The rain poured down a thin gray haze on the other side of the window. The slow rumble of distant thunder that had woken him faded out into nothingness. Once again he had found himself in the compromising situation of being entangled with Hermione Granger early in the morning. At least he wasn't trapped under her this time.
He sighed as he debated on how to best extract himself. She had rolled up close to him at some point in the night pressing her back to him and shimmied herself to meld against his body. Her neck was butter soft where it brushed against his nose before disappearing under her shirt. The waves of warmth pushing off her body made him uncomfortable in all the right ways and he found himself needing to beat a hasty retreat for a cold walk in the rain.
Snaking his arm out from under her he had managed to unknot them without too much fuss. Pinned against the wall he weighed his options and decided there was not a much better choice available. He was setting about arranging himself to crawl over her in an undignified arch when she rolled onto her back, letting out a honey sweet sigh. His breath hitched as she murmured something silently, watching the pale coral pink lips worry over some imagined problem, likely involving some impossible level of magic she didn't need to know if she would just leave well enough alone. They slid into a gentle smile so fleeting it could have been imagined. Not a knowing smile, not a witty punctuation. A genuine, innocent smile born from just the sort of things your usual everyday happiness was. He wanted that happiness, he wanted the simplicity of it.
Before he could think to stop himself he dipped down, just barely brushing his lips against hers, a shot of electricity bolting through his brain. With a start, he practically threw himself over her and onto the floor, landing with a muffled thump. He froze in shocked terror as the blankets above him shifted. He was sure she would be awake any moment to hex him into a pig or some equally disgusting animal just as he deserved. What did he think he was doing? He was a condemned fool, just taking what he wanted without pause! She was right, he was a child. An arrogant, lecherous child and now he couldn't even try to deny it.
When the rustling settled down with an exhale of breath he allowed himself one as well. Leaning back with his knees pulled up near his chest, he let his head loll back onto the mattress. He wished he could say he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt her hand drift across the mattress, searching for him, before tangling it in his hair. Instead he simply leaned into her fingers, strands of hair falling onto his forehead while exhaling a contented, selfish sigh. A still sleeping Hermione murmured in response before falling still. His mind was running at a thousand thoughts per minute, but the principal one was the most dangerous of all.
"Fuck."
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Over the next few days they mapped the village. The goal was to find the best way to supply food and other materials that couldn't leave the village but were real while within it. They had set a plan of attack to watch various parts of the village and learn the patterns the people looped through each day. They found that even when a direct interaction was interfered with, the villager found a way to return back to their pre-walked path. Even when Draco had accidentally been seen casting a vanishing charm on the remains of their lunch the public outcry had been subdued and forgotten by dinner. While the small town made this easy to catalog they quickly ran into the issue of having nothing at all to do before the workers got in. Most people from the town did indeed work in the fields and when followed to the edge of the road boundary they simply vanished before reappearing at the end of the day.
Not one to waste a day Hermione had taken to researching what information they had discovered. She was currently digging through a copy of the Grimm's work hoping for some information on the hunt. Not that she necessarily minded sleeping with him, he was warm and she felt safer wrapped around him than she had in years. Plus she woke up every day to a very befuddled and awkward Draco which was deeply entertaining from the otherwise composed man. She had shared beds with both Ron and Harry throughout their lives of course. Sometimes even as tangled up as she had been with Draco, taking comfort in the warmth of another human. This was different though.
He had gotten even stiffer than usual about it after the second night, going to bed nearly dressed and with the least amount of contact between them as possible. It was pointless though, at some point in the night she always awoke cold and managed to find a way to wiggle under his arm. He would instinctively pull her close and a quiet rumble would vibrate down his chest. In a weird sort of way it made her proud, though she knew it was only because of whatever magic kept pushing them together.
They had spent the morning wandering the fields and edge of the forest for potion ingredients and had not come up empty handed. An obscenely high number of magical plants grew just at the tree line although it always felt like there was a nice patch of whatever she was collecting growing further in if she would just take a few more steps. Hermione resisted the urge every time.
