Chapter Eight: The Raven
Hermione looked up at her professor, a blank blurry thought in her mind. "I'm sorry professor I believe the potion has worn off." She said standing holding her slightly dizzy head.
"You don't remember anything Ms. Granger?" McGonagall said defeated. 'Why on the most important question?' Minerva mentally chided herself.
"I do believe that is one of the effects, Professor." Hermione reported as if she were answering a test question. Like the child spoke to any of the teachers otherwise.
"Of Course, Ms. Granger, I was merely checking, protocol, you understand." She looked up at the grandfather clock in the room, "It's nearly time for your detention, Ms. Granger, though now I'm greatly regretting giving them to you. No doubt Severus is awaiting your arrival," She smiled at her favorite and most irritating student.
The mixed feelings were never clearly outlined, but Hermione knew that her Head of House was only looking out for her well-being. She only wished that she knew what secrets she had given freely while under the influence of the notorious serum.
That was clearly a thought to be pondered upon another day, since her nights were haunted with constant company.
Knocking firmly on the large brown door, she was answered with a stern "Enter" that reminded her all too well that she was only at the beginning of the time she was to spend down here at night.
"Professor?" she announced herself.
"Ms. Granger?" he looked up hopefully, "Minerva told me she wouldn't be sending you down tonight. Did everything go well?"
"As well as could be hoped for." She reported moving a chair so that it faced his desk on the opposite side of him, "I can't believe they believed such a lie!"
"Believe it; Albus was questioning me, only because the others demanded it from him. Thank Merlin; I didn't have them all about me. I have some secrets other don't know of."
"I can say similar." Hermione agreed, knowing that he was talking about his 'other' life.
"Well, I believe that pile over there is yours to grade, place the ones from other night first however, I need to give those back tomorrow."
Hermione didn't question how he knew that she hadn't done her grading. Perhaps he knew the same way the school did, that she was sleeping all day.
Maybe he just understood better then she had ever imagined.
They graded in silence, Hermione looked up a few times, worried. He wasn't humming. Sighing in defeat, she went back to grading.
Maybe that was only a one-time occurrence, but oh, how she wished he would start up! Grading in complete silence was enough to drive one insane!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Albus, what did Severus say when he was questioned." Minerva demanded slamming her hands onto the messy desk of the headmaster.
"Nothing of importance, you can be assured, however, that he has no intentions on ever harming Ms. Granger."
"Are you quite sure about that?"
"I'm confident enough in it to make a small wager if you will?"
"I don't bet, Albus" Her eyes shimmered darkly, showing how stern her answer was.
"Oh well," He stood up, walked over to his telescope, and gazed through it. "I believe Minerva, that even though I don't need to report about Severus, you have an obligation to explain to me the answers given by Ms. Granger."
Minerva took a breath and formulated the words in her mind before clearly speaking, "She trusts him Albus, more then I would have credited anyone before, if I had not heard it for my self."
"Very well, Minerva, you may leave," his twinkling eyes looked back, as a mischievous grin crossed his face, "Unless of course, there is more you wish to tell me about."
For nothing more than a millisecond, a stream of red lighted the old woman's features. She looked at him questioning, "What could I have to possibly tell you, that you don't already know Albus?"
"Ah, but I'm not a god, Minerva, and I am old, some things tend to slip my gaze. Plus, one always tires of just knowing and knowing tends to make one forget how fulfilling being told is."
The Cat lady smirked, in an ironic way that made it seem more of a smile trying to be repressed then any sign of cunning and secretive knowledge, "No, Albus, I have nothing to tell." She surrendered, and quickly left, with a tap tap tap of her heals on the stone floor.
Albus shook his head, "Why do people insist on making me learn the hard way?" he questioned his faithful Phoenix.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*
When Hermione left her detention, she knew homework would be a hopeless cause. Her wrist was screaming to her to stop, a third the way through her grading tasks, let alone the last two-thirds.
She sighed as she gently rubbed her poor aching wrist, who ever had said Snape was being nice on her should be given the pain she felt at that moment.
Snape had, on a spontaneous vision, decided to teach her the art of responsive grading, where she, the grader, wrote long epics on their work, explaining the shortcomings and the ingenious placed in each paper.
She had to grade three classes this way, first and third year Hufflepuff/ Ravenclaw, as well as her own class. To of which Snape had once again, graded only her paper, and a single class.
"Tara" Hermione said softly to the droopy-eyed pink lady.
"Finally dear, what was that demon making you do?"
"Grading, mame."
