Chapter Two.
Tuesday, 6/24/2001.
Hermione awoke the next morning by a gentle tapping on the door, and she eventually slid out of bed as she rubbed the sleep out of her eye's. She was still dressed from the night before. Except that her hair had fallen loose, and was partly framing her face.
She carefully pulled the door open, only to sigh in relief when her eye's immediately fell onto Eden. Who was sitting on her cart with a big warm smile on her shimmery glassy face.
"Ah, good morning, Poppet!," she kindly exclaimed as Hermione greeted her with a smile, then stood aside to let her roll her cart through the door, and into the room.
"Did you manage to get any sleep?," she asked eagerly a moment later as she turned her cart around to face her as Hermione shut the door before reluctantly turning back to face her.
"More than I should have," she admitted regrettably as Hermione crossed her arms over her chest in shame.
Eden flashed her a sad smile.
"It's understandable, dearie, after the day you've had yesterday," she declared sorrowfully as Hermione puffed out an incredulous breath.
"Try the last five years of my life," Hermione countered regrettably with a sigh as she brushed her hair away from her face to try and tame it a little.
Eden only gave another sad smile before making a smacking noise with her mouth.
"Well, you look much better. More..refreshed," Eden sweetly complimented as Hermione flashed her a kind smile in return.
"Thank you, you're very kind," Hermione softly responded in admiration as Eden beamed at her. Though she didn't feel it. Not mentally at least. Inwardly she was still a wreck of emotions.
"Well, it's not everyday..when we have a guest," she warmly remarked. Though there was still a sad look in her glassy eye's, and Hermione glanced down at her hands that she started to fidget with in sympathy.
"I can imagine not," she muttered coolly before glancing sadly up at Eden, only to see her rasing an eyebrow at her. Similar to Professor McGonagall's as Hermione awkwardly shifted on her feet.
"Sorry, I just-, I can't see him the way you do," Hermione stated apologetically with a slight shake of her head before glancing regretfully up at Eden. Who smiled softly.
"I understand. He's a very difficult man, but a good one underneath, if you reconsider?," Eden hopefully encouraged again as Hermione dropped her eye's to her hands once more before shaking her head with knitted eyebrows.
"I don't know, Eden, I never thought that he could be more cruel," she stubbornly replied in a cold voice as she glanced up to look around the room before bowing her head to stare at the floor.
"If something were to happen to my father...while I wasn't there, I will never forgive him," she added bitterly at the thought as tears pricked at her eye's before she gazed back up into Eden's sad, glassy orbs. Causing her thin shaped eyebrows to quirk at the hardness in Hermione's.
Meanwhile...
Up in the West end of the manor, Severus Snape once again, unwillingly peered into the mirror to check in on her. Though only to catch the end of her conversation with Eden.
Hermione's words, and the hatred in her eye's kept replaying in his mind. "I will never forgive him." It angered him the more it seemed to bother him, and he snarled as he glared into the mirror at her, his grip on it was so tight, that it caused the mirror to crack diagonally. Blocking out the bottom half of her face.
("Oh, come now, Poppet, I am sure..your father will be fine,") he heard Eden say through the mirror a couple moments later to try and reassure Hermione after she had wiped the tears out of her eye's with a sniffle, and glanced back up at her before sighing and turning away from her with one hand on her hip while the other tangled itself worriedly in her slept in hairdo.
("We don't know that for sure, I mean, I'm Harry Potter's best friend. There are death eater's out there, and I cannot protect him. My father is out there, helpless, and all alone, and I'm stuck here,") Hermione anxiously replied to her as she shook her head before finally dropping her hand back down at her side, and turning around to face Eden with furrowed eyebrows as she motioned towards the window in frustration. Then she wrapped her arms around herself before reaching up to massage her forehead.
He watched with a scowl, and even through the crack in the mirror, he could tell that she was fighting back more tears, and it irritated him when he felt a twinge of guilt in his chest. But he pushed it away as he rolled his eye's before he set the mirror down on to the marble stone table with a low growl. Clearing the mirror vacant of it's picture.
He had seen, and heard enough.
Meanwhile...
"Try not to worry, dear, surely your friends will look after him...until you return," Eden remarked to comfort her like their conversation through the mirror went unknown to them as Hermione continued to massage her forehead until she finally sighed in defeat while wrapping her arms around herself again, and glancing down at the floor once more with a frown. She was right. One way or another, she was going to see her father again. If Snape wouldn't let her go, then she would find a way.
"Now, how would you like a cup of tea, hm?," Eden warmly offered to lighten the mood, and or change Hermione's thoughts as she motioned her spout to the empty tea cup on the tray next to her before adding,
"I also brought blueberry and lemon poppy seed muffins!," she stated cheerfully as Hermione glanced up to flash her a friendly smile.
"That sounds lovely," Hermione softly replied with a nod of her head as Eden beamed at her. Then she rolled her cart over to the small table as Hermione followed and took a seat before serving up her tea.
Fifteen minutes later...
They kept conversation light, but now that she was fed and content, Hermione wiped her hands on the skirt of her dress as Eden observed her thoughtfully, and nervously before opening her mouth to speak.
"It's not quite..what you are use to, I suppose?," she claimed sheepishly as Hermione glanced unexpectedly up at her and quirked her eyebrows.
"I'm sorry?," Hermione asked in confusion until Eden's eye's flickered from her head to her feet as if she were trying to nod in motion to her dress.
"Your dress," Eden bashfully replied as Hermione's eye's lit up in realization before she glanced down at herself, and chortled.
"Oh, no, I suppose it isn't, but it was the only thing I thought would be appropriate," Hermione sweetly declared with a slight blush as she tucked her hair behind her ear before her eye's regrettably flickered over towards the window, and the storm outside, then around at the elegance of the room.
Eden flashed her a kind, but sad smile as she blinked at her in agreement.
"I'm afraid...we don't have anything that would be more comfortable..to your liking," Eden remarked in regret as her voice progressively grew softer before she paused for a moment to glance swiftly in the direction of the large wardrobe as if it would hear her.
"You see, the wardrobe..has only been stocked with formal wear..unfortunately," she continued in a whisper this time as Hermione watched her strangely with knitted eyebrows in bemusement, and curiosity while Eden's eye's kept flickering towards the wardrobe.
That's when it hit her. It took a moment, but as she glanced back and fourth between Eden and the wardrobe, Hermione realized then that they were not alone. It was alive like them.
She gasped slightly as she turned to face Eden.
"You mean..it's-," Hermione started to say in a hushed voice before Eden amusedly shushed her. Then quietly rolled her cart closer to the wardrobe as Hermione carefully stood up from the small table to follow in awe.
