Disclaimer: The plot belongs to me. Anything else belongs to JK Rowling with many thanks.
Chapter Three: An Unfortunate Encounter
Hermione Granger stepped out of the horseless carriage and looked around her in relief. She was so glad to be here…so glad to be somewhere she considered to be home. It had been far too long since she had walked these sacred hallways…far too long indeed.
Knowing that her bags would be looked after by the house elves, she carefully lowered the hood of her cloak and breathed deeply.
"At least I know I will feel secure here," she sighed quietly.
She made her way to the huge entrance and waited. She did not have to wait long as it slowly opened, groaning as if it were not used to accepting guests, to reveal a beaming Minerva McGonagall.
"Good evening, Hermione," she walked over to embrace her prized student. Hermione returned the embrace warmly. The older woman had always been her favourite professor.
"Good evening, Professor McGonagall." Hermione replied automatically.
"Now, now, Hermione. You are no longer a student. You are my colleague. You will address me as all my colleagues do…as Minerva," the older witch remonstrated gently as she released Hermione to look at her.
"You have grown a great deal since I saw you last. How long has it been?"
"Almost three and a half years," Hermione replied with a note of sadness.
"Such a long time. Why don't you come into my office and we can chat over a nice pot of tea?"
"That sounds lovely," Hermione smiled as she followed Minerva through the corridors of Hogwarts. The torches lit their way and, everywhere she looked, she saw places and objects that brought back vivid memories. For the most part, she smiled but, as she passed the portrait door entrance to the Gryffindor common room, there was a look of profound sadness on her face.
"That's where it happened," she thought bleakly and then turned to hurry after Minerva. She was rather thankful the Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait.
After a few more twists and turns and Hermione found herself at the entrance to Minerva's office. Drawing her wand, Minerva quickly cast an unlocking spell and, opening the door, invited Hermione to go in ahead of her. Closing the door, Minerva motioned to a pair of papasan chairs.
"Have a seat, my dear, and I will see to the tea."
Hermione settled herself in one of the chairs. They really were quite comfortable…the sort of chair you could read a book in…the sort of chair you could relax in, safe in the arms of someone who loved you….
"Cream and sugar, if I am not mistaken?"
Hermione was shaken out of her reverie by the question and murmured her thanks while accepting the proffered cup. Taking a sip, she felt the warmth of the beverage spread throughout her body and calm it somewhat.
"It is very good," she smiled at her former mentor.
Minerva smiled back but then her expression sobered somewhat.
"Hermione, I am really pleased that you decided to come back to Hogwarts…I always hoped you would…but are you all right?"
"What do you mean?"
"You are a lot thinner than I remember and much paler," Minerva said quietly, "And…I do know about what happened on the night of the graduation feast."
Hermione was very proud of the fact that she did not drop the teacup on the ground. Willing herself to stop shaking like a frightened child, she looked up at Minerva.
"Nothing happened. Viktor simply picked a rather terrible time to tell me how he felt."
"Hermione, you have nothing to be ashamed of."
"I am not ashamed!" Hermione flared slightly.
"Is that why you suddenly decided to become an Auror?"
Hermione smiled grimly.
"That was the most difficult training available."
Minerva smiled, despite her best efforts. "You never were one to refuse a challenge."
"After the training, I decided that being an Auror was not the best use of my talents and so I accepted your generous offer."
Minerva sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "I always hoped that you would be able to come to me and talk about that incident."
"There is nothing to talk about because nothing happened," Hermione said, a little more firmly than was absolutely required.
"Well, thankfully, Viktor's true loyalties were discovered in time and he was sent to Azkaban. He was able to provide the evidence we needed to incriminate Lucius Malfoy on the many charges including the kidnapping of Harry and the conspiracy to murder him not to mention the fact that he testified that Wormtail was still alive, thereby clearing Sirius' name. Lucius is Azkaban's most famous inmate now. I am sure that Sirius was glad to relinquish that title to him of all people. Young Draco Malfoy must have been glad to have his father out of the way."
Hermione smiled slightly at that. Draco had been secretly working against his father for the year prior to the incident. To say that he was happy was an understatement. His mother immediately applied for a divorce and all Lucius' property was seized and transferred to his mother's name. Ecstatic would more accurately describe Draco's feelings.
Hoping to draw the subject away to different waters, Hermione forced herself to smile.
