Blue eyes glared down at the dishevelled form of the woman in front of him. She was a muggle, just like the rest of the muggles that lived in the village nearby – only she was the ugliest muggle he had ever laid eyes on. The village was bustling with those muggles, and Gellert took a moment to wonder why the woman had thought it a good idea to come to him to ask for shelter.
He disliked guests, and he absolutely hated muggle guests – the reason why most of the muggles from the village shied away from his castle. They all walked around his castle as if they owned it after gaining admittance – and he was forced to treat them as such due to them being a guest.
"No."
He slammed the door in the woman's face, not caring that the door had probably hit the woman with how close she had been standing to him. When the door opened again, it wasn't by Gellert's will, rather it was the woman whom Gellert had assumed was a muggle. It was clear that he had been mistaken, as her appearance was formidable – the wand in her right hand and her straightened back made all the difference.
And, for the first time in many years, Gellert felt fear.
…oOo…
"Dad?"
The silence in the castle was oppressive, but Hermione had seen her father's hat within the grounds of the castle. If that wasn't proof of the fact that he was here, Hermione didn't know what was. Her father loved that particular hat – there was a reason it was so worn, after all.
"Dad, are you there?"
Nearly silent whispers caused Hermione to spin around, the darkened halls not helping her as she tried to see if there was anyone there. There were voices, Hermione was certain of it.
"Hello? I'm sorry, but I'm just looking for my father…"
The fading candlelight on the staircase caused Hermione to rush after it. Her footsteps echoed loudly against the stone, and she wished that she walked a little more quietly but she would much rather find her father sooner than make sure she didn't make a sound. The sooner she found her father, the sooner they would be able to leave this terrible castle. The whispers continued leading her, until…
"Hermione?"
Her brown eyes flew towards the voice, and it only took a moment for Hermione to follow herself. Her father was in something that was unmistakable as a cell. And, from his sniffling, she could tell that he wasn't even completely healthy – probably still in wet clothes that wouldn't help his illness any.
"We've got to get you out of here!" Hermione said, her hands already reaching into her robes to pull out her wand. She couldn't bring herself to care that it was possible that there were muggles living in the castle and that she may very well get into trouble with the Ministry for magic use. All she cared about was getting her father out of there, and dry – probably not in that order.
"You shouldn't have come, Hermione. There's a monster living in the castle. Ferocious, and terrible – a real beast, and he wouldn't take kindly to you being here – he threw me in here the second he saw me!"
Hermione's wand was already waving to warm her father, his clothes drying only moments later. Her free hand searched for any runes covering the bars that separated her from her father, hoping that there weren't any or her job would become infinitely more difficult.
"What are you doing here?" a voice thundered from behind her, and Hermione nearly dropped her wand in shock. Her father's whimper told her that the monster he had just described had found her, and Hermione was terrified. Her wandwork wasn't anywhere close to where it could be, and didn't she wish that Harry, with all his glorious luck, was with her at that moment.
But, Hermione straightened her spine and turned around, glaring.
"I'm here to rescue my father, seeing as he is cold, and wet, and sick, and will probably die of hypothermia if he is left in the state that he is. It's clear that something as insignificant as hypothermia doesn't affect you with your fur coat!"
The Beast looked startled for a moment, before regaining himself, "He's MY prisoner!"
"And you clearly don't even know how to treat your prisoners! What? Do you get off on watching my father shiver to death?" Hermione hissed in reply.
"Well, he's dry now!"
"Certainly not thanks to the likes of you!"
Brown eyes clashed with the startling blue of the Beast, neither wanting to relent their position. Hermione wasn't about to give up on her father, not to someone like this whose ego was so large Hermione was surprised she wasn't having trouble breathing.
Oh, he reminded her of Draco Malfoy, and she wished that she could punch him in the face, animal fangs and all.
"Leave!" the Beast roared again.
"No! Let my father go!"
"I refuse!"
"Then I'm staying!"
"You're the most infuriating- FINE! Stay, see how much your presence is wanted!" was the last thing the Beast said before he stalked into the shadows again.
"Fine," Hermione said, gaze returning to the lock on her father's cell.
…oOo…
"She's the one!"
"You don't know that. Besides, she hates me."
"If you want to give up that easily…"
"I'm not giving up! I … just think that she's…"
"She isn't what you were expecting."
"I don't think anyone would have expected her temperament."
"Exactly! And even you hadn't expected anyone to come along. Or even try."
"There isn't much time left…"
"Just give it a chance!"
…oOo…
Hermione had found a couple of unused bedrooms a few levels above them, and several extensive cleaning charms had them as clean as they could be considering they looked like they had been covered by layers of dust that had accumulated over what had to be at least ten years.
The clothing Hermione had been provided with – mostly dresses by the look of it – had to be adjusted only slightly, and Hermione had never been more grateful for her magic in her life.
Her father, ever the tinkerer, was enchanted by the talking and moving furniture and objects – and Hermione decided that leaving him to it would be the best decision. The portraits along the walls were frozen as if they were muggle ones, but Hermione could feel the magic that ran through the castle. It had once been alive, and Hermione was certain that large mosaic in the entrance hall hadn't always been that depressingly dark and muted. Something had happened in the castle – Hermione didn't know how long ago, or why, but she definitely wanted to find out. It was just another mystery, one that she was certain she would be able to solve given enough time.
