~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
It had been a week since Hermione Granger had traveled back through time, a week since she had lost everything in the world to her, a week since she had received the brand of Voldmort's possession. It had been a week since the nightmares began.
She would wake up a night in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing. She had stopped sleeping in the green covers of her bed; they felt like a noose around her neck while she slept. The nightmares were dark and vivid, but she could never remember any of the details, all that she could remember was the dark red eyes that loomed over her, calling her and the screams of her friends.
Other then the nightmares Hermione was finding it less difficult to fit in with the students of Hogwarts. She hadn't had any other conversations with her Slytherin house mates, including her soon to be potions teacher and Lucius Malfoy. She just avoided them, not making eye contact with any of the green clad students.
She had made friends, if that was what you could call it, with Narccissa. The both were considered the odd ones out at the school. Narccissa was quiet and shy but more intelligent then Hermione would have given credit to, especially since she would spawn Draco Malfoy.
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione woke up once again in a cold sweat, panting and feeling the need to throw up. This quickly subsided.
" I can't keep doing this, every night the same bloody dreams" Hermione whispered to herself. Then wincing in from the pain in her arm that suddenly started growing. Quickly she walked over to the bathroom and thrusted her arm under the tap waiting for the pain to stop.it didn't the water that touched the mark only turned to steam. She cried out as the pain increased.
Gripping her arm as though it would fall off she threw on her Slytherin robe and dashed out of her room. The mark on her arm felt as though it was trying to saw through the bone.
Sprinting down the long stair case she catapulted out of the portrait into the common room, there were at least twenty of her housemates looking at her like she was crazy and in need of drugs. She was sprinting so fast not caring where she was going as long as she could get out of here that she ran right into Severus Snape.
"Oomph!" mumbled Snape as he fell onto the ground, Hermione on top of him. His dark eyes were trying to discover the reason for her rushing into him.
"Are you all right?" He whispered in a dark voice.
Hermione just winced at the pain in her arm; she grabbed it and jumped off of Snape bolting through the Slytherin common room out into the Hogwarts hall.
"What was that all about" came the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy.
Severus just shook his head. " Damned if I know, that girl is rather weird."
Lucius just nodded. Looking towards the door were Hermione had just run through.
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione ran down the twisting halls and corridors in search of the great stone Gargoyle that housed the office of Headmaster dumbledore. She was beginning to think that she was never going to make it to the statue, her arm throbbed mercilessly, making her want to scream out. She didn't though for the fear that if she started she might never be able to stop.
Finally she reached the looming figure of the gargoyle, and was about to start naming off sweets and candies when the statue sprung aside. Hermione just about fainted when she saw the figure of the Headmaster of Hogwarts standing before her.
" Ah Miss Granger I believe you have something that you need to discus with me?" he chimed in his always-pleasant voice.
Hermione just nodded, the pain in her arm was so blinding that it made her unable to speak. Dumbledore turned on his heel, walking back up the stairs that led to his office, Hermione dumbly followed.
"Now Hermione, perhaps you would like to tell me what happened the day that you arrived here?" His eyes held the marry twinkle and knowledge that he already knew what she was going to say.
Hermione was about to begging to talk when a fresh surge of pain seared through her arm. She gave a tinny wince having promised her self long ago that she would not let that bastard Voldmort win. Screaming would allow him to.
Dumbledore gave her a sad smile and reached into his robes and pulled out his wand, he took hold of her left arm were the source of all her misery was situated. He pulled back the sleeve of her robe, and was able to see for the first time what caused the girl so much pain.
Hermione looked at it the same as Dumbledore, she palled visibly. The scar was now a ravenous black and there was blood trickling down the edges, the mark looked at though it would truly burn right through her arm if given the chance.
Dumbledore rubbed his thumb over the mark, his smile was now gone. Thoughts were running though his head at lightning speed. How could such a young girl have her fate decided as such? He knew who did this, he knew what was going to happen to the girl, realization dawned over him of why the girl was sent back to this time.but why now, not earlyer?
Hermione was squirming trying to break her mind away from the pain. Dumbledore noticed this and brought his wand to the mark. Hope surged through Hermione.but then it died, as did the pain. The marks pain was gone, but the mark its self was the same.
" Thank you" She whispered, trying not to show her disappointment.
" You have nothing to thank me for, I wish I could remove it but that is for someone else to do." He looked at her gravely. " I think its time you told me how you received this."
