Sweat trickling down his brow, shirt sticking to chest and back, feet in shoes wearing the soles out, palms slippery from holding them into fists.
"DOWN THE HILL!" came a yell from ahead, a steep hill to the right with water, a shack or boat house just below. Hermione sees it as a way to escape. Stomach empty from not eating dinner as just before eating Harry and his two friends were ambushed.
Watching as Hermione and then Ron jump over to slide down the steep hill, Harry joins in the weeds, grass, stones and twigs from short shrubby trees. All of it running along under foot, finger tip and arm as they slide to a wooden boardwalk.
Harry toppled over when he hit the rim, immediately being yanked to his feet by the shoulder of his shirt he stumbled to his feet as Ron pulled him along to the small wooden building.
"Inside!" Hermione ushered as she held the door open that creaked to a close as they came in, dim sun-setting light coming through between the boards of the small building. Hermione putting a locking spell on the door while Ron and Harry quickly look around at each exit and seal it shut and go over resources.
"Bloody hell – when will we catch a break?" Ron complained openly as he sat down on a crate.
"It isn't over yet – we are still too close… lets wait till dark to move on a boat below" Harry commented as Hermione then shifted something behind a wall that neither boy could see.
"What are you doing Hermione?" Ron asked and there was a small pause before Hermione came out looking uneasy.
"I moved a basket over there and then I thought I heard someone or something take a breath – I say we move sooner" she said and both Ron and Harry looked at each other.
A small thump sounded from below them to make them all 3 of them jump.
"Alright – in case if it's a Death Eater trying to spook us, put up protective spells Hermione and once your done Ron will go and get the boat engine going. Sooner we leave the sooner we'll be out of further harm," Harry stated and Hermione began casting spells.
While Hermione cast spells Harry told Ron where the boat is and how to start it up all happening while the sun is going down ever more.
Standing at the door Ron swallows hard, hands on the door frame, looking like he's about to go for a race with his brothers and Crabbe and Goyle, "just remember to hold the boat to the dock till Hermione and I get in, got it?" Harry questioned and Ron nodded firmly. Safety obviously on his priority list.
Then came a long pause of anticipation, of wonder if spells would be cast at them the moment he door were to expose them. Ron shook his head firmly and wrenched it open… nothing, he stood in the doorway a moment longer before taking off down the boardwalk and down the steps.
Hermione slammed the door shut and held her breath for a few seconds before exhaling.
"He'll be alright" Harry whispered to her and just as she gave a weak smile they both heard a creek in the wood.
"Lumos!" Hermione said defiantly, trying to hide her fear, both of their eyes skimming the cracks, crevices and spaces between wood. Hermione then gasped and Harry jumped in his skin at it wondering what could have spooked her.
Harry looked over the area she is staring at and then found it once a bigger creak came out in the crack of a door frame he can see a single eye looking at them as a closet like door opens to reveal he person.
His eyes grew wider once he realized the man hidden all this time is holding a revolver trained on them. "It is you…" he said in a deep wispy voice, "who are disrupting our world… you who have brought onto yourselves powerful dark ones to kill us regular folk" he stated coming out of the closet.
He is wearing ragged clothing, like he'd been out drinking, became clumsy and lazy and crashed here.
"We don't mean any harm" Hermione began and stopped as the gun wavered to her so she then swallowed.
"Don't mean to? Seems like with your kind all your doing is asking for harm – we just want to be left alone and for all you to leave!" he demanded just loud enough for the two to hear.
"Please… we will just be on our way sir, we won't bother you ever again" Harry pleaded, his wand in his pocket but not wanting to make any sudden movements.
"You've got that right, I will end what has been secret for so long! Lower your weapon girly…" he said coldly and for the first time Hermione had completely forgotten it was her wand making it so they can all see.
Looking at Harry, he nods and leans back a little with his hands behind him, fingers brushing onto something, maybe a weapon for all he knows.
The man's eyes transfixed on Hermione, his eyes bulging and intense like he expects her to kill him with a simple movement, like its all an act they are both playing on him.
Watching as the light is slowly going out to let in the darkness, just as the blink of light had vanished from the wand the engine to the boat started.
With that roar of a motor breaking the silence of their confined room the man reacted to it on pulse. Just as Harry grabbed the object firmly and through it hard he heard a bang at the same time.
Things went into slow motion, first a gasp from next to him and then a grunt before the man's body fell to the floor, knocked out.
Harry turned to Hermione and his stomach took a flip when he saw tears well up in her eyes, knowing that she had been hit had hit him like a ton of bricks. Taking a step forward just as she begins to fall.
Quickly Harry put his right arm to his shoulder at her back and left arm around her waist, feeling tears well up in his own eyes as he feels her body as though fragile, her breathing becoming deep breaths.
Moving his right hand to the side of her face and partial forehead, he can feel she is beginning to sweat and is starting to feel cool. "I'm so sorry Hermione, I'll do whatever it takes to make you right" he whispered to her and has a feeling Ron will come very soon.