Eden sat there silent for a moment, then she flashed Hermione a cheeky grin, but before she could react, Eden called out to the wardrobe.
"Oh, Amelia!, wake up, dearest!, we need your help on clothing advice!," Eden joyfully exclaimed before the wardrobe's wooden doors flew open with a sudden whooshing sound as it bursted into a merry tune of Oprah while it's arms sprang out as if out of nowhere. Causing Hermione to gasp as she jumped back with a squeal in surprise.
"Why of course!, my lovely!, what can I do for you?," exclaimed the wardrobe in a thick, overjoyed Scottish accent. It was a woman's voice, and she beamed as she held her arms out to Eden. However, she was yet to notice Hermione through her swaying doors.
Eden chuckled before she flashed Hermione a wink out of the corner of her eye as Hermione stood there panting to catch her breath.
"I'm sorry to wake you, dear, I just wanted you to meet our new guest," Eden kindly replied to her with apologetic eye's. Though they were filled with excitement as she turned to motion her spout to Hermione.
Oh!," the wardrobe exclaimed in surprise as she turned slightly to finally lay her eye's on Hermione while holding her doors back from getting in her view before reaching forward to pull her closer by her upper arms for a better look.
Hermione gasped once more at being suddenly jerked forward before she gently started to turn Hermione's jaw from side to side as if in examination.
"Well, what a remarkable beauty you are, dearest, oh, Eden, the master will have no choice now!," she gushed wondrously before she finally let go to shake her wooden arm's in excitement as Hermione's breath hitched.
Taken aback, and confused, Hermione then turned to look questioningly down at Eden, who's face turned bashful for a moment before she flashed her a beaming smile.
"Amelia, meet Hermione Granger," Eden announced as she turned to face the wardrobe. Who's eye's widened like she had just noticed her for the first time while Hermione's expression however, fell slightly in defeat before Eden turned back to address her as Hermione forced a friendly smile. Despite her disappointment.
"Poppet, this..is Madam Amelia Greene, the master's seamstress, and Stanley's wife," Eden continued as Hermione's eyebrows quirked in surprise before she turned to face the wardrobe.
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you," Hermione spoke sweetly as she nervously fiddled with her fingers with a kinda smile.
"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Granger, you and your friends are quite the legends amongst us, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up against he who must not be named, and live!," Amelia replied with great adoration and respect as Hermione tensed before Eden chimed in to stop her.
"Yes, dear, but I'm sure that the poor girl is tired of hearing it," Eden nicely claimed as she flashed Hermione a knowing look before quirking her eyebrow at Amelia. Who instantly stiffened, and started to wring her wooden arm's together.
"Oh, right, of course, pardon me, dearest," she responded sheepishly with apologetic eye's as Hermione smiled warmly at them both.
"It's alright, I'm sure it was a very..dark time for all of us," Hermione replied in empathy with a sad smile as she glanced awkwardly between the two of them once more.
"Indeed, but it wasn't any of us..who had the weight of the wizarding world on their shoulders. Oh, I can't even begin..to imagine-," Amelia started again before Eden interrupted her once again as Hermione stood speechless.
"Amelia, dear, why don't you help us find something for Miss Granger to wear, hm?," Eden hurriedly urged to change the subject to something that she knew would surely distract her as her eye's immediately lit up as she clapped her arm's together in excitement.
"Oh, yes, of course!, let's see what I've got," she exclaimed happily as she examined Hermione from head to toe before ruffling through her rack of dressing gowns within her doors while Eden and Hermione swapped glances. She couldn't hide the amusement, and relief on her face when Eden winked at her.
They waited, and watched in amusement as Amelia continued to search through her gowns until she reached down to open one of her drawers, only to slam it shut again in embarrassment when nearly a dozen butterflies shot out from inside the drawer.
"Oh!, how embarrassing," Amelia exclaimed as she held her wooden arm up over her mouth while Eden and Hermione giggled quietly before Amelia suddenly pulled out a lighter coral colored, heart lined dress with forearm length sleeves, and a dark coral colored sheer material that was wrapped around the waist and down to the hem. Leaving only the middle open, and bare, so that it's light, swirly, spiral, vine design would show. Giving off the right amount of elegance and simplicity.
"Ah!, there we are!, a perfect color for you, I must say," Amelia gushed cheerfully as she eagerly held it up in front of Hermione as if to see how it would look on her as Hermione tilted her chin up, and moved her arms back slightly to stay out of the way.
"Ah, yes, very beautiful," Amelia complemented in admiration as her voice began to grow more tired. Then she started to yawn.
"It suits you," she added mid yawn before she slowly let go of it as Hermione reached up then to catch it before it hit the floor.
They both watched as she yawned one more time before her eye's closed as her doors slowly closed. Then all that could be heard was her soft snoring.
Hermione stood there for a moment in bemusement until she turned to look curiously down at Eden. Who only smile sadly at the wardrobe. Then up at her before she motioned her spout to the opposite side of the room as she rolled her cart around the large bed.
Hermione took one more glance at Amelia, and smiled softly. Then she gently set the dress down onto the end of the bed before going to follow Eden around the other side.
"I regret to apologize in advance, Amelia...can sometimes say things without thinking it through, but she means no ill will, I assure you," Eden remarked sheepishly in polite regards of her friend as Eden turned her cart around just as Hermione rounded the far side of the bed before she smiled and nodded in understanding.
"So, what happened to her?," Hermione asked quietly as she sat down on the end. Facing Eden and the bathroom door.
"It's the curse, Poppet," Eden genuinely confessed with sad eyes as she seemed to look down as if she were shaking her head.
"The curse?," Hermione asked curiously in concern as she shifted on the bed with her hands pressed firmly into the mattress on either side of her.
"The longer it seems to last, the more tired she gets. She sleeps most days, and her and Stanley have not even seen each other in months," Eden continued in regret with a long sigh as Hermione's eye's widened before she turned her head to look at the sleeping wardrobe with sorrow.
"We're afraid that one of these days...she will not wake up," Eden added worriedly as she too, gazed at her friend in despair before Hermione turned back to look at her in alarm. Then her face seemed to darken as she turned to glare towards the bedroom door.
"It's all his fault," Hermione muttered angrily through her teeth as she continued to glare at the door.
'Now, dearie, the master has his faults, but you don't know what he's been-," Eden calmly started to say in his defense before Hermione cut her off as she turned her head back around to gaze fiercely down at her.
