A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Here it is non the less. I enjoyed writing this chapter, I hope you all enjoy reading it. I love each and every one of you juicy people,you're all just so delicious.
Disclaimer: I do own Harry Potter and all related characters, okra, drugs, and toilet covers. Not really but you get my point.
Chapter 11
Love and Hate
The sky was dark but had that beautiful glint in it that indicated dawn on this particularly chilly late Autumn morning. The sound of the birds' rising song could be heard as they perched on the castle windows. On a morning like this most people were asleep snuggled deep into their sheets and hugging their pillows in comforted warmth. For no one wanted to rise and feel their feet touch the cold floors of the poorly ventilated castle. There was only one person stirring at such an hour.
Down in a damp dusty dark room deep below the school was a girl. She was surrounded by rows and rows of metal drawers. Being down here gave her a strange rush that she rarely felt because she was such the 'goody two shoes'. She held up her lantern to them until she found what she was looking for.
"B. Yes finally." Hermione muttered, she pulled out her wand in one smooth motion. "oscailte" she hissed, her wand pointed at the lock on the drawer. A silverish light shot from it and to her surprise the drawer unlocked. "Too easy..." she shook her head. Perhaps, she thought, they never figured that anyone would want to break into the student history files.
"Hmmm..Richard Blackheart 1901..." she muttered biting the bottom of her lip in concentration and she thumbed through multiple files, starting from the current year.
Hermione jumped back as the open draw extended across the length of the room and a file flew into her hands.
"Clever..." she muttered and examined the thick file. It was tattered and old and covered in a thin film of dust. The name was barely visible on the tab but she could just make out the curly hand writing of a headmaster of yore who'd written this. "Well.." she cleared her throat. "Abigail Rose." she said aloud. Sure enough a file from another part of the room shot into her hands, it just about the same condition of the other.
Hermione found a nicely hidden corner at the far end of the room near a dusty window that barely shown any light. She sat on her school bag and opened the Richard file first, spreading out the almost faded and crumbly paper around her to make the process easier.
"Okay..." she muttered holding her lantern over the first page.
Name: Richard S. Blackheart
Age: 17
Graduation year: 1907
House: Slytherin
"Are you serious?!" Hermione muttered shaking her head. "I would have thought he was...a Gryffindor..." but then again. She continued her research. "He's amazingly good at occulemency..."
"So he had a 12 year old sister...he hardly ever got in any trouble...surprising for a Slytheri- oh what's this?" Hermione stopped and pulled out a thick stack of papers bound by a rusty paper clip. She wondered why this wasn't with the rest of the files on Richard. She began to skim the pages and stopped at one in particular.
September 1, 1907
The senior student Richard Blackheart has become a problem here. Another student, Abigail Rose has reported constant harassment from this young man. He has already been taken from the musical department as punishment and for the comfort of Ms. Rose. His Health problem has become an issue and might be in direct connection with the murder of his sister Lyndsay and Mr. And Mrs. Blackheart.
"Murder...are they saying that he...oh my gosh" Hermione stared in disbelief at the page before her.
Richard is a werewolf.
The page went on to say how the administrators were trying to get him removed completely from the school for the safety of the other students but his foster parents refused let him come home.
"A werewolf...so..that means...he might have...killed them...and didn't know it." Hermione rubbed her eyes for they were quite tired. She assumed he must have been bitten some time over the summer of his 7th year. She continued.
October. 12, 1907
Richard is a very bright student, fast learner, top of his class, and great musician but he in dangerous. It is highly necessary for the well being of the other students that he is removed.
October 15, 1907
It has become apparent that this student might cease to be a threat. It is heard that Ms. Rose knows of his ailment and created a potion for him to stop him from becoming the beast on full moons.
December 16, 1907
The student in question has become distant from other students, more than he already was. The only person he will talk to is Ms. Abigail Rose, it would seem they have become close friends. Ms. Rose at times though doesn't seem to be 'there' completely. We shall look into this.
December 30, 1907
Richard has disappeared. Could be in direct connection with Ms. Rose's death.