"So, who did you manage to procure for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post this year? I understand that the vampire you had hired last year was too afraid of impalement to return."
Minerva laughed, "The poor dear was practically frantic because of those final year Slytherins last year. They told her that they were going to decapitate her and stuff her head with garlic. Any vampire worth their salt would take exception to that."
"I suppose so," Hermione said, still with the forced smile on her face.
"In any event," Minerva continued after a sip of her tea, " we did manage to get a most qualified candidate for the position."
"Who?" Hermione asked, despite herself.
"Remus Lupin," Minerva declared proudly.
Hermione blanched in astonishment.
"He has taught the class before and he was a class favourite, if I remember correctly," Minerva continued, not noticing Hermione's increasing pallor. "Besides, with his work within the Order of the Phoenix, as you well know, this is the perfect excuse for him to be near Headmaster Dumbledore. It really is perfect."
"Yes," Hermione answered in a hollow voice, "Just perfect…"
She dropped the cup of tea onto the floor, where it crashed loudly, while she slumped forward and fell off the chair in a dead faint.
Minerva was out of her seat in a flash. She quickly levitated Hermione's limp form back onto the chair and checked her forehead for any bruises or bumps. She seemed all right, just very pale.
"Hermione! Wake up, dear. Hermione! Wake up," Minerva conjured a cooling spell and a light blue mist emanated from her wand and settled onto the younger woman's forehead. Within moments, Hermione's eyes fluttered open.
"Oh, my dear girl. You gave me quite a scare. Are you all right? Should I call Madame Pomfrey?" Minerva asked nervously as she conjured a glass of cold water for Hermione to sip.
Hermione shook her head. "No, that will not be necessary. I'm sorry. I…I didn't have anything to eat today…I was so nervous about coming here again and I guess I got a little light-headed," she hoped Minerva wouldn't see through her fabricated story.
Minerva patted her hand affectionately. "You shouldn't be so nervous…we are all so happy to have you here. Even Severus had to agree that you were the best choice for the job so that should be affirmation enough for you."
Hermione smiled weakly and sipped the water, feeling the cold liquid flow down her throat and into her stomach.
"If only it could make my heart freeze as well," she thought bitterly.
She half-listened to Minerva talk about the curriculum for the coming year (with which she was already intimately familiar) and about plans for a special Yule Ball for the students in mid December as the older witch tidied up the broken teacup pieces and made the spilled tea disappear. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Hermione stood up and held out the now empty glass.
"I am still not feeling well…I think I will take a short walk to clear my head and then head straight up to bed."
"That sounds like a good idea, my dear. It is a warm night and the students have yet to arrive so it will be peaceful. You could walk by the lake and say hello to the squid."
Hermione smiled at the thought.
"Thank you, Minerva and I do apologize for my silliness."
"As far as I am concerned, that was not silliness…well, except for the part about not eating," Minerva admonished gently, her eyes twinkling.
"Good night, Minerva," Hermione said, not without difficulty at calling her former teacher by her first name.
"Good night, Hermione. Pleasant dreams."
Hermione opened the door to the office and closed it behind her, looking down the corridor she knew would lead her to a side entrance. She started walking.
The night air was still warm but there was a bite to it, as if to remind her that autumn was not that far off. She breathed it all in deeply as she walked along the path to the lake…trying to calm her heart.
She couldn't believe that he, of all people, was teaching here…this year. How was she going to face him? It had been over three years since that incident…
Unconsciously, her fingers moved to her lips as her heart leaped painfully in her chest.
Damn him!!
What was the matter with her? She had to get past this if she was going to be able to get through this year. If only Minerva had told her earlier…had mentioned that he was even being considered for the post. The thought of seeing him everyday, sitting near him at each meal…well, it was a strange combination of pleasure and ethereal pain.
What was she going to do?
"Hermione!" a voice called out from the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione looked around but saw no one…the voice sounded familiar but she could not place it…it was odd…blurred…almost like an echo.
"Who is there?" she asked nervously, looking around but seeing nothing.
"Hermione!" the voice called again. It sounded plaintive.
"Where are you?" she cried out.
"Come into the forest!"
Hermione, feeling that the voice was in some terrible danger, ran headlong through the trees, trying to follow the direction of the voice.
