This is set in their seventh year of Hogwarts, and the war has ended.
Chapter 1: Answers
"Hermione! Bloody hell, are you even listening to me?" Ron's face was starting to get a red tint in frustration. "You have to drink the potion!"
"I will, Ronald. I simply don't see why anyone would want to see the future, even after knowing it's a future that you could never possibly have once you've seen it," she snapped. "What if its something I would have wanted for myself and then I can't have it... and only after three days of experiencing it? I don't want to have knowingly taken away that option."
She glared at the spell and read it once more.
After drinking the potion one must complete the spell in order to foresee what could have been.
Foresee what could have been? That already sounds terrible! Why would anyone want that?
Once you have arrived in your future, you will no longer have the possibility of this future. This spell chooses a future at random, and has no bearing on what the caster may have wanted in the future. However, many wizards and witches still find the spell to give clarity with their divination adventures afterward.
Ron had gotten quite good at divination over the years, and as a seventh year student, he said that he wanted to try something more advanced. He still needed help with making the potion. That's where Hermione came in. She had no doubts that she would be able to make the potion correctly, and they would both surely be able to handle the spell, but she still had doubts of the practicality of this. She was downright angry when he had originally brought the spell to her, but after weeks of him talking about how much it would mean to him, her resolve had crumbled, and she had finally caved in. That didn't mean she had to like it.
"We've been through this, it's only three days, and even if it's a 'potential future that has been taken away' as you like to put it, you may still be able to have a similar one." Ron gave her a smile and laughed lightly. "Are you worried you won't be able to have a future with me after this?"
She smiled, although still a little worried.
"Fine, but this won't mess up time in the real world will it?"
"Don't worry Mione, you'll be back in time for your Charms exam."
Hermione sighed. Ron and her had been dating for just a few months now, and he'd been uninterested in her academic pursuits. She was silently hoping that after this he would make a better attempt to be involved in her interests.
"I'll see you in three days," she said, giving a small smile and downing the potion. "Procul futurae." And with a flick of her wand, she was gone.
Hermione landed softly on a bed with green silk sheets and a plush white comforter. The walls were a bright yellow, and the room had little room for more than the two dressers and the bed. She walked over to the taller traditional wooden dresser, opening the first drawer she found an assortment of silk boxers in various colours.
This doesn't look like something that Ron would wear, she thought. She shut the drawer and opened the bedroom door. In front of her was a small living room with light blue walls with one brick-accent wall with two windows on it. The living room had a kitchen attached to it with barely any transition to even say it was a separate room. It felt more like a living room with a kitchen set up in the corner, but by no means looked cheap. On the contrary, she thought it enhanced how comfortable the room looked, and the traditional furniture gave it a sophisticated touch.
After looking for evidence of the anonymous inhabitant she discovered a two things: They didn't have a single picture in the house. And the apartment was in the muggle part of London.
After waiting around a few minutes, she became increasingly jittery. What is there to do in unfamiliar territory with no one around? Figuring she would be home alone for quite some time, she took her wand out of her pocket, acciod her keys and jacket, and left to find answers. Hermione walked down three flights of stairs, standing at the ground floor was a lone door adorned with a simple plaque.
Oella Leasing
Landlord: Grant Waters
She knocked on the door and shifted nervously. How am I going to ask questions without seeming like a crazy person? Before she could turn around and go back up the stairs to plan out a way to ask questions about her now-life, the door opened.
A tall, quite good looking man, with dusty blonde hair and brown eyes opened the door. He looked to be in his late twenties and had a friendly demeanor. He looked Hermione up and down and smiled, "Well, if it isn't Miss Tooth. I don't think you've knocked on my door since you moved in two years ago. What can I do for you?" Hermione looked at him confused for a few moments.
Miss tooth? Am I in hiding? This is exactly the reason I didn't want to use the spell in the first place. I may be in danger now. After glancing over her shoulders to see if she was being watched, she turned to the man in front of her.
"Oh... uh. Yes, Mr..." she glanced at the name on the door, "Waters, I was wondering if I could have a copy of the lease. I've seemed to have misplaced mine and figured I should have some sort of documentation for future reference."
Hermione saw a flash of disappointment before he turned around and ruffled through the file cabinet. He hadn't invited her in, so she stood in the doorway awkwardly looking at the paint chipping on the corner of the door leading outside.
"Beverly?" he asked a little unsure.
Is he taking to me?
Hermione turned her attention back to the handsome man, "Oh, uh... pardon me, I'm just a little hungry. Are there any cafes you would recommend near by?"
"Actually, I'm feeling a little hungry myself. There's a sandwich shop about two blocks from here. May I could join you?" He looked a little too eager, but Hermione needed answers.
"That would be lovely. Do you have my lease?"
He smiled brightly and handed her a folder, "Wait a moment while I get my coat."
The trip to the cafe was short, and Grant asked quite a few questions about her personal life that made her uneasy. She was starting to wonder if she could live three days not knowing anything about her past and get away with it. The room was small and there was only one, overwhelmed, waitress attending all the tables. She glanced at the newcomers and walked over to their table.
The waitress, Shelby, rolled her eyes and grimaced, "What can I get for you?"
Before Hermione could answer Grant smirked at the waitress, "We'll have two turkey sandwiches." With a glare aimed at Hermione, the waitress turned on her heel and departed. "So, does Ferris know you're here?"
Hermione assumed that was the man she was living with and thought of a quick lie. "Uh, well he knew I would be getting the lease today, but I haven't had the time to tell him we're out to lunch, obviously."
A dark look flickered over his face, and she felt as if the room was just a little smaller. She looked away and fiddled with the hem of her navy blue skirt and amended her lie, "Actually, he's going to be home within the hour, so maybe we should get this food to go?"
"Hm... I suppose." He enunciated each word slowly. "If that's what you want"
Looking past Hermione, he yelled, "Shelby!"
Turning angrily at the rude call, the waitress hissed, "Yes, Grant?"
About five minutes of small talk about how he had become a landlord at such a young age (a gift from his father), and learning why the waitress seemed angry with them (a relationship that ended poorly), their food arrived packed and ready to go.
Hermione and Grant walked in silence until they arrived at the complex. Their lunch hadn't answered any of the questions she had, and she was feeling more uncomfortable as the time passed.
"Beverly?"
At this, she turned, wanting desperately to run back into her apartment and stay there until her mystery man arrived home.
"Remember my door is always open for you," he said, giving her a wink. The wink was lost in translation, and only added to the day's uncomfortable events.
Smiling stiffly, she turned and walked back to her flat.
Sitting on the not-so-comfortable couch, she studied the two signatures on the lease. It was her handwriting, but the name was wrong. Why is my name Beverly Tooth? She came to the conclusion, from the still-paintings on the wall, location of their dwelling, and the fact that Ferris Ferret is a very muggle name, that she was dating a muggle.
She was disappointed that she wasn't in a relationship with Ron- She envisioned herself with Ron in every future. Maybe Ferris was a cover, maybe she wasn't really involved with him, maybe she was still seeing Ron behind Ferris' back. She corrected herself quickly, 'I would never use someone like that, muggle or not.'
Maybe she was running from something?
While thinking over what type of man he would be, she heard a rustle at the door and the lock turn.
Hermione's heart sped up.
Suddenly the way she was sitting felt very uncomfortable. She couldn't make any position she sat in feel casual, so she stood up.
The door opened.
And in walked "...Malfoy?"
A/N: Review, please.