I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters. Please read and review. Reviews make my writing stronger.
Her black heels clicked against the pavement as she walked up the walkway to a house in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California. She wore grey slacks, a white button down shirt, and a grey jacket that she left open. Her brown curly hair was pulled up into a ponytail pulling it out of her face. When she reached the door, she knocked and waited. A woman with shoulder length blond hair opened the door, a child of approximately eight years old with similar blond hair stood shyly behind her, hugging a doll with a pretty white dress to her chest.
"Scarlett Hill?" The woman in the grey dress suit asked. The blond woman, Mrs. Hill nodded. "Hullo, my name is Agent Abbey Parsons, I'm with the FBI." She pulled out her fake badge and quickly flashed it to the woman before putting it away. "I would like to talk to you about your recently deceased husband."
Hermione had been doing this for about a year now, posing as someone from the FBI or some other official organization so that she could go around asking questions about strange, unexplainable deaths. For the most part, the reasons for these deaths were something of the supernatural sort, wendigos, vampires, and ghosts, among other things. She had even come across a few that were caused by demons and was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that demons were real.
It had all started when she had to make a quick get away from her life over in England. She just couldn't stand to be there anymore. Most people might think it was because she was a famous war heroine that didn't want to be in the spotlight anymore. Though, they were not completely wrong, it wasn't the main reason for her departure. It was that she found her husband Ron in bed with, well, another man. Harry to be more specific.
Strange thing was that she wasn't even mad. In fact, she had seen in coming for months and never said a thing. The leaving early in the morning for work, working late, and Harry avoiding her kind of gave it away. Also, Ginny had told her that Harry had been leaving for work early and staying late as well. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. So, when Hermione had come home early from work one day and found the two men in the throws of passion, she packed her things and wished them luck, then left for the states without telling anyone where she was going. She didn't even tell her boss that she was leaving, just left.
About a month after she had moved out, Hermione was staying in a hotel in a small town in North Carolina when strange things started to happen. People were dying without explanation. She tried her best to stay out of it, but curiosity got the best of her like always. After poking around, asking some questions, and a ton of research, she found out that it was something called a shape shifter. Thanks to the world wide wed, she was able to figure out how to kill the thing. She felt sad about ending its life, but it had already taken the lives of so my others, thus justifying the action.
When she was done, she started to wonder what other creatures were out there so she started to read every book that she could get her hands on. It saddened her and maddened her that most of these monsters killed people, so she saw an opportunity to do some good in the world. Before long, she had gotten good at finding a new case, identifying the creature and killing it. After getting soaked in blood from head to toe enough times, she no longer felt bad about taking the lives of these murderous monsters. She was saving many lives, and that's what mattered.
Now, here she was a year later, walking into this woman's house to investigate the mysterious death of her husband. It had just been him and his daughter home when he was shot in the head. There was no gun, no bullet, the doors were locked, and no sign of forced entry. She had already checked out the morgue before coming to the scene of the crime, not finding anything of significance. The first thing she did as she entered the home was observing the areas in her immediate view, nothing stood out.
"Please, sit down." Mrs. Hill said politely. "Do you want anything to drink?"
"No, thank you though." Hermione said taking a seat on the floral print couch. Mrs. Hill nodded taking a seat in the recliner directly opposite of the couch, the small girl jumping up in her mothers lap. "I'm going to ask you some questions. They may seem a bit strange and some of them may be a little hard to answer."
Mrs. Hill nodded then looked to her daughter. "Maggie, why don't you take Polly and go play in your room." The little girl nodded getting up from her lap and walking down the hall.
"She's adorable. How old is she?" Hermione asked with a small smile, looking after the girl.
"Eight. She doesn't say much. Shy. The only one she'll talk to is that doll of hers; she loves the thing to bits. Found it in the attic when we moved in a few months ago." Mrs. Hill said and Hermione nodded.
"Can you tell me in your own words what happened to your husband?" Hermione asked gingerly.
"I had gone out to get Derek some more beer, he had just run out. I was gone only ten minutes. When I got back, he was laying there on the floor bleeding from the forehead." She pointed to the left of the coffee table to indicate where she had found her husband. Hermione noticed the woman rubbing a fading bruise on her right forearm.
"Mrs. Hill, where did you get that bruise?" Hermione asked.
"Oh? This?" She said nervously, doing her best to hide it but failing. She smiled. "It's nothing. I tripped over the rug in the kitchen a few days ago and hit it against the table."
Hermione nodded. She didn't believe her but wasn't going to push the subject. "Was there anyone that didn't like your husband? An enemy perhaps?"
Mrs. Hill's eye contact faltered just a little. "No. Everyone loved him. He was a family man and a hard worker."
"Where did he work?" Hermione asked.
"The college. He taught math." Mrs. Hill answered.
