Wow, so sorry about that. It's been about a month, and I feel absolutely terrible. I just...I could ramble off legitimate excuses but I don't think you guys want to read them.
But thank you all, seriously. Your kind reviews are really helping me. It actually gets me off my metaphorical butt and helps me write. It doesn't help me write fast, mind you, but it really does help a lot, and I am very grateful for that.
Thank you for waiting patiently. Thank you for reading. And thank you being awesome. Enjoy.
...
Chapter Seven
Huh, I've never noticed the little divot right there. Right at the base of my sonic. It's quite distracting. The Doctor glanced up and noticed that the two of them were still embracing quite passionately. I wonder where the divot came from…
Donna was smiling, loving the spark that flooded in Hermione's eyes when she saw her friends. She glanced over at her Spaceman and saw his intense staring. She started to question him, but she was interrupted by the brunette, the ginger, and the boy with striking green eyes.
"Donna…John." Hermione shot the Doctor an apologetic look, not sure if he wanted them to call him by the title he went by, "This is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."
Excitement and wonder sparked the Time Lord's eyes. He wanted to scan them, to see if they were really human. They couldn't be real, any of them. They were book characters, they shouldn't be grasping his hand or talking with Donna. It wasn't right. It was all very troubling and the more the Doctor examined it, the less he liked it. This couldn't end well.
But who cares? It was Harry Potter and Ronald bloody Weasley.
The Doctor smiled wide, "Ah yes, heard all about you two. Along with your Hermione." The three friends smiled a tad, a trace of wariness in their faces. The Time Lord forced himself not to look at the Potter boy's scar, knowing how rude that was and how much Harry hated it. "Great heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts, destroyer of Horcruxes, all that jazz. Huge fan of your work. Especially you Ron. You're just magnificent."
Ron blinked slowly, shock making a quick appearance in his expression. Harry glanced at Hermione and saw a slow blush creeping over her face, along with an amused smile. He looked up at John and tilted his head, "Sorry, but…you're not a student here, clearly, so do-"
"Astronomy teach-a." He said proudly, "Me and my best friend decided to teach here for the year. Great fun it's been. Well, it's fun most of the time. Well, a good chunk of the time…Okay, if it wasn't for the shadow thing, it'd be just brilliant."
"Yes, extraordinary." Donna butted in, a strained smile on her face, "D'you know what else would be extraordinary? Dinner. Let's go."
She nodded politely to the trio and then grabbed the Doctor by his brown cladded sleeve, nearly dragging him. He grinned over his shoulder and waved to his favorite book characters. Hermione half smiled and wiggled her fingers. Looking back over at her friends, she was shocked to see how disapproving their expressions were.
"What?" She asked. It didn't seem possible. Only seeing her friends for about four minutes and already, she could feel an argument brewing. Her hands went to her hips, and the witch cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
"Who was he exactly?" Harry asked, his green eyes meeting hers. "I've definitely never seen him before."
"Well, seeing as he's a new teacher here, I expect you wouldn't. His name is John Smith. New astronomy teacher, and his friend, Donna Noble, is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
"DADA?" Ron raised an eyebrow and glanced at the back of the ginger's head. "Hope the curse is broken then."
"Ron, you know there was no curse. It was just misfortune."
The Weasley boy rolled his eyes, "Tell that to Quirrell."
Hermione smiled and she looked her friends over, fully this time. They seemed leaner and more sure of themselves since she saw them last, all those weeks ago. Her heart clenched painfully. Merlin, she missed those two so much. She missed their jokes and adventures, even if they were dangerous. She missed sitting in their favorite chairs in front of the fire, she missed scolding them about not writing down notes and then proceeding to let them copy hers. Hermione missed Harry's sassiness, Ron's sarcasm. She missed living at Hogwarts with them. It suddenly started to dawn on her that her two closest friends in the entire world were standing in front of Hogwarts with her, when they should've been back at the Burrow.
"What are you guys even doing here?" She asked, marvel in her voice.
"Popped by for a bit of shopping." Harry said, digging his hands into his pockets and rocking a bit on his feet. "Thought we might get a little Christmas shopping done for it gets crazy."
"At this time of night?" Hermione smiled, crossing her arms.
