AN: This is the second story in The Parker Triptych. All three stories will be different fandoms, but will use 'the Sentinel trope/crossover' of having an AU world with known Sentinels with enhanced physical senses who bond to Guides with mental gifts. It's pretty self-explanatory in the story, but feel free to look it up online if you want more explanation. I love stories using Sentinels: the little black dress of fandom.
Warning: Violence, attempted kidnapping, mentions of torture, Ron bashing, crossover cameos (The Pretender, Rurouni Kenshin, Sherlock)
Guide Resurgence: Parker Triptych II
By Indygodusk
"Are you frowning because of that report or because Ron's been up here already?" Hermione asked from the doorway.
Harry leaned back with a wry smile and shrugged. "Both. Prophecies about fiery monsters and visits from fiery friends."
"Oh good," Hermione said, ignoring Harry's surprise and confusion as she came inside and shut the door, "then I can hide out from Ron in here. If you hear him coming back with your enhanced Sentinel hearing, warn me. It's your duty as my best friend and Sentinel partner."
"I'd probably smell him coming first," Harry joked, but when she didn't laugh he sighed. "How much is he still bothering you? I thought you were tentative friends again."
Scowling, Hermione stomped into the room and threw herself down on the bench next to Harry. "He broke up with Lavender, gambled away his last paycheck at the pub last week, and got reprimanded at that private security firm he works for. That's why he insisted on getting tested for Sentinel latency again, despite my telling him it's a waste of time. The Sentinel - Guide Center is so desperate for more of us that they keep letting him. He thinks that if he's declared at least latent, then we'd become the golden trio again and all his problems would just go away with our influence."
"Never mind the fact that ever since I came online as a Guide, I can't be around him for more than an hour or two because his moods can get too toxic for my empathy to handle. Or that he always forgets to wear Sentinel friendly products and accidentally gives you rashes and hives."
Pausing in her rant, she grabbed his arm and turned it over to check the skin on his wrist. "How are your levels?"
"I'm fine; he didn't cause anything to spike but my temper." Harry pulled his sleeve back down with a sigh.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione continued. "Oh Merlin, don't get me started. He actually had the gall to order me to start packing my desk up because he knew the test would be positive this time and then he'd come Online and I'd have to bond with him and go help him at his work like he'd always planned. As if Guides have no choice! Or like he doesn't know I'm your preliminary Guide and have a platonic bond with you! I don't know when he turned from an occasionally irritating but fun and loyal friend into a sanctimonious, jealous git, but his current behavior is seriously poisoning what good memories of him I have left. He threatened to come straight back to my office with his results."
"Are your coworkers fighting again too?" Harry asked sympathetically. Normally she didn't let Ron get to her this badly.
"Yes," Hermione moaned, flopping down onto his lap dramatically in the window seat. "My mental shields are a mess and I promised to volunteer at the SG Center right after work. Even though there're barely any Sentinels in Britain, there're even fewer Guides. They keep asking and even though I'm swamped with work I can't bring myself to say no to Sentinels in distress."
"Let me shelter you while you take a break." Running his hands through her hair soothingly, Harry wrapped his primary shields around her mind. She relaxed with a sigh and closed her eyes. If they'd had more than a preliminary bond, he'd be able to shield her from a distance. Unfortunately, they weren't mentally compatible enough for a deep bond. He had his suspicions about who her true bondmate might be, but Hermione refused to even discuss it.
Snuggling more comfortably onto his lap, Hermione closed her eyes and asked, "What're you working on that has fiery monsters?"
"I'm reading reports investigating a new prophecy, which is as frustrating as you can imagine. Supposedly a monster is searching for animals, a monster made of fire, ash, and sorrow. The prophesy ended with a lot of hysterical screaming instead of dreamy words, so we've orders to take this seriously. Nevertheless, no one's reported problems with the local zoos, pet stores, or at animal control. I just got off the floo with Charlie Weasley and he reports nothing unusual with the dragons either. I have a stack more of reports to sign off on, but verbally everyone reports a big fat nothing." Harry ran his fingers through her curly hair again. They both found the action soothing.
"Let me know if I can help," Hermione slurred as she dozed off. Smiling fondly, Harry went back to reading reports.
About an hour later, Hermione woke up to the feeling of being watched. Opening her eyes, she met Draco Malfoy's gray gaze. His eyes glittered with longing and hunger. Then he dropped his lashes and turned his head. When he looked back, the emotion was hidden.
Draco watched her all the time. It should make her uncomfortable, but a traitorous and confusing part of herself liked it. So far she'd avoided figuring out why. Feeling vulnerable, Hermione sat up and swung her legs onto the floor.
"I brought those extra reports you requested, Harry." Draco placed them on Harry's desk along with a pack of Hermione's favorite fruit and nut mix from the trolley. "I also ran into Ron Weasley at the SG Center. As expected, he's still closer to international quidditch fame than he is to the psionic plane. When I told him that his boss still expected him to cover guard duty on the ladies garden club after his inevitable rejection, he ran off in a huff. I expect he'll be busy for the rest of the day."
"Good thinking, Draco." Harry picked up the snack mix, hesitated for a moment, and then dropped it into Hermione's lap with a huff of laughter. Happily tearing into it, she mumbled, "Thanks," through a mouthful of food.
Pleasure drifted from Draco's direction as he watched her eat. "I'm pulling files for a personal project all day if you need me for something," he said as he turned to leave.
Hermione's head snapped up. "Wait, it's disgustingly dusty down in the archives. As an unbonded Sentinel, you shouldn't be down there alone."
"I can control my levels just fine, Granger," he drawled with a slight smile. "Unless you are suggesting something?"
"Yes, get your assistant to do it," Hermione snapped, in no mood to put up with his confusing innuendoes that he never actually followed through on.
She may have imagined it, but it seemed like his shoulders drooped just slightly. Malfoy looked away. "I'll consider it."
"She's got a point, Draco," Harry chimed in support. "If something big is coming, I'm going to need you at the top of your game as a Sentinel. You have more important work to do than fetching and carrying files anyways. In fact, you could have gotten your secretary to deliver these files too," Harry gestured to the stack on his desk.
Tossing the empty snack bag into the trash, Hermione cleaned her hands and teeth with a quick spell. "I've got to get over to the SG Center for my shift, but as a Guide I think both of you should not only stay out of the archives, but also cast a cleaning charm before handling any files. Thanks for the break, Harry. Take care of yourself, Malfoy."
Hermione left Harry's office, almost brushing against Malfoy in the doorway. She didn't miss his deep inhalation as she passed or the subtle sway of his hands towards her body, but as always she chose to ignore it. Thinking about it just drove her crazy, so she didn't.
Breezing into the lobby of the London SG Center, Hermione briefly looked down to untie her lightweight jacket. So distracted, she failed to notice the ruddy-faced Sentinel who stood up at her entrance and started forward. By the time she looked up it was too late to avoid him.
"Guide, have dinner with me tonight," he demanded abruptly, blocking her path.
Stepping around him with annoyance, Hermione replied, "No. I've told you a hundred times, Greg, I'm not interested in dinner or bonding with you. We're not compatible."
Greg scowled and followed. "You're just being obstinate and selfish. You know that a Guide of your power can force a bond with anyone. Our people are on the brink of extinction, with fewer coming Online each year. Of those, there are more Sentinels than Guides in Britain. If you don't choose soon, the council will make you choose one of us."
Hermione struggled to keep her rage contained inside her shields. There were too many sensitives nearby to let loose like she wanted to. Unfortunately, half of them thought the same way he did too. She bared her teeth in a fake smile. "Then I'd just choose Harry. You remember the Sentinel I already share a platonic bond with? Discussion over. Let's not have it again."
Face flushed and leaking temper and aggression, Greg stepped closer and opened his mouth in a snarl. However, before he could speak, a tall figure loomed up next to her protectively. "Guide Hermione, here promptly for your shift. I've always admired that about you, among many other things."
Taking a calming breath, Hermione turned. "Thank you, Jarod."
Turning an icy look on Greg, Jarod gallantly held out his arm for Hermione. She stepped up and slid her fingers onto the handsome Guide's forearm. Unlike other Guides, Jarod always felt a bit primitive. It made her feel an instinctive kinship with him that she so far hadn't bothered questioning despite the shortness of their acquaintance. Perhaps she felt like a primitive Guide to others herself.
"You're just like her," Greg snapped peevishly, unintentionally echoing her thoughts.
