525.600 Minutes: In Truths That She Learned, or The Times That He Cried

Chapter Twenty One

Hermione slowly opened her eyes. The red and purple sky gave light to the white morning that met her eyes. The sun was burning red and mysterious through the clouds as it began to rise. A thin, white blanket lightly covered the Astronomy Tower and herself. Gaining awareness of her surroundings she realized that her head was resting on something comfortable and warm. The thing began to shift and she realized that it was the reason she had woken up. All to suddenly the being moved and Hermione's right side met the ground.

She groaned as she slowly lifted herself back up to meet the eyes of Draco Malfoy, a smirk plastered on his pale face.

"Im, 'onna 'ill oo fer tha' un." Hermione mumbled as she rubbed the sleep and snow out of her eyes. Unexpectedly, Hermione was picked up and she felt her feet touch solid stone ground. Her eyes adjusted and she finally took in her surroundings.

She and Malfoy were still on the Astronomy Tower, the sun was a beat red and was rising through the clouds and into the sky. A new, thin blanket of snow covered the grounds, the castle, and herself. She turned her attention to Malfoy who was, also, complete covered is snow. Except, that is, for his left side and shoulder, where Hermione had recently been lying. Malfoy began to wipe the snow away and Hermione followed suit, turning her attention to the grounds.

She could see Hagrid's hut in the distance, smoke billowing from the chimney. She could just make out the giant form of Hagrid in front of the hut, watching on as his dog Fang pouncing in and out of the snow. Her gaze turned to the forest. Where she could see a lone Thestral fly out of it's depths, circle in the air, and then dive back into the forest.

"Wha' time is it?" Hermione asked through a yawn.

"7:45." Malfoy simply replied. Hermione groaned. She had intended to sleep to all ends of this day. Malfoy gave a small chuckle.

"You know, Granger. You're really a sight in the morning." he said, trying not to laugh. Hermione looked at Malfoy with a I'm-likely-to-kill-you-look-if-you-even-think-about-saying-something-else, which only made Malfoy want to laugh harder.

Her eyes were half closed, and hazy. Her hair was disheveled, and frizzier than usual. Her shoulders were slouched and she could hardly stay on her own two feet. Plus, the freezing weather didn't help her demeanor either. Her skin was a rosy red, snow covered her, she was sniffling, and shaking slightly.

"Come on," Malfoy said through a grin. "It's freezing and breakfast will start soon."

Hermione gave a slight huff, and followed Malfoy through the door of the tower just as the sun fully lit the new day's sky.

Hermione stared into the light of the kitchen fire. The mesmerizing, dancing flames that seemed to calm her body. Dinner was going on above her and she was slightly embarrassed to be the only one eating at the Gryffindor table, as she was the only Gryffindor left in the school. So she found herself in the kitchens.

She didn't mind. She didn't want to face anyone at the moment, not really. She just felt like being alone. So many things had gone wrong. Her parents were not supposed to have been attacked and her father was not supposed to be dead. How was it that when everything finally seemed to be going right for once, one simple event had to mess it up.

Her brain began to turn as she looked for an answer to her problems. Not wanting to think about anything, Hermione got up and moved to sit on the rug in front of the fire and let the flames hypnotize her.

She sat cross legged on the rug and before she knew it she lost control of the her mind. She was learning how to ride a bike....she was opening presents on Christmas...she was eating chocolate's from a box....she was sitting at the movies...she was blowing out candles on her birthday cake....she was sitting on her father's knee as he read her a story....