"AMERICA?!?!?"
- Hahahahaha. You really thought you were going to be able to beat me?
- …
- Well, I always knew you to be tenacious. Fighting until the very end…and now, you've met your end.
- Why don't you just kill me now, then? What do you need?
- I must have given you a concussion. Why would I tell you? Do you think I'm really that stupid?
- So…you do need something? Why else would you be keeping me alive?
- To watch you die…slowly and painfully! You are weak. You always have been. Besides, now that you're out of the way, it'll make things so much easier. And I've got everyone right where I want them.
- You haven't got anything.
- Hah, idiot. You don't have a clue of what's going on.
- Do you think so?
- I know so.
- Oh, but there's so much you don't know.
- I know that people will become suspicious of the sudden change of plan and your disappearance. This is why you'll be talking with your friend every so often. And don't you dare try to pull anything. I'll monitor your conversations and for every suspicion I have, I will heighten the intensity of your torture, even after you pass out. You WILL die. Whether or not I get what I want from you…
He woke up with a cold bead of sweat dripping off of his hair onto his forehead. His bed was damp, and he was very uncomfortable. Was that just a dream? Or, was someone just playing games with my head? Harry had been paranoid with the thought of someone controlling his thoughts since the end of last year, and he began not to trust them. Most of all, not his dreams. Who were those people anyway?
"WAKE UP, BOY!"
Harry groaned out of annoyance because this was what he woke up to every morning. He was tired of the repetition. Sitting in his room all day. It was nearly driving him insane. He desperately wanted to go back to Hogwarts and to be able to see all of his friends again. Heck, he'd even be happy with seeing Snape. Just to see someone related to the wizarding word. Almost instantly, he noticed Hedwig perched outside of his window, letter in beak, with a Hogwarts seal on it.
.
.
.
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::BURT BURT BURT BURT BURT::
The alarm clock on the bedside table woke Hermione up with a start. She made a sound of annoyance, one that could only be explained as a long moan, and tried to turn it off, but only managed to knock it off of the table beside her. She reached as far as she could towards the loud, obnoxious thing, as it dangled by the cord; batting at it, trying to swing it into her grasp, although it seemed to be getting louder and louder each second. She finally managed to shut it off and sank back into her comfortable bed in spite of her rude awakening. She opened her eyes again, noticing another presence in her room. She rubbed her eyes and looked to find out what or who was in her room. Her owl, Nascha, was avoiding Crookshanks as she waved Hermione's letter in her face. She immediately saw the Hogwarts seal, and snatched the letter into her hands. Nascha, looking very upset due to the lack of a "thank you" or even of an acknowledgement, perched in her bird cage and closed her door with her beak. Hermione quickly opened the letter expecting to find her annual school supply list, although it arrived a little earlier than she had expected. She tore it open with haste and quickly read the neat print.
Dear Hermione Granger,
With the coming of a new year, a time of change comes along with it. And, due to a new threat by he-who-must-not-be-named, it will be safest for students who aren't prepared for what's coming, to go to America and most importantly of all, to refrain from practicing any magic in front of muggles. It could jeopardize your life and lives of people around you. Anyway, you will act as muggles and fly to America, not on a broom of course, but on a plane. You will attend school as exchange students. We have already arranged families, who will be awaiting you at the airport. I expect you to find muggle clothes, as that's all that you will need, because public schools will be providing all books for you. You will need the following however –
Pencils
Pens
Lined Paper
Binders/Folders/Notebooks
Backpack
This, I hope will be an enjoyable experience for you all. I, as do the other professors, see this as a learning experience. The change will hopefully, only be temporary, and all of you will again, be learning magic, soon enough.
- Albus Dumbledore
Needless to say, Hermione was shocked. She noticed water drops falling against her page, reached for a tissue, and wiped her eyes. She leapt out of bed to tell her parents. As she raced down the stairs, thoughts were running through her head, like a waterfall, pouring into a still lake. What was this threat? Why couldn't Dumbledore handle it? America? What was so dangerous that they all had to leave the country? She felt as if she were Harry just last year. She still felt guilty for leaving him in the dark all summer. She wondered how all of her friends were handling this as well.
"Mum! Dad!"
Hermione jumped the last two steps and raced into the kitchen while her mother was cooking some bacon and her father was reading the muggle newspaper, and smoking his pipe.
"Well, if it isn't my little 'Erm! What's got you up this early?"
"Dad! Something's terrible has happened to Hogwarts!"
"Now, now, I'm sure that Dumbledore can handle himself quite nice…" Hermione had cut him off in a hurry of panic.
"No! VoldemorthasdonesomethinghorridandnoweveryonehastoleavethecountryandgotoAmerica!" Her father had never seen Hermione this upset before, and not to mention, this long-winded.
"Here, just look at this letter!" Hermione's father took the letter from Hermione while he stared at her, looking deeply concerned.
