Dark Mark Tattoo-
Hermione stood looking at the outside of the shop, the sign alone made her want to reconsider this crazy idea of Ginny's. It had been six years since everything had changed. She and Ron despite years of dancing around their feeling had made a feeble attempt at dating and finally decided that they were better off as friends. Or at least that what she was telling people. Ginny feeling that Hermione needed to break out of her comfort zone and do something drastically not like her typical "Bossy-Know-It-All" self thought a tattoo was just the ticket. From here her best friend could start fresh, having done something just for herself for once.
"Gin, I don't know about this." Hermione said extremely uncomfortable.
"Oh come on Hermione, I'll get one too. We can even match. Harry says you are like a sister to him, so that makes me your best friend and I want to do something with my best friend that will last for the rest of our days." The feisty red head began to tug her toward the shop door.
Hermione looked once again at the sign, Dark Mark Tattoo the logo was a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth and twisting around in a figure eight. She shuttered, feeling in her bones that something was about to happen, something more than just her getting a tattoo.
The two women entered the shop, and Ginny began looking through a book of designs. There were photos all over the walls, and behind a small counter was a dark haired girl that reminded Hermione of a nasty dog. She was eyeing the two of them suspiciously. Hermione found herself feeling offended and more uncomfortable.
"Ginny, are you sure this is such a good idea?" Hermione felt she would give it one last try. And then she heard the whispered conversation.
"I bet the red head picks one of the stamps, no creativity at all." Came a voice, she couldn't see who the owner was, but clearly he could see Ginny.
"I bet the other chickens out before the gun even gets near her. Too prissy, wouldn't want to ruin her perfect skin." Came the voice of the dog faced girl.
Hermione felt her skin burn, she was becoming irritated with people who seemed to think they knew her, Ron constantly did the same thing. The only people who had never treated her that way had been some of her teachers at school. She smiled to herself, thinking of what it had been like back then. She hadn't told Ginny yet that the head of the school had contacted her and asked her if she would be interested in teaching. Maybe a change was due, something to mark her fresh start. But as she thought about the words of the two that she wasn't meant to hear, she knew she needed it to be something different. She scanned the walls again, not finding any inspiration. Ginny called her over and showed her a few things in the book but Hermione turned her nose at them.
"Alright you got me in here, but I refuse to do something that countless others are also walking around with." Her statement seemed to please Ginny, who nodded in agreement.
"So what do you want to get?" Her friend asked. Her brain told her to stall. But Ginny would catch on to what she was doing if she wasn't quick.
"Oh I forgot to tell you," Hermione began, "McGonagall asked me to take on a teaching position at Hogwarts."
Ginny grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug, "Hermione! That is great! I am so excited for you! See now we have to find something amazing."
The dog faced girl clearly tired of waiting for them to make up their minds about what they were doing finally spoke to them. "Can I help you ladies?"
Hermione was trying not to say something biting back to the girl, "Yeah, we'd like to both get a tattoo, we are just deciding what we want. Do we need to make an appointment or do you take walk-ins?"
"We do both, but if you want something large or with detail I recommend making an appointment. Right now I have couple of guys that are available if you are ready. The shop closes at 10 so, if it is going to be a larger piece you are going to want to get started. I need you to fill out some paperwork before we do anything though. " She said as she pulled out two clipboards with standard agreements and pricing on them.
As Hermione approached she saw around a different angle of the shop and hanging on the wall came her inspiration. There was a drawing on the wall of a girl, her back to the artist sitting with a phoenix flying across the sky, the girl had a hand stretched out to catch a feather in her hand. The feather was burning at the ends, it was beautiful.
"I know what I want" she spoke more to herself than to either of the other two women.
" Really Mione? What did you decide on?" Ginny asked ecstatic.
"A phoenix feather, remember how Dumbledore had Faux? I always thought he was a beautiful bird. I wonder if McGonagall still has him?" She turned to her friend, who would understand the importance of the memory.
