~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall of the Girls dormitory in the Slytherin house. Awaking almost all of the sleeping students with in except for the few who's snores had drowned out the sound.
Hermione sat up on her bed, black sweat sheets entangled once again around her body; she strained to re gain her breath that had been exerted from the scream she had issued only moments ago. She clutched her hand to her chest in order to test that she was really here, not still imbedded in the land of nightmares. Then again this was a nightmare too.
Reaching over to the black shaded lamp on the bed table beside her bed she lit it and watched as her gloomy dark ridden room came into focus. She looked over to her clock and noticed the numbers. 12:01. The start of a new day.
For some reason that fact bothered her. She didn't know why.
Her thoughts drifted back to the nightmare. It was so vivid, like a vision but not. Visions tell the future, her dream had told the past. She had seen her friends at first happy and alive, think of what the word would hold for them.
Then the happiness drained out instead was re filled with a black pulpy darkness, death. There deaths. She had watched as Ronald and Harry both were slaughter like they were only two months.no time had no relevance, they were gone. Putting time to something gave it a chance to return. They wouldn't.
The dream hadn't ended there, when all became black the figure, the voice that had taunted her returned.
Calling her names, one's she had heard so often back home. Know-it-all! Beaver tooth (although that couldn't be said any longer thanks to the incident in her fourth year), bookworm. the list went on.
Then there were others, things that only a few had said to her, not repetitive insults but others, spur of the moment. A phrase seemed to echo in her brain, one that she had forgotten so long ago.
A snide comment made in her fourth year. " I SEE NO DIFFERENCE"
She shivered, why did that plague her mind, that stupid comment made by that vile bastard. That greasy bat.
She looked again at her clock and then noticed a few books scattered on the floor. Books on curses and counter curses jinx and charms.
Her eyes flew wide as she remembered what she had been doing before she fell asleep and dreamed.
" BUGGER!!!" She gasped in frustration. " I have that ruddy dueling competition today!"
In a frustrated growl she threw her self back down on the bed and forced her self to sleep. God knows she would need it.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
" This years dueling competition will commence today and end on New Years eve!" Dumbledores unmagicly amplified voice rang out through the great hall. " For all Seventh years and Sixth years I urge you to review the rules once again to avoid any unnecessary illuminations from the competition."
There was a murmur of agreement from the houses.
" Now today you will all begin your first match. All those competing have been paired with their first adversary. You will meet out on the quidditch pitch after breakfast and the Dueling shall begin." Roared Professor Lacouse, who had stood up beside Dumbledore.
Clapping his hands Dumbledore cried out. " Let the competition begin!"
Hermione gave a groan in protest, she was suffering from sever sleep depravation, of all nights to have a fit in your sleep it just had to be yesterdays. There were large black bags under her eyes and her hair was in disarray. Giving her a very bumpy look.
"Aww come now Granger, with luck you'll be eliminated in the first round and you wont have to face me so cheer up." Came the highly sarcastic and unbelievably annoying voice of Severus Snape as he took his seat to the left of her. Malfoy came next and sat to Snapes right, still avoiding Hermione from the day before.
Not that she cared at all.
"Oh don't worry Snape!" Hermione snapped at him. " I wouldn't dream of doing that and give up the satisfaction of knocking you on your ass infront of the whole school."
Snape was shocked at her attitude this morning, obviously she didn't get enough sleep last night.
He laughed at her. " I'd like to see you try Granger, I'd like to see you try."
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
Around noon hour Hermione headed down to the main hall from her morning charms class with Narccissa in tow. Both had entered the competition, and both were highly skeptical of who they were going to have to face in there first match.
"OH GOOD GOD!" Gasped Hermione as she stared at a large magically altered black board containing all the names of those competing in the tournament and whom they would be facing in today's match.
"What's wrong Hermione?" asked a very confused looking Narccissa. Who had just come up behind her and was searching for her name on the board.
Hermione checked the board again. There must be some mistake, she screamed internally. There just has to be.
"Seriously Hermione Whats wrong." Narccissa asked again, flipping her blonde waist length hair over her shoulder.
