Author's Notes: I'm so so so so sorry! I'll try to do it quicker!!! RL is currently REALLY HECTIC. I find myself roped into all sorts of committees and groups. Oh, and any suggestions for the future plot will be very appreciated. Tata!
Oh, and to my readers who have been hanging in there... thank you so much for your reviews. They really push me to keep writing!
It was nearly the end of Christmas break. Harry and Hermione had pretty much avoided each other, and Hermione had spent more time with her brother. Cho and Harry had talked some more, but Harry's mood hadn't changed. School term had started again, and Harry and Hermione were glad to have the common room filled with people, laughter and jokes once again. No more awkward silences. No tension.
Harry was relieved to be flying again. It was the first game of the year, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. He could hear Lee commentating in the background.
"Angelina Johnson streaking up the pitch, Quaffle goes to Bell, AH! Stolen by Slytherin! Over to De- hah! Good bludger by... bloody hell, couldn't they have picked Beaters who don't look alike? Anyway, good bludger by the Gryffindor beater! Possesion of the Quaffle is with Bell, Johnson, Spinnet... she dodges the keeper... and she scores!"
Cheers erupted as the score went up, 70 to 0.
Harry flew around, looking for the Snitch... pretending he wasn't all that bothered by the absence of a certain silver-headed girl from the stands. He didn't have much time to dwell on it because suddenly he saw it. The Golden Snitch.
With a grimace, Harry tipped his broom downward. Wood's words came to mind in moments like this. Get the snitch before Malfoy, or die trying, because we've got to win this one, we've got to. He and Malfoy both dived... they flew faster and faster, hurtiling towards the ground... Malfoy was gaining... Harry leaned forward until he was nearly flat on his broom... a few more feet...
BAM!
They collided in a sickening crunch.
"And both seekers are out cold! Don't think any of us expected that! Too bad Harry couldn't have just wrenched that ferret's-- "
"Jordan!"
"Sorry, Professor. Look's like all is well, they're up again, but the Golden Snitch is gone! Thankfully, Harry's Firebolt is in exceptional condition, it's flying as fast as ever, while that Nimbus is sorely-"
"Jordan!"
Harry gritted his teeth as he waved Madam Pomfrey away, and got up in the air again. He scanned the field for the lost snitch. His determination numbed his pain. He scanned the field again... and spotted a glimmer of gold, with a sickening sense of déjà vu, fluttering above Malfoy, who was slowly getting up.
Don't look up, don't look up, don't look up...
Harry continued his circling, hoping against hope that Malfoy wouldn't look up...
He was almost there with Malfoy none the wiser... he was about twenty feet away...
Malfoy looked up to see Potter with a fixed scowl on his face... and felt something brush his hair out of his face. Draco grinned wickedly, and winked at Potter who suddenly looked horrified.
Harry with a burst of speed sped towards Malfoy hand extended. Get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying get the snitch or die trying...
Malfoy reached for the snitch which was fluttering an arm's length away... but as if by magnetic force, it suddenly zoomed away...
Directly into Harry's outstretched hand.
"Right, then. Gryffindor in possession, a- watch out Katie! Bludger! Good dive! Bell passes to Johnson, to... WOW! HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH! DEAR GOD, WHAT A DIVE!!!! IN A SHOCKING SEVEN SECOND DIVE, HARRY POTTER CATCHES THE SNITCH, WINNING THE MATCH FOR GRYFFINDOR, 220-0! HAH! I WON'T BE SURPRISED IF HE'S ASKED TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND! TAKE THAT SLYTHERINS! YOU'LL NEVER GET THE CUP AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT POTTER, YOU SCHEMING PACK OF LYING---
Even Professor McGonagall was too busy to reprimand Jordan. This truly was the best team yet. Harry found himself feeling free for the first time since Hermione's transformation. He looked at the Golden Snitch in his hands, and looked for Malfoy. But he was no where to be found.
