all characters belong to JKR

Part XXXV:

Silence:

"And then I got the memory," Harry whispered with pride. Hermione grasped his hand under the table.

"That's great, Harry. What did Dumbledore say?" she asked.

"SILENCE!" Snape bellowed. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, for talking during a lesson." He walked up to the table where Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat, and he stared directly at Harry.

At that moment, the door to the DADA classroom swung open and Draco Malfoy entered. He looked at his favourite teacher, Snape, and said, "Pardon me for being late, Sir. It couldn't be helped."

"Just sit down and don't interrupt my class again," Snape said as he walked back toward the front of the classroom.

Ron, who was on the other side of Harry, leaned toward his friends and said, "Sure, he doesn't dock him points for being late."

Draco sat at the last table, beside Blaise, who was beside Pansy. Blaise asked, "Where were you?"

"I'll tell you later," Draco promised.

Snape continued to give his lecture, and the Golden Trio continued to talk to each other in hushed tones. Finally, Snape turned around, his robes billowing out behind him as he rushed up to their table. He slammed his hand on the smooth, wooden top and said, "Perhaps one of you would like to answer my question?"

Hermione felt Harry pinch her leg under the table, in a silent plea, stating that he didn't know to what Snape was referring. Neither did she, but she was brave enough to say, "I'm sorry, Sir, I wasn't paying attention." She never liked Snape when she was in school, but she did respect him, and it was difficult to see him in the past, alive and well, and to know the pressures that he had upon him. She respected him even more now.

"You didn't hear me?" he asked back.

"No, perhaps you could repeat the question," she urged.

A few people in the class snickered. She looked around and said, "I'm not being disrespectful, Professor. I really didn't hear."

"Ten more points from Gryffindor for cheek," Snape snapped. "Now, the question was, what is the silent incantation needed to shield a nonverbal spell such as the Cruciatus, or the Imperius?"

Hermione frowned a bit and said, "We didn't cover that, did we?" She didn't remember learning this from Snape.

"Please stand!" he said. "You shall show me the incantation, instead of telling me." She looked over at Harry and then stood with her wand in her hand.

"Professor, I'll do it," Harry said.

"Sit, Mr. Potter. I don't remember asking for volunteers, and I know you have a hero complex, but I don't believe Miss Granger needs saving at the moment," Snape said with an almost bored tone. Several of the Slytherins laughed outright. "Mr. Malfoy, please stand."

Draco looked confused but he stood slowly. Blaise stood as well and said, "Sir, your lecture was about Counter Jinxes and how to reverse them, not about silent shield charms."

"Sit, Zabini," Snape said evenly.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked toward the front of the classroom. Harry started to stand, but Ron took his arm and pulled him into his seat. Draco went toward the back of the classroom, with Snape following. Snape said, "Make it look real, Mr. Malfoy. I heard Mr. Potter tell Mr. Weasley before class that you were now friends with Miss Granger. In fact, he seems to think that you're from the future. Do you know how dangerous this information could be? Do you want Voldemort to find out that a spell exists that allows time travel? Do you want him to go to the future? How could you tell Mr. Potter? It's bad enough that you told Miss. Granger! We can't have them suspect anything."

"But, Sir," Draco said in hushed tones, only to be cut off by the teacher.

"Don't hurt her too badly, just enough to show everyone that you still hate her. Especially Mr. Potter."

"Sir, I need to tell you something," Draco said quietly. He looked at the rest of the class, and every eye was upon them. He took the sleeve of the professor's robe and ushered him to the corner of the large classroom. Snape looked at Draco's hand on his sleeve, and with a look that clearly stated, "Remove your hand or die," Draco let go of his teacher's sleeve, but whispered, "There have been some developments in which you aren't aware. This Hermione is from the future, too. She just arrived last week."

Snape smiled and said, "Then we better hope that she doesn't hurt you too badly." He walked briskly back to the center of the classroom and said, "Everyone, push your tables toward the walls. Miss Granger, when you are ready, you will try to put up a silent shield to Mr. Malfoy's onslaught. Mr. Malfoy, I don't want you to kill her, but an unforgivable may be used if you want."

Harry stood and said, "It's against the law to use unforgivable curses!"

"SIT DOWN!" Snape yelled again. "Since when have you worried about following the law, Potter?" He then looked at Draco and said, "Proceed."

Draco walked toward his wife, and raised his wand. He could not ever inflict one of the unforgivable toward his wife, nor would it be legal for him to do so anyway. Nevertheless, he could level at her several other spells.

He cocked an eyebrow and said, "Ready, Mudblood?"

"Ready, you pompous, white haired, git," she said, suppressing her grin. Draco pointed his wand and sent a silent curse her way.

She deflected it easily.

He turned around, as if to walk away, and then turned back rapidly, pointed his wand just as quick, and to his amazement, he caught her unaware. That had never happened in the history of their time together. His curse sent her flying backwards. He started to rush toward her, but Snape blocked him. Harry and Ron ran to their friend's side. She raised her head and shook it twice. She sat up with Ron's aid.

