Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the Monogatari family and associates and their stories outside of the Harry Potter Universe.

A/N: (Looks around) Anyone there?

(shrug) In case anyone is still out there…I have a poll up about my new fanfic (not yet posted). I have a couple banners for it on my LJ.

Chapter 20

Creep

Her eyes drifted closed as the tingling sensation of his fingers danced across the side of her neck. Instinctively, her head tilted to the side as if exposing more of her neck. Some small part of her, the only part most people chose to see, was asking her what exactly she was doing.

"Mi-chan."

She heard him whisper her name in a drawn out sing-song kind of way. Her eyes snapped open and she pushed his hand off her neck as she looked backed down at her parchment.

"Stop it, Ayame," she whispered harshly as if she were not just enjoying his touch.

He laughed softly next to her in her usual corner of the library. She turned sharply toward him. Ayame was leaning back in his chair, totally relaxed, eyes dancing with amusement and something akin to hunger.

"It is not funny. I have detention because of you," she hissed at him.

Madame Pince walked by, a slight scowl on her face as she glanced over the two in the corner as if warning them about their level of noise. They watched her walk by, frozen in position until she was out of sight. Ayame laughed a bit more and leaned over to try gently pushing Hermione's hair out of her face.

"No, Mi-chan. You have detention because your sweet Lucius doesn't want to share you," he said laughing as Hermione shoved his hand out of her face.

She rolled her eyes.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," she said turning back to her work.

Ayame watched her work for a moment, thoughts rolling around in his own mind. She ignored him, pulling her hair up off her neck and out of her face. Ayame reached out one finger, running it slowly up the back of her neck as he leaned into her.

"Don't try to be so mad, Mi-chan," he said, lips hovering over the crook of her neck. With a gentle kiss he continued. "I've had your blood recently. You forget I know what you are feeling for now…I know you like it."

Hermione moved her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Once again, her eyes were fighting to stay open and alert, to muster up the energy and desire to shove him away. But his lips, they moved so softly down her neck, his fingers moving her shirt slightly off her shoulder.

"D-does that mean Kuro can feel me right now too?"

She found her voice, not matter how small it was at the moment.

"Yes," Ayame said between kisses. "But…it won't….be long…before he…requires more…blood."

He lifted his head up and with two fingers placed at the side of her chin; he began to guide her to turn back toward him, his mouth moving slowly toward hers.

"We are in a library, Ayame," she whispered trying to come back into her right mind.

Ayame smirked slightly.

"We don't have to be."

Someone cleared their throat. Ayame sat back as if nothing was happening and Hermione sat still frozen looking up at Chi, of all people, standing there.

"What is it, Chi-san?"

Ayame had not taken his eyes off Hermione rather amused by her discomfort. Chi looked between the two and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Kuro-san wishes to see you. He ordered me to watch Hermione-chan in your place."

Ayame nodded once and stood up. He placed his two fingers under Hermione's chin and pushed her chin up slightly so she had to look up at him.

"We will continue this later, Mi-chan."

She watched him disappear around the corner before her eyes shifted up to Chi. He didn't look happy to be there. She stood up and started packing up her books.

"What's wrong with you? Kuro wouldn't let you stay and watch him beat up Ayame?"

The acidic tone of her voice gave Chi a spark of hope that he would see some bloodshed during his few hours there.

"Well, come on," she said. "It's time for dinner. Harry and Ron are probably already wondering where I'm at."

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Harry and Ron sat there chewing their food so slowly Hermione wondered if they would finish their first helping at all tonight. Where as when she walked the halls with Ayame nearby and girls giggled, when she walked the halls with Chi people seemed to grow quiet and step back. Even in the Great Hall at dinner the occupants all seemed wary of the vampire, giving him side long glances and most sitting no where near him.

Unless you count Hermione's usual friends…and Lavender.

She, unlike the rest of Gryffindor, gladly sat on the other side of Chi animatedly talking about who knew what. Hermione had learned to tune out her chatter years ago. Everyone else seemed afraid of him and rightfully so. He was a vampire. And he was sitting at the Gryffindor table twirling a steak knife between his fingers with unbridled joy dancing in his eyes.

Lavender's voice filled the void of conversation at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron had stopped staring at Chi, choosing to only give him wary glances as long as he played with a knife so close to their friend. They chewed their food with renewed vigor as if hoping the sound of their own chomping would drown out the nasally sounds of Lavender's unremitting voice.

"How do you tolerate such inanity?"

Hermione made to respond with a smile on her face, but was distracted by the steadily growing irritation of Ginny Weasley. Her fingers were gripping the table on the other side of Harry. Her eyes were glaring more than just daggers at Lavender, but she seemed not to notice. Hermione knew it was too late.

Suddenly, disrupting the only person speaking, Lavender, Ginny stood up partially, slamming her hands on the table. Lavender jumped at the sudden close proximity of the redhead and the intense anger dancing in her eyes.

