A Waltz in Darkness

Chapter Nine

Hermione's POV

What a disaster. The night, the situation, my life, all a complete and utter disaster; I should have never brought Malfoy into this. I should have made the logical decision to conduct this search for the artifact alone with only the advice from the Ministry to abide by. Not some twisted form of a witch hell bent on reminding me of my non magical lineage and especially not from a Malfoy who clearly manipulated my feelings to get exactly what he wants: a kiss to hold him over until I help him rescue his beloved Slytherin princess and someone to make him feel better about his own life screw ups.

Well I wouldn't stand for it. If I was forced to work with these two I would do it my way and on my own terms. There would be no more conversing as if we were on some sort of understanding of one another, the ole "two lost souls coming together" bit was a charade and I was naïve enough to fall for it. Ron had always told me that even though I could memorize every textbook, spell and potion; I would always be a foolish little girl in the matters of love. He was right.

I lowered my gaze as I continued to make my way to my quaint little room. At least there I could be amongst the company of the only person I could tolerate and trust: myself.

I exhaled slightly through my woven scarf and allowed my eyes to travel to the sky that revealed the stars for the first time this week. Not a single cloud in the sky, nothing but a velvet tapestry of night stretching out as far as the eye could see. I forced myself to smile; there could be worse nights I suppose.

I took another bite of oatmeal raisin cookie Granny was nice enough to tuck in between the freshly laundered towels. A token of better days to come she said. That woman was a breath of fresh air in the midst of the madness surrounding me. A genuine smile from an even more genuine woman.

I closed the door behind me and realized instantly that something wasn't quite right. I knew the feeling all too well, instinctively I drew my wand from my coat and scanned my room that was thankfully still lit from the lamps I leave on like a child still fearful of the night.

"Who's there?" I asked the seemingly vacant room. The silence was eerily haunting, it was too quiet. No creaking of the settling building, no faint dripping of the claw foot tub faucet and not even the hum of the radio broadcasting the latest developments in the magical world. It was dead silent.

Without warning I felt my body being hoisted into the air by some unseen force. He's here. Or I should say she's here. And she's using a binding spell. I pressed my lips tightly together and swallowed hard at the sight of Pansy now waltzing into sight. Think Hermione, think!

"Stupefy!" I screamed forcing my hand to conduct a slight motion but to no avail, my hand was frozen in place, as was my wand that remained motionless in my tightly clenched hand.

"Now that is no way to greet a guest." She whispered, I could hear the voice of the spirit pushing through her very words. He wanted every aspect of his presence to be known. Arrogance.

"Your name, what is it?" I demanded while feeling my body shifting until the wallpapered wall was pressing against my back.

"I have been called many things in many different times. I've been around a long time my dear, so long that I feel I have no time to waste on being interrogated little witch."

"You want word to spread of your arrival though, do you not?" That's it Hermione. Play to his arrogance. If there was on thing that I have learned about evil, is they want it to spread. They crave their name to be known and feared. I assumed he was not here to kill me or he would have done so without the cloak and dagger routine. So perhaps he did in fact want to be interrogated.

"How do you know word of my return has not already spread?"

"You sound a lot like Voldemort and you should know that he was defeated…just as you will be." I said boldly. My body was pulled from the wall only to be slammed against it with great force. I watched Pansy tip toe towards me with a sadistic grin upon her pale face. I watched darkened veins beginning to trace patterns about her temples and throat. Black magic did not take mercy on the human body. Tom Riddle was a perfect example of that.

"Tom was a fool. Or I suppose I should call him by the name he so proudly crafted for himself: Voldemort. He deserved what he got for double crossing me. But I suppose even he had his fears." The more he spoke, the more questions I had and the more panic began to settle in. I was slowly becoming aware just how dire the situation could turn, I couldn't move and I could feel the stiffness growing strong in my hand still clutching my wand. This wasn't good.

"Well let us get down to business shall we? I have learned both my nemesis and my once companion Voldemort both found their end before I was able to direct them to it personally and I want to know how…why…and by whom. I want to know it all, and to my surprise you are the one they say knows it all. How perfect wouldn't you say?" I felt her breath falling upon my features as she spoke. I tried my best not to look into her eyes but the darkened orbs sunken into deepened circle within her flesh seemed to beg to be seen…and feared. My breath caught in my throat as I watched an oak wand being pulled into my field of vision.

