Hermione was consumed by the cold embrace of waves, sinking further into the green-reeded world like a stone. Kicking her way towards the surface of the river, Hermione gasped for her air and coughed out splutters of water. She watched the ripples of Draco's landing spot emit into enormous circles. She floated in place, frantically looking for her other opponent.
Just as she had expected, the manticore was flailing helplessly in the water near the bridge of the waterfall. It's head bobbed up and under the waves as it clawed at the water, trying for something, anything to hold onto, frantic shrieks of fear echoing about the side of the walls. Hermione watched as the manticore's movements seemed to slow, it's head going under for much longer than needed. A light pinch of guilt struck her heart as it came up for one final breath before finally disappearing beneath the dark, rippling river.
Hermione whipped around when she heard the gasping breath of her partner. Spluttering and coughing, Draco struck straight for the shoreline, his strokes long and fast. Following behind in his wake, Hermione fought her way through the fields of reeds as she clambered onto the muddy bank.
Draco collapsed to the ground, coughing and shuddering on his hands and knees. Hermione fell beside him, dropping her soaked bag to the ground and flinging the bow to the side. Over several long and painful minutes, her heart beat began to regain it's normal pace. The blood rushing to her ears faded away to a soft pounding, though she could taste the blood on her tongue from her bitten cheek.
Chilly clothes clinging to her skin, Hermione carefully sat up and looked at their surroundings: forest to the East and a winding river to the West. She glanced down at her partner who now lay face down in the mud still trying to regain his breathing.
Before she could ask if he was alright she heard him mutter under his breath, "I can't tell if you're the bravest, stupidest, or scariest bloody witch I've ever met, Granger."
She rolled her eyes, but a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips as she kneeled beside him and helped him to his feet, finally getting a good look at him. The large gash running down his cheek was smeared with a mixture of blood and dirt coating his pale face, water dripping from the end of his pointed nose. "I don't know how Potter and Weasley survived with you."
Shaking her head, Hermione laughed at his ridiculous statement. She caught the ghost of a smile before he returned his calm and cool mask. Running a hand through his damp, platinum hair, Draco turned his back on her and looked towards the forest.
"It'd be better to take cover rather than stay out in the open," Hermione suggested, gesturing towards the forest. She bent down and picked up the bag of soaking wet supplies, grimacing at the sight inside. The canteen of fresh water was stripped of its contents, her sleeping bag was completely seeped with reeds, and the rope was already beginning to fall apart. She sighed and slung the bag over her shoulder.
Draco started up the path a few yards away carrying the bow and bag of arrows, which had declined down to a mere four. He turned back towards her and gestured for her to come up beside him, an easy smirk relaxing his features. Rolling her eyes in a friendly manor, Hermione walked up to him and the two tributes proceeded towards the forest as forgiven acquaintances.
...
Hermione looked up at the clear evening sky, silver stars painting the night sky. She sighed in contentment as Draco prepared their fire a few yards away. Thinking back, she was astonished how long they had survived together. Three weeks had passed by since their first two trials, and she had grown weary of wondering what else lay ahead. Her wounds had gradually healed over into evident red scars running down the side of her arm and circling around the bridge of her ankle. The days had been peaceful, except for minor run-ins with the other tributes and the constant reminder of Death Eaters watching their every move. She knew better that it would only be a matter of time before the Death Eaters became bored with the lack of "action".
Nineteen were already dead; including young Gabrielle.
Hermione closed her eyes to get the image of her bloodied body, an arrow pierced through her heart, out of her head. She remembered crying for hours into the night that day at the thought of the pain it had brought to her friends and family, finally settling into a terrified sleep. Neither she nor Draco had said anything to each other but ventured in a tense silence for the next two days.
She opened her eyes again at the light crackling of a fire. She turned her head to see Draco cutting up a variety of mushrooms on a smooth stone, scraping them into an abandoned and rusted pot they had found a few days ago. Hermione watched him for a minute before turning back to study the stars, though her mind wasn't on naming the constellations.
She and Draco had created a sort of friendship over the past fortnight, gradually getting more comfortable with one another with the occasional bickering and banter. The two had talked late into the night in deep conversations varying from stories at Hogwarts, their lives away from school, and even the troubles they had endured during the Second Wizarding War. She had noticed many a time the far-off look in his eyes when they spoke of the memories, and she didn't dare bring up the meeting they had endured at Malfoy Manor, nor the mission of killing their Headmaster. Anytime he had seemed unresponsive or too lost in thought, she abruptly changed the subject and the two continued on with their evening even with the strained questions hanging in the air between them.
Hermione wouldn't call what they had between them as strong as what she did with Ron and Harry, but she had to admit, it always gave her a fuzzy feeling when he was able to keep up with her intellectual conversations, or whenever she saw him smile. Not a smirk, but a true smile; something she had only seen a few times.
A light warmth arose to her cheeks at the thought, though she couldn't name why. Shaking her head, she returned to looking through the vast number of stars occupying the black canvas above her. She relaxed against the edge of the soft meadow they had occupied until a yelp of pain snapped her attention away.
