Title: The Bermuda Triangle
Summary: A plane crashes near the Bermuda Triangle and apparently all on board are killed. All, that is, but a mother and her daughter. The Triangle's magic transports the two into the Forbidden Forest and questions arise when the young mother leads her teenage daughter to the school—everybody thought the Gryffindor was dead, but she's here now and her daughter has curly blonde hair and is sorted into Slytherin. What is going on here?
Pairings: Past Hermione/Draco…present Hermione/Draco…present Harry/Ginny…who knows what else…
Author: Silver Sparklze
Started: 7th September 2003
Reason For Writing: This story was started as a challenge issued by Sage: The Dark Dryad. Let it be known that I NEVER turn down a challenge…*Ash's sister* LIAR!
Hermione sipped her hot chocolate, poring over yet another huge book. She sighed, and leant back in the chair, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looked up as the door opened, and relaxed back into her chair when a white and black cat slunk into the room.
"Who are you?" She wondered aloud. It looked at her seriously for a moment, and she smiled sadly, tears filling her eyes. "I know," She hiccuped, "You're Jillian's kitty, aren't you? She was talking about you." She wiped away a tear, and jumped when the cat (which had already left her lap) suddenly turned into Draco, who swooped down upon her, and pulled her into his lap, somehow managing to sit in the chair he'd just taken her from at the same time.
AN: No mean feat, I can assure you, I tried it with my three-year-old sis, to check that it would work, and aside from having her kick me in the face, it's very difficult to juggle a squirming bundle which weighs considerably less than me, and sit in the seat she's just vacated. Ergo, I can guess it would be much harder for Draco to do it.
"Hermione, don't cry." He whispered softly, gently stroking her back.
"S-sorry." She replied, slightly gasping for breath. She made a futile effort to stop, but she was far too into sobbing now to stop so easily.
"No, don't worry, you have every right to cry after what happened to Jillian.
"What about you? You're not crying. Why did you leave me this morning?" Hermione whimpered, changing the topic, hoping it might help her crying cease. "Why did you hurt me like that? After everything I've gone through…"
"Hermione," Draco said, his eyes never leaving hers, "A few days ago, I couldn't have imagined us together like this, but this morning, when you wouldn't look at me…it really hurt." He let his hands slide up Hermione's back, gently tightening his hold on the Gryffindor. "I can't fight with you now," He said. "I can't go back to the way things were between us before."
"Draco," Hermione said softly, slipping her arms around Draco's neck, "I am way past being able to go back to what we were before." She tossed her head slightly as her darkening hair got into her eyes. "I've imagined us together like this a thousand times. I just never believed in it, that it could actually happen." She laid her head down on her own upper arm; her face turned in against Draco's neck, and was quiet for a moment.
Then she spoke again, very quietly. "And I'm afraid," She murmured, "That I'll wake up…like this morning…and you'll be gone, and it will have been nothing more than some pathetic dream." She took a deep breath, exhaling in a long sigh. "This morning, I felt…so alone…so…used. I thought you had changed your mind."
"Oh, Hermione, no," said Draco, stung by his own unintentional cruelty.
"I don't think I've ever been as afraid of anything as I was of that, and I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come and talked some sense into me. I know I don't deserve you, Draco. I don't know how you can trust me after everything I've done. I don't deserve your forgiveness. Not this easily." Hermione lifted her head and pulled back, the expression in her eyes solemn. "But, what you said last night, about us, about Jillian…that meant…everything to me. I just never dared hope, before, that you would feel that way. That you might be able to forgive me. I don't deserve that, Draco." Draco's gaze searched deeply into Hermione's eyes.
"I have thought a lot about whether I should trust you or not, and about whether or not you could trust me." He said sincerely, "And I do trust you. As for not deserving my forgiveness…it's me who doesn't deserve yours. I never wanted to fight with you, or hate you. I just didn't understand, and now that I do, those things don't matter. It isn't so much about forgiveness as it is about not letting the past ruin what we are starting now." Draco reached up with one hand and brushed Hermione's hair away from her eyes. "What I want is for us to be together, more than anything. Will you trust me enough to believe that?"
