Sweet Sixteen

*~Chapter Eight~*

He knew. Malfoy knew that Viktor was a Death Eater. But for some reason, he led there, to his grave, to see the mark that had branded him as none other than a walking zombie. Instead of telling her to brace herself for what she was about to see, he just sat there in the dirt, a smirk plastered on his face, knowing what she was thinking. Hermione slowly turned around, her eyes void of any emotion. All Malfoy could do was stare at her. He didn't know what to say, what he could say. Hermione took one last glance at Viktor's body, and closed the casket.

"He died for you," said Malfoy after a stage of silence. Hermione turned around and faced him. He had never seen someone's eyes look so betrayed.

"What?" she asked in a weak voice, staring at him.

"He didn't get hit by a bludger. My dad killed him because he couldn't do the job he was assigned to," sighed Malfoy.

"What didn't he do?" Hermione asked above a whisper.

"He didn't kill you." Hermione gave him a questioning gaze. "Don't look at me like that. You know that Voldemort has been pretty much after you since you were twelve," Hermione's questioning gaze didn't change. "Do I have to spell it out for you? Harry Potter's best friend, best girl friend. If they capture you they will have Potter eating out of their hands."

"Don't you think that information would have been more useful to me before tonight? I mean why have me come out here if you were just going to explain it all anyway?" Hermione said irritably.

"I didn't think you would believe me. I thought it was better if you found out on your own accord."

Hermione glanced up at the pinks and orange colors begging to rise from the dark then back down at Malfoy.

"We should get going. We have a ball to get ready for."

*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was a Sunday morning and Hermione had just gotten back into her bed, not even three hours ago. She glanced at her clock. She had a Prefect meeting in a half-hour for the final plans of the Halloween Ball, which was less than one week away. She could hear Lavendar and Parvati in the bathroom giggling about their new dress robes they had just gotten from Hogsmeade. She rolled her eyes and got herself out of her four-poster, pulled on her robes, threw her hair in a bun, and ran into the common room. She was about to sprint out of the portrait hole, when she heard a familiar person call her name.

"Hermione." She turned around.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione responded timidly, meeting his gaze.

"Could you come and sit down for a minute?" Hermione glanced at the portrait hole.

"I have a Prefect meeting right now, do you think we could talk later?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, Hermione," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Hermione smiled her gratitude and made her way to the library. When she got there, everyone was already there discussing the final plans. Professor McGonagall stopped talking to give her 'the look'. Hermione muttered her apology and sat down.

"... You will all be decorating the Great Hall this Friday. You will be excused from your lessons so we can get it done faster. You are also expected to have a partner. Well, that is all I think. Everyone have a nice day." With that McGonagall left.

Hermione picked up her bag, and met Malfoy's eyes. They stared at each other for a moment or two before Hermione glanced away, leaving to go speak with Harry. When she got to the common room, he was still sitting in the same position, this time with Ron, Parvati and Cho. She resisted the urge to pull her hair out and instead walked over to the nearest chair adjacent from Harry. They sat there in silence, while Cho and Parvati both glared daggers at Hermione.

"Girls, do you mind giving us some privacy?" asked Ron, not taking his eyes off the fire. Cho and Parvati glanced at each other, shrugged, and headed out of the common room.

"Hermione, I don't understand. If you were feeling neglected you should have said something," sighed Ron.

"Yeah that and why didn't you tell us your parents...died?" asked an uneasy Harry.

Hermione just sat there. Truth be told, she didn't know why she hadn't said anything. Except for.... Harry. He deserved to be happy after all that's happened to him.

"I didn't want you to worry about me. You both seemed so happy. I didn't want to get in the way of that, which you deserve," explained Hermione.

"You don't think that you not telling us something like this hurt ten times more? Hermione you are our best friend, and the first girl in our life.... I'm sorry," said Harry.

"I'm sorry too, 'Mione," added Ron.

"I'm sorry as well," Hermione said as she got up from her spot, and made her way to the couch were they were sitting, to find two pairs of strong arms around her waist, holding her.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" said Harry after awhile. "I mean, about your parents and everything else?" Hermione glanced up at him, smiled a little and said.

