NAME: Death by Dominatrix
AUTHOR: Stupid_Girl_of_Cold
SUMMARY: Hermione Granger is a muggle detective for a detective agency in New York City, New York. She's smart, beautiful, and she is a hard ass. After Hogwarts, she had gone into the Navy and now she was the best detective in New York. When two unexpected people are murdered, she goes to London for the funeral, only to find that the murderer has gone over seas to New York, and was striking there, so she has to team up with London's best detective, Draco Malfoy, to find the murderer before they strike another person that is important to Hermione.
DISCLAIMER: I wouldn't write a fan fiction if I owned anything.
RAITING: R
REASON: Sexual humor, sexual content, crude language, and violence.
OK All! I am so sorry for the like, week delay. Anyway. I noticed that not many people noticed Charlie's fiancée's name . . .. No? Just a thought . . .. Anyway. I'm glad you all liked it.
GUESS WHAT?! Draco's very own segment is in this chapter. The first of many, thank god. Anyway. I hope you like it.
Chapter Summary 1 1/2: Hermione reveals a dark secret on her way to Dumbldore's office. What is it, and why is Draco all of a sudden guilty? Hermione and Draco have to pose as a couple in Miami, and they get the letter from the killer!
CHAPTER 4.
Hermione popped into Hogsmeade, not too far from the gates of Hogwarts, and looked around. She hadn't seen Dumbledore for so long. She had to get him a present. Probably some lemon drops, or a bottle of Grande Marnier. (AN/: For those of you who don't know, that's an alcoholic drink.)
Hermione walked into The Three Broomsticks and walked up to the counter. She was of legal age, thank god; or else she wouldn't have been able to get her old professor anything that had alcohol.
"Hermione Granger? Is that you?" asked a semi-familiar voice. Hermione looked behind her and saw Madam Rosemerta walking up to her, a pitcher of butterbeer in one hand. She was as flashy as ever with her rose red sparkling high heals and rose red shirt with a sparkling red pencil skirt and long rose red acrylic nails. Her long black hair was in a high ponytail, and, the ponytail was sparkling rose red that matched everything she was wearing. She was as beautiful as ever. She hadn't changed a bit since Hermione had left all those years ago.
"Madam Rosemerta!" Hermione opened her arms and the two women embraced.
"How have you been?" she asked Hermione.
"Oh um. I've been good, but I recently found out that my two friends died." Hermione told her. Rosemerta looked rather solem after that.
"Ah yes. Fred and George. Georgia's been having a heck of a time with the shop I heard." Rosemerta said.
"I heard the same thing. But, I know Georgia. She can hold it up. She's strong." Hermione told Madam Rose.
"That's good." Rosemerta paused. "What can I do you for?" she asked.
"Um. A 70 ounce bottle of Grand Marnier." Hermione told her. Rosemerta raised her eyebrows a Hermione.
"You aren't going to drink your heart away are you?" Rosemerta asked.
"Oh! No. It's for Dumbledore. I haven't seen him in so long, I thought I'd get him something." Hermione explained.
"Oh. OK. But that's a large bottle." Madam Rosemerta said.
"I know. But it will last quite a while." Hermione explained.
"True." Rosemerta agreed. She grabbed the large bottle form the shelf behind her and handed it to Hermione. Hermione paid the 20 galleons for it and walked out of the shop with a friendly good-bye.
"Cab!" Hermione yelled as a dark violet headless carriage drove past. It stopped and Hermione hopped into the back.
"Where can I take you this fine day, ma'am?" the man asked.
"Hogwarts please." Hermione told him. He nodded and started to drive toward the large castle.
When they reached it, Hermione paid the driver the tow and walked up and into the old school. Everything was quiet, and, surprisingly, it was warm in the old castle. School hadn't started yet, but Hermione guessed that they kept the castle warm, even during the summer. Hermione walked up the many flights of stairs and down the many corridors. Through the secret passageways, and jumped across the gaps between platforms. When she reached the statue of the eagle, she took the note from her pocket and read it, the Grande Marnier in the other hand.
"Um . . . daisy dukes." Hermione said. The statue moved aside and Hermione stepped onto the steps and started to ride the escalator to the top. When she reached it, she saw a light at the bottom of the door. There were soft male voices floating through it and Hermione sighed. Malfoy was already there. She wasn't keen on seeing him. Actually. She didn't want to see him at all. The last word he ever said to her was 'mudblood.'
It was graduation and Hermione had graduated valedictorian, right in front of him. He was rather pissed off, per say. His dad had practically died since he gotten second place behind 'mudblood'.
(Flash Back)
Hermione had been walking up to Gryffindor tower to say her last goodbyes to the Fat Lady, when all of a sudden; she was pushed roughly into an empty classroom and pushed up against a wall. A hand was clasped over her mouth and a rock solid body was pushed against hers.
"Why did YOU have to get valedictorian?" came Malfoy's agitated voice. He was such an ass hole. Why did he have to pick on her because she was smart? 'God. Lavender was right after him. Why couldn't he pick on her?' Hermione asked herself. He kept rambling. "I mean. You're a stupid fucking mudblood, for Merlin's sake." He stated. Hermione glared through the darkness at him. She really wanted to kick him, and she tried, only to have him put his knee between her legs and hold her down that way. For some reason, Hermione had gotten totally aroused by the whole situation. He took his hand away from her mouth after five minutes or so, and sighed heavily.
"It's not my fault I'm smarter than you Malfoy." Hermione snapped at him. He grimaced at her through the darkness of the old room, and Hermione, for some reason, shivered. His glare was so cold and uninviting. It was almost as if he could have killed her with that look. Had it been possible?
