Hey all of you who are reading this! Believe it or not, I am back with a new story. I'm sorry it took so long. I've just been so busy with school (yes, even in the summer with 8 weeks of summer school) but I am very happy to say that I am now finished writing this story and can now post it!
This was originally meant to be a one-shot but I really felt the need to develop a lot so its near 60 pages and I decided to instead make it a few chapter story. I won't be posting it all at once, but I promise you guys an update every 2-3 days. After all, it's all done but for a few changes I want to make to the ending so it doesn't sound too cheesy.
Thanks to all of you who've bared with me and waited for this story and to those of you who are willing to give it a shot. I hope I don't disappoint!
Before I even bore you before you begin reading, let me end on three quick notes. Number 1, please drop a review to let me know what you think. Number 2, if you believe this story fits in other categories besides romance, do let me know because I was undecided on that.
And most importantly, three: Enjoy!
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A Love's Sacrifice: Chapter 1
Life. Death.
Two simple words with such complex and significant meaning. Two words that mean such opposite things, and yet it takes only one second to go from the first to the second. One moment you could be living life to the fullest, pursuing your dreams and enjoying the beauty of life; the next moment, you could be holding on to dear life as if you were dangling from a cliff, wondering as each breath passes if it shall be your last.
It's quite strange really how these two opposing words, two concepts, in fact, make up our lives. But for Hermione Granger, life was death, not something separate. Sometimes she wondered if death was even better than the life she lived now. And if someone as optimistic and hopeful as Hermione Granger is thinking thoughts like these, something must be wrong.
And indeed, something was wrong. Actually, not something, everything. Everything was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.
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"All of you who stand here before me today know how important the coming months and even maybe the coming years will be. Voldemort may have finally succeeded in ending the life of the one man he feared most, the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had, Professor Albus Dumbledore. But this does not mean Voldemort has ended the loyalty people have to Dumbledore and his cause.
Today, we stand here, full of hope and determination. As Order members, all of us have dedicated ourselves to putting an end to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. You may hear people on the street talking about how the Dark Side may indeed win. Let me tell you something. They're wrong. Because we have something the Dark Side doesn't. Death Eaters are loyal to Voldemort because they fear him. If it weren't for this fear, they would not be unified. We, on the other hand, are loyal to Dumbledore's cause, the Order's cause, because we want to, not because we are forced to. We are doing this out of choice because we believe in what we're fighting for. It is this that separates us from them; it is this belief and determination that unifies us, not fear. It is this belief and determination that is our strength.
I know this isn't going to be easy, but I assure you, this will be worth it. There will be a lot to sacrifice but we will have to stay strong no matter what the situation. Remember, we are fighting for a cause that will bring peace to the Wizarding World for good. We are fighting for a cause that will allow Hogwarts to reopen and never have to close its doors again. We are fighting for a cause that shall destroy Voldemort once and for all!"
The room erupted in cheers as Harry Potter finished his speech. They were no longer Hogwarts students; they were Order members. Hogwarts had been closed down half way through seventh year so teachers and students in the Order alike could focus just on the war. Now, three months later, the new Order members were done with their extra training. They were ready to get into battle, to take on missions, to do whatever it is that needs to be done to win the war.
Harry muttered small thanks to all the people who commended him for his speech as he made his way to the back of the room where Ron and Hermione were standing.
As he approached, Ron said, "What a speech Harry! You should have seen them. They were hanging on to your every word."
"Yes, terrific job Harry. You're a born leader." Hermione added, smiling.
"Thanks. Now let's enjoy tonight because tomorrow the real work begins. If everything goes according to plan, the three of us will be off looking for the remaining Horcruxes by tomorrow night."
Just as Harry finished speaking, Colin Creevey and a group of his friends came towards him. Colin immediately began introducing Harry to all his friends and before Harry knew it, he was being helplessly dragged away against his will as Hermione and Ron looked on amusedly.
"Poor Harry!" Hermione said but couldn't help but laugh at him anyway.
"Yeah…hey, don't you find it interesting that mostly everyone who joined the Order is a Gryffindor? I mean there are only a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. As for the Slytherins, all of them stupidly followed their parent's footsteps; well, except Malfoy. By the way, where is Malfoy? I haven't seen him since last week, now that I think about it."
The smile on Hermione's face quickly left and hurt flashed into her eyes. But a second later, all traces of this change in expression were gone. Quickly changing the subject, she said,
"Let's go get something to drink."
