Be Careful in the Dark

Hermione sat down on her couch and tilted her head back to rest on the plush arm. She draped a cold cloth across her eyes and sighed. With a mrrow, Crookshanks jumped on her chest.

“Ugh. Be careful beast. Those are my breasts.” Crookshanks huffed at her and circled several times, just to prove he was a cat and he would be careful when he damn well felt like it. At last, he spread across her lap and immobilized her entire right arm. He squeezed his eyes at her as she scratched his chin. He liked it best when he could sit on at least one hand.

She was due to work out with Rastilan and Frothy this evening so they could beat the crap out of her. All the traveling and spy shit had eaten her time and the last decent work out she’d had was weeks ago. Tonight was going to suck.

Most of the day had been spent in her lab, beating her head against the impossible problems she had set out to solve. The problems were just too big. She knew it was arrogant to think that she alone could come up with an anti-Unforgivable charm, potion, or spell, but she was damned if she didn’t want to pull a miracle out of her hat before her new “partner” stuck his nose in. Somehow, she knew there was some kind of connection between the Unforgivables. The horcruxes played a role in this too. There was a linchpin somewhere, some way these Dark Magics connected that, if she could figure out, would produce the answer she was looking for.

It seemed like she just knew a lot of stuff lately. It was starting to creep her out. She frowned as she thought.

There would be no rest for tomorrow, either. She was outing Shadow to Harry tomorrow. Her stomach twisted into knots. She had no real way to guess what his reaction to her alter-ego would be. Hermione was also terrified he would take one look at Shadow and know who she really was. Maybe you should tell Harry, just lay the whole thing on the table. Her anxiety spiked and pressed her hand on the cool cloth, trying to settle herself down. No. No. Harry had enough on his plate and so did she. If they both lived, they could deal with that secret later.

Yeah, it was going to be a real humdinger of a day.

Her proximity charms rang throughout the apartment. She sighed. Here’s hoping it’s a lost delivery guy.

Hermione tapped her wand to the door. As it became transparent, she saw a short brunette with wide-set green eyes and a serious set of curves standing on her doorstep. Hermione sighed and rested her head against the door. Why was Pansy P… Rachel Anderson on her doorstep?

Hermione opened the door and tried not to glare. “Yes?”

Pansy gave her a big grin and said, “Hi, I’m Rachel! We met the other day… at some place or another. I brought you some cookies!” She held her empty hands together as if she had a plate.

Hermione just stared at her. Pansy’s grin melted off her face and a irritated, sulky expression appeared in its place. “Don’t just stare at me, Granger. Let me in.”

Hermione stepped back and let the door swing open. Pansy stepped through and closed the door behind her.

“Something wrong, Rachel?” Hermione asked.

Pansy shrugged. She walked over to Hermione’s table and began flipping through her mail.

“How did you find this place? I upgraded my security since your last visit.” Hermione asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Pansy smirked and shrugged, “I have my ways.”

Hermione’s eyebrows snapped together and she frowned at Pansy. The silence stretched out until Pansy made an irritated noise.

“Merlin’s balls, Granger. I followed that hairy little beast.” She pointed across the room at Crookshanks. He had one leg in the air and was licking his butt enthusiastically. When Pansy called him a beast, he looked up to growl and then went back to his grooming.

Hermione stared at her cat for a couple of seconds, considering how she might be able to address that weak point in her security. After coming up with a couple possibilities, she turned her attention back to her unwanted guest.

“What are you doing here… Rachel.” Hermione dragged out the other woman’s new name. Pansy stuck her tongue out at Hermione.

“Stop calling me that.” Pansy sat down in one of the chairs.

“It’s your name.” Hermione replied. She stepped into her bedroom and started packing her gym bag. Pansy followed her.

“This isn’t working out the way I was expecting.” Pansy said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“Welcome to the real world.” Hermione replied.

