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Chapter Six
Hermione wasn't sure what to expect when she would finally step back into the Entrance hall for the first time since Hogwarts had become a broken castle. Her breath caught in her throat as her feat walked through the huge oak front doors and she realised, it was if nothing had changed.
Her heart ached as she remembered one of the last times she had stood here.
Flashback.
She was saying goodbye to her best friend. But it wasn't just any old goodbye. She knew it was going to be the last "Goodbye" she ever got to say to Harry. She hugged him, and his arms hugged her back and held her tightly to him.
It was as if she was his anchor, his last chance, last hope that he mightn't have to do this, that he mightn't have to leave. It was as if he didn't want to let her go, and she didn't want him to. Because as soon as his arms released her, he was going to walk to his death.
Walls crumbled around them, fire licked at the oak doors of the castle, beckoning with long, burnt, scarred fingers for Harry to walk away, to walk towards the flames and towards Death. To walk away from the two people who would never in their lives get over his absence.
When she hugged him, the reality of it all hit her like the killing curse. She hadn't noticed until that moment - that moment when his arms held onto her like she could keep him safe - that everything was broken. She hadn't realised that the ground was strewn with bits of what used to be doors, or walls, or beautiful stained glass windows. She hadn't realised that the inanimate bodies lying around every corner were those of people she cared about. Her friends, her classmates. She hadn't realised that it was all about to end, until Harry whispered it in her ear.
"Goodbye, Hermione."
NO! NO! Harry you can't NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I love you Harry! I need you! You're my best friend! HARRY!
She hadn't said any of that out loud, of course. Tears were streaming down her face in hot, quiet tracks. Everything was silent as his arms dropped away from her body and he was no longer hugging her.
She held onto him for a little bit longer. She held onto the hope he wasn't leaving them. But then he did. His quiet footsteps were the only noise she could hear as her heart stopped and her brain started screaming.
She didn't say it out loud because saying it out loud might make Harry cry. And whatever he was just about to do had been decided, had been predetermined. She couldn't mess that up. It was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Much worse than being tortured by Bellatrix. Her best friend was going to die, going to go to Voldemort and die, willingly.
And she couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Her jaw felt like it was cracking in half as she bit her lip fiercely, drawing blood. Her eardrums wanted to burst.
Don't say anything! She told herself over and over and over. Because saying she needed him, that he was so important, that he was her best friend, her brother - saying any of that would make it so much worse. Harry was going to do it either way. Her whole being was internally screaming to call out to him, to say anything to him to get him to turn around and walk back but she knew it was wrong.
Harry was walking a path that he could never turn back on; he would never turn back to her again. All she would do would be to make it so much harder for him to drag each painful foot in a step closer to his destiny.
Never would she look into his green eyes and see them smile again, or run to him and crash into a hug. Never would he sarcastically roll his eyes at her being a know-it-all again, or listen to her stupid problem when she cried. He'd never make another exciting plan with her or plot with her or walk in snow with her or talk to her or….
She wished it wasn't real. She wished she could do it for him. She cried and shook and her brain was screaming at her as Ron took her in his arms. She felt his tears in her hair and knew he was the only person that could ever understand. "Harry…" she whispered. But he was gone. The burning flames had swallowed him.
End of Flashback.
Tears were welling in her eyes as she shook her head. Nothing. Nothing was different in the Entrance Hall. She saw flames and she saw dead bodies and the people around her gasped as they saw it too, the crumbling castle. But then it was all normal again. Pristine, perfect. She felt like she was in the pensive - walking back into a memory of her eleven year old self, the first time she had walked into Hogwarts and thought everything looked so perfect.
Her head swam.
With Draco by her side for the first time ever, her feat crossed the Entrance Hall in a dreamlike state, and she entered the Great Hall with the rest of the school. Her heart swelled with emotion as she looked around at the glowing room.
