A/N: I've been wanting to get to this point for ages! Because now it's opening to everything I want.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and no money has been made from this.
Enjoy...
Make Your Own Way
The gentle breeze caresses her face as she sleeps soundly, as the water rocks the boat in time with her breathing. She shudders in her sleep from the nipping cold, unaware of the looming mountain. The slender warmth leaning against her shifts enough to pull her back from the depths of sleep, not enough to waken her.
A slim hand ghosts across her shoulder before finding purchase and shakes her.
"Granger," A whisper against her ear, shaking her awake.
Tired eyes flutter open, exhaustion slinks away as she finally stirs from her sleep. Something weighs her down something that was not there before she fell asleep. She looks down surprised to find a blanket spread across her like a shield. The gentle breeze suddenly becomes harsh as it slaps her awake. She pulls the blanket tighter around her, before turning to see the warm form sitting next to her.
Bella is awake and is staring into the horizon. Hermione cannot remember falling asleep or covering herself with a blanket. She does miss the warmth Bellatrix's body offers her as she slides away from the witch to give them both room. However, there is not much room on the boat, but even the centimetre of space is enough for Hermione's brain to kick awake.
She stares wide eyed at the looming mountain ahead. A steep snow covered track leads up the sloping mountain. It is enough to make her swallow and shudder. Trees stand swaying in the wind as though waving a greeting. She turns back to the witch inside the boat who is now looking at her.
"We're here," Bella announces almost cheerfully.
"Where is here?"
"No idea," Bella says standing up and surveying their approach.
Hermione is unsure how she wants to breach the next conversation, but she is determined to do it. "Thank you for the blanket." The words tumble from her lips unsure as she slowly folds the blanket it up and shrinks it.
Bella regards the other witch carefully, "it is nothing," She replies before turning back to their approach. "You were shivering it was becoming annoying." Truth be told she could have Petrificus Totalus the girl to stop her from moving, but she was not going to say that aloud.
"Yeah well I appreciate it."
Hermione is not sure why she is determined to make the other witch understand her thanks, but there is something niggling at the back of her mind. Screaming at her, telling her they are finally making a break through. The witch could have done anything to her while she slept instead she was kind and kept her warm.
With nothing else to add to the conversation, Bella slips from the boat, landing with a splash. The freezing cold water instantly latches onto her legs, freezing her to her core. Shivers force their way down her spine, the biting pain is immense. She loses herself in the feeling briefly, letting the pain soak up her latest sins. She has no sympathy for the people she has killed or those she has hurt. Instead, she soaks away the sins of kindness she has shown to the filth inside the boat. Granger makes to follow her, but she shoots her one look and the girl sits back down.
"Stay there," She orders dragging the boat along the ice-cold sea.
"Can't I help?" Hermione asks hating sitting back and doing nothing.
"By the time you cast a spell to keep yourself warm I would have already dragged the boat ashore like so."
Dragging the boat up the snow covered ground; she drops the ropes and steps away. Her lips have turned blue from the cold, her fingers almost numb. The pain excruciating, but well worth it. She casts herself a heating charm, before fishing in her bag for clothes to change into. It never crossed her mind to change on the boat; it would have made more sense.
She would never have admitted aloud but she enjoyed the feeling of the girl lying next to her. She had not slept instead; she stayed awake keeping an eye out. The journey lasted at least six hours, which the girl slept for most of it. How does one sleep so much?
Wordlessly she hands clothes to the girl, before keeping an eye out for any unwanted visitors. She hears the rustling of clothes behind her; obviously, Granger no longer wants to be in her flimsy dress. She was not sure why she had packed some muggle clothes, she would admit, that it did tend to keep one warmer than wizarding robes. Quietly proud that she had anticipated all types of weather, she could not wait to get out of her corset and dress. To slip into something a bit warmer.
She let her mind slip for a second, remembering what the girl looked like beneath her clothes.
"I'm done." The voice behind her spoke up, she gives the girl a glance before moving.
"Swap places." Is her emotionless reply.
Her gaze sweeps the girls form as they pass one another, she hands the bag to Granger so she could put the clothes away while waiting. She pauses, just before stepping up to where the girl had changed. Stepping back her nose brushes Granger's neck, causing her to jump.
"No peeking." She warns smirking, before moving away.
