Hermione was soaked. The rain had gone through her wool coat and the rest of her clothes. She could feel the water on her skin. Her hair was at least tamed now that it was wet. But she knew it would not last long. So she continued to run through the forest, trying to see where she was going despite the torrents of rain pouring down.
"Harry ! Ronald !" Her screams were almost inaudible, lost in the roaring thunderstorm.
She knew they should have stayed together. The wilderness was dangerous, especially because help could rarely be found. They were far from any major towns and far from any road. If the Gold Rush helped populating the West Coast, it did not much for demography in the middle of this vast land, really a continent in the eyes of Hermione who was doubting they would ever arrive to their final destination, San Francisco.
She tripped on a root and fell quite inelegantly, although who could blame her, in wet leaves. She sat panting heavily. She was lost, and they were probably too. They were trying to seek a ranch to get food, leaving her to protect the stolen, branded, horses, when the storm had come on her. They must not have been very far when it started to rain as they had only been gone for half an hour. And yet, trying to find them, she had only managed to lose herself, and in turn, the horses.
Trying not to panic, she stood up and leaned against a large tree. She was not really protected from the downpour but at least she could see her immediate surroundings. Trees, well, that was not very useful.
She decided to turn around. She was afraid she could lose herself even more but at this point it could not get much worse. So Hermione located the root, which had tripped her and then the pile of wet leaves. From there, she only had to go in the opposite direction. She began to walk, staying attentive to any sign of movement, which could indicate her the location of the horses.
The adrenaline that had fuelled her run was quickly coming back down. She began to shiver uncontrollably. The rain was cold and her soaked clothes did nothing to keep her warm. She took off her coat, putting it over her head. She ran her hands up and down her arms to try to infuse warmth back into her body. Her chest felt like ice. She kept on walking while rubbing her chest with more energy. It was slowly working, but still no sign of the horses. She could not keep going on for long.
Hermione noticed that it was getting colder. But she knew it was only a sign from her body, telling her to let it heat back. She walked, not relenting. If she sat down, she would probably have a hard time standing up. She was not going to die in a forest, during a thunderstorm for fuck's sake. She was smarter than that. Although apparently not smart enough not to run without precise knowledge of the terrain when it started raining like the damn Flood.
Finally, she saw movement. Unconsciously, she started to move faster, uncaring of her hurting feet. And here they were, the horses. She sighed in relief and hugged them, relinquishing in their warmth.
Letting go of her initial respite, she started to think. She needed to get her body heat back up, fast. She quickly took off her bodice and her shirt, enveloping herself in her wool coat. She then got under the fattest of the three horses, getting her covered back in contact with the animal's belly. Immediately, she felt a quiet warmth suffusing her back.
She sighed, silently thanking Claudius, the horse that she was currently under. Indeed, Hermione prided herself on her knowledge and well, she wanted to share it with her two best friends. So, she had named their three horses from three Roman emperors : Claudius, Hadrian and Julius. She rode Hadrian as he was swift and short-tempered so, as Ronald had so subtly remarked, just like her.
She hoped her two best friends were okay and that they would find her quickly when the rain will have stopped. She sighed, imagining them stuck under some tree, waiting for the downpour to be over, worrying over her.
Her long black hair that was usually maddeningly curly was sticking to her wet skin. It would probably triple in volume once it got dry again. She had to thank her mother for her lion mane.
She closed her eyes, slowly dozing off to the regular sound of Claudius's breathing. She would wait for the rain to subside and then she would look for her boys again. God she sounded like the great Molly herself... She chuckled and curled up even tighter, letting herself falling asleep, surrounded by water.
Ron was pissed off. He had not wanted to go look for food and of course, his first instinct had been right. They were now jailed by a thunderstorm, keeping them from going back to where Hermione was waiting with the horses, as well as keeping them from asking for help in a ranch. They should really stop to listen to Harry's plans.
"Told you there was no point in going" he grumbled, "now we're fucking lost and Hermione is alone in this fucking endless forest and she will probably -"
"Deal with this very rationally and be fine" ended Harry with a small smile.
"Do not let me keep you from being wrong again ! Assume things !"
Harry smiled again and chuckled. He did not doubt Hermione would handle the rain without batting an eye. Ron was more problematic because he did not like to stay immobile for too long.
