A New Kind of Enemy

Summary- The gang is seventeen now and in their seventh year at Hogwarts.  Voldemort is gone, along with the majority of the deatheaters, including Lucius Malfoy.  Hermione has been dating Victor Krum ever since the Yule Ball in their fourth year, and has fallen deeply in love with him.  But sometimes people surprise you, and arnt who you though they were.  Hermione discovers this about two people, two people she has known for the greater part of her life, and two people who will be working on two opposite extriemes, one trying to save her, and one trying to destroy her. 

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, or anything related to the Harry Potter world.  Ms. Rowling has the pleasure of that.

Spoilers- Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone,

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Pairing- Hermione Granger / Victor Krum at first, but will be a Hermione Granger / Draco Malfoy

Draco sat on the crimson couch in his common room for a long time. Every so often a tear ran down his face. This startled him.

"What's wrong with me?" He asked himself countless times. "How could I have been so stupid? How could I fall like that?"

But it was easy to see how he fell. Hermione was pretty, smart, and she knew what he went through. She was trustworthy and loyal.

Draco sighed. Of course he knew why Hermione turned him down, it was all about trust. How could she just magically forgive him for everything he had done to her? Right.

Draco got up and decided he needed to do something. Night was falling, but he needed to clear his mind, and there was only one way to do it.

Striding quickly into the broom cupboard, Draco unlocked his and took out his firebolt X-10. Flying was something that Draco could do, and feel as though it was just himself in the world, and time stood still, just like when he had kissed Hermione.

Draco shook himself; there was no time to think about that. Walking briskly outside, Draco mounted his broom and took off.

Flying was the only thing that Draco loved in life, well, besides Hermione. He learned to fly when he was about 5, and ever since, flying was the thing that helped him get through the tough times. Whenever Lucius decided it was time for another beating, Draco would take off, and return home after his father went back to sleep.

High above the trees, Draco found himself angry, very angry.

"How could I have fallen for her like that?" He asked himself." "God damn it, I know she's too good for me. I had to be stupid and scare her away. How bloody fucking brilliant, Malfoy.

Suddenly Draco heard a 'swoosh' like someone was trailing him, he turned around, and discovered someone was in fact, tailing him.

"Harry!" What the hell are you doing?" Draco said, rather mean tempered.

"I saw you from the Gryffindor tower." Harry responded quickly. "I know what happened." Draco looked at him.

"How?" Harry pulled out an old looking map. Draco started to slow down, to get a better look at the old piece of parchment Harry was holding. Harry stopped completely, so Draco had to, too.

They must have looked like quite a sight. Two boys on top-of-the-line brooms, just hovering hundreds of feet above the ground.

Harry handed the piece of parchment to Draco. Draco looked at it and smirked.

"It's just a piece of old parchment you git." Harry smiled.

 "Wave your wand over it and say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good.'" Draco did and was amazed at what he saw.

"This-this is a map of Hogwarts! Whoa! There's, like, hundreds of little dots everywhere! Look! There's my Common room! There's Pansy!" Harry laughed at Draco's excitement and said.

"It's called The Marauders Map. I got it from Fred and George Weasly back in our third year. Turns out my dad made it when he went to school here, along with my godfather, Sirius Black, our old Defense against the dark arts teacher, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew." Draco's eyes opened wide when he said Wormtails name.

 "Wow, he was a friend of your father and still betrayed him." Harry answered

"He was no friend of my parents; he was a cowardly and power hungry man. He followed my father around because my dad was popular, not because he was a friend." Draco got quiet for a moment, and then went back to the map.

"Wow Harry, this is really amazing! No wonder you could sneak around school and never get caught! Look! There's Filch! And there's Dumbledore in his study! And there's-" Draco stopped short.

"There's Hermione. She's in her room, why is her dot shaking like that?"

Harry looked sad, and said. "That means she's crying. Look, you can see what she's saying."

 Draco looked at the map again, closely. There where little bubbles above the dot marked 'Hermione Granger'. Words like "Oh Draco" and "Why me" and "Damn Victor to hell" showed up, and Draco smiled slightly. "So this means that she doesn't hate me? She just needs time?" Harry smiled. "That's exactly what it means."

Draco looked at him. "Thanks Harry, you guys have really been great to me, and I know I don't deserve it, but thanks."

