Wounded

Chapter 32: Omen

Draco watched as Harry's face changed from concern to confusion.

"What do you mean they are whispers? Hermione, I think the wind is just playing tricks with you-"

Hermione shook her head ever so slightly. She kept her eyes focused on the dense forest in front of her, trying to make out just where, or who, the sounds were coming from.

Keeping her voice hushed, she said "I know what I heard Harry, that wasn't the wind."

Catching Hermione's quick glance, Draco gave her a slight nod, acknowledging that he too had heard what was sending shivers down their spines. His eyes were darting from left to right trying to find the source when it was Luna's soft voice that suddenly startled him.

Pointing her wand upward, the Ravenclaw asked "Is the noise you're hearing possibly coming from him Hermione?"

Hermione's wide eyes quickly shot upward. The suns' rays were still managing to squeeze through the cracks in the dense canopy. Following the direction of her friend's wand, Hermione's eyes constricted with the sudden abundance of light. It took her only a moment to find what the blond-haired witch had found. Perched high in the treetops and set back to blend in with the snow encrusted branches was an owl. If it hadn't been for its almost sickly yellow colored eyes, she would have passed right over it. Its grayish white feathers were splattered with flecks of dark red. Although the weight of the packed snow was making the branches bend, she was sure the size of this owl was making that particular one work just that much harder to stay attached to the tree. Transfixed on the creature above her, Hermione was about to tell her friend "I don't believe so" when she noticed it. It was almost too hard to see, but she caught it. The slight movement of the owl's beak slowly chattering made her rethink the possibility.

Also following Luna's wand, Draco was slightly relived to see it was just an owl when he heard Theo speak.

"Bloody hell, that bird sure isn't starved for food. That thing is huge!"

Rolling his eyes, Draco could feel his nerves start to subside when he heard his friend's voice cut through the silence a second time.

"…And so it that one, and that one! Man, and I though your families Eagle Owls were something to gawk over Draco."

Taking a quick survey around him, Draco noticed the multiple sets of jaundice yellow eyes peering down on their group. Feeling a slight shiver crawl over his skin, Draco shifted his gaze back to Hermione.

Letting off a soft sigh, he spoke just above a whisper. "Now I know how a bloody goldfish feels."

While the rest of the group began to feel more at ease, Hermione still had her guard up. Something was off; she just couldn't place her finger on it. The stillness in the air was unsettling. It was lingering, heavy and thick. It was almost unnatural feeling. Even the trees around them seemed nervous, almost too afraid to rustle or sway. Letting out a small breath that had been trapped in her throat, she watched as the puff of air died out as soon as it left her lips.

Feeling a gentle grab of her shoulder, Hermione shifted her gaze to see Draco's puzzling stare.

"Talk to me Granger, what are you thinking?"

Glancing back up to investigate the owls, Hermione said "I can feel it Draco, something just isn't sitting right with me. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel… I almost feel like we're being watched."

Able to overhear their conversation, Theo chuckled as he said "Of course we are being watched. Those damn birds up there are creepy as hell! Not sure what their problem is, but I'm sure we could take them on if we had too."

Watching his Slytherin friend wave his arm wildly around as if to show Hermione how to deflect the birds, it was Harry who said "With that helpful tip, I think we should keep going. We want to cover as much ground as possible before we have to head back."

Slightly distracted by Theo's spasming arms, it took Draco a moment to realize there was a small tug at his coat. Turning back to look at Hermione, he said "Sorry, what did you say? I was sidetracked by that idiot over there acting like a-"

Suddenly realizing her amber eyes were filled to the brim with concern, Draco quickly asked "Granger, what is it? Talk to me."

Hermione kept her voice low so the others wouldn't overhear her just yet. "I think we should go back. Start again tomorrow."

Raising an eyebrow, Draco said "We still have a few more hours of day light, why not keep pushing a little further?"

"I know this sounds crazy, but it's just a feeling I have. Shouldn't there be something we can hear, like the wind or some birds, hell even the crunching of snow under our feet?"

Hermione took a step backwards and pointed to the ground. "See? Nothing. It's like the forest is void of sound or something."

Becoming a little curious himself now at the absence of noise coming from the snow underneath her feet, he was about to ask Hermione to take another step backwards when he heard Theo's voice behind him.

"Hey now, no private parties allowed. What are you two love birds talking about over there?"

Seeing her other friends turn towards her, Hermione chewed the inside of her cheek for just a moment before answering.