Ginny didn't speak, she smiled and nodded. It had been six years since they had lost the beloved professor, and then the deranged mad man and his followers had tried to take their school. The group of them had mourned the loss of many of their friends and teachers who refused to give up without a fight.
The dog faced girl, who turned out to be named Pansy, so not fitting for her appearance, walked them back to where the chairs were. It turned out that there were three men there two were working on other people, with extensive designs. And one who must have been the voice she had heard with his feet up watching something on a flat screen tv, angled where he could see the others and the front area where they had been. There was an empty chair, behind it was a massive amount of small paint jars and bottles, tools and a variety of things needed.
"I'm going to get Drake from the back office, Blaise can you take this lovely lady and the boss can work on the other so that we aren't here all night." Pansy ordered the man sitting, who hopped into gear as soon as he saw Ginny smile at him. "Just take a seat, there. The boss will be right with you. " She turned and headed toward a door not far off down a small hallway.
Hermione was nervous, but now it was not about thinking it was a crazy idea, but about what exactly it was going to entail. She looked around looking at the two men getting tattooed didn't help. One large man was grimacing and it was terrifying to watch, the other looked like he was asleep. Ginny was telling the man Blaise that she wanted a feather, but she wanted it in shades of blue and purple explaining that she had a friend Tonks who was always changing her hair in water color shades that reminded her of the sky at twilight. Blaise smiled and started sketching out an idea. Hermione was listening to them and the hum of the tattoo guns going when she thought she heard her name come from the back room.
"Drake, seriously, the red-head called her Mione. I've seen your drawings, I'm telling you I think it is her. Just go out there and see for yourself. " Pansy had raised her voice, probably not realizing she could be heard.
The door opened and out stepped a tall man, Hermione could tell from where she sat that he was all muscle but not in the bad way, he was clearly the type that worked out but wasn't bulky, the t-shirt he wore accented how defined the muscles were in his arms and shoulders. He had shockingly white blonde hair. He was turned to face Pansy, speaking to her "Pans, you need to just lay off. I don't need this from you." He turned to face the chair where Hermione was sitting and their eyes met. He stopped dead in his tracks.
"Told you." was all Pansy said as she went back to her spot at the counter. The tall blonde seemed to compose himself and continued toward her.
He sat down on the rolling stool next the chair she was in, his face was chiseled, and Hermione felt she'd know it anywhere. "Pansy said you want a feather, any idea what kind or where?" His tone was cold and distant.
Hermione swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, looking at this handsome man. She nodded, but realized he wasn't looking at her so she quietly spoke "Like the one in the drawing over there. The one the girl is reaching for."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What I refused to do that?" His voice was sharp.
"You asked what I wanted, that's what I want. It reminds me of an old professor I had. Not to mention the phoenix is the symbol of change, rebirth. And that is what I need, what I want. I'm going through some major changes in my life and I want the reminder, that I can handle them. " Hermione addressed him matter of factly. "Besides, what kind of tattoo artist turns down a client's request? Do you not want the money? I'll go elsewhere with my business, it that is your issue."
"If you are getting ink done, no one else is doing it but me." He spoke so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear him.
"I'm sorry what was that?" She asked turning to look at him.
He was drawing a sketch out and she couldn't believe it. It reminded her of Faux even more so. But then she looked at his face a little better.
"You look, familiar. How do I know you. "She asked. But he didn't answer just got up and went to a machine to make a copy of the drawing.
"Where do you want it?" He asked, that cold distant tone when he had returned.
"Well it is just for me so, well where do you recommend?" She asked in a quiet whisper, again trying to get a look at him. While she couldn't figure out how to get him to acknowledge her, she saw another drawing of a girl again facing away from the artist, this time she was reaching for a silvery mist in the shape of an otter. "Your drawings are beautiful."
He turned to look at her, and she saw the silvery flecks in his blue eyes. There was some storm of emotions dancing in them. Hermione swore she'd always know those eyes, she'd seen them countless times.
"I would suggest either on your hip or back, isn't your boyfriend going to be upset that you are doing this without him?" He averted his eyes.