"Shut. Up. Before I take that knife from the vampire and shove it down your bloody throat!"

Chi stopped playing with the knife for a moment as he, like everyone else at the table, watched Ginny slowly lean back into her seat and pick up her own steak knife with a gleam of pure hate in her eyes as she looked at Lavender, daring her to just try her patience one more time. Lavender was quick to move to the other end of the table as Ginny cut her meat.

Chi started playing with the knife again.

"I like this human girl."

Hermione shook her head as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice, mumbling something that sounded like "you are human too." At Ginny's outburst, the table became a plentitude of normal Gryffindor behavior at dinner. Chi continued playing with the knife, his eyes glancing with such delight up toward Lucius on occasion. The professor had yet to take his eyes off the young woman he was to temporarily guard.

"So, Chi, at the annual celebration ball, what did you do in the library with Chloe after Kuro and I left?"

The clattering sound of a knife dropping into an empty plate echoed in the Great Hall. Hermione turned to look at him, eyebrow quirked slightly in curiosity and amusement. She had never seen Chi lose his composure as he did just then. Chi pushed his glasses up his nose and took a deep breath.

"I don't think that is your business, Hermione-chan."

Hermione glared at him, not frightened by him in the least. That disturbed him. He would have to talk to Kuro. She was obviously spending entirely too much time surrounded by their kind.

"I think it is," she said. As Chi looked at her as if he were going to laugh at that statement, she continued. "Chloe is a nice girl and my friend. She has loved you since she was a little girl…"

"Which," he interrupted. "Shows her little hero fantasies of me are just that…immature. It's time she opens her eyes and stop blindly walking into walls, ignoring her surroundings."

Chi turned around as if the conversation were done.

"No, Chi," Hermione said. "One day you are going to open your eyes and she will be gone."

She stood up, tossing her bag on her shoulder. Chi glared at her back for a few steps before standing up to follow.

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Lucius sat regally up at the Head Table, like he were King looking down on his subjects. His cold grey eyes would sweep over the Great Hall and his lips would twitch into a sneer at all the conversation and joy that seemed to fill most of the tables. He did find it slightly amusing that Hermione's temporary guard was causing such…discomfort amongst the Gryffindors, except for that chattering Brown girl. Did the girl ever shut up?

"Have I heard incorrectly or does Miss Granger have a detention with you already?"

Lucius turned his attentions toward the Headmistress. Yes, of course she would have heard by dinner time and be asking about her pet student.

"You heard correctly," Lucius stated coldly as he lifted his goblet to his lips.

McGonagall almost looked affronted at the very thought. Only the reminder of her various other brushes with the rules, caught in the act or not, kept her mouth shut from complaining about the Head Girl's detention.

"And what rule did she break, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Talking during class," Lucius said.

"Talking?" McGonagall sounded shocked. How often was that one of Hermione's brushes with the rules?

Lucius sighed and rolled his eyes before nodding toward the Gryffindor table.

"Her usual vampire guard is rather distracting," he said with no hidden malice in his voice.

McGonagall chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose he is. Perhaps I could talk with Mr. Monogatari about not being seen instead, like before."

Lucius thought about that. She would still have that guard, but now he wouldn't be able to see what that vampire was doing.

"No," Lucius said calmly. "I think it best that we are able to see what that…vampire is doing."

McGonagall raised one eyebrow at Lucius' tone and looked back down at Hermione leaving the Great Hall.

"Don't you have a detention to handle, Mr. Malfoy?"

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The parchment with the time of her detention on it was very clear. The words "alone" were underlined several times making it clear he did not find her guard necessary during a detention with the one that used to be her guard. Ayame's words haunted her.

"Ayame-san won't be happy if I let you go in alone," Chi said looking like he could actually care less.

"So go taunt some fifth years. I believe they should be on the vampire unit by now in Defense. You are sure to scare the daylights out of them."

Chi actually looked pleased with that idea, but his face quickly fell.

"No, I have to do this, Hermione-chan."

He covered her eyes.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

He uncovered her eyes and looked at her, amused that she didn't know. Instead of telling her, he said nothing. She was smart, let her figure it out.

Hermione stood outside Lucius' classroom door waiting for his arrival. She kept shooting glances at Chi wondering what he had done to her. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of someone's boots on the flagstone floor of the corridor. She looked up in time to see Lucius turn the corner, a strange smile on his face. His swift steps slowed as he approached her. His grey eyes bore down into hers when he stopped in front of her.

Hermione remembered the last time she saw that look on his face.

It was in the dining room at Malfoy Manor, right before he kissed her.

She swallowed the horrid lump in her throat as Lucius reached out, laying his hand on her cheek. Did he not see Chi standing there looking like he couldn't wait to tell someone about this?

"My detention, Professor Malfoy? What will you have me do?"

