Disclaimer: Methinks thou art a loggerhead if thy mind thinks I'm the mickle JK Rowling.
A/N: Uhg, fine, I could not help myself. I need to update TU! as soon as possible even though I still haven't update Princess in Disguise. I'm truly, sincerely, utterly sorry for PiD readers because again, I suffering from writer's block. And also, I got sick these past few days. My fever was kinda high, 39.5 degrees Celsius and the mere act of walking made me really, really dizzy so I was forced to sleep day and night until I'm fine. Anyway, I'm not sick anymore (hurrah!) so I can update TU! now. Okay, so, read and review, okay? Enjoy!
The Whole Truth
May 22, 1998 (After Hermione's task)
Hermione immediately opened her eyes and released a huge gasp. She looked around. She saw some Death Eaters and some of her classmates… the brunette's eyes widened. She was in Hogwarts where the final battle between good and evil were happening. She was back! She was back in Hogwarts! 'Yes!' Hermione thought as she dodged a hurtling curse. She winced when she felt a shot of pain in her left arm. She looked at her arm and saw a big injury. Oh, she had forgotten she had one.
Rummaging in her pocket, the brunette looked for her wand. She knew a proper spell to heal her injury. But she had forgotten, too. She had lost her wand.
Hermione looked at the ground and looked for her magical stick. She remembered this. She remembered looking for her wand.
The brunette groped for her wand slowly. She knew what would happen next. Draco Malfoy would be standing in her way. Hermione gulped. Merlin told her that she might or might not succeed in her task. There was a 50-50 chance that Draco did report to the Ministry of Magic that Lucius Malfoy, King of Jerks, was really a Death Eater.
Hermione slowed down more, knowing that she was nearing the spot where she died. And then, she spotted her wand. The brunette was just about to reach for it when a foot stepped on her wand. Draco Malfoy's foot. Hermione slowly looked at him. She had seen him again. The 17-year-old blond, albino jerk who made her life a living hell. The same seventeen-year-old blond, albino jerk that she liked… no damn it! The same seventeen-year-old blond, albino she bloody loved.
The brunette swallowed. "Move your foot," she said, trying her best to sound frustrated. She expected him to step on her wand harder until it broke into two. But that didn't happen. Instead, he did move his foot. Hermione's eyes widened. He was giving her her wand! The brunette was about to reach for her precious stick when suddenly, Draco pointed his at her.
Hermione gulped again. This was it. She would die. Draco Malfoy would kill her now. And so, she closed her eyes, waiting for him to say those two blasted words that would kill her.
Minutes passed by but still Hermione could feel her heart beating against her chest… could feel her warm breath… she could still feel she was alive. She was also surprised to feel the pain in her left arm disappear. Hermione immediately opened her eyes and looked at her left arm. To her surprise, her wound disappeared. It was completely healed. And who healed it? The brunette looked at the Slytherin young man in front of her. Draco Malfoy did it.
Draco offered his right hand, which Hermione accepted (though, hesitantly). He pulled her up effortlessly. He didn't let go of her hand. In fact, he held it tighter. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern evident in his voice.
Hermione stared at his eyes, searching and searching. His concern was sincere. He really was worried. The brunette was surprised to see warmth in his gray orbs. His emotions were evident; his usual mask of calmness was gone. She was also surprised to see that he wasn't looking at her in disdain. Actually, he was looking at her with care. And he didn't even bother hiding it!
This man was definitely not the same Draco Malfoy she knew. And that fact had hit her hard.
She succeeded! If Draco wasn't the arrogant, Muggle-hater one, then that meant he wasn't brainwashed with those craps. Then, that meant there was no one to brainwash him… not even Lucius Malfoy. The ten-year-old Draco had a big possibility of telling the Ministry of Magic that his father was a Death Eater.
Hermione released a soft sob as she stared at Draco. He was the same ten-year-old boy she had met. Not based on the physical aspects. Not based on maturity but based on his heart. He was the same sweet, cheerful boy with a contagious laugh she had met in the year 1990.
"Hermione…" he whispered.
The brunette gasped. He'd called her by her first name! She did succeed! "I… I…" – she swallowed a lump in her throat. "I… I'm…" And then, she broke down into tears. She couldn't help it. She succeeded. She could still live. And the Slytherin that was standing in front of her was not the despicable one. She was so happy… very, very happy that was why she couldn't help but shed some tears of joy.
And then, Draco did the unexpected. He pulled Hermione towards him for a tight embrace. "Hush, Hermione. Don't cry. Stop crying," the blond soothed, stroking her brown mane affectionately.
Hermione looked up at him, her chin lightly resting against his chest. She gave him a questioning look as more tears ran down her eyes. Why was he hugging her? And why was he looking at her like that? She'd seen that look in some Muggle movies… romantic Muggle movies. That was the look a person gave to another person he or she loved so much. Was Draco… He had cut her musings when he suddenly gave her a kiss on the lips.
The kiss was quite long and Hermione found herself kissing him back. His kiss was full of emotions… she noticed that and one thing was pure relief. His kiss was telling her he was relieved she was alive. Another emotion in his kiss was something very foreign to the brunette. She didn't know what it was. Hermione released a soft sob again as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him more fiercely, her right hand placed at the back of his neck as she pulled him closer. Oh God, she loved him so much… she loved him oh so much. She wanted to do this before… forever… to kiss him just because. There didn't have to be any reason. And now, here they were, kissing each other fiercely… passionately at the middle of a war. Hermione didn't have any clue as to why he initiated a kiss but right now, it didn't matter. She released another sob and then, Draco pulled away from her. Hermione almost whimpered, not wanting him to break their kiss immediately.
The brunette stared at him, her eyes wide and glossy because of tears. She watched as he placed both of his hands at the side of her wet cheeks, brushing her tears away from her face.