Hermione blanched, telling him would reveal things about the future, it could destroy time, thinking back she realized that it would be better for her to tell and for time to be destroyed then for the world to have to face the fate that would undoubtedly come.
She took in breath and started her story, leaving no detail out, from the beginning with the tale of harry potter and how his parents died, to when Ron and Harry both perished at the hands of the death eaters.she came finally to the end, tears were threatening to fall, but she built up a wall of ice around her emotions that she would not allow it. She told him of how the death eaters had circled her, how Voldmort had burned her.How Snape had saved her?
He did didn't he? She told herself. So even the cold and merciless potion master could show a bit of compassion.
Dumbledore through this entire telling had not moved but looked thought full. He finally looked at her. " Thank you Miss Granger, I hope that you will not waste this chance that has been bestowed on you." He gave her a very weird look; Hermione couldn't place the emotions that passed over his face.
" Sir how can I get rid of this" she indicated to her arm. " Why does it hurt?"
Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh. " Im afraid that I know of no way to remove it Hermione, it was place there for a dark purpose.as for the reason that it hurts, it does that when Voldmort calls to it, much like the dark mark he places on his followers to call them. This however is different, this mark calls not only to your mind through pain but to your body."
Hermione blanched, she clearly didn't understand, it was one of the few times that she wasn't able to comprehend something.
" It means that he has laid claim to your body and will continue to call you until he gets what he wants. I believe I do not need to tell you what it is he wants, and in this time unlike your own, he is able to get what he wants."
There was a dead silence. Then Hermione finally broke it. " Then Im as good as gone then?"
Dumbledores twinkle returned. " Not entirely my dear, if the story is true and the future Severus Snape did in fact intervene into this time, Voldmort will have problems obtaining you, and you will have people here who can defend you until we can rectify this problem."
Hermione gave him a soft smile. " Thank you." She got up to leave. Then Dumbledore called to her.
"Hermione one more thing."
She turned.
" I believe that you should enjoy your time here, it is something that very few can ever experience. Although the year has just started and you were already half through back in your own time, you will still need top marks to graduate." He gave her a merry smile.
This was only the beginning of the year? This was a startling shock to her, she had her suspicions due to the weather but it truly was.
"Thank you sir, I won't disappoint you"
He gave her a very proud smile. " I know you won't Hermione"
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione didn't know whether to be scared or relieved after her conversation with Dumbledore. She couldn't let it bother her though, she had to pick up the pace and get to work. The curriculum in this new time was no doubt different from the one that she had almost finished back in her own.
Over the years, Hermione had not lost her love of knowledge, as she grew in age her lust from it had intensified, but with age came another type of wisdom, balance. In the sixth year, Hermione had found that balance. She was able to make new friends and still keep her rather illustrious study habits.
Now she felt that she would rather be back to old habits rather then her new more out going ones.
She walked back down to the Slytherin common room and was intending to speak with Professor Lacouse about her curriculum. She reached the portrait to the entrance of the Slytherin house when it opened before her.
" God I wish these things would stop doing that!" she mumbled.
" Doing what may I ask?" Out from the portrait came Severus Snape flanked by Lucius Malfoy.
" I believe this is where I say none of your business." She moved to push past them, but they wouldn't budge from the doorway.
" I think its time we had a little talk new girl." Lucius sneered.
She looked at Snape. Had he told? Did Lucius know she was a mungle born, god this was not good? She was beginning to panic. Her face paled. Her eyes looked to Snape's, but he was just looking at her steadily with those dark orbs.
They walked out of the portrait whole and it closed behind them, leaving her alone to the mercy of the two.
She quickly reached into her robes, grabbing for her wand as she backed up against the wall trying to keep as much distance as she could against the two. What the hell did they want? She pulled her wand free from her robes. Boys just looked at her, Lucius looked very strangely at her, it amazed her how he could look cocky and scared at the same time. Snape looked impassive.
" What the hell are you doing?" Lucius asked indicating to the wand.
" What the hell are you doing?" she snarled at the boys like a cornered animal.
"We only wanted to talk." Lucius replied pulling his wand out.
" Oh and that's why you decided to pull your wand out on me!" She snapped.
" It's a precaution, you pulled yours so I will pull mine!" He growled.
Hermione looked at the two. She did not enjoy the position she was in but had little choice. " Well what do you two want!"
