A Crazy, Twisted Dream

"Tomorrow?" McGonagall asked, skeptically. "Miss Granger, tomorrow's rather short notice-"

"I don't have to go straight to the school tomorrow." Hermione explained. "I don't mind staying in a hotel in France until Belle Strait is ready for me. I wish to leave Hogwarts the moment the sun comes up."

"And how do you plan on getting there?" McGonagall asked. "It is much too far to Apparate to for someone who just received their license. I suppose you could travel by the Floo Network, but they're extremely busy in the mornings what with people traveling to work-"

"Miss Granger can use one of Hogwarts Thestrals to fly to France."

Hermione spun around to see Dumbledore enter the office. He must have heard the commotion, or perhaps he was just taking a midnight stroll.

"Thestrals are brilliant magical creatures." Dumbledore explained. "I myself use them for long, tiring journeys."

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione said, gratefully.

"How will she pay for accommodations and the necessities that she would need to live on her own until Belle Strait is ready to accept her?" McGonagall challenged.

"The same way my Headmaster did for me." Dumbledore smiled. "Miss Granger, it's all taken care of. Don't you worry about a thing."

"Where is Belle Strait exactly, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, curiously.

"It is on the outskirts of Paris." Dumbledore explained. "Very secluded, very isolated, but you're not to worry. You will have a driver from Belle Strait pick you up. I've already spoken with the Headmistress. They are ready to fully accept you into the school on the first of December. Until then you may explore Paris, seeing as it will be your new home."

"What about my parents-" Hermione began.

"You are of legal age, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said. "It is your decision and your decision only. This is completely up to you."

Hermione sighed. "I'll have to send them an owl, I suppose. Well, what about Hogwarts? Do I need to tie up any loose ends before I leave? Shall I wait until you've found a suitable Head Girl to replace me with?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "You sound just like I did when I was ready to leave; anxious and excited at the same time. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, Hermione. Er, Professor McGonagall, would you mind if I had a moment alone to speak with Miss Granger?"

"Of course not." McGonagall replied huffily. She did not want Hermione to leave so early and be left alone in the big city of Paris for three weeks, but obviously Dumbledore believed it to be fine so who was she to argue?

Once McGonagall disappeared, Dumbledore turned to completely face Hermione. "Miss Granger, I want you to be sure that you are ready to leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn."

"Oh but I am-"

"Perhaps you'd like to speak with a classmate or two before just taking off. You are not leaving for a week, you are leaving for a few years." Dumbledore informed.

"Well, I can always come back and visit." Hermione answered. "I'm going to have to come and see my parents, anyway."

"Yes, but it is not the same. I am only suggesting that if you need to speak with someone important, now is the time to do it." Dumbledore said, surveying Hermione through his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione sighed. He was talking about Draco. "There is no one I'd wish to speak with. I am just anxious to leave and get ready to start a whole new life. But I was wondering if you could possibly do me a favor, Professor."

"Yes?" Dumbledore smiled.

"Maybe you could just inform the school of where I've gone at breakfast tomorrow. Just so no one thinks I've run away or anything silly like that." Hermione requested.

Dumbledore smiled sadly. She was not going to speak with Draco. Even though Dumbledore felt that it was best that she does, she was still not going to do it. "Of course, Miss Granger. Now, you get some sleep." Dumbledore ordered, indicating a large, comfy looking couch in the corner of the room. He cast a spell that made pillows and blankets emerge from the tip of his wand and spread themselves daintily over the couch. "You have a big day tomorrow."

The next morning, Draco woke up to several rays of golden light beaming through the open windows. He stuffed his face into a pillow, blocking out the happiness of the sun, wishing it would just go away. However, when it didn't Draco realized that he was facing reality. Sighing, he got up and walked across the common room in the direction of Hermione's bedroom. Surprisingly when he came face-to-face with it, the door was swung wide open. Hermione's bed was already made; it didn't even look as though she had slept in it. Odd, Draco thought. Where is she?

After slipping into a short, cold shower, Draco emerged from it feeling refreshed and invigorated. He quickly dressed himself before racing down to the Great Hall. Hermione must be there. Where else would she be? However, disappointingly, Hermione was nowhere to be spotted in the Great Hall. Draco did spot someone, though; Blaise Zabini sat at the Slytherin table surrounded by Pansy Parkinson and Emma Dobbs, both of whom were showering him in attention. Draco and Blaise's gaze met; Blaise's eyes (as far away as they were) were swimming in a pool of fury and loathing aiming directly at Draco. His expression clearly said you will pay. Draco sighed. How did he get himself into this mess?

Well, Hermione clearly was not in the Great Hall, so Draco turned to leave, prepared to search the entire school if he had to. However, before he had a chance to, Dumbledore's voice boomed throughout the room.

