A retelling of - BuckNC - classic tale …Dragon Heart …as redone by Billybob
Chapter # 26 - - A night with Hermione
Word count this chapter: 4,004
Billybob note: another weekend of educating 'minds full of mush' with the truth about the American 'war to preserve the union' and if you don't know what that was …try this out - the 'war of northern aggression'
Both titles were how the veterans referred to the conflict. To them the modern term did not apply.
Anyway as I won't be around to 'post' on Sunday, you get two chapters today
Enjoy and review.
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Hermione's POV:
Hermione gave the password to the Headmaster's office before she entered in a rush.
"Miss Granger, I'm rather busy right now and you will have to wait until tomorrow." Professor Dumbledore said, as he was packing up a small travel bag with papers and shiny objects.
"Headmaster, I know you're going to see Ron – please - take me with you?" Hermione gasped as she marched into the office to stand in front of the Headmaster's desk.
Dumbledore stopped was he was going and regarded his Head Girl very carefully - before closing his bag and walking over to Fawkes. "I'm afraid I need you here as Head Girl,"
Hermione looked down at her shiny Head Girl badge and studied it intently for a moment - her hand making an instinctive half-motion toward reaching for it - to remove it. The realization of what her hand was doing made her stop as she quickly reconsidered. She noticed out of the corner of her eye - Dumbledore watching her as she put her hand back down and noticed the elderly wizard sigh sadly as she saw just briefly a look of disappointment appear on his face - before speaking to her.
"I need you to patrol the Owlery, hallways, and to prevent your 'opposite number' from sending any messages out of Hogwarts while I'm gone. Not that I believe Hogwarts will be vulnerable in my absence; I just want to keep my travels secret."
"I understand sir. Ah… Headmaster; can you tell Ron for me, about the Friday night readings of his private letters in the Great Hall. He needs to know what's being done without his knowledge or consent. I… I also want him to be 'more careful' and to come back home to Hogwarts."
"I will take your letter's 'suggestion' under advisement, for I do not believe that is 'my secret' to tell, Miss Granger, is there anything else that you want to say to him?"
"No… Headmaster, thank you." Hermione said, and then with head down as if in regret - she left the office, passing Hagrid at the door.
"What a pity" Albus said sadly to Hagrid after his Head Girl had departed, "for a second there - I thought we were going to witness a major break-through in the emotional development of our Head Girl."
Then turning to a small book on his desk entitled; "Love in the Teenage Years" the headmaster pointed his wand at the volume and said.
"Portus!"
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Ron's POV:
Uninterrupted sleep was something Ron didn't have anymore; it was either broken with a nightmares which ended in screaming - due to what had happened to him in the Death Eater Camp, - or - a restless muttering involved in the less violent nightmare of Hermione 'giving herself' willing to someone other than himself - the sounds of her moans of pleasure hurting his soul as badly as a thousand Curcio Curses would do to his body.
Either way; Ron now spent 'one part' of his nightly attempts to sleep involuntarily kicking and stabbing under his sheets in the room he shared with Charlie. As a result - Ron's brother quickly got into the habit of putting a silencing charm on Ron's bed.
As an alternative to tossing and turning - Ron would spend countless hours of restlessness wandering across the grounds of the Headquarters area of the preserve – just to exhaust him-self to the point where even what little sleep he did get - became possible.
The Preserve Healer said this nervous agitation was to be expected, he even warned Ron to expect 'trauma based nightmares' – but what he didn't say was how long this would go on. Thankfully it was Remus who suggested the most useful solution to Ron's sleeping problems.
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Fear was racing through is mind as he could barely hold onto his combat-knife from the wet cold. He couldn't see a thing and the underwater cave reeked of a heavy 'dead' smell. He could barely breathe in Oxygen as he listened to the Spider's excited pincers clicking.
"They're getting closer," thought Ron at that particular moment before he felt a warm breeze on the back of his ear. It was the same feeling that Hermione used to give him as she stood over him to check his homework or to keep him doing what he was supposed to be doing.
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"Er-my-nee, help me," croaked softly Ron from the depth of his nightmarish sleep.
"Shreek."
For some reason, Ron actually heard the sound of a Phoenix in his nightmare above the racket of the Giant Spiders and their clicking pincers. What was even weirder was the heavy lump he felt on his side as he was trashing around in his bed. As Ron's vision returned to him he looked down his side to see what the heavy lump really was. Of course, he thought he was still dreaming as he saw a red and gold Phoenix sitting on top of him. After a few more seconds of looking at the Phoenix he remembered that it looked oddly familiar to him.
"Fawkes?" Ron guessed as to who the bird was. He sat up and the bird squawked breaking the silencing charm
Fawkes screeched again flapped his wings and nodded his head in response to a very surprise Ron.
