Answers To Reviews:
limegirl62: I've got two for you this time, is that good?
A.N.L: Actually, it was funny
Britney Lauren: It's a story, but I never did say I was completely sane, now did I? I'm glad you liked the chapter
Only three reviews for the last chapter? That's disappointing, but my work will go on!Anne
Disclaimer: Poem in here is mine. I wrote it myself. I do not, unfortunately own any of the characters, but when I do I shall inform you immediately.
Last time on Broken Angels: "And as I can't find a good excuse to get us into the restricted section, that pretty much rules the school library out." Hermione nodded slowly. "Well we should at least see what we can do with these powers." She said resignedly.
And now the continuation…
'Can you hear me?' Hermione concentrated her thought toward Draco. Across the room he jumped and gasped.
'That's awesome!' He projected back at her and it was Hermione's turn to jump. His voice sounded like he was standing next to her talking, not standing across the room. He walked across the room to her. "Okay, so far we have synchronized magic, ability to locate each other easily, automatic shielding from each other's curses, and telepathy. Pretty nice list." He grinned at Hermione, who smiled back before up at the clock.
"We have to go to potions NOW." She snapped, quickly gathering her stuff. Draco grabbed a bag from the floor beside him then quickly exited the room, hurrying down the hallway. They made it to class as the bell rang. Professor Snape saw Hermione, realized who she was, and then opened his mouth to speak. Draco quickly assessed the situation and glared at Professor Snape as he put his arm around Hermione to guide her to a seat. Snape glanced inquisitively from Hermione to Draco, who merely nodded. The whole class held their breath to see what would happen.
"What is everyone waiting for?" Snape snapped. "Get your potions kits and scales out." There was a clatter as everyone rushed to get out said items. Hermione glanced to Draco.
'Thank you.' She thought at him. He looked over at her and nodded.
"Instructions are on the board." Snape spoke from the front of the classroom. "Very few of you have made it this far, and I doubt that many of you will pass this year." He glared specifically at Ron and Harry who had somehow managed to pass their Potion's O.W.L. Hermione remained silent throughout the class, working over her potion with a look of concentration on her face. She kept her head down, her eyes on her potion, mostly to avoid Ron and Harry's many attempts to get her attention. Her potion was the first to be finished, and it was exactly the shade that it was supposed to be. Even Professor Snape looked impressed as he stalked around the classroom to discourage students from making mistakes. "This potion is perfect Miss Granger." He admitted begrudgingly as he stood in front of her cauldron, looking down at the brew. "Take ten points for Gryffindoor." Hermione concealed her shock with a smile.
"Thank you Professor." She looked over at Draco with her eyebrows raised. When they filed out of class ten minutes later, she burst out laughing. Draco watched her with a look of amusement on his face. "That…was…so…awesome!" She gasped out between laughs. She finally regained her composure. "I don't know how you do it, but that was great." Draco nodded, then stared at something behind her, and frowned. "What is it?" She asked, then turned around. She turned around and saw Harry and Ron behind her. "Oh no." She breathed.
" Mione, we need to talk." Harry spoke up. She looked at their determined faces, then looked to Draco.
"You go ahead, I'll catch up with you later." Draco nodded, walking briskly down the corridor. She looked back to Harry and Ron. "What do you want?"
"First of all, why are you spending so much time with Malfoy?" Ron asked her with a frown.
"Well, first of all, he's severed all ties with his father, his last name is Black. Second of all, he's different this year. I enjoy his company." Harry frowned at the name Black.
"My turn." He interrupted Ron before he could ask more. "Why Black for a last name? And why has he severed ties with his father?"
"Black is his mother's maiden name. The second part of your question is not my place to answer. Ask Draco about it sometime." She could feel the tingling in her palm reminding her of the blood oath she had made with Draco. Ron spoke up again.
"Why did you do that to your hair?" He gestured to her black braid that she was playing with nervously.
"A lot of things this past summer. I'm not who was last year and I needed some way to show it. I changed my hair color because it felt weird, being different on the inside, but the same on the outside."
"What happened this summer?" Harry asked her quietly
"I don't want to talk about it." She replied firmly.
