"Harry! Ron! Draco! Ginny are you awake?" Hermione groggily called out in to the darkness. No reply came just the gentle ticking of a clock somewhere nearby. Groaning of metal and a loud crack plunged the broken ship into the sea flashed in the young brunettes mind reminding her of the tragic accident that took place.
The room Hermione found herself in was dark even with the weak sun streaming through the open window that led to a balcony over looking bleak cliffs protruding from beneath the castle grounds. In the far distance she could just make out trails of thick black smoke rising from the other side of the island. For an abandoned island it surely has plenty signs of human life. The early morning air blew across her bare arms chilling her to the core swiftly back tracking into the warmth of the room Hermione took to inspecting her unfamiliar surroundings.
Sparse and dark just like the parlour and dining room. The room contained a small fireplace, a king size bed and a side table. Seeing nothing of interest Hermione tiptoed over the creaking floorboards and quietly pulled the door open, peering out in to the corridor, illuminated with candles.
The ticking was coming from a grandfather clock leaning up against the wall adorning the room she slept in. The clocks face was not what Hermione expected where the numbers should lay to tell the time was replaced by three hands with the initials B.D.B. on one, on the second A.D.B and the third N.D.B the hands facing awake. The clock reminded her of the Weasley clans magical clock much similar to this one but cheaper design. For a moment her thoughts drifted to what Ron and Ginny's clock hands laid if they were safe or in mortal peril and what their family must be going through.
"Hermione I thought you might be up". Hermione wiped away the lone tear, forcing a smile she turned to see Neville beaming at her in a strange looking robe.
"Where is everyone? It seems to early to be awake".
Neville locked arms with Hermione much to her displeasure. "Come on their waiting in the dining hall".
"Who are they? And why are you so bleeding calm about being stuck on this rock with might I add people that forcibly inject their guests without permission" she snapped.
Neville remained quite, his face a blank mask.
Two hallways and a set of stairs later Hermione was standing in the doorway of the dining room. Harry and Draco happily eating breakfast with the blonde woman from last night, Neville joined them immediately helping himself to the small feast but Hermione backed away having no interest in exchanging pleasantries.
The foyer was blissfully empty the entrance doors remained open letting Hermione out, sitting upon on the top step, her head resting on her knees. The sun high up in the sky barely giving off heat leaving the woman deep in thought shivering uncontrollable against the cold.
The moment she had found the book about the island, she and her friends eagerly discussed and planned over the years of their daring mission of exploring the unattainable land that no one in written history had managed to return from. This was never discussed, the possibility of them never returning home to their families and the lives they left behind. Hermione lost her parents early on in her childhood due to a traffic accident leaving the orphaned girl to be raised by the wool packs orphanage. She didn't have family waiting for her nor did she have much left to go back to but she couldn't imagine a life stuck on a mysterious Island without a way of escaping.
Since Hermione and her three friends entered the castle she was the only one to troubled about their hostess. The boys seemed rather taken with the beautiful blonde woman that fed them beyond their wild dreams, they didn't seem concerned about their missing companions nor did they seem to understand the dangers that were lurking in the shadows waiting to draw them in.
The neglected gardens spread out in front of her, the long forgotten grass weaving around in the breeze as if dancing to their own tune that only they could hear.
"Miss Granger". Hermione turned her head eyeing the hostess with suspicion. "I thought you might be wary of what I have prepared. If you are hungry I am happy to show you around the kitchen".
Hermione sharply nodded following the regal woman through the door she missed last night and into a dimly lit kitchen straight out of the victorian era.
"I am afraid the kitchen may not be what you were used to".
The kitchen had an old table in the centre of the room, covered in different types of herbs and to her surprise potion ingredients.
A big black old fashioned range took up most of the back of the room next to an open fire. The range was nothing she had ever seen before. No electricity or gas needed.
"I take it you do not have running water?" Hermione's attention drawn to a large porcelain sink with no taps.
"No we get our water from the well behind the castle". Narcissa replied. "This is the larder where we store our food". Hermione wandered over to the large walk in larder filled to the brim. "We do not have the luxury of fresh dairy products every day but occasionally we receive cows milk and eggs from the pr... Meat is easy to come by of course".
Hermione heard her cover up unwilling to anger the calm older woman with questions she pretended to not have noticed instead she walked back over to the foreign stove intent on inspecting it.
"I have already set it up for you. If you need anything I shall be in my chambers. Do not enter the fourth floor under any circumstances" the cold warning made Hermione curious to now explore the forbidden section of the castle.
Turning around to face the hostess Hermione was met with an empty room unable to ask where her chambers were in case such occasion arose.
Gathering up the homemade crusty loaf of bread from the larder Hermione sat down at the cluttered table, smearing a good helping of some kind of wild berry jam on one slice. Slouching in the lone chair absentmindedly chewing the delicious bread her thoughts turning to the hostess once again.
Only arriving yesterday she had a limited amount of interaction with the hostess but the two times she had been in her presence the older woman gave off an air of authority. Regal and aristocratic was two words that came to mind to describe her, having a stunning figure helped somewhat but Hermione couldn't bring herself to trust the woman even if she has only shown impeccable manners and no ill intent towards them. What sort of woman lived alone in an enormous castle on an island that every book Hermione had managed to find described how the island of Azkaban once homed the most insane, dangerous convicts of the wizarding world over five hundred years previous.