Glancing over, she saw Draco clutching the palm of his hand, a slit of red blood gushing over his pale skin. Hermione got to her feet and rushed over. "What on earth did you do, Draco?" she exclaimed. That was the other point Hermione noted in her mind.
The two had grown comfortable with each other's first names, though both continued to slip up every now and then. It was odd at first to say Draco's first name, especially around the boy himself. Most of the time, he continued to call her by her surname, but even with them being on good terms, she didn't mind.
"Nothing, nothing," Draco replied, pouring a bit of water over the open wound. "Thought it might add a bit of flavor, don't you think?" Hermione scowled and rolled her eyes. Digging through her backpack, Hermione pulled out a slip of cloth and held out her hand. Draco raised a skeptical brow, though he quickly put his in hers with her pointed glare.
"Ah yes, adding a dash of being an insufferable prat and a pinch of blood would do just nicely in your eyes," she stated, trying her very best to sound serious. The effect was completely lost as a small smile pulled at the corner of her lips as Draco scoffed at her.
Hermione wrapped his hand with the bandage, tying the top with a simple bow. A line of red seeped through the thin cotton, coating his palm in a light maroon. Turning her back towards her patient, Hermione picked up the small dagger and took over Draco's work, giving him a pointed look when he tried to take the knife back. Retracting his hand, Draco fell back onto the sleeping bag, resting his arm under his head and closing his eyes.
Hermione carefully chopped all of their ingredients, poured the remainder of their canteen into the pot, and stirred the watery soup; if she could even call it that. She was tempted to scrunch her nose at the overwhelming smell of herbs, mushrooms, and exotic spices, but seeing as Draco had gathered their dinner for tonight, she settled on pressing her lips together in a thin line.
Picking up the oversized pot, Hermione propped it near the edge of the fire on a scolding hot stone. Being careful not to burn herself like she had done weeks before the morning of the second trial with a vicious manticore, she settled back opposite of Draco and looked back towards the sky. Barely visible, Hermione could just make out the silvery shield encasing the enchanted arena. She guessed there must have been some repelling charm against it that caused an instantaneous death, her mind wandering to two of the tributes found dead last week with no blood, no missing limbs, and no weapons lodged into their chests.
Hermione blinked to get the image out of her mind, turning her attention back to their "woodland soup" as Draco had dubbed it. The blonde was now watching her carefully, as if studying her face, but quickly averted his gaze when he was caught staring at the brunette. Hermione felt a light blush rising to her cheeks and quickly started a light conversation.
"You mentioned something a few nights ago about a prank you pulled on the school in our third year. What exactly was that?" she asked, giving him a curious look. Draco looked back up at her and smirked, leaning farther back into his relaxed position.
"Why so curious all of a sudden, Granger?" he asked. Realizing his slip up of name, Hermione put her hand up to stop his apology and gestured for him to continue. His relaxed and mischievous grin returned as he began his story. "You wouldn't happen to remember in our third year when all the goblets and plates were stuck to the tables in the Great Hall, would you?"
"That was you!" Hermione shrieked, slapping his knee as he tried to cover his laugh with a chuckle at her shocked expression. "It took the professors two hours to figure out how to undo the stupid spell you used."
"Technically it was me along with Zabini and Nott." Draco corrected. "But alas, we were never caught in the act."
"Fred and George got the blame for that one!" Hermione snapped, giving him a firm glare, though the effect was lost as she tried to hide her smile. "The moment they got back to the common room after detention everyone burst into cheers."
"The blame along with all the credit," he drawled, rolling his eyes. Hermione shook her head at his tactics and scooted back towards the fire. The soup had begun to bubble over the edge, spilling the water into the fire. With a loud hiss, the crackling fire was stripped of its flames, the glow of the hot embers fading away into the ashes. She heard Draco curse loudly and rise from his spot across from her. As her luck would have it, Hermione looked up in hopes of finding a sliver of moonlight. Instead, the night sky seemed to have flipped an off switch. The stars disappeared behind a large black cloud rolling in from the edge of the meadow.
Accompanied with it, a wall of silvery mist followed in its wake, slowly inching closer to the edge of the forest.
Hermione stared at the moving wall of fog as if in a trance. Beyond the wall's silvery exterior, she could hear the low mutterings and whispers of voices. Someone, she wasn't sure who, was calling for her to come closer.
Ever so slowly, Hermione brought her legs down to the cool earth and picked up her bow and a handful of arrows, clutching them tightly as she took a step towards the fog. The alluring glittery substance held an eerie presence to it but she paid it no mind. She didn't look behind even as she heard Draco scurrying around the campsite shoving anything he could fit into their backpack; he didn't notice her speed up her pace from a walk to a sprint towards the mist.
It's rippling waves brought her closer to the meadows edge near a dip in the hill. Hermione took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. The sensible side of her mind told her to turn around, get as far away from the mist as possible, and get back to her partner who was now sprinting down the hill after her. But something had consumed her thoughts with taking another step. Extending her hand into the mist, she watched as the cloud of fog opened around her touch, making an inclined pathway forward.
