A/N- I only got 2 reviews for the first chapter, but I will keep writing. Hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Disclaimer- I do not own anything or anyone you recognize from the Harry Potter series.
Flying with the Enemy
Chapter Two
Hermione folded a pink halter top and gently placed it into her suitcase. Contrary to popular belief, Hermione was not a nun. She did dress according to the weather, and Brazil was going to be extremely hot. Hence, she packed shorts and tank tops, mixed in with the occasional halter top and skirt. People believed she was "prude" because she didn't wear the low cut outfits that many girls at Hogwarts had begun to wear, following in the footsteps of a Miss Pansy Parkinson, whom Hermione despised. She would not lower herself to dressing like her. Also, Hermione did not appreciate the fact that girls who wore this sort of clothing were stared at by the male gender like they were a piece of meat. Hermione did not feel that she would enjoy such behavior, nonetheless be able to deal with it without throwing some nasty hexes at the offending person.
At the sound of her door creaking open, Hermione whipped her head around, and her wand was out within seconds. Ron entered the room, and his hands immediately went above his head in surrender. "Bloody hell, Hermione! Is that the kind of welcome I get?"
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Ron. After the battle I've been trying to be more on guard."
Ron somberly nodded. "You can never be too careful." There was an awkward moment of silence. Hermione hated the fact that she, Ron and Harry had been having a lot of those moments ever since Dumbledore died. It made her so upset to see that such a comfortable friendship could be reduced to silence by death. But so many had died, she was lucky that Ron and Harry had survived. On sudden impulse, Hermione breached the space between her and Ron and wrapped her arms around him. Ron hugged her fiercely in return. This would be the first time they would be so far apart since the death of their headmaster.
After Dumbledore had died, Harry, Ron and Hermione had taken to sleeping in the common room so that they could be together. Harry didn't sleep much, but Hermione felt that he liked the idea of having his best friends close at all times. Even during the summer, the three had stayed at the Burrow. Hermione had cancelled her summer trip with her parents to stay with them, and they didn't spend more than an hour out of each others' sight. But now, they would be separated, far apart, with Hermione on a different continent. They stood there, entwined in each others arms, when Hermione felt another body wrap its arms around her. Harry had soundlessly entered the room and joined them. Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes as she wrapped an arm around Harry.
"If you ever need anything, just let us know," Harry said.
"And if anybody tries to hurt you, you give us a call. We'll be there as soon as we can," Ron sternly instructed. Hermione laughed, and more tears streamed down her face. She pulled them closer.
"I will," she whispered. It warmed her heart to know that her two best friends would go to any lengths to protect her. "But I don't want to distract you two from your jobs. You'll have enough distractions already."
Harry turned to her. "Don't you go there. You are more important than our job. I couldn't bear it if I lost you as well," Harry choked out the last part, and his eyes clouded over with sadness. This caused Hermione to hold him even tighter, and assure him that she wouldn't die, that she could take care of herself, but that she would contact them if anything went wrong. The three friends stood there for a while longer, relishing each others embrace, and holding the moment as long as they could, until they were forced to accept the sudden change that was about to occur.
Hermione awoke the next morning to the smell Mrs. Weasley's pancakes wafting through her room. She turned over and saw that Ginny had already made her bed and taken her luggage downstairs. Rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, Hermione swung her legs over the bed and stood up. Hermione crossed the room to the small closet, and pulled out the last two items of clothing it contained- a pair of faded blue jeans, and a white t-shirt emblazoned with the name of Hermione's favorite muggle band- The Plain White T's. Hermione pulled out the last pair of socks from the drawer Ginny cleared for her undergarments, as well as the last pair of underwear and the last bra. All these last things were making Hermione's eyes tear up. After wiping the tears from her eyes, Hermione changed into her clothes. All through brushing her teeth and pulling her hair into a ponytail, Hermione thought about Brazil. She would miss Harry and Ron, but at least she had Charlie to help her. Hermione always thought Charlie was a great guy. He was smart, outgoing, and by far the best looking Weasley. Not that it mattered to her; it would be just too weird dating him. He was like her brother. Now that she thought about it, she had a lot of people that were "like a brother" to her. All the Weasley's, except for Ginny, she was "like a sister", as well as Harry.
