Monsters
V.
Hermione felt a strange rush as the memories flooded her.
She was dizzy from the firewhiskey. Krum's mates from Durmstrang--his other mates, not from quidditch--were having a party and she'd gone along. They'd built an enormous bonfire and were singing songs around it, drinking and laughing, but she lacked the strength to join in--the alcohol was particularly strong, and she wanted to lie down and have a nap.
The whole thing felt like an uncomfortable mistake. She leaned her head on Viktor's shoulder, watching the bonfire burn. His hand was cold in hers. "Viktor. . ." she sighed, letting her eyes close.
His arm coiled around her. Sure, he hadn't kissed her since that first night at the tavern, but he was still here with her, wasn't he? The fire's heat warmed her face and she cuddled up to him, watching a patch of embers drift up into the air.
In the distance some bushes rustled. Viktor reached up and stroked her cheek, turning toward her. She wiggled a bit, trying to see where the rustles came from.
"Don't," he said quietly. "Just keep your head down."
Three Durmstrang boys, black hoods covering their heads, were dragging a smaller boy along behind them. The boy was kicking and screaming curses, but the largest of the three was laughing and holding his wand well out of his reach.
Hermione felt Viktor's body tense. "What are they doing?" she gasped, fumbling for her wand.
It was missing.
The boy let out a scream and Viktor squeezed her hard. "Just stay quiet," he whispered ferociously.
"But they're torturing him," Hermione protested. Her body was burning up with rage and firewhisky. "We have to help!"
"You can't," said Viktor. He gave her a protective kiss on the forehead. "Stay here."
He stood up, leaving her on the bench, and walked over to the group of boys. They argued; Viktor took their bottle of firewhisky and tossed it into the bonfire, where it exploded. The boy took advantage of the distraction and ran away; the second-largest of his tormentors threw his wand after him. The smallest tormentor gave Viktor a shove and Viktor responded by shoving him back hard. The boy drew his wand and Viktor was temporarily caught off-guard. Hermione tried to stand up to defend him, but was too dizzy. She collapsed back onto the bench, vaguely aware of footsteps approaching.
Someone else was running up behind her, shouting.
"Expelliarmus!"
It was Maya. She jumped over Hermione's bench and ran up to the group. Viktor grabbed her in a hug and the two larger bullies took off their hoods and laughed at their friend, who was looking for the wand that had flown twenty-odd metres away. Maya kissed Viktor playfully on the cheek and the group sat down on some log benches, laughing at what Hermione sensed were jokes aimed her way.
Viktor's wand was in his hand, but from where she sat, there seemed to be one tucked into his belt.
She raised herself to her feet, still a little wobbly, and staggered off toward the street to get away.
"Hermy-o-ninny," Viktor said, aimlessly picking at the end of his sleeve. The two of them sat in his room, Viktor sitting the wrong way in a chair, leaning over the back of it; Hermione on the bed facing him, her knees tucked up to her chin.
"If you love Maya, why did you ask me to come here?" she said softly, a lump forming in her throat.
"I don't know," he moaned, shaking his head. "I thought if I saw you again, I would remember how I felt before; that it would be all right. I thought I would feel something. . ."
"But you don't."
"No, that's not true," he said, his tone pleading. "I did, I mean I do. I think that I do--I want to." He groaned and ran his hands through his hair.
She shook her head. "This isn't fair."
He got up from the chair and paced agitatedly along the length of the room. He stopped at the edge to pour himself a drink which he downed in a gulp, then refilled the glass and handed it to her.
"Here," he said.
"No, thank you," she said, and set the glass aside. She shook her head and sighed as the tears escaped. "Oh, Viktor. . ."
He looked like he was about to be ill, and watched her cry without saying a word or making a move. One of his friends peeked in the door and mumbled something unintelligible; Viktor waved him off with a casual smile.
"Does this mean," said Hermione, "that I. . .and you don't. . ."
Viktor sat down next to her and sighed deeply. "Yes."
"You don't," she repeated.
"I'm sorry," he said. If he was sincere it was impossible to tell.
"No," she moaned. "This can't be happening. . ."
'But it happened already,' said a voice in her mind. Viktor had taken her into his arms and was kissing her lightly, mumbling promises to make things better.
"No! I won't let it!" she screamed. "NO!"
"NO!" her own voice screamed back at her, and everything went black. There was a roar and a wind like a close passing train, and when she regained her senses, she was in a castle so dark she couldn't see her own hands in front of her face.
"Help me. . ." someone whimpered.
She looked around but couldn't see anyone.
"Please. . .help me. . ."
"Where are you?" she called, stumbling over invisible obstacles.
"Help. . .!" The voice grew into a piercing scream.
"We're coming!" someone else cried out.
Hermione could see two figures running in the distance. As she watched they became more clear: a red-haired woman and a dark-haired man who looked exactly like--
"Harry?"
She gasped. The air had that distinct clammy feeling of nearby evil.
"No," moaned the mystery voice. "No, don't--"
There was a brilliant flash of light. Wild cackles and shrieks filled the air and Harry and the woman fell to their knees. Hermione rushed for them.
