A/N Welcome to chapter 2 of Monsters! Are you excited? Because I am.
Enjoy.
"People who have monsters recognize each other. They know each other without even saying a word."
-Benjamin Alire Saenz
Hermione stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, wet hair and clothes sticking to her but she paid it no mind. She had taken a walk to escape the noise in her head after spending the day restoring the school. It was dark and raining but she enjoyed the cold water and low light. The trees were large and intimidating, cast in shadow and heavy with rain. It was always creepy, even in daylight but something about the night made it alive. Hermione took a step closer to the line of shadows, her feet squelching in the mud. Behind her, Hogwarts was warm and dry, it's usual profile marred by the destruction of the battle. It was no less inviting.
"Hermione, what are you doing out here? You're going to get sick. Come on," Minerva said, frantically walking to the girl. She had noticed her disappearance a few moments ago and knew Hermione was prone to walking the grounds. She had not expected to find her barefoot and soaked, standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as she led a pliant Hermione back to the castle, casting a drying and warming charm over her.
Hermione allowed Minerva to guide her back to Hogwarts. She hadn't noticed she had been shivering until the Headmistress cast the charms, nor did she notice how close she had been to entering the forest alone. She wasn't sure what drew her there, maybe it was the silence it offered, or corporeal beasts that could eat her if they pleased rather than pushing her into insanity. The forest could kill her so easily and maybe that's what she had been hoping for. Hermione rolled bent walnut through her fingers, taking comfort in something that had caused so much pain at the hands of a woman she still had nightmares about. She could still feel Bellatrix carving the word into her arm, feel the Crucios she had suffered. It wasn't as disturbing as it used to be. For Hermione, it was the only thing that hadn't changed since the war ended, since she lost her friends and parents. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unpleasant. It wasn't really anything, just consistent and Hermione took comfort in that. She saw movement in the trees and couldn't stop the small smile. She knew what it was.
Minerva ushered Hermione to the room she was staying in, being one of the few people staying at the castle full time. Other students came for the day but went home at night. Hermione didn't have that anymore. Without Harry and Ron, she felt out of place among the Weasleys. Molly tried to convince her to stay with them at the Burrow but Hermione had just shaken her head, not able to bear the reminder of the two boys. Hogwarts was different, they didn't enjoy Hogwarts as much as Hermione had. All of their adventures were here, but she couldn't bring herself to step into the forest. Tonight was the closest she had come to never turning back. They thought she was healing, getting better, and Hermione let them, for their own peace of mind. She knew she wasn't. She could feel the beasts at her heels and if she didn't do something soon, they would consume her.
"You seem like you need a break, Hermione. What would you say to getting away from here for a bit? Maybe a month or two?" Minerva suggested.
"I'm needed here," Hermione bluntly stated.
"We can manage without you for a bit. After all that's happened in such a short amount of time, you need time to relax and heal without distractions. Don't think I haven't noticed you working harder than everyone and eating the least. You're going to exhaust yourself."
Hermione shrugged, not having a response to Minerva's words. It was true, she ate enough to keep going but worked herself to the point where she fell into bed every night and woke up to do it again. It was a distraction. The work kept her busy and if she did enough, she would be so tired she wouldn't have time to think about everything. It wasn't healthy but it worked for her. It kept her mind off Harry and Ron and everyone else.
Minerva examined Hermione. Her posture was slumped and she was dirty from repairs and mud. Her eyes were haunted and she had faint lines around her mouth from never smiling. She was still too thin but it wasn't as noticeable as it had been the day of the battle. It looked like the life was being sucked out of her and Minerva knew she couldn't allow her favorite student to work herself to death. Hermione was like a daughter to her and she would not stand by and watch the self-destructive behavior. She saw how close Hermione was to entering the Forbidden Forest and stopped her because she knew if the girl entered she would never make it out.
"Hermione, I am sending you to my cottage on the Isle of Man. It is relatively secluded and near the ocean and I think it will do you good to have a break. There is a coinhabited village close enough to walk to and I have a friend that will check in on you from time to time. My house elf will make sure you eat properly. I will visit when I can but I must oversee the repairs to the school. I do not want to force you to go but I will. Do not argue with me, Hermione," Minerva said, giving the girl a stern gaze when she opened her mouth to object.
"Alright." Hermione shrugged. She knew it was pointless to argue and a change of scenery would be nice. She would be alone aside from the occasional checkup and the house elf. It was more than she had here and she could always leave if she didn't like it.
Minerva was shocked at how easily Hermione agreed. Hermione was stubborn and normally would have argued to stay and help. After the battle, she had been compliant and unresponsive to most things. Students tried to engage her but she never answered, or when she did it was a shrug or noncommittal grunt. People still tried, everyone wanted to know what happened while they had been on the run but Hermione had built a tower and hid inside. She had not spoken of the war to anyone. She hadn't really spoken at all.
"I will inform my friend tonight. Tomorrow at lunch I will take you over there and introduce you to him. He can help with anything you might need."
"Thank you, Minerva."
