Haunted House

normal\'>EN-GB\'>A/N:mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'> I\'ve had this idea for a long, long time and had
started to write it in French, but I lost all inspiration... and now
miraculously have it back, but for a fic in English! Don\'t ask... sometimes ideas
fit best in one language than in another. Hope you\'ll enjoy it, anyway!! Have a
pleasant read!!

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normal\'>EN-GB\'>Disclaimer:mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'> Not mine... unfortunately.

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normal\'>EN-GB\'>Rating:mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'> NC-17, for various reasons I\'ll precise later on as
the story unfolds.

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normal\'>EN-GB\'>Haunted House

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>Chapter 1

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>The large house sat
at the end of the overgrown path, seemingly dormant under a blanket of shadows,
despite the bright sunshine flooding the rest of the neighbourhood. Ivy had
snaked up the porch columns, stretched across the dark stone walls, strangling
what little life the mansion had left. The front door was set back into the
structure, like a mouth waiting patiently to be fed, a mouth full of very sharp
teeth. Boarded up windows gave the place a forbidding look, as though something
was being kept inside and not the contrary. Or so Hermione liked to think,
every time she walked past those tall iron gates. She couldn\'t for the life of
her imagine why anyone would want to enter those grounds and try to break into
the old building, yet many had tried. There were few successes, for most of the
trespassers turned tail pretty quickly. This was the place one brought one\'s
cousins when they were staying over during the summer holidays. Dares had been
issued for years, hanging in the air about the house, adding to its legend.
Ever since Hermione had moved to the neighbourhood twelve years ago, only two
people had set foot in the mansion. The first had come running back out after
about five minutes, shaking madly, struck dumb. The second had never returned
at all.

style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>As she stood
watching it, the familiar sense of uneasiness creeping over her, Hermione felt
someone tug on her arm. Slightly startled, she looked down to see a small
freckled face with rosy cheeks and clear blue eyes staring back up at her.
Smiling weakly for she still felt a little shaken from watching the house, the
young witch knelt down, forcing confidence onto her features.

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"What is it,
Anna?"

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>Glancing around her,
the five-year-old blonde huddled closer to her baby-sitter. Hermione could see
gooseflesh forming on her young charge\'s arms, regardless of the summer heat
engulfing them. Even though she would never admit it, she felt the same
creeping sensation, the same icy breath.

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"I don\'t like
it here. It\'s scary," Anna whispered.

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"I don\'t like
it either, darling. I really don\'t know why your brother insisted we take a
detour to the playground..."

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>On cue, a clump of
bushes rustled on the other side of the path as Jack jumped out, holding a
heavy stone in each hand. Grinning broadly, he seemed oblivious to the
unnerving atmosphere, whistling part of a tune as he approached the two girls.
Leaning against the rusty fence (Hermione gave an involuntary shudder as it
squeaked under the sudden weight), the seven-year-old glanced up at the old
house with a mischievous look on his face. Understanding what he was about to
do, Hermione quickly grabbed his arm.

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"No, don\'t even
think about it. Come on, let\'s go to the playground."

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"Aw,
Hermione... please! Nobody lives there."

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"Yes, but we
can\'t go destroying private property. The house probably belongs to someone,
even though they don\'t use it."

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>Releasing Jack,
Hermione took hold of Anna\'s hand and was about to turn away when she heard a sharp
thump, followed by a whoop of joy. Her gaze flying to the spot the stone had
hit (the front door), Hermione let out a frightened squeal as she lunged
forward, intent on making Jack drop the second stone, but it was too late. By
the time she had caught his hand, the rock was flying through the air, heading
straight for the only window that was not boarded up, a small opening at the
foot of one of the walls. A basement window, who\'s pane shattered with a noise
like thunder, followed by complete silence as the three outside looked at one
another in horror mingled with excitement (the latter mostly expressed on
Jack\'s behalf). Then, just as Hermione was about to grab the children and run,
there came a muffled roar from within the house which glued her to the spot,
rendering her unable to move. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart
fluttering wildly, she stood staring as angry footsteps rang out and the front
door\'s old bolts were unlocked in a chorus of a metallic wails. Suddenly
terrified, the children cowered behind her, leaving her exposed to whatever
monstrosity was sure to come pouncing out, ready to... Hermione closed her
eyes, her whole body shaking. This was impossible! Nobody had lived in that
house for years! She could not believe that, of all the people to disturb the
house (Hermione being amongst the most unwilling), she was the one to awake
whatever resided inside. Of course, Jack had thrown the stone, but she felt
responsible.

style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>As the door squeaked
open on its hinges, Hermione at last found the ability to swivel round and yell
at the children to run as fast as they could until they reached her house,
where they were to lock themselves in and wait for her, which they did all too
gladly. Turning back towards to the house, Hermione saw a figure entirely clad
in black moving swiftly along the path which led to the gate, a figure with a
face so pale she thought it might be a mask. normal\'>Oh no... Oh no, oh no, oh no. A Death Eater... Oh, not here!
Backing away slowly, Hermione lowered her hands to her pockets... when she
discovered she had none. Oh how stupid! She
who always wore jeans during the holidays had instead opted, that very morning,
for the flowery summer dress bought a few days ago, thinking it might be a nice
change. How dearly she now regretted her rare moment of vanity! By discarding
her faithful jeans, she had left her wand back home...

style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>Seeing only one
possible means of escape, she started to follow the children, when she was
stopped dead in her tracks by a voice all too familiar, a voice which foretold
of a fate far worse than anything she had imagined would be lying in store for
her.

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>"Well, well,
well... Miss Granger. Practicing random acts of vandalism? How unlike you.
"

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style=\'font-family:\"Book Antiqua\";mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'>The cold, dreaded
sneer of her Hogwarts potions master hung like a death sentence in the hot
summer air.

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normal\'>EN-GB\'>A/N:mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\'> A very short first chapter, but necessary to set the
atmosphere of the story. What will happen to poor Hermione? Will Severus let
her go without demanding some form of compensation? I think not... Please review!!!

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