Ch. 21
A/N: Sorry this chapter is a week late, but as you can see it is massive compared to others. It was very difficult to write so I hope the extra length makes up for the slow update. I want to give a huge thanks to AmazingGrace36! This chapter wouldn't have been nearly as good without her fantastical skills! You guys are awesome and I hope you keep reviewing!
This story is mostly compatible with the Harry Potter series, except that the war was more intense. There were far more battles and things Hermione experienced upon entering the magical world. As you will find out in later chapters, her history isn't limited to the adventures written about in the books. It is slightly AU.
Disclaimer: I -unfortunately- am not the owner of the Harry Potter series or the Twilight saga, I'm just playing with the characters.
(JPOV)
As I watched Hermione's car disappear around a corner, time slowed down. The short walk from the parking lot to the cafeteria felt like it took hours instead of just mere seconds. Naturally, the rest of lunch passed in the same fashion. My family was of course talking and horsing around in an attempt to distract me, but it didn't work. Every fiber of my being was extremely aware that my mate wasn't where she belonged. She wasn't in the seat beside me and she wasn't even in the same country as me.
At first I was trying to distract myself by imagining what was happening at her meeting. That led to praying that it would end early so I could see her. By the time Art came around I had exhausted those lines of thought and began sketching her when I was supposed to be working on an abstract piece. Then while my English teacher read from Frankenstein in my last class of the day I replayed our most recent make-out session. It served as the perfect way to avoid listening to the croaky old coot read a book I could recite from memory verbatim.
The moment that the final bell rang I jogged to the Jeep at a fast human pace. I had never been more excited to leave that place. Leaving school meant I only had two hours to kill until I could see Hermione.
I spent the next few hours lying in my bed perfecting the song I had recently began writing. It described how she made me feel. The emotions she evokes in me are just so raw and real, unlike any I've ever personally felt in my existence. The only way I knew to express them was through music. So I've been working on the guitar to accompany the lyrics for a few weeks. It has to be perfect before I play it for her.
Glancing at the clock I noted that it was just after five o clock so I ran out for a quick hunt just to be on the safe side. There would be no taking chances around her or her family. When I returned, I took a quick shower, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and was out of the door in less than three minutes. The drive to Hermione's took less than five minutes thanks to the high speeds of my Ducati Street Fighter
A dark Mercedes SUV turned onto the hidden drive just after me. I slowed to a respectable speed because I knew it was her parents coming home from their dental practice. Definitely don't want to make a bad impression this time. Getting hit in the face with a box of condoms at the supermarket the first time I met her mother was embarrassing enough. I dismounted my bike and removed my helmet as I watched the Mercedes pull into the garage between Hermione's Audi and a sleek BMW.
Hermione's mother stepped out of the passenger side and joined the older man with curly honey blond hair who had exited the drivers side. Mrs. Granger was beaming at me while her husband merely looked confused by my presence. I stood beside my bike awkwardly with my thumbs hooked in my pockets as they approached me. It was a very human habit indicating someone was nervous that I had picked up over the years.
"Jasper! This is a surprise. Are you here to see Hermione?" Mrs. Granger questioned as she stopped a few feet in front of me.
Her fathers emotions immediately turned to understanding and he took on a more threatening stance now that he knew I was the boy dating his daughter.
"Yes Mam. She told me she would be back from England around five thirty." I drawled
"Oh good, John and I were just discussing what time we thought she would be home from her meeting. She didn't mention a time this morning. Will you be joining us for dinner then?"
"Not tonight, I just finished dinner with my family." I lied with a charming smile to soften my rejection.
With an understanding smile she excused herself to put her things away and start dinner. I noted that her cheeks were tinted a slight rose color from my attention.
I turned to her father who had been appraising me with inquisitive pale green eyes and offered my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Granger, I'm Jasper Hale."
He gripped my hand tightly for a human and his gaze slowly swept over me as if he were judging whether or not I was worthy of his little girl. His emotions told me that I was passing his test with my confident and up front demeanor before they turned towards wary curiosity.
"Likewise.." he muttered softly as his eyes fell to our hands. "Your hands are very cold Jasper."
I slowly removed my hand from his. "Poor circulation sir," I excused as I hooked my thumbs back into my pockets.