"Lucky shot, Malfoy," she said. She stood up and limped over to her seat. Snape went back up to the front of the class.

"Perhaps next time you'll listen to a lecture, Miss Granger."

"Perhaps next time you'll give the lecture you want me to listen to," she said back. "And before you say anything else, I know, ten points from Gryffindor." Snape turned back toward the chalkboard, a smile on his face.

Harry leaned over toward Hermione as they sat back down and asked, "What was that? How could he do that to you?"

"We're on the outs apparently. He lied to me about some things, just to get close to you," she lied. "I found it out last night, on the way back from Hogsmeade. He was gloating about how he got you to believe a lie about time travel, and how he used me to get close to you, to hurt you."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron whispered.

"I didn't have a chance to do so. Harry was gone when I got back, and you both left early this morning."

Harry looked over at Malfoy, who was talking to Blaise. "But he said that he was from the future, and that you were married. I believed the bastard."

Ron snickered and Hermione looked at Harry and said, "Listen, I admit I fell for his line, and I had a slight crush on him, in fact, I thought I was falling in love with him, but Harry, he lied to me. He lied to you." She leaned closer, as did Ron, and she said softly, "It was all an elaborate ruse to get close to me, so he could get close to you. He has the Dark Mark. He's a Death Eater." There. That should convince Harry. She hated to do it, but thanks to Snape, and a bit of acting on her part, Harry should now be convinced that Draco was once again their enemy. It was helpful that Pansy was witness to this little display as well.

Harry frowned but didn't say another word. After class, the three friends started to walk to their next class, when Draco yelled across the hall. "I hope I didn't hurt you too badly, Mudblood. Too bad you didn't land on your head. It is the biggest part of you, and probably the hardest."

Harry rushed to Malfoy and before he could say anything to Draco, Draco took the opportunity to taunt him. "You believed me and my little story didn't you Potty. How quaint. Yes, you thought the Mudblood and I were in love." Pansy and Theo laughed. Blaise looked away, as the Slytherins all walked in the other direction.

Harry ran back to Hermione and Ron, with only one thought: the bastard would pay.

Quiet Time:

After afternoon classes, Hermione sat by herself up in the Owlery, her robe tightly around her, a book in hand. She had received a note from Draco to meet him here fifteen minutes ago. If he didn't arrive soon, she would leave.

She hated deceiving Harry, but it was important that he not think of Draco as anything but an enemy right now. They also had to convince Pansy/Ellen that the Draco hadn't gotten too close to her. She put her book on the floor as she heard footstep ascend the stone steps.

"Hermione?" She heard in quiet tones.

"Over here," she said from the floor. Draco smiled at her and rushed over to where she sat. He plopped beside her and said, "I can't believe I got the jump on you earlier in the classroom."

"You didn't," she said with a smile. "I kind of let you do that."

"No!" he pouted. "Couldn't you have at least let me think that I got the best of you, just once?"

"I doubt it," she said truthfully. "Did Ellen believe it?"

"I think so. She seemed pleased, anyway. I'm still not one hundred percent sure that Pansy is Ellen, but Blaise, or Mark rather, thinks so, so I guess she is." He took her hand and said, "Truly, I didn't hurt you at all?"

"Did you want to hurt me?" she asked, incredulously.

"A bit, maybe," he said with a laugh. "Snape overheard Potter tell Weasley that I was from the future, so he decided to help us along, and unconvinced him."

"Unconvinced?" Hermione smiled.

"It's a word," he whined. He reached in his robes and pulled out Harry's invisability cloak, which he had borrowed last night. "Here, you'll have to figure out a way to get this back to Potter," he told her. He kissed her hand and said, "Tell me what's been going on since I've been gone. Please."

They talked for almost an hour. Hermione told him more about her pregnancy, her depression, the Raven attack, the attack in Hogsmeade, and about her early labour. She told him about Paul Boot trying to take her away. She ended with telling him about their baby.

"She's so beautiful, Draco. I can't believe how much I love her."

"I bet she is beautiful," he said, "and I love her already, and I don't even know the little thing."

Hermione smiled and put her head on his shoulder. "That's a sweet sentiment."

"You know," Draco began, "that time I was able to communicate with you, in a dream or whatever it was, well it was really special to me. I kept waiting for it to happen again. I mean, it happened slightly after the baby was born, but you only visited me that time to gripe at me for being away."

"I'm sorry. It took a lot of concentration to communicate with you that way, and Nick Boot had to help me, and frankly, it was too painful," she said truthfully. "It hurt to see you, but not really to see you."

They held hands for a while, touching each other lightly, on the face, the neck, the lips, and finally, Draco leaned over and kissed her. She had missed that feeling the most. She pushed him away, her hands on his shoulders, and said, "We really can't. It's too painful, and it can't continue, and someone might see."

"Just one more kiss," he urged.

"No, Draco," she said. She seemed absolute. "Is there any word on Don Boot?"

"No, but Blaise and I talked to Snape and Dumbledore about it after class. Snape feels we shouldn't involve Bill Weasley. He's going to try to find Don. I think that's for the best," Draco explained.

