31 Days of Flash Fiction Repository

Summary: Short stories for 31 Days of Flash Fiction

Beta Love: Dragon and the Cold Water Bottle Torture, Dutchgirl01 the Busiest Bee that Ever Buzzed, Commander Shepard the Winter Soldier

A/N: Each story will be a separate chapter to feed my laziness and desire not to post that many new stories for the same event.

Just a Soul

One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.

James Russell Lowell

Prompt: She would never forget the day he brought her flowers—rhododendrons—because he knew she would understand the message. Danger.

The flowers were a message.

He never brought her flowers, not even on their anniversary.

There was danger coming, and they would have to move once again.

Severus had wanted to disappear—vanish off the face of creation.

But Hermione had been heartbroken about having to leave her parents yet again after all she'd done to them to keep them safe the first time—the anguish. The slow reunification.

To do it to them all over again—

But they had stayed too long.

She—had let her emotions compromise their safety.

Hers. Severus'. Even her parents.

And Hermione was saddled with guilt for her sins—for she had saved her parents' lives only to land them in trouble again with her needy desire to reunify and have them in her life again.

And now—her father lay in the hospital after having a bad reaction after someone forced a dose of Veritaserum into his mouth—a non-magical forced to drink a magical concoction. And her mother was an emotional basket case.

"I'm sorry, Mum," Hermione said, wringing her hands in her lap. "I'm so sorry."

Her mum's head jerked up. "This is not your fault!" she sobbed. "This is all that horrible boy's fault!"

Hermione shook her head. "W—what horrible boy?"

"That bloody redhead! They were all redheads!"

Hermione paled. "All?"

"Your father refused to tell them where you were, and they were desperate to find you! They threatened him with their little sticks, but he wouldn't say anything. That's when they used that horrible drink on him!"

Hermione grimaced. "I'm sorry, Mum," she said. "I'm going to have to go away for a while. I'm going to do what I can to keep you safe."

"You're not going to brain whammy us again are you?!" Mrs Granger cried, standing up in shock.

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's way past that point, Mum. You're going to hear bad things about me. Please—know that I love you."

"Hermione—!"

But Hermione was gone.

Hermione took the flower from the vase and crushed it in her hand until blood dripped from the stem and between her fingers. She threw them into the fireplace with a set jaw and closed eyes.

A blacker than black smoke rose from the fire and formed into a dark, winged shape with curving horns and long claws, dripping fangs and long tail.

She walked right into his arms, and he growled lowly as his wings wrapped around her, his muzzle pressing against her neck and leaving a trail of black darkness running down her back.

"You were right," she said, a trail of tears running down her face onto his chest.

"I take no joy in it," the demon rumbled, his hand cupping her cheek. He gently engaged her in a tender kiss as Hermione tightened her arms around him.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Hermione said brokenly. "I just—I wanted—I wanted my parents back in my life."

The dark demon sighed, brushing her hair away from her face. "You are such a frustratingly emotional girl," he muttered. "He pressed his lips to her forehead."

"I'm ready, now," Hermione said, her hand curling on his chest.

The demon's eyes glowed with a dark purple fire. "This is forever, my love. Do not make this decision in haste."

"I've been fighting my answer since Ron accused you of 'stealing his witch'," Hermione said.

"Is my proposal so detestable that you'd rather defend the ginger menace's possessive stupidity?"

Hermione grimaced. "No. I was raised to believe that demons were pure evil, and I had already done so much evil in my life. I didn't want to lose myself to what I really wanted."

The demon blinked slowly, his talon gently running under her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "And what did you really want, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled sadly. "To be with you. To hell with what everyone else thought about it."

His smile was utterly masculine. "That can certainly be—arranged."

Hermione touched his cheek. "I love you, and I'm sorry it took all this to realise just how stupid I've been about it."

"I have nothing but time, my dear," Severus rumbled. "But I was hoping you would make up your mind before you died."

Hermione huffed, thumping his chest with her fingertips.

He nuzzled her face, his tongue teasing her mouth and then her tongue with maddening skill.

He paused with a growl. "You must be sure," he warned. "You will be eternally bound to me as I will be to you. You will never be human again."