Snape moved infront of Lucius, standing directly in the line of fire of the two. " We only wanted to speak with you."
Hermione was stunned. What was going on? " Why" she asked waiting for the knife to drop.
"Your new here that's why, besides, Lacouse would have our heads" mumbled Lucius.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Professor Lacouse had asked them to talk to her.
" Well what do you want then?"
Severus looked to Lucius and Lucius to Severus. The shrugged. "Just wanted to know if you were all right, you ran out of the common room last time we saw you like a bat out of hell" chimed Lucius, now trying to act charming. Hermione sneered at him. Severus looked like he was going to laugh.
" Im fine thank you. I just had to see dumbledore that's all." She replied shortly.
" Oh ok then, we were just wondering because you never seem to talk to any of our house mates and you don't seem to have any friends.."
Hermione cut Lucius off. " I have friends or a friend"
Lucius laughed. " The RavenClaw you hang around with sometimes? Narccissa? Don't make me laugh! Ravenclaw's aren't friends there drones, they do what ever people tell them!"
Hermione glared at him, what an ass whole. Though his description was very true, Narccissa had very little that was her own, but she was her friend and that was that. Lucius was now playing a game with her, one that she intended to win.
She laughed at him. " Are you offering the position?" Her words were laced with sarcastic intent, she new he was going to say no, just like Severus would. She cast the dark haired boy a look and he just raised an eyebrow at her.
Lucius was about to something but the ever-silent Snape piped up. " I believe that if you required companion ship we would "both" (he cast a look at Lucius) be able to suffice in that department."
Hermione was stunned this was not how it was supposed to happen, what kind of game was Snape playing at. Ha she could beat him at his own game, she would accept the proposal and through both the jerks off, they would gladly and very quickly take back the offer.
She stood up to her full height. " Very well I accept!"
Both boys nodded, much to her horror, Lucius smiled at her. It was almost a real smile.
" Good to hear, I would hate to be on you..umm .bad side any longer. " Lucius indicated to his eye that had turned a lovely shade of purple.
Snape glared down at her, she had no doubt in her mind that he knew that she had tried to outsmart the both of them and was now stuck. She glared back at him. She thought she faintly heard him mutter under his breath.
" I'll figure you out yet"
It had been a week since Hermione Granger had traveled back through time, a week since she had lost everything in the world to her, a week since she had received the brand of Voldmort's possession. It had been a week since the nightmares began.
She would wake up a night in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing. She had stopped sleeping in the green covers of her bed; they felt like a noose around her neck while she slept. The nightmares were dark and vivid, but she could never remember any of the details, all that she could remember was the dark red eyes that loomed over her, calling her and the screams of her friends.
Other then the nightmares Hermione was finding it less difficult to fit in with the students of Hogwarts. She hadn't had any other conversations with her Slytherin house mates, including her soon to be potions teacher and Lucius Malfoy. She just avoided them, not making eye contact with any of the green clad students.
She had made friends, if that was what you could call it, with Narccissa. The both were considered the odd ones out at the school. Narccissa was quiet and shy but more intelligent then Hermione would have given credit to, especially since she would spawn Draco Malfoy.
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione woke up once again in a cold sweat, panting and feeling the need to throw up. This quickly subsided.
" I can't keep doing this, every night the same bloody dreams" Hermione whispered to herself. Then wincing in from the pain in her arm that suddenly started growing. Quickly she walked over to the bathroom and thrusted her arm under the tap waiting for the pain to stop.it didn't the water that touched the mark only turned to steam. She cried out as the pain increased.
Gripping her arm as though it would fall off she threw on her Slytherin robe and dashed out of her room. The mark on her arm felt as though it was trying to saw through the bone.
Sprinting down the long stair case she catapulted out of the portrait into the common room, there were at least twenty of her housemates looking at her like she was crazy and in need of drugs. She was sprinting so fast not caring where she was going as long as she could get out of here that she ran right into Severus Snape.
"Oomph!" mumbled Snape as he fell onto the ground, Hermione on top of him. His dark eyes were trying to discover the reason for her rushing into him.
"Are you all right?" He whispered in a dark voice.
Hermione just winced at the pain in her arm; she grabbed it and jumped off of Snape bolting through the Slytherin common room out into the Hogwarts hall.
"What was that all about" came the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy.
Severus just shook his head. " Damned if I know, that girl is rather weird."
Lucius just nodded. Looking towards the door were Hermione had just run through.
