Snippets
Chapter Nine
Hermione's next vision wakes her up out of a dead sleep. Her heart is pounding and there's an obnoxious ringing in her ears, but neither of those sensations are more uncomfortable than the wave of nausea that she fights off when her vision hits.
This vision starts like many others– vision-Hermione is perched atop the counter in a kitchen which real-Hermione doesn't recognize. She's wearing an oversized hooded sweatshirt, which doesn't appear to be her own and a pair of black leggings. Her feet are bare and her hair is pulled up into a haphazard bun. Vision-Hermione has something in her hand which real-Hermione cannot see clearly enough.
Standing beside where vision-Hermione is sitting is the same blonde man from Hermione's previous visions, presumably cooking as he stands at the stove. His back is turned so real-Hermione still can't see his face, but something about him strikes her as familiar– though she scraps that thought when she once again reminds herself that these visions are figments of her imagination.
Vision-Hermione scoots to a spot on the counter closer to the man, who sets down the spoon he'd been stirring on the stove with, stepping to the side so he is directly in front of where she is sitting. Vision-Hermione immediately opens her legs and wraps them around the man's hips, tugging him closer to her and draping one arm over his shoulder.
The angle of the vision shifts slightly, allowing real-Hermione to now see that vision-Hermione is holding… a cupcake? It's frosted with dark green frosting and has a singular birthday candle sticking out from the top of it. Vision-Hermione snaps her fingers and the candle lights, illuminating her face with the glow of the fire.
Vision-Hermione says something which real-Hermione can't hear before she holds the cupcake in between herself and the man. The man shakes his head as if in disbelief before he blows out the candle, lifting a finger and swiping it through the green frosting. He deposits the frosting which picked up on his finger down onto vision-Hermione's nose before he leans in, pressing his lips to hers.
Vision-Hermione sets the cupcake down on the counter beside her before coiling both arms around the man's neck, kissing him back– really, quite thoroughly, real-Hermione thinks– and smearing green frosting onto his cheek with her nose.
The vision swirls again, this time angling so real-Hermione feels almost as if she is standing behind the vision-version of herself. It's disorienting, watching any version of herself snog some random wizard whom she doesn't know. She watches as his large, pale hands grip tightly onto her hips, holding her flush against himself. Real-Hermione has never found jewelry on men to be particularly attractive, but she can't help but notice the two rings which adorn his left ring finger and right thumb. The one on his left ring finger is clearly a wedding ring– plain and gold– the same as she has seen in her previous visions, and the ring on his thumb is some sort of insignia or crest, real-Hermione can't tell exactly.
It's when the man pulls back from vision-Hermione that real-Hermione feels the bile rise in her throat. She vaguely registers that the vision is still playing, watching as the vision-Version of herself sits up straighter and leans up to lick the frosting off of his cheek before she kisses him again.
The last thing that real-Hermione sees in the vision before she comes to is the shine of a matching gold wedding band on vision-Hermione's left ring finger as it catches the light.
Now Hermione knows that these visions are faulty and that the one with the mittens was definitely a fluke because there is absolutely no way in this world or the next that she would ever be snogging Draco Malfoy.
"Ginny!" Hermione shouts as she falls through the floo at 12 Grimmauld Place at approximately three o'clock in the morning after having been awoken by her most recent vision.
Hermione doesn't exactly want to tell anyone about her vision, but she has to do something– and she already knows that she can't tell Healer Greengrass. She knows that Healer Greengrass is a professional, but Healer Malfoy is her colleague and Hermione has no desire to put herself or her Healer into that uncomfortable of a position.
Hermione hears a stumbling, a thunk and then the scuff of Ginny's slippers dragging across the worn wooden floors into the parlor.
"... 'Mione?" Ginny grumbles, rubbing at her eyes and blinking a handful of times before she straightens up and the surprise on her face melts into concern. "Hermione, what's going on?"