At her unsure words, at the calling him "Professor," Lucius dropped his hand and turned toward the classroom.

"It is inside, Hermione."

She stepped in after him, noticing how Chi had already stepped through the door. Lucius still had not so much as sneered at him. So, Lucius couldn't see Chi. Lucius believed they were completely alone. That thought sent an odd chill down Hermione's spine. As she stepped into the room and walked toward the desk in the very front, the one Lucius pointed to, her eyes scanned the room, glancing over Chi and noticing where he was. He was standing up near Lucius' desk. Hermione was afraid of what he had planned during her detention.

"Just copy the words on the board until I say it's enough."

Hermione nodded, pulling out parchment, ink and quill. She glanced up at Chi. He rolled his eyes at her precise way of preparing for such a thing as writing lines for detention. He wouldn't want to admit that she reminded him of himself. He turned slightly toward the board as if he were curious as to what was written and wondering if there was anything there to entertain him. He had to cover his mouth to stifle his laughter. Once he was composed, he pushed his glasses back up his nose and turned to look at Hermione.

She glanced up at the board to see what she would be writing who knew how many times. Her mouth dropped and Ayame's words echoed in her head.

"No, Mi-chan. You have detention because your sweet Lucius doesn't want to share you."

She stared at the words on the board before turning her head to look at Lucius.

"You cannot be serious," she said.

Lucius smiled.

"Yes, I am. Begin. I will tell you when it is enough."

He sat down at his desk, eyes boring into her, demanding she do as told. She picked up her quill and very carefully trying not to put a hole through the parchment in her anger, she wrote the first line on her parchment.

I will not flirt with vampires during lectures.

It took about an hour of writing lines before Hermione's temper calmed down. She would glance up on occasion at Lucius. She hadn't seen him since the day he kissed her. She left with a group of vampires that same day. It was as if she had made a choice between the two and her choice was not Lucius. Was he angry at her? Did he think she had made some kind of choice?

"I didn't choose the Monogatari family over you," she said suddenly feeling the need to explain.

Lucius stopped writing and slowly looked up at Hermione. Her eyes were dancing with worry.

"You protected me all through the summer," she continued. "But we were hiding from a threat that wasn't a threat. There is only one of you, Lucius," she whispered. "They could protect me in ways you never could."

She didn't mean for the words to be cutting. They were though. Lucius felt those words wash over him. His eyes narrowed.

"You're done," he said. "Bring me your paper."

Hermione stood up feeling like she had messed up again. She stood in front of his desk and held the paper out to him. Lucius sat there, his eyes moving from the paper she held up to her eyes. A Mudblood. His Mudblood. He took the paper from her hands and watched as she turned to leave.

"You would have been safe with me," he said.

Hermione stopped and turned around looking at him curiously. He stood up and walked toward her, his hand lying across her cheek again, his thumb caressing her jaw line. He leaned down and planted a rather soft kiss at the corner of her mouth. As he pulled away, Hermione could see something strange in his eyes…his grey eyes almost seemed dark now as if they held some secret.

"As long as I am in charge, you are safe."

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Ayame ran the back of his hand across his mouth, wiping the blood off. Kuro looked at Ayame over the top of his eyes, anger filling the room with his dominating presence. Ayame shook his head. He refused to physically fight him back though. And that angered Kuro even more. He wanted Ayame to fight back because at least then he would know Ayame actually loved Hermione. Even with Ayame's reaction to her blood, Kuro found it hard to swallow. This was his uncle, a bitter man, mourning after many years the loss of his family, though self-imposed for their own safety. This was the man that watches his own grand-daughter from afar. This was the man that believed no "ordinary girl" belonged in their complicated story. This was the man that always felt he should have been the Crown Prince and not Kuro.

"It is time to stop, Ayame-san," Kuro said, his anger just barely controlled. "Stop trying to hurt me simply because Rui-san chose me."

Ayame looked up at Kuro, a blank look temporarily on his face.

"I didn't ask for the crown and all the complications and implications that come with it. I didn't ask to carry the responsibility of the curse. I didn't ask for my childhood to be ripped away and devoured by a curse. I didn't ask for any of this."

Ayame blinked, realization hitting him.

"You think I am doing this simply because I feel I should have been the Crown Prince?"

Kuro's deadly gaze had not left Ayame.

"Aren't you?"

Ayame couldn't help it. He actually laughed slightly, looking around the room in disbelief and uneasiness that it had come down to this. Kuro honestly believed this was all about a crown. Slowly, Ayame turned back to look at Kuro, his eyes intense embers leaving no doubt in Kuro's mind what Ayame was about to say was beyond heart felt, beyond sincere.

"If I had to choose between Mi-chan and the Crown," Ayame said, stepping forward and pausing for a moment as if to punctuate the implications of his words. "Then I would gladly give up the Crown. She's worth more than any family heirloom…more than any title."