AN: Why hello, my apologies for taking pretty much FOREVER to update! Life has been… Hectic! But that's a mere excuse! So once again, my sincerest apologies! Hope you've been looking forward to this! Here it comes…

Chapter Seven

Draco frowned. "What in Merlin's name have you done, woman?" He muttered to himself as he stared at the pensive, which was looking pretty charred. He furrowed his brow as he traced his finger around the edge of it. The black ash transferred onto his fingers and he wiped it on his tattered clothes.

As he paced, his foot came into contact with something. A small glass bottle rattled across the floor, a mere slither of silver memory left in it. He bent to pick it up. This must have something to do with Voldemort. A slight chill ran through his body.

Draco shook it off, resuming his pacing. His eyebrows furrowed as he came to a stop, something drawing his attention from across the chamber. Slowly, he walked toward it, his heart beat quickening as he realised what it was. He reached the mouth of the enormous monument and pulled on the tiny piece of parchment, which had been wedged in the smallest of cracks.

Hope flooded through him and his heart swelled as he recognised the handwriting. Luna Lovegood's handwriting scrawled hastily across a mere slither of parchment. The note read; I hope you find this, Draco. Gone to the past. Slytherin can be stopped – Luna

He shuddered, his eyes widening in fear. "What have you done, Hermione?" He asked to nobody in particular. He turned the note over in his hand, and upon examining the back, found a list. Memorising the words, he quickly burnt the note and set to work.

Yes, Draco Malfoy would find them – find what was his; he would find his Hermione.

In the past…

Hermione stood in the Great Hall with her fists clenched. "This is NEVER going to work!" A loud voice bellowed from across the massive room. "This plan is ridiculous, why can't you see that?"

"How do you know if we don't try?!" Hermione bellowed back, her chest heaving with emotions. "We've got to make this work!"

Salazar Slytherin ran a frustrated hand through his dark hair and growled under his breath. "You may look like her, but you aren't Eleanor." He said through clenched teeth.

Eleanor herself interjected. "Does it matter that much, Salazar? He won't know the difference – nobody will. The only reason you can see it, is because you know me so well." She gingerly touched his hand, peering up at him. He seemed to release from his frustration at her touch, his face relaxing into a hopeless look.

He closed his eyes and pulled her close to him, embracing her. "I just – I just don't want…" He trailed off.

"I know." She soothed, returning his hug. "That's enough for today. We all need a break. We all need time to think." She said, pulling away, although keeping contact with his hand.

Hermione sighed, exchanging a look with Ginny and Luna. They had all been in the Great Hall for hours – Hermione trying to mimic Eleanor's habits and learn her routines. She was tired and her head was hurting. She was sick of her blonde hair and just wanted to fall where she stood.

She followed Ginny and Luna out into the courtyard, where the three of them plopped down beneath a large tree. Hermione frowned, fiddling with a loose blonde curl. She groaned and leant back, ignoring the concerned looks of her friends.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Luna asked, concerned.

She shifted to look at her. "You know what, Luna? I don't think I am…" As she muttered the words slowly, the tears broke free and Hermione found herself to be crying.

"Oh, Hermione…" Ginny muttered, embracing her tightly. Luna joined in as they comforted the once brunette witch to the best of their abilities. It was no use though; the tears wouldn't stop.

Ginny pulled away, wiping a tear of her own away. "I knew this was a bad idea. We should never have come here. Surely there's another way…"

"No." Hermione said loudly. "They have to be together. Slytherin has to love. I will NOT give up!"

Luna sighed. "Are you sure you can do this, Hermione?" She questioned, her airy demeanour long gone.

"Well I don't see why they can't be together." Ginny complained. "She could just disappear off the face of the earth, and the muggles would just think she'd gone missing. Honestly, why can't it be that simple!" Ginny was exasperated. It didn't seem right that Hermione should suffer and give up SO much just so some witch could live guilt free for abandoning her muggle family.

Hermione nodded sadly. "If only, Gin, if only…"

Unbeknownst to the three witches, Eleanor had been listening. She frowned, tears coming to her eyes as she quickly turned on her heel to find Salazar. She walked quickly, her heart beating faster and faster. When she finally reached his chambers, she called out before opening the door. He looked up from his desk, alarmed by the sudden intrusion.

"Salazar!" She cried, flinging herself into his arms, her tears brimming over and flowing down her cheeks.

"Eleanor, what is it? Are you alright, my love?" He soothed, standing to catch her.

She leant in, her body wracking with guilty sobs. "We can't do this. Salazar, we can't do this to that poor girl!" She cried.

Salazar sighed, his grip on her tightening. "Then what do you suggest?"

