Remember, Believe (Part 4)
Sirius chewed on the end of his quill as he stared down at the piece of parchment in his lap. Remus walked by and swatted the top of his out of habit. Sirius looked up and glared playfully at him. Remus grinned. "You know you're not supposed to do that," he said teasingly.
Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I can't believe you ever thought I'd follow any rules. As I've stated many times before, rules are made to be broken."
"So if I tell you to chew on it, then you won't?" Remus laughed. Sirius wrinkled his nose as if thinking hard.
"Okay, okay. Some rules are made to be broken. Good rules are meant to be kept. Like making all the trouble you can," he said, smiling evilly. Remus broke out into a laugh as he grabbed a piece of fruit from the bowl on the counter and bit into it.
"I take it you're still working on that prophecy," Remus said, changing the subject after a short pause. Sirius nodded, chewing on the end of quill again. He didn't look up.
"The thing is," he replied after a moment in a serious voice, "I don't think the whole thing can be fulfilled until little Rhia gets a bit older. I mean, I don't really think that they can dream about the same things yet," he said, a weak smile creasing his face.
Remus nodded. "I see what you mean." He shrugged. "I guess you'll just have to wait, then." Sirius made a low noise in his throat in frustration.
"Yeah, like at least ten years." He sighed loudly.
"Well," said Remus slowly, "you've already waited a long time, so what's another mere ten years?"
Sirius threw the quill at him.
Remus jumped out of the way and the quill clattered to the floor. He laughed. "Okay, I get your point." Sirius turned to grin back as he stood up and went to fetch the quill from the floor.
"Good," he replied grumpily.
"At least it gives you a long time to think about that prophecy," added Remus as he ducked outside. A pillow smashed a mirror on the far wall.
Hermione excitedly bounced out of bed that morning. She sang to the early rising sun as she dressed and even kissed Lumos affectionately on the top of his head. She regretted this soon after, though, as her face was brushed furiously by feathers.
Despite the fact that she was going with Draco and not Harry or Ron, Hermione was looking forward to seeing everyone again. She wanted to see the new first years, the expert seventh years, all the teachers, and, especially, Dumbledore.
A soft but insistent knock on her door let her know that the time had come. She opened the door quickly and smiled fleetingly at Draco, reaching back to grab her bag and close the door with a soft click behind her. She murmured a few well-spoken words beneath her breath and a sealing spell covered her room.
"Okay, I'm ready," Hermione announced. "Finally," she added. Draco smiled faintly at her as he turned and led the way down the stairs.
"You okay about Apparating there?" he asked quietly after they exited the Flying Owl. Hermione nodded and couldn't seem to stop herself from smiling. She watched Draco disappear beside her and soon she too vanished, reappearing outside of the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Draco was standing beside her, squinting into the distance.
"Are you here on business?" Hermione asked, enjoying the sensation of a light breeze coursing through her bushy brown hair.
Draco nodded shortly, turning to the entrance of the Three Broomsticks.
"Any reason you're so quiet?" Hermione asked softly as she followed him inside. He hesitated before nodding again. "And?"
"I don't particularly want to talk to these people," muttered Draco out of the side of his mouth as he waved to a group of shady looking guys at the back of the pub.
"Draco," whispered Hermione nervously, "I think I'll go up to Hogwarts now, okay?" He grinned back at her.
"Sure. I'll be up in an hour or so. Maybe longer if these jerks twist their words too much," he muttered beneath his breath, sliding into his seat at the back table. Hermione waved quickly to him as she left, glad to be stepping out into the sunlight.
Her eyes immediately turned to Hogwarts. She hadn't been there in so long. Quietly, she strode up to the castle entrance, pulling open the doors and stepping inside.
The halls were very quiet. Hermione checked her watch. 10:00. They were in one of their classes already. She smiled fondly at the old suits of armor as she made her way up to Dumbledore's office.
As she paused outside a doorway to listen for a brief moment to Professor McGonagall's commanding and stern voice, she heard another voice in front of her.
She jumped and then smiled. "Nearly Headless Nick!" she cried.
"Oh my goodness!" he replied. "Miss Hermione Granger?" he asked joyously. "How are you doing?"
"Great," Hermione replied enthusiastically. "And you? How are the new Gryffindors?" she asked eagerly.
"Quite wonderful, as usual," he said, beaming at her.
"Good," she murmured softly. After a short pause she gestured up to Dumbledore's office. "I was just on my way to see Professor Dumbledore," she explained quickly.
"Of course. I'll let you go on your way," the Gryffindor ghost said, waving a merry goodbye to her as he glided down the corridor. She smiled as she made her way up to his office, rapping softly on the door.