"Nothing-it's just." Hermione started but didn't finish as a third person joined them.
Remus Lupin came out of no where to the left of Narccissa; he gave the blonde haired girl a shy smile and looked down at his feet.
"Hello Narccissa." He stammered.
Narccissa looked at him and gave him a happy goofy grin, one that Hermione had never seen on her reserved features.
" Hello Remus" She chimed. It really surprised Hermione how comfortable she seemed around the boy. Narccissa usually avoided all contact with the opposite sex.
"Hermione do you know Remus." She pointed out.
Hermione gave Remus a small and honest smile. He was the only Gryffindor that treated her like a human being, possibly because she was the only Slytherin who treated him the same.
" Yes Narccissa I know Remus, so. Remus I take it you're in the tournament?" She inquired.
"Ya, I just found out who Im facing first." He said with a laugh.
"Oh who?" She inquired with interest.
"Severus Snape."
Hermione's jaw dropped, oh god. Snape was going to kill him I know it she screamed to her self.
Lupin turned to Narccissa. " So who are you going up against?"
She checked the board again. " It seems Peter Pettigrue, not a bad match up if I do say so my self."
" Yah Peter's not a bad one to face first."
Hermione just cringed and tried to stop the ringing in her ears, something just didn't feel right. However she couldn't figure out what.
"So Hermione are you going to tell us who you're going to have to fight?" Narccissa inquired, obviously annoyed that she hadn't offered that little piece of information.
Hermione turned to both of them, a sickly feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. Of all people it just had to be him, no one else. Fate as it seemed hated her and every thing she did.
She tapped her wand to the black board and in chalk white scroll letters it spelled out her adversary.
SIRIUS BLACK.
"Oh" Lupin and Narccissa said in unison, there was a hint of fright in both of their voices.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
Sirius Black. Of all people it had to be Sirius Black, not James Potter, Remus Lupin, not even bloody Peter Pedigree. No it had to be Sirius Black. The one person who since the day she had entered this time less then three months ago, had made her life even more like hell with every encounter. The one who told every one that she was muggleborn. (Not that this bothered her anymore, people in Slytherin now knew that she could hex every one of them into oblivion if she wanted to, and the fact that she was flanked by Severus Snape dark wizard extrodanare helped a lot with that.)
Gods how the powers upstairs loved to torment her.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
After their very brief conversation with Remus Lupin, Hermione and Narccissa walked along the halls towards the great hall where the competition was set to begin.
After a few moments of walking down the cold stone pathways Hermione turned to Narccissa. " So how do you know Remus?"
Narccissa stopped, obviously stunned at her question, then remembering that she was still new to the "school" and couldn't possibly know.
"Remus Lupin is my best friend and has been since he first came here." She said with a clear and satisfactory tone, tossing once again her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
Then for some reason Narccissa gained a far away look in her eyes. " Remus isn't like other boys or men for that matter, he doesn't care about heritage or money, houses or stature. He just cares about Whats in here." She tapped her chest.
All of these things were exactly what Hermione remembered about Remus from the future. He had been a good man.
"I can see that, he doesn't look at me like Im a Slytherin he just sees me as a person, not a "Mud Blood" just a person." Hermione added. " Your lucky to have him."
Narccissa smiled. " I just wish other boys were like him." Her face paled a bit.
Hermione caught it.
" Your talking about Malfoy aren't you?" She inquired.
Narccissa just got paler and nodded. This obviously wasn't a topic she enjoyed speaking about.
"What is it with you and Malfoy, I remember you two coming into the Slytherin common room my first day here, and you always seem to be quick to avoid him?"
Narccissa just looked even more uncomfortable. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and stood infront of Narccissa's.
"Whats going on Narccissa?" she demanded in a soft tone.
Narccissa just gave her a vacant look and then motioned to an empty class room on there left, she entered in and motioned Hermione to follow, once inside she closed the door and muttered a silencing spell.
Then turning to Hermione she gave her a pleading look. "Hermione you can't tell any one, no one knows, not even Remus. Gods I don't even know why Im telling you this but I just have to tell someone."