"Ron, go back to sleep," grumpily ordered his roommate and older brother Charlie from his own bed where he was trying to sleep.
"Ah, I had a feeling Fawkes could find you." Professor Dumbledore announced, with a smiling Hagrid walking behind him, at his door in the middle of the night.
It all seemed surreal to Ron until he reached out and started to pet Fawkes. By now, Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid had entered his room and walked up to his dresser drawer that was pulled out and was being used along with Ron's best jumper as a 'make-do' Phoenix's nest.
"Morning Ron, Charlie - oh look aren't yew a little one." Hagrid remarked to both Charlie and Ron then looked down at the sick blue Phoenix in his nest.
"Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid?" Ron asked as he finally came to terms of them in his room for real at three thirty in the morning instead of inside his dreams.
A small nod from a knowing Professor Dumbledore and a small bite from Fawkes on his finger confirmed it. He looked over at a massive Hagrid about to reach down into the drawer to pick up the blue Phoenix.
"Careful Hagrid, Bonnet doesn't trust people quite yet and with good reason," Ron warned his new visitors.
Ron had made the same lazy mistake of not immediately naming the Phoenix, like he did with Pigwideon or Pig as he now called him. Instead, Ginny named his own Owl, Pigwideon, before he even got a chance and now Jane in kind had named the Phoenix, Bonnet. The Phoenix's feathers had the same color as the wild flower Blue Bonnet that grew in the Preserve's Greenhouse that Jane's mother, Wendy, likes to grow. Without much say against the wishes of a seven-year-old girl, the name stuck.
"It looks like… they tortured her," Hagrid described the sick Phoenix's condition as the knowledge of a poor creature being tortured made Hagrid mad enough to strangle to death the offender.
"They did," answered Ron with a semi-snarl of pure hate - instantly sharing Hagrid's dark mood.
"Hagrid… Professor!" Charlie spoke up from across the room in his own bed now fully awake with a lot more surprise in his voice than Ron. Apparently, Charlie wasn't as accustomed to seeing the eccentric Headmaster in his room in Romania at the middle of the night as his brother was.
"Ah, good morning, Charlie, if you could please go to Vargas and tell him I would like to have an emergency meeting with the Order and all the Eastern Europe Ministers within the hour." Professor Dumbledore requested calmly to an astonished Charlie.
"Er… now sir - - at three thirty in the morning?" Charlie asked after looking at his night clock by his bed and then back over to a commanding Professor Dumbledore picking up one of Ron's Chocolate Frogs by his night stand. After he unboxed the Chocolate Frog and nimbly bite the frog's torso and leg off did he then answered Charlie with a piece of the frog's leg still wiggling outside of his mouth.
"Yes, good point - set the meeting for five instead. I want to pay my respects to Zeus's successor with Ronald and if you could be so kind to show Hagrid his grandchildren before the meeting." Dumbledore corrected himself before he sucked up the last of the frog's leg while laying a hand on Charlie's back as Charlie finally got up to do what the Professor ordered.
"Yes sir, tell Vargas meeting at five. YAWN! Then I'll take Hagrid to Norbert's cave." Charlie answered back with a yawn before leaving the room.
"Thank yew, Professor Dumbledore," added Hagrid changing his mood with a big smiling face at the opportunity of going see his grandkids and Norbert.
"Now perhaps Fawkes can introduce us to Bonnet." Professor Dumbledore suggested after watching Charlie leave in his pajamas and finishing off his Chocolate Frog. He walked slowly back over to Hagrid and Ron's bed next to the drawer. Fawkes flew off Ron's side and over to the edge of the drawer and after a few seconds he shed a tear onto Bonnet.
"She still going to nee a few weeks of healing back at Hog-wart after what she been threw." Hagrid confirmed as he looked down at the blue Phoenix with Ron watching from around him.
Bonnet magically started to get older and grew more feathers in a span of a few seconds.
"Hogwarts - Can't she stay here?" Ron demanded to know, as he watched Bonnet grow more feathers.
Ron, although he wouldn't publicly admit it, had come attached to the Phoenix more than any other pet he has ever had as both of them had suffered tremendously at the Death Eater camp. He looked back over to see Professor Dumbledore smiling at him.
"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley… Ronald - - she will be waiting for your return to Hogwarts as will your friends, the staff, and a great many of the students. All of whom have greatly missed experiencing your insightful humor and wit …first hand …during your absence. The written word sometimes lacks your perfect sense of comedic timing," Dumbledore said proudly while patting a half-awake Ron on the shoulder with a beaming twinkle in his eyes'.
