Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Supernatural.
February 2010.
Hermione never cared much for Valentine's Day.
It was just a day, she kept saying whenever anyone asked her about her indifference to the day – not that it happened much, since everyone in her immediate friend group knew better than to talk about Valentine's Day with Ginny within earshot.
None of them forgot the dreadful note she sent Harry during her first year at Hogwarts – their second – and he took great pleasure in reminding her of it, endlessly teasing her during the entire day.
Though everyone found it highly amusing, Ginny didn't, and as nobody wanted to find himself on the wrong end of her Bat-Bogey Hex.
Hermione never did truly celebrate Valentine's Day, either.
Of course, if she was in a relationship when the day came, they would note it by going out on a date or something of the sort, but never did she make a special occasion of it. Other than when she was fifteen, during her fourth year of Hogwarts when she and Viktor Krum went to a secluded part of the Castle Grounds to do… things teenagers do on Valentine's Day.
So as Valentine's Day grew closer with no notion from Dean that they were going to do anything to celebrate it, Hermione didn't mind.
After all, even without mentioning how she never cared much for the date, they had some more important things to think about this year.
They had the literal Apocalypse to worry about, of course, and Dean and Sam still shaken from travelling to the past in an attempt to stop Anna from killing their parents – a night Hermione was shocked to hear about, and even more shocked when she discovered Castiel was growing weaker by the day.
Considering everything else they were going through, working a case on Valentine's Day didn't bother Hermione in the least.
Even if the case involved a couple who ate each other. Literally and bloodily ate.
"How'd it go?" Dean asked Sam as he walked back into the motel room after questioning the woman who found the bodies.
Hermione had just finished getting dressed after the fourth shower she took since visiting the morgue's office earlier that day. No matter how much she scrubbed, she couldn't stop the nausea that rose within her at what she and Dean saw there.
It was… horrible.
"No EMF, no sulfur," Sam replied with a sigh. "Ghost possession and demonic possession are both probably out."
"That's where I was putting my money," Dean frowned.
"Nope," Sam replied, handing Hermione the bag of takeaway he brought from a nearby restaurant.
Although the smell was delicious, just the thought of eating anything after what they just saw made Hermione's stomach crawl.
"Well, then what, then?" Dean asked, rubbing his eyes. "At the coroner's… you didn't see these bodies. I mean, these two started eating and they just… kept going. I mean, their stomachs were full. Like – like Thanksgiving-dinner full. Talk about co-dependent."
"Yeah, I could skip the descriptions again, Dean," Hermione said, making up her mind and pushing the food as far away from her as she could. "It was hard enough not to vomit when I saw it for the first time.
Dean grimaced, sending an apologetic look at her direction as Sam went on.
"Well… I mean, we got our feelers out," Sam sighed. "Not much more we can do tonight. All right. I'm just gonna go through some files. You two can go ahead and get going."
"Sorry?" Dean asked.
"Valentine's Day," Sam said, marking between the two of them. "Nauseously in love couple. Isn't this the holiday for people just like you?"
Dean and Hermione exchanged a worried look, both of them now worried that the other one might have wanted to do something to celebrate the day.
"I mean…" Hermione started. "We could… if you want."
"I saw a couple nice restaurants 'round the corner," Dean replied. "But only if you want."
"I…" Hermione said worriedly. "I don't really want."
"Oh, thank God, me too."
They both looked at each other and smiled.
"I love you," Hermione laughed.
"I love you, too," Dean replied.
Sam was certain that if this was a cartoon, their eyes would literally turn into hearts. It was sickening.
"Are you at least going to eat what I brought here?" he asked, and Dean shrugged.
"Not hungry."
"Really?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"You got a problem with that?" Dean asked.
"Just doesn't seem like you," Sam said. "You're pretty much known for being constantly hungry."
"Is there a point coming anywhere here?"
"It's when a dog doesn't eat, Dean," Sam finally said. "That's when you know something's really wrong."
"I really think you just don't understand how disgusting it was at the ME's office," Hermione commented. "I don't think I'll be able to even think about food for the next week without throwing up."
"Nothing's wrong," Dean agreed. "We gonna work or what?"
Hermione nodded, starting to search through the books in her bag for something that might be useful as Dean started rereading through the case-files once more.
Sam didn't take his eyes off them for a few long seconds, looking at them worriedly before realizing neither of them could even tell there was nothing wrong, much less tell him what it was.
Sighing, he got back to his laptop, browsing the internet for something – anything – that could make two people eat each other to death.
That night, another couple died – though by more conventional causes this time. A double suicide, just after the couple seemed to have shot one of their friends.
The oddest part about that was that, according to everyone they questioned, the aforementioned couple only dated for a few days before committing suicide so that they could be together forever.