Hermione nodded in understanding. " I won't speak a word Narccissa."
Narccissa nodded her thanks. Taking in a deep breath she began to speak. " Lucius Malfoys Family and mine are from two very old lines of Wizards and Witches who have all attended Hogwarts. Nearly all of them from both families have been in Slytherin, with me as an exception."
She stopped and began to shake; she clearly didn't want to continue. "You don't have to go on if you don't want to Narccissa." Whispered Hermione.
Narccissa just raised her blonde head and sniffed, taking in a deep breath she continued. " My mother and father were appalled when I entered RavenClaw, they called it a fault in the blood line." She nearly spat out the words. " To rectify this they sought out there good friends the Malfoys, who as you know have a son. Lucius."
She began to loose the power in her voice and was starting to fight back sobs.
"To rectify the fault in the blood line from my being a RavenClaw they betrothed Lucius and myself. Were going to be married. Just after Graduation. The reason I was such a wreck the day you first saw me was because I found out that I was never going to have control over my life, I was going to loose my freedom to Malfoy."
At that Narccissa began to cry, sobbing like a wounded animal. She broke down in one of the chairs infront of one of the many desks in the classroom. Her sobs echoing out through the room.
Hermione was stunned, at this moment in time her problems seemed so small. Walking over to the broken girl at the desk she gave her a hug and let her pour her tears onto her.
Once again in her life Hermione felt helpless. After a few minutes Narccissa began to calm down, Hermione wondered in the girl had ever aloud her self-tears over this matter.
" Im sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have" She whispered.
Hermione felt her anger rise. " Shouldn't have what? Narccissa you have all the right in the world to cry!"
Narccissa just looked up at Hermione, her blue eyes stained red with tears. " Thank you."
Hermione gave her a real smile, the first one she had done in months since leaving her time. " We'll fix this Narccissa, I promise." The power in her voice left no room for argument.
The blonde nodded once again and set about drying her tears as Hermione fiddled with her brain at how to save her new found friend. She had failed her first friends, she wasn't going to fail her new.
" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall of the Girls dormitory in the Slytherin house. Awaking almost all of the sleeping students with in except for the few who's snores had drowned out the sound.
Hermione sat up on her bed, black sweat sheets entangled once again around her body; she strained to re gain her breath that had been exerted from the scream she had issued only moments ago. She clutched her hand to her chest in order to test that she was really here, not still imbedded in the land of nightmares. Then again this was a nightmare too.
Reaching over to the black shaded lamp on the bed table beside her bed she lit it and watched as her gloomy dark ridden room came into focus. She looked over to her clock and noticed the numbers. 12:01. The start of a new day.
For some reason that fact bothered her. She didn't know why.
Her thoughts drifted back to the nightmare. It was so vivid, like a vision but not. Visions tell the future, her dream had told the past. She had seen her friends at first happy and alive, think of what the word would hold for them.
Then the happiness drained out instead was re filled with a black pulpy darkness, death. There deaths. She had watched as Ronald and Harry both were slaughter like they were only two months.no time had no relevance, they were gone. Putting time to something gave it a chance to return. They wouldn't.
The dream hadn't ended there, when all became black the figure, the voice that had taunted her returned.
Calling her names, one's she had heard so often back home. Know-it-all! Beaver tooth (although that couldn't be said any longer thanks to the incident in her fourth year), bookworm. the list went on.
Then there were others, things that only a few had said to her, not repetitive insults but others, spur of the moment. A phrase seemed to echo in her brain, one that she had forgotten so long ago.
A snide comment made in her fourth year. " I SEE NO DIFFERENCE"
She shivered, why did that plague her mind, that stupid comment made by that vile bastard. That greasy bat.
She looked again at her clock and then noticed a few books scattered on the floor. Books on curses and counter curses jinx and charms.
Her eyes flew wide as she remembered what she had been doing before she fell asleep and dreamed.
" BUGGER!!!" She gasped in frustration. " I have that ruddy dueling competition today!"
