A/N: Haha, Clare, that is an excellent and interesting point. I hadn't even thought of that! To Maegen, you read my mind! They are going to visit McGonagall in this chapter. And true, it is certainly a good way to promote Inter-House Unity lol.
Ok, so I am only going to be home for another couple days because I am leaving to work at a camp all summer, so I am trying to update as much as possible before I leave. The story will be on hiatus while I'm gone, just a heads up.
Ok, now the chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does and always will.
Chapter 7. Discussions
Draco and Hermione sat staring into space in the library for a good fifteen minutes. They could feel the tension and worry building in each other. Hermione wished he would just say something.
Um, so what do you think we should uh do?
I have no idea.
Right.
Silence………………………………………………………………………………………
Hermione could hear tumbled thoughts from Draco, she could vaguely discern him thinking of solutions and then discarding them quickly after. Hermione herself couldn't think of a single idea that might help. Finally after another awkward fifteen minutes she decided on the one thing that might help.
Perhaps we could go see McGonagall
But she'll just tell us how irresponsible we are and dock about a thousand points from our houses. That's not even fair, I'm not technically even in Slytherin right now.
Hermione sighed.
Malfoy, this is a lot more important than house points I think. We're talking about the rest of our lives, do you really want my emotions and thoughts interrupting you all the time because I certainly don't fancy yours!
Then a truly awful thought hit her.
What if… what if one of us DIES? Will the other die too or just have part of brain sort of….dead? This brought on thoughts of other scenarios that panicked Hermione just as much.
NO, don't say that. This is scaring me quite enough! Fine. Let's go to McGonagall.
Let's go then.
They quickly made their way through the castle. Soon they were in front of the same door that they had sat against for so long, while Draco poured out his thoughts to Hermione. The memory of that night, just a few days before, was enough to make the situation even more awkward. Hermione could not bring herself even to think any words to Draco.
She heard voices from within the room. Pausing before knocking, she could vaguely discern the outraged voice of Ronald Weasley.
"What! So just because I don't like being in Slytherin, you're sending me on exchange? To Beauxbatons?"
The cool and calm voice of the Headmistress cut across Ron's.
"Yes Mr. Weasley, if you are unable to make peace with the rest of your own school then perhaps you need a change. You will be leaving tomorrow. Gabrielle Delacour, your sister-in-law it seems, will be taking your place at Hogwarts for the rest of the semester, if not the year. Madame Maxine specifically requested that she come, apparently a change is needed for that young girl as well, she seems to be experiencing the same discomforts with her own school as you are. I thought it was an excellent idea. Now, I will hear no more complaints. You will be leaving tomorrow morning, I have a Portkey prepared that will take you straight to Madame Maxine's office, she will give you further information about the exchange. You may go now."
Hermione barely had time to register what she had just heard, when Ron came tumbling out of the office looking furious. He threw Hermione one outraged glance and stormed away.
Not very friendly is he. Malfoy commented.
Hermione chuckled dryly. The appearance of Ron seemed to have lightened the tension between the two teens for the time being.
"Mr. Malfoy? Miss Granger? May I help you?" McGonagall noticed them standing outside the door, staring open-mouthed as Ron stormed down the stairs.
"Er, yes professor. We need to talk to you about something." Hermione hurriedly explained.
"Certainly, but make it quick, your curfew will be here soon. I trust your Head duties are going well?"
"Yes professor, quite well."
"Come in then, what's the problem."
Hermione looked nervously at Draco as they sat down on the hard-backed chairs that stood in front of McGonagall's desk.
"Well, Malfoy and I sort of um cast a spell on eachother that makes us hear each other's thoughts and feel each other's emotions. It's getting worse too. I looked it up in a book and it said it might never go away if our minds are compatible, oh and we both cast it at the same time which apparently makes the affects a lot worse."
Hermione said all this very fast, with Draco making noises of agreement and nodding away beside her. McGonagall stared at them both for a moment before recovering her composure. Her lips drew into a thin line and her eyebrows curved up into question marks as she stared down her long nose at them. When she finally spoke it was in a tone of forced calm, anger clearly behind it.