"So you can Malfoy, but you can't tell us, who have been your friends since first year?" Ron shouted.
"Black." Hermione corrected him softly
"Whatever. Why don't you trust us anymore?" Hermione winced and turned away, squaring her shoulders defensively. Ron grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "Look at me Hermione!" Hermione whimpered and acted instinctively, flinching away from him, covering her face with her arms as if waiting for an attack. Draco, who had only gone just around the next corner, decided that he needed to get her away from Ron before she went hysterical or bolted. He walked over.
"I think this discussion is over." He said firmly, glaring at Ron. "If you want another chance, learn how to talk without yelling at her." Draco approached Hermione slowly, ready to pull back if she got alarmed. He carefully put a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened. "It's okay Hermione, it's just me. You're okay." She looked up at him with tears glistening on her cheeks. "Come on, we need to go." He put his arm around her to comfort her, then led her down the hallway. Ron growled angrily and drew his wand. Harry grabbed it away from him.
"Don't." He said in a threatening tone. "I think I just figured out what happened over the summer that changed her."
"What?" Ron asked, watching Draco and Hermione turn the corner.
"If you couldn't figure that out on your own, then you really are an idiot. Your way of dealing with things isn't working well at all. I'm going to go talk to her alone later today."
"But why is she so different?" Ron asked curiously as Harry walked down the hallway,
"That's not my place to answer." Harry replied, echoing Hermione's earlier statement.
Hermione sat at a couch in her Common Room doing her homework. Draco sat across from her on another couch, reading a textbook. Hermione looked up at him.
"Thank you." She said softly. Draco looked up at her. "For helping me earlier with Ron. He's just… too aggressive and he reminds me a bit of my father." Draco nodded.
"I saw you flinch and I knew what you were thinking. I had to come help you." The two sat in silence working on their homework. The silence was broken by the sound of a bell.
"We have a doorbell?" Hermione asked in amazement. Draco stared at her. "Never mind." She stood and walked to the portrait and swung it open. Harry stood there. "What do you want?" She asked him.
"To talk, just you and me. Ron's being an idiot and I think that I know why you are acting so different." He replied. She stepped back to allow him into the room.
"Come in then." He walked in, looking around in amazement at their common room. She closed the portrait behind him. "You can sit down." She gathered her homework and books and piled them in one pile. Harry remained standing, his hands locked behind his back.
"Do you care if I say it in front of Mal-Draco?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione shook her head. "I really hope that I'm not right Hermione, but after what happened earlier…" He trailed off. "Hermione, does someone hit you?" Hermione bowed her head. Harry stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug. He felt her body trembling. "I won't tell anyone." He told her. She drew back from his embrace and looked him straight in the eyes.
"You swear?" Harry nodded. "And you won' t do anything… rash?" He nodded again and Hermione smiled in relief. "And definitely don't tell Ron, he would go nuts." Harry smiled in agreement. "Harry, I'd like to introduce you to Draco Black." She pushed him towards where Draco was sitting. "He's a good person, but he doesn't like to admit it." Draco looked up from his book to roll his eyes at her. She giggled. "Draco, I'd like to introduce you to Harry Potter." The two archenemies looked at each other for a second then shook hands.
"Truce?" Harry asked. Draco nodded.
"Truce."
"Hallelujah!" Hermione muttered.
/Walking through eternal darkness
Forever night on an unlit street
Howling winds chill the air around me
As the sidewalk freezes beneath my feet
Cold, icy hands grasp at my hair,
Freezing it into lines of ice,
As shuddering sobs shake my body,
Teardrops frozen on my cheeks,
My steps pounding a haunting rhythm as I try to escape
Running as fast as I can, yet going nowhere.
My ears are filled with the haunting screams of others
As they give up trying and drift away.
Blood flows freely and stains the street,
Pain is normal here,
Unconsciousness a relieving bliss.
Ghostly face of others over my shoulder,
Seeing if I can make it,
Barely daring to hope,
For hopes are easily shattered,
Truths easily forgotten,
And promises quickly broken.
Shattering screams as yet another slips away,
My blood throbbing in my ears.
