Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the Monogatari family and friends and their stories.
Chapter 21
Iris
The two princes stood in that throne room, one bruised and bleeding, one wide eyed and shocked. Each were staring into the other's eyes, knowing, and realizing what a threat the other was to their happiness with Hermione. Ayame always knew what a threat Kuro was. But Kuro? It was the first time he realized the real possibility of sitting at holiday dinners with the family only to see Hermione at his uncle's side. It was the first time he realized he could actually lose her and there was nothing he could truly do about it. He was the one that ordered Ayame to her side in the first place.
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She laid her head across her arm on the side of the large bathtub. The multicolored bubbles glistened in the soft glow of the light. She took a deep sigh and closed her eyes allowing the warmth of the water to do its magic on her tired body. There was a soft knock at her bathroom door. She slowly lifted her head up.
"Hermione-chan," she heard muffled through the door. "Ayame-san will be back soon. I must return. Do not leave your room. I will make it so only Ayame-san can enter until he returns."
"Okay. I won't leave the room. And thank you, Chi. Give Chloe my love," She said with a slightly playful tone and smile on her face.
She had no doubt Chi was on the other side of the door scowling and thinking of ways to shed her blood. She giggled into her hand before sliding down, submerging herself in the water. Under the water everything, every little sound of the castle at night was as if it were far away. She was still under the water when she heard the strange thump sound. It was not a normal sound to be heard and it came from her room.
Her head shot up out of the water; she shoved her hair back off her face with her hands, wiping the excess water off her face as she did so. She strained to hear, but heard nothing more. She stood up out of the tub as quickly as possible. She barely toweled her self off and that was apparent when she grabbed her satiny robe and tossed it on. The moment the soft material touched her still wet skin it began to stick and mold itself to her body. With a growl of frustration she tied the robe rather loosely and ran out the bathroom door.
He was just within the open window. He leaned against the edge of the wall at the window, almost sitting on the seat sized sill beneath. His head was bowed slightly, hair falling in his face, but that didn't stop him from noticing the bare damp legs that rushed to him with a surprised inhale at the sight of him. Cool air was swirling in the room from the opened window and Hermione immediately leaned over to reach the window more or less behind him. Ayame closed his eyes at her closeness, inhaling her scent.
She noticed his face. She grabbed him by his shoulders and urged him to sit in the window so she could get a better look His eyes didn't leave her face as she looked him over, noticing every red mark on his face, every bruise forming. His eyes moved over her form. The robe, she put it on while she was still wet he knew. She must have been in a hurry. It clung to her, some areas becoming almost see through as they were wet now. He closed his eyes fighting the need to take what he wanted.
"You need some of the potion for tomorrow. It has been a few days, Ayame."
He opened his eyes and peered at her, any sign of his usual smirk gone.
"No, Mi-chan. I will only take it from the source," he said reaching out to her hand and pulling her so that she stumbled forward allowing him the control he needed to maneuver her onto his lap, straddling him.
She pushed his chest slightly in an attempt to show how she wished not to be in this position.
"Ayame," she said.
His hand had reached up, gently caressing his fingers across her throat and up her neck into her hair before he brought her closer. She thought she felt the gentle teasing of the tip of his tongue before his teeth sank into her flesh. She had forgotten how utterly sexual the experience could be to Ayame and it sent a thrill of excitement through her when she felt his grip on her tighten and felt his breath on her neck coming in near gasps.
Somehow her hands had found their way to his hair where they buried themselves as if begging him to not move. Her eyes closed and she leaned farther into him, her fingers intertwining with his hair as she held on as if she would fall any moment, as if he would leave any moment. At some point he stopped taking what he needed and his lips moved ravenously over her neck and throat eliciting a soft moan from her. At the sound, Ayame reached for the ties to her robe. His hands shook with over excitement as he pulled the ties loose. His hand moved up to rest above her breast on her chest where he started to slowly push the robe off her shoulder and open.
Her eyes shot open and she gasped in shock. Her hands stilled and she quickly started pushing him away.
"Ayame, no," she breathed.
He pulled away, glancing at how she was still miraculously covered. Her hands dropped from him and wrapped around herself as if to keep her robe in place. She shook her head no and Ayame leaned forward, eyes lingering on her lips. It was the strangest thing, how she was able to pull away while still trying to come forward to meet him.
