Stormwalker

Stormwalker

Author Name: LordOfTheFallen
Author Email: GabeandEos4Ever@organizedchange.com
Rating: R to NC-17 (in later chapters)
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF, OotP.
Summary: After a holiday, Hermione returns to school for her 7th year, haunted by a pair of stone eyes. When she finds them again in the last place she expected, she finds herself falling in love. But will it last after she finds out who he truly is?
Pairings: Hr/OC
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Thank you to deslovedragon, Derr, and tabitoo for their reviews!

Chapter 3: A Different Kind of Class

As the first week of classes began, Hermione’s thoughts slipped from Professor Gabriel Lunax. It was probably because he was never in the Great Hall in the morning or afternoon, and she hadn’t had a class with him yet. That was all about to change as she walked into the dungeon that had been assigned as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

The first thing one noticed about the room is that it was freezing. Much worse than Snape’s dungeons. The next thing that was visible that there were no desks, and several students were milling around, some talking, obviously wondering where the hell the desks were and when class was going to begin. Or in the case of the Slytherins, arguing with themselves or whatever Gryffindor was their prey this class.

Books, all of their titles in Latin or French were shoved into a large bookshelf along with a set of crystal phials that looked as if they were filled with dark heart’s blood. The fact that what looked like a Muggle drain was set into the floor did not help the illusion that this was a safe place to be.

“What do you think we’re doing this year, Hermione?” Ron said, trying to break the uneasy silence.

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. It is Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts. We probably would have been doing the Unforgivable Curses if Moody’s double hadn’t taught us to fight them off already.”

“Her, what do you make of this?” Both Ron and Hermione’s gazes turned to Harry, who was looking through the titles on the bookshelf and trying to make sense of them. He obviously wasn’t getting too far.

The book he had in his hand had a disturbing flesh-like color, with the words Maison de Sang written on the front. House of Blood?, Hermione quickly translated. Now what could that be about? She was snapped out of her musings as Harry had opened the book and had promptly fallen to the floor paralyzed. Draco Malfoy began laughing with crazy, along with all his cronies. The entire class turned from Harry’s petrified being when they heard the rather amused voice of their teacher. Professor Lunax stood in a hallway they hadn’t seen, holding back a curtain to let himself through. There was silence, even from Draco. Some where staring at what he was wearing, the rest at the sword that was bare in his hand.

“That is a very good example of why it’s convenient to be a wizard.” He grinned, and a few of the girls in the knot of students swallowed. “Keeps out thieves.”

Ron burst out. “Harry’s no thief! He nev-”

Hermione’s frantic “Ron!” made him remember where he was and that he was yelling at a teacher whose grin had suddenly turned very feral as the Professor had seen the book in Harry’s frozen grip. Draco snickered. Gabriel slowly gained control of himself and walked over in front of Harry. Placing his pale hand on Harry’s, he instantly unfroze, falling unceremoniously to the floor, hands grasping air. In the hand that had released him from the spell was the book he tried to open, and it was now firmly shut. Gabriel slid it back into the bookshelf. Or more closely, slammed it back into the bookshelf with a sound that made half of the students jump. The Professor turned around again to face Harry, who Hermione and Ron had quickly helped to his feet. The Slytherins all found this completely entertaining and did not hesitate to prove it to the rest of the world.

“I’m so sorry Profess-”

Gabriel put up his free hand, the one with the gleaming sword resting on his hip. “Silence.”

Harry nodded, and Gabriel continued to speak. “I had thought I was teaching 7th years in this class, not 1st years who find pleasure in throwing things across the room and stealing.”

His voice was level, but the threat and power was there for all to see. As was the sword. Harry flushed with embarrassment. “If I find that another student has taken liberties with my belongings without my permission I assure that the rest of the year will become your personal living hell.”

The silence in the room was suddenly mixed with fear. The unorthodox teacher smiled once more, looking like the most beautiful demon in Hell.

“Now that that’s settled, I would like to welcome all of to a new year of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Lunax, no matter how much I despise the title and I will teach you to fight and win against your deepest fears, the nightmares that haunt you. I will drive every ounce of fear from you, so that win the time comes, you will defeat that which once made you tremble.”

After judging the student’s reaction, he walked forward and they split like the Sea did for Moses, until they realized that he merely walking into the room from which he had entered, not impaling anyone upon the blade that was currently relaxing on his shoulder.