This place, it haunts me, I must leave,
The end is far, but oh so near.
Lord, there are no Angels here./
"So Ron still refuses to join our study group?" Hermione asked, looking around at their small group in the common room as she closed her spiral notebook. Around a small table she sat with Draco, Harry, Ginny, and Blaise Zabini, a friend of Draco's from Slytherin. Blaise, as it turned out, despised Voldemort as much as the rest of their group. Neither of his parents were Death Eaters and he wasn't sure why he had been put in Slytherin. The five of them had gotten to know each other better and had become good friends. They had formed a study group that met every weekend. It was now nearing Halloween.
"Yeah. He's still being a prat about the whole thing." Ginny replied, not looking up from her Potions' essay on the Draught of Peace. "Are you supposed to stir clockwise first then counterclockwise, or counterclockwise then clockwise?"
"Clockwise first." Draco replied, looking up from his Charms book. "Who does Ron hang out with now that all three are you are friends with the two 'evil Slytherin boys?'" He asked, mimicking Ron's reaction to their invitation to join their group.
"He's mostly been with Seamus and Dean. He talks some to Neville and flirts shamelessly with Lavender." Harry replied with a short laugh. He turned to Hermione. "So how is planning for the Halloween Dance going?" Hermione grinned.
"Very well actually. Isn't it Draco?" She and Draco shared a secretive glance. "You guys are going to have so much fun."
"Will you two stop teasing and just tell us about it already?" Blaise groaned from beside Ginny. Hermione smiled sweetly at him.
"You'll find out when you get there, just like everyone else." She told him, flipping through her Ancient Runes' textbook. "So, who has dates? You know if you don't, you'll be partnered up with someone else for our surprise." She looked around.
"I'm going with Luna." Harry offered. "Is it okay with you guys if she joins our study group." Draco stood ceremoniously.
"All in favor of adding Luna Lovegood to our group, raise your hands." Everyone raised his or her hand. "Any objections?" Nobody moved. "Motion passed." He said, mock seriously before laughing with the rest of the group. Hermione returned to interrogating people.
"So Ginny, do you have a date?" Ginny flushed red to the roots of her hair.
"Yes." She mumbled. Hermione beamed.
"Well, who is it?" Ginny muttered something that Hermione couldn't understand. "Who?" She asked again.
"She's going with me." Blaise said, putting an arm around Ginny's waist. Hermione grinned.
"Awwwww, how cute." Ginny, still blushing madly, turned on Hermione.
"So do you have a date for the ball?" Hermione shook her head, a blush coloring her cheeks pink.
"I'll be busy making sure everything goes smoothly," She smiled at Ginny, "So everyone has a lot of fun."
"Has anyone asked you?" Ginny asked, rolling up her Potions' homework.
"Nope, I think I might be scaring everyone off." She ran a hand through her hair. "You know, with the all black and everything." Ginny nodded, before glaring at Draco. He looked at her in confusion, and she jerked her head slightly in Hermione's direction while glaring at him.
"Well I'm done." Ginny sighed, "How about a visit to the kitchens?" There was a murmur of assent as people stood and stretched, moving towards the bookcases. Ginny stepped forward and removed a book from the shelf titled Cooking and You and the bookcase swung open, allowing them access to the kitchen.
"Hermione, can I talk to you for a second?" Draco asked, hanging back from the rest of the group. Hermione turned and walked back to him.
"Sure Draco. What do you want?" Draco smiled at her briefly.
"Do you want to go to the dance with me? I know that we have to make sure everything goes smoothly, but we could dance a little." Hermione smiled at him
"Of course. I was hoping you'd ask." Draco smiled back in relief.
"Did you see Ginny try to "subtly" tell me to ask you to the dance?" Hermione laughed.
"Actually no, but I can imagine. Subtlety is not her strong point. I guess was better go catch up to the others." Draco nodded and both of them walked to the kitchen together.
(So after being dragged to the wedding of some people I don't know, but am vaguely related to, I finally finished typing this. Am I the only person who thinks subtlety is a weird word? Anyway, read and review, this chapter was short, but the next one will be longer, I promise! Anne)