"And what, may I ask, provoked such ridiculously stupid behavior on the part of my Head students? I am extremely disappointed in you both, I suppose you were in a fight, am I correct? I expected much more from you Miss Granger. You as well, Mr. Malfoy. You both should be completely ashamed of yourself."
Hermione looked as if she might cry.
"We're
very sorry professor. Neither of us understood the spell and I didn't
think when I cast it, I won't act that way again."
Draco stared at his lap, not speaking.
"Well Miss Granger, the damage is done, being sorry won't put it right. I know the spell of which you speak, it is the only legal one that can cause such affects. It is extremely rare and only touched upon briefly in our curriculum at Hogwarts. I am surprised you even knew how to use it."
Hermione looked slightly excited that, despite her shame.
"Professor Flitwick explained it in class and I found it fascinating, I should hav e taken the time to read more about it before using it."
"Yes, you should have." Was the strict Headmistress' reply. "Mr. Malfoy, I assume you too, found it interesting and didn't take the time to discover the true affects of this?"
Draco nodded defiantly, still not speaking.
"Very well, there is really nothing I can at the moment but I will contact various people who may be of some help. I will also speak with Professor Flitwick; he may have an idea what can be done about this. Thank you for informing me however, that was the right thing to do. You may go."
Draco and Hermione nodded and thanked the Headmistress, quickly leaving her office.
McGonagall POV
Minerva McGonagall slumped in her chair as the two Heads left her office, looking tiredly up at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore above her head. The late Headmaster was tipped slightly back in his chair, fingertips pressed together, observing the scene before him with some amusement and smiling benignly down on the Headmistress. Minerva would have been willing to bet one hundred galleons that this was the exact position Dumbledore would have been sitting in, had he still been alive and headmaster of Hogwarts. The old wizard was able to deal with even the worst of difficulties with an air of nonchalance, something she had never acquired the ability to do.
"I'm not cut out for this sort of thing Albus, I never was." She complained tiredly.
"Why Minerva, you are doing an admirable job," replied Dumbledore's portrait, "couldn't have handled it better myself!"
"Oh don't be modest Albus, these problems would never have happened if you were still here."
"Pish Minerva, you're doing beautifully. I do have a suggestion for the little problem Draco and Hermione seem to have developed however, if you would like to hear it."
"Oh please anything, thank you Albus, I was going to ask you if you knew what to do."
"I am afraid I do not have a solution, but it may be wise to leave them for a time. Though this predicament may seem awful to them, it will at least force them to get along while they are Head students. I know that is not precisely fair, but I fear they may do worse damage to each other if this spell is released. It was an excellent idea to make them Head students together as a way to promote Inter-House Unity, but this may be a boon in disguise to keep the peace between them, a feat I had deemed impossible."
"You're right Albus, as always. But do tell me, is there a way to release them from this?"
"I daresay Filius will be able to help them perform the counter spell eventually, though it will take some months. They will need to get used to the idea of constantly hearing each other's thoughts before they can begin to block them out. That is the only way I can imagine the possibility of helping them in the foreseeable future. For now, let us see what the affect of one another's thoughts has on their relationship. I have a feeling that they are more similar than they realize.
"You are right Albus, it was silly of me to worry so much. It will all work out. Merlin I can't be calm like you were, I wish I had that ability.
"Now, now Minerva, don't be so hard on yourself. I chose you as deputy headmistress for a reason. As a matter a fact the idea of sending Mr. Weasley to Beauxbaton was an excellent one. I don't think I could have thought of it myself."
"Yes well, I found about to curse Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson earlier. There will never be House Unity with that going on. Besides, I wish Mr. Potter to have a chance to make friends in other houses. With Mr. Weasley around I am afraid that is impossible."
"I agree Minerva, Harry would do well to make friends in other houses. After all, the war is over, he is hailed by the wizarding world as a hero, he should enjoy that. Harry will never know the affect he has had on our world and that is just as well, but it is good for him to allow others to see the person that he is."
"Miss Granger deserves that too, I wish I had not been so harsh on her. She reminds me a great deal of myself at her age; I had temper to rival hers at least, and the willpower to match. She will do well."
"Yes, she most certainly will." Dumbledore relaxed in his armchair, letting his half-moon glasses slide gently down the bridge of his crooked nose. "Good night Minerva."
"Good night Albus, and thank you."
