Fated Lovers

Third Year, Hogwarts
Astrology tower | Divination Class. 

Professor Trelawney was annoying as hell and she freaking hated Hermione Granger.

‘It's mutual’, Granger thought. Divination classes were useless, it reminded her of those muggles who tried to scam people by reading their future, and coming up with general information so they looked like they in fact, knew their future. 

She had argued many times with Trelawney, that she didn't want to study a subject that was so focused on personal interpretation. A black cat for example, could mean the best thing for Hermione (who loved cats) while for others it would mean bad luck.

Trelawney would argue that it wasn't mere interpretation, it was the feeling you got while doing the reading which mattered, and that since divination was on Hogwarts curriculum, there was no way Hermione could back out of it. 

The truth was, Hermione Granger was a very factual person. She couldn't let her own feelings decide what was right or wrong. It wasn't her way. 

Other students could read a few things and let fate and intuition decide the results of their exams, but Hermione couldn't. She needed to gather all the information, study everything and be covered for any topic they decided to test her in. 

That was the thing she hated the most about divination. She was sure any answer would fit Trelawney’s expectations, and it filled her with rage, not being able to control her knowledge. 

That day, Professor Trelawney decided to make something new. Every ten minutes they would change partners and read each other's futures. The way? They could decide which. Hand reading, Tarot cards, Tea leaves, Crystal ball. Everything was stupid for Granger, she would let the other person choose. 

Her first match was Luna, who chose the Crystal ball. Inside of that, there were different shapes of animals, and a house in the middle of a deserted hill. “You'll be a good mazoologist and you'll see your father soon, he'll be proud of you.”, lied Hermione. She was making it up, expecting her lies to at least sound like something that could happen. She knew Luna loved animals, especially the weird ones, so the idea of her being a mazoologist wasn't too far away from the truth. She also knew her father lived in a deserted area, so it fitted right.

Then, she was paired up with Ron. At that time, Hermione wasn't sure about how she felt about him. There was one good thing about it, she knew Ron well enough to pretend to read his future. She let him choose, and as hungry as he always was he chose the tea leaves, just to drink it with some cookies. Once he finished she looked at the leaves. 

It was weird, Hermione thought. She was actually seeing something. There was a girl, two girls to be exact. She had a feeling one of them was Lavender Brown, who Ron was currently dating, but the other, she wasn't sure. In the middle there was a red dot, the only one in the whole cup. It came to her mind the thought that the red dot was actually Ron.

What was she supposed to say? That he would have to choose between two women? It would get Ron's ego entirely boosted and she would regret it afterwards. She decided to lie, and scare him a bit, saying he would have to deal with two teachers and he would probably fail the two upcoming tests. She pretended to be shocked while telling this, and Ron, as naive as always, believed her.

Her third match was unexpected. Draco Malfoy sat in front of her with a disgusted look in his eyes. Hermione thought it was about her being a Muggle but she soon realised Draco wasn't a huge fan of divination either. 

“Let's get this over with.”, he said in a low, hurried voice. As she was about to make him pick, he added. “Choose one, I'll do your reading.”

She didn't know what to choose, so she quickly said. “Hand reading or tarot, pick whatever you want.” 

“Hand it is, then.”, he said while grabbing her wrist. “Let's see what fate has in store for the brightest witch of our age.”, he added in a mocking tone. 

Contrary to what Hermione thought, Malfoy's touch wasn't rough or cold. His hand felt warm and big grabbing her palm. He analysed her palm with a mixture of disdain and fascination, “Hmm… long life line. I suppose you have a strong constitution, or you're lucky I guess.”, he continued. “Ouch, your heart line is crossed by a few short jagged lines. Someone will have a complicated love life…”, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Or a particularly stressful exam session, in your case.”

She feigned a smile, not sure if that was a compliment or an attack. He didn't let her hand go, instead he looked at it very carefully, his finger tracing the lines. "Strong head line indicates a sharp mind, which is not a surprise for anyone.”, he added.
She looked at him, “Is that a compliment, Malfoy?” 

