Six chapters to go, including this one.
Chapter 10- Unwelcome Adoration
Hermione tiptoed to the bed and gingerly pulled back the curtain. She jumped when the cougher was revealed. "Ron, it's- at least, I think- it's Lupin."
A closer look ascertained that indeed it was Lupin, but he looked terrible. His skin was pale, grayish even, and patches of brown fur clung to it. His fingernails were curved and pointed, like claws, and his fingers were bloody. He was so thin she could see his bones, and his arms were covered in scratches.
Ron rose slowly, coming to stand beside Hermione. "Should we wake him up?"
Hermione tried. "Lupin? Professor Lupin? Oh, he's not a professor anymore, is he."
He awoke anyway. His eyes flickered, and he squinted at them, frowning. "Ron- Hermione. What are you doing here?"
"Ron had an eye problem," Hermione said quietly. "I wanted to stay with him." Lupin moved to scratch his head, then let his hand drop. Hermione realized that scratching any part of himself might be dangerous with those claw-like nails. "Um…what are *you* doing here?"
"It's a bit of a story. The short of it is, since my last transformation, I've been sick. When I was supposed to have changed back, this happened. You know tonight is the full moon? I didn't change. I did not know what was wrong, so I came to Dumbledore. I am not sure, but he thinks there was some kind of interference. And then Madame Pomfrey insisted I rest under her care. So here I am." He caught himself before scratching his neck and sighed. "I think the nails are the worst part. So what has been happening here? I trust it's been all mischief as usual?"
"Well, no," Hermione said. She went on to explain the problem of Professor Nova, and Voldemort's desire for the unicorn. Too late, she remembered Dumbledore's request that they tell no one, and looked down in embarrassment.
Lupin shook his head. "A unicorn. It's perfect.
"I still don't get it," Ron said. "What's so important about a unicorn?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should *read* something once in a while." Ron looked at her, simulating confusion, and Lupin emitted a strangled laugh. "Remember our first DADA class fourth year? With the spider?" Ron shuddered in answer. "Remember how Harry resisted?"
Ron grinned. "Yeah, that was wicked."
"Supposedly, the Imperius Curse works on any creature with a brain. But Harry has a strong will, so he was able to fight it. Unicorns are a step above that. Their will is so strong, the Imperius Curse does not affect them at all. They just completely ignore it."
"They're impervious to Imperius," Lupin rasped. His voice was getting worse.
Hermione continued. "There are other ways for someone to get a unicorn to do your bidding. You know the saying, 'young minds are impressionable'? That applies to unicorns, as well. What else do we know about unicorns?"
Ron narrowed his eyes as he thought. "Um…we know…they don't turn silver or get their horns until they're older, and…when they're young, they don't mind males as much."
"Exactly. All he has to do is get his hands on one. It would let him near. Then- I don't know all the details, but there are ways a young unicorn could be convinced that their will and someone else's are the same, and then they would do whatever you ask."
"Wow." Ron still looked puzzled. "But why is it so important for Voldemort to have a unicorn? They're peaceful."
"You never pay attention, do you? Usually, unicorns are peaceful, but if they feel threatened, they will fight mercilessly. And they fight to kill. If Voldemort had a unicorn 'convinced', he could tell it to attack without first feeling threatened. Besides that, unicorns have very powerful magic. And he would have access to unicorn blood."
"But then…unicorns are supposed to be the purest creatures in existence. If a unicorn were linked with Voldemort, it would not be pure. It would be corrupted, wouldn't it? Then it should lose something."
Hermione and Lupin exchanged looks. "Ron, you never cease to amaze me. They should call you 'the man with random intelligence'. That would sell."
"Wait, you're calling me a man *and* intelligent? In the same sentence?"
Hermione grinned. "And quite dashing, I might add."
Ron puffed out his chest dashingly, and dashingly swept Hermione off her feet and dashingly kissed her.
"Dumbledore warned me about this," Lupin muttered. Hermione laughed as Ron sheepishly set her down, and then winked dashingly.
