Hermione made it well into the afternoon before she had to stop again to eat. She hadn't planned on staying stationary for very long though, and went to the extent of setting up a couple of wards and a small fire, but nothing else. Once the enchantments were in place, she quickly went about warming up one of her last cans of beans, along with a small rabbit she had managed kill.
In the first couple months of camping with Ron and Harry, Hermione and the two boys had easily been able to get all the food they needed, and whenever they needed it. For starters, she had been planning ahead for months, and brought a surprising amount of necessities off the bat- so much in fact that two years into her journey and she was still pulling at least one dented can out of her bag a day. That, and the fact the country hadn't been completely overrun with spies and Death Eaters, so early on it wasn't very difficult to slip into small towns, using the Polyjuice potion of course, and retrieve everything they needed.
Back then she would have paled at the thought of killing any small creature, but now everything was different. It was a matter of survival. Sure she didn't like it, but at this point her rations were running low, and getting food from anywhere other than the woods ran a high risk of death.
So she cooked the rabbit like she had done countless times before, rotating it slowly over the fire with her wand, and regretting that she hadn't been able to catch a bigger one. Actually, she didn't mind the taste of it at all, and even preferred it to the beans, though at this point that wasn't saying very much.
All the same, she ate them both hastily, wishing to get along with her journey and frustrated that she had to stop in the first place. She was however, grateful for the extra boost of energy it would give her; it was necessary if she wanted to continue walking without break until nightfall, like she usually did.
Hermione threw the beaded purse back into a larger knapsack, which she much preferred to carry while traveling, then tidied up the remains of her meal. Once she was satisfied with the way things looked, her presence no longer apparent, she removed the protective spells as quickly as she had set them, and continued on with her journey.
She had only walked for half of a mile, maybe even less before to her great surprise, the wall of trees tapered out and signified that she had reached the edge of the forrest. Looking past the small growth of the tree-line, she saw that it met with an expansive and beautiful clearing, parting the forrest with a significant stretch of hills, and separating it from another patch of woods that would be her next destination.
Hermione knew that she should only look at it long enough to gauge her next move, but taking it all in with a long stare, she was mesmerized by the little knolls that wound about in the midst of the sloping fields, not yet green, rather, a light tan that glowed golden against the stormy sky, and was nonetheless alive.
She glanced all around her and listened hard for anything that may have been a sign to not go further, and after a moment of registering nothing, she stepped out of the forrest and into the clearing, despite her better judgement.
She let out a deep breath as she felt the sun and the wind move over her face for the first time in days. The scent of the field was incredible; it was early spring and there was a moist sweetness to the air that was intensified by the warm breeze.
It was such a welcomed reprieve from the oppressive weight of the forrest, which she had been traveling through relentlessly, parting with a determined speed she had not realized the full physical effect of until just now.
And now, now the breeze was cooling the sweat that had formed at the back of her neck; the air felt so much better than that which had consumed her within the towering trees, and Hermione felt a feeling of genuine peace wash over her that was nearly overwhelming.
It was perhaps, the first moment that she had willingly paused since she had lost Harry and Ron. And though she knew it was selfish, it felt so very good to pause. To not be moving; to not have her legs swollen with the weight of each forced step, to not have her mind racing with probabilities and possible solutions; of ways she could get back to them.
It was a moment for her to relax, just the littlest bit, one she hadn't meant to find or indulge in, but one that was utterly tempting.
Tempting because at this moment, the small meal which she had was doing the opposite of giving her energy; instead, the comfort of having a full stomach, alongside the warmth of the sun, were both making her eyes droop in relaxation. She could imagine herself walking forward just a few steps, even further away from the edge of the forrest, and laying herself down upon that soft, golden looking earth, right where it overlooked the rest of little hills, which were shifting like a lion's mane with the wind.
She wanted so badly to lay down there, and to rest with the half shielded sun upon her face, that she thought she might break if she didn't; that her legs would turn into wide and unpleasant things, too soft and not of her control, so numb they were no longer her own. And what seemed to be the only solution for such a thing was collapsing completely, just letting her body go right then and there, submitting to the soft wind, letting it carry pieces of her away with it, bit by bit until there was nothing left, just the golden little hill she had lain on and the soft impact she made within the grass.
But she simply couldn't. She knew she couldn't. She was Hermione Granger, and people were depending on her to keep going; there was no other option. Releasing a pitiful moan into the wind, she did her best to collect herself before moving again. As much as she may have wanted to, she had to realize that until she had found the boys again, her body was not her own; it was merely a mechanism for her to travel with and travel she would- even if it meant she had to use the imperious curse on her own legs. She had to get further, and to somewhere safer, and what that meant was she would have to once again be forceful with her body. She shifted her legs to turn, fighting against the aching throb of pain they were emitting, and willed them to take her deeper into the forrest.
As she did she trembled slightly, her body giving way to her intentions, moving despite its apparent resistance. She tore herself away from the temptation of the opening, getting one last good look at the soft gold set against the deep grey and blue of the sky, before turning her head back towards her destination.
And thats when she saw him.
His eyes were wide, and he was staring at her. His body was rigid, his face looked gaunt, and older, definitely older. But she knew, with a deep and sinking feeling that went all the way from her chest to her gut, she knew that it was him.
Draco Malfoy.
For just a moment, a brief and surreal moment, they looked at each-other in utter shock and silence. Her mind had gone completely blank as she took in the sight of him, drinking in the familiarity of his face as if it was liquid gold, as if it was the most beautiful and surprising thing she had ever seen. Even from a distance, she could see the electric gleam in his eyes, and their stormy blue color that was so similar to the sky she had just stared at moments ago, thinking it to be both beautiful and terrifying.