"You are not smarter than me, mudblood." He sapped, pushed his body harder onto hers, crushing her against the wall. Hermione whimpered in pain and tried to struggle free, but it was a helpless gesture of protestation. "You will NEVER be smarter than me." He said, a deathly sound in his voice. "You are just fifth and a worthless Gryffindor whore." He growled. Hermione could feel herself get angry, and her cheeks started to burn. That sentence, and the fast that she couldn't get free from him, sparked her idea of the armed forces. He was the reason she joined the Navy. The next thing Hermione could remember was a sharp pain in her chest. She didn't know what it was, but it didn't feel too good. He backed away and head for the door. "See you later, mudblood." Was the last thing she had ever heard from Draco Malfoy.
"Help" she had yelled. She noticed not too long after he left her there, that he had stabbed her under the left side of her ribs. A small Hufflepuff girl had been walking past a minute later, hearing Hermione's cries, and Madam Pomfrey had heeled her. Hermione had told no one who it was who had tried to kill her, but Ron had somehow guessed, but Hermione had said it wasn't him. The next he tried something funny, she would kick his sorry ass.
(End Flashback)
Hermione heaved a heavy sigh and lifted her hand. She knocked lightly and she heard a rustling of papers form inside.
"Come in." Came Dumbldore's kind voice from the other side of the large oak door. Hermione breathed deeply one more time and grabbed the bras doorknob. She twisted it and opened the door, looking at Dumbledore with a smile. He stood and smiled at her. Hermione ignored the blonde sitting in the chair on the far wall next to the fireplace, and walked over to the elderly man. She opened her amrs to hug him, and he followed suite, wrapping his arms around her and draping his large velvet robe sleeves over her form.
"It's nice to see you again." Hermione told him gently.
"It is nice to see you over so many years, also." He told her. She held up the large bottle of French alcohol and he chuckled.
"This is for you." She said to him. Malfoy remained seated, and Hermione could feel his silver eyes darting over her body, face, and hair. The old man chuckled again and Hermione grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know the correct thing to get you, so I got something I thought you would like." She told him.
"You didn't have to get me anything." He told her appreciatively.
"Oh but I wanted to." Hermione replied. He smiled, accepted the large bottle, which he set on a shelf behind him, and sat down again.
"I believe you know Draco." He said. That was the part Hermione dreaded. Seeing Draco again after so many years. She still had the huge scar that he had given her with large silver and green dagger. Silver was rather cold against your lungs when your outsides were so hot. Hermione nodded to her former headmaster, but didn't turn around to look at the blonde. Hermione moved her head so that her thick brown hair covered her pale face.
Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't work with Harry? Or Ron? Or even Pansy Parkinson. She didn't try and kill her at least. Hermione was, in truth, rather afraid to look at him. She didn't know why. She could take care of herself, but she was just afraid of him. She kept having nasty images of him stabbing her again. She didn't want to think about it. Her Gryffindor courage was something everyone who knew she was witch was proud of her for. She was either very courageous, or very headstrong. Or both. She chose the latter and looked over at him, a straight, board look on her face, when in truth, she was trying not to run and hide under Dumbldore's desk.
"Hello Hermione." He said kindly. That made something in Hermione snap. 'He did not just call me Hermione!' Hermione screamed in her head. 'He has NO RIGHT to call me that. Or even be nice.' Hermione thought. She glared daggers at him and he looked a bit taken aback.
"You have no right calling my that, Malfoy. You don't have the privilege." She snapped angrily at him. He had a look of, well; he didn't have a look on his face. He was just sitting there, staring deeply into her brown eyes. She stared back, forcing herself to keep un-intimidated eye contact.
"I know you both had your fights but . . .." Hermione cut Dumbledore off rather rudely.
"I came here out of pure reluctance, sir." Hermione started.
"Please. Call me Albus." The old man said nicely.
"OK, Albus. I came here because I knew I had a job to do. I am in no way glad to be here. If I could, I would rather drop dead. Actually no. I would suffer a painful death with a DAGGER, than be here." Hermione said coldly. Malfoy's face fell from a frown to a complete and utter look of sadness. 'Yeah, Malfoy JR! I STILL HATE YOU!' Hermione yelled at him with her mind.
~*~*~*~*~
What could I expect? I had been a dick and had stabbed her. She hadn't done anything to me except excel at everything I was good at. Except for Quidditch, which I knew she didn't like to fly. I should have known this was a bad idea. I should have known that stabbing her was a bad idea, but I was a stupid teenager. She could mask her feelings very well, but I could still find the faintest bit of fear in her chocolate eyes. She was afraid, but she had muscled up some of her Gryffindor courage and looked him straight in the eye.
She had just said the coldest thing I would here out of a Gryffindors mouth.
"I would suffer a painful death with a DAGGER, than be here." She sneered. I looked back at the moment when I had practically killed her. I had been so mad that she had beet me at something that I worked so hard to get. But yet again, so had she.
Another thing I knew better than to do was to call her by her first name. She probably wouldn't have gone crazy and start yelling subtle signals to Dumbledore. I looked at Albus and saw a dawn of realization on his face. He knew, and, for some reason, I felt totally ashamed. He knew I was the person who had killed the smartest witch that either of us had ever seen. He sighed and stood up.
"I think I'll give you some time alone." He said, heading for the door. The next thing that happened I defiantly didn't expect. She ran to Albus, grabbed his hand and got this looked of utter terror on her heart shaped face.
"Please. Don't leave me here alone with him." She said pleadingly.
"Hermione." Albus started. "He has grown up. He will do no harm to you. I promise." He said. She still had the same look as he gently pulled his hand away and walked out the door. The side of her body hit the wall and she slid to the floor, hiding her face from my view.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione was afraid, and she didn't care that he knew. Hermione had been dead for 20 minutes. They didn't give up and they had saved her. When you were murdered, there were no white lights, angel song, pearly gates, and clouds. Nope. You were too petrified to realize the good that would have been surrounding you. Everything was black, and your spirit was shocked and lost. Hermione's had almost been completely gone, until somehow, she was pulled back to reality.
