Prompt: None

Warnings: None

Beween Death and Living

Hermione had ran as far away as she could. She put up her tent, the protective ward, even the silencing charm for the ward. She was sure no one would come looking for her here, deep in one of the many woods of the United Kingdoms, far away from London.

She sat in her tent quiet and alone, hugging her knees tight to her chest in hopes that it'd comfort her.

This wasn't living.

But she feared death too much to give up.

She watched her fire die out, sighing as she got up to leave the tent to get more wood. She was cold, shivering in two layers of jumpers. She peaked her head out of the tent, looking around the twilight-drenched forest. No sign of anything.

She left the tent, making it quick to hurry over to the little pile of twigs and thick branches.

She was just about to grab onto one more branch to add to what she could carry when she heard a twig snap. She froze, her eyes widening as she looked ahead.

Tom.

He had his wand raised, his eyes looking all over the place. He looked muddy, as if he had been traveling a while, and he was alone.

"I know you're here, 'Mione," he called out.

Her heart quickened, her chest tightening as she forgot to breathe.

No no no no not yet...

She watched as he waved his wand and she stood there, frozen until his eyes landed on her after the ward visibly fell.

No. Tears welled up in her eyes.

For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other.

Until Hermione dropped the branches and booked it.

Leaving her tent, her valuables behind, she was running towards anywhere that she could. But she heard Tom hiss a hex, sending her falling a few feet away from him as she let out a scream and then a groan as her body hit the cold, leafy earth. She looked to her feet to see twisting ropes disappearing from her ankles.

She had her wand in grip, knuckles colorless as she glared up at Tom, who was lazily approaching.

"I've been looking all over for you, you know."

She knew now that there was no escape.

"Go ahead and kill me," were the first words to escape her mouth. She hadn't spoken in weeks that her voice came out as scratchy and hoarse, weak.

Tom let out a dark chuckle, shaking his head as he smiled at her wickedly. "Oh my dear Hermione...it doesn't have to be like this you know."

She spat in his face and he froze once the warm saliva hit his upper cheek. His smile fell into an angry frown, his lips pursed slightly and his jaw tightened, but he did nothing about it but wipe it away.

She knew very much how this could be. But she refused.

"You could come join me. You could be my mistress. I could let you live..."

"You? Letting a Muggle-born live?" She laughed at his face and got up shakily. She still had her wand out to be ready if he should try and send a spell her way again. She'd be ready this time.

"My followers don't question my motives anymore. You're what I want. And I always get what I want, Hermione. You of all people should know that."

Hermione said nothing, still glaring at him until he reached a hand out and roughly grabbed her wrist, pulling her against his chest as he looked down at her. He smelled of earth and spearmint. She let out a shaky breath but didn't pull away. Surely if she did, he'd hex her again and he'd be too quick and close for her to stop it.

But his lips were on hers and it had been long since- no. Not just long. It had been too long since she had felt the spark ignite between their lips as he devoured her mouth, the hand that had once held his wand, cupping her dirt-splattered cheek.

She had missed this so much that tears splatted her, running down to her chin as she wrapped her arms around him once his hand had left her now-bruised wrist.

This wasn't living. She wanted to live.

And if serving under the man she loved, regardless of how detestable she was of him and his motives, she would do it. Because it had been proven now that she couldn't live without him.