"You mean a Guide who's not willing to bond with you? Someone who won't worship you for merely being a Sentinel? Or someone willing to shred your mind and make you piss your pants if you so much as breathe on us inappropriately?" Jarod quizzed, a predatory gleam in his tawny eyes.
Tugging on Jarod to get him walking, Hermione said, "So I've been thinking we should hang out more. I'm a genius, you're definitely a genius, and despite the age difference I find you incredibly attractive."
Throwing back his head in a laugh, Jarod ignored the sputtering Sentinel as they walked towards the restricted area in the back for treating psychic traumas. "I'm more tempted than I should be, especially with the way that Sentinel you work with always stares after you longingly and you never tell him off for it. Too bad I already gave my notice that I'm leaving in a few days."
"Your loss," then Hermione sighed glumly, "and mine." Taking off her jacket, she hung it up in her locker and pulled on a sterile, disposable jumpsuit over her clothes. "And Harry doesn't long for me. We're just best friends."
Flashing a sly smile, Jarod drawled, "Not Harry, the arrogant blond one."
Before Hermione could think up a suitably scathing reply, Guide John Watson burst into the room and began stripping off his bloody clothes. He scrubbed himself down at a sink and then pulled on a pair of clean scrubs. "I need you both for a healing. I just escorted an abused Sentinel from my surgery to here. He came Online this week and his girlfriend snapped when he broke up with her. She basically tortured him. He's mentally retreated and is on the verge of sensory collapse." Securing her hair in a high bun, Hermione followed John and Jarod into the healing suite.
Hours later, the three Guides walked slowly back into the dressing room. They'd managed to stabilize the new Sentinel, but he would need a lot of therapy and support to regain his health and confidence. His mother and siblings had come in after the healing and seemed ready and willing to take on the world to keep him stable and happy. Hopefully it would be enough if a matching Guide couldn't be found.
"Good job," Hermione told the two older men sincerely. "You did an impressive job repairing his mental landscape. I really appreciated working with you." She got the sense that people rarely thanked either of them.
Although Jarod was going to throw her into a fit of depression by leaving soon, at least John Watson lived in London. She'd rarely had such an effortless meld during a healing session and wanted to make sure he knew she'd love to work with him again. However, he was usually too busy working and consulting with the police to come into the SG Center regularly. When he did come in for his volunteer hours, some of the other staff gave him grief over being an unfit Guide because of his war injuries and lingering mental trauma. Those same staff had never experienced anything more frightening than a scary movie. It infuriated her, but she didn't have the political power to do anything about it.
Not yet, at least. If she ever managed a full bond with a Sentinel, she'd be much more powerful, perhaps even more powerful than the Guides currently in charge. Then she'd take her place on the council and change a few things. It was one of the reasons they wanted her to bond with someone like Greg. They thought they'd be able to control her then.
"Thank you, Hermione," John said with a crooked, close-mouthed smile. "Of course, we couldn't have done it if you hadn't held the center for us. I've never worked with a Guide as natural as you. Your power is impressive. He easily trusted you and let you stabilize his levels while we fixed the damage. It was a pleasure to work with you."
Suddenly his mobile chimed from his locker. It chimed thrice more in rapid succession. "What does he want now?" John sighed in exasperation, though in contrast to his voice, he leaked happiness and excitement.
Pulling out his mobile, he read his messages and typed a short response. Then he stripped down to boxers and quickly changed into a spare set of clothes. Being in the army had removed any modesty from the man, but Hermione wasn't about to start complaining. Sensing her appreciation, John sent her a wink. She laughed and shrugged, only blushing slightly.
"Sherlock needs me to go and fetch something, so I have to dash. Jarod, if I don't see you again, it was a pleasure. Hermione, let's coordinate our hours next time to avoid the other annoying people around here, shall we?" He paused for a moment with raised eyebrows, received her eager nod, and then strode out of the room.
Slipping into a changing stall, Hermione put on a fresh jumper and pair of slacks. When she came out, she found Jarod straddling a bench and doing tricks with two yoyos. He looked at her with compassion, seeming to see past all of her shields.
"Did you want to go for a walk in the gardens? I have a feeling that you need to talk," Jarod said as he put away his spinning toys.
Hermione was about to automatically refuse, but the comfort he mentally projected proved just too tempting. During the healing, the other Guides had bled traumas onto her as the apex of their triangle. You had to thin your shields in order to meld for a powerful healing. They probably weren't even aware of it and she respected them too much to bring it up. Then again, they'd probably endured some of her traumas as well, which likely led to Jarod's invitation. Without distraction, the memories threatened to surge up her throat like bile. She did feel raw.
"The rose garden is lovely in the evening," Hermione finally answered.
As they walked out into the cool air, the large evening sun edged the rose petals with orange gilding. Hermione tied her jacket shut and breathed in the scented air. Jarod pulled out a Pez dispenser shaped like the comedian Mr. Bean and offered her a pink candy. After eating two himself, he tucked it inside his black leather jacket and zipped it closed.
"Seeing other people in pain can remind us of our own wounds," Jarod prompted softly. "I want to help. You can talk to me, Hermione." He thinned his shields, projecting earnestness and comfort.
"I," she took a quick breath, "I don't really talk about it, but... did you see the Sentinel's arm? His girlfriend had written the word 'throwback' on his skin with cinnamon lip gloss. His sense of touch became so oversensitized that it left seeping gouges. Unless he bonds to a Guide, he'll probably be allergic to even minute amounts of cinnamon for the rest of his life."
"Being betrayed by people you trust is hard to get over, but it is possible," Jarod said sadly as if speaking from experience. "He's strong and has a good support system. I think he'll get past this. However, the ex-girlfriend is a monster. The police have her and she won't get away with hurting a Sentinel. I already sent a lawyer to his mother. He'll make sure justice is served." The icy look in his eyes made her shiver, but also filled her with cold satisfaction. Hermione's heart also cried out for justice.
Then Jarod swooped down, picking up a fallen rose from the ground and twirling it in his fingers before plucking off the thorns. "Did that trigger your bad memories?" he asked softly.
Looking away, Hermione nodded. "When I was 17, I was captured and tortured. The woman who hurt me, she cut the word 'mudblood' into my arm, trying to brand me as someone inherently dirty and inferior. She kept hurting me and laughing as I screamed and- and her emotions were so vile! They battered my mind as she tortured my body. My friends had to listen to me scream from the room next door. I could feel their horror and helplessness too as my shields collapsed. On the verge of going catatonic, I somehow retreated to the astral plane."
Jarod passed her the smooth-stemmed red rose. "Had you spent any time there before?"
Running her fingers along the soft petals, Hermione shook her head. "You know they heavily discourage the few of us who can from trying, though perhaps more could if they practiced. The only Sentinels who've even seen it are those with the extremely rare sixth sense of empathy. Few Guides can even find it and those that do, well, we're told that you'll feel a growing dread, as if you're being stalked by something and should run away. I'd only been there once accidentally when I first came Online," she bit her lip and blushed, "although I've spent more time there in the last few years bonding with my spirit animal. For me, it's become a source of comfort and peace, not the threat they taught us."
"What changed your mind?" Jarod asked, subtly offering his arm if she wanted the closeness, but not insisting. Hermione tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and immediately felt stiff muslces relax.
"The fact that it became my sanctuary from the pain," Hermione explained softly. "To escape the torture, I hid there behind a fragrant bush in a beautiful ocean cove. Then… well, it's hard to believe it even now. A Japanese woman appeared and pushed away the branches from my hiding place. She wore old-fashioned hakama and had a star-shaped scar above the v of her kimono. I could tell she didn't have a connection to the physical world anymore, but she was more than just a spirit. She was a Guide." Jarod's eyes widened, but he didn't interrupt her story.
"She pulled me out gently and held me until I stopped trembling. Then she took my hand and led me into the jungle. We stopped in a clearing with a pit covered by wooden bars. A tiger paced inside. He screamed at us from his prison, scaring me, but the woman merely rolled her eyes and pulled out a wooden sword. Then she shoved me towards the trap."
Hermione's lips quirked in a smile. "I only hesitated for a moment before something snapped. I started attacking the cage with the sword, taking out all of my pain, helplessness, and fear on it. Then I started channeling my rage. I wanted that tiger out! Abruptly the cage splintered open. I dropped in the broken bars at a slant and stepped back. The tiger crawled out, rubbed his head against my leg, and disappeared."
"Then the Japanese woman spoke for the first time. She said, "They tried to keep him dormant. They're going to regret it." We shared a victorious smile and then I woke up. My friends rescued me soon after."
