Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned below. This is just for fun, and I'm, obviously, not making any money off of it.
Beast with a Black Eye
He was an absolute beast. And not in the way that Lavender Brown would have meant it. Hermione was expressionless as she walked to school, government book held tight to her chest and her dark eyes focused on the sidewalk in front of her. She would be the first to admit that he was more than a little strange. While not bad looking, his clothes were shabby, and though he hadn't smelled any worse than most men, there were dirt smudges on his face and thick crescents caked beneath his fingernails. And the way he had sprinted after her - not calling out, or jogging, but sprinting! Any other sane woman would have assumed that the man had less than noble intentions. Hermione's eyebrows drew together and she gave her head a little shake. He really had been frightening, and it had taken quite a bit for Hermione to not bolt after she pepper sprayed him right in the eyes, but then he had surprised her. She doubted that someone attempting to mug, or rape, would try and apologize - even in such an off-handed way.
And then, the audacity of that man! She was all of 17, and while she didn't know his exact age, he had obviously been out of high school for more than five or six years. And from the looks of him, he hadn't been doing much besides raiding the clothes at Goodwill. Those ridiculous plaid pants? Hermione rolled her eyes. True, she was not a self-proclaimed fashionista, but she liked to think she had acceptable taste - and the pants had been atrocious. She shifted her backpack and tossed her head, trying to get a few curls out of her face. He had, had... hit on her, even after she had pepper sprayed him in the face. If that wasn't a sign of insanity, Hermione didn't know what was. As she approached the school Hermione quickly scanned the parking lot, though she knew her friends never showed up this early, if they could help it. But there was also no sign of the man who had - Hermione frowned.
He had looked awfully familiar. At least, his profile did. The straight nose and the red streak in his hair... Hermione's mouth opened and a single dark brow raised in thought. Why, if she didn't know any better, she could have sworn that she had seen someone extremely similar when she had rushed into the super market during her lunch break. But it wasn't possible. She blinked and shot a disgusted look at the sidewalk, imagining his... leer was the only word for it. When someone smiled, they usually looked friendly and she didn't think that he could ever look friendly. If he had been the one she saw in the store, then that meant...
"A stalker?" Hermione wondered aloud, taking the stairs two at a time. It was absolutely preposterous. And if he had been hanging about, surely someone would have noticed. He didn't exactly fit in well with the crowd. And that was the other thing! Hermione ground her teeth together.
"How could I have been so stupid? I fell for that trick and gave him my name - and of course, he isn't polite enough to give one back. It wouldn't surprise me, the hulking brute," Hermione continued with her whispered insults, stopping in front of her locker and spinning the dial back and forth for a few seconds. The locker popped open with a groan and she shoved her government book into it before pulling off her backpack. Maybe it was unwise - she always had such a back ache on the walks to or from school - but Hermione always took all of her books home with her. The government homework for the rest of the quarter was done and she would have done more - but Mr. Binns hadn't even begun to get together a list for the next quarter. She had pressed him for one a few days back, but when he snapped at her, Hermione had relented. It just meant that she would have more time for Chemistry, which she currently only had an A- in. Hermione slammed her locker shut and whirled, heading towards the library.
Mrs. Pince was always earlier than Hermione, so she was able to go straight inside and set her things down on her favorite table, before heading off to the Science section and pulling out three or four books on Chemistry. She had just begun to recite the Periodic Table of Elements in her head, flipping through the pages to find a chart so she could quiz herself - when someone slipped into the chair opposite her. Hermione jumped, one hand clutched just beneath her heart and frowned at the red headed occupant.
"Ginny, you gave me a terrible fright!" The red head only smiled in return, her cheeks rosy from physical exertion and Hermione realized that she must have finished with her morning track session. Ginny took a quick peek at the book Hermione was reading and then wrinkled her nose, pushing it back towards her.
"Oh 'Mione, and here I was hoping you'd found another Romance novel I might enjoy." Hermione rolled her eyes and dug through her things, pulling out an extra bookmark and marking her place in Advanced Chemistry. "So, you look more irritated than normal this morning. Did Ron happen to attempt chivalry yesterday?" Ginny grinned again and crossed her arms on the table, leaning down to place her chin on her folded arms.
"Did Ron - oh, no. I... I was actually thinking about Mr. Binns and how he wouldn't give me the list for next quarters homework, and then how I still have that A- in Chemistry." The disappointment in Hermione's voice was extreme, which caused Ginny to shake her head and sigh.