"Come in," said the warm voice from inside. She cautiously opened the door and peeked inside. He was sitting down at his desk, shuffling through papers, his half-moon glass perched on the end of his long, crooked nose. He looked up briefly and down at his papers again. Suddenly his eyes flew upward again and locked with hers.
Hermione grinned. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore." He smiled in return, his eyes twinkling brightly as she so well remembered.
"Miss Granger!" he said, scraping his chair back and standing up. "What a pleasant surprise!" Hermione sat down in the chair opposite of him, as he directed. "How are things going?"
"Great," said Hermione, beaming. "I don't know if you've heard about Harry's baby - "
"I certainly have," Dumbledore said proudly, lifting up a stack of papers to find the slightly crumpled piece of parchment. When he finally found it, he produced it victoriously to Hermione. She read it and smiled.
"Yes, little Rhia is very darling," Hermione murmured as she handed the letter back to Dumbledore. His face clouded for a split second and Hermione frowned. "I suppose you knew her too, then," she said quietly.
Dumbledore's eyes sharpened as he looked at her. "So Sirius has told you," he said softly. "Yes, you're correct. I knew her quite well, in fact. What with all the detentions she was getting - some quite apart from the ones she received with Sirius." His blue eyes twinkled as he remembered all the pranks she'd played on everyone.
Hermione smiled fleetingly as well. "We heard from Sirius that she was very similar to him in their - er - opinion of fun," she chuckled. Dumbledore nodded.
"And how are Harry? Ginny? Ron?" he asked.
"Wonderful. We all love Rhia," Hermione replied, sighing softly. "I'm sure she'll enjoy Hogwarts very much."
Dumbledore nodded. "I will very much enjoy having her as a student," he chuckled. "I just wonder if she'll get into as much trouble as her father and grandfather."
"I'm sure, with Harry and Sirius around, that she'll pick up some tips," Hermione laughed, staring into the corner. Fawkes fluttered his wings softly.
"I'm sure all the teachers will be pleased to see you again," said Dumbledore. "You may eat at the High Table during lunch if you would like," he invited kindly.
Hermione glanced quickly at her watch. "Actually, I'm having lunch with Draco Malfoy in Hogsmeade today. I appreciate your invitation, though. And I will visit them," she promised, a hint of her smile around her lips.
"Draco Malfoy?" Dumbledore said softly. "I never thought that you wouldbut that's off the subject. Well, have a wonderful time."
Hermione desperately wanted to tell him the knowledge that she had gained from their previous conversations over dinner. She opened her mouth but promptly closed it as she remembered her promise. She'd already broken it once.
"Did you want to say something, Hermione?" Dumbledore asked gently.
"Oh, Merlin, I want to," Hermione murmured beneath her breath. But she shook her head, managing a weak smile as she stood up. "I may be back soon, though," she whispered to herself at the door. "It was wonderful seeing you."
Dumbledore stood up. "As I feel," he responded, following her to the door. He watched her disappear into the halls and shook his head. He'd never thought that she would get together with Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore knew that she had desperately wanted to tell him something, but something had held her back.
He shut the door softly after staring after her for a moment. Dumbledore returned to his desk and continued to shuffle the papers, muttering beneath his breath to himself for awhile.
Hermione waited for Draco at the bottom of the stairwell. He came soon after, shaking his head in disgust. "Those mongrels make me so mad sometimes" he muttered to himself.
"I brought our lunch up here so we can eat outside on the grass," he told her quietly, leading her outside by a gentle grip on her wrist.
"Thanks," whispered Hermione, following him out the doors to the green grass. Draco pulled out his wand and muttered a few words beneath his breath. A warm blanket appeared on top of the grass. A few more well chosen words brought them their lunch.
"Voila," he said, grinning lopsidedly at her. She smiled back at him, lowering herself to one side of the blanket. Hermione lowered her eyes to the basket on the grass beside them, but she felt soft fingers beneath her chin. She looked up into Draco's eyes for a moment, staring deeply into the very soul of them. He leaned forward, closing his eyes and kissing her fiercely.
She responded almost automatically, opening up her mouth as they fell deeper into the kiss. At least he's a good kisser, she thought as she closed her eyes as well. Hermione pulled back after a moment, smiling contentedly at him.
"You're a good kisser," he said quietly as he pulled their food out of the basket.
She snorted slightly. "You're not someone to scoff at, either." He glanced up at her once, a small smile playing about his lips. Hermione was taken aback by the intense flash of needing and passion she'd thought she'd seen in his eyes.
