Enchantress of the Day and Night
Kneazle
Disclaimer: All characters/ideas belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastics, etc, K.A. Applegate's EverWorld, Fern Gully: the Last Rainforest, Mist of Avalon (the movie), Aladdin, Ever After, Chocolat, The Count of Monte Cristo and from Enchantress of the Stars by Sylvia Louise Engdahl, Cirque De Soliel. Also, my odd dreams take some ideas, Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki, The Vision of Escaflowne, Rayearth: the OVA, Record of Lodoss War, Tekken: The Motion Picture, Macross Plus, Blue Submarine No. 6, Pretty Solider Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z-GT, Babylon Tokyo, X-Men: Evolution, The Princess Bride, and from "Disney's Atlantis", Sweep by Cate Tiernan, and Circle of Magic by Tamora Pierce. Most information that is for the covens is based on Wicca, The Dragon's Tapestry, The Prism Moon and The Taker's Key by Martine Bates, Circle of Three by Isobel Bird, and most clan information is from Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones and Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing. Information I use can be found at the following websites: Bibliomania, Wiccan.com and Feri.com. You can find other information just by surfing the net and looking for information on historical witches and wizards, and Wicca sites. ~AND~ Exodus by Julie Bertagna, the movie (2001) Brotherhood of the Wolf, Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers).
**-**
Chapter Eleven
The fire danced in front of Ginny's eyes, giving her an ethereal look. She stared into the red embers, her mind lost as it wandered about the many things that were going on in her life.
When Harry had told the Talamancaian Clan just what Voldemort had sent them, Ginny felt no fear. She had been confused, wondering how that was possible, since when she first saw Draco's Dark Mark she felt frightened. In the past, when the Elders would talk about Dark Magick, she would tremble in fear and clutch tightly to Hermione, whimpering as she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the hushed voices speaking of the evil deeds the man had done.
But now… now there was nothing. She felt indifferent, completely neutral and isolated from the actual problem. She wondered when she changed, and why. However, before she could go down that possible lane, she spotted Draco moving through the thin trees only to come and sit across from her, also staring into the fire.
Ginny regarded him silently. He is certainly no Harry – who is the epitome of my universe. While Harry is dark in his looks, Draco is light; Harry's eyes are a dark emerald, while Draco's are as cool as ice; Harry is stocky and on the short side, while Draco is tall and lean… they are so different, yet so alike. Draco is not like Harry at all. He's sharp around the edges, but smooth on the inside. And yes, he might be manipulative, but he does it for the greater good. He is on no-one's side in this war, but his own.
With a start, Ginny's eyes went out of focus and back into focus as she realized just where her thoughts had started to change. She wasn't in love with Harry, as she had thought. Draco had changed that. She was in love with him, or what she thought was love, at least.
Looking up at the change of air, Draco raised an eyebrow asking, "Something wrong, Ginny?"
"N-No," she stuttered back, her eyes darting to the ground beside her, where ashes from previous fires they had built were.
Draco snorted. "I'm sure." He didn't pressure her, though; she would talk when she was ready. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked, "So what are we going to do now that the Enchantress is back? It ruins your chances of getting close to Harry now."
Ginny turned her head away. "I don't know," she murmured quietly.
Draco looked at Ginny with shrewish eyes. "What do you mean, you don't know? Do you still want his attentions or not?"
Ginny sighed, over exaggerating her shoulders to rise and fall. "Look, Draco – I just don't know anymore. I – I don't think I want him that way anymore. Before I wanted his attentions, him to look at me with desire… but…"
"But?" prodded the blond.
"But… I realized those were silly fantasies of a little girl. A little girl who wanted something that she couldn't have," finished Ginny wretchedly. She lifted her head and looked towards her right; there, a couple yards away sat Hermione and Harry in a large group, probably discussing tactics. However, Harry and Hermione were sitting closely together and off, further away from the fire than the others were. They looked completely absorbed with each other.
"Hermione won the game, and I lost. I'll just have to understand that," she continued, looking at Draco, who had followed her line of sight. "I won't keep you from going after her, though, if that is what your job is. But I want to know what it is. I don't want you keeping secrets from me any more."
Draco looked at Ginny sharply. "What do you mean, secrets?"
"You know exactly what I mean, Draco. I want to know whose side you're on, and what game you're playing with us." With me, she added silently.
