Authors note:
Hey guys, this is my first story so bear with me. I'm not sure how long I want it to be, but it is definitely a darker story.
This doesn't follow the actual storyline of Harry Potter too closely.
I do not guarantee a happy ending; you have been warned.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters
Killing You Softly
A darkness has slowly been seeping into my heart. It wrapped around me like a lover but held on like a prison.
I haven't told Harry or Ron about my darkening thoughts. Ever since I wore that damned locket I've felt different…like something latched onto me?
As I was pondering my mentality, a snowy white owl landed on my windowsill, and she held out her leg expectantly.
Hermione,
Ron and I need to meet with you in the common room.
It's urgent.
Love,
Harry
I furrowed my eyebrows in slight annoyance. The boys seemed to want me around only when they need something. I've been noticing it more and more each year. I love them dearly, but the whispers of betrayal still spark in my mind. More often than not.
Ron and I were together in an odd sort of way. We weren't official, but we didn't need to be…at least that is what I thought until I saw Lavender.
I wasn't the only one who saw the way she grew up. Ron saw it too, and he went chasing after her leaving me to stew in my bitterness. Her golden hair sparkled and her long legs seduced. I wasn't mad that she became beautiful. It was by no fault of her own. However, I do feel like occasionally choking the living life out of the red head.
Lovely whispers of forever obviously meant more to me than him. I knew I should've shagged the twins instead of chasing after the oaf.
Shaking my head, I brought myself back to reality.
I saw no one as I walked down quietly to the common room. There were no noisy first years or even any people playing chess. Definitely no mop like or fiery hair in site.
My eyebrows furrowed as I sighed and ran back up the stairs to grab the map. Harry put me in charge of safekeeping it…considering he wasn't the most responsible. I scoffed slightly at the memory of him pressing it into my hands and running off with an excuse about having to meet someone.
My eyes located the two little dots on the paper and headed towards them, but not before I passed my vanity.
Time had aged my childish face. I wasn't glamourous, but I didn't need to be. I was a "classic" beauty as others would say, and apparently, people liked what they saw. My hair now cascaded down the length of my back in soft golden brown ringlets. Luckily I learned a simple charm to tame my wild mane, and it paid off. My eyes were a deeper brown with what almost looked like specs of red in them. "Must be my imagination", I muttered as I passed the mirror. My sharp eyes were drawn to my lips. They were stained with blood, just like my hands.
Harry and Ron don't know what I've had to do to keep them safe. It's better that they remain ignorant since its bliss, right?
As I passed through the door into the hall I noticed that Hogwarts looked a tad bit different. Nothing too extreme was out of place, but something was off.
I looked down at the map until I finally found a hidden alcove.
The door groaned as if in pain as I pushed it open. I entered into the dimly lit room. It had a musky smell that pervaded my senses. Seeking out the rest of the trio, my eyes focused on a figure…or was that two?
"Harry!", I called out as I stepped in. My eyes surveyed the room until they settled on Harry. His eyes slowly gazed up at me from whatever he was hovering over. Something was wrong though, and my steps slowed down little by little. Once I came to a halt, I noticed that he seemed deep in thought.
His body was coiled so tightly it looked like he would lash out any minute. A sinister feeling tickled my back and neck as I continued to stare.
"Harry? Didn't you tell me to meet you and Ron in the common room?" I said with a huff even as I felt darker thoughts of mine start to creep up . He didn't answer so I continued with my chatter, "I mean honestly, I had to use the marauders map to find you! You never showed up. Neither did Ron, which isn't surprising, but I expected more from you!". He still remained silent as could be.
Harry finally opened his mouth after piercing me with his gaze, "Hermione, I'm sorry I happened to get a little sidetracked. Just had to clean up a few things. I'm sure you understand, right?"
"Oh really? What was so important?" I replied with a sneer. It seemed like with every word a force was starting to coil up in me.
He just smirked a little as though he could hear my internal thoughts. I've been struggling with my temper ever since the locket incident, and whatever shit Harry was playing at was not helping my psyche. I breathed out once and then twice to calm my every growing anger.
"Okay, well as fun as this was… I'm going back then so I can continue studying." I bit out in a controlled voice. Something in the air shifted.
There was a glimmer of red hair sticking out.
Ron.
His neck was twisted at an odd angle, and there were hand imprints near his throat. The rest of his body didn't look any better. It looked like it had been crucioed one too many times. His back was still slightly arched off the floor.
My blood froze as tears welled up in my eyes, and I assessed within those three seconds that something was very wrong. I knew I didn't have time to react fully to the horror I just saw, but in the back of my mind there was a feeling of satisfaction. I don't know where it came from, but it wasn't going away.
