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The Paths We Take	By : Luckycharms Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 18436 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That right goes to the AMAZING JK Rowling. No profit is made off this story. Shout out to Scorpia11 for being my awesome Beta!!

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
ATTENTION-IMPORTANT: I apologize for this abrupt A/N, but I have received a review on another site stating that I have a current political reference in this story. I want it known that there is not, nor will there ever be, anything related to politics in any of my stories unless the era calls for it. In that case, the political references will be based off of real-life facts and not opinions that have occurred during that time period. For instance, everything read in China about the Emperor is true and I can site multiple sources if need be. I have not compared him to anyone, nor will I compare anyone in later chapters to anyone. I have done extensive research to conclude how a real-life person acted/was before placing them into this fic. Now other references from movies, songs, TV shows, etc., will be placed sporadically for fun. Example: “Clever Girl” from Jurassic Park was placed in the last chapter. You will NEVER see anything related to politics that did not happen, based off of opinions, or has not occurred yet in the timeline the story is written. Thank you.
"When all is done, there is nothing to say, and if you're done with embarrassing me, on your own you can go ahead tell them, tell them all I know now…"
- Impossible- James Arthur
Chapter 11- Nightfall
Friday, May 7^th, 1999
Awaking in the middle of the night with an abrupt jerk that almost made him fall from the chair he fell asleep in, Ron glanced around the Library in confusion. Looking up at the large silver serpent clock hanging above the mantle of the fireplace, he noted the time to be just after three in the morning, and he sighed as he realized he had never made it to bed. After everyone else had cleared away and set off to rest for the night, Ron had stayed in the library a little while longer to see if maybe he could find any information or possibly even a picture of the four lost in time; unfortunately, he had had no such luck.
However, he wasn’t giving up just yet. Though he may not be thrilled about two Slytherins trapped in the past with his sister and his ex-girlfriend, he was honestly happier it was Draco and Blaise and not Theo and Pansy. At least the blonde git and his Italian best friend were smart enough to not get the four of them killed. He couldn’t really say the same if it was Theo, who would try to bet on everything, or Pansy who would be too conceited to care about her own safety, let alone Ginny’s or Hermione’s.
Packing away the books that lay in front of him, the redhead grumbled slightly as he searched for his wand and cast Lumos so he could see. Exiting through the massive doors, Ron slowly walked down the hall toward the bedroom he and Harry were sharing with sleep trying its best to overcome him. However, he was half thinking of popping down to the kitchens for a late-night snack but thought better of it. He didn’t really want to aimlessly wander Malfoy Manor any more than he had to.
Reaching for the handle to the overly large doors he still thought were not necessary for a bedroom, he quickly extinguished the light from his wand so he wouldn’t wake Harry, who Merlin knew needed his rest after the harrowing day he’d had. Softly opening the entryway while releasing a large yawn, but holding back the loud noise he usually admitted, Ron crawled into bed to the right of the raven-haired boy, before realizing his friend was once again sleeping in the middle.
Rolling his eyes as he set his wand on the nightstand, he clambered under the covers the Chosen One was laying on top of, fluffed his pillow, and laid his head drowsily against the Egyptian Cotton he swore to take with him once they left. But the smell of jasmine began to fill his nostrils and he wondered if Madam Pomfrey had used the flower in some way when healing Harry. Shrugging away the idea, Ron snuggled further into the soft bed as he allowed sleep to overtake him.
But as soon as sleep almost found him, Harry turned over and laid a smooth supple hand gently on the redheads’ cheek that had a strong scent of lotion mixed with the strong jasmine aroma and he suddenly knew the person lying beside him…wasn’t Harry. Instantly, Ron’s eyes burst open at the fear that he was in the wrong room when it dawned on him that he wasn’t, and that someone else, was sleeping in the King size bed.
Slowly and steadily, the Gryffindor reached behind him for his wand, all while praying the person next him was Luna, who was simply comforting their friend in his time of need. Grabbing the Willow wood from off the end table, he quickly cast Lumos again and stared in absolute shock at the woman laying mere inches from his face.
Pansy scrunched her face as a bright light awoke her, before slowly opening her eyes to see Ron Weasley staring wide eyed at her, causing her whole body to go ridged in a panic. They both froze at the sudden realization of what was happening before two loud piercing screams filled the room and they flung themselves backwards, away from each other. Ron in his attempt to scramble away from the Slytherin, fell off the bed as Pansy accidentally pushed into Harry, who awoke with a start at the sound of screaming, almost shoving him off the mattress in the process. However, the raven-haired Gryffindor quickly caught himself before realizing Pansy was halfway on top of him.
“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!” Harry screamed as he readjusted his glasses tilted on his face and reached for his wand to light up the room before pointing it in the direction the Slytherin Princess was trying to crawl away from; in fear that someone had tried to attack her. He then internally questioned why Pansy was even in his bed when he remembered that she had fallen asleep while reading and he had allowed her to stay the night, thinking nothing of it. Apparently, he had forgotten Ron shared a room with him. “Ron!” he called out as he gently pushed passed the startled witch and peered over the edge of the bed to find his best friend laying on his back with a jutted jaw as he stared up at the high ceiling. “Are you alright?”
Ron pressed his tongue against the base of his mouth as obvious signs of irritation washed over him.
“Is…” he clicked. “Is Parkinson…in our bed?” he asked before pinching his lips together, clearly trying to hold back the anger they all knew he wanted to release.
“Y-Yes…” Harry answered with a raised brow at the strange behavior he was witnessing.
“Okay…” the redhead nodded while pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “Mind uh, mind telling me why?” he requested a little too calmly.
Though before Harry could answer, Elizabeth, Molly, Narcissa, and Thorfinn burst into the room with Luna, Neville, and Theo following swiftly behind. All except Elizabeth, had their wands trained as they searched around the room for an enemy before seeing Harry on his hands and knees at the edge of the bed, Ron on the floor, and Pansy sitting opposite the boys with her hands raised.
“What in Merlin’s name is going on in here?” Molly yelled as she lowered her weapon and placed her hands on her hips.
“Nothing!” the three by the bed said at the same time.
“Well something is going on!” Elizabeth stated while taking a step forward. “We heard screaming!”
Thorfinn continued to scan the room as his defenses stayed up due to his experience as a Death Eater, as Theo rushed to Pansy to make sure she was okay, and the three mothers scowled at Ron and Harry.
“Nothing is going on” the raven-haired wizard spoke quickly. “Pansy and I were up late talking and reading last night, and we fell asleep. I forgot to tell Ron that she was in here and well, I guess he figured it out for himself.”
“Is that true?” Narcissa questioned as she looked to Pansy being comforted by Theo. “Are you hurt?
“No” Pansy claimed while trying to shake away the shock of seeing Ron when she awoke. “I mean yes it’s true, and no I’m not hurt. We just…scared each other is all.”
“And what precisely are you doing up at almost three thirty in the morning, Ronald?” Molly challenged sternly. “You should have been in bed hours ago!”
“I’m not a child, mother!” Ron snapped as he removed himself from the floor and stood up. “And if it matters that much, I fell asleep in the Library while trying to see if I could find a picture or something about the four in a history book. I woke up, climbed into bed, and found Parkinson laying right next to me!”
