"Okay," Hermione began after Aragorn left. "What are our advantages?"
"Well," Ginny started looking around. "We've Tonks and Legolas. Both very useful so they can't be in the same pair."
"Right," both agreed.
"Ron and you work well together," Ginny continued, "Lotsa practice, yeh?"
"But I could just as easily go on me own," Tonks pointed out. "That leaves two braces of two."
"I could just as easily go on my own," Hermione made at face at her.
"Hermione and I are partners," Ginny started again, "We could go."
Legolas and Ron both shared a subtle doubting look on the other. Both spoke up with other ideas.
"I'll just go with Hermione," Ron declared as Legolas attested an opinion.
"Tonks and I can each go separately, leaving you," He looked at Hermione, "Gin and Ron."
She considered it; it wasn't such a bad idea. Tonks could look after her self, well any of them could really. But she worked well enough with Ron and Ginny, years of practice she had said. True enough.
"Fine," Hermione decided that was good enough and it spread them over a greater distance. "Now, what do we do?"
Gimli grumbled about having to keep three sets of eyes open, but was quieted with a glare from his friend, the elf. With much conjecture and confliction, a sketchy plan was devised. Tonks, the most experienced of them would be fine on her own, also with her metamorphic talents, she would have an advantage. Legolas was useful in his own, the scout ahead, as his ears and eyes were far superior to the rest. It made little sense that he should be hindered by their slower abilities, so he would go ahead on his own. That left Ron, Hermione, and Ginny together.
While it was more than she liked, she saw that two was a better number, she did have to admit that they knew each other well. All were smart, clever, and talented; they would be fine. She hoped.
As they had two solo members, Hermione decided that they would have at least two distractions. While the distraction/misdirection seemed a trifle bit stale, if they had enough subterfuge someone would be able to creep in. The only problem, as one pointed out, was there might be a sacrifice.
"Is everyone ready for that?" Hermione asked somberly. "It will likely be five, ten to one, even more. But we have wits."
"And surprise." Ginny nodded at her.
"But where, exactly, is he?" Legolas broke in.
A brief shadow flickered over Hermione's face, but she wasn't about to admit she really didn't know. It was logic anyways, the Deatheaters weren't that bright that they would really stow him away on some hidden resort on the Isle of Man or something. More than likely he was at some big majordomo's house. Sketching a look at Ginny, she could see the girl thinking hard as well.
"Malfoys?" Ginny asked.
"Too easy." Tonks supplied.
"Riddle house?" Ron tried.
It was too obvious. Hermione shook her head. It had to be somewhere particular, but not overdone. She knew it. They knew that they would becoming, but not when or how. So it was obviously going to have to be somewhere that the Order would think of.
"The Eaton Strip?" Ginny offered, knowing that the walk was as shady a place to be as Knockturn Alley, if not more so. The strip housed many a dubious character.
"Don't overanalyze," She cautioned them.
Tonks gazed at Hermione, though not seeing her because her thoughts drifted deep. Both suddenly focused on the other and spoke together as the idea had made itself known. "Damians estate!"
"Istluf Damians," Ginny said, as if it were now obvious. "Of course."
"Who?" Ron interrupted.
Ginny bit her tongue as to not ream Ron out for not remembering anything from school. "The Damians estate was a great battleground during the Goblin Wars. There is much left in that dark house that no one knows about."
"It's DeathEater Haven" Tonks supplied.
"The fire they would say," Legolas mused, skipping the proverbial 'frying pan'.
"Right." Hermione nodded to him, knowing what they all did. Danger and harm courted closely.
"More than likely," Tonks jumped right in, "They've an apparition ward on the place."
"So it's the pedestrian way." Hermione nodded.
"I'll snap up to Briggett's square and come from the North," Tonks suggested. "You three can take the Southwest and Legolas gets the Southeast."
"OK," Hermione barely had time to agree before Tonks was gone. She looked around and saw Ron and Ginny looking less that thrilled. "What?"
"That's it?" Ginny and Ron both asked in separate ways. "Just bust on it?"
"No," Hermione shook her head, trying to weave her strung out thoughts together.
"And I don't know where we're going." Legolas hated to break in.
"Right." Hermione groaned.
