I'd rather you didn't stay and hear everything."

Ron, Ginny and I refuse to leave although Ginny wavers some but Hermione, after giving Mrs. Weasley a hug leaves with Lavender. I wasn't sure how long it took to produce a Truth Potion but I did know it couldn't come any sooner.

Well I thought I knew you, thinkin' that you were true / Guess I, I couldn't trust called your bluff time is up / Cause I've had enough / You were there by my side, always down for the ride / But your joy ride just came down in flames

"Here it is," Draco says grimly depositing a vial of clear liquid to Mr. Weasley. "Would you like me to..." his voice trailed off as Mr. Weasley shook his head, taking a reluctant step towards the now glaring and bound George.

An urgent owl had been sent to Fred asking him to Apparate to the mansion immediately, a move I wasn't sure was such a good idea. Fred could just as easily be involved with Voldemort as his twin.

"How long has this been going on?" Mr. Weasley asks stiffly after forcing George to swallow a few generous sips of Veritaserum.

"May."

"Why?" Mrs. Weasley's voice breaks as she hovers over looking like she wanted to touch him but didn't dare.

George glares at her cruelly. "The Dark Lord has powers you could never dream of," he hisses in a low voice. "If I help when he takes over I will be granted some."

"But that's not what you wanted!" Ron interrupts forcefully. "You wanted jokes and fun." "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can be very persuasive," he says, smiling almost madly. "I met him just after I left Hogwarts."

The scene makes me sick. I had trusted George greatly over the years, considered both him and Fred my honorary brothers. Could I trust anyone anymore? Was this going to keep happening? Close friends becoming instruments to a great evil?

"Are you close to it?" Mr. Weasley asks desperately. "Do you speak to Him?"

"Thanks to you I have been honoured above all the other new arrivals. I have been of great help to him, watching the boy." He jerks his head in my direction.

I take a step forward. "Why were you told to watch me?"

"His greatest desire is to kill you but you slip through his fingers every time. It is my job to find your weakness, discover ways this may be possible."

Never saw it coming, all of your backstabbing / Just so you could cash in on a good thing before I'd realize your game

I glance over to Ron, who is watching his brother with wide eyes. I take a deep breath ready to ask the question in both our minds.

"My nightmares ... were they real?"

This sets him off once again. He laughs in such an unGeorge like fashion its hard to believe it's really him. In a way it's not. The same power hungry thing has possessed him, as Voldemort had when he'd once been Tom Riddle.

"No," he tells me in a high voice. "They were your own doing."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I flash Ron an apologetic smile to make up for our earlier argument. I no longer had to protect Hermione. I could be with Hermione! ... If she still wanted me that is.

"But as you dreamed he would take from you those dearest to your heart he will. After I reported your outburst to Dumbledore he congratulated you on finding the answer to our problems. You're weakness is love. You, who was denied any bit of love as a child now thrive on it. As long as you have someone to love you will remain unharmed but once alone it will be a different story. He will come for you once he's taken the others Harry Potter, and when he does you will die." Then he's off again, cackling like a maniac.

I can feel Ginny and Ron's horrified glances though I don't return them. I'm too busy staring fearfully at George. How stupid had I been? I should have spoken to Dumbledore alone. Any number of those wizards could have gone straight to Voldemort. I need to leave. I think I'm going to be sick. Without a backward glance at any of the Weasley's I flee.

How could this man I thought I knew / Turn out to be unjust so cruel / Could only see the good in you / Pretended not to know the truth / You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself / Through living in denial / But in the end you'll see / YOU WON'T STOP ME -----> Christina Aguilera

***

Told From Hermione's POV

She's using the purple stuff again. Ugh. I can't believe I ever let her put that in my hair. I watch her doing her hair and make up in front of the full-length mirror as I used to watch my mother when she was getting ready for work. Lavender catches my eye and smiles. "You still like Harry," she says more like a statement than a question.

"No," I sigh as her reflection raises her eyebrows at me.

"No?" she repeats. "Come on, Hermione I've never seen anyone react that much to some stupid magazine cover."

"So?"