Harry said, "Just give her some time ok? I know Hermione very well, when she gets upset it takes time for her to calm down, but she WILL calm down, you just gotta give her time. And listen, Draco? You need to take care of her for me, ok? I don't know what it is about her, but I've fallen for her too, but I also know who she wants, I know who she needs, and that's you, ok? Take good care of her, Ron and I have been there for her for these six years, but it looks as though our love isn't enough, and you know Ron, one wrong move on your part, and your gonna be hippogriff chow." Harry smiled again. "Come on, maybe you can use your charms to talk Pansy into talking to her, I think she's rather taken with that Slytherin girl."

Draco laughed. "Your right, Potter." He said hitting him on the shoulder. Harry grinned at him. "Come on, it's getting really late." Draco handed the map back to Harry, who taped it with his wand and said- "Mischief managed." And the map erased itself.

Later that night, Draco was lying in his green silk bed, trying to get his mind clear enough to sleep. Nothing seemed to be working, he tried counting snitches, firebolts, hell, he even tried sheep-nothing.

"I wonder how Hermione is." He asked himself. "I need to think of something to show her she can trust me! Damn it, but what?" Draco lied there, most of the night, and by dawn, he had a fully developed plan.

~

Hermione woke the next morning with a terrible headache.

 "aughh." She mumbled and stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and saw that she looked terrible. Her eyes where puffy and bloodshot from crying the previous night. Her hair was stringy and needed washed. She had deep dark circles under her eyes as well.

Hermione stripped out of her clothes and got into the shower, turning the nozzle to 'strawberry surprise' like she had the first time she used the shower. She washed her hair and relaxed, breathing in the scent of fresh strawberries.

With one last sigh, Hermione stepped out onto the bathroom rug, with a Gryffindor towel around her waist. After combing her hair, she decided she needed a new look.

"I can't keep dwelling on Victor forever!" She said to herself. She applied bronze eyeliner to her lower and upper lids, making her eyes stand out, and she applied brown mascara to her long lashes. She rubbed lotion onto her skin, which gave her a healthy glow, and covered up her dark circles, and added pink blush to the apples of her cheeks. She then put on a coat of peach lip gloss. "There." She said with satisfaction, "Now to do something with my hair."

After toying with it a bit, she decided straight was the best way to go, after applying some Sleek Easy hair gloss, she brushed her hair stick straight. She looked in the mirror and smiled, "That's better."

Going back into her room, she sorted through her muggle clothes. Finally she picked out a pair of dark blue flares, and a green form-fitting turtleneck. She threw her robes on over her clothes, but didn't bother to close them, there was time for that later, and she didn't want to be late for breakfast.

Draco was in the common room, but he was in a slightly better mood then last night, and when Hermione entered, he smiled. She looked at him a little apprehensively, but he said, "I'm sorry for last night, Mione. I shouldn't have asked you that right after all of this, do you forgive me?" Hermione broke out in a wide smile; she ran over and hugged him. "Of course I forgive you! Thank you for understanding." "Oh," Draco said cheekily, "nice turtleneck." Hermione blushed and they walked down the stairs to the great hall for breakfast, and separated to their tables. Hermione sat down beside Harry and across from Ron.

"I'm glad you guys made up." Harry said once Hermione had a plate full of food.

"You knew??" Hermione asked, dumbfounded.

"Of course Harry knew," Ron said, as if it where the plainest thing. "He has the map, remember? And not to mention the midnight talk with dr-mhhgmg" Harry had taken a sausage and shoved it in Ron's mouth.

"You talked to Draco?" Hermione asked Harry suspiciously. "About what?"

"You." Harry said simply.

"What?? What about me?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Harry!"

"Yes?"

"Tell me right now!"

"No."

"Hrumph." Hermione made a sound of defeat, while Ron and Harry grinned at each other.

"Ok fine guys." Hermione said, giving up. "We better get going to potions. Will you stop smirking at me??" Hermione hit Harry playfully on the back, causing him to choke a little on his pancake.

 "Oh come on." As they left the room, Hermione got several sympathetic glances from various people. "I suppose everyone knows about Victor now?" Hermione said to Ron and Harry. They nodded.

"Oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter, I just hope no one, you know, treats me differently." Harry and Ron shrugged as they entered the potions dungeon.

When class started, Snape announced today's potion- "Today we will be brewing the Vertitaserum potion. Some of you are already familiar with it" Snape looked at Harry, "And at the end of class, you and your partner shall ask each other one question." Hermione sighed, she hoped she didn't get anyone that would embarrass her.

"Weasly and Potter! Bulstrode and Parkinson! Malfoy and Granger! Brown and Patil!" Snape continued to call names, but Hermione wasn't listening.

"Draco is my partner, this shouldn't be too horrid." She said to herself as she gathered her things and went over to Draco's cauldron.

"Hey." He said in his low voice, completely devoid of his boyhood drawl. Hermione smiled at him, content with being near him.

"Ok." She said, businesslike. "We need- 3 cups dragon talons, a half a cup of lacewing-" And they continued making their potion. By the end of the class they looked at the cauldron in satisfaction, they where the best potion students of their year, and they knew it.

"Well," Draco said, somewhat uncomfortable, "Would you like to go first, or shall I?

"Umm, I suppose I will go first." Hermione said, gulping. Draco won't embarrass her, would he?"

Draco took his potions ladle and scooped some of the clear liquid into a vile, which Hermione took apprehensively. "Well, here goes." And she swallowed the vile in one gulp.

She shuddered involuntarily, the liquid felt like the fizzy stuff you taste from soda, only stronger. She felt her mind change a little, like the liquid unlocked there brain, and everything in it.

"Hermione? Are you ok?" Draco asked, concerned. She looked at him, and truthfully said-

"That was one of the most interesting potions I have ever tasted, a lot like the potion I drank from Professor Snapes riddle, trying to get at the Sorcerers Stone." Draco gave her a puzzled look, but laughed, and said, "Well, I get my question know, huh?" Now it was Hermione's turn to laugh.

"But Draco!" She said sweetly, "You just had it." She winked.

 Draco gaped at her, "That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair."

"But this is school! It's supposed to be fair!"

"Says who?"

"Me!"

"And who are you?"

"Draco Malfoy!"

"That's not a good enough excuse, Mr. Malfoy."

"Too bad, I'm going to ask anyway."

Hermione looked at him; she saw the Sytherin determination and ambition in his platinum silver eyes.

 "How did his eyes get so gorgeous?" Hermione found herself thinking.

"Hermione?" Draco asked. "Can I have my question now?" Hermione smiled at the boy, no, man in front of her, he was pouting, "How cute." She mused. "Ok, go ahead."

"What are you thinking, right now?" He asked, with a small good natured smirk

Hermione was startled, but before she could do anything, she heard her voice say.

"You."

"What about me?"

"Your eyes."

"Anything else?"

"How hot you are." Hermione opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth with both of her hands. Draco smiled, and Hermione said, "Ok, now THAT was not fair Draco Malfoy! You where only allowed one question! You git!"

But even Hermione was laughing a little, and she said. "Ok, Malfoy, your turn."

"Alright." And he poured himself an amount of the liquid. He shuddered the same was Hermione had, and Hermione started her questioning- "What do you think of me?"

"I think you're perfect, gorgeous and terribly smart."

"Do you honestly like me?"

"No, Hermione, I love you."

Hermione gasped, but continued.

"How long?"

"I don't actually know. I suppose I came to terms with it that night Victor hut you, the first time in the castle." Hermione shivered at the memory. "You where there, in my arms, vulnerable and broken, I don't know, it reminded me of my Father and mothers relationship.  I didn't want that for you."

Hermione nodded, her eyes glistening. "Thanks for telling me." She said, as the bell rang, and she hurriedly gathered her books for her next class.

The rest of Hermione's day went by quick. She wasn't paying attention to her classes, like she usually would. In Professor Binn's class she fell asleep with everyone else, and the ghost droned on, and even in transfiguration and arithmancy, she had a hard time keeping her mind focused on her professors.

Finally came dinner time, where she met up with Ron and Harry outside the Great Hall. "How are you doing Herm?" Harry asked, concerned.

"I've been fine, I guess, but you know, tired, and of course, paranoid." Hermione answered, as truthful as she could be.

Ron nodded at her and put his arm around her for comfort. Hermione grinned at the two.

