Growing impatient the brave lion went into the den. It was a very dangerous move because even though the serpent was a great healer he was also very dangerous. For he had felt betrayed once again. He was no fool, he knew that the lioness wasn't of his kind. Even though they had shared a mighty journey, his old nature had returned. However, the lioness had waited long enough and she grabbed him by his tail and pulled him out! The serpent was so angry and ran away again. Leaving the lioness sad, but determined. For you see, the lioness was very clever, she had found him once. She'd do it again.
Hermione woke with a start. Her heart pounded as her nightmare started to fade away. She had been dreaming of the final battle only this time, she hadn't left Snape to bleed out in the shack alone, she had stayed with him, begging him, pleading with him to stay with her but no matter what she did he only bled out into her hands. His eyes looked at her with such betrayal and hurt. It left a deep ache in her heart. When had she betrayed him? Her sleep heavy mind could recall no such instance and it was starting to grate on her. Why did he feel betrayed? Why did she feel guilty over something she couldn't have possibly done!
She groaned into the stiff pillow beneath and rubbed her nose into the coarse fabric. She'd been on the run now for three weeks. Jumping from place to place, tracking his movements. Every time she'd get close he would disappear again. He was so insufferable! Every time she'd tried to reach out through their connection he had pushed her out without so much as a 'bugger off'. She wanted to shake him senseless. Then about three days ago, the connection abruptly went silent. She couldn't feel him thrumming in the back of her mind and it worried her. It worried her that maybe he'd gone and done something to get himself injured or worse. She had managed to get close during that time. For some reason she found herself back in the Forest of Dean. She had managed to follow the meager magical signatures to his concealed campsite. She had set up her own camp just outside of his wards.
Her back was sore from laying on the cot, she had managed to acquire a few extra amenities during her time, though she felt exceptionally guilty at having confounded the elderly shop owner out of a few essential items, she had made sure to make a list of everything she had stolen and vowed to send him the money for it later. Her potions stock was also about out, the purple potion he had left her turned out to be a muscle relaxant, and she hadn't needed much, a drop or two on her tongue had eased all the tension in her lower back, it had made hiking through the forest a much less horrid experience. The salve he'd left in the bag had removed all the irritation around the scar, she had even glanced in the small mirror she had managed to conjure, amazed at how faint the line was starting to become. She could hardly believe the progress she'd made in healing, but she was out of the salve now, having used it on the scar on her chest as well in a rare moment of vanity.
Now she had just two days worth of muscle relaxant and a half day of pain potion. She was in serious need of supplies, but she knew she couldn't just confound a shop owner, there were wards against that and she didn't much like the idea of being arrested. She had managed a few of the ingredients she knew she needed to make the potion. Most of them were growing wild in the forest, but without a way to properly store them she had a limited time to use them. If she didn't find the final ingredients soon, she'd have to start all over again.
Another soft groan left her throat and she pulled the blanket over her head. She needed coffee, more than that she needed a long, very hot, bath. She missed basic things, sinks, toilets, baths. What she would do to just spend one hour in the tub that she'd used when she stayed with Snape. Another soft groan crawled from her chapped lips and she pulled back the blanket pushing herself up. She had to check on him, he'd not made a move since she'd found him, the notice me not charm he'd placed around him was easily brought down and she had been surprised when he hadn't come out to see who'd done it. His other ward had not been so easy to break, it was exceptionally strong and it had taken her the better part of the last two days just to get the runes to appear. She had spent most o the last night trying to work out their significance as well as a way to get them release their protection. With only her mind and no texts to reference it had been a very headache-inducing experience.