The whispering of voices allured her ever further into the fog, the screams of Draco blurring away. It was only when she felt a sharp pull on her shoulder did she turn around to see him pulling her back towards the exit. Still in a dream-like trance, Hermione stumbled over her feet and caught herself heavily gasping on the ground, trying to regain whatever air she could grasp. Draco kneeled beside her and shook her hard, ignoring the thickening fog that enclosed their only entrance; now their only escape.
Filthy Mudblood, the voices spat in her ear.
Scum of the earth.
Not even worth saving the life of one.
You think you deserve magic?
How pathetic.
And she thought her so-called "friends" stuck around for her?
All they did was keep her around for the play of things.
Kept her for the good grades and image.
You really thought someone could ever care about a filthy Mudblood like you!
That blood traitor is only keeping you to survive.
He'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets.
Honestly, was she starting to care for him?
A perfect fitting; the Mudblood and blood traitor!
Poor, poor, defenseless dear, can't even make her family proud.
Oh, but her parents would be.
Where are they now? Right, they don't know she exists!
Probably glad to be rid of such a brat.
Such a pity...you may as well give up now...
Hermione screamed, covering her hands with her ears, trying something, anything to block them out. The hand gripping her shoulder tightly was ripped away, the warmth that came with it gone, too. Hermione buried her head in her knees as she squeezed her ears tightly shut, the voices rising with every attempt she made. Heavy tears leaked from her eyes leaving glistening trails behind. Beneath her blurry vision, Hermione turned her head ever so slightly to look at Draco, the only person she could find comfort in right now; he wasn't there. Instead, beyond the shrieks of voices around her, she could vaguely make out his screams echoing through the mist.
The fog around her thickened to a suffocating extent. Behind the tears and keeping her ears covered, Hermione gasped for her breath. She was overcome with the feeling of drowning like she had in the river, sinking lower beneath the surface. An unbearable pain shot from the bottom of her hunched form all the way through her chest. Hermione collapsed to the floor, shrieking in pain even as she clenched her jaw to a bone shattering extent. The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before: her skin felt on fire, her head pounded as the pain warped through body, and she cried in anguish for it to stop. Choking on her strangled cries, Hermione remembered feeling this pain only once at Malfoy Manor...Bellatrix's knife carving into her like a piece of wood…
As suddenly as it had come, the pain stopped, along with the deafening voices. Hermione lay limp on the cold floor, grasping the grass just to keep herself from blacking out. Squeezing her eyes as pools of tears fell, she could practically hear the cackling and satisfaction of the Death Eaters. Her heart broke at the thought of the Weasley's watching her in this state; Harry, who had so much faith, watching as she lay helpless on the ground.
She took a deep breath as her lip trembled. Her body ached with every twitch of her muscles, her bones a blaze with a burning fire. Willing herself to turn her head, Hermione felt as if her skull would burst if she moved again. In the distance, she could hear the soft pleas of Draco somewhere beyond the wall of fog. Her heartstrings pulled at hearing his distressed state. The voices she heard had hit her where they hurt, but she couldn't begin to imagine the torture he had endured.
Rolling to her side even though every limb in her body screamed against it and she choked on her own grunt of pain, Hermione placed her palm to the ground and pushed off. Her nails dug deep into the soil as she lifted one knee up, planting her foot firmly into the ground. Lips pressed into a thin white line, Hermione pushed off as hard as she could from her back leg.
Her muscles were set ablaze, every fiber of her being burning with a fiery sting. Sharply inhaling as she put both her feet to the ground, Hermione felt the painful lump rising to the back of her throat. The tears already pricked the corner's of her eyes begging to escape. Audibly swallowing, she took a single step forward towards her weapon. Taking a deep breath, Hermione bent over and picked up her bow and arrows, hissing in pain as she stood back up.
Slowly setting one of her arrows into place, she held its feathery end as she turned in a full circle to see her surroundings; the only thing she caught sight of was fog. Fog forward, behind, above, and swirling around her ankles below. Listening for any other sign of where her partner may be, Hermione whipped around at the snap of a twig, ignoring the rushing pain of her skull, an arrow ready to fire on whatever dared show its face. She swore her heart stopped at the sight in front of her.
Dropping her bow, she stumbled back trying to find her voice. A shaky hand rose to cover her mouth while the other clutched her stomach, her nauseousness coming back full force. Opening and closing her mouth like a gaping fish out of water, Hermione found her strangled voice that came out as nothing but a squeak.
"Mother?"
Hey everyone!
Summerwinds back with chapter 9 up and running for you guys, and before anything else, i would like to give a slight-apology for the sudden time jump. Again, this was for a school assignment to begin with and I needed to get the story moving a bit quicker, so sorry if it feels like a really big leap from the attack to like 3 weeks later, but overall I hope you guys are enjoying so far!
Other than that, I don't have any other updates (though if you're waiting on my other stories I will get those out ASAP, this one I've been able to update on a lot because it was pre-written)!
And, as always, I hope you wonderful readers out there have a magnificent morning, afternoon, evening, or night!
-Summerwinds