Team: Puddlemere United
Position: Keeper
Prompt: 'The Rescuers' from QLFC
Word Count: 2,772 Without A/N on Google Docs
Warning(s): This will be an AU and Slight-Crack story. Be aware that their will be over exaggeration and OOC-ness.
"For our next order of business, we have a request from beyond the grave. Severus Snape has asked us to save his Godson from Death Eater clutches. Is there anyone here willing to battle werewolves, dementors, and possible death for one-ah..." Albus Dumbledore trailed off as he leaned over to Fawkes. The phoenix let out a squawk, his wings spreading and sprouting patches of fire as he screeched some more. "Yes, yes, Alright! For one...Draco Malfoy."
"WHAT?!" Ron shot to his feet, his face red and blue eyes blazing as he stared at the old Headmaster of Hogwarts' painting. Harry was right next to him in his protest, green eyes flaring as they narrowed. Hermione sighed, her eyes rolling to the sky.
It has been two years since they lost the Battle of Hogwarts. They lost many in the battle. Molly, Fred and George, Luna, Tonks, Kingsley, and Oliver. There were many things brought to light too. Like the fact that Severus Snape was in love with Harry's mother, or the fact that Ginny and Neville were having a secret affair and Ginny was pregnant now. Hermione glanced over at her two best friends. The boys were still screaming their lungs out.
"I'll go." Silence followed her words. "I'll save Draco, but I'll need someone to come with me." Hermione stood up and looked towards the large painting at the head of the table. Ron and Harry were staring at her in disbelief and she was ignoring them with all the skills accumulated skills of nine years of practice. The two boys exchanged a look.
"Hermione! What are you doing? You can't do that!" Ron yelled, stepping away from his chair and storming over to grab her shoulder.
"Hermione have you lost your mind! You're supposed to be the smart one!" Harry turned an accusing gaze on her and the brunette kept her eyes locked on those of blue paint.
"I'm doing what's right, what I think is something that should be done. You don't have to go with me and you don't have to accept this, but I am going to do it. There is nothing you can do to stop me. Now, Ron, let. Me. Go." Ron growled at her and tightened his grip. "I will count to three and if you've not let go I will make you let go."
Hermione counted to three in her head, her muscles tensing as she recalled all of the self-defense lessons her dad had made her take during the summers she was home from Hogwarts. When she hit three in her head her hand came up to land on top of Ron's, her nails digging into his flesh with all the force she could muster. The ginger-haired boy let out a yelp and loosened his grip. Hermione grasped ahold of his hand and spun around, her balled fist meeting with the flesh right beneath his ribs and making the air rush out of his lungs.
"Hermione!" Harry cried as he rushed forward to hold the collapsing Ron. "What are you doing?!"
"I told him to let me go and he didn't." Hermione stated as she walked away. "Albus, I'm heading to my room to pack. If you need me then look there, the library, or the potions lab. When I'm done, I'll find you." And with those words she left the room.
Three hours later Hermione was packed with enough supplies to last her a year. Of course, she looked as if she was only going out for a day due to all of it being packed into her purse. Now that she had everything that she needed, all she had to do was go see Albus and discuss who her partner is going to be. As she walked towards the meeting room, she contemplated who it might be. Ron and Harry were obviously out, as were Ginny and Neville. She wouldn't ask any of the Weasley's to separate themselves after the deaths of Molly, Fred, and George. Remus was also out because of his son, and...
Well, after that there was no one else.
"Ah, Miss Granger. Have you finished all of your packing?" Hermione looked up and realized that she had entered the room and sat down in her regular chair while she was lost in her thoughts. A quick look around the room confirmed that she was alone.
"Yes sir, and I've been thinking about who my partner might be but I can't seem to come up with anyone. Remus have already as to be here for Teddy, Harry and Ron obviously don't want to go and if they're forced to they'll do something stupid to avoid it, Ginny and Neville have a child on the way, and all of the Weasley's have already lost enough of their family members. And when you take all of that into consideration I don't have a the option of a partner."
"Of course, I've taken that into consideration." Albus smiled inside of his painting. "The blank canvas inside the Potion's lab, I want you to take it with you. If you ever need advice the painting will supply you with a reasonable answer."
Hermione blinked. That was the painting of Severus Snape. Her partner was going to be her old Potion's Professor.
