GRASCORTY CASTLE

Lucille Lee

Summary: AU. WIP. Set in the 18th-19th century. Hermione hadn't really gotten used to her new life when she stumbles upon a multitude of adventures. Will life at Grascorty Castle be more different than she thought? SS:HG:RL

Review Responses:-

BaskervilleBeauty: ;-P The intrigue will deepen and I am excited at having such a perceptive reader. At this rate, it will be a tough task keeping you in suspense!;-)

Almost Funny: Thanks for your kind review. And a greater thanks for that usual bit of information. In fact, I did have the setting on accepting only logged reviews. I am quite new around here and it took quite a while to understand what you had meant back there in your review. So now dare I hope a greater readership?

4. In which Hermione Granger gets to know more about things

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione stirred slightly, murmuring something inaudible.

"Miss Granger?"

She woke up as she felt a warm hand close around her shoulder and gently shake her.

A woman with thick curly black hair, showing traces of white near the temples, was standing near her.

"I am here to take care of the baby – Mr. Snape asked me to."

Hermione, now wide awake as she felt the warm weight in her lap, was instantly suspicious. Supposing that the man with whom she had been was 'Snape' – he had said that he would not trust anyone in this house with the child.

"All right," she said, but I want to stay here with him… You may need me."

"No need, Miss Granger," said the man, who had come in unnoticed from another door, "this is Mrs. Glen – my sister. She has just come back. She will take care of Florinzel."

Hermione caressed Loren and gently kissed him. Reluctantly, she handed him over to Mrs. Glen.

"And since it has stopped raining, you might as well start for Grascorty," he said as he lead her back to the attic.

"How long a journey is it?"

"Two days. The coach will stop at a few inns, of course. So you need not worry about it."

"Mr. Snape," she said, remembering his name, "Do you have an owl?"

"Now that you mention it," he replied, frowning, "Eros hasn't returned since his last journey to Grascorty."

Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. Hermione, whose brain had been working at this mystery, thought she knew what had so startled him.

"Someone had intercepted him," she said quietly.

He nodded curtly. "Therefore he had been disoriented when he met you and delivered the letter wrongly."

Hermione drew a sharp breath. "The attack on the Bridge…"

"… was planned by whoever had intercepted the owl," completed Snape for her.

"Who was it?"

He turned towards her. "Pardon me?"

"I think you recognized who was attacking you. That is why you were so eager to defeat and trap him," said Hermione sharply.

He said nothing but put some money in her hand. "This is probably all you will need to reach Grascorty," he said stiffly.

She tried to interrupt him but he cut her short.

"The coach leaves from the next block straight ahead. You shouldn't have much trouble finding it. A family is leaving by that coach, too. If you go down fast enough, you can join them."

"What's going on?" she said. "There is something very serious going on and I want to know what it is."

He glared at her. "Forget this little matter."

"Little matter! I shan't – not when there is an unknown wizard or witch in my household and he or she is involved in this. I cannot let anyone endanger my uncle and everyone else in Grascorty!"

"I assure you that it will never happen again," he said coldly.

"Mr. Snape…"

"And never mention me. Do not mention me to anyone. You will not need to give any explanations when you return."

"What do you mean?"

"You will find out when you go back. Go down fast or you will miss the coach."

"I shall not!" said Hermione heatedly. "Not only is my family and friends, but even that child in danger! What is he doing here? He is not supposed to be here… this isn't safe for him. If his parents do not want to take care of him, I will. Let me take that child. He will have a proper life then!"

Snape's eyes shone with barely contained anger. "Do not speak of things you are unaware of girl. You will not mention this little adventure to anyone. If I see you as a threat," he pulled out his wand, "I will obliviate you."

Hermione was slightly startled but did not come back. "How do I know that the child will be safe? That he won't get hurt?"

"I am taking care of him. If I am in charge of anyone, I protect them with my life," he said steely.

She felt that she believed him but the ever deepening mystery around her intrigued her very much. She hated to be kept away from everything. She had a sneaking feeling that a few people back home had something to do with everything. Everything was deeper than it seemed.

"Go! I do not want to drag you downstairs."

She conceded albeit reluctantly.

"Goodbye, Mr. Snape, and thank-you," she said, looking at him, and then hurried out. That was one man she would never forget.

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The family, the Browns, it seemed were going to a country just before Grascorty. They were friendly people and Snape had requested them to keep her with them.

"He was really courteous," said Amelia Brown, who seemed a little older than her. "I was surprised because Snape is never courteous. He always scowls and frowns at us and never eats with anyone. He is Mrs. Glen's worst tenant although she is his sister."

