A/N: Thank you to the following people: PapayaCrazy, shadowglove, All-American Vampire, Katsheswims, Kariki Neroli, 404, encantada, Gaerwen, PhanPhic-adict, Mrs Pierre Bouvier, and Vera-Sabe. 107 reviews! I can hardly believe it! Thank you so much. It means the world to me!
Chapter 15 – Behind Dark Eyes
Hermione was on her way to class the next day when something that she could only describe as pure revenge from an unknown source happened. She was walking down the hall with Sandie and Tiffany on her way to Potions when Eileen Prince rounded the corner and ran right into her. Hermione stooped to pick up her books, not paying attention to the other person when Tiffany nudged Hermione gently with her foot.
Hermione looked up and as she did, her eyes came in contact with a very angry Eileen Prince. Eileen quickly stuffed her things into her bag and stood up as Hermione stood up slowly. Hermione looked to Sandie who jerked her head away from Eileen, signaling to Hermione that they should go. They were just about to walk away when Eileen grumbled to Hermione.
"You should watch where you're going."
"And you shouldn't rush through the halls like it's a matter of life or death that you get to class," Hermione hissed back. 'Did I really just say that?' How very un-Hermione-like that was indeed.
"C'mon, Al," Tiffany urged as she glared at Eileen. "Let's get out of the greasy prat's path... That filth won't wash off for weeks if she touches you again."
Surrounding students laughed and snickered as they pointed at Eileen who was shaking with rage, her usually pale face now tinged a bright pink.
"Tiff!" Sandie hissed. "C'mon you two."
Sandie tried to pull Tiffany and Hermione along with her, but it was no use, Tiffany and Eileen were in a complete stare-off. Sandie moaned as though she had a bad feeling about something and looked around to check for teachers. Hermione realized that there was now a big group of students walking as Tiffany glared Eileen up and down, and Eileen pulled out her wand.
"Put that away!" Hermione snapped.
"Shut it! Silenco!" Eileen snarled.
"How dare you!" Tiffany bellowed as she went to draw out her wand, but she was hit with a Jelly-Legs Jinx from Eileen.
Hermione shook with rage as she pulled out her own wand. She pointed it at Eileen who just laughed in Hermione's face.
"What are you going to do? Gape at me?" Eileen mocked.
Suddenly, Hermione's wand shot off a jet of white light and Eileen was sent whizzing backward into a crowd of people.
"ALICE GRANGER!" bellowed someone down the corridor.
Hermione whipped around in just enough time to see Tom Riddle and his gang of Slytherin guys heading her way. He walked up to her, removing the Jelly-Legs Jinx from Tiffany who was trying to stand up with help from Sandie. Tom scowled at Eileen who grabbed her things quickly and tried to hurry off, but he stopped her.
"Thirty points from Slytherin!" Tom barked at Eileen causing the Slytherin boys to set her with burning stares. "Now report to class, but expect detention from Professor Slughorn once I tell him."
Eileen frowned and left the scene as Tom's Slytherin gang gave people angered stares which made them walk on. Tiffany and Sandie were standing there apprehensively as Tom rounded on Hermione.
"Just what do you have to say for yourself?" he questioned furiously. "Hmm?"
"She won't answer," Tiffany spoke up.
"Oh, won't she?" Tom seemed to dare. He raised his wand at her and Hermione went wide-eyed. She threw her hands up in front of her face and shook her head as she closed her eyes tight.
"NO!" she screamed. Then her eyes snapped open and she lowered her arms quickly.
"Settle, Granger. I was only removing the Silencing Charm," Tom said as he looked at her as though she were stupid. "Now the three of you get to class."
With that said, Tiffany, Sandie, and Hermione turned to leave, but were stopped short by Tom.
"Oh, and that's fifty points from Gryffindor for that awful misbehavior," he added.
"FIFTY!" spat Hermione and Tiffany in unison.
"Come on," Sandie urged as she grabbed the back of their robes and start pulling them off down the hall. "Before he takes more."