Hermione shivered and looked over at Jarod. "I didn't know the dead, even Guides, could still talk to you on the astral plane. I've also never heard of people being forced to be dormant."
"You should look into Shamanism," Jarod said with a distant look in his eye. "It could help explain the Japanese woman. Have you read Blair Sandburg's work? He's based in America."
Flipping through her mental library, Hermione gave a little scowl. "They don't stock him here in Europe or mention him in the catalogues. I haven't heard of him, but I'll fix that."
"I'll try to track down some copies and send them to the SG Center addressed to you," Jarod offered. "As for forcing someone to stay offline, I have heard rumors and seen some evidence of it. Luckily not many people know about it and most cultures have lost the knowledge. I'm glad you were able to help at least one of them. It sounds like you did the best you could to survive a difficult situation and even helped someone in the process. The bad memory doesn't deserve any more of your attention. Be proud of yourself for surviving and let it go."
A sense of compassion and peace flushed through Hermione. The sharp memory of Bellatrix's torture dulled. "Oh, you just did something, didn't you?" she sent him a surprised look.
A pink flush crossed Jarod's cheeks and he gave her a boyish look of chagrin, "I didn't think you'd catch me, but yes. Do you mind?"
"No… no I won't miss those nightmares." Giving Jarod a sideways glance, she prodded, "Have you tried it on yourself?"
Smiling sardonically, Jarod shrugged. "It works better on others. I'm working through my issues, but the pain can be a useful reminder to not give in when things get hard. Perhaps one day I won't need it, but unfortunately not yet."
Hermione squeezed his arm compassionately. "When that day comes, look me up, Jarod. I'll mute them for you, no questions asked."
As his eyes crinkled in thanks, Hermione had to suppress her curiosity for the hundredth time. He'd appeared mysteriously at the SG Center for training a few months ago and looked set to leave just as mysteriously. Although he seemed the epitome of a Londoner, once or twice it had felt like a pretend instead of an inborn identity. She didn't know where he came from, but she had a melancholy fear she'd never see him again after he left.
"Mrs. Parker! Mrs. Parker you can't be back here. Mrs. Parker, stop!" called the harried voice of the front receptionist from around the corner. He finally appeared, chasing at the heels of a very determined woman marching around the corner. She had shoulder-length brown hair and an expensive, chocolate-colored leather trench coat lined with tawny satin that snapped in her wake. Her heeled boots clacked on the walkway as she increased her pace towards the only people in the shadowed rose garden.
Jerking away from Hermione, Jarod tensed and began moving towards an iron gate set into the wall. "Miss Parker," he breathed in surprise, fear, and longing.
Immediately Hermione's eyebrows beetled. "Just how do you know my mother?" she snapped suspiciously.
Jarod did a literal double-take as he looked at Hermione in shock and then back at the fast-approaching woman. "Oh," he said with a strange mixture of relief and disappointment, "I thought she was someone else."
Shaking her head, Hermione stepped forward. "Mum? What are you doing here?"
Apparently sick of being ignored, the secretary put on a burst of speed "Mrs. Parker, you aren't allowed back here. This area is only for Guides and Sentinels, which you are NOT!" He reached for her arm angrily, but before he could make good on his threat to yank her to a stop, a large and very angry dolphin appeared in the air between them and dived at his hand with its sharp teeth bared.
Shrieking, he fell onto the seat of his pants and crab-walked backwards to a safe distance. The dolphin didn't follow, but swam back and forth protectively in the air between him and Hermione's mother. "What is that?!" he cried, pointing a shaking finger at the dolphin.
"My daughter's spirit animal, obviously," Mrs. Parker said coolly as Hermione stepped up by her side.
Looking towards Jarod in support, he sputtered, "But a dolphin's impossible! Everyone knows there's no such thing as aquatic spirit animals!"
Jarod looked down at his shock indifferently. "Obviously everyone's wrong."
"But how do they swim or- or breathe without water?" he gesticulated wildly while regaining his feet.
"Seriously?" Hermione asked. "What part of spirit animal did you miss out on? I know the SG Center is desperate to enlarge the Pride, but really."
Red flooded his cheeks. "I guess that explains you," he retorted childishly. "It doesn't excuse her though. She's got to go." He pointed at Hermione's mother, but kept his distance from the dolphin swimming rings around the rose bushes.
Fed up, her mother snarled, "Shove off! I'm checking on my daughter and I'll leave when I'm ready."
"Not only is she my mother, she's also a registered Sensitive. Don't overstep yourself," Hermione spoke with soft menace, "or I will make you regret it." The secretary wilted and, only finding more threats in Jarod's eyes, turned and stomped back to his desk.
Sniffing disapprovingly, Hermione's mother turned her back on him and placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders. Looking into her eyes searchingly, she asked, "Are you alright? I've had a niggling feeling about you all day, like something has or will go wrong. Since I knew you were here, I finally came over."
Hermione reached up and clasped her mother's hand. "We had a healing for an abused Sentinel. It brought up some bad memories, but I'm fine now. Sorry for worrying you and for the jerk at the front desk."
"If you're sure," she murmured with a sad smile, leaning forward to press a soft kiss on Hermione's brow and think loud thoughts of love and support.
Then she stepped back, clearing her throat as she turned to Jarod. "I don't think we've met. I'm Helena Parker, FDSRCS. My husband, Patrick Granger, and I own a dental surgery just a few miles down the street."
Jarod gave her a charming smile. "I see where Hermione gets her strength of character. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Jarod. Sorry if I initially seemed scattered. For a second I confused you with someone else. My Miss Parker has a similar build and taste in fashion, but your features are quite different."
Laughing, Mrs. Parker turned to her daughter. "Do you think it's the same Miss Parker of the matching trench coat?" She slid her hands down the luxuriously dark leather.
Confused, Jarod looked between them.
"Stranger things have happened," Hermione smiled, turning to explain. "The morning before I came Online as a Guide, I went shopping with my mum. She splurged on that ridiculously expensive leather coat from a fancy boutique. Then she had to run over to another store to get matching boots. We separated for the sake of my sanity and promised to meet up in thirty minutes at the café."
"I arrived right on time and saw her from behind wearing her new coat. I got some tea and dropped down across from her already talking. Of course, when I looked up, I realized it wasn't my mother after all, though the woman had the same expression when trying to decide whether to be annoyed or amused. Horribly embarrassed, I started babbling apologies."
"Then a man came up, calling her Miss Parker and saying she needed to leave or she'd miss her flight." At this point in her story, Jarod's eyebrows had climbed practically into his hairline and his mouth had started twitching. Hermione continued, "I asked her if she was related to my mother, Helena Parker, but the American woman didn't know. I could tell she was curious to meet mom, but Miss Parker's business was too pressing for her to wait and, as usual, my mother had lost track of time while shopping." Her mother stuck out her tongue in response.
"Then I had the strangest urge," Hermione admitted. "I don't know why, but I asked her, just in case we never met again but she was really related to me, if I could hug her. She seemed surprised, but then said in a dry tone just like my mother's, "I can't believe it, but I'm actually going to say yes." We hugged and it was completely different and yet somehow still like hugging a familiar cousin. It was nice. Then she left. I'd probably forget about it completely except for the fact that I came Online that night."
"Does that sound at all like your Miss Parker, Jarod?" Mrs. Parker asked.
"Yes and no," he laughed. "But I'd like to think so."
"That's a complicated answer," Hermione noted.
"She's a complicated woman," Jarod smiled fondly.
Hermione's mother looked at her watch. "I've got to get going home. Your father will be worrying and it's getting dark. Come by for dinner sometime soon, dear. Jarod, do introduce me if your Miss Parker ever comes to visit." Giving her daughter a fond smile and Jarod a friendly one, she turned and strode back out of the garden.
"She seems like a very formidable woman," Jarod remarked.
"You have no idea," Hermione said with a groan that failed to hide her affection. Then she turned to Jarod seriously. "But she's right that it's getting late. Thanks for listening to me." Hermione's dolphin swam up and did a quick backflip through the air. Then she rubbed lovingly against Hermione's fingers and disappeared.
Jarod smiled sweetly. "Thank you for giving me something wonderful today. I've never heard of an aquatic spirit animal either, but she's beautiful. I also enjoyed your story about meeting Miss Parker. If I don't see you again before I leave, I want you to know that I appreciated your friendship."
