Chapter Eight

"So we have fire, a mirror, a letter, a baby and a book," Hermione said.

"It could be a fire, a photo, a letter, a baby and us arguing," Draco suggested.

Hermione swiped the stone through the air before the vase of water. Within it viewed the common room with Hermione curled up before the raging fireplace in nothing but her underwear, writing a long letter, tears dripping from her nose.

"More fire," Hermione stated smugly as the image disappeared.

"You do realise I could have walked down the stairs at any moment and seen you in your underthings don't you Granger?" Draco asked. Hermione looked at him, a blush covering her face. Draco moved away from the subject quickly. "Okay so your past is filled with fire. It seems we're back on elements."

"Not necessarily Malfoy," Hermione stated. "Fire can be symbolic of war or tragedy."

"If you say so," Draco muttered. "What about Salazar's memories of Rowena's vanity, his love notes and a baby?"

"It could symbolize family or in his case, secrets," Hermione suggested, "and our future, could symbolise … well… books?"

Draco stared at her blankly. "Books? Maybe we should use the fire stone again?" he made to stand up.

"Oh – I don't know, Malfoy," Hermione said, getting up and grabbing a book off the shelf. "I don't really like the idea of knowing what my future holds."

Draco stood before her. "I don't think Sense and Sensibility is going to answer this riddle, Hermione," Draco muttered, putting his hand out for the book.

"You – You know of Sense and Sensibility?" Hermione murmured, wondering if she had imagined his use of her first name. She kept a firm hold on the book.

"Yes," Draco said, grabbing the edge of the book with both hands. "I find it a complete waste of brain power."

Hermione nodded absently, looking into his eyes. "I suppose it is," she said quietly, "but this actually belongs in my room so I might just put it in my bag so I don't forget to take it up later –"

All of a sudden, Hermione was struck with the image from the fireplace and she knew that this was it unfolding. Shifting on her feet to break the moment, she looked down at the book and lightly took it out of his hands. Turning, she ignored the flush on her face and placed the book in her bag slowly, taking her time before looking back at Draco.

Turning around, she saw him standing by the fire, staring at the stone uncertainly. It seemed his original desire to use it again had slipped away.

"Fighting isn't the clue from our future then, is it?" Draco said quietly. He looked around at Hermione who shook her head quickly, taking deep breaths. "We best get this over with then."

Swiping the stone over the fireplace, Hermione watched an image of Draco and Pansy materialise in front of them. They walked into the common room and Pansy stood crying. Draco looked annoyed and they were talking somewhat heatedly. The scene produced no noise so they could not hear what was being said but just as Hermione read the name "Granger" on his lips, an image of Hermione appeared on the scene. She and Draco looked at each other for a long moment and then the image faded.

Draco looked at Hermione. "Maybe what just happened wasn't the vision from our future. Maybe we are still going to fight. I mean Pansy and I were certainly –"

"Why would the vision show me, though?" Hermione snapped. "Why?"

"Okay, we'll try another vision then," Draco said. He swiped the stone across the entrance to the fireplace again and before them they saw themselves sitting silently on the couch. Neither of them moved nor looked at each other. The Draco in the image's hand gave a twitch but he recomposed himself quickly.

The vision faded.

"Well that was helpful," Draco stated sarcastically, "Lots of clues there."

He raised the stone again. "No, Malfoy," Hermione said from the couch. "No more."

They gazed at each other and Draco understood: she was scared. Scared of what the future might hold.

Hermione grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs, knowing full well what the fire stone was telling her.

She had feelings for Draco Malfoy.

ooo

The initial shock of realizing that she now saw Draco as more than a hateful ferret took a long time to wear off. She saw it in his eyes that he too had made a similar realization about his own feelings and that fate was certainly not on their sides.

No, fate wanted them kissing in front of fireplaces. Hermione was certain that if she used that stone again, them kissing would be the next image to appear in front of her. So she would cheat fate. She would avoid Draco's every presence, she would get back with Ron and she would just stay the hell away from what the fire told her would unfold if she didn't take control.

But she couldn't get back with Ron. She did try to fall back in love with him. Over breakfast they held hands but the entire time she felt disgusted in herself. Lavender was always around and Ron's hands just weren't as warm as they had once felt to her.

So she looked elsewhere instead, much to Ron's disappointment. She considered Neville and she spoke to Ginny about Dean but Dean was with Luna Lovegood and Hermione didn't find Neville overly appealing. When she attempted to watch Neville as he ate, her eyes always ended up flickering back to the Slytherin table, where Draco sat with his eye on his pie, obviously deep in thought and oblivious to the world.

"Hermione," Ginny said for the ninth time, concerned about her friend. "Why are you staring over there?"

"He's changed you know," Hermione murmured. "He's not the same."

"Who isn't the same?" Ginny questioned, following Hermione's gaze. "Oh. Yes, I've noticed too."

"You have?" Hermione asked quickly. "Ron thought I was crazy for thinking it."

"I never said he'd changed for the better, Hermione," Ginny said bluntly.

"Ron told you I defended him, did he?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth. "It was months ago!"

"Hermione," Ginny whispered, looking at those around them cautiously. No one was paying them any attention. "Are the rumours true? I mean I haven't believed a single one up until now. Hermione, are you interested in Malfoy?"

Hermione stood up. "I have to go," she declared loudly and stormed away. Ginny gave a false grin at a couple of Ravenclaw students that were now staring at her. Leaned back in her chair, Ginny's eyes turned to watch Draco, whose eyes had followed Hermione out of the Hall.

ooo

Draco and Hermione were each brainstorming ideas about the riddle to themselves as they sat in the common room a week later.

"You've been avoiding me, Granger," Draco said suddenly.

"Have I?" Hermione asked warily, not moving her eyes away from her work. Her voice automatically dropped to a whisper as she wrote down new ideas. "Ashes? Smoke?"

"Yes, Granger, you have."

"Hmm." She could not muster a different response.

It was silent for a moment.

"There are rumours about us," Draco stated, "Pansy was in a frenzy when she heard them."

"Yes I know about the rumours," Hermione responded blandly. "My own friends are stupid enough to believe them."

"Really?" Draco drawled, a wide smirk appearing on his face.

Hermione looked up at him.

It was a mistake; she knew it the moment her eyes found his grey ones. Her stomach did a violent flip, plummeted and somehow ended up in her throat.

Quickly, she shook herself and looked back down at the parchment in front of her.

Draco was silent from that moment on but Hermione could feel his eyes burning into her flesh. Goose bumps rose on her skin and she shivered though not from cold.

She abruptly stood, avoiding looking at him. "Shower," she muttered. "No, a bath. I need a bath."

And Hermione dashed across the room, shakily pulled open the bathroom door and hurried in, slamming it behind her.

Leaning against the door, she stared at the empty bath. She didn't really need one; she'd had a shower two hours previous. She had just needed to get away from Draco.

As Hermione pulled her hair up in a clip and sank into the hot, relaxing water, she was not aware of the eyes that had appeared as the door was pushed open slightly.

Draco watched her nude form from behind, licking his lips lightly as he did so. With a tiny sigh, he closed the door and headed back over to his seat on the couch, where he proceeded to stare at the fire, swirling one of Salazar Slytherin's stones in his hand.

Turning towards the vase, he waved the stone through the air. Within the watery contents, the scene with Sense and Sensibility played before his eyes only this time from a different angle. He could see only Hermione, see only her reaction to him, the mixed feelings in her eyes.

Draco sat back, running a hand through his hair.

What the hell was he turning into? Fancying Hermione Granger?

Draco looked back at the vase, where Hermione's naked back was disappearing into a swimming pool of bubbles.