Note: Sorry for the shortness of chapter 9. Here is an extra-long chapter to make up for it.

The Rivalry

Chapter 10- Christabel and Geraldine

Hogwarts Castle, 1989

Oliver found himself restless after dinner and decided what he really needed was some time to calm his mind a little. It had been a couple of weeks since he had been down to the library in search of the books he missed from home. Maybe now after a great day on the Quidditch Pitch he would be able to concentrate on the Gothic Poetry.

Mercy sipped her Goblet of blood slowly as she waited for her brother to visit. He didn't visit her every night, but after Adrian Pucey told him what had happened in the library, she was sure that he would. Even if all he did was complain about her befriending his guard dog.

As he scanned the shelves in the disserted library, Oliver couldn't help being drawn to the same book as he had been before. Pulling the book out reverently he ran his fingers along the spine a couple of times before finding a seat at one of the empty tables.

'Tis the middle of night by the castle clock
and the owls have awakened the crowing cock;
Tu-whit! - Tu-whoo!
And hark, again! The crowing cock,
how drowsily it crew.

Marcus wasn't sure exactly what to think about what he had just learned. He wasn't surprised that Mercy had realized that Adrian was following her, her senses were much better than most after all. He just wasn't' sure whether this was a good thing or not. On one hand it would be much easier for Pucey to watch over Mercy if he was sitting with her and her friend than if he had to pretend he wasn't watching them. But on the other hand, the reason he had wanted her watched in the first place was so that no one could get that close to her and potentially learn her secret.

Sir Leoline, the Baron rich,
Hath a toothless mastiff, which
From her kennel beneath the rock
Maketh answer to the clock,
Four for the quarters, and twelve for the hour;
Ever and aye, by shine and shower,
Sixteen short howls, not over loud;
Some say, she sees my lady's shroud.

Mercy smiled as she pulled open the door to find her brother on the other side.

"Hello Marcus. What are you doing here?"

She asked as she lifted the goblet to her lips once again. Marcus Flint glared at his little sister as he closed the door behind himself.

"You know exactly what I'm doing here Mercy. What did you think you were doing?"

Mercy grinned deviously as she put the now empty goblet down on the table.

"What was I doing? I was making friends. Wasn't that exactly what you wanted me to do, and with a Slytherin as well. I thought you would approve of my choice. You obviously trust him as you were the one who sent him to watch us."

Grunting in annoyance Marcus turned around and stomped back down the staircase knowing that there was absolutely nothing that he could do when his sister set her mind on something.

Laughing at her brothers exit Mercy flicked open the trap door above her head. Transforming herself without effort she flew out into the open air as a swarm of bats.

Is the night chilly and dark?
The night is chilly, but not dark.
The thin gray cloud is spread on high;
it covers but not hides the sky.
The moon is behind, and at the full;
and yet she looks both small and dull.
The night is chill, the cloud is gray:
'T is a month before the month of May,
and the spring comes slowly up this way.

The bats circled around the castle in their usual path, even though it was earlier than usual. Eventually they turned towards the tree in the courtyard across from the library. It was still early and she wanted to take the opportunity to spend some time alone outside of her room.

The lovely lady, Christabel,
Whom her father loves so well,
what makes her in the wood so late,
a furlong from the castle gate?

Suddenly the bats were gone and standing beside the tree was Mercy. Walking as quietly as she could so that she didn't disturb the peace of the night, the Dhampir pulled open the door to the corridor and walked towards the Library itself. As she crept closer she realized that there was someone inside. It was him, she could hear his heartbeat.

She had dreams all yester night
of her own betrothed knight;
and she in the midnight wood will pray
for the weal of her lover that's far away.

As she looked through the arch into the library she spotted him and turned to go back the way she had come. But she didn't go far. Instead she flew up to the branches of the tree across from the Library window and watched.

She stole along, she nothing spoke,
the sighs she heaved were soft and low,
and naught was green upon the oak,
but moss and rarest mistletoe:
She kneels beneath the huge oak tree,
And in silence prayeth she.

Mercy watched in the shadows as the Gryffindor boy read. He was sitting peacefully in a chair by the window reading from a book of poetry. With her superior eyesight she could see the title and it made her start. She had seen that book before. She had read it. It was a reprint of one she had read many times. It was one of her most prized possessions, that book. And here he was the boy with the heartbeat that she couldn't ignore reading it alone in the library and looking as if he loved those poems as much as she did.

The lady sprang up suddenly,
the lovely lady, Christabel!
It moaned as near, as near can be,
but what it is she cannot tell.-
On the other side it seems to be,
of the huge, broad-breasted, old oak tree.
The night is chill; the forest bare;
is it the wind that moaneth bleak?
There is not wind enough in the air
To move away the ringlet curl
From the lovely lady's cheek-
There is not wind enough to twirl
The one red leaf, the last of its clan,
That dances as often as dance it can,
Hanging so light, and hanging so high,
On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky.

Mercy jumped down from the branches landing as softly as she could. Without thinking she moved back towards the entrance to the library. But then she stopped. She could still see him from where she stood, turning the pages gently, completely engrossed in whatever poem he was reading.

