DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I affiliated in any way with J.K. Rowling.

Draco soon regretted telling Trayton so cockily that he could get him the necklace. Considering Granger had only had the necklace a short while, she was already stupidly attached to it. Draco had watched her like a hawk (which was difficult to do conspicuously and he sensed that a few odd looks were being thrown his way) but just the next day found himself wishing that the damn thing would somehow miraculously just fall off her neck.

"Willing the necklace to fall into your hands is not enough," Trayton sighed as Draco's narrowed gaze followed Hermione's retreating figure departing from breakfast. "You may have to actually interact with her. Perish the thought."

"I know you're being sarcastic about the last bit, but you're actually right," Draco informed his ancestor testily, glancing around to make sure that no one was listening. Apparently absorbed in their breakfasts, everyone was distracted. "I have pride and I have reputation, neither of which I obtained by begging Mudbloods for stupid pieces of costume jewellery."

"It isn't costume jewellery," Trayton snarled, startling Draco for a moment with his ferocity. The ghost's eyes seemed to be on fire, although of course this was impossible. After a moment however, they returned to their normal steely grey. "Perhaps you could…charm the girl?"

Draco shot him a look that would freeze flames. "Did you not hear when I mentioned my pride and reputation?"

Trayton laughed darkly. "Sometimes there are more important things."

"This isn't one of those times," Draco informed him, his voice still icy. "I've got potions to get to."

"Is Hermione in that class?" Trayton asked.

"Granger," Draco seethed in correction, "is, yes. Goodbye."

Without a backwards glance, he set off to the potions lab. There was a crash behind him and he rolled his eyes, knowing what the source was. Sure enough, Crabbe and Goyle shortly appeared beside him.

"What did you break this time?" Draco asked them, resignation in his sharp tone.

It was times like these that he wished for companions with at least one iota of intelligence. He may hate them, but at least the Golden Trio would come up with a witty response. At least, Potter and Granger would. Weasley would most likely stand there scratching his head. An answer such as 'only a few Gryffindor bones' would be well received right about now, but of course this didn't occur to Crabbe or Goyle who exchanged shifty glances.

"Never mind," Draco cut them off impatiently. "It probably wasn't anything important."

"Wasn't," Goyle agreed, being his usual monosyllabic self.

Draco stalked down towards the dungeon, his mood blackening with every step that he took. Merlin forbid that he could be surrounded by people whom he could talk to about Trayton's task, could even offer their help. He was about to turn a corner when something made him stop.

"…nothing, I just had a dream last night that scared me a little."

Draco's ears perked up as Granger's quiet voice drifted down the dungeon corridor. She sounded troubled and uncertain. Draco held up a hand to stop Crabbe or Goyle going any further. He wanted to hear this conversation.

"You want to talk about it?" Potter asked.

Draco groaned silently. He should've known that Granger wouldn't be alone. His improvised plan had been to demand the necklace from her and leave. Simple as that.

"Or ask Trelawney to-"

Draco noted with satisfaction that Weasley's voice was cut off with a thud and an 'ouch!'.

"Think about the consequences of your words before you say them, Ron," Granger's said, managing to sound prim and smug at the same time.

Draco decided this was a good a time as any to step in. He turned the corner, Crabbe and Goyle loitering somewhere behind him.

"Yeah, Weasley," he said with a smirk. "Wouldn't want to give off the impression that you're a bit dim now, would you?"

"Leave it," Granger advised the angry redhead quietly as Weasley made a threatening move towards Draco.

"Let him try," Draco suggested deliberately, his cold eyes boring into Weasley's, before sliding quickly over to Granger's in disgust. "What the hell is that thing around your neck?"

"It's a necklace," Granger answered, placing a protective hand over the pendant as if she knew that he wanted to take it.

"Yes, I can see that," Draco drawled. "Where did you find it? A ditch?"

A flush covered Granger's face, much to Draco's satisfaction. If he could convince her that the necklace looked ridiculous on her, maybe she'd throw it away. At which point he'd dutifully scoop it up, because it would just be that easy.

Yeah, right.

"It's a family thing," Potter snarled, ever the protective one. "You know about family, don't you Draco?"

Draco hated the way that Potter said his name. It was condescension in its ugliest form.

"You know how ironic it is that you of all people just asked me that, don't you?" Draco retorted coldly.

Potter snapped and lunged for Draco, just as Professor Snape came striding down the corridor. There was a shout. One moment Draco was clenching his fists ready for a fight, the next he was suspended in the air, his feet kicking at emptiness. His eyes widening, he glanced furiously at Snape, only to see him looking vaguely bewildered. Then the Professor noticed Granger standing with her wand directly pointing at Draco and scowled.

"Miss Granger, that's quite enough," he snapped, flourishing his own wand and muttering the words to send Draco gently back down to the ground.

