Rewind for Reprieve

June 31, 1997

Everything plunged into darkness, the echo of Hermione’s voice was the only thing that can be heard throughout the void. Desperately, she called the names of her friends. However, it was only met with an eerie silence. Amidst the abyss, a faint figure appeared before her, jet black hair and piercing emerald orbs locked onto her very soul.

“Harry?” She ventured cautiously, her voice was quivering as she observed the figure at the distance.

With a slow and tentative approach, she confirmed her suspicion – it was Harry. She embraced him tightly, relief flooding her, “Harry, I’m so relieved you’re safe”

Abruptly, a chilling pool of blood began to pour. Hermione’s gaze darted back to Harry, but his eyes had vanished, leaving an ominous void in their place. His voice morphed into something haunting as he accused her, “You killed me, Hermione”

Shiver coursed down Hermione’s spine, goosebumps evident across her skin. She tried to flee, but Harry’s grip tightened around her throat, making her out of breath. As he lifted her from the ground, she tried to fight back but it proved futile.

Tears welled in her eyes as she pleaded desperately, “Please, Harry” Her voice strained, and her vision dimmed.

This is it, I’ll die here…

“For Salazar’s sake, wake up!” Hermione jolted awake, her senses snapping back to reality. She fumbled for her wand at her side, aiming it shakily at the figure in front of her. She shook her head vigorously to clear her blurred vision and her head throbbing with pain.

“The fuck?” A voice exclaimed, and as her vision gradually cleared, a pair of piercing ice gray eyes met hers. 

“Malfoy?” Hermione’s sight finally sharpened, revealing the unmistakable sour expression on Malfoy’s face. 

She lowered her wand, the bright sunlight momentarily blinding her as she gazed up at the sky.

She misses Harry, but she believes he is still out there, possibly still with Dumbledore. That gave her a small measure of relief. So, she takes a deep breath, savoring the new day.

You did something, Hermione, you kept Hogwarts safe, she thought.

“Granger, you do realize that today everyone is heading home for summer break, right?” Malfoy’s impatience was evident as he tapped his foot against the floor.

“And?” She replied while straightening her clothes and fixing her hair.

Malfoy continued to tap his shoes impatiently, his irritation growing. Finally, she turned to him with a puzzled expression.

“And?” She repeated.

“To jog your memory,” Malfoy replied with a sneer, “you’ve stuck me with you.”

A gasp escaped Hermione’s lips as the realization of what was about to transpire occurred upon her. She needed to formulate a plan for everything, especially the horcrux hunting, now that Harry was missing.

Don’t worry, Harry, I’ll find you.

“Umm, I’ll go home only for just a day and tell my parents that I’ll be going for a trip” She suggested as she descended from the astronomy tower, Malfoy followed closely behind.

“Then?” He asked, still searching for the explanation he wanted to hear.

She stopped and looked him in the eyes. “Well, you’ll have to come with us”

“What do you mean ‘us’?”

“Me and Ron”

“Fuck no!” Malfoy exclaimed, making Hermione cover her ears from the outburst.

“You don’t have a choice, I have already decided”

“Oh, yes, just like how you stuck us together without even asking if I want to be with you” He retorted sarcastically. 

“I’m sorry, okay?” She offered, and continued their walk.

“Look Granger, if you’re bringing Weaselbee with you, then I will bring my friends”

“What? I don’t trust your friends, Malfoy”

“And I don’t trust you too or that red-headed boyfriend of yours”

She’s about to reply, “He’s not my boyfriend,” but then she remembered that she’s in a relationship with Ron in the other timeline. She couldn’t help but wonder what would happen now that she had gone back in time. So instead of answering Malfoy, she remained quiet which caused him to scoff.

“Where are we even going, Granger?”

“To meet the ‘red-headed boyfriend’ of mine” She replied mockingly as she continued to walk.

There were a few students in the corridors, some still packing their things for the summer break. This reminded Hermione that she needed to start packing as well, but Malfoy also had to do the same.                                                                   

Harry had mentioned before to her that the Slytherin common room was near the dungeons, and since her common room was in a tower, it seemed they would have to accompany each other.

How frustrating. 

However, she knew that she had brought this situation to herself and Malfoy, so there was no point in turning back. If Hermione hadn’t witnessed his heroism in the previous timeline, she wouldn’t have trusted him. But now, she feels safe with him because he is a person with morale.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice a few students staring at them, intrigued by the sight of them engaging in a conversation.    