“Okay, alright” Elizabeth sighed as she rubbed her temples in frustration, while simultaneously cutting in before Molly had a chance to yell at her son for his attitude. “It’s late. Everyone back to your rooms. Pansy if you would please, return to your room with Luna and Ronald, apologize for snapping at your mother so that we can all go to bed. It’s been a long day and quite frankly I think we all need a good rest. We can discuss everything in the morning.”
“Sorry mum” Ron pouted as Harry moved over and the redhead climbed into bed.
“It’s quite alright, dear” Molly replied before escorting Pansy out of the room.
As everyone said their good-nights and walked back to their sleeping chambers, Harry extinguished the lights and rolled to face the end table while feeling a small emptiness in the pit of his stomach. Though Ron was out rather quickly, the raven-haired Gryffindor tossed and turned like usual, trying to find rest for about an hour. It wasn't until the sudden realization washed over him that he recalled having fallen asleep instantly with Parkinson lying beside him. And it was that strange recollection that made Harry Potter, go white as a ghost. Though in the morning, he would soon find out, Pansy…was the least of his worries.
Summer of 1692
Brushing the dirt and leaves from her crimson pajama bottoms, Hermione glanced around the dark woods in trepidation before her eyes landed on the blonde Slytherin looking in all directions roughly six meters away.
“Draco?” she called out, causing his eyes to snap to her before rushing over and embracing the witch in a hug. Though the moment was short lived when they both heard their names being shouted in the distance. After about five minutes of searching for the pair calling out to them, they came to realize the voices where echoing off the trees. They had no idea which direction Blaise and Ginny were, if they were even together. “Wait! Stop!” the brunette demanded while holding a hand against Draco’s chest as she listened through the rustling of the wind. “There! That way!” she pointed to her right before darting away from the Prince.
It wasn’t long until the pair stumbled upon Ginny after racing through the wooden thicket, but the redhead had no clue where the Italian was. Pulling out their wands and casting Lumos so they could see better in the dark, the bookworm quickly cast the Four-Point charm she had invented for Harry fourth year to help aid him in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which naturally the whole school now knew about, before searching for Blaise in the thick trees.
It took all of two minutes before they heard the screaming of the dark-skinned wizard and feared he was in trouble as they ran as fast as their feet could carry them. However, when they finally reached Blaise, who was flailing in an oversized bush, Hermione and Ginny stood with their arms crossed and their heads tilted slightly towards him as their lips pressed into a thin line. They raised a single brow in irritation as Draco scoffed while shaking his head before helping his friend out of the shrub.
“Really, Blaise?” Ginny questioned with a roll of her eyes as the Italian brushed the leaves from his person. “You’re fighting a bush, you daft prat” she smirked before helping him remove the twigs off his back.
“It attacked me!” the dark-haired wizard retorted while Draco tried to hold back a laugh. “It did! We were standing in that stupid glowing green square and the next think I knew, I was fighting for my life! I could have died-STOP LAUGHING AT ME!” he screamed as both his blonde friend and the brunette Gryffindor burst into hysterics. “Let’s see whose laughing when one of you end up separated and alone with something attacking you in the pitch black!”
That had apparently shut them all up rather quickly, and they looked to their bare feet apologetically.
“So…” Ginny mumbled as the air grew eerily quiet. “Now what?”
“Now, we figure out if we are…where we think we are” Hermione frowned as she slowly reached into her beaded bag for her World History book.
“If we are where…well you know” Blaise began while silently praying that they had just gotten the riddle wrong, “then I’m staying put! I’m not going in there!”
“We don’t really have much of a choice here, Blaise” the brunette protested while relaxing her shoulders slightly. “We were sent here for a reason. The amulet is fixed, and it gave us that warning. We are obviously supposed to find the one that’s ‘innocent yet bold’ and speak with them.”
“They kill people like us in there!” he retorted angrily. “I’m not walking into that town o-or village or whatever the hell you want to call it, to be murdered or witness a fucking murder! Have you lost your damn fucking mind!”
“Now hold on just a damn second!” Draco cut in while holding up a hand in irritation. “Don’t fucking yell at her because you can’t handle a small town! It’s not her fault we were sent here and it’s not her fault we have to go in there! You are not the only one who has to do this shite, so pull yourself together!”
“Don’t you dare reprimand him for being scared!” Ginny responded with a hostile tone.
“You’re joking right?” the blonde countered with a mirthless chuckle. “You’ve been cozying up with him for all of five fucking minutes and you think you have the right to tell me how to speak to my mate?”
“Oh, piss off, Draco!” Blaise retaliated in aggravation.
“No, you and your fucking girl can piss the fuck off!”
“Alright!” Hermione interrupted as she slammed the book in her hands closed so hard it caused birds to scatter from the treetops. “Enough! We are all scared to go in there, but we have to! Fighting each other is not going to help us survive this era and we have to fucking do it together just like every other place we’ve been to! So, all of you, get your shite together, and let’s go!” she stated in utter annoyance, though she didn’t mean to curse and clicked her tongue at the understanding that all three people staring in awe, had rubbed off on her in ways she wished they wouldn’t have. But at least now she realized the reason they all cursed so much, was more for a release of feelings they couldn’t express, than trying to appear like a badass. However, as her friends continued to gawk at her for yelling at them, Hermione stopped marching and whipped her body around with a large scowl resting upon her face. “I said…Let’s go!”
Draco, Ginny, and Blaise quickly removed themselves from where they stood stunned and began following the bookworm through the woods as their stomachs dropped in absolute fear. The closer they were to leaving the thick coppice, the more worried they all became, but once they saw torches alight with a burning ember, they all halted their strides as they stood in a perfect line, shoulder to shoulder. There in front of them, just off to the side of the dirt road on a small boulder, lay a handcrafted wooden sign that would make even Lord Voldemort wince in fear. A creepy frightening sign that confirmed not only their location, but the vulnerability…they all faced.
‘SALEM VILLAGE, MASSACHUSETTS EST 1626’
“C-can’t we just camp in the woods like normal people who find out they were thrown back to 1626 to a town that literally hangs and burns witches?” Blaise whimpered as lumps formed in everyone’s throats.
“Salem never burnt any witches…” Hermione uttered in almost a whisper as they continued to stare at the wooden welcome sign. “And 1626 is just the year the village was founded. But…if we have learned anything from the relic and where it likes to jump us…I-I say we’re sometime in 1692…W-when the trials and hangings actually occurred.”
“Of course, it would” Draco scoffed while throwing up his arms in discontent and Ginny crumpled to the ground with her head hung low.
“Ehem…” the Golden Girl cleared her throat while licking her top lip and slightly nodding her head. “If you’ll excuse me for just a second” she claimed while raising a single finger. She began walking a few paces away from the group gazing at her in confusion, before stopping with her back turned towards them. She then cast a silencing spell around her body and screamed.
Though the three couldn’t hear the shrieking sounds coming from the brunette Gryffindor, they all knew the pain she was feeling. Not only were they in a town that basically jump started the Magical Congress of the United States of America, to protect wizard folks from muggles, but they were in a place that would accuse one of their own neighbors of witchcraft simply because they didn’t like them.
Wiping away a stray tear that escaped her lashes, Hermione inhaled a deep breath and released it slowly before removing her charm, turning around, and walking back to her group.
“You good?” Draco inquired with his arms crossed as he studied the girl standing in front of him.
