Chapter 11... If it's a fight they want then it's a fire we get...
"Don't you dare look out your window, darling every thing's on fire, the war outside our door keeps raging on." Safe and Sound- Taylor Swift... (Madilyn Bailey cover)
Hermione's POV...
I was startled awake by a load crack. I shot bolt upright in bed; hitting Draco in the face in the process and making him wake up himself up by falling with on the floor an undignified thud. I whirled my head round to the cause of this rude awakening to find Dobby stood there looking rather sheepish, with his skinny arms around his back and an apologetic look on his small face.
"Err, Dobby is sorry to intru" The elf started but was interrupted by a very groggy and very much tired Draco.
"D-Dobby! What are you doing back here so soon?" He exclaimed.
"Well Draco, sir. Dobby has more news's of your father's plan's..." Dobby explained. I could feel Draco shifting nervously behind me but he nodded for Dobby to continue anyway.
"You see Draco, master Lucius Malfoy is very much... set in his ways. And has gone behind his wife's back to... see that you are... Oh how does Dobby say this? Dealt with" I heard a sigh behind me and looked round to see Draco sitting on the edge of the mattress, muttering to himself.
"Why does he think he can? So much for unconditional love for you're only son! Right that's it!" He stood up then and faced me and Dobby.
"If my father wants' me dealt with. Then we won't back down without a fight! Dobby, did my father say who he was sending and when?" Draco asked Dobby.
I had to admit I was rather... thrilled and flustered by his immediate plan of action. Harry and Ron would off just turned to me for help and asked me. But like me Draco's mind was obviously all ready five steps ahead of anyone else's. Poor Dobby looked slightly taken aback by his questions but answered them anyway.
"Y-yes, he did. Lucius said that: `My son will be finished by the end of the week. And I shall send Greyback and Bellatrix to get it done. `" My stomach dropped from underneath me when Dobby said Bellatrix and Greyback. There was no way we could best them and at least fifty other snatcher's and death eater's on our own. I glanced panic stricken at Draco but he was smirking!
That is it I thought He has officially lost it!
"What on earth are you smirking at?" I shouted hysterically.
I was pleased to see him jump and yelp slightly at my outburst. He smiled once more and turned to me.
"Hermione you're forgetting one thing! I'm an animagus! If you were one to then we could both out run them all! Quite literally!" He exclaimed joyfully and I just beamed at him. I half expected him to start skipping merrily up and down the tent and giggled slightly to myself at the image. On other matters I had always somewhat dreamed of being an animagus.
"Of course! You could teach me! I meant to say please..." I trailed of sheepishly. But Draco just rolled his eye at my outburst, grinned at me and nodded.
"Ok I will, but I've only ever taught myself... well technically not taught it just sort of happened on its own i-it's kind of hard to explain." He muttered.
"Why what happened?" I asked, anxious at the possibility that it could off hurt him somehow. Don't be stupid Hermione I though irritated at myself for fussing over him like that He was fine... Please let him of been fine I thought as an afterthought.
"It didn't hurt; in fact it was completely painless!" He explained.
Thank God he was ok! I thought and then scolded myself once more stop it now!
"Although that was because I was asleep when it happened..." He muttered all most to himself.
"Ok I need to hear this!" I exclaimed and Draco went on to explain how he had had his worst fight with his father yet, in the summer before seventh year was due to begin. They had been arguing about Voldemort and their family when it had got out of hand and Lucius cruicio'd Draco.
By the time he finished explaining tears were streaming down my face at the thought of him doing that to his own son, and at the mere thought of Draco going thorough that at all just sent me over the edge. Not even caring that Dobby was stood in the tent with us, I all but ran at him and flung my arms around his neck. He almost toppled over back ward's, completely taken by surprise by my sudden ambush of affection but still wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Hey... Shh, Shh. What's wrong?" He asked with great concern bordering on tenderness.
"T-that monster! Wh-y-y would he?!" I sobbed into his shoulder.
"Its' okay. Why would he what?" I just looked up at him with hopelessness in my eyes, and something must have clicked because he just crushed me to him and put his lips to my ear.
"Shh... it's ok, I swear to you. I'm not going anywhere any time soon. I pinkie promise." With that he stretched his hand down and linked the smallest finger of his hand to mine and squeezed. Once I had eventually calmed down I pulled back from his embrace and folded my arms across my chest, face flushing scarlet red at my sudden attack on him.
"So" I muttered awkwardly.
"What was that about me being an animagus?"
He just smiled at me took my hand and pulled me outside, into the forest. But when we reached the opening of the tent we were both shocked to discover that the once grass covered ground was now a pure, crisp and beautiful winter wonder land.
