November flew by in the castle, but for Hermione the month dragged on. She finally got a read on Andromeda's signature and knew when she was in the castle, especially in Minerva's chambers, and avoided the wing like the plague. It wasn't the fact that she wanted to avoid her mother, she simply didn't know how to feel. What was she going to say? How was she supposed to react? No, she avoided the rooms because she felt she was at a disadvantage, and Hermione, Daughter of Death, never placed herself in a place of disadvantage.
She began walking the halls at night, when no one was around skirting Mrs. Norris she could think, regroup, and collect herself. She felt it sometimes, the tell-tale pricks on the air. She felt the eyes following her around the castle, and they didn't come from the portraits. One evening just as the heaviest snow fell, she felt a force shove on her, as if by blunt force trauma. Her hand flew out to the wall as her breathing came in gasps. She slid her back to the wall, and felt around with her senses. Something died, something innocent. Tears filled her eyes as she clutched her chest. She looked at her watch and furrowed her brow. No souls to collect but she felt it. Oh, innocent soul, where or what could it be? She went to follow the wave of desperation, of death then PLOP.
"RHUN?!" Hermione whispered her surprised yell.
"Don't go out there," the ragged hat informed her.
She didn't realize her feet took her to the castle doors. She didn't realize her hand was on the massive latch and her hand stretched out or pushed open the massive door.
"Why? What is going on?" Hermione asked, gathering her wits, and slipped into an alcove to hide herself and Rhun from the world.
"He is out there," Rhun said urgently.
"He who?" Hermione asked, wondering what could frighten a hat.
"The dead one, that lingers," Rhun answered and Hermione's back shot ramrod straight as a chill slipped down her spine, "Voldemort," Rhun finished, and Hermione took a deep breath.
"We have tried to find him for years, and you tell me he is out there, on the grounds?"
"Yes, and he is gathering power, killing unicorns to stay alive," Rhun supplied.
"You said killed, past tense, how long has this been going on? Why was this feeling so…" Hermione faded unable to describe the amount of loss.
"Harry Potter is out there."
Hermione flew from the alcove and darted down the path.
"Blast Girl! I told you not to go out there," Rhun gripped his brim squeezing about her head tightening to stay on.
"Yes, well, I am very much like my father. I never really have followed the rules," she smiled as the hat groaned. She flew through the forest. Typically, creatures cowered or fled from her, knowing death lingered about her. Her feet flew to a clearing. She stopped.
It was grotesque. The shadow that fed, slurping, guzzling, feeding on the silver essence of the creature.
SNAP!
Harry-freaking-Potter stood on the low ridge and found the scene. Hermione was about the wave her hand, damn her wand, to stop the shadow from advancing but it was instantly chased off by centaurs. A brief dialogue between the centaurs and Harry was escorted back to Hagrid. Hermione waited, and watched.
"You don't belong here." Hermione whipped around to the voice and noted a centaur had crept upon her. Hermione looked around but then the centaur looked at the hat she wore.
"It is written in the stars the one to bring the lines together will arrive, but it is not you. You are displaced. Your choices displace you. When the moon rises as the sun enters Gemini is when your choices will be made, but until then you are split between the living and the dead," The centaur prophesied then flicked his attention to the grove where the unicorn lie dead and shook his head. He turned to walk past her.
"Please don't tell…" Hermione pleaded.
"I will not speak of seeing deaths advocate on this night, but I will not hide the presence of more inside of the castle," the Centaur soothed.
"Kirn, his name is Kirn," Rhun supplied Hermione.
"Thank you Kirn," Hermione bowed slightly, and the centaur bowed his head and somberly walked to the unicorn where his brethren collected mourning the death of the innocent.
Hermione flew back to the castle as fast as her feet could carry her. She would have phased out, but she wanted to make sure the boy was taken care of. She stuck to the shadows with Rhun. She whipped round the corner but skittered to a stop. She watched the cat spin around and then saw the small creature sigh and then both followed the boy and Neville to the portrait. Minerva shifted and Hermione marveled at the beauty of such a transformation.
"Come with me. Your heart rate is fast," she directed, and Hermione followed. Once in her chambers she warded the doors and spun around. Arms slammed into her.
Minerva stood stock still, afraid to move, unsure. She felt the woman against her shake slightly and, by no conscious action of her own, felt her arms lift and her hands press to Hermione's back. She held the woman against her, she let her shake in her gentle sobs. Hermione finally let go and walked to the sofa and flicked her wand and started the fire. Minerva's brow rose at the efficiency of her wand, a wand that has been in her hands for less than a year.
