Hermione showered twice.
Not because she felt bad or dirty, but because she felt so bloody good. Bathing had always been a pragmatic activity, except if she were especially sore or muddy (or bloody) and even then, it was the result of feeling clean that was so satisfied.
This time she scrubbed and used her nicest smelling soap, a mixture of the base note ylang ylang and top note of jasmine. She couldn't identify the middle note by scent alone, but she breathed it in deeply as she lathered her skin.
The white foams sliding down her shoulders and arms was fascinating, the water turning to trickles and drips down her hands.
She briskly shook her head and continued to lather her hair. Making sure to do everything by hand, including things she had fallen out of the habit of, she rinsed her hair and shut off the water.
Hermione dried off, wrung her hair, slid on her strict styled robe, slate gray with crimson cuffs, and let her curls air-dry.
Tap tap.
A school barn-owl was tapping at her window, and Hermione opened it wandlessly before she even thought about it.
Grumbling under her breath, she took the letter and gave the owl a treat and a perch to rest on.
Hermione,
The Hogwarts library is at your disposal if you need it. My password is 'mince and tatties'. I am looking forward to your visit.
Minerva
Hermione had to smile at the familiar way the Headmistress ended the letter. It was still strange to call her by her first name, but Minerva had been quite insistent.
She finished dressing and managed to work a brush through her still damp hair, positively the worst time to try and tame it.
She itched to dry it magically and separate the tangles, but she was stubborn. When it was finally no longer giving her grief, and pinned it loosely back and head out the door.
Travelling to the school was much easier with Apparition, even though much less nostalgic.
Until she arrived at her former school.
Even though Hermione had been on hand to help rebuild the school for the month following the war, she still gazed up at the castle in wonder.
She tilted her head as she approached the invisible protective barriers. It allowed her through, of course, but her attention was riveted by the shimmering layers over Hogwarts like an imperfect globe.
Some spots were thicker than others, such as the ground to the first twenty or so feet. She recognized the specific repelling charms against an assortment of Forbidden Forest creatures.
In fact, the longer she stared the more the various shades became clearer and clearer.
Hermione walked further inside, closer to the school with her eyes fixed upward. Chills were racking just under her skin, but she paid them no notice.
She had seen, through a window, the barrier cracking under the pressure of spells thrown from the outside. It had shattered and burn before her young horrified eyes, and the sight would always be burned there, rising up sometimes during a place between sleep and waking.
Closing her eyes for what felt like forever, liquid heat trembling under her eyelids, she lifted her wand.
Opening her burning eyes, she whispered "Protego Totalum," as she watched the layers above her. Even though it was a single incantation, unlike other protection wards, she kept her wand trained at the sky as she poured every bit of magic bursting under her skin into the spell.
Seconds passed by as slow as baby flobberworms, but her arm ached before she ever felt drained. Pushing down the frustrating, she lowered her arm and breathed out slowly.
Tiny disturbances in the air high above, like peering through a heat wave, signified the spell had worked. She kept her eyes turned straight forward as she approached the double doors.
Hagrid wasn't in or near his hut, disappointingly enough. She did make her way to the gargoyle guarding the Headmistress' office, and he leapt aside at the amusing password.
She spent a lovely half hour catching up with Minerva over tea and biscuits. Hermione left out some recent details, but there were many other interesting personal and professional tidbits she could share.
Such as the night they persuaded Kingsley to attend a stag party for Seamus Finnegan on the promise it would be small and private, and it quickly became clear that Kingsley could hold his liquor.
Headmi-Minerva laughed gaily at the description of their Minister of Magic climbing on a statue of Agrippa, only slipping once, and declaring he would give an Order of Merlin to anyone who could down more Flaming Orc Grog than him.
Minerva held up a hand, slightly flushed from laughing, "No, is that why…?"
Hermione giggled, "Yes, that's exactly how Harry, Seamus, and Neville earned their Third-Class Order of Merlin. Kingsley had to ambiguously explain it off as 'gallant acts of bravery', luckily two were Aurors. But they earned it, I had one and they taste awful."
They both broke up at that, and Hermione wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye as she wound down.
Minerva reached over to pat her hand, skin feeling dry and somehow delicate. She was getting older, as she often said herself, a fact that never failed to surprise Hermione. Minerva's hair was now fully white, and she still walked with a cane during the worst storms of Scotland.
"I should let you resume your research, dear girl. Do come and visit when you're not keeping those boys in line."