"Good morning, Hogwarts students." Dumbledore smiled. "I am aware that I do not usually give a speech during breakfast, but I must inform you all of something very important. Your Head Girl is no longer a student at Hogwarts School."

They entire room gasped and the Great Hall exploded into whispers. Slytherins were grinning evilly while Gryffindors were chatting avidly about where she could have gone. Draco, however, stood frozen in his place near the doors of the Great Hall. What did Dumbledore just say?

"Quiet down, please." Dumbledore requested, waiting for the attention of each and every student to return before continuing. "Hermione Granger has been accepted into a fine, exquisite, extremely high-standard school in France."

"WHAT?" Draco exploded. Everyone turned to look at him. Draco's eyes locked with Dumbledore's, demanding an answer.

"Yes, it is true. The school has accepted her, and she will be the thirteenth student in Hogwarts history to attend. She would have liked to say goodbye to you all, but unfortunately she has left early this morning-"

Draco did not wait to hear the rest. He burst out of the Great Hall and ran as fast as his legs could take him, through the corridors and passages and stairways until he pushed his way out of the main Hogwarts doors and onto the grounds. He glanced around in every direction as though expecting to see Hermione standing out there waiting for him, but she was nowhere in sight. She was actually gone.

"SHIT!" Draco screamed, kicking the grass as hard as he could. "FUCKING SHIT!"

Feeling helpless, Draco took a seat on the stone steps leading up to the castle. He dropped his head in his hands, feeling more frustrated then he'd ever felt before. How could he have fallen asleep? If he didn't fall asleep, then he would have caught her! But why oh why does he care so much?

"Good morning, Mr Malfoy."

Draco looked up to see Albus Dumbledore towering over him. Dumbledore took a seat next to Draco on the stone steps and gazed out at the Hogwarts grounds as though reminiscing about something that had happened in his past.

"You seem quite distressed at the news I just revealed." Dumbledore mentioned, still surveying the grounds.

Draco looked over at Dumbledore with mounting dislike. Dumbledore had always been the know-it-all, annoying, favoring-Potter-and-Gryffindor Headmaster. He probably hated Draco inside, but as the Headmaster he could not speak his mind.

"I don't care." Draco muttered irritably, wishing Dumbledore would leave.

"Oh, but you do, Mr Malfoy. I can see it in your eyes. I can hear it in your tone. If you're angry or upset, feel free to express yourself. I am not here to judge." Dumbledore said.

"Why don't you just go and soothe Potter?" Draco challenged, angrily. "I'm sure he's feeling the same way I am."

"I am not with Harry, nor do I wish to be with him right now. At the moment, I am speaking with you, Draco." Dumbledore said, calmly. "And if there is anything you'd wish to speak with me about, I am always available to lend an open ear."

Draco was just about to tell Dumbledore to shut up, but another thought entered his mind. "Where has she gone?" Draco asked. "Professor?" He added as an afterthought.

"The school is in Paris, France." Dumbledore replied. "Well, on the outskirts of Paris, really. But they are not quite ready to accept her, so she'll just be retaining residence in a hotel in Paris until December the first when she'll be able to attend the school and live in one of the dormitories."

"Why can't I go to this school?" Draco challenged.

"It is for the best of the best." Dumbledore replied. "I am not saying that you're not smart, Mr Malfoy. Far from it. But Miss Granger receives grades so high that Hogwarts is at an effortless level for her."

"I want to go anyways!" Draco cried, complaining like a two-year old. "Does it want money? I'm willing to pay thousands, millions of galleons if necessary!"

"I'm sorry, Mr Malfoy." Dumbledore comforted. "But that is not possible."

"Then I'm going to Paris on my own." Draco decided, getting up and ready to leave.

"I understand your decision," Dumbledore said, standing up as well. "But I ask that you hold off until the Christmas holidays. Can you do that?"

Draco looked up into Dumbledore's pale blue eyes. He hated this man. This man who stood here pretending to care about Draco as though he were his father; hell, Dumbledore probably felt sorry for Draco because he lost Lucius last year. How dare Dumbledore even ask Draco to hold off on something as important as this? But in those blue eyes also stood something that Draco could not quite make out; was it trust? Sighing, Draco loosened his ready-to-leave stance. "Yes, Professor. I'll wait until the Christmas holidays."

Just a bit slower! Hermione cried in her head. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut as she grasped the Thestral around its neck as tightly as possible. It was so swift and rapid straight through the entire journey. After about two minutes of watching the cars and buildings below her streak by in a blur, she felt sick and needed to shut her eyes. And for the entire eight-hour journey, they had not been opened once (well, except for the occasional peek here and there). She had only traveled by Thestral once, and she did not remember it flying as fast as this one did. Perhaps it was just the change in Thestral, or maybe Dumbledore had ordered it to fly speedier; either way, she was surprised she had not thrown up the moment she stepped off of the Thestral in a large landing in the heart of a vast forest. Glancing around, she suddenly felt worried. Why would the Thestral bring her to a forest? How was she supposed to find her way out?

