A/N: I would firstly like to thank all my great reviewers, you are all wonderful people!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review and tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: i don't own Harry Potter... etcetera etcetera etcetera... on with the fic.
At Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, it is none too rare to see a ghost roaming around the castle, floating through walls and occasionally re-telling stories of their deaths to younger students. It is, I suppose, common sense to come to the conclusion that for a person to turn into a ghost… they would have to die first.
It is therefore only natural that Draco made the smart assumption, that Hermione Granger was dead, after all, what else was he supposed to think… the girls ghost was sitting right in front of him. So yes indeed, a smart assumption. But a wrong one.
"When did this happen?" he asked gently to the ghost form of his enemy.
The girl floated closer to him and placed a transparent finger on one of his lips, "don't tell her… she'll think you're crazy," whispered the ghost.
Draco frowned and opened his mouth to question what she was talking about, but before he could the portrait swung open.
It is fair to say that the young Malfoy was not a man who was easily silenced, however the sight of the bushy haired Gryffindor walking into the room, looking very much alive was an exception to this rule. Had he wanted to say anything, the boy would have found his ability to speak momentarily disabled. So instead he looked from one girl to the other, eyes wide, mouth slightly agape.
Hermione however seemed to be oblivious to the fact that her ghost was floating a few meters away from her, "what are you looking at Malfoy?" she huffed, flinging her bag to the floor and headed towards her room. The ghost girl put a finger to her lip, reminding the blonde boy of her previous words.
"N-nothing," he stuttered, looking from the ghost to the girl wide eyed.
With one last look at the boy, Hermione shrugged and stomped up to her room, leaving Draco and her ghost form alone.
After a while the usually smooth talking Slytherin prince managed to choke out a, "who are you?" in the direction of the ghost.
The ghost girl floated closer, causing Draco to take a sharp step back. She did not reply straight away, and he took this moment of silence as an opportunity to study the ghost. Every hair, every curve of her skin, it was the same as Hermione's. It didn't make sense to him, but he was sure they were the same person.
"Wrong question," the girl whispered, "you know who I am. The question is how."
"How?" He repeated quietly, lifting a hand carefully and touching the ghost, just to make sure. As his fingers went through her, he felt as though he was touching death itself, he pulled his hand back quickly and took a sharp step back.
The ghost sighed, "I was killed".
"But…" Draco mumbled pointing to the door Hermione had just walked into.
"Yes, I said I was killed. Not her," she reminded, however decided to give a better explanation having noticed Draco's confused expression. "Somehow, I'm not quite sure how, I got sent back into the past to stop things which should not have happened coming to pass. I have to warn myself of my death, only so far it's not going too well. It appears that you are the only one who can see me".
Draco opened his mouth to talk, closed it again, and then finally managed to choke out, "you're dead in the future? And you've come to stop yourself from dying?"
"Yes".
"Is that allowed?" he asked.
"In special cases. When the person was not meant to die, and their death can only cause an evil imbalance to the world".
Draco quirked a brow, "I won't ask".
"It's probably better you don't" agreed the ghost of Hermione.
"So how long do you have until your present Hermione…erm… turns see-through?" he asked carefully.
"You mean how long until she gets killed and turns into me?" she helped.
"Killed?" Draco let out a low whistle, "do you know who d…"
"Don't want to talk about it!" Hermione bit.
Draco nodded.
"So what do I have to do?" he asked.
"Warn her," the ghost sighed as though the answer had been obvious.
"Just one problem," he began innocently, "Hermione Granger is a stubborn know it all who listens to no-one, and hates me".
"I AM NOT A STUBBORN KNOW IT ALL!" The ghost fumed, "however the hate thing could be a problem… this is all your fault! If you were NICE once in a while she may believe you when you tell her she's about to die".
"I am a very nice person! … Great as if one Granger isn't bloody bad enough, I now have her ghost trailing after me!"
"Floating," the girl corrected sadly.
"I see even in death your annoying habits of perfection persist on sticking around," he pointed out.
The ghost girl opened her mouth to reply, however instead she once again put her finger to her lip shushing the boy, then in a blink of an eye she faded into nothingness. "Be nice!" she whispered in his ear one last time before disappearing completely, seconds before Hermione Granger stormed out of her bedroom.
Say something, urged his inner voice, however no words seemed able to reach his lips. After all, what was he suppose to say to his enemy… who was soon to be murdered?
"What are you gawping at Malfoy? And why aren't you ready? You know we have to be at the prefects meeting in…" she looked down at her watch, "27 seconds… oh my gosh we're going to be late, what kind of an example will we be setting!"
SAY SOMETHING! Screamed the inner voice in his head.
"You're looking very… alive… today Granger," he said, wanting to kick himself as soon as the words had reached his lips.
The head girl rolled her eyes, "Grow up Malfoy!… 19 seconds… look I'll have to go without you, I'll say you were ill," and with that she rushed out of the room leaving a slightly confused Draco.
"Very smooth," came a voice from behind him, the blonde boy turned around to face the ghost girl, "you're looking very alive today Granger," she mimicked.
Draco glared at her, "I can't do it. It won't work… find someone else".
The ghost girl could tell he was being serious, and she didn't have time for this, by her estimations, her alive form had just under three weeks to live. She looked down at the boy… she would have to tell him.
"Look Malfoy… I don't like you, and I don't trust you either, but by some cruel twist of fate you're the only one who can help me," the girl floated down beside him, almost touching, "please".
The head boy shivered, the ghost girl had a cold presence about her, but her eyes… they were like the windows to her soul, and when he looked into them he could see how scared she was, and how desperately she needed help. Before he could change his mind he gave a quick nod of his head. "But," he added, "you have to tell me everything… who kills you?"
"I can't tell you," she looked at him pleadingly, silently begging him to leave it at that.
"Then I can't help you," he shrugged.
The girl bit her lip. "Okay," she whispered, "but you'll regret asking," the ghost looked away momentarily, replaying the moment it happened in her mind.
"Who?" encouraged Draco, staring intently at the ghost. Her eyes seemed to darken.
She looked at him; hesitant to reveal the information, however she reasoned it was the only way.
"It was you… you killed me".