Fate's Hand

Hermione Granger walked onto the Hogwarts train, getting out of the rain. It was amazing that it could be so dark so early in the day. She was almost a half hour early and, surprise, surprise, Harry and Ron hadn't arrived yet. They hadn't been able to meet in Diagon Alley, either. Hermione sighed. She hadn't seen her friends all summer, and they'd barely sent her any owls.

Hermione looked out the window to make sure no one was coming before standing up. She quickly took off her outer clothes and grabbed the school uniform from her bag. Just as she was pulling the skirt up, the door to the compartment opened. She almost screamed, but caught it at the last second and grabbed her robe. Holding it up in front of her, she fished for her wand. She lowered the robe just enough to be able to see who had invaded the room.

"Malfoy?" She said, surprised.

He was smirking. "Why, Granger. I had no idea you felt that way about me."

Hermione glared at him and said, "You had better watch your mouth, Malfoy. Now get out before I hex you." She raised her wand. He backed away, still smirking, and left. But not without giving her one last suggestive glance.

-----

Fate sighed. This wasn't working out the way it was supposed to. Draco was supposed to fall in love with her at first sight, and Hermione was supposed to reciprocate. This was not good. She supposed she would have to take on a few more desperate measures...

-----

"What do you mean, Malfoy's Head Boy?" Hermione demanded of Harry, who was currently backing up the way he had come.

"Well it isn't me," Harry said, "and it isn't Ron. I can't imagine who else it would be."

"Oh how bloody fun this year will be," Hermione growled, setting herself primly in her seat. Ron looked ready to comment at her use of crude language, but a glare from her quickly settled the matter.

-----

"I can do anything better than Granger!" Draco yelled.

Hermione had to severely bite her lip to keep herself from laughing aloud. He sounded like that silly song, 'Anything you can do, I can do better; I can do anything better than you...'

"Why, Draco," the Headmaster exclaimed, smiling as he always was, "I had no idea you were so interested in cooking."

Draco flushed while Hermione merely smirked. He needed to learn not to jump into conversations without first figuring out what they were talking about.

-----

Draco muttered under his breath as they worked in the kitchens, softly enough that Hermione only caught odd words, such as 'father,' 'Muggle-loving,' and 'telling'--not that it wasn't enough to derive a conclusion, of course. Some things never changed.

-----

Fate nearly growled when Zeus appeared beside her, chuckling. "Fate, I told you it would be difficult."

"Well, I didn't think they would be so resistant!"

"Always expect what you wouldn't think," Zeus said, tapping her lightly on the nose. "Especially with humans."

"It figures," Fate replied, tossing her curly blonde hair irritably. "Why couldn't they have been rabbits? Then my job would already be done."

"But where would the fun in that be?" Zeus asked rhetorically.

-----

"Don't you dare," Hermione hissed at Pansy as she opened her mouth, a malicious sneer on her face.

"Pansy," Draco said in that annoyingly slow drawl of his. "I think she has a point. McGonagall's heading this way and if I were you, I wouldn't want to be here in about one minute."

Pansy and Millicent cleared out, leaving Hermione and Draco alone. "Thanks..." Hermione said, looking confused.

"Don't mention it," Draco muttered.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I think that would be best for both of us."

-----

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, her back against the wall as she stared at Draco. Why had she stumbled across him so accidentally on her rounds? He was standing on the windowsill of the Astronomy Tower, looking down at the snow below.

"Contemplation is something, isn't it?"

"Draco," Hermione started.

"Don't," he whispered.

-----

"Thanks," Draco muttered as he passed her in the hallway on their way into Potions.

"Y-you're welcome," Hermione whispered back.

-----

"Draco..." Hermione trailed off, closing her eyes and feeling his breath on her cheek.

He leaned forward, kissing her softly on the lips and lingering for just a few seconds. "Remember," he whispered, disappearing out the classroom door.

"I will."

-----

"Hermione Granger!" the Headmaster called. Hermione walked up, tears streaming down her face as she collected her diploma and, to the shock of her friends, threw her arms around Professor Dumbledore's neck and kissed him soundly on the cheek.

She tuned out until they reached the M's.

"Draco Malfoy!" The blond-haired boy--no, man, she decided--walked up to the front of the room and smiled at the professor, shaking his hand warmly. Hermione saw Ron's eyes widen and she smiled inwardly.

As soon as all the diplomas were handed out, Hermione stood. As the Head Girl, she was supposed to make a speech with the Head Boy--and she had vowed to make it one that they would still be talking about for years to come.

"Hogwarts," she began. "It is the school we have attended for the last seven years. We have learned, we have grown, but I also like to think that we have taught as well. It doesn't seem very important, teaching others, but it is what our teachers do every day. It is why we are here, today, graduating and moving on to our own careers."

"Unfortunately," Draco continued, just as they had practiced, "We cannot always accept that we must not only learn, but also teach. By simply existing, you are teaching someone else, whether that be for good or for ill."

"In light of the recent triumph of Harry Potter over Voldemort, teaching is going to take on something new. Each of us will tell stories to our children about what happened during our school years here at Hogwarts, and what you tell them will affect them. We will no doubt hear of when Harry fought Professor Quirrell, or when he lived through that awful fifth year when half of the Wizarding world thought him to be insane.

"But we will also hear of those who fought beside him, those who did make it all the way," Hermione said quietly. "Those who did not see the dawn when Voldemort no longer felled the world in shadow." She glanced over at Ron, her heart going out to him at the loss of his father. Draco stepped closer, slipping his hand into hers. "And it is them we must remember. We must teach our children, our brothers, our sisters, and all those who ask for advice, that evil is permeating, but it is not an absolute. If it were, Draco would never have fought with Dumbledore. Vincent Crabbe would never have begged for forgiveness on his deathbed. Blaise Zabini would never have saved Ginny Weasley's life."

"But what we're really trying to do," Draco said, "is ask you to remember. Remember the hardships, remember what went right, what went wrong, and why we must teach our children to be good, and to teach that evil, no matter how compelling it may seem, is only a synonym for destruction of oneself."

-----

Fate sniffed, wiping her nose with a handkerchief Zeus handed her. She blew her nose loudly. "That was so touching," she sighed. "Who would have known I would have succeeded so well?"

"Certainly not you," Zeus shot back.

"Oh, do be quiet," Fate muttered, crossing her arms. She smiled suddenly. "It is rather wonderful, though. Do you think they'll stay at peace for long?"

"Daughter," Zeus said, shaking his head, "they never stay at peace for long. But those two..." He tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps. But even if they don't stay at peace, I believe they will be able to make it up."

"And I suppose that's all that matters then?"

"It's all that ever matters."