Chapter 11
Later that evening, when the classes were over and Hermione and Regulus were headed down to the Great Hall for dinner, the brunette suddenly realized that this would be a challenge she had been avoiding for the last two days – ever since the Sorting Ceremony.
She lowered her head as they walked, tension pulling a knot with her intestines the closer they got to the Great Hall. She didn't feel like she was ready for it. It was too early, too much too soon, and Hermione felt like she might explode as soon as she saw them. Just thinking about it made her feel vulnerable, and she unconsciously inched closer to her partner, oblivious to the looks he was giving her.
"Princess," the young Black said finally, placing a light hand on her arm and pulling her to a halt. "Something is bothering you. Am I right?"
The brunette avoided meeting his eyes as she bit her bottom lip and pulled free from his grip lightly. "No, no," she said quietly, looking down at their feet, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Let's just get this over with. Come on."
She was just talking a step towards their destination when Regulus pulled her back, pulling her back up the stairs even as she followed on blindly, surprised by his intent. "Regulus," she started, but he would not hear it from her.
"Just hush and follow me. There is something that I wish to show you."
They backtracked along the flow of students going down to dinner, and gradually a smile began to form on Hermione's face, Regulus' mysterious words somehow making her feel expectant and grateful. He wanted to show her something, but more than anything, he was taking her away from the inevitable challenge that she knew seeing the Marauders and being unable to avoid them would be. She would have to eventually, she knew that – but perhaps now really was not the time. So she let herself be dragged back up the stairs, until they reached the Third Floor and Regulus led her aside to a landing away from the Grand Staircase, where a giant pendulum tic-toc-ed away behind double doors that led into a deserted courtyard.
"The Clock Tower starts here," Regulus told her. "And this courtyard leads out to Hogsmeade – I am sure you have heard of it already."
"Yeah," she nodded, "the town next to Hogwarts. Weekend trips for third years and over, Zonko's, the Three Broomsticks, yeah."
Regulus chuckled. "You do not seem very enthusiastic about it."
"Well," Hermione blushed, "it's just – bad memories is all. Reminds me of things I'd rather forget." She shrugged, then looked up at him suddenly. "Oh… Is that where you wanted to bring me? I'm-"
"No, no," he reassured her, "it is not, do not worry. I am not much of a social person. Hogsmeade is a rendez-vous place for teenagers that I would much rather avoid. However," and he smiled as he led her outside and into the courtyard, "there is a another place that can be accessed through this courtyard. Argus Filch starts his night rounds with the main doors in the Entrance Hall every evening. The Clock Tower is part of the last he comes around to lock. If we come out through here, then go around the Castle without getting noticed before passing the front Gates… You will see."
Hermione did as she was told, following him outside. They rounded the Castle, Regulus pointing out the different wings and towers as they came into view. As they walked, Hogsmeade's lights behind them faded out, replaced by the view in front of them. A forest came into view, a forest that Hermione knew from her first day at Hogwarts, when the Marauders had first brought her out of the Shack and into Hogwarts. Remus had been in there, she remembered. She remembered feeling parts of what he had been feeling and seeing, the darkness, the smell of moss, ivy and morning dew.
Now it stood before her in all its dark splendour, the setting sun behind it and giving it all the glory that she had missed when first seeing it in full daylight. Hermione slowed down unbeknownst to herself, captivated by the view, and Regulus paused with her to take in the view. They stood side by side, watching as the day took its last breath beyond them.
"It's beautiful," Regulus breathed, "is it not?"
Hermione could only nod. They began walking again, descending along the path that led downwards, towards the woods' entry. Hermione realized where they were going, and she paused again, hesitant.
"That's…the Forbidden Forest, right?" she asked, under her breath, feeling both fascinated and a little apprehensive.
"Yes," Regulus replied, stopping a little ways ahead of her, turning back to face her, curious. "Are you afraid?"
"No," she said honestly, shaking her head. "Curious. And perhaps… "
"Nervous?"
"No," she said, shaking her head again, then flashing him a smile. "Restless," she corrected him breathily. "Come on," she called, and began walking anew, faster, passing him out before he'd registered her words. "Let's go!"