"You guys are like the brothers I never had. I don't think I would have been able to survive these 7 years without you two in my life."

"Of course you wouldn't have survived without it, Mione." Harry said matter-of-factly.

"Ron and I saved your life not even halfway through our first year. He flashed a grin at the girl. "Ah, but who insulted me," He looked pointedly at Ron,

"that would make me want to cry my eyes out in the bathroom?" Ron grinned sheepishly,

"Uh, er..um.love you Mione.." He said in a sing song voice, and Hermione hugged them, "Too right." She said grinning; as they sat down to eat.

"Well guys, I'm heading to bed." Hermione told her friends, her voice clearly revealing how tired she was. Harry and Ron nodded, and with that, she turned and left the noisy Great Hall.

Walking up the steps to the Heads tower, Hermione felt more then a little paranoid. Walking alone was all it took to set her off into a fit of scanning every dark corner, and looking behind her every few steps. Finally she sighed with relief when she saw the picture of Estella and Phillip. To her surprise though, someone else was looking at the picture too, well, actually, someone was talking to the picture.

"Draco?" Hermione asked. "Mmmhmm." Was the reply she got.

"What are you doing here?" She asked again. "Just talking to Estella and Phillip."

"Oh."

"Hello dear." Estella said with a smile."

"Hi Estella, Hi Phillip." Hermione answered, starting to feel safe again.

"How are you Hermione?" Phillip asked.

"I'm alright, I suppose, still quite paranoid."

"I know how you feel dear." Estella said warmly. "Are you handling it well?" Hermione looked into the painting, and she saw life in Estella's eyes. Of course it's just a spell, but the pictures never ceased to amaze her.

"I'm still scared, Estella, if that's what you mean. I don't really trust anyone." Hermione looked at Draco in time to see a look of hurt pass through his steel grey eyes.

"Oh Hermione." Estella said, "You don't need to worry anymore. You're surrounded by people who love you, you can trust them. At least trust me on this, it took me years to be able to put my trust in anyone but myself. Wait! I can show you! Would you like to see my story?" Estella looked excited, her gorgeous chocolate eyes flashing. Hermione and Draco looked at her wide-eyed, was she serious?

"How can we do that?" Draco said, getting over the small shock quicker then Hermione.

"Put your wands together at the tips." Estella instructed and Draco and Hermione did so. "Now, keep them together and touch the painting." They did as they where told, but didn't have time to ask what came next, as they felt a surge of energy course through them, and a light that flashed in a shimmery reds and greens.

Then, as suddenly as it started, it all stopped, and Draco and Hermione where thrown onto a very hard and cold ground. They got up, very shakily, and looked around.

"Where are we?" Hermione whispered to Draco, who looked about as clueless as Hermione did.

"I don't know." He answered.

"Cant be the castle." Hermione said simply.

"These stone blocks aren't the same as the ones from Hogwarts. Draco looked at her, astounded that she knew the artateture of Hogwarts, as well as the history.

"Well what now?" Draco asked, uncertainly. Hermione answered,

"I think Estella brought us into the painting, only.its not just the painting, its like she brought us into her world, her past.just like Riddle did to Harry and Ginny." Draco looked at her, astonished,

"Did you just say Riddle? As in Tom Riddle?"

"Yes I did, and yes, I know all about how Tom Riddle was Voldemorts name in Hogwarts, He opened the chamber with Ginny's help, yadda yadda."

Hermione grinned at the dumbfounded look on Dracos face.

"Wow, I didn't even know the story, just something about some diary my father gave Ginny Weasley." Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Looks as though Estella wanted me, or us, to see something, maybe we should do a little exploring. And if this is anything like Riddles diary, no one will be able to see us or hear us, simply because we don't exist yet."

Draco nodded, and motioned Hermione to take a dark corridor behind them, they didn't know what they where looking for, but if Estella wanted them to see something, they where most definitely going to see something.

'Thud' 'thud' 'thud' their footsteps where loud against the ancient stone floor, but as they passed various servants and house elves, no other being seemed to know of their existence. Draco was quite confused, and asked her why this was.

"Draco," she said, patiently, "We are in the past, at least I am going to guess we are, and since we are in the past, we didn't exist yet, I mean, our great grandparents probably didn't exist yet! And all this stuff-" She said, motioning to the butler shining the doorknobs, and the house elves lighting fireplaces. "All this stuff has already happened, see that guy? He's dead, this is all just a shadow really, a memory that has been perfectly stored."