"Oh...my ...gosh..." Hermione breathed. Was all of this true? How had Abigail died? Had Richard done it and then maybe..killed himself? What did he want with her then? Hermione put down the files and put her head in her knees and rocked back and forth for a moment. The walls seemed to be spinning and she felt sick.
Five minutes later Hermione put his files away and opened Abigail's.
Name: Abigail Y. Rose
Age: 16
Graduation year: 1907
House: Gryffindor
"Odd that a Slytherin and Gryffindor would be friends..." she muttered and searched for what she was looking for...
Bingo. She'd found it.
The student Abigail Rose of Gryffindor has been complaining of constant harassment from the Slytherin boy, Richard Blackheart...
"Yeah blah blah blah." Hermione muttered thumbing through the pages slowly. "Here it is.."
December 30, 1907
A most scandalous and grievous thing has happened here at Hogwarts School. The loved student, Abigail Rose has been found dead in the forbidden forest. Her remains were mangled- and bloody, barely identifiable. It is noted that she had multiple wounds from that of a Werewolf. The werewolf in question we are sure was Richard Blackheart, he hasn't been seen since the incident. It could be that he has died, the werewolf left a long blood trail doing deep into the forest. Blood and skin matter under Abigail's nails suggests that she might have mortally wounded him with her nails and a fingernail file she was carrying in her purse. She fought for her life.
"This is...insane...this can't be the Richard I know. I mean...he's alive right? He's not a werewolf...I'm losing my mind." Hermione muttered putting all the files away.
"He is Dangerous don't let it happen to you too."
Hermione checked her watch. "oh no!" Hermione cried. She was 50 minutes late for a 70 minute class. "I never have a good day..." she growled throwing her bag over her shoulder and scrambling out of the room.
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Hermione slipped into Professor Magonagal's class apparently unnoticed by the woman. She sat quietly in the desk at the far back near a window that over looked the grounds and the forbidden forest.
Hermione quickly pulled out some parchment, her textbook and her quill. She had no idea what Professor Magonagal was talking about but she wrote it down anyway.
She suddenly felt eyes on her.
She looked up to see Ron's face turned in his seat watching her, she looked back at her work.
The bell rang before she knew it and the students automatically stood and began putting up their books and chattering with their friends. Unknown to her, Harry and Ron glanced back at her before leaving with two other Gryffindor boys.
She stood and began leaving the room as well.
"Miss Granger. You stay." Professor Magonagal's curt voice rained over her. Hermione swallowed and stopped in her tracks. Why did this keep happening?
"Yes Ma'am?" Hermione squeaked turning around.
"Sit." Magonagal said in a tone that dripped with disappointment. Hermione obeyed and sat in the oak chair in front of Magonagal's desk. "Don't speak. This won't take too long. You should know that currently you are out of the running for valedictorian-Mr. Potter is ahead of you- your marks are below what's normal for you, you're behind in your work and we have contacted your parents. I don't know what is wrong with you Miss Granger but you'd better find out before you end up graduating with Mr. Weasely's sister."
Hermione nodded over and over again and blinked back tears.
"I'll try."
"Goodbye Miss Hermione." Magonagal said.
Hermione fled the room.
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The fall air was cool against her skin. She sat among the gold, red, green, yellow, and brown leaves near the lake silently. The sun was beginning to set around her, shadows of trees, Hogwarts, and other objects looming creating little shapes that would make a child paranoid.
Hermione sighed heavily and lay on her back in the bed of leaves, they made a crunching noise as her weight crushed them. The sky was a faded blue color and she could see the image of the crescent moon as it began it's entrance while the sun exited. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her, the lake's music washing over her.
The air became chilled.
"Miss Hermione."
Hermione jumped violently and sat up, her hand already on her wand. It was Richard. Her clutch on the wand tightened.
"You don't seem well." Richard said sitting down beside her. Hermione watched him from the corner of her eye suspiciously.
"I'm fine." she muttered, not releasing the clutch on her wand.