"Yes, Harry, don't worry about me."

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It was Friday morning. Exactly eight hours, forty-five minutes, and twenty seconds before the night's Halloween Ball. And here Hermione was... dateless. Dateless and one of the few people actually decorating while the rest chatted up the whole ruddy afternoon. Hermione finished putting the decorations on the rather large wall, and was about to proceed to the next box of decorations when a piece of parchment at the end of the box caught her eye. She bent down to pick it up, and was immediately overcome with a feeling of déjà vu. She opened it up to find a passage of sorts, reading:

On the night of All Hallows Eve, after the chosen's sixteenth birthday, they will come into their own, and the world will once again be put into much danger.

"What the heck?" Hermione muttered underneath her breath. Suddenly Malfoy bounded over to her. She was so surprised, she tossed the paper out of her hands and into Malfoy's.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Hermione snarled. But when she looked back at him his eyes were cold.

"Where did you get this?" asked Malfoy in a harsh whisper. She just stared back at him blankly. "I asked you a question. Where?!"

"I dunno, I found it in that box over there," Hermione pointed to the box, obviously confused. Malfoy looked at the box then over at her.

"Wasn't Potter supposed to come and help bring the empty boxes in the storage closet?" he asked skeptically. Suddenly a light came on in her head.

"Oh my God! Harry's in danger!" she yelled. Everyone turned to look at her. "Do you think Voldemort will attack at midnight?" Hermione asked, fearful for Harry's life. Malfoy looked so lost.

He shook his head and replied, "I dunno. Maybe. Do you have a date for tonight?" Hermione looked at him skeptically. "Relax, Granger, I wasn't going to ask you. I was wondering; if you don't have a date, then you can watch the back doors, and I would watch the front. In case he does decide to show up."

"Yes, I mean, no, I don't have a date. But yes I will do it," she looked down and whispered, "Anything for him." Malfoy rolled his eyes.

"Oh yes I forgot. You're another one of his groupies," he spat as he walked out the door.

~~~'~~~~''~~'~''~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'~

Hermione looked over herself in the mirror. She had put a straitening charm on her hair, while half of it was up, and on the sides, strategically places, were Baby's Breath. She first applied mascara, then a bit of blue eye shadow, and finally a touch of pink lip-gloss. But the thing that really stuck out was her dress robes: they were a sky blue color, with the thin straps of the dress hanging off her shoulders. While her robes that went over the dress was a sheer glossy color. Her shoes were thin and stripy, and wrapped around her calves.

She exited out of the common room a short while later, and was about to reach the Great Hall's double doors, when she saw Harry and Ron looking great.... accompanied by their girlfriends.

"Wow! Hermione, you look wonderful," exclaimed Harry, and, to Hermione's great appeal, was eyeing her.

"Yeah, you look awesome," agreed Ron. The five of them walked into the Hall together, Hermione was about to sit down at a table near the middle, but she suddenly remembered what Malfoy was talking about before. She excused herself from them, and got a table by herself towards the back.

She watched people dance for what seemed like hours. She looked towards the back of the Hall, then to the front. It was just about midnight. If Voldemort was going to come it was going to be soon. Five minutes passed... four minutes.... Three minutes...Two minutes.... Ok, he wasn't coming.

Hermione suddenly felt the Hall spinning, then stop. All of a sudden, all the glass within the Hall shattered into a million pieces and stayed there for a moment before it flung itself on all the students, in a swirling mass of chaos. The Hall's 'sky' seemed to have been sucked in, and black cloaks fell from it. Suddenly all the pandemonium ceased. Harry walked up to the middle of the Hall and picked up the cloak, and a piece of parchment fell out. He opened it up and read:

It has been done.

He looked up from the peculiar letter and saw Hermione, Susan, and Luna lying on the floor. That wouldn't have been weird to him, since she probably got knocked in the head with some glass, but Malfoy was.... No... he couldn't be.... Kissing Hermione? Harry's eyes went from concerned, to blood boiling hate in five seconds, and even shorter for him to get over there, and knock him senseless.