Looking at Draco's small nod in agreeance, she said "I think it might be wise if we start to head back to the lake."

Confused by his friend's words, Harry asked "Why do you say that? We have so much ground to cover in a short amount of time. We aren't sure how far down the river this 'hollowed out tree' is. I'm sure we could go a few more hours before the sun starts to set on us."

Hearing the strange and unsettling noises coming from above her again, Hermione shivered. She was almost certain the birds were chattering faster now.

"I know, and I agree we need to use our time wisely, but something's not right here Harry. Look around us, doesn't something feel off to you? Where are the sounds of wildlife? The soft, melodic tunes of birds over head? I mean, for Merlin's sake this is a forest! The air should at least smell of pine or fir and I can't pick up a single note of anything, can you?"

She hadn't realized it until now, but her voice was growing in volume as she spoke. Taking a shaky breath, she waited for someone else to speak.

Shifting her sights to Luna, Hermione was a little surprised to see the witched was nodding her head.

In a calm and steady voice, the blonde haired Ravenclaw simply stated "I agree with Hermione."

Feeling a little relived, Hermione asked "Do you think something is weird then as well?"

Continuing to nod her head, Luna pointed her finger upwards when she spoke. "The moment I saw those Strixes in the daylight, I knew it was a bad sign. It's like the saying goes, 'Birds of omen dark and foul, night-crow, raven, bat and owl'."

"I'm sorry, but what did you call them?" Theo cocked his head back up to look at the unusually large birds still perched high in the treetops.

Unlike Theo though, Hermione knew the meaning of the word her friend had just used. She had only come across it a few times while reading Greek literature, and in fact just recently she had seen it pop up in a few of the books she had taken from Snape's library.

"A Strix. Those are no ordinary owls up there Theo. I've only ever read about and seen drawings of them, but I'm pretty sure I am correct." Turning to look back up, Luna said "The yellow eyes, their large heads, and an almost sad sickly gray color… I'm pretty positive that is what we are looking at here and I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your defense mechanism against them will not work."

Hermione watched as Luna did a few waves of her arms above her head. Trying to be polite to her friend, Hermione's skepticism was a little hard to hide. "I've also read about those birds Luna, but it's always been written in mythology or lore. I really think those are just plain, old owls…. Really large and unusually creepy owls, but still owls."

Keeping her eyes on the birds overhead, Luna simply stated "Well of course they're only written in mythology. Anyone who comes across these birds doesn't usually get to live to tell the tale."

When a sudden eerie silence washed over the group, Luna looked around to see the confusion on everyone's face.

It was Blaise who found his words first. "And why exactly is that?"

It was Hermione who beat Luna to the answer. "Well, according to the lore, lore being a key word here, it's because…"

Glancing over to Draco, she hesitated before finishing her sentence.

Blurting the words out, she muttered "It's because it's said they kill humans and fed on their flesh and blood."

Seeing the look of shock wash over everyone except Luna, Hermione quickly added "But that's only a myth. These creatures don't actually exist and those are just owls."

Theo had now raised his arms over his head again and was darting rapidly from side to side. "Yeah, bloody fucking creepy owls who apparently want to eat me!"

Rolling his eyes, Draco tried to grab on to his friend. "What in Salazar's name are you doing Nott, stop moving. You look ridiculous."

Dodging Draco's attempt to stop him, Theo said "Uh-uh, no way. A moving target is always harder to hit. No ugly ass bird is touching this beautiful face!"

Hermione's ears were flooded with multiple voices now. Harry and Ron were trying to get everyone back on track to keep moving forward. Blaise had now joined Draco in catching Theo in an attempt at putting a stop to his irrational movements. It wasn't until Hermione had turned her head to the side in an attempt to shield herself from some of the noise when she realize something even more unsettling.

Walking back a few feet towards where they had just come from, the worried witch turned back towards her friends and asked, "Did someone use an obliteration charm on our footprints?"

When no one heard her over all the commotion, she asked the question a second time. When still no one realized she was talking, she almost yelled it on the third.

Finally able to grab Theo and wrestle him to the ground, Draco was telling him to keep still when he suddenly heard Hermione's frantic voice cut through all of the noise. Quickly leaving Blaise to sit on top of Theo to help keep him under control, Draco made his way over to Hermione.

Seeing Harry walk over as well, Draco reached her first and placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean; of course no one has been erasing our footprints. Don't you remember earlier today, you thought of the brilliant idea to cast a charm on our tracks to make them look like deer hooves instead just in case we had to follow them back?"

