Disclaimer: Harry Potter or the lyrics I quote in each chapter, do not belong to me in anyway.

Welcome to The New Age

Chapter Two

"This is it,
The apocalypse,
I'm waking up,
I feel it in my bones,
Enough to make my system blow,
Welcome to the new age…"

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

Monday August 26th, 1996

Night Time

After a long extremely relaxing warm bath, Hermione slowly made her way back to the guest room, with thoughts of a certain Blonde Slytherin still lingering in her mind. Shutting the door behind her softly, she tried to push the pestering thoughts away, but failed as his familiar cold steel gray eyes flashed in her mind, probably from a memory of him. With a loud groan, she tossed her dirty clothing from today into the hamper beside her, and then plopped onto her bed. Finally deciding she needed some sort of distraction, she reached for the neglected book from earlier today.

'Reading is always a good choice…' She smiled lightly to herself, opening the book to her next chapter. The Dungeons of Hogwarts… Hermione scoffed loudly at the irony there, and continued where she left off.

After five minutes of a feeble attempt at reading, she absent mindedly began to chew upon her bottom lip in deep thought. Questions began clouding all of her concentration, as she twirled a loose curl from her ponytail around her pointer finger.

'What did he think of me? Even with my dirty blood, did he find me at all attractive?' She shook her head at the idea, and sighed. 'Why must he bother me outside of school, when I see him more than enough when I'm there? It is extremely irritating for him to intrude upon my thoughts. He's nothing more than a lowly ferret, he is.' She huffed, sharply closing her book, reaching for her toothbrush. Hermione then opened her door, outside her room she shuffled her way into the loo, towards the sink.

'Stupid Malfoy… Stupid thoughts…' She started to brush her teeth, wondering faintly what flavor of toothpaste he used. Spitting out her toothpaste she groaned, yet again, trying to ignore her thoughts.

The sudden voices from the stairs followed shortly by a familiar owl pulled her from the loo, toothbrush still in hand. Leaning against the railing that over looked the many flights of stairs, she noticed Molly, Ron, and Ginny talking.

"Is that an owl I heard?" Hermione asked somewhat curious, watching Ginny nod with a grin.

"You haven't seen him have you?" She asked Hermione, who heard the owl again, which she decided was Hedwig. "Apparently he's wondering about the house."

"Really?" Hermione asked, and another voice laughed.

"Really." He called out, and Hermione smiled running down the stairs quickly towards her best friend.

"Harry!" Molly called out with a laugh as Hermione walked past Ron and her. Once Ginny pulled away from Harry, Hermione dove into his welcoming arms, which held her tightly. Harry always gave the best hugs she decided, inhaling his unique and familiar scent of peppermint and soap. Letting him go with a smile, she watched Molly tug him into a proper embrace.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" She asked pulling away to see his face.

"I didn't know. Dumbledore." He chuckled fixing his glasses, pushing them back upon the bridge of his nose.

"Oh that man!" She huffed gleefully then patted his cheek. "But what would we do without him?"

Hermione watched Molly and Harry's exchange, shaking her head with her arms crossed, as she then began rolling the toothbrush between her fingers slightly.

It had been almost nearly a month since she had seen him, and quiet honestly missed him so much. Harry was like the younger brother she never had, he was always there for her when she needed someone. Looking over the younger boy, she noticed he was looking a bit thinner than usual, probably from a lack of a proper meal since last term at school. Then awkwardly out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ron pointing at her, shuffling in his spot.

"Got a bit of… toothpaste..." he mumbled as he wiped it away, and then gave her a small smile. Hermione couldn't help but giggle slightly at his awkwardness, turning around to see everyone looking at them, and she shook her head.

"Come on then, let's go get you settled." Hermione said to Harry who nodded grabbing one of his bags by the front door.

Once upstairs she made her way into the room, with Harry right behind her, who then went to place his bag upon the small couch beside the back door that led to the small balcony. Shivering from the cold, she eyed the rubbish bin that sat beside the door of the room, and started looking for something to burn. Her eyes made their way to the newspaper that still sat upon the bedside table, which she then promptly grabbed.

