Author's note: guys I'm so very sorry this chapter took so long for me to write. I've been under a lot of emotional stress since our last meeting. Still my absence from writing is inexcusable I just didn't want my feelings to infect my writing. I'm slightly better so I thought id get back to work. Now I take you back to Hogwarts and the magical drama between Tom Riddle and our heroine Hermione.
Chapter 14: The Costume
"Tell me again how exactly you broke your rib?" Madame Leona asked her eyebrows traveling up her forehead as she fussed with a small shot glass of Skelogrow.
"I fell down the stairs." Hermione answered immediately.
"Uh huh. Which stairs?"
"The ones with the vanishing step. I was going down and not paying attention so I fell when it disappeared."
There was no reason for Madame Leona to question her further than that. It was perfectly believable that she had fallen down that particular flight of stairs as many students before her had done and very possible she had landed on her text books on the way down thus breaking her lower rib. Yet Madame Leona's eyebrows hadn't stopped their travel up her brow but she couldn't withhold treatment till she got the truth so she handed Hermione the shot glass. Hermione had never been particularly fond of the taste or smell of the potion but downed it in one go to ease her eagerness to leave. She wanted to back in the field with her loyal death eaters and every second she spent in the hospital wing was a second that she could be using to convert another Death Eater.
A fresh wave of burning pain hit her but it was different from all the others she had suffered through. She bit her tongue to stop the groan of pain trying to escape from her lips and transferred her energy into tapping her foot. Victoria and Katarina sat on either side of her like mismatched bookends. Lack of movement was driving her crazy but she had a good half hour before the skelogrow would finish its work. A loud almost clumsy knock broke her out of her hamster wheel of thoughts and she was on high alert.
The face that peaked around the door made her want to cry in its familiarity. His face was baby smooth and his hair combed carefully back but his black eyes glittered in a familiar way. He carried a great grief on his shoulders and Hermione recalled that his father would have passed away recently. She had only seen him so grieved a few times in her life and every time she had done her best to help him. He wore the Gryffindor robes of a third year and the sight gave her heart a pang. This was the year he would be expelled.
"Hagrid?" she blurted before she could stop herself.
Hagrid jumped as if a bomb had gone off and when his eyes met hers a blotchy blush settled on his cheeks. His eyes seemed fixed to his shoes and her curiosity prodded her to try and brush across his mind to find out what was wrong but her morals beat the urge back.
"What do you need Hagrid?" Madame Leona shuffled over to him.
"Professor Sprout sent me ter get you….McKullerbur fainted 'n no one can get close ter him."
"Well why not?" she asked patiently.
"When'er someone does he goes ter thrashing 'n screaming something fierce."
"When will these kids learn!" she asked no one in particular before running out of hospital wing the direction of the green houses with Hagrid close on her heels.
Hermione frowned as their footprints became fainter and fainter as they clamored down the stairs. It bothered her more than she could say to see her good friend so grieved yet she knew she couldn't do much about it. Absentmindedly she clutched at her side but the pangs of pain were so far from her mind she barely felt them. Her brain turned and a plan formed. This didn't have to be the year Hagrid got expelled. She could prevent that. Even if she couldn't prevent Riddle from opening the Chamber of Secrets she could prevent Hagrid being blamed. If she could just get him to take Aragog away from Hagrid before anything suspicious happened then he would be beyond suspicion and, Hermione smiled smugly, if she could get him to take Aragog far away from Hogwarts his future descendents wouldn't molest those who visited the forbidden forest.
"Aurora?" Katarina gently shook Hermione's shoulder to get her attention.
"Yes Kat?"
"Have you picked a costume for Slughorn's party?"
"Ugh! Kat you bring that up now!" Hermione in fact had not even thought of Slughorn's party since she had received the very elaborate invitation.
"Well you're grimacing in pain like you need something to distract you!"
"Katarina was right to bring it up actually. If you haven't got a costume, which judging by that look you don't, we can get it next week in Hogsmeade a few days before the party." Victoria added always the reasonable one.
"Alright guys." Hermione conceded throwing up her hands in a motion of surrender. "We will have a girl's day in Hogsmeade next week and get my costume."
The rest of her half-hour of recovery time was spent talking in a veiled way about how many Death Eaters she had managed to turn to her cause with her demonstration. When the burning had vanished from her side Hermione took that as her cue to leave. She had a restlessness to get back to the training ground and practice more. They made a pit stop to the dorm room so she could change back to her training outfit and pet Alec. She wondered how sleeping would be if Nagini insisted on still sleeping with her. Would the snake be able to resist the baby bunny? Hermione shook her head and made a not to tell Nagini herself not to hurt Alec even though she had already put Tom to the task.
The training grounds were a flurry of activity when they returned. Everyone seemed to have taken her words to heart and was either practicing hand to hand or with the staffs she had summoned. Jeffery stood solemnly where she had left him and she motioned for him to join her.
"Jeffery I need to things from you." Hermione declared once he had reached her.
"Yes my Lady?" He bowed slightly to her.
