Disclaimer: See first thirty six chapters.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
CHAPTER FORTY
Raya made to step up to the stone gargoyle when she was pulled back, muscular arms encircling her waist.
"If I told you I didn't want you to go in there, would you listen?" Remus hissed in her ear, taking her earlobe between his teeth and pulling on it lightly.
"Mmmm. . .It's not like I have a choice. He IS the Headmaster."
"That's the point." Sirius replied. "HE is the Headmaster. Eh Moony?"
"Padfoot. . .shut it." Remus growled, holding Raya even tighter to him. "Come on. . .he can survive without you."
"Remus. . ." Raya sighed, "I'll talk to you later. I have to speak with the Headmaster."
"I don't want you to." Remus pouted, drawing his lips down to the joint where her neck met her shoulder, biting down none too gently.
Raya shivered involuntarily. "Fizzing Whizbees!" She exclaimed to the gargoyle, breaking free of his grasp as the statue jumped aside. "See you." She said by way of apology, and then jumped onto the rotating stair.
"She's intoxicating." Remus moaned, slumping against the cool stone wall, "It's like I can't stop. Did you see what she was wearing? Gods!"
"I agree." Sirius replied thoughtfully, gauging his friend's reaction.
"You bloody better not, Padfoot." Remus growled. "She's mine!"
"You've marked her as your territory then?"
"Yes." Remus replied, hesitantly, thinking back to the small bite mark on her throat. The wolf in him marked it's territory accordingly. If Sirius hadn't interrupted, Remus was sure that she would be marked in more ways than one. The thought hit him like a bucket of ice water. "Gods. . ." He whispered, drawing a hand across his face. "What have I done?"
"Congratulations, Moony, you've successfully targeted your mate." Sirius said gravely. "Remember, she's just a kid, go easy on her. Tomorrow, I'm afraid we might have to lock you up. They have rules about shagging in public."
Remus groaned accordingly, and with a fleeting look at the gargoyle, returned to his office to cool his ardor a bit.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Raya took the offered seat, ducking her head nervously.
"As a matter of fact, yes. I believe you know Severus, but allow me to introduce you to Auror Nymphadora Tonks, and Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt."
"Hello." Raya replied uncertainly to the jaunty little wave she got from Tonks and the imperceptible nod from Shacklebolt. "It is a pleasure. But. . .what exactly am I here for?"
"Well, it has come to my attention that you were the next target of Voldemort, and if that is the case, we have a few. . .protective. . .items for you."
Raya blushed deeply, "Oh. . .that's. . .how kind of you. . .I-er. . ."
"Not THAT kind!" Tonks' blush matched her own. "More along the lines of a tracking crystal, and a communication pendant. Each are endowed with numerous spells so we can keep a rather good eye on you."
"Ah." Raya accepted the pendant and crystal with more than a little relief. "For a second there. . ."
"There is no need to elaborate further, Miss Trenton." Snape grimaced.
"Don't mind him, he's just a bully." Tonks replied, and Raya didn't miss the little flush that stained the uptight Potions Master's cheeks, or the cheeky grin Tonks threw at him.
"Well, if that is all. . ." Raya tried to back out of the room with grace, "I have some more. . .ah. . .papers to attend to."
"Miss Trenton, try not to wear out my DADA professor, he is. . .irreplaceable." Dumbledore twinkled knowingly.
"Ah. . .right. . ." Raya fled as fast as her feet could carry her.
"Charlie?" Elizabeth cuddled deeper into the covers, "Scootch over, I need some room here."
"Liz, I'm tryin' to sleep." Charlie obliged, wrapping his arms about his girl. "I owled Mum today. . ." His voice was sleepy and thick.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'll be getting a reply soon."
"Good."
A few minutes passed, and then. . .
"WHAT?!?!" She coughed, then sat up, springing from the huge bed. She barely made it into the bathroom before she was retching.
"Liz. . .are you alright?"
"Do I frigging look alright to you?"
"Forget I asked."
Hermione yawned, laying down her quill and massaging her hand. "Yet another great essay." A loud mewl startled her from her victorious reverie. "What is it, Crooks?" Hermione felt a little guilty, she had spent all this time and had practically ignored her feline familiar.
The cat, now acknowledged, butted his squashed face into her leg, purring loud enough that a diesel would be proud. Hermione laughed slightly, picking up the giant kneazel, cuddling him to her.
"Sorry I've been so distant Crooks, can you forgive me?"
Crookshanks considered a moment, then licked her nose with a small mew.
"Good, I was worried I'd never get in your good graces again. So, what do you think about George?"
