Chosen One

Hermione did not stay at the Weasleys' house for very long. That night she was back on her own and headed to the most deserted place she knew--Hogwarts. When she arrived, the castle doors opened to her of their own will. Hermione stepped inside of the deserted halls and felt a chill run down her spine. She had been in the halls of the castle many times at night, but it had never felt like this. She knew beyond any doubt that she was alone, and alone was exactly what she wanted.

She was walking along the hall to the Room of Requirement when she saw Nearly Headless Nick floating passed. He stopped, stunned, and stared at Hermione in shock. "Whatever are you doing here, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head, the tears close once again. "I don't know," she whispered. She walked right through him, ignoring the sudden iciness. She activated the Room of Requirement and watched as the door formed. She opened it, walked in, and sighed as she saw the room had not failed her. She went directly to the bed and collapsed on it, soon falling fast asleep.

* * *

Voldemort walked through the halls of his layer not failing to notice the emptiness of it all. His Death Eaters were out on missions and he was alone. He sighed as he sat down on his favorite chair and watched the fire burning in the hearth a few feet in front of him. Nagini curled herself at his feet and looked up at him. The time will come, she hissed.

Voldemort sighed. I know, my pet, he hissed, I know.

Looking deep into the fire, Voldemort considered his next plan of attack--taking the Ministry.

* * *

"She's either mental or she's right," Ron said softly as he stared after Hermione, even though she'd long since left the house.

"I can't see how she would be lying," Ginny said softly. "She said she gave Lucius Veritaserum. I don't personally know of any way to lie under that."

"There are plenty of ways to lie, if given the chance," Mr. Weasley said softly.

"And where does she keep running off to?" Ron demanded. "Why doesn't she trust us enough to stay here?"

"Why are her eyes black?" Ginny asked softly. It was the question each of them were dying to know the answer to but none of them would dare ask Hermione.

* * *

Sighing, Hermione reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her smokes. She pulled one out of the pack and lit a match to ignite the cancer stick. She shook out the match and put it in the ashtray before she lay back on the bed the Room of Requirement had given her. She closed her eyes and brought the fag to her lips again.

She couldn't take it any more. She couldn't handle the lies, the deceit, the sudden eye-openers...she wanted it all to end. She pulled out her wand and held it against her heart, wondering if she could muster the courage to AK herself into oblivion.

But that would mean that Harry had won.

No, she couldn't kill herself just yet. She had to reap her revenge for the deaths of her parents first.

"That will kill you, you know," a voice said.

Shocked, Hermione sat up and looked around, seeing no one at first.

"Who's there?" she demanded, wondering if she'd finally cracked and gone insane.

"Why do you ask the questions you know the answers to?" the voice asked.

Hermione whipped around in the direction the sound had come from, still seeing no one despite the abundant amount of light in the room.

"Show yourself," Hermione ordered.

"Open your eyes," the voice replied.

"My eyes are open, thank you very much," Hermione spat.

There was a giggle that went from one side of the room to the other without Hermione seeing the body attached to it move. "No," the voice said. "You only think they are."

You put too much trust in what you think you know...

"STOP THESE GAMES!" Hermione shouted to the air. "Show yourself!"

From the corner a young woman Hermione's age, stepped into the light. She had dark brown hair that went down to her waist and dark brown, almost black eyes. She smiled softly when her eyes found Hermione's. "That will kill you," she said softly, her eyes ticking to the cigarette in Hermione's hand.

Hermione brought the fag to her lips before she made any comment. "What are you doing here, Tristan?" she asked.

Tristan shrugged. "You shouldn't be alone anymore," she said softly.

Hermione shook her head. "Alone is all I have," she said softly.

Tristan sighed as she plucked the cigarette from Hermione's hand and took a drag from it. "I swear, that'll kill you," she said, handing it back.

Hermione chuckled and brought the fag to her lips. "I don't really care," she said softly.

"Well I do," Tristan said softly. "So what brings you back here?"

Hermione shrugged. "Lies," she said softly. "Far too many lies."

"What happened?" Tristan asked, taking the cigarette back.

"Harry killed my parents."

Tristan choked on the smoke and gagged. When she was calm again, she looked at Hermione in shock. "What?" she gasped.

Hermione stared blankly at the space in front of her. "I met up with Lucius Malfoy," she said softly. "I took the memories I wanted with our spell and he gave me one I wish to God I had never seen."

"What?" Tristan asked.

"My parents murder," Hermione said softly. "Harry was in charge of it all. He...he used sectumsempra on my father and then Bellatrix Lestrange tortured him while Malfoy and Snape raped my mother. Harry used the entrail-expelling spell and killed them. Voldemort told me it was his way of killing the rest of his past."

"You saw Voldemort?" Tristan demanded, lighting up a cigarette of her own.

Hermione nodded wordlessly.

Tristan reached out rest her hand on Hermione's arm. The simple gesture sent Hermione into a fit of tears and Tristan immediately had her arms around the other woman. She distantly remembered the first time she'd held Hermione like this.

17, December 1996 night

Tristan watched as Hermione entered the sixth year girls' dormitory looking very disturbed. Tristan's eyes followed her as she walked directly over to her bed, slammed her books down onto her nightstand and sat down in a huff.

"Saw Ron and Lavender, did you?" Tristan asked.

"Who do they think they are?" Hermione demanded. "Snogging all over the common room like it's they're own personal space. It's not like it doesn't bother anyone else! Doesn't he have any sense at all? I mean, hello, there are much better girls out there."

"Like you?"

"YES!" Hermione cried, then, "no," she sighed. "I don't know. I don't understand it, you know? I mean, we've been friends for so long and I really fancy him and he did get upset when Viktor and I were together, but...at least we had some sense of decency. No one ever saw us snogging all over the place."

"Why Hermione, I do believe you are jealous," Tristan said, sitting down next to Hermione.

Hermione crinkled her nose. "You smell like cigarettes."

"Well that's probably because I just had one," Tristan chuckled. "Is it a problem?"

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "No," she said softly. "My problems are out there."

Tristan wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulder. "No," she said softly. "Your problems are in here," she said placing her other hand on her own chest. "Way deep down inside."

Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. "I just wish that he would open his eyes, you know?" she asked softly. "I don't know how long I can wait."

Not knowing what to say, Tristan sighed heavily and began to rub circles on Hermione's back.

Hermione let out a sob and curled into Tristan, causing the other girl to wrap her arms around Hermione. "It's okay," she said softly.

Present day

It was a daring move, but Tristan kissed Hermione's forehead.

"I don't want to be alone anymore," Hermione whispered softly. Tristan sighed and held her closer. "I don't want to be faced with yet another harsh truth that was so much worse than the lie pulled over my eyes. I don't think I can take another lie."

"I've never lied to you," Tristan said softly. "I never will."

"Then why don't you tell me the truth about yourself?" Hermione asked. "I've known you for seven years and you keep lying to me."

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked, worried that Hermione was closer to discovering the truth than ever before.

"I know you're gay," Hermione said softly. "Why haven't you told me?"

"Because I didn't know how," Tristan said softly. "And I didn't know how you would take it."

"What else don't I know?" Hermione asked.

"Maybe that I'm in love with you," Tristan said softly. Now that the truth about her sexuality was out, the rest was easy.

Hermione sighed. "You're the only one," she said. "The rest of the world hates me."