Summary: It's been eight years since the Battle of Hogwarts, three years since Harry's was killed by Voldemort. Some were captured and marked as slaves, those who escaped are being hunted. Hermione, captured and sold to the highest bidder. Mature readers only please. Warnings in A/N. Mainly Draco/Hermione, also with Blaise/Luna and Theo/Neville. Canon compliant up to the Battle of Hogwarts.
Author's Note: Hello fanfiction readers/writers, this is the first time I've written anything that wasn't an essay, so please be constructive with your criticism. Actually, I'm just going to put this first chapter out there and see how it's received before I decide to continue or not. Especially since I don't think I can write Draco very well, witty banter is expected, and I just don't know how I'm going to do that.
This will be dark. There will be a lot of implied rape, I won't go into detail with it, not really my thing. YKINMK and all that. There will be violence and I'm not going to put warnings before every chapter (I feel like that gives too much away, I didn't even like disclosing my pairings in the summary). So I'm warning you now; major and minor characters are dead and dying, there is rape, mutilation, murder, homosexuality, bisexuality, heterosexuality, tattoos (oh the horror!) and other stuff I might throw in later.
Also, if anyone would like to Beta my work please PM me, I would really appreciate it.
Anyway, enough of my babbling, here is the first chapter, I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything belongs to JKR. Except for the Scar… I got it from that movie Jumper. You'll see what I'm talking about in a minute.
CHAPTER ONE
They were closing in. They've been hunted since Emmaline was caught outside Horncastle. It wasn't her fault really. Everyone was caught eventually, you just put it off for as long as you could. Hermione looked out into the foliage, shivering in the early spring rain, goosebumps visible on her tanned arms.
Apparition is no longer safe. They figured out how to follow a persons Scar, the small rip in space-time left when a person disapparated. It was only there for a minute at the most, but it they could follow if they hurried. Her knuckles turned white as her grip tightened on her wand. Blinking rain out of her eyes, she pushed her soaked curls off her forehead into a low ponytail.
They would run into other groups occasionally, but only the smallest ones join together. Large groups were too obvious… too dangerous. Theirs was bigger than most, with George, Percy, Charlie, Arthur, Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Penelope. They had regrouped with the rest of the Order at Grimmauld Place after the Battle of Hogwarts. Well, some of them anyway. Molly was murdered at Hogwarts by the Lestrange bitch. Fred and Seamus fell there too. Remus… Tonks… So many have passed beyond the Veil. The Resistance lived on for five more years, until Harry was killed at the Battle of Gloucester, August 13th. Then it all fell apart, everyone scattered, there was nothing and no one holding us together anymore. Hermione had gone on the run with what was left of the Weasley's, picking up strays on the way. Losing some too. Bill and Fleur were captured last year, though they were most likely 'purged' since each were 'tainted'. Still, it was probably better than what happens to those deemed worthy of being slaves. Her breath frosted in the chilly air.
Slaves. That's what supporters of the light were reduced to now. Slaves and fugitives. Or just dead. That's where they were all headed eventually. She scanned the trees, her breath shallow in anticipation.
They were hiding out in Caingorms Forest, it wouldn't be long now. There's already a disappariton jinx on the area. That sucked, sure they could be tracked, but if they all disapparated at once some might get away. Doesn't matter now.
The nine of them stood in a circle; filthy, malnourished, and soaked to the bone.
Damn this rain, can't see or hear anything. She strained to listen for the squelch of a footstep or the brush of cloth against bark. To her right Ginny shifted uneasily, on her left Charlie caught her eye and smiled grimly. Her heart ached, like it did every time she looked at him. Out of all the Weasley's, Charlie resembled him the most. Ron. It's been five years, seven months and six days since he passed through the Veil. She glanced down at her wedding band, dull and faded, a reminder of the time they'd had together. She clenched her jaw, returning to her vigil, this wasn't the time for reminiscing.