I bolted to the door.
I didn't get far though. Harry, or whoever this man was, softly trapped me against the door with his arms caging me in.
He smirked down at me making heat rush to my face. "Oh, so eager to leave. Why such a cold parting Hermione?"
"Who are you slimy git? I know for sure you aren't Harry." I screamed as I fully realized that whoever I was in the room with was not him. Before I could even raise my wand, it snapped into the hands of the imposter.
"Hmm you won't be needing this, will you? After all, it's been such a long time since we last met." His appearance slowly shifted as his words came out. Gone was the messy hair and glasses. Now his hair was styled in perfect waves. The type that made you want to mess up the hair for being so damn perfect. Next were the eyes. They turned from lovely emeralds into a cloudy grey. Flecks of red sparkled in them.
His nose shifted becoming a bit pointier and more slim. The result was an aristocratic look. His cheekbones and chin sharpened dramatically making his face look contoured as the dim light shined on him.
My breath left me and my eyes widened. "No, No!" I gasped out as his eyes stared into mine.
"Oh yes, miss me love? "He replied in an arrogant tone.
I felt my anger unleash.
"You bloody bastard, you're just a memory. A fragment of your actual master. We've already killed one of your horcruxes" I gasped out as I mapped out different plans in my head.
His eyes lit up with malice, "Such a sharp tongue. I could do more pleasurable things with it that I bet you would like, wouldn't you?"
My vision blacked at the disrespect and I lunged between what little space we had.
In hindsight, it wasn't my best idea but what was a girl to do? I was fully prepared to sock the living daylights out of him wand or no want. Luck wasn't on my side though he caught me easily, and pulled my body even closer to his and whispered in my ear softly. His hot breath fanned against my neck.
"You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you? Ron seemed to have unfortunately tripped down the stairs. Nasty things they can be, made him snap his neck. I just happened to find him after and brought him to this room"
The lies that slid of his tongue left me feeling sick. If I thought I was stuck in-between a rock and a hard place before, then obviously, I didn't think of my current position.
His right hand came up and cupped my cheek. It was intimate and imitated a lover's gesture, but
the feeling was so wrong. "Now, we can do this the hard way or eas-"
I cut off his monologue, "You better tell me where Harry is, and pray to the Merlin that I do not eviscerate you right now", I growled out in a dangerous voice.
His quirked his left eyebrow as I interrupted him, "Oh really? And do tell…how do you think you are going to do that without a wand?"
I blanched a bit at that considering he was right. I hadn't mastered wandless magic yet, and I was basically helpless besides my attitude and deadly heels…that I now regret wearing.
I still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't adding up.
"I'm not below slapping that grin off your face. "I spat out at him fiercely as he rolled his eyes. Even his damn eyerolls looked elegant. "What do you even want?" I whispered as he continued to give me a dark look.
"I already have what I want. For being the brains of the trio, you would think you would be a bit more astute at the moment".
He is an arse. A grade A arse if there ever was one.
I shuttered lightly as a feeling of warmth enveloped me. Suddenly everything seemed a bit less clear and realistic. It started to dawn on me that the details of the room I was in were all old. If I think back onto the common room, it was strange that no one was there.
It was staring to add up. This wasn't reality…this had to be a dream or something of the sort. I tried to remember when it was the I fell asleep. I couldn't recall though. I just know that I had the locket around my neck. My mind must've just created this nightmare because of all the stress and dark magic I've been around.
I slowly grinned as I realized the situation. He couldn't actually hurt me in my dreams, right?
"Riddle, looks like you're out of luck. You can only reach me in my dreams? I'll wake up soon and you'll be but a figment of my imagination." I hissed out as I urged myself to wake up.
His smirk didn't vanish after my words…in fact it grew wider. "Oh love, you are a clever one, aren't you?" He drawled out in a condescending manner.
"However, you seem to have something quite wrong" He said as he cupped my chin staring into my eyes. "This isn't just a dream, and I'm not just a fragment." He tilted his head slightly as a single strand of hair fell in his face. His eyes flashed red.
He didn't finish whatever he was going to continue with though. I felt myself slowly stirring from the nightmare I was in.
His mouth dropped into frown. "You may awaken from this, but this is far from over. I own you through your mind, body, and then your soul." He said softly as though he didn't just stake his claim on my soul. My fucking soul.
I bristled as he said that and was about to retort until his face slowly faded. I was waking up…but not before I heard his last words.
"You will be on your knees before I drag you kicking and screaming into the abyss with me. The best part is that you'll love it, Mudblood.", He said with an angelic smile that would make even the heavens cry.