"What time do you think it is ?" asked the red-head, glancing at the invisible sky.
"Well, night time, probably like midnight ?"
They both stared at the falling rain, trying to distinguish anything in the heavy mass of water. Ron shivered.
"Hope she has managed to stay dry, it is fucking cold and we are only in September..."
"I'm sure she has. But we should get closer in order to stay warm, we are not dry at all !"
Ron did not react to the tentative humour of his friend but got closer to him.
"D'you think we should try to sleep ?" he asked.
"Yeah, can't hurt and might need it."
They both sat down, still leaning against the trunk of a large tree, still close to each other. They were used to sleeping in hard conditions and this was not new so they got into a position where they could give each other some of their warmth. They slowly dozed off, thinking of nothing but their survival.
When Hermione woke, it was still raining, but the downpour was not as intense as it had been before, it was almost like a drizzle. She still felt the confortable heat of the horse's belly on her back. She slowly stood up, stretching, bones cracking. She started to go around the horses tending to their care when she heard a noise. She froze.
She knew that sound. It was the sound of a pistol, when you were about to fire it. The sound came from behind her back. She was facing the three horses, two of which were looking at something, or rather someone, behind her. And apparently a hell lot taller.
"Well, what do we have here ?"
She stayed frozen. The voice was pleasant and yet cutting. It was deep but terribly cold. Slowly, she raised her hands and turned around.
A tall man was facing her. He was pointing his pistol at her. So she had recognised the sound right. She quickly glanced at his face. He was handsome in a pale, gothic way, with sharp cheekbones and unforgiving grey eyes. His black hair was slightly curled and seemed dry. She frowned. He must have had a shelter during the peak of the thunderstorm. His cloak was also dry.
"You are a dripping mess my dear" he drawled, with a slight smirk.
His eyes scanned her face before going down and she noticed the way his eyebrow shot up. It was at this exact moment that Hermione realized she was naked under her cloak apart from her trousers. Her cloak was barely open but still, the skin she had on display was more than what was considered proper.
"Well, I have this tendency to get wet when it rains, crazy isn't it ?" she bit back, tightening the cloak around her.
His smile did not leave, and yet, she felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. She felt stupid. He was pointing a pistol at her and she still had not enough sense, not to be provoking. She tensed.
"You realize I'm pointing my pistol at you right ?"
She frowned, his sarcastic retort was tickling her to answer with a quip of her own. She bit her tongue to prevent herself to say something she would later regret.
"Can I help you with something ?" she calmly asked. Better to ask him why he was here in the first place, she had to get rid of him. And of his pistol. Or at least not have it threatening her.
"In fact, you can !" His smirk morphed into a big smile, reminding her of the lions in her children books. It was not a kind smile, it was predatory.
"Do tell."
"I am looking for three stolen horses."
She tried not to show any kind of reaction. She should have known the Malfoy would send someone. How could they take lightly to have three of their best horses stolen ? Even though they had many more...
"Well I'll be sure to look out for them" she smiled, though she knew it probably showed it was false.
"You see," he continued apparently not caring about her answer, "they are very easy to recognize. They're branded." His eyes were feral, glinting as the drizzle finally stop, letting the sun show its rays timidly.
"I'll know what to look for then," as she spoke, she got slowly closer to the horses, never taking her eyes of the man and his weapon.
"Alas, it is not only about the horses, my employers also want me to bring back to them the stealers."
Fuck this was bad. They would probably be hanged. Mercy was quite an unlikely reaction from the Malfoy.
"Really ?" Her back collided gently with one of the horses. She could make out from the corner of her eyes that it was Titus.
"Yes" he drawled. "And I can't help but wonder, what a young woman like yourself is doing all by herself in the middle of the forest with three horses ? Especially since I'm looking for a trio, and you share an uncanny resemblance to the woman of said trio."
His looked turned playful as though he was just toying with her. Her fear must have shown. She nonetheless tried to keep her composure.
"The world is full of coincidences, marvellous isn't it ?"
He barked out a little laugh.
"Could you stop pointing your weapon at me ? It is rather bothersome."
"Well my dear, I could, but I've seen the brand on the horses, I'm looking for three persons, and you're one of them." His tone was emotionless, his face now devoid of any sign of humanity. "I'm not letting you go that easily."