"Stupefy!" A jet of light shot out from behind a tree, being absorbed into Hermione's waiting shield.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" She cried out. It's been years since she felt guilty for using that spell, too much had happened. The man crumbled, unable to dodge, but another took his place. All around, her family fought. A tall, scarred snatcher leered as he blocked her leg-locker, sending a streak of violet light towards her, she deflected it into the sky. Behind her, someone grunted in pain, Arthur maybe, but Hermione couldn't afford to be distracted. This man was fast, trying to overwhelm her, she was having a hard time absorbing them all, and she couldn't risk deflecting and hitting someone behind her.
Time to make things a bit more.. physical. Hermione countered with a spell of her own invention, which mimicked a muggle flash-bang. As it's name suggests it directed a bright burst of light and a loud crack towards the victim, momentarily rendering their senses useless. Using this short advantage, she quickly stepped forward and RAMMED the heel of her palm up against his nose, relishing his pained scream before she silenced him permanently.
She spun around, taking in the scene before her. Arthur was struggling to fend off three snatchers, Charlie faced two. Percy's was laying prone and bleeding heavily, shielded against an assailant by the protective form of his fiancé, Penelope. Ginny and Luna were back to back, blasting off hexes at any snatcher who dared come into their line of sight. George was in the trees, facing an unknown number of opponents, his presence betrayed by the flashes of multicolored light leaking through the leaves. Neville was locked in a mixture of physical and magical combat with a wiry looking snatcher, rain and evening gloom working together to hide the dark figures.
Hermione ran towards the couple on the ground, dispatching the snatcher from behind and catching Penelope's grateful glance.
"I'll cover you." She said, the beautiful brunette nodded, turning to her fiancé, wand tip already alight with healing magic.
The group gravitated towards each other again, Penny working furiously to save Percy at the center of their cluster. George emerged from the surrounding forest to join the final stand, ducking a killing curse on the way.
They're getting desperate, to resort to murder. Of course, he WAS aiming at George, and the women were the real prize.
Behind her, Penelope keened, "He's dead!" Cradling the man's head in her lap, his hair especially distinct against his bloodless skin. Arthur, overwhelmed by his attackers, dies. A one-eyed snatcher manages to bind Luna, her falling body pushing Ginny into a green flash aimed for George.
"Fuck" Hermione, choking back a sob, she couldn't cry, not yet. She gripped her vine tight, pushing her body to move faster. George catches a stunner to the chest and crumples. Hermione disarms one of the snatchers, and kills another. She turns just in time to see Charlie erupt into flames his screams echoing through the woods, an ironic end for the merry dragon-tamer. She turns again to watch as Neville is spelled silent, his non-verbals are too weak to protect him, and he is captured next.
The skirmish had come to a halt. Only Hermione remained standing, Penelope weeping quietly nearby. The storm had stopped sometime during the fighting, the remaining evidence dripped from the branches and the individuals dispersed among them.
"A'wright now", one nappy haired man snickered, drawing her attention to him, the rest of the snatchers had their wands raised, "put 'em down and come quietly, an' maybe I'll sell you to someone what'll treat you nice."
Penelope sat, hunched over the exsanguinated remains of her lover. The half-blood looked up at the sodden witch, sorrow and panic warring in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Hermione." She whispered, lifting her wand to point at her own head and closing her eyes.
"Penelope! No!" Hermione lunged towards her, heart racing.
"Expulso." Her head burst, spraying the surroundings with blood and grey matter.
Hermione cringed away from the gore, horrified, not even registering when she was bound.
"Shite," the leader spat at the headless corpse, "that one would have made us a good bit."
" 'S a'wright Sam, we still got two birds, and that blonde's got some nice tits." Luna's eyes widened in fear and she struggled against her bonds to the mirth of the Death Eater's errand boys.
"Hands off Lynch, they're worth more as cherries. You can play with any what's already been fucked." He stepped toward Hermione, raising his wand.
Fuck… Everything went black.
End Author's Note: So…? What did you think? The accented dialogue feels like bleeh. -_-
If anyone has any guesses/suggestions/criticisms/praise don't be afraid to PM or leave a review, I'd love to read them. Especially if it's praise, that's always good. Ok, thanks for reading!
Eep! I'm so nervous! *Skitters away* *Pokes head out from behind sofa to watch*