A/N: Alrighty then, my readers, the nays have it. My next story will not be posted for a while, owing to the desire of many readers for me to continue this story as fast as possible. Noctem made a good point of telling me to post due to the fact that I'll write that story whenever I get a brainstorm, and it'll delay this story anyway, but most of you want me to finish this before starting the next, so that's what I'm going to do. Ok, before we get into the story, I want to say, once again, that I am not a very good romance writer. This chapter is slightly fluffy, (don't expect a lot of fluff…they're demons!) and I hope you can stand to read it.
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Chapter 13: Hermione's Awakening
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It was Wednesday, and it was probably the most important day of Hermione's life. Her sixteenth birthday was tomorrow, and at midnight that night, she would awaken as a Shadow Master. On an academic level, she was excited. When Harry awakened on his birthday over the summer, he started looking at magic in a completely different way. Hermione thought it was because he could see it, but Harry said it was because his mind had changed, and he was more in tune with magic now. It made sense in an odd sort of way. Magical creatures flocked to the forbidden forest because they could sense the magic of the area. Now that Harry was technically a magical creature, it made sense that he had a more intimate connection with magic.
On her demon level, there was a sense of anticipation. For the last two months, ever since Harry's powers had started to activate, she'd been feeling constricted. She knew that there was a demon inside her, just waiting to be awakened. Demons in mortal bodies cannot realize their potential until their mortal bodies reach maturity. Since Harry and Hermione were born possessed, they would be considered mature when their magical power stopped growing. That happened on their sixteenth birthdays. There was a sense of impending release inside her. There was also the building hunger. It had been three days since Rodolphus LeStrange met his end in the back alleys of Hogsmeade, and the need to feel somebody die was becoming uncomfortable. Harry, being fully awakened, could tolerate it for much longer than she could, and was right now in her room, keeping her from leaving. Good thing he was, too. The last thing they needed right now was to execute one of the students. Hermione was past the point of being picky. She wanted to feel it. Harry had chained her to the bed, so she couldn't get away by melting into the shadows. Harry said that once she awakened, the chain wouldn't hold her, but for now, it was sufficient.
She was annoyed with Harry because of the chain, but grateful to him at the same time. He kept her from going to classes that day, and was sitting with her in her room. There was a good reason for her to be grateful, too. Her human side was terrified. In approximately one hour, she would lose her humanity. According to Harry, her entire perspective would shift, and she wouldn't even be able to think of herself as human. Then there was the pain aspect of the awakening. She watched Harry's awakening, and witnessed him thrashing about in pain. Later, she came to find out that Harry had basically been torn apart and rebuilt on the inside, organ by organ. Although it didn't last long, Harry said it was quite painful. She believed him, because he was the only person she knew of that had experienced one.
Harry was currently sitting on her bed, holding her, as she contemplated losing herself in a demonic transformation. His presence was reassuring. He had been gone for about an hour in the morning, to inform the Professors that they would not be attending classes that day. They would be missing Charms and Defense, but both professors understood. They had been sitting in Hermione's room all day, alternately talking, kissing, and Harry comforting Hermione. Harry knew she needed to know that he was there for her, and he was doing a marvelous job. It was almost midnight when she thought of something.
"Harry?" She asked, tentatively. She didn't want him to be offended. "Why is it that whenever there is some solo work to be done, you do it instead of me?"
Harry laughed. "I wondered when you were going to ask that question, Hermione." He smiled, and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure that you'd be a brilliant spokesperson for the Circle, but not until after tonight. It takes you too much concentration to shadow walk right now, because your mind isn't suited for it yet. The last thing we want is for one of us to get captured and give away the Circle. After tonight, your new instincts will allow you to do things you never would have thought you could."
"Like what?" Hermione asked. The academic side was taking over.
"The best example is your arm." Harry said. "Right now, I have you shackled to your bed, so you can't escape on me. After you awaken, you'll have an entirely new perspective on that. The chain may be holding you, but the inside of that manacle is shrouded in shadow. Right now, you can't concentrate hard enough to make only a part of your body shadow walk, so you're caught. After you awaken, you'll have no trouble doing it."
"So, you would let me watch the proceedings from afar, but not participate, because my abilities aren't as developed as yours." Hermione said. "That makes sense."
"You'll know this in a few minutes, but even a room completely lit has shadows somewhere. Once awakened, you'll be able to find them, and use them, no matter how faint they might be." Harry said, the pride in his abilities apparent. "We are the ultimate spies and assassins. Deadly as one of Hagrid's Blast-ended Skrewts, and more slippery than a wet bar of soap."
It was drawing closer to midnight, and Harry cast a silencing charm on her room, so that her screaming would not bring the authorities in on them. Professor Mcgonagall had come up once to see what was wrong with Hermione, and had wondered how Harry had managed to get into the girl's dorms. Hermione said she wasn't feeling well, and Harry was taking care of her, and Harry had explained that he used his broom, conveniently placed in the corner, to come in through the window. Surprisingly, Harry didn't get a detention, just a reprimand for flying without supervision.