And with that, the memory ended and was replaced by another:
Harry, Ron, and Hermione Apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place after what seemed like forever. After five painstaking months, the Trio had finally destroyed all the Horcruxes.
As they entered, they were surprised to see a majority of the Order members present. Harry and Ron thought nothing of it but Hermione immediately sensed something amiss. Spotting Ginny, she quickly rushed over to her and embraced her in a hug.
"Hey Ginny! It's so good to see you. What's going on here?"
"Hey Hermione. You guys came just in time. The funeral is about to start."
Hermione looked at her in alarm. At closer inspection, Hermione realized that Ginny's eyes were a bit teary.
"Funeral? What happened?"
"Didn't you see the papers? There was a Death Eater attack at Knockturn Alley last week. The Order had gone there to fight them off and D..d…" Ginny couldn't find the words to say it.
"And?" Hermione asked urgently. Harry and Ron had realized something was wrong and were now standing by Hermione, listening.
"Dean Thomas was killed!" Ginny was barely able to choke it out before the tears that were sitting in her eyes fell. Harry took her in his arms to comfort her.
Ron looked stunned. "I can't believe it. I never really thought about the fact…"
"…that young Order members like us were going to die." Hermione finished for him. "Me neither. I mean I knew we would have losses but I didn't realize that our own classmates and friends will be the ones who die."
Ron nodded mutely.
"We have to stay strong. Just like Harry said in his speech, sacrifices will have to be made but in the end it will be worth it."
The impact of Dean's death was huge. Apparently, many of them had forgotten that there would definitely have to be losses because this was war. It was this revelation that slowly began to deteriorate the will-power and hope they had started with
For Hermione, it was the beginning of much pain and suffering.
The memory slowly faded, but images of those who had followed Dean were quick to take its place:
Seamus Finnigan
Lavender Brown
Hannah Abbott
Colin Creevey
Padma Patil
Cho Chang
Neville Longbottom
Luna Lovegood
Viktor Krum
The last name brought on a memory too vivid, too upsetting for comfort:
Hermione Apparated to Diagon Alley as soon as she had heard Viktor and other Order members were in danger. When she arrived in the alleyway, though, she knew she was too late. Viktor was lying on the ground, not moving in the least bit except for his chest heaving every once in a while as he strained to breathe. He lay in a pool of his own blood, never a good sign. He was losing blood too quickly.
Hermione gasped at the sight and rushed over to him. His eyes wearily opened as Hermione gently lifted his head off the ground to help him breathe. Tears were sparkling in her eyes. She couldn't help it. She could no longer exercise self control. It was just too much to bear.
Viktor smiled faintly as "Hermione" escaped from his lips. Hermione panicked as his breath became more strained and began to desperately call out for help.
What stopped her was the weakness yet urgency in Viktor's voice as he called her again.
"Hermione, it's no use. Don't waste your energy". His thick Bulgarian accent had all but faded as he had spent more time in London, helping the Order.
"I know a Dark Curse when I see one, Hermione. There is nothing you can do to save me," he said sadly.
The tears began to trickle down her face. If she had been thinking rationally, she would have known there was no way to save him. But Hermione was desperate. She couldn't bear losing yet another friend, especially one that had become so close in the past few months. It he died, it would be one of the most painful deaths she had ever faced.
At seeing her tears, Viktor mustered up energy to raise his hand to her face, and, although his fingers trembled, he gently wiped each tear that had fallen.
"Hermione, don't cry. This is War. You have to accept reality. This was going to come some day. I'm just glad I was able to live my last few moments with one of my closest friends". He again sent her a faint smile. He was ready to die. He had accepted it. All he needed to do before he left life behind forever was to make Hermione promise something.
"Hermione, I only have one thing to ask of you."
Hermione nodded her head fiercely, angrily wiping her tears away. She managed to say in a relatively forceful voice, "Anything, Viktor".
"Promise me that you won't give up. Promise me that you won't rest until Voldemort is gone from this world. Promise me, Hermione, that you will never completely lose your hope and fire, because with it, you, Harry, and Ron can achieve anything. I know you can. I believe in you, Hermione."
Hermione held his right hand in her own and gazed at him intently. "I won't let you down, Viktor."
He smiled one last time."I know you won't, Herm-own-ninny. Thank you. Thank you for being such a good friend."