Hermione nodded then asked, "Now, this may sound strange, but have you been feeling cold spots in the house or seen flickering lights?"
Mrs. Hill looked at her strangely for a moment then seemed to remember something. "The lights did flicker a bit the day my husband died, early that morning, but it was storming out at the time."
Hermione nodded and tried to think of something else to ask but she couldn't think of anything. "I think that's it for now. Thank you Mrs. Hill, you've been very helpful. Why don't you take my card and call me if you can think of anything else." Hermione fished out one of the business cards she made up and handed it over to the woman. Mrs. Hill nodded taking the card and walking her out.
Hermione got into her car, a dark red 1965 fastback Mustang, and sighed. Sounded like a ghost, but she needed to do some research and ask more questions before she could confirm it. It was time to visit the college.
She walked into the old building admiring its gorgeous architecture making her way to the math department. After asking a few people Hermione made her way to Mr. Hill's classroom. When she walked in, she saw a handsome man with short black hair, angular facial features, and bright blue eyes sitting behind the desk. He was wearing black slacks and a light blue button down shirt that complemented his eyes nicely. "Hullo, My name is Agent Abbey Parsons. I'm here investigating the death of Derek Hill. I was told this was his classroom." She pulled out the badge and showed him quickly then pocketed it.
The man stood up and walked around the desk offering his hand, she shook it. He must have been about five foot ten, a half foot taller than her self. "My name is Dustin Henderson, I was a colleague of his."
"Mr. Henderson-" Hermione started but was cut off.
"Please, call me Dustin." He flashed her a smile of flawless straight white teeth. She smiled back feeling her cheeks warm a bit and hoped it wasn't noticeable.
"Dustin," She corrected. "I was hoping you could tell me what kind of man Mr. Hill was."
"Yes, why don't you sit down?" She leaned back on one of the desks in the first row. Mr. Henderson, Dustin, she corrected herself, leaned against the desk he was occupying earlier, crossing his legs at the ankles and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He looked rather handsome like that. "What would you like to know?"
You phone number and address, her mind answered for her. Dammit, now is not to time. She could feel her cheeks heat up again and cleared her throat. He smiled. "Mr. Hill's wife told me that he was the family man type. Why do I get the impression that isn't the case?"
Dustin's smile faded into a frown and he shifted uncomfortably. "The Hill family does, did," he corrected, "their best to look like the perfect family on the outside, but the truth was that he was a mean drunk. I can't tell you how many times Scarlett has come up here with a slight limp or bruises on her arms."
Hermione frowned remembering the bruises on the widow's arm. "What about their daughter? Did he ever harm her?"
Dustin thought about it for a moment. "I don't know. If he did, he did a better job of hiding it on her." Hermione's frown deepened.
"Hello, my name is Agent Woody Woodhams, FBI. I'm here about the death of Derek Hill." Hermione turned around to see a tall lanky looking man with messy brown hair, soft green eyes, and a large nose that stuck out much farther than it should. He was wearing a grey suite that looked to been a few sizes to big for him and converse. His ensemble vaguely reminder her of the Tenth Doctor's, mostly because of his choice of shoe. Why did she get the feeling that he was not FBI as he claimed?
"Agent Abbey Parsons, also FBI. This is Mr. Dustin Henderson. We were just talking about how Mr. Hill was not the family man he claimed to be." Hermione told the newcomer.
"Ah. So you think the wife did it?" So called Agent Woodhams asked.
"Scarlett would never do anything like that." Dustin defended.
Hermione looked to Dustin then back to Agent Woodhams. "No, I don't believe she did it. Didn't seem the type."
"Right. Well, did he have any enemies?" Agent Woodhams asks.
"Mrs. Hill said no. Mr. Hend-" She stopped herself and looked to the handsome man a small grin tugging at the ends of her lips, "Dustin," she could feel her face heat causing him to smile, "Did he have any enemies that you know of?"
"Like I said, he put up the perfect front. Got along wonderfully with all of his students. Everyone loved him." Dustin shook his head, disgusted that a man like him could have be so publicly loved. He looked back to her giving her a sexy grin, causing her cheeks to heat up yet again, it return, causing his grin to turn into a smile. Dammit, he was noticing.
"Agent Parsons, are you okay? Your face is a little red." Agent Woodsman said.
Hermione turned and looked at him, schooling her features. "Yes I'm fine." She could hear Dustin snort ever so softly and felt her cheek get even warmer.
"Are you sure? Your face just got even redder. Maybe you should get some air." He pulled out a business card and handed it to Dustin. "I'm gonna take her outside to get some air. Call if you can think of anything else." Dustin nodded, accepting it.
"Same here." Hermione said, fishing out her own business card and handing it to Dustin. "Call if you can think of anything."
