Disclaimer in chapter one
A/N: Next half of the chapter. Finally you can find out what Hermione is going to do about the Riddle situation ;) The next chapter might take me a bit longer to update. There's a scene I'm not quite satisfied with, so I'll have to work on it a bit more. But it shouldn't take me half a year again ;) I have my fingers crossed lol
Also, man, was I excited about that whole football world cup going on. Yay, in the end germany won. I don't know if you even watch football, but I sure was happy about that outcome ;) hehehe
There's a phrase in this chapter that I'm not 100% sure is British english or used in Britain. If not, excuse the short trip to American english. Apparently, 'pants' is american and 'trousers' is british? Sometimes it's hard to keep the two versions of the english language apart. I hope you native speakers at least manage to confuse yourselves as well from time to time ;P
Last but not least: Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I usually love replying to all the reviewers, but as I update this fic rather frequently I won't be able to reply to you all. Please, accept a virtual hug instead ／(^o^)／If you have any questions in a review or a PM, I'll of course reply.
Thanks to you all! :)
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Chapter Eleven: Hasta la vista, baby
"You're going to regret this," Riddle growled at her menacingly.
Hermione sniffed, unimpressed, "I'm sorry you're unable to take the truth."
Riddle, not one to act coy, slashed his wand angrily through the air and Hermione didn't know what she had been thinking when she expected Lord Voldemort to go easy on her. Now she was confronted with a strong cutting curse and berated herself for her naiveté. Riddle's curse sizzled furiously in the air as it rushed towards her, powerful enough to easily cut through flesh and bone. Hermione had a split second to throw herself to the side. Riddle's curse crashed into one of the tables, slicing through wood like a hot knife through butter. Hermione, lying on the floor, stared at the ruined table with wide eyes, blood rushing in her ears. Then her gaze wandered to Riddle who looked at her with a cruel smirk hanging from his lips and his eyes glowing with an eerie red light. He still threatened her with his wand. Hermione gulped thickly and her cover story as Rosalie Black once again fluttered through her mind…
Screw this!
Hermione's hand shot to her robe pocket. In one swift movement, she pulled her wand and stood up. Her hand was steady as stone as she trained her wand at her opponent. A derisive expression crinkled Riddle's nose as he saw her fighting stance.
"Are you serious?" he inquired incredulously. Harsh scorn burned in his eyes as he scanned the wand in Hermione's hand. "You want to duel me? This is ridiculous."
Hermione did take neither her wand nor her eyes from Riddle, ready to attack. This wasn't the time nor the place for acting as Rosalie Black. Hermione gritted her teeth. She was not dying in the past while Harry and Ron needed her help to destroy the Horcruxes.
"You are pathetic," Riddle scorned cruelly. "Like you could ever manage to even scrape me with a curse."
Hermione didn't relent even as she saw the dangerous glint smouldering in Riddle's eyes. Instead she told him, voice hard as steel,
"Arrogance is the first step to defeat."
The derision did not leave Riddle's face. He shook his head, mock pity flooding his features.
"As is hubris," he scoffed.
Hermione's reply was a cold smirk and a small mocking bow. Seeing her scorn, Riddle's handsome features twisted with anger. Furiously, he snapped his wand through the air. A greyish curse rushed towards Hermione, air rippling with its power.
Sidestepping the attack was impossible. So Hermione pushed her magic into the wood of her wand and whirled it in the well-known pattern. Her magic obeyed and formed into a thick shield seconds before Riddle's curse forcefully crashed into it. Hermione grimaced as she felt his power raging against her protective barrier. Her shield was strong, though. It sucked in Riddle's curse and then harmlessly burst into nothing, leaving Hermione untouched.
Riddle's face contorted with surprise as he saw his attack so easily defeated. All derision fell from him and he stared at Hermione in disbelief. Even his wand hand sunk to his side as he eyed her as if he had never seen her before. Clearly, Riddle had not expected any sort of resistance. Hermione didn't leave him time to adjust, but furiously brandished her wand.
Pertunde.