“For now, yes…” she wearily smiled before bringing her book out once more to view the outfits of the time period. “We’re going to need to blend in before walking in there. Ginny can you help me with the outfits while Blaise and Draco go over money for a room?”
“Of course, Mione” the redhead somberly answered as she stood up and looked over Hermione’s shoulder at the tome in her hands, while Blaise slowly made his way to Draco, who pulled out his money pouch.
XX
Hidden in the trees, the group not only studied and practiced the way Puritans spoke but transfigured their pajamas into clothing similar to what they had worn in Jamestown, Virginia. The girls wore white coifs upon their heads with petticoats under their long black skirts. Their waistcoats were also black to show wealth, as black dye was very costly, giving them less of a chance to be accused, as the shifts that lay across their collarbones and aprons tied tightly around their waists, remained white.
Draco and Blaise, however, wore loose shirts with a stiff collar and wide sleeves that gathered at the cuffs, beneath woven black vests with simple silver buttons. Their knee-length breeches buttoned just over the stockings they would give anything not to wear, as they finished transfiguring the most uncomfortable buckled shoes they had ever worn. But as Hermione studied all of their outfits to make sure they matched the pictures in the book, she noticed something was missing on the boys and quickly gathered two sticks from the ground before altering them into brimmed felts hats.
After spending a few minutes to create a story for their sudden arrival, the four students took deep breaths before cautiously making their way down the long dirt path, straight into the Devils Lair. Upon arriving into the large town, they had noticed that almost no one walked the streets. A few candles flickered in the windows of the wooden First Period houses proving that the village was not half abandoned like in London, and they figured everyone was simply asleep in the late hours.
They continued to walk past many wooden structures with steep pitched roofs and diamond pained casement windows as smoke billowed out of the prominent central chimneys, until they passed a large home that sat alone near the edge of town, with an overhang and batten door. On the front porch sat a girl with shoulder length brown curly hair, no older than thirteen, playing with what appeared to be a bowl of eggs, which seemed rather curious. Though the four wanted no part in speaking with anyone unless absolutely necessary and were about to keep walking before the girl looked up and spotted them with wide eyes.
As they tried to not draw suspicion, Hermione waved to the girl as if she had known her, her whole life, before quickly continuing onward. Though, the teen was not letting them off that easily.
“Pray pardon me?” the girl spoke as she quickly stood up and raced towards the stunned group. “Tis not what it looks like, I swear to you! Please do not turn thee in, I am no witch! Twas just a game!” she pleaded with tears forming in her small brown eyes.
“Witch?” Ginny inquired in a soft tone as to not scare the girl while taking a small step forward, much to Hermione’s dismay. However, it seemed the redhead was very good at picking up accents and had no issue speaking in the Puritan language. “Whatever does thee mean, child? We have not seen a thing” she winked, hoping it would calm the teen enough to not allure attention towards them.
“B-but you saw thee…Y-you are not accusing thee of being afflicted with the Devil himself?” the girl questioned in a mixture of fear and confusion.
“Why would we accuse you of being afflicted, dear child?” Hermione replied gently as she followed Ginny’s lead. “We are simply traveling through this beautiful town of yours, in hopes that someone could help us. You see, we were attacked by Indians, and we lost all of our belongings. We have traveled very far and are famished. Do you know of somewhere we might stay for the night? Just until morn.”
“Indians attacked you?” the brunette girl questioned in astonishment. “Pray thy Lord, you are blessed to be alive!”
“Julia!” a handsome man that looked to be in his thirties, bellowed from the entrance of the home the girl once sat in front of. “Julia Hamman, you get in this house this instant! And what did I say about playing with our food?” he inquired as he bent down to pick up the bowl. “Eggs are for eating, not to waste on foolish games. Quickly now, the night is upon us and tis off to bed with you.”
“But father” Julia called back to the man, “these nice people were attacked by Indians and have lost everything! Perhaps the good Lord has brought them to here? We must aid them.”
“Be you foolish, daughter? Do not bother these people with your story tellings. Tis sinful and against Gods will.”
“I have done nothing of the sort, father!”
“We apologize, sir” Ginny quickly cut in, but once the man had laid eyes on the redhead, his shoulders instantly relaxed and his breath had seemed to catch. “Your daughter has been nothing but truthful. We have traveled a long way from…”
“Boston” Hermione whispered.
“Boston…and were attacked along the road as we traveled North to find a new home. We have lost everything, you see, and have stumbled upon your town. We are just looking for somewhere to stay the night.”
“The night, you say?” the man questioned, obviously intrigued by the group standing sullenly just outside his home. “I suppose I shall not hear the end of it from thy daughter if I were to leave you all on the streets durin this darkened hour” he sighed with his arms crossed in front of him as he took a moment to think. “You are welcome on thy land, but you must earn your keep, you hear?”
“Oh, blessed be! Thank ye!” Ginny cheered, though she had no idea what the term meant even though Hermione had tried to explain it to her earlier. “Bless you, Mr.-”
“Hamman, but you may call thee Joseph, Goody.” He smiled warmly as he stepped off to the side to allow the four room to enter his home. However, Blaise didn’t seem to be pleased with how the man was eyeing Ginny but had to remain calm so he would not blow his cover.
“Goody?” the redhead questioned in confusion.
“You are not married then?” Joseph inquired, almost a little too pleased.
“Goody means missus, Gin” Hermione whispered in her friends’ ear before drawing her attention to the tight hallway they had walked into that sat just below a staircase. “Nay, she most certainly is not married, Mr. Hamman. With our long journey, thy cousin has yet to find a suitable husband” she chuckled slightly as Draco raised a brow.
“A woman as beautiful as she, has not yet found a husband?” Julia giggled while admiring the skirt Ginny was wearing as the group of six walked into a fairly roomy sized kitchen that contained a rather large fireplace meant for cooking. “Men must weep and drool at her feet beggin for her hand!”
“Daughter, enough pesterin of our guests and bring them somethin to eat. They look famished” Joseph scoffed with a small chuckle. As Julia moved to prepare cold salted meat, apples and a few vegetables, he urged the group to sit on the benches at the long wood dining table. “So bid thee, what are your names?” he asked as he sat at the head of the table.
“Oh, uh…” Hermione began as she thought about giving fake names when it occurred to her that the man would most likely not remember nor care once they left the decrepit town. “I am Hermione, this here is thy fri-cousin, Ginny, and thy fiancé Draco…”
“And you?” he looked to Blaise who fearfully turned his gaze to the brunettes’ father. “You dress too wealthy to be a slave. What is your relation?”
“He be thy hired hand” Draco quickly answered so Blaise didn’t have to. “A bodyguard of sorts I had hired straight from the Royal Navy for protection after thee attack. Blaise is his name; he worked his way through the military and was never owned. He is a free man that I pay handsomely to watch over thy fiancée and cousin.”
“He does not speak?” Julia asked innocently.
“I feel tis better to listen than to speak, young one” Blaise cryptically spoke after studying the way the people in front of him were speaking. “Enemy secrets are better heard when one is silent” he winked causing the girl to giggle. “Nay, though tis true, I simply do not like to speak much. Twas not what I was hired for.”
“I see…” Joseph muttered as he curiously eyed the dark-haired wizard.
