A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 7

I woke up, sweating and shaking, tears falling down my face. I had had a nightmare; the third, in fact, that week. Ever since I had found the diary in the library, I had the creeps about it. I was constantly worried that something, anything, would happen, and it wouldn't be good.

But as soon as I had the thought, I would scold myself for thinking it. It had been that long; why would it happen now?

And then another thought was nagging me, at the back of my mind, one that I had stored there in hopes that it would disappear altogether. Why was the book in the library, especially the one here? Was it a coincidence that it was here, with us? Why wasn't it in the Restricted Section at the library, or completely destroyed? I sat up, puzzling over these thought.

Suddenly, I felt sick to my stomach. And I knew that I wasn't sick. I was just stressed to the point of feeling nauseous.

It was decided, then. Running wouldn't make this go away. I stood quickly, heading over to my dresser. I picked out the right clothes and put them on. I grabbed my wand and headed out.

I slugged back into class quietly, my eyes drooping. It wasn't such a good idea to stay out until nearly five o'clock in the morning when I had to get up at seven o'clock for classes. Thankfully, this was my last class. I planned heading down to my room and taking a long nap before dinner. I smiled, thinking of my soft bed, my eyes dropping at the thought of sleep.

After almost falling asleep in Professor Binns's class, and Ginny confronted me through note after she had elbowed me, successfully waking me up. I smiled gratefully at her, but she just looked at me like I was crazy. She knew that I had never fallen asleep before that time in even that class. I just shrugged at her look.

I yawned and left the class as soon as it was over. I headed to our common room, and as soon as I was there, I went into my room to change and sleep. I fell asleep quickly, not bothering to set an alarm. It was never long before I would wake up from a nightmare, or something would just jolt me awake.

I woke up to a large warm hand shaking my shoulder. I yawned and stretched, blinking my eyes against the bright light.

I opened my eyes and saw myself face to face with Draco Malfoy. I jerked back, but he just stood up from the edge of my bed. "It's time for dinner."

I furrowed my brows. "Why are you waking me up? Where's Ginny?"

"She's with Pothead-"

"Hey. Watch it."

He rolled his eyes. "She's with Potter. Better now?"

I just rolled my eyes and sat up. "Yes. Thank you for waking me up," I said curtly. After he ignored me the night of Astronomy, I hadn't spoken to him, except for the basic greeting.

Wait. I stopped myself there and realized what I was thinking for the past week. I was actually hurt that Draco Malfoy ignored me. He did the same thing - and worse- to me for seven years. Why was it bothering me now?

Anyhow, I shook the feeling off and stood up, forcing him to back up from my bed. I stood in the room for a moment, and when he didn't move, I widened my eyes a little bit, shook my head, and said, "Well? I need to get dressed." I crossed my arms.

"Oh - oh. Right. Sorry," he stammered, shuffling out of the room. I got dressed and then walked out to the common room, intending on going right to dinner. But I was interrupted by a hand on my shoulder and a leathery voice coming from behind me.

"Wait." I jumped a foot in the air and turned, ready to hit whoever it was with my book for scaring me so badly. I saw a flash of white-blond hair and then calmed myself, before I got worked up again.

"Draco Malfoy, never scare me like that again!" I did, indeed, hit him with my book. He flinched and backed away with his hands held up.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I just wanted to talk to you." I shook my head and turned on my heel.

"Maybe I don't feel like talking."

Draco rolled his eyes. He was still behind me, and I couldn't see it, but I felt it, and I thought I ought to be frightened at that knowledge. "But I do. And I think it's right we do." I only walked faster, but due to the fact his legs were about three inches longer than mine, Draco caught up to me easily.

"Why? What have we to talk about?" I halted and turned to stare in his eyes. His dreamy blue-gray eyes swirled with clouds, and yet at the same time, they were so clear, and-

Wait. What was I thinking? I'm going crazy.

I averted my eyes. Looking in his beautiful orbs had been a bad idea.

"What happened at Astronomy. Listen, I'm sorry, I just-"

I interrupted him with a flourish of my hand. "You just can't be seen with a Mudblood like me. I get it. It's okay. I've moved on." He looked surprised for a moment, and I used that moment to get away from him. I turned the corner, and then headed the opposite way of the Great Hall, and then turned the next corner only seconds later.

I slowed down, knowing I had lost him. Then I took a detour around the wall, through a few more chambers, up a staircase, through a few doors that headed downhill, and then turned up at the entrance under the staircase that was close to the Great Hall.

I stepped in and went straight towards the Gryffindor table, taking a seat next to the love birds. I addressed them so. "Hello, Love Birds. How is the dinner you haven't touched?" I didn't look at them as I reached for the bowl of turkey.

Ginny scoffed. "We have to touched it!" I looked down at her plate to see a dent in her mashed potatoes, a bite of her chicken, and a mashed up apple pie. I rolled my eyes, but looked at her seriously.

"You have to eat. You lost a lot of weight from the stress during the war, and I don't blame you, but starving yourself now isn't going to accomplish anything," I said, giving her a look. She sighed and picked up her fork, shoveling a mouthful of her chicken in.

"Better, mother?" She rolled her eyes.

All I did was smirk and murmer, "Much." She turned back to Harry, who had been waiting patiently for me to finish my lecture before he spoke. "Hello, Hermione. How was your nap?"

"Okay, I s'pose. Except for the fact that you guys didn't wake me up because you were too busy taking a walk around the lake for the thousandth time, of course."

"We're sorry. We got caught-" Harry started, sounding genuine.

"Up in the moment, I know," I finished for them, long since used to them ditching me. But I shook my head and folded my hands over my stomach. I had lost my appetite.