Hermione sighed, and adjusted her t-shirt in front of the mirror. With that, she headed downstairs for the final meal she would eat with her friends for a long, long time.
The meal was tear-filled and solemn. Harry and Ron kept reminding Hermione to contact them if anything went wrong, and she kept assuring them that no, nothing would go wrong, and yes, she would call them if the very rare moment occurred that something did. After last traces of breakfast were cleared from the plates, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat.
"As you all know, this is our last meal together before we depart to conduct our separate tasks. But we all need to be in contact with each other throughout the course of this job. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to charm each of these seemingly ordinary items with a telecommunication charm that will allow you to contact any Order member from any location in the world." Professor McGonagall pulled out a wooden box filled with bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pens, quills, scarves, and various other items. A series of approving sounds filled the air. "All you need to do is say the name of the person you wish to reach within two inches of the item. There is voice recognition on every item, so only a member of the Order will be able to use it. Once you activate the communicator, you will be able to communicate with your fellow Order member using your thoughts. But use this in only dire times of need, as the charm will gradually lose its power." Hermione noticed that some of the accident-prone Order members, such as Tonks, had a worried expression across their faces when they heard that last part. But McGonagall paid them no attention and continued.
"These charms also work as portkeys. Just perform the portkey activating charm on the object within two inches of it, and the portkey will activate in exactly five seconds. During those five seconds, you must say the name of the Order member you wish to reach." Hermione was surprised that McGonagall could manage to do all of this to the items in just a matter of days. It was extremely advanced magic. As Professor McGonagall ended her instruction, Hermione glanced around at the members of the Order. There was Tonks, Lupin, Ron, then Harry all seated to her left. To her right were the rest of the Weasleys, with the exception of Percy. Nobody had heard from him in a while, and Hermione was sure she could hear Mrs. Weasley crying over him at night. Across the table were several new faces, most of whom were graduates from Hogwarts, with a few from elsewhere. Hermione wasn't familiar with many of them, but if McGonagall accepted them into the Order, she would trust them. She glanced down the table and saw Charlie subtly charming Bill's ponytail to stand straight up. Bill didn't notice, and Hermione found it hard to suppress her giggles. Charlie looked up and caught her eye. A grin spread across his face, and he winked at her. Hermione smiled. At least she would have good company while away. As McGonagall passed the box around, Hermione picked out a thin gold chain with a ruby pendant while still in a daze. She clasped the pretty piece of jewelry around her neck and continued to watch everybody around her.
The words "time to depart" jerked Hermione out of her observing. Professor McGonagall had just addressed the entire Order that it was time to leave. Leave? Hermione was sure she wasn't ready to leave. It was too soon! There was just a battle for Merlin's sake! She needed to stay with Harry and Ron! Hermione felt her breath coming in short bursts. Stop it, Hermione, she told herself. Get a hold of yourself. You can do this. You've done harder things before. Her breathing slowed to a more normal pace, and Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder. A turn of her head showed that it was Ginny, with tears in her eyes. The two wordlessly stood and locked in a sisterly embrace.
"I'll miss you, Hermione," Ginny sniffed. Hermione felt her tears seeping into her shirt. She was sure Ginny could feel hers seeping through her own shirt.
"I'll miss you too, Gin," Hermione choked out. The two girls pulled away. Hermione held Ginny at arms length. "Keep in touch?"
"Always," Ginny smiled. The two embraced once again, and then Hermione turned to Ron. She threw her arms around him, then around Harry. She looked at her two best friends, trying to memorize every detail of their faces, so she could remember them for the rest of the summer. Though the trip would only last a little over a month, Hermione felt like she was leaving forever. Harry and Ron held her close, and Hermione felt safe. They broke apart, tears streaming down each and every one of their faces. Hermione let out a laugh. She wasn't leaving forever. But then why did it hurt this much? Hermione knew the answer to this. She was used to Ron and Harry being extremely protective over her, and without them she felt vulnerable. She never wanted to let them go. Harry turned to Hermione.
