Chapter 28: Before Going Back


There was a deafening silence in the room. To Harry, it seemed that time stood still- a few days could have passed without him noticing at all.

"What?" he said at last, staring blankly at Draco.

"We were married on October 8, 1486" Draco said, steadily meeting Harry's eyes.

"You're married? T-To Hermione? B-But why? H-How? I don't understand...why would you, for that matter, why would Hermione...No...You can't be serious. All right Malfoy, you had your fun, what's really going on?" Harry babbled incoherently.

"It's true, Potter. It's all true."

"Why on earth would she marry you?" Harry's face still bore that horrified, slightly nauseous expression, that one generally bears when receiving outrageous news.

"She married me because she loved me."

Harry shuddered. "I-I'm sorry...it's just that...it's so...not...Hermione."

"Then I guess you don't know your best friend as well as you think" shrugged Draco. "Now, to the more important part...don't you want to know why I think she's in danger?"

Harry forced all his attention back to the problem at hand, reserving a little pocket of mental space for outrage at Draco's news.

"Go on." Harry said. "Let's just take it that I believe you for now about the marriage bit."

"What I told Mrs Granger was true... Hermione went back as a the rich daughter on Lord Granger's estate and I as the stablehand on that same estate. After a while, we were bound to meet up, so we did, and we both figured out brewing a Reverse Thyme Eliminus would be the only way we could return to the present."

"Wait a minute, Lord Granger's estate?" Harry frowned. "Were they her ancestors or something, and if you just popped into the past, didn't anyone notice that you didn't fit in?"

"Yeah, we coudn't figure out why everyone just seemed to accept us at first, till we eventually figured out why."

"Why?" asked Harry, now really intrigued.

"We had taken the place of the original Draco and Hermione. They looked exactly like us, talked like us, behaved like us...so no one noticed the difference."

"How is that possible? Where did they go when you took their place?"

Draco looked wryly at Harry. "This is the part you'll find even more unbelievable than Hermione marrying me...they went back to the fay. Wait" Draco put up a hand and stopped Harry, who's eyes were now as round as saucers behind his glasses, from interrupting. "Let me explain. The original Draco and Hermione died at birth. The fay put changelings in their places, it seems in preparation for us one day going to take their places. It seemed they knew that one day, the Potions NEWT would go wrong and blast Hermione and I back to the past. They created places for us to inhabit, and when we really went back to the past, their changelings simply vanished and re-joined the fay."

"Fay dust in the Potion" murmured Harry, beginning to believe Draco.

"What?" Draco said, startled.

"Dumbledore sent Hermione's potion to the Ministry for micro-testing. They found fay dust in the potion."

Draco was only slightly surprised by the news. "So you believe me now?"

"Go on...then what happened?"

"Hermione and I got caught sneaking around together one evening and her parents got really angry at her. Her father quickly arranged a marriage for her to a certain Baron Burnel of Lancaster, and banished me for good measure."

"What were you doing, sneaking around at night with Hermione?" Harry asked.

"What do you think, Potter?"

Harry closed his eyes. "Okay, okay...go on. So how did you end up marrying her with this Baron in the way?"

"Her mother, Lady Granger, helped us. Apparently, she knew all along that Hermione was a changeling and she believed that only true love could save her heathen soul and restore her to God. She suspected Hermione was in love with me and touched her with holy water...unlike the times before we took the changeling's place, Hermione's flesh did not burn and so it convinced Lady Katherine that Hermione was really in love with me. She asked me if I loved Hermione, which I affirmed, and whether I would be willing to marry her daughter, which I was."

"So, Hermione married you to escape the marriage with Baron Burnel?" Harry asked, rather bluntly. "Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't."

"You still don't get it, do you , Potter?" Draco hissed. "Had all that never happened, I would have married Hermione anyway when we got back to the present. I promised her I'd break off my engagement to Blaise even before Lady Granger's offer to help us get married. So remember... the only reason why we got married in the past was because we were both willing, we were in love, and we didn't want anything to separate us ever."