The young man regarded Ginny with narrowed eyes. She had been a valuable assistant for the past half-year in gathering information for him and doing what he wanted, but was he ready to let her in on his secrets? Some of those secrets, Snape had said, could cost him his life, if she told them to someone else. It was always best not to get emotionally attached, Snape had instructed.
But for Draco Malfoy, it was already too late. He was already emotionally attached to Ginny, whether he liked it or not.
Sighing, he looked down into the fire's glowing heat, wondering just where to start. The beginning is a good place, a nasty voice in his head whispered. Draco nodded inwardly, before shifting his position to look at Ginny better.
"All right, Ginny… I'll tell you."
**-**
Two hours later, Ginny let out a long breath. "I—I never knew…"
"Of course you didn't," said Draco with a wry smile, one that he would never show to almost anyone else. "You're not… angry with me?"
Ginny contemplated this. "You know, I should be… but I can't."
Draco nodded. "All right. The plan is still on, or else I will be killed; you understand that, right?"
"Yes," said Ginny, almost hesitantly. "It doesn't mean that I don't like it. Hermione is my friend, and I love her like a sister. Just promise that you won't harm her."
"You know I wouldn't."
"I know, but I still want to hear it," said the redhead, "Please Draco."
Draco sighed, and moved to sit beside the younger girl. "I promise, Ginny."
"Thank you."
**-**
Sirius Black leaned forward over the tree trunk that served as a tabletop for the select group that was looking over a map of the Gaea. One of his tanned, callus fingers pointed at a small fertile land in the Belluci Desert.
"This is where the Black Clan is," he said, looking up and brushing some black hair away from his face. "We need a group of skilled warlocks to go there and intercept the Death Eater's before they arrive there."
"I'm going," said Hermione right away. "It gives me a chance to test my new skills."
"Absolutely not!" retorted Harry. "I won't have it – you could be hurt!"
Ron rolled his eyes, murmuring a, "not again," under his breath, before positioning his body to face the other way.
Sirius looked questioningly at him, before he realized that a row was going on between the two, and this fight was just not normal.
"Dammit, Harry – I am going to save the world! I need to know how to do some things before I actually fight Voldemort!" yelled Hermione, glaring at her lover.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to see you hurt in some petty little fight with the Black Clan! You should go back to Lorien and study more!"
"Study, study, study," moaned Hermione, "That's all I ever do. I want adventure! I crave the adrenaline rush that you get before you strike! That's what I want, Harry. Please, understand this."
Harry sighed, turning away slightly to think the situation over. He didn't want to see Hermione hurt, he cared about her too much, but he also didn't want to hold her back.
Finally, he turned around, and grabbed Hermione's arms, pulling her close to him. She instinctively wrapped her own arms around him, and breathed in Harry's unique smell.
Burying his face into her mane, Harry mumbled, "Fine, you can go – if you promise that if things get too complicated you'll get out of there. Deal?"
"Of course," she replied back, listening to Harry's steady heartbeat.
Ron sighed, glad that the eruption was over. "Can we continue this, please? And no more lovey-dovey stuff, it's making me sick."
The two teens grinned at Ron, apologizing, and glanced at Sirius under their hair. He looked bemused, but didn't say anything.
"All right," he cleared his throat, "Now that that is over, we've got our team. So: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Oliver will travel to the Black Clan and tried to persuade them to join our cause, and not Voldemort's."
"Don't say that name! Please," said Ron, shuddering. Sirius looked apologetic, but managed to sneak a grin at Harry.
"Right. I suppose you'll set out as soon as possible then?" he asked, glancing at his godson.
"Of course," replied the young leader. "We'll leave immediately and head north, taking the fastest route."
Hermione placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Does that mean going through the Poweeke Mountains, before traveling through the Belluci Desert? I don't exactly fancy myself going right by Voldemort's lair to get into Poweeke Territory. Can we just apparate there?"
"Stop saying that name!" opposed Ron, shuddering and not even speaking more of the mission.
Sirius frowned. "We've never done much apparation before. It might be difficult at first."
Hermione shook her head. "Oliver and I do it all the time. I've learnt how to do it by myself now. Oliver and I can each take an extra person and then apparate back here to get the last ones."
Harry felt a twinge of jealousy at the casual reference to Oliver, but mentally shrugged it away and told himself he was being silly.
Sirius nodded, as Ron and Harry's head swiveled back and forth between the two. "That seems possible. Do you want to do this right now, and head out ASAP?"