In a frustrated growl she threw her self back down on the bed and forced her self to sleep. God knows she would need it.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
" This years dueling competition will commence today and end on New Years eve!" Dumbledores unmagicly amplified voice rang out through the great hall. " For all Seventh years and Sixth years I urge you to review the rules once again to avoid any unnecessary illuminations from the competition."
There was a murmur of agreement from the houses.
" Now today you will all begin your first match. All those competing have been paired with their first adversary. You will meet out on the quidditch pitch after breakfast and the Dueling shall begin." Roared Professor Lacouse, who had stood up beside Dumbledore.
Clapping his hands Dumbledore cried out. " Let the competition begin!"
Hermione gave a groan in protest, she was suffering from sever sleep depravation, of all nights to have a fit in your sleep it just had to be yesterdays. There were large black bags under her eyes and her hair was in disarray. Giving her a very bumpy look.
"Aww come now Granger, with luck you'll be eliminated in the first round and you wont have to face me so cheer up." Came the highly sarcastic and unbelievably annoying voice of Severus Snape as he took his seat to the left of her. Malfoy came next and sat to Snapes right, still avoiding Hermione from the day before.
Not that she cared at all.
"Oh don't worry Snape!" Hermione snapped at him. " I wouldn't dream of doing that and give up the satisfaction of knocking you on your ass infront of the whole school."
Snape was shocked at her attitude this morning, obviously she didn't get enough sleep last night.
He laughed at her. " I'd like to see you try Granger, I'd like to see you try."
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
Around noon hour Hermione headed down to the main hall from her morning charms class with Narccissa in tow. Both had entered the competition, and both were highly skeptical of who they were going to have to face in there first match.
"OH GOOD GOD!" Gasped Hermione as she stared at a large magically altered black board containing all the names of those competing in the tournament and whom they would be facing in today's match.
"What's wrong Hermione?" asked a very confused looking Narccissa. Who had just come up behind her and was searching for her name on the board.
Hermione checked the board again. There must be some mistake, she screamed internally. There just has to be.
"Seriously Hermione Whats wrong." Narccissa asked again, flipping her blonde waist length hair over her shoulder.
"Nothing-it's just." Hermione started but didn't finish as a third person joined them.
Remus Lupin came out of no where to the left of Narccissa; he gave the blonde haired girl a shy smile and looked down at his feet.
"Hello Narccissa." He stammered.
Narccissa looked at him and gave him a happy goofy grin, one that Hermione had never seen on her reserved features.
" Hello Remus" She chimed. It really surprised Hermione how comfortable she seemed around the boy. Narccissa usually avoided all contact with the opposite sex.
"Hermione do you know Remus." She pointed out.
Hermione gave Remus a small and honest smile. He was the only Gryffindor that treated her like a human being, possibly because she was the only Slytherin who treated him the same.
" Yes Narccissa I know Remus, so. Remus I take it you're in the tournament?" She inquired.
"Ya, I just found out who Im facing first." He said with a laugh.
"Oh who?" She inquired with interest.
"Severus Snape."
Hermione's jaw dropped, oh god. Snape was going to kill him I know it she screamed to her self.
Lupin turned to Narccissa. " So who are you going up against?"
She checked the board again. " It seems Peter Pettigrue, not a bad match up if I do say so my self."
" Yah Peter's not a bad one to face first."
Hermione just cringed and tried to stop the ringing in her ears, something just didn't feel right. However she couldn't figure out what.
"So Hermione are you going to tell us who you're going to have to fight?" Narccissa inquired, obviously annoyed that she hadn't offered that little piece of information.
Hermione turned to both of them, a sickly feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. Of all people it just had to be him, no one else. Fate as it seemed hated her and every thing she did.
She tapped her wand to the black board and in chalk white scroll letters it spelled out her adversary.
SIRIUS BLACK.
"Oh" Lupin and Narccissa said in unison, there was a hint of fright in both of their voices.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
Sirius Black. Of all people it had to be Sirius Black, not James Potter, Remus Lupin, not even bloody Peter Pedigree. No it had to be Sirius Black. The one person who since the day she had entered this time less then three months ago, had made her life even more like hell with every encounter. The one who told every one that she was muggleborn. (Not that this bothered her anymore, people in Slytherin now knew that she could hex every one of them into oblivion if she wanted to, and the fact that she was flanked by Severus Snape dark wizard extrodanare helped a lot with that.)
