Centaurs. Hundreds of them, all escaping the trouble in the forest. Teachers had left the castle and were fighting back bewitched animals, sent to make trouble for the teachers. But none seemed to want anything to do with Hermione or Draco; they dodged to the side of them and went to someone beyond them. Draco looked to Hermione and they knew what they needed to do, they had to go to the hell that that waited them in the forest. They ran, ignoring the calls of their teachers to go back to the school.
They ran right past a very angry Snape, he finished off a crazed bird. He grabbed Hermione's arm as they tried to run past.
"And where do the two of you think your going? I want the both of you to go straight back to the castle. You have a lot of nerve Miss Granger." He spat at them as a squirrel attacked him, cutting above his eye. Hermione thought of stunning him to get away but Draco, being closer to the teacher spoke up.
" No, Sir, I think it is best if you go back to the castle and let us take care of this." Draco's voice was sincere but Snape gave a hollow laugh.
"Mr Malfoy, if you don't go into that castle, RIGHT NOW, I'll personally get you in deep shi-" Hermione couldn't stand in another second so she interrupted.
"Sir, do you know what a Key is?" She rushed stunning a raging rabbit.
"Yes Miss Granger I do but what does this hav-"
"Well what if I were saying you were preventing the last Keys from saving your ass!" Hermione said. Snape tightened his grip on Hermione's arm, but he turned to Draco.
"What is Miss Granger saying, are you two serious?" Draco nodded and Snape let Hermione's arm go. "Then what the hell are you two waiting for?" Hermione didn't wait any longer she began to run further into the forest, leaving Snape stunned without a spell. Draco not far behind her, she was caught off guard by a hand sporting long green fingernails. The hand grabbed a piece of Hermione's brown hair and pulled with all its might. Hermione gave a yelp and fell to the ground. Draco stopped in his spot, knowing right away who it was. He grabbed for Hermione's arm but a wand caught him on the hand. Hermione squirmed and grabbed Rita Skeeter by the arm.
"Go!" She managed. "Go do what you can." He didn't want to leave her with the cow, but he had no choice. He turned and ran towards the centre of the forest, where, somehow he knew, he would find Voldermont. He hadn't been running long when he was hit from behind and fell to the ground unconscious.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco's head throbbed when he finally started to come around. Hearing voices he kept his eyes closed listening hard.
"What should I do now Master." It was Rita Skeeter, Draco's stomach clenched; Hermione might have not gotten away.
"Tell the rest to secure the perimeter. I don't want anyone who doesn't have a dark mark to get in. The ceremony will start soon. Get Wormtail; send the fool to get the Potter boy. Tell him not to come back without him, its punishable by death." Rita nodded.
"Yes master." She left and Draco was alone with Voldermont.
"Get up boy. I know you are awake." Draco opened his eyes and stood, rather bravely, in front of the masked figure, unmistakably Voldermont. Then he noticed something behind him. It was Hermione. She was standing, unconscious. Voldermont followed his gaze. Draco, suddenly unafraid of the evil man, rushed past him and shook Hermione.
"Hermione? Can you hear me?"
They ran right past a very angry Snape, he finished off a crazed bird. He grabbed Hermione's arm as they tried to run past.
"And where do the two of you think your going? I want the both of you to go straight back to the castle. You have a lot of nerve Miss Granger." He spat at them as a squirrel attacked him, cutting above his eye. Hermione thought of stunning him to get away but Draco, being closer to the teacher spoke up.
" No, Sir, I think it is best if you go back to the castle and let us take care of this." Draco's voice was sincere but Snape gave a hollow laugh.
"Mr Malfoy, if you don't go into that castle, RIGHT NOW, I'll personally get you in deep shi-" Hermione couldn't stand in another second so she interrupted.
"Sir, do you know what a Key is?" She rushed stunning a raging rabbit.
"Yes Miss Granger I do but what does this hav-"
"Well what if I were saying you were preventing the last Keys from saving your ass!" Hermione said. Snape tightened his grip on Hermione's arm, but he turned to Draco.
"What is Miss Granger saying, are you two serious?" Draco nodded and Snape let Hermione's arm go. "Then what the hell are you two waiting for?" Hermione didn't wait any longer she began to run further into the forest, leaving Snape stunned without a spell. Draco not far behind her, she was caught off guard by a hand sporting long green fingernails. The hand grabbed a piece of Hermione's brown hair and pulled with all its might. Hermione gave a yelp and fell to the ground. Draco stopped in his spot, knowing right away who it was. He grabbed for Hermione's arm but a wand caught him on the hand. Hermione squirmed and grabbed Rita Skeeter by the arm.
"Go!" She managed. "Go do what you can." He didn't want to leave her with the cow, but he had no choice. He turned and ran towards the centre of the forest, where, somehow he knew, he would find Voldermont. He hadn't been running long when he was hit from behind and fell to the ground unconscious.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco's head throbbed when he finally started to come around. Hearing voices he kept his eyes closed listening hard.
"What should I do now Master." It was Rita Skeeter, Draco's stomach clenched; Hermione might have not gotten away.
"Tell the rest to secure the perimeter. I don't want anyone who doesn't have a dark mark to get in. The ceremony will start soon. Get Wormtail; send the fool to get the Potter boy. Tell him not to come back without him, its punishable by death." Rita nodded.
"Yes master." She left and Draco was alone with Voldermont.
"Get up boy. I know you are awake." Draco opened his eyes and stood, rather bravely, in front of the masked figure, unmistakably Voldermont. Then he noticed something behind him. It was Hermione. She was standing, unconscious. Voldermont followed his gaze. Draco, suddenly unafraid of the evil man, rushed past him and shook Hermione.
"Hermione? Can you hear me?"