a/n: here's another chapter to see if anything clears up.
Hermione sat in the Great Hall with Harry and Ron and was talking about the previous night. "So you're telling me, Mafoy say a memory that you had no idea occured in the first place which meant he saw something that happened in your life before you did?" Ron asked. Not completely sure on what he meant, Hermione nodded nonetheless. "It was weird. I saw something happen that seemed so fictional because I did not know any of those things happen before."
She looked over at the Slytherin table and noticed that Draco was not talking to any of his friends.He just let his fork wander around his plate aimlessly before he gave up on the attempt to eat at all. Hermione succeeded in finding a reason why Draco was acting in such a mannor. After last night, he must've been exhausted for it was extremely late. He must've been confused too because he had witnessed something in Hermione's life that Hermione didn't even know occured.
Hermione stood up. She told Harry and Ron that she had wanted to be early for classes. She left the Great Hall and looked around the enterance hall. She hadn't intended of going to class early at all. She quickly ran up the stairs and stopped at the portrait hole of her and Draco's living quarters. The small blond boy and the small brunette girl were fighting over the swing in the middle of the portrait. Hermione said the password. The portrait opened but the children continued to fight.
She ran to the hallway to the Pensive Room. Entering the room, she looked over the pensive but kept her distance.It was irritating her that she could not figure outwhy she was missing these memories and why she was having these creepy dreams. She felt as if she was losing her mind! She was sure there was something she had over looked. Or a detail she didn't pay attention to. She didn't know.
Looking at her watch, Hermione's eyes widened.She was totally late for class. She ran out of the room, left the hallway and left the common room at once. Leaving doors open, leaving lights on.
Draco sat in Transfiguration class and noticed Hermione was not present.Looking around the classroom, Hermione was no where to be seen. "Mr. Malfoy." Professor McGonagall in a firm voice, "Pay attention." "Sorry professor" Draco apologized. Then, as if on cue, Hermione burst into the class room,completely out of breath. "Ms. Granger. What is the meaning of your tartiness?" Professor McGonagall asked, eyebrows raised.Taking deep breaths, Hermione said, "I'm sorry professor. I got caught up in something."
Professor McGonagall looked unconvinced but took the excuse. Hermione took her seat next to Susan Bones and hastily took out her notebook. Harry, who was across from Hermione's desk on the other side of the aisle looked at her and mouthed, "What happened?" "Nothing" she had mouthed back and started copying what was written on the board.
Draco, who was also on the other side of the aisle but two desks back of Harry, looked at Hermione as well, but made sure he didn't catch her attention. He wondered why she was late for class. She had left the Great Hall before everyone else and he was sure she was going to try and be early for classes. Blaise Zabini, who was on the other side of the classroom entirely, threw a paper airplane in Draco's direction and made sure it landed on Draco's desk.
While Professor McGonagall wasn't looking, Draco opened the note and read it.
Draco, what the fuck are you looking at! You look like you're staring at Granger. If you are...STOP IT! It's grossing me out. Why would you look at her anyway? I don't care the reason, just stop grossing me out man!
Draco frowned at the note. He looked over at Blaise and stuck his middle finger at him. When the period bell rang, Draco thought about going over to Hermione and asking her what was going on, but then he realized that the class was still too full, people might get suspicious. So instead of Draco going over to Hermione, Harry and Ron did.
"Hermione, I thought you left to be early for class. Not late." Harry said, walking on the right side of Hermione as Ron walked on her left. "I know...but...umm...I had to go back to my room. I...uh...forgot my...lip gloss?" Hermione said lamely, looking down at her feet while she walked. "Lip gloss? Since when do you where lip gloss?" Ron asked, puzzled. Hermione stopped walking and stood in front of her friends. "Look guys, I just had to go back to my room to get...something. No big deal really. I just lost track of time." With that, she walked the rest of the way outside to Care of Magical Creatures class.
"Did it look like she had lip gloss on?" Ron asked Harry, after a moment of silence. Harry looked at Ron, "Yeah. A little."
Draco sat on a boulder outside of the school with Blaise. They really disliked Care of Magical Creatures class but at least it gave them the chance to go outside of the school building. (or castle..whatever) "So, what were you looking at in class earlier? I swear, it looked like you were staring at Granger." Blaise said, as he rolled up his uniform shirt's sleeves. "What if I was? It wasn't like I was staring at her in admirisation" Draco snapped.
Blaise raised his palms in surrender, "Okay, okay. No need to get snappy." Draco rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." That was the second apology Draco had made today. Something was definately wrong with him. "I just don't understand why you would look at-" Blaise started and looked at Hermione as she passed by, "-that." Draco glared at Blaise. He took off his robes and rolled up his sleeves too.
"Here come the dumbasses" Blaise mumbled. Draco turned around and laughed because Blaise was talking about Crabbe and Goyle who was coming. Once Crabbe and Goyle joined in, Hagrid had stepped out of his hut and gathered the class around. Of course, Draco and his group stayed where they were. A good distance away from the class group. Draco looked over the group and his eyes landed on Hermione. She was whispering something to Harry and Ron who eventually caught up to her.
