AN: Hi everyone. I just wanted you to know that since school is starting up I will be only updating once a week, hopefully every Thursday so be on the look out for chapter postings. I also just want to take this time to say thank you to everyone's support whether it is a review, subscribing or favoriting you guys makes me smile and make my day just plain brighter. Don't be hesitant to let me know what you're thinking or ask questions. I'll make sure to PM you back.
Have fun reading.
XOXO
Chapter Twelve
The days grew long and I felt myself tire with each day that went by. The near overuse of magic left me drained but made my stamina grow further than I ever dreamed off. Like I imagined, excuses and detentions couldn't cover my nightly escapades with either Snape or Draco. The practices and lessons grew longer into the nights ending in the early morning until we faced near exhaustion and climbed into bed, bruises and all. It was a miracle Harry and Ron haven't questioned what I've been doing lately, as they immersed themselves in the D.A.'s lessons.
Those lessons were eventful enough for the others, but completely unlike my nightly lessons. The spell work proved difficult for some but they were steadily improving with each passing gathering. Neville was one of the weaker links. He was strong and capable enough when focused but lacked the natural flare that Harry had. He was just not confident enough to make it work. There was nothing wrong with his casting, only his power. If only he would get bigger push to motivate him.
Turning to around I walked towards Harry.
"They'll need to start practicing the reductor curse soon," I whispered to him. His eyes turned towards me with a slightly alarmed expression.
"That's a slightly dangerous spell Hermione. They can get hurt." Harry's expression was worried as he glanced around the room to the students practicing simple stunners and shielding spells. It was a slightly more dangerous spell than what they were used to, but it was hardly anything to the others I had in my arsenal.
"They'll need to know it if a war is coming. They can't just toss out stunners when they're about to get killed." My voice was harsher than I wanted it to come out. He regarded me softly. His eyebrows slightly furrowed as he thought. "They'll use wizard models to practice. We won't let them use the spell against each other."
"Alright. They do need to know it I guess." Harry finally relented. "Should we start now?" I nodded to him and he turned towards the class. "Can everyone please stop what they're doing," Harry yelled. The students all lowered their wands before turning to face the two of us. Their full attention was casted our way. "You should be the one to talk about this spell." He looked tentative with his wand grasped tightly in his hand.
"It isn't a dark spell Harry. Just think of it as a sort of clearing spell." I muttered to him as I squeezed his hand gently. Casting my gaze away from him and to the crowd of students I lifted my wand pointing it to a dummy several feet away.
"Reducto," my voice resonated throughout the room as my wand let out a light blue light. It travelled sharply across the room like lighting, hitting the wooden figure. The spell took effect with the sudden hit and the figure crumbled under the sheer power into nothing but ashes.
"The reductor curse is a powerful enough spell that can be used in enemy duels to injure. Using them against objects will cause the said object to be destroyed." All eyes were on me and the disintegrated figure on the floor. "This will be practiced on dummies instead of actual people because of the damage that can be done."
"Is that a dark spell?" Luna's voice rang out from the crowd. I smiled at her and shook my head.
"This is an relatively easy spell with no intricate spellwork. It is a point and incant curse that is mostly used to clear a space. It is by no means a dark spell unless aimed to hurt another person." I explained. "I repeat. It is not a dark spell." I looked at their worried expressions and Harry's. If they act like this with a simple relatively harmless spell how would they react to an actual battle? "Everyone fall into line, you will be casting the spell one by one."
Like I expected they all managed to do it, even Neville who usually needed more than one try. And like I imagined their spells were weaker than what it should be, only managing to blast the dummy and damage it. They continued their turns before Luna managed to successfully complete the spell. Her soft voice completely the opposite of the spell she used to blow apart the training model. She skipped happily towards me grabbing my and pulling me away from the others.
"You needed something?" I joked at her. Her soft gaze travelled along my body.
"You're tired." She stated airily. "You've been going out a night more often now, haven't you?"
"How'd you know?" I smirked at her wearily, finally letting go off the cheery girl persona I kept up to hide my tired self.
"Wrackspurts. You have a lot of them floating around you." She observed pointing around my head. "They make you're brain go fuzzy."
"'Sleep is something I can't get much of now," I replied to her honestly. She regarded me quietly. Her fairy like features seemed to be more illuminated by the candles tonight.
"Draco doesn't need nightly lessons anymore. He is quite capable now. Both of you need your rest." She replied back uncaringly.
"You know that how?" My grin couldn't seem to get off my face as she analyzed the situation. No wonder she was in Ravenclaw, she was smart enough to deduce anything completely right if she put her mind on it.
"I observe my friends. You seem to lose yourself with your lessons. It isn't healthy." Luna's concern couldn't hide away from her light tone.
I raised one of my eyebrows at her. Her concern was heartfelt but my heart twinged with guilt for not concerning her into my plans before hand. Her observational skills already knew what I was up too. I could see it in her eyes. I grabbed her hand and dragged her towards Harry.
"We'll be leaving early today." Harry looked at us unquestioningly
"Sure thing. Go ahead. I'll see you in the common rooms?" He responded. I nodded to him and dragged Luna out of the room.