She looked up at the looming forest from the other side of the river and shivered. They have made slow improvements to the mill, changing the wooden walls to halfway decent stone. It wasn't as if they had to worry about any muggles coming around to ask questions did they? They had worked remarkably fast considering the amount of work permanent transfiguration took. Hermione was fairly certain that the Black Forest had something to do with that. What she had mistaken for dark magic upon arrival had shown itself to be… not necessarily light magic but very old and very powerful. Even as she sat on the bank reading she felt the forest swell, calling for her. The air around her became hazy and heady with power.
She turned her gaze from the woods and forced it back to the book. She had been reading a chapter about water spirits while Draco took a nap inside. He had taken to lying down for about an hour each afternoon after the business with the hunt started. She wasn't sure if they had stopped coming or not but he spent the whole night wrapped around her anyway. She tried not to blush as she thought of this morning position. At some point in the night she had rolled off him, removing her hand and risking his safety. Thankfully he had rolled over too and laced his arm around her pulling her tight against his chest and melding their bodies together with an increasing familiarity. It was a natural reaction she supposed.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an increased gurgling from the stream. She looked up from the novel to check the water wheel only to be stunned by a small blue-black pony drinking by the stream.
His near floor length white mane dripped with water, as he raised his head to nicker softly at Hermione. Big aqua eyes glistened with patience and kindness of a well loved pet. Hermione's heart instantly softened as she looked at the innocent creature. Probably left by someone in the villages ages ago and somehow bred out. She had always held a soft spot for animals, one only needed to look at Crooks to see that she favored the castaways and forgotten.
She let the book on her lap fall away as she approached the animal slowly while muttering calming sounds. There was no need though, the sweet creatures pranced along in the shallows as if happy to draw anyone's attention.
"You're a dramatic little thing aren't you? Quiet the showman. You remind me of a wizard sleeping in that cabin over there." The small unimposing horse, sweet natured as could be, simply huffed lightly. Hermione felt the water lap lightly at her ankles wondering how such a sweet docile creature could have survived alone for so long. He must have had some sort of old stable to shelter in.
"Come now dear. We will take care of you." Finally within touching distance she placed her palm on the horse's rump. A vague childhood memory of her mother always warning her to let the horse know where you were spurring her on. The hair was supple and clean, not even a fleck of dust marred the pristine white surface. She hoped Draco had a stable at the manor. If not... could you keep a pony on a roof? With the proper fencing of course. Well, she would manage.
"Aren't you such a beautiful thing?" She traced her hand up the creature's body, feeling the muscles twitch softly underneath its skin. When she reached its head the small pony nuzzled softly into her hand. "You poor thing, not much use to anyone now are you? I bet you used to be a fair pony. So patient and soft, even the most timid of children would ride you."
The horse seemed to nicker in agreement, splashing around in the knee deep water. Hermione wasn't sure when she had waded into the deepest part of the small stream. She hoped the poor beast hadn't been backing away from her. She didn't want to be too pushy.
"Would you like a ride?" Hermione asked, trying to dredge up memories of the last time she had ridden. She had been six and it ended poorly. But with a sweet little boy like this how bad could it be? What use was a saddle anyway? "You'll be good won't you?"
The pony nickered enthusiastically falling to one knee so she could mount it. With a soft smile Hermione braced herself. "Such a smart boy too."
"Hermione! No!" She had barely hefted her leg over the creatures back when it took off at a gallop. She barely registered the sheer panic from Draco as she went flying past in a blur of colors and a shameless scream. The creature moved in water like it was born for it, breaking across the surface in the steady thundering of hooves. With a cry she tried to throw herself off only to find herself all but glued to the horse's back a frightful distance from the speeding current. She noted that she the animal under her appear to have grown at least another meter and was now towering above the surface. Whatever this creature was, it was most certainly not a harmless pony.
"-totalis." Hermione felt the jinx hit, binding her muscles for only a moment before the sharp pain of a shattered spell broke around them. The horse barely stumbled. Branches whipped at her face as the beast recovered, thin streaks of pain shooting across her skin. They were moving too fast. Faster than natural.
"Draco! Help!" She cried eyeing the widening mouth of the river. The drop off between the stream and the lake was massive, emptying to a reservoir deep enough for the creature to drown and taking her with it.
"Incarcerous!" The horse stumbled as the hobble tied around its front legs shorted it stride. A second shot of the spell tied it tightly to an overhanging branch of an oak tree. Already Hermione could feel the thick tension of magic ready to snap. Draco appeared up the bank with a stumbling crack, rapidly flipping through her discarded book.
