Unofficial Portkey Archive

Hey guys…I know, I've taken bloody forever on this…I'm so sorry. I don't even have an excuse, I've had all the time in the world to write it, I just wasn't feeling it. Thanks for all the reviews from the last, they're much appreciated! I'm gonna save my A/N until the end so you can get to reading. But I have done some thinking about my story, I know a little more about where I want to take it, so I'll tell you about that at the end of the chapter!

Disclaimer: Not mine…though, I DO have a slightly funny one-shot about how I could steal the Series from JKR…lol. Also, I got most of my information about the dangerous creatures that Hermione reads about out of my copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, so yeah…not mine.

Recap!

So what do I do?' she asked herself. 'Do I wait for him in the Common Room so we can walk down to breakfast together?

A Potter and a Granger being friendly to one another. . .it was unheard of!

Did their history mean nothing to Ron and Draco? Did he mean so little to them?

"Well, there isn't really much to tell, to be honest. I finally got her to talk to me, I apologized, my best mates hate me, and she doesn't seem to feel comfortable around me. I dunno if she actually wants to be my friend of if she just is because I asked here to, you know?" Harry confided, voicing his fears.

"…Show her your real self. She'll see how friendly you are, and you will eventually gain her trust. The same goes for you. I don't want you to walk into this friendship blind."

Hermione opened her eyes, "He's my friend." she said defiantly, and she could see a burning fire in Avery's cold eyes.

"No! He does not want to be your friend, Hermione. He wants to use you, probably just toy with your heart. His family is your enemy. Even if Potter is genuine, they will tear you apart. He won't leave his friends and family just for the sake of having your friendship. You aren't important enough to him. But to me! My family and friend would welcome you with open arms. Think about it, Hermione."

Things A Good Friend Would Do

There, smirking dangerously at her, was Draco Malfoy. Hermione didn't need to look behind her to know that her other captor was Ron Weasley.

"Looks like we found ourselves a dirty little Mudblood," Draco sneered nastily, causing Hermione to cringe.

Chapter 13: The Internecivus Araneus

Hermione looked into Draco Malfoy's steely gray eyes, feeling fear start to settle heavily in her stomach. What were they going to do to her? After a few minutes of tense staring crept by, Hermione finally spoke, hoping she didn't sound as scared as she felt, "What. . .what do you want?" she asked while trying to jerk free from Ron but failing to do so.

Draco gave a cold laugh, "What do we want? Are you honestly that dense? We thought you were smarter than that." His voice dripped with venom and made Hermione internally cringe at how loathsome it sounded.

Hermione felt Ron Weasley tighten his grip on her, making her let out a small yelp of pain.

"You're getting awfully chummy with Harry Potter, don't you think, Mudblood?" She heard Ron say viciously in her ear. She felt chills run up an down her spine. She was reminded of the that time in the corridor when she was surrounded by the Slytherins. Surely Ron and Draco wouldn't think to haze her in such a way right here in the Gryffindor Common Room when anyone could walk in at any moment, especially Harry. Surely he was still out doing his rounds.

And Mudblood? Why were they calling her that? She didn't know them very well, but she never got the impression that they thought so little of Muggle-borns. Surely Harry wouldn't associate with such foul company. But then again, she didn't know Harry that well either. Maybe he felt the same way as they did. She just couldn't see such a dirty word being uttered by the same mouth that had come up with such a beautiful and meaningful apology the night before.

While all these thoughts swam through her mind, Hermione just remained silent, hoping Harry would return from his rounds soon. Her captors, however, would have none of her silence.

Draco stepped closer, "Do you know what you've done? Do you realize how much you fucked things up that Harry had going for him? Ever since the first goddamn day he met you in Potions class!" Draco's seething voice grew louder and angrier with each word.

He was so close to her now, and with the constant flickering of the dying firelight, he looked more intimidating than ever. "I didn't do anything." Hermione tried to say defiantly, but it came out more as a squeak.

She heard Ron give a sarcastic laugh from behind her. "Yeah right! Do you think we honestly believe he would be so bloody stupid and actually like you? I guess you really are that dense." He gave a nasty laugh before suddenly taking on a more serious face. "What are you doing to him?" He asked fiercely, jerking her arm from behind and making her wince then grit her teeth.

Hermione tried to struggle again as anger flared up inside her. "Exactly what are you suggesting, Weasley?" she asked vehemently, still trying to half-heartedly break free.

Draco answered smoothly, "You know exactly what we're suggesting, filth. What spell do you have him under?"

Hermione couldn't believe the nerve of these two blokes! Accusing her of using magic on Harry! Preposterous! "I don't have him under a spell, or any other type of magic, you asshole." She replied indignantly.

They laughed again. "Harry isn't that foolish of a git. We know you're brainwashing him in some way." Rom said from behind her, causing Hermione to try to elbow him.

Draco just laughed at her attempts and his eyes suddenly darkened maliciously, "I know you're doing something to him. . .or maybe something for him." Hermione watched, turning pale, as he eyed her body up and down. She was wearing her dressing gown over her pajamas, but still, she didn't like what he was implying or how he was looking at her.

"A naughty little bookworm like you teaching Harry a few bedroom tricks in exchange for his friendship?" he asked, running his hand up her arm and neck to cup her flushed cheek.

Hermione felt more chills tingle disturbingly throughout her body and instantly began to thrash about, causing Draco to withdraw his cold hand. "You sick bastard." she hissed once she calmed down. "You speak as if I'm some common harlot!" First they accused her of casting a spell over Harry, and now indicting her of giving him sexual favors for friendship! How could they be so degrading? How could Harry ever have actually been friends with them? Speaking of Harry, where was he?! Shouldn't he be back by now?

Hermione broke away from her musings and noticed Draco's face had grown more serious. "Look, bitch, you have no right to come here and take our best mate away. Don't lie to me! I know you're using some sort of Force on him. I'm presuming you got lonely and decided to take revenge on Harry."

"I didn't do anything to him!" Hermione said loudly through gritted teeth. "He came to me! Now, please, leave me alone!"

"Say Harry did come to you." Ron reasoned. "He won't stay. We're his friends. His real friends. His parents will hate you. Harry has always hated you. We've talked about it on many occasions. He always made fun of you. Why would he just stop and suddenly care? Don't you get it? Everyone hates you!"