"So you like him." Lavender turns away from the mirror, her hair now dripping with purple gook. It's nearly impossible not to laugh. "Are you going to do anything about it?"

It's my turn to raise my eyebrows. "Hey Lav, where you've been all summer? I've done pretty much all I can. He's hot. He's cold. We're friends. We're more. He wants me. He doesn't. It's not going to work out."

Lavender's eyes light up excitedly. "I have an idea!"

"Yes?" I say grudgingly.

"Well Harry's a typical guy right?"

"He's more than the typical guy," I protest in vain.

Lavender rolls her eyes. "Unless that scar addled his brains more than I'd previously thought Harry's the typical guy and it seems to me like he's doing the typical guy thing and bulking every time you try to get him to make any sort of commitment, like admitting what you are to each other."

"And what do you propose I do?"

"Seduce him of course!"

I giggled. "Yah right. I think you've been reading too much Witch Weekly for your own good."

"No I'm serious. You know he likes you, he just won't admit it and naturally he's going to like kissing you so just ask him to be I dunno friends with benefits or something."

"But I don't want that!" I say wondering if she's been smelling nail polish again. "I want something more."

"Carry on with the friends with benefits for awhile and he'll start to get jealous of all the other guys who are clamouring to go out with you and he'll ask you to go out with him." Guys clamouring to go out with me? As if.

"Like that's going to do anything."

"Hey it worked for me," she says grinning.

"You didn't!"

"You never wondered why I spent so much time in the boys' dormitory fourth year?"

I shrug, not wanting to hurt her feelings by admitting I didn't normally notice where she went.

"Besides," Lavender waves a rolled up piece of parchment in the air. "This came to me along with Seamus's owl this morning."

I reach out to grab it but she places it out of my reach. "Lavender!"

"Uh uh," she shakes her head. "You get it after you go seduce the boy."

"Lavender!" I cry again. I'm pretty sure the letters from Dean and I'm interested to see what it says in spite of our horrible time in Diagon Alley.

"Go!"

Harry's room is only three doors down from ours. His door was closed tightly. I listened for a second hoping to hear his and Ron's voices in some heated discussion about some Quidditch technique so I wouldn't have to go through with it but I hear nothing. Maybe they're still downstairs talking to George. Well I can only hope. Slowly I raise my hand to knock softly.

"Come in."

Oh boy.

"Hey."

"Hi," he says shortly as I come in and shut the door behind me. "Is this something important because I've got stuff to do."

"I'll just leave then," I snap.

"I'm sorry." His face softens. "I didn't mean to sound that way. It's just well finding out about George shook me up a bit. Fred's supposed to be here soon. Pray to God he's not evil too."

"He's not," I say before I can stop myself.

Harry looks at me sharply. "How do you know that?"

"Before George called me Mudblood I noticed he was acting different," I say cautiously. "He was kinda mean to me. Fred hasn't changed. He's good."

"Let's hope," Harry agrees obviously wanting to ignore my last statement for whatever reason. "Anyways I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to tell me that."

"No. I wanted to know if ... "

"Yah?"

"If you wanted to become friends that uh ... kiss?" I blurt out quickly holding back a laugh as he drops the cauldron he was carrying and makes a sputtering sound.

"Come again?"

I'm tempted to say it was Lavender's idea but I don't. "You know friends with -"

Harry makes a noise in the back of his throat. "Hermione I don't have time for mind games right now," he says sounding irritated.

"Fine I'll go read the letter Dean sent me then." I stomp out of his room. He grabs my arm tightly yanking me back as I'd known he would.

"You wrote to him?" he asks in a low voice.

"No," I say scathingly. "I think you need to get your hearing check. He wrote me."

Harry's hand on my elbow tightens to the point where I think I'll find a patch of dotted bruises tomorrow.

"Are you?" he whispers urgently. "Are you with him in any way?"

"Maybe."

"Answer me, damn it!" Harry glares.

I shake him off violently. "It's not nice when you don't get straight answers is it?"

"Is that was this was all about?" he asks angrily. "The benefits, the letter, you're trying to get me back for not giving you the answers you wanted?" He makes another grab at me as I start to leave but I'm too quick for him.

