A/N: This chapter may seem a little strange, but for everything there is a season. As such, it will all come together…eventually. So, please be patient with me.
I have probably 10 hours of overtime tomorrow, an office to move next week (everyone in our building is moving to a new building and we are packing, etc), overtime scheduled for next Saturday and vacation (away from home) for the two weeks following all of that. As a result, I do not know when I'll get to my next update. My hope is that it won't be too long. Worst-case scenario will be after the New Year. I have much more to tell in this story and I am enjoying the ideas that have been flooding my brain.
So, if you remain interested in this story, please have some patience. I promise to get an update as soon as I possibly can. I greatly appreciate each of you for reading and most especially for your reviews.
In the event that I don't make it before the New Year, I'd like to take this time to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and a safe, enjoyable New Year. H_HrFan.
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A Reality of Her Own Creation
Hermione awoke to the murmuring of voices and the feel of someone pushing rather painfully into her shoulder. "What's going on? Where am I?" She mumbled. She leaned to the side and slowly began to raise herself up. She could just make out two blurred images in front of her.
She released a huge sigh of relief as she lifted her hand to cover her eyes and dropped her head back to the floor. "Oh thank God." She said. "I had the most awful dream. I woke up in some weird place and…. Oh…you should have seen who was here. You're not going to believe this but…"
"Tell us Her-my-oh-nee." Interrupted the figure nearest to her, the same eerie sound of delight she remembered from moments ago still resonated in the voice.
"Yeah, Her-my-oh-nee. Tell us. Who was here?" The second voice echoed from a little further away.
At the sound of their voices she shot bolt upright and began to fervently rub at her eyes. "Ron? Harry? Wha…?"
"Ron? Harry? Wha…?" Mocked the now familiar voice of Millicent Bullstrode.
Hermione groaned and sighed, "It wasn't a dream, was it? You're really here?" She sighed again and her voice dropped as she whispered, "I'm really here." The last was not a question but a resignation. Too tired and overwhelmed to fight it, for the moment, she resigned herself to her fate.
Hermione did not have to look up to know who was attached to the voice that spoke next, "Why yes, dear sister," it spat, "there's no mistake. You truly are here…as are we. Trapped in a hell of your very own making." Wearily she looked up and found herself staring back at the face of Cho Chang. She was standing not far from her with a look of hatred and disgust easily discernible in her gaze. Both girls laughed at the flicker of defeat that flashed quickly across Hermione's eyes.
Their laughter once again sent chills down Hermione's spine and she had to find a way to stop it. She stood up and looked from one to the other as she asked the question that had been at the tip of her tongue since the moment she realized it was them, "Why you two?"
The laughter stopped and the girls returned their attention to Hermione. "Why not us?" Asked Millicent, irritation now replaced the delight in her voice.
Hermione was resolute in her desire to get an acceptable answer so she tried again; not really knowing if either of them could provide her with the answer she needed. "Well, do you even know each other? I mean, why you two…together? What are you doing here?" She asked. "Better yet, what am I doing here?"
Cho took a deep breath and for a moment Hermione thought she might actually get a straight answer. She was wrong. "Apparently you'll have to look to yourself for the answer to that question Her-my-oh-nee."
Well, that's helpful, she thought sarcastically.
"Yeah, asking us won't do you a damn bit of good. You brought us here. It's up to you to figure out why." Millicent informed her. She rubbed her hands together and then added, "In the meantime, I plan to relish the role of wicked stepsister that you've given me. You do remember the story of Cinderella don't you?"
Hermione was taken aback, "Cinder…but…I…"
She waved her arms as if to brush off whatever Hermione had been about to say. Then, in a haughty voice she replied, "Never mind. I really don't care. The important thing is that we know." She looked to Cho and said, "Are you ready for a little fun?" Cho nodded. Thankfully their laughter lasted only a moment before she turned back to Hermione and said, "Mother's getting angry. You've kept her waiting for far too long." She made a gesture for Cho to follow her out the door.
Hermione hesitated. Mother? She thought. What does she mean by mother? She made no attempt to move as she began to think about the story. Cinderella was always my favorite comfort story growing up. I don't get it. There's no comfort in this.
As a child she had known that the stepmother and sisters were wicked; it had said so right on the pages of the book, but their part of the story had never held any importance to her. As a child her version of the story was far happier. In it, Cinderella went from having a loving father straight into her happily-ever-after. Hermione had a wonderful, loving family so the path that Cinderella was forced to take to get her happily-ever-after had not mattered a great deal to her. The only thing that had mattered was the ending when Cinderella was with her Prince…
Wait a minute! She thought. The darkness that had overshadowed her since she had awoken seemed to dissipate as the dawning light of hope washed through her. Will this path lead me to my Prince? Is that why I'm here?
She had just begun to think of who her Prince might be when her thoughts were interrupted by Cho. "Stop standing there looking stupid. What's wrong with you anyway? We told you it's time to see mother."