She looked up at him and took a brief moment to wipe away her tears. She took a deep breath. "I don't know – we just, we just CAN'T do this to her!"

He pulled away, hurt. "What are you saying?" His voice was low and accusatory. "Are you saying that we –"

"NO! Of course not!" She blurted out. "Well, maybe. I don't know! I love you, with all my heart, Salazar, but –"

"But what? Has she said something?" He asked, his voice barely masking his anger.

"No… she seems all too willing, Salazar. I just don't think I could live –"

"Do NOT finish that sentence." He warned and she stopped to look at him. Just as he was about to continue, a bell sounded urgently. They both froze. "News from the villiage. Come, we will finish this later."

Eleanor agreed, and both of them hurriedly made their way to the bell tower. A small man with a bent back stood waiting for them, along with Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helena Hufflepuff.

The bent man bowed as much as he could and in a shaky voice, began to speak. "My lords and ladies, there's been an incident in the village; the villagers are in an uproar!" He spoke urgently. "They're saying they've found a devil worshipper. They've caught one of us!" He cried, a shudder of fright running through him. "I came as quickly as I could! They're going to kill him!"

"Him?" Godric asked. "I am not aware of any other wizards in this area. Surely he would have come here, and not been so careless as to go to the village?" He questioned.

Eleanor's eyes went wide. "He must be one of them!" She exclaimed and before she could stop herself, she ran to find them, the others following her hastily.

Luna was the first to see them, and her eyebrows furrowed. "What's the matter?" She asked, seeing the urgency of their pace.

"The villagers, they've caught a wizard!" Eleanor exclaimed.

"So? Do you know him?" Ginny asked.

"We think he's one of you." Salazar stated plainly.

Hermione stood abruptly, her eyes wide. "Oh, Merlin, they've followed us here!"

"They?" Helena interjected.

"No, it was only one wizard." The bent wizard had finally caught up. "He just appeared, in the middle of the street. He had silver hair –"

"Draco!"Hermione exclaimed. "Draco's here!" Her voice was mixed with fear and happiness, her heart racing. "We have to get to him!"

"Whoa, whoa, girl, I wouldn't rush in. Don't forget you have a look-alike. And we need a plan. We've managed to keep our secret for so long, we cannot have it come out now." Rowena stated.

Hermione paced, while Ginny spoke. "You're right, we're sorry. We won't risk the secret of Hogwarts… Draco is just… We care about him." She looked pointedly at Hermione and there was a silent realisation all around. "So let's figure this out."

A mere hour later found Hermione under the invisibility cloak, trailing after Eleanor in the village.

"Lady Eleanor," One man greeted, tilting his hat, looking at her strangely as she walked by alone. She merely nodded at him and gave him a smile. She quickened her pace as they closed in on the gathering of villagers around the village square.

"What's going on here?" She asked, feigning curiosity.

"Eleanor!" A young man shouted, delightful. "Goodness, what are you doing out here all alone?" He asked. He was about her age, and very plain looking, in a handsome way. He seemed somehow familiar to Hermione.

"Alfred, what a surprise!" She said, almost nervously. Hermione frowned. "Now what's going on?"

"They caught one of those devil worshippers – or so they think! Although it was Old Lady Farlow who saw him just 'magically appear'." He seemed doubtful, which meant that he wasn't the only one. There was still hope.

Hermione circled the crowd for a moment in silence, barely missing contact with a few. She finally found her way to the front, and caught sight of Draco – his blonde hair messy with grime and blood. She shuddered, feeling her heart both break and lighten with emotion. He was on his knees; being held down by two burly looking men.

Hermione wanted to reach out and grab him, but somehow found the strength to resist. A rotten tomato splattered across his face, and he flinched. She grit her teeth and moved back toward Eleanor, tugging lightly on her dress, to give her the signal.

Almost immediately, Eleanor collapsed. A large gasp came from the crowds, people rushing to help her. The young man in particular was by her side in an instant, worry clear on his face.

Hermione moved quickly while the attention was on Eleanor. The men had let Draco fall to the ground – their concern getting the best of them. She ran to him and pulled him under the cloak, masking him from sight and pulling him up.

"Draco!"

"Hermione? Is that you?" He was too exhausted to know what he was seeing. All Draco Malfoy knew was that someone who sounded and looked like a new version of Hermione was pulling him away from a now screaming and chaotic crowd of people.

Once in safety, Hermione pushed him against a wall of a nearby alley-way for support and pulled the cloak off the both of them. She hugged him tightly, ignoring his gasp of pain. He suddenly went limp.

Eleanor rounded the corner and spotted them both. She met them hastily and each woman took a hold of the now incapacitated man. With a 'pop' they were gone, leaving the village in an uproar once more, wondering what kind of devilry had taken place.