"Not every damn thing is about you Harry," I tell him, thrusting more of his words back in his face. It's time for him to experience what I've had to this past month. Lavender doesn't question how things go when I come back and take my letter off her pillow.

Hermione,

Hey I had a really good time in Diagon Alley the other day and I thought maybe once we got to school we could do it again sometime. If you wanted to. I realize you might not as I saw the cover of Witch Weekly today at the market. Is any of that true? You and Harry? Sorry this is so short but Seamus is dragging me out to play some Quidditch. I hope you send me an owl back.

xox Dean Thomas

***

Told From Ginny's POV

Dad comes out of the conference room with a weak smile on his face. "They're both clean."

I rush over to throw myself in my father's arms. He holds me tightly as we both burst with relief that Ron and Fred are all right. I hold out my hand as I draw back.

"I want to take it."

Dad hesitates even though there's only a drop or so left in the bottle. Most likely I will only be under it's influence for a few moments.

"Ginny we trust you. You don't have to take this."

"I know," I say.

"But I want to. For your peace of mind."

He sighs and passes me the bottle. The Veritaserum has no taste. It barely feels as if it's sliding down my throat but as it reaches my stomach it's like a fire erupted.

"Are you working against us in any way Ginny?" Dad asks gently squeezing my shoulder comfortingly.

"No," I shake my head.

He smiles and gives me another hug. "It should wear off in a couple minutes. I have to go see your mother. Take care of her," he adds to Draco who looks proud to finally have been acknowledged graciously by Dad.

"You're going to use this to your advantage aren't you?" He grins as he pulls me onto his lap.

"Would I ever do a thing like that?"

"Yes," I answer instantly, the fire in my stomach lessening a little.

"Now what could I ask you," Draco murmurs twirling a lock of my hair around his finger. He's taking his time, I wonder if he's doing it deliberately.

"Draco," I say as the fire extinguishes completely. "Ask something."

"What do you think of me?"

"You're dead sexy," I whisper giggling. He obviously didn't know the Truth Potion no longer affected me.

"Really?" He seems surprised. "Wait a second, it's worn off hasn't it?"

I nod and his face falls slightly, his usual aura of self-confidence fading a little.

"Don't suppose there's a chance that's what you actually think that is there?"

"You'll never know."

"Well," Draco starts to stand up. "I can always go and whip another batch up and toss it in your tea or something."

"Don't even think about it!" I grin pulling him back down to receive his kiss. "I was telling the truth."

***

Told From Hermione's POV

Dean, I write. I was glad to get your owl. As to your question anything that was between Harry and I is over as of today. Don't ask. I'd love to spend some more time with you once we get to Hogwarts. I'll see you in a couple of weeks on the train.

I quickly scrawled a signature at the bottom of the parchment. Wouldn't it piss Harry off if I asked him to let me use Hedwig to send my letter off to Dean? Only Harry wasn't in his room when I knocked a second time. Probably went downstairs to see if Fred had arrived. I pranced down too to go check. Was George still tied up in the conference room? What were they going to do with him? I know he couldn't have been put under the Imperius Curse because Mrs. Weasley had shut herself up in her room and was wailing loud enough to compete with the portrait of Mrs. Black.

"Ugh!" I yelp, immediately averting my eyes from the sight of Ginny and Draco. I hadn't known they were together like that. I was sure she'd told me he wanted to wait until she was fully over Harry. "Can you please try not to do that in a public place?"

"This coming from a girl who made out with her boyfriend in middle of a crowded street," Draco mutters under his breath as Ginny slides from his lap to the ground. I ignore him, something almost everyone in the house does at one point or another.

"Have either of you guys seen-"

"You're not evil!" Ginny shrieks running past me to embrace her brothers who had just entered behind me along with Harry. He avoids my eyes as he too receives an enthusiastic hug from Ginny. I look away from him to Fred and Ron. Neither is as overjoyed as Ginny but pale and jittery. Fred especially. I guess it was horrible to find out that his own twin, his other half had changed so drastically and he hadn't even noticed.

"Hey," he says softly when he notices me watching him.

"Hi," I say somewhat stiffly. "How've you been?"

