Kevin stumbled out of the fireplace in the dingy office, mumbling apologetically to the workers he had just bumped into. The first place that came to his mind to visit, naturally, was his aunt's home, but since she did not have a working fireplace that was open to the Floo network, Kevin was forced to go elsewhere.
There was a small office, just down the road from Hermione's apartment, which the new Ministry had given to writers that worked for the Prophet before Voldemort came into power. They mainly did the research for things, and when Kevin searched hard enough, he usually found their articles small and in the corners of the paper, sometimes even scrolled along the side. He usually came into this office when he wanted to see Hermione, though it was not often, the staff seemed to know him well enough, and did not make a huge fuss whenever he wandered through.
Once he was out on the busy street, he let his feet lead him along a familiar path, as though they had a mind of their own. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, then let out a sigh, his breath blowing out heatedly in front of him. The air was starting to get crisper by the day, and soon he would need more than just a light cloak to keep him warm.
The doorman who was usually standing at the front was no longer there, so Kevin let himself in to his aunt's building. Had the man been fired? Wouldn't have been the first time in this building. According to Hermione, the laundry woman and maintenance man had both been fired in the past few months because they could no longer afford to be paid. Where did they all go?
The unemployment office, the last time Kevin had checked, had gotten changed into a cafe. So did these people just wander around aimlessly now? They still needed to put food on their tables!
Kevin was slightly out of breath when he reached his aunt's floor, but he had composed himself by the time he found her flat. He banged his fist unceremoniously against the solid wood, then stepped back and waited, finally calling, "Aunt Hermione?"
There was some rustling in the apartment, and it took her a few moments, but she finally opened the door, just a crack, her head sticking out, "Kevin? Oh, in Merlin's name, you scared the life out of us... Get in here, you."
She opened the door fully and ushered him in, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder.
Ahh, the old flat. Kevin always loved this place, no matter how small and dingy it was. The cat resting on the window pane, the pot of tea brewing in the open kitchen... The man sitting on his aunt's couch.
Wait. Man?
"Oh, Kevin, this is my best friend in the entire world, Harry," Hermione laughed, motioning to the dark haired man, a smile on her face. "He was just on his way out. Oh, and Harry, this is Kevin Malfoy."
"One of his kids, eh?" Harry chuckled, rising and extending his hand for Kevin to shake, "Don't look a thing like your father."
"Sometimes that's a good thing," Kevin muttered. "Nice to meet you."
Harry... Harry... Where had he heard that name before? There was Harry Potter, obviously, but had he really been friends with his aunt?
Kevin watched as Harry threw a thick, black cloak over himself and pulled up the hood, masking his face over, "I'll be in touch, okay Hermione?"
"Don't do anything stupid," she sighed, folding her hands together in front of her. "Don't get hurt."
"I promise... I'll be back soon," he informed her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before gliding out of the flat, his cloak trailing noiselessly behind him.
"Was that... Harry Potter?" Kevin inquired quickly, dying to soothe his own curiosity.
His aunt paled, and she forced a grin, "It... It was, but you need to promise you won't tell anyone. He's not allowed to be here."
"Then why was he?"
"Just wanted to see me, see how I was doing..." she explained, suddenly trailing off, "Why are you here?"
Kevin's eyes immediately glued themselves to the floor, and Hermione sighed, "Ah. I see. Well, let me make you some lunch... Sandwich okay?"
"Yeah-"
"Good."
She swept across her apartment, rustling about in the kitchen to fetch him a plate as Kevin took a seat at her on bar stools at the very small counter. He began to pick at his nails in the silence, until he finally muttered, "What good am I?"
He heard his aunt stop her actions, then look over her shoulder at him, a frown on her lips, "What do you mean?"
"Well..." Kevin fumbled for his words as he swiveled around in his chair, "I'm no good to my family... Loo is the smart one, Shane's good at sports... And everyone always likes Annie. I just don't... You know... fit."
"Oh... Kevin!" his aunt laughed as she stopped pulling something out of the fridge, "Everyone fits in somewhere!"
Yeah, of course they do. Pigs could fly, too. Kevin shifted on his chair, then exhaled slowly. He had hoped his aunt would understand his point of view, but apparently he had hoped for too much, "I guess."
