Disclaimer-I do not own Harry Potter.
Author's note- Here is chapter 4. I think a three (or was it 4?) day wait between chapters is plenty of time :-D, I do love updating.
Thanks to my reviewers, you have no idea how excited I get when I receive a review, it's pitiful really. Maybe not pitiful, but thank you, and to Ottawan Angel thank you for telling me Hermione's real birthday. It'll stay wrong in this story, mainly because its too late to change it, but any other story I write with Hermione having a birthday I'll make sure to have it correct. 'Always check your facts' is a good motto to live by, and I should have checked. Okay, this chapter is an explanatory chapter. Enjoy, and the next update will be out in three to four days.
Chapter 4
Hermione opened her eyes to see everyone in the great hall staring at her. She remembered something happening to her and she tried to stand only then realizing the weight of another body on hers. She squirmed under the weight and scowled at it, realizing it was none other than Draco Malfoy. Draco began to move and Hermione sighed in relief, but when he took his hand off her leg she felt a great sense of loss, why, was beyond her. He seemed to feel the loss too and looked at her confused. She returned the look curiously and realized not only was he viewing her with confusion, but fear.
She pushed herself up into a standing positing and gazed at the headmaster. Dumbledore smiled at her and bowed down. Her expression became even more puzzled and she turned to Draco, who in turn, bowed down. She was unaware of what was going on and she turned, questions burning in her mind, to look at everyone else. Every single person, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, began to bow down to her. She was even more aghast as the teachers bowed down to her too.
She felt something surge through her veins. It was a feeling of power, and she was enthralled and frightened by it at the same time. She felt as though with a flick of her hand she could turn the room upside down. She again looked to Dumbledore and opened her mouth to speak, "Sir?" she questioned hoarsely. Dumbledore turned to Snape and nodded
Snape looked at her with admiration in his eyes, "Hermione," He began and ignored the gasps of the students at the use of a first name, "You are the keeper of the light and Draco is your mate. You are one of the strongest witches or wizards alive." Again gasps filled the room.
"That can't be possible, professor. There is no way in heaven that I am one of the strongest. Look at… at… Voldemort." A shudder went though the great hall at the pronunciation of the Dark Lord's name.
"You are, Ms. Granger. You are the keeper of the light. The keeper chooses a strong male to stand beside her in her power. The keeper is to unite masses of people. Do you know who the last well-known keeper was?" Hermione shook her head no. Snape turned to Dumbledore and he faced her.
"Ms. Granger, the last great keeper lived thousands of years ago. He united the wizarding world at the beginning of time. Do you have any idea?" Hermione looked thoughtfully at the dumbstruck faces of her classmates.
"I have an inkling sir, but I'd rather hear it from you."
"The most famous keeper," he stated slowly, "Was Merlin."
The exclamations and yowls that filled the room were oblivious to Hermione as she stood, staring and gaping at the headmaster. "Headmaster… what happened?"
"I will show you later, as for right now, I am going to cancel classes for the day. Please head back to your dorms. The house elves will set out a few treats for you in your common rooms, as for Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, please meet me in my office." There were whoops and cheers at the cancellation of classes and the students, most of them, began to head back to their rooms gossiping and talking amongst themselves. Harry and Ron ran to Hermione and hugged her.
"We're so happy you are alive!" Harry cried into her hair. "I was beyond worry."
"Me too Minee! I don't know what I'd do without you!" Ron clamored for her attention. Hermione smiled and hugged her friends.
"I don't know what's happening, guys, but I'll be sure to fill you in once I know! Now go have fun in the common room, and I'll talk to you later."
"You better!" They yelled in unison as they rushed off.
Hermione watched them run off and was startled when a small cough came from behind her. She spun around and was confronted with the face of Pansy Parkinson. Hermione did a quick once over of the girl and then raised an eyebrow questioningly. Pansy threw her arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Thank you. What you showed me will stay with me forever. You did something to me, and I don't know what, but I feel as if I can see. I can finally see!"
Hermione placed her arms around the girls back and pulled her into a hug, then released her. "I don't know what I did, but I'm glad I could help." Pansy smiled at her and briefly threw a glance at Draco, then walked off.
Draco couldn't help but stare. Pansy didn't hug anyone. She didn't touch anyone. Yes, it was true, Pansy had had boyfriends, (so had a bunch of girls at Hogwarts), but she wasn't one for cuddling and she rarely threw her arms around another person. Plus, Hermione was a Gryffindor girl, and a mudblood, a combination that Pansy often complained about.
Most surprising to him, was the fact that Pansy didn't insult Hermione or yell at her because she had touched her earlier; she had whispered something in Hermione's ear. Pansy had never liked the head girl and would go out of her way to provide discomfort in her life. Draco, one could say, was beyond shocked and stared at Hermione, (who had welcomed the unruly female Slytherin with a smile), for what felt like ages until she yelled at him.