She does not need to look at the mudblood to know that she is blushing profusely. With a flick of her wand, she instantly changed into tight trousers, two layers of t-shirts and fur coat. She pulls the hood tight around her before snatching the bag back from the mudblood. She does not miss the eyes that swoop her form as Granger takes in her appearance. They are dressed almost identically, except for the fact; Bella's usual black colours are white. She intends to blend in with the snow, if there are no shadows to hide in, might as well hide behind snow.
"You're staring muddy."
"Never seen you in muggle clothes." Hermione's voice battles to be over heard due to the howling wind as she too drags her hood up.
"Don't get used to it." Is the simple answer.
They begin the trek up the side of the slope, feet sinking in snow as their breath feels like ice against their cheeks. Wrapped tight inside her coat, Hermione forces her feet onwards the snow weighing her down. Wind beating against them they reach the top of the slope. The ground ahead nothing but vast white. Snow covered feels and mountains lay ahead.
Holding her hood in place Hermione shouts over the wind. "How do you know where to go?"
Pulling the book from her bag, Bella glances at her smiling almost sorrowfully. "It's up to us now." She says dropping the book in the snow.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, this is where the book and the trial ends. No more directions, no more help, no more wards defending areas. This is where the test of endurance comes in. The ring will guide us, the knowledge should we be worthy will take us to the Sleeping Mosses. If we fail and are not worthy then we might be lucky and die. If we're unlucky we will forever be forced to live the trials over and over again, until we die."
"That's it; we just have to hope that the ring gave at least some information." Hermione tries to shout, but the wind muffles her voice...
"That's it." Bella agrees.
She watches the older witch stalk off, her heart rapidly sinking. They are lost in an ocean of snow, with no sun or compass to direct them. Before she can think better about it, Hermione lurches forward and grabs Bella by the arm, pulling the woman back to face her. Even huddled below layers, Hermione can see the black eyes glaring out at her.
"You're telling me we're walking blind? With nothing to guide us. Does that mean no more traps, no more killer trees?" She wanted answers; she did not like running blind. At least with the trial they knew what to do.
"That's it," Bella says she steps forward closing the distance.
To Hermione, Bella looked almost invisible against the backdrop of snow. "That's all it wrote, no more rules. We now have to play against the outside world. We passed the trial, now we have to face the biggest test of all."
Hermione could not shake the fear throughout her life she had always had plans. Learning centred on plans; even with Harry, they had some sort of plan. It is why she could never understand relationships it was too raw, she was not she was cool collected, she liked to understand. This she could not understand. This scared her more than any Death Eater would. Wandering aimlessly, her biggest fear: failure.
Cold hands press gently against her cheeks, she stares lost into black eyes. "I know this is your biggest fear Granger, but we'll make it." Fancy that a death eater giving a pep talk. "You want to go home yes?" Hermione nods. "Then think of home, because as soon as you get the mosses, we'll go home."
"Will there be more traps?"
"No I don't think so, tests maybe, but I don't think they'll be any traps. This is a completely new game, now do you think you can do it?"
With a slight jerk of the head, Hermione nods, she can do it. They made it this far, they could make it further. They could do this.
"Good," Bella smiles at her.
Taking a shaking breath, she fights the irrational fear back down. Soft lips grace her forehead. Her eyes flutter shut at the tender gesture, she can feel Bella place her forehead against her own. Heart pulsing dangerously, she takes comfort in the other woman, when had they grown close? How did this happen?
"That's my girl." It was a soft whisper probably not meant for her ears, but she heard it all the same.
Opening her eyes once more, she finds the other woman has moved away and is beginning their tedious walk. Summoning her courage, she trails after the Bella who moves like a ghost against the snow. She barely leaves any tracks; Hermione is not as graceful as she spares one look at the book before following. She did not have to look at the book to know it would soon disappear back to a Black library for someone to find another day.
Hours into their journey, Hermione's legs burn from exhaustion. Her feet move on their own accord as her stomach grumbles and her throat begs for water. They cast numerous spells to keep themselves warm as she trudges alongside Bella. The older witch is coping better than Hermione, but even she too was flagging against the endless wind.
The continuous bombardment of snow weighs them down. Tempers cultivate, as they grow tired and restless. Endless silence stretches between them, they have not spoken since the second part of their journey. It got to a point Hermione forgot the older witch was there too lost in thought. She jumped as the older witch steadied herself on Hermione's arm to stop falling on the moving snow. She received a strange look but no words.
