CHAPTER 6 RELOADED

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GRASCORTY CASTLE

Lucille Lee

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Summary: AU. WIP. Set in the 18th-19th century. Intrigue and mystery surrounds Hermione's new home, Grascorty Castle. In an era which sees the re-rise of Darkness, what is in store for Muggle-born Hermione? SS:HG:RL

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7. In which Hermione learns of some new secrets

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CHAPTER 6 RELOADED

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"Remus?"

Lord Black looked at his friend with some concern.

"What's the matter?"

"Hermione was attacked," said Remus dismally, not opening his eyes. "And of course, because of the imbecile I am, I was unable to save her."

Lord Black was genuinely shocked. "You aren't an imbecile. How would you know what happens to Miss Granger down at the Castle?"

"I was supposed to know – I had promised. I was supposed to take care of her. And of all the persons on earth, it was Draco Malfoy."

Lord Black pulled a chair right in front of his. "Don't be daft. How would you know she was in trouble? Don't blame yourself! You won't have been sitting here if you had known. It is simply impossible to be with her day and night!"

Remus slowly opened his eyes and looked at Sirius. "You make sense. But that doesn't disprove the fact mean that she might have been killed."

"How's she? How'd you know?"

"Harry says she is fine. He must be right."

"Harry?" said Lord Black sharply. "When did he come?"

"How strange will it be if I go to see her?"

"Very. She'll be coming to the Ball tonight, anyway."

"There's a whiteout out there…"

"It has already stopped snowing. Most of the people whom I have invited are wizards. They will definitely be coming. And you know that this is more than a mere New Year Ball. We will be recruiting new Order members afterwards. We need a gathering. We need to be together and hack up everyone's morale. We have been faced with defeat twice recently. The Order meeting which follows is going to be important."

"I don't feel like attending it. I am so… confused. Merlin, Sirius! What has that woman done to me?"

"What women are meant to do to men, Remus Lupin… Come on, this is no way for a man to act."

"Let me be, Sirius."

"No, come on. We are going to the theatre. There are still some hours until the ball. We can catch the last two acts of Alls Well That Ends Well."

"Sirius, I…"

Lord Black put on his hat and almost pulled Remus out of his chair. "I don't like you moping about. I like you better with all your inane chattering," was all he said as he spelled on his friend's coat and hat.

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"Is that all there is to this life? BALLS?" exclaimed Hermione exasperatedly at the maid who had come to inform her about Lord Black's New Year Ball.

The maid looked horrified, but said nothing.

Sighing, Hermione said, "Just lay out the dress on the bed, I shall be able to dress without assistance. Meanwhile, would you please warm this salve in some water and bring it to me in about half an hour."

"Yes, ma'am," said the maid, obviously relieved that she did not have to assist her strange mistress. Her friend Ella had told her about Miss Granger returning home "all wild and strange" this afternoon.

Hermione went to the antechamber to her room and locking the door after her, set about conjuring a bath. It was really absurd how people could get on without baths every day. In this one respect, magicians were better than Muggles. She had been used to daily baths once she was at Hogwarts – especially after Potions and Care of Magical Creatures class.

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Hermione frowned at the dress. It was winter, for Merlin's sake! Why had the woman put out such a revealing gown? She would die of cold – not to mention that the cut would be glaringly obvious.

Sometimes, she couldn't be grateful enough for being a witch – times like these.

Just as she pulled out her wand from the cloak pocket, something fell out. The ring.

Abandoning her intentions of "dress-making", Hermione picked up the ring and brought it to the fire for closer observation. Though there were a number of diamonds there, it wasn't quite beautiful. In fact, it looked rather unattractive although it was very shiny.

Hermione kept it on the dressing-table next to the bowl which the maid must have come and put in earlier. She observed with some satisfaction that the salve had been diluted perfectly. After sterilizing her white handkerchief, she dipped it in the solution and set about applying it to the wound.

All the while, she kept glancing at the ring. It had probably fallen off Draco Malfoy when he had fallen down. But it might belong to Mr. Snape, too. The thought of Mr. Snape clouded her brow. She was still very furious with that man. She was a proud woman who could not take insults easily – and what he had said was one of the meanest insults anybody could heap on her.

However, she eventually decided the ring belonged to Draco Malfoy. First, he was extremely rich – at least that was what she had always heard and observed by his attire. Moreover, his father was speculated to be the next Minister for Magic. And Mr. Snape wasn't exactly the person who could own such expensive jewellery. Moreover, she thought viciously, only a Malfoy would buy such an expensive but an utterly ugly ring. In spite of all the diamonds, she was sure that any sane person would prefer to wear no jewels than this ring. It was grotesquely repulsive.