Hermione was afraid of that answer. Looking over to her friend, she asked "Then where did they go Harry? We came this way, all seven of us. There should be our tracks coming from that direction, but there's nothing! Not even one imprint in the snow. Where did our trail go?"

Harry was staring off down the only path they could have come up from. He walked back towards the large tree they all had just previous climbed over. Gazing over the fallen trunk, all that was on the other side was fresh, untouched powered snow. Furrowing his brow, he walked back over to Hermione and Draco.

"The wind... must have blown the snow over our tracks. I'm sure- "

"Wind?" Hermione was shaking her head quickly back and forth. "What wind Harry? The air here feels almost stagnant. There is no wind, nothing that would cover every single one of our tracks."

Ron walked up behind them as he said "Sorry mate, but I have to agree with 'Mione. I haven't felt the slightest bit of breeze in a while come to think of it. I think she might be on to something here; I think it's time we turn back around for the day. This isn't feeling quit right anymore."

Draco felt Hermione's chilled hand slip into his and grip tightly. He had to admit there were a few things that just weren't adding up.

Giving her hand a small squeeze back, he said "I know we need to cover ground, and we need to do it quickly. However, even you have to see that Granger has made a few good arguments on why we should turn back for the day Potter."

Draco could see Harry becoming frustrated. He knew time was important, but so was being safe and recognizing the signs.

Rubbing the back of his head a few times, Harry finally said "How about you guys apparate back and I'll meet you there in an hour-"

"Absolutely not!" Hermione's free hand sliced through the air. "We all agreed we would stick together. Seven of us came into these woods Harry and all seven are going to go back out of them together. There's no way we are letting you go on alone."

Ron was also shaking his head at his friend's suggestion. "I know you don't want to waste any time, but we promise we will get up first thing in the morning and head out again, starting from this spot."

Looking around, Ron noticed a rather large boulder that jetted out over the river covered in moss and brush. Seeing an ice encrusted spider web, he pointed to it and said "Alright, that rock right there with the spider web connecting to it, we will apparate right back here at the crack of dawn."

Giving Harry a pleading look, she was relieved when she saw his demeanor give in.

"Fine. Majority rules, but first thing tomorrow morning we leave again, and we go as long as we possibly can."

Accepting his terms, Hermione said "Alright, everyone pair up so we can apparate out of here."

Standing quickly and knocking Blaise off him, Theo was running towards Hermione as he yelled "Apparition buddy, over here!"

Grumbling under his breath, Draco watched his friend link his arm with Hermione's. "Easy there Nott, keep your hands to yourself."

Waving him off, Theo replied "Yeah, yeah calm down. Just doing what the lady says Draco. It isn't my fault your apparition buddy isn't as cute as mine."

Suppressing the small tug at the corner of her lips, Hermione waited until everyone else had paired off. Once Ron had reached Luna and Draco was with Blaise, she head Zabini say "Oh Theo, don't play coy with me. I know you've always had a little crush on me."

"In your dreams Zabini."

Giving Blaise an annoyed shove, Draco said "Enough you two, save it for later…. Besides you both know I'm the one you guys really fight over-"

"For Merlin's sake, can we please just end this ridiculous conversation and concentrate on getting out of here."

Hermione watched as Harry rubbed the ridge of his noise as she struggled to continue hiding her smile. Her nerves had somewhat started to settle when they all agreed to leave. Once they were back at the lake, she knew she'd be able to finally fully enjoy the three Slytherin's sense of humor in full.

Placing a firm grip on Theo, she asked "Is everyone ready?"

Seeing all six of her friends nod their head, she said "See everyone back at the lake."

As Hermione turned on the spot, she was expecting to feel the familiar tug and pull of the spell. However, a split second later, she was tripping over her own feet and taking Theo down with her.

Hearing a few more thuds around her, Hermione was having a hard time gathering her bearings when a certain non-blonde haired Slytherin was laying on top of her.

Pushing Blaise off him, Draco was about to make a snide remark about his landing skills when he saw something out of the corner of his eyes.

"Hands, Nott. I need to see hands!"

Quickly picking both hands up and waving them high in the air, Theo was struggling to stand and fell face first into the also struggling witch that was trying to stand herself.

Rage now flowing through his veins, Draco marched over to quickly grab his friend. Pulling him up by the collar, he gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"You fucking did that on purpose you little shit."

