I willed myself into the Great Hall in Hogwarts, concealing myself
with my power. It was early in the morning, so it was just beginning to
fill with students. Looking around, I saw Hermione was not there. I brought
myself to her side.
With fascination, I found myself in her bedroom, where Hermione was getting dressed. She looked just how I pictured her in my dreams: graceful, sophisticated, and elegant. The moment I entered the room, I felt an overwhelming sadness radiating from her. As she pulled on her sweater, she stared into space for a moment. I could have read her mind, see what she was thinking about, but all I could do was watch her.
There was a knock on the door. The girl went to it and opened it. A red-haired boy stepped inside. I squinted at him; he seemed familiar.
"How are you, Hermione?" he asked gently. She shrugged. The boy rested a hand on her shoulder. I felt a twinge of annoyance.
"OK," she answered. "Some days are harder than others." A tear slipped down her cheek. The young man put a hand to her cheek and wiped away the teardrop. I scowled.
"I'm sure he'll turn up soon," he assured her. Confused, I glanced into his mind. ~If she believes Harry's alive, she'll feel better. No use telling her it's hopeless.~
Startled, I stepped away from the two. That was why I remembered her. She had been my friend.
However, I couldn't let that stand in the way. I wanted to kill her, and getting sentimental feelings about her was not going to help.
"Let's go to breakfast," the red-haired boy suggested, and they both left. I tagged along, ready to start my plan.
~Hermione?~ I whispered into her mind. ~Hermione?~ She whirled around, eyes darting every which way.
"What's the matter?" Redboy inquired.
"I thought I heard him," she replied distantly, still searching the common room with her eyes. "Harry-"
~I'm here~, I told her, running my clammy hand on her shoulder. She shuddered. ~Hermione~.
"No one's there, Hermione," the red-haired comforted her. He reached his hand out to her, but she shifted away from his touch. I smiled, pleased, and followed them.
* * *
My girl watched the syrupy yellow liquid drip into her potion slowly, making sure she didn't put in too much. I watched from afar, backing into the shadows so I wouldn't be touched by the sun. My attention turned from Hermione from a moment to the master of this class, a man named Snape. He looked on edge, as if he felt something that shouldn't have been there. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was a vampire himself, judging from his pale skin and the cloak of power I sensed around him.
I threw out my power to Hermione's lavender roots, making them twitch on the table. She noticed the movement, and her eyes widened when they began to spell out the letter H. Then they shifted, spelling A. Her eyes were fixated on the roots as they formed the rest of my name. They suddenly burst into flames.
"Miss Granger?" Professor Snape said abruptly. He began to walk towards her, and I put out the fire with my mind. "What has distracted you from your potion?"
She could only point at the smoldering roots. He looked at them for a moment, and picked on up. Suddenly his head snapped over to where I stood. Snape blinked, and I wondered if he saw me, or was just staring into space.
"These roots seem fine to me, just a little scalded," he said sharply. "Get back to work." Pleased, I noticed Hermione's right hand couldn't stop shaking.
* * *
At lunch, Hermione was pale and wouldn't eat. The boy with the blood- red hair was very concerned with her. "You have to eat," he reminded her. She shook her head and declined, her shoulder twitching slightly where I touched her. Strange; she was so adorable as I drove her insane.
Over at the teacher's table sat two teachers sat Snape. He was in the middle of a discussion with another professor, but his eyes were on My Girl. I frowned; he knew something. His mind was unreadable to me. All I saw was blackness. Both bored and confused, I departed.
* * *
I had fun with My Girl. She was so excitable. When Hermione came back to her dormitory to get ready for bed, and found a dead rabbit on her bed, she screamed and cried. Her emotions made her scent stronger, more stimulating. She smelled like mountain wildflowers.
"Who's doing this?" she asked, looking around her bedroom. Her voice was shaky. "What do you want?"
A smile covered my face. ~You~, I said into her mind. ~I want you, Hermione.~
"Why?" she inquired as she began to breathe faster.
"You're so beautiful," I spoke aloud. Hermione began to back into the door. "I just wanted to show you how much I care."
"Leave me alone," she declared. "Just leave me alone!" She quickly turned around and left the room, slamming the door. I sighed to myself: why didn't she like this?