"I don't see what you're talking about I've never sto-"
"Please," he sighed, "do not give me the usual speech, a less efficient bounty hunter would know you were part of this so called 'Golden Trio'."
She knew she only had one question to ask.
"Alive or dead ?" she breathed out, not hiding her trembling anymore.
"Well dearest, you'll find that out when the boys with you show up," he smiled, "I dare hope they did not leave you to rot there."
She shut up, not taking up his bait. His silence was telling, dead. He was probably waiting for the boys in order to make them watch each other's death. Although she had gone without food for two days, her stomach gave tremors at the thought of witnessing the deaths of Harry and Ronald.
"Now kneel, and do not make a fuss," he said getting closer.
Hermione did not. She knew she was risking her life but she was almost sure he would not sure until Harry and Ronald came back. So she stood her ground, lowering her hands, glaring at the bounty hunter.
"No." Her voice was steadier than she thought it would be, making her secretly proud.
He had gotten closer so she had to look up to see his eyes. He was much taller than her, but then, she had always known she was quite short, even though her hair sometimes gave her a few more inches.
His eyes narrowed as though he was sizing her up. She made not much of a threat to him. He was tall and lean, probably muscular; he was after all, a bounty hunter.
"You do know I won't hesitate to force you to comply ?"
She narrowed her eyes in return. Physical violence would only make her body comply. Her will would remain a force to be reckoned with. Her determination made the fear tamer, easier to push back. Kneeling would put her in greater danger; it was harder to start running from a kneeling position.
"So what ?" she bit back venomous.
She could swear her eyes had visibly darkened at her answer, his mouth twitching when the sound of a snapping branch broke the tension. They both immediately started to look around for the source of the noise.
"Fuck" he grumbled under his breath still looking out for the cause of the sound.
Hermione was the first to see Ronald running into the clearing, armed with what looked like a large branch. The man turned just in time to see the redhead charging, before he was hit with the branch in the stomach. He immediately brought his hand to his stomach, trying to steady his breathing. But Harry joined Ron and quickly knocked him unconscious with a branch of his own.
"Thank you !" breathed out Hermione in relief, almost letting a few tears of fear falling. She quickly went to hug her two boys. After Ronald questioned her to see if she was hurt, she told them about the encounter with the man, still unconscious at their feet.
"We need to move," she said, "fast. If this man was on our trail, there may be others."
"I agree," nodded Harry. "Anyway we can't take the risk to believe there aren't. What should we do to blur the trail ?"
"I don't know," sighed Hermione, "we've already avoided the roads, what else is there really to do ?"
Ronald glanced at the forest around them, "we could go north."
"What for ? We're going to San Francisco."
"I know Harry but they don't know that. For all they know we could be heading for Mexico or some other place !"
"That's true !" whispered Hermione excitedly. "We have to get them off our scent !"
"Exactly 'Mione, so we need to go in a direction which is not the one we're heading for, for example north !" smiled Ron, his eyes shining with the idea of having found the solution to their life-threatening problem.
"It's brilliant Ronald !" laughed Hermione, quickly hugging him.
"Thanks 'Mione..." he said hugging her back.
Harry scratched his head at a loss, " we aren't going to Canada though are we ? I mean, it's only for a few days, to be seen in a few towns and stuff ? Right ?"
"Yeah, we need to be seen heading north but we ain't really doing that !"
"Ok well, if you agree on the plan, then, let's go."
Harry and Ronald started to get the horses when Hermione realized they had forgot to deal with the bounty hunter, sent by the Malfoy.
"What do we do about him ?"
Harry turned to her, his jet black hair hiding his green eyes from her for an instant. "We'll just leave him there. He's a bounty hunter, these guys only care about catching people quickly in order to get the money. He'll probably find some new prey and leave us be."
She nodded, although she was not quite sure about Harry's reasoning. But she could not bring herself to suggest eliminating the threat altogether.
So she climbed onto Hadrian, following her two best friends into the green, and still wet, forest. After all, maybe Harry was right, maybe they had discouraged this bounty hunter. Maybe he would discourage others from following them. Maybe the Malfoy had not even sent others. All in all, it was a lot of maybes, and it did not sit right with Hermione.