"Here," he said quietly, handing her a sandwich.
"Thanks," she murmured, biting into it and reaching for a swig of pumpkin juice. He folded his eyes up to his chest and watched her eat. She paused and grinned at him. "Are you planning on eating anything? Or just watching me?" He smiled at her but didn't respond for several minutes.
"You're interesting to watch," he said as he pulled his own sandwich out of the basket along with a jug of pumpkin juice.
"Thanks," Hermione replied sarcastically. She cocked her head to the side as she watched him for a moment. He spotted her watching him and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, great. Now look what I've started," he laughed. Hermione laughed along with him and finished her sandwich.
"You're pretty interesting to watch, too," she giggled. He glared at her playfully and she erupted into laughs. He joined in as he finished his sandwich as well. Draco muttered a few words and the basket and blanket disappeared. He stood up, pulling Hermione up with him and kissing her briefly on the lips before brushing himself off.
"Are you ready?" Draco asked as Hermione followed suit.
"In a second. I promised Dumbledore I'd say hello to some of the teachers," she told him, starting towards the doors again.
Draco nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess I should say hello to Snape." Hermione didn't respond as she walked into the Great Hall, staring up quickly at the ceiling. She made her way carefully to the High Table, trying to ignore the many students staring at her.
She tapped Professor McGonagall on the shoulder lightly and smiled quietly. The professor turned and smiled broadly at Hermione. "Hermione! What a nice surprise!"
Hermione bent down to talk to her. Draco was leaning lazily in the doorway to the Great Hall. He smiled at her as she glanced up quickly.
"I've heard you're working at the Ministry of Magic now, Hermione," said Professor McGonagall. Hermione nodded.
"In some ways, I'd prefer a job in teaching, you know. What with the history of the Ministry and everything. But, in general, I'm happy with my job," she said, sighing softly.
Professor McGonagall nodded shortly. "That's one of the reasons I chose my job," she said with a smile. Hermione's mouth quirked slightly as she slightly regretted passing up the chance to teach. She was distracted by Draco leaving his post by the door and moving up to the place where Snape was sitting.
As Hermione's eyes followed Draco, she accidentally caught Snape's eye. Just as it happened, he was looking straight in her direction. For a moment, a look of complete surprise and astonishment crossed his face as his jaw dropped slightly. Their eyes locked and a glare firmly creased his face. Hermione smiled slightly and waved past him to Draco.
Snape's eyes dropped from Hermione's and turned to Draco's. He glanced to Hermione and then back to Draco again. Draco bent down and whispered something in Snape's ear. She watched his fist tighten and a vein in his temple pulse quickly.
"Well, it was very nice seeing you, Hermione," Professor McGonagall concluded. Hermione nodded vigorously.
"Yes, it's been tremendous to see everyone again," Hermione replied, moving away with a small smile still on her lips. When she looked up, all of the students and most of the teachers had left. Lunch was over.
Snape had stood up, but he was still conversing with Draco angrily. "How can you?" he said furiously just as Hermione walked up beside Draco.
"Hello, Hermione," Draco said by way of greeting.
"How pleasant," sneered Snape, his lip curling at the sight of Hermione.
"As I feel," Hermione replied savagely, tightening her grip on Draco's arm. He sighed in frustration.
"All I want to know," said Snape through gritted teeth, "is why you're associating with that Mudblood."
Hermione's eyes narrowed and an intense fury rose in her chest. She had to restrain herself from slapping him in the face as hard as she could.
Draco sighed. "Please don't call her that," he said softly.
"She's friends with Potter, for Merlin's sake!" he hissed angrily.
"So what?" Draco said. Hermione was surprised that he was getting mad at his old professor. "That doesn't mean that I'm friends with him now. Besides, it's none of your business who my friends are."
"It should be," Snape muttered beneath his breath. Suddenly he grimaced in pain and doubled over, gasping for breath.
Hermione's eyes widened as she released her nails from her palm. She'd never lost control of her magic before. Snape leaned against the wall, breathing hard. Draco glanced quickly at Hermione before looking with concern at Snape.
"Are you all right?" he asked tentatively.
"He's fine," snapped Hermione. Draco shot her a queer look before turning back to Snape.
"How - would - you - know?" Snape growled slowly, in between deep breaths. He straightened slightly, but still leaned back against the pillar.
Hermione bit her lip and whirled, walking quickly out of the castle. Her heart rate was up and a wave of guilt cascaded over her. She shouldn't have done it, but she hadn't meant to.
