Chapter 3
She watched in dazed wonderment as the scene slowly focused around her. She felt odd, detached as two figures emerged from the fog. They faced each other determinedly, faces emotionless as they drew their swords. From far away, they appeared identical, like two brothers as they stood, ready. Suddenly, they both moved and their swords crashed.
She cried out to them and rushed forward, only to find herself pass through the crossed swords like a ghost. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the two men fought almost as if fighting mirror images of them selves. Then everything changed.
They lunged simultaneously, each hoping to deliver the fatal blow to his enemy and she watched in horror as the swords sank into flesh. As the two blows were delivered, she heard a cry of terror and disbelief echo from the trees. She watched in amazement as a woman burst from the trees, robes and cloak torn, wavy brown hair, a tangled riot trailing behind her and bare feet flashing as she raced toward the fallen men.
She watched herself collapse to her knees between the two men; cries of anguish tearing through the air. Her double crawled to the nearest one and pushed silvery blond hair back from his face. Silver eyes, dulled by pain, looked at her and he whispered a single word that she couldn't hear, but her double could. Tears flooded the woman's eyes as she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His body shuddered as his last breath escaped from his lungs and he went limp.
Her double laid him gently on the ground and made her way to the other. She took his hands into her own and spoke gentle words. Emerald green eyes opened and searched her face before he smiled weakly. She gently pushed night black hair from his face and he spoke to her. This time she could hear the words,
"I'm...sorry...my...lady..." His eyes closed and his body went limp with death. Tears again filled her doubles eyes and she buried her face into his hair, kissing his forehead softly.
Her double laid his head gently on the ground and stood up determinedly, her eyes dry of tears. She moved herself to the center between the two men and reached inside her torn robes and pulled out a pendent on a delicate silver chain. Her own hand shot to the identical silver pendent that hung now between her breasts.
Her double closed her eyes and placed her hands at either side of the pendent, as if holding a ball in front of it. Air began to stir around her, causing her cloak to flap and her hair to fly. Then a silvery light began to form between the two-cupped hands. Her double began to rise slowly into the air, the light growing brighter with each passing second. She raised the light above her head, cried out ancient words and the area became silver with the light. Suddenly it filled everything, blocking all from sight. And as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.
She moved forward, toward the center nervously. She looked, expecting to see the bodies of the two men, blood and her double, but they were gone. It was then she saw the saplings, thin and young but covered with leaves. The one closest to her had a silvery blond bark and delicate silver leaves covering its many branches. The other one was covered with a night black bark at its branches were filled with broad emerald green leaves. Between the two, hovered a silver orb or light, which burst into thousands of tiny pale violet birds. The flock split in half with one half going to each tree. Where each bird landed, a pale violet bloom burst forth mixing with the silver and green foliage.
Where the orb had been was now a small plant. It had emerald green leaves, frosted with silver and had a single pale violet bloom. She knelt in front of it and took in its sweet scent as tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. Then slowly, everything around her faded to nothingness.
"Hermione, wake up..." someone was shaking her, "Wake up!" She opened her eyes to find Harry's face in front of her own. "Hermi.... Oh, your awake now."
"Why did you wake me up." She was kind of grumpy, she had a cramp in her neck and her legs were asleep. She moved to stretch a felt her book fall from her lap to the floor.
"You were crying in your sleep. Was it another dream?" Harry sat down on the sofa next to her and handed her the book, which had fallen to the floor. She looked at him and nodded. "It must have been pretty awful if you were crying, you wanna tell me about it?"
"Not right now, ok Harry, later." She looked around the common room and noticed how empty it was. The only light came from the fireplace and it was oddly soothing. "What time is it, where is everyone?"
"It's two in the morning, and everyone has gone to bed. I didn't even know you were still down here until I came to use the bathroom and saw you." It was then that she noticed all Harry wore was a pair of green drawstring pajama pants. It was also then that she noticed how attractive Harry really was. The way the firelight shown on his hair and caused his eyes to sparkle magically, how it caused the shadows to outline how toned he was from Quidditch and how his skin looked so soft and warm right there. Lavender, Parvati and the other two girls she roomed with were always gossiping about the boys of Hogwarts. And Harry was generally near the top of the lists alongside both Ron and Draco Malfoy. But always for different reasons they said, Ron wasn't handsome, he had more of an appealing charm, Harry was the tortured hero that almost everyone loved and Draco had a dangerous air about him that made almost every girl want to swoon. With Draco, it was the idea of the forbidden that everyone enjoyed.
"Umm.... Harry...About my dream, I know I said I would tell you later, but would you be willing to listen now?" Hermione asked timidly. Whether it was because of the dream or something else, Harry didn't know.
"Of course Hermione, I'm always here for you, whenever you need me." Harry told her and Hermione looked relieved.
