"Left, two, three! Left, two, three! Very good, much better already than the last attempt," Ginny commented as Hermione and Susan danced around the sixth-floor classroom, giggling. They managed to do a complete lap around the room without stepping on each other's toes, and Hermione laughed when Susan made her do a little pirouette.
"This is more tiring than it looks!" said Hermione, leaning on one of the school desks they had pushed toward the wall.
"Don't pretend to be tired! Ginny, may I have this dance?" asked Susan, smiling and fanning herself playfully, as Tonks often did, when Ginny gave a posh curtsy, giggling before taking her hand. Hermione smilingly watched the two of them as they danced around the room, getting up to more shenanigans than dancing. Susan and Ginny had a natural harmony with each other that was second to none, and Hermione was always surprised that Ginny hadn't discovered her attraction to Susan sooner.
"Dear Lady, if you please?" asked Ginny after her dance with Susan, and Hermione curtsied just as she had earlier before grabbing her hand and allowing herself to be led by Ginny, who was the best dancer of the three. Hermione wondered how she, of all people, who had grown up with six brothers, could dance so well and enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere that had existed between them all since the Quidditch World Cup.
"Ginny?" asked Susan as they settled down on the cushions Hermione had conjured for them after their dance practice. She gave Hermione a nervous split-second glance, and she knew immediately what Susan wanted to talk about. She nodded at her with a smile, and Susan turned red-faced to Ginny, who eyed them both curiously.
"Yes?" asked Ginny as Susan paused for a long moment.
"There's one thing I need to tell you. I hope you'll listen to me first and let me explain what it's about," Susan said with a slight tremor in her voice.
"Of course!" said Ginny, giving her a worried look.
"You remember I told you that I found out I liked girls during the vacations before the second year? Um, well, the thing is that Hermione helped me with that. She was visiting me, and we were... experimenting," Susan said, and Ginny tilted her head with an interested smile, which made Hermione giggle and Susan blush even more. "Well, and, so..." said Susan, looking to Hermione for help.
"We made a deal back then. We agreed that we would meet each other's needs when we weren't both in a relationship," Hermione said straight out, not wanting to keep Ginny in suspense for too long. She had been reading Ginny's mind the whole time and realized that she had already thought something similar.
"Okay," Ginny said, looking expectantly at Susan with a smile, who took a deep breath for a moment.
"And since we're in a relationship, but Hermione doesn't have anything serious right now, the deal would still apply."
"Okay," Ginny said again with one eyebrow raised, and Hermione started to laugh because she could read from Ginny's thoughts that she was making Susan squirm on purpose. "That sounds hot," Ginny finally said with a grin, eyeing Hermione, who could feel her face getting warm as well. "So you're asking me if I have a problem with this?" she asked, and Susan nodded, lips pressed together. Ginny took on a thinker's pose and looked thoughtfully into the air before smirking when she saw Susan's face. "How binding is this agreement?" she finally asked, eyeing Hermione.
"Not binding at all. If you don't want it to be, Susan is all yours. We haven't had anything since the Quidditch World Cup, if that's what you mean," Hermione said, and Ginny shook her head with a smile.
"I was more wondering if the deal involved just the two of you," she said, blushing herself as Susan grinned mischievously at her now that she too had interpreted Ginny's positive reaction.
"There's room for negotiation," she said, giving Hermione a sideways glance.
"Okay," Ginny said again, and all three laughed. "I don't have a problem with that," Ginny finally said, and Hermione could literally hear the stone that fell from Susan's heart as she sighed loudly, then lunged at Ginny the next moment and kissed her. The two giggled and looked long into each other's eyes, as they often did when they weren't in public at the castle. The two whispered briefly, and Susan bit her lower lip as she turned to Hermione.
"Would it be a problem for you if I joined you occasionally?" asked Ginny, and Hermione felt the blood rush to her head. She exchanged a quick glance with Susan, who nodded.
"Of course not," she said, smiling at Ginny, who exchanged a glowing look with Susan.
"Am I correct that you've had your first time by now?" asked Hermione, grinning as Susan and Ginny blushed. The two exchanged an amorous look.
"After the Quidditch game against Beauxbatons," Susan said, grabbing Ginny's hand. Hermione smiled broadly as Ginny gave Susan a kiss on the cheek and rested her head on her shoulder. It fulfilled Hermione to see the two of them so happy.
"You two are so cute," she said, dropping back into the pillows and folding her arms behind her head. She heard Ginny and Susan whispering and giggling to each other and smiled as she let her mind wander to Severus. The Yule Ball was getting closer and closer, and with it, the longing to dance with him across the marble floor of the Great Hall. She giggled as she was tickled on the feet and looked up.
Susan and Ginny were kneeling on the cushions in front of her, looking at her like two cats who had scented prey. They both slowly let a hand brush over Hermione's lower leg and exchanged a definite look. Hermione looked at them both with wide eyes, and her gaze fell to the door, which was unlocked. Ginny drew her wand with a smile and said, "Colloportus."
Hermione was about to recite her doubts about the safety of this simple spell, but Ginny was faster and leaned over her face. She smiled mischievously and closed the gap between them with an intense kiss. Caught off guard by the impetuous girls, Hermione moaned into Ginny's mouth as Susan was already gently moving up her legs. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the touch she had sorely missed since the summer vacations.
She sighed softly as she felt Ginny's hand on her breast and let herself fall into their touch. A pleasant shiver came over her as she felt them gently release her from her cloak, and she moaned as four hands caressed her skin.
"She's so sexy," she heard Ginny whisper, and Susan hummed in agreement. A tremor ran through her body as she heard the two of them kissing softly as they continued to run their hands tenderly over Hermione's body. She breathed heavily as Ginny massaged her chest and kissed her again while Susan continued to let her hands move down her stomach. Her pelvis trembled as Susan found her target. Hermione moaned into Ginny's mouth, who was also breathing heavily. She was unable to focus under the mass of stimulating sensations and finally let herself fall into their gentle touches with her eyes closed.
Ginny leaned over her again and kissed her passionately as she placed her hand on Hermione's cheek and gently caressed it with her thumb. Ginny's tender touches sent waves of shivers through her body, and Susan's tongue made her pelvis quiver.
Hermione let them both carry her over the edge and sighed into Ginny's mouth. Violent waves of the eagerly awaited tingling sensation spread from her midsection through her entire body, and Hermione's breath caught for a few seconds as she felt the soft hands on her belly again. It took her a few moments to arrive back on the soft cushions in the classroom, and the light of the sun burned her eyes the first moment she opened them again.
"Wow," she heard Ginny say. Hermione dropped her head onto the pillows, exhausted, and joined in the giggles of Susan and Ginny a moment later.
"Thank you," she said after taking a breath and propping herself up on her elbows. Ginny and Susan exchanged a glowing look, and Hermione's pelvis trembled slightly as the two of them gently caressed her body once more before standing up. Smiling, Hermione grabbed Susan and Ginny's hands, which they offered to help her to her feet.
