A/N – More reviews please. I know I say this a lot but I'd love knew readers and if you read I'd love you to review. Honestly, I smile every single time. So, with that all said…this chapter sucks. I know this chapter sucks. I wanted to have it up tonight and I'm about to go to bed so I'm upload the crap that I've got. So, here you go. It's going to get dramatic soon.
"Professor Singlia!" exclaimed Hermione, reaching the door of the History of Magic office and spotting the teacher in question. It had taken a night of tossing and turning and half a day of wandering around in a daze before she realized she had to speak to the Seer herself.
Before her Singlia was shoving everything into a small trunk, everything that lay on surfaces or hung from the walls. The tinkling drapes were gone, as were all the photos of Singlia's teen years. The Professor was wiping her brow and she jumped into the air when she heard Hermione.
"Oh, Hermione…dear" she muttered, running her fingers frantically through her fiery hair and picking up the frame she had dropped in her fright. A picture depicting Singlia with a gang of giggling girls was cracking down the middle.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, astonished at the sight before her. "I thought you were our History of Magic teacher? You were better than Binns"
"I'm glad you think so" Singlia smiled and it was a genuine smile. She placed the broken picture frame into her trunk and then closed it with a bang, turning to face Hermione full on. She looked as if she hadn't slept. Her eyes were red and she looked frazzled. Not to mention she looked almost as dazed as Hermione. "I'm not your History of Magic teacher permanently though" she explained. "I trust you know the full story by now"
"I do" Hermione confirmed, shifting her weight to her left foot awkwardly. "Scarlett and Amber-Rose told me…why are you leaving?"
Singlia let out a cackle, almost as if this question had an obvious answer. "I have not managed to play to Albus' wishes" she said, sighing. "I was not able to keep the plan a secret from you. And now he's going to be angry and so are you and you're going to break up with Draco and the plan will fail"
"I'm going to what?" Hermione asked, letting out a laugh herself. So that's what Singlia thought was going to happen. She thought that because Hermione knew the truth she wouldn't feel the same about her boyfriend. "I'm not going to break up with him!"
"Excuse me?" Singlia looked up, met Hermione's eyes and gasped. "You're going to stay with him even though you hated each other before I got involved? This is your chance to get your friends back but you're going to stay with a potential dark wizard?" Hermione simply nodded.
"I…I love him. And I think I always did" she admitted, coming to a realization. "I couldn't admit it to myself and I couldn't admit it to my friends. I also couldn't admit it to him because he was so hateful. I guess I was ashamed, ashamed that I could have feelings for somebody who called me horrible names and treated my friends badly. But, there you are…I've had feelings for him for years. I just needed you to show me"
Singlia was in tears now and she rushed forwards and scooped Hermione up in a big hug. Hermione screwed up her face in surprised but returned the gesture half-heartedly.
"I knew it!" Singlia giggled as she pulled away and twirled around in a circle. "I knew I was onto something. Which means…you must be the one. I must really be a Seer and that must truly have been a prophecy. You could save Draco! You must save Draco"
The prophecies came back into Hermione's head now. Scarlett had said that one was about Draco and the Death Eaters and the other was about her and Draco. The idea that Draco could be a threat to Dumbledore's side was scary. The thought that she was supposed to be the one to keep him from doing that was even scarier. Hermione just couldn't believe that there was a prophecy about her. It blew her mind.
"I'll try" she said, biting her lip. "I just…I hope I'm enough"
"Of course you are" Singlia giggled again and gave another twirl. "I predicted it would be you, after all." She seemed to be high on the thought that she was an actual Seer. Hermione wondered why.
"Now you have to promise me something Hermione" Singlia began, taking a much more serious tone and stopping her spinning. She guided Hermione to the desk and sat her down, kneeling in front of her. "You have to promise me that you will not tell Draco a thing about this. Can you do that?"
The question surprised Hermione a little bit but once it hung in the air it made sense. How could she help Draco when he knew what she was trying to do? There was no telling what would happen if he was to know, Hermione would have to keep it to herself.
"I promise" she said, her voice quiet. "It's best if he doesn't know"
Singlia reached up and embraced her once again. Hermione stared over her shoulder at nothing in particular. It was a strange moment, almost sweet. It appeared she and Singlia had managed to come to an understanding after all this time.
"Now, I must unpack seeing as…well…I'm not going anywhere" Singlia laughed a tinkling laugh and headed for the trunk. "Run along" she added, waving Hermione towards the door of her room.
Taking one last look around the Professors office, Hermione headed out of the door slowly. Her brain was filled with thoughts of prophecies, Draco Malfoy and what might happen if people were to stumble across the information.
"He's back, Hermione!" Scarlett called the minute she saw Hermione enter the Common Room. Scarlett and Amber-Rose were standing in the corner by the fire and it looked as if they had just been guiding a blank looking Draco to a seat beside them. A smile lighting up her face, Hermione rushed to the other side of the room and threw her arms around him.
Draco shifted uncomfortably but kissed her quickly on the lips before taking his seat. His expression was completely blank and there was a sort of coldness in his eyes. How was anybody supposed to guess what had just happened last night? Nobody could know why he had been summoned out of school.
"I've missed you" Hermione said, taking his hand and smiling. Amber-Rose and Scarlett rolled their eyes towards one another and Hermione shot them a look.
"It's only been one night" Draco muttered, keeping hold of her hand but not doing anything else in the way of reaction. Hermione's eyes widened and she took her hand away, feeling the coldness of his stare.
"Oh, well…yes" she said, her voice almost inaudible. The whole group lapsed into silence before Draco stood up and began walking towards the Boys Staircase without a word.
"Yeah…I'll be back" Amber-Rose told the girls and she stood up and followed him up the staircase and disappeared. Hermione and Scarlett were left alone. They exchanged a confused glance. Something had obviously happened while Draco had been away but neither of them could figure out what it was.
"What do you think…?" Hermione asked, knowing Scarlett would understand even if she didn't finish the sentence.
"I don't know" Scarlett mused, raising a finger in the air without seeming to realize she was doing so. Her face was screwed up with obvious concentration and she lowered her voice as if someone might listen. "But…I think Amber-Rose likes him"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and almost knocking a glass vase off the fireplace. "Amber-Rose? Draco? Where did you get that idea?"
"Well 'Mione, they've known each other for ages, haven't they? And the way she reacted when all the rumours were going around and you guys were denying them and everything. I don't know…I've always suspected it really and I just didn't want to tell you. And now, what with the whole prophecy thing, I think she's just feeling a little stupid"
"She doesn't like him!" Hermione insisted, pacing back and forth past the fireplace. "She can't. She's Amber-Rose…she would have said something before"
"Amber doesn't always say something when she should" Scarlett told her, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "When we went to the D.A meeting…she pretending she wouldn't mind being there. I actually think she felt a little uncomfortable. She's more neutral than the good side…actually so am I"
"Oh…" Hermione fell silent and sank back down into her hard armchair with a frown on her face. She couldn't' figure out how this had happened. Everything had been fine. She had been so happy with Draco and he had been happy with her. Then the truth about Singlia and the plan had come out and suddenly Draco was all distant and Scarlett was telling her that Amber-Rose liked him.
"Do you think they're…doing something up there?" Hermione asked, looking at Scarlett and letting her insecurities show in her eyes. The thing was, she was nervous. She had been ever since they had gotten together. It always felt as if the minute some pureblood Slytherin girl came along Draco would leave her. And now she had a greater purpose for being in this relationship. Would Amber-Rose really take all that away?
"No…" Scarlett said, shaking her head. "They would never do that"