"Why do you keep defending him?, he's cursed you, and he has no ambition to save you," she spat brusquely in a hushed voice out of resentment and frustration as Eden's eye's widened. Causing Hermione to instantly feel guilty as she awkwardly dropped her eye's to stare at the floor to compose herself.
After taking a deep breath, she glanced up to see Eden staring heartbroken at the cart beneath her. Which only made Hermione feel worse as she bit down on her lip.
"You have all been so kind, and welcoming to me. I just want to help you," Hermione eagerly declared in a softer voice with apologetic eye's as Eden glanced up to smile at her in awe.
"That is very kind of you, dear, but it's more complicated than that. Only time will tell," Eden regrettably replied as Hermione frowned slightly.
"What does that even mean?," Hermione asked almost desperately as Eden dropped her eye's in reluctantance.
"Exactly how it sounds," she stated apologetically as a matter of fact as Hermione's face fell before she glanced hopelessly down into her lap.
"So..you really won't tell me why I am here?," Hermione asked one last time as she glanced back up at her with sad, and grief stricken eye's.
"I'm sorry, dearie, for now..it's better this way. You will just have to trust me," Eden countered with profound remorse before Hermione turned her head away from her in frustration as she began to shake her head slightly while trying to hold back tears that pricked behind her eye's.
She could feel her anger get the best of her, no matter how hard she tried to restrain it. Then it just slipped out.
"How can I trust someone that I don't even know," Hermione murmured before she turned to look briskly down at Eden. Who's eye's widened unexpectedly, and due from the surprise and hurt in Eden's eye's, Hermione inhaled slightly as she swiftly stood at the stab of guilt in her chest and strode over to the door to open it.
"I'd like to be alone for a while, please," Hermione politely declared as she stared straight into the fireplace to avoid Eden's gaze before she hesitantly rolled her cart towards her.
"Of course, dear," Eden sadly, but respectfully replied as she rolled right out of the room before Hermione gently shut the door behind her.
Hermione then leaned back against the back of the door as her tears finally welled up in her eyes. She inhaled sharply to hold back a whimper, and only when she finally heard Eden's cart roll away further down the hall, did she close her eye's to let her tears escape as she bowed her head to sob quietly before she made her way over to the bed to cry herself to sleep.
Meanwhile...
A little while later, after Eden had found Basil and Elsworth in the kitchen.
" 'Ow is she?, did you 'ave any luck?," Basil asked hopefully as he held his stumps together.
"She's miserable, as to be expected," Eden regretfully replied with another long sigh.
"She's also incredibly stubborn. I thought that would make them a good pair but, maybe we were wrong?, maybe she isn't the one we're looking for," Eden added suggestively with sad eye's before Basil shook his head in disbelief.
"No, she is ze one, I am zure of it, you saw z'em last night," Basil stated assuredly as he motioned his stumps towards the dinning room doors.
"Z'ey just need more time," he added as Eden and Elsworth glanced anxiously at each other.
Meanwhile...
Back at Dr. Granger's home.
Robert Granger had not slept as much as a wink the night before. Filled with anger and fear for his daughter's safety, and we'll being under the complete, and merciless control of the beast who imprisoned her.
He felt helpless. He did not know what to do, or who to go to for help to get his daughter back. He only knew he couldn't fight this beast alone.
He thought maybe he could go to the police, but surely they would have him locked up in an asylum within minutes. Plus, that would mean exposing the wizarding world, and therefore putting his daughter, and her peers at risk.
That's it. Her peers. He could write to Harry Potter, and beg them to help. Then maybe they could get help from the ministry.
Robert did not waste any time. He hurriedly wrote his letter to Harry Potter and the Weasley's before sending it off with his daughter's owl. Now all he had to do was wait. Though it pained him. He feared what his little girl was going through at this moment. What that beast was doing to her.
Meanwhile...
Hermione never came out of her room that night, and she even refused to open the door when Basil pleaded with her to join them for dinner.
She was too upset to eat, so she decided to lock herself in the bathroom, and take a long hot bath before she went back to bed.
Later that night...
Up in the West end of the manor.
"Master, z'e girl 'as not come out of 'er room all day, she's refused to eat," Basil confessed in concern for Hermione as Snape growled in annoyance.
"Why should I care if she starves herself," he growled back over his shoulder in contempt as Basil swapped exasperated glances with Eden and Elsworth.
"Master, we're worried about her," Basil worriedly declared as Snape scoffed.
"She's always been known for being dramatic," he snarled scornfully as Basil threw his stumps up into the air while Elsworth starting shaking his head.
"Severus, please, the rose has nearly lost all of it's petals, we don't have that much time left,"
Eden chimed in to plead with him as he tensed slightly at the sound of despair her voice before he scowled down at the dome with the glowing rose inside."Everytime a petal falls, the sooner the other's follow. You have turned away the other's, maybe this is why. This girl may be our last hope," Eden continued as he dug his claws into the table. Leaving fresh claw marks into the stone.
"No, It can't be her," Snape grumbled stubbornly through his fangs before banging his furry fists onto the table.
"I refused to believe it!," he growled as he swiftly turned around to snarl at them. Making them gasp in fear before he stormed past them.
"Severus, we have stood by your side, we have raised you, but we're beginning to fear that you have forgotten about us. We don't deserve to die this way," Eden desperately proclaimed as her voice started to shake as they all turned to face him.
He only stood there with his back to them, until his fists finally unclenched, and his body physically relaxed. Then he bowed his head in shame at the jab of guilt in his chest that her words had brought him. It was like he had come out of a trance. One that he had been in for so long. She was right, and it was like she knew she had finally gotten through to him."Isn't there..some part of you...that is willing try?," she asked hopefully as Snape's face darkened in sorrow, and loss of hope."Even if I did, she would never fall for me," he finally replied as he slowly lifted his head before turning to gaze earnestly down at them in despondency. To their surprise.
"Let alone forgive me," he didn't hesitate to add as he turned his back on them again whilst the three of them looked at each other in somewhat of relief, and hope. They couldn't help but to smile.
"You never know, if you let her in, she may grow fond of the real you..that you try so hard to bury deep," Eden countered encouragingly out of sorrow as he huffed at the absurdity of all of this.
"Am I actually considering this?," Snape inwardly berated himself in disbelief with a deep frown as the other's waited expectantly for him to speak before he finally rolled his eyes.
"Then what do you suggest I do?," he finally asked in a bored tone as he turned to face them once more, but they were so excited that they didn't even care.
"vell, you could try to be nice to 'er?," Basil suggested as he waved his stump in the air before he smiled sheepishly at the menacing glare Snape flashed him.