His lips tipped up and his eyes were dancing with a humor that matched his emotions. "Ah yes, poor circulation comes with being a vampire does it not?"
My eyes widened involuntarily. His emotions washed over me and he was entirely certain that he was right. I spluttered incoherently at his blunt statement as I searched for a proper way to address him without lying. I didn't want to lie to her parents. My hand immediately went to rub the back of my neck, my tell sign when I'm stressed. Before I could properly respond, he held a hand up to stop me.
"Don't deny it son. I'm not stupid. When I found out my little girl was a Witch, I took the opportunity I was provided with to learn everything about her world. I needed to know what was real and what was fake so I would have an idea of what sort of dangers she would be in."
I nodded along because I completely understood his actions. Any good, protective father would want to know those sorts of things. "I wouldn't have denied it Mr. Granger, you just surprised me is all. Most humans instinctively fear and avoid us. Yet here you stand as if you haven't a care in the world when you know what I am," I explained with a wry smile.
"When we first moved here, I knew there was something not quite right about your family. I remembered Hermione once warning us that the most beautiful and alluring things are usually the most dangerous, but I let it go because you are good people. You kids are never in trouble and both of your parents are well respected. However when Miranda mentioned your interest in my little girl and confirmed that you were from her world, but not a wizard, I decided it was time to figure out what sort of creature you are. Those cold hands just confirmed my theory that you were vampires."
"Oh," I muttered, mostly to myself.
He chuckled. His emotions were a strange mixture of confident cheerfulness and protectiveness. "I honestly have no idea why I'm not afraid of you. A good mate of mine back in University once told me I lived just shy of crazy. Then again he had no room to talk. That bloke jumped out of perfectly good airplanes. He was mental. Now that we both know that I know what you are, I sincerely hope you have no future plans to drain her because that just won't due."
He paused and his gaze turned cold as he reached into his pocket of his slacks. "For some reason I like you Jasper. Therefore, I have no problems with you dating my daughter as long as you cherish her, protect her, and respect her. That being said, if I ever find out you have harmed one hair on my little girls head, I won't hesitate to light your arse on fire."
He casually flipped open a black zippo and lit it all in one smooth motion as he finished his sentence. His emotions shifted to a vengeful sort of malice with the sincerity surrounding them making it known he wasn't joking. He meant it and he had no fear.
I nodded with a slight gulp as he slipped the zippo back into his pocket. " Mr. Granger, I guarantee you that I have no plans on draining your daughter. My coven feeds from animals because none of us want to be monsters. I promise that I will never treat Hermione as anything less than a Queen. She is my mate. I've been waiting on her for over a century."
A smile broke out on his features at my passionate words. It lit up his face and caused his eyes to dance just like Hermione's.
"Well then, I guess I should welcome you to the family son. By the way, call me John. It feels terribly odd to be called Mr. Granger by a vampire who has been waiting to date my daughter for over a century."
I couldn't help but laugh at both him and the situation. The man really had a wonderful personality to so readily accept that his daughter was mated to a vampire. I could see us getting along quite well. We started walking towards the house as the sky darkened and a slight drizzle began to fall.
"So, tell me John. Is the lighter a recent development or have you always carried it?" I questioned, wondering if he started when he discovered the truth about his daughters boyfriend.
He gave me a sideways glance and a sly smile spread across his lips letting me know I didn't pull off the casual tone at all. "I've been carrying it since I found out vampires existed. I figured there were decent odds that I might encounter one since I lived in England, so I started carrying it. I know I probably wouldn't get the chance to use it if I'm ever attacked, but I'd rather die knowing I tried."
"Understandable," I commented idly.
A third heart-beat sounded from upstairs as we entered the house. I felt all of the tension leave my body at that familiar rhythm and sound. She was just approaching the stairs when her father and I passed by. I inhaled her scent deeply as I stopped to wait on her.
"Hey Sweetheart," I greeted as she stepped from the last step.
Her face whipped towards my voice showcasing wide, surprised eyes. "Jasper, you're already here."
My lips twitched as I fought back a smirk and sarcastic retort. The opening she gave me to twist that back around on her fifteen different ways was just too easy. I couldn't take it.
"You're parents and I arrived at the same time," I explained instead.
