A/N: Here's chapter 2! More bizarre set-up, and a bit of plot… the next few will be much more interesting. I know I keep saying that, but I actually mean it! I wouldn't expect all of the chapters to be this long… once we get out of the beginning-mode, they'll probably get shorter. I'm trying to pace myself on this one and not have everything happen too fast. I have this really despicable habit of doing that. But anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this.
Thanks, as always, to my reviewers:
Alex (Mucho gracias!)
theExecutioner (Danke, darling)
sweetspontanious (So glad you liked it… I love your stuff, so it's a huge compliment!)
Flamegrrl (I try!)
Person (Okay… I *guess* you can have more…)
sangriastrange (then wait no more!)
Also to Meg Erskine Frere Albatou, whom I know will review sometime *hinthint*, to CCMogomery, and especially to Mereschino, because I know it must pain her to see me relentlessly avoiding same-generation het (J/K, I love ya Lis!)
Love you all! Please enjoy!
-N
Chapter 2
Hermione woke up to the warmth of the sun on her cheek and the weight of something resting on her stomach. As she stretched slowly, she looked down her nightgown-clad body and almost jumped at the sight of the pale, freckled arm draped across her midsection. It took her several moments to recall exactly what was going on. When she finally made sense of things, she followed the arm up to a shoulder, which was attached to one Ginny Weasley. Hermione sighed with relief. The previous night was kind of blurry still, and she had thought for a moment…
"Sleep well?" Hermione nearly jumped again at the sound of the hushed voice. She craned her neck to peer over the sleeping Ginny at the doorway, where Harry stood with two coffee cups in hand.
"Shh, Harry… you'll wake her." Harry's mouth twitched up at one corner.
"Ginny could sleep through the bombing of Dresden, Hermione." Hermione had to smile at this. She knew exactly how soundly Ginny could sleep. Harry sat down on her side of the bed, handed her a coffee cup and lifted Ginny's arm off her stomach, frowning slightly. Hermione filed away his strange behavior for later review.
"What's up?" She asked, taking a sip of the coffee.
"Well, I'm wondering why I woke up to find the couch empty in the middle of the night and you sleeping in here," Harry said humorlessly. Hermione wondered why she suddenly felt like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"I have trouble sleeping alone sometimes," She said dismissively. "Ginny knows all about it. We used to stay together quite often back at Hogwarts." Hermione didn't like the way Harry was looking at her, as if he didn't believe a word she was saying. "What?"
Harry raise an eyebrow and got up from the bed, walking towards the door. Hermione was about to call after him when he turned back around. "We'll talk about this later. Now's not the time or the place." Hermione watched as Harry left the room, closing the door behind him. She wondered when Harry had gotten so wise, and so serious, and why he was suddenly treating her so coldly.
Hermione looked down at Ginny and was surprised to find the younger, smaller girl stirring. Hermione smiled as her old friend stretched her slender, freckled limbs as far as they would go and then opened her eyes. She blinked a couple times, a look of confusion passing through her eyes, and then smiled up at Hermione.
"Morning, sleepy-head." Ginny's smile grew wider.
"Hey," She said groggily. "How long have you been awake for?"
"Only a bit." Ginny rolled to face Hermione.
"Did you sleep well?" Hermione nodded.
"Like a baby. I don't think I've slept like that since seventh year."
Ginny grinned widely. "Glad I could help." She glanced over Hermione's shoulder at the clock and gasped. "Oh my god, it's eight thirty! I've got less than half an hour to get to work!"
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "But it's Saturday!" she exclaimed. Ginny rolled her eyes, leaping out of bed and rummaging through her closet.
