Chapter Twenty One
The stranger kicked the door closed behind him and laid Hermione gently down upon the feather bed.
"Are you real?" Hermione asked, her eyes half-closed. "Am I dreaming agai..." Her words trailed off as her eyes closed fully.
Her stranger smiled to himself. He took off her boots and mask and loosened her corset in an attempt to make her more comfortable, then he tucked her up snugly under the thick quilt, taking off his own mask and laying it down on the bedside table.
He dimmed the lights and sat himself down in a comfortable if tatty old chair in the corner of the room. He watched her peaceful face as she slept, the deep sleep only the very drunk can ever attain. Now and again Hermione let out a quiet snore and her watcher only found her all the more adorable for it.
He took out his wand and quietly called down to Tom in the bar. "Can you arranged to have something delivered for Miss Granger in the morning?" He asked, and after receiving a positive response, he gave Tom his orders.
The night passed slowly and the stranger had to pace the room once in a while to prevent himself from falling asleep. Eventually, however, the sun rose, it's light penetrating through the thick curtains to show Hermione, still tucked up and fast asleep, her magical make-up still as perfect as it had been the night before. Her hair had come undone sometime during the night and luscious red curls cascaded over the soft pillows.
"You are beautiful," the stranger whispered, getting up from his chair and stretching. He took out his wand once more, "suscípiet Angelum meum ," he said in a low voice, casting a protection spell over the sleeping witch. He walked around her bed, repeating the spell and strengthening it's power. Then he moved over to the bedside table where he found a blank parchment and quill, and wrote a quick note, before kissing Hermione on the forehead, and quietly slipping out of the room.
Several hours later Hermione awoke with a groggy head, she lay still for a while trying to get her bearings, it took some time for her to remember where she was and after a while some of the previous night's events came back to her. Remembering her stranger and how he had said he would stay with her through the night, Hermione bolted upright in bed, instantly regretting her swift movements. Her head was throbbing as she looked around the room to find the mystery man gone.
She laid back down disappointedly, "I knew he was too good to be true," she thought. Her mouth was dry and she felt as though she was full of a cold. She turned over to reach the jug of water she kept at her bedside and there she saw the note.
She reached for it, and held it before her squinting eyes.
"Hermione,
I watched over you until the sun came up.
I'm sorry I had to leave, there are a few things that I
needed to take care of.
I cast a protection spell over you, just in case.
I had a wonderful time last night. I hope you did too!
There is a present for you behind the bar, it
ought to clear a few things up for you.
Thank you for everything.
Your admirer
xxx
Hermione read and re-read the letter several times and then she noticed the mask laying on the table too.
She picked it up, looking into the empty eye-holes. "Who are you?" She thought, and with a great deal of effort she got up out of bed and headed for the shower.