"Hermione? Exactly how long have we been in the tent?" Draco asked me.
"I have no idea" I replied slightly dazed by the scene in front of me when an idea sprang to mind.
"Draco look over there!" I shouted and pointed towards the lake.
"What? Where" He asked walking towards it.
"Right"
I walked back a few meter's.
"Over"
I crouched down and felt for some snow.
"THERE!" He spun on his heel but was not fast enough to draw his wand when at least a dozen snow ball's came pelting his way and he was on the ground, whimpering and being melodramatic about it all.
"You've killed me! No, it's killed me!" He winced.
Although it was funny to see him lying there covered in snow I still felt slightly bad so I trudged over to help him up. However as soon as his hand gripped mine I was throw forwards and soon found myself pinned to the ground by none other than the twitchy little ferret himself. I looked up startled and embarrassed to see him pinning my weight with his. Once again I tried not to hyperventilate and failed much his amusement. He just cocked his head to the side and smirked down at me.
"What's wrong Mione?" He whispered, I know it was not meant to sound that seductive but I still had trouble trying not to pass out. I tried to move my writs but was left gapping at him when he moved his hands faster than I could keep track to hold my writs above my head so that most of his weight and Draco himself was lying on top of me with just his knee's resting at either side of my stomach for support.
"C-can you get of me now?!" I stammer slightly helpless to him. To make it worse he takes his time thinking about it just to make me tenser by the second.
"Hmm, let me see... no" He stares down at me with a thoughtful expression on his face. He dips his head to its resting against my shoulder.
"See what I'm going to do `Mione is keep you hear for a while" He whispers.
Fine if that is how he wants to play it then be my guest! Swallowing my nerve and summoning all of my Gryffindor courage and the female charm that I should have... I look him in the eyes and try to say as quietly, innocently, coyly and seductively as I can.
"Just why would you do that, dearest?" I fight a smile when the smirk drops from his face and is replaced by a look of steely determination. As he gases down at me neither of us is smiling now. He leans ever closer... he's barely inches from me now and our noses are all but brushing.
"Well, Hermione" He breathes. Don't faint...
"Dobby isn't here now is he?" Clearly it's meant to be rhetorical but he wants' me to answer. It was true; we had heard him disapparate of somewhere else when we walked out the tent.
"N-no" I answer honestly but kind of wishing he would get back here now!
He smirks down at me once more, gets of me and holds his hand out for me to grasp.
Now that was a test!" He exclaimed, looking rather pleased with himself.
"Wait! What!?" I shout half relived half angered, at him for putting me through all that for no apparent reason what so ever expect to see me squirm.
"Yes, it was, and you almost passed!" He said it as if it made the situation better and it would save him from me strangling him. I just glared at him and he took it as a hint that it would be best for him to shut up now.
"So" He chuckled nervously.
"About those lessons" He muttered.
He shrugged of his jacket, shoes and socks all of which were black.
"Why do you keep wearing that suit?" I asked him. He just frowned at me and looked puzzled.
"I mean you lived in it last year, so why wear it now?" I continued.
He cringed slightly and sighed.
"I-I don't know exactly why. It just... comforts me in some way, it's hard to explain. It's like- Did you ever have a teddy or perhaps a book" He smirked at me when I rolled my eyes at him for stating the obvious.
"That just helped you to get through some thinks? Well it's like that and well let's face it" He gestured to himself.
"Look at me!" His smirk became even more prominent when he saw the blush rise in my face. I started walking backwards when I stalked towards me at a brisk pace.
"Now then" He whispered.
"Lesson 1: To become an animagus you first need to know how to defend yourself against one and how to fight one" He stopped a few meter's from me`.
"And that my dear friend is where I come in!"
Without a warning he leapt forwards and tackled me into the snow.
"Ahh... To slow!" He taunted.
I glared up at him. Right that is it!
He had his hands at either side of my head so my arms were free... He threw himself off of me when my hand flew for his face.
He just laughed.
"Good, good, but now what?" He was now on the ground and I was standing over him. I felt my ankle being dragged out from underneath me but I kicked him in the chest at the last minute. He yelped in pain in the snow while I picked myself of the floor. He stared up at me and grinned and my own smile dropped from my mouth as he rolled over forwards on his shoulders, pounced and I was now being pinned down once more. He sighed and stood up over me. I took his hand when he offered it and twisted it behind his back.
"Now what?" I muttered in his ear. He turned his head and glared at me, with a playful smile on his face.
"I'll give you a five second head start." He whispered before twisting from my grasp and walking backwards.