"Most humans don't like being tortured," someone answered. A form materialized in the room: Snape, the potions master.
"I knew you could see me," I said angrily, cursing myself. "How?"
He ignored my question. "What is your fascination with Miss Granger?"
"She's beautiful," I answered before I could stop myself.
"You wish to make her one of our kind?"
"Yes-our?" Abruptly I stopped, realizing the man's words. "You are-"
"I am," replied Snape coldly, as if he didn't wish to talk about it.
"How can you stand being around humans?" All day I'd been hanging around this mortal school, trying to control my hunger. This vampire lived with them and was around them with every day!
"Self-control. It's difficult at first, but becomes easier." His face became graver than before, if possible. "If you leave now, I won't tell the Headmaster you've been on the grounds."
I frowned. "And if I don't?" I inquired lightly.
"I will personally stand guard in front of Miss Granger's room with a wooden stake." He clearly meant that. "Good day, Mr. Potter." He disappeared.
For a moment I thought about leaving. But just for a moment. I brought myself back to Thekla's mansion for a while. Tonight I would return, and kill the girl.
* * *
Hermione came back to her dormitory around ten o'clock. She slipped into a lacy white nightgown and got under the bed sheets. The girl picked up a book and began to read.
Immediately I stopped cloaking myself. "Hermione," I called aloud from the corner of the bedroom. Her head snapped up from her text. She gasped when I let myself become visible in the corner of the room.
"Harry!" she gasped. She was so afraid, the fear rolled off her like waves. "What- how- you're alive."
"Actually, I'm not," I replied airily. I smiled widely, flashing my fangs. Hermione's mouth opened as if she was going to scream, but she didn't.
"You're a vampire!" she said instead. She got out of bed and ran to the door. Before she could touch it, I whispered ~Freeze~ into her mind. Hermione stopped moving. Silently I walked towards her. The girl whimpered.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione," I said smoothly, stroking her warm cheek. She looked revolted. My hand dropped to her neck. With my first two fingers I pressed into her throat where I planned to make holes. "Soon, there will be no more pain."
"Why are you doing this?" she began to cry. "Why do you hate me?"
"Don't say that, love," I told her, surprised. "I could never hate you. I love you." Playfully I combed her rich mahogany hair with my fingers. "I know you love me, Hermione. You have to." I paused and turned to face her, letting our eyes meet her. "Tell me you love me, Hermione."
"Will you hurt me?" she inquired, sounding like a small child.
"We'll see," I replied breezily, still playing with her hair. "Tell me, Hermione."
She swallowed hard. "I love you, Harry." The way she said it was so- flat. Lifeless. Like I could make her within moments.
"Come now, Hermione. I know you can do better than that." Firmly I gripped a lock of brown hair and pulled it. She winced. I repeated, "Tell me that you love me."
"I love you, Harry," she whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks. I smiled. Slowly I pressed my lips onto hers. They were warm and full of life, blood pulsing through them. My mental hold on Hermione's body decreased, and she struggled when our lips met. With my mind I forced her to kiss me back. At first she resisted the mind control, but then she gave in. All I could think about was Hermione, her curvy body, her floral scent, and the thick crimson plasma flowing through her veins.
I lifted my mouth away. Her lips danced across my face as I licked her neck. Then, without hesitation, I bit into her. She winced at the sudden burst of pain. ~Relax, Hermione~ I ordered her. Her blood was like strawberry syrup, sliding down my throat easily, sating my thirst.
The girl wouldn't relax. She fought me, and tried to pull away from me. Hermione gasped, sensing how little air she had and how little blood she had left. Finally she collapsed to the floor, nearly dead.
"No, Hermione," I whispered to myself. I knelt beside her. "You're coming with me." On her desk sat a letter opener. It flew through the air into my hand. I slit my wrist with it, my blood seeping out of it.
~Hermione?~ I asked her, forcing her to awake. She stirred. ~Do you want to live?~
~Yes~ she pleaded. ~Please let me live.~
I pressed my wrist to her mouth. She drank ferociously, taking in the sweet blood. ~Am I going to be a vampire?~ she asked suddenly. Surprised she was still conscious, I hastily responded ~Yes~.
~I'm sorry, Harry, about before. I'm so sorry.~ Her lips went slack. She was dead. I wrapped up her still warm body in my arms and brought her back to El Infierno, wondering what she was apologizing for.