"We should pack up. McFinley will kill us if we're late for practice," Ginny said with a mischievous grin, letting her eyes wander over Hermione's body one last time before she pulled her school cloak back on.
The three of them made it just in time for the final practice before the first game against Durmstrang, which would take place the next day. It was going to be an exhausting practice, because the sky had closed in the afternoon, dropping thick snowflakes that covered the green grass of the Quidditch stadium in no time, so that nothing of the grass was visible anymore.
Hermione had already used the spell for clear vision in adverse weather conditions in previous years and practised the spell with all members of the team when they took a break. The snow didn't lessen the next day either, so it was going to be a difficult game against the defensive-oriented Durmstrangs. Hermione, Ginny and Susan rarely managed to score against the well-organized defense, and it quickly became clear that the game would be decided between Viktor Krum and Harry.
Fred and George did everything they could to give Harry as clear a view as possible because it was hard enough to see anything at all in the blowing snow. At least none of them had to freeze, because Hermione had held another heat-sphere practice session for all of them that morning, until finally even Ginny, who had been struggling a bit, had been able to warm up enough to fly relaxed.
The Durmstrang students didn't seem to mind the weather at all. Hermione guessed that the school, whose whereabouts were a well-kept secret, must have been located somewhere in northern Scandinavia. The game lasted two hours, as Harry was very late in discovering the Snitch. He had a close head-to-head race with Viktor Krum, who ultimately out-ran Harry with a skilful roll and a moment later held the snitch high in the air. Durmstrang won the match 270 to 170. Hermione's disappointment at losing the game quickly faded as the entire Durmstrang team lined up in front of them and congratulated them on a great game.
"Hermione!" she heard a deep voice behind her as she left the locker room with Ginny and Susan heading towards the castle. She rolled her eyes at Susan and Ginny's deliberate immature giggles as Viktor approached her and asked if she felt like taking a walk around the lake.
It took Viktor a bit to warm up, but he ended up telling her a bit about his time at Durmstrang and also about the Quidditch World Cup during their walk. He was really nice and his shy nature made Hermione like him more and more, so she looked forward more and more to the Christmas Ball with him, without thinking longingly of Severus too often.
When darkness fell over the castle grounds, and she finally walked through the large portal door after their long walk, she was glad to be back in the cosy warmth of the castle. She saw a red glow out of the corner of her eye and immediately drew her wand. The stunning spell bounced off her shield charm, and Hermione briefly checked her surroundings. Then she spotted movement next to a suit of armour.
"Constant vigilance!" she exclaimed, grinning when she heard Alastor Moody's chuckle.
"Hear, hear!" he said, ending the disillusionment charm that had caused him to blend into the wall.
"How long have you been waiting here?" asked Hermione in amazement, grinning as Moody scratched the back of his head.
"Longer than I'd like to admit. Good game, Miss Granger. I'll see you on the sixth floor tomorrow at the usual time," he said, and with a loud 'clonk' of his wooden leg, made his way to the Great Hall, where dinner would soon be served.
—
"Hello, Lancelot!" called Luna, and Hermione looked up. The familiar crowing of her raven made her smile, and she watched with interest as he made a circle above them, eventually fluttering quickly to place a package gently in front of her on the Ravenclaw table. With his chest puffed out with pride, he sat down on the package, which was wrapped in deep black paper. "Looks like you got Blackmailed," Luna said with a giggle, and Hermione rolled her eyes but grinned at Luna as she untied Lancelot's feet and offered him some egg.
Sure enough, 'Black Mail' was emblazoned in gold letters on the top of the package, and Hermione tensely opened the also black ribbon that was wrapped around it. At the top lay a letter made of black parchment, on which she could make out Sirius' writing in golden ink.
Dear Hermione,
It is with pride that I send you the very first copy of the Black Book, which we have been working feverishly on to get it into the store by Christmas. Remus has done a really good job, don't you think?
In addition, I'm happy to tell you that we reached 1 million copies of Black Mail sold yesterday, a true milestone. Nonetheless, we have to put in extra shifts to keep up with the demand.
I hope you enjoy our newest product, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Forever yours,
Sirius
Hermione snorted at Sirius' ironic farewell in the letter and eyed the rest of the package with interest. It contained a book set in gold velvet that was just as black as the package and the letter. Sirius was really getting everything out of the pun on his last name, but Hermione had to admit that the letter and the package looked very high quality.
When she opened it, she was briefly surprised because it contained only a single page. She recognized Remus' handwriting in golden ink on the black paper and read through the book's explanation carefully, her eyes widening.
"Brilliant," Hermione whispered, summoning up one of her Black Mail parchments with a nonverbal summoning charm with her hand in her shoulder bag. She held it up to the book and smiled as it was inserted into the book as if drawn by a magnet. Wide-eyed, she watched as the first page changed and now showed 'Sirius Black'. She quickly pulled out the rest of her parchments as well and inserted them into the book, whereupon the names of the people the parchments belonged to appeared on the overview page.
"Can you see what it says, Luna?" she asked, pushing the book toward Luna, who had been watching her with interest while she fed egg to Lancelot. Luna shook her head with a smile, and Hermione grinned. Remus had done a great job. She tapped on the name 'Sirius Black', and instantly the book flipped to Sirius' parchment. Hermione summoned a quill and ink from her pocket into her hand and began to write Sirius.
Sirius Black
Hermione: Absolutely brilliant!
Sirius: Thank you so much! Remus deserves most of the credit, but we worked hard to get the books ready for production before Christmas.
Hermione: I bet you did! Please tell Remus congratulations and kudos on the enchantment.
Sirius: I will. Have a good day, I have to go to the store.
Hermione: Thank you so much for the book. Say hello to everyone, please!
Sirius: I will, see you soon!
Hermione lifted her head when she heard her name and grinned at Harry, who was standing across from her, holding his own Black Book in front of him.
"Remus has really outdone himself," he said, settling down on the free bench across from her. His cheeks flushed briefly as he exchanged a glance with Luna, who smiled sweetly at him.
"Did Sirius tell you any of that?" she asked, and Harry shook his head.
"I think he wanted to make it a surprise," he said, and the three of them chatted for a bit before heading off to their first lesson of the day. Hermione couldn't resist examining the book a bit during the History of Magic lesson. She giggled as she read the ironic and personalised copy protection text that, like the Marauder's Map, was addressed directly to the person casting the analysis charm.
Dearest Hermione, I appreciate your thirst for knowledge, but due to the strict contractual relationship and the patent on this enchantment, I'm afraid I can't allow your pretty eyes to see the runes used to enchant this book.
Respectfully,
Remus.
Susan, who had been watching her, chuckled and looked enviously at her new book. It really was a relief not to have to carry around all the parchments loosely that had accumulated over the four months with Hermione. Still, she was glad that the parchments could be taken out again without any problems because she wanted to keep Severus' parchment safer and separate from the others.