Yet, she didn't feel terrified; something about the moment, if she felt past the tingling sensation of shock, was, well, comforting. Because after-all, it had been months since she had seen anyone that she knew, even though somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware that it had been two full years since her and Draco had last seen each-other, and they hadn't exactly left off on good terms. No, in fact they were enemies, mortal enemies, Hermione reminded herself as her thoughts began to slowly trickle back in. But she couldn't help but just stare: at his face, at the size of him, at the rising and falling of his chest, even at the strands of silvery blond hair that were getting tangled up by the wind. Every piece of the image seemed incredible, even breathtaking to her.
And Malfoy was still staring at her too, the same look of bewildered intrigue plastered to his face. But somehow, even though his expression was unaltered, Malfoy had regained command of his body quicker than she had, because he was suddenly walking towards her.
His movement abruptly shattered the strange moment of awe and quiet between them, and as Hermione saw him advancing, she felt her senses flood back all at once as the panic within her awoke.
His face had shifted now to a frown that seemed almost painfully woven into his features, and he was taking long and greedy strides towards her, moving quickly and reaching to his coat pocket for what she knew was his wand.
All thoughts of the clearing, of her painfully sore body, and of the astounding shock that she had just experienced, disappeared instantly from her mind as her fight or flight kicked in. She turned and ran in the first direction her legs sent her, lunging towards the opening. If she had stopped to think for just a moment, like she should have, like she would have if she weren't so exhausted and still in shock, she could have easily realized that ducking deeper into the tree-line might have provided her with more protection against Malfoy's oncoming spells; which she reregistered faintly had begun to fly dangerously close to her, wizzing by with a force that sent the air around her spiraling.
But in that moment, she couldn't fully consider or even comprehend her own actions. And not just because of her tired and discordant mental state, it was more than that. Something almost ferrel had taken over her brain, and she was just running; running thoughtlessly for her life.
Because Hermione knew, that it was indeed her life that was on the line. Draco Malfoy meant to kill her, and kill her he would if she slowed down to think, even for just a moment.
.
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To an onlooker, the scene may have seemed comical, had it not been for the life or death consequences that were at stake. Even Hermione could realize that, as she ran desperately down and across the little dips and rises within the openning she had so recently been admiring.
For one, there was the quiet beauty of the land she was sprinting on, which seemed to mock her with its contrast to the moment, as she panted and dodged, feeling the searing heat of Draco's spells shooting past her. Somehow, there was just enough distance between the two of them that his aim was impacted by the inconsistent dips and turns of the land, which she was quite grateful for. Yet, at the same time, it imposed a dreadful sort of waiting throughout the chase, which was what she thought of as darkly comical.
Every-time she heard or felt a lull in his attacks, she would instinctively glance over her shoulder and see only the golden grass of the little hills, for a split second wondering foolishly if she had evaded him. Then, another warped crack would alter the sky, eclipsing the sound of the wind and her heavy breath, and seconds later she would feel his spell fly past her in a wave of light and heat. She would just barely see him coming up upon the knoll before she herself would haphazardly aim, throwing wordless curses in his direction before turning and fleeing once more, running at a speed that felt rather hopeless, dwarfed by the long and winding course of her terrain.
But what had really crossed her mind as laughable, just as she glanced behind her to see if he was indeed still following, was that she felt an undeniable twinge of excitement stir up within her stomach each time she waited for him to reappear; one that she imagined would rather occur if she was being chased playfully by a friend, or even a lover.
Which was absolutely ridiculous, and not something she could even be considering in this moment, as she was very much running for her life.
But still, she couldn't stop the thought from flashing through her mind as once again she paused, searching for him in the rolling hills. His spell came before he did, and this time she had to block it rather than dodge out of its way, missing the opportunity to throw her own curse. Instead she ran again, knowing that the longer she paused the more he would start to eat away at the distance she had gained on him.
She looked forward and out onto the rolling fields, trying to focus as her feet thudded with a dull and rapid repetition against the earth. She pushed her sense of dread aside and tried to access the logical part of her brain, which thankfully didn't take long as she began to take notice of an abrupt slope in the terrain before her.
Swiftly she climbed the knoll, hearing Draco's sharp string of curses soaring past her, and she knew from the heat and the crackling sound that they were coming closer and closer, even singing the tips of her hair if she concentrated on them enough to notice. She reached the slight peak and half ran half slid down the rest of the way, dodging forcefully to one side of the slope as effectively as she could, knowing this was her only chance. It was the only brief moment that he wouldn't have his eyes on her, and that she could gain, even if just for a split second, a decent enough advantage over him.
She swallowed one shaky intake of breath before she saw him, coming over the hill with his wand raised, his face twisted in concentration. She had been right, he had been looking straight forward, expecting her to be running up the next slope of the clearing, rather than tucked away, parallel to where he stood, her wand at the ready.
She shouted out the command of her spell, and saw the lightning-like reaction of her wand, spurting a string of magic that perfectly intercepted the swift movements of Draco Malfoy.
Then, she watched as he collapsed against the damp and golden earth, a strangled guttural moan escaping his mouth, his long and elegant body twisting and shuddering against the confines of her spell.
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Hey guys, thanks for reading chapter 2! I'm gonna be going back and editing it a little bit while I work on the next chapter, which should be out by next week. Also quick s/o to rainstormsunshin for commenting on the first chapter, I'm really glad you liked it, thank you so much!