“Follow me, all of you.”

It was obvious he meant Harry, and Hermione saw her friend pale and Ron’s face flush in anger, although there was some of the terrified factor there as well. Seems like there’s a new Snape in town, maybe they’ll end up killing each other, she thought as they filed into the classroom with everyone else, I hope he leaves Harry in one piece.

Once everyone was in the room, Harry included, Gabriel set the sword lovingly on a shelf and turned to face the class. He made a motion to yet another curtain.

“The first thing each student will do in here is take their turn in here, where a boggart is currently present. While I am aware that you did this previously, it is very much likely that you inner torments have changed over the years. I will record what I see and then I will give you instructions for next week. Any questions?”

No one raised their hand and he looked at the Gryffindors before picking out Ron with a predatory smile. “Mr. Weasley, would you kindly step into the room as the first brave volunteer?”

Volunteer? More like guinea pig…
Hermione frowned. She saw what he was doing. He did not want to earn Snape’s reputation by going off on Harry all the time, and thought one of his friends would be a nice alternative.

Bastard.

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Ron gulped and pushed back the curtain, through which Gabriel followed, not before rdingding the entire class that the curses on the rest of his belongings were much, much worse.
A few minutes passed before Ron walked out, along with Gabriel grinning like a demon. A clipboard was in his hand, as well as a regular pen. He frankly thought those quills were a pain in the ass.

“Any volunteers?”

There was once more silence. Gabriel had a tendency to make people quiet. He tried to keep himself from laughing. It might show the fangs more than he meant to. No need to scare the little kiddies any more. He sneered as he thought of Harry Potter, looking through his bookshelf. A little voice in the back of his head reminded him that if it hadn’t been that book, the Wonder Boy would have gotten off light. He shoved the little voice back with the other ones. He’d had practi
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As the class wound down, the Gryffindors and Slytherins left the dungeon, each with a new book tucked under their arm. Golden Latin letters shone on the red leather cover.

Hermione stayed behind, getting Harry and Ron away by saying she would be out in a minute and that she just had a quick question. The informed her that they would valiantly be standing outside the dungeon door.

She pushed back the curtain and walked into the room that had once held the boggart. Gabr-Professor Lunax had dismissed it quickly after everyone had gotten to go in. No one had seen what his greatest fear was, and many did not have the urge to.

He stood in the center of the room, his back to her, turning around once she was a few feet behind him. In one hand was the sword, which he was currently polishing.

“Do you need something, Ms. Granger?”

In an awkward moment, she said nothing, realizing that she was alone in a room with the man whose eyes had wickedly haunted her thoughts for most of the summer. Only when he raised a dark eyebrow did she answer his question.

Or try to.

“I…uh…Professor!” She flushed a deep red and forced out her answer.

“I…were you the one singing in New York? What were you doing there?”

Later wou would be horrified at how rude she obviously sounded. But now she just had to know. Hermione was trying to be at least a little vague, on the offchance she was wrong.

Please don’t let me be wrong.

Gabriel chuckled and then smiled. “Yes I was, Ms. Granger. I’ve done many things in my lifetime, that was one of the more normal ones. Now I suggest you hurry off before you’re late for dinner.”

She nodded to fast and too much, and left the classroom, half-dazed. She was hit with the worried stares of Harry and Ron.

“’Mione, you okay?” Harry asked, still looking a bit pale from the events that had transpired a little while before.

“Did he hurt you?” Ron said, looking a bit worried, and red with anger and the thought of it.

“No…no! I’m fine. Let’s just go get something to eat.”

Her friends flanked her like bodyguards, and while she said nothing, she realized that Professor Lunax hadn’t answered her second question. She almost screamed as she heard his voice in her head.

“I was singing, Hermione. What were you doing?”

Hermione realized that she had closed her eyes and stopped in the hall. She whispered, “Watching you…” and could somehow see him smile.

“Hermione!?” Her brown eyes snapped open. She realized her breathing was harsh and ragged.

“I’m…I’m okay Harry. Let’s…just go.”

How unnerved she was very obvious and Ron and Harry exchanged a look of worry behind her back.

Little did they now that at that moment, Gabriel was on his knees, sweating and quickly drawing in unnecessary breaths.

Oh, god. He frantically thought. Not again.