Chapter Five
Harry radiated with confidence, not a single bit of doubt crossed his face. Hermione knew that her best friend, with all his experiences in the past and with his specialized work, was trained to deal with situations like the one right before their eyes.
Still, she did wish that he cracked a little bit. She probably would feel better, but then again, she had always been used to, to the point of relied on Harry's confidence.
"I should know better, but I really have to ask you… does this rile you?" she asked.
"Oh yes."
"This is serious, isn't it? He's really going to come after me?"
"Hermione, it doesn't matter how many times you ask yourself and ask me this question. Yes, I do believe this man is serious," he said calmly. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble, work his way into Ron's dream, do whatever he did to get this all on recording, and scare the hell out of Ron. And he did it, didn't he? This guy's done his research all right. And it doesn't stop here either."
She could feel her control slipping and clenched her hands. "Did you hear what he said?" she whispered. "What he did to that woman? He tortured her…. Then he…"
Harry grabbed hold of her shoulders. "Hermione, calm down. Take a deep breath."
She did as he told, but it didn't help at all. The impact of the situation was finally sinking into her. Suddenly, she felt goose bumps rising from her skin and began shivering. Harry felt her shaking and took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulder. "Better?"
She nodded. "Thanks."
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, as to give her a little bit of confidence and warmth. "Are you feeling all right?" He had noticed that she didn't touch her hot chocolate, which was already cold. He watched her after she pulled away from him as she fixed herself another cup.
As she began circling the spoon in her mug, she looked at him, her eyes brimmed with tears. Harry knew that it was beyond her shoulders. His Hermione, always so strong, so brave, so confident, was scared beyond any means. He suddenly had an urge to pull her into his arms and hold her so tightly, to whisper into her ear and to comfort her.
"Would you like one too?" she asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. He nodded and watched her move about once again in the kitchen. When she placed the heated mug in front of him, he thanked her quietly. Waiting for her to sit down, he asked, "I was wondering how you're going to hold up."
She gave him a tiny, but forced smile. "I think I'll be fine. It's just, well, surprising." He nodded as she continued. "We've faced Voldemort as teenagers, and here I am, getting all worked up because a psycho decided that he wanted to kill me!" She dropped her spoon on the table and clenched her fist. "I'm just so bloody mad at myself!"
Harry reached out his hand to cover her tightened fist. Slowly, he could feel her relax under his touch. He gave her a quirky smile. "Hey, we're going to deal with this together, all right? You, me, and Ron. And of course, you have the rest of the investigators behind this."
"I want to scream so badly; it's shaking me up inside," she said as she closed her eyes tightly.
Harry smirked. "Well, why don't you?"
"Why don't I what?"
"Scream."
Hermione smiled genuinely, so silly was the notion. "And scare Ron? Ha ha .."
"Well, at least try to calm down while we're at it."
"How do you propose I do that then?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Maybe we could talk about something else."
"Well, since you said it, you haven't been around much for these past few years. We missed seeing you."
"Yeah, the bureau kept us really busy. It's scary to think that there are that many missing people. Mostly missing children."
They both took a sip of chocolate.
"How did the conference go?"
"Wonderfully," she rolled her eyes sarcastically. "My colleague wouldn't keep his hands off me."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do give the juicy details."
Hermione laughed as she hit him playfully in the arm. "I don't know how the heck Dennis could ever think that a conference in a cheap lecture hall could be romantic. We sat together, naturally. I was actually quite interested in the topics this time. One of the keynote speakers, Dr. Russell Greene, is quite well known for his studies on acupunctural therapy in neurology. He actually discovered the physiology behind acupuncture. And knowing how the needle, when it penetrates the…."
Harry coughed briefly, though his eyes were laughing. He had succeeded in distracting Hermione; she was beginning to chatter.
She blinked at him irritably. "Sorry. Well, somehow, his hand always ended up on my thigh. Even though I usually don't wear skirts to work or conferences such as these, it was still very un-gentlemanly of anyone to try to feel me up, especially in a professional setting."
"Did you give him a go right there?" Harry grinned.
"Not right there, exactly. But yeah," she shrugged. "He wouldn't stop after I warned him many times. The last time, which was actually, hmm, early this morning, I dragged him outside of the lecture hall, slapped him, and told him that if he ever touch me again…"
"What, that you'd shrink his balls and turn him into a ferret?" he gave her a comical grin.
