Choices, Chapter 2: Robert Frost
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or Twilight.
A/N: It's my birthday today, so as a gift to all my amazing readers, I'm updating all my WIPs! Yes, that's right, ALL of them! If you are a fan of my other stories, the rest of my WIPs will be updated before the end of the week!
PS: I think I should address some things about Choices before the plot thickens; take the following as a warning.
1) If you have a problem with stories where an OC has a prominent part, then you should stop reading now. Robert Frost, an OC I created for this story, will play a big part in the plot.
2) Choices deals with many uncomfortable, hard themes, such as death of a child, adultery, heavy angst. You might find some characters behaving OoC, but keep in mind, not only years have passed since the series ended, but the characters have been through many trials that shaped them into completely different people.
An example: Hermione not only had to deal with the after effects of the war, but heart break, the shock of learning she was carrying a half vampire-half human baby, the knowledge her baby would be discriminated against, prejudice, hatred, and then, the loss of her baby. In short, she's a very different person than she was during HP. She still shares some traits with her canon self, but those experiences have changed her to a fundamental level.
Basically, Choices is a very dark story, at least emotionally. And it won't change.
3) I still don't like Bella; I think she's one of the worst female characters to date, coming second only to Anastasia Steel - which is not a surprise since they're essentially the same character, - and I don't plan to try to change her as I did in my other Twilight/HP story, to make her more mature, and likeable.
4) I DO NOT JUSTIFY/EXCUSE ADULTERY. That said, unfortunately, it is fact it happens and to pretend otherwise is hypocritical. Neither Hermione, nor Edward are perfect; they're flawed, like every other human being, so they're bound to make mistakes. I will not try to blame Bella for Edward's choice, nor will I try to relieve him, or Hermione from the blame when it happens. They will have to deal with the backlash, and the moral implications of their choice.
5) Hermione is a morally ambiguous character, and that is fact; I can mention several canon events that back my claim, but I'll only refer to you two: a) she kidnapped Rita Skeeter, held her hostage for a few days, and blackmailed her twice - once when she forbade her to write for a year, and the other to force her to interview Harry in Order of the Phoenix, and b) she, quite literally, hand delivered Umbridge to the centaurs, knowing they might kill her (if you've read Greek mythology, you'd know centaurs were said to rape the women they caught; a fact JK Rowling certainly knew since she studied Classics in University).
6) Expect much, much drama. Rose - not Rosalie! - will play a huge part in the progression of the story, and her existence/death will greatly influence the characters, and their decisions.
7) Renesmee will also have a huge part in the story; expect to see many interactions between her, and Hermione as well.
The above statements are my one, and only warning; if you find yourself uncomfortable with anything stated above, please do yourself a favour and stop reading now. I won't apologise for anything that happens onward, and I won't accept complaints about the plot/characterization. Not all stories are fluff, and not all happy endings can be achieved without tears, pain, and loss. I, usually, have a good reason for anything that happens in my stories.
If this is not your cup of tea, then don't read.
Additional chapter notes; a) Hippocrates is regarded as 'the father of medicine'. He lived in the Greek Island of Kos, around 4th century B.C. About a century after he died, a collection of medical works was gathered under his name, aptly named Hippocratic Collection (or Hippocratic Corpus). It includes the Hippocratic Oath. b) Vivisection is surgery conducted on living organisms for experimental purposes. In the early 3rd century B.C., Herophilus and Erasistratus, two surgeons in Alexandria, made the first scientific studies designed to discover the workings of the human anatomy. Their method was human vivisection on convicted criminals. c) This chapter contains heavy smut; if you are old enough to read the explicit version, you can find the link in my profile.
PS: I'm taking great liberties with the panakeia legend, so bear with me.
Robert Frost
Hermione smiled in greeting at the busy Unspeakables; she had not come in the Department since her transfer, more than a year now, so she wasn't sure how to socialise with her former co-workers. Unspeakables were notoriously difficult to have pleasant conversation with, especially since they were contractually, and magically obliged not to speak about their job.