Draco grinned as he watched her look around, her eyes glistening. He didn't really care about any of this – the castle, the way it all looked insanely unchanged. He didn't want to look around and remember all the past days he had in the school because his past days were not good days. His memories were tainted. But for her, he imagined this was quite a big deal – seeing the castle for the first time after the war. He couldn't read her face; he couldn't tell what emotion was making her hand grip his so tightly as they walked through the crowds. He didn't mind. When he got to the top of the Hall and she dropped his hand, he frowned. Now she would be going to sit with the Gryffindors and he with the Slytherins. He realised he was going to be divided from her quite a lot, because of their houses. For the first time ever Draco wished that everyone could sit together.
Hermione didn't want to leave his side, she didn't want to be divided once again by stereotypes and houses and three tables. But she could see Ginny pushing towards her through the crowd, wanting to reach her and sit together at the Gryffindor table.
Draco's eyes were away from her, he was refusing to look at her, again. Ginny reached them.
"Hermione c'mon, I'm starving." She grabbed her arm softly and began walking towards the Gryffindor table.
"Ginny what about Draco? None of his friends are back at Hogwarts; he has no one to-"
"I am a grown man, Hermione. I think I can survive sitting alone." Draco told her quietly, raising his eyebrows in indignation. He didn't want anyone to think he couldn't handle being alone, but his cheecks flushed pale pink at her words. She wanted to stay with him.
"What!? That's ridiculous you shouldn't have too, Draco."
"Hermione…" Ginny whispered quietly, pulling at Hermione's sleeve. Practically everybody else was sitting down now, and watching them with greedy eyes. But Hermione doubted that the people watching them were the reason that Ginny wanted her to come quietly. Ginny wasn't the type of person to care about people watching her.
"But this is barbaric! People are dividing themselves... again Ginny… and the war is over! Why can't you all realise that!" she looked around at the people seated at house tables now.
"Ginny the sorting hat has been saying it for years! Inter school division is not right. All we're doing is eating, so why do we have to separate? I'm sitting at the Slytherin table – let's see who'll stop me." Hermione's eyes held fire, passion, but she smiled, almost sadly, at Ginny to let her know that the argument wasn't aimed at her.
"D'you know what? You're right." Ginny nodded slowly. "Oi Seamus! Dean! I'm going to sit over here with Hermione!" the fiery red head yelled across the great hall, causing quite a stir amongst the onlookers.
Two Gryffindors and one Slytherin sat down at the Slytherin table, and Hermione was beaming.
"Well this is different!" she chirped.
Ginny looked slightly uncomfortable, she was scowling around at the Slytherins who were raising their eyebrows and glaring at the two new, and in some people's minds, unwelcome girls.
"What are you looking at?" She growled at a black haired boy with blue eyes who was looking at her like she was a member of a different species. The boy shook his head and turned back to his friends.
"The first years will be here soon." She told Hermione with a resigned smile, "I wonder what the Hat will sing about?"
Draco picked at loose skin beside his thumb nails, his hands on his knees underneath the table. I'm different now, I'm better now, I'm good now.
He really hadn't been prepared for Hermione's sudden and very public show of affection towards him infront of people who… who he'd held a very high status among for the first six years of his schooling.
Goddamn it Draco stop being so fucking self obsessed.
Surely Hermione's show of emotion wasn't towards him at all. She didn't choose to sit here because she couldn't bare to leave his side. She did it because she, Hermione Granger, was strong minded and independent. She wanted to break boundaries and start an inter-house revolution. Merlin she was so… ambitious.
She was sick of following along with ridiculous stereotyping and discrimination. She didn't think it was a good idea anymore, the division among houses. Sure, she could deal with the fact that people would each be sorted, and have their own house and dorms and colours and Quidditch teams. But it was simply evil - and way to much like blood discrimination - for people to not be allowed sit with their friends, or for it to be such a big deal when one person decides to switch seats at dinner.
The hall doors opened and Professor McGonagall entered wearing a dappled green dark, pointed hat and robes, and following behind her were a humungous group of terrified looking first years.
With knocking knees they walked up to the front of the hall, hundreds of eyes following them.