Draco came running out a couple minutes later and spotted Hermione leaning against the wall outside. "Are you okay?" he asked, frowning at her pale face. She smiled weakly and nodded, stepping forward.
"Are you ready to go?" Hermione said shakily as she fell into step beside him. Draco shot her another look before nodding. She trembled slightly as she strode forward next to him. Draco kept looking at her in a funny manner. Finally, he slung an arm around her shoulders and her trembling ceased.
Draco looked cross as they reached Hogsmeade. Hermione's spirits were lower than normal as she walked slowly beside Draco, scuffing her toes in the dirt.
"Come on," Draco whispered in her ear. "It's all right. I know you both hate each other." Hermione nodded vigorously and Draco grinned slightly. After a slight hesitation, he asked quietly, "How did you know that he was okay?"
Hermione sighed softly. "I really hate to admit this, but I"
"Spit it out," Draco encouraged.
"I lost control," Hermione mumbled beneath her breath. Draco paused in his tracks for a moment, surprise etched in every line of his face.
"Really?" he said, interest creeping into his drawl.
"Don't taunt me about it," Hermione warned waspishly.
"All right. Take all the fun out of it," he grumbled. Hermione managed a weak smile as she reached the edge of Hogsmeade.
"I'm going to go now, 'kay?" she said. Draco nodded, grabbing her wrist on an impulse and kissing her deeply. She broke away and forced a smile as she disappeared.
Hermione shuddered as she stepped inside Harry's house. He walked out of the kitchen and grinned at her. "Hullo. What're you doing here?"
Hermione smiled. "I've just been to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "Really? Were you - you didn't go with Malfoy, did you?" he asked, his brow furrowing.
She rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yeah, it was fine until I practically killed Snape." A look of joyous bliss crossed Harry's face.
"Pity he didn't die, then."
Hermione made a face. "Yeah, I know. He called me a Mudblood and I kinda lost control. Draco doesn't really care that much, though. Which is good," she added as an afterthought.
"Yeah," Harry agreed.
Hermione frowned. "He met at the Three Broomsticks with a couple of dark-looking men, Harry. I'm really worried, now. He's not going to give it up."
"So? Who's he planning to hurt, then?" Harry asked, waving his hand in the air. Hermione glared at him.
"You," she said simply.
"Why me?" Harry said. "I mean, I know we're not friends or anything, but if he really likes you, he won't risk it for me."
"When we were talking to Snape, he still said that he hates you."
Harry snorted. "I think we already knew that."
"Yeah, but you're the only one that Voldemort couldn't defeat, Harry. Draco will certainly want to get you first. To finish Voldemort's work," Hermione argued, her hands on her hips and patches of pink on her cheeks.
"Right," replied Harry, clearly not believing her.
"Fine," Hermione snapped, whirling and slipping out of the door, closing it hard behind her as she walked away quickly. She could feel Harry's eyes on her from the window as she vanished out of sight.
Hermione stomped into her apartment and tossed her wand on her bed, collapsing onto her billow. She drew her knees up to her chin and bit her lip as she stared angrily out of the window. She was too restless to stay in one position for long, though. Hermione paced back and forth across her room, her hands clasped behind her back.
There was a soft knock at her door. She paused for a moment but didn't answer it. The knock came again. Hermione sighed impatiently beneath her breath.
"Hermione?" the voice called tentatively. Ron. Hermione didn't answer. "Are you there?"
She felt like throwing something at the door. If no one answers, no one's home, jerk! she thought angrily.
Hermione listened at the door as his footsteps padded away and she continued to pace, occasionally making soft noises of frustration in her throat. Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms, but she ignored the biting pain, only digging them in harder.
There was a loud noise and a soft, "Oof!" Hermione stopped pacing and opened her window, sticking her head outside and looking down. Ron was hovering just below her window, rubbing a sore elbow which he had, apparently, smashed against the side of the building.
"What are you doing here?" she snapped. He looked up and grinned, aiming his broom through the window. Hermione yelled and jumped away as Ron soared in and landed slightly clumsily on her bed, tumbling down onto the ground.
"You didn't answer the door and I wanted to talk," Ron said, shrugging.
Hermione glared at him. She wasn't in the mood for talking. "Usually when a person doesn't answer the door, it means they don't want to talk. Apparently, you didn't figure this out," she grumbled.
"Where were you today? I've been looking everywhere for you today, but you weren't anywhere. I knew you were in here because you were pacing," he explained, frowning at her.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache. "I was at Hogwarts," she stated quietly, lying down on her bed, pushing Ron's broom to the floor.
