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Messed Up Fate
"Draco… Malfoy?"
Hermione's question hung between her and Merlin. She had to go back to time to change Draco Malfoy's stupid heart and if she succeeded, she would live. Change Draco's heart? Just thinking about it made Hermione frown. There was no way she could change his heart. He had a cold heart ever since birth and melting it was bloody hard. Well, she really wasn't sure if Draco had a cold heart since birth or he was sweet like any other child when he was little but Hermione still presumed the former. He grew up with Lucius Malfoy anyway and that was enough to presume that he had a cold heart ever since he was little.
Merlin watched the musing brunette in amusement. He watched as her emotions change from this to that. He couldn't understand why. When he said that Hermione would change her murderer's heart in order to live again, the brunette looked hesitant. She looked like she didn't want to change Draco Malfoy. But, wouldn't that be a bit easy for her because Fate told him she had…
"Are you sure I need to change Draco Malfoy's heart?" Hermione asked, snapping Merlin out of his reverie. "I mean, I quite understand why I need to change his heart. If I did, there will be a possibility that he won't kill me on the battle itself…"
"Very clever, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "That's really the reason why you have to change him."
"… but, what I don't understand is why I have to change his heart?" Hermione continued. "I mean, my entire 7 years in Hogwarts, I knew that there is a possibility that Malfoy will become one of the Death Eaters and will kill someone someday. Unfortunately, I'm the one who was killed. So, why do I have to change his heart when he's destined to become a murderer?"
"Because he isn't destined to become one," Merlin simply said. "Mister Malfoy shouldn't be a Death Eater. He shouldn't be a murderer. In fact, he is in your side – in the light side. Fate already decided what will happen to him even before he was born in Earth but like what I've told you earlier, someone messed up with the files of Fate… someone messed up with Draco Malfoy's files resulting in a drastic change in his life. If someone changes a part of his life and will greatly affect him, there's a big possibility he will turn out what Fate wants him to really be."
"You see, Miss Granger," Merlin continued. "Draco Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, should be imprisoned in Azkaban and should receive the Dementor's Kiss when his son was still 10-years-old because, well, the Ministry had found out he was a Death Eater. But Mister Draco Malfoy's file was messed up, resulting for his father to still be alive and continue to control his life. Mister Malfoy ended up being a murderer when he shouldn't really be."
"Like what I've told you earlier, Lucius Malfoy was arrested because the Ministry found out that he was a Death Eater, one of the most loyal ones, actually. Fate and I thought of making the Ministry know about this by reporting him to the Ministry by one of his family members and we chose Draco Malfoy. And that's your task, Miss Granger. You have to persuade this boy to tell the Ministry that his father is a Death Eater. Then, there's a big possibility his life would change... and so does his heart. If he did report his father to the Ministry of Magic, then you accomplished your task," Merlin finished.
"Wait, wait, wait," Hermione said, utterly confused. "You mean to say Draco Malfoy is one of us. If no one messed up with Fate then… Malfoy will be good?"
Merlin nodded. "Exactly, Miss Granger."
Hermione burst out in laughter. Merlin, startled at the brunette's sudden emotion, frowned.
"But that's… that's… preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed. "Malfoy is never good. Malfoy will never be good. He's evil and annoying! He tortures innocent 1st years! He hates Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs because he always thinks we are lower than Slytherins… that we are scumbags. He hates… he hates Mudbloods like me!" 'But despite all of those negative things about him, I still like him so much and it is driving me crazy!'
The old wizard stared at her in amusement. Fate clearly told him about Hermione's 'special' feelings for her murderer. Shouldn't she say positive things about the person she liked? But the brunette in front of him was exclaiming things that weren't positive at all. He shrugged. Well, maybe she was just angry the person she liked ended her life.
"I'm sorry, Merlin, sir, but I think I will rather die than change Draco Malfoy's heart," Hermione stated with conviction, crossing her arms.
Merlin really, really was confused right now. "I'm sorry but I'm utterly confused right now, Miss Granger. I thought that you will accept this task because you have special feelings for Draco Malfoy. Fate personally told me about this matter but your reaction about your task of changing his heart is saying the contrary."
Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. 'They know… Oh Good God, they know! Both him and Fate! But, how? How?!' she frantically thought, feeling herself blush furiously. Hermione mentally kicked herself. Of course they know especially Fate! Hermione bit her bottom lip which has another meaning – she's greatly embarrassed. "That… that's not true! I don't have special feelings for that jerk!" she lied in exclamation. There was no way she would admit to anyone that she liked Draco bloody Malfoy. Just admitting it to herself made her feel stupid so there was no way she would tell anyone.
Merlin shook his head. He pressed his wand (which magically materialized) at Hermione's heart, greatly startling her. "But your heart says otherwise, Miss Granger. You can't lie to your own heart. You know that."
Hermione bit her bottom lip harder. Merlin really, really was intelligent. Sometimes, she really couldn't help but curse the intelligence of one person. Wanting to change the topic (desperately), Hermione said, "But why did you choose me, Merlin, sir? I mean, there are hundreds of millions of people in the whole world. Why did you choose me, then?"
The old wizard smiled. She was changing the topic. But, he answered her question anyway. "Well, Miss Granger, it's because of coincidence. Like what I've told you earlier, we just discovered that something's wrong with Mister Malfoy's fate when you died earlier than you should be. So, Fate and I thought that maybe you can fix his fate and live again."
She knew that was a reasonable answer. But, Hermione couldn't help but to frown. Merlin was biting back something. She just greatly felt it. "You're not telling me the whole truth, are you?"
Merlin sighed. She really was an intelligent witch. "Indeed, Miss Granger, I am not telling the whole truth," he said. There was no point in lying to her, anyway. She would discover it soon. He watched as she narrowed her eyes. "Miss Granger, please understand that I can't tell you the whole truth right now. I just can't. Fate requested me not to tell you until the last day of your three weeks. But I will tell you, all right. But not yet now."
Hermione sighed.
"Now, will you accept this task or not?" he asked.
She closed her eyes and released another sigh. Once she opened them, she stared straight at Merlin's eyes. "All right, I accept the task," she answered. There, she said it. There was no backing out already.
Merlin smiled. "Very good," he said. "Now, Miss Granger, I will bring you to the past. Exactly on May 23, 1990. Since your task will last for three weeks, then your task will exactly end on June 12, 1990."
"1990," Hermione thought. "I'm ten-years-old that time, Merlin, sir."
"Yes, Miss Granger, I know," Merlin said. "And Mister Malfoy is only 9 years old that time, though; he would turn to 10 soon."
Hermione nodded absentmindedly, not really listening. She was busy contemplating if she would survive those three weeks doing her task. But, she knew she would survive. She was an intelligent witch, anyway. If Draco Malfoy became too hard to handle, then she could use magic. But the problem was that same person broke her wand. Her eyes widened in horror and stared at Merlin. "But… but… I don't have my wand, Merlin, sir! You know, what if something bad happened to me? I don't have my wand! How will I protect myself?"
"Ah, do not be troubled," Merlin said with a small smile on his face. "I will be with you, Miss Granger, once you live in your temporary house."
"I have a temporary house?" Hermione asked.
"Of course!" he exclaimed. "Where will you stay? You need a house, you know."
Hermione nodded. "So you mean you'll stay with me?"
"No, not really, Miss Granger," Merlin explained. "I can't really stay with you the whole three weeks. I'm a very busy wizard, you see. But, if you need help, just call my name. I'll immediately appear. If something bad happened to you, I'll immediately know."
The brunette nodded again. "Are you sure the person I'll change is Draco Malfoy?"
Merlin sighed. "Miss Granger…"
"Yes, yes," Hermione said. "He's my murderer. In order for me to live, I should somehow change a part of his life that can greatly affect him and thus, he won't kill me then."
"Yes," Merlin said. "Are you ready now? I'll bring you to 1990 now."
"Are you really sure?" Hermione asked.
Merlin sighed again. She was delaying her time, he noticed. "Miss Granger, I think you are giving me the impression that you do now want to do this task," he said. "I'll ask you one last time. Do you want to do this task? You always have a choice, Miss Granger. You can choose to just be dead or do this task to live."
Hermione closed her eyes and groaned. "This is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, Merlin. If only you know how… how he acts in Hogwarts!"
"Oh, I do know, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "I promise I do know. He greatly amuses me, Miss Granger."
