A Thousand Years
by: Starborn Angel
Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns all the characters and Ann Brashares inspired the creation of this story.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who subscribed to the story - but I refuse to update if you just sit there and stare. I plead (command) you to review. Or else I won't update.
I may have not mentioned that I am a Slytherin - those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends. ;) Thanks, independentwriter-137 for the beta work! On to the chapter. :)
Chapter Three: Journeys End in Lovers' Meeting
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1991
Time stands still,
Beauty I know she is; I will be brave,
I will not let anything take away what's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this
Hermione Granger has just had the best night of her life.
Well, the second best night, she reminded herself. The best night was when she received her Hogwarts letter, and now, that she's been sorted into Gryffindor. That Sorting Hat took its time in choosing her house. After sitting in that rickety stool for more than four minutes, she let out a huff of relief when it bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"
She's read about Gryffindor house, of course.'Where the brave dwell at heart.' Gryffindor to the end, all that jazz. Hermione was quite proud to be part of such an honorable house that her bushy hair bobbed happily on her way to her seat.
In the next table, Slytherin house, the students were pointing at her direction and whispering. She blushed furiously. Did she have something on her face? She grimaced. But then, gathering her courage, she narrowed her eyes at them and showed them that she was not afraid of them. The students, including a pug-faced black haired girl, sneered at her. She rolled her eyes. She would not be intimidated by such immaturity on her first day as a witch.
As the feast began, she felt someone looking at her. Hermione raised her bushy head up and saw mercurial eyes staring daggers at her. Her eyes widened in confusion. Why would he look at her with such hostility? What did she ever do to him? She swallowed her intimidation and glared back. But then, the staring contest seemed to be too much to bear as he lowered his gaze. She smiled smugly. How dare he! I sure showed him, she thought.
He didn't even know her.
After the feast, the students were sent up to their dormitories at once. Draco, on the other hand, went to the Black Lake to think. He knew he was in for another sleepless night.
Is it possible that it was her?
Is it… it couldn't possibly be her. She was gone in this world too long - more than thirty years. He knew, he searched for her since their very first encounter. And now… here? In this life, where his family had taught him to hate people of her kind? In this life where he would most likely get killed - there's a war brewing, he knew- for associating with the likes of her? And in the event that they do get involved, he knew that she was going to go down with him because of his father's wrath.
Merlin's beard, life sure screwed him over this time.
Draco was not afraid of Lucius, no. He was afraid for Margoux. If she remembers who she was, that may not be the easiest way for her to live in this life. Heaven knows what his father and his deranged friends could do to her.
But he desperately, desperately wanted to let her know who he was to her in all their past lives.
I just want her to know me.
He paced the rocky shore of the lake until his feet went numb and the chilly air was too much to handle. He had to think of some way to keep her safe. He couldn't save her before - but now he would. Draco went back to the castle undetected, but he carried with him a heavy heart.
Hermione felt shunned by the rest of her classmates. Most of them had made friends already, but what about her? She sighed. I'm still in the adjusting phase. It'll be fine soon,she assured herself. She loved Hogwarts, she really did; she wasn't sure if she loved the people, though.
The bushy haired girl tossed and turned in her bed. Good Merlin, at least let me get some sleep, she thought, feeling irritated. She calmed her thoughts for a while - yes, a long while - but finally her mind went blank and her eyelids started feeling heavy. Hermione rolled on to her side and fell asleep.
In her dream, she was getting married. Hermione knew this because she was clutching a rather nice bouquet of flowers and was wearing a floor-length white dress. She turned her head slightly to the right to admire herself and froze on the spot, as she saw that she had black hair. Her hair was raven and it was straight. She tried to lift her right arm to feel her own hair - but her arm won't work. Hermione guessed that she was meant to watch, not feel; like being in a pensive. It was not like a dream at all - it was just like a memory.
The bride - Hermione - was frowning. If she was getting married, why isn't she happy? This is not the way it should be, she told her bride-self. But her bride-self shook her head, still looking at the altar.
What? Don't be silly! You can hear me, right? Then listen! You don't have to do this! Don't! She told herself frantically, feeling like an over enthused conscience. She didn't see the way the bride's baby blue eyes glittered with tears.