He looked at her, amazed at how smart she was, but of course he didn't know about her experience with time travel, even hour jumps.

"Ok then." He said, with the smirk returning on his face.

"We still don't know where we are going, how do you suppose we get somewhere we don't even know of?" Hermione smiled at him and said- "Why don't we follow that butler there carrying the platters of food, I'm assuming he's going to the dining hall, maybe this is Estella's manor, or someone she knows, even Phillips!"

Draco's smirk turned into a true smile and said, "Okay."

After following the butler down numerous corridors, and almost getting lost twice, Draco and Hermione stumbled into a fantastic Dining hall that rivals even the grander of Hogwarts.

"Wow." Hermione sighed, taking it all in. "Double wow." Draco agreed. "This is twice the size of my dinning hall back at the manor.

Hermione looked around at the grand dining hall; it had a high sloped ceiling, which had paintings of angels and clouds. There was a large dining table in the middle of the room, with red velvet seats that resembled miniature thrones. Glancing over at the butler, Hermione noticed he looked rather nervous. Taking a closer look, Hermione saw that there was a very large man with a red face, who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He was sitting at the head of the table, while a very young, dark haired looking woman sat at his left side.

Hermione motioned to Draco to go closer with her to the table, to take a closer look at the pair. Both Draco and Hermione gasped when they saw who the dark haired girl was.

"Estella!" Draco exclaimed, and then covered his mouth quickly. "You don't need to do that you know," Hermione said in a regular voice. "They can't see us, nor hear us."

Moving closer to the table, Hermione noticed that the man had a very large Goblet of foul smelling liquid. "Beer. And rather strong beer I might add." Draco said smugly. "I know my alcohol." Hermione looked over at Estella who had a small goblet of red liquid. "Wine?" Hermione asked Draco, and pointed to the small goblet. "Yup." Suddenly the man, who had just drowned the Goblet of Beer, roared to whoever would listen. "More beer!" At his side, almost immediately, was the same butler who they had followed into the hall, and he filled the large Goblet to the rim again with the liquid that made Hermione's nose ache.

The man called for more beer at least 12 times before the dinner was over, his red face becoming more so with every gulp. Hermione could see that Estella was becoming apprehensive. Draco broke the silence. "Think that guys her dad? Seems a bit young." Hermione looked at him funny, and then realized that she had been alone when Estella told Hermione about being betrothed. "That's her fiance Draco." She told him, remembering Estella's words...

"Slave to the bottle."

 Draco looked at her then said, "How do you know? Why would Estella bother with him? What about Phillip?" Hermione sighed unhappily and said,

"Estella told me that when she was my age, just about to enter her seventh year at Hogwarts, She was betrothed to, and I quote, 'an abusive slave to the bottle.' And seeing that this man is being very touchy with her, and he was had more then enough to drink, I'm assuming this is him.

Draco looked stunned, and all he could let out was a small "Oh."

Just then the man, red faced and walking very unsteadily, went over to Estella's chair and picked her up, and dragged her to the stone steps that, Hermione assumed, led upstairs.

"Oh dear, I know what's going to happen next." Hermione said, her eyes filling with small tears. Draco put his arm around her to comfort her.

"Should we follow Mione?" He asked, but he didn't get an answer, as their world started swirling in the same light as when they first entered.

"Omffhh." Hermione gasped as they crash landed again this time she landed on top of Draco.

"You know," Draco said with a smirk, "I am usually the one on top, but I'm willing to make an exception." Hermione hit him over the head with a grin.

"Come on! This isn't the time for that."

"Oh? So there will be a time later?" Draco said, still grinning.

"I'm not even going to grace that with an answer, Draco Malfoy." Hermione answered haughtily. "Whatever you say Mione."

Draco looked around, "Ok, this is Hogwarts!" He said proudly.

"Good job, Sherlock."

"Who's Sherlock?"

"Never mind, Muggle thing."

"Oh."

Looking around, Draco and Hermione noticed similarities and Differences in everything. "We're near the Gryffindor tower." Hermione said. "Let's see if we can make it to the Heads tower, I'll bet that's where Estella is." Draco just nodded, and followed Hermione down the vast corridor.