Regulus let the brunette girl walk out in front of him before budging. He was breath-taken, fascinated, more so by the girl herself than by the view that the Forest offered him. "Slytherin," he whispered to himself, wonderingly, before catching up to her.
X
"This is where the Centaurs meet," he said to her, pointing out to a clearing between the trees. The clear remnants of a bonfire lay in the center of the clearing, surrounded by tracks of hooves, digging trenches into the dirt. "When they gather to hear the stories of the stars, this is where they come to listen."
"Centaurs," she said in a dreamy voice. "Half horses, half men. Have many seen them before? Talked to them?"
"Only the privileged ones. The Centaurs are a secretive race. They only let themselves be seen by those who are deserving of it – at least to their standards. They come out when there is a prophecy that needs passing on to our race, or sometimes to offer help in times of dire need. They never request, never demand, never beg. They are one of the proudest races alive, Hermione, and they are alienated by almost everyone. They are half-human, but to humans themselves they are only animals, even if they talk and think more than most of our race do. They are wise and fearless, and they deserve a respect that has been denied to them for hundreds of years."
"That is quite a speech in another's favour, young Black," a gravelly voice said from behind them, making Hermione jump and turn around, blanching quickly as she saw who was facing them. "But you should remember that it is by choice, and not by force, that our race stands lower than yours."
"A mistake," Regulus spat, anger plain on his face.
"And one that the Merpeople have made too," the Centaur replied, un-phased. "If you wish to preach 'respect' for us among your people, young Black, then perhaps you should start with respecting our choices. We have been denied nothing; we have chosen to remain out of the realm of men."
Regulus lowered his head, obviously cornered in his arguments, but unwilling to lay down arms. Hermione looked on, clueless, wondering what choice they were talking about that seemed to be so argument-inducing.
"Young one," the Centaur said, and Hermione turned back to him only to realize that he was now addressing her. She threw Regulus a panicked glance, but when he kept his head down, she suddenly knew that she would have to face the creature alone.
"Y-yes," she stammered, intimidated despite herself. He was at least three heads taller than herself, and he stood not five feet ahead of her. "I- I'm-"
"I know who you are," the man said, and his words sent a chill down Hermione's spine. Did he really? "You have come a long way here, star-rover. Have you been told?"
"B- been told what? Sir," she added hesitantly, transfixed by his voice and his eyes.
"Who you are," he told her, and her world rocked violently. She staggered backwards, unsure if she wanted to know what the Centaur had to say.
"Who- who I am-"
"I can show you," the man said. He took a step towards her, one hand extended as an offer, and his voice luring her in desperately. "Let me show you," he insisted, but the gleam in his eyes suddenly scared her, and she took two more steps back before Regulus jumped between them, surprising her. She fell back, startled, landing on her backside as the black-haired boy stood between them, arms extended to each side.
Hermione wasn't sure what was happening, wasn't sure how she had gone from curiosity to fear, but Regulus seemed to know what he was doing, and she trusted him. His body was tense and taut, and power oozed off him in waves as the Centaur cocked his head.
"Get back, Seli," the black-haired boy hissed at him. "She is under my protection."
"You know our rules, young Black. Any human that trespasses into our territory is ours by law."
"Unless they stand under the protection of a Prophesied! I know the rules. Now stand back."
The creature huffed, standing tall as he hit one hoof against the ground in anger. "Are you quite sure you want this, young Black? Is she one of your three? I will not touch her, and neither will the Tribe. But you will take responsibility for her. Remember that." And with that, the fearful creature strode away.
X
"I am sorry," Regulus told her again, apologizing for what was probably the hundredth time since they had left the clearing. "I did not think he would react so strongly to you."
"It's alright," Hermione told him again, meaning it. "I need to learn."
"Not this way," the boy told her, looking away, losing himself into the forest.
"What do you mean?"
"I brought you here tonight," he said to her, watching her closely, "not only to avoid your fated reunion with the Marauders," he admitted, and she blushed brightly, "but also to introduce you as one of my three to the Centaurs. I only meant to talk to Seli and to explain my decision to him, but I seemed to have forgotten that my privileged status only applied to me. The Centaurs' dislike for humans must have slipped my mind… I was careless."
