Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells mentioned here are of JK Rowling. With the exceptions of the following ideas: the warren (Chapter 4); and the self-created spell Libera Ego, which is Latin for "Free Me" (Chapter 9).
Author's Note: I never liked fanfiction. I only got to appreciate it just recently, when I read other Draco/Hermione fics in this site. I was encouraged to write my own. I hope you like it, so please do send in your reviews. I also have nother note at the end of the story.
Chapter 1 - Signs
She slowly opened her eyes, and the morning light was blinding. It didn't take long before she realized that she was no longer in the library, but in her soft bed in the girls' dormitory. And then her memory followed. Yes, she stayed in the library until 2 in the morning, only returning to the dormitory when she was already half-asleep. She had been finishing some paperwork for History of Magic. Now she had to pass it today, the deadliest deadline.
But something felt wrong. She can't seem to remember what day it was, or what time it was…until she focused her gaze on the antique wall-clock hanging right in front of her four-poster bed. The hands read 9:00, if indeed the clock was working. 9:00, nine-o'clock? DAMN! For the third day in a row, again I overslept! Her mind rocketed into a frenzy. She scrambled out of bed, and did everything at the same time, not even bothering to take a bath or brush her teeth. But in the middle of her panic, she suddenly stopped. She stopped, tangled in her robes, one shoe on her foot, and her hair a total mess. She was breathing heavily, and thinking negatively - she was frustrated, and hurt, but no tears were shed.
She was Hermione Granger - the good, all-knowing girl, the perfect student. But the past week of her seventh year at Hogwarts was a catastrophe for her unblemished reputation. Late-nights at the library, thus resulting to late morning wake-up calls, and she's been scolded again and again by the teachers. She was tired of this life, she was just worn-out.
***
He was a bit late for his first class, Advanced Transfiguration. But he didn't care, he was bothered by matters more important to him than school. For instance, his bearing, his perspectives, and his attitude. As he walked solemnly and unhurriedly along the empty school halls, his footsteps a haunting sound and his blue-gray eyes looking straight ahead, the one thing that kept echoing in his mind was This is not going to be a good year. Sure, with his tall and sturdy stature, topped with a sleek head of platinum-blonde hair, and his unmistakably piercing eyes - he had grown handsome. And his trademark expressions of smirks and sneers and his cold stare were still present in his face, but beyond all the physical features - he was suddenly a confused and slightly frightened soul.
He wondered if he could still live up to the Malfoys' high status and superiority, now that his father was dead. Not that he only used to feed on his father's powerful air and that he currently lost all his confidence, but he was alone now. Draco Malfoy was now free to move at his own will, free to act upon his own decision. And so he had to be careful. He wondered if he would continue to take his father's place. After this last year at Hogwarts, he could be part of the Death-Eaters' circle. He could serve the Dark Lord. He could…but he had doubts.
For a moment, he snapped from his reverie and back to reality when he reached the Transfiguration classroom. But Professor McGonagall's bickering about him being late was only a faint sound in the background as he took a seat and stared into space once again.
***
"It's a miracle you don't have any books in front of you," Ron snickered at Hermione, who was sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor common room and staring into it.
"Oh shut up," she retorted without looking at Ron, and in a nasty voice added, "It doesn't matter now,"
"Oohhh, look who's changed over the summer," Harry piped in. He and Ron were playing a game of wizard's chess. They had just taken lunch and were allowed an hour's break before classes resumed. Hermione watched them for awhile. And she realized how much they both changed, physically, that is. Ron was taller than Harry, and had broader shoulders. But the fiery red hair and freckles were still there. Harry's eyes seemed to be greener than before, and they radiated a sort of wisdom from all the experiences he had gone through for seven years. His dark hair was still shoddy upon his head, though.
"Well, I'm not alone," Hermione answered. "And besides, it's not that…Am I not permitted to take it easy on schoolwork?"
"Now that's a new perspective…Ouch!" Harry said vaguely, but gave out a loud reaction as Ron's horse kicked one of his pawns.
"Yeah…and, I thought you still had some work to do," Ron replied concernedly, "as detention?" he emphasized the last word by leaning towards Hermione and squiggling his eyebrows. He hasn't changed one bit; still being an immature Weasley. Hermione thought with sarcastic affection. Although she had passed the requirements for Arithmancy and History of Magic, Hermione's three-day late-mornings had only granted her an extra load of work.
"Oh, don't even remind me," she groaned.
"What was it that you have to work on, anyway?" asked Harry.
"It's for Magizoology, but Professor McGonagall was the one who suggested it," Hermione flatly answered. "I have to conduct an extensive research on centaurs,"
Ron straightened up and stared at Hermione. "Wait, that means you'd have to go to the Forbidden Forest, right?"
"No, actually I'm going to be sent off to Egypt to study them," Hermione mocked.
"Seriously…did she really allow…?" Harry asked.
"Come on, guys," she said with an exasperated tone as she caught their hinting of the danger she would be in. "I don't own a wand for no reason, and I don't study spells if I won't use them!"
With that, Ron and Harry simply shrugged.
Hermione muttered, "And I'm not a kid anymore."
***
The Slytherin common room was crowded. The students were just celebrating the beginning of another year at Hogwarts, and for the seventh years, a celebration of their last year. It was stifling, and Draco was not in the mood to join in. Crabbe and Goyle, whom he was starting to dislike, were sitting on either side of him. They were just watching the students drinking butterbeer and laughing. Draco knew that his two cronies were feeling awkward in his silent presence.
"So, Malfoy, are you thinking about being a Death-Eater?" Crabbe hesistantly brought up the subject.
"Yeah," Goyle added, "I can almost see you being so powerful and evil and…"
"Shut up…Shut up, both of you!" Draco said loudly, but not enough for the others to hear. He stood up and faced the two, who were goggling at him in surprise of his reaction. Draco inhaled deeply, and was preparing to bark insults at them, but he heaved a sigh instead and thought better of it. "I'm just tired, and I don't want to talk…" he said icily. And then he walked away and out of the Slytherin common room. Some students noticed, and talked in hushed voices. But Crabbe and Goyle soon forgot about it and were happy to join the rest of the party.
Arithmancy, his next class after lunch, wouldn't start in thirty minutes, so Draco decided to go out into the school grounds. The sun was shining high above him, and the breeze was soft and cool. It was indeed a fair weather. But his thoughts were still troubled. He knows he should be angry towards the Aurors who killed his father, and as well as to those who work in the Ministry Of Magic. But he wasn't even sure of it. His mother was the only one who told him that Aurors killed Lucius Malfoy. He shook his head in uncertainty and confusion. As he headed for the lake, he saw the trio - Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking up to Hagrid's hut. A pathetic group of idiots visiting the biggest idiot of all. He sneered to himself.
He stood before the lake, his hands across his chest, as he watched the giant octopus sulking lazily under the sun. Soon enough, Draco's mind was once again bombarded with thoughts. He could've snapped in any minute. But a movement far off in his left side caught his attention. He whirled around and was a bit shocked to see the Forbidden Forest deceptively drawing nearer to him and looming above him. But it was just a trick of the light against the darkness of the forest. The movement that caught his attention was, however, a small shadow by the forests' borders.