The Dark Prince

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It's hard to lead the life you choose

All I wanted

When all your luck's run out on you

All I wanted

You can't see when all your dreams are coming true

Oh yeah it's easy to forget yeah

You choke on the regrets yeah

Who the hell did I think I was

Goo Goo Dolls - Sympathy

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Chapter 3

...lead the life you choose...

"Mione, what are you doing?"

Hermione looked up into Ron's worried face and said, "Ron! What are you doing here? Don't you have practice?"

Ron shrugged and sat down.

"Called off. One of our Chasers came down with a bout of flu, which can't be treated with magic, and is recovering."

"Oh."

"Anyway, what are you doing? I'm so surprised to find you in the Ministry library of all places."

Hermione smiled at the old joke then said, "I'm looking."

Ron arched an eyebrow and asked, "May I ask what you are looking for?"

"The identity of the Dark Prince."

"What!? Hermione, that's dangerous!"

Hermione scowled at him and his ears turned red.

"Oh. Maybe not."

"Yes. I'm trying to figure out why he wouldn't attack me. He said I should know who he was. But who could it be?"

"Could be anyone you know."

Hermione smiled and said, "Well, you're ruled out as you were there when he came in my apartment."

"Hold on. I was a suspect?"

"Ron, they're looking at every guy I've said I've known. You are now officially ruled out."

"Oh... So, who's not?"

"I have no idea."

"Is...Harry suspected?"

Hermione looked up and nodded.

"Harry?"

"He has been missing for four years. No owls, no slight glimpse, nothing. It's as though he's vanished off the face of the earth.

Ron frowned and asked, "You don't think...you don't think he's the Dark Prince?"

Hermione sighed and closed the thick book she had been looking at, crossing her arms on top of it and resting her head on them.

"I don't know, Ron. I really don't know."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Stranger than your sympathy

All these thoughts you stole from me

I'm not sure where I belong

Nowhere's home and I'm all wrong

And I wasn't all the things

I tried to make believe I was

And I wouldn't be the one to kneel

Before the dreams I wanted

And all the talk and all the lies

Were all the empty things disguised as me

Yeah stranger than your sympathy stranger than your sympathy

Goo Goo Dolls - Sympathy

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Chapter 4

...all the talk and all the lies...

A month after the Dark Prince had appeared in Hermione's apartment, she was walking casually through Diagon Alley, looking at all of the shops when she saw a familiar mop of untidy black hair. An involuntary grin broke over her face and she thought, Harry! Shoving her way towards him, she reached out a tugged at his sleeve.

"Mione!"

"Harry!"

Hermione threw herself onto her old friend, hugging him tightly. Harry coughed and croaked, "Easy, Mione. What's all the huff about?"

"Harry, I haven't seen or heard from you in four years. I was worried!"

Harry flashed a bright grin and said, "Worried?"

"Yes! Where've you been?"

"Oh, here and there."

"Staying out of trouble I hope."

Harry smiled mischievously and rubbed his chin. "Hmmm. Trouble? I'm afraid I don't know the word."

Hermione grinned and punched his playfully. "Silly."

Harry grinned in return and asked, "How about we eat lunch together? What are you doing now?"

"Working at the Ministry in the Mysteries department."

"How interesting."

"Actually it's pretty boring. I think I'd quit if Natasha wasn't there."

"Who's Natasha?"

"Oh, she works in Mysteries too. But on the potions."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "They have a potions section in the Mysteries department?"

"Yes. No one actually knows about it, so..."

"My lips are sealed." He made the same motion Natasha had made a month before, locking his mouth with a fake key. Somehow, that set off alarm bells in Hermione's head.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Mione?" said Harry, looking across the street at the Quidditch supply shop.

"Have you heard anything about the Dark Prince?"

Harry looked down at her in surprise.

"Of course, Mione. Everyone has."

"I mean, lately. Have you heard about the attack on Diagon Alley?"

Harry nodded and Hermione took a deep breath before saying her next sentence.

"Have you heard that he appeared in my apartment the day after that?"

Green eyes widened and Hermione suddenly noticed a pair of glasses no longer framed them.

"Mione. Are you alright? I had no idea..."

"No one does except for Ron and Natasha. They were there."

"The Prince? In your own apartment? Why?"

"I don't know. He-he seems to know me. But I still haven't figured out who he could possibly be."

