Myths and Dreams

By LaA

The school term started off as any other, a mixture of classes, socializing with the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryfinndor at its highest. Hermione and Draco avoided each other whenever possible and neither was plagued by the mysterious dreams that haunted them. Counting her blessings with the absence of these dreams Hermione relaxed into school life and immediately set about her duties as Head Girl. Things were the same as ever. Or at least they were until the fifth week back

Classes had finished for the day and Harry and Ron had disappeared to Hogsmeade so Hermione, feeling slightly left out decided to wander back to her dorm. She changed out of her school robes and found a place on the couch to curl up and stare into the flames of the ever-present fire. Caught in her reverie she hardly noticed when Draco entered, and sat on the other end of the couch.

" What are you staring at Granger?" He said with the usual disdain for her poisoning his voice. She seemed to ignore the question and continued to gaze.

"Oi! Mudblood, I asked you a question." His frustration getting to him he leaned over shoved her shoulder slightly. Hermione's body seemed to be made of liquid as she merely swayed and became still once more. Silence pursued and Draco actually started to worry. She hadn't reacted to him at all. Hermione was slightly turned away from him so he could not see her face clearly, he got up and moved to face her only to discover her eyes clenched shut, silvery tears coursing down her face. Something wasn't right, she seemed far away and disconnected. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her.

" Granger? What the hell is up?"

Suddenly her eyes snapped to his, capturing them in her gaze. He felt his mind begin to slip away from him being replaced by the familiar dull throbbing that preceded one of the dreams.

"Jockrin? Where are you?"

"I'm right here my love."

"Oh Jockrin how I have missed you, I have pined for thee ever since"

"Hush Elspeth. It is all in the past"

His lips found hers.

"What are we doing here? What is happening?" Elspeth whispered

" Do not fear my little dove, everything will be clear in time, but let it all wait, I have found thee again! Never again will we be parted."

Hermione was the first to stir, groggily opening her eyes taking in all she saw and processing what she had just been through. Slowly became aware that her arms were wrapped about something, she was curled up like a small child in the arms of a protector. Warmth permeated through her body and she felt completely at ease, comfortable beyond words. She shut her eyes again, snuggling in closer to the object that was omitting faint warmth and rocking gently up and down, like a person breathing during a deep and restful sleep. She sighed slightly, a faint smile played upon her lips, and she almost fell into a peaceful slumber when her object moved slightly and emitted a soft, muffled groan. Things that felt an awful lot like arms enveloped her curled form and held her closer. A sigh of contentment passed her ears seeming to come from close by. From deep within her rose a voice that whispered " Jockrin".

Hermione heard herself whisper the foreign name and heard a distinctly male voice reply to her call softly.

"Elspeth."

This gentle warming call, forced her to open her eyes and look up at the voice, her mind still fuzzy it took her several moments to distinguish exactly who she had her arms so comfortably wrapped around.

" MALFOY!" She screamed and leapt away from the arms which a moment before had provided her with such security.

"What?" Draco still dazed and foggy looked up at the indignant and very near hysterical Hermione who stood with her hands on her hips glaring daggers of confusion and anger at him.

"What? What? I'll tell you what. You just had your filthy, disgusting arms around me! You jerk! What the hell were you trying to do? Take advantage of me?"

" Hang on! Wait a minute! What is going on? I did not have my arms around you, Merlin, why would I? You're a Mudblood remember? You must be under some sick and twisted delusion to think that I would or could do anything like that in my right mind! Even to see you hurts my eyes! Damnit!" Draco, finishing his outburst, leant over and gripped the sides of his head. He looked like he was trying to keep his head from spontaneously combusting or trying to hold fragments of his skull together.

" Your slime Malfoy. Not even scum and the bottom of the dirtiest, infested swamp would willingly be near you. "

"Shut up Granger."

" No! I haven't even begun yet. I could stand her throwing insults at you all night you piece of snobbish trash!"

" Seriously, shut up. Don't make me do something I would regret."

" Regret? Oh my Lord, you actually have that word in your vocabulary? Do you even know what it means?"

" This is your last warning Granger! If you don't stop now I'm going to AHHHH!" Draco screamed in agony as his headache flared into a monstrosity. His hands gripped his head like a vice, his face torn up in pain. Shocked into silence, she watched as Draco convulsed, afraid to touch him, confused and scared at what was happening.