"Missed me? Maybe Ginny and perhaps Harry but-"
"And don't fer-get a certain Head Girl who yew got sick with worry on all yer fighting up here." Hagrid appended while smiling at a confused Ron who'd gone back to wearing his old Chudley Cannons pajamas again just to cover up the all too numerous scars and partially healed wounds - that now covered a large part of his body.
"Hermione?" Ron asked as he turned his stare over to a smiling Hagrid before he answered back. "Nah, if she's upset at all - it's because she has one less Prefect to do patrols every night." Ron quipped a reply not really wanting to even think about how his newest and unofficial sister really felt about him.–
But it was too late now, the Head-girl'sname had been mentioned – her mental image came abruptly to the forefront of his mind – he could almost 'see her' smiling at him the way she did after he'd said something she found amusing. It was the memory of her pretty smile that did it. That smile which set free from the prison he had created in the back corner of his heart - those painful thoughts of unrequited love that he had apparently failed to lock away. In an instant he was back to square one – the day he had arrived, the agony of betrayal and loss'as fresh' as if it had just happened.
"Ronald, let us take a walk to Zeus's old cave during which time - I'll pass on Miss Granger's personal message for you," replied Professor Dumbledore with a knowing smiling at a flinching in pain Ron.
"Ah, yes sir, just let me grab my jacket and grab a extra broomstick for you." Ron remarked after looking down at what he was still wearing.
"No need for a broomstick, at my age I could use the exercise."
"Yes sir, but I got to warn you: Apollo likes me a-bit, but - he can still be real temperamental - especially this early in the morning."
"Aren't we all," Professor Dumbledore stated with an even bigger twinkle in his eyes'.
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Hermione's POV:
Hermione had just walked out of the Owlery tower closing and locking the windows and doors for the night after feeding and watering the Owls inside. As she was dutifully caring-out Professor Dumbledore orders her thoughts turned to her earlier impulsive desire to surrender her Head Badge just to see Ron again. She couldn't believe she almost did it, and wondered if she was getting to obsessive over missing Ron.
It's obvious that he went to Romania to get over me, and Emma or someone like her will probably help him do that, I can't believe that Viktor would help Ron hook-up with pretty cinema starlets' thought Hermione with regret and disdain. That's why he doesn't even read my letters, because he wants to forget about his self-declared sister-figure and move on to someone that will fancy him.
How could I have been so stupid as to say that out loud – calling him a brother limits my options 'severely' upon his return?
Hermione thoughts broke as the noise of three people climbing the steps toward her. Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe emerged from the stairs and were surprised to find Hermione standing in their path to the Owlery.
Hermione spoke up first, "The Owlery is off limits and you are to return to your dorm-"
Draco interrupted with a smile of his that usually made her swoon. "We was just coming up here to make sure it was close, Hermione."
Draco said 'Hermione' the way he used to say it when they were dating as he walked over to her and places his hand on her cheek. What he didn't notice was Hermione pulling out her wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Draco became frozen instantly with his hand still touching Hermione's cheek.
"If you ever, ever touch me again - I'll castrate you!" Hermione swore through her gritted teeth to a frozen Draco as she was barely able to control her anger, before looking over at a shocked Crabbe and Goyle. "As for you two, back to the Dungeons."
"We don't take orders from Mudbloods," snarled a defiant Crabbe.
He was looking with disgust at Hermione as she stepped around a frozen stiff Draco to show them that she had her wand out.
"One week of detention with Mr. Filch for you Vincent - and twenty points deducted from Slytherin! Now, do you care to make it double?" Hermione snapped, not in the least bit afraid of either one of Draco's goons.
Crabbe whipped out his wand, but stopped when he saw Hermione point her wand at his chest.
"Go ahead - Try me," eagerly remarked Hermione.
"You'll pay for this," growled Crabbe before wisely putting his wand back into his robe.
"I've been 'paying-for-it' …every since I was stupid enough to believe in him." Hermione ranted to the both of them as she pointed out Draco behind her. "He's a loser who only cares about himself and his precious family money. I know that now, and the sooner you two figure it out - the better off you will be. Now bugger off!"
Crabbe and Goyle were surprised at her rant and stunning advice, they then turned and looked at one another and then back at Hermione holding her wand out at them. After a few seconds, Crabbe made his first 'intelligent decision' since coming to Hogwarts; he turned and started to leave.
"Let's Go Greg; you know how pig-headed these Muds can be"
"You go-on; I'll meet you in the commons room after a-bit."
Vince Crabbe shrugged his shoulders and walked off into the darkness alone.
"Well Greg, do you have anything else to say?"
"Yeah I do, don't paint all us Slytherin's with the same brush. We aren't all arrogant shite's like Malfoy and Nott. Draco's a huge Git, but his family and mine have been associated for years and my dad 'ordered me' to look after him and all-that. However the distasteful duty my dad gave me- doesn't mean I approve of some of the stuff he's been doing - especially when it comes to his treatment of the ladies".
