That night Pansy had the sense of being observed, but whenever she'd turn to look Hermione was lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling and minding her own business as usual. When she got sufficiently tired, Hermione would flip over, throw one arm over the pillow and go still. That's when Pansy could relax, that's when she had the room to herself. She thought it was probably better she only imagined the glares because who'd ever care to look would just see the harsh surface and not the soft inside that's… maybe precious.
Hermione woke up at dawn while Pansy was still sleeping. She quietly picked up her bag and went down to have a bite before the road. She ate her buttered toast already latched to the idea of leaving behind this whole ordeal, in fact why not the wizarding world all together? It wasn't a good place anymore and likely wouldn't be again now that she saw past all the colourful distractions.
"Won't you stay another day?" Rose pleaded. "Come on, I'll make a real feast tomorrow."
"I don't know… I should really get going…"
"I really like you Hermione. I feel as if you're my own daughter…" Rose barely uttered. "And you've helped me out so much, so let me repay you if I can. Stay another day so we can properly say goodbye."
"I suppose I could." Hermione accepted, feeling too guilty to refuse now. Also a lavish dinner did sound alluring. So Hermione went back up to stash her backpack under the bed. What she didn't count on is that Pansy would awake to see her do that. Hermione paused looking back at her, thinking that she'll surely have to answer a few questions now.
Pansy's eyes glazed over as if it crossed her mind, but next moment she sprang up, clutched her stomach and rushed for the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up.
Hermione fought the urge to go in and investigate, but she figured this may be contagious, so she kept a wide distance from Pansy when she finally emerged from the bathroom looking pale as a ghost.
"Are you alright? Should I call the doctor?" Hermione asked.
Pansy only had the strength to nod.
If she caught something it was awfully sudden, Hermione thought descending down to the dining table where she happened upon Rose and the doctor whispering. They stopped once she appeared on the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, but my friend isn't feeling very well…"
"Yes, I know." The doctor said.
"How do you know?" Hermione wondered.
"I know because I asked Madame Rose to poison her." He said with a still expression devoid of any sympathy.
If Hermione had her wand she'd be reaching for it right now. "I can't believe this… Are you serious?" She uttered aloud, unconsciously moving back towards the doorway.
That's when they both Rose and the supposed doctor drew their wands and aimed at Hermione.
Hermione glanced around for the nearest cover, there was nothing she could get to in one jump, so she quickly abandoned the idea and slowly raised her hands. "What do you want from me?"
"I'm sorry dear. Just sit down and the general will explain everything." Rose said, looking visibly distraught about the situation.
"Alright." Hermione pulled up a chair and sat across the two. They placed their wands down on the table, but still far enough from Hermione's reach on the opposite side. "You're not Death Eaters, are you?" Hermione blurted out what first ran trough her mind.
"No." They replied unanimously.
Hermione sighed with relief. "So, what are you?"
"Yes… Hmm…" The general coughed. "I'm general Valant, and workers here are the rest of my men."
"Valant… sounds familiar." Hermione muttered. "Aren't you that group of deserters called the lost battalion?"
"How to you know about us? I don't believe anything was officially published."
"Yea, why would the Ministry admit to such a disgrace, but there where rumours going around. I was in the DAF when the war started." Hermione stared the older man down, letting him know what she thinks of him with just her stare. "It all makes sense now. Of course you'd flee to the Muggle world and make yourself a rotten little nest here."
The general stared back at Hermione with one constant, all-knowing smile plastered across his clean-shaven, wrinkled face, but when it was time to address everything she spat out, he was back to his usual seriousness. "We didn't desert anything. Instead it was us who where deserted, sold out by the Ministry leadership who sided with the dark lord when they saw which way the war was going. We are soldiers fighting for peace…"
"That's a bit ironic." Hermione interrupted smirking.
The general reciprocated the smirk which could barely disguise his annoyance. "You're pretty talkative for being on the wrong end of a wand."
"If you wanted to kill me, I'd be dead. So cut the chatter and tell me what you want. Also, why poison a… somewhat innocent girl? What does that achieve?" Hermione asked.
"Hopefully everything… If you help us achieve our goal I'll administer the antidote to Miss. Parkinson." The general calmly explained.
"I see… And what is it that I must do for you?"
"The place you escaped from, that is our objective, so having someone who knows it intimately will be of great use."
"Are you really asking me to go back there?!" Hermione snapped. "What makes you think I care enough about her to risk my own life?"
