-ANGELS OBLIQUELY
CHAPTER 5
The night was over and I could see the first signs of daylight, as I made my way to Ellyot's club. I've always enjoyed walking at this time, the streets were deserted and the air was cool. It was refreshing and quiet. Perhaps the feeling was welcomed because it was usually after Death Eaters' revels that I found myself alone in the streets, going back home... to safety. The relief of still being alive.
I assumed that the club would be closed by then, so I sneaked through the back.
The dirty alley was filled with empty bottles and trash, and I had to walk through the filth in order to get to the back door. I was ready to use the unlocking charm when I noticed the door was slightly opened.
I knew something wasn't right, but I entered carefully. I found myself in a narrow corridor, between the restroom and a phone booth. The place stunk of sweat and old booze and the once lively atmosphere was now depressingly quiet. The small room with its turned down chairs and dirty glasses, seemed so abandoned that it was hard to believe there were people at all, just hours earlier.
I wasn't sure what I was looking for but my instinct kept pushing me forward and I saw a door behind the stage. The door seemed to lead upstairs where I was guessing, it was his office. I tried to make as little sound as possible. Years of catching students in the act without being noticed, came in handy at times like this.
I pushed the door opened and entered a dark little room. After my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I started searching for anything that could tell me something about Ellyot.
A bottle of whiskey sat on his desk, among crumpled papers and bills. I grabbed the bottle and drank it greedily. It had been sometime that alcohol had become my breakfast and the warmth of it was very much welcomed. Still clutched to the bottle I was going through his drawers, when I found something really curious. In between the club's documents, there was black and white muggle photograph.
I walked to the window to see it better. I was surprised when my heart skipped a beat at the sight of the photo. The woman dressed in very revealing lingerie was seated at the edge of a bed with an indescribable smile.
Hermione.
Once more she was surprising me in her new found boldness. It was like I was looking at a completely different woman. She looked like Hermione, but that was all. The smile, the look in her eyes and the clothes had nothing to do with the insufferable know-it-all with her Gryffindor pride and honesty.
I had no idea why but I put the photograph in my pocket, it seemed like the right thing to do.
I went back to my search and it was taking me no where. Whatever Ellyot was planing about the secret potion, I would not find there. I was about to give up, thinking why on earth this bloke had spent his money on this dump of a place when I heard the shot.
The shot was followed by a loud noise on the roof. As I raced to the fire scape out the window, I heard two more shots. I got hold of my wand, not knowing what I would find there.
Nothing would prepare me for the scene I just witnessed.
Ellyot was sprawled in a weird angle on the floor while Hermione was searching his pockets frantically. Her hands were shaking and she looked very uncomfortable touching the dead man's body.
I immediately surveyed the entire roof to see if there was someone with her, but she was alone. One of her hands was clasping a gun clumsily.
I started toward her, not making a sound and as I was right behind her I said, "You are going to have to come up with a very convincing story this time. It doesn't look good."
She jumped and backed away aiming her gun at me, but I already had my wand aimed at her.
"It wasn't me, I know how it looks..." She quickly glanced at the body of the man she claimed to be her lover, not long ago and glanced back at me nervously.
"Put down your gun Hermione," I asked her.
Even though I was shocked to see her there I put my emotionless mask, the one I always used with my students. I knew this would make her even more uncomfortable, but it was the only way to break her down. She was so immersed in lies by now that I couldn't even tell if she was really nervous or this was another act. I realized then, that I had no idea of who this woman was, and this was very confusing. If she was a mere stranger I would have been prepared, I would have analyzed every piece of her. I always could see through people like looking through a window. But to have a conception of someone for a long time in your life and then having to forget all the things you previously knew and start from scratch, it was disconcerting.
As she threw her gun on the floor, I walked slowly, still having her under the aim of my wand, and grabbed the gun, throwing it as far as possible.
"Please stop pointing your wand at me, I'm not going to do anything," she said.
"Why do I have the feeling that it isn't a good idea?" I asked her, nodding in the direction of the dead man.
"I didn't kill him... that's not even my gun! I have a wand, you know," she replied.
"Then why were you holding it? Oh wait, don't tell me... you found it lying beside him and held it in shock?" I couldn't control my sarcasm.
"You've got to believe me, when I got here, it was too late, the man disapparated before I could see his face," she said while tears started rolling down her cheeks.
"Why would a wizard kill anyone with a muggle weapon?"
"I don't know, I mean, that's why I took the gun, I was trying to understand it," she said.
"What were you looking for in his pockets? I shot back.
"He called me and told me to meet him here, he said he had something important to show me. It was part of the formula for the potion, the part he had developed," she said drying her tears with the back of her hand. "When I apparated here, he was already dead, so I tried to see if he had the formula."
"And now you're going to tell me that the mystery man must have taken it? How convenient that is!" I was losing my patience.
"It is the truth Severus, I know as much as you do in this whole thing!"
"Oh, I disagree with you on that, I think you know a lot more than you're telling me and the more you tell me, the more this story gets twisted!"
We were interrupted by the sirens of the muggle police arriving the scene and we had to get out of there.
"Let's go Hermione, you're coming with me."
She didn't protest when I grabbed her arm and we apparated.
............................................................................ ....................................................................
A/N: Thank you to -
Happynutcase: well who knows Snape can convince her to quit smoking LOL!
Scary Person: yeah, Hermione is going to seem a little OOC at first but Snape is also as surprised by that as we are, so bear with me. As for Potter and Weasley, they might show up further along.
strega-in-progress : I'm glad you like it, yeah well, we all know that Snape is a great candidate to end up w/Hermione, so don't worry LOL!
EvieBlack: Thanks, I'm glad I was able to pull it off on the noir genre.