"I'll carry you down to the boat Hermione, I won't loose you" Harry said with confidence as he then crouched down further and put his left arm under her knees, moved her left arm around his neck while his right arm support her upper back.
In one swift movement he got to his feet while holding her in his arms, and quickly kicked the door open, taking a step outside he holds her close to lean her onto himself. Turning to his left he carefully but briskly walked down the boardwalk, down the steps and down the path to where Ron is sitting crouched at the boats side.
"What took you? What is wrong with Hermione?" Ron asked as Harry quickly went into the boat and sat down to keep it from rocking much.
"Long story short, a muggle was in there with us, he had a gun, shot Hermione and now we have to get out of here" Harry explained quickly as Ron got out in and got steering the boat away from its dock.
"Where was she shot?" Ron asked as Harry cradled her body in his arms, he used his left hand to skim over her body to feel for anything warm and sticky, "lets find out…" Harry muttered as his fingers then grazed something sticky, just around her left lower rib.
Feeling around more of the area his fingertips find the hole made by the bullet, eyes squinting in the dark, "Ron… can you use Lumos? I need to cover the wound to stop the bleeding" Harry said as he then lifted the bottom of her shirt.
Ron then pulled out his wand and gave a great light source; Harry and him immediately saw the blood on her shirt and on her stomach.
Harry then felt around and the moment he touched it she winced. "Sorry…" Harry whispered and quickly he tore off his under shirt, balled it up and pressed it firmly to the wound where she winced more.
"Harry, what about the bullet?" Ron questioned as Harry continued to put pressure onto the wound and he looked at her expression. Hermione is taking shallower breaths, she is pale from the shock, sweating persfusively, "I won't let you die Hermione, not now – but I need to extract the bullet so you don't get the lead poisoning from it later. I'll be using – Accio – to remove it quickly and I'll hold your hand for the pain, do you understand?" Harry asked her, she nodded and as she raised her left hand Harry pulled out his wand and then took her left hand in his right hand.
"On the count of three" Harry stated and Ron bit down his own bottom lip in anticipation for what will come soon enough.
"One" Harry gave a small pause, "two…" Harry steadied himself to make the command and pointed the wand, "three – Accio bullet!" Harry demanded and all at once the bullet came flying out. Hermione squeezed his hand and for a second he felt no circulation in his fingers and to top it all off her scream of pure agony when it left her body and into his hand made him want to wrap his arms around her and hug her tightly.
Hermione's voice slowly cracked and her breathing became shaky, her hand let go of his and Harry looked down to see more blood rising.
Quickly handing the bullet to Ron he re-folded up his shirt to a dry side and put pressure onto the wound, "Harry… she barely flinched…" Ron said in a weak voice, Harry looked up to see her features softening and breathing becoming softer.
Still putting pressure onto her wound he moved closer to her to brush a few strands of hair from her face, cupping the side of her face with his hand. His heart pounding into his ribs as he stares at her features, "don't you leave us Hermione… don't you give up – we are right here" Harry said while trying to toughen up his own voice.
Straightening up his own voice to be firm he continued to put the pressure onto her, "Hermione, open your eyes, open your eyes Hermione," he said and she swallowed before opening her eyes slowly to see the night sky above her all starry. "Now… look at me," Harry stated feeling like he is giving her orders and she closed her eyes to swallow again before opening them up again to look at his features.
"Now talk to me…" Harry said more gently and she struggled with her eyes closed again and took a breath before opening her eyes to look at him and speak ever so softly, "what… do you… want me… to… say?" she asked very weakly and Harry couldn't help but to hate himself for getting her hurt.
"Just…" Harry started but found it difficult to find the right words, "just… talk… anything – how do you feel/' he asked as he then looked down at the shirt to see its pretty red but a dark red.
"I feel… drained… of my… energy… cold and hurt at the…. same time" Hermione said and Harry quickly looked around to where they are.
"I'm going to pull up to that bank over there Harry – we need proper First-Aid equipment to take care of her" Ron stated and Harry knew he was right. Harry looked down at Hermione, pulled her shirt back down and began to gather her up in his arms as Ron steered the boat to the bank of the lake.
Immediately Harry stepped out and began to look around at his surroundings to see a farmers hay barn just up the hill. Holding her close to him, Ron brought the boat onto the ground and then looked up, "lemme guess – the barn?" and Harry nodded.
Walking up the long grassy with tall weeds hill they climbed to the farmer's barn, went into it – no animals – went up the steep steps to the upper landing on hay and set Hermione sitting up on the hay. Harry looked to Ron, "its late – stores will be closed or close soon. We need to figure out which one of us goes out to get the supply's needed."
Ron looked at Harry and rubbed the back of his head, "well Mate, your not exactly in shopping attire" he said, Harry narrowed his eyes and looked down at what Ron meant.
Harry then looked at Ron, "you have to use the Invisibility Cloak then, we haven't any money."
Ron agreed, he had it tucked with him for the past several hours as they never went anywhere without it. Harry watched as Ron left with a list in his mind of what to get.