Trying to control his laughter, Theo said "You said hands and I obeyed! What happened next was not my fault I swear."

Watching a smile spread across his face, Draco rolled his eyes and shoved him off to the side. Reaching a hand down to help Hermione, it was then that he saw her terrified eyes. Before he was able to ask what was wrong though, he suddenly had the answer for himself.

Hermione didn't even notice Draco's outstretched hand in front of her. Her gaze had fallen elsewhere, to the same spider webbed rock immediately to her left that sat above the turbulent river.

No… no, no, no this can't be happening….

Her heart sank straight into her stomach. Unable to pick herself up off the ground, it was Ron's voice that broke her out of her terrified trance.

"What the hell, this isn't the lake."

Grabbing Hermione's arm and lifting her off the ground, Draco held her steady while she gathered herself.

Brushing the snow off his coat and adjusting his collar, Theo rolled his eyes. "No shit Weasel, thanks for stating the obvious. What the fuck just happened?"

Hermione gripped Draco's arm a little harder as she spoke. "We couldn't apparate, why could none of us apparate?"

Hearing her try and keep her voice calm, Draco looked around at everyone else. Noticing Harry's eyes widen at her question, he said "I'm sure there's a very good reason why all… seven of us… couldn't…"

Draco's sentence trailed off. He had thought for the briefest of moments to try and pretend as if he could come up with a reason why they had all just failed at their attempts to leave, but not even he could come up with a remote possibility on why that would have just happened.

The mood shifted suddenly between the seven companions. The eerie silence that had now settled around them made Hermione's blood run cold. She was trying to search for a reason they were unable leave. A reason that didn't involve the only logical, truly terrifying answer that sat in the back of her mind. Her thoughts were jumbled. She could sense her lips wanting to move, to speak and answer the question reasonably to help settle everyone's nerves including her own, but she couldn't.

Watching Harry turn on the spot for a third time now only to catch himself before failing over, Draco's heart sank a little further when he still stood in front of him. Hearing Hermione's mind working in overdrive next to him, he whispered "Think out loud Granger, this isn't the time to keep those thoughts of yours silent."

Hermione also had been watching Harry's failed attempts at trying to apparate. Shaking her head, she answered "I'm not sure what exactly is happening here. Maybe we all just need to take a breath and-"

"Oh, just say in Granger, we are all fucked aren't we?"

Turning towards Blaise, Draco shot his friend a cold stare. "Shut it Zabini. Now is not the time for-"

"For what, a reality check? Come on Draco, there's only one reason why we can't leave these fucking woods and it's because we are trapped here. The bloody fucking forest has trapped us like it has with all the rest of the poor suckers it has before us. We came in here, willing I may add, and just let it take us knowing we were fucking ourselves over. We might as well let those blood bird, owl things eat and get it over with."

Quickly covering his head, Theo said "Don't even joke about that! I'm serious, if one of those things dive bombs us, someone if going to have to sacrifice their bloody face to save mine. I vote Weasel's, it's not like it could get much worse."

"Fuck off Nott, this is not the time for your childish remarks."

Seeing Ron take a few steps in Theo's direction, Harry placed himself between the two. "Come on you guys, we have bigger issues right now. If we can't apparate out of here, we have to start walking back the way we came."

Finally able to regain control of her words, Hermione let the inside of her cheek go as she said "Harrys right, we can't just stand around here. If we can't leave by magic, we can at least leave by foot. We've been walking for hours, but if we move fast enough, we should be able to leave the forest right before night fall."

Being the first to quickly start walking back towards the way they came, Theo said "Yes, great, love the idea. Just get me the hell away from those bloody birds."

Following her friends, Luna said in a reassuring voice, "You can put your arms down Theo, they aren't even up there anymore."

Startled at her friend's comment, Hermione quickly looked up towards the canopy. She searched everywhere for the yellow eyes that stood out against the white snow, but she couldn't find any.

Not even one

Draco's muscles were becoming more tense by the minute. He wanted them to move, quicker than they already were. Giving Hermione a slight push forward so she would stop looking for the birds, he heard Theo say "Oh no, this is how it starts! They lure you into this sense of calm and then bam! They make their attack. This isn't good, this is NOT good everyone."

"Will you please calm the fuck down Theo, you are not helping the situation we have right now."

Draco gave Hermione a hand over the large fallen tree before he hopped over himself. "Just for once in our life, try and keep your bloody mouth shut while the rest of us try and get us the hell out of these woods."