"I don't know what the heck this all means, but I'm not feeling so pleasant towards you. Let's go to Dumbledore and then you can leave me the hell alone, comrade or not."
Draco shrugged and nodded. "Alright, but just this once, I'll let you wear the pants in our relationship." Hermione glared at him as she stomped to the Gryffindor table to pick up her sparkling locket. She then stalked off with Draco following wearily behind.
Ten minutes later, tired and irritated, Hermione dragged herself up the staircase to the headmaster's office. She knocked cautiously and when an affirmative call came through the door, Hermione yanked Draco not only into the office, but into the sight of his favorite (her least favorite) professor. Snape smirked at them and McGonagall appeared from behind the Headmaster who had watched them enter his sanctuary. "Professors, Headmaster," Hermione said quickly, "Not to sound offensive, but what is going on??"
The headmaster motioned for them to take a seat and Hermione, not wanting to waste one more precious moment, flew across the room and plopped down into one of the comfortable, worn chairs. Draco, taking his time, sauntered over to the chair and nodded at the professors, barely acknowledging them.
"Ms. Granger, we don't know the full extent of your magical capabilities. We can't help you with your situation yet as today is only day one of the rest of your life as the keeper of the light." Seeing Hermione's scowl Dumbledore continued, "Let's start off by showing you what happened. This will be much quicker then the actual event, as we will skip a majority of the events." Dumbledore pulled out his pensieve and gestured to it. Hermione leaned over and was swept into the shiny liquid. She began to watch herself as she rose above the lunch tables.
Hermione gasped at the light pouring through her body and tried to translate her words. Keeper of the Light. Begin to shine? What? What did she mean when she said begin to shine? Darkness will be brought to light. What darkness? Mine? She was claiming Draco? Why would she want him? Why did he agree? We will unite. Unite what? Beam of Light Ray of Hope. We will unite the group. Where was she getting this junk? What group? Everything seemed so foreign and far away as she watched and it irritated her to no end that she couldn't remember any of it. She finished watching the scene and looked around the room wide eyed.
"What does this mean??"
"Hermione," McGonagall said softly, "You will become more powerful then any of the teachers here. It is possible that you will become stronger than Dumbledore, if not, you could very well be at his magic level." This elicited a gasp from Hermione and a glare from Draco, "We know this from the many journals Merlin kept as a keeper, and the keepers that followed him. He started the system of keepers towards the beginning of the magical realm. The keepers were born unto light to unite a divided land. Sometimes the keepers, like King Jasper III, had little to do and are barely remembered. They were only born into the light to keep a growing community calm. Other keepers, such as yourself and Merlin, have three times the amount of people to unite in a very divided time. With Voldemort on the rise, it is often a prime period for separation between families, friends and houses." She quirked a thin eyebrow at the two teenagers sitting on the couch, "You are a necessity to the wizarding world!" Hermione looked startled and scared and Draco couldn't help but smirk.
Hermione's eyes glazed over and stared into her lap. Snape cleared his throat and she jumped, looking startled.
"Professors, I don't want the power. I don't deserve it." Draco raised an inquiring eyebrow at Hermione who had gone back to looking in her lap. "Merlin, I'm afraid." Draco was aghast. Hermione Granger, afraid?? She would never admit to being afraid! She was a bloody Gryffindor! Hermione looked up with questions shining in her eyes, "I want to help and I want you to believe in me, but at this point in my life I'm even having a hard time believing in myself. Is there anything we can do to take this away? I doubt I'm the best choice. "
Dumbledore watched the girl sitting quietly on his couch and smiled at her. She looked so vulnerable while trying to look strong. He could see the questions that wanted to fall from her lips and his heart lurched. He wanted her to know that she could do anything. She needed to know, "Ms. Granger, you were chosen by the light. When you are born you aren't born a keeper. You grow up normally. The light and Merlin chose you. They picked you!"
"Merlin's dead, sir."
"Well, yes, I don't know how he does it actually. I believe that I read in one of his journals that he administered himself a potion containing very dark magic. The potion allowed him to return for brief amounts of time when a keeper dies. He comes back to choose a new keeper and to check on the realm. Stop looking at me like that Ms. Granger." Dumbledore chuckled, "I can not be 100 sure though. He chose you, Ms. Granger. He didn't pick a Ravenclaw or an adult, when he is more than capable of it. He knows you can do this, as do I. You are filled with light and are the perfect person to have this responsibility." Hermione bit her lip, thinking about what Dumbledore had said.
"Headmaster, Professor McGonagall said that keepers are born into light. What did she mean? Unless I heard wrong, you just said they are born regularly and grow up normally."
