Disclaimer: Nothing has changed; I still own nothing but the plot bunny.
A/N- Im back! SO how have you all been? I have been so busy, so I apologize for not updating sooner. I got a lot of reviews and I just want to say thank you, and you will hopefully appreciate this chapter! Also I know in the last chapter, Hermione and Draco both seemed OOC.... But that will be explained in this chapter... sort of. Enjoy.
Chapter Eight- Waking up and falling out
Hermione sat unmoving on her four poster bed, relishing in the silence. For the past week, she has sat in the same place, moving only to request food from the house elves. She was utterly alone. Her parents were gone. Ron can't understand, and Harry feels sorry for himself.
All of this was nothing to the void of silence between her and the Head Boy.
'So stupid!' Hermione thought to herself. 'What in the hell was going through my head?'
'Well, I guess you felt sorry for him AFTER you called him a death eater. But that is just my opinion.'
'Not you again! I am not in the mood. As you can tell, im supposed to be mourning.'
'Mourning what? The lost of your parents, or something else?'
Hermione did not receive a chance to answer, as a loud bang emerged a few feet away from the foot of her bed. "What in the Hell!" She screamed as her door flew off of its hinges and onto the floor.
Sirius Black entered her room, followed a few moments later by the blonde ferret himself. Hermione's eyes widened and she groaned loudly.
Sirius sat slowly at the foot of her bed, while Draco stood at the doorway, looking at the ground.
"Hermione, locking yourself up after something like this, is probably the worst thing you can do." Sirius said in his rough voice.
Hermione sighed. "Sirius, may I inquire why you think you know what is best for me?" She said her tone colder than she meant it to be.
"Hermione, I care about you. That's how I know. Everyone is worried about you." He said slowly, allowing his words to sink in.
"Who cares? Define everyone. You? Well, I appreciate you caring. Harry pitied himself. You know what he told me. He said, look at it this way Hermione, at least you knew your parents." Hermione said, the blank look in her eyes telling exactly how she felt.
Sirius sighed. "Harry has issues of his own he needs to work out. He can work them out for himself. But all you are doing here is making people feel sorry for you." He argued.
Hermione nodded, knowing what he said held some truth. She stood slowly, her knees shaky from the lack of movement on her part.
"I am going to shower, and then I will leave my room, okay. Can we talk then?" She said not caring what the answer was. She just wanted to be alone in a nice hot shower.
Sirius nodded, smiling slightly, Draco nodded and they left. Hermione trudged into the bathroom looking at her reflection. "So much for looking good this year." She mumbled as she observed her poof hair and pale complexion. She grabbed two towels from the closet and turned the water on.
She grabbed her favorite scented soaps, Vanilla and apples. She slowly undressed, stepping into the shower. She let out a low moan of satisfaction as the hot water soothed her sore muscles. She massaged the shampoo throughout her bushy mane, and soaped up her skin. She stood in the shower after cleaning herself, enjoying the hot water. As the water turned colder, she stepped out of the shower, and toweled herself off.
She dressed herself in a denim skirt and a black t-shirt before taming her hair into a loose ponytail and evening out her complexion to the best of her abilities. She stepped out of the bathroom feeling better than she had in days, cleaner too.
She walked out into the common room to find not only Sirius and Draco waiting on her return, but Dumbledore and half the staff of Hogwarts also sitting or standing around the fireplace.
She didn't question the presence of the small crowd in her common room; she just sat and waited for an explanation. As if reading her mind, Dumbledore started to speak.
"Hermione, I feel it is time you knew the full extent of the prophecy." He paused waiting for a sign of agreement on Hermione's part.
She nodded and urged him to continue with what he had been saying.
"The prophecy states that a lion and a serpent will join forces, as lovers and friends. And this union will be so powerful, and so unheard of. This union will be the deciding factor on the victors of the war. On Dark nor Light, the duo will end the fight. On dark the world will be devoured, the two being leaders of all. In light, the world will be healed. But only one will live." He finished with a sad glance at the two children in front of him.
"You mean, we, I mean, him, and me, together. Who dies? Somebody explain." Hermione said, confused.
"Hermione, you two are the serpent and the lion. So Voldemort is obviously trying to get you two on his side. He believes that by killing your parents you will have nothing left and will fight for his side. Either way, whichever side you choose will be victorious." Snape said from his place by the fire.
Hermione nodded. "I understand. What will you have me do?" She asked the man in the periwinkle robes.
"Continue your lessons. I also would like occlemency lessons started soon. And this must remain a secret as well." He finished.
Hermione nodded. After a brief ruin through of the rest of the prophecy the crowd left, leaving Hermione and Draco alone.
Hermione glanced up at him cautiously. "I am sorry Malfoy. Okay? I just was feeling down and sorry for what I said to you. I don't know what came over me. But I felt drawn to you." She said, unsure of the blonde's reaction.
"As weird as it is, I know how you feel. I can't get you out of my head. And its freaking me out. I think it's this whoile prophecy." Draco said.
Hermione nodded. "So what are you doing today?" Hermione asked, bored with the fact that it was Saturday.
"Probably practice dueling, homework, and a trip to hogsmeade. You?" He questioned.
"Same, staying in my room doesn't seem as appealing as it did five minutes ago." She said.
"You took forever in that shower you know. Trying to drown yourself?" He said sarcastically.
She gave him a sarcastic look only matching his own. "Jealous that there is no hot water left?" She said.
"You're kidding me? You used all of the hot water?" He exclaimed, running in the direction of the bathroom.
Hermione chuckled to herself and headed to Gryffindor common room.
