Taboo

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood in front of the Hogwarts Express, each carrying their baggage. Crookshanks hissed and yowled fiercely from inside his wicker basket. Mrs. Weasley fussed over them, clucking like a mother hen.

"You be good now," she said to all of them as the conductor blew his whistle, signaling the last chance for passengers to board. "Hurry up then, you don't want to be late." They said their goodbyes and got onto the train, walking until they found an empty compartment.

"I'll see you later," said Ginny. "I've promised to meet Dean."

"Oh," said Harry, trying to hide the note of disappointment in his voice. "Well, see you later." He gave her a weak smile and stared after her until she disappeared into another compartment.

"Ouch!" Harry swore as something hit him hard in the back of his head. He whirled around.

"Sorry, Harry," said Ron, trying to shove his trunk back onto the rack. "Could you give me a hand with this thing?"

"Um, Harry," said Hermione from behind him, as he and Ron hoisted the heavy trunk onto the rack. "Ron and I are supposed to patrol the corridors...but not for long," she added hastily.

"Right," said Harry. "Prefects. Well, you go on then. I'll just, er, wait here."

"See you, mate." Harry remained silent. Ron and Hermione exchanged looks and exited the compartment. Alone, Harry sat down in one of the seats. He had never quite forgiven Dumbledore for not making him a prefect. But he supposed that Fred and George were right; he'd caused too much trouble... His thoughts drifted to Malfoy. What did he want Borgin to fix for him? Had Malfoy become a full-fledged Death Eater? Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione were with the other prefects.

"Do you think Harry's alright?" said Hermione worriedly.

"He'll be fine," Ron assured her. They hurried back to the compartment when they were dismissed from prefect duty.

"Harry?" called Hermione tentatively when she saw him with his head in his hands. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, you're back," he said, looking up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"I'm starving," said Ron, pulling out his moneybag. "Let's go find the lunch trolley, shall we?" Harry eagerly agreed and followed Ron out of the compartment. Hermione said she wasn't hungry and pulled out her Arithmancy textbook and began to read.

Draco Malfoy saw Harry and Ron leaving their compartment. He left Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise in the compoartment with the excuse that he had to use the toilet. She was alone now, and he had to make his move.

Nobody on the train knew it, but Malfoy (like Harry suspected) had been inducted into Voldemort's circle of Death Eaters. And the Dark Lord had given him a task, a very difficult task that Draco knew he had little chance of accomplishing. He would be killed if he didn't do it, so he might as well try, on the odd chance that he would succeed. He knew that the Dark Lord didn't expect him to be successful, but he would do anything to stay alive a little longer. Anything for her. Draco had had a crush on Hermione Granger ever since the Yule Ball in their fourth year. He'd been waiting for the perfect moment to tell her, but it had never presented itself. But no, he must do it, for time was running out. He thought about all the times he'd called her Mudblood, the time he'd jinxed her, the Rita Skeeter interviews... he was determined to make it up to her, somehow.

He peered into the compartment and saw that she was absorbed in a textbook. Quietly, he slid the door open.

"That was fast," she commented, without looking up, thinking that Harry and Ron had returned. When he didn't respond, she looked up to see who was at the door. Seeing him standing there, she immediately pulled out her wand. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she said, glaring at him.

"I-I just--" he stammered, tongue-tied. He stared down at his feet, feeling shy and vulnerable.

"Well?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

"I--never mind," he said, losing his courage completely. He turned and left the compartment just as Harry and Ron came back, their arms full of sweets.

"Oi! Malfoy!" Ron threw down some Chocolate Frogs and pulled out his wand. Harry had his wand out too. "What were you doing in our compartment?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he glanced at Hermione and hurried back to his own compartment.

"What did he do to you?" asked Harry. "What did he want?"

"I'm not really sure," said Hermione, sounding confused. "He kind of just stood there. He was trying to say something, but he kept stuttering and in the end he said 'Never mind' and left. I don't understand it."

"Well, if he calls you a you-know-what one more time..." said Ron, threateningly, while unwrapping a Pumpkin Pasty.

---

Malfoy gratefully slid back into his own compartment and sat down.

"What was the hold up?" asked Blaise.

"Met Potter, Weasel King, and the Mudblood on the way," he said, smirking to make it more convincing. Crabbe and Goyle snickered.

"Did you jinx them, Draco?" purred Pansy, stroking his white-blond hair.

"No." he shook his head. "Er...lunch trolley." Pansy looked satisfied with his explanation.

"Well, you'll get them next time, won't you, Drakie-poo?"

"Shut up," he said to Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise, who were sniggering. He turned back to Pansy. "Of course I will," he said soothingly.

Soon it was time for them to change into school robes, as they were approaching Hogwarts. The train arrived at the platform and the compartments emptied quickly. As they climbed into the carriages that would take them up to the school, Malfoy gave a longing sigh as he saw Hermione disappear into a carriage with Ron, Harry, Neville, and Luna.