Memories

Prolog

She’s out again celebrating another win. She left the Wizarding World right after she did the voluntary 8th year. It’s a good thing he didn’t go looking for her during that time. He was still getting used to being a fucking abomination, he was a true monster then. Since he’s gotten his bloodlust under control and is finally going to the non-descript blood bank now for his kind, he’s able to focus. 

Salazar, he’s pathetic, following her around every night. Even when she’s just home, however, she has no idea the number of times he’s kept the arseholes who thought they could touch her, or spike her drink, from harming her. He will forever regret not being able to protect her in school and afterward. Following her at a distance she doesn’t realize she’s being followed to a safe Apparition area, he then turns and vanishes. She has no idea that he was able to break her wards, or that he has Muggle devices planted just to keep an eye on her at home. He lands on the roof of her row house and lies above her room. He doesn’t need the devices to listen in, but they are useful for seeing her. Tonight, though, he doesn't as he hears her company arrive, he doesn't watch as he hears her celebrate with one of his oldest friends. He honestly keeps trying to tell himself he’s happy for them, but it burns. 

He instead thinks back to when they first met. 

• - - -

He had snuck off into the Muggle side of town while his parents were out and was just watching everything aimlessly when he saw a mane of hair that had sparks popping off of it. The little girl looked up and she was crying. He knew she was magical and probably had scared herself. He walked over to her and picked up her book that was on the ground. 

“Hey, it's ok! Look I can do something similar,” he said,  willing his magic to clean and fix the book. “It just means you’re special, but you have to be careful because people out here don't understand.” 

She looked at him with wide eyes. “That’s like Matilda!” He didn’t know who Matilda was but she was excited and grabbed his hand. They went to the building nearby,  it was a library. She went to the desk and asked the lady if they had this Matilda she had mentioned, when the lady said yes, she gave them directions. The little girl guided him to the area it was at and he grabbed the book from the shelf for her. She stopped in her tracks.

“Oh! I'm sorry my name is Hermione, like in Shakespeare! What’s your name? And why don't you know Matilda? And what did you mean by people not understanding?” She whisper-shouted.

He didn’t know how to answer all the questions she had, so he deflected. 

“Who is this Matilda you mentioned? Would you share the book with me? I don't have a library card.”

“You don't have a LIBRARY CARD!” Hermione practically shrieks. Completely appalled. 

“Well, you see I do not get out very much, and my family home has its own library,” he explained. 

After that day they met up as often as possible, and Hermione would read different books to him. 

Then, one day, when he was coming home, his father found out where he had been going, Marcus was punished and banned from leaving the family estate. He knew one day in a few years though, that he would see his favorite bookworm again when she had been sorted. He had helped her learn to control some of her magic.

- - - 

He’s broken from his memory when he’s notified that Hermione’s guest has left for the night. He checks his phone to monitor the cameras. He hates himself even more but at the same time, he can’t help himself. He watches the screen as she walks naked to the shower. She never closes the door when she washes,  so he enjoys watching her silhouette. When he was setting the cameras up he got her scent of peaches and cream, she also has a muskier scent naturally. It makes his mouth water.

He knows it’s wrong but he cannot fathom even approaching her now since he’s been changed.