Hello Everyone! First of all, I'd like to thank all the persons who reviewed my story Another Life; it means a lot to me that you liked this fiction so much! And I hope you will like this sequel! Second of all, thanks also to Nia who agreed on beta this sequel!
Anyway, here is the sequel to Another Life: After a friendly intervention, Hermione and Draco, who are separated, are once again sent in the past, but where exactly? In Ancient Rome where Draco was a gladiator or in the Far West? Will they come back?
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Happy reading everybody and feel free to let me know what you think of this first chapter!
Chapter 1: A friendly intervention.
Draco's blood began to boil in his veins when he saw her enter the Great Hall. Officially, he hadn't seen her for a year; unofficially it had been much shorter. He knew that she would get mad if she ever learned that he had been following her for months. He needed to know how she had been, and how she overcame their break-up...
Indeed he and Hermione had separated a year ago. It was his choice to do so. After more than three years of perfect happiness, at least on Hermione's side, he had decided to leave her and leave England as well. He thought he could face his fear of losing her after the potion incident that happened during their seventh year and that has shown them the destiny of one of their previous life but he was wrong. For three years he had lived frightened at the idea that something would happen to the woman he loved. Several times he was about to leave everything but Hermione's love and confidence in their couple had always made him stay.
Until the night of Hermione's kidnapping. An old enemy of Malfoy had wanted to blackmail the family, and Hermione was used as a bargaining chip. The wizard world was aware of the relationship between the only son of Lucius Malfoy and a Muggle born, and they knew how deeply in love Draco was with her. This man thought that Draco and his father would do anything to get her back, and he was right. Harry and Draco pursuing studies to become Aurors hounded the man and they found him without too much problem. In the end, there was more fear than harm, because Hermione had been released and did not receive even the slightest scratch, but this kidnapping deeply shocked Draco. He had relived his past memories; when, during his confinement in the body of Draco in 1943, he saw his wife, Hermione, die in front of him.
The night he had understood Hermione had been kidnapped, he felt a wave of cold invade his chest, and his heart clenched irreparably. He would never bear losing her again. He had therefore taken the decision that he believed was the better for her. He remembered the last conversation he had with Hermione before leaving for France very well.
"You can not do this." Hermione whispered with tears in her eyes. "Please Draco. Don't start again like three years ago. I'm fine, nothing serious happened."
"I know." Draco said by putting his clothes in his suitcase. "But this incident opened my eyes. It's far too dangerous for you to stay by my side."
"It is always the same old story. We always come back to the same problem," she moaned, pulling Draco's clothes back out of his suitcase.
"Don't make things more complicated." he sighed, suddenly grabbing back his clothes. "Please Hermione. You will be much better without me."
"Don't say that. You know it's not true. We are happy together. Don't let your fear spoil everything."
"This time, you won't make me stay." Draco muttered, closing his suitcase and grabbing it firmly.
"So you really don't love me."
Draco approached her and gently took her face in his hands. He laid a small kiss on her lips and whispered before slowly moving away from her:
"It's because I love you so much that I'm leaving you."
He has almost reached the door when he heard Hermione's voice behind him.
"If you go away today, don't expect me to wait quietly until you overcome your little crisis and come back to me apologizing. If you go now, our relationship will be definitively over." she announced with a glimmer of defiance brightening in her eyes.
Draco did not even look back. He could not face the gaze of the one he loved. He knew that if he turned back now, he would not have the courage to leave. And this should not happen.
"You know." he whispered still holding firmly his suitcase in one tensed hand. "It has been more than three years now that we came back from Paris and from this war and there has not been a single day since that moment when I didn't relive the memory of seeing you falling to the ground before me your body riddled by bullets. This image will haunt me until the end of my life, I know this, but I won't risk seeing you suffer the same fate in this life. I'm sorry ... But you're right, don't wait for me, start a new life with other people, it is better for you."