"Yeah…got a late start. Mum was trying to give us a fourth helping of her treacle fudge."
They all laughed, together and that thin layer of awkwardness shattered. Hermione waved her arm towards their school, and they walked side by side up to the castle. Just like old times.
"He was weird though. Smith." Ron said after a moment, sitting down on the Great Hall stairs.
"You don't know the half of it." The witch laughed, pushing her thick hair behind her shoulders. "You should see him teach. It's…quite the entertainment."
Harry smiled a bit at that, "He's a little mental, though, isn't he?"
"Without a doubt."
"Is that what I am to you, Hermione, mental?" That high, familiar voice reached the witch's ears, and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the she saw the amusement in his eyes.
"It's true of course. Can't go through life with a sane head, it's enough to drive anyone mad." With that, he walked up the stairs with Donna, chatting quietly. Hermione's head followed them, a smile playing at her lips.
Harry was staring at the Doctor's back. He ran his fingers through his jet black hair, making it look startling similar to the man he was examining. Hermione glanced at her best friend and a slight shock went through her body. Those familiar green eyes looked impossibly identical to the brown ones that belonged to her Astronomy teacher. A thin film of happiness covering the pain and sorrow that was being felt. Crow's feet disguising the fact that those eyes had shed many tears and were haunted by the events in their past. Hermione swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat. It had never occurred to her that Harry was still in pain. That even though there was triumph, there was still sorrow clouding his mind. It made the girl's heart ache when she noticed the pain still buried in his eyes, and it hurt even more to realize that, like the Doctor, maybe that pain would never really go away.
Hermione laid her hand on his arm. The wizard looked back over at his friend, and the worry lines between his eyebrows softened. "I like him."
Ron and Hermione jerked back a bit, surprised. The redhead glanced at the new teacher and then back at his best friend, "You like him? Why?"
Harry shrugged, "No idea. He seems completely mental…but he's just the type of person to bring some life and happiness back. And that's just what Hogwarts needs."
Hermione started to say something when her eyes drifted towards the Great Hall. A smile started to form on her face, and she slowly looked back at her friend. Oh, this is going to be good. Harry's eyebrow rose slightly, and Ron just shook his head. The witch nodded towards the crowd pouring out from dinner, and her best friend froze.
Ginny stood there, her hair pulled back in a tail, her arms crossed sassily, and a cocky grin on her beautiful face. The Boy Who Lived shot to his feet and bounded down the stairs. Hermione eyes filled slightly when the two crashed into each other, rocking back and forth in a hug.
"They're gonna get married, aren't they?" Ron asked rhetorically, leaning back on his elbows, a slight grin on his face.
The witch just nodded, "Harry as a brother-in-law…hope you don't plan on getting rid of him anytime soon."
He chuckled and looked at Hermione, happiness in his blue eyes. She smiled easily back, so incredibly happy to be back with her best mates again. After a moment though, the witch could feel awkwardness starting to contaminate the air between them. That first kiss brewing between them like it just happened. Neither of them knew what was going on with their relationship, they couldn't tell if was romantic love or just platonic. Hermione felt annoyance start to form, and she knew she better get on up to the common room, before something happened that they would regret. She missed Ron though. She wasn't going to let some awkward tension break up the night she was going to spend with her friends.
"How long are you staying?" Hermione wondered, resting her elbows on her knees.
The ginger shrugged, brushing his hair back, "Dunno, probably just for tonight and tomorrow. Just because McGonagall isn't our headmaster anymore, it doesn't mean she won't tell us to leave."
Hermione grinned slightly, knowing fully well that that was true. Students rushed past them, marveling at the fact that Ron Weasley and Harry Potter were back at Hogwarts. Girls and boys alike muttered behind their hands, their eyes flickering to the couple on the steps. The witch rolled her eyes, exasperated that she could never get away from the whispers. Ron and Hermione shared an eye roll and they chatted, determined to ignore the noise around them. Harry and Ginny were coming up the stairs, arm in arm, ignoring the people's stares and whispers. That was another thing that Harry could never get rid of, his own reputation.
Harry smiled down at his best friends, "Hey, let's go visit Hagrid."