After hitting the showers, Harry walked to the Gyrffindor common room. As he passed a hallway, in horror, he found Hermione with Malfoy standing directly beside her. He watched as they spoke in low tones, hugged, and Hermione pecked him on the cheek.
In a strange fit of arrogance, Harry walked down to where they were. "Supporting Slytherin are you?" he sneered at Hermione, in hindsight, he realized it sounded cruel.
Hermione looked down. Malfoy rushed to his sister's defense. "Now, now, Potter. Being condescending is my job." Malfoy smirked.
"If only the Gryffindors could hear you now... their hero Potter, acting like everyone else... being petty... being stupid... not caring if he hurt those who cared for him...I know who you really are," he said, running a hand through Hermione's hair. He turned back to Harry. "How you let Sirius escape... how you threw one of your badges at your best friends head..."
Harry shot Hermione a murderous look.
Hermione was steadily growing more horrified. "I never told him anything Harry! You've got to believe me!!!"
Draco smirked at Hermione. "Who said you told me that?" He turned to Harry. "You wouldn't believe all the things, I've heard about you... I could so easily ruin your reputation, Potter."
Harry frowned. "What? I haven't done anything to ruin... whatever reputation I have!"
Draco's eyes danced with fiendish delight. Hermione suddenly knew exactly what her twin was going to do. "Draco, no. Please... don't do it."
"Oh, I won't of course. Just thought I'd want you to know Potter, I have the power."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "What power?"
Draco turned around abruptly and walked away. He stopped about ten feet away from them, and turned to face them again. "I've got two words for you Potter. 'James' and 'Lily'."
"All right, who is it this time?" she asked, sweeping into the hall, dress trailing behind her.
He sighed and flopped back on his throne. After all they were the only two there. "King Philip X."
She smiled mischievously. "Philip... brown hair, great... body, extremely rich... Philip?"
He raised a lazy eyebrow, and was pleased at her favorable reaction. "Do you know anyone else?"
Her smile disappeared. "His country isn't big enough. He's a moron. Find me someone else."
"Will you stop being so picky? Look, we need his name to get people's respect."
"We already have people's respect."
"Power-wise. We need to be... friendly."
"We are friendly," she pointed out.
"Friendly in a 'I'm your master' way. We need to be friendly in a 'I'm one of you' way."
"Which is why you're marrying me off to that... creature?"
He smirked. "Yes, which is why I'm marrying you off to that creature."
"What if I say no?"
He sighed. "Then I'll just have to find someone else."
She grinned. "There's my boy."
"Don't think you're getting off easy."
"Please." An idea suddenly surfaced. "Why don't you let me choose?
"Choose a husband? Why?"
"If I'm going to spend the rest of my life with one person, I want that person to meet my expectations."
"The problem is, sister dear, is that no one meets your expectations."
"Actually, I have someone in mind."
"Who?"
"Henry of Esocol."
Henry of Esocol? He frowned. He wasn't in the least bit her type. "Why him?"
"Because he's powerful. Because he's good."
"But you're not," he reminded her.
She grinned. "Exactly. It will be so much fun."
"What makes you think that he would make an offer of marriage? Is he not magical, as you and I are? Does he not know-"
She flicked her hands impatiently. "Of course he knows! But dearest brother, surely you know his reputation. He's a good boy. Being the good boy that he is, most undoubtedly... he will try and make me..." she mock-gasped, "See the error of my ways!"
He held back a laugh. "And?"
She sat down, a small smile on her lips. "And then, I will make him fall in love with me. For a man like him will always appreciate... the struggle, that one takes to be... good."
His eyes blank, he straightened up in his chair. "And then you will break his heart."
She leaned back, and crossed her legs. "Don't I always?"
Harry woke up again. It was getting more and more common to dream about those two. They were almost always in different times, but the pattern was always the same. They ruled, they were obviously practitioners of the Dark Arts, and the male somehow, had fallen in love with another girl. A girl they considered inferior to them.
He could never clearly see their faces. All he knew was they were beautiful. And cold-hearted.
