A/N Sorry it's taken me so long to update and sorry that this chapter will suck, but I just had my heart broken tonight so expect it a lot (sucky chapters). Sorry about that, I'm a little depressed right now. Guys suck, 

Chapter 16: Pensive Thoughts

Hermione woke up early the next morning. She took a long, hot shower. By the time she had gotten dressed, some of the other people in the house were awake. She kept running the night before through her head.

'What the hell is going on with everything?'

After going into the Great Hall to grab a piece of toast, she ran to the owlery to write a very important letter.

Dear Jared

How's everything and everybody? Nina and I have been having a good year so far, but there was an incident last night.

'NO!'

Hey Jared

What's new? Nina and I are great. The school year has been wonderful so far. We had a dance last night and

'HELL NO!'

Hey Jared

Call me ASAP! Nothing too major, but I really need to talk to you. I'll probably be free all night, but I don't know when you're going to be free, but just please call me as soon as you are able to.

'No, that'll worry him too much'

Heyy Jared

How's home without your two favorite people? School's great so far, well, ad far as school goes. Last night we had this amazing dance. Of course, Nina and I had to pull something, so we tricked this kid into doing some stuff that I'm kind of regretting. Don't worry, it wasn't as major as it sounds. Call me tonight! We have some major catching up to do.

'That's the best that I'm going to come up with' Hermione thought as she read the letter. She tied to a school owl's leg and watched as the gray owl flew off into the distance. Hermione turned and walked to her first class, even though it wasn't supposed to start for another half hour.

'I understand Nina not telling me about Jared, I mean, she can fight her own battles, but I'm her best friend and Jared is one of my friends also. And why didn't she tell me the whole truth. Couldn't she trust me? I know that I'm overreacting about this, but so much happened last night. Malfoy likes me, or at least he started to. Nina almost lied to me to get her own revenge upon Draco, not to mention the entire male gender. She threatened to not be my friend! Malfoy was singing a muggle song, or more like reciting it. We actually broke the ice king and it made me feel worse than I've ever felt in my life. And why didn't Nina tell me that she made out with Malfoy more than once? I have to talk to her later.' It was then that Hermione realized that she was standing in front of the potions classroom (her first class). 'Was I thinking all of that the entire walk?' She stepped into the classroom and took her usual seat in the middle of the room. After a minute or so, Nina walked into the room.

"Hey Hermione. I didn't see you all morning. I was looking for you." She walked over and sat down in the empty seat beside her best friend, hopefully. "I'm really sorry about the position I put you in last night. It was inconsiderate of me, but I was just really...in don't know, and I know that that isn't an excuse, but I just want you to know that I'm sorry." Nina paused and bit her lip, "I'm going to talk to Malfoy today and apologize for the mask thing."

"It's okay Neen, but I think we need to talk," Hermione was proud of Nina's maturity.

"What about?"

"Well," Hermione began but she then heard noise at the door. "Later."

Nina nodded and sat in her seat and began to doodle. The class soon filled up and there was a large amount of chatter. Snape then walked in quickly and there was a hush throughout the room.

"Now, as you should all remember, last month you all got into groups and did some activities. Tomorrow you shall all be getting back into your groups, ah, here come the other students now." Every other student from the sixth year came in carrying something. They each took seats at the extra tables in the classroom. There were no other teachers in the classroom. "You shall get the rest of the information at breakfast. Now go to the back of the classroom and get your potions and get into your groups, if any of your group members are in this class at one or two tables, which they should be. There should be no more than five people in each group."

Everyone got up, gathered their potions and ingredients and then got into their groups. Hermione, Draco and Nina felt uncomfortable sitting at the same table. The class waited for Snape's instructions. "Now, there should be some change on your potions. For the rest of the period, you shall all be adding to, not your potions, but the potion of the person sitting to your left." Everyone passed their potions to the person to their left. "Now that you have done that, add the ingredients written on the board and look into the cauldron, but I must warn you to not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to know what you see. Now begin."

Hermione's POV

I gingerly took Draco's potion and placed it in front of me. Slowly and carefully I added the ingredients on the board. After about twenty minutes, the potion became like foggy water with pictures in it. I know I shouldn't have, but I touched the potion and fell into a dark room. I looked around and saw a young boy standing at a window. He turned around and sighed. I recognized him. It was Draco!