"And here I was hoping that there was some exciting tidbit you could share with me," Ginny mock sighed, but stopped when she saw the sheepish look on Hermione's face. "Wait! You mean there is something exciting you can share with me? Well then? Out with it already!" Hermione looked around, but obviously none of the other track runners had drifted into the library and no other students were there yet. She bit her lip, but decided she might as well say something. She had no doubt that Principal Dumbledore had been alerted by Mrs. Pomfrey, and he would comment on it the next time he saw her. Hermione fidgeted, but began to speak.
"Well, I was leaving the library after school yesterday, walking towards the lot when I heard someone running as fast as they possibly could. At first I assumed it was someone heading for the late bus, or maybe their ride was waiting - but I looked over my shoulder and it was this, well, absolutely insane looking man! And he was running right for me!" Hermione shot Ginny a disgruntled look, but Ginny didn't blink, she was listening with rapt attention. "I hurried towards the parking lot, but I could hear him gaining on me, so - you know what my father gave me last Christmas, after that series of muggings?" Ginny gasped and slapped her hands down on the table, her jaw dropping.
"You didn't," Ginny shrieked, to which Mrs. Pince shushed them immediately from the other end of the stacks. Hermione looked away, guilt written plainly on her face. "Well?" Ginny whispered, eyes wide.
"Well, I pulled out the pepper spray and I used it. He was - much closer than I thought and I - well, it was nearly point blank." Hermione put an elbow on the table, her fingers pressed against her temple. "He said, well, groaned out, that he was trying to come over to give me a compliment - but what normal person even does that? Running after someone like an animal to-to tell them they look nice?" Hermione gestured at empty air, as if no one in their right mind had ever done something so stupid. Ginny didn't move. "And then, then he used a pick up line on me! And even though it was his fault for scaring me so badly, I took him to Mrs. Pomfrey to treat his eyes. I couldn't very well just leave after that!" The astonishment on Ginny's face nearly intensified the guilt that Hermione felt.
"What did he say?" Ginny questioned, her eyebrows drawn together in confusion. Hermione wrinkled her nose, trying to recall. In all honesty, other than she recognized it as a pick up line, she hadn't given what he said much thought. Her face flushed red and she muttered it to Ginny quietly. Ginny covered her face, trying to stifle her laughter. Mrs. Pince shushed them again, and after Ginny had recovered, wiping tears from her eyes, she waved her hand, as if it was nothing. "What did he look like?" Hermione raised an eyebrow, not really wanting to think much more about the subject, but Ginny would hound her, wanting to know if he was attractive.
"He was older, I would say in his late twenties, maybe early thirties... Long brown hair, a red streak, and it was rather ratty. I-I don't know what color his eyes were as I had just pepper sprayed them... But he was dirty and wearing these disheveled punk clothes." Hermione shook her head and then jumped when Ginny gasped.
"Oh 'Mione! I saw him yesterday! He was waiting in the parking lot after the bell rang, just sitting on the stone wall - he was actually rather handsome, you know." Hermione gaped at her friend, completely astonished. Had she really just heard that? She really had. Did that prove it? Was he a stalker? Hermione hadn't realized she had spoken aloud until Ginny hissed at her. "What? 'Mione, what do you mean, stalker?"
"I - maybe I'm imagining things! But when I stopped at the super market on my lunch break, I could have sworn I saw him there. In fact, I'm almost sure of it, he backed right into me and I didn't hear an apology. And he was just, just sitting there waiting in the parking lot? And then that craziness with him just..." Hermione's face grew red, though this time it wasn't because of embarrassment, but anger.
o0o
Ginny pestered her the rest of the day, either trying to reassure her that everything was alright, or insisting that she look at the good side of things - handsome. Hermione was so mad she wanted to spit. What did it matter if he was good looking or not? He had waited for her to leave the school. In Hermione's book, that was someone with bad intentions. But by the end of the school day, she was worn out. Sure, she did have a bit of a temper and Ron and sometimes Harry, knew exactly how to push her buttons - but she rarely kept us this degree of anger. Hermione gathered her things from her locker, students buzzing back and forth and Pansy Parkinson shrieking somewhere in the distance. Hermione shuddered and cradled Advanced Chemistry in her left arm before she swung the door shut.
She was going to take a nap when she got home. Or maybe she would have a nice cup of herbal tea first. Or even a hot bubble bath... All she knew what that she wanted to relax before she dove into the extra credit assignment for Economics. Hermione impatiently tucked a lock of russet hair behind her right ear, and then shifted her book as she hopped down the school steps, her backpack bouncing uncomfortably because of the weight. Her mind was already at home, going through the myriad of herbal teas her mother kept stocked - when someone's hand latched onto her left shoulder. Hermione gasped and whirled, Advanced Chemistry swinging back in a defensive move and heard a sickening crack and a curse. Hermione's dark brown eyes, which for some reason had followed the glimmer of something falling, watched as drops of blood bloomed like obscene flowers on the pavement before her head shot back up.
