*
Hermione sat in the limo, thinking about Ron. What would he do when he found out she was going out with someone else? on the very day they broke up, nevertheless. Why did she care? She sighed and looked out the window.
Lavender poked her. "Aw, come on, Hermione. Have fun!" she said, giggling.
Hermione looked up at Lavender, Terry, and Diego. They all looked nice enough, and like they were having a good time. Why should Hermione make herself miserable when she could be having fun? Hermione smiled and vowed to have a good time.
They arrived at the restraint; an elegant, Roman style one with fountains, statues, and mosaics of ancient gods and goddesses. They sat at a table on the balcony which over looked the main fountain. It was a detailed statue of a Roman gladiator fighting an enormous lion with spears and arrows. Hermione marveled at the intent look of concentration of the gladiator's stone face as he aimed his perpetually unmoving bow at the magnificent creature and the ferocity of the lion's eyes and jaws. The fact that artists could carve emotions out of stone had always amazed Hermione, and she sat, staring at the statue for minutes before she was snapped out of her trance by Diego.
"So, Hermione," he said, staring at her with that awful hungry look again. "I'd like to better get to know you. Tell me about yourself."
Hermione felt herself blush slightly. "there's really not much to tell... I..I'm a muggle born who's family has traveled around the world for a while..."
"hmm, that sounds interesting" he said. "What was that like?"
"Horrible. I missed all my friends so much, especially..." she choked. She was going to say Ron, but found she couldn't form the words. She looked away and into the crowd below.
Form somewhere in the depths of the restaurant, music started to play. Diego stood and took Hermione's hand, leading her to the dance floor. He took her in his arms and began to dance.
Hermione felt herself shudder. It was not the kind of tremble she felt when with Ron; the warm, happy disbelieving chill that went down her spine when she looked int Ron's eyes, but a shiver caused by some mysterious emotion. Not love, or even lust, for that matter, quite the opposite, in fact. From somewhere in her subconscious, she felt a growing sense of panic, fear, and a longing to get away.
She gazed at Diego. He was so opposite of Ron. She could remember his pale, freckled skin in comparison to Diego's darker, olive toned arms and face. And Ron's warm blue eyes compared to Diego's fierce, black ones. She had always loved the brightness of Ron's hair, and found herself become sad at the sight of Diego's dark brown, nearly black locks. The Spaniard had a dignified, manly smile; completely opposing Ron's boyish, lopsided grin. She sighed and tried her best to fight the tears that had formed.
"Hermione..." Diego said, looking at her intently. "You seem like a very fascinating person..."
"Er..thank you...I guess..." Hermione stammered.
He winked at her and reached a hand behind his back, and pulled a very peculiar golden knife from thin air. He handed is to Hermione, who took it.
"ow!" she exclaimed, as the sharp point cut the palm of her hand. She watched as the crimson blood ran down her wrist.
Diego smiled.
*
Hours after the date, hours after Hermione had fallen asleep, even, she woke abruptly. Her hand throbbed in pain, though she knew there was no reason for it to. she had cured the cut up as easily as if it had been nothing more than a needle's prick. There wasn't even a scar from the strange golden knife. Hermione got up and walked to the bathroom and turned on the light. On the palm of her right hand there was a large, crescent-moon shaped scar. Hermione jumped at the sight of it; it hadn't been there before she had fallen asleep. And then there was the dream...
It was more a feeling than a dream; a sense of growing weakness and enslavement, as if all of the strength was being drained from her body. Form behind a thick curtain of mist, she could hear a strange sort of laugh; cold, and unearthly. From behind the mist came a face ... the face of Diego.
Hermione stood in the bathroom and wondered why she had had a dream like that. *It was probably just because I cut myself on his knife. * Hermione thought. *And because I don't think i was ready for another date...especially with someone like Diego...* Nevertheless, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the cut was part of something strange...something...sinsister.
*
It was dawn on the day after Hermione had stormed out of the apartment when Ron woke. He had had a terrible night's sleep; every dream he had was about Hermione, and they weren't nice once. All of them had to do with her being enslaved or threatened and killed.
Ron bolted upright at the climax of one of those dreams sweating and frightened. He came out of his bedroom and onto the balcony that overlooked the city. The rising sun cast golden shadows over London's streets, houses, and Medieval looking buildings making the town look like something out of a fairy tale. Ron sighed, wondering what his dreams could have meant.
Hours later, Harry woke from a very peaceful rest. He went out of his bedroom and went to make coffee. Since he was usually the first awake, he was startled to see Ron on the balcony.
"Oi, Ron! What are you doing?" he said, opening the door to the Balcony.
Ron looked up at him, his sticking up as he ran a hand through it. "I'm just thinking ... "
"About Hermione?" Harry asked, sitting in the chair next to Ron's.
"Yeah. Hey Harry? OD you think dreams have meanings?"
Harry raised his eyebrows "...Some, I guess... I dunno...why?"
" I kept having dreams about Hermione being in danger, but I dot know what it means..."
"It probably just means that you're worried about her." Harry said, consolingly. "Don't worry about it."
"I dunno... I guess."