"Love? Love?" Harry said, "You say you love Hermione, but you hardly know her! For seven years you hated her and made her miserable! What makes you think what you feel for her is love?"

Draco winced at the rawness of Harry's words. He looked away.

"Answer me, Malfoy." Harry demanded.

"You know how stubborn Hermione is...she thinks she can save the world by herself. Typical of you Gryffindor types. I think she stayed behind to sort things out with her family, she is in grave danger because I know the Baron is very unhappy with her and her family. She didn't want to put me in danger, so she sent me back first..."

"Malfoy, you still haven't answered me," Harry insisted.

"I know I love her, Potter, because all I can think about now that I'm here... is how to go back and help her. I don't care if I die trying, I must do it."

"You want to go back, Malfoy?" Harry was genuinely surprised.

"I know something bad happened to her. I can feel it," Draco said, worriedly. "I have to go back to her."

"How do you know she won't simply re-appear in a few days?"

"I can't explain. It wasn't meant to be this way...we should both be back here together, there's no other way for it to turn out." Draco said. "Potter, we both want Hermione back equally desperately....that is why I need your help. I've told you everything so will you help me?"

Harry looked at Draco for a few moments. Green eyes locked on grey.

"Okay." Harry said at last. "How can I help?"

"Come with me to Dumbledore," Draco said at once. "Put in a good word for me, I always was an ass before, but now I really need his help."



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"I have managed to gain access for you to the Museum Library in London." Dumbledore said to Harry and Draco. "It wasn't an easy matter to arrange but I understand how important this is to you Draco... and Harry. I too want Miss Granger back as soon as possible, but remember, changing history is a terribly risky business. For all our sakes, you must find out what happened to her in the past before rashly bringing her back again."

He stared over the rims of his glasses at the two boys in front of him. "Miss Granger is a very smart witch. If she stayed behind, she must have had a very important reason for doing so."

"Please, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, "Are you sure the library is the best place to start?"

"It's where Miss Granger would have recommended" Dumbledore said, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Why don't we go straight to Mildenstowe in Suffolk?" Draco asked.

"Because there is no Mildenstowe in Suffolk, not any more at least." Dumbledore shook his head as he spoke. "As soon as you boys told me that fantastic tale, I checked up on the villages you mentioned, but neither Aldeburgh or Mildenstowe exist any longer. The key to what happened to them, and to Miss Granger, lies within one of the books in that Museum Library, and you must find out what happened before you try going back, Draco."

"Let's go now, Potter" Draco said, practically leaping out of the study chair.

"Just a minute..." Dumbledore held up a wrinkled hand. "Harry, I want a private word with Draco before you leave."

"With Draco?" Harry said, looking over at the grey-eyed wizard.

"I assure you, it will only take a minute" Dumbledore said.

"I'll wait downstairs, then" said Harry, "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."

After Harry left, Professor Dumbledore turned to Draco with a serious expression.

"Draco, from my experience, the fay do not mess with the lives of people for no apparent reason. Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

Draco swallowed hard. The two men locked eyes for a moment before Draco looked away.

"No, Professor."

Dumbledore stared at the blonde wizard a while longer before nodding. "Very well, you may go."

"Thank you, Professor" Draco found himself blushing as he turned to leave.

"Draco..." The old wizard called out to the young man just before he left, "... if ever you want to tell me anything more about what happened, my door is always open to you. You do not need Harry to act as your intermediary: your choices have shown that you are worth more than what everyone imagined of you, or what you imagined of yourself."



*******************************************


"Malfoy, wake up." Harry shook Draco gently. They were in the Public Records section of the Museum Library, surrounded by stacks of books.

Draco sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost six. We have to leave soon."

"Just one more book" Draco said, heaving another tome onto the table.

"No," Harry snatched the volume away from him. "We can continue tomorrow. You're just going to make yourself ill if you continue like this."

Draco tried to snatch the book back, but Harry held it away from him.

"We're doing this wrong," Draco said, giving up trying to get the book back. "Surely we can find the record using magic."

"Dumbledore said we were forbidden to use magic in the muggle library."

"Typical Gryffindor...always afraid of breaking rules." Draco stood up from the table and stretched. He staggered slightly. Harry saw dark rings under Malfoy's eyes, and couldn't help but notice that he was getting very thin.

"Look, why don't you go home and get a good rest? You really don't look too well."

"Hey Potter," Draco said, as the two boys left their passes at the front reception.

"What?"

"Thanks for helping out."

"We'll find it soon, Malfoy. But I don't know how long you're going to be able to keep this a secret from the Zabinis. Ron's already been owling me frantically, wondering where I've been these last three days and I've had to lie through my front teeth about everything. You really should come clean, Malfoy....Hermione would have wanted it."

On the busy muggle pavement outside, Draco stopped and looked at Harry.

"You're right, Potter." For a moment, Draco looked lost.

"Why don't you start with Blaise? You owe it to her." Harry suggested, gently.

"Yes...Blaise. Of course."

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm meeting Ron for dinner, want to come along?" Harry said suddenly.

"Weasel? I mean...Weasley?"

"Yeah...you really can't keep Ron out of it you know. He's one of Hermione's best friends too. And besides, he's been getting suspicious of my 'visiting Mrs Figg in hospital' excuse for not being in the office."

Draco grinned. "Okay then, I could use some dinner anyway. Let's go."

In half an hour, the two wizards had reached the Leaky Cauldron. Slipping inside, they found the place already packed with magical people of all sorts. The crowd made Draco uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he had been in such a thick crowd...even the fayre in Mildenstowe hadn't been as packed as this. But Harry seemed to take it for granted and made his way toward a table at the back.

To Draco's surprise, Harry suddenly swung round and held up his cape. "Er...wrong table, let's try over there."

"What's the matter, Potter?" Draco peered over Harry's shoulder. And laughed.

"My, my!"

Blaise leapt off Ron's lap. "DRACO!" she screamed.

"Bloody hell!" cursed Ron, wiping her lipstick off his face.
"It's not what you think!" said Blaise, blushing furiously.

"What the sodding hell..." Ron still hadn't recovered his power of speech. Both Ron and Blaise gazed at Draco as if he were a particularly horrifying ghost.

"Everyone calm down!" said Harry, emerging from behind Draco. He was a good five inches shorter than the blonde wizard and no one had noticed him before.

"HARRY!" yelled Ron. "MALFOY'S BACK!"

"No need to shout you idiot, I'm not deaf" said Harry.

Blaise was still staring in horror at Draco, but Draco simply smirked and sat himself down at the table.

"I hope we weren't interrupting anything," Draco said, "Sit down Potter. Your friends seem happy to see me."

There was an awkward moment around the table during which Blaise blushed, Ron gaped, Draco smirked and Harry felt the distinct beginnings of a pounding headache. Finally, everyone tried to speak at the same time...

"Where were ..."

"Is Hermione..."

"So what's..."

"I brought..."

They lapsed into silence again. Harry decided that as this was all his fault, he'd better clear things up. He cleared his throat. "Er...Ron, Blaise...Malfoy came back three days ago."

Ron and Blaise sat in silence.

"We've been busy doing something the last three days and I though I'd ask him to dinner because he has something important to tell us, or well, yeah..."

"Hang on," said Draco, "I would think Weasley and Blaise have something important to tell me."

Ron turned purple. Harry sighed. "Malfoy, stop being so annoying and get to the point."

Malfoy grinned and Blaise relaxed slightly.

"Draco...I'm so sorry. You're not mad? I mean, it was nothing, really..."

"Nothing?" sputtered Ron.

"Weasley doesn't seem to think so" said Draco, feigning ignorance.

"This is ridiculous!" Harry said, rounding on Draco, "You know you couldn't care less what's going on between Blaise and Ron because..."

"Because?" asked Ron, curiously.

"Because?" asked Blaise, in surprise.

"Because..." said Draco, leaning back in his chair, "I'm married."

