Chapter Three
Hermione came back to reality and saw that she was in Draco's arms.
"Oh my god, what did I do?" she asked.
"Hugged me, kissed my cheek, and then you said you loved me. You also called me Julian," Draco replied, a hint of a smile on his lips.
"I was Abigail," Hermione said.
Draco's eyes widened and he was rendered speechless.
"What do you mean you were Abigail?" Draco asked.
"It must have been a memory. But Julian was telling me that he wanted to marry me and that he wanted me to go to his house over the summer. Then I told him that his parents would never accept me because I'm a muggle-born," Hermione said.
Draco nodded and then sat down on his bed. They didn't talk very much about it anymore. When they went to the Great Hall, Harry and Ron walked to Hermione.
"Can we talk to you for a minute?" Harry asked.
"I can't, I have to talk to the Headmaster," Hermione replied.
Harry and Ron nodded and left. Draco and Hermione walked up to the headmaster and he smiled.
"What can I do for you two?" he asked.
"Sir, why do we have ghosts following us?" Draco asked.
"Because you and Ms. Granger are the reincarnations of Julian Rouse and Abigail Spall," Dumbledore said.
Draco smiled triumphantly.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed.
"Professor, how do we get the ghosts to stop following us?" Hermione asked.
"You have to finish what was started. You two should go to class now," Dumbledore said.
Hermione and Draco nodded and left the Great Hall. Their first class was Potions with Snape.
"What in the world did Dumbledore mean by 'finish what was started'?" Draco asked.
"Well, Julian and Abigail were going to get married," Hermione said.
Draco stopped in his tracks and stared at Hermione.
"What if we have to get married?" he asked.
"I, personally, don't want to think about that," Hermione said, continuing down the hall.
"Hermione, if we don't, we're going to have ghosts following us forever. And one of them tried to kill you last night!" Draco exclaimed.
"What do you care! You've hated me since first year! You should be glad!" Hermione yelled at him.
Draco gaped at her.
"Hermione, I thought we called for a truce on the train yesterday. Why would you even think something like that?" Draco asked.
"Because you're a Malfoy. What else am I supposed to think?" Hermione asked.
Draco glared at her. He would never want her to die, ever.
"Hermione, I care about you, like it or not. If you don't want to believe that, fine. You can think I hate you, but I don't. I never have. And to tell you the truth, I've never cared about your blood," he said, walking down the hall.
I didn't just hear him say that, Hermione thought.
"Draco wait!" she called. "Did you just say that you never cared that I was a muggleborn?" she asked.
"Yes I did. Ever since I came to this school, I've been under the Imperious curse. My father wanted me be to be a mini-him. I'll never be like him. When he got taken in to Azkaban, I was afraid of being who I wanted to be. In sixth year, I stopped caring about purebloods and mudbloods. I don't care anymore," Draco said.
"Why didn't you ever say something?" Hermione asked.
"Because there are still Death Eaters that are wandering free and getting away with murder. I'm afraid that one day, they'll set my father and the others free and he'll come for me. Once he does, I'm gone Hermione. This school and learning that I'm the reincarnation of a ghost is really the only thing keeping me sane right now," Draco replied.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. She sat down and didn't look at Draco for the next several minutes. Then she sighed.
"I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be rude that way…" Hermione started.
Draco stopped her. He motioned for her to sit down.
"Don't be sorry, it's the way you feel. Look, I don't want to be haunted by a fricken ghost the rest of my life and I know you don't either. Why don't you just marry me and get it over with?" Draco asked.
"No, I will not marry you. Not because of all the torture you've put me through but because Abigail and Julian were in love before they decided to get married. If we don't marry with the same intentions the curse will never break," Hermione explained.
Draco nodded.
"I understand what you're getting at, but Hermione, we're already half way there," he said.
"We're already half way where?" Hermione asked, confused.
"To being in love… I love you…" Draco said.