"Hush, love," he whispered, kissing her forehead.
Hermione sniffed; shocked he had just called her 'love'. It startled her, really. Draco had just called her that… that term of endearment.
Draco then pulled her closer. Hermione bit her bottom lip, still feeling his lips. That few minutes were the best thing that happened to her! She was aware that they were hugging in the middle of the war. But, she didn't care. Hermione wrapped her arms around him tighter and buried her face on his chest as she continued to softly cry.
"I'm so glad you're still fine, 'Mione," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "I'm so glad."
Hermione just sniffed. "Draco," she said, just wanting to say his name out loud.
He kissed her head again and hugged her tighter. Was it possible he felt the same way, too? That thought bothered Hermione. But it was possible… very, very possible. His hug, his look, his kiss, when he called her 'love'… Hermione snuggled against his chest. Yes, she thought it was possible. It was possible that Draco Malfoy loved her, too.
Suddenly, he pushed her away from him, catching Hermione off guard. She then fell flat on the ground, her head hitting against a big rock. Stars exploded in front of her eyes as she slowly looked at Draco. She had seen a green jet of light just barely hitting the blond. Hermione's eyes widened. She was just about to be hit by the Killing Curse. Luckily, Draco pushed her just in time.
She watched as Draco immediately scrambled towards her, arms hastily wrapping themselves around her. He then carefully placed her head on his lap.
"Hermione, are you all right?" he asked, worry evident in his voice.
"Ow," was all Hermione could say. She watched as Draco stared at his right hand, blood slowly trickling down the ground. Blood… her own blood. The last thing the brunette saw was the horrified look on Draco's face before everything turned black.
Hermione opened her eyes. She immediately closed them as blinding, white light greeted her. The brunette groaned. Her head was bloody hurting her.
"Good, you're awake."
Hermione opened her eyes abruptly. "Merlin?" she said, looking at the old wizard who was once again standing behind the desk. The brunette noticed that she was seated on a small, red, comfy chair. She looked around and noticed that everything was white again. She was back in the place where she was after Draco killed her. She was back in the white room. "Why am I here?" Hermione inquired, suddenly feeling panicky. "Am I dead, Merlin? Tell me. Am I dead?"
Merlin softly chuckled. "Heavens no, Miss Granger," he said, smiling widely at the witch. "Mr. Malfoy didn't kill you. You've succeeded with your task. Congratulations."
A look of confusion was seen on Hermione's face. "Then, why am I here?" she asked, looking around again. Her gaze then stopped on Merlin. "I don't understand."
The wizard smiled. "Miss Granger, I promised to tell you the whole truth, didn't I?" he said.
Hermione nodded, understanding it already. "All right, tell me the whole truth then," she said, making herself comfortable on the chair. She placed her hands on her lap and looked at Merlin eagerly. She just really wanted to know the whole truth.
"There really is a reason why we chose you as the person who'll change Mr. Malfoy's heart… to fix Mr. Malfoy's fate," Merlin started. The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Actually, Miss Granger, Fate and I chose you because we know that you are the one who was greatly affected with the change of his fate. And so, we both agreed that it would only be fair if the supposed-to-be most important person in Mr. Malfoy's life change his fate."
"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.
"Miss Granger, did he act a bit… odd before he killed you?" the old wizard asked, a knowing smile on his wrinkly face.
Hermione frowned. "Actually…" she slowly said. "He did act a bit weird. I… I remember he sounded a bit hesitant in killing me."
Merlin's smile grew. "Yes, yes, Mr. Malfoy was hesitant," he said. Seeing Hermione's deeper frown, the old wizard sighed. "You see, Miss Granger, Draco Malfoy didn't want to kill you. He was ordered by Voldemort to kill you because…"
"Because?" Hermione asked, getting more interested. So Draco was ordered by Voldemort to kill her. He didn't kill her on purpose.
"Because you are a hindrance. Voldemort was afraid that you'll be the reason why a potential powerful Death Eater won't become his follower," Merlin explained. Hermione just frowned. He conjured another comfy chair across Hermione and sat on it. "Mr. Malfoy became a Death Eater on the summer before your 7th year, Miss Granger. That summer, Voldemort gave him a task to prove his loyalty since he can sense that this boy was becoming hesitant in following his orders because of a certain hindrance. And that task was to kill you once school started."
Hermione gasped with a look on horror on her face. They had live in the same dorm. She was living with someone who was plotting her death! She shivered. So, that was why Draco Malfoy kept acting weird around her the whole year.
"But, Mr. Malfoy failed to kill you the first time you were alone with him in the Heads' Dormitory," Merlin continued. "Voldemort knew about this and punished this boy but he still gave him a chance. But as days… weeks… months passed by, Mr. Malfoy grew more and more hesitant in killing you because of his own personal reason." Merlin gave her another knowing smile. "Voldemort knew his reason and threatened to kill his parents. And so, he has no choice but to kill you."
Hermione frowned. "What was his reason?" she asked.
"Miss Granger, your feelings for him are not one-sided," Merlin explained.
"What?"
Merlin smiled again. "Your feelings are reciprocated, Miss Granger, even though you do not know." The old wizard clasped both of his hands and stared at the shocked brunette. "Mr. Malfoy loves you, too, Miss Granger, you see. Very, very much. His feelings, like yours, were felt ever since 1st year. Though, it grew and became more genuine when both of you were in 4th year already."
Hermione stared at him, her jaw ajar. And then, she released a laugh because of disbelief. She laughed and laughed and laughed, watching Merlin. She waited for the old wizard to laugh at his own joke. She waited for the old wizard to cry out loud 'April Fools!' even though it wasn't April, yet. But no, he didn't. Instead, he stared at her in amusement. Hermione then stopped laughing. "You're serious."
