A/N: Oh my god, 4 months? I am really sorry guys but I have been horribly busy. Right now, I am writing a lot since I will be on vacation until the end of the month so expect faster updates.
hdecarranza: Gracias, es bueno ver que aun sigues por ahi y te gustan mis historias locas XD.
ceMR: Ginny is great tbh is one of the characters I enjoy writing the most [along with Gabrielle] Hahaha I will always try to surprise my readers, I am glad that I did.
Guest: I suggest you register an account and voice your concerns to the admins of the site. On the other hand, the story clearly states that this is a Fleurmione, I won't apologize because you didn't bother to read that.
Enjoy!
3.- Gouache
Hermione opened her eyes and found herself in a place she had never seen before. Tall columns with intricate designs surrounded her. The wide room was decorated with beautifully sculpted statues of smiling women taking care of children of different ages.
The brunette stood from the soft cushions that were laying on the floor and looked down when she felt that her clothes were too loose. She could not help but blink in surprise at her attire made of an extremely soft and light fabric. Even her unruly locks were tied in a bun and only a couple of loose curls framed her face.
"Where am I?" the young woman asked to no one in particular as she was alone in the spacious room.
Approaching the statues, Hermione could not help but smile at the tender expressions that adorned their features, but there was one set in particular that made her heart flutter. It was of a woman that was holding a newborn baby. The mother, of fine and delicate features, was smiling tenderly at her yawning child and Hermione felt a pull towards those exquisitely sculpted marble figures that she could not explain, at all.
There was something about the serene yet happy expression of the mother and the cuteness of the newborn baby that melted Hermione's heart but could not fathom the reason why those nonhuman sculptures caught her attention in the first place. Despite that, she could feel deep inside that they were important to her somehow. Her smile widened when the cheek of the marble baby felt warm under her fingertips.
"Those two are called the birth of hope" a voice stated and a surprised Hermione turned around and found herself alone in the room and looking everywhere trying to find the source of the voice.
"Who are you? Where am I? What is-"
"Your mind is filled with knowledge but your heart is lonely and silent," the voice interrupted and Hermione closed her mouth and scowled when she didn't find the source of it "you have your family, but your heart longs for more; especially that part of your nature that you are reluctant to accept."
"My heart is devoted to science" the Ravenclaw replied rather harshly, "and I don't need anything else."
"And yet, you smiled at the sight of hope," the voice whispered by Hermione's ear that jumped surprised, and turned around to find a hooded figure standing in front of her. Only the lower part of the stranger's face was visible as the rest of the face was covered by a blind mask crafted in silver with a crow on top that had a sapphire in its beak while its extended wings reached the top of the hood "you are not as tough nor indifferent as you may think," the stranger laughed and Hermione's scowl deepened.
"I don't know what you are talking about and I honestly do not care" the Ravenclaw spat annoyed while moving her right hand towards her leg "but-"
"If you are looking for your wand, I am sorry to inform you that you don't have it with you" the hooded woman added with an amused smile "in fact, you wouldn't be able to leave this place even if you exhaust all your magic as you just realized when you tried to apparate" Hermione observed the masked woman for a few seconds as if choosing her next words carefully.
"Since I, as you said, couldn't leave this place even if I wanted to" the Ravenclaw took a deep breath and exhaled in defeat "would you be so kind of telling me where I am?"
"Well, dear child" the woman raised her right hand and Hermione's breath hitched when she saw that there was no flesh but only bones.
A soft tremor was felt and the polished ground opened giving way to a magnificent throne chair with an arched upholstered back and a rectangular seat of dark velvet. Scrolled molded silver arms on octagonal baluster supports and partly fluted baluster legs joined by X-shaped lapis lazuli stretchers back embroidered with a crow with its wings spread, surrounded by an inscribed Garter, surmounted by a crown with a bluish gem.
The woman sat and crossed her legs before speaking again "you are in what you mortals call limbo"
"Am I dead?" a suddenly pale Hermione asked.
"No, but you are not alive either," the woman snapped her fingers, and a staff with a curved single-edged engraved blade on the end materialized. The moment it touched the floor, the brightness of the room vanished and grey shadows emerged from the ground and swirled around them.