He stood and looked down at her. Hermione started to silently cry, remembering the pain and the sorrow she felt when she felt her spirit slipped away. He glided over to her, slowly. He squatted down, not more than two feet away from her, and reached out to touch her. Hermione back away from him hesitantly and stood up. She didn't want to look like a nut case, but what could she say? She was petrified because she had hidden all of her feelings of that day away in the hollow, and locked it up with her own little people, one evil, one good. You know. Just for balance.
"Don't touch me." She told him, still backing away.
"Hermione . . .." he started.
"I told you. You can't call me that." She said angrily.
"Why?" he asked.
"You killed me, Malfoy. I was dead for a full twenty minutes because they wouldn't give up on me. I died. I didn't go to heaven. Instead. I stayed in Limbo, the one that reflected on my attitude toward you. It was dark and lifeless." She told him. "I was half past dead, and wishing for death." She finished. He just stood there, looking at her with soft eyes. He looked rather pathetic when he looked like that. 'Was that guilt that just flashed over his face?' Hermione asked herself.
"Look. I'm sorry." He apologized. Hermione looked very confused. He was apologizing? To her? He continued to talk to her. "I'm sorry about what I did. I was just, jealous, I guess." He confessed.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked him quietly.
"Because for the next two months, we'll be working together." He told her. Hermione blinked. He tried to move forward, but Hermione stepped back.
"Why?" she asked.
"They, well, Albus and the Weasley's, want to know who did it, and I am London's best detective, and you are America's best. They wanted us to team up and figure out who killed him." He answered. Hermione only nodded. Why was he doing this? Being so nice to her? He was never nice to her, and he never apologized. This was just too weird.
"I don't feel comfortable being alone with you anymore." She told him in a monotone. Why was she acting so civil toward him? He had tried to kill her. He only nodded and he opened the door, finding Albus Dumbledore riding the escalator, eating lemon drops.
"Albus." Draco said. Dumbledore looked up at him and smiled. He walked up the stairs and into the room to find Hermione sitting on a chair that she put in front of his desk.
"OK. Down to business." Albus said, sitting down. Draco levitated his chair to sit next to Hermione's, with three feet in between. They looked at the older man and Draco glanced at Hermione, who just kept her eyes forward on something behind Albus. "Here are two keys," he said, pulling out a box from his pocket, opening it up to reveal two silver identical keys. "These are keys to your new apartment in Miami, Florida." The two younger humans in the room glanced at each other and Hermione spoke up.
"The murder was in Europe, Albus. Why America?" Hermione asked.
"Well. We think the killer might have skipped the country." He told them.
"How do you know?" Draco asked.
"I don't. I just think he or she might have. I have a strong feeling that she has." Albus said. Hermione looked at Draco, feeling safer in the room with Albus there. He looked back and then back to Dumbledore, who leered at them.
"Why just one apartment?" Hermione asked.
"You two will be posing as a newlywed couple." Dumbledore said. Hermione flinched. "Oh. Don't worry. There are two bedrooms. No same room sleeping." He informed them. Hermione felt a bit better, but she was thousands of miles away from Dumbldore's protection from the cynical blonde sitting next to her. Ass hole. "You will be going to Miami to look out for anyone familiar to you. This person might be targeting wizards because Fred and George never go into the muggle world. The only other person that could have known was another wizard from Hogwarts. If you see anybody you recognize from Hogwarts, follow them. Keep them in your eye sight." He told them.
"So now we're stalkers?" Hermione asked jokingly.
"Not really. Just, private protectors." He remarked. Hermione nodded.
"When do we leave?" she asked. He pulled out the tickets and Hermione sighed. The day of Fred and George's funeral. She was sort of hoping the day after, but hey. You can't always get what you wish for.
"Now. This is all the two of you will need." He said. "Other than the tickets and the keys." He said quickly. He pulled out two velvet boxes. One was scarlet red, and the other was emerald green. He passed the red one to Hermione, and the green one to Draco. She opened it and it was a gold wedding band with small rubies, and Draco's was silver with small emeralds.
"Ah crap." She said to herself. "I'll wear it after we get onto the plain. People so can't see this." She said more to herself than her companions. Even if one was a bad companion.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!" everyone in the room, even Fawkes, looked toward the window.
"Ah!" Hermione screamed. There was the most evil looking owl trying to get into the room. Dumbledore opened it with his wand and the bird flew in, resting on Hermione's leg. It stuck out it's leg and Hermione untied it cautiously and when she did, the bird jetted out the window.
"Well?" Draco asked. Hermione looked at him and glared evily. He rose an eyebrow t her and she went back to the letter.
"While you are there, and I am here There is something for you to fear I am no longer there but I am here And you are without a seer
I am on the lose I'm on a killing spree I have no helpers and I have no friends Who can really help me
There is one when the curtains go up There is one when the curtains go down There when be no curtains after I'm done Because when they clap, there will be a missing one
Hermione read out loud. Her eyebrows knitted together and she she read it over again to herself.
"What does that mean?" Draco asked.
"Something about the killer on a killing spree and curtains." Hermione said.
"Curtains?" Draco asked.
"Maybe something about the killer killing them from outside a window. Like, a sniper or something." Hermione said.
"Curtains? Clapping?" Draco asked again. Trying to put it together.
"Curtains and clapping at plays . . .." Hermione ventured. Her face lit up. "A play. They're going to kill someone in a play. But who? I mean, a lot of my friends became Broadway showgirls." Hermione said. "Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Lavender's sister, Violet, um, Denis Creevy, Hannah Abbot. A whole ton of people act that I know of." She finished.
"You sure did figure that out fast . . .." Draco said skeptically.
"Are you implying I did it?" Hermione asked astonished.
"Maybe." Draco said, standing. Hermione stood, remembering that Albus was there and he couldn't hurt her.
