Agent Granger, CIA

CHAPTER VI

"The Test of Time"

Scene: CIA Headquarters, Present time (8:00 PM), Monday: 3 February 2006

"Agent Carter, are you sure no one else has seen this tape?"

Agent Carter nodded his head solemnly.

"And Agent Jordan..."

Agent Carter nodded his head again.

Mr. Harrison cleared his throat in deep thought. He rubbed his stubby chin and sighed. "One of our own...I don't see her as a threat."

"Sir, she's a witch. Her kind is a threat, and she is no exception."

"Granger and Jordan have always been top agents, and if they were a threat, they wouldn't have tried to stop the terrorist today. You are not to tell anyone about this tape, you hear? From this moment forth, to you, there is no video. If anything leaks out, I will personally hold you responsible."

"But sir--"

"That's final. You're dismissed."

Harrison heaved a heavy sigh as Carter left. He pressed rewind on the VCR remote control and watched the video again, for the tenth time.

In the television set, two men had just crashed into the scene, one was Jordan, and the other was unidentified. The President's security guard points his gun at Jordan, and in the background, Hermione withdraws a stick of wood and mutters something that sends his gun in the air. Then, all the guards turn their attention to her. She refuses to put down her defense, and someone fires. Jordan jumps in front of her after she falls to the ground. He takes two bullets in his upper body, and then another man, with blonde hair, appears out of nowhere. The security panic and begin looking frantically at each other. The intruder uses a weapon quite like Hermione's and says something. The scene freezes. Jordan falls to the floor, and the blonde man goes to his aid. He sees Hermione and checks her pulse. Then he disappears and the camera blacks out.

**

"Hermione..."

Hermione snuggled in the warm bed and smiled as she emerged from a pleasant dream. "What is it?" she asked worriedly, reading Draco's somber expression. Draco kneeled on his knees and sighed softly, searching for the right words.

"Jordan...Jordan didn't make it through the night," he whispered, a part of him hoping that if his words came out softer, they wouldn't hurt as much.

Hermione's expression didn't change. For a moment, her eyes locked and everything around her became distant and blurred. She didn't feel sad, she felt nothing; she didn't know what to feel. Draco bit his lip, watching with anxiety, waiting for something to happen...anything...but nothing happened. He took in a breath and sat next to her on the bed. If she had noticed him, she made no sign of it. Her eyes stayed glued to the spot he abandoned.

Draco slowly released his breath and took Hermione's hand into his. "It's okay to cry," he said quietly.

Hermione heard him, but his words made no sense to her. She didn't feel like crying. She wondered if that made her a horrible person. She blinked and everything came back into focus.

Turning her head, she was somewhat surprised to see Draco's right next to her, staring at her with something she hadn't seen in his eyes before. Without thinking, she leaned in, out of impulse, and locked her lips with his.

Draco didn't resist her. The feelings inside him burst with her kiss, everything he'd been denying and refusing now flooded him in a rush too strong for him to control. The kiss became a heated battle between the two of them.

Hermione moaned softly as Draco's tongue entered her mouth. Hearing her seemed to snap him back into reality and he quickly pulled back, partly embarrassed, but mostly ashamed. He looked away and stood up.

"What am I supposed to tell Ron?" said Draco in a strained voice. He laughed sarcastically and shook his head. "I've fallen for a Mudblood. His nonetheless."

Hermione had returned to her state of numbness. She wasn't listening to what Draco had to say now; inside her head, his previous words echoed.

She felt a cold air linger in her chest the more she thought about Jordan. Then her throat started creating little lumps the size of sugar crystals, she wanted to clear her throat, but the dryness made it hurt. Memories of Jordan joined her pain and it was but a few seconds before she surrendered herself to tears.

Draco was still mumbling things to himself, refusing to look at her. He didn't notice her crying silently on the side. Even if he did, he wouldn't know what to do.

Hermione dried her tears and sniffed before he could have noticed anything. She evened her breathing out slowly and nodded her head absentmindedly as his lips continued to move. She missed Jordan already. He would have noticed her tears, and though he'd stiffen up at first, he'd know how to comfort her.

