DISCLAIMER: HP belongs to JKR. The storyline, all new characters, new character development, new developments are my intellectual property. This story is not a plot bunny neither to be used or to be further developed by anyone.

A/n a short Halloween story one chapter a day. Remember that it is a Halloween story, expect the unexpected.

Ghostly Love

"Take my tidings:

Stags contend;

Snows descend-

Summer's end!

"A chill wind raging,

The low sun keeping,

Swift to set

O'er seas high sweeping.

"Dull red the fern;

Shapes are shadows;

Wild geese mourn

O'er misty meadows.

"Keen cold limes each weaker wing,

Icy times-

Such I sing!

Take my tidings."

* GRAVES: First Winter Song.

The Unseen Lover-

He sat across her. He could see the smattering of freckles in her otherwise unmarked porcelain skin. She was lovely; there was no other way to describe her. He loved her hair, the lush curls that with the years she had learned to tame.

She stood up, and he smiled at her body, only clad in her sexy lingerie. Her sinuous shape, not an ounce of wasted fat, her womanly breasts contained by a demi-bra, used more for show than a cover. Her narrow hips and big bum, tight and muscled thanks to the hours devoted to training and toning her body; the slight indentation of her waist, giving her body terrain enough variation for a wizard to get lost for a lifetime; her long slender and toned legs, pillars supporting the body of his adoration.

His hungry eyes cataloged every inch of her flesh, his being unable to only enter up to this area really stunk. Mostly because he had failed to see his witch's entire naked body; but he was able to join her quiet presence every day since she moved to his home, who would have thought she was so feminine under her professionally cut suits, that expertly hid her wondrous figure.

A few minutes later, she came out dressed for work. The unseen house resident got ready as every day and Side-along with her; a perk he discovered a year ago. He looked at her and bowed his head in thanks. She looked past him, just like every other day; he wondered if there would be the day when she would acknowledge him.

"Hi there, Granger, how is it going? Are you going to the Samhain celebration, you are welcome, you know. You are renting from us, and it would be strange if you didn't show up."

Why did he call her by the family name was beyond his comprehension, her name was so pretty.

"You know I have not even given it a thought. I have been so busy. Now that I am working for Kingsley, you know." Hermione answered.

"You should come, and if it is because Pansy and Ron will be there, well, don't give it a thought they cannot come, Pansy thinks she might be, never mind. It is my mother, Mum had a favor to ask from you. We need a handmaiden, and you are the only one I can think of it." He turned red.

"You don't have other single female friends?" She raised her eyebrow defiantly and pursed her lips, let it come.

"None that you know…"

"No, I don't know," she took a deep breath, her throat was dry, "why don't you tell me?"

"C' mon, you know, virgins, witches of our age that are virgins." His ears were bright red.

"And who said I am." She wasn't blushing; instead, she was pale and angry.

"Hmm, well…Ron?"

"Bastard, he is one, I mean a bastard. It wasn't his place to tell. If you should know it wasn't my doing, it was his. He wanted to wait until we were married, or his mum would kill him."

"So, can you come? Will you be the Handmaiden? It will not be bad. Mum and the other selected witches will help you get ready."

"What time?" Her shoulders had given out, she appeared defeated. A tear was threatening to roll down her eye. She was flat out humiliated and angry.

"You must be there before lunch. It will fall on a Thursday, but everyone will have holidays."

"What is the dress code?" Hermione asked.

"Err, it will be all taken care of for you." He smiled and left.

She walked to her office, her step no longer confident. She was one defeated witch. He wished he could do something for her but how. He had not liked the other wizard's attitude, he had no right to embarrass her, although, why should she be embarrassed. That was an enigma.

Samhain, something had triggered a memory, time to go, and research in the library. He gave her a quick kiss on her beautiful lips and passed his hand over her tresses and left.

"Hi boss, why are you so upset?" Justin asked. He was her deputy at the new Department at the Ministry of Magic. "Magical Being Rights."

"No reason, some wizards cannot keep their mouth shut."

"Are you talking about, Ron?" Justin asked nonchalantly.

"I guess you could say that; it is humiliating," Hermione answered.

Justin also blushed, "Ah, that."

Hermione could not believe it. Ron must have told the entire Wizarding community, what an idiot, trying to cover he had been unfaithful with Pansy, and her father had found them in her room. Leave it up to Ron, to forget to lock the door and cast a silencing charm.

Hermione went into her office and slammed the door.

"Boss the file you asked for has arrived." It was Theo Knott, one of the other solicitors, but she could not lift her eyes to look at him.

He, more than likely, knew that his boss, his age, was the last virgin left. Her own fault, first she had waited for Ron, and then too angry to go out for almost two years, it made her look like the undesirable she was. She really wasn't, but she chose to believe that.

"Hermione, I heard that you are going to Samhain, would you mind if I escort you. I know you are my boss, and it not really proper, but can we try just as friends?" The slender wizard asked Hermione, somewhat hopefully.

"Err, hmm, I suppose to be the handmaiden, and—," and she was interrupted.

"Of course, wow, well, after for the dance?" Theo was looking at her kind of funny. "Has he explained to you about their tradition?"

"No, err, why?" she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear the answer. What she thought was impossible not now, this was the 21st century; that kind of celebration no longer happened. "Wait before you say anything, does is it involve sans clothing rituals?" She looked straight into his eyes.

"Only for the Handmaiden, in case the ritual is successful. But don't worry, you will have some cover, and it will be fairly dark but for the bonfires." Theo's smile was genuinely feral, and Hermione felt sick. She must look like a tasty bone to the beast behind the smile. No wonder Draco, Draco Malfoy, dirty rat, had not told her the dress code and ran when asked.

Hermione was so upset that she forgot to ask about the ritual.

After Theo left the office, Hermione wanted to go home; she stood up and opened the door.

The office's air was oppressive. Hermione's unseen escort wished that he could have opened the door for her. Some other time he hoped, well time to go, or he would be stuck here, and that wouldn't do. She was his way around.

"Yes, handmaidens and Samhain, thanks," she waited for the assistant at the old bookshop near work.

"Here dear, you will like this one, it is a rare edition, but there is not much market for this type of books anymore. So many of the old traditions have gone out the window with the pollution of Muggle influence, and, ahem— Excuse me, Miss Granger, I meant modern influence." The one hundred and twenty-plus-year-old witch apologized.

Hermione smiled at the old biddy, paid, and left the store. She had to agree with her, all holidays were about selling not about tradition, too bad, or was it?

He was waiting when she got home. He sat near her, never taking his eyes away from the witch. He had a surprise for her, his proposal had been approved, and some were going to be surprised to see him there.

And even more surprising with the turn of events, he could not wait, after all, he was the only hope they had. They were wrong, fertility would come back, but not as they hoped. There was a price for everything.

"Damn, I want to wring Draco's neck and for that matter, Narcissa's. I don't want to be the Handmaiden. Are they crazy or what?"

"Draco, I need to talk to Draco." Hermione's hanging upside head was calling for Draco at the top of her voice.

"Darling, call Draco, Miss Granger needs to talk to him," Lucius called. He was sitting at his wheelchair reading. He did a lot of that these days.

"Granger, what's up?" Draco greeted with a smirk, he knew what was coming. Hermione was holding a book with an open page. Lucius caught a glance of the page and smiled. He also knew what was coming next.

"Yes, that is right. Come over, and we can talk." Draco invited her.

A few seconds later, Hermione emerged across the fireplace. She wore a tight pair of jeans, cowboy boots, leather vest, and a jumper. Lucius stared at her as if she was dressed in a costume. Her hair was flowing around her a clear sign of her displeasure.

"Malfoy, I have this book here. And you didn't indicate that I was going to be naked. "

A/n Let me hear from you if you are interested on this story.