Chapter 4:
Hermione stood shivering as she looked out on the dawn's grey chill. Through the bedroom window, she saw the glory of autumn had sometime during the night bowed to the might of an early winter storm. Her eyes followed the soft swirls of snow as they began to pile in the corners of the window panes. It made her feel sad somehow. Fall had ended too soon. She had not been ready for the loud golds and reds to be replaced by muted greys and whites. There was a hush in winter, but it was the quiet of a grave.
Winter was so representative of death.
She didn't realize her melancholy was a good sign. It meant she was healing. Sound had once again become precious to her. Particularly some sounds. The baritone rumble of male laughter. Low, breathy whispers. Inarticulate moans. Her name spoken in an aristocratic accent.
So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear the soft pad of footfall behind her. But she did feel it when warm hands surrounded her waist, tugging her back into an equally warm chest.
"What are you doing up so early, love?" Draco's voice, gravelly with sleep, whispered against her hair.
Hermione closed her eyes and sighed in blissful contentment at the feel of his touch. The sound of her lover's voice dissolved the icicles that had begun to form in her heart. It had been a little over three months since she and Draco had agreed to live as husband and wife. Three months since she'd moved her things out of her cottage and into Draco's. Three months of shared duties, peaceful silences, playful bathtimes, passionate nights that were anything but quiet, lazy mornings filled with more lovemaking and evenings with the two of them cuddled up in blankets before the fire, sipping hot chocolate while reading their favorite books. It had been heavenly.
She turned in his arms and hugged him tightly. "I love you."
Draco placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "I'm glad of it, although that didn't answer my question." He lifted a wayward curl that had fallen down into her eyes. "Another bad dream?"
She nodded reluctantly. "It was worse this time. You'd been caught. They….they…."
Draco tightened his hold. "It was just a dream, Hermione. They don't have me."
"Not yet." She lifted her head to look into his eyes. "Draco…...I'm scared. If something happened to you…...I just…..I couldn't…..."
"Shhh…...you're borrowing trouble. I've managed to stay hidden thus far. We'll keep on doing like we've been doing. It will all work out."
"I hope so," she mumbled. Hermione hated sounding so pathetic, but she couldn't help it. Draco had become her weakness. Her Achilles' heel. If something happened to him, she wouldn't survive it. She wouldn't want to.
"Come on," he said, pulling her to follow him. "Let's go back to bed."
"It won't do me any good. I don't want to go back to sleep."
"Neither do I," he said huskily, his eyes darkening in desire.
000
Two weeks later, reality showed up in the couple's idyllic existence. The previous snow had melted; Hermione was in the woods, picking up pine cones to use for kindling when she heard a heavy rustle behind her. Turning around, her heart nearly stopped when she saw figures emerge from the right. Her breath caught.
Bounty hunters.
She quickly looked through the opening in the woods towards their home. Draco was outside in the back, splitting wood.
Cripes…..
He was making too much noise to hear them coming.
She had only a moment to act. With a quick wave of her hand, she placed a disillusionment charm around him. She prayed he would feel the spell and stop.
"Halt!" a deep voice ordered.
Hermione froze. She didn't dare look back at Draco. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the sudden silence from the ax. Thank God. He'd heard the voice.
Three wands pointed at her heart. "State your name, witch. And be honest. Our wands have been spelled to detect any falsehood."
Draco had been right about the danger of giving her his name. Her eyes flashed rebelliously. She had half a mind to say Penelope Clearwater again just to spite the man. If she'd been by herself, she probably would have.
"Hermione Granger."
"Granger? The Hermione Granger? The friend of Harry Potter?" the older wizard looked suspicious, leery of believing her claim.
"Yes."
The wizards slowly put away their wands. "We had heard of your retreat from the wizarding community. Why did you leave?"
Her mouth gaped open at the man's audacity. These zealots thought they were entitled to know everything. Control everything.
"I just….. I needed some time to heal from the war."
The grizzled man nodded. "Understandable. But since you've left, many changes have occured. I think you would be pleased with them, Miss Granger. We've worked hard to make our world safe again. You can come back now."