"Draco! I'm so sorry! I didn't me-wait, how old are you?" At first I was nervous, I mean, I was in the Malfoy Manor, but he didn't seem to notice me, also he seemed to be only about ten years old.

He looked at the floor and dragged his feet as he made his way to the bed.

"Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday Draco. Happy birthday to me," he sang slowly and in a quiet voice. I realized then that I was in a pensive! The door then opened and a small house elf came in. Draco hardened his face and demanded "What do you want dobby?"

"I is sorry sir, but the others and I was wanting to wish you a happy birthday." I saw Draco's eyes soften, but not his face. "And to be giving you this," the small house elf snapped hid fingers and a chocolate cupcake appeared in front of his face. Draco took the cupcake and let out a small smile.

"Thank you Dobby" Dobby bowed low and left the room, leaving Draco alone with the cupcake. He got up and went to the side of the bed and pulled something from under it. He pulled out a small shoebox and put the cupcake in it.

I felt my surroundings swirl around me as i fell into another memory.

"Come on Draco! It isn't that difficult! Lords!" Lucius was yelling as he threw his arms up into the air. The two blondes were outside holding their wands.

There were also two broomsticks beside them.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Draco cried out. Hermione followed his wand and saw a tree a few yards away began to float.

"There, now that you have mastered the basic spells and had your flying lesson you are free to do as you wish." With that Lucius walked away leaving Draco alone in the big yard.

He walked around, with me a few feet away from him, until he saw a muggle garbage can with a laptop box sticking out. A smile came to his face as he ran back inside the house.

I was then drawn to Diagon Alley a few minutes later (flash forward the memory). Draco walked into Flourish and Blott's and bought a book, but she could not make out the title. He had a large smirk on his face. She then felt another memory change.

It was summer and I could tell that I was back in his room, but a different one. He was looking at something that appeared to be a photo, but I couldn't tell what it was of. He put it next to him on the bed and took something out of a black box (the other one from when he was ten was a shoe box). As he was doing so, I looked at the picture. It was the picture strip we took at the mall! Why would he have them? I tried to see what else was in the box. It contained lyrics to muggle songs I recognized as well as some, I'm guessing, he wrote, drumsticks, muggle currency and other items from the day we spent together and that we spoke about. I felt a pang in my chest and a tear come to my eye. He looked out a window a few minutes later and shut it and then the same with the doors. He took something out of the box that I had not noticed. It was a toy drum. He applied some sort of potion to it and it grew to actual size. He took his drumsticks and began to play one of my favorite New Found Glory songs, 'Something I call Personality'

"Before you jump down my throat

I'd like to present you with

something I call personality

word travels fast when you're on the road

I'd like to think what I have is real

sort this out on your own time

you ought to sort this out on your own time

before you jump to conclusions

about all the friends I have

just remember they were born that way

word travels fast when her name's involved

I'd like to think what I have is real

sort this out on your own time

go on and sort this out on your own time

no matter how happy you are

you'll always want more

no matter how stupid I get

you'll always want more" he looked up after he finished and whispered "I'm such a jackass," as he shook his head and looked at the pictures of us. I was then pulled out of the memory by an odd force.

Draco's POV

I stared into the strange mixture of ingredients. I leant in to get a better view of the picture that was replacing the potion, but I then felt a sudden pull and I fell into the potion, but instead of hitting the bottom caldron I fell onto a beach. There was a party going on around me, but nobody seemed to notice that a handsom sixteen-year old boy had just fallen from the sky. I looked around and saw Nina standing next to me.

"Nina? Hey," I said, but she didn't seem to notice. She just sighed and looked around. I then realized that we had made pensives in class and since this was Nina's potion, this was her memory. I looked around again and saw Hermione talking to a guy. I walked over to listen.

"Sorry Jared. I'm not really in the mood to dance right now, maybe later, and if not we can always hang out tomorrow." She said to him.

"But tomorrow you're leaving for school with Nina," he insisted. I was apparently 'at' the dance Nina and Hermione had spoken about.

"Listen Jared, I really can't dance with you because it would hurt too much, I mean, with us leaving tomorrow, I might break down and cry in the middle of the dance floor," I could tell that she was lying, well, partly.

The boy, Jared, took her hand and led her to the sand dunes, I followed them with Nina right behind me.