Harry glanced outside. Judging from how dark it was, it was probably around two in the morning. Unable to go back to sleep, Harry went out to the common room.
"Lumos," he muttered, walking down the spiral staircase. The fire was nearly out, the embers were casting a soft orange glow around the room. He put the light in his wand out.
He reached the common room, and realized that he wasn't alone. Hermione was curled up on the couch with a book, arm tucked under her head, fast asleep.
Harry's first impulse was to avoid her. To go back upstairs and pretend he hadn't seen her.
The second was to wake her up, or carry her to her dormitory, like he had done so many times in the past.
Not thinking, Harry reached out and brushed back some hair that had fallen in her face. When he realized what he had done, he jerked his hand back.
He stared from his hand to her face.
Hermione was pretty. Beautiful in fact. And with the soft light of the fire, she looked like a little child.
On closer observation, she looked tired. It didn't show much on her, but he knew Hermione's moods like the back of his hand. He could always tell when she was upset or tired.
And somehow, it always seemed to be his or Ron's fault.
Looking down at her, Harry made a decision.
He sat down next to her, and lightly shook her shoulder. "Hermione," he whispered. "Hermione, wake up."
Her eyes slowly flickered open. "Harry?"
"It's two in the morning, Hermione. Why don't you go up and get some rest," he said softly... gently. Like he always had.
Hermione sat up slowly. "Why are you up, Harry?" she asked softly. "Bad dream?"
Harry looked down. "Yeah," he answered shortly. "Something like that."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Harry looked at her, and stared into the dying fire. "It always starts the same. Two people... arguing, or plotting, or scheming. They're all these intricate plans about takedowns... ranging from the medieval period, Ancient Rome, Greece... both muggle and magical. And... it always ends... horribly."
"For who?" Hermione asked.
Harry looked at her, all animosity forgotten. All past hurts and mistrust was swept away. Harry looked at the fire again. "For everyone."
Hermione followed his gaze. "You haven't been sleeping well," she said quietly.
"Neither have you," he replied.
"I... I missed you."
"Me too."
There was an awkward pause. Harry broke the silence.
"I'm sorry."
Hermione looked sharply at him. Once that initial admission was made, Harry found talking a lot easier. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. Nothing that happened was your fault... the only thing you did wrong was be nice to Malfoy... and that's not a bad thing. Well, it is from Ron's perspective, but you know."
Hermione had turned away in the middle of his apology. He couldn't see her face.
"Hermione?" he ventured.
Before he knew it, she had thrown her arms around his neck, and she was sobbing desperately.
Harry drew Hermione closer to him. "Hermione, stop crying. Please stop crying."
But she didn't.
Harry held her as she wept and held her tightly to him, stroking her long hair.
She looked up at him, with her tearstained face... and she had never looked as beautiful to him.
Harry slowly bent down... and his mouth was on hers, and they were desperately trying to make up for lost time.
They had kissed before. Before the whole Tatiana thing happened, there was... occasional making-out and groping in closets. Ron had walked in on them once, and had never let them forget it. They had been best friends for so long, that it was so easy to be comfortable around each other.
Neither wanted their friendship to change, and they decided to stay friends. Of course, according to Ron, friends who fell on each other's lips every now and then.
But they had never kissed like this before. Before had been, hesitant and sweet... This one was all about finding each other. Signaling a new beginning for the both of them.
The embers of the fire sparked up again... but whether controlled by Harry or Hermione... who knew?
"How could I have been so blind? So stupid?" the girl yelled.
A fog seemed to float over his mind, and yet another scene played out. But this time... it was different.
This time it was the woman in tears, instead of the man. This time, he was the one getting angry, the one killing.
"How could you?" she was saying. "I love him!"
"You know I had to do it. You disrupted the balance. If he had lived, it would have destroyed us all."
"He's everything to me!"
"Before you are his lover, you are a god. He is not your world. You first duty is to the balance."
She looked from her brother to her fallen, bloody and battered lover. She pushed away his dark hair, and kissed his cold lips.