Ron settled into his bed again, then opened his arms to Hermione. She smiled and shook her head. "I'd better not. I'll sleep in the bed next to yours. I mean, do you think we'd actually get any sleep?"
Ron grinned and shrugged. "Goodnight, Hermione." She planted a kiss on his cheek and climbed into bed.
Hermione was awakened a few hours later by Madame Pomfrey bustling around Ron. "Well, it looks fine now. You can go, Mister Weasley. There's still time to go change before breakfast. Oh, so you're awake, Miss Granger. Well, go on. Oh, I've got to tend to Mister Longbottom."
"Goodbye, Lupin," Ron said jovially. "Um, Neville…what happened?"
Neville didn't answer. He was holding his stomach and groaning. Hermione thought he might throw up on them. She pulled Ron from the hospital wing.
Most of the Gryffindors were just waking up when they reached the dorm. Hermione pushed Parvati out of bed, rushing to get to breakfast as soon as possible. As fast as she went, Ron was waiting when she went back down to the common room. He playfully told her he'd been waiting for an hour. She poked him in the ribs. "We've only been up here ten minutes."
"So we're back to rib-poking, then?" Ron's finger extended.
Hermione stepped back. "My wand is easily accessible at the moment. I've been itching to try out this new-"
"Okay, I get it. No poking."
Breakfast was as good as usual, with a wide selection of food and enough noise to deafen the dead- as evidenced by Sir Nicholas's hands covering his ears.
"Hermione you don't mind if I go off with Harry for Quid ditch , do you?"
"No, go ahead. I have some work to do."
"I'll see you later." She watched with a smile as Ron and Harry hurried from the hall.
"Library again, Hermione?" Ginny said gaily as Hermione rose from the table.
"Yes. Um, if Ron…"
"I'll tell him."
"Thanks, Gin. See you tonight." Hermione and Ginny exchanged smiles before she left.
*Now, I finally have time to do that research…because I *know* his real name isn't Nova…*
Later, (much later), that day, she emerged from the library. It seemed Ron had not come back. She wondered what they could be doing, but decided she might not want to know. After all, they did many things right in front of her she did not want to know about.
Hermioen noticed the parchment on the floor just before she tripped on it. She glanced around, but no one was close. Anyone could have dropped the paper. Picking it up, she unrolled it and scanned the writing. It was a homework assignment, nothing special. Her eyes went to the top of the paper, where the name was written. Funny, she didn't think he did homework. Come to think of it, she had never seen his handwriting. Then why did it look familiar? Wondering whether she should give it back to him, or let him miss an assignment, she found herself letting her feet go where they wanted. They led her to the dorm. Before she knew it, she was kneeling by her trunk, taking out the Christman gifts she had not looked at since Christmas.
Taking the brief note from the red envelope, she compared it with the assignment. The writing was identical. Especially confused not, Hermione slid the paper back inside the envelope. She sat on her bed to think.
She should have seen if before. It made sense now, though she never would have guessed. He had been- the only word was unhostile- to her all year. She had hardly noticed before now. Ron couldn't have sent her the necklace. After the amount of money he and Harry must have spent on her present, he probably had nothing left. The necklace would have cost a fortune on its own.
Now she had all that pieced together. The only thing she couldn't figure out was: why?
"No, no, no," she half-whispered through clenched teeth.
How could this happen? Draco Malfoy was in love with her.
End Chapter 10
Haha, bet you didn't see that coming. Then again, a few really smart people might have. I considered putting her with Malfoy, but I'm a Ron/Hermione fanatic. Anyway, Review please. :)
Teaser:
Hermione stood frozen. Malfoy waited for her to take the box back. With conscious effort to keep her hand steady, she took it and slid it into her robes. If not Malfoy, then who…?
"Well, thanks," she said carefully. She could not think of one person who could have sent it. They met each other's eyes for a split second. It seemed they had an understanding. Pursing her lips, Hermione turned and reentered the Great Hall.
In her seat, Ron was reading a not and Harry was intensely contemplating Neville's ear. She looked to Ginny, who was rubbing her SDADM badge with a thumb. "What's going on?"
