Thank-yous to my readers at the end…sorry for taking so long, but here's chapter 16!

Flashback

He smirked—though it was almost a smile—as he continued to stare interestingly into Hermione's amber eyes. Completely against her will, she utterly melted in his brilliant gaze.

It was as if something had zapped Hermione's brain for a second. It hurt like hell, but it must have worked, because it alerted her to what she was doing. Smiling in what probably looked like a flirtatious way to Sirius Black's uncle. This was getting way too out of hand.

But, besides all that, she took particular interest again in his astonishingly green eyes. They clashed interestingly with his darker-than-charcoal-black hair and they stuck out in a manner so that they were the first you would notice about him. It was odd, Hermione realized, that while Antares had these magnificent eyes, his nephew had emotionless, fearful, impossibly dark brown eyes which would frighten anyone. Hermione wondered vaguely how recessive the green must have been in Sirius's family. For, Hermione had noticed that everyone she had met out of his relatives had been darkly proportioned. Bellatrix had the same coloring Sirius did, Sirius's mother, even though she was in portrait, was gloomily tanned, and no one had ever come across the possibility that someone might have green, blue, or even hazel eyes.

"Like what you see, Granger?"

Antares's voice alerted her out of her trance. "Huh?"

He smirked knowingly. "I asked if you like what you see." He repeated, almost disgustingly patiently.

Hermione blushed. "Oh—um—no—I, I mean—you have very—well, I—not like that—but, I—" she spluttered horribly.

Unfortunately, Antares didn't come to her rescue until he realized she would not become comprehensible anytime soon. "Yeah. Got it. So where did you come from exactly? Because, for one, I've never seen you around, and Riddle has never taken a liking to anyone in this school. Therefore, you must be a transfer. From where?" he asked curiously, but manipulatively.

"I—" Hermione started, but relaxed and got a suspicious glint in her eye, "—that is for me to know and you to never find out, Antares."

He shuddered for a reason Hermione didn't know yet. "Please don't call me that." He pleaded.

Hermione was genuinely perplexed. "Well, that's your name isn't it?"

"Of course…it's just…my grandmother had a thing for constellations and persuaded everyone in my family to name their kids after certain ones and I ended up with this." He said unceremoniously. Hermione nodded slowly in both confusion but wanting him to continue. "Anyway, I'm not ever referred to as 'Antares' except by my mom and my grandmother."

Hermione smiled sweetly. "So what would you like me to call you then?"

He looked at her, unblinkingly for a second. "Andy."

She screwed up her face in consideration. "Andy…" she muttered. "Hmm…I'm not sure it suits you."

"What do you mean?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, it's just it sounds so…so…so plain."

"And…"

"Well, well, nothing, I guess. It's just that Antares sounds so original and enthralling, and Andy is just…Andy."

"Way to go state the obvious, Granger. That's the point." He explained, but looking at her bemused expression, he elaborated. "I'm tired of having to tell people to pronounce it right. 'Not An-tairs,' I would say exasperatingly, 'An-tare-eez.' It gets tiring after a while."

"Believe it or not, I've had to tell people to say mine correctly also. 'Her-my-oh-knee, not Her-me-own.' I know how you feel. I was just saying it seems odd for you. But if that's what you wish, then I will oblige." She said with a mock bow.

"So, uh, Andy," Hermione accentuated, "were you ever planning on telling me what happened to you to get you in here?"

His apple-colored eyes flickered for a moment, and Hermione was afraid he would go on a tirade, or else ignore her question. She was surprised. He swallowed, seemingly contemplating his answer. "What do you know about werewolves?"

Hermione frowned charily. "Werewolves?" she blinked a couple of times in wonder. "Well, a fair bit. I mean, well, I've known one actually, but he was quite tame." She explained, fondly thinking of Lupin.

"But you also know most of them are rather vicious?"

"Of course." Hermione struggled.