"Draco," she whispered at last. Draco paused amidst his talking and turned around. "Can you be quiet...for just a second?" she asked as sincerely as possible. Draco frowned, offended by her question, since he was trying to confess his feelings to her, and disapparated. Hermione didn't care that he seemed hurt, nothing seemed to matter right now.

**

"Ron, we need to talk," said Draco as he appeared in his friend's room. Ron put down his bottle of beer and conjured a chair for Draco.

"So talk," he said coldly, his werewolf senses telling him things he'd rather be ignorant of.

Draco reluctantly sat down across from his friend, who was half lying on the bed, and took in a deep breath before speaking.

"There's really no easy way to say this. But then again, considering how you've been treating me lately, I don't know why I give a shit about being nice to you," he bit his tongue and quickly changed the route of what he trying to say. "I think...I might be...I am in love with Hermione."

Ron took the news rather calmly, he didn't do anything to hurt Draco, unless if his glare was somehow sending off poisonous waves to the receiver. He sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "Does she even like you?"

Draco bowed his head and began to fascinate himself with his hands. "I don't know," he replied quietly.

Ron smiled, despite himself, and swung his legs off the bed. "Why don't we go ask her?"

"Ron, wait--" Draco warned, but the red head had already disappeared.

**

Hermione started when her pale ex popped in on her. Ron immediately saw that she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked sincerely.

Hermione cried harder, unable to control pain under her ribcage. Ron made to sit down next to her, but she held her hand up, signaling him to stop. Draco finally arrived in the room, having actually walked around the house and made use of the doors.

"Jordan died a while ago, Ron," he said, giving Ron 'what did you do' glares. Ron stuffed his hands inside his pockets, at a loss for words. Draco held open the door, patiently waiting for him to leave, but it didn't look like he planned on it.

"No. I don't care. I need to know right now," Ron breathed angrily. He dropped to his knees and clamped his hands tightly around Hermione's arms. "Hermione, do you love Draco?" he asked, completely disregarding how she was feeling at the moment.

Draco's jaw slacked, he couldn't believe Ron was being such a Percy. He strode into the room and grabbed the foolish man by his collar and yanked him to his feet, ready to drag him out of the room. Hermione laughed softly. Draco cocked an eyebrow, and turned around, sure that he heard wrong, but he didn't.

"Don't you want to know too, Draco?" she asked as evenly as she could.

Draco looked at her with pity. "Not right now, Hermione. None of us really know what we feel right now."

To avoid hearing anything, whether it be good or bad, he gave up on being human and disapparated with Ron caught in his fist.

Hermione sighed softly. She didn't know the answer to the question Ron had just asked her. But perhaps if they had asked the right question, she would have revealed everything. If they had asked her whether or not she still loved Ron, then things would have gotten interesting.

**

Draco let Ron go once they surfaced outside an ancient temple marked with mysterious carvings on the entrance. Ron kicked him hard on the back of his head, sending him face first onto the concrete below.

"This is all your fault!" he hollered, kicking him again. Draco groaned, but made no moves in return. Ron stopped the abuse after his toe started hurting and sat down, breathing loudly.

"We're going to fix things Ron," said Draco as he spat blood out of his mouth. "Get up."

The two men got to their feet and fixed their appearances. Then Draco gathered the blood dripping from his face on his fingertips and smeared it across the door.

Bowing his head, he chanted, "The spirit of which I cannot see, I call upon you to set you free, take my offering and take my soul, back to the events over which I mull."

Ron gulped and stumbled back as a swirling black vortex replaced the temple door. Draco turned his head and motioned for him to follow his lead, but he shook his head frantically. "Draco, you're messing with things beyond your league...this is the darkest magic I've ever seen!" he said, refusing to go.

"Ron, the vortex is going to close, if we don't go through now, I can't call it forth again!" Draco yelled.

Ron shook his head. "No way man, you're on your own...Messing with time never turns out well."

Draco growled and spun around, entering the vortex without Ron.

There was nothing on the other side of the vortex. Literally.

Draco looked down, and there was nothing but space; he felt his knees lock as if he was looking down the Empire State Building. He was floating, but then again not. It wasn't black, but it also wasn't white; it was clear, but what is clear when there's nothing there? Draco could see, but he didn't know what color he was seeing; he suddenly regretted not listening to Ron.