Hermione had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from wailing as a new batch of tears threatened to fall. She had not heard him call her that in such a long time. It reminded her of the past and it reminded her that this would be the last time she would ever hear it from his lips again.
And with one last squeeze of her hand, he closed his eyes and let death consume him.
The flashback brought along a whole new level of pain and grief, but the memories were not yet done with their haunting. The worst was still to come: a memory that was heart-wrenching and devastating to remember; a death the memories had yet to bring up:
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, I'm going to go with this group of Order members. Wait for about five minutes and then join us in the battle." Remus Lupin told them in an urgent voice.
The three nodded and with one last look at them, he nodded and began shouting orers to the Order members he would be taking into battle with him.
Remus finally shouted, "Apparate", and with a huge pp, Grimmauld Place suddenly became very quiet. Hermione, Harry, and Ron were now alone. They all knew how serious a battle this was, and so they grabbed their wands and put on their cloaks in silence.
Ron had finished first, so he quietly made his way towards the window and starred out of it, his mind quickly lost in thought.
Harry and Hermione finished getting ready not long after. When Ron didn't turn to acknowledge them, they looked at each other, confused, and then walked over to the window to get Ron out of his trance.
Harry was about to place a hand on his shoulder when Ron's voice stopped him.
Never once taking his gaze off the window, Ron spoke, "Today's battle is a big one. The biggest we've ever fought. And with big battles come big losses. You guys understand this, don't you?"
Hermione's eye sparkled with tears as she nodded her head, but for once, it was because of pride. Ron had grown and matured so much. He was no longer a hot-tempered, irrational, spider-fearing teen. Now near six feet, he was a thoughtful and reflective adult, one who had more sense than anyone could imagine.
Harry spoke for both of them. "Of course we understand that, Ron."
Still facing the window, his back to both Harry and Hermione, he continued, "Good, because if anything happens to me today…"
Hermione cut him off before he could continue. She put a hand on his shoulder and in a voice that sounded near pleading, she said, "Don't say that, Ron. Nothing is going to happen."
At this, Ron turned around to face her. "You don't know that Hermione. I need the two of you to listen to me. If something does happen to me today, I want you guys to know I love you like my own brother and sister. I could not have made it this far in life without the two of you with me. You have given me memories I can never forget. I love both of you. If anything happens to me today, promise me that you'll continue on. You won't even hesitate. Promise me you will not rest until Voldemort is dead and gone from this world forever."
At this, Hermione fell into his arms crying. The idea of Ron being gone was unimaginable. With her parents gone, there were three people who made her feel complete, and Ron was one of them. No Ron meant a part of her was lost.
Ron wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Hermione, be strong. I just wanted you guys to know how I felt just in case."
Hermione reluctantly left his embrace and wiped away her tars.
"So, do you promise me that you'll keep going no matter what?"
Hermione nodded weakly. Harry smiled at Ron in response. He had trouble saying more. The idea of no Ron was just as impossible for him as it was for Hermione. Harry eventually added, "Make the same promise incase something happens to me."
Hermione said firmly, "Me too."
Ron nodded. "Done." To lighten the tense mood in the air, he smiled and said, "Good. Now that we have that settled, let's go kick some Death Eater butt!"
The three of them laughed and Apparated to the battlefield, to Ron's doom.
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The battled last for two, long, treacherous hours. It wasn't until the end when Hermione had time to look for Harry and Ron.
She looked around in van for them, for anyone who might now where they were. She suddenly lay her eyes on Lupin and rushing over to him, concernedly asked, "Have you seen Harry or Ron?"
"They were at the far side of the battle, last time I saw them", he replied, pointing to the general direction.
Hermione immediately ran off to find them. She suddenly stopped in her tracks when she aw the outline of what looked like Harry kneeling over a body. A feeling of dread encompassed Hermione as she rushed over to Harry's side to see whose body it was.
It was Ron's.
Hermione's heart seemed to stop for a moment. She shook her head in denial as tears poured down her face. It couldn't be Ron. It just couldn't be.
And yet, it was. She took his hand in hers, but felt no warmth. His hand was limp, his face pale, his eyes shut.
Ron Weasley was dead.
Hermione stood up, still shaking her head and whispering, "No", over and over again.
And with that, she Apparated away, leaving Harry to cry silently over the body of his best friend.
When Hermione arrived home, it came out in one huge choked sob. She slid to the floor and cried all day and night.