"We're not all teachers, Hermione. Animals still get sick on the weekend." Hermione laughed quietly as Ginny flew across the hall to the bathroom. Hermione took this chance alone to observe Ginny's bedroom a little more closely. It was exactly what Hermione would have expected from Ginny. The walls were cream, and the curtains and bedspread were pale green. Everywhere around the room were pictures of her family and friends. Hermione got up and started to look at the pictures. She found tons of snapshots of the redheaded girl with her brothers in various different poses. There was one of her and Charlie beside a humongous sleeping dragon with a large bandage around his wing. Ginny was gently stroking the Dragon's flank, and her brother was attempting to use something resembling a gigantic muggle stethoscope. Another showed Ginny sandwiched between the twins, who were pulling on her hair and pinching her cheeks. Hermione laughed out loud when she came across one of Ginny and Percy, in which Ginny had on Percy's glasses and a mockingly stern expression, which was mirrored by a very unimpressed Percy, who was attempting in vain to get his glasses back. It was only when Hermione came across a picture of Ginny, Ron and Harry that she felt a twinge of sadness. She should have been in that picture, and yet there were only three faces smiling, three hands eagerly waving at the camera.
"That was in Paris," Ginny said, startling Hermione. The older girl turned around to see Ginny, wrapped in a towel, trying unsuccessfully to force a comb through her wet curls. "We went there one day on a whim, just the three of us. It was a few days after I got my apparating license, actually, and Harry and Ron decided they'd test out my skills by dragging me to Paris. I was so scared I'd do something wrong and end up with my bottom half in Canada!" She giggled at the memory. "Ron mocked me for ages for being such a chicken."
Hermione smiled faintly. "I wish I could have been there," She said quietly. Ginny stopped toweling her hair, pausing in mid-motion to look at her friend.
"'Mione, what is it?"
Hermione shook her head. "It's silly, I just…" She sighed. "I've missed so many things while I've been gone. I don't know why I didn't visit more often… But I'm such a different person now than I was."
Ginny walked over to Hermione and laid a hand on her arm. "No," she said quietly. "You're not. Not really." Hermione smiled.
"Thanks Gin."
Ginny patter her friend's tanned arm comfortingly. "For what it's worth, I wish you could have been there too." She stayed standing there with her hand on Hermione's arm for a few moments before snapping out of her reverie and hurrying across the room, searching for clothes. Hermione averted her eyes as Ginny dropped her towel and pulled on her underpants. "I'm going to be late," Ginny said, rushing around in her trousers and a bra, searching through drawers for a shirt. Hermione laughed quietly.
"What's the big hurry, anyway? I thought you were in private practice."
"Yes, but the eggs are supposed to hatch at exactly nine-thirty, and I have to prepare!" Ginny's voice was slightly muffled by the shirt she was pulling over her head.
"Eggs?"
"Yes," Ginny said as she pulled her hair into a messy bun at the back of her head. "Eggs. Not to mention all of my appointments. Gods, I could use an assistant, but I haven't got the time or money to find and pay one." Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"I could help you today. I don't know much about magical creatures, only what Hagrid taught us, but I'm a quick study."
Ginny looked at her like she was about to jump on her. "Would you?" She asked. "Would you really?"
Hermione laughed. "Of course. What else do I have to do today?"
"Hermione, you are a god-send. Honestly, you might just save my life." Hermione laughed, and grabbed her wand off the nightstand, waving it over herself in a quick cleaning charm. Another wave and her nightgown was replaced by fresh clothes. Ginny narrowed her eyes at her.
"Cheat," She said, her mouth twitching upwards at the corners. Hermione shrugged as Ginny stuck the last elastic in her hair and walked out of the bedroom.
*****
"What is it?"
Ginny held the medium-sized black egg in both her hands and smiled. "It's a Quetzalcoatl."
"A what?"
Ginny laughed. "A Quetzalcoatl. It's like a snake, only much more powerful. A Quetzalcoatl forms a blood bond with it's owner, and will protect that person from danger for it's entire life. They're very loyal, and they make great pets. Quetzalcoetls are very rare… I've only seen one in my whole life. They come from Mexico… the Aztecs believed in a plummed serpent named Quetzalcoetl who was kind of like a god."
Hermione looked at the egg. "It's plummed, then?"
Ginny laughed at her. "No, that's only in the myth. No feathers for these guys." Ginny reached into the incubator beside her and adjusted the eggs. Hermione counted them. There were five. "I can't believe how lucky we are," Ginny said, caressing the eggshell. "These serpents are so rare, and pretty soon, we'll have five of them."