Hermione felt suddenly crushed. "No." she whispered. Harry didn't hate her. He changed. He never really hated her. No, he couldn't. He wouldn't. Everyone didn't hate her. Her parents didn't hate her. Clarence didn't hate her.

Draco took this opportunity of silence and of her vulnerability to return to the conversation. "She's right, Ron. You're last words were a little foolish." He smirked. "Everyone doesn't hate her. We can't speak for all Man and Wizardkind. There are those-- I'm sure-- that would appreciate her. . .qualities." He whispered menacingly, making Hermione become completely still and look at him questioningly.

Confused, she forgot how Ron still hadn't relinquished his strong hold on her and how these two fellow housemates were holding her captive at the moment. "My qualities?" she asked, waiting for him to elaborate. What qualities? Did this have anything to do with what Avery was talking about with the Dark Lord and her ruling?

Draco took a step towards her. "Yes, your qualities. They won't be appreciated here. You're wasting your time here. No one, not even precious Harry bloody Potter, will accept you here." His voice began to rise again. "Here, here, here! Don't you get it? You don't belong here! Go! Go somewhere where they'll accept you. We won't. The other Gryffindors won't. The Potter family won't. . . .Harry won't accept you!"

Hermione felt the sting in his words pierce her. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, but she tried to keep them at bay. It made no sense. Harry wanted her to be here. He reassured her over and over. These boys knew nothing of what Harry had told her. He said everyone would come through. He said what they would have would be worth all this.

They were contradicting everything he told her, just like Avery had. Avery told her almost the same thing. But Harry was more sincere and trustworthy. . .right? Hermione suddenly remembered the list she had made earlier in front of the fireplace. Once f her points was to stop doubting him so much.

Draco was still looking at her, waiting for a response. Hermione realized there had been a rather lengthy silence while she had been thinking about what Harry had told her. "Uh. . .you don't know anything about Harry." Hermione began, but immediately realized how foolish she must have sounded. Ron and Draco had been Harry's best friends for years. Of course they knew him!

Draco smirked, "Oh really? Have you forgotten how close us and Harry have always been? Oh! That's right! How silly of me to think I know my best friend of seven years. Surely you would know him loads more than I do, after all, you've known him what, five minutes? Did you hear that, Ron? Apparently we don't know him!" Draco's voice dripped with cruel mirth and sarcasm.

Hermione didn't know what to say. Draco was right, she didn't know Harry all that much. But still, she couldn't let them know they had gotten the better of her on that. Instead, she decided to try to play it off to stall for time, hoping Harry would return soon to rescue her from this situation. "Look, Harry may have been your best mate for years, but things change. People change! I would think that-- that is to say if you blokes really were such the best of friends-- you two would have stood by him no matter the situation. He's a friend of mine, honestly, who cares?! It's not that big of a deal! Your loyalty to him must have been pretty shallow if this is how you blokes react when something like this arises. What kind of best friends are you?! Honestly!" Hermione huffed, trying to jerk free again. They were really starting to piss her off now. How could they act like this after they abandoned him like they did? They had no right to even claim him as a friend now. They were such gits!

Draco glared at her and she could almost feel Ron's death stare burning though the back of her head. Cleverly, Draco turned the tables on her completely, avoiding Hermione's accusations about shallow loyalty. "You just don't know when to shut-up, do you? You nasty little Mudblood! You have no right to judge our loyalty and call us betrayers when you are the hypocrite. Look at yourself. What kind of allegiance are you showing to your own family? Fraternizing with Potter! With other Gryffindors! You should be in Slytherin. With evilness. With other people like you are!" He hissed fiercely, getting closer to her face. His hands gripped her shoulders, his short fingernails digging painfully through her clothes and into her skin.

Hermione's jaw dropped slightly. Why was everyone telling her she was evil? First Avery and now Draco and Ron. What was wrong with her? What made her so bad? What was so goddamn horrible about her family? She felt Draco release his grip on her and cleared her throat, mentally debating on whether or not to admit her ignorance to them. She weighed each word carefully, "I don't know what you have against me, but whatever it is, I suggest you get over it soon. Harry, whether you approve of it or not, is, for the time being, a friend of mine. If that doesn't sit well with you, well, that's something you'll have to square with. But like I said, I suggest you come to terms with it pretty quick. Frankly, I'm getting sick of all this codswallop. I'm his friend, get over it already! You're just hurting him with your negative and unsupportive attitude. You're suppose to be his best mates. . ." she finished softly. She knew how Harry was hurting because of his best friends' negative mind-sets.

"How touching." Ron replied nastily to her small lecture. "You're the one who is ruining his reputation. And since when do we take friendship advice from a Nobby no-mates as yourself." He let go of one of her arms and reached into the pocket of his robes and brought out a jar. Ron handed it to Draco, who opened it with ease and carefully took out the small specimen inside. After taking a closer look, Hermione recognized it as a spider. It was about two and a half centimeters long and was a light blue whose back was speckled brilliantly with many blood-red dots. The reddish legs had a neon green tint to them, making the spider look terrifyingly beautiful in the firelight.

"Do you know what this is?" Draco asked playfully as the bright blue spider crawled along his fingers.

"A spider." Hermione answered uncertainly as she watched him play with the small arachnid.

Both Draco and Ron laughed. Draco continued, "Yes and no. It's not just an ordinary spider. This is a very rare creature called Internecivus Araneus. They're very smart and cunning. The amount of red dots on its back tells how deadly it is. The more dots there are, the more poisonous its venom is. As you can see, this one has many red specks." Once again, his voice was playful and careless, too calm for someone who had such a murderous spider crawling freely on his bare hands.

"One bite is all it takes." Ron whispered fiercely, reaching out a free hand for the deadly creature. He brought his hand with the spider on it up to her neck. "One bite and you'll be injected with such a poisonous venom that your insides will look as if they had been melted with acid. The funny thing is, you can't feel the bite. You wouldn't know if it bit you or not until the poison takes over." He sneered and moved his hand closer, teasing the petrified Hermione.