"It's the Nixe! What do I do?" He cried rapidly scanning the index.
"No idea!" Hermione cried as the ties snapped, sending them careening towards the lake with renewed purpose. "The lake!" The wide mane her hands had tangled in began to fade leaving a vague outline of water. It was at that moment Hermione realized that they wouldn't drown at all. She was the only one heading to a watery grave.
"Shite! Don't move!" She heard Draco call behind her as he cried out the dual echo of a spell. "Diffindo!"
The nixe cried out as two perfect cuts appeared on its thick neck forming a crude cross. Its solid form had almost disappeared as it rocketed ahead ready to leap into a the placid lake. Hermione's heart pushed its way into her throat, muting any sound.
"STOP!" Draco's voice shouted out in a tone that indicated he was expected to be listened to. The horse lurched to a halt, a half meter away from the drop off that emptied into the lake. If Hermione hadn't been stuck to the horse she would have gone flying into it. As it was she could see the glimmer of fish scale, flickering in and out of the murky depths. Her own breathing matched the pant of the horse and she could only stare ahead as the sound of splashing drew closer.
"Let her down." Immediately Hermione felt her body loosen, held up only by the sticking charm, she all but fell into Draco's waiting arms. She may have been embarrassed if it weren't for the fact she was too utterly exhausted to care. As it was she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, allowing his body weight to support hers. Already the deep red wound on the now rather large horse was healing over.
"Transform." Draco responded looking at the creature with suspicion, her book held open in his palm as he supported her with the other arm. The creature paused only a moment before melting down into the water and reforming.
Before her stood a painfully beautiful young man. Hermione would have just put him at 17 with big watery eyes and stark dark hair. His pale skin was completely unblemished except for the bleeding red 'x' carved into his neck, shrinking quickly. Hermione was saved any indecency by the waist deep water but judging by the pale coloring underneath he was naked as well.
"I was so close, wizard." The nixe breathed still frozen in place. His timbre of his voice sounded calming and sensuous, like water if it could purr. She would have been entranced if she hadn't already been captured by him once.
"To drowning the bint! Why on earth would you do that?" Draco growled. Hermione tried not to feel touched as his grip around her tightened. His hand shook lightly as it pressed into the curve of her waist.
"I wasn't going to drown her. Just take her to the kingdom below." The youth rolled his eyes as if they were inconveniencing him by not just dying peacefully.
"What do you want with me?" Hermione questioned, her teeth chattering in the cold water.
The nixe ignored her, focusing on a small shellfish darting under a rock in the water. He licked his lips and Hermione felt but enthralled and terrified at the motion. Magic crackled around the creature warning of danger and power.
"Answer her." Draco commanded. Venom leaked into his voice and she couldn't hold back the flinch. It was always a bit too much of the past when he spoke like that. When he looked down with a worried glance, his eyes filled with nothing but concern, she allowed herself to relax.
"I want nothing. But the forest…" The nixe looked reverently towards the towering woods and Hermione felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the late spring air.
"Tell her." Draco commanded forcefully. "Tell her what the forest wants!"
It was too late. Hermione gasped as the wound on the boy's neck fully closed and he smiled cruelly. Freed from his confinement, he reared back, changing instantly into the massive horse prepared to dash his heavy hooves into their huddled form only to fall over them as a cold but ultimately harmless wave of water. She waited for him to reappear, Draco attempting to drag her towards the banks. After a few seconds, Hermione came back to herself, all but scrambling out of the water.
"What in the hell is going on around here?" She collapsed on the bank a good distance back from the water. She eyes the river watchfully as Draco dragged himself next to her.
"Why on earth would you try to ride a nixe?!" He shouted, shivering from the icy water. She pulled out her wand casting a weak warming spell over them. He was positively shaking. "Do you have any idea how terrifying that was?"
"Yes! I do, considering I was on it!" She shouted back letting the fear motivate her. "Stupid magic. I thought it was a horse. Why can't a horse just be a horse?!"
"And you just randomly jump on any horse you see?" He scoffed.
"Clearly there was so sort of compulsion magic around him." She hissed, her breath ripped from her lungs with every inhale. "He looked so impossibly gentle and sweet when I saw him."
