One.
For Hermione Granger being a witch was a living hell. Living in constant
fear that what she could say or do would give Lord Voldemort an idea of
where she was. The image of being tortured with the Crucio curse was a
very frightening thought after reading the Daily Prophet detailing the
daily torture and executions of wizards and muggles
alike.
Fear of discovery did not deter Hermione from her chosen path. She
quickly ran through the forest, glancing repeatedly over her shoulder,
worried something could be following her. She shouldn't do such things.
In his letters had Ron not cautioned her repeatedly to have care? To be
mindful of what wizards and muggles suffered?
I am careful! She paused. Her palm on the silvery gray trunk of an ashtree, and peered into the trees behind her. She stood in silence,
listening, feeling. She was alone. Besides, there was no real harm in visiting Ginny and Harry. She was their secret keeper and the only one that could really give them company. If Ron found out she would get a stern lecture and perhaps punishment from The Order, but as long as no one discovered her sneaking off to visit The-Boy-Who-Lived at his safe house, she would not suffer the repercussions.
Her hand slid down the tree as she gazed up into the branches, through
the green clusters of buds, at the gray sky. A storm was coming. The air
felt damp and heavy. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Her fingers moved over deep grooves in the wood, and a longing filled
her—sharp, passionate. She dropped her hand and stepped back,
inspecting the tree. A heart was carved into the gray wood. Inside the
heart were two names, Ginny and Harry, carved deeply into the wood.
Hermione smiled. Harry had labored over this carving…many years ago
trying to prove his love to Ginny. It had worked.
With a deep, wistful sigh, Hermione continued on her way. The underbrush
was thick, bush and scrub sprouting their first green buds, but Hermione
had worn a trail over the years with her coming and goings swishing her
robes left and right to avoid catching them on the spiny branches.
Soon Ginny and Harry's Cottage was in sight, nestled in a clearing.
Hermione paused, waiting. She couldn't chance being seen if some really
was following her, so she must always wait. The damp wind blew at her,
plastering her robes against her legs and pulling her curly light brown
hair in the wind, making a beautiful cascade of curls in the wind. She
scanned the clearing, making sure no one was visible, and pulled out her
wand. After casting some protective and invisibility charms, she walked
up to the cottage.
The cottage door opened abruptly. Hermione ducked behind an ancient oak,
hiding. A little boy with jet black hair came running out giggling
fiercely.
"AUNTIE 'MIONE!" He was running around rapidly looking for her behind
trees, shrubs and the like. He knew she was there. He heard a movement
near Hermione's tree and ran over in fits of giggles. ''I finded you!''
he was yelling towards the tree but to afraid to look behind it.
Hermione jumped out with a huge smile on her face.
Laughing herself, she scooped up little James and starting walking
towards the cottage door.
Ginny stood at the door staring at the two of them for a long moment. A
strong wind gusted through the yard, disturbing old leaves and setting
some of the penned chickens to clucking. Ginny's hair swirled loose
about her narrow shoulders.
"Hurry you two! Don't want to be caught in the rain!'' She had a look
of unease as her eyes darted around the forest surrounding their
cottage. Hermione noticed her look of panic and quickened her pace
feeling as if eyes were on her back. There was something uneasy feeling
in the wood today.
Ginny slammed the door after the two of them latching it and cast a
locking spell. Hermione set the three year old James down and told him
to run to get his father. The little boy looked serious as if he had
been sent on an important mission causing both girls to laugh. Hermione
took off her robe and hung it on the rack.
Ginny watched her with disapproval. ''You shouldn't be here Hermione.
What if someone saw you.''
''I had to come! It's that feeling--I still have it, and it's worse
now. You and Harry are the only ones I can talk to that could possibly
understand.'' She tucked one of her curls behind her ear.
Ginny sighed, ''Tell me.''
Hermione lowered herself into a chair as Ginny conjured up some tea and
sandwiches and set them on the table. Hermione sighed. She preferred
being at the Potter's cottage to any other place in the world.
Hermione took a sip of tea and stared into Ginny's now curious eyes.
''Something or someone is coming...but I don't know what. Something
dreadful is going to happen. I can feel it. If only I knew what...''
Ginny looked up from her teacup and looked at Hermione as she trailed
off into deep thought. Harry walked into the room with a grin staring at
Hermione. After giving her a hug he kissed his wife and then sat down
himself.
''I know,'' stated Ginny, wrapping her arms around herself as a sudden
cool breeze came through an open window, ''I knew that was why you
came.'' She stared blankly into her teacup as if something may appear.
''Hermione, you are a gifted witch, and before Dumbledore died he had
told you that you have a gift and it will come when the time is right.
Maybe now it's time., maybe the war is supposed to end sooner than
later.'' Harry grinned at the thought.
Hermione nodded blandly. Dumbledore had insisted that she had many
untapped gifts. She never believed it until recently, when she began to
have a feeling of dread. That something, or worse, someone was coming.
And she knew that when this thing was upon her, it would bring bad
things, things that would change the world forever. But that was all
she knew. She hated the lack of clarity. With her other visions she
could focus if she chose to, probe until she understood.
Harry bit into a sandwich, ''Aye, but that's because you're still
learning. Not everything can be taught out of a book 'Mione.'' They
laughed at this knowing Hermione had probably spent hours in the library
trying to read about her gift.
