Intemptesta Nox (The Dead Of Night)

~ @}~>~~

It was the same dream again. They were dancing to some soft, invisible music. Perhaps dancing wasn’t the right word, as the music flowed around them like water, kissing their skin and lifting them up, it was more like swimming. Her hair was everywhere, standing out from her head like a shining black halo, rippling with every one of their perfectly synchronized movements.

They danced on and on, barely touching except for the occasional brush of hands.

She wore a dress of claret velvet bound with black ribbons lacing up the bodice and down the shoulder of the tight sleeves until they belled out at her elbow. He could not see his own clothes but somehow knew they were old style formalwear, all in black except for a burgundy handkerchief, her favour that she always tucked into his breast pocket at the very beginning when he presented her with a corsage of black and blood-red roses that now adorned her wrist.

She wore no jewelry other then a black velvet ribbon around her throat and her skin glittered in the moonlight. The music stopped and they stood facing each other, neither moving, barely breathing. They were both perfectly still and yet somehow the distance between grew smaller and smaller until their toes were touc, chestsests brushing as they both gulped at the air.

Their lips caressed so gently it might have been imagined before an unassailable wall of lust slammed down on them both and they attacked each others mouths viciously, tongues swirling together, bodies pressed close, teeth nipping teasingly.

Until Thera gasped loudly and pushed him away.

The hand bearing the corsage was clutched at her throat and she brought it out to him slowly with a horrified look. There on her trembling fingers was a spray of crimson. In front of his eyes, unable to move, he watched as thin lines of blood welled out of her previously unblemished, creamy skin.

She turned deathly pale.

The rivulets slowly pooled together, running down the over her chest to disappear down the bodice of her dress, agonizing moments where he was frozen and unable to help her as she sank to the ground. The blood started to run backwards, creeping back out from under her dress to gather in the hollow of her throat. A harsh white light suddenly blocked her from view, and when it had faded, there was a glittering scarlet rose on the ribbon at her neck. Then slowly, she too faded away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry sat bolt upright. That part was new and he didn’t like it in the least. Normally they kissed hungrily for a short while before he woke up uncomfortably hard and escaped to the bathroom before his lazy roommates got up. He peeked out from the heavy drapes surrounding his bed. Pre-dawn light was starting to see through the window. Enough to get dressed and creep down to the common room without breaking his leg. He was surprised to find Hermione sitting in front of the fireplace with a huge book.

[Well, the book part isn’t quite so surprising really]

‘Tsk tsk, student out ed, ed, should I deduct points?’ he teased as he flopped down onto a couch behind her. Hermione almost jumped out of her skin, slamming the book shut and unsuccessfully trying to block his view of it. He reached over her head and snagged it easily.

‘Lycanthropy Through The Ages by Edgar Bloomsdale XII.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Let me guess, restricted section?’ he grinned disarmingly at her, the prickly feeling leftover from his dream forgotten at his best friends embarrassment and obvious discomfort.

‘Shhhh, I’m Head Girl, I have proper access now!’ she seethed indignantly, grabbing at the book and trying to tug it from his Quidditch-callused hands.

‘Of course you do. But I’m sure someone would be interested to know about your choices in reading material.’ He loved teasing Hermione. He could always tell if he was on the right track because she got easily flustered when confronted about things, andhe whe was completely wrong about something their easy bantering was still a lot of fun.

‘I uh… it was mentioned in a DADA book I was reading earlier, I thought I’d check it out as it seemed interesting enough.’ She shuffled her feet slightly, twisting a curl around her finger. Harry laughed at her and handed the book back.

‘Of course it was Miss Granger, I should have guessed.’ He winked and slumped comfortably back on the couch. Hermione put the book well out of reach and sat down next to him.

‘So what are you doing up this early ‘Mione?’ She stuck out her tongue at the use of the hated nickname.

‘Just one of those mornings y’know? I woke up acouple of hours ago feeling like I’d slept for days and was ready for anything. Of course, it was still dark and there was no one around, so I came down here to do some reading. What about you? Normally you’re only up this early for Quidditch finals, and you wake the whole house with you.’

‘Weird dream.’ He shrugged and straightened his glasses. Hermione was looking at him with concern and sympathy, neither of which he appreciated. ‘No, not one of him. Just a weird dream. You know, that imagination, subconscious thing all teenagers have?’

‘Oh, of course.’ She laughed awkwardly.

They sat in silence as people slowly began to drift downstairs. Ron spotted them and pounced enthusiastically. Hermione only just managed to return the book to her room before he was dragging them off early for breakfast because, as usual, he was starving.

~ @}~>~~