"I'm going to miss you," Hermione said wetly as she flung her arms around him in a tight hug, which he returned affectionately. Then she forced herself to say goodbye and leave him in the shadowed rose garden.
After leaving Jarod, Hermione apparated away to a café down the street from her flat. Healing took a lot of energy and always left her hungry. She felt a lot more content now, but that probably related to how she'd polished off a side salad, a breadstick, the entire plate of spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese, and a small scoop of spumoni ice cream.
A bit too full to apparate home comfortably, she decided to take a shortcut home and walk off some of the surplus calories. Belly full, she barely managed to squeeze through the broken gap in the fence without ripping any buttons. An ally cat roared unhappily in the distance. Dusting herself off, she continued on her way.
Nearing her front porch, Hermione abruptly noticed that both the streetlight and porchlight had burned out. She slowed. Glancing around suspiciously, she dropped her hand to her wand and thinned her mental shields. The oily feel of smug anticipation and masculine avarice made her dinner threaten to reappear.
Immediately drawing her wand, Hermione spun around to confront the threat, but it was too late. A meaty arm clotheslined her across the chest, sending her crashing to the sidewalk hard. She barely managed to keep hold of her wand.
Short of breath, Hermione shot off two stunners from the ground, but neither hit. The attacker kicked her wand from her hand and wrenched her arms up, binding her hands together with a cord that magically slithered into a knot the second it touched her skin. Hermione lunged for him with her teeth, but he backhanded her across the mouth.
Tasting blood, Hermione finally got a good look at her attacker when the moon came out from behind a cloud. "Greg?" she asked with dazed horror. "Sentinel, what are you doing?"
"Taking my due," he snarled. "I'm sick of you strutting around ignoring me, trying to make me jealous by flirting with other men. This is for your own good. Tonight, I'm going to bond with you and then you're going to help me take over the SG council."
Greg grabbed her arm tight enough to bruise. "Now, are you going to pass me through your wards or are we doing this the hard way?"
Hermione strained away from him. "We're not doing anything! You can't even apparate because you're too morally corrupt to keep your levels stable. You can't force me to bond. Let me go before you get in serious trouble."
Realizing that he didn't care, she started screaming. "Help! Someone help!"
"The hard way then." Greg began dragging her towards the nearby ally. "I cast a silencing charm. No one's going to hear you scream," he threatened. "And I may not be able to apparate, but I have a potion that's guaranteed to destroy your shields and leave you desperate for protection from the nearest Sentinel. Once I've bound you, you'll learn your place."
Pulling out a potion, he tried to force it against her lips. Hermione arched her head away and kept her lips sealed shut. Twisting sideways, she jabbed her elbow into his face. Greg shouted in pain but didn't let her go or drop the bottle. However he couldn't keep his eye open either as it rapidly swelled shut. She took some bitter satisfaction in that.
Grunting with effort, Greg pinned her with his legs and pinched her nose shut. The second she gasped for breath, he poured the potion into her mouth and clamped his hand over her lips until she swallowed, ignoring the tears streaking down her cheeks.
Within a minute, she could feel her protections start to collapse. Greg's putrid emotions slopped over her, then the people in the apartment building, then everyone down the street, then thousands, millions of emotions from all across the city. Eyes rolling back in her head, she arched her back and shrieked.
Hermione needed something, anything to stop the pain, but in the maelstrom of agony she held onto a single vow. Not him. She could feel the Sentinel trying to force his mental shields around her, enticing her to accept his claim, to stop the pain, but she refused. Not Greg.
Unfortunately, the pain and confusion was becoming too much. Rationality began to splinter. She almost forgot why she was resisting. Then she heard the faint sound of surf. Turning blindly, she dived into the crack between worlds.
Opening her eyes underwater, she felt a fin slide into her hand. Grabbing onto the dolphin, Hermione quickly surfaced next to a small jut of rock in the middle of an island cove. She crawled out onto the rock and rolled onto her side panting with her eyes closed. She left her feet dangling in the water for her dolphin to nuzzle against. Cradling herself protectively, she slowly felt safe again.
Suddenly a shadow covered her face, but it didn't feel dangerous. Hermione squinted up and saw the Japanese woman again. "Hello," Hermione said cautiously.
The woman sat down next to her. Immediately Hermione felt well rested and at peace. The Guide had an amazing aura.
Then the Japanese woman smiled wryly. "You get into a lot of trouble." Before Hermione could muster a retort, the woman winked. "I did too, when I was alive. Drove my Sentinel crazy."
Hermione sat up. "What's your name?"
"Kaoru, though I don't think it really matters. I promised to help you and so I will," the Japanese woman answered.
"Promised who?" Hermione asked.
"The answer would just confuse you more," Kaoru replied, "and you have bigger things to worry about. Ask me again later if you survive this. Otherwise, I'll just explain it all when you're dead." Hermione gritted her teeth with frustration.
Kaoru sighed. "Look, help is coming for your current problem, but there's worse out there than one bad Sentinel with delusions of grandeur. There's fire, ash, and smoke."
"What does that even mean?" Hermione demanded.
"Ask your Sentinel about his ancestor's trip to Japan," Kaoru instructed.
Hermione blinked. "You mean Harry?"
"Harry's not your Sentinel." Kaoru stood up, shading her eyes to look over at the beach.
Something moved in the shadows of the trees. An familiar orange tiger came running out. It changed direction when it saw them, flinging sand into the air as it loped across the beach and splashed into the water. Hermione's dolphin swam up to look him in the face, then it let the tiger through, swimming in circles as he paddled forward.
"You should give your spirit animal a name, you know," Kaoru nagged Hermione. "Your instructors were idiots. Half the classes at your SG Center are useless, though after attending Hogwarts, you're probably used to that." Opening her mouth to muster up some sort of defense, Hermione realized she didn't have one and shut her mouth with a click.
Looking out at her dolphin companion, Hermione considered names. The cover of her mother's favorite biography popped into her mind. Lilian Lindsay, the first licensed female dentist in Britain, was also a librarian, historian, author, and leader. If Hermione's little sister had made it to term, they'd have called her Lilian. Every April, her mother read the biography again in baby Lilian's honor.
"Lilian?" Hermione tried it out on her tongue. Immediately the dolphin jumped up into the air. Then she danced backwards on her tail above the water while clicking in happiness.
"I think she likes it," Kaoru smiled.
"Then Lilian it is," Hermione answered.
Finally the drenched tiger reached their crowded rock and climbed up. Smiling fondly, Kaoru reached out and scratched him beneath the chin. "Good luck," she said and then disappeared.
Seconds later the tiger shook himself, spraying everything, including Hermione, with water. Amused by her shouting, he flopped down with his large head on her lap and sighed. Then he looked up at her expectantly.
Laughing to herself, Hermione ran her fingers through his fur. His purr vibrated through her entire body soothingly. However, after a few minutes he stood up and nudged her in the chest.
"What?" Hermione asked. He nudged her again and then tossed his head. "You better not be tricking me," she sighed, shaking back her curls and standing up. Gathering her courage, Hermione forced herself to return to her body.
Pulling in a deep breath, she braced herself for everything to hurt. It didn't. In fact, everything felt warm and peaceful and safe, insulated from anything psychic spilling in or leaking out. The only bond she felt was the freely-formed preliminary bond with Harry.
Opening her eyes, she looked around and then blinked in shock. She was lying in a bed with Harry on one side and Draco on the other. Confused, she turned to humor to break the tension.
"This may sound gauche, but I don't remember agreeing to sleep with either one of you, much less both at the same time," she croaked. "If we're going to have a threesome, I insist on proper preparation and research first. Also, less clothing."
Neither man laughed, though Harry at least gave her a weak smile.
Then John and Jarod stepped into view, faces lined with creases from a sleepless night. Jarod squeezed her foot and passed a pillow to Harry to help prop her up. "You're going to make us jealous if you talk to all the men that way," Jarod teased with a relieved smile. "Welcome back."
Exuding competence and calm, John jotted down a note on her chart. "They've been linking their shields around you while the potion flushed from your system. Now that you've woken up, I'm going to have them slowly back off to see if your natural defenses reform."
Dropping a kiss on her head, Harry slid off the bed and positioned the pillow behind her back while Draco helped prop her up. "You scared me to death, but I promised Draco not to yell at you until later."
Draco tensed, but otherwise didn't move from his deceptively relaxed sprawl by her side. Hermione hadn't looked at him again after that first, quick glance. His expression was too raw and unguarded as he reacted to her waking up.