"Really?" he asked, his face brightening. Suddenly it clouded again. "With Malfoy, right?" he said quietly, already knowing the answer. Hermione barely had to incline her head. "Why do you bother with that - that"
Hermione stood up again, her face flushed. "Maybe I want to have my own life, all right, Ron? Your feelings aren't mine, you know," she shouted, her temper flaring suddenly.
Instead of backing off, Ron stepped forward, his eyes flashing angrily. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't get hurt, all right?"
"I don't want you making sure I don't get hurt? How else can I get that through your thick head?" she yelled, throwing her hands up. Hermione quickly cast a silence spell around the room, just in case anyone was planning on listening.
"Are you saying you want to die, then? What if he's the next Voldemort, Hermione?" Ron shot back, glaring stormily at her.
Hermione's eyebrows raised for a moment. Had Harry told him? "So? Maybe I can help the world if I know his plans, then."
"You're just hurting yourself by associating with that jerk! He'll hurt you, I just know it! You're not right for each other!" Ron began to pace across the room just as Hermione had previously done.
"You don't know what's right for me!" she cried. Ron stopped pacing and stared at her quietly. "You don't know my feelings! I want to live my own life. I want to see the guys I want to see. I want - "
Hermione last sentence was cut off as Ron leaned forward and kissed her fiercely, gently holding her face in his hands. Without realizing it, Hermione kissed him back, not drawing back from him for a full five minutes.
When they finally pulled apart, Hermione was gazing into Ron's eyes with a mixture of fear and passion. She stepped back and sat down. He flushed slightly.
"I'm sorry," he began.
"No," Hermione said firmly. "Don't be."
"I didn't mean to be so overprotective," he said softly, looking down at his hands. Hermione grinned and scooted over next to him, putting her arm around his shoulders.
"That's okay. I wouldn't want you to be hurt, either." She looked deeply into his eyes, willing him to see that she wasn't really in love with Draco.
"But you're going out with Malfoy, Hermione," he whispered. She took a deep breath, debating whether or not she should tell him about Draco.
"In a way," she replied finally, praying that he would rise to the bait.
"In a way?" He did.
She sighed softly. "I don't love him, Ron. If fact, I don't even like him that much."
"Then why are you going out with him?" Ron demanded impatiently.
"Patience, Ron," she said. "I'm going out with him because he is Voldemort's heir." Ron started in alarm, but Hermione squeezed his shoulders tighter. "I've found out enough information about him to help Harry and anyone else against dark lords."
"But that's so dangerous!" Ron whispered hoarsely. His eyes were wide with worry as he stared into Hermione's.
She sighed again and breathed in deeply. "I know, I know. But think how important the information will be in fighting him."
"But how do you know that he isn't doing the same thing to you - trying to find out more about Harry through you?" Hermione smiled mischievously and pulled the necklace out, clicking it open with her forefinger and thumb.
Ron looked at the inside of the locket and his jaw dropped slightly. There were two inscriptions, engraved in a very fancy font, reading Draco on one side and Hermione on the other. Beneath the two names, at the very bottom, was one last word. Forever.
Ron breathed in sharply. "So?" he said in a strangled voice a moment later.
Hermione's mischievous smile returned quickly. "I'm betting that this cost more than a little. This wouldn't be cheap. He could've just told me that, but instead he wasted a lot of money on this necklace." She shook it lightly so the chain jangled before laying it down carefully on the desk.
"Right, then. So you're going to keep seeing him and try to get more information on his plans?" Ron asked, a nervous tone creeping in. Hermione nodded and smiled fleetingly.
"It'll be worth it, Ron. It really will," she whispered. Ron nodded slowly and glanced at his watch and winced.
"I promised I'd meet Harry in five minutes," he said. "I'm sorry. I guess I'll see you later?" Hermione nodded and smiled weakly.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She bent down and picked up his broom, handing it gently to him.
"Thanks," he murmured, looking regretfully back at her room. He took up and Hermione watched him disappear into the sky.
She turned back and sat down on her bed, sighing softly. Twilight was coming in softly, darkening the streets and sky around her. Hermione watched the bright stars become brighter in the night sky outside her window.
A quiet crack from behind made Hermione start. She turned and a quick anger grew in her chest. Without waiting for her mirror to yield her room any further, she tore it from her desk.
The glass splintered as it smashed against the wall, silently falling to the floor.
Disclaimer: Everyone belongs to J.K. Rowling except the two Rhias. They belong to me.
A/N: Hermione didn't have a very good day, did she? I think that this will be the last part at the present time; following parts will be set when Rhia's a little older. Thanks for all the reviews and sorry this took a little while to get up!