"Well, close enough." She laughed. "But that was why I came back today. I couldn't stand any more of it. And the conference was going to go through the weekend."
Harry nodded again. "So I take it that you haven't been dating then?"
Hermione shook her head. "Oh, gosh, hell no! The hospital's been keeping us so busy, and with helping out with Ron, I haven't had time for a social life."
"That's quite surprising, you know. You never lacked one."
"You neither. I was surprised the Monica the Model broke it off with you."
"She was getting on my nerves."
"Or she didn't get what she wanted?"
"Oh, she got what she wanted."
"Then what was it then? Did she find out about your secret fetish with spandex and whips?"
"No, not that one. But she did have a fetish with exchanging vials of blood. That did it for me."
"Disgusting. Vile. No wonder you haven't been getting any. So how long has it been?"
"Three years… hell, Remus was right. I do need a good shag."
"Going through a dry spell?"
"Har har, that's what Remus had said. But no. More like storing my stamina to the rim."
"Which, you know, isn't medically true."
Harry smiled goofily at her. "God, I missed this. We haven't had a good banter in so long."
Hermione returned his smile briefly, but her expression fell again. Harry knew that the interlude had ended. He held her hand tightly in his. "We're going to be inseparable."
She looked at him strangely. "Inseparable how?"
"We'll be together everywhere."
She pulled her hand away from his to brush back a loose strand of hair that fell across her forehead. "So, do you mean that the first thing I see after I wake up and get dressed for work is you sitting in the kitchen with a full course breakfast waiting for me?"
"No. I'll be waking up and getting dressed with you. What side of the bed do you usually sleep on?"
"The right?"
"Then I'll be on your left."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You're kidding me, right?"
Harry winked at her. "About the bed? Yeah, I was. But I wasn't kidding at all about us being together twenty-four seven. You're not going to be alone at any given moment, and I don't intend to leave your side as long as this goes on."
"What if I'm in the shower?"
"Then I'll be handing you the soap. Or, perhaps, I'll be scrubbing your back." He mentally scolded himself for being flirtatious with her, his best friend! But somehow, it felt right.
Hermione smiled. "Okay, now you're just playing around with me. I get your point though. We're going to be two peas in a pod."
"As long as you understand the need. I'm going to be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you look at before you close your eyes to sleep. Wherever you go, I go. Wherever I run, you run. That's how it's gotta be. We're going to take this game seriously."
"But if you're going to be with me, then who's going to crack this case?"
Harry shrugged. "Well, Remus runs a pretty strong show with our division, and the auror department itself is already a very strong organization, ever since Arthur's let Moody run the department. They've already started the works. Leave it to them to do the investigating.
"What about the hospital? I can't have you playing tag-along at work. It'll be a breach on patient confidentiality."
"Well, what they don't know and can't see won't hurt them. We'll figure it out when we cross the bridge."
She rested her hands on the table, gazing at her fingers. She didn't say a word for a long moment. When she finally looked up at him, her eyes were determined.
"I'm not going to let him scare me," she said forcefully. "I've not been afraid of many things all of my life. This isn't going to scare the hell out of me. Right now, I feel like I'm going to burst. This is all so infuriating. What I really need is a good dummy so I could pound him with my fists."
Harry hid a smile. "It's normal to be scared. You got someone hot on your trail. It'll keep you focused, alert, more careful."
"He's a monster," she said. "This monster, he forces himself into Ron's dream. Then tells him infuriating news and scares him with details of how he had tortured a poor innocent woman. And now he's using my best friend to get to me, all because he wants to kill me."
"Don't worry about Ron. We're getting someone to protect him too," Harry assured.
"Night and day. And don't forget Luna too. She's almost as far deep into this as all of us are."
"Of course," he agreed.
She sighed. "Doesn't it seem to you that this man's trying to call the shots? He's told Ron to notify you, probably so you could take me away and hide me, and then maybe he won't follow. And I already know for sure that that's what Ron wants me to do. Run away and hide. But he's not going to stop there. I know it."
"Of course Ron would want you to hide. I do too. And I'm going to take you away as far from Holy Oaks as possible."