"And he lives in that attic!" said Georgina, who seemed about thirteen.

"And he has no end of strange visitors," said Amelia. "Once there was a man who had a very strange eye and walked very queerly."

"And once there was a very handsome blonde man," said Georgina, blushing slightly. "He had beautiful long blonde hair that came to just below his shoulders and his eyes were so beautiful!"

"Georgina!" her mother chided her.

"Oh, but, mamma, he was so beautiful!"

Amelia rolled her eyes. "You thought that about Jake Hanson, too. And about Willy Choir and Henry Rovers."

"But he was quite different. He seemed to have magic around him!"

Hermione's ears perked up at this.

"Was he tall with a very straight nose and pointed chin?"

"And an expression befitting a prince," sighed Georgina, her eyes dreamy.

"I think he looked rather haughty as if he considered everyone below him," said Amelia with a huff. "You are stupid, Georgina."

Hermione listened to all this perfectly emotionlessly. But inside, she was in turmoil. The description fitted only two wizards whom she knew.

"He had come to meet Mr. Snape?" she asked.

"Yes, and they talked in very low tones and had the drawing room to themselves for full two hours without caring for anyone else. I had left my needlework there but they didn't care! And even Mrs. Glen forbade me to retrieve it! What could they be talking about anyway?"

"It is a pity he never came to meet him again."

"I'd say it was rather good," interrupted Mrs. Brown suddenly. "It is not nice to have snobbish men come down to our houses. They are rascals, all of them."

"He was a prince, not a rascal, mamma!" said Georgina indignantly.

"That will be quite enough, Georgina!" said Mrs. Brown sharply.

The rest of the journey passed in relatively unimportant chatter. None of the women could agree with each other on any issue and after a while, Hermione's attention had wandered back to Mr. Snape.

He had rather unsettled her with his unpredictable-ness. One moment she wanted to slap him for his impudence and callousness and the next second he was quiet and courteous, though he never lost his touch of rudeness and indifference. She had never met anyone like him. She had met men like Mr. Lupin, who were very nice and kind and Lord Black, who unsettled her in a different way – with his fast pace of everything. There were men like Mr. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's father, who were very cold and filled with animosity.

She wondered if it had been Mr. Malfoy or his son who had come visiting Mr. Snape. They were both highly alike except that Draco was a head shorter. But he was tall even then.

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She arrived at Grascorty late in the evening. The journey hadn't been too wearisome but the incessant chatter of the Browns had really annoyed her this afternoon. Her head was paining.

Unsure in which direction the castle was, she pulled out her wand to perform a "Point Me." She had a vague idea that the castle was at the north of the hamlet.

"Miss Granger?"

Hastily pocketing her wand, she turned around.

"Mr. Lupin!"

"Thank goodness you are safe!" he said, relief evident in his voices as he came up to her. "I was most worried about you."

He made to embrace her but suddenly stepped back, colouring slightly.

She wondered how he had known about her being away from Grascorty. Then she remembered Ginny saying something about her getting a chance to meet Mr. Lupin very soon. She just hadn't known that it would be so soon that he would find out that she was missing. Did he expect her to tell him something about her… absence?

"I have only got a gig from the village. I only just knew that you would be arriving."

"You knew?" Hermione was suddenly suspicious.

He led her to the gig, and not quite meeting her eyes said, "Mr. Snape is… an acquaintance."

"He owled you?"

"Well, not really. He did not know that I knew you. It was quite by chance…"

Hermione wanted to question him more but his tone made it quite clear that he didn't want to talk about it. She did not want to anger him by pressing for information. She would find out about it – but not just now. She changed the topic.

"What about Lord Cromwell?"

"Ginny told him you were ill. Unfortunately he sent for a doctor. Fortunately he sent for Dr. Shacklebolt. Shacklebolt is a wizard. He decided to put his magic to use in better areas – like not bleeding his patients to death. Some Muggle customs are indeed beyond me. Also, he is a friend of mine. Ginny informed him that you were missing and he told me."

"You know Ginny?"

Mr. Lupin grew uneasy; clearly he had said more than he wanted to.

"I… I know her, yes."

"And Ginny knows Dr. Shacklebolt is a wizard?"

"He doesn't bleed his patients to death. So… she kind of find out about him…"

If there was something Mr. Lupin couldn't do, thought Hermione, it was lying. But she wasn't about to declare that to his face. She was a lady.

"There are so many witches and wizards here, aren't there? Tell me, Percy Weasley is Ginny's brother, isn't he?"

"I am not sure… I suppose so."

He was clearly regretting coming here for her. She wondered what he was trying to hide.