Hopping over the tree himself, Blaise added "Draco has a point. If you keep your mouth shut, the lack of sound will make it harder for them to find you. This whole waving your arms business is basically just saying 'Hey birds, I'm over here, come and get me!'."

Hermione had not let go of Draco's hand since he had helped her over the tree. She was squeezing it, a little too tightly probably, but she was thankful Draco didn't tell her otherwise. She was now the first person in line walking. Realizing that her pace was almost at a jog, she didn't dare slow down. Her main priority now was trying to keep her friends as safe as possible.

And if that means we all get a little cardio today, then so be it.


Hermione caught herself from falling over an uprooted tree just in time. Her feet were dragging, her body was aching and if she listened to Theo complain about the birds one more time, even she didn't think she'd be able to control what came out of her mouth next.

They had been walking for what felt like hours now. Under and over branches and brush, down and around the ever-changing slope of land and Draco's body was more than feeling it. It didn't help that as the day grew later, the cold became that much more unforgiving. He knew the rest of the group was feeling the strain on their limbs as well, but they all also knew stopping to rest just wasn't an option.

Muttering under his breath, Theo took a quick glance up at the trees.

"Why do they have to be white? By the time I see them coming it will be too damn late. Black, red, blue, any other damn color but noooo, they had to be white."

Walking just behind him Luna said "Well, they do have a little dark red on their wings and chest. It's one of the features that sets them apart from the others. However, the red coloring does come from their feathers being stains with blood repeatedly as they eat so I guess that doesn't really count as a color they are born with."

Stopping in his tracks and turning his face to the casual sounding witch, Theo groaned as he said, "Why in the bloody hell would you tell me that at a time like this Lovegood?"

Coming up behind Luna, Ron muttered "Language Nott, come on."

"If there ever was a bloody, fucking time to curse Weasel it would be right fucking now!"

"Will you just get over the damn birds Theo! They're just owls alright, they are not going to eat you and if for some reason I am proven wrong I promise you I will sacrifice my own face to save yours alright?"

Hermione knew her words had some bite to them, but she didn't care. The fear that had once been controlled as of late was starting to break free and it was taking everything in her to keep it at bay.

Seeing Draco give her a worried look, she let off a long sigh and said "Sorry, I'm fine. Just snapped for a second there."

Turning to look at Theo, she said "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"There's no need to apologize Granger. Even I get on my own nerves sometimes. Just glad to see even you know this is most definitely the time for some profanity."

Walking past her now, Theo turned and added "And just for the record. I appreciate you offering to sacrifice your face to save mine, but there's no way I'd let anything happen to that pretty face of yours. Draco would never forgive me."

Watching his friend give a small wink towards him, Draco shook his head as he leaned in to whisper "You know if I had any way to control him I would right. I think he likes the attention, good and bad so really just ignoring him is our best bet."

Hermione gave Draco a small smile as she pressed on. She knew he was just trying to slightly ease her worried mind. Giving his hand a small squeeze, her tired body and mind continued forward.

….

What seemed like another hour at lest had passed and they were still walking. The light behind the group had now started to turn deep shades of orange and red. Draco knew now that night was swiftly approaching.

Turning his head back to look away from the setting sun, it was then that something deeply unnerving made him stop in his tracks. Almost causing a pile up, Draco quickly turned back around. Looking at the setting sun now in front of him and then at Hermione, he asked "Humor me with my next question alright?"

Placing a hand on his arm to help brace the impact of Draco's sudden movements, Hermione curiously looked up at him.

"Okay, what is your question?"

Ignoring Blaise's snarky comment about needing to "Get Draco a bell to ring before he causes an accident", he looked right into Hermione's pondering eyes. Taking a deep breath in, Draco slowly and clearly asked "What direction did we start walking towards when we first arrived at the lake?"

Having not expected that to be the question that came from the inquisitive Slytherin, Hermione raised an eyebrow as she said "We started walking East, because that was where we knew we'd find the river. You know this, we have talked about this plan a hundred times…. Why are you asking?"

Draco knew the correct answer before asking the question, he just was hoping with every fiber of his being he would hear something else. Gazing over her shoulder towards the beautiful horizon, it almost appeared now as if it had caught on fire with its colors spilling across the sky.

Nodding his head, Draco then asked, "Humor me then one more time Granger, in which direction does the sun set?"

Furrowing her brow, Hermione still didn't quite understand where Draco was going with these questions. As she started to speak, her voice became more and more quiet.

