When Was The Last Time You?
Chapter Thirty Eight: When Was The Last Time You Juggled?
A Tale By: In The Shadows I Dwell
"The trick to juggling is determining which balls are made of rubber and which ones are made of glass."
There was much to juggle these days, I had to ensure that we were well prepared for each weekly meeting of the Army, there really was more planning required for such events than I ever thought possible. Awaking in Draco's arms as I had fallen asleep the night before gave me less to worry about than I had imagined. The others did not bother Draco in the mornings and therefore no-one knew or suspected that I had spent the night in his room. I awoke to find that my robes were clean and neatly pressed as though the room truly could provide everything its user should ever have needed besides food. As food was the first of the five principal exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration I slipped into the bathroom and changed quickly and went and sat upon the couch waiting for Draco. It took him several minutes to drag himself out of bed and pull on his uniform which too overnight had been cleaned, pressed and laid out for him.
We had walked to breakfast with no-one any more the wiser and the day passed in a blur as though the world had sped up until that evening when we were required to meet with Snape once again to discuss the ball the board was intent of holding. It seemed strange that suddenly the board would decide to hold a ball, particularly so out of the blue, I realised what this could mean, a potential trap. The school board mainly comprised of Death Eater's at the present time, the original board had been swiftly replaced, the work of Snape and the Lucius Malfoy. This served as yet another control point, another way of controlling both the students and their parents. I had found this out within minutes of standing upon Platform 9 and ¾ yet only now had I begun to suspect an ulterior motive behind this sudden evidentially well calculated change.
It turned out that this was not only for the students, but the parents too would be welcome to attend the auspicious occasion, there would be many guests of high influence attending also. It was to be held in the Great Hall and formal attire was to be worn. We were also informed that only students in the fourth year and above were to attend unless accompanying an older student. This seemed like an awful amount of planning for a mere trap. It could after all have been as Snape had stated, a ball in the honour of Albus Dumbledore. Perhaps there really was no secret agenda, no strange plot lurking beneath the surface. Maybe this really was an opportunity to socialise with others, both students and their parents in a more relaxed and unusual environment than that of which was generally offered at the school. Already the question that remained lingering in my mind was theme to use. I could see a look of almost pure agony in Draco's eyes, as though in his time he had seen and attended far too many formal balls in his life.
As Snape sat there talking about what we were required to do prior to the ball I surveyed his office, it was clear he spent very little time in here, there was dust that had settled on the empty shelves and even some sections of the floor. There was barely any light, so little that it was would be impossible to read within the room without a light. The way in which the cob-webs hung limply from the empty bookshelves told me two things, he either liked living among a slightly uninhabited look or he spent more time away from the castle than within it. This raised all sorts of questions, including the last time I saw him at a meal, it would have been at least four days ago, if not even longer. I could go for days at time if not weeks without seeing him. Was he really spending so much time away from the castle? I thought. He was technically not required to be constantly present, however it was slightly confusing considering that Lord Voldemort came to him.
Why would he need to leave if his master actually came to him? I thought, as it just seemed to defy all logic. It was yet another one of those strange puzzles I was struggling to unravel. The mystery of The Tales of Beedle the Bard always remained with me, just out of reach. I had translated the entire book save for one rune, the rune in The Tale of Three Brothers. Could it possibly mean something other than just being a strange rune that neither I nor any of the teacher I had asked had been able to translate? I felt deep down that there was a connection between this rune and something I had to do. It had something to do with Harry and Ron I knew it, I just could not shake the feeling that I had seen such a rune before, I was not sure where but I knew that I had once before. I could not remember whether it was in another book or if it was just in passing upon a wall, yet I had seen it, I knew I had.
It was one of those strange feelings one often gets, usually when experiencing déjà vu, yet this time I did not feel as though I had been in a certain place, or performing certain actions again. It was a feeling that this rune was everything, that it means something and there was a reason for why I believed I had seen it before. The meeting finished soon after, I soon realised that I had failed to hear half of what had been said, too consumed by my own thoughts to do anything but sit there silently. They must have assumed I had nothing to add rather than being several hundred miles away in my own thoughts. The rune seemed to be haunting my thoughts, making it difficult to juggle my schoolwork, duties as Head Girl and organising Dumbledore's Army meetings, it had actually become near impossible.
As Draco and I walked back towards the Room of Requirement I noticed a large plume of smoke issuing from Hagrid's small hut's chimney. I stopped, torn between braving the cold or going back to the warm Room of Requirement. I had not seen Hagrid in quite some time, and I did feel awfully guilty for this. Draco stood watching me in confusion as I stared blankly out the window. "Can I borrow your scarf?" I asked suddenly, making a quick snap decision to visit Hagrid.
"Yeah, why?" He asked.
"I'm going to go see Hagrid." I replied taking the scarf from his outstretched hand.
"Oh, okay. I um, guess I'll see you later then yeah?" He asked.
"Yeah, see you." I replied quickly kissing him on the cheek before turning back the way we come back towards the Entrance Hall.