She turned to her brother with snapping eyes. Lighting crackled and winds howled as she called them to her. Her brother went paler than usual. In this state, she was ten times more powerful than he.
She sent forth a blast of white light from her arms...
And Harry woke up.
Harry slowly opened his eyes. He was in the common room.
Hermione was still sleeping beside him.
Ron was staring at them.
As was Dean.
And Seamus.
And Ginny.
And everyone else in Gryffindor Tower.
Ron looked too angry for words. He was red. "What the... bloody hell... is going on?" he said with barely contained fury.
Harry sat up. "Ron, can we talk about this later?"
"No. I want to know why you and that... Malfoy are sleeping together!"
"Ron, we aren't together like that-"
"No! Do you see that?" he said, pointing to Hermione. "That is a Malfoy. As in Death Eater, Instruments of Evil, People-Who-Do-Generally-Nasty-Things!"
Harry was growing more and more aware that everyone was staring and that Hermione was awake, but had her face turned towards the back of the couch they were sleeping on.
"Ron, calm down," Harry said, attempting to pacify his apoplectic friend.
"I will not calm down!" he fumed. "I want to know how you could let this Malfoy... take advantage of you!"
"She's not taking advantage of me Ron!"
But Ron went on, as if he hadn't heard Harry. "She's not the person you knew Harry! She's an evil manipulative witch-"
At this point Harry noticed the tears trailing down Hermione's cheeks.
"Ron, shut up," he said softly.
Ron blinked, surprised. "What?"
"I said shut up," Harry said in the same quiet tone. "It's not your place to jump to conclusions and it's not your place to pass judgment. One of your worst traits Ron is your hot-headedness. You loose sight of how your actions are affecting others. Be careful Ron, or that's going to loose you all the friends you have."
Ron saw red. "I don't need to be psychoanalyzed Harry! I don't need that from you! I thought you were my best friend!"
"I am. That's why I'm telling you this." Harry glanced at Hermione, who's eyes were open, filled with tears, and were still focused on the back of the couch. "She's your best friend too." Harry stared at Ron. "Do you think she deserves that from you?"
Ron was fuming. His best friends had ganged up on him. Well, his best friend. A certain Harry James Potter who would remain unmentioned.
In his fury, he didn't notice that he was walking straight towards someone walking the same way he was. They crashed against each other, and fell with a thump.
Ron looked up, and saw who he really didn't want to talk to.
Draco Malfoy.
In fairness, Malfoy didn't look all too happy to be with him.
Draco narrowed his eyes as they both got up. "Weasley. What gives you the right to treat my sister that way?"
Ron folded his arms across his chest. "I'm going to ask you the same thing, Malfoy. What gives you the right to treat my sister that way?"
Draco smirked. "You can act as high and mighty as you like Weasley, but in the end, you're worse than I am. Ginny was young, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what she was getting into. Our relationship was one of convenience. It was her fault she fell in love.
"But, Tatiana... your Hermione, is different. She wasn't in love with you, now was she? She's in love with Potter."
Ron's eyes widened.
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it. Well. Gryffindors aren't exactly known for their brains. She's in love with him, and he's in love with her."
"Malfoy, I don't know what you're getting at but-"
Draco shook his head. "Maybe you're right to get away from them Weasley. You're always going to be in their shadow. Potter is the hero, she's the brains. What are you, the sidekick?"
Ron flushed. "Look here, Malfoy!" he began hotly. "You can't-"
"Struck a nerve. Weasley, it's about time you realize you're insignificant. Harry and Hermione are helpful and famous in their own right. You, Weasley, are nothing. Consider yourself lucky your friends are important... plus they like you. But at the rate you're going, you won't have any left."
Thwack. Ron's fist collided with Draco's nose.
"Weasley! Detention and twenty points from Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall shrieked, coming towards them. "What is the meaning of this?"
"I was simply giving Weasley advice, telling him to be nicer to Potter and my sister," Malfoy said simply. "He didn't take it the right way."
