Jasper Hale no longer sparkled, but he sure did shine. At the literal break of dawn Hermione exhaustedly rolled over toward the masculine scent of evergreens. She spent most of the night awake, trying not to cross any well-defined borders of their king sized bed. Somewhere between strict vigilance and her petite snoring, the pseudo-vampiric muggle managed to slip off his dark navy shirt. And who knows what else slipped off.
Hermione Granger investigated all things: even in her sleep. The half awake witch curled into the mysterious warmth that welcomed her. She spent the rest of the night dreamily running her hands over Jasper. Jasper spent his very first night asleep very...comfortable. More than he could ever fathom, kind of comfortable.
But the scent of morning evergreens was enough to fully awaken the rest of Hermione's senses. It was morning. Hermione drowsily brushed off her curls. She squinted through the blinding light of the window. It was much too warm, so she drew herself away from the mysterious warmth. This wasn't Crookshanks. Crookshanks had fur.
All she could make out was a tan chest partly wrapped in a white blanket. His breath evenly rose and fell in calm waves. His hand partially covered an impressive show of abs and muscle. The other arm protectively held her waist. Hermione's chocolate brown eyes sleepily wandered from his broad shoulders to look upward.
The witch blushed as she pried her eyes off the mystery of muscles and travelled over his broad shoulders. Hermione valiantly tried to get a proper look at his face. The gorgeous figure's bronze curls partially covered a face that boasted rather long lashes and a rose pink grin. The git grinned in his sleep, as if he were fully aware of his attractiveness. The rest of him was sculpted after a Greek God, although he was clearly 'southern: not European and certainly not Greek.
Hermione's brain instantly caught up with her senses. This was the blasted ankle biter! With swift precision Hermione tore herself from Jasper's embrace, aimed her wand, and closed her eyes.
"Scrougify! Ambasina!" The spells sent Jasper flying toward the ground, in peculiarly slow motion.
In three small seconds Jasper rolled over, fresh as a daisy and fully dressed in form fitting (why?) black clothes. Jasper was already standing before he could hit the ground. Apparently some things could never be unlearned. Muggles couldn't possibly be this fast. If that's what he truly was, again. Hermione blinked and almost dropped her wand before he caught it.
"You alright?" Jasper looked at Hermione apologetically. He was fully awake by the time the spell hit him with new clothes. He's never actually slept with a girl before, and he didn't quite understand the etiquette.
"Um, yes. Our lessons are to begin after breakfast in the Great Hall." a small voice rose to his ear.
"Say again?" Jasper's ears didn't function as well as he'd prefer.
"Lessons. Breakfast. That way." Hermione curtly finished before briskly shutting the bathroom door. Hermione leaned her back at the other side of the door, and quickly slid down to the floor.
Hermione had never slept with a ..whatever of the 'opposite sex' before. She didn't expect her first time to be under such strange circumstances. With a stranger. A bloody handsome one at that. Nevermind. She would use the scalding hot water to properly return her back to her wits. The water would burn off those improbable thoughts Hermione reflexively had. And vehemently denied.
Clouds of steam left the bathroom before Hermione emerged with a towel in her hair. Jasper was still sitting on the bed, leaning both elbows on his knees. He looked much like a scared cat as he reflexively rose from his seat.
"Ahhh!"
"Miss Granger I-"
"Jasper Hale. LEAVE."
The exit door quickly shut before she could finish saying leave.
After a few mortified moments of dressing alone in her professorial robes, Hermione opened the door of their quarters. Jasper was still waiting. He stood at what he calculated was a safe distance. He looked at her so apologetically that it was hard to stay offended.
"I thought you might like an escort." Jasper whispered almost to himself. Hermione fidgeted at his sweetness. No. Professionalism. She confidently stepped forward and looked up at him.
"You mustn't trouble yourself with morning...pleasantries. I really don't mind making my way around, alone." Hermione tried her best to explain without sounding uptight.
Jasper sensed she was definitely wound up.
"Sure." was all he managed.