She apologized for not being here, but I waved it off. It was nice that I had come to an understanding with her father…even if he did threaten to destroy me. After she popped into the kitchen to let her mother know she had already eaten dinner with Harry we headed up to her room.
The moment the door closed I made use of my handy dandy vampire speed to pull her close to me. Before she knew what hit her, I had wrapped my arms around her supple body and buried my face in her hair. I just needed to feel her. "I missed you so much," I whispered softly.
Her arms snaked around my waist as she pressed her face against my chest. I could feel all of the warring emotions inside her. She was exhausted, apprehensive, annoyed, sad, uneasy, and just all around stressed out. I could sense that for some reason, she probably needed this contact more than me.
I reluctantly unwound my arms from her and led her to the bed by the hand. I pulled her to lay down beside me after I got comfortable. She immediately curled up against me with her head on my chest while I took advantage of our position to run my fingers through her riotous curls.
Neither of us spoke. It was completely silent in the room except for our rhythmic breathing and the steady beat of her heart. The next thirty minutes passed slowly as she worked through a myriad of emotions and drew comfort from me. I was just enjoying being with her in such an intimate manner after missing her all afternoon.
"Jasper?" She questioned softly, breaking the silence.
I looked down to find those novel orbs studying me. They looked haunted and guarded.
"Yeah baby?"
"Do you still want to read my journals?"
I searched her face and emotions for any indication that she wasn't offering what I thought she was. I found none.
"Of course, but only when you are ready," I conceded as I returned to running my fingers through her curls to sooth her sudden flare of nerves.
"I want you to read them. I'm just...scared. My past is not pleasant. It is unbelievably complex and full of darkness."
I closed my eyes and sighed at the depth of her insecurities. She thought I wouldn't want her once I found out about her life. Nothing could be further from the truth. I knew I needed to reassure her.
"It is not my place to judge you Hermione. Nor do I wish to. I have done some horrible things in my existence, the least of which was feeding from humans. I know that anything I read in those journals will not change how much I care about you because those things have molded you into the person lying here with me."
My traitorous mouth almost let the I love you slip out. Luckily I caught myself in time and changed it to 'I care about you'. I could sense that she wasn't ready to hear that yet, so I had to perform some last minute editing. My words still soothed her nerves though. Her apprehension all but disappeared as she pulled me up from the bed… Well she didn't actually pull me since I'm so much heavier and stronger than her, but I moved my body to match her wishes. I followed her over to the book case and she pushed me down into the plush pillows on her floor as she pulled the leather bound volume marked 'Year One' off the shelf.
"I kept a journal when I was a kid once weird things started happening to me. It made it seem more real and less like a figment of my imagination. When I went to Hogwarts, I continued writing about my first year in the same journal so you'll get to read about that first." She explained as she handed it to me.
Almost as if it were an afterthought she offered to answer any questions for me when I reached things I didn't understand. I didn't comment. Instead I made myself comfortable in her reading area. I was entranced with the knowledge that I held part of my mates most internal thoughts, feelings, and secrets in my pale hands. I opened the journal reverently and began reading avidly. All of the early entries were about her performing accidental magic. They were all rather cut and dry explanations of weird things happening until I got to a rather long entry that caught my attention.
June 25, 2001
It happened again today. Mum and Dad are freaking out because the neighbors had to call for someone to come get me out of a tree. I told them I didn't know how I got up there, but they didn't believe me. All I know is that one minute I was being bullied by that git Kristopher from down the road and the next I was sitting in the highest branch of the neighbors tree
Of course this isn't the first time I've done something odd. There was that incident with the paint attacking Nichole when she stole my brush. Not to mention all of the times I managed to turn my milk into soda or make cookies float down from the top shelf. I think there is something wrong with me. The things I can do are almost like…magic.
But that's crazy. Magic isn't real. That's like believing creatures such as unicorns and fairies truly exist. And of course, if I accept that those are out there, then I logically have to conclude that the not so nice creatures such as vampires and werewolves exist as well. It's odd. This should frighten me or seem outlandish, but it just feels…right to believe that magic is real.
It's silly of me to want to believe it's magic when I know it means I have to accept the bad things exist to, but I honestly do. The alternative isn't very pretty. Who wants to consider that they are barking mad? I heard Mum and Dad discussing whether or not they should take me to get my head examined earlier. They think I'm telling tall tales to excuse my behavior. Or that I've lost it.
