Well! Another chapter this month! I have the next chapter completely written and the chapter after that is being edited. Hopefully, this story will be complete by the end of the coming school year! I will try my hardest to be almost done by Christmas. There is still a ways to go in this story (we aren't even at the climax yet, so). I do have this story planned out entirely! That means that I only have to write it. Easier said than done, though isn't it? But with the feedback I've gotten since the last chapter, it has definitely made it far easier to write and update.
Olive Hornby had had a great day. She'd been invited to sit with the popular girls at lunch (finally she could ditch the fatass and the pug) and then she had gotten an O on her Potions essays. And the best thing of her day? That ugly little whelp, Mudblood Myrtle had run off crying after Olive made a teeny tiny comment about her glasses. And about her being muddy. Neither of the statements were untrue, now were they? Those glasses did make her already ugly pimple ridden face look like a donkey's arse. And she was a mudblood. Who could argue with Olive, anyway?
She was walking down the hall, thinking about how she was going to tell Walburga and Cedrella that the nuisance had probably finally gone and hung herself. She'd be popular forever, and then she wouldn't have to sit with the two losers anymore.
Since she was daydreaming, she almost missed something she thought was bathroom door was closed. She furrowed her brows. It was an unspoken female rule that the bathroom door was never closed. Sure, it gave no privacy, but the second floor lavatory was only ever used by first and second years and the odd shy Hufflepuff, since it seemed Mudblood Myrtle worked herself into a tizzy at least twice a week in the bathroom over something stupid (like the time that that hunk Harry Dumbledore had looked at her and she sneezed) or the completely true stuff (that she was a worthless, ugly mudblood). Olive narrowed her eyes. Could Muddy have finally actually offed herself? Olive could barely contain her glee, and so she charged into the girls room and promptly fell flat on her ass because she slipped in a puddle of-
Olive shrieked so loud she thought her head would explode. She may have hoped Muddy would be dead but-
"Well it looks like someone has finally found me," came a hollow voice from a transparent body. The ghost turned around and the wore a face of rage. "You! You're the reason I'm dead! I swear I'll haunt you until the day you die! Since I'm already dead!" she hollered, flooding the bathroom in her anger.
Olive quickly stood up and began to back away before she tripped again. She looked and shrieked again (how could she still be screaming?). The Head Girl was lying dead, naked and bleeding on the ground.
Suddenly, a load of footsteps came rushing towards the bathroom. First was Professor Dumbledore, then Harry Dumbledore, Cecilia Rosier and finally the Head Boy himself.
Myrtle floated next to Hermione sadly, "She tried to protect me, but I wouldn't listen. I think she's still alive."
CeCe reacted first, vomiting on sight, Harry cried out and Albus turned ash white and quickly sent a Patronus to summon the nurse before dropping down next to his daughter while casting unknown charms to try to keep her alive.
"I hope she dies," said Myrtle, "At least then I'll have a friend."
CeCe glared at the ghost, "How could say-"
"But I don't really want her to die," said Myrtle sadly, "She was my only friend. Olive was making fun of me, and she came and told me we could have cookies in her room. Hermione is nice. I like her a lot." Myrtle sniffed and then began wailing.
"What else happened?" asked Dumbledore.
"You know what happened," said Harry pointedly. And he knew everyone in the room knew what happened, except Olive Hornby.
"I don't remember," said Myrtle, "All I remember is that Hermione was there and we were going to have tea and cookies. And then I was floating like this."
Excellent thought Tom eagerly. He would get away with this and the old coot Dumbledore would never be able to do anything about it.
Suddenly, Madam Zelda accompanied by Headmaster Dippet and Slughorn raced into the room.
"Oh my dear!" exclaimed the nurse as she transfigured a piece of cloth into a gurney and raced it towards the hospital wing.
"Will she be alright?" asked Dippet stupidly.
"Horace, could you mix me a very strong pain potion, and a few new batches of calming drought and dreamless sleep? And perhaps some extra blood replenishing potion?" requested the Nurse as she began to heal Hermione expertly, "We may need them." She turned towards the rest of the group that had followed her to the hospital wing and shooed them, "I need to conduct an exam."
"I should stay with her," Harry said suddenly, leaning forward and beginning to move towards Hermione, "And I won't take no for an answer."
"Fine, fine. Stay out of the way."
Zelda moved in a flurry, running diagnostic spells and examining her. She finally finished examining Hermione's head wound when she hesitated.
"Are you sure you want to be here for this?" asked the Nurse, referring to what they both knew would be coming next.
Harry just nodded stiffly but looked straight away, not wanting to kill Tom out of anger. That bastard!
Zelda took Dumbledore aside and spoke gravely, "It's as we feared," she confirmed.
Albus turned towards CeCe, "Miss Rosier, I need you to retrieve Abraxas Malfoy."
CeCe looked at Albus in confusion and then understanding before racing towards the Slytherin dorms.
Albus wrote a short missive and sent it via Floo before finally turning towards the last few people in the hospital wing. Luckily, there had been no patients when Hermione arrived but Dumbledore couldn't be too careful. "Tom, you are dismissed. Please return to your dorm. We will inform you of any updates in this investigation."
Tom opened his mouth to disagree, no doubt with his usual excuse of 'I'm Head Boy' before Albus continued, "This is family time. You will leave. Armand, Horace, I would prefer if my children and I were left in peace."
"Come, my boy," said Armand, clasping his hand on Tom's shoulder and leaving the hospital wing, "Some things are not for us to see."
"What are we going to do?" asked Harry. "You need to expel Tom. He-he ra- He did this to Hermione."
"I know he did, and you know he did, and so does Miss Rosier. But we have no proof. Miss Warren's hysteria flooded the bathroom and the water washed away any evidence that could have proved that Tom was guilty. Miss Warren does not remember the incident, or seeing Tom. Hermione has yet to awaken, but she has a head laceration."
Harry tugged at his hair in angry frustration. "Hermione doesn't deserve this. She did nothing!"
CeCe came zooming in a few minutes later, out of breath and with Abraxas in tow. Moments later, a tall, astute white haired man stepped into the room from the fireplace.
Albus met him and shook his hand, "Lord Malfoy, thank you for coming on such short notice." And it was short notice, for Augustus was wearing his dressings robes with his cane and slippers.
"I was told it was an emergency, yet I see my son here safe. Would you care to explain, Albus?"
"We must have the wedding now," Albus said with finality.
Augustus raised a brow, "A Malfoy wedding is a certain type of affair."
"We have pressing matters, now," said Albus, "There are other factors to consider." He sat the Malfoys down and explained to them that something horrible had happened that night.
"Absolutely not!" exclaimed Augustus angrily, "I only agreed to this union because the girl was a virgin. Malfoys do not marry non-virgins. Even in cases like this."
"But father-" Abraxas began.
"What if she has taken this man's seed?" asked Augustus, "Am I to allow my heir's first child to be a bastard from another man!"
"She has not," said Albus, "The Nurse has just confirmed that she has not."
"That does not-" began Augustus.
"I'll marry her!" exclaimed Abraxas.
"What?" Augustus exclaimed.
"I'll marry her. She needs my help, and we were already going to marry anyway. This will just make it happen faster. And we can have a real wedding when we graduate, if that will appease you father."
"The hell it will!" Augustus exclaimed angrily.
"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Hermione is unconscious, but luckily as her father, I am allowed to sign marriage contracts for her."
It seemed that in a blink of an eye, Abraxas and Dumbledore had both sighed a magically binding parchment. Hermione Britannica Dumbledore was no more and in her place was Hermione Britannica Malfoy.
Well? Was it what you all expected? I know that this chapter was only one scene and things are moving a bit slow but this chapter and the next two chapters are going to set up the rest of the story, so I want them to be as close to perfect as possible. I got great feedback for the last chapter. Please continue to leave reviews. They really make my day and they encourage me to update faster! Expect the next chapter up by the end of the month (which is when the chapter after that should be ready to post. Always stay one chapter ahead is what I say!)