"I'd like that," agreed Hermione, smiling at Sirius. "Are you okay with that? And how long will we be there?"
The conversation continued on for another couple of hours, organizing a plan and making back-ups incase something was to happen.
Finally, as twilight descended on the group, Hermione yawned and said that she would like to rest, since she had been up for quite some time.
"I'll speak with Draco Malfoy tomorrow about our plans. I know that you," said Hermione, looking at Harry directly. "Do not like him. Besides, it will give me a chance to speak with Ginny. We… haven't spoken for quite some time now."
The three men in the room nodded, before Hermione turned and began to leave.
"Hermione, I'll escort you back…" started Harry, but Hermione smiled and waved him off.
"There's no need, Harry. I'll be fine, nice and safe, here. Go back to Sirius and Ron. You need to plan some more. I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled, before standing on her toes to give him a chaste kiss goodnight. "Till tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," whispered back Harry, grinning in the moonlight. He watched his siren continue on through the camp towards the glowing light where the fire was, talk to Oliver and Ryan, before they walked with her to the rooms they were given.
With a sigh, Harry turned and went back into his office; his mind still reeling from the simple kiss Hermione had given him.
**-**
Birds sang in the early morning light, as rodents scampered through the undergrowth where Hermione was walking. She hummed a little tune as she made her way to a riverbank where she was told she could find clean water.
Stepping around a fallen log, Hermione spotted the glistening light that reflected off the water, and grinned. She had found the location easily – the water had called her to it, and all she had to do was follow its whispery voice.
It still frightened her to realize just how much power she wielded.
As she crouched beside the cool liquid, a splash called her attention to a soaking wet blond haired young man, naked from the waist up.
"Gone swimming have you?" asked Hermione steadily, smiling at the intruder.
Draco Malfoy turned his pale blue eyes on Hermione. "I like to keep clean, unlike some of the Talamancaians."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She cupped her hands and dipped them into the water, before lifting them and brining the fluid to her mouth. After taking a few sips, she said casually, "We're leaving for the Black Clan this afternoon."
Draco's pale eyebrow arched as he regarded Hermione calmly. "Really. Who is 'we'?"
Hermione inwardly smiled. Hook, line, and sinker – the bait had worked. "Why, Harry, Oliver, Ron and myself."
Draco scowled. "Three dunderheads and one brilliant mind amongst you. I'm coming – you'll need help. Those three are too emotionally charger to plan and devise a flawless strategic attack."
Hermione laughed openly, as Draco scowled some more. "I was hoping you would say that," she grinned.
Draco looked puzzled. "Why would you want me to come with you and the others to the Black Clan?"
Hermione sighed and tipped her head back as she sat on the grassy bank. "Draco… I don't know you. The first time we met, I was still getting over the fact that my Coven was destroyed. Now, after knowing you for the better half of a year, I want to know you more." She looked at him. "Oh, not romantically. I have Harry and I'm quite happy with him… but you… there's a secret that you have and that you're keeping from everyone…"
Draco felt his heart quicken as sweat began to trek down his neck. Did she know? Was she going to spill his secret? Fear began to pulse low in his stomach.
"Oh?" he asked, sounding calm and collected; oh how he felt so different than what he was speaking like!
Hermione laughed again. "You've got a secret but I'm not going to press you with it. I'm going to trust you and hope that you'll reveal it in good time… but you also know things that Harry, Ron and Oliver don't know, and for that, we need you to help us. Will you?"
Hoped shined through her eyes as she regarded Draco, who was standing in the water, so still that he looked like a statue. Draco knew that he couldn't keep the secret to himself for much longer, and Ginny wouldn't be able to too. Things were going to move quickly for the Dark Lord, and Hermione and Dumbledore would need all the help that they could get.
"Sure," said Draco flippantly. "I'll be there. When do we leave?"
"As soon as possible… or more so, when you said yes."
Draco felt the flare of anger in his blood. He wouldn't be able to tell Ginny where he was going! Now what was going to happen?
Hermione stood and began to head back to the camp. "You've got twenty minutes. We're meeting in the center of the clan."
Twenty minutes! Draco felt like screaming. That barely gave him time to get his clothes on again and rush back to the camp, find Ginny and help her make a portkey so she could follow them!
Gritting his teeth, he waited until Hermione was out of his sight, and then began to swim to the far shore where his clothing was.
Damn her if she was her goody-goody friends were going to get all the glory for helping out the light side! Not while he was around!
