13. Void

Author's Note: Well, it's almost been a whole month since I last updated, and I apologize for that. I have a ton of excuses: laziness, lack of ambition, forgetfullness, writer's block, AND alien abduction. Also, sickness. However, the sickness is very new (I just became sick earlier this week), but I brought it up to warn you all that I wrote a lot of this WHILST being sick (mostly all tonight), so that is why it is PAINFULLY short (especially compared to all of my other chapters) and lacking in plot. I imagine that you all prefer to read my flashback chapters (and I prefer writing them) to my present-day ones, which might be good in this case, because this short chapter is present day (meaning next chapter will be flashback, and probably long). But look at me, I'm going on and on and boring anyone who happens to read my author's notes. ANYWAY, I just wanted to post this tonight - short as it is - so that you all know I haven't given up on the story. Also, I have to warn you that it might take me quite a while to update with the next chapter, so if you don't see it up for a while, it's not because I've discarded the story. Okay, I'll shut up now. I talk a lot when I'm sick.

Oh, and thanks for all the reviews on my last chapter. It was my most popular chapter to date, and I have to say, it's been my most favorite chapter to write so far. :)

Disclaimer: Even when I'm sick, I don't own Harry Potter.

Draco groaned inwardly at the sight of Professor Dumbledore sitting in his common room – looking a tad bit infuriated, no less.

"Sir," he began, but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him.

"Did I, or did I not specifically tell you to stay in your common room until tomorrow morning?"

"You did, sir, but -"

"Well then why were neither of you here when I arrived? And why did it appear as though you just returned from somewhere you were not supposed to be?"

Draco sighed. He knew it was useless to lie, but he really didn't feel like explaining the situation either. "We went to Hogsmeade, sir. Don't worry, nobody recognized us. I made sure of that. Sorry." He made sure to mumble the last word.

Dumbledore nodded slightly. To Draco's complete surprise, the old man no longer appeared to be all that miffed about the whole thing. In fact, his features had softened considerably as he said, "Very well. I am disappointed that you disobeyed my orders, but there are more important matters to discuss right now."

He turned is attention to Hermione and smiled. "I have informed the staff of your situation. Most of the professors are perplexed, to say the least, but they seem very eager to meet you."

Hermione smiled at that.

"Now, I'm not sure if Mr. Malfoy here has informed you or not, but before your arrival, Professor McGonagall and I were in the process of appointing a new student as Head Girl."

Draco averted his gaze to the floor. With all that had happened in the past couple of days, he had completely forgotten about the search for the new Head Girl. He was a bit disappointed to find out the search was still on.

"Well," Dumbledore continued, "Professor McGonagall and I discussed it at great length, and in the end we both agreed that – if you're interested, that is – you could take over the role as Head Girl for the remainder of your time here."

Draco snapped his head up and stared in disbelief at the old man in front of him. Was he insane? It was one thing to appoint another student as Head Girl, but it was quite another to appoint some strange girl from another world – someone whom nobody even knew anything about.

"Sir," he interjected, "I don't think that -"

"I'd love to be Head Girl!" Hermione exclaimed.

Dumbledore seemed elated by her response. "I assume you were the Head Girl in your world, then?"

"Of course," Hermione said, beaming.

"Splendid." Dumbledore turned to Draco. "This will not be a problem, will it Mr. Malfoy?"

He wanted to say yes – that it would be a huge, monumental problem. But would it do any good? They had already made the decision. There was nothing else he could do but lie.

"No, sir," he mumbled.

"Very well, then!" Dumbledore said, getting up from the chair. To Hermione he said, "I will come get you tomorrow morning and we will go together to the Great Hall, where I will proceed to explain everything to the students."

Hermione nodded her head. A nervous expression adorned her features as she glanced over at Draco. He held her gaze for a brief moment before looking away.

He began to pace the room as Dumbledore said his parting words, barely listening to what the old man was saying. He watched as Dumbledore left, and he watched as Hermione's facial expression became more relaxed.

When they were alone in the room at last, she glanced over at him once more and asked, "So what exactly are my duties as Head Girl?"

Draco couldn't help it; he snorted at the question. "You weren't really the Head Girl in your world, were you?"

"Hell, no," Hermione replied with a giggle. "Hardly."

Draco smirked. "Tsk-tsk, Granger. You just lied to the Headmaster – and with such skill and total lack of morality."

Hermione mirrored his smirk and said, "Oh please. Like you've never lied to the Headmaster?"

