I Belong to You

By Alba, a fanatic Draco/Hermione shipper

My only love sprang from my only hate

We were enemies by blood – lovers by fate

Title: I Belong to You

Author: Alba

Main characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, OC

Summary: MY ONLY LOVE SPRANG FROM MY ONLY HATE (I know I haven't invented this). 'We were enemies by blood – lovers by fate'. While everything forbids a love story between Hermione and Draco, opposites attract each other, and scary nights in the Forbidden Forest may change the course of time… I suck at summaries, sorry.

A/N: Right, I'm rewriting it AGAIN. No, no reason to worry. I just wasn't satisfied with the first version, and anyhow, nobody reviewed L. So I hope you're going to like this version better. No, I don't own any character so far… they're the property of JK Rowling, as we all know. I don't know why I'm even writing this note. The characters will be treated right, though, and will be returned in perfect state. READ AND REVIEW, giving me therefore a reason to live!!!

Chapter 1- Back Again

From Hermione Granger's point of view

I was but sixteen when the greatest war the magical world had ever seen broke out. When I look back at this cruel, bloodthirsty, but on the other hand magically blissful time, I wonder at my innocence. If I had had the experience repeated blows have given to me, perhaps I would have had the strength to change my fate and award myself with a better life, together with the man I loved, love still now – and will always love. But all these thoughts confuse me; I want to revive the moments that characterize this memorable year in chronologic order.

It was the second day of school of my sixth year at Hogwarts. All the students were sitting in the great dining room, classified into their houses. I remember how our number had diminished. About eighty of us had left the school, seeking for refuge in more remote parts of the world. Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan had left, for instance. The Creevey brothers. Crabbe and Goyle, strangely. And some more, which have no importance in the tale I am going to put in the picture. Those who had stayed were unexplainably changed. All my friends had a look of unease mixed with fear on their faces. I couldn't blame them – if anyone had been watching and describing my expression, it would have been no better. I was afraid, too. Am I to be blamed? After all, how many times in a lifetime do you hear that the greatest world the magical world has ever witnessed has broken out? Once at the most. Does this sound cheesy? It didn't to me when I heard it, trust me.

Among all those frightened and hushed people, only one stayed calm – Harry. He was oddly serene. But his coolness didn't soothe me – far from it. If possible, it scared me still more. It was as if a veil had fallen over his usually so vivid and expressive face. Bad sign.

The dining room looked particularly beautiful this day. The ceiling represented a baby blue sky, lit up by a bright sun, threatened by an upcoming storm. All of Hogwarts had seemed an apogee of solemn beauty to me, when I had arrived with the train the day before. I had looked up at it in awe and retraced its towering shape, black against the sky where the dying sun set peach-colored rays. It's like this that I remember my school now – looking so beautiful in the darkening sky.

But I'm divagating – I get lost in painful memories.

We were eating peacefully, though no one seemed to be particularly hungry. Even the Slytherins were silent, forgetting to laugh at the others. I remember having a quick glance at Malfoy, and seeing his almost worried expression. It struck me as exceptionally weird.

Dumbledore claimed our attention by standing up and clearing his throat. Immediately, the few whispers that had broken the grave silence died out.

"Dear students," Dumbledore started calmly. "I have only a few words to say. I present my apologies for not offering you a more cheerful welcome. We all know what hard epoch our world is going through, and how deeply it will affect even our everyday life. Unfortunately, I can't assure your safety any more. I can't promise to you that you will live to wake up tomorrow. But I'll do my best, and this I vow. If I can't protect you well enough, I will teach you to do it yourself – and this is why Hogwarts hasn't been closed this year, on the eve of a deadly war. Many of us are still assembled here, because we believe that we can change the course of time. Because we can learn, and fight back with this knowledge. I'm proud of all those who are here today. So welcome," he said, spreading his arms, "to another year at Hogwarts."

There was a moment of silence. Then the whole room broke into enthusiastic applause.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ginny breaking into tears, Ron struggling to keep his expression poised, Harry as inexpressive as before, still, motionless, and Malfoy with an expression that I could not identify then. Now, that I have learned to know him, I understand that the two opposite sides were fighting in him.

Half an hour later, we were still sitting around, sipping the last droughts of water, eating the last mouthfuls of rice as slowly as possible, to extend this peaceful and friendly moment. Presently Professor Dumbledore stood up again, and said clearly:

"I believe Professor McGonagall has something to tell you as well."

Our teacher wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She too had been touched by the Headmaster's speech, and had not so quickly recovered from it. As I saw her, leaning on her chair, getting help from Professor Snape to stand up, I thought she looked much older than last year.