With one last look at the Slytherin whom was currently plaguing her thoughts, she then crumpled the paper into a ball. Sitting down on the ground as Harry fallowed in suit, sitting next to her, and Ron on her other side. Hermione then lit the crumpled newspaper with Incendio, not turning it into an actual fire, but not just embers either. She then stared at the heat that started to claim the paper, turning her attention back towards Harry.

"So when'd you get here?" He asked her, pointing his wand at the floating warmth above the rubbish bin.

"This morning." She said, and then watched Harry nod slowly. "Though for a while, I wasn't sure I was coming." She added, as Ron sighed, she assumed in agreement.

"Mum, sort of lost it last week." Ron started, exhaling again, as she watched Harry turn to look at the redhead; she then looked at Ron too. "Said Ginny and I had no business going back to Hogwarts. That it's too dangerous-" Hermione began to chew upon her bottom lip again, and then looked at Harry once more.

"Oh come on." Harry grumbled at what his friend was telling him, and Hermione stopped herself from gasping.

"She's not alone, even my parents, as muggles, know something bad's happening." She stated evenly, slightly annoyed at Harry, then Ron continued.

"Anyway dad stepped in, told her she was being barmy, and it took a few days, but she came around." Ron shrugged as Harry shook his head.

"This is Hogwarts we're talking about. It's Dumbledore. What could be safer?" He asked, obviously angered by the facts. Hermione could not help but feel saddened by this.

"There's been a lot of talk recently," she paused tying to find the right wording, "That Dumbledore's… got a bit old." She finished and then looked up, meeting his green eyes.

"Rubbish!" He snapped lightly, "He's only- what is he?" He then asked, Hermione noticed him looking towards Ron.

"150… Give or take a few years..." Ron replied seriously, and then Hermione started giggling at that, her two friends following quickly behind her.

Her thoughts wandered; there were so many reasons as to why both her parents and Ron's mum worried. With You-Know-Who's rise, so much was happening inside the Wizarding World, and frankly, there was a war coming, everyone was beginning to prepare mentally for it. It was pretty much a wakeup call of sorts for everyone. Whatever was coming was nothing good, that much she knew.

Still laughing a little, she looked up, her eyes landing upon the heated ball of burning paper, through her fit of giggles, her thoughts drifted back to her new current problematic Slytherin. When she saw Draco Malfoy's nearly flawless face. His stoic sharp features evident, even through the dull embers, as he stood there blinking at the brightly flashing cameras. Suddenly she found herself drawn to him through the increasing flames, causing herself to gulp. Before either noticed her odd behavior, his face was gone from the paper.

Hermione then pried her eyes away from where he once was, forcing herself to look back as Harry whom was still laughing. Blinking twice, she tried to keep her smile wide, but as it slowly softened, she saw Draco's face and silvery eyes still burned into her mind.

Wednesday August 28, 1996

"You're so Protected,
So resurrected,
But you're standing still.
Rejecting what's real,
Your desperation,
A fake fixation,
Take it from me,
Take it from me,

I feel like you know what I'm feeling,
Like you're holding onto life by the skin of your teeth…"

Devil On Your Back by The Letter Black

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, as Hermione watched a light rain just beginning outside the window at the Burrow. It was a chilly damp afternoon she decided pulling on a jacket going downstairs to meet Ron, Harry, and Ginny. They all were going to pick up last minute things from Diagon Alley today. Not that Hermione needed anything, she was prepared as always, but Ron and Harry on the other hand, needed a couple things. Ginny was tagging along to visit her other brothers, and probably to spend time with Harry. Hermione saw the way the youngest Weasley looked at Harry, but refused to meddle.

When they all finished getting ready, using the floo network, they showed up in an empty shop next to Fed and George's shop, which was also known as, 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'. It was shocking to Hermione, to see how many shops had gone out of business, and how depressing Diagon Alley had become. When they walked over towards the entrance of store number 93, and she read over the sign in the window, twice to be sure.

