The Darker Side of Love

Chapter IV

For the next three days he watched her. Watched her research and question, watched her struggle with her self and the answers she was discovering, watched her shut herself away so tightly behind an iron curtain of control. Watched her avoid him.

Of course that was exactly what he didn't want. Granted, he didn't want her losing all control and destroying herself and everything around her. There were very few that would be left standing. But it would be wise for her to loosen up some, to let go just a little. She needed to find some sort of outlet, before she totally lost control, and he was starting to think she wouldn't find it on her own.

He had also watched her watch him, as much as she tried to hide it. Though she was getting better at it, he had only caught her twice today. Once in Transfiguration, and not but a second ago. Of course she could be glaring at anyone at the Slytherin table. As always the Great Hall was as loud during lunch as it was during dinner. Each time he caught her looking at him he would catch her eyes, and hold them while he let a slow teasing grin grace his lips. And each time her gaze would get just that little bit more intense before she dropped her eyes.

He indulged in one of those grins now, a fourth year at his own table giggled and started whispering to one of her friends. He glanced over at the Gryffindor table to see Hermione predictably bent over some large tomb, absently nibbling on a piece of fruit, and scratching out notes without looking at her parchment. She glanced up an looked directly at him, he glanced at the doors leading from the Hall and back at her. She sighed and began to gather her things, placing them in her bag. Blaise rose and made his way out of the Great Hall, stopping at the doors leading out of the castle. Granger stepped out a moment later and made her way over to him.

"What do you want, Zabini?" Her tie was loose, book bag slung over her shoulder, and her hair haphazardly twisted into a bun with pieces coming out in front to frame her face. Overall she looked tired, frazzled. She looked like she had rushed to get dressed this morning. Maybe the rumors about her and Potter and Weasley are true...

"Walk with me, Granger." He turned and walked out of the castle without looking to see if she would follow. He knew she would.

"Walk with me? What the hell is that?" Her soft footfalls followed him out into the sunlight, unto the soft grass of Hogwarts grounds. He frowned, she really need to work on her stealth. She was already light-footed but silence was best. You never knew when creating noise or not would decide if you lived or died. "Zabini, where are we going? We only have twenty minutes until Defense class. Hey! Are you listening?!"

She reached to grab his arm when he answered. "To the lake."

He waited till they had reached a large tree by the shore before looking at her. She was frowning, glancing back at the castle. Motioning for her to sit down, he crossed his legs, sank down gracefully, and leaned back against the tree. With a huff she sat down , her book bag between them, starring out at the lake.

"What do you want Zabini? Why did you have me follow you out here?" He stayed silent for a moment. "You know something about whats going on don't you?" She turned to look at him, determined to get him to talk. The sunlight lancing through the space in the tree limbs fell directly on her, picking up the auburn sheen in her hair. It turned her usually normal brown curls into deep burnished gold. The light on her face turned molasses eyes into the color of liquid honey. For a moment he could only stare at her, struck by the sudden fierce beauty she possessed. Then the wind shifted the branches, the light moved, and the moment was gone.

"What have you learned so far? I know you've been most likely reading anything you think may connect with this."

She glared at him accusingly, "I knew you were watching me." He merely arched a well sculpted brow and continued to look out at the lake.

"Fine, what I think is impossible. I've found nothing that really makes sense. Everything I've read is leading me to conclusions that just can't be!" She looked over at him, "You know something, I know you do, Zabini, or we wouldn't be out here. Is someone messing with me? Are you messing with me or my magic or something?"

He sighed, "No, Granger, I'm not messing with you, as you so elegantly put it. And neither is anyone else. Though if anyone finds out what is going on, you'll be in more trouble then you could probably handle."

The look of confusion on her face was testimony to the troubled emotions swirling in her eyes. Another thing she need to work on. It's to easy to read her. "You need to let go."

"What?"

"You need to let go, a least a little bit. If you don't then the same thing that happened on Monday will happen again, only worse. If you don't give yourself some form of release, you'll lose control." While he had spoken her expression had shifted from confused to denial. At the mention of release she had shot him a dirty look.

"How do you know so much about this? How do you know what you're saying even applies to me? We could be talking about two totally different things!"

He just smirked and looked at her amused at her denial of the situation. Leaning in closer he whispered in her ear, "You're not the first elemental I've come across." And with that he got up and left her under the tree, staring after him with her moth open and shock on her face.

DSLDSLDSLDSL

I'm going insane, this is not possible, this is not possible, this is not possible.

For the past three days, if she hadn't been in class or eating, Hermione had been in the library. She had been scouring the library on anything that had to do with elementals, bloodlines that were connected to the elements, elemental magic, etc. She had even borrowed Harry's cloak to get into the restricted section, on the pretense of forgetting some book she had left at the library. Now she knew every mind control and will bending curse in the Hogwarts library, in theory at least, but none of them applied to what had been happening to her. The only thing that made sense was the theory about an elemental bloodline. But even that didn't fit, she was muggle born.