"One of your three?"
"Yes. As I told you earlier, the Centaurs rarely appear in front of humans – and even so only when it is to announce a Prophecy to the concerned person."
"You are…"
"Yes. My first year here, six years ago now, Seli appeared to me on my third visit to the Forest. He delivered me my Prophecy. I have known him, and have been allowed here safely ever since, and I have extended that protection status to you tonight. The rules imply that I, as a Prophesied, am allowed, over the course of my life, to give three people of trust safe passage into the Forbidden Forest."
"So…I'm one of these three people now?"
"Yes. One of three, but also the first. I have never brought anyone else with me. And before you ask why," he told her, lifting a hand when he saw her about to speak, "I have no idea. I have only really known you for a day, but I somehow feel like we have known each other forever." He shrugged. "Either way, it does not matter. You are under my Protection now."
Hermione thought about it for several minutes as they walked. She felt confused by all of it, and she knew that she had yet to grasp the implications behind what had just been done, and the fact that her companion was apparently the main object of a prophecy, but she also knew that she was too tired and too hungry to really take the time to try and understand all of it now. She would ask later.
"I suppose I should thank you," she hazarded, clueless as to what to do or say.
Regulus smiled, catching onto how worn out the brunette was. "Come," he said without replying, "Let's get something to eat before we return to the Common Rooms for a much needed night of sleep."
"Does he... Does he really know about me? Can he really see who I am? In the stars? Is that possible?"
"Yes," the black-haired boy breathed. "He may."
"He called me 'star-rover'. What does it mean?"
"I don't know. He is a centaur. He could have meant anything. Centaurs are not exactly renowned for being overly clear in their affirmations."
"But it could mean something, right? I mean – if there really is a possibility that he know where I am from – then him calling me star-rover could be a hint, right?"
"Yes, it could be," Regulus answered carefully. "But if I were you, I would not give it too much credit. It could mean anything, or even nothing. If I were you, I'd forget about it. Trust me, Hermione; granting too much importance to a centaur's words is never a good thing."
X
They were just descending the stairs to the Slytherin common room, Hermione still licking her lips from the spicy chicken of diner, exchanging easy banter with Regulus as he tried to bring a smile back to her lips, when a panicked James Potter was flung head first down the stairs behind them.
Alarmed by the sounds, the pair turned around. Hermione stepped back. The back of her foot met air and she lost her balance, shoulders falling backwards and arms flailing out as she tried to stop her fall. Reacting, Regulus caught her hand, just as James stood from his fall and let his eyes fall on them.
"So it's like that now, huh?"
Hermione's eyebrows flew up, realizing what her hand in Regulus' must seem like, and immediately pulled it back, regaining her balance and taking a step towards James, missing the look on Regulus' face as she did so.
"James, it's not-"
"No, that's fine Hermione. It's not like I care anyway. I don't give a damn who you fuck, really," James spat, his eyes flashing.
Hermione recoiled from her old friend's words, hurt. "James, I-"
"Do you know why I'm here, Hermione?" James asked, taking a step forward as she recoiled from his anger. "I'm here because Remus and Sirius care too much about you that they just will not admit that they do. I'm here because they care so much that they have spent the last two days arguing, on whether or not you being sent to Slytherin means that you lied to us all summer. I suppose I have their answer now, don't I?"
Dumbfounded, Hermione could not answer straight away. She'd known the boys had a terrible opinion of Slytherins, but for it to go as far as to think that she had lied to them just because she'd been sent to Slytherin... She opened her mouth to reply, but James didn't give her the time.
"I'm here because I wanted to talk to you, or even just to see how you were doing since you haven't spoken to us in days. But as I can see, you're doing perfectly fine without us."
"James-"
"No, Hermione. I don't want to hear your excuses any longer. You two look as though you've known each other for years. And for all I know, maybe you have." He turned around, ready to go, then paused as he seemed to think about something more. His eyes fell on her hand, and he looked back up at them. "Remus is gonna be so hurt by this."
And he was gone. Just like that, Hermione's world, which had only begun getting better a few hours ago, fell apart all over again.
A/N: Hope you all like this chapter, even though it's rather short.
R&R please guys 3
~Tenshi