She emerged into the heavily red and gold room to find Harry and Ron playing chess by the fire, Ginny not to far away giggling at something Harry had said.
"Hey guys!" She said cheerily.
"Hermione! You are all right then? Seamus has been going nuts1hink he as worried about you. We all were." Harry said solemnly.
"I am so sorry for the way I acted Hermione. I was really self- centered." He added.
Hermione hugged him. "It's all right." She said, trying not to think to hardly about Seamus. How was she supposed to tell him that she couldn't see him anymore? 'Hi Seamus, I have to break up with you because I am destined to be with our mortal enemy and defeat Voldemort.' Yes, that sounds great.
She shook the thoughts from her head, and left the common room shortly there after, to avoid any confrontation with her boyfriend.
She trudged back up to the Head Dormitory slowly. She turned the corner to find Seamus standing outside the door.
He smiled as he saw her. "Hermione!" He screamed as he flung himself at her.
Tears already filled her eyes, as she knew what had to come to pass.
After assuring him she was okay, Hermione rounded on him.
"Seamus. I have to tell you something. Just know that it is not your fault." She said slowly. Seamus gulped loudly, and nodded for her to continue.
"I just don't know how to tell you. Okay. Well, I. This is hard for me Seamus. I really like you. Believe me I do. But it can't work. For the sake of our friendship. Okay?" she said, a lone tear flowing down her cheek.
Seamus nodded. "I understand, Hermione. It's fine." He said, but his eyes told a different story.
Hermione ran into the common room, composing herself as she saw the blonde on the couch.
Little did she know that he was just celebrating the events that took place in the hallway.
"So, would you like to go to Hogsmeade now or what?" He asked.
"Sure, did you wait for me to go?" she asked him with a knowing smile.
"Just because I don't want you to lock yourself in your room again." He said with a smirk.
She smacked him playfully on the back of his head and they walked out of the common room together.
"So this is why. I knew it. You enjoy your life Hermione. For the sake of our friendship my arse!" Seamus yelled as he ran down the corridor.
"Shit!" Hermione said under her breath.
"Draco, I don't think I want to go to Hogsmeade anymore. You go on and enjoy."
"Listen Hermione, things will happen that we don't like because of this bloody prophecy, but don't let some whiny Gryffindor snot ruin your day. You are coming with me milady." He said pulling her down the stairs.
She smiled slightly and nodded in agreement as they walked on to Hogsmeade.
Among the happy smiles they walked to numerous shops, and after they walked out of Honeydukes with bag after bag of sweets and considerably lighter money bags, they walked over to the Three Broomsticks for a light lunch.
They ignored the disapproving looks coming their way from the other customers as they ordered.
"So, what did I miss in class?" Hermione asked, trying desperately to ignore the looks.
"Nothing you haven't already mastered I am sure. A few essays, but I will give you the assignments when we return to the common room. How are you feeling?" He asked, looking into her eyes.
"Considerably better. This may sound odd, but I want to thank you for caring. I just hope you and I can achieve success with this prophecy and this war and all of the deaths will end." She said, her words full odf emotion and gratitude.
"Of course I care, if you died who would I have to bug? And who would I fight with in lessons with Snape?" He said with a chuckle.
"Oh God! I completely forgot about the training." She said in exasperation.
"Im not god, but none the less, we didn't hold any lessons without you Hermione, I wouldn't want to have such an advantage the next time we fought." He said with an smirk.
Lunch continued in much of the same manner, they ate until they were full, and were back at the castle and in the common room by four.
Draco was hard at work giving Hermione all of her missed work when a commotion from outside of the common room interrupted the silence.
"Hermione open this door this instant. Seamus said you broke up with him for the ferret! I will blast this door open if you don't get out here!" The angry voice of Ron Weasley echoed throughout the room.
Hermione's eyes widened as she began to panic. "I could handle this if you'd like." Draco tried.
"Sorry, but I only think that would make things worse." She said as she walked toward the portrait.
"You might want to leave." She said. Draco shrugged and walked into his room, leaving the door cracked so he could hear what was going on.
Hermione took a deep breath as the door opened and three angry Gryffindors strutted into the room, equal scowls on all of their faces.
"Explain." Ron said coldy.
"Well, I can to a point. I did break up with Seamus. But not for Draco. The reason I cannot disclose at the moment. Please don't question my actions, you will know soon enough." Hermione said, trying not to anger the threesome more than they already were.
"DRACO!" Ron seethed. "Since when is he Draco?" He nearly screamed.
"Hermione, I don't understand why you are doing this, but I trust you have your reasons. I won't question you, but I wouldn't come into Gryffindor tower for a while, I don't think people will understand, the rumors are already flying." Harry finished, while dragging Ron and Ginny out by their collars.
Hermione nodded in thanks, and turned back to find Draco back on the couch. "Okay, that was odd." Hermione sighed and plopped down on the couch, her head in her hands.
Draco patted her on the back. "Aren't you the lucky one?" He laughed.
Hermione smiled. "Yup, the original four leaf clover." She said.
"What?" Draco questioned. Hermione laughed again. "Nevermind."
They sat there for a long while laughing and talking like they were old friends, until Hermione went to bed, leaving Draco to sit and contemplate why he felt so drawn to the one girl he wasn't supposed to have.
A/N—for the first time ever I did not leave you with a cliffy. Don't you guys just love me? Lol... well.. I wrote a long chapter huh? Seven pages.... Longest I have ever written. Well.. I have new characters and s strange plot twist coming up, so please stay tuned.
You review a happy me me anxious to write more a new chapter happy you
Take the hint and make both of our days. Later
LouAnne )