The news took a few moments to sink in. The looks on Ron and Blaise's faces were indescribable.

"To who?" whispered Blaise, her eyes huge and round.

"Yeah...who in bleeding hell would marry you?" asked Ron.

"I shall choose to ignore the rather unpleasant tone of your question, Weasley" said Draco, "But anyway, the answer to your question is... Hermione Granger."

Ron felt the whole room fall away from him. He was only dimly aware of hands holding him back as he lunged for Malfoy and shook him by the collar.

"How...dare...you...what...the...hell...is..."

"Ron...NO! RON!" yelled Harry and Blaise, holding him back.

A group of middle-aged witches at the next table gasped and peered curiously at the scene.

"Get him away from me!" shouted Malfoy, giving Ron a kick in the shins, and causing the red-haired wizard to yell in pain.

"Ron! RON! Please!" cried Blaise.

It took the combined efforts of Harry and Blaise to restrain Ron as he swiped ineffectually across the table at Malfoy.

"He...said...he...married...Hermione...What...the...fuck...she would never marry a nasty little ferret like..."

THWOCK.

Draco leapt out of his seat and boxed Ron's ears.

The group of middle-aged witches at the next table screamed and several other tables turned to peer at the commotion. Whispers of "It's Harry Potter!...and a Malfoy...Lucius' son...fighting...No, he's going for the Weasley kid...Isn't that Zabini's daugther..."

Tom, the keeper of the Leaky Cauldron came hurrying over.

"Now, now, what's going on Harry? Ron? We can't have fighting in here."

Ron's eyes were still glazed over, Draco had boxed him really hard around the ears and he was in too much pain to answer.

"I'm sorry, Tom" Harry said, glaring at Draco and Ron. "I've got it under control."

"Fighting in front of ladies," said Tom, indicating Blaise Zabini beside Ron, "Very bad form indeed! Shame on you! Let's not have any more nonsense tonight or I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

Ron began muttering furiously... "she would never marry you... what have you done to her you slimy git..."

"Ron, it's true" Harry said quietly. "If I'd known you'd take it so badly, I would've told you myself!"

"It's true?" gasped Blaise, staring at Malfoy. Her eyes went immediately to the fourth finger of his left hand. She saw a gold and ruby ring on it that she had never seen him wear before. "Oh my God, Draco... but what about... oh my god, my father's going to kill you! And Hermione's a...a...muggleborn..."

Draco straightened the front of his robes where Ron had nearly ripped off his tie.

"Where...is...she...you...ferret...what...have...you...done...with...her..."

"I would appreciate it if you would stop calling me names," Draco said. "I came here prepared to be civilised."

"Names? Names?" said Ron, angrily. "Who's the frickin' KING of name calling eh? Perhaps I should refresh your KINGLY memory, or have you left your brains in a BIN?"

Draco waved his hand. "Get over it Weasley. I apologise, all right?"

Ron sputtered ineffectually. He hadn't expected that.

"Hermione's not back yet," Harry explained. "Draco said she splashed the Reverse Thyme Eliminus Potion on him but stayed behind herself for some reason."

"What reason?" asked Ron.

"I don't really know. The last thing she said to me was that it was very important and she didn't want me there when she did it. Potter and I have been combing public records in the Museum Library to try and gain a clue to what happened in 1486."

"So she's not coming back?" Ron said, turning white and red and white again.

"She is" said Draco shortly.

"How?" asked Ron and Blaise together.

Harry and Draco exchanged looks.

"Malfoy's going back to get her." said Harry softly. "We went to Dumbledore for help."

Ron and Blaise stared at Malfoy who was blushing slightly.

"Bloody hell" said Ron. It was more a statement than a curse.

Blaise suddenly looked worried. "Are you going to break off the engagement with me, Draco?"

Draco nodded. "I'm sorry Blaise, but you know it's what we both wanted anyway. It's just that neither of us had the guts to do it before."

"But Draco...you know the consequences..."

"Yes," said Draco, wryly.

"And you don't care?"

"No."

