Diamonds

17. In Between

Hermione got to her feet immediately and strode away. Harry and Draco shared a bemused glance - though neither could read the thoughts of the other, Draco knew he was thinking what's she doing? He could guess that Potter's thoughts were much the same as they shrugged and followed her.

She walked right out of the library, finding an empty classroom, not that this was a challenge as the only thing left to take place that day was dinner. She turned to face the door as soon as she walked in and, after the boys had entered, aimed her wand at the door, casting something to muffle their speech.

Then, much to Draco's surprise, she shoved Harry so that he ended up pressed against the door, grasping the handle to stay upright. "I'm not helping you break school rules because you picked a fool for a friend, Harry Potter!"

"Hey, this isn't really about Ron, Hermione -"

"I don't care if the Philosopher's Stone is the thing that three-headed dog - Fluffy - is guarding, I refuse to help you find it. Not when there's a chance I could be expelled over it!"

"Are you serious? Is she actually serious?"

Draco didn't answer Harry, instead staring at the two of them. "What?"

"What d'you mean, 'what'?"

"I mean, I know you Gryffindors are insane, but why would the Philosopher's Stone, of all things, be on Hogwarts grounds? Is this some kind of twisted test, to see if I'll believe your garbage and fit into your group?"

"No. What? Don't be stupid, Malfoy, you're only here because you followed Hermione as well. I don't want your help."

"What!"

Harry opened his mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted when Hermione shoved him again, the wood of her wand biting into his skin. "You don't insult him, Harry Potter, do you hear me? Not while I'm standing right beside him."

"You're always right beside him," he retorted under his breath. Hermione glared and moved to shove him again, only to be held back - Draco had grabbed her arm to pull her back, to keep her from attacking Potter again.

"Yes, and I'm always beside her. That's not the point, Potter, and you know it. What did you want to ask?"

"What it does. The Philosopher's Stone, I mean. What does the Philosopher's Stone do?"

"The usual medieval alchemical miracles." Hermione frowned at him. "Turn metal to gold, produce a liquid to ensure immortality. Why are you asking me about this, instead of Madam Pince?"

"'Hi, Madam Pince. Where can I find information about the magical stone hidden somewhere in Hogwarts? It's just that I think someone's going to try to steal it so that Voldemort can come back and destroy the world'. Yeah, that'll go over well."

"He has a point."

"Draco."

"What? He does. Telling a professor that he knows about something they're all trying to hide is more likely to get him kicked out than end in his saving the stone."

"You believe him, do you?"

"No. You-Know-Who is dead, has been for ten years. Things like that can't come back."

"People, Draco. He was a person."

The Slytherin scoffed. "He killed and ordered the death of thousands of people like -"

"Yes?"

"People who didn't agree with its - his - ideas. They tended to turn up dead, Hermione. It stopped when the war ended. You know all of this. Stop making me talk about it, alright?"