Title: Darkness in the Library
Characters: Cedric/Hermione
Disclaimer: None because they're useless
Notes: Library at night. Trapped. There's an evil creature there, too. I really don't know where this came from either. It hopped into my head yesterday as a slightly different story but then morphed into this one. Set during Goblet of Fire. Unbeta'd.

Important: This story is FINISHED but I have only posted the first chapter here. To read the whole story please click on my USER NAME, this will take you to a link to my livejournal where you can read the complete story. A lot of people have not realised that the fragment on fanfiction is just a fragment - the complete story is at my livejournal.

Hermione's head snapped around sharply, her quill falling from her fingers to the table. She took a deep breath and then tried to breathe more quietly. The lighting in the library had dimmed abruptly for no apparent reason and she had heard the sound of a scream that was abruptly silenced.

Rising slowly from the table where she had been studying, she glanced around nervously, her breathing unsteady. Caution told her not to use her wand to light her way in case she drew attention to herself. Instead, she gripped it tightly in her hand and began to walk down the aisles of the section of the library where she had been sitting. She cautiously glanced down each aisle, peering around each corner warily, trying to identify the source of the muffled sound she had heard.

She loved the library, had always loved the smell of the dust, the dark and shadowy corners, the rustling of the pages and the peace and quiet she could find there. Not tonight though, tonight the library had suddenly become an almost frightening place. She suddenly realised that she appeared to be completely alone. Previously friendly and welcoming corners and aisles now seemed filled with strange menace. Every sound caused her to glance around in panic and she was annoyed at herself for her jumpiness.

She stumbled at something at her feet and looked down. To her horror, it was the prone figure of Madam Pince, slumped bonelessly on the ground. Hermione bit back a cry of fear and she dropped to her knees, keeping a firm grasp of her wand and frantically sought a pulse. To her relief, the witch's pulse still thudded strong and steadily beneath her cold, shaking fingers.

There was a sharp sound like wind rushing past at a location not far away ... like wings or a cloak darting by. Hermione tried to identify the direction of the sound, looking around swiftly, her eyes looking into the air blindly.

"What the hell are you doing in here? I thought I'd got everyone out of the library," a low voice said in a furious whisper. She looked up into a pair of angry grey eyes. She recognised the tall youth as Cedric Diggory immediately. Who didn't know the famous Hufflepuff prefect who had already managed to pass two of the Triwizard Tournament's tasks? From the expression in his accusing eyes he knew who she was, too.

The anger drained out of him as he looked down in concern at the body on the ground.

"Is she ...?"

"She's alive," Hermione whispered. Relief filled his eyes and he exhaled swiftly. "Help me drag her over there and hide her where it's safe ..." Hermione told him and Cedric nodded. He brushed aside her efforts to help him and picked the old woman up in his arms easily and carried her over to an empty bookshelf, sliding her onto the bottom shelf and hoping that no one would see her.

"I was with the other prefects, we thought we'd emptied the library ... Hermione Granger, I know you love the library but what are you doing here? Didn't you know that something's got onto the grounds tonight?" he demanded in a quiet whisper.

Hermione shook her head, her face very pale. "I spent most of the afternoon in the Dangerous Books room. Harry and Ron left a while ago ... I didn't know anything ...I just noticed then ..." she said. "What's happening?" she demanded urgently.

A muscle moved in Cedric's pale jaw.

"There's ... something in here ..." Hermione whispered, fear colouring her voice and her face. "I heard it ..."

Cedric nodded grimly. "I know ... " he told her. "I heard the sound of a voice - I thought it was a child's voice ... so I came in here to make sure everyone was safely out of the library ... and now it's put a charm .. hex or bloody curse on all the doors - we can't get out of the library and no one can come in either. I tried Alohomora but even that didn't work," he told her looking frustrated. Hermione's dark eyes widened in apprehension.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"I don't know .." he said shaking his head. "Someone or something ... already went after Fleur and Krum today ... they're both all right but in the infirmary ... claw marks on their arms ... same with Potter although his injuries aren't as bad - just a bit shaken ... I can only assume this thing's after me now - which is why it lured me in here". He looked at Hermione and gave her a very wry and rueful grin. "Sorry you got embroiled in it, Granger ..." he told her with an air of regretful apology.

"Don't be stupid, it's not like it's your fault," she said fiercely. "Nothing's been right around here ever since this stupid Tournament started," she said fiercely.

Cedric gave a soft laugh and then held a finger to his lips.

Holding his wand in his hand, he indicated that she should stay behind him as he crept around the side of one long row of bookshelves, peering into the darkness at whatever shadowy creature was lurking in the library. They heard the sound of something being dragged along the ground and two very pale faces peeked out from behind the stack.

"It's got a student .." Hermione whispered in horror seeing something being dragged along the ground by its feet.

Recap note: As mentioned - this story is FINISHED, to read the rest please click on my USER NAME, this will take you to a link to my livejournal where you can read the complete story. A lot of people have not realised that the fragment on fanfiction is just a fragment - the complete story is at my livejournal.