Chapter 19
September 17th
Draco
We walk behind McGonagle as she barbs on about minor details of being heads. "You will unfortunately not be able to reside in the Heads dorm seeing as it is only two room, which are both occupied, and will have to work from your own dorms."
"You will be responsible for hall sweeping after curfew and will deal with the majority of student discipline—excluding the more serious infractions. You will of course be in charge of planning the majority of the major events in the school, along with the other two heads and the rest of the prefects."
Granger, true to herself, writes it all down on a small note pad. "Speaking of the Prefects, I have decided that since Albus had neglected to send out the prefect badges all together this year, I will be rewriting the list to comprise of a mix of 70's students and 90's students, in the stead of the preposterous idea of having forty prefects."
She explains before stopping at a door. "This will be the meeting room for the prefects and heads, if you wish to enter you must knock three times, pause, knock twice, pause, and then knock once more." Once again Granger scribbles down on her little notepad like the diligent little student she is and I have to refrain from rolling my eyes.
"I assume—since it's Hogwarts's worst kept secret—that you both are aware of the password to the prefect's bathroom?" She asks with a sigh and though I give the affirmative, I'm surprised to see granger nodding as well. Huh, didn't think granger was the type to sneak into the prefect's bathroom.
But then again, I didn't think she was the type to get drunk in a library with Nott either.
McGonagle clasps her hands together. "Well then, I believe that will be all for now. The first meeting will be held in a weeks time, do try to be punctual. Until then I suggest you try to get to know your fellow heads. I will see you both later in transfigurations—" she pauses for a moment before her eyes connect with mine. "Do try to show me I made the right decision." She said, her eyes boring into mine. I give the slightest nod and she gives me one last stern look before turning on her heels and leaving.
Granger turns to leave as well but I am quick to grab her arm and pull her closer. "Not so fast Granger, I would like for you to tell me, just what the fuck bullshit you pulled earlier?" I snarl clenching my jaw. The little minx has the nerve to smirk. She crosses her arm and gives me a faux innocent smile, flashing her big brown doe eyes at me.
"Why whatever do you mean Mr Malfoy?" She teases. I pull her closer so we are nearly nose to nose. Her nostrils flare at the proximity and I smirk down at her. "I mean that whole shit show you put on in the great hall." I sneer at her matching her glare with my own. "I don't appreciate being disrespected."
She pretends to pout. "Aw, little Malfoy doesn't like his father to know how much of a little prick he is?" My eyes harden and my earlier smirk turns to a sneer. "Don't speak of my father." I say clenching my jaw, my hand unknowingly tightening its grip on her arm.
She laughs, throwing her head back as if I just told her the funniest of jokes. Her arm slips from my grip and she crosses it over the other before shaking her head. "Still trying to please him after everything he did to you?" Now even my sneer drops to a slight frown and I feel the tips of my ears turn pink in embarrassment. Because it's true.
She scoffs as if she knows what I'm thinking. "Well Malfoy, I'd suggest you get over that because I'm done playing nice, and if you're going to throw a fit every time I mention your father it's going to be a very tough year." She says before giving me one last glare and shouldering past me—even though her shoulder only reaches me mid stomach.
And with that,
I watch her walk away.
Again.
Hermione
I make my way through the halls, a permanent smirk on my face as I think back to the look on Malfoy's face. I sigh in contentment and flick the bud of the cigarette I'd lit up only minutes ago, before throwing it to the ground and crushing it under my shoe.
Usually I'd feel bad about leaving my trash on the floor but considering who runs this place I can't bring myself to care. I'll just have to make it up to the elves later. I'd been planning on visiting the poor little creatures soon anyway, now I'll just have to bring along an apology for littering as well.
My thoughts are disrupted by a big thump sound from nearby as well as the sound of jeering. I am quick to put away the box of cigarettes I'd had in my hand before picking up pace as I walk down one of the corridors I'm sure I'd heard the sound from.
Just my bloody luck, first day on the job and I probably have to break up a fight with a bunch of idiotic third years. I mentally groan but am quick to pick up pace when I start to here the noises more clearly. "Look at him, I knew he'd be a easy bloke to mess with once he was without his precious potions."
I start in a full blown sprint down the hallways when I hear a familiar voice taunting another. My feet slam against the stone floor as I hear more noise akin to the sound of someone struggling and have to force my brain not to retreat to a day a couple weeks ago when I'd run down this exact corridor, curses flying over my head.
