Chapter 2: Waiting and Wishing
Disclaimer: Not mine.
She fought the thoughts in her mind and focused on the matter at hand. She reached out a trembling hand on the side of the door, and with a quick slide she opened the door fully.
No one. No one was there. But the feeling of being watched lingered. She shuddered as a soft breeze caressed her form. She immediately closed the door and cast a couple of locking spells just to be sure. Ensured that the door was fully closed, she turned her attention to her room.
With a flicker of her wand, the lights were turned on. She left her room and proceeded to inspect her apartment. The cozy living area, the kitchen, the bathroom; nothing was amiss. The feeling of being watched was also slowly dissipating.
Maybe I was just imagining it. With all the stress and pressure (not that I'm complaining) that I receive from my work, it is highly probable that I'm imagining things. Yep, nothing to worry about. I just have to make sure that my doors are locked and all the wards are working.
With these things accomplished, Hermione proceeded to sleep. Her slumber was peaceful and dreamless, for now.
Outside of her balcony, a pair of gray eyes lingered; unseen and waiting for the right moment to claim what was his.
"…and you have to be at the Conference for the Cooperation of Magical Creatures in exactly 23 minutes. After that, you are expected to attend the charity gathering for orphaned werewolves. Then, you have a meeting at the Venetian with the secretary and undersecretary of the Department of Finance and Management for the allocation of budget regarding the proposed project on… "
"I know. I know, Dahlia. You don't have to repeat it to me a gazillion times," interjected the brunette.
She was seated behind her desk which has seen finer days, poring over a parchment which she was currently filling up with letters and sentences. Beside her was her assistant, Dahlia, who was looking more exhausted than her boss.
"Oh, I don't have any idea how you do it, Miss Hermione! How could you do this job without blowing up? There's so much to do, yet so less to gain."
"Well, for one thing, Dahlia, don't call me Miss Hermione. It sounds so formal and stiff. It doesn't suit me. Second, I love what I'm doing and I enjoy helping others. It makes life more worthwhile, don't you think? And third, who said that there's less to gain in helping other people and disadvantaged magical beings?" the brunette asked, slightly exasperated. "What we are doing is a noble cause. It is something that we should be proud of."
The assistant looked abashed at her boss' words. So much for not blowing up.
"I'm sorry, Dahlia." Hermione said, apologizing quickly for her sudden outburst.
"It's nothing, Miss Hermione," looking relieved. "Are you still having those dreams? You seem tenser these past few days."
"Nightmares, you say. But yes, I dreamt last night."
"Again? But that would make it six nights in a row."
"Make it a week and two days. I haven't told you the time when these strange, er, visions, as you call it, started to happen."
"Ohhh..," eyes widening a bit. "It's becoming more mysterious as time passes by. Maybe someone's bewitching you? You know, a man in love will do anything," she added while leaning closer.
"Please," laughing inwardly, "who in their right mind would cast a spell on me to make me fall in love with them? Besides, I know that I'm in no spell or potion whatsoever. I went to Harry and Ron yesterday to have myself and my apartment checked for any hidden spells. They found nothing. My apartment was clean of any bit of magic besides my own doing."
"Hmm..but what could be behind these mysterious dreams of yours?" her assistant mulled over.
"I think it's nothing but stress and pressure. I do hope I'm not losing my mind; we'll be in a tighter situation than now if that happens," she said jokingly. "But so much of this talk on my trivial dreams. How much time do I have before the conference?"
"Fifteen minutes, to be exact."
Another day ended for Hermione Granger. After enduring a bout of questioning and subtle interrogation, she was handed the additional budget on the newly formed branch on the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures that specializes in the rights and welfare of elfish folk. Aside from this, the new branch also caters to other magical creatures such as giants, half-giants, werewolves, and so on. Apparently, her interest in magical creatures only increased as she grew older.
Thoughts of a nice warm bath filled her mind as she slowly trudged the stairs on her apartment in Muggle London. She badly needed one, she thought. That would surely loose her tired and aching muscles.
The day, as she contemplated, was productive. Apart from the brief reminder of her predicament during nighttime, the day was surprisingly pleasant. She particularly enjoyed the gathering at the orphanage for abandoned werewolf cubs.
Opening her door, she immediately looked around for any disturbed furniture. Everything was in their right order.
Okay. So, maybe I'm getting a bit paranoid here. But, still, you never know.
Twenty minutes later, after fretting over the charms and wards that she put on her apartment, Hermione finally gave in to spending a relaxing time at her tub while enjoying soft music from her enchanted radio.
Haaa..this is life. I won't think about 'him' tonight. Thinking about what might happen if I finally close my eyes will only ruin this lovely evening. Well, it is possible that I keep on dreaming about that guy because I constantly think of him. But isn't it the other way around? The more you repress a certain thought, the higher the probability that your subconscious will put it on the surface. Hmm..I have to allot some time to research on this matter.
Nights for Hermione this past week had been bizarre and a bit terrifying. To say that she's having dreams was an understatement. They're more of a vision, as her assistant commented. It was as if they were not just the creation of her mind but things waiting to happen. The feelings that she experienced every after dream were raw, almost too real and even though she didn't want to admit it, exhilarating.
It always involved a man that she couldn't see but only hear and feel. She's terrified of him and of the feelings that he brought out of her. Night after night it was always the same dream. She - being pursued by him and him cornering her, uttering her name over and over again, while giving her those sweet, controlled kisses that only heightened her fear and anticipation. What bothered her was the sensuality of it all. And what's more, she kept on thinking about him; to the point that she almost wished that something more will happen, not just darkness and unanswered kisses, but finally seeing him, whoever he was.
These were Hermione's thoughts as she succumbed to exhaustion and sleep while in her bath.
Author's Notes: Was this a boring chapter? No action and concentrates only on Hermione. But do not fear, dear readers, the next chapter will finally involve Draco. And I promise, there will be action. I hope. *evil laugh* If you've noticed, I changed the rating from T to M. Mind you, I was a bit apprehensive about that. This is my first time writing a story and I did not plan on including intimate scenes. Well, I've already read some, um, hardcore lemony goodness before but it is a whole different story if you're the one who's doing the writing. Give me some love and review. Au revoir!