With those last words, he left their apartment and never came back. But life without Hermione was much harder than he imagined it would be. When he was offered a two year job in the south of France, he thought it would be an exceptional opportunity to move away from the young woman so that work and distance would prevent him too think about her. But it did not work at all, he hasn't been able to stay six months there and returned to England as quickly as he could, to discover that Hermione had moved from their apartment and was now living with her two best friends. Out of respect for her, he did not talk to her, although he was dying to do so. But when he received this letter from Hogwarts inviting him to a commemorative event for former students, he thought it was the perfect opportunity for him to be able to talk to her, apologize, and beg her to forgive him, and start again on good bases. He will shrink alone, without her, and had realized the mistake he made in leaving; he just hoped it was not too late to fix things.
It was with these worried thoughts in mind that he had gone to Hogwarts. He had arrived in advance and had been posted near the buffet. Several people came to greet him.
"Draco!" Ginny exclaimed. "How are you? Already returned from France?"
Draco stared a moment at the young woman. Her husband, Harry, knew perfectly well that he returned to England months ago and he did not tell her?
"There was too much sun for me there!" He answered while holding Ginny in his arms. "How's the baby?"
"Everything is fine!" Ginny answered by putting her hand on her rounded belly while Harry came to his side.
"Hi Malfoy." Harry said on a cordial tone.
"Hi Potter." Draco said shaking his hand. "I can not believe you are already pregnant Ginny. When you do something, you do it right Potter."
Harry gave him a hint of a smile. Over time, Malfoy and he had become almost friends, but old habits die hard and they often threw bitter remarks towards each other.
"So tell us about your holidays!" Ginny said, very excited. "Have you met a little French girl there?"
Draco's face became red and Ginny immediately bit her lip. She shouldn't have asked such a question.
"No ... no ... I didn't meet any..."
As Harry and Ginny were waiting for Draco to finish his sentence, he suddenly froze and stared at a point behind them. They turned around and immediately understood the reason for the change in the young man.
Hermione just arrived, she very beautiful as usual...but she was not alone. A man was accompanying her and judging by his hand possessive wrapped around the waist of the young woman, they were more than mere acquaintances. The few colors that remained on Draco's face disappeared as the couple approached him.
The young brunette woman also lost her smile when she noticed Draco's eyes on her. Her heart did not completely recovered from their separation, and seeing him in front of her was a real torture. She had months to heal from their break and when she thought she finally managed to get her head above water, here he was again. But she breathed deeply and found the courage to lead her companion towards the trio.
"Hello everyone." Hermione said with a falsely cheerful tone when she arrived at their side.
Harry and Ginny greeted her and shook the hand of the man who accompanied Hermione. The latter felt the burning gaze of Draco on her and turned to him. As soon as he felt Hermione's eyes on him, Draco approached her and before she can do anything, he held her tight in his arms in a very possessive way. Hermione knew she should have stepped away from him, but feeling his perfume deliciously intoxicating her, and his arms tighten around her made her lose her courage. The lips of the young man gently brushed against Hermione's ear and whispered softly:
"I missed you so much."
Draco still faced Hermione, his two hands were on her shoulders and his eyes were fixed on hers. A slight yet loud throat scraping sound forced them out of their torpor. Hermione's companion was glaring dangerously at them.
"Tell us if we bother you..." The man exclaimed.
"Not at all." Hermione replied stepping strongly away from Draco. "Will, let me introduce you Draco, a ... a long-time friend. Draco this is Will my ..."
"Her boyfriend." Will ended with a victorious smile on his lips while reaching out to Draco.
Draco shook his hand as though he wanted to crush it and replied in an acid tone.
"Nice to meet you." Draco said.
"The pleasure is all mine." Will replied grimacing with pain.
"Hermione…"Draco asked. "Can I talk to you for a minute please? In private?"
"I don't think this is a good idea." Will said without letting Hermione replied first.