"I would never kill anybody. Well, except you." Hermione said. "Always have to repay the debt." Hermione sneered. Draco glared at her and got in her face. Hermione glared equally back, only to have Albus tell them to calm down.
~*~*~*~*~*~
I was sitting on my bed, you know, looking out the window towards the Edmond Theatre. More people were showing up and I knew it was my time to go, so I put on my cloak and grabbed my handcuffs. I looked at my suitcase and I grabbed my whip. I put on my leather gloves and put my wand in my pocket. I wasn't going to use my gun since I was going to be in a building full of stupid, disgusting muggles.
I walked down the stairs and out the front door. I walked down the sidewalk, past women, children, homeless bums, and finally into the large theatre front doors. I paid for my ticket and I went into the theatre room. I took my seat in the front row and I set down my hood. I had charmed my normally blonde hair to be black, just so he wouldn't recognize me at first glance. The lights dimmed after twenty minutes or so, and I sat back to watch the production of "Cinderella". What kind of name was that anyway?
The production ended up being about a slave muggle girl who found true love in a handsome muggle prince, who was, not surprisingly, Dean Thomas.
When they got to the last scene, I got up and moved out of the room. I walked toward the back of the room and exited quietly. I looked around idly, trying to find the door to the back of the stage. I found it not too long after and started to walk toward it. When I got close, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned quickly and saw it was a large policeman. He was rather ugly. Well duh! Anyway, he looked at me with a look that simply said, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"The viewing room is that way." He motioned to the door that I had just come out of. I look over his shoulder at him and smiled. I looked around and noticed that nobody was around, so I socked him in the face and I pulled him into a darkened corner. I pulled out my wand and smirked at him.
"Avada Kadavra." I murmured. A blinding green light emitted form my wand, and the guard's already limp body, became lifeless as well. "Stupid muggle." I said icily. All of them were worthless if you asked me. I dusted off my black cloak and opened the door that I was trying to get into a minute or so ago. I slipped in unnoticed and closed the door.
There was a long hall the met me next. There were tons of doors with tons of words printed over the front of them. I started to walk down the hall, looking for Dean's. It took me one minute to find his and I tried to open it, but it was locked. I pulled out wand one more time and I unlocked it. Perfect.
I slipped in and closed it behind me. I locked it and turned on the light. The room was small with a vanity with make-up and hair supplies, and there was a rack of clothes for the production and there were many seats around the room. I sat at the one in front of the vanity and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked pretty good with black hair. I might keep it that way, actually.
My mind drifted to Dean on stage. He looked so happy, doing something he seriously wanted to do. It was almost a shame I had to kill him. Almost . . .. I was looking forward for his two minutes of being in here right before the curtain goes up for the last time. For him anyway.
I waited around the room for a few minutes, looking at my self in the mirror. I wasn't vain; I just thought a lot of my appearance. I had a few freckles, jet-black hair, and white as snow skin. My lips were soft peach and my eyelashes were dark and long, hiding my ocean blue eyes. I was quite the catch in my days at Hogwarts. I even turned some girls into lesbians with my looks and charm.
My thoughts were knocked when I heard someone unlocking the door. I stayed put, looking at the door in the reflection of the mirror. I put my hood up, and made sure he could see at lest my lips under the fabric. He opened the door and I could hear someone yell for him to not take too much time because the curtains were going up soon.
"OK, Mike." He said to the man who had told him to hurry. Dean closed the door and locked it. He turned around and saw me sitting at the vanity. I pulled out my wand and pointed it at him. He stopped moving and I smirked at him through the reflection of the mirror.
"Hello Dean." I said menacingly.
"Who are you?" Dean asked. I sighed and pulled down my hood, looking at him in the mirror.
"Oh wow! Hi!" he said excited. He started to move toward me with open arms and I yelled the first spell that came to mind. The body bind curse, which seemed to be more and more useful. He fell to the floor and I went over to him. I un-bonded his arms and put the handcuffs around his wrists and around his ankles. I grabbed the whip from my cloak and wrapped it around his neck. I took out my invisibility potion and poured it on him.
"Don't worry, love. You'll barely feel a thing." I told him right before he became fully invisible. I levitated him out of the room and into the back of the stage. Nobody saw me, thank god, or else I'd have to kill somebody else that wasn't my target, like that stupid guard back there. I took him behind the main frame of the scenery of the play and I climbed the ladder that went to the over hang over the stage.
Dean was now visible to me and I could now see the whip.
"30 seconds till last curtain!" came a female voice. I smiled. I lengthened the whip and I tied to a banister high above the stage with the help of my wand. He was moving again and I had my wand to him.
"You know, Dean. I still love you, but, you screwed up. So. I'm going to screw you up." I told him evilly.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked me.
"I told you, Dean. You screwed up. You cheated on me." I told him. I floated his body in the air and I smiled evilly.
"What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to look under him.
"Curtain pull in 5 . . . ." the woman started.
"I love you Dean, and I will see you hell." I said.
"4. . .." she continued.
"You really hurt me. So now I'll hurt you." I told him quickly.
"2 . . .." she called. I blew him a kiss. "1 . . .." the curtain was pulled and everyone started coming out from around the back. Dean was going to be the last to come out. I noticed he was about to yell, so I pulled out the wand I got from Fred and shut him up. Everyone in the production came out and it was finally Dean's turn.
"Good bye Dean." I told him. He pulled my wand away and he from the ceiling. When the whip was finished in length, the impact broke his neck and he continued to swing back and forth in a dead weight way. Everyone below started to scream and I looked down over the rail, grinning at my handy work.
~*~*~*~
AN/: I am DONE!! Woo hoo!!
OK. I have a question for you all. Whoever can tell me how to be able to make things bold and italic, they get a clue on who the murder is! Come on people! REVIEW!!!