This time a curse of her own rushed towards Riddle. He seemed to be able to recognize it and his eyes widened slightly. Swiftly, he waved his wand and Hermione could feel the force behind his counter attack bristling over her skin. A silver shield appeared in front of Riddle. There was a sharp crack echoing through the room as Hermione's curse impacted with the shield. It didn't manage to break it but it managed to push Riddle, so that he stumbled a few steps back. Hermione used his momentary loss of balance and brandished her wand expertly in a complicated pattern. Her curse was backed by her strong magic as she threw it at Riddle. Forcefully, it crashed into him and this time his shield broke down. For a second, Hermione could see the look of shock on Riddle's face, then her magic brutally flung him away. With a dull thud and a gasp of pain, he was thrown into the stone wall behind him and crumbled to the floor. A fierce smile curved Hermione's lips as she tightly grasped her wand and watched Riddle shakily picking himself up from the floor. Her curse had managed to rip bleeding cuts into his left side and arm and finally all smugness had left the haughty Slytherin.
During the attack Riddle had managed to keep a hold of his pale yew wand. It still lay in his hand as he again faced Hermione. This time, she noticed, he fell into a proper duelling stance. The surprise lingered in his eyes as he kept them trained on her. Hermione shuddered as she scanned Riddle. All mocking demeanour had left him. It was replaced by a new expression. Hermione's fingers tightened nervously around her wand as she stared at that dangerous look on Riddle's face.
There was suspicion burning in his crimson eyes.
Riddle's hard gaze had gained a new intensity as he stared at her. His dark magic flickered around him. Hermione could feel it mounting up around her. She summoned her own magic and viciously fought against the dark force surrounding her. Riddle's magic burned and ached were it made contact with Hermione's own. He pushed and tugged at her magic, testing it, assessing it. All the while, his piercing gaze never wavered from her. Hermione gulped thickly as she spotted hunger lurking in Riddle's eyes.
"No…" he murmured softly as if speaking to himself. "No, not hubris at all."
Before Hermione had the time to process his statement, Riddle attacked. He whirled his wand in an elegant movement and Hermione was confronted with another curse. It crackled with Riddle's raw power and she hastily brought up her wand.
"Scuto," she yelled.
A white barrier appeared between her and the red light rushing towards her. Riddle's curse rammed into her shield and Hermione yelped in pain as she felt the sharp draw on her magic. Instantly, she knew she wouldn't be able to fight off this attack. Riddle's curse was much too powerful as it raged against her failing shield. Hand shaking with the exertion, Hermione flicked her wand and ordered her shield to tilt to the side. Riddle's curse was deflected from its original trajectory. It slipped from her shield, missed Hermione and instead crashed into the wall behind her with a loud bang. Breathing heavily, she once again aimed her wand at Riddle.
"Impressive," was all the Slytherin muttered as he scanned her through dark unreadable eyes.
The frightening hunger Hermione could see on his face had grown in intensity and it was enough to push her into action. Flourishing her wand, she yelled in her mind, Morare! and her magic rushed towards Riddle. He sharply slashed his wand through the air and swatted Hermione's curse away. Hermione had always known that Voldemort was incredibly powerful, but she had never really faced him in a duel. Now, she looked into his blood-red eyes and she was scared. Her heart raced in a fast pace, making her dizzy and light-headed. Still, she clung to her wand and to her magic with determination burning in her chest. She would not give up.
Then Riddle attacked and this time there was no tactical manoeuvring, no testing of her limits. He hurled all his raw power at her in form of the darkest curses Hermione had ever been forced to ward off. Riddle's pale yew wand danced through the air as he fired curse after curse at her. Hermione quickly drew up shields or dodged when there was no time for a defensive spell. She gritted her teeth in concentration as she struggled to keep Riddle away. Her own curses flowed from the tip of her wand, flickering with her magic as they crashed into Riddle's defences. Soon sweat was running down her brow and Hermione's breathing was laboured from the exertion. Riddle's attacks never faltered and he didn't even seem to be out of breath, only his eyes glowed in a terrifying red light.
