A/N: Thank you all who reviewed last chapter. I know this took me forever to update, I wrote this chapter in parts I actually wrote a bit of it during class today on my blackberry (love my Smartphone 3). I actually wanted to add another part to this chapter but decided I will save it for next time. Hope you like and it was worth the wait I had trouble with this one hopefully the next chapter will come out faster. Please tell me what you think with a review.

Chapter 14

Haunted

Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
I won't let you pull me down

Hermione appeared right outside her flat leaning up against a wall to catch her breath. Someone was following her she knew that for sure but why she did not understand. Was this the same guy who seem to appear the past couple weeks or another rouge. Getting herself together she straightened up and opened to door.

Stepping into her flat the first thing she saw was Draco. He was pacing back and forth with worry etched in his face. His head snapped towards her as relief washed over his face. He was worried about her and for some reason that made her smiled just a bit considering the situation.

"Where have you been, I wake up and you're gone." Draco explained with annoyance.

"I got breakfast." Hermione shot back sheepishly, but soon her face wore a slight grin. "Why were you worried about me?"

He seemed angered by her statement, "of course I was worried about…you." His declaration faded out once he realized what he was confessing. There was an awkward silence between them as they both stood awkwardly at their spots not moving. Hermione soon got tired of the tension and swiftly walked over to Draco.

"Here's your coffee." She slammed it into his hand before settling over to the kitchen counter to eat her breakfast ending any moment that was previously going on.

"So how was your little stroll you couldn't wake me up and tell me you were going on?" Draco asked sarcastically apparently he was not over the fact she did not tell him where she was going.

"Fine…" Hermione stated she did not want to tell him just yet about the strange man following her.

"Okay, you're not telling me something." Draco challenged as he joined her at the counter.

"How are you so sure of that?" Hermione said getting defensive he did not know her.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Because when you get nervous and also when you don't tell the truth you bite your lip. It's kind of cute."

"I do not bite my lip." Hermione yelled.

"Look you did it again." Draco explained, and in fact to Hermione's displeasure he was right.

"Whatever," brushing it off taking a bite of her sandwich, "you know it's a little creepy that you know that about me after only two weeks."

"Don't flatter yourself I noticed it back when we were in school." Draco said trying to end where the conversation was going.

Hermione smiled tilting her head to the side giggling, "You paid that much attention to me during school?"

Draco leaned over the counter until this mouth was only centimeters away from her ear then whispered. "Maybe I did." He settled back over on his side before changing the subject. "So are you going to tell me what happened now?"

"You're not going to like what I have to say."

As late afternoon approached Hermione and Draco walked along a side street a block or so off of High Street in Hogsmeade. After Hermione explained the strange events of the early morning they thought it best to talk with Aberforth Dumbledore as soon as they possibly could. They had been walking a good ten minutes since they arrived in Hogsmeade and finally they could spot the worn-out wooden sign that hung over the door , the wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it, there was no mistaken it they had finally reached the Hog's Head.

Once they walked in they headed straight for small and extraordinarily dirty bar. The floor was the same as Hermione remembered it invisible beneath the dirt and the windows nearly opaque. It was comforting to see that not all things changed. Taking a seat at the bar they both took down their hoods and waited to be greeted.

Aberforth turned around to greet his new customers until it registered who he was looking at. Hermione Granger he would remember her anywhere the man that sat next to her was a different story he looked familiar but it couldn't be…unless. "Seven years and you finally show up, I must say, of all the people I thought Albus would send you two together never crossed my mind."

"You know why we're here then?" Hermione eyes filled with excitement they were finally going to get some answers.

"Yes, I do." He looked around the almost deserted bar, "but here is not the place to discuss it." He put down the glass he was cleaning and called over to a man who was sleeping in the corner. "Sam, I need you to watch the bar while I'm gone." The man nodded getting up. Aberforth turned back to Hermione and Draco, "follow me."

Draco and Hermione followed Aberforth closely through the streets of Hogsmeade, down a dusty path until they reached the oldest cemetery wizards had in existence. Many witches and wizards throughout the ages lied in this very place, but why they were here was still a mystery to both Hermione as well as Draco.

The cemetery was a welcoming, sleepy oasis, she didn't know if it was the time of day or the time of year but this place was a complete contrast to any other graveyard Hermione had ever been to. The whole place seemed like a maze of white in the autumn haze. Names and dates identified the individuals dwelling under the marble slabs.

They walked for a while until they came up to a gated section. Aberforth gallantly opened the squeaky iron and letting the three of them into a small memorial off the main drag. "This is part of the old sepulcher. They say that there are tunnels a secret passage underground."

