Dirt in the Ground
By:
Penny
My cat is amazing
He can play the guitar
He may not be an actor
But he's a pussy superstar
-Jack Off Jill "My Cat"
HERMIONE WATCHED with a detached demeanor as the bulky wizards breathlessly carried the priceless antiques into her shop, occasionally struggling with a particularly heavy item, their breaths coming out in crystallized steam before them.
She wondered briefly why they didn't just charm the objects to float in, but quickly banished the thought from her mind as a sharp, snotty voice pierced her mind, 'Because an ancient anti-enchantment charm was placed on them centuries ago! Why didn't you know that?!'
The sky was a haunting milky white, stained with a few shapeless clouds that crawled across it like bodiless phantoms. From somewhere far away, a crow cawed out a wicked and melancholy taunt.
Moon was hiding behind an invisible curtain of cloud, her obscured silhouette glowing faintly through the mist splashed across the sky.
Everything was filtering by sluggishly, as if some force chained time and was pulling it back, making every second feel like an eternity.
Hermione could hear the 'tick tock' of her grandfather clock echoing through her head, even though it was impossible for the sound to penetrate through the wall.
The Malfoys were lounging elegantly against the building wall, their whispers slithering over to taunt her even though she new they weren't discussing her. But that didn't stop paranoia from creeping over her.
Hermione was holding a clipboard, checking off the articles she saw were delivered into H&H's with a sharp, elegant swish of her quill. The other 'H' was presently standing beside her, disarrayed spirals of strawberry locks twirling in the biting wind. Her wide blue eyes followed the antique furniture being moved into the shop in stubborn disbelief and bewilderment.
"Holly, stop looking so surprised," reprimanded the brunette with a forced tease in her tone, making the aforementioned woman look at her with a sheepish smile.
"I can't help it. It's all too surreal. The most a n c i e n t and pure family in the world gave centuries worth of furniture to us!" exclaimed Holly excitedly, as if the truth of reality finally just hit her.
Hermione chuckled at her partner and checked off the mahogany bookcase from the XIX century that the movers were attempting to fit through the door. They weren't making much progress.
She sighed and walked over to them.
"Gentlemen, may I offer some assistance?" Not waiting for a reply, she threw down her clipboard and grasped the edge of the furniture and gently twisted it so that it was poised at an angle.
She pushed it forward, receiving gasps of horror from the wizards who feared that the priceless article would scrape against the wall, but instead it gracefully slipped in through the door unscathed.
"Thank ye, Miss Granger! You truly are clever!" gushed one of the men before running off for another item. She watched him crudely grasp an old looking chair with satin lining, and suppressed a grimace as the offender hoisted it up over his head in a less-than-elegant motion.
"Horrific manners," said a familiar smooth and polished voice from behind her. She slowly turned around and locked eyes with Vitruvius, who was almost inaudibly shaking his head.
"Very," she replied, leaning down to scoop up her clipboard. As she turned once again to face the silver haired aristocrat, she distractedly straightened her large hat.
The crow cawed once again, swooping over their heads in a blur of metallically shimmering black feathers and cruel flashes of grey eyes.
Hermione's eyes, hidden behind her large black glasses, lingered on it's black silhouette for a few unnecessary moments.
Vitruvius leaned his head back so that she glimpsed his face, grasping her attention.
"Do you like animals?" he asked simply. She blinked in surprise.
"No," she answered with a sliver of bitterness in her voice. "Only cats."
The Malfoy nodded, poising a gloved hand on his chin in a contemplative manner.
"How very appropriate. You're much like a feline yourself," he said with a mysterious smile. Hermione looked vaguely amused.
"How so?" she inquired, interest hidden under the layer of artificial indifference. He wet his lips slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, and flicked a tress of shiny platinum hair from his eye.
"You're cold and indifferent of the happenings of the world, your only concern is for your own comfort. You're graceful and elegant, with a sophisticated grace that captivates and over-whelms those around you. You care much for your own privacy..." he explained softly, tracing the rim of her sunglass and hat as if to emphasis his point.
She flinched and turned her head to the side, feeling irrationally angry. She was furious at him for unraveling her so quickly, so thoughtlessly... Was she really that easy to read?
As she turned her head, her eyes unintentionally fell onto the second aristocrat, who was still leaning against the wall, thunderous and beautiful and smoother than a silver blade.
The streetlights flickered to life, casting an ominous curtain of sickly yellow light onto the scene.
The cruel light bathed him in it's glow, making his translucent white skin display his winding blue veins.
The moon shaped scar on his cheek glittered, and her distressed reflection was visible in his dark purple glasses.
He smiled.
Vitruvius laughed.
"Hermione!"
She whirled around so quickly her hat flew from her head, and was carried away by the wind to land somewhere down the street.
Hermione watched impassively as a wizard carelessly trampled it, leaving nothing but a mockery of her beloved hat.
"Hermione!"
She looked up to see her redheaded co-worker, Holly, running towards her with a huge smile slapped onto her face.
"They're done! They got everything in, everything! Oh, did you check out that huge chest with all of those gorgeous gowns? I was swimming in it for like, and hour! Oh! Did you see that beautiful stained glass lamp? And- hey, where's your hat?"
Hermione smiled at her friend, smiling at her enthusiastic rant, smiling at her wonderful timing. She then ran a hand through her hair.
"The wind took it," she said sadly. Holly gave her a strange look, but continued to smile anyway.
"You always were strange, Mione," she said.
"Like a cat," added Vitruvius with a grin, then gracefully bowed himself from the conversation and floated back to his cousin, his silver hair fluttering in the breeze like a dove's feathers.
"Like a cat," repeated Holly blankly. She gave her friend an inquisitive look. Hermione shrugged her shoulders, a laugh lingering on her lips.
"Didn't you always like cats, Mione?" she asked with a tinkling laugh. Hermione smiled again.
"Yeah, I did."
A/n: Uuuuh... you can pelt me with rotten broccoli right about now, if you want to... Talk about a pointless chapter! I'm so sorry for not making it better! Like I said before, I'm so busy with school that the only time I have time to write is at three o' clock in the morning. Once again, sorry for the horrid and SHORT chapter. Thanks for sticking with me anyway, though!
daniels-girl1: Thank you! You're so sweet!
Miss Piratess: ::looks stunned:: What?! Wish you could write pretty?! Are you mad, woman? You write BEAUTIFULLY!!! How can you think otherwise? Oh, and thanks for your praise! Lol...
severus's-bane: Nah, I'm not going to continue it. But thank you for liking it anyway! And THANK YOU for liking this thing, too. Mwah!