It Happened One Hallow's Eve

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 3 ~ Searching and Surviving

Wands lit, Severus and Hermione cautiously made their way down the dark corridor. The Potions Master had to stop several times for Hermione to catch up, irritation on his face as he looked at the backpack of books she was carrying.

“Leave the books,” he ordered the witch.

Hermione clutched the strap of her backpack protectively.

“But these are library books, Professor. Madam Pince will be furious if I don’t get them back on time. I can’t leave them,” the witch said, walking forward with the books.

Severus stalked back to Hermione.

“You have worse problems than late library books, Miss Granger. Either you remove the backpack or I will,” he said darkly, his nostrils flared.

Hermione looked up at the Professor. He seemed much bigger in this situation than he did in the classroom, and even more imposing. His black eyes glinted dangerously.

“Fine,” she said, wrenching off the backpack and setting it to the side against the wall. She looked up at the Potions Master, her eyes defiant.

“But I will be coming back for them,” Hermione stately flatly, walking past the wizard in a temper, stomping as she did so. Severus smirked after the witch. She certainly was a spirited young woman. He followed, looking behind them.

They came to a part of the corridor that had barred cells on either side of them. Inside the cells were stone cots and manacles on the walls. Some had stone bowls and cups overturned on the floor. Since they were so far underground there were no windows.

“Cells?” Hermione asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at the restraints on the wall.

“I would suspect subdungeons would have dungeons,” Severus said as if talking to a child. Hermione bristled.

“I know that!” she snapped. “It just seems so barbaric that our school has places like this.”

Severus walked ahead of her and shined his wand into the next cell.

”If you think that barbaric, Miss Granger, look here,” he said silkily.

The wizard watched with interest as Hermione walked up to the cell, shined her wand inside and gasped. On the wall was a skeleton, inverted and manacled to the wall. Strips of cloth hung down its body and the jawbone lay on the floor in front of it.

“Oh my gods. How horrible. They actually kept people down here?” the witch gasped.

Severus arched an eyebrow as he examined the skeleton.

“Obviously they did. For a long, long time,” he replied. The wizard looked behind them again. “Come on, witch. The ghost have probably divined you are down here.”

Hermione quickly caught up to the wizard.

“You seem more concerned about my soul than your own, Professor,” she said as they continued down the cell-lined corridor.

“That is because my soul is already heavily burdened with evil, Miss Granger. It makes no sense to expend energy taking a soul already bound for hell. Not to say they wouldn’t take me, but you would be the one they’d focus on first,” he replied evenly.

“You think you are going to hell, Professor?” Hermione asked him, appalled. “But you do so much selfless work for the Order. Surely that would tip the balance towards ‘good.’”

“Whatever good I do is nullified by the evil I do for the Dark Lord, Miss Granger. In essence, I am the one who keeps him alive to do his evil by the elixir I created for him. His power grew because of me. That is enough to have me hell bound,” the wizard replied. He stopped. There was a door before them.

“Keep your wand at the ready, Miss Granger, and stay close,” Severus whispered.

Wide-eyed, Hermione stood directly behind the wizard, matching him step for step as they approached the door. Cautiously, Severus tried the handle. It clicked and the door opened. They walked through.

Torches flared up and Hermione stared around the room, horrified.

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The Bloody Baron and an entourage of about thirty ghosts bobbed in the main cavern of the subdungeons, staring at the several archways.

“She is here with the Head of Slytherin House,” the Baron said in a hollow voice. “I can feel his evil signature. But I do not know which passage they took. We must split up. Nick and Gray Lady, you are with me.”

Slowly the ghosts separated and drifted down the passageways in search of Hermione and the Professor.

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Hermione stared around the room as did Severus.

“Lucius Malfoy would appreciate this,” the Potions Master observed.

The circular stone room was filled with devices of torture. Medieval racks, torture chairs, iron boots, restraining chains, shackle poles, thumb and toe screws, scalds and bridles abounded. In one corner, a jibbet cage complete with victim hung from the ceiling. Another empty one hung opposite.

“Dear gods,” Hermione breathed. “I can’t believe this is at Hogwarts.”

”It was a different time when the subdungeons were utilized. Bands of muggles were killing off witches and wizards with alacrity. More than likely those captured were brought here and tortured for information. There was no veritaserum back then…and Salazar was a very vindictive wizard,” the Potions Master said.