"Why don't you invite her down to join you for dinner tomorrow night?, a nice chat could be a start," Eden quickly chimed in to save Basil's arse as Snape rolled his eyes again groaning deep in his throat.
"Yes, master, she vould be so surprised!," Basil joyfully exclaimed as he held his stumps up in front of him.
"Fine, so be it," Snape snarled in defeat before stalking over out onto the balcony as they all beamed at one another till Basil turned to give Elsworth a high five, but he only stared blankly at him before raising his eyebrow at him.
"Don't make me high five you," Elsworth remarked dismissively while rolling his eye's as he turned his back on Basil to make his way towards the door before the other two followed behind in quiet laughter.
"Oui, come on, 'enry," Basil called to him as their voices started to get more and more muffled to Snape as he once again rolled his eyes. Though he did not turn to look, he heard Elsworth shout, "No!", before he completely tuned them out.
Later the next day...
Wednesday, 6/25/2001
At the burrow.
Harry and the Weasley's were just about to sit down for lunch when a sudden rapping came from their kitchen window. Making them all jump. Only to look up and see a medium sized brown owl with yellow eyes hooting at them through the glass.
"That's Hermione's owl!," Ginny exclaimed as soon as she recognized the bird before Molly, and Harry immediately stood up from their chairs.
Molly, however got to it first. She opened the window to let it in before it flew straight into the kitchen, and landed directly in front of Harry. Who eagerly sat down to untie the letter attached to it's leg. Addressed, to Harry Potter.
Harry didn't waste any time to rip open the letter. Though only to find that he did not recognize this as Hermione's scrawl.
"Harry, what is it?," Ginny asked anxiously as they all waited apprehensively while Harry frowned at the letter.
"It's from her father," Harry stated in concentration as he continued to read the letter whilst the rest of them only looked at each other with worry.
"THAT SON OF BITCH!," Harry suddenly exclaimed after a few moments had passed as he smashed the letter down onto the table and kicked his chair back angrily as he stood up to pace the room.
They all jumped and gasped at Harry's sudden outburst before Molly instantly grabbed at the letter to read it out loud for them all.
"Dear Mr. Potter,
I write to you in the greatest urgency. My daughter is in danger. She came to help me after I was taken, and locked in a dungeon by a beast during my journey home from my business trip.
I trust you know of what I speak. She has taken my place and he has stolen her wand, and locked her away. I fear for her well being. I don't know what to do, or who else to turn to.
Please, she needs your help. I can't fight him alone. Please tell me there is something you can do? I feel I'm going mad with worry.
Please let me know soon. I desperately await your response.
Sincerely,
Robert Granger.
By the time Molly had finished, they all were filled with shock, and the room had gone painfully silent. None of them knew how to react.
Harry on the other hand, continued to pace the kitchen, until Ginny stood up in sorrow to stop him by gently grasping his hand.
"Harry," Ginny murmured worriedly as he stopped in his tracks with his back turned to her.
"I knew I should have gone with her. I should've gone with her," he muttered to berate himself in regret as he shook the fist that she held on to before she squeezed it.
"Harry, you can't blame yourself, none of us really..thought he was that cruel," Ginny earnestly declared to appease him as she glanced back at her brothers, and mum and dad to see them all swap looks of shock and disbelief.
"I did," Harry briskly stated as he turned slightly to look at her with hard, knowing eye's before he turned to run his hand through his untidy hair. Leaving Ginny standing there gazing at the floor in regret before she turned to look at her parents as if pleading for them to step in to help.
"I'm afraid...it's out of my department, Harry," Arthur regrettably remarked finally as Harry turned to look at him, and nodded knowingly before taking a deep breath. Then he turned and took out his wand.
"Harry, what are you going to do?," Ginny asked quickly in fear that he was going to go after Snape alone as she grasped his arm to stop him.
"I've got to go tell Kingsley," Harry replied resolutely as Ginny sighed in relief, and nodded.
"Do you want me to go with you?," she asked reassuringly as she squeezed his hand again. But he just shook his head.
"No. Stay here," Harry said before stepping forward to grab the letter from the table.
"Write her father back, and tell him that I've gone to seek the Minister for help," he added with pleading green eye's as he handed the letter to her.
Ginny's eye's widened slightly as she glanced down at the letter in her hand before swallowing the lump in her throat. Then she gazed up at him and nodded.
Harry smiled lovingly at her before pecking her lips with a sweet kiss. Then he squeezed her shoulder as he bypassed her to make his way towards the back door.
However, as he stalked past the table, Arthur suddenly but gently grabbed his arm, and gave it a comforting squeeze once Harry glanced down at him.
Harry nodded at him, then he was gone. Only a loud crack could be heard through the silence before a child's voice suddenly sounded in the room.
"What's going on?," asked a sleepy voice as they all turned suddenly to see Teddy standing in the doorway. Rubbing his eyes.
"Teddy!," Ginny exclaimed in surprise as she hurried forward to kneel down in front of him, and gently grasp his arm. Letter still in hand.
"Is aunty Mione okay?," he asked worriedly as Ginny instantly turned to look up at her mother. Who was scuffling around the table to approach them.
"Of course she is, dear, come along, let's get you some lunch," Molly insisted reassuringly with a slight grunt as she lifted him up into her arm's before nodding her head towards to door when Ginny stood back up.
Ginny nodded at her mother knowingly before leaving the room as soon as Molly had sat down with Teddy on her lap. Hermione's owl followed behind her with a screech as it flew over her head before Ginny reached the stairs.
Meanwhile...
That night.
"Alright, 'ere we are, now, all you 'ave to do, is knock on z'e door, and ask 'er to dinner," Basil remarked encouragingly as soon as the four of them stopped outside her door as he waved his arms from side to side.
"But first, let's see you smile," he added as he motioned his stumps to his own mouth.
"What?," Snape asked incredulously through his fangs as Basil face palmed himself.
"If you want to impress 'er, she must see 'ow charming you can be," he declared as a matter of fact as Snape stared down at him as if he had four heads.
The awkward silence was deafening. Then Elsworth gruffly cleared his throat before Basil sighed deeply.
"Come, come, show me a dashing, debonair smile," Basil urged as he bumped his stumps together before waving them at his own mouth again, then up at Snape.
Snape growled in irritation as he rolled his eye's before he slowly turned his mouth upwards into an awkward smile with his fangs bared. The silence that followed grew even more awkward as they all just stared blankly up at him.
"Well, z'ats definitely something," Basil said as he tried to hide his amusement while waving his stump in a circular motion.
Snape instantly snapped his mouth shut, and snarled at him before turning to knock on the door as he rolled his eye's once more.