Chapter 10- Unwelcome Adoration
Hermione tiptoed to the bed and gingerly pulled back the curtain. She jumped when the cougher was revealed. "Ron, it's- at least, I think- it's Lupin."
A closer look ascertained that indeed it was Lupin, but he looked terrible. His skin was pale, grayish even, and patches of brown fur clung to it. His fingernails were curved and pointed, like claws, and his fingers were bloody. He was so thin she could see his bones, and his arms were covered in scratches.
Ron rose slowly, coming to stand beside Hermione. "Should we wake him up?"
Hermione tried. "Lupin? Professor Lupin? Oh, he's not a professor anymore, is he."
He awoke anyway. His eyes flickered, and he squinted at them, frowning. "Ron- Hermione. What are you doing here?"
"Ron had an eye problem," Hermione said quietly. "I wanted to stay with him." Lupin moved to scratch his head, then let his hand drop. Hermione realized that scratching any part of himself might be dangerous with those claw-like nails. "Um…what are *you* doing here?"
"It's a bit of a story. The short of it is, since my last transformation, I've been sick. When I was supposed to have changed back, this happened. You know tonight is the full moon? I didn't change. I did not know what was wrong, so I came to Dumbledore. I am not sure, but he thinks there was some kind of interference. And then Madame Pomfrey insisted I rest under her care. So here I am." He caught himself before scratching his neck and sighed. "I think the nails are the worst part. So what has been happening here? I trust it's been all mischief as usual?"
"Well, no," Hermione said. She went on to explain the problem of Professor Nova, and Voldemort's desire for the unicorn. Too late, she remembered Dumbledore's request that they tell no one, and looked down in embarrassment.
Lupin shook his head. "A unicorn. It's perfect.
"I still don't get it," Ron said. "What's so important about a unicorn?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe you should *read* something once in a while." Ron looked at her, simulating confusion, and Lupin emitted a strangled laugh. "Remember our first DADA class fourth year? With the spider?" Ron shuddered in answer. "Remember how Harry resisted?"
Ron grinned. "Yeah, that was wicked."
"Supposedly, the Imperius Curse works on any creature with a brain. But Harry has a strong will, so he was able to fight it. Unicorns are a step above that. Their will is so strong, the Imperius Curse does not affect them at all. They just completely ignore it."
"They're impervious to Imperius," Lupin rasped. His voice was getting worse.
Hermione continued. "There are other ways for someone to get a unicorn to do your bidding. You know the saying, 'young minds are impressionable'? That applies to unicorns, as well. What else do we know about unicorns?"
Ron narrowed his eyes as he thought. "Um…we know…they don't turn silver or get their horns until they're older, and…when they're young, they don't mind males as much."
"Exactly. All he has to do is get his hands on one. It would let him near. Then- I don't know all the details, but there are ways a young unicorn could be convinced that their will and someone else's are the same, and then they would do whatever you ask."
"Wow." Ron still looked puzzled. "But why is it so important for Voldemort to have a unicorn? They're peaceful."
"You never pay attention, do you? Usually, unicorns are peaceful, but if they feel threatened, they will fight mercilessly. And they fight to kill. If Voldemort had a unicorn 'convinced', he could tell it to attack without first feeling threatened. Besides that, unicorns have very powerful magic. And he would have access to unicorn blood."
"But then…unicorns are supposed to be the purest creatures in existence. If a unicorn were linked with Voldemort, it would not be pure. It would be corrupted, wouldn't it? Then it should lose something."
Hermione and Lupin exchanged looks. "Ron, you never cease to amaze me. They should call you 'the man with random intelligence'. That would sell."
"Wait, you're calling me a man *and* intelligent? In the same sentence?"
Hermione grinned. "And quite dashing, I might add."
Ron puffed out his chest dashingly, and dashingly swept Hermione off her feet and dashingly kissed her.
"Dumbledore warned me about this," Lupin muttered. Hermione laughed as Ron sheepishly set her down, and then winked dashingly.
