Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the bizarre idea of pairing Hermione Granger and Castiel. So yeah, I'm still me :)
A/N: Wee, so you've reached the sequel of "Remembering the Past" and the last one-shot that I planned to make for Hermione/Castiel. Once again, I would like to thank all those who favorited and reviewed "Trench-Coated Angel" and "Remembering the Past". The pairing is a rare one, but I'm still glad you liked it.
Before anything else, the ITALICIZED part is a flashback.
I hope you'd like this one, too! Review afterwards and enjoy reading :)
Title: Castiel's Choice
Author: WickedlyAwesomeMe
Language: English
Form: One-Shot
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: T, just to be safe
Warning: Cussing and innuendos, I think
Crossover: Harry Potter/Supernatural
Pairing: Castiel/Hermione Granger
Summary: After returning from purgatory, Castiel was back to his normal self. A certain meeting with the Being that Castiel loved the most challenged him to decide between two choices that would forever change his life. What would Castiel choose? HP/SPN crossover. Hermione Granger/Castiel. Sequel of "Remembering the Past".
Castiel's Choice by WickedlyAwesomeMe
She could see the surprise on Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt's face when he entered his office and saw her sitting quietly on one of his vacant chairs.
"Hermione!" he exclaimed, the widening of his eyes already speaking volumes of his astonishment. "I… well, it has almost been a year, you know."
Hermione blinked and forced a small smile on her face. "What can I say?" she murmured, nervously tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "I came to love America and I decided to stay for a while." She paused, licked her chapped lips, and cleared her throat. "I apologize for not sending an owl or something. Things had been quite… eventful for me."
Unknowingly, her hands tightly clenched into fists. The brunette took a sharp intake of breath and tried to keep her emotions at bay.
She could not breakdown right now. Not in front of her esteemed superior.
"Is everything all right?" Kingsley asked, striding towards his desk and sitting on his chair. When she unfocusedly stared at a spot on the floor, the wizard furrowed his brows and frowned. "Auror Granger?"
Upon hearing his address to her, she shakily smiled. "Auror Granger…" she murmured. "It seemed so long ago ever since someone called me that." She lifted up her head and directed her peculiarly shining eyes at Kingsley. "I honestly thought I'd be fired long ago because I'd taken a leave longer than what the rules stated."
"Well, you are still one of our best Aurors, Hermione," Kingsley said, bringing his hands together and leaning closer to his desk. "Forgive me, but I still hoped that one day you will come back."
She smiled at his honesty. Quietly then, she rummaged inside her robe pocket and retrieved a white envelope. "I knew you would say that," she said, gently placing the letter on top of his desk. Written in front of it were the clear words 'Letter of Resignation'. "That was why I came here prepared."
Confused, Kingsley grasped the parchment and looked at Hermione. "What made you decide, Hermione?" he asked, his tone of voice distinctively laced with disappointment. "I thought it was the job that you've always wanted?"
A hollow laugh escaped from her lips; Kingsley swore his blood ran cold just by listening at it. "I thought so, too," she whispered back. "I thought it will help me become better after the Second War, Kingsley." Her bottom lip trembled as she sucked in a deep breath. "It's just… more important things happened back in America and I" – a soft, broken whimper escaped from her lips – "I have to do something."
The wizard grew more confused and alarmed as the tired witch started to softly cry in front of him. Kingsley was at loss of what to do, she could see that through her tears, and she tried to assure him with a watery, poor excuse of a smile.
"Did something happen back in America, Hermione?" Kingsley asked.
The brunette closed her eyes tightly, allowing more tears to fall. "Y-you have no idea," she sobbed in exhaustion, in pain, in mourning… in every negative feeling that her heart was currently feeling right now.
Hermione suddenly felt she could not stay in this cramped, godforsaken office anymore.
"I-I'm sorry, Kingsley, but I have to go." She shot up from her seat and dashed out of his office, Kingsley's call for her to stop falling into deaf ears.
Hermione blindly wove threw the throng of ministry works. Sometimes, she would bump against an irate colleague, but she would not stop, turn around, and apologize profusely like she normally did. Things had changed now; she was not the same person anymore.
Finally, she burst out of the hidden government of the Wizarding World. Sunlight blared her eyesight and she glared angrily at no one. It was a fairly normal, or better yet, a wonderful day and to see a broken… hurting woman of twenty-eight years standing right at the middle of the busy street was peculiar to anyone who saw her.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," a tall, American man on his late twenties, quickly strode to her side and drew her into a hug. Sam Winchester urged her to start walking towards another car he 'borrowed' from a random passerby in London and helped her to sit inside.
By the time he started the car, Hermione was already helplessly crying.
The Winchester worriedly gave her a sideway glance and reached for her shaking hand. "Should I take you to your apartment first?" he whispered, squeezing her hand for comfort. "It looks like you need a little rest for the moment, Hermione."
She adamantly shook her head. "No," she blubbered. "We must go back to America now, Sam. I… we have to find them."
Her voice was so thick with determination and fear; even Sam started to panic a little. "All right, all right," he consoled. Crying women would always be the death of him, but then again, Hermione's tears were shed because of an extremely valid reason. "The prophet kid is safe hidden in one of Rufus' houses back in America. I'm sure he's already waiting for us."
The brunette nodded and tried her very best to give him back a smile. "Thanks, Sammy," she said, haphazardly wiping her tears.
He gave her a small, boyish smile. Although he honest-to-God hated that nickname of his, every time Hermione called him as such, Sam could feel his certain fondness for the English witch taking over his heart. After all, he started viewing her as his younger sister (despite the fact she was a few years older than him).
"We will find them," he silently swore. "I am sure we will."
"I decided to help Sam and Dean in defeating Dick Roman."
When Castiel said those words to her, a myriad of emotions stirred in Hermione's heart. Sam and Dean had been keen in persuading Castiel to help them to kill the Leviathans ever since it was revealed that only he could pinpoint who the real Dick Roman was. Seeing that all of the Leviathans used to be inside his body before, Castiel knew each and every Leviathan that was gracing the face of the Earth right now.