"Come on Hermione, let's not be awkward ex's," he tells me, pulling me into a tight hug. "I just found out my own brother's been plotting against me and I feel like hell. How are you?"

I feel my face break into a sad smile. "About the same except for the brother thing."

Fred returns my smile for a moment before it dissipates into the same glum look that had been there before.

"What are you going to do with George?" I ask. "You're not sending him to Azkaban are you?"

"No!" Fred is shocked that I would think such a thing. "We're just letting him go after Dumbledore charms his memory so he'll have no recollection of where Grimmauld Place is." He looks troubled as Ginny asks him to describe in more detail what they found out from George through the Veritaserum.

"Harry can I use Hedwig to send an owl?" I ask quietly, feeling as if we should leave the Weasley's alone for a while. Harry nods and silently leads me away.

***

Told From Harry's POV

Hermione must have had the same idea as me, leaving the Weasley's alone together. I didn't want to think about who she was owling but at least the she was only holding a scratch of parchment. A short letter didn't mean much right?

"Here let me do it," I say taking the letter from her when we reached Hedwig's cage. She had just settled in for a nap and didn't look all too pleased at being woken up.

"You just want to see who I'm writing to," she says although not sounding too unhappy about this fact.

"I already know who you're writing to," I say through clenched teeth as Hedwig clucks at me, giving me a light nip on the ear before heading off.

She smiles brightly. "And it bothers you doesn't it?"

"Do you want it to bother me?"

Hermione looks a little put off by my question. "I don't care. You could have read it if you wanted to."

"Oh yah that's exactly what I wanted to do," I grunt, replenishing Hedwig's dish of food. "I know what you're doing."

Her cheeks flared red. "And what's that?"

"You think if you make me jealous I'll ask you out." I grin triumphantly as her cheek color deepens.

"I have more concerns than you Harry Potter," she sniffs frostily but I can tell she's starting to get fired up.

"Oh yah," I say. "Grades, House elves, me and what else?"

Hermione glares daggers at me. "You are just so -" she stops as a muffled laugh cuts her off. We both turn slowly to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the doorframe listening to us in amusement.

"Did you want something?" Hermione asks bitingly.

"I really don't understand you two," Draco says looking between the two of us. "I mean Potter after what George said I would have thought you'd be trying to be all valiant like you always are and doing your hardest to save her but -"

"What did George say?" Hermione interrupts shakily. Her anger and resentment fading into fear.

Draco stares at her for a moment before turning to me. "You mean you haven't told her?" He shakes his head at me. "You're just going to -"

"Shut up Malfoy!" I shout before he has a chance to tell Hermione anything. "Why are you doing this?"

Draco smiles leeringly. "Gotta get my kicks somehow," he says disappearing out the door, obviously realizing if he pushed me any further he'd be out the door complete with a bloody nose.

Hermione is staring at me fearfully. I always forget that she was Muggleborn and gets more scared by Death Eaters than the rest of us. Her face is pale, eyes wide and I can see her hands are shaking. I reach for her but she backs away quickly.

"Harry," she asks softly, her eyes zipping back and forth between me and the place where Draco had been moments before. "What's going on?"

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"What did George say?" I ask pulling away from him as he reached out to touch me. Harry doesn't answer me, just stares at the ground in front of me.

"Answer me!" I shout. I know its bad. Harry doesn't keep much from me but when he does its usually pretty horrible stuff that he's trying to protect me from.

"What is You-Know-Who gonna come kill me or something?" I laugh shakily as his eyes dart to my face, a look of horror overcoming them. "So it's true?" I laugh some more leaning against the wall for support.

"Hermione I -" he tries to take my hand but I shove him away.

"The most powerful wizard in the world wants to kill me. Is probably already plotted my death and you didn't even try to warn me?" I ask hysterically placing my hands over my eyes to stop the cascade of scared tears from rolling down my face. "Do I really mean that little to you?"

"I couldn't -"

"No!" I'm screaming now. "No. You could! You just wouldn't!" I bury my head in my hands. "Oh my God," I sob softly.

"Don't you get it?" he exclaims angrily throwing a book against the wall to get my attention. "He's coming after you because of ME. This is MY fault. He wants to kill you because I care for you. This is why I pushed you away and why we can't be together."