Then a voice spoke to him, coming from every direction, but landing softly on his ears. "A pitiful mortal calling upon me?" the voice laughed. "How dare you?"

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you," Draco apologized immediately, dropping down on one knee. An invisible force caught him before he spun off into oblivion. A bright light flashed in front of him and a goddess clothed in transparent silk appeared.

"Draco Malfoy. Son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Arrogant, cowardly, selfish yet selfless, bold, and loving at the same time. You are quite a character, Draco. Perhaps you will not be as disappointing as the other fools who have had the nerve to summon me."

Draco bowed his head. "I wish to turn back time," he said in a lowly voice.

The spirit laughed again. "It is not that easy," she replied. "Only those worthy enough and true enough are allowed to play with such dangerous toys. You cannot simply strut in here thinking you are the king of the world and demand that I allow you to fix your errors."

Draco bit his lip nervously and nodded his head.

"Stand up," the goddess demanded, raising an arm. A force similar to gravity appeared so that he could push himself off of the invisible ground. "If you pass my three tests, I will allow you one trip back in time, but you must choose carefully when you'd like to return to, for there are consequences to tinkering with things you shouldn't. You lose as many days of your life as you go back. If you choose to return to the day of your birth, you will lose 26 years of your life, but if you simply wish to return to yesterday, like you are planning right now, you will only lose one day of your life."

Draco wondered how she knew when he wanted to go back.

"I can read your thoughts," she replied with a sly grin. "This way, I know you are answering my questions truthfully."

Draco gulped and tried to hold back his feeling of complete fear around her.

"There are three rules to my game that you must abide to, if you break any of them, I will end your life faster than you can blink. The first rule: You must never lie, and I will know when you are lying. The second rule: You may not request to end the tests, even in your thoughts. You came to me, I am not responsible for your stupidity; I expect you to finish what you started, even if it is by your death. The third rule and final rule: If you should succeed and return to your past, you may not tell anyone, ever, what you have done. Are we clear?"

Draco agreed telepathically. The goddess smiled again. "Indeed, you are a worthy opponent. The objective of my trials is to prove yourself worthy."

She vanished and left him alone in the empty world that his mind couldn't comprehend. He looked around, expecting something to jump out at him and swallow his head, but nothing did. He waited a while, thinking that she went to find the Loch Ness monster from the depths of the deepest ocean and simply hadn't found him yet. Draco sighed and took a seat.

It seemed like hours had passed before he moved again. He kept repeating the three rules in his head so he wouldn't forget them, also so that he wouldn't think wrong thoughts and break them. His stomach growled and he rubbed it gently. It's only been an hour, he told himself. Draco knew that as long as if he believed only an hour had passed, his body would agree with him and not bother him as much.

It was silent and lonely in this world. Draco's thoughts spun wildly inside his head. He kept thinking of Hermione, then Jordan, then Ron, and why he was here. Sometimes, he'd ask himself why he was here, but always stopped to repeat the rules before he requested anything stupid.

His stomach really hurt now. It felt like he hadn't eaten in so long. Draco clutched his abdomen and curled up into a ball. All he could do to rid the pain was sleep, and so he did, he drifted off into his dreams.

Finally, the goddess returned. Draco awoke and sat up.

"Very good. You have passed the first test."

He raised an eye, "What did I do?"

The goddess laughed. "You didn't wish for the test to end. Most people are driven insane when left alone for too long. It takes endurance and will power to hold on like you did. Do you know how long you have been waiting for me?"

Draco shook his head honestly.

"Two days, Draco. Two days. Without food or water, I am indeed impressed. I have studied your thoughts, Draco. Now I will ask you three questions, all of which you must provide an honest answer. Are you ready?"

Draco nodded and tried to clear his dry throat.

"Would you kill Ronald Weasley, your best friend, for Hermione Granger, the one you love?"

Draco groaned. He was way too tired and hungry to provide a straight answer, but he took in a deep breath and thought deeply. "No," he replied at last. "I would not."

