A/N: Okay, so I got NO offers to beta, that kinda got me down a little, but oh well. Oh, any Alias fans? You might recognize bits of the fight scene from one in third season, when she fights herself in the episode "Concious".
Steelo: Yeah, I'll beta for your other story too! I love both of em so far! Thanks for the review!
Harrypotterluvr1: Thanks! Here, just for you!
Shadow's tears: okay! Thanks! I hope you like the chapter.
The Gryffindor Drummer: Thank you, hope you like.
Hollyy: Yay! A new reviewer! Woo hoo! I'm glad you like it so much. Enjoy!
Cheebabomb: You're very welcome, I love your story! Thanks for yours, hehe!
Hermione Charlotte Granger: I was hoping some people would enjoy a little more…I don't know, something else.
D-daygirl: I'm glad people are into the idea of combat, maybe I'll put a little more into it, hint hint! Thanks!
DoNtLetMeGetMe: Yes, it does sound much better that way. Thank you for your review!
Sirusblackshottie: I did, I did!
Draconharrysgirl: I thought about it, but I don't know what I would do for that, or it could be the other way around to change it up a bit! Got any ideas? I would love to hear them! Thanks for the review!
Previously
"I know you are all probably tired from last night's activities," Professor Andreios said at the beginning of the class. "But I ask you to only pay attention. You will not need to take any notes or even participate. Class today will be shorter than usual." Everyone let out a breath of relief. "I am going to pick one or two of you to come up here and engage in physical combat with me."
Hermione slumped, knowing that it was she he was going to pick. He had taught her to fight during the summers.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sparring
"As most of you know, you can't always use magic in a duel. Sometimes your wand will get knocked out of your hand, or if your luck is really bad, it might get snapped and all you'll be left with is your body. Some spells can be ducked, but how about when you and your adversary are both wandless? You can be prepared to beat the shit out of them," he said. "Now, Hermione, if you would like to come up here and help me with a demonstration…"
Hermione sighed and got out of her seat and walked towards the front of the classroom. She took off her outer robes to reveal the black velour track pants and white tank she was wearing. She stood about ten feet across from him, waiting for him to strike, in a defensive pose.
He lunged. In a flash she had pulled her right arm back and thrust the heel of her palm into his nose as he reached her. As one, the class gasped as Andreios put a hand to his face. Hermione smirked at him as he looked up at her.
"I didn't teach you that," he commented, drawing out his wand and reparing his nose with a wave of his wand.
"No, you didn't. That I learned from a movie," she said, grinning.
He rolled his eyes, "Okay, well, what I'm going for is something a little more complicated, do ya think you could do that?"
"Sure. Ready?"
Before he could answer she swung with her right fist. He blocked it with his left forearm and returned her swing with a swing from his own right. Ducking his arm and turning her body towards the right (disengaging her arm from his as she did so) ending up directly in front of him, she brought her left fist down hard so that it would have connected with his groin had he not spun backwards to the left. 2
Finishing the turn, coming back to his original position, he brought his right arm to wrap around Hermione's throat. The path of his arm was impeded as she brought her right arm up to stop it. She jabbed back with her left fist, into his face, through the space between her head and their locked arms. He threw his head back to avoid the punch and the two broke away to their original position, breathing a little harder.
Andreios moved first again, spinning backwards and bringing his foot out to connect with her head. She brought her left arm up to block the kick. In one quick move she had turned her left arm down, forcing his leg to the ground and sprung up from the right to swing at him again. He backed away from her fist and she pulled back to swing with her left, which he caught with his right arm and jabbed at her face, making contact, though it didn't seem to do any damage. Hermione recovered quickly and spun around to bring her right elbow into his stomach, surprising him.
Using his surprise, she twisted her right arm to put her palm on his stomach and brought her left hand to grasp the back of his neck and, surprising the entire class, flipped him onto his back.
Andreios recovered, they lunged at the same time, Andreios swinging with his left, Hermione ducking under his arm and catching him in the stomach, though it didn't seem to faze him. She brought her left arm around and was blocked by Andreios' left catching it and raising it so he could deliver an answering blow to her stomach, then to her face. She stumbled back and doged the next right he threw at her, bringing her right arm under his and bringing her left hand to her back. She brought her knee up to his stomach and spun him around.