And Hermione thought her and Dean's relationship used to be unhealthy.
As it was, though, at least from this couple they managed to learn something important – they were marked by Cupid. Or, at least, a Cupid. According to Cas, there were dozens of them, low level Angels charged with making couples fall in love.
And this one turned rough and started killing the couples he was in charge of.
"So, what," Dean said as they sat in a burger place in the middle of town, "you just happen to know he likes the cosmos at this place?"
"This place is a nexus of human reproduction," Castiel said, looking at Dean as he received the burger he ordered from the waitress. "It's exactly the kind of… of garden the Cupid will come to… to pollinate," he went on, occasionally distracted by Dean's burger.
The hunter in question lifted his burger to his lips before slowly putting it back down. Hermione nibbled on some of his fries, still unable to eat without remembering the couple who ate each other.
"Still not hungry?" Sam asked.
"No," Dean replied, frowning when he saw the look Sam was giving him. "What? I'm not hungry."
"Then you're not gonna finish that?" Castiel asked, not waiting for a reply before grabbing the burger from Dean's plate.
Just as he was about to take a bite, however, he paused and looked around the Diner.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
"He's here," Cas said, nodding in the general direction of one of the side tables.
"Where?" Sam asked. "I don't see anything."
"There," Cas said, marking at the same direction again.
"You mean the same-side-of-the-booth couple over there?" Dean asked.
"Meet me in the back," was all Castiel replied, disappearing within a moment.
Hermione and Dean shared a knowing look, standing up and heading towards the back of the Diner. Sam followed shortly after, though not before taking a long, longing look at his uneaten salad.
"Cas, where is he?" Sam asked as they walked into the back, seeing Cas staring intently at something by the wall, his hand raised up as though he was using his powers.
"I have him tethered," Cas replied. He chanted a few words in Enochian before adding, "Manifest yourself."
Slowly, Castiel lowered his hand, looking around.
"So, where is he?" Dean asked, just about to take a step forward when someone grabbed him from behind, pulling him into a hug so tight he lifted him off the ground.
"Here I am!" Cupid called happily.
"Help!" Dean called out immediately.
"Oh, help is on the way," Cupid said, hugging Dean even tighter. "Yes, it is. Yes, it is."
"Is he naked?" Hermione asked. "Why is he naked?!"
"Hello, you!" Cupid went on, either not hearing her or ignoring her as he moved to hug Cas just as tightly.
"This is Cupid?" Dean asked.
"Yes," Cas asked sounding like he was in physical pain from the Cupid's hug.
"And look at you, huh?" Cupid turned to Sam, who tried to escaped only to be caught in a hug, as well.
"No," Sam tried, almost desperately.
"Yes!" Cupid insisted. "Yes, yes, yes! And, oh, aren't you a special one?" he asked, turning to Hermione, who knew what was coming even before Cupid wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm being hugged by a naked stranger," she said, sending a look towards Dean in a silent request to get her out.
"Is this a fight?" Dean asked, shaken. "Are we in a fight?"
"This is… Their handshake," Castiel said.
"I don't like it," Dean replied.
"No one likes it."
"Hmm," Cupid said, finally letting Hermione go. "What can I do for you?"
"Why are you doing this?" Cas asked, cutting right to the chase.
"Doing what?" Cupid asked.
"Your targets – the ones you've marked – They're slaughtering each other."
"What?" Cupid asked, and Hermione didn't think she imagined the heartbroken look in his eyes. "They are?"
"Listen, birthday suit, we know, okay?" Dean said. "We know you been flittin' around, popping people with your poison arrow, making them murder each other!"
"What we don't know is why," Castiel added.
"You think that I…" Cupid started, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Well, uh… I don't know what to say."
He turned away from them, starting to silently cry in the corner.
"Should…" Sam started. "Should somebody maybe… go talk to him?"
"Great idea," Hermione said quickly before any of them could volunteer her to the task. "Go ahead, Cas."
Cas sent Hermione a glare that wasn't completely angry, but wasn't lacking malice, either. Nevertheless, he walked closer to Cupid, patting him on the shoulder awkwardly.
"Um…" he tried. "Look. We didn't mean to, um… hurt your feelings."
Almost immediately, Cupid jumped on Castiel with another naked hug.
"Love is more than a word to me, you know!" he said through the tears. "I love love. I love it! And if that's wrong, I don't want to be right!"
"Yes, yes," Cas said. "Of course. I, uh… I have no idea what you're saying."
"I was just on my appointed rounds," Cupid said, finally letting go. "Whatever my targets do after that that's nothing to do with me. I- I was following my orders. Please brother. Read my mind. Read my mind, you'll see."