As she finished healing her wound, she disposed of the water and cloth.

Then her mind turned to the usual storm of questions – the most important being, where was Harry?

She strongly hoped that he would be there at the Black Manor tonight. If he was missing, than she would directly talk to Mr. Lupin. It was all right to be a 'lady' to try not to displease a man she was beginning to like, but it was totally another thing to have a childhood friend missing.

She frowned at the gothic-looking black and silver gown. Maybe she had overdone a bit in order to make it less revealing. Sighing, she picked up her wand once again. She was no good at dress-designing but there was no way she was even going to think about asking Ginny.

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All in all, she thought, as she felt warmth wash over her on entering the Black Manor, she hadn't done a bad job of making herself a dress. It had a fashionable neckline without bordering on vulgar and she had not put her hair up in a bun, but allowed them to flow down in deep chocolate curls to her elbows to cover her neck and back. She had managed to add decent frills and laces without a mistake in Sewing Charms. It was something she had learnt in Elementary Witches' Class in her first year. It hadn't been futile after all.

On entering the octagon ball room, Mr. Lupin came up to meet Lord Cromwell and her. She wondered if something was wrong because Harry was nowhere to be seen and Mr. Lupin was strangely ill at ease.

Moreover, he wasn't talking much – not to her. His attention was fully concentrated on what Lord Cromwell was saying about some new MP. Her mind drifted off to observing other people who were there in a matter of a few minutes. Her liking of politics was very limited – especially Muggle politics.

Lovegoods were there – Luna in a dress of indefinable design in blue and grey – they were the only people whom she remembered as coming to her own place. She wondered where all the others had come from. If they had come down from the city, surely, Lord Black must be having a lot of guests staying over!

She glanced at her uncle and Mr. Lupin. She frowned – they had seemingly forgotten her existence.

Just as she was trying to follow what they were talking about, two slim white hands came over her eyes.

She heard a whisper very near her ear, "Guess who, 'Mione?"

She couldn't help but smile. "Well… let's see… how many dimwits in this world call me 'Mione… oh yes, only one, Mr. Ron Weasley."

The tall, thin red-head let out a low chuckle as he removed her hands and embraced.

"I am so happy to see you, Ron," said Hermione, brightly.

"Truly speaking, I had a feeling that we won't be meeting soon. Thank Merlin I was wrong! Hey Remus!"

Mr. Lupin smiled in a strained sort of way. "How's the training, Ron?"

"Wonderful," said Ron.

Mr. Lupin introduced Ron to Lord Cromwell. Hermione observed that the nobleman didn't quite like Ron – he looked at him in a grave, suspicious manner. Her eyes drifted to Ron's shock of orange-red hair. Well, obviously that was far from normal.

"Would you like to dance, Hermione?"

Glad to find an escape from the boredom that threatened her if she stayed with Mr. Lupin and her uncle, she allowed Ron to lead her to the dance-floor.

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"Have you seen Harry?"

"He was in the greenhouse, I think. But he's here anyway. How are you?" His voice was meaningfully grave.

"I am fine. Why shouldn't I be?"

Ron lowered his tone and leaned in a little. "Harry told me about the attack… Draco Malfoy and all…"

Hermione missed a step and crushed Ron's foot.

"How does HARRY know?"

"Isn't he supposed to?"

"I… I think I need to talk to Harry. Can you show me to the greenhouse?"

"Hermione… it won't be a good idea to talk to Harry right now…"

"What? What's the matter with him, Ron? Is he all right?"

"Yes, yes! He's okay. Just calm down, Hermione. You can see him tomorrow. I'll tell him. I am afraid he is rather busy tonight. He just took off a second to tell me about what had happened at Grascorty. I am quite sure that he won't be in the greenhouse right now."

"Then where would he be?"

"I am not sure – truly."

Hermione sighed and sat down.

"There is so much going on around here but no one is telling me anything! It is so frustrating!"

Ron took her hands in his. "It'll be all right, Hermione."

"Everyone is lying to me, Ron," she said bluntly, leaning against him. "I am so confused. I don't know what to do."

"It'll be all right – eventually," he muttered.

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"Miss Granger, something wrong?"

Hermione forced on a pleasant smile for Lord Black. He was one man she could not bear to put off with her melancholy. It wasn't as if she cared for him. But he was… Lord Black. She would hate to see him serious and worried.

"Oh no! I was just a little tired."

"So soon, Miss Granger? I was about to ask you for the next dance."