"Don't sound so depressed," Hermione chuckled, slapping an arrangement of meats onto two slices of bread, "but you're allowed to, I suppose... You're the younger son, and almost like the middle child. I'm sure you feel like you've been getting looked over."
There we go, now she was understanding it.
"But it's been like that all the time lately," Kevin explained, watching her back as she finished up his sandwich. "Dad only worries about Shane because Shane seems all moody and locked away whenever he didn't get enough sleep at night, and then he goes on to Loo and Will... And how they aren't allowed to go out and stuff... Then if I try to say something..."
He trailed off as his aunt set the sandwich down on the table, then took a seat beside him. She shook her head, "I see your point, Kevin... Your father doesn't have a right to focus on half of his children, just because he can."
"It's like all he wants to do is fight with Loo, or go flying with Shane!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and taking a large bite of his sandwich, unable to say anything else for a few moments as he chewed thickly.
"And what about you and Annie, what does your father do with you two?" Hermione inquired, getting up finally and pouring Kevin a glass of water, "Does he take you guys out, or go flying?"
"No... No, Annie is usually by herself, or with Loo and Grandmother," Kevin stated, frowning suddenly. "Didn't you notice that when you lived there?"
"I did... I just didn't really want to say anything," she admitted, handing him the glass and waiting until he had taken a sip. "I don't think it's right to give a parent advice on how to raise their child-"
"But it's dad!" Kevin argued, rolling his eyes as dramatically as he could, "He's been a parent for what... two months now? Maybe almost three? C'mon, Aunt Hermione... You can tell him off."
"Ah, yes, but shouldn't you tell him he isn't paying you enough attention?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kevin turned back to his sandwich, his voice suddenly going soft, "I don't want to."
How could a guy tell his dad that he didn't feel like people were paying him enough attention? Next thing he knew he would be putting on make-up and wondering if his butt looked big in his jeans.
"Oh, I get it," Hermione mused, crossing her arms. "It's that whole manly thing where you can't talk about your feelings, right?"
"Something along those lines," he muttered, taking another bite of his sandwich. "I just-"
"Don't talk with your mouth full... That's gross."
He swallowed, "Sorry. I just don't want dad thinking I'm a wuss or anything... I mean, he's all tough and-"
Hermione snorted loudly, then quickly stifled her giggles, "Sorry, love, it's just I recently went furniture shopping with him, and we talked about curtains for almost an hour. Most meaningful conversation about house things I've ever had with a man."
Kevin grinned for the first time all day, then finally smiled when Hermione laughed a little more. Finally he felt a little more at ease. See! All he needed was someone to talk to.
"Does anyone know you've come here?" Hermione asked after some time of pointless conversations about how everything else was going at home.
Kevin cleared his throat, "No... I kinda just... left."
Hermione let out a groan, "Kevin! They're going to be looking for you."
"I didn't think anyone would notice, really," he mumbled sheepishly. "So I just grabbed my coat and left."
Hermione glanced up at the clock and then at Kevin, asking him if he had showered that day. When he replied no, she ordered him to go get into her shower and clean up, then the two of them would go to the Snape Manor that evening together and she would explain where he had been. There. No harm done.
"What the fuck is wrong with teenage girls?" Draco snarled, filling up a glass of water in his kitchen, glaring out the window at his property. He had just spent the last hour or so battling it out with his eldest daughter about her date with her... boyfriend that evening, and they still hadn't gotten anywhere. At least, in his mind they hadn't made progress; she was still going on that date.
Bah, that's what she thought. He'd just stuff her into the fireplace, then send her off to Snape's house, then she would have to stay for dinner. She could meet up with that damn Will later.
His ears were still ringing from her screaming. Since when did children ever speak to their parents like that?
And why the bloody Hell didn't she get tired of yelling? Draco thought his voice was going to completely fail on him by the end of it and he would be forced to use signs to make his point.
Signs and a very thick quill.
Why did she have to make such a fuss anyway? It's not like this was the only time she could ever see him! If Hermione needed to reschedule a date because something came up, he was perfectly fine with that.
... Unless it was because of that damn Potter again. Draco wasn't exactly keen on snogging his girlfriend directly in front of someone, but the look of disgust and shock on Potter's face was just so wonderful that Draco had to milk it for all its worth. He thought the pinch on the arse was a nice touch.