"You stay safe, alright?" He tapped her nose. Hermione laughed and nodded. Then Ron broke in.
"And if anyone does anything to hurt you, we want to hear about. Even if they just give you a dirty look." Hermione nodded once again, her chest tightening.
"I want daily reports from the two of you," she instructed.
"Yes mum," Ron replied. Harry just grinned.
"We expect the same of you," he said, his green eyes once again. Hermione felt this trip would be good for him. It would give him a chance to get away from all the fighting, all the pressure. Hermione didn't think he would want to leave America once he got there, though he was reluctant to leave. Ron would stay with Harry wherever he went. But with the way Ron had matured, Hermione knew that task would prove much harder once they reached Hogwarts, as the female population would most probably be lusting over the Weasley. With all that sudden attention, Ron just won't know what to do. And if he gets a girlfriend…Hermione chuckled to herself. The idea of Ron with a girlfriend seemed preposterous. With one last squeeze, Hermione released her best friends, and moved on to say her farewells to the rest of the Order.
About an hour later, Hermione was shrinking her luggage and putting it safely inside a little backpack Mrs. Weasley had given her, filled with food. All except for the Animagus book. Hermione had a strange feeling that she would need to keep that close to her. Hermione had just said goodbye to the last of the Order, and she felt like her ribs would crack if one more person reached over to embrace her. You'd think they would be gentler, considering our ranks are numbered, she thought to herself. Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to find Charlie.
"Are you ready?" He asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye. Hermione knew Charlie was quite the prankster; he just didn't publicize it as much as Fred and George. She had learned that when she had woken up one morning to find her legs glued to her bed with the most cunning sticking charm. When Fred and George hadn't owned up to it, she had done some researching herself, and found that the culprit was none other than Charlie Weasley. Hermione nodded and smiled. Charlie held out his arm.
"Shall we depart, milady?" Hermione giggled. Time will fly with Charlie with me, she thought. Jokingly, Hermione linked her arm through his.
"We shall, my prince." Charlie led her to a black sedan that was waiting at the end to their street. The two climbed in, and once they were situated, Charlie exclaimed in a joyous tone, "To Brazil!" There was a sudden lurch, and Hermione found herself thrown to the front of the seat. The car sped away until it reached an empty valley, where it then rose into the sky. Charlie experienced the whole ordeal with a huge grin on his face, like Muggles would on a rollercoaster. But Hermione was feeling rather sick. I better put on my seatbelt. Who knows what could happen. Hermione cautiously buckled her seatbelt, and received a questioning look from Charlie.
"It's a muggle safety device," she explained. Charlie just rolled his eyes and announced he was going to sleep, and to wake him up when they got there. Hermione obliged, and turned over to look out the window at the rolling blue sky, when there was a crinkling noise that came from her pocket. Curiously, she stuck her hand into the back pocket of her jeans, and pulled out the letter she had found in Harry's invisibility cloak during the battle. She was about to open the seal when she thought better of it. A battle raged in her head. It's his personal mail, I really shouldn't. But what if he's keeping something from us? Merlin knows he's done that before. But he really only wanted to keep Ron and you safe! Yes, but he always ended up in trouble! Ignoring her better instinct, Hermione peeled open the crimson wax that held the envelope together. With trembling hands, she slid out the parchment that was inside and unfolded it. What she read below rocked her to the core.
Dear Mr. Harry Potter,
I am deeply sorry that you will not be returning to our school next year. I understand the reasons, and I hope you will return to finish your schooling after the War has ended.
Yours truly,
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall
Second Order of Merlin
Hermione was shocked. How could he do this? When was he planning to tell us? He lied to us all! He told us he was coming back to Hogwarts! She was suddenly overcome with a sense of pure rage, one she hadn't felt before. Fuming, she turned back towards the window to watch the scenes pass by and to sort out her muddled thoughts.
After about two hours of endless staring out the window, Hermione felt herself drifting in and out of sleep. When she was in the short time frames of sleep, she found herself dreaming of flying. The dreams were complete with the sickening flying sensation she got when she tried to fly a broomstick. After a few spells of that sensation, Hermione decided it would be better not to fall asleep, unless she wanted to lose her breakfast.
