Loving the Lonely

Chapter 5

A month has passed since Hermione had gone to McGonagall about the creature in the castle. Since that night, no one has seen neither hide nor tail of it, despite their searching. Already students were ignoring the rules set out by the headmistress and her and Theo have been busy giving out detentions for those who chose to disobey. As time passed though, even she began to grow lax, and gave out fewer detentions until she gave none at all.

She forgets the true trouble that the creature can be and it's for this that she blames her initial ignorance of the whining noise she thinks she hears near a staircase. That, and she takes into account the fact that the castle always makes the odd creaking and groaning sound at night. It isn't until the fourth time the sound echoes down the hallway that she sighs and settles for at least trying to find the source of the noise.

"Probably just another first year playing a prank," she grumbles to herself, trekking down the hall.

The sound comes again, somewhere to her right. An old set of staircases, wooden, and could very easily have made the sound. She turns away, satisfied, and then a quiet bark sounds. Her blood runs cold.

With bated breath, she spins back around and ducks her head to peer under the staircase, into the nook where little light can reach. Tucked back far in the corner, Hermione sees the flash of silver orbs.

"It's you," she whispers on an exhale. There is just enough light reaching back into the nook for her to see its massive form. She thinks, judging from what she can see, that from nose to tail tip, the creature could nearly be as long as Hagrid is tall. It's almost laughable, seeing it squeezed into the small nook.

The silver orbs disappear as it blinks and then reappear, glowing brighter somehow. The creature growls then, low and rumbling and she imagines it's shaking the very ground she's standing on. Hermione steps back but doesn't dare break eye contact, knowing well enough that the creature try for a show of dominance and attack her if her back is turned.

Several moments pass before the growling ceases, immediately replaced with the short, high-pitched whine she'd heard earlier. "So it was you making the noises," she mumbles. "Are you hurt then? Is that why're in the castle?" She isn't mad enough to be expecting an answer, but talking like this situation is anything remotely resembling normal is keeping her from bolting away.

The creature huffs, hot breath smelling of foul meat blows over Hermione and she has to fight not to gag. There is the shuffle of fur on stone as the creature tries to move, but it yelps out a pained whimper and thuds back against the ground.

"Merlin's beard, you really are hurt, aren't you?" She breathes. "This is fantastic. Just my luck to be stuck with an injured, possibly feral creature." The wolf growls, but it's a mere whisper compared to the one she'd heard a month ago, so she runs a hand through her hair and grunts out, "relax, you great beast. I'm not hurting you."

Hermione fishes for ideas, praying for a better plan to come to mind if only she'll wait just a little longer. Calling for a professor is out of her capability, both because it would mean leaving the wolf alone to wander off and because she isn't sure she could handle the guilt of just walking away from a hurt creature. Running away can't be done, either, afriad that the creature will chase her again. Unless, of course, it is truly too hurt to move, which again brings her back to being unable to leave it alone. That leaves only one option, and as much as she loathes even considering it, it's the best she has.

"Alright," Hermione sighs, crouching down. "I need you to do something for me, beastie." The creature remains silent, so she just assumes it's listening to her. "I need to come in there and see what's wrong. If you let me do that, I might just be able to help you. Do you think you'll let me do that?" Hermione takes a hesitant step forward but the creature finds the energy to snap its teeth at her.