Sweet Sixteen

~ Chapter Fourteen ~

Harry gasped for air as he awoke suddenly. Beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead as he recounted what had happened in his dream. He had seen Hermione looking out of her window and she had seen The Dark Mark. Harry remembered the last time he had seen the mark. It was in his fourth year at the Quidditch World Cup. He hadn't understood at the time why everyone was making such a big deal out of it; that is until Mr. Weasley set Ron and him straight.

"I don't get it," said Ron, frowning. "I mean... it's still only a shape in the sky..."

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark in the air whenever they killed...." explained Mr. Weasley.

Harry was broken out of his flashback when the clock chimed 'breakfast'. Harry quickly got up and got dressed, and he and Ron started out of the Portrait hole. Ron was again talking about the Chudley Cannons, and Harry was about to politely point out for the tenth time that they had not won a match in a couple of months when a warning bell silently went off in his head.... Killed ... Dark Mark. Harry stopped suddenly as he had finally put two and two together.

"Ron, uh you go on ahead, mate. I have to talk to Dumbledore about something." Harry said rather quickly.

"You sure, Harry? I can come with you if you want..."

"No, that's okay, Ron. Could you save me some breakfast, though?"

"Yeah, sure." Ron watched silently as Harry sprinted off to the Headmasters office.

Ron entered the Great Hall and looked around for somebody to sit with. In the middle of the table he saw Ginny, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavendar and Parvati. He was about to make his way over and sit with them when he noticed Hermione perched by herself at the edge of the table. Instead of food on her plate, a rather large-looking book had taken its place. She looked haggard, and even from far away Ron could see the circles under her eyes. He also noticed that instead of reading the book, she was staring at it as though she saw the meaning of life in the old pages.

"Hey Ron, what are you doing? Come sit down, you're starting to make me nervous," said Ginny, while laughing at something Neville had said. Ron glanced back at Hermione.

"No, that's okay, Ginny. I'm going to sit over there with Hermione." The group of Gryffindors gave Ron a weird look before resuming their conversation.

He started to make his way over, timid at first but ever growing in confidence. He stood in front of her for what felt like five minutes, but in reality just a few seconds. Ron sat down and grabbed a napkin and started gathering food into it. Finally Hermione looked up, completely shocked.

"Ron... what are you doing?" she managed to choke out at last.

"What does it look like? I'm getting ready to knit some elf hats." He smiled at her.

"You want to eat with me?" Hermione just stared at him.

"Okay, look. I just wanted to come and apologize. I know I have been a real prat lately, but I was just scared Hermione. I suppose I still am. But you're my best friend, and just because, well... just because something happened that you have no control over I make a stupid mistake and turn away from you. You've always been there for me, and I'm here to return the favor. That is if you'll let me."

Hermione looked as though she hadn't even heard him. She was still staring in front of her. Ron was about to say something when she interrupted.

"What about Harry? I mean if he finds out..."

"Who cares, I'm not going to stop talking to you just because he isn't."

Hermione bit her lip and looked downward, Ron got up and walked around the table and put his arm around her, and Hermione let her head rest on his chest.

"Of course I forgive you," answered Hermione. For the rest of breakfast Hermione was smiling in Ron's arms, finally she had her best friend back, and she'd be damned if anything got in the way of that again. Now, if only she could get Harry to understand...

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Harry tapped on the door to Dumbledore's office, and immediately the sound of the Headmaster's voice filled the once silent room.

"Come in, Harry." Harry pushed the door open a little too fast and dashed to the seat in front of Dumbledore, and he immediately started telling his story about what he had seen, albeit it was a little rushed and unclear, but Dumbledore had gotten the message.

"Well, Harry, I will inform the rest of the members of the Order of your dream. In the mean time, I want you to keep a close eye on Hermione. If she leaves this castle, everyone's lives could be in danger. Do you understand?" Dumbledore stared at him with meaningful eyes.

Harry nodded, "Thank you, Professor," and pushed back the chair, stood up and left. He checked his watch to see if he still had time to eat, but unfortunately, it was over about a half hour ago, so he decided to go back to the Common Room and get started on his Transfiguration homework. When he got inside, however, seeing Ron and Hermione laughing and playing Wizards chess, was NOT what he expected, at all.

"Ron. What are you doing?" asked Harry with a dark gleam in his eyes and his stance wide and dominating. Ron and Hermione stopped laughing abruptly and looked up, they both exchanged glances and Hermione looked down, immediately avoiding Harry's eyes, while Ron looked straight at him.

"Oh, hey, mate. Hermione and I were just playing chess. Do you want to join, Ms. Brain is nearly seconds away from losing..."

"Ron, that's not what I meant. Why are you hanging around -" Harry cast his finger in Hermione's direction "-her?"

Ron looked up at him again calmly, they held each others stare for a moment, then Ron turned his attention to Hermione. "Love, why don't you go on upstairs, this could get ugly."

"No. If you guys are going to be discussing issues about me, I think I have a right to hear." She looked indignant at even the thought of the idea.

"Fine." Ron stood up so he was level with Harry, and crossed his arms around his chest. "Look, Harry. You're my best friend, you always have been and always will be; however, Hermione is my best friend too. I understand you're mad at her, wait, no actually I don't. I mean she can't control things she knew nothing about until a few months ago. For a while I went along with you, because I thought I lost one friend and I didn't want to lose another, but I finally figured out how dense I was. She needs us Harry." Ron finished looking at him solemnly.

"So?" answered Harry childishly.

"So, I think you know that," fired back Ron. Harry didn't want to admit it, but he was right, she was right, everyone was. But he couldn't just say he was 'sorry' now, after having waited so long. No, he had to stick by his claim. He just couldn't look at Hermione's angelic face when he did.