In another three hours, the driver announced that they would be landing in about five minutes. Hermione thought it best to wake Charlie at this time, being that he had slept for the entire six hours of the trip. She nudged him with her hand, while telling him that they were almost there, and that it was time to wake up. But the man would not awaken. God this is frustrating, Hermione thought. I wonder if I could try screaming…Hermione took a deep breath and let out the shrillest scream she could muster. The car lurched forward, as the driver tried to cover his ears and block out the incessant screeching. Hermione clung to her seatbelt as they plummeted towards the landmass she recognized as Brazil. Dear Merlin, don't let me die. Not before I get to become an Animagus! Not before Voldemort is killed! Not before I get married! Not before I have children! Hermione had barely noticed that Charlie slid down over the seat, and hit his head on the windshield. He hadn't been wearing his seatbelt. But a great lurch in her stomach snapped her out of her thoughts as the car did a full backwards flip in the air. Charlie had flown towards the back of the car, and then again hit the windshield, bounced off, and landed on the driver. They were both trying, but failing to put the car right, since the steering wheel had broken off when Charlie had flown towards the windshield. Hermione screamed. Thank god for anti-breakage charms. Okay Hermione, think calmly. What should you do? What should you do! You're about to die! DO SOMETHING! Hermione shakily pulled out her wand and muttered a charm that ripped three of the headrests out of the chairs. Gaining more momentum and confidence, Hermione changed them all into parachutes.
She then charmed them onto the backs of the driver, Charlie and herself. Come on, Hermione, you can do this, she told herself. With a shaky hand, she raised her wand. And blew the windshield to pieces. Everyone was now being pushed to the back of the car. Fighting against the wind, she twisted around and shattered the back windshield as well. The wind gushed through the broken glass and turned her stomach inside out as it pushed her through the front windshield and into the air. Hermione felt stray pieces of glass embed themselves into her back and upper arms. Charlie and the driver were flying through the air beside her. Hermione pulled the string on her parachute, and it inflated with air. Her stomach slowly began to settle as she drifted through the air. She looked beside her to see that the driver and Charlie had followed her actions and were now floating down to the ground as well. Suddenly she heard a loud whirring, and whipped her head around. The car. Bloody hell! I forgot about the car! The car in question was speeding through the air at an extremely fast pace. Closing her eyes, Hermione prayed and waited for the impact that was sure to take her life. But she hurt a huge explosion, and she opened her eyes to find Charlie with his wand out, and a mass of dust swimming around where the car was only seconds below. Hermione turned to say thank you to the man who had just saved her life, but another lurch claimed her stomach, and turned to the side as she lost her breakfast.
Charlie laughed. "I feel sorry for whoever that lands on!" he shouted to her. Hermione rolled her eyes, exhausted, and let sleep claim her as she drifted through the air.
Crack! Hermione felt a sharp pain in the back of her head as she hit the ground. She saw white lights in her vision, and started to vigorously blink her eyes to eliminate them. Heavy laughter filled the air. Hermione moved her body into a sitting position to find Charlie Weasley pointing at her and laughing.
"You…fell…sweet Merlin…" Charlie was having trouble stringing together a coherent sentence through his laughter. A frown spread across Hermione's face. She was not in the mood for jokes. Crossing her arms across her chest, Hermione waited for Charlie to stop laughing. Any day now. But Charlie continued to laugh, till the point where he was rolling around on the grass, clutching his stomach. Even the driver was becoming quite annoyed.
"Petrificus Totileus!" Hermione shouted, pulling out her wand, and putting Charlie in a full-body bind. She let out an exasperated sigh, and waved her wand again, causing the parachutes to disappear. Then she bent down to the grass, and separated it with her hands, finding a small pebble. With a little charm, the pebble was transformed into a portkey back to the Order Headquarters. Handing the pebble to the driver, she gave him strict instructions to destroy the portkey as soon as he reached Headquarters. Within a minute, the driver was gone.
Hermione turned back to Charlie. He was looking at her, with his hands clasped to his sides, lying on the grass, with a mischievous glint in his eye. With much regret, Hermione undid the charm, only to have Charlie burst out in laughter again. It was getting rather unbearable. Not being able to think of anything else to do, Hermione screamed.
