Once Fallen
...
-Déjà Vu-
The day started out with a bang, unfortunately.
"Hermione!"
The cherubs around her took that as a sign of trouble and scrambled past the accused girl, away from the warpath of higher-ranked angel.
"Yes, Mark?" Hermione gazed up into the male angel's eyes looking every bit like the innocent angel she was supposed to be. Key words: supposed to be.
The man before her looked slightly ruffled.
"Tell me, Hermione, did you have something to do with that explosion at the gate?"
He eyed her carefully.
"An explosion. Really? I haven't heard of such a thing. In fact, I've been here all morning."
"Look me in the eye"
Hermione whimpered, but did as she was told; she was confused to see sadness in them, usually he would be perpetually amused.
"Good girl. Now tell me, did or didn't you have anything to do with the explosion?"
She broke his gaze and whispered, "Yes…"
"Hermione," he admonished, "What for?"
"It wasn't my fault," she hurried to explain, "The other angels said that they didn't believe that I could do magic, so I showed them."
She finished with a defiant upward tilt of her chin.
The older angel looked down at her with concern in his eyes, "Hermione, you know I've told you countless of times. You aren't like them, you—"
"I what? I know I'm different, must you tell me that, too? Don't you think I know? But why does different have to be bad, can't it be good too? It can, I know it can."
"Hermione, you don't understand."
"Then tell me. All these years, you've only told me that I was different. You've never told me why. Wouldn't now be a good time to tell me why? Tell me why I have to be different. Tell me why all these years the others have been treating me like I'm an outsider."
Her eyes shined brightly with tears threatening to fall upon her face. Biting her lip as to not show her sadness, Hermione looked downwards.
"Hermione…" he cupped her face with softness and ease.
"Hermione," he started again, "… Hermione, do you know why God erases the memories of everyone that comes into heaven?"
She shook her head.
"He does that to ensure that nobody is judged when they are admitted into heaven… that nobody will be able to judge others. You are a blank slate when you enter Heaven."
"I still don't understand. How does that make me different?" she spat out the last word with contempt.
She wasn't prepared for what he was about to say.
"You, my darling cherub, are a... witch."
Hermione's eyes widened at his words.
"Or should I say: were a witch. Before you… before you died, you were a witch."
"How could I be a witch? Witches are evil; they're associated with Satan, angels are good. I am good. I am an angel." She was bordering hysterical.
"Let me assure you, you were and actually still are most definitely a witch. Your powers, they aren't normal for such a young cherub like you."
"But you have powers, too."
"Yes, but I am far older than you, Hermione."
"Certainly there are more witches and wizards here besides me. Why wouldn't I have noticed them?"
He took a deep breath, "There aren't. You're the only one."
"Why?"
"I saved you."
"What? Why only me? Why not others?"
"Like you said, witches and wizards are associated with evil. Your circumstances were quite unusual."
"Is that all you're going to say? My circumstances were unusual?"
"Yes, that's all I have to say. That is all I am permitted to say," he bit his lip.
"Why tell me now? I've begged you many times before."
"Know that it hurts me to say this, Hermione. Know that it pains me deeply. For the years I've taken care of you and watched over you, I've become quite fond of you."
"And you've become a father figure for me," Mark grimaced, but she didn't notice, "What's going to happen to me?" The tears shined through more prominently.
Mark took her hands and grabbed hers.
"You're going back." His voice slightly cracked.
Hermione attempted to hold back her traitorous tears and choked out, "Back?"
"The council has decided that it was time for you to go back. I tried, believe me, I tried to get them to let you stay, but they would have no leeway."
She gazed into his eyes.
"Am I going to be able to come here again?"
He turned his head.
"Tell me, Mark. Am I going to be able to come back? Tell me. Why won't you tell me?"
He whispered softly, "No…"
But Hermione heard him. She heard the word that would condemn her to earth forever. Forever wandering. Forever lost.
"How long?"
"How long what?" He knew what she was talking about.
"How much longer can I stay?"
Mark took a deep breath before answering, "You can't. The council has ordered you to leave. It's only a matter of minutes, now."
"Today? Why, is it because of this morning?"
"To tell you the truth, it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but the council had been pondering over your stay for months now."
"I see." Her voice shook, but now it shook from anger. The council members had the nerve to talk about her behind her back when just last week the head member had cheerfully smiled at her and asked her how she was.
Well, now she knew how to answer. Angry. She was angry. She was angry and she was going to do something about it. Since this was her last day in heaven, she might as well make the best of it. Revenge perhaps?
"Hermione, I know that look. You can't blame everything on them; you have to admit that you had some part in it, too."
She stared at the face that had raised her, the face that had cared for her. She was scared to that there was no falsity or doubt showing. She had no hope. No anger. No strong emotions within her.
She just wanted to know.
"Mark…"
"Yes?"
"When, I'm down there again, what am I supposed to do?"
His answer came out in a breathless voice, "You're going to live your life again. Before your accident. Before you died. Before I saved you. You're going to be living your old life again. Shouldn't you be happy?"
Hermione was distraught. How could she live her life again? What if her life was dreadful? What if she had nobody? Nobody to care for her. Nobody to love. Nobody to love her.
