Impossible Reality
Author's Notes: The real chapter five… At last! *smiles* So, after the long wait, here it is. :) This was hard to write because I don't know how to get Draco and Hermione to the scene that I want this chapter to end but… it fell through. *grins* I went a bit overboard here on… how can I say it, side stories? Yeah… that's it, I guess.
Anyway… who among you have read book 5? I have! And I must say… JK Rowling… You rock! It was awesome. It was hard to put down. I liked it because although the pacing is not as fast as the previous ones, it took me inside Harry's feelings and thoughts more. And, when he died… I swear… I was affected too much that I kept pestering people around me in school saying, "I'm irritated. I feel so sad…" etc. *grins* But, oh well… So now, I'm waiting for the sixth book. *lolz*
Right… enough about that. So, read on and tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: Nope. It's all JK's except for Drimvle, Belle, and Angel.
The Catch
She watched amusedly as Draco Malfoy pace around in the small expanse of her office. Alastor Moody and some of their other superiors have been debating on whether the information they had gathered are enough or not for hours already, and they haven't reached a decision yet as to allow them to go with their suggested plan on how to capture the wizard. They are both growing impatient as they wait for the final word, but are exhibiting it in different ways.
"Will you quit that," she spoke suddenly, a hint of irritation in her voice.
Draco ignored her however and continued his pacing, occasionally glancing at the door.
"It's making my head spin," she informed him.
She finally got his attention as he abruptly stopped in front of her and he braced his hands on her table, so that his face is only inches away from her.
"You just want my attention on you," he said softly in a teasing voice.
She smiled broadly at him, but answered him flatly, "No…"
"How about a kiss?" he asked as he leaned in closer.
Her heartbeat went up a notch, her breath was caught in her throat, and her mouth suddenly went dry. Trying to maintain her composure as she continued looking him in the eye, she licked her lips and replied, "In another reality, maybe." And she smirked.
Draco blinked, then straightened up. He sat down on the chair at her left side of the table, propped his feet on the armrest of the other, and crossed his arms on his chest.
"If in ten minutes and we're not yet summoned, I'll be Disapparating back to my own office. Agreed?" he said and glanced at her.
"Going to issue some orders to the League?" she asked him.
He nodded.
She sighed. "I suppose so."
She crossed her arms and leaned back to her chair, staring at the door and willing for it to open. She lets out a sigh every so often, occasionally coupling it with a glance on her watch.
Five minutes and still no sign of Moody.
Eight minutes and she already wants to shout in frustration.
Nine minutes…
In one minute Draco will Disapparate.
In one minute, she'll wait alone then…
Crack!
Ginny Weasley suddenly appeared in front of them, smiling widely and looking all flushed.
"Ginny!" she squealed, simultaneously standing up from her chair. She went around her table and hugged the youngest Weasley. "This is a surprise. What brings you here?" she asked.
"Harry's already telling Ron and I'll be telling you then we'll tell it to my parents," Ginny said breathlessly as she held both her hands. She paused to catch her breath before continuing, "We're engaged!"
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds as the two friends looked at each other. Then, they both shrieked at the same time, jumping up and down and beaming at each other.
"Ahem!" a suspiciously male voice interrupted their revelry that made her suddenly remember that there is still somebody in the room with them.
She released Ginny's hands and faced Draco who had stood up from his seat.
"I'm sure you remember each other very well," she said, looking back and forth between Ginny and Draco.
"Virginia," Draco drawled and clasped the hand that Ginny held out. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Ginny replied and she gave out a small smile.
"Well, then… We'll celebrate tonight at home and then…" she started telling them when her door suddenly opened and Alastor Moody poked his head in.
"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger," Moody said, and with a nod, he closed the door.
"Let's go," Draco told her.
She nodded and before she went out of the office with him, she paused to tell Ginny to tell Ron to have someone clean the house and to be there at around seven.
~*~
He wasn't able to back out, now that Hermione explained to him that they'll be talking about their plan of attack after the small get-together at her house.
They Apparated behind a tree two houses from her house. She explained that they, she and her two bestfriends, created a charm to block off anyone who would try Apparating to their house except for them and some selected friends, and that it sometimes extends several feet from the perimeter. They hadn't renewed it since they created it that's why a lot of their friends have to arrive there, at the tree.
They arrived there thirty minutes before the time she had told Ginny to come. He watched in amazement as she flicked the kitchen alive. Stoves lit up, pans and pots arranged themselves on top of the stoves, and spoons and ladles hang in midair waiting for her next move. She moved methodically, as if she's done it a hundred times before.
And then the party was over. Weasley bid goodnight and went up to his room while Potter went with Virginia to the Burrow. He on the other hand, was seated on the sofa, sipping a cup of coffee while waiting for Hermione to finish tidying up the dining table.