"Indeed I am," Merlin said, nodding.
The brunette shook her head vigorously. "It's impossible, Merlin! Preposterous! Draco Malfoy hated me… hated the mere fact that I exist in this world. He made every second of my life miserable. He calls me a Mudblood… insults me as if it's the most natural thing to do." Hermione was standing now. "If… if he does love me, then why did he do all those things? And the way he… he treats me doesn't look like he cares for me at all! I mean… I mean I do love him. So, so much, too. Yes, I told you before that I always wished that he loves me, too. But we both know that that's impossible! And now… and now you're telling me that he… he bloody loves me all along! Is this some kind of a sick joke, Merlin, huh? Is this some kind of a sick joke?!" Once she was done with her little speech, she was breathing heavily. She was also surprised that her eyes were a little watery. Hermione then sat down on the empty chair, blinking back her unexpected tears.
Merlin was looking at her with a small smile despite her accusation. "Understand, Miss Granger, that Mr. Malfoy has reasons to hide his feelings," he explained.
"Reasons again!" Hermione groaned, covering her face with her hands.
The old wizard shook his head. Her feelings were really mutual. "The kiss he gave you before you passed out was enough proof," he explained.
Hermione blushed. So Merlin had seen that little episode, too, huh? The brunette bit her bottom lip, refusing to answer. Actually, she really just didn't know what to retort back.
"You changed his heart, didn't you? You have succeeded in your task," Merlin suddenly said.
Hermione took a peek between her fingers. "And?" she asked, carefully observing the old wizard in front of her.
"Mr. Malfoy's fate was completely fixed… changed" he explained further. "And it's all because of you, Miss Granger."
The brunette removed her hands from her face. "What does that mean?"
Merlin smiled. "Do you want me to tell you what happened after you left Mr. Malfoy in your meeting place?" he asked. His smile grew when Hermione nodded. "After you left, Lucius Malfoy found his son in your meeting place, crying quite loudly."
Hermione made a small smile. She still felt quite special she was given the privilege to be the first person to see Draco Malfoy cry.
"Lucius… let's just say… punished his son because he made a rule that no Malfoys can cry. It was forbidden. And apparently, upon seeing Mr. Beady, Lucius Malfoy confiscated Mr. Malfoy's teddy bear."
"What?!" the brunette shrieked.
"Do not worry, Miss Granger. His personal house-elf healed him and helped him to get Mr. Beady again," Merlin reassured. When Hermione had calmed down, he continued, "After that, Mr. Malfoy snuck to the Ministry of Magic with the help of Dobby" – Hermione gasped in surprise – "Yes, Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy did that. Anyway, this boy had told Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic that time, that his father is a Death Eater. At first, Cornelius didn't believe him but then, he was proven right. And so, Lucius Malfoy was sentenced in Azkaban and received the Dementor's Kiss a week after his imprisonment."
"So, Draco really did his promise," Hermione said with a small smile.
"Narcissa Malfoy became insane," he continued. "She was confined in St. Mungo's. A month after that, she died."
"Draco became an orphan?" Hermione asked, suddenly saddened by the information.
"He was supposed to be one, Miss Granger. Fate decided to do that," Merlin explained. "After Narcissa's funeral, Mr. Malfoy received his Hogwarts acceptance letter. Since his parents died, he became the new head of the Malfoy family. He's still too young so Severus Snape, his godfather, helped him."
"First year, he fulfilled another promise he made." Merlin then leaned forward a little. "While he was riding in the Hogwarts Express together with Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, a bushy, brown-haired and buck-teethed girl came into their compartment and asked for help in finding a toad named Trevor. Mr. Malfoy, remembering his promise, did help this bushy, brown-haired girl. Soon, he became friends with Hermione Granger."
The brunette couldn't help but smile.
"He was sorted in Slytherin and she was sorted in Gryffindor," the old wizard continued. "This house differences didn't bother him at all. No, let me correct that. Yes, it did bother him because he knew that if you are a Slytherin and you befriended a Gryffindor, you're like betraying your own house and vice versa. But Mr. Malfoy chose to ignore this because of, of course, his promise he made. He also met Harry Potter that time. And surprisingly, he befriended him, too."
"And then, the troll incident came."
Hermione cringed, remembering how she almost died that time.
"Mr. Malfoy came to save you" – the brunette's eyes widened – "followed by Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. There shouldn't have been a Golden Trio, Miss Granger. It should have been a Quartet."
"Do you mean –."
"Yes, Miss Granger, Draco Malfoy was supposed to be one of your best friends," Merlin explained. "He smiled at the look of disbelief on Hermione's face. "And then, he also came with the three of you when Harry Potter saved the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort's clutches. He contributed a lot in the huge chessboard together with Mr. Weasley, by the way."
"Second year – it was the first time someone called you the insult of being a Muggle-born. Yes, Mr. Weasley still vomited slugs here and Mr. Harry Potter helped him. Mr. Malfoy, in the other hand, was the one who helped you."
"Really?" she whispered.
Merlin nodded. "Of course you cried. And to cheer you up, Mr. Malfoy gave you Mr. Beady."
Hermione laughed softly.
"And second year, this was also the opening of the Chamber of Secrets." Merlin paused for a minute. "Something happened to you this particular year, right?"
The brunette nodded. "I was petrified by a basilisk."
"Yes," Merlin said. "And so, Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley went to the Chamber of Secrets to kill the basilisk and save Miss Ginny Weasley. Mr. Malfoy, in the other hand, volunteered to look after you. He also somehow helped Madam Poppy Pomfrey in making the antidote for basilisk petrification."