"Where are we going?" Luna's voice was worried and I noticed that my grip on her had tightened enough to cause discomfort. Letting go I grabbed her by her sleeves and entered a ruined tower. Grabbing my wand I casted ward after ward of protective measures. "Will you tell me now?"
"How good are you at occluding your mind?" I asked her. I paced around her in circles studying everything I knew about her. Would she be loyal enough? Would she hide my secrets even when asked by someone more powerful?
"Well enough to hide something," her voice cut through my thoughts.
"May I?" She nodded in response and I lifted my want at her direction. Entering her mind I felt nothing but white clouds around me. The air seemed fresher and pure. It was like a completely blank canvas. I pushed through trying to casually latch onto a memory but all I got was empty air. Pushing through harder with my mind I broke through her shields. One by one her memories floated by before disappearing and being replaced with new sets of memories. Latching onto them I watched as Luna showed me our time together as friends. Finally taking myself out of her mind I watched her recoil backwards, trying to steady herself.
"Are you my friend Luna?" I whispered.
"Yes," her face was still as calm as ever despite my mental intrusion.
"If I stray off into a different path, would you follow me? Would you be at my side like the few who have decided to stay with me?" Her face fell from its usual serene self and grew serious and darker. It didn't suit her at all. "Will you never betray me?" My words came out just like it did with Draco and Snape. Even though my goal was to fight for the light, why did it feel as if I was asking Luna to sell her soul?
"I will follow beside you." Luna decided. The air grew still between us.
"And will you ever betray me?"
"No."
"Will you keep my secrets and the secrets you will come to know?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay loyal to me and fight by my side?"
"Forever."
"Then I guess you're stuck with me for the long run," I tried joking to cut the tension. Luna's face relaxed almost immediately turning back to the serene expression that fit her so well. "You have better shields than Draco. But you need a second and third one in place to guard your memories better."
"And how many does Draco have?" She asked me. Though her tone was as light as ever her eyes still gleamed hard knowing the gravity of the conversation.
"Two at the moment. Growing to a third. You'll be left behind if you don't design more shields." Despite the Draco and Snape being my hands, Luna was different. She was like an ultimate power by my side. Her magic wasn't as powerful as Snape's, nor her ambition as great as Draco's. But her mind was more cunning and aware then most others. She gathered information to no limits. It was unnerving at times.
"And you?"
"Too many to count," I sighed. My mind resembled a fortress now after Snape's teachings. Shield after shield, distraction after distraction. It was a miracle I could manage to think straight with that many obstacles in my head.
"What are you planning, Hermione? Honestly." Her question rang soft but true. She always knew which questions to ask.
"I plan to win this war." My own voice rang out into the room. She looked at me quizzically as if uncomprehending on what she just heard.
"Entailing?" Her question was stated just like Draco's. The similarity in some of their thinking was outstanding. They got along well enough during the times they sat with me both in the library. Perhaps they will work great together in the future.
"Entailing I will win this war one way or another. The side I will fight for will win. Whether by my hand or simply because I will it to."
"What made you come to that conclusion?" Luna questioned me again.
"Draco told me he will follow me when I asked him of his loyalties. He said the side I choose would win the war." I replied back tearing my gaze away from her and to the night clouds outside.
"And Professor Snape?"
"Your observational skills Luna are amazing. Did you know that?" I turned towards her. "And here I thought no one knew of my interactions with Snape. Dumbledore surely doesn't know, and here you are, all knowing." I teased. "Snape is at my side, I believe. He will not follow me blindly but will follow me nonetheless. Anything else about him is not of your concern at the moment." I said curtly. "Do you think I will win this war?" My voice came out in a quiet whisper.
"Yes, I do." Luna replied honestly taking my hand. She looked at my open palm and traced it with her fingers. "You will not win with simply light magic, nor simply with dark magic."
"And what else do you see when you think of my future?" I asked. It wouldn't surprise me if she was a seer to a certain extent. She knew too much.
"It's seductive isn't it? The darkness." She said calmly as she traced the lines on my palm. "Don't let it consume you. Consume it instead." Finally dropping my hand she looked up at me. "Did I prove myself enough to stay by your side, Hermione?"
"Yes. And I'm afraid I won't let you leave me now. Nor can the others." I muttered to her. She smiled at me knowingly. "Why do you want to stay with me, Luna?"
"You're my first friend. You accepted me. You will protect me should there ever be a need for it." She replied back, her eyes glittered with warmth. "Come on. You should go to sleep. Your exhausted."
"I have lessons-"
"I will cancel your lesson with Snape and meet to practice with Draco before telling him the new schedule." Luna spoke.
"New schedule?" I asked, honestly intrigued.
"Every other day, so the both of you will get some sleep. I'll take care of the both of you now as well. You don't need to rush into everything suddenly, Hermione. We have some time. It's only October still." I could only nod in respond as I felt my coming fatigue. Leading me by my hand she took me to the portrait, muttering the password and tucking me into bed.
"I've run myself dry, haven't I?" I chuckled. Luna gave me a soft smile as she handed me my wand to ward my bed. "I can feel my body weakening."
"I'll see you in the morning, Hermione." She whispered as she drew close my curtains. I heard the door close gently and her receding footsteps. Only once they were completely gone did I let myself fall asleep.