I couldn't help but shake my head with a soft smile playing about my lips as I read this entry. Of course, it was sad in a way because her parents didn't believe her and she was questioning her own sanity. But it was just so like her to label creatures like vampires and werewolves as 'not so nice' instead of monsters.
From there on out, her entries detailed more strange happenings. Just before her parents decided to take her to a shrink, she talks about a woman named Minerva McGonagall coming to visit her family. She describes how wonderful it felt to know that magic really existed. How fascinating it was to see magic being performed in front of her with a real wand.
Then there is an extremely detailed and excited description of her first visit to Diagon Ally. This journal entry was amazing, by far my favorite of the ones I had read so far. Her descriptions enabled me to vividly imagine the cobblestone street as she shopped for her school supplies. I could see the elegant bank Gringott's looming in the distance and hear the owls hooting at the magical menagerie. I could feel the hustle and bustle of the street.
By the time I reached September the first I was just as excited as her about embarking on the journey to Hogwarts. It was just so amazing. She described how odd it was to walk through a seemingly solid wall the first time she passed through barriers nine and ten at Kings Cross station to reach Platform 9 ¾. I loved her vivid, awestruck descriptions of the scarlet Hogwarts Express. I laughed with her as she described the antics of two ginger twins who were nice enough to help with her trunk.
Later on the train ride she described her first meeting with a red headed boy and Harry Potter- The Boy Who Lived- while looking for a lost toad. Her thoughts on meeting him were…different. I kept searching for an explanation as to why he was so famous and important because she was positively gushing with excitement when she wrote of him. I wanted to know why she was so awestruck to have met him. So I read past the sorting of first years where she entered Gryffindor house with both of them and through her first weeks of school, but an explanation was never given.
"Hermione?" I questioned softly.
"Yeah?" she answered, somewhat distracted.
"You refer to Harry as 'The Boy Who Lived', but you don't explain that nick-name and why he is famous. It's almost like you believe it is common knowledge among your kind. Will you explain it so I understand better?" I requested.
She looked up at me, seeming to be weighing her options. Her emotions fluctuated from understanding to dread. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she radiated acceptance. She shut the spiral she had been avidly writing in for the past hour. "You're right. I didn't write it down because it is common knowledge in our world. I'll tell you enough so that you can understand who Harry is and what is happening because knowing who he is in our world is very important to understand my past. What happened the night he became the Boy-Who-Lived is the key to everything." she said quietly.
I nodded. Our eyes met as she took a deep, shuddering breath and rubbed her temples.
"Thirty years ago, a man named Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr. emerged back into Europe's magical society after disappearing for about twenty years. However, he returned with a new name, Lord Voldemort. He pushed the boundaries of magic, exploring realms of the dark that were unheard of in an attempt to gain power and a level of immortality to surpass all others. He easily became the most powerful dark wizard in history. He feared no one except for his ex professor Albus Dumbledore -the most powerful wizard of the light. However, that fear didn't stop him from terrorizing our world, from trying to cleanse our world of 'filth'."
I definitely noted the bitterness and distaste in her voice and emotions when the word 'filth' fell from her tongue.
"He developed a deep hatred for those he believed to be inferior to him and others of his status. His hostilities towards muggle-borns -witches or wizards born to normal humans- and blood-traitors -those who associated with us- soon led to an all out war between the light and the dark. He built an army of darkness to surpass all others to fight his war. An army he believed to be invincible because it consisted of Death Eaters, Dementors, Werewolves, Giants, and any other dark creatures he could persuade to his side.
As the new leader of The Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore became the beacon of the light. Our world turned to him to lead the war against the dark and he stepped up. The war waged for five years in a stalemate as the armies for each side grew stronger. After the fifth year, Dumbledore gained four soldiers who tipped the scales in the favor of the light. They became his right hands in battle because they were some of the most brilliant wizards of the age. The four were known as The Marauders throughout our world for their love of mischief and adventure. They were James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."
She practically snarled the last name with pure malice rolling off of her. I wondered why she didn't hold as much affection for this man as she did the other three, but I figured I would eventually find out. Two of those names were familiar to me. She has spoken of both of them with love and familial affection. She has pictures of Remus around her room. However I was too captivated by the way she described this war and how complex it seemed to worry about it too much. I was desperate for her to continue the story. After she composed herself from her momentary flash of hatred, she did.