Ron and Hermione agreed almost automatically. They stood up and the three of them headed for their friend's hut, (Ginny said she wanted to head on up to bed, knowing the trio wanted to be alone) Hermione swung her arms around her best friends' shoulders, not unlike how the Doctor did less than an hour ago. They trudged down the hill, to Hagrid's, remembering Norbert the dragon and the Blast-Ended Skrewts. They all laughed together, and it felt like nothing was different at all.
When that door opened, Hermione swore she heard Ron and Harry's ribs crack from the hug Hagrid gave them. They all sat at that familiar table, eating their friend's horrible cooking and exchanging stories and memories. All though there was new scars, new sorrows, new fears they had overcome since the last time they sat at that table, nothing had really changed. Hermione sipped her Butterbeer, and scanned her three friends. She smiled gently, listening to Harry talk about saying a proper goodbye to the Dursley's and moving into the Burrow. The year she had lived so far was crazy and hectic. It was nice having a little dash of normal in the chaos.
...
The Doctor was flipping switches so fast, Donna was afraid he'd break something. After that little conversation on the stairs, the Doctor practically ran back to the TARDIS. He didn't say why, but the look on his face didn't make Donna want to ask questions. His glasses were on, and his coat was off. His face was set in that I'm not okay, but I'm going to pretend I am look, and Donna had enough of it.
"Alright, I'll bite, what's wrong?" She uncrossed her arms and made her way towards the console.
"Nothing, I'm fine." He spun the monitor towards himself, reading whatever was on it.
Donna's temper flared, her nostrils flaring. She stamped her foot on the ground and smacked the screen away from her Spaceman. "Shut up. What is it? Has something happened in front of my eyes, and I was just too stupid to realize it?"
The Doctor's face softened, guilt filling his eyes. He glanced at his friend, frowning. He pulled the monitor back towards himself and pressed a few more buttons. "We're leaving."
The redhead blinked, "Excuse me, what?"
"We're leaving Hogwarts."
"Why?"
"Does there have to be a reason?" The Doctor typed on his little keyboard, not looking at his companion. "I feel like going to Space Florida, have I took you there yet? It's brilliant."
Donna gaped. Something definitely happened, but what the hell could it have been? Not even an hour ago, they both were laughing and having fun with Hermione. Nothing was wrong. There was no danger. Well, at that particular moment. There were no problems, no anything. The only thing that had changed was that…Harry and Ron had showed up.
"Does this have to do with Potter and Weasley?"
"No, not at all. Why would it?"
Donna's mouth started to thin, and her hands went to her hips. Oh, this man better can it, or he was gonna get slapped. "Well, you got that sulk on your face and that is the only thing that has happened, so-"
"Don't you see?!" He slammed his hands down on the console, and his TARDIS made an unhappy noise. "This place is not real. These people are not real. This is a book! We are trapped in a story and I need to figure out a way-"
"Hang on. You care that is abnormal now? We've been here three months, and you just now mind that this isn't right?"
"Donna." His voice dropped down low, and the redhead's heart sunk. The Doctor's shoulders were hunched over. He rubbed his face and looked up at his companion, "I know how this ends. In less than twenty years, Hermione will be married to Ron. They'll have two children, a house, and they'll be very happy. We don't need to be here."
"I don't understand. What does-"
"It doesn't matter that we're here. I already know that everything turns out fine. Hogwarts still exists, Hermione is happy and well, and it doesn't matter. That creature is gone, so we should be too."
Donna couldn't believe it. The Doctor was running away. He was running away from this wonderful place and their glorious friend. Fear started clawing at her chest. No. No, she didn't want to go. She wanted to stay in this castle with Hermione and see magic every day. And that shadow creature wasn't gone, despite her Spaceman's claim. That fight was far from over. Donna moved closer to her best friend.
"Time can be rewritten." Donna said gently.
"Books can't."
"Says you. C'mon Doctor, we can't leave. Sure, Hermione gets out alive, but what about Ellie, huh? If you leave, there'll be people like her." Donna bit her lip, "And…remember why we came here in the first place? That message on the physic paper? I'm pretty sure that person, whoever it was, didn't summon us here because of a rogue shadow."