And there he was. This time though, he wasn't rubbing his fists in his eyes. His long fingered hands were clutched protectively around what Hermione assumed was a broken nose, blood dripping from between the laced fingers. First, guilt washed over her in a tidal wave - so much she almost thought she was drowning - she was a walking disaster! But then outrage quickly followed.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione shouted it at him, even as she dug through her bag, looking for a the pack of tissues she usually kept. Triumphant, she pulled them from a pocket before ripping open the package and shoving them into his hands, which he uncurled just enough to get a grip on. He didn't speak, most likely trying to keep the steady flow from dripping onto him or his clothes, but he placed fingers on either side of his nose, the tissues held securely by his thumbs and pushed. A strange, crunching noise made Hermione feel slightly ill. She had broken his nose.
It was a moment more before he opened his eyes, blue, she quickly noted and gave her what she thought was a smile, but looked more like a grimace. "I wad here ta dee ya beau-tiful," he murmured, the words coming out a bit mangled. Beautiful sounded more like "bow-tiful". Hermione grimaced and took a step back, knowing that some of the surrounding students were still watching, or were moving so slow they may as well have stopped and stared. This was just what she needed. The stalker, whom she always injured and for all she knew, may well be masochistic. He blinked his eyes a few times, as if trying to adjust to the pain that he obviously felt, before focusing his attention back on her.
"Yes, well, you've seen me. Do I need to escort you back to the nurse, or will you be fine by yourself?" Hermione took a few steps backwards, hoping she would surprise him into the answer she wanted, but he only closed the distance she had created and winked. Winked? Had he really winked? Hermione stared at him with disbelief neatly written across her forehead. His blue eyes stared for a moment at her face and then went down her body and back up again, before he spoke.
"Iv looks cud kill, ya'd be a weapun ov madd dedtruction," he quipped. All expression left her face and Hermione turned and shot an angry stare at a freshman standing near by. The boy jumped and immediately began to walk away. More pick up lines? More pick up lines after she had broken his nose? Hermione placed a hand on her forehead and held her other out in a 'stop' motion.
"I seem to be already. Sir, I suggest you leave - now. If you don't need help, I have no further reason to -" Hermione squeaked when he reached out and grabbed her hand and quickly yanked it out of his grasp, giving him an accusing look. He blinked, nearly as surprised as she was and gave a low chuckle.
"Ma name id Dabior - dammit-" He closed his eyes and blew his nose into the handful of tissues, shaking his head as if to clear the cobwebs from his brain. "Ma name id Scabior." His name came out clear this time, though Hermione showed no happiness from having learned it. He really was insane.
"I wad actually hopin' ya might agree ta - ta have dinner dome evenin'?" Even with a bloody nose and his eyes rapidly blackening, the look he gave her was full of intent. Intent that she didn't want - from him - ever.
"You really are mad. I thought perhaps there might have been something wrong with you - no one - NO ONE - tries to compliment someone while running at them like a bull! And... not only have I pepper sprayed you, I just broke your nose and you're asking me out on a - on a-" She seemed at a loss for words.
"Date," he happily supplied. If looks could kill, Scabior would have been a puddle of flesh on the ground.
"Not only have I injured you - twice," she murmured fiercely. "I am seventeen, I'm still in high school and you, Scabior, are not - you are not someone I would bring home to meet my parents." She said the words with venom, but it didn't seem to phase him. Scabior raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, but half of his expression was still hidden by the bloody tissues. Hermione inhaled deeply - ready to continue, but Scabior interjected before she could.
"Yeah, yeah, but oppodites attract, hm?" His smile was completely ruined by the dark swelling around his eyes.
Hermione wanted to scream. "Good. Bye." She timed her stomping feet to the words and turned away from him, all but running. Even walking as fast as she was, she could hear him calling out, letting the whole school hear as well, "I'll dee you later then, beau-tiful!" If she didn't need her Advanced Chemistry book she would have thrown it at him, in the hopes that it would put him out of his misery.
A/N: Is it just me, or did this chapter turn into a monster? Now... Is everyone interested in me making this an epic tale? (I enjoy Scabmione, but they really need lots and lots of time for anything to be even inclined to romance) Including as many of the characters as I can (of course with more than liberal helpings of Scabmione) or I can edit the outlines I have and continue with it being strictly on the amusing side - though it would be much, much shorter... Review and let me know?