"You're very perceptive. The episode in the great hall was almost like a rebirth, a cleansing ceremony, if you will. If you had not been pure enough for the light than you surely would not have survived it." Hermione nodded, not noticing Draco fidgeting on the couch.
"Well that's all fine and dandy" Draco said suddenly, waking Hermione from her trance, "but what the hell does it have to do with me being her mate?" He fixed Hermione with a glare. "What if I don't want to be her mate?" Snape let out a dark chuckle.
"I don't know if you remember Draco, but you chose to join her. She asked you and you decided that yes, you wanted to be with the Gryffindor Queen." Draco scowled at his potions teacher. Hermione opened her mouth.
"He does bring up a good point though. I don't want him as my mate and what does a 'mate' have to do with this whole 'Keeper of Light' thing?" Her puzzled stare was directed at Snape.
"Ms. Granger, you chose Draco."
"I didn't know I was doing it."
"Well you picked me. At least I know you have good sense."
"Shut up Malfoy. I would have rather picked a rat than you." Snape glared at her.
"Ms. Granger, you may be the new keeper but that does not mean that you have the right to speak to your fellow classmates that way. Respect Mr. Malfoy. He deserves it for what he is going to have to go through for you. He deserves your respect more than your comments." Hermione's anger flared. Snape, SNAPE, had just told her to respect Malfoy, was he crazy??
"Professor. You do realize that to respect him would be crazy. What has he done to deserve my respect? Nothing! He has teased me for the last seven years of my life. He has hassled me, picked on me and irritated me to the verge of placing an unforgivable
curse on him. He's even had the gall to pick on my mother." Hermione was beginning to glow. Draco was too. "I don't know how you want me just to say, 'Oh hey, Draco! I won't call you Malfoy anymore because I subconsciously picked you to be my mate. Don't worry, I'll just put seven years of hatred on the shelf and give you my love, my trust and my respect.' Nuh-uh, Professor. He doesn't deserve squat. Not now, and not for a long while will he have my respect." Her body was shining and she didn't even realize.
She had been gesturing wildly and had pointed a finger at her professor. At the end of her speech she slowly pulled her arm in. He moved closer to her against his will. "What if I told you your mate was Trelawney?" She continued on, sadness and anger filling her words, "You wouldn't want to love her. You wouldn't respect her after all the stupid and crazy predictions she has made towards you. No. So you get off your high horse and look at this from my point of view." Her eyes were beginning to shine and though Professor Snape looked calm and collected, cold sweat was trickling down his back.
Draco was also glowing, though his glow was a dull shine compared to Hermione's. He was moving towards her. He tried to stop himself but the pull to her and his impulse to walk over to her was too strong. He touched her arm and looked into her eyes. She began to lower Snape to the ground and regain her color, the shimmer waning away. Draco was losing his shine too. At long last, Snape sat on the ground.
He began to breathe again. "I'm sorry Ms. Granger. I didn't realize you felt so… strongly…. about this certain point."
Draco glared at his potions professor for backing down to Hermione. He was apprehensive about what just happened and the way he had calmed and comforted her. It was almost as if he had felt something more than loathing, and he was nervous trying to figure out what it was. He knew he had to have his cool exterior back, and knowing only one way to do this, he insulted her.
"Step away from me mudblood." Hermione glared at him, her glow growing again.
"Never call me that again." She sounded deadly serious. Draco, pretending not to hear her comment smirked at her.
"Mudblood." She stared at him. Two gasps were heard and McGonagall went to hold Hermione back, but Dumbledore raised a hand in protest. He wanted to see what the full extent of this 'relationship' was.
"I said never call me that again." She paused briefly and looked at him, "Death Eater." Draco was livid!
"You know nothing about me, you stupid witch." He walked towards her and tried to push her against the wall. He was stopped by an invisible shield, making him more livid. "You know absolutely NOTHING." He was yelling at her. Hermione appeared unfazed, but McGonagall and Snape were beginning to look worried.
"What? Does daddy not have the same influence on you anymore?" When Snape gasped at this comment it sent Draco into even more of a rage.
"SHUT UP! You know nothing! Don't judge me by my family you stupid mudblood you—"
"Ah-hah! Repeat that please." The fire in Draco's eyes was burning and Hermione was smoldering it.
"Don't. Judge. Me. by. My. Family."
"And after that."
"Mudblood."
"So, you, being the great and mighty King of Slytherin, just yelled at me for judging you by your family and what did you call me? A mudblood? Judging me by my muggle parentage? I think we should rename you, oh great King, a more suitable name, King of the Hypocrites." Draco wanted to yell. He wanted to scream, but he was defeated. He was at a loss for words.
"I… You… AHHH." She put up a slender finger and immediately his hands were removed from her invisible shield. She lifted a hand, and Draco lifted from his stance and was quickly moved to a chair by Dumbledore. Hermione laughed.