He took a large gulp of his drink and finished off the glass, then set it in one of the numerous sinks, frowning suddenly. Why was the house so quiet? It hadn't been this silent since before all the children had moved in a couple of months ago. He exited the kitchen and took a stroll down one of the usual corridors, peaking in all of the rooms. Even Kevin's usual computers were off, and there was no one listening to whatever garbage they usually had playing in the background. Rock, indeed. He didn't see how that music had anything to do with stones.
Draco quickly made his way upstairs, ducking into Kevin's room and noticing he was gone, then checking in Shane's, who was also absent. Annie was at Snape's, and his parents had gone out for a luncheon almost two hours ago. So where were his boys?
"Eloise?" he asked tightly, opening her door and stepping into her room. She was seated where he had last seen her, on her bed, with her books spread out everywhere.
She glanced up, then glared, "What?"
"Don't take that tone with me," he snarled before he could stop himself. She rolled her eyes and went back to reading, giving him a moment to compose himself before asking, "Where are your brothers?"
"Shane went to Sawyer's to do some studying..." she droned, not looking up from her book, "He left a note."
"And Kevin?"
"I dunno... He was here the last time I noticed."
"Ah..." Draco intoned, leaving her be again and hurrying down the stairs, calling whatever house elf was in sight to tell him where Kevin was. However, all of the answers he received followed along the lines of his daughter; they had last seen him in the house.
He ordered them to check everywhere inside, and if they found him, report back to his whereabouts. He didn't really need to speak to his son, he just wanted to know where he was.
After several tense minutes of pacing in the front foyer, many of the house elves popped back in to inform him they couldn't find Kevin anywhere in the house.
And now the panic set it. Where the bloody Hell was his son?
Had his parents taken him out? Had he just run off? Gods, the last thing he had said to the boy was to get out of the way when they bumped into each other!
He rushed up the staircase once more, starting to feel slightly sweaty, and shoved open Eloise's door, "Kevin's gone."
Her head flew up and her eyebrows knitted together, "What?"
"He's not in the house, and no one has seen him for an hour or two..." Draco explained, "I want you to fetch Shane and the two of you can help me look for him."
"Okay... I'll just floo over to Sawyer's," she muttered, sliding off the bed quickly, "Where're you going?"
"I'm going to check with my parents," he explained, "They may have taken him for lunch and not told anyone."
She made a face, "Oh, come on, dad."
"Well... They might have!"
His subconscious mind agreed heavily with his daughter, but thinking Kevin was with his parents was his only hope that his son hadn't run off somewhere or gotten hurt and no one knew where he was.
Draco snatched his cloak out of the closet and hastily tugged on a pair of his black shoes, then grabbed his wand, focusing on the restaurant his father had mentioned before he took his mother out. In moments, he was standing at the door, and bustled inside, apologizing to the couple he had pushed through in order to find his parents.
"May I help you, sir?" the coat-check inquired, his tone strained, "There is a waiting list for a table-"
"I just need a quick word with one of your diners, actually," Draco snapped, causing the man to raise an eyebrow. "My parents, the Malfoys, are eating lunch here, and I'd like to see them, if that's all right with you."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Malfoy, of course. Go right along in-"
"Cheers."
Draco shoved past the man, ignoring the money hungry gleam in his eye, and scanned the rich crowd, trying to find his parents. Ah, yes, there they were - back by a window. How typical; it's almost as if his father needs to be looking outside whenever he eats. That would explain the massive windows in the dining hall.
"Draco..." his mother crooned when he was close enough, "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"
"I... Well... "
"Spit it out, Draco," his father sneered. "We're in the middle of lunch."
Draco glared at his father. What was his problem lately? He had been in the worst of moods, and obviously his loss at the card games was just something to cement the foul behavior. Draco was almost tempted to tell him to suck it up and act like an adult, but now wasn't the time.
"Kevin's gone," he said finally, watching his mother's eyes widen, "and... I mean, no one has seen him around the manor, and no one remembers the last time he was there, and I couldn't find him anywhere. I had the house elves look, and you know how good they are, and they didn't find him, and then I thought he may have come here with you... But now I see due to the lack of a young Kevin at the table I can assume he isn't here and he's probably stranded on some road somewhere and it's my fault because I don't know where he is!"