This was going to be fun.
-XxXxXxX-
Three days later Hermione found herself in a tent outside of Malfoy Manor. She had been waiting for two days and those two days were nightmare filled. Memories of her time with Bellatrix filled her dreams at night, and during the day the screams of those inside the manor haunted her thoughts. It was made worse by the fact that she could only save one of them.
"Granger. Why are you lying on the floor."
"Professor!" Hermione sat up with a gasp, her eyes heading towards the painting that was propped up by the fireplace.* She quickly stood up, the crackers she had been nibbling on falling to the floor. "I was just-"
"Yes, yes I'm sure it was interesting. Do you plan to do anything or are you just going to use this time as a Vacation from the other two idiots." Severus Snape glared at her from his portrait, his black eyes boring into her soul even if they were just paint.
"I'm trying to figure out how to get a message to him first. I don't know the layout, who's in there, or even what type of defenses there are." Hermione huffed, crossing her arms and bringing her thumb up to nibble on the end of her nail. "But everything I've thought of has at least three flaws."
"Did you ever think of simply asking me foolish girl?" Hermione's eyes widened, snapping up to look at Severus. The man was smirking at her, His dark cloak wrapped around his crossed arms. Greasy black hair hung down, draping over pale skin and a strong jaw.
"What, but they would've changed everything right?"
"Yes, but you're not the only one with a painting of me." Hermione's mouth dropped open, closing seconds later with a snap.
"OH, of course I knew that! How could I not? It's not like this is the first time I've seen you in your painting since we got it!" The brunette ranted angrily, her hands flying into the air and waving as she stomped towards the fireplace. Her bushy hair sparked with magic as she ranted to the square frame.
"And another thing, how do I sneak into Malfoy Manor without HIM noticing?! I may know how to do magic but that's asking a bit much!" Hermione finished with a flourish, her hands coming to rest on her hips as her chest heaved. It was then that the fact that the portrait was empty hit her.
"That ass!"
-XxXxXxX-
"Draco." Draco looked up from the book he had been reading. The small painting that he kept on his bedside table was now occupied.
"Uncle Severus." The blond whispered in relief, his book thrown carelessly onto the floor as he sat up straight. He had been alone for months, waiting for the painting to be occupied, for his Godfather to appear in black and white.
"Draco, I don't have much time. Now, tell me about your step-father. Has he asked you about anything? Are you hurt? How is your mother?"
"He wants the Malfoy fortune. Father left it to me and because I am of age, only I can access it. Marrying Mother was his way to get to the fortune and he killed her the day after he found out only I could access it." Draco spat, tears welling up in his eyes before being pushed back down. "Now he keeps me locked up in this room, waiting for me to crack under the pressure."
The last Malfoy smiled grimly. "What he doesn't understand is that he killed my mother and now I will do everything to make sure his plans fail, that he gets punished for what he's done."
"I have someone outside who is going to get you out of here from that blasted bird society. If you help them, help the bird, then I promise you you'll get your revenge for your mother."
-XxXxXxX-
Two days later Hermione found herself laying on the floor once again. This time however, she had four books spread out around her, her hair up in a large bun held up by three quill's, and three notebooks open to different points.
"This makes sense. In order for me to even get close to the manor I'm going to have to figure out how to get past the blood wards. I'm a Mudblood so in order for me to get across I'm going to have to either be taken in as a prisoner or I'm going to have to sneak in with a group of Snatchers. But how to get out is the real trick. Maybe Draco will know a secret passageway to the burrow!" Hermione gasped and slapped her cheeks before dissolving into giggles and fell back onto the large stack of pillows behind her.
"Once again, why are you on the floor?"
Hermione sighed. There was no point in answering a question that was never asked. It was just like last time.
"I'm trying to figure out how to get past the Blood Wards." Hermione huffed out as she got to her feet, shuffling over to the fireplace. Severus Snape was sitting in his large armchair, his black eyes focused on a point past her head.
"I have the information you asked for earlier. It took a while because Draco had to get acquainted with his new fiancé Pansy." Severus sneered, his eyes narrowing. "The filthy pug wouldn't leave the room to bathe."
Hermione gagged. "I could've lived happily without that knowledge."
