AN; So, if you just found this story and haven't read Dealer's Game, please go the author page and read it. It will answer a lot of questions. If you've read that story, though, welcome to the sequel. I hope you enjoyed the last story and are ready to read the next installment. Enjoy.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," the arrogant voice came.

Hermione looked up and froze. It was Draco. Alive and about to ask her for help. No. Not again.

She closed her book and put it in her satchel, keeping her attention on her actions. Anything but looking looking at him. It was a shock on someone who'd just seen their husband die in front of them, trying to protect them, and then see them alive and introducing themselves to you again. She put the bag on her shoulder and started to walk past him.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," he said, grabbing her arm.

She paused and felt her breath leave her lungs. He was so solid. And warm. She could still remember the warmth leaving his body. Hermione steeled herself. No. Stay strong. She had to push him away.

"Get off me," she growled.

Draco furrowed his brow. "What is your problem?" he asked.

"My problem," Hermione said, jerking her arm away. "Is that you think you can come up to me, introduce yourself in such an arrogant tone, and ask for my help."

He looked stunned for a moment. "How did-"

"I know you need my help? Look, it's no big secret that people are having trouble in Divination," she lied. "Just read the book and repeat what the teacher tells you. If you'll excuse me, I need to get to class."

She turned and walked away before he could open his mouth and say anything. She reached the library doors and almost ran Gene down. "Geez, Herms," he said. "In a hurry?" He looked at her and his smile faded. "Who is he?"

Hermione stiffened. "What?" she asked, resisting the urge to look and see if Draco had followed her.

"Who's the boy that made you cry?" Gene said. "Your eyes are turning red."

Hermione relaxed a bit and shook her head. "No body," she said. "I found a book that hadn't been dusted and some of the dust made me sneeze too much. Come on. We'll be late for class."

"Okay," Gene said, though it sounded like he didn't believe her.

They started down the hallway and Hermione ran through what was going to happen next. That night, if she'd agreed to it, she would have met Draco in the library at nine. Well, that wasn't happening, so the next thing was her brothers' surprise visit.

"Gene," she said as they walked up to a their classroom.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I know you're going to surprise me for my birthday by getting Andrew, Barcus, Colin, and Darwin to come visit, but please don't," she said.

"How-" Gene said.

"Please," Hermione said. "I've been swamped with tutoring. I need some time to study next week's lessons."

"Hermione, you need to relax. Get your nose out of a book and have some fun," Gene said.

She gave him a smile. "I'm fine, Gene. I like reading and learning. Besides, I do good work with teaching others. If I don't learnt he subject matter and understand it, how are they suppose to do that?"

"But all four of them have already put their vacation day in," Gene said. "They're coming tomorrow, whether you like it or not."

Usually, she would have laughed, but there was no laughter in her. She grieved for the love that was dead but alive, and she grieved for the life she would never have again. Hermione sighed and said, "Fine. But tell them to meet us outside the castle gates and we'll go to Diagaon Alley for some ice cream and shopping."

"Can you get Dumbledore to agree to that?" Gene asked. "You'll need his permission."

"I'll ask after class," Hermione said.

The doors to the classroom opened and they filed in for History of Magic. Hermione had been bumped up a class. If she'd been in her time period, she wouldn't have had to take it the following year. She felt a pain in her chest and gasped, pressing a hand to her heart.

"You okay?" Gene asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said. "I think I ate something that gave me a bit of heartburn."

"You need to slow down when you're eating," Gene said.

"I'll do that," she said, opening her book.

"Good afternoon, class," the professor said, floating through the wall. As a ghost, it probably made more sense than using the door if they could travel the grounds faster. "Today, we're going to get a little wild."

"Maybe he'll change his monotone," Gene said, nudging Hermione with his elbow. She shrugged. The professor was only going to ask which event of magic they wanted to hear about. Wait, that was it.

"Today, I'm going to let you choose which historical event you'd like to learn about," the professor said. There were groans around the room, but Hermione raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"Professor, could you tell us about the Wizard War? The one with Death Eaters?" she asked.

The words 'Death Eaters' got everyone's attention and, for maybe the first time, the entire class was attentive to what the professor had to say.

"The Wizard War was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was alive and very powerful. He gathered with him a group of witches and wizards who shared the same belief that muggles should be slaves to the purebloods. This meant muggle-borns and half bloods, as well. This group of like minded people were called Death Eaters. They tormented, killed, and terrorized the wizarding world for many years until the night the Dark Lord went after the Potters. That night, he was defeated by the infant Harry Potter, leaving only a scar upon the infant's head. No one is certain why this happened, only that the Dark Lord died that night. The Ministry was able to subdue and lock away many of the Death Eaters in Azkaban, but not much is known about the ones that were never caught."

