Chapter 5

A/N: I'm pleased so many of you are enjoying the story! A huge thanks to Muggle Jane and Krissy for being my awesome betas! And thank you all to the lovely people following and reviewing this story! I'm glad you're all loving it! Xx

Disclaimer: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I also don't own Beauty and the Beast, which serves as the inspiration for this story. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

Chapter 5

Hermione sat in the chair, looking out the window once more. There was nothing else to do there. She huffed, watching the clouds roll by. It looked so beautiful out… She honestly didn't see any harm in going out there.

Remus is just trying to protect you, a small voice hissed at her in the back of her mind.

Hermione sighed once more. She had been at war with herself. It had been three days since she'd eaten, and her hunger was getting the best of her. It was probably why she was feeling so irritable.

Pipsy had stopped bringing her food, most likely because she knew Hermione wasn't going to touch it.

She knew Remus was doing a good thing, and that she should be thankful that he cared about her so much, but her pride was getting in the way.

With a groan, she stood. Maybe she could sneak away later on tonight and try to find the kitchens. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. Hopefully she didn't run into Remus though… She didn't want to deal with him yet.

Now she just needed to find something to do in order to pass the time. Rolling her eyes, she fell backwards, landing on the bed with a thud. She was bored. She figured he would have brought her a book, something, anything, but he hadn't. "Some host he is," she scoffed to herself.

Well, you haven't exactly been a good guest, her conscience scolded her once more.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione knew her conscience was right. But he was just so infuriating! And he had hurt her, even though it had taken her awhile to realize it. She was angry because he had hurt her.

He thought she couldn't take care of herself. He thought she was a child that needed protection. The thought was like a slap in the face. She was a child to him.

She felt her cheeks grow hot and willed herself not to cry. She didn't want to be a child to him. She wanted to be an adult. She wanted to show him that she wasn't useless!

Closing her eyes, she began to count her breaths.

She awoke a few hours later. Glancing out the window, she saw it was dark outside. The moon was shining brightly onto the grounds. She grabbed a sweater that she had found in the closet and moved towards the door.

Pushing the furniture out of the way, she pressed her ear against the door, and she listened for any noises. She smiled when she didn't hear any.

She slowly opened the door. She peeked left and right and saw that the coast was clear. She decided she would head left and hopefully find the kitchens.

Walking along the corridor, she looked around. It was beautiful, and she imagined that it was definitely some sort of castle. There were paintings on the walls, Muggle, not magical. She wondered why. Hermione had always assumed that Remus came from a pureblood family, but looking back, she couldn't remember him ever saying what his blood status was. The carpets were red and incredibly soft. She walked along the corridor silently, the carpet cushioning her steps.

After wandering for almost twenty minutes, she heard a noise. Listening intently, she realized it was a lot of little noises. They were coming from behind the door. Feeling brave, Hermione pushed the door open, bracing herself for whatever laid on the other side.

She sighed in relief when she realized it was the kitchen. She walked in, immediately surrounded by the warmth of the stoves.

"Mistress!" a small voice cried out.

Hermione turned and saw Pipsy scooting through the crowd of house elves towards her.

"Pipsy." Hermione smiled. "Could you maybe get me something to eat?"

Pipsy smiled, her grin spreading from ear to ear. "Oh yes, Mistress! Right away!" Pipsy turned around and started ordering a few other elves around.

Hermione took a seat at the table that was in the middle of the room. Pipsy appeared a few moments later with a tray of finger sandwiches and a cup of tea. Hermione smiled, offering her thanks.

She stared at the food, licking her lips. She hadn't realized how hungry she was exactly, but now that she was here, she realized she was famished. Her stomach growled loudly as if to agree. She picked up a sandwich and was about to bite into it when she realized there were hundreds of eyes on her.

"Pipsy?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, Miss?" Pipsy asked, puffing her chest up as if she was so happy Hermione was calling for her specifically.

"Why are you all staring at me?" Hermione felt a bit silly asking.

"Oh!" Pipsy smiled once more. "They are happy to see a Miss in the castle. It has been so long, and we've been waiting for someone to serve."

Hermione frowned. Her S.P.E.W. efforts weren't forgotten. "You know, Pipsy, I don't really need to be served. I can handle things on my own."

Pipsy looked as if she was going to burst into tears. Looking around, Hermione saw many of the elves looked that way. Her heart constricted.

"But I can be served if it's what you really want," she added, trying to appease the elves. They all grinned once more, and Pipsy held a look of relief.

Hermione smiled, but it was forced, so it came out like a grimace. Turning back to her food, she quickly ate. When she finished, she pushed the plate away and stood.

"I can take you back to your room now, Mistress," Pipsy said.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I think I want to look around a bit."

Pipsy bit her lips. "That's not a good idea, Miss," she said gently.

Hermione scrunched her eyes up in confusion. "Why not? It's just a castle."

The elf bit her lip once more. "A castle full of dangerous secrets, Mistress."

"It'll be fine," Hermione said. She wanted to explore. She could only imagine the secrets this place held.

Pipsy shook her head. "No. I must insist."

Hermione sighed. "Fine, I'll return to my room, but I'll walk there alone."

Pipsy still seemed nervous, but knew it was good enough.

Hermione was wandering down the hall. Of course she hadn't listened to Pipsy. Why on Earth would Hermione Granger do what she was told?

Looking around, she noticed she had entered a darker part of the castle. She shivered, pulling her sweater around herself tighter. The whole atmosphere was cold and dark. The carpet was torn, and a few paintings were scratched. She wondered what had happened here. A terrible feeling began in her gut, and Hermione decided she would turn and go back to her rooms.

She had made it about halfway when she heard labored footsteps coming straight at her. Her heart caught in her throat as she saw him.