"Where'd you get them from?" Hermione asked.
"Charlie. Someone tried to sell them to him as Dragon eggs, but he knew what they were. He also knew how valuable they are. He brought them to me right away."
"Oh. How do you know when they're going to hatch?"
"They eggs are originally a light yellow-ish shade. Exactly twenty-four hours before they're going to hatch, the shells turn pitch black, like this. It's so that you have time to adequately prepare for their coming. If you're a good match and you're not careful, the entire lot could bond with you, and then you'll be stuck with a ton of snakes trying to crawl all over you forever." She put the egg she was holding back in the incubator. "I've promised four to a prominent serpent dealer, but I thought I'd keep one, just in case."
Hermione peered into the tank, trying to see any sign that the eggs were about to hatch. "How do they bond?" She asked, curious.
"Well, first they have to accept you, and then they have to feed off of you. They also inject something into you. It's not venom, but it comes from their fangs, and it marks you so that they can always tell if it's you or not."
"Oh."
"It's really not so bad," Ginny said, and then furrowed her brow. "Well, I wouldn't think it would be, anyhow. But it's not like you can just have a Quetzalcoetl or anything… it's sort of a mutual thing, the serpent chooses it's master. It's completely dependant on the how the serpent and the person fit together. Sort of like wand selection."
"Really?"
"Well, why not? Can you imagine having to stay forever with someone you didn't identify with at all? That's why you hardly ever see Quetzalcoetls around… most people can't find one that will accept them as an owner." Ginny suddenly let out a squeal. "It's 9:29! Almost time!" as if one cue, Hermione saw on of the eggs start to shake slightly, and then in a few moments the shells began to crack. Ginny's rapt expression made Hermione smiled slightly, but she found herself drawn back to the hatching eggs. Ginny spread out a small blanket on the counter beside the incubator.
A few minutes later, all five of the snakes had broken through their shells, and were beginning to crawl out. Hermione was surprised at their coloring. The serpents had dark red undersides and each one had a small diamond shape on their heads, everywhere else being black. She was surprised that they weren't entirely black, considering the color of the eggs. Finally, the snakes had all broken free of their shells. Ginny reached into the tank gently, towards one of the baby Quetzalcoetls, and put out her hand, looking prepared to draw it away at any time. When it appeared that the serpent was not about to try and bond with her, she picked it up and let it wind around her hand.
"They're amazing," she whispered, eyes fixed on the tiny snake. After a few moments of rapt silence, she turned her eyes to Hermione. "Go ahead," she said, nodding towards the tank. "Stick your hand in and see if any of them are interested." Hermione looked at her doubtfully. "Go on," Ginny urged. "There's nothing to worry about, these ones all seem fairly sedate." Nervously, Hermione extended her hand, putting it into the incubation tank. She could feel the warmth of the heat lamp. She started as one snake reared up and moved it's tiny head towards her fingers.
"Gin?"
"It's okay, he's not going to hurt you." Hermione tried her best to relax as the tiny creature's head brushed her fingers again. "He can tell that you're frightened of him. Just calm down." Hermione breathed deeply, and the snake started to wind around her wrist. All of a sudden, Hermione didn't feel frightened or anxious anymore. In fact, she felt exhilarated, awe-struck and… safe. She looked up at Ginny.
"My god… this thing, it's…"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Do you feel it?" Hermione nodded, even though she was unsure of what it was she was feeling. Ginny brought a hand up to her mouth. She was grinning. "What's it like?"
Hermione furrowed her brow. "It's… it's amazing. It's like I can feel it's thoughts. No, that's not right… it's feelings?"
Ginny gasped. "That's unreal. I wish I could feel that." She reached out and tentatively touched the snake's head.
"Easy!" Hermione said as the snake hissed, and instantly the serpent calmed, letting Ginny touch it without complaint. "Wow."
"I think it's chosen you," Ginny said. Hermione blinked.
"Wha—"
"To bond with. I think you have a new protector, Hermione. I'm so envious of you right now." Hermione looked at Ginny to see if she meant it, but the other girl was grinning from ear to ear. Hermione thought to herself that she wasn't even sure if she wanted to bond with a snake, but even as the thought crossed her head she knew that she would.