They continued walking until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Certainly, she was not saved from Malfoy’s constant nagging during their journey up the stairs, and now, as they stood in front of the portrait, Malfoy looked at her suspiciously.

“What are we doing here?”

She groaned in irritation, “We’re going inside the Gryffindor common room.”

“NO, I WILL NEVER GO INSIDE THAT DUMP”

“I BEG YOUR PARDON?” The two of them gazed at the fat lady whose eyebrows were furrowed. Hermione apologized for Malfoy and the lady then ignored them. 

She looked at him angrily. “30 feet limit, Malfoy” reminding him of their situation.

“Is there even a way to stop this curse?” He asked, clearly not apologetic for upsetting the fat lady. 

Hermione stopped and debated whether to tell him the truth. What if he ran away and informed others that she was from the past? What if Voldemort reads her mind? She shook her head to stop herself from thinking of those bad thoughts.

“I don’t know yet” she replied, lying to him. He scrutinized her, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. Instead of letting him figure her out, she avoided him by facing the portrait.

“Aestas confractus” she says, and the fat lady huffed before opening the way inside. The password always relates to the current situation, it was typical for a password indicating the start of summer break. 

Hermione walked inside, however, Malfoy remained rooted outside with both of his hands crossed. 

That prompted her to touch his arms and pull him inside. But her touch caused the young man to flinch, causing her to quickly retract her hands, her eyes widening.

“I-I’m sorry” she managed to say.

Malfoy glanced at his arms and then back at her, his reaction making her feel as though she were somehow tainted, unable to touch him. Her heart sank as she realized that despite his heroism, his pureblood upbringing still influenced his instincts.

“Are you going inside or not?” The fat lady interjected, ending their awkward standoff.

Malfoy finally moved forward, and Hermione followed. They enter the common room in silence, she’s determined to not let her emotions get the best of her, refusing to cry because of Malfoy’s prejudice.

Once inside, they were met by a chaotic scene of people arguing.

“As expected from Gryffindors” Malfoy commented at the sight.

Malfoy’s voice drew the attention of everyone in the room, and Hermione felt overwhelmed by their stares.

“’Mione?” A voice managed to say, she turned and saw Ron looking at her curiously and then shifting his gaze at Malfoy, his expression turning into anger.

“What the bloody hell are you doing here, Malfoy?” Ron angrily demanded, Malfoy’s smug grin infuriated him further but Dean managed to hold him back from dashing into the Slytherin's direction.

Ginny who was crying looked at her eyes red, while some boys stood up ready to confront the man beside her.

“Why did you bring him here, Hermione?” Seamus says, his angry expression towards her.

She hadn’t expected the common room to be filled with so many Gryffindors. She glanced at Ginny and the other girls who were comforting her, and it became clear why everyone had gathered there.

They were discussing Harry’s disappearance.

“Ron, can I speak with you?” She requested, refusing to be bothered by the presence of others around them.

Ron glanced at her and nodded slowly. He proceeded to walk towards an area where no one else was around. Malfoy followed them, which caused Ron to abruptly halt.

“Stay back, Malfoy,” he hissed.

“How scary,” Malfoy replied mockingly, feigning fear.

“Ron, he needs to come,” She quickly interjected to avoid an argument.

After a moment of contemplation, Ron gave Malfoy one last furious glare and then led the way to an empty room. Once they were inside, Hermione softly murmured, “Muffliato,” to ensure that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

“What’s the matter with you, ‘Mione? Why did you bring him here? We thought you were missing like Harry!” Ron asked, concern evident in his voice.

“I’ll explain it to you now, okay? So please let me talk”

“That’s a tough request for him, Granger,” Malfoy sneered.

“What—“ Hermione immediately cut Ron off when she shouted “STOP”

“No one will talk except me” she demanded, effectively silencing both of them.

“Ron, do you remember the injury that I got yesterday?” She asked and Ron nodded, waiting for her to continue.

“Well, I performed a spell that connected me and Malfoy together, and it required blood so I did it to both of us” She continued to explain.

“Why would you do that, ‘Mione?!”

"Look, I thought he might do something terrible, so I tried something to stop him. But I was wrong, and now we're stuck together," she lied, unwilling to reveal that Malfoy had attempted to bring Death Eaters into Hogwarts, as it would only erode Ron's trust in him.

She needed Ron to at least tolerate Malfoy because they would have to find Harry and undertake the Horcrux hunt together. 

The slytherin remained quiet, going along with her fabricated story.

"But he's always up to no good, why would you think differently now?" Ron managed to say.