Hermione closed her eyes at Draco's light touch on her face, then nodded. "I want to, Draco," She said quietly. "I'm just not used to…being loved. Not like this." She looked back up and met Draco's silver gaze, his eyes the color of morning rain.
"Well, isn't this…sickening." A hateful voice sneered, causing Hermione and Draco to jerk apart. Hermione's eyes glowed with loathing when she saw who it was.
"Lucius." She snapped, "Where's my daughter?"
"Oh she's…in an incredible amount of pain, I believe." Lucius looked positively joyful about that fact. Hermione slid off Draco's lap as he jumped up, and pulled out his wand.
"TELL ME WHERE SHE IS, OR I'LL HEX YOU INTO OBLIVION!" Draco yelled. Lucius mockingly shook his finger at Draco.
"Now, now, Draco, be nice, or your dearest daughter may be punished." He said derisively.
"You lay one finger on her and I'll rip you to shreds." Hermione growled. Her wand was in her hand, and it gave off a bunch of brilliant red sparks.
"That goes for you too, Mudblood."
"Hermione is not a mudblood." Draco snapped, "She is a talented witch, whose blood is by deeds purer than yours. Hers is purer than at least two thirds of the supposed 'purebloods' that occupy the Wizarding World." Hermione squeezed his hand gently.
"That said, I would suggest you get out of here as quickly as possible," Hermione said coldly, "Unless you wish to be the recipient of a nasty hex or two, before being turned over to Albus and the Order for questioning."
"Warning me, Granger? That's not like you."
"Oh, I simply don't think it's the right time yet." Hermione smiled coolly, "I have to finish practicing a certain curse. So, ta, ta." Lucius gave a mocking bow.
"Indeed." He said, before strangely vanishing.
~*~
Jillian closed her eyes, somehow knowing that someone was about to enter, and light up the room. And, as a matter of fact, someone did.
"Iluminación Totallum." The harsh light pierced through her closed eyelids, hurting her dark-sensitive vision, but she did not flinch. If anything, she relaxed even more, although her mind was buzzing. How had she known someone was about to enter? After a moment, she put it down to simply hearing their footsteps, or something similar, and concentrated on keeping her breathing low and even.
She even managed not to flinch when she was slapped across the face. The slight stinging sensation came nowhere near close to the pain of Crucio, nor the humiliation of Imperio, therefore it didn't even register on her mind.
Whoever it was slapped her again.
"Wake up, brat." Ah, it was her dear grandfather. Slowly, even insolently, she opened her eyes. She didn't know why she was being so much trouble. She knew the sooner she succumbed to his and Voldemort's wishes the sooner she would die, and yet, she didn't mind the pain. It reminded her that they had no power to make her talk.
The Imperius curse was interesting, Her mum had taught Jillian great strength of will, and no matter what Voldemort asked, Jillian could always link it to some past experience, and in doing so, just as she got to the most interesting part of her confession, she would go off on a tangent, talking about memories of the beach and what it was like to swim with dolphins. She knew that she was only going to be punished more, but she also knew that her mother was looking for her, and if she died she might destroy what little wisps of sanity her mum had left.
"Did you want something?" She asked sweetly, "Because if so, I'm a bit tied up at the moment." She faked a sigh.
"Oh no, of course not," Lucius said, a smirk on his face which made Jillian expect the worst, "Just wanted to inform you that your mummy and daddy have been told, and they don't particularly care, of and of course that the rest of the Death Eaters have arrived, your father included." If he expects me to be surprised/shocked/angry that Draco is a Death Eater, he's gonna be disappointed. She thought, After all, I already knew. She smiled.