She was happy, of course. Finally, they would be able to have the chance to defeat the creatures first created by God. Although she was a little wary of Crowley's blood-offering, Hermione still could see that he was passionate in destroying all of the Leviathans. Also, all of the deaths that had happened due to Dick Roman and his evil, master plan would finally be paid back.
But then, there was huge fear that started to eat her heart after hearing those words. Her memories of two years ago just came back. She just remembered how the Winchesters and the trench-coated angel were important to her. To know that they would soon embark in a fight that was far more dangerous than everything she had witnessed before, it was just natural for Hermione to worry for them.
"Would you like to play a board game, Hermione?" Castiel asked, breaking her off from her silent musing.
Her shiny eyes landed on the angel that was standing in front of her and smiled. Castiel was still not at his right state of mind, but she could see he was trying his very best. Dean one time narrated to her the entire plan that the angel 'choreographed' with Crowley, the King of Hell, behind their backs, ultimately leading to his betrayal. She now understood as to why Dean had this certain anger against Castiel, but she was glad he was slowly forgiving the fallen angel.
"I'm sorry, love, but I think I have to decline that for now," she said, gingerly placing a hand against his cheek.
Castiel tilted his head and widened his eyes, immediately grasping her hand on his cheek and frowned. "I can detect distress just by looking at your eyes," he stated. "Is something the matter, Hermione?"
A small tear slid down from her eyes and she shakily smiled. "Just stressed out, Angel Boy," she said, walking closer to him to wrap her arms around his torso. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed, wishing to whoever who might be listening to her now to keep this angel she came to love to be safe.
Heaven, for now, was in complete chaos. God the Father was currently lost. If the two boys and one angel she came to love fight against the powerful Leviathans, who would look after them?
"The bees are swarming in the park today," he whispered, his lips gently grazing her forehead. "I would like to see them with you."
She grinned. "All right," she said.
With just a blink of an eye, they arrived in a vacant park near Rufus' hidden cabin. Dean decided it would be best to remove Castiel out of the mental hospital and bring him into hiding. Although he had lost his marbles, so to speak, he was still an angel. He held so much information that was extremely valuable to the demons and Leviathans alike. Thus, after a day of boredom, Castiel was able to discover this wonderful park and ever since that day, he went to this place just to admire nature; most of the time, he wanted Hermione to tag along.
A disappointed sigh escaped his lips, gazing all over the sunflowers that adorned the field. "I believe I was proven wrong again," he claimed, sitting on one of the benches.
Hermione fondly smiled down at him and secretly pulled out her wand. Silently, she conjured a few, harmless bees, which then swarmed all over the sunflowers and started pollinating. Castiel, noticing this, considerably brightened and was contented in watching the insects.
The brunette then sat down beside him and silently watched the bees. It was funny how these insects also grew on her. Perhaps, it was because she watched them with Castiel during their free times. Nonetheless, she found herself always comforted while watching innocent bees swarming around.
"I want to go with you and the boys to the RRE tomorrow," she then said, giving him a sideways glance. The contented smile on his face fell for a while, before another small, sad one replaced it.
"But I swore to protect you," he interjected, turning towards her. "You might be injured without my constant protection over you."
Hermione sighed and gingerly held his hand. "I'm a grown witch, remember?" she said. "I have my wand to blast those bloody Leviathans away from me." A frown then grew on her face and her grip on his hand tightened. "It's you I'm worried about."
He chuckled at her statement. "I am an Angel of the Lord," he said. "One must not underestimate my powers." A pause followed his statement, absentmindedly gripping Hermione's hand tighter. "I kept a huge stash of honey under my bed, Hermione. If something happened to me, please accept all of those. I know you will treasure them like how I did."
She disbelievingly smiled at his request, although, deep inside, she could feel her heart aching. Despite his muddled brain, Castiel still knew it was a dangerous mission to fight against Dick Roman. Just the fact that he adamantly refused to offer his help at first was proof enough. She could see that he was silently terrified; after all, Leviathans could kill angels. But the Winchesters were important to him, and ultimately the humans gracing the face of the Earth. He would be damned if he did not do anything to atone his sins.
"The bees look peaceful now, don't you think?" he continued blabbering. "It's such a shame that if I were to die tomorrow, I would never see them anymore."
"Don't say that," she interjected, pulling his arm. "Nobody is going to die tomorrow, Angel Boy. I'd make sure of that."
Castiel surprisingly shifted on the bench completely to look at her in her eyes. "Such fieriness in your spirit, Hermione Granger," he murmured, cupping her cheek with his hand. He leaned down and kissed her on her forehead, prompting her to close her eyes to cherish the moment. "You are one remarkable human being. I am glad I came across you during my mission here on Earth."
"Don't be ridiculous," she reprimanded, opening her eyes and determinedly stared into his eyes. "You sound like you are saying goodbye already." She scowled and looked away. "Bloody angel."
"You have considerably changed from the first moment I met you," he continued, unfazed by her mood. His intense, blue eyes connected with hers again and he grinned. "I believe you can now withstand a game of Chinese Checkers against me. Nasty board game, I tell you. Back in the hospital, I struggled to perfect my skills to emerge as the best player. Finally, after days and days of practice, I was the victor."
Hermione chuckled, kissing him fondly on his cheek. Even though the Castiel she fell in love with now lost some of his marbles, there were certain times when he would just be plain ridiculously adorable that she could not help but fall in love with him more.
"Oh, why am I not surprised?" Dean Winchester's unmistakable voice reached their ears. "Seriously, lovebirds, go get a room."
"Dean," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Her cheeks were furiously red, though, prompting the older Winchester to smile.
"Sammy found something," he continued. "He said to gather everyone before revealing it. That geek of my brother has been researching for days now, dear God. Days. Just follow his instructions before he starts killing innocent people within his range."
Hermione smiled and stood up, her hand still tightly clasped with Castiel's. Dean quickly flanked her side and jokingly dropped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a sound kiss on her cheek. Before his lips could even leave her red cheek, he felt a sudden pain in his stomach and he bent over. Blood dripped from his lips and he groaned in pain.
"Castiel!" Hermione exclaimed, horrified at such a cold, calm look from the angel.