"Only three more days," Susan whispered after a few minutes, during which Hermione had briefly tried to follow Professor Binn's teaching of the ghost, but Hermione knew all the facts he read from the book and clearly enjoyed talking to Susan about the Christmas Ball more. By now, all but a few of the couples for the ball had been found, so Susan had begun to evaluate each of the couples, and Hermione had to admit that she was having great fun talking to her about whether the couples had a future and who would step on each other's toes and how often.
Hermione was looking forward to when the school day was over and the vacations would finally begin. It was the first time she would be spending the Christmas vacations at Hogwarts, and even though she would have loved to make the beds squeak with Amelie and Philippe in a snowy cottage, she was really looking forward to the Christmas season with her friends, all of whom would be staying at Hogwarts.
—
"You look beautiful," Hermione said as she had completed Luna's hairdo and took a step back to take one look at her in the big picture. The two Ravenclaws had met in Hermione's bedroom to get ready for the ball together. Luna wore a silver dress robe with blue hems that made her bright blue eyes shine. The braided hairstyle, which had taken Hermione half an hour despite the spell, suited her beautifully, and she had to blink quickly to keep tears from escaping her eyes at the sight of Luna. Even the earrings Luna had been given by her father for the ball matched her appearance after Hermione had shrunk them. Otherwise, she would have looked like she was wearing blue radishes on her ears.
"So do you! But that's nothing new. You could have gone in a bikini," Luna said with a smile, standing close to the large mirror Hermione had conjured up in front of them to highlight her lips with lipstick. Hermione laughed and let her eyes wander over her own dress that she had so adventurously bought with Tonks in Muggle London.
"Don't you think it's a bit too tight after all?" she asked, stroking her hands over the dress that clung to her body like a second skin, accentuating her curves.
"That's what makes it so great. Besides, you can't let Viktor steal the show, you're the bigger star, even if you don't like it," Luna said, winking at her through the mirror. "Are you nervous?"
"A little bit, I am. Everyone's going to be watching us when we open the ball."
"So it's like Quidditch, right? You don't mind having the whole school watching you there either," Luna said, and Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"I hadn't thought of it that way. Thank you, Luna," she said, taking a breath after checking her hair and jewellery for the tenth time. "Go on ahead, I'll see you downstairs.". Hermione glanced in the mirror again when Luna had left her dormitory, but this time not to check her appearance. "Shall I?" she asked her reflection, which displayed her doubting expression. She cast a sideways glance at her wardrobe, where two vials of Polyjuice Potion had been stored since her second year at school. She had been thinking a lot the last few days, and one of her most absurd ideas had stuck in her mind. "But what if he doesn't find her that attractive after all?"
Hermione sighed. It would be easy to have a string of hair of the young professor fly into her hand with a summoning charm during the ball, and it would certainly be interesting to see Severus' reaction to it when Hermione, in the guise of Professor Vector, arrived on his doorstep after the ball. But the fear of offending him rose in her the more she thought about it. She didn't want to push him into it, but the longing for his touch was by now like an unbearable itch that she couldn't get rid of. And would it really be the same if it worked and she had her first time with him with another woman's body?
"Stupid idea," she said aloud and sighed in frustration. She had to let the single tear that threatened to run down her cheek float out of her eye so there was no trace of it on her face. All she wanted was a dance with him. She glanced at the wall clock, cursed aloud when she realised she only had five minutes until she was expected in the entrance hall and took one last look at her reflection. "Never mind, the point is we're having fun tonight," she said, glancing at her wand lying on her desk. Since she had no place to stow it, she would have to leave it here whether she liked it or not, but she was sure she wouldn't need it. In an emergency, she could summon it from her room.
Hermione hurried through the secret passage on the sixth floor, to still arrive on time. Three minutes later she met her friends in the entrance hall and got wide-eyed when she saw Fleur in her beautiful dress. Neville also looked really handsome in his dress robes and exuded confidence as he stepped from the castle grounds into the Entrance Hall with Fleur hooked in his arm.
"You look truly beautiful," Viktor said, and Hermione smiled broadly at him as he offered her his arm. Professor McGonagall gathered the champions and their dance partners a few steps away and instructed the other couples to line up for them.
Hermione smiled at her friends as she moved past them at Viktor's side into the Great Hall, which looked like a gigantic ice palace, thanks to a multitude of enchantments. After an excellent feast and a few introductory words by Dumbledore, the champions were asked to open the ball, and Hermione's heart began to beat faster as she strode onto the dance floor with Viktor. She exchanged a quick glance with Severus, who was wearing an elegant robe, and waited anxiously for the music to begin, having placed one hand in Viktor's hand and the other on his hip.
The Weird Sisters started the waltz, and Hermione let Viktor lead her after they took two slightly awkward steps as he wanted to dance to the right while she had assumed they would dance to the left. They both giggled and quickly got into a rhythm together. Hermione exchanged glances with Cho and Fleur, who had made a similar bumpy start with their partners but were now striding elegantly across the dance floor with them.
She fixed Viktor with her gaze for some time, trying to let herself fall into the moment, but couldn't quite manage it. She grinned as Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were the first couple to come onto the dance floor after the champions, stealing the show as they glided elegantly and nimbly across the floor for their age. They were quickly joined by the rest of the teachers, and Hermione had to suppress a grin as she watched Severus dance past her with Professor Vektor. It wasn't long before the dance floor was full, and the rest of the students were also moving rhythmically to the beat, some more badly than others.
"Would you like something to drink?" asked Viktor after half an hour, to which Hermione nodded in relief, whereupon they joined Susan and Ginny, who were just settling down at one of the round tables, having taken a break as well.
"Really great, isn't it?" asked Hermione when Viktor had asked the three of them what they wanted to drink and had made his way to the bar where Madam Rosmerta was pouring drinks and where a large queue had already formed.
"Yeah, but my feet are really hurting already, I really need the break," Ginny said, stroking a loose strand of her red hair, which she'd pinned into a pretty knot behind her ear.
"You two danced really great too," Hermione said, smiling at the two Hufflepuffs, who, just like on the broom, had seemingly floated across the dance floor as if controlled by one single brain. "Can I ask Ginny for a dance after we've rested a bit?" asked Hermione of Susan with a grin, to which Susan teasingly pretended she had to think seriously about it before nodding with a smile. A moment later, Susan nudged Ginny and Hermione, whereupon they turned to the dance floor.
"Such a pretty couple," Ginny said, and Hermione agreed with her as they caught sight of Harry and Luna, who were now almost the only couple on the dance floor, gazing into each other's eyes as if mesmerised. All three gasped as Harry placed his hand on Luna's cheek and kissed her gently. Hermione rolled her eyes as she heard the whistles and cheers from some of the Gryffindors, including the Weasley twins, but she was incredibly happy for Harry and Luna, who by now were smiling shyly at each other and kissing repeatedly as they danced on.
The three of them followed Harry and Luna spellbound and giggled because Hermione was startled when Viktor nudged her, having already sat next to them again and placed the drinks on the table unnoticed by them.
