Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix
You couldn't believe your eyes! Nor your ears, for that matter. What your father had just suggested was ludicrous and yet, you couldn't help but think bitterly that he was right. After the horrors you had witnessed only recently, it was normal to keep an eye on the people around. Your father knew your fierceness and anger and he chose wisely the persons you had to watch over. They were both powerful and potentially dangerous.
And here they were again, in front of you, though they couldn't see you. They came here every week, gathering plants, and didn't seem to use their wands for any other thing than casting a soft light. He moved easily, without fear, while she was more wary, her shoulders tense, as if aware of a third presence. She kept looking around, her fingers tightly wrapped around her wand, and you knew her reflexes could be lethal. You knew her after all. She had faced evil with apparently less apprehension than she was showing now. But then, it could be due to her choice of companion.
You found yourself guiding them discreetly to where they needed to go, because you just knew what they were looking for. At first, it was only so they would leave quickly, because you resented this duty of following them around as soon as they entered your territory. But then, slowly, with the weeks passing by, your contempt started to melt down and turn into a genuine interest, though quite begrudging at first.
It became fascinating to watch the interaction between the two of them. Often you would see her bend down her head, bearing in silence the lashing of his tongue and the insults he would casually hurl in her direction. She never replied to them, though she tried to make him see her own point of view, always in vain. But then, as he was turning his back to her – which he never hesitated to do, even though she never realised the trust he had in her – you would see the wistful way she would look at him.
Once he had left her alone in a clearing while she was gathering monkshood and you could see her uneasiness. She kept looking in your direction, as if she felt that someone else was there with her. After a moment of hesitation, you stepped forward and let some moonbeams fall on you, defining your shape. She slowly stood up, her hands slightly spread open in front of her. There was no doubt that she recognised you and she went very still.
"We are no trespassers," she whispered. "We are just passing through and won't be staying."
You nodded your acknowledgement at the old greeting and retreated in the shadows. You noticed with curiosity that her anxiety seemed to wear off and that, each time she came back after this, she had a slight nod in your direction, sensing your presence without any delay. Her companion seemed totally oblivious or else he didn't care. Naturally, his cold behaviour had to interest you.
You noticed the way he looked at her after he told her off, like a faint gleam of approval in his dark eyes when she contained herself and didn't answer. You saw him lingering around when he left her apparently alone and you just knew his fingers were curled around his wand, ready to curse whomever would dare to come near her. Lucky for you he didn't see you the last time… or did he? And once, only once, you saw blazing feelings invade his eyes for a fleeting instant, only to be replaced by his usual uncaring demeanour, as she was standing in front of him and hotly defending her point of view. He turned his back to her and never saw her shoulders slump in defeat, never heard the sigh she bit back.
You shifted uneasily in your protective darkness. You knew your own behaviour was beginning to seem suspicious; your father himself was looking at you oddly when you came back from your watch over them. But they were yours: he had given them to you. They had been a burden, they had been toys – when you had thought to maliciously lead them far away so they would lose their way – but now, you saw them as under your protection. You wanted to see them happy.
You shook your head with repressed anger. Such thoughts should never invade your mind! You had never liked them, maybe because they were so different, maybe because they were so arrogant. But then, they did see you the same way. Observing them for so long, even if only once a week, you had begun to understand them better, though against your own will. You didn't want to understand them; you wanted to be able to despise them as before. But you knew it was already too late.
You knew it was just them. For anyone else, your old rage would come back easily and you would scare them off in a blink. But not them. Thus there was only one solution: you had to drive them away from your territory, so they would never come back. If they didn't come back, you would be able to forget those unwanted thoughts of concern for them. You tried to force yourself to think that they were just playthings, that if your plan didn't work, it wouldn't matter, because their feelings couldn't last long enough to bring a noticeable change to the world, but those were empty words to your heart. You found yourself echoing her sigh. Your father would be mad at you if he only knew what you were planning to do.
It was easy at first. You led them cautiously into darker parts of the forest, careful of never being heard or seen, though she probably knew you were their guide and though he probably had doubts but didn't voice them. Despite themselves, they stayed closer to each other, knowing they were a good team if the need to defend themselves arose. You became frustrated when you noticed that it was the best you could achieve yet. They had to leave quickly, for the sake of your mind!
So you drove them even further, where any noise around was scary and disturbing, where shadows danced in tortured shapes, where the wind howled like a dying animal. You didn't like this part of the forest either and even your father hated to come here. It was said to hide an evil so terrible that were you to reach the core of it, you would never come back from it with your sanity intact. But you didn't fear the old legends: your sanity was already on the verge of leaving you. These two persons were a danger much more present and tangible.