"It would be wiser to just face it." Millicent said. "Although," her voice took on a different tone and her eyes became unfocused and dreamy as she continued, "keeping her waiting will make her angrier. It will be interesting to see what she does to you if her anger continues to build." She seemed to snap out of her daze. "Never mind Her-my-oh-nee. Stay as long as you like. Come on Cho. We'll just wait in the hall until Little Miss Oh-poor-me-what-am-I-doing-here-won't-someone-come-rescue-me gets her act together." With that, they laughed and Cho began to follow her out of the room.
"Wait." Hermione said. She had one more question that she desperately needed answered.
"Yes?" Snapped Millicent, obviously tired of playing twenty questions.
Hermione hesitated for just a moment. Although she knew it was highly unlikely that either of them would answer, she swallowed hard and asked anyway, "I need to know…before we go in there…I mean, you two are here…and … well … can you tell me who this mother is that you keep mentioning? I mean, you know we're not really family. Why do you keep referring to her that way and who is she?"
Millicent and Cho exchanged glances and quietly laughed. Shaking her head, Cho answered, "Once again, Her-my-oh-nee, you're going to have to look to yourself for the answer to that question. Beyond this, there is nothing that we can tell you…in the story of Cinderella there is a stepmother and two stepsisters. You have chosen us to be your stepsisters just as you have chosen the one to be your stepmother. This is a reality of your own creation… or, if you prefer, your own personal hell. As to the rest of us, we're just along for the ride."
Seeming to take pity on her for a moment, Millicent took a deep breath and asked, "Were we the last two people you expected to see here?"
"Yes." Hermione said as she nodded. "Especially the two of you together."
"Well it only stands to reason then, doesn't it?" At Hermione's confused expression she continued; talking slowly so Hermione could absorb every word, "Mother is the one you would least expect her to be."
Hermione's thought processes went into overdrive as she thought about all of the people she'd least expect. Then it dawned on her…if she were able to think of people and names, than that would mean she could expect those people. Therefore it couldn't be one of them, as it would have to be the furthest person from her mind. The realization that she would enter blindly into the room where `mother' awaited was suddenly terrifying for her. What will I find behind that proverbially closed door?
Suddenly seeming to remember why she was there Cho spoke up, "Now stop asking such stupid questions. Let's go see mother." Resigned once again Hermione followed them out the door and down the hall.
They walked out into the large hallway and she saw three doors spread far apart. She watched as Millicent knocked on the middle one. "Come in." Said the voice from the other side.
Hermione tried to place the voice so she could be prepared for what awaited her. Unfortunately those two words, muffled through the door, were not enough for her.
Millicent opened the door. "She's here now, Mother." She said.
"Step aside child, bring her in."
She recognized the voice instantly. There was only one person who could sound like that. She had only a fraction of a second to pull herself together before Millicent grabbed her arm and pushed her into the room. She nearly cried with the pain of having to swallow the laughter that threatened to burst forth at the sight of her…'stepmother'. This is my idea of a hellish stepmother? She wondered, smiling to herself. I'll admit I didn't expect it, but how is this hellish exactly?
Sitting up against the pillows on her bed, with her glasses magnifying her eyes to at least twice their normal size, was Sybill Trelawney: Hogwarts' not-so-famous, very-seldom-accurate Professor of the `Fine Art that is Divination'.
"Come closer, Her-my-oh-nee." She said. "Tell me child. What do you find so amusing? Do you think this is funny? Some sort of joke?"
Hermione chuckled softly to herself before clearing her throat and answering, "Oh no. No joke. Nothing funny."
The smile that stretched across Trelawney's mouth did not reach her eyes as she spoke. "Listen to me now, Her-my-oh-nee. Listen closely to what I am telling you, for this will be the only time that you will receive help from any of us…"
Hermione's anger flared as she looked around the room and she began gesturing with her hands as she started to speak. "I'm standing here in this bizarre reality with three people I can barely tolerate on a good day. I'm supposed to be…what? … exactly?" She looked questioningly at Millicent and Cho, "Cinderella? Was that it? Is that you called me?" Both girls nodded and she turned back to Trelawney and continued, "Where in the hell am I supposed to find the humor in that? Now, I don't know if I've been hit with some sort of dementia spell or if I've landed in some alternate universe…hell, for all I know, I'm already dead … but I do know this…either I'm going to find a way out of this hellhole, with or without your help, or Ron and Harry will come for me. I'll not stay here any longer than I have to with the likes of you."
"Dear girl," Trelawney said, "I fear that it will not be so easy for you. There is no way for your friends to find you and before you can leave you must find what you seek. Make special note of this Her-my-oh-nee, we are not here to help you; no matter how much you may yearn for it, there is no help for you this time."
"What do you mean `find what I seek'? I seek nothing here." Hermione said. "No. Wait. I take that back. I seek a way out, are you telling me that I will find it?"
Trelawney laughed again. "Once again you show how truly ignorant you are in your knowledge of things that cannot be found in books. What you seek is not a tangible thing. It is not something you can hold within your hands. It is not something you see with your eyes. You must learn, Her-my-oh-nee, to look…beyond."