There was a moment of silence while Cas read the Cupid's mind, and then, "He's telling the truth."
"Jiminy Christmas," Cupid smiled. "Thank you."
"Wait, wait," Dean cut in. "You said… You said you were just following orders?" cupid nodded with a smile. "Whose orders?"
"Whose?" Cupid laughed. "Heaven, silly. Heaven."
"Why does heaven care if Harry meets Sally?"
"Oh, mostly they don't," Cupid shrugged. "You know, certain bloodlines, certain destinies. Oh, like yours."
"What?" Sam asked, confused.
"Yeah, the union of John and Mary Winchester," Cupid went on. "Very big deal upstairs, top priority arrangement. As well as…" he marked between Dean and Hermione, making them both frown.
"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione asked.
"Are you saying that you fixed-up our parents?" Dean asked.
"Well, not me," Cupid shrugged. "But… Yeah. Well, it wasn't easy, either. Ooh, they couldn't stand each other at first. But when we were done with them – perfect couple."
"Perfect?" Dean repeated.
"Yeah!"
"They're dead!"
"What do you mean you guys set us up?!" Hermione asked. "Why would you do that?"
"Well, if we hadn't, you wouldn't have sold your soul for him, would you?" Cupid asked. "Small actions have big consequences in those things, you know. And look at you now… A match made in heaven," he added in a sing-song voice.
"You little –" Hermione started, though Dean beat her to the punch – quite literally.
His fist collided with Cupid's face. Though it didn't seem to bother Cupid in the slightest bit, Dean held his aching hand.
"Son of a bitch!" he called out, turning around again to see Cupid disappeared.
"Where is he?" Dean asked. "Where'd he go?!"
"I believe you upset him," Cas replied.
As Dean, Sam and Cas continues to bicker, Hermione could help but keep staring at where Cupid had been just moments ago.
If Heaven really was the reason she and Dean were together… what did it say about them?
Another horseman. This time, it was Famine – and damn if he didn't know just how to hit them where it hurt.
He sent Demons after Sam, knowing full well that he would succumb to his addiction and feast on their blood. Castiel was put down with a large pile of uncooked burgers, the hunger of his vessel bleeding through.
And as for Dean and Hermione… well, let's just say he had a lot to say about their lack of appetite.
"You're not hungry, Dean, because inside, you're already… dead," he told Dean, and Hermione didn't have to look at him to see his façade breaking, ever so slightly. "And you… starving for recognition, what else? All your life… recognition from your peers, your friends, your family… lost between two worlds and wanting nothing more than to belong, only to be looked down at wherever you turn."
Hermione couldn't deny she was more than a bit relieved when Sam walked in and used the powers he received from drinking Demon blood to take Famine down.
The next day found all of them back at the Salvage Yard, Sam once again locked in the Panic Room as he went through yet another withdrawal. Hermione laid on the bed in her room, having cast several silencing charms on the walls to keep from hearing his screams.
She wasn't sure how long she was there before she heard a knocking on the door. Looking up, she saw Dean standing at the entrance, looking at her worriedly.
"May I come in?" he asked, and Hermione nodded, moving to a sitting position.
Dean sat next to her, looking at her intently for a few moments before speaking.
"What's going on, Mya?" he asked. "And don't try to tell me there's nothing. You barely said a word since we left the town."
"It's –" Hermione started, only to pause when she realized she really was about to say it's nothing. "I've just been thinking."
"What about?" Dean asked. Hermione stayed silent, and he sighed. "Mya, if this is about what Famine said, you shouldn't let it get to you. He was just trying to throw us off."
"It's not that," Hermione said. "It's… it's what Cupid said. About how… how we were matched by Heaven."
"Okay…" Dean said slowly. "And?"
"Really?" Hermione asked. "You seriously don't see how wrong this is? With all our talk about 'Team Free Will', we didn't even really choose to be together!"
"Didn't we?" Dean asked. "I mean, I get what you're saying. Someone else chose for us to fall in love – or whatever. But we haven't been a couple for a very long time, until very recently. And I don't know about you, but I'm not with you because of some Heavenly Plan, I'm with you because I want to."
"And I want to be with you," Hermione said. "But I –"
"Does it feel real to you?" Dean asked. "What we have. Does it feel forced, or does it feel real?"
"It feels real," Hermione admitted.
"Then it's real," Dean said. "And I don't want to hear another word about it. Now, let's go downstairs," he added, standing up and offering her his hand. "Your Dad's worried and I'm pretty sure if I come back down alone I'll get chewed out for it."
Hermione laughed, accepting Dean's hand and letting him lead her downstairs.
It felt real, so it was real. That was all that matters.
And if it ever felt like it wasn't enough… well, she'll just have to learn how to make it be.