"Amuses you?!" Hermione exclaimed. "Do you think it amuses you that he tortures first years? Or… or torments my friends and me?!"
"No, I'm not amused by those, Miss Granger," Merlin said, a sly smile on his face. "I'm amused because no matter how many times he does boorish things, he still manages to make you like him. And you hate annoying and rude things, right? And Mister Malfoy is classified as one. I'm really confused why you like him. Well, he does have looks, anyway."
The brunette scowled with a very, very red face. "Merlin, why do you always push that topic? I like Draco Malfoy, all right! And I don't even know why! So, let's not talk about this… this ignorant prick, all right!"
Merlin nodded, smiling. The girl's love life in front of him was very interesting. "Remember; call me if you need me." He pointed his wand at a spot beside Hermione and conjured an old tin can. "That's a portkey with a time-turner attached to it," he explained, seeing Hermione's confused look. "It would transport you back to 1990 inside your temporary house. At the count of three, touch it and you'll already be there. Am I making myself clear?"
"Yes, Merlin," Hermione said, nodding.
"Good luck, then," he said. "I will start to count. One…"
Hermione neared her fingers towards the portkey plus time-turner thing.
"Two…"
She closed her eyes while still nearing her fingers towards it.
"And Three…," Merlin finished. But then, his eyes slightly enlarged. "Miss Granger, don't touch it fi – ah, too late." Hermione immediately disappeared. Merlin sighed. "Anyway, she'll just land a few miles away from her temporary house." And then, he smiled. "She'll land where Mister Malfoy is. I hope this little boy isn't inside his house right now."
May 23, 1990
Hermione immediately opened her eyes, slightly feeling nauseous because of her quick time traveling. Pressing her right palm against her throbbing forehead, Hermione slowly looked around, expecting to see that she was inside a small house. But, surprisingly, she was sitting on a pathway. Hermione groaned. It seemd like Merlin's portkey made a mistake. What if she was sent back into 1979 (the year when she was born) instead of year 1990?
The brunette looked around and then, her eyes landed on a small bench near a big bush. But, that was not what caught Hermione's eyes – it was the boy (Hermione presumed he was nine or ten years old) who was sitting on it, playing with sticks and leaves. Hermione's eyes widened. The boy had a shocking bright blond hair. And instantly, Hermione knew who he was. He was the one and only Draco Malfoy (though, he was younger).
She stared at him who was still oblivious that he had an audience. Hermione thought that he did look quite innocent that time. Oh, Good God, Hermione Granger thought that Draco Malfoy was innocent-looking! Hermione sucked in a breath, watching as he turned his head towards her. Brown eyes locked with silver. The brunette thought that he looked like the first time she had seen him in the Hogwarts Express. The look that she became attracted to…
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice slightly commanding and firm.
Hermione blinked, not really knowing what to say. She slowly approached him, her eyes not leaving the little boy. "Err… my name is Hermione."
"Are you a Muggle?" he asked, his eyes suddenly showing some slight fear as he looked from left to right. Hermione stared at him in confusion, not understanding why he was asking her that question.
"Err… no," she simply said.
"You are a witch?" he continued to ask. He was now looking slightly confused.
Hermione managed to crack a small. "Indeed, I am."
Now, the blond abandoned the sticks and leaves and now looked at the mysterious girl with wide eyes. "Are you a Muggle-born?"
She bit her bottom lip, slightly becoming panicky. 'Should I tell him I am?' she asked herself. 'If I do tell him I am, maybe he wouldn't befriend me.' "Umm… no."
"Are you sure?"
"For goodness' sake, Malfoy, I told you I am not a Muggle-born," she snapped. 'And he didn't call me Mudblood. Maybe he still doesn't know that an insult like that exists.'
Draco's eyes widened. "You know my last name?"
Hermione groaned. Curses! "Err… who wouldn't? You are Draco Malfoy, right? Your family is well-known in the whole Wizarding World." There, that was a good answer. Sometimes, it really was good to be intelligent.
The blond still looked unconvinced. His eyes instantly narrowed. "What do you want from me?" He looked like he was ready to attack the teenager in front of him.
Hermione raised both of her hands in defense. "Umm… calm down. I'm not going to do anything to you," she said. "All I want is to ask you today's date."