Harry slipped his arm about her shoulders and said, "You will. I know it. After all, you weren't the smartest witch in Hogwarts for all seven years we were there."

Hermione blushed then smiled as Harry said, "Ah, ice cream. Want some?"

"Certainly."

"Vanilla?"

Hermione smiled. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," replied Harry, flashing a wide grin before he walked across the street to Florean's. Hermione stood there watching him until a pair of hands reached out from the alleyway behind her and pulled her into it. She shrieked in protest and tried to fight but the dark robed figure pressed a wand to her neck and whispered, "Struggle, and die, Mudblood."

Hermione swallowed hard and forced herself to relax, watching as Harry crossed the street with an ice cream cone in each hand.

"Mione?"

An object was suddenly shoved into her hand and she left a tug at her navel. Portkey!

The last thing she heard before she was whisked away was her name.

"Hermione!"

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

The Dark Prince adjusted his mask over his face and Apparated into the Death Eater fortress. He stalked down the hallways to the dungeons, where a single Death Eater stood guard.

"Nott!"

The Death Eater came to attention and bowed.

"Prince."

"You have her?"

"Yes, milord."

"Good. Which cell is she in? I wish to...visit her."

Nott smirked (he was not wearing his mask. no Death Eater but the Prince did inside the fortress) and said, "Number Nine."

"Nine?" said the Prince with surprise.

"Nine."

"I see... Hmm. No matter. Open the door and give me the key."

"Yes, milord."

Nott handed over the key then turned and unlocked the heavily charmed door. No one could get past it by magic. He opened it then watched as the Prince entered. As he closed the door, he wondered who exactly the Dark Prince was.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying on the floor staring at a stone wall. Sitting up, she heard a clinking sound and looked down. A pair of snake's slithered across her wrists and she leapt away, screaming. But the snake's followed her, wrapping around her wrists again.

As she screamed, the door opened and someone stepped in. She did not notice them through her shrieks.

"Finite Incantatem. Silly little contraption, isn't it?"

Hermione looked at her wrists and saw the snakes were gone. Illusion, she thought. Then, she looked up at her 'savior'.

And immediately scrambled across the small room - actually a cell - into a corner. The Dark Prince stood there, calmly watching her.

He closed the cell door and sat down on a chair that appeared with a snap of his fingers. Watching her, he said, "So, we meet again, Miss Granger. I trust you are - comfortable - here?"

Hermione glared at him and snapped, "Oh, yes, real comfortable. I was just dying to get kidnapped by a Death Eater so I could be this bloody comfortable."

She swore the Prince smiled behind his mask.

"My, my. You have changed. Then again, so have I. Though, I must say, you sounded rather like Professor Snape just a moment ago."

Hermione blinked. "What?"

"I don't take to repeating myself, Miss Granger."

"I know what you said. But....how do you know what Professor Snape sounds like?"

"I went to Hogwarts, Miss Granger. Perhaps you remember me."

Hermione brushed a lock of hair away from her face and grumbled, "I've been trying to figure out who you are for a month and I haven't had any luck." She laughed and added, "I thought you might even be Harry, but I saw him yesterday..."

The Dark Prince smirked and she started.

"Oh God..."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"She's gone! She's gone and all my fault! I should have been with her!"

Natasha grabbed Ron's arms as he made to hit the wall of Hermione's apartment and said, "It's not your fault. She would have been kidnapped whether you were there or not."

Ron looked at her then slumped.

"Your right."

"Thank you. Oh, we're getting a call." Natasha walked over to the fireplace and jumped. "Professor Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore smiled at her from the fire and said, "Hello, Miss Bennett. Is Mr. Weasley there?"

"Yes, professor," said Ron, striding into view.

"Ah, good, good. Could you two come up to Hogwarts today?"

Natasha and Ron looked at each other then Ron asked, "Is something wrong, professor?"

"Wrong? Certainly. Miss Granger has been kidnapped. But, no, nothing is wrong here. I simply wish to talk."

Natasha said, "It's my day off."

"Our next match isn't till the weekend. I can come," said Ron.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Excellent. I will be in my office. The password is Fizzle Sticks." A moment later his head was gone from the fireplace and Ron shook his head. Natasha looked at him and asked, "What?"

"Fizzle Sticks are a candy my twin brother's Fred and George made in their seventh year."

"Yeah." Natasha grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the apartment.