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione ran down the twisting halls and corridors in search of the great stone Gargoyle that housed the office of Headmaster dumbledore. She was beginning to think that she was never going to make it to the statue, her arm throbbed mercilessly, making her want to scream out. She didn't though for the fear that if she started she might never be able to stop.
Finally she reached the looming figure of the gargoyle, and was about to start naming off sweets and candies when the statue sprung aside. Hermione just about fainted when she saw the figure of the Headmaster of Hogwarts standing before her.
" Ah Miss Granger I believe you have something that you need to discus with me?" he chimed in his always-pleasant voice.
Hermione just nodded, the pain in her arm was so blinding that it made her unable to speak. Dumbledore turned on his heel, walking back up the stairs that led to his office, Hermione dumbly followed.
"Now Hermione, perhaps you would like to tell me what happened the day that you arrived here?" His eyes held the marry twinkle and knowledge that he already knew what she was going to say.
Hermione was about to begging to talk when a fresh surge of pain seared through her arm. She gave a tinny wince having promised her self long ago that she would not let that bastard Voldmort win. Screaming would allow him to.
Dumbledore gave her a sad smile and reached into his robes and pulled out his wand, he took hold of her left arm were the source of all her misery was situated. He pulled back the sleeve of her robe, and was able to see for the first time what caused the girl so much pain.
Hermione looked at it the same as Dumbledore, she palled visibly. The scar was now a ravenous black and there was blood trickling down the edges, the mark looked at though it would truly burn right through her arm if given the chance.
Dumbledore rubbed his thumb over the mark, his smile was now gone. Thoughts were running though his head at lightning speed. How could such a young girl have her fate decided as such? He knew who did this, he knew what was going to happen to the girl, realization dawned over him of why the girl was sent back to this time.but why now, not earlyer?
Hermione was squirming trying to break her mind away from the pain. Dumbledore noticed this and brought his wand to the mark. Hope surged through Hermione.but then it died, as did the pain. The marks pain was gone, but the mark its self was the same.
" Thank you" She whispered, trying not to show her disappointment.
" You have nothing to thank me for, I wish I could remove it but that is for someone else to do." He looked at her gravely. " I think its time you told me how you received this."
Hermione blanched, telling him would reveal things about the future, it could destroy time, thinking back she realized that it would be better for her to tell and for time to be destroyed then for the world to have to face the fate that would undoubtedly come.
She took in breath and started her story, leaving no detail out, from the beginning with the tale of harry potter and how his parents died, to when Ron and Harry both perished at the hands of the death eaters.she came finally to the end, tears were threatening to fall, but she built up a wall of ice around her emotions that she would not allow it. She told him of how the death eaters had circled her, how Voldmort had burned her.How Snape had saved her?
He did didn't he? She told herself. So even the cold and merciless potion master could show a bit of compassion.
Dumbledore through this entire telling had not moved but looked thought full. He finally looked at her. " Thank you Miss Granger, I hope that you will not waste this chance that has been bestowed on you." He gave her a very weird look; Hermione couldn't place the emotions that passed over his face.
" Sir how can I get rid of this" she indicated to her arm. " Why does it hurt?"
Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh. " Im afraid that I know of no way to remove it Hermione, it was place there for a dark purpose.as for the reason that it hurts, it does that when Voldmort calls to it, much like the dark mark he places on his followers to call them. This however is different, this mark calls not only to your mind through pain but to your body."
Hermione blanched, she clearly didn't understand, it was one of the few times that she wasn't able to comprehend something.
" It means that he has laid claim to your body and will continue to call you until he gets what he wants. I believe I do not need to tell you what it is he wants, and in this time unlike your own, he is able to get what he wants."
There was a dead silence. Then Hermione finally broke it. " Then Im as good as gone then?"
Dumbledores twinkle returned. " Not entirely my dear, if the story is true and the future Severus Snape did in fact intervene into this time, Voldmort will have problems obtaining you, and you will have people here who can defend you until we can rectify this problem."
Hermione gave him a soft smile. " Thank you." She got up to leave. Then Dumbledore called to her.
"Hermione one more thing."
She turned.
" I believe that you should enjoy your time here, it is something that very few can ever experience. Although the year has just started and you were already half through back in your own time, you will still need top marks to graduate." He gave her a merry smile.
This was only the beginning of the year? This was a startling shock to her, she had her suspicions due to the weather but it truly was.