Hermione walked up to a table with several metal instruments on them. She picked up a strangely shaped object. It was long, bulbous on the end with spikes all around it, and a screw nut on the end. She looked at it curiously.

“I wonder what this was used for?” Hermione asked.

Severus walked up beside her. Hermione turned the screw and the thing popped open like a peeled banana, a sharp stained pole thrusting out of the front of it about six inches.

“That particular device was inserted into a woman’s vagina closed, then the screw twisted,” the Potions Master said, looking at Hermione soberly.

The witch dropped the instrument, shuddering.

“Let’s get out of here,” Hermione said, walking toward the door quickly.

Severus looked around the room, silently swearing to himself. Most likely they would be running into ghosts on the way back. Hermione would have to stay close and behind him. The Potions Master tried to remember just how many ghosts were at Hogwarts, but couldn’t. He knew there were a few headless ones on horses, the House ghosts and Professor Binns…but there had to be more. Nearly Headless Nick’s Deathday parties always had a good turnout.

“Miss Granger, wait for me,” he called as Hermione walked out the door. The witch stopped and the wizard walked past her quickly.

“Come along,” he hissed at her, his wand drawn and black eyes shifting from wall to wall. “Be prepared to apparate with me. More than likely the ghosts have tracked us…meaning you, to the subdungeons and are searching for us.”

Hermione walked so close to the Professor, she stepped on his robes several times. Finally in exasperation, Severus removed his robes, dropping them on the stone floor. Hermione stared at him.

This was the first time the witch had ever seen the Potions Master out of his everyday garb. The wizard was tall, but lean with rather wide shoulders and a slender waist. He was heavier than she imagined. He was dressed in a collared white silk shirt with buttoned cuffs, nice-fitting black trousers and a black belt with a Slytherin crest buckle. When he turned around, Hermione was surprised to see the wizard had a nice ass, tight and athletic.

The witch blushed just as Severus looked back at her. He arched an eyebrow at her red face.

“What is wrong with you, witch?” he asked her, his black eyes resting on Hermione curiously.

“Um…nothing. I was just thinking of…something,” she said lamely.

“You’d better be thinking about surviving,” he growled, catching hold of her hand. “Stay close.”

Hermione followed the wizard, very aware of the warm roughness of his slender, sinewed hand in her own. She wondered what it would feel like to have that hand caress her cheek…or any part of her. She felt a lurch in her belly. The idea of the cold, dark wizard touching her intimately was doing very naughty things to her body.

“Damn it, Hermione…get a hold of yourself. You are in a deadly situation and all you can think about is your Professor feeling you up,” she thought to herself. She felt Severus’ hand tighten around hers and blushed as he led her up the corridor.

The tightening had been reactionary. After he saw the blush, Severus slipped into the witch’s mind to see what in the world she could be thinking about that would cause her to blush in such a life-threatening situation. He had to fight looking surprised when he caught her “nice ass” comment. It was when he saw her imagining him smoothing her cheek and caressing her breasts that his hand suddenly tightened around hers.

So the witch was attracted to him…carnally. It was true he had his own attraction to the witch…it was decidedly sexual, but intellectual as well. She was brilliant, and he found that alluring. That mind of hers was going to do great things and the wizard found he would like to be a part of that. There was the problem of the Dark Lord however, but Severus was sure he could get the despot to accept him engaging the witch, particularly if he said it was to corrupt her. Voldemort was all for corruption of the innocent.

Knowing the witch felt an attraction for him made the wizard less anxious concerning the possibility of deflowering her. Hermione Granger was no bit of fluff to stick and run. He had hoped that after she graduated, she would consent to his courting her. The seduction would have been slow and gradual. He would have taken his time.

But if he had to deflower Hermione tonight, there could be no time. Only haste and apologies. He didn’t even know if they would have any further contact than the initial penetration. He might not even be able to complete the act because of the ghosts. It would be decidedly unfair for the witch to have her first time to simply be a painful thrust and filling with no completion. And it would be terrible for him as well, to have the witch he desired in such an intimate situation and be unable to show her how good a lover he was. To leave her frustrated and unfulfilled.

Severus scowled as he led the witch, aware of how small, warm and soft her hand was in his. The wizard felt a little throb in his nether regions.

