Chapter Sixteen
The stairs ascended into the darkness, Hermione took the stairs slowly, her footfalls echoing up the passage. Suddenly she heard the door below creak open behind her, and frightened it might be the zombie, she took the rest of the stairs two at a time. At the top of the stairs there was another corridor, narrower than those on the second floor, and more dimly lit. Hermione hurried along it, constantly looking over her shoulder. She was sure there was someone following her. She took a left turn at a crossing in the corridor and hurtled down it. Towards the end of the corridor a door stood open. A beam of moonlight illuminated the passageway. Hermione heard footsteps approaching and she darted through the door.
Inside there was nothing to light the room except for the light of the full moon that streamed in through an open window, a thin veil of a curtain flapped in the cool breeze. Stood at one side of the room against the wall was a simple bed, covered with a flimsy white sheet. Hermione shut the door quietly behind her and sat down on the bed pulling the silky sheet up around her. She could hear someone walking slowly down the corridor outside, opening each door along the hallway one by one.
The footsteps were getting closer and closer, Hermione held her breath, not daring to move, her heart was beating rapidly, the next door to the one where she was hidden banged open.
"I know you're up here," she heard a voice whisper, and within a few moments she heard the door close again.
Soon she heard the door handle click, a large shadow appeared in the doorway.
"I can smell you!" A creepy voice emanated from the figure. Hermione watched as the man felt his way around the room. Eventually he had felt out the edge of the bed. Hermione was shaking. A big hand inched it's way closer and closer to where Hermione was tucked up – her arms wrapped around her knees, the cover pulled up over her nose. Hermione was terrified as the hand suddenly brushed against her leg.
Suddenly the hand grabbed her ankle and gripped it hard. "Found you!" A voice she didn't recognise shouted. She could smell the foul odour of stale ale upon his breath and the man changed his grip to hold her down. The man moved above her and Hermione struggled beneath him.
"Don't fight!" The voice commanded, the stench of his breath was unbearable and Hermione tried to fight him off. She kicked and wriggled but try as she might she couldn't shift his weight. The cover began to be pulled down and her skirts were raised. Hermione screamed.
"What the hell is going on?" A voice she recognised shouted. The door banged open and Hermione could smell the musk and sandalwood of her stranger, Suddenly the weight on her was gone.
"Hermione?" her stranger asked, concerned. Hermione sat up, straightening her dress, there was no sign of her horrible attacker. Her mystery man ran to her side as Hermione began to weep. "What's happened?" He asked, "Has somebody hurt you?" She looked up at him. Silvery tears shone in the moonlight.
"Not somebody. Something!" She said as he put his arms around her and held her tight.