She knew he needed to step back, but she didn't want him to. That scared her a lot less than it should. If she wasn't careful, she might finally stop swimming in denial and confront his lingering guilt and her disappearing antipathy until they had to actually talk.
"We're in a shielded room, Sentinel Malfoy. If the test fails it won't hurt her," Jarod said gently. "You need to let her try."
Finally Draco moved. The disappearance of his body heat left Hermione feeling cold. Draco's shield slipped off her mind with extreme reluctance. A familiar tiger appeared beneath his trembling fingers and the two joined Harry in leaning against the wall.
"Very nice," Harry complimented the tiger.
Realizing that the tiger was Draco's distracted Hermione. She forgot to brace herself as the shields disappeared. Grunting painfully, Hermione jerked in agony. It felt like standing on a stage completely naked beneath a hail storm made of pelting emotions.
Then her shields snapped back into place like an umbrella. Everything stilled and the pain disappeared. Hermione relaxed with a relieved sigh.
John did one more exam and then he and Jarod asked permission to mute the emotional trauma of the attack. She hadn't realized how much it had been tearing at her until they'd soothed her mental wounds. Hermione would still have to spend time in mediation processing everything, but she now knew with bone-deep certainty that she would be okay. It wasn't her fault. The two Guides left soon after.
Mind starting to churn, Hermione turned to her best friend. "What happened, Harry?"
"Up, Cadogan," Draco ordered, sending his tiger to snuggle next to Hermione.
She immediately felt better as she buried her fingers in his luxuriant fur. "What does his name mean?" she asked, abruptly wanting to delay Harry's answers.
"Cadogan means battle honor in welsh," Draco explained, watching her with pleased eyes as she petted his spirit animal.
"I thought you weren't supposed to name them?" Harry asked.
Draco blinked in surprise. "Who told you that load of rubbish? Spirit animals can't help stabilize you or increase your power unless you get to know them. Part of that is giving them a name."
"They teach us not to get too familiar in the intro classes here," Hermione said with a wince. "I only named mine today after discovering my error. You should give yours a special name too, Harry."
"Great," Harry sighed. "The entire Pride is probably weaker than it should be because of misinformation."
Scrubbing his hands through his hair until it stuck up like a porcupine, Harry decided, "We'll put reforming education on the list for next month. Right now, we need to clear up our current problems. Greg, your attacker, is in custody. There'll be no leniency for a Sentinel attacking a Guide. If you can, tell us what you remember, Hermione, and then we'll fill in the rest."
Hermione tried to be unemotional as she recounted the assault, ending with her escape to the astral plane. She didn't mention her conversation with Guide Kaoru. Thankfully the mental healing from John and Jarod kept her from re-experiencing the fear. Nevertheless, the two Sentinels became more enraged as she spoke.
Upon finishing, she had a realization. "Oh! My mother's bad premonition must have been Greg's attack instead of my upset with the healing. I wish I would have realized," she sighed forlornly, then looked around. "Speaking of which, how did I get to the SG Center?"
Unexpectedly Draco answered. "I brought you here. I saw you at that café and followed you home."
Although Hermione should be irritated, she strangely felt unconcerned. Stunned, she realized that she trusted Draco. Completely.
Draco gave her a sideways look at her lack of outburst. "I worried about you being too tired to get home safely after your healing. I tried to be unobtrusive, but got stuck when you took that shortcut. By the time I finally got to your flat, I couldn't hear your heartbeat. However, I noticed the smell of your blood and that salty cheese you spilled on your shirt at dinner. I came around the corner and-," Draco bit back his words and turned to glare fiercely at the wall. He breathed deeply for a moment before stating evenly, "I dragged off your attacker and called in the aurors."
Frowning, Harry took up the tale. "I was practically feral, having felt your attack through our bond. By the time I got to your flat, Draco had left me nothing to do. He ripped that bastard to shreds and savaged his connection to the astral plane. Then Draco apparated away with you to the SG Center. I wanted to kill Greg, but the others wouldn't let me," he growled.
Forcing himself to calm down, Harry continued. "Greg's gone dormant. There's a reason Sentinels aren't supposed to fight amongst ourselves. I'm tempted to push for the death sentence, but I think he'll suffer more in prison. Once he wakes up from the coma, that is. Before your mundane Guide friends could rush in, we got some healing potions in you to fix the injuries. We weren't sure they knew about magic or not."
Biting her lip, Hermione had another thought. "But how did Greg even find me? I keep my address private and I always apparate away from the SG Center to avoid overeager Sentinels like him from tracking me down."
Harry dragged his hand down his face and struggled to get ahold of his anger. "Ron told Greg your address during his retesting. I've already told Ron to stay away from you and apologize by letter. You can see him whenever you want, but if he approaches you at all I'm going to rip one of his arms off and beat him mute with it," he finished savagely.
"I got him fired from his job at that private security firm," Draco added, seemingly absorbed with the trim of his nails. "I sent an owl to his boss. Anyone who can't keep a secret shouldn't be protecting vulnerable people. He can go work at his brothers' joke shop if no one else will hire him."
Hermione turned it all over in her mind. "The intellectual part of me thinks I should feel bad for them, but the emotional, vindictive side is thrilled that they're both going to be punished."
Both Sentinels seemed rather pleased by her admission. Sentinels usually had an instinctive drive for justice and aversion for anyone who failed to protect the tribe. If Draco hadn't been distracted by a Guide in acute distress, Greg would probably be dead. Then again, if Draco hadn't been there, she'd be suffering a fate almost worse than death, at least until Harry and her mom helped her kill Greg. Draco had saved her life.
Turning to the man who'd orbited her life through bad and good for over a decade, Hermione thinned her shields. For the first time in her life, she allowed herself to truly look at the Sentinel he'd become. Hermione saw.
Draco looked back at her with confusion. Then his face transformed with wonder as he noticed her complete absorption. His eyes dilated black and he inhaled deeply, swaying forward.
Draco was breathtaking. Yes. Mine. I want that, her soul whispered. Hermione let the acceptance flow through her, disintegrating her walls and self-deceptions.
"Should I leave you two alone?" Harry asked with gentle acceptance.
Blinking, Hermione forced herself to look away from her Sentinel. No matter how she yearned for a full Sentinel-Guide bond, she had a higher priority right now. Protecting the tribe always came first. Several things had abruptly connected in her head. "You need to stay to hear what happened to me on the astral plane first," Hermione said.
"What were you doing there?" Harry scolded. "You know that's dangerous."
"Or so we've been told in subpar classes," Hermione replied tartly. "I met a Guide named Kaoru there. She mentioned that something's coming, something fire, ash, and smoke." Harry abruptly straightened. "Didn't your prophecy say the same thing?"
Harry nodded grimly. "Did she say anything else?"
"She told me to ask Draco about his ancestor's trip to Japan. The answer's there." They both turned and looked at Draco.
The blond furrowed his brow. "I don't know what she's referring to. I'll have to go look through the family diaries. I'll try to be quick but," Draco's face shadowed, "even with my mother's invitations, I haven't been back to the Manor in years. Not since that day…," he trailed off with a grimace. Cadogan jumped down and walked to his side, rubbing his head against Draco in comfort before disappearing.
"You mean when you came Online as a feral Sentinel, killed your aunt, maimed your father, helped us escape, and burned down part of the estate?" Harry asked. "I could see that causing some hard feelings."
Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes. "For Merlin's sake, Harry! Obviously he didn't want to talk about it! That's why he trailed off."
"Oh," Harry winced, "sorry."
Laughing unexpectedly, Draco waved away his apology. "I suppose that's a succinct way to sum up the events, but yes. I still have a few hard feelings, especially when I realized that I started to come Online at eleven after your troll incident and was made to forget it. Nevertheless, it is my house and I suppose it's time I claimed it properly and put bad memories to rest. I'll go over immediately and start researching." He opened the door to leave.
"Let us come with you and help," Harry insisted, but Draco started shaking his head before he finished.
"The diaries have protections on them that only allow family members to handle them. This is something I have to do alone," Draco explained from the doorway.
Hermione stuck out her chin stubbornly. "Then at the very least stay for a meal. We're all tired and hungry. Share a moment of peace with Harry and me."
Abruptly she turned to look at the wall nearest the lobby downstairs and smiled. "Oh boy, I can feel my parents coming down the hall. My mom's about to punch somebody. Why don't you stay and meet my parents, though it probably won't be peaceful after all. Then you can go find out what our next big problem is. Please, Draco?" She knew using his first name instead of his last was slightly unfair, but making him rest was for his own good.