"Am I going to die?" the Ravenclaw asked before swallowing hard. She had so many plans and things she wanted to do before the inevitable happened.
"Well dear, that depends entirely on you, but sacrifices must be made as you called me and I never leave empty-handed," the woman laughed when Hermione stiffened once more "but, if you are not willing to give up anything, you will stay here for all eternity"
"Whatever I sacrifice, I will lose forever, right?" Hermione asked scared of the answer.
"That depends on your own life choices, oh wise inventor," the masked woman replied cryptically before approaching the hesitant Ravenclaw, staff in hand. It only took her a second to be in front of the brunette that gulped when she felt the sharp tip of the staff against her neck puncturing the delicate skin "have you made your choice? After it's done there's no way back, child"
"I want to live" Hermione whispered when out of nowhere a hard surface appeared behind her blocking her only way to step away; there was no escape.
"Then, be reborn and pay the price of your choice," the woman replied and, with a swift move, she slit the Ravenclaw's throat, and a thick and crimson liquid started gushing from the wound at an alarming pace.
A gasping Hermione landed on her knees and tried to stop the hemorrhage to no avail as the grey shadows started chanting in a strange yet familiar language while swirling around the dying Ravenclaw.
Just before she closed her eyes, the statue with the newborn baby looked and smiled at her before everything turned black when Hermione Granger, lost consciousness while choking on her own blood as her own life slipped away.
When the Ankou comes, she will not get away empty, was the last thing the inventor heard before darkness engulfed her once more.
"Bloody hell!" a panicking Hermione yelled before sitting on the bed and reached her neck desperately to sigh relieved when she found no wound "that was a wild dream." And then, she noticed it. The absence of shapes and colors.
With trembling hands, the Ravenclaw lowered her gaze and gasped when she could not see her hands but lights and shadows.
"For Merlin, this can't be happening," a panicking Hermione left her bed towards the bathroom but tripped and fell after a few steps when hitting her right leg against a nearby chair.
"I-I am-for Merlin-I can't be-" landing on her knees, the inventor that had had all the world at her feet for so many years didn't dare to complete the phrase that sounded more like a curse than a testament of how her new situation was, and despite being known as strong-willed and relentless, she felt so powerless that could not help but sob softly in utter despair.
Being Hermione Granger's assistant was not an easy job and Ginevra Weasley knew it well. She had heard the rumors about the mercurial and demanding president of Granger Corp. and how assistants didn't last long with the exception of Emmeline, the last one that was now six months pregnant and about to go on maternity leave.
You need more than a sixth sense to deal with Hermione which is basically developing a way to read her mind, and anticipating her needs, was what the pregnant assistant advised her and who was Ginny to contradict the resilient and reliable Emmeline that Hermione hired herself, and who she trusted as much as her own brother.
It only took the redhead a couple of weeks to be able to handle Hermione's craziest petitions and have everything organized the way her new boss liked it. The Ravenclaw found in Ginny not only a great assistant, but a person that was able to anticipate her musings, and had everything ready before the inventor even asked for something in particular.
Ginny was the one dealing with most of the issues Hermione dreaded, and the latter was so grateful that she even gave Ginny a key to her flat and added her to the guards of the house in case the assistant wanted to apparate instead of using the muggle contraption.
The Ravenclaw definitely trusted the redhead immensely as she was the only one knowing exactly where Hermione was at all times; that was why Ginny found it odd that it was around noon on a weekend and her boss hasn't contacted her not even once.
This is bloody odd, but again, Hermione is pretty weird.
Wrapping her hand around the spheric pendant that hanged from her neck, Ginevra cast a soft bulla and the orange accessory gleamed before morphing into her bubble. The redhead was in the meeting in which Hermione discussed the design of the invention, and the assistant had to agree that presenting it as a visible artifact was more appealing than a simple spell so the bubble now looked like a piece of jewelry easy to charm and carry around.
The floating device gravitated in front of its owner waiting for instructions and the redhead grabbed it and whispered her password softly. At this, the bubble morphed into several displays showing a myriad of different files and reports.
It was not until the redhead ordered the device to find Hermione that Ginny sighed relieved when the blue dot of her boss' own device started blinking on a magical map of the spacious manor the Ravenclaw lived in.
