Hermione ran to Lavender and pulled out her want touching them
to the manacles that held her to the wall and murmured
'Liberis'. The chains fell away with a sound like a sigh and
Lavender fell forward and Hermione caught her. Hermione had
grown lithe and muscular, but even if she had still been her
14-year-old self Lavender was light enough she could have
carried her then.
Her waist was thin. So thin in fact that Hermione could almost fit her whole hand around is. Hermione stared down at her. "Bloody Hell. What happened?"
Lavender gave her a weak smile. "If you don't mind I'd rather discuss it outside. Preferably eating." Hermione almost ran out. She couldn't believe it. Maybe more people from Hogwarts had escaped. Hermione remembered Lavender well. They'd become friends in 6th year when Ron and Harry's hormones kicked in full force and they went totally girl crazy. As a matter of fact if she remembered right they would have gone for anything in a skirt.
She smiled a bit remembering the prank they'd played on Harry by taking his glasses then dressing his Firebolt up like a girl. She suddenly froze, her face plummeting into despair. It hurt to think of Harry, so she didn't.
She settled Lavender down in a chair in the study and poked her head out the door. Ron stood in the doorway reading over something.
"Ron." He looked up at her. "Send up tea and food, a lot. I found an old friend."
He tilted his head. "Alright. I suppose you can't talk now then." He didn't wait for her to answer. "Ok, then. We found a lot that might interest you."
She nodded. "Alright. I'll have Vera get you when I'm done." She grinned at him and punched him on the shoulder. "Cheer up. We won."
He shook his head and walked away. Hermione stared after him sadly then turned and stepped back into the Study. Lavender had one of the documents from the desk in her hand, reading it. Hermione smiled and walked over sitting across from her.
"I ordered some food sent up." Lavender looked at her.
"So it's true."
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "What is?"
"Hermione Granger leads The Defiance." She smiled. "Who'd have thought?"
"Yea." Hermione twisted her mouth wryly. "Who." It was a good question to wonder over too. What had happened to that brainy, quiet younger girl who had very rarely and only in extreme situations stuck a toe out of line? 'She stepped down,' part of her said. 'Moved aside when she couldn't do what it took as she was.' Hermione nodded in acceptance and looked at Lavender again.
"How'd you escape?"
Lavender sat back, her eyes straying to the ceiling. "I didn't have to get away...cuz I wasn't in the castle when Voldmort took over."
"What."
Lavender looked at her. "You know how I got kind of secretive and moody after 5th year." Hermione nodded and Lavender smirked a bit. "Well I had a mystery lover." She held up her hand when Hermione opened her mouth to speak. "Neville. I know, shocking. Who would have thought, yea yea. Anyway I found a secret passage to Hogsmead. It was this statue." She tilted her head when she saw Hermione nodding. "You know about it."
Hermione grinned. "Somewhat."
Lavender shrugged. "Well I was in that tunnel when he came. I guess Voldmort must not know about them. And he went for Hogwarts before Hogsmead so I didn't hear about it till I was away." She frowned and Hermione saw tears in the corner of her eyes. "I stood there and just stared at Hogwarts. The castle was nearly destroyed. The towers broken of so neatly. All my friends, people I cared about inside. I ran. It was cowardly but what could I do against Voldmort." Her eyes pleaded with Hermione to understand. "I found other wizards and witches. Hiding from Him. I heard about The Defiance from them. Heard about you. I told them I knew you and stupidly convinced them to go and find you and join."
She sighed. "Of course we ran into a little club of Deatheaters." Her eyes gleamed. "They were escorting a wizard from America to Voldmort."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Why!?"
"I heard that there's another dark lord there. One stronger than even Voldmort. Voldmort sent a message there asking for help in taking over other countries." Lavender's eyes blazed with fear. "He wants the bloody world he does! Anyway the American dark lord sent up some kind of ambassador to go and judge whether or not it was worth their time. He wouldn't let them apparate. Didn't trust 'em that much so he sent deatheaters to escort him.'
Hermione bound to her feet and started calling for Ron. If they missed the ambassador and he got to Voldmort- "Calm down." Lavender said cutting of her furious thought. "I killed him." Hermione gazed at her and she shrugged. "Why do you think he locked up and tortured me and no one else." She smiled smugly. "The ambassador just happened to miss the poison slipped into his drink."