She nodded. "I know. I'd react the same way with either of you."
"But?"
She sighed again. "He's not going to sit around. He kept on saying that it keeps coming back to him. This thirst. I have a very bad feeling that he's going to find someone else. While we play hide-and-seek with him. So while I'm running away with full warning beforehand, this poor woman probably wouldn't know what's going to happen to her."
Harry nodded. "Yes, and you're going to keep yourself protected….and…"
"It's unfair to this other woman. And it'll look like I'm scared. That's what he wants me to do, isn't it? Run, so he can chase after me and find me. It's all a game to him. I don't want to be scared, and I don't want to give him the satisfaction either."
Harry held out his hands in silent defeat. "We'll talk about this more once Remus gets here. He's flying in from D.C."
He reached out to take the tape out of the player, but Hermione's hand stopped him halfway. She looked at him straight in the eye as she quietly said, "Look, I know that I should wait for Remus to get here and listen to what he has to say, but I want to know what you think. Please, Harry, let me know what ideas you may have so I can better prepare myself."
Harry stared back at her, seeing her unfaltering will, and nodded. "All right, I'll tell you what I know. Remus has already listened to this tape. We expressed it to him as soon as I got here. He's a psychiatrist, and had probably already gotten through this guy's mind. Mind you, he's probably only heard it once."
She nodded. "I understand."
"Good. Let's talk about detail now. The most important fact is that you're not random. He chose you specifically."
"He knows my name. But why?"
"Right. And he's done a lot of research on you too, more so than you'd think. As for why… well, he's dedicated to you."
"I'm not too sure if I understand how he could be dedicated to me…"
"Well, in layman's terms, you got yourself a new member to your fan club."
"Uh, I think I could do without this one. But really…me? Mousy ol' Hermione Granger? "
"Really, Herm. You deserve much more credit than what Pansy Parkinson gives you on the Daily Prophet. Just look in the mirror. You have beautiful eyes in the most spectacular shade of brown. And the rest of you, you're beautiful. He thinks you're beautiful." He hurried on before they could feel embarrassed by his statement. "And most of the time these guys select low-profile people. You fit the picture perfectly."
She sucked in a breath. "Go on. Don't leave out anything. I need to hear all of this in order to be prepared. I'm not going to get scared by this that easily."
"Okay. He's already told us that he's been watching you for a while. Now, this probably means that he's made it his job to know all about you. What kind of food you like to eat, what shows on telly you watch, what books you read, what kind of sex life you have, what normal things you do every day. He's probably already been into your house. He told us that he wrapped himself in your scent. Look through your clothes or try to think back when you couldn't find a piece of clothing after taking out your laundry, or when you last misplaced a bra or knickers. He's gone through your clothing and has taken something personal. Something that touches your skin really close."
"That's disgusting."
"Yes, but also because it has your scent. Yes, exactly like that. And he also watches you while you sleep, when you least would detect his presence."
Hermione covered her mouth with her hands. "No!"
He pointed to the tape. "It's all there. He's said it."
"What if I had opened my eyes and saw him?"
"Well, that's what he wants eventually, just not right now. You'd be pushing his agenda. He doesn't want to hurt you just yet."
Hermione took a deep swallow as she wrung her fingers. "Go on."
"That's just what he's mentioned on the tape. Here's my theory. He lives in Holy Oaks, and he's been in contact with you. Maybe not someone you see regularly, but know you fairly well. You're very friendly to him, and he's developed a huge crush on you. Remus would say that he's in this adoration stage. Right now, all he can think of is cute things about you. How you smell, how you look, how you sleep. All of that's all he could think about. If he really likes you, then he probably won't hurt you, but his controversy is that he'll have to, because you'll end up disappointing him. In his crooked mind, there's no way you could meet up to his expectations. He'll make sure of that."
"Okay, so he's obsessed with me right now. When's that going to change?"
Harry shook his head. "I can't tell you that right now. We need to know more about this man before we can hypothesize that. But, my guess is that it won't be too long. The longer the silver is exposed, the quicker it becomes tarnished. He won't be waiting too long. He doesn't want to chase after you if you run, but then he's brilliant that he'd do it anyway, figure out where you are. He's mentioned that too."
"I hope he'll get out of this stupid obsession," she wished.