Hermione shifted her focus on her bride-self's surroundings. It was a garden wedding; with the huge tent in the center for the vows and surrounding it, the reception. The bride's lips - her lips - seem to be moving. She seems to be talking to someone else. Her bride-self looks like she was in prayer - she was facing the altar - but she sensed someone else's presence and looked to her right.
There was a tall man leaning near the entrance of the garden's tent. He was looking at her with an intensity of a thousand suns. It felt like that to her. She felt like taking his hand and running away. But her body won't move, so she just nodded at him to acknowledge his presence. Hermione knew this man - at least the bride did. She felt like weeping.
"You have to run," the man whispered, his dark green eyes still piercing her. And she wanted to do so, very badly; but she could not, and would not. She knew this, so she just shook her head.
"Thank you for trying to rescue me, but alas, I cannot be saved from this fate," her bride-self replied, slightly smiling through her tears. Hermione took a deep breath and went into the church.
Hermione woke up with a start. She counted to twenty to calm her breathing. What was that, Hermione? You're ELEVEN years old and you dream of a wedding? She scolded herself.
It felt so real - it felt like she was dragged back into time. But it couldn't be her. She was Hermione Granger. She had bushy brown hair instead of flowing raven. She was not as elegant as the girl in her dream, and she certainly did not have a wizard who cared for her welfare as the girl in her dream did.
She shook her head in a futile attempt of clearing it. It's not real, it's not real. Focus, Hermione.
She would never forget those piercing dark green eyes.
It's not real.
Deciding that she's had enough of her own fantasies, she knew that the only thing that could put her at ease was a good book.
She wasn't much of a rule breaker, but as she went outside her dormitory after curfew to go the library, she had no regrets. She didn't light her wand - she was afraid that Filch might see her. Hermione braided her bushy brown hair down her back so she would be unrecognizable at first glance. She was wearing her flannel green flannel pajamas and her favorite worn out fluffy bunny slippers. Her feet made soft thuds on the stone floor as she made her way out the Gryffindor tower.
Hermione was walking quietly along the corridor when she heard the smallest shuffling of feet. She almost gasped out loud. She waited for a few seconds if the sound would return - and she was met with a rather deafening silence. Probably a rat, she thought. She resumed walking to the library, hearing only the snores of the portraits on the walls.
The hallway was so dim she could barely see. She positioned her left arm in front her body so that -
"Ouch! Watch where you're going," A snarky voice complained furiously.
Hermione panicked. Oh god, oh god, oh god.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't see you." She rubbed her forehead with her hand. She had literally collided with him head first.
He groaned. "Doesn't matter," he said again, in a slightly strained voice. "You alright?" He said, touching her upper arm lightly.
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Did he just touch her? The unknown intruder somehow felt her discomfort and removed his hand from her arm. She could feel the tension in the air and apparently, he can feel it too. She felt rather than saw him disappear as he marched off to another direction without another word.
Who was that? She thought, moments after he left.
"Odd," she murmured to herself and continued on her way to the library.
What the bloody hell was that? He scolded himself.
"Fuck," he murmured under his breath. This was the last thing that he needed. The Fates did not side with him tonight. He prayed to all the deities above that she did not recognize him. She must not know that she bumped into Draco Malfoy tonight. It would ruin his plan.
And yes, he knew that it was definitely her.
He could sense it; he could sense her pure soul. Draco knew that in all her lives, she had never taken an innocent life. That is how pure she was.
Unlike him.
As much at it pains him, he made himself swear that he would make no move to be in her good graces. It will protect her,Draco reminded himself fiercely. A little sacrifice is in order. Her life will be on the line if I don't restrain myself.
All of these thoughts occurred to him when he didn't even get the chance to talk to her. He didn't even get the chance to get to know her better. He didn't even know if it's possible to get closer to her.
I would get her back soon enough,he assured himself. I would get her back.
Draco repeated his mantra until he fell into a dreamless sleep.
A/N: Tell me what you think of this chapter. It's more than two thousand words so I think you have something to say. (don't you? *winks*)
Lyrics for this chapter is from A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. The true inspiration for this fic :') (I love it so much *sobs*)
And remember, no reviews = no updates! *smirks*
Given the number of how many users are subscribed to me/my story, I know it can happen. Until the next chapter, my loves. xo