"You are well trained with weapons and Hand to hand correct?"
"Yes my Lady. My father trained me himself on both."
"Good then I want you to be a trainer with me." She smiled and he returned her action in kind looking excited.
"It would be an honor."
"Now the second thing I need from you before you rush off to train is for you to fetch Gideon and bring him to me."
"Yes my Lady!"
Hermione watched Jeffery's back as he rushed off to do as she asked. "How many did we gain with that one?"
"Ten." Victoria whispered.
"Damn it! What do I have to do for them to join me? Strangle a basilisk with my bare hands?"
"Maybe, I know several of them would certainly be impressed but them joining you is another matter entirely." Gideon chimed in appearing at her side.
"Typical Malfoy!" Hermione sneered teasingly, "Always the Debbie Downers."
"How are you?" he asked anxiously ignoring her teasing. "Jeffery told me he broke your ribs?"
"Just one rib actually the rest was just deep bruising but you should know it will take more than that to take me down! Did you see that slide and flip I pulled off?"
The worried look didn't disappear from Gideon's face and she touched his cheek gently. Then to prove her point she ran at a tree and used a branch to swing herself onto his unsuspecting back causing everyone to giggle and the mood to cheer up considerably.
"Come off there your monkey majesty!" He laughed trying to pull her from his back.
"Just proving my point Gideon." She smiled and dropped from his back lightly. "Now let's go train some Death Eaters shall we? Oh and guys I have a plan that I want to drop on you later."
The Death Eaters formed a line in front of Hermione as she pulled out her beaded bag. Inside she had crammed tons upon tons of Restoration potion (Courtesy of the Room of Requirement) knowing how sore all of them would be after today's training. She sat it between herself, Victoria, Katarina, and Jeffery's girlfriend Naomi and they began passing out bottles of potion to the Death Eaters that passed by. Hermione knew this act would also earn her favor with more Death Eaters as she proved she cared about them. That was more than they could say for Tom who would made it sport to torture them when his mood was foul.
As they took some potion themselves and trouped back to the castle Victoria whispered she thought they had in total that day added about twenty to the Order of the Phoenix. To Hermione this number was still too small. She had to have stronger forces in case the only option became violence. She would have to start adding students from other houses it was the only option. She followed Victoria and Katarina to change and clean up for dinner wondering the odds of any of the other houses trusting a Slytherin girl who was often seen on the arm of Tom Riddle anyway.
The pace of her days sped up considerably as training became a regular part of her routines. Every day it seemed like Tom loyal Death Eaters would approach her for some sort of duel but by the end of it they would join the Order. Steadily the numbers of the Order grew and grew making Hermione want to crow with delight. Tom had yet to approach her again on the subject of sex so her mind and motives stayed clear. Thankfully her sleeping arrangement with Nagini and Alec worked out and the two animals, despite DNA ingrained qualms, seemed to get along. Nagini seemed to spend less and less time with Tom as well but hadn't elaborated on the reasons they could communicate through thoughts. Hermione spent any free time that she had left to study into it and the extra effort kept her mind blissfully busy. Though it had been a week and some change Hermione hadn't felt any of it.
Hermione's peaceful sleep was over in an instant as a sudden pressure knocked all the air out of her. A high pitch squeal permeated the air and for a second Hermione wondered if her sleeping self had been dragged into some bizarre death eater ritual but as the sleepy blurriness faded from her eyes she realized the cause of both her lack of air and the squeal was Katarina. Katarina had apparently just woken up and her black hair formed a wild mane around her head. For all intents and purposes she looked and reminded Hermione of a little girl on an important day with her mouth still open in her squeal even though sound has ceased to come out.
"Kat why did you cannon ball her? If you broke her ribs again I think she will be less likely to go through with her promise of a girl's day today." Victoria came around the corner brushing out her freshly washed hair which reminded Hermione of a fiery sunset.
"Oh Merlin!" Katarina's face immediately became worried and she jumped from Hermione's stomach. "Are you okay Aurora? I'm so sorry!"
"I'm fine." Hermione panted drawing in air carefully though Katarina had a petite frame she packed one hell of a punch. "What are you guys talking about?"
"You promised us a girl's day today on the Hogsmeade trip so we can pick out your costume!" Katarina's face adopted a look of heartbreak.
"Ah of course." Hermione wanted to groan but somehow controlled the urge. "Let's do it."
"Yay!" Katarina jumped up and down excitedly before rushing off to the bathroom to get ready leaving Hermione still shell shocked. Victoria gave her a wide smile and stretched out a helping hand which turned out to be much needed.
"Sometimes she reminds me of a little girl." Hermione laughed with an elegant shake of her head.
"Yea well I guess that's what happens when you're the miracle child of a rich old family."
"Miracle child?"
Victoria's hazel eyes flashed to the door leading to the bathrooms and seemed satisfied they would not be overheard after Katarina's shower singing drifted into the room. Her face grew dark and she scooted closer so that Hermione could hear her faint whisper.