Hermione let out a small scream as she woke up panting, her face tear-stricken. It was a gloomy, rainy afternoon and she had dozed off at the kitchen table at 12 Grimmauld Place. It took her a few minutes to catch her breath and her heart rate to return to normal.
Hermione painfully thought back on each memory that had haunted her nap. Just looking back on those memories tore her apart. The deaths mentioned in her sleep weren't the only deaths; they weren't even close. But they were losses of classmates, good friends, and even one best friend. And they were enough. With each death, Hermione slowly weakened although she was initially successful in hiding it. She was able to control her grief so no one would know just how much their deaths were actually paining her.
It was Viktor Krum's death, though, that created the first hole in her barrier. His death broke her down more than any death had done before. It caused her to temporarily lose control of her grief, revealing the true pain she was feeling.
But even then, she had regained control, she had composed herself, and she had went back to being the hopeful, determined, strong, optimistic Hermione she always was. She knew her façade could only last for so long and she was unfortunately, as always, right.
Ron's death broke her down completely. When Ron had died, a part of Hermione had died. He had died a month ago and yet she was in the same pitiful, devastated condition. She didn't know what to do anymore. She had promised Viktor and Ron that she would keep hoping and keep her fiery determination, but now she wasn't sure she could take it anymore.
How much longer would she have to feed herself false hope? The reality was that they were losing the war. How was she supposed to stay optimistic at a time like when there was nothing to be optimistic about?
There were three people who meant more than anything in the world to her, and now when she needed them the most, they all seemed to be gone. Ron had died, leaving her alone to fight a losing war. Harry was so affected by Ron's death that he had lost any hope in beating Voldemort. He spent the whole day locked up in his room. As for the third person, Hermione only knew that he wasn't here. What had happened to him, she no longer knew. It had been two years since she had last saw him.
Thinking about this only made Hermione feel worse. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to just give up, to be able to say she quit. She was sick of being the one who had to stay strong and keep up the hope. Hermione was mentally and physically exhausted.
Stay strong, Hermione. Stay strong, she told herself. It had almost become like a mantra for her as the times had become more and more difficult to pull through.
Hermione was so involved in these thoughts that she didn't realize Tonks had been watching her since she had awaken. Now, Tonks came up behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Hermione, who was not used to such a gesture, immediately turned around in a panic. When she saw it was Tonks, Hermione relaxed, but only for a moment as her mind quickly got lost in thought again.
Hermione once again told herself to stay strong but the feeling of exhaustion throughout her body quickly became overpowering. Her mind was cluttered, she was stressed out, there were so many mixed emotions, she hadn't been eating or sleeping properly for weeks, and now it was getting to her. Her breath started coming out in short pants. She knew what was happening. It was exactly what she had been trying to avoid for months. She was breaking down.
She suddenly began hearing voices, voices of Harry, Ron, Viktor, herself.
Stay strong, Hermione. Stay strong.
Promise me that you won't give up.
Promise me, Hermione, that you will never completely lose your hope and fire, because with it, you, Harry, and Ron can achieve anything.
Today's battle is a big one. The biggest we've ever fought. And with big battles come big losses.
There will be a lot to sacrifice…
If anything happens to me today, promise me that you'll continue on.
Promise me you will not rest until Voldemort is dead and gone from this world forever.
Stay strong, Hermione. Stay strong.
Her head was spinning, she was losing control, the voices seemed to be speaking all at once, what was expected of her, the stress, her promises, the war, the losses, she couldn't take it anymore, she fell to the ground on her knees, the pain was becoming unbearable, and then…
All the grief she had been hiding, the stress she felt, everything came out. She screamed, "I CAN'T!" as tears poured down her face.
Tonks, sensing what was going on, knelt by her side and brought Hermione into an embrace so she could cry on Tonk's shoulder. She had to cry it out. Hermione had been holding in the pain for too long with no support.
Hermione kept muttering, "I can't stay strong. I can't. I can't." as she continued to sob on Tonk's shoulder.
"I can't do it anymore Tonks. For the past two years, I've been staying strong no matter what the situation. When everyone lost hope, I had to be the one to stay determined and optimistic. I had to comfort everyone. And I'm sick of it. It's too much to bear, Tonks. I give up! If no one else believes in winning this war, why should I..." Hermione managed to choke out before a new wave of tears surged out.
"Hermione, don't say that. It's just a hard time for us, that's all. We'll get through this. Shhh…Hermione, it's okay. You're not in this alone." Tonks said in a soothing tone into her ear.