With fascination, I found myself in her bedroom, where Hermione was getting dressed. She looked just how I pictured her in my dreams: graceful, sophisticated, and elegant. The moment I entered the room, I felt an overwhelming sadness radiating from her. As she pulled on her sweater, she stared into space for a moment. I could have read her mind, see what she was thinking about, but all I could do was watch her.
There was a knock on the door. The girl went to it and opened it. A red-haired boy stepped inside. I squinted at him; he seemed familiar.
"How are you, Hermione?" he asked gently. She shrugged. The boy rested a hand on her shoulder. I felt a twinge of annoyance.
"OK," she answered. "Some days are harder than others." A tear slipped down her cheek. The young man put a hand to her cheek and wiped away the teardrop. I scowled.
"I'm sure he'll turn up soon," he assured her. Confused, I glanced into his mind. ~If she believes Harry's alive, she'll feel better. No use telling her it's hopeless.~
Startled, I stepped away from the two. That was why I remembered her. She had been my friend.
However, I couldn't let that stand in the way. I wanted to kill her, and getting sentimental feelings about her was not going to help.
"Let's go to breakfast," the red-haired boy suggested, and they both left. I tagged along, ready to start my plan.
~Hermione?~ I whispered into her mind. ~Hermione?~ She whirled around, eyes darting every which way.
"What's the matter?" Redboy inquired.
"I thought I heard him," she replied distantly, still searching the common room with her eyes. "Harry-"
~I'm here~, I told her, running my clammy hand on her shoulder. She shuddered. ~Hermione~.
"No one's there, Hermione," the red-haired comforted her. He reached his hand out to her, but she shifted away from his touch. I smiled, pleased, and followed them.
* * *
My girl watched the syrupy yellow liquid drip into her potion slowly, making sure she didn't put in too much. I watched from afar, backing into the shadows so I wouldn't be touched by the sun. My attention turned from Hermione from a moment to the master of this class, a man named Snape. He looked on edge, as if he felt something that shouldn't have been there. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was a vampire himself, judging from his pale skin and the cloak of power I sensed around him.
I threw out my power to Hermione's lavender roots, making them twitch on the table. She noticed the movement, and her eyes widened when they began to spell out the letter H. Then they shifted, spelling A. Her eyes were fixated on the roots as they formed the rest of my name. They suddenly burst into flames.
"Miss Granger?" Professor Snape said abruptly. He began to walk towards her, and I put out the fire with my mind. "What has distracted you from your potion?"
She could only point at the smoldering roots. He looked at them for a moment, and picked on up. Suddenly his head snapped over to where I stood. Snape blinked, and I wondered if he saw me, or was just staring into space.
"These roots seem fine to me, just a little scalded," he said sharply. "Get back to work." Pleased, I noticed Hermione's right hand couldn't stop shaking.
* * *
At lunch, Hermione was pale and wouldn't eat. The boy with the blood- red hair was very concerned with her. "You have to eat," he reminded her. She shook her head and declined, her shoulder twitching slightly where I touched her. Strange; she was so adorable as I drove her insane.
Over at the teacher's table sat two teachers sat Snape. He was in the middle of a discussion with another professor, but his eyes were on My Girl. I frowned; he knew something. His mind was unreadable to me. All I saw was blackness. Both bored and confused, I departed.
* * *
I had fun with My Girl. She was so excitable. When Hermione came back to her dormitory to get ready for bed, and found a dead rabbit on her bed, she screamed and cried. Her emotions made her scent stronger, more stimulating. She smelled like mountain wildflowers.
"Who's doing this?" she asked, looking around her bedroom. Her voice was shaky. "What do you want?"
A smile covered my face. ~You~, I said into her mind. ~I want you, Hermione.~
"Why?" she inquired as she began to breathe faster.
"You're so beautiful," I spoke aloud. Hermione began to back into the door. "I just wanted to show you how much I care."
"Leave me alone," she declared. "Just leave me alone!" She quickly turned around and left the room, slamming the door. I sighed to myself: why didn't she like this?
"Most humans don't like being tortured," someone answered. A form materialized in the room: Snape, the potions master.
"I knew you could see me," I said angrily, cursing myself. "How?"