"Well, its well past midnight, your friends must be worried sick." She then swung open to reveal the warm common room and the rest and dread that came with it.
Taking a breath she walked in focused.
"Here goes nothing!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~
She was not greeted by any sound.
She walked deeper into the room, and found Ron and Harry sprawled out on their own couches, both facing the main entrance.
She chuckled to her self and quickly conjured a pair of blankets and tucked them both in for the night.
It was December after all, and even though there was no snow on the ground, it became very nippy come night.
"Idiots," she said admiringly, "you ought to be in Hufflepuff!"
Shaking her head, she went up to bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
During the next week, Hermione was slightly tired, adjusting well to the time restraints demanded by her nightly detentions.
Some of her teachers watched her closely, still not believing the answers she gave on that faithful night.
Flitwick knew better, and smiled whenever he saw her.
Minerva was not watching over the young girl, but instead was watching her with a calculating look, always on her brow.
It was starting to drive Hermione insane! They weren't the only ones either! The entire school regarded her oddly, and not really wanting to know the newest installments in the rumor mill, she opted to just ignore them.
That night, she walked merrily down to the dungeons.
It was becoming a retreat for her, as of late.
Minerva had come around only yesterday for the names of those who were remaining for the winter. Hermione was the first and only to sign up from Gryffindor.
Harry was joining Ron at the Burrow this winter for a genuine Christmas. Harry's second including last year.
Her steps quickened.
She was looking forward to her detention tonight, she didn't know why, but she was.
Knocking, then opening the door she instantly shut it.
Shocked that the room was pitch-black, Hermione walked in slowly. "Professor?" she called out, hearing the simple echo of her words reaching her again. "Lumos!" and the room lit. On the desk she normally sat at, was a simple note.
"I have work; go in order for intervals of thirty minutes, like before."
The note wasn't signed, but she knew the scrawl.
She smiled a little, yes tonight would be patrol.
She fetched her cloak quickly and left for the quidditch pitch.
She just vouched for walking around it for the time. That would certainly take long enough.
About half way through her route, she heard a noise.
"Merlin," she whispered annoyed that her silence was disturbed. She started to walk towards the sound when she was startled to realize that it was coming to her.
Standing still, she felt a sudden weight on her right shoulder coming from the back.
Looking over, she nearly jumped from her skin to see the beautiful raven sitting there content.
"Come to join me?" she asked mockingly, "Or are you trying to tell me of grave tidings?" The Raven regarded her with a look that said 'what do you think?'
She shrugged and found her path and continued it until the time was up.
She found that without Snape about her, she had trouble with the time, normally he would just notify her, and she could go about patrolling with little worries.
She looked at the little parchment.
"Kitchen halls, eh?" she smiled. This was sounding awfully familiar.
So the rotation were in threes? She quickly remembered the schedules and smiled at her cunning. She put the parchment away, believing it would be of no need from now on.
The Raven, as if realizing her accomplishment, gave a quick merry call.
"I'm heading in doors now, if you want to stay you can, but there isn't much room to fly in there, and it's quite hard to get out that close to the center." She notified the raven, which looked at her as if she were mad.
"If you so insist, to the kitchens!" and she walked merrily to her next assignment, grateful for some company.
No one, surprisingly enough, had passed her that night, seen at least. Unseen, she knew that they hadn't entered the kitchen or else she would have heard the apparent noises coming from the portrait of fruit.
Dobby had once again offered her a cup of coffee, which she accepted gratefully.
Once Winky had come to inform her of the time, she left for the Dungeons.
If the Raven could have felt a change in her nerves, it would have realized how much more relaxed the female had become.
The raven, had not become irritating or distracting to the girl, at anytime, and she found a certain sense of well being coming from having it sit on her shoulder so content with where it was.
Strolling to the dungeons she felt important having the company she did.
She had wondered about the raven for a time, however. Normally wild creatures didn't just come up to you and suddenly become company. Wild creature normally didn't gain that kind of trust from a human so quickly. It was enough to make you wonder.
"So, I see they have the Mudblood patrolling once more." A sneer formed a head with white blonde hair.
"Ten points Malfoy." She said annoyed, "Go to bed."
"Nah, I want to see if your precious professor will come any sooner." He smirked and started to advance on her.
Confused and scared Hermione backed off. After all any idiot could tell in a second that he could overpower her easily.
The Raven left her shoulder suddenly and flew into Malfoy face, screaming.
"Stop it!" she ordered the black flying creature. It obediently stopped and flew back to her shoulder.