Sandie managed to get Hermione to come freely, but Tiffany was a different story as she tried to go after Tom's laughing friends.
"Gits," she grumbled as they proceeded down the hall. "They never get in trouble. They're late for class and no one of them will have a problem because Tom will sweet talk the teacher and get them out of trouble."
"Especially since they are headed to Potions... Slughorn doesn't like to take points from his own house," Hermione sighed heavily. "And I don't think I can get out of this bit of trouble... that's the second time Eileen and I have fought. Dumbledore's going to give me detention for sure."
"Don't worry," Sandie said, "it won't be all that bad. He's nice about giving his own house punishments... just like Slughorn. Except Dumbledore's nice to all. He'll probably just make you work with him grading papers or something."
"I hope so," Hermione sighed yet again.
Minerva McGonagall sat at a desk in her house when she heard someone humming. She had thought that she as there by herself, but apparently not. She got up slowly and pulled out her wand, her eyes scanning the room.
"Hello, Minerva," said someone from behind her.
She jumped and whipped around, pointing her wand at a portrait on the wall. There inside the frame was Dumbledore, smiling and rocking back and forth on this feet as he hummed to himself.
"I say... good day, Minerva," Dumbledore repeated.
"Good day, Albus," Minerva returned as she put her wand back in her robes and leaned upon the desk. "Haven't you ever heard of asking before you just pop into someone' house portraits unasked?"
"Well, seeing as my only way of asking would be to show up in your house and ask," Dumbledore chuckled, "I suppose that's what I'm doing now."
Minerva rolled her eyes and turned her chair to face the portrait before taking her seat once more. She stared up at him in an expectant sort of way as she waited for him to say what he had come to say.
"Listen to me, Minerva," he began. "You need to stop worrying about the school and start worrying about the war with Voldemort." Here McGonagall sighed and leaned forward in her chair, taking her eyes off Dumbledore. "You have been thinking about this, haven't you?"
"Let's face it, Albus," McGonagall sighed. "I'm not you. I can't handle a school and a war at the same time. I nee-"
"You need to stop worrying about the school and get yourself together here," Dumbledore said sternly. His tone surprised her a bit as he looked down at her over his half-moon spectacles.
"I have in no way prepared for this war. I had over half the Order searching for Miss Granger," McGonagall explained.
"Then now's the time to pull them off that job and get them going around letting people know of the dangers that are coming," Dumbledore warned.
"But what do I do?" McGonagall inquired desperately.
"I am going to help as much as I can, Minerva. So here's what we're going to do first," Dumbledore instructed.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore called across the entrance hall when Hermione and Tiffany came in from Care of Magical Creatures.
"Good luck, girl," Tiffany said as she left Hermione go over to Dumbledore.
"Up to my office, please," Dumbledore directed as he looked at her gravely.
They walked up to his office, Hermione keeping her head bowed and her eyes on her feet. She could feel the disappointed aura that Dumbledore held for her. She wanted to cry right then and there. She had never, not once, not even in her day, been in trouble with Dumbledore. She couldn't even count the time she and Eileen got into a fight before as getting in trouble because Dumbledore simply chuckled about it.
Now here she was, entering his office with him. His dissatisfied gaze following her as she made her way up to stand in front of his desk. She waited on baited hooks as he walked around his desk and took a seat. He summoned a chair for her and waited for her to sit down without his inviting her to. She hesitated a moment, looking to the chair before looking at him for the first time since they left the entrance hall.
"Sit," he said softly. Her ears rang with the cold comfort in his voice as she did as he said. "Miss Granger, I must say that I'm astonished."
'You don't have to tell me' Hermione thought sadly. 'Just give me my punishment and let me leave.'
"I'm sorry to say that I can't let this go this time as I did the last. Which maybe, as I think about it now, that was a mistake to let you get off so easily. Fighting is not permitted and certainly not tolerated. What do you think Dippet will do if he finds out about this?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Hermione mumbled as she felt a knot growing in her throat.