Ron settled into his bed again, then opened his arms to Hermione. She smiled and shook her head. "I'd better not. I'll sleep in the bed next to yours. I mean, do you think we'd actually get any sleep?"
Ron grinned and shrugged. "Goodnight, Hermione." She planted a kiss on his cheek and climbed into bed.
Hermione was awakened a few hours later by Madame Pomfrey bustling around Ron. "Well, it looks fine now. You can go, Mister Weasley. There's still time to go change before breakfast. Oh, so you're awake, Miss Granger. Well, go on. Oh, I've got to tend to Mister Longbottom."
"Goodbye, Lupin," Ron said jovially. "Um, Neville…what happened?"
Neville didn't answer. He was holding his stomach and groaning. Hermione thought he might throw up on them. She pulled Ron from the hospital wing.
Most of the Gryffindors were just waking up when they reached the dorm. Hermione pushed Parvati out of bed, rushing to get to breakfast as soon as possible. As fast as she went, Ron was waiting when she went back down to the common room. He playfully told her he'd been waiting for an hour. She poked him in the ribs. "We've only been up here ten minutes."
"So we're back to rib-poking, then?" Ron's finger extended.
Hermione stepped back. "My wand is easily accessible at the moment. I've been itching to try out this new-"
"Okay, I get it. No poking."
Breakfast was as good as usual, with a wide selection of food and enough noise to deafen the dead- as evidenced by Sir Nicholas's hands covering his ears.
"Hermione you don't mind if I go off with Harry for Quid ditch , do you?"
"No, go ahead. I have some work to do."
"I'll see you later." She watched with a smile as Ron and Harry hurried from the hall.
"Library again, Hermione?" Ginny said gaily as Hermione rose from the table.
"Yes. Um, if Ron…"
"I'll tell him."
"Thanks, Gin. See you tonight." Hermione and Ginny exchanged smiles before she left.
*Now, I finally have time to do that research…because I *know* his real name isn't Nova…*
Later, (much later), that day, she emerged from the library. It seemed Ron had not come back. She wondered what they could be doing, but decided she might not want to know. After all, they did many things right in front of her she did not want to know about.
Hermioen noticed the parchment on the floor just before she tripped on it. She glanced around, but no one was close. Anyone could have dropped the paper. Picking it up, she unrolled it and scanned the writing. It was a homework assignment, nothing special. Her eyes went to the top of the paper, where the name was written. Funny, she didn't think he did homework. Come to think of it, she had never seen his handwriting. Then why did it look familiar? Wondering whether she should give it back to him, or let him miss an assignment, she found herself letting her feet go where they wanted. They led her to the dorm. Before she knew it, she was kneeling by her trunk, taking out the Christman gifts she had not looked at since Christmas.
Taking the brief note from the red envelope, she compared it with the assignment. The writing was identical. Especially confused not, Hermione slid the paper back inside the envelope. She sat on her bed to think.
She should have seen if before. It made sense now, though she never would have guessed. He had been- the only word was unhostile- to her all year. She had hardly noticed before now. Ron couldn't have sent her the necklace. After the amount of money he and Harry must have spent on her present, he probably had nothing left. The necklace would have cost a fortune on its own.
Now she had all that pieced together. The only thing she couldn't figure out was: why?
"No, no, no," she half-whispered through clenched teeth.
How could this happen? Draco Malfoy was in love with her.
End Chapter 10
Haha, bet you didn't see that coming. Then again, a few really smart people might have. I considered putting her with Malfoy, but I'm a Ron/Hermione fanatic. Anyway, Review please. :)
Teaser:
Hermione stood frozen. Malfoy waited for her to take the box back. With conscious effort to keep her hand steady, she took it and slid it into her robes. If not Malfoy, then who…?
"Well, thanks," she said carefully. She could not think of one person who could have sent it. They met each other's eyes for a split second. It seemed they had an understanding. Pursing her lips, Hermione turned and reentered the Great Hall.
In her seat, Ron was reading a not and Harry was intensely contemplating Neville's ear. She looked to Ginny, who was rubbing her SDADM badge with a thumb. "What's going on?"
