Time shows us that all that ever mattered
All that ever mattered leaves us in the cold . . .
If you ever believed this is what you need,
It will spin around and shatter,
And throw you to the fire and leaves us in the cold.
"You seen Hermione?" Cormac's eyes narrowed as Harry Potter turned away with a murmur, trying to unsuccessfully to engage Professor Trelawney who was already deep in conversation with Luna about the Rotfang Conspiracy. Losing interest Cormac pressed on through the crowd, looking for the signature bushy hair of his date, to no avail.
"Where is she?" he muttered under his voice, his eyes scanning the crowd. The warlocks in the corner sent him glares as his gaze passed over them. His grandfather was not on good terms with them at the moment and he quickly set off again, running his slender fingers through his golden hair, styled for the occasion so that it stuck up slightly as if he had been in the rain. It wasn't unattractive and he noticed that he drew some of the attention of the group of girls hanging around the bored looking vampire, Sanguini. Then he saw her.
"Hermione!" he called and they locked eyes before the vampire took her hand and led her outside onto the balcony. He caught Sanguini's eye and sensed something deeply disturbing there. A desperate, consuming hunger.
"Ah, McLaggen m'boy!"
Cormac had just taken a step in the direction of the balcony when a hand on the shoulder spun him around. The enormous belly of Slughorn forced several of the girls to move away and Cormac was engulfed in a hearty handshake. He forced his features into a smile as he made small talk with the head of the Department of Mysteries, Herra Katastrofi, who was a rather tired looking man, tall and roguish with messy brown hair, who seemed completely unremarkable and almost unbearably tired. Despite this he was a strangely attractive man, every word leaving his mouth completely captivating, his voice dripping a mysterious confidence. His presence was intoxicating. Slughorn was seemingly oblivious, chatting merrily whilst scanning the crowd for more prey. Then Slughorn noticed Potter and forgot about McLaggen entirely. Swallowing the bitter resentment forcing it's way up his throat he bid Katastrofi farewell and tried to force his way to balcony, only to be stopped by a group of girls who had been waiting for him to emerge.
"Hey Cormac," the boldest one smiled, stepping forward so that their bodies were inches apart. She gazed up at him through heavy lidded eyes and bit her lip, "why'd you invite that girl Hermione? I thought she Weasley had a thing going . . ."
"They don't," Cormac snapped irately before softening and placing his hands on the girls shoulders before leaning down towards her. She blushed furiously as he planted his lips beside her ear so that his breath tickled her skin. He smiled before whispering, "you know what I hate?" The girl shook her head slightly as her friends looked on enviously, "girls who abandon their dates."
He straightened up, nodded at the group of girls and made his way to the balcony, smiling to himself. That should teach them.
His nagging sense of unease heightened as he stepped onto the balcony. The glass of mead he had been holding slipped from his fingers before he roared and lunged at the vampire, who was currently pinning Hermione to the railing, his fangs submerged in her throat. The collided and went sprawling across the tiles. Hermione's eyes shot open, terrified as she cried out.
"Go back to the dorm!" Cormac shouted and with a small nod Hermione disappeared into the party. Sanguini was on his feet faster than the eye could follow and was on top of Cormac before he had a chance to recover, let alone defend himself. With a desperate kick he sent Sanguini flying, slamming into the wall with bone crunching force. the vampire recovered quickly, taking a cat like stance as he hissed at Cormac, now unsteadily getting to his feet. People hadn't noticed the conflict and McLaggen cursed his own cowardice for willing someone to interfere.
Sanguini moved faster than Cormac could possibly hope to follow. Katastrofi moved faster. The head of the Department of Mysteries moved like lightning, planting himself between the two boys and holding up a hand. Sanguini stopped mid lunge and straightened, dead still as if he had not moved at all, looking at Katastrofi with unfathomable hatred. Katastrofi only smiled roguishly before twirling the silver necklace around his finger, a charm in the shape of a cross catching the moonlight.