As Snape reprimanded Granger, Draco quickly righted himself and thanked his lucky stars that he was on Snape's good side, otherwise he knew that the Potions teacher would not have set him down so gracefully.

"Twenty five points from Gryffindor," Snape finished coolly, before finishing his walk to the Potions lab, leaving Potter and Weasley fuming and Granger looking rightfully abashed.

"Nice work," Draco commented dryly to Granger as he passed to go to Potions. "Keep at it and you're sure to win the house cup at the end of the year."

"Keep talking and you won't even live that long," Weasley threatened.

It was an empty threat and they all knew it. That's how Draco knew it was safe to turn his back on the group and swagger into the potions lab. After a moment he heard the Golden Trio follow him in, Potter and Weasley throwing their bags down angrily on a desk far away from his own, whilst Granger appeared subdued.

There's no reason to call on that crackpot Trelawney, Hermione told herself repeatedly, absently drumming her fingers lightly on the wooden table. She'd probably interpret my dream as that I need to buy a cake made by penguins in Helsinki. Idiotic phoney.

She was so distracted that she didn't collect all the ingredients needed for the day's potion, much less pile them into the cauldron into the right order. Harry had to frantically nudge her shoulder before she realized that acrid green sludge was bubbling over onto the desk, sizzling and hissing unpleasantly.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologized absently. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"Other than your mysterious dream?" Harry prompted, helping her restrain the rebellious potion.

"It shouldn't be bothering me this much," Hermione scowled. "When have you ever known me to be this distracted?"

Harry frowned, his glasses slipping down his nose slightly. As he reached to push them back up, he said, "Maybe we can help. What was your dream about?"

"Maybe it was about Malfoy," Ron said loudly as Malfoy sauntered past on his way to the ingredients cupboard. "That's enough to distress anyone."

"Do you want this on your head?" Hermione seethed at Ron, indicating the sludgy concoction on her desk. She had not realized that Malfoy had stopped next to her desk.

"Do it, it might make him more attractive," Malfoy sneered, making Hermione jump. He smirked. "Startle you, did I Granger?"

"No," Hermione frowned, although of course this was a lie. Her hammering heart proved that. "Just go back to your own desk. Do us all a favour."

"Ouch," Malfoy said mockingly. "Careful Granger, I might start thinking that you didn't care."

"Go lock yourself in a dungeon, Malfoy, I've got better things to think of than you," Hermione retorted venomously, before turning back to her cauldron.

"Nice," Harry murmured next to her appreciatively. "You must really be annoyed."

"Not at Malfoy," Hermione shrugged distantly. "Well, not just at Malfoy. I was up through the night."

"Your dream," Harry guessed. "Which you won't tell me about."

"Or me," Ron chimed in.

"Fine," Hermione sighed. The boys leaned in and she began her tale. "It was just a series of images really. There was a girl, maybe a year or so older than we are. She had this beautiful dress on and…and my necklace. She was running alone through the corridors of Hogwarts and there must have been a storm or something because there were bright flashes every so often. I think it was at night, seeing as there was no one else around. Until someone else showed up."

Hermione frowned and touched her pendant gently, as if trying to remember something. Harry and Ron exchanged glances but otherwise did nothing. Unbeknownst to any of them, Malfoy lurked beside the table, lingering to see if he could hear anything interesting about the necklace he had promised to steal.

"A young man, about the same age as the woman. He looked familiar somehow, but I couldn't place him. Or maybe it just felt like he was in the dream, I don't know."

"Did they talk or anything?" Ron asked, his eyebrows knitted together.

"This is what scares me," Hermione confided. "A lot of words were thrown around. Some I understood, some I didn't. But something happened that night. Something bad."

"How do you know it wasn't just a dream?" Harry asked, trying to be comforting.

"That's what I thought, at first. But it kept niggling at me, so I got up especially early this morning and went to the records room, just in case I found anything. I looked for awhile before I saw her portrait. The girl I saw in my dream, Zella Lennox, was Head Girl here a long time ago."

There was a stunned silence from Ron and Harry.

"That was my reaction as well," Hermione told them with a slightly shaky laugh. "I checked the dates on her portrait in case I could find anything on the boy I saw and-"

"You found him as well?" Ron interrupted, his eyes wide. He was practically on the edge of hid seat.

"Yes and no," Hermione answered perplexedly. "His surname was obscured, but he was Head Boy opposite Zella. They obviously knew each other."

"What was the boy's name?" Harry asked. "Maybe we could do some research on him."

"Trayton," Hermione replied.

As the Golden Trio discussed their thoughts and speculations, Draco stood rooted to the spot. Why was Granger having dreams about his ancestor, who had conveniently just shown up? A horrible feeling spreading in the pit of his stomach, he muttered something about feeling ill to Crabbe before leaving the room quickly. Trayton had some explaining to do.

A/N:

Hope you enjoyed the second chapter. I had a little difficulty with it at first. Thank you for your reviews, they're very much appreciated :D

- Momo