"Not a single strand, Dean Winchester," the deranged trench-coated angel warned. "I was the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. I can mindlessly throw you back again without blinking."
"All right, all right, geez," Dean claimed. He gasped in relief when Castiel stopped whatever angel mojo he used on the older Winchester. "You son of a bitch."
"I am a son of God," Castiel replied back without batting an eye.
Dean rolled his eyes and glared upon seeing Hermione's smile. "Of course you are," he sarcastically said. "You son of a bitch," he continued loud enough for only Hermione to hear.
As the three of them trudged back into Rufus' cabin, Hermione could see a furiously working Sam Winchester, his eyes never leaving the monitor of his laptop.
The brunette licked her lips and prayed once again that everything would turn out all right tomorrow.
But then again, who was there to listen to her prayers?
The moment they stepped inside Richand Roman Enterprises, they got separated. Both Dean and Castiel were nowhere to be found, having broken away from the group to hunt down the true Dick Roman and just kill the motherfucker once and for all.
She and Sam were given the task to save the prophet and although she very much wanted to stay by the angel's side until the very end, she had no choice but to submit to Dean's orders. He was always scarily strict at times, especially when he assumed the role as the leader during dangerous missions like this. Hermione knew Dean just cared a great deal for her. He'd rather not have another casualty, like Bobby, if they were to infiltrate this godforsaken company.
Finding Kevin Tran was easier than what Sam and she had originally thought. Just a bucketful of borax and beheading made them retrieve the terrified prophet and immediately search for the other two.
Hermione's wand was brandished all the time, shouting spells and hexes every time she would see a Leviathan. The sixteen-year-old prophet would always be amazed by her magic, but she was too busy to pay attention to him. Her heart was beating wildly inside her ribcage, determined to find Castiel and Dean and leave this place and be safe from harm.
"Hermione, look out!" Sam exclaimed as she ducked down in surprise. The younger Winchester sprayed borax on the attacking Leviathan while Hermione grabbed his knife and mindlessly beheaded the monster. Normally, such brutal actions like these made her uneasy, but after being a hunter for almost two years, she had grown quite accustomed to it already.
"Hurry, they're increasing!" she declared, involuntarily grasping Sam's offered hand and easing her up from the floor. The terrified prophet stood stock-still in the middle of the hallway and the buff Winchester had to grab his arm just so he would start moving.
There were familiar voices ringing from the end of the corridor and Hermione's mouth gone dry. She could hear Dick Roman's voice, laced with Dean and Castiel's. There were awful crashing inside the room, urging her to run faster.
A sudden shrill reached her ears and just by the time she opened the doors, her eyes were greeted by the sight of an injured Dean and Castiel, with Dick Roman right at the middle of the two of them with the bone pierced straight through his neck.
A sudden white light, like a powerful force field, engulfed Dick Roman's body. A horrible laugh, with that disturbing smile stretched widely on his face, rang all over the room and before Hermione could even run towards Castiel, the Leviathan leader burst into black goo. She shielded her eyes and looked away, afraid that some of the goo would land on her form.
When none came, she was baffled. Hermione opened her eyes and looked back at the scene, only to see that Dick Roman was gone.
And so were Dean and Castiel.
"NO!" she exclaimed, tears now rolling down from her eyes. She looked behind her and looked at a horrified Sam. "Sam…"
"They're gone," the younger Winchester said, his face gradually paling into an unhealthy color.
"Hey."
Hermione jerked awake and looked around, her bleary, brown eyes landing immediately on the hazel eyes of Sam Winchester. "Sammy," she whispered back, straightening on her seat and stretching her arms above her head. She looked around the dark cabin and saw Kevin Tran sleeping soundly on one of the makeshift beds in the room.
"I can't believe I fell asleep," she grumbled to herself, rubbing her itching eye. She lightly glared at the tall man and scowled. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner, Sam?"
The younger Winchester expelled a huge sigh of exhaustion and crouched down in front of her to level his eyes with hers. "Hermione," he worriedly said, placing a hand on top of her own. "This is insane. You've got to take some rest."
Her scowl deepened. "Your brother and Castiel are stuck somewhere in purgatory, Winchester," she harshly drawled. "I am surprised myself that you're not worrying yourself as much as I do."
She could see that Sam got offended by her statement. The dark bags under his eyes and his hollow cheeks were already proof enough that Sam had not been sleeping properly ever since Dean and Castiel disappeared. Sometimes, at night, she would also hear him calling for his brother, having a nightmare about him dead or something terrible.
"I… I'm sorry," she tiredly said, rubbing her exhausted face. "I didn't mean what I said."
Sam's eyes softened and he squeezed her hand. "We're going to find them, Hermione, I just know it," he whispered reassuringly. "But I'm sure Dean and Castiel wouldn't want us to kill ourselves in the process, yes?"
Her eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head in shame. "I c-can't stop thinking about them, Sam," she whispered, her voice filled with anxiety. "W-what if we can't bring them back anymore? Or, worse, they're… dead?"
"Hermione…"
"You've researched enough about purgatory to know that my worry is valid," she interjected, not allowing him to continue his sentence. "T-that place is filled with the souls of the monsters and demons that die. I'm not sure if it somehow slipped your mind but the monsters that Dean had killed are lurking somewhere in that place, wanting to get some revenge."
Sam sighed and wrapped his arms around Hermione. The brunette crumpled the back material of his jacket and cried earnestly on his shoulder. "I just… I just want to s-see them again, Sam," she murmured, her voice thick with tears.
"I know," Sam said, his eyes already glazing with unshed tears. "Me too, Hermione. Me too."
"It's been three weeks now."
Sam sighed from his seat and warily looked at Kevin Tran. The sixteen-year-old prophet was no longer terrified of everything that suddenly happened in his life. Replaced by that terror was impatience and wariness, just wanting to go back home and live normally like what he used to dream of.
"You know it's dangerous for you, Kevin," Hermione piped in from the other corner of the room. She lifted her tired eyes from a huge tome of book and kindly smiled at him. "You don't want Crowley snatching you away now, do you?"