"I have seen death, I have seen carnage and gore, but I have never seen… I have never been affected by the sight of the murder of the most innocent creature torn from this world the way I was affected this evening," Hermione whispered her eyes glazed as she zeroed in on the flames dancing in the hearth. Hermione's glassy eyes full of tears pinned Minerva.
"Minerva, what is happening to me?" Hermione asked feeling her control slide, slipping through her fingers. Tears spilled over her cheeks at the question. Minerva lifted her hand and swept tears from cheeks and then settled on Hermione's cheeks.
Both women gasped. Hermione rooted to the sofa and Minerva felt a piece of her tear away from her body only to be replaced with something otherworldly. Hermione jerked her face from Minerva's touch.
"Oh gods, I am sorry Lass. I forgot about..." Minerva began to sputter her apologies pulling her hand from Hermione's wet cheeks but was stopped. She didn't see the quickness of Hermione's actions. She never saw her hand as Hermione reached out.
"Don't," Hermione whispered then focused on their hands clasped together, skin to skin. Minerva watched Hermione, no mask, no glamor, analyze their hands. She shifted their hands, palms, then Hermione caressed Minerva's long fingers with her fingertips. Hermione touched every expanse of Minerva's hand and then linked their fingers.
"I'm …" she never got a chance to say the word as she looked up into Minerva's eyes. They said volumes. Minerva's eyes said so much that it could fill a book, and in that moment, Hermione was met with a tome she was not ready to read. She stood and phased out leaving Minerva on her sofa with her hand stretched out.
"Home," Rhun said. He was left behind in Hermione's place. Minerva looked down.
"The word she did not say was home," and then he too blinked out.
Absent…
Each morning she woke, she showered, she dressed, and she walked. The teacher in her said no, never, not, but the woman in her, every time she saw the lack of bushy brown curls at her house table, her stomach clenched. She woke to a letter on her nightstand. She remembered her shaking hands as she ripped it open, trying to focus on the lines adorning a trembling sheaf of paper. Remembering selected words such as taken a leave, know not when she will return, and the most heart wrenching, it was a mistake, rendered Minerva into a husk of herself.
"She is not here again," Albus said commenting on the absence of the girl. Minerva could only nod and butter her toast.
"Where is she?" he gritted.
"I don't know. Her father..."
He clenched her bicep and made her look at him. She never knew she could move so quickly as she felt the sting of her palm as it connected with his cheek. She stood fuming.
"Never place your hands on me in such a manner again. And never think to invade my thoughts again," she ground out. She looked around. She chanced a glance down at the staff table, then to her lions.
"I resign," she said firmly.
Chaos erupted as she walked from the seat to the assembly of children. Her head was high, her gait was not rushed.
"No, you will not," came a nasal voice. She turned from her path back to the highchairs and her eyes collided with her mortal enemy.
"I will see to it that the board is informed of specific details regarding your possible removal," Severus Snape said as he glanced at Dumbledore.
"Yes, I apologize Professor McGonagall. I was rash and hasty in my quest for answers," Dumbledore said trying to soothe the situation.
"We all saw it Albus. You Grabbed her!" Madam Pomphrey stood raging. Minerva held her hand and the Great Hall fell silent.
"I will not have those jeopardize their jobs for me," Minerva said and turned around. Green found brown.
"Then my daughter and I will be making the decision to remove her from this institute," spoke the man with his hands on her shoulders.
"Hello Lass," Minerva spoke trying to calm her hammering heart.
"I can't leave you for a week, can I?" Hermione jested but Minerva and Hermione both knew there was more behind that jest.
"Yes well," Death began and stepped from around Hermione. His gaze bore into Dumbledore, "If the Potions Master does not go, I will. I may be what you term as a muggle, but I am sensitive when it counts," Death smiled as he tapped his temple. Albus Dumbledore paled. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He knew Albus was looking.
"You don't know what you say," Albus said to the man before him.
"Ah yes, but I do know symptoms of specific intrusions," said another voice.
"Andromeda," Albus said with a smile feeling relieved until she strode closer. She whipped out her wand and cast a spell. She blocked those around her except for Albus, Hermione, Andromeda, Death, and Minerva.
"I know the symptoms of someone trying to break into one's mind Albus. Stop it," she pointed her wand backward, "Leave them alone, including Minerva. Your obsession with my friend's daughter is overkill. I may be a Tonks, but I can use the Black name where and when it needs to be used." She waved her wand after he nodded, threat understood.
