A War of Nerves

CHAPTER 15: Of Hermione, Part 2 (Though really it doesn't start out that way.)

Lily was relaxing in the bathtub. The steamy air was clouding the mirrors and drawing sweat on her brow. She sank lowing into the water and sighed, closing her eyes. She enjoyed the sensation of being perfectly safe, perfectly content, perfectly perfect, for one of the few time in her life. It seemed that her life thus far had been one dangerous situation after another and the times between were spent preparing for the next onslaught of terror. She was sick of it, sick of having to care. But it was her duty, and a Gryffindor always did their duty, that was the important things she had learned from her mother and aunt's teachings. She lived by it and was happy with it.

A bit of water sloshed over the side of the bathtub as she sank lower. Finally she came up for air. Her eyes still closed, leaning against the back of the bathtub, she said aloud, "How can ya just sit there? It's Christmas an' I'm nude. How much mo' o' an invitation do ya need?"

Snape pulled the paper out from under his nose and said, "Well, first I got the Daily Prophet, then I sat down in this seat. As to you being nude, I believe that was optional."

She rolled her eyes under the lids. "Then why are ya in here?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I want ya ta get in the tub," she said, finally opening her eyes and looking into his.

The corner of his mouth flicked upward and he put his paper in front of his face and began reading again, "No, thank you."

"Fine," she said, "Well I want ya ta know, if ya don't come in, I'll come out."

"No," he said smoothly, not looking up. Lily could sense the hitch hidden in his voice.

"What was that?"

"You can stay in if you want."

"Well I don't see the purpose. I'm clean, an' ya don't want ta join me, though I'll admit, the water is heavenly," she said in a dull, nonplussed manner. "Unless, yo' sure ya don't want ta come in," she added, cocking an eyebrow.

This time he looked over the paper and folded it, setting it down on the counter. He deftly unbuttoned his shirt, unzipped his slacks, and slid easily into the water.

"There now," she practically cooed, "that is much betta'. I was beginnin' ta feel unappreciated."

He spread her legs with his knee and said, "That can be corrected easily."

(A/N: They have sex, e-mail me or go to www.adultfanfiction.net)

Her lower jaw trembled slightly.

"What?" he said, his dark eyes boring into hers.

Lily broke eye contact and said softly, "I'm scared."

He looked at her oddly. "Of what, exactly?"

Lily took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, "You."

He opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it, and closed it again, settling with giving her a penetrating gaze. Then he said, "Elaborate."

She licked her lips, "Yer not what I expected."

"You were expecting I was a mean old man potions master all the time," he said in a semi-cold voice.

"I didn't say that," she said softly. "I meant I wasn't warned 'bout ya. Ya took me by surprise."

"Since when are Gryffindors afraid of surprises?" he asked, his voice a bit more relaxed.

"Humans are 'fraid of surprises, Sev'rus," she answered honestly, licking her lips again.

"Are you trying to say something?"

"I'm goin' ta be leaving. In one month, perhaps two."

"Where?"

"Home. If everythin' goes well, I mean," she said cautiously.

"America," he said, half in question, half in statement.

"If all goes well."

They were silent for a long while. The question that she had sensed ever since she broached the subject was left hanging in the air.

"No," she said, answering the question, "Ya neva' will see me again."

He nodded again. It was too good to be true anyway. Unless you were the hero, the cards never seemed to fall your way. How could he possibly thought that he could have found someone that he could tolerate being around, **Love, we call that one love,** he subconscious reminded. Any way, how could he possibly have thought that he could have found some one that he could love and they would want to, or were allowed to, stay with him. There was nothing he could do. There was *nothing he could do,* and he hated it.

(A/N: Sorry, I thought that WN needed some more smut scenes, I was reading thought it and saw it didn't have nearly enough. And NO, Morgan and Draco are NOT getting together, I have some other Cannon character set up and waiting for him.)

She was so beautiful, so unearthly beautiful he could barely stand in a room with out touching her. A few strands of hair would fly up when she exhaled he'd noticed. Her delicate cool brown hair, no longer frizzy, like in her fourth year, but curled in a sensual, sexual fashion. He always needed to tough that hair. And her creamy skin, long legs, he could get hot just thinking about her. And she was all his. *He* had assured Viktor of this. All his, and his alone. Not that boy Potter, nor his red-headed friend's, Viktor Krum. She had been his early reward for a job well done. She; the only thing he had desired since that summer she spent with him. Hermione Granger, soon Hermione Krum, when he got the chance that was, was all his.

Her eyes flickered open and she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. Viktor controlled himself from touching her; he'd never get to school if he started now. Of course she didn't have school, but he did, the College wasn't nearly so nice about letting him have long holidays. But this spring he would graduate and wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

She licked her lips and said, "Viktor, what time is it."

"Five after six," he answered.

She nodded and sat up, putting her arms around his chest from behind him. She was tiny he knew, compared to him at least, and her arms barely reached around his chest. She nestled her chin between his neck and shoulder and said, "What were you thinking about?"

"You," he answered. He was always thinking about her.