Draco folded, just like she knew he would. "Very well, I'll stay through the meal."
Then he gave her a wicked smirk. "I'm sure they'll want to know that your first thought upon waking was to research threesomes and insist we take off our clothes."
At her horrified face, Harry burst into laughter.
A few days later, Draco called a meeting at the Malfoy estate to discuss his findings. Hermione and Harry had both worried about bad memories resurfacing, but the reconstruction had been so extreme that the house felt barely recognizable. As they arrived at the front door, they met Narcissa Malfoy and several of her friends just leaving. Hermione recognized Lady Greengrass and Astoria, but not the short Indian woman with the haughty expression. After looking Harry and Hermione over sourly, she didn't seem interested in introductions either.
"Draco dear, come up for air, please," Narcissa Malfoy called through an open doorway. "I'm leaving and your colleagues have arrived."
When the usually immaculate Draco came out, Hermione swallowed hard. He had dust streaked endearingly across his chin and had unbuttoned the top of his shirt, exposing the base of his throat in what seemed like a shocking intimacy. Hermione felt a tingle in her stomach.
Looking over, their gazes locked together. Sensing her attraction, a warm, intimate smile grew on Draco's lips as he ignored everyone else in the room. "Have a nice lunch, Mother," Draco said vaguely without bothering to look her way.
All of a sudden Astoria Greengrass stepped between them, cutting off their stare. She practically stank of jealousy, ambition, and lust. "Are you sure you won't join us, Draco darling? Your business with these… people can't take that long." Astoria reached out possessively to touch the back of his hand, but Draco stepped back out of reach smoothly with a slight frown.
"I fear I must decline. I'm sure you'll excuse me" Face a blank mask, he turned from Astoria and touched his mother on the arm, expression softening. "Enjoy yourself with your friends. If I'm still meeting with Hermione and Harry when you get back, please don't disturb us."
"Very well, good luck with your hunt," she said perceptively.
Turning to go, she suddenly stopped and sighed as if she just couldn't help herself. "Hold still, darling," she ordered as she pulled off her satin glove and somehow managed to make licking her finger look elegant. Then she rubbed the dust off his chin. Tilting his head, she examined the pale skin for redness.
Draco submitted with fond exasperation. "You're going to be late for lunch," he prompted.
"You're going to give yourself a rash," she replied as a house elf popped into view and handed her a handkerchief to wipe off her fingers. Then the little creature helped her slip on her glove.
Unexpectedly, Lady Malfoy turned to look at them. Hermione braced herself for something unpleasant, but it proved unnecessary "Miss Granger, you're a Guide, are you not?" At Hermione's cautious nod, she inclined her head with respect, "Please look after Draco, if you would. I know he trusts you."
Eyebrows climbing his forehead, Draco gave his mother a look of grateful surprise. She merely arched an eyebrow in return. Astoria seethed in the background.
"I'm already planning on it, Milady. I know he isn't as careful with himself as he should be." Hermione finally replied.
Lips twitching, she said, "I see you do know my son well. Good luck and let me know if you require my assistance." Then she gathered up her party and left.
"So what've you found out?" Harry asked impatiently as soon as the ladies had disappeared.
"Let's go into the study and I'll lay it all out." Turning, Draco led them into the room. A house elf unobtrusively brought a tea tray, then shut and locked the door on his way out. Draco immediately activated anti-spying privacy protocols for the room.
"Is it that bad?" Hermione asked in surprise.
Grim-faced, Draco answered. "This could be catastrophic for the Sentinel-Guide community. If the Prides found out, they'd probably slaughter my entire family and go on a hunt for anyone even tangentially involved. Even your mother could be targeted."
Immediately Hermione launched her own privacy spell. Then she demanded, "How is my mother involved? Does she need protection?"
"She's a Parker, that's enough," Draco said cryptically.
"Enough double-talk," Harry snapped impatiently. "Explain yourself."
Pacing across the room, Draco smoothed a hand over his pale hair. "Approximately 125 years ago, my ancestor accepted a lucrative contract to accompany a wealthy shipping magnate named Mr. Parker to Japan." Flipping open a journal, he displayed a picture of a man standing on a foreign dock with two children.
Hermione's eyes widened with surprise. Her mother had a picture of herself at 13 that looked extremely similar to the girl in the picture. The boy's bored expression also looked eerily similar to Hermione's.
Draco continued, "While in Japan, they conspired with a Japanese cult to rid the world of Sentinels and Guides forever. Together with a Japanese magician, they created a monster using volcanic fire, human sacrifices, and the desecrated remains of spirit animals. Then they let it loose on the astral plane to poison and eradicate our people forever."
Paging forward in the journal, Draco displayed a picture of a mountainside lit by the setting sun. Hermione gasped and jerked in shock. A smoky haze just out of frame cast menacing, reddish-black shadows. Mr. Parker and his children stood grim witness in the background. In the center stood a blood-stained altar made of matte black basalt.
However, it was the familiar woman chained to that altar that caused Hermione's horror. "That's Guide Kaoru," she whispered with shock. Both Sentinels leaned forward to get a better look. The Japanese woman stared at the monster out of frame with terror, desperate courage, and determination warring in her eyes. A fresh, star-shaped wound soaked the collar of her kimono with blood.
"That's who's been helping me on the astral plane. What happened to her? Did the monster kill her?" Hermione demanded desperately.
Flipping back and forth in the journal, Draco frowned. "It doesn't say. Her Sentinel got loose and started decimating all of the guards on the mountain while trying to reach her. My ancestor fled to safety back in Tokyo. He later learned from Mr. Parker that their ritual had been successful, but that Mr. Parker's daughter had died in the process. They all returned to England immediately afterward and then Mr. Parker lost his fortune, severing my ancestor's interest in him."
Trying to sooth Hermione's upset, Harry took her hand and squeezed. "Does it list Kaoru's last name? Maybe we could look her up in the historical records. Find out what happened to her that way."
Shaking his head, Draco said, "He never mentioned it, just called her the Guiding Star in his notes, but," he bit his lip thoughtfully, "there can't be that many woman in 1880's Tokyo who dressed like swordsmen. When we have more time, we can investigate."
After discussing the magical specifics of the ritual, the three of them lapsed into grim silence. Harry and Hermione struggled to digest what they'd just heard. "How do we even fight a monster like that?" Hermione finally asked.
"Is the use of lava significant?" Harry questioned.
Draco see-sawed his hand in the air. "They probably just used it as a primeval fire element to counter the spirit animals, considering their origin and all."
"What origin?" Hermione asked.
"New spirit animals rise unformed from the astral ocean, of course. Then they seek out their final forms on land. Doesn't everyone know that?" Looking between them, Draco's face fell. "They don't teach that either."
"As soon as this is over, you're telling me everything you know about Sentinels and Guides," Hermione growled fiercely.
"Look," Harry said with exasperation, "this monster is basically fire and necromancy. No one's seen it in years. For all we know, it's not even there anymore. Some of the spells have to be wearing off by now. Let's just go in and blast it to pieces."
"Oh yeah, that's a great plan. Thanks for the intricate strategy there, Harry," Hermione snapped crankily.
"Do you have a better idea?" he retorted.
"It's worth a shot," Draco said slowly.
Hermione looked back and forth at the two Sentinels in disbelief. "You're both crazy."
"If nothing else, it'll be a good reconnaissance mission. Come on, Hermione. We need you to pull us into the astral plane. I don't think I can get there by myself. I've never tried and they say most Sentinels can't." Harry wheedled.
Throwing her hands up in the air, Hermione gave in. "Fine, but I reserve the right to say I told you so. Let's all sit down on the ground in a circle and meditate. I'll tether us all together and pull you through to the other side. Don't fight me even if it feels weird."
They settled down on the floor and linked hands. The room became silent except for the sound of their slowly synchronizing breathing. Settling her shields around the two Sentinels like gossamer wings, Hermione opened a portal to the astral plane and dragged them through.
They came out in a cave overlooking the ocean. "You're right. That did feel weird," Harry said, sitting down woozily on the ground.
"Now what?" Draco asked, moving his jaw to pop his ears as he looked around.
"Wait, what's that?" Hermione whispered, pointing to a disturbance in the ocean below.
As they watched, a shining blob rose out of the ocean and scurried down the beach. It rolled up a tree trunk. For a moment it disappeared behind green fronds. Then the light reappeared at the end of a branch with an ovoid body and four nubby limbs. It jumped off into the air and morphed into a flying squirrel that glided joyfully to the sand below. The squirrel hopped around chittering in excitement.