Ginny looked at me odd. "Are you okay? You've been acting odd all week." I sighed and shook my head.

"It's nothing. I'm fine. I just- I just feel a bit sick. I'll be fine." I smiled at her, but a small, shy one. She accepted it with only one more weird look, then turned back to her food, eating more. I felt a bit better at the sight. At least she was trying.

I looked away as I saw my two fellow Gryffindors start to make googly eyes at each other. Looking anywhere to avoid their sickening love, I found myself unconsciously looking over at the Slytherin table, looking for a certain person without even realizing it. I found him, and he stared back just as intensely.

Ever the stubborn one, I held his gaze. His eyes challenged me, and I gladly took it. He narrowed his eyes at me.

He looked away first.

I looked to my left and saw the doors to the Great Hall, and to my right, the lovebirds. In front of me, there was Dean, Seamus, and Neville, who were all marveling over a plant. Then I looked over Neville's shoulder, and there he was.

"Hermione?" I had looked down, but then I met his steely eyes. He narrowed his eyes in determination, but looked away. I smirked to myself. I had won again.

"Yes?" I said, still proud of myself.

"Can we talk?" Seeing the doubt on my face, he added, "Please?" I sighed and stood.

"Okay."

"What? Hermione, for all we know, he'll drag you off to kill you!" exclaimed Ginny.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "He won't, I'm sure. Calm down, I'll be back a little bit after dinner." She huffed and stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm sure, Gin, I'll be fine." I was aware of Draco standing right in front of, uncomfortable with the conversation. "Besides, I have my wand. And you both remember what happened in third year." I smirked at Draco, who looked away, blushed, and then scrunched his face up at the memory.

I started to walk out of the Great Hall, beckoning Draco to come with me, and then as soon as I was out of sight, I turned on my heel, stopping Draco, and he almost ran straight into me. I gasped as my head made contact with his hard chest. "Ugh, why is your chest so hard?" I heard a chuckle.

"Because there's something I do called 'workout'. And besides, why is your head so hard?" I only scowled at him, but this only amused him further.

I stopped holding my head and looked at him expectantly. "What did you want to talk to me about?" His expression turned sober.

"I really am sorry. I don't know what got over me, I just know that I was being selfish and stupid, and please, please forgive me." He pleaded with me, his eyes wide and genuine, but I was puzzled. Since when did Draco Malfoy plead with Hermione Granger?

Nonetheless, I nodded my head courtly and said, "Okay, but it's not like we're friends. That was cruel, and saying even this is making me feel like I'm 7 years old. It's ridiculous. We had made a pact, just for this year so it would be easier. I expect you to follow it, as will I." I looked at him expectantly, but he only nodded in such a way that it seemed to pain him.

I nodded again, crossing my arms over my chest, tipping my chin up, standing awkwardly. "Okay, well..." I trailed off, uncrossing my arms. "G'bye." And I walked away, towards the dormitory.

Once I got there, I went to the library. The awkwardness had faded from my aura, and a sudden burst of confidence came into me. I went to the back of the library, quickly finding the book that I had jammed back into the bookcase. I flipped it open, finding the page with the writing, and then quickly flipped throughout the rest of the book. Nothing.

But - wait - there was something. The top corner, there was a little bit of writing appearing, slowly, as if someone was writing in it as I was holding it. The letters appeared slowly, and I held tight to the book, waiting impatiently for the writer to be finished. But whoever was writing in the book at that moment wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. I started to read it when they started writing on the second page.

August 23, 1435~ This is my second diary entry. I'm excited, because the book is still buzzing in my hands, waiting for me to help it. To help whatever is in this book out of this book. Even though the book hasn't really changed, I can still feel it. The magic, the power is still in there, waiting patiently for me to help it - or him, or maybe her! Oh, wouldn't be just wonderful if I did happen to free a young girl like me from this old diary, and she came to join me! I would love to have a friend just like me!

Now I'm all excited, and I'm living in a sad time. So I have to calm down before mum and dad suspect something again. They confronted me a few days before now to ask me if I was alright, and when they felt my forehead I was fine, but my eyes were dark and I had shadows under them. At least, that's what they said. I looked at myself I'm the mirror afterwords and I seemed to look the same, except for the fact that I seemed to be more beautiful than before.

Please, of you're reading this, think that I am modest. I know I was pretty before because I was normal height and weight with big light brown eyes and brown hair with red streaks, and I had red dots on my face all the time. I even look like a witch, but a kind one. But that day, those red dots and bumps disappeared, and my hair became darker, so that there were more red streaks in my hair and the light brown was then a dark brown. My light brown eyes were sparkling, and my complexion was pale and beautiful. I had smiled happily, for I always longed to be more beautiful, like my friend, Maryse.

But I think it's because I am developing my powers more. I can hope, can't I? Maybe it is true and I will wake up tomorrow with more powers and even more beauty.

Ooh! Papa is coming. I must say farewell for now, but it was nice writing in you! I will write soon. Good bye!

I stared at the page, finishing it just as the writer finished writing. Her writing became sloppy at the end, saying that someone really was coming. I still was puzzled, but refused to let the pit that was currently in my stomach grow any bigger. I put the book back, despite the fact that I waited a bit longer to see if the writing would appear again. But it didn't, so, after searching the books to see if there were any triggers, and finding nothing, I was forced to close the book and put it back in the bookcase, wiping my fingers of the dust.

I sighed and headed to the bathroom, delightfully finding it empty. I walked in, closed the door, and looked in the mirror. I studied myself carefully, seeing something different but not knowing what.

Oh, well I thought, heading to the shower.

I didn't realize that what had changed was that my chocolate brown eyes had gotten darker, my light brown hair was a shade darker, and a few streaks of light orange and red were dashed in my hair...