Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters.
Changes Two Chap 10
Hermione stares at her headmaster incredulously. "Are you insinuating that I've gone dark?"
"The magical signature found by the ministry is one drastically different from your own. Yet we both know it is yours, there are very few things that can change the very fabric of your magic."
Hermione's back stiffens even more as she straightens to her full height. "I assure you, professor, that I have done only what needs be done. Harry cannot be expected to fight alone and, Merlin help us all, he doesn't understand everything, there is important information we must be aware of. How are we supposed to fight black magick if we don't know what it is?" The time traveler's grip tightens even more, the strap cutting into her hand as her hair begins to frizz. "You're sending children into a war unprepared. And don't even try to deny it." She snaps as the headmaster opens his mouth to defend himself. "Somehow Harry has always found himself in the middle of trouble and every time you were needed you weren't there.
"Not to mention leaving a one year old child with those- those… horrible people. Do you know what he endured with them! Of course you do because you kept a spy to watch him. He was bullied and abused! Treated little better than a slave! And you left him there!" Angrily she marches toward Dumbledore's desk and slams her free hand on the heavy wood. "For what? For the greater good? For a crackpot prophecy that's unreliable and completely codswallop! You would send an innocent child to be a murderer or be murdered!" Hermione snaps jerking away from her professor as Fawkes trills sharply from his perch. Pursing her lips she wipes angrily at the tears running down her face and hurries to the door, pausing to look back at the old man. "I will destroy Riddle and his horcruxes, and I will save Harry's soul from becoming just another pawn on your chess board." Hermione spits out sweeping out of the office and slamming the door behind her.
Perhaps stalking through the castle without a wand wasn't the brightest thing to do. She could defend herself without it of course but the ancient wood never failed to reassure her- when it wasn't trying to corrupt her that is. But Sirius had her wand, he'd taken it when he had her pinned against the wall and Hermione was loathe to get it back from him, to do so would mean she'd have to talk to him- interact with him, and try to keep from grabbing him and simply letting herself feel.
Things weren't going well, she was losing herself- or not, more like she had lost herself and was slowly breaking apart. Gripping the broken time turner beneath her robes she marched through the corridors blindly not sure where she was going. She was fragmented, like a jigsaw being put back together wrong.
She was going insane, of that she was perfectly sure. Her bag hung heavy at her side and she absentmindedly had the idea to put the tiara on, to see what would happen. The darkness clinging to it had lessened something she still wasn't sure how- though she knew she knew why the reason was just beyond her tongue.
Furrowing her brows the time traveler tried to focus on the thought only to have it slip away as she runs into someone. Letting out a loud oomph Hermione falls back wincing when she hits the stone floor. "What-" However whatever she was going to say was lost as she stared into the surprised gray eyes of her childhood tormenter. "Draco Malfoy." She intones letting her body lay completely against the stone floor. "Of course it would be, wouldn't be possible to give me a break would it?" She asks aloud not expecting an answer.
"What are you babbling on about mudblood?"
The familiar sneer was present and Hermione fought the urge to get up and hug him. Everything was getting flipped upside down but Draco Malfoy stayed the same. A rich spoiled boy vying for his father's approval.
Sitting up Hermione rests her arms on her knees as she examines the boy. Okay, maybe not a hug, perhaps a pat on the head. She had the feeling that he was strung a bit tight, he looked almost haggard and the teacher in her wanted to help to get him to talk about it.
"You look like shite." Hermione says blinking when she realizes what she said. Bugger, I really need to quit doing that. "I take it this year's pressure is riding hard hmm?" Okay really, she needed to shut up, and stop with the bad puns that her twisted teenage mind was coming up with, it wasn't professional.
But then again she wasn't exactly professional, not anymore, traipsing through time, creating an alternate reality, lying to everyone, getting caught snogging your best friends god father. Although she wouldn't be completely against the last one being repeated, well without the Snape part.