"I will buy you every horse in England as long as you promise to never do anything that fucking dangerous again. I don't know how Potter did it! What would I do if you were dead? Did you even bother to think about that?" Her heart pinged and all the fight left her as she stared at him. His hand had come up to rest on her cheek and was turning her head gently inspecting for damage. She shivered as his fingers ran over the light scratches with a frown. His eyes burned with a fierce protectiveness and his breath coming out in heavy pants giving his usually ivory cheeks a pleasant blush of color. It really was unfair that he was so uniquely beautiful, it made winning arguments easy.
"T-trust me." She stammered out, definitely from the cold. "I will never be riding a horse ever again."
Apparently deciding she was undamaged he handed back her book with shaking hands. She couldn't even pluck up the nerve to be offended that he had gotten it a bit wet. They stared at each other for a moment linked by the mass of paper and leather before Draco hauled her up, much to her protest.
"Look, night is falling and I don't want to be out here when hypothermia sets in." He cast another weak warming spell as they stumbled back to the cabin. Hermione was glad, he would probably want to go to sleep early after all that and she could use the security, not that she would tell him that.
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Hermione had staked out a position on the West of town near a home that apparently held the community tub for washing clothes. She wished she had learned more about muggle history so she could better pinpoint the time period these people were trapped in. She stepped off the street exactly as three young women exited the door.
"And I heard he was going with Mila." The eldest of the bunch couldn't have been more than eighteen with long blonde hair she let flow freely. The other two appeared to be sisters, one around sixteen with bright blue eyes and mousy brown hair and the other barely ten and struggling behind a basket of washing. They were about to stay something else when they noticed Hermione.
"Oh, hello there." The eldest offered. "I don't think we have met?"
"Oh no." Hermione responded trying to match the demure yet friendly nature of the leader.
"My brother and I are visiting town and I find it awfully lonely. Everyone is out in the fields and my brother only wants to talk about books and his research."
"Oh you poor thing!" The mousy girl responded nodding along. "I heard about you this morning, stuck travelling with a boy for so long. You must be dying for some feminine company. Join us!"
"Yeah! We were just about to talk about the Blacksmith's son in-" The elder pair hushed the youngest with a blush.
"None about that." The eldest offered adjusting her basket on her hip and setting out at an amble. "Where are the two of you staying? I don't know if you've spoken to anyone yet but there is no inn here."
"The old mill on the edge of town." Hermione answered, taking the overbearing basket from the young girl. She had hair to match her sister with bright brown eyes.
"Mama says it's haunted!" She supplied helpfully.
"Hush you. There is no such thing as ghost, the pastor said so." The golden haired one snarked. Hermione hearty warmed watching the interaction. She had never had sisters but she imagined this was what she was missing out on.
"Oma says there are spirits." The young girl continued seeing a captive audience in Hermione. "She says they live in the woods and they steal children who misbehave."
"Then why haven't they taken you." The middle girl questioned sticking her tongue out.
"Oma says they took-." Hermione flinched at the aggressive buzzing, tightening her grip on the basket. "That her soul is gone and that's why-."
"Quiet." The eldest hissed. Apparently this was significant to the child as she immediately shrank back. "We don't talk about such things, it is blasphemous."
Before Hermione could press a loud bell rang in the distance, a murmur of voices in the square grew from the silence, notifying the town of the daily spectacle in the square.
"Let's go see what it is!" The middle girl started with excitement.
"Probably just BUZZ with another display of his hunting prowess." The blonde girl commented with a light blush. "In any event let's head over."
As if Hermione had ceased to exist, they set off away from her, on to their next daily task. The basket of laundry disappeared from her arms and reappeared in the young girls hands as they set out on the road. If the blonde girl fancied that boy she would never get a chance to tell him if she hadn't already. They would keep reliving the same day and have the same conversations over and over again, ultimately unable to veer too far from it. Hermione watched until they disappeared back into their pre-locked lifestyle, wondering if she was really any different.
World Building with Om
Net a Nixe
The Nixe is a water spirit known throughout Europe. It is also called a Neck. The horse is known to bait people into the water but when grabbed or touched it will drag a person to their deaths. Some are known to have a human form to draw unsavory men and women to their doom. In some iterations if you mark it with the sign of the cross it will be under your dominion.