"Draco, for Merlin's sake, lower your voice!" Lucius ordered, shooting a cold smile to the man who dared turn around in his seat to see why Draco was so frantic.
His mother threw her napkin, which had been resting upon her lap, up onto the table in a crumple and rose, "Well, we're going then."
"What?" his father hissed, his eyes darting between Draco and Narcissa, "Why?"
"My grandson is missing, Lucius," his mother ground, "and I want to know where he is, or I'll be thinking about it all day."
"But... Cissa, lunch... I had it specially ordered-"
"We can have lunch any day," his mother snapped, then turned to Draco. "Go home, get Eloise and Shane, your father will get the check, and then we'll all decide on how we should best find him."
"Right," Draco muttered, running a hand through his hair, which was slowly falling out of the leather hair restraint he had wound around it earlier that day, His father rose sharply, sent him a glare, then stormed off to find his waiter. Draco shot his mother a questioning look, "What's the matter with father?"
"Oh, he's just in a mood... I'll talk to him about it," she sighed, allowing Draco to help her with her cloak. "Go home, Draco, and check on the other two."
"Right... Right. See you in a few moments," Draco babbled before apparating back home.
He was instantly met by the voice of his other two children, especially the one of his eldest son.
"Where's Kev? Was he there?"
"Obviously not, Shane," Draco grumbled, prying his cloak out of the boy's hands, "Otherwise he'd be with me, but apparently he isn't."
"You know, Kevin likes being by himself sometimes," Eloise interjected, picking at a loose thread on her sweater. "He may just have gone for a walk, or something."
Moments after Draco arrived, his parents popped into the room, his mother looking calm, yet inside he knew she was frantic, while his father was, at best, annoyed.
"Okay, I don't need to lecture Kevin on wandering off... So if you find him and he doesn't feel like coming back home, either sit with him, or leave him," Draco ordered, deciding it would be best if he took some charge. "Right. Mother, I need you to organize the house elves and do another more thorough search of the house."
"Of course."
"Father?"
"Yes, son?"
Draco resisted the urge to snarl back at him, "Go and see if Kevin went to Snape's."
"Fine."
Git. He turned to his remaining children, "I want you two to get on the brooms and do a sweep of the property. We haven't checked there, and he may have just gone for a walk..."
"I doubt it... It's already freezing outside, and it's not even five yet," Shane informed him, nodding to the clock, which read four-thirty. "Kevin prefers the indoors on days like this, unless there's snow."
"Well... Look anyway," Draco repeated, "I'm going to Hermione's to see if he went there."
"That's actually a pretty good place to go, if he went anywhere," Eloise commented, tucking some hair behind her ears. "He likes to go see her."
Okay. Okay, he was going to find him. It shouldn't be that difficult.
Oh Gods.
Crookshanks lay purring on Hermione's lap as she skimmed over the day's paper, half listening to the sound of her 'nephew' taking a shower in her one and only bathroom. How long did he need to take? At the rate he was using the hot water, there wasn't going to be any flowing to her apartment for weeks.
She pitied Kevin more than anything. How could Draco not notice he wasn't giving his children equal attention? Yes, granted, it is rather difficult with four of them, but he needed to start making a bigger effort, or soon Annie would start to feel left out, just the same as her older brother.
The door flew open and Hermione leapt to her feet, much to her cat's displeasure. Crookshanks tumbled to the floor and let out a hiss, tearing off for the bedroom as Draco scrambled in, his hair nearly completely falling out of its holding. Hermione placed a hand on her chest, letting out a relieved breath of air, "Thank Merlin it was only you... Draco! You don't just go barging into people's houses!"
"I assumed we were past knocking," he fired back quickly. "Look, Kevin is-"
"He's here," she interrupted, watching as relief flooded his eyes at last. "He came this afternoon."
"Oh... Thank Merlin."
Draco crossed the room lazily, gave her a quick peck on the lips, then slumped down onto her couch, "I have the whole household out looking for him."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, not returning the smile he sent her, "Do you know why he came to see me, Draco?"
"No..." he replied cautiously, "but I'm guessing by the tone it was somehow my fault?"
"Draco!" she exclaimed, "He feels like you've been completely ignoring him! He left because he didn't think anyone would notice!"
