Chapter 16 - The end?
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, not ready! She wasn't ready to go yet! The blinding light streamed with a static energy about her, all she could hear was a deafening high pitched whining and Draco yelling in the distance.
Then silence, stillness, darkness.
And then? She opened her eyes and looked about her. She was still in the forest, she looked up and saw the Wizard in black staring at her wand and shaking it with angered vigour.
"What the blazes is wrong with the bloody thing? It's faulty!" He shrieked, going a deep shade of red and stabbing the wand violently at Hermione. Sparks fizzed out of the end and there was a loud 'pop' and cloud of smoke. The wizard flapped the smoke away and glowered at his comrades furiously. "What? What the hell are you laughing about?" He shrieked.
"Boss, it's your head! You got ears!" Chuckled one of the other wizards, who held onto Draco's head and pressed it into the ground. He reached up and with a yell his hands grabbed a pair of bunny ears protruding from through his hair. Had Hermione not been in so much pain and so afraid she would have joined in the laughter of their captives.
"No matter!" The man with the furry ears threw the want to the floor and advanced on Hermione, his own wand drawn. "Her want might be buggered, but mine isn't! The deal was we kill the girl, so I shall kill the girl!"
"NO!" Draco scrabbled with doubled energy, but the two wizards beat him again and help him fast. It was no good! There was nothing he could do! It was his fault! He brought her to the manor! He exposed her to this danger! And now there was nothing he could do to save her! "Run Hermione! Run!" He cried.
"Too late!" Hissed the dark wizard, and he pointed his wand. Suddenly an ear splitting shriek pierced the air, and as if from nowhere a black owl, sleek and sharp, flew right at the Wizards face.
"M-Mephy?" Draco mouthed. Mephistophilis clawed at the Wizards face, grabbed the ears in her bill and flapped her wings about his head. Everybody gaped in horror as blood poured from the Wizards eyes and drenched his robes.
"Master!" Yelled his two assailants, as they sprung up to try pull the owl from their leader. Draco didn't waste a moment. Thanking Mephistophilis over and over under his breath he scrambled up and grabbed Hermione, hauling her to her feet.
"We have to run! Now!" He hissed, and together they staggered off. Dazed, injured and exhausted it was impossible to run fast. They had to hide, the wizards behind them sounded as if they has discovered their escape and where crashing through the undergrowth to catch them. "Here!" Draco pushed Hermione backwards into a thick patch of rhododendron bushes. They scrambled through the dark maze inside the twisting insides of the large growth. As a child Draco used to play in the rhododendron, these amazing bushes are often where hollow inside and flourish in most English estates. Filled with many tunnels and pathways and as dark and lonely as the night it was a perfect hiding place when he felt scared or alone. Now it could save their lives! Hugging Hermione closely to him they lay curled up and still inside the rhododendron. Unless the wizards thought to look in here they where safe if they didn't make a sound. Through the deformed branched Draco could make out their captives stalking by.
"Sir, if Lord Malfoy finds we failed! He will kill us!"
"Shut up! We shall find them! Now quit talking the look!"
"Look for what?" "I don't know! Foot prints! Broken branches! Anything that tells us we are on the right track!"
"Like that?" One of the wizards pointed at a broken branch by the rhododendron. The leader pushed him aside and glared through the gaps in the foliage. He stared right at Draco and yelled at his comrades.
"In there! The sly little shits are hidden in there! GET THEM!"
Groaning with exhaustion Draco grabbed Hermione again. "We have to keep going! This is going to be difficult! Just follow me!" And off they went! The bushes where tightly knitted formations of thick braches, and they had to crawl along on their hands and knees. Hermione sobbed quietly to herself, crawling for her was near impossible with her wrist, and with it tied to Draco who would often pull it sharply to try tug a branch out of their way she was in agony. Still they scuttled along. Behind then there came the sounds of the rhododendron being blasted away. Some of the tunnels where too tight for the adult wizards to get through. "Not far!" Draco yelled. He pulled himself through a tight tunnel, and as he looked behind him he saw to his horror Hermione had scrambled over the braches that made the tight gap. Too late now, the string was tangled about a branch. Hermione felt the string tighten about her swollen wrist and she had to struggle with all her might not to cry out. Draco's heart pounded in his chest, as if it itself wanted to escape. Behind then they herd their would be murderers approaching. Draco held his hand tightly over Hermione's mouth, and they near died of fright as they heard the wizards approach, then, as if by miracle, they passed on by!
"Thank the Goddess." Hermione panted, as they heard the blasting of rhododendron off in the distance. "With any luck, those three will get themselves lost in here!"
"Like we have?" Draco gasped, glad they could finally stop to rest. He told Hermione to try stay still and he scrabbled back through the gap, untangling the string.
"Draco! They tried to kill me!" Hermione sobbed, gripping her wrist.
"It's okay now. I promise!" Draco hugged her to his chest and tried to calm her down. His mind was racing! Was Mephy alright? Did they say Lord Malfoy had ordered this? What the hell was going on?
"Let's get away from here!" Hermione wept "We need to leave your estate."
"You're right. But first I have to go back to the house." Draco said.
"What? Why?" Hermione shook Draco "Lets just go! Come stay with me! I heard what they said! Your father ordered my death!"
"We have to go back. I have to see where Mephy is! She saved us, we have to save her! If there is a chance she escaped back to the owlery, we owe it to her to find out!"
Hermione looked down. Draco was right. Mephistophilis had saved her life. If Mephistophilis had escaped then they had to find her, and help her. "Alright. Lets go back to the manor."
Leaving the distant sounds of explosive wands behind them Draco and Hermione limped painfully back towards the manor. They stuck close to the trees and shadows, and stopped for a few minuets when they found Paddington. He was leaning against a tree, breathing heavily and with an obviously broken leg. Hermione burst out crying when she saw him, and Draco patted his nose sadly.
"What can we do?" He asked, hugging Paddington's neck. Hermione shrugged, she had no idea how to help Draco's beloved horse.
"We should get on." She whispered. Draco held Hermione's wrist in his hands and they walked off towards the house, being careful never to be seen.
From the window of the Manor, a dark figure watched them.
**~** Waagh! Poor poor Draco! He had to leave Paddington behind, and now they must try save Mephy! And all the while there is the threat on Hermiones life too! Draco sure has mean parents. And what's happening tomorrow night? Why must Hermione be killed? Aaaaaaaaa!! He he he. I'm sorry guys, but you will have to wait to find out. Its getting exciting now though, isn't it? **hides from angry e mails** I keep getting told off for my cliff hangers. You love them really right guys? And soz about the title. I had to tease you all, of course it's not the end!!! ^_^ Chapter 17 up as soon as possible! Promise! **~**
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, not ready! She wasn't ready to go yet! The blinding light streamed with a static energy about her, all she could hear was a deafening high pitched whining and Draco yelling in the distance.
Then silence, stillness, darkness.
And then? She opened her eyes and looked about her. She was still in the forest, she looked up and saw the Wizard in black staring at her wand and shaking it with angered vigour.
"What the blazes is wrong with the bloody thing? It's faulty!" He shrieked, going a deep shade of red and stabbing the wand violently at Hermione. Sparks fizzed out of the end and there was a loud 'pop' and cloud of smoke. The wizard flapped the smoke away and glowered at his comrades furiously. "What? What the hell are you laughing about?" He shrieked.
"Boss, it's your head! You got ears!" Chuckled one of the other wizards, who held onto Draco's head and pressed it into the ground. He reached up and with a yell his hands grabbed a pair of bunny ears protruding from through his hair. Had Hermione not been in so much pain and so afraid she would have joined in the laughter of their captives.
"No matter!" The man with the furry ears threw the want to the floor and advanced on Hermione, his own wand drawn. "Her want might be buggered, but mine isn't! The deal was we kill the girl, so I shall kill the girl!"
"NO!" Draco scrabbled with doubled energy, but the two wizards beat him again and help him fast. It was no good! There was nothing he could do! It was his fault! He brought her to the manor! He exposed her to this danger! And now there was nothing he could do to save her! "Run Hermione! Run!" He cried.
"Too late!" Hissed the dark wizard, and he pointed his wand. Suddenly an ear splitting shriek pierced the air, and as if from nowhere a black owl, sleek and sharp, flew right at the Wizards face.
"M-Mephy?" Draco mouthed. Mephistophilis clawed at the Wizards face, grabbed the ears in her bill and flapped her wings about his head. Everybody gaped in horror as blood poured from the Wizards eyes and drenched his robes.
"Master!" Yelled his two assailants, as they sprung up to try pull the owl from their leader. Draco didn't waste a moment. Thanking Mephistophilis over and over under his breath he scrambled up and grabbed Hermione, hauling her to her feet.
"We have to run! Now!" He hissed, and together they staggered off. Dazed, injured and exhausted it was impossible to run fast. They had to hide, the wizards behind them sounded as if they has discovered their escape and where crashing through the undergrowth to catch them. "Here!" Draco pushed Hermione backwards into a thick patch of rhododendron bushes. They scrambled through the dark maze inside the twisting insides of the large growth. As a child Draco used to play in the rhododendron, these amazing bushes are often where hollow inside and flourish in most English estates. Filled with many tunnels and pathways and as dark and lonely as the night it was a perfect hiding place when he felt scared or alone. Now it could save their lives! Hugging Hermione closely to him they lay curled up and still inside the rhododendron. Unless the wizards thought to look in here they where safe if they didn't make a sound. Through the deformed branched Draco could make out their captives stalking by.
"Sir, if Lord Malfoy finds we failed! He will kill us!"
"Shut up! We shall find them! Now quit talking the look!"
"Look for what?" "I don't know! Foot prints! Broken branches! Anything that tells us we are on the right track!"
"Like that?" One of the wizards pointed at a broken branch by the rhododendron. The leader pushed him aside and glared through the gaps in the foliage. He stared right at Draco and yelled at his comrades.
"In there! The sly little shits are hidden in there! GET THEM!"
Groaning with exhaustion Draco grabbed Hermione again. "We have to keep going! This is going to be difficult! Just follow me!" And off they went! The bushes where tightly knitted formations of thick braches, and they had to crawl along on their hands and knees. Hermione sobbed quietly to herself, crawling for her was near impossible with her wrist, and with it tied to Draco who would often pull it sharply to try tug a branch out of their way she was in agony. Still they scuttled along. Behind then there came the sounds of the rhododendron being blasted away. Some of the tunnels where too tight for the adult wizards to get through. "Not far!" Draco yelled. He pulled himself through a tight tunnel, and as he looked behind him he saw to his horror Hermione had scrambled over the braches that made the tight gap. Too late now, the string was tangled about a branch. Hermione felt the string tighten about her swollen wrist and she had to struggle with all her might not to cry out. Draco's heart pounded in his chest, as if it itself wanted to escape. Behind then they herd their would be murderers approaching. Draco held his hand tightly over Hermione's mouth, and they near died of fright as they heard the wizards approach, then, as if by miracle, they passed on by!
"Thank the Goddess." Hermione panted, as they heard the blasting of rhododendron off in the distance. "With any luck, those three will get themselves lost in here!"
"Like we have?" Draco gasped, glad they could finally stop to rest. He told Hermione to try stay still and he scrabbled back through the gap, untangling the string.
"Draco! They tried to kill me!" Hermione sobbed, gripping her wrist.
"It's okay now. I promise!" Draco hugged her to his chest and tried to calm her down. His mind was racing! Was Mephy alright? Did they say Lord Malfoy had ordered this? What the hell was going on?
"Let's get away from here!" Hermione wept "We need to leave your estate."
"You're right. But first I have to go back to the house." Draco said.
"What? Why?" Hermione shook Draco "Lets just go! Come stay with me! I heard what they said! Your father ordered my death!"
"We have to go back. I have to see where Mephy is! She saved us, we have to save her! If there is a chance she escaped back to the owlery, we owe it to her to find out!"
Hermione looked down. Draco was right. Mephistophilis had saved her life. If Mephistophilis had escaped then they had to find her, and help her. "Alright. Lets go back to the manor."
Leaving the distant sounds of explosive wands behind them Draco and Hermione limped painfully back towards the manor. They stuck close to the trees and shadows, and stopped for a few minuets when they found Paddington. He was leaning against a tree, breathing heavily and with an obviously broken leg. Hermione burst out crying when she saw him, and Draco patted his nose sadly.
"What can we do?" He asked, hugging Paddington's neck. Hermione shrugged, she had no idea how to help Draco's beloved horse.
"We should get on." She whispered. Draco held Hermione's wrist in his hands and they walked off towards the house, being careful never to be seen.
From the window of the Manor, a dark figure watched them.
**~** Waagh! Poor poor Draco! He had to leave Paddington behind, and now they must try save Mephy! And all the while there is the threat on Hermiones life too! Draco sure has mean parents. And what's happening tomorrow night? Why must Hermione be killed? Aaaaaaaaa!! He he he. I'm sorry guys, but you will have to wait to find out. Its getting exciting now though, isn't it? **hides from angry e mails** I keep getting told off for my cliff hangers. You love them really right guys? And soz about the title. I had to tease you all, of course it's not the end!!! ^_^ Chapter 17 up as soon as possible! Promise! **~**