The teenager sighed through his nose and rested his head on the backrest of his chair. The tablet of the Word of God was hugged tightly against his chest and he frowned, falling silent now.
Hermione shared a meaningful look with Sam before returning back to the book.
Kevin was right; it had been three weeks now ever since Dean and Castiel were sent to purgatory after killing Dick Roman. Things had been busy inside the cabin, although frustratingly unproductive. They tried opening the doors to purgatory using the spell that Castiel had used before, but it seemed not to work anymore. Turned out that there was a limit for opening the doors to purgatory. If they were to open it once again, they had to wait for a freaking millennium.
The stress of finding another way to retrieve Dean and Castiel were coupled with the fact that they were on the run from Crowley and his demons. Meg had long been gone now; they all suspected that Crowley had caught the demon and punished her properly for fraternizing with the enemy. Several demon warding symbols were already painted all over the small cabin and for now, they were safe from Crowley and his searching eyes. He was powerful, though, and they knew that soon, they would be found.
She lifted her eyes when a cup of coffee was suddenly placed right in front of her. She smiled at Sam, who then dragged a chair and sat down on it.
"How are you?" he asked.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at his question. "Don't ask stupid questions," she retorted back.
The younger Winchester amusedly smiled. "Cas had said the exact same thing to me one time when he was bizarrely drunk," he said. Upon seeing the faltering of her smile, he sheepishly smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up his name so suddenly."
She leaned closer to him and fondly patted his cheek. "I'm fine, okay?" she said.
"Now, don't say stupid answers," Sam shot back.
"Umm… guys?" Kevin suddenly piped in from his corner.
"Not now, kid, the adults here are talking," Sam said, waving him off with his hand.
"No, seriously guys, I think you have to see this," the Asian boy said.
Hermione curiously looked at Sam, who shrugged his shoulders. Simultaneously, they looked at Kevin, whose eyes were firmly glued outside the window. His face was considerably pale, as if he had seen some ghost, and turned to look at them once again, his eyes wide and his mouth ajar.
Sam immediately pulled out his gun and placed his finger on the trigger. Hermione pulled out her own wand and silently followed Sam. The younger Winchester wordlessly gestured for Kevin to move away, which the teenager stiffly followed. He moved right behind Hermione while Sam took a peek at the window.
To Hermione's utmost surprise, Sam's arm fell limply on his side.
"Sam?" she whispered.
Like Kevin's face, Sam's face was as white as sheet, alarming her immensely.
Quickly, she jogged towards the window and peered outside. She could make out two figures in the dark, with one of them obviously injured because he was heavily leaning against the other person. Their faces were still drowned by the darkness but Hermione could recognize the trench coat she had kept on dreaming about for days now.
A strangled sob escaped from her lips and she covered her hand above it to silence her. Sam had already wrenched the door open and was running outside.
Hermione walked towards the door and spotted Sam already helping Castiel with an unconscious Dean. Her cries had gone louder now and she was unable to stifle them.
Finally, they arrived and Sam and Castiel laid Dean on one of the makeshift cots.
"He's alive," Castiel stated upon seeing Sam's anxious look. "You need not worry, Sam."
"C-castiel?" Hermione whispered from beside, prompting the angel to look at her. His intense, blue eyes instantly scrunched up with emotion and he allowed the brunette to launch herself into his arms. "Good Godric, it's really you."
He wrapped his arms around her torso and momentarily buried his nose into her voluminous tresses. "Hermione," he breathed out, closing his eyes for a fleeting moment, before opening them once again to look at Sam.
"What… I… what happened?" Sam asked, blindly plopping on one of the chairs. There was this utter disbelief on his face as he looked at his unconscious brother and then to Castiel. "A-and you… uninjured, for the love of Pete."
"I honestly don't know what happened," the angel explained, directing the brunette to sit on one of the chairs. "I clearly remembered that Dean and I landed in purgatory after killing Dick Roman. We've encountered the souls of so many monsters and almost died." He quickly looked at Hermione and placed a hand on her shaking shoulder. "I am not entirely sure as to how long we were there, but one time I just woke up and we are… here."
Castiel was honestly baffled just by looking at his face. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, deeply contemplating the surprising turn of events. "I am positively sure that I am as good as new," he said. "My hallucinations had stopped and I feel like my normal self again."
"You mean you're not a whack job anymore," Sam lamely offered, although the smile on Castiel's face made him smile, too.
"Yes, I believe so," the angel said, walking closer to Dean's unconscious form. "I… I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like someone had pulled us out from purgatory. Dean was a mess back there, but he is all right now. He just needed some rest and he will be back on his feet."
The angel paused for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face.
"What's wrong?" Hermione called from her seat.
Castiel blinked and looked at her, and then to Sam. "Is there something to eat here?" he seriously asked. "I am quite famished, if you must know. I think our adventures back in purgatory had drained my vessel's body. Jimmy's craving for some meat this time."
Sam snorted and shook his head while Hermione smiled through her tears. "Well, I bought some burgers a while ago for myself, but you can eat them for now, Angel Boy." He stood up from his seat and clapped his back. "It's good that you're back, Cas. Hermione there almost had a heart attack just worrying about you."
"OI!" Hermione exclaimed, furiously blushing when Castiel lifted an eyebrow at her.
"I would be very disappointed if she wouldn't," he honestly said, making her blush redder. "After all, that wouldn't be you at all."
Hermione fondly smiled despite her red cheeks and stood up from her seat. She sauntered towards the angel and wrapped her arms around his torso once again, burying her face against his chest. "I am awfully, awfully glad you are all right, Castiel," she earnestly said.
He smiled and placed a hand at the back of her head.
"I just opened my eyes and you're being all huggy again?" Hermione gasped in surprise when she saw that Dean was already awake and slowly sitting up from the cot. "Seriously, you two. Must I always say that you go get a room or something? Sheesh, all the hormones in the room."
"DEAN!" Hermione exclaimed, launching herself into his arms.
"Whoa, whoa, Sabrina, calm down," the exhausted Winchester groaned. "Injured patient over here, okay?" He clicked his tongue and glared at his grinning brother. "I'm surprised you have not sprinkled us with holy water or salt yet. You know, the usual? What if we are some random monsters pretending to be handsome me and Crazy Cas over there? You'd be dead by now."