"As am I, Miss Granger," Dumbledore sighed. "I have to give you detention now. You are to serve detention on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights by cleaning the trophy room as well as the broom storage cupboard in the entrance hall."
Hermione hung her head once more, displeasure with herself growing inside her as Dumbledore continued to speak to her. 'What now!'
"And as much as I hate to do this, but I must take away your Hogsmeade trip this weekend. Dippet had agreed to let me sign your form as your guardian seeing as you are under my protection, but...," here he sighed and Hermione heard the pain in his voice. "But you have just lost that privilege."
Hermione felt her eyes become filled with tears as her nose and ears stung with the feeling of crying. The lump in her throat felt enormous now and as much as she tried to swallow it back, that much more tears formed in her eyes. Suddenly, tears were rolling down her reddened cheeks and her mouth became dry.
"You may leave," Dumbledore spoke heavily as Hermione stood and walked out quickly, more and more tears falling by the minute.
She entered the corridor and felt tears she had been holding back burst free. She whimpered and began to walk faster, breaking out into a slow jog. She kept wiping the tears out of her eyes, but to no avail. For the faster she wiped them away, the came twice as fast.
Disappointment flashed in her head. Dumbledore was now upset with her and she had no one but Sandie and Tiffany whom she barely new. She wanted to see Harry, Ginny, the other Weasley's, but most importantly, she just wanted to see Ron. Feel his arms around her, soothing away her tears.
Hermione broke into a run, wanting nothing more than to get to her dorm and crawl into her bed. She hoped that if she got under the covers and closed her eyes, then she could open them and be back in her time. She was about to run up the stairs, when she ran into someone.
"Whoa! Slow down there, whirlwind," someone laughed.
"Ex-excuse m-me," Hermione sobbed. She was about to walk around them when they grabbed her by her upper arms.
"Alice?" Leo said softly. "What's wrong?"
"I-I just want to go home," she cried as she threw herself around his neck.
"Oh, now. You don't want to do that," Leo whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her back. "Think of all the wonderful new friends you would be leaving."
"I don't be-belong h-here," Hermione whimpered.
"Sure you do," he cooed in her ear. "Sure you do." He stroked her hair, causing her to look up, her sight instantly caught by his flame-red hair.
In that moment, she felt immediate comfort. In that moment, she imagined that he was Ron. Stroking her hair and purring sweetly in her ear that all would be fine. She moved her fingers up the back of his neck and rubbed her fingertips in the thickness of his red hair. She swallowed deeply and took a deep shuddering breath as she pulled away from him.
"C'mon now," Leo sighed happily. "Let's get you down to the kitchens and get you a nice warm butterbeer and maybe something to eat. Does that sound good?" Hermione did nothing but nod as Leo took her hand in his and led the way.
"My Lord?" Wormtail muttered.
"What happened, Wormtail?" inquired Voldemort as he sat up in a bed, his hand upon his head.
"I'm not certain," Wormtail replied. "I left you as you asked me to and when I came back in, Severus disappeared from sight and you passed out."
"Where did Severus go?" Voldemort asked somewhat groggily as he held his head in both hands now.
"I-I'm afraid, m-my Lord, that Severus will n-not be returning to us," Peter said fearfully.
"What?" Voldemort growled.
"L-look," Wormtail uttered as he handed a paper to Voldemort with the headline telling of the capture of Severus Snape.
"How?" Voldemort hissed as he read down the article. "This is not possible. Wormtail... give me your arm. It is time that I summoned my Death Eaters to me."
Wormtail shakily put out his arm before the Dark Lord. Wormtail watched as Voldemort pushed back his sleeve. Voldemort pulled out his wand and placed it to the faint Dark Mark upon Wormtail's bare arm. The mark grew darker and within minutes, men in black robes with white masks appeared in the room. All went into sweeping bows before kneeling before the bed and awaiting the words that Voldemort had for them.
"Feel better now?" Leo asked as he sat at a small wooden table in the Hogwarts kitchen with Hermione.
