Never would've Hermione thought when she got up this morning, that this would be the day to change her life. It was just another morning, nothing unusual about it. She was in Ginny's room at the Burrow, lying on a mattress on the floor. She groaned slightly as she sat up. It really wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Trying to be as quiet as possible as she got up, Hermione carefully made her way towards the door. She tiptoed further across the hallway and to the door that led to the restroom.
Quickly discarding of her clothes and turning on the hot water, Hermione stepped into the shower. She knew that she didn't have much time since everybody else would be waking up soon. And sure enough, not even two minutes into her shower, there was a knock on the door.
"Hermione, hurry up!" Came Harry's voice. "I really gotta go!" Hermione smiled. Harry had been waking up as early as her these past couple of days. Although he wouldn't admit it, she knew it was becuase he hardly got any sleep because of his nightmares. She frowned at this. She wished there was something she could do to help him with that, help him be able to get at least one night's worth of good sleep. But they had realized that his nightmares even broke through a dreamless sleep draught.
"I'll be out in a minute!" She replied back. It was really a shame that there was only one bathroom other than that of Molly and Arthurs'. All the siblings and guests had to share one.
Finishing up as quickly as possible, she quickly dried herself and put on her fresh clothes, not even bothering with a robe. It was too hot for that. She opened the door and found Harry bouncing in front of it. She cracked a smile at him.
"There you go." She said. He shot her a greatful look and quickly shut the door behind him.
Hermione made her way downstairs into the kitchen, where she knew Molly would be up and making breakfast. And sure enough, when she got closer, she could already smell the bacon and eggs.
"Good morning, Mrs Weasley." She greeted.
"Oh, good morning, Hermione darling." Molly said, not turning around from her bacon. "How did you sleep, dear?" But she didn't even wait for Hermione to answer. "Quick, go wake everyone up. We're going to Diagon Alley today. Buying Ginny her school stuff and visiting Fred and George in their shop."
Hermione walked out without another word and went to wake everyone up. It took about an hour for everyone to be up and ready and filled with good breakfast, before they were able to leave. One by one they started flooing into the Leaky Cauldron. Once they were all there, Mr and Mrs Weasley began leading the way into Diagon Alley.
It was emptier than the year before. Almost every store was completely empty and the streets were near deserted. Some families here and there were clustered up, rushing from one place to another. The Weasleys were just as bad. Molly was frantically looking around while ushering the children forward. As soon as they got into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes everyone seemed to relax by a lot. Unlike the outside, the inside was packed with people. It seemed like everyone that was at Diagon Alley was there.
The group began touring the shop as always, but Hermione soon got claustrophobic with all those people crammed into one place. She found Harry and Ron in the crowd and nudged them.
"Do you want to go to Flourish & Blott's with me?" She asked them. It was books she needed, she figured.
"No way!" Ron replied. "When they've got all this cool stuff?" he said, holding out a box filled with little bugs who did god knows what. Hermione scowled at him and looked at Harry.
"Sorry 'Mione." He replied with a sincere apologetic look on his face. She rolled her eyes and turned around. Mrs Weasley would never let her go alone to the bookstore, so she figured that she might as well sneak out. Making sure no one noticed her leaving, she snuck out the door.
Once outside a small wave of fear overcame her. The deserted place looked so lonely and creepy. Getting herself together, she quickly made her way down the street, all the while her hand clutching her wand in her robe. She sighed a sigh of relief as she entered the bookstore. The whole place smelled so calming that all her nerves relaxed immediately. Her feet almost instantly walked her over to the stairs. Her favorite books had always been the ones upstairs. They were from the authors that had died a long time ago. They were first edition books about the wizarding world's most secret secrets. She absolutely loved them.
A smile spread across her face as she walked along the bookshelves, tracing her fingers over the books as she went. She made her way to the far back corner of the place. Her eyes were fixed on all the different books as she was walking, so she didn't see the person in a big black cloak that was walking down the same isle. This person obviously wasn't looking either, for the next moment they collided hard against each other, toppling down to the ground.
Hermione gasped loudly as the person landed right on top of her. "I'm so sorry!" She said the moment they landed. "Are you o-" But Hermione stopped herself as she saw a strand of platinum blond hair. The person on top of her lifted himself onto all fours so that he wasn't putting his weight on her anymore and looked down at her.
"Malfoy." She said.
"Don't sound so happy to see me, Granger." He said her sarcastically, hate written all over his expression.
"I'm not." She replied cooly. "Now if you don't mind, would you get off of me?"
"What if I do mind?" He asked, testing her. Hermione glared at him. What the hell was he doing here anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be running away with Snape or something? After the death of Dumbledore, Hermione would've thought that he was hiding from Voldemort. After all, he did fail to complete his task.
"Then I'll have to hex you." She said simply.
"And how're you going to do that without a wand?" He asked her. It was obvious he was trying to mess with her. Hermione tried to reach into her pocket, but Malfoy grabbed her hands and pinned them down with his own.
"What the hell are you doing, Malfoy?" She seethed. He was really being ridiculous now.
"I'm stopping you from hexing me." He answered her simply.
"Aren't you afraid that my nasty germs will get on you, or something?" She questioned. She struggled against his grip but he was too strong for her.
He chuckled, surprising Hermione. His voice was richer and more confident than the last time she had seen him. Now that she looked at him more closely, the dark rings under his eyes were gone as well. Was it just her or did Malfoy seem more...powerful? "Granger don't you know we are out of school? If I were worried about germs, I wouldn't be touching you right now, would I?"