Sitting down next to Hermione after lightning up the room with Ron's Deloominator he lifted her shirt to have a look at the wound once removing his shirt.
"Looks like the bleeding has stopped, we still need to disinfect it though which will hurt a lot," Harry observed and she turned her head to look at him properly. "I feel… so… tired… and cold," she said very softly and Harry took his jacket off and put it on her.
"Does that help?" Harry asked and she gave a small weak nod which told him the jacket won't work for long, "I'll lay with you till Ron gets back to warm you up more."
With that Harry took off his shirt with bloodstain and went to sit in front of her to try and figure out the best effective way to warm her up.
Gradually and gentle as possible he began to come on top of her, he carefully placed his upper body on her very cool one he realized. Having just set her arms to her sides he set his bare chest onto her chest and moved his arms around her back until his arms bound themselves around her.
Harry set his face next to her's on her right and lay there as if giving her a big hug, "Does this help?" he asked and he realized now she is shivering but is slowly coming to just a small shudder movement.
"Y-yes… much more actually… thank you" Hermione said and gradually her body stopped shaking as his own body heat is doing what his jacket could not.
While laying there for what felt like long minutes Ron finally arrived thirty minutes after he'd left with some medical things, water, some food and some new clothes.
"What were you doing?" Ron asked with his back to them while Harry put on his old shirt, not wanting to get the new one dirty while Ron pulled out the small First Aid kit he got.
"I had to warm her up so I used my own body heat to warm her – she was shaking she was so cold" Harry explained as Ron passed him the rubbing alcohol with a small cotton cloth, "thanks for doing this."
Ron then lifted the bottom of her shirt and put water onto a cotton chunk and began to clean away the extra blood surrounding the wound.
Harry got the gauze out and ready along with a long bandage to wrap around her to keep it doing his job. Once set he looked at Hermione and instantly realized she'll be clenching her teeth in pain this time.
Looking into the kit he found medical sticks of wood like popsicle sticks but bigger, "Hermione, could you bite down on this wood I'll put into your mouth? It'll be for the pain," he explained and she opened her mouth. He placed two sticks into her mouth and she bit down to hold them in place.
"Ready Ron?" Harry asked and Ron gave him a worried look, "no – but its not like I have a choice now is it?" he asked back as he then took Hermione's right hand while Harry put fresh rubbing alcohol onto the cotton cloth he was handed earlier.
"Here goes…" Harry trailed as he then put the cotton straight onto the wound and immediately her whole body tightened going straight while at the same time a muffled scream came out and she squeezed Ron's hand as much as her teeth bit the wood.
After a few moment of dabbing the alcohol around the wound Harry got the gauze onto the wound and got Ron to sit her up so he could properly and efficiently wrap the bandage snug around her.
Once the bandage was on the two boys helped her take the bad shirt off and put on a fresh new one along with a sweater that Ron picked up one for each of them.
That night they all slept together in the hay. The following morning Harry and Ron ate what Ron had found while getting Hermione to drink plenty of water.
Time passed as they were not disturbed in the barn of hay, changing the gauze once in a while and gaining fresh soup from a restaurant kitchen to get her to eat, the boys by how well she responded the more time went on.
Four days of being in the barn, it is once again nighttime and Ron is asleep on a pile of hay snoring away.
Harry opened his eyes to hearing movement in the barn and turned over to see Hermione at the barn window looking out at the night sky, "what're you doing up?" he whispered.
She looked over at him and smiled, "stretching my legs, been laying down so much" Hermione whispered back and Harry patted the hay next to him, she shook her head.
"We are re-locating tomorrow Hermione, you need your rest" Harry insisted quietly and she motioned with her left hand for him to come over.
Reluctantly he got up and walked over next to her, "I miss when you did as I said days ago…" Harry muttered and she smiled.
"That was when my life was on the line Harry, and I wanted to thank you," Hermione started and when Harry opened his mouth she raised her hand to silence him. "I do not blame you Harry, it was no ones fault – but when it hit me I thought all had ended but you went through all the steps I can think of to save my life. You were calm and efficient, it hurt and it felt like it would never end."
Harry stared at her for a moment, taking it all in and then instinct put his hand onto her's on the window ledge and held it. "I could not stand the thought of loosing you Hermione, I could never let go of you or Ron as you are both very close to me. If I were to have lost you that night…" Harry trailed off and looked away from her to close his eyes and to have his head facing down.
Hermione having a feeling he will not finish bit her bottom lip and gently squeezed his hand as if to say she is still there. Harry looked up at her and gave a small smile, "lets go to sleep Harry" she whispered and they both strode to their spots in the hay.
Holding a hunk of hay to her head like a pillow she stared at Harry's back and smiled to herself as did Harry as he closed his eyes to drift off.
The End
I hope you enjoyed this fan fic. Part of it was a dream a while back where Hermione was shot so I decided to make it into a story and fill in the blanks of before and after. Please review!
By: SLITH