Shattered | Hermione x Draco

Just Peachy

The alarm clock is loud and annoying as I slap it to silence. Hopefully this is the last day we need to wake up like this. We all groan and slip out of bed, sitting in a circle in the middle. Closing our eyes and taking a few deep breaths, calming and clearing our minds. My wand chimes and we speak the incantation together.

"Amato Animo Animato Animagus."

I gasp as I feel it is so much clearer than before. There is a second heartbeat, it is a lot slower than mine, but I can feel the power behind it. I keep focussing on my meditation, but I feel it. Tonight will be the night, there is expected to be a thunderstorm. Are the others feeling it too, that would mean that we are all ready.

We finish our session and get dressed. Every morning for more than the last week we spend our time in the Great Hall, bowing over big books. We use every spare moment we have learning about old magic and how we can increase our power. Daphne is amazing at brewing potions and experiments to make one that increases our magic for a longer period of time after drinking it.

I also try to teach them Occlumency, but Severus is helping me, he is still more experienced and a teacher. It is fun to work together, helping them build their walls and find the best strategy for their minds. After the first night Severus won't help Draco anymore, I guess he found some memories with me in it he doesn't want to see, he also refuses to help Theo, but I haven't found out why. It does make me curious. While Draco uses Malfoy Manor to organise his mind, Theo uses a bookshelf.

I can feel that all our efforts are working, their power is increasing, mine are also getting stronger. The pain from the torture curse was completely gone after three days, the potions probably helped a lot.

Daphne and Pansy join us at breakfast. "Did you feel the heartbeat too?" Daphne sits down excited. "It was slower than my own, I could feel them both!"

"Mine was slower too," I share.

"Mine was very fast, it felt like I was running but I still felt very calm," Theo beams.

"It felt like I was jogging, like being late for a class," Pansy shrugs. "I hate jogging."

"I can't wait to see what animal I am, maybe a dragon, they are very rare," Draco has a small smile on his lips.

"You really think you get your namesake as an animal?" Blaise laughs.

Draco sends sparks across the table, stinging Blaise, who only starts to laugh harder.

"We should learn to cast a Patronus after this," I beam excitedly, curious if our animals match.

The day goes by so very slowly, nothing exciting happens and I can't wait to have a decent night of sleep and not have to wake up before sunrise. It is also just in time for Christmas break and I still have no idea where I am going to spend it. Maybe I will just stay at school and enjoy the free time and read some books.

My excitement is rising at dinner and I can't even eat. Only a few bites of chicken, but what if I become a chicken tonight, that would be very awkward. We are taking a risk by staying together, we could become a mix of predator and prey animals, but we can become a pact if we all are predator animals. I did read some ancient texts about pacts with mixed spices, but it will be difficult and very dangerous.

After dinner we go to the Forbidden Forest waiting for the first flash of lightning. We sit in our little circle, waiting for sundown to repeat the last of our incantations. It takes hours for the first flash to light the sky. The magic around us magnifies, we quickly turn towards our hidden potions. The potion has turned blood-red, I uncork it and look around to the others. We nod toward each other and swallow the awful looking and tasting potion.