With great effort, she pulled her still partially asleep body to its feet. Her tent was small, only one room but it had a small burner and a kettle, she opened a package of muggle instant coffee with her teeth and poured the grounds into her thermos. Another wave of her hand filled the kettle, she had been practicing her wandless magic in the downtime before searching for Snape. She had become rather proficient and she was starting to feel more confident each time. She lit the small burner beneath and turned away, she liked non-magical heated water, for some reason, it tasted different to her. She moved over to the small bowl she used to keep her face and body clean, she had seen a stream a few meters off, maybe if the temperature was good she'd risk taking a dip. It was still really cold and she had spent most of her time avoiding the harsh winds that ripped through the forest. Just the thought of spending another day sitting outside watching his tent sent a shiver of cold down her spine. If she didn't break his damned wards today, she was going to blast at them until she finally got him to come out.
Hermione went through her routine, switching out her undershirt with another she had acquired in her small muggle shopping spree. It was long sleeved and insulated against the cold. She had only taken one but it had been an amazing asset to her arsenal. She still wore Snape's frock coat, but she'd turned the fabric a deep burgundy and adjusted it a little more to fit her shrinking frame. She had lost all the weight she had managed to gain during her stay with Harry and Ginny, but she had also gained a significant amount of muscle. Her legs were solid stone and her arms, though thin, were almost just as hard, her stomach too had a nice definition to it she hadn't seen since she was in Hogwarts. She wasn't concerned at present, but she knew she'd have to find more food if she wanted to continue healing at the rate she had been. She had noticed the pain potion didn't go as far as it did and she became tired rather easily. She was no longer sleeping her days away though, she hadn't slept during the day since she'd fled Spinner's End, it had been trying at times but the adrenaline in her system had kept her moving.
The kettle started to whistle and she turned to it, slipping the last of the buttons through their catch. Yes, today was the day she was going to drag him out. Whether he liked it or not.
oOOo
Harry had been woken at the crack of dawn by another summons. His mind was whirling as they informed him that Greyback had managed to escape custody during transport. Two Aurors were dead, Taylor and Bins, and his partner Travis was in St. Mungo's with severe wounds. They had assured him that they could handle it. They had told him that they would follow his plan! How could he had been so foolish? He now sat slumped in the chief's office as he retold him of the events. His eyes were hollow as he listened to the man drone on about mandated time off. That he should spend the time recouping with his family and that he shouldn't worry. They would catch him again, that the minister had signed off on his death upon sight order. Harry just nodded his head, he was supposed to have been with them, they were his team, but the chief had ordered him to check out a lead on the woman they'd seen in Spinner's End. It hadn't been Hermione, it had been some random beggar in Knockturn alley who had thought she had seen the girl in the photo. He had followed her small lead well into the night and had only crawled into bed when the summons had shaken him from his restless sleep.
He turned his tired eyes to the man in charge, "What do you want me to do, sir?" He hadn't heard the last of what he had said his mind had drifted from exhaustion.
"I want you to go home, hug your son and kiss your wife boy. You're on mandated suspension for two weeks. I don't want to see hide nor hair of you in this office until then you got that?"
Harry blinked slowly but nodded his head.
"Badge." The chief held out his hand watching the young man drag himself to his feet.
Harry pulled the pin from his jacket and put it into his palm with barely a thought, he gave him a woeful look before turning towards the office floo. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed next to Ginny but his thoughts went to Hermione. He hadn't been able to find her in the time she'd gone, it was like she completely disappeared. He had followed nearly every lead the office had gotten but there wasn't a single hair of her to be found. His mind drifted to the time they spent on the run when Voldemort had been on the rise. He knew, if she didn't want to be found, there was no one on the Earth that would be able to find her. He only hoped she was somewhere warm and somewhere most importantly safe.
Harry shuffled his way down the hall letting his jacket fall away from his shoulders, he turned to his son's room and mindfully picked up the sleeping child. He hadn't been silent through all of this, every time there was a knock on the door or an owl would come he would ask if it was his 'Princess'. Harry had tried not to let the hurt show, they had told him they had sent her somewhere safe to stay until she felt better. That she would come back when she was all healed. That had only made the toddler ask more frequently. It pained his heart to know that his son was upset because of something he had done. He took full responsibility for what had transpired, and even though he'd taken the blame, the weight was still heavy on his shoulders.