"Sent your familiar on me eh Granger? I have you now." He was almost grinning with pleasure.
"You advanced and threatened it! Plus, it's not my familiar." She snapped back in an icy tone. "Ten more points, Malfoy for threatening a teachers aide, and ten more for not going back to bed!"
"Not your familiar?" he regarded her oddly, "Most creatures owned by wizards don't obey so easily, ask Weasley, I'm sure he'll tell you. Your Raven was not threatened, Granger, you were, it defended you. Something most familiars must be trained to do," he smirked, gloatingly, "And since you claim it not to be a familiar, I can only believe that you've had it for a short period of time, am I right?"
"Go to bed Malfoy!" she snapped again.
"I'll take that as a yes; well it defended you without a second thought and stopped without a second thought, completely obedient. That, Mudblood, makes it your familiar whether you like it or not."
"Ten more points and I will expect you out of my sight in the next ten seconds with my good intentions sending you to bed." She said in a deadly whisper.
"Am I getting to you?" he asked curiously backing her into a wall, causing her to pale extremely.
Malfoy this close was enough to make her puke!
"Bed." She said again, he smirked, and place one hand on the wall behind her.
The raven started to attack him again, getting the source of treat to the opposite side of the hall.
Hermione breathed again, sliding down the wall. The raven was still attacking her enemy, and she really didn't care to stop it now. He had after all pasted the limit of forgivable actions.
"When I tell you to go to bed, maybe next time you'll listen!" she yelled, getting to her feet. "Twenty points for sexual harassment! Ten for not going to bed and another Twenty for disrespecting authority!" she looked at the raven, "Stop before I have to spend more time with that prat taking him to the hospital wing."
The raven blinked at her and returned to her shoulder.
She continued her patrols until it was time for bed.
A very shocked bloody faced Malfoy starred at the girl in horror. She had far more guts then he had thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Before Hermione entered the common room, the Raven flew out the open window near by.
She looked at it happily.
A familiar eh?
Not such a bad idea was it? Plus the Raven was rather nice, it had after all, helped her out. She could get used to this.
And she went in with a large grin on her face.
*~*~*~*~*~~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN:
So what do you think? Review and let me know ok?
Also, I hope the title is becoming slowly clearer. ^_^ I thought it was about time to add in the next aspect.
Enjoy!
RELENA
Hermione looked up at her professor, a blank blurry thought in her mind. "I'm sorry professor I believe the potion has worn off." She said standing holding her slightly dizzy head.
"You don't remember anything Ms. Granger?" McGonagall said defeated. 'Why on the most important question?' Minerva mentally chided herself.
"I do believe that is one of the effects, Professor." Hermione reported as if she were answering a test question. Like the child spoke to any of the teachers otherwise.
"Of Course, Ms. Granger, I was merely checking, protocol, you understand." She looked up at the grandfather clock in the room, "It's nearly time for your detention, Ms. Granger, though now I'm greatly regretting giving them to you. No doubt Severus is awaiting your arrival," She smiled at her favorite and most irritating student.
The mixed feelings were never clearly outlined, but Hermione knew that her Head of House was only looking out for her well-being. She only wished that she knew what secrets she had given freely while under the influence of the notorious serum.
That was clearly a thought to be pondered upon another day, since her nights were haunted with constant company.
Knocking firmly on the large brown door, she was answered with a stern "Enter" that reminded her all too well that she was only at the beginning of the time she was to spend down here at night.
"Professor?" she announced herself.
"Ms. Granger?" he looked up hopefully, "Minerva told me she wouldn't be sending you down tonight. Did everything go well?"
"As well as could be hoped for." She reported moving a chair so that it faced his desk on the opposite side of him, "I can't believe they believed such a lie!"
"Believe it; Albus was questioning me, only because the others demanded it from him. Thank Merlin; I didn't have them all about me. I have some secrets other don't know of."
"I can say similar." Hermione agreed, knowing that he was talking about his 'other' life.
"Well, I believe that pile over there is yours to grade, place the ones from other night first however, I need to give those back tomorrow."
Hermione didn't question how he knew that she hadn't done her grading. Perhaps he knew the same way the school did, that she was sleeping all day.
Maybe he just understood better then she had ever imagined.
They graded in silence, Hermione looked up a few times, worried. He wasn't humming. Sighing in defeat, she went back to grading.
Maybe that was only a one-time occurrence, but oh, how she wished he would start up! Grading in complete silence was enough to drive one insane!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Albus, what did Severus say when he was questioned." Minerva demanded slamming her hands onto the messy desk of the headmaster.