She nodded as she traced played with the label on her bottle of butterbeer. She was in fact feeling much better. The warmth of the butterbeer and soup that she had eaten was relaxing her a great deal. And Leo's company was quite the help because he kept making her laugh.
"So, now that we've missed our last three classes and dinner with our friends," Leo laughed. "What do you suggest we do?"
"I don't know," Hermione sighed as she began tracing the lines in the wooden table top with her fingertip.
"Hmm?" Leo hummed in thought. "How about a walk?"
Hermione nodded and they left the kitchen and headed out through the entrance hall and out onto the grounds. They wondered around for a bit before entering the Quidditch pitch and sitting down on a bench off the side of the pitch. Leo reached into his robes and pulled out a rolled up bunch of paper. Hermione watched as he unrolled it and began to read it to himself.
"Your script?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied as he continued to read. "Want to practice?"
"Sure," she said as she slid closer to him and grabbed one side of the script. "Where's the next scene between Raoul and Christine?"
"Right here," Leo answered as he flipped the page. "I start." Hermione nodded and they turned to each other, laying the script between them. "Why have you brought me here?" Leo asked as he acted his part of Raoul.
"We can't go back there!" Hermione cried.
"We must return!" Leo insisted.
"He'll kill you! His eyes will find us there!" she said acting panicked.
"Christine, don't say that..."
"Those eyes that burn!" Hermione continued.
"Don't even think it..."
"And if he has to kill a thousand men-," Hermione gasped.
"Forget this waking nightmare," Leo said firmly as he grabbed Hermione's hands.
"The Phantom of the Opera will kill...," Hermione said softly as she looked away from him.
"This phantom is a fable... believe me...," Leo said as Hermione continued to speak.
"... and kill again!" Hermione said more forcefully as she looked back up at him.
"There is no Phantom of the Opera..."
"My God, who is this man...?" they said together.
"Who hunts to kill?" Hermione spoke.
"This mask of death?" Leo said at the same time.
"I can't escape from him...," Hermione acted.
"Whose is this voice you hear...," Leo inquired before Hermione cut in.
"I never will!"
"With every breath?" Leo finished. "And in this labyrinth, where night is blind the Phantom of the Opera is here – inside your mind..."
"And in this labyrinth, where night is blind the Phantom of the Opera is here – inside my mind...," Hermione said in unison with Leo.
"There is no Phantom of the Opera...," Leo said.
"Raoul, I've been there - to his world of unending night... To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness... darkness... Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face, in that darkness... darkness... But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound... In that night there was music in my mind... And through music my soul began to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before...," Hermione sang.
Leo smiled as she really got into her part. He too decided to join in with a wink as he sang his line.
"What you heard was a dream and nothing more," Leo sang softly.
"Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world... Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore."
"Christine... Christine...," Leo said.
"Christine," whispered someone in the shadows of the pitch. The whisper went unheard by Leo and Hermione as the person continued to watch them.
"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you - my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears," Leo sang sweetly to Hermione. "I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you..."
"Say you'll love me every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you, now and always. Promise me that all you say is true - that's all I ask of you," Hermione chorused in return.
"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light," Leo whispered in a sing-song way. "You're safe – no one will find you – your fears are far behind you."
"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night...," Hermione sang, "and you always beside me to hold me and to hide me..."
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too – Christine, that's all I ask of you."
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you," Hermione caroled.
"Share each day with me, each night, each morning," they lilted together.
"Say you love me," Hermione whispered in song as she slid closer on the bench to Leo.
"You know I do," Leo replied in an adoring tone of melody as he squeezed her hands in his and leaned toward her.
"Love me – that's all I ask of you," they harmonized as they leaned in closer to each other.
From the shadows, with eyes of black, someone watched with growing jealousy. A fire rose behind those dark eyes as Leo's lips met Hermione's in a sweet, innocent kiss that lasted what felt like an aching lifetime. Hermione pulled back from Leo and looked into his eyes. She shivered and he smiled gently as he leaned forward and captured her in another tender kiss.