"The Marauders were constantly defying Riddle, countering his moves before he could make them and protecting innocents from his army. One night, Dumbledore got word that Voldemort planned on killing the Potters- those who had thrice faced him in battle and survived. He immediately moved James, his wife Lily, and their one year old son Harry into hiding to protect them.
On Halloween night, eighteen years ago, the Potter's were getting ready for bed at their home in Godric's Hollow with their son Harry. Unbeknownst to them, one of their friends betrayed them and informed Voldemort of their location to gain favor in his ranks. He quickly exacted his revenge, taking the family by surprise. James fought off the attack while Lily retreated with the baby, but he was unarmed and stood no chance. He was killed quickly and next came Lily. She died defenseless, protecting her son. He then turned his wand on the one year old baby and uttered those two cursed words. The killing curse rebounded off of Harry and struck Voldemort.
The magical world rejoiced at the indirect victory of the light. They quickly bestowed a hero's status on Harry because he defeated the darkest wizard our world had ever known. He was dubbed 'The Boy Who Lived' before the end of the night because he is the only known survivor of the killing curse."
I stared at her in awe. The child ended a war and lost his parents in the same night. It was tragic. Yet it was also….an amazing story because I learned a bit of history about her world and had an idea of what magical war was like, but it didn't lessen how sad it was. No wonder she was so awestruck when she first met him. Then, as I replayed what she said over again, I felt like my dead heart attempted to jump out of my chest.
"Wait, killing curse? As in it just kills you?" I questioned, feeling slightly panicked at the thought of her probably having faced one before if my theory about her being in a war was correct.
She gave me a wry smile accompanied by a curt nod. "Two words and a flick of the wrist are all it takes. You'll get to the specifics on that in year four I think."
I grimaced, not liking that my image of magic being all about doing cool things was crumbling before my very eyes. Killing people is definitely not something cool. Don't get me wrong, I already figured it probably did horrible things since there was a whole war involving it…but still...its crazy to have solid evidence to support my theories.
I wanted to ask her more questions, but the guarded look in her eyes and her fluctuating emotions told me that they wouldn't be welcomed. She went back to whatever she was concentrating on in her spiral and I returned to reading.
I read about how the kids in her year ignored her because she tended to show off her natural affinity with magic. She described how annoying it was to only have her housemates come to her when they needed help with homework. That nearly broke my heart.
Then I finally reached Halloween, where I learned the full story surrounding her death by mountain troll incident. Part of me was upset that she was in that situation, but the other half was wanting to laugh at the absurdity of her description. Especially since she complained about the creatures smelly, disgusting bogies that ended up on her robes for two whole paragraphs. But despite that I knew that a lasting friendship had formed that night. It was evident in how Harry and Ron began protecting her from Malfoy and the other Slytherins even though she was capable of giving just as good as she got.
From there, I read on totally enraptured as the mystery surrounding the Philosopher's stone* began to unfold. I was right there with her as she lit Professor Snape's robes on fire during a Quidditch match. I was scared with her when they came across Fluffy. If I had adrenaline, it would have been pumping through my veins when they entered the trap door Fluffy guarded in order to stop Snape from getting the stone. I was just as surprised as she was when it turned out to be Professor Quirrell possessed by Voldemort attempting to steal it.
But on the other hand I was disturbed. This…man… who had waged a great war in her world was supposed to be dead. Yet he was possessing people? That is not normal and all sorts of freaky. What was even weirder was the fact that when Quirrell touched Harry, he turned to ash. Magic was odd.
"So Voldemort didn't die when he tried to kill Harry ?" I asked, needing all sorts of clarification. This was fifteen kinds of fucked up and confusing.
She looked up at me, biting her lip. "No. He lost his physical body, but his soul remained Earthbound. He was existing, just biding his time until he had a chance to regain his body and get rid of the last Potter."
I nodded. That made sense…sort of. "And why did Quirrell turn to ash when he touched Harry?"
That was a question I really wanted answered. It was freaky and sort of scary. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought of a way to explain.