"So, she's at home and probably sleeping" the redhead chuckled before heading to the kitchen of her small flat to make something quick to eat just in case her boss needed her which was something that happened frequently "that means that I can finally eat without a set time, I owe you one, Merlin"
Taking a bite of her chicken salad sandwich, the redhead set the kettle to have some tea. Despite being a witch, she had been around Hermione enough to take on some of her muggle habits such as making tea using a kettle instead of magic, and she had to agree with her boss on the fact that it was a relaxing and satisfying task. Something about the entire process required her undivided attention, but at the same time, was something to be done when a break was needed, and that brought peace to her soul.
Ginevra chuckled to herself when she remembered the first time, she poured some tea to Hermione that looked at her with a horrified expression when she sank a teabag on a cup with boiling water. She didn't know much about the art of tea-making as she was one that used magic for everything, and she was also one of those that thought that when you cast a spell to make tea, it just tastes good.
Despite being one of the things most assistants were fired on the spot, Hermione patiently walked with her to the kitchen, taught her the muggle way of tea making, and was not satisfied until the redhead was able to pour the perfect cup of tea for the inventor that threw away all the teabags and showed Ginny the leaves she normally liked in her tea. After that day, the redhead's tea was the only one she wanted to have at work.
The soft whistle of the kettle alerted Ginevra that the water was ready so she turned off the stove before warming the pot with a bit of the liquid she just heated. After a few swirls, she threw out the water and then added green tea leaves before pouring a generous amount of hot water and covered the teapot to let the tea steep.
"Bulla, set a timer for a minute, and please locate and call Hermione again," the orange bubble gleamed and the timer started a countdown while the map of the inventor's house displayed an erratic movement of a blue dot around her boss' bedroom, but was unresponsive to her calls.
That's odd.
With a swift move of her wand, Ginny grabbed two travel mugs before the timer of her bubble went off and the green tea was ready. She transferred the contents of the teapot to the mugs before adding a touch of honey and closing the lid. She finished her sandwich in three big bites before changing into some jeans, a faded t-shirt, and some sneakers before taking her charmed broom and leave the flat.
She wouldn't dare to apparate with hot tea again after last time when she lost the grasp of one of the mugs and not only got her hands slightly burned, but also earned an earful from a drenched and annoyed Hermione.
Something was not right and Ginny could feel it. Maybe it was nothing and the inventor was actually fast asleep, but she also knew her boss and she would never leave her bubble on and unresponsive unless something was not right. After securing the travel mugs and making sure they wouldn't fall nor spill, Ginevra Weasley took off and flew towards her boss' home with a worried expression.
"Accio, wand" a panicked Hermione yelled but she was not fast enough to catch it, and the wand crashed into her hand before landing a few meters away.
"Bloody hell," the inventor cursed loudly and covered her eyes with her hands trying to focus and calm down as the little information they were able to provide was of no help in her current situation.
"What I am supposed to do now?" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs in utter frustration before opening her eyes again. Dull amber and blue orbs blinked but the result was the same as before; her sight was reduced to lights and shadows.
Closing her eyes again, Hermione tried to calm down and concentrate on finding a solution to her predicament. Her wand had landed somewhere in the room, but it will take her a while to find it as accio it again might lead to the same, or worse, result.
There must be a way to contact-
Wait, that's it!
"Aniger bulla," Hermione exclaimed and the royal blue gem of the ring she carried on her left middle finger gleamed. Moments later, the inventor smiled when she felt the warmth of her floating device by her cheek. With a quick touch, the bubble unlocked and awaited her orders. Despite trusting her family with all her soul, the inventor didn't want to be a burden to them, hence her hesitation about contacting her brother and, even more, her mothers.
There's also Ginny.
She knew that her assistant would do anything for her, and not only because she had a fidelius charm with Hermione to avoid leaks of sensitive information, but because the redhead had become a close friend, as well.
Yes, she would help me.
A now standing Hermione was about to order her bubble to call Ginevra when the sound of her bedroom's door opening made her turn towards where the creak of the door led her.
"I knew you weren't sleeping" as if some gods were hearing her silent plea, Hermione sighed relieved when she heard the voice of Ginny approaching "here, I made some green tea with honey"
A silent Hermione tried to follow the voice of her assistant that frowned when she saw her boss' clouded eyes that missed grabbing the mug the redhead brought for her.
