Power Within

Chapter 10

Potions

Draco sat at the table he usually sat at when he was watching Hermione in the library. He did not know why he did it, but he was not about to admit that he was--he always had some reason for being there. She looked exhausted. Draco did not look much better himself. He could not understand why that dream had bothered him so much-it was Granger!

He watched as Pansy and Millicent walked up to Hermione. She handed Pansy back the hair clips--now back in the Slytherin colors. No one said too much to her about her costume and the snakes. Snape seemed to be looking at her differently--as if he knew there was more to Granger than her Gryffindor pals knew. Pansy continued talking to her, but Draco could tell by the look on her face they were telling her where and when for her to meet the girls to practice her song. Granger was obviously showing more of herself this year and it made her a bit uncomfortable. Hermione nodded and the girls left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione got up Monday morning not looking forward to potions. They had to try their potions today and she was not looking forward to remembering forgotten memories--obviously, they are forgotten for a reason. The worst part was doing this in front of Malfoy.

She sat at the Gryffindor tables listening to the boys go on about the up coming first quidditch game. 'Boring.' She looked over at Malfoy and realized he was looking a little tired himself--he was in the library an awful lot. She sighed and asked Harry if he had another dream last night. She was hoping he would tell hermore about it, but he had refused. She proceeded to gather her belongings with toast in hand and told the boys she would see them in potions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione's nervousness was evident by the way she bit her bottom lip. She looked wearily at the potion in her hand and slowly lifted it to her lips letting it pour down her throat. It did not burn, but tingled first in the throat and then the tingling sensation spread through out her body. It was as if she was in a trance.

~Everything was black. Hermione did not know where she was. It was wet, dark, and yes, warm. But she was deathly frightened. Someone was there but she could not tell who--her mother? 'NO! OH MY GOD HE FOUND US!' No...No...No. Hermione is not screaming--its her mom? She cannot tell. Tremendous fear is surrounding the darkness. calming voice comes from the darkness. 'No, he found her. I am sorry. Just her. Not you, not me, not Hermione. We will be safe.' Whoever it is led them out of a house Hermione did not recognize. It was still so dark, but she could see things as if through someone else's eyes. The eyes turned to look back at the two-story brick house. Up to the sky. The Dark Mark wavered in the air above. NO!~

"NO!" Hermione had never screamed so loud. She looked around at everyone watching and listening. She scanned the room for help from anyone. Harry averted his eyes to the floor; Ron just looked scared, not as scared as Hermione. She did not understand what she just saw and heard. Draco was watching her with fear and worry on his face.

"How? How? I'M NOT FROM THE WIZZARDING WORLD! HOW?" Hermione turned and ran from a shocked Snape and class.

Surprising the rest of the class, Draco ran after her.

"Hermione!" He called after her.

She kept running. All she could think about was running. She had no idea what that memory was. Something told her she did not want to know. She just wanted to get as far away from everyone as she could. Harry would not even look at her. Ron looked as if Voldemort had materialized right in front of him. And Draco... 'Why is he chasing me?' Hermione tried to lose him, but to know such luck. She ran up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and muttered the password so Draco would not hear it. When the portrait closed behind her, she was sure she was safe and began running to the other side of the common room toward her dormitory.

Draco could not believe how fast Hermione could be when she wanted to. But he had to get to her, he did not know why. Something about the fear of the unknown he saw in her eyes and Potter looking away when she was obviously pleading for help. He watched her halt in front of the portrait he knew to be the entrance to Gryffindor tower. When she ran inside, he reached the portrait right as it closed and the fat lady looked at him suspiciously.

'Wait I know it...I was in the library...Granger had the music thing on...crying...running...uh.'

"Patronus," the Fat Lady opened and he ran in to see Hermione half way across the common room. He went after her and reached out as she was passing the fire. He grabbed her arm turning her around. Draco looked at her for a second before pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. Something inside of him felt like it had to shield her from everything.

Hermione could not figure out how Draco got in or why. She did not even know whether to be afraid or not. When his arms wrapped around her comfortingly and he spoke,

"It's okay to be afraid of the unknown."

Hermione could not hold back anymore. Everything from the beginning of term: starting classes with a secret, Malfoy knowing, the bet, the play, the powers, the costume party, dancing with Malfoy, and now a forgotten memory, all came to her in waves. Not smooth gliding serene waves, but violent crashing waves over and over. He sat down on the couch in front of the fire not letting her go.

"It's okay." He did not really know what to say so he did the only thing he knew--what his mother always did for him. Draco looked around the warm Gryffindor common room and was thankful the day had just begun so they were alone in the tower. He looked down at the girl in his arms. Hermione had never looked so...weak in front of him. Yes, he knew he had made her cry in the past, but not like this. He felt like a part of him was dying just watching this.

"I will help you figure this out."

She looked up at Draco in shock. Draco reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Right now, I better go if you are okay--if anyone saw me in here--Merlin!" Hermione laughed a little and some how that warmed Draco. She nodded and he left through the portrait hole.

He just stepped out of the portrait hole and taken three steps when he saw Harry and Ron.

"Potter," he said with a curt nod.

"Malfoy." Neither said anything else. The two boys proceeded to enter the common room to reassure their friend--neither mentioning the fact they had just seen Malfoy leave the tower.