"Harry's mother sacrificed herself to save him when she shielded him from Voldemort. It enacted an ancient blood magic that was capable of deflecting the killing curse. Which is why Quirrell was burned from the inside out when he touched Harry. Voldemort was so inherently evil that it was impossible for him to touch something that still existed due to love."
I felt an eyebrow involuntarily raise at her explanation. "So you're saying love is what saved Harry both times?" I questioned skeptically.
She put down her spiral with an affronted, slightly faraway look. "I have seen amazing things happen because of it. Love can create powerful protection. Love can heal souls damaged beyond repair. Love can save those on the brink of death. Doubt it all you want, but I know from experience that love is the most complex and powerful form of magic."
The conviction rolling off of her was staggering. She truly believed in the power of love. She felt it so strongly that I wanted to believe with her. It also made me excited for the day she loved me because I know without a doubt that it will be an all encompassing passionate love.
Without saying another word, I placed the journal back on the shelf and pulled out the sketchbook for it. I flipped through less refined renderings of Hogwarts Castle, profiles of Harry and Ron, sketches of Professor Snape, and anything else which caught her eye that year. It was a nice visual aide to the story I had already read.
A glance at the clock revealed that it wasn't even eight in the evening, so I decided to go ahead and read the next journal. Hermione had moved from the bed and was now at her desk in a flurry of action. Her brow was furrowed due to her intense concentration as she scribbled notes and shuffled through papers.
The first part of the second journal picked up when she joined the Ron and Harry at the Burrow for the last month of summer vacation. I was just as intrigued as she was to find out Harry nearly got expelled because of a House Elf performing magic in front of his relatives. Not to mention the elf's warning. The rest of the entries blurred together until it was once again time for her to be at school. The first entry from that one made me snicker at her haughty attitude.
September 1, 2002
Well, I can safely say that second year has started off with a bang. There is never a dull moment when you are best friends with Harry Potter. I'm still not sure whether that is a good thing or not.
So, I sat with Neville, Ginny, and an odd first year named Luna Lovegood this afternoon on the train ride because I couldn't find Harry or Ron when I boarded. I never even saw them after I went through the gate ahead of them. After the sorting, they still hadn't shown up and I was beginning to worry. Of course, I fretted for nothing. They ended up making a true Marauder worthy entrance.
Apparently, the gateway to the platform sealed and they didn't get to pass through. The two dunces naturally decided that flying Mr. Weasley's Ford Angelina to Hogwarts was a brilliant idea and the only way for them to get there. So not only did they fly it here- getting spotted by Muggles along the way- but they also managed to crash it into the womping willow.
Snape found them being flung around by its branches. Before the feast ended they managed to lose us 200 house points, had to visit the hospital wing for broken bones, and ended up with detention in the dungeons for a month.
Boys.
From that point on I read of their adventures and of course their pranks. Then the strange things started happening. The Heir of Slytherin thing had me immediately worried. For some reason I just knew where this was going, but I couldn't stop reading. So when Hermione figured out it was a Basilisk petrifying the students, I grew even more concerned. I remember reading about those in the book I borrowed awhile back. Then she has to go and get petrified. It was better than her being dead, but still upset me to know how close my mate came to dying.
"Is there ever a year where you weren't nearly killed by something strange?" I asked her in exasperation.
She let out a small laugh. "Fourth year. All the things considered, that was a fairly normal year for me."
I nodded and continued the tale. Once she wasn't petrified anymore, she re-told the epic battle Harry had with the Basilisk as Voldemort attempted to regain his human body by draining the life force of Ginny Weasley.
I left after a lengthy good-night kiss once I was finished with year two. It was late and she needed sleep. I didn't go home though. I didn't want to be in the house with Edward while I processed all of this. This was my mates story and he had no right to hear about it from me. Both she and I knew he would no doubt pick it out of my head eventually, but there was no harm in prolonging it for as long as possible.
I ended up riding my bike out to the beach where we had our first date. I sat on the dunes and looked out over the Pacific as I came to terms with all I had learned and prepared myself to learn more. Somehow I had a feeling that the first two years only scratched the surface of the tension with Voldemort. Somehow I knew things were going to get much worse before they ever got better and I needed to be ready for that.