The Doctor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "This isn't making any sense. That's why I want to leave. This whole convoluted place is messing with my brain. Blimey, I'm getting old."
He sunk down to the floor, his legs extended. Donna followed him and rested on her knees. "Think, Donna. Think. What could that thing be? And how, how, are we in Hogwarts?"
Donna bit her lip, "You know Doctor, I'm not the brightest."
The Doctor looked appalled, "Oh Donna, you-"
"Listen to me, I'm not. I'm just a temp…But Hermione, she's…she's brilliant. And maybe, just maybe, if you told her who you are, it would make this easier."
The Time Lord blew air out of his cheeks, leaning his head back. His eyes flickered back and forth, and Donna could see the struggle inside his head. He looked back at his best friend, "Have we been to the twenties yet?"
"Wha- Doctor what are you-"
"Love the twenties. Swing, parties, interesting hairdos." The Doctor shot to his feet and spun around the TARDIS. Donna followed him, her mouth open. He pulled a lever down and the machine started to shake, a feeling neither of them had felt since they moved the TARDIS from the woods into the castle. "I haven't been in ages, and before you ask, no. I did not have anything to do with Agatha Christie's disappearance." A smile spread across his face, "Maybe we'll meet Agatha Christie!"
A violent shake sent Donna back to the ground, "Doctor, I thought you-"
"Oh, don't worry Donna, we'll be back. I have essays to grade." He made a face, "After this, we are never posing as teachers again."
Donna smiled, excitement starting to fill her chest. It had been so long since she stepped out of this machine in a new location. The thrill of not knowing where you are, the knowledge that it probably wasn't going to end well. She missed that routine, and she found herself urging the TARDIS towards their destination.
"Deal." Donna agreed, nodding, "Now, twenties, you say?"
...
Hermione couldn't find the Doctor or Donna anywhere. Not that she was necessarily looking for them, but she couldn't help but notice that her favorite teachers were missing. Even though she was with Ron and Harry, she felt a tad lonely without those two.
"'Mione, you with us?" A voice cut into her dreary thoughts, and Hermione glanced over at Harry.
"Yes, sorry. Just thinking about whether or not I should rewrite my essay…I don't know if I covered-"
"Hermione, I know you're not going to change, but could we not talk about schoolwork? I'm not even in school anymore and the thought of essays makes me want to throw up." Ron leaned back on his elbows, the breeze playing with his hair.
It was another nice day, and it was the Golden Trio once more. They were lounging by the lake on an old, raggedy blanket. They just had lunch, and lazy conversation was drifting between them. It wasn't the most exciting conversation in the world, but Hermione couldn't say she would rather be doing anything else.
"When did you learn to fly Hermione? And I mean, really fly?" Harry raised an eyebrow, and the witch felt herself grinning.
"It was before Dumbledore's funeral. It had always bugged me, the fact that I could never fly well." Hermione pushed her hair behind her shoulders, were it trailed down her back. "I hated being weak at something, so I decided to fix it."
Ron snorted, "Always have to be good at everything, don't you Granger?
The witch looked down at her friend, tilting her head. "Well, yes."
Harry smiled, "Another thing…Hermione, what's been going on at Hogwarts?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...that Ravenclaw girl who died a few weeks ago…Something had to have happened, and I know you know something about it. I'd be very disappointed if you didn't."
A laugh tumbled from between Hermione's lips, "Well, you're right. I'm pretty much at the center of it. With Smith and Noble too."
Hermione talked about the whole thing. The cave, the close call, the corridor on Halloween, all of it. She talked about the fear she felt and the friends she found because of this monster. The witch let her feelings spill out, glad to finally be able to say all of it aloud. She talked for about fifteen minutes straight, neither of her friends saying much.
"What do you think it is 'Mione?" Ron asked, sitting up.
"Absolutely no idea, none at all, which infuriates me. Donna and John don't have a clue either." The teenager sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "There's never a quiet year at Hogwarts."
"Probably will be once you're gone. I blame us for the trouble." Harry smiled, "You sure you're okay Hermione?"
"Yeah. It's not like it's another Voldemort right? It's just some rogue creature that Hagrid will probably become friends with before the year is up."