"It was odd, not like the others. This time I wasn't in the scene, but observing it. It felt like when you're inside a Pensieve." Hermione knew about Pensieve because Harry and Ron had given her one from Christmas last year to help her cope with all her exams. "The scene was hazy but slowly came into focus. There were two men and they were fighting."
"The same two as before?" Harry asked when she paused, "Do you recognize them?" Hermione chewed at her bottom lip before deciding not to reveal that to Harry just yet.
"No I don't." She shook her head and continued. "Just as they killed each other, I came rushing in. Then my double used some form of magic and a silver energy filled the scene. Then when it cleared, the two men had been replaced by trees and my double was gone."
Tears filled her eyes again, which was odd since Hermione rarely ever cried unless you count all the times she did when frustrated with everything in third year because of her time turner. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close while she sobbed. When she finally stopped, she looked up at him with some embarrassment.
"I'm sorry I got you all wet Harry. You're a true friend to listen to all my problems like this." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled up at him.
Just then, he kissed her softly on her startled mouth. She sat frozen in wide-eyed surprise for a second before closing her eyes and slowly responding to the kiss. His lips were warm and soft as they moved gently on hers. Then as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended. Harry pulled back and again Hermione was surprised.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have done that." He then rose from the sofa and quickly exited the common room. She watched him leave with a stunned expression on her face. She licked her lips and could still taste him there and she touched them softly with the tips of her fingers.
What just happened here? First he was listening to me and then he was kissing me?! Why? She collected her book and slowly made her way back to her dorm still pondering what had just happened.
* * * * *
Hermione sat alone in the library the next day, her history of magic essay forgotten in front of her as her mind was filled with other things. She played with the pendent at her throat as she thought back to last night and Harry's kiss. She was so immersed in her thought; she didn't notice someone approaching her until they spoke.
"What are you doing all by yourself Granger? Did Potty and Weasel finally decide not to hang around with Mudblood scum like you?" Draco jeered as he settled himself in the chair across from her.
"Go Away Malfoy, I don't feel like trading insults with you today." Hermione told him icily and pretended to return to her essay.
"I'm hurt Granger." Draco said sarcastically while clutching his heart. "I would think someone as smart as you could think up a better insult then that." He settled himself more comfortably in the chair and waited for her response.
She looked up at him and had to restrain herself from slapping him across the face. "And I would think even you could tell the difference between an insult and a brush off. Now get lost Draco, I have work to do.
"Why would I leave, I'm having such fun right here." He smirked at and continued staring at her from across the table.
"Fine! If you won't leave, then I will!" With that, she collected her things and stormed out of the library. When she heard him follow her, she groaned. "Can't you take a hint Draco, Go AWAY!" She whirled around and stormed away while he watched with amusement from the library entrance.
When she turned the corner, he held up a book. "Oh Granger, you forgot this." Knowing full well she couldn't hear him. He grinned, turned and started walking the other way, the small blue book in his hands.
* * * * *
Draco sat cross-legged on his bed, examining the book in his hands. It had a dark blue cloth cover and some runic symbols stamped along the spine. He opened the cover and on the first page, in neat blue script, was:
Hermione Granger
Dreams
1995-______
He tried to open to the next page but found all the pages stuck together into one solid block of paper. He tried a dozen different spells and only succeeded in revealing a small keyhole in the center of the cover. Hermione had thought ahead when she had started recording her dreams and had sealed the book with a spell that only she could use, for it was voice specific. And just in case, she also placed a hidden lock that would activate the moment the book left her possession, a key had to be wrapped in her own hair before in would open the lock. Draco knew none of this so he continued in vain attempts to open the book.
He conjured up a skeleton key, designed to open any lock in the world. He placed the key in the lock and was about to turn it when the lock rejected it and the key melted to nothing. Draco slammed to book shut and frowned at it, adding a few curse words as well. He quickly shoved it into his nightstand when he heard someone coming towards the room.
Pansy stuck her head around the doorway, smiled and then entered the room. "Draco, Snape wants to see you in his office right now." Pansy gave him what she hoped was a sexy look but Draco thought it made her look like a constipated manticore.
Draco groaned inwardly, Snape was recently always asking Draco to come to his office. Draco checked that the drawer was secure and moved past Pansy and out the door towards Snape's office.
* * * * *
Hermione opened her bag and began to put everything away carefully. Draco had completely ruined her train of thought in the library, so she had returned to the Gryffindor tower after storming away from him. It was then she noticed the book was missing.
"Where is it?!" She tore apart her bag frantically as she searched. Then she realized; "Draco..." She was filled with fury and then despair quickly followed. She sat hard on the bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. What if he reads it...Wait, I put a spell on it to prevent that...What if he breaks the spell....
