AN: That Time of the week again c:
I have to say thanks to everyone reading this, I'm getting a lot more readers every update and it means so much to me so thanks! I will also don't hate me for adding in such an easy way to get them to be around each other more, it's used a lot but I really wanted them in the same room c:
Enjoy! xo
Chapter 3
September 16th 1997
Hermione sat in the great hall with Ron and Harry for breakfast, as usual the potion hadn't done much to dull Hayley's voice and she had a lousy sleep but her spirits were high either way because the second she walked out Ron had grinned at her, obviously not angry for her rudeness the night before.
The hall was buzzing like most mornings and students shuffled between tables visiting their friends from other houses. Even Slytherin had begun doing this after the battle, no longer wanting to be judged by what their parents had done though only half of the Slytherins had even come returned to Hogwarts.
Across the hall Hermione saw Malfoy, sitting alone as usual picking at his food. It made her feel better when she returned to school to find that the famously popular Malfoy was now an outcast.
As if feeling her eyes on him, Malfoy looked up at her with a stunned expression, they locked eyes only for a split second before Hermione scowled at him and his head snapped back down to stare at his barely eaten food.
"Oh my god!" Ron bellowed from Hermione's side making her jump and pull her gaze away from the lonely Slytherin. Ron was intently reading the morning Prophet, his mouth hanging open in shock as his eyes glided across the paper.
"What happened?" Hermione asked trying to look as well, instead Harry thrust his paper across the table at her, obviously not as outraged as Ron but still looking uncomfortable.
Ex-Death Eater Christopher Hastings Only Months from Release!
Hastings (as shown above) is only months away from getting released from his 18 year conviction for murdering his wife who was only days away from giving birth to their child and the suspected murder of his daughter whom hasn't been seen since the same night. And also the murdered of Trevor Abbot only days before.
The Ex-Death Eater is due to be released from Azkaban in late January and has told the judge that he has no intention of getting payback for the downfall of the Dark lord like some Death Eaters.
Many citizens were outraged at him only getting 18 year conviction for the murder of 4 people but somehow Hastings avoided a long conviction and now that he is getting released people are getting angry again saying an Ex-Death Eater has no business being realised.
The Minister of Magic is yet to make a statement on whether or not he is going to let Hastings be realised.
Hermione looked over at Hannah Abbot on the Hufflepuff table. She too had the morning Prophet in her hands and was shaking. Hermione watched sadly as the girl from her year paled drastically reading the article that took up the front page.
"Care to tell me about this guy?" Hermione mumbled looking back towards Ron, across from them Harry nodded his head and leaned across the table not knowing about the man either.
"Okay, so this guy, Christopher Hastings, he was an absolute nutter. One of Voldemort's first followers and he took it really far. He used to use this freaky spell that would let him slide into his victim's mind. You know see everything they do, feel it too as well as be able to manipulate everything going on in their mind. He used to make people kill their loved ones or kill themselves not that it was ever proven to be him really. Well except for Trevor Abbot who was found in his drawing room the same day he killed his new wife. She'd been a Gryffindor too, mum had known her, said she was a really nice lady. She had been days away from giving birth to her first daughter. Kind of sad really.
Anyway, so Hastings is like rich, his house is bigger than Malfoy's! They say whenever he got caught doing something he'd either pay them off or use his freaky dark magic and change their mind. All I know was he was a psycho really. Also that if he gets out no one will be happy about it"
Hermione and Harry watched Ron, hoping something about his story had been a joke, it had been sick. Not only the controlling someone's mind but also killing his own child before it was even born. Who did such a thing?
"Let's go to class" Hermione mumbled hoping to be able to take the sick story out of her mind. She could feel something about Hayley was off as strange as it sounds. The second she had read the name Christopher Hastings, Hayley had blurred, her thoughts were confused and she started ranting about how she was missing something again.
"Hermione, I don't know what it is but something's off. Whatever you do, never NEVER go near that Hastings guy" Hayley warned as Hermione and her friends sat down in Potions.
The day had dragged on for Draco, he was happy for once to get a full night's sleep though he felt like a coward hiding from his nightmares instead of facing them but he knew that he was exactly that.
A coward.
He made his way out of Advanced Transfiguration and towards Dumbledore's office. He could hear Granger's steps behind him, of course she didn't dare come any closer, why should she. Draco had felt guilt ridden since the night before, after walking through the corridors with her and not even being able to apologize.
He hated the fact that he could have helped her, if he had just left earlier instead of hide in Dumbledore's office away from everyone she wouldn't be so scared. If he hadn't helped Voldemort into the grounds she would still have parents. She would be happy.
That night had been a nightmare that he didn't like to recall but still every night it was there again, the screaming of people falling to the ground; dead. The blood that covered the ground. The evil hissing sound of the Dark Lord. But more than any the image of Granger on the ground screaming as his aunt tortured her came to him at night. Or what she looked like frozen in the middle of all the fighting.
His nightmares surrounded Granger more than anyone because in that fight, from what he could see, she suffered more than anyone. And he had done nothing to help her.
He reached the gargoyle and waited until she was right behind him before muttering the password and entered the headmaster's office together.
Dumbledore stood by a portrait of a young woman in Gryffindor uniform. Unlike the rest of the portraits she wasn't an old headmaster, she was a student. Her portrait was smaller and out of the way. She had long brown hair that curled sophisticatedly down her shoulders. She had a heart shaped face and what seemed like eyes the colour of gold. Underneath her portrait read Camille Price.