"My dear children," she said, much to my surprise (I don't remember her having ever employed such words before) "I can't explain my gratitude towards those who have had the loyalty – and courage – to come back to Hogwarts this year. I shall spare you long, boring speeches, and will resume mine in a few words. For this year, we have programmed to focus on teaching you to cohabit in peace and amity, in order to prevent such a war to ever happen again." Here, I had the depressive thought 'what if there's no world for a war to have place in?' but my attention was distracted by Professor McGonagall. "Therefore, we have decided that all of you will live for one month in the core of the Forbidden Forest. But this is not all. You shall have tents and commodities, and will lack of little comforts. But the main point is that one person from every house will be present in each tent, as long as this is possible. Therefore, I trust that you will look at the board at my right (she pointed towards it) where your placements are indicated. Thank you."

Polite applause followed, but now we were all curious and wished nothing more than to get up and see who we were with. I had intensely wished I could be with Harry, Ron and Ginny, but since Mrs. McGonagall had specified there would be one from each house in every tent, I had little hope. Still, I did not expect this.

"Come, people," Ron had said. "Let's go and have a look at this famous board."

We had to stand in queue and push students to do so, but in the end, we succeeded. My eyes scanned the lists nervously. Suddenly Ginny cried out:

"Oh, Mione, what misfortune!"

I turned around, and saw her pointing at my name. Above it stood the inscription 'tent 26B' and below it, the names 'Luna Lovegood' (joy!), a name I did not know ('Gabriel Hopkins') and… I held back my breath.

"Malfoy!" Ginny screamed.

I couldn't believe it. I wanted to sink to my knees and vanish. Anything, but Malfoy! One month in a tent with Malfoy! What had I done to deserve this?

"Oh!" I could say only this, and then I buried my face in Harry's shoulders.

"It's making me very happy, Granger," said a voice from behind me. "How much fun we're going to have! A mudblood, a lunatic, a hippie, and me. Could it be any better?"

I raised my eyes and, of course, met Malfoy's icy grey ones. Pansy Parkinson, who hung from his arm, had broken into a hysterical laughter that sounded like the bleating of a particularly stupid sheep. I wondered what Malfoy saw in her – she couldn't be dumber, and wasn't precisely a beauty either. Then again, it was not like Malfoy was the man of my dreams. As usually, he had his hair slicked back, but it seemed to me that it was less slimy than usually. Nothing in his face had altered – he still had the same pointed chin and aquiline nose, the same high cheekbones and thin eyebrows. Actually, he was annoyingly handsome, as I had noticed before, but there was something in his face that I hated so much, that I couldn't feel attracted towards him. It was so unfair, that someone so evil, so cold, so hard, could be standing in front of me, looking like a cherub.

Presently, he had an eyebrow arched, and his eyes had turned into chips of ice with hatred.

"We'll get along really well, won't we, Mudblood?" he said sarcastically. "If you keep observing me for hours without saying a word, I think everything's going to be OK."

I turned away, furious, and decided to ignore him the best I could. Fortunately, he stopped persecuting me after this. I looked at Harry – he was standing still in front of the board, staring at it.

"Who are you with?" I asked.

"Michael Corner, Pansy Parkinson, and a certain Cassandra Malfoy."

"Cassandra Malfoy?" I repeated.

Sounded pretty much like Malfoy's sister, except that I hadn't known there was one.

Presently, Malfoy whirled on his heels and looked at Harry intently. Color rose to his pale cheeks, and he hissed:

"Don't dare to harm her out of hatred for me, Potter. If you talk to her – lay a hand on her – upset her, I swear, you're a dead man."

Harry needed a couple of seconds to make up an answer.

"Didn't you threaten me once before like this? When have you ever kept your word?"

I bit my lips, not too content that they were already having a fight.

"Blame me for not becoming a murderer?" Malfoy laughed bitterly. "For learning from my own mistakes? Potter, I declare, you're the dumbest person on earth. Don't ask me why – look into a mirror. But I'm serious now. If you dare to do anything to my sister – I'm not responsible for my acts." Then he spun around again, and was about to walk away.

"So she is your sister?" I couldn't help saying.

"Yes."

"Why didn't she ever come to Hogwarts before?"

He was still turning his back to me, but I could see the muscles in the back of his neck contracting, and his fists clenching. Then he looked at me, his eyes throwing darts.

"She isn't a witch."

There was a defying expression on his face – he challenged me to laugh, to make a spiteful joke. But I didn't say a word.

So there were two of them now.

The year couldn't be starting better.

A/N: so what did you think? I don't know how many times I've re-written this story… I think this is going to be way less dark than "Into the Dark". I'd appreciate reviews, lol. So please tell me what you think of. Flames will be used to light the embers in my chimney. Compliments will be used to lift my ego. J

Love,

~Alba