Suddenly I felt it. A force clawing through my very skull, foraging for information, sifting through my very consciousness as if my mind were a book to be read by the invading art of legilimency I should have saw coming. I squeezed my eyes shut, tears threatening to flow as my mind became host to the prying eyes of this…horrid presence. The feeling…was unlike anything I had experienced before. Harry once taught us how to defend our thoughts from the eyes of Voldemort, but as I remembered his lessons and began placing mental blocks up as if quickly building walls in every corner of my mind, they were broken through without hesitation.

"Stop…" I whispered, but I held my begging within, I felt Pansy's frigid hands snake around my throat as the spirit dove deeper into my thoughts and memories but then I began to see memories that were not my own.

It was as if there was a reverse effect, the more my own mind was being penetrated the more I started to flashes of memories that belonged to…Pansy. Was this some sort of defect in the spell? Or was it purposefully being shown to me by Pansy herself?

The fragments of her life seemed to burst like fireworks; vibrant and crystal clear for a moment and fizzling out into darkness. I caught glimpses of moments, faces, and overwhelming feelings. Some glimpses began to linger, Draco became the star shinning brightest in her memories. Acts of love, tokens of romance…moments where she fell in love with him played gracefully slow whilst the moments of volatile arguments and dishes shattering and scurrying about the floor zipped by at astonishing speed. But just as I felt as if I could not handle anything else swimming through my consciousness, a single event, a moment in Pansy's life played before my eyes as if I were actually there.

"This is it?" Pansy asked while unwrapping a seemingly ordinary package before the hidden eyes of a cloaked figure slouching down, watching her every move.

"You were expecting it to be bound in gold?" The figure asked, his raspy voice almost too worn to comprehend.

"I did not pay you to make snide remarks old man. I simply want to know that this is what I asked for!" Pansy's desperation was evident. She studied the book closely but never once opened its pages.

"Yes child, this is the book that will turn your precious fiancé into a man with the utmost regard for bringing back the…natural order of things." He replied with a slight bow.

"It won't…h-hurt him, will it? I just want things to be…well, I don't want great people to be forced to cower in the face of the unworthy faces of the magical world. It's sickening and something has to change!"

"This book, will guarantee a change." The cover of the book was shifted in her grasp and illuminated by the flickering street lights. There, as clear as could be, read the title Frankenstein.

She did this. She started us all on the unplanned, unwelcomed series of events leading us to an adventure no one was prepared for. It was all the workings of a woman, no a child, wanting to use such a deadly weapon to alter her own fiancé. Did she know the change would come in the form of possession? I would imagine whoever the hooded figure was meant for her to be left uninformed of the consequences of her own selfish endeavors. On the other hand, she knew enough to know that a change would come about, so much so she was willing to risk Malfoy's life for it. I did not feel much pity for the girl, not even as I opened my eyes to see her now facing me with an expression of helpless fear.

"Pansy?" I asked. I felt her grip around my neck weaken as my body was eased onto the ground.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean for this to happen." You mean you didn't mean for you to be the one to change. This was what muggles call karma. Her own intentions led her to her own path of destruction by the hands of the very spirit she unknowingly released into the world, and into her own body.

I watched as Pansy struggled to stand, her body growing dangerously thin while her skin grew ever more translucent, revealing designs of darkened veins stretching even further into sight.

"Kill me…just kill me please…before he returns. He knows who you are…he knows everything…" I opened my lips to speak but I found no words were spoken. She just asked me to end her life. Part of me, believes she deserved to suffer. If Malfoy only knew what she had planned!

I remained still, unable to conjure the appropriate words in response to her request. I held my wand tightly but I could not find it within me to direct it towards her. Part of her, however small that part may be, was truly misled and taken advantage of. I could not help but think of Ginny's experience with Tom Riddle's diary during my second year. Her actions were not her own and although the circumstances were different, they had striking similarities that tugged on every heart string I had.

What would Harry do? A question I seem to ask myself a lot, even if he becomes more of a stranger to me than a friend as time passes. I still think of him as a hero, a hero to us all and he would show mercy. He would have me research the library end to end until I found a way to defeat this spirit…all while sparring the life of the one responsible for his release. Yes, that was so much like Harry. Save as many as you can, all lives are innocent deep down he would say, just creatures of their own environment. It could not be helped, but if saving them was an option, it was our duty to try. This mindset changed as the years went on and we encountered true evil, but I think it would be wise to at least try to hold onto such standards. A hero's standards.

"Let me find another way." I whispered.

Author's Note: Okay so this is part one of a two part chapter! But another piece of the puzzle was revealed! Hope everyone is enjoying the story, thank you to all the new followers and favorites! And of course thank you to all of my reviewers, both positive and negative, I will respond to each in the part two of this chapter! –Amelia