Hermione sighed. It was the anniversary of Voldemort's defeat and she was tired. 2 years had passed and she still dreaded falling asleep without the help of a potion. The muggle doctor her parents had insisted on her seeing had diagnosed her with a whole bunch of terrifying sounding disorders, he'd even tried to offer her medication, which she promptly refused and explained that she liked to keep a clear head.
'Ha!' she scoffed, 'nothing is more conducive to a clear head than becoming a sleep potion addict, it's a wonder I can even stay awake in the day'.
She stared out the window, blinking up at the bright sky.
'Right,' she thought, 'that's it! I refuse to become as pale as Snape was, I'm going Outside!'
Hermione stood up, forgetting that Crookshanks had been asleep on her knee and had subsequently been sent flying across the room, she walked to the hallway cupboard and began to search for a suitable pair of pumps. It was an unusually warm day for May so she ignored her coat and instead grabbed a cropped denim jacket.
Closing the door with another sigh, she made her way towards the front door and unlocked it with a shaking hand.
'I can do this Crooks, I believe in myself.'
Crookshanks blinked slowly at her from his hiding place underneath the table and watched as her outstretched, still quivering hand gripped the handle and pulled it down.
Outside smelt like dewy grass, flowers she didn't know the names of and crisp, fresh air warming in the midday sun.
Hermione relaxed one tightly shut eye just enough to peek at her surroundings. She had one glimpse of the distant woodland at the bottom of the hill before she was transported to a different now.
They rushed through the trees at top speed, gasping for breath and occasionally throwing spells behind at their pursuers.
Harry shouted "GO! WE'RE LOSING THEM!" as his feet pounded the forest floor and his body screamed at him to rest.
Ron turned his head to check for Hermione. She was a little distance behind him, a lifetime without any interest or involvement in sport had not left her in peak physical condition.
"DON'T SLOW DOWN!" he yelled in her direction, narrowly avoiding a large rock that he had failed to spot.
Hermione wasn't able to reply. Her lungs felt as though she were breathing in fire, not air. Her legs weighed more than the entire Hogwarts Express and she was fast running out of steam.
"W-wai-" she panted feebly as she tripped over her own feet and her run turned into a fast stumble.
Without warning, something or someone grabbed her hair and she felt tears form in her eyes from the sudden and agonizing pain from being pulled to a stop by her own ponytail.
"OUC-" was all she managed to say aloud before the mystery someone used a silencing charm to prevent her from revealing the capture to Harry and Ron. The other hand dragged her hair towards the ground, and Hermione landed with a soft thump on the leafy floor.
Petrified but furious and filled with the famous Gryffindor bravery, Hermione twisted around to identify her captor.
Grey eyes looked back into her own, narrowing slightly when she continued to meet their gaze.
"Well well, Miss Granger," he whispered menacingly, "I do hope you like games."
Lucius Malfoy's lip curled in a cruel smirk and he apparated them both with a loud crack.