Dustin nodded taking the piece of paper from her hands, brushing his fingers across hers on purpose. Her breath hitched and he smirked. "I will, Agent Parsons."
Hermione nodded then turned and walked out of the classroom, Agent Woodsman following behind her. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked once they were outside.
She turned and looked at him narrowing her eyes. "You're not FBI, are you?"
"Of course I am." He looked offended.
"Then let me see your badge." She put her hand on her hips looking down her nose at him, the same look that nearly made Ron and Harry piss their pants back at school. He gulped and handed her his so-called badge. She looked it over, confirming her suspicion. It was laced with flaws. Her badge wasn't perfect by no means, but this thing was atrocious. It was a wonder he hadn't been caught yet. "Fake." She told him in her know-it-all voice handing it back.
"What makes you say that?" He asked scrunching up his face as though he had smelt something bad.
"Everything about it." She told him with a disapproving look. He frowned and shifted on his feet. "Are you a hunter?" She asked quietly, not wanting anyone to hear her. His eyes went wide. Hermione had run across a few hunters in the past year but did her best to avoid them. She was a witch, one of the things they hunted, and if any of them found out what she was, she might not live to see another day.
He shifted on his feet a little bit, almost looking embarrassed. "Yes." He answered quietly. "Are you?" He asked, looking slightly hopeful.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, deciding is she should tell him or not. She wasn't sure why, but there was a quiet little voice in the back of her head telling her that she could trust him. "Yes. My name is Hermione Wes- Granger." She corrected.
"Nice to meet you Hermione, my name is Garth Fitzgerald the fourth." He smiled holding out his hand. She shook it.
"Likewise. Look, I was just about to head down to the library and do some research, I think it might be a ghost. Did you want to join me?" She asked, not sure why she was inviting him along.
"That would be awesome." He answered with a gigawatt smile
"I'll meet you there in 20 minute?" She asked. He nodded.
Hermione got in her Mustang and drove it to the nearest gas station and used the bathroom to change. She was now wearing blue jeans, dragon hide boots, and a dark green hoodie. She pulled her hair down from its ponytail letting it fall down in wild curls, revealing a small strip of blue hair that had been hidden while it was up. Hermione had done that not long after getting to the states, needing a little change in her physical appearance. She used her fingers to comb threw it before heading back to her car then off to the library.
Garth was already there when she got there; he was still wearing his converse, but now wore blue jeans, a plaid shirt, and heavy green jacket. They researched for hours and hours from general information about the town, information about the school, information about anyone that Mr. Hill might have known. Finally, Hermione came across some information that might be helpful, history about the home the Hill family lived in.
Turned out, in 1988, man shot his ten-year-old daughter and his wife in the head before killing himself two days later. What surprised Hermione the most was that the little girl was Judith Barsi, voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time and the voice of Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go To Heaven. Those were Hermione's two favorite movies growing up, and to find out that she was investigating a murder in the same house this sweet little girl was murdered shook her up a bit. It was known that Judith's father was an abusive drunk, just as Mr. Hill had been. Now, Mr. Hill died from a phantom bullet to the head, the same way Judith and her mother had died twenty-four years ago.
"The question is though, is it the girl or the mother that did it?" Hermione asked.
"Don't know. Might be best to salt and burn both of their bones, just to be sure." Garth answered. Hermione nodded sadly.
When it was dark out, the duo headed to Forest Lawn Memorial Park where mother and daughter were berried next to each other. Hermione felt horrible for doing this, but it must stop before others die, even if the one that had died was the monster this time around. Garth took the mothers grave while Hermione took Judith's. Once the dirt was gone and the caskets were open, they doused the remains in salt and gasoline.
"I'm sorry about this sweet girl, but we can't let this go on. I hope you can finally move on and be at peace." Hermione bowed her head and closed her eyes for a moment. Garth placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, lit the match, and then dropped it in the hole. Garth did the same for the mother's grave. Once the fire was out and the bones were nothing but ashes, they filled the holes back in with dirt.
"I'm gonna head back to my hotel room, you gonna be okay Hermione?" He asked.
She nodded before softly answering, "I will be." Garth pulled her into a hug, which she gratefully accepted, hugging him back. He pulled back giving her a small smile.
Garth pulled out one of his fake FBI business cards and handed it to her. "Call if you need anything." She nodded and he headed off towards his car.
Hermione stood there for a while longer staring at the two headstones. She kneeled down in front of the mothers stone and pulled out her wand. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she waved her wand over the stone creating a beautiful wreath of flowers, similar to the one she had made for Harry's parents all those years ago. She kissed the top of the headstone before getting up and going over to Judith's kneeling before it. Just as she had done for her mother, she waved her wand creating a beautiful wreath of flowers, but this time she also created a small banner to lay across it that read, 'Rest Peacefully Sweet Girl.' Hermione stood up taking some steps back looking at her work. Satisfied, she walked back to her car and drove to the nearest bar.