Hermione groaned in frustration. "Will you let me go already?" She said angrily. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish here?"
She struggled again, but his grip was only getting tighter the more she fought. "Now, now." Malfoy cooed. "You can ask nicer than that. I know you have better manners, Granger."
Frustrated and tired by being herld down on the hard floor, Hermione decided to play along. "Malfoy, will you let me get up. Please." She added at the end, rolling her eyes at the same time.
"Now, that's much better, isn't it?" He said, finally letting go of her and getting up. Hermione got up as quickly as she could, thankful for not being stuck on the ground anymore. "I suggest you watch where you're going next time, Granger. You wouldn't want to end up in the same position with someone more dangerous than I." He told her, a smirk growing on his lips. "You never know what could happen to defenseless pretty girls like you with all those Death Eaters running around."
"You mean like yourself?" She asked him, her voice dripping with venom.
"Exactly." He repeated, a malicious glint in his eye. "We don't want our perfect little know-it-all to get caught and molested by the big bad Death Eaters, do we now?"
Hermione looked at him with disgust. "I can take care of myself, Malfoy. You know well that I am much better at any spell than you are. You are no threat to me." She spat at him.
She really seemed to have hit a nerve, for the next thing she knew, she had been slammed roughly against a bookshelf, Malfoys body flush against hers in order to keep her there. "You watch your tongue, Mudblood." He hissed at her. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. I have learned many things that you wouldn't even be able to begin to understand. And trust me, you do not want me to show you."
At this point, Hermione felt something she never thought she would feel in a situation like this. Fear. For some reason, Hermione believed that what Malfoy said was true. She could almost feel the power radiating off of him, and it genuinely frightened her. Never in a million years did she think that she would ever be afraid of Draco Malfoy, but it was obvious that he had changed. In the past three to four months that she hadn't seen him, he clearly had gone through some sort of dark wizard training, or something alike. She could see in his eyes that he was truly capable of many powerful things. She had clearly underestimated this boy.
Of course, Hermione didn't let her fear show. "Ooh! Now I'm scared, Malfoy!" She spat sarcastically. "You just have me trembeling in fear!"
Malfoy smirked. "Your words have more truth in them than you're willing to admit." he replied. He leaned in closer to her ear so that his lips were barely touching it. "I warned you, Granger. Do not test me. You have no idea what you will get yourself into." He whispered in a husky tone. Hermione felt a shiver go up and down her spine as his breath tickled her neck and ear.
He backed up enough that he could look into her eyes. She didn't reply, but just glared at him, portraying all her hate to him in just a simple look. He gave her one more smirk, before stepping away from her and walking away, leaving Hermione to her own thoughts of shock and confusion.
Why in the world had he intimidated her? It was Draco Malfoy, after all! He had never scared her before. But Hermione honestly realized what it had been. It had been the change in his eyes. The malice, that pure loathing look. Of course there was power, and she was sure that she would've lost, had he tried to battle her, but there was more. It was the fact that his eyes portrayed something so evil, that she was scared to even think about it.
Of course she knew that Malfoy had never been an angel. But for some strange reason she just never expected him to be evil. She had always thought of him as a lost boy with a poor excuse for parents that was never taught better. She always figured that he had just been raised badly and in a way couldn't help his nature. Of course that didn't excuse it, but still it didn't mean that he was pure evil. And his performance, or lack there of, with Dumbledore's murder last year had just proved her right. He wasn't evil.
But what she had seen today was something completely different. He had changed. The weak, scared little boy who had been lost and unsure before was gone. A new, powerful, dark man had replaced him who knew very well where he belonged. He had even owned up to being a Death Eater and there was no sign of fear with him anymore. No more childish, immature snob. But an actual, completely fully grown Death Eater who wouldn't even seem afraid of killing. Her heart sank as she thought of what he must've gone through in the past four months that could've so completely transformed him.
But Hermione didn't have much more time to think about it, for she heard frantic footsteps coming closer to her.
"Hermione!" She heard Harry's voice. "Hermione, are you all right?" He asked her once he had reached her. Mrs Weasley was right behind him and pushed forward, grabbing her by the arms and looking her over as if to make sure no body part was missing.
"We saw Malfoy walking away from here." Ron added. "Did he do anything to you?" Ginny, Bill and Mr Weasley had caught up to them now.
"No." Hermione replied, trying hard to put a smile on. "No, I just ran into him and he called me stupid names." She told them. "I'm fine guys, really. No need to worry."
"Are you sure?" Mr Weasley asked. Everyone looked at her with concern filled eyes.
"Yes, guys. Nothing is wrong." She assured them.
"Well what were you thinking, running out on us like that?" Molly started. "Have you gone mad, child? In these dangerous times no one is safe! What in the world were you..." But ther rest of her words got drowned out. Hermione began walking out with the rest of the group, completely oblivious to what any of them were saying to her.
Her mind was still on what had just previously happened. She didn't know why but Malfoy's behavior had seriously gotten to her. In fact, she was so unnerved by the change she had seen in him, she couldn't stop thinking about it for the next couple days. It had intrigued her so much, that for some reason she felt like she needed to see him again. She felt the urge to look at him again, study him and understand what had happened to that poor boy. Nothing could explain her feelings. Not even she herself could understand them. Hermione had no idea that this was the beginning to it all. This was the beginning to what would result in a tragic ending. She had no idea.
Well Here you have it guys. the actual first chappie. Hope you enjoyed! Review please!