Minerva left Hermione, confident that she would not wander off in the night. She hoped some time away from reminders of the two boys would help Hermione. It was clear the girl was suffering but Minerva did not understand why she seemed to want to. In all her years of knowing the girl, she had never been so puzzled by her behavior. She regretted the Golden Trio needing to be involved in the war but it was inevitable. Hermione stood in the doorway a few moments after the Headmistress left, slowly reaching out and shutting the door.
Bellatrix crumpled the newspaper in her hands. The Daily Prophet had done nothing but run stories about the downfall of her Lord and kept tabs on the capture of Death Eaters that had escaped from the battle for the past two weeks. She couldn't stop the growl that ripped from her throat as she tore the newspaper into shreds. Her house elf had been fetching them for her and preparing meals, thrilled to have someone to serve again. Bellatrix repeated her morning process every day, reading the paper, growing angry, destroying it. She was gleeful that Potter and Weasley perished in the war. The girl had lived but had avoided giving a statement to any reporters. She hadn't said anything about the war to anyone at all as far as she could tell.
This gave Bellatrix pause. She remembered the girl's behavior during her torture and something didn't match up. Sure, the girl had lost her friends but everyone knew she didn't need them the way they needed her. There was more to the story and Bellatrix wasn't certain why she cared. Ideally, the girl still had her wand but there was no way for her to get it back. Not while she was rebuilding Hogwarts. Bellatrix pondered the change in Hermione before growing frustrated, not coming up with a plausible reason. She strode angrily out of the dining room, robes billowing behind her. If she wanted answers she would have to find them. Apparating to the Forbidden Forest, Bellatrix assumed her Animagus form, perching in a tree as a large raven. She would observe the happenings of the people rebuilding the school, waiting for the opportunity to lure the girl away.
Everyday, Bellatrix sat in one of the trees on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and every evening she saw Hermione walking the grounds. She was aimless, never really going anywhere, just going anywhere but where she was. She often gravitated to the forest, walking along the edge or just staring into it. Bellatrix could see the desire to just go in the girl's eyes. Something was holding her back. She would stare blankly into the forest, but she would always turn around as if something was behind her. The spell would be broken and Hermione would trudge back to the castle. It was strange, she never seemed to have a wand on her and she yearned to venture into one of the most treacherous places in the wizarding world. Bellatrix was intrigued, so she never acted, only observed Hermione.
Tonight was different from the other nights. Usually, Hermione left well before full dark but she still stood there. It was raining and she was barefoot and closer to stepping into the forest than she ever had been. Bellatrix tilted her head, curious as to whether the girl would do it. She remained hidden in the shadow of the tree. She watched as the girl took the occasional step forward. Her hair and clothes were plastered to her and she looked so gaunt. Bellatrix recognized the look in the girl's eyes. It was the same look she had after she had escaped Azkaban. One more step would put Hermione in the forest and after that, there would be no turning back for Hermione. She knew the girl understood that and she also knew the girl didn't care.
Just as Hermione was about to take the final step, Minerva appeared out of nowhere, halting the girl. Bellatrix wanted to scream. She had been so close. Silently spreading her wings, she made to take off, sending one last glance to Hermione. The girl was absently twirling her wand through her fingers and Bellatrix lingered long enough for Hermione to see her. A flicker of recognition passed through Hermione's eyes and she gave a slight smile. It was the first emotion Hermione had shown in all the time Bellatrix had observed her. She gave a subtle nod, telling the girl she had her wand before silently flying deeper into the forest and Apparating home. She didn't entirely understand their exchange. She didn't need to. She would be able to get her wand back soon and that was all that mattered.
Bellatrix couldn't stop the insane laughter that bubbled in her throat. It was hilarious to think the world's Golden Girl had kept her wand when she could easily get a new one. She hadn't failed to notice how Hermione would absently stroke her scar while staring into the Forbidden Forest. There was darkness in her eyes that no one else had seen but she had and she would use it to her advantage. She recognized the girl's need to hurt in order to feel anything. Bellatrix knew Hermione was hiding something big, something no one else knew. She intended to find out what that was and use it. The Golden Girl wouldn't be golden for long. She was tarnished before she ever got the name.
Laughter echoed through the halls of Black Manor as Bellatrix rejoiced. Hermione would be so easy to sway, she was already barely holding on. The girl wanted nothing more than to slip into madness and Bellatrix would guide her. She didn't know why, but she knew Hermione was the one Death told her to find. Now all she had to do was lead her down a path she was already aiming for. It was almost too easy. The darkness eating at Hermione was invisible to everyone but her. The wizarding world would know she had not been killed by an incompetent housewife. Even if it meant she had to destroy the world. She didn't know what her task was but she didn't care. Bellatrix Black was returned and nothing would stop her this time. She didn't need her Lord anymore. She never had. She had intended to take power from him when he won, Azkaban had set her back a little bit. She had been lost in insanity and didn't remember her goals anymore but she did now. And this time, nothing would make her forget. The world would bow at her feet or burn, and it wouldn't be possible without the darkening of their precious Golden Girl.