"Mister McLaggen," he said lightly, "I suggest you rejoin your date in the party. Sanguini and I have catching up to do." Cormac gave a shaky nod and stepped back into the party, leaving Herra and Sanguini out on the balcony. He turned to the first person he could find and asked them about Hermione, to which he was informed that she had already returned to the Griffindor dormitory. He thanked the girl before quickly excusing himself from the party. He was glad she had listened, although he was peeved that she hadn't stuck around to support him or whatever.
"Baubles," he snapped as he arrived at the Fat Lady. She glared at him before allowing him through, murmuring something about the kids of today. The common room was packed of students returning from the party, or waiting for their friends to hear about it. And there were those who were just in here to make out. Cormac and Ron were not friends, nor did they pretend to be. So when Cormac cleared his throat, forcing Lavender and Ron to surface, Ron was less than pleased.
"What d'you want McLaggen?" Ron snarled and Cormac sighed, running his fingers through his hair.
"You seen Hermione?"
Ron's eyes narrowed, "What's it to you?"
Cormac couldn't help feeling smug as he explained to Ron that he had spent most of the night with Hermione, although he left out the disaster under the mistletoe and their encounter with Sanguini. Lavender looked pleased right up until Ron stood up to face Cormac, only an inch taller. His expression was furious.
"You git!" he snarled, "you were the one who invited Hermione?"
"No," Cormac snapped, "she invited me!" He took pleasure in seeing Ron recoil in disgust. Lavender was furious.
"Come on Won-Won," she hissed, pulling him back down into the arm chair. He complied grudgingly, sending Cormac a deadly look as he turned, making his way for the stairs. He'd talk to Hermione tomorrow, he told himself as he undressed for bed, stripping off his tie and shirt and admiring his abs. No magic - pure hard work. He smiled to himself and crawled into bed, remembering Hermione's lips on his as they embraced. His brow furrowed as he remembered how she suddenly pulled back, looking disgusted, and disappeared into the party. He didn't know what he'd done. Was his too pushy? He hadn't thought so at the time. Hermione was different from other girls he'd dated before; she wasn't as beautiful, but there was something about her that drove him absolutely crazy. He wasn't as arrogant around her, he didn't think of himself, but more all of his thoughts were of her; was she happy? What was she thinking? Should he hold her hand? Would she let him?
These thoughts swirled around his head like ink in water, impossible to grasp. Eventually he fell asleep, exhausted from the effort of piecing together his thoughts.
As the wind howled outside the castle, rain hammering it's windows, Cormac made his way onto the balcony that was where it all began. He slowly made his way towards her. Her bare back, catching the moonlight, turned a brilliant white; so pale she appeared to be glowing. She leant against the rail, blood dripping from it onto the tiles, pooling at her feet. Cormac only just registered that she was naked although it didn't feel strange to him. It was as if it were something completely natural. He continued to walk towards her, on his way passing Sanguini and Katastrofi.
They were both on the floor, Sanguini lying down, his face turned towards Cormac. His eyes were glassy, lifeless. And they were a beautiful crimson, his perfect features blank, no hint of the deadly, lithe boy he had fought with only that night. Herra was straddling him gently like a lover, brushing his fingers against Sanguini's face, brushing away stray strands of dark hair. Katastrofi has tears running down his attractive, roguish face. He still looked unbearably tired. His other hand was resting on Sanguini's chest. He clutched the stake embedded in Sanguini's heart softly.
"You can sleep now," he whispered, and although Cormac understood what he was saying, he knew that it had been said in another language, one that he had never heard before. It was beautiful.
"Hermione?" he whispered, moving his gaze from Sanguini and Herra to her. His words seemed to echo back at him, distorted as if passing through water, "what's going on?"
Hermione did not look at him, she merely ran her fingers along the rail, through the blood, before bringing them to her mouth. She let her tongue glide over them gracefully, a few drops landing on her wrist. She smiled and turned to him. Her fangs shone in the moonlight. She was beautiful.
Cormac woke, his legs tangled in his sheets and his head spinning. The snores from the other boys in the room weren't enough to comfort him. His heart was pounding with a fear, not for himself, but for someone who at this moment had no idea what was happening to her. Something that would consume, corrupt and destroy her from the inside, out.
"Hermione," he breathed. . .