I sob harder now as I feel his arm encircle my shoulders pulling me closer.

"It's not so bad," he whispers in my ear.

I pull away from him once again. "It is that bad!" I yell looking at him sadly for a moment. "Harry I'm fifteen years old ... I don't wanna die," my voice breaks and he looks about to cry.

"There's one way out of that," he says slowly.

I look at him quickly. "What is it?" "

Stay away from me." "What??"

Stay away from Harry? That was like telling a beggar not to pick up money he finds on the ground. I couldn't stay away from Harry he was my best friend.

"He won't have any reason to take you away from me if you've already distanced yourself from me," Harry explains rationally.

Does he understand what he's asking me to do?

"I already tried to push you away," he whispers his voice taking on more emotion. "But it didn't work."

"Harry I can't stay away from you." I throw my arms around him, taking comfort in the familiar feeling of his sturdy body against mine. "I can't."

"Then are you prepared to die?" he asks staring me straight in the eye.

I don't reply. I don't know what to say. Would I be willing to take the risk of dying in order to be with Harry? I can't think about it as hysteria takes over and I start to cry on to Harry's shoulder.

***

Told From Ron's POV

"Well that was a load of bull if I'd ever heard any," I say as Draco, Harry and Hermione slink away.

Ginny and Fred look up in confusion.

"Memory charms, as Harry pointed out earlier can easily be broken by a powerful wizard and You-Know-Who is nothing but a powerful wizard. So if Dumbledore's not giving him a memory charm right now what is he doing?"

Fred paled, making a face at me. "Trying to convince him to go see Snape. Talk about his feelings, maybe turn good once again."

Ginny laughs. "Yah like George would even do that before he was evil." As soon as the last word popped out of her mouth she fell silent, looking about to cry.

"If that doesn't work?" I ask crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"If that doesn't work then," Fred turns away from us. "If that doesn't work we'll have to let the Ministry deal with him."

Ginny gasps and grabs onto Fred's cloak. "Fred no! We can't!"

Fred shakes his head. "He knows too much. He knows about everything, the Order, Harry's nightmares, where we meet. If You-Know-Who were to get a hold of that information-" he shudders.

Ginny and I exchange looks over his head. She had tears streaming down her face at the possibility of George being sent to Azkaban. I however felt numb. I didn't know what to think. George had never been my closest brother, but he was still my brother. Someone I'd trusted my entire life. The root of his betrayal lay deep but I couldn't feel it yet. I was still in shock, which was preferable over what Ginny and Fred must be going through. Especially Fred. He's probably blaming himself right now, after all the first time in their lives they've been separated from each other and George goes evil.

"We're going to have to change living quarters just for awhile," he continues. "I guess we'll go back to the Burrow and everyone will go home for a couple of weeks before it's safe to reconvene here again."

"Go home?" I whisper as if it were a foreign word. I hadn't been to the Burrow in forever. "What about Harry and Hermione, where would they go?"

"It's unsafe for Harry to go to the Burrow he will most likely be sent back to the Dursleys, there's old magic protecting him there and Hermione," Fred shrugs. "She can go where she pleases."

"Draco?" Ginny asks ignoring the face I made at the mention of his name.

Fred looks much the same. I had filled him in on the Draco/Ginny situation while we were still in the conference room under the Veritaserum.

"He has no place to go so I suppose he'll come with us."

Ginny looks overjoyed while Fred and I exchange wicked grins, the first perhaps that had crossed our faces since news of George.

"Imagine him degnoming the garden!" I exclaim.

"Or sleeping in a cot," Fred adds. "In YOUR room." He points to me.

"I think not!" I say jabbing my own finger in Ginny's direction. "I bet he'd love to stay in her room."

"Bet she'd love to share -"

"Enough!" Ginny shouts, her hands over her ears. "He'll sleep in George's room of course." More tears fall from her face.

Fred and I don't speak reminded of the grave situation at hand.

"Sorry," I say softly shifting my weight awkwardly as Fred breaks down completely.

"My own twin-" he whispers as his body shakes violently. "My other half."

