"Run Hermione!" His yell echoed in her ears and hung in the air as she ran. She ripped through bushes, ignoring the sharp pain as her clothes ripped, thin streaks of red shooting across her arms. She could hear her breathing fast and sharp in her ears, surely louder than was possible, and her heart pumping furiously as she tore through the dense forest.
Lights were flashing bright across the dark sky and she screamed as one flashed past her, hitting a rock right in front of her before ricocheting away. Pushing herself on, Hermione dived forward, tearing across the rough path with pebbles tumbling down past her feet as she dislodged them.
She heard a cry behind her as someone fell at her feet, and she dived forward over the body, tumbling down the slope, rolling over and over in the leaves before coming to rest amidst the roots and shrubs. Behind the hill and out of sight raged the battle. Bright flashes of green and red lit up the pale sky that was all she could see between the trees. Her breathing harsh and ragged, she lay, quiet and tense, waiting for someone to come by, friend or foe.
After the longest while, the sounds gradually faded and the grey sky had darkened. The battle was over; ash gently blew away from the scorched remains, tumbling down into the mud.
With a cough, Hermione rolled out from under the upturned tree she'd been lying under, and slowly got to her feet. Dusting the rough mud off her knees she stared around in amazement. The once beautiful forest was nothing more than a burned out shell of black and brown trees covered by smoke. She stood still, slowly massaging her stiff limbs and rotating her shoulders, trying to get some blood back through her aching limbs.
Shaking her head to dislodge her tangled thoughts, she ran towards the castle, desperate to find someone, anyone, who she knew. Breaking through the tangled hedges she stopped short. Bricks were ripped up, walls turned to rubble and black smite stains marked the places where curses had hit and rebounded the night before. It was deserted. Where were the bodies? The ministry? The teachers? In the distance she could just make out a crumpled heap on the ground. Hermione's heart leapt and she ran forward, sprinting towards it. It was just a pile of robes. Empty, burned robes. Disappointment and fear filled her like lead as tears sprung to her eyes and she dropped to her knees, sobbing grief spilling through her fingers.
"Granger." The voice was cold with a hint of surprise. She spun round and her eyes rested on the sodden but steady figure of Draco Malfoy. She blinked in surprise as a mix of emotions entered her mind. She'd never liked him; he'd always been a shallow, selfish, annoying brat. Yet, here he was, at the end of the battle. The only person she knew. Would he attack her? What did he want? Nervously, her fingers twitched towards her wand.
Draco's eyes sharpened. Suddenly he twisted round and in a flash his wand was in hand, pointing directly at Hermione's throat.
"Don't even think about it." he hissed and her arm fell away from her pocket.
"What is it you want, Malfoy?" she demanded, glaring at him annoyed. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"What do you think I want, Granger? I want to know where the others are." She stared at him in surprise. "I, I don't know." He stared at her uncertainly for a moment then smirked.
"Well I guess this means we're both screwed." Lowering his wand he began to walk away.
Hermione blanched. "No, wait a moment!" Stumbling after him he smirked again as she stumbled and then straightened, maintaining as much dignity as she could. Standing in front of him she stood to her full height and raised her chin defiantly.
"Look. Whether you like it or not, we are the only two left. We need to find the others, or this won't end well for anyone." She glanced back towards the school, "I say we start by getting help and finding a teacher!" Turning back to him she was surprised to find him looking speculative. He glanced up at the school nervously, his eyes flicking up before returning to her face, and shook his head. Suddenly his hand took hold of her wrist before turning away back towards the forest, dragging Hermione with him.
"Hey, watch it! Let go!" With a grunt Hermione tugged her arm out of his grip and glared at him furiously. He stood calmly, before sighing infuriatingly, "Look, there's no point going back to the castle, everyone who was there will have fled, and anyone left isn't going to be of any help to us. We need to find help." Hermione stared at him in disbelief, "You're kidding right?" He sighed again, "Granger, do I look like I'm joking?" She glared at him. There had to be another way, surely staying at the castle would be the best move. Someone would come, Harry, the ministry of magic, anyone. As if reading her thoughts Draco interrupted.
"Look, last night was an ambush. I don't know what's going on but I do know that we're in trouble. All of us. The ministry can't help; they've got enough on their hands right now without having to worry about one small school scandal. I don't know where the others are but they won't be here, and you can bet your life that the castle won't stay empty for long. And it's not gonna be filled with friends." He took another step towards the forest edge before turning, "So, come on."
Hermione frowned, dropping her head into her hands, groaning dramatically before following him, running to catch up. "I know I'm going to regret this."