Draco suddenly had the urge to go over to Hermione and whisper with her. Draco gets urges to do a lot of things, but like every other time, he has to control himself and not do anything. Draco stood up on the boulder to see what creature Hagrid is going to have the class learn about. He saw something, but it was really small. It looked like a man only it's face looked permanately scrunched up, it's ears were pointed up like an elf's but Draco was sure this wasn't an elf. Also, the creature had what looked like bat wings.
Hagrid put the creature in his hand and held it up on his palm. "This, is an imp" he said. "The imps are a new race to the land, having only settled their relatively small territory in recent years. Not originally from this world, they are a race of escaped slaves who migrated from another realm. Of course, imps do have their strenth's and weaknesses. Imps are very strong at stealth, dark magic, thievin' and agility."
"Sounds useful enough" Blaise whispered to Draco. Draco chuckled and smirked at the information he was hearing about the small creature. "Although, as sly as these little fellers are, they aren' that good at direct combat, strenth' or constitution." Draco looked back at Crabbe and Goyle. Draco wasn't sure if the look on their face was a look of interest or a look of stupidity, just staring into space. "So what do you expect us to do with those?" Draco said aloud.
Some students, including Hermione, looked back at him. "Well, Malfoy, (Hagrid still wasn't used to naming his students with a Mister or Miss in front of their surname.) I expect you lot to each get yourselves an imp and observe 'em. You lot will watch 'em and see if they try to do anything mischievious, or try to steal anythin'. That is one of there strong points." Draco rolled his eyes at the task.
"You know Malfoy, maybe if you actually tried doing the assignment and not sit in the sidelines calling everything 'rediculous', you would probably get to learn something." Hermione said bluntly over her shoulder. Draco glared at her. "I don't need you telling me what to do so I can 'learn'." Draco snapped. Hermione stepped away from Harry and Ron, dispite their pleads not to do anything.
"Malfoy, maybe it hasn't occured to you that I'm just telling you participate because I actually wanna get through a lesson without you distracting everybody with your lazy attempts to act cool." Hermione retorted. Draco gave Crabbe his bookbag and stepped closer to Hermione. Draco was taller than Hermione but at the current moment, that did not matter. "You need to learn how to stay out of other people's business. Because if you don't, someone might get hurt." Draco said threateningly. Hermione didn't flinch. She did not blink. She stood her ground and showed that she wasn't afraid of Draco's empty threats.
"No Malfoy. It's you who needs to stay out of other people's business. You see something that you know has nothing to do with you, but you still go in and be nosy anyway. So basically, it's you who has to quit being nosy. What's my business is my business." Everyone could already tell this isn't about the lesson anymore. This is about something totally different.
"Look, just because I was curious about something I found doesn't mean I'm nosy." Draco said. Hermione narrowed her eyes while she looked at Draco. "Curiousity killed the cat" she said crisply. "Yeah, your cat" Draco laughed. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh grow up already" she cried. "I have grown up. Ever since my father was put in Azkaban, I had to grow up. I didn't have the choice to stay the same. But look at you. You've been the same every year. Bookish, quite, nosy, and unsignificant." Draco also narrowed his eyes. When he looked into Hermione's eyes, he knew he had just hit the bulls-eye.
Hermione's face looked angry and brave, but he saw tears welling up at the corner of her eyes. Draco expected her to just walk away. She did. But before she did, she smacked him neatly across the face, leaving a sleek red mark on his cheek. She huffed and walked away. All the students in the class including Hagrid had stared at Draco, and watched for what would happen next.
Draco stayed standing, rooted to the spot. Hermione had slapped him so many times during their years at Hogwarts, so by now Draco was used to it. But it still hurt like hell! "Er...nothin' to see here. Let's get on wit the lesson now" Hagrid shooed the class in a different direction to try and start the lesson. Blaise looked at Draco and said, "Don't worry man. We'll get her, and when we do, we'll get her good." Draco shook his head. "No. That won't be...no...Don't do anything."
With that said, Draco took off as well.
Feeling highly heated and vulnerable at the same time, Hermione stood in the Pensive Room and stood over the pensive. About to look at a different memory, Hermione thought about what Draco had said to her that made her go off. I have grown up. Ever since my father was put in Azkaban, I had to grow up. I didn't have the choice to stay the same. But look at you. You've been the same every year. Bookish, quite, nosy, and unsignificant. She didn't know why but being called unsignificant by Draco stinged Hermione badly.
Another tear went down Hermione's cheek. Shaking violently, Hermione went into the pensive and fell through it. She landed in a grey and overly lit room. Looking around, Hermione suspected it was a guidance councler's office. She was right. She saw two adult women and one small child come into the room. One of the adults was Hermione's mother. The other woman, the guidance councler, was an aging woman with black hair, greying at the roots. She had a black suit on and sat in front of a desk with the name tag on it that said "Lauren Cordaro" and under the name, in smaller letters, "Guidance Councler".
