Lioness

Title: Lioness
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Hermione/OFC
Summary: During the search for her school supplies, Hermione hears screams and when she runs towards them, finds the victim of a rape collapsed onto the cobblestones. When she learns that the girl is a new transfer student to Hogwarts, Hermione also learns that the girl’s rapist wore Slytherin robes. But this stranger is not what she seems, and with a surgical precision, will tear through Hermione’s heart and shock everything she stands for.

Chapter One: A Serpent’s Strike

“Every wolf’s and lion\'s howl / Raises from Hell a human soul.\"
-William Blake quotes

Hermione’s shoes hit the pavement of Diagon Alley in a constant patter as she walked from Madame Malkin’s, her face buried in a book. Despite the fact that her attention seemed elsewhere, she gracefully glided through the crowds without bothering to look up. Hermione bit her lip in frustration. She had looked for Harry and Ron for over an hour, and after failing in her search, had decided to start her shopping without them. In her perspective, it was actually easier without them behind her, complaining of boredom or talking about Quidditch. She loved them but they could be such…well, boys sometimes.

A high-pitched noise caught her attention and she suddenly stopped, knocking into a wizard who growled at her, baring his rotten teeth. Hermione apologized and shuddered in disgust. Then a scream rang out from a small alley to her left. She looked around and saw no one had reacted. In dismay, she realized that she had wandered into Knockturn Alley while in the depths of her new book. “Stop! Gods, get off me!” Hermione heard a loud noise that sounded like a slap from the same alley and ran down it, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

A girl with dirty blonde hair was being forced against the grimy stone wall of the alley by someone in dark robes. The hood was up, so she couldn’t tell if the stranger was male or female. Whoever it was, they had ripped the girl’s pants and underwear down to her ankles and had her hands tied behind her back with a rough rope. What Hermione assumed was the girl’s wand had fallen a few inches away from her foot. She saw the stranger’s hand slide between the girl’s thighs and whipped out her wand and cried out, “Impedimenta!”

The dark-robed stranger ran the second they heard her start the incantation and her spell only singed the mysterious figure’s robes. There was a ‘crack’ as the stranger Apparated out of the alley. “Shit.” Hermione muttered, and rushed over to the girl who had collapsed, gritting her teeth as tears fell down her grime-covered face. “Are you okay?” It was obvious that the girl wasn’t, but she asked nonetheless.

“Just get these fucking ropes off of me, please.” The please seemed thrown in as an afterthought, but Hermione pulled at the ropes trying to loosen them. “In my pocket,” the girl muttered, “I have a knife.” Then she whispered, “Like it did me any fucking good in the first place.”

Hermione nodded, and searched through the torn jeans until she found a Muggle Swiss Army knife. Pulling out the biggest blade, she sawed through the ropes for a minute before they snapped. The girl instantly stood up and pulled the remnants of her jeans and underwear up her hips. She swore when her hands shook furiously as she tried to pull up the zipper.

“Let me help.” Hermione said softly. “No, I can do it.” The girl said stubbornly and pulled up the zipper, not bothering to mess with the button as she pulled the black t-shirt she was wearing down. Hermione smiled a little as she saw the words, “I’m only wearing black until they invent something darker” inscribed in white across the fabric. When she was dressed again, she looked at Hermione with a look of pain mixed with gratitude and humiliation.

“Thank you.” She said softly. “My name’s Artemis Lancaster.” With a nod, the other girl replied, “I’m sorry I couldn’t have gotten here sooner.”

“It’s not your fault.” Hermione said, “I know” and gave the girl an once-over to make sure there were no other injuries and noticed some things she hadn’t before. Artemis had dark sapphire eyes, currently blazing with rage and shock and she was muscular, though it was mostly covered by the T-shirt which looked a size too large for her. The girl laughed softly, and Hermione blushed because she had been caught staring. “It’s okay. A lot of people are sort of caught off guard when they see a girl with biceps.”

“I can imagine.” Hermione realized how much dirt was on Artemis’ face and said, “Want me to help you clean that up?” She shook her head, “I don’t think I’ve ever looked better.” Hermione laughed softly, and the girl wiped off her face with her T-shirt, obviously not caring what happened to the thing.

“Do you know who it was that did this to you?” The young Gryffindor spoke softly, feeling a little guilty about bringing up her trauma again. “All I know is that the bastard had a fucking snake on his chest. A green badge or something like it on his robes.” She shivered at the memory and Hermione’s eyes widened. “Slytherin.”

“What?” Artemis raised an eyebrow. “Slithering?” Hermione shook her head. “Slytherin is the name of one of the four houses of students at Hogwarts.” Artemis’ eyes went from almost calm to ice. “Wonderful. I may sit next to my rapist in class and not even fucking know it.”