"Excuse me!" Hermione exclaimed red with anger.
She hated when somebody made decisions for her, even if it she was going to respond negatively to Draco, the purely macho reaction of her date made her say otherwise.
"One minute Draco and no more." she said.
Draco shook his head and headed for the exit. Will was furious. It was then that Ron appeared next to them.
"Harry! Are you there? It's time we go now!" He exclaimed.
"Go where?" Ginny asked with a suspicious tone.
"Nowhere darling." Harry replied hastily. "Just a little business that your brother and I have to take care of. Don't worry."
"But ...." the young woman began to protest. She strongly doubted they were telling her the truth.
"Oh Ginny look over there!" Ron exclaimed cutting her off. "Neville and Luna just arrived. Why don't you join them and introduce them ... eh what is your name already?"
"William but everyone calls me Will." the young man replied through pursed lips.
"Right." Ron said. "You can introduce Will to Neville and Luna, I am sure they will get along well together. And I'll back with your husband in a few minutes."
Without listening to Ginny's answer, Ron led Harry to the entrance of the hall.
"Ginny will kill me when she knows what we did." Harry groaned.
"You know Malfoy was right the other day when he said that marriage softened you. Cheer up. We are doing this for Hermione's happiness." Ron said.
"Very well." Harry replied. "But when this story is finished, Hermione and Ginny will know that you forced me to do that."
"What a sissy." His friend laughed.
They came out of the room and found themselves facing the head of Hogwarts and Master of potions.
"Great you are finally here. We were almost expecting..." Snape muttered.
"Let's not lose time." said Ron. "Did you see where they went?"
"Yes." Dumbledore replied. "They should not be too hard to find."
"Are you really sure we should do this?" Harry asked with an anguished voice.
"As strange as it may sound, and even if I never thought I would say that one day, I agree with Potter." Snape said. "All of this is ridiculous."
"Enough! We have a plan and we must stick to it!" Ron answered leading the three men in a corridor.
Meanwhile, Draco led Hermione in a deserted corridor, near the library. Hermione stopped and they began to talk while Draco threw frantic glances around him.
"So Draco, what do you want me..."
The young woman's second sentence was cut off as Draco's lips crashed down onto hers. The kiss seemed to last an eternity for Hermione and when it finally ended; Draco released her and gazed at her looking like a puppy that had been naughty:
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. I have been dreaming about this for months!"
"You have no right to do that!" Hermione exclaimed. "I have been clear the last time we had seen each other. If you left me, I would forget you, and that's what I did. I'm with Will now."
"Oh please, don't make me laugh." Draco smirked. "He is ridiculous. We were much better together."
"Yes but you spoiled everything, so now let me go please."
"Don't tell me you haven't missed me during this time." said Draco looking troubled.
"Of course I missed you, but I managed to recover, and you have no right to return like this and turn my life upside down."
"I thought you would be happy to see me." the young man stammered.
"Do I look happy Draco?" Hermione cried out.
Hermione began to move away but Draco caught her by the arm.
"Let me go Draco, Will is expecting me and ... are you even listening to me?" Hermione asked as Draco held her tight and was now looking over his shoulder.
"Didn't you hear something?" Draco asked with a worried voice.
"No." Hermione replied. "And now if you please, I'd like to go."
Draco looked back at the young woman and was about to answer her when he heard another sound.
"Now!" A voice close to the couple cried out.
Immediately two balloons filled were thrown at them and reached them in the chest. A greenish liquid spread on their clothes and their skin. A few seconds later, Draco and Hermione fainted and fell to the ground.
The four men then came out of their hiding place and approached them. Rogue looked at them carefully and nodded.
"The potion had worked perfectly. They are now on their way to another trip through their past lives." The professor of potions said.
"They will kill us when they come back to their senses." Harry said.
"Of course not." Ron replied. "They will thank us instead for having them reunited."
