It had been already several months since Hermione's awakeing from the comma the terrible accident had left her in. Several months since she had left Harry and Ron's side. She was already at home, the recovery had been tough and hard, being her muscles so battered and damaged. Fortunately, her car had been one tough car which had saved her life.
The youth sighed deeply, glancing at the ground with tearful eyes. She had lost so many things. She missed Ron terribly, and felt very nostalgic for her sinistered car, but overall, she had lost her life. Hermione had lost the best life she had ever had.
She shook her head vigorously, and rubbed the tears away from her humid eyes. It already happened and was not worth living a life missing something that was probably just in her imagination. With a brighter smile, the witch decided to do something she had had to do for some time, that was taking her old friend for a ride. After all, Starbreeze was real, and as eager to gallop out of his stalls as she was of ridding the old, white stallion.
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Rupert Grint, that was the name of a young, redheaded actor, filming the last one of a famous movie, inspired in a well known eptalogy of books. His hair was a bright red, and his eyes a gentle blue.
That was it, the final scenes and it will be finished. Rupert smiled happily, he couldn't wait for this month to be finished. In two months or so, he will go to university and forget everything from this horrible life. The continuous remakes of the same scene, the hours waiting, and the hours filming, the makeup, the people, and the yelling director. He was eager to make a normal life, like the 18 year old teenager he was.
"Ok, take three, Rupert, you stand there, Tom, over here, perfect." The director commanded, positioning all the characters into his vision of the scene.
"There, three, two, one... ACTION!" the director bellowed finally.
Rupert knew his dialogues (not that there was much to learn anyways) and knew his action. With a second to relax and concentrate on his paper, the boy began his acting, while a havock of movement grew around him. People were acting, but it was his take.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Rupert bellowed pouncing forward and pointing his fake wand at Tom, his voice furious, his eyes sharp on the other boy's silver eyes.
Unexpectedly, Tom's wand flew off his hand and landed several meters away from his owner. The boy's eyes stared at the retreating object, then back at the other boy. People all around the place stopped their doings to stare at Tom and Rupert with curious and surprised faces. Emma leaned over to Daniel and whispered something into his ear, while staring at the red headed youth.
"Cool trick, Tom, how did you do it?" the boy inquired, oblivious to all the attention he was getting.
"I didn't do anything, Rupert..." Tom explained glancing at the boy very oddly.
That was like a bucket of cold water for the youngster. He stared around, at the director, at the cast, and specially at Emma and Daniel, his best friends from the filming. Nobody spoke, all kept staring at him as if he had suddenly grown fur. The boy dropped the fake wand to the floor as if it was burning, and stared at it with aprehension, like you would stare at a snake, expecting it to do something without warning.
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The horses in the stalls at Hogwarts were very nervous. The night was cold and deathly quiet, the silence was murky and horribly dense. There was expectation hanging from the air. Some of the animals pawed on the ground, or snorted nervously, but the ruffle of the manes was present in all the stalls, for all equines were tossing their heads. The dragons, on the contrary, were snoozing heavily, oblivious and fearless to the terror, for they themselves were the worst enemies a dragon could have.
There was a squeal, a growl. The cracking of twigs and the desperate yelling broke the silence. Leaves and branches exploded in a million shattered pieces. A small, reddish fawn leapt from the woodlands, tripped on the ground and rolled about the grass. When the small baby deer was about to stand up, the blurred figure of a predator flew out of the Forbbiden Forest. The frightened creature squealed when the moonster sank it fangs on the creature's neck. Blood dripped from the animal's body, filling the fanged mouth with its warmth.The predator licked his lips with pleasure and emmited a loud howl at the decreasing moon.
"What is going on?" bellowed a voice loudly.
The door in Hagrid's hut burst open violently. Hagrid stormed outside, ballesta in hand, and eyes glinting with anger. He saw the creature crouched next to the deceased foal, and stopped dry on his steps. There predator looked at Hagrid and growled lightly, only to turn and trot back into the woodland.
The owls began hooting, the night exhaled its breath of noises, and the horses relaxed. Hagrid walked towards the fallen foal and caressed its warm body with simpathy and a little sadness for the youth of the creature. His gigantic hand touched the bleeding wound on the neck, and the scratches made by sharp claws that stripped the fawn's body. The giant looked back into the woodlands, a worried expression spreading across his face.
"I don't get it... I thought he..." Hagrid murmurred to himself thoughtfully.
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"Hello Starbreeze, do you remember me?" Hermione said patting the horse's muzzle.
The girl mounted on his back and rode. A light pace, a trot to heat, and a short canter and gallop just to stretch the horse's muscles and avoid injury. Then excercise began. A faster gallop, several changes of foot just to make the animal remember his training, and a small circuit of leaps.
Sure, this was something she had loved doing since forever. However this time it felt empty, as if something was missing. She loved ridding, but the emotion she had felt so many times when being on Star's back had vanished. Suddenly she stared around, the field was empty. Perfect. She kicked on the animal's sides and hit him with the whip. The gallop became faster. Hermione worked the same commands again, making it a rythmic continuity. The horse increased his speed, faster and faster, until his speed was a full gallop around the fiel.
Perfect. The wind slapping the girl's face, the muscles rippling fibrously under the saddle. The girl was ecstatic. Suddenly, she knew why ridding a horse at the normal canter didn't fill her like it had done. She had learn dragon ridding after all, and a puny, gentle horse could never compare to the reptile's wild fury.
Pulling on the animal's reins, she made him descend to a controlled gallop. The girl then commanded him out of the field and went to the woodlands. That was what she needed, some emotion. Her life had been monotonous and boring during the last months, and she was eager to savour the flavour of danger in flesh. Cross. The white animal, trained only to jump in circuit was to feel the joy of living like his wild ancestors did. She raced deep into the forest, jumping and flying past logs and streams, descending down steep creeks, and climbing small hills.