Hermione slapped the back of his head and chuckled when he glared. "For a man who'd been in hell and purgatory, you sure are talkative, Winchester," she teased.
"Speaking of which, what the hell happened, Cas?" Dean demanded, turning to the angel. "The last time I checked, we are running for our lives from those blasted wendigos."
"That, I do not know myself, Dean," Castiel said. "I'm baffled of how things had turned out."
Dean shrugged and absentmindedly patted Hermione's back. "Whatever happened to us, then I'm fucking grateful," he said, leaning his forehead against Hermione's shoulder. "I'm tired as shit and all I want is to sleep like there's no tomorrow." His eyes landed on one spot from the room. "The Asian kid is still here?"
Kevin, who had been unusually silent during this exchange, nervously smiled for his answer.
"Crowley and his minions are currently looking for us, especially him," Sam said, jutting a thumb towards Kevin. "It'd be dangerous if we leave him behind."
"Great, we just killed some Leviathans and now we're trying to keep our asses away from the King of Hell, himself," Dean groaned, his head falling back on his pillow. "I am so looking forward for the next few months."
"Oh, cheer up, you," Hermione said, patting his shoulder. "At least we are complete now."
Dean grinned and pulled her until she was on top of him. "I feel like getting laid now, though, and seeing that you are the only female in this room…" A loud shout escaped from his lips as a painful constriction started in his stomach. "Castiel, you son of a bitch, I'm just kidding."
"I warned you beforehand, Dean," Castiel said, a deep frown on his face. "Not a single strand."
He unburdened Dean with the pain and comically wrenched Hermione off of him.
"Hilarious, you asshole," Dean deadpanned. "Hilarious."
Hermione's heart warmed when the two boys and the angel started bickering. It seemed like everything was back to normal, despite the hazy future that was ahead of them. She knew she must worry, but she just did not really have the heart to feel it today.
Thus, for now, she allowed herself to be happy.
Like what he had claimed the day they returned from the purgatory, Castiel was back to his right state of mind. The hallucinations that always haunted him now dissipated into nothingness, leaving his mind at peace.
It seemed so long ago ever since he felt like his normal self. Despite everything that had happened the past few months, with him suddenly claiming to be a 'god' and ultimately unleashing the deadly Leviathans to roam all over the world, Castiel finally felt at peace. Sam and Dean had now fully forgiven him for his shortcomings. Hermione now remembered everything about her life on the first year she arrived with them.
Still, there was a part of him that felt uneasy.
Yes, they were hiding from Crowley and his demons but they were the least of his concerns. After all, Crowley was still a demon, albeit an intelligent one. The Winchesters were able to defeat Azazel, Alastair, and Lilith… three demons that were as powerful as Crowley. Sooner or later, Crowley's downfall would befall upon him.
"Is something wrong, Castiel?"
His eyes landed on Hermione's form on her makeshift bed and smiled. The brunette returned a sleepy smile of her own and stretched out her hand, quickly interlacing her fingers with his.
It felt so natural doing this – holding her hand and smiling at her. During his half-crazed years, Castiel never forgot how important she was to him and to see that she was back in America made him ridiculously happy. Now that she swore she would be staying with the Winchesters and him until she died… well, simply put, the angel had never felt such joy in his life before.
"Nothing's wrong, Hermione," he replied back, brushing some of her curls away from her face. "Go back to sleep."
She gave him one last smile before closing her eyes. Soon, she was fast asleep once again.
Castiel tore his gaze away from her and looked at the other Winchesters. Sam was sleeping on his seat while Dean occupied his makeshift bed. The older Winchester was still quite drained from their little adventure back in purgatory, but he was already recuperating wonderfully. He would be well soon; thus, Castiel was not that worried about him anymore.
The question of who or what could have possibly pulled them out of purgatory still plagued his mind. Castiel had a strong suspicion, but he always brushed it off from his mind. It was stupid of him to become hopeful once again; his Father had abandoned them long before. Hoping that He still cared was ridiculous.
'But then, who was it?' Castiel asked himself. Whoever pulled them out must be a being of great power. He, himself, had a hard time figuring out a way to get out of purgatory. He racked his mind, trying to come up with a familiar name, but came up with nothing in the end.
Soon, he gave up.
With a soft sigh, Castiel stood up from the chair he was sitting on and decided to visit the park nearby. The sound of wind and wings whispered in the night and soon enough, Castiel was already seated on the park bench.
The night was peaceful and the moon was high up above. It was a beautiful night and Castiel marvelled at such a wonderful sight. Before his derangement, he never really had the chance to stop and appreciate the beauty that his Father had made. Everything was too busy and chaotic; Castiel did not have the chance to drop everything and simply sit down. One thing he was thankful for during his half-crazed days was the fact that he was able to really see the beauty of this world. He thought it was a shame that the humans were ignorant of such beauty. Back in Heaven, it was beautiful, of course, but it was still different. The Earth was created with its unique beauty and Castiel would love to stare all night long while appreciating the beauty that was surrounding him.
"It is a wonderful night, child, is it not?"
Castiel's eyes slightly widened, surprised to see that he was not alone. This park was normally scarce of people, long abandoned for other things.
"Yes, it is," he whispered back, turning his head to look at the person sitting beside him. For a moment, Castiel felt his heart stop. Sitting right beside him was an average-looking old man, with greying hair and intense grey eyes. A kind smile was stretched widely on his wrinkly face. He was wearing a strange outfit of a floral shirt and brown shorts, complete with a straw hat sitting atop his lap.
He looked perfectly normal, but then, he was not.
"Hello, Castiel."
The angel's face paled. "H-hello?" he sputtered out, the irritation in him growing at the pit of his stomach. "We have not seen at all a-and you greet me with a 'hello', Father."
God's smile never wavered, despite his obvious frustration. "I see that mingling with my human children made you acquire some of their emotions, too, child," He said.