The brunette witch might no longer be a member of the department, but she was still forbidden from talking about her research; the oath she took when she first joined was a life long bind. In fact, Unspeakables were only allowed to discuss their research with the other Unspeakables working in their sub-department, and Head of the Department.
Hermione's research had been known only to Robert, and the small team of Unspeakables working in the Death Chamber, and after her breakthrough in the real nature of the Veil, a select team from the Time, and Space Rooms.
The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had little to do with the Department of Mysteries, so when Lisa Turpin, her secretary, walked in and delivered her Robert Frost's message, requesting her presence in his office ASAP, Hermione was understandably confused.
Curious, the young witch had Lisa reschedule her appointments for the rest of the day, and made her way to her former department.
As was expected, Robert Frost's door was closed when she arrived; everyone knew the man thrived in solitude, and was infamous about his bad temper and sour attitude. The man was a known anti-social, which was why he fitted so well in the department. And why his superiors in St Mungo's were so relieved to see him go; as brilliant a Healer Robert was, his bed side manner was atrocious to put it mildly.
His appointment as Head of the Department had been whispered among his co-workers for months after; usually high ranked Ministry officials were expected to be skilled in politics, and have a certain grasp on social interactions. After all, such an important department required funding, and as its Head, Frost was obliged to interact with possible benefactors in the numerous fund-raising galas the Ministry hosted annually.
And charming was not a word that could describe the moody wizard at his best.
But his intelligence, and leadership qualities far outweighed what he lacked in social skills; and it was those qualities that had first attracted Hermione to the older wizard.
Despite what people were saying about her choices in boyfriends, Hermione valued intelligence in her romantic partners; Ron, despite his hot-headedness, and lack of academic prowess, was by far the most gifted strategist in the Auror department.
Draco, for all his mocking of her, was the youngest Potions Master in England.
As for Oliver, the lad was not only a superb Quidditch player, but he was especially gifted in Transfiguration. In one of their nights spent in bed, he'd told her he was planning to apply for an Apprentice position under McGonagall when he was done with Quidditch.
Only Ginny, and Luna knew of her attraction to the older wizard, and they were the first and only to know when during one of their numerous heated arguments in his office, she had kissed him, and in return he'd proceeded to shag her senseless.
Their relationship was purely physical, with no emotional strings attached; they were both mature enough to recognise they were not suitable for each other, with their age difference ranking very low in the list on why they shouldn't be together.
For Hermione, it was a much needed way to work out some steam, and not have to worry about dates, anniversaries, and fights over her long work hours.
Their sordid affair continued throughout her stay in the department, and after, until she started seeing Oliver; he had accepted her decision, and even congratulated on finally moving forward with her life, but Hermione knew that if she ever wished to revisit their old arrangement, Robert would be willing.
So far, she had been avoided the temptation, but after that dream she had, the young witch pondered the benefits of rekindling that particular affair.
But their sexual history was surely not the reason he had summoned her today, so Hermione raised a hand, and knocked on his door.
"Enter!" he snapped from inside, and Hermione smiled, her hand already twisting the knob.
The black haired wizard was bent over a work table, working on some foul smelling potion, a sheet of parchment spread beside the simmering cauldron, and an eagle quill grasped in his hand; he didn't bother to look who his visitor was.
Hermione knew the door was heavily warded against intruders, and very few people could enter without his permission. She had been one of them, but she wasn't sure if that was still the case.
"Good morning, Robert," she said calmly, shutting the door behind her.
His back tensed at the sound of her voice, then relaxed.
"Granger." He acknowledged her. "Take a seat. I'll be done in five minutes, and thirty four seconds."
Fighting a smile, she obeyed his order.
At exactly four minutes, and thirty four seconds - she checked, - he cast a drying spell on the parchment, rolled it up, and shoved it in an empty slot on his bookcase, which covered the whole wall.