She began to wonder at one point if she would see the sun instead of the white sky. The question replaced by whether or not she would see nightfall. Surely, night would be upon them soon, yet the sky did not change.
They had not followed the mountain instead, they skirted around it. The road no less dangerous, as the ground eagerly slipped between each footfall. Snow from the mountain ran down to greet them, bathing them in a white glow. The sight of seeing Bellatrix covered in snow should have made her laugh aloud. She did not she kept it bottled up knowing the older with was not enjoying their journey.
Growing impatient at the silence Hermione finally breaks it. "So what's your wish?"
She receives only a look and nothing more. She keeps silent for another while as they struggle down a particular icy path. Rock crumbles beneath their feet, they manage to make it safely though. No injuries sustained as of yet.
"If you don't tell me then I'm just going to have to guess." Hermione states boldly as they walk along a rise in the ground.
Still no word.
"So here it goes, let me think what would you wish for?" She makes an effort to look as though she is seriously thinking about it. Truth was she had done nothing but think about the wish Bellatrix's was going to make.
"You want something, so… power?" This earns her a glance, but nothing more.
"Is that what you want to wish for, power? I wish I was more powerful than any death eater."
"Already am." Is the gruff reply.
"I suppose how about I want to be the most powerful person in the world."
"My Lord is the most powerful person in the world." Bella growls.
"So is that it then, you want to be more powerful than Voldemort?"
"This is a warning muddy." She had lost the right to be called Granger, the moment she uttered Voldemort's name.
"That's it isn't it!" Hermione exclaims, her breath puffing out in front of her. "You want power, you're sick of Voldemort…"
"Muddy!" Bella shouts, but Hermione knew she was on the right wavelength.
"You're sick of being a slave, sick of him beating you and your family down. Is that the big plan make a wish, wish for the power to kill the bastard?"
They stand toe to toe; Bella has her wand gripped tightly in her hand. "I am warning you muddy. Shut up or die."
"No, because you could have everything back, you could have your family, your sisters, and all your money to yourself instead of funding Voldemort's war." She is not scared of the witch in front of her anymore. "You want him gone,"
"This is treason!" Bella fumes.
"You've already committed treason; you disobeyed him when you went against him. The only reason you would do that is for your own personal gain! All you ever craved is power and money. What better way to get it, wish him away take his power…"
"I want him BACK!" Bella screams stopping Hermione mid rant. Hermione swallows; blinking repeatedly, she stares dumbstruck at the witch fuming in front of her.
"I want him back…" Bella repeats a second time. "Not this thing that he has become, not this creature that parades around acting like the man he used to be. This thing obsessed with a school boy." She spits.
"That is Voldemort." Hermione reasons slowly drawing her own wand.
"NO!" Bella thunders stepping even closer, until there is no room left between them. "No it is not, he is different."
Forcing herself to remain calm, she warily replies, her eyes holding Bella's. "He died he would be different."
"He should have stayed dead!" Her eyes darken. "Because whatever that creature is, it is not the man I pledged my allegiance to."
"That's still Voldemort," Hermione quickly whispers.
"He is not him."
"Have you ever thought that maybe the creature he is now is what he looked like on the inside all along?"
The soul-searing stare she receives turns her to ice. "That thing is not Tom." Bella replies mournfully.
"You love him." Hermione states and Bella flinches, but does not move away.
"No love could never define what he is to me, it's too simplistic."
Hermione laughs bitterly, "If there is one thing I know, is that love is never simple."
They stare at one another, trying to understand, to make sense.
"When you say you want him back… You're going to wish he never died by his own spell." Hermione is the first to break their gaze and the first to move away. "You would willingly destroy this world? To destroy everyone just for him."
"I would set it right again," Bella defends not following the mudblood. "He should have never had died."
"Died by love, something you yourself described as simple. If love was so simple how come it killed him?"
"My Lord would never die from something like love."
"But he did you admitted it! His dead what is the point raising him again? He would just go and do it all over again!"
"If I make the wish my Lord would not die that night."
"SO!" Hermione thunders moving back to face the older witch. "People die, one way or another people die. If he doesn't die there he'll die somewhere else!"
"He is the Dark Lord he will not die!" Bella screeches.
"He will! And you will fall with him, because you can't see past the plainly obvious!"