"Crucio!"
"James!" cried the woman.
'James?' Hermione stopped short. 'This isn't real. . .that's Harry's father. . .and his mother!'
"Lily, get out of here," moaned the voice.
"Not on your life," Lily replied, grabbing her husband in her arms. He was still trembling from the effects of the Cruciatus curse.
"An interesting proposition," said another voice--one that was all-too-familiar.
"V-vol--" Hermione whispered. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was standing right in front of her. His eyes burned right through her as he snatched away Lily's wand. Behind him, crumpled on the ground, was Severus Snape.
"No. . ." Snape whimpered, and Hermione realized what had happened.
Harry's parents had come to rescue him.
"Nooo!" laughed a sinister-sounding woman in mockery. Hermione recognized her: Bellatrix Lestrange, standing beside her husband Rodolphus. Death Eaters, both.
"You dare defy me?" growled Voldemort. "Crucio!"
Snape's body thrashed in pain; Hermione shook. "Please no. . ." she whimpered, as Snape himself mouthed the same words.
Dementors materialized along the walls; she could see dozens of Death Eaters lining the corridor, their dark robes and hoods so much like those of the boys of Durmstrang. Bellatrix Lestrange was howling with mad laughter.
"Oh, darling boy," she said, her voice wild with glee, "did you honestly believe I cared for you?"
Hermione felt her heart wrench; Snape's fingers clawed into cold stone.
"Did you honestly believe you were ever one of us--you weak, pathetic little child?"
"Bella," laughed Voldemort.
"My lord," said Bellatrix, dropping to one knee and bowing her head.
"We have the Potters. Dispose of this one at will."
"Gladly, my lord."
"NO!" roared James. Hermione couldn't see what happened; she was cowering on the ground--dementors whirling around her, terror filling her heart and mind. There were screams and loud crashes; a crowd of good wizards and witches had smashed their way through the windows.
"Come on!" someone yelled, grabbing hold of her arm. It was Lily. Shaking with fear she struggled to her feet and ran out alongside Harry's mother--only now realizing that Lily was clearly pregnant.
"They went this way! Get them!"
"They're after us!" she found herself yelling as they fled into the woods.
"Save your breath!" Lily hissed back, pushing the thickening brush out of her way.
"Confundus!"
Hermione whirled around, tripping over her own feet. James was behind them, blasting away with his wand. Most of the Death Eaters following them had dropped back, fallen to fighting with the forces of good, or fallen from the fighting. Bellatrix was holding her head, reeling; Rodolphus was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh, come on!" urged James, grabbing her hand and pulling her up. Her sleeve slipped up her arm. . .
Lily went pale with horror. "James!" she gasped, pointing at the Dark Mark.
"My God," James breathed, shoving Hermione down on the ground. "Snivellus, you bastard! You would lure us to our deaths!"
"No! No, never!" she choked, feeling her arm burn. A bolt of purple energy struck a tree above them.
"Rot in hell," spat Lily. "James, leave him and let's get out of here!"
"If anything happens to my wife or our child. . ." James hissed through clenched teeth, ". . .may it be forever on your head, Severus Snape." He threw her on the ground and the pair vanished into the trees.
The agony in her forearm was unbearable. The tears in her eyes stung and she could barely see. Robed men--shapeless figures in the darkness--Durmstrang boys or Death Eaters--were closing in around her and she scrambled through the dirt--
Only to emerge on a street. Wobbly orange halos surrounded dim streetlights in the rain that was now pouring down. Her hair clung to her face and her arm smouldered.
"Viktor!"
That was her own voice calling out. She circled slowly, looking for herself and catching sight of Krum himself.
"How can I trust you, Viktor?"
"Hermy-o-ninny, please!"
"I don't care if they do come after me, Viktor!"
"Don't do this," he begged. "I swear to you I don't care that you're a muggle-born witch. Let me prove myself to you."
The Dementors were closing in. Viktor ran and embraced her, kissing her forcefully on the lips.
She broke away, protesting--"They're after me!"
"Who is?" asked Viktor, his thick eyebrows furrowing.
"Death Eaters!" she blurted, frantic, eyes darting everywhere. "Don't you see them?"
"I don't understand," said Viktor, holding up her arm. "Aren't you one of them?"
The Dark Mark seemed to grin up at her as she stared at it, mortified.
"NOO!!" she wailed. "No, no, NO!"
"That's too bad."
Her neck cracked as she looked up at Viktor, his eyes glowing red, his voice replaced by--
"Lord Voldemort!"
The Dark Lord hissed at the mention of his name; the sky split with a massive fork of lightning.
"Help us!" cried Viktor from behind her.
"Please!" wailed Maya.
"Let me go!" Hermione howled, turning to face the embracing couple, her arm held fast by the possessed Viktor.
"Help!" screamed James.
"You can't do this!" Lily raged. She held a baby in her arms.
"Avada ke--"
Hermione let out the loudest scream of her life as with a fierce gold explosion the memories came to an end.