They were talking to Viktor about Hogwarts' Quidditch match against Durmstrang, and Hermione smiled broadly after a while when Ginny stood up and offered her her hand. She said goodbye to Viktor and Susan, who wished them a good time, and let Ginny lead her to the dance floor. As the two of them passed the table where the rest of the Weasleys were sitting, their eyes briefly fell on Ron, who was sitting next to the unhappy-looking Parvati Patil and scowling at her and Ginny.
"Don't let him drag you down," Ginny said when they had danced a few steps, and Hermione didn't realise how grim she had looked until her eyebrows lifted from the scowl.
"I just don't understand his problem," Hermione said, casting a sideways glance to the table where Ron was still tracking her with his gaze.
"Don't think about it, just enjoy the moment with me instead," Ginny said, and Hermione nodded with a smile as she looked into Ginny's chestnut eyes. "Thank you for the dance," she said, and Hermione shook her head with a smile.
"Thank you for the dance lessons, Ginny. And for the real dance lessons," she added, and they both blushed slightly as their eyes met. "Is everything okay?" she asked after they had danced for a few minutes, and Ginny nodded, beaming. "That's great to hear."
"That dress looks seriously amazing on you," Ginny said, and Hermione had to stop herself from blushing as Ginny's gaze roamed over her body.
"Thanks, but you look great too. It's so nice to be here with you guys this evening. You make such a great couple," Hermione said, and Ginny blushed.
"Susan really is incredible. I'm so glad you guys opened my eyes at the Quidditch World Cup. I really was blind on that eye," Ginny said and grinned when Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Luna handled that quite cleverly," she said, and Hermione realised that Ginny knew of Luna's seer abilities too.
"That was a really fun night."
"Yeah, and really hot. I can still remember our kiss. I'm sure Luna told you, but I had a bit of a crush on you," she said, and Hermione nodded. "Don't worry, I'm over you," Ginny said, giggling as Hermione blushed. "But that dance lesson the other day was really amazing."
"Yeah, that felt really good. I was glad you didn't disapprove."
"Are you kidding?" said Ginny, and Hermione got goosebumps as Ginny gently stroked her hip and bottom. "Maybe we can practice some dancing again during the holidays?" asked Ginny, twitching her eyebrows teasingly, which sent a pleasant shiver down Hermione's spine. She nodded and smiled as she glanced over Ginny's shoulder and saw Harry coming towards her.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, and Hermione and Ginny giggled as he gave a theatrical curtsy. Ginny threw him a feigned pout for a moment, but a second later, she handed Hermione's hand to Harry and joined Luna and Susan at the round table.
"Great night, isn't it?" asked Hermione, grinning as Harry blushed. "You guys look really good together."
"Thank you. Luna really is stunning," Harry said, and Hermione hugged him so abruptly he gasped. "Take good care of my little sister, will you? If you hurt her, you'll have me to deal with!" she said with a serious look and laughed when she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. "I'm only joking. I'm sure you'll treat her as well as she deserves," she said, looking into the green eyes, the sight of which always caused a slight melancholy in her. Harry nodded, now also with a serious look on his face and apologised as he stepped on Hermione's toe for a moment.
"So, are you guys officially together now?" she asked, grinning as he blushed again before nodding tentatively. "Oh, that's so great," she said rapturously, casting Luna a dreamy look over his shoulder. Luna beamed at her and looked so happy it melted Hermione's heart.
"Truly a great night," Hermione sighed, resting her head on his shoulder after they had moved a little closer together to a slower song.
"Yeah, albeit Ron's being a jerk again, but I'm not going to let him ruin it for me," Harry said, and she instantly lifted her head and looked at him in alarm. "He's been nagging me about everything again, telling me not to go for the first 'easy-to-get crazy girl' just because she wants to kiss me," he said, and immediately tried to hold Hermione down, but she eluded him and stormed towards the Weasley's table with quick steps.
"You filthy little rat!" she said loudly, pointing her finger threateningly at Ron. "If I hear you talk about Luna like that one more time, I'll put a stretching spell on you and stick your stupid head up your bloody ass!" she shouted, ignoring Fred and George, who were snorting with laughter and urging her to do it immediately. Ron just glared at her contemptuously, and Hermione had to restrain herself heavily from pouring a butterbeer over his head.
"I'll say what I want. You better go dancing, you don't want any of your playmates to feel neglected," he said, and Hermione had to calm herself not to do anything stupid. She gave Parvati a pitying look, Ron a fitting hand gesture and went back to Harry, who was eyeing her with a worried look as she wordlessly grabbed his hand and placed it on her hip.
"DANCE!" she said briskly, and Harry almost tripped over his own feet as she pulled him across the dance floor. It took a while for her to calm down, and Hermione was glad that Harry was gently stroking her with his thumb as he led her across the dance floor. "Stupid idiot."
"Did I hear correctly what you're going to do to him?" asked Harry, amused, and Hermione had to laugh as she met his gaze.
"That's the most harmless thing he'll get if he calls Luna crazy again."
"Just make sure I'm there. I don't want to miss that," he said, and they both laughed. Her annoyance faded more and more the longer she danced with Harry, and she realised once again how little was left of the boy she had saved from the Devil's Snare in their first year. She let her thoughts drift to their early years at Hogwarts as she stared over his shoulder. After a while, she was so engrossed in thoughts about Harry and the future that she didn't notice Luna until she had already taken Harry's place and was hugging her hip, smiling.
"Hello," she said with a shy smile and giggled when Hermione looked at her with wide eyes because she genuinely hadn't noticed that her dance partner had changed. "Welcome back."
"Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied," Hermione said with a guilty look, turning her head to Harry, who grinned at her.
"No problem. You don't mind us dancing, right?" asked Luna, and Hermione gave her a stern look.
"Of course I don't mind. I've been looking forward to it all evening."
"That's sweet," Luna said, giggling as Hermione made her pirouette with her hand.
"I'm so happy for you," Hermione said, looking into Luna's blue eyes, which were glowing at her.
"I'm happy too. It's really nice. Thank you for always supporting me, Hermione. Without you, I would never have had the courage to even show Harry that I like him."
"I was just practising some spells with you," Hermione said, but Luna shook her head vehemently. "You're always there for me. No matter what's going on, you are always helping me just about anywhere. I don't know how you do it all, but I'm so lucky to have you, Hermione."
She felt her eyes moisten, and Luna gently stroked her cheek, catching the tear that ran down from it.
"I just want you to be happy," Hermione said, taking one deep breath to keep from getting more emotional. She wanted to enjoy the evening as a happy one, not cry in front of everyone.
"And you manage to do that every day. You don't know how much you help us all every day. Look at Neville. He's told me that you've been supporting him since your first lesson in transfiguration and that he has a lot more confidence because of it."
"That's sweet. Speaking of him, have you seen him around since the opening dance?" asked Hermione, and Luna shook her head with a grin.