His curses rained down on her with elegance and deadly precision. If she hadn't struggled for her life, Hermione would have called Voldemort's fighting style strangely beautiful. With each of his attacks, though, she could feel her own magic slowly giving way. Already Hermione trembled slightly as she grimly waved her wand, sending another curse at Riddle. Once again he parried, his movements fluent and natural.
In the end, it was a stupid mistake. Riddle attacked and Hermione chose the wrong shield. It was a very powerful shield, but it took just that split second too long to form and Riddle's curse moved with an unnatural speed. Like an arrow, it shot through Hermione's half-formed shield. Unprotected, she had no choice but abandon the useless shield and dodge the curse bodily. Riddle, though, had counted on that. Hermione's heart stuttered in her chest as she saw triumph gleaming forebodingly in his eyes.
"Frange," Riddle ordered, slashing his wand at her.
In her movement, Hermione had no time to defend herself. Ungracefully, she let herself fall to the floor so Riddle's curse would miss her. With sheer luck, she avoided the brunt of the attack but the curse still managed to scrape her. Hermione cried out as a sharp pain shot through her left ankle and up her whole leg. Seconds later, another curse hit her, relentlessly ripping into her magic. Hermione screamed as crippling pain burned through her. Her eyes were blurred by tears as she waved her wand shakily at the direction she guessed Riddle was and croaked,
"Impedimenta."
She heard the swish of robes and then steps on the stone floor and cursed her bad luck. Obviously she had missed Riddle. Hermione tried getting up from the floor. Her ankle hurt unbearably and she felt sick. She managed to get into a kneeling position and chanced a glance at her attacker. Riddle stood not even two metres away from her. Hermione's breathing hitched as she spotted a malign smirk twisting up his mouth and felt his dark magic sinisterly dancing around him. At this moment she could definitely see how that handsome boy could one day transform into the snake-monster she knew from her time.
Riddle waved his wand and Hermione's mind was clouded by fear. She tried to raise her own wand but was too slow. He already whispered the incantation for his next attack. Riddle's cold, detached voice made her blood freeze over.
"Crucio."
A wave of pain broke down upon Hermione as the horrible curse hit her. Helplessly, she sagged to the floor and twisted and squirmed as indescribable pain wrecked her body. An invisible force crashed into her. Again and again. Cruelly it hit her head, breaking her facial bones and turning her whole face into a bloody, raw piece of meat. All Hermione could do was hope that the force would soon break her skull open so she could finally die.
Abruptly, the cruel pain left her and it took Hermione a second to comprehend that she was not dying. She lay on the floor, her body trembling heavily, while the side of her face was pressed against a cold stone tile. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to get the nausea back under control.
"Now, Rosalie," Hermione heard Riddle's merciless voice hiss. "How does a Pureblood princess, such as yourself, know so many nasty curses?"
Hermione gulped as she heard the dark inflection in his tone. Not a trace of the former derision was left in his voice. Next she felt her wand being ripped from her and another flush of fear hit her hard.
"What are you hiding? You should tell me," Riddle advised cruelly. "Or I will make you hurt."
Hermione knew it was not an empty threat. And she did not want the torture curse to hit her again. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Riddle stood directly before her, coldly smirking down at her trembling form. Hermione could see sick triumph burning in his crimson eyes. Fear cruelly twisted around her chest so she could barely breathe. Still, Hermione knew she must not tell him the truth.
Her throat hurt as she opened her mouth and croaked, "You're so full of yourself, it's disgusting."
Hermione didn't know what drove her to goad him now, but she supposed there wasn't much else she could do. Riddle's eyes glowed in an eerie light as he glared down at her. Brutally, he stepped on her hand. Hermione whimpered in pain as her fingers were crushed between the stone floor and Riddle's heel.
"I've had enough of your defiance," he hissed at her maliciously.
Yes, and she had had enough of his cruelty, Hermione decided, grim determination taking over. Her body still trembled all over and she felt weak, but she needed to escape Riddle. It was grotesque, but Hermione was glad this wasn't the first time she had been hit by the Torture Curse. It meant she wasn't overwhelmed by the after-effects of the evil curse. Hermione knew how to deal with the pain.