Oh, the words. The seemingly innocent, benevolent words that hid his true motives. Hermione wasn't fooled. All this man really cared about was power. Those living in the forest weren't under his thumb as much as he liked, and it stuck in his craw.
"Perhaps I will soon."
The wizard tried again. "No time like the present, Miss. We'd be glad to escort you back. It would be an honor. Come now, I insist."
Pressure. The tricks of a con artist. The demands of a tyrant. However, Hermione had stood up against far greater persuasions than his before and was not moved.
"No. I'm not ready yet." Her temper, long absent, was beginning to show. It surprised her. When was the last time she'd felt it?
One of the other men raised a brow. "Is there a reason you don't want to return to family and friends?"
"My reasons are my own. I owe you nothing," Hermione spat out, sparks of magic flying from her curls. "I fought Voldemort so I could be free. So no one would be above me. That's how I received this." She jerked out her arm so the men could see the mudblood scar Bellatrix had given her. She was glad it hadn't had time to completely disappear.
The sight of it did as she intended; the wizards were taken aback.
The leader said, "As you wish, then. But before we go, it would make me feel better if I knew you were safe. I'd like to take a look around. Do you mind?"
He had phrased it as a question, but Hermione knew better.
Seeing her about to protest again, he said in an attempt at a fatherly voice, "It would be a poor show of gratitude to leave one of our heroes vulnerable to harm's way. This will only take a minute."
They started walking toward the house. A moment later, the leader pulled back as if he'd been stung.
"Very strong wards you have here."
Hermione lifted her chin in defiance. "Heroes know how to protect themselves."
Giving her a new, appraising stare, he ordered, "Lower them."
Hermione bit her lip but did as he asked. They were now dangerously close to Draco.
"You've been chopping wood?" one of the younger men asked.
Hermione gave him a withering look. "It is winter."
"Those logs are far too massive for a little thing like you to split."'
"Did you forget I was a witch?"
The younger man laughed. "Guess that explains the noise we heard. Spelling an ax to do the work…..nice, isn't it?"
"Let's take a look inside," said a surly-looking member of the group.
"You can't just go barging into my house!" cried Hermione.
"Begging your pardon, Miss, but we can."
He turned the handle of the door and walked in.
Walking in behind him, the leader took in the contents of the room. He immediately noticed the place setting for two on the table and a pair of men's boots by the door.
He whirled around, his expression accusatory. "Who's living here with you?" Gone was any pretense of a fatherly demeanor.
"Wh...what?"
A hardened steel blazed from his eyes. "I knew it. You're hiding something Miss Granger. More to the point, you're hiding someone. If you don't comply with my questions, I will have no choice but to administer veritaserum to find out."
"That's a ministry-controlled substance. What you're doing is illegal! It's against the law!"
He smiled menacingly. "I am the law."
Hermione swallowed. Her mind raced wildly.
Hermione, think! They can't find out about…...
"It….it's Harry. Harry Potter." She took a ragged breath. "He's back now."
The group of wizards looked at each other. It was obvious none of them believed her. "We never received any notification of his return."
Hermione stomped her foot, whether in terror or in anger, she didn't know. "I don't care what you have or haven't received! Don't you think I know who lives with me?"
"Why would he live here with you? Are you two romantically involved?"
"That is none of your business," she retorted.
The leader sneered. "For now. Very well, then. We'll come back later. Tell Mr. Potter to expect us. We'll bring the papers necessary for him to get re-registered."
"Re-registered? For what?"
"For citizenship of Wizarding Britain. We're requiring it of all wizards entering the country."
"But you know Harry is a citizen!"
"Doesn't matter. No one is above the law."
Except you, you mean.
"Tell him I'm looking forward to shaking his hand."
Hermione moved to yank the door open.
"Oh….and Miss Granger…." the older wizard drawled, turning around to give her one last look. "If I don't find Mr. Potter here when I return, I'm placing you under arrest." He tipped his hat. "Good day, Miss."
Hermione watched as the men trampled back into the woods. When she was sure they were gone, she lifted the spell from Draco and hurried him inside.
"My God, Hermione…..did you hear him?" he said. "We've got to get you out of here."