"Won't the potion go bad?" she asked when he finally turned to face her. His black eyes did a quick survey of her seated form, before he walked behind his desk, and sat on the monstrosity he called a chair.
"No," he answered, stippling his fingers, and watching her with hawkish eyes.
Hermione, used to his intensity, rolled hers.
"Why did you ask me to come here?"
"Ask you?"
"I'm not your subordinate any longer, Robert." The witch pointed out, smiling. "You can't order me around. Any requests you have of me, I can deny them if I wish."
"You never responded well to being ordered around if I remember correctly." A knowing smirk stretched his lips, and Hermione sighed.
"It's not in my nature to blindly follow orders, as you know."
"Indeed." He agreed, resting his palms on the cool surface of his desk. "In that case, thank you for coming to see me so soon."
"Of course. I knew it must be something important." Hermione frowned when she noticed the way his black eyes shone.
"Oh, Hermione," he murmured, the silky quality of his voice sending shivers down her spine. "You have no idea."
xxXxx
The book - codex - was well-preserved, the leather binding still intact. She still used latex gloves to touch it, carefully opening to inspect the pages. Someone had gone to great lengths to cut parchment in identical pieces to create this book.
The majority of the text was written in Ancient Greek, but the part Robert wanted her to decipher - a relatively small section of the book, only ten pages, - was written in a language she had never encountered before. It resembled hieroglyphics, but Alaric had said it was no match for any glyph-based language on Earth.
So that left only one option- it was encrypted. A code.
"How old did you say this book is?"
"Codex." Alaric corrected, annoyed. "And Gringotts' specialists put its creation around the seventh century. They're just speculating though, based on the artefacts they found in that cave. Some of the spells on the chest the codex was hidden in were unheard off, until Mr Weasley managed to break down the wards inside the cave. It took them months just to break the first layer of protective enchantment."
"I can imagine," she whispered, squinting at a footnote. Ancient Greek was not the easiest language to learn, and it was so much more difficult when the hand-writing rivalled Harry's. 'Chicken scratches' took a whole new meaning in this situation. "But..."
"But what, Granger?" Robert asked, leaning over the codex from the other side of the desk. Their foreheads were inches apart; he knew her enough to know something was bothering.
Amber eyes flicked to his.
"It's a book."
"Codex!"
Alaric wisely quietened when both Hermione, and Robert glared at him.
"Continue." He ordered, and for once, she complied without chastising him about his tone.
"As I said, it's a book. In Ancient Greece, they secured the written word in scrolls, not books. Not to mention, Chiron was a centaur; he didn't have magical abilities, so how did he magically hid a whole portion of his cave, and secured the chest?"
Straightening from her bent over position, Hermione softly shut the book, and locked eyes with him.
"I'd say this codex was written around the third century B.C."
"But-"
"I'm not merely hypothesising, Mr Saltzman." She interrupted him, throwing him a condescending stare. "There's a foot note in the last section, mentioning the Hippocratic Oath. And there's a whole chapter on Herophilus and Erasistratus's experiments using vivisection to study human anatomy. Now, either our author had mastered the art of Time Travelling centuries in the future, or..."
"Chiron didn't write this," Robert gruffly murmured, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No." She agreed. "But whoever did, had knowledge, scientific knowledge of medicine. And he, or she, was magical."
Robert rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Could he -"
"Or she."
"Or she," he added, glaring at her for interrupting him. "Could they be in any way connected to Chiron?"
"Seeing as he'd be dead for centuries when this book was written, I doubt it," she dryly answered, and rolled her eyes at his dark look. "It is possible our author was a part of a group studying Chiron's teachings, or something similar. Perhaps a student of his took over when Chiron died, and later a student of his, and so on."
"It'd explain how they knew of the cave, and why they chose to hide the codex in there."
"So the author was Chiron's fan?" Alaric asked, sounding confused.
Hermione shared an amused glance with her former lover.
"It would seem so."