I finally turn a corner where I can see three figure's standing over another person I can't quite make out. It's three boys who stand, their backs facing me, each taunting the last boy on his knees at their feet, trapped by what looks like an incarcerace spell. "Not so strong now are you?"
I recognize the familiar voice of Seamus finnagin. My eyes harden in anger as I grip my wand tightly in the long sleeve of my shirt as I step forward taking a wide stance. I cross my arms over my chest. I never did like bullies. "What's going on here?" I growl and I'm sure my eyes have flashed Amber in my rage as I can feel the temperature rise in the hall.
The three boys spin to face me so fast I think they got whiplash, each boys eyes wide in fear. Surprise surprise it was finnagin, Macmillan, and Zacharias smith. They each have their wands pointed at me before Seamus seems to take inventory at just who exactly he was threatening before sighing in relief and lowering his wand, causing the other two to follow suit.
He shoves a hand through his hair. "Phew, just you. Bloody hell Granger, you scared the living daylights out of me, thought you were McGonagle for a second." He sighs then makes a move to turn around.
The air around us is hot and my magic crackles around us, near the tips of my fingers and hair. I push the power back inside me, knowing the hell it would reek unleashed.
I raise the wand I'd been silently clutching inside my sleeve and raise it toward they're turned back. Good thing moody isn't here. I think with a small smirk as I mutter three different spells under my breath.
I step closer unleashing the spells, each of which hit one of the three men in the back causing them to leg out cries of outrage.
Finnagin whips around his hand covering his nose where bats are trying to escape from, his eyes filled with tears, his mouth in a sneer as he growls. "What the fuck granger, you fucking bitch!" The other two groan on the floor as they cough up slugs. "What's your fucking problem?"
My eyes flash one again and I scowl at the shit for brains dumbass. "My problem, is that you fucking cowards are messing with a poor innocent kid for no reason except for the fact that you are are such utter arsholes that you don't see a problem with it." I snarl at the fool and he glares at me, his nose bleeding with the stretch of the bat eye bogey curse I'd thrown at him. "Trust me, he's not a poor, nor an innocent kid." Finnagin spat moving to the side only an inch so I could see just who exactly was on the floor behind him.
My eyes take in the very familiar inky black hair, pale skin and light eyes. Only this time he is smaller, skinnier, leaner. I once upon a time could never imagine how a man so powerful could have ever had been beaten by simple minded teenagers, but now, looking at him, I could see it. He was of leaner build then most his age, and though tall, he was scrawny enough to break like a twig.
My eyes saw red. This wasn't just idiots picking on some random student. I wasn't just a head punishing them for acting unruly. This has become personal.
I was seething. My wand was pointed at his throat in seconds. "How. fucking. dare. you." I growled and I saw a flash of fear in his eyes as he raised his hands as if that could protect him. I mentally reach out for the blood that pumps through my opponent's veins and my magic latches onto it.
Much like I would if trying to magically boil water, I connect my magic with the liquid, then slowly, I start to heat it up.
Sweat coats his brow, as his face scrunches, not yet in pain but in discomfort at the new sensation in his body. I let myself add more pressure, heating it until it's not yet boiling but still piping hot, all the while I never lower my wand.
Finnagin gasps clawing at his throat as the pain sets in, dropping him to his knees in pain. "W-what are you doing!" He wheezes screaming in pain as his blood gets hotter and hotter by the moment, the other two boys have sat up on their elbows by now and watch in horror with their mouths agape, most likely to scared that at the sight of their movement I'll turn my wrath their way.
I don't blink, I don't move, I let my magic work for me all awhile I stare at the idiot in front of me, stone faced. I allow my occlemency to surface, burying my overwhelming rage as to leave me with only my calculating mind. "Please—please stop!" He cries again, his face red and panting. Said logical mind is smart enough to know, that I can't kill him. Not like this. So I let him go.
I release my magics hold on him and let the heat ebb away. He drops. I sneer. "Get up before I change my mind and show you just how many tricks this elemental has up her sleeves." I growl out, my eyes still not having retreated to their normal color.