"Thank you sir, I won't disappoint you"
He gave her a very proud smile. " I know you won't Hermione"
~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~
Hermione didn't know whether to be scared or relieved after her conversation with Dumbledore. She couldn't let it bother her though, she had to pick up the pace and get to work. The curriculum in this new time was no doubt different from the one that she had almost finished back in her own.
Over the years, Hermione had not lost her love of knowledge, as she grew in age her lust from it had intensified, but with age came another type of wisdom, balance. In the sixth year, Hermione had found that balance. She was able to make new friends and still keep her rather illustrious study habits.
Now she felt that she would rather be back to old habits rather then her new more out going ones.
She walked back down to the Slytherin common room and was intending to speak with Professor Lacouse about her curriculum. She reached the portrait to the entrance of the Slytherin house when it opened before her.
" God I wish these things would stop doing that!" she mumbled.
" Doing what may I ask?" Out from the portrait came Severus Snape flanked by Lucius Malfoy.
" I believe this is where I say none of your business." She moved to push past them, but they wouldn't budge from the doorway.
" I think its time we had a little talk new girl." Lucius sneered.
She looked at Snape. Had he told? Did Lucius know she was a mungle born, god this was not good? She was beginning to panic. Her face paled. Her eyes looked to Snape's, but he was just looking at her steadily with those dark orbs.
They walked out of the portrait whole and it closed behind them, leaving her alone to the mercy of the two.
She quickly reached into her robes, grabbing for her wand as she backed up against the wall trying to keep as much distance as she could against the two. What the hell did they want? She pulled her wand free from her robes. Boys just looked at her, Lucius looked very strangely at her, it amazed her how he could look cocky and scared at the same time. Snape looked impassive.
" What the hell are you doing?" Lucius asked indicating to the wand.
" What the hell are you doing?" she snarled at the boys like a cornered animal.
"We only wanted to talk." Lucius replied pulling his wand out.
" Oh and that's why you decided to pull your wand out on me!" She snapped.
" It's a precaution, you pulled yours so I will pull mine!" He growled.
Hermione looked at the two. She did not enjoy the position she was in but had little choice. " Well what do you two want!"
Snape moved infront of Lucius, standing directly in the line of fire of the two. " We only wanted to speak with you."
Hermione was stunned. What was going on? " Why" she asked waiting for the knife to drop.
"Your new here that's why, besides, Lacouse would have our heads" mumbled Lucius.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Professor Lacouse had asked them to talk to her.
" Well what do you want then?"
Severus looked to Lucius and Lucius to Severus. The shrugged. "Just wanted to know if you were all right, you ran out of the common room last time we saw you like a bat out of hell" chimed Lucius, now trying to act charming. Hermione sneered at him. Severus looked like he was going to laugh.
" Im fine thank you. I just had to see dumbledore that's all." She replied shortly.
" Oh ok then, we were just wondering because you never seem to talk to any of our house mates and you don't seem to have any friends.."
Hermione cut Lucius off. " I have friends or a friend"
Lucius laughed. " The RavenClaw you hang around with sometimes? Narccissa? Don't make me laugh! Ravenclaw's aren't friends there drones, they do what ever people tell them!"
Hermione glared at him, what an ass whole. Though his description was very true, Narccissa had very little that was her own, but she was her friend and that was that. Lucius was now playing a game with her, one that she intended to win.
She laughed at him. " Are you offering the position?" Her words were laced with sarcastic intent, she new he was going to say no, just like Severus would. She cast the dark haired boy a look and he just raised an eyebrow at her.
Lucius was about to something but the ever-silent Snape piped up. " I believe that if you required companion ship we would "both" (he cast a look at Lucius) be able to suffice in that department."
Hermione was stunned this was not how it was supposed to happen, what kind of game was Snape playing at. Ha she could beat him at his own game, she would accept the proposal and through both the jerks off, they would gladly and very quickly take back the offer.
She stood up to her full height. " Very well I accept!"
Both boys nodded, much to her horror, Lucius smiled at her. It was almost a real smile.
" Good to hear, I would hate to be on you..umm .bad side any longer. " Lucius indicated to his eye that had turned a lovely shade of purple.
Snape glared down at her, she had no doubt in her mind that he knew that she had tried to outsmart the both of them and was now stuck. She glared back at him. She thought she faintly heard him mutter under his breath.
" I'll figure you out yet"