Bound.
Chapter Three: The Night of The Dead.
It was only Minerva's prodding to go to dinner through way of her Patronus that Hermione dragged herself from the library to the Great Hall. Thus far she still hadn't made any progress in figuring out a way to convince the Malfoy family to support her plans. The fact she couldn't solve this problem was driving her up the wall. So much so it was probably a good thing she had forgotten all about the skeletons currently residing on her bed. With a grunt she slumped into her seat at the staff table seconds before the food appeared. Each staff member was there seated in their assigned seats. Tomorrow, the new term would start and thus students would be filling the halls of Hogwarts. At this moment in time Hermione wasn't dreading anything more.
She dreaded to think of her time as a student and how that was taken by her Professors. Especially one late Severus Snape.
"Are you okay dear?"
Minerva asked, pausing her conversation with Professor Slughorn who was the temporary Potions Professor. He had willingly agreed to fill the position until such time they could find a permenant replacement. Unfortunately they had yet to find anyone that could come anywhere close to matching Severus' high standards.
"Hm? Oh yes. Everythings just going down the crapper, and I don't know how to fix it."
She grumbled, prodding her portion of Shepherds Pie.
"The crapper?"
Asked Minerva in amusement, eyes twinkling a lot like a late headmaster used to do. Hermione caught the amusement in her tone and lifted her gaze from her plate to look at the older woman in disbelief.
"No. I'm not trying to fix the crapper. I'm trying to fix whats in the crapper!"
She snapped, to which a round of laughter rose from the table, some of which was attempted to be muffled but unsuccessful.
"Well, as full as the crapper may be, I think you're being too hard on yourself. You can't get everything right the first time."
Minerva told her wisely, an amused smile still on her lips due to her former student's interesting language. Hermione huffed in annoyance, her face flush at the sound of laughter, as she tried not to admit - even to herself - that her words may have been amusing. Her hands shot up in the air as she responded to her Headmistress.
"But I always get it right the first time! I've never, ever, become as stuck as I am now. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but even if I don't know something straight away I can usually find the answer in a book. I've been through everything! I've purchased god knows how many other books, some of which are rare and one of a kind, and I'm still as stuck as I was before!"
Hermione growled, fustrated, and sounding far too much like a certain Severus Snape to the rest of the staff. At least in tone and body language at any rate. Despite the other Professors' attempts at unwinding young Hermione, she was still fustrated even after dinner was over and she had consumed her portion. At this point they knew she would just have to work through it herself, and they could only hope by tomorrow she would be calmer if not happier.
Fortunately by the time she reached her chambers she had less energy to dedicate to her fustration. Walking from one side of the castle, to the other, and back again would do that to you. The second she shut the door to her chambers, hidden by the portrait, she let her robes slip from her shoulders to the floor. She didn't stop as she walked down the hallway, kicking off her shoes as she passed by her bedroom door, and walked into the kitchen. On automatic she took out a cat bowl, filled it up with a sachet of luxury cat food, and then put it down as she called Crookshank's name. It was only the fact her familiar did not appear that snapped her out of her trance.
"Crookshanks?"
She called, eyebrows furrowed as she left the kitchen to find her awol familiar. Eventually, after checking the rest of her chambers, she went into her bedroom. What she saw caused her to freeze in shock. Not only was her cat there but he was currently licking - and was that nibbling?! - on the hip of one of the skeletons where muscle and tissue was trying to regenerate.
"Bloody hell!"
Hermione screeched as she ran to the bed, grabbed her cat by either side of his large belly, and yanked him off his new chew toy. The fact he looked very pleased with himself did not help matters. It also did not, unfortunately for her, distract her from the fact that both skeletons were most definitely men. The fact both had regenerated up to their hips with a very male appendage in full view kept her attention. It was almost like a car crash; as much as she didn't want to look she couldn't help but do so. Were they even supposed to be that big?!
It was only Crookshanks licking her cheek that snapped her out of it.
"Ew!"
She hissed, bolting out of her bedroom. The second she outside of it she shut the door, dropped her cat, and bolted into the bathroom where she used every antibacterial skin product and potion she had to scrub her cheek. Her day was just going from bad to worse. Once she was sure she was thoroughly clean, her cheek red, Hermione left the bathroom and gave her cat an annoyed glare as he perched quite happily on the arm of her worn, second-hand armchair.
"Hermione?"
Came a familiar voice from the fireplace to her left, just out of her eyesight.