"Oh, I've lied to him. I've lied to him a lot. But the real Hermione Granger – she never would have lied to the old man. Not unless it was for the greater good…like it would help save the world, or something ridiculous like that."

Hermione frowned. "Yeah, well…there are probably a lot of things the real Hermione never would have done that I've done."

Draco couldn't help but notice the way she said, "the real Hermione", as if the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I'm sure you're right," Draco said.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "You say that as if you know it for a fact."

"How would I know that for a fact, Granger? I don't know you at all."

"That's right, Malfoy, you don't. And I can see that you really don't care to."

"Should I? After all, you're just some clone of a girl I detested. Why should I think you're even worth knowing?"

He could see the muscles of her jaw contracting, as if she were clenching her teeth together. "You detested her, huh? I find that to be very interesting."

"Oh yeah? And why is that?"

"Why should you care about anything that I have to say?" She folded her arms across her chest and made a slight humph sound. It was so similar to the way the real Hermione would have reacted when she was annoyed. But Draco refused to let that fact soften him at all.

"I don't care, Granger. Look, we may be stuck with each other for a while, but that does not mean that we have to be friends. In fact, I'd prefer it if we weren't friends."

"Fine by me," Hermione grumbled. She picked up her shopping bags from the floor. "I'm going to go take a nap."

"Good idea," Draco grumbled in response.

Hermione pursed her lips and brushed past him as she headed for the bedroom. But before she exited the common room, she stopped and turned around.

"I know you don't like me," she said, "and that's okay, I understand. I'm not expecting you to like me. I also know that you don't want me here, and I understand that, too. But I am here, and the sooner you begin to accept that, the sooner maybe you'll stop hating me."

"I don't -" Draco began, but he stopped himself. He was going to tell her that he didn't hate her. But would it have been the truth?

"You do." Hermione shrugged as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "But then, why wouldn't you? I mean, you hated her, too."

As she spoke the last sentence, she lifted her gaze up from the floor and stared into his eyes with a strange look he couldn't quite place. But before he could try to read anything into it, she broke her gaze away as she turned around and headed out of the room.

Draco let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. So this new Hermione was very perceptive. Either that or Draco was just very obvious in his dislike for her.

He ran a hand through his hair as he plopped down on the couch. He wasn't even sure if he disliked her, though. He was wary of her. He didn't trust her. And he hated the way she had looked the first night she arrived – like a Slytherin trollop. But this morning, when he saw her with her hair all frizzy, and her body casually clothed…he saw Hermione. The real Hermione. The only Hermione who would ever really matter. That vision had nearly destroyed him. Because with the straight hair and the skimpy clothes, he could just tell himself that she was a mere look-alike. But with her other appearance, he knew it was very possible that he could let his guard down and let himself believe it was really her. Just like her friends were doing.

He groaned when he thought of her friends, because it reminded him that tomorrow the entire school would find out about her. How would they react? Surely, they wouldn't all take it as surprisingly well as Ginny. He imagined some of the students would be weirded out. Others would be mildly intrigued. And the Slytherins…well, his fellow housemates would most likely be thrilled, as he was sure a few of them, at least, missed tormenting Hermione Granger. And mostly likely, those few would waste no time in resuming the torment. And of course Draco, being the Head Boy, would be expected to put a stop to the shenanigans, once again making all of the Slytherins question his loyalty. He hated this. And this new girl was right – he hated her. He hated her for everything her arrival was going to put him through. And he hated her for who she was so close to being, but wasn't.

Suddenly, a nap was sounding nice to him too. If only he could fall asleep and wake up when the school year was over – or better yet, if he just never woke up at all.

He knew he should have scolded himself for having such negative thoughts, but he was too tired – physically and emotionally – to care what he thought.

Instead of berating himself, he puffed up a throw pillow and stretched out the length of the couch, taking a deep breath. He knew sleeping would make tomorrow come even sooner. But maybe that's what he wanted - to get it over with. To get the whole rest of the year over with and move on with his life. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine himself after graduation, post-Hogwarts. But he saw nothing. Nothing but a dark, empty void. The same void that currently occupied his soul, slowly sucking in and evaporating every bit of life still left inside him. The void that was left by the death of Hermione Granger.

The all-consuming darkness he saw, mixed with weariness, was quick to take over. Before he drifted off to sleep several moments later, he could have sworn he heard the soft melodic sound of Hermione's music box floating through the air, and the beautiful sound of her voice singing him to sleep.