Professor McGonagall looked suspicious. "And what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Weasley?"
"Nothing, Professor," Ron muttered.
After everything this morning, Hermione had run to her sanctuary. The library. There was a corner of the library where she always stayed. A little near the restricted section, quite hidden. Ron and Harry always knew where to find her. She opened up a book. One of her own. A muggle book.
"You do know that some ideas in those books... are well, new-age-y," someone drawled softly beside her. She didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"Yes, I do. But it's a good book," she replied, turning the page.
Hermione could feel his eyes boring holes into her hair.
She finally looked at him. "Why in the world are-" her eyes widened as she caught sight of her brother. "What happened to your eye?"
Hermione whipped out her wand, muttered a spell, and Draco's black-eye vanished.
"Wealsey got lucky," Draco shrugged.
Hermione frowned. "Ron? What did you tell him?"
"I didn't tell him anything."
It was hard to tell if he was lying or not by his expression, but knowing Draco, he was lying.
"Draco, what did you tell him?"
Draco looked guilty. "Just... just some stuff. About treating you better."
"And?"
"And pushing his friends away."
"And?"
Draco sighed. "And his uselessness."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You know how touchy he is. Why do you insist on making things harder for him?"
"Because he makes things harder for you," Draco replied, shortly.
Hermione was silent for a while. "Draco, I'm flattered that you're looking out for me, really, I am. But... don't you think you're taking things a little too far?"
"Eh. It's fun, anyway," Draco smirked.
Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"So..." Draco began, with a change of tone. "What's this I hear about you and Potter?"
"We made up."
Draco raised an eye brow. "That's not they way I heard it. I heard you were making out... going at it in the Gryffindor common room."
"Those rumors are greatly exaggerated."
The fact that Hermione had gone bright red- ever more noticeable now with her complexion- was not lost on Draco. He smirked. "Looks like there's hope for you yet, sis. Who knew you were such a vixen?"
"I'm not talking to you."
Draco just grinned. "So. How long have you had a crush on Potter?"
Hermione shot Draco an incredulous look. "I am not talking about this with you."
"Just answer the question."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sod off. I'm trying to read."
Draco smiled gleefully. "Since the first day you saw him, am I right?"
Hermione tossed her hair, and turned away from Draco.
"Ah, young love," Draco smirked. "I always knew you guys were more than friends."
Hermione stopped for a second. "This is too strange. Draco, you're telling me you were speculating about the love lives of two of your enemies."
"Anya, the whole school was speculating about the Potter/Weasley/Granger love triangle."
He had called her Anya, one of his many nicknames for her. He had complained the name Tatiana was too long, so he had several variations. Tasha, Tanya, Anya, An, Ea, Ana, the list was endless.
Of course, he had said Tats once, and Hermione had hexed him. He had had a purple tongue and hadn't been able to speak more than three words at a time for a week.
What was strange was when someone else had used that curse on Draco (Justin Finch-Fletchly, actually) it hadn't had any effect. Like what had happened during their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, Draco had absorbed the curse.
Harry zoomed around on his Firebolt, trying not to think of anything. He had enough on his mind without adding the world's problems to his own. Trying, however, was the operative word. Hermione- Tatiana- Hermione... ... ... what had always been right there in front of him was suddenly mysterious, all wrapped up in a pale girl with blonde hair.
She had seemed so different when they had been at odds with each other. It wasn't like any other time. Before she had always been sad, nervous... But the last time had been far worse. She had acted... completely Malfoy-esque, both to him and Ron, something he had never thought Hermione had in her.
Harry didn't know what had triggered it... It was either her new looks... Or was very possibly the unfair hostility that she was subjected to.
Harry realized that he didn't know Hermione very well. She didn't know what her favorite food or colors were, if she had any siblings... he had never even heard the story of how she first knew she was a witch. Bloody hell, that's pathetic. I've been accusing her of being a bad best friend, when really; I haven't been her best friend at all.
Harry zoomed down lower, making a few loops. I can change things. I have to.