"Grab some parchment girl, I'm about to divulge all the dirty secrets, the in's and out's of Malfoy manor." Hermione nodded, spinning on her heel and reaching down to grab one of the purple books from her pile. Within seconds she was seated on the arm of a chair and filling in the information Severus rattled off.
"All of his Inner Circle are residing in the Manor. I'm assuming that they gave you that information? Now, other than those ten there are their families. Wives, children, siblings, any relation to those on the inside and you have yourself a room. They test those relations through the Blood Ward. Then there is Greyback's pack. They have control of the grounds and are out every night patrolling. There are also dementors." Hermione deflated with each word.
It looked as if she was going to have to go with Plan C.
She just loved Plan C.
-XxXxXxX-
"What are you doing?" Severus asked, causing Hermione to grin and turn around.
"One of the projects I have been working on throughout the past two years is a way to use magical tattoos. Therefore, I have tattooed my beaded bag onto my hip! With just a small flare of magic, the tattoo activates and I can take out my bag. Because I chose to use my bag, anything that is stored in the bag goes with it! And since this bag can hold anything that fits inside of it, I can practically outfit a small army after being taken prisoner! I also have a small snitch tattooed across my chest so that if my heart ever stops, Harry will receive a notice that I've died." The brunette shrugged as she pulled her wand away from her chest.
"After being taken prisoner. Is that your plan?" Severus tilted his head as they stared at each other.
"Of course not! I'm going to ask to join them! I have all of it planned out. Now hold still, I'm going to put you in my hip." Hermione grinned and stalked forward.
"Loss of sleep has clouded your mind. Take a Dreamless Sleep potion and then tell me the plan again in two days." The painting scowled at her and then the figure walked off leaving an empty chair behind.
Hermione sighed, dropping her wand onto the small table next to her. She would wait another two days and then if he didn't agree...she would carry the plan out anyway.
-XxXxXxX-
"Granger." Hermione jerked awake, the book in her hand flying towards the area where the voice came from. "I have a way for you to get in and Draco to get out. The boy is allowed outside for one hour around midday, there's a path there that leads to the back of the estate. He said that if you could cause a distraction at the front of the gate and get rid of the wall at the back, both of you could escape. He has one condition though."
"Condition?" Hermione snickered. "He does realize that I'm getting him out whether he wants it or not, right?"
"Yes." Severus scowled, his arms crossing above his chest. "He wants to attempt to end his life. He killed Draco's mother and the boy doesn't agree with that."
"I can agree with that. Tell him we go through with it today since it's five in the morning," Hermione glared at the painting before smiling cruelly. "And that he better have ear plugs."
-XxXxXxX-
Draco glanced behind him as he walked through the small forest at the back of his estate. The past week he had followed this trail back to the wall and followed it around, that's why he had mentioned it to Severus in the first place. It was already apart of his routine and they left him alone because of it. When he reached the wall, he looked around for the hole Severus had said would be there. The blond scowled when he saw that there was no hole.
And right when he finished thinking that, the world exploded.
Draco flew backwards, landing on the ground with a gasp. His ears were ringing and he couldn't figure out why. It was only when he struggled to his feet and saw the large hole in the wall, the chunks of rocks scattered about the forest floor, and the smoke rising over the trees from the other side of the compound that he realized his rescuer had blown the gate up at the same time as the back wall.
"Malfoy! Stop standing there like an idiot and get over here!" A voice called out from behind him. Draco spun around and froze.
Standing there in the middle of the wreckage, her hair pulled back in a braid and her clothes slightly smoldering, was Hermione Granger.
"You're my rescuer?!"
"Yes! Now get your ass over here so I can get us both out of here! In thirty seconds the manor is going to explode as well!" Hermione shouted, her arm reaching out towards him.
"You're crazy!" Draco screamed back, jumping over a large block of stone and racing towards her outstretched hand. As soon as his fingers brushed across her skin, he felt himself twisting and turning, his body being squeezed. When he blinked, he found himself standing on a street, staring at a large wall of doors and windows.
"Mission complete." Hermione stated smugly, her hand dropping Draco's and reaching into her pocket for a piece of paper. "Read this and then we're heading inside. Once you get settled in we're going to send some people over to your old place to see if it's gone."
Draco took the paper and read it aloud.
"The Flaming Turkey Bird Organization can be found at number 12 Grimmauld Place."
*The tent she is using a Wizarding tent and that's why there is a fireplace in a tent.