''Well I came here to tell you two something.'' A dead eerie silence
crept about the room. Thunder and lightning booming in the distance.
''Well, spit it out already!'' Ginny chuckled.
''Well I would do anything to help you, you two are my only friends
since Ron went power hungry working with The Order. I still can't
believe I dated him...anyways! I have this awful feeling that
something bad is to happen and I being your secret keeper...I think I
have to leave. Me living so close and coming here to you is
dangerous.'' The two stared at her intently as she droned on.
''Me being here has all three of your lives in danger. And Harry, if the
prophecy is correct you are the only one that can kill Voldemort. So
I'm leaving. Tomorrow morning. I will not tell you where I am going and
I will have no contact with any of you...''
''Stop!'' Harry shouted, white knuckles on the tables his face filling
with rage. ''I don't want to be here either Hermione, but I have a
son. I should be out there looking for a way to destroy Voldemort,
rather than being kept locked up like a caged bird!'' Ginny placed a
hand on Harry's arm only for him to pull away. ''And now! Ha! Because
The Order would rather try and hide than defeat this source of evil,
nothing will change! And you have m weight on your shoulders. You are
carrying a burden that I was meant to carry! This is horse shit!''
Harry slammed a fist on the table and little James began to cry. He had
been standing in the doorway watching the three adults. Ginny picked up
James, cooing words into his ear trying to make him hush.
''I'm sorry Harry. I don't know what else to do. And I have reason to
believe I'm being watched. And we need you to be safe until we can
figure out how to stop him.''
Ginny raised a skeptical brow. ''Not if you keep giving your
warnings...'' Harry sat his head on his fist, and appeared to be
thinking very hard.
''Suggestions, nothing more. It is what must happen and you both know it.''
Ginny's lips were pressed into a flat line, her gaze fixed on Hermione.
She nodded her approval, as did Harry, but with much more reluctance.
''Oh. And your brother asked me to marry him, Ginny.'' Hermione was
staring out a window.
Harry perked up. ''And?''
''You know I don't love him, Harry. He's quite angry and is being much
more strict with me. He thinks there is someone else. So if he catches
me wondering about I'm sure ill never hear the end of it. So I think I
ought to leave.'' She stood up, hugging Harry and kissing him on the
cheek. She then moved over to Ginny who was holding James, and she
hugged the both of them. Tears began welling up in Hermione's eyes.
''Wait. I have something for you.'' As quick as Harry ran out of the
room he came back with a picture. Hermione opened it. It was Harry,
Ron, Ginny, and herself smiling happily at Harry wedding. ''You should
keep this. So when you get lonely you know we're always with you.''
Harry smiled awkwardly and Hermione burst into tears hugging Harry
hard.
''I'm so sorry...I love you both.'' She squeezed Ginny's hand, and with
that Hermione put her robe on and walked out the door trying so hard not
to allow a single tear fall from her.
Hermione started off walking through the woods, back to the manor where
she was staying. As she was walking she heard horse hooves hitting the
ground and fast in the distance, and a sudden sense of dread chilled her
to the bone. It was coming.
Hermione began to run, faster and faster with every step, knowing what
was coming, not caring that her robes were snagging on branches and
brambles. She reached the manor and ran inside slamming the door behind
her. She ripped out her wand and cast a locking spell and a protective
charm around the manor.
''Hermione! Where the hell have you been?!'' Ron saw her burst in and was yelling at her angrily as he cascaded down the staircase. Hermione whipped
around looking at Ron with a look of the utmost fear and horror on her
face. Ron stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her with a scowl.
''I'd be afraid of me right now too if I was you, you have some
explain--''
Hermione put a finger to her lip to hush him as she ran up the stairs,
and whispered ''He's here...RUN.'' Ron's face turned to pure terror.
But then nodded at her as if he understood what to do. Ron ran down the
stairs and set off an alarm with his wand. It was there in case
something like this happened.
Wizards and witches started racing out of rooms, wands at ready. And
with that, the door and every window in the manor had burst open letting
in a cold breeze, rain pouring in getting all wet. Hermione raced to
her room to grab her already packed bag full of equipment, clothing,
food, and other handy items so she could leave. She was more important
alive than dead.
She locked her door behind her and grabbed the bag.
Just as she grabbed her bag, about to aparate, her door burst in, and
Draco Malfoy ran in, wand pointed.
''Stupefy!'' he cried, hitting her square in the chest. She passed out,
hitting the ground rather hard. She lay there looking beautiful. Draco couldn't help but stare at how much she had changed since he had last seen her. She had the most beautiful long curly almost blonde hair, fanning out around her. Her body was beautiful, curved in all the right places, and her face…one of the most angelic looking women he had ever seen. He stopped himself staring at her beauty, and finally scooped her up and apparated.
He landed in a dark room, where a warm fire was going, and a large chair
sat in front of the fire.
''Did you succeed?'' a voice hissed.
''My Lord,'' he started, as he walked around the chair to face him. He
lay Hermione's unconscious body on his lap. ''Yes. They're all dead.
And we finally found her.'' Draco began to turn away and just as he did
he swore he saw his Lord give a hint of a smirk. Draco took pride in
his success and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.