Hey there! I got too excited so I went ahead and posted Chapter 2. Also, I'm trying out a new dialogue format, let me know what you think! I'm about halfway through the sequel to this story and honestly, I think I like how that one is turning out a lot better than this one did. Oh well, you live and learn. There are a lot of OCs in the sequel so there's a lot more introduction and backstory, making the story and chapters a lot longer. Anywho—happy reading!
-Steph
2
"Wait, hold on, back up. So you're telling me that Trelawney put a spell on these two so that they go into a dream state and have to relive each other's memories and resolve their hatred for each other before they wake up?" Blaise Zabini stood by Draco's cot with his mouth ajar.
On the other side of the room, Ginny Weasley looked just as stunned. She looked down at Hermione, taking note of her relaxed rhythmic breathing. Mcgonagall looked up at the two of them, an apprehensive look on her face.
"I'm afraid that sums it up Mr. Zabini. According to professor trelawney there's nothing we can do on our end. It's up to them to fix this. I'm afraid I'll have to leave you, I must write a letter to Mrs Malfoy and Mrs Weasley. Since Hermiones parents are gone your mother has become her emergency contact since the war." She gives small smile to Ginny as she turns to leave, the click of her shoes is the only noise in the Mediward. Ginny looks up at Blaise and gives him a nervous smile, accompanied by a small chuckle. "Hermiones gonna kill us".
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both students looked out at the view and were stunned by the shear beauty of it. Out in front of them was a gentle mountain range, as far as the eye could see there were deciduous trees colored different reds, oranges, and golds. The sunrise was just peeking over the mountaintops illuminating the fog that blanketed the trees. "It's beautiful" breathed Hermione, "I could sit and look at this view all day".
As she stepped backwards her calf bumped into something that wasn't there a few seconds ago. An iron bench appeared, the back of the bench had a dragon and a phoenix intertwined as a design in the metal.
"Huh" Draco shrugged and circled the bench, then tentatively sat down on the cool metal, which he figured to have a cushioning charm on it because it was surprisingly comfortable. "I wonder if this place works somewhat like the room of requirement" hermione mused and she also decided to have a seat, though she made sure it was as far away from Draco she could physically be.
"This is ridiculous!" Draco huffed and stood up, proceeding to pace back and forth with a somewhat panicked look on his face. The more he paced the worse it got. As he started pulling on his hair, she had had enough. "MALFOY! Will you calm down? Panicking is going to get us nowhere."
Draco glared at her, "That's easy for you to say, you're not the one on probation from the ministry! If I don't get back before they find out I'm gone then I'm screwed."
"What do you mean?" Hermione had gone to the trial, had even testified with Harry in Draco's favor, but she didn't stay for the sentencing, she was still reeling from the news that her parents memory loss was permanent, and all she wanted to do was leave.
"I was sentenced to a year's probation. I'm not allowed to leave Hogwarts and spent the summer doing community service and helping rebuild. And now here I am. No wand. I can't apparate I already tried. If I don't get back to school soon they're going to throw me in bloody Azkaban! I bet you'd like that wouldn't you, I'd be out of your hair and you go on being the bloody Gryffindor Princess, war heroine and the brains behind the golden trio!" He shouted the last sentence through gritted teeth. For all he knew she did this on purpose.
"Don't mock me Malfoy, I testified on your behalf remember? I don't blame you for a lot of what you did in the war but your prejudice is what got you in the mess in the first place!" She crossed her arms defiantly.
How dare he make this about her when it's his own bloody fault. It's not like she asked to be thrown in the middle of a civil war within the wizards world. It wasn't her fault she was muggleborn and for some reason that made a whole group of people believe she was inferior to everyone else.
Draco fumed, "It's your fault we're in here you know, if you hadn't of been so self righteous I wouldn't have been distracted by your screeching and could've blocked whatever trelawney hit us with!"
She stomped up to him and got so close she had to look straight up at him. "MY FAULT?!" She stuck her index finger into his chest and punctuated her words with it. "I wouldnt have had to raise my voice if you could listen to anyone else opinion but your own!"
He was surprised she had the nerve to touch him. It unnerved him. He just wanted away from her. "For Salazar's sake this is getting us nowhere! I just need a way to get out of here!"
A thud sounded as something hit the ground to the left of them. They both stopped and looked at the item. Hermione knelt in the grass and picked it up. "It's a book."
"Well spotted Granger."
She shot him a glare and turned to flip through the pages. "It's blank."
"What?"
"There's nothing in here! How is this supposed to help us if there's nothing to read?" She threw the book down and hugged her knees to her chest. She wouldn't break down in front of him. She couldn't dare be that vulnerable.
Draco tentatively walked over and picked up the book. As soon as he opened it, they felt a familiar pull in their stomachs.