Finally the two stopped for a rest. Hermione retreating the stallion's saddle and reins, and allowed him to pace around freely, while she drowned in her thoughts. Memories of her life at Hogwarts filled her lively, making her starve with the hunger of returning. The last days were specially vivid, as were the magic moments lived with Ron and Harry. Their games, their adventure, their animagus forms... well, Ron's werewolf form.
Hermione's eyes snapped open all of a sudden. She had been laying on the carpet of leaves, and Star was taking a good bucketful of water from the fresh stream. An idea roamed her head, but her technicity pondered the dangers and risks it could have. Another though also nagged her, will she be able? Will it work? Curiosity took the best of her logical mind, and the tickles for adventure that kept roaming her muscles became too strong for her to fight.
She stood up and concentrated strongly. The change reached her in spasms, and a light pain seemed to affect all her bones, soon extinguished by the surge of energy that filled her blood. The magic in her. Star raised his head, pricked his ears and stared at the woman curiously, yet with a mistrust that came from his nature as prey. The horse snorted with shock as a chestnut mare appeared where Hermione had been standing.
"Wow, I can do it!" neighed Hermione with pleasure and excitement.
"You are a horse?" neighed the white stallion with shock, his muscles tensing.
"No, I'm an animagus." Explained the girl staring at Star with a smile in her equine lips.
"Are you predator? You deffinitely look like a horse to me, and smell almost like a horse, but..." the horse inquired trustlessly.
"Don't be stupid!" snorted Hermione, "I'm your rider. Do you want to feel completely free?" the mare inquired staring at the stallion with mischief.
"I'm not too sure..." the horse's timid nature bloomed.
"Come on!" neighed the mare rearing and tossing her head wildly.
As her hands contacted ground, the mare galloped off, passing next to the stallion and motioning to be followed. Starbreeze, being dominated by his herd nature, followed the mare at full gallop. Both horses enjoyed the fresh air, the excitement of being absolutely free to do their will. Hermione, in her human nature, and Star in his genetic inheritance as wild horse.
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The great hall was busy as always. Morning had this curious effect and capacity to unite the four independent houses into one same place. Ron was pale, although last night wasn't full moon, the pressence of the white orb in the sky always affected his sleep. The red headed was also fuming with anger, fists clenched tightly, and the tip of sharp fangs were tearing his lips such that the metallic taste of blood began filling his tounge. He swallowed, enjoying the flavour as if it was a candy.
"What's wrong?" Harry inquired, watching how Ron was licking away blood from his lip, and the way his nails began to shape into sharp claws.
"I'm tired of people watching me as if I am some kind of murderer!" Ron hissed angrily, "I'm not going to bite them..." he finished mournfully.
Harry looked around, and indeed, people parted away, avoiding any contact with the red headed as if he had some pest. The glances he received could be translated from sympathy, to an undescriptable hathred of something that should be banned from the world of normal. He felt angry as well, and felt a terrible need of becoming the large, black bear and clawing at everyone in the great hall, only to prove that a praised animagus could be as dangerous as the terrible werewolf standing next to him.
Both boys sat on his place by the table, and began eating hungrily. Ron was wolfing down his food as he always did, yet people seemed to notice it now that his manners at the table glittered for its inexistance. Ginny came to sit by them. She sat next to Ron, kissed her brother on the cheek and smiled at Harry.
"How are you feeling, Ron?" the girl inquired with a gentle grin.
"I'm... fine." Ron said rather dryly, the past days had not been easy.
"Don't bother with the people, they'll get used to you. Give them some time." Ginny commented shrugging, yet glancing at the staring eyes threateningly, "They are a little anxious with me as well, you know, with the family thing." She said.
"What?" Ron choked on his bacon.
"But you aren't a werewolf, are you?" Harry inquired curiously, yet slightly worried for the girl.
"Heck, no!" Ginny said with a light laugh, "But I have inherited the hair thing, I have to use peeling charms once a month!" the girl laughed at her own joke.
"Harry, look!" Ron said suddenly, pointing at the staff table, "Hagrid looks worried." The boy commented.
The trio looked curiously. This usually meant problems. Hagrid was indeed looking pale and serious. He approached McGonagall hurriedly and talked something in a rapid murmurr. McGonagall looked very serious and stared at hagrid, as if trying to make sure she had heard correctly. Hagrid nodded, and the two people's eyes turned to look at Ron. There was worry in both of them, and a deep sadness for him.
"What is happening?" Harry inquired staring at Ron inquiringly.
Ron didn't answer. He had turned very pale, and his face became sweaty. He gasped silently, feeling uneasy, and conscious that all eyes in the hall were on him.
"I... I don't know!" Ron hissed urgently, staring at Harry and his sister as if pleading them to believe him.
McGonagall descended the staff table and walked towards the red headed. She looked older, her face was wrinkled with worry, and tiredness was affecting the severe features, softenning them.
"Ronald, can you please come with me to my office?" the woman told the boy gently, compassionate, yet with that harshness that characterised her.
"Yes, Proffesor... er... Headmistress." Ron nodded and stared at the two people he trusted the most with something close to a sorry.
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To Be Continued...
AN: Sorry it has taken so long to update, but I needed to put my thoughts in order. Also I havn't had much time, as well as good. I lost my beloved car, and I miss him greatly, sure, I've got a new one, but it was my car. It wasn't even my fault, and now I don't have my car. If you want to know my car, the story Beyond is somehow an apology for it. Well, I hope you like this story, it won't be as good as A Life To Live, but I think it'll be pretty curious.
