Disclaimer: Hogwarts, and most of the characters in this story do not belong to me, sadly enough, but to JK Rowling. I am just borrowing them for my and, I hope your, pleasures. As I hate reading these words at each beginning of chapter, I will not write them again.
Author's note:
Just to let know everyone, this will eventually become a Hermione/Severus romance. So, if you don't like the pairing, you probably won't like the ending too much. If you decide to go ahead reading anyway, don't say that I haven't warned you
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To live happily ever after?
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Chapter 1: Reunion.
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The hot and humid air of the jungle conjugated to the burning sun of Brazil made her mane stuck to her neck. Not that she minded that much, as a good shake always freed the long red-gold stands. It's just that she was yearning for a dive in the crystal clear water of the lake and knew that she couldn't. She dipped her head toward the water and studied her reflection there: while her left eye was still deep brown in colour, her right one was showing specks of silver even in this form. The long horn in the middle of her forehead was shining gold, while the rest of her had hues of red and orange, seeming to change with the light. Like she had been told and called several times, she was looking like a unicorn made of living fire.
She broke the smooth water surface with a snort and raised her head high to look at the sky above. Crystal clear blue. There was no way her father had been right. She would have felt it by now. Still, Kalarash had never been wrong, in all the years she had known him. So the unicorn cast her awareness away. The jungle was hers. She knew every tree, every blade of grass, every flower, every creature living there. Even the other unicorns recognised her as something more. For she was something more after all.
For a moment, she nearly thought that this would be the time she would prove Kalarash wrong. Then she felt it. She had become the best for that. This power was unknown to the jungle, foreign to the very earth on this part of the world. But she knew it, she knew it quite well. And they weren't supposed to be here.
The unicorn reared up and took flight toward the intruders, all the way thinking what they could be doing here. Deep inside, she knew there was only one answer logical to that question: they knew she was here, they were coming for her. Apparently, she hadn't fled far enough, all those years ago. But she was done running away now, and if they wanted her back, she would tooth and nail. Or horn and hoof.
As she was running, wildly jumping over logs and through bushes, the rush of air she was feeling above her told her that she wasn't the only one on the trail. Yes, she was the best, but her brother was also very good at tracking magic. And after all, he had been the one receive the premonition that those magic intruders would come. She didn't even try to look for him. She knew very well that she wouldn't see him until he decided so. And the others wouldn't either. Very soon, the sounds of people trekking through the jungle came to her ears. She slowed her run to a canter before stopping totally. She took a long and deep breath letting the scents inside her. Ten of them, all tired and hot, which would be quite normal, in particular if they were wearing wizard robes.
The unicorn shook her head at the very thought, a shudder running across her back. She took careful, silent steps toward the group. They were walking toward her, by the sound of it. Letting her awareness go once more, the unicorn felt a clearing right between her and them. They would stop to rest. The sun having started to sink, they would maybe even make their camp there. That is, if she let them. And she had no intention to do so.
At the very moment they set foot in the clearing, she gathered herself and jumped ahead, right in their sight. They all stood there, gaping at her. Then the two youngest took a hesitant step forward.
'Hermione?'
The unicorn shook her head, sending her mane in every direction, her gaze on the intruders. Her hoof beat the ground. She looked on as an old and severe-looking witch came forward in turn.
'That's alright. Calm down. We're not going to hurt you. We know it's you. Just let go of the unicorn inside, Hermione.'
The unicorn just snorted. McGonagall seemed to believe it, but the five members of the group she didn't know already had their wands out. The tall black-haired wizard on her right took a step to place himself between them and her. Snape being considerate? Or knowing full well that the spells had few chances to hit her but every to scare her away. Hagrid stepped forward, the last of those she knew.
'Com' on, unicorn. We just want ter look at yeh. Yeh know how pretty yeh are, don't yeh. The first fire-coloured unicorn I've seen.'
The unicorn smiled to herself. He was the one using the good tactic. Well, he would if they were facing a real unicorn. The unicorn playfully took a bounce away from the intruders.
'She's getting away.'
'Catch her!' 'Stun her!' 'Wait!' The shouts all came out at the same time. The spells shot out of the wands a fraction of second later. The unicorn just stood there. Stunning spells were nothing to her; she had learnt to endure them. But it took her less than a second to realise that something was wrong in the feeling of something hanging round her neck. She looked down to see a shimmering silver rope dangling there. The other end was the wand of one of the unknown men.
'Miss Hermione Granger,' he said, 'you officially under arrest by the Ministry of Magic. Please, change back to your human form now or we will have to...'
But a gust of wind cut the rest of his sentence, and before the group of ten knew what was happening, the steel points of drawn swords were under their throats.
'I will kindly ask you to release my sister or face the consequences of your intrusion on our grounds.'
Felaol's voice was soft and he actually was holding Minerva McGonagall, who had nearly fallen over when the rescue team had entered the scene. But the steel in his voice could clearly be heard, the ice in his silver eyes clearly seen. Apparently, the Ministry hadn't expected that, for the wands were surrendered quickly and the magical rope removed. The unicorn shook herself, then gazed steadily at the group. Felaol turned his eyes to her.
'Do you know them, Valiele?'
The foreigners looked somewhat puzzled at the name but Harry Potter still spoke up.
'We've known Hermione for years.'
Felaol hadn't even taken his eyes from the unicorn, when the young man had spoken. Felaol cocked his head on one side, before asking.
'Friends?'
Shining gold and silver lights suddenly lit up the clearing. When the lights subdued enough for the humans present to see, Hermione Granger was sanding in stead of the gold unicorn.
'Acquaintances.' Hermione answered, glaring at the group in front of her.
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Chapter 2 coming soon.