"I know, Ron, it was foolish, and now neither of us has a choice," she admitted, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"I was the only one without a choice," Malfoy cuts in, but this time, Ron ignores him.

"Harry is missing now, and if you're stuck with him, then I'm sticking with you. I won't lose you too,"

Hermione smiled faintly and hugged her friend tightly, whispering a heartfelt thank you. Ron returned the hug, while Malfoy rolled his eyes at the emotional scene. When they pulled away from the hug, Hermione continued, "We need to find Harry, Ron. I've already made plans for the summer break. Will you go with me?"

Ron looked at her and then at Malfoy. "Of course, 'Mione. I want to find Harry, and I wouldn't want to leave you alone with him," he stated, pointing at the blonde boy.

"Oh, please," Malfoy scoffed.

"Thank you, Ron," Hermione smiled at him, then turned her gaze back to Malfoy with an irritated expression, to which Malfoy simply shrugged.

After finishing their conversation, Hermione informed Ron that she would quickly pack her belongings in her room. Ron mentioned that he had already packed his things and decided to follow her after noticing that Malfoy had no choice but to trail behind her.

“You look like a dog on a leash,” Ron commented to the slytherin while they walked towards the girls’ room.

"Well, you look like Filch, the ginger version," Malfoy retorted, causing Hermione to gag. Both boys noticed her reaction, which earned a smug grin from Malfoy and a disappointed "Mione!" from Ron.

"What? I wasn't the one who said that," Hermione defended herself, prompting Ron to respond with a dismissive "Whatever."

Ron stopped for a while in the boys' room to get his trunk. Leaving her and Malfoy alone was awkward and there was only silence until Ron came back with his large trunk.

As they walked past the common room, it appeared empty, except for Ginny, who stayed behind. When Ginny saw them, she stood up and hugged Hermione, crying hysterically.

"Hermione, Harry's missing," Ginny sobbed, and Hermione comforted her, saying, "We'll find him, Ginny. He's Harry, I know he's still out there."

After they broke the hug, Ginny wiped her tears and insisted on helping, but Ron disagreed, wanting her to stay at the Burrow during summer break. Hermione felt sorry for Ginny, considering her newly formed relationship with Harry.

"Trust us, Ginny. We'll do everything. Harry wouldn't want you in danger," Hermione reassured her, touching her cheek. Ginny nodded in agreement.

They continued to comfort Ginny until her friends arrived to support her. Hermione thanked them for rescuing Ron from his awkward attempts at comfort.

Before heading to her room, Hermione noticed Draco Malfoy curiously observing the common room. People around seemed to ignore him, but occasionally, someone would give him an angry look.

"It's so warm looking here," Malfoy commented, and Hermione thanked him for the compliment, but he clarified, "I wasn't complimenting it. I'm a snake, cold-blooded if I might add."

Hermione tried to explain, "Snakes are attracted to heat," which caught his attention longer than she expected. Awkwardly, she stood there as he stared at her until Ron intervened, allowing Hermione to escape to her room.

She knew that leaving Ron and Malfoy alone outside will only lead to senseless bickering. She hoped it wouldn't escalate to a physical altercation, that thought gave her motivation to quickly stow her trunk under her bed.

She pointed her wand at the trunk and performed a specific motion while casting the packing spell, and immediately her belongings arranged themselves neatly inside. It was one of her favorite spells due to its practicality, although sometimes she preferred packing the Muggle way for the tactile experience.

Hermione was so engrossed in her task that she didn't notice three pairs of eyes fixed on her strangely. Turning to their gazes, she found Lavender, Padma, and Parvati sitting together on one bed.

"Do you have something to say?" she questioned. The three of them exchanged whispers before Lavender finally spoke up.

"I thought you liked Ron, but it seems you're sleeping with Malfoy," she remarked, and they all giggled at the accusation.

Hermione was left dumbfounded by the unexpected accusation. In her previous timeline, she hadn't even attempted sleeping with Ron, and the idea of her being involved with Malfoy was preposterous.

"Silence means yes," Lavender added, provoking Hermione's anger.

"Mind your own business, Lavender. Oh wait, he broke up with you, that's why you're prying into mine," Hermione retorted, glaring at her accuser.

"What did you say?!" Lavender stood up, but Hermione simply ignored her and continued to carry her trunk. 

Before leaving, she paused in the doorway and delivered a parting shot, "Take my advice, if something happens at Hogwarts, hide" and then walked away.

