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House of Shadow
Working in the Department of Mysteries wasn’t Hermione’s first career choice, having originally wanted to make a change for underrepresented magical creatures but life had a funny way of throwing her into situations she had never dreamed of. Always had it seemed.
Planning on attending a prestigious private girls secondary school? No, you’re a witch and going to a school you can’t even talk about.
Deciding this is where you must belong and will finally have scads of friends? Think again, it will take almost dying for two rather obtuse boys to even notice you.
Wanting to focus on your schoolwork? Keeping your best friend alive is more important.
Going to be Head Girl? Ha, you’re on the run that year and it just wouldn’t be fair to let an “eighth year” have the position over the hard working seventh years.
And so, true to form, Hermione found herself working in the department of mysteries even though she did not want to apply but decided to be happy the ministry was willing to squeeze in the muggleborn best friend of the boy who lived.
She sighed, glancing at the desk calendar Harry had handed her this morning- an upwrapped birthday gift. It was sweet of him to remember, albeit a day late. So what if everyone was busy with their own lives now that the war had been over for two years? At least she had a calendar and an IOU from Ron with the promise to get together for lunch. With Pavarti, seeing as his girlfriend didn't trust him to run back into her unwilling arms. Not that Mrs. Weasley would even let that happen, seeing as Hermione had clearly broken Ronalds heart when he dumped her a month into her make up year at Hogwarts.
Standing, she decided to get on with her day, twenty not feeling much different than nineteen had, save for growing even further away from her childhood friends. A memo smacked her on the head as she was leaving her office and she snagged it as it fluttered towards the ground, slightly bent.
“Trainee Granger, The Veil has been more active lately. Relieve Popplewell on duty.”
Great.
Ever since the end of the war, the veil had been “acting up” flickering different shadows on the other side, whispers growing louded. It was like it was calling out, reaching for someone else to fall through. She shuddered at the morbid thought and made her way into the room housing The Veil.
Relieving a pleased Popplewell, Hermione settled in at the temporary desk to continue the dull task of note taking:
-color changed from smoke grey to steel grey
-voice screamed from within (male)
-color changed from steel grey to ash grey
-voice screamed from within (female)
-color changed…
The color of the veil shifted once again, changing from shades of grey to inky blackness with what looked like sparkling… stars? Hermione rose from the desk, unable to resist peering closer at the most beautiful night sky she had ever seen. So absorbed in the spectacle in front of her, she didn’t notice the dark shadowy tendrils wrapping around her feet. Faint laughter came from The Veil as she leaned closer, ever careful not to touch.
“Granger!” a familiar voice shouted and Hermione turned to see Draco Malfoy staring at her in abject horror. “The devil are you doing?”
“I’m not going to touch it!” She felt incensed that he thought her so inexperienced but when he shook his head and drew his wand, she stiffened as he pointed down toward her legs with his other hand.
Hermione glanced down and recoiled. There, weaving through her legs and up her torso were ropes, though when she looked closer they appeared to be made of shadow? Now was not the time for analyzing as she attempted to take a step back. Big mistake. She heard Draco shout again as the inky ropes tightened on her body and pulled. Pulled her straight into the inky Veil and whatever lay beyond.
Cold.
Dark.
Hermione thrashed feeling like she was being drowned in an endless inky cauldron. Unsure how long she was held under, finally she was aware of being turned out into… nothing. It was like she had apparated directly into the sky and now she was falling. In the darkness she could make out what may have been a beautiful city surrounded by mountains but she quickly focused on what looked like the ocean directly underneath her, albeit many many meters. At this height she knew a fall would be fatal but her wand was securely strapped to her arm and she was flailing too badly to focus on pulling it and attempting to slow her momentum. Gasping, she reached for her arm, close, almost...
She shrieked even louder as arms caught her-mid air.
Gasping, Hermione glanced up into the most beautiful face she had ever seen. In the moonlight, she could tell this person was tan, dark-haired, and…. And floating? And what was that beating noise, almost like giant wings?
Hermione glanced around for a broom or harness or something but all she could make out behind the man were dark movements. Some sort of magical propeller?
The stranger touched down on the beach but aside from setting her on her own shaking feet, did not release her upper arm.
“How did you get here?” His voice was dark as sin and she fought a shiver. Merlin's sake, keep your head.
“I-” Her voice was breathless. “I fell”
His expression was not amused. “How did you get through the wards?”
“I told you, I fell.”
His nostrils flared in irritation and a dangerous look crept into his hazel eyes. He didn’t need to speak to convey the threat for her to choose her next words carefully.
“I’m sorry, I have nothing else to go on. One moment I was standing in front of an archway and the next I was falling through into what seemed like a giant cauldron.”
His eyes widened and she wondered if she should have used a different analogy. Muggles would be put off by the word after all, short of around Halloween but he nodded at her to continue anyway.
“Next thing I knew, I went from drowning to being dumped out midair above a city. And now you’re caught up to where we are now.”
Hermione was good at reading people and while his face had remained passive after her slip about a cauldron, she had the feeling he was hiding something. That he knew something.
Suddenly, she realized her eyes were adjusting to the dark and the city lights flickering behind the man illuminated…
She gasped. “You have wings?”