Castiel's hands shook and he crumpled them into fists. "I've searched for you for years, but you never answered my prayers," he deadpanned, schooling his emotions. "Joshua said you left Heaven because you could not care less of what was happening to your children anymore." His intense, blue eyes stared intently into God's gray ones and glared. "Why have you forsaken us, Father?"
God released a soft sigh and sadly smiled. "Alas, my child, I had become quite selfish myself," He answered back. "It was tiring to watch all of you fight every day while all of my pleas for you to stop fell into deaf ears. Ergo, I left, but I regret it now." He tiredly closed his eyes and sighed once again. "Now, most of my soldiers are dead. Michael is with Lucifer now; both Rafael and Gabriel are gone, too. A myriad of humans died because of such evilness and selfishness I never imagined would happen."
The angel's eyes became glossy with unshed tears, overwhelmed with emotion. "We all loved you," he whispered back. "Michael, Raphael, Gabriel… even Lucifer. But I've always known things will drastically change when you created your people."
"I never, never regretted creating the humans, my son," God said. "They are remarkable figures in this vast universe… my great masterpiece." His grey eyes landed on him and he smiled. "I know quite well that they have become quite special to you, too, Castiel."
The trench-coated angel sighed, unwittingly smiling. "They are different from the angels," he truthfully said. "Their emotions are baffling. Their free will is astounding – Sam and Dean are the embodiment of this truth. Us, angels, might be bestowed with great power and responsibility, but the truth is, the humans are the strongest, most wonderful creatures You have ever created."
God smiled and nodded his head. "That, Castiel, is one reason why I kept on resurrecting you," He confessed. When Castiel tilted his head and narrowed his eyes in confusion, God continued. "It is of my deepest regret that I never taught your other brothers of this important fact. You might be my warriors, but you could have learned a great deal from my human children, too."
Silence passed between the two of them until God broke it with his own revelation. "I am going back to Heaven to put everything at its proper order once again." Castiel's mouth was ajar and he did not know what to say. "I am not quite sure if you already realized it, but I am the one who saved you and Dean Winchester from the purgatory."
"It had crossed my mind but…"
His Father nodded. "I saved you because of a greater purpose, Castiel," he explained. "I banished all those hallucinations you had and made you stronger. All this I did because I want you to join the ranks of the archangels and become one of the commanders of the angels."
Castiel was floored. To be promoted as an archangel had always been a dream of most angels in heaven. He would be lying if he said he had been contented being a mere angel back then. "I… I do not know what to say," he said, unusually speechless. Normally, he would immediately come up with a good answer.
"Hmm…" God murmured, contemplatively bringing his hands together. "Most of the time, the angels would love to be offered such a position in heaven." A knowing smile grew on God's face. "I believe something, or perhaps someone, is stopping you from deciding, yes?"
Involuntarily, his mind came up with the image of Hermione. Castiel sighed in silent exasperation and frowned. To be an archangel meant greater duty and responsibility; he was of higher import and power, therefore much was needed from him. Now that God was to return to Heaven, things would soon be back at their proper places. All angels that were roaming around the Earth, guarding and doing missions, would all then be called back in Heaven to resume their previous work. That meant, Castiel was to go back and leave the Winchesters and Hermione behind.
Strangely, he felt uncomfortable with this thought in mind.
"I…" he started, clenching his hands into fists. "I… before, I would have accepted that offer without skipping a beat" –
"But?"
"But, I am not the Castiel you knew before, Father," he finished, shamefully looking at him through his downcast eyes. "These past few years had changed me and I am afraid I would never be the same anymore." A rueful smile appeared on his face and he sighed. "Would you believe me when I say that it is tiring to be an angel?"
God chuckled, amused by his words. "Well, I detect truthfulness in your words, child, but I must confess I am surprised," He answered back. "You should have heard all those wonderful children, fervently wishing to me to make them angels and to stay by my side."
"Humans are quite baffling, I know," Castiel answered. "They do not realize that most angels in Heaven would love to be like them."
"Do you want to be human, too, Castiel?" God then asked.
Castiel paused, surprised by the sudden question He asked him. Does he like to be a human being? Confident and determined… Carefree and passionate. He recalled all the remarkable people he had met these past few years and then it had hit him. He was envious of them, but fascinated at the same time. Perhaps there were times when he wondered what it felt to be human, but he was too busy to daydream. Now that he was given the chance to properly contemplate this question, the answer came to him quite quickly than he originally thought.
"Yes," he earnestly replied. "Yes, I do."
There was this fleeting sadness that clouded God's eyes as he smiled lovingly at him. "The wonderful powers that you have… they will be gone," He explained.
The angel nodded. "I know," he answered back. "And I know it will be difficult for me, but I have a family now, Father. I am sure that they will help me."
"Your trust for my human children is… refreshing," God said. "They are the most complex beings that I've created in this vast universe, Castiel. Their emotions are unpredictable. I think you have stayed here long enough to know that their minds do change as time pass by."
Of course he knew that, and that idea terrified him a little. If Sam and Dean were already on their late seventies, would they still consider him as a friend? Or, if Hermione was already old and rickety, would she still love him?
But then, the funny thing was, he was willing to take the risk. Another thing that the Winchesters thought him was to follow their instincts, no matter how uncertain the results it would be. After all, most of the time, their instincts were always correct.
"I'm willing to take the risk," he then voiced aloud, confident and determined.
God scrutinized him for a while before sighing in defeat. "Very well, my child," He said. With a snap of his fingers, Castiel glowed. A sudden piece of him was ripped away and by the time the light dimmed, he was gasping for breath. "Removing your grace had always been a nasty thing, Castiel. Forgive me for that. But, unlike the others that had been stripped off from their grace, you would not fall down from heaven and experience the other usual things."
He then opened his palm and offered a necklace, with Castiel's grace glowing brightly inside. Castiel gingerly grabbed and stared at it, disbelieving that right now, he was a mortal. "I will bless you with a happy lifetime, my son," God then said. "You have sacrificed so much for Heaven and your friends; thus, you deserve some reward in the end."
"I… thank you, Father," he breathlessly said, wearing his necklace around his neck. A sheepish smile then grew on his face and he cleared his throat. "Before we part ways, I have several favors to make. If you don't mind, of course."