“Thank you again for taking us in” the brunette witch spoke gently as Joseph turned his attention to her and nodded. “Tis very kind of you. Though, I must ask, is there something occurring in Salem?” she questioned in hopes that they could obtain more information on what year they are stuck in. “Your daughter pleaded that she was not afflicted. I fear we have not heard much news since we began our journey. The days have also passed by so quickly tis hard to tell Spring from Summer anymore.”
“Don’t fret about the season, thy love” Draco smiled as he reached for her hand and squeezed it tenderly, causing Hermione’s stomach to flutter wildly. “Tis not yet winter so we shall thank the Lord for the bit of warmth we have now.”
“He be right, winter be not yet upon us on this warm July day” the brunette father agreed. “Although mischief…tis afoot. Folks are claimin witchcraft has found a way into our beloved homes. Five people have already been hung for the crimes I believe not, just a few short days ago.”
“You do not believe these tales?” Ginny inquired when she caught the tone the man had used.
“Nay! I know not what causes thee ‘afflicted’ girls to play such trickery, but they have shamed us all and damned themselves to the wrath of God! Just you wait and see.”
“They are my friends, father! Do not speak ill of thee!” Julia demanded as she laid plates of food and ale in front of the four.
“Mind your tongue, Julia Hamman! Your innocence makes you foolish! Those girls will have you accused of the Devils’ work just as they have falsely accused Goody Good, who was with child when she was arrested! And now look at her! Hangin by a noose at Proctor’s Ledge as her child lay in the ground after bein born in a filthy cell! They are not your friends; simply children who should be cast out from their foul and wicked ways!”
“Sorry, father…”
“Off to bed with you now. We will speak no longer of this treachery. Our guests do not wish to hear of these morbid tales and need to eat and sleep as well. We have much to do in thee morn. Do not delay, child…and say your prayers.”
“Yes, father.”
XX
After eating as much as they were allowed to, Joseph escorted the group out to the barn not far from his home, while carrying a few woolen blankets. Due to not knowing the four very well, he wouldn’t allow them to sleep in the house just yet, but had told them they would be comfortable in the animal shelter, and in the morning they would help with chores as payment for their stay until they could figure out what their next move was. Not that the group of Hogwarts students were complaining; sleeping on hay was much better than the cold hard ground they were growing used to and were extremely grateful they didn’t have to sneak around to find food and shelter. Though they would have rather not stayed with the horses and goats.
Once Joseph Hamman had left them to their rest, Hermione and Ginny quietly spoke while petting a few animals as Blaise and Draco placed cushioning charms on the dry fodder so none of them would be poked in the middle of the night. It wasn’t long until they all were fast asleep as the girls lay separated, so in case they were awoken, they wouldn’t seem improper as none of them were married. Though in the back of all their minds, they would have felt more comfortable sleeping closer together in case the green square showed up again. However, they had an odd feeling they were stuck in Salem, Massachusetts for a while.
XX
Eight glorious hours of uninterrupted relaxation that was much needed, Julia awoke the four students with a cheerful ‘good morning’ at six am. Rubbing the sleep from their eyes, they temporarily had forgotten where they were as they looked around to take in their surroundings before standing up with hay stuck in their unruly hair.
“Good marrow! How do you fare? The good Lord has given us another blessed morn” Julia chirped as she set a rag doll on a stool before walking over to a brown horse to pet its muzzle. “Father says I need to tend to thy chores before breakfast, and to have Mr. Draco and…I am sorry, I did not quite catch your name…”
“Blaise…” the Italian spoke softly as he removed a piece of straw from his shirt.
“Mr. Blaise…” she smiled warmly. “He be to have thee feed and water the animals and milk the cattle as Ms. Hermione and Ms. Ginny help thee collect eggs from the chickens and see to breakfast. Father has to meet Minister Parris but shall return in just a few short hours to join us.”
“And your mother?” Hermione inquired while removing hay from the mess upon her head.
“Thy…thy mother is with God. The winter illness took her against our prayers in the night back when we lived in England…just three short years ago. Tis just father and thee but we manage. Shall we begin? Father will want food on the table when he returns.”
“Aye, let us begin” Hermione answered softly as she looked to Ginny before walking out of the barn with Julia, leaving the boys to confusingly glance at each other because neither of them had ever milked a cow before.
XX
“How the bloody hell am I supposed to do this?” Draco asked with a tilt of his head as he stared hard at a black and white cow looking at him curiously in a stall. “Where does the milk even come from?”
“The udders…” Blaise replied with a chuckle before picking up a large hay bale and carrying it over to the horses. “You never seen a cow milked before?”
“Have you?” the blonde questioned with a raised brow.
“Yes, but I’ve never done it. I know you have to pull on the udders though and you use a bucket to catch it.”
“As if speaking in the Puritan language wasn’t hard enough!” the blonde mumbled loud enough to cause Blaise to snort.
Confusedly looking back to the cow with slumped shoulders, thinking he can master almost anything, Draco walked into the stall and picked up a bucket and small stool that sat in the left-hand corner. Cautiously stepping up to the large smelly beast as the Italian continued to sling hay into the other stalls, he set the stool on the right side of the animal and stared mystified at the large pink udders that hung in front of the rear legs.
Sitting down and slowly setting the bucket under the long nipples that dangled strangely, the cow’s tail flicked back and forth as he mumbled under his breath that he can do it. Reaching out and touching a teat with a disgusted expression, he pulled on the nipple, causing the cow to moo as it stomped its feet, forcing Draco to fall backwards in a panic. Rushing over as fast as he could, Blaise began to laugh when he saw his friend laying on his back as a grumble escaped the blonde’s lips.
“You didn’t lubricate your hands, did you?” the dark-skinned wizard chuckled as he moved to help Draco up.
“Fuck this!” the Prince stated in irritation while pulling out his wand and pointing it at the cow before mumbling a spell under his breath.
Instantly the udders on the animal began to move up and down as milk flowed effortlessly into the bucket, causing the blonde to smile in satisfaction before leaving the stall to do the same to the other two cattle. Blaise slumped his shoulders and shook his head as he rolled his eyes before getting the slop together in order to feed the pigs.
XX
“Why are you afraid of all the other creatures we have encountered but are okay with farm animals?” Draco asked as he helped scatter chicken feed on the ground of the bird pen.
“Because I know these animals won’t eat me and they aren’t as large as a mammoth or a dinosaur. Plus, have you ever pet a horse before? It sounds barmy, I know, but…calming in way. They’re magnificent creatures.”
“Mother always did love horses. Though father wouldn’t allow her to have one. I suppose once we return home, I’ll get her one.”
“BOYS!” Ginny called out as she stood in the middle of the field with her hands clasped around her mouth. “BREAKFAST IS READY WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED!”
“JUST SETTLING UP NOW!” Draco shouted back with a raised hand. “WE’LL BE IN IN A MINUTE!”
Ginny waved a hand before turning around to walk back to the house as Blaise and Draco finished their chores. Once they put everything back where they had found it, they quickly charmed their hands clean and made their way to the house.
As soon as they entered, Julia grabbed Blaise’s hand and dragged him to the dining table as Ginny finished cutting up bread that was a mixture of rye and maize the community had adopted from the Native America Wampanoag people. Hermione met Draco at the entrance to the kitchen with a slice of cheese in her hand and a large smile resting upon her lips.