Hermione raised her hand. "Was the witch Bellatrix Lestrange ever caught?" she asked.

"She was one, yes," the professor answered.

"Is it possible to break out of Azkaban?" Hermione asked. "I mean, we don't have to worry about having them escape, right?"

The professor gave a dry laugh. "No, Ms. Granger," he said. "Azkaban is a very well built fortress. It's guarded by Dementors and is in the middle of no where. You have no fear that they will escape."

But somehow Bellatrix, Antonin, and Yaxley had escaped or were going to escape soon. How did they get out Azkaban, then, without anyone noticing? Something like the three most vicious Death Eaters escaping an escape proof prison would have made Rita Skeeter drool and have her outlandish version of the story on every headline. She'd have to do some research on her own.

"Yes, Mr. Locksly?" the professor asked.

"Wasn't the Dark Lord a half blood?" he asked.

"Yes. He was."

"Then why did he hate half bloods and muggle-borns?"

"That answer is not one that I have, Mr. Locksly," the professor said. "But knowing one's heritage is always something one should do. In fact, I believe I will make that an assignment. Find something interesting about your family history and give a report, a minimum of three feet of parchment." There were a few groans in the class. "It will be due two Wednesdays from now, giving you two weeks to work on this. You are dismissed for the rest of the class for research."

Gene stood up and put his book in his bag. "Nice," he said. "You ask a simple question and get us stuck with homework."

"Sorry," she said, packing up her own things.

"So why the sudden interest in the Wizard War?" Gene asked.

Hermione shrugged. "One of the kids I tutor wants to do extra credit on it and insists that I help," she said.

"Couldn't turn them away, could you?" Gene said as they walked out of the classroom.

"Something like that," she said. They turned a corner and she ran into someone. Their bag spilled over the tiles. "Sorry," she said. "Let me help you."

"Not going to snap my head off?" the voice said.

Hermione looked up and met the gaze of Draco. He smirked at her and she felt her heart stop. She licked her lips and turned her attention to putting his things in his bag. She stood up and held it out. "No," she said.

Draco took the bag. "Got nothing to say?" he asked.

Hermione kept he back straight and her hands folded over her middle to keep from reaching for him. "No," she said. She forced her feet to move past him and down the hallway.

"Hermione?" Gene asked, catching up to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Gene," Hermione said. "He's...just been tormenting some of my students."

"Didn't know you cared," Gene said.

"Lessons haven't been to great when they complain about bullies," she said. "Now, where should we start? With Dad's parents or Mom's?"

"Either way, we can't do much from here. Mom and Dad are muggles. All their family history is back in the muggle world," Gene said.

Hermione shook her head. "There has to be some sort of magic there," she said. "There are eight of us that are born to muggles, but all of us have magic. Either we have magical blood that's submissive in our parents, or Mom had an affair with a wizard."

"Don't you think Dad would have flaunted a blood connection like that by now?" Gene asked. "I hate to speak ill of the man-"

"Go ahead," Hermione said bitterly. "Whatever you say of him is true."

Gene sighed. "Look, Herms," he said, stopping her outside the library. "I know you're angry about the arranged marriage to Vladimir-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said. "Can we just do our assignment?" She walked to the back of the library to her usual table.

Gene came up behind her and hugged her. "Hermione," he said. "I know you don't want this marriage. If there was any other way to fix this, believe me that we'd do something."

Hermione stared at the table and started to cry. She wiped the tears away, but more just continued to fall. Gene turned her around and she clung to him, crying softly. She wanted to stop. She wanted to go back to the way it was just a while ago, when it was the happiest day of her life. Knowing she would never be that happy with anyone or even be friends with Draco, just sank the dagger even more into her heart. The scar started to ache and she pulled away.

"Thank you," she said, wiping her tears and turning to the table. "So...why don't we start with a general search for the Granger family tree. Any reference to a Granger will work."

Gene gave her a worried look, but turned and walked over to the card drawers. Hermione pulled out what they would need to take notes, trying to calm her nerves. She had to start being careful or people would notice her odd behavior. Gene believed it was from the engagement to Vladimir, but her old self had been able to keep her feelings hidden from everyone. Now...well, now she'd have to get use to the front again. Her hand traveled to her robes, feeling the photo tucked away in the pocket. At least she would have memories.