"Markos Black is not actually Katarina's brother. Eleven years before she was born her parents had a son. Of course having a son is one of the best things an old family can wish as you know because then it guarantees the family name will stay alive a little bit longer but…something terrible happened. As he grew up he showed an amazing lack of magical ability but the Black family has extensive powerful magic so they didn't worry very much thinking maybe he just already had extraordinary control. Well when he turned eleven he didn't get a letter to Hogwarts…at first the parents were sure some sort of mistake had occurred and brought the boy to see the Headmaster. Then they had to face the truth. They had produced a muggle son. A few weeks after the incident the boy was admitted to St. Mungo's because he…had apparently gotten very sick. He died just hours after admittance. After several unsuccessful tries to have another child over the years they gave up and adopted Markos but then just a year after it Katarina was born. The real Black Heir with extensive magical talent a miracle to wizarding parents who had only been able to produce a muggle."
Victoria's voice was low and rough filled with disgust and Hermione couldn't blame her.
"They killed their own son for being a muggle?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes but they bribed all the right people and never got caught. My Uncle worked the case, bit of a family outcast he is, and he told me about it."
Hermione's heart was filled with pity for the boy she had never known and she felt hot tears slide down her face. "Does Katarina know?"
Victoria turned her wise eyes on Hermione and bit her lip. "Of course not! You know the kind of girl Katarina is…If she ever found out…if she ever found out what her parents had done and that Markos isn't her brother it would destroy her."
Hermione was lost for words and the back of her throat ached with the need to cry harder. How could Sirius come from a family of monsters like that? She showered and got ready for the day in a haze of half formed thoughts and painful emotions. Though she knew the monsters Katarina's family was she could blame the girl, instead she wanted to protect her all the more. She would do anything and everything in her power to keep Katarina from learning the awful truth about the parents she loved so much.
They left for Hogsmeade earlier than they normally would because Katarina insisted if they stopped for breakfast all the good costumes would be gone and Hermione would have to go to Slughorn's party in a bed sheet. The village looked more peaceful in the early morning light without students running amuck everywhere. Carefully Hermione and her group made their way off the main street towards Madame Coralline's Costume Emporium a small but elaborate shop that drew your attention and summoned you in.
The small building was painted with midnight blue and gold with a huge sign holding the name of the shop colored in the fantastic colors of fireworks. Its wide windows offered you a peak of moving mannequins, which were so life like in their make it took Hermione four glances to be certain they weren't real, passing by in different arrays of costume. The door was guarded by a mannequin the same type as the ones inside except it talked in a loud musical voice calling to all to enter the shop and look around. Graciously it opened the door for them and they were thrust into a world of color.
Hermione fancied that every costume known to man had to be located in that small shop which had a rather impressive enlargement charm on it. Mannequins danced among costume racks changing into new ones and putting up the old. Hermione had no doubt she would find a costume here the only question was how long it would take.
"Divide and conquer." She grinned patting Katarina and Victoria on the shoulder.
"I'll take the left side!" Katarina chimed.
"I'll take the right." Victoria added.
"Well I guess that just leaves me to take center field." Hermione took the first step away from her friends and dived into the aisle in front of them. Her hands roved over different costumes enjoying the feeling of the different fabrics. Up and down she travelled the aisles looking for something anything that she thought would fit her but nothing jumped out. She pulled out her compact and contacted both Katarina and Victoria and found they were having similar luck. She wondered aimlessly till a hand landed on her shoulder. Hermione spun around and was face to face with Madame Coralline herself. A tall elegant lady with baby blue eyes and long white blonde hair she reminded Hermione of a fairy princess.
"You. I sensed you when you walked in my store I have something that will fit you perfectly. Follow me."
Madame Coralline gave her no room to say no and dragged Hermione to the back of the store then into a room she could have sworn wasn't there before. "I've been saving this for someone. It is my best work. I've never seen someone as right for it as you though." Madame Coralline whispered and waved her wand lighting all the candles in the room to reveal the costume.
It was on the only none moving mannequin in the store and made of the finest silks and satins Hermione had ever seen. It was an off the shoulder dress with belled sleeves with slits that would go from her elbow to a section on her forearm and a longish skirt with a slit almost all the way up to the hip. It was in lovely blue-green tones that simmered in the candle light and seemed to move from lighter to darker tones. The bodice dipped in a top of a heart type way that would show off and cup her ample chest and had a black corset with a silver buckle in the front. A black waist sash with silver coin chain completed the costume and Hermione fell in love.
"C..c..can I try it on?" Hermione stammered moving closer to the costume.
"Of course…I have a feeling it was made for you. I'll go get your friends so they can see." Madame Coralline left with a gentle chuckle and in seconds returned with Katarina and Victoria.
They helped her put the costume on and stood back in awe. It fit her as if it had been made on her emphasizing every curve and in the mirror the girl looking back at her looked both fragile and powerful at the same time. Hermione could almost picture the circlet Tom had made her upon her brow and she knew that was the one thing the costume needed to make it better than perfect.