"Maybe Fleur is showing him her carriage," she said with a mischievous smile, and Hermione's eyes went wide. "Why wouldn't she? She really likes him," Luna said, and Hermione felt a slight tingle as she imagined Neville and Fleur sneaking into the Beauxbatons' carriage in the shadows of the night. "Too bad we don't have a carriage where someone can be alone for a bit," Luna said, blushing when Hermione gave her a sly smile and raised an eyebrow. "Not necessarily for what you're thinking of, but there's just no place at Hogwarts where you can really be undisturbed for once," Luna said, her head still red.
"Yes, there is," Hermione whispered with a grin and giggled when Luna looked at her with wide eyes. "You have to promise me something before I tell you, though," she said, and Luna nodded. "Promise me you'll take the blue potion before you steal him away. I don't want little Harrys jumping around here before you've finished your education," Hermione said, laughing as Luna held her hands in front of her face, which had turned fiery red.
"I promise. But I really just wanted a place where no one would be watching us when we hugged or kissed," Luna said shyly, and Hermione smiled broadly at her.
"I know, but things can happen really quickly once you're genuinely undisturbed. I speak from experience," Hermione said and winked at Luna, who looked up at her shyly and nodded. "Okay, when you accompany him to the Gryffindors' common room later, you'll pass a tapestry on the seventh floor on the way that shows Barnabas the Barmy teaching ballet to trolls. There is a room there that will only reveal itself if you tell it what you want it to be. That is by walking up and down in front of it three times, thinking of what you want from the room. So, in your case, you think of needing a room where you can be undisturbed with Harry. You can work out the details on the spot, the room also fulfils a wish for you while you're inside."
"Merlin, how did you figure that out?" asked Luna, but Hermione just twitched her eyebrows and shrugged. "Thanks, Hermione. I don't know if I'm ready yet, but it's really great of you to share this secret with me. Are you sure you wouldn't rather go into the room yourself today?"
"Why?"
"Well, I thought you might want to be alone with... him," Luna said, and Hermione knew from her voice that she meant Severus. She smiled and shook her head.
"Have some quality time with Harry," she said, and wrapped Luna tightly in her arms, turning to the table where her friends were sitting and pointing to Susan. With a grin, she motioned for her to come over with her finger. Susan rose immediately and came towards her with red cheeks. "Hello, beautiful lady," Hermione said, and they both giggled before Hermione led her across the dance floor.
"You look gorgeous," Susan said with her mischievous grin.
"So do you. Did you pick out the dress with Ginny?"
"Yes, she really wanted me to wear it," she said, glancing briefly down at the elegant dress robes.
"You two look so good together it almost has to be illegal," Hermione said, and they both giggled. Susan looked happily into her eyes and nodded. They danced a few songs and enjoyed the company of each other, with Hermione only aware of the music and Susan. "I'm really glad Ginny wasn't mad about our arrangement."
"Me too. She was even more passionate than before after our little dance lesson," she said with a grin, and Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm. "I can't blame her for thinking you're hot, just look at you."
"Stop it, or I'll accidentally kiss you," Hermione said, and they both laughed. Susan sighed softly as Hermione pulled her against her body as the Weird Sisters started a slow song, and Hermione enjoyed Susan's warmth as they slowly strode across the dance floor. She hugged Susan too, before they left the dance floor together and joined Viktor, Ginny, Luna and Harry. Hermione asked Viktor if he wanted to come to the bar with her, and he happily stood up. They ordered two butterbeers and settled on bar stools slightly away from the drinks queue.
"Your friends are really nice," he said, and Hermione nodded with a smile. She was pleased that they hadn't treated Viktor as a competitor while she had been on the dance floor. "What was going on with that redheaded guy earlier?" he asked, and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Don't ask, he's an idiot, that's all."
"Okay. I hope your evening has been nice so far, regardless."
"Yeah, of course. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you a bit."
"You haven't, you've just been paying as much attention to your friends as you have to me. If you're not tired yet, what do you say to a little fresh air? I'll give you my coat."
"Great idea!" said Hermione, and jumped up, nearly spilling her beer. She waved to her friends and walked with Viktor into the Entrance Hall, where she spotted several couples in the alcoves, closely entwined. She was glad Viktor had let her have his fur coat as they stepped into the harsh cold of the castle grounds. Hermione inhaled the cold night air and closed her eyes for a moment.
When she opened them again after a few moments, she gasped briefly as she caught sight of Severus in front of her, coming up the path to the entrance with Igor Karkaroff. She immediately avoided his gaze, so as not to show any unconscious emotion in front of the Headmaster of Durmstrang that might reveal her relationship with Severus.
"Don't stay out too long, Viktor. I don't want you to catch a cold," Karkaroff said, glancing briefly at Hermione in Viktor's coat. Viktor nodded curtly as the two walked past them. Hermione stepped forward onto the path cleared of snow, and he followed her. They walked along in silence for a bit, and Hermione found herself ruminating again until her thoughts were interrupted by Viktor.
"Hogwarts is really beautiful. I wish I could show you Durmstrang one day. It's a bit like your Great Hall was enchanted there today. I'm not allowed to tell you any more than that until you've been there, though," he said, and Hermione giggled.
"You really are secretive about it. But I'm always curious when it comes to new experiences. I'd really like to see Durmstrang. Does your ship look like Durmstrang on the inside? Fleur told me their carriage looks like a mini version of Beauxbatons on the inside."
"No, the inside of the ship looks like a ship," Viktor said, and Hermione laughed. "But it's cosy. Karkaroff always wants us to pretend we're tough boys and girls, but we don't sleep on wood, and it's never cold."
"That's good. By the way, have you solved the dragon egg puzzle yet?" asked Hermione, to which Viktor smiled.
"Yes, but I'm not giving anything away. Not that you'll tell Fleur or Cedric."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Hermione said, and they both laughed. The two continued along the path to the lake and talked a little more about the tournament, Viktor not giving away any of what he knew about the second task that lay ahead of him.
"Here we are," Viktor said when they had arrived at the pier and looked shyly at Hermione.
"This has been a lovely evening, Viktor. Thank you," Hermione said, standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm glad to hear that. You're welcome to take my coat into the castle, I don't want you to be cold."
"I'll be fine, don't worry," she said, handing him back the fur coat. He looked at her questioningly for a second, but Hermione waved him off with a smile, and so he made his way to the ship. As soon as she turned around, Hermione conjured a heat-sphere around her and breathed a sigh of relief as the pleasant warmth gripped her cold legs and feet.
As she walked back to the castle, she thought about the evening, annoyed with Ron again but also pleased that she had at least been able to brighten Harry and Luna's evening with the Room of Requirement. Just as she was considering taking a late-night trip with Lancelot, she heard the crunching of snow from footsteps coming in her direction behind her. She turned her head and couldn't stop a cheeky grin as she recognised Neville coming towards her.
"Hey Neville," she said, and even in the sparse lighting of the castle grounds through the illuminated windows of the castle, she could see Neville blushing as he recognised Hermione.
"Hey," he said, and Hermione giggled as he grinned sheepishly at her. "Aren't you cold?"
"Heat-sphere," Hermione said, and Neville raised his eyebrows.
"Where's your wand?"