CHAPTER 5
The night was over and I could see the first signs of daylight, as I made my way to Ellyot's club. I've always enjoyed walking at this time, the streets were deserted and the air was cool. It was refreshing and quiet. Perhaps the feeling was welcomed because it was usually after Death Eaters' revels that I found myself alone in the streets, going back home... to safety. The relief of still being alive.
I assumed that the club would be closed by then, so I sneaked through the back.
The dirty alley was filled with empty bottles and trash, and I had to walk through the filth in order to get to the back door. I was ready to use the unlocking charm when I noticed the door was slightly opened.
I knew something wasn't right, but I entered carefully. I found myself in a narrow corridor, between the restroom and a phone booth. The place stunk of sweat and old booze and the once lively atmosphere was now depressingly quiet. The small room with its turned down chairs and dirty glasses, seemed so abandoned that it was hard to believe there were people at all, just hours earlier.
I wasn't sure what I was looking for but my instinct kept pushing me forward and I saw a door behind the stage. The door seemed to lead upstairs where I was guessing, it was his office. I tried to make as little sound as possible. Years of catching students in the act without being noticed, came in handy at times like this.
I pushed the door opened and entered a dark little room. After my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I started searching for anything that could tell me something about Ellyot.
A bottle of whiskey sat on his desk, among crumpled papers and bills. I grabbed the bottle and drank it greedily. It had been sometime that alcohol had become my breakfast and the warmth of it was very much welcomed. Still clutched to the bottle I was going through his drawers, when I found something really curious. In between the club's documents, there was black and white muggle photograph.
I walked to the window to see it better. I was surprised when my heart skipped a beat at the sight of the photo. The woman dressed in very revealing lingerie was seated at the edge of a bed with an indescribable smile.
Hermione.
Once more she was surprising me in her new found boldness. It was like I was looking at a completely different woman. She looked like Hermione, but that was all. The smile, the look in her eyes and the clothes had nothing to do with the insufferable know-it-all with her Gryffindor pride and honesty.
I had no idea why but I put the photograph in my pocket, it seemed like the right thing to do.
I went back to my search and it was taking me no where. Whatever Ellyot was planing about the secret potion, I would not find there. I was about to give up, thinking why on earth this bloke had spent his money on this dump of a place when I heard the shot.
The shot was followed by a loud noise on the roof. As I raced to the fire scape out the window, I heard two more shots. I got hold of my wand, not knowing what I would find there.
Nothing would prepare me for the scene I just witnessed.
Ellyot was sprawled in a weird angle on the floor while Hermione was searching his pockets frantically. Her hands were shaking and she looked very uncomfortable touching the dead man's body.
I immediately surveyed the entire roof to see if there was someone with her, but she was alone. One of her hands was clasping a gun clumsily.
I started toward her, not making a sound and as I was right behind her I said, "You are going to have to come up with a very convincing story this time. It doesn't look good."
She jumped and backed away aiming her gun at me, but I already had my wand aimed at her.
"It wasn't me, I know how it looks..." She quickly glanced at the body of the man she claimed to be her lover, not long ago and glanced back at me nervously.
"Put down your gun Hermione," I asked her.
Even though I was shocked to see her there I put my emotionless mask, the one I always used with my students. I knew this would make her even more uncomfortable, but it was the only way to break her down. She was so immersed in lies by now that I couldn't even tell if she was really nervous or this was another act. I realized then, that I had no idea of who this woman was, and this was very confusing. If she was a mere stranger I would have been prepared, I would have analyzed every piece of her. I always could see through people like looking through a window. But to have a conception of someone for a long time in your life and then having to forget all the things you previously knew and start from scratch, it was disconcerting.
As she threw her gun on the floor, I walked slowly, still having her under the aim of my wand, and grabbed the gun, throwing it as far as possible.
"Please stop pointing your wand at me, I'm not going to do anything," she said.
"Why do I have the feeling that it isn't a good idea?" I asked her, nodding in the direction of the dead man.
"I didn't kill him... that's not even my gun! I have a wand, you know," she replied.
"Then why were you holding it? Oh wait, don't tell me... you found it lying beside him and held it in shock?" I couldn't control my sarcasm.
"You've got to believe me, when I got here, it was too late, the man disapparated before I could see his face," she said while tears started rolling down her cheeks.
"Why would a wizard kill anyone with a muggle weapon?"
"I don't know, I mean, that's why I took the gun, I was trying to understand it," she said.
"What were you looking for in his pockets? I shot back.
"He called me and told me to meet him here, he said he had something important to show me. It was part of the formula for the potion, the part he had developed," she said drying her tears with the back of her hand. "When I apparated here, he was already dead, so I tried to see if he had the formula."
"And now you're going to tell me that the mystery man must have taken it? How convenient that is!" I was losing my patience.
"It is the truth Severus, I know as much as you do in this whole thing!"
"Oh, I disagree with you on that, I think you know a lot more than you're telling me and the more you tell me, the more this story gets twisted!"
We were interrupted by the sirens of the muggle police arriving the scene and we had to get out of there.
"Let's go Hermione, you're coming with me."
She didn't protest when I grabbed her arm and we apparated.
............................................................................ ....................................................................
A/N: Thank you to -
Happynutcase: well who knows Snape can convince her to quit smoking LOL!
Scary Person: yeah, Hermione is going to seem a little OOC at first but Snape is also as surprised by that as we are, so bear with me. As for Potter and Weasley, they might show up further along.
strega-in-progress : I'm glad you like it, yeah well, we all know that Snape is a great candidate to end up w/Hermione, so don't worry LOL!
EvieBlack: Thanks, I'm glad I was able to pull it off on the noir genre.