He hissed slightly, flexing his claws appropriately.
"He's not going to hurt me."
Crookshanks gave her a look that clearly said he better not.
"Well, c'mon Crooks, I have someone I think you'd be interested in meeting."
Hermione stood in the special part of the owlery that housed the dragonets, who were currently napping, as babies are often wont.
"Onyx. . ." Hermione undid the latch on her Dragonet's cage, drawing out the sleeping dragon gently. Onyx blinked sleepily, automatically latching onto Hermione's forearm to balance herself. A little snort of disapproval echoed loudly in the owlery.
Crookshanks looked as if he wanted nothing better than to pounce on Onyx. His yellow eyes regarded the dragon warily, just as she was regarding him.
"Onyx, this is Crookshanks, my cat. Crooks, this is Onyx, the dragonet I am caring for."
Hermione sat down with the dragonet, oblivious of the obvious tension between the two. "C'mere Crooks, baby."
Crookshanks sauntered forward hesitantly, his instincts insisting he run from the very small dragon, but his loyalty demanding he do as his master bade. Man's best friend, indeed, he snorted.
The dragon eyed him with curiosity, and when he came close enough, she gave him an overall sniff.
Just as Crookshanks relaxed, fairly positive the overgrown lizard wasn't going to snack on him, Onyx caught sight of his twitching tail. Onyx wriggled free of Hermione's grasp, and nibbled on the attached member.
Crookshanks' yowl of pain echoed loudly in the owlery, waking up the rest of the dragonets and owls. He turned, lightening fast, and lashed out with his claws, detaching Onyx with more than a little anger.
The dragonet, hurt and frightened, did what came naturally to dragons. In a moment, Crookshanks tail was blazing, and Hermione did the only thing she could, cast a freezing spell on the burning member, and shoved Onyx quickly back into her cage.
Crookshanks hissed loudly, and with a bound, leapt away from the scene of the disaster, leaving an amused, if contrite, Hermione and a roomful of awakened dragonets.
"This is just great." Hermione muttered, tucking her wand back into her robes and sighing. "Just bloody terrific."
A/N: The next chappie will focus on only Hermione, with maybe a lil Melody thrown in. I promise. So, RR.
Love,
~Me~
DOUBLE TROUBLE
CHAPTER FORTY
Raya made to step up to the stone gargoyle when she was pulled back, muscular arms encircling her waist.
"If I told you I didn't want you to go in there, would you listen?" Remus hissed in her ear, taking her earlobe between his teeth and pulling on it lightly.
"Mmmm. . .It's not like I have a choice. He IS the Headmaster."
"That's the point." Sirius replied. "HE is the Headmaster. Eh Moony?"
"Padfoot. . .shut it." Remus growled, holding Raya even tighter to him. "Come on. . .he can survive without you."
"Remus. . ." Raya sighed, "I'll talk to you later. I have to speak with the Headmaster."
"I don't want you to." Remus pouted, drawing his lips down to the joint where her neck met her shoulder, biting down none too gently.
Raya shivered involuntarily. "Fizzing Whizbees!" She exclaimed to the gargoyle, breaking free of his grasp as the statue jumped aside. "See you." She said by way of apology, and then jumped onto the rotating stair.
"She's intoxicating." Remus moaned, slumping against the cool stone wall, "It's like I can't stop. Did you see what she was wearing? Gods!"
"I agree." Sirius replied thoughtfully, gauging his friend's reaction.
"You bloody better not, Padfoot." Remus growled. "She's mine!"
"You've marked her as your territory then?"
"Yes." Remus replied, hesitantly, thinking back to the small bite mark on her throat. The wolf in him marked it's territory accordingly. If Sirius hadn't interrupted, Remus was sure that she would be marked in more ways than one. The thought hit him like a bucket of ice water. "Gods. . ." He whispered, drawing a hand across his face. "What have I done?"
"Congratulations, Moony, you've successfully targeted your mate." Sirius said gravely. "Remember, she's just a kid, go easy on her. Tomorrow, I'm afraid we might have to lock you up. They have rules about shagging in public."
Remus groaned accordingly, and with a fleeting look at the gargoyle, returned to his office to cool his ardor a bit.
"You wanted to see me, sir?" Raya took the offered seat, ducking her head nervously.
"As a matter of fact, yes. I believe you know Severus, but allow me to introduce you to Auror Nymphadora Tonks, and Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt."
"Hello." Raya replied uncertainly to the jaunty little wave she got from Tonks and the imperceptible nod from Shacklebolt. "It is a pleasure. But. . .what exactly am I here for?"