"Here, why?" asked Hermione innocently, her heart pounding a little as she had just managed to summon her wand from her room in Ravenclaw tower, unnoticed by Neville, before he had noticed anything.
"Oh, could I have some too? It's seriously cold," Neville said, shivering. Hermione widened the sphere with a smile, and Neville sighed in relief.
"So? Did you have a successful evening?"
"Knew I wasn't off the hook that easily. It was a very nice evening, yes," he said with a grin, and Hermione giggled as he blushed again. "And yours?"
"I'm glad to hear it. My evening was nice too. Ron was being an asshole as usual, but we're used to that by now, aren't we?"
"Damn."
"Don't worry. I told him what to expect if he said anything like that again."
"Sounds like he deserved it."
"Definitely. But enough of that. How do you feel about one last dance before we go to bed? You're the only one I haven't danced with yet, and it would be a shame if we missed it."
"I'd love to," Neville said, offering her his arm, which Hermione gladly embraced and walked up the steps to the Entrance Hall with him. The Great Hall was empty, except for a few remaining students and teachers, and the two of them got another butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta before she closed the bar. She grinned at Hagrid, who was just coming off the dance floor with Madam Maxime, as she walked up to it with Neville, and they were now the only remaining dancing couple. Hermione smiled as the Weird Sisters singer dedicated the last song to them. It was a waltz again, and Hermione enjoyed dancing with Neville, who led her confidently and smiled at her as he kept her pirouetting.
"That was really fun, you're such a good dancer," she said as she dropped into a chair, exhausted.
"Yeah, you too. And you look fantastic today."
"Thank you so much," she said, smiling shyly at him. She knew the compliment was purely amicable, but she was all the happier for it. "Good night," she said as Neville took his leave a few minutes later, yawning as he climbed the Grand Staircase.
Hermione thought about the evening for a while, and, glancing around the dance floor, the desire to dance with Severus flared up in her again. She looked around and smiled at Madam Rosmerta, who was sitting at a distant table with Professors Flitwick, McGonagall and Sprout.
Hermione took a breath and finally made a decision. She waved to the remaining teachers, and after taking one look around the Entrance Hall, she retreated to one of the alcoves and summoned the Marauders' Map from her room. She made sure the path was clear and disillusionedly made her way down to the dungeons.
She was determined to get her dance with Severus and arrived at the Potions classroom without encountering anyone, unlocking it with a sweep of her finger and locking it behind her. She slipped through the door to his private chambers, visible only to her and Severus, and settled herself on his couch.
Then she pulled out the map again, and it took her a while to find the dot above which his name was written. He seemed to be in the process of patrolling the castle, picking up any last scattered couples. As she had done on the dance floor, her mind wandered as she followed various names on the map and, after a while, began to think about how she could continue researching Horcruxes.
She was startled out of her thoughts sometime later when she heard the door to Severus' office slam loudly. The candle she had lit had burnt down further, and Hermione was surprised to realise that she had been staring at the map and thinking for about an hour.
She searched feverishly on the map for Severus' chambers and was relieved to find that he had come in alone. She hadn't assumed he'd brought anyone with him, but being caught on his sofa and revealing everything like that was the last thing she wanted.
"It's me," she said softly into the silence and heard a relieved exhale from the next room.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Asking you for this dance," she said, coming towards him with her hand outstretched as he peeked around the corner and stopped in the doorway. She looked up into the dark eyes that gleamed in the light of the single candle. He raised his wand briefly over his shoulder and waved it. To her delight, he then tossed it onto the sofa and took her hand in his. He tentatively placed his hand on her hip, and Hermione, smiling, slid his hand a little lower. "We need music to dance to," Hermione said, and with a snap of her fingers, she summoned the gramophone from the next room, which they had used a few times to listen to music together.
"I'm afraid I don't have a waltz," he said, and Hermione smiled.
"I don't need a waltz. I just need you," she said, looking deep into his eyes as they started to move. "I wanted this so much."
"So did I. I thought it would be easier to watch you dance with someone else."
"See, I knew you could be jealous," Hermione said with a smile.
"Don't ruin the moment," Severus said with a smile, and the two laughed for a second before Hermione pirouetted in front of him. "You're beautiful."
"Thank you. You look really handsome in that robe, too." Hermione said, and they enjoyed a few minutes of togetherness in their dance. "Thank you for granting me this wish."
"I'm really glad you're here. That you exist," Severus said, gently stroking his thumb over her hip where his hand rested.
"I love you," Hermione said, closing her eyes as she closed the gap between them. She sighed softly as Severus placed a hand on her cheek as he kissed her passionately. She snuggled close to him, enjoying the feeling of their bonded magic.
"I love you too. You're everything to live for," Severus said, hugging her tightly. Hermione enjoyed the feeling of security and sighed softly as he placed a gentle kiss on her hair. A great tension fell from her, for she had been expecting to have said the words too soon, words that had been on the tip of her tongue since the beginning of the school year.
She had wished with all her heart that he would reciprocate these feelings but had not thought it possible given his previous reticence. She had to use all her skills not to cry in the face of her feelings and looked into his shimmering eyes after taking an inward breath. She grabbed his hand again and put it back on her hip to dance some more.
"In that dress, you really look...""
"Say it."
"Sexy."
"Wow, thanks," Hermione said, smiling broadly at him as he gave her a shy smile. She held onto the hem of his cloak and sighed as he gently stroked her back. She looked up into his eyes and shuddered when he kissed her again.
Severus pressed her gently against his body and Hermione clasped his neck, whereupon he lifted her up and held her close. She sighed softly as his tongue gently tapped against her lips. Hermione let herself fall completely into his embrace, feeling between their bodies that her kisses and touches didn't leave him cool either.
"I'm yours," she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek. She could feel him trembling slightly and repeated the soft kiss on his cheek. "You can have me if you want," she whispered, clutching his body even more than before. She moaned softly and threw her head back as he kissed her neck and carried her across the room. He finally sat down with her on his bed and Hermione was now kneeling on top of him, kissing him passionately. She sighed softly as she felt his hands on her hips, slowly stroking up and down her back.
"Please," Hermione said, moaning as his hands moved under her dress and gently pushed it up. He caressed her thighs and bottom as he gazed at her intensely. She kissed him and shivered as his hands pushed the dress higher and higher, gently caressing every inch of skin he exposed.
She began to undo the buttons on his robes one by one with magic and exhaled as his hands cupped her breasts as gently as if he were holding raw eggs.
"I'm not fragile," she said softly, placing her hands over his and squeezing her breasts with them, sending a pleasant tingle through her body. He massaged them gently, and Hermione pulled the dress over her head before returning her attention to the buttons on his robe. There were so many of them, however, that she eventually grew too impatient and simply made his clothes disappear into the next room with a flick of her wrist. He gasped, and they both laughed for a brief moment.