"No," she whispered again.
She suddenly jumped up and crossed the room, arms still wrapped around herself. Her heart was pounding and she had no doubt his was.
"Why?"
She looked at him as if questioning his sanity.
"Ayame! I am trying to decide who it is I love…who it is I can't do without. I can't do this when I don't know for sure that I'm not using you as some sort of Kuro substitute because you're the Monogatari that is here! I won't do that! I have to know first…I have to be sure."
It was while the ice cold water of the shower beat down on Ayame's back that he leaned his forehead against the cold wall of the shower and prayed to whatever god was listening that Hermione would choose him because no matter what, he couldn't do without her.
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She was beautiful when she slept. To others she may have been ordinary, but to him? He would give up forever just to touch her. The moonlight cast a glow through the window and cut across her bed. She was so many things to so many people in his family…a bother if you asked Chi, but he had an idea that wasn't entirely so; a cure to Rui; a friend to Chloe and yes, Chloe was family; something to keep safe to Ayame and something to love, but to Kuro she was his future.
He stared down from that precipice he stood on. They were both fighting for her. They knew it was going to be a battle the moment Ayame told Kuro…the minute Ayame admitted that he knew and understood what Hermione meant to him. The line in the sand had been drawn and now she would be pulled back and forth.
He wouldn't do it.
Kuro would not pull on her in such a physical manner. There were other ways to win this game Ayame had begun. Yes, Ayame's plan would always be a physical attack, with his every little touch of her skin, every brush of the lips, that was simply Ayame's style. That part of the game had already begun based on what Kuro could see lying before him. Hermione was sound asleep, but Ayame was lying next to her in nothing but his jeans, arm draped over Hermione's sleeping form. Ayame was mumbling in his sleep. A low growl escaped and Kuro briefly wondered what his uncle could possibly be dreaming about. Then, he mumbled, "mine," as he pulled Hermione tighter back against him.
No, Kuro would not play that physical tug-o-war with her. There were other ways. While Ayame was busy trying to woo her physically, Kuro would woo her heart.
The two irises, one black and one white like the two halves of a torn soul, lay on the bedside table, bathed in moonlight.
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Hermione walked through the corridors heading back to the tower after dinner. Ayame followed maybe a step behind her, scowl on his face. The slight smile on her face coupled with her crumpled forehead reminded Harry and Ron of the Hermione they usually saw when there was a puzzle to be figured out. It had been a month since she woke up and found the first two irises by her bed. Since that day, every morning there was one black and one white iris lying delicately on her bedside table. They were starting to take over her room, but oddly she didn't care.
And strangely the simple appearance of those flowers not only seemed to anger Ayame, but seemed to spur him into being more aggressive in his pursuit of her; especially on the days he needed blood to survive the light of the day. On those days, it was as if he thought surprising her when she stepped out of the tub by slamming her against the wall and assaulting her mouth hungrily with his before making it to her neck to bite her, would make her forget the irises that appeared without fail.
It didn't make her forget, it couldn't. Her heart skipped a beat every time the flowers appeared. But she wasn't dead. It sent an intoxicating thrill through her to feel how much Ayame wanted her, needed her even.
And then there was Lucius, she could not forget about him.
Thankfully, she had not had another detention for "flirting with vampires during lecture." His gaze became more intense though. His icy glare seemed to darken when she was in class with Ayame, his eyes often wandering to Ayame's hands as if making sure he was keeping them to himself, something he did struggle with. Hermione had no doubt, based on the looks of malcontent in Ayame's direction, that Lucius would gladly rid the world of this vampire if he believed he could get away with it.
It was during class, during a test, as Lucius sat at his desk looking out over the students that the plan struck him. He knew exactly what to do…she would be his and there would be no questioning that when he was through.
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She lay across him. One leg was thrown over one of his. Her arm was resting across his chest with her hand gently lying across his collar bone, fingers barely touching his shoulder. Her face snuggled into his neck. Every breath she took, danced across his skin and Kuro would see the small smile playing on Ayame's lips, not a smirk, but a smile.
She seemed to glow in the moonlight.
He laid the flowers on the bedside table and took another look at her.