Hermione sat down on the bar stool and ordered a beer. She was staring off into space thinking about her self-employed job that paid in noting but knowing she saved lives. She had burned many bones by now and had stopped feeling bad about it a long time ago, but this seemed different. It was a strange feeling burning the bones of a little girl to save the lives of drunken abusive men. Judith was not the monster here, it was the men.
Thirty minutes later found Hermione sipping on her second beer when someone sat on the stool besides hers. She didn't bother to look at who it was, so was to lost in her thoughts. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" She looked up with a slight jerk to see who it was that had spoken. It was Dustin Henderson, the handsome math teacher from earlier today.
Hermione smiled and laughed at the clique pick up line. "Oh, nothing much. Just enjoying a couple of beers by myself."
"Mind if I join you?" He asked with a brilliant smile.
"Not at all." She said.
Dustin motioned for the bartender and ordered his own beer. "So, Agent Parsons," He started, but she cut him off.
"Please, call me Hermione."
"Hermione? I thought your name was Abbey." He said looking slightly confused.
Shit! She needed to come up with a lie and fast. "Hermione is my middle name. That's what everyone calls me." She spent far too much time with Ron and Harry.
He smiled at her. "Hermione. That's pretty." She felt her cheeks heat up at his complement.
"So, blue?" He asked, pointing to her blue strip of hair.
"Yea. The bureau is fine with it as long as it's hidden while I'm working." She told him, grinning slightly, tugging at the piece of hair looking at it. Obviously she was lying; she didn't work for the FBI.
He nodded with a smile. "Cool. Have you found out anything about Derek?" He asked.
"If I did, I couldn't tell you anyhow. Federal investigation." She told him, raising an eyebrow.
Dustin nodded, staring at her with his brilliant blue eyes. "Right." He looked down at his beer for a second then looked back to her with a smile. "Could you tell me a little bit about you? How did you get into this sort of business?"
She smiled at him. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Complicated story made simple, people were dying and I wanted to put a stop to it."
He nodded watching her. Hermione could feel her cheeks heat up under his gaze causing him to smile. "How very noble of you."
Hermione smiled and laughed. "That's one way of putting it. Most people might say its stupid to put myself in harms way like that."
"I don't think its stupid." He told her, looking down at his beer. "I think it's kind of hot, actually." Her face must have been the same color as a tomato if his smile was anything to go off of, it was the largest one she'd seen on him yet. "You're not use to men paying attention to you, are you?"
Hermione stared at him for a moment and pursed her lips shaking her head. "No." She looked down at her half drunken beer, letting her hair fall down around her face in attempt to hide the blush she knew was there. She felt him tuck some curls behind her hear and looked up at him just in time for his lips to meet hers in a soft kiss. Caught off guard, she didn't respond, just took a quick intake of breath threw her nose. He pulled away and smiled down at her, cupping her cheek softly. She felt her face warm up yet again causing him to smile. He leaned down and kissed her again, just as softly as the first, but this time she responded kissing him back. The kiss was soft and slow with no tongue, but it was sweet. She pulled away and smiled shyly at him.
"You're beautiful, Hermione. You should remember that." Dustin told her.
She looked down then back up at him. "Thank you."
Just then, the bar tender walked over. "We're closing in five minutes. You should finish up."
The two of them nodded. Hermione dug into her little beaded bag to pull out some money but Dustin stopped her. "I'll get it."
"Oh, you don't have to." She told him going back to digging.
"But I want to." He smiled her, putting hi hands over hers to stop their movements.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." Hermione nodded and watched as he placed enough money on the bar to pay for both of their drink along with a generous tip.
She stood up from the stool and walked outside, Dustin followed. "I'm going to turn in for the night." She told him standing by her car.
"All right then. Would you mind if I kissed you goodnight?" He asked.
Hermione stared up at him for a moment unsure of what to say. She shook her head softly and whispered, "No." Without waiting, Dustin placed both of his hand on either side of her face crashing his lips down on hers, kissing her with more passion than he did earlier causing her to gasp. He took her moment of surprise to slip his tongue into her mouth. She let out a soft moan without meaning to, kissing him back with just as much passion, sliding her tongue along his. He pulled his hands away from her face and placed them on her hips without breaking the kiss and pushed her back onto her car deepening the kiss even more. She squeaked in surprise and let out another soft moan, lacing her fingers through his short hair, holding him to her. He pulled away from her lips placing soft kisses down her jaw and neck. She closed her eyes enjoying the wonderful sensations it gave her. He kissed his way back up to her lips kissing them softly before pulling away.
"Goodnight Hermione." He spoke softly, out of breath.
"Goodnight Dustin." She croaked out.