The self-confident smile on Riddle's face told her that he did not expect any form of resistance anymore. Hermione knew she needed to use his complacence. She only had one chance. Her left hand was still being crushed under Riddle's heel but Hermione now raised her other hand and grabbed his ankle.
Incendio, she desperately screamed in her mind. There was no wand for her, but with the close contact between her and Riddle, there was a chance the simple spell would work.
… and it did. Hermione couldn't believe her luck as she felt her magic rush through her hand and towards Riddle. His black uniform pants caught fire. Hermione resisted the strong urge to call him a 'Liar, Liar'. Riddle yelped in surprise and took a step away as the flames licked at him. In an instant, Hermione reacted. Ignoring her pain, she picked herself up from the floor. Her left foot screamed at her in protest as she hastened over to the window in the wall behind her, the door still being magically blocked.
"No, you don't!" Hermione heard Riddle yell furiously.
She didn't turn around and instead flung the window open. She was still in the fifth floor, so jumping was out of the question, but there was a sill running around the castle's outer wall, here and there interrupted by the odd gargoyle. The sill was not very wide but Hermione would find foothold there. A muffled, "Aguamenti," behind her pushed her into action. She climbed out of the window and onto the sill. Instantly a cold wind ripped at her, threatening to push her over the edge. Hermione's fingers tried to find a hold at the castle's outer wall as she quickly pushed herself away from the window. Just a few metres and she would reach the next window, which led into the corridor outside the classroom.
"Diffindo!" Hermione heard Riddle yell.
Luckily he missed but Hermione saw deep gashes in the stone she had been standing just seconds before. Her heart raced in her chest. Then finally she reached the other window. Of course it's closed, an angry voice yelled in her head. Hermione didn't have any time to spare as another red light rushed by her. Using her elbow, she smashed the window glass. Shards cut her clothes and skin. Reaching in, she found the window catch and hastily opened it. Frantically, she noticed how Riddle had stopped his attacks. He probably was already running through the classroom to reach the corridor. Hermione quickly climbed through the window and stepped down into the abandoned hallway. The door to the classroom was just a few metres away. Hermione did not wait for Riddle to appear. She turned and ran.
A staircase was nearby and she dashed up the stairs. Her steps echoed loudly from Hogwarts' corridor walls as Hermione ran. She didn't dare to stop and see whether Riddle was following or not. She just wanted to get as much distance between them as possible. She hastened down another dark corridor and turned into the next.
"Omph," she groaned as she crashed into something.
She was flung to the floor and winced in pain. The thing she had impacted with grunted and a surge of fear hit Hermione hard. She hadn't run into Riddle, had she?
"Ouch," a male voice moaned. "Watch where you are going."
Hermione's head snapped up. That wasn't Riddle's voice. Relief washed over her as she saw a boy leaning with one hand against the wall while rubbing his chest painfully. He was quite tall with a muscular built and slightly curly, short brown hair. Hermione spotted the red and gold trimmings of his robes and immediately relaxed.
"I- I'm terribly sorry," she stuttered while she tried to get up.
As she used her left foot she hissed in pain and staggered. She was surprised as an arm was wrapped around her waist, steadying her.
"Careful," the boy whispered to her softly.
Hermione raised her head at him. His brown eyes were scanning her, concerned.
"I'm fine," Hermione said cautiously.
"Okay," he replied, not sounding convinced, and let go of her.
Hermione gritted her teeth as her foot smarted again. She apologetically smiled up at him.
"I'm really sorry," Hermione whispered. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"
The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise as he heard that. Then a radiant smile appeared on his face and he ran a hand through his curly hair.
"Wow," he said amusedly. "Now, I'm really surprised."
Hermione knitted her brow. "Why?"
He smiled mischievously and replied, "Well, that must've been the first time you said something to me without using the words 'idiot' or 'waste of space' with the occasional 'blood traitor' thrown in."
As she heard that, Hermione blushed deeply and cursed Rosalie Black in her head. She quickly averted her gaze from his handsome face and mumbled insecurely,
"Oh. I didn't… I'm sor- …er… I guess it's better I go now."