"Listen Hermione, I've wanted to tell you this since the day we met. I like you, a lot, and I really want to be with you, as more than friends," something in my stomach leapt out and caught my he-chest in midfall.

"Jared, please don't do this. Our friendship is too important. I would kill myself if anything happened between us. I also like things the way they are," she leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his stomach. "I like you as a friend, but I don't think I want more. This is already better than it could ever feel," she looked up into his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"You're right, nothing could be better that this."

The two just stood there for five minutes, but it felt like an hour. They then began to walk back to the party. I turned to see Nina behind the dunes, she seemed to be frozen in place. She then smiled as a tear went down her cheek. She wiped it off her face and went back to the party. I remembered Hermione admitting to liking that boy one time. Nina must like him too. Gee, I never realized what a good friend Hermione is.

I was then pulled by an unexplainable force to another memory.

I was in a purple and green bedroom. There were clothes strewn around the room. I then heard a sniffle and saw Nina in a walk in closet. I walked in to see why she looked and sounded upset. She seemed to be writing something and was wearing a wristband on her right wrist. I leant over her shoulder and read: Have you ever given up something? Something that you've held onto for...forever. I like you, Jared, but we can't even be friends without me feeling like I'm forcing something upon you and I'll accept that. I know that you don't do many things on purpose, but one thing that that shouldn't have to be is the friendship that I've held onto since we first met. I know that you're a good person with a great heart, but we both know that you are keeping part of something locked up. I know that you are an individual mind, but and are your own person, but you're selling yourself short. You say that you are a shy, quiet person, but if you saw yourself the way the rest of the world does, or did you would feel more comfortable in your own skin. This letter was meant to be tell you that I still have feelings for you, but it has turned into an important question that everyone asks themselves but can never answer should ask themselves, but I am asking you: who are you? To close this letter I want to thank you. Thank you for making me feel loved, even for only a short time. Thank you for helping me to begin to become acquainted with myself. And many other thank you's. This is not a good-bye forever letter, but a hello and thank-you one.

Yours Truly,

Nina

Now and Forever More'

She looked up as she finished the letter then frowned. I had to agree, the letter was corny and pathetic. The then looked at her wristband and sighed as she began to pull it off. I saw scars where her wristband was and noticed some above those. I knew she was a drastic person, but I never thought she would ever do something like cut herself. She put on a 'Boy Girl' wristband (David and Goliath, duh). She stood up, walked out of the closet and to her computer.

"Why wont you im me? We've both been on for fourty fucking minutes!" She yelled out and collapsed onto her bed, holding back angry tears.

"Adriana Bronwen Crawford! Get downstairs now!" a voice came from downstairs.

"I told you! It's Willow Dustin Nina!" Nina screamed back. (A/N Willowfreedom, tree Dustinvallant fighter, dark stone)

"You're lucky I'm even letting you get away with that! Get down here this instant!"

Nina got up and walked downstairs (I followed, duh).

"Sit" her mother said. I redognized the woman from many a dinner at my house.

"What did I do this time?" Nina asked as she flopped lazily onto the couch.

"Lucius Malfoy has just informed me that you have another trial coming up tomorrow. What are you going for this time?" her father asked. Shit, that was my godfather! I had almost forgotten not only what he looked like, but that he was married to Allissa Crawford. He, like my father, was hardly around anymore.

"Someone from the ministry caught me protesting for protesting with muggles. I used an unbreakable potion on some chains I used to chain myself to a building. They said that I had crossed the line and that I have to be more responsible with my magic and might take away my wand or something so I learn my lesson." She shrugged. I could tell that I was in a memory from this summer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go soon." She tried to get up, but was stopped by her mother.

"Oh no you don't young lady. We are not done with this discussion. Lucius is coming tonight for dinner with Narcissa. His son won't be coming, though. It would appear that he has plans. I want you to be home by a quarter to five."

Nina nodded miserably and walked up to her room. She kicked her stuff when she got into the room and muttered stuff along the lines of 'death eater' and 'infuriating bastard'. I was then pulled to another memory. I fell into a courtroom. Nina was sitting in a chair with chains.

"Adriana Browen Crawford, you are speaking out of line," I heard Fudge say.

"First of all, it's Willow Dustin Nina. Second of all I was only correcting Umbie's mistake," she replied. I could tell that this wasn't her first trial. She was giving them nicknames. I had to smirk at her spunk. "I did not perform any magic in front of muggles like a careless two year old, I coated some chains before I went to the protest and a ministry official found out and dragged me away from the protest."

