The Unthinkable

The Story Of Two Paths

Malfoy

"Are you sure of that Granger? Can you truly hold yourself long enough for us to work together for a common cause?" Malfoy ask her still not turning back to look at her. Somehow their last fight became a little personal and even if she says there will be no apology, he kind of felt she was kind of giving him a reluctant one, otherwise she wouldn't offer him to stay and it makes him feel... what? Glad? Relieve? Pleased? All of them at the same time? Oh hell, I have truly changed if I feel all that for an unspoken 'apparent' apology from Granger. He said to himself as he heard said Granger sigh, a bit closer to him than before.

"I don't honestly like you Malfoy but I think the feeling is mutual, right?" Was it mutual? Malfoy internally ask himself, pondering in the answer. In the past, the feeling was definitely mutual, but now he couldn't say that he didn't like her. What makes him dislike her in the past was first her mudblood status, but he no longer care about that prejudice and second, her know it all annoying top student title, which he kind of admired of her now. Of course, that was because he had a wake up call that makes him see his reality in the eyes of his new self, Granger though didn't have any reason to see him differently from before, so he understood her skepticism.

"Is there a but somewhere after that, Granger?" Malfoy ask her turning back to face her and despise his better judgment, he couldn't resist the urge to challenge her with his eyes. Hers were still red from the crying, but after staring at each other's for a moment, he was sure she has accepted his challenge head on.

"Yes. We can have a truce for the time being, if you are truly here to help us that is. I won't lie to you Malfoy, I don't trust you, but I can hold myself until the moment you prove that this is all a trap. If such time comes, then I will make sure you are very sorry for even daring to trick us. Is that alright with you?" Hermione asked offering him her hand in defiance.

Malfoy resist the urge to smirk. He has challenge her a second ago and now she was testing him and challenging him back at the same time. Offering her hand when in the past he would not tolerate been touched by a mudblood it was definitely a fair challenge on its own. Very clever Granger, but you will soon learn that I don't care about that anymore. Not at all. He thought while taking her hand on his and just to prove his point, he pulls her closer to him, lowering his head to just inches from hers and enjoy seen surprise on her chocolate eyes.

"Agree, we have a deal." Hermione involuntary blushed under his gaze before pushing him away to go back to her chair. If circumstances where any different, he would have laughed. The thought of Hermione Granger been the shy type of girl would have never cross his mind. Harry stood there watching the pair and something deep inside him thought that the new development could bring one of two things. Either disaster or salvation and just for a second, he wonders if Malfoy's challenge will shake Hermione's world in more than one way.

"Shall I continue the explanation? Last time I was... interrupted." Malfoy said glancing at Hermione which hold his gaze with a bit of a blush. Just great, are they going to act like kids from here on? Harry thought taking sit by her side. Somehow all that felt strangely familiar, like the time Hermione was mad with Ron for snuggling Lavender.

"That will be the best, you had a lot to explain. You said that I was going to be kill and that it wasn't Ron the Weasley who would follow my fate. Is that really written on the diary? How did Dumbledore knew all that? How did you even find us for that matter?" Hermione ask him, now giving him her full attention.

"Some... circumstances make the Headmaster ask himself what was coming for all of us in the future and before you ask what circumstances I'm talking about; I will urge you to read his diary. The Headmaster was facing some unforeseen problems that I doubt you will believe, specifically if I tell you, but trust me when I said that it changed many things and its makes him search for answers. On his search, reading very old prophecies no one care about and asking trusted seer he knew from long ago, he came to have a little glimpse of what the future could hold and write it all on a diary in a hope that it could alter even slightly our future. He entrusted the diary to Snape because believe it or not, Snape had become his right hand man."