"Third year – ah, this was an interesting year," Merlin said with a wide grin and a strange glint in his emerald eyes. "You came across with Dementors, life-sucking beasts. And you and your best friends saved Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather and Mr. Malfoy's relative. All of you thought that he really was the one who killed James and Lily Potter. But of course, it came out that it was Peter Pettigrew, or 'Scabbers' as what Mr. Weasley calls him in his rat form, who framed up Sirius." Merlin then stroked his beard carefully. "You did something to Mr. Malfoy this year, didn't you?"
Hermione equally grinned. "Yes, I did," she said, softly chuckling at her memory. "That's when I punched that good-for-nothing jerk."
"Because that good-for-nothing jerk kissed you," Merlin finished. He laughed when Hermione suddenly turned red.
"I… I punched him before because he insulted Hagrid." Hermione blinked several times. "He… he was supposed to be my first kiss?" the brunette asked, unconsciously touching her lips. She turned redder when she remembered their meaningful and passionate kiss just before she passed out.
"And you were supposed to be his first kiss," the old wizard added.
Hermione bit her bottom lip. "Why" – she swallowed – "did he do that?"
"His feelings, Miss Granger. He's starting to realize his feelings," Merlin explained, making Hermione blush more furiously. "And because of that kiss, things started to become awkward between you two. But of course, you missed each other's presence. And so, before the school year ended, both of you agreed to forget that incident and continue to stay as best friends."
The brunette released a soft breath. That was… an interesting year just like Merlin said.
"Fourth year – the Triwizard Tournament," he continued. "This year, Harry Potter was chosen as surprisingly the 4th champion. For you, what was the most interesting part of this tournament?"
Hermione frowned. "Err… the 3rd task? It was interesting but terrifying. The Death of Cedric Diggory and all. Harry blamed himself for that, you know. Oh, and also the rise of Voldemort again. Interesting… but terrifying."
Merlin chuckled. "Many will beg to differ, Miss Granger," he said, watching as she raised her eyebrow. "They'll think that the most interesting part of the Triwizard Tournament was the Yule Ball."
She just snorted. "Well, I beg to differ," she told the old wizard.
"Why, Miss Granger, a lot of girls were jealous of you because your date was Viktor Krum, the Quidditch Seeker Extraordinaire," Merlin said, smiling. Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing what the wizard said was true. "And of course, some boys were jealous of Viktor Krum, too."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "I know a lot of them were ogling at me that night because of how I look." She frowned. She rested her elbow on the armrest, chin on her hand. "But I didn't know that some were jealous of Viktor because he was my date."
"But someone was, Miss Granger," Merlin said.
"Who?" she asked, interested.
The old wizard raised three fingers. "Three guesses."
Hermione rolled her eyes but guessed anyway. "Harry?" she asked even though knowing that that wasn't true. Harry fancies Cho Chang that time.
Merlin shook his head. "Two more."
"Ron?" she asked. She remembered that this redhead had a silly crush on her. He said it himself. But Hermione knew that it was just a silly crush and so, she rejected him. Ron didn't talk to her after that. But after three days, he started to be the usual bubbly Ronald. Hermione guessed he got over her already and had a new crush. Typical him.
"I thought he stopped liking you before the end of your 3rd year?" Merlin asked.
"Yeah," she said. His confession happened on their 3rd year.
"Then Mr. Weasley isn't the one," Merlin said. He then flashed a knowing smile. "One more, Miss Granger. You're intelligent. You will guess this already. We've been talking about him already. There, I gave you a clue."
Hermione then turned into a deep shade of red. She knew the answer already. She mumbled.
"Pardon?"
"Draco Malfoy," she whispered in repetition.
"Correct," Merlin said, smiling. "Even before you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy was jealous of Viktor Krum in the Yule Ball."
Hermione frowned. So that was the reason why he kept on glaring at her and Viktor. She only thought that he did that because he couldn't talk to Viktor anymore since he already had Mudblood germs. The brunette blushed. She remembered wishing that he glared at both of them because he was jealous. She knew that was only wishful thinking but now, she knew that was the truth.
"5th year," he added, staring at her in amazement. "That was the year when you and your best friends made the Dumbledore's Army or the D.A. Mr. Malfoy came with you, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom in the Department of Mysteries."
"But before I fixed fate, he was part of the Inquisitorial Squad made by Umbridge," she said, making a face.
"Oh, there was an Inquisitorial Squad but he wasn't part of it," Merlin explained. Hermione just nodded her head. "And 6th year – what do you remember that happened to Draco Malfoy that time?"
"He almost killed Professor Dumbledore," Hermione answered, remembering what Harry had told her.
Merlin nodded. "When his fate was fixed, he also almost killed Albus. But not because of an order of Voldemort but because of the Imperius Curse the Dark Lord had placed on him himself." He then stopped to rub his chin. "It was lucky Harry Potter was there. But sadly, Severus still killed the Hogwarts Headmaster."
"Mr. Malfoy almost got expelled because of this but you and your friends defended him and so, he was forgiven." Merlin clasped his hands again. "Seventh year – this was the most interesting year of all," he said, giving her another knowing smile, making Hermione frown. "It became rocky between you and Mr. Malfoy."
"Rocky?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Since both of you are teenagers, you had some relationships," Merlin explained. "Mr. Malfoy had a lot of girlfriends since he's a heartthrob" – Hermione snorted – "and you, Miss Granger, you had a relationship with Mr. Ron Weasley."
Hermione gagged. "Ron?" she asked in disbelief. "I should have a relationship with Ron? I never dreamed of that. When fate was still messed up, I told you I rejected him because I know that all he felt for me was a silly crush."
Merlin smiled. "Yes, I know, Miss Granger. That's why you broke up with him just after a week," he said, looking at her in amazement. "And almost everyday, you didn't talk to Mr. Malfoy."