"I do say Headmaster! Maybe I will like these powers." Snape gaped not only at Hermione's mood swing, but at her brilliance with words. He turned to McGonagall who was smiling brightly at her top pupil. Dumbledore smiled too, and began to fill her in.
"Hermione," He started, "Your mate is bound to you for the rest of your life. Keepers and their mates become very close and can not hurt each other no matter how much they may want to at any given point. This is why Mr. Malfoy could not push you into the wall, and if you had gone to slap him as I thought you might have, you would have realized it was impossible." Hermione scowled, then her eyes shone in understanding and she bobbed her head up and down.
"It's probably for the best." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"Also, when the mates are on better terms or as we say 'in love,' as that is bound to happen, they have a sixth sense for danger. Your companion will additionally feel a deep pain when you part from one another on bad terms. The pain is not so much physical, though it can be, but emotional and can cause severe stress, headaches and symptoms I'm not sure of. Your mate is to be wed to you because after you consummate your marriage, stop smirking Mr. Malfoy, your power together becomes twice as strong. Yes, your individual powers remain the same, but when brought together you have calming effects on one another and become quite a formidable match. Keepers are confusing to me and to most everyone else because so little is written about them. They are believed to be a myth. We here at Hogwarts do have a small amount of information that I will look in to. I will try my best to inform you on all your changes but keepers are difficult to explain."
"Draco," Snape cut in, "Your powers are not as strong as Hermione's in any way. They are stronger than they were before, so be careful. Ms. Granger, after a great deal of practice you will no longer have the need for a wand." Hermione grinned, maybe this keeper stuff would be great, "But we will have to work on your powers through your feelings, no?" Hermione's smile had fallen a bit but she nodded a quick yes his way.
"Professors…" Hermione asked hesitantly, "Why did I choose him? I mean, my best friends are both strong and loyal and they are a lot friendlier too. Why did I choose my enemy?"
"I honestly don't know the answer to that." Dumbledore replied.
"It's just not logical. I'll admit Malfoy isn't awful to look at but it's not like I've ever been attracted to him. He's cold and cunning and sly and not exactly who I would think my true love to be. If anyone, I'd think Anthony Goldstein, or Justin, or Dean or someone but not him. Does it have to do with my 'uniting the group'? I don't understand."
"It doesn't make sense to me either." Draco jumped in, "I didn't realize I'd have to be the mate to her. I fit better with people who worship me instead of insult me."
"You're so full of yourself."
"It's better than being a mud--- Gryffindor." Hermione smiled and opened her mouth to say some other witty remark when McGonagall spoke.
"Now, kids, I know it sounds rushed and you seem to be on unfriendly terms with each other… but your love is bound to grow, so the wedding will be in approximately one week." McGonagall had known this would need to be said sometime, and she wished to get it over with. She watched as both faces fell into frowns and she turned to Albus.
"Professor, that's crazy. It is absolutely rushed and not in either of our best interests. Can't we just talk to each other and start to work things out? I don't want to marry him in a week… or ever! Why does it have to be so soon? It's very stressful!" Hermione contended.
"Students, it is rushed. We would never make you marry so fast if it weren't for the rise of Voldemort, we need you to be bound as soon as possible so that your powers can expand and strengthen."
"I want to leave and sleep." Hermione got up to leave and Draco got up with her.
"Oh! Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, you have a new room. It will be better for you if you experience no pain this week, it will be stressful enough as it is. Your dorm behind the portrait of the owl –"
"Headmaster," Hermione sighed, "I don't want to be argumentative, but I refuse to sleep so close to him until my wedding night. I want to enjoy the Gryffindors for as long as possible since I have no choice but to leave them."
"Do you feel the same way Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore queried. Draco nodded.
"We don't have a choice but to be together so why the hell should I have to ruin the last of my free days being closer to her? I will go to the Slytherin common room and I will not share a room with her until we are married. I have no compulsion to do otherwise."
"Very well," Dumbledore replied, his eyes twinkling. "We'll see how you feel tomorrow."
Hermione nodded and walked away. She was going to her room. She would NOT room with the prat until she was wed. Wed. Oh she felt like retching. Married to the git! Merlin's mercy! Hermione thought Oh wait… it was Merlin who did this to me. She wanted to cry. "Ms. Granger." Snape called out humbly to her. She spun around.
"Is there something else you want to spring on me to make my day worse then it already is!?"
"Good Luck." With that he turned around and Hermione walked dazed to her common room.
A/N- Yes, so any questions you may have concerning Hermione being the keeper ask me questions in a review and I will answer in my next update. I don't mean to make anything confusing and I read over the chapter a bazillion times trying to figure everything out to make sure it wasn't. If there are any mistakes or if you find a part that you can make easier to understand e-mail me and I'll check and see what I can do.
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