Chapter 23: Waiting for the End
I take my last note back. I will keep posting fanfics. No point in denying me something I love. And, I'll still be doing the continuation to this one, if I don't decide to kill off Draco and Hermione. Let's see how this goes. This story is officially going to be 30 chapters long. Enjoy!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hermione ran as fast as she could, until she realized she was running on four paws, not two legs. She cursed to herself but it came out as a low growl. It was another one of those few times she truly resented Draco for having turned her all those months ago.
Draco, you're so lucky I love you, you prat, she thought for the hundredth time, but there was no one on the other side anymore to listen. There wasn't even the shadow of him. She closed her eyes and the world was just dark, but for the shimmer of her own hopes keeping her on her way.
It was pitch black in London and she'd ripped through her gown. She wandered the streets covered in fur, too quick for others' human eyes, not that there were many people in the vicinity of Club Daemos. Their clientele used to come in around the back. She figured they'd made an ally in Lulu, the burlesque girl, and she could use their secret chimney to make it back to Hogsmeade.
She entered the abandoned café, or so it appeared from the front, only to find the place empty. It was completely different than she remembered. For one, it was clean. And, as far as she remembered, whorehouses were usually open exclusively at night, not day.
For a moment, she chose to forget that the little minx responsible had been her mate's third lover. She needed to be proud of something that night.
She prowled through the back hallways and made it to the fireplace downstairs. It was intact. She waited a moment for her minds to shift but they never did. She cursed again and walked off towards a stack of pillows left over from the brothel years.
She lied down and rested her muzzle, trying to fall asleep. She hoped she'd see Draco in her dreams but it seemed unlikely. He'd cut off contact, just like he said he would.
She kept her ears open. Someone was walking outside, an old couple making their way home after visiting their grandchildren. She smiled, trying to imagine herself as the old woman, complaining about how her daughter spoiled her grandson by buying him that broom. A daughter. Ha. Hermione didn't even plan on living to see next month.
She waited for the change to come. She listened to her heartbeat as though a metronome, lulling her thoughts away. She didn't quite fall asleep but, a half hour later, her tears fell on skin, not fur.
"Damn it, Hermione," she mumbled to herself as she stood. "Stop crying. You're not a little kid anymore."
She got the handful of floo powder from beside the fireplace and threw it down into the ashes at her bare feet. She called out her location and, in an instant, she was at Fred and George's store.
She coughed and stumbled out. The store was closed but she could hear the twins upstairs, moving about. She tripped over herself twice but finally managed to get up to their door. She knocked. Once. Twice.
George opened the door in his tuxedo best. "Hermione?" he mumbled through a mouthful of toast and jam. He looked back and shouted into the house, "Fred, we have a naked girl at the door. And she's filthy!"
Hermione covered herself up but there was really nothing around large enough to cover all necessary parts. Her hair wasn't even long anymore.
Fred jumped out of the bathroom in a ridiculously fluffy blood red robe that made him look like a pimp out of Queens, screaming, "Is it Angie?"
When Fred saw her standing in their doorway, he instantly covered his eyes. Hermione didn't know whether to be insulted or relieved. He even started to shout that his eyes were burning. George handed her a silky bathrobe though she needed a bath a lot more urgently than she needed to cover up. She held it up against her but didn't put it on.
"Just lead me to the bathroom," she growled. Her voice came out hoarse, deep.
Fred dramatically stepped out of her way while George pretended not to check her out from behind. She shut the door loudly, a warning for them to stay as far away as possible.
She took her time in the bath. She transfigured one of the boys' bathrobes into a simple wrap-up dress and headed out to the living room. Shyly, she whispered her goodbye and left the boys stunned, full of questions, and a little horny.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
She landed in Dumbledore's office within a cloud of green ash and smoke. McGonagall was waiting for her with Draco's note and a smug expression.
"I can explain!" shouted Hermione, her hands in the air as though McGonagall held a loaded gun.
The new headmistress shook her head and walked calmly over to her favorite student. They stared at each other for a moment, a battle of wills to see who'd speak first. Just as Hermione was about to take a deep breath and explain what held no reasonable explanation, an owl came crashing into the window.
McGonagall sighed, shook her head, and whispered to herself, "That's the third time he's done that today."
She dismissed Hermione with a wave of a hand and went to open the window. Apparently, whatever news the disoriented owl carried was more important than any one student's indiscretions, even if it was the resident werewolf.
Hermione dashed off, tip-toeing as if trying to keep the monster in McGonagall appeased. She reached the gargoyles outside the office and relaxed at last, finding comfort in the familiar dreary walls and moving portraits, in the fear of being caught and the delight in seeing her friends again. At the thought of them, she ran through the halls towards the Gryffindor Common Room, desperate for human interaction.