With that she turned, wanting to leave. As she put her weight on her left foot she hissed in pain and had to grab the wall for support.
"Wait," the boy said.
He stepped beside her and grasped her left upper arm, supporting her.
"Maybe I'm not hurt," he said worriedly. "But you are."
"It's nothing," Hermione replied. "Just a sprained ankle."
"Well, then it's my responsibility to bring you to the Hospital Wing."
Hermione shook her head. "No, that's really not necessary."
After all, Riddle might still be searching for her. She needed to get away. Hide somewhere from him.
"Nonsense," the boy insisted. He gestured at the golden badge at his uniform. "After all I'm a prefect."
Hermione sheepishly peered up at him. Maybe hiding away in the infirmary wasn't so bad an idea.
"Okay," she caved in. "Thank you."
A boyish grin appeared on his face. He really was quite handsome, Hermione decided as she again blushed.
"And once again you didn't insult me," the boy teased her while he led her down the corridor. "Maybe you also hit your head, Black."
She shook her head and smiled up at him. With his help, Hermione quickly reached the Hospital Wing. At least they hadn't run into Riddle. She didn't want that nice Gryffindor boy to be pulled into her problems with the insane monster. Hermione felt a bit saver as they entered the Hospital Wing. Upon their entry, the nurse quickly hurried out of her office and cried as she spotted Hermione,
"What happened?"
"I fell," Hermione mumbled.
"Sit down, sit down." The nurse ushered Hermione over to one of the hospital beds. "Come on, Mr McLaggen, help her."
Hermione's eyes widened as she heard that name. McLaggen? As in Cormac McLaggen? She threw a surreptitious glance at the boy. He still had his arm draped around her waist and helped her over to the bed. Strange. He didn't seem to be anything like Cormac. Maybe a very distant relative?
Hermione sat down on the bed and the nurse pulled her wand. "So you fell you say?"
Hermione quickly nodded. "Yeah, I guess I sprained my ankle."
She gestured at her left foot. Hopefully that would discourage the nurse to cast any diagnostic spells on the rest of her body. Hermione was quite sure there were residues of dark magic. She wouldn't know how to explain that. Drawing attention to herself could be very dangerous.
"Only the foot?" The nurse's voice brought her out of her referee.
"Yes," Hermione quickly affirmed. "It's really nothing."
The nurse swiftly waved her wand over the injured foot. Hermione felt a light tickling on her skin.
"It's a hairline crack," the nurse informed after a few seconds. "I'll have it healed in no time."
Relieved, Hermione smiled at the woman, but it was McLaggen who said, "Thank you, Madame Hampard."
The nurse smiled at him and replied, "It's not a problem."
Then she got up and walked over to the medicine cabinet. McLaggen sat down beside Hermione on the bed and said a bit stiffly,
"I'm really sorry you got hurt because of me."
Hermione turned her head and scanned him. He was looking at her with his brown eyes and seemed to really feel bad about the whole thing. Hermione just grinned at him.
"As far as I remember the whole thing was actually my own fault."
With that the smile re-appeared on McLaggen's face. Madame Hampard returned with a potion bottle in her hand. Hermione had to drink it while the nurse send a healing spell at her ankle.
"It's going to take a moment for the potion to take effect," the nurse explained. "It's best you stay here for another fifteen minutes. Then you can go."
"I'll wait with her," McLaggen said promptly. "I'm a prefect, Madame. I'll bring her to her dorm."
Madame Hampard smiled at him. "Okay then, Mr McLaggen. I'll count on you."
McLaggen mock saluted before her. "Yes, ma'am."
Bidding them a good night, the nurse walked back over to her office and left the two students alone.
"So, Black, tell me," McLaggen said conversationally. "What were you doing running around the castle in the middle of the night?"
Hermione looked up at him. "You can call me Rosalie if you want," she suggested timidly.
His eyes lit up as he heard that. "But of course." McLaggen grabbed her hand and, mischievous sparkle in his eyes, brought it up and kissed it lightly. "Pleasure to meet you, Rosalie. Please, do me the honour and call me Tiberius."