Professor McGonagall walked up to the golden owl podium, the place where Dumbledore had stood at every start of the year feast Hermione had ever been to. She smiled down at the students, the new Headmistress.
"Welcome, welcome back to you all. Another school year begins! I hope that each one of you will take advantage of that, and learn to the best of your individual ability. I shall expect no more, nor no less. Now, let the sorting commence!"
She lifted the sorting hat onto its stool and an eerie silence filtered among the students as they waited for the hat to being singing its annual song.
I am a hat from years gone by,
But now I am wise and old.
It's not so hard for me to tell,
My tale does make you bored.
But listen close young minds and hearts,
For you're writing the next chapter,
Of Witchcraft and Wizardry in this school,
Great Legends you follow after.
And now you're cold and hungry,
My song's a burden too,
But someday you'll be remembered,
For everything you do.
Made was I but to divide,
But division should not be made,
Listen close, I'll tell you now,
Division caused this plague.
Bold Salazar and Godric,
Were as close as close can be,
Whilst fair and just Rowena,
Lived with Helga in harmony.
The war's been fought, and fair and true,
The rightful side did win,
But no war can ever be truly won,
Unless we unite together, from within.
So once more I'll say it,
Please take head, unite as one,
And make yourselves all equals,
Then Hogwarts will have won.
Draco wondered how Hermione somehow knew everything. She couldn't have known that the sorting hat was going to sing about equality, she couldn't have known that when she decided to take the bold decision of being the first Gryffindor to ever sit at Slytherin's table. But she did it anyway, and – as usual – she was right.
Hermione positively beamed. The sorting hat couldn't have been more right, and if she needed one more reason to be sure what she was about to suggest was right then that song was it.
Professor McGonagall called Allen, Orlaith to the stool to be sorted as Hermione began whispering her newly formulated idea to Draco and Ginny.
"I've had an idea," she said quietly, excited, "We should start a club! The Student United Campaign… Against Division…Or something like that anyway. What d'ya say? Any name ideas Ginny?"
Ginny adjusted herself on the bench and raised her eyebrows.
"Slow down Hermione, I mean, really? Another club? Remember how Spew went?"
"S.P.E.W Ginny! And it was extremely successful!" She cast her a disdainful look, "The Students United Campaign would be successful too. Draco, what do you think?"
Ginny scoffed, Draco blushed.
"Yeah, erm, it could work."
"Carlton, Caitlin!" McGonagall called.
"Ha-ha! See Ginerva! One member already. Thank you Draco."
Ginny rolled her eyes.
A small girl with mousy brown waves of hair and freckles on her nose walked over to their table. Caitlin Carlton had just been sorted into Slytherin, and her huge eyes widened as she realised she would be forced to sit next to a sixth year. Hermione smiled kindly at her, and she sat down timidly.
"Starting tomorrow," she said, turning back to Draco and Ginny, "I'm going to advertise the first meeting of our club."
Draco bowed his head and grinned. She really was determined to change the world.
Dinner was, as always, magnificently delicious. However Hermione spent most of the time examining the staff table.
Professors Sprout, Trelawney, Hagrid, Slughorn, Binns, Flitwick and Vector had all returned to their former teaching posts. But Hermione was searching the table to see who would be their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She wondered absently would it be someone new, but… Wait… is that Fleur?!
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. Fleur Delacour was sitting beside Professor Flitwick, tossing her silvery silky hair over her shoulder as she laughed. Surely Hermione would have known if Fleur was going to be teaching at Hogwarts? But yet… there she was.
Fleur Delacour was their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"Ginny, did you know Fleur was going to be a Professor?"
"What!?" Ginny dropped her fork and it made a clingy, metallic sound as it hit the floor under the table.
"She's sitting beside Professor Flitwick, look." Hermione pointed.
"Merlin you're right! Why weren't we informed of this?"
Hermione shook her head. With full bellies and tired heads, the students began to filter out of the hall. Fleur, however, never being one to slouch and shuffle along as Hermione and Ginny had started to do, positively glowed as she flounced over to them.
"Ginny! 'Ermione! Deed I surprize you? I deedn't want anybody to know I had been appointeed, a surprise I 'ope!"