As the darkness turned into day, I headed to school. I just needed to be with my angel again. I needed to soak up the normalcy of our usual routine. The day passed with my instincts forcing me to be more lovey dovey with her than normal. It just felt necessary to reassure myself that she was here and safe after learning I nearly lost her so many times.
Before long, I once again found myself sprawled out in her reading area with a journal in hand. I breezed through third year which was rather insane for her since she was using a time turner to get to all of her classes. Not to mention her discovery that Professor Lupin was a werewolf and the drama with rescuing Sirius Black. That ordeal gave me a better understanding of the pure loathing she has for Peter Pettigrew. He was the traitor. Though I feel that this wasn't the only incident to make her feel that way towards him.
"Your Godson, Teddy, is half werewolf then?" I asked calmly as I closed the journal.
I glanced over at the photos of Lupin on her wall. I could definitely discern the wolfish features. That also accounted for the heavy scarring that was visible. I really had no problem with it. I had personally never encountered a wolf before so I had no bias towards them.
She looked up and nodded. "Yes, but he will never transform because Lycanthropy cannot be passed on genetically. Instead he will inherit the enhanced vision, sense of smell, hearing, and he will have a longer lifespan. Does his heritage bother you?"
I shook my head. "Of course not. I hold no ill wishes for wolves as long as they do not harm me or mine. I actually find it fascinating. I can't help but wonder how he will react to us vampires though."
I felt my brow furrow at that last thought. That could be problematic if my presence irritated him. I would have to discuss that possibility with her at a later date. I quickly delved back into my reading. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Her life really was quite amazing. It was incredible to find out my mate had lived through so much. Her past was much richer and more interesting than anyone I had ever met before. And that is saying something.
Year four passed in flurry of activity. The first worrying situation being the Death Eater raid during the World Cup where she saw the Dark Mark cast into the sky for the first time. Once that calmed down, nothing too interesting happened. I read of how Hogwarts hosted the Tri-Wizard Tournament where two other magical schools competed. That led to Ron abandoning Harry until the first task as well as her meeting and beginning to date the Bulgarian Seeker,Viktor Krum.
That part was the hardest for me. It was so hard to read about my mates infatuation with another man. It hurt to know that she was the most important thing to him which was pointed out when she was taken during the second task for him to rescue. It didn't help my insecurities to know that she still clearly cared for him after all these years.
As she promised the killing curse was mentioned, but it was only in passing as she described an upsetting Defense lesson with Professor Moody. Apparently it was one of the three Unforgivable Curses, but she didn't describe them and I didn't even bother asking her. I realized that the killing curse was a bit of a sore subject yesterday and I didn't want to dredge up anymore bad memories. Then came the final task where Harry returned with a dead body. As I finished reading her explanation of Harry's retelling of how Voldemort regained his physical body, a sense of foreboding overcame me.
It was with the utmost reluctance that I opened her journal for fifth year. I knew things were about to get darker. It was obvious that things were about to get worse for her because over the past four years she had established herself as someone important to Harry. I knew she would be a direct target of Voldemort's wrath as he attempted to eliminate the last Potter.
I wasn't wrong. I read about her induction as a junior member of the Order of the Phoenix. She never spoke much of her training due to vows of secrecy, but she described it as being intense and tiring. Then, came school where they learned their new Defense teacher was a ministry official. That of course led to them forming Dumbledore's Army or the DA so that her, Harry, and Ron could teach their classmates some of the skills they were being taught by the Order. They didn't want to worry about them not being able to defend themselves.
As she described everything happening with Umbridge, I felt a constant low growl coming from me that I was unable to reel in. I absolutely loathed this cow for how she treated my mate. I just wanted to rip her to pieces. I wanted to make her suffer for the way she took pleasure in forcing my mate to carve 'I must not tell lies' into her hand. I didn't manage to stop snarling until I came to one of the final entries in the journal.
June 12,2006,
We had our O.W.L exams two weeks ago. I think I did well on them considering our Defense teacher sucked and all of the drama with Dumbledore's Army. I actually should have written this entry sooner, but I've just gotten out of the Infirmary. You won't believe how I ended up there.
I immediately stopped reading long enough to sigh in exasperation. Seems like the whole nearly dying thing was cropping up again. I steeled myself for the worst and continued.