He felt as if he was losing, but he smiled to himself anyway. Kuro knew. Even if Ayame won her physically, her heart would always belong to him, to Kuro. That was something Ayame would never get. Never. That was the only consolation Kuro had, the only thing that kept him from reaching down and tearing Ayame from Hermione's arms. He would never have her heart…never.
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The snow had melted across the grounds of Hogwarts leaving a soggy mess of land and alerting the students to the coming spring. The student body had grown just a little bit louder, an extra spring added to their step as the hope for sunshine washed over the population. The seventh years were over run with reminders of NEWTs and Harry and Ron started to wonder if Hermione wasn't worse than any of the teachers.
"Fine! Don't take my advice, but don't come to me the night before our NEWTs begin wining for help."
Hermione stood up and tossed her bag over her shoulder, which Ayame quickly took from her and followed her out of the common room. She had woken the boys up extremely early and as such, very few were actually out and about in the castle yet. She stormed toward the Great Hall, her hair flying behind her. Right before she opened the door, Ayame reached out turning her around. He brought his hands up on her face, gently holding her.
"Calm down, Mi-chan."
He leaned down as if to kiss her, but instead he rested his cheek against hers inhaling her scent. With a deep breath he pulled away and opened the door for her. Hermione was sitting at the table with a book open and her food in front of her when Ron and Harry stepped in taking their seats across from her looking thoroughly chagrined. Hermione couldn't help the small smile that spread across her face.
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She lifted her head up and looked around. It was late. So late, in fact, that Ayame was sprawled across the bed asleep, his burnt orange colored hair falling across his eyes. She smiled slightly as she stood up from her desk and stretched. It was never comfortable falling asleep at that desk, but she often did. Her eyes landed on something on her bedside table. It wasn't the two irises like it had been every day…it was still night, it had just been an exhausting day.
It was a single pure white iris with a note.
Follow Me.
She read the note and looked around. Attached to her door knob, magically wound around it as if the flower were a vine, was another pure white iris. She reached out for the doorknob and paused. She took a quick glance over her shoulder. Ayame was sound asleep. Slowly, turning the knob she quietly left the room.
At the bottom of the stairs leading to the girls' dorms was another pure white iris, on a table, on the sofa, on a chess table, leading to the portrait hole where another one sat. She stood right outside the portrait hole deciding whether or not to break the school rules. If caught, she could always claim she heard something strange and as Head Girl went to investigate. With a nod of conviction to stick to that story, she followed the path of white irises.
They took her through the castle, leading her eventually to the Great Hall where the doors were closed, but like with her room door, each door handle had an iris wrapped around it like a vine. Whoever was giving her these irises in the night was on the other side of this door, of that she was sure.
Her heart pounded as she paused to think about it. The corridor was dark and every creaking sound of the castle put her hairs on end. With a deep breath, she pulled the doors open and stepped in.
Candles lit a portion of the Great Hall in a soft glow. He stood amidst that glow, a bouquet of black irises in his hand, enough to equal those pure white irises she followed. His dark hair was tied back as always, but this time there seemed to be something vulnerable about his appearance as if he were balancing himself on a precipice and for the first time realized Hermione could very well push him right off.
She looked around wondering how many in his kingdom or even in his family have ever seen Kuro standing there with flowers in his arms. She was too thrilled to see him to think on that enough to giggle. She stepped forward, fighting the desire to run to him. He held the flowers out to her and she gently took them. Her eyes looked up into his.
"It was you all this time wasn't it? You were the one leaving the flowers by my bed."
Kuro looked down at her and nodded.
"Hai," Kuro said softly.
She was looking up at his smiling. He knew he swore he would not try to win her in the same manner that Ayame was, his aim was her heart, but that did not mean he didn't want to reach down and caress her cheek, kiss her…hold her.
"Why did you do that?"
He took a deep breath and looked around. If he kept looking in her eyes he would follow his heart and kiss her.
"I thought it might remind you. I sent them to you once before so I thought maybe it would remind you of…"
"The beach house," Hermione said. "You came to me every night. I felt so safe, just like every morning I found the irises," she whispered.
Hermione sat the flowers on a nearby table and turned back to Kuro. The next thing he knew, Hermione had thrown herself against his hard frame, her arms wrapping tightly around him. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as the feel of her overwhelming sigh of content washed over him.