It's just as if- Ginny's eyes widened with realization when she saw the confusion on the mismatched eyes of her boss.
Oh, Merlin.
"Have a seat here" the redhead grabbed the fallen chair and placed it behind Hermione so she was able to sit before handing her the travel mug and waited patiently for her boss to take a few sips.
"Thank you, Ginny, I needed this," Hermione raised her gaze and gave a small smile to where she thought her assistant was "you know-"
"Are we going to pretend that everything is alright or you're going to tell me what on earth happened to your eyes?" Ginny interrupted with a hint of worry and Hermione swallowed the tea she just sipped before starting telling her what she remembered about the night before and the odd dream afterward.
Ginny let Hermione explain everything with as much detail as she wanted and didn't dare to interrupt her until she realized something that her boss hadn't elaborate further "wait, you said this happened after you touched that Ankou statue, right?"
"I did" and then Hermione's eyes widened "the statue should be in my lab"
"I'll get it so we can do some research about-"
"Don't, it's dangerous" Hermione tried to stop her assistant by grabbing her by the arm but since she was not able to see, she missed and just grazed her fingertips against the redhead's wrist that stopped in her tracks "if you touch it, you will be cursed as I am"
"Okay, I don't want that," Ginny sat back down and tried to come up with a solution for her boss' predicament "we need to get that statue analyzed but without touching it, right?"
"Yes" Hermione sighed "and I need someone to do it for me without telling everyone about my predicament, but who can do that?"
"Oh, that's easy" Ginny exclaimed "Tonks can help you out"
"No way" the inventor replied.
"Why not? She has a fidelius with you as I do and she's quite an accomplished inventor" Ginny shrugged "you just need to amend the charm, so it covers the new secret and you're good to go."
"That's actually a good idea" Hermione perked, at this, the redhead smiled at the sight of a motivated inventor before another frown marred her features when another important issue popped up "I also need a doctor"
"I will contact the elders of the north since veelas won't disclose the information with anyone outside the clan" Ginny added and chuckled when her boss stiffened "it's not a secret that you are part veela, boss"
"But-"
"Yeah, yeah, you don't rely on your inner creature, I know" the redhead grabbed the two travel mugs and stood from the chair "your mothers warned me about this topic, so it's fine"
"They are terrible" Hermione sighed exasperatedly "in any case I don't want them to-"
"Your mothers won't know because you are an adult veela and the elders won't disclose any information you don't want others to know" Ginny reminded the inventor that frowned annoyed.
"How do you know so much about this?"
"Your mama sent me some books on the topic after we met during the company's anniversary" Ginny replied with a smile that widened when Hermione rolled her eyes "do you want me to walk you to your bed before I head to the kitchen to ask Jacques to make you something to eat?"
"Yes, thank you," Hermione stood from her chair and Ginny grabbed her by her forearm and walked by her side.
"If you lower your hands more, you will feel the mattress," the redhead added in a soft tone and waited for the inventor to sit on her own.
"Before you leave, could you please hand me my wand?" Hermione asked with a slight blush "I tried to accio it, but I was not able to catch it"
"Sure" Ginny nodded before raising her own wand "Accio Hermione's wand" in a matter of seconds, it landed on the assistant's hand that gently placed on her boss' open hand "here you are"
"Thanks" Hermione closed her right hand around the wand and raised her head trying to find her assistant "since amends to the fidelius need to be done, please kneel in front of me"
"You don't waste any time, huh" Ginny joked but did as she was told.
"Please close your eyes," Hermione instructed and used her other hand to cover Ginny's eyes, just in case she dared to peek.
After making sure everything was in order, the inventor made a complex movement with her wand before chanting the almost forgotten spell to reinforce, and add more information to the fidelius charm she had with the redhead. It was an archaic but effective tactic to avoid information leaks that had worked wonders for the inventor and her company.
"There, it's done" Hermione whispered and leaned back to give room to Ginny that promptly stood up "please, tell Jacques to make some finger sandwiches, and I wouldn't mind having some more tea" the inventor could almost see her assistant rolling her eyes.