Hermione stood completely still, not daring to move a muscle. The Internecivus Araneus was just a centimeter or so away from her ear. Ron gently brushed the spider up against the bottom of her chin and laughed at her fear. They wouldn't kill her, would they? This was all getting way out of hand. This wasn't just some small hazing situation that everyone could walk away from, this was murder! Tears gathered at her eyes and silently rolled down her cheeks. She'd never get to see her parents again or her grandparents or even Harry.

Draco started back up from where Ron had left off, "The venom eats and melts away your insides, a very painful experience, I expect. These killers were slaughtered mercilessly ages ago, which is why they're so rare; their colonies are very hard to find. They're illegal to have in the UK. Previous dark lords used them for torture, some even had they're own special army of them."

Hermione still refused to move. Ron had accidentally dropped the fatal creature on the collar of her dressing gown, so close to her unprotected neck. Hermione could feel every move the spider made even through her clothes. It slowly crawled towards the soft flesh of her neck. Hermione made a soft sound and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Hermione suddenly felt a feather-light touch on her neck, making her gasp. The spider was now at the base of her neck. Hermione tired not to panic, but she felt her arms start to shake with fear. She vaguely registered the two boys laughing cruelly and Ron-- or maybe it had been Draco-- muttered something before Draco reached out and gently picked up his little friend. Hermione still didn't move but felt such relief she had never felt before. She watched as Draco caressed the spider like he had been doing earlier. Hermione found herself praying that the deadly creature would bite him or that Harry would return soon. Draco placed the spider back in its jar and handed it over to Ron, who put it in the pocket of his robes.

Ron released Hermione from his grip and she immediately dashed towards the Girls' Staircase.

"Granger," Draco called softly, making Hermione stop fearfully and turn around to face him. "wouldn't it just be horrible if my little friend somehow got let loose in your bed while you were sleeping?" He asked evilly, causing Hermione to gasp before rushing to her dormitory and locking the door and windows securely with several charms.

She began to hastily pace around her room, shock and fear coursing through her body. How could anyone ever be so bloody horrible?! Even more, what did this say about Harry, who had been best friends with these two cruel bastards for years? They were so different from each other. Even when Harry and her weren't on good terms with each other he had never been anywhere near as cruel as Ron and Draco. They had threatened her life for Merlin's sake! And they said she was the evil one! They should be expelled at the least! Bringing a deadly illegal creature in Hogwarts and threatening a fellow student's life with it!

Hermione realized she was still shaking and slowly made her way to the mirror that sat by her bed. She looked at her reflection and suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Her skin was a chalky white and her eyes were wide with fear. There was a red irritation at the base of neck, probably from when the spider's toxic body came in contact with her bare skin. She rubbed the spot gently, hoping to sooth the redness and make it go away. Ron's words floated into her mind:

"One bite and you'll be injected with such a poisonous venom that your insides will look as if they had been melted with acid. The funny thing is, you can't feel the bite. You wouldn't know if it bit you or not until the poison takes over."

Did she get bitten? No, surely the venom wouldn't stay dormant for this long. No, definitely not. It was impossible. Such a strong poison would surely react right away. And she felt fine. Her stomach was churning painfully, but Hermione told herself it was just from shock and was possibly all psychological. She did not get bitten; there was no way.

She took a few deep breaths, hoping to calm herself down a bit. She twitched suddenly when she felt something crawl stealthily up her leg. She pulled her pajama pant's leg up only to find nothing there. She ran her hand over the tingling skin, but only felt smooth skin. She closed her eyes in relief. She changed clothes, not really sure why, but just knew she didn't want to wear those clothes until they were freshly washed.

She sat on the floor, refusing to go near her bed. Every few minutes she would panic when she felt those tingling sensations prickle over her skin, but it was still just hallucinations. She jumped at every sound, almost expecting to see Ron or Draco's face appear at one of the windows. Hermione pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them close to her body. She wouldn't get any sleep tonight, that was for sure.

00

Hermione jumped when she heard her alarm clock go off. She still hadn't gone to sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot from the lack of sleep. She blinked a few times, looking around the dark room before slowly standing up from her spot on the floor. She almost fell right back down because of the painful cramp that had taken over her right leg. She gingerly walked towards her clock on her bedside table and turned off the alarm.

Once the room was silent from the alarm's annoying ringing, Hermione grabbed some fresh clothes from her wardrobe and disappeared into the bathroom where she took a very hot shower. She scrubbed her body furiously-- especially her neck where the spider had crawled on her-- to get all the traces of that spider and Draco's hand off of her. She felt dirty and ill to her stomach. How could she let someone overpower her a second time? And even more, what was she going to do about it?

Hermione stepped out of the shower and wrapped a clean scarlet towel around her rubbed-raw reddish body. She sat on the toilet and debated what she should do. Should she tell Harry? Would he even believe her? Did he know the cruel nature of his old mates?

But what would he even do? Hermione barely even knew him, how could she share with him something so personal like the events that had occurred last night? She couldn't. No, it wasn't his burden to carry, it was her own. She needed to act as if nothing had happened until she could think of a better plan of action. She couldn't let them see how much sleep she lost or how she had a scolding shower in hopes to relieve herself of all remnants of them from her skin. No, she would act casual, but they would not get away with this. They had threatened her life. Something had to be done.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(Yeek-Yeek Woop-Woop) Why you all in my ear? Talkin' a whole bunch a shit that I ain't tryin to hear.
Get Back! Motherfucker You don't know me like that.
Get back! Motherfucker You don't know me like that!
(Yeek-Yeek Woop-Woop) I ain't playin' around.. Make one false move, I'll take you down.
Get back! Motherfucker You don't know me like that.
Get back! Motherfucker You don't know me like that!

"Get Back" LUDACRIS

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

With those thoughts in mind, Hermione quickly got dressed and put her daily makeup on. Once she was convinced she looked alright and not as if she had been up all night, Hermione headed to the Common Room where she found Harry making his way towards the Portrait Hole. She quickened her pace and caught up with him in the corridor.

"Hermione!" he cried pleasantly. "Running a bit late, aren't you?" he asked with a friendly grin, slowing down so they were side-by-side.

Hermione returned the grin, "Yeah, I just couldn't seem to get myself motivated this morning." Hermione tried to reply cheerily as she hitched her large book bag up higher on her shoulder.