"Draco, I know you know it sets in the West. We watched many a sunset at the cabin and…"

It hit her, hard, and directly in her chest that almost made taking her next breath painful. Realizing what Draco was now alluding to, she immediately turned around to witness the sunset herself. Taking only a second to connect the dots, she placed her wand in the palm of her hand.

Coming up from the rear, Harry brushed off the snow that was now clinging to his jacket after passing a bush. Stopping at the side of Draco and Hermione, he was confused when he saw his friend use the Four-Point spell.

Almost chuckling under his breath, Harry said "Hermione, we know which way to go. It's not like we could get lost-"

His next words were misplaced somewhere in his throat. Eyes wide and unblinking, Harry was now staring as Hermione's wand was spinning in circles, trying to find due North. Watching as it struggled to finds its own bearings, he whispered "What the hell is going on, why can't it find its way?"

Looking up from her hand, Hermione's eyes focused on the sky in front of her. The day's dying light was merging with the coming night. Each cloud in the sky seemed to almost blush with the warm touch of the sun's final rays. It would have been a truly beautiful sight to see if sheer terror was not building inside of her.

Gripping the revolving wand in her hand, she used it to point up at the horizon. "This doesn't make sense. If the sun is setting there, it should be in front of us, not behind us. How are we walking in the wrong direction?"

Feeling his legs finally give out from all the walking, Theo sat down in the snow in defeat. Looking towards where Hermione was pointing, he said "What are you talking about Granger, we have been walking back the way we came. Came from the East, walking back to the West."

Seeing everyone understand what Hermione was saying a moment before he did, it was the look of panic on all their faces that made it clicked.

Forgetting his legs were begging him to sit back down and rest, Theo scrambled to his feet. "Rises in the East, sets in the West… We are walking West… so why the bloody fucking hell is the sun behind us then?"

Hermione looked away from Theo. She was used to seeing his beloved humor and sarcasm light his eyes, even in these tenses of times. However, for the first time since she had known him, he looked truly terrified and it was not sitting well in her stomach.

Again, Draco was trying to pretend he could find an answer to their dilemma, wanting to even give himself some comfort, but his mind was blank and jumbled all at the same time. Hearing silence suddenly turn into chaos, his eyes quickly came back into focus.

Pacing around the small glade they had stopped in, Ron said "You're saying this whole time we have been walking, we have been walking in the wrong bloody direction? How is that possible, there's no way!"

Chewing the inside of her lip, Hermione spoke when she realized she had bit down a little too hard and began to taste iron.

"I don't know Ron, nothing has seemed right all afternoon, but this… there's no way we were walking in the wrong direction the whole time. There was only one way back where we had come from. We followed the river in, and we followed the river out. Simple."

But it's not simple. Nothing about these last few months have been simple so why should this forest be any different.

Feeling every second that passed by become more and more tense, Draco said "We can't just stand here. The sun is setting, we are still in this damn forest and from what we've read, night is not the time to take a fucking nature walk around here so what's the plan?"

Draco took a moment to look at each of his friends face before finally landing on Hermione's. He could hear her mind speak before her lips ever did.

"We head West, again. Either we keep walking, or I hate to say it, but we might need to just camp here for the night. We're all exhausted, and we aren't really sure what's happening at the moment. We can take turns looking out until morning, and since it seems like we are stuck in these woods for the moment we might as well keep looking for the diadem."

Taking her bag off her wrist and setting it on the ground, she added "I have a tent, and while I'm not sure I'll find anything we haven't already, I'll try and find any more information or accounts of these woods.. try and make some sense of what's going on here."

Draco gazed around to see everyone's reaction to her suggestion. While most looked terrified to spend the night in these woods, he also knew their minds were telling them they really didn't have many options at this point. Making eye contact with them again, he knew their answer without needing them to speak.

Walking over to her, Draco opened her bag and said "I'm guessing everyone is a little lost for words at the moment just as I am so, I think I speak for everyone here when I say tell us how we can help set up camp for the night Granger."


Darkness had come quickly once they had set up their tent. Hermione had placed multiple protective charms around their campsite in hopes they would keep whatever night had instore for them at bay. They had agreed that Theo and Blaise would take the first two-hour watch while the rest would try and get some sleep before Hermione and Draco took next shift.

The tent was able to accommodate everyone, but it was tight. Hermione had planned on the tent only having three occupants when she had packed it, but thankfully they live in a world where magic was at their fingertips and was able to extend it slightly.