I didn't understand what he was doing at first but started to set off at a run as soon as I saw his suit close in on its self and a few patches of white fur sticking out of it. I had just leapt over the lake when I heard not so distant leg's chasing me. I panicked slightly, I had two legs and Draco now had four. So he was a lot faster. But... his brain is now a lot smaller so...
I fired several jinxes at him and judging by the whelps and pained barks they hit their mark. I smiled but it vanished when I felt teeth nipping at my ankles, so I kicked but only got even larger bites in return. I sighed before turning suddenly on my heel, only to have a snowy fur ball being thrown at me. I looked up to see a face not far from mine.
"Well that was a fun walk!" Draco chuckled and looked down, noticing how I was keeping my eyes locked on his face. He sighed.
"Don't worry! I am dressed!" He exclaimed and got of me.
I stood up to see he was right.
"Wait if you're dressed now then how come you weren't when the death eaters attacked?!" I questioned him.
"I have no idea!" He lied and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Ok, ok! It takes some time to learn how to do it right but you can change back into a human with your clothes on if you were already wearing them before you started to change." He explained.
"So the other day when you..." I trailed off and pinched the bridge of my nose when he fell over laughing as I figured the rest out.
"Yeah! That was just to see you get embarrassed!" He choked.
I hope he does chokes on his spit! I thought bitterly as he continued to roll around, laughing, looking like a complete and utter idiot as he did so. When had eventually picked himself off of the floor- after me pushing him down again much to his own amusement and pain- we started to walk back towards the tent.
"So why did yo" He started to say more but the words seem to die on his tongue when he stopped dead in his tracks and gripped my arm tight.
"`Mione?" Draco whispered, he sounded terrified.
"What is it?" I asked him taking note of how he went paler then usual and swallowed slightly. I turned my head towards then tent to see a figure standing not that far from where we were with their back to us. Her wild, raven hair flying in the wind and her pale face searching franticly for something –or someone- inside. She leaned forwards to stand in the opening of the tent.
"Greyback!" The woman called into the tent.
"There not hear!" She shouted.
"Daddy's little brat, and his precious MudBlood" I felt the hand on my arm tighten almost painfully and I heard Draco grit his teeth and swallow.
"Lover is gone!"
Despite the situation we were now in I felt the blood rush to my face at the word `Lover` and glanced over at Draco quickly to see the small pink tinge in his face appear. I looked at him funny when I saw him take a deep breath through his nose.
"What are you doing?!" I hissed, panicking.
"Shh... I can smell them!" He whispered.
I stood there slightly worried for his health when he cocked his head to the side.
"And yes I can hear them to" He answered the confused look on my face.
"W-what are they saying then?!" I whispered franticly to him and he put his hand to my mouth to quieten me.
"I can't hear then over you talking!" He snapped, and glanced at me.
"Sorry" He muttered. He crouched down slightly and stalked forward towards.
"What are y-?!" I started.
"I need to get closer to hear them better!" He explained. I honestly had no idea how he could do all of this. My only guess would be that in was a side effect of being an animagus- or at least a wolf one. He made it to a tree about five meters away from the death eaters and stopped gesturing wildly to come to him. I jogged as quietly as possible to stand next to him.
"Now what?" I asked him and he slid down the tree so as to sit against it.
"Now we wait" He stated, I nodded and sat down next to him, leaning my head against Draco's shoulder.
I must off started to fall asleep but it was the sudden appearance of a bright light that woke me from my slow slumber. I was hauled to my feet by a frantic Draco. At first I couldn't understand what had made him like this, but as we turned and sprinted towards the tent I understood why. The blazing mass of flame's that was once our tent was now starting to silently smolder among the tress and we stood helpless as we watched our only shelter burn before our eyes.
"Are they gone?" I muttered to him.
"Yeah" He replied.
I looked over to see that Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback had indeed left.
"For now" He whispered softly.
"B-but what were they looking for, apart from us?" He asked me.
I narrowed my eyes at the now fully smoldering wreck in front of us.
"Hang on a moment, I think I see something... yes, that's it" I walked forwards and took out my wand.
"Agromanti" I shouted and a jet of water shot from my wand, engulfed the tent and within seconds it was just a pile of charred wood. When the flames were completely drowned in water then I reached out and rummaged in the wreckage for the object.
"Oh my God..." I breathed, staring down at the item in my hand.
"This i-is wh-at they were-e searching f-for" I stammered.
I looked at Draco and he frowned completely oblivious to the responsibility that we now bore.
To mission that was now ours.
He held out his hand and I placed the ancient locket of Salazar Slytherin in his out stretched hand...