A/N Hi! Here's another chapter for you guys. I know that there haven't been any Harry/Hermione moments, at all, but don't worry, it will come soon. I promise! Now please enjoy reading and send me feedbacks. Come on people! I know this story isn't perfect, point out what can be done better please! :-0
Special Thanks goes to Pstibbons and Dreamsong. Thanks for the encouragements. Enjoy this chapter guys!
Fighting Destiny
By Lola Leddir
Chapter 6- Fights, Discoveries, and Cats
Thinking back to when she was singing on the stage of Witches and Whiskeys, Hermione argued with herself about whether she should go back and take the job or not. On the one hand, Mandrake had offered her an office job, it's not like she was going to be stripping on stage. On the other however, it was still the Witches and Whiskeys, the most degrading place a young women could be at. What would her mother say? It would break her heart. Hermione would rather die than disappoint her mother, the only person who gave Hermione love since well, ever. As Hermione slowly pondered, she found herself at her door. However, there was someone inside. Two someone. She could hear a different voice talking to her mother, someone that sounded strangely familiar, like… Luna!
" Please, Elizabeth, talk to Hermione will you?" Hermione heard Luna say. " She was a little hot-headed when she came over. It's a wonder that Daddy didn't kill her on the spot. You were the one who married him; you know how short-tempered he can be. Hermione really needs to be careful."
" Luna!" Hermione yelled, as she strode in through the door, her body suddenly filled with anger.
" Is it not enough that your big wonderful family tortures me four days ago? You had to come here and tell my mother about it?"
" No, Hermione, you misunderstood," Elizabeth said, rushing to Hermione's side. " Luna, came to drop of some of her own spare money, she's here to help us."
" Help us?" Hermione asked and gave a cold sarcastic laugh. " Why would she help us mother? She just want to see us like this, so she can go home, tell her family and all have a good laugh!"
" How can you say that?" Luna raised her voice a little.
" How can I not say it? Look at this house!" Hermione said, mentioning the small little house that she and her mother lived in.
" Is it anything like the mansion that you live in? Look at me and then look at yourself; do you really think that we have anything in common? I don't need your help Luna. We are not family no matter what the blood test may have turned out to be. I've already broke the tie between me and my father, you are not welcome here, now leave!"
" Fine!" Luna said angrily. " It's all my fault, happy? I'm leaving! I'm never going to feel sorry for you again!" She said and ran out of the door.
" Fine! I don't want your pity anyway!" Hermione screamed after her. She watched Luna leave, and then suddenly burst into tears.
" Mom, I'm sorry. I have my pride and dignity. I…"
" Its okay sweetheart," Elizabeth said and hugged Hermione. " I understand Hermione, I understand."
" I think I'll just go to my room for a while, I need to think things straight," Hermione said and got up.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Hermione quickly wiped away her tears and ran to answer the door. She ran out into the living room and opened it.
" Mr. Wilton! Oh my gosh! I haven't seen you in years!" Hermione gushed.
Armand Wilton used to live with Hermione, her mother and father when she was small, but just a year before Hermione and her mother left John Regragn, Armand Wilton, his wife Ana and Emily, there daughter mysteriously disappeared.
" Miss Hermione," Armand Wilton said with a nod.
" It's so great to see you again!" Hermione said, practically bouncing up and down as she pulled Armand through the doors. " Where have you been all these years? How is your wife Anna? And Emily? Gosh, she must be married by now! I remember how many boys use to surround her wherever she went when we were young. Why did you leave us?"
Armand Wilton looked at Hermione, not exactly sure what he should say. He just stood there with his head down.
Elizabeth sighed. " Armand, Hermione had permanently took herself out of John's life. She wouldn't be telling any of them anything. There's no need to hide from her any more."
Armand nodded solemnly.
Hermione looked from her mother to Mr.Wilton.
" What is wrong? What are you guys hiding from me?" She asked. " Is Ana okay? What about Emily?"
At this Mr.Wilton looked straight at Hermione.
" No, Miss Hermione. Emily is not well. She's not well at all."
Hermione's face fell. " What's wrong with her?" She asked urgently.
Mr.Wilton opened his mouth to speak, but now words came out.
" Why don't we go visit Emily?" Elizabeth suggested, watching Mr.Wilton worriedly.
Mr.Wilton nodded.
The event that followed was a blur to Hermione.
Mr.Wilton lead Hermione and Elizabeth through a few dark alleyways and a bridge until they reached what looked like the outskirts of London. Sounds of cars and people talking diminished as they walked farther and farther and just as Hermione began to wonder how long they still had to walk, she heard screams.
" Leave me alone! Don't hurt my baby!"
What is going on? Hermione asked herself as a few houses came into view where a crowd was forming rapidly. As Hermione squeezed herself through the crowd, a horrible scene unfolded before her.
A girl, probably one or two years younger than Hermione herself was holding a pillow in her arms and looking wildly at the crowd. The girl's eyes were filled with such emptiness that it scared Hermione. As if the girl in front of her was only a shell of what use to be, that there were no life left what so ever in the body now.
The poor girl started at the multiplying crowd in fear as she screamed again and again, " Leave me alone! Don't hurt me! Please I'm begging you! Have mercy!"
As Hermione looked closer, she realizes that this girl was fairly familiar, like a childhood friend that's only a blur to her now. Then, she remembered. Emily.
Scene Breaker
" I have a job for you two!" Mr. Oswatt informed Harry and Ron.
Mr. Boran Oswatt was s a very kind man with a bald spot on the top of his head and as he said this, Harry and Ron exchanged worried looks.