She got to the portrait and froze, realizing she had no idea what the password was. She stared at the Fat Lady, waiting for it to come to her. She heard two other students pass by and waited for them to open the door. It was the Patil twins. She covered her face as much as she could with her hair but they still recognized her.
"Hermione!" shouted Pavrati. "We didn't see you on the train! Where have you been?"
She cleared her throat and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, anything to buy time. "Uhm… well… I was on a retreat in London, trying to clear my head. Spent the holidays with Draco and whatnot."
"Really? Is that so?" asked Padma.
Pavrati snorted and crossed her arms. "Then you must have been working with the Ministry because Draco's on the news everywhere. Isn't it true he's an escaped fugitive responsible for the deaths of two men?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Hermione, gritting her teeth to control the wolf. She was sure nobody cared if the twins survived but it'd still be bad karma to kill them with her bare hands.
The twins said the password together. It was toffee, which made Hermione feel stupid for not thinking of it. It was such a simple word. They scurried off quickly, going to spread the news of her arrival. Hermione wouldn't be surprised if, within half an hour, they had a whole mob arranged with pitchforks and wands and an array of the latest rainbow-flame torches from the Weasley boys' shop.
She ran upstairs in search of Harry. She caught an eyeful of Neville's butt instead, followed by his girlish scream. He covered up and pointed towards the stairs. "They're in the dining room, Hermione! For Christ's sake! Get out!"
She checked the girls' dormitory just in case Ginny was there, but she knew well that where Harry was, Ginny would surely be.
She borrowed one of Ginny's uniforms since all her things were still at Grimmauld Place and hurried down the stairs, stupidly praying no one would recognize her. She didn't know what a few days' press could do to one's reputation. As she walked the halls, she felt like a foreigner among them. She no longer considered herself human and, despite her years as a seeker of knowledge, she couldn't even fathom sitting for class. She'd sooner kill herself.
She walked through the Great Hall as a ghost on a mission. The stares, she'd been used to. It came with dating a Malfoy. At the sight of Harry and the others, she forgot they weren't alone. Seamus tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed at Hermione coming down the way. They all stood for her and ran to catch her, ready to wrap their arms around her. She flinched at the collision but laughed nonetheless.
"You crazy little witch!" shouted Ron, pushing Harry out of the way to hug her next. Ginny followed, slapping Ron over the head to get him out of the way. He didn't even complain. Pansy lingered back but, after Ginny parted, Hermione opened her arms out to her.
"Hey you, sister wolf," whispered Pansy in her ear. "You've been missed. Not by me, mind you, but missed nonetheless."
Hermione laughed and nodded towards the entrance to the hall, gesturing for them to talk outside. The four hurried after her to the first abandoned classroom they could find. Ginny shut the door behind them and enchanted the room to make it soundproof. She knew even the most inconsequential student would find interest in the conversation they were about to have.
Hermione was now the mate of an escaped fugitive, a crucial witness in a trial, and a now socially registered werewolf. That kind of juicy gossip was worth a lot to bored people everywhere.
"What's going on, Hermione? Where have you been?" asked Harry calmly, despite his deep desire to know.
"I've been at Malfoy Manor. With Professor Snape."
They all looked to each other. Ginny stepped forward and held her hand. "Did he hurt you?" she asked.
Hermione scoffed. "With what? His shriveling manhood? No, he just helped me with Occlumency and things like that, to defend against the Dark Lord."
Harry cleared his throat. "Hermione, he's being hunted by the Order and the Ministry. They think he's gone insane."
She shook her head. "No more than he was before. He's worried about me. He says the Dark Lord is after me, trying to get mates together to use as weapons."
Even Ron nodded. Harry spoke for them all, "We know. We put it together. Milgrahm's note told us they'd be attacking Hogwarts soon. They wouldn't do that unless they had someone on the inside. We suspected Snape but then he didn't show up after holiday break. And now, Dumbledore's disappeared too. They're obviously poising Hogwarts for an attack but, without Dumbledore here, what's there here for them if not you."
"And you," said Hermione to Harry. "The Dark Lord has always wanted you."
He shook his head. "Our class is scheduled to be at Hogsmeade that day. We're wondering if he wants something else, something physical that we don't know about. Something "
"But they didn't drive Dumbledore away," added Ron. "He left because… well, he's dying."
"Why is Dumbledore dying?" asked Hermione, alarmed. Everyone turned to Harry, who shrugged. "What, he just is? What kind of illness is that?"
"The kind that Dumbledore doesn't want to share. So let's leave it at that," said Ginny through gritted teeth.
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "Oh God. Please don't let it be something humiliating like an STD or foot fungus. I mean, if we lose the war over something like that, I am going to be royally mad."
Ron fought the urge to laugh. STDs were not a laughing matter, much less foot fungus. His uncle, twice removed, had died of foot fungus.
"It's none of our business," Ginny murmured, hiding her face in Harry's chest.