The elder wizard seemed to be having trouble coming to terms with their new discovery. Robert took pity on him, and allowed him to take a break, leaving him alone with the brunette witch.
"He didn't take it too well." She observed with a quirk of her lips.
"No." Her partner leaned his hip against the desk, eyes dark. "I can't say I blame him. The prospect of finding panakeia..."
Hermione tensed, and he noticed; he was intimately familiar with her mannerisms, so she wasn't surprised.
One eyebrow raised, he patiently waited for her to talk.
"Panakeia was a legend, even then, Robert. It was the name of a minor goddess, said to be able to cure every illness. If the legend is to be believed, Chiron named the herb after that goddess."
"You haven't told me anything I didn't already know, princess."
Of course, he would have studied everything he could get his hands on, on the subject, the moment the codex's existence was confirmed. That was Robert.
"If it exists, Chiron wouldn't just let the knowledge die now, would he? He loved humans, but he wasn't an idiot. He must have known not everyone would be so generous as to freely give the medicine away. If someone with a sinister agenda had managed to get his hands on the cure, he'd most certainly have used it to benefit his cause, not help the rest of the world."
"He hid it then? That's what you're saying?"
"I'm saying that if that codex was written by a student of Chiron's teachings, then it's a possibility, a far-fetched one I admit, that he had access to Chiron's scrolls... And that riddle can be the key to find if panakeia is real, and where it is."
xxXxx
"I have no time for extra curriculum activities, Robert." She practically whined, perching on his desk after they returned to his office. The moment the door was shut, he spelled it shut, and silent.
Then he asked her to be part of the team he had compiled to study the codex.
"Take a few days to think this through," Robert said, watching her with his dark, intense eyes. "I know you must have a lot on your plate, but you know this is the opportunity of a life time."
She closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"It is, but the fact remains I simply have no time to dedicate to this project." She insisted. "You forget I'm Deputy Head of my Department, not to mention Amos asked me to take a two week long diplomatic trip to Volterra next month."
A rare smile lit up his features at her words.
"What?" she asked, suspiciously. Robert never smiled, and when he did, it meant bad things for someone else.
"Volterra, you said?"
"Yes, I'm supposed to meet the Volturi. What of it?"
"I'm surprised at your obtuseness, princess."
Annoyed, Hermione arched a haughty eyebrow.
Robert, his smile turning into a smirk, closed the distance between them, and leaned close to her, his hands coming to land on his desk on either side of her hips. He was so close to her, she could smell his cologne, and she fought down a shiver.
"Why, Hermione, I'd expect someone of your brilliance would have made the connection immediately. Aro, Caius, and Marcus were borne and raised in Greece, correct?"
"What's your point?" She growled, uncrossing her arms. Her fingertips tingled at his nearness. After nearly a year of abstinence, her body was thrumming with sexual desire. Physically, Robert was very attractive, and the young witch knew from personal experience that Robert was brilliant in all aspects of his life, not just in academics.
"They are almost three thousand years old, princess," he whispered, his tone fairly condescending. "Don't you think if anyone on Earth has knowledge of Chiron, it might be them?"
Hermione could feel her eyes widening in realisation, and her cheeks flushed with shame; he was right. The connection was so obvious, she felt like slapping her self.
Merlin, just the other day, she had told Harry, the Volturi leaders were living history!
"Fuck," she softly exclaimed, eyes flying to his.
"I intend to." He growled, eliminating the few inches between their mouths and taking her lips in a punishing kiss.
Hermione opened her mouth instinctively, and moaned when Robert's tongue invaded her mouth, and touched hers. Her hands flew to his chest, bunching the fabric of his expensive shirt in tight fists, and she fully sat on his desk, opening her legs to accommodate his bigger body; he accepted the invitation with a lustful growl, gripping her hip with one hand, and wounding the other in her locks, fingers rubbing the skin where her hair ended. In one of their first times together, he found out this was an erotic spot for her, and he'd been exploiting it ever since.
