Hidden
Chapter 1, Goodbye
"You have to go, it's best for us both. I won't let your life waste away for nothing. You're too special to vanish." The looks of panic striking his eyes, as hexes were being thrown around the place.
"I can't leave you. We're in this together remember?" Her voice shook by the end, glancing around, she could see people uncontrollably falling to the ground, presuming they were dead.
"Go."
And with that Ron put the invisibility cloak around Hermione, looking her deep in the eyes one last time as she apparated away from him, for god knows how long.
The world had suddenly turned cold and dark. The light had faded from her and she felt alone. The man that had been there for her from the beginning, had now let her go, for her own good. The wind hit her face suddenly, reminding her that she had to stay hidden.
Bloody hell Ronald Weasley, always trying to keep me from harm's way. "Lumos." Finding a spot under an old oak tree, out of sight under the invisibility cloak, she started to read the rest of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. I hope he's safe, I'll go closer to the fight in a bit, just to make sure. Focusing her eyes back to the book, she began reading: "Temper with the deepest mysteries – the source of life, the essence of self – only if prepared for consequences of the most extreme and dangerous kind." What is that even supposed to mean? Trying to reassure herself he would be fine she heard some faint footsteps, crackling on the ground near where she sat. Placing the book in her lap, she fixated her pose and sat as still as she could, clutching the invisibility cloak around her.
It was Malfoy. Running. What is he doing here? The look of panic was written all over Draco's face, as he sprinted away from the oncoming danger. The faster he ran, the closer he got to Hermione, eventually running straight into her.
"Who's there? Show yourself now!" Draco screeched, wand pointing towards Hermione's face.
Hermione contemplated her decision for a second, looking around to see if the person chasing Draco was close behind, thought it safe to take off her cloak. "Shh be quiet Malfoy, someone could hear you!" Hermione whispered harshly to him. "What were you running from, why are you in the forest when there's a war going on?" Questions were running through her mind, she didn't want to dwell too deep; she wasn't prepared to hear that something had happened to Ron.
"I shouldn't be telling you a thing, Granger. But seeing as we are alone now," he stepped closer to her, crouching to the ground so that their faces were inches apart, "Scabior got restless when he saw you apparate and went to interrogate Weasley to where you had gone. As much as I enjoyed seeing his face squirm with pain, I said I'd go looking for you. That was my escape. I didn't mean to actually find you; I just wanted to get away from the fighting. I needed to go."
Draco, looking closely at Hermione's face, could see the pain in her eyes when he mentioned Ron's name. Slowly but surely she got up and straightened herself, wrapping the cloak around her body, just so that her face was seen.
"You left when they were hurting Ronald, why didn't you stop them? You're such a selfish rat, always thinking about yourself!" Hermione turned and walked in the direction he had come from, taking quick steps over the damp ground.
"Selfish, me selfish? Look at you! You're out here hiding from the war, protecting yourself from any danger, and you have the nerve to call me selfish!" Draco spat at her. Striding up behind her and ripping the cloak off her. "You don't understand. You have to stay. If you go back they'll kill you right there and then". His eyes filled with worry, why was he concerned for her safety?
"Oh like you care, Ronald's out there and for all I know he could be – dead." The word stuck in her throat and it sent a shiver through her body. "I could help them, I could help with the fight, and you can't stop me!" With this Hermione grabbed the cloak out of Draco's hands and wrapped it over herself again. "Run along Malfoy, like a scared weasel you are." Her voice trailed off into the distance.
What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can't go after her, for I can't even see her. Shit, she's in for it now.
Hermione edged closer to the opening of the forest, peering over the hedge to see if any sign of life was there. To her luck, the fighting had obviously moved to another part of the grounds, but the entrance to Hogwarts had an eerie stature. People's bodies were lying on the ground, most of them presumed dead. Her heart was in her throat when she saw a shaggy red head lying in the distance, face to the ground, lifeless. Not caring who saw her, she ripped the cloak off and shoved it in her bag, running towards the frail ginger boy. Oh dear gosh, Malfoy was right, they had been torturing Ron. What have I done, I left him when I shouldn't have. But as she crouched down, and put her small shaking hand onto the face of the man, it wasn't Ronald's face she was so shocked to see. Tears streamed down her face as she was looking into Fred Weasley's eyes. Dead and gone. Nothing was going to bring him back.
It wasn't her tears that were leaving little drops on the twins face, it was the rain. As she looked up to the dark sky, the look of dread hit her face. The dark mark was engulfing what the remainder of the stars were left.
Hurried footsteps could be heard from behind her; quickly she straightens out her wand and pointed it in the direction from which the noise was coming from.
"Fuck Hermione, what have you done?" Draco's voice seemed hurried.
"I didn't do this, why are you here?" Hermione's voice seemed agitated and rushed. Not knowing where to look, anywhere but Draco's eyes as she thought she could've burst into tears at any moment. "I suppose you don't know where Ronald could be?"
"Of course not. Shame on that one though. George was it?" A little smirk appeared on his face.
"How DARE you speak as if this is something to laugh at." Hermione stretched her wand towards Draco's face. "I won't hesitate to hex you right now!"
"Calm down Granger, it was a joke. Come on, we have to you go, you can't just stand there plain in sight, Scabior will come and get you, not that I care." With that Draco turned and started walking towards the forest again. Unintentionally, Hermione ran after him, darting her eyes across the ground, looking for any signs of movement.
"Does this mean he's won? Is this it?" Hermione's voice fell as she had come to a sudden conclusion of events.
"I guess so. Come on." Draco turned to Hermione, held out his hand and stood there waiting for her to take it.
