The carriage passed slowly along the beaten dirt road, trees encroaching thickly on both sides. It was a small carriage by all standards, large enough for only one occupant, pulled by a solitary horse and manned by one driver. Ornate at first glance, it had a used look about it. The faded and scuffed design of vines climbed the door, a threadbare velvet curtain shielding the occupant within from the outside world.
The driver hummed quietly to himself as he directed the horse, kicking his heels on the trunk on which he sat. The horse slowed, flicking his ears, and the driver paused to look around a moment. The trees stood silently and he shook his head as he descended from the carriage. As he reached the horse, a faint whisper could be heard and the driver stiffened from head to toe before collapsing upon the ground.
Three shadows emerged from between the trees, faces becoming visible as they came closer to the carriage. Dressed in green and brown tunics with hose to match, they looked at ease in the woods, their feet silent against the earth.
"Well that was easy," said the first, upon reaching the horse. His green eyes gleamed as he took in the placid animal, patting him softy on the nose.
"You should stay alert, Harry," replied the second. "Your mum will have our heads if we don't bring you back in one piece!"
Harry snorted quietly. "Honestly, Remus! You'd think I've never done this before!"
"Can't blame her for being careful, Pup," chimed the third man. "You're her precious baby, after all." He grinned as he patted the first on the shoulder cheerfully.
"In any case, we should check inside the carriage, Sirius. It's odd that no one has come out yet. Perhaps just an item transport?"
Sirius frowned as he considered this.
"Now that you mention it, there are no guards either. Bit of an easy target, yeah?"
He and Remus frowned at each other for a moment before moving simultaneously to stand on either side of the carriage door. Remus paused to signal to Harry to stand on the other side of the horse, just out of sight. Remus fell into an easy crouch, hand on the wicked looking knife tucked into his belt. Sirius gave Remus and Harry one last look before crouching and opening the door in one swift motion.
Both Sirius and Remus stared silently for a moment at the sight before them, before Sirius called for Harry to join them. He too stopped short at the sight, before rushing forward, only to be stopped by Sirius.
"Wait!"
Harry and Remus looked at him incredulously.
"Sirius. You honestly expect me to just leave her there?"
"Of course not! We don't know why she's there, Harry." He looked furtively into the carriage and spoke lowly. "There could be a reason."
"Nothing justifies this, Sirius," Harry hissed, gesticulating wildly, Remus silent at his side in agreement.
Sirius sighed and looked once more before nodding.
Before them, sitting upright on the seat of the carriage, was a woman. Her dark eyes had been tracking their movements the length of their discussion, though the gag on her mouth prevented her from interacting with them, as did the rope that tightly bound her wrists and ankles.
Harry jumped up the carriage step quickly and set to untying the gag behind her head, fingers nimbly working out the knots. As the gag came off, the woman took a deep shuddering breath of air and gazed at Harry levelly, then at the quiver slung upon Sirius' back and Remus' belt knife.
"I take it I'm being robbed?" she asked coolly.
Harry and Sirius looked away slightly, cheeks colouring. It was Remus who responded.
"You were, yes – though it seems the only thing of value in your carriage is your person, My Lady."
She was undoubtedly a Lady. From her flawless brown skin, marred only by the rope marks, to her fine dress and the pearls gleaming at her neck and ears, she could not be mistaken for anything else.
"Will you be untying my other bonds, or will you leave me thus?"
"For your pearls we shall free you," responded Sirius, ignoring the dark looks he received from the other two.
"Take them, then," the woman said, without hesitation. "I have no need of them."
Sirius reached out towards her and undid the necklace clasp, making quick work of removing the earrings afterwards. He passed them to Harry who gazed at them for a moment before slipping them into the satchel attached to his belt.
"How is it that you came to be tied up in your own carriage," Remus asked suddenly. "Were you set upon by thieves before you reached the woods?"
"Why," the woman snorted, "Are you afraid of a little competition?"
Sirius looked at her, affronted. "We are far more than thieves. We're bandits," he proclaimed proudly. "Living by our wits and using what resources we have to make good lives!"
"Sirius, enough," Remus hissed. "Your answer, Lady?"
She looked at them all before sighing quietly, stretching her arms above her head as Harry released her from the last of her bonds.
"I was not robbed before you came upon me. It was my Father's men that tied me and set me on this journey through the woods without a guard, though it is known they are dark and perilous."
Seeing their sudden stillness, she continued.
"My sister was betrothed to a man of questionable repute. Though he is of high standing and the match was advantageous to our family, I ached to see her bound to such a man. And so I volunteered to take her place."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And they saw fit to tie you and send you off without a guard? Forgive me, but that doesn't seem like a likely story."
The woman shifted quietly in the carriage, cheeks flushing.
"While my sister is a cherished asset to our Father, I have been something of a nuisance. When I offered to take my sister's place it was viewed with no small amount of suspicion. It was thought that I would attempt to flee before reaching my betrothed."
"Just who is your intended?" Harry asked curiously.
The woman's full mouth twisted up into a grimace as she replied.
"The Dursley Heir."
They all stared at her in silent horror as they contemplated her response.
"Yes, rather unfortunate, isn't it" she said thickly.
"Unfortunate," sputtered Sirius. "Unfortunate would be an old man or a child! This is just – a travesty! You betrothed to that- that- "
"Yes, well. It is rather unavoidable at this point," she pointed out calmly.
"But my Lady," Harry said quietly, "Tales of his cruelty are known even here in the deep recesses of the woods."
She swallowed harshly and looked away before Remus caught her eye.
"Are you really so resigned to being the plaything of such a cruel man," Remus added.
"If it is to be my sister or myself, then I gladly embrace my fate."
Sirius extended his hand to her suddenly, a roguish grin splitting the gloom.
"What if it didn't have to be either?"
"I – what?"
She looked at Sirius, and then to the other two, bewildered. Sirius kept looking at her, and so she took his hand to step down from the carriage. Upon the ground, she realized just how tall Sirius and Remus were, at least two heads taller than she and Harry, who she was at a height with.
"Exactly what I said. What if we faked your death?"
All three looked at Sirius with various levels of disapproval, the woman herself moving forward to poke him in the chest.
"And what of my sister? I leave her to that overgrown bully," she asked shrilly. "I would never abandon her to that fate!"
Sirius quickly brought up his hands to defend himself. "No, no," he said quickly. "That isn't what I was suggesting at all!" He looked to Remus and Harry before continuing.
"Hear me out, please." Seeing them all nod hesitantly, he plowed on. "We fake your death, preferably close to your Father's fief. Then, when they realise what's happened and send your sister through the forest in your stead, we kidnap her and fake her death too!"
He looked breathlessly at the others. Harry looked considering, while Remus was simply regarding him as one would a madman.
"Sirius! Are you absolutely out of your mind!" Remus gritted his teeth and covered his face with his hands for a moment, breathing deeply.
The woman looked at Remus for a moment, before turning back to Sirius.
"Your idea has potential. I'm in," she said.
As they all looked at her rather incredulously, she held out her hand to Sirius.
"I'm Hermione, and I'm pleased to meet you."
AN:
Welcome to the first chapter of what I hope will become a comprehensively long and awesome story. This first chapter was written for NeonDomino as part of the Monthly One Shot Exchange over at HPFC. It is *definitely* AU, but more than that, it is a Bandits!AU, which is fantastic. The pairings will either be Remus/Sirius or Remus/Sirius/Hermione, I haven't yet decided. This story also features POC!Hermione, and others.
Hermione has a sister? Yes indeed, and you'll have to read on to find out who it is. Is there magic in this AU? Also yes.