Her nervousness had come back and she glanced toward you several times per evening, questions filling her eyes, begging you to tell her why you had led them here. You knew that if you had asked her for help, she would have gone willingly into Hell and back, because such was her nature. But your silence was worse for her than any threat; she trusted you without knowing why, without being sure if she should, yet she had followed you. And you knew she would do it again the next week, and the next, without any hesitation. You weren't sure you wanted to know why.
His brow was furrowed and his frown made him even more forbidding. His lips had thinned into a dark scowl and you wondered for a brief moment how she could be frightened of her surroundings when the most frightening sight seemed to be standing by her side. But then, sometimes you could see his hand twitch, as if he had to restrain himself of pulling her against him to protect her from the presences he felt around them. But still he fought against his instincts.
The moon disappeared behind a cloud and they were left in complete darkness, without the comfort the dim light could have provided them. You could still see them, but then, you were used to this world of shadows. They had their wands at the ready and she asked timidly if she could cast the spell that you knew would illuminate the tip of her wand. In a venomous hiss, he refused. His whole stance was tense and, listening attentively, you could hear what he had already felt – still amazed at the sharpness of his perception. Someone – or something – was coming toward them.
Unable to help herself, she grabbed his left arm, digging her fingers in his flesh. With a snarl, he pried her hand away from his forearm and pushed her away, out of the newcomer's line of attack. A huge shadow jumped on him just after, not leaving him any time to defend himself. Out of reflexes, you already had an arrow notched, aimed at the monster. You hesitated a brief instant. You recognised the beast; it was the thrice-blasted three-headed dog of Hagrid. Even though you still weren't in good terms with the half-giant, you knew he wouldn't forgive you the death of his pet and then, this creature was part of the forest just as you were.
Before you could reach a decision, she had thrown herself between the dog and the man, covering him with her body, and she pointed her wand toward the beast, shouting a word you didn't catch. Music sounded from nowhere, drowning the sounds of the howling wind. Surprised, the dog blinked and its three heads began to sway in rhythm, not noticing when she dragged the man away from it. Just in time before the heads crashed to the ground and a loud snore was heard.
"What did you do?" he snarled.
"Music," she panted. "Fluffy likes music…"
She had a nervous laugh and fell on her knees, the music still playing around them.
Slowly, you put back the arrow in your quiver and lowered your bow. He stepped toward her and stopped only inches from her. You held your breath: was he finally going to stop fighting against his feelings?
"Hermione?" he called softly, holding out his hand to her.
She looked up and timidly reached for his hand. Even when she was standing by his side, he didn't release his hold on her small fingers. He looked around, seemed bemused.
"I never saw this part of the forest before," he commented.
She smiled shyly and glanced quickly in your direction. You knew the question in her eyes and, as the moon reappeared, you nodded back at her, unsure she could see you, but knowing she would follow you, because she simply knew where you were.
So you led them back to the edge of the forest and never did he let go of her hand, though he had a hard time dissimulating his surprise that she didn't protest. She had even startled him when she had intertwined her fingers with his. As they stepped outside the forest, for the first time, you adventured a little bit further than you usually did. She felt it and turned around; he imitated her and they both looked at you, bathed in the moonlight.
"Thank you, Bane," she said softly.
You nodded in answer; you knew she was thanking you for much more than just leading them back to safety. She had understood everything.
"You have nothing to fear from us," he said in turn.
Then they turned away and you knew that they wouldn't come back very soon. You could finally go back to who you really were without them to confuse your thoughts. Sighing in satisfaction, you trotted back to your home, knowing you now had to face your father, who was wondering about you and your motives, but he would see that your wilderness was definitely not tamed. After all, you weren't Magorian's son for nothing.
1995 words
Story for the WIKTT Challenge: 2nd Person
Rules:
All stories must feature Hermione Granger and Severus Snape in some way.
All stories must be written in 2nd-person POV.
"You" must be a character or creature from the Harry Potter Series. Be creative! "You" could be not only our beloved man in black, but Harry Potter, McGonagall, Flitwick, Filch, Dumbledore, Fleur Delacour, Moaning Myrtle, Colin Creevey, or Hagrid. In fact "you" don't even need to be human! "You" could be Peeves, a house-elf, a dementor, a basilisk, or Crookshanks! Let your imagination run wild!
The stories should be 2000 words or less. (A little 2nd-person goes a long way)
All stories must begin with: "You couldn't believe your eyes!"
All stories must be spellchecked.
I did tell you I was obsessed with centaurs :)