Hermione had stoutly ignored the Beast every time they had managed to arrive to dinner at the same time. No apology had been passed for either of their behaviour, and Hermione wasn't about to apologise just because she had decided to continue the shouting match – one that the Beast had rightfully deserved in her opinion.
Her father had been jumpy and fidgety all through the first few of those tense meals, but had eventually become accustomed to the atmosphere that was nothing like the carefree one they had shared back at home. Despite this, there was no doubt that the food was delicious – fit for royalty, if Hermione were to be completely honest – and Hermione enjoyed the meals a lot, not even the Beast's presence could put her off it.
…oOo…
"You're the first one who has argued against him. He just doesn't know how to react," the teapot had told her that night just as she was about to go to sleep.
"That doesn't give him the right to behave like a jerk."
"It doesn't," the teapot agreed, "but you just have to give him some time. He's just had everything his way for so long…"
"It's not like I've got any other choice, not being able to leave here."
The last thing Hermione had heard before she fell asleep was the deep sigh of the teapot, and her door clicking shut.
…oOo…
"Hermione…?"
"What?"
"I, uh, want to show you something?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"Telling?"
"…"
"Please, follow me. I want to show you something."
"Better. Alright, where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
…oOo…
Hermione's eyes were wide in awe as she took in the vast library that had been hidden by the labyrinth of corridors that filled the castle. Every wall was covered in books, right to the very ceiling. There were more books than Hermione had ever dreamed of having in a place that wasn't a school or local library.
"So, do you like the surprise?" the Beast looked hopeful, and Hermione couldn't help but nod – because they were books, and she was glad that even the Beast could understand the wonder of them.
"Have you read all of them?"
The Beast paused, looking conflicted, "It's- it's been a long time…"
Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, "So, you haven't then?"
"I- no." The Beast looked embarrassed.
Hermione pulled out a book at random, and handed it to the Beast, "Here. You may as well start somewhere."
"I-I can't. It's been too long... I don't remember."
Hermione couldn't help but stare at him wide-eyed. "You let all these books go untouched? Come, I'll teach you."
The Beast could feel a smile starting to build, as Hermione fussed over his lack of knowledge.
Perhaps, perhaps she really would be the one.
…oOo…
"His guard is down now. It's our chance to escape!"
"No! We can't!"
"Why not? Don't you want to go back home?"
"I do, but-"
"No buts! We'll sneak out at midnight!"
"You don't understand."
"There's nothing to understand!"
…oOo…
They were gone.
He couldn't believe it. Things had only just begun looking up for him, for them, and then this. He had thought that they had finally had an agreement – that Hermione had finally become happy within the castle – but he had been mistaken, it seemed.
Whatever hint of them had disappeared with the newly fallen snow that had covered their tracks. He didn't want to think that Hermione was the one who had planned their escape, but he knew that it probably was – and there was no hope for him now.
He destroyed everything he touched that morning, just as he had everything his entire life. It would be his fault if his servants, as loyal as they had always been, were stuck as enchanted objects for the rest of eternity.
Chasing them wasn't an option, because he was about to offer Hermione the freedom she had wanted when she had first arrived. She had taken that into her own hands but, to him, the offer still stood. It had been a promise he had made to himself, and he would keep it.
His sigh was the only sound that echoed through the once again empty castle.
…oOo…
"There's something wrong."
"No, there isn't. You just want to go back."
"No! There's something wrong! It's too quiet!"
"It's just early – besides, it's rather cold."
…oOo…
There was something wrong, he could feel it. The lingering scream from the forest would have been missed by him if his senses hadn't sharpened when he had been turned into a beast.
Not even bothering with a cloak, he ran towards the source of that scream – because the person who had uttered it had been unmistakable. It was undoubtedly Hermione.
Knowing he was faster when he didn't try to act as if he was human, he allowed himself freedom – knowing that he would need it to reach Hermione sooner. He couldn't risk her life over his own hatred of himself and his decisions.
He growled in all his beastly glory, narrowly missing the red beam that Hermione had shot off in terror. Standing in front of Hermione and her prone father, protecting them, the Beast could feel something change within him.
He had never felt the need to protect anyone before, not like this, not at the potential cost of his own life.
But this, this felt right. It made him feel like he was doing the right thing.
And, for that, he would continue protecting her.
…oOo…
"I'm so, so, sorry. I didn't want to leave. My father-"
"Don't blame your father. Surely you had also wanted to leave, to go back to the home you had often told me about."
"No, I-"
"I was going to give you the option of going home anyway. You wanted that, I could see it. So, please, just go home."
"But I am home…"
"I can arrange for the carriages to-wait, what?"
"This castle, with everything and everyone in it, has become my home. I couldn't bear to leave it again."
"You mean…?"
"Yes. I believe I do, Gellert."
...oOo...
Written for Fanfiction World Adventures: St. Paul's Cathedral - (word) Mosaic; (word) Glory; (dialogue/description) "Her appearance was formidable."
Written for The OTP AU! Competition III – Fairytale!AU [Hermione/Gellert]