"Draco, I was terrified; I thought they would see you."
He cradled her in his arms. "I was fine. Your magic is powerful, love. Even more so when you're trying to protect the ones you love. That was the strongest disillusionment spell I've ever seen. You're the one we should be worrying about."
"Where do you think we should go?"
That was the question neither could answer. Wizards were no longer allowed to leave the country. They couldn't go to Wiltshire. They certainly couldn't go back to London. It slowly dawned on them.
They had nowhere else to go. They were stuck.
"I've got to get in touch with Harry. Those men saw your boots. I...I said Harry was living here with me."
Draco gave her a disbelieving look.
"I know. I panicked. It was the first thing that popped into my mind."
"I don't have an owl," began Draco before Hermione interrupted him.
"I won't be using an owl. That's too slow. You heard those men. They could be back tomorrow. I need to talk to Harry now."
"How are you going to do that?"
"I'll fire call him."
"It won't work. The other ministries have closed off the floo systems."
"I'm not trying to floo anywhere. I going to beg Harry to come home."
"Beg? Hermione, you don't need to…."
"Don't tell me what I need to do!" she snapped. Seeing Draco's look of hurt, she softened. "I will do anything and everything necessary to keep us safe." She gave the underside of his jaw a gentle kiss. "By hook or crook. By begging, if need be."
Draco stroked her curls away from her face. "Potter may come if he knows you need him. But only if I'm out of the picture."
"If Harry Potter knows what's good for him, he'll come for both of us," she growled. Surely Harry would help them. He would have to.
She looked up at Draco, her voice finally breaking. "I have to try."
000
Harry could feel the new wards as he apparated back into England's airspace. It felt like rubber bands were holding him back, keeping him out.
If that's how it feels coming back, I can't imagine what it would feel like trying to leave.
At first, he'd had a hard time believing Hermione when she told him she was in trouble and needed his help. In the past, it had usually been the other way around. But the sound of her tears had convinced him. The Hermione he'd known rarely cried.
He recalled the last thing she'd said. "I can't thank you enough. Draco and I appreciate it more than we'll ever be able to say."
That had been the most surreal part of their conversation. Draco and Hermione being together.
The first thing he saw when he materialized was a stone lodge nestled beside a river in the middle of nowhere. The house and its garden resided in a clearing, but everywhere else Harry looked, there were trees. Lots of them. It reminded him of the Forbidden Forest. The door to the lodge opened after his crack warned the occupants of his arrival. Hermione came out first. Draco followed after her.
Harry stood, transfixed by the sight. His former enemy had his arm around Hermione in a show of…..possession? Need?
Affection, he decided. Malfoy wasn't that good of an actor. The way he held Hermione close to his side bespoke familiarity and…..love.
Draco Malfoy loved Hermione Granger.
"Harry!"
Hermione ran to him. Throwing her arms around his neck, Harry could feel her soft curves once again. When he'd left, she been little better than a bag of bones. She now had substance again.
I guess I have Malfoy to thank for that.
The two of them led Harry into the house. Once there, they supplied him with a cup of tea while they told their story. When they were through, they waited.
Harry sat, stunned. Gobsmacked. Bloody horrified, to be honest.
"'Mione, that's…...I'm shocked. It…..it sounds like a bad dream. I can't believe it's come to this…."
"You'll help us, won't you, Harry?"
She was looking at him with her heart in her eyes. Harry looked at her, then glanced at the wizard by her side. He realized he didn't know who Draco was anymore.
He nodded. "Just tell me what you need me to do. I know you must already have a plan."
Hermione sighed. She did have a plan.
But none of them would like it.
000
"You're….going to give up your magic?" Harry took a quick peek at Draco. The other wizard had paled considerably. It was obviously his first time to hear this, too.
"Love...if we did that, there would be no going back. We would be squibs forever."
"Not necessarily."
Draco blinked. "How do you figure that?"
Instead of answering him, she turned to Harry. "Remember when we were studying horcruxes? I ran into information that mentioned another kind. One that could be used to store one's magic instead. Hermione looked at the two wizards. Both had identical expressions of horror on their faces.