“I feel like I’m going into sugar shock hanging around these people. Everyone’s so…” Pansy pranced around for a moment with a big, vapid smile on her face. Then she frowned.
“Yech.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course Pansy would be miserable because everyone was too nice. “You don’t have to be nice, Rachel. We gave you a rich bitch cover. Spoiled American rich girl gets cut off from her family when she decides she wants to be a medi-witch. That gives you some room to be yourself.” Hermione finished packing and zipped the bag shut.

“And that’s another thing! I’m not a bitch and I’m not spoiled! And my wand,” Pansy pulled hers out, “it’s not working properly. I made a complete fool of myself in class the other day and everyone laughed at me!” Pansy waved the wand around as spoke.

“Christ, put that away!” Hermione flinched involuntarily at Pansy’s wand pointed at her momentarily.

Pansy glared at Hermione and put her wand away. She walked the two steps across the room and sprawled out on the bed.

“Rachel, are you lonely?” Hermione asked, staring at her.

Pansy sat up and said, with an eye roll, “Don’t be stupid.” But she kept her eyes on the floor as she said it.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her face. Stupid, bloody Pansy Parkinson. “Your wand probably isn’t working because you’ve made a transformative learning moment… you’re a different person than you were when you bought that wand. You’ll have to get a new one.”

“A new…” Pansy spluttered. “This wand was a gift from my grandmother. It probably cost more than everything you own. I won’t!” Pansy stood, stomping a little as she walked to the doorway.

“Give it a rest, would you? If you don’t want to get a new wand, don’t. You’re a grown up now.” Hermione finished packing her bag and zipped it shut with a flourish. “But if that’s the case, I don’t want to hear you whine about it.”

Pansy was looking at her, mouth pursed and head tilted back. She ignored Hermione’s statement, asking, “Where are you going?”

“To work out. So… shoo.” Hermione made waving motions towards the door with her hands.

“Work out? Like run in circles and get sweaty?” Pansy giggled while she said it. “I’ve heard muggles do that.”

“Yes, exactly. It’s a muggle thing.” Hermione walked towards the door but Pansy remained in the doorway.

“I want to come.” Pansy was smirking. “I want to see Hermione Granger ‘working out’.” Pansy made small rabbit motions with her fingers around the words working out.

“No.” Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. If Parkinson didn’t move, she was going to get her ass kicked.

“C’mon Granger, don’t be like that. I won’t make fun of you. I promise.” Pansy was grinning nastily as she said it.

“If you want to come, you have to work out too.” Hermione said with a nasty smile of her own.

“Done!” Pansy said.

“Done? Really?” Hermione replied. Never in a million years would she have thought Pansy Parkinson would agree to workout.

“I’m bored Granger. Booooored! As long as no one talks about knitting or baking cakes, this will be fun.” Pansy had a smirk plastered on her face and an eager look in her eye.

Hermione sighed. “Okay Pansy, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

Pansy shrugged again. “Can’t be worse than the those nitwits who call themselves medi-witches-in-training.”

XX

Hermione walked into the gym and spotted Rastilan and Frothy sparring. Pansy stopped dead in her tracks.

“Granger, that does not look like running in circles. I am not going to punch people like some sort of barbarian.” Pansy folded her arms across her chest and stuck her chin out, looking mulish.

Hermione rolled her eyes. “So don’t. We’ll find a way to keep you busy, don’t you worry.”

Rastilan and Frothy had stopped their work out, turning to face the two women. Both men were staring at Pansy, Rastilan with a frown and Frothy with a grin.

“Didn’t realize this was a free for all, Granger.” Rastilan said, turning his eyes from Pansy to glare at Hermione.

Frothy punched his partner in the shoulder, saying, “don’t be a tosser!” His grin got bigger as he looked at Hermione, “whose your friend, mate?”

Pansy giggled and Hermione sighed. “This is Rachel. She’s a childhood friend of mine. She moved her recently for medi-witch training. Rachel, this is Rastilan and…”

Frothy stepped forward and held out a hand. “Atreullu Aberfroth, at your service.” Pansy breathed a soft hello and placed her hand on his. Frothy bowed over her hand and smiled at her. “Let me show you around our humble training space.”