AUTHOR: Stupid_Girl_of_Cold
SUMMARY: Hermione Granger is a muggle detective for a detective agency in New York City, New York. She's smart, beautiful, and she is a hard ass. After Hogwarts, she had gone into the Navy and now she was the best detective in New York. When two unexpected people are murdered, she goes to London for the funeral, only to find that the murderer has gone over seas to New York, and was striking there, so she has to team up with London's best detective, Draco Malfoy, to find the murderer before they strike another person that is important to Hermione.
DISCLAIMER: I wouldn't write a fan fiction if I owned anything.
RAITING: R
REASON: Sexual humor, sexual content, crude language, and violence.
OK All! I am so sorry for the like, week delay. Anyway. I noticed that not many people noticed Charlie's fiancée's name . . .. No? Just a thought . . .. Anyway. I'm glad you all liked it.
GUESS WHAT?! Draco's very own segment is in this chapter. The first of many, thank god. Anyway. I hope you like it.
Chapter Summary 1 1/2: Hermione reveals a dark secret on her way to Dumbldore's office. What is it, and why is Draco all of a sudden guilty? Hermione and Draco have to pose as a couple in Miami, and they get the letter from the killer!
CHAPTER 4.
Hermione popped into Hogsmeade, not too far from the gates of Hogwarts, and looked around. She hadn't seen Dumbledore for so long. She had to get him a present. Probably some lemon drops, or a bottle of Grande Marnier. (AN/: For those of you who don't know, that's an alcoholic drink.)
Hermione walked into The Three Broomsticks and walked up to the counter. She was of legal age, thank god; or else she wouldn't have been able to get her old professor anything that had alcohol.
"Hermione Granger? Is that you?" asked a semi-familiar voice. Hermione looked behind her and saw Madam Rosemerta walking up to her, a pitcher of butterbeer in one hand. She was as flashy as ever with her rose red sparkling high heals and rose red shirt with a sparkling red pencil skirt and long rose red acrylic nails. Her long black hair was in a high ponytail, and, the ponytail was sparkling rose red that matched everything she was wearing. She was as beautiful as ever. She hadn't changed a bit since Hermione had left all those years ago.
"Madam Rosemerta!" Hermione opened her arms and the two women embraced.
"How have you been?" she asked Hermione.
"Oh um. I've been good, but I recently found out that my two friends died." Hermione told her. Rosemerta looked rather solem after that.
"Ah yes. Fred and George. Georgia's been having a heck of a time with the shop I heard." Rosemerta said.
"I heard the same thing. But, I know Georgia. She can hold it up. She's strong." Hermione told Madam Rose.
"That's good." Rosemerta paused. "What can I do you for?" she asked.
"Um. A 70 ounce bottle of Grand Marnier." Hermione told her. Rosemerta raised her eyebrows a Hermione.
"You aren't going to drink your heart away are you?" Rosemerta asked.
"Oh! No. It's for Dumbledore. I haven't seen him in so long, I thought I'd get him something." Hermione explained.
"Oh. OK. But that's a large bottle." Madam Rosemerta said.
"I know. But it will last quite a while." Hermione explained.
"True." Rosemerta agreed. She grabbed the large bottle form the shelf behind her and handed it to Hermione. Hermione paid the 20 galleons for it and walked out of the shop with a friendly good-bye.
"Cab!" Hermione yelled as a dark violet headless carriage drove past. It stopped and Hermione hopped into the back.
"Where can I take you this fine day, ma'am?" the man asked.
"Hogwarts please." Hermione told him. He nodded and started to drive toward the large castle.
When they reached it, Hermione paid the driver the tow and walked up and into the old school. Everything was quiet, and, surprisingly, it was warm in the old castle. School hadn't started yet, but Hermione guessed that they kept the castle warm, even during the summer. Hermione walked up the many flights of stairs and down the many corridors. Through the secret passageways, and jumped across the gaps between platforms. When she reached the statue of the eagle, she took the note from her pocket and read it, the Grande Marnier in the other hand.
"Um . . . daisy dukes." Hermione said. The statue moved aside and Hermione stepped onto the steps and started to ride the escalator to the top. When she reached it, she saw a light at the bottom of the door. There were soft male voices floating through it and Hermione sighed. Malfoy was already there. She wasn't keen on seeing him. Actually. She didn't want to see him at all. The last word he ever said to her was 'mudblood.'
It was graduation and Hermione had graduated valedictorian, right in front of him. He was rather pissed off, per say. His dad had practically died since he gotten second place behind 'mudblood'.
(Flash Back)
Hermione had been walking up to Gryffindor tower to say her last goodbyes to the Fat Lady, when all of a sudden; she was pushed roughly into an empty classroom and pushed up against a wall. A hand was clasped over her mouth and a rock solid body was pushed against hers.
"Why did YOU have to get valedictorian?" came Malfoy's agitated voice. He was such an ass hole. Why did he have to pick on her because she was smart? 'God. Lavender was right after him. Why couldn't he pick on her?' Hermione asked herself. He kept rambling. "I mean. You're a stupid fucking mudblood, for Merlin's sake." He stated. Hermione glared through the darkness at him. She really wanted to kick him, and she tried, only to have him put his knee between her legs and hold her down that way. For some reason, Hermione had gotten totally aroused by the whole situation. He took his hand away from her mouth after five minutes or so, and sighed heavily.
"It's not my fault I'm smarter than you Malfoy." Hermione snapped at him. He grimaced at her through the darkness of the old room, and Hermione, for some reason, shivered. His glare was so cold and uninviting. It was almost as if he could have killed her with that look. Had it been possible?