"Okay," She said hesitantly. "I guess that would be fine." The Quetzalcoetl lifted it's head as if looking at Hermione. "Um… go ahead." Hermione gasped quietly as the snake's head plunged suddenly towards the soft flesh on the inside of her arm and it sank it's fangs into her. The pain was brief, and the shock was almost worse. Hermione could feel the blood being pulled from her veins, and she could feel the liquid being injected into them afterwards. And then it was over, and two little pinpricks remained on her arm, right near the inside of her elbow. The serpent then slid up her sleeve, across her shoulders and around her neck, it's head falling to rest against her heart. Hermione looked up at Ginny. The redhead was transfixed by what had just happened.
"I don't believe that," Ginny said in a reverent tone. "I never thought I'd get to see that!"
Hermione laughed, the snake's head shifting with the rise and fall of her chest. "I didn't even know that could happen until twenty minutes ago!"
"Well, it looks like you've got a new pet. I hope Crookshanks isn't the jealous type!" Ginny said laughingly. Hermione's expression fell. "What is it?"
"Oh nothing, it's just…" She sighed. "Crookshanks died. Didn't I tell you?"
"No!" Ginny looked horrified. "How?"
"We don't know, exactly… Zuri and I came home one day and found him lying there paralyzed. I couldn't figure out how it happened, but I've never believed it was natural."
Ginny looked as though she was about to cry. "Oh, the poor thing," She murmured, and then, "You should have owled me! I could have looked at him!" Hermione shrugged.
"Didn't think of it." They were silent for a moment. Hermione was the next to speak. "Well, I think he needs a name. I can't just go calling him 'The Quetzalcoetl' forever, now can I?" Ginny brightened considerably.
"Let's think… how about Hydra?"
Hermione was about to answer when the snake hissed and tightened lightly around her neck. "I think that was a no. Hmm… Titus? No… Oberon? Ow, okay! I get it, no Shakespeare names." Hermione furrowed her brow.
"Nuada?" Ginny said tentatively. "It means protector in Celtic." Hermione waited for a moment, seemingly concentrating very hard, and then, slowly, she smiled.
"Yes, I think so… Nuada. Yes, that's it." Hermione looked down at the creature wound around her. "Well then, Nuada, I suppose that's that." The Quetzalcoetl moved his head as if to nod in agreement. Ginny smiled fondly at her friend and her new protector for a moment before turning back to her appointment book.
"Well, as much as I'd like to continue with this all day, I have a lot of work to do. A Mrs. Figg is coming in about ten minutes… she has a sick Kneazle that I've got to attend to. Poor Tibbles." Hermione smiled at her friend's dedication to her work. She was glad Ginny had found something she loved doing. Hermione wished she could say the same for herself. She enjoyed teaching… it was fulfilling and she knew that she was helping people, but she was not challenged enough. Hermione had always thrived on being challenged, and she found herself stuck in a rut at the present, unable to do anything to stretch her mind. She felt Nuada slither down her arm and tighten comfortingly around her wrist, and she shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts away.
"Okay, what can I do to help?"
*****
By the time they got back to Ginny and Harry's flat, Hermione was happy but exhausted. The day had indeed been stressful, but Hermione had found it to be the most enjoyable sort of stress. She'd discovered that she had quite the aptitude for taking care of magical pets. Ginny had been nothing but complimentary all day. At lunch, Ginny had taken Hermione across the street to the magical pet store and they'd bought a large terrarium for Nuada and all sorts of accessories for the Quetzalcoetl. After a few hours of the serpent being wrapped around various parts of her body, Hermione barely even noticed it anymore. It was as if Nuada had become a part of her own skin.
"Let's crash," Ginny said, yawning. "I'm beat." Hermione nodded in agreement, and they headed towards Ginny's bedroom. After they'd changed into their nightclothes, Ginny turned to Hermione and gave her a look that the older girl couldn't quite read. "So I guess you're staying in here again tonight." Hermione had a brief moment of panic at the thought of staying alone, but she didn't let it show.