"How did you manage that?"
Lavender shrugged again. "If there was going to be an attempt on his like he expected it to be magic or weapon and nothing so close. They were meeting when they captured up and we were taken to the room they were speaking in. He had wine so I threw myself at him pretending to be begging for my life. I put it in his glass then."
Hermione's eyes darkened. "How'd they catch you?"
"When he fell over dead they demanded to know who was responsible. No one said anything so they threatened to torture everyone." She shook her head making her dark hair ripple. "I wasn't going to let everyone suffer for my deed. Besides, I was proud I did it."
Fluer came in then, her shining hair pulled back with a scrunci into a glorious ponytail. She smiled at Hermione. "Had Miriam raid their kitchens and cook something with real flavor." She set the tray down on the table. Plates of steaming meats and vegetables covered it along with two cups of tea. Her eyes turned to Lavender.
Hermione grinned. "Fluer, this is Lavender Brown. The one we have to thank for preventing a fatal agreement between Voldmort and America."
Fluer laughed brightly. "Always glad to meet a war hero. Especially a gorgeous one." She winked, smiling brighter as Lavender flushed then saluted Hermione. "Most of the prisoners are gonna join us. Thought you'd like to give them a once over."
Hermione nodded "After I'm done."
Fluer grinned and walked to the door and opened it. "Don't do anything I wouldn't." She said over her shoulder before leaving.
Lavender looked at Hermione after she left. "I remember her. She was in the Triwizard Tournament. She's nice."
"Yea."
Lavender picked up a plate of food and started eating slowly although Hermione thought she must be ravenous. "Is she your lover?"
Hermione choked. "How'd you know?"
Lavender laughed. "Oh come on." She smiled seductively in a fair imitation of Fluer. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Hermione laughed too. "Yea well. She's great, and I do care about her."
Lavender turned grim now. "What about Ginny." Hermione paled and clenched her fists and teeth. Lavender saw this and her eyes turned hard. "What happened when Voldmort attacked?"
Thoughts ran through Hermione's head. Lightening. Pain. Pain. Death. Hate. Hurt. Love. Death. Tell it! She had to. Lavender had a right to know. And she had to face it sometimes. Hermione sighed deeply and set down the cup of tea she'd picked up.
"Well, it was a dark and stormy night-
Her waist was thin. So thin in fact that Hermione could almost fit her whole hand around is. Hermione stared down at her. "Bloody Hell. What happened?"
Lavender gave her a weak smile. "If you don't mind I'd rather discuss it outside. Preferably eating." Hermione almost ran out. She couldn't believe it. Maybe more people from Hogwarts had escaped. Hermione remembered Lavender well. They'd become friends in 6th year when Ron and Harry's hormones kicked in full force and they went totally girl crazy. As a matter of fact if she remembered right they would have gone for anything in a skirt.
She smiled a bit remembering the prank they'd played on Harry by taking his glasses then dressing his Firebolt up like a girl. She suddenly froze, her face plummeting into despair. It hurt to think of Harry, so she didn't.
She settled Lavender down in a chair in the study and poked her head out the door. Ron stood in the doorway reading over something.
"Ron." He looked up at her. "Send up tea and food, a lot. I found an old friend."
He tilted his head. "Alright. I suppose you can't talk now then." He didn't wait for her to answer. "Ok, then. We found a lot that might interest you."
She nodded. "Alright. I'll have Vera get you when I'm done." She grinned at him and punched him on the shoulder. "Cheer up. We won."
He shook his head and walked away. Hermione stared after him sadly then turned and stepped back into the Study. Lavender had one of the documents from the desk in her hand, reading it. Hermione smiled and walked over sitting across from her.
"I ordered some food sent up." Lavender looked at her.
"So it's true."
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "What is?"
"Hermione Granger leads The Defiance." She smiled. "Who'd have thought?"
"Yea." Hermione twisted her mouth wryly. "Who." It was a good question to wonder over too. What had happened to that brainy, quiet younger girl who had very rarely and only in extreme situations stuck a toe out of line? 'She stepped down,' part of her said. 'Moved aside when she couldn't do what it took as she was.' Hermione nodded in acceptance and looked at Lavender again.
"How'd you escape?"