About five minutes later, Hermione and Draco find themselves staring at a suite of armor where Estella and Phillips painting will go. "Weird." They said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed, and then Draco thought of something. "How do we get in?" Hermione had an idea. She took Draco by the hand and pulled him, and cautiously she put her hand against the wall, and, just as she had hoped, she and Draco could pass straight through.

"Wicked!" Draco exclaimed on the other side.

"How did you know to do that, Mione?" Hermione smiled and said,

"Well, there's this muggle book I read called The Christmas Carol, and in the book the man is doing kind of what we are, visiting the past, and he could go through walls, so I figured we could too." "Bloody brilliant." Draco said with a grin. "You know, Draco, your really starting to sound like Ron with those words, 'wicked and bloody brilliant." Hermione laughed at the look on Dracos face, but he started laughing too.

Suddenly they turned around to see two very familiar faces, Estella and Phillip! And, coincidently, they where fighting.

"Phillip Pirrip! You ungodly swine! Don't you DARE call me a half blood again!" Estella was raging mad, and even though Draco and Hermione weren't able to be seen, they backed themselves against the far wall.

"Tsk Tsk, Who would have thought?" Phillip was saying in a mocking tone. "The perfect little Gryffindor have such a foul tongue?"

"How dare you!" Estella screeched, in a most unladylike manner. All Phillip did was smirk.

"How dare I what? The little half blood angry with me now? That's just ever so not good!" His voice was a quite annoying, mocking drawl that reminded Hermione of Draco. Phillip started talking again. "You know, my little Estella, your very attractive for a worthless half blood when your-" Phillip didn't get to finish whatever insult he had coming, because an extremely angry Estella shouted

 "Expelliarmus!"

 And Phillip flew across the vast room, and was disarmed in the process. Estella, still dangerously angry, picked up Phillips wand and threw it out the tower wonder, and it landed where, in a few hundred years, the womping willow would be planted.

"You witch!" Phillip shouted angrily when he got over the stun of hitting a stone wall at a high speed. "Thank you, it's about time you noticed, I'm as good a witch and you are a wizard, remember that."

On that note, Estella stomped off to her room, (which was now Hermione's) and slammed the door shut. Hermione could hear the incantation for an unbreakable lock spell being mumbled.

Phillip looked livid, but left through the entry way to go try to retrieve his wand.

"Wow." Draco said, after standing there a few moments. "Those two seem really familiar, but from where?" Hermione smiled, and said, "You don't see the connection? Estella and Phillip are just like you and me! Throw in an 18th century Ron and Harry, and it would be identical!"

"You never threw my wand out of a tower window though." Draco pointed out.

"True," Hermione agreed, "But I did curse your nose to be 10 times its normal size for a week, remember?" Draco flushed at the memory,

"That was back in 5th year, did we really hate each other that much?"

"Worse. " Hermione said gravely. Phillip is so much like you! Taunting and teasing Estella because of her parents!" Draco looked ashamed, but Hermione continued.

"Don't worry about it, I know your over it, I am too."

Draco smiled, "Thanks."

"Oh boy here we go again." Hermione stated, as the all-too familiar swirling of colors came rushing at them

Thud! "Oomph!" "Well, at least this landing was a bit better." Hermione said. She had landed on her feet, but Draco landed in a kind of roll.

"Yea, uh huh." Draco muttered. "So where are we now?" Hermione looked around.

"We're in front of the Headmasters chambers. I wonder who it is." Draco and Hermione stepped through the gargoyle that was still guarding the stone steps up to the Headmasters office. As they crept closer to the top of the stairway, Hermione heard a very loud, rough mans voice. She recognized it as the voice of Estella's fiancé

"Gryffindor!" The man yelled, "I demand that Estella Havisham be released into my care immediately! I am her legal guardian after her parents crossing!" Hermione gasped at the sight before her. Sitting at an old fashioned looking conference table, there sat Godrick Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff. She looked over at Draco, who was equally amazed. Then they heard the powerful voice of Godrick Gryffindor.

"Mr. Wemmick! I am astounded at your behavior! Miss Havisham is nearly through with her studies, and it would break her heart for us to pull her out now!"