"Shit!"
Was Hermione's spectacular reply as she practically jumped five feet in the air in surprise. She spun round to see the redhead's head made out of green flames. She had no time to spend talking with Ginny, especially since she had two men regenerating in her bedroom that she was trying to keep secret. Unfortunately she couldn't lie to save her life and her friends knew her far too well. Ginny was a lot more observant and perceptive then most gave her credit for, so Hermione knew if anyone would find out about the two men, as well as the spell, it would be her.
"You're swearing."
Ginny stated, suprised and amused. Hermione snorted, folding her arms across her chest as she tried to shuffle subtly so her bedroom door was hidden from sight.
"Of course I swore. I'm an adult now."
She informed her friend in her best bossy tone, as her friends so loving called it.
"Your hiding something."
Ginny said with a smirk, causing Hermione to go wide eyed in shock.
"I'm not hiding anything, I swear!"
She squeaked, which only caused her friend to smirk wider.
"Hang on, I'm coming through."
Was Ginny's response before her head disappeared. Hermione panicked. Spinning around she bolted to her bedroom, grabbing the door and slamming it shut behind her. It was only as she spun back around she noticed Crookshanks was no longer in view.
"Oh no."
She moaned before turning back around and yanking the door open. Sure enough Crookshanks was on top of her bed heading towards one of the men's hands which had started to regenerate.
"Damn you Crookshanks!"
Hermione growled, ignoring the horror movie of regenerating skeletons that was very much a reality, and stalked over to her wayward cat. She attempted to yank the cat off the man's hand only to find herself tugged forward due to the fact the cat had sunk his claws into the hand's fresh flesh. To her embarrassment she ended up laid on her stomach across both laps, her head very close to a piece of flesh that was all man and the other was pressing against her abdomen. For a moment all she could do was lay there, entirely surprised that the protection bubble had let her through - now that she thought about it, Crookshanks had strangely been allowed through - with her hands laid on one thigh and a rib bone. Realising her position Hermione shot off the bed with a screech. The sudden movement surprised Crookshanks who leaped off the bed only seconds later.
A piercing scream yanked Hermione out of her own disgust at having yet more skeleton regenerating fluid on her hands. She spun around to see her worst nightmare at this current moment - Ginny in the doorway.
"Shit!"
She cursed again, grabbing Crookshanks before she ushered Ginny out of her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Hermione put Crookshanks onto the laminate wooden flooring before guiding Ginny to her sofa where she proceeded to make her sit.
"Tipsy!"
Hermione called as she sat down beside her friend. Half a second later a house elf appeared before them.
"Yes missus?"
It asked, bowing before them.
"A large pot of tea please with scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam - no bits in it if possible."
Normally, Hermione wouldn't use a house elf let alone ask it to do something for her - she still believed in S.P.E.W - but right now Ginny needed her full attention. Tipsy disappeared with a crack leaving the two women alone.
"Ginny, are you okay?"
She asked softly, to which the pale faced Ginny slowly nodded her head although she still seemed to be in shock.
"There were two naked men in your room. Half skeleton..."
The redhead murmured, her shocked gaze turning to look at her bushy haired friend.
"Heh, about that... You know the marriage law?"
Hermione asked, to which Ginny managed to nod as she grasped onto something completely non-horror like.
"Well, they made it so it had no loophole. They knew I'd try anything to get the law abolished. Minerva had an idea though..."
At this point Tipsy returned, the tray of food and a huge pot of tea appeared on the wooden coffee table, before another crack was heard as Tipsy disappeared. Hermione immediately set to work pouring the tea, putting milk in both and sugar in Ginny's. Once a cup was in each of their hands, Hermione continued her tale.
"Well, she found an ancient spell where one could find their soulmate, or soulmates, apparently. Anyway, only the strongest witches and wizards can do it, it takes a lot of magic and energy that could leave you without magic or dead, but Minerva was sure I could do it. Since I didn't want to marry an idiot that didn't know a Patronus from an Animagus, I decided to give it a go. As you can see I survived. However, my soulmates were apparently dead, so the magic is now regenerating them, as you saw in my bedroom."
She finished, watching Ginny cautiously as she digested the information.
"So, they're your soulmates?"
Hermione nodded with a relieved smile.
"I hope they're my only soulmates."
She added, her gaze sliding back to her bedroom door as a nervous fluttery feeling twirled in her belly.