"Malfoy? Oh no, Malfoy? Come on stop it, it isn't funny. MALFOY?" She collapsed on the floor next to him. " Malfoy can you hear me? Oh God. Malfoy, look at me, try and focus on me." Hermione placed her hands either side of Draco's face and tried to steady him. With a great effort Draco opened his eyes and tried desperately to focus on the chocolate orbs pleading for him to be okay. Slowly the pain began to ebb away, his muscles relaxed and he went limp, exhausted.

" Oh God your okay! Thank you, thank you, thankyou!" Her eyes welled with tears.

"What happened just then?" She asked when Draco finally found the energy to move back onto the couch. He was laying down still weak from the attack.

" I don't know."

" You must have some idea!"

" Well I don't! Damn just give me a minute would you?"

Hermione sat back against the couch and tried to calm herself as Draco slowly regained his composure.

" Is this the first time that has happened?"

"Worried are you Granger? Scared you would be blamed and your Head Girl position taken away from you?" Draco snarled back at the pale and shaking Hermione.

" Screw you Malfoy! Damnit! You just had a seizure in the middle of our common room! How am I not meant to be worried or look just forget it." Nearly in tears Hermione pushed herself up from the floor and made her way to her private rooms.

" Shit. Look Granger stop. Stop!"

Hermione froze midstep and turned to face Draco who was currently trying to stand with great difficulty.

" You idiot lay back down before you hurt yourself even more." Despite her best efforts to try and be indifferent Hermione was worried for Draco. It was not everyday that someone fell into a seizure in front of her. She walked back towards the stumbling Draco and pushed him back onto the couch so that he was lying down.

" Just stay here ok?"

Hermione collected a small bowl from her room and filled it with cool water. Grabbing a face cloth she immersed it into the water and strolled back out to the lounge. She placed the bowl on the coffee table and wrung out the cloth, folding it neatly she placed it on Draco's forehead.

" Is that ok?"

" Perfect." Draco replied as he felt some of the pains still washing about his head subside. They sat in silence.

" This wasn't the first time."

" What?" Hermione asked confused.

" It's not the first time this has happened. What are you? Deaf?"

" You are such an arrogant prick."

" Don't you remember? On the train?"

Flashbacks of the events on the train rushed back into Hermiones' mind. " Yes I remember now. What did you call me? Ethel? No that wasn't it. Elspeth? Yes I think that's it. You called me Elspeth. And now that I think of it you said it again tonite! Who is she?"

" Not a clue. Who's Jockrin? A lover of yours?" Draco smirked as Hermione glared at him.

" NO! I'm not a tramp Malfoy. Are you sure that's what I said? Maybe you thought I said Jockrin but I really said ' Slimeball'?"

" Nope you definitely said Jockrin. Besides slimeball doesn't sound anything like Jockrin."

" This is too weird. Has anything else unusual been happening with you lately? Like strange dreams? Where you wake up in a cold sweat thinking you have lost something more valuable than your own life and think that you couldn't possibly go on without that thing?" Hermione looked straight into Draco's eyes as she said this to gauge his reaction. An emotion that seemed very close to fear skimmed across his features.

" What are you on about?" Colour drained from his features.

" You've had them too!" Hermione whispered her eyes growing large.

" Had what?"

" The dream I was just talking about!"

" So what if I have? It doesn't mean anything!"

" Do you understand the dream at all? Oh God, I thought I was going mad! Do you know anything about it? anything at all?"

" No I don't."

" Please, please Malfoy don't lie to me! I need to know what it's all about. Is it some a spell or a potion or something?"

" I don't know! Leave me alone would you?"

" NO! You need to tell me what it is!"

" WELL I DON'T BLOODY KNOW!"

Hermione fell silent.

" Just settle down would you?"

" Please Draco I'm desperate." She looked at him reproachfully.

Draco looked at the pale Hermione on her knees before him, begging for answers. As much as he hated to give her what she wanted, he also needed to know what these dreams were and why they had such a profound and potent affect on him.

" Ok Granger. We are going to help each other work this damn thing out but nothing that is said or anything that happens inside these walls stays inside here got it?"

" Yes."

" If I even catch a whisper of a rumour that we are working together on this, I will destroy you. Understood?"

" Yes"

"Good"