He ignored my question. "What is your fascination with Miss Granger?"
"She's beautiful," I answered before I could stop myself.
"You wish to make her one of our kind?"
"Yes-our?" Abruptly I stopped, realizing the man's words. "You are-"
"I am," replied Snape coldly, as if he didn't wish to talk about it.
"How can you stand being around humans?" All day I'd been hanging around this mortal school, trying to control my hunger. This vampire lived with them and was around them with every day!
"Self-control. It's difficult at first, but becomes easier." His face became graver than before, if possible. "If you leave now, I won't tell the Headmaster you've been on the grounds."
I frowned. "And if I don't?" I inquired lightly.
"I will personally stand guard in front of Miss Granger's room with a wooden stake." He clearly meant that. "Good day, Mr. Potter." He disappeared.
For a moment I thought about leaving. But just for a moment. I brought myself back to Thekla's mansion for a while. Tonight I would return, and kill the girl.
* * *
Hermione came back to her dormitory around ten o'clock. She slipped into a lacy white nightgown and got under the bed sheets. The girl picked up a book and began to read.
Immediately I stopped cloaking myself. "Hermione," I called aloud from the corner of the bedroom. Her head snapped up from her text. She gasped when I let myself become visible in the corner of the room.
"Harry!" she gasped. She was so afraid, the fear rolled off her like waves. "What- how- you're alive."
"Actually, I'm not," I replied airily. I smiled widely, flashing my fangs. Hermione's mouth opened as if she was going to scream, but she didn't.
"You're a vampire!" she said instead. She got out of bed and ran to the door. Before she could touch it, I whispered ~Freeze~ into her mind. Hermione stopped moving. Silently I walked towards her. The girl whimpered.
"Don't be afraid, Hermione," I said smoothly, stroking her warm cheek. She looked revolted. My hand dropped to her neck. With my first two fingers I pressed into her throat where I planned to make holes. "Soon, there will be no more pain."
"Why are you doing this?" she began to cry. "Why do you hate me?"
"Don't say that, love," I told her, surprised. "I could never hate you. I love you." Playfully I combed her rich mahogany hair with my fingers. "I know you love me, Hermione. You have to." I paused and turned to face her, letting our eyes meet her. "Tell me you love me, Hermione."
"Will you hurt me?" she inquired, sounding like a small child.
"We'll see," I replied breezily, still playing with her hair. "Tell me, Hermione."
She swallowed hard. "I love you, Harry." The way she said it was so- flat. Lifeless. Like I could make her within moments.
"Come now, Hermione. I know you can do better than that." Firmly I gripped a lock of brown hair and pulled it. She winced. I repeated, "Tell me that you love me."
"I love you, Harry," she whispered, tears trickling down her cheeks. I smiled. Slowly I pressed my lips onto hers. They were warm and full of life, blood pulsing through them. My mental hold on Hermione's body decreased, and she struggled when our lips met. With my mind I forced her to kiss me back. At first she resisted the mind control, but then she gave in. All I could think about was Hermione, her curvy body, her floral scent, and the thick crimson plasma flowing through her veins.
I lifted my mouth away. Her lips danced across my face as I licked her neck. Then, without hesitation, I bit into her. She winced at the sudden burst of pain. ~Relax, Hermione~ I ordered her. Her blood was like strawberry syrup, sliding down my throat easily, sating my thirst.
The girl wouldn't relax. She fought me, and tried to pull away from me. Hermione gasped, sensing how little air she had and how little blood she had left. Finally she collapsed to the floor, nearly dead.
"No, Hermione," I whispered to myself. I knelt beside her. "You're coming with me." On her desk sat a letter opener. It flew through the air into my hand. I slit my wrist with it, my blood seeping out of it.
~Hermione?~ I asked her, forcing her to awake. She stirred. ~Do you want to live?~
~Yes~ she pleaded. ~Please let me live.~
I pressed my wrist to her mouth. She drank ferociously, taking in the sweet blood. ~Am I going to be a vampire?~ she asked suddenly. Surprised she was still conscious, I hastily responded ~Yes~.
~I'm sorry, Harry, about before. I'm so sorry.~ Her lips went slack. She was dead. I wrapped up her still warm body in my arms and brought her back to El Infierno, wondering what she was apologizing for.