"CHARLIE WEASLEY! YOU STOP THAT INCESSANT LAUGHTER THIS SECOND! OR I WILL BE FORCED TO CALL YOUR MOTHER!" Charlie's laughter immediately ceased.
"No need to bring mum into this, Hermione," Charlie warned.
"Sorry. But you were giving me a headache," she countered.
"So," Charlie said, surveying the land with his hands in his pockets. "We lost all our stuff. All I have with me is a sack of Galleons and my Order badge," Hermione sighed.
"I guess we'll find the nearest town, and then move on from there. This is definatly not going according to plan," she sighed. Charlie's face suddenly lit up. "What?" Hermione was almost afraid to ask.
"I have a friend from Romania who was moved to Brazil! Nasty case of Brazilian Bluebacks down here. Illegal hunters were killing them off for their hide. John had to come down to help breed them so the species wouldn't entirely die out. Lucky bloke got transferred. I helped him out of a rough spot a while ago. He should be able to take us in for a month," Charlie suggested.
"Brazilian Bluebacks? I've never read about those," Hermione was surprised. When Hagrid had taken in Norbert, she had made sure to read every book she could get her hands on in the library on the subject to insure nobody would be harmed. But she had never come across any book even mentioning the Brazilian Blueback.
"Beautiful creatures," Charlie began wistfully. "I only wish I had seen one up close. Almost extinct though. Illegal hunters killed them off. Their hide is known for its bloody good armor and healing powers. It's also highly poisonous in the right potions. But mostly for the color. Brazilian Blueback hide is the purest sapphire blue. It glistens like the gems as well. Sometimes their scales are even found to be made of sapphire. The hide is very popular to be woven into cloaks and boots," Charlie finished. Hermione was awed. She had never heard of a dragon so powerful and useful.
"How many are left?" she questioned. If the dragons were so rare, she would be lucky to see them being bred.
"About ten. In the entire world." Charlie looked crestfallen. Hermione knew dragons meant a lot to him. "It takes ten years for a female Blueback to lay an egg. By the time they even get pregnant, they've been killed,"
"Wow," Hermione was speechless. Even the thought of people killing things bothered her. "I say we go for it."
Charlie grinned. "Well then. I believe we will soon be included in those fortunate enough to be within ten feet of a Brazilian Blueback."
"How are we going to reach this John's house? We don't even know where we are!" Hermione was starting to get worried. What if they never reached a town?
"Oh don't worry, Hermione," Charlie sarcastically began. "We'll just use a simple tracking charm!" Charlie grinned as Hermione rolled her eyes. Sometimes the simplest things evaded her complex thinking habits. Charlie quickly performed the tracking charm, and they began to walk in the direction that Charlie's wand was pointing to.
Hermione and Charlie walked for hours. The sun was slowly beginning to set behind them, and Hermione could no longer feel her legs. She was sure that if she walked another hour they would surely fall off. The tediously long walk began with some traces of conversation between the two, but as the trek grew longer, and the sun grew dimmer, their voices dwindled off. Hermione was breathing hard now, as they were climbing up a steep hill. She concentrated on moving her legs. One step with the left, another with the right. Almost there now, Hermione. She had been telling herself that for the past few hours, and it never seemed to come true. Hermione was listing the ways she could get back at Charlie for the immature parachute trick, when she heard the man yell.
"Get down!" Charlie flung himself toward Hermione and pushed her over. Dazed, she felt an intense heat passing over her body. As she looked up, she saw a streak of fire shoot above her head. Breathing hard, Charlie and Hermione cautiously got up off the ground.
"Thanks," Hermione murmured.
"No problem. Can't have my brother's best friend dying at the hands of my expertise," Charlie smirked. Hermione found it shocking how he always seemed to make a joke out of near death experiences.
"Well," Hermione stated with the relief clear in her voice. "I guess we're here." Charlie climbed up on a rock and stretched out to his full height.