“Open up you” she requested while holding the cheese up to the blondes’ mouth.
Draco raised a curious brow but parted his lips so the brunette witch could feed him and surprisingly was pleased at the taste of the cheese.
“Mmm, what kind is that?” he asked after he had finished chewing.
“I have no idea” Hermione mouthed so that Julia couldn’t hear, as she chuckled slightly. “Apparently it was made with goats’ milk and it takes a long time to create. Julia started making it months ago.”
Clearly impressed, Draco looked to Julia who was conversing with Blaise, well more like she was doing all the talking as Blaise sat and listened while helping her peel potatoes.
“Does she like him?” the blonde Prince inquired while tilting his head to the side.
“Oh, yeah…” the bookworm ticked in a whisper with a smile as she gently walked Draco over to Ginny so she could grab bowls to set the table. “She won’t shut up about him. His backstory of being in the ‘Royal Navy’ has had quite the impact on her. It’s innocent though, very adorable, but really annoying to constantly hear about.”
“I bet” he chortled as he leaned back against the counter next to Ginny and crossed his arms.
“So, how was milking the cows, Blondie?” Ginny questioned with snicker, causing Draco to make a face at her.
“It was fine, Red, thank you so much for asking” he answered as he reached over and flicked the ribbon hanging from her coif onto her face, making the redhead squeal as she batted his hand away.
“What cheer?” Joseph bellowed with a grin as he stepped into the kitchen and removed his hat from upon his head. “Tis but a glorious smell in here!”
“Father!” Julia chirped happily. “Ms. Ginny and Ms. Hermione have cooked a wondrous meal. Just wait until you taste the pottage! I have never experienced anythin so delicious in all my life!”
“I happily await the meal, daughter” he beamed. “And how fair thee chores?” he asked the boys as he sat down at the head of the table. “Find everythin alright?”
“Yes, sir” Draco answered as he took a seat across from Blaise. “You have a remarkable farm.”
“Thank ye, Draco…Now, shall we eat?”
“Aye!” his daughter yelped in excitement as she cleared away the potatoes and Ginny and Hermione brought the food over.
After saying grace, that Ginny, Blaise, and Draco were utterly confused by, and waiting for Joseph to take the first bite, which annoyed the blonde to no end, the group of six ate as they shared real life stories; although altered slightly to make them not seem crazy. Julia was extremely fascinated about the travels Hermione had taken with her ‘brothers’ across Europe as Joseph questioned where Ginny had learned to cook so well. It wasn’t until an hour later that the students found themselves being dragged down the dirt road as Julia eagerly showed them the town.
Apparently, it was rare for Salem to gain visitors, unless they were officials brought in to judge the trials, and a few townsfolk seemed weary at the sudden arrival of four young ‘Puritans’. Though Julia quickly calmed their nerves after explaining how her new ‘best friends’ arrived into the village. It was evident the place feared Native Americans and it appeared just the mention of them caused the air to grow stale.
They had met many people the young brunette was excited to introduce them to, including Reverend Samuel Parris, who blessed them before he and a few unnamed men arrested a woman by the name of Mary Toothaker, to be examined by four judges, who traveled all the way from Europe, for witchcraft. To say the sight of seeing an innocent woman arrested before their eyes, was terrifying, was not the right word for it. All it would take was for one person to claim ‘witch’ and suddenly one or more of the four students could be arrested.
Not wanting to take that chance, Ginny asked Julia if she could show them something with less people. But as the five talked while walking steadily down a dirt path past the Town Hall, five girls between the ages of nine and eighteen years old, could be seen giggling in a small huddle not too far from the Hall.
“O, no…” Julia whimpered with slumped shoulders as she stopped dead in her tracks.
“What tis it, child?” Ginny inquired when she saw the sullen look the girl was giving off.
“Tis thee girls thy father said are blasphemous” she whispered as Draco looked over to the adolescents who were eyeing the group before bursting into a fit of giggles again. Raising a brow in confusion as the five kept looking back to them, Draco returned his attention to Julia. “Tis young Betty Parris, who turns ten in November and thee daughter of the Minister, with her cousin Abigail Williams. Mary Walcott and Mercy Lewis are thee two eldest and…”
“And thee last girl?” Blaise questioned gently when the teen trailed off.
“Tis Ann Putnam Jr. She shall be turnin thirteen in October and thinks she be ready to marry off.”
“But she’s only twelve…” Draco stated in confusion, because even the Sacred Twenty-Eight waited for their daughters to reach the age of seventeen before having them courted to be married.
“Tis what father says as well. Though she be followin nearly all the eligible men in an effort to decide whom she wants to marry.”
“And…these are the girls you want as friends?” Hermione inquired before noticing the group heading towards them. However, almost instinctively the bookworm grabbed Draco’s hand, making him look down for a moment in confusion before realizing what the witch was doing.
“How now, Julia Hamman?” the eldest of the group said with a cheerful smile. “I do apologize for this abrupt intrusion but thee girls and I were just discussin how we have not met your friends yet. We heard such rumors but could not believe our ears until we have seen with our own eyes! Thy name is Mercy Lewis” she claimed with a small curtsy.
“And thy name is Ann Putnam” Ann stated firmly as she pushed through her friends with a determined grin plastered on her pale face while only gazing at the tall blonde Prince in front of her. Her hair was black as a raven and she looked eerily similar to Pansy Parkinson, which made Draco slightly snort at the comparison. “You dare to laugh at thy name?”
“Oh, nay, child!” the blonde quickly corrected. “You just remind me of a woman I know back in Europe. You could be her twin. Your looks are but the same.”
Though Draco knew the instant the words left his lips that it was the wrong thing to say. Ann slyly smiled as she gazed at the Slytherin Prince in adoration, before taking a step forward and held out her hand to him.
“Tis but a pleasure to meet you!” Hermione hastily cut in as she snuggled up close to Draco’s arm preventing him from shaking the adolescence’s hand “Thy name is Hermione, and this be Draco…thy fiancé” she claimed firmly, causing a small scowl to form on Ann’s lips. However, the raven-haired child turned the frown quickly into a fake smile as she eyed Hermione up and down.
“Pleasure…”
“I’m Ginny! Ginny Weasley!” the redhead interrupted with a wide grin when she noticed the tension building. “Hermione’s cousin.”
“And you?” Mary Walcott inquired as she glanced at Blaise with delight.
“Oh…uh, thy name is Blaise…ehem, Zabini.”
“He be from thee Royal Navy!” Julia perked as she hoped revealing the information would gain her respect from the group, that wanted nothing to do with her.
“Thee Royal Navy, you say?” Mary inquired while biting her lower lip and flickered her eyes below Blaises’ belt.
“Do you not have a surname?” Ann interrupted with her arms crossed while mentally imagining taking Princes’ last name.
“Malfoy” Draco answered sternly before clasping a hand over Hermione’s that was resting on his right bicep. “And thy future wifes’ is Granger. Soon to be Malfoy as well.”
Though Ann produced another sour expression before Ginny once again cut in.
“We really should be goin. Julia has been showin us your town and we wish to see everythin before our departure.”
“Aye!” Hermione quickly agreed as she guided Draco around the girls. “Tis been but a pleasure to meet you ladies. Perhaps we shall meet again.”
