Chapter Playlist:
-"You Found Me" – The Fray
-"Ironic" – Alanis Morisette

Disclaimer:
Yeah, ya know.. I don't own these characters. I don't own anything Harry Potter related. I don't own The Fray. I do, however, own this alternate interpretation.

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.:'* You Found Me*':.

My brows furrowed as I crept into the gates of my beloved alma mater. I felt my heart sink down to my toes, and creep back up into my throat. I couldn't control my action of suddenly bawling at the horrendous sight of the place. I walked, very slowly toward the collapsed doors of Hogwarts, wiping my draining tears away from my face only long enough to take in what was left of the castle.

The door that I had always looked toward as my great safety was lain in broken pieces before me. It looked, in my years at Hogwarts, like a stone. It seemed as if no hazard could come to us. I swallowed hard, trying to repress my emotional breakdown. I couldn't seem to rid myself of this sudden spell. What, with pieces of one of the strongest links of safety I'd ever known simply charred and wrecked on the stairs before me. The windows, as I looked up, seemed to all be busted out. It was as if someone had come and thrown a croquet ball through each one of them. There were towers that seemed to be missing from the height and greatness of this place. It didn't look at all the beacon of hope I'd known it as in my youth.

I skillfully crept over the pieces of the door, murmuring lumos under my breath to lighten the darkness I was sure to endure within the castle. I sighed in relief at the two grand doors standing in between myself and the great hall, the place I remembered so well from my school days. I peered around, letting my wand poke out at the walls. Pictures had been abandoned long before by those that had once taunted us all. The hall seemed lonely without them, all too quiet. At least when others went home for the winter holidays, the paintings would be chatting or snoring in this grand hallway. I moved forward carefully, pushing the doors gently open. I felt greif as I looked around, yet again. The flags of the four pods or dormitories, "houses," as we called them were ratty. It looked as if all of them had been attacked by some sort of wild animal. The tables and chairs were overturned- plates and goblets were left scattered, some broken. The ceiling, which had always been enchanted in such a way that really gave Hogwarts its magical glow no longer filled the cathedral ceiling. Instead, it was only void, empty.

I turned to leave the room, closing the doors quietly after myself. Did I dare to creep up to the library, which had filled so many of my days and nights? Could I handle what might await me in a place I may as well have called home? I closed my eyes and drew in a deep, stiff breath, only to cough it back out due to the amount of dust that filled the building. I pushed my thoughts and fears aside and made my way up to the library. I tried to just ignore the condition of the building as I moved quickly around stairs and down hallways. I couldn't remember the walk ever seeming this gradual, I thought. I had to be lost- that was the only explanation I could come up with, but I wrote it off as nerves.

Finally finding myself at the entrance, I braced myself and pushed myself into the immediate room quickly. Surprised at what I found, I had to rub my eyes gently.

"Hermione, you've got to be dreaming this up," I murmured to myself quietly. I started toward the rows of book shelves. They looked completely untouched. As if whatever- or rather.. whoever had ransacked this castle had forgotten this room. I tried to restrain the squeal that accompanied my huge grin as I ran through the aisles, eyes flicking over titles that I'd read in school, and even some that I'd gotten to read since then. I let out a squeaky laugh as I stopped at the title Hogwarts: A History. I reached my finger out to lightly touch the spine of the book, my eyes closing. I felt a warm feeling enclose me as I took the book from its place and opened my eyes. I checked the back of the book, seeing my own name on the note card, having signed it out so many years previous.

I dropped the book, however, startled by a loud sound. My breath hitched in my throat, as it felt like it was closing up. I looked around slowly, reaching down to pick the book back up to place it back on its shelf. I tried to tell myself that the sound was just a forgotten owl that'd gotten trapped inside the school, but I felt as if I was being watched. I turned to leave, but instead of seeing the slight light from the hallway, I was met by a pair of silvery eyes. I could hear my heart pounding at the wand poking me in the side, the eyes furiously staring down at me.

"I'm sorry, I just- someone dear to me that I went to school with passed recently.. we went here, and I just wanted to visit, it- I needed the memory.." I pleaded, tears forming in my eyes. I couldn't even think to get a good look at what I was sure was my ticket to jail- or even worse, my killer. After all, not all of the death eaters had been captured so many years ago. I could hear a whine creeping in my voice as I stammered my words out, "I was just about to leave, I swear, please don't.."

"Mudblood?" I heard a husky, sex-dripping voice inquire.

Hurt by the word, I had gotten used to it. With the power always shifting between self-proclaimed "cured, ex-death eaters," and those of us that had some sense, the word should have been something I was used to. "Well, sure.. I mean, that's a hurtful term, but I'm not of wizarding backgro-"

"Shut your yap, you nitwit. That's not what I –" The mysterious figure snapped back to me, "I- Granger.. You're Hermione Granger."

"If you have orders to kill me, I understand.. Just, please let me say goodbye first, I can't just die, I-" I paused, finally letting myself get a look at my killer. Long silvery-blonde hair, that pointed little face.. well, not so little any more- more like chiseled. I had to sweep in a deep breath, this time finding the air to have a sweet, yet tart and manly scent.. a scent that I could almost taste the sin in. "M-Malfoy?"

Oh great. I was about to be killed by a blubbering idiot, by the most vain, ridiculous wizard in existence. That twat was about to take my life. I wouldn't even get to die in dignity.

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