Then it froze. It lifted its furry head, swiveled its ears, and looked around fearfully. "I hate this part," Kaoru said sadly, suddenly standing next to them in the cave.
Before anyone could ask what she meant, the shadow cast by the cliff moved. A being of fire, ash, and smoke crawled out. Cracks formed in its skin, oozing red lava down a shoulder that morphed into a wing and then dissolved down into a bizarrely proportioned arm. The monster rose up until it blotted out the sky, looming above the frozen spirit animal. Then it let loose a scream of superheated steam and swiped at the squirrel, grabbing its tail and dragging it back into the shadows squealing. Seconds later a trickle of dirty light seeped out and drained back into the ocean.
Hermione felt her gorge rise and heard Draco swallow hard as he moved to press his arm against her side. Two burning red embers began glowing through the smoke of its face where eyes should be. It turned, looking straight at their hiding place. Then it charged, racing towards them with inhuman speed, one minute on the beach and the next a fiery cloud of smoke at the mouth of their cave. Terrified, Hermione immediately yanked their spirits back to their bodies.
Swearing violently, Draco jumped to his feet and stumbled back. Harry had his wand clenched in a white-knuckled fist. Equally horrified, Hermione rubbed her icy arms vigorously.
"Well, that went well," she commented with hysterical shrillness. "Except for how we somehow forgot to blast it into pieces. Whoops. I'm sure we'll remember that small detail next time. That is, if it doesn't kill us first!"
"Hermione!" Draco's voice lashed out like a slap. "Calm down and breathe."
Sucking in a lungful of air, she tried to push back the terror and just concentrate on her body's natural rhythms. Then she focused outward. "Okay okay, I'm fine. How are your senses doing? Draco? Harry?"
"My vision flared for a moment, but I have it under control now." Harry answered. "Draco?"
Mouth twisting, he gestured to the rash now crawling across the side of his face and neck. "My touch has gone off," he admitted grudgingly.
Immediately Hermione went over and took his face in her hands. Cradling his jaw gently, she talked him through resetting his dial for touch. Then she dipped a napkin into her tea and wiped down his face, patting it dry. Pulling a tin of ointment from her dimensional store, she slathered it across his skin. Draco closed his eyes and submitted to her touch with a trusting sigh.
"There, that should clear it up in a few minutes," she said softly, sliding her fingers away from his skin and stepping back.
Harry picked up his tea and gulped down the cold liquid. "Well, at least we now know what we're dealing with. The curse poisoning the astral ocean has worn off at least. New spirit animals wouldn't be emerging otherwise."
"But the volcano monster doesn't look diminished at all," Hermione pointed out bleakly.
"So let's break down the weaknesses and come up with a battle strategy," Draco said practically. "Before that, though, let's eat lunch and settle down from the adrenalin rush."
After lunch, hours of bickering and research, Harry finally naming his spirit animal Arthur, three more pots of tea, and two bathroom breaks, they finally had a plan of attack. Once again they settled down in a circle on the floor. It took longer to achieve a calm state this time because now they knew what awaited them on the other side.
"If I'm incapacitated, use your spirit animal to escape back to your body just like I showed you," Hermione reminded them one last time. Then she dropped into a meditative state and pulled them through. This time they came out on the beach bordering the astral ocean.
As planned, Hermione stepped back until the surf splashed rhythmically against her knees and soaked up her thighs. She summoned Lilian from the water. Cadogan padded out of the jungle and joined Draco on the beach. The tiger rubbed against Draco's side, then crouched down and bared his fangs in preparation for battle.
As soon as they finished, Harry called for Arthur - and hadn't that been a surprise. Harry's spirit animal was a rare magical mulagon - part ferocious dragon and part stubborn mule. Flying in from the horizon, Arthur dropped down next to Harry with a loud spray of sand.
Calling on her Gryffindor bravery, Hermione spread her arms and dropped all of her shields with a whump of power that vibrated across the water. "I am Hermione Jean Parker-Granger," she called with a voice that travelled farther than a legion of silver horns. "I am a Guide. This ocean is not yours!"
On the beach, Draco's wand slid into his hand and the air became unnaturally still. "I am Draco Dominion Malfoy. I am a Sentinel. This world is not yours!"
Harry pulled out the elder wand and released his power with a concussion blast that rattled the sand at his feet. "I am Harry James Potter. I am a Sentinel. These spirits are not yours! As Master of Death, I call you forward, bakemono no yougan."
With a sound of grinding rock and whistling steam, the monster of fire, ash, and smoke crawled out of the shadows. Their spirit animals jittered in place, but loyalty kept them from running despite their visceral terror. The volcano monster moved forward cautiously on fours protruding limbs like a lizard, then began to stretch up towards the sky with spindly legs and a grotesquely long giraffe-like neck that collapsed back into its body and slowly reformed into a disturbingly asymmetrical head.
Abruptly the bakemono's lazy movements turned almost impossibly fast as it swiped at Harry. Blessing his seeker reflexes, Hermione watched Harry dive safely to the side and roll. It turned, but before it could grab the mulagon, Arthur flew up into the clouds.
With the monster thus distracted, Draco darted back a few feet and pointed his wand at the creature. His retreat uncovered the runes he'd carefully traced into the sand. In a commanding voice he cast counter-spells to undo the work of his ancestor all those years ago.
Enraged, the monster turned to stop him, but it was too late. A ruby spider web of cracks spread across its mottled black skin. For a second the misshapen beast blazed with barely contained fire. Then it shattered into clouds of ash. Draco flicked his wand and a zephyr dispersed the dust, leaving a column of lava hovering in the air for one heartbeat, two… and then it splashed down to the ground with a concussive blast that fused the sand into glass.
Damaged but still sentient, the lava turned and sped across the sand towards Draco and Harry. The molten rock spattered into the air, reforming into a menacing stampede of predatory animals flashing fiery teeth and claws as they headed for her Sentinels. The air shimmered with heat.
Standing fast, Harry called upon his power. "Spirits!" Harry shouted demandingly into the cacophony of sloshing lava and grinding rock. "As the Master of Death, I release you! Go free!"
The rippling flames composing the animals slammed to a halt as if hitting a wall. The oily smoke grasped at them greedily, but the fiery animals turned translucent and thinned to skeletons. Enraged, the lava heaved and spat, but the trapped spirit animals seized gratefully at the elder wand's power and lifted up into the sky, dissolving into a cloud of light that floated out over to the ocean before raining drops of light back into the waves with a torrential downpour until nothing remained but blue sky.
Diminished but undefeated, the volcanic monster heaved itself across the sand. It oozed closer and closer to Draco and Harry with homicidal intent, splattering lava plumes into the air. The sky shimmered with blistering heat while sand fused into glass at their feet. The two Sentinels closed ranks and began retreating, desperately casting spells to slow the approaching magma, but with little effect.
Waiting had been agony, but Hermione and Lilian had been storing up their energy for this moment. "Come to me!" Hermione cried both mentally and vocally. Slapping her hands on the water splashing by her thighs, she sent her will surging though the ocean. "Come, my brothers and sisters! Come!" In her mind she chanted a continual summons into the waves.
Lilian rose up, riding the waves on her tail and chattering loudly. The dolphin dived deeply into the water and then jump up into the air higher than the surrounding clifftop. Again and again, Lilian arched through the air and dived through the water, calling demandingly.
A glow gathered on the horizon where astral ocean met sky. Channeling Boadicea, Hermione screamed an undulating battle cry and commandingly swung her arms up into the air. Like the most loyal of troops, the glow charged forward through the ocean depths and shot up into the sky, diving down onto the beach as a hoard of spirit lights that bravely harried the lava's flanks.
Flinching from the attack, the lava moved away from the shore. It didn't notice the water drawing back from the beach to form a gigantic wave behind Hermione's back, nor see Draco and Harry casting frantic protective spells towards Hermione. The monster retreated onto the exposed seabed as the spirits pressed their assault.
Then the bakemono jerked to a stop and bulged wildly. Swiftly it oozed back the way it came, but it was too late. Hermione dropped her arm with a roar.
Loosed, the titanic tsunami wave rushed forward and crashed across Hermione's small body and the lava creature cowering at her feet. The fiery bakemono contorted and shrieked in rage and denial. Great gouts of steam rose into the air, obscuring the battle between lava, water, and spirits.