Harry laughed, "I know those days. Were your dreams that good?" he asked with a smirk, causing Hermione to blush. Harry just laughed again.

"On the contrary, I just got caught up in reading a book this morning and didn't want to put it down until I got done with the chapter." Hermione lied defensively with a huff. She read a lot, surely this wouldn't come as a shock.

Harry smiled, "What book?" he asked

"Hogwarts, A History." Hermione replied smoothly, continuing down the corridor. "Have you read it?" she asked conversationally, hoping to distract him from what had kept her so long.

He shook his head, "Nope, can't say I have. Is it interesting then?" he inquired, speeding up a bit to catch up with her.

"It's a very interesting read, you should check it out. I enjoy it every time I read it!" Hermione said excitedly, always happy to share thoughts about her favorite book.

"Err. . .exactly how many times have you read this book?" Harry asked hesitantly, looking over at Hermione in time to see her turn a slight pink.

"Well, from cover-to-cover, I've read it thirty-eight times, but I've skimmed through it more times than I can count." Hermione replied, hoping she didn't sound like a loser to Harry, but judging by the shocked look in his face, she hadn't done a good job of it.

"Are you bloody serious?!" He asked, eyes wide as he stopped in his tracks. "Have you honestly read that book that many times?! That's mad, that is!" Harry sputtered disbelieving, making Hermione feel suddenly self-conscious and like a nerd.

She gave a fake laugh, "Of course I haven't," she quickly lied, trying to play it off. "I was just having you on. I've only read it twice before, and I wanted to refresh my memory of it because. . .Well, you know, I haven't really read it since I was fifteen or so, and well, now that I'm actually here, I thought it might be a good idea to browse through it again." Hermione hated lying, but she didn't want Harry to think she was only about books. No, she had to show him a side of her that even she didn't know yet. It was the only way to gain his friendship. No one wanted to be friends with a boring bookworm!

Harry laughed. "Good, I actually believed you for a second. I mean, you know, it's nice to read a book a few times, but thirty-eight times is extreme!" He explained as he began walking again, his words making Hermione feel even worse. Was she that extreme?

Hermione tried to smile and change the subject, "So, what are your favorite classes?" she asked, hoping it would spark a less embarrassing conversation.

Harry shrugged, "The only class that I really hate is Potions, three guesses why." He laughed. "But other than that, I don't really mind the other ones. Divination was just a crack of bull so we dropped out of that in Fifth Year, but Ron, Draco, and I did have a lot of fun making loads of rubbish up for that crazy old bat. Defense Against the Dark Arts is my favorite though. Sirius is absolutely brilliant. I've known him my entire life." Harry said as they entered the Entrance Hall.

Hermione nodded, confirming her earlier suspicions of those two being close. "He seems nice. He's pretty funny too." Harry nodded in agreement. They stopped at the double doors leading into the Great Hall for a hesitant second before joining the students eating their breakfast.

They're ability to communicate seemed to have stayed behind in the corridors. Neither spoke as they sat down in the same seats as yesterday and an awkward silence fell between the two. Hermione resisted the urge to pull out a book, once again not wanting Harry to think she was a bore, and instead, concentrated on her bacon before looking down the table where her two captors from last night usually sat. Draco was the only one sitting there, lazily thumbing through a magazine while letting his food get cold. Hermione figured Ron hadn't come down yet. Draco seemed unaffected by his cruel and disgusting behavior from the night before, as if he terrorized his peers nightly with illegal spiders. Hermione glared at him, remembering the way he had been so close to her face, threatening her life. She gave a shudder and turned her attention to Harry, who was trying to ignore the glares he was receiving and was attempting to appear interested in his food.

Harry let out a steady breath as he took another bite of his cereal, though he didn't taste much of it. His peers, people he had been around for over six years, were angrily staring at him as if he were some other species that had offensively dropped in, unwanted, during their civil breakfast. He wondered vaguely if this was how Hermione had felt when she had arrived, maybe even still felt this way. It was a horrible feeling, and he didn't know how she could put up with it, alone, everyday. He gave a small sigh inwardly as he began to feel guilt creep into his stomach from how he had treated her. He was probably only feeling a quarter of how she had felt and he was getting depressed about it. Just imagining being loathed by so many with no friends to share the burden with made him want to retch, especially knowing he hadn't reached a helping hand out sooner. He tried to push those thoughts away when remembering the actions he was taking to make amends. He had messed up, but now he was fixing it, that's all that mattered right now.

That day, as well as the rest of the week, had went by in a similar fashion as the day before. There were awkward conversations to fill the even more awkward silences, neither really saying anything important, but the trivial words helped a bit, just to ease the tension. Hermione had tried to push Ron and Draco, as well as Avery and his gang out of her mind. She could tell it was killing Harry to have his best mates treat him like this even though he tried his best not to let it show. Their detentions were getting better, the storage room was almost completely cleared up, though Snape was still as foul as ever to Harry.

Harry still hadn't spoken to Ron or Draco. He caught their angry glares and hurtful looks, but he tried to ignore it. He had chosen Hermione. He had picked right over easy, and he would stand by it, no matter the cost, even if it was his best mates. He reminded himself that the right thing wasn't always just a walk in the park and sacrifices must be made sometimes.

But it was so difficult. Everything between the two of them was so uncomfortable and awkward. They didn't warm right up to each other immediately like he had hoped. He was so used to having two best mates to share everything and joke around with, it was hard not to have that anymore. He didn't know what he could say to Hermione and what he couldn't. There were so many factors that needed consideration and he just wasn't sure how to act around her. First off, she was an "enemy," so even though they were trying to overcome this obstacle, they were watched like a hawk constantly. It was hard to get to know someone when your frail developing friendship was being scrutinized by everyone under a microscope. Also, Hermione was a girl. He didn't know how to deal with that. He wasn't sure what could and couldn't be said to a girl. His best mates had been guys, so there were no boundaries. Hermione was different. Not only was she a girl, but she also happened to be a girl he had been attracted to at the Ministry. Things like that didn't just disappear because of last names. He still found her quite pretty, and her courage and intelligence only made her even more desirable. It just made things even more difficult. He didn't want a relationship with her, he knew that. He couldn't even begin to entertain the idea of it; however, the possibly of "maybe sometime" lingered, hidden, in the very back of his mind.

