Chapter 13

Hermione spent another night at the Leaky Cauldron, but staying there was only going to burn through her money. She had to go back to the muggle world. She would never get a job here and she certainly wasn't going to depend on the Malfoys. She was a grown capable woman, she didn't need to live of charity. That might not be how they saw it, but is was how she saw it.

It kind of hurt that Harry didn't believe her. She completely understood, but it still hurt how have your friends doubt you. She wasn't sure he would do as she asked, but Harry usually did what was asked of him. That was just how he was and she loved him for it.

She needed to do some research as well, there was nothing in the Malfoy library, that didn't mean there was nothing anywhere else. But first she needed to sort her situation. She needed to get a place, which shouldn't be too hard.

Actually it took two days of traipsing around town to get the lease on a one bed flat in Angel. It wasn't the nicest flat, not as nice as her old flat, but it was a roof over her head. Paying the bond and the advance took most of the money she had. The agent gave her the key and left Hermione to it. She had nothing to move in, she had nothing. The first thing she did was to get a mattress, a jug and a coffee cup. Anything else could wait.

She went to an internet cafe to forge a CV. It was unremarkable enough that no one would ever suspect its a forgery. She applied for near on fifty jobs, and got three interviews. One she wanted and the other two she'd take if it was offered.

It took a week and a bit before she secured a job in a WHSmiths Bookshop down by Victoria Cross. She was happy with it, a bookstore was perfect. She knew books and the manager had been pretty impressed with her knowledge. The pay was nothing to brag about, but it would pay her rent plus a bit extra.

Every night she lay on her mattress and wondered if she had made the right decision. She hated feeling uncertain, but she was pretty sure she didn't want to haunt one of the Malfoys' properties like a ghost.

She mailed a letter to Harry through the Ministry muggle mail address which links to the owl postal service. She got a owled short reply acknowledging her letter. It was short and professional. The same he would send to any loony he came across.

It was actually nice to work again. The days went quick and she didn't mind that it was a pretty mindless job. She was used to a dead end job, but this time she didn't have expectations to disappoint her.

Over time she managed to buy the things she needed, including a couch, a TV and computer and a microwave. She realised there was remarkably little she needed. She was pretty happy, but lonely. The weekends were particularly so. She would read and go for walks. But the events that had passed prayed on her mind constantly.

She got her period and she cried pretty much the whole day. She even burst into tears when a customer asked if they sold stamps. She was used to the disappointment, she had leant to not have her hopes up. Eventually she was able to shake herself out of it.

It was something being in Astoria's body. Jeans looked fantastic on her. Men were practically falling over on the street when she walked past. It was astonishing at first, but got kind of annoying. Men acted funny around her, either they would clam up or they would turn into macho arseholes.

She did wonder how Malfoy was getting on. She wondered if people were asking him what happened to his wife. Everyone would know, of course. Pansy would see to that if nothing else. Maybe he had sought consolation in her willing arms. She hoped not, Pansy didn't deserve to get what she was after.

It must have been embarrassing for him to have a failed marriage. He wasn't the first person it had happened to, but it was still quite a scandal when it did. Its not like he was heart broken, he hated Astoria. But he didn't take embarrassment well. Hermione knew this, knew how he reacted whenever she'd tried her very best to embarrass him at school. She'd done a fairly good job of it too.

Another week had passed and Hermione had a long weekend ahead of her. She decided that maybe she needed to explore the death angle with someone who had first hand experience, and sought out the only person she knew.

Nearly Headless Nick was surprised to have a visitor. The ghosts rarely got visitors specifically for them. She sat in the library and waited for him. The smell of the place was nearly overwhelming. She had loved this place so much. Her entire life had been ahead of her and even though things seemed bleak there was always hope for a bright future. She wasn't so sure how much hope she had left these days. It was a painful commodity.

"You look familiar." Nearly Headless Nick said when he arrived, "But I don't recall your time here specifically."

"Well, you probably won't believe this, but it's Hermione Granger, I have changed bodies." She said.

"Oh." He said. "Did your one not suit you?"

This was not the answer that Hermione expected and it gave her pause.

"I died." She said.

"I heard."

"Then I woke up in this body."

"And you wish to return it?"

"Can I go back?" She asked feeling a shiver of hope.

"No." He said. "Your body wouldn't be suitable anymore. Its been a while and they don't fare well on their own."

