Disclaimer: I don't own anything, these characters and anything from Harry Potter is owned by J.K Rowling.
I know I prefer to hurt
it seems to comfort me and burnI never asked for it - question.
I never wanted it to end
you're such a part of meI can't believe it's real
- Oh My Goth, Razed In Black
Chapter 2: Oh My Goth
The warm rays of sunlight stirred Hermione to awaken. Immediately upon doing so she felt a throbbing dull pain irritating her neck. Attempting to alleviate the annoyance, she rubbed it as she rose to stretch.
I should've known better than to just fall asleep, she thought. Still in her tight fitting outfit, she rose to peel them off. It proved to be difficult and painful however, since it had stuck to her body due to being on overnight with the adhesive of her sweat. Afterwards, she hung the clothes back in the closet, planning to clean them later and proceeded to find something more comfortable. She found a pair of green shorts and a white t-shirt and threw them on her bed.
It's time to take a shower, a nice, long hot shower,
Hermione went to the linen closet next to her room in the hallway. She peered
around her surroundings, hoping her parents weren't up to find her walking
around in her underwear. They still seemed uncomfortable in the new "changes"
in her. A white towel with thick pale yellow stripes caught her eye and she
grabbed it, shutting the closet door and walking back to her room. A small
bathroom was located right off the corner of it and she made her way there,
clothes and towel in hand.
She stripped the rest of her clothing off her body and stepped into her shower, which from her toiletry items, smelled like vanilla and strawberries. Hot water cascaded down her back as she turned several nozzles and she leaned into the closest wall, savoring every drop of water. The heat massaged her tense muscles after the long night. She could spend eternity in its warm comfort. After a couple of minutes of leaning idly, Hermione decided to get down to business and start washing herself, starting with her hair. She was so thankful she found a muggle item to tame it; it was really a pain in the ass to do it the magical way. Her hormones had something to do with it too she supposed. Since she didn't have time to look in the mirror all day, she spent some of her own shower time to happily look over herself.
"I'm getting so shallow it's sickening really," she laughed at herself. It was all right, as long as she didn't do it any other time. Being a normal girl was nice for a change.
When completed the task of bathing, Hermione quickly dressed and went downstairs to get something to eat. She was surprised to see her parents already up and having breakfast.
"Good morning Mum, Dad," she said cheerfully and sat in a chair next to them.
"Good morning honey," they almost replied in unison and smiled at each other.
"You two seem exceptionally happy this morning, I wonder what's causing it," Hermione teased. She had hoped she didn't say anything offensive since the expression on her mother's face changed drastically. She couldn't hide her distraught demeanor.
"Mum, what's the matter?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Hermione, we need to talk about some things," her father started off since her mother started to weep softly. Hermione now desperately hoped she hadn't been caught sneaking out and they hadn't found out what she's been up to the last two years.
"What is it?" she asked, trying to hide the fear in her voice.
"We were just owled by your headmaster," her mother choked out.
Headmaster? Headmaster? Oh thank God! They didn't find out! Wait… what's happened, oh no I hope Harry's all right!
"And?" she forced out a little harshly, not intentionally trying to be rude.
"He's informed us that from his sources, he's learned you to be in terrible danger. He would not tell us how, because he feared our reaction would be much worse than it is now. For your safety, you are to stay at your school now until he deems it safe for you to return," her father said.
"Danger? I should've known, is this about Harry also?" she asked.
"We're not sure, but we are concerned for you and we are going to follow Dumbledore's request. You are to take the train back to Hogwarts this afternoon."
"This afternoon, this short notice?!"
"Yes I'm afraid and you won't be coming back for holiday on Christmas. We'll travel up there to see you, Dumbledore doesn't want to risk anything and we certainly don't want to risk your safety. So we'll take you to the train station in about two hours, I suggest you start packing."
"Yes, of course," she replied, tears shielding her eyes and ran
upstairs before she could catch the identical grins planted on her parents' faces.
Severus woke up and found his face flat on the cold, rugged floor of his chambers. He allowed his eyes to focus and by doing so brought the onslaught known as a hangover to attack his senses.
"Bloody hell…" he groaned as he tried to lift himself from the floor. He picked up his brandy glass next to him and didn't worry about the stain on the floor. He would fix it later once he was in the right state of mind.