Heading over to the old building Hermione noticed Draco had stopped. She looked down at the two marble plates Draco was staring at. It was all that was left of Lucius Malfoy and his wife. Looking around many stones marked the name Malfoy on them; they had to be in their family plot or something. Looking back at Draco, Hermione could see the guilty look on his face. For the past seven years his parents must have been little more than a distant shadows in a daydream, and now they were right there in front of him he never had a chance to say goodbye. Hermione slowly took his hand and gave it a squeeze before she pulled him along. They soon entered the old resting place; the whole structure was made out of old rock.

Aberforth went straight to the back inspecting the plates on the wall, "Ahh here it is." He took his hand rubbing away the dust and dirt that slowly revealed the name of Hyperion Malfoy. A strange symbol was place below the name. Neither Hermione nor Draco knew the significance of.

"What exactly are we looking at?" Draco asked. He was curious to why they were in his family's resting place.

"This is the symbol of the lost chapter, the key to life's greatest question. Who came first the wizard or the muggle" Aberforth explained pointing to the symbol. "Some wizards talk about a family that was able to create and take away magic where do you think those stories came from?"

"We've heard a few stories about that," Hermione finally spoke up.

"Know doubt one involving a ring?" Aberforth suggested. They both nodded trying not to give away too much information. "Did you know there are only 3 original copies of the Tales of Beedle the Bardand my brother owned one of them? It contains the lost chapter."

"Who owns the other copies?" Draco asked. Aberforth pointed back at him then to the stone.

"Your ancestor right there for one and he might have something that might be of interest to you." Aberforth said dusting the dirt off his robes.

"What are you suggesting?" Draco did not understand what he was telling them.

"You might need this, magic doesn't work in here." he dropped a large hammer in front of them "ancient enchantments are very strong." Hermione's mouth dropped opened at what he was telling them to do.

Shaking her head she called out to him, "Wait where are you going?"

Aberforth turned around to explain, "The less I know the better, my brother liked to mess with this stuff and look where he is now." Hermione could see he felt bad for leaving them, but that had always been his way never get too involved, "Come back to my place after you found what you're looking for I'll buy you two a few drinks and maybe answer some questions I know you must have." With that he was gone leaving once again Hermione and Draco alone.

"That is one strange wizard." Draco said pointing in the direction Aberforth Dumbledore just left.

"You're telling me it's the second time I met him he more peculiar now then the last time." Hermione explained.

Draco looked at hammer then to the stone on the wall that hid the dead behind it. "What should we do?"

"I don't know I feel weird, will be disturbing the dead." Hermione said shaking her head. What was the point in braking into someone's grave.

Draco picked up the slag hammer "I can't believe I'm going to do this." with one hard swing he began banging against the stone plate. As the plate began to crack and crumble Hermione stopped Draco and began taking the ruble down by hand. When enough was cleared away Hermione gasped.

"What" Draco asked afraid of what she found?

"There's nothing in here" She turned to face Draco, "There's no body."

"What do you mean?"

"This is where the casket should be and it's not there.' She looked around frustrated, "I wish I had a light."

Draco looked around when the torches flickered on grabbing one off the wall he handed it to Hermione for her use. Climbing up into the small place she took the torch and peered down the dark opening. "I think this is some kind of passageway." She crawled in further and the passageway expanded to allow her to stand.

"Hermione don't go too far." Draco warned.

She stopped right in time looking down into nothingness one more step and she would have falling. "Come here I thing I found something." She could slowly hear Draco making his way into the passage way.

"Hey, be careful" Hermione yelp as Draco came up behind her. He looked over the ledge to see nothing but darkness. "How far down do you think this goes?" Hermione asked. Draco looked around before grabbing the torch.

"Let's see if this works." He ignited the torch next to them on the wall. Suddenly all the torches along the wall lit all the way down to reveal the now dimly lit ground.

"Look there is a place where we can climb down." Hermione said looking to her right.

"I'll climb down first so I can guide you down" Draco suggested as he passed over the torch to Hermione. She found a place for it along the wall before she began to watch Draco climb down the ladder like wall. He landed on the ground as he motioned for Hermione to follow.

"I don't think I can do it." Once again Hermione's nerves got the best of her.

"I'm right here nothing is going to happen I promise." Draco guaranteed her.

"Okay" shaking Hermione slowly climbed down the wall as soon as she got close enough to Draco he grabbed her around the middle and gently placed her feet on the ground.

"Thanks"

"No problem" Draco shrugged his shoulders looking around now what.

"Look over there," Draco followed his eyes to where Hermione was pointing, "I think we should see what's down that corridor."