***

Told From Draco's POV

It's times like these that I feel so incredibly lost around this house. I guess it's always going to be like this. Something tragic happens and the Weasley's will all band together and Harry and Hermione will go off to banter about their relationship as always. I have no one. Well I suppose I have Ginny in some way or another but who knows how long that will last. One of these days I know she's going to turn to see that I'm not who she thinks I am, and she's going to leave me. I know when this happens I will die. Ever since I left my father's she's become my oxygen.

I wander listlessly through the house, passing doors and hearing half muffled conversations. Harry and Hermione were still at it, Mr. Weasley was attempting to calm a grief stricken Mrs. Weasley and there was little noise coming from the room where I'd left Ginny. They must be all having a little group cry as well. How did these people get to be so overemotional? So George was a Death Eater? It could be worse. He could be dead. Or hey even worse he could have killed them all.

Growing up where I did I've always been able to sense Dark Magic. I've been able to feel George's presence since I was brought into the house I just couldn't figure out who it was coming from. I'd even begun to suspect it might be Ron.

For some reason I find myself standing in front of the room where I know George is tied up. Listening at the door I can tell that Dumbledore's no longer there.

Slowly I open the door. I'm not sure why I do it. I don't want to. It's like I've been possessed. But that's ridiculous. Malfoy's do not get possessed.

"Hello Draco," George says in an ominous tone. "Shut the door."

I do as I'm told before walking closer.

Don't ask me to untie you," I say. "Because I won't."

George laughs. "You'll do as you're told, boy. But it doesn't matter if I'm sent to Azkaban. The Dementors will be leaving their posts soon anyway."

"I'll tell Dumbledore you said that," I tell him nervously.

"You won't," comes his low reply. "You are now Master's only hope. You must carry out the plan, Draco."

"And if I don't?" I'm very aware that my voice is now coming out in a thin squeak.

"You know what will happen if you don't Draco," he says. "I was there when your father sent you that message. He will kill Ginny."

I ball my hands into fist, wanting to pound his head in. "And you'd let him do that to your own sister?"

A flash of mixed emotion passes over George's face but then it's gone. "Anything for my master, Voldemort," he says simply. "Now you know -"

There's a flurry of footsteps outside the door. I look around frantically as George hisses, "The wardrobe. Get in the wardrobe!"

I quickly jump inside the wardrobe, curling myself in a ball under the hanging clothes trying to conceal myself just in case someone opens it.

"I'm sorry George," I hear Dumbledore sigh. "It's the only way."

CRACK!

After Dumbledore Disapparated with George I went to go find Ginny. She was the same as I'd left her just sadder. She leapt into my arms when I entered the room. She seems to feel the need to cling to people when horrible things happened to her. I didn't mind at all. I would hold her till the end of the world if she wanted me to.

"They took him away," she whispers into my ear.

"I'm sorry Gin," I tell her, not letting on that I already knew. I still couldn't believe George would do that to his own sister, well I suppose I could. I'd seen my father do worse but George had never seemed the type. None of the Weasley's did. While my family represented the darkness of the wizarding world theirs was the good. I didn't know any other family that would take me in after the horrible ways I'd treated their children for years.

"I know," she says finally pulling away.

Her brothers are a mess. Ron looks like a truck ran over him and Fred is still sitting on the ground head in hands. I feel a rush of pity towards them. I had never known my father to be anything less than what he was but to have someone who used to be as good and true as them become such a low creature was an awful experience. I'm once again glad I refused to become a Death Eater.

But, a little voice at the back of my head says. You didn't defy Voldemort. You are still working for him whether you have the Dark Mark or not.

No, I shake my head ridding myself of all those negative thoughts. I help him with this one last plan and I'm free.

"Draco?" Ginny's asking.

"What?"

She smiles at me and I feel my knee's go weak. She's so incredibly beautiful it hurts to look at her. Why didn't she already have a boyfriend? I'm reminded painfully of my first meeting with Ginny at Flourish and Blotts where I was taunting Harry as usual and I started going on at him for getting a girlfriend. What must she have thought of me then? "You were spacing out," she tells me. "You do that a lot. What are you thinking about?" "You," I say truthfully wiping a few stray tears from her eyes with the pads of my thumbs. She giggles lightly and I close my eyes as she stands on tiptoes to kiss my forehead. "You're sweet."