The brunette frowned. "And why?"
"Jealousy," Merlin simply said, making the brunette blush. "But don't worry, Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy was jealous of Mr. Weasley, too."
"Then… what happened?" she asked. "You said this was the very interesting year. What happened next?"
"Well… a month before the war, you and Mr. Malfoy became a couple," he calmly said. "Mr. Malfoy confessed one day after Slytherin won in a Quididtch match."
And there was silence.
Hermione just stared at him, her mouth ajar.
"Look at your finger in your right hand, Miss Granger," Merlin instructed. Hermione followed and was surprised to see her ring. She remembered that she had given it to Draco's tenth birthday. She even remembered the promise he made since he didn't want to wear it. Too sissy, he said.
"All right, just promise me that you'll give that ring to the girl you knew you will love for the rest of your life," Hermione told the blond.
Draco made a face. "That wouldn't happen. Malfoys don't love.'
Hermione snorted. She honestly thought that it was loads of rubbish. "Just promise me, Draco."
He rolled his eyes. "All right, fine, I promise."
Hermione gasped and looked at Merlin with wide eyes.
"Mr. Malfoy gave you that ring on your first date," Merlin said, chuckling at the surprised look on Hermione's face. "And I believe it meant something."
The brunette blushed and swallowed. "So, he did give that ring to me after all," she murmured softly. "Can I see how he asked me to be his girl… err… girlfriend?" Hermione suddenly blurted out before she could stop herself. So Draco Malfoy was supposed to be her boyfriend? And he had given her her ring, for goodness' sake! Oh, she bloody well knew what that meant.
"Of course," Merlin said as he pulled out his wand. "I'll let you watch this memory in your dream. But before I do that, I just want to tell you I have to go. I'll come back as soon as possible. I just need to get something."
Hermione just nodded.
"Good, now close your eyes," Merlin instructed. Hermione followed and closed her eyes. The old wizard pressed the tip of his wand against her temples and said a non-verbal spell. The brunette then fell into a nap. With that, Merlin apparated. He would come back soon.
Dream (A Memory when fate was fixed):
The rain was heavy. The grass was muddy. Everything was drenched with the rain. It seemed like it wasn't rejoicing with the victory of the Slytherin Quidditch team. Funny how a lot were happy with the success. And one brunette was definitely happy with the result of the game. By the way, she was a Gryffindor. Well, who wouldn't blame her? Her best friend was the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. It was just normal to be happy for your best friend, right?
Hermione Granger looked up at the sky and sighed as the rain continued to pour down her body. She was completely drenched already. 'I really hate the rain,' she thought as she looked around the Quidditch pitch again. She was just finding her best friend, the one and only Draco Malfoy, to congratulate him for his team's victory. She was glad he and his teammates succeeded against the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. It puzzled her why he wasn't in the Heads' Dormitory for the victory party. Harry and Ron were already celebrating for their best friend's success, too.
The brunette sighed again as she looked everywhere for his blond hair. She had just started to talk to him after she came in the Heads' Dormitory only to see him snogging Pansy Parkinson. Hermione cringed at the memory. It was disgusting… he was kissing a dog, for crying out loud! Ew!
Hermione steadied herself as she almost slipped and then, bit her bottom lip. The kiss that they had shared on their 3rd year was still vivid in her mind. It was four years ago but still, Hermione could feel his soft lips pressed against hers. She knew they had agreed to forget about that and continue their friendship but strangely, Hermione couldn't… she wouldn't. It was stupid, really. Draco had shown her what he truly felt towards her. He didn't say it but he did show. And Hermione had a huge feeling she already felt the same way for him. Breaking-up with Ron was a proof. One time when Ron kissed her, all she remembered was the kiss she shared with Draco. And that freaked her out.
She ran her hand through her wet hair. It was just after she witnessed the kiss between Draco and Parkinson Hermione knew what she truly felt for this particular blond. Hermione shook her head. Who was she kidding? She knew what she truly felt after he kissed this particular blond.
She was in love with him. She had just admitted that now. Like what she had thought a while ago, she knew she loved him ever since the kiss they shared. And goodness, it was evident Draco loved her too. Not the brotherly love. As in in love. It was obvious. The way he reacted when he found out she was going out with Ron… they way he reacted when he found out she broke-up with Ron… it was obvious. And because of that, Hermione loved him more. She was glad her feelings were reciprocated.
The problem was, neither of them made any moves yet.
The brunette sighed. She kept on waiting and waiting… it was stupid. She didn't know when Draco would make a move. And if she made a move, he would think she was desperate. A small part of her was having silly thoughts of maybe he really didn't feel the same way as she did. It was a small part, but still, Hermione couldn't help but believe that that might be the truth. She had cursed herself countless times for saying yes to Viktor Krum in the Yule Ball without waiting for Draco to ask her. It was the blond's fault, anyway. He waited an hour before the actual ball itself. That jerk. He thought that no one would dare ask Hermione. Ha! Viktor did! The whole ball, Hermione couldn't help but smirk towards Draco while he continued to cast glares towards her and the Quidditch Seeker Extraordinaire. And a small part of her also couldn't help but curse Viktor Krum for asking her first than Draco.
Hermione snorted. Love was really stupid but at the same time, it was clever… and conniving… and sneaky… just like a Slytherin. It suddenly appears without even warning both people. Yes, definitely clever, conniving, and sneaky.
It was also a nice feeling. With love, you had reasons to wake up everyday. In the case of Hermione, another reason to wake up everyday (her other reasons were classes, studying, homework, and the likes).
Her thoughts were immediately forgotten once she saw him running towards the Hogwarts castle. He was still wearing his Quidditch robes while clutching his beloved Nimbus 2001. That was another problem she had every time she saw him. Her mind instantly went blank. Luckily, her brain cells immediately processed what was happening and quickly recovered her thoughts. Sometimes, she really thanked Merlin she was born intelligent. If not, maybe she would look pretty stupid in front of Draco.