Hermione wrings her hands together in front of her, unsure of where to even begin.
"I– I had a vision. I can't– I'm not even sure I should tell you about it, but I have– I have to do something," Hermione babbles, bracing her hands on her knees and hunching over. "I feel like I'm going to be sick."
Hermione wobbles backward until her knees hit the edge of a sofa. She topples back onto the cushion and drops her head into her hands for a moment– just long enough to catch her breath.
"Just don't get sick on that rug– it was a gift from my mother and she will notice if I have to throw it out," Ginny deadpans, shuffling over and taking a seat beside Hermione on the sofa. "Hermione, I need you to give me something. You're worrying me."
Hermione lifts her head, scrubbing her hands down her face as she does, trying to decide what exactly she's going to tell Ginny. Eventually, she decides on the truth. Ginny is her best friend, and as bizarre and horrifying as this vision was, she knows that she can't keep it to herself– it'll drive her mental.
"Alright, listen," Hermione finally starts, turning on the sofa to face Ginny fully. "I'm just going to tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't hate me or think that I'm losing it once I do."
Ginny scrunches her eyebrows together.
"How about I promise to not tell you if I think you're mad?" Ginny jokes, reaching out and squeezing Hermione's hand. "I'm kidding, 'Mione. I could never hate you. Please, just tell me."
Hermione exhales heavily, preparing herself. She is vaguely aware of the fact that she is quite possibly being a bit over-dramatic, however, this is Draco Malfoy she's about to talk about– Draco Malfoy who used to bully her and her friends, who called her the most disgusting word in the magical world, who stood by and watched as she was tortured by his demented aunt. Therefore, Hermione decides that her dramatics are perhaps justified.
"Since the visions started, I've been having sporadic visions of a man. At first all I could see was a hand or a silhouette. Then I saw a hair color– blonde. Tonight was the first time I saw a face," Hermione says quietly, avoiding eye contact with Ginny. "It wouldn't matter– could just be an overactive imagination– if not for the fact that one of my visions actually happened."
Ginny seems interested towards the beginning of Hermione's explanation and then shocked by the end.
"We'll get to the man in a minute," Ginny starts, leaning back against the back of the sofa, tucking her legs up beside herself. "What do you mean one of your visions happened?"
Hermione bites her lip, squeezing the tip of her left ring finger with her index finger and thumb of her right hand.
"Christmas– before Lily was born. When I went outside, I was cold, so I put on the mittens that your mom had just given me," Hermione explains, finally meeting Ginny's eye again. "It was one of my first visions. It- It doesn't sound like much, but it– it happened, even Healer Greengrass believes that."
Ginny's eyes widen so much that they look like they might bulge out of her head.
"So– wait, so what does this mean? Are you a Seer or something?"
Hermione shrugs, tipping her head back against the sofa and looking up to the ceiling as if it somehow holds the answers.
"Healer Greengrass calls them idiopathic visual hallucinations. She thinks they're magical in nature, but she doesn't think that I'm a Seer. But to tell you the truth, we don't actually have any idea why these visions are happening."
Ginny is quiet for a moment while she processes the new information.
"Well, that explains your panic earlier," Ginny states, her tone sure. "If your visions are coming true and you saw someone you know in one of them– wait, who was it?"
Hermione's face twists in discomfort. She had almost forgotten that part of the reason why she had come to Ginny to begin with– almost. Well, here goes nothing.
"Malfoy."
Ginny blinks three times, leaning forward toward Hermione in surprise.
"Wait, which Malfoy?"
Hermione gapes for a moment. The idea of snogging Draco Malfoy– and she's not even going to acknowledge the fact that they were both wearing wedding rings in her vision– was bad enough… Thanks for that image in my head, Gin, Hermione grumbles internally, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Draco," Hermione insists, shivering with disdain at the sound of his name on her lips.
Ginny tips her head from side to side, as if contemplating something heavily.