Hermione chuckled softly as he grinned at her. What a relief, she decided, to be able to talk to a Gryffindor. All those intrigues and underhanded insinuations in Slytherin house were slowly tiring her.
The smile melted from McLaggen's face and he asked in a suddenly serious voice, "But back to topic. Why were you running around the castle, looking as if the devil himself was after you?"
He continued to eye her in concern. Hermione sighed. She shuddered slightly as she thought about Riddle. It had been a close call, hadn't it? Only narrowly had she managed to escape his wrath. The worst part was that he now knew that something was wrong with Rosalie Black.
"Well," Hermione replied hesitantly. "I was trying to escape Riddle, actually."
McLaggen raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Tom Riddle?"
"Is there another one?" Hermione joked dryly.
He smiled at her lopsidedly. "Not really. But what did he want from you?"
She sighed tiredly and leaned back on her arms. "We had a little… argument."
"Ah, let me guess." McLaggen grinned at her. "He didn't like it very much how you dumped him in front of the entire school."
Hermione blushed. "It wasn't the whole school."
"No need to feel bad about it, Rosalie. I am actually glad someone finally straightened him out. Was about time."
Hermione giggled. "Yeah, he's quite the conceited prick, isn't he?"
McLaggen laughed loudly. "I think you just nailed his character." Still grinning, he asked her, "If you don't mind me asking, why'd you break up with him?"
"I think it might have been because he's a wanker," Hermione threw him a crooked smile. "I don't know why anyone would spend time with him. The only thing he's got going for himself is his pretty face."
"He's not that good looking," McLaggen butted in, still grinning.
Hermione chuckled softly and lied, "No, he's not."
Cautiously, she moved her foot, seeing if it was already healed. She hissed as pain shot through her ankle.
"Careful," McLaggen advised.
Hermione peered at him. "It's almost healed."
"Just take it easy," the Gryffindor said concernedly. "You haven't told my why you broke up with Riddle. I'm sure his wonderful character didn't come as a surprise."
"Nah," Hermione sighed. "I think it really started with the Yule Ball."
"Oh?" McLaggen cocked a questioning eyebrow.
"Riddle really had the nerve to order me to go with him to the stupid ball," Hermione hissed, anger coming back with the memory. "And as I didn't want to, he started to insult me."
The Gryffindor shook his head. "That asshole. That's no way to treat you. You should be glad to be rid of him."
"Oh, believe me, I am," Hermione informed darkly.
Once again, she stretched her leg. The pain in her foot had lessened considerably. Contently, Hermione stood up from the hospital bed and proclaimed,
"All healed."
"It's a miracle." McLaggen exclaimed jokingly. "Let's get you back to your dorm, then."
Hermione nodded and followed him out the infirmary. They had already reached the Grand Staircase as McLaggen spoke again.
"Hm, Rosalie?" he mumbled, suddenly quite nervous. "Now that you got rid of Riddle. Would you like to… er… you know… go to the Yule Ball with me?"
A small smile appeared on Hermione's face. McLaggen still wouldn't dare to meet her eyes. There was even a small adorable blush on his cheeks.
"Hm, with you…?" Hermione mused pensively.
Cautiously, McLaggen peered at her and stuttered, "I know I'm a Gryffindor and you probably wouldn't want to… but… I would be really happy…"
Hermione smiled at him and said, "Yes, I would gladly go with you."
Instantly, McLaggen beamed down at her. "Really? Wow. Again you surprise me." He grinned then and added teasingly, "So, you don't mind that I'm not a slimy snake?"
Hermione pasted a condescending smirk on her face and drawled so arrogantly it would have made Draco Malfoy envious, "Well, I guess I'll have to put up with a noisy lion."
McLaggen stared at her, eyes wide. The vain smirk melted from Hermione's face and she started to laugh. The shock fell from him and he laughed along.
"You are quite the actor, aren't you?" he said between his laughter.
"Helps me to survive." Hermione grinned at him
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