"Well, we have been here for an hour and we are still at square one. Since you are to go to school in less than a week, we shall allow you to keep your wand, but we shall owl you when we come up with a proper punishment." Fudge said. With that everyone left the courtroom.

I was then pulled to another memory (A/N don't worry, this is gonna be the

last one)

"But, why?" I heard a voice from behind me say. I turned around and saw Nina and Jared.

"Listen Nina, we never really talk or anything anymore. I think it would be better if we were just friends," Jared said.

"Yeah, I mean, I was gonna break up with you too for the same reason. Well," she looked. Her voice wanted to crack so much and tears wanted to flow from her eyes.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," Jared said. He walked away. Nina walked to Hermione, who was a few yards away and cried into her as she brought her somewhere else. She just cried into Hermione as though her heart had been broken, torn out of her chest and stomped on, destroyed for a long while. I felt a pang in my chest and felt a tear come to my eye. It was so sad. Even though Nina and I weren't friends and I was just a mere shadow in this memory, I wanted to do nothing more than make Jared feel physically what he made Nina feel emotionally. I was then pulled from the pensive.

Nina's POV

I could tell that we made a pensive. I had made one at home one time when I was bored. I touched the filmy material and was pulled into Hermione's memory. I fell into her living room. She and Draco were talking and hanging out as though they were friends. I watched as they fell asleep. I then felt a large wind, like I was in a tape that was fast-forwarding. I saw Draco wake up. He looked around in confusion. Hermione walked into the room.

"Morning!" He turned around to see Hermione standing behind him wearing baggy flannel pants and a white tank top and a large smile. He quickly turned around so he wasn't facing her.

"Ah, finaly, you're awake, mudblood. Where is the blasted floo powder?" he demanded

She frowned. "Well, if you're gonna be such a bitch then rather than letting you sit down to a peaceful breakfast how about I shove it down your throat MAKING YOU CHOKE TO DEATH!" I giggled to myself, she is a girl no one would ever want to mess with, mudblood or not. She quickly walked upstairs and shortly came down with a small velvet bag. She violently shoved it into his hands.

"HERE!" She angrily said. "And I hope you end up in a million pieces wherever the hell you go!" If looks could kill, I'm sure Draco would be dead at least ten times before he hit the floor. She then said in a deadly whisper "And I thought you changed."

Before he left, Draco looked at her. Her back was turned away from him. He stepped into the fire and disappeared. Hermione looked at the floor and began to cry.

I was then pulled to another memory.

"But tomorrow you're leaving for school with Nina" I heard Jared say. I turned around and saw him talking to Hermione. We were at the end of the summer dance.

"Listen Jared, I really can't dance with you because it would hurt too much, I mean, with us leaving tomorrow, I might break down and cry in the middle of the dance floor" I could tell that she was lying, she is such a horrible liar.

Jared, took her hand and led her to the sand dunes, I followed them with my memory right behind me. "Listen Hermione, I've wanted to tell you this since the day we met. I like you, a lot, and I really want to be with you, as more than friends," he said.

"Jared, please don't do this. Our friendship is too important. I would kill myself if anything happened between us. I also like things the way they are" she leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around him "I like you as a friend, but I don't think I want more. This is already as good as it's going to get" she looked up into his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the top of her head.

"You're right, nothing could be better that this" the two just stood there for five minutes, but it felt like an hour. They then began to walk back to the party. I turned to see myself behind the dunes. I was frozen in place.

I then smiled as a tear went down my memory's cheek. I wiped it off my face and went back to the party. I remember that night. Hermione really liked Jared, but gave him up for me. She is the best friend a girl could have, or anyone. I then felt a force pull me to another memory.

"Um, Vickor," I saw Hermione say as she walked up to VIKTOR KRUM! He turned to face her and smiled, but she was somber and as though she was about to cry.

"Herm-own-ninny!" he exclaimed.

"Before you say anything, I just think that we should talk." she handed him a muggle c.d. player, said "I love being with you, but (sigh), I just can't. Please don't hate me," and walked away.

I looked over and saw the c.d. in the player. Number two was Bye Bye Boyfriend by Fefe Dobson. The one thing I (now) wish I had never taught her.

I was then pulled put of the pensive back to the potions classroom.