"I doubt it." Harry's voice now carried an edge. "He's already too deep in this fantasy of his. He can't stop because the urge is catching up to him. He has to do it again. And he won't stop. If you run, he'll follow you. If you hide, he'll search you out. It's a cat-and-mouse game. He likes it to be challenging. You're in this as deep as he is. And it's not going to end happily."
She leaned against her chair and hung her neck back. As she stared at the ceiling, she couldn't help but start to feel scared.
***
What a delight it had been to toy with the red-headed fool. He hadn't expected this to be so much fun. And now, he can't stop cackling over it, because something like this, a build-up, a plan started from scratch, could work wonders if all the details were worked out beforehand, just as he had done. And he knew that with patience, the end reward would be just as gratifying. He remembered how satisfying it had been when he built his first snow fort in the backyard of his house. The joy of anticipating the times when he was cocooned inside, off in his own universe. Right now, the feeling escalated once more. As he sharpened his assortment of knives- he had quite a collection, from surgical knives to kitchen knives, he played through his game plan once again. At each stop, he couldn't help but snicker. Oh, it was good. So good to be a brilliant mind master that he was.
It was a pity that he had left Ron so quickly. The Weasel was truly disgusting, with drool dripping from the corner of his mouth while he slept. He really didn't have a clue. But Ron didn't know that he was a master, did he? No. He was very skilled. Meticulous care and practice to master the art of Legilimency as he had, even Voldemort was a rookie compared to him! How he wanted to see the look on the Weasel's face, and Harry Potter's reaction. He felt smug and proud.
Ron had reeacted differently than he had thought. He half-expected Ron to ignore the dream, but now, he was glad that Ron didn't stick to his rules. But then, he had already saw this as well. Because he was already prepared for it. He didn't want to share this memory with anyone yet, not quite yet. Narcissa's tape was getting worn out. Most insomniacs listened to soothing music while they sleep; he listened to Narcissa's beautiful voice. While most wankers watched porno tapes to masturbate, Narcissa was enough to turn him on.
But it wouldn't have been much of a challenge then. And a challenge is complimentary for a perfectionist. So he decided to share the dream with the aurors and sent a copy to Ron. Beautiful, sweet Hermione would probably already have heard it too. He wished he could catch a glimpse of her dear face as it contorted into perfect agony. Yes. Her training was almost complete. She was almost perfect. So beautiful, so sweet, so…his.
Everything was right on schedule. His plans were working around the clock, and no one was going to be able to interfere with him. That's why he always thought ahead and created back-up plans. Just in case something went wrong. Anticipate the worst, he had always said to himself.
It was going to be explosive, all right. Just like the fireworks on New Year's Eve. He could hardly wait to begin his own version of the festivities. And everyone would be admiring his handiwork.
Right now, he was sitting in front of his computer at home. Yes, those Muggle fools created a wonderful thing, the computer. The Internet was now his best friend. He found pages on how to create the perfect explosive. Step by step instructions that even a child of below average intelligence could follow. That simple. Not a nuclear bomb, though he probably could find the materials easily. Just know where to click. But what he had planned was perfect already. Tomorrow, he'd be connecting with the dealers in America. His friends had given him the list and he already knew what he wanted to get.
He pulled her knickers from out of his pocket and rubbed it over his face, inhaling her sweet scent. Hmm… every time he thought of her, smelled her, he couldn't help it. He unbuttoned his jeans and began to rub his hand against his hardness, all the while thinking of his love. His eyes closed, he rubbed himself as he pictured the groans coming from her perfectly shaped mouth, the deafening screams. Oh, he was getting hotter just thinking about the tortuous sounds he could elicit from her.
He reached his release quickly, and he smirked with slight dissatisfaction. But that was all right, for now. Soon, she'll be his. And he'd be having the time of his life. He tossed his head back as he laughed hysterically.
"Are we having fun yet?" he shouted into the room. He continued to laugh hysterically. "Oh yes," he said with a chuckle. "We're having sooooo much fun."
~~~
And thus the rated-R for this story. I wonder if any of you have figured out who the killer is yet…… haha …. A bag of galleons to whoever guessed correctly
Anyhow, thanks for reading again. And please don't forget to review.
Have a good end of the week! ~merletto
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