He used the momentum and the nearby wall to get away from her. He kicked to the left, almost catching her in the chest, but she turned her body and caught it, bringing her right leg up in return and knocking him back a step. Before he could return a blow, Hermione had gone into a double back-handspring. By the time he recovered, she was far enough away from him to be out of reach and she positioned herself in a defensive stance.
Andreios nodded to her and the class broke into applause. Breathing heavily, Andreios walked over to her. "Well done, Hermione! 20 points to Gryffindor!" He added in an undertone, "I want to talk to you after class." Addressing the class again, "For the rest of the term we will be learning physical combat and we will also be having sparring sessions. These will provide you with practice and a way to gauge your progress. Eventually, when we begin the sparring sessions, we will split into four groups. I'll go into more detail when we get there. You guys can all go now," he said.
Hermione stayed where she was, nodding to Ginny to go on when she looked at her questioningly. She perched herself on the edge of a nearby desk.
"You've been practicing," Rei commented when the room had emptied.
Hermione smiled. "Of course I have. How else do you think I stay in such good shape?" Laughing, she continued more seriously, "It's become an important part of my life. Ever since the Final Battle when it saved my life, I've taken it to a higher level."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I conjured a figure, that looked like you, and fought like you. When I bested it eventually, I added to its ability just a little bit. I added moves that I'd seen from TV shows and movies and even books. And that's just when I couldn't spar with you or Sirius."
"Wow, I'm impressed. I thought you might be better than me by now, but you were never able to beat me that fast before," they both laughed. Turning towards his desk he opened a drawer and pulled out a small gift bag. "This is for you," he said, handing it to her, "it's sort of a congratulatory gift for becoming Head Girl, and it seems very fitting now that you just beat me," he chuckled.
She looked at him, curiously. Picking the tissue paper out of the bag she saw a small wooden box. The design on it was simple but elegant, with a small curling design around the edges of it. She looked up at him in amazement and he laughed.
"That's not even the actual gift. But yes, I know, it's beautiful. Open it."
Opening the box she found a long strand of silver beads. She pulled them out and ran them through her hands. Holding her arms out, elbows locked, at 135 degree angles, the strand of beads hung a little loosely between her hands.
"They're warrior beads. Long ago you had to be the best fighter in your village to wear them."
"I know what they are," Hermione said, smirking.
"What? How?"
"Remember that movie I made you watch, Elektra?"
"Oh, yeah. Never mind. I forgot that you were the one I saw that with. That is where I got the idea," he said.
Hermione wound the beads around her wrist and gave Andreios a hug. "Thank you, I love them!"
"I knew you would. Now get going, or you're going to miss lunch. I'll see you later."
"Bye!" she yelled over her should as she ran out the door, leaving Andreios chuckling behind her.
o
"I'm so glad that we only had one class today," Ginny was saying as Hermione joined her at lunch. "What did Professor Andreios want?"
"Oh, Rei had a gift for me, not Professor to student, as friend to friend."
"Really? What for? What is it?"
"Warrior beads for becoming Head Girl," she answered, showing Ginny the beads.
"Wow, those are gorgeous."
"Yeah. So, we have Quidditch tryouts after lunch, but after that we have the rest of the day to ourselves, right?"
"Yup. What do you want to do?"
"I think I'm gonna just have some 'me time'. Do you mind?"
"Not at all, I was actually going to see if Blaise wanted to hang out."
Hermione grinned, finding the perfect opportunity to start in on Ginny. "So, about you two…"
"Don't even try it," Ginny laughed, getting up.
"Whaddya mean?" Hermione asked, following her out of the Great Hall.
"I mean, you're not going to get anything out of me other than, 'he's a great guy, I really like him and he's a really good kisser'. That's it. Nothing else."
"Okay. Fine," Hermione mumbled. They walked the rest of the way to the Gryffindor common room silently.
Hermione waited for Ginny to change before heading to the Head's dorms to grab their brooms. Ginny had taken up the offer to have her broom in the Head's dorms for safe-keeping gratefully. After Hermione changed, they headed down to the Quidditch pitch where Harry and Ron were waiting with a couple of others.
A/N: Very very short, I know. But I wanted to get this up for you all. Today is my birthday, it's a gift from me to you! Sweet Sixteen! Woot! And again, does anyone want to beta for me?
Kat