Hermione's mother and the letter girl Hermione assumed to be her younger self sat down in front of the desk. "Mrs. Granger, we have called you up today to discuss Hermione here. She's an extremely bright student, but there seems to be something wrong. She frightens the other students with this talk of 'breaking promises' or something like 'break your promise and she'll be out to get you'." explained Lauren Cordaro. Present Hermione heard her mother give a light gasp.
"I understand this. I understand because Hermione talks of the same subject at home. She scares me to peices when she talks of it. After her little friend was proclaimed missing, she began ranting on about promises and what will happen if you break them." Hermione's mother said worridly. The guidance councler looks and Young Hermione and asks, "Hermione, how old are you?" Young Hermione looks up from her fingers and half whispers, "I'm 7." Lauren nodds and writes something in a folder.
"Why do you always speak of promises and breaking them?" Lauren continues to ask. Young Hermione shrugs. Present Hermione is shocked at what she is witnessing. This actually happened when she was 7 years old? She had no idea this had happened at all!
"I don't know. I mean...I don't know. I've been having these dreams about a girl. She keeps telling me to keep my promise. But I don't know what she's talking about." Young Hermione says, and she looks down at her fingers again. "Honey, does this have anything to do with Virginia? I know she was a very close friend of yours and you were devastated when you found out she was missing." her mother said, taking hold of one of her hands.
Young Hermione looks at her mother, "Virginia? Missing? She ran away. At the park. Into the woods." she whispered. Her mother's eyes widened. "Hermione, if you knew about that, why didn't you say anything?" Young Hermione's eyes widened and covered her mouth. "Oh no! I promised her and I broke it." The guidance councler must be having a field day right now. She's scribbling things into a folder and occasionally looking up at Hermione.
"What did you promise her Hermione? Why is it so important that you keep this secret?" Lauren questioned as if she was a news reporter for the local newspaper. "I...I don't really remember. Something about parents. Her real mommy and daddy. She didn't want me to tell anybody for some reason. But it seemed urgent so I never did." Hermione didn't look at anybody. She looked ashamed.
Draco returned to the common room. He went up to Hermione's room but she wasn't there. Going back to the common room, Draco wondered where she could've gone to. Looking over his shoulder he remembered the Pensive Room. Although, after last night, he was terrified to go back. As scared as he was, Draco walked into the hallway of doors and went into the Pensive Room. It was empty.
Slowly, he walked to the pensive and looked in it. Hermione was in there already, he could tell. As much as he didnt want to, Draco moved closer and entered the pensive. He fell through and landed on what felt like a coushion chair. He was in some kind of muggle office. He saw Hermione on the other side of the room. She didn't notice he was there yet.
He turned his attention to the memory that was taking place.
"Hermione, it's okay to tell someone. It's your responsibility to tell somebody." Hermione's mother said. Young Hermione shook her frizzy brown head. "No. If she finds out I broke her promise, she'll be mad. Oh so mad." she whispers. "Hermione, you still have her necklace don't you?" her mother says. Young Hermione nodds. "She gave it to me the day she left, I think. I don't really remember. But I have it. It's in the box under my bed."
"I think that covers enough for today" Draco says. Present Hermione jumps and gives a slight yelp. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay out of my business." Hermione goes to Draco and grasps his shirt. Both of them exit the pensive and return back to Hogwarts. "How long have you been there?" she asks angrily. Draco shruggs. "I couldn't give an exact timing but-" "How long" Hermione yells. Draco is not scared by this. "Long enough" he replies.
Hermione starts screaming through gritted teeth, stamps her feet on the ground hard and pretty much has a temper tantrum. Her fits of anger turns into fits of sobs. "Why can't you just mind your own business? I need to figure this puzzle out alone. You will just distract me and make me so sick of even attempting of putting things together." Hermione says between sobs.
Draco watches this and feels a pang of guilt hit him in his chest. 'Why am I feeling guilty for...Granger?' he thought. Maybe because it's trying to tell you something says a voice inside Draco's head. He sighs and looks at Hermione who is still talking. "I would just like to get through a year of school without having to deal with your crap Malfoy. Why must you torture me?" she cries.
Draco takes Hermione by the shoulders and shakes her out of her tantrum daze. "Granger, calm down. Look, I get it. You wanna work this out on your own. Fine. I'll let you work it out. On. Your. Own." Draco let go of Hermione's shoulders and stalked out of the room, leaving to his bedroom. It was still afternoon but he must be tired. Hermione wouldn't blame him because she's tired as well. She left to her room and took a nap. When she awoke, she noticed her door was open. Which meant someone had gotten into her room.
'Malfoy' she thought bitterly. She wanted to get up but couldn't. She was still too tired. She would get him. Eventually.
a.n: long chapter. longest I have ever imaged myself writing. YAY. r&r. plz no flames