After everyone arrived in Hogsmead they set off towards the shrieking shack under disillusionment charms. Hermione directed everyone through the secret passage way onto Hogwarts property. They couldn't just go through the the front gates since Voldemort had taken over at the school. Only purebloods attended now and most of the good ones left to join the Order so if they got caught they would probably be tortured and killed. They made their way as quickly as possible to the Forest. Everyone was eager to get away from the depressing building that used to be their home. Now the place once so full of light and laughter was only full of pain and sadness. It crept over the grounds too. The despair curled over the grounds like invisible fog, making its way over Hagrids old hut and the Herbology green houses, all the way into the Forest.
They removed the disillusionment charm after they were about 15 minutes into the forest. They were attempting to be as quiet and as stealthy as possible so that they didn't attract any unwanted attention from whatever else may be lurking in the forest.
Hermione could see her breath coming out in white fog from her lips and suddenly realised how cold it was. She kept her arms close to her body in an attempt to preserve the heat at her core and she lead the group with Luna by her side. They reached the area marked for them by the order members who had been tasked previously with watching the pack.
"Okay team I have here a list of where I want everyone situated and a list of what different colours mean if I shoot them into the air. Basically Luna and myself will approach the Pack slowly and submissively, requesting to meet with their Alpha. You will all circle the pack in a loose circle. Your job is not to box them in but to be far away so as not to be noticed and perceived as a threat. I want you just close enough to be able to see the sparks in case I do need aid okay? " Hermione asked in an authorative voice. Everyone nodded, the girls looked slightly relieved whilst the boys looked a bit worried at the thought of Luna and herself walking in alone.
She nodded her head and turned to Luna. "You ready? " She asked her.
"Oh yes I've always wanted to see a werewolf packs home camp and to experience the pack setting," She responded in her typical carefree attitude. Hermione smiled slightly before beginning the walk with Luna towards the Camp. The others all dispersed, going to where Hermione had specified for them to go on the little maps she handed out. When Hermione turned, George gave her a meaningful look which she took to mean be careful, he then winked at her before slinking away into the trees.
"Hermione?" Luna asked softly.
"Yes? " Hermione asked distractedly as she carefully picked her way around logs and roots.
"You know if we have to exchange like we said we would as a last resort... I would be willing to sacrifice myself," she said calmly but quietly to Hermione who looked up sharply at her declaration and meeting her eyes in an intense form of communication.
She hesitated for a minute before she recognised the determination in Luna's eyes. She knew better than to doubt Luna just because she was a woman or young, Luna was not by any means fragile and she knew Luna would do more than survive the transformation. "Okay," she replied softly, with a caring emotion behind it that she reserved only for her friend.
Luna give her a small smile and continued onwards towards the camp. Luna declaration raced through her mind. The full meaning behind what Luna had just said was sinking in. She was making it easier for Hermione if it did come to that offer. She must have known that Hermione struggled with the idea of asking any female order members to join Draco's pack. She also understood what Luna was implying. Becoming a werewolf was a small price to pay to end this war and be able to finally have a life. Hermione would choose becoming a werewolf over dying and failing any day.
Did this mean that Luna also thought that it would indeed come to that offer in order to sway Draco onto their side? Hermione mulled this over whilst her feet automatically kept moving towards the camp. Before she knew it, she could smell the smoke from the bonfire at the camps centre. She could see the smoke rising from amongst the trees into the darkening sky. Approximately 100 metres from the bonfire they came across some werewolves who were obviously supposed to be guarding the edges of the packs perimeter.
"Hello? " She attempted to greet them before they were noticed so as not to scare the werewolves. They both spun towards her, one male and one female. They stared at her and Luna who had both bowed slightly and looked down towards the ground so as not to appear as a threat.
She was about to start voicing her request which she had repeated numerous times to Luna in order to get it right. Before she could begin however she heard a gasp from one of the werewolves and felt one of them approach them, coming right up to her and Luna. Her body was screaming at her to run and her mind screamed at her to keep absolutely still and wait. She held her breath and tensed every muscle to breaking point.
She tries to focus on something that would help her not panic and found herself focusing on the werewolves feet. She noticed a small white and silver anklet around the foot and for some reason she knew she had seen it before. It sent such a strong sense of familiarity through her but she couldn't pinpoint where she had seen it.
"Hermione? Luna? " the voice asked in surprise. Hermione glanced at Luna who looked just as confused before she chanced a glance up and saw Lavender Brown looking at them with clear shock.
Hermione's eyes widened of their own accord. "Lavender? " She questioned suprised. Well this changed everything.
She looked at Luna and seemed to convey her question with her eyes. What are we going to do now? Luna shrugged and turned towards Lavender, straightening her stance but still keeping her head bowed slightly. Hermione adjusted her posture to match.
"Lavender we would like to speak with your Alpha if that's okay? " Luna requested in her calming voice.
Lavender looked between the both of them, clearly still in shock and still trying to register Luna's words. "My... alpha... what? " She repeated, still constantly looking between the two of them.
"Your Alpha, Malfoy? " Hermione reminded her gently. Luna gave her a small glance that Hermione had just enough time to register as panic before the male werewolf made him self known after having stood back looking suspiciously between the two of them and then back to Lavender with a confused expression.