She watched in dazed wonderment as the scene slowly focused around her. She felt odd, detached as two figures emerged from the fog. They faced each other determinedly, faces emotionless as they drew their swords. From far away, they appeared identical, like two brothers as they stood, ready. Suddenly, they both moved and their swords crashed.
She cried out to them and rushed forward, only to find herself pass through the crossed swords like a ghost. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the two men fought almost as if fighting mirror images of them selves. Then everything changed.
They lunged simultaneously, each hoping to deliver the fatal blow to his enemy and she watched in horror as the swords sank into flesh. As the two blows were delivered, she heard a cry of terror and disbelief echo from the trees. She watched in amazement as a woman burst from the trees, robes and cloak torn, wavy brown hair, a tangled riot trailing behind her and bare feet flashing as she raced toward the fallen men.
She watched herself collapse to her knees between the two men; cries of anguish tearing through the air. Her double crawled to the nearest one and pushed silvery blond hair back from his face. Silver eyes, dulled by pain, looked at her and he whispered a single word that she couldn't hear, but her double could. Tears flooded the woman's eyes as she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His body shuddered as his last breath escaped from his lungs and he went limp.
Her double laid him gently on the ground and made her way to the other. She took his hands into her own and spoke gentle words. Emerald green eyes opened and searched her face before he smiled weakly. She gently pushed night black hair from his face and he spoke to her. This time she could hear the words,
"I'm...sorry...my...lady..." His eyes closed and his body went limp with death. Tears again filled her doubles eyes and she buried her face into his hair, kissing his forehead softly.
Her double laid his head gently on the ground and stood up determinedly, her eyes dry of tears. She moved herself to the center between the two men and reached inside her torn robes and pulled out a pendent on a delicate silver chain. Her own hand shot to the identical silver pendent that hung now between her breasts.
Her double closed her eyes and placed her hands at either side of the pendent, as if holding a ball in front of it. Air began to stir around her, causing her cloak to flap and her hair to fly. Then a silvery light began to form between the two-cupped hands. Her double began to rise slowly into the air, the light growing brighter with each passing second. She raised the light above her head, cried out ancient words and the area became silver with the light. Suddenly it filled everything, blocking all from sight. And as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.
She moved forward, toward the center nervously. She looked, expecting to see the bodies of the two men, blood and her double, but they were gone. It was then she saw the saplings, thin and young but covered with leaves. The one closest to her had a silvery blond bark and delicate silver leaves covering its many branches. The other one was covered with a night black bark at its branches were filled with broad emerald green leaves. Between the two, hovered a silver orb or light, which burst into thousands of tiny pale violet birds. The flock split in half with one half going to each tree. Where each bird landed, a pale violet bloom burst forth mixing with the silver and green foliage.
Where the orb had been was now a small plant. It had emerald green leaves, frosted with silver and had a single pale violet bloom. She knelt in front of it and took in its sweet scent as tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. Then slowly, everything around her faded to nothingness.
"Hermione, wake up..." someone was shaking her, "Wake up!" She opened her eyes to find Harry's face in front of her own. "Hermi.... Oh, your awake now."
"Why did you wake me up." She was kind of grumpy, she had a cramp in her neck and her legs were asleep. She moved to stretch a felt her book fall from her lap to the floor.
"You were crying in your sleep. Was it another dream?" Harry sat down on the sofa next to her and handed her the book, which had fallen to the floor. She looked at him and nodded. "It must have been pretty awful if you were crying, you wanna tell me about it?"
"Not right now, ok Harry, later." She looked around the common room and noticed how empty it was. The only light came from the fireplace and it was oddly soothing. "What time is it, where is everyone?"
"It's two in the morning, and everyone has gone to bed. I didn't even know you were still down here until I came to use the bathroom and saw you." It was then that she noticed all Harry wore was a pair of green drawstring pajama pants. It was also then that she noticed how attractive Harry really was. The way the firelight shown on his hair and caused his eyes to sparkle magically, how it caused the shadows to outline how toned he was from Quidditch and how his skin looked so soft and warm right there. Lavender, Parvati and the other two girls she roomed with were always gossiping about the boys of Hogwarts. And Harry was generally near the top of the lists alongside both Ron and Draco Malfoy. But always for different reasons they said, Ron wasn't handsome, he had more of an appealing charm, Harry was the tortured hero that almost everyone loved and Draco had a dangerous air about him that made almost every girl want to swoon. With Draco, it was the idea of the forbidden that everyone enjoyed.
"Umm.... Harry...About my dream, I know I said I would tell you later, but would you be willing to listen now?" Hermione asked timidly. Whether it was because of the dream or something else, Harry didn't know.
"Of course Hermione, I'm always here for you, whenever you need me." Harry told her and Hermione looked relieved.
