It was rinse and repeat for the next few weeks as Hermione had to deal with a steady diet of Draco Malfoy avoiding her, ignoring her or if he couldn't, he'd barely acknowledge her presence. He seemed to be quite taken with Therese Rowle, and when they weren't in classes together, he was to be found at the witch's side often.
The worst moment came a few days before Halloween, when Hermione was doing prefect patrols with Ernie McMillan and they were wandering around the dungeons in Slytherin territory, when Hermione heard a sound coming from the same classroom Malfoy had taken Harry into the month before.
Placing a finger to her lips, Ernie nodded as Hermione cast a silencing charm and opened the door to the empty classroom.
That wasn't so empty after all.
Hermione stopped in her tracks when she walked into the room and then gasped when Ernie nearly ran into her back as they both halted at the scene before them.
For there, in the corner of the room...highlighted by only a sliver of light coming through a small window was Malfoy and Therese Rowle...snogging.
Thankfully they were fully dressed, mostly...
But Hermione felt her chest tighten uncomfortably as she turned away from the heated scene and shook her head at Ernie...silently letting him know that he would need to handle this.
Ernie to his credit, didn't bat an eyelash as she cancelled the silencing spell and he cleared his throat.
Hermione's back was to the scene, so she didn't see Malfoy's surprised expression...nor Rowle's smug one.
"Malfoy, you know better than to be out after curfew."
Ernie's voice was polite and amused...and Hermione could only imagine what was going through the wizard's mind.
She heard Malfoy clear his throat, before he drawled arrogantly, "Oh, is curfew over already?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as she listened to the ensuing conversation.
"It's been over for about thirty minutes, so you two might want to head back to Slytherin before Filch catches you," Ernie then turned his head towards Hermione and said playfully, "what do you think Hermione? Should we dock these two lovebirds points."
Groaning inwardly, Hermione just replied coldly, "I couldn't care less, Ernie. If you'll excuse me."
She didn't waste another moment escaping out of the room, and heading out of Slytherin territory.
It wasn't any of her concern what Draco sodding Malfoy and Therese Rowle got up to in private, but for some reason she didn't understand, the whole entire encounter left her feeling...
Unsettled?
No, that wasn't the right word.
As she moved towards the staircases, Hermione's thoughts were running through her mind a mile a minute so it wasn't until she heard Ernie calling her name that she stopped and turned around.
Thankfully, he was alone.
"You alright Hermione?"
She just nodded and rolled her eyes. "I'm perfectly fine." She lied. "Thank you for dealing with that. You know how Malfoy hates me and I'd rather not be the one to take away points. I'd prefer to keep my distance from the ferret."
Ernie chuckled deeply. "Well, I didn't take points this time but warned him if I caught him again I would."
"That was awfully nice of you, Ernie."
The Hufflepuff just shrugged easily. "I'm a nice guy."
Hermione snickered at that and the two students said their goodbyes as Ernie made his way back towards the Hufflepuff common room near the kitchens while Hermione just wandered towards the staircases and looked up towards the top of the castle with a sigh.
As she was about to step on the staircase, a noise sounded from behind her. Sending out her senses and erecting her shields just in case...she was surprised when she felt Malfoy standing there.
She didn't even bother to turn around.
"What do you want ferret?"
A harsh scoff sounded from over her left shoulder and she sighed as she looked behind her slightly and saw Malfoy emerge from the shadows.
"Do you make it a habit of entering rooms silenced, Prewett?"
Hermione sighed. "Not that it's any of your concern, Malfoy...but we were patrolling and you were out after curfew. So excuse me for taking necessary precautions especially in the Slytherin area, where I've already been attacked once this year."
Draco's face fell for a split second, before that arrogant smirk was back.
"And just how long were you standing there before you dropped your little spell?"
This did cause Hermione to scoff loudly. "Save it ferret! And don't flatter yourself."
"I wasn't Prewett." Draco's voice was exactly same as it had been the previous year. Scathing and hateful, and Hermione shook her head angrily.
"You know what Malfoy? I'm so sick of your mercurial mood swings. I honestly thought after your apology that you might actually be a decent sort, but then you negate that by acting like your surly prattish self. You apologized for Pansy's hateful words and your complicity, and then proceed to do the exact same thing when your little girlfriend insults me in the exact same manner. You haven't changed at all! You're still the same foul evil cockroach you've always been and you always will be."
Hermione watched as Malfoy's expression darkened, his nostrils flaring as he took a couple steps closer to her. His harsh laughter reverberating through the corridor.
"That's rich, coming from you...little Miss high and mighty! All new powers and you think you have the right to use them whenever you want against whomever you wish!"
Hermione paled and took a reflexive step back. "What are you talking about?"
She swallowed as Malfoy moved into her personal space and looked his aristocratic nose down at her.
"What indeed, Prewett? Perhaps you know nothing about the reason why, on the night of your birthday, I found myself in the Astronomy Tower...but that wasn't the funny thing. I remember heading up there and then going back to Slytherin House but you want to know the strange part?"