"The lesser of two evils, I suppose," she says after a moment. "Am I correct to assume that your vision wasn't just you having a conversation with him or something similarly unconcerning."
Hermione pauses for a moment. She's come this far, but then again, she could just tell Ginny that it's personal and leave it at that. However, Hermione knows Ginny Weasley-Potter almost as well as she knows herself– maybe even better than she knows herself in recent months– and she knows that Ginny would pester her for the details until she finally relents. Hermione decides to skip that step.
"I was snogging him," Hermione states, rushing the words out quickly before she has time to swallow them down.
Ginny's jaw drops and she slams her hands down onto the sofa in shock. She closes her mouth and looks as if she is about to say something when Hermione continues.
"And I might've been married to him. We were both wearing rings."
Hermione averts her eyes from Ginny's, unable to watch whatever look of disgust must be painted across her best friend's face upon hearing those words. Ginny had been practically tortured by the Malfoys, too– she had nearly died at their behest and at a much younger age than even Hermione had.
"... And if your visions seem to be coming true, then that would mean…?" Ginny trails off, but she doesn't have to finish that sentence. Both witches know to what end the implications of Hermione's vision might be.
Hermione lifts her gaze back to her friend, nodding her head slowly, dismally.
"Obviously, I'm not going to let that happen," Hermione states, her voice firm. "But this vision, combined with knowing that one of my visions did happen– I just… panicked."
Ginny scoots closer to Hermione on the sofa, wrapping one arm around Hermione's shoulders comfortingly.
"It's alright, 'Mione," Ginny says, brushing Hermione's hair off of her neck and tugging her to lean against her own shoulder. "Stay here tonight. I'll take you to Mungo's tomorrow. I'm sure Healer Greengrass will be able to help–"
Hermione jerks harshly, but stays tucked into Ginny's side, unwilling to give up the warmth and solace found with her best friend.
"I can't tell Healer Greengrass about this. Malfoy is a Healer in her department. I can't ask her to keep this to herself, and legally, she wouldn't be able to tell Malfoy. I can't. Not– not this one."
Hermione shakes her head quickly back and forth, reinforcing her statement. She had already considered that fact when the vision with Pansy Parkinson had come. Hermione had remembered Healer Greengrass being friends with the dark-haired witch in school and the last thing that she wants to do is put Healer Greengrass between a rock and a hard place with her friend and her patient. That sentiment is only amplified in the case of putting Healer Greengrass between her colleague and her patient.
No, Hermione absolutely will not be telling Healer Greengrass about her vision of snogging Draco Malfoy atop the kitchen counter in an unfamiliar home, presumably on Malfoy's birthday if the cupcake with the candle sticking out of it meant anything.
Ginny yawns loudly, blinking her eyes again as if to keep herself awake. The redheaded witch must be exhausted for her to even suggest the next thing that comes out of her mouth.
"So, tell Malfoy then. If he's a Healer in the same department as Healer Greengrass, then he has the same education she has. Talk to him if you don't want her to know about it."
Hi, friends! (: Happy Tuesday!
Soooooo... Do we spy a possible re-introduction of our second main character coming in the near future? Spoiler: Yes. We do. It's the next chapter. :P
I must say, writing this chapter and writing Hermione's little freak-out was weirdly fun. :P I could just see her hyperventilating and trying not to vomit as she tried to explain to Ginny what was happening, lol. That said, the next chapter is one of my favorites in the entire 38-chapter fic, so get excited. :P Or don't, lol. Whatever works. :P
As always, thank you so much for spending a bit of your time here with me this week. Your continued support (especially in the face of FFN being weird) means the absolute world to me and I truly cherish each and every one of you. (:
I'm always interested in hearing your thoughts, so please, let me know what you thought of this chapter, what stuck out to you, theories, anything at all! I'm so enjoying hearing all of your ideas and seeing what details you've picked up on throughout the chapters so far. (:
Thanks so much for being here and I'll see you again next week! (: