Chapter IV

Author's Note: Everyone, thanks so much for reviewing!
Draco's girl (er.. thanks)
Amara (you just did! thanks so much!)
Aquamanda (OMG! You did? I feel like I actually touch people when I get stories like that! BTW- there are lots of story versions of A Midsummer Night's Dream that you can get that aren't written in boring Shakespearean English. Or, rent the movie- the one with Calista Flockhart in it is the best!)
Allee kat (I'm glad you think so! Hope I can live up to your expectations...)
Kat Riddle (Well, I'm glad you did!)
Moopies (Thanks so much! I love when people tell me that I'm original... I've never done this sort of thing before...)
Mjade (Hey, I wish so too, but it may not work out that way... I'll just have to wait and see what emerges from the depths of my crazed brain...)
Rachel Hunt (I'm sorry again... I read a couple of your stories though, and you're a really good writer! I love getting compliments from you!)
Janmmci (well, thanx!)
and Hemlock (er... huh? sorry, I'm only in first year Latin, so I can't translate that well... all I know is that fabulam is a direct object...).

Right, now on to the actual note... I really, really don't know where this story's going at this point. I had actually thought at first that I would do a whole series of relationships and stories from HP in all different times (you know, ancient Egypt, Greek myth, medieval England, sixteenth-century France, renaissance Italy, eleventh-century Japan...the possiblities are endless!), but this is turning out to be more of an epicish story within itself. It could take forever to do that many of them, but I really like the premises, so I might anyways. *turns off babble faucet* OK, see you after this chapter!
Love from,
icestar



The forest swallowed the four horses and their riders, muffling the sound of their hooves as they receded into the distance. Inside the wood it was still deathly quiet, though; faint sunlight dappled the leaf-strewn ground, filtered through the branches of ages-old trees. Hermia would have taken the opportunity to admire it had she not been terrified.
Potius pulled his horse up alongside hers, shouting over the wind they'd kicked up. "Just follow me, and I can lead us out of the forest and to Wesellius' mother's house. She lives in Rome." Hermia nodded, swallowing the distinctly unpleasant taste she felt in her throat at the thought of their plan: she would hide out at the house of Melia, mother of Wesellius, and hope that Draco wouldn't find them.
Serpentius Draco- the cruel young man whom she had been forced to marry, forming an alliance between the Carusius and Serpentius families. Draco's father, Lucius, evidently hoped that Hermia's father would support him when he tried to take the position of emperor- probably after murdering poor Cassius, Hermia thought wryly, urging her horse on faster. He can't have me, and his father can't have Rome.

Draco was at the moment sitting in the inner court with his father, watching the man's face closely as different emotions ran across it.
"She escaped?" he asked finally. "How?"
"That's what I'd like to know," answered Draco, standing up. "She- even with her handmaidens- isn't strong enough to steal four horses by herself. And where would she go, anyway? Her own father wouldn't believe her; he'd just send her straight back here."
Lucius banged down his goblet with a sudden emotion. "Someone had to have helped her."
Draco ran a hand through his slick blond hair, sighing. "Yes, but who?"
Lucius swept out of the room and spoke to Golius. "Gather the rest of the horses, and send for my guards."
Draco followed him down the hall. "Father, what are you doing?"
His father turned around, a slightly evil glint in his grey eyes. "We're going after her."

It was around midday (the sun was directly overhead), and Hermia was growing tired and hungry. She maneuvered her horse next to Wesellius' and asked, "Did you manage to steal anything from the kitchens before we left?"
"Sorry, no," answered Wesellius, who was looking rather peaked himself. "Wish I had, though- it'll be at least sunset before we even reach the gates of Rome, and then I'm not even counting what'll happen if Serpentius' guards hold us up, or if we get lost in the city."
Hermia sighed. "Then, could we take a break? Just a small one, off the trail, and we'll be quiet." She looked at Potius, who had slowed to ride with them, beseechingly.
The black-haired slave smiled reluctantly. "Fine, then, but just for a few minutes. We can't afford to lose much time."

Behind a large rock by the side of the rode, the six travellers had settled themselves out on the ground. Maia and Flavia were seated on a ledge that was carved into the rock; Wesellius and Athene were sitting against a large and gnarled tree; and Hermia was sitting atop the rock, chatting gaily with Potius.
"So, you just hate Serpentius for no reason at all?" she asked him, raising an amused eyebrow.
"Only if you don't call forcing beautiful girls to marry you a reason," he answered just as amusedly.
Hermia felt her throat tighten and laughed forcedly. Did he just call her beautiful? Carusio Hermia had been called many things in her fifteen years- mousy, bookish, introvert, strange -but never 'beautiful.' Even someone who forced her to marry him didn't like her; he just thought she was a 'challenge.'

Unfortunately, at that moment both Lucius and Draco were charging down the narrow, quiet forest trail, a group of armed guards riding behind them.
"Hermia, get down," hissed Potius, jumping from his perch on top of the rock and crawling into the niche with Maia and Flavia. Wesellius and Athene ducked behind the tree they had been resting against. Hermia's heart beat faster and louder; she felt as though she was going to swallow it when the hoofbeats slowed, coming to a complete stop beside the rocks.


A/N: I'm so sorry! It's another cliffhanger... --;; I just can't seem to get to what actually happens. Oh, well, maybe I can get some more reviews now ^-^
By the way, I wrote another story called Shaelune for all the real D/H lovers out there, since this story won't seem to let them get together. It has 4 chapters and only 17 reviews, so please go read it if you want *grins sadly* Please? I think it's actually pretty good, but no one else seems to. So please read it and review it or do the same for this one!

Vale! (that's latin for goodbye)
~icestar