Tonks just slipped out to avoid this mess Hermione realized. Tonks could improvise once they met. The woman had been doing this awhile she didn't need supervision. But the rest of them, what was Hermione going to do with the two men? Ginny was alright, she had training, but Ron was a loose cannon and Legolas was an unknown.
"Ok, here's what we're going to do." Hermione declared after a moment. "The four of us will head out together. Legolas doesn't know the way and we also get the chance to tweak our plans."
There was a quite minute while everyone thought about what she said, and then everyone tried to talk at once. Hermione just held up a hand and started walking, leaving the rest to follow.
The sun rose to its pinnacle and fell slowly back towards its home. The day wore on them making them tired, but nonetheless, seemed to rush by. Hermione knew Tonks would not make a move until dark, as the day gave them away too easily. So the four were left to make their way towards the southern gates.
It had been a long walk from Grimmauld place, as they didn't want anyone suspicious of them. So Hermione and her troupe had paced the way there, stopping just within the Deadwood forest. It was on the brink of an unofficial deatheater reservation. Once stopped, watching the lazy sun drop with the day's exhaustion, Hermione sympathized. Everyone could spend a few hours saving up the energy they were bound to expend.
Sleep did not visit Hermione, but her eyes cracked open to a purple sky. The sun had bid farewell and slept for the night, but the stars were still hiding. When she looked around, she saw Legolas right where she'd left him, sitting against a log. Ron and Ginny lay on the ground equally uncomfortable and unconscious as she had been.
"The time draws near," Legolas quietly said, seeing her awake.
"So it does," She inclined her head with a mirthless smile. "Ominously quiet, eh?"
"Indeed."
Hermione drank from a flask, offering it to Legolas, who obliged. He held it to his lips without drinking, smelling its contents. "Courage?"
"A breath."
He took a sip, his face remaining neutral to her poison, handing it back to her. "The trees whisper." He looked at them with a tilt of his head.
"Of what?" Hermione walked over to her two compatriots, stirring them awake.
Ginny gave a small noise before getting up as Ron winced with more than physical pain. Both stood up to find Hermione and the elf already several yards from themselves, moving towards their destination. Both trailed after.
"There is a growing storm on the wind," Legolas told them, but seemed just to speak to Hermione. "We would be wise to harmonize with the gusts."
"How do we do that?" Ron asked, as if were the most illogical suggestion he'd ever heard.
Hermione answered before the elf. "We wait for it to blow in."
"And hide in the rains." Ginny surmised.
Hermione looked back at her with a certain smile, one both the girls were familiar with. They would have cover. Ron remained quiet at the apparent acceptance and alteration to the sketch of arrangements.
The group walked on, not in a rush, but keeping careful eyes to the growing shadows. The stars peeked out with the early hint of nighttime. Hermione tired of the battle in her head, wishing for a respite from her thoughts, a release.
"Where I come from," Legolas started, as if sensing her need to talk.
"—In my lands," he tried again, "the darkness overshadowed the bright for a time, but light overcame, shedding light to corners that held nothing but shadows. Only fear hid in the dark."
Hermione wasn't quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but appreciated the intent, which she was sure was that 'good always wins'. Still, it was better than be left to her own dark corners in her mind with its own lurking shadows.
"Tell me about your land," Hermione asked, smiling over at him when she saw a slight spark in his eyes.
Walking a few paces behind the pair, Ginny held Ron back a few more steps as well as she pretended to trip. She put her hand on his shoulder for support and emptied her shoe of rocks. Ron rolled his eyes with a glimpse jumping from her, to Hermione, back to his little sister.
"Brings back old times, doesn't it," Ron said rather than asked.
Ginny laughed a little, considering the circumstances. Once Hermione and Legolas were a head of them to where Ginny couldn't hear their conversation as well, Ginny walked on. Instead, Ginny let Hermione have a break from worrying, as she borrowed trouble. Once Legolas had gone to the east, the three of them could split of even more, giving to more distraction and more chances to find Harry.
Ginny nodded to herself, deciding it would be best if they all separated within steps of the hole. If walked with chaos, it would be to the disadvantage of their villainous foes. Harry just might stand a chance; she would find him….
Okay, sorry to cut it short there, but I realllllly wanted to get something up. I have more to add, but it will have to wait. Now that I have access, I need time as well. Sigh, but you of the faithful I'm sure will understand. Have I let you down yet? Wait, don't answer that…..