She kissed his neck and he melted, "That's sweet. Come on, I need a shower."

He loved this part, and she never failed to disappoint, never. She pulled him into the bathroom with business like demeanor, but he knew better. He smirked but followed her anyway. She turned on the shower, steam rising from the heat already, and she stripped off her clothes, playfully skipping into the shower and poking her head around the glass door.

"Coming?" she asked in a cheerful voice.

"In more vays zan von," he said quietly.

(A/N: More sex, as I said, e-mail me or go to www.adultfanfiction.net)

He had come to the realization long ago he needed her. He needed her more than oxygen, more than food, more than anything. He needed her smile, her kiss, her mind, her body, her soul, and her heart. And Viktor Krum always got what he wanted, and he wanted Hermione Granger.

(A/N: Alright, I warned you all when you started this, it is A/U! This means I change things. I realize this person I'm about to add should be eleven. But she's not in my fic, so there.)

Hermione sat in the library, as usual. She wasn't the only one though. Salem's students, in addition to the three week break, had what Brigid would call a "shit-load of homework." Her American friends were much more, well, they swore more than she was used to. And Brigid was the worst.

But that wasn't what she was worrying. She was worrying about the fact that she hadn't heard from any of her friends since the beginning of break, not even a Christmas card. This could only mean one thing; they had gotten in deep, horrible trouble. And with Lily there, well, she knew Lily's job, she had figured it out eventually, and she could help but believe that Ron and Harry would jump in head first.

She cracked her knuckles, a nasty habit she had picked up from the twins, and looked down on her assignment. "Describe the process of repelling the Electronox Curse in a scroll and a half," it was an Arithmacy essay, a subject she excelled at. She didn't want to do this, she wanted to worry more about Harry and Ron.

A little fifth year sat down across from her and smiled briefly before looking down at her book. Hermione did a double take. It couldn't be! Could it? Long blonde hair that seemed to have a life of its own, big beautiful blue eyes, and paler than the winter moon skin; it had to be! There was no other person who was more obviously Veela than that.

"Fleur? Fleur Delacour?" Hermione said looking hard at the girl. If it was her, she hadn't aged a day.

The girl looked up at her with a frown on her face, "No," she said in a cold voice, "I'm Gabrielle Delacour, her sister."

Hermione's hand went to her mouth, "Oh, I'm so sorry, you're...you're just the spitting image of her in her sixth year."

"I've been told," she said in a cold voice still. Hermione got the message; Gabrielle didn't like being compared to her sister.

Hermione swallowed and stuck out a hand, "I'm Hermine, Hermione Granger. I went to Hogwarts, I was there when Harry pulled you out of the lake, I'm one of his friends."

Gabrielle looked at her again, this time with a little less malice in her eyes. "You were Viktor Krum's girlfriend."

"Yes," she answered with a smile.

"What are you doing here then?" she asked lightly.

"I got awarded a transfer student position in you're DAA&S (Dark Arts Analysis and Strategy) program," she answered truthfully. "What division are you?"

"I&IG (Infiltration and Information Gathering)," the little Fleur look-alike said primly.

"Oh," Hermione said with a smile, "so you'd know Katie and Gwen Matson."

The cold demeanor of Gabrielle had melted. A small smile broke out on her face at the mention of the twins, "Who could miss those two?"

Hermione laughed and said, "You're not kidding! I thought I was going to drown in sarcasm the first time I met them!"

"Where are they?"

"Well, their friend Lily Merrins was the other transfer, she went to Hogwarts. They went to visit her over the holidays, their band played at the Yule Ball," Hermione explained.

"Oh," Gabrielle said, "So Morgan won't be here."

"No, she went with them. How do you know Morgan?"

"She's a friend of the family. Well, let me rephrase that: Her parents and my parents are friends. Her and Fleur don't get along very well," Gabrielle said with a smirk.

"You know, you are your sister seemed much closer when I was in my fourth year," Hermione commented.

Gabrielle looked for a moment like she was going to snap angrily at Hermione, but instead she said, "We've a few differences."

"Did she ever go here?"

"No, she goes to the college. She's AA&R (Advanced Auror and Rescue), or was when she went here in the eighth year."

"You started at this school then?" Hermione asked.

Gabrielle nodded and then looked at the clock, "Oh, no, I've forgotten! I have a meeting with Headmaster Woodsrow in three minutes!"

"Oh, well by all means go and see her," Hermione said. "If you aren't doing anything New Years though, come over. Viktor and I are throwing a party."

"Alright," Gabrielle said with a smile and gathering her books, "See you then, Hermione!"

The Fleur look-alike practically sprinted out of the library. Hermione smiled to herself; she had made a new friend. It was actually scary how different the two Delacour girls were. On one side of the spectrum you had Fleur; cocky, cold, vicious (in Hermione's opinion), and heartless. Then on the other side you had Gabrielle; funny, full of life, easy to talk to, yet determined and driven. Hermione thought she would have made a good Gryffindor. Then she realized she didn't know what house Gabrielle was in, it was entirely possible that Gabrielle was a Fire.

