The Lost Timeline | Dramione | ✔

#25 Curious Scents

The days that followed were somewhat joyful. The cloud that hovered over Draco had dissipated somewhat, though he knew that he hadn't been exempted from the task set for him by the Dark Lord, not having a constant reminder helped immensely. However, the coming holidays dampened his spirit with every day that drew it closer.

"Christmas with the Malfoys," Harry mused, "I wonder what that's like."

Ron sniggered at the thought of Voldemort sitting at the table with "dinner being served with a side of torture."

"It's not funny, Ronald. Can you imagine what that must be like for Draco?" Hermione said without looking up from her homework.

The three were spending the evening in the Gryffindor common room. With Christmas looming, everyone else was off enjoying the festive mood, and only Hermione felt it necessary to spend the remaining few days revising.

"Oh, lighten up, Hermione. He's probably relieved he doesn't have to pretend to be your friend anymore." The moment the words left his mouth, Harry knew that Ron went a step too far because Hermione's face immediately darkened.

She shut her books with a bang and stood up stiffly, "I guess I'll go see how our not-friend is doing, give him a little something extra to bring home." She said sarcastically and slammed the portrait behind her. The two remaining boys heard muffled cries of indignation coming from the Fat Lady.

"What's her problem?" Ron asked with a look of disbelief at Harry.

"Haven't got a clue, mate." Harry replied flippantly while his insides churned.

Meanwhile, Hermione made her way to the seventh floor, wondering if she was silly for thinking that he might be there. It was near the holidays, after all, and if she recalled correctly, he often spent the time terrorizing first years with his crew.

But, Hermione reminded herself, he hasn't been spending much time with them lately... It did beg the question whether the rest of Slytherin knew what Draco was up to, and if they were secretly laughing at her behind her back for her naivete and trusting Malfoy of all people. But, gritting her teeth, she chose again to believe in herself and she believed that she saw something in Draco that he never revealed to other people.

When she opened the room, she discovered it to be empty, and while she wasn't surprised, disappointment filled her anyway. She walked towards Draco's corner and lightly brushed her fingers across the spines of the books that filled the area.

Many didn't have any titles and out of curiosity, she plucked one book out of the shelf and opened to a random page, "... non-magical population are largely intolerant of the wizarding community... the victim was reportedly subdued with paralysing drugs and suspended in water... verified by the injuries upon her body which has since been ruled out as self-inflicted..." Horrified at what she was reading, Hermione stuffed the book back and it was through a renewed perspective that she eyed the collection the Room had supplied Draco with.

She took another book and began shifting through the pages, looking for evidence of more horrors, and she found them. Journals and research papers on human experiments attempting to strip magic from witches and wizards with failed trials and stolen babies. It was a world that Hermione had never dreamed of, the flip side of the coin that she hadn't considered could exist.

There were also books about dark, blood magic on gaining power. The authors that penned these books documented the most disturbing spells and potions with a mechanical purpose that almost felt unfeeling... But there were also autobiographies that were heartbreakingly passionate, calling for reform and condemning the muggle population for their intolerance and cruelty. It was easy to see how the non-magical community was a threat that should be eradicated. Wars, famine, and the unkindness they do to one another.