After a week Hermione still couldn't believe this was real. In whichever room she happened upon Pansy, she'd wrap her arms around her and kiss her gentle, pale neck. With the blissful ignorance of the world outside these walls Hermione found peace, but after a few months of this, the newfound lightness begun to weigh and Hermione's peace turned into a dull and constant itch. Disillusioned with the world she couldn't find the same solace in anything fictitious, and there was almost nothing to strive for. She couldn't deny it, without a struggle her life felt a bit empty, there was just no contrast to it, Hermione thought sitting up on the edge of the bed that she and Pansy now shared.
"What's the matter?" Pansy interrupted. Yanking Hermione out of her thoughts as she wrapped her leg around Hermione's waistline. "You seem sad."
"No, I'm just thinking."
Pansy planted a kiss on Hermione's cheek. "What about?"
"Nothing." Hermione said, though her leg twitched. Her whole body ached from some action and excitement. She wondered if Pansy felt the same, but she dared not to bring up the issue. After all, everything was just perfect.
Than came the day the issue brought up itself, the answer Hermione was looking for. As the pair ate their morning meal a news report showed up on tv about the burned down inn they both instantly recognised as Rose's Reverie.
They both addressed the issue with a sparse comment, but an idea was forming in Hermione's mind. Later that night she divulged it Pansy.
"You want to go back there!? Why!?" Pansy snapped.
"Those people where fighting Voldemort, Pansy! I have to see if I can help!" Hermione argued.
"They also poisoned me and made you fight their battle! We certainly don't owe them anything, so tell me the real reason! Why!?" Pansy reiterated.
"Because… I can't just sit here doing nothing." Hermione finally admitted.
"I suspected as much…" Pansy sighed. "I know you better than you think, you know?"
"Apparently…" Hermione frowned. "Why didn't you say something then?"
"Selfish reasons, I guess." Pansy admitted. "I could stay here with you forever."
"That's a bit delusional." Hermione smirked.
"It's true. I only wish time would stop and give me a chance to prove it." Pansy mused, staring blankly out the window.
"I couldn't do that." Hermione admitted. "I'm not too fond of change myself, but it seems I do need it sometimes."
"I know." Pansy took hold of Hermione's hand and sat next to her. "It's that warrior blood inside you? It won't let you sit still, right?"
"Yea, it's something… whatever it is."
"When are we going then?" Pansy asked with a long sigh.
"I never said you had to come with me. You should stay here, it's safe…"
"You better believe I'm coming!" Pansy snapped angrily, but then her expression softened. She brought Hermione's hand up to her mouth and kissed it. "We stay together, wherever the road leads."
Hermione smiled back and nodded.
Tomorrow at dawn they where on the scene of the burned down building. Fortunately it wasn't swarming with Muggle police officers as they had already done their duty and left.
Hermione and Pansy ducked under the yellow tape and stepped onto the charred ground. For Pansy the scene was reminiscent of her home that burned down in a similar fashion. She was unusually still and silent while Hermione inspected the site.
Hermione looked inside the building as well, but there was nothing to be found that would give her a clue as to what actually happened here. There was nothing unusual except a large number of scorched insects on the ground. There was one place left to check, Hermione remembered, the basement at the back of the building which served as the group's armoury.
"Wait up!" Pansy yelled after Hermione as she ran around the inn.
Back there, next to a burned down tent and sitting on a tree stump was a man in a tattered brown overcoat. He had his back turned.
"Stay back!" Hermione whispered pushing Pansy a step behind. She walked over to the man cautiously clutching the wand in her pocket.
Nearing closer the man turned around and Hermione recognised his scarred face and a twirling wild eye. "Moody? What are you doing here?" She asked relaxing her stance.
"Hermione Granger? Is that you?" He asked.
Hermione nodded. "And this is my girlfriend Pansy." She motioned.
Pansy looked away instantly blushing.
Moody acknowledged with a lazy nod. "And what are you two doing here?" He asked before taking another swig out of his metal flask.
"We stayed in this inn a short while go, so we wanted to see what happened to the people here."
Moody wasn't really listening. He was looking down on a pile of scorched insect husks on the ground beneath him. "This is how they fight now! Mindless creatures controlled from a safe distance. It's cowardly and disgraceful!"
"But clearly effective!" Hermione noted. "Where these insects Engorged?" She asked noticing an unusually large translucent wing under her shoe.
"Yes, and controlled by Imperius curse. At least the barrier got some of them…"
"So that's what it was for." Hermione remembered turning to Pansy who now finally knew the reason why her caterpillar fizzled.
"Yea, but eventually there where just too many, they got trough. Then they sent ground troops to finish the job, there was nothing they could do but run away."
"Clearly you stayed."
"I came back to see if there was anyone left." Moody explained.
"So what of Madame Rose and other, did they all make it out?" Hermione asked.
"We did manage to rescue a few survivors, they're probably at the base by now."
"The base?" Hermione wondered.
"You don't know anything, do you?" Moddy realized.
"No, like I said, I was captured and taken to a labour camp not far from here. I was there up until a few months ago when we escaped."
"How'd you manage that?" Moody was curious.
"It's a long story. Could we get to this place everyone went to? Then we can talk some more."
"Of course, follow me, there's a Portkey nearby." Moody said limping away towards the nearby tree-line. "Harry will sure be glad to see you."
"Harry's alive?!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Of course he is, come now, follow me." Moody suddenly sped up. Even with his limp he was very fast. Pansy and Hermione almost had to run to match his stride.