As Hermione exited the room, she was met with the sight of Malfoy and Ron grabbing each other's collars. She let out an exasperated groan, causing the two to flinch and look at her in surprise.

"Are you kids?" she asked, not bothering to stop them, and continued walking. Malfoy and Ron reluctantly followed her. But then Malfoy walked faster until he was in front.

"This time, I'll lead the way, and you two will follow like the obedient followers you should be," Malfoy declared, to which Hermione simply rolled her eyes and allowed him to take the lead.

Ron responded with a defiant middle finger while they walked, earning a smirk from Hermione. 

Before they left, she glanced back at the common room, noticing that Ginny was no longer there, she had likely headed to the train.

Glancing at the clock, Hermione realized it was already noon, and they needed to hurry since the departure time was approaching. 

As they descend towards the dungeons. Hermione was thankful that most students were leaving, which meant there would be fewer Slytherins in the common room and fewer judgmental eyes on her.

While they made their way, Ron shared stories about Harry, clearly missing his friend. Malfoy remained mostly silent, occasionally sneering. It seemed that Ron had developed a certain level of tolerance for the blonde, as he was less agitated with him than he had been yesterday.

However, one particular story from Ron caught Malfoy's attention. "Remember when Harry and I sneaked into the Slytherin common room?" Ron reminisced.

Hermione tried to hush Ron, but it was too late, and Malfoy turned to them with furrowed eyebrows. "What do you mean 'broke in'?" he demanded.

Ron, unfazed by the Slytherin's reaction and against Hermione's attempts to stop him, continued, "It was in our second year, and we pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle." He chuckled at the memory. "When we met you, you were fooled pretty quickly."

Hermione observed Malfoy's vexed expression, reminiscent of their encounter at the Room of Requirement. She attempted to prevent the situation from escalating, but Malfoy had different plans.

In an instant, he lunged at Ron, throwing a punch at his face, and Ron fought back. The two ended up on the ground, exchanging punches.

"Immobulus!" Hermione cast the spell to freeze them, putting a stop to their brawl. She looked at them with disappointment on her face.

Both boys had bruised faces, and Hermione realized that it was thanks to her that the altercation hadn't escalated further. She had hoped Ron had developed some tolerance for Malfoy, but it seemed she had set her expectations too high.

It's even hard for me to tolerate him, I shouldn't expect Ron to develop it so soon.

Hermione then turned her attention to Malfoy, who was demanding she undo the spell, but she ignored his protests.

"Levicorpus," she cast, causing both of them to hang upside down for a moment before they fell to the ground. She stood in front of them, tapping her foot impatiently.

"The train is leaving any minute now, and we have no time to waste with the two of you," she scolded. "So, both of you will be silent while we go get Malfoy's trunk."

Ron gulped and nodded in agreement, while Malfoy shot her an angry glare. As they stood up, Hermione watched them closely, making sure they complied with her instructions.

Malfoy eventually began to walk ahead without saying another word, and Ron trailed behind.

When they arrived, she saw a metal door with snakes in it. Line in their common room, they needed to say the password before coming in. 

"Semper purus" she overheard him say, before the snakes moved and the door opened. 

Malfoy didn't bother with a welcoming gesture and strode forward as if he owned the place, Hermione and Ron reluctantly followed him. However, what they encountered made Hermione take a step back.

There stood Nott, Parkinson, and Zabini. Hermione's gaze first settled on Nott, recalling their previous confrontation. Then, she looked at Parkinson, who scrutinized her from head to toe with disdain, and cast a similar look at Ron. Lastly, Zabini merely regarded them, his expression surprisingly amused.

"Why are those two here?" Parkinson sneered, but Malfoy didn't dignify her with a response and continued on his way to retrieve his trunk.

Hermione tried to follow Malfoy due to the distance constraint, but Nott blocked her path. 

"What's the Mudblood and his pathetic boyfriend doing here?" Nott taunted, and Ron, seemingly ready to dash, was stopped by Hermione. He had already been in one fight today.

"Oh, it seems he already got into a little fight," Parkinson added, eyeing the small bruise on Ron's face with amusement.

Ron's face flushed with anger as he glared at the Slytherins. "You're all pathetic, still clinging to your old ideals."

The three Slytherins laughed in unison at Ron's remark, while Hermione simply observed them. Before Ron could speak again, Malfoy returned with his trunk, which made Hermione think his room couldn't have been too far away.

The Slytherins turned their attention to Malfoy. "Draco, where were you yesterday?" Zabini asks.