"DRACO!" she shouted through the roaring rain, waving frantically for the blond to see her. She grinned when he looked around for the source of the voice. And then, his face landed on hers. He then broke into a smile. Hermione's grin became larger. It was seldom Draco smiled a true, genuine smile. Actually, he smiled once or twice or thrice a month. It would be a miracle if he managed to smile a lot. And mostly, those smiles were directed towards her, Harry, and Ron.
Hermione watched as he jogged towards her. When he stopped, he was already a few inches in front of her.
"What the hell are you doing out here, Hermione?!" he asked loudly. "It's raining hard! You very well know that you have a low immune system!"
Hermione grinned. That was Draco, always thinking about her health before anything else. Especially if it was raining hard. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed, giving him a friendly hug. She just ignored what he had said to her. "I knew you'd win! Harry and Ron knew that, too!" She then gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Come on, they organized a party in the Heads' Dormitory. Harry and Ron had been waiting for you for hours!"
Hermione was about to pull away from the friendly hug but Draco continued to hold her tight. The brunette released a nervous laugh. His hug was making her blush scarlet. She again gave him another pat on the back. "Come on, dragon, they're waiting for you already," Hermione said, calling him using her favorite pet name.
But then again, Draco continued to hold her.
"Draco, I'm going to get sick," she teased, softly chuckling. "If you don't let me go, tomorrow, I won't talk to you since you made me sick." And then, she looked up, her chin gently resting against his chest. Surprisingly, he was looking down at her, a strange glint in his eyes. Hermione had seen that look before. It was when he kissed her in 3rd year.
"Draco…" she whispered, watching as leaned closer and closer and closer. Her breathing became heavy, her heartbeat started to beat furiously, her face started to heat up. She was starting to hyperventilate.
Draco then gently placed his right hand at her cheek, caressing it softly until it disappeared behind her brown tresses. Hermione closed her eyes. She could already feel his warm breath brushing against her face.
And then, it happened.
He kissed her.
It was only seconds before he pulled away but for Hermione, it seemed like they kissed for years. And honestly, she missed it. She missed the way his lips pressed against hers and moved with perfect synchronization with her own. She missed the way something warm formed at the pit of her stomach when he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. And most of all, she missed the way he made her feel that indeed, he was really in love with her.
And for Hermione, darn it all but Draco Malfoy right now was looking at her like a man in love.
The brunette swallowed and looked at the muddy ground. "That was… that was our third kiss," she whispered. Hermione watched as his feet shifted slightly.
"Umm… actually, it's our fourth," he whispered back. Hermione snapped her head up and stared at Draco in disbelief (the blond was red from head to toe).
"What do you mean?" she asked him, her voice dropping into octaves.
Draco swallowed and ran a hand through his face to get rid of rain from his eyes. "Re-remember the day when the Slytherins locked me out from the Slytherin Common Room? I… I waited for you beside the portrait of the Fat Lady until you finished your prefect duties and you found me seated on the floor."
"Yeah? So?" Hermione said, getting a little panicky. "I didn't remember any… any kissing scenes that time, Draco."
The blond looked sheepish. "Because, our third kiss was supposed to be a secret from you," the blond answered.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Explain," she demanded.
"Okay, okay, calm down," Draco said, raising both of his gloved hands in defense. "I kissed you while you were sleeping, all right? There, I said it. Are you happy now?"
The brunette looked enraged because she didn't know that they kissed on their fifth year. "Why the bloody, burning hell did you do that?!" she exclaimed.
"Because I love you!" he confessed. "I… I love you ever since fourth year." Draco balled his hands into fists. "Our… our first and second kiss. I lied, I'm very sorry. They did mean something to me, Hermione. Actually, they meant everything to me. Because you see, after I realized that I'm so damnably in love with you, I was ecstatic to learn that I did fulfill another promise I made."
Now, Hermione positively looked livid. "Why didn't you tell me before?!" she shrieked, eyes lit up because of fury.
"Because… because I thought that you will reject me," Draco whispered softly. "Because I thought that all you want from me is mere friendship. Because… because I thought that all you felt for me is plain friendship."
"I love you," Hermione stated matter-of-factly.
"Yes, yes, I know you love me," Draco said, waving a dismissive hand. "I know you care for me. I know you love me, platonically speaking."
"No, you bloody bastard, I LOVE YOU," the brunette said.
Draco's jaw dropped. "As in… love love?"
Hermione was blushing furiously but nodded nonetheless. "Ever since fourth year, too. I lied also, you know." She dug the heel of her shoe deeper into the mud. "The… kiss… I mean kisses we shared on third year meant something to me, too, Draco. I punched you because you know what I felt?" Draco shook his head. "Sparks. Electricity. And it bloody gave me the willies. That's why I avoided you at the rest of the year. I avoided you because I was afraid I'm…" – she looked up and locked gazes with Draco – "slowly falling in love with you already. Which I really am."
And to prove her point, she kissed him again. This kiss, though, was quite longer than the other one. She was the one who broke it and watched as Draco's dazed eyes locked with her large, embarrassed, brown eyes.
The Slytherin blond's jaw dropped lower, if it was possible. And then, he broke into the most gigantic, and enormous, and gargantuan smile Hermione had ever seen before. He enveloped here into his arms as tight as possible. He kissed the top of her wet hair again and again, whispering how much he loved her. And Hermione… well, she just closed her eyes and smiled contentedly. "Be my girlfriend, then."