In response, she arched toward him, her breasts pushing against his chest, and her legs wrapped around his hips. Robert's mouth left hers despite her protests, lips trailing down her neck to latch where her neck met shoulder.
"Merlin, Rob!" she exclaimed. It shocked her, realising he had not forgotten her sensitive spots after so long since their last time together.
Burning with desire, she ripped his expensive shirt apart, buttons flying all around them.
After her cold fingers touched his hard abdomen, he seemed to lost control; their clothes were ripped apart, scraps and pieces scattered all over his office in their hurry to get naked.
When he finally tore her knickers off, he pushed her on the desk, and climbed on it himself, settling between her splayed legs. His hands fondled her breasts, thumbs teasing her nipples into hard points, before leaning over to suckle them.
He used his free hand to prepare her, slowly rubbing her clit with his thumb, while circling her opening with two fingers. When she was sufficiently wet, he sank one finger inside her, making her whimper.
Keeping up a steady rhythm, he added another one, never stopping his ministrations of her breasts. When he felt her walls fluttering, he crooked his fingers, dragging them against her walls as he pulled out.
Hermione came, her scream swallowed by his lips, one hand caressing her breast, and the other taking a firm grip on her hip to keep her still as he positioned himself at her entrance, and without preamble, he thrust in.
Her convulsing walls squeezed his length, and Robert broke the kiss to groan. Hermione was too overwhelmed with pleasure to do anything else other than wrapping her legs, and arms around him and hang on for dear life as Robert started fucking her just the way she liked it; fast, and hard.
"Merlin, I missed this." He growled, biting her throat.
Hermione mewled, nails scratching at his back as his cock stretched her open, his pubic bone hitting her clit at the same time, making her dizzy with pleasure. At a particular hard thrust, she cried out, feeling her walls starting to flutter with another orgasm.
Robert swore; he rose to his knees, forcing her to untangle her legs from his waist. Pissed he had stalled her orgasm, she glared at him.
"Hold on, princess." He rumbled, throwing her legs over his shoulders, and pistoning into her harder than before. Hermione's nails dug into the wood of his desk, breasts bouncing with his fast thrusts, her lips swollen from kissing.
She keened when he stared rubbing her tingling clit, and knew she was seconds from coming.
"That's it, princess, come for me," he whispered huskily, driving into her pussy with deep lunges. When she came, he shut his eyes, and groaned at the euphoric pressure milking his cock. Half a dozen thrusts later, he came with a hoarse shout.
Breathing heavily, they rested for a few minutes, his head on her breasts, his mouth fondly suckling on a nipple.
"If I knew we'd be doing this, I would have wear sexier underwear," she said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Would you believe me if I said this was never my intention?" he asked, flipping on his back beside her.
Hermione laughed quietly.
"No," she replied.
Robert chuckled.
"Good," he murmured. "You can't blame me for hoping this would happen. I don't know about you, but I hadn't had sex for nearly a year. And you know I can't resist you when you talk smart, princess."
"Mm." She turned on her side, raising on her elbow to stare down at him. "You do realise if we continue this," she motioned between them, "it won't be as easy as before."
"Yes," he murmured, eyes on her breasts. "You can't exactly come to my office daily, seeing as you don't work here any more."
"We have to think of something," she whispered, trailing a finger down his chest. "My flat is out of the question; my friends like to pay my unexpected visits, and we don't want them to catch us in flagrande delicto."
"No, we don't." He agreed, catching her finger, and bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. "My house on the other hand is warded against intruders, and the only fireplace connected to the floo Network is in the shed behind the main estate, and only family members and a select few have access to it."
Hermione stared at him incredulously.
"Paranoid much?"
"Better paranoid than dead, princess," he gravelly said, tapping her nose.
"You sound like Moody."
"And he was right."
"I can't believe I'm sleeping with you."
"No? Let me remind you why then." He growled, rolling on top of her. Her squeals turned to moans soon, and everything else was forgotten.
At least for the time being.