Hogwarts is attacked, the wards are down and Hermione manages to Disapparate away in all the confusion. But a certain blonde mister grabs onto her arm and they become stuck together on a journey to freedom. One problem: They hate each other's guts.
Chapter 1
A short excerpt from the Daily Chronicle:
DEMENTORS HAVE LEFT AZKABAN!
The Dark Lord, it seems, have invited the Dementors along for a play recently to oversee the recent destruction of The Ministry. The Dementors have now joined forces with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Dangerous criminals have escaped Azkaban and are on the loose. Rumour has it that they are assisting the Dark Lord in capturing and torturing innocent Witches and Wizards to pry information concerning the Chosen One's whereabouts. However, despite the fact Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, is currently absent along with the school's Gamekeeper - Rubeus Hagrid - the school itself has remained impenetrable.
Witches and Wizards are warned from actively trying to flee Britain. Wards have been placed all over the country, that trap and incapacitate their victims, leaving them to the mercy of the Dementors.
For further advice, please look at the booklet attached regarding the use of certain Concealment Charms, Invisibility Cloaks, Hats, Wands and clothing items, Darknesse Powder and other tactics to ensure the safety of you and your family. Also look at the section on page 6, regarding how to distinguish Inferi from real people, whether someone has been Imperiused and effective defensive spells.
In this time of great tragedy and mistrust, we ask that everyone spreads the advice and recent news to the best of their ability to those who are in need.
"This is crazy!" Ron said, still holding the newsaper in his hands. He looked furious. Shaking it, he said, "People won't stand a chance against You-Know-Who and his followers. How is Fred and George's Invisibility stuff gonna have a chance with frigging Avada Kedavra! Mum told me last week that Dad can't even go to work because the whole Ministry is weeded with Death Eaters! You don't know who to trust."
They were in the Great Hall, only it was looking pretty empty since most of the students had finished breakfast. Hermione tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.
"Well, that's why no one bothered to take their kids home from school because everyone knows that Hogwarts is the safest place in the whole of Britain." Hermione sniffed. "See you, I'm going to the-"
"-Library." Harry and Ron finished off for her. "We know."
Over a few weeks Harry, Ron and Hermione attended classes as per usual. Malfoy and his mates only popped up a couple of times neither party saying very much apart from the usual exchange of sneers, smirks, 'I'm going to get you's, I'll hex your balls off Malfoy's, a series of grunts, dirty looks and when the situation warranted some anger management a cold: 'Go to hell, Potter'.
They all thought that the war would never reach them. That they were safe within the great stone walls of Hogwarts. They were, of course. But not for much longer...
It happened in Herbology, when they were learning about Drodgesmoffs, vicious little things with sharp little teeth that latch onto you. Urgh. Hermione shuddered. She hated Drodgesmoffs. They reeked of cow manure most of the time, with malicious tempers. It was once too many a time, when Hermione and her friends had had to clean up the remains after a fight to the death between two potted Drodgesmoffs. It had been dis-gust-ing.
Urgh.
Hermione had just launched her hand into the air in class when she saw the shadow of a great big dirty snake slither along the window pane. She wasn't alone either, screams filled the air. Dark shadows - Death Eaters - zoomed like rockets around the place, smashing pots, flinging girls like ragdolls all over the greenhouse.
Hermione tried to find Harry and Ron. She screamed their names. Everything was like the inside of a hurricane, things flew past her face so fast she thought that if they hit her they would bury a hole four inches deep. In the chaos, she saw the masked face of a Death Eater, his wand aimed directly at her face. She could see the word's forming in his mouth.
"Avada Ke-"
Hermione screamed. Gripping her wand, she turned on the spot and Apparated. As she did so, she felt something latch onto her arm like a vice. Terror seized her, she tried to squirm away but it seemed impossible.
Hermione landed flat on her back in the middle of Graham Park, in her old neighbourhood, and found she couldn't breathe. Gradually, air entered her lungs and she sat up, rubbing her arm. It hurt like hell.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Mudblood?"
Hermione whipped her head around so fast, she swore something snapped.
There was no mistaking it. The blonde hair, pale skin, grey eyes and that arrogant smirk playing on his lips. She felt a brief surge of momentary relief- she had thought it was a Death Eater.
"Why are you here? You could have Apparated yourself."
"Goyle knocked my wand away when the attack started. The lumbering fool! Otherwise I would have Apparated myself to..." He glanced around, contemptuously. "... somewhere where there is even a remote trace of human civilisation. Honestly, Granger, is this forest the first thing that popped into that oversized brain of yours?"
"For your information, Malfoy, this is a park. There are trails leading out of it. The only reason it was the first thing to come into my mind was because I was thinking it about it before they attacked. And why should you run? Aren't those Death Eater's your friends? Why would they try to kill you?"
Malfoy smirked. "Even if I could explain, you wouldn't understand."
"Why not? Try me."
"Because you're a filthy Mudblood. That's why. Happy?" Malfoy turned away, examining in disgust the moss growing in patches on the rocks nearby.
He had done it again. Made her furious in a split second, with only a handful of casual words flung her way. Even in this kind of situation, he was able. Under normal circumstances, Hermione would have either ignored him or cursed him over her shoulder as she walked away but not today. There were no teachers, to deduct points, to- Realisation punched her in the face.
She could do anything.
Whilst Malfoy was distracted, (shaking off a couple of wood mice nibbling on his shoe laces), Hermione threw aside her wand and launched at him. She was going to do it the Muggle way. (Besides, her arm still really hurt.)
He was completely oblivious until the last second before her fist smashed into his haughty nose. Then she kneed him in the groin and when he fell paralysed to the ground, she elbowed his ribs, pummeled his stomach (she noticed he had rock hard abs) slapped his face silly... It was pure joy. She picked him up and threw him over her shoulder like she saw wrestlers do on TV. She was about to kick him again when he caught her arm and dragged her on top of him. Hermione tried to shove him away, but he rolled over and pinned her under his body. Straddling her waist, Malfoy shoved his bloody face in hers. She tried to push him off with her arms but he had pinned them down too.
Although they were both panting from the effort, he managed to smirk. If looks could kill.
"You are. One. Vicious woman!" He said between breaths. "I don't. Think. My. Nose. Will recover."
Hermione grinned triumphantly. Malfoy recovered his breath.
"Grin all you want. But in the end, you're still weaker. I beat you." He gloated, then winced as his ribs throbbed.
Hermione became suddenly very aware of their awkward position. Malfoy seemed to register it too, and released her self-consciously. Well, he couldn't hit a girl, could he? Even if it was Granger. It was an act of self-defense. That's right. Self-defense.
He cleared his throat. "Well, what are we going to do now?"