"I, I don't have a boyfriend. Like I said, this is for me. So, I guess I'll go with the back." Hermione looked down and away. She never thought doing this would make her so self conscious.
"Dumbass, should have known he would fuck it up once he finally had his chance. Stupid Weasel." He spoke again so quiet that with the hum around the shop she barely heard him.
"What was that?" She asked turning to him again.
"Okay, so the back. Can you straddle the chair so I have the whole of it work with?" He again dodged her question.
"Yeah. " She turned in the chair putting her arms up and over the back of the chair. He turned it so that she was facing where Ginny was. She was getting it on her leg, and appeared to be in some pain. But Ginny was tough and would never cry.
"Let me know if you need me to stop because it hurts too much, or you need a break. Also, if you cry Pansy is going to call you a little bitch, so try and hold it together." He informed her.
"Her name is Pansy, and she is going to call me a little bitch if I cry while you inject ink into my skin with a series of sharp tiny needles?!" She was irritated, and then she heard him chuckle. And turned her head to face him.
"That a girl." He said with a smirk, " Ready?" And she nodded.
The needle didn't hurt as much as she expected. Mind over matter, she kept telling herself. He worked quietly. And as he worked Hermione found herself at ease under his care. Ginny finished, well before her, the blue and purple feather looked just like something Ginny would have.
"Tonks would love it. " Hermione told her friend.
Blaise took her over to pay and get after care instructions. Hermione watched her friend, and then looked at the drawing she had seen earlier.
"It really is a beautiful drawing. She's a lucky girl whoever she is to be your muse. I used to love sitting in one of the towers at my old school, and looking out at the landscape. I had a professor who had this bird. He called it Faux, and after he passed away, the bird flew by me in the window of the tower. I wanted more than anything to fly away with that bird. To forget the pain that I felt at that moment. I was such as silly girl back then. Now I am going to back to teach there. I don't know why I even telling you this. Probably because I am too scared to tell any of my friends." Hermione spoke while looking at the picture. "I can't say I have ever been looked at like that. Even my ex, we were friends at school, everyone expected us to get together, so like always I did what everyone expected of me. So stupid, he and I were never meant to be anything more than friends. Now Ginny, Harry adores her. "
He had worked so quietly she figured he was focused on his work that he wasn't actually listening, so when he spoke she was surprised, "How do you know you aren't someone's muse? You could be adored like your friend over there, and never even know it."
Hermione found that she really was almost too relaxed with him, "What's the point of being adored, if you don't know you are? Honestly, I am pretty sure that I will forever be the odd man out. I was always the 3rd in the group with my two best friends. The sad thing is that they are both men, they were best friends back in school when we met. Then the three of us bonded over them saving me one Halloween. From that day on we were inseparable, given we had our rocky moments here and there. But there has never been anyone who noticed me, people were too busy noticing them. Mind you they were usually in some form of trouble that I had to get them out of."
He had begun to hum a song, it was one Hermione knew. Ginny was now sitting in a large cushy chair watching her. The song the man was humming was working its way into Hermione's brain. She began to hum it too. And then words come to her mind.
"She's got a plastic ring on her left hand from her boyfriend, and a chip on her shoulder from her mom. And she's not my type at all. It's all so right and all so wrong probably be gone by the end of this song. She's got pieces of me wrapped around her finger tips. Started slow but moving quickly to her heaven. And she's not my type at all." She sang quietly, and Ginny grinned.
"'You haven't sung in so long. I almost forgot how lovely your voice is." Ginny watched her. "How are you doing over there? I don't think I saw you flinch once? I knew you were tough, but right now you are pretty badass Mione."
"I'm okay. I think he's taking it easy on me." Hermione smiled to her friend. Ginny watched like the observant friend she truly was.
"Mione, are you okay? For real okay? I know you are pretty badass, but..." She didn't get to finish her sentence before Pansy interrupted.