Cleaning up her mess Hermione left the kitchen and wandered up to the first floor where the room she was in was situated. The hallway had six doors and each empty room was similar to her own, no personal belongings in sight. Every room she had been in was decorated in cold dark colours and sparsely furnished.
Finding nothing on the hostess Hermione crept silently to the second floor her jaw dropping at the sight. While the first had six doors this floor had only two on opposite side of the elegant hall. Gone was the depressing dark decor replaced with soft cream walls and portraits of men and woman mounted on the stone surface. Frozen in place to seem muggle made, Hermione was no fool she could tell by the realism of the long deceased folk that they were magical portraits frozen in time. Wandering down the carpeted corridor the door on the right had the golden letters A.B.D carved into the wood, the same initials from the clock face. Tracing the smooth letters with her middle finger Hermione felt sadness emitting from the wood.
"I see you have found my chambers" an alluring voice from behind her forced her to turn, colliding unexpectedly into a firm chest. Her face dangerously close to the strangers full chest, swallowing thickly Hermione stepped back to meet the dark gaze of a wild black haired beauty whose eyes were the colour of steel.
"Snake got your tongue. Are you mute? Trust my sister to be flustered by a strange little girl who doesn't know how to speak" tutting. The woman raised an eyebrow closing the distance between them, a sly grin appearing.
Hermione backed herself into the double doors, the rough wood digging into her back, her heart beating furiously against her ribs. The woman's hands came to rest on either side of her head stopping her from escaping "such a frightened little girl with no one around to hear her scream". She whispered coldly into Hermione's ear, her hot breath curling around the shell of her ear.
"Sister. I see you have finally met Miss Granger". The dark haired woman backed away giving Hermione the chance to slip past her. "I hope you were behaving Andy I expected this from Bella" Narcissa spoke to her like a mother scolding her naughty child.
"Miss Granger and I were just getting acquainted little sister after all the little lamb was rather lost" the woman turned a smirk on to Hermione "I hope for the unfortunate children to land upon our shore that you have warned them about the dangers lurking outside". With that the woman disappeared into her chambers.
I think the dangers are already inside of this spooky place.
Narcissa turned her troubled gaze upon Hermione "I am sorry you had to meet my sister Andromeda while she was in a mood usually she is the cheerful one out of us. Come Miss Granger I expect your friends are worried". Hermione followed the blonde without thought back to the ground floor and into a large room filled with books and games.
"Hermione where have you been?" Draco asked upon seeing the two women enter.
"This is the entertainment room I am sure you will find something to do Miss Granger". Narcissa turned to leave.
Hermione bit her lip in thought. "I would like to see my other friends please".
"They are asleep Miss Granger please respect my word when I say they are needing plenty of undisturbed rest while they heal" Narcissa intoned, slipping out the doors before Hermione could argue back.
Harry grabbed her into a hug "come on mione we are safe here. Look there are books waiting for you to read". He grinned giving Hermione a gentle shove to the ceiling high bookshelves.
While books tended to attract her attention today the need for answers was her first and only priority. Not wanting the boys to become suspicious Hermione grabbed one without reading the title and took a seat by the boys.
"What are you three doing?" Hermione asked. Not sure she really wanted to know, each boy had paper taped to their forehead.
Neville looked up blinking owlishly at her. "Oh I didn't see you come in Hermione. We are playing guess who it's a muggle game that me dad taught me wanna play?".
Hermione shook her head glancing down at the book open in her lap chewing the inside of her cheek. "Where are you three sleeping?" the thought just making it self known.
"A cottage out back plenty big enough for us to share" Harry grinned dragging a hand though his hair. "Still in need of cleaning but we are getting on it".
"Why? When there is plenty of empty bedrooms in the castle".
"Be improper for us to be sleeping in close quarters with you that's what the countess said" Neville beamed.
Hermione couldn't believe such rubbish. "What is it to her if you slept in the same bed as me let alone in a room near by? Not that I intend on having any of you in my bed". Scowling at the audacity of the blonde. Who does she think she is my bloody mother.
"Her home her rules I suppose" Draco spoke up "I know, I tried to tell her you only enjoy woman but you know how it is when an adult gets a thought into their head, well we pretty much screwed and anyway the cottage is brilliant I mean it's no Potter manor but if we are stuck here we might as well make the most of it".
Hermione slammed the book shut, huffing in annoyance at the defeat in their tones, so accepting of their fate. Pacing a path in the carpet "how can you just give up so easily? We need to find the others and find a way home" her gaze landing on Harry "what about your parents Harry don't you want to see them again?". Harry remained silent diverting his attention to the floor. "Neville what about your mom and dad?" no reply. "Am I the only fucking sane person in this fucking creepy castle. You can just give up and play house with each other but I'm finding away off this island and making sure no one else gets trapped here again". Throwing her hands up in defeat she marched out the room, banging the doors shut behind her.
No one was going to keep Hermione against her will. Hell hath no fury like a caged Hermione.