The second I had stepped outside the cold hit me with all it's might. Blistering did not even begin to describe how the wind burnt against my skin. It had yet to snow, but if the weather kept up I was certain we would have a white Christmas. I struggled my way across the grounds, the wind and light rain making it difficult to push myself to actually walk the distance to Hagrid's Hut. Luckily he had noticed me approaching and was waiting as the door, rather than allowing me to stand outside in the cold helplessly for several minutes longer. I walked inside into the warmth greatful to finally be out of the cold, even Draco's warm scarf did nothing to stop the cold.
"'ello Hermione." He said happily as soon as he was inside and the door was closed.
"Hagrid, it's so great to see you! I'm so terribly sorry I have not visited earlier; I have just been so caught up with all my school work and my duties as Head Girl. I would have come to visit sooner if I were not."
"Never min' that 'ermione. It don' matter. I understand." He said before standing up to place the kettle upon the stove in his small kitchen. "Cup o' tea?" He asked.
"Yes please, it's dreadfully cold outside." I said gratefully.
"You heard from Ron and 'arry?" He asked gruffly from the kitchen.
"Actually I have, a few times. I've even seen them."
"How are they?" He asked quietly.
"They're fine from what I can gather; I haven't seen them in a couple of months now. I get an occasional letter, but that's all."
Hagrid walked in carrying two very large cups of steaming hot tea and placed them down upon the table. "What do they say?" He asked sitting down opposite me.
"Not much at all really, it's more just reassurance that they are okay and that no harm has come to them. To stop me worrying really."
"'ermione why are you wearin' a Slytherin scarf?" He asked suddenly after some paused as I was taking a large sip of my tea.
"I borrowed it from Draco." I replied calmly, of course he would know there was little he didn't hear between his classes and his Gamekeeper duties.
"You spendin' more time with Draco 'ey?" He asked.
"Of course I am," I replied, "that's the idea of a relationship."
He spluttered, it became all too clear that he was unaware of our relationship. What made it worse was it was not a recent change either. "What?" He cried. "'ermione, what 'ave you gone and done now? And don' lie to me. I know all 'bout you freein' them students."
"I haven't done anything, nothing that I regret or am unhappy with. I love him Hagrid, he's not half as bad as he is painted."
"But he's a Malfoy. You know what they're like." He replied in a state of shock. "You know what they're capable of!"
"Hagrid, he's changed. There's so much that has happened since the last time I saw you. I barely know where to begin…" I started, "But I think the best place is at the beginning." And with those words I launched into the long tale of how Draco and Professor McGonagall had saved me, and everything else that had happened between my visits. It was a long story, it took almost an hour to complete and by the time I was done night had begun to fall across the grounds. I said goodbye to Hagrid and made my way back to the castle glad that I had made the effort to see my friend. In a way it reminded me of how things used to be before they changed, in a warm comforting way. I decided it was best to find the others before I went to dinner so my first stop was the Room of Requirement.
I entered the large open room glad to be somewhere warm after the cold of the outside seemed to have sunk through to my very bones. I noticed Ginny wiping her eyes quickly as I entered the room, curled up upon a large couch in front of the fire. I walked over and sat opposite her, she was looking a photo smiling. I noticed as she placed it back upon the pile sitting on the table and took another, examining it carefully. The photo's looked familiar, a closer examination of the small pile on the table revealed that they were photos from Bill and Fleur's wedding. I smiled noticing one of Ginny and I together sticking out awkwardly from the pile.
"Ginny?" I asked quietly. "Are these photos from the wedding?"
"Yeah, do you want a look? Mum just sent them to me."
"May I?" I asked.
"Sure, I'm sick of looking at them." She said placing them gently upon the table and walking to her room.
I carefully picked up the small pile of moving photos. I smiled seeing how carefree and happy everyone looked, I had almost forgotten how Harry had been disguised as a Weasley for the day, but there was no mistaking that familiar expression upon the red-haired boys face. He looked so happy dancing with Ginny in the background of the photo while Ron and I danced nearby. This seemed like such a long time ago, years almost. Certainly not months. I nearly burst out laughing when I noticed Luna and her Father dancing by themselves in the centre of everyone else, Mr. Lovegood's yellow robes looking particularly strange in the small photo, as he turned I noticed something. Something strange around his neck, upon a long chain hung a talisman, not just any talisman, the symbol from the book. The rune I had been able to translate. I got up taking the photo with me and walking to Luna's room in a rush of adrenaline and excitement.
She opened the door seconds after I had first knocked. Her long blonde hair pulled up into a ridiculously high bun revealing her strange radish earrings. "Luna," I asked almost breathlessly. "what is that symbol your Father is wearing around his neck?" I pointed to the photo to show her.
"That?" She said almost disappointed I did not know what it was. "That's the symbol of The Deathly Hallows…"
Dedicated To: Miss Mayhem. I love our random conversations that seem to be able to go on forever. I also love the way you listen to me when no-one else will.
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Author's Note: The Christmas Chapter is almost upon us. In reality it seemed so very far away when I begun this story, but now it seems so close. I know it is a little late but you know it's better late than never. I'm almost at one hundred reviews, so at this point in time a review will mean everything to me!