It read;

'Why are you worrying about You-Know-Who?
You should be worrying about U-No-Poo.
The constipation sensation that's gripping the nation!'

With a grimace of disgust, she fallowed the others inside the warm and joyous shop. Looking around, her eyes darted from colorful toys, muggle magic tricks, potions, extendable ears, reusable hangman's, skiving snackboxes, and so many more, endless amount of different products really. Then she saw a small Umbridge on a unicycle wheeling across a tight rope, shouting, "I will, have, order!"

Hermione laughed at the magical toy, actually impressed, as she walked around. She turned to see Ron going around a bending staircase, and Harry wondering in the other direction. Staying beside Ginny, they were looking Wonder Witch products. There were at different love potions, when her eyebrows crinkled, as she looked at a smaller colorful box. Picking up a box, she turned around to see both of the twins, one of which was looking over the two, with a smirk.

"Patented Daydream Charms?" Hermione question, as one nodded, which she noted the quirk of his eyebrow, and knew it was George.

"That's right, realistic 30 minute daydreams." He replied with a smile.

"Drooling and a dazed expression may occur." Fred added with a laugh.

Examining the colorful cover of the box, Hermione saw a handsome young man and a swooning girl on a pirate ship. She inhaled with a smile.

"You know, that really is quiet extraordinary magic." She laughed, really impressed by it, then looked up at Fred.

"For that, Hermione, you can have one for free." He said with a proud smile, and she nodded. Holding onto the box she then looked at a potion, it was a Sleekeasy Hair Potion. Grabbing one she made her way to pay for it, when she saw Ron talking to, Lavender Brown, a daft, over giggly obnoxious blonde-haired girl. Angered by this, Hermione decided she needed air, and quickly left outside.

'Stupid blonde bint.' She thought to herself, a little cross with Ron, only because he had the gall to act all nice with her at the Burrow, to act cute, and awkward. Then off he goes, to flirt with the first girl slightly interested in him.

With her bag in hand that held her potions, she ambled slowly down the empty dark Alley, her irritation then replaced by sadness. Stopping outside an old abandoned building, she gasped seeing the broken remains of the old wand shop.

'Olivander's…' She inhaled and began to chew upon her bottom, lip, noting it was becoming a somewhat bad habit. Taking a step towards it, she paused, and then looked up just down the alley to her left.

Hermione froze, with her breath caught in her throat, and almost stopping breathing altogether. Her eyes widening at whom she saw, causing her to blink once, hoping it was just her imagination again. When he stopped, looking around, as if to make sure he was not about to be followed, she let go of the breath she had been holding. His actions made her suddenly curious, as she began to follow the obnoxious blonde-haired boy who ducked around the corner, with a flash of his custom black dress suit.

'What in Merlin's name are you doing Malfoy…' she quickly went around the corner, and then walked seamlessly down the long narrow alleyway, her shoe scuffled loudly against the damp paved ground. Wincing to herself, she pressed her back against the wall, watching Malfoy freeze. Fear ran through her as, he wiped around, turning towards her direction.

"Who's there?" He growled pulling out his wand, and Hermione reached for hers inside her boot. "Come on then, out of the shadows to where I can see you." He then began to squint at her, attempting to see who was there, she guessed. Then pointed his wand at her. With her wand at the ready, she slowly walked forward, into the light, her heart pounding in fear and anticipation. Feeling the dim light bathing her face, she watched his face soften.

"Granger?" He sneered at her, and she swallowed thickly, with a terse nod.

"Malfoy." She said his name with distain, and he arched one of his eyebrows.

"Are you actually following me?" He asked, and she suddenly felt like she was under a microscope. "I mean Granger, it's undignified, but you would know all about that, now wouldn't you?" Loudly huffing in anger, she took two steps closer towards him, glaring.