"Want to do something fun?" he asked Hermione with a glint in his eyes. Before Hermione could open her mouth to reply with a witty comment, Charlie let out a guttural roar followed by a short whistle. A slow tremor started across the ground, which soon evolved into a full-fledged shaking. Hermione was having trouble keeping her balance, but Charlie was standing tall on the rock, embracing the experience. What the bloody hell is he doing! Is he trying to get us killed! The next thing Hermione saw confirmed her thoughts. The most beautiful dragon she had ever seen was racing towards them, its hind legs thundering across the ground. Hermione was speechless as she saw the giant beast skid to a stop in front of Charlie and let out a small grunt. She watched in awe as Charlie petted the creature on its ankle, and it slowly lay down the ground.
Charlie motioned to Hermione. "Come here," he whispered. Hermione slowly walked over to Charlie, aware of the Brazilian Blueback watching her every move. Still gazing into the dragon's deep blue eyes, that seemed to be trained onto her, Hermione stopped next to Charlie. Charlie cautiously climbed onto the dragon's back, and Hermione followed suit. "Ready?" Charlie asked. Hermione had a feeling it wouldn't matter if she was ready or not. She was right.
Without waiting for her answer, Charlie once again let out a howl, and the dragon flung itself into the air. Hermione quickly wrapped her arms around one of the spikes on its back and held on for dear life. Charlie let out a whoop and threw his hands up into the air. He is crazy. Bloody Merlin. What did I get stuck with? Soon Hermione grew less afraid, and started to enjoy the feeling. She like the wind whipping through her hair, the exhilaration of being hundreds of feet above the ground, the risk of being able to die in a split second. Blocking out the ecstatic shouts of joy coming from the man in front of her, Hermione examined her surroundings from an aerial view.
Rich green grass spread across the ground. Little villages scattered across the many hills and prairies. The deep blue of the ocean that Hermione felt she could just reach out and capture between her fingers. The blue that was the same color as the hide beneath her, sparkling and glinting in the sun. The creature was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. But the beauty was not in vain, for Hermione could feel the muscles of the creature beneath her, the power beneath the beauty. She could feel the dragon's love for the air, love for the land, all around love for life itself. She could feel its free joy of living, unattached with the world at its feet. This was how Hermione longed to be. But she knew it would never happen. She had friends to help, Dark Lords to conquer. Only then could she be free, like the dragon. Harry wasn't the only one with a destiny. Sadly, Hermione could feel the dragon begin to descend. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel her stomach argue. She could feel her heart embrace life in the skies, and wished it would never end.
The dragon touched down lightly onto the ground, which surprised Hermione. She had been expecting a powerful landing, judging by the weight of the creature. Slowly she climbed off the dragon, missing the exhilaration of the flight. Charlie looked at her expectantly. A huge grin spread across her face.
"That was bloody amazing!" she exclaimed. Charlie laughed.
"I'm glad you liked it. Now let's go find John." Charlie led her towards the house, where they knocked on the door. A jovial man answered, about five feet and seven inches, a little shorter than Charlie. He had a head of sandy brown hair, a smile on his face, and eyes that reminded her of Dumbledore.
"Charlie! So happy to see you! And who is this young lady?" John gestured to Hermione, with a suggestive eyebrow quirk. Charlie chuckled.
"This would be Hermione Granger. My little brother's best friend. Off limits to you," Charlie added with a stern voice. Hermione laughed. Charlie went on to explain their situation and John gladly invited them to say with him. He let them in and explained that he was just eating dinner with his wife, Kate. Charlie and Hermione gladly accepted his invitation to food, and ate their fill. Hermione stayed quite during the meal, still thinking about the dragon. After dinner, John and Kate showed Charlie and Hermione to their rooms, and offered to drive them to the nearest village to buy more clothes the next day. The two agreed, and opted to turn in for the night. They had had enough excitement for the day.
But Hermione had other plans. With a hasty excuse that she wanted to take a little walk on the grounds, she headed outside. After enlarging the Animagus book that she was now glad she had kept safely in her pocket, she set off in search of the dragon.
A/N- That's the end of this chapter. I bet you can guess what's coming up next. But don't worry, there's a twist. A very nice twist…Anyway, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Hope you liked this chapter. I tried to make it a little longer than the last.