"No I'm not."

"You have this mean bad guy image but deep down at heart it's not who you are," she argues. "You just don't want to admit."

If only she knew.

I wanted to tell her everything I'd been through the last couple months but doing so would only get me killed or worse her.

"Excuse me," Mr. Weasley clears his throat sounding quite embarrassed. Harry, Hermione and Lavender are with him. I notice that the news of George's betrayal hasn't changed her cheery self. Or maybe like me she just keeps all her feelings beneath the surface and the happiness is just a mask. Ginny blushes profusely and takes a few steps away.

"I want you all to pack immediately. My gang's heading back to the Burrow. Harry you're to go to the Dursley's with Lupin - " he puts his hand up to stop the Harry from protesting. "Draco," he says grudgingly. "You're with us and Hermione you are to go with Lavender to the Finnigan's."

I see Hermione's mouth open a few times and then close.

"I'm sorry if you don't like these arrangements," Mr. Weasley looks around at us, giving a particularly long look at Harry. "But we don't have a choice. Please go collect your things. I'll meet you in front of the main fireplace in ten minutes."

***

Told From Hermione's POV

"You'll like the Finnigan's," says Lavender comfortingly to me as we hurry to pack up all our things.

I don't answer, acting like I was deeply fascinated in folding my clothes.

"I won't pretend to know what's going on with you and Harry," she says softly. "And I know you don't want to leave him right now but maybe a change of scenery and people will help you." She gives my hand a squeeze and once again I try to pinpoint the exact point I'd stopped thinking of Lavender as a stupid blonde and she'd stopped thinking I was only good for copying homework. But I couldn't. It had just happened one day without our awareness.

"I'm ready," I sigh magicking our luggage so it would follow us down the winding hallway. Everyone was already at the hearth saying their goodbyes to Harry when we got there. Harry, who was wrapped up in one of Mrs. Weasley's bear hugs locked eyes with me across the room. I knew what he was asking. Had I decided yet?

I'd barely had time to think of it. I'd always liked to think that when it came down to it I would die for my loved ones and maybe in the heat of the moment that decision would come to me in a heartbeat but right now...

"Well I'll give you all a moment to say good bye," Mr. Weasley says hastily looking from me to Harry.

Lavender went over to talk to Ron as Harry walked towards me.

"Funny isn't it," he says though his expression is humourless. "Just awhile ago you were burning pictures of you and me and now you've got to decide..." his voice trails off at the look on my face. "So?"

"I don't know," I say my mind drawing a blank at how to explain my feelings to him. How can you tell someone you know you'd die for them in a split second if it came down to it but talking about it gave you second thoughts?

"I haven't had enough time to think about it. Harry it's just -"

He shakes his head. "Don't worry. I understand."

But he doesn't.

"I'll call you everyday," I promise trying to make up for not having an answer.

"The Finnigan's don't have a phone," Lavender puts in helpfully from behind me. "

Well then I'll owl you everyday."

"Hermione it's ok," Harry tells me giving an impatient Mr. Weasley an apologetic smile. "No," I say tears coming to my eyes. "It's not. I'm not going to see you for weeks." I throw my arms around him and held him as tight as I could.

"That could be a good thing," he whispers. I

grip him tighter, memorizing every outline of his body. "That's never a good thing," I cry. Finally through a combination of Harry's prying me off and Mr. Weasley's mounting irritation I let him go.

He gives me a smile. "I'll see you soon."

I nod and start handing Mr. Weasley my trunk.

Hesitatingly I turn back around to face Harry. "I love you," I say not caring who hears it. Harry opens his mouth to reply but I don't let him speak.

"You don't have to say anything back I just want you to know that no matter what I love you."

Before he can say anything I grab a handful of floo powder from Mrs. Weasley and jump in the fireplace after Lavender. I hated travelling by Floo about as much as Harry as being knocked around through different fires was not my idea of a picnic and who on the other side should help me up and swat off the soot but a grinning Dean Thomas.