I've always had the dreams since I was little. I would talk about them all the time – that is before mum, and dad, started sending me to a therapist. It was always the same dream too.

I would wake up in a battlefield. No man's land. Bodies littered the floor around me. To one side was a dense forest, dark figures watching me from afar. On my other side, a setting sun warmed my skin while the horizon gave me a sense of freedom. I've dreamt this dream so often, that I'd already looked around and memorized every detail. I knew I always had various weapons, from a knife to a gun, to even just a twig, but always smeared in blood like the rest of my body. There were always two bodies to my direct left. Their faces a confusing blur. All of the faces were a blur. I would continue to stand in the bloodbath until an approaching figure from the trees made their way slowly towards me, the dress of her skirt would brush along the ground, in taters and covered in blood and dirt. She was unbothered as she walked with her arm outstretched, reaching for me. I would reach out to her in return, wanting to feel her. Before she could reach my side, thought I couldn't see her face, I could tell she suddenly grew panicked. She'd raise her other hand while I whipped around to look behind me. One of the two bodies from earlier was back on his feet and always a new weapon pointed at me, a gun, a sword… My name would drift passed my ears as if carried by a gentle breeze and I'd whip back around to the woman who called my name…

Then I would jolt awake.

When I was younger I'd wake crying. As I grew older and was dragged from hospital to hospital by worried parents, I managed to control my fear and learned to channel that terror into curiosity. Then I received my letter.

My parents assumed that my dreams were connected to my magic ability and as it really sank in, me being a witch, the contents of my dreams scared them more and more. During my first and second year, I could see them, feel them growing more and more distant from me. Their letters went from: "We miss you, hurry home, we can't wait to see you during break" to "Will you be returning for break? Would you be visiting your friends for the holiday? Your mother and I decided to go on a sudden vacation…"

By the end of 4th year, I never really spoke with my parents. Not one owl was sent by either party. By that point, they were just a place to stay when I wasn't at school, and I was just a responsibility until I turned of age. Before returning home, near the end of the year. I sent my first owl of the year to let my parents know that, due to magic stuff they couldn't possibly understand, I've aged. By the time I arrive home and finish the summer, I'll be of age in both the wizarding and muggle world. I told them that I'd spend the summer packing and searching for my own place to stay, using the money I received from my grandparents after their passing. A hefty sum, at least for what I'll be needing. I received no owl in return. Initially I thought it was because they didn't care to have a conversation, but as I sat in King's Cross, after watching the last of the students leave with their families, I realized maybe that wasn't the case.

"Well, if it isn't the know-it-all arse kisser of Potter herself!" I glanced up, taking the focus away from my thoughts as I focused on the familiar blond in front of me.

Malfoy was always a strange boy to me. We fought verbally often, but in all occurrences, the fights were initiated by Harry and/or Ron and, as their friend, I would be pulled into the verbal spat at one point or another. Malfoy on his own, on the other hand, never seemed too bad.

I had been paired with him on a few occasions in class and I was pleasantly surprised by his intelligence as we finished the work swiftly and often just started on homework for other classes while sitting side by side. He even, on one occasion, asked me for clarification on a subject.

On another occasion, I had run into him in the hallway on my way back from the library, rushing in an attempt to make curfew. He had wordlessly helped me back to my feet and gathered my books as I stared on in awe before asking if I was okay. After giving him a fallen jaw nod, he had smiled and nodded in turn before continuing down the hall. After those few occasions, we had been fairly civil with each other when alone. The most notable moment came when I caught him and Luna snogging in the library during winter break. After the awkward encounter where Luna simply greeted me before saying she was going to go wash up before dinner, I was left with Malfoy in the library. He admitted having been dating Luna since early second year and asked that I didn't tell anyone. He had thanked me when I agreed before rushing to wash up as well.

"Hello, Draco.… There's no one else around." He nodded.

"Ah… sorry about that…. So… why are you still here? My parents are running late, my mother sent me an owl on the train to let me know they'd be a while." I sighed.

"I think my parents have abandoned me." His eyebrows rose to his hairline while he tilted his head in curiosity. He sat silently as I told him my story, heavily editing the contents of my dream to nothing more than just a reoccurring nightmare. At the end of my story, we sat in silence for a good deal of time before finally he spoke.

"Would you… would you like to stay over at my place during the summer?" I jerked my head up at him.

"What? Don't be silly, we barely really know each other, barely talk, and most of it is fighting." He waved his hand.

"Oh, come off it. I never really had anything against you, just can't stand Potter and the Weasel and being their friend, you were always dragged into the mix. Not by me, by the way, it was always Potter or Weasel that brought you into it, and I never really said anything directed at you unless they prompted it." I tilted my head at this, going quickly over our spats and realizing that what he said is true.