Hermione sighed. She was never going to get any work done at this rate. She may as well get to planning her party, it was in two days. It wouldn't be the same with out Morgan, the twins, and Brigid. It was only a small group of people, mainly Viktor's friends from college. She liked Viktor's friends...most of them anyway. Alexander DeFlani however was a different story. Every time Hermione stood next to him she felt dark magic. She had no problem with his personality, he was very funny and nice, always a gentleman. But there was something...something wrong. Muggles would say her Spider Sense was tingling, and she would be forced to agree.

Hermione picked up her books and headed out of the library.

She had finally gotten word from Morgan. Hermione had almost died of shock. It was too much, far too much. And the nerve of Harry and Ron not to owl her. She picked up the letter again to read it.

Dear Hermione,

I'm sure you're relieved to see someone noticed you've been left in the dark. Don't worry, everyone is safe now. I have quite a story to tell you, if you don't mind listening to me prattle on of course.

We arrived at Hogwarts on schedule, played the concert did the dance thing; both with little trouble. You never said how handsome Remus Lupin was by the way. Anyway, that isn't where the trouble started. This story is kind of involved, so bear with me.

The morning after the concert, I woke up and went into Lily's room to get her lazy ass out of bed. She was drunk. This was the first give-away, Lily hates to be drunk alone. We went the bathrooms to get her cleaned up, she sounded awful, her voice wasn't right. Then we met up with B-chan and the Matsons' and she begins sobbing her eyes out like she's lost her soul mate. Second give away, Lily doesn't cry about things like that. She either A)Gets super angry and punches things, or B)Doesn't fail. This was all very un-Lily. Finally, Ms. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley show in the Great Hall, and "Lily" starts up again. I drag Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley out of the Hall to talk to them, neither seem to like me, like I care.

It turns out Mr. Weasley knows her secret, yes that is the one I won't tell you. I sent Mr. Potter off, he seemed to be very upset with me, and I dragged Mr. Weasley off to the Quidditch pitch so we could talk in private. We come to the same conclusion, that the person in the Great Hall, isn't Lily. Mr. Weasley suggests Polyjuice Potion and I remember that Lily was carrying a canteen with her. I suspected it was just alcohol, but I knew then that it had to be Polyjuice.

I came up with a plan to trick "Lily" into giving me a sip, forcefully in need be. We got back to the Great Hall and my plan worked, I was turned into Lily by the Polyjuice Potion.

We then of course went to Headmaster Dumbledore, waited for the after effects of Polyjuice to wear off, and gave Veritaserum to a Slytherin girl named Joanne Taves. She told us a most fascinating story about how Lucius Malfoy and some other Death Eaters had told a group of Slytherin to capture Lily. And it worked, much to my chagrin as I hadn't noticed anything.

Messrs. Potter and Weasley wanted to jump into action at once, thankfully the Headmaster was there to calm them down, or at least prevent them from doing something so asinine that they took their lives along with Lily's. I came up with the plan on how to find Lily and how to rescue her. Who knew that I&S classes would come in handy? However, I did have the misfortune of having to work with a Snape. A professor at you school, Severus Snape. His young cousin, Aden, goes to Salem's, he's in I&AAA (Infiltration and Advanced Assassination Auror). Anyway, he was part of my plan.

I won't bore you with details, Messrs. Potter and Weasley can write you with those. Let's just suffice to say that that Snape did his duty, along with Mr. Potter and Headmaster Dumbledore. They are away in hiding right now, Snape and Lily. Professor Flitwick came and preformed the Fidelius Charm, I'll let you muse about who the Secret Keeper is.

Lily and Snape should come out of hiding some time near the end of the Holidays. Every one is perfectly safe, but worried like I'm sure you are now.

I'll leave you with your worrying, don't get a cold sore over it, I have the up most confidence in the Secret Keeper.

Have a nice Holiday and don't get pregnant on New Years.

With love,

Morgan Le Fay Estellan

PS-Mr. Malfoy is trustworthy, not Senior, Junior. Thought you'd like to know.

PPS-We are returning tomorrow, Brigid, the twins, and I. The Hogwarts students have returned and we are no longer welcome. We'll return a little after midnight on New Years Day. Thought you might like to know. I hate traveling Muggle, but the Headmasters (at both our schools) insisted on it. Airplanes make me queasy.

Oh, yeah, that took a lot of stress off of Hermione. Not only that, they would miss her. But she didn't have time to worry about that now, she had guests to attend to.

She looked herself over closely in the mirror. She had opted for something classy, yet not too showy. It was a simple maroon dress with gold trimmings and gold straps that cris-crossed her back. She wore a golden necklace with a tear shaped ruby hanging off it. It was her parent's gift for her after getting the highest marks on the owls in the school to date. She applied a bit of golden eye shadow and dusted her cheeks, hair (which she left down), shoulders, and chest with a gold blush. For the final touch she put on a dark maroon lipstick. She was a Gryffindor through and through.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione walked out into the room, now crowed with people. Viktor appeared out of nowhere and took her arm, smiling at her reassuringly.