With a gentle turn he carried Albus into his room, he laid the boy down beside his mother and crawled into the bed with them. He closed his eyes with a heavy sigh as he wrapped his arms around them both holding them as tightly as he could.
oOOo
Hermione yawned loudly as she stepped out of the tent, she stretched her arms over her head and let out a soft grunt as her lower back cracked. The morning air was cool and her breath came out in gentle wisps, she pulled her hair back from her face turning to look at the campsite inside the wards, it was still dark. With a deep frown, she made to move forward before a twig snapping behind her caused a shiver to run down her spine. She didn't know why she should be afraid, she just knew that she was absolutely terrified. With a heavy swallow, she turned her head towards the source of the sound.
"My, don't we look delicious."
Her eyes rose up slowly, the smell of rotten meat told her what she already knew, when her eyes met the man's face her own paled. He leaned his head down, his golden eyes sharp as knives, he gave her a wide smile showing off his canines. He didn't look as wolfish as she remembered and her mind happily reminded her that it was a new moon. That brought her very little comfort as she stared down the beast of a man. He had his hands in his pockets and she was sure had he had a wand she would never have made it outside of her tent. He was standing just on the boundary of her own wards.
"Run."
Hermione didn't think twice, she pulled her wand from her sleeve and shot the strongest stunner she could at the man before turning to heed his malicious command. Her legs burned as she jumped over a fallen tree, she could hear his thunderous steps catching up to her and his laughter made her blood run cold. She whipped her wand behind her exploding a tree right into his face, before veering hard to the left. She took a small tumble but managed to roll herself out of it. A rock managed to dig into her ribs but thankfully had missed her spine completely. She pushed herself up again, scrambling over the edge of the hill when she felt all the air knocked out of her. Her chin hit the dirt and she could feel blood pooling in her mouth from where she'd bitten her cheek and tongue. She clawed at the dirt taking hold of her wand when a larger one beat her to it. He slammed her much smaller hand into a stone before her fingers released, possibly broken, most definitely bloody. She kicked out and tried to use her meager weight to dislodge him but it was no use. She enchanted ropes quickly encircled her as he took command of her wand. She felt a small discharge of magic as it refused to completely bend to his command. She hissed as he picked her up by the rope around her waist causing the rest of the air that had been in her lungs to quickly vacate. Her head spun as he threw her into a nearby tree.
Blood gurgled from her lips as she let out a scream of pain. The beast didn't care as he called the ropes to bind her to the tree, the wand still sputtered and let out sharp orange sparks that fizzled against her bowed head. Air, she needed air! With a deep hiccup, she spit up more blood at his feet before taking in a deep gulp. Her head fell back heavily as she turned her eyes on him again.
He smirked at her, "Would've thought you'd be a harder catch." He teased running his dirty finger in the blood that covered her chin. He brought it to his mouth and licked it clean, humming as if it was the most delicious dessert he'd ever tasted. "I seem to recall, another jumped up mud-blood giving me a similar chase not too long ago." He leaned down closer to her now and he just smirked when her face curled in disgust, "There's no one to stop me from having you now." His voice was dark as his retched breath ran down her ear.
Greyback considered himself a very lucky man in that moment, he had been searching for a traitor, yet here was this delectable piece of human flesh right where he'd been tracking. How could he refuse such a gift from the God's? He instantly recognized her smell, though it was mixed with someone else's. The stupid witch hadn't let him have her then, fucked up the whole situation she did. But now, she was all his. She was older, but she still had a youth to her face that he very much liked. He had wanted to watch her, observe her behavior, but when she stretched out her lithe body he just couldn't help himself any longer. He'd been on the run too long, his brief 'capture' had set him back and he was hungry. Hungry for blood, for screams and flesh.