"It was odd, not like the others. This time I wasn't in the scene, but observing it. It felt like when you're inside a Pensieve." Hermione knew about Pensieve because Harry and Ron had given her one from Christmas last year to help her cope with all her exams. "The scene was hazy but slowly came into focus. There were two men and they were fighting."
"The same two as before?" Harry asked when she paused, "Do you recognize them?" Hermione chewed at her bottom lip before deciding not to reveal that to Harry just yet.
"No I don't." She shook her head and continued. "Just as they killed each other, I came rushing in. Then my double used some form of magic and a silver energy filled the scene. Then when it cleared, the two men had been replaced by trees and my double was gone."
Tears filled her eyes again, which was odd since Hermione rarely ever cried unless you count all the times she did when frustrated with everything in third year because of her time turner. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close while she sobbed. When she finally stopped, she looked up at him with some embarrassment.
"I'm sorry I got you all wet Harry. You're a true friend to listen to all my problems like this." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled up at him.
Just then, he kissed her softly on her startled mouth. She sat frozen in wide-eyed surprise for a second before closing her eyes and slowly responding to the kiss. His lips were warm and soft as they moved gently on hers. Then as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended. Harry pulled back and again Hermione was surprised.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have done that." He then rose from the sofa and quickly exited the common room. She watched him leave with a stunned expression on her face. She licked her lips and could still taste him there and she touched them softly with the tips of her fingers.
What just happened here? First he was listening to me and then he was kissing me?! Why? She collected her book and slowly made her way back to her dorm still pondering what had just happened.
* * * * *
Hermione sat alone in the library the next day, her history of magic essay forgotten in front of her as her mind was filled with other things. She played with the pendent at her throat as she thought back to last night and Harry's kiss. She was so immersed in her thought; she didn't notice someone approaching her until they spoke.
"What are you doing all by yourself Granger? Did Potty and Weasel finally decide not to hang around with Mudblood scum like you?" Draco jeered as he settled himself in the chair across from her.
"Go Away Malfoy, I don't feel like trading insults with you today." Hermione told him icily and pretended to return to her essay.
"I'm hurt Granger." Draco said sarcastically while clutching his heart. "I would think someone as smart as you could think up a better insult then that." He settled himself more comfortably in the chair and waited for her response.
She looked up at him and had to restrain herself from slapping him across the face. "And I would think even you could tell the difference between an insult and a brush off. Now get lost Draco, I have work to do.
"Why would I leave, I'm having such fun right here." He smirked at and continued staring at her from across the table.
"Fine! If you won't leave, then I will!" With that, she collected her things and stormed out of the library. When she heard him follow her, she groaned. "Can't you take a hint Draco, Go AWAY!" She whirled around and stormed away while he watched with amusement from the library entrance.
When she turned the corner, he held up a book. "Oh Granger, you forgot this." Knowing full well she couldn't hear him. He grinned, turned and started walking the other way, the small blue book in his hands.
* * * * *
Draco sat cross-legged on his bed, examining the book in his hands. It had a dark blue cloth cover and some runic symbols stamped along the spine. He opened the cover and on the first page, in neat blue script, was:
Hermione Granger
Dreams
1995-______
He tried to open to the next page but found all the pages stuck together into one solid block of paper. He tried a dozen different spells and only succeeded in revealing a small keyhole in the center of the cover. Hermione had thought ahead when she had started recording her dreams and had sealed the book with a spell that only she could use, for it was voice specific. And just in case, she also placed a hidden lock that would activate the moment the book left her possession, a key had to be wrapped in her own hair before in would open the lock. Draco knew none of this so he continued in vain attempts to open the book.
He conjured up a skeleton key, designed to open any lock in the world. He placed the key in the lock and was about to turn it when the lock rejected it and the key melted to nothing. Draco slammed to book shut and frowned at it, adding a few curse words as well. He quickly shoved it into his nightstand when he heard someone coming towards the room.
Pansy stuck her head around the doorway, smiled and then entered the room. "Draco, Snape wants to see you in his office right now." Pansy gave him what she hoped was a sexy look but Draco thought it made her look like a constipated manticore.
Draco groaned inwardly, Snape was recently always asking Draco to come to his office. Draco checked that the drawer was secure and moved past Pansy and out the door towards Snape's office.
* * * * *
Hermione opened her bag and began to put everything away carefully. Draco had completely ruined her train of thought in the library, so she had returned to the Gryffindor tower after storming away from him. It was then she noticed the book was missing.
"Where is it?!" She tore apart her bag frantically as she searched. Then she realized; "Draco..." She was filled with fury and then despair quickly followed. She sat hard on the bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. What if he reads it...Wait, I put a spell on it to prevent that...What if he breaks the spell....