Disclaimer: This universe and the characters within it are not my own. They belong to Warner Bros. Entertainment, J.K. Rowling, and all other not aforementioned respective owners. This is a work of fanfiction that no one will be profiting off of. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hope, Hatred, Hargid, and Crystal Balls

Draco had never been a big fan of Divination. Why would anyone think it was a good idea to see the future before hand? It wasn't like anyone understood it.

There were such things as time turners, which means you could go back in time, so depending on whether or not the present was really the present, or some point you were at on a fixed time line, the future might have been set already. Which, to Draco, was not a very comforting notion.

He liked to have control over things. Control over his emotions, control over others, you name it and he thought it was spiffy to control. Thinking about how everything he knew was beyond his control was simply upsetting.

"Draco Malfoy," came a misty voice from above. He made his way up the silver ladder, wondering whether or not he should predict her getting sacked.

"Good afternoon," she greeted him. In return, he just looked at her boredly. She didn't seem to notice, and gestured to the seat opposite her. On the table was a crystal ball. How did you make those things, anyway? Was it even crystal, or just charmed glass? What sort of a budget did Hogwarts--

"Kindly look into the orb... gaze deeply," he faked a 'deep gaze,' pretending to be intrigued by shapes that weren't there. "Yes, that's right, now, tell me what you see..."

For the first time in his life he saw something in the crystal ball. Genuinely saw something. Other than the silly cloudy stuff. Professer Trelawny seemed to notice the amazement in his eyes, and stopped talking, waiting for him to take it all in, and then answer.

There was a boy with sharp features. It looked just like him. Except, he couldn't be in the crystal ball, because he was in the Divination room. The figure that looked like him looked up at something Draco couldn't see. He was wearing a very, very nice set of dress robes. Maybe it was him. He couldn't think of anyone else who was that handsome and that rich.

Suddenly he found himself growing rather fond of Divination. On the mini-fake-Draco's face was a smile, not a smirk, a genuine, 'I-just-won-the-Quidditch-cup-singlehandedly-in-space' smile. Then, as the picture became clearer, he saw that he-- well, that that man who looked sort of like him-- had something in his arms. Studying it closely, he saw that it was a girl. A woman. A beautiful woman, with an elegant face framed by a mane of curls. She had on an elaborate gown, and there was a veil in her hair.

Oh god. It was Granger. Those curls, that face... Suddenly he didn't like Divination at all again. Quite possibly, he hated it more than before. The crystal ball had done something to his head. It had stolen that picture, taken it from a dream Draco'd had weeks before. It was out to get him! It betrayed his trust!

"Well, dear? What did you see?" He wanted to kill something.

"I saw a Hippogrif. With it's head lying next to it. And I also saw Professor Hagrid, who looked quite put-out."

"My dear," she said, her voice misty, as she alternated between scribbling excitedly on the parchment, and looking up at him with her magnified, unsettlingly large, eyes, "I think you have a gift. You must be seeing Professor Hagrid's--"

He cut her off. "Excuse me, Professor. I have another exam to take next, and there are students who still haven't taken this one."

"Yes, yes, why, of course," she murmured dreamily as he climbed down the silver steps.

Draco had never been a big fan of Divination until he'd taken his exam in third year. He didn't understand the future, but he understood the hope that rose within him when he contemplated it.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it, I was inspired to write it, and though, 'eh, why not.' This one-shot is dedicated to the minutes of my life I spent writing it, and will never get back :)