"You will not address him as anything other than Alpha! " He demanded loudly of her. Hermione, ever the stubborn one, almost retaliated but caught sight of Luna's pleading look and literally bit her tongue to stop herself. She merely nodded and looked down again. Lavender finally collected herself.
"My Alpha, yes... of course. I'll ask him if he will see you. Stay here please," she managed to finally get out after physically shaking her head as if she was trying to shake the shock away. She turned towards the man and touched him lightly on his bicep with her fingers in an intimate brush. "It's okay Owen, " she gave him a small smile before looking back at them and nodding and then turning and walking towards the centre of the camp that was surrounded by the ring of trees.
Owen glowered at them before returning to his original post a few meters from them, facing the forest. He would glance at them sporadically in suspicion before focusing again on the surrounding forest. Hermione turned to Luna immediately to discuss what they would do at such a turn of events.
Luna sighed heavily still facing the camp. "This is it Hermione." She turned her head slightly to meet Hermiones eyes. "We could end the war with this discussion," Luna spoke clearly but the words she spoke were heavy with tension. She didn't bother whispering as both girls knew Owen was earsdropping on their conversation with his bat like hearing that all werewolves were gifted with. Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach at Luna's words but she had long since learnt not to display her anxiety so obviously and so she set her jaw in a determined clench and nodded at Luna.
Luna's eyes darted back towards the camp and Hermione followed her line of vision to see Lavender making her way back towards them.
They waited patiently until Lavender was within a metre of the girls again. "He wishes to speak to Hermione alone," she spoke in a formal voice. Hermione had to physically restrain her eyes from rolling.
"Luna comes or I leave," Hermione stated calmly but boldly, with a no nonsense tone. Lavender smirked slightly at this.
"I told him you would insist on bringing Luna and so he said that you can bring Luna if you get the rest of the wizards circling the pack to leave," Lavender offered with raised eyebrows, clearly amused by her old school friend.
Hermione had, of course predicted this and Lavender was well aware of that. It was mostly just getting the formalities out of the way, so to speak. "Fine, I'll agree to that. Bloody Paravati has been on my nerves all day," Hermione stated gruffly before shooting a series of colored flashes into the sky. Hermione witnessed a wistful almost sad expression flit across Lavenders face at the mention of her old best friend before her face fell into a mask of indifference.
"This way then," Lavender gestured to a well worn path and then took the lead, marching them through the camp. Hermione and Luna tried to discreetly glance around and size up if there was anything else they could offer Draco in exchange for his help. What Hermione witnessed was more of a community than a 'camp'. It looked like there was clear designated zones for different trades and it looked like everyone had a job to complete. There were a staggering amount of men though. It was really all Hermione could register. This was probably in part because majority of them were staring at her and Luna like they hadn't seen a woman in a long time. They had supplies and honestly Hermione had to admit to herself that they didn't seem to be struggling, they seemed to be flourishing.
Lavender lead them to a large structure that loosely resembled a house but was built with the same materials as a tent. The structure, like most of the structures in the camp, was constructed from earthy tones to blend in with the wilderness. It was still quite large and from what Hermione could spy through a flap-like opening, it had walls and normal household supplies inside.
Lavender stopped outside the structure and gestured towards the opening. Hermione and Luna interpreted this as being as far as Lavender would lead them and stepped around her and inside the opening. Hermione glanced at Lavender over her shoulder and received a small tender smile from the girl. Lavender eye's flashed with excitement, a look Hermione had grown accustomed to from Lavenders stories she would share in the dormitory over the years they had spent together at Hogwarts. Lavender then tipped her head as if saying goodbye and then walked away back towards the forest. They made their way through what seemed to be a small sitting room complete with bookshelf and coffee table and stepped through another opening that resembled an archway.
They found themselves in a room lavishly decked out with rugs, bookshelves along the walls filled to the brim with books Hermione had never seen before, scrolls of parchment everywhere, and behind a huge desk sat Draco Malfoy.
Hermione did not instantly recognise him as his once impeccable appearance was now gone and in its place sat a much more mature looking man. Draco looked like he had been to hell and back. He had a dark and slightly protruding scar thant marred the front of his neck and seeped under the collar of his shirt. He looked slightly disheveled but not in a dirty way, in a way that communicated he was a busy man and was in charge of a lot more responsibility than Hermione had originally anticipated. He also seemed stockier in build and less arrogant with the way he carried himself.
She honestly felt slightly attracted to him and that scared her. She broke her stare off with Draco to glance at Luna whose eyes were freely roaming the books in the room, almost all that seemed to be about werewolves.
She turned her attention back to Draco who raised his eyebrows and lips into a smirk and gestured for her and Luna to come closer. She obliged, reaching a hand out to drag Luna along. Closer up she could see the way his once sleeked back platinum blonde hair, was now falling forwards into his grey eyes so carelessly, now a dirty blonde color. It matched the stubble that grew around his face and his whole appearance gave an air of authority and age that Hermione had not been prepared to deal with.
Draco looked silently from Luna to Hermione. He assessed Hermione appraisingly before finally speaking.
"So the order has finally come to me for help, huh?" Hermione raised her eyebrows at his attitude. "About time."