"I don't suppose you know who…who Fenrir Greyback is, do you?"

Hermione's blood froze in her veins, and she felt like she could not breathe. Her eyes started to glass over as she stared at him. She saw his startlingly green eyes waver with concern, but she was rather caught up in her own thoughts. She thought horrifyingly of the night of the Lighting-Struck Tower and of how Lupin told everyone Greyback was the one that had bitten him and Bill also. She honestly hadn't expected to hear of him again.

"I—I've h-heard of h-him." She said, stuttering, but with hate etched in her face. He was just about as close to Voldemort as was physically possible.

He creased his forehead in puzzlement, but it was quickly gone. "Yes, well, then you also know that he is one to have…prodigious strength?"

"Yes."

"He's the reason I'm stuck in this wretched place."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat again, as she gaped at him. He wasn't a werewolf, was he? "Y—You're not a-a—"

He laughed pitifully. "No, I'm not a werewolf, —" Hermione quietly let out her breath, "—but I did get thrown around a fair bit. Hence the broken ribs."

He winced slightly, and Hermione softened in sympathy. She decided now wasn't the exact time to ask him exactly why he had met Greyback in the first place. "Yes, well, I—I'm sorry. I—I didn't know. How are you holding up?"

"Don't be sorry. I'm alright, just a bit sore. And bored of being here. Two weeks in a too-sterile hospital room can get a bit depressing."

She nodded in understanding. She was already getting jaded with the place, and she had only been here two days. "Yeah. So, anything else I should know about you?"

Tom stood impatiently at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, seemingly waiting for someone. He was getting rather bored and impatient; he felt like he had been standing for hours. Checking the time again on the huge clock outside Hogwarts, he found out he had, in fact, been waiting that long. Disgusted, he was about to head off again and get his revenge later, when he saw a shadow by one of the greenhouses.

It came closer, and his face turned to a scowl when he realized who it was. "Avery! Where were you? I expected you an hour and a half ago!"

"Y-Yes. I'm—I'm sorry, My Lord. I had a difficult time—"

"Save it, Lawrence. I have a job for you."

"Yes. Anything for you, My Lord."

"Oh, stop with the ass-kissing, Avery. Get up." He spat.

Avery took on a slight pained expression, but it was gone in an instant in his fear of Tom. "You—You said you had a job for me?"

"I did. Follow the man named Antares Black. Tell me his every move." Tom ordered.

"Black?" Avery said before he could stop himself. "But, why—"

Tom stopped him with a glare that could kill. "Because, my slippery friend. He is seducing the witch Granger and I must find out why."

Lawrence clenched his jaw so you could see the muscles working, but did not voice his protests or concerns. "Yes, My Lord."

"Good. Now off with you."

Tom watched as Avery transformed into his Animagus form—a pitch-black hawk. Tom kept his sneering face as Avery perched himself on the Hospital Wing window, casting a yellowy glare at Tom, who smirked.

"Yes. Hermione my dear, you are being watched."

Hermione and Andy were again in an awkward silence. Not one where something very stressful had happened and they didn't want to talk about it, but one in which both had a secret that they were dying to tell the other but couldn't. Right from the beginning, Hermione had felt a strong connection with him. Like they had been some sort of friends forever. He seemed to say the exact right things at the best moments, and they even seemed to be on the same mental wavelength at times.

Andy broke the silence. "Her—Hermione? Earlier you asked if there was something I wasn't telling you, and I didn't answer. The honest truth is that there is."

Her head snapped towards him rather painfully, and she stared into his malachite eyes. It seemed he was refusing her stare, though she thought she saw them flicker towards her a few times. "Yes?"

"Well, you see, I'm an Animagus."

Hermione stared at him in shock. Not that this in itself was surprising, but more the fact that he told her. "You-You are?"

"Yes. A wolf." He confided.