Seeing the two students enter she gave Dumbledore one last warm smile before walking out of her portrait so that Dumbledore could talk to them. He indicated for the two to sit which they did but instead of walking around the back of his desk instead he stopped in front of them both, looking down curiously.
"As you both know there are quite a few rooms in this castle that are no longer in use as over the years it has often expanded and they have been forgotten. One of these is one of the old heads common rooms. It's quite large, two master bedrooms, a cosy common room and a bathroom that rivals that of the prefects bathroom just for two people. This room was left because students found it unfair for a student to live in such luxury as they often cut themselves off and stayed in their own dormitory."
Dumbledore sighed and reached onto his desk popping a lemon sherbet in his mouth before offering for the two students, both refused and waited for him to continue but Draco knew what he was doing, he was waiting for the conversation to sink in before he continued. But they were only talking about unused rooms.
Finally he figured that the students didn't know why he had brought it up and finished his lolly so he could continue what he was telling them.
"I would like the two of you to move into this dormitory together as I believe that both of you would benefit in being away from you houses but not cut off completely. Draco, I know that most of the school has outcast you so I think it would be good for you to get away from the rest of the school when you really need too. Same goes for you Hermione. You have told me countless times where you have wanted to run to your room and block everything out but your room mates have made it difficult."
Draco had nothing wrong with the Headmasters idea, in fact he thought it was brilliant but it wasn't about him he realised, he was being selfish again. He turned to Granger who had paled and was in shock. He could see her hands shaking and her fingers tugged at the sleeve of her jumper again.
"Headmaster, I don't think sharing living quarters with Malfoy is a good idea" she somehow managed to say through gritted teeth. She had still not even looked over at him once but he could feel the hatred radiating off her.
"Both of you hold out your arms" Dumbledore ordered somewhat firmly shocking both students into saying "What?!"
"Both of you, hold out you left arm" he said, his voice was still light, still somewhat comforting but the firmness worried Draco, plus he didn't want to have to pull out his Dark mark in front of her, she didn't deserve that.
"I don't think that's a good idea sir" Draco mumbled tucking his arm in closer to his body but Dumbledore's warm blue eyes met his, they were hard, unwavering and slowly but surely Draco raised his left arm. He could feel his body shaking, he glanced over at Granger who was watching, looking just as terrified as he felt.
"You too, Miss Granger" Dumbledore ordered.
Granger did as she was told and lifted her left arm up in front of her, Dumbledore gave them both a reassuring nod and slowly they both pulled back their sleeves. Draco cringed seeing his Dark Mark but then looked over at Granger and flinched, just like he had the first time he'd seen it when he found her almost dead in the grounds after being tortured by his aunt while everyone else was in a battle.
"This is why I believe you two need each other right now. Both of you bear marks that are lies. Draco I do not believe you to be a Death Eater, you have never killed in your life, you merely made a mistake out of fear"
This was a complete lie; Draco had killed people, just not directly. He had killed Grangers parents, he had killed Fred Weasley he had killed so many people just by letting the Dark Lord onto the grounds.
"But sir, mine isn't a lie. I am a muggle born after all" Draco heard Granger whisper from his left, he glanced over to see that she had let her arm fall back to her side and had pulled up her sleeve to cover the ugly scar again. He did that same.
"But it is Hermione. Mudblood is a word for people with filthy or dirty blood but your blood is just like everyone else's. It is just like mine and it is just like Draco's here, therefore the word carved into your arm is a lie just like the mark that Draco bares"
Granger visibly flinched when Dumbledore compared her to Draco filling him with guilt all over again.
"You're things have already been moved to your new rooms and I will escort you there myself shortly. The password is Liquorice Quill and no one else knows your password but me. You will have total privacy except for the two of you. I would also like Draco to help you work on you Occlumency Hermione, I was never very good at it and I know for a fact he is much better than me and I think it is a skill I would like you to keep building"
Granger numbly nodded. She looked completely lost, her eyes were staring down at her hands that were shaking in her lap while Dumbledore looked down at her with sad eyes that made Draco think that Granger's reason for being moved was beyond being depressed.
"I never have total privacy" Draco heard her mutter as one tear rolled down her cheek and feel in her shaking hands.
When Draco looked up at his headmaster it wasn't sadness he saw but guilt, he looked down at her with such an intense stare that Draco knew somehow the headmaster had wronged the poor girl sitting beside him.
"Hermione, why don't you go catch up with your friends. I would like to talk to Draco before I show you the room. I'll find you when it's time" Dumbledore said softly after clearing his throat and covering the guilt that had been clear on his face.
"That's okay sir. I'll just go sit outside and wait" And with that she stood up and walked out of the office. Draco heard the gargoyle close before Dumbledore finally turned back to him.
"I need you to keep a close eye on Hermione for me. She doesn't want people to know of things that are going on for her but if her friends had been asked to watch her they would want to know why. I trust you will respect her wishes Draco"
Draco nodded slowly eyeing his headmaster carefully, the look of guilt was there again, not as easily spotted as it had been before but it was there.
"In the coming months her life will get harder but I need you to know. When the new year starts she will be worse. There will be a time where she is so much pain she will go numb, I can do nothing to stop this and she does not know of it. When this happens you must find me immediately. Hermione is in danger Draco, I fear that once Christopher Hastings in released it will change her life drastically"
"Sir, what does this have to do with Hastings?"
"Give it time Draco. Just please look after her, I know you've had a soft spot for her since the battle, I even guessed before but I'm not entirely sure. This is important"
"Okay" and with that the strange conversation was over and the Headmaster showed them to their new living quarters.