Meanwhile...
Hermione was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace just staring thoughtfully into the fire when suddenly, a knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.
Hermione sighed deeply in slight irritation as she reluctantly got to her feet. Why couldn't they understand her pleads to be alone?
As she started to approach the door, they knocked again. This time a little louder.
"Who is it?," Hermione called through the door as she lightly place her hand, and her ear on it to listen. Expecting one of them to answer her. But she did not expect the voice that did replied to her.
"It is I," Snape politely answered from outside the door with an awkward clear of his throat as Hermione's eye's widened before she pulled away to glare dagger's at the door.
"I would like to have a word with you," he added due from his companions encouragement.
Hermione couldn't believe her ears.
"I have nothing to say to you. Go away!," Hermione called bitterly through the door as she slowly turned her back on the door.
Snape scowled before glancing fiercely down at the other's.
"Keep trying, but be.. gently," Basil urged quietly as he motioned his stumps towards the door again, then he held them up in mid air before Snape exhaled deeply through his nose as he turned back to face her door.
"I would find...great pleasure...if you would kindly..join me for dinner?," he asked calmly as he bawled a fist full of his cape in his claws.
Hermione slowly turned back around to stare incredulously at the door as her anger for him rose in her chest.
"You've taken me as a prisoner, and now you want to have dinner with me?, have you gone completely mental!?," Hermione exclaimed furiously as she place her hand back on the door.
Snape snarled dangerously before he started to pound on the door. Despite the other's protests.
Hermione on the other side, gasped and jumped as the door rattled.
"I TOLD YOU TO COME DOWN FOR DINNER!," Snape growl angrily through the door as Hermione flinched at the harshness in his voice while shaking her head.
"And I told you no!," Hermione shouted back.
"I'd starve before I ever ate with you!," she added with a sharp inhale as her voice cracked slightly as if it were on the verge of breaking.
Snape stomped his heavy foot loudly on the floor as he swung his cape out of his way.
"YOU CAN'T STAY IN THERE FOREVER!," he bellowed fiercely as Basil and the other two watched as if their last bit of hope was just ripped away from them.
"Yes I can!," Hermione cried brusquely back through the locked door as Snape banged his big fist on the door.
Hermione to jumped again.
"FINE!, SO BE IT!, GO AHEAD AND STARVE!," he roared viciously as he hit the door one last time before turning to snarl at the other's.
"SHE...IS HOPELESS!," Snape growled at them in anger and frustration with a swift movement of his paw before he turned on his heel, and stormed away with his cape billowing behind him.
"Master, wait!," Basil exclaimed urgently with his stump up in the air, but he went ignored.
Tears instantly welled up in Hermione's eye's, and as soon as he was gone, she broke down into sobs as she sunk down to the floor on her knee's with her hands held over her mouth to muffle her cry's.
The three of them looked hopelessly, and helplessly at one another at the heart wrenching sounds of her sobs.
"Welp, it was nice knowing you all," Elsworth stated in defeat before he turned to waddle back down the corridor.
Basil threw his stumps up into the air as Eden closed her eye's. Crest fallen before they too, followed Elsworth back down the corridor as Hermione's cry's grew more and more faint.
Later that night...
After Hermione had calmed down, she decided to venture out of the safety of her room once she couldn't stand her unbearable hunger. She thought she would just go down to the kitchen for a snack. Hoping that he would never know.
So, at half past ten, Hermione quietly opened the door, and checked to see if the corridor was empty before silently making her way down the corridor after carefully shutting the door behind her.
Once she got to front room, she stopped in her tracks at the landing to the stairs. The manor was deadly silent. Not a sound could be heard but the whistling of the wind outside.
She was going to go down to the kitchen, but as she stood there, the beckoning of the mysterious west corridor called to her, and her curiosity got the better of her. Her hunger would have to wait.
She looked around in case anyone was watching, then she quietly tip toed down the darkened corridor. It seemed to go on forever. Bend after bend. Door after door. But she went on, until she came upon a set of marble stoned, spiraled steps in the center of two corridor's.
A gut feeling told her to turn around and run away as she stared apprehensively up the stairs, but her intent curiousity was stronger. It refused for her to move her feet.
So she slowly, and cautiously ventured up the stairs. But when she finally reached the top, she found another landing with two more dimly lit corridor's going in opposite directions. This place was like a maze. However, there in front of her, stood a large, and nearly black, set of ancient looking wooden doors. Though they had no handle's.
The warning feeling in her gut returned, but she ignored it as she carefully pushed the door's open to find a large room with a matching stone floor, and a high rise ceiling so high above of her head that she had to tilt her chin as far back as she could to see the huge silver, crystal Chandler that was fairly similar to her own in design.
Although, once she took a good look around the room, she couldn't help but to notice how much of a mess it was. The king sized, four poster bed to her right was unmade and the curtain's were slashed, and all the furniture were torn up, and covered with claw marks. Leaving feathers everywhere.
She instantly became aware then of where she was as she suddenly looked around with alert eye's, but he was nowhere in sight. She was about to leave, but then she noticed a few painting's on the wall to her left that hung diagonally across from what she guessed was his bathroom door, and she slowly approached them for a better look.
There was one of an elderly couple that just smiled at each other, then at her. She figured that these were his grandparents. The one's Basil talked about. She smiled softly at them in return before moving to stand in front of the second one. Only to gasp slightly as she instantly met the sad, black eye's of a younger version of Severus Snape. Except his face had been slashed by giant claw marks. She couldn't help but to gaze sorrowfully into his younger self's eye's.
He was nothing but a child in this painting. Standing in front of a young couple she figured were his parents. His father was a tall, well built man. But he did not look like a kind man. He just glared at her through the same dark eye's. Though they were sunken in, and he had bags under his eyes. Snape definitely got his nose from his father.
His mother, however, was a thin and petite, average looking woman with dark brown eye's, and straight, long hair and bangs as black as night. There was no mistaking where Snape had got that from. She looked the opposite of her husband. Although she looked almost ill. But she flashed her a nice smile. Which Hermione politely returned.
After that, she slowly turned to face the room, and that's when she finally noticed the small table in the middle of a large, circular balcony with the dome on top of it, and the glowing light that came from within it.
It nearly entranced her immediately in awe as she slowly began to approach the table. After stepping up on to the platform, she realized then what it was, and gasped in wonder at the most beautiful enchantment that she had ever seen.
She let out a soft breath at the rose as she bent down to get a closer look. However, just as she was about to lightly place her hand on the glass, a loud, ground shaking thud exploded to her right. Ripping her from her trance with a gasp as she jumped in fear.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IT!?," Snape roared dangerously as he dove protectively in front of the dome before turning quickly to examine every inch of it.