Hermione said nothing but she knew that she really was in this alone. For a long time now, she had been the only one left with hope. No one understood what she felt; no one knew that she had dealt with more pain than anyone else in the Order. And yet through all this, she had kept belief. She had kept her promise.
But today, she was through. She was sick of carrying all the weight on her shoulders.
After what seemed like endless minutes of crying, Hermione gently lifted her head off Tonk's shoulder and wiped away her tears. Get a hold of yourself, she scolded. She had to get back control of her emotions or else she might end up doing something rash.
With that thought in mind, Hermione picked herself up of the floor and used a quick charm to get rid of any evidence that she had been crying. If one thing hadn't changed about Hermione, it was her stubbornness and need to seem stronger than she really was.
And today, it showed. She may have been able to swish away the tears and the red, puffy eyes, but she wasn't able to magic away the sorrow in her eyes. She wasn't able to magic back the fiery determination her chocolate brown eyes once held. Hermione was only left with eyes filled with pain and the tiniest spark of hope, so tiny that you had to look closely to see it.
Tonks, who had stood up by now as well, was watching her worriedly. The spark of hope and determination in Hermione's eyes had been slowly dimming down for many months now. Tonks watched Hermione as she busily retied her hair in a clean bun.
And that was when Tonks saw what she had feared for months now. The tiny spark left in Hermione's eyes flickered, blinked a few times, and then…blew out. Hermione had finally lost her inner battle. She had been staying strong for months when no one thought it possible, and now the hope was…gone.
Tonk's heart sank. No one deserved this, especially not Hermione. Before Tonks could further dwell in her thoughts, though, Hermione's voice brought her back to reality.
"Tonks, I..I think I'm going to go for a walk…rain has stopped…get some fresh air…" As hard as Hermione tried, she wasn't able to prevent her voice from quivering. Her eyes were beginning to sparkle again as she tried to fight away the tears.
Tonks replied in a soft, defeated voice, "Sure. Go to Diagon Alley. It's probably safest because more people should be there. Be back before it starts getting dark, though."
Hermione, who was suddenly feeling worse and much weaker than before, attempted to smile at Tonks in gratitude, but failed miserably. Feeling like her legs were about to give way again at any moment, she mumbled a quiet, "Thank you", to Tonks and rushed out with her wand and cloak in hand.
Tonks watched her sadly as she left the house, hoping for some sort of miracle to bring back Hermione's hope, to bring back everyone's hope.
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After running out of the house, Hermione Apparated right outside Diagon Alley. With the threats of the war, the Ministry of Magic had forbidden any Apparation into the Alley itself.
Usually when Hermione came to Diagon Alley and needed time to think, she liked to sit in an armchair in the corner of Flourish and Blotts where no one would disturb her. Sometimes, she would pick a book off the shelf and start reading, a temporary escape from her pains and worries.
But today, even the quiet in Flourish and Blotts wasn't enough for her. She didn't bother to walk through the door because she was sure even a book couldn't help her now.
Hermione didn't know what was wrong with herself. She kept telling herself Stay strong, but even her mantra had stopped working. She didn't know why, but ever since she left the house, she had been feeling unusually…weak. As Hermione silently walked the streets of Diagon Alley, she was having trouble keeping her legs from buckling. Each step left her body slightly trembling. And now, she was unable to keep the tears from sitting in her eyes.
Usually when Hermione felt this weak and unstable, she became determined to regain control of herself. But for some reason, today, she actually didn't care.
Hermione kept asking herself, Why? Why this sudden change in attitude? Why does everything seem so suddenly pointless? Why did things that usually bothered her make her feel so indifferent now? Then suddenly, she knew. The realization hit Hermione like a slap across the face. She had lost the only thing she had had left, the only thing the war had not yet taken from her, her hope.
The truth hit Hermione so hard that she just made it to a bench before her legs gave way and she landed on the seat with a thump. Her eyes were wide in shock and disbelief.
"No, it couldn't be…not that…" she said in a mere whisper. But she knew it was that; her hope was gone.
Hermione didn't want to accept defeat; she couldn't accept defeat. She was adamantly stubborn as she frantically tried to convince herself that her fear had not become a reality.
"No, Hermione. You still have hope. Harry's going to beat Voldemort and people will stop living in fear. Yes, Hermione, positive thoughts." Saying it, though, did not mean she actually believed it. Hermione desperately tried again and again to make herself believe what she was saying, but to no avail.