Draco frowned but answered her question, anyway. "May 23, 1990."
She released a sigh of relief. So, she was in the right date but wrong place. Hermione couldn't believe Merlin's magic had gone awry. Or did he really did it intentionally…?
"Go on," Draco said, snapping the brunette out of her reverie.
"Go on? What do you mean?"
"You still want to tell me something," he said, pointing the obvious. "Right?" he added.
Hermione sighed. "Umm," she said, extending a rather shaky right hand. Draco stared at it with suspicion. "Can… can we be friends?" she asked, slightly hesitant.
His expression was blank so Hermione had no idea what he was thinking right now. And then, he answered.
"No," he simply said.
The brunette stared at him. Her jaw instantly became ajar. His answer was very simple but it had hit her like cold, biting water. Anger bubbled inside her body. How dare him! Here she was, hesitantly but trying to be friends with him. She knew Harry and Ron would go ballistic when they had discovered that their best friend was making friends with their archenemy! (They would go more ballistic if they had discovered that their best friend was harboring hidden desires for their archenemy ever since their 1st year). But Draco sodding Malfoy told her he couldn't be friends with her because… because… she didn't even know why!
Hermione forced herself to wear a smile on her face. "Why?" she asked, sounding a bit rude.
"I'm just obeying my father." he said. "I can't talk to strangers."
Of course! Hermione restrained herself from hitting her forehead. Of course! Draco was still young so it was normal if his parents – his father – warned him not to talk to strangers. Hermione was also warned by her parents when she was young. But still, he should had answered her in a more polite way.
"Oh," she said, slightly frowning.
The blond slightly smirked (the trademark of the Malfoys). "Disappointed that I ruined your plan?"
"Plan?" Hermione asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you disappointed that you can't pretend to be my friend and then earn my trust? After that, you will bring me to some spooky place and feed me to a dragon," Draco explained. "That's your plan, isn't it?"
Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. She never knew that Draco had a wide imagination when he was still young. And then, she laughed. She laughed so hard her stomach ached and tears rolled down her eyes. "That's… that's the funniest thing I've ever heard!" she exclaimed, wiping her tears with her finger.
Draco frowned. "That's not your plan?"
The brunette shook her head vigorously. "Of course, not Malfoy! How did you come up with that?"
The blond deepened his frown. "Many wizards and witches already succeeded in doing those things, you know. One wizard managed to be my friend and in the end, he kidnapped me and asked for ransom from my father. My father didn't believe at first so the wizard almost beheaded me and fed my head to a hippogriff. Fortunately, someone saw me and saved me from that wizard. Ever since that day, I hardly trust anyone already."
Instantly, Hermione stopped laughing. She tried to get rid of the image of Draco Malfoy's head in between a hippogriff's teeth. The brunette shivered. "Oh, all right, Malfoy," she said, not believing what she had just heard. "I now understand why you came up with a thing like that."
"Why do you keep calling me 'Malfoy'?" the little boy inquired. "I have a name, you know. And my name's Draco."
"I know, Mal… err… Draco," she said. His name awkwardly escaped from her lips. Hermione wasn't used in calling him by his first name.
The blond nodded and then stood up. He then was about to walk away from the brunette.
"Wait, where are you going?" the brunette asked.
Draco stopped walking and turned to look at Hermione. "I need to go. My father is probably looking for me already." And then, he continued to walk.
"Wait, don't you really want to be my friend?"
The blond stopped again and looked at Hermione. "I told you I can't talk to strangers. Goodbye then, Hermione."
The brunette stared at his retreating back. He had called her by her first name! Hermione then frowned. "I'll do anything to be your friend, Draco! Anything!" she exclaimed. She just wanted to be his friend and then persuade him to imprison his father and then, voila! She would live again.
The blond stopped for the third time and when he looked at Hermione, a small smirk was plastered on his pale face. Hermione gulped, not liking the look on his face. "Anything?"
Hermione frowned but didn't answer.
"Then, in order for you to be my friend, you must give me things," he said, putting a thoughtful look on his face. "If one of them pleases me, then congratulations, I'll be your new friend. Deal?"
Hermione sighed. Typical Malfoy. "All right, deal."