They laughed for a moment before Ron asked shakily, "You don't really think Hagrid would-"
"Oh God, I hope not. Imagine how the third years would act. And we thought Buckbeak was bad."
That's how a majority of the day was filled, talking about Hagrid's pets or just wallowing in their days back at Hogwarts. Hermione felt a low wave of anger roll in her stomach. Why couldn't they have come back with her? Would it have been that hard? They could've made more memories, more adventures. They could have had one more year at the place they love. They just had to stay home and stay away. The witch rubbed at her forehead. Boys.
The teenager jerked back, her eyes widening. The palm of her hand was pitch black. It looked like it was woven out of smoke. Fear tickled her throat. I look like the creature. She opened her mouth to say something, but then, the dark faded away, seeping under her skin.
Okay, this is bad. This is very, very bad. Really bad. Hermione glanced at her friends, but they weren't gawking at her like she had come from outer space. They didn't yell or hurry to take her to Madam Pomfrey. So, she assumed that there wasn't black on her body. Her heart thudded beneath her ribs, and her mind raced.
A very unladylike word drifted through her head, and the witch groaned inwardly. This was not going to end well.
...
The TARDIS materialized in the exact same spot it left from. The door creaked open, and the two companions fell out of the machine. The Doctor flapped his coat and gestured down the corridor. A flashlight was brought out, and thin beam of light shone down the dark passageway. The two friends walked in synch, not saying anything. Donna adjusted her robe and then started to giggle. She glanced over at the time lord, who had an eyebrow cocked.
"Sorry, what's so funny?" One hand was buried deep into his pocket, and the occasional whine of his sonic would drift out. He twirled the torch, the light dancing all around the small space.
"It's just…right before we left; you said you had nothing to do with Agatha's disappearance." Donna wiggled her eyebrows, "You're a big liar."
"Hey, it was an accident." He smiled at his friend, opening the door.
"The lying or the disappearance?"
Donna wasn't quite sure what he would've said. When that old rickety door swung open, it didn't really matter. Screams erupted around the two, and, without even glancing at each other, they sprinted towards the source. The flashlight crashed onto the floor, the batteries spilling out.
God, they could never get a break. They could never go anywhere nice without things going to hell. Donna skidded a bit as they ran around a corner and down the stairs. Students did double takes when they saw them, and Donna's stomach dropped. Maybe they were gone longer than they thought.
The shouts were coming from the entrance hall. The companions stumbled into the space, grabbing the rails on the stairs and leaning over the sides. Chaos greeted them. Their mouths fell open as they tried drinking in the sight.
It was…it was the shadow creature, but dozens upon dozens of them. Flashes of light filled the room from the teachers and the students who were actually fighting. Kids were being lifted up into the air and dropped just as quickly. It was madness and confusion, but the one thing that the Doctor and Donna noticed was that Hermione was nowhere in sight. Children laid in piles, their hands over their heads. The Doctor looked up from the scene in front of him, and Donna saw that quiet rage that scared her to death.
He set off down the stairs, rage starting to fill his chest. The Doctor whipped out his sonic, "EVERYBODY STOP RIGHT NOW."
The authority in his voice made the noise cease immediately and everything became still. Oh, wow, that actually worked. The Doctor kept his face neutral as he stalked towards the nearest shadow. "I think it's about time we've had this talk, alright? Who are you?"
The creatures drifted towards the ground, lining up perfectly. They weren't similar, upon inspection; it looked as if they were normal people who were covered in black paint. One of the shadows in the middle of the formation stepped forward, "We are not from here."
The voice sent shivers down everybody's spine. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "Well, obviously, but what planet, hm? I know every species in the entire universe. Well, every well-known species, but who are you?"
It was nothing more than a whisper, "We are the Nigrum Animarum. We have inhabited this world since before these creatures knew what fire was. We live in the dark and thrive during the night."
The Doctor shot an eyebrow up, "Okay, but what are you doing here? It's…not dark here, it's actually quite light. Why are you attacking this school?"
"The universe is collapsing. The stars are going out, and we have been given orders."