Hermione smiled and readily agreed, touched once again at the invite. She left and made her way to the library, walking down the halls that she had helped rebuild.
Yes, she supposed she still helped keep her boys in line. The strength of their friendship was apparent in, despite their busy lives and Ron's different occupation, they still made time for each other often.
In fact, this Veela business was one of the first secrets she had kept from them in a long time.
There was a new librarian, but she had a very familiar scowl on her face at seeing someone cross the threshold. Pince had always been a bit manic about the state of her books, looks like that trait had been cultivated in her successor as well.
Hermione made sure to be very careful with the books she piled on a desk in the furthest reaches of the large room.
Most of the most promising books barely had any information at all, and certainly nothing useful. There simply hadn't been many studies done on the creature outside of their appearance, capabilities, and how to subdue or repel their charms.
Helpful, but not quite what she was looking for.
She picked up a book toward the bottom of the pile titled Crossroads: Mingling Wizard and Creature Magic.
She had actually read parts of the book before during a search for more information on house elves. As she flipped past that and the section about demonic deals, she spotted a short section on Veelas.
Veelas were once considered benevolent creatures before the 1600's. Mentions of Veelas in history, under different names, often likens them to helpful spirits or love goddesses.
She skipped past the mythological creatures and deities that Muggles had mistaken Veela for.
Before Magical Being classification, if a witch came across a Veela, many made an exchange of a drink of Veela blood for accrued magical power. The witch would go on to find and attract a powerful husband, and offer the energy procured during coitus to the Veela.
This practice ended when one Potions Mistress, Felisberta Schuler, created the earliest version of Amorentia, which requires Veela blood. Due to the popularity of the love potion, ingredient gatherers killed many of the gentle creatures.
In reaction, Veelas began to become hostile and unfriendly, stealing magical power straight from wizards and, at times, targeting Muggle men maliciously.
Developing into a creature classified as Highly Dangerous, common knowledge of their other abilities fell out of public awareness. However, some witches would still make deals with a Veela. However, the offer was not the same. It was often to seek vengeance on a former lover or rival, marking the wizard for the Veela to pursue.
This would continue until the witch took a mate, thus bringing the Deal to an end, or became a Veela herself.
Hermione flipped the next few pages anxiously, but there was nothing more. Checking the footnotes of the short section, she copied down the title and author and began to long process of searching the library shelves.
However, she could not find the one book referenced even though she poked in dusty corners and checked sections it wasn't likely to be in.
Her mind turned over the unhappy information before she stopped, mid-reach for a book.
Marking the wizard?
Of course, that's why Harry had been attacked. It made her skin crawl to think about what the Veela had done to him. But he hadn't any visible marks, and she knew from other readings that a Veela attack left deep puncture marks from...err, the amorous activities.
Plus the wizard would be weak and drained.
Harry, while unconscious, had certainly not been drained of anything until Hermione came along and siphoned the extra heat plaguing him.
Oh. Oh! If a Veela wanted to enchant a wizard for use later, she poured natural charm into him over time. Maybe the Veela was helping her by using their connection to take the wizards marked and filling them with lust.
She had a bloody Matchmaker.
It might not be altruistic though. Perhaps instead of the Veela's effort resulting in a Mate, which ended the deal, the Veela was trying to make Hermione 'suck' magical power.
Hermione thought, nibbling on her bottom lip. Merlin, how many wizards had she marked? Was it everyone who she was attracted to, or did it need some touch? Harry had brushed his fingers against her bare skin.
She hadn't touched Neville's skin, but she most certainly had her hands on his robes and shamelessly flirted.
Rubbing her forehead and trying not to think too hard on the next several encounters, she catalogued the possible Marked men so far.
Which one to warn or protect first? Hermione could manage a lusty wizard, but what if the Veela got frustrated or bored and tried to take the power straight from the source?
That could kill a wizard, damnit.
Hermione pocketed the bit of parchment with the sourced book and head down to leave. She'd have to order the book, because that's how her life was going so far.
Meantime, she kept turning over in her head which wizard would be the most likely next target.
She couldn't afford to be wrong.
Author's Notes:
Exposition chapter, amirite?
So who do you think might be the next victim?! For either the Veela or Hermione!
Hermione is so sweet, she is focusing on the Helping People part and not the other 'what the bloody hell' parts, I like that about her XD
Loving hearing the reactions so far and all the reviews, it keeps me on task during this troubling time of falling back into the habit of writing every day ;D