"Where are you?" she cried out again, practically tripping over the roots of the large trees. The branches were hitting her in the face and grabbing at her clothing as she raced by. She felt the fabric rip several times but didn't stop. That voice was compelling her to continue…to hurry…
"Please hurry, Hermione. I need you," the voice cried out.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, hoping desperately that she was going in the right direction. She was no longer thinking rationally…all she thought about was the voice.
"I'm almost there," she panted as exhaustion was starting to catch up to her, "Hang on…I'll be there soon!"
"Hurry, Hermione!"
She ran deeper and deeper into the forest, not thinking about the many dangers, just concentrating on that voice that was calling to her.
She pushed her way through a particularly dense thicket of bushes when she suddenly found herself in a small clearing. There was something bright in the center of the clearing…she had to shade her eyes against it momentarily.
The light was coming from an illuminated figure. It was a man…not a very tall man, dressed in robes of silvery white…they gleamed almost painfully.
He turned to face her and she gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth in absolute shock.
"You!" she breathed, her heart racing.
The figure walked over to where she was standing. She could not move…she was completely transfixed.
"Yes, Hermione. It is I. I have waited for you to come back to me…to forgive me…"
"But this…this is impossible…tonight…"
He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She nearly swooned from the intimate contact between their bodies.
"I have wanted you for a very long time," he said in a deliciously silky voice that sent tingles down her spine.
"I…I …" she felt so uncertain as she saw the hunger in those enigmatic eyes. This felt like a dream.
"No talking," he said gently and then, tilting her head upwards, he brushed his lips softly against hers.
She moaned quietly, closed her eyes and then pulled him closer to herself.
"Please," she whispered, "don't push me away this time."
He fully claimed her mouth this time, forcing his tongue into her mouth as she nearly cried with desire. She wanted him so badly. Deliriously, she felt his tongue explore her mouth and leisurely trace over the tops of her teeth and delicately touch the roof of her mouth. She felt luscious sensations spread throughout her body in rippling waves…oh, this was heaven…
But, something was wrong…she was becoming tired…very tired. It felt as if her energy was being drained.
She opened her eyes and nearly cried out. What she saw was a monster, a monster that was going to destroy her. It had wavy white hair, streaked with black and its eyes glared balefully at her…they were blood red. The skin was deathly pale. She feebly tried to break the killing kiss but her energy was so depleted that she could not do it. Her head started spinning and her vision started to blur.
"I'm going to die," she thought to herself in a panic, "and I can't do anything to stop it."
A single tear spilled onto her cheek as her knees started to shake…
"I'll never be able to tell him…" she thought as the images in her mind became more unfocussed and her breathing became heavier and much more cumbersome.
And then, suddenly, she heard a furious howl and she found herself falling to the ground with a soft thud. She simply lay there, as she felt her strength slowly returning…felt each breath lighten somewhat. There were the sounds of a terrible battle nearby but that did not matter…not yet. There was a vicious keening wail, which hurt her ears and there was an angry snarling and howling that somehow reassured her.
"I have to open my eyes," she thought to herself. But it seemed like an awful lot of work…especially when she considered the awful things she might see.
But then, there was silence. An eerie sort of silence. The silence of death.
"I have to open my eyes," she thought to herself and, with a huge effort, managed to open them slightly.
Her vision was very unfocussed but, as she kept them open, she managed to slightly make out her surroundings.
The shining figure was nowhere to be seen and the clearing was quite dark. The only light that came in was from the light of the moon. She turned to her side and saw the monstrous being that had tried to take her life. It was dead, slashed viciously across the neck and chest. There did not appear to be any blood anywhere. The sight of it made her quite ill and she closed her eyes and turned her head quickly to the other side.
She felt someone pick her up gently and hold her close to their chest. There was great strength in those arms and she suddenly had the feeling that she was safe. She nestled closer, nestled into the warmth of fur that was not so very soft but rather rough…somewhat bristly. There was a scent of pine and musk…pleasant…very pleasant.
"Whatever you are," she murmured, "thank you for saving me."
She felt something nuzzle her forehead gently and would have giggled if she had not felt so tired.
She felt her mind slip in and out of focus. She felt herself falling…falling…falling. And then she wasn't falling anymore. She managed to open her eyes again slightly and there was a face looking at her. She could not make out any details in the darkness except the eyes…eyes, which looked at her with concern and…with something more?
"I've seen those eyes before," she thought to herself before losing consciousness.