While the group said their farewells, leaving the children to sullenly watch them walk away, Ann Putnam clenched her fists tightly at her side while trying to come up with a new plan on how to get rid of the brunette swot and obtain Draco Malfoy…as her future husband. After all, one look at his handsome features and rich clothes was all she needed to covet the Malfoy name.
XX
After touring the town of Salem and hearing plenty of gossip from the teen they were staying with, Joseph kissed his daughter goodbye as he headed off to a town meeting. They had just finished a hefty lunch, or at least what the Puritans called dinner as lunch was apparently not a thing and supper was often eaten late at night, consisting of leftovers, the group was almost done cleaning up when Julia questioned their luggage situation.
“Oh…um, I suppose should buy somethin in town in the morn” Hermione stated while thinking quickly on her feet. “Draco darlin, do you mind if Ginny and I buy us some things from the town shops?” she asked as she remembered how women in this time period were to always obey a man, especially one they were supposed to marry.
“Uh, yeah-Yes!” he quickly corrected before Julia could hear his mistake and brought out his money pouch. “Buy whatever thee desires, my bride” he claimed while handing his money over to the brunette, who dusted off her hands before taking the pouch and leaving a small peck upon his cheek.
“Thank you” she mouthed with a smile before walking over to her bag, that she had charmed to look like a small brown sack and placing the pouch neatly inside.
“O, no!” the teen sulked while setting a bowl in her hand on the counter.
“What ails you, child?” Blaise inquired as he glanced to the girl who looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“I left thy doll thy mother made for thee out in the barn, I must go get it!”
“Is that all?” Draco chuckled as he uncrossed his arms. “Tis gettin dark out, child. I will grab it for you.”
“Bless you, Mr. Draco. Thank ye ever so much!”
Nodding his head, the blonde Slytherin headed out the back door that connected to the kitchen as Ginny began to tickle the girl in an effort to cheer her up. Hearing the laughter fade as he strode towards the barn, he scoffed with a small smile as he thought about his life at that point. He had never been as happy as he was when he was with the trio, he had traveled all over the world with, and he silently wondered if they could continue to stay close once they returned home. He liked the idea of sharing meals and learning more about how muggles did things; and Salem wasn’t as terrible as they all had expected. Yes, people were being accused left and right, but the group in that house, his friends…they were the only people he could actually see becoming his family.
While Draco picked up the doll still resting on the stool Julia had placed it when she had woken them that morning, Hermione began to secretly read over her history book she had altered to look like a bible, as Ginny and Blaise told stories to the young teen. Draco could see Julia laughing as Blaise acted out a dinosaur, through the kitchen window, and he chuckled slightly before remembering what his friend had said about petting a horse. Wondering if it was really true, that touching the animal was calming, the blonde turned around and steadily walked up to a light brown Mare.
Reaching out slowly as his nerves made his hand tremble, he hovered just above the horses’ muzzle before the Mare flicked her head like she wanted him to pet her. He jerked slightly at the movement as a small chuckle escaped his lips and gently touched the soft nose of the beautiful creature. The Mare then stepped forward before blowing in the Slytherins face to show affection as Draco continued to pet her and a soothing calm washed over him. Unfortunately, the moment was short lived as a voice startled him and made him drop the doll in his hand.
“Merlin’s beard!” he yelled while holding a hand to his chest as he exhaled deeply.
“Merlin?” Ann Putnam questioned perplexed. “Who-”
“No one!” Draco quickly cut in as he glanced around the barn. “Why are you not at home, Ann?”
“Father be holdin the town meetin. I no longer wished to be around thy siblings and chose to go for a short walk when I stumbled upon thee. What is it you are doin?” she asked while taking a step forward.
“You need to go home; you should not be here” he answered sternly as he bent down to pick up the doll he had dropped.
“I do not wish to…”
“You dare defy thee?” he inquired as he remembered what Hermione had told them about men in this era before entering the town and harnessed the way his father would ask such a question when Draco himself had said ‘no’ to a demand.
“I do not defy thee. No order was given…” she stated while taking another step closer with alluring eyes. “You are unhappy, are you not, Draco Malfoy?” The tone in her voice as she said his name, gave the Prince the creeps and he tried to think of the best way to get rid of the girl who apparently fancied him. And not in an innocent way like Julia was with Blaise. “You do not really wish to marry that…Hermione Granger, does thee? I be pure and I could make thee happy…Especially since your bride, does not appear to be a true Puritan.”
“What are these lies you speak, child?” he questioned as he recoiled and tried to hold back a gag willing itself to escape his throat.
“I am no child!” she claimed with a stomp of her foot. “I saw thee bride to be, I saw with thy own eyes! She be a witch!” she lied, hoping the reveal would steer the man she desired away from the woman she loathed. Although she was completely unaware at how correct she actually was about the Gryffindor Princess.
Understanding now what Ann was trying to do, Draco scoffed as a laugh escaped his lips.
“She be no more a witch than you!” he spat venomously as his grey eyes grew dark.
“Tisn’t true! She be a witch, Satan’s witch, and I am goin to tell!”
“Tell who?” he asked while clicking his tongue against his lips as he thought strongly about obliviating her right then and there. “You are but a child, Ann! And I have no need or wish to marry a child!”
“Draco?” Hermione called out, making the blonde realize how long he had taken to get a simple rag doll. “Draco, is everythi-Oh, uh…Ann!” she stopped at the entryway while relaxing her shoulders as to not give away that she had just learned important information about the girl. “What is it? Are you alright? Why are you not home?”
“I do not wish to be. I came to speak to Draco…alone” Ann claimed with fire in her voice as she narrowed her brows at Hermione.
“You need to leave, Ann. Come, I will escort you out” the brunette witch stated while waving a hand in front of her for the raven-haired girl to follow.
“Nay!” Ann yelled with another stomp of her foot, causing both Draco and Hermione’s eyes to widen in surprise.
“I beg your pardon?” Hermione challenged; already fed up with the almost teen who would later be responsible for accusing sixty-two people of witchcraft once Salem had finally completed its abhorrent witch hunt.
“Go home, Ann…NOW!” Draco demanded, but this time more firmly so not to be mistaken once again.
Ann Putnam whipped her petite body around and stared at Draco with wide eyes as if he had just slapped her in the face, before scowling in anger. Though the blonde was not going to be intimidated by a twelve-year-old and furrowed his brows to show he was serious. Driven with embitterment, Ann quickly spun on her heels and swiftly retreated from the barn, all the while conjuring a new plan in her mind on how to turn Hermione in.
As soon as the girl left the large animal shed, the bookworm hastily closed the barn doors and threw up a silencing charm before snapping her attention to Draco.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she bit sharply while throwing the Slytherin Prince off guard. “You can’t just go around speaking to young girls alone! It is completely unacceptable for this time period and if Julia o-or even Joseph caught you in here with that girl…You could have gotten in a lot of trouble or Ann could have tried to pin something on you!”
“That is highly unlikely!”
“Oh, right,” she chortled, “I forgot I was talking to the man who apparently thinks he’s untouchable!”