However, her curiosity was overpowering her.

"Why did you mention Mr. Snape? How did you know about that?"

Mr. Lupin had never sympathised with Professor McGonagall when she had told him that Miss Granger asked too many questions. Right now, he couldn't wait to rectify his mistake.

"The witch for whom the letter was meant… she told me."

Hermione forgot all about her resolve to not annoy him. "How did she know? Do I know her?"

"I… believe not."

She just restrained herself from saying, "I believe so!"

Before she could ask something else, he said, "I really cannot answer anymore questions, Miss Granger!"

She nodded slightly and looked down. If he didn't answer it didn't mean that she would not find out about anything.

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

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"Miss Granger," he said, as he stood with her near the bridge, which luckily was still down. However, Hermione suspected that more than one person inside that castle had expected her.

"Thank-you, Mr. Lupin," she said a bit stiffly. She was somewhat angry with him though. She didn't understand why everyone was so secretive around her. Everybody knew something she didn't.

"Hermione," he came closer and took her hands in his, "please promise me you will stay inside the castle – you will be safe."

His sudden proximity had unnerved her. "I… What should I be wary of?"

"Everything," he said, pressing her fingers slightly and looking into her eyes. Hermione felt quite lost in his hazel eyes. "I am sorry I cannot tell you anymore now. Please don't ask me."

"I won't," she managed to breathe, not realizing that she was leaning towards him.

He suddenly stepped back. Hermione felt bereft. "I'll see you again soon," he smiled and then got on the gig.

Hermione stood there until he disappeared in the darkness. Sighing, she turned towards the castle. At least now she had a job to occupy her time… if being 'nosy parker' was a job.

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"Remus John Lupin! If you do not stop pacing anytime soon, I will be forced to hit you hard."

Remus did nothing more than continue pacing – up and down the room.

Lord Black, quite unlike his usual "gentleman" self threw a couch-cushion at his head. "My head is paining from the cold, Moony and you are not helping."

Remus threw himself in a chair near the fire and groaned. "Merlin! What have I done!"

Lord Black's mood perked up. "I recognize that tone! It is a woman business! I knew you weren't infallible!"

Remus gave him a withering glance. "I am going to bed," he said shortly. But before he could get up, Lord Black came over and stood before him.

"I am your best friend – or supposed to be something like that. You are going to confide in me!"

"I am really not in a temper to humour you, Sirius," snapped Remus.

"It is a woman," said Lord Black, grinning. "And if I am not wrong her name is Hermione Granger."

"She's a witch."

"I know."

"No… not like that… she… she's strange."

"No," said Lord Black slowly, "you are strange around her."

Lupin looked at him. "What?"

"You are not quite your calm and composed self around her, Remus. I know. So – what did you do? Did you kiss her?"

"No!"

Lord Black sighed and went back to his couch. "You are hopeless as ever. She has perfectly delectable lips!"

"Sirius!"

"What? I have merely stated what you think about all day!"

"I don't think about it all day!"

"You do!"

"I don't!"

"You do!"

"This is madness!"

"Yes – you ought to have kissed her. She won't have rejected you. She liked you better than she liked me. Offending as it was, I know that she would have liked you kissing her than any of my advances. You are a perfect fool, Moony!"

Lupin was thinking about something else. "You are right, I lose my calm around her."

Lord Black heaved a deep sigh and leaned back. "Our conversation has proceeded further than that."

"She… I don't know… I blurt out things without quite knowing what I want to say or what I ought to say. It got me into trouble today. Merlin forbid it gets her into trouble!"

"Remus…"

"What?"

"You are besotted with her!"

"I…"

"You need to stay away from her for some time or you are going to make a complete fool of yourself in front of her. It will be disgraceful. And you need to be clear-headed for the Order meeting tomorrow."

"It is a wonder you remembered," said Remus dryly and went out. He wasn't sure he could listen to Sirius anymore. He hadn't thought that Sirius could ever sum up his feelings so well.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:-

I am not sure of Remus' middle name. Is it John or something else? If it is wrong and you are sure about it, then please correct me. I would change it.

Sorry for the delay. Since my exams are going on, I hardly got time to type out anything. They will continue till 24th March although I will appear only for 2 other papers – English on 15th and Science on 24th . So now, unless the modem troubles me, updates will be regular.

Secondly, "Florinzel" is not an original name. I have read it somewhere. I am not sure where because I come across thousands of names. It has to be some famous person's first name because I believe it was in some quotation-book.

Plus, now I am accepting unlogged reviews (thanks to Almost Funny).

So if that had stopped you from reviewing before, well, you know it won't do so now.

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