"You are not smarter than me, mudblood." He sapped, pushed his body harder onto hers, crushing her against the wall. Hermione whimpered in pain and tried to struggle free, but it was a helpless gesture of protestation. "You will NEVER be smarter than me." He said, a deathly sound in his voice. "You are just fifth and a worthless Gryffindor whore." He growled. Hermione could feel herself get angry, and her cheeks started to burn. That sentence, and the fast that she couldn't get free from him, sparked her idea of the armed forces. He was the reason she joined the Navy. The next thing Hermione could remember was a sharp pain in her chest. She didn't know what it was, but it didn't feel too good. He backed away and head for the door. "See you later, mudblood." Was the last thing she had ever heard from Draco Malfoy.
"Help" she had yelled. She noticed not too long after he left her there, that he had stabbed her under the left side of her ribs. A small Hufflepuff girl had been walking past a minute later, hearing Hermione's cries, and Madam Pomfrey had heeled her. Hermione had told no one who it was who had tried to kill her, but Ron had somehow guessed, but Hermione had said it wasn't him. The next he tried something funny, she would kick his sorry ass.
(End Flashback)
Hermione heaved a heavy sigh and lifted her hand. She knocked lightly and she heard a rustling of papers form inside.
"Come in." Came Dumbldore's kind voice from the other side of the large oak door. Hermione breathed deeply one more time and grabbed the bras doorknob. She twisted it and opened the door, looking at Dumbledore with a smile. He stood and smiled at her. Hermione ignored the blonde sitting in the chair on the far wall next to the fireplace, and walked over to the elderly man. She opened her amrs to hug him, and he followed suite, wrapping his arms around her and draping his large velvet robe sleeves over her form.
"It's nice to see you again." Hermione told him gently.
"It is nice to see you over so many years, also." He told her. She held up the large bottle of French alcohol and he chuckled.
"This is for you." She said to him. Malfoy remained seated, and Hermione could feel his silver eyes darting over her body, face, and hair. The old man chuckled again and Hermione grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know the correct thing to get you, so I got something I thought you would like." She told him.
"You didn't have to get me anything." He told her appreciatively.
"Oh but I wanted to." Hermione replied. He smiled, accepted the large bottle, which he set on a shelf behind him, and sat down again.
"I believe you know Draco." He said. That was the part Hermione dreaded. Seeing Draco again after so many years. She still had the huge scar that he had given her with large silver and green dagger. Silver was rather cold against your lungs when your outsides were so hot. Hermione nodded to her former headmaster, but didn't turn around to look at the blonde. Hermione moved her head so that her thick brown hair covered her pale face.
Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't work with Harry? Or Ron? Or even Pansy Parkinson. She didn't try and kill her at least. Hermione was, in truth, rather afraid to look at him. She didn't know why. She could take care of herself, but she was just afraid of him. She kept having nasty images of him stabbing her again. She didn't want to think about it. Her Gryffindor courage was something everyone who knew she was witch was proud of her for. She was either very courageous, or very headstrong. Or both. She chose the latter and looked over at him, a straight, board look on her face, when in truth, she was trying not to run and hide under Dumbldore's desk.
"Hello Hermione." He said kindly. That made something in Hermione snap. 'He did not just call me Hermione!' Hermione screamed in her head. 'He has NO RIGHT to call me that. Or even be nice.' Hermione thought. She glared daggers at him and he looked a bit taken aback.
"You have no right calling my that, Malfoy. You don't have the privilege." She snapped angrily at him. He had a look of, well; he didn't have a look on his face. He was just sitting there, staring deeply into her brown eyes. She stared back, forcing herself to keep un-intimidated eye contact.
"I know you both had your fights but . . .." Hermione cut Dumbledore off rather rudely.
"I came here out of pure reluctance, sir." Hermione started.
"Please. Call me Albus." The old man said nicely.
"OK, Albus. I came here because I knew I had a job to do. I am in no way glad to be here. If I could, I would rather drop dead. Actually no. I would suffer a painful death with a DAGGER, than be here." Hermione said coldly. Malfoy's face fell from a frown to a complete and utter look of sadness. 'Yeah, Malfoy JR! I STILL HATE YOU!' Hermione yelled at him with her mind.
~*~*~*~*~
What could I expect? I had been a dick and had stabbed her. She hadn't done anything to me except excel at everything I was good at. Except for Quidditch, which I knew she didn't like to fly. I should have known this was a bad idea. I should have known that stabbing her was a bad idea, but I was a stupid teenager. She could mask her feelings very well, but I could still find the faintest bit of fear in her chocolate eyes. She was afraid, but she had muscled up some of her Gryffindor courage and looked him straight in the eye.
She had just said the coldest thing I would here out of a Gryffindors mouth.
"I would suffer a painful death with a DAGGER, than be here." She sneered. I looked back at the moment when I had practically killed her. I had been so mad that she had beet me at something that I worked so hard to get. But yet again, so had she.
Another thing I knew better than to do was to call her by her first name. She probably wouldn't have gone crazy and start yelling subtle signals to Dumbledore. I looked at Albus and saw a dawn of realization on his face. He knew, and, for some reason, I felt totally ashamed. He knew I was the person who had killed the smartest witch that either of us had ever seen. He sighed and stood up.
"I think I'll give you some time alone." He said, heading for the door. The next thing that happened I defiantly didn't expect. She ran to Albus, grabbed his hand and got this looked of utter terror on her heart shaped face.
"Please. Don't leave me here alone with him." She said pleadingly.
"Hermione." Albus started. "He has grown up. He will do no harm to you. I promise." He said. She still had the same look as he gently pulled his hand away and walked out the door. The side of her body hit the wall and she slid to the floor, hiding her face from my view.
~*~*~*~*~
Hermione was afraid, and she didn't care that he knew. Hermione had been dead for 20 minutes. They didn't give up and they had saved her. When you were murdered, there were no white lights, angel song, pearly gates, and clouds. Nope. You were too petrified to realize the good that would have been surrounding you. Everything was black, and your spirit was shocked and lost. Hermione's had almost been completely gone, until somehow, she was pulled back to reality.