The students were starting to move, and the authority figures were moving together, their wands at the ready. The Doctor's hand twitched, his hearts racing. He dug deep into his head, trying to place these creatures. The name sounded familiar…"Alright, not going to get a straight answer, fine. Who's giving you orders? What were they? What did the orders say?"
"We have had these orders since before the rise of the Dark Lord. We know what we must do."
"What are you supposed to do?" It was silent for a moment, it appeared as if everyone was holding their breath, "Ohhh, c'mon, I know how to keep a secret, tell me."
The shadows spread out, drifting apart and raising their smoky arms. The one speaking tilted its black head. "You will soon find out Doctor, but for now; you will forget."
The Time Lord's stomach dropped. If they knew his real name, it was not good. It was not good at all. He opened his mouth to protest when the torches in the room flickered out. Darkness spread across the floor, making the floating students drop whenever it enclosed them in its black embrace. The Doctor grabbed Donna's forearm, "Run, RUN!"
They sprinted towards the Great Hall, the Oncoming Storm brandishing his screwdriver, trying to keep the darkness away. They slammed the doors shut, listening to the dull thuds and shouts as the shadow trapped each one of its victims. Donna started to pull the handle, but her best friend stopped her, "No! We can't."
"Doctor! Those people-"
If we go out there, we will forget everything, and we can't have that. We need this information Donna!"
The redhead glared at her friend, her heart pounding and lurching at each shout and thud. She smacked the door and buried her face in her hands, knowing the Doctor was right. The screams from the other side of the door where becoming more and more scarce. Donna glared at the Doctor, her eyes flashing. "Doctor, please, we could-"
"No. We need information so an attack like that never happens again." The Doctor leaned against the wood, breathing heavy. "This is not good, this is not good at all. I could have handled one Nigrum Animarum. One would have been grand. An army? No. This makes everything more difficult.
"Doctor." Donna's voice was quiet, and her tone had the Time Lord's hearts dropping, "Is that…?"
It was dark in the Great Hall. Not a candle lit or a star shining from the ceiling. Their eyes were adjusted enough where they could see the mounds twenty or so feet ahead of them. The creatures must have knocked them out first. The three of them were sprawled across the table, their mouths agape. The Doctor raced forward and grabbed the one with the long brown hair.
"Hermione. Hermione, can you hear me?" He climbed onto the table and flipped her onto her back. Dread and guilt and all these other human emotions were filling his chest. If the witch was…No. No, she would not be dead. She could not be dead because then it would be the Doctor's fault. The Time Lord didn't think he could handle another death of a friend.
He rested his fingertips on her temples, and images flashed behind his eyes. The Doctor saw the doors fling open again like they did on Halloween. He saw the Nigrum Animarum spill into the room, clinging to the ceiling and wall, making the candles go out and the ceiling resemble a stormy sky. Students screamed and teachers yelled. The last thing Hermione saw before she fell unconscious was one of those monsters, it's blank face inches from hers.
"Doctor. Doctor, look at her arm." Donna's voice brought him out of Hermione's head, and his eyes drifted where his friend told him to look.
The redhead could have sworn that the Doctor looked like he aged a hundred years. He gently grabbed one of Hermione's blackened arms, whipping his sonic out and examining her. Donna laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, trying to send some comfort into the man in front of her.
"Hermione, please, please wake up." The Time Lord's voice was low and heavy. He checked his screwdriver, reading it with sad eyes. A choked gasp filled the quiet room. The friends jumped, grabbing at their friend. The witch started coughing, struggling to sit up.
Donna steadied her, relief filling her chest. A shaky laugh escaped, "Welcome back Hermione."
"That's it, breathe, you're fine Hermione." The Doctor smiled, and laid his hands on her shoulders. The witch looked up at him, tears in her eyes from the coughing fit, "Right'o, good as new. You alright?"
Hermione clutched her head, feeling it pound beneath her fingertips. She coughed a few more times and scanned the dark and empty room. "Wh-what happened?"
Her friends behind her started stirring, and Donna helped them sit up, offering low words of encouragement. The Time Lord looked back towards the entrance hall, running his fingers through his hair. "I think…" He looked back towards his young friend, and the urge to hug her washed over him. He was so grateful that his favorite witch woke up okay. He glanced down at her now pink arms, "I think my job just became a lot harder."