"Noth-, nothing!," Hermione stammered as she quickly backed away into the doorway while gazing wide eye'd and opened mouthed in terror. She had never seen him this furious before, and it honestly scared her.
Then he swiftly turned his head with his fangs bared, and growled threateningly, and she froze as she tilted her chin up slightly.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED HERE!, YOU ARE TRESPASSING!, NOW GO!, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!," Snape bellowed venomously as he stomped his foot before getting down on all fours as if he were about to attack her.
Hermione was so shocked that she hardly processed what was going on before she practically stumbled off the step as she ran for her life from the room while he continued to yell, "GET OUT!."
Hermione didn't stop once she reached the front staircase. She could still hear him as if he was closing in behind her. Though she didn't stick around to find out.
She ran down the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her, and to her surprise, the front door swung open after she hurriedly turned to handle. She was free, but not relieved.
Meanwhile...
As soon as Basil and the other's had heard of the commotion, they hurried to the entrance hall in time to see Hermione dash from the home. Out into the freezing cold.
They glanced around frantically in confusion before a loud thud sounded at the top of the stairs. Causing them to look up in shock to see Snape standing there on all fours. Snarling like a wild beast.
"Master!, what 'as 'appened!?, where is she going!?," Basil exclaimed as they hurried to the bottom of the stairs before he motioned his stumps to the front door that hung wide open.
"I found her in my room!, she was trying to sabotage the rose!," Snape growled as he crawled down the stairs.
Basil and the other's looked at each other in disbelief before sighing in exasperation.
"Severus, you fool, you cannot let her go out there!, she will freeze to death, or become dinner for the wolves!, you have to go after her!," Eden cried scoldingly in fear for Hermione's well being.
"Why should I?," Snape snarled stubbornly.
"Because she is innocent!," Eden countered as a matter of fact as Snape scoffed in disbelief.
"How do you know that?," he growled as Eden flashed him dagger's in anger.
"Because we have told her nothing!, she knows nothing of it!," she retorted furiously.
"Now go!," she shouted urgently as she motioned her spout towards the open door.
Snape snarled in reluctantance before banging his paw on the ground.
"FINE!," he growled in defeat before rushing from the house on all fours again.
Meanwhile...
As soon as Hermione was free of the house she immediately was hit with a bone chilling cold, but she refused to stop.
She ran as fast as she could through the snowy field across from the house, until she reached a thick patch of woods. She ran until she couldn't run any further. Then she tripped and fell over a large branch, and when she pulled herself up on to the palm of her hands, she realized she had cut her leg and it was starting to bleed through her dress.
She gasped, but she pulled herself up onto her feet as she continued to run through the woods. However, not long after, a loud howl rang through the tree's. Followed by others, and Hermione knew instantly that she was in trouble.
She gasped as more tears welled up in her eye's. She knew with her leg she couldn't outrun a pack of wolves, and without her wand she was done for. But she continued to run.
Then all of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks with a whimper in horror as about five to six large wolves leaped out from behind the tree's in front of her.
They must of smelt her blood.
Hermione panted shakily as she slowly backed further away. But they stalked towards her as if in slow motion. Like a predator and it's prey as they growled and snarled while licking their chops.
She watched with wide eye's, then she spotted a big branch and hurriedly picked it up, and swung it as hard as she could with a squeal just as one of them lunged at her. Therefore, Striking it hard on the snout as it yelped in pain.
Hermione held the branch warningly out in front of her as it shook it's head before turning back to gaze murderously at her while they all continued to snarl and growl.
They began to circle her, and whenever one would try and attack, she would swing the branch. Only to miss as they doged her.
Then as one suddenly lunged at her, she swung in time to stop it. Though it had latched it's teeth onto the branch, and ended up playing a game of tug of war with her before it ripped the branch from her grasp. Sending her falling backwards onto her side with a loud whimper.
When she pulled herself up halfway and looked up, she gasped as they were closing in on her, and she realized then that this was it. She was about to die. Her tears trickled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. Trying to picture her father and friends, and a time when she was happy.
"I love you, papa," she murmured shakily with a sharp intake of breath just before she heard one of them lunge at her one last time. But then suddenly a loud thud hit the ground in front of her as the wolf let out a high pitched yelp. Causing Hermione's eye's to fly open in time to see it go flying across the opening, and hit a nearby tree.
There. There she saw him. Hovering protectively above her like a large dark shape. Practically shielding her from the hungry wolves as he growled viciously at them in a stand off.
Hermione gaped incredulously up at him in shock as she breathed in raspy breaths.
The wolves were ruthless. They refused to back down. Then in a blink of an eye, they all attacked him at once. Biting and clawing him as he roared in pain while desperately trying to get them off of him.
Hermione watched frozen in terror before Snape finally managed to dig his claws into the scruff of one, and throw it with all his might against the tree. He did the same over and over before violently sinking his fangs into the back of one, and aggressively slicing it's throat. Killing it instantly.
Then he stood mighty on all fours as the rest looked at their companion in shock before their ears went back.
Snape let out one last menacing roar before the other wolves scampered away.
Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened as she laid there. Stunned before he stood up on two feet once more, and slowly turned to gaze gravely down into her eye's as she stared dumbfounded into his while her hair blew back roughly with the billowing wind.
After a minute, his eye's started to glaze over as he swayed back and forth on his feet before falling with a thud into the snow.
Hermione gasped once more as her hand flew to her mouth. Then she quickly crawled over to him, and hesitantly lifted her hand to cautiously grasp his broad shoulder before carefully turning him over as he weakly lifted his head to look at her in incomprehension.
Hermione also gazed confusedly, and wonderstruck into his eye's before she swallowed the dry lump in her throat from the ice cold, crisp wind.
"You have to help me, you have to stand," Hermione spoke softly as she furrowed her eyebrows before she gently started to tug on his arm to try and pull him up.
Snape was completely nonplussed. Until she had started pulling on his arm, and it momentarily brought him out of his daze enough for him to pull himself up with her help before they staggered to their feet.
Hermione's knee's buckled at first under his weight before she awkwardly wrapped his arm around her neck as their eye's connected, and they gazed intently into each other's eye's.
It was like she had forgotten how cold she actually was once she had him wrapped around her. His fur and body heat warmed her instantly, but when she started to feel a blush rise in her frozen cheeks, she swiftly tore her eye's away.
"Come on, let's get you back to the house," Hermione murmured uneasily as she started to pull him forward through the snow before he willing tread along side her.