“I haven’t seen you at school before.” Hermione said, confused. “No,” Artemis shook her head “I’m not a student there yet. I’m transferring from Durmstrang.” Oh, wonderful, Hermione thought, Viktor’s school. Artemis probably knew the boy who had been set to become her boyfriend.

Hermione took a deep breath before asking her next question, “What exactly happened, Artemis?” The girl sighed, and sat down, ignoring the dirt and refuse of the alley. “I was just exploring, I suppose. A friend of mine had helped me buy my supplies a few days before, but I didn’t really get a chance to look around in the rush. So I left my place and started walking. I ended up in Knockturn Alley within a few minutes. Obviously my excellent karma had struck again.” Artemis let out a bitter laugh at that thought.

“A lot of the things in the shops appealed to me, so I didn’t run screaming at the sight of the wizards that hang around here. But I swear they look and smell like lepers.” She sighed, “The next thing I know, there’s a hand around my mouth and I’m being dragged into this alley. Gods, I put up a fight, but he whispered something, a spell, and I couldn’t move. Then he’s got my hands tied back, and rips off my jeans.”

Artemis paused, swallowing before continuing. “Next thing I know, he’s whipped out his prick, which was about the size of a ferret’s, and forces me against the fucking wall. Then…” She shook her head violently. “You get the picture.”

“Yeah.” Hermione’s voice was sort of distant. The only thing she had learned from making Artemis tell her what happened was that whoever attacked her was a man, and she had guessed that already. “I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around Artemis who stiffened for a second before returning the gesture. Then she laughed, and Hermione pulled away before saying “What?”

“You should probably know that I’m bisexual before you hug me.” Artemis’ face colored a little, reddening her pale skin. Hermione smiled. She had learned that summer that Ginny was too, and though she had been uncomfortable with it at first she’d gotten used to it. “It’s alright.” Then the blonde girl swore. “I don’t even know your name, and you probably saved my life.” It was Hermione who blushed then, having forgotten to even introduce herself.

“Hermione Granger.”

Artemis’ sapphire eyes widened at the sound of her name. “By the gods, if I find out you are fucking with me; I swear I’ll hurt you.” Hermione shook her head. “I’m not.” The other girl grinned. “I guess I’ll meet the rest of the Golden Trio at school then, huh?” She nodded. “Yeah.” And as an afterthought, included, “Where are you from? No offense, but it’s pretty obvious you’re not from England.” Or Russia, Hermione thought, which was roughly where Durmstrang was located.

“San Diego, California. Home of way too fucking much sun.” Artemis grumbled, obviously not pleased. “But we just moved to Guangzhou, China so I could go to school at Durmstrang and my sisters could grow up where they were born.”

“Why were they born in China?”

“We adopted them when I was 13. Cute little monsters.” She let out a deep sigh. “I pretty much left all that behind when I transferred here. Got a flat the size of a matchbook, really. But it’s a lot better really.” Artemis reached into the pocket of her shredded jeans and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “You smoke?” Artemis nodded and stuck the cigarette in her mouth, flicking the lighter open. “Been trying to quit for two years.” She took in a deep breath of nicotine and blew out the smoke, thankfully in a direction away from Hermione. “I’m not really to plan on living long anyway, so please don’t try and lecture me about it.”

“Why did you even start?” Hermione asked, thinking that it was sort of sad that Artemis had starting smoking around 15. “It helps with stress. After today, gods, I’ll probably smoke a pack.” Artemis pulled out another cigarette, and offered it. “Want one?”

“Not especially.” Hermione shook her head, knowing that she would never put that poisonous smoke in her lungs. Artemis shrugged and slid it back into the pack which she put in her pocket. Hermione saw a flash of black text on the silver lighter and smiled, wondering what it said. She wouldn’t be surprised if it came with some of the same sarcasm that was on Artemis’ shirt. “Can I see that?”

“Yeah, sure.” Artemis tossed it to her and Hermione caught it in two hands. She flipped it over and read the words inscribed on the lighter out loud. “Live hard, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse.” She laughed and handed it back to the other girl, who was grinding her first cigarette into the cobblestones before lighting another.

“Why don’t you say we get out of this godforsaken alley before I kill you with the cloud of smoke I’m making? Go get a drink or something. Unless you want to go hang with your boyfriends.”

“Boyfriends?” Hermione said with a laugh. “Yeah, Ron and Harry.” Artemis said with a suggestive wink as she pulled her cigarette out of her mouth. “You’re horrible!” The Gryffindor cried out, trying to hide a smile. Despite the language and the smoking, this girl didn’t seem too bad. “Just doing my job, ma’am.” She said in a deep voice, and dusted off her jeans.