"Nothing of importance, you can be assured, however, that he has no intentions on ever harming Ms. Granger."
"Are you quite sure about that?"
"I'm confident enough in it to make a small wager if you will?"
"I don't bet, Albus" Her eyes shimmered darkly, showing how stern her answer was.
"Oh well," He stood up, walked over to his telescope, and gazed through it. "I believe Minerva, that even though I don't need to report about Severus, you have an obligation to explain to me the answers given by Ms. Granger."
Minerva took a breath and formulated the words in her mind before clearly speaking, "She trusts him Albus, more then I would have credited anyone before, if I had not heard it for my self."
"Very well, Minerva, you may leave," his twinkling eyes looked back, as a mischievous grin crossed his face, "Unless of course, there is more you wish to tell me about."
For nothing more than a millisecond, a stream of red lighted the old woman's features. She looked at him questioning, "What could I have to possibly tell you, that you don't already know Albus?"
"Ah, but I'm not a god, Minerva, and I am old, some things tend to slip my gaze. Plus, one always tires of just knowing and knowing tends to make one forget how fulfilling being told is."
The Cat lady smirked, in an ironic way that made it seem more of a smile trying to be repressed then any sign of cunning and secretive knowledge, "No, Albus, I have nothing to tell." She surrendered, and quickly left, with a tap tap tap of her heals on the stone floor.
Albus shook his head, "Why do people insist on making me learn the hard way?" he questioned his faithful Phoenix.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*
When Hermione left her detention, she knew homework would be a hopeless cause. Her wrist was screaming to her to stop, a third the way through her grading tasks, let alone the last two-thirds.
She sighed as she gently rubbed her poor aching wrist, who ever had said Snape was being nice on her should be given the pain she felt at that moment.
Snape had, on a spontaneous vision, decided to teach her the art of responsive grading, where she, the grader, wrote long epics on their work, explaining the shortcomings and the ingenious placed in each paper.
She had to grade three classes this way, first and third year Hufflepuff/ Ravenclaw, as well as her own class. To of which Snape had once again, graded only her paper, and a single class.
"Tara" Hermione said softly to the droopy-eyed pink lady.
"Finally dear, what was that demon making you do?"
"Grading, mame."
"Well, its well past midnight, your friends must be worried sick." She then swung open to reveal the warm common room and the rest and dread that came with it.
Taking a breath she walked in focused.
"Here goes nothing!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~
She was not greeted by any sound.
She walked deeper into the room, and found Ron and Harry sprawled out on their own couches, both facing the main entrance.
She chuckled to her self and quickly conjured a pair of blankets and tucked them both in for the night.
It was December after all, and even though there was no snow on the ground, it became very nippy come night.
"Idiots," she said admiringly, "you ought to be in Hufflepuff!"
Shaking her head, she went up to bed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
During the next week, Hermione was slightly tired, adjusting well to the time restraints demanded by her nightly detentions.
Some of her teachers watched her closely, still not believing the answers she gave on that faithful night.
Flitwick knew better, and smiled whenever he saw her.
Minerva was not watching over the young girl, but instead was watching her with a calculating look, always on her brow.
It was starting to drive Hermione insane! They weren't the only ones either! The entire school regarded her oddly, and not really wanting to know the newest installments in the rumor mill, she opted to just ignore them.
That night, she walked merrily down to the dungeons.
It was becoming a retreat for her, as of late.
Minerva had come around only yesterday for the names of those who were remaining for the winter. Hermione was the first and only to sign up from Gryffindor.
Harry was joining Ron at the Burrow this winter for a genuine Christmas. Harry's second including last year.
Her steps quickened.
She was looking forward to her detention tonight, she didn't know why, but she was.
Knocking, then opening the door she instantly shut it.
Shocked that the room was pitch-black, Hermione walked in slowly. "Professor?" she called out, hearing the simple echo of her words reaching her again. "Lumos!" and the room lit. On the desk she normally sat at, was a simple note.
"I have work; go in order for intervals of thirty minutes, like before."
The note wasn't signed, but she knew the scrawl.
She smiled a little, yes tonight would be patrol.
She fetched her cloak quickly and left for the quidditch pitch.
She just vouched for walking around it for the time. That would certainly take long enough.
About half way through her route, she heard a noise.
"Merlin," she whispered annoyed that her silence was disturbed. She started to walk towards the sound when she was startled to realize that it was coming to her.
Standing still, she felt a sudden weight on her right shoulder coming from the back.
Looking over, she nearly jumped from her skin to see the beautiful raven sitting there content.