Richard noticed this. A small almost invisible grin curled on his lips. He put his hands on hers and she flinched. Not because they were cold, but because she didn't want him touching her.
"You seem tense dear. I don't like when you're unhappy." he murmured in her ear, gently sliding her wand from her hands and putting it in her school bag.
Hermione's breath caught in her chest. " It's beautiful out isn't it? I love when the sun sets." she said to change the tense air.
"Yes, quite. I'm not too fond of the daylight. Nor the night for that matter. It's quite unpleasant."
'Yeah like when there's a full moon...' the thought popped into Hermione's head before she could stop it.
She stared at the lake. She could feel Richard's silver eyes boring into her face, they stayed there for about five minutes before he looked away.
Hermione looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was now staring at the lake unblinkingly. His silver eyes reflecting the calmness of the lake. His black hair was covering his face almost completely, swaying gently in the calm wind.
Hermione sighed and looked at her hands, they were shaking.
Time passed. It grew darker.
Hermione looked over at Richard again, he was looking up at the sky. He looked down at her abruptly when he felt her eyes on him.
"Um...it's night now." Hermione said. It was painfully obvious that it was dark, she mentally slapped herself for such a comment.
Richard laughed softly. Or at least what sounded like a laugh, it was almost ice like and fragile. A sound effect that hadn't been used in centuries it would seem. It occurred to Hermione that Richard always seemed...passive. A decay of emotion.
"Yes it is quite dark." he commented looking over at her, his hair fell gently at his shoulders. Hermione wanted to look away badly but couldn't.
"What is it? I'm quite uncomfortable about staring..." she said with a false laugh.
"Your eyes, they burn with resolve. Beautiful." Richard said softly, his comment was almost washed away in the gentle fall evening breeze.
Hermione looked away as her face grew slightly warm and she smiled in spite of herself.
Richard's cold hand touched the other side of her face and turned it back toward him.
"It is true, why are you embarrassed?" Richard said looking directly into her brown eyes with his ice-like silver ones.
"Um...no one has ever said that to me before." she stumbled over her words slightly. Everything she'd learned, or thought she'd learned, was nothing to her right now. Her mind wasn't hers. Again.
"Well...I'm different." Richard said.
"What do you mean?"
"Because..."
Hermione perked up and moved closer, maybe he was going to tell her the truth.
"I love you."
Hermione didn't know what to say. That's not what she'd been expecting. He loved her?
"It's okay Miss Hermione. You don't have to answer. I understand, take as much time as you need. There's no rush." Richard said sincerely, he let go of her face.
"I'm going to go back inside." Hermione muttered grabbing her bags and walking quickly back to Hogwarts.
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Hermione somehow made her way back to the common room, it was still early because students were milling around. As soon as she entered her eyes automatically scanned the room for red hair. She didn't see Ron, only Ginny, but someone beside Ginny had seen her. It was Harry, he was looking over at her with a slight frown.
'What the hell does that thing want' a harsh voice, that strangely belonged to her, thought in her head.
Harry approached her with a impassive expression on his face.
Suddenly a raw hate directed at Harry grew inside of Hermione. Which was weird giving that she didn't hate the boy.
"Hey Hermione. How are you?"
"Fine." Hermione said folding her eyes and glaring at Harry.
"You sure? I mean because we're worried about you." Harry said pushing his glasses up and giving her a small smile.
Hermione frowned. "I don't need you to be worried about me."
Harry gave her a look. "You sure?"
"Look you four-eyed bastard. Just because you act like you need friends because your dumb parents up and got themselves killed by Voldemort doesn't mean you have to come around shoving your dumb ass in my face. Just because you have that stupid scar to make you feel important doesn't mean you'll win you got that boy? Don't talk to me again!" she said in a deathly low tone and shoved him out of her way. She walked coolly up the staircase.
It wasn't until she'd made it into her room that she'd realized what she'd done.
A/N: Well there it is! I hope you all loved it and I hope you all R and R. So do you all notice what Richard is doing? I mean with her friends? Well do you? Tell me! My next update should be in December by the way.