His grey eyes bored into hers and Hermione felt her heart racing as she tried her best to keep eye contact.
"No, I really don't."
This elicited another dark laugh. "I'll bet you don't. But I don't care! When I got back to my House, funny thing was...over an hour had elapsed from the time I'd left the common room, to my return. An hour! Somehow I lost an hour of time, which confused me at first until I went to my Godfather had had him enter my mind. I've been taking Occlumency lessons with him...fine tuning a few things but then you have as well? Haven't you? What happened Prewett? Did I walk into something you didn't want me to see and you obliviated me? You'd be the only one powerful enough to do it!"
Hermione took another step back as her expression fell, and she saw Malfoy's mouth twist in a cruel triumphant sneer. Shaking her head, she went to turn around and leave but Malfoy grabbed her arm.
Roughly.
Her magic immediately reacted, but not in the way she expected it to.
The shock that went through her body caused her to fall to her knees...her other hand grasping her chest as she tried desperately to get ahold of her breathing.
Was this a panic attack?
Malfoy's expression, that had been angry...was now utterly surprised as he knelt down too...from shock or concern she didn't know which.
"Prewett?" His voice was gentler than it had been, but Hermione didn't know what was happening to her. Shaking her head, she then lifted her gaze and noticed Malfoy's grey eyes watching her questioningly.
Almost tenderly.
She wrenched her arm from his and in a move of pure panic, closed her eyes and disapparated herself on the spot...reappearing up at the Astronomy Tower...desperately trying to get her breathing under control.
Yep...panic attack. Had to be.
She fell to her side and tried as best as she could to work through her breathing, clearing her mind and concentrating on her magic—which was swirling in agitation.
Her skin where Malfoy had touched it in his anger felt like it was on fire.
What the fuck was going on?
Closing her eyes, she silently called for Professor Snape and it was about ten minutes later, the Head of Slytherin House was kneeling down at her side...looking at her with what amounted to concern.
"Miss Prewett?"
"Something is wrong."
"I can see that for myself."
"No, with my magic. Something is wrong."
Snape's expression morphed into curiosity as he waved his wand over her and hummed to himself for a few moments.
"Your magical core is quite active. Did something happen?"
She nodded, her blue eyes staring into deep onyx ones and when Snape made eye contact...she could feel him enter her mind. She didn't try and hide anything...knowing if anyone could explain what was happening it would be her Defense Professor.
After a few moments, Professor Snape broke eye contact with a sigh.
"I am at a loss Miss Prewett. Was what Mr. Malfoy speculated upon...the truth?"
Biting her lip she gingerly sat up and nodded sheepishly, but seeing her Professor's scowl she decided to clarify a bit.
"I didn't do it against his will. I swear it. I was up here with Theo when it happened and he can vouch for me. Malfoy...well, he was under a disillusionment charm, which when I realized what he'd seen..."
"You obliviated him?"
"Theo was going to do it. As it stands, Malfoy made the offer. He placed the memory in a box and had me banish the key to someplace safe, which I did. I didn't even think that he might've noticed.."
"That time had elapsed?" Snape mused disdainfully. "Miss Prewett, while I realize your Gryffindor tendencies tend to have you react first before considering all the viable options or perhaps it is your assignation with Mr. Potter that has given you the propensity towards rash decisions," Hermione winced at the rebuke, "my godson is neither an ignorant dunderhead nor a fool." Snape paused as his expression darkened slightly before he continued on cryptically, "at least not usually."
"No, he's just an arrogant prat." Hermione mumbled and Snape just lifted an eyebrow at her before muttering an, "Indeed." Which had her smiling somewhat.
"I do believe your past history with Mr. Malfoy has made you somewhat blind to your own culpability. Not to say his behavior has been anything but reprehensible at times," Snape was quick to amend, "but perhaps you need to be a bit more educated on what life under the threat of the Dark Lord was truly like for those on the other side."
"Like you?"
Snape just tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Indeed. But unlike me, there are those who lived their life under a microscope of fear and reprisal constantly. It is easy to sit in judgement, Miss Prewett with your righteous Gryffindor mindset but the world is rarely black and white. You may find yourself at a crossroads between the two and how you choose to handle the choices meted out to you will determine just what kind of future you'll be left with."
Hermione's gaze was curious as she mulled over her Professor's words of wisdom. After a few moments she stood up with his help and nodded her thanks.
"I'll take your words to heart Professor."
"Please do, Miss Prewett. I will be owling your Grandmother tomorrow about this incident but might I suggest you do so yourself?"
"I will."
"Shall I see you to Gryffindor Tower?"
Hermione shook her head. "I'm alright Professor. Thank you for your help."
Snape just bowed his head before turning and robes billowing, made his exit down the steps of the parapet.
Hermione just stood there and watched her Professor go before she walked over to the railing and stared out over the Black Lake for a few moments before she closed her eyes and felt her body shift into her animagus form.
Then she took flight.
As she flew down over the water she felt her magic building and letting a caw of sound out into the night, her magic shifted again and in a flash...she was gone.