**-**
Panting and puffing, Seamus crouched down slightly and began to breath in through his nose to stop breathing so hard. He, Dean, the Knights, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus had apparated to an area near the large chain of mountains that were known as the Poweeke. The area was lush and green, filled with long reed grass that swayed in the gentle, cool breeze.
The whole area at the base of the mountains was simple, with fields and meadows with hippogriffs, Pegasus', and horses grazing in the distance.
"Oy, what's that?" asked Dean, pointing as he wheezed slightly.
Dumbledore stood, radiating power, as his old blue eyes squinted against the fading sunlight.
"It appears to be a camp…" he trailed off. "Why, a Death Eater camp!"
"Are you saying this will be our battle front?" asked Cedric, looking around the fields. "Kinda anticlimactic, if you ask me."
"Perhaps we should send some of our Knights out to scout the Death Eater camp tonight?" asked Remus, glancing at Dumbledore.
He nodded. "Yes, it appears that we should do that. Sirius, could you contact Harry's group near the Black Clan? To find out how they're doing?"
Sirius nodded, and headed back into the forest that separated the fields of the Poweeke Plains between the mountains and Talamanca.
He found the other Knights who were beginning to set up camp, and asked one of them to find an owl that he could use. Once the young man returned, Sirius set off to write Harry a letter on their position and the Death Eater's placement. They weren't expecting them to set up camp so early, and especially further from the Mystic Lands, and Voldemort's Lair, but Sirius couldn't complain.
Dear Harry, he wrote on his parchment.
We've reached the Poweeke Plains, and have found a Death Eater camp here. I think they're waiting for us to begin the war with them, but we're sending scouts out tonight-in case, to see what there is. I hope you and your friends are doing well by the Black Clan. We'll keep you posted.
Sirius
Sirius folded the parchment up, and placed it in the owl's beak. "Take this Harry Potter, right away, all right?"
The owl hooted, spread her great brown wings, and took flight.
Sirius watched her go, until she was nothing but a speck in the sky.
**-**
Harry's eyes were closed; savoring the feeling of Hermione's arms wrapped around his waist, as she apparated him and Ron to the Black Clan in Eastern Poweeke territory. They had left in the afternoon, as it had taken Malfoy some time to find Ginny and kept putting off the actual time they were going to apparate away to – but finally they arrived.
Sirius and the others had left earlier to find Death Eaters, and to track Voldemort down. Harry had been out of touch with his Godfather for almost twelve hours, and he was worrying himself silly.
Opening his eyes, Harry looked around at the landscape. They were standing on soft sand, a light beige colour that was only found in Poweeke and along the shores of Talamanca. In the distance, Harry could make out the fine, darker colour of a forest, and then, for as far as he could see, were fields of long grass.
"Where's the Clan?" asked Ron, narrowing his eyes against the sunlight. "I don't see anything around here."
"It should be somewhere near here… they wouldn't go too far inland," answered Oliver, the sun glinting off his wooden staff.
"Well, let's go find it!" smiled Hermione, before skipping off down the shore, away from the Belluci Peninsula that was to the west of them.
"Hermione!" called Harry, running to catch up with her. Oliver, Draco and Ron followed, rolling their eyes.
They continued along the shoreline, when they caught up with Hermione and Harry, and found themselves talking about nothingness.
They were so caught up in their discussion about magical properties ("Asphodel and wolfsbane don't mix!" "Yes they do!") That they hardly realized that had stumbled upon the Black Clan's foundation.
Harry stumbled over some rocks, before he said, "I think we're here…"
"Why would you say that, Potty?" sneered Draco, before Harry pointed behind him. Turning, Draco saw that Harry was right; tents were propped up here and there along the shoreline.
"Those are awfully large tents," muttered Hermione, standing next to one, as she looked up. "It's nearly fourteen feet tall."
"Who would need dome-like ceilings in their nomadic homes?" pondered aloud Ron, taking a step closer to Hermione.
"The people of the Black Clan," came a new voice. The five teenagers jumped and turned, looking for the speaker.
Stepping from around a tent was a teenaged girl, with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a purple cloak, and her hood was drawn.
"Lavender!" exclaimed Ron, bounding forward. "We thought you disappeared on us in the Mystic Lands!"
"No," said the soft-spoken girl, stopping the redhead before he embraced her. "I had some business to attend to. But I see you've found your way here."