But he tried. Harry tried to decode the unspoken set of rules of friendship between rivals, between a male and female, between himself and Hermione.

Both Harry and Hermione tried to become comfortable in this new frontier of friendship they had attempted to voyage into. They studied together, each slightly amazed at the other's skills. Harry was in awe of Hermione's expanse of knowledge while she envied his ease and how quickly he could catch on to something. Currently, the odd pair could be found in the Library, quietly studying at a table in the back that Hermione had taken as almost a second home.

Hermione scribbled furiously in her notes as she glanced from time to time back at the reference book she was using for her Potions essay. Harry was on the other side of the table, idly thumbing through a book and making slow progress on his own notes. He had Quidditch practice soon, and for once, he wasn't looking forward to it.

He didn't feel like facing Ron and Draco, or the rest of the team, at the moment. He glanced at his watch, knowing he should have left a few minutes ago. With a small sigh, he closed his book and began to pack his things up. Hermione looked over at him for a second to see what the source of the noise was before returning to her notes. "I'll. . .uh. . .be back later. Are you your going to be in here still? Practice will probably last for a few hours." he asked awkwardly, not sure if he was suppose to check with her later plans or not.

Hermione nodded, "Yeah, I'll either be here or at dinner." she replied, setting down her pen (she hated using quills). Harry muttered a quick "okay" before starting towards the door. Hermione sighed as she watch him go before softly closing her book and glancing around the Library. She quickly put her things away, packed tightly in her book bag, before taking it with her towards the many shelves of books. She read the subjects on each side of the bookshelves, searching for one that help her in the subject she was seeking. Finally she strayed down an aisle and read the titles on the many leather-bound books. One caught her gaze. She eased it from its spot and reread the cover: Deadly Creatures and Their Origins. Hermione quickly thumbed through it, satisfied it would be the source to find her answer, before heading back to her table. She was about to start reading it before she caught site of the Quidditch pitch from the window. Harry was out there, practically all alone. With a small sigh, she signed the book out in her name and wedged it in her already-full book bag then headed outside to the Pitch. The air was cold so she transfigured her robes into a thick cloak and quickly made her way to the Quidditch stands.

Was this okay? Was she just allowed to show up during practice? She wanted him to know she supported him. The coldness was bitter in November, but Hermione soon found the Gryffindor stands and took a seat on the cold bench, wrapping the cloak tightly around her body for warmth. The Pitch was empty, Hermione suspected the players were probably still in the Changing Rooms.

Harry continued the long walk to the Changing Rooms where the rest of the team waited. As soon as he stepped into the room, everyone became silent, making Harry tense up.

Their eyes watched as Harry went into the boys' changing area, the door slamming loudly as he left the Strategy Room. He grabbed his clothes from his locker and made quick work of getting changed. He reached into his book bag pocket and pulled out his shrunken Firebolt to return it to its full size. With a small sigh the team Captain joined his teammates in the Strategy Room. He looked around at his fellow players before addressing them, "Alright guys, as you know, our next game is against Slytherin. They have a strong team, but ours is stronger! We're going to be busting our asses during practices this year, so when we get into a match, we're going to wipe the Pitch with those gits!" Harry said enthusiastically, though he could tell no one was even listening. Everyone was murmuring loudly with their neighbor and had uninterested looks on their faces as if they were bored out of their minds. Harry gritted his teeth at their obvious displays of disrespect and continued in a louder voice, "Fuck it, just get your sorry asses out there and practice. There seems to be a little problem with team unity. . ." he said, glaring at each face before saying, "Don't worry, I'll fix that. I sure as hell hope you lot like the cold because practice just got extended an extra hour." With those last words, Harry led the way out to the Pitch, his disgruntled team following close behind.

Harry kicked off the ground and flew a quick warm-up lap around the Pitch, glad to be back in the air. It felt as if it had been so long since their last practice. Harry closed his eyes and let the harsh wind whip through his already-messy ebony hair, relishing in the sheer freedom of flying. Something in the stands suddenly caught his eye and, upon closer inspection, he realized it was Hermione bundled up with a heavy cloak, grinning cheerfully at him. Her smile was contagious. He gave her a wide grin in return and flew over to her. "Hermione!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay in the Library." Harry said, hovering right beside her.

"I changed my mind. I thought I'd come to watch you practice." Hermione said, smiling shyly at him before adding timidly, "Um. . .you don't terribly mind, do you?" she asked, looking up at him with her big brown eyes. Harry's grin only widened.

"Of course not! I dunno how interesting it will be, but I appreciate the support." Harry replied pleasantly, thinking to himself that practice seemed to have suddenly gotten better. It felt good to have someone in the stands, solely cheering him on. "Sorry, but I've got to get down there with the rest of the team, but thanks for coming out. If you get too cold, you don't have to stay. I think I'm going to be out here longer than I had expected." Harry said grimly, eyeing his team with distaste.

Hermione nodded her head in understanding. "Well, hope you have a good practice!" she tried to say cheerfully. Harry gave her a quick nod before saying goodbye and taking off again. Hermione watched him do a few loops, causing her to laugh with excitement and gasp in worry.

00

Harry dodged yet another Bludger that had been "accidentally" hit in his direction. "CARMICHAEL!" Harry roared in anger as he stopped in midair, looking over at the Beater responsible for the attack. "You better watch where you're aiming or I'll have your position on the team replaced with someone who can play Quidditch faster than you can say 'unfair.'" Harry shouted threateningly at the younger boy. He heard someone mutter something behind him and just gripped his broom tighter. This was ridiculous! The team should not slack off just because of who the captain decided to become friends with!

The wind had begun to really pick up fiercely and Hermione clutched her cloak tighter to her body as she watched Harry fly around in search of a tiny ball she remembered him catching during the game against Ravenclaw while coaching the other players. Something seemed a little off among the teammates. Hermione watched them exchange what looked like angry words while Harry had his bad turned or wasn't looking. Also, the two black Quidditch balls that flew aimlessly around like mad had been hit towards Harry repeatedly by the players with the bats in their hands. From what Hermione could remember from the last game, they were suppose to hit the wild balls away from the team. Why were they being so horrible to Harry? They were only hurting the team because they weren't practicing right.