As Frothy led Pansy away, Hermione asked Rastilan quietly, “how are things at the Ministry?” Her eyes flicked to Pansy briefly, making it clear that she didn’t think it was safe to speak freely.

“Shitty.” Rastilan replied.

Hermione nodded. “How are the renovations going? Have they figured out what was missing?”

Rastilan shook his head. Then he leaned forward, tilting his body away from Pansy, and drew a finger down the scar on his face. “Some old friends dropped by though.”

Hermione licked the front of her teeth, keeping her mouth closed. Miranda, ex-auror, Rasti’s ex-partner and ex-lover, and now a Death Eater. “Fucking fabulous.”

Rasitlan gave her a feral grin. “You ready for an ass-kicking, Granger?”

“I was hoping Frothy could go over some wand defense techniques with me.” Hermione replied, stretching her right quadriceps as she spoke.

Rastilan looked over her shoulder; Hermione leaned to one side so she could see as well. Aberfroth was standing behind Pansy, one hand on her hip and the other wrapped around her fist. He was showing her the proper position for her body for a jab. Pansy was giggling a little bit and Aberfroth had a goofy smile on his face.

“Seriously? She’s only been here five minutes.” Hermione grumbled.

“Sorry, princess. Once Frothy gets his mind set on something, he can be hard to distract. I’m afraid you’re stuck with stringy old me.” Rastilan held his arms on and gestured downwards with his finger tips.

“Don’t be an ass, Rasti. You’re not old.” Hermione grinned as she said it.

Rastilan barked a laugh. “You are going to regret being out of practice.” He lunged forward, doing an improbable twist through the air and landing at her feet. Before Hermione could say anything, he had locked his body up around her leg and slammed her to the ground. Her breath whooshed out.

They both scrambled, but Rastilan was warmed up and fast as hell. He was on top of her, one leg on either side of her chest before she could do anything. He rained punched down on her and Hermione tucked her hands into her forearms and tried to think. She waited, timing her motions, until she could snap a fist out and slam it into his solar plexus. He made a wheezing sound and she took his moment of shock to drive her hips up and knock him forward.

His jerked down, facing the mat, and she wrapped her left arm around his throat, trying to get a hold of her left wrist with her right hand so she could choke the hell out of him. They scrabbled for a few minutes, neither able to get a good hold on the other. Hermione finally got him off of her, scuttling backwards until she could jump to her feet.

Rasti surged up off the floor, teeth bared. He was in a serious snit tonight. Hermione had never seen him like this, not even when he lost his temper in the practical component of her Defense Against the Dark Arts NEWT.

Her eyes flickered momentarily to one side. Pansy and Aberfroth had stopped what they were doing and walked closer to watch. Pansy had one hand over her mouth. Rastilan also rolled to his feet, stepping closer to her carefully. His eyes flickered over to their audience as well, his attention remaining on Pansy for almost an entire second.

Hermione kicked him in the head, her shin catching him across one side of his skull, and knocked him to the floor. Hermione followed behind him, kicking him once in the ribs before pinning his body to the floor with her chest. She held her legs rigid out behind her.

“Eyes on the prize, Rasti.” Hermione mocked him as she pressed her forearm across his face, trying once again to choke him.

Rasti snarled and bucked his hips, once, twice. On the third buck, he muttered a spell under his breath and Hermione was blown forward, rolling and tumbling until she jerked to a stop, a few feet back. Rastilan surged to his feet.

“What’s your problem?” Hermione said, wiping her mouth free of blood.

“I never said this was a strictly physical fight. Let’s see what you’ve got, Granger.” Rastilan seemed enraged, his face red with anger and his breathing labored.

Hermione lifted her eyebrows and cursed herself for not keeping her wand on her. Whatever Rastilan’s problem was, she was stupid not to have her wand at the ready whenever she was around him. Holding one hand up, she muttered “incendio” under her breath. Rasti robes and part of the ground around him caught fire.

Rastilan motioned around him and fires snuffed out. “That’s it? Bloody pathetic, little girl.”

Hermione hissed at him and rolled to her feet. Rastilan just grinned and pulled his wand out. “Confundio!” He barked. Hermione dodged to one side, the jinx just missing her. She skipped backwards, trying to get a little space between her and Rasti.