He smirked, “A statement, that's all.”

“Sure”, she mumbled in response. 

“I can tell you that your fate line is branched, it indicates a change of path, like a career change or a sudden trip. “, he kept going. “Who knows? Maybe you marry someone like Weasley and become a housewife, that would be a crazy twist.” 

“That's the most awful future you can foresee, thank you.”, she replied.

“Oh!”, he exclaimed. “You also have a star sign, this symbol near the base of your thumb. It's usually a sign of good fortune, but also a warning. Your luck is shifting.”

He let go of her hand and rested his back on the chair, letting his breath go, as If he was exhausted from reading.
Hermione sighed. “What does all that mean? Do you really believe in these things?” 

“I can't say for sure what it means, these prophecies are always a mystery.”, he began. Trelawney called everyone off the class so they could finally leave, and Malfoy stood up from his chair. “And if you're interested, Granger.. no, I don't buy a single one of these divination craps.” He said before walking away. 

It was during that class that Hermione learned it was possible to succeed at divination while not believing in it. 

Hermione woke up remembering that lesson, and she felt her body shiver at the thought of marrying Ron and being a housewife. Not that there was something wrong with being a housewife, she admired Molly's strength and capability to solve things and help each of her kids, but it just wasn't exactly the idea of a prosperous future in Hermione's head.

She wasn't sure what she wanted to be yet, she dabbled with the idea of being a teacher, a healer and an investigator, both in muggle and magical worlds. Gathering knowledge was her passion, and there was not a single chance she would decide to finish school, pass her exams and stay at home raising children for the rest of her life. That was impossible. 

Not only the idea of being a mother wasn't something particularly thrilling to Hermione, the idea of being a mother of a kid whose father was someone like Ron. Even less probable. Ron was an adult with the mind of a kid, raising a child with him as the father would be similar to raising two. 

She figured out, given the resolution of past events, that the future Malfoy read in her palm four years ago was pure bullshit, or in any case, it had changed for a reason. Hermione Granger left her dorm that day with the determination that if she saw Malfoy today she would ask him to read her palm again. 

Gryffindor’s common room was pure silence. It wasn't a normal case, thought Hermione, she had many times wished to have been sorted into Ravenclaw, only to have the sole chance of studying at peace in her own common room. 

She passed by a large group of gathered students, intending to leave the room. She heard someone calling. It was Harry. 

“Hermione!” he yelled, getting up and walking her way. “I’ve been trying to find you and talk to you. Can you spare me a minute?” 

She agreed and they walked up to a secluded corner of the room. They sat on a big comfortable sofa and began talking. 

“How long have we been friends?”, Harry asked bluntly. 

“Since first year, probably since our first week.”, Hermione replied. 

There was a silence between them, and contrary to Malfoy's silences, this meant Harry was mad. Maybe not mad, just disappointed. Hermione decided she would wait for him to talk. 

He took a deep breath and finally let out a sigh. “And after seven years of friendship you still don't trust me enough.” 

Hermione was taken back by Harry's comment. Harry was always Ron's best friend, and Ron was always Harry's. There was not a single doubt who was the third wheel in that friendship. The only moment where they argued, she got to be just a mediator between them, nothing else. 

“What?”, she asked, unsure of what she should actually say.

“I'm not Ron, Hermione.”, he added. “Yes, we are friends, and that doesn't simply erase the fact that sometimes, he's an idiot. But we're friends too, and it is not fair to just avoid me because of him.” 

She didn't know what to say, she just felt weird around Harry because of Ron, and she didn't even stop to think about the fact that maybe, just maybe, Harry deserved to know her side of the story.  “I.. I'm sorry, Harry.”, was all she said. 

“Is it true? That he cheated on you and it wasn't just a mistake as he tells us?”, he asked. He needed to know and it was clear, Ron didn't tell them the whole story. 