God stared at him amusedly, before nodding his head. "Go on."
"First, please unburden Kevin Tran from being your new prophet," he seriously said, despite the smile on God's face. "He is a child, Father, and he has far too many things to do in his life. Quite ambitious, if I were to properly describe him."
"You have some gall to say your opinion," God said, but then, his voice was lacking a strict and stern tone. In fact, he looked downright amused and even fond of Castiel. He then lifted His hand snapped His fingers. "Kevin Tran is now a mere mortal and I already sent him back home."
Castiel cleared his throat, an indication that he was not yet done. "About Crowley… I know that Sam and Dean are hunters, but I think it would be fair to them to be safe from him and demons now," he started. "Could you do something about him, Father?"
God sighed and snapped his fingers once again. "Your friends are safe now," He proclaimed.
The angel-turned-mortal now nodded his head and smiled. "I believe that is all," he said.
His Father looked a little surprised. "What?" God asked. "You have nothing for one Miss Hermione Granger?"
Castiel blinked, surprised at His sudden mention of her name, and smiled disbelievingly. How could he forget? God knows everything. "I think I do know what she wants the most right now," he said, slightly humbled by the thought.
God smiled and fondly patted his shoulder. "Very well, then," He replied. "If that is all, my child, then I'm afraid I must go back in Heaven now. It's still a shame that you rejected my offer for you to be an archangel." He then stood up and wore his straw hat on his greying hair. "This will not be our last meaning, Castiel, but for now, you are free to do whatever you want. Just remember that I love you so and that I always wanted what is best for you."
The trench-coated man nodded his head and earnestly smiled. "Thank you, Father," he said, inclining his head in respect.
"Do remember to pray everyday, child!" He reminded. "Your Father gets lonely at times, too."
"I will," Castiel promised.
With a snap of his fingers, God was gone, leaving Castiel all alone in the peaceful park.
Silence returned and he blinked in contemplation. For a moment, he thought that everything was just a dream, but when his hand grabbed the necklace containing his grace, he knew that everything was real and true.
Castiel broke into the most humongous smile he could muster and breathed a huge sigh.
He was mortal now and he had never felt so happy before.
She woke up, at first confused as to where she was. A huge yawn tore away from her mouth and Hermione slowly sat up, blearily rubbing her itching eye.
"Good morning, Hermione."
The brunette jerked slightly in surprise and turned around. The most bizarre thing greeted her eyes – Castiel sat on one of the chairs, his infamous trench coat draped on his chair, while wearing a plaid shirt that was obviously Dean's and slightly too-large pants that she suspected were Sam's. Aluminium foils were already piling on the floor, but she was sure that there were more to come because the angel was still happily munching on one half-eaten hamburger.
Hermione furrowed her brows and sniffed, her eyes gradually widening as she stared back at him in surprise. "Did you take a shower?" she asked. Castiel never took a bath or shower during the times she was with him. As an angel, he had this unfair ability to keep himself neat and clean. But then, she could smell Dean's unmistakable musky scent coming off of him.
Castiel flashed her a small, knowing smile, and nodded his head. "It was starting to get a bit humid, and I decided to take one," he announced.
She looked at him incredulous. "For an angel to say that, I am quite amazed," she answered back.
"Well, actually - "
"Where are Sam and Dean?" she asked, unable to hear his small interjection. "And Kevin?"
"The prophet is safe back home," Castiel immediately answered back. "He is a prophet no more and he is back to being a normal human being again. As for the Winchester brothers, I believe they've already left the town because of a report of supernatural entities a few miles from here."
She frowned. "Without us?" she asked, standing up from her makeshift bed and strolling beside the angel. She sat down beside him, grabbed one of the burgers on the table, and took a bit. Comically, she could see how Castiel slightly pouted at her act of stealing, but she brushed him off in the end. "And what about Crowley?"
"He will not be a problem for quite a while now," he said, that knowing smile on his face again. "Actually, Hermione, I - "
"Really?" she asked, astonishment clearly written all over her face. She placed the half-eaten burger back on the table and knitted her eyebrows. "I'm surprised. I mean, Crowley's been tailing us, vowing to have our souls dragged into hell. Whoever stopped him, then thank God."
"Technically, it really was my - "
The brunette grinned and leaned closer to him to give him a kiss on his cheek, stopping him from completing his sentence. "I'll be off in the loo for now, Angel Boy. You know, womanly activities. Shout if you need me."
Hermione stood up from the table and strode towards the small comfort room in the corner. She was unable to see the exasperated look on Castiel's face and proceeded to slam the door behind her.
Soon, she was freshening up.
Just when she was dabbing her wet face with a towel, her cell phone rang. Hermione fished it out from her pocket and absentmindedly pressed the answer button.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Glenda, you're awake!" Dean's familiar voice boomed at the other end of the line.
"Oi!" Hermione cried. "Why did you suddenly take off without taking us with you, Winchester? I wanted to help, too, you know!"
A small chuckle reached her ears. "Cas requested it, witch," he said, amusement in his tone of voice. "He didn't tell you?"
She frowned at her reflection, surprised by his revelation. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?" she asked. "And what's this thing about Kevin Tran as not a prophet anymore and Crowley resigning from his job of breathing down our necks? Castiel's saying strange things today and I do not understand them at all."
"Seriously, Castiel never told you?" Dean asked exasperatedly. She could hear a few murmurs exchanged in the background and guessed that the older Winchester was talking to Sam. "All right, Hermione, listen carefully. Last night, our favourite angel here met his Daddy dearest behind our backs."
"You mean God?" Hermione asked, awed. "The God?"
"The one and only," he answered back. "And well, to make the long story short, Castiel here requested to be human, asked his Father to zap the Asian kid into a, well, Asian kid once more, and placed Crowley somewhere only He knows. Thus, we all live happily ever after now, Granger. I guess all those load full of shit we were forced to go through finally paid off." There was a long pause. "Glenda? Herms? Are you still in there?"
The brunette released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and sputtered out the only thought that was retained in her mind, "Castiel's… human?"