"…Hope, Hermione, hope! Don't lose hope, dang it!" But by then she knew that her attempts were going to waste, and so for the second time that day, Hermione let out a soft moan and began sobbing her heart out.
She cried for the people who had died and the loss of hope and innocence. She cried out of grief and hurt, out of guilt because Hermione had broken her promise to both Viktor and Ron by losing hope.
With each thought, the tears and the rain began to spill harder. The rain quickly went from a light sprinkle to a downpour. Witches and wizards everywhere in Diagon Alley had immediately put a drying spell around themselves so they wouldn't get wet, but Hermione let the rain soak her. She wanted to drown in the rain, drown in her tears, drown away the pain.
Nearly thirty minutes later, both the tears and rain had subsided to a mere drizzle. Hermione was still sitting at the same spot, her head gently placed on her arms. She looked like a curled up ball with her knees pressed against her chest, her arms resting on the back of the bench.
Hermione was done crying now, but she didn't know what to do. The question that kept popping into her head was Now what? For her, everything felt bleak and meaningless now. When there was nothing to hope for, what was life? She no longer believed in their chances of winning the war and there was no one in sight to make her feel alive again so what was she supposed to do?
Figuring it would probably be best not to worry about that for the time being, Hermione decided to go walk down the rest of Diagon Alley before returning home. She hoped it would help her clear the clutter filling her mind.
It wasn't long before Hermione realized her decision was a big mistake. Being a part of the Order as well as being naturally aware and alert made her sense that something was wrong. The sensation brought a dark, upsetting feeling to her stomach, never a good sign.
For minutes the suspense and anxiety was killing her. She had forgotten everything that she had been previously feeling; all her concentration was focused on any clue of what was giving off this horrible sensation. Hermione was constantly turning her head, her eyes gazing at every shop, every person passing her way.
Then it finally happened. Hermione heard a deathly scream two alleyways down from where she was standing. Her body immediately tensed up at the sound and her right hand subconsciously tightened its grip on her wand.
On instinct, she began running toward the alleyway. The last thing she needed to deal with right now was another attack involving even more deaths. As Hermione ran towards the scream, terrified witches and wizards were running in the opposite direction so they could exit Diagon Alley and Apparate to safety.
Hermione never really reached the alleyway because she stopped in her tracks when she saw a group of Death Eaters emerge from the very same corner she was heading towards. Usually, Hermione would have kept running until she reached there and took on the Death Eaters herself. She could manage two or three at a time.
But this time, the group wasn't just two or three like it usually is. There were six of them, and as Hermione stood rooted in her spot, a slight fear overcame Hermione as she tried to decide what to do. Her left hand made a grab for the pendant that was hanging on a beautifully simple chain around her neck. The pendant was the left side of a heart, the border of the heart being thicker than its inner portion. The border was no simple thick band, though. It had been carved into a shape of a lion standing on its legs (like the one on the Gryffindor crest) with its arms and paws stretched out to create the curve at the top of the heart. The lion's body has been curved at different points to maintain the shape of a heart, but there was no mistaking that the lion was indeed meant to create the shape of a heart's right side. The thin inner part of the heart was plain except for the carving of a simple letter "D" on it.
Overall, the pendant was absolutely beautiful, and because it was custom-made, quite expensive. Hermione hadn't taken off this necklace since she got it a little over two years ago. It had become a sort of habit to hold it in her hand and press it to her chest when she was nervous, afraid, or worried. It seemed to bring her this strange sense of comfort.
As Hermione watched them, taking a few steps backward every once in a while as to not draw attention to herself, she felt both relief and worry. She was relieved because the Death Eaters didn't seem to be on a random killing rampage so the chances of someone being murdered or severely injured were slim to none. But watching them nevertheless made Hermione feel tensed and worried because they seemed to be looking for something. Or as she soon found out, someone.
With every passing second, her suspicion was being confirmed and Hermione was beginning to have a pretty nasty feeling that she was their target. And the problem with Hermione Granger was that she was always right. Hermione was thinking of ways to slip by unnoticed when a Death Eater turned towards her direction, recognized her, and yelled in a deep, raspy voice,
"There she is!"
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Hope you liked it! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought. Next chapter should be out in a couple of days.
Also, if you prefer something pretty light-hearted, check out my other story Mustn't Love Granger. I can't guarantee perfection but I do hope you'll like it. :D
Aastha