"Come to join me?" she asked mockingly, "Or are you trying to tell me of grave tidings?" The Raven regarded her with a look that said 'what do you think?'
She shrugged and found her path and continued it until the time was up.
She found that without Snape about her, she had trouble with the time, normally he would just notify her, and she could go about patrolling with little worries.
She looked at the little parchment.
"Kitchen halls, eh?" she smiled. This was sounding awfully familiar.
So the rotation were in threes? She quickly remembered the schedules and smiled at her cunning. She put the parchment away, believing it would be of no need from now on.
The Raven, as if realizing her accomplishment, gave a quick merry call.
"I'm heading in doors now, if you want to stay you can, but there isn't much room to fly in there, and it's quite hard to get out that close to the center." She notified the raven, which looked at her as if she were mad.
"If you so insist, to the kitchens!" and she walked merrily to her next assignment, grateful for some company.
No one, surprisingly enough, had passed her that night, seen at least. Unseen, she knew that they hadn't entered the kitchen or else she would have heard the apparent noises coming from the portrait of fruit.
Dobby had once again offered her a cup of coffee, which she accepted gratefully.
Once Winky had come to inform her of the time, she left for the Dungeons.
If the Raven could have felt a change in her nerves, it would have realized how much more relaxed the female had become.
The raven, had not become irritating or distracting to the girl, at anytime, and she found a certain sense of well being coming from having it sit on her shoulder so content with where it was.
Strolling to the dungeons she felt important having the company she did.
She had wondered about the raven for a time, however. Normally wild creatures didn't just come up to you and suddenly become company. Wild creature normally didn't gain that kind of trust from a human so quickly. It was enough to make you wonder.
"So, I see they have the Mudblood patrolling once more." A sneer formed a head with white blonde hair.
"Ten points Malfoy." She said annoyed, "Go to bed."
"Nah, I want to see if your precious professor will come any sooner." He smirked and started to advance on her.
Confused and scared Hermione backed off. After all any idiot could tell in a second that he could overpower her easily.
The Raven left her shoulder suddenly and flew into Malfoy face, screaming.
"Stop it!" she ordered the black flying creature. It obediently stopped and flew back to her shoulder.
"Sent your familiar on me eh Granger? I have you now." He was almost grinning with pleasure.
"You advanced and threatened it! Plus, it's not my familiar." She snapped back in an icy tone. "Ten more points, Malfoy for threatening a teachers aide, and ten more for not going back to bed!"
"Not your familiar?" he regarded her oddly, "Most creatures owned by wizards don't obey so easily, ask Weasley, I'm sure he'll tell you. Your Raven was not threatened, Granger, you were, it defended you. Something most familiars must be trained to do," he smirked, gloatingly, "And since you claim it not to be a familiar, I can only believe that you've had it for a short period of time, am I right?"
"Go to bed Malfoy!" she snapped again.
"I'll take that as a yes; well it defended you without a second thought and stopped without a second thought, completely obedient. That, Mudblood, makes it your familiar whether you like it or not."
"Ten more points and I will expect you out of my sight in the next ten seconds with my good intentions sending you to bed." She said in a deadly whisper.
"Am I getting to you?" he asked curiously backing her into a wall, causing her to pale extremely.
Malfoy this close was enough to make her puke!
"Bed." She said again, he smirked, and place one hand on the wall behind her.
The raven started to attack him again, getting the source of treat to the opposite side of the hall.
Hermione breathed again, sliding down the wall. The raven was still attacking her enemy, and she really didn't care to stop it now. He had after all pasted the limit of forgivable actions.
"When I tell you to go to bed, maybe next time you'll listen!" she yelled, getting to her feet. "Twenty points for sexual harassment! Ten for not going to bed and another Twenty for disrespecting authority!" she looked at the raven, "Stop before I have to spend more time with that prat taking him to the hospital wing."
The raven blinked at her and returned to her shoulder.
She continued her patrols until it was time for bed.
A very shocked bloody faced Malfoy starred at the girl in horror. She had far more guts then he had thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Before Hermione entered the common room, the Raven flew out the open window near by.
She looked at it happily.
A familiar eh?
Not such a bad idea was it? Plus the Raven was rather nice, it had after all, helped her out. She could get used to this.
And she went in with a large grin on her face.
*~*~*~*~*~~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*
AN:
So what do you think? Review and let me know ok?
Also, I hope the title is becoming slowly clearer. ^_^ I thought it was about time to add in the next aspect.
Enjoy!
RELENA