Ginny laughed and hugged Fleur tightly.
"It's great Fleur! Brilliant really!"
Fleur beamed. "Eeet is so good to see you girls again!"
"You too Fleur." Hermione told her as Fleur embraced her in a tight hug, unexpectedly.
"Vell, I'll shall see you both tomorrow zen! I have seventh years third class, I theenk!" And then she was gone in a blur of silver and perfume.
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and promptly burst in fits of laughter. It was, after all, quite strange to think that Fleur (Phlegm) would now be their teacher. But they both knew she would be an excellent one.
Hermione looked around suddenly and realised the absence of the blond haired boy. She spun around looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Ginny touched her arm, knowing what her eyes were searching for. Hermione felt the desperate need to locate him.
"He's probably gone to bed, Hermione. We should be going to bed t-to-too." Ginny yawned.
Hermione's heart fell. So no goodnight? Draco was gone to bed, or she hoped he was anyway.
She left the great hall with Ginny tried not to look around her as they made there way along the familiar path to the dorms. She didn't need to have anymore more flashbacks - not tonight anyway. Her head sunk into the soft squishy pillow of her bed in her old dorm room and she sighed. Sleep evaded her, and she spent quite some time tossing and turning before finally falling into a dreamless sleep at 1.01AM, with tired eyes and a heavy heart.
Draco watched as Hermione hugged Fleur, the silver haired goddess who didn't even seem to notice that he was present. As if he cared. If he stayed, she might notice him eventually and then the questions would start and the 'is he actually with you two?' glances would be cast between the girls and Draco figured that Hermione deserved to catch up with Fleur without having to explain his presence. It wasn't exactly normal behaviour for him to wait behind her shoulder until she was finished – just so he could say goodnight. And he couldn't say goodnight to her the way he wanted to anyway.
So Draco left. His footsteps were lost in a sea of noisy footfalls all around him as he pushed through the crowds and made for the Slytherin dorms. He thought about stopping at the door, about looking back at her and making eye contact, maybe waving to let her no he was going. But he kept his head down, he kept his feat pointing away from her, and she didn't notice he had left.
Maybe if he stayed away from her forever she wouldn't remember that he had existed.
No, he told himself, Hermione would notice.
Not because she loves me but because she sees me as another stupid broken project and she wants to fix me. Well I hope she knows she fucking can't. I'll never be an A+, no matter how much I want to. I'll never be more that a fucking mess.
He regretted, of course, thinking such selfish and spiteful thoughts. He was truly appreciative that Hermione was helping him. But he hated what she was doing to his mind, to his …. heart? He hated it because he had no idea what it was, and he liked knowing things.
It was only when his head hit the soft, sleep inducing pillow that he remembered about The Vision. It started out innocently, playing in his mind as he wondered what could it possibly mean, and why it was so eerily vivid. But when he tried to sleep, to escape from thinking about it, the scene playing in his head refused to leave. It was on a loop, he couldn't escape it. He flipped over and pulled a pillow over his head, blocking out everything but the Vision as he tried and tried to see the face of the girl in the grey coat – but he couldn't, and he was convinced he didn't recognise her anyway.
When sleep finally allowed him a sweet refuge, he began to dream about it. But it was a twisted dream. He was running through the puddles and the girl was running after him.
Catch me, he thought hurriedly, kiss me, and make me remember.
But the girl couldn't catch him; she was always four, five, six steps behind him. He wanted her to reach him.
The next morning, Hermione woke at half six – as she usually did when in Hogwarts. She slipped down to the showers - as she usually did – and made it back to the dorms feeling fresh and ready for the day. She liked getting up early and beating the morning rush.
The common room was still empty when she got back, and she sunk into her favourite armchair by the unlit fireplace. She allowed herself a moment to look around, to remember the room and smile. Then she found herself wondering when Ron and Harry would finally wake up, and come padding down the boys staircase, because she needed their help. With a jolt she remembered that they were not up in the boys dorms, but at home – sleeping soundly.