"I blame your type – did you know that?"Greg bemoaned."If girls like you would give up trying to reform his sorry arse, there would be a lot less broken hearted girls in this place."
Hermione stood there gob-smacked; this was the most she had ever heard out of Gregory Goyle in six years. She was stunned for a moment as she re-gathered her wits to reply.
"I don't stereotype people Greg, that's something that only ferrets do. I should warn you however - Draco here is headed for a bad end, you really would be wise to distance yourself from someone so self severing. He'll sacrifice you and your secret girlfriend to save his own hide at the drop of a hat."
"You know about her?" Greg asked in surprise.
"I'm not as blind as Draco is about such things."
"Oh really – then explain why you didn't notice the painfully devoted red-headed Prat right under your noise." Greg sneered.
"Don't go there Greg" Hermione said in warning, as she turned and levitated a frozen Draco up and over the tower wall.
"If I so much as flick my wand, Draco … my sweet, you will fall over a hundred feet to your death. Blink if you understand."
Draco blinked his eyelids several frantic times.
"Good boy. I don't have time to keep an eye on you and the entire school tonight. Therefore, I'm going to take your wand and lock you up in a broom closet for the night. Now, I better find you still there in the morning or I'm going to give your wand to Professor Dumbledore 'plus' the owl post that I see sticking out of your robes pocket," Hermione said as she snatched the incriminating letter out of Draco's robes.
"I'll bet you were trying to send out an Owl to your Dad's boss, Voldemort. This little note ought to get you expelled faster than you can say trust fund." Hermione declared, as she levitated Draco back on top of the tower and a few feet in front of her as she strolled down to a fifth floor broom closet with Gregory Goyle not ten feet behind her.
Hermione opened up the broom closet and reached in to grab a dirty mop from out of Draco's way as she levitated him inside it. She dropped him down inside the closet and then gave him a small kiss on his frozen lips before saying.
"Thank you, Draco; this has truly been the 'best date' that I ever had with you. It was even better than being your 'Cow' at the Quidditch match."
She pitched the dirty mop head into Draco's frozen face, took his wand from his robe, and slammed the broom closet door closed. She finished with a complex series of locking and silencing spells on the door and was unable to hold back the huge smile from spreading across her face.
"Don't let him out of there Greg, and I meant what I said. You and- -", Hermione paused to look around to make sure they wouldn't be overheard before continuing - -"Pansy are better off not being too closely associated with this Ferret,"
"We know Hermione, but things are real tense right now in Slytherin and its all Ron's doing. I think the headmaster invited us Slytherin's to the readings of his letters precisely because of the way that Potters former 'comical sidekick' has been kicking DE arse over there. You don't read about Death Eater defeats in the Daily Prophet. Dumbledore must be counting on all us 'baby snakes' reporting back to our parents 'news' they wouldn't get anywhere else - sowing the seeds of doubt in the myth of DE invincibility.
"If that's what the headmaster is doing its rather clever." Hermione replied
"He calls himself a pawn on the chessboard – but I see him as a knight knocking over DE castles". Greg said in a tone of admiration. "Now I don't want to have to fight you Miss Head Girl over this, - - but I need that letter you took from Draco. He is going to be suspicious as hell as to why I didn't leave when Vince did and handing him back that letter you took - will save me a whole ton of grief.
"If I turn in this letter and his wand, it would mean his expulsion, and that would mean your relationship with Pansy could come-out into the open." Hermione said seriously considering the idea.
"Don't be daft - - - Dumbledore won't expel Draco, Snape would have a major 'hissy fit', and you know it!" Greg replied. "The newspapers over here may be downplaying the incident – but the Dark Lords recent and very public defeat in Romania has got a lot of the 'pure-blood families' here - rethinking their total commitment to his cause".
"The consensus now is all about staying as neutral as possible for as long as possible in the upcoming war - instead - of being Death Eater proactive... 'right from the off', - but you didn't hear any of that from me".
"Now how about it – do I get that letter or not?" Goyle asked slowly drawing his wand.
"If I give it to you - - will you encourage the 'neutrality idea' among your housemates? Hermione asked hopefully.
"The Red head who's foolish enough to be in love with a bird that publicly calls him and Potter her 'brothers' in all but blood - is promoting that 'way of thinking' far better than anything I could ever say - - - in every ruddy-letter read aloud in the Great HALL," Greg said as he took the letter out of Hermione's unresisting hand and then with a 'friendly wave' he disappeared down a dark hallway.
"My work here is done," remarked Hermione as she gave the closed and locked broom cupboard door a satisfied 'pat' before leaving to conduct the rest of her patrol.
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End Tran – for now