"Ah, Draco dear. I'm sorry, your father had business to attend to and I needed to stay behind in the manor to… help… Come along, dinner will be soon." Draco and I looked up and I was stunned by the blonde beauty that came to retrieve her son. As she spoke, her eyes glued to me instantly and seemed to observe.

"Mother…" Draco stood quickly, motioning for me to stay still before walking off a bit with her. I was tempted to try and listen in. Curious to what exactly he'd say to her, but I didn't breach their privacy.

"Miss Granger!" My head shot up as Draco's mother called out to me. She motioned slightly and, with her commanding presence, I found myself moving before even realizing that I stood up. I ended up standing by her side in no time.

"Come along dear. If you'll be spending the summer with us, one thing you need to know is that punctuality is everything. If we're going to arrive home and be cleaned up and ready for dinner, we really must be going now. Ah-ah-ah. None of that now. You'll be coming along. Tonight, I'd like to steal a moment of your time to discuss the situation, but until then, you will be coming, no question." She twirled on the spot and walked off before I could make a noise. I made slight eye-contact with Malfoy who shrugged before grabbing a hold of my luggage and hurrying after his mother. With nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. I took a breath before following closely behind.

BCBC

Supper had been… interesting for lack of better words.

After arriving, I had only a moment to stare in awe at the size and décor of the house, then receiving a soft smile from Mrs. Malfoy when I mentioned how beautiful the place was. Soon after, a house elf guided me through the mansion, giving me pointers on how to navigate the house as he led me to what would be my room for the summer. I was then left to tidy up and prepare for supper. Draco had stopped by momentarily to make sure I was alright, much to my surprise, and then showed me how to start a bath in the – what I thought was a closet – washroom attached to my room. He showed me the incantation and told me that the spell would adapt to my preference, choosing the water temperature and scent for me.

After my quick bath, I was shocked to see my clothes were gone and even more so when I found a simple gown laying on my bed. Deciding not to question it, I wore it. I soon found out who had put it in my room as I ran into Mrs. Malfoy on my way to the dinning room – which I had passed on my way to my room – and she had stopped to give me a quick look, nodding in improvement while commenting on her own good taste.

My next encounter came with Mr. Malfoy in the dinning room. I assume he had been made aware of my presence as, instead of being met with shock, confusion, or even distaste, he simple nodded and gave a polite bow of his head. I was again surprised by the calm and polite composure of the Malfoy family, deciding in the end that this was their natural being when not in the presence of Harry and Ron.

Supper was amazing, Draco's favorite. Mr. Malfoy had told me that, at every break and when school is over for the year, they always greet Draco home with his favorite meal. He then apologized if it was not to my liking as they didn't have previous notice of my arrival. Mrs. Malfoy then insisted that, at the end of dinner, I would tell the elves my favorite meal so we could enjoy it the following day.

At the end of the meal, Draco and his father made some off-handed excuse to leave the dinning room. As soon as they were gone and I had told the elves cleaning the table that I had a sweet tooth in the mornings and really enjoyed either waffles, pancakes, or French toast with a side of fruit, Mrs. Malfoy ordered for tea to be delivered to her study before motioning me to follow her.

This is where I am now, staring down into my half-empty mug after having told the woman before me my whole story as I had Draco a few hours before. Mrs. Malfoy had interrogated me, only having to push lightly before I opened up and told her the full content of my dreams. She had sat in shock before simply nodding and asking what I planned to do from now on.

"My grandparents left me money after their passing. It'll be enough to rent a small apartment and support myself until I finish with schooling and find a job." She twirled her mug slightly.

"Live with us." My eyes went wide. I opened my mouth to protest but she displayed another show of power by simply raising her hand, silencing me. "We Malfoy's have no concerns over such silly things as financials. And no one else should either, especially an incredibly intelligent student such as yourself. That being said, if you really insist on leaving, I can hardly stop you, but I will insist. Live with us. You can study here, and, since you'll be of age soon, you can practice magic in a safe and supportive environment, I'll show you whatever makes you curious. You'll have a warm home and your own bedroom to return to during holidays and in the summer and, as an adult, you'll have your freedom." She had chosen her words correctly, and she knew it, smiling as I spoke my next words.

"You'll… You'll allow me to practice magic? You'll teach me?" She smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Save your money until after you finish with schooling, probably as your grandparents wanted it to be. Complete your lessons with no worries, alright?" I nodded, now staring down into my empty mug.

We spent the next hour discussing my moving in. She reassured me many times that it was alright, and to calm my nerves, even told me more about herself, Mr. Malfoy, and Draco even. Telling me that Draco had always spoken about my intelligence and was always fond of me. By the time our conversation ended, it was a bit past midnight, and I was stifling a yawn.