With a sigh she pulled a notebook from her bag and began to brainstorm club name ideas.
Society of Student Unionisation (S.S.U)
Equality for Everyone (E.F.E)
Inter Hogwarts Friendship Society (I.H.F.S)
Individuals Respecting Individuality in Students (I.R.I.S)
She liked the last one best, IRIS, and in a matter of minutes she had magically produced several posters advertising the first I.R.I.S meeting, to be held on Friday night in the Room Of Requirement.
I.R.I.S
Individuals Respecting Individuality in Students!
Are you an individual with an open mind? Do you wish that students in Hogwarts could just… all get along? Live harmoniously?
Would you like to see Slytherins and Hufflepuffs walking down corridors together, smashing stereotypes to pieces and re-defining the meaning of friendship at Hogwarts?
EVERYONE CAN BE FRIENDS! BE FRIENDS WITH WHOEVER YOU WANT!
Join IRIS and together we can make Hogwarts into an inter-house friendship society.
WE NEED YOU!
First Meeting is to take place this Friday in the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor across form the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy.
All welcome.
She smiled at the pages of parchment, then hauled herself from the armchair, pinned one to the notice board and set off around the castle to pin up some more.
When Draco woke up, the light stung his eyes. It was late, too late to being only waking up on the first day back. He dragged himself out of bed in a hurry, searching around for a pair of socks. He was the only Slytherin from his year that had returned for seventh year, so he was given his own dorm. There was other seventh year Slytherins, of course, but as they had never been in his year previously – they had there own dorm, and there was no room for him. Not that he was complaining – he loved the fact that he had his own room.
He pulled his uniform on, ran a hand through his hair and splashed some freezing water onto his face. After brushing his teeth, he assumed he was as ready for the day as time would allow.
He rushed through the castle and up to the Great Hall, eager to grab a stack of toast that could be eaten on his way to the first class – he had to pick up a timetable too. "Running When Late" is a phrase that usually ends in turmoil.
The runner sometimes falls, the runner sometimes endangers themselves (like kamikaze dashing between cars on a busy street) and sometimes – the runner crashes into an innocent bystander that had no idea they were about to get bashed into. Draco Malfoy was the runner, but he never claimed to be smart.
He should have anticipated the fact that he would either 1) fall, 2) get run over or 3) bash into someone. But he, being the opposite of a morning person and also being a very hungry boy, anticipated none of these. So naturally, it was a complete surprise when he rounded the corner to enter the great hall and promptly sent Hermione Granger flying onto her back as he fell on top of her. It wasn't a graceful fall either, like the romantic falls in story books or movies.
He absolutely lambasted Hermione and her hip bone whacked harshly into the hard stone floor. And when he fell on top of her it was far from a movie scene. He threw his hands out to catch his fall and promptly placed them either side of her twisting body. But his elbows snapped and he collapsed onto her, no doubt causing more pain than she was already in. She gasped underneath him.
He immediately pulled himself off of her.
"Uh, Merlin, Hermione are you okay? Shit I'm so sorry I didn't mean to knock you down!"
She grimaced, looking up at him from underneath heavy eyelashes.
"I'm – Ow- fine Draco. S'okay, honestly. Just, let me get up."
She hoisted herself to her feet and staggered, he caught her arm.
"Thanks. I'm okay, I was just coming to find you actually!"
"Really?" he asked her.
"Mhm Hmh. Look at these, I made them this morning."
She handed him the fliers.
I.R.I.S he read.
"What do you think?"
He thought she looked really beautiful with toast crumbs on her chin. He grinned.
"They look really great, Hermione."
She beamed at him.
A/N: So i know this is kind of a filler chapter and not much majorly important stuff happens but a lot of very important stuff happens in the next chapter, which will be up in a day or two. Thank you for reading!
Special thanks to annaea3077, LUNA GURLZ, Kat, SeptemberOwl853, lukas 10, Guest/SpideySense and Caitlin (: Your feedback means alot and i love reading your comments. Thanks to everyone who followed and Favorited.
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