"Good. Meet me here tomorrow at 10:00 am. Don't be late!" the little boy smirked and continued to walk away from Hermione back to his Manor.
The brunette sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. Oh Good Lord, befriending Malfoy was harder than she had thought. Well, what did she expect? It was Draco Malfoy, anyway. Hermione then turned around and walked to the opposite direction. With a groan, she had thought that maybe accomplishing the task would really challenge her.
As soon as Hermione walked to the opposite direction, Draco stopped for the fourth time and turned around. He stared at the retreating back of the new girl he had met and his smirk turned into a small smile. Many people had asked to be his friend but like what he had told Hermione (the name of the girl), some people only did that so that Draco could be their bait to get money from the Malfoys. But when this girl asked to be his friend, she seemed sincere and truthful.
He watched as she looked from left to right, seeming like she was lost. He placed his hands inside his pockets. No one had ever asked to be his friend sincerely, not even a beautiful person. And well, honestly, she was quite pretty.
The smile on his face turned back into being a smirk. This would be very interesting. He couldn't wait and see what she would give him tomorrow.
Hermione walked along the path, not really knowing where she would go. If only Merlin's magic didn't go wrong, maybe she would be in her temporary house, snuggled under the bed covers. She was very, very tired already, honestly. If only she could call for Merlin's help instead of finding the house by herself.
Oh, wait, she could.
"Merlin, I need your help," she said, trying to summon the great wizard. He told her that if she needed some help, she just had to call his name and then he would be there.
And she was right.
"Why have you called for me, Miss Granger?" a familiar voice asked.
Hermione whipped her head and there stood Merlin, his right hand clutching his wand with a smile on his face.
"Merlin, if you haven't noticed it already," Hermione started, "your magic made a mistake. You said the portkey plus time-turner would bring me back to the year 1990 inside my temporary house. But no, a slight mistake was made. Indeed, I'm brought back to the year 1990 but not inside my temporary house Instead, I appeared near a stupid 9-year-old boy, a.k.a. Draco Malfoy."
Merlin only chuckled. "I apologize, Miss Granger," he said. "Fate and I agreed to make two portkeys with time-turners. One would bring you back to the year 1990 inside your temporary house. And the other would bring you back to the year 1990 where Mister Malfoy currently was. Obviously, I accidentally conjured the latter when I told you that you would use the former."
"What if Malfoy was inside his house?" the brunette asked. "His parents might be there and they would see me."
"I know," Merlin said, "that's why I thought that you should use the former. But sorry for my slight mistake, I used the latter one."
Hermione sighed. "All right, you're forgiven."
Merlin smiled.
"Now, can you please bring me to my temporary house?" she asked. "I'm honestly tired already. I want some sleep."
The old wizard nodded and held Hermione's right arm. "I'll apparate you there." And with a soft pop, they disappeared.
When they appeared inside Hermione's temporary house, the brunette was surprised that this house greatly resembled her real house.
"This looks like my real house," she voiced out loud, looking everywhere. Yes, it definitely looked like her real house.
"Indeed it is, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "I made it just for you."
Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Merlin."
"Now, Miss Granger, I think you should take a rest now," he said. "Mister Malfoy looks like he would make things difficult for you tomorrow."
The brunette groaned and massaged her aching shoulder. "He would definitely make my day hell tomorrow."
"By the way, this temporary house of yours is near the bench where you had just met Mister Malfoy," Merlin said.
"How did you - ?"
"It doesn't matter, Miss Granger," Merlin said. "Now, remember, if you need my help, just call my name. I'll soon be there."
"I know, Merlin, I'll remember that," Hermione said, releasing a yawn.
The old wizard smiled and nodded. "All right then, goodbye, Miss Granger."
"Goodbye," Hermione said. With another soft pop, Merlin disappeared. Hermione released another yawn and with heavy feet, she walked towards her temporary-bedroom-that-looked-like-her-real-bedroom. The brunette released a sigh as she felt a huge wave of nostalgia. She missed her home already. With those thoughts muddled inside her brain, she flopped down on her bed and fell asleep immediately.
Review, plz! xoxoxo 2booklover4
P.S. I'll try to post the new chapter of Princess in Disguise soon (PiD, for short). I'm sorry for the long wait