The Quaffle almost hit Harry in the head, but he did a spiral in the air to avoid it. This was it, he was doing his job, he had caught the blasted Snitch three times already. Harry angrily put the tiny golden ball back in its holder before calling all the players to the ground.

"What in the bloody fuck is going on up there?" Harry roared, positively fuming with irritation. "Your game is sloppy and a disgrace! Weasley! I watched you let the Quaffle in over a dozen times! You know what that means? A hundred and twenty points to the other team dammit! Get your act together and get your head in the fucking practice. Stevens and Carmichael! I know I've had to dodge those bloody Bludgers almost constantly! If you two want to stay on the team, them the Bludgers bloody fucking away from me! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I'm sick of it! And Chasers! Stop the sloppy passes and half-hearted throws. I've seen you carelessly toss the Quaffle around, Malfoy. I had thought you had more pride in your skills that than." Harry glared at each one of his teammates before continuing red-faced, "You lot are playing like a bunch of clumsy First Years, and unless you want to be out here EVERYDAY, get your asses together. This shit just isn't gonna fly. Now get your asses back up in the air and actually PLAY!!" Harry shouted demandingly, noticing his players looked as if they were going to hex him any second, but he didn't care. "I'm doing my job, I've caught the Snitch three or four times already, now you lot have got to do your own!" With that, Harry gave them all one last look before kicking of the ground and back in the air.

He noticed definite improvement after telling all the players off; however, he could feel their angry moods. They glared openly at him. Harry knew they all thought of him as an asshole at the moment, but he couldn't careless. They made him turn into an asshole. He watched as Ron caught a fast-moving Quaffle and chucked it back out towards Draco. Ron saw that Harry was watching him and flipped him off with his middle finger. Harry almost laughed at the familiarity of it, but realized it wasn't a friendly gesture like it always had been in the past. He looked down at his broomstick and flew off in the other direction to watch the Beaters. After another hour of intense playing and when Harry decided he had punished them enough, he called the team back down to the ground.

"What now, Potter?" Marshall Kofacts sneered, "Are you raggin' and found something else to bitch about?" He asked snidely.

Harry just rolled his eyes, "You better watch it, Kofacts. You can't blame me for your poor performance. I wouldn't have to bitch if you lot wouldn't have messed around in the first place." Harry replied tightly. He heard Kofacts mutter something that sounded oddly like "asshole," making Harry's jaw tighten. He glared menacingly at the Sixth Year, "Watch it, Kofacts, if you want to remain on this team." Marshall just turned a slight pink and looked away. "Alright, you all played decently after my bitching, so we're going to quit for today. If you don't want practice to run this late again, I'd advise against acting like you were earlier. Now get out of here and have a good night." Everyone headed towards the Changing Rooms while Harry got back on his broom flew up to Hermione. He managed to give her a grin. "You stayed." he said, slightly impressed.

Hermione smiled, "Did you honestly expect me to leave?" she asked with a laugh. Harry just shrugged. "The team, their performance wasn't the best today, was it?" she asked. Hermione knew nothing about Quidditch, but she could tell they were slacking off a lot.

Harry sighed, "I dunno what was up with them. They wanted to just give the game about thirty percent of what they normally do. I had to turn into an asshole to get them back in line. But if that's what it takes. I'm not going to miss out on winning the Quidditch House Cup just because my players get a wild hair up their asses." Harry said, still peeved at their behavior.

Hermione nodded in understanding. "So, shall we head back to the Castle?" she asked as a chill rushed through her.

"Yeah, we're already late for dinner." He picked up his broom and was about to head towards the stairs before he got an idea. He straddled his broomstick and offered Hermione the spot in front of him with a mischievous grin.

Hermione shook her head, "No, no, no. I am not getting on that thing with you, Harry! I saw the way you fly, like a crazed maniac! No, I will not!" She said firmly, taking a step back.

Harry laughed, "Oh come on, I'll an excellent flier and I won't do anything crazy with you on, I promise. I'll be really careful! Please? It'll be fun!" He said enthusiastically.

Hermione didn't weaken from her resolve. "Nope, I'd rather take the stairs. I like having my feet planted firmly on the ground, thanks." she replied.

Harry pouted slightly, "Please, Hermione?" he begged softly, sticking out his bottom lip slightly.

Hermione just laughed and shook her head as pink started to tint her wind-bitten cheeks. "Maybe some other time," she said grudgingly, not wanting to our-right refuse him.

Harry sighed in defeat. "Alright then. Well, I'm going to fly down to the Changing Rooms alone so I'll be finished by the time you walk down all these stairs!" Harry tried to say snobbishly, but couldn't keep a solemn expression.

Hermione chuckled in amusement, "Okay."

"And you have fun walking down all these bloody stairs. Don't call me back over here when you want a ride, because I'm not gonna do it!" Harry said stubbornly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Hermione just gave him a push and started down the stairs. Harry watched her for a moment before taking off towards the empty Changing Rooms.

Hermione was half-way down the stairs when she realized her grin had still not left her face. Then it struck her that her and Harry just had a effortless conversation for the first time. She hadn't been nervous about what to say or frightened about sounding stupid. It had been so. . .easy! She didn't embarrass herself once! And Harry looked as if he was enjoying the conversation just as much as she was. Her grin grew wider as she continued down the steps, humming a soft tune, feeling a slight boost in confidence.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Is this a dream?

If it is

Please don't wake me from this high

I've become comfortably numb

Until you opened up my eyes

To what it's like

When everything's right

I can't believe

You found me

When no one else was lookin'

How did you know just where I would be?

Yeah, you broke through

All of my confusion

The ups and the downs

And you still didn't leave

I guess that you saw what nobody could see

You found me

You found me

So, here we are

That's pretty far

When you think of where we've been

No going back

I'm fading out

All that has faded me within

You're by my side

Now everything's fine

I can't believe

"You Found Me" Kelly Clarkson

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hermione's unease suddenly came back when she saw Harry, now dressed back into his school uniform, waiting at the bottom of the stair for her, his book bag flung over his right shoulder. He met her with a grin and they started towards the Castle. "So, do you like Quidditch?" Harry asked conversationally.