Truthfully, he was too taken aback to refuse. Apart from the fact that if he didn't, he would surely die. Which is what confused him the most. Why would SHE save him after everything that he had done?
Why not leave him to the wolves and save herself?
Little did he know, Hermione was thinking the same thing. Why would he come to help her after chasing her away? Why would he risk his life for hers?
Neither of them said a word the whole way back, and when they finally came stumbling through the front doors, they were met instantly by Basil and the other's. Who worriedly approached them in shock.
"Merlins beard!, what on earth happened!?," Eden exclaimed frantically when she noticed her master covered in blood as Hermione and Snape reached the staircase.
"We need to get him upstairs, and in front of the fire," Hermione panted breathlessly as Snape hung his head weakly. To which they eagerly complied as they lead the way up the stairs, and all the way to his room.
However, once they had reached that second stair case, they beckoned her further down the corridor, and at first she hesitated, but then she listened as she followed them before turning the corner to find that the corridor had gone upwards like a hill.
"Great," she thought sarcastically as she rolled her eye's slightly while they continued to make their way up the corridor, and around another corner before coming to stop directly outside of his two large, ancient double doors. She figured this was how the other's usually got up here.
They all eagerly shoved the doors open as Hermione guided him into the room, and around the far side of his bed to help him down onto the other side that sat across from the large fireplace before she threw his blanket on top of him.
Then, to the surprise of Snape and the other's, she hurried into his bathroom on the far left side of the room to fetch a wash cloth and something to clean, and wrap his wounds with so that they didn't get infected.
When she came back, she set the small tub onto the end of the bed before gently sitting down beside him as he continued to watch her incredulously. But the other's swapped surprised, awed glances as their hope was restored.
"Now..this might sting a little," Hermione sheepishly declared to warn him after she had dunked the wash cloth into the small tub, and wrung it out.
Snape huffed as he turned his head away knowingly. So she assumed that was her cue as she cautiously brought the cloth up to his upper shoulder, and gently started to dab the claw marks across his shoulder while watching his face for signs of pain.
Snape flinched and twitched as whatever she was cleaning it with started to sting and burn the more pressure that she put on it. Then when she moved down to concentrate on the wounds on his right forearm, she unintentionally pressed down too hard, due from his twitching, and he suddenly pulled his arm up to his chest with a snarl as a reflex.
"THAT HURT!," he growled at her as she gasped at his outburst, and flinched before rolling her eye's at him irritation.
"Well, maybe if you held still...it wouldn't hurt as much," Hermione countered coldly with a huff as he glared at her.
"You know...this wouldn't of happened if you..hadn't run away," he accusingly remarked with a wave of his paw as Hermione's eye's widened in disbelief at his hypocrisy.
"Well..if you!...hadn't of frightened me, I wouldn't have run away!," Hermione furiously retorted as a matter of fact as she motioned her hand towards the door.
"Well..you...shouldn't of been in the West corridor!," Snape bit back as the other's watched them in their mockery battle with bated breath.
"Well..maybe you..should learn to control your temper!," Hermione clipped bitterly in return as Snape's eye's widened slightly. Then he grimaced, and glanced down in shame at being suddenly reminded of his beastly behavior. He had nothing further to say. Because she was right. Though he just wanted someone else to blame.
Hermione watched him thoughtfully for a moment, then she pursed her lips as she dropped her eye's to stare at the wash cloth in her hands.
Neither of them said another word for almost a minute before Hermione turned finally to dunk the cloth into the tub again, and wring it out.
Then she turned back to face him before gently grabbing his forearm with both hands to bring it closer. Though only to lay his large paw in her small hand before using her right to carefully start dabbing his wound again as he glanced up in shock to stare at their hands. He hardly felt any pain this time. Or maybe he had just blocked it out as he slowly gazed up to watch her with that same incredulous expression.
Hermione did not look at him. Even though she could feel his eye's watching her. Then whether he meant to or not, he gently squeezed her hand. Causing her to stop what she was doing to glance down at their hands in disconcertment before she slowly met his dark, ruminate eye's. Only to blush from the way he was looking at her.
Hermione instantly pulled her hand away to dunk the cloth into the tub again. Taking a bit longer than necessary as she frowned into the tub in bemusement before she finally wrung it out, and turned to face him once more. Although she did not meet his eye's again as she brought the cloth up to dab the bite wound on his neck.
Snape tensed in surprise, but he did not take his wide eye's off of her as he looked at her as if she were from another planet. He was seeing her in a whole new light that he didn't even know was humanely possible for him, and it made the wall around his heart rattle.
As she gently continued to clean his bite wound, he couldn't help but to finally take in how beautiful she truly was. Her skin was flawless, and her oval shaped face gave her the most stunning, pointed jawline that he ever seen on a woman. She had perfect eyebrows. Not too thin and not too thick, and a small, but perky nose that, to his surprise, were sprinkled with light colored freckles that he had never noticed before.
Then his eye's flickered down to her lips. Lips that were longer shaped, but full. He found them alluring as she parted them slightly in concentration. Her eye's were another story. They were a beautiful shade of dark chestnut, and they seemed to glow in the light of the fire. Her long eyelashes only made them more defined.
The next thing he knew, his heart started to race and he had to awkwardly clear his throat as she finally pulled her hand back to dunk the cloth in the tub once again.
Hermione had still refused to meet his eye's. But she was completely aware of the way he continued to observe her. Dare she even think that he may have actually been checking her out. Though she tried not to let it get to her. Afraid that if she let him see how he effected her in that moment, he would use it to his advantage to become the same cruel bastard he has always been as soon she was done taking care of him.
It took every ounce of will power that she had not to confront him. To pretend that she didn't care. But as soon as she had finally turned away to dunk the cloth into the tub, she closed her eyes for a moment in relief.
However, they both had seemed to have forgotten that the other's were even in the room while Basil and the other's could freely express their glances of amusement with each other as Hermione wrung the cloth out again before standing up to sit partly behind him to dab at the claw marks across his large shoulder blade.
She was grateful to say the least to be out of his observing view, but now there was this undeniable tension between them because of what they did.
Snape hissed in pain when she held the cloth on to his wound, and started to apply pressure. But surprisingly, he didn't say a word.
After she was done, she stood up to drop the cloth into the tub before grabbing the dressings off the bed to carefully wrap one around his forearm. After clasping it, she sat down with the larger one, and just as she threw it over the horns on the top of his head, she froze in place when their eye's finally met as they gazed earnestly at each other before Hermione abruptly tore her eye's away to quickly finish wrapping the dressing around the front and back of his shoulder. Then she clasped it under his left rib before getting to her feet to pick up the tub from the bed, and turn around to return it to his bathroom. However, he stopped her before she could barely take a step.