"Fine, but if we don't find him, I want you to promise me that you'll go back by yourself," Hermione chided. "I don't care what Mark's says, if its time for you to leave, and Don isn't back, you have to go back on your own."

"No," he said. "Mark told you that we have to go back together, remember?"

"I know, and I see his reasoning, but I don't want you both to be stuck here. Promise me that you'll come back to the future. I have to go back right before you, and I have to have a clear mind to do the task at hand, which is to find Helena and kill her. I can't worry about you."

"How are you going to get rid of Helena's presence in the future?" he asked.

"I have a lesson with Sanguini this weekend. He's going to teach me some magic that works on spirits and other entities. I hope it works," she said. She held onto his upper arm, and leaned over and kissed his shoulder, on top of his robe. "This has to work."

"I know." He held her hand and examined the palm, tracing the lines on it, and said, "Pansy is planning something else. Mark is convinced of it. We need to see if Seamus is a part of it, but please, be careful, because she's volatile right now, and the last attempt on your life almost really cost you your life."

"I'll be careful," she promised.

Noise:

Hermione had a case of the giggles and she couldn't stop. She had been in Don's office with Sanguini for the past hour, he was teaching her how to use her other senses to sense the presences of entities that she couldn't see, and he told her to use her nature psychic ability; that made her laugh.

And she was laughing still.

She told him her views on divination, psychics, seers, and prophecies, and he smiled as she told him how she didn't buy into any of it.

"You're a Muggle-born, who descends from two of the founders, who has had a prophecy told about her, her daughter, her best friend, and another one of your best friends IS a psychic, and yet you claim you don't believe. You of all people don't believe in magic?" Now he laughed.

She hit his arm and said, "I believe in magic! I don't believe in divination and seeing the future."

"You traveled from the future," he pointed out. "Listen, you're being a silly little thing, and I shall not humour you on this matter another moment. Let's get back to work." He continued to laugh as he walked up to her and placed a dark cloth across her eyes. He said, "Now, I can turn into a mist. When I am in that form, people can see the mist, but generally, they can't feel it or hear it. That doesn't mean that it can't be done. I'm going to turn into mist, and you try to feel me, okay?"

Hermione said, "Feel you, my arse."

"Okay," he said and he patted her bum. She removed the blindfold quickly and turned to him.

"HEY! That's not what I meant!"

"Put the blindfold back on. I won't touch you again." He made sure she really couldn't see, before he turned into a black floating mist. The mist hovered on the other side of the room, near the ceiling.

At first Hermione felt stupid. Then, she decided to relax. She took two deep breaths and concentrated on what she couldn't see or hear. She tried to 'sense' Sanguini. Finally, she moved slightly, her hands out in front of her, and she turned toward the corner of the room, looked up, and removed her blindfold. He rematerialized in front of her eyes, and floated to the ground.

"Bravo, Mrs. Malfoy!" He clapped his hand. "That's the same principle you will use when trying to locate Helena Boot. You won't be able to see her, but I'm convinced you'll be able to feel her. Did you feel me?" He put his eyebrows up seductively.

"I smelled the horse shite that you emitted," she said with a straight face.

"You wound me, sweet dear. Fine, work on the spell I gave you, and meet me here in two days, and we'll work some more." He opened the door and said, "Now, out of my room. You are annoying me."

She laughed and said, "Coming from perhaps the most annoying person I know."

"I'm not a person," he said steadily.

"Yes you are," she said back.

He smiled a fraction, and said, "That's the nicest thing anyone ever said to me." She smiled back and started out of the room. "By the way," he said before she left, "We are trying to find Don and Nick. Don't worry."

"Do we know where Paul is yet?" she asked.

He shook his head no. She said, "Well, thank you Professor Sanguini, for the extra work." He looked confused, but then he saw students in the hallway. He smiled, and closed his door.

Hermione started down the hallway of the dungeons to head toward the stairs, when she heard a loud noise in one of the basement classrooms. She opened the door slowly, but didn't see anything. She walked into the room, and suddenly, the room went dark. She pulled her wand out of her pocket, but then something, (someone?) knocked it out of her hand. She tried to remain calm and she closed her eyes, although the room was already dark, and she tried to 'sense' what was in the room with her.

She sensed evil.

She backed toward the wall, when she felt lacerating pain in her arms and legs, and a sharp pain in the middle of her chest. It was the Cruciatus curse. She fell to the ground, and screamed.

Draco and Blaise were coming from their dorm. Blaise said, "I think Ellen bought the whole thing between you and Hermione. Where's Hermione now?"

"She's having a private lesson with that vampire," Draco said. "I don't like that man."

"He's not that bad, and he is related to me, you know," Blaise reminded him.

Draco looked confused and then said, "Oh, I keep forgetting that you're really Mark Boot. I'm sorry." They turned the corridor toward the stairs when they heard a girl scream.

And Draco knew, as soon as he heard it, that it was Hermione, because he had heard the same screams from her in the past, and he hoped it wasn't for the same reason!

Both boys took off in a dead run toward the noise.