"And what's that?"
"He doesn't understand what love is." Perhaps they were not the words she should have uttered, perhaps she could have said it differently.
Perhaps, if they were both calm headed they might have sorted out their differences over a drink. Except everyone acts in the heat of the moment.
The attack steals all the air from her lungs.
Hermione loses her footing under the lunge; she topples backwards over the edge. Grabbing the robes of the older witch, they fall into the snow below. They crash on the icy, snow with a groan. Arms tangled and legs splayed out awkwardly. Hermione manages to catch the hand before it connects with her cheek. With all her strength, she delivers a nasty blow to the older witch. Bella gasps as Hermione's fist connects with her nose. She falls from the brunette staring shocked up towards the sky.
"Ow," She mutters.
Hermione jumps to her feet, no longer wanting to be the punching bag.
"I going to say this muddy, I really should stop fighting with…"
"It's Hermione!" Hermione shouts, "Or Granger, and I'm done."
Bella's on her feet in an instant, tracking the retreating form of Hermione.
"What do you mean you're done?"
"I mean I'm not going along with your stupid wish. In what world do you think I would even agree?"
"You don't have a choice muddy," Bella snaps grabbing the girls arm whirling her back round so they were face to face. "Or have you forgotten you can't leave?"
"I don't care, the next village or town we find, that's it I'm staying I'm not going to help you make this wish."
"You don't have a choice; you'll be stuck here forever!"
"I would rather rot here than help you." Hermione yells back.
"I'll just get someone else." Bella replies indifferently, even though her heart screams in protest.
"Good luck with that; they won't have the knowledge of the ring."
"You're coming with me muddy," Bella growls digging her fingers harder into her wrist. "Or I'll crucio every five minutes."
Hermione laughs of the hollow threat. "It won't work, the knowledge plays to what I want. If you cause me pain then all I would want is a way to end it."
Bella grumbles a curse under her breath, before looking back to the girl in front of her. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"
"I've been told I am." Hermione replies uneasily.
"You do know if I make the wish you won't ever know, it will be done with. You could live guilt free."
"I know now - that's enough." Hermione defends, not budging.
"I will…" Bella trails off before turning to look into the distance. "Did you hear that?" She asks quietly stepping closer to the frozen icy lake they stood next to.
Hermione's eyes scan the woods on the other side of the lake. "I'm not playing your game." She replies to older witch.
Trying to remove the cast iron grip on her arm, she sighs in defeat.
A howl pierces the wind.
It sends shivers down her spine.
"Run," Bella, says quietly not taking her eyes from the horizon.
Hands push against her arm, forcing her to turn to run. "What are you playing at?" Hermione demands.
Ignoring the witch, Bella takes the lead, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her along. They trudge through the snow, making sure not to step on the frozen lake. They do not want to fall through to their deaths. Another howl pierces the silence; Hermione strains her neck to see.
"Bella what's going on?" Hermione shouts.
"Use your eyes Granger," Bella orders tugging impatiently on the gloved hand in hers.
Struggling through the snow, Hermione looks. Her heart sinks. A grey shape bursts from the tree line, its huge forms lands on the lake. It slides and skids about until it comes to a stop. Amber eyes meet her own and she swallows. Werewolf.
"There's more than one," Bella says pulling her along. "There's a pack and it's got our scent."
Hermione is not stupid enough to fight the witch. She forces her legs to run faster keeping pace with the older witch. Bella does not release her hand, Hermione does not know why, but neither does she question it. Sparing a glance behind, Bella can see the wolf struggling on the ice; she can hear the shouts of men and wolves just beyond the tree line.
Pulling the younger witch along, her feet hit solid ground for the first time that day. The trees began to circle them and they start to run faster. A spell sizzles by missing Bellatrix by inches. She stops and turns to face their attackers. There is no sign of the werewolf, but there are snatchers.
"What do we 'ave 'ere?" A man calls obviously the leader.
Shuffling the younger witch behind her, Bella does not remove her hood until she can clearly see all of their attackers. So far, there are only three, she could easily take them all, but there would be more and she knows it.
"What's up love? Cat got your tongue?" The man taunts.
"Ere let's see thee little lass your guarding." Another shouts licking his lips at Granger.
Bella snarls at the man. "Filthy creature," She all but growls.