Hermione shrugged, "I dunno what it is really. The match against Ravenclaw house was the first time I've ever seen it played. I don't really know the rules or anything. It looks terrifying!" Hermione replied, wide-eyed.

Harry looked at her with his mouth agape. "You don't know Quidditch?! It's the best game there is! Alright, it's quite easy to understand, though not so easy to play. First off, there are seven players: one Keeper, three Chasers, two Beaters, and then one Seeker, that's me. There are four balls: a Quaffle, that's the big red one; two Bludgers, those are the black ones that try to knock players off their brooms; and then the Golden Snitch, the tiny gold one that is hard to catch. It's my job, as Seeker, to catch it. Are you following me?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione.

Hermione, who was listening intently, nodded. "Seven players: one Keeper and Seeker, three Chasers, and two Beaters. Then four balls: the Quaffle, two Bludgers, and then the tiny ball you have to catch called the Golden Snitch. Got it!" Hermione repeated thoroughly, tugging her book bag up higher on her shoulder.

Harry grinned and nodded before continuing with the explanation of one of his favorite sports. He told her about the points and how they are recorded. He told her about the different positions, who played them on the team, and how skilled they were. Hermione listened closely, slightly in awe about his pure passion for the game. Hermione could tell he loved the sport very much. His enthusiasm and excitement was very evident. He was able to carry his favorite topic of conversation all the way through dinner, telling her about his favorite teams and how he had gone to a Quidditch World Cup match in his Fourth Year with Ron and Draco. His foul mood from the poor practice had lifted tremendously.

Harry blushed slightly once they got to the Common Room, realizing he had been going on and on about Quidditch for so long. Was it something he could talk to Hermione about? He and the guys could discuss it all day, every day. Hermione wasn't a big fan like he was, so maybe she didn't want to hear all this. What if he was boring her?! Harry suddenly stopped in his talking before sheepishly saying, "And. . .well, that's Quidditch in a nutshell. . ." He gave a nervous laugh.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, "A nutshell?" she asked incredulously. "I think that was more of a nuclear bomb shell!"

Harry blushed even more, "Yeah, sorry for going on and on about it. . .I can get carried away with it sometimes." He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt while shifting from one foot to the other.

Hermione just laughed, "Oh, it's quite alright. I like listening to you talk about Quidditch. You seem really passionate about it." Hermione replied before looking at the clock which was telling her that if they didn't leave now, they'd be late for detention. "But, we've really got to go or we'll be late for Snape." They quickly took their bags to their dormitories then rushed to Snape's classroom right in the nick of time. Hermione realized this was Harry's last detention. Next week, she'd be on her own.

They finally finished the grueling task of cleaning to room completely. All the glass vials and flasks were washed, dried, and stacked neatly in the crates, which lined on of the walls. All the trash had been cleared out and the stone floor swept to the best it could have been. Salvageable furniture has been repaired, the rest was used to fuel the fire in Snape's office or thrown in trash. Usable cauldrons lined another wall, stacked as neatly as possible. The room smelled of cleaning supplies and old potion. Once the pair of them had finished cleaning the sink, they knocked on Snape's office door, informing him the room was now completely finished. He sneered at the two Gryffindors before going to inspect the room himself.

Harry and Hermione watched as Snape looked all around the room, in cabinets and behind crates, looking for any reason to keep them longer. "The glass vials are in these crates?" He asked, opening the nearest one.

"Yes sir." Harry replied politely.

Snape seemed satisfied that their work was done. "You two may go, this room is satisfactory." Snape said softly, before exiting himself.

Harry and Hermione exchanged looks. "Satisfactory?" Harry asked incredulously. "This room is above and beyond brilliant! We worked our asses off in here, and he calls it 'satisfactory.'"

Hermione shushed him and pulled him gently from the room. "We're done, that's all that matters. Let's just get out of here, I want to get to bed." Hermione said quietly.

After saying goodnight to Harry, Hermione was finally able to go to her dormitory. Not for the first time, Hermione felt grateful for having her own room. The privacy was excellent. She opened her book bag and pulled the book she had gotten from the Library earlier that day, Deadly Creatures and Their Origins. Getting ambushed by Draco and Ron was still vivid in her mind, and she was still trying to come up with the best action to take. The first thing she wanted to do was see if they had been bluffing with that spider or not. Was it really deadly or were they just trying to scare the living daylights out of her? She skimmed the Table of Contents, looking for something that would help her in her search. "Hmm. . .Deadly Marine Creatures. . .Origins of Outrageous Myths. . .Rare and Exceptional. . .hmm, page forty-two." Hermione hastily flipped to page forty-two and read the title of the chapter, "Rare and Exceptional" a second time. Draco had mentioned that it was a very rare creature, the Internecivus Araneus. Hermione began read each subtitle of all the rare magical creatures listed, pausing at a few that sounded interesting.

She stopped at the passage about the Chimaera and looked at the picture displayed for the creature. The vicious-looking creature had a lion's head, goat's body, and the deadly tail of a dragon.

Chimaera

Hermione studied the picture a moment longer before skipping down a few subheadings and stopping at the Lethifold.

Lethifold

(also known as Living Shroud)

Hermione gave a shiver. Wow, that sounded outright dangerous! After another shudder, Hermione continued her search before pausing, a cold feeling settling in her stomach, when she finally found what she had hoping she wouldn't.

Internecivus Araneus

(translates into "Murderous Spider")

Hermione slowly shut the book, slightly dazed. They hadn't been joking with her that night in the Common Room. She had been trying to kid herself that maybe, just maybe, their act had just been a bluff. But it hadn't been one. No, it had been very real. Hermione crawled into bed, scrunching her pillow under her head as she stared at the wall blankly, her mind trying to comprehend to the fact that her life had been in great danger, no question about it. The picture in the book had looked exactly like the specimen that had crawled on her exposed neck. Still feeling slightly ill, Hermione hugged her legs close to her chest, burying her head of bushy brown hair into her pillow, not quite sure of what her next move of action should be.