“Sorry?” the blonde scoffed in irritation at being reprimanded for something he had no control over. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
“You heard me! Don’t play coy and act like you didn’t! You think you’re practically the Prince of the Wizarding World and untouchable! And with magic on your side, you think you can take care of anything these muggles throw at you! Because of course, they’re still beneath you!”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” he questioned with venom dripping from his voice. “What the bloody hell more do you want from me, Hermione? I have already told you, Merlin, countless fucking times that I am not that same fucking guy anymore! I-I’m nice to those people in there because I actually like them, and I never once said anything bad about them or anyone else for that matter! I have listened to every damn thing you say to try and get you to understand that I am on your bloody side! I milked a damn cow for you for crying out loud! If I thought for one second that muggles where beneath me still, then I would have already killed half the people in this town for going after our kind! I…” he huffed heavily, “hold on a second...this-this isn’t about me is it?”
“What? What are you talking about, of course this is about you!”
“No, it’s not…You’re just…you’re picking a fight with me because you’re jealous” he claimed when he thought back on every reaction the brunette had had that day when any woman approached him.
“Jealous? Who the hell do I have to be jealous of?” she inquired in annoyance.
“Green is not your color, Hermione,” he scoffed while shaking his head, “it’s mine. And all day you have been trying to show everyone, including that lust filled adolescent, that I don’t belong to anyone but you!” he claimed sharply; not that he was complaining, he just didn’t understand the need for her to feel envious of a child.
“We are fake engaged, you git!”
“And yet you’re jealous of a twelve-year-old” he stated while pinching his lips together.
“That's not true! She is the main accuser who has already helped lock up and hang multiple people!”
“Yeeeaah, but it is true” he stated as a matter of fact while simultaneously dropping the doll in his hand without thinking. “You have gone well above and beyond trying to stake a claim over me, even though the relationship is fake and men and women during this time weren’t normally physically expressive with their relationships. So, why are you so willing to pretend that I’m yours, if you don’t actually feel anything for me?”
Hermione ran her tongue over her teeth as fury invaded her core and her hair began to spark as her magic flared.
“It’s…called…acting!” she spat, causing Draco to drop his shoulders in dismay before shaking away the hurt and walking up to the witch to place his hands on the tops of her shoulders. She quickly glanced at the hand resting on her right shoulder before looking back up at the blonde with a set glare.
“You…are terrible at acting, Granger” he sternly spoke with the most serious expression she had ever seen upon his face. “You can’t out lie a liar. And you have very specific tells when you lie.”
“We’re friends! Just friends, Malfoy" she claimed while averting her eyes from his now softened gaze. "It’s easy to pretend when…when it’s with friends…”
Stepping back as his head slightly bobbed up and down, he bit hard on his lip and assessed the brunette witch before him as she refused to meet his gaze. Frustrated yet again by her denial, he rubbed his hands roughly down his face before sliding them up into his hair, pulling slightly at the roots, as he shook his head and scoffed.
“What is it going to take for you to see me as someone who is more than my past? Than some stuck up pure-blood who used to pick on you as a kid? What more do I have to do to prove to you that I’ve changed? Gods, I am trying so hard here to be a good man for you, to be the right man, but you keep making things difficult and won't let me! Every damn time I think we have made some sort of progress in this 'friendship', you do a complete one eighty and go right back to how we used to act as fucking children!”
The bookworm finally lifted her hardened tear-filled gaze to the Prince, refusing to allow a single drop to slip from her lashes as she spoke.
“You never would have looked twice at me if we weren’t stuck here” she declared softly as a haunting quiet passed over the pair and it took the blonde a second to fully comprehend what the Gryffindor had said.
“Then you clearly don’t know me at all…”
“There you guys are!” Ginny interrupted cheerfully as she opened the barn doors and stepped inside. However, her smile turned into a frown when she felt the tension in the room. “What’s going on?”
Hermione lowered her head as Draco licked his lips while waiting for the brunette to respond with anything to prove him wrong, before flicking his gaze to Ginny, who had a worried expression set in her brown eyes.
“Nothing, Red…” he claimed as he glanced back to Hermione sorrowfully, trying to give her one last chance to admit she liked him, as more than a friend. But when the brunette continued to keep her eyes averted, the blonde held back the heartache he was feeling and nodded ever so softly. “Just like always…nothing will ever go on between us…” he stated dejectedly before walking past Hermione who finally looked to him and exited the barn in anger.
“Where are you going? Julia wanted you to tell her a story!” the redhead yelled as Draco continued to storm off past the house.
“I need to take a walk before I say something I’ll later regret!” he yelled without turning around.
“What the hell happened?” Ginny inquired as she looked to Hermione in confusion before seeing the fire brewing in her best friends’ misted eyes. “Oh, no…” she whispered gently before trying to think of something to calm the witch down. “There are no books in Azkaban, Mione!”
The Golden Girl snapped her eyes to the redhead before she looked back to the entrance the blonde Slytherin had walked out of, leaving her alone once again…just like he had back in Knockturn Alley.
“Thanks, Gin…But we’re not in 1999 anymore…No one would know if I killed him” she affirmed sarcastically before walking out of the large animal shed and back up to the house.
“Mione, wait! What happened?” Ginny called out as she followed her friend after picking up the rag doll laying on the ground.
Forcefully opening the door, Hermione stormed into the kitchen with tears begging to fall from her eyes as Blaise and Julia abruptly stopped talking at the table and glanced at the witch perplexed.
“Where be Mr. Draco?” the teen asked when she noticed Draco had not returned with the women. “Is everythin alright?”
“Not now, Julia” Blaise stated as he looked at Hermione hovering over the counter breathing hard.
“But he was supposed to bring thy doll…”
“Draco needed to take a walk, Julia” Ginny cut in before handing the doll over. “Why don’t thee go play in your room for a moment and I will be in in a minute, alright?”
Nodding her head slowly, Julia stood up from the table and walked towards the stairs to go up to her room but stopped in the hall near the front door when she heard Hermione begin to explain that Draco once again left her before she could explain anything. Now knowing that the pair had fought, Julia thought she could find some way to help them as she liked the couple very much. Setting her doll at the base of the steps, she quietly snuck out the front door and began to run down the road looking for the blonde Prince; never realizing however, that Ann Putnam, who was debating on when she could fake a witch attack while Hermione was near, saw the Hamman girl racing down the dirt street, unaccompanied.
“Tis too easy…Two birds…one stone…” she grinned wickedly before following the outcast teen she thought was absolutely annoying.
Friday, May 7^th, 1999
“What are they doing?” Theo asked with his arms crossed as he and Ron stood near in an alcove of books and stared at Pansy and Harry reading while laughing together.
“Apparently, their friends now…” Ron scoffed as he rolled his eyes and replaced the book in his hands on the shelf.
“When the hell did that happened? Why did that happen, actually?”
“Last night-or, this morning technically, after you all came in the room during that…well whatever that was.”
“Well it does explain why she was asleep in your bed” Theo shrugged before his uncaring thought turned to anger when he saw Pansy lightly brush her fingers across Harry’s forehead to see where his fading scar laid. “What-the fuck-is she doing?” he inquired with gritted teeth.
Theo may have seemed to dislike his Slytherin housemate, but he was only pretending because he knew Pansy liked Draco. The lanky brunette was all about loyalty and refused to show he actually fancied the girl in case his mate ever changed his mind. But now Pansy was flirting heavily with Harry Potter and he began to feel betrayed after all the times he had shown her true kindness. He had let the girl into his home and sleep in his bed various times when her parents would argue in front of her, even going as far as to hold her as she cried in his arms. And now she was tossing both him and Draco to the side like they meant absolutely nothing to her, all for the Wizarding Savior who had just became her friend.