"Well, it has come to my attention that you were the next target of Voldemort, and if that is the case, we have a few. . .protective. . .items for you."
Raya blushed deeply, "Oh. . .that's. . .how kind of you. . .I-er. . ."
"Not THAT kind!" Tonks' blush matched her own. "More along the lines of a tracking crystal, and a communication pendant. Each are endowed with numerous spells so we can keep a rather good eye on you."
"Ah." Raya accepted the pendant and crystal with more than a little relief. "For a second there. . ."
"There is no need to elaborate further, Miss Trenton." Snape grimaced.
"Don't mind him, he's just a bully." Tonks replied, and Raya didn't miss the little flush that stained the uptight Potions Master's cheeks, or the cheeky grin Tonks threw at him.
"Well, if that is all. . ." Raya tried to back out of the room with grace, "I have some more. . .ah. . .papers to attend to."
"Miss Trenton, try not to wear out my DADA professor, he is. . .irreplaceable." Dumbledore twinkled knowingly.
"Ah. . .right. . ." Raya fled as fast as her feet could carry her.
"Charlie?" Elizabeth cuddled deeper into the covers, "Scootch over, I need some room here."
"Liz, I'm tryin' to sleep." Charlie obliged, wrapping his arms about his girl. "I owled Mum today. . ." His voice was sleepy and thick.
"Really?"
"Yes, I'll be getting a reply soon."
"Good."
A few minutes passed, and then. . .
"WHAT?!?!" She coughed, then sat up, springing from the huge bed. She barely made it into the bathroom before she was retching.
"Liz. . .are you alright?"
"Do I frigging look alright to you?"
"Forget I asked."
Hermione yawned, laying down her quill and massaging her hand. "Yet another great essay." A loud mewl startled her from her victorious reverie. "What is it, Crooks?" Hermione felt a little guilty, she had spent all this time and had practically ignored her feline familiar.
The cat, now acknowledged, butted his squashed face into her leg, purring loud enough that a diesel would be proud. Hermione laughed slightly, picking up the giant kneazel, cuddling him to her.
"Sorry I've been so distant Crooks, can you forgive me?"
Crookshanks considered a moment, then licked her nose with a small mew.
"Good, I was worried I'd never get in your good graces again. So, what do you think about George?"
He hissed slightly, flexing his claws appropriately.
"He's not going to hurt me."
Crookshanks gave her a look that clearly said he better not.
"Well, c'mon Crooks, I have someone I think you'd be interested in meeting."
Hermione stood in the special part of the owlery that housed the dragonets, who were currently napping, as babies are often wont.
"Onyx. . ." Hermione undid the latch on her Dragonet's cage, drawing out the sleeping dragon gently. Onyx blinked sleepily, automatically latching onto Hermione's forearm to balance herself. A little snort of disapproval echoed loudly in the owlery.
Crookshanks looked as if he wanted nothing better than to pounce on Onyx. His yellow eyes regarded the dragon warily, just as she was regarding him.
"Onyx, this is Crookshanks, my cat. Crooks, this is Onyx, the dragonet I am caring for."
Hermione sat down with the dragonet, oblivious of the obvious tension between the two. "C'mere Crooks, baby."
Crookshanks sauntered forward hesitantly, his instincts insisting he run from the very small dragon, but his loyalty demanding he do as his master bade. Man's best friend, indeed, he snorted.
The dragon eyed him with curiosity, and when he came close enough, she gave him an overall sniff.
Just as Crookshanks relaxed, fairly positive the overgrown lizard wasn't going to snack on him, Onyx caught sight of his twitching tail. Onyx wriggled free of Hermione's grasp, and nibbled on the attached member.
Crookshanks' yowl of pain echoed loudly in the owlery, waking up the rest of the dragonets and owls. He turned, lightening fast, and lashed out with his claws, detaching Onyx with more than a little anger.
The dragonet, hurt and frightened, did what came naturally to dragons. In a moment, Crookshanks tail was blazing, and Hermione did the only thing she could, cast a freezing spell on the burning member, and shoved Onyx quickly back into her cage.
Crookshanks hissed loudly, and with a bound, leapt away from the scene of the disaster, leaving an amused, if contrite, Hermione and a roomful of awakened dragonets.
"This is just great." Hermione muttered, tucking her wand back into her robes and sighing. "Just bloody terrific."
A/N: The next chappie will focus on only Hermione, with maybe a lil Melody thrown in. I promise. So, RR.
Love,
~Me~