Later that day, Ron and Harry were Diagon Alley looking at Quidditch supplies with Fred and George, who had just been accepted onto England's national team as Beaters, when something he would never had expected happened to Ron. They were looking at the newest model broom (the LightningStreak) when everything went black. Hermione's shrieks filled his ears and chilled his heart and his head swam. Ron was barely conscious as he went clamoring around the shop screaming "Hermione!" and only stopped when he felt the cold floor against his head. Tasting the salt of his own blood, he sat up, his mind returning to Diagon Alley and the Quidditch shop.
Harry watched him with wide eyes. "Ron... Are you...okay?"
Even Fred and George were concerned. "What happened?" asked Fred, cautiously.
"You were having a fit or something..." George said, looking rather pale.
"Hermione..." Ron croaked. "Sh - she was screaming ... and.. I dunno what was happening to her...but it wasn't good..." he stood up dizzily. "I need to find her." He said and walked out of the shop.
"Ron! Wait up!" called Harry, hurrying after him. "How are you going to get to her? Lavender's probably got some spell up her sleeve to keep you away."
"I...don't know.. But somehow, I'll get to her... I have to..." Ron said, determined. Harry just shrugged and followed him; it was all Harry could do at the moment.
*
Hermione woke that same day feeling stiff, fatigued, and tired. Like Ron, she hadn't slept well. The Dream haunted her all through the night, a golden knife plunging out of nowhere, and Diego's snarling grin looming where ever she turned.
Hermione moaned and rolled over as Lavender pulled apart the drapes, letting light flood the room.
"Up and Adam, sleepy!" Lavender said, extremely perky for that time in the morning.
"Just five more minutes" Hermione muttered as she pulled her pillow over her head.
Lavender giggled and said, "Aw, Hermione, you gotta get up now! We're going to go to the park with Diego and Terry in an hour."
Hermione wasn't tired anymore. She bolted upright, eyes wide. "What!? W h- why?"
"Diego was very interested in you. I think he likes you a lot" she giggled again. "Who knows, you might even get married someday."
A picture of Hermione in a wedding dress -- a black wedding dress, for some reason -- popped into her head. Hermione shook herself and tried to tell Lavender about the cut.
"I'm sure it'll go away ... maybe the spell was faulty.." Lavender said, disconcerned. She might have been imagining it, but Hermione swore Lavender was avoiding her eyes. Lavender told her to get ready and quickly went out of the room.
Hermione quickly got dressed, staring at her scar the whole time. When she was done, she tried removing the scar with her wand, but nothing worked. The scar was engraved upon her palm forever.
"Hermione!" Yelled Lavender from downstairs. "They're here! Come down!"
Hermione groaned and played with the hem of her blue T-shirt. She walked out of the guest room and down the beautiful grand staircase to see terry's pale hair and Diego's raven colored locks. He looked turned around to gaze at her with his onyx eyes; she smiled back politely, feeling her stomach turn in fear.
"Ahh, Hermione," he said. "I have been in sorrow since we parted" his eyes glittered, Hermione swallowed hard.
"Er... isn't...nice outside," she stammered, trying desperately to change the subject as they walked to the park.
"hm...? Yes, it is," he said, not paying attention. Instead, he stared intently into her eyes. Hermione shifted uncomfortably.
Something glinted from Diego's belt. It was a splendid leather case with gold letters imprinted in some other language. The print was loopy and strange, but somehow familiar. The print was not Roman, as was used in both the English and Spanish, but a
haunting sort of font.
Diego smiled as he watched Hermione, entranced by his knife. He slowly pulled it out of the hilt, letting the sun glint against it almost menacingly. He ran the tip of his finger across the duller edge of the blade, sending chills down Hermione's spine. She felt almost controlled by it; controlled by Diego. He lifted it high into the air and brought it down up on the soft bark of a nearby tree.
Hermione gasped. She was no longer in the middle of a bright, cheery park, but in a dark, dungeon-like corridor. The floor was ridden with damp, and the walls seemed to be covered in a sort of slime. Hermione shivered and got up from the cold floor, but fell back violently. Her strength was gone -- no, not gone... *leaving*. She could feel the energy dripping down her spine, melting off her body. She became weak and plunged to the ground, screaming with all her might. From what seemed like miles away, a cold, mirthless laugh filled her heart. "Diego," she cried, gasping for breath.
"yes, my love?" he replied. Hermione shook her head and blinked a few times. She was no longer in the dank dungeon, but in the park once again. Not only was she back in the park, but she was in Diego's embrace, his arms snaked around her waist.
"N - nothing... I "m okay now..." she said, feeling more and more uncomfortable in his arms. Hermione withdrew and started babbling about the weather again, unable to shake the feeling that her dream had left her with a bit less strength than she had before.
*
A/N - sorry, it took longer than I expected it to. I hate writing chapters when I dont know what I'm gonna do in the main plot thingiemajigger, so... I had to stop and bug my friends for ideas ... thanx guys. I know, I know, I was annoying, but, oh well. I'm always annoying. lol. oh, and meet my good friend Mr. review box. He gets lonely when people dont review, and do you really want to have to live with the fact that you made Mr. review box sad?