Hermione started to laugh, even though the situation was almost grave. He looked at her strangely, but the only thing she saw in his eyes was a glimmer of Sirius and his laughter in them. It was remarkable, now that she noticed it, how similar they were. She had of course noticed parallels between them, but she hadn't known they would be alike enough to have effectively the same Animagus form. Just that Sirius had been a great, black dog, and Antares being a wolf. It was remarkable.

"May I ask what you find so funny?" he asked, although she detected a tone of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm sorry." She said sincerely. "It's just that you now remind me so much of someone I used to know."

"Used to?" he questioned, looking at her.

"Yeah." She answered, a knot forming in her throat against her wishes. "He died." She replied bluntly.

"Oh, I apologize. I didn't know." He said honestly.

"It's fine. You're right—you didn't know." Hermione snapped. She sighed, taking another breath. "I didn't mean that. I shouldn't have retorted like that."

He didn't answer. She felt rather than heard a movement from his bed, but did not look over. Suddenly, she was aware of a pressure by her right side. She gasped. He was now sitting (rather awkwardly, it was true), on her bed. He gave a faint smile at her, and she sat up, cringing uncomfortably at her not-yet-healed wounds.

"Wha—What are you doing!" Hermione squeaked. "You're not supposed to be out of bed."

He merely shrugged and she rolled her eyes at his negligent nature. "She won't notice. Never does."

She was wondering how often exactly he had been in here to recognize that fact, but brushed it aside. "So how're you holding up?" he asked.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh, me? I'm fine now, really. He wasn't as close to me as he was to my best friend, but he still felt like family, though."

"Ah." He said simply. "You sure?"

"Yeah." Hermione responded dimly. "I mean, there's times I feel bad for him—my best friend, that is—and I wish I understood more than I do, but you remind me so much of him. It's uncanny."

For an explanation that escaped Hermione, she felt a drop of salty liquid grace her cheek and fall soundlessly onto the crisp bed sheets. She was unaware that Antares was doing anything, until she felt a warming impression on her face. She looked up to find that he had brushed her solemn and solitary tear away.

Hardly conscious that she was doing it, Hermione found herself sitting up farther and lightly touching her lips against his. They were surprisingly warm and inviting, and she felt herself relax. He seemed understandably startled, but he appeared to then get used to it. Hermione felt his hand enclose around her waist, and she draped her hands behind his neck.

He kissed her with un undying fervor and heat, which was an entirely new sensation to her. She replied with vehemence all her own as she deepened their connection, causing him to respond with more enthusiasm than she would have expected. Just as she was about to part her lips, she heard a loud, resounding bird screech through the air.

Startled, she broke apart from him (albeit a little disappointed), and jerked towards the window. She saw a shape, blacker than the sky around them, streak through the darkness, and she leapt out of bed, transfixed by the bird. Slowly, she walked the length of the room, placing her hands on the frigid glass and looking out. Antares came to join her at the window, his uninjured hand resting subconsciously on his bandaged side.

Slowly, they saw the obsidian hawk land on the ground by the boundary of the Forbidden Forest, illuminated in the silvery moonlight. They held their breaths for a moment as the bird stared into something deep in the trees. Strangely, it gave the impression of nodding its contoured head as it ruffled its wings. In the instant that a beam of light glanced off of its amber eyes, Hermione let out a shriek of surprise, for where the hawk had rested, now stood a boy of around 17, his eyes eerily similar to those of the bird's.

Antares himself seemed aghast at the sight, though he did not utter his surprise like Hermione. Still, he peered through the panes, squinting to see who it was. Agonizingly slowly, they saw another figure step out of the forest shadows, his hands behind his back. He seemed to be in heated discussion with the newly transformed man, but it gave Hermione chills at his sinister smile.

Unpredictably, almost spectrally, a thick strand of moonlight enveloped the second man's face. Hermione's eyes widened to those of near unreal proportions, and she emitted only a gasp of unbridled surprise before her vision went black and she hit the floor, unconscious.