"Excuse me, miss?" A voice called from behind her.

Hermione turned around. Standing behind her was a boy who must have been eighteen, nineteen tops. He was carrying a cardboard sign with Granger scrawled across it in permanent marker, and standing behind him was an ugly, battered looking green car.

"You'd be Hermione Granger, then?" The boy asked.

"Yes." Hermione answered, apprehensively.

"My name's Bart Sanders and I'll be your driver this afternoon." Bart introduced, indicating the awful green car behind him.

"Do you attend Belle Strait?" Hermione asked, excitedly.

"That I do." Bart answered, puffing his chest out proudly. "I'm on good terms with the Headmistress. She's made it my job to come out and get you. Your Headmaster ordered the Thestral to take you here so that no muggles would see it."

"Ah, I see." Hermione nodded. Bart opened the back door for her like a gentleman and helped her inside. Her jaw almost dropped as she slid in. The back seat was huge! It was just like a limousine; you could have fit at least six people in the back alone. There was a mini bar on the right side and a fairly big muggle television on the other. "Awesome!" Hermione cried. "Is this your car?"

"Nope." Bart said. "It's Belle Strait's. When the car is driven outside of the school it is a necessity to disguise it as an ugly car so that muggles don't try to break in."

"Brilliant." Hermione smiled.

"So you come from Hogwarts, eh?" Bart asked. "I'm from Beauxbatons. Got my acceptance letter only last year. Headmistress told me they didn't send you a letter, though. Because of your age, of course. Worked it all out through one of your teachers. McDougall, is it?"

"McGonagall." Hermione corrected. She leaned the side of her head against the tinted glass window as Bart started the engine and began to drive away out of the clearing. When she had her eyes open, she only thought about Draco. But when she closed them, she could actually see him standing there, smiling.

"You must have been excited when McGonagall told you, eh?" Bart asked, trying to make conversation.

"Hm." Hermione answered, nodding slightly. She closed her eyes, allowing Draco's image to flood her thoughts.

"I had the highest IQ in Beauxbatons." Bart bragged, suddenly standing behind her wearing an expensive tux with a tie designed with never-ending numbers.

"That's nice." Hermione replied, trying to apply her makeup without messing it up. This was the most important day of her life. Everything had to be perfect.

"My mother always told me I was gifted, but I never quite believed it until my letter-" Bart continued.

"Crabbe! Goyle!" Hermione cried. Crabbe and Goyle appeared in the large, lilac tent that stood outdoors on the Hogwarts grounds. "Remove him, please! I'm trying to get ready!"

Crabbe took Bart by one arm and Goyle by his other, dragging him out of the tent while he continued to jabber away about his accomplishments and surprises throughout life.

Finally, she was ready. Hermione stood up and looked at herself one, final time in the mirror. She looked radiant, wearing an elegant white wedding dress that curved into the shape of a bell at her hips all the way down past her ankles.

She slowly walked out of the tent into a crowd of people. Half of the people sat in chairs on the left side with the other half on the right. A velvet, red carpet led from the tent to the altar right down the middle of all of the people. At the very end of the red carpet, Draco Malfoy stood with his hands behind his back, looking as handsome as always. Smiling, Hermione made her way down the aisle. Every face looked up at her, glowing and crying with a large amount of pride and respect. Finally, Hermione reached the altar.

"Do you, Hermione Granger, take Draco to be your lawfully wedded husband?" The pastor asked kindly; he was suddenly recognizable as Dumbledore.

"I do." Hermione smiled, staring into the eyes of her future husband. He smiled back at her.

"And do you, Draco Malfoy, take Hermione to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Dumbledore asked.

Draco continued smiling at Hermione. Then, without warning, he pulled a water balloon out from behind his back.

SPLAT!

He threw the balloon directly in Hermione's face. Every person on the Hogwarts ground burst out in laughter. They were all laughing and pointing at Hermione. She could hear the shouts of "filthy mudblood" and "ugly bitch" ringing in her ears, particularly by Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.

"I don't." Draco smirked at Hermione, his arm around Pansy's waist. He pulled Pansy into a deep, passionate kiss, leaving Hermione standing at the altar by herself, her world spinning out of control.

"No!" Hermione cried.

"Something wrong?"

Hermione looked up. She could see her own reflection in the rear view mirror of Belle Strait's transport car. She looked panicked and distressed. It had just been a dream. A crazy, twisted dream. She could also see Bart's reflection in the mirror; he looked worried, but also looked at Hermione as though she were crazy.

"No. Nothing's wrong." Hermione said, forcing a smile. When Bart looked back at the road, she sighed. This is going to be a long trip.