Her eyes widened as she caught onto his implication. She pressed her head further away from his lingering lips, she suppressed a whimper when his stubble scratched along the underside of her jaw. Hermione watched him from the corner of her eye, blood still dripped down her chin and her chest heaved against the chaffing ropes, her mind was screaming for Snape, every ounce of her being was crying out for him. The line over her heart burned but still, she couldn't feel him.
Greyback's hand curled under her chin turning her head sharply to look at him properly, "Scream for me." He grinned at her as he watched another drop of blood pass her parted lips. He hummed deeply in his throat and leaned down to lick it away. As he got closer she spit into his face, startled he pulled back, his hand going from her chin to her throat. He felt the small bones of her windpipe struggle to remain intact, his eyes sharp with furry. He'd never seen it coming.
Hermione's eyes widened and flicked just over his shoulder, it was, a lion? A large one, it's fur was completely black except for its mane, it had hints of silver around the face and eyes. She let out a choked noise as she tried to process a lion, in the Forest of Dean.
Greyback's nose scrunched when he noticed her fear wasn't on him anymore. The air was a mixture of scents but something new had come into the equation. He tilted his head away loosening his hold on her throat, he wanted to see the light drain from her eyes but something else was taking her fear from him.
Hermione had the perfect view, even as her vision started to go dark, she watched the large feline launch itself from its perch, it was magnificently terrifying. She closed her eyes tight as its jowls opened wide. Suddenly, she could breathe again, her eyes snapped open when a deep snarl rattled through her entire body.
Hermione lost sight of them for a moment as the werewolf scrambled somewhere behind her. She could hear the tearing of flesh and fabric and a hoarse scream that must have been from the man himself. The lion was growling low and she could hear the crunch of dead leaves and tree limbs as they came around back into her vision. Greyback was jumping backward, his face and clothes were torn and bleeding. He swiped out his own claws at the lion but it merely caught the edge of its mane and nothing more. The lion was slower but it was also much larger having to move a lot less to avoid the werewolf's strikes. Its large paws easily batted any attack aside leaving red ribbons in its wake.
They turned slightly out of view again and Hermione had to crane her neck to see them. The lion had Greyback's collar in its mouth. Its claws had dragged him down to the side. The man screamed from beneath and wildly reached back. A large push from Greyback sent them tumbling one over the other before the lion managed to get back on top. The werewolf brought up his legs and pushed hard, the lion fell backward but simply rolled back onto its feet with a loud roar. The werewolf let out its own, less intimidating by comparison, and challenged the large beast. The lion pounced dropping its heavy frame directly into his chest sending the wolf backward, large claws raked down the man's chest and once more dragged him down into the dirt.
As if tiring from their game the lion launched itself forward, its front claws dragged the man back down into the dirt and its head came forward large yellow canines glistened in the sun as it opened its maw. Greyback had been a large man, but he was still no match for the black lion. Greyback pulled at the mane keeping its jowls from taking off his nose. The lion let out a deep roar before dragging its claws down both arms, Greyback cried out in pain losing his hold, the lion launched off its haunches and took the man's entire head into his mouth, there was a sickening crunch before the body beneath the large creature went still.
The lion kept its hold for a long time, panting through its open mouth before finally releasing the man's crushed skull. It shook out his mane and stepped off of the body. Seemingly very pleased with is kill. Hermione's eyes watched in horrified fascination as the lion turned its sights onto her. Her internal sailor cursed out a slur of words and she turned her attention to the ropes that bound her. She struggled in her binds managing to get one wrist free. She called her wand to her hastily and banished the ropes. She stumbled backward around the tree as the lion continued to advance. She pushed herself back into another tree her eyes wide as saucers. She'd never seen a lion up close before, only pictures in books. Its head was as large if not larger than her entire arm span. The top of which could easily look her in the eyes when she was standing. The lion let out a loud earth-shaking roar. Hermione was sure she was as good as dead as the mighty animal continued to advance.