"What was that love, perhaps I should teach you a lesson?" Four more enter the clearing, two with snapping dogs tied to leashes.
"When I say run you run Granger." Bella hisses to the witch behind her.
"I'm not leaving you here." Hermione protests.
"Your wand is limited," Bella, says glancing at the girl behind her, briefly making eye contact.
"Remove your hood witch! Let's see who we've got?"
Squeezing the girls hand before letting it go, Bella stands ready to fight. "You're more of a hindrance if you stay. I can't protect you and fight them all."
"I can fight." Hermione defends.
"I don't doubt you," Bella replies honestly, "But with that wand you can't apparate. I cannot let you stand here and fight wolves and people with a limited wand."
"Remove the hood bitch!" A spell shoots at their feet a warning shot. "Or I'll remove it for you."
"Bella," Hermione whispers grasping the woman's coat.
"I'll come for you," Bella promises before pulling her hood off.
She smirks menacingly at the men in front of her; they all take a step back. "Well what do we have here?" She laughs madly.
It is all an act! Hermione gasps at the revelation. Everything she does is an act.
"Do little snatchers want to play with the Dark Lords right hand?" She taunts them lazily playing with her wand.
They all seem too frozen to do anything. A dog breaks loose of its chain and charges. Its shot down feet away from the man's foot, if wands could smoke like guns, Bella's would. She smiles again.
"The Dark Lord is paying a lot for your head." The leader says slowly.
"Um, probably with my own money to." Bella spits stepping forward.
"Is that the Granger girl? The orders looking for you, both the Dark Lord and the Order are offering a lot for your head."
"She's useless," Bella, says sparing her a glance. "I've cruico'd her too much, all she does is nod and shake her head."
All eyes turn to her, no one quite believing Bellatrix. Hermione's eyes find Bella's from beneath the hood, the older witch quirks her eyebrow.
"Isn't that right muddy?" Bella asks slowly as though talking to a two year old.
Unsure how exactly to play the dumbness, Hermione just cocks her head to the side. Blinking repeatedly at the witch, Bella laughs hollowly making everyone jump.
"Pretty useless to me." Turning chilling eyes back to the men. "So who's first?"
"The Dark Lord demands your presence, Lestrange…"
"Crucio!" Bella shrieks shouting the man down.
A chilling cry forces itself from his throat, snapping the men from their trance. In seconds, the sky erupts in colours. Bella dances around the firefight, as Hermione dives for cover. Spells sizzle past her, and in seconds Bella disappears in a black smoke, she reappears in the centre of the battle.
Not waiting for someone to notice her presence Hermione sprints away. She is half way up the lightly covered snow ground when she hears the barking behind her. The dog was following her, but she did not stop. It was too soon, she had to put more distance. Wanting to take various turns to her route, she decides against it. If she wanted Bella to find her, she would have to continue straight. She did not fear going up against one of the snatchers, she knew she could take them; she would struggle with any more than three.
Sparing a glance behind, she sees the dog gaining grown. Firing a stunning spell not wanting to kill the dog, she knocks it out. Enough blood will spill tonight as it is.
Crack!
A twig snaps to her right.
Turning, heart racing, she checks for the source of the noise. She could hear the shouts in the distance to know Bella was still fighting. A black shape moves through the bushes. Veins pulsing in fear, her hand tightens on her wand. She wants to shout for the person to show themselves but her throat is dry.
Amber orbs find hers. She swallows.
The creature lurches from the forest spells erupt from her wand. The creature is too fast as it bowls into her. She lands with a thud against the ground. Scrambling to her feet, she turns back to face the werewolf. Chest heaving she realises she has dropped her wand.
To her horror, she watches as the wolf morphs back into its normal self. Greyback stands in front of her. He picks her wand from the floor, with a flick, his naked body is covered in rags. Not enough to cover his whole body. She swallows.
"What do I have here?" His low voice causes her to back away slowly. His eyes gleam as they rake her body. "A mudblood."
She runs.
She does not get far, when she is pushed face first into a tree. A yell escapes her lips as pain explodes across her side. Pushing away from the man, her back hits the tree and she realises she's trapped.
"Where's your friends now?"
A/N: I know snatchers don't go out until seventh book (I think) but if Bella was missing I think the dark lord would put people out looking for her.
Also I know werewolf's can't morph to and from their werewolf form at their own will, but lets just ignore that for the time being shall we.