From Dreams to Reality

Chapter 16______________________________________________________________

A full three weeks had passed since Lucius Malfoy had turned up in Draco's dormitory. They had moved into November, the weather growing cold and wet, cloaks starting to become worn. The first Quidditch game of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin had taken place with a highly angry and aggressive Harry catching the Golden Snitch before Draco, thus making Gryffindor win. But, still, the seventh-year workload increased as the NEWTs drew nearer, especially for Hermione.

She stayed indoors most of the time, in the library or a quiet corner in the Gryffindor common room; books stacked in front of her as she filled in number charts for Arithmancy, star charts for Astronomy and translated Rune to English. She continued with her Head duties, trying her hardest to make conversation with Harry in her process, though her effort was continuously not rewarded as he ignored her or otherwise grunted in reply.

The lack of interaction with Harry, Ron and all the other Gryffindors was truly starting to take effect on her. She was often found looking depressed, her thoughts built to an unusual high. Draco, who had been one of the few to notice this slight change of behaviour in her, chose not to confuse her any more. He kept his true feelings to himself and decided to wait until the time was right.

They often sat silently together in the library, as Hermione tried to find the words to the one thing she had been meaning to tell him for weeks, but not once had she even started to explain it to him. She knew he should know, as he had a great part in it, but was unsure as to how he would react when she did so. Draco, however, wasn't oblivious to the way she sort of blanked out during her work, staring at him as she bit her lip. He recognised this action as the one she always held when she wanted to tell him something important, but was hesitant to do so.

"Hermione," he said one Thursday evening as they sat in the library, working together as they wrote their Potions essays. "You're not telling me something." He hadn't expected this sentence to sound as accusing as it did, but nonetheless, Hermione sighed and looked at him carefully.

"I never told you the real truth about how I made Harry ... back off," she said quietly. "I've been meaning to for weeks, but I never..." She trailed off and looked away. "About a month or so ago, when you and I were still working on our Love Potions project, Harry came and saw me here in the library and we started discussing -" She stopped and looked up at him, biting her lip. "- We started discussing who I was going to choose between him and you."

"And you told him me?" Draco said, wondering why she had been so hesitant in telling him this.

"Well, not quite," Hermione said, becoming uneasy, averting her eyes from Draco's again. "I was trying to choose and it ... it happened again."

"What happened again?"

"The visions. Of you and me," Hermione answered quietly. She looked at him once again, this time steadily. "I finally realised what they meant, what they were trying to tell me and when I explained to Harry in the way I understood it, he got rather upset and he ... he backed away and we haven't spoken since." She sniffed and forced the tears forming in her eyes to disappear. "I told him that I believed I was supposed to be with you, not him."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You say that as though you're not really sure," Draco said in a voice of uncertain calmness.

Hermione shrugged. "I do believe it," she said, "it's just ... this whole gift is a lot more complicated and confusing than I originally expected. I mean, I would never have thought they could give me the answer to something I was so unsure about, or give me the knowledge of what the victims in my dream's name is. Dumbledore said in that meeting we had with him the other week that me knowing Charmina Vane's name when it was never even mentioned in the dream I had about her death was all part of my stupid gift's growth."

"You'll get used to it all," Draco said reassuringly. "Dumbledore definitely seems to think you will."

Hermione gave a small sigh and nodded. She knew he was right, but there was still an odd lagging feeling in her chest that she couldn't quite understand. She and Draco continued on with their Potions essays in silence.

They exited the library just as quietly when they had both finished and headed down the corridor.

Hermione's thoughts were not entirely on the way she was going as they headed down a narrow flight of stairs with a silent Draco beside her. Her mind was suddenly on the night Lucius Malfoy had turned up in Draco's dormitory. For weeks she had been helping with trying and work out exactly how he had gotten in, but they hadn't gotten far with it. It seemed they'd never known.

"Has your father been trying to contact you or anything?" she asked Draco quietly as they headed down the marble staircase towards the Entrance Hall.

Draco cast her a small glance. "No," he said firmly. "If I had gotten any word from him, I would have told you."

Hermione gave a small, unnecessary shrug. "I saw Dumbledore this morning and he still doesn't know how he got in here that - that night," Hermione said. "Fudge isn't telling him much about it, either. He doesn't even know if he's still in Azkaban or whether the Ministry has done anything else with him. We have no way to find out, either, what with the Daily Prophet not even mentioning anything to do with him and what he's been doing lately. Fudge is probably behind that as well." She said the last sentence in a tone full of spite.