Hush, beating heart of Christabel!
Jesu, Maria, shield her well!
She folded her arms beneath her cloak,
and stole to the other side of the oak.
What sees she there?

Forcing herself away from the door, Mercy almost ran down the hall to the girl's bathroom a couple of doors down. This was ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. What was she doing? Moving towards one of the many sinks she splashed water on her face and looked into the mirror.

There she sees a damsel bright,
Dressed in a silken robe of white,
That shadowy in the moonlight shone:
The neck that made that white robe wan,
Her stately neck, and arms were bare;
Her blue-veined feet unsandaled were;
And wildly glittered here and there
The gems entangled in her hair.
I guess, 't was frightful there to see
a lady so richly clad as she-
Beautiful exceedingly!

'Mary mother, save me now!'
Said Christabel, 'and who art thou?'

The reflection looking back at her in the mirror wasn't what Mercy had been expecting. Unlike her father she did have a reflection, and most of the time what she saw was an ordinary witch. Yes her hair was dark and her skin was pale, her lips were unnaturally red and her eyes were black. But usually she just looked like a witch, a pale and unusual witch, but a witch nonetheless. Now though she looked like exactly what she was, a vampire. Her eyes were glowing red as if she had just finished feeding and her fangs were clearly visible.

The lady strange made answer meet,
and her voice were faint and sweet:-
'Have pity on my sore distress,
I scarce can speak for weariness:

Stretch forth thy hand, and have no fear!'
Said Christabel, 'How camest thou here?'

And the lady, whose voice was faint and sweet,
did thus pursue her answer meet:-
'my sire is of a noble line,
and my name is Geraldine:

Closing her eyes and doing her best to blot out the sound of the heartbeat down the corridor, Mercy took a deep breath. She was in control, she was always in control. She may be a vampire, but she had control. No one could make her lose control because she wasn't just any vampire. She was Countess Marcellina Kristen of Styria. No one could make her lose control.

Five warriors seized me yestermorn,
Me, even me, a maid forlorn:
They choked my cries with force and fright,
And tied me on a palfrey white.
The palfrey was as fleet as wind,
and they rode furiously behind.
They spurred amain, their steeds were white:
And once we crossed the shade of night.
As sure as Heaven shall rescue me,
I have no thought what men they be;
Nor do I know how long it is
(For I have lain entranced, I wis)
Since one, the tallest of the five,
Took me from the palfrey's back,
A weary woman, scarce alive.
Some muttered words his comrades spoke:
He placed me underneath this oak;
He swore they would return with haste;
whither they went I cannot tell-
I thought I heard, some minutes past,
Sounds as of a castle bell.

For a moment Mercy thought about running back to her room and away from all of the confusion. Away from the boy and his heartbeat, away from the book of poems and romantic stories of knights and maidens and vampires. In her room everything was calm and safe and free from confusion.

Stretch forth thy hand,' thus ended she,
'And help a wretched maid to flee.'

Then Christabel stretched forth her hand,
and comforted fair Geraldine:
'O well, bright dame, may you command
the service of Sir Leoline;
And gladly our stout chivalry
Will he send forth, and friends withal,
to guide and guard you safe and free
Home to your noble father's hall.'

But Mercy didn't run. She was scared of what would happen if she went back to the library. But she was more scarred of the fact that she didn't know why this boy affected her so much. It was obvious that there was something pulling them towards one another. She could go back to her room alone, she could go back to the Slytherin common room and spend the evening with her brother. But instead she walked back towards the library doors.

She rose: and forth with steps they passed
that strove to be, and were not, fast.
Her gracious stars the lady blest,
And thus spake on sweet Christabel:
'All our household are at rest,
The hall is silent as the cell;
Sir Leoline is weak in health,
And may not well awakened be,
But we will move as if in stealth;
And I beseech your courtesy,
This night, to share your couch with me.'

Standing just outside of the entrance to the library Mercy took another deep breath, before stepping over the threshold.

They crossed the moat, and Christabel
took the key that fitted well;
a little door she opened straight,
all in the middle of the gate;
the gate that was ironed within and without,
where an army in battle array had marched out.
The lady sank, belike through pain,
And Christabel with might and main
Lifted her up, a weary weight,
Over the threshold of the gate:
Then the lady rose again,
And moved, as she were not in pain.

Summoning all of her courage Mercy walked towards the boy and smiled.

"Excuse me. But I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Mercy."

Oliver looked up in surprise to see the very same deep black eyes he had been thinking about as he read. He didn't know why reading 'Christabel' had brought his mystery girl to mind, but somehow it fit. He smiled brightly as he held out his hand for her to shake.

"Hello Mercy. I'm Oliver. Would you care to join me."

As she pulled out the chair beside him to sit down, Oliver closed the book so that he could give her his full attention. He didn't even notice the relevance of the next two lines as they smiled at one another. Both glad to have finally gotten to speak to one another.

So, free from danger, free from fear,
they crossed the court: right glad they were.