James Castle
Chapter 10: Red Moon on Halloween
James stabbed his Charms textbook violently through it's center with a quill before chucking it into the fireplace. Hermione frowned as she watched the book burning. "That's the third one this month," she glared at him as he ignored her and looked down at his notes. "You're not doing well," she said quietly, sliding up beside him on the couch in the common room.
James frowned and stared at his notepad, unable to concentrate. Since the Quiddich Match against Slytherin, his nightmares had gotten worse. The closer to Halloween, the worse it is, he thought to himself, doodling on the notepad.
"When was the last time you slept?" Hermione asked him, earning herself a glare.
"I am no in the mood to discuss this Hermione," he stared down at her.
"That's not an answer James," she replied, pushing up from her comfortable position and sitting as far away from him as she could on the couch. "Is it the dreams again?" she asked in the empty common room. He grumbled something unintelligibly and ignored her, looking at his notepad. It was several weeks after the Quiddich massacre, rapidly getting close to Halloween, and James had been in a mood for close to a week now. "Well?" she probed as she dug into his sides with her bare feet, trying to get a reaction.
"I don't like Halloween," he threw the notebook at the fire. "The nightmares are the worst at this time of the year," he let out a breath before gripping his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry," Hermione apologized quickly, moving next to him, comforting him. He relaxed in her arms instantly when she touched him. "Have you slept at all this week?" she asked him seriously.
"Not really," he frowned, looking away from her.
"You should have told me," she scolded him.
"I'm sorry," he replied, hugging her back after a moment. "I need to sleep tonight Hermione, I need you here to keep the bad dreams away," he begged her, clinging to her tightly.
"Stupid boys, always beating themselves up," she laughed, pushing his back down so he was lying on the couch. She waved her wand, conjuring a blanket that she pulled over her as she settled in on top of him. "I'm here for you James, now care to tell me why you've been having trouble sleeping?" she whispered in his ear.
"Halloween is a bad time for me," he murmured, kissing her neck and pulling her close. After they cuddled and kissed for a few minutes, James broke it off, looking into her eyes. "Halloween is a bad time for me, come tomorrow it will be a bad time for them," he looked deeply into her eyes as she started to cry.
"Just come back," she whispered as she held him tight and they fell asleep together.
He walked along the tree line outside an old English manor, looking for weaknesses. He'd been scouting this place three of the last four nights, since he was unable to sleep unless Hermione was with him. He slid past the first few wards by changing into his bat form. The house had never been attacked in the past, and it was though to be impregnable. James shook his head as he used a spell to check how many life signs were inside as he placed an explosive charge on the door. "Looks like they have some company today," watching the spell flash the number 14 for the amount of wizards present, before the door exploded and he rushed inside.
He had his pistol out as he entered, blasting a shot through the chest of the first person he saw. He dove and rolled, avoiding green spell blast from the guard at the other side of the door, before hitting him square between the eyes with another shot. "Amateurs," he frowned, noting the resemblance the two bodies had to a pair of Slytherins in his year.
He slid against the wall, edging his way towards the hallway, sticking his head out long enough to pull it back to avoid several curses aimed at him. "Grenade," he said calmly before pointing the gun down the hall, blasting chunks of it apart without looking. "Flash bangs, where are the flash bangs," he muttered before finding the correct pocket in his coat. "There we go," he smiled, throwing a handful of devices down the hallway. "Three, two, one," he counted down before closing his eyes tight and charging down the hallway that was suddenly flooded with blinding light.
He opened his eyes, blinking away the bit of damage to his sight that the grenades had caused. He walked down the hall, ignoring whatever cries came where the stunned and blinded wizards were cowering, save to end their cries with a bullet. "Seven little Indians," he hummed to himself as he left the corridor, seeing two flights of stairs. He looked up and down the old stairwell before finally taking the downward path. He paused as he heard several voiced arguing below him.
"We need to call the Dark Lord, we have no idea what is up there," a man spoke in a high pitched voice.
"Lucius is handling it, we are to protect his labs, now shut it before I curse the both of you," a deeper voice ordered.
"One little, two little, three little Indians," he hummed before pulling the pins from a string of grenades and throwing them down through the doorway. He rushed in after the screams started, emerging later. "Four little Indians," he looked up at the center of the house, climbing the stairs two at a time.