"Maybe I can make… allowances," said Hermione, smiling.

"Flattered," said Lord Black, clutching her hand in his.

"By the way, my Lord, I really believe that the gold and ruby dragon earring suited you better than this silver and diamond eagle."

"Indeed? I will remember this next time!"

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"Remus?"

Remus was slightly startled to hear the whisper. He glanced at Lord Cromwell, who was happily pointing away the myriad faults of some Lord Galloway. He truly had no idea about it, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to look at Miss Granger. Shakespeare had not been able to divert his mind from his guilt.

"Come down to the Black Room."

Excusing himself at the nearest pause (which came very soon, thankfully), Remus went down to where Harry had directed him.

He entered the Black Room just in time to see Harry stowing away his Invisibility Cloak.

"I am not being able to contact Snape," said Harry in an impassive voice and not looking at him. "When I met him in the morning, I completely forgot to tell him about the meeting."

"Did you tell Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore was not in his office. The meeting is in two hours. Where can he be?"

"Do you know where Snape lives?"

"I only know that his place is in London."

There was silence for a while.

"Hermione stayed at Snape's place when she was in London," said Remus quietly.

Harry shook his head. "I don't want to put her in more trouble than she already is. London is a very dangerous ground presently. Anyway, the last I knew, Snape had returned from Malfoy Manor. So no danger in that quarter, I think."

Harry set about arranging the room for the meeting. For some moments, Remus only followed the movements of his wand.

"Harry."

"I am sorry for the morning," the younger man replied dryly without looking at him, "I shouldn't have said that because you couldn't possibly have known."

"You know that you don't mean a word, Harry."

Harry turned around, frowning. "What do you want me to do then? Kneel before you and beg your forgiveness?"

"No," said Remus, moving up to him, "just let me become your best mentor again. I love Miss Granger. You cannot even imagine how much I am worried about her – especially now that she has duelled with Malfoy and defeated him. You do know that he will want revenge?"

"There is someone else who will be thirsting for revenge," observed Harry. "You do know that Sirius has no idea that Snape will be coming here?"

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And now Mr. Lupin had also disappeared. She wondered what was with these people. No one seemed to stay at one place for more than a few minutes.

She looked around to see her uncle dancing with some woman she didn't recognize. Ron, too, was nowhere to be seen neither was Lord Black. Spotting the door to the balcony, she quietly slipped out.

She wasn't the kind of person to believe in 'intuition', but sometimes she just had the feeling which could not be ignored. She was feeling like that now. A feeling like… something was going to happen.

As she neared the farthest end of the balcony, she discovered a steep staircase leading downstairs. Pulling up her skirts a little so that they won't trip her, she slowly descended the steps. She didn't know where they lead but wasn't averse to finding out. It was better than getting bored in the ballroom or the drawing room.

The corridor into which she had come was very empty and quiet – almost eerily so.

It was very cold down here. Hermione put her hands in the small pocket which had been deftly sewn at the side of the dress. Her fingers first brushed against her wand, and then clasped around the ring – Malfoy's ring.

She pulled it out. It was gleaming brightly. Hermione frowned. It was true that there were many diamonds engraved in it, but how could they shine so brightly of their own accord without any light falling on them?

Pocketing it once again, she slowly made her way down the corridor. She didn't know why she had brought the ring with her. She had just picked it up on an impulse… it would be safer with her.

"HARRY!"

Hermione stopped as she heard Lord Black's voice. It seemed to be coming from somewhere very close.

"You knew!" yelled Lord Black again. Hermione flinched. She hadn't known that the easy-going man was capable of being murderously angry.

"If this is about Snape…"

That was definitely Harry, thought Hermione. And Mr. Snape again…

"You bloody well know it is! How could you lie to me?"

"I haven't exactly lied to you…"

"Lay off the technicalities, Potter," snapped Lord Black. "I am not having the man in this house – not over my dead body!"

"Be reasonable, Sirius! Snape…"

"I won't be reasonable," came the heated answer. "I am not having the man in my house no matter what!"

"One would think, my Lord, that given the circumstances, you would be more co-operative."

She knew that she had heard that voice somewhere…

"It is almost as bad as having Voldemort in the house!"

"Sirius, calm down."

"To hell with you, too, Moony!"

"Damning me to hell will not help out cause against Voldemort in any way, Sirius. Come with me."

"I…"

"Sirius," said Mr. Lupin acerbically commandingly, "come with me."

The voices died down. There was the receding sound of footsteps and then everything was quiet for a while.

"Isn't Dumbledore here as yet?" asked the voice Hermione thought she knew.

