enchantement - SOULBOUND I̲̅ || SS/HG ✔️

46. Forbidden and Enlightened

Suddenly the voices got louder, more prominent. She could feel her ears buzzing in the most unpleasant way, but she knew she needed to figure out who those lights belonged to and what they were doing, especially in the forbidden forest.

Memories of the man she thought was only part of a legend, a distant memory of him kept flashing before her eyes as she tried to focus all of her magic on those mysterious lights.

The dream had been so vivid, so real it made her question everything. She knew better than anyone the impact an obliviate charm can have on a person's mind, and more than ever she feared that whoever altered memories of her past life was either trying to keep a specific memory hidden or wishing she would enter a state of complete amnesia. Could this person know about her nightly gathering with the Prince of Darkness, and the powers she acquired from his superior knowledge or was it related to her relationship with Severus?

As she leaned her body against the wall under the window - hiding, Hermione waved her hand and closed the last flickering candle. "Death Eaters" she wondered as her nose started bleeding, the required concentration of magic exhausting her, "they must be plotting Dumbledore's death!"

She could feel her body's energy flying away towards the forest. Successfully casting the spell, Hermione closed her eyes and let her soul guide her through the distance to the lights.

"I had to, that was part of the deal! I free myself from this demon within me and you get access to the castle's ground," she heard a feminine voice cry in annoyance, "I've done all you've asked."

A low groan caused her to flinch in her hiding spot. It was ominous, like an enraged beast. "I will tell you when you're part is done! Spreading your legs wide to cover your tracks and identity does not end our deal. She isn't dead yet and he's fighting it. Some sort of unknown yet strong dark magic is protecting his soul. Once I can hang both their heads beside our lovely Riddle will I be satisfied with your work. Now go, I need to return, I have a trail tomorrow morning and I don't want anyone to question where my loyalties lie."

"Definitely not where they should be," snapped the woman, her snicker not going unnoticed to Hermione. Suddenly she heard someone gasping for air, desperate hand movements waving in the air, seeking for freedom. Once she realized the man was strangling the witch, Hermione stood up from her hiding place and squinted her eyes, hoping to see - in vain - who these voices belonged to. She could hear the woman trying to beg for her life, yet the man didn't seem to indulge in forgiving.

"You will not disobey me witch! Remember who you are fighting for and against. Eternity will no longer be your problem, don't forget who has the upper hand here," threatened the male voice, his hand tightening around the woman's throat. "I trusted you enough to honour you with my family's heirlooms, don't disappoint me any more than you already have."

"'Mione?" A voice called after her, followed by a violent shaking, "your eyes are red Hermione what's going on?"

Knowing she had heard enough, Hermione, released the charm and regained full control over herself, lowering the hearing extension spell and focusing again on the room. Ginny's small hands were securely placed on her shoulder while she shook her friend once more, worried she might have entered a trance similar to Harry.

"I'm alright Ginny, nothing's going on."

"Yes and your eyes aren't really red, it's just an illusion" barked gingerly Ginny, not believing the slightest her friend's excuses. "Listen the room is completely dark and two crimson eyes in the darkness is bloody frightening. I nearly thought the devil was out to get us."

Hermione frowned, unable to understand how it was possible for her friend to see her eyes when she had closed them a few minutes ago to converge on the spell. Believing she must have opened them while eavesdropping the peculiar conversation of the two wizards, Hermione shrugged off the frightening knowledge that her eyes had changed colours to those of Lucifer.

"Let's go to sleep Ginny, I'm tired and your nosy self isn't helping." She knew she was being sharp, yet she had no choice. Involving Harry had already been a huge risk, which obviously led to his harm a few hours earlier in the restricted section of the library. Hermione hated being powerless, unable to figure out by herself what was going on, what devilish plan was being organized in her back, only and purely to end her life.

She felt miserable as Ginny's eyes flickered sadness, the rejection paining her. Hermione was troubled, secretly frightened that this dimension was bearing far more secrets than those she already knew off.

Regaining her bed, listening to the sound of the wind blowing outside the castle, rustling sound of leaves waving - following the gust of the air - whooshing beside her window, Hermione tried to fall asleep again. Yet no matter how hard she tried to ease the tension between her eyebrows and clear her mind from any toxic and disturbing thoughts, she couldn't. She felt like she was about to explode, too many questions, not enough time.

The longer she stayed quiet, letting her thoughts wander, the easier it became for her to puzzle the clues together. She felt like a muggle detective, deciphering the reality to the imaginary.

Her memories of her life with Severus before and after the war had not only been meddled with but also reinvented. What appeared to have been a lovely romantic relationship with only one conflict was, in fact, the exact representation of a roller coaster, with its ups and downs. Nothing too glamorous, yet full of love and passion, which made Hermione question even more the intentions from the meddler. She now knew it was a man and a woman, and the woman must have enough influence in this school to allow the man to roam around the grounds. Remembering how agitated Harry was at the idea that someone was trying to break thought Hogwarts' ground in sixth year, the first idea that reached Hermione's mind was the vanishing cabinet.

The longer she thought about it, the most absurd it was to her that Harry, Ron and herself hadn't followed the Malfoys' to Borgin and Burkes.

Hoping it will help her blood fluctuate better in her head and figure things out faster and easier, Hermione decided to lay perpendicularly on her bed, letting her head hang loose in the air. She knew deep down it was ridiculous, but she was getting tired of these blanks she was having and her difficulty to focus on tasks. Even work and following classes had become a daily challenge for her. No matter how hard she tried to engage and listen, her mind sauntered elsewhere.

Repeating to herself like a prayer what could have happened that evening in Diagon Alley, Hermione suddenly remembered how Harry talked about Professor Ravensun's presence in the Weasley's shop. What bothered her, however, was why they didn't leave for a walk and stayed in the store.

In her timeline, Hermione had been the one to suggest to get some air, yet now she started to question her own ways as she felt her bony shoulders digging themselves on the mattress. Something must have stopped her. Talking with the divination teacher was out of the picture, after all, if everything was as it was supposed to be, she would have been in love with Severus by this time - or at least infatuated with him - and seeing how close Seraphina was to him, she would have detested her from the get-go.

"Mione go back to sleep, I can hear the gears rotating in your head it's irritating." Snapped Ginny, obviously still vexed by the lack of delicacy from her friend.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Hermione shifted her position and was now laying on her stomach. She needed to have a talk with Harry tomorrow, but there was a far more pressing matter that, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, it was still there, waiting for her to acknowledge it.

Lucifer.