Hermione abruptly stopped smiling. Her eyes snapped open and immediately widened and her jaw dropped. That wasn't expected. All she wanted to do was to congratulate him and then escort him to the Heads' Dormitory to party. And now, here she was, trapped between his strong arms while being asked to be his girlfriend. Unbelievable… oh the joy!
Hermione gave him a crooked smile that he bloody loved, though, she had no clue at all. "You can't just order me to become one, Draco Malfoy," she said, teasing him. Really, it was not proper. "You shouldn't order a girl to become your girlfriend. You should ask."
Draco laughed. "Pardon me, Hermione Granger," he said, making Hermione smile. "But, will you be my girlfriend?"
She bit her bottom lip. And then leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the lips. That was her answer.
The blond raised an eyebrow, a big smile on his pale, handsome face. "I asked you a question, you should answer me. That was very rude."
Hermione laughed and then shouted at the top of her lungs, "YES!"
Draco also grinned.
And then, the brunette raised an eyebrow. "What about your pet dog?" she asked. Hermione laughed at the confused look the blond gave her. She then wiped her eyes to get rid of rain and said, "I was talking about Parkinson. Aren't you going out with her?"
"Going out?!" the blond exclaimed. "Hell no!"
"The kiss, Draco. I saw you snogging her," the brunette said, shuddering.
Draco shuddered, too. "Oh, that," he said, making a disgusted face. "She was the one who kissed me," he explained. And then, he broke into a smirk. "Aha! So that's the reason why you refused to talk to me!" He laughed. "Oh, someone was jealous."
The brunette scowled and turned into a deep shade of red. She then hit him.
The blond chuckled. "All right, all right, I'm sorry," he said. "But I do swear she's the one who kissed me."
Hermione rolled her eyes, a smile gracing on her pink lips. "Was it good, Malfoy?" she asked.
"Better than yours," Draco teased, making Hermione laugh again. And then, she sneezed. The blond chuckled and entwined his fingers with hers. He also bent down to hold his Nimbus 2001 in his other empty hand. "Come on, let's go to my party," he said as he kissed her hand and pulled her. "And don't talk to me tomorrow. I think you'll get sick."
Hermione just laughed.
End of Dream
Hermione then opened her eyes, gasping for air. That was how he asked her to be his girlfriend. It was like… a dream come true.
"Satisfied with the memory?" Merlin asked, watching the brunette carefully.
The brunette looked at him, her cheeks tainted with red. "Ye-yes," she stuttered. She still couldn't help but to remember that memory.
The old wizard gave her a smile. "Now, Miss Granger," he said, retrieving a red hardbound book. Hermione presumed it was a photo album. "This is your photo album.." Hermione was right. Merlin handed her the red album. "You own one when fate was fixed already. It is filled with photos of you and your best friends. Go on, look."
Hermione nodded and looked at the thing clutched between her hands. Her name was emblazoned in gold. Slowly, she opened it. The first page consisted of her pictures with captions. She knew they were captured by a Muggle camera since the picture wasn't moving.
The next page, she was now together with Harry, Ron, and surprisingly… Draco Malfoy. She knew it was their first year because of their appearances. There was also a caption.
This is the first picture I captured with my best friends. The black haired one with eyeglasses and the famous thunderbolt-shaped scar is the one and only Harry Potter. The red-headed one with blue eyes is Ron Weasley. And lastly, the one with blond hair and gray eyes is Draco Malfoy.
Hermione stared at the picture a little longer. All of them were happy. Even Draco was happy. That made Hermione smile.
The next few pictures, she was either alone with Harry, Ron, or Draco. There was one picture where the three of them were practicing Quidditch. Hermione laughed at her caption. It was short but true.
Typical boys.
The brunette grinned. She really didn't despise Quidditch. It was just that it was stealing precious time from her best friends. Hermione then stopped at one photograph. The three boys were flashing boyish smiles with their arms draped around each other's shoulders. She smiled at the picture. From the looks of their faces, it meant that their friendship was real. Hermione then read the caption.
These are the three boys whom I love from the very bottom of my heart.
She again looked at each faces. If Harry and Ron heard that they should be best friends with Draco Malfoy, they'd personally escort that person to St. Mungo's. But it was true. Their faces showed happiness. Hermione had never seen Draco Malfoy happy before.
The next picture she saw, she couldn't help but chuckle. Merlin was right. Draco did give her his teddy bear. There was the picture where she was smiling widely while clutching Mr. Beady.
This is a picture of me holding Mr. Beady. Draco gave me his teddy bear when a Slytherin called me the M-word to cheer me up. He said someone who was important to him gave it to him on his tenth birthday.
She turned more and more pages. Hermione then noticed that there were fewer pictures of her together with Harry and Ron. A lot were pictures of her and Draco. Hermione suspected it was the start of her realization towards her feelings for him. And then, one picture caught her eye. It was a photograph of her and Draco. Hermione was crying while the blond kissed her forehead. For Hermione, it was a sweet moment. She then read the caption.
This is a stolen picture. Ginny was the one who took it! I told her not to touch my Muggle camera. But she didn't listen. That redhead, she told me this was a sweet moment and I should forever store it in my memory. Yeah right… but actually, this is a sweet moment.
Hermione made a small smile. Unconsciously, she brushed her finger across the picture. Something swelled in her heart.
She continued to look at the pictures. Some where stolen, some where funny pictures… Hermione laughed at times when she saw a picture of her and Draco having a small fight. It was a funny picture. But she had to admit that Draco Malfoy still managed to be handsome, even more, even though he was angry.
Soon, the pictures mostly consist of her and the blond. She froze at one picture. It was, of course, her and the blond. She was kissing his cheek while he was flashing a huge (a very, very huge) grin. Hermione swallowed. They seemed really happy… and the love was evident. She read the caption.