Ignoring the question, Malfoy stated, "I'm going on a trip. Who's with me?"

Nott grinned and agreed to join, and Parkinson said the same thing. However, Zabini explained that he'd be spending the summer break in France with his mother, and Malfoy nodded in acknowledgment.

"But Draco, what are those two doing here, and why do you have a bruise on your face?" Parkinson asked, turning her attention to Hermione and Ron.

Malfoy glanced at Hermione and replied, "You probably know that I failed the mission," which caused all three Slytherins to grow serious.

"What mission?" Ron whispered to Hermione, who could only shake her head, maintaining her deception.

"I don't have a fucking choice but to be with these Gryffindors. I'll be dead if I return," Malfoy continued.

Parkinson and Nott exchanged glances, and Theo Nott added, "You fucked up pretty badly, lad. Your mother even sent a letter during breakfast."

Hermione felt a pang of guilt, knowing she was the cause of Malfoy's troubles. However, she was grateful that Malfoy kept his explanation to a minimum.

"Alright, I'll still go. Fuck my father," Parkinson declared and hugged Malfoy, surprisingly, hugged her back. Hermione never knew he was capable of doing that.

"Do they always have to curse?" Ron whispered again which caused her to smirk a little. She shifted her attention again to them.

Hermione remembered hearing gossip about Parkinson and Malfoy's relationship for a while, and now she silently confirmed those rumors.

"Eugh," Ron remarked beside her, and she nudged him playfully.

She surveyed their common room, which bore a striking resemblance to a dungeon with its dominant green hues and decor. Every detail and feature seemed to exude pureblood heritage, in stark contrast to the warm and welcoming Gryffindor tower.

"Let's go then. I wouldn't leave you alone with these dull people around," Theo stated, picking up his trunk, making the others do the same.

As they exited the Slytherin common room, Hermione and Ron lingered at the back while the Slytherins strode ahead, completely ignoring their presence. However, they refused to let that affect them and created a little world of their own.

Surveying the now slightly empty Hogwarts, Hermione felt grateful that she had worked to keep it safe from destruction.

.

.

When they finally arrived at the station, it appeared that they were the last ones to board, earning them a few irritated glances from the other students as they entered.

The four Slytherins quickly occupied a compartment, leaving no space for Hermione and Ron. Hermione couldn't help but grumble to herself about their rudeness and selfishness as she and Ron settled into a nearby compartment, not far from Malfoy's.

Once they were seated, Hermione looked at Ron, who stared out of the window with a touch of sadness in his eyes.

"Missing Harry?" she asked gently. Ron turned to her, his expression heavy.

"Yeah, but I know he'll be safe. He's with Professor Dumbledore," Ron replied, trying to reassure himself. 

Hermione offered him a comforting smile, remembering that Harry had said something similar in the past, only for Dumbledore to meet a tragic end. She hoped this timeline would be different.

And she wished that her decision had been the right one.

Their peaceful moment was disrupted when Luna and Neville barged into their compartment, both of them eyeing Hermione and Ron.

"Hey, guys. We saw you earlier and thought you might want some company, especially when..." Neville began, and Hermione understood what he was about to mention.

"Harry will be fine," Luna gently declared.

"Seats?" Hermione offered, and the two of them promptly took a seat. Hermione felt a sense of nostalgia as Luna settled beside her. 

Ron, who wasn't as close to Luna and Neville as Hermione was, felt a bit awkward.

Hermione tried to kickstart the conversation for the group, and luckily, a minute later, they all engaged in a debate about who the best professor at Hogwarts was.

"Obviously, it's Professor Dumbledore. He's literally the headmaster," Ron asserted.

"I'd say it's Professor Sprout. She's fantastic in herbology," Neville countered, leading Ron to retort, "You only say that because herbology is the only class you aced." Their banter brought laughter, she thanked the presence of Neville and Luna as it lifted their spirits.

"Hmm, if I had to choose someone, it would be Professor Flitwick," Luna mused, and they all knew why she picked him.

Ron turned to Hermione, asking, "How about you, Hermione?"

"Professor Snape?" she answered innocently, causing Ron to burst into laughter and Neville quivering just from the name. However, Luna looked at her and smiled, recognizing that Hermione was telling the truth.

Severus Snape had been Hermione's favorite ever since she learned about his backstory, how he had loved Harry's mother and continued to love her even in death, ultimately saving her son. It was one of the most tragic stories she had ever heard. Now, she wondered if she could save Snape from his tragic fate.

There's a lot of savings I need to do.