The clock on the wall struck midnight, and Hermione screamed.
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Harry knew what was happening. He'd done the same thing on his birthday, but without anyone there to help. It was painful. Far more painful than anything he'd ever been through, but only for a few minutes. After that, his demonic mind started forming, and he lost the mental connection with his body. He could feel his body continue to thrash, but it was like he was an outside observer. Then it was over, and he was a new entity.
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The pain was intense. Beyond intense, it was excruciating. The only parallel she could possibly think of was the cruciatus curse, having seen it used before. She would bet this pain was worse, if she could string together enough coherent thought to make the bet. The pain consumed every part of her body. She could feel her bones liquefying under her muscles, and she could feel her muscles rippling painfully as they changed. Her organs were all screaming as they stopped working properly. It was the worst experience of her life.
Suddenly, the pain stopped. She could still feel each of her organs shut down, only to be replaced by a new one, which functioned perfectly, although slightly differently. She could still feel her body changing ever so slightly, becoming faster and more agile. Her muscles, while they remained the same size, were growing stronger. But, that was not the best part of her transformation.
Hermione's perception shifted suddenly. The world was awash with tendrils of colorful vapor. He was seeing magic for the first time, and it was beautiful. The walls had a glow to them, her wand, laying on the nightstand, was pulsing with internal magic, and she could see her own aura as it flared with her changes. She knew it would disappear as soon as she finished changing. She couldn't see Harry's aura, and Harry had already explained to her that they instinctively masked their magical presence.
Hermione was in pain again, this time centered on her head. New information was being pumped rapidly into her brain. She learned the history of shadow masters, how to discern what type of magic was being used, and most importantly, her new instincts for using her abilities. The knowledge flow started slowing down as her head was filled with combat techniques. Being assassins that are not the strongest in magic had its disadvantages, so physical combat techniques made up for it. The fighting style was graceful, and very strong, using the enhanced strength of the demons to formulate the moves. The style didn't have a name. As the knowledge flow stopped, she regained her connection to her body.
She felt powerful. She was sore, but powerful. It felt like her muscles were coiled snakes, ready to strike. She felt like a predator. Strangely, the impulse to kill had diminished slightly. She felt like she was in control of herself again. She became aware of a constrictive band around her wrist, which she took an immediate dislike to. She felt the shadow on the inside of it, and melted her arm into it, only to pop out the other side of it, perfectly fine, with no sign of tampering.
There was clapping beside her. "Bravo, Hermione. I knew you could do it." The demon next to her said. She knew it was Harry, but her vision was different. She didn't view the world as objects and space anymore. It was instead, light, shadow, and magic. Every source of light cast shadows, and every magic had colors. The shadows were there, no matter how faint, and they were always surrounded by light. It was odd, yet she knew it was the way the world should look. She couldn't help herself; she had to smile.
"Thank you, Harry. Or should I say Pyrus?" Hermione said. Now that she was a demon, she recognized Harry's demon name.
"Call me Harry, Ferrata." He said, looking her in the eye. "And I'll call you Hermione. Our true names must be completely unmentioned in this world. It would give Lord Riddle too much sway over us if he knew them."
"I see your point, Harry." Hermione said. "Even if he did just call us, and we could always refuse, if he could speak to us by name, it would force us to listen to what he said, and we would be unable to harm him."
"Exactly, and I really want to kill him." Harry said, his eyes gleaming. "So, to change the subject, are you hungry? You haven't eaten at all today."
"Actually, I'm starving. Let's go to the kitchens and get some food." Hermione said, smiling. "I wonder if Dobby will recognize us as demons."
"Probably not. We are bound to human form, and we are mortal. Those are two characteristics that demons don't have, and it will confuse the elves enough that we don't have to worry." Harry replied.
"Ok, food first, then we plan. Tomorrow night is my first execution as a full bodied Shadow Master, and I have a taste for Fudge." Hermione said, her eyes glowing with anticipation. Harry just laughed.
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A/N: I told you that the fluff would be small. I can't really write it well, so I choose not to. I hide my inability to write it behind the mask of "What do you expect? They're Demons!" but it really is just my lack of romantic penmanship. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Coming soon will be the death of our most esteemed Minister of Magic, and a Weasley Inquisition. My fingers quiver with anticipation!
Raven Dragonclaw: Snape? Stop torturing Harry? Why would he ever do that?
Mella DeRanged: Makes them sound like what? Demons? News Flash!
Noctem: Don't give away secrets! Of course it's because he's not human, but people were supposed to figure that out on their own.
Jess16: Indeed I do, but not for a few chapters yet.
Bellatrix: Sorry, but no Ron action in this one. Next chapter, I promise!