He stood and looked down at her. Hermione started to silently cry, remembering the pain and the sorrow she felt when she felt her spirit slipped away. He glided over to her, slowly. He squatted down, not more than two feet away from her, and reached out to touch her. Hermione back away from him hesitantly and stood up. She didn't want to look like a nut case, but what could she say? She was petrified because she had hidden all of her feelings of that day away in the hollow, and locked it up with her own little people, one evil, one good. You know. Just for balance.
"Don't touch me." She told him, still backing away.
"Hermione . . .." he started.
"I told you. You can't call me that." She said angrily.
"Why?" he asked.
"You killed me, Malfoy. I was dead for a full twenty minutes because they wouldn't give up on me. I died. I didn't go to heaven. Instead. I stayed in Limbo, the one that reflected on my attitude toward you. It was dark and lifeless." She told him. "I was half past dead, and wishing for death." She finished. He just stood there, looking at her with soft eyes. He looked rather pathetic when he looked like that. 'Was that guilt that just flashed over his face?' Hermione asked herself.
"Look. I'm sorry." He apologized. Hermione looked very confused. He was apologizing? To her? He continued to talk to her. "I'm sorry about what I did. I was just, jealous, I guess." He confessed.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked him quietly.
"Because for the next two months, we'll be working together." He told her. Hermione blinked. He tried to move forward, but Hermione stepped back.
"Why?" she asked.
"They, well, Albus and the Weasley's, want to know who did it, and I am London's best detective, and you are America's best. They wanted us to team up and figure out who killed him." He answered. Hermione only nodded. Why was he doing this? Being so nice to her? He was never nice to her, and he never apologized. This was just too weird.
"I don't feel comfortable being alone with you anymore." She told him in a monotone. Why was she acting so civil toward him? He had tried to kill her. He only nodded and he opened the door, finding Albus Dumbledore riding the escalator, eating lemon drops.
"Albus." Draco said. Dumbledore looked up at him and smiled. He walked up the stairs and into the room to find Hermione sitting on a chair that she put in front of his desk.
"OK. Down to business." Albus said, sitting down. Draco levitated his chair to sit next to Hermione's, with three feet in between. They looked at the older man and Draco glanced at Hermione, who just kept her eyes forward on something behind Albus. "Here are two keys," he said, pulling out a box from his pocket, opening it up to reveal two silver identical keys. "These are keys to your new apartment in Miami, Florida." The two younger humans in the room glanced at each other and Hermione spoke up.
"The murder was in Europe, Albus. Why America?" Hermione asked.
"Well. We think the killer might have skipped the country." He told them.
"How do you know?" Draco asked.
"I don't. I just think he or she might have. I have a strong feeling that she has." Albus said. Hermione looked at Draco, feeling safer in the room with Albus there. He looked back and then back to Dumbledore, who leered at them.
"Why just one apartment?" Hermione asked.
"You two will be posing as a newlywed couple." Dumbledore said. Hermione flinched. "Oh. Don't worry. There are two bedrooms. No same room sleeping." He informed them. Hermione felt a bit better, but she was thousands of miles away from Dumbldore's protection from the cynical blonde sitting next to her. Ass hole. "You will be going to Miami to look out for anyone familiar to you. This person might be targeting wizards because Fred and George never go into the muggle world. The only other person that could have known was another wizard from Hogwarts. If you see anybody you recognize from Hogwarts, follow them. Keep them in your eye sight." He told them.
"So now we're stalkers?" Hermione asked jokingly.
"Not really. Just, private protectors." He remarked. Hermione nodded.
"When do we leave?" she asked. He pulled out the tickets and Hermione sighed. The day of Fred and George's funeral. She was sort of hoping the day after, but hey. You can't always get what you wish for.
"Now. This is all the two of you will need." He said. "Other than the tickets and the keys." He said quickly. He pulled out two velvet boxes. One was scarlet red, and the other was emerald green. He passed the red one to Hermione, and the green one to Draco. She opened it and it was a gold wedding band with small rubies, and Draco's was silver with small emeralds.
"Ah crap." She said to herself. "I'll wear it after we get onto the plain. People so can't see this." She said more to herself than her companions. Even if one was a bad companion.
"Tap! Tap! Tap!" everyone in the room, even Fawkes, looked toward the window.
"Ah!" Hermione screamed. There was the most evil looking owl trying to get into the room. Dumbledore opened it with his wand and the bird flew in, resting on Hermione's leg. It stuck out it's leg and Hermione untied it cautiously and when she did, the bird jetted out the window.
"Well?" Draco asked. Hermione looked at him and glared evily. He rose an eyebrow t her and she went back to the letter.
"While you are there, and I am here There is something for you to fear I am no longer there but I am here And you are without a seer
I am on the lose I'm on a killing spree I have no helpers and I have no friends Who can really help me
There is one when the curtains go up There is one when the curtains go down There when be no curtains after I'm done Because when they clap, there will be a missing one
Hermione read out loud. Her eyebrows knitted together and she she read it over again to herself.
"What does that mean?" Draco asked.
"Something about the killer on a killing spree and curtains." Hermione said.
"Curtains?" Draco asked.
"Maybe something about the killer killing them from outside a window. Like, a sniper or something." Hermione said.
"Curtains? Clapping?" Draco asked again. Trying to put it together.
"Curtains and clapping at plays . . .." Hermione ventured. Her face lit up. "A play. They're going to kill someone in a play. But who? I mean, a lot of my friends became Broadway showgirls." Hermione said. "Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Lavender's sister, Violet, um, Denis Creevy, Hannah Abbot. A whole ton of people act that I know of." She finished.
"You sure did figure that out fast . . .." Draco said skeptically.
"Are you implying I did it?" Hermione asked astonished.
"Maybe." Draco said, standing. Hermione stood, remembering that Albus was there and he couldn't hurt her.
