On Borrowed Time

On Borrowed Time

Chapter 1 - Back to School (Sunday - September 1, 1996)

If coming back to school after a really fine summer was not bad enough, going back to school on the same train as your mortal enemy just plain sucked the joy out of welcoming the new school year. Being in the same car with your mortal enemy just plain sucked the joy of life itself. At least that's what Hermione was feeling at that moment.

She, Ron and the head boys and girls from the other houses were debriefing the new prefects of their duties for the year. Ron was sitting beside her, daydreaming of Quidditch she assumed, after they had finished their turn talking. She on the other hand she paid close attention to the pointers that the Ravenclaw Head Boy and Girl gave to the new prefects. Though her eyes were fixed at them, she could not help but glare at the silver-blonde-haired boy sitting across from her. He was glaring at her from the corner of his eye and this was making Hermione quite uncomfortable.

Draco looked very much like the same boy she detested the previous six years she had known him: self-centered, conceited, and egotistical as all hell. But he was no longer a boy. And though just looking at him usually made her want to puke out her insides, she could not deny, to herself at least, the fact that she was quite attracted to him. He was and will always be a looker. He appeared a bit more mature, though probably would not act like it anyway, and looked more handsome than in any time Hermione saw him in the past. He was tall, but not lanky, and he seemed quite fit, probably from all the years of practice as to try to beat Harry to the Snitch. His jaws, his piercing eyes and his gorgeous silk-like hair almost made her melt right on her seat.

But Hermione was smart enough to stop staring and, rather, just threw momentary glances at him whenever he was not looking back at her. As she sat there, trying to get herself out of the zone, she tried to recall every revolting thing that he had done to her just to keep her eyes away from him. She tried to regain focus but her thoughts wandered from her crush to her other crush, who she now also called her boyfriend.

Hermione recounted the events of the summer when she and Harry spent the warm carefree and school-free days with the Weasleys. They had pretend Quidditch practices, backyard camping, made the Weasley yard gnome-free (at least for the time being), and stayed away from the Weasley twins as to not fall victims to their practical jokes or be test dummies for their new products. The past summer had been the best of their lives.

Their summer days had become a bit more carefree now that Voldemort was gone. It was a few weeks after the winter holiday of their sixth year when Harry encountered Voldemort in a hidden area in Hogsmeade. Of course any encounter between those two mortal enemies often end in bloodshed, and bloodshed did happen. Voldemort thought that if he was not able to kill Harry by magic, he had to do it manually. He chose to battle Harry, surprisingly, by means of a swordfight.

No one, not even Ron nor Hermione, knew of the exact details of what really happened. Harry never told anyone about Voldemort's last battle, not even the newspapers. No one asked Harry what happened because he always got touchy and quite irritable even at the mention of the V-word.

So, fun was expected during their stay for they all wanted Harry to feel less depressed and to be somewhat more optimistic. He had been despondent after the death of Sirius Black, his godfather and the only relative he cared for. All throughout their sixth year, Harry kept to himself. He spent minimal time with his two best friends, attended Quidditch practice but said little and just stayed out of everybody's sight.

But after his defeat of the Dark Lord, Harry made a complete turn-around. Harry became chattier than usual, finally letting his emotions about everything show, rather than keeping them all bottled in. He utilized his feelings by talking, his words served as some sort of self-therapy. He still did not talk about Voldemort's last battle, but Hermione thought that talking about some things openly was the best thing he had ever done for himself and she was quite proud of this breakthrough.

But Hermione did not expect yet another surprise from Harry. Harry started to cling to her like a wet t-shirt to a body. She, and as well as their other friends, had never seen him that way. Harry was always the mysterious Harry, keeping his thoughts to himself and quite withdrawn. This complete turnabout allowed Hermione to get closer to the real Harry and their friendship ensued into something else more serious.

Their idle chatter turned into hours of holding hands then to minutes of passionate kisses. Everyone was fine about their little courtship, except for Ron who was not so keen about finding the two snogging in his room. His feelings later changed to elation when he realized he was to receive ten galleons from Ginny. He had won the bet of which the terms were that Harry and Hermione would be an official couple before they were to go back to Hogwarts.

"Hermione? HERMIONE?"

"Oh, sorry Ron," she apologized when she finally realized that the Prefects and the Heads of the Houses were dispersing. "I guess I got lost in dreamland there."

"Yeah, well, we can go back to the car where Ginny and your boyfriend are at," Ron jeered with a sly grin painted on his face. "Or maybe, Gin and I ought to give you two some privacy."