“Don’t you dare,” he mentally growled at his organ. “I need to think about surviving, not fucking.”

But he couldn’t help thinking about fucking Hermione, simply because most likely he would have to do it before the sun came up.

They were past the cells now and heading back toward the main cavern. Suddenly Severus stopped and pressed against the wall, jerking Hermione back with him.

“What?” the witch asked.

“Be quiet!” Severus hissed at her, listening intently. Yes, he heard it. The sound of ghostly voices.

Three ghosts were headed down the corridor. One was a pale, coiffed Frenchman, the next seemed to be some kind of barbarian. He carried a huge hammer-like weapon, and the next was a dwarf. Severus had never seen these ghosts before.

Suddenly the ghosts appeared to stiffen, then let out a howl and began flying down the dungeons at a great speed.

“Shit, they’ve found us…come on!” Severus said to Hermione, dragging her down the corridor, the screaming ghosts in hot pursuit. In the other corridors, the rest of the search party heard them and floated through the walls toward their cries.

“Hurry,” hissed the Baron to Nick and the Gray Lady.

“Be prepared to stop suddenly,” Severus said to Hermione, disapparating mid-stride.

The ghosts coasted to a stop, letting out howls of frustration as the Bloody Baron and the other ghosts appeared, quickly drifting towards them.

“What happened?” the Bloody Baron demanded, “Why is the witch not here?”

“They gone,” the barbarian grunted. “Thunder and poof!”

The Baron’s face contorted hideously.

“They can apparate inside of Hogwarts. Damn it! We will be chasing them all night. But they do tire. If we can keep them moving eventually they will become too tired to continue to run. Then we will have the pure soul we crave,” the Baron said.

The rest of the ghosts howled agreement. It seemed like a good plan. The Bloody Baron was used to giving orders of this nature. He had his own small army to protect his land when he was alive.

“We need to gather and discuss this,” the Bloody Baron said. “For now, forget the pursuit and gather all the ghosts in the Great Hall. We have to position ourselves all about the castle, covering as much of it as possible. When the mortals apparate, some of us should be nearby to take up the chase. Go and collect everyone.”

The ghosts all departed.

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Hermione and Severus reappeared in the Astronomy Tower. The windows were completely sealed by the ecto-covering. Severus lit his wand, then the torches. Since Professor Sinistra used this area for star-gazing, the torches were not self-lighting and had to be manually ignited. Hermione wrapped her robes around herself and shivered a bit.

“This is the furthest point from the subdungeons. It will take a while for them to find us,” the wizard said, looking at Hermione. “We have to get back to the subdungeons and try to find the circle.”

Hermione looked at the Professor for a moment. It felt strange to be here alone with him. She had butterflies in her stomach at the thought of him possibly deflowering her. She would prefer the dark wizard to be her first rather than someone her own age. He probably knew quite a bit about sex, plus he was intelligent and courageous. A wizard of worth despite the darkness he was surrounded with.

Hermione was more than ready to lose her virginity. She had been having sexual feelings for more than a year and a half. But the witch was socially awkward due to staying to herself so much. Ron and Harry didn’t count as social acquaintances. They were more like irritating brothers and would fart and burp in front of her with no hesitance. No, they were definitely not poster boys for the social grace

Besides, she didn’t do small talk well. A conversation had to have some real meat and challenge to it for her to engage in it. Even if she had found some fellow student sexually appealing, she wouldn’t have known how to go from “Nice weather we’re having” to “Let’s shag.” Actually, Hermione was of the mind it would be better to get right to it than go through all the ritualistic courting and small talk. She knew instinctively love wasn’t necessary to have sex. A wet pussy and a stiff cock were the only necessary elements. And a private place to do it.

“Miss Granger, are you listening to me?” the Potions Master asked as he looked at the witch. She had quite a faraway look in her eyes. “I said we need to find the circle. Put that mind of yours to work, witch.”

Hermione started.

“Oh. I’m sorry Professor…I just…well…never mind,” the witch said, looking thoughtful, her eyes starting to shift back and forth the way they did when she was thinking about several possibilities.”

After a couple of minutes, she smiled.