“I was supposed to meet them over an hour ago, but I never found them.” Artemis shrugged. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them snogging in a closet somewhere.” Hermione looked scandalized. “Where do you get this stuff from?” The girl chuckled. “The deepest depths of my warped mind.”

“That I guessed.”

The two of them walked out of the alley and Artemis swore. Hermione turned around and realized the girl was limping. She flushed and stubbornly starting walking the same speed Hermione was at, making a point to ignore the pain. “You alright?” The Gryffindor asked, knowing the answer before Artemis said, “Yeah. Let’s go find your friends.”

Hermione nodded and the two of them quickly got out of Knockturn Alley, for it was obvious that they didn’t belong at all. “So are you a Muggleborn?” Hermione asked as they reached Diagon Alley. Artemis shook her head. “I’m a half-blood on my mother’s side.”

The cinnamon-eyed girl looked through the crowds and bit her lip in frustration when Harry and Ron were no where to be seen. “Damn them.” Hermione rolled her eyes. What was she going to do now? Artemis saw her annoyance and said, “Want to go back to my place?”

“Where is it?” They still had some time before Ron’s parents expected her back at the Burrow, so they had time to walk a little bit. “It’s a block or so from the Leaky Cauldron, but I will give you this warning, it’s a pit.”

“You’re just saying that because your room is covered in flowers and pink unicorn wallpaper.” Hermione said with a grin. Artemis tried not to smile back but failed. “Just for that, we’re going and I will prove you wrong. Say that about my room again and I’ll stick my lighter up your ass.”

****

About twenty minutes later the two of them were outside the building where Artemis lived. She pulled a small brass key out of her pocket and unlocked the door to the building. They walked down a small hallway and into an elevator that looked about twenty years old. Artemis pressed the button for the 6th floor and leaned against the back of the car as it rattled to her floor.

Artemis laughed softly. “I told you it’s not much.” She stepped out of the elevator first, holding the door open for the girl still inside. Hermione stepped out and Artemis walked down the hallway until she got to room 607. Using the same key, she opened the door and with a smile and a bow said, “Welcome to my very humble abode, milady.”

She had said it was small, but Hermione didn’t think the place wasn’t too bad. There was a living room attached to the kitchen and a door leading to the bedroom. The kitchen looked rarely used, though there were a few plates soaking in water in the sink. The living room consisted of a black couch and a small TV. Artemis ignored this part of her room and opened the bedroom door.

Her bedroom was a mess, as Artemis had argued before, joking on their way there that it was impossible to see the floor even on a good day. What little of it she saw looked like a light grey carpet, but most of it was covered with clothes. On top of the clothes were haphazard piles of books. Artemis’ bed was in the corner and next to it was a bedside table with an alarm clock and CD player.

Posters completely covered the white walls, but since they didn’t move, Hermione assumed they were Muggle. All of the ones on the ceiling were for what looked like bands, and the Gryffindor picked out names like Disturbed, Nine Inch Nails, and Garbage. All of the posters on the wall to the left of her bed had couples, gay and straight kissing and smiling at each other. The rest looked like art posters, and since the style of all of them was the same, Hermione assumed it was from the same artist.

Artemis crashed on her bed and cracked her knuckles. “Looking at my wall of disturbing art, Hermione?” The girl laughed softly. Hermione did have to agree on the disturbing part to an extent. Almost all of the pictures involved nudity and/or sex, while the rest were red with blood.

“Who did these?” Hermione said, pointing to one that showed a girl kneeling. She was partially covered by a white shift, but one of her breasts were revealed and her back was bare. Strangely there were piercings in the girl’s arms and down her spine. Artemis smiled. “Luis Royo, a god in human form. I have all of his books scattered around here somewhere.”

“It’s…unique.” Hermione said, not sure if she could use another other word and still be polite. Artemis shrugged. “I just like his views on the world. That no love is forbidden, no matter how many people are disgusted by it be it two men together or a demon and a beautiful woman.” The girl leaned over and pressed play on her CD player, skipping about ten songs before stopping. There was guitar music for about ten seconds before a man started singing. Hermione was about to speak but Artemis put a finger to her lips, mouthing that it was ‘her favorite song’.