Five Minutes Prior

Lawrence was tired of being perched on the windowsill, and was just about ready to close his lamp-like eyes when something alerted him. The yellow orbs snapped to the hospital room inside as he watched Antares get a determined look in his eye and, wincing, stand up. Unblinking, they trailed him to where the Granger girl lay, and Avery thought he could see a tear descending her cheek. Disgusted, Avery wanted to look away, but kept his glance on the now kissing couple, in fear of his life. He thought this would be enough information for now to tell his Master, and, frankly, he didn't think he could stand much more romantic tension.

Letting out a shrill cry, and spread his tired wings, taking flight. Landing in his prearranged position, Avery waited. Hearing his Master's soft voice from the trees, he pointed his head towards them and transformed, glad to be at full height again. He was unaware that Antares and Hermione had followed him at the window. He smiled evilly, and although he was tired, he was confident his master would reward him.

"Master." He greeted.

"Avery. What do you have for me?" Tom said, stepping slightly out of the cold darkness.

"It—It's the Granger witch." He said carefully. "And—And Black."

Tom's eyes flashed with an unidentifiable disappointment. "OUT WITH IT!"

Avery flinched. "Well, they...they had an…intimate connection for a moment."

Tom just stared at him. "Intimate how?" he asked, a little too soft and sweetly.

"They kissed." Avery braced himself automatically.

"Thank you, Avery."

Tom stepped farther into the moonlight to grin falsely at his loyal 'friend'. In doing so, the moonlight glistened off his defined features for a moment, and his eyes darted to the castle window. For a split second, he saw two faces there, until one fell from the glass, and the other looked down to see what happened.

"Hermione…" Tom whispered. "AVERY! YOU FOOL!"

"I—what, My Lord? What—what happened—" Avery's smile vanished in an instant, and he now cowered.

Tom seriously considered killing or at least harming Avery right then and there, but abruptly Hermione's shocked face burst into his mind, and he found himself lowering his cast wand. He didn't know why he hadn't executed his intentions, but something about Hermione's hurt and stunned look pained him. It was as if her emotions engulfed him and made him feel pity on this unworthy being in front of him.

"Just get out of my sight, Avery. Now!" Tom ordered quietly.

"Y—Yes, My Lord. Yes." Avery left, tripping over his own feet into the darkness.

Riddle just stood there in the enveloping silence, the jealousy and ache now all too evident in his brown eyes. Abruptly, he sank to the ground in sad and calamitous defeat.

There it is. Thanks below:

Angelic Bladez (thanks as per usual, and I'm sorry!), purple bubble (omg, I love you sooooo much! Thanks!), san01, Mrs Pierre Bouvier, hermionegranger2007 (thanks, and I did—you?), Pozest-Illusion, unworthy fan (maybe I did describe him rather handsomely? I tried to make his eyes his best feature…), Twilight Elf-Maiden, Sadistically Insane (sorry!), and chipped-nails (sorry it's frightening—or is that good? Thanks for reviewing my other story as well!

insert raised eyebrow here…

You sound like another Amy Lee…can I explain myself quickly?

First of all, you and her seem to have a problem with my description of his build. Its one sentence, people. I'm not trying to sound arrogant or anything, but can you just deal with it? Come on. ONE SENTENCE. I put it in as a description. If you want to, replace it with your own. Plus, I've come to notice there's a lot of British people on the site, but, no offense, I am not going to conform to British writing styles, because I am American and I would like to write my own story. So sorry, and I don't plan on researching Britain.

And jeans, I feel I've already explained that bit, if you want to go back and read my explanation to Amy Lee on one of my previous chapters at the bottom. Also, like I said to her, I am not going to get a beta reader or anything, and this is FOR FUN, and I don't think it needs that much cleaning up, so excuse me if it does not conform to your standards. Once again, I'm sorry if this has severely offended you, but seriously? If you don't like it, don't review.