"Hermione….." Harry sounded appalled. "You would use dark magic?"
"What? No! Of course not."
"But…..you said it was a kind of horcrux…."
"Oh. Well, yes…..it's the same principle, but it's not evil. Not really. I wouldn't be splitting my soul. I would be binding my magical core to another host."
Draco frowned. "Come again?"
"Instead of hiding my soul inside an object, I would be hiding my magic." She looked at Draco then. "In theory, because we would be keeping it whole, we should be able to retrieve it."
Draco's jaw dropped. "I've never heard of that before."
"I don't doubt it. I saw it in a very old, very obscure text."
His expression lightened. "Okay. So we do this bit of magic, then….?"
"We can escape. Once free of our magic, we can leave the country as muggles. Then, if things ever get back to normal, we can come back to claim it."
Harry was quiet. He knew Hermione hadn't said everything. The making of a horcrux demanded a life. What would this type of spell require? Magic always came at a cost.
"What's the price?" he finally asked.
"What?" asked Draco.
Hermione knew what Harry was asking. She flushed guiltily. "It….it requires a bonder to bind the core to another living magical entity. But…."
"But?" Harry's green eyes were insistent.
"But the spell would also bind the one casting it. They would not be able to leave the new host." She looked at Harry sorrowfully. Pleadingly. "I know I'm asking too much from you. If...if you can't do it…..then…."
"I'll do it." Harry sighed. He had failed Ron. He was not going to make the same mistake with his sister.
000
For the next thirty-six hours, no one slept. Draco and Hermione worked feverishly to get things together. Harry called in some favors and made an emergency trip to his contact within the muggle American consulate in London.
"Okay," he said as he came back with a briefcase full of documents. Your galleons have been converted to American dollars and have been wired over to this bank. This will be your account number and they gave me some temporary checks for you to use. When you get settled, you can order more and get a plastic card of some kind."
"Debit card, most probably. Or credit."
"Yeah, that sounds right. Here are your passports and green cards….."
"Great. Thank you Harry." Hermione took them and put them with their other papers.
"It was a good thing you had withdrawn your money from Gringotts before everything went south."
Draco nodded. "I have Theo Nott to thank for that. Bless his soul, he took better care of his friends than himself."
Harry sighed. "This should be all, then." He looked at Hermione. "'Mione…...are you certain you want to…"
She grabbed Draco's hand. "I'm sure, Harry. It's the only way."
His gaze then went to the wizard by her side. "Malfoy…"
"Draco. Call me Draco."
Harry looked down at the hand that Draco held out for him to take. This time, he showed no hesitancy in taking it. He gave it a heartfelt squeeze. "Draco. I promise I'll protect your magicks until you can come back for them."
"Thank you, Harry. I will forever be in your debt."
He shook his head. "Just take care of Hermione and we'll call it even."
Draco nodded. "I'll do that."
Hermione took Harry's hand. "How can I ever repay you? I've basically asked you to give up your life for us. I….I didn't even ask if you'd found someone in Brazil. I've been so selfish…."
"Mione…." he interrupted her. "Stop. You're the most unselfish person I know. I was the one who was selfish. I'm the one who left everyone. So quit worrying. There was no one in Brazil. Well, no one I'll miss. To be honest, I was ready to come home. I'll be fine. Some peace and quiet will do me good."
"But will you be safe? Merlin, I didn't even think of that…."
"Will you stop with the worrying? They wouldn't dare hurt the Chosen One. I'll be safe."
There was a pause then between the threesome. They looked at each other as fellow wizards for the last time; all three trying to manage the conflicting emotions within them.
Draco was the one to break it. "Love…...are you ready?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes…..I'm just a bit nervous, to be honest. You?"
"Yeah. Me, too."
Harry cleared his throat. His hands felt clammy. In spite of the cold, he was beginning to sweat.
"Harry…...you feel comfortable with the spell? Remember the emphasis is on the second syllable...and your wrist must..…"
Harry chuckled in spite of his heavy heart. "Yes, Professor. I think I've got it."
"Well then…...I guess it's time."
