“Please, sit down, sit down.” Dumbledore smiled as he motioned Draco and Hermione towards two red armchairs in front of his desk.
Hermione slowly lowered herself onto one of the chairs and crossed her legs; while Draco slumped into the one beside her and his arms crossed, deliberately making his face look bleak.
“Professor,” Hermione started, “how did you know that we were coming? You said that you were expecting us, but how can that be?”
“Yes, now that is a difficult question, Miss…”
“Granger, Hermione Granger. And this is Draco Malfoy,” Hermione answered, pointing to the sullen boy beside her. Draco merely scoffed.
“Yes, yes. Well then, that is a difficult question, Miss Granger. Believe it or not, it’s one that I will be more than happy to answer. But first, you must explain to me how you ended up in this certain…” Dumbledore paused for a moment, searching for the right word, “predicament.”
Hermione quickly explained their fight in Potions and what had happened when their patronuses had met, giving as much detail of the event as possible.
“What? You must have lost it, Granger! It was you who pushed my stool in the first place! It’s your bloody fault that we’re here!” Malfoy argued, rebuking Hermione’s version of the story.
“Oh, please!” Hermione cried. “Do you honestly believe that I don’t know it was you who wrote that six in my book! It was either you or one of your friends, or followers or henchmen or whatever you choose to call them!”
“Shut up!”
“Please! Both of you sit down!” Dumbledore asserted. His face was expressionless, but his commanding voice dripped with authority.
Hermione immediately pursed her lips, her cheeks faintly blushed with embarrassment for acting so childishly. Malfoy once again crossed his arms over his chest and his lips thinned to a perfect line. He looked like a resentful child who had been sent on a time out.
“My, my. The bond is stronger then I imagined.” Dumbledore mumbled, as though talking to himself.
“Bond?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Tell me, after you found yourselves in the empty classroom, did you notice anything different?”
“Of course I noticed something different! We were in the wrong bloody time period!” Malfoy quipped.
Hermione rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t even have realized that if I hadn’t pointed it out,” Hermione muttered under her breath.
Malfoy, having heard the comment, shot daggers out of his eyes at Hermione before being interrupted by Dumbledore.
“I meant, physically. Did you notice anything…new, shall we say, about yourself that had not been present before?”
“No,” Malfoy snapped.
Hermione shook her head.
Dumbledore smiled. “Hold out your right hands, please; palm up.”
Both Draco and Hermione slowly lifted their hands up and flipped them over, palm up.
Hermione gasped. In the middle of her palm was a silvery, white mark. The spot was continually changing in shape, like a pool of water, in the contours of her hand. It was almost luminescent and seemed to dance. She slowly reached her other hand to the silvery mark and carefully ran her fingers over its surface. Even though she could not feel the substance, it rippled and followed the graceful movement of her fingers.
“What is this?” Draco exclaimed, examining his own palm which adorned the exact same mark.
“Have you ever heard of Nunzio Richeart?” Dumbledore asked, a small smile forming on his lips.
Hermione and Draco shook their heads, still transfixed by the mysterious marks on their palms.
“I’m not surprised. Nunzio Richeart was the author of The Black Book. I call it that because it had no title and no recognizable characteristic other than its onyx black cover. Inside, Richeart described ancient magic and techniques that no modern wizard of his time could ever imagine; he described magic so complex and rudimentary that no one would take him or his book seriously. Now, granted, over time most of Richeart’s ideas and theories were proven wrong, but there was one that stood out, unproven, as a mystery lost in time. This is Animus Aduro.”
“Animus Aduro?” Hermione repeated.
“It means Soul Singer, or Singer of the Soul. Richeart explained that Animus Aduro was a significant and rare bond. Time itself predestines two people, called Heirs, to share this connection. The union allows them to live normally, until Time finds need of them, at which point they would become intertwined in both destiny and fate, and in heart and soul.”
“Wait a minute,” Draco interrupted, “what are you getting at? That I’m somehow connected to Granger?”
“That’s precisely what I’m getting at,” Dumbledore replied, “but I’m afraid it’s a bit more complicated. You see, according to Richeart, Heirs are not chosen at random, they are chosen for a purpose. The mark, or the bond itself, however, does not become active or prevalent until, as I said before, Time finds that the Heirs are needed. This brings us to the purpose, or job, of the Heirs.”
“Job? If you think that I’m going to perform some sort of service just because of this ludicrous mark, then you are sorely mistaken. No one and nothing will use me as a pawn in some game!” Draco affirmed.
“Mr. Malfoy, I understand that you are quite displeased with the current situation, but if you could kindly keep your complaints and rejections to yourself until I can fully explain the situation, then I will certainly see to it that you are heard afterwards.” Dumbledore stated with a small grin.
Draco immediately thinned his lips and grumbled something about respect and lack of under his breath.
It took all of Hermione’s concentration not to laugh at Dumbledore’s rejection of Draco. It’s about time someone put a needle to that oversized ego of his.