"Besides Harry, I really think you should you worry about the reaction of another person at the moment." Dumbledore replied suddenly, pointing his finger at Ginny who was in front of them, followed by Neville, Luna and Will.
When Harry's wife saw Hermione and Draco's bodies on the ground, she began to scream and walked faster.
"What have you done? You idiots!" Ginny shouted.
"And now Mr Weasley." Snape asked with a very sugary voice. "What do we do?"
"Run!" Ron said, running away in the opposite direction from her sister. His three companions soon followed him.
Rome, 48 BC
Hermione awoke slowly. She felt like she'd been shrouded in fog for a long period of time. The last thing she remembered was that Draco did not want to let her go and now she was sitting there on this huge bed that she did not know, and dressed in...very strange clothes, she told herself while lifting her arm and observing the white fabric which had been used to make her dress. It was a tunic more than anything else, she thought studying it. Sandals and leather straps that encircled tightly her head completed her outfit. She then looked around her. Nothing resembled the English furniture she knew. Suddenly, she understood everything. She has been sent again in the past, in another of her past lives. But this time, and she did not understand why, she was not just a spectator of her previous life, she controlled this new body. This is the only positive thing in this whole story, she thought.
She tried in vain to remember how she ended up here. She remembered a familiar voice screaming. That voice, she knew it very well. Yes very, very well.
"Ron!" she said while jumping out from her bed. "It was him! He is a dead man. I'll kill him! Or better, I will torture him until he begs for mercy! This little snake..."
"Well well well Hermione. I didn't remember you being so rude." A voice said behind her.
The young woman turned around and came face to face with a too vivid portrait of the Bulgarian champion with whom she had been at the ball in her fourth year.
"Viktor?" She exclaimed.
The man winced.
"You know I hate it when you call me like that. My name is Victorian, not Viktor."
"Oh ... uh ... yeah." Hermione stammered, looking completely lost.
"So aren't you happy to see your husband after three years of separation?" He asked while approaching her.
Hermione remained silent. She was married? To Victor? She observed him for a moment. He wore an ordinary legionary uniform. She understood immediately to which period she had been sent: Ancient Rome. And if her reasoning was correct, if her husband had been absent for so many years it was probably because he went on military campaign. Understand all made her feel a little better. However one question was still bothering her: where was Draco?
"How was your campaign?" Hermione ventured to ask.
"Exhaustive." Victorian replied in sitting on the bed. "I was so eager to return and you see you and our son."
Hermione was about to answer something when a man entered the room. Unlike Hermione and her husband, he was very poorly dressed and seemed terrified.
"My Lord, the three slaves who accompanied you from Gaul have just arrived."
"Get them in!" Victorian ordered.
"In my room?" Hermione asked.
"I want to make sure they have not suffered any violence during their trip. They have faithfully served me on the battlefield."
Moments later, two soldiers came in, followed by three massive men in chains. Hermione's gaze laid on each of them, and when she thought she recognized Draco among the slaves she almost fainted. He too recognized and he looked as surprised as her. Victorian walked towards Hermione.
"You remember Draco, aren't you?" He asked his wife. "It's you who bought him two years before we left to Gaul."
"Yes ... I am." Hermione stammered.
"Well, now that I am reassured about their health." Victorian said. "We will settle them in the slave barracks and..."
A small boy who looked to be just four years old, who ran into the room, interrupted the man. He threw himself into Hermione's arms.
"Mother!" He cried. "Look father is back!"
Hermione, astonished, looked at the little boy. Her son, well the son of her previous life, was smiling at her tenderly. Her gaze went from the boy to Victorian, and then to Draco. The young boy she held in her arms did not look at all like the one who was supposed to be his father. He did not look like Victorian. He had, indeed, eyes brown, the same as Hermione's, but his blond hair and his aristocratic features troubled the young woman. Neither she nor Victorian had such a hair colour, or this delicate face, but yes Draco did...
To be continued ... I hope you liked it!