Draco looked down at her. "How come you didn't tell me all that sooner?" he asked seriously. "I would've thought you'd have told me straight after this little meeting you had with Dumbledore."

"Yes, well, I was going to, but - well - I didn't want to worry you," Hermione said with a small and slightly guilty smile. "I didn't think any of it was overly important, anyway. I just hope he doesn't try to kill you again."

"He will," Draco murmured vaguely. "I know he will."

Hermione bit her lip, the sensation of fear and anxiety spreading through her veins. That was the third time in the past week that Draco had said that and she greatly wished she had never brought the subject up. It seemed it was all they ever talked about lately.

"I've been wondering a lot recently, what might have happened between that night if he didn't show up," she said, trying to change the subject.

Draco looked down at her abruptly. He still hadn't told her how he felt and wasn't planning on doing so until he was sincerely positive about it. He had never felt what it was like to be in love, as such, and he didn't want to ruin any possibilities of it happening.

"I - I don't know," Draco said slowly, an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I guess we may have gone a little further than just kissing."

Hermione's cheeks flashed a deep red and didn't look at him as they headed out onto the grounds. "And - And what might that have - er - included?" Hermione asked rather nervously, not really knowing if she truly wanted to know.

Draco stared at her in disbelief out of the corner of his eye. He was highly surprised that she was asking him such a question, and he wasn't sure if he should, or even wanted to give an answer.

If his father hadn't interrupted that night, he would've told Hermione that he loved her. How she would have reacted, he didn't know. She may have become scared and ran from the room hurriedly, not even taking any time to put her top back on. Or, she may have done the opposite and responded with telling him the same back and the next thing they'd each know was nothing but a burning passion erupting within their bodies...

Draco had to close his eyes briefly in order to force these new, rather sexual images out of his mind before looking at Hermione again, who remained silent, not looking at him. She gave a light shiver and he wrapped her arm around her for warmth. She sighed lightly and rested her head on his shoulder.

"We'll never know," Draco whispered suddenly.

Hermione looked up at him again and frowned. "Never know what?" she asked. During both her own and Draco's silence she had forgotten her question.

Draco chuckled lightly at the blank look on her face. "We'll never know what might have happened that night if my father hadn't interrupted," he said in reply. "I'm guessing there might have been a bit more stripping. Perhaps even a little bit more."

Hermione stayed silent and led the way towards a gap between some trees that sat at the edge of the lake. A chilling breeze ruffled her hair and the cloak around her, causing her to move in closer to Draco, who smiled to himself and held her close.

"What are we going to do if my father escapes Azkaban and comes after me again?" Draco asked. "There's no counter-curse for Avada Kedavra."

"Well, let's hope that I have another vision and can help you," Hermione replied anxiously. "My gift definitely is getting stronger," she added. "I'm beginning to see things days before they happen in reality, now. We'll be able to notify Dumbledore and he should be able to do something."

"Let's hope so," Draco muttered.

They walked along the lake several times in silence. Draco's thoughts were caught up as he mentally went over all the curses that he could possibly use in an act of defense against his father. Hermione didn't say anything, having a good idea as to what was going on inside Draco's head. He stared ahead into nothing, following the same trail each time they circled the edge of the lake, before finally beginning to head back towards the castle.

Hermione walked beside him, watching him cautiously out of the corner of her eye. His arm was still wrapped around her, but he seemed oblivious of it. She shivered lightly as a chilly gust of wind ruffled her hair, but he didn't seem to notice. The slightly empty feeling rose within her again despite her and she vaguely wondered what was causing her to feel this way.

Draco seemed to come back to his senses as they reached the front doors of the castle.

He pushed them open and headed into the Entrance Hall, but as soon as they had entered, Hermione suddenly went rigid beside him, a hurt and shocked expression appearing on her face, her eyes transfixed on something in front of them.

Draco stared her and a lump formed in his throat as his first thought over came him. He slowly, hesitantly, turned his head to see what had caused her to tense up, with a feeling of dread rising within him. His dread was instantly replaced, however, with one of quick-building anger and painful jealousy as he noticed what, or rather, who truly stood there.

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