“Now, where was I…?” Dumbledore folded his hands on his desk and cocked his head to the side as if trying to remember.
“Ah, yes, your purpose. Well, the purpose of the Heirs is quite simple. We don’t know.”
Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise. “You don’t know?”
“It’s impossible to know for sure what you have been summoned to do until it presents itself to you. Time is a tricky mistress. We do know, however, that your being sent here was not an accident. Animus Aduro brought you here at this time because there is something that you must provoke or prevent; your being here is crucial to the formation or preservation of the future. I understand that this must be a lot for you to take in. Is there anything you wish to tell me or ask?”
“You have still yet to tell us where, or when, we are,” Draco pointed out in an annoyed tone.
“Ah, yes, so sorry about that. You are at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the year 1977,” Dumbledore stated quite matter of fact.
Draco’s eyes widened at this statement, though Hermione remained unsurprised.
“Have there been any others? Other Heirs, I mean,” Hermione asked, her left hand still drawing circles on her right palm as she spoke, disturbing the silver pool.
Dumbledore sighed, “It’s hard to be positive about how many there really were. There were never any specific records of this kind of thing. However, there are records of people throughout the generations who have had similar marks as the one you wear now. Most of these cases were either ignored or known as another mystery of the magical world that would soon be forgotten.
“But, that does not mean that there were not others before you. Who knows how many cases were never reported or discovered? Richeart believed that there would be one pair of Heirs for each generation. Whether or not they would ever be needed though was questionable. There may have been many Heirs who were never bonded because their services were never needed.”
Hermione nodded her head as she mulled over this new information.
Draco shook his head and leaned forward in his chair. “There must be a mistake. I mean, Granger? There is no bloody way that I am somehow ‘connected’ to that Mudblood!” Draco protested.
Hermione scoffed, “Well, there’s no way that I could be connected to a ferret like you, Malfoy!”
Draco laughed, “Oh please, you’re probably ecstatic at the chance to be bonded to me. Admit it, you find me attractive, even though there is no chance in hell that I would ever look twice at you.”
Seething, Hermione fought the sudden urge to slap Draco across his pale, sharp face. “Malfoy, you can say that everyday if you’d like, but it won’t make it the truth,” Hermione replied with in a smooth tone that masked her rage.
Dumbledore studied the two for a moment, resting his chin on his clasped hands.
“Hmm. Yes, it is strong indeed,” Dumbledore softly remarked.
Hermione, after glaring one last time at Draco (who replied by maturely sticking his tongue out at her), turned back to the speculating Professor.
“Professor, earlier you mentioned that the ‘bond’ was stronger than you had imagined. Now, I assume that you were talking about Animus Aduro, but how did you know? That the bond was strong, I mean,” Hermione inquired.
The Headmaster smiled and directed his eyes thoughtfully at the two students sitting across from him at his desk.
“In time, when you are ready, you will know. The heart has a funny way of showing itself Miss Granger.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Draco asked as he glared at the cryptic Professor.
Dumbledore merely smiled once more and his eyes suddenly brightened, as though he had just remembered something so important that it was funny that he had forgotten it.
“Now, it seems that you two will be staying here for a while, so there are a few things that need to be done. First, your names,” Dumbledore began.
“What about our names?” Draco asked defensively.
“Well, they need to be changed. You said your name was Draco Malfoy, correct?” Dumbledore confirmed.
“Yeah, so?”
“Then you cannot very well go parading about as a Malfoy, a well known wizarding name, when you haven’t been born yet. You’ll create an even bigger spectacle.”
Draco looked like he was about to protest, but was cut off by the slamming of a large, red book on the Professor’s desk.
“Hmm, let’s see here…ah,” the Headmaster exclaimed with his index finger hovering over a certain line in his book, “Miss Granger, how do you feel about being Hermione Swanson?”
Hermione nodded her head in agreement, content with her new identity.
“Splendid. Now for you, Mr. Malfoy,” Dumbledore said as he flipped through half the book before stopping on a certain page and running his finger down the long list of names. “Hmm, how does Draco Elphinstone suite you?”
Draco choked on air for a second before responding, “Draco Elphinstone? What kind of a name is that?”
Hermione chuckled, “I don’t know, I kind of like it.”
Draco glared at Hermione and then back at the Headmaster.
“No? Well, how about…Draco Abendroth, is that better?” Dumbledore tried.
Draco shrugged his shoulders in modest agreement. Abendroth will probably be the best I’ll get, Draco thought.
“Brilliant,” Dumbledore exclaimed as he returned the book of names to its place on the shelf. “Now, I understand that you both have nothing but the clothes on your back, so I will see to it that extra robes and clothing as well as your necessary books and supplies will be purchased for you. What classes were you taking?”
Hermione immediately started rattling off all the classes she was taking, counting off each one on her fingers. The list was quite extensive.