Blaise turned to Ron and Harry, and she smiled. "Don't worry you guys. Draco really does love Hermione."


*********************************************


The next day found Harry and Draco back in the Museum Library. The muggle librarian there was beginning to get used to the two "Government Officials" doing "Research" for their "Ministry" there. She observed that they had different styles of working. The blonde boy would take stacks of public records down and sift through them as quickly as possible. The dark-haired boy would take the books from the shelves one by one and comb through each slowly. But a simple confundus charm prevented her from thinking too much, and she had no desire to question them about their work.

"Malfoy" said Harry suddenly, "Look at this"

"What is it?" Draco leapt up from the desk and hurried over to where Harry was standing, a book open in his hands.

"Is this it?"

Draco's eyes flew over the words on the page, the section was entitled "A Historie of the Western Counties of Olde Englonde."

Glancing to where Potter's fingers marked the text, Draco read, "...in 1563, the Thirty Nine Articles established the Anglican Church in Englonde. The Queene merged the villages of Aldeburgh, Goringsbury, Routheburgh, Mildenstowe and Lorston in strongly Catholic Suffolk into the precinct of Thorpeness. The local parishes were stripped of their priests and brought under the control of Westminter Abbey..."

"Thorpeness" said Draco, under his breath. "You found it Potter. It's Thorpeness!" Draco turned and walked rapidly to another section of the Records.

"What are you doing?" Harry hurried over.

"Bloody hell," He pulled out a few volumes of books. "It was right under our noses all this time!"

"I'm sorry, dears. We're closing." said the librarian, popping her head around the door.

"Could we just have ten more minutes? I think I've found what I've been looking for at last." asked Draco desperately.

"I'm sorry, it's actually past six. I let you have a few moments longer already" the librarian said apologetically. She jangled a bunch of keys in her hands.

"Malfoy," Harry said, "Let's continue tomorrow. The books will still be here."

Draco's eyes were feverishly bright as he clutched the stack of books. "Please, just a while more."

The librarian made an impatient sound. "I'm afraid not, Mr Malfoy."

Draco opened his mouth to continue arguing, but changed his mind and stopped. "All right, we'll be out in a minute."

The librarian nodded and waited by the door.

Draco turned around, his back to Harry. Harry gathered up his things. He could hear Draco muttering under his breath, and understood how frustrated he must feel. Harry, too, wanted to look at those books, but they had promised Dumbledore to abide by the rules of the library...it had taken special cross-Ministry privileges for them to be allowed into that section of the library.

"All right" said Draco tensely, turning round. "Let's go"

Outside the library, they paused to say goodbye to each other, before going their separate ways. Harry couldn't help but think that there was something odd about Draco'd behaviour that night. Before Harry had even finished saying goodbye, Draco disapparated.

Back at Malfoy Manor, he knelt on the porch, in front of a surprised house elf.

"Master...what are you..."

"Finite Incantatem"

In front of Draco, appeared a stack of books. Previously as small as peas, they grew rapidly to full-sized volumes. The house-elf stared in surprise.

"Come inside, Master" the elf said timidly, but Draco ignored her. He was already leafing quickly through the books. Frustrated, he threw one aside. Draco didn't notice that more house-elves were gathering around him. None of them dared speak. Their master seemed to have gone mad, feverishly flipping through books on his front porch.

"Lumos" muttered Kloddy, as she saw Draco squinting in the growing dark. Her master seemed not to notice what she had done for him.

The house elves began to mutter. Never before had their master behaved so irrationally. Around Malfoy Manor, night fell in a smothering rush. There was no sound to be heard but the frantic flipping of pages and Draco's raid intakes of breath. The house-elves fidgeted, sensing their Master's nervousness and desperation.

Hours later, under the faint magic light conjured by Kloddy, and surrounded by his curious house-elves, Draco's eyes finally fell on the page he wanted.

The paper was yellowed, and the ink faded - but to Draco, the words shone as clearly as coals on snow.

"MASTER!" screamed Kloddy... as her master howled, and flung the book into the dark.