A Different Kind of Magic--UNDERGOING EDIT

****WARNING***** *****WARNING******* *****WARNING***** *****WARNING***** ******WARNING*****


Okay folks. I don't want to get a thousand reviews of hate mail if you don't want to read the down, the dirty, the nitty gritty of this story. There are warnings at the beginning of this story for a reason and I will not continue to repeat myself over and over and over. When a chapter comes up with something in it I will post the nature of it at the top. If you continue to read, it is at your own risk. I do not mince words in this story. War and bad guys are ugly. They don't dance around with fairies in their hair and bells on their toes. If I lose some readers so be it. My story is what it is and I will not apologize for it. If you continue to read and have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism for me, that is fine. If you don't like the story and wish to say so, please do, but tell me why. Reasons help writers become better the next time around. Telling me you hate it and not saying why doesn't give me a clue as to why, and if it's because of the dark stuff, all I have to say is you were warned. So, with that out of the way, here is my original explanation of this chapter.


This is an odd chapter. I sincerely wanted to add some levity to the story so I feel compelled to explain. The first chapter introduces two *new* to the story, but very minor characters. They are sent on a search for a part of the Prophecy but honestly have no clue what they are looking for. So they are discussing work practices. I hope that explains the scene (they work for the Ministry).

The second scene is Hogwarts and Minerva is hiding from someone, but not because she is scared. It is just a little insight into a Professor I introduced earlier into the story to give you a small bite of his personality and background.

Hence the title fluff, not fluff, the first two scenes are fluff and the third is a return to the angst with Hermione.

sandlapper: Yes, Hermione was afraid of Rabastan back at Hogwarts, but if you've been reading of her interactions with him since being at the Burrow she has had to converse with him at length and he has shown her an entirely different side of him. He also apologized to her at one point for his actions at Hogwarts and said that his issues did not lie with her, and he should not have taken out his frustrations on her. Yes, there is a purpose to this confusion. I've added some dialogue to the next couple of chapters that should give a clue as to the unraveling of the mystery. It may not seem like it but everyone's fates in the sub-plot will all end up tied together. Yes, it is confusing, but much like Severus Snape and Dumbledore, I aim to keep my audience guessing. I stayed up until 3am last night retooling these three chapters just for your reading pleasure my wonderful readers. Do not be disheartened! All will be revealed......Which brings us to your regularly scheduled story....


Chapter 38- Fluff, Not Fluff


“Tell me again what the hell we’re doing out in the middle of bum fuck Egypt?” Millicent Bulstrode asked her companion.

“I told you. We’re looking for something.”

“Well its cold and my feet are wet. I don’t like it out here.”

“Quit you’re bloody whinging, Milly! Umbridge said if we don’t come back with what she wants she’ll sack us.”

“Damn her. If I would have known working for her was going to involve climbing over cliffs and sitting in the rain for hours with a bunch of sheep for company, I would never have taken her offer. No amount of Galleons can compensate for this misery.”

“You’re just mad you can’t sit in a cozy office and suck your boyfriend’s cock under the desk.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Milly asked innocently.

“Nothing,” her companion replied, “except once someone catches you sucking his cock they’ll make you suck them all.

“Well I do that anyway.”

“Really?”

“Sure, how else do you think I can afford these boots?” She showed off her high-end Italian leather fashion boots. “They
cost six hundred fifty galleons.”

“Holy shite!”

“Yeah, that’s what I said but you know, they are so worth it.”

“Whose cock did you have to suck to afford those?”

“I’m not telling you.”

“But I’m your best friend!”

“You may be my best friend but I don’t want you stealing my cash cow!”

“Suit yourself,” shrugged Daphne Greengrass. “I’ve got my hands in a few deep pockets myself. I just need to loosen their grip a little on the quid.”

“Have you tried sucking cock?”

“Is that all you think about?”

“Pretty much.”

“That’s what I figured.”

“What are we looking for again?”


--

Professor Fishwick was standing at the door to Minerva’s office. He’d been knocking for a full ten minutes. He knew she was in there, avoiding him. “Oh Headmistress McGonagall! It’s me, Colin! I need to talk to you!”

Minerva was, indeed, hiding in her office. The blasted American had spent the better part of the last two days trying to get her opinion on a project he was working on for his mates back in Chicago. He found her Animagus transfiguring ability to be extraordinary. She was not surprised to learn the practice was banned in the States when a bunch of bumbling idiots let some students try it out on their own and ended up stuck in-between the metamorphosis.

He told her that travelling circuses paid good money to put them in side-shows and claim they were freaks of nature.

Many families never knew what happened to their loved ones. Instead of regulating and monitoring the practice appropriately, the American Government had banned it outright. The best and brightest minds from the States couldn’t do some of the simplest things most first-year British Transfiguration Professor’s could do.

She had changed into a cat forty times in the past two days alone. Minerva was tired of his obsession with it and wanted nothing to do with him.

“Just tell him to go away, Minerva.”

“If I speak with him he will know I am in here,” she hissed at Albus’ portrait.