"Don't ruin the moment," Hermione whispered teasingly, moaning as he covered her upper body with kisses. "I love you so much," she whispered, sliding her pelvis back and forth on him a few times before positioning herself so he could easily enter her. They both exhaled gasps as Hermione gently slid down on him. "I'm yours," she whispered in his ear again, shivering slightly as he hugged her tightly while slowly moving his pelvis.
The feeling surpassed anything Hermione had experienced before. She could feel her magic bursting into fireworks around and within her, as it had during their kisses, sending powerful bolts of lightning through her body. She let her pelvis move faster and faster to meet his movements and felt the wave of orgasm coming at her at a furious speed. She moaned loudly and leaned on his chest as she sped up, and finally, her breath catching, she was overtaken by the wave. As her pelvis clenched violently around him while he was deep inside her, he came as well, and the warmth of his orgasm sent pleasurable shivers through Hermione's body.
She covered his face with soft kisses and trembled slightly as he hugged her tightly again. They remained closely entwined for a few moments, and Hermione let a cleansing spell pass over them both with a wave of her hand as he left her pelvis. They enjoyed the intimate closeness for a few minutes, sinking into long kisses again and again that gave Hermione goosebumps. She had waited a long time for this moment, and it had surpassed everything she had wished for.
"Thank you," she said softly, kissing him again before standing up. She smiled at him and playfully covered her breasts before reaching out her hands to help him up. "Another quick dance?"
"Without clothes?"
"Of course. I like what I see, and if I've interpreted your looks correctly, you like what you see too."
"Really?"
"Why are you so shy? You have nothing to hide. Come here and hold me," she said, pulling him into a hug. Her still sensitive body trembled slightly as he gently stroked her back. Hermione turned the gramophone back on, and the two danced for a few minutes, Hermione giggling most of the time as Severus gently tickled her while he caressed her body. "I'm so glad you didn't say no."
"No one can say no to this beauty."
"Okay, that was a bit over the top!" she said, giggling when he looked at her questioningly.
"I mean it. I've always had a hard time holding back, but that dress. It was too much. I bet you'll be in some students' dreams today. In mine, anyway," Severus said, and Hermione shook her head with a laugh. She summoned her dress to her with a wave of her hand and pulled it back on, smiling.
"Then I'll keep it and just put it on for you," she said, winking at him. She summoned the Marauders' Map into her hand with another movement of her finger and spoke the words to activate it. She chuckled as Severus rolled his eyes and checked to see if her path to Ravenclaw Tower was clear. She smiled broadly when she found Luna's bedroom empty and put a disillusionment spell on herself before pulling Severus into another passionate goodbye kiss.
"That was weird," he said, and Hermione giggled.
"Kissed by the invisible woman. Sweet dreams, my love," she said, leaving Severus' chambers by the same route she had come in. She arrived in her bedroom without meeting anyone, and her cheeks ached from smiling so much as she finally fell into her bed, dead tired, and charmed herself into her well-deserved trance.
"Good morning, well, did you have a nice evening?" asked Hermione as Fleur joined her at the Ravenclaw table for breakfast. Fleur's cheeks flushed briefly, and Hermione winked at her before opening the Daily Prophet in her Blotts book. Her mood deteriorated significantly when she read the name 'Rita Skeeter' above the article on the front page. Her eyes widened as she read through the article, and her fist clenched around her fork.
Not only had Kimmkorn dragged Harry through the mud by calling him a lady's man with a harem consisting of Luna, Ginny, Susan and herself, but she had also criticised Dumbledore for his recruitment policy by detailing Hagrid's descent from a giantess and accusing him of being violent and irresponsible with students.
"Next time I run into that bitch, she's in for a treat," Hermione thought, letting go of her fork as her hand began to ache from the tight grip.
"Hello," a familiar voice said, and Hermione was snapped out of her vortex of negativity as Luna joined them at the table, looking curiously at the Daily Prophet in Hermione's book. Hermione instantly flipped the book shut and gave Luna her full attention.
"What?" asked Luna, amused as Hermione eyed her for a few seconds, and she blushed as Hermione winked at her.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked in a whisper, and Luna nodded with a dreamy look.
"Thank you so much for the tip, Hermione. The room is really great."
"Pleased to hear it. What did you wish for?"
"A room where I could spend a romantic evening."
"Good choice. I hope you took the potion."
"I did, but we didn't need it if that's what you're getting at."
"Okay, but I can tell by looking at you that you weren't just sitting around a candle at a romantic table," Hermione said, winking at Luna, who shrugged with a smile, which made Hermione giggle. "I'll let you off the interrogation then. What are you doing after breakfast?"
"Opening presents. I was just in my dorm for a quick change of clothes," Luna said, blushing as Hermione grinned at her. She too had been a little surprised to find presents at the end of her bed in the morning, since the ball and the events that followed had made Christmas morning completely forgettable, and she had finished her Christmas shopping early in December.
Hermione stood up when she met Harry's gaze, which immediately made her realise that he had read the article in the Daily Prophet. She intercepted him halfway to the Ravenclaw table and pulled him into the Entrance Hall.
"Have you read this?" he asked with an evil glare, waving the paper. "If I catch this woman, I'll twist her scrawny vulture neck."
"Tell me when and where, I already have a few curses in mind," Hermione said, causing the corners of Harry's mouth to twitch.
"How did she get in here anyway? She was banned from the castle when she wrote that last article."
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, trying to remember the exact wording of the article.
"As detailed as that article was written, it sounds like she was on the dance floor with us. And she couldn't really know that about Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Luna and I were the only ones outside who were around when he told her that his mother was a giantess, and she disappeared outraged when he asked her which of her parents was a giant."
"Huh," Hermione hummed thoughtfully, trying to recall the details of the evening. However, she couldn't think of anything suspicious.
"I'm going to write to Sirius. I don't fancy being dragged through the mud like this."
"That's a good idea. I'm sure Sirius will light a fire under her. Don't let her drag you down too much, and enjoy your day with Luna. Did you like the room?" asked Hermione, grinning as Harry blushed. She winked at him and was glad that his mood seemed to be improving. "I was going to ask Susan and Ginny if they fancied a bit of Quidditch, will you join us later?"
"I'd love to," Harry said, giving her a quick hug before heading off to her common room.
"Round's on me," Hermione said as she floated the seven butterbeers to the table in the corner of the Three Broomsticks. She had thoroughly enjoyed the day in Hogsmeade after Christmas with her friends. She squeezed herself between Susan and Ginny on the bench and shuddered slightly when they both put a hand on her knees under the table.
They toasted each other, and she could see the delight in the eyes of Luna, Fleur, Neville and Harry sitting opposite them. Hermione had already put her foot down on the day Rita Skeeter's article had been published and had banned it from the group's topics of conversation. So they theorised a bit about the second task that would await Fleur in February and were having a good time until Hermione suddenly noticed a change in Harry's expression as he glanced at something behind her.
"Hello."
"What do you want?" asked Harry coldly, and Hermione recognised Ron from his voice and from Harry's reaction without having to turn around. She turned her head anyway and looked into the same chestnut eyes that Ginny had inherited. Ron's eyes were fixed on Harry.