"Lucius, we need to call for help," a large Death Eater yelled at the blonde man. "I will not be killed here like a common mudblood!" he man screamed before Lucius slit his throat with a slicing charm.
"Never forget who your betters are," he frowned as the man suffocated, choking on his own blood. "Narcissa, take the entertainment away, I'll deal with this intrusion," Lucius ordered his wife as she dragged the crying muggle from the room.
The door to his ballroom blow off it's hinges a minute later, admitting the middle aged man dressed in all black. "Only three little Indians left?" the man dodged a green spell from Mafloy who was firing across the room.
"Frank Castle, I assume," Malfoy shouted back as he dodged a string of bullets. "I must admit, you have been an annoyance for the Dark Lord," Lucius screamed, firing a few spells back where he though Castle was. "You are nothing but a Muggle though, you are in over your head!" Locus laughed as he placed a Notice-Me-Not spell over himself, effectively hiding him from view.
He watched as the Muggle looked about the room, sensing something was wrong. "Damn wizards," the muggle swore before shooting a spread of bullets across the room that missed Malfoy by several feet.
"What's the matter muggle, you can't find your betters?" Malfoy laughed as he pulled his wand on the muggle.
"I can see you just fine, heat vision goggles, give my regards to the devil," the muggle replied, ducking and firing a series of shots into Malfoy as his eyes grew wide. "Idiot," James frowned as he walked over Lucius's shuddering body. "Only two little Indians left…where are you hiding," he muttered as he moved to a hidden door at the back of the room. "Grenade," he said calmly, walking away from the wall before blasting it with his pistol.
"Don't come any closer, or she dies!" he heard a woman cry out.
He entered the newly uncovered room with his hands up, examining the woman holding the teenager captive. "Holding a girl captive, how brave you Death Eaters are," he stepped toward them calmly.
"Stop right there!" Narcissa Malfoy pressed her wand at the muggle's throat. "Where is Lucius?" she demanded.
"He's dead, along with all the others," James responded, walking a step closer to her. "You're dead too, you know?" he raised an eye at her. "You know I won't let you out of here alive," he threatened, taking a step closer. "What will happen if you kill the girl, I wonder?" he examined her. "Killing another innocent, a muggle at that, it won't make a difference in the war," he shrugged, settling onto some broken masonry.
"Who are you?" she stared daggers at him.
"I'm the Punisher, I've come here to kill you," he frowned at her, gripping his pistol in his pocket. "Let the girl go," he stared at her.
"If I do, you'll kill me," she glared back at him, edging her way towards a fireplace.
"Yes, I will," he threatened her. "I'm going to kill you regardless," he pulled his gun, pointing it at her. "Next move is yours," he pointed the gun at her.
She panicked and pushed the muggle toward him, throwing a pair of curses that hit the back of his jacket and dissipated as he covered the girl. "Don't!" he yelled, pulling himself from the girl, firing a few shots into Narcissa Malfoy as she fell into the floo and disappeared in the flames. "Damn it," he swore as he tossed several packages from his coat about the room, pulling the girl with him. "We have to go, now!" he ordered as he gripped her arm painfully.
"You saved me," the girl gripped his arm before he threw her away.
"Get out of here now, or you won't even remember what I did," he glared at her, throwing more packages around. "Run you stupid girl," he commanded as he sprinted from the house.
James grunted as Hermione slid behind him on the couch, pulling a blanket over the two of them.
"Rough night?" she asked, holding him tight, smelling the fire, sweat, and smoke on his clothes.
"It's getting better," James replied as he rolled over to face Hermione on the couch. "I hate Halloween," he admitted as he held her tight.
"How bad was it?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
"Let's say the Malfoy line is a bit trimmed now," he looked away holding her tightly. "I'm sorry Hermione, I can't…I can't fight it," he grimaced, burying his face in her shoulder.
"It's okay James," she patted him on the back, like a child. "I know your secret, you can trust me," she whispered in his ear as she curled up against him.
"Hermione," he whispered as she made herself more comfortable. "Hermione, what do you know?" he held her arms, asking her.
"Everything, I know what you were born as James," she kissed his neck, keeping him calm.
"How?" he asked angrily.
"I intercepted your owl the one day," she smiled as she cuddled next to him. "Frank and I have been talking for a couple weeks now," she grunted, flipping him so she could be on top as they slept. "Now shut up and go to sleep," she ordered, covering his mouth with her own.
A/N: A bit short, but got to the point, I think.