"He's come. I think he will talk to Sirius first," said Harry.

Dumbledore… Headmaster Dumbledore. Hermione knew for sure that something very important was going on. She wondered… yes, she wondered very much.

"And Snape?"

"He ought to be here. Dumbledore had informed him about meeting."

Hermione still couldn't see where Mr. Snape fit in. Her opinion was that he ought not to be trusted if the matter was what she thought it was. But if Dumbledore believed in him… well, suffice to say that she greatly trusted and respected the Headmaster.

"Let us go down. Others will come in. I'll just see Sirius and Remus."

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Everything was dark and silent now. Hermione no longer felt the tedious boredom. Her mind was working fast.

It all sounded like they were going to have some sort of secret meeting… were they a secret society or something? But why? She could only think of one reason… Voldemort.

She clearly remembered the first time when she had met Mr. Lupin. He had mentioned that Voldemort was getting powerful. She just hadn't known that he was getting so powerful as to perturb the likes of Dumbledore to take drastic measures. She supposed that the Ministry was as imbecilic as ever – what else could be expected with Cornelius Fudge as Minister for Magic.

What should she do now? She had no idea where they were. In fact, the end of this corridor seemed to run into a wall. Dead end. If only she knew how, she would have spied and found out more about what was going on.

Once again she wondered why Harry hadn't told her anything. Although, when she did see him next time, it would not be wise to mention that she did know about some secret group they had formed.

She performed different spells on the wall, hoping to find some hidden way. However, it seemed as if there was no such way. Defeated, she turned back towards the stairs.

Just as she reached them, she heard someone come out in the balcony.

She quickly hid in the alcove a few feet away.

To her relief, the person did not come downstairs, but went inside after a few minutes.

As soon as she was sure that the balcony was empty, she began ascending the stairs. She had reached halfway when she thought she heard shouts from the dark corridor she had been in.

She went back downstairs, drawing out her wand as she did so.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Stupefy!"

"Imperio!"

"Crucio!"

And then two simultaneous voices of, "Petrificus Totalus!"

Hermione pocketed her wand. It was a false warning. She had recognized the voices – Lord Black and Mr. Snape. She was somewhat startled to find that they were so bitter enemies as to try hexing each other with the Unforgivable Curses.

She heard Professor Dumbledore talking to them. He was annoyed with their "childish behaviour" (as he termed it) and all in all, Hermione thought that she would be very embarrassed if it was she who had been receiving that lecture.

She pocketed her wand and went back to the ballroom and slipped in as unobtrusively as she had left.

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They had left soon after Hermione had re-entered the emptying ballroom. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed her absence. But her mind was on her discoveries in the Black Manor. Her curiosity was overwhelming, but she realized that there was very little that she could do about it.

Hence, it was in a very frustrated mood that she went upstairs to her room. It seemed as if there was no one she could truly trust – and no one who truly trusted her. She suddenly felt very much the stranger she really was in Grascorty.

As she lay sleepless on the bed, she observed the glinting ring. Would that be something important to them? Or was it just a useless piece of jewellery. She couldn't stop feeling that it wasn't something insignificant. It was really too repulsive to be unimportant.

She wondered what Harry would say if he knew that Snape was a close associate of the Malfoys – the same Malfoys who were so obviously supportive of Voldemort. Oh, there never was proof for their actions! But it was common knowledge. Their hatred of Muggleborns and Halfbloods was very well-known and they never discouraged these views as rumours but only propounded them.

And yet… there had been something about that dark man that had made her – that had made her trust him… for she did trust him in a very naïve sort of way – as if there was no room for any other thought than to believe in him.

Time had somewhat calmed the intense anger she felt towards him. Now she wondered why he had been there this morning. How could he have come there?

She looked at the fire brightly burning fireplace. Was it connected with the Floo Network? She so wished that she had some Floo Powder with her right now.

Why did he care what became of her – whether Draco Malfoy killed her or not? How did he know? Why did he come?

The man was more of an enigma than she would have liked any person to be. It was fascinating, but she couldn't help but feel wary of him. He was the dark stranger that appeared and disappeared mysteriously from one's life – like… like someone in a book. She smiled wryly. She was surely very unsure of her own mind – one moment she hated him and another moment he was the intriguing man she would have liked to meet again.

However, she doubted if that would ever be possible. Why would they ever meet anyway? Unless she got into a duel with some more Death-Eaters and he would mysteriously appear out of nowhere to help her and then vanished into thin air.

Shaking her head, she extinguished the fire and put a Heating Charm over the room.

She was asleep soon. The day had been a long.

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