"Splendid. As soon as I'm done with this phone call you can send them in. That will be all, Agnes." She said sarcastically, putting on a fake American accent. Lucius' face darkened.
"Why you impudent little-"
"LUCIUS MALFOY!!!" Jillian's eyes widened when she saw a beautiful woman with long blonde hair and silver-blue eyes storm in. Lucius also looked surprised.
"Hello, Narcissa." He said. The woman – whom Jillian now knew was her grandmother, although she certainly didn't look it – walked over, her eyes fairly snapping.
"How dare you." She hissed, "This girl is my granddaughter! And she and her mother make Draco happy!"
"B-but Cissa, sh-she's a mudblood." Lucius whimpered.
"You stupid primate!" Narcissa shrieked, looking all the more beautiful in her rage, "She is my flesh and blood!!!" She took out her wand, pointed it in Jillian's direction, and Jillian fell from the wall. "I will not have you killing off my only grandchild, even if her mother is a muggle born! This has gone far enough! You can tell milord that I refuse to let my little girl be hurt in any way! If you have damaged so much as one hair on her pretty little head I assure you the consequences for both you and Tom will not be pleasant!!!!"
Jillian watched in amusement from her position on the floor as Lucius cowered before Narcissa, looking more like a schoolboy in disgrace than a poised, evil aristocrat. "How could you even assume that you could keep me in the dark about this? Well I've had enough. It's one thing to want to rid the magical world of muggle-borns – which is, as you know, not something that I approve of – but quite another to want to kill your only grandchild and the heir to the Malfoy family fortune!!!"
She stalked over, grabbed Jillian, and turned to walk out. "I want a divorce! And don't even think you'll get any alimony out of this Lucius Archibald," Jillian snorted, "Malfoy! Once I'm finished, I'll not only have what meagre fortune you have left, you'll have your soul sucked out and be in Azkaban for life!!!" She carried on walking out of the room.
More Author's Notes: Well, that is a surprise! I can assure you, I never meant for that to happen. I was going to have Draco or Hermione save her, but Narcissa thought she'd been ignored long enough, I guess. On another note, when I typed in Azkaban, you know what it came up with? Azkabanâ. How weird!!! I was really quite surprised.
Before I go, thanks to these reviewers;
Sweet Girl: thanks, I'm glad you like it. Sorry I didn't reply to your review until this chapter, I got it just as I was posting chapter 18. My bad.
Sage: The Dark Dryad: Yes, he needs to speak to a shrink :-) but anywayz, thanks for reviewing. As for Anita, well…I dunno. Reporters have connections everywhere, and I'm not privy to who her connections are. Damned original characters…
Gnatgirl: yah, sorry about the strange pov changes, I'll try to do something about that. How about ~*~ before a new pov?
Fleria: no, Hopeless!Draco doesn't happen often, does he? Although I think it's more just in Hermione's case. She's an enigma. Gotta love her, though.
Zenni: yes, I'm rather proud of her myself. Jillian certainly has her mum's spice, doesn't she.
DesireeMalfoy: Ok, a beta is someone who checks your work for grammar and spelling errors, and can help you with your story if you get stuck. Thanks for the email address, glad to finally be able to email you. Bad luck about the grounding, what did you do? You're welcome about the instructions, it was no problem. I wish I'd had someone to help me in the same way when I first started out not to long ago. Thanks for reviewing, and good luck with your writing.
Skittles713: Thanks for the review.
Swishy Willow Wand: don't worry; my sister got me a good deal on waterproof gerbils…
Kate Potter: thanks. Sorry that I didn't update for two weeks, I've been mega busy. Doesn't school suck?
Lgobgirlie: thanks. Here's the next one :-)
Must go…ttfn!
Hermione: You aren't going anywhere until you explain a few things.
Narcissa: Like why I've only just been mentioned.
Jillian: And what was Lucius going to say?
Gaia: And do amphibians have to wait an hour before getting out of the water after eating?