"…coming of a new year…change…new threat…Voldemort…" Now, Hermione's parents were muggles of course, so the Voldemort name was still unfamiliar, but Hermione being best friends with Harry, he was aware that he was bad. "Fly to…AMERICA? Now what in bloody hell is this all about?" Hermione's mother quickly took the skillet off of the stove and read the letter over her husband's shoulder.
"This is what I was trying to tell you, Daddy!" Hermione's eyes began to well up.
"Now, Hermione. This is nothing to be upset about. Everything's going to be alright." Were they INSANE?! This was bloody AMERICA! You know…across the Atlantic. Big-toothed, hillbilly AMERICA! Of ALL places!
"He's off his bloody rocker! Our 'Erm won't be going to another country." Her dad stood up with a defiant stance.
"Now, Abbott, if Dumbledore says to do it, we know it'll be for the best. He's never been wrong before. And I believe people should start giving poor Dumbledore some trust." Hermione's mom's behavior really surprised them all. But both, Hermione and her father, had to admit, she did have a point.
"Thanks anyway, Dad." Hermione squeezed out a smile in thanks for her father's defensive efforts.
"Well, now." Hermione's mom picked the conversation back up. "You can get your school supplies when you arrive to America, but we can get your clothes in town. Now, Hermione WAS a girl and she wasn't one to deny a chance to go shopping. She had been shopping for muggle clothes before of course, when she didn't know that she had magical talents. She went upstairs to change and to get ready to go into town.
When she arrived back into her room, she noticed a slight buzzing noise. She listened closely and followed the noise to her trunk - the very same trunk that she brought to school every year. She broke the protect charm that she had to use in case any of her muggle friends came snooping around her room, and choose to mess around with her potentially dangerous things. Moving some clothes out of the way, she discovered what was making that incessant buzzing noise. Ah, she had forgotten. Last summer when Sirius was looking for the communicating mirrors that he had given Harry, he gave her the spell to make on and had given one to Padma and Parvati. Padma was on the other mirror. She looked as shocked as Hermione did when she first read the letter. Hermione quickly tried to calm her down by telling her it would be alright, and to trust Dumbledore. She pretty much just summed up her mom's speech. After Padma looked slightly calm, Hermione told her that they should meet down town to get their new clothes. Padma left to ask her mom and came back saying that they weren't sure exactly on HOW to get to downtown without flying or anything. So, they agreed that it would be best if Hermione's mum took them all.
Hermione's mother decided that it would be best to let the girls catch up with each other and to let them talk about this new problem. So, she gave Hermione money and dropped them off while she ran some other errands. "Alright, you girls behave yourselves now. I'll be back around 7, so be waiting here. But don't wait outside, stay inside one of the stores and watch for my car." Hermione's mom was a little protective and at this, Hermione was a little embarrassed. As they walked into town, Hermione secretly changed Parvati's and Padma's wizard currency into British currency, so they were ready to go Muggle shopping.
"I can't believe you brought your wand!" Parvati and Padma were shocked.
"That's so unlike you." Under Padma's breathe, she whispered to Parvati that Ron must be getting to her.
"Well, you never know when an emergency will come up! I'm just taking a precaution." Hermione said a little offended as she had heard what they had said about her. All of them walked into Charlotte Russe, and none of them were able to find they're size at all. Hermione told them to pick their favorite clothes no matter what the size, and to go into one of the dressing rooms next to her. Padma, who really wasn't that good at not being too suspicious, picked out a few baby-tees and some XXL jeans. People didn't notice though because, they assumed she was shopping for someone else until she walked into the dressing room with them. Hermione quickly tried to hide the oddness of her friend, pushed her into a dressing room, turned around, and gave everyone who was staring a huge smile, so they wouldn't question anything. When they all were in different dressing room, Hermione quickly whispered a spell, and all of the girl's clothes fit them perfectly. They got out of there without being questioned, but received skeptical looks when the cashier was ringing up the girl's clothes, and noticed that some of Padma's had the baby prices. When they came out, they stopped at an ice cream shop and ate their dessert outside. "Oh, my god. Don't look now, but Draco Malfoy is right down the street." Parvati said nonchalantly to her friends. Hermione slowly turned to look and right away noticed a change in Malfoy. He was looking…different. "HEY! HEY! Way to be CASUAL!" Padma was snapping a finger in front of her face and immediately Hermione had realized it had been about three minutes of her just staring at Draco. "What were you DOING?! Checking him OUT!?" Everyone around Padma could hear her shouts, including Draco, who smirked and moved out of sight. Hermione blushed, and sunk into her chair while she hit Padma with her new purse.
Once they were deeply concentrated on shopping for shoes, Hermione excused herself to go, and use the ladies rest room. Padma and Parvati waved her off and she walked away looking a little hurt, due to the rude behavior she was receiving from the two. Draco was drinking from a water fountain and raised his head, when Hermione passed him. He strode up to her, and asked her where she was off to.