"If you don't mind. I mean, I can…"
"No, don't be silly," Ginny said. "I was just wondering what Zuri would think of you sharing a bed with another girl."
Hermione's expression darkened. "Don't worry about it," she said, crawling in beside Ginny. "It's not an issue."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Hermione said firmly. "Can we please talk about something else?"
Ginny gave her a suspicious look. "What's wrong, Hermione? Every time I mention Zuri you get all defensive and then you change the subject. What's going on?"
Hermione turned over. "Nothing. You wouldn't understand."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny was sitting up now. "What, you think I won't understand because I don't like girls, is that it? Just like I wouldn't have understood if you'd told me back at Hogwarts, right?"
Hermione turned around to face her. "You're not exactly being very understanding right now, are you?"
"Well what do you expect me to do when you come back after three years and you're all different, smile and say 'Congratulations, you're a lesbian and everything fine'? No, Hermione, it's not fine." Ginny got up from the bed. "You shouldn't have kept secrets from me, Hermione. I never kept secrets from you."
Hermione got up and walked over to where Ginny was standing. "Gin, I know I should have told you, but I was scared you'd react badly."
"What, worse than this?"
Hermione had to laugh, albeit humorlessly. "Yes, actually."
"Well I would have thought you'd think better of me than that." Ginny turned to her friend and smiled a little sadly. "Don't ever think I don't understand you, Hermione. I understand you perfectly. Try and remember that."
Hermione smiled back at her. "I'm sorry, Gin. I really should have told you before. It wasn't fair of me. But if you understand me as much as you say, than you'll know why I didn't tell you sooner."
Ginny nodded. "I know. It still smarts that you didn't trust me, but I get it." She headed back to the bed and patted the mattress beside her. "But seriously, Hermione, what's going on that you're not telling me? Why don't you ever want to talk about Zuri?"
Hermione's expression clouded over again. "Ginny, please…"
"Really, Hermione, you can tell me. What's wrong?"
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. "It's nothing, just…" she paused. How could she tell Ginny why Zuri had gone back so quickly, what she'd accused her of. Tell the truth, Hermione. You've just said you trust her, so prove it. Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, we had a stupid fight after the reunion. It was really kind of ridiculous… She accused me of cheating."
Ginny made a face. "What? You?"
"Well, not so much of actually cheating as wanting to cheat." Hermione looked down at her hands. This was the hard part. She knew what Ginny was going to ask.
"Wanting to?" Ginny laughed. "Well that's stupid. With who?"
"Well, that's the funny part, you see… it was, well… with you, actually."
Ginny was dead silent for a moment, and then, "With ME? That's insane!" She was laughing now. "Why on earth would anyone think that?"
Hermione could feel her cheeks going red. "Well, because I've talked to her about you."
"Really?" Ginny looked flattered. "What did you say?"
"Oh, you know… that we were friends at Hogwarts, stuff like that."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "So what? You were friends with Harry and Ron, but that doesn't mean you want to bang them!"
"Ginny!" Hermione made a face. "Eew."
Ginny laughed. "But seriously, why would she have thought that?"
Hermione was sure she was beet-red at this point. "Because I… I sort of told her that you were…" She stopped and ran a hand through her hair. "How do I put this? Well, that you were my… my first girl crush, I guess."
Ginny felt her heart stop. WHAT? "Umm… What?"
"Well, I mean it doesn't really mean much… it was probably just because you sort of looked like Ron, and he was my boyfriend."
"Oh. Yeah, probably."
"Anyway, Zuri made a huge deal over it, and she left. She's probably stewing over it right now. I don't care though. She'll get over it." Ginny nodded. She didn't really know if she wanted Hermione to trust her any more, if this was what her trust felt like. "I'm exhausted," Hermione muttered, burrowing further beneath the covers. "Goodnight, Gin. Thanks for everything. It feels good to finally talk to someone."
"Don't mention it," Ginny said, flicking out the light. It wasn't long before Hermione's breathing slowed and became regular, but for Ginny, it was a long, sleepless night.