The only light illuminating the tent now was coming from the few jars Hermione had placed her blue fires in. Hoping they would also keep them warm; she had made sure everyone had taken one to bed with them. Shifting slightly under the blankets she was sharing with Draco, she let out a small sigh when she heard Draco's quiet voice cut through the darkness.

Keeping his eyes closed, he muttered "Our shift is going to start soon Granger, you should at least try and get some rest."

Hermione's head was slowly rising and falling with each one of Draco's breaths. Before they had settled in for the night, she had tried looking through as many books as she could in hopes of finding anything she may have missed about Valbone Valley and its surrounding forests. Finally giving in to Draco's badgering about her getting a few hours of sleep, Hermione knew he was right. She also knew the moment she got back up her nose would be right back into her books.

However, sleep would be harder to find than she had hoped. Her mind was racing, unable to even remotely relax enough for sleep to find her. Peering through her lashes, Hermione looked up towards Draco and said "Well if you know I'm awake that means you are as well. I'm not the only one who needs rest here."

Pulling her in a little tighter, Draco said "Touché."

As her eyes opened a little further, she caught sight of the blue fire that was burning next to him. She watched its flames dance around the jar, licking at the edges and swirling around its confinement.

When she suddenly realized she had not given one to Theo and Blaise to help keep them warm, she groaned into Draco's chest.

"What's wrong Gran- Whoa, where are you going?"

Reluctantly sitting up, Hermione made sure she stayed hidden under the blankets as she quickly took off her loose shirt and reached for her favorite green, oversized sweater. Keeping her voice low so she wouldn't wake her friends, she said "I was going to give Theo and Blaise a jar to help keep them warm and forgot to take it out to them. I will be right back."

Slightly pulling on her arm, Draco said "They'll be fine, I'm sure they can make a fire on their own."

Smiling at Draco's attempt to keep her close to him, she answered "If I recall correctly, the last time they started a fire with wands that weren't their own they almost burned a whole house down. I'll be right back I promise."

Grabbing her beaded bag and wand, Hermione slipped on her boots and made her way outside of the tent. Draco watched as her silhouette disappear completely into the darkness. Grabbing the blankets to reposition them, he suddenly felt something small and metal hit against the back of his hand. Moving his hand under the covers, he realized what he had just found.

Hermione's necklace must have come undone when she was changing.

Not wanting to lose it in the dark, Draco clasped it around his own neck and tucked it under his shirt for safe keeping.


The cold night air suddenly hit Hermione's skin and went straight down to her bones. The moon was hidden behind a blanket of clouds, giving off almost no light to help her see. Taking out a jar from her bag and tapping it with her wand, blue flames began to emit enough light to allow Hermione to see Theo and Blaise were huddled under a large tree to help protect them from cold night. Pulling her sweater closer to her skin, she walked over towards them.

Seeing Hermione walking over, Theo said "I knew it, Zabini didn't I tell you Granger would eventually realize we are a far better choice than Malfoy. Do I sense a ménage a trois upon us?"

Rolling her eyes, but happy to hear Theo had found his wit again, Hermione said "Now, now play nice Theo. If you don't, I'll have to tell Draco and I don't think he will find it as funny as you do."

Laughing at his friend, Blaise said "So then what do we owe the pleasure, shouldn't you be trying to sleep right now?"

Holding the jar in front of her, she shook it back and forth as she said "I thought you guys could use this. I'd hate to have to come relieve you and find you frozen bodies out here."

Quickly taking it, Theo said "You beautiful, amazing woman thank you! For a moment there I thought I was going to have to snuggle up to Zabini for warmth."

Scooting closer to the fire himself, Blaise said "Thank you for sparing me of that."

Slightly giggling under her breath, Hermione asked "Have you two seen anything of note yet?"

Turning his head to look up at the dark canopy of trees, Theo said "Well if you're asking about those damn 'strix' bird things, not yet. I'm still waiting for that bomb to drop though."

Seeing Theo had the blanket he was using wrapped up and over his head, Hermione said "And I thought it was just because your ears are cold. I'm sure that thin piece of material will save you from those long, sharp talons they have."

Giving her a pouting look, Theo whimpered before saying "Just… why Granger, why do you pain me so?"

"I'm sorry, I think Draco's sense of humor is starting to rub off on me a little. I promise you no bird is going to come and eat your flesh tonight."

Feeling the cold nipping at her skin again, Hermione began to turn around and head back to the tent.