"Do you have a minute? I'd like to talk to you."
Harry narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but after an encouraging nudge from Luna, he finally stood up and followed him outside onto the snowy street.
"I hope he apologises," Hermione said, and glancing around, her eyes lingered on Ginny, who looked like she didn't believe it.
"He didn't look like it. I know his apology expression," Ginny said, and Hermione pressed her lips together. Three minutes passed, and Hermione grew more and more uneasy. Something about Ron's gaze, which had fixed on Harry without even once noticing any of his friends, made a queasy feeling rise inside her.
She glanced over her shoulder at the entrance to the pub, and when her eyes fell on Mad-Eye Moody sitting at the bar with a glass of Firewhiskey, his motto echoed in her head.
"Constant vigilance," Hermione whispered, and her heart began to beat faster as she rose. "Be right back," she said, putting on a smile so as not to upset her friends. She stepped out onto the gaslamp-lit main street of Hogsmeade, on which fell steadily thick flakes of the seemingly endless snow that hadn't stopped for weeks.
She had seen Ron and Harry pass by the window and followed the barely visible pair of footprints leading up the hill. The queasy feeling in her stomach grew worse the longer she followed the footprints, as she recognised the destination of their path. The path led up to the viewpoint in front of the Shrieking Shack, where the path ended in a dead end.
Hermione drew her wand and provided light as she passed the last lantern, gazing vigilantly into the darkness against which the thick snowflakes fell to the ground, shimmering white. Her blood froze in her veins when she heard a pained scream, and she immediately began to run. She slipped on the snow but managed to catch herself and struggled up the snowy path, where she could hear Harry's screams getting closer.
As she came over the crest of the steep path, breathing heavily, her eyes fell on two bodies lit by a wand, one bending over the other. Hermione acted immediately and shot a freezing charm at Ron, who was kneeling over Harry. She heard the clink of shattering glass on stone as Ron slumped. His lit wand fell to the floor with him, and Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the pool of blood where the wand had landed.
"Harry!" she cried, rushing towards him. Harry sat leaning against the large stone at the lookout point, pressing his hand on his injured forearm. From the darkness behind him, a flash of brown lightning shot towards them with a dull hum, and Hermione just managed to dive down to avoid the Cruciatus curse.
"Ohoho, look at that, Barty!" a high-pitched voice screeched, making Hermione's blood freeze in her veins once more. She fought off two stunning spells that came shooting at her from the darkness and prepared to counter-attack as soon as she could sense a stirring in the darkness. She recalled her first one-on-one lesson with Professor Moody and conjured a storm cloud above them, which was incessantly streaked with lightning, repeatedly bathing the scenery in bright frames.
Hermione recognised two people standing behind the stone and immediately sent a stunning spell at them both, extending it to a larger radius so that they were both hit by it. Both immediately raised their wands and deflected the spell.
"What do we have here?" she heard the woman's lurking voice say as she came out of the shadows of the trees towards them. Her gait was elegant yet intimidating as the woman looked like a predator circling her prey. "How dare you disturb my little puppet? What a naughty girl!" the woman said, and Hermione recognised Bellatrix Lestrange, who was now coming towards her, laughing manically.
Hermione's gaze kept falling on the wizard, who still lingered where they had tried to knock her out from the shadows. He seemed more calculated than Bellatrix. She dived again under a Cruciatus from her and, on the ground, fought off two dark green curses she didn't know but which fortunately bounced off her shield charm.
"Well, well, well, we have a little warrior here, it would seem. Let's see how good a dancer you are then, my little dove," Bellatrix called out, laughing as she fired torture curses right and left at her at high frequency, forcing Hermione into a sidestepping dance. She tried to take advantage of a gap and fired the fastest curse she knew of to give Bellatrix less time to react.
Quick as an arrow, the Bat-Bogey Hex sped towards her, and Bellatrix just managed to cast a shield charm. She threw her head back, and her high-pitched laugh rang through the cold night air. Hermione took advantage of the pause and cast a levitation spell on Harry to bring him to her.
"No!" shouted the wizard called Barty, and Hermione had to drop Harry halfway back to her in the snow to avoid the Cruciatus. Bellatrix also fired another torture curse at her, and Hermione had to throw herself forward into the snow to avoid both curses.
Before she had even hit the ground, she performed another elemental conjuration and, lying on the ground, shot the most powerful lightning bolt she could muster at Bellatrix.
The lightning was twice as thick as Hermione's forearm, and there was an ugly crackle as it hit the shield charm Bellatrix had managed to build up at the last second. The air shimmered from the sheer mass of electricity, and there was a hiss all around the elongated lightning bolt as the snow within a metre of it instantly evaporated. Hermione felt in her wand that Bellatrix's shield charm was beginning to crack. She put all her magic into the incantation and was about to break the shield charm when she saw another flash of red flying towards her.
She had to let the conjuration break to fend off the stunning spell. Hermione realised her mistake too late, for Bellatrix had taken advantage of the brief pause, and she cried out in pain as the torture curse hit her.
"You little bitch!" she heard Bellatrix scream breathlessly as bolts of pain ran through her body. It felt like her guts were being turned inside out, and her bones were being broken millimetre by millimetre until all that was left of them was dust. "You think you can save him? Stop us? See what you get out of it! No one can stop the Dark Lord from returning!" screeched Bellatrix, and Hermione gave a shrieking scream as a new wave of pain ran through her body.
"Stop it! Think about the mission! We've wasted enough time already," Hermione heard a voice from a distance and whimpered as the curse abruptly fell from her. Every movement hurt, and her lungs felt like they were half-filled with water. She coughed heavily and fought hard to stay conscious.
"Silly boy. Lets a schoolgirl show him up. Crucio!" shouted Bellatrix, and Hermione heard Ron's pained screams ripple through the piercingly cold night air.
"Trixie!" the wizard roared, and Hermione shuddered as Bellatrix laughed manically. She wanted to help Ron, but her body felt like a sandbag.
"At least let me have some fun if we can't kill them, Barty. And hurry the hell up or the Dark Lord won't be pleased with you," Bellatrix shouted, and instantly Ron started screaming in pain again. Hermione tried once more to struggle to her feet, but her limbs were too heavy. She looked helplessly down the path, and her eyes filled with more tears.
"Finally, I've got enough. Erase their memories, and then let's get out of here," she heard the wizard yell over Ron's cries. Hermione thought she heard heavy footsteps in the snow in the distance and felt her eyes go black. The last thing she heard was the high-pitched whirring of a Death Curse.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I hope you are doing well and that you liked this chapter! The ending in particular was great fun to write, finally some action! The diversion from the original plot was not planned from the beginning, but I'm quite happy about how it is coming together, and I hope you still enjoy the read. I don't want to tease, but I've had an idea about a whole noncanonical story arc, which I'm really looking forward to :)
As always, thank you for reading, and also thank you to all the people who already left reviews, favourites and follows, it really means a lot!
If you liked the chapter, feel free to jot down some words!
See you next time!
Kasing