Cause you are beautiful but your soul is cold and dead
Angelic but a demon fills your head
The heaven that you promised life could be
Was a deadly blended hell and ecstasy

God, you are so beautiful
To diamonds in your eyes

I know you\'re so ugly
I know you\'re so ugly on the inside
I know you\'re so ugly
Beautiful but ugly on the inside (on the inside)

You are beautiful but ice runs through your veins
Slowly draining all my life away
Perfection in a shell devoid of life
Cause you leave a trail of broken dreams behind

Beautiful, you\'re so beautiful
But I know that\'s a lie…

Artemis turned down the volume as the chorus repeated. “Sorry, ” she said, I love the song to death.” Hermione sat down next to her on the bed. “Why?” She asked, curious as to why Artemis would think so. “Let’s just say it reminds me a lot of myself.”*

“Ice runs through your veins?” Hermione said, sounding skeptical. “You would be surprised, Hermione.” That made the other girl shiver but Artemis’ hardened gaze quickly turned to a smile. “Did I scare you?”

That got Artemis a smack on the arm. “Do you look in the mirror and make up these lines to scare people?” The girl laughed. “No, but maybe I should try that. First I have to get a mirror.” Hermione smiled and looked around at all of the posters, particularly the black and white one with two girls kissing in their underwear. “So what do your parents think of your room?”

“Are you kidding?” Artemis raised an eyebrow. “My parents have known of my…” She smiled, “Deviance since I was 13. My mother didn’t even blink when I told her. Turns out she had suspected it already. My dad on the other hand, didn’t have the same opinion.” She shivered. “Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty and leave it at that.”

Artemis quickly changed the subject away from her father, looking very uncomfortable at the thought of talking about him. “Sure you’re comfortable being alone in the room with an open bi girl?” Hermione laughed softly. “What are you going to do, jump me?”

The girl shrugged and smiled wolfishly. “Maybe.” Hermione blushed. “You do realize I’m straight.” Artemis laughed. “Yeah, I heard from Viktor back at school. But do you know how many girls have said that to me and ended up changing their mind?”

“How many?” Hermione asked, rising to the challenge of the question. “Well…” The other girl started counting on her fingers and muttering under her breath. “All of the girls I’ve ever been with, which would be four.” The Gryffindor face’s colored. She had expected one or none. But then she said, “Only four?”

Artemis laughed. “I have no shame, lovely. Don’t try and dent my pride. Yes, four. Three of them were at the same time.” Hermione’s eyes widened. “Not all in one room or anything! Gods, I’m not that talented.” Artemis said, when she realized Hermione’s assumption. “I was just dating them all at once.”

“Why?” Artemis shrugged but Hermione saw tears forming at the corner of her sapphire eyes. “Just because. They didn’t really care. We were young and thought it would all work out.” Hermione whispered, “I suppose it didn’t.” The girl shook her head. “In the end, one of them slit her wrists and died because of it. The other two got together and left me in the dust.”

“I’m sorry.” Hermione said, her voice filled with shock. “It’s not your fault.” Artemis said softly, echoing her words from the alley. She stood up and searching through one of the piles of clothes before pulling out a plain dark blue shirt and opening the door to the bathroom. Artemis shut it and came out in the new shirt, tossing the other one to the floor. “Sorry.” The girl said, “I just had to get out of that thing. I’m probably going to burn it, or I’ll be reminded of what happened the day I wore it.”

She sat back on the bed, looking at Hermione. “Interesting way to meet a person, don’t you think?” Artemis said bitterly. “Yeah, I guess.” Hermione replied, smiling gently in an attempt to lighten the mood. Their gazes were locked, sapphire with amber, and both of them were silent, only strains of music kept the room from pure quiet. Hermione felt her smile fade and muscles tense as if expecting an attack.

Artemis leaned forward and stopped only when her lips were a few centimeters away from Hermione’s. With a cool fire in her eyes, Artemis kissed the other girl deeply, and in surprise, the Gryffindor stiffened before opening her mouth to receive the other girl’s tongue. Artemis lightly bit Hermione’s lip before pulling away, with a satisfied smile on her face.

“Wh-” Hermione started, when she found her voice. Her entire face was a deep red. “I’m sorry, lovely,” Artemis whispered, “I just couldn’t resist those lips. Curse me later if you want to.”

“I…” Hermione swallowed, the bittersweet taste of Artemis still on her tongue. It was a mix between cherries and cigarette smoke. Finally she said, “I don’t think I’ll curse you.” She had kissed Ron a few times before and even another girl when she had been dragged into Spin the Bottle last year, but it had been nothing like that. It was obvious Artemis had a lot of experience.

“My question is, do you want more?” Artemis purred deep in her throat, an animalistic sound that made Hermione shudder. She nodded almost invisibly, not sure what she was getting herself into.

“Good.” Artemis claimed the girl’s lips once more, entwining fingers in her long hair.

--------------------------------------------

*A/N: The song is a mirror of Artemis, and for some reason she just warned Hermione of that. You’ll learn why later. Yay for foreshadowing! Lyrics are by The Dreaming. Sorry for the cliffhanger…heh. Please review.