Hermione pulled him closer. "Being human is nothing if I cannot be with you."

The demon's eyes glowed with pure purple fire. "I will be with you always," he purred into her ear just before they appeared in the bed. "Until the skies burn and the land falls into the Abyss and beyond."

Hermione turned her head to the side, and Severus drew a complicated symbol on her skin with his claw, and then he let the Dark ichor from his mouth drizzle over it, where it seemed to slither into the wound and fused to her flesh. Hermione's body jerked, her eyes blew wide as purple fire leaked from the corners.

"There you are, my love," he purred. "Let go."

With that, moans of pleasure moved into an ululating shriek as Severus sent her careening into the Abyss of ecstasy as their bond merged them together for all time.

Ron shoved his way into the hospital room, sending a stunner at Mr and Mrs Granger as soon as he spotted Hermione asleep in the bedside chair. He stunned her as well and took out the small herbal pill his mum had given him. "I'm going to make you forget all about that greasy git. The Ministry needs me to get married before I can become Minister for Magic and make the Wizarding World better, and I'm bloody well tired of you avoiding me! It has to be you. We were heroes together."

He wrinkled his nose as he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Suddenly, he was overcome with an overpowering wave of pure lust—

He fell upon her in lustful need, and to his delight, she finally responded to his sexual overtures like a normal witch. After ripping their clothes off, Ron pounded into her until he emptied himself into her with a strangled yell, groaning with triumph as magic and pregnancy cemented his claim on her in the most traditional of Wizarding ways.

When he panted with satisfaction, having finally gotten 'Mione to loosen up, he heard, "Oooooo, Ron. I'm so glad you finally gave up on that bushy-haired bint!"

Ron's eyes flew open as he found himself staring straight into the eyes of Lavender Brown—now Weasley.

She was panting with pleasure, growling, her body twisting and changing as her face pushed out into a wolfen muzzle just before she fell upon him, ensuring that her mate was just like her.

The two bodies of the Granger parents poofed into a pair of aubergines as Ron's ensuing screams turned into animalistic howls.

Candidate for Minister for Magic, Ronald B Weasley, Disqualified For Being Werewolf!

Ronald Weasley Bit, Infected Multiple Muggles Along With Fellow Werewolf Lover, Lavender Brown, Now Wife, Lavender Weasley!

New Werewolves Now Sent to Azkaban Thanks To Strict New Anti-Pack Werewolf Laws!

Chaos Descends Upon Britain as Ronald and Lavender Weasley Escape Aurors and Become Most Wanted Werewolves Next To Fenrir Greyback!

Weasley Family Suspected Of Harbouring Wanted Werewolves!

Shame Upon Weasleys!

Severus smiled as he stared over his counter at his latest customer. "May I help you?"

"Cure for Lycanthropy, please," Molly whispered.

"That will be five thousand galleons, madam," Severus said.

"Severus! You know me!" Molly hissed.

"Oh, so sorry," Severus said politely. "Seven thousand galleons for you, ma'am."

"WHAT! That's worse than highway robbery! I can't afford that!"

Severus leaned over the counter, his tails tapping on the polished wood. "Well, since we are such. Good. friends," he said as he pulled up a piece of parchment with a flourish. "I can accept certain other things."

Molly snatched the parchment and read it over quickly.

"My soul? Are you mocking me?"

"Surely not."

"Whatever," she said, signing it quickly. "Give me the cure."

Severus' smile was dark. He plucked a small vial off the top shelf and handed it to her. "Be sure to follow the instructions precisely."

Molly snatched it up with a snarl and stormed out calling him all manner of foul names.

Hermione came around the corner at the sound of the shop door slamming. "Making lifelong friends again, my love?"

Severus smiled. "Just arranging for some extra fertility for you, my love. For our future sprogs."

Hermione gave him a soft kiss. "Mmm. I can't wait."

Severus grinned darkly. "It's amazing what some people will sell their soul for." He flipped the open sign over to closed and proceeded to show his mate just how much he desired her as the shelves of potions jiggled slightly on the shelves only to be stopped by an array of protective spells.

And they lived sprog-ically ever after…