It all started when we were taking our O.W.L's. Fred and George were so upset about Umbridge taking over the school that they decided to forgo their N.E.W.T.S and quit. They were supposed to have left that morning, so imagine our surprise when the doors to the Great Hall burst open and fireworks erupt during the last hour of our exam. Their display was really quite spectacular. The best part was when they flew in on their brooms and released one that exploded into a giant dragon. It went right for Umbridge. She took off running in the most awkward prissy manner I've ever witnessed towards the Black Lake. Her garish pink outfit made it possible to view her progress from the highest towers of the castle.
I grinned at this, wishing I had been there to witness it and continued.
While we were all cheering and waving good-bye to the twins, the oddest thing happened. Harry clutched his scar and collapsed in the court yard. Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, and I all stopped to make sure he was alright because he has never lost consciousness when his scar hurt before. When he came back to himself he told us he had another vision.
He had gotten another look into Voldemort's mind (which wouldn't have happened if he would have continued with his Occlumency lessons mind you). In his vision, Voldemort had captured Sirius and was holding him at the Department of Mysteries demanding he hand over something of importance. His vision never showed him what, but it must have been valuable to his cause.
Naturally, Harry freaked out as he is prone to do. He immediately started planning a rescue for Sirius. Of course, just as in the past, Harry's plan only included the showing up part. This is because he improvises everything else and makes snap decisions based on his surroundings. Those sort of plans just work for him. Thinking on his feet and being able to adapt to situations are his strengths.
But they aren't mine so that made me uneasy. My training with the Order has been diverse since I'm currently part of three different divisions. Unfortunately, my training has mostly focused on forming well thought out strategies since I am apart of two divisions that depend on them. But there was just no time and to many unknown factors for me to come up with anything solid. Despite all the risks, despite the really bad feeling I had about this being some sort of trap, I bit the bullet and decided to go. I couldn't just let him run off and get himself killed after all.
From there on, she described how she used the evil toad's aspirations about uncovering a nefarious plot to overthrow the Minister to exact her revenge. That was quite clever on her part and I couldn't be more satisfied with the cruel retribution via Giants and Centaurs that she sought against the vile woman.
Then came her detailed descriptions of the Ministry and their journey to the Department of Mysteries and into the Hall of Prophecy. I could feel her annoyance that they had come all this way for a mere prophecy. Her words depicted how much she detested the idea. Then my eyes widened in horror as I read of the seven figures wearing gleaming skeletal masks closing in on six children.
Here, her writing took on a tinge of fear as she was confronted with six Death Eaters whom had escaped from wizards prison. That grew as the one named Dolohov taunted her…he made it personal and indicated a desire to use her body once he captured her.
I nearly lost it right then at his gross insinuations. My knuckles were white from my grip on the book and my breathing heavy. It took every ounce of restraint I possessed to keep my temper in check. I had to keep repeating that it was in the past and there was nothing I could do about it for a solid five minutes before I was capable of relaxing enough to move on.
I read as she held her own in a battle against him after the Order arrived since the others were too busy helping the DA members who weren't as skilled. I wanted to rip him to shreds when he injured her badly enough to knock her unconscious, with the death of Sirius Black being the last thing she saw.
The guilt she felt regarding that as she recounted her actions was obvious. She felt that she could have done something different to change the outcome. She thought she could have saved him when it was obviously impossible.
I immediately put the journal aside and ghosted to lie beside her on the bed even though I wasn't finished reading. She looked up at me in question and I couldn't form words to describe how I felt. I could do nothing other than wrap her in my arms and pull her tight against my chest. She was so strong and brave. Most people would have cracked by now after going through so much.
I sent her my love, pride, and adoration as I held her close. I just needed to reassure myself that she was here and she was safe no matter what evil she faced in the past. We laid there wrapped around one another without saying a word. I think she understood what I needed better than I did because she radiated a loving mix of emotions as she ran her fingers through my hair in a calming manner. I was a tense statue beneath her as everything I read began to sink in.
It was just too much and I knew that I hadn't even read the worst of it yet.
I didn't move or speak until her father popped his head into the room and reminded us it was a school night. After that I took my time thoroughly kissing her goodnight and headed home.
***I decided to use the original term of Philosopher's Stone since it was only written as Sorcerer's Stone in America***
Once again, Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/alerted this fic. so far. Your reviews inspire me to write!