"Classes canceled," Severus shouted. Students barreled out of the hall leaving the family and Minerva.
"Come, we can talk in my chambers,' Minerva directed.
"I will be in attendance," Dumbledore butted in scrambling with his robes.
"Albus…" Andromeda gritted holding her wand.
"Let him attend. He has what I want," Death said. Everyone looked at him then he spun around and led the way to the Assistant Headmistresses' office.
Into the Abyss…
Everyone took a seat. Hermione and Death looked around like it was nothing. Albus sat but had an edge to his posture.
"How have you been?" Minerva softly asked Hermione.
"I didn't know she was ill?" Albus butted in and all eyes landed on him.
"Her core fell, and she was rushed to the hospital," Andromeda reacted.
"How do you know these people? You live rather far apart," Albus asked lifting his brow.
"We have our ways outside of magical Britain, and if you don't back off, I will march my ass to the board," Andromeda replied menacingly through a tight smile.
"Andy," Death warned. Andromeda smiled and flicked her wand. Albus Dumble slumped in his chair. Hermione scoffed.
"Well, that makes this easy," she stood and walked to Dumbledore and slid his sleeve up his arm, and then took what he held most dear. She took his power.
"Decoy," she said reaching behind her, and Death provided another wand, an exact replica of the Elder Wand. She stood and closed her eyes and shuddered. She placed it in the fireplace, and she grasped her father's hand. Both shot power into the wand. It vaporized into dust.
"Thank you for being our liaison," Hermione said to Andromeda with a small smile. Andromeda smiled and tipped her invisible hat.
"Can I smack him?" she looked around, "to wake him up?' she explains mischievously. Minerva scoffed as she took a sip of her tea.
"You remind me so much of your sister," then she thought and shook her head, "Bellatrix," Minerva smiled catching her mistake.
"Where do you think she got it from? I was just a lot more covert," Andromeda said stalking up to Dumbledore. She pulled her hand back and brought it forward.
PAT PAT PAT
"Wake up," Andromeda chuckled at the sigh she heard from behind her. Dumbledore came around and immediately his hand went to his wand checking to see if was still there. He sat up in his chair blinking.
"You said I have something you want," Albus stated gaining his footing.
"Co-operation Sir," Death said staring at Albus.
"In what endeavor?" Albus asked buying time.
"In keeping my child safe. She is very private and has opened up to Minerva. I want to make her in loco parentis, or in layman's terms, In lieu of the parent. I want her to be her guardian here on this campus. She saw Hermione becoming more and more worn by the day and owled me, an interesting way to communicate by the way, and informed me of her mental and physical health. I only want your cooperation in making sure Hermione is under her care. Not yours. You run an entire school, whereas the good Professor is easily accessible to her. I ask this because I trust her," Death chanced a glance at Minerva and nodded, "I do not trust you and you know why."
"So, nothing is going on with her that I need to know?" Dumbledore asked almost deflating at the information. Death smiled.
"No, professor. She is simply an integral part of my life, and I can't see how parents never see their children for so long. When she became ill Minerva was right on top of the situation. She has my respect and I wish for this. If this cannot happen, I will pull her from this institute, place her elsewhere, and go to your board with the help of Andromeda," Death indicated to Andromeda. Dumbledore looked between them all and sighed.
"I see my hands are tied," Dumbledore stood to exit the office and looked at Minerva, "I do apologize for my actions."
"You have fallen far Albus. You never would have done that to me, or any other. Find yourself," she said.
"You will stay?" he asked.
"Aye, but you are to remain away from me, and the girl. We have done nothing to warrant this type of behavior from you. Do your job. That is all anyone can ask," Minerva said hoping he would leave. He nodded and exited the room. Andromeda shot a ward and a silencing charm at the door.
"So lovelies. How is everyone? One down three to go," she said with a smile on her face. Death stood and reached out his hand. She looked up, and slowly placed her hand in his. Her thoughts took her back eons. Death and Andromeda exited the office arm and arm.
Minerva and Hermione looked at one another. Both sat back looking into the flames. For one woman questions flew across her mind like a whirling dervish, for another, the answers sat on the tip of her tongue but would not pass her lips.
"May I stay here for a while?' Hermione asked quietly.
Minerva looked at Hermione. Glamor was gone, and the hunted look gone.
"Of course," Minerva whispered her reply.
Both turned back to the fire with their thoughts as company.