Dean released an exasperated sigh. "I take that tone of voice as yours as cue to hang up now," he mumbled back. And then, before she could even answer something back, he hang up.
Hermione hastily opened the bathroom door and stumbled outside, her eyes immediately landing on a curious Castiel. Upon seeing the look on her face, he gradually smiled and stood up.
"I was trying to tell you but you would not let me," he explained.
"You're… human?" she blubbered, tears already welling up in her eyes. "B-but why… how?"
He stopped just right in front of her and removed what looked like a necklace with a glowing pendant. "Inside is my grace, which I asked my Father to rip it off of me," he explained. "I… I was given a choice, Hermione. For me to join my Father back in Heaven and become one of his archangels or stay here. I believe you already know what I chose."
Tears streamed down from her face and she disbelievingly stared at what he called his 'grace'. "An archangel?" she asked, breathless. "B-bloody hell, Castiel, I've never been an angel in my whole life but I sure know that most angels would kill for that spot."
He chuckled and fondly lifted a hand, brushing her tears away. "My brothers and sisters do tend to be violent," he said, nodding his head. "I have changed, though, and that was what I reasoned out to my Father. He understands; I believe He always does, and He blessed me with a lifetime of happiness."
She scrutinized his whole form and just gawked. Castiel, her trench-coated angel, was now a mere human and she could not even begin to explain all of the emotions she was feeling right now. "But why?" she asked, her tears increasing.
His eyes softened, boring straight into her soul. "You know why," he whispered back.
The brunette grinned and weakly pushed his chest away. "Say it, you bloody bastard," she cried back. "I want to hear it straight from your mouth."
"Because I love you," he said. Simple and straight-forward. Very Castiel.
"Again," she ordered, closing her eyes and ridiculously smiling through her tears.
"Because I love you," he repeated.
Hermione opened her eyes and earnestly cried, wrapping her arms around his torso and kissing him square on his lips. The angel-turned-human met her lips with equal fervour, perhaps with even more, and as their lips parted, she was still in disbelief.
An angel gave up his grace just because he loved her. Wasn't that a little bizarre?
"I want you to have this," he said, wearing his grace on her neck. The pendant touched her chest and she could feel how warm it was. "Maybe there would be times when I would miss being an angel, Hermione. Maybe there would be times when I would wish I had never given up my grace at all. I am saying all of this now because I do not want to lie to you at all."
He placed a hand on her cheek again and grinned down at her. "I'm giving my grace to you so that every time I start to regret my actions, I'd look at that necklace, and then look at you… and then, I'd realize once again that giving up my powers was worth it in the end."
"You flatter me too much," she accused, although secretly floored by his words.
Castiel tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, obviously confused. "Did I now?" he asked, smiling in amusement. "Dean instructed me before leaving to always 'flatter my girl'. I am surprised I am able to do it without trying so hard at all."
She smiled and gave him another sound kiss on his lips. "Just be yourself and I will be happy, then," she told him.
The angel-turned-human nodded his head. "I will keep that in mind," he said. Castiel then dug deep inside his trouser pockets and pulled out what looked like a wad of money and a small piece of paper. "Dean also instructed me to bring you here once you're already awake. I believe it is a restaurant, but forgive me, I am still a little unfamiliar of this place."
"Are you asking me out for a date?" she asked, surprised. Mentally, she swore she would shower Dean Winchester with sweet words later as soon as she was all alone.
"Is that how you say that?" Castiel asked. When she nodded, he smiled. "Then yes, Hermione, I am asking you for a date."
Hermione smiled. "I'd like to go with you, Angel Boy," she teased.
He lifted an eyebrow at her address of him. "I am neither an angel nor a boy anymore," he pointed out.
"Of course you are not," she said, fondly patting his cheek. "Now…" Hermione grabbed his trench coat and gave it to him. "Do get ready now because we are leaving in a few minutes."
"We are to take a bus," he said, grimacing at the idea. "Which is, by the way, a slow way of transporting. I'm surprised humans never get impatient."
"But you're human now, so you have to get used to the idea," she pointed out. Hermione then interlaced her fingers with his and pulled out her wand. "But then again, it somehow slipped off your mind that I'm a witch. We can apparate there if you like."
Castiel looked a little impressed. "That would be better, thank you," he answered back.
"Are you sure you're not regretting the fact that you gave up your powers?" she teased, lifting an eyebrow.
For a moment, his eyes landed on his necklace and she could see how his eyes slightly saddened. Her heart throbbed loudly inside her ribcage and she held her breath, suddenly feeling afraid of his answer.
But then, his intense blue eyes travelled to her face, and the sadness was gone.
Castiel was happy.
"No," he answered back, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I did it for you."
She grinned fondly at him. "I know you did," she answered back.
A/N: So, end of one-shot. Good? Bad? Eh? Meh? Tell me in your reviews!
LOL, I know the last season stopped with Castiel and Dean being stuck in purgatory so the whole one-shot isn't based on canon Supernatural anymore. Yeah, well, I gave my ideas a shot and ta-da! This one-shot was born.
It was struggle to write the conversation between Castiel and God. Haha, I still firmly believe that one day, He would show up and, you know, have this conversation with Castiel. I mean, we could clearly see that the angel loves his Father very much. About giving up Castiel's grace... well, that is a little improbable in the series because, you know, Castiel loves being an angel very much. But here in this story, well, I'm the author so I did whatever I wanted to happen.
I hope the last part was satisfactory. I really hope the "I-did-it-for-you" part was good, too. Human!Cas is a little hard to write, but eh, I tried my best. HAHA, it's funny how for three one-shots, I was able to write Angel!Cas, Crazy!Cas, and Human!Cas. Wee, I don't know what to say!
Also, I tried my best to write Sam here. I'm not really sure if he was in character, but then again, I tried my very best :)
Anyway, this will be the last Hermione/Castiel story for now. I might make some in the future; I don't really know. College will start in two days and I bet I will not have the time anymore. Perhaps I will write a Hermione/Dean or Hermione/Sam in the future, you never know. Just do watch out for me, my faithful readers!
That's all for now :) Once again, do review please!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe