"Oh. My. God." Ginny's eyes widened in the shock of being caught off-guard(or off clothes in general, for that matter). With a single, fleeting glance of helplessness at Hermione, she bolted back into the darkness of the changing rooms. As badly as she wanted to join Ginny, Hermione stood rooted to the spot for she knew that Ron had already seen them and that it would be completely pointless to hide at all. Still recovering from the initial shock however, Hermione took an inadvertent step back and tumbled over the shop-keeper who had stooped to inspect her taut thighs. She fell most unceremoniously, grabbing the old man by his sleeve and yanking him to the ground with her, such that he now lay with his head right in between her legs.
"That is IT!", she heard Ron roar from the outside. He burst the door open, rattling it on its hinges and furiously stormed towards the pair of them, brutally lifting the old man to his feet. He glared viciously at Hermione, who could think of nothing else to do but shoot him a sheepish smile. He ignored it and roared again.
"Ginny! Get out here right this bloody instant!".
"Yeah, yeah I'm coming…" came Ginny's meek reply, her voice muffled by the fabric of her school robes. Hermione's heart was racing and her head clogging up with growing anxieties; Here I go again, getting into a totally embarrassing situation; How can Ron ever look at me the same way again; Oh gosh I hope no one else sees…
The silence that hung between them was heavy and awkward and Hermione tried her best to ease it by busying herself, trying to get into an upright and dignified sitting position and dusting off her minimal clothing. Ron was making no attempt to hide his fury; he looked almost like he was ready to kill Hermione then and there.
The sound of Ginny's hesitant footfalls broke the pregnant silence and Hermione stared at her with a subconscious rush of gratitude that was quickly punctured by the nastiness of the circumstances.
"So," began Ron, impatiently tapping the ground with his foot. "Just what it flaming heck do you two think you're doing?" At the silence, he yelled. "Answer me dammit!" The two girls only looked haplessly at each other. Ginny broke into tears.
"Oh gosh Ron, I'm r-really really s-sorry! We d-didn't mean anyone any harm. Oh p-please Ron d-don't yell like that!" She heaved and trembled over her words, hiding her face in her hands like an innocent, lost child. If she had desired for any particular outcome from this, she got it. Ron's expression immediately softened and he swooped down in all his brotherly chivalry and embraced his sister. She sobbed harder into his shoulder.
"It's alright Gin. Don't cry. It's OK. I promise I won't tell mum any of this.", he added as though reading her mind. Hermione silently watched this scene, hoping to the high heavens that Ron's anger had dissipated. Noticing the angry red flush in his ears fade away, she breathed a silent sigh of relief.
After some moments, Ron whispered in his sister's ear, "C'mon Gin. Let's get out of this rat-hole." Drying her eyes with the back of her hand, Ginny complied and staggered to her feet. Without so much as a glance to Hermione, who still lay crouched on the ground, she buried her face in Ron's arms as he led her out of the shop. Before the left however, Ron threw Hermione a look of such disgust mingled with hurt that she couldn't help but break into sobs as well.
"There there pretty miss, no need to cry" she heard the old man croak as his hand began to stroke her bare shoulders. Crying out in repulsion, Hermione pushed him away and flew towards the changing room, where she changed back into her robes and ran from the shop as fast as her legs would carry her.
With every place in Hogsmeade temporarily out of the question, Hermione decided to head straight for Hogwarts where she could at least be safe from Ron's accusing eyes in her dorm. It took her a considerably longer time to reach Hogwarts, having had to skirt around the village along its back alleys. After enduring another thoroughly embarrassing search from Filch, she made her way towards the common room, praying hard that she wouldn't have to bump into either Ginny or Ron along the way. Upon reaching it, Hermione muttered the password, leapt out of the portrait-hole and into her prefectorial four-poster bed.
Hermione lay in bed, fixing her eyes on the ceiling, trying as best as she could to block out all thought. She could find no worthy explanation to justify her behavior that day. This grotesque change in character had started right from the start-of-term celebration, as Hermione still recalled so vividly. An invisible force had overtaken her senses that night and had apparently refused to let go. And that mysterious stranger- Hermione thought, a block forming in her throat. Ever since that night, Hermione could find no explanation to the predicaments she had been falling into. The rape, sex with Harry and now this. Hermione tried again and again to block out all thought, to block out all sense and reason and guilt. It wasn't long before she realized that that was impossible.
Hermione opened her eyes, he lids of which felt unnaturally heavy. She blinked hard several times and looked around, noticing that shafts of moonlight had pervaded her room. Shaking the drowsiness out of her head, Hermione slowly got to her feet and walked to the bathroom. It then that she noticed a curious little gleam coming from the edge of the sink. A razor? she thought. No, it's too flat. Can't be a mirror either. Lured on by her curiosity, she rose from the tub and approached the sink. She saw a silver envelope, lined with red and black velvet on the edges, gleaming from the bathroom chandelier. It was addressed to Ginny Weasley.
What's a letter for Ginny doing here?, thought Hermione. She assumed that it was probably delivered her by mistake until she saw that its seal had already been opened. Cocking an eyebrow, Hermione lifted the flap and slid the parchment out.
The letter did not even seem to be made of the thick and coarse parchment that they were used to, but instead seemed to be woven out of the finest silks in the world. It cascaded like water over Hermione's fingers but still managed to remain erect enough to read off. It was glossy and the sleek black words upon it seemed to shimmer with a life of their own. It read:
Dearest Miss Weasley,
You are cordially invited for a dinner party down in the dungeons tomorrow evening with yours most truly, Sanguini. This is to commemorate my leaving Hogwarts and London for darker prospects back in Eastern Europe. Your attendance would be greatly appreciated. It would be excellent if you were to bring along a partner of your choosing for the event.
Yours,
Sanguini
PS: Hermione do you want to come with me? I wanted to ask you in person but Lavender said you were asleep.
Still groggy, Hermione had to read the letter twice through before she understood that it was Ginny who had been referring to her at the bottom. Deciding to mull the proposition over in the bath, she stripped and stepped into the bathtub, filling it with hot, scented water to the brim. She lowered herself in it slowly and laid her head back against the edge, where she shut her eyes and basked in the peace and silence of the night. Vampires had always intrigued her and getting to meet one in person was a thrilling prospect. Yet, it was something about the manner of Sanguini that she remembered from her first encounter with him in Slughorn's party that begged her reconsideration. Letting the warmth of the water fill her both outside and in, Hermione decided to take the chance.
The next evening, Hermione found herself seated before the large mirror in the prefects' bathroom with Ginny, adorning make up, laughing and chatting- conveniently evading the topic of Ron from her mind. It was going to be another exciting girls' night out and this time, with an actual vampire. The two could hardly contain their enthusiasm and presently made their way towards the dungeons, dressed glamorously in chic, black evening gowns.
The dungeons had been entirely transformed. Although, still dimly-lit, the atmosphere was a lot more sultry than the usual ominous gloom that always seemed inevitably tied to it. The brackets along the wall had been filled with ornate golden candles, casting long dancing shadows of those present along the cobbled floor. Red and black rivers of silk rode in soft waves around the walls and a long ebony table stood imperiously in the middle, laden with morsels of every size, taste and origination. The guests, Hermione and Ginny noticed, were mostly sixth and seventh-year female students, most of whom, like Ginny, had chosen to bring their girlfriends instead of boyfriends. The two of them could not help but stand motionless to come to terms with the pleasantly different surroundings.
"Ah, Miss Weasley. Very glad you could make it. And I see you have brought along a friend. May I have the honour of knowing your name, Mademoiselle?" Sanguini grasped Ginny's extended hand and kissed it, before turning to Hermione.
"It's Hermione Granger, sir.", she murmured, blushing he took her own hand gently in his and pressed his lips to it.
"Oh no need for some pleasantries here, m'dear. Just Sanguini will do." Hermione almost mistook the twinkle in his dark eyes for a wink. She was at a loss for words, completely stunned by Sanguini's debonair countenance, his tall lean body swathed elegantly in sleek black robes and his pale face, brought to life by his strangely handsome pallor.
"I've been looking forward to meeting you for quite s-some time, si- Sanguini.", she managed, hoping that the rosy flush rising in her cheeks wouldn't be obvious. "I've read all about vampires and I think you all have such fascinating lives."
"Ah- that we do, that we do, for as creatures of the night, our lives cannot help but be filled with the thrill of the unknown.", he replied, his eyes fixated on Hermione and a smile forming on his thin mouth.
There's sex in his eyes. I can feel it. As soon as this thought crossed Hermione's mind, she found herself at a loss for words. Her eyes immediately fell to the ground as she frantically began to find a way to break the silence. When her eyes flew back to Sanguini again, she found him staring at her body, down the exposed cleavage from her low-cut dress and over her accentuated curves. He took a step towards her.
"Madmoiselle, would you care for a dance with Sanguini?", he asked before Hermione could react and again, held out a slim white hand for her to take. Hermione didn't reply but glanced shyly up into Sanguini's eyes and as though that were consent enough, he took her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. Hermione could not help but fall into step with him, as he slowly moved in rhythm with the slow, enchanting music that suddenly seemed to permeate the dungeons. She looked over Sanguini's shadow and found girls staring at the pair of them, jealously blatantly obvious in their glares. She searched for Ginny, but her eyes closed with a sharp intake of breath as she felt Sanguini's cold hands slide up to her exposed back. He breathed comfort into her neck, his breath falling cold and arresting over her goose-pimpled skin. She felt his arms press her body closer to him, still swaying to the slow beat. He twined his long fingers with hers and ran them through her soft hair. Hermione could feel her own heart beating but even as her own chest was pushed close against him, she could not feel his. As she inadvertently felt her own hands snake up to rest on Sanguini's back, he put one hand on the exposed skin on her breasts and caressed them, hidden within the black folds of his cloak such that no one could see it. Hermione tightened her eyes shut and struggled to contain a soft moan of pleasure. He traced one long white finger over the edge of her dress and slyly slipped it in, feeling the measure of Hermione's breast and brushed it over her nipple. His touch was so cold that Hermione bit her lip, not daring to move away. This hand then snaked silently down over her belly and stopped between her legs and Hermione felt herself throbbing against his finger.
"Do you want to come for a walk with me, Mademoiselle?"