" One of them is once again about Simon Mandrake. Word on the street is that he's got some new dancers and new staging program. I want you two to try and get in there somehow. Take a few pictures and ask for an interview," at this Oswatt glanced at Ron. " Though this time, Mr.Weasley, I'd appreciate it if you didn't break the camera again."
" Yes Sir!" Ron said sheepishly.
" Simon Mandrake isn't as urgent as your other assignment though. I want you and Harry to go to this address immediately. You two are to have an interview with an old lady who has been attacked by a Lethifold and survived! She must have been the first one in centuries since Flurius Belby in 1482! She's almost 110 years old! Without any magical help too!" He said excitedly as he handed over a piece of parchment with the address.
" With all do respect, Sir," Harry said, looking at the address. " Can I please report something else? I'm terribly bored with assignments on celebrities. May I go to Azkaban to see the Death Eaters they've just caught yesterday?"
Boran Oswatt looked at him sharply. " An interview with a Death Eater? Are you mad boy? We don't want to run a story like that! We need to run the stories that will keep people's mind off of the war, not encouraging them to think about it! The minister would sack me if we started reporting things that dealt with war. People don't want to read that kind of stuff!" He calmed down a little. " Look here, Mr. Potter, I think that we all know that you already have enough experiences with dark wizards. You are here to train in the interest of communication with everyday average people. Ones that you can't manipulate with a wave of a curse!"
" Yes Sir," Harry replied, gritting his teeth. This is ridiculous! He thought angrily. I'm a dark wizard catcher! Not a reporter!
" Well then! Get on with it!" Boran said as he dismissed Harry and Ron with a wave of a hand.
" And what are you guys glooming about?" a voice drawled as they left the office of Boran and came face to face with Draco Malfoy, who had obviously been listening at the door.
" Draco, do you mind?" Harry said irritability.
" Oh cheer up, Harry!" Draco said. " I'll go with you! It's got to be better than interviewing the Weasley's twins, remember last time?"
Harry and Ron both burst out laughing. They did remember. About a month ago, Draco went to have an interview with Fred and George Weasley for a short report on the grand opening of another Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes store, located in Hogsmeade. Draco had came back from the interview with a missing limb and pink hair.
" Ah, those were the days," Harry said, still laughing.
" I've never been more proud of my brothers than that wonderful day," Ron laughed too.
" Oh shut up both of you. Hey! How about I bring Luna with us? She's been wanting to see you for ages Harry!" Draco said.
" Luna?" Ron asked, suddenly looking much brighter. " Cool! That'd be great!"
Draco raised an eyebrow and Ron turned bright red. Coming to his best friends rescue, Harry quickly changed the subject and started to complain about the lack of action they were getting.
" I seriously cannot wait until this stupid reporter assignment is over! I don't get it, what does being a reporter have to do with catching dark wizards?" He said.
" Not only does being a reporters exercise your communication skills," Ron started saying, imitating the annoying voice of their head Aurror trainer, who just happened to be their good friend, Remus Lupin. " It also lets you sharpen your quick thinking skills in tense situations and teaches you to be resourceful."
" And don't forget, we are the guinea pigs," Draco added grumpily, reminding his two good friends how the reporter section of Auror training was a test run, so other Aurors-In-Training didn't have to do what Harry, Ron Draco are doing.
The tree friends all grumbled unhappily as they made their way out of the office of the Daily Prophet.
Never in Harry's wildest dreams did he expect this. He looked warily at the scene in front of him. A large crowd encircling a really really old lady that looked as if she would fall to dust at any second was crying her eyes out. He had expected being in a cabbage-smelling house, drinking some strange tasting tea while an old witch rambled on about what she ate in the morning. Never in his wildest imagination did he imagine that he would be pushed and elbowed while trying to get to the old lady.
" What's wrong with her?" Draco asked, looking a little disturbed at the scene before him.
" No idea," Harry said grumpily. This is just not right! This isn't suppose to be an Aurror's job! What on Earth was he doing? This is such a waste of time!
" Excuse me," Luna asked a middle-age man near by. " Can you please tell me and my friends where to find Ms.Padifort?"
The woman glanced at Luna.
" That's her right there!" the woman said pointing at the old lady in the middle of the crowd.
Great! Harry thought exasperatedly. It had to be her. The crazy one!
" Well, let's go," Harry said, mentioning the old lady.
" I can't believe you did that!" A while later, Ron laughed as he spoke of when Harry climbed onto the rooftops to get the "cat" that turned out to be the subject of the old lady's hysterical cries.
" Sure, you thought it was funny," Harry said sourly.
" Hey look at the bright side!" Draco joked. " You'll probably make it to the front page again! I can see the headlines now. The Chosen One- Hero of Mr. Whiskers!"
" I think it's more like," Harry growled, " The Chosen One- Climbing Rooftops While Dark Wizards are at Large!"
" Nah, I doubt it." Ron said. " Remember? No war talk!"
" Oh shut up you!" Harry growled again.
" Well, I thought that it was pretty brave of you, Harry." Luna said, smiling at Harry adoringly.
" Well, I could have done it if Harry didn't react so fast!" Ron said.
" What?" You were just laughing your head off at me a few seconds ago!" Harry said, laughing at Ron.
" Yeah, but." Ron stuttered, looking uncomfortable.
Laughing lightly, the four friends set home.
A/N Hope you enjoyed this chapter of Fighting Destiny! Please don't forget to leave me a review! From Monday and extending to the next six weeks, I will be joining a special summer workshop from 8 AM to 12 AM everyday. Now this would mean less and fewer updates, but I assure you, one chapter per week is still possible. I feel horrible for neglecting this story so I hope to at least get to the middle of the story by the end of this summer before I get swept away by all the craziness this fall. But enough of that for now, go review!