“Professor, we need to go to the library. There are original blueprints of the castle there. Hogwarts has changed over the years, but judging by the condition of the subdungeon’s main cavern, the changes didn’t occur on that level, otherwise there wouldn’t be broken bits of foundation lying about. The location of the circle should be on those blueprints,” she said.

“Excellent idea, Miss Granger,” the wizard said, eyeing the witch appreciatively for a moment before resuming his normal expression of soberness. “First we must wait for the ghosts to arrive here.”

Suddenly there was a small rumble. Severus looked at Hermione.

“Was that you?” he asked.

Hermione nodded.

“I haven’t eaten since lunch,” she replied.

That wasn’t good. Without food, the witch wouldn’t have the energy to make it through the night. Severus took her hand. Hermione looked up at him, her heart beginning to pound at his contact. The wizard felt his trousers tighten at the look in her eyes. The witch was attracted to him…it was as clear as if stamped in her forehead. But there hadn’t been enough ghostly activity to justify taking her.

“Come. We will apparate to the kitchens and retrieve some food, then return here,” he said, disapparating with her.

They appeared in the kitchens. As the Potions Master quickly gathered food and drink from the coolers and put them in a basket he found on one of the counters, Hermione said, “Professor, shouldn’t we place a silencing spell on ourselves when we apparate? The ghosts can hear the thunder.”

Severus shook his head as he placed some cold fried chicken in the basket.

“No. Because we wouldn’t be able to hear either. We might apparate into an area where they are close by and not be able to hear their howls before removing the spell. They move quickly when we are near,” he replied, tossing in some utensils and napkins before closing the basket and taking the witch’s hand.

They disapparated back to the astronomy tower.

The main hall was filled with about one hundred and twenty ghosts, all drifting toward the Great Hall. The Bloody Baron floated above the dais and waited as the ghosts took seats at the table. Several mounted and headless ghosts trotted through the main doors, their horses rearing and snorting flame before settling down quietly, their red eyes fixed on the Baron.

“Fellow ghosts. As you are aware, there are two mortals in the castle. We have been sealed in and so are unable to rampage through the countryside. We are bound to collect souls tonight in the name of evil and so our focus is on taking the souls available. I do not know the name of the witch…”

“Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of the age,” Headless Nick called out.

The Baron glowered at the ghost, who settled back on the bench looking contrite.

“All right, Hermione Granger is our main focus. She is a pure soul and a great prize. However she is with a wizard whose soul is already steeped in evil. He means next to nothing to us…since evil will take him anyway. It is the witch we are focused on. However, the wizard can apparently apparate inside the walls of Hogwarts…something no one is supposed to be able to do. He is using this ability to keep the witch away from us. Rather than pursue them from area to area, we will be putting each of you at a post within the castle, two to a post. That means there will be sixty positions taken up. We should be able to keep them running until they tire…then we will retrieve the witch’s soul in the name of evil. Are there any questions? No? Good. Now, those ghosts at the first table, come up and receive your instructions…”

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In the astronomy tower, Severus and Hermione quietly ate their food, each lost in their own thoughts about the other, Hermione wondering just what would have to actually occur for the wizard to deflower her. Maybe she could help it along.

Severus, on the other hand, was almost hoping that he wouldn’t have to deflower the witch in this way. It would most likely be hurried and unfulfilling for both of them. He would prefer to have the time to fuck the witch fully, believing that if she didn’t have a pleasant experience he would have no chance at her in the future. If he were good, she would want to experience him again.

Suddenly something began to form in the center of the room. Both Severus and Hermione drew their wands, ready to blast.

“Wait! Wait! Don’t blast me!” a familiar voice cried out. “I’m not a ghostie!”

Hermione and Severus stared as the form solidified.

It was Peeves.

And he looked terrified.

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A/N: Well, a bit of dodging about in this chapter, as well as a few thoughts about Hermione’s deflowering on both sides. The Bloody Baron is quite shrewd. It’s ironic that they are being pursued by ghosts being led by the resident ghost of Slytherin. Now Peeves shows up. Interesting. Lol at Hermione thinking about helping along her deflowerment. Naughty little witch. Sorry about the time it took to post this. Feeling lousy because I am out of meds and my Medicaid has been stopped so there’s no co-pay. Sigh. I just have to recertify but have to wait until Wednesday. It should be reactivated the same day, so I just have to hang in there. I will. Anyway please review.