3 Neighborhood

The stranger watched her while she gazed intensely at her needle, caressing it at every daint. A knowing expression appeared on his face, and he hoped it is not what he is guessing right now.

"Don't tell me you were looking for a needle in a huge haystack, Miss Larabee?"

"Umm…" She stuttered.

"Interesting" He couldn't believe this. He shook his head with a chuckle.

Hermione lightly cleared her throat. "Sorry for the wound."

"No worries."

Dusting her clothes, Hermione was ready to leave seeing that they were done. She gazed up at him because of their height difference. "Thank you for help my Lord, I'm grateful."

"My pleasure." He replied.

"If you don't mind, I will take my leave now my lord." She gave a light bow to him before striding forward.

"I would like to accompany you home, Lady Larabee." The stranger proposed.

She paused. "You don't have to, my Lord, I will be fine on my own." She outrightly rejected.

"I don't have to, I need to," Came the response from the handsome Stranger.

"I don't think you need to my Lord, like I said, I will be fine alone."

"You were scared a while ago, and you are now. I'll need to accompany you so you don't have a heart attack and die on your way, before the reason of your fear gets to you," He spoke, with a tint of a smirk on his face.

Hermione glared silently at him. She was about to protest when he said something.

"I insist,"

Pursing her lips, she nodded.

Truth be told, the main reason she didn't actually wanted him following her was because of the neighbors in her neighborhood. Those stares are going to increase tenfolds now, most importantly, they will have a new thing to gossip about. Sigh!

"Thinking about something unpleasant, lady Larabee?"

"It is something that is not for you to worry about, my Lord," She uttered.

His dark brow moved upward, and his lips rose in a smirk. He must say, he had really smiled and smirked more than usual today, just because of a girl he met searching for a single needle in ground full of hay. How amusing.

"If you say so, lady Larabee."

Not replying his words, Hermione walked forward, not planning to begin any sort of conversation. The quietness was comforting and sweet.

As much as the silence calmed her, the was also a certain disrupt in her heart. Hermione was never one to care about what people said about her, but this was another thing. Them seeing her with a man in their neighborhood, especially a man like this. Oh no! Scary. She shivered physically from the thoughts. She could already feel their judging eyes on her.

Who knows the stories they will make of it this time.

She had finally brought her kind home?

Or she had blackmail a human to do her deeds. Most traumatizing, she had finally made use of her powers to charm a human so she could make use of his heart. God! She couldn't stop assuming.

The closer they neared, the tenser she got.

"I can feel that you are not comfortable Miss Larabee, what is the matter?" He asked out of concern.

"Thank you my Lord for your concern and care, but I can take it from here. I will not like to bother you further." She said with nervously.

The handsome stranger, could sense how nervous she was from the way she avoided looking at him.

"If you weren't aware, I'm a man of my words Miss Larabee, and I shall see you to your doorstep." He deadpaned to her.

Oh no! She could hear her mind scream in her head, this is bad!, So, so bad.

Without wasting time to convince him otherwise, Hermione instantly turned around and began to move further in a quicker pace, and he followed suit.

By the time they arrived at her neighborhood, it was already dark by far, a few minutes till the moon luminate the whole village.

She could feel something crawling on her skin, and goosebumps appearing. Oh how she hoped the neighbors have all gone into their homes.

Hermione's heart had already reached her throat, just as she thought, she was not disappointed. To her terror, some of them who keeps late night were still seated outside to receive the cool breeze of the evening, while some were still at the well, getting water to take their evening bath.

Her throat worked, taking in a huge lump of saliva, but she knew she was putting her heart back in it's rightful position, preparing herself for the worst.

Here comes the stares. Hermione threw her head down not wanting to pay heeds to them. Literally, she could feel their gaze on her body and it was creeping her out. Their judging stares tired her out seriously.

Not minding them she made her way passing through different doorsteps to get to her own. Her mind wasn't with her any longer, but she could tell the stranger was still following her behind steadily.

Truths be told, He couldn't care less.

Only if he knew what they thought of her. Hermione thought inwardly.

Not that it affected her, but she couldn't say she do not mind it, who would not mind being the talk of the village in a negative way. If this was any other day, she would have moved nonchalantly into her home, but today she had someone tagging along. A stranger she just met this evening. Sigh!

"Thank you, for your company my Lord. I shall take it from here, that's my home over there." She said, pointing at the direction where her house stood.

"I see, it's my pleasure."

"Oh, and I apologize for….. my needle, and your finger." She said, unconciously touching the place she kept it earlier to feel if it was still there.

The stares from the neighbors had not died down, instead she could see that they were more interested as if they were watching a drama being performed on the street. She could read the curiosities in their eyes, and it creeped her out being watched that way.

Hermione looked at his handsome face inorder to find any sought of discomfort or questions but she found none. Atleast that puts her in some relief.

"I would have loved to invite you in to treat your wound, but it is already late." She mouthed.

"No worries, lady Larabee, It is alright." Came his response as he quickly hid his hand behind him, but It was not fast enough to evade her sharp black eyes.

"Your wound…it's.." She said, pointing at his hand which he hid behind him.

"It is just a small piercing, do not worry about it." He interrupted her before she could complete her word. "Now go in before you are stripped by their stares." The handsome stranger seconded with a light chuckle.

Hermione halfed smile at his words before turning to head to her doorstep. In between her steps, she will look back at him to see him still watching her. When her eyes went to his hand, she frowned slightly, but pushed the thought away as she gaze back to his dazzling grey eyes that seems to be pulling her in anytime she looked at them.

He still stood there with his hands now in his pockets, looking at her with a small smile. "I hope to see you again, lady Larabee."

Hermione reciprocated his smile, and closed the door behind her before the words he said fell on her ears. She ran to the window and swept the curtains aside, but didn't find him outside, not even his shadow. 'What! He was just outside.'

She rushed to the door and pulled it open, twisting her head left and right in search for him, but she was only met with the stares of the neighbors who immediately drew their attention to her the moment she opened her door, as if waiting for what she would do next.

Frowning at them, she closed her door with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"He left."