He loosened up his tie and let his eyes roam around. Several pictures hand around the room. Books are stacked in one corner while several lay open on the table. Cushions were scattered, some on the floor, others on the sofa.
It looked a bit messy.
But he felt comfortable.
It felt homey.
He wished it were like this at his home.
"Well?" a voice spoke out, interrupting his thoughts.
He looked up and saw Hermione casually leaning on the doorsill, hands crossed and head tilted at an angle. She was smiling at him as if she's been observing him for quite some time now. She straightened up from her position and walked over to him, her smile lingering on her lips.
"You look content," she commented as she sat down on the seat across him and crossed her legs.
"I am," he admitted, giving her a small grin and a nonchalant shrug.
She cocked her head to the side as if puzzling something out.
"You can stay here for tonight," she told him. "That is, if you want to." She paused. "Besides, I'm sure we'd finish up late and it would be a…"
"Thanks," he said, interrupting her tirade. He gave her a smile of appreciation, something he had never graced anyone with except for his mother.
Her cheeks reddened and before he could comment on that, she spoke up.
"Well now, tomorrow we should be at Stonehenge and wait for Drimvle there," she started.
He just listened to her speak, occasionally adding inputs of his own. He didn't bother stopping her at any point, except when she asks for his opinion, as he loves the soft timbre of her voice.
~*~
A shadowed figure looked up into the clear sky and pulled its cloak closer.
"Soon…"
And it let itself be swallowed by the fullness of the night.
~*~
Draco walked into the kitchen door just as she was preparing breakfast, wearing a tight black shirt and a pair of black slacks. He slung his black trench coat at the back of a chair and sat down, watching her pour coffee on each of the cups on the table.
"Ready?" he asked her.
"Five minutes," she answered. "Have you eaten at your house?"
He shook his head no and with that, she placed another cup on the table, poured coffee in it, and handed it to him. Then she turned around to take out the toasts, buttered one and handed it to him, too.
Silence ensued between them as she watched him eat while she sipped her coffee, with only Crookshanks' purring to interrupt the early morning peace. After a few minutes however, thumps and bangs were heard abovestairs and she smiled through her cup as she thought of how Ron would react to seeing Draco having breakfast at home. She didn't have to wait too long though, as he was the first one to come down.
"Morn-," Ron began, but he cut it short as soon as he Draco, clearly uncomfortable with the latter's presence as he fidgeted in his place.
Draco, on the other hand, merely glanced at him and then continued munching on his toast.
She would have laughed if it weren't pressing for her to finish quickly her breakfast. Last night, the two were at their most civil selves in respect for Harry and Ginny's engagement. They didn't have to interact with each other at all, otherwise, it would ruin the whole "relaxing" atmosphere that she's trying to maintain.
"Be careful now, alright," Harry said, interrupting her thoughts. She realized that Draco, who had already risen, nodded at Harry, and that she had already put down her cup. Coming to her senses, she summoned her coat and shrugged it on. She inspected her attire. Sleeveless black turtleneck knit shirt, black slightly flared slacks, soft black heeled boots, and long black coat. Her thick hair was braided so that it wouldn't obscure her vision. She's all set.
"Let's go," she said to Draco, kissed her bestfriends goodbye, went out of the house and Disapparated with him at the tree. They appeared at Draco's office, at the Dark Force Defense League. She glanced around and thought that it was just as she had imagined. It was well organized, with books neatly arranged on one side, the hearth on the other, and the chairs facing each other.
"Shall we go in?" he asked her, nodding to the almost hidden door beside the fireplace.
"Alright," she answered, following Draco to the connecting room of his office, where she saw to her surprise, a big gathering of wizards and witches, all under Draco's command, and who all quieted down when they saw them enter.
"We've a big task ahead of us," she started, addressing the lot in front of him. "As I've briefed you yesterday, our target, Oto Lomard Drimvle, is expected to be at the stone formation in Stonehenge at approximately 1800 hours.
"A lot of us have been on the alert of his whereabouts and his activities, especially when it was learned that he is planning to revive Voldemort. However, he has proved to be a very difficult catch and the Ministry has had to appoint me and Ms. Granger to be on his tail."
He paused to look around at his subordinates.
"We've discovered a pattern on his trail and through this, I'll be dispatching some of you on key points to where he might be headed but more on the most probable one, at Stonehenge.
"You'll be there as a support for the two of us. I'll be assigning tasks to some of you and you have to follow them strictly, especially for two of you who'll act as our backup. And, you should see to Hermione's safety at all costs. More than mine."