"Oh, that's total bullocks, Hermione, you know-"
"No, Draco," she sighed, shaking her head, "I don't know. From what I've seen and heard... I think he's right."
She did not ever want to have this conversation with a person. To tell someone how to raise their children was like telling them how to brush their teeth properly; you just could never do it.
Draco shook his head and slowly got to his feet, "Do you think I would ever purposefully ignore my own son?"
"I don't think you would do it on purpose, no," she replied truthfully, not backing down, despite the fact he was towering over her. "You're a new parent, Draco, obviously you wouldn't notice this sort of thing because you've never had to deal with it before."
He stared at her for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether that was an insult or not, then drawled, "I look after my children just fine."
"Well, if one comes to me upset that he's being ignored by his father, then you still have a little bit of work to do."
"I don't think it's my fault that I missed him!" Draco exploded, "I've got four teenagers to deal with, Hermione-"
"Three," she corrected heatedly. "You've got three teenagers, and one young girl. Draco... There's no shame in admitting that you made a mistake. Parents are allowed to make them. We're just... human."
The tension was starting to build, and from that point on Hermione realized this was going to be an extremely rocky relationship. Both of them were stubborn, and they never backed out if they thought they were right.
"We? You speak like you've got mountains of parenting advice," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
Hermione planted her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing dangerously, "Well, considering I spent quite a number of years helping raise your children, I think I'm allowed to comment here."
"How many times is that going to get thrown in my face?"
"However many times you think you're allowed to be all haughty now that you've got your children!"
Her hand clamped down over her mouth as Draco looked at her in shock, and she quickly tried to make it right, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, Draco-"
"I know... You're right though," Draco sighed, finally falling back down, defeated, onto the couch. "How am I supposed to know how all four children are feeling at the same time! I barely understand Eloise, let alone Shane and Kevin and Annie!"
Hermione gave him a small smile and took a seat next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a hug, "That's why I'm here."
"Yeah, I suppose," he chuckled, curling his own arm around her waist thoughtfully. "Suppose if we have more fights like that though, you may not be around for long."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, untangling herself and glaring at him.
Draco exhaled deeply and rubbed the back of his neck, "I meant you'll get sick of it and leave me, Hermione."
"Oh. Well... I don't know. Fights happen."
"Yeah, but I'm worried they'll happen a lot with us... We're not exactly people who like to back down from an argument."
Hermione grinned and gave him another kiss on the cheek, resting her hand on his chest, "No, no we aren't. I'm sure I've warned you before."
He chuckled, his deep voice vibrating around the room, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Oh, Gods, this was going to be interesting.
"Dad?"
Draco was instantly on his feet, looking back at Kevin, who had finally emerged from the shower, looking fresh and clean. Hermione wanted to tell them both what she thought of the entire situation, about how she completely disapproved of Kevin leaving without telling anyone, and about Draco not paying his son enough attention, but she kept her mouth firmly shut, deciding it would be best if they figured it out themselves.
"Bloody Hell, mate, we nearly turned the manor up looking for you," Draco sighed, walking around the couch and pulling Kevin into an awkward one armed hug, resting his head atop his son's, "Don't do it again, okay?"
"Sorry, dad."
"No... No, I'm sorry... I ... I just ... " Draco seemed at a loss for words, then finally got out, "I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier. I was just in a bad mood."
"Because of Loo."
"Yeah... Yeah, because of Eloise."
Hermione shook her head, watching the pair, then muttered, "Boys."
Draco shot her a look, then smirked, "What was that, love?"
"Nothing... Nothing, just talking to myself," she replied, returning his smirk, "and now that you're finally out of the shower, I can get in before dinner tonight."
"Didn't you already shower this morning?" Draco inquired, finally releasing Kevin, only slightly, and resting his arm around his son's shoulders.
Hermione shrugged, "I'm all... gross from today. I did a bit of cleaning while Kev was in the shower."
"Lovely..." Draco chuckled, rolling his eyes a tad, "I'll pop by to pick you up then?"
"No, no, I'll use Fred and George's floo after," she explained, then added, "I just want to stop in to see Katie and Angelina, won't take long."
"Right, shall we, young man?"
"Yeah... Let's go."