This picture was taken when Draco and I were having our first date in Hogsmeade. As a gift, he gave me a beautiful ring. He said it was from an important person (I'm starting to get suspicious, though. He said that the teddy bear he gave me was from an important person. Now, the ring he gave me was from an important person, too? Hmmm…). It was the best day of my life! I do love him, so, so much.
Hermione stared at the photograph. So all Merlin said was right. She was supposed to have a relationship with none other than Draco Malfoy. It was too much. It was a dream come true. Before, she thought that she was too good for him. Good Lord, she did thought of that. She was a Muggle-born (or a Mudblood, according to the Purebloods) and just a simple witch. And he… he was famous, he was a Malfoy, he was rich, he was a Pureblood, he was everything. And now, she was sitting on a chair in a Merlin-knows-what place together with the great Merlin himself and telling her that Draco Malfoy should be the love of her life. Hermione released a sigh. If this was a dream, she hoped that she wouldn't wake up anymore.
"Miss Granger, are you all right?" Merlin asked, carefully looking at the brunette witch in front of him.
The brunette slowly nodded. "Yes," she said, releasing another breath. "I'm fine."
Merlin smiled. "Miss Granger, if you think all of this a dream, then I assure it is not. Everything is true," he said, as if reading her thoughts.
Hermione nodded. She was overwhelmed with emotions. It was funny. She wanted to cry, to laugh, to hug Merlin to see if everything was true… The brunette sighed and then flickered her eyes up and down, up and down. She was trying her best not to cry. "Um… how will I go back?" she asked in a whisper and watched as Merlin stood up.
"Do you want to go back?" Merlin asked, startling Hermione with his question.
"What do you mean, Merlin?" the brunette asked. "I thought I could go back if I succeeded with my task."
"Yes, Miss Granger, you're right," the old wizard said. "What I mean to say, Miss Granger, is do you really want to go back. Because I tell you, it will be different."
Hermione frowned, not quite understanding Merlin. Of course she knew it will be different.
"Miss Granger, once you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy doesn't know about hating Muggles and Muggle-borns. Mr. Malfoy doesn't know about declaring war between you and your best friends. Because you fixed fate, Mr. Malfoy knows that he loves you and you love him in return. Harry Potter and Mr. Weasley also don't know that they are enemies with Mr. Malfoy. All of them know that they are best friends. And you, you do not know what happened in the past years. All you remember were memories when fate was messed up. Do you understand me now, Miss Granger?" Merlin said, his emerald eyes boring on the brunette.
Hermione slowly nodded. "Do you mean that if I go back there, I will still remember memories when fate was messed up and not the one that was fixed? If I go back there, they might think that I'm… deranged."
"Yes, quite right, Miss Granger," Merlin said.
The brunette then looked at the picture of her kissing Draco's cheek again. "But… but I want to go back, Merlin. I do," Hermione said, her eyes wide. "I do."
Merlin smiled. "The decision is still yours, Miss Granger. If you want to go back, it's all right. If you do not want to… I guess I would escort you to heaven." He watched when Hermione cringed. "But, there's still a way," he finished.
"What?"
"I'll obliviate your memory of your past 7 years in Hogwarts," he explained. "And then, I'll put your new memory… the memory you should have." Merlin sighed.
A single tear slipped down Hermione's eyes. "If that's the only way, Merlin, you can do it," she said, releasing a sigh. She then wiped the tear. Surprisingly, more tears started to pour down her face.
"Miss Granger…"
Hermione just laughed shakily. "I'm sorry, I'm just overwhelmed with feelings, Merlin," she said. "This… this is a dream come true!" The brunette wiped more tears.
Merlin then did the unexpected. He hugged the crying brunette. "Stop crying," he said, stroking her hair comfortingly. "Hush, Miss Granger. It's all right."
The brunette released more sobs. "I want to go back," she whispered. "I want to go back."
"There, there, Hermione," Merlin said. Hermione couldn't help but smile. It was the first time Merlin called her by her first name. "If you want to go back, you can. It's very easy."
Hermione laughed again. "Silly me," she said. "Crying over petty things."
"Oh, it isn't petty," he said. "Not at all."
The brunette just grinned.
"Now, I have to tell you this," Merlin said. "If you wake up, you'll find yourself in the Hospital Wing. You received a rather big bump on your head."
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I remember hitting a rock before I passed out and found myself back here again."
"All right, Hermione, close your eyes," Merlin instructed. "I'll obliviate your memory now." The old wizard now pointed his wand at the brunette.
"Wait!" Hermione said.
"What is it?"
Hermione gave the old wizard a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Merlin," she said, smiling at the old wizard. "You know, you remind me of my favorite grandfather."
Merlin just chuckled.
Hermione grinned again and closed her eyes. "All right, I'm ready," she announced.
"Obliviate," Merlin whispered. And then, he had put her new memory.
The brunette then passed out.
"Goodbye, Hermione," Merlin whispered as the brunette slowly disappeared.
A/N: And that's the end! I'm telling you, dear readers, two more chapters to go and then our beloved Time's Up! Is done already. Now, reviews please!!
With love,
2booklover4
P.S.
Okay, want a sneak peak for the next chapter? Fine, then. Remember the dream-memory part here in this story? The one where Hermione dreamed of how Draco asked her to be his girl? There be lots and lots more of that kind of thing next chapter. Just wait patiently. That's all. Again, reviews.
Oh, and, I'm really sorry for not yet updating Princess in Disguise. I don't want to promise anymore because I don't want to disappoint my readers. All I can promise is again, I will not abandon PiD. Doing that will be like not eating my favorite junkfood for the rest of my life.
I know, I'm kind of deranged today (maybe i'm still sick?) but again, I'll repeat, please review TU! and PiD! If you did, methinks thou art lovable! Tada! See you in the next chapter. :D