“Hold up, Nott!” Ron claimed as he quickly grabbed the arm of the Slytherin who apparently wanted to break the duo up. “I learned the hard way…many times, to not just go barging in there. It’ll only end badly for you. If you actually like her you need to not show your…well your Slytherin side.”
“Get off me!” the brunette demanded while ripping his arm free of the Gryffindor’s grasp and storming up to the pair joking about something they had just read. “What the bloody hell is going on here, Pans? Why are you flirting with Potter?” he asked with a clenched jaw.
“I beg your pardon?” Pansy questioned, completely thrown back at the sudden interruption. “We are just talking, Theo. And last I checked I can speak to whomever I wish. I don’t need your approval to have a conversation with Harry.”
“Told you…” Ron whispered, making Theo scowl at him before looking back to the raven-haired Slytherin.
“So, you’re calling him by his first name now?”
“Harry!” Ron cut in.
“Yeah, Weasley, I know his damn name!”
“No, Harry!” Ron pointed before rushing over to his best friends holding his chest as he appeared to be unable to breathe. “Harry, what is it? What’s wrong?” the redhead panicked causing everyone else in the room to look up as his best friend stumbled backwards, knocking over the chair he was sitting in before falling to his knees.
“Harry? Harry!” Narcissa stated in alarm as she dropped the book in her hands and raced to the Golden Boy, before cupping his face in her hands. “Harry! Harry, tell me what’s wrong!”
“What did you do, Theo?” Pansy demanded to know as she helped Narcissa steady The Chosen One.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“I-I can’t…” Harry began through deep gasps. “I-I can’t brea-breathe…I-I can’t” he inhaled a deep breath as a wave of fear washed over him that didn’t fully feel like his own, “I can’t see!”
“Oh, no…” Thorfinn declared in almost a near whisper.
“What, Rowle?” Narcissa pleaded as she began to bring out her wand. “You know what’s wrong with him…? Answer me, damn it!”
“What the-What’s going on?” Molly cut in as she and Elizabeth stepped into the Library and witnessed the shocking scene before them as they rushed across the room in order to try and help.
“He’s fine…” Thorfinn stated rather calmly. “Well, I mean as long as Draco is fine…”
“What do you mean ‘as long as Draco is fine’?” the former Slytherin Queen snapped as Harry almost collapsed in her arms. “What is happening to Harry? What is happening to my son?” she yelled in terror.
“Nothing that I know of…At least not yet. I told you this would happen, Cissy. Potter is beginning to have a vision.”
“This is the beginning of a vision?” Molly challenged as they all watched Harry’s eyes roll back before his head suddenly slumped forward and everyone grew instantly quiet.
All the while Draco sat alone in the darkening woods at the base of a large oak tree, as he tried to think about his happiest memory. Only one ever came to mind anytime he tried to produce a Patronus, but the memory of his mother’s joy when they both discovered they wouldn’t be sent to Azkaban thanks to Harry and Hermione’s testimonies, wasn’t working. He was still too angry at once again being hurt by Hermione’s words, or lack thereof, and it was apparent the memory wasn’t powerful enough anymore.
Though he had calmed down since he had walked away from the witch, he for some odd reason desperately wanted to please, he still couldn’t suppress the pain he felt. He thought he had done everything right but wondered if he could show her that an ex-Death Eater was capable of producing the most powerful light spell in all of the Wizarding World, then maybe she would change her mind about him. He just wanted to show her, he was worthy of her affection. What more could he do besides grovel? Not that he would. Even if she ended up being the love of his life he would never stoop as low as groveling…
“Did I just think about love? Salazar, I have officially lost it…” he whispered aloud to no one while throwing his head back against the bark of the tree, though completely unaware that one small brunette muggle was watching him.
Shaking his head as he tried to think of another memory to try and calm his building anger towards Hermione, a sudden thought about her lips against his in Pompeii, unwillingly rose to the surface, and he replayed that moment over and over again in his mind. Giving in as no other memory wanted to come to him, Draco sighed heavily as he focused on the kiss and whispered the two words a former Death Eater should never be able to speak.
“Expecto Patronum…” he uttered soundly, but as Draco expected a shapeless cloud of mist to burst forth from the tip of his wand, like it had countless times before, a blinding, brilliant, silver animal flared into the air, startling him.
A bird-like creature silently flew through the air as it flapped its massive wings and the Prince had to squint his eyes in an effort to see what it was. It took him a few seconds before understanding that he had not only preformed a corporeal Patronus for the first time, but that his Patronus…was a Eurasian Eagle Owl, just like the one he used and still uses, at Hogwarts for mail.
Staring at its magnificent beauty as the Owl continued to fly through air, Julia stared with wide eyes and a slacked jaw in utter amazement. She had never seen something so marvelous and dazzling in her entire life. Though she wasn’t scared of Draco and the magic he had just used but instead found herself fascinated at what else he could do…and idly wondered if the rest of his group, knew he was a wizard.
“Julia Hamman!” Ann called out when she noticed a bright light and the girl peeking around a large tree. “What are you up too?”
Julia quickly turned her head and shushed the Putnam girl before she gave away their position, when an idea on how to get the girl to be her friend, came to mind.
“Come here!” she whispered while waving the raven-haired girl to her. “You must see this! Tis but a beauty to withhold!”
Raising a brow in confusion, Ann cautiously stepped up to Julia, whom she still did not like, and looked around the tree to witness Draco with a long stick in his hand as he appeared to control a large bird in the sky. Her eyes went wide in fear when she suddenly realized what she was witnessing. Breathing heavily while stepping back a few paces, her eyes darted to Julia, who glanced at her perplexed, as a thousand thoughts of how she no longer wished to marry someone who was a witch, crossed her mind.
“Get away from him, Julia Hamman!” she ordered as she continued to step back. “Tis Satan’s work! Tis a sin!” she yelled before running away in absolute terror.
But unfortunately for Draco, he didn’t hear the dangerous words uttered as he was too focused and fully captivated by the Owl now resting on a branch in the tree across from him. It wasn’t until a few minutes later, after renewing the charm, that he suddenly felt multiple strong hands grab him and place a heavy, unbreathable, burlap sack over his head.
@Saxman66- Although I did answer some of your questions in the email, I wanted to reply to the ones you have asked as well as your review on this chapter. Thank you by the way for your kind words and I understand wanting more action to happen on the Queen Anne's Revenge, but in all honesty, that specific era was just a filler and to provide the group with a short safe haven so they could find the riddle and get prepared for the first Big One. Hermione also is very smart and there will be many instances that she will remember a part of history throughout this fic without having to look at her book. As for Pansy and Harry, I am planning to have them together, whether it is just as friends or something more, I haven't decided yet, but I never actually thought about the Slytherin/Gryffindor alliance until you mentioned lol. Something I will have to keep in mind.
@1_Luv215- Thank you so much! I hope I did this first part of the era justice for you!
@Keiara_Brinn- Love, I am 30 years old writing fanfiction lol, you can enjoy anything! I welcome the read and I am so happy I am able to help you fall in love with a story! Do not let anyone, including yourself, say you are too old to enjoy anything! Thank you so much for your review and I hope to see more from you :)
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The Paths We Take