The trio walked outdoors to where the moonflowers would grow in the spring. Right now, they were sleeping under a pile of leaves.
"I always did think these flowers had a strange, magical appeal," Draco murmured softly. "Now, I know they will."
Hermione turned to give Harry one last hug and a kiss. "I love you," she whispered.
"Love you too, 'Mione."
She gave him a final nod. "Harry…..please. Just….do it."
With a heavy heart, Harry lifted his hand and whispered the incantation. He watched, the lump in his throat growing as the magical cores of Hermione and Draco spiraled out of their bodies to dissolve into the ground. A moment later, as if by magic, the entire bed of moonflowers burst from the soil, the stems pulsing and swaying under the weight of the flowers that were glowing brightly beneath the crystal stars of the wintery night.
He looked at the couple. They looked the same. Almost. Hermione had lost some of the golden undertones of her skin. She now looked as pale as her husband. Except for her lips, which had darkened into an apple red. The silvery shimmer of Draco's eyes had changed to an aqua blue. The white blonde of his hair was now also interspersed with golden strands. In a way, they were even more handsome a couple than before. Perhaps it was magic's parting compensation for leaving them.
"How do you feel?" he asked them.
"Uh….I feel...wow. It's strange….." said Hermione. "Just….."
"Quieter," finished Draco.
Hermione nodded. "Uh-huh. Less, somehow." Seeing Harry's frown, she clarified, "I don't mean less as in inferior; but…...less frenetic. Like Draco said, quieter." Hermione had never considered that magic itself had contributed to the noise in her life. That there was peace in a simple muggle existence.
"Well, hopefully, it will only be temporary." Slicing open his palm, Harry cast an extra ward over the moonflowers, letting his blood seep into the ground. They would now recognize his magic and would respond only to his call. "Let's go." Taking their hands, Harry apparated the now squibs to Newcastle Airport. "You've got your tickets?"
"Yes, Harry. Right here."
"Okay," he said. "Here's Arabella Figg's address. Send your correspondence there. She'll owl me your letters."
"Okay." Hermione took the slip of paper.
"Bye, Moonflower," he whispered as he kissed Hermione's cheek.
She gave him a crooked smile. "Daisy. Moonflower would sound too hippie, I think." She gave him one last hug. "Bye Harry."
He watched as Hermione and Draco, now under the pseudonyms of Hunter and Daisy Woods, walked toward the terminal they were to leave from to go to a new home in America. Harry had done all he could to smooth the way for them and had, for the first time, deliberately used his name to pull strings.
He couldn't imagine the courage it took for them to leave their magic behind and start a new life in a strange country as muggles. Especially for Draco.
Giving them one last look, he apparated back to the stone cottage he was now bound to until the magic hidden away there could be restored to its rightful owners.
000
A loud knocking on the door awoke Harry to the midday light. Scrambling from the couch where he had collapsed after taking Hermione and Draco to the airport, he managed to open the door to find a group of wizards standing in front of him.
"Yes?" he asked, then yawned.
"Mr. P….Potter….." the older man stuttered. "We didn't expect…..I mean, we didn't believe…"
Harry realized these must be the bounty hunters Hermione had told him about. "What do you want?"
That seemed to bring the man out of his dazed condition. "Uh...we need to have you fill this out. It's just some paperwork. We didn't know you were back in the country. So, this is just a formality, really. Once you're done, sign it and owl it back to the ministry."
"Fine," Harry said. He took the parchment and started to close the door when the wizard stopped him. "Mr. Potter….."
Harry wanted to smirk at the man. He actually looked afraid of him. "Yes?"
"Tell Miss Granger I'm sorry I doubted her words."
"Will do," Harry said.
He let out a big sigh after the wizards were gone. With any luck, they wouldn't be bothering him again.
000
Three months later
Harry watched Luna as she scanned the river for freshwater plimpies. He grinned when she excitedly called back, "I see one, Harry!"