She nodded. “Lavender wore my clothes, they both used my bed. I would've done something terrible to both of them by now if it wasn't for Mal-..”, she stopped. 

“Malfoy”, finished Harry. “So those rumours are true? That you and Malfoy are… a thing?” 

Hermione was scared, unsure if it was because she was lying or because she thought Harry's reaction would be painful. Harry's expression was relaxed, like he was asking which teams are playing next week in the Quidditch tournament. 

She didn't give him a concrete answer. “It's… complicated.”, she began. “When Ron and I broke up, I was reading about hexes to make him suffer. He caught me, made fun of me and later found out Ron cheated on me.” Harry didn't interrupt, he just listened with curiosity and respect. “He listened to me, advised me not to do it because of my exams and then we shared some conversations in the library.” Hermione's sight was fixed on her own palm, like remembering the time he read her future. She looked at Harry, expecting him to yell at her. 

“It's okay.”, he just said. “You and Ron were never meant to be with each other.” 

Harry was Ronald’s best friend, yet sometimes, he could be a bit cruel. Harry saw first hand their relationship, if anyone other than Hermione could actually explain the fact that they weren't a happy couple, it was him. She remembered dinner at The Burrow, where she and Harry were always invited by Molly and Arthur Weasley. She remembered how she was the one to help Molly with the cooking, while Ron watched. She remembered how he judged her because she wanted to read a book instead of going to bed with him. The Burrow was a small place, everyone could hear Ronald making comments on her attitude, her behaviour or her clothes. Of course Harry would've too. 

“Want to know something fun?”, Harry asked her with a smile. She nodded in response. “He’s liked you since 4th year.” 

Hermione didn't find it funny at all. If Ron liked her, he also liked Lavender. And the most horrible thing was that fourth year was the year he made her suffer the most. She cried at the Yule Ball because of him. He had made her feel awful, he had made naughty comments on how Victor Krum probably wanted her to use her. 

“He’s an asshole, Harry. I don’t care how long he’s liked me, there’s no going back!”, she angrily replied. To her surprise, Harry’s face showed complete confusion.

“I wasn’t talking about Ron.”, he added.

“What?”, exclaimed Hermione.

“Malfoy, I’m saying.” Another uncomfortable silence. Hermione waited for Harry to go on, but he just pretended like whatever he tried to say was understood. On the entrance of the common room, Ginny Weasley was waiting for someone. “I have to go, see you later?”

Hermione didn’t want to sound desperate for more information on how he got to the conclusion that Malfoy liked her, so she just waved her friend goodbye.

She spent the rest of the day thinking about Harry’s comment. How dare he say something like that and then leave? Unbelievable. 

A side of her was a bit relieved though, now she knew her friendship with Harry wasn’t ruined and they could easily talk like they’ve always done. On the other hand, she felt slightly nervous now that she was on her way to meet Draco.

They agreed to meet in the Astrology Tower. It was a common spot for couples who wanted to make out under the light of the moonlight, so they could give the right impression by being there. Of course, their reason to be there had nothing to do with making out, they would do another session of study on Muggle topics. Lately, Draco Malfoy had shown an immense interest in Muggle subjects, and Hermione, as the fan of sharing knowledge she was, happily complied with all his requests. He had just recently found out about astronomy and more specifically, about NASA. He wanted more information on that, first moon landing included.

It was something that surprised Hermione, the fact that since she began teaching him about the muggle world, Malfoy became more human. He was no longer this know-it-all pureblood, he was now a normal, intrigued, man. 

Draco, on the other hand, felt bad about himself. He wished he actually had something to give Granger in return for all her shared knowledge. Everytime she came up with something new and interesting, he would be excited to learn about it, like a child who knows nothing. 

It was a bit painful, at least in his own ego. Draco Malfoy was a perfect student, and the mere idea of letting someone seeing him as ignorant as Hermione Granger was seeing him, it was horrifying. 

“So NASA is like the Muggle equivalent to the Department of Mysteries?”, Draco asked. 

Granger laughed in return. Comparisons were somehow always funny.