"Hey Drake, can I have the guys head out? I don't want any flighty college girls rolling up here and thinking this is an all night establishment." She looked over at him and gestured with her eyes toward Hermione and Ginny.
"Yeah close it up. I'll be done here soon." He responded never taking his eyes off his work.
"You should show her some of your other pieces. You know, just a thought. " Pansy commented picking up a bag from under the counter. "Do you want Blaise or Theo to stay with you?"
Drake as she called him held his middle finger up at her while he continued to work. Ginny laughed, and Blaise plopped himself back down in the chair he had been in earlier.
"I'll hang, someone as to keep him on track, or he'll end up sleeping in the back room. Hell I might even buy him a drink after locking up." Blaise joked to Pansy as she headed toward the door.
"Later boys. Stay safe." Pansy said pulling up her black hood and heading out into the night.
Blaise was eyeing his friend and colleague when he quietly said to the redhead "Hey, you want to see something? Wait here, he'll shit a brick if he realizes it."
He was gone only a few moments when he came back with a book. "It's his My Own E book. Your friend picked one of the few sketches he doesn't keep in here. I'm surprised he was even willing to do it. This shit is sacred to him." Ginny scooted closer to look, at the drawings that Blaise was showing her.
"Pansy gives him all kinds of shit about this. He was really hung up some chick when he was in school." Blaise joked, as Ginny flipped the pages, her voice lost as she went from looking at the book to her friend before her.
"It looks like, but it can't be..." Ginny mumbled.
"Yeah that's why I thought I would show you. Weird huh. He never talks about her. He draws a new one every so often and adds to it." Ginny flipped through the book, trying not to draw the artist's attention. He was so focused on his task. The book showed a progression of the girl before her. All from while they had been at school. Year after year, while her face was never clear, everything about the girl screamed Hermione. She closed the book and handed it back to Blaise who slipped it back into the room where he had retrieved it.
"Hey, Mione, when are you supposed to start up at Hogwarts?" Ginny was asking questions to provoke a response out of the man working on her friend. Hermione wasn't listening, she was humming another song and absent mindedly twirling her fingers. Ginny saw the gentle mist that was Hermione's patronus. Her mind had to be focused on something that she was able to project any form of the otter without her wand. She went from humming to singing. quietly, almost like she was singing to it, or the blonde behind her.
"When you told me you can't sleep. Count your sins instead of sheep. Count the ways you feel weak. But that's not what I see. You're no wreckage, you're a fire. Straight the sky by your own power. Sounding loud above the water. You're a wild melody..." Hermione cut off as she felt him finish his work and wipe the last bit clean from her back.
"Okay, you're done. There's a mirror just over there. Take a look see what you think. " He spoke turning to take care of this equipment.
She went over to the mirror and looked at the feather for the first time. It was breath taking. Flames licked the tip of the feather as it curled up floating down from an invisible bird. Hermione felt that if she just blow on the reflection and the feather would float away and burst into flames as it went. She felt her eyes sting as the tears threatened to expose themselves.
"It's beautiful. I, I don't know what to say. Thank you would never be enough. It, looks like it came right off of Faux. I love it. " She walked back over to the blonde, who appeared to be ignoring her now.
"What do I owe you?" Hermione asked. He was going to play this game, so she figured she would play along. "The forms said $150 an hour, it's been over 2, so..."
"Nothing. You are going to need all your money to survive on the teacher's salary." He was busying himself so that she would just leave. It been almost 7 years since he had actually seen her, but she managed to haunt his dreams, and now she had walked into his shop. She had let him mark her. It was a thrill, but at the same time, they had always been on the opposing sides of everything that happened at school. But what was that saying about how a boy treats a girl he likes. Negative attention is just as good, and it beats no attention.
"Mione, are you ready? Harry and Ron will be wearing a hole in the floor boards worse than mom." Ginny could feel the tension between her friend at this man.
Blaise was giving him that look, and he was going to punch him in face if he didn't stop. "Mione, that's a different name. Very unique." He said looking at Draco, with a raised eyebrow.