For the past three days she had felt him watching her, as well. Occasionally she would sneak glances at him, but more often than not he caught her looking. She was getting better, though, he had only caught her twice today. She had been trying her hardest to avoid him all week. Sitting on the opposite side of the room when they had classes together, making sure she was always with some one from her house when she wasn't in the Great Hall, the library, or the dorms.

This morning she had braved the halls by herself, needing to send a owl to her parents. She may not have been on the best of terms with them at the moment, especially with her mother, but there were some questions she needed answers to and they were the only ones who could provide them. Because of this her normally neat appearance was anything but. She hadn't gotten to take her shower this morning so her hair was frazzled and thrown hurriedly into a bun, she hadn't fixed her tie, and what little she did wear now she hadn't put on. And she was to tired to care.

Right now though she was sitting at the Gryffindor table eating slices of apple for lunch. Between her new self-appointed research project and her reoccurring dreams she was now running on little to no sleep, and had almost no appetite. Usually she didn't get like this till closer to exams. She looked back down st her book on ancient blood lines and continued taking what few notes she could. There was just so little. It was beyond frustrating.

Speaking of frustrating, she thought and glanced over at the Slytherin table. There was Blaise Zabini, her personal stalker, sitting next to Avery and he was watching her! She glared at the little half smile creeping across his lips. Glancing back up to his eyes she saw his shift to the Great Hall doors and back to her. She dropped her eyes back to her book with a sigh and knew she would go.

Gathering her things she glanced back at where Blasie had been and noticed he was no longer there. How in Merlin's name does he move around that quick without anyone noticing? Sighing quietly again she stood to follow. Walking out into the foyer, she saw Blaise standing next to the doors leading outside. As she approached she had the now familiar feeling of being sized up, again.

"What do you want Zabini?" Whatever she may call someone in her head, she always used last names until invited to do otherwise.

"Walk with me, Granger." He didn't even bother looking to see if she would follow. Of all the nerve...but she followed anyways. Walking toward the lake she noticed he din't make any noise as he moved. No sound of his shoes on the grass or his clothes moving, nothing. Weired. Merlin he is handsome though. And tall.

"Walk with me? What the hell in that?"

Silence.

"Zabini, where the hell are we going? We only have twenty minutes until Defense class. Hey! Are you listening to me?"

She reached out to grab his arm when he answered, "To the lake." The lake, great, just what I need. Maybe we'll go for a swim. She shook her head at her own stupid thoughts. Looking ahead she saw the tree her, Harry, and Ron would hang out under. He motioned for her to sit, and without waiting, sat down against the tree. She followed making sure her book bag was settled between her and him. For some reason she was nervous being alone and this close to him.

She looked out at the lake, not wanting to stare at him, not after the comment he had made in Arithmacy.

"What do you want Zabini? Why did you have me follow you out here?"

Silence. This is getting annoying.

"You know something about whats going on don't you." By now she was looking at him intently. He turned to look at her, but he still just sat there. He was shrouded in a pool of shadow and it seemed to make his eyes glow an even darker blue. He doesn't just look handsome, he looks gorgeous and...dangerous. She suppressed the need to look away.Then he blinked and the otherworldly feeling about him vanished.

He shifted his gaze away from her. "What have you learned so far? I know you've most likely been reading anything you think may connect with this."

I knew it! She leveled a glare at him and said, "I knew you were watching me." He just lifted a brow and continued looking at the lake.

"Fine, what I think is impossible. I've found nothing that makes sense. Everything I've read is leading me to conclusions that just can't be!" She looked back over at him. What if.. "You know something. I know you do, Zabini, or we wouldn't be out here. Is some one messing with me? Are you messing with me or my magic or something?"

She watched as he sighed and turned his body a little more to face her. "No, Granger, I'm not messing with you, as you so elegantly put it. And neither is anyone else. Though if anyone else finds out what is going on, you'll be in more trouble than you can probably handle.

She blinked. Huh? What in Merlin's name is he talking about, he's not making any sense either. Is the world going mad, or is it just me? "What?"

"You need to let go, at least a little bit." He was looking directly into her eyes, as if he could will her to understand. "If you don't then the same thing that happened on Monday will happen again, only worse. If you don't give yourself some form of release, you'll lose control."

She narrowed her eyes, not happy with what she was hearing. Release? What the hell is he getting at? I've fought to hard for my control to just lose it. I wont loosen up, I wont let go. I can't. "How do you know so much about this? How do you know what you're saying even applies to me? We could be talking about two totally different things!"

He just gave one of those irritating smirks and leaned in closer to her. She couldn't move as he placed his mouth next to her ear. Her eyes slipped closed of their own accord, and snapped back open when he said, "You're not the first elemental I've come across."

She couldn't help but stare after him with her mouth hanging open has walked back across the grounds, black Slytherin robes rippling with each step. She glanced back at the lake to see the giant squid floating near the surface. She sighed, frustrated and confused; wondering if what Blaise had said was true, if her parents would reply, and hoping they could shed some light on the matter. She looked at her watch and panicked. Five minutes till Defense class!

Gathering her bag she rushed off toward the castle praying she wouldn't be late and nothing else out of the ordinary happened today.