"Fine, I will make more tea while you talk to Tonks" the redhead added with a sigh.
"Thank you for everything you have done so far, Ginny" Hermione smiled gratefully.
"Not a problem, just don't get into more trouble while I am gone," the assistant placed a hand on the inventor's shoulder before chuckling amused at Hermione's glare that adorned her features until the assistant left the room and closed the door behind her.
"Expecto Patronus" Hermione said and soon, a bluish hummingbird appeared among the mist of the spell "Tonks, I have a favor to ask you that can't wait so please come to my house as soon as you get this message, it is urgent" the inventor stated and with a wave of her wand sent her patronus away before wiping the sudden tears that started falling from her cloudy eyes.
"So, you are telling me that you can't see a thing?" Tonks asked in disbelief and even dared to wave in front of her boss and her eyes widened when she got no reaction at all.
"Be serious" Ginny elbowed the feisty witch that rubbed her ribs in pain.
"It's true, I can't see, and I need your help" Hermione was a proud and stubborn witch, but she also knew when to ask for help, and this was one of those moments.
"Sure, what do you need?" Tonks asked nonchalantly.
"I need you to go to my lab and secure the Ankou, but you can't touch it because it might curse you, too" Hermione explained and Ginny nodded.
"So that thing has been there without any guards protecting this place? We can all be cursed by now!" Tonks gasped theatrically, and the brunette inventor rolled her eyes.
"Stop being dramatic, my lab has a strong guard that doesn't let anything out, not even an unforgivable curse" Hermione stated with pride.
"And still, you're here in front of me completely blind" Tonks stated the obvious with a shrug.
"Idiot" Ginny shook her head.
"I was just kidding, boss, you can count on me" Tonks patted Hermione's left shoulder and the inventor stiffened at the sudden contact.
"Thank you, Tonks, I really appreciate it" the inventor smiled "we do need something to secure it, however"
"Oh, I know!" Tonks exclaimed, "how about the portable vault we were working on?"
"Our research and trial department just gave the ok for production a few days ago, and the first hundred units are currently being manufactured with a dozen ready as we speak" Ginny added while checking a copy of the reports from her bubble "do you want me to set a couple aside and order them to be delivered here, boss?"
"Yes, please ask for four of them" Hermione added before taking a bite of the sandwich she just took from the plate her assistant placed on her lap "better safe than sorry"
"They will be here in ten minutes as I've already contacted the head of distribution, and he will deliver them personally" Ginny added before closing her bubble that dissipated in an orange mist.
"I wish he were that efficient when I ask for something to be delivered to my department," Tonks pouted.
"Well, you're not the boss" Ginny shrugged.
"Ginevra could you please leave us alone for a minute, I need to reinforce Tonks' fidelius," Hermione asked after finishing her tea.
"Sure, I will go and wait for the delivery" the redhead nodded and took the now empty plates, cups, and saucers and placed them in a tray that she took with her.
"Are you sure you can cast properly, I mean, you are blind and all" Tonks teased her boss that just scowled while her subordinate just burst into a fit of laughter.
"Idiot, I cast with my hand and wand, not my eyes" Hermione grumbled "now come here, annoying woman" a chuckling Tonks sat closer and leaned forward to be at her boss' eye level.
As she did with Ginny before, Hermione made sure that Tonks' eyes were closed before casting the ancient and complex fidelius, and the additional secret the spell should keep now "I'm done"
"Wow, that was fast-" Tonks was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in" Hermione stated before leaning back on her chair.
"I am back and bearing gifts" Ginny entered with a jingling bag "the portable vaults are here"
"Brilliant" the inventor exclaimed excitedly and Tonks stood from her chair.
"I will be right back, then, boss" Tonks added while taking the bag from Ginny's hands "I'll take care of the rest"
"Be careful, and remember, no touching the Ankou" Hermione warned once more.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine" Tonks reassured before leaving the room.
"I will follow her, and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," the redhead added before walking out of the room.
"Please do" a smiling Hermione commented. She kept the smile until she heard the click of the living room door and replaced it with a frown.
I hope everything turns out well.
Please, Merlin.
A/N: I love this story and all my original plans just were ignored by my muse but hey, the results are not that bad, right?