"Look beyond? Beyond what, exactly? Can't you provide me with just one straight answer?" She asked, her frustration beginning to build.
"If one straight answer is what you seek, than this is what I will tell you…you must look beyond what you see before you. There is a specific reason for which you have brought each of us here; you must find it. That is the first step."
She looked questioningly at Trelawney and softly asked, "When I find it, what do I do with it?"
"That is for you to decide. I'll not offer you advice. This is, after all, your favorite story…the story of Cinderella. Cinderella had only hope and dreams Her-my-oh-nee, not an advisor. You shall go on alone just as she did…only here, you'll not find friendly animals to help you, the birds will not sing with you, and the mice will not come out to play. Here you will experience what you refused to acknowledge as a child…the path that leads to happily-ever-after. That path is never easy. Your future rests in the here-and-now. Before this journey is over you will seal your own fate. That is all that I will tell you. The rest is up to you."
What does that mean `I will seal my own fate'? She wondered.
Realizing that she wouldn't get any more helpful information, she had just one more thing she was curious to know…"Can I ask you one more question?"
"One."
"How is it that at Hogwarts you are this spaced-out fortuneteller and yet here, right now, you appear to be so different…almost normal?"
"I do what is required of me under the circumstances. If you required me to be a `spaced-out fortuneteller' as you so kindly put it, then that's what I would be. At Hogwarts I much prefer the more dramatic side of my personality. How boring would it be if I were like this?"
"At least you'd be taken seriously." Hermione mumbled to herself. Out loud she said, "Well, at least you're much more tolerable this way."
"Only for now my dear. Only for now. Your time is coming. You've not yet heard our plans for you, dear. Cinderella didn't have it easy, child. Nor shall you."
Hermione swallowed hard. "Plans?" She asked softly, almost scared to hear the answer.
"Oh yes, Her-my-oh-nee. Plans. Come closer child. Let me tell you how this works…"
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~~Harry~~
As it had been only Harry and Dudley in the Dursley's house growing up Harry had never before read nor heard the story of Cinderella. The cover of the book was reason enough for the Dursley's to ensure it was never a part of their reading library. Harry looked at the picture of the witch that adorned the cover, seeing the wand she was holding and the colorful lights that emanated from it made Harry long to send the book straight to Privet Drive when he finished with it. He smiled as he imagined the Dursley's reaction when they opened it.
He hadn't gotten far in the book as he found himself stopping often to ponder the story as it unfolded before him. Something about the story was familiar to him; it was as though he could identify with the make-believe character of Cinderella…as though the book had been written with him in mind. He had just reached the part of the story where Cinderella had been ordered by her stepmother and sisters to do their laundry, iron their clothes, etc…and he knew only too well how she must have felt.
Although he could identify with it on some level, the more he read it aloud to Hermione, the more he wondered how she had found comfort within its pages. As of yet, there had been nothing good happen to Cinderella. So far as he could tell, with the exception of a loving father and some animal friends, there was nothing yet that would make a young girl…or boy for that matter…long to hear it read over and over again.
He decided to take a break and watch her for a while. To this point there had been no recognition of the story whatsoever on her part; a fact he found disconcerting. She had not so much as twitched a finger and disappointment was beginning to fill him.
"You have a long way to go Harry." He reminded himself aloud. "This will work. You have no reason to believe it won't."
There must be something about this that made her happy and I just haven't gotten there yet. He thought. It'll happen.
Harry moved to sit at the edge of her bed. He leaned across her and with one hand he ran his thumb across the top of hers as he held it, with the other he alternated between running his fingers through her hair and caressing her cheek. After a few moments of silently watching her he began to speak, "Hi Hermione." He said. "You've been sleeping for a long time now. Don't you think it's time you woke up? There are a lot of people waiting to see your beautiful smile and to hear your infectious laughter. Ron even says you can boss him around for a while if you want…though I bet he'd say forever if he thought it would bring you back sooner."
He released her hand and leaned forward, closer to her, willing her to hear every word he was saying, "I'm here Hermione. Can you hear me? Can you feel me touching you?" He said softly as his hand continued to caress her cheek. "I love you Hermione and if you'll accept it I'll promise you my forever right here, right now. I can't imagine my life without you and I will continue to die a little each day until you come back to me. Please hear me Hermione. I will my life to you…take it. Let me trade places with you." He leaned forward the rest of the way and gently kissed her forehead as silent tears fell from his eyes and stained her cheeks.
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Hermione's head was held high as she began to walk toward Trelawney. She had hardly gotten her stride when her steps faltered. She lifted her hand to her cheek and looked up to see if sprinklers had come on in the room; as her fingers brushed across the inexplicable dampness she felt upon her face….
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A/N2: Well, that's it for now. I hope that you enjoyed it. Please remember that as weird as it may sound, it will all come together…
Please feel free to point out any blatant errors. Sometimes it's hard to proofread your own stuff well. Thanks.
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