"None of your business, Malfoy. Back off!"
"Well, hello to you too. Well, wherever you're heading, could I come with you?" Hermione smiled. She stopped walking and turned to properly face him with a grin on her face.
"I'm going to the lou, Malfoy."
"I don't mind." He said with a shrug. She sighed and pushed him gently on the shoulder.
"Go away." She turned and smiled blissfully, hoping Malfoy would be more persistent, and follow her. But, to her disappointment, he didn't. While she washed her hands, she began to deeply regret being so mean to Malfoy. She thought about him, and compared them to Romeo and Juliet. She sighed deeply. "Two starcross lovers, torn apart by a family name…and houses." She added. It was even more preposterous for a Gryffindor and Slytherin to even CONSIDER spending time together unless it was mandatory. Oh, god, let this just be a crush. Even if we did like each other, and even pursued a relationship, the whole school would be talking. We are of course Gryffindor and Slytherin… "But…" an extremely satisfied smile spread across her face. "…I'm not a Gryffindor and he's not a Slytherin. There won't be any uniforms this year, and no Quidditch matches to fight over." She dried her hands, and strolled right out of the bathroom and saw Draco, leaning with his arm bent, and forearm leaning against a wall, staring into her eyes. She giggled a little.
"Have you been waiting all this time…stalker?"
"Why yes. Yes, I have." he walked up to her and wrapped one of his arms around her and dipped her. My, he's gotten stronger. She thought, and almost lost herself in his eyes when she spotted Parvati and Padma walking towards them and pointing at them. Hermione thought fast, and did the first thing that came to mind.
"GET OFF OF ME!!!" She screamed at him, and he dropped her as she beat him with her fists. Thankfully, she wasn't too far from the ground and she quickly recovered and slapped him dead in his face. She was shocked by her own behavior, but no one was as shocked as Draco. A look of deep hurt came upon him. Hermione felt awful. She looked over to see the expressions on Padma's and Pavarti's faces and they had huge grins. At least they're happy. She muttered to herself. Hermione was so ashamed, but this wouldn't be in vain. She continued the act and ran over to her on looking friends. Malfoy noticed his father looking at him from within a store, so he thought of the first thing that came to HIS mind and screamed out, "FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" Hermione hung her head, knowing that she had deserved that. Lucius walked straight towards Draco and hooked his arm with his cane. "And what do you think you were DOING?"
"I…she…"
"Well, next time you had better get your vengeance! Show no mercy! No mudblood can ever treat a Malfoy like that!"
"Yes, of course, father." Draco said back. Was he really mad at Hermione? He could no longer tell the difference between what his father wanted for him and what Draco wanted for himself. Well, if he didn't like her anymore, it would certainly make a lot of things easier.
"Now, let's go finish your school shopping. We aren't at all happy with this idea of you going to a muggle high school, but the Ministry is in favor of it, so we have to go along with that. And, besides, we have to act like we're afraid of the Dark Lord. It would look too suspicious if we didn't.
"That was spectacular Hermione!"
"Yeah! Absolutely brilliant!" Padma and Parvati were both congratulating Hermione, which made her feel worse because she deserved to be punched in the stomach and shunned. She hated herself for what she had done. If only… If only Draco was a Gryffindor or I was a Slytherin. If only he wasn't a Malfoy and she wasn't a…a…mudblood. Why did it have to be this way? Why…?
It was an unusually quiet ride home. Parvati and Padma were both tired from a full day of shopping and Hermione listened to the love songs on the radio and hid her tears from the rest of the car's occupants. That rotten daddy's boy…everywhere he goes, his father is there with him. Handing everything to him on a silver platter. She wanted more than anything to punch him in the face. But she wanted to rest in his arms more. When he had held her, they had been so close. Their bodies touching…staring into each others eyes, as if absorbing one another. She would have given anything to have that moment back. But this was insane. She was Hermione Granger – Gryffindor. Oh, and Harry. Harry and Draco were complete enemies. Even if Draco did like Hermione, she knew there wouldn't be a chance of him liking Harry at all. Maybe that's what this was all about…to get back at Harry. No…how could someone play with her like that. Not her…Draco. Anyway, if this continues on, we'll be opening up a HUGE can of worms. It'd affect everyone. Hermione chuckled to herself when she imagined Pansy and her having a catfight over Draco. Hermione looked around to see if anyone noticed that she was laughing and quickly composed herself into a normal mood.
"Hey, mum."
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you know when I'll be leaving for America?"
"Oh, yes, I got the tickets today. You'll be leaving in one week."
"ONE WEEK?! But that's so sudden, mum."
"I know sweetie. They're taking my Hermione even sooner this year." She wiped a "tear" from her eye.
"Well, if we only have one more week together, we'll have to do something special." Hermione said as an idea popped into her head.