"It's not my name," Hermione had her eyes on Draco but spoke to Blaise, "It is a shortened version of Hermione. Not many people call me Mione."
Draco averted his eyes, "Blaise, give her the care sheet, so that I can finish cleaning and lock up." He hoped she would just leave, and he pushed his sleeves up past his elbows as he turned to take care of his station. His own ink now on display. Hermione was turning to follow Blaise when she caught it. There mixed in where others might not notice it. The Hogwarts crest.
"If you let me walk out the door Draco, it will be the last time you see me. And you will prove me right." Hermione was looking down, she couldn't bring herself to look at the man who had once been the boy she secretly liked. They had butted heads so much while at school, she knew that if she every admitted to liking him people would have thought she was nuts. He hated her, so she 'hated' him back.
He laughed to himself, both Ginny and Blaise stopped dead mid stride.
"Fuck," Blaise said aloud not realizing he had. "The girl from the drawings. That's you. Hermione, Mione, the My Own E girl."
"Malfoy?" Ginny questioned. "No way. I thought, we all thought you were." But she didn't finish her sentence.
"Dude you aren't seriously telling me this is the girl you have been drawing and you are going to just let her get a tattoo and then walk off without a word?" Blaise stepped toward him.
Draco closed his eyes and before any of them knew what he was doing, a wisp of silver mist danced around Hermione's feet. She looked down as it took its form, she squatted down and stroked it with her fingers. She smiled at the creature weaving between her legs and then rising on its hind quarters for her to pet its head.
"Draco?" Hermione looked up at him.
"I believe Snape said it best." He said with his eyes still closed, the patronus nuzzling her hand.
"And what was it he said?" She had avoided any unnecessary conversation with the professor who seemed to dislike her as much as the boy who had called her unbelievable names in school.
"Always." He whispered, sending his patronus off as he opened his eyes. Her hand was extended out where the patronus had been.
"Mione, I thought. But your patronus is an otter. I thought everyone's patronus was different?" Ginny asked in confusion.
"Harry told me about Snape's patronus. He saw his memories in the pensive. When did Snape allow you to see..." Hermione was focused on Draco, questioning him while trying to understand.
"When he caught me trying to perform the spell, I couldn't do it and figured it was because of who I was. My father filled me head with hate, how could I find a happy memory if I was never happy? He found me getting angry with myself. He made a suggestion that helped, and I asked him how he knew. Apparently my Godfather understood my situation very well." Draco shrugged.
"Wait, the E, I'm confused. I get the Mione, but 'My Own E'. Dude, who is the E for?" Blaise didn't understand the conversation happening between the two. Ginny only partly understood, but it made no sense.
"Eternally." Draco whispered looking at the witch before him. A single tear found its way down Hermione's cheek.
"Wait a minute. Time the fuck out. Drake, you are telling me. No man, you are telling me that you have the girl of your dreams in front of you. She just sat in your chair for 2 hour while she let you tattoo her, and you are going to let her walk out of here without so much as a 'Hi, remember me the guy who is crazy in love with you?' Is that what you are telling me?" Blaise questioned in shock of his friend's lack of concern over something so major.
"Show him your arm." Draco said matter of factly to Hermione. "Show him."
Hermione, didn't need any further explanation than that from Draco. She shook her head though. "No, it is unimportant. I have refused to let it define me for years. I won't let it now."
"Show him." Draco stepped forward, "Or I will. I know it is still there."
Hermione rolled her eyes, and pulled the sleeve of her shirt on her left arm. On her arm, a raised scar stood out, her skin cursed from the evil blade. In faint, but still visible letters was the word Mudblood. She showed it to Blaise.
"But..." Blaise looked from her arm to Draco. "That's why you...you're are such an ass."
"What am I missing here?" Ginny asked. Draco turned away, he might not have caused Hermione the pain that day, but he hadn't helped either.
