Dark Mark

Chapter 9

"So what exactly happened between you and this Deatheater that would make him agree to come with you to the castle and turn himself in to Dumbledore?"

The innuendo in Ron Weasley's voice was hard to miss.

"That's none of your concern now is it?" Hermione tartly retorted, choosing to ignore his suggestive tone. "Let's just say he decided he'd had enough of life on the run and it was time for something new."

The fact that she put extra stress on something new didn't escape Ron's notice.

"I think it's exciting," a new voice chimed in; Hermione looked up to see Harry Potter settling in on the overstuffed sofa, a look of barely contained anxiety on his face. "A Deatheater, coming here to turn himself in to Dumbledore. It's incredible, really."

I'll tell you what incredible is Hermione thought to herself with a secret smile...incredible is hot rowdy sex with a dangerous madman on the dusty floor of a haunted building...THAT'S incredible.

"Why Harry, I would have thought you'd be upset about him coming here...seeing as how he tried to kill you and all."

Harry shot Hermione an annoyed face, making himself comfortable on the cushions and putting his stocking-clad feet up to warm them by the fire. "Well of course I'm not thrilled that it's him, but the whole situation is sort of---thrilling."

Oh yes...thrilling...you can say that again. A brief memory of the way his hands felt on her bare skin, the scratchy sensation of his whiskered cheek rubbing across her naked belly, raced through her mind and she felt momentarily weak. Had she ACTUALLY done this?? She, Hermione Granger, top student and Head Girl?

"Fancy Dumbledore standing up for him the way he did. I didn't see THAT one coming, did you?" Ron asked absently, breaking into the box of Flaming Droobles Hermione had bought for him; the cause of everything, she realized with a wry grin. "I mean, he was set to be executed, Moody said so! And now they're going to do what---clean his brain??"

"It's called Cleansing, Ron...they remove the evil and make you a good person. Or presumably it returns you to the state you were in before you joined the Dark Side."

"Sounds like brainwashing to me."

"I suppose it is...a bit drastic, really...but with Dark Wizards I imagine it's the only option left, other than the first, which I find unacceptable."

"What, execution? Of course you'd find that unacceptable, you can't even stand it if someone steps on an ant in the courtyard."

Hermione sighed in frustration; conversations with Ron always took this turn. "Well, at any rate, he's been spared thanks to Dumbledore and he might actually turn out to be a fine individual in the end."

"The man killed his own father, Hermione."

"That was never proven! He may have just been involved....nobody knows for sure. And besides..." She flashed an enigmatic little smile. "I think there might be more to Barty Crouch Jr than you'd expect."

I know there was a lot more than *I* expected, she thought with a satisfied sigh. About nine inches more, to be exact.

"Well, Dumbledore said we could come watch the cleaning thingy tomorrow, if we want." Ron looked at Hermione with hesitant expectation. "Are you going to go?"

"Of course I am. I brought him to justice, didn't I? It would be negligent of me to skip this important part of his rehabilitation."

"Well, the whole thing gives me the creeps....did you see the way he was looking at everyone when you walked in? It was like a wolf taking a stroll through the sheep's pen."

"He agreed to it, Ron. He wants to go straight. It's either this or Fudge has him executed."

"I still don't like it," Ron harumphed, settling down to finish his Droobles in silence.

I don't much like it either, Hermione lamented inwardly. What if he isn't as...sexy...as a good guy?? There's no telling what he might be like without his wicked streak. What if he ends up like...god help us...PROFESSOR LUPIN, all angsty and pure and tormented over the prevalence of evil??

She shuddered. One thing she knew for certain...she was sneaking to his holding cell tonight to pay one last visit to his naughty side before it was gone forever.


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