This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose
Chapter 3
Hermione took a deep breath and gave him a hard look. "Fine…you want to go back? Come on…I'll show you exactly what you will be going back to…but I'm warning you now…it's not pretty."
Hermione turned on her heel and stalked out of the room as Draco stared after her. "Well, aren't you coming? I wouldn't want you to miss the opportunity to see the wonderful and carefree life you're missing." He glared at the brunette's back for a moment and then slowly followed her out of the room. "Where are we anyways," he asked. Hermione paused and answered him with sarcasm creeping into her voice, "We're at 12 Grimmauld Place…the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Well, it used to be the House of Black, but," her voice trailed off and Draco couldn't help but notice the emotion filling her voice as she told him this. "Wait…the House of Black? Bellatrix's family's home? Do I even want to know…" "Just follow me, we're not going to get anything accomplished until I show you what you need to see…and they say Gryffindors are stubborn…bloody Slytherins, ugh!"
Draco trailed after her down a hallway and followed her into what appeared to be a bedroom. He looked around the room and took in his surroundings. The room was very large and filled to the hilt with the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor. He paused and took a moment to look at the pictures…make that muggle pictures covering the walls. Were those muggle girls in bikinis? If he wasn't so overwhelmed with his impossible situation he would have laughed at the collage of pretty young girls and motorbikes covering the walls. He spied a lone wizarding picture on the wall and moved closer. It was a picture of four boys, all wearing Gryffindor robes and colors and hamming it up for the camera. He vaguely recognized the handsome dark haired man in the picture. His jaw nearly dropped when he noticed the boy standing directly beside the familiar-looking man. "Is that…" With an air of impatience and in her signature know-it-all tone of voice, Hermione replied, "That is Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew…this is Sirius' house…he was Harry's father's best friend and he's Harry's godfather…you know who Lupin is and I'm sure you've met Peter but you probably know him as Wormtail. Sirius was disowned for realizing that it's not your blood that makes you who you are, but it's your actions that define you. He is also your cousin…well second cousin or something like that, but still…he's a member of your family." "What do you mean he's a member of my family…he's dead…killed by Aunt Bella." Hermione turned to him and smiled, "Well, actually…if I can talk some sense into you and get you on the path you're supposed to take, he doesn't have to die...but I'm ahead of myself…I believe you wanted to see the life you're missing out on right now, correct?"
Hermione crossed the room, opened the wardrobe door and pulled out what looked like a stone basin with runes etched into the sides and a leather satchel. She carried the basin to the center of the room, sat down and looked up at Draco. "Well, you wanted to see…aren't you going to join me?" Draco hesitantly walked towards her and sat stiffly on the floor beside her. "What is this thing?" "It's a pensieve…something in which to store and view memories. It was Dumbledore's…he arranged it so that it would be delivered to me two years after his death…so that I could prevent his and countless other deaths…and to save your life." "And those…" "These are memories…some are mine, some are yours, some are Dumbledore's…and some are Snape's." "SNAPE? He's in on this thing too?" Hermione looked at him and smiled, "Yes, he played his role very well…he's Dumbledore's man through and through…in the world we came from, your present and my, my…well, I don't really know what to call it…Dumbledore received an injury that would have killed him in a year's time...he knew that Voldemort gave you the mission to kill him and he made Snape swear to kill him instead…to save your soul." Draco immediately began to argue, "That's not true…I was there…I saw it…he was begging Snape to not…" "No…that's what you and Harry were meant to see…he was begging Snape to kill him then…instead of letting your, um, well, your deranged and psychopathic aunt drag it out as long and painfully as possible…his way ensured that Voldemort would remain convinced that Snape was his spy and it also allowed Snape to come back to Hogwarts to protect the students as much as he could." Hermione picked up the satchel and turned it upside down to empty it of the contents inside. Draco watched as numerous small glass bottle fell onto the floor. Hermione picked one of the small bottles up, emptied the swirling contents into the pensive and looked directly at Draco. "It's time Draco…are you ready to see what you're missing?" He could only look at her, took a deep breath and mimicked her actions, lowering his face into the stone basin.