Belatedly she realized Draco was still staring at her and that she was still on the floor and his lips were moving which meant he was probably insulting her but she had completely missed it. "What? Sorry decided to do a bit of wool gathering." Oh yes, she was insane and from the looks of it Malfoy knew it as well. Though he was beginning to kneel infront of her some reason.
"What happened to you Granger?" The blonde asks frowning at her.
Was he worried? Oh that's sweet of him, though slightly depressing seeing as how it should be her friends worried about her, not him. "Time." She states simply letting loose a bitter laugh. "And secrets and pressure. And friends that aren't there. Why am I telling you all this?" She mutters suddenly wiping a hand across her face tiredly. "It's not fair, most of my interactions revolve around you and Severus now, dare I say it but he and I have an accord. And you-" She exclaims suddenly jerking forward and poking the boy in the chest causing him to tumble onto the cold bricks. "You need to stop! Or be more careful- Harry's following you- you can't let him know! If everything works right, which I know it won't because it never does, then you'll finish with that stupid cupboard and war will follow. I don't want it to happen but I know it will because you have to- he's making you."
There was a wand pressed against her throat but Hermione's eyes were focused on the holder. She really wanted to hug him, he looked so lost and scared and she wasn't sure where the instinct came from but she wanted to tuck him into bed, pat his head and tell him everything was alright. And then she wanted to destroy Riddle, not kill, destroy, rip him apart piece by piece as he had done so many people, including the boy in front of her.
She realized suddenly that she had come to rely on Draco's snarkiness year after year, it was familiar and safe, like Severus, though the potions master didn't bring out her maternal instincts like her former student. It was because Draco Malfoy was innocent, still a prick yes and jaded, but the darkness hadn't completely swallowed him yet. And he was hers, her student, her tormentor, her stability in a cracking world, she wanted to protect him, to keep him the same.
Shoving the wand away Hermione darted forward and pulled the Slytherin into a hug, pulling away she kissed the boy's forehead. "It'll be alright you'll see." Then she was up and running, clutching her bag as she hurried down to the Gryffindor common room. She didn't dare glance behind her as she ran, wasn't sure if she would be able to stand the look on Draco's face. He needed someone to care about him, to mother him and look after him and while his godfather might try, it wasn't enough.
Calling out the password to the Fat Lady Hermione tries to gather her breathing as she enters the common room. Glancing around it wasn't hard to spot Harry and Ron by the fire playing chess. Making her way over to them guilt washed over her. She should have had more faith in them, she should have told them. Dumbledore's trick was only giving enough information to get you to do something and the last thing Hermione wanted was to become like him.
Hmph, black witch indeed.
Stamping out the thought she frowns at the board, Harry was losing as usual and Ron was trying to help him but the boy-savior waved him away. For a moment she questioned herself on doing what she was about to do. They were still children, but they needed to know. "Harry, Ron we need to talk."
"Not right now Hermione." Ron says waving the bookworm away. "We're in the middle of something, Harry just move your knight-"
"I don't need your help." Harry snaps at the ginger haired boy before looking up at Hermione, pausing when he sees her face. "What's wrong?"
"We need to talk, now." Glancing around the girl frowns, "In the Shrieking Shack, you'll fetch Snuffles on your way down won't you?"
"Well yeah but what about you?" Harry asks ignoring Ron's huff.
Hermione smiles brightly at her friend. "I have to owl something, I'll meet you down there."
Both boys watch her go before turning back to their game. Ron sighs and stares at the board. "You've already lost Harry, if you would just listen to me-"
"I know Ron." Harry says once again cutting his friend off as he tips his king over. "Come on, let's go get Snuffles and find out what's going on."
Ron groans but pulls himself out of his chair. "Yeah, yeah. Why can't she just wait like a normal person? Or do some kind of privacy spell? I don't want to walk all the way out to that bloody tree, it's a menace." He complains not noticing the two gazes' resting on them as they make their way out the portrait hole.