Blaise spoke, his tone pissed off, "Dumbass over there has the word Pureblood done the exact same way. The fucker carved it into his bicep while drunk on Firewhiskey one night. I found him nearly unconscious at his place. It was a good thing Pancy told me it had not been a good day for him so that I knew to check on him. Shit for brains could have died. I'm not a healer and had to treat him like a muggle because he refused to go to Mungo's."
Hermione approached Draco, his head was down refusing to meet her gaze. She stepped around the chair she had spent 2 hours in where she had realized who he was, but wanted him to just say it, where she had thought of the good and bad times they had shared so long ago. He sensed her movement and turned away. "Just, go Granger. I don't want or need your pity. Weaselette, don't you need to get back to St. Potter and get her home to your brother?"
"Malfoy, you know her as well as I do. And unless you have forgetten her personality. Mione doesn't run away from a fight. So until she tells me she is ready to head out. I'm not stopping her from doing what she needs to right now." Ginny said in an absolute tone. She knew her well enough to know if she stepped in, Hermione would find another way for working out whatever plan she had formed in her head while she had been silently watching Malfoy.
He stood almost a foot and a half taller, muscles flexed he wanted her to be afraid of him, to leave him to his dreams of what could have been if he had not been the git he was in school. To allow him to know the hurt he had, because of his actions, and then because of his lack of action when she needed it. But she was Hermione Granger, who helped battle a mad man and his followers to save her friends and school, he was just her school bully, no one compared to all that she was used to dealing with. He didn't frighten her in the slightest. She stood next to him, and when she reached up and touched his cheek his instinct was to flinch, but his body betrayed him and he leaned into her gentle touch. His eyes were closed, but again he was betrayed as a single tear escaped and ran down his cheek. With her free hand she brushed it way with her thumb and cupped his face now with both hands.
"Do you know what is worse than being no one's muse? Never knowing that you were the muse to someone who you had hoped would just notice you once. The sting of unrequited love that forces you to go against what your heart tells you and sends you into further loss and disappointment. Two people so hell bent that the other hates them that they miss their chance to prove that labels don't matter." She whispered for only his ears. Ginny had always guessed there had been something more to Hermione's responses to Malfoy's words at school. She should have been used to his harsh treatment, but each time had hurt her friend like it was the first.
"I repeat again, if you let me just walk out of here, it will be the last time you see me. And it will prove me right, I will always be the girl that was never loved that way." She whispered at she slowly slid her hands down his face and backed away. He still had not opened his eyes, she was sure he wouldn't stop her at this point. He hadn't been able to face her as she stood there and poured her heart out.
She twirled her fingers again, her otter appearing and dancing at his feet, and then of its own accord climbing up the chair, to the counter then finding its way to his shoulder, perching to whisper in his ear.
"They are the only two I know who can do that without a wand. It takes a very powerful memory, to produce to start with." Ginny spoke to Blaise. "I better get her home. She's going to need about a gallon of ice cream and something strong to handle all of this. Especially after my dick of brother strung her along while he was skirting around with that bitch Lavender. Men are not on the top of my list tonight."
"That shit may be my friend and boss, but I am so going to kick his ass for this."Blaise quipped turning from the scene before him to prepare to let the two women out. "Then I'll let Pansy have a go at him."
Hermione turned away from him, and headed to where her friend waited, so they could leave. "Goodbye Draco. Please take care of yourself." When she was no longer facing him she heard the distinct pop that told her he was no longer standing there. She looked up at Ginny and Blaise, steeling herself to let him go. Knowing she would always have some part of him now, with his artwork on her.
Ginny stood at the door, as Blaise shook hands with her. She refused to leave without paying despite even Blaise's protest. Ginny opened the door to the dark night, watching her friend who turned back to look at the spot where the man who had forever marked her had stood. She shook her head. "Come on love, let's get you home."
Neither woman noticed the man standing outside waiting. Hermione gave one last goodbye and turned to go out the door. Her eyes finally locking on him.
"You, always just you." He spoke as his patronus pounced toward her feet. "Always."
The songs are Not My Type at All by Jacob Whitesides, and Take My Love by The Lone Bellow