"Yeah, well you know what I think..." Harry glanced in her direction, her eyes were this amazing shade of brown, and her hair flowed over her shoulders...and, well there goes that idea of sticking by your claim, way to go, Potter. "I... I think, if you want to go ahead and be friends with her, then go ahead and do it. But I will have no interaction with that, that thing!" Harry felt triumphant, that is until he saw her face fall, and he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces.

"I know I've been awful Harry, but all I want is a chance; a chance to be your friend again. I know that might be asking a lot, but I really have missed you." She glanced down then back at him. "I respect your decision, but I just want to let you know, I am so sorry, for everything, if I could take this all back, you know I would in an instant. Do you think it's easy for me, to have to know I only have two decisions? Either I destroy anything and everything in Hogwarts, or HE will destroy everything. There's no other option. No way of..." Hermione suddenly trailed off, looking as though she just had an epiphany. "Excuse me, I have to go." Then she suddenly ran out of the Common Room and left the two boys a little more then dazed.

Harry took his invisibility cloak and decided to go for a walk about ten minuets after Hermione left. He couldn't get her out of his mind, so he thought maybe a little relaxation would help. At that moment Harry had never thought so low of himself in his entire life, granted he was only sixteen. He pushed both of his friends away, the only family he had left as far as he was concerned, and why? Well its simple really, he was a prick. Blinded by his own fears and insecurities that he simply disregarded Hermione and what's worse is that he has been having defiant more-than-friends sort of feelings toward her, which just, just isn't - well - he didn't know what it was.

Suddenly he stopped and looked around, where the hell was he? He had never seen this part of the castle. How long had he been walking for anyway? He looked to his left and saw a door cracked open about an inch, and he walked over to it and opened it a little more, and what he saw made his jaw drop about three feet. There were three rows of benches on each side, four small steps leading up to an ancient marble alter and on top sat a old looking elongated table with about a hundred small clear red candles lined up in perfect rows, but only about half of them were lit. To each side of the room were white linen's hung up by strings, and if you looked past the table full of candles, you saw a statue of Jesus Christ being hung on the cross. All of a sudden a person stepped out of the shadows, it was Hermione. She had a match and mumbled something under her breath and lit a candle, and so on and so forth until she had lit ten.

Then she kneeled down in front of the statue and started weeping in her hands, her cry's contradicted the rooms stillness. Harry was taken by surprise. He had never seen her cry like this before. All he knew was he never wanted to again. Then she started talking.

"God, I'm sorry I know I have been away from you for so long, but I need to ask a favor of you. Please protect all my friends, especially Harry. Please let them be safe from any harm in the next couple of days; and I know what I am about to do is rash, but please forgive me for I think it is the only way out of making everyone suffer." Then she slowly got up and sat on one of the benches. Harry turned around and left Hermione with herself and her thoughts, and as Harry shuffled away the only thing he could think of was how Hermione didn't deserve any of this, most of all, she didn't deserve to have a 'friend' like him.

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The next day had gone by so fast, it was as if everyone blinked and the sun was setting into the hills. Draco Malfoy was roaming the halls, seeing as how it was his turn to make sure there was no one out and about in the corridors. He stopped at the sound of footsteps. He turned towards his right and saw a shadow. Instinctively, he pulled out his wand and followed the shadow's footsteps. Then, from behind him he heard the sound of a door being shut. He turned around, but saw no body. Draco thought about going after the person behind the door, but what about the shadow guy? Well, the door seemed like the more logical, so without hesitation he moved for the door and opened it with a swift push. Who else was standing there but his 'father', Lucius Malfoy. Lucius was sitting on a desk, a cool clam expression on his face.

"Hello, Draco. What, no hug?" Draco just stared at him and walked forward and closed the door.

"Father, what are you doing here?" Draco said harshly, standing right by the door. His right hand was behind his back, and the left one was gripping the door knob for a quick escape.

"Well, think Draco, why else would we be here? It is time to switch Miss Granger, into her true form." Lucius smirked icily. "My fellow companions and I were thinking you should go ahead and get Granger." Lucius stood up and handed Draco a piece of paper. "This is the password to the Gryffindor Tower. Go get her and lead her deep into the Forbidden Forest, and don't stop until you come to a clearing." Lucius made to leave, but stopped and faced Draco. "Oh, yes, and please inform her that if she doesn't show up within a hour, then we will come here and find her." Draco opened the door for him, and waited till he was completely gone before he ran, no sprinted to the Gryffindor Tower and gave the Old Fat lady in pink the password Lumos and entered. No one was out in the Common Room, which he was glad for, it would make this easier. He cast a spell on the staircases that would allow him to climb them.

When he got to what must have been the sixth year girls dormitory, he forced the door open. He saw Hermione sitting at her desk writing what looked like a letter. Her head snapped up when she heard the door open.

"Draco... what are you..."

"No time for that. My father was just here, he told me Voldemort is waiting for you in the Forbidden Forest. We got to get you out of here."

"No. I have to meet him," she said determinately

"Have you gone bonkers? Hermione if they find you...."

"Yes, I know, Draco. But I have a plan; besides if I don't they might kill people, and I can't let that happen."

"Well, what's your plan?" asked Draco worriedly

"Just follow my lead, ok?" Draco nodded. "Alright, Hermione if you're sure, then let's go." He said as they headed for the door. But before Draco could get out of the Common Room, Hermione grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait, I gotta leave this note somewhere where either Harry or Ron will see it." She looked around, and decided she should put it on her favorite armchair. She turned around slowly to face Draco's nervous face.

"Let's go."