"Oh shut up, Ron," she said as she started to stand up. But before she and Ron reached the doorway that led to the other cars, two Slytherins closed their way out, blocking the exit.

"You and Harry are a couple?" asked Pansy Parkinson in disbelief. "Someone is actually with you? What am I saying? I shouldn't be surprised! You and Harry. Oh, classic! A halfie and a Muddy. It's a fairytale come true!"

"Get out of the way, Parkinson," spat Ron, "before I use your sorry excuse for a face as a douche bag."

"At least one of you losers actually has a girl," exclaimed Draco.

"Buzz off, Malfoy."

"That's all you can say to me? 'Buzz off'? How easily you make fun of girls. Why? Are you scared of how easily I can toss a twat like you back to the dumpster that you live in?"

"At least he isn't a piece of rubbish like you are!" Hermione shouted right by Draco's ear. During her sudden outcry, she noticed something that she had never seen Draco do before: tremble and look defeated right in front of her.

"Weasley just despises girls because he does not have one."

"Leave him alone, Malfoy!"

"Tell us, Ron," continued Draco as he eyed Hermione. "Just tell us how much it pains you to see someone else have something you dearly want?

Hermione had finally lost her temper and kicked Draco in the shins. The boy crumpled to the floor, holding his lower leg and screaming bloody murder.

"I'll send you to detention, Granger! AH!"

"May remind you, Malfoy," said Hermione as she heeled Draco's free hand. "You are no longer an Inquisitorial Squad so you don't have Umbridge to suck up to. And if you are going to whine about it, talk to you father in Azkaban. Give him a visit, or better yet, stay there in the cell with that worthless piece of dung. Or better yet, do us all a favour. Why don't you join your father's Master in the likes of hell?"

*****

"HERMIONE DID WHAT?" Harry asked Ron as Hermione tried to keep Ginny from rolling off her seat. "My sweet Hermione really said that?"

Apparently, Ron forgot to mention the part where Hermione said the 'V' word. Still he was beet-red, from all the laughing he had done, and was beaming with pride.

"I have never been prouder of anyone in my whole entire life, Harry! After all those years hanging out with the two of us, I think we have finally corrupted her. I think I am going cry!"

"Ron!" exclaimed Hermione. "I think you have both corrupted me after that incident with the troll our first year."

"You're right about that," said Ginny half-giggle. "But I really wish your aim was not off. You could have kicked him in the gonads and ended the Malfoy line right then and there!"

Laughter echoed inside the car they were in while Hermione was still in shock and in disbelief of what she had done. It was not of her nature to be violent. Maybe it was the spur of the moment, maybe it was because of the frustrations of yesteryears, she did not know what possessed her to do so. She just was not as happy in the inside for doing so. She sort of regretted her actions. She thought that although Draco did deserve to be castrated for all countless reasons that Hermione couldn't even imagine, still she felt guilty about resolving to violence.

"What's wrong Hermione?" asked Ron as she notice her glare at him. "Are you feeling sorry for Malfoy or something? I thought of all the people, you would be the one celebrating the most."

"Well," she said half-heartedly as Harry moved closer to her seat. "I am happy to finally . I am just... I guess I was just sad Harry and Ginny had to miss the real thing."

"I think seeing Malfoy gimping as he walks out of the train is enough to pacify our shallow happiness," said Harry as he gave Hermione a light peck on the cheek and moved her closer to him.

"Ow!" exclaimed the two of them as something from her skirt pocket poked on both their sides.

"Hermione! What in the world are you carrying in your pockets?"

"Nothing really," she answered as she pulled out the item. "It's just er---"

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Déjà vu, anyone?" joked Ron as he grabbed it right out of Hermione's hands. "The Time-Turner? Dumbledore trusted you with it again?"

"What is wrong with that?" Hermione took it away from him. "I wanted to take a lot of classes. I think it's another brilliant idea in the making."

"It is!" exclaimed Harry. "You can spend more time with us because you would not be studying all the time. Well not really, since you would be studying and then turn back time to spend time with us. But you would be tired from studying to spend time with us... Did that make any sense at all?"

"Stop thinking too hard, Harry," laughed Ron. "You are going to hurt your brain and the school year has not even started yet."

"As long as you use it the way that Professor Dumbledore instructed you," said Ginny, "having the Time-Turner will do you good."

"That's the support I was expecting," she added cheerily. "Now, where is the lady who rolls the food cart? I am starving."