"Tell me, Mark… was I happy?"
"You mean before—"
"Yes."
"Yes, somewhat. I guess you would call it happy."
She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. His answer at least brought some solace to her.
"This is goodbye isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I won't forget you, Mark. Ever."
"I'm afraid you will."
At his words, she felt as if she were falling down headfirst into a bottomless pit of despair twice over.
"Are you ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
"Take my hand Hermione and I'll take you back."
Back. She hated that word.
"Wait, I have one more question. How did I die—"
x
"Hermione? Wake up Hermione. It's almost time for us to leave."
The girl stirred slightly in her bed. She wanted to return to that dream. She felt so peaceful there.
"Hermione. Come on, the boys are waiting. We have to be there at eleven or we won't be there at all."
She recognized that voice. It was her current bunk mate, Ginny. Ginny? Why was Ginny in her dream?
"Hermione!"
Jolted from her slumber, Hermione got to her feet immediately. It was such a nice dream, too. At least she thought so, she couldn't remember anything from it. A pity.
"Yes?"
"Hurry, it's twenty to eleven, and you still haven't packed... yet." Ginny's voice wilted when she saw that the older girl had already prepared her trunk for the start of the new school year and was patiently waiting for her to realize it.
"How do you do that?"
"It's magic," she winked.
"You're lucky you're old enough. Just get changed and we'll be able to go."
Hermione could hear the words 'cheeky' and 'tart' from the room she previously occupied.
Within a few minutes, Hermione was ambling downstairs with her luggage levitating slightly behind the other girl.
"Finally!"
"Yeah, Hermione. What took you so long?"
"Shut it, you prats. I'll have you know I was sleeping."
"You? Hermione? Sleeping in? Hold me Ron, I think I'm going to faint."
She shot the two boys a mock glare.
"No time for fainting Harry, we were supposed to be at the station five minutes ago."
The voice from within the living room flowed into the kitchen and could be easily recognized as Molly Weasley.
"Come now, children, hurry along."
The trip from the Burrow to Kings' Station felt eerily familiar. She quashed the nonsensical feeling as she marked it down as just the familiarity of having done it the previous years.
x
"Save us a compartment, would you Ginny? We've all got duties to fulfill and all that." Ron commanded as he puffed out his chest arrogantly.
"Argh, and how do you suppose I save it when you lot," she glared at Ron, Harry, and Hermione with false anger, "are gone. The other seventh years will simply kick me out."
Harry coughed the words 'Bat Bogey Hex.'
Ron pretended he hadn't heard it, but still looked amused.
Ginny and Hermione's eyes met and they both shared a quick smile.
"Yes, yes, well get on with it and hurry back. I don't like sitting alone."
x
The debriefing of Prefect and Head Duties was surprisingly short.
Other years, the meeting would drag on and on until you would want to bash your head in to make it stop altogether.
Harry should count himself lucky that he was neither prefect nor Head Boy. He counted himself luckier that he was permitted to sit in the meeting at all. Then again, he had to carefully consider whether or not being able to stay with Hermione and Ron was worth it if he had to also listen to others drone on and on about expectations and reports. It was not.
Being the exception, Hermione gladly listened to every word Professor McGonagall had told them, not that she didn't know all of her duties by heart.
Ron and Harry had long since disappeared from their 'bathroom break'.
"Head Girl, I could sing."
"Rather not hear that, Granger. My ears wouldn't be able to take it."
Ah, yes. The git she would have to share the Heads Common Room with, Draco Malfoy. Damn Dumbledore and his accursed ideas of 'House Unity.' For years she felt that the name should be considered a swear word as the man who held it was as foul as a tar pit.
"Malfoy."
"Granger." He said this as he eyed her appreciatively.
The creeping blush and confusion told him that he had gotten the reaction he wanted.
"What, no mudblood?"
"Open your eyes, Granger. We're all adults here. We can act civil."
She snorted.
"Very ladylike Granger."
"Yes, Malfoy, well I'll start acting ladylike when you start acting like a gentleman."
"Milady," he mock bowed at her.
"Goodbye Malfoy," she rolled her eyes at him.
x
She entered the compartment containing two Weasleys, one Potter, and spotted an extra addition.
"Ron... Harry... you left me. Oh, Lavender, hello."
"Hermione, good morning."
"Is it, hmm… I guess you could say it was."
Since the incident where Hermione had sent the canaries at Lavender in her jealous fit, both girls found it quite difficult to apologize to one another. Instead, they settled for an icy acquaintanceship. Not that Hermione minded.
For the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts, Hermione had sat in a quiet contemplation.
The entire day had felt like déjà vu to her and she couldn't figure out why.
...
This is their seventh year. I've taken some artistic liberties and have changed the canon storyline a bit. That's mainly the reason why this is AU.
SPOILER ALERT: Though in the sixth book, Draco becomes a Death Eater, he's not one in this story which lets Dumbledore live, and Snape is allowed to keep his position as Potions Master. I'll notify you if I changed any other canon story lines... but those were the most important ones anyhow.
Constructive criticism is welcome and I stress the constructive part.