Muriel Prewett had seen much in her long life, but the flash of light in her sitting room and the Phoenix that emerged there had her gasping in shock.
When the bird morphed into her granddaughter before her eyes, Muriel just shook her head in astonishment.
"Good evening Dearest, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company...since you should be in your dorm room asleep by now?"
Hermione sighed, plopped down quite unladylike on the sofa across from her Grandmother and grimaced.
"You'll be getting a lovely owl from Professor Snape tomorrow. I wanted to warn you."
"About?"
So Hermione told her Grandmother everything, including what had happened that evening. By the narrowing of her gaze, Hermione suspected that her Grandmother wasn't too happy.
"The Malfoy Heir accosted you?"
"Yes and no—although I think he felt justified because of what he suspects I did to him."
"What you did do to him." Muriel clarified with a proud smirk.
"Was I wrong?" Hermione asked after a few quiet moments and she was unsurprised when her Grandmother shook her head in the negative.
"No, based on your rather contentious history with the lad, I don't expect you had any reason to trust his word. I'm fairly certain that the young Malfoy Heir, while trying to carve out a new direction for himself and Slytherin House...still has a fair bit of his Father in him. Pride before the fall, young lady. A truth you both might seek to learn a bit more about."
Hermione's grimace deepened, but didn't argue the point with her Grandmother.
Instead she asked another question that had been bothering her.
"Grandmother, I believe Dumbledore knows who my bonded is likely to be. I believe he heard the Prophecy and has a fairly good guess who that wizard might be."
Muriel's lips pursed unhappily but she nodded in agreement. "I've suspected as much. In fact, I've had my own suspicions on the matter since you left for Hogwarts but I didn't wish to speak of it out of turn."
Hermione leant forward with interest as she queried, "you think you know who the wizard is?"
Muriel nodded and then sighed, giving her granddaughter a pitying look.
"I believe you know, deep down—who it likely is too, Hermione. I just think your too stubborn to look at the facts and make the proper assumption."
Sitting back stunned, Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand?"
Muriel chuckled and shook her head again. "Yes you do. It will come to you child, when you're ready to acknowledge it and not a second sooner. I will not speak of it, because I don't wish to unduly influence you, nor your actions. But promise me one thing, please?"
Hermione bit her lip and nodded slowly.
"When that moment comes, do not react hastily. Take some time and ponder the why's and wherefore's of the reasons your own magic might choose to seek out your mate. What you would have to gain from such a pairing and be honest with yourself. Truly honest, Dearest. Sometimes our mind and heart war with each other because we may not accept certain possibilities when circumstances prevent us from admitting the truth to ourselves. You are your magic and vice versa."
"Theo made a comment to that effect a while back and I suppose I just have a hard time not trusting anything that doesn't have to do with my own mind."
"Ah, well...not everything can be tied into a neat bow."
"No I suppose not." Hermione mused and then asked, "from what it sounds like, you suspect that Adrian may not be my ancillary?"
Muriel hummed but didn't refute that claim. All she said was, "Adrian Pucey is a sweet wizard who would be a caring mate, but tell me truly dearest...do you feel passionately about him? Does he make your magic sing and your blood boil?"
Hermione's expression fell as she shook her head. "No. I like him very much and he is sweet and kind...but I'm not sure what it is I'm supposed to feel for someone? I'm just getting to know Adrian, so how can I speak with any certainty on how I'm to feel?"
"I wish I could tell you Dearest, but this is something you will need to figure out for yourself."
"That's the problem with all this Grandmother! No one can tell me anything concrete! I feel as if I'm flailing around, desperately pretending like everything is alright when nothing could be further from the truth."
Muriel chuckled at her granddaughter's histrionics. "You're being a bit dramatic Hermione. No one expects you to have all the answers yet, except you."
Grumbling under her breath, Hermione decided to ignore that last comment—even if it was true to a certain extent.
"I should probably return to school."
"A wise idea."
Standing up, Hermione went over to her Grandmother and kissed her goodbye on the cheek—but not before promising to write should she need anything.
"An owl will suffice Dearest...not that I'm not happy to see you but you shouldn't make it a habit of leaving through the Hogwarts wards—as I'm sure such an ability would be heavily frowned down upon...even if I applaud it."
Smiling cheekily, Hermione nodded. "Of course."
Muriel watched as her granddaughter transformed into a Phoenix right before her eyes and smiled as she took off outside the Manor, before with a resounding caw and flash of flame—Hermione was gone.
Tutting to herself, Muriel couldn't help but feel quite melancholy that Fabian wasn't here to see how powerful and beautiful his daughter had become. Of all the things that Muriel had wished for, and felt robbed of—that one consumed her the most.
Life was cruel and unjust sometimes—as she suspected Hermione would end up learning the hard way.
But sometimes fate had a way having a laugh despite what we might seek for ourselves.
Muriel just prayed that somehow, when that moment came—that her granddaughter would act with wisdom and equanimity instead of with fire and violence.
Merlin help the Malfoy Heir if Hermione's impulses tended towards the latter.