Harry nodded and stepped closer. "What are you doing here, Lavender?"
"I can because I saw that you would need my help here," she answered, looking at each of them in turn.
Hermione scoffed in a quiet voice, "divination. Ha! What rubbish!" Draco privately agreed with her.
Lavender chose to ignore her, and continued on.
"I sensed that you would need my help very soon. And you would need my guidance, Enchantress," she turned to Hermione, her blue eyes flashing in the warm spring twilight, "When it comes to the war that will begin soon."
"Do tell us something that we don't know," snickered Draco, stepping up next to Hermione, crossing his arms and shifting his weight so that his hip nearly hit Hermione's.
Harry bristled, his eyes growing darker as he regarded the two, both who had their arms crossed and teeth clenched.
"Come on, Hermione – let's look for some clues as to wear the Black Clan is," sniffed Draco, his nose in the air. Together, the two of them set off towards the middle of the camp, with Hermione's eyes locked on Harry's as they passed one another.
Harry made a move to step in line after her – still angered by the fact that Draco had called Hermione by her informal name when she gave him no permission to do so – when Ron grabbed the back of his shirt.
"Let her go, mate. She needs time to cool down. 'Sides, it's not your responsibility to go after her every time she loses her cool," he said gently, releasing his friend slowly.
Harry nodded, and turned back to Lavender. Oliver rolled his eyes and bowed his leave.
"I will be with Hermione and Lord Malfoy," he said, repulsion in his voice as he raised an eyebrow at Ron and Harry in disdain. He walked off in the same direction that the other two had gone in, his back straight and proud as he did so.
Lavender watched with her eyes hooded, wisely keeping any comments to herself.
Harry sighed, and hung his head. "So what do we do now?"
"Well," smiled Lavender, brightening up. "We should keep an eye out on the horizon to see if the Clan would return soon – would you like to take the West perimeter with myself, Ron? Harry could stay here and watch the South."
Ron nodded enthusiastically, grinning widely. He followed Lavender like a lovesick puppy, his posture completely relaxed as he walked away from his best friend for a girl.
Sighing, Harry watched them disappear, as he realized that everyone had left him. That was not something he had wanted.
Sitting down on the grass, Harry began watching the horizon of the forest, to see if anyone would walk out of it and towards the settlement, when something large and heavy fell on his shoulder in a grip that he thought would break his bones.
"Now… what do we 'ave 'ere?"
**-**
God, I feel like a total bitch for leaving this story hanging and open-ended like this for some time now. Life really snuck up on me, and since December I've been in a depression that has totally rocked my life – sometimes for the best, and for the worst.
However, I finally updated EDN, and with hopes that the next four-five chapters left will be out by the time school ends for this year in Canada. Midterms are in, and I'm more than pleased with my marks for a change. :) Yah me!
Reviews:
Liachun (Megan): Action will be coming soon, I promise you that!
Crystal Music: LOL, Hermione and Harry are about seventeen, eighteen in the story; I'm kind of basing this story on "olden days" and their traditional values where people got married (or bonded) young. I'm glad you think I'm staying in character, it's actually VERY hard, and I do hope I'm doing a good job! ((Looks worried)) LOL, as for grammar and spelling, if my spell check doesn't pick it up, then I'm only guessing it's right, even after I double-check it. I'm no queen of grammar, but I can say that I do try. I'll work harder on noticing the problems though. Truth be told, I've only seen about two Record of Lodoss War episodes, but I loved them! Thanks for your review!
Marian: HELLO LUV!! It's been a while, hasn't it?? ((Grins)) Thanks for your review, Marian – LOL, I know you like EDN, but I'm hardly better than Tolkien! Maybe Jane Austen… but not Tolkien ((laughs and jokes))
Anonymous: Thanks for the review!!
Evil666: The outline is written – I just need to fill everything out with the dialogue and the other necessities now, but for the most part, the story is written and nearly done. BTW, like your name! ;)
Sugar Quill: Thank you!! Hope you enjoyed this part!
Stoneheart: Do I really need to tell you how much I enjoyed and loved your review by now? ((Grins)) Do know that I've been taking your Ginny-Draco reformations in light, and it seems you might be getting that wish!! ;) Stay tuned for the Crouching Gryffindor and the Hidden Slytherin – they'll confront one another soon!
To anyone else who read but didn't review: Thanks for reading and keep enjoying the story!!
~ Kneazle (April 11, 2003)
