There was no time to waste. Hermione found herself caught in Draco's urgency. She couldn't understand anything, and yet she believed him. She didn't know why. She hadn't even considered the fact that he was a Death Eater now. She ran into the Room of Requirement, Ginny following her. Malfoy was pushing in front of her, breathing heavily.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" Ginny pleaded. "Hermione, you can't just-"
"It's better than doing nothing! If Malfoy's telling the truth, I have no choice! And, even if he's not telling the truth, I was going to go back anyway. It's too big a risk, Ginny. If Dumbledore is really dead..."
Ginny opened her mouth to argue but Hermione wouldn't let her. "Think of Harry, Gin. He can't die. You know he can't."
She threw the chain of the time turner around both her and Malfoy's neck.
"Please... please come back to me, Hermione." Ginny's wide, dark eyes were full of tears.
"I will," Hermione promised.
She turned the time turner forty nine times, one for every year. It took a minute.
Just as the world was starting to fall beneath her feet and her vision was getting fuzzy, she heard a loud bang. Figures were appearing in the room, dark figures... Death Eaters. She heard voices, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. She saw, before her vision went completely blank, Ginny's vivid red head falling to the ground.
"Ginny!" she tried to scream but she no longer had the body to do so.
Her head was spinning. She was aware of nothing, except that she had never experienced anything like this before in her life. This world had no substance. Colours flashed in front of her eyes. Colours that she'd never seen before. They had no names, they were too bright for her eyes to take in properly. Her body felt strange, light and floating. This was un-mundane, unnatural and yet she was not afraid.
Malfoy was there...
She moved towards him, she wasn't exactly sure how. He was solid, real. His eyes were full of light. The minute her hand grasped his arm, she fell, and dragged him down with her. She felt an uprising terror, as she realised she was going to keep falling forever... there was no end to this. She was going to fall for ever, and ever, and ever...
She didn't fall, exactly. She stumbled into Malfoy, and Malfoy fell to the ground. She had never felt so dizzy in her life. She grasped on to the wall to keep her balance. Malfoy stayed on the floor, too dazed to make himself stand. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, silent except for their deep breathing.
Finally, she felt steady enough to let go of the wall. She reached out her hand to Malfoy. He ignored it and pulled himself up. She withdrew the hand into her own pocket.
"Did it work?" he asked in an oddly choked voice.
"I think so."
They were in the Room of Requirement, but Ginny and the Death Eaters were not there. The room was the same, but it felt different. Hermione took a deep breath and opened the door. It was still and dark outside. Of course it was, it was extremely late. The hall looked the same too. She walked cautiously out. She hoped with all she had that it had worked. Otherwise, everything had been a waste.
She couldn't even think about what had happened, a mere minute ago. All she could do was silently pray that Ginny was alright.
Malfoy followed her out and, together, they began to explore.
"The knights don't look as old," Hermione observed weakly.
"Yes they do," he spat. "Fifty years would make little difference to knights that old."
"We- we should go to Dumbledore's office," she said uncertainly after fifteen minutes of finding nothing.
He turned sharply to face her. "That wasn't part of the plan."
"None of this was." She looked down at the floor. "We are unprepared. We need help. Dumbledore will help us. He will be able to believe us."
He stared at her for a while but apparently could not come up with a better option. When she moved towards Dumbledore's office, he followed her, but only to stop her. "Dumbledore wasn't Headmaster at this time," he told her. "He was Transfiguration teacher. He should in McGonagall's quarters now."
She nodded, feeling a bit foolish, and they both began to travel to where McGonagall's office had been in their proper time. When there, he did nothing and, timidly, she knocked on the door, afraid of what she could see. What if they were in the complete wrong time altogether?
They weren't. Dumbledore appeared at the door. It was clear he didn't recognise them. Yet, his expression was open and gentle. Welcoming. Maybe it was because both Hermione and Draco looked so shaken, or maybe it was because they were wearing their Hogwarts uniforms, or maybe it was just because Dumbledore was not a hostile person. Hermione suddenly felt beyond relived. It was always okay, if Dumbledore was on their side. It was always okay, if he was alive.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir," she breathed, but that was as far as she could get on her own.
"I think we need to talk," Malfoy said to him. He looked at Dumbledore with such urgency that Dumbledore gestured for them to come inside, and shut the door behind them.
Hermione watched Dumbledore as he made them two cups of tea. He looked a bit younger, his hair was a little less silvery, his skin was a bit smoother, but he was Dumbledore; kind, safe, powerful Dumbledore. She couldn't believe that just minutes before, she'd been trying to cope with his death, and yet here he was, alive and well. It was enough to make her cry; an overload of emotion. She was embarrassed when the tears rolled down her face. Malfoy's expression was more than disdainful, as he told her, "Get a grip."
"Come now," Dumbledore led her to a seat and smiled down at her kindly. "I'm sure there's no reason to go getting yourself upset. I'm not sure I know your name." He pushed the tea into her hand.
"It's Hermione Granger, sir."
When Hermione heard Malfoy's sharp intake of breath, she realised that, that in fact was not her name. Not anymore. But she couldn't lie to Dumbledore, she couldn't. Not when he should really be dead. She put the tea down; she had little appetite for it.
