Thanks for the reviews everybody! You guys are so thoughtful! And thanks for the proposal Gabby. I didn't really plan for Ron to be in this story so he really won't be around. But maybe I'll stick him in when ………… oops, almost spilled it. And don't worry about a happy ending, I plan to (at least I hope) make it one but the way things are going, who knows. But thanks for the suggestion Gabby. I am open to any suggestions out there! (as long as they aren't flames!)
Enough chat. On with the story!
Chapter 14: You!
She was dead. The deatheaters had killed her and she was waiting to go to heaven.
Then why the hammering pounding that obstinately refused to leave her head?
Hermione opened her eyes and found to her relief that she wasn't even close to kicking the bucket. Yet she wasn't exactly a boundless bird in the open atmosphere either. As Hermione strived to get back onto her own two feet, she found herself fettered to a stone wall. Both arms and legs sported a metal shackle, hence making Hermione in a very confounding position.
"Well, I'm happy to note that I'm not the only jailbird in this shoddy location."
If it weren't for the shackles, Hermione would unquestionably tackle Lupin with one of her full-sized squeezes.
"Lupin, oh Lupin!" Hermione cried with bliss. "You're alive! You're actually living!"
"Well, last time I checked I was." Lupin retorted heatedly. "I thought I told you to stay with Myra. Seemingly, you were hard of hearing to my minimal directives."
"Oh sure," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And just let you get sadistically snuffed out there! I think I would rather take the Killing Curse."
Lupin glowered at her, his eyes raged with infuriation.
"So you abandoned that nut in the café to jeopardize your life on the line for me?" he asked sourly.
"Yes and no. Either way, I was headed towards internment." Hermione answered. "They found her in the place. What they did with her, don't ask me cause I don't know."
Lupin shrugged.
"Not that it mattered to me," he said. "I didn't really have a penchant for that demented lady."
"Except for her prophecy." Hermione indicated.
Lupin nodded. Hermione was precise. Though Myra was basically nothing but a mock-up, she did produce a real prophecy.
"Wait –" Lupin held his hand up as if shushing Hermione, even though her lips were sealed. "I've been thinking of the prophecy. It makes it sound like a warfare is going to grow."
"I know." Hermione concurred. "But what's going to happ –"
"Ahhhh, I see our two, newest hostages have roused."
Hermione and Lupin revolved to the pitiless voice.
"Cho Chang." Hermione said hardheartedly. "Nice to see you again. It's been awhile, hasn't it?"
"Oh yes." Cho said melodiously, a bit too melodiously. "I would say a long while. We really do need to catch up on old times, don't we Herms?"
Hermione scowled. She particularly disapproved of Luna's use of her epithet, but Cho made it sound as wintry ice, jagged and malicious.
"Just tell us where Harry is." Lupin cut in, getting promptly to the purpose of their travel.
Cho's Cheshire Cat smile swelled larger as she laughed.
"But that would blemish the fun!" Cho opposed giddily. Glancing at Hermione, she scorned, "After all, why ruin exuberance when it is merely commencing?"
Lupin and Hermione looked at each other. They may have been bolted up, but that didn't stop their minds from reeling. What was Cho going at? What was she so spitefully concealing from them that she individually knew?
"What are you playing at?" Lupin asked cagily.
Cho chortled with joviality.
"What are you talking about?" she derided. "I'm simply in employment for –"
Hermione and Lupin gasped at the name Cho discharged.
"Oh my god, I didn't say that!" Cho shrieked with apprehension. Clutching her face in indignity, she sniveled, "Why did I say that! Why oh why oh why! He's going to kill me for sure!"
Hermione grasped Lupin's hand fretfully. So it had been Him behind all this ghastly balderdash! How could he! After so many years! He had had plenty a time to commit his grisly corruptions yet he waited until now. So many pieces of the puzzle were coming together so hastily that she lost track. They all had thought he had gone with the Dark Lord, but it was blatant that they were flawed. He had returned, and all the iniquity came along for the rutted ride.
"So what does all of this have to do with Luna and Harry?" Hermione wondered orally.
Lupin shrugged while Cho gave her the evil eye.
Then … Hermione understood. She comprehended everything. Harry's abduction, Cho's fixation, His comeback, everything added up to a perfect total.
"That's it!" Hermione cried. "That's the meaning of the prediction! And you knew from start to finish!" Hermione indicted, laying her eyesight upon Cho.
Cho glowered at her, her ire flickering in her eyes.
"Guards, take Mrs. Malfoy to the classified penitentiaries, now!" she charged the security that swarmed around her; for fear that Lupin or Hermione might attempt to injure their mistress.
However, they simply sat on their feet, bewildered by Cho's words.
"Mrs. Malfoy?" they declared. "Do you mean –"
"Shut up and do your work!" Cho hissed.
The deatheaters nodded meekly before crossing the threshold into Hermione's cubicle.
"Come with us." they said sinisterly. Grabbing the ends of Hermione's chains, they unfettered her from the wall before heaving her outside and down the hall before Lupin could see no more of them.
"So you are hiding something!" Lupin verified.
Cho merely glared at him.
"If you want to keep your life, you better conserve those words of yours." she said turbulently before spinning on her heel.
"Luna, precious, wake up."
Harry materialized into view as her perception grew translucent.
"Harry!" Luna mumbled.
Harry grinned his childish grin as he shushed her lips with a finger.
"Luna, listen," he instructed steadfastly. "You have to get to Cho's citadel and overthrow her. She grows more dominant after every word we speak. You have to get there and salvage Lupin and Hermione from their confinements."
"What the hell are they doing there?" Luna cried, enraged.
Harry shook his head.
"Now's not the time, love." he said. Taking her hand, he jerked her onto her feet and recompensed her with long lost kiss.
"Ummmmm……" Luna moaned with gratification. How long had it been since Harry had last kissed her? 2, 3 weeks?
"Try two months." Harry replied to Luna's thoughts.
"Huh? Harry? How did you know… wait! Where are you going! Harry come back! Come back!"
Harry's image diminished from Luna's view. Luna tried to run, but her feet demurred to run. She tried to extend, but her arms were lodged in place. Luna opened her mouth to scream but it was congested with water. Salty water.
Luna exposed her eyes to a world of cerulean blue. Gasping, she was only just able to push herself upwards instead of declining to a waterlogged outcome.
Luna thrashed about to keep from plummeting to the ocean's vigorous pull.
Flitting her head around, she was fairly obliged to spy a line of land relaxing on the dimming horizon.
The sun had finally died when Luna attained land. Resting her head backwards, she let the supple pebbles caress her to sleep. The sea had ingested whatever potency she hd once contained.
Sleep dispensed through her body all night and throughout the morning. By the time she had revived from her slumber, the sun had scalded her skin to a dark tan.
Luna expended most of her afternoon, striving to find people-inhabited places. But no stoke of luck was upon her.
She loped through the undergrowth. Kindling grazed her legs and branches became enmeshed in her hair. Would she ever come upon whatever she was seeking for?
"I've … got ……… to ….stop." Luna puffed as she parked herself on an expired tree trunk.
Foliage rifted behind her. Luna spun around, wary for any hazard prowling around her.
Except, it wasn't essential for her to extract her wand out at all.
"You!" Luna gasped.
Just to build up the anticipation, I think I'll end it right there. You're just going to have to wait until I post the next chapter. But until then, you could do me a magnificent act of kindness and help me out a little by ………
REVIEWING!
So, if you do, thanks!
Adios!