Gods how the powers upstairs loved to torment her.
~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~
After their very brief conversation with Remus Lupin, Hermione and Narccissa walked along the halls towards the great hall where the competition was set to begin.
After a few moments of walking down the cold stone pathways Hermione turned to Narccissa. " So how do you know Remus?"
Narccissa stopped, obviously stunned at her question, then remembering that she was still new to the "school" and couldn't possibly know.
"Remus Lupin is my best friend and has been since he first came here." She said with a clear and satisfactory tone, tossing once again her long blonde hair over her shoulder.
Then for some reason Narccissa gained a far away look in her eyes. " Remus isn't like other boys or men for that matter, he doesn't care about heritage or money, houses or stature. He just cares about Whats in here." She tapped her chest.
All of these things were exactly what Hermione remembered about Remus from the future. He had been a good man.
"I can see that, he doesn't look at me like Im a Slytherin he just sees me as a person, not a "Mud Blood" just a person." Hermione added. " Your lucky to have him."
Narccissa smiled. " I just wish other boys were like him." Her face paled a bit.
Hermione caught it.
" Your talking about Malfoy aren't you?" She inquired.
Narccissa just got paler and nodded. This obviously wasn't a topic she enjoyed speaking about.
"What is it with you and Malfoy, I remember you two coming into the Slytherin common room my first day here, and you always seem to be quick to avoid him?"
Narccissa just looked even more uncomfortable. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and stood infront of Narccissa's.
"Whats going on Narccissa?" she demanded in a soft tone.
Narccissa just gave her a vacant look and then motioned to an empty class room on there left, she entered in and motioned Hermione to follow, once inside she closed the door and muttered a silencing spell.
Then turning to Hermione she gave her a pleading look. "Hermione you can't tell any one, no one knows, not even Remus. Gods I don't even know why Im telling you this but I just have to tell someone."
Hermione nodded in understanding. " I won't speak a word Narccissa."
Narccissa nodded her thanks. Taking in a deep breath she began to speak. " Lucius Malfoys Family and mine are from two very old lines of Wizards and Witches who have all attended Hogwarts. Nearly all of them from both families have been in Slytherin, with me as an exception."
She stopped and began to shake; she clearly didn't want to continue. "You don't have to go on if you don't want to Narccissa." Whispered Hermione.
Narccissa just raised her blonde head and sniffed, taking in a deep breath she continued. " My mother and father were appalled when I entered RavenClaw, they called it a fault in the blood line." She nearly spat out the words. " To rectify this they sought out there good friends the Malfoys, who as you know have a son. Lucius."
She began to loose the power in her voice and was starting to fight back sobs.
"To rectify the fault in the blood line from my being a RavenClaw they betrothed Lucius and myself. Were going to be married. Just after Graduation. The reason I was such a wreck the day you first saw me was because I found out that I was never going to have control over my life, I was going to loose my freedom to Malfoy."
At that Narccissa began to cry, sobbing like a wounded animal. She broke down in one of the chairs infront of one of the many desks in the classroom. Her sobs echoing out through the room.
Hermione was stunned, at this moment in time her problems seemed so small. Walking over to the broken girl at the desk she gave her a hug and let her pour her tears onto her.
Once again in her life Hermione felt helpless. After a few minutes Narccissa began to calm down, Hermione wondered in the girl had ever aloud her self-tears over this matter.
" Im sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have" She whispered.
Hermione felt her anger rise. " Shouldn't have what? Narccissa you have all the right in the world to cry!"
Narccissa just looked up at Hermione, her blue eyes stained red with tears. " Thank you."
Hermione gave her a real smile, the first one she had done in months since leaving her time. " We'll fix this Narccissa, I promise." The power in her voice left no room for argument.
The blonde nodded once again and set about drying her tears as Hermione fiddled with her brain at how to save her new found friend. She had failed her first friends, she wasn't going to fail her new.