"Miss Granger," he repeated and smiled again, his blue eyes twinkling. "And you, of course," he turned to Draco, "are a Malfoy. Draco, perhaps?"
Malfoy scowled, but his scowl was not as vicious as normal. She presumed, but she may have been giving him too much credit, that he was as relieved as her to see their Headmaster alive. Draco had been rather upset before, upset enough to run from his father and his new leader. He had put his tea on the table too, and showed no interest of drinking it.
Malfoy nodded sullenly and asked, "How is it that you know that?"
"I know many things," Dumbledore said, eyes still twinkling, "some useful, some not."
"But how?" Malfoy didn't seem to want to leave at that.
"I see you are wearing the Hogwarts uniform," Dumbledore said swiftly, "and yet I know you are not current students. I'm afraid I must request an explanation. Miss Granger, perhaps?"
She hated having to turn to Malfoy for answers, but she herself was not sure how much to tell him.
"We're from the future, Professor Dumbledore," Malfoy answered, almost lazily. "We can't tell you too much, we can't change too much of the future without being sure we know we are doing the right thing. But we do need your help. How do you think we should go about trying to get enrolled into Hogwarts, so late in the school year?"
"Oh," Dumbledore replied, "I'm sure I could take care of that. I do have many ties. I must ask you to promise one thing though, I'm afraid. And that is this, you are doing good here. Your intentions are honourable and for the best. You are... are on my side."
"Yes, sir," Hermione answered, almost immediately.
Draco took a little longer. He looked deep into those blue eyes, and seemed deep in thought. Then, just before Hermione thought she was going to start screaming at him, he said, "Yes, sir."
Hermione noticed that Malfoy was unconsciously rubbing his forearm, where she knew he was branded by darkness.
Hermione wondered whether Dumbledore noticed.
If he did, he showed no signs of it.
"We will have to go to Hogsmeade," Malfoy told Dumbledore after a moment's silence. "We have no supplies. We are not prepared. Granger needs some new clothes, as do I. For the weekends, you know. I have money. Enough for both of us."
"You must sleep there tonight also," Dumbledore said in reply. He rooted through his robe pocket and found what he was looking for: a white and blue sachet that jingled full of coins. He gave it to Hermione, who smiled graciously. She had not wished to have to rely on Malfoy, who was, after all, still someone she was not friends with.
Dumbledore turned from them and picked up something from his shelf. It was a tea pot, the one he had made the tea with. He turned back to them, held it out to them, and touched it with his wand. "Touch the port key, holding hands, and it will take you to Hogsmeade. Keep a low cover. Do not change anything, if you can help it. Use the portkey again, at three o' clock tomorrow, that should give you adequate time to get your supplies together, and you will be brought here, where we will further analyse the situation. I have a lot to think about, for just one night."
Hermione hesitated in taking Draco's hand. When she did, she was surprised to find it was warm. Gripping on, she touched the portkey.
"I have waited a long time for you to come, Hermione," Dumbledore said gravely.
Before she could open her mouth to reply, the portkey was activated. She felt the familiar sensation in her tummy, and, when she opened her eyes she hadn't realised she had closed, she was in Hogsmeade, still holding Malfoy's hand.
Hogsmeade was so different, unlike Hogwarts which hadn't changed at all. It was so undeveloped. Nobody was around, it was late, but the town still seemed quieter and smaller than before. Many of her favourite shops were missing. There was few houses to be seen, unlike what Hermione was used to seeing. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed. Things were so, so different there, that she finally realised that she was in a completely different time zone to all her friends. All she had to rely on was Dumbledore and Malfoy.
Feeling so lost, she didn't let go of Malfoy's hand.
Perhaps from seeing her upset face, he, thankfully, didn't protest. For once.
Maybe he needed the support too.
Yay! I liked this chapter! Sorry it's been so long for some Tom Riddle! he's in the next chapter, I swear! I just had to set a couple of things straight with Malfoy/Hermione, I have, after all, shipped them for practically forever, where as I am new to Hermione/Tom. Any one any tips? I'm sure there are some cliches you do not want to see but, sadly, I am completly ignorant, which might work in my favour or not, I don't know!
Anyway, I have most of the next two chapters written, although I have exams and cramming to do for the next two weeks, so it might be a little longer before I get it up! Review to cheer me up and hurry me on!
Anyone up to anything unique for the summer? I can't believe it's Summer already... I'm only getting over Christmas!
Good luck to Ireland in the Eurovision semi-finals on tonight! I'm Irish and, although our song is complete rubbish, part of me is still hoping they'll win!
I'm awfully chatty today! Anyone any news? I have none except for that I'm better now (i was sick for ages), I think I'm FINALLY over my ex, my (male) old teacher was being all suggestive and slimy to me today and it was gross, and that I have started a new job that's so stressful but pays way better than my last one!
Thank yous for reviews for the last chapter and this chappie will be in the next chapter! I have to go study English...my best subject...now for three solid hours with my best mate! Ciao!
Review! Even just to give me a laugh or something more interesting than study to do/read! And check out my stories, particularly my other D/Hr story, Doomed! These two are my summer projects!