Hermione felt the sting of disappointment, but shook herself out of it. Actually it was really nice that someone accepted what she was saying at face value.

"Do you know what's happened to me?" She said.

"No, what's happened?" He asked like she was telling her a secret.

"I mean why I am in this body." She said. "Do you know how this happened? People don't usually walk around in other bodies."

"It is unusual." He said contemplatively and put his fingers together in a triangle. Hermione wondered if he was copying Dumbledore.

"How did it happen?" She said, she was getting a little frustrated.

"Well, what happened when you died?"

"I don't know." She said. "I remember the chimney falling on me and then a bit of pain, a few flashes and then I woke up in this body."

"A chimney, not a bad way to go. Quick." He said like he enjoyed talking about the topic. "You don't remember seeking the body out?"

"No?"

"Do the dead seek out other bodies?"

"Rarely, but it can happen." He said. "There are many advantages to having a body. But it would be very powerful magic. He-who-must-not-be-named invaded other bodies. He did it with Quirrel."

"I didn't seek out this body." She said.

"Then maybe it was done for you." He said.

"Someone would have done this to me?" She said with shock, her mind whirling. "Why?" Who in the world would have done this. Malfoy? Does he hate me that much? It doesn't make sense, why would he do this, so he can have atrociously bad sex with me and then kick me out?"

Nick was looking at her with horror. She guessed she had said that out loud.

"What about Astoria?" She asked.

"She's dead." Nick said with certainty.

"Are you sure?"

"You would definitely know if you were sharing her body with her. She would be stronger than you and likely you would have a face sticking out of the back of your head."

Hermione didn't really want to know what he meant, but checked the back of her head with her hand before she knew what she was going. Astoria was definitely not in the body then.

"It is unlikely you would have gained entry into a body with a soul." He said as if explaining it to someone dense. "She would have been gone by the time you arrived."

"But how did I arrive?" Hermione said. "If someone set this up, it would have been very dark magic. Killed me, and killed her to make this happen."

"Well, not necessarily." He said. "It would be very dark magic if that was the case. Dark magic is based on emotion. Hate, fear, jealousy. Strong emotion is powerful. Emotions makes things happen and Dark Magic feeds on this. But it could have been unintentional, emotions acting without intent."

"What do you mean unintentionally?" She said. "Now in the world could this happen unintentionally?"

"Maybe it was just a co-incidence." He said. "Sometimes the living draw the dead."

She wasn't sure what he was saying.

"Often when a family member dies, the family or a member of the family will draw the spirit to them." He said. "It is a natural process. People grieve and they draw the spirit, it sets up a conduit away from the normal conduit to the place beyond. Eventually the emotion settles and the spirit returns to its path."

"Place beyond?"

"Where we all go." He said. "Are supposed to go. Some of us don't for whatever reason. Strong emotions make people stay, like I did."

"But I didn't feel anything."

"Maybe someone else did and drew you." He said. "And in this case there was a body for you to enter."

"But that doesn't make sense. I don't have any family, maybe if it was Harry or Ron, but the Malfoys, that's a bit far fetched." She said. "I barely knew Astoria and Draco can't tolerate me."

"Astoria was gone by this time." He said. "It wasn't her. Perhaps Draco is the one you need to look at."

"That's ridiculous. I haven't had anything to do with him for years, I can't believe he would hate me this much that he would draw me."

"Perhaps he didn't. True hate, emotional hate is rare." Nick said. "Perhaps, in essence, he wished for you and you just happened to be available to be drawn by it. Strong emotions, Miss Granger."

"That's not possible." She said, but her stomach flipped and she was feeling tingling all over her body. That wasn't even close to being possible, but it felt like there was something there, something that begged to be explored.

"All sorts of things are possible." He said. "I'm sorry, I can't be of more help. There are no records or proof you can refer to when it comes to what happens after death."

Nick glid off and left Hermione with this mess of concepts clogging up her head. She felt like she had gridlock in her head.

It wasn't possible that Draco could have wished for her. Why would he wish for her? Maybe for the same reason he kept her picture on his desk, something in the back of her mind said. That was ridiculous, impossible. She'd had nothing to do with him for years. The only emotion he'd ever had for her was hate, distaste maybe. Nothing strong enough to justify this, but she couldn't help but feel every cell in her body tingle.