"Hermione," Snape spoke gently as she froze incredulously on the spot. Thinking she had misheard him at first, and if the situation was different, she would of snapped at him for addressing her so personally. But after silently breathing in through her nose, she turned her head slightly to answer him.
"Yes?," she quietly replied as she waited for him to speak.
"Your cut," he stated in slight concern as his eye's flickered down to the hem of her dress where a small bloodstain could be seen.
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows at the concern in his voice before she swiftly glanced down to look where her right leg would be, and indeed, there was blood on her dress.
She stiffened on the spot as she glanced back up to face the fireplace.
"I'm fine," she resolutely declared.
"Get some rest," she added quietly just as she began to make her way around the bed to return the tub to his bathroom before striding over to his bedroom door. Only to pause for a moment.
"Goodnight," she politely remarked with a slight nod of her head at them all before she practically rushed from the room.
"Well, she couldn't wait to be out of here," Snape grumbled sullenly as he shifted in bed before pulling the blanket up slightly.
"Don't take it so personally, Severus, the poor girl is probably even more confused now than ever," Eden gently replied in pity for Hermione while trying to reassure him as he hummed in response.
"Well..you're the one who told me to go after her," Snape accused as Eden sighed in agitation.
"Because she would have died," she countered as a matter of fact as she quirked her eyebrow at him before Snape huffed in defeat.
"Do you regret saving her?," Eden asked curiously in apprehension as Snape frowned thoughtfully at his forearm before the image of her helping him came back to the forefront of his mind. Just the thought of it made the wall he had built tremble.
"Surprisingly...no," he finally declared as he slowly turned to look down at them with solemn eye's. Which made them smile from ear to ear as they beamed knowingly at each other. Forcing Snape to roll his eye's.
"I'm going to bed. Show yourselves out,"he grumbled in annoyance as he rolled over onto his side with his back to them.
He heard them titter amusedly before Eden spoke in a warm voice.
"Goodnight, dear," she cooed as the three of them made their way out of the room.
Meanwhile...
At the burrow.
It was nearly twelve o'clock, and nearly everyone had gone to bed. Except for Ginny who waited up anxiously for Harry to return with news from the ministry.
She jumped up from the kitchen table when she suddenly heard a loud cracking sound coming from outside, and she hurried out to meet Harry as he was approaching the house.
"Harry!," she exclaimed in relief as she threw herself into his arm's.
"What did Kingsley say?," she asked worriedly as he grasped her hand to lead her back into the house.
"He said that...the Prince estate is protected, by whatever curse...was placed on him," Harry tiredly revealed while Ginny furrowed her eyebrows as they walked into the house.
"So...they can't get in?," she asked helplessly as they say back down at the table.
"Well, we can..get in, but it will take time. The curse..apparently only allows in one..outsider, apart from it's inhabitants. We've spent...hours...trying to come up with loop holes, and explainations," Harry declared assuredly as he rested both hands on to the table and interlocked his fingers.
"I don't believe it. Then how did it let in Hermione, and her father?, Snape must..have a little part in it," Ginny stated incredulously as she began to shake her head.
"I dunno," Harry replied with a sigh as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Well, I don't think the answer will be found in a book, Harry," Ginny remarked in dubiety.
"It's got to be personal, I mean, why go to him...disguised as an old woman, unless she meant to trap him," Ginny added suggestively as Harry started to massage his forehead.
"But then why a beast?, why did she turn him into a beast?," Harry asked questioningly as he let his hand thump the table while Ginny frowned in thought.
"The only obvious reason," she patently replied a couple moments later as she flashed Harry a knowing look.
"She's only transformed him into his inner self, to punish him," Ginny claimed assuredly as Harry knitted his eyebrows together before quirking his eyebrow in consideration.
"Think of it this way, if you were a beast on the inside..., and then suddenly transformed on the outside, what would you need to do...in order to reverse it?," Ginny theoretically advised with knowing eye's as Harry turned the palm of his hands outwards on the table while he shrugged his shoulders before his expression turned thoughtful for a moment.
"Change?," he asked like a question before it suddenly hit him as he glanced up at her.
"She wants him to change," Harry stated as Ginny nodded in agreement while they both just looked at each other in consternation.
"And when, and if only he does, the curse will be broken," Ginny implied in disconcertment as Harry tiredly rubbed his eye's with one hand.
"Good. Glad we figured that out, but what involvement does Hermione have?," Harry briskly remarked in frustration as Ginny shrugged her shoulders this time.
"Maybe..she thinks Hermione can help him somehow?," she suggested uneasily as the trepidation, and mystery of this curse began to worry her.
Harry seemed to have the same feeling as he stared at her in apprehension.
"I don't like the sound of that," Harry declared in perturbation as they gazed knowingly at each other in alarm before Ginny sighed tiredly.
"I don't either, but it's the only thing that makes sense," Ginny replied as she tensed in her chair while tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of," Harry said as he buried his face in his hands before Ginny stood up to wrap her arm's around him from behind to comfort him.
"Who are we kidding, that git has had twenty years to change, how is Hermione suppose to help him?," Harry mumbled in contempt through his hands as he started rub his face.
"I don't know," Ginny murmured anxiously as she leaned down to place a sweet kiss on his neck.
"But there's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's go to bed," she added. This time into his ear as she gently squeezed his shoulders before he sighed in defeat.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll go and see her father tomorrow and explain," Harry replied in a sleepy voice with a nod of his head as Ginny pulled away when he stood up from the table before nodding at him in encouragement.
Then they made their way out of the kitchen. Hand in hand, and up to their room before they changed into their pajamas, and crawled into bed.
However, it's safe to say that no one really got any sleep that night.
(A/N Hey y'all! I finally got chapter two done for you! yay! lol I'm sorry that it takes me so long. I wish I could update every other week or so but I hardly have time for myself to concentrate :( Hoping that will change soon so bare with me. Overall, I hope you all liked this chapter as much as I had fun writing it :) I'm not sure how long this story will actually be, and apart from who Hermione will end up with, I'm trying to stick to the original plot of both films, but I will try to make it last as long as possible!)
(On another good note, thing's are surely turning direction for Snape and Hermione huh ;) I feel sorry for them all. Harry and Ginny seem to have some things figured out on a hunch. However, I have some twists and turns planned, so stay tuned to find out what happens in chapter three!)
(I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to check out my other stories while you wait! Till next time guys! Byeee!)
(Too be continued...)