“Advanced Transfiguration, Advanced Arithmancy, Advanced Herbology, Advanced History of Magic, Advanced Potions, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Advanced Charms, Ancient Runes…”
Dumbledore seemed unsurprised and nodded his head before turning to Draco and asking him the same question.
Draco sighed, “Same.”
Dumbledore brightened and smiled. “Splendid! You will each take the same classes and during the same period. We will sort out any complications if necessary after you are sorted.”
“Sorted?” Draco cried. “But, we already have our houses!”
“From now on, you both will be the new students from St. Patrick’s School of Magic in Ireland. This means that you will have to be sorted again in front of the school during the feast tonight.”
Draco grumbled under his breath.
“Now that everything seems to be straightened out, do you have any last questions?”
“Yes,” Hermione said, leaning forward in her seat. “When we first arrived in your office, you said that you were expecting us and you have yet to explain how. I mean, how is that even possible?”
Dumbledore raised his hand to his chin in thought. “I don’t know exactly. Whether it was from Animus Aduro or whether it was just a coincidence, I’m not sure. I was just expecting two students to come barging into my office today.”
“One more question,” Draco said. “Why did the collision of our patronuses send us back in time? Why the patronus in particular?”
“Hmm. That is another difficult question. I’m not sure whether it was the act itself of the patronuses colliding that sent you back or whether they just happened to collide at the exact moment that Animus Aduro brought you back in time. It is impossible to tell for now. Maybe later, we will know.”
Draco was still unsatisfied with this answer, but decided to back off anyways.
“Now, I have called our Head Boy and Head Girl to come and meet you here to show you to the Great Hall and help you become settled here at Hogwarts. Remember your new names and that you are transfer students from St. Patrick’s. You need to act as though you have never been here before.”
Hermione nodded. “Thank you, Professor.”
“Anytime, Miss Granger, and remember that if you ever need anything, I’m always available,” Dumbledore reminded with a smile. “Now, go down to meet your tour guides,” the Headmaster chuckled.
After Hermione thanked Dumbledore again and Draco grunted, the two made their way down the spiral staircase to the hallway below.
“Come on Evans, baby, just one date.”
“Back off, Potter.”
“Oh, feisty.”
“Honestly, Potter, what makes you think that I would ever go out with an immature prat like you?”
“You know, Evans, one of these days I’m going to prove to you that I’m not as immature as you seem to think I am.”
Hermione and Draco had heard the arguing of who they assumed were the Head Boy and Girl from inside the stairwell. They walked out into the hallway to see two students standing across the hall.
Draco recognized the boy as one of the two they had seen earlier. His hair was just as messy as before and he seemed to be messing it up more with his fingers as he talked to the red haired girl next to him. The girl seemed extremely annoyed by the boy’s futile advances and was carrying a book bag that could rival even Hermione’s in size, which was saying something.
Hermione immediately knew that this must be Lily Evans and James Potter, Harry’s parents. She tried to hold back tears as she and Draco walked towards them.
Noticing the extra company, Lily put on a smile and greeted the two.
“Hello. You must be the new students. I’m Lily Evans, Head Girl, and this,” she scowled as she pointed to the boy next to her, “is James Potter, Head Boy.”
James smiled as well and nodded at Draco and Hermione. “Welcome to Hogwarts,” James said. “You’ll love it here!”
Hermione and Draco nodded in return and introduced themselves.
“I’m Hermione Swanson, and this is Draco Abendroth. We just transferred here from St. Patrick’s School of Magic in Ireland,” Hermione explained.
“Oh, I’ve read about that school! The grounds looked gorgeous. Did you like it there?” Lily asked, genuinely interested.
“Yes,” Hermione stammered, “yes we did.”
“Then, what brought you to Hogwarts?” Lily asked.
Hermione tried to think of something to say, but was saved by Draco.
“Each of our parents just thought it would be better for us to finish our sixth and seventh years in a bigger school. Plus, it was hard to be challenged at St. Patrick’s,” Draco explained. He said it so smoothly even Hermione almost believed it was true.
“Ah, I can understand that,” James said and nodded his head.
“Oh, look what time it is! We should bring you up to the Great Hall for dinner and sorting. Follow me, it’s just up these corridors,” Lily said as she motioned them to follow her and James.
“After you, Flower,” James insisted and gave a low bow before the Head Girl.
Lily huffed angrily and glared at the Head Boy before stomping off in the direction of the Great Hall.
James, however, seemed undaunted and quickly caught up to Lily.
Draco and Hermione followed the Head Boy and Girl down the halls; although Draco did so rather reluctantly.
Hermione sighed as she walked, If only Harry were here, then he could finally meet his parents.
Just Another Time Traveler's Love Story by social loner
Chapter Notes: Yes, chapter 2 is up! Sorry about the wait, I'll try and get chapter 3 up sooner. Once again, thanks to my wonderful beta, no day but today, and my great friend, V, for their extra help!