The massive batlike wings rustled and the not a man blinked.
“Yes.”
“And they’re yours?” Damn it Hermione, where is your brain?
He snorted, “Yes. You’re human?”
“Er, yes.” No need to mention the witch aspect, not until she knew more of what was going on and just where she was. She shivered as a gust of wind caught her wet robes.
His eyes softened just barely before he spoke again. “Let's get you someplace warm and some dry clothes.”
“Yes plea-” her response was cut off with an indignant squawk as he lifted her into his arms. “What?”
“Hold on.”
Her brain had exactly one second to catch up to what was about to happen as his wings spread behind him and she was lifted back into the sky. She squeaked and buried her face in his chest and felt a rumble of what may have been laughter as they rose into the air. While she had no intention of looking around, she was grateful not to feel the expected wind chill and wondered if he had some sort of magic as well. It was a fleeting thought as she felt him climb higher and higher and went back to pretending she wasn’t being flown Merlin knows where by a man bat. Now was also not the time to acknowledge the warm feeling she had felt when they made eye contact on the beach.
After what felt like an eternity, she felt him touch down and let go of her stranglehold- thankfully he didn't comment but her cheeks warmed with embarrassment.
“Welcome to the House of Wind.”
Hermione looked around, taking in red rock walls carved out of a mounting, the one she assmed she’d seen from the beach. Surely they hadn’t flown that far so quickly?
Suddenly, a man dropped from the sky directly in front of her and she scrambled back toward the man who had rescued her. Even though she didn’t know him, a primal part of her recognized him as safety from the stranger radiating power and stars. The almost too perfect man smiled and revealed slightly pointed canine teeth to match his dramatically pointed ears. Not human. Maybe she shouldn’t have admitted to being just human herself surrounded by these strange people.
Slipping his hands into his pockets and looking thoroughly unruffled after dropping out of the sky, he seemed the picture of poise “Who might you be and just what are you doing dropping into my city?”
She forced herself to stand tall and not tremble at the possessive way he was claiming his city. For all they knew she was a threat, the probing at her mind told her as much but she was confident in her occlumency.
“My name is Hermione Granger.” She toyed with giving the same ‘I fell’ answer but didn’t want to test this… Not a man, surely something else. So she gave him an extended explanation of how she was tugged through a doorway by shadowy ropes.
“Shadows?” He shot a glance behind her, an unreadable look on his face.
“I know it sounds strange but I was looking through the archway and a… a colleague shouted at me to look down. I did and there were what looked like dark ropes made of shadow curling around me. When I tried to back away they pulled me through.” She shrugged and shivered again.
The handsome one looked pensive but nodded anyway before sketching a half bow. “Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court.” At this he paused as though waiting for some sort of reaction. She had no knowledge of Lords and Courts so she looked steadily back. He smirked and continued. “Until we find a way to send you back you can stay here. Azriel will show you to the guest quarters and the house will provide clothes.”
She nodded, vaguely aware of how stiff Azriel had become as he grabbed her forearm and all but marched her down a hallway. She tried to mask her noise of pain as he had grabbed her cursed scar but obviously not well enough for him not to notice. He dropped her arm like it was a venomous tentacula.
“You’re hurt?”
She shrugged and tried to sound nonchalant. “Old wound.”
A steely glint entered his eye. “Let me see.”
“No, it’s fine, just sensitive.”
“We have healers….”
She cut him off. “I said it’s fine!”
She felt momentarily guilty about snapping and they spent the rest of the walk in uncomfortable silence. When he reached for a door, her breath caught at the sight of his hand. He noticed her gaze and quickly withdrew it, tucking it back behind himself. He must know something about healers but they certainly hadn’t done his scarred hand any favors.
His voice brought her out of her musing. “This is for you, there's a bed and bath, just ask the house for clothes. My room is two down on the left. You can find me there if you need anything.” With that, he strode back down the hall where they had left Rhysand.
Tired, cold, and thoroughly done with the day, she set about stripping her robes and setting her wand next to an already full tub, thankful for whatever magic had it drawn and ready. A short soak and much analysis later, she climbed out of the bath and dried herself off. She was taken aback by her robes having disappeared and being replaced by a pile of dark blue linens but thankfully her wand hadn’t run off with her robes. Perhaps they had a house elf? Or the equivalent as she was rapidly coming to terms that she was no longer in a familiar world.
Just to be safe, she case hominum revelio to ensure she was alone. Nothing.
Dressing quickly, she realized that the loose pants and too short top were not what she would typically wear and far beyond the modesty standard of the wizarding world but she cast a concealment charm on her visible scars and prepared to go in search of her new hosts.
“I told you Rhys, they’ve been quiet since early this evening!”
Hermione heard the aggravated voice of her savior, Azriel, followed by the midnight voice of the High Lord.
“Have they ever acted on this magnitude before?”
“Not like this!” He hissed and a dark chill swept past her. “Not by pulling some girl....”
The voices quieted and she wondered how they had known she was there. Steeling herself, she walked out to meet the knowing violet gaze of the High Lord and the averted eyes of Azriel. They knew she had been eavesdropping and she knew it so she took a breath and lept.
“Just what exactly pulled some girl where?”