She muttered glisseo under her breath, twisting her hands to complete the spell. The floor under Rastilan’s feet turned slicked and he tumbled onto his ass. Hermione stepped forward to press her advantage, but he had already muttered a counter spell.

Hermione found herself face down on the mat, head spinning, with no clear memory of how she’d ended up there. He had followed behind her closely, positioning himself behind her. She wriggled, trying to keep him from getting his feet locked into her hips and his arm tight across her throat. Hermione sought for one coherent though through the roaring of her ears. Finally, she brought her elbow back sharply, once, twice… on the third one she thought a spell and suddenly the thrust of her elbow was immensely powerful. Rastilan was knocked backwards, giving Hermione a chance to escape.

Scrambling to her feet, she quickly wiping the blood out of her eyes. She could feel blood dripping down her face and neck from Rasitlan’s earlier punches. Before she could even clear the blood away, he was on her. She got her hands up in time, blocking several vicious punches before his knee snapped up and into her kidney. Hermione made a strangled noise as pain shot through her body.

After he drove his knee into her body several more times and then forced his arms around her neck, digging his forearms into her clavicle. Using his moment, he pivoted, dragging her in a half-arc around him. When he released her, she stumbled and he drove forward, kicking her until her left leg gave out underneath her. Hermione tumbled to the ground, her mind a blank white space of fear.

Rasti stood over her, forming a sharp blade of air around his wand. He lifted his hands over his head as if he were going to drive the blade into her body.

“Enough!” Pansy shrieked and a blast of hot air knocked Rastilan to one side. He stood quickly, glaring at her. Pansy held her wand out, “don’t you even think about it, you creep! Now back off!”

Rastilan glanced at Frothy and then grudgingly held his hands up and took a couple steps back.

Pansy came over to look at Hermione’s injuries, glaring at Rastilan as she did so. Hermione looked up at her in surprised, both for Pansy’s assistance and for her defensive posture.

“What the hell kind of ‘workout’ is this?” Pansy demanded, efficiently checking Hermione for broken bones.

“The kind that works.” Rastilan growled back.

“Uh,” Aberfroth said, looking back and forth between Rastilan and Pansy, “we don’t usually go this rough. Do we Rasti?” Aberfroth glared as he said this last part.

Rastilan just shrugged.

Pansy was casting basic healing spells on the worst of Hermione’s injuries. After a couple of minutes, Hermione waved her away. Pansy ignored her until she established that Hermione was alright. Then, Pansy helped her to her feet.

“It’s okay, Rachel. Really.” Hermione said as she shook Pansy’s arm off of her. “Thanks, though,” she added as Pansy’s face fell. Pansy nodded and walked away.

Hermione looked over at Rasti and caught him staring at Pansy again. She leaned over, turning her back to Pansy so the other woman wouldn’t be able to see her mouth and said, “good going, genius. You scared her.”

Rastilan looked back and gives her a ghost of a smile. “Good.”

Hermione stared at him and then whistled, shaking her head. “Miranda really did a number on you.”

Rastilan exhaled so sharply that his breath whistled through his teeth. “People don’t attack you when it’s convenient. So you go play games if you want,” he waved a hand in Frothy’s direction, “but I’ll tell you right now, you’re not ready.” They glared at each other for a moment and then he added, face still drawn in an expression of rage. “We’re not ready.”

Hermione snorted and limped forward until she was less than a foot from Rastilan. She could see Pansy and Frothy shooting them worried looks. In a low voice, she hissed at him, “It is not my problem if seeing your ex-honey has got your britches in a twist. Frankly, I have more important fish to fry, so Roland Rastilan, fucking handle your business.” Hermione shouted this last part, barely managing to stop herself from slugging him in the face.

Rastilan’s face went white and then red. He made an incoherent sound of rage, turned on his heel, and stormed out of the room.

Hermione limped over to Aberfroth and Pansying, “well, now that he and I have gotten that straightened out, why don’t we work on some defensive wand techniques.”