“Well, to be honest, you’re not entirely wrong.”, she said. “It’s an acronym that stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It’s from the US, they’re responsible for space exploration.”

“Which includes flying to the moon, I assume.”, inquired Malfoy. He was taking notes, like some sort of happy child. She nodded.

“Yes!”, she exclaimed. “In 1969 they successfully landed the humans of the moon. Neil Amstrong and Buzz Aldrin.”

Draco was impressed. “But… how? They’re muggles right? I guess there’s no chance to go on a Moon Trimmer”, he joked.
Hermione smiled, “Of course not, you’d die if you tried to fly through any layer of the atmosphere on a broom.”

“Atmosphere?”, Draco asked. She nodded.
“Well get to that later.”, she smiled. “The thing is NASA built a rocket called the Saturn V. It launched a spacecraft called Apollo 11 into space.”
“And they just… landed on the moon?”, he asked.

“Yes! Armstrong was the first to step onto the moon. He said a famous quote, ‘one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.’, or something along those lines.”

“That’s quite poetic”, commented Malfoy.
“Indeed. It was a monumental achievement for humanity. It showed that just by cooperating and working together, we could even get to something so far away as the moon.”
“Very nice quote, but just two minutes ago you brushed off my dream of flying to the moon in a broomstick," he joked.

“It’s called protecting, you should thank me.”, she scolded him.

They kept talking for almost an hour, covering topics like the atmosphere and all its layers, global warming and the idea of life forms outside of earth. When they were about to leave, Hermione remembered the palm reading. She doubted whether she should ask him or not, but Draco noticed she wanted something immediately.

“What is it, Granger?”, he asked. 

She thought for a few seconds, then went ahead. “Remember our third year at Hogwarts?”, she asked. He also thought for a few seconds and replied, “The year you broke my nose, how could I ever forget that?”

She felt guilty. “Yes, sorry about that.. Again.”, she continued. “Remember divination class? When we were paired up together for a reading?”

He nodded. “Yes, damned divination. I read your palm, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you said something along the lines of ‘maybe you’ll marry Weasley and become a housewife’, remember?”, she said with a raised eyebrow.

He began laughing. Now it had become a familiar sight for both of them, seeing each other laugh. “That reading didn’t age well.”, he said once he stopped laughing. “You didn’t actually believe the things I said, did you?”

“Of course not, who would believe their bully?”, she complained. “It’s not like I was the greatest fan of divination, either.”

“I’d say you were Trelawney’s biggest nightmare, but that would enlarge your ego.”, he smirked. “Want me to try again?” He looked at her as he extended his hand so she could place her own on it. “Promise I won’t tell you if it comes up that you’ll marry Weasley.”

“Please don’t.”, she gave him her palm with a smile on her face.

He grabbed her palm and analysed it, his touch was the same as she remembered, but tender. He traced the different lines with his finger and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Well, I guess not much has changed.”, he said. “The lines of your heart and head are the same, but a bit intertwined. You have a strong intellect and a deep emotional connection but they are now mixed.”, he said while he tried to gather more information. “Your life path is still straight, with the same branch, I believe you’ll have a major decision to make.”

“And what about my luck?”, she asked

“That’s a bit uncertain. Some ups and downs but overall quite positive.”, he explained. “Your love life still has plenty of drama in store, it seems.”

“I’m not surprised, honestly.”, she laughed. 

Malfoy saw something in her palm that he would rather not say. He wasn’t a believer of destiny and fate, and most of all, he didn’t want to give her the impression that he was trying to make her ‘notice him’. In her mount of venus, he could see his own initials.They weren’t exactly obvious to the sight, but someone with a bit of practice and good sight would probably see them. He wouldn’t say a word to Granger, in fact, he thought because they were spending a lot of time together, he might actually induce himself to see that. 

She was waiting for a conclusion, and if he kept on waiting, she would finally notice something was off with his reading. 

“Well, I guess that’s all. A bright future for the brightest witch of our age.”