“He already knows you’re in here. He’s not going to leave.”

“Then he can bloody well sleep on the stairs. I am not leaving this room!”

“And you told me I was stubborn.”


--

Hermione’s sobs soaked her pillow, the unending tears causing her entire body to shake uncontrollably. You fucked Rabastan Lestrange you stupid bint! How could you betray Severus like that? The inner monologue railed at her growing dark side as surely as the fresh, pink scars that marked the undersides of her breasts. The worst of it had been her dreams. Instead of longing for and dreaming of the man she wanted, the unwanted image of Rabastan invaded her dreams and took her forcefully against every surface her vapid imagination conjured up, leaving her wet with want when she woke up.

“You’re a stupid, stupid fucking cunt Hermione Granger, and Severus is never going to forgive you!” she railed to herself.

The serpent that slithered about in her mind hissed condescendingly into the weakness that was her lust. ’What he doesn’t know will never hurt him. You need thissss with Lestrange. Take what he offersss you as payment for your sssufferingssss……’

“Leave me alone! I love him and I will never touch that smug arsehole Rabastan ever again!” She angrily threw her pillow across her bedroom, knocking over a vase which shattered into pieces onto the floor like so many shards of her heart. It was insane. What the hell had she been thinking?

A shower was in order. That would clear her mind and set her straight. He had put her under some sort of spell, slipped something to her when she wasn’t looking. There was no way she would have willing gone with that man, would she? Shaking her head as if to rid herself of the self analysis, Hermione stripped and threw herself under the scalding hot spray, scrubbing her skin raw of the sexual release that still lay dried on her inner thighs.

Skin beet red from the wash and hot water, she stepped into the steam and breathed deeply. At last her head was clearing. Her resolve set, she vowed to be more careful around the snake the next time he came for her report.

A sudden shout up the stairs had her scrambling as Molly’s voice rang out.

“Hermione! You have a visitor!”

Hermione quickly toweled off from her shower and threw on some jeans and a t-shirt. She rushed down the stairs to see Harry smiling at her from the kitchen.

She was grateful for having had the shower to wash away her tears and humiliation. Resolving to be cheerful, she steeled herself into her usual mask of happiness and greeted one of her best friends with a winning smile. “Hi Harry! How are you doing!”

“Great, thanks! I have some news that might or not be important.”

“Let’s go into the library.”

Harry followed her and sat down next to her. “Well, you know I’ve been mostly doing patrols in Hogsmeade, guarding Gringott’s and generally all the shite jobs, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, a couple of the Ministry’s top Aurors were jumped and sent to St. Mungo’s last week. They’re having a tough time retaining staff these days.”

Hermione wrinkled her nose. “It’s no wonder.”

“Yeah I know. So I got put on a contingency to guard the Minister’s house. The new head of the Auror department seems like a pretty clean-cut guy. I don’t think Umbridge has had a chance to sink her talons into him properly or I’d never have been sent over there. They’ve kept me away from anything official since last fall.”

“That is strange, Harry. What did you see?”

“Well, it might be nothing, but I thought I saw someone that looked like Ferret looking out the window of the Minister’s house.”

“Draco Malfoy?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure you weren’t just seeing things?”

“That’s what I keep asking myself. I wonder if I am just so tightly wound that I’m turning people into rogue Death Eaters. Shacklebolt probably just had guests over and someone popped over to the window to gawk at the security detail.”

“Are you on guard there any more or just today?”

“I’m there all week unless Umbridge gets wind of it. I pity the new guy for the Howler he’ll get if she finds out I’ve been assigned there.”

“Just be careful, Harry.”

“I will. I should say the same for you.”

“I’m fine. What could possibly happen stuck inside a warm house with Molly’s cooking and Hogwarts staff checking on me constantly?”

“Still, you know how it can be, Hermione. The calm before the storm always seems peaceful.”

“Bloody sunshine and roses you are, Harry.”

He gave his best friend a big hug and rose to leave. As Harry walked around the couch, he spied a wand on the floor.

“Hey Hermione, is this your wand?” He looked from the floor to her face curiously.

Oops. She had forgotten about it when she came back from Hogwarts.

“Yes, thank you.” She took it from his hand, avoiding his eyes like the plague.

“What’s it doing on the floor of the library?” Hermione wasn’t acting like herself. He genuinely wanted to know, but didn’t want to press her too much. It wasn’t like her to just leave something so important lying around carelessly.

“I must have dropped it.”

He gave her an odd look but let it go. Stress made everyone act a bit goofy these days.

“Well, I’m off for a Butterbeer with me mates at the Three Broomsticks. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.”

“Okay. Bye Harry!”

“Bye!”

Hermione slumped into the nearest settee when her friend had gone, clutching her wand into her chest as self-doubt crept back into her heart and a low throb echoed from her loins when she stared into the fire. Fresh tears fell from her eyes and she admitted hatefully to herself that she desired that god-awful man that had invaded her life so forcefully.

Oh Severus, where are you?