"I should probably try and get a little rest though. Draco and I will come out to take your place soon-"

A chill crept up Hermione's spin so quickly, it made her whole-body shiver. Turning back around to look at the two Slytherins, she saw that they too had panic written all over their faces. Bringing her hand up to signal for them to stay quiet, she began walking around the large tree.

It was subtle, but she could hear it. The whispers that had made her skin crawl earlier that day were back, and they were coming from somewhere in front of her. Her wand had now been brought up in a defensive stance. As she inched forward, she suddenly realized Blaise and Theo were now tip toeing just behind her.

Keeping her voice low, she asked "What are you two doing?"

Hearing Blaise's voice first, he said "You really think we were going to let you walk into these trees alone? Ye of little faith Granger."

Keeping his voice low as well, Theo muttered "You just promised me those things weren't going to come back."

Bringing her finger up to her lips and letting out a small "Shh", Hermione kept her eyes focused on the dense, dark forest ahead of her. She had thought about casting a Lumos charm to help guide her, but if someone was out there, she didn't want to give away their position. The darkness that was surrounding them almost heightened her other senses. Not being able to see was causing every single sound to seem like it was ten times louder in her ears.

They had just managed to walk a few rows of trees away from their campsite, but the forest was so dense, when Hermione turned around, she had already lost sight of the tent. Signaling for the boys to stop walking, she whispered "I think we need to go wake the others, I don't have a good feeling again."

Able to make out the nodding of their heads in the dark, she was about to turn around and head back when her adjusting eyes saw it. A blanket of white hung heavy over the ground. Fog had crept over their feet with its silent footsteps, tiptoeing up and around their ankles. She could see it slowly moving, winding its way into every corner of the forest now.

Before Hermione was able to point this out to the two men who had already started making their way back, her words caught in her throat. The voice was unexpected as it cut through the silence. It was smooth, softly caressing her skin as it filled her ears. Hermione was listening as hard as she could trying to decern what it was saying, but she quickly realized it was a language she was not familiar with. It was steadily coming closer and closer now and she knew she only had a moment before it was directly on top of her.

The time to run was now. Hermione knew she just had to make if back to the campsite and quickly wake the others. Keeping her wand in front of her, she started to sprint towards her friends who now were also booking it back. She knew just past those trees she would be able to call for more help.

Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness now. See could see with each step her foot would disappear into the mist that was continuing to consume everything in its path. Her chest felt like she had swallowed a million tiny needles as the cold night air filled her lungs.

Just a few more feet

Watching as her friends stopped just in front of her, she reached them a moment later and quickly asked "Why did you stop, go wake the others! I'll keep guard until they…"

Hermione's eyes were darting back and forth through the trees, her ears still on high alert. Taking a few steps forward, she was barley able to get out her next words.

"Where's the tent?"

It was Blaise who answered. "There's no way we could have taken a wrong turn, we weren't that far away from it."

Theo turned around to look back towards where they had just heard the voice before asking "Do you think we went past your concealment charms Granger?"

She shook her head, keeping her voice to a minimum. "No, I gave us a pretty good perimeter. There's no way."

Placing a hand on Theo's arm, she added "Maybe we just didn't go far enough. Let's keep moving, it has to be just up ahead still."

Before she was able to take another step, a chill on the back of her neck began to paralyze her. She felt it seep into every pore on her skin, a breath so light she would have missed it if it wasn't for her senses being on edge. It filled her ears again, but this time she was able to understand what she was hearing.

"Well, well, well. What has wandered into our forest tonight?"


Note: Where do I even begin? I feel like an apology for being gone for so long just isn't enough. In the past few years I finally freed myself of a toxic relationship, was hired at my dream job, meet my best friend at this job who is now my wife and am in a good mental place. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to find myself again and be able to write this story, but I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere.

Thank you to all my followers who have stuck with this story, and hello and thank you to all my new recent followers! Every time I received an email saying I had a new fav/follow it was that little push I needed to get back into writing. You all deserve an ending and this story deserves one as well.

Now, back to this chapter we go! – In this chapter the quote Luna said about foul omens is from Sir Walter Scott. I had to do a lot of research writing this chapter and the ones to follow soon. There's just so much good lore out there I can't wait to write about it in this fanfic. Strixes sound absolutely terrifying and awesome at the same time! They still have a part to play though so I can't give away too much detail about them yet, but unlucky for Theo they will be explained more coming up.

Once again, thank you for sticking with me through this journey.

-Toujours.