"I would never kill anybody. Well, except you." Hermione said. "Always have to repay the debt." Hermione sneered. Draco glared at her and got in her face. Hermione glared equally back, only to have Albus tell them to calm down.
~*~*~*~*~*~
I was sitting on my bed, you know, looking out the window towards the Edmond Theatre. More people were showing up and I knew it was my time to go, so I put on my cloak and grabbed my handcuffs. I looked at my suitcase and I grabbed my whip. I put on my leather gloves and put my wand in my pocket. I wasn't going to use my gun since I was going to be in a building full of stupid, disgusting muggles.
I walked down the stairs and out the front door. I walked down the sidewalk, past women, children, homeless bums, and finally into the large theatre front doors. I paid for my ticket and I went into the theatre room. I took my seat in the front row and I set down my hood. I had charmed my normally blonde hair to be black, just so he wouldn't recognize me at first glance. The lights dimmed after twenty minutes or so, and I sat back to watch the production of "Cinderella". What kind of name was that anyway?
The production ended up being about a slave muggle girl who found true love in a handsome muggle prince, who was, not surprisingly, Dean Thomas.
When they got to the last scene, I got up and moved out of the room. I walked toward the back of the room and exited quietly. I looked around idly, trying to find the door to the back of the stage. I found it not too long after and started to walk toward it. When I got close, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned quickly and saw it was a large policeman. He was rather ugly. Well duh! Anyway, he looked at me with a look that simply said, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"The viewing room is that way." He motioned to the door that I had just come out of. I look over his shoulder at him and smiled. I looked around and noticed that nobody was around, so I socked him in the face and I pulled him into a darkened corner. I pulled out my wand and smirked at him.
"Avada Kadavra." I murmured. A blinding green light emitted form my wand, and the guard's already limp body, became lifeless as well. "Stupid muggle." I said icily. All of them were worthless if you asked me. I dusted off my black cloak and opened the door that I was trying to get into a minute or so ago. I slipped in unnoticed and closed the door.
There was a long hall the met me next. There were tons of doors with tons of words printed over the front of them. I started to walk down the hall, looking for Dean's. It took me one minute to find his and I tried to open it, but it was locked. I pulled out wand one more time and I unlocked it. Perfect.
I slipped in and closed it behind me. I locked it and turned on the light. The room was small with a vanity with make-up and hair supplies, and there was a rack of clothes for the production and there were many seats around the room. I sat at the one in front of the vanity and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked pretty good with black hair. I might keep it that way, actually.
My mind drifted to Dean on stage. He looked so happy, doing something he seriously wanted to do. It was almost a shame I had to kill him. Almost . . .. I was looking forward for his two minutes of being in here right before the curtain goes up for the last time. For him anyway.
I waited around the room for a few minutes, looking at my self in the mirror. I wasn't vain; I just thought a lot of my appearance. I had a few freckles, jet-black hair, and white as snow skin. My lips were soft peach and my eyelashes were dark and long, hiding my ocean blue eyes. I was quite the catch in my days at Hogwarts. I even turned some girls into lesbians with my looks and charm.
My thoughts were knocked when I heard someone unlocking the door. I stayed put, looking at the door in the reflection of the mirror. I put my hood up, and made sure he could see at lest my lips under the fabric. He opened the door and I could hear someone yell for him to not take too much time because the curtains were going up soon.
"OK, Mike." He said to the man who had told him to hurry. Dean closed the door and locked it. He turned around and saw me sitting at the vanity. I pulled out my wand and pointed it at him. He stopped moving and I smirked at him through the reflection of the mirror.
"Hello Dean." I said menacingly.
"Who are you?" Dean asked. I sighed and pulled down my hood, looking at him in the mirror.
"Oh wow! Hi!" he said excited. He started to move toward me with open arms and I yelled the first spell that came to mind. The body bind curse, which seemed to be more and more useful. He fell to the floor and I went over to him. I un-bonded his arms and put the handcuffs around his wrists and around his ankles. I grabbed the whip from my cloak and wrapped it around his neck. I took out my invisibility potion and poured it on him.
"Don't worry, love. You'll barely feel a thing." I told him right before he became fully invisible. I levitated him out of the room and into the back of the stage. Nobody saw me, thank god, or else I'd have to kill somebody else that wasn't my target, like that stupid guard back there. I took him behind the main frame of the scenery of the play and I climbed the ladder that went to the over hang over the stage.
Dean was now visible to me and I could now see the whip.
"30 seconds till last curtain!" came a female voice. I smiled. I lengthened the whip and I tied to a banister high above the stage with the help of my wand. He was moving again and I had my wand to him.
"You know, Dean. I still love you, but, you screwed up. So. I'm going to screw you up." I told him evilly.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked me.
"I told you, Dean. You screwed up. You cheated on me." I told him. I floated his body in the air and I smiled evilly.
"What are you doing?" he asked, trying not to look under him.
"Curtain pull in 5 . . . ." the woman started.
"I love you Dean, and I will see you hell." I said.
"4. . .." she continued.
"You really hurt me. So now I'll hurt you." I told him quickly.
"2 . . .." she called. I blew him a kiss. "1 . . .." the curtain was pulled and everyone started coming out from around the back. Dean was going to be the last to come out. I noticed he was about to yell, so I pulled out the wand I got from Fred and shut him up. Everyone in the production came out and it was finally Dean's turn.
"Good bye Dean." I told him. He pulled my wand away and he from the ceiling. When the whip was finished in length, the impact broke his neck and he continued to swing back and forth in a dead weight way. Everyone below started to scream and I looked down over the rail, grinning at my handy work.
~*~*~*~
AN/: I am DONE!! Woo hoo!!
OK. I have a question for you all. Whoever can tell me how to be able to make things bold and italic, they get a clue on who the murder is! Come on people! REVIEW!!!