Wemmick, looking as though he where going to curse all four of the founders at once, replied, "I don't care! She is a woman and needs to be taught her place! She doesn't need any magic to be a good wife! I am her guardian and shall be taking her!"

"Wemmick!" Hermione was surprised to see Helga Hufflepuff, a small, stout little witch that reminded Hermione strangely of Professor Sprout, stand up out of her seat and stared daggers at the Wemmik, who was a good two feet taller then she.

"How dare you set foot into this school and insult our brightest student! Estella Havisham is twice the magical being you shall ever be! She will NOT be leaving until she has completed her final year with us, and has fulfilled her Head Girl duties! Now get out before I let Salazar handle you!" Draco looked over at Salazar Slytherin, who, at Helga's words, grew an evil smile on his face.

Wemmick looked furious, but seemed to decide he had better not take his chances with the Salazar. He stormed out in such a fury, that Hermione and Draco hadn't time to move. Wemmick passed right through them.

"Think we should follow him?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded, and down the stairs they trailed Wemmick. "Why did we see all that?" Draco asked, about seeing something Estella wasn't around for." "I don't know." Hermione answered. "Maybe it was because it was very important." Soon they came upon a girl,

"Estella!" Both Draco and Hermione exclaimed. Wemmick noticed her as well, and decided then to take her.

"Come here!" He commanded to a very startled Estella. "Ben?!" Wha-what are you doing here? This is my school! What are you doing? Let me go!" Wemmick had taken Estella by the wrist and put a silencing charm on her. Estella's mouth moved as she tried screaming, and Wemmick laughed at her as no sound came out.

"No use, m'dear, No one in this castle bloody cares about a stupid witch like you!"

Draco and Hermione stood, horrified at the site. Hermione looked at though she was going to break down in tears, and Draco quickly slipped his hand in hers and held it tight.

Then Hermione noticed someone coming around the corner. Phillip!

"What's going on here?" The young boy asked, then, when he saw Estella trying unsuccessfully to get free, he looked coldly at Wemmick, who was trying to grab for his wand. Phillip was quicker. "Crucio!" Phillip had uttered the same curse Draco did! Draco and Hermione looked at each other, and then back at the man, who was withering in pain.

"Finite incantatem" Phillip said calmly, "Stumfry." And with that, Wemmick was frozen, curled up on the floor, looking very pathetic, and quite helpless.

Estella was sobbing on the floor, and Phillip ran over to her. Her silencing charm was broken, but she still couldn't speak, only cry. "Shh, Shh, I'm here Stell." Phillip said in the same kind voice that Hermione remembered coming from Dracos lips. Hermione and Draco turned to one another and embraced, and the swirling colors came again.



~

Draco and Hermione landed exactly as they where before when they had jumped into the painting. Pulling back their wands they looked up and a smiling Phillip and Estella, and before they could even utter a word, the couple swung the Picture forward, and Hermione and Draco entered their common room in silence.

"He used the crutacious curse on that guy, Phillip did." Draco said, sounding completely amazed.

"Yes, it wasn't an illegal curse yet, it had just been invented." Hermione said, in her same know-it-all voice, but she was still rather shaken.

"Are you ok Mion?" Draco asked, unsure.

"I'm fine," Hermione answered.

"It's so odd though, seeing that, knowing someone else went through it too. Phillip saved her, just like you saved me."

Draco nodded; he was staring intently at her, as if searching for something in her face.

"Phillip and her where still together, after many years, they died of old age in each others arms." Hermione said, in a hushed and awed voice. "I just thought they loved each other to begin with, but really, they started out enemies, just like us."

Draco was still looking at her. "You know, Hermione, I was telling the truth today, you know, in potions? I was telling the truth when I told you I loved you." Hermione grinned at him.

"I know, you where under the truth potion."

"Well, I wanted to ask you," Draco faltered, but after a few moments continued.

"I wanted to ask you, you know, if you felt the same I did. I know its still early and all..." He said a little rushed. "But I do love you; I don't know how I couldn't see it before. You're perfect. Beautiful and smart." Hermione looked into his pewter eyes; she no longer saw his boyhood hatred and cold steel, but longing, and warmth. She knew she wanted to belong in those eyes, and there was a simple was to be able to.

"I love you too Draco."