Author: The*Spangled*Pandemonium

Title: In the Hands of the Gods

Chapter Title: A Cloud Was on the Mind of Men

Summary: When Greek Gods still roamed the earth, two lovers were separated by fate. Now, Hermione, a seemingly ordinary witch, and Draco, a boy whose anger clouds his heart, are joined together in a project about the magic of ancient Greece. Why do they have dreams that connect? Why do strange things happen when they're together?

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Not all Gods live forever, you know.

A course of a life can change forever in just one second. But time didn't take away my beloved daughter. Love did.

Hermia… I thought her too young and vulnerable to face a boy like Damian. He was going to hurt her, I believe, and use my daughter as a stepladder to immortality.

What would any father do, when he found out that his pride and joy was going with an undesirable? I told Zeus of the abomination, and he repaid a favor that I had given him years ago. So he banished Damian into the sky, trapped within a constellation for centuries, until one day, he would be reborn as a human, far away from my daughter, who would have forgotten him by then.

But she did not forget.

Two short months after he was exiled, she made a deal with Hades. He gave her a potion that made her mortal, and…she left.

Her last note to me said that she'd be with Damian, even if it took more than one lifetime.

I realize now that I shouldn't have tried to control her life. She was always smarter than her sisters and so much more independent. It must've been the fact that she was the youngest of them that made me believe she was susceptible to all dangers.

Those were the old days. Now, we are simply myths told to little children in classrooms. After all these years, I understand what Hermia was going through.

And I am determined that she will meet him again. I'll make her happy, even if she isn't with me anymore.

~~~*~~~

Hermione:

Have you ever heard that expression "damned if you do, damned if you don't"? It's the dilemma of being revolted by something and attracted to it at the same time. And that's exactly how I felt about that blasted project Dumbledore was so excited about.

I was sitting in the Great Hall, stirring my lukewarm coffee, with my hazel eyes glazed over as conversation around me swept about unnoticed like a soft wind. The room was dappled in pale morning sunlight, which glimmered attractively on the golden plate in front of me. Everything looked like it was going on all right, but I couldn't shake away the icky feeling of tension in my back.

Intuition told me something surprising was going to happen. And I didn't like surprises; especially if my grades depended on it.

"Umm Hermione?" My red-haired friend, Ron Weasley, said sheepishly to me. "I just ate your croissant… Is that ok?"

I snapped out of my lazy stupor as if someone had jabbed me in the ribs. After a slow glance at my empty plate, I proceeded to glare threateningly into Harry Potter's pale face.

"You could've stopped him!" I said, feigning irritation. My hazel eyes narrowed slightly, and I assembled my expression into my typical no-nonsense frown. The effect was kind of ruined by the faint twitch of amusement at the corner of my mouth.

Harry shrugged lightly, and a wide grin meandered slowly on to his face. "You didn't seem to mind… Too busy admiring the back wall over there to notice?"

I pretended to glower sulkily as I stuffed a few slices of fruit into my mouth. "I'm worried about the project… There are too many teachers are smiling like they've got something exciting up their sleeves. It's unnerving."

"You worry too much, Hermione." Ron declared with the precision of a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. "Lighten up a little." He polished off the last traces of a scrambled egg and ended his small speech with a smile. A smile, unfortunately, which had bit of egg still left in it.

I snorted daintily (if that's even possible) and wiped my mouth with my napkin. "Lets see if you'll still be laughing when we're forced to eat spiders…or something."

A loud rapping sound from the teacher's table plunged most of the room into silence.

"All 6th years stay… The rest of the students you may go to your separate classes." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye, "That is, unless you want to go with them Messrs. Malfoy, Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle."

Each of the boys turned a satisfying shade of pink for being singled out.

Draco and his two cronies had been cackling over Blaise's antics as he tried to cram a whole sausage link into his mouth. It was so annoyingly juvenile, and they didn't even realize that every Professor in the room was giving them the eye!

I've always wondered how anyone could survive against a teacher's blatant disapproval.

Dumbledore continued when the last titter finally died down. "This year, I have decided on making a project that will improve your researching skills and enhance your resourcefulness and creativity. We, the teachers, paired you up with your partners according to your abilities. We have assigned each pair with a topic that will be sufficiently challenging." Dumbledore peered mischievously over his half-moon spectacles. "There is a catch though…your partners will have to be in different Houses."

A few outraged gasps and a loud chorus of murmuring came from the students.  I kicked Ron on the leg from under the table and smirked. I told you so.

I was not apprehensive anymore. If the professors grouped me with a person who matched me in grades and intelligence, I should have no real problem. I was confident in their ability to pick a person suited to me. I'd probably end up with Padma Patil or Hannah Abbot…I heard that they did quite well last year and were requested to become prefects…

I had an awfully hard time keeping a smug grin away from my face as I looked at the panicking Gryffindors around me. Our House was so bonded, that some people barely even knew the names of some of the outsiders!

Dumbledore had a calm, beatific smile on his face as he started up again. He seemed pleased with the reaction he was getting. "Silence please… These projects will be due in June, and as it is only October, I trust that your finished projects will be full in content and imagination." He paused for a pregnant second. "Do you want to know who your partners are now? Or later in the Common Rooms?"

The "NOW!" was unanimous.

Clearing his throat, he waited a moment before speaking out to the hushed room.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy and Bones, Susan researching on extinct Magical Creatures"

 In front of the rest of the year, the two girls eyed each other critically from their different tables, and nodded their approval. One pairing down.

"Turpin Lisa and Finnigan, Seamus researching on the art of Magical Paintings"

The Ravenclaw and Gryffindor flicked their eyes at one another for the briefest second, and started whispering to their friends. Another pairing down.

I don't know how long I sat there, waiting for one of my friends to finally be called. Time passed so slowly, but I wasn't aware of anything around me. My ears perked up when I heard Dumbledore cry out:

"Potter, Harry and Abbot, Hannah researching on the ancient Magic of India."

From where I was sitting, I saw Hannah, the blonde girl who I first identified with pigtails, turn a bright shade of red, and look at our table anxiously. Harry simply blinked twice, and cleaned his glasses.

More people... The names became a bland song that I had automatically tuned out of my head.

Suddenly:

"Parkinson, Pansy and Weasley, Ronald researching on the Magical Schools around the World."

Ron, who had been fretfully nibbling on a biscuit, had suddenly straightened up as if a rat had bit him in the ass. He opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it. Flicked his eyes erratically around the room.

I reached over the table and patted his hand comfortingly. I didn't even want to see how Pansy was reacting to this obvious mix-up.

More people… I was getting uneasy. Who would be my partner now? Padma and Hannah had already been chosen. And surely it wouldn't be Millicent Bulstrode…right?

"Granger, Hermione and—" I tensed up. A large part of my grade would depend on what person I got now. I clenched my fists tightly. My nails bit into the palm of my hand. "—Malfoy, Draco on the Magic of Ancient Greece."

I don't rightly know what I did then. Did I just sit there, dead to the world? Or did my face contort in disgust and revulsion?

All I know is that both Harry and Ron were looking at me with horror etched clearly on their faces.

There must have been some mistake.

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Authors Note: Hey people! I'm back into writing again! I hope the beginning of this story reaches your expectations. As you might know, the name Hermione is Greek, and was derived from that of Hermes, the Greek messenger god. I'm not too sure about Draco's own origin. One source said it was Italian, but then how about that Athenian spokesman with the same name, the one who was very cruel and severe? Oh well, if I got it all wrong (despite the research I did), I'll be happy to show you I have this: *flashes artistic license* Hehe!

Please tell me what you think… I don't think I'll continue this story if I get less than 7 reviews…