Chapter XVIII: Death

"Don't be silly," Harry told Luna as they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade after their dinner. "Jäger is not death."

"You mistake me for someone… normal," Luna had a calm and somehow menacing look in her eyes that made Harry, Slayer of Death Eaters, nervous. "And he is not merely Death. He is also Life."

"Life and Death cannot materialize in one form," Harry said with a sigh. Once Luna placed her mind in something, it is difficult to get her out of it.

"It can, Harry Potter," she looked forward and frowned. "I must say that you haven't changed at all. You're still pigheaded and stubborn and think that the world revolves around you. Jäger is not your ordinary Vampire Slayer. And I must admit, I find it hard to believe he needs you."

"That's hitting low," Harry almost growled. "And if he doesn't need me, why does he keep me within his company?"

"Perhaps Dumbledore asked him a favor," Luna said but then laughed much to Harry's bewilderment. "It's hard to picture Professor Dumbledore asking something like Jäger for a favor. In my impression, the hunter hardly tolerates being with other people."

"He tolerates being with Hermione," Harry said making Luna laugh again.

"Of course he'd tolerate being with her," she smiled almost mischievously. "She's a beautiful woman after all. Wouldn't you do the same thing when you want something out from a beautiful woman?" The question suddenly made Harry very nervous.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he kept his tone calm but his nervousness was trying to get out.

"Why did you ask us to do a story about the Vampire Hunters? As Jäger said it was not his idea and he was vehemently opposed to it. What made him convince otherwise? He would never talk to me… You didn't."

"Didn't what?" he asked with a frown. Luna immediately drew out her loaner pistol and fired it on where Harry was standing. Jumping to dodge the bullet, Harry backed away.

"Bloody Hell, Luna! You could kill someone with that!" he shouted. But she wasn't deterred. She shot another round on the ground near him.

"Fess up!" she glared.

"Or what?" he teased as he smiled. "You don't have any more bullets." Suddenly, Luna fired again and another bullet struck the ground near his feet making him jump up.

"Jäger enchanted the bullets so that he'd never reload," she smiled with a gleam of mischief that made Harry swallow.

"Careful, you might hit someone with that!" he cried out. But Luna glared at him to keep his mouth shut.

"I might and I will, if you would just stop moving so I could take better aim," Luna cocked the gun, making Harry rather nervous.

"Luna," he warned but again she shot the gun and struck the ground he was on once again. "What came over you?" he asked.

"The truth, Harry Potter," she said in a voice not her own. Quite frankly, it was her own but it was like something was controlling her voice and in effect, an echo of the controller's voice could be heard.

"What is the truth?" Harry sighed as his eyes followed the barrel of the gun. "That I set up the meeting? No, Jäger did that. Did I ask to see you? Yes, I did. But Jäger didn't like my idea. It was until I let it slipped that Hermione would come along did I saw some trace of emotion in him. It was like intrigue. He wanted to meet Hermione and I wanted to see you."

Luna raised an eyebrow and lowered the gun.

"That is not nice, Harry," Luna said in a dual voice. Harry recognized the other voice but with Luna's voice speaking in unison, he was not sure. "Hermione's emotions are as fragile as crystal right about now."

"Strange that she seemed comfortable with a killer," Harry said as he looked at Luna, trying to figure out what was happening. This brought Luna to a halt.

"Do you think she'd try to convince him to kill her?" she asked, this time in her own voice.

"Even if she did, Jäger would not kill her," Harry said in full confidence that Luna began to believe. "I think."

"You think?" Luna frowned as her hope disappeared. "That doesn't sound too hopeful, Harry."

"With him, nothing's certain. But then again, he did give his word that he'll protect her."

"But what if protecting her meant killing her?" Luna asked in a worried tone.

To this, Harry had no answer.

. . .

In a private carriage that the vampire hunter they called Jäger strangely owned, the witch and the hunter sat comfortably side by side as they traveled towards Hogwarts.

It had been a tiring day. Jäger forgot to mention to her that using her sight would be exhausting.

Hermione began to doze off as soon as the carriage moved. Jäger watched as she nodded off, afraid that she would fall. He wrapped an arm around her and gently pulled her towards him. He placed her head on his chest using it as a pillow.

Hermione suddenly stirred but not to awaken. Her body moved instinctively in search of a better position. Her arms came around his chest and then his waist. She cuddled as if he was a stuffed animal.

The hunted didn't seem to mind. He felt her relax as she almost purred.

"Ron," she suddenly whispered making his heart stop. Disappointment filled his soul as he heard her utter her boyfriend's name. It was a blow to his confidence to be thought as Ron Weasley, even if she was just lying on his chest.

"Never had a chance, did I?" he whispered as he began to caress her hair. "Play with love and you will be burned. And now I'm scorching in the fires of hell. But it'll be all right. If you wish it, your love will return to you, but not now. You have to be strong. I wish I could carry the burden for you but you'll not relinquish it to anyone. Not even to those who love you." Jäger closed his eyes as he tried to remove the pain he was now feeling. He knew she did not intend to mention his name but somewhere in her subconscious, she still loved Ron.

He suddenly felt a disturbing presence inside the carriage and upon opening his eyes, he saw her looking at them disdainfully. A specter of the past that would not be silenced.

"I've heard a very interesting rumor," she said as she looked at Hermione's position. "And judging by what I'm seeing, it's true."

"Go away," he said in a deadly voice making the specter blink in confusion. This was the first time she heard him use that tone of voice. He has not even used it on Harry before.

"What happened?" her tone lightened when she saw his dark expression. She had known him longer than Harry did and she knew what made him tick.

"Damnation," he said softly. "Ron Weasley is a luck man to have someone like her."

"I will not let you take away something that keeps him going," the specter said in warning.

"If you haven't noticed, he's in no condition to do anything let alone realize he's still have friends," he said in a near growl.

"He'll get better," the specter defended.

"You are disillusioning yourself to think Ron would suddenly get his mind back," Jäger said as he continued to stroke Hermione's hair. "You're the one to talk. You follow Potter around watching if he would do something to Luna."

"That's different," the specter said.

"Different how?" he frowned. "I can't believe a ghost would be jealous of her best friend and her former fiancé."

"What would you do?" she challenged but then she realized whom she was talking to and cringed.

"My path is not yours," he smiled sullenly. "Just be happy for them."

"Easy for you to say," the specter sighed. "Ron doesn't have to see his girlfriend's arm wrapped around another."

"Potter doesn't even know you still exist," Jäger said in as he looked at her. "Besides, I think I lost the battle before it began." The specter's face softened as she looked embarrassed.

"Don't give up so soon. I think she likes you," the specter said making the Hunter growl in frustration.

"A while ago you were against my suit towards Hermione now your encouraging me," he glared at her. "Just relax. From now on it's just friendship."

The specter looked at him skeptically as if she did not believe a word he said.

"Friendship, right. You don't have friends," she said.

"She is," Jäger looked at Hermione with a soft smile. "And those who hurt my friends will burn."

If the specter weren't already dead, that statement would scare the living daylights out of her.

And what frightened her the most, she knew exactly what he was capable of.