"Miss Rose tells me you attended Hogwarts together, haven't you?" The general raised an eyebrow.
"You've done your research, but we weren't really friends, far from it in fact. That's the part I left out."
"Hermione…" Rose gave her a long disappointed look. "I know you're not the type of person who'd let someone die."
"You talk as if it was me who poisoned her!" Hermione retorted with a harsh look.
"I had no choice…" Rose muttered looking away in shame.
"Right…" Hermione muttered turning her attention back to Valant. "And what if I refuse?" Hermione asked.
"Then you are condemning Miss. Parkinson to her ill fate, but more so than that you are dooming the entire world. Contrary to what they've nicknamed us, I've named our group the last battalion, because we truly are the last hope this world has!" The general proudly proclaimed.
"How quaint…" Hermione muttered with a smirk. "And do you coerce all your soldiers into your service?"
"Sometimes we have no choice. The enemy doesn't shy away from such methods and neither can we if we expect to win this war."
Hermione frowned hearing the word. "I'm not partaking in any more wars!" She snapped. "So do what you will with Parkinson, it's on your conscience!"
Hermione figured if these people are fighting Voldemort they couldn't be so evil to go trough with it, but then again the general did seem determined in his mission. It was about 50% chance they took pity on Pansy and give her the antidote anyway, she figured.
"I understand how you feel." The general reached down on the seat next to him and pulled out some photos which he tossed on the table.
"You're using Muggle technology now?" Hermione asked, still too caught up in calculating percentages to realize what she was looking at.
"We use anything we can." Valant concurred. "That is the entrance to the underground caves beneath the black keep. That is where they're bringing all the crystals mined from the labour camps." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shard. "You might be familiar with these."
"I am, unfortunately." Hermione nodded.
"We believe Voldemort is building a weapon of some sort."
"To fight who exactly?" Hermione wondered. "He already won."
"Perhaps he sees the Muggle world as a potential threat with their rapidly evolving technology. Perhaps with a weapon of such devastating power he can force Muggle leaders to surrender their lands and people after a single devastating blow."
Hiroshima bomb was the first thing that came to Hermione's mind, but she didn't want to believe it. "Perhaps they are building a luxury bath-house, or a giant statue, you know how megalomaniacs love such things."
"Miss. Granger, we both know that is not true."
"Maybe it's not, maybe I don't care anymore." Hermione said coldly.
"Hermione please, you have to help us. I know you're not like that." Rose interjected pleadingly.
"How would you know what I'm like?!" Hermione slammed her palm on the table and the question hung silently among the gathered until a feint coughing appeared on top of the staircase.
"What's going on… *cough* …down there?" Pansy voice could be heard from the top of the staircase.
Madame Rose rushed over to the base of the staircase. "Everything's alright dear. Go back to bed. The doctor will be right up." Rose assured Pansy.
"Alright…" Pansy accepted. "Is Granger… *cough* …still here?"
"She is." Rose nodded.
Hermione remained at the table, hiding form Pansy's gaze.
When Pansy turned around and went back to the attic Rose came back to the table.
Hermione observed her guilty expression and a tear that rolled down from her eye. She was about to crack and give Parkinson the antidote, but Valant was there to stop her, Hermione realized as she turned to face him. He seemed undisturbed by Pansy's brief appearance.
Hermione felt a tinge of guilt herself, but she felt she didn't owe it to anyone to venture into almost a certain death, especially not Pansy Parkinson.
"I'm leaving." Hermione announced after a minute of silence. She went up to grab her backpack under her bed, mindful not to glance to the bed across. Alas she did, seeing Pansy sitting on her bed, wearing her shirt and short pyjama pants that now had several blood stains. Her legs looked as skinny as ever as her nose bleed down onto her handkerchief.
"I feel cold…" Pansy managed before she started coughing again.
"Fuck…" Hermione muttered. She rushed over and helped Pansy lie down, then she lifted the blanket so she could put her legs underneath.
Pansy was shivering. How could she still be freezing under that heavy blanket? Hermione wondered. Whatever they gave her must be some really nasty stuff, she realized. Pansy was all curled up like a dying kitten.
"You're gonna be ok." Hermione whispered running her fingers trough Pansy's black hair. She tucked a strand behind her ear so it wouldn't fall over her face as she turned on her side and coughed blood.
Hermione bit down on her lip trying to contain her anger for the people that did this and for herself for not being able to walk away.