Before She Learned to Trust:

By Fire Goddess

~*~

Chapter 1:  Lady Gráinne

~*~

The day was dull, to say the least.  It was rather overcast and showed promise of rain in the next few hours.  The grounds at Hogwarts were deserted of all students who had chosen to stay in their respective Common rooms where it was warm; far away from the gusty winds that howled outside and the drafty corridors that housed bone-chilling drafts. 

It was on one such day that Hermione Granger walked the drafty corridors.  She was looking, she couldn't say what, though.  All she knew was that she was looking.

She supposed she was looking for…well, you could say isolation…from the others.  The Common room had become packed with students, restless to move about and cause trouble.  She just wanted to be away from all that; from all the restrictions, rules, and responsibilities that she had.  It became so tiresome after awhile. 

So she walked the corridors now, not really paying any attention to where she was going until she saw someone at the end of the corridor.  Quickening her pace, she soon came to where the figure was-well, had been-standing, but there was no one there.  She looked around, but she found she was alone.  It was like she had just disappeared. 

Mentally slapping herself, she thought that it was probably just one of the ghosts and it had passed through the walls. 

Dismissing the thought, she turned around and started to head back to the Common room but found that the stairs she had come down were gone.  Oh well, she'd just have to go a different way.  Turning around once more she began to walk. 

The wind was biting now and she thought dully that she should have brought a cloak or a jumper-something to keep her warm.  No matter.  She would soon be back in the Common room by the blazing fireplace, sitting by Ron or Harry as they played yet another game of chess.

She suddenly was stopped by someone who had put their hand on her shoulder to stop her from going any further, "I'm sorry, excuse me."  The torches were dim and she couldn't very well see the person in front of her.

"My, my, Miss Granger, are you really sorry, though?"  That voice could only belong to one person-if that's what you called it, Hermione thought bitterly.

"Well, since it's you, Malfoy, yes, I am sorry; but no, I'm not."  She could have her own temper when the occasion called for it.

"You Gryffindors think you're so smart, always trying to out-do everybody else.  Yes, you're sorry, but no, you're not?  That's not an answer."  His hand had tightened its grip on her shoulder, but if it hurt her, she chose not to show it. 

"It's a perfectly good answer, if I do say so myself."  She replied smartly.

"Well, our little perfect Granger has a bit of an attitude.  I must say, I am shocked."  He drawled, not looking at all shocked.

"Well, if you're going to stand there and analyzing my attitude, I would greatly appreciate it if you could move.  I have things to do."  She remarked sarcastically.

"What, study?  Is that all you do, Granger?"  the look in her eyes told him he'd touched a nerve, but something made him back off.  "Let's take a walk, shall we?"  His voice still cold.

"What makes you think that I'm just going to 'take a walk' with you, Malfoy?"  He'd probably lead her to some dungeon, then throw her in and conveniently forget to let her out.  That was not something she really wanted to experience, she could get kicked out of being a Perfect!

"Because you're curious about Lady Gráinne." He said simply, knowing she'd follow him if he started to walk.

Giving up, she let out a sigh and ran to catch up with Draco who had walked away from her a distance, "Lady Gráinne?  Who's she?"  her interest suddenly caught, knowing what would come next.

"If you'll walk with me, you'll find out."  He said, as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

Rolling her eyes, she walked along side him through the ever-drafty halls, wondering what-why he was acting why he was.

~*~

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of this, and never will.

Hello, everyone!  This is another story of mine, and Gráinne is an Irish name, I'm pretty sure.  It's pronounced Graw-nya, if you're wondering, and if you haven't caught on, Lady Gráinne is a ghost.  So, logically, it's not that surprising…but she is a different kind of ghost.  She has a secret, and lives in a spell until someone can unlock it for her. 

Okay, go review!  Go on, you know you want to!

Fire Goddess.  The one and only.