After placing the glass on a solid surface, he began to rub his temples and tried to gather the remnants of last night's meeting in his mind. It was extremely foolish of him to get himself drunken right after a meeting. He should've reported back to Albus once the meeting was over, but even the aftereffects of the Cruciatus Curse proved to be overwhelmingly agonizing. All he knew at that point was the pain had to be numbed and the only way he wanted to solve it was immense amounts of alcohol. He had run out of fire whiskey and resorted to brandy.
I'm a stupid, stupid man! I have to remember, something important…. He racked his brains for the memory of the rest of the meeting, but somehow all he could recall was the part about him being in immense pain.
Albus will not be pleased. I should've reported…THEN got drunk. He walked to his bathroom, which was comprised of black marble and silver chrome. In fact, many things in his chambers were black, including his sheets, some rugs and the draperies. He turned the faucet and collected the cool water in his hands to splash it on his face.
I look like a train wreck, he thought while looking at his reflection and ran his fingers through his hair. Not that he ever considered himself attractive before, but this was an all-time low.
I need to talk to Albus. He splashed the water upon his face once more and let it relax him before shutting the faucet off completely and exiting the room. As we walked out, he scanned his chambers once more and walked further to his personal lab and study to reach the fireplace. One would think it bizarre to have a fireplace in a workstation, but he'd rather have it there than his chambers. If anyone decided to pop in via floo, then they would that much further away from his "privacy". He didn't want an unexpected guest in his rooms.
While reaching for the floo power, he noticed a parchment of approximately three feet. It was the assignment he was writing up for the new seventh year potions class before he was "called". It then struck him. Seventh year? Potter was entering seventh year now, which means so is Granger, but why am I suddenly thinking of Miss Granger?
Great, great Severus, you're a genius now. Think, think about that meeting!! He gritted his teeth in frustration and widened his eyes as it suddenly came to him. Hermione Granger was in trouble and his folly may've cost her, her life.
Hermione bid her parents good-bye as she walked onto the train that would bring her to her stop, which was where she was supposed to be meeting someone from the Order to be apparated back to the school. She rested her head against the window and watched the scenery rapidly pass her by. She wondered exactly who would be escorting her once she got off this train. Would she be moving into her own room? Why wasn't she going to 12 Grimmauld Place? Although Sirius has been dead since her fifth year, Remus and the others were still there. Surely they could've looked after her.
Yes, looked after me…like some child! she was suddenly enraged by the recent turn of events. Was she not able to take care of herself? Well, this was Voldemort they were dealing with and she was smart enough not to underestimate the disgusting reptile, at least in this point in time. The Order probably didn't want her there anyway. What would a child do to help them unless he/she was the famous Harry Potter?
Now I'm getting resentful, I had better stop it, else I'll lose it. Her eyelids started to droop. The rushing around, packing and all the thinking left her a little tired. She fell asleep on the rest of the way there. The train came to an abrupt stop and it jarred Hermione awake.
"How unpleasant," she muttered out loud as she tried to get herself together. While grabbing the handle to the door, she pulled herself up and opened it to walk out the car. As she was about to levitate her luggage, a train attendant stopped her.
"Excuse me miss, but someone wants to see you outside right now," he said, his red hair falling over his eyes. He was as gaunt and freckly as Ron, but he was clearly older, and not a part of the great Weasley mess. "Thank you, I can come back and get my items on the train right?"
"Yes, we'll be waiting." She nodded and walked out the closest exit off the train. She looked around her surroundings. There was no one out her. Surely she thought her escort would want to see her and offer to help with luggage. That was why she thought she was called of the train in the first place.
"What's going on here?" she asked almost silently, but loud enough to illicit an answer from someone she never expected to see.
"Nothing Mudblood, only your undoing," said a voice from behind her. The voice was so close the breath of its giver sent a shiver down her spine. She whipped around to look in the eyes of a dreaded Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy. Hermione's mouth went dry and hung agape. Her body shivered in fear for only a few seconds, but a few seconds was all that was needed for Lucius to strike.
I crawl in my black box to hide
I welcome misery with pridetakes turns in whipping me I bleedenjoy the fantasy and greedI know that I die gracefully in vain
I know inside deteriorates in painOh my Goth!
Subject me to your worldOh My Goth!Take pleasure in my hurt-Oh My Goth, Razed In Black
Author's Note: Hey guys thanks for reading my fic, please review if you can. It's much appreciated, any feedback would be great, good or bad. If there's anything you guys would like to see happen, please let me know, I'll consider it.