He snarls at me, trying to lunge for me but one of the hufflepuff boys hold him back. At least one of them has a brain. He pulls him by the arm. "Come on, this traitor bitch isn't worth it." He snarls at me, baring his teeth like an animal but still, it doesn't disguise the prominent fear in his eyes. Good.
They shove past me with scowl etched into their faces. I hear one of them mutter a quick, "bitch." But choose to leave it be this time.
As soon as I see they've rounded the corner and are out of sight I turn to the boy tied up on the ground, obviously bruising from where they must have hit him. His eyes meet mine and I freeze for a moment.
We rush to the boathouse, Harry in the lead, Ron and myself only steps behind him. My heart lurches in my chest. Please be alive. Please be alive. My mind chants loudly as my breathing gets more shallow by the second.
The moment Harry had said he'd had a vision of Voldemort confronting Snape I'd been on full panick mode. Please Godric don't take him away from me. Once the door is in sight I push past Harry to get inside but I'm quick to wish I hadn't.
I choke on a sob and put a hand over my mouth at the sight, my eyes welling with hot tears. I grabble towards him and end up on my knees beside him. There's a giant slit in his neck and blood oozes from it rapidly.
"No, no, no, no, no..." I sob as I pull his head into my lap, not bothering with the blood that now soaks my shirt and pants. His eyes—though sunken—still blink, and his chest goes up and down in small shallow puffs, I can still save him.
I wipe my tears with my hands before pulling my silver chain out of my shirt. "It's-it's going to be ok." I mutter, grabbing the silver locket in my fist and bring my finger to the Amber stone in the middle, ready to unleash my power when I cold shaky hand grabs my wrist.
"Don't be foolish, child....you can't save me. I've been bitten....by the snake, unless you carry the antidote....to snake venom, you'd just be wasting your magic. R-remember what I...taught you." He says in between shallow wheezing breaths.
I shake my head, the tears returning in full force. Not him too. They can't take him from me too.
I hold his face in my hands as I watch his lids get heavier and heavier. "Please no, please, just hold on, I can save you, I just need a little more time!" I sob as the light in his eyes starts to fade. I clutch his hand in mine as I beg him to stay just a bit longer, long enough to fix this, long enough to save him.
"All...you—need...is here...." He says clutching my hand tight enough for me to feel the indent of something else in his palm, but I don't get the chance to ask what because his grip soon goes slack and his eyes go cold, all the life leaving his body.
I sob, the magic I've fought so hard to keep in threatening to unleash itself upon my friends, myself, and anyone nearby. My vision goes blurry, my senses heighten in what I know is my elemental powers trying to rise. But I don't let it.
I can feel the warmth from the fire place only feet away, feel the moisture in the air, the earth underneath the wooden floorboards, and of course the air that surrounds us and the electricity it can omit. I could let it out and kill us all solving our problems, no one can kill us if I do it myself now and save us all the trouble of war.
But that won't change anything. All that will do is make my godfathers death meaningless. He doesn't deserve that. So then and there I choose what to do with the energy inside me.
I feel a warm hand on my shoulder. I don't look up, I don't need to. "Hermione? Are you ok—"
"Go." I say, my voice scratchy and harsh, but nothing hides the rage in it. "Hermione—" Ron starts but I don't listen. "Go, finish this."
"I have my own scores to settle."
I quickly snap out of it and move my gaze from his. "Are you alright?" I ask quietly as I begin to untie the ropes that tie him to the floor. When he doesn't answer I look to him to find him looking at me with the same expression my own Professor snape would look at a student who got an answer wrong. One eye brow raised with his eyes narrowed in a condescending way that makes him look like he's saying 'is she stupid?' With his eyes.
Oh. I stand. "Right, silencing charm, sorry." I mumble as I wave my wand at him, canceling the spell.
I offer him my hand and he scoffs, clammoring to his feet on his own before looking down at his nose and sneering. "I don't need your pity, gryffindor." He snarls and his expression reminds me so much of my godfather's that I almost sigh. I hear footsteps approaching but don't turn to look.
Instead I look at the younger version of my godfather and offer him a sad smile. "That's the thing Severous, it's not pity,"
"It's a debt."
2935 words
Hey folks, it's been a while, whole month. Sorry bout the late chapters but my bio teacher is really laying it on thick. But anyone I hope you guys are enjoying the story and FYI there was a bit of foreshadowing in this chapter for a very important event. The next couple chapters are going to start heating it up.