The goddess smiled and raised her arm. Draco's eyes widened in fear that she was going to kill him for answering her wrong, but she didn't. She snapped her fingers and an empty golden goblet along with an empty silver plate and silverware appeared in front of him. His shoulders slackened with relief.

"If I told you now that you will succeed in your task of preventing the recent events, but in doing so, you will lose the favor of your loved one, would you still continue?"

Draco frowned. Lose the favor of his loved one? His head ached and he heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't know, " he replied dumbly.

The goddess frowned. "You must answer all of my questions, Draco Malfoy. If I tell you that you will prevent the death of Alex Jordan, but in doing so lose the favor of Hermione Granger, would you continue with these trials?"

"Yes," he muttered, but he was confused as to how he could possibly be on Hermione's bad side if he saved Jordan.

The goddess clapped her hands three times and wine and hard food filled the goblet and plate before him. He grinned tiredly as the aroma of the steak before him reached his nose.

"One more question and then you may eat," she told him. He looked up, anxious to get it over with. "If you found a way for Hermione to remember the events that you have changed, and although you are forbidden to tell her that you were the one who changed them, would you still enlighten her with the dangerous knowledge?"

Draco's brain dropped like a stone into his stomach. Was she making him decide between which rule he wanted to break? He could either lie, or he could break rule number three later on, either way, he was dead meat. But if he chose to break rule number three, he'd at least get the chance to see how things played out... "Yes, I would. I would want her to know what I did for her," he replied unhesitatingly.

The goddess nodded, neither approving nor disapproving. "Very well. You may eat."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not," Draco replied casually. The goddess smirked and asked why. "You know why. I think that that is the final test. The test of character. Right? The food is poisoned, and however hungry I am, or however tempting the food is, I will not touch it. Nice try though."

"But that is the finest wine and the most delicate meat you will ever taste," the goddess coaxed.

Draco smiled and stood up. "No thanks. I've already proven myself honest, strong, and worthy."

The goddess frowned and conjured a piece of bread. "It's either that there, or this here. Which is it?"

"If I must choose, I will take the bread."

"Fine." She threw the food at him and he barely caught it with two weak arms. "You win."

"Even though you cheated! I am good, if I may say so myself," Draco laughed. "Is this why no one ever survives your tests? You didn't offer me the bread until after I refused. I suppose your other victims ate the food unknowingly and died. Pretty clever."

The goddess scowled. "I was so looking forward to devouring you, and now you've ruined my fun."

Draco shrugged and bit into his bread with a toothy smile. "Cya." A blue vortex formed and with a final salute, he fell through it and landed face flat on his bed.

He groaned and rubbed his feet, which had bopped the bedpost rather hard. All he knew right now was that it was nighttime, and the last time he remembered being in his bed was after he and Hermione went after the Masochist, which meant that tomorrow, Ron would be sending off his 'untraceable fax'. "RON!" he screamed at once, limping out of his room. "RON!"

Ron peeked his head out of his bedroom door and replied. Draco hopped over to him and entered his room uninvited. As he had suspected, Ron was writing a letter on Muggle fax paper, but nothing had been written yet.

"So," said Draco, making himself comfortable on Ron's bed. "Have you heard about the whole conspiracy thing the President is planning against our kind?"

Ron's eyes widened into tennis balls as he took a seat. "You know about that too?!" he exclaimed.

"Of course," Draco replied with a scoff. "How could I not?"

"No one would believe me!" said Ron, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Well, I do," his friend assured. Ron grinned and showed him the project he was working on. Draco pretended to be surprised.

"Ron, I don't think that's a good idea though," he said after the plan was revealed to him.

"Why not?" Ron frowned.

"Well, if we do that, we'll be proving them right won't we? We'll be showing them that we are a threat..."

Ron took Draco's advice into consideration and nodded his head slowly. "You're right...But what are we supposed to do then?"

Draco shrugged and smiled. "Time will tell."

Ron helped heal his foot and then sent him off to his room. Draco made him promise that he wouldn't do anything rash, then disappeared behind his door. He checked his watch. It was nearing eleven o'clock. Hermione was going to go find him tomorrow anyway, he'll talk to her then.

**