Lavender sat back, her eyes straying to the ceiling. "I didn't have to get away...cuz I wasn't in the castle when Voldmort took over."
"What."
Lavender looked at her. "You know how I got kind of secretive and moody after 5th year." Hermione nodded and Lavender smirked a bit. "Well I had a mystery lover." She held up her hand when Hermione opened her mouth to speak. "Neville. I know, shocking. Who would have thought, yea yea. Anyway I found a secret passage to Hogsmead. It was this statue." She tilted her head when she saw Hermione nodding. "You know about it."
Hermione grinned. "Somewhat."
Lavender shrugged. "Well I was in that tunnel when he came. I guess Voldmort must not know about them. And he went for Hogwarts before Hogsmead so I didn't hear about it till I was away." She frowned and Hermione saw tears in the corner of her eyes. "I stood there and just stared at Hogwarts. The castle was nearly destroyed. The towers broken of so neatly. All my friends, people I cared about inside. I ran. It was cowardly but what could I do against Voldmort." Her eyes pleaded with Hermione to understand. "I found other wizards and witches. Hiding from Him. I heard about The Defiance from them. Heard about you. I told them I knew you and stupidly convinced them to go and find you and join."
She sighed. "Of course we ran into a little club of Deatheaters." Her eyes gleamed. "They were escorting a wizard from America to Voldmort."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Why!?"
"I heard that there's another dark lord there. One stronger than even Voldmort. Voldmort sent a message there asking for help in taking over other countries." Lavender's eyes blazed with fear. "He wants the bloody world he does! Anyway the American dark lord sent up some kind of ambassador to go and judge whether or not it was worth their time. He wouldn't let them apparate. Didn't trust 'em that much so he sent deatheaters to escort him.'
Hermione bound to her feet and started calling for Ron. If they missed the ambassador and he got to Voldmort- "Calm down." Lavender said cutting of her furious thought. "I killed him." Hermione gazed at her and she shrugged. "Why do you think he locked up and tortured me and no one else." She smiled smugly. "The ambassador just happened to miss the poison slipped into his drink."
"How did you manage that?"
Lavender shrugged again. "If there was going to be an attempt on his like he expected it to be magic or weapon and nothing so close. They were meeting when they captured up and we were taken to the room they were speaking in. He had wine so I threw myself at him pretending to be begging for my life. I put it in his glass then."
Hermione's eyes darkened. "How'd they catch you?"
"When he fell over dead they demanded to know who was responsible. No one said anything so they threatened to torture everyone." She shook her head making her dark hair ripple. "I wasn't going to let everyone suffer for my deed. Besides, I was proud I did it."
Fluer came in then, her shining hair pulled back with a scrunci into a glorious ponytail. She smiled at Hermione. "Had Miriam raid their kitchens and cook something with real flavor." She set the tray down on the table. Plates of steaming meats and vegetables covered it along with two cups of tea. Her eyes turned to Lavender.
Hermione grinned. "Fluer, this is Lavender Brown. The one we have to thank for preventing a fatal agreement between Voldmort and America."
Fluer laughed brightly. "Always glad to meet a war hero. Especially a gorgeous one." She winked, smiling brighter as Lavender flushed then saluted Hermione. "Most of the prisoners are gonna join us. Thought you'd like to give them a once over."
Hermione nodded "After I'm done."
Fluer grinned and walked to the door and opened it. "Don't do anything I wouldn't." She said over her shoulder before leaving.
Lavender looked at Hermione after she left. "I remember her. She was in the Triwizard Tournament. She's nice."
"Yea."
Lavender picked up a plate of food and started eating slowly although Hermione thought she must be ravenous. "Is she your lover?"
Hermione choked. "How'd you know?"
Lavender laughed. "Oh come on." She smiled seductively in a fair imitation of Fluer. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Hermione laughed too. "Yea well. She's great, and I do care about her."
Lavender turned grim now. "What about Ginny." Hermione paled and clenched her fists and teeth. Lavender saw this and her eyes turned hard. "What happened when Voldmort attacked?"
Thoughts ran through Hermione's head. Lightening. Pain. Pain. Death. Hate. Hurt. Love. Death. Tell it! She had to. Lavender had a right to know. And she had to face it sometimes. Hermione sighed deeply and set down the cup of tea she'd picked up.
"Well, it was a dark and stormy night-