"I'm so proud of you! My little Hermy all grown up! Oooo, can I be your maid of honour?"
Ginny asked excitedly, practically squealing in joy. It was so sudden, the information and mood swing, that Hermione could only stare at her firey friend in shock. Before she could say a word in response a silvery tabby cat formed of mist appeared before the pair staring at Hermione. Minerva's voice soon filled the room.
"There are two more at your door."
Then the Patronus disappeared. Suddenly, Hermione felt light-headed. She had sworn she would never be a fainting damsel in distress but in that moment she wanted nothing more. Unfortunately she was not allowed that luxury. Ginny squealed happily, excited that her friend would finally have love and romance, whilst Crookshanks bolted out of the living room towards the kitchen due to the loud noise. Growling under her breath, Hermione stood up from the couch, put her cup of tea back on the tray, and then stalked to her front door. She yanked it open revealing two skeletons who were definitely not twins like the pair in her bedroom. One was stood with broad shoulders, from what she could tell of the skeleton who currently only had his toes regenerated, whilst the other although tall himself was shorter then the first and appeared to be skinnier. Perhaps lanky would be the right word, or lithe and lean although those two words only reminded her of Gambit from the X-men.
"I don't have a large enough bedroom."
Hermione said flatly. She got the strange feeling of the magic raising an eyebrow at her before both skeletons floated into her quarters and towards her bedroom door. What was it with the skeletons wanting to be in her inner sanctum? Her underwear was in there! Grumbling under her breath she slammed the door shut before heading towards her bedroom door. She pulled it open, waiting whilst the skeletons floated inside, before shutting the door again.
"I swear if there is one more I am going to scream."
She growled under her breathe. A second later someone knocked on her door.
Ginny ended up covering her ears whilst Crookshanks hid under a kitchen chair as a piercing scream filled every inch of the castle of Hogwarts.
It was going to be a long night.
Author's Note: And here is another chapter. Sorry it took so long. It took me a while to get the end done right. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!
Ararenima Redwood - Thankyou!
Lk-Hogwarts-Headgirl - Thankyou honey!
Nikyta - Yes they are. Fred & George had to get it from somewhere, haha.
Onyx Obsidian - Thankyou hun! Hopefully this chapter leaves you wanting more just as the last one did.
Kezz 1 - Thankyou! Its great to know the quality of my writing is consistent.
Shorty653 - Wow, I'm so flattered. Whilst this update may not have been immediate, hopefully it was quick enough for you.
Annoying Wolf - I shall endeavor to do so. Especially with so many people enjoying this story.
CleoCleo22 - Aw, thankyou hun. You shall have to wait and see on the lemons...
Pixiefang15002 - Thankyou hun. I do enjoy a good funny story, hence why I seem to write so many with humor in it. I'm glad others enjoy my sense of humor.
Antraquinblue - Thankyou so much for the review. I am trying to keep Hermione in character as much as possible. After reading so many stories where she suddenly turns into someone else, for example a punk or suddenly having a taste for slutty clothing or turning into a slut herself, I really want to write ones where she is genuinely who her character is supposed to be. Of course she'll develop more as the story progresses. Especially with so many attractive men that will soon fill her life. This is only the beginning.
MissBaker9065 - Thankyou for the review. I suppose it could be labelled as a filler chapter, but those skeletons needed to get in there somewhere. There shall definitely more action and fun as the story progresses, and you can be sure each arrival that'll turn up for our dear Hermione shall be unique in its own way. I don't have a set time for each time I update, but I do try to update as soon as possible.
Shadowsnnight - I'm so glad you like this story. Yes, Fenrir is in it. As to why, I love a bad guy and primal werewolf. Fenrir just so happens to fit that bill. Remus is too... tame for my liking, whilst Fenrir is in touch with his inner wolf. Bear with it though. I do hope you shall be surprised how Fenrir fits into this unique relationship. Don't forget, Bill, another werewolf shall be there as well. Each man are dominant alpha males, even if they aren't all werewolves, in their own right. Fenrir won't just be let loose. lol. Thankyou for all the compliments honey. I am so flattered.
Slytherinduolover - Aww yay! I'm so glad you love it. Hopefully the pins and needles have been satisfied with this chapter.
DarkMoonAngel - Thankyou. Hopefully this update was soon enough.
RealisticFantasy - Yes! Score! I'm so glad it made you snicker out loud. I know I've done well when others laugh with the chapters as I do.