"No, I'm not following you-" she said, suddenly flustered. There was no other answer to what exactly she was doing. "I- was-" she watched him raise both his eyebrows in amusement, and started to smirk. "Fine! You looked like you didn't want to someone following you, so yes; I wanted to see why that was." She spat, angry he was finding amusement in her flustered state.

Hermione couldn't help but look over him, standing so close to her, for probably the first time in all the years they'd know each other. Something was different then the Malfoy she knew back at school though. She could see it, in his features, in his eyes. Now he had walls up, protecting himself, as he paused to think of what he was going to say next.

Malfoy then lowered his wand, walking towards her; frozen in her spot, she watched him stop no more than two feet away from her. She then looked up at him, holding his intense gaze, his smirk still present, but slowly fading.

"Well now that you've failed, quite miserably, I might add, you should run along. I'm sure the other two thirds of the 'Golden trio' are around here somewhere." He drawled with yet another sneer, and she rolled her eyes. He was as infuriating as they came, always pushing buttons, always trying to annoy, irritate, or worse, both.

"No." She spat crossing her arms, if only to spite him, as she watched his sneer change into anger. He took a step towards her, an abrupt rush of musky cologne and expensive leather, filled her senses, drowning out everything around her. Studying him, as he quickly came even closer, almost backing her into the damp wall, he stopped his advances. Hermione could almost feel the cold dirty wall behind her, just ghosting her back. Feeling the warmth of him so close to her made her shiver, causing her lips part lightly. Exhaling shakily, her tongue quickly traced her suddenly parched lips, her eyes watching his silver ones darken. They flickered towards her lips then back up to her eye, and she realized he was far, too close.

"Come again?" He asked coldly, glaring at her. "No?" He repeated her answer, with flicker of irritation, and pursed his lips, allowing his jaw to tense.

Hermione watched his anger, quickly inflating as the seconds passed, ready to bring her wand up again, if needed. Apparently, he saw this, pushing his anger to the edge, and over. Draco then proceeded to shove her roughly backwards into the wall as hard as he could, the sudden pain causing her to drop her bag and wand.

Gasping for air, as Hermione blinked repeatedly, dazed a little. Then she noticed his hands, both resting beside her, one on each side of her head, his right hand sill holding his wand. His toned body brushed hers softly, feeling the silky black robes against the small flash of sink where her shirt rose just above her jeans. Whether it was accidentally, or on purpose, it kept her frozen. Hermione wondered briefly, what he was thinking at this moment, more likely it was something foul towards her.

Before he could actually say something, the sound of clicking heels drew both her and his attention from the direction he was originally headed. He cursed directly in her ear, muttering a concealment charm as well, while she watched Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange herself, sharply round the corner.

Hermione could not breathe; nor could she hear what the two women were saying to one another. Wondering why they had not seen them yet, she then remembers the boy currently pressing her into the side of the building had said a charm.

'Bloody brilliant…' She thought, looking back at Malfoy who was looking down the alleyway, towards his family. The two women turned back around, leaving them alone, yet again.

Clearing his throat, he backed away, and then fixed his jacket. Hermione bent down retrieving her wand and her bag, and then looked up at him.

"Why did you do that?" She whispered, barely loud enough to hear it. "You could have shoved me at your aunt, had her use an unforgivable, or something… But you just hid me... Hid us... Why?" Before she even really had time to think, she examined him, noting it was his turn to swallow thickly this time. He just started down at her, his facial expressions were unreadable to her, and then he clicked his tongue.

"Don't fallow me again Granger, or next time I will hand you over. I'll have my aunt use all of the unforgivable cures on you." He whispered coldly. "Don't bother telling anyone we were here either. The second someone actually comes, we will be long gone Granger." He sneered and took one last look at her, making her insides churn. "See you in school." He said with a crisp and fake smirk. Then turned sharply, making his way down into a shop, she noted as 'Borgin and Burke's'.

She then left, making her way towards the opening of the alleyway, to see Ron and Harry standing outside of the Joke shop. She honestly did not know how to explain her and Malfoy's encounter, or what she would even tell her friends when she still hadn't understood what it all meant herself.