00

The days of the next week had been very much the same as the one before. Harry had offered to "land" himself in detention again so Hermione wouldn't be alone, but she was against it. She told him she would be fine on her own, and that he didn't need to get in any trouble for no reason. Their conversations were still awkward, though Hermione found that she was having relaxed conversations with Harry more often now, though not as often as she would have hoped. Ron, and Draco were, surprisingly, absent from her presence all week long. Hermione still contemplated a right course of action to take while trying not arouse suspicion in Harry of her disturbing ponderings. Trying to keep her list in mind, Hermione had written a letter to Clarence, informing her of recent events:

Dearest Clarence,

Hello, how have you been, well I hope? I know it's been awhile since I've last written, but things have been hectic. I am so confused and so many things seem to be happening. I guess I should start from the beginning, shouldn't I?

After a nasty confrontation in the Common Room with two fellow housemates (I hexed them, I'll tell you more about that later when we get a chance to talk.), I stormed out, only to be confronted again by a girl in Ravenclaw. We exchanged words, I was so angry I had my wand out again, and, guess who comes to my rescue-- none other than Harry Potter! He said he wanted to be friends, but I ignored him. I was sure he was having a go at me. But he followed me to the Library later, and in a desperate attempt to get rid of him, I ran! McGonagall caught up with me, I thought I was done for because of hexing those two girls, but I had only gotten a VERY severe warning and two week's worth of detention with Snape.

Potter landed himself in detention with me in hopes to get me to talk to him. Once again, I ignored him. He wouldn't stop though. One night, one our way back to the Common Room from Snape's, I fell and somehow twisted my ankle. He helped me all the way to the Common Room and mended it for me, which was very nice of him. Oh, I almost forgot, the day after I hexed those girls, everyone seemed wary of me, I dunno why, Clarence. They almost seemed afraid of me. Why do you suppose that could be? Am I out of the loop somehow? Anyway, back to Harry. He still tried to be my friend, but I still thought it was a joke. But finally, after another night of detention (We had to clean a storage room for Snape, it was awful!), he had asked for me to listen to him for five minutes, just to hear him out, so I relented.

Clarence, his apology was beautiful! He apologized for so many things, and I couldn't help but believe him. He was so sweet and sincere. He knew things about me, Clarence, like how I was afraid of flying! He said he watched me fly before and could tell. This night brought the beginning of our friendship. Yes, our FRIENDSHIP. I dunno how it all even happened, but it feels nice to have a friend. I dunno how to be a friend, Clarence. I made a list of things I could do, but it can only help me so much. Do you know any good jokes by the way?

Anyway, Harry and I are still awkward around each other, though we've had a few relaxed conversations, by accident, I think. I try not to embarrass myself around him, but it's inevitable. Everyone is against him now, which must be hard for him because he had been really close to his two best mates, but he's still standing by me. His friends say it won't last. They cornered me and said Harry would get sick of all this and just leave me. I hope that doesn't happen, however, I've readied myself for that day. I know our friendship is temporary, though Harry doesn't seem to think so. He keeps saying he has a feeling that what we'll have will be worth facing all this opposition. Oh how I hope he's right, Clarence, though I don't dare let myself hope much. But, that's what has kept me so busy lately. I have so many emotions right now. . .but I'm doing my best on trying to sort them all out.

Some things are happening, Clarence, and I feel terribly out of place. Is there something I don't know about? A few people are saying certain things about me-- things that make me feel like they know something I don't. Do you know anything about this? Please tell me, I feel so confused. I should go to bed now, I've got a Transfiguration quiz tomorrow and I want to get some rest. I hope to talk to you soon. Thank you for everything.

Love from,

Hermione

She had left out mostly everything about Avery and Ron and Draco, just mentioning them briefly to see what Clarence thought. Not knowing why, Hermione didn't want Clarence to know about Avery. Things were just too fragile. If Clarence found out Hermione's dilemma, Hermione didn't know how she would react. She knew she would tell her to stay away from Avery, but Hermione didn't need advice right now, she needed answers. The situation with Avery was just too hard to explain, and Hermione knew Clarence wouldn't understand. She wouldn't understand Hermione's sudden urges for vengeance or power. Ever since that night in the Common Room, Hermione had found herself thinking more and more about Avery and his proposition. Ron and Draco had backed up Avery's earlier words about Harry eventually leaving her when things didn't go his way. Hermione supposed this made her involuntarily ponder him more often, especially with her mind vulnerable at night, no longer preoccupied with homework and Harry.

Hermione tried to push Avery from her mind so he didn't plague her during the day, but he would haunt her at night in her dreams. His promises of revenge and greatness were too sweet to forget about, and unconsciously, Hermione yearned for the power. She dreamt of dark days with her in command. Figures in hooded black cloaks with masks would bow at her feet, murmuring words of love and eternal service. Flashes of green light and shouts of curses before blood-curdling screams pierced the dark night haunted her. Somehow, the screams, the bodies laying dead on the floor, gave her smirking dream-self unwanted satisfaction, especially knowing she had been the one to make the order. A spell would be cast by one of her loyal servants, causing a symbol to hover maliciously over the house where the most recent killing had taken place, the neon red and green contrasting brilliantly against the inky blackness of the velvety sky. A red skull with a neon green serpent slithering out of its mouth, as if in place of the skull's tongue. A sign to all-- her mark and warning-- displaying the consequences of those who resisted. Hermione would walk up in a cold sweat, muttering "the Dark Mark" intelligibly over and over. The Dark Mark. . .her mark.

And that's it. Right, so what do you think? Good, bad, sucky? Also, I've written THREE stories in my absence from this one, two one-shots and started another. Check them out if you haven't already: Stolen From Me, Never Should Have Walked Away, and It Wasn't Me! And please REVIEW! The next chapter shouldn't take me TOO long, I've been looking forward to writing it for awhile, so hopefully it won't be too difficult.

Now, about PVGR. I plan on making it a trilogy or some type of series. I've read a few awesome trilogies, and I wanted to try it out. The first, of course, will be The Potter Vs. Granger Rivalry. I haven't thought up the others yet. But I plan for this story to continue throughout their Seventh Year. The second in the series will pick up after graduation. So yeah, that's about all I have so far, I'll keep up posted on my plans when I get a more concrete idea of where I'm going!

So, once again, thanks for reading and reviewing!

Until next time, STAY RIGHTEOUS!

*~Archie~*