"Oh my, the time just flew, hasn't it? Why don't you go off to bed, you remember how to get there?" I nodded, rubbing at my eyes. We said our goodnights and as I was leaving the study, she stopped me.

"Oh, Hermione." I stopped and turned back to her.

"I've been thinking, as we were talking, about the dream you've been having… You must have considered after all these years that there must be something more to these dreams, no?" I nodded.

"Of course. But everything I've considered; I haven't been able to figure it out."

"Have you considered a prophecy?" By the tilt of my head, she seemed to realize that I haven't and kept talking. "It's common to have a prophecy, most people do, but it is uncommon to have a prophecy so strong, so… important… that they've been manifesting as dreams from such a young age and carried on all these years. I may be bending the rules here, but I just have a sense of it being necessary… Why don't we take a trip to the Ministry sometime this summer? Find your prophecy and have a listen?" My eyes widened and I nodded vigorously, ignoring the twinge in protest in my neck as I felt a sort of weight begin to lift off my shoulders. With a final smile, she reminded me that it was getting late and that I should be heading to sleep. I was almost in a daze, trying to come to terms with everything that's happened since I stepped off the Hogwarts Express.

In the comfiest bed I've ever slept in, I fell asleep with thoughts and what ifs flowing through my mind and for the first time since I could ever remember. I had a dreamless sleep.

A step in the right direction it seems.

BCBC

Born in grey

Hidden in the masquerade of light

On the side masked as dark a mated awaits

In the façade of light lies the blind alley of choices

Uncover the name discover the truth

The road is left unfinished, to fate.

BCBC

It took about a months before Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy could pull some strings to get me into the ministry, the department of mysteries, and to find my prophecy. The second I stepped into the room it almost seemed as if I knew exactly where to go. I found my prophecy within five minutes and spent the next two weeks trying to decipher the meaning on my own before finally looking out for help.

"I hope to not scare you away Miss Granger." At this point I had assumed. Assumed that some people around me knew more than they let on. Assumed that the stares I'd feel on me, at school, even sometimes when I was home for the holidays, meant that there was more to my dreams that I had the knowledge of. I nodded eagerly, letting her know that I was ready for whatever information she would reveal to me.

"After hearing about your dream, I realized a lot of… similarities to another witch. The dream is similar and it's reoccurrence too." She paused to take a deep sip at her tea. "It's my eldest sister. Bellatrix Black. Those dreams drove her to research her prophecy earlier on, and, in result, was a prophecy… matching yours." She turned towards her desk as I sat in silence across from her in her office, not sure exactly what to think in this moment. After a moment of ruffling through some papers, she pulled out a slightly crumpled scroll, unrolled it, then began reading.

Born under dark,

Destined for grey

In the masquerade of light, a mated awaits

The choices before lead to death or to power

The freedom of fate will follow the scour

I sat silently for what must have been ten minutes before my thoughts finally settled and I spoke.

"I'm… mated… to your eldest sister. The Bellatrix Lestrange. We're both being deceived by those around us… We'll be powerful together and… the rest is up to fate…" Mrs. Malfoy, who had stayed silent while I was in thought, only making noise when refilling my mug of tea, nodded.

"Yes… it seems that way…" She spoke quietly, unsure, trying to judge my reaction.

"Can I meet her?" Narcissa looked shocked. I was also shocked. I didn't actually mean to say those words. I don't know what I wanted to say, but as I opened my mouth to speak, an overwhelming need filled my chest and those were the first words that came out. Narcissa seemed to understand my shock as a hand flew to my chest and I tilted my head, my habit of confusion. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"Uh, well, maybe I should… explain a few more things first." I nodded, asking her to continue, suddenly eager. "After hearing your dream, I started to do some research… then after hearing your prophecy, I furthered my research." She hesitated again and I sat at the edge of my seat, waiting. With a sigh, she put more papers down in front of me. I only had to read the first few sentences before I understood. Adoption papers. I laughed.

"My life is a fucking story book." Mrs. Malfoy tutted.

"Language." I only laughed more.

"So, who are my parents then? Let me guess, Lord Volde-." Narcissa's hand fell on my mouth.

"You cannot speak that name so freely." I started to sober up from my laughing craze at her serious tone. I sighed and nodded.

What am I to do? My life was literally unfolding into some twisted fairy tale before my eyes. My neglective and abandoning parents aren't my real parents. My biological paternal figure is the evil villain, my love interest is deranged, insane and forbidden in my lifestyle… A soft hand on my forehead made me realize that I had leaned forward and started tapping my forehead against Mrs. Malfoy's desk as I tried to make sense of this ridiculous situation. She had put her hand as protection to my forehead.

"My father… Is the Dark Lord… my… soulmate… is Bellatrix?" She nodded in confirmation. I sighed. I can either refuse this whole situation, continue to live blindly, or I can accept things as they come.

"When can I meet them?"