He did not glance at her after saying that. He just proceeded on delegating the jobs that they have agreed on late last night. So, she was left dumbfounded on what he meant by adding that extra order for her protection. She should have felt indignation if he thought of her incapable of saving her own skin. How could she have landed her present position if she can't protect herself? But instead of feeling that, she felt touched. It made her heart jump that he would want to look out for her. That he cares more about her well being than his.
"Hermione," Draco called out to her, breaking her from her musings. "We should be going in two hours."
She nodded in agreement after looking at her watch. She followed him back to his office and slumped down on a chair as she watch him rummage through drawers and cabinets for the gadgets that they would be using. And in just a few minutes, he had already produced six items, all of which are helpful for their cause, and he sat down on his chair.
"So, now we wait," she spoke for him.
He grinned suggestively in return.
"Oh, no," she said, alarmed at his reaction. "Don't even think about that."
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "About what?" he asked her mischievously.
"That," she pointed out.
He chuckled in response.
Shaking her head at him, she threw him a warning look, then proceeded to entertain herself by looking at the titles of his collection. She ended up reading one of them, The Second War by Dean Thomas. She's almost through with the fourth chapter when, "Let's go." And she looked up to see Draco standing in front of her.
She nodded at him and closed the book. She stood up, replaced it on the shelf, and then turned to look at him.
"Shall we?" she inquired.
They Disapparated and Apparated behind a huge boulder at the foot of the hill where the stone formation is located.
Knowing that they are going to wait for a long while, she looked about her and saw two rocks. She made Draco levitate them to their spot and then she transfigured them into comfortable chairs.
Hour after hour, wizards and witches Apparated to their post, reporting the status of Drimvle's whereabouts. At one time, she and Draco were given food. Afternoon came and Drimvle is still nowhere near their vicinity. Finally, before dusk, a witch wearing Muggle clothing gave them the signal they've been waiting for.
"Sir, Drimvle's been spotted on his way here," the witch told them.
He nodded. "So, the others have left already?"
"Yes, sir. There's only you, Ms Granger, Angel, and me remaining," the witch answered.
He nodded again. "Go to your position now and we'll wait," he ordered her. He paused, as if perusing something over. "Belle, change your clothes to something like ours," he told the witch while pointing to himself and to her. "Angel, too. And tell him that both of you are to follow us in not less than forty paces. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," Belle answered and she disappeared.
Silence hung in the air for a few minutes as they both wait tensely for their target to show up. After ten minutes, she got tired of the thick silence surrounding them that she wanted to break it.
"Draco…" she started. But she was cut-off when his hand clamped down on her mouth. Confused, she looked up to him and saw him looking intensely over the boulder. Clutching his hand off her mouth, she turned around and saw a hooded figure walking slowly to the center of the stone formation. When it reached its destination, they glanced at one another and as one, they slowly crept upwards the hill, hidden by the darkness of the fallen night and the shadow cast by the risen full moon.
As they neared, they could hear it mumbling something. She can't decipher what it is though as it is muttered very quickly and lowly. She heard Voldemort's name at one point, however, and that's when she realized that it's the incantation for resurrecting the dead! Panic rising in her chest, she looked at Draco if he noticed and from the look of his face, he did, too. The mumbling stopped as they figure bent low to retrieve something from the ground. She took this as an opportunity to attack and with an approval nod from Draco, they sprang up from their hiding position, wands raised, and she shouted, "Stupefy!"
The figure reacted quickly though, as it turned around, screamed, "Protego!" and its hood slid down to reveal a middle-aged man.
She almost halted from advancing, confusion showing her face as she had heard a distinctly feminine voice cast the Shield Charm. She stopped at about two feet beside Draco and pointed the wand at the wizard. Draco had already taken his position and they are only around five feet from their target.
"Drimvle," Draco addressed the wizard. "We're here to arrest you for…" he didn't get to finish what he was saying as Drimvle's face contorted, as if in pain. He suddenly crouched on his knees as his body shook violently. Her eyes were wide open as she saw the transportation take place.
Drimvle's hair grew long. His body shrunk as his muscles thinned. Finally, after a few more seconds, he stood up to reveal a dark-haired, heavily lidded eyed witch who she vaguely remembers having seen in fifth grade at the Department of Mystery.
"You!" she said out loud, disbelief etched across her face.
"Yes, me, Mudblood. And I see Lucius' boy all grown up. Here to catch me? I'm afraid you'll have to chase me first," the witch told them and she Disapparated from their sight.
Last notes: Well, there goes the fifth chapter. Longer than my usual. Come on, clap your hands… *grins* Anyway, the next chapter will be out longer than it took me to write this. Why? It's the "action-packed" chapter because that's where spells will rain back and forth, people will appear and disappear at places, and more revelations. I'm betting it'll be hard for me to write that so… be patient, ok?
By the way, who can guess who's the real villain here? :) There's already a give-away in the last part. And… thanks for reading!