"Er, yes. Sure. Let's head to The Great Hall. You'll be properly introduced, we will have breakfast, and you may attend classes with me." Hermione spoke as she briskly walked forward.
Jasper's eyes widened at the sight of a ballroom lookin' Great Hall. He hasn't seen anything this magnificent since his coven's visit to the Volturi. Jasper was more affected by such beauty this time around. Before he merely focused on one thing: do not attack. Wherever he was, whenever time it was.
Professor McGonagall stood before a podium with golden owl wings that looked over four massive rows of students. She ceremoniously bellowed her start of the term speech.
"Students. Welcome back." McGonagall started as Jasper followed the scent of indescribable prey. Food. It wasn't until a few hundred sentences later that he emerged enough to listen.
"...so this year we shall have the pleasure of hosting Professor Hermione Granger as our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. As you all know, she has traveled the world beyond the scope of her years as an..well, you know. Professor Granger is to conduct a few lessons with her apprentice, Professor Hale before they leave for America's Ilvermorny School of Wizardry."
A roar of Gryffindor students overwhelmed the Hall while the others excitedly clapped. Hermione Granger was back. The Hermione. Suddenly a slytherin sniggered.
"Her assistant fancies waffles over teaching." The Slytherin rolled her eyes right before their entire row started sniggering.
Jasper couldn't help it. They caught him drowning in heaps of pudding and sweets... and fruits.. and everything he ever missed out on. His appetite far surpassed both a Newborn and Ron Weasley. There he was, behind Rubeus Hagrid, dipping his face into the buffet.
At the sounds of everyone's impolite laughter Jasper quickly let go of his food-prey. THe Hall somehow darkened as he instantly changed his demeanor. Jasper stood up tall, as the students reflexively silenced. His hazel eyes surveyed the terrain of students and narrowed at the girl who started the fiasco. She was a hundred and three yards away. A small dot in a mass of dots.
Jasper stalked the entirety of the Great Hall as McGonagall fell back in both shock and a tiny bit of reverence for the former Major. The war of Voldemort should've taught her students better than to mock any sort of veteran. Mr. Hale surely deserves this..teaching moment. Jasper gracefully stalked the rows of each House as he spoke.
"I'm no professor. But I can tell you this. I've survived massacres of nations that would easily drown this Hall with blood. And I will be honest. I've participated in much of that."
Jasper stood tall with his arms behind him. He walked onwards as he spoke.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts. To me it sounds like a dying art. What I'm going to teach you is something I've spent centuries learning" Jasper finally loomed over the Slytherin girl that started the laughter.
Her breath hitched as he leaned in. Jasper still had a specific predatory allure that refused to release her gaze. As if anyone would want to break eye contact once he's started it!
"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Jasper nearly chuckled.
"You will learn to fight a greater foe. One that never leaves until you die." His hazel eyes hardened.
"I will teach you how to defend yourself…." Jasper leaned in to whisper into her ear, "...against yourself." He finished before he quickly rose.
The entire hall heard his whisper. No one questioned him again. Jasper made his way back to his delicious Apple and gingerly took a bite. He winked at Hermione as he bit into the fruit and clumsily chewed away. Hermione ignored the wink, cleared her throat, and straightened her robes. Of course they'd been straight. But they somehow felt ruffled.
"Ten points from Slytherin for failing to welcome an honored guest." Hermione fought back her amusement and horror.
"DADA is supposed to be at noon. We'll train you by Houses. Which House would like to learn first?" Jasper chewed through his question.
The entire Great Hall nearly shook from the bustling of students straining to get their first lesson. More witches than wizards wanted a personal lesson from Professor Granger's delicious apprentice. Jasper chuckled in the background.
"Ladies first." He offered Miss Granger the choice.
"Gryffindor." Hermione spoke much to no one's surprise.
"I am going by alphabetical order!" She tried to defend herself amongst the crowd of sneers and cheers.
"Alright, Griffs. To the Forest!" Jasper rounded out his first batch of trainees. The little cubs fell over each other to follow him.
Hermione's lip twitched. Those were her students.
Jasper Whitlock Hale is a woman's worst nightmare. Some things just never change.