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It was at breakfast almost a week later when she got the letter from her mother. She was smiling up at the table where Kuro sat next to the Headmistress. She could see him saying something to Professor McGonagall on occasion, perhaps responding to a previous statement of hers. Chi sat next to Kuro, glaring at all the students, especially if they looked in Hermione's direction the least bit oddly. He would deny it, but he looked out for her when no one else was around, but Kuro was usually around. They were staying for a bit after all. Apparently part of Kuro's education required many books from the restricted section of Hogwarts and the Headmistress was kind enough to allow them to stay how ever long needed.
"Hermione, do you have your notes from the last History of Magic class?"
Hermione looked across the table at Ron.
"You were in class, Ron. Didn't you take your own notes?"
Harry tried to hide his smile as he ate and listened to his best friend try to explain to Hermione how he did, but wanted to check he didn't miss anything. Hermione wasn't buying it. Her lips were pursed in a strange imitation of an irate McGonagall. She opened her bag and tossed a piece of parchment at Ron.
"Next time, actually take your own notes, Ronald."
He smiled sheepishly as he thanked her, stashing her notes away in his bag. When the owls swooped in with the morning mail dropping into the appropriate plates, Hermione was shocked when a letter dropped into hers. Ayame looked at her curiously.
"My mum. I didn't know she was allowed to write any letters."
Then Hermione tore open the letter and began to read growing more and more confused with each word.
Hermione,
Congratulations! I wanted to be the first. I was allowed to write this letter because of this. And don't worry. There was a large age difference in your grandmother and grandfather's ages. I am simply so thrilled. Oh and how absolutely charming he was to come ask my permission! How could I say no? I hope all is well with your classes and do not worry about me. I am fine now that I know you will have such a wonderful man in your life.
Love,
Mom
Hermione blinked. What the bloody hell was her mother going on about? Before she could think on it any more, Kuro and a glassless Chi were standing behind her. Hermione turned around and looked up, not noticing the wary glances of the rest of the school. Having vampires guarding doors was one thing, but have a group of them wandering about encircling a young woman often teased for her intelligence was another. Even Ron had been quiet since Kuro's arrival.
She stood up and moved to take her bag, but Ayame already had it. It was a Saturday, but with NEWTs coming up, Hermione had plans to be in the library a good bit of the day.
"I'll see you two in the library," she said with a pointed glare.
Harry and Ron just nodded there heads not feeling quite Gryffindor enough to argue with the witch surrounded by the men of the Monogatari family. Together, they left the Great Hall ignoring the snarling man at the Head Table.
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Hermione sat in the library, her eyes roaming from her parchment up to the dark set of eyes watching her. She smiled, a blush lighting her cheeks. She wanted to be alone with him…just her and Kuro. She doubted that ever happening though. Since his arrival, Hermione noticed she never had less than two of them with her at any given time. As if having Ayame there in Lucius' class wasn't bad enough, she now had Ayame and Kuro or Ayame and Chi depending on the day.
There was something they weren't telling her.
When her frustration was just about to totally take over, she remembered her mother's letter and took it out to read it again. Her forehead scrunched up trying to make sense of it. She glanced up. Chi was glaring at some boy at the closest table.
"Chi, stop scaring the students. They all look at me funny. Bookworm, remember?"
Chi looked at her and smiled almost menacingly.
"Vampire, remember?"
Hermione chuckled and went back to her letter.
"This makes no bloody sense!"
Kuro looked at her worried and held his hand out. She gently placed the letter in it and watched him read, eyes growing dark with rage with every word.
"What is it?"
She was worried. Chi looked over the letter and nodded at Kuro.
"We got word that Malfoy-san went to see your mother," Kuro started, no longer looking at her like he could eat her at any moment. "We have had her moved since then and no one, not even the Order knows the location."
Hermione's mouth fell open.
"Whatever for?"
Kuro held the letter up.
"Now we know why he was there."
"Why?" She still didn't know.
"He went to your mother to get her permission for the betrothal."
Kuro's voice sounded like it was quavering on the edge of something dangerous.
"And who am I supposed to be betrothed to then? Draco?"
Chi laughed at her, despite the look from Kuro.
"No, you silly human girl," Chi said. "You are betrothed to Lucius."
A/N: "Hai" in Japanese means "yes."
And reviews would be nice.