Hermione and Draco made their way down the dark hall. With each step they took a light from a torch on the wall would ignite. Finally they reached a large door at the end. The door was large and looked to be made out of some sort of metal. Draco pulled and opened the door with all his strength it was quite heavy. They slowly walked into the room each step they took seemed to echo and bounce against the wall. In front of them stood a cabinet the only object in the room.

"Do you think we should open it?" Hermione asked tugging at Draco's arm. He took her hand in his to give her some reassurance.

"We didn't come all this way just to look at a cabinet." He said smiling and Hermione nodded.

Gently letting go of her hand Draco stepped closer to inspect the cabinet. Hermione on the other hand began to feel uneasy. It almost felt like she was being watched. Looking back out down the hall of course she saw nothing, she resumed her attention back on Draco.

"Looks like this might be what Dumbledore wanted us to find." He pulled out a single small rectangular box. "Here put it in your bag."

Hermione did what she was told as Draco began inspecting the cabinet once again. "Draco I think we should go."

"Just one more second." Hermione looked behind her feeling the same strange presence as before but again she saw nothing.

"Draco..." Hermione paused hearing a sound down the long hallway. Looking back she yelped seeing a dark figure at the end of the corridor. Draco turned around and the figure gone.

"What?"

"Nothing I thought I saw something." Shaking her head she tried to clear her mind. Was she seeing things, some sort a trick of the light, maybe.

Draco finally had enough when the herd a bang at the end of the hall. They looked down to see a light had gone out.

"That's strange" Draco said as he shrugged the weird occurrence off as nothing.

Hermione on the other hand could not move. Something was here she could feel it. She stared down the offending hall almost daring the figure to show itself. Draco placed his hand on her shoulder and it that second they both saw it. Banging began to travel down the hall towards them. At each offending sound one by one of the old lamps burst into darkness. Hermione shut her eyes praying this would stop.

The last sound either one of them herd was the metal door slamming shut. Draco ran up against the door trying to open it to no avail.

"Shit." He screamed kicking the door as if that would help their predicament.

"Are we stuck in her?." Hermione asked her voice shaken. "Were going to die in here aren't we?"

Draco grabbed Hermione's face in a attempt to calm her down. "Shhh were going to get out of here." Placing a kiss on her forehead he walked back and opened the cabinet. Knocking on the back of it he began to feel around till he found what he was looking for.

Turning back into the room he grabbed Hermione taking her by the hand. He knew she was scared, that all of this was starting to get to her. He led her to the opening in the back of the cabinet. He hoped that it would lead them to a way out.

They began to ascend up a set of pebble stone stairs. They were wet and slippery and the walls that enclosed them seemed to drip with moisture. Draco started to worry about Hermione she hadn't spoken since they entered the passage. He stopped turning around to look at her.

"Hermione?" Draco asked checking to see if she was all right.

"I like that you know." She replied smiling up at him.

Draco swallowed hard his throat drying a bit. "What?"

"The way you say my name." Hermione clarified. Draco felt like someone punched him in the throat on instinct he began leaning in. "I see light."

Draco was confused at first by that statement until his brain registered where he was looking up he could see the moon light illuminating the world outside. They had found a way out, now it was time to get some answers he could deal with what just happened moments earlier later.

Hermione and Draco walked back to the Hog's Head as fast as they could. Stepping into the bar they notice how abnormally crowed the place was. Slipping through the mass of people they headed up the stairs in search of Aberforth.

"Hello is anybody there?" Draco yelled as to not startle the man.

"Mr. Dumbledore we are back." Hermione added.

"Why is it so dark, why doesn't he have any bloody lights on?" Draco grumbled tripping over something as they walked further into the room.

"I got it" with a swish of her wand Hermione turned on the lights. They both instantly grab each other's hand as their eyes laid upon the wall. Written along the wall in a red like substance read:

I have been watching you for seven years you cannot hide from me now.

Draco let go of Hermione to inspect the wall further, "is that blood?" Hermione did not want to know answer instead she backed up until her back hit into something. She slowly turned around afraid of what she might find lurking behind her. But nothing could have prepared Hermione for what she saw. Hearing Hermione scream, Draco snapped his head in the opposite direction towards Hermione.

"Bloody fucking hell" he yelled staggering. Against the wall smearing part of the message. There dead eyes looking down at both of them, was Aberforth Dumbledore bloody body hanging by the rafters.

"We need to leave." Hermione's small voice did not have to say it twice. Draco grabbed her and drugged her back down the bar and out of the Hog's Head for the last time.

A/N: Please review!

I'm also working on another Dramione that takes place during the last two books. I know it has been done before but I really like that concept and to have the power to shift around events and make them different excites me. Well tell me if you think I could pull it off. And thanks again on reading my story it great that other people enjoy what I do.