Ever so slowly, the air cleared. A large shelf of shiny obsidian rock quickly disappeared beneath the incoming tide. Spray misted into the air, forming rainbows and cleansing the air.
On the beach, two anxious Sentinels searched the water desperately. Then Harry shouted, pointing to a shadow in the water. Within seconds, the shadow came close enough to resolve into a head of dark, curly hair. A bubble formed on the water, popping as Hermione's face breached the surface. Rising up, she stumbled onto shore. Harry and Draco splashed to their knees by her side, pulling her into a desperately relieved embrace.
Exhausted, they pulled each other up and dragged themselves onto dry ground. Then the three stood arm-in-arm as they watched hundreds of nascent spheres of light rise triumphantly from the ocean and shoot across the sky, newly freed spirits in search of their animal forms. Soon each spirit animal would travel over to the physical world to bring a Sentinel or Guide Online.
"Do you think one of those is my perfect Guide?" Harry asked with wonder and longing.
"Absolutely," Hermione answered with tears in her eyes, unable to believe in any other outcome for her best friend.
Slipping smoothly out of her grasp, Draco looked away down the beach. "Do you think one of those will be your Sentinel?" he asked Hermione evenly. Harry winced and took a large step back.
Hermione's jaw dropped open. Seeing red, her patience snapped. Hands on her hips, she whirled to face Draco.
"Of course not, you idiot! I'm both the brightest witch and strongest Magical Guide of our age. I'm also stubborn, but I'm too tired to be stubborn or patient with you anymore. Draco, we're a perfect match. I'm obviously meant to be your Guide. You watch me all the time. Are you ever going to make a move or what?"
"Have you really forgiven me for treating you so badly during school?" he asked.
"Yes! Isn't it obvious?" Hermione barked.
"To be fair, Hermione, not really," Harry chimed in.
Hermione huffed at Harry with great annoyance.
Abruptly, Draco laughed. Grabbing Hermione's wrist, he tugged her into his arms and took her lips in a startling, deep, and exploratory kiss. She felt their shields merge and slide together with sensual joy. The aching emptiness in her core ever since she'd come Online temporarily muted at his presence, showing the potential to make her whole once their bonding was complete.
Moving back just enough to talk, Draco grinned. "Hermione, you are a genius. I absolutely adore your intelligence and wit. Nothing has ever sounded, smelled, or tasted as delicious as you. You are gorgeous and the feel of your body drives me wild. Bond with me and be my Guide. Please. I love you. Let's get married and have a dozen beautiful, curly, blond-haired babies. We can even name the last one Harry if we succeed in having that many. Trying at least will be fun."
Feeling delightfully giddy, Hermione giggled. "You are out of your mind. I'm thinking two or three babies max and we have to sort out the troubles at the SG Center first, but I'll hold you to the name thing."
She kissed him again, already addicted to his feel and taste. Stopping to breathe, she admitted, "I've been obsessing about you for years and unsuccessfully trying to ignore it. I've rejected everyone but Harry because they aren't as perfect as you. I love you too. Of course I want to bond with you and marry you. Yes!"
In another pause to breathe between celebratory kisses, Harry finally butted in to say, "And that's my cue to leave. I'm flattered by the name thing and all, but getting more uncomfortable by the second. Hermione, congratulations and good luck. Remember that he's sensitive," Harry ignored Draco's glare.
"Draco, congratulations and don't make me gut you with a plastic spork for hurting her. Remember that she's sometimes mental, but completely worth every second of it. I'll see you both at the wedding." Then he gave them a cheeky wink, touched Arthur's neck, and disappeared back to his body. Their platonic bond disappeared with him, but Hermione knew that nothing could break their friendship.
Then she got distracted. As a mischievous tiger jumped around on the obsidian rocks playing splash with a joyful dolphin and a Japanese woman with a star-shaped scar peeked in on them with a pleased smile before disappearing, Hermione and Draco went back to the much more enjoyable activity of fusing their souls together through the time honored tradition of kissing. Well, kissing and a few other delightful things.
"How do you feel about eloping tonight and then holding a big reception for our families in a few weeks," Hermione asked as she licked down Draco's throat and undid a couple more buttons.
"Will you explain it to our mothers?" he asked with a gasp as she nipped his shoulder.
"Mmm hmm," she hummed in amused agreement as he lowered her to the sand, pulled her arms above her head, and kissed a path from her wrist to the hollow of her elbow, memorizing the taste of her skin beneath the salt spray.
Nuzzling his lips against her bicep, he sighed happily, and then switched to her other arm. "Will we dress up at this reception in an extravagant wedding dress and dashing dress robes?" Draco asked intently as he delicately licked the veins in her wrist, causing her to squirm.
When she finally regained her wits, she replayed his words and barely suppressed a chuckle. "As your Guide and future wife, I want you to be happy. If you've always dreamed of wearing a fancy white wedding dress at our reception, I'll support you." She waited a beat of silence before adding, "And make sure to take lots of pictures of your pretty dress to share with our friends and future children, of course."
Draco reared back from her skin and scowled at being mocked, causing her to break into peals of laughter. Unable to maintain his indignation, his frown cracked into a smile. "You know what I meant. You in the wedding dress, though it doesn't have to be white, and me in the dress robes, you minx."
Then he dropped his fingers to her sides and tickled. Hermione squealed and squirmed, but Draco was relentless. Unable to breathe for laughing, she finally squeaked out, "I surrender! Stop!"
Chucking, Draco dropped his fingers to the sand and looked down at her breathless face with humor and adoration shining from his eyes. "I love you. Of course you can wear whatever you like to the reception," he conceded.
"But the fancy dress and robe are traditional," Hermione drawled, "and you like to dress up in sartorial splendor every chance you get. You've probably had your wedding robes picked out for years."
Pink tinted his cheekbones adorably. "There's nothing wrong with being prepared. Quality dress robes take time, especially for such an important occasion. Besides," a sly look appeared in his gray eyes, "I had an exclusive couturier draw up a coordinating dress and set aside the fabric for you last year. It's a stunning mermaid-style dress with a ruffled organza flounce that looks like sea foam. I found a pearl encrusted ribbon for your waist that's the exact shade of your eyes. It took me visiting dye shops in five different countries to find the right color. I had them set aside some embroidery floss for my robes in the same color. You'll love it."
"Last year, huh?" she drawled. "That's a bit presumptuous."
"Yes, but you already know that I've been watching and loving you for years," Draco replied, unsuccessfully hiding his nervousness. "Are you going to deny my good taste and your own curiosity?"
Unable to stop herself from smiling up at him indulgently, she shook her head. "No, I'm sure the dress is amazing. You do have good taste, you're in love with me, after all."
Draco's eyebrows rose hopefully, "So the fancy reception is on?"
Hermione beamed with happiness. "Elopement and bonding tonight with a dress of my choice. I promise classy, but I want to choose it myself. Then an extravagant celebration with our families in a few weeks' time wearing your bespoke wedding ensemble, as long as it meets my approval. However, you have to make sure my mom gets an amazing dress out of this as well or she'll never forgive me."
"Done and done." Draco's face beamed with happiness. "Anything else?"
Looking sideways, she tucked her tongue into the corner of her mouth in thought and shook her head. "Nope."
"Excellent." Abruptly Draco rolled them so she was straddling him, pushing his hands beneath the hem of her jumper and sliding them up the bare skin of her now available back. "Hmm, now where were we?"
Arching into his touch, Hermione nearly moaned in pleasure. "We were making up for lost time by making out, I believe. Imprinting your senses on your Guide is very important, Sentinel. Let's do that for a while longer."
"As always, you are a genius," Draco breathed. Then he rose up to meet her descending mouth with his own. Touching lips, minds, and hearts, they lost time as they found themselves through a spiral of love and devotion.
THE END
AN: This is the second story in the Parker Triptych, a crossover series. Each story contains a female with the Parker family blood line (the Parker family is from The Pretender), the most ancient bloodline with Sentinel and Guide gifts in my world. I intend this trilogy to be a collection of stories that can be read either together or alone. I've taken some inspiration for my lava monster from the red bull in 'The Last Unicorn' movie.
In the first story (The Guiding Star) set in Japan, we see the creation of a monster that will wipe Sentinels and Guides off the face of the Earth. (Rurouni Kenshin)
In the second story (Guide Resurgence) set in Britain, we see the monster destroyed by the descendants of those who created it. (Harry Potter)
In the third story (Mother of Sentinels) set in America, we see the restoration of Guides and Sentinels across the world. (The Pretender)