----
Chapter Three----Cedric's Threat----
Hermione rummaged through the pile of books on top of the desk in front of her. She had been at the library for about an hour, looking for a certain book. She felt as if asking Madam Pomfrey for help would consider her low and stupid, so she set to the quest by herself. Hermione gave an exasperated grunt when she found out in wasn't in the set of books she had. Surly Ghouls and Goblins was somewhere here. She heaved the pile of books off the desk and replaced them on the shelf from where they'd been before. She ran her index finger along the spine of books on the shelf below, searching. Perhaps she was too engrossed to notice the shadow that passed over her?
Cedric glared down at Hermione as she kneeled, eyeing the books in front of her. He was damned if he'd let her get away that easily. He knelt down quickly, placing his hand over her mouth to cover her squeal of shock, and dragged her into a dark location of the library. Cedric glowered menacingly at her. "If I let you go, you won't shriek, right?" Hermione nodded vigorously. Since Cedric didn't want a replay of her licking his hand, he let go of her, but grabbed her hair instead and yanked her head back. Her backside was pressed against his front and his breath fanned her cheek.
"Ow, Cedric, your hurting me," she whispered urgently. Cedric chuckled.
"I love seeing you in fear." He nuzzled his nose into her hair, sniffing in its scent.
"Cedric, please. You shouldn't be doing this," she said softly.
Cedric gave a viscous tug on her hair, making her cry out. "And you shouldn't have run off yesterday and told your friends what I did."
"I didn't," Hermione lied.
"Liar," he hissed into her ear. He gave another pull to her hair, saying, "If you ever tell anyone about what I did, then I'll kill you myself. And don't underestimate me." He abruptly let go of her. He smiled sickly at her. "Watch your back when you're alone." Then, without another word, he strode away in the opposite direction.
Hermione stared at his retreating form. She raised a shaking hand to pat down her hair, making it look like before, or at least trying to. She slowly made her way back to her table and sat down in the chair supplied for her. She stared off into space.
Ron walked into the library, holding Hermione's lost copy of Ghouls and Goblins. He found her at her usual spot, looking as if she didn't know what was happening in the world. Ron snapped his fingers in front of her face, finally getting attention.
"You ok, 'Ermione?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
Hermione blinked a few times. "Huh? Oh, yea, I'm fine." She said, rather distractedly in his opinion.
"Eh, cough it up 'Ermione," Ron said, sitting down on a backwards facing chair. He laid the book in front of her.
Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap. "It was Cedric. He, uh, came to see me here." She said, flicking an imaginary piece of lint away from her robe. "He said if I, ah, told anyone about what he did, then he'd kill me himself. He told me not to underestimate him, and said for me to watch my back when I'm alone." Hermione didn't bother telling him how Cedric had hurt her, still fearing for his safety. Hermione had no doubt Ron would go to all possible lengths to hurt Cedric, not mentioning their thus said plan, just to stick up for her honor.
"He did, huh? Well that will all change soon, 'Ermione, soon." Ron nodded down to her book. "I found your book today. It was in my stack of clothes. I guess I forgot to return it when I borrowed it not too long ago."
Hermione smiled at Ron. "Thank you, Ron. I appreciate you bringing me this." She picked it up and hugged it to her chest, then stood. "I best be off now. I am going to be late for Trelawny's class." Hermione felt as if she needed to say more, but she didn't. She just walked quickly from the library, leaving a rather disgruntled Ron behind.
Hermione rummaged through the pile of books on top of the desk in front of her. She had been at the library for about an hour, looking for a certain book. She felt as if asking Madam Pomfrey for help would consider her low and stupid, so she set to the quest by herself. Hermione gave an exasperated grunt when she found out in wasn't in the set of books she had. Surly Ghouls and Goblins was somewhere here. She heaved the pile of books off the desk and replaced them on the shelf from where they'd been before. She ran her index finger along the spine of books on the shelf below, searching. Perhaps she was too engrossed to notice the shadow that passed over her?
Cedric glared down at Hermione as she kneeled, eyeing the books in front of her. He was damned if he'd let her get away that easily. He knelt down quickly, placing his hand over her mouth to cover her squeal of shock, and dragged her into a dark location of the library. Cedric glowered menacingly at her. "If I let you go, you won't shriek, right?" Hermione nodded vigorously. Since Cedric didn't want a replay of her licking his hand, he let go of her, but grabbed her hair instead and yanked her head back. Her backside was pressed against his front and his breath fanned her cheek.
"Ow, Cedric, your hurting me," she whispered urgently. Cedric chuckled.
"I love seeing you in fear." He nuzzled his nose into her hair, sniffing in its scent.
"Cedric, please. You shouldn't be doing this," she said softly.
Cedric gave a viscous tug on her hair, making her cry out. "And you shouldn't have run off yesterday and told your friends what I did."
"I didn't," Hermione lied.
"Liar," he hissed into her ear. He gave another pull to her hair, saying, "If you ever tell anyone about what I did, then I'll kill you myself. And don't underestimate me." He abruptly let go of her. He smiled sickly at her. "Watch your back when you're alone." Then, without another word, he strode away in the opposite direction.
Hermione stared at his retreating form. She raised a shaking hand to pat down her hair, making it look like before, or at least trying to. She slowly made her way back to her table and sat down in the chair supplied for her. She stared off into space.
Ron walked into the library, holding Hermione's lost copy of Ghouls and Goblins. He found her at her usual spot, looking as if she didn't know what was happening in the world. Ron snapped his fingers in front of her face, finally getting attention.
"You ok, 'Ermione?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.
Hermione blinked a few times. "Huh? Oh, yea, I'm fine." She said, rather distractedly in his opinion.
"Eh, cough it up 'Ermione," Ron said, sitting down on a backwards facing chair. He laid the book in front of her.
Hermione sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap. "It was Cedric. He, uh, came to see me here." She said, flicking an imaginary piece of lint away from her robe. "He said if I, ah, told anyone about what he did, then he'd kill me himself. He told me not to underestimate him, and said for me to watch my back when I'm alone." Hermione didn't bother telling him how Cedric had hurt her, still fearing for his safety. Hermione had no doubt Ron would go to all possible lengths to hurt Cedric, not mentioning their thus said plan, just to stick up for her honor.
"He did, huh? Well that will all change soon, 'Ermione, soon." Ron nodded down to her book. "I found your book today. It was in my stack of clothes. I guess I forgot to return it when I borrowed it not too long ago."
Hermione smiled at Ron. "Thank you, Ron. I appreciate you bringing me this." She picked it up and hugged it to her chest, then stood. "I best be off now. I am going to be late for Trelawny's class." Hermione felt as if she needed to say more, but she didn't. She just walked quickly from the library, leaving a rather disgruntled Ron behind.