"It's true," he agreed. "Let's just think about the last year. Voldemort is back, thanks to the late Pettigrew. He invades the Ministry, looking for the prophecy that says me and him are going to go head to head, which means I'm still very much a target and it's still going to come down to him and me. But, he also let Malfoy Senior get caught up in jail and takes revenge on him by kidnapping his wife and son and turning Draco into a werewolf. Right?"
Hermione nodded and continued for him, "We know that he turned him to spread the werewolf curse to others at Hogwarts, knowing Dumbledore would of course admit him into the school the way he did Lupin. Pettigrew would have probably assured him of it. Lucky for us, Draco was rescued by the Order, not the Ministry, and he ended up turning me and not some poor sap."
"That must have changed his plans," said Ginny, cuddling closer to Harry. "I mean, there was no way he'd know you two would become mate. You would have killed each other a year ago."
Hermione nodded. "He must have improvised. But there's more. The Malfoy Manor Massacre wasn't just an accident. He trapped those people there on purpose to turn them into monsters. He needs more wolves for some reason."
Ron lifted his hand as though in class. Hermione narrowed his eyes at him. "You don't have to raise your hand, Ron," said Ginny.
He shrugged. "You were on a roll. I didn't want to be rude. But, here's the thing. He's taken over the Ministry, and Azkaban. He's already more powerful than he was all those years ago and no one can touch him because he's surrounded by his werewolf army. However, he's been taking prisoners out of Azkaban for months, since they kidnapped Mrs. M and took over Seneca, so he's got plenty of people. What if the reason he's been turning people all this time is because he was looking for just the perfect combination? I mean, why keep them locked up and change how and when they shift if he's not looking for something special."
"Mates," Harry whispered.
Hermione waited for them to tell her what it meant but nobody ever did. She gestured for Harry to continue but he couldn't from there. She let the room go silent so she could think and come to her own conclusions. "It'd explain why they framed Draco at school, by turning Pansy, and then with a trial. If they got him, they could easily get me too. It hurts to be parted for too long. But, what if they don't need a mated pair because of how powerful we are? What if they need us because of something else? "
Silence overtook them again. Hermione hated not knowing everything.
"We've got two days before they attack Hogwarts, right?" whispered Ginny.
Hermione nodded. "And that means only one thing. We've got to hit the library."
She didn't sleep for all two days. Snape had warned her that Draco could get into her mind that way. And, if Draco could, so could Voldemort. Also, the pain of separation had turned into a very physical ache in her stomach, one that kept even the drowsiest person alert for days and, eventually, begging for death.
Instead of sleeping, she spent her nights beneath Harry's Invisibility Cloak, researching every book on werewolves she could find. There were a lot of them but she'd become a professional skimmer since the Goblet of Fire incident. Research had saved their lives too many times to count.
She found one particular book by Jasper Hufsey, mate expert. He was the living authority on lycanthropy and had authored several other books she'd read during the past few months. In one of the books in her collection, he had talked about bones he'd found in odd ritualistic positions.
The bones were displayed like lovers in bed, spooning one last time. They are over two thousand years old and still, they appear as though they simply went to bed and never woke up. Given the relatively lavish ruins they were found in, one can safely assume that these cases involve only pure-blooded arranged mates and not less-prevailing wild mates who would probably not have been allowed to hold a residence. It is speculated that werewolves might have a shorter lifespan because of their curse that might be related to their sleeping patterns as well as the full moon.
He wasn't the only one to mention it. Three other archaeologists spoke about the bones. She could only find two of the books. The last one was in the restricted section. Her second night, she went in search of Dano Cartwright's Werewolf Mythology and Studies on the Unconscious Mind.
Though it was controversial and very rarely accepted, something caught her eye.
Werewolves have rarely been bred in history due to their highly explosive behavior on the full moon. Also, they are only ever useful as weapons once a month. The only record that can be found of a successful attempt at domestication was on part of Salazar Slytherin during Medieval times.
He was said to own a castle dedicated entirely to the raising of werewolves. He would later abandon the practice due to his involvement in the founding of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The other founders, especially Rowena Ravenclaw, refused to be involved with someone who farmed human beings for their unproven psychic abilities. Still, before he dismantled his vast forces, it is believed that he had achieved a way to control the shifting process at will.
She pulled the cloak over her arms and ran back to Gryffindor Tower, slipping on the steps and practically eating her weight in books. She covered Ginny's mouth with her hand, muffling her should she scream.
"It's me, Gin," she whispered, kneeling at her bedside. "I think I know what Voldemort's after. We need to get Harry. Get everybody. We've got to open the Chamber of Secrets."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm posting some original short stories at my personal website. Together, they're called The Companion Short Story Collection. Next one's being posted this Thanksgiving. If you like my writing, check it out. Links are on my profile. I promise a reunion next chapter.
Reviews are better than naked girls at the door.