"Bye, love."
"Bye, Draco... Bye, Kev."
"See yeh tonight, aunt Hermione."
Hermione watched her two boys left, Draco shutting the door softly behind him, then looked around her empty apartment. She sort of liked having more people in it, but it was always nice to have her quiet time, her solitude. When she lived at the Malfoy Manor, it was difficult to ever really get some time alone. Sure, if she sat with Lucius, it wasn't as though they had meaningful conversations or anything, but just the mere presence of him being there meant she wasn't alone.
Once she had filled up Crookshanks' water dish, then added a scoop more of food in his bowl, she decided a quick jump in the shower, just to get her body feeling fresh again, was all she needed.
However, as she made her way towards the bathroom, there was another knock at the door. She glanced at the clock, then groaned; she was asked to come to the Snape Manor at six, and it was nearly quarter past five. Who would be dropping by now? Then she grinned; Draco was back then, eh? Cocky little bugger didn't even kiss her goodbye. Hermione let her grin grow, and as she hurried over to the door, she let out a giggle, "I was wondering when you'd come-"
She froze. Oh. Oh dear.
"Miss Hermione Granger?" a nameless Ministry official inquired, holding up his badge to her face to prove he had authority. Hermione swallowed thickly, her grin completely vanished, "Yes, that's me... What can I do for you... gentlemen?"
There were about four of them outside her door, each clad in the standardized black floor length robe, and long hair swept back out of their faces. She knew these ones.
These men were the ones the Ministry used for retrieval missions, the ones who went out to fetch dangerous criminals and haul them in for questioning. Everyone knew who they were by appearance alone, and whenever they patrolled the streets, no one dared to even go outside. They made a habit of fabricating crimes on the turn of a dime, just to see who they could bring in for torturing.
"We were wondering if we could have a little talk with you, inside preferably."
Before Hermione could answer, they pushed into her flat past her, their heavy boots tromping all over her clean floor noisily. She closed the door, her hands starting to shake, though her voice remained firm, "Have I done something wrong?"
"We'd only like to talk to you, that's all," one remarked gruffly. "Is this your flat?"
"Yes."
"How long have you lived in it?"
"Since he took over," she snarled, folding her arms and eyeing the men. "What's going on?"
"Please, come and sit with us, like a civilized Mudblood," the tallest of the group chuckled, causing Hermione's temper to flare as he patted the couch. "Honestly, we only want to talk."
Oh, of course they just wanted to talk. She remembered they said that to a man at a cafe, and before anyone knew what was happening, the man was forced into a fetal position on the ground as they bound and gagged him, then dragged him away.
Hermione moved tentatively to the center of the room, eyeing her wand resting on the table. If only she could get it...
"Someone reported that they saw a Mr. Harry Potter making his rounds in this Alley," a man informed her. "We have on record your closeness to Mr. Potter. Have you seen him?"
Hermione stared him directly in the eye, and replied, "No. I wasn't aware he was here."
"We have two of your friends in custody, Ms. Granger. A Mr. Fred and George Weasley were arrested earlier this morning after several witnesses reported Harry dwelling in their... shop. No has seen him-"
"Then how dare you make arrests!" Hermione shrieked, her eyes widening, "They're innocent-"
"Yes, we have heard that story from their wives, and when they refused to let us leave, we were forced to take them also into custody."
"Katie is pregnant..." Hermione ground out forcefully, "If you hurt her-"
"We're not up to discuss this, Ms. Granger," one hissed, "Have you seen him?"
"No."
"No?"
Oh, Gods, they had taken her Weasleys. Her closest allies and protectors! Hermione felt her heart quicken at the thought being utterly alone in Knockturn Alley.
"Harry wouldn't visit me, even if he did come," Hermione informed them, folding her arms across her chest, "He'd realize the danger he would put us all in."
"Get the Veritaserum."
Hermione gulped as one of them rustled into the large, black bag he was carrying, the sound of vials clinking together loudly. She steadied the weight between her body evenly, then raised her nose at them, "That's illegal."
"Not on suspects," the man chuckled. "Open up, girl."
If she wanted one chance, she needed to take it, and take it now. Hermione lunged for the gap between two of the men, drastically racing for her wand, but falling to the ground, stunned, before she could even get within a foot of it.