Since Draco and Hermione's departure, he had tested the bonds of the magic that held him to their home. He found he could go as far south as Leeds, but couldn't go past that point. Certainly not as far as London. Which was fine, because Harry had no desire to go there, anyway. Not at present. From what he'd heard from Luna, things had gotten really bad; but in a way, that might be what would save them. Other muggle governments were taking notice and were putting pressure on Britain to handle their internal affairs. If not, the other world leaders implied they would do it for them. That had lit a fire in the pants of the Prime Minister.
Harry laughed when Luna slipped down the muddy slope and fell waist deep into the cold spring waters.
"Harry Potter, quit laughing at me!" she yelled good-naturedly.
Luna. Harry had always liked her. Respected her, even. But he'd not had her in mind when he'd come home. The first week after Draco and Hermione's departure, he'd written a letter to Ginny. An owl had returned with a response from Molly. She'd begged him not to contact Ginny. That if he'd ever cared for her daughter, to please let her be. It seemed that while he'd been enjoying himself in Rio, Ginny had gone and married her ex-boyfriend, Dean Thomas.
To Harry's amazement, he found he wasn't hurt by it. So he decided to try out the solitude that Hermione had craved. He didn't see the appeal, actually. Thankfully, it hadn't lasted too long.
Harry had met Luna quite by accident in the woods. She'd been searching for one of her crazy, magical creatures. Harry had invited her to the lodge for tea. When she crossed the wards, she suddenly stopped. She looked around the yard, as if expecting to see someone. Then she nodded to herself as if something made sense. "Hermione always was clever. And I knew that eventually Draco would show himself brave."
Harry didn't comment on her words. There was no need. Luna had always known things. And she was never one to gossip. So they enjoyed their tea. She asked him about Brazil. Harry hadn't wanted to tell her of his wild doings while he'd been there, but Luna was such a comfortable person to talk to, he found himself opening up. When he was through, they enjoyed the silence together.
Before she left that evening, she kissed Harry on the cheek and said, "Don't worry. There is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought."
He didn't know if she had been talking about Hermione and Draco or himself.
A few days later, he met her again in the woods. And again, a few days after that. One thing led to another, and before too much time had passed, she had burrowed her way into his heart. Now whenever Harry thought of his future, he saw her in it.
He wondered if it had happened that way with Draco.
Maybe solitude made men ready for the right one.
000
Six months later
Harry smiled as he watched Arabella's owl circle the clearing before flying down to land on the window sill. Giving the bird a treat, he looked at the envelope and grinned when he saw the familiar slant of Hermione's handwriting. Quickly tearing open the letter, he read its contents.
Dear Harry,
Draco and I are finally (finally!) settled in our new home. It took a bit of doing, but thanks to you paving the way for us, we had less headache than we expected. The muggles here in Alabama are very friendly. Actually, they seem a bit naive in their hospitality, but that plays to our advantage. Only a few have looked at us with something akin to suspicion; we later learned they were members of the local Choctaw Indian tribe. It would seem that Native Americans are far more intuitive than the average muggle. I think they can sense the footprint magic left on us. If only they knew!
Anyhow, I don't think we'll want for friends here. We've been invited to church potluck suppers, fish fries, and many other social activities. And I'm told there will be even more of these events during football season. That's another thing we had to learn….people here take their games just as seriously as we do our Quidditch. Especially this football, which I've been told is not like our British version. We were asked almost immediately if we pulled for Auburn or Alabama. Winking at Draco, I said I was a Lion. He, in turn, said he pulled for Big Green. Of course, we were just teasing each other; we had no idea there were actual teams who went by those nicknames. So because of that, some now think we're snobbish Ivy leaguers. And before you ask, I don't know what an Ivy leaguer is. But apparently, it's something frowned upon in these parts. Other than that, we've made no further mistakes. We now know to stick to this simple formula: we say, "War Eagle" to anyone wearing orange and "Roll Tide" to those wearing red. I swear, the people here act like those phrases are some kind of incantation! It's rather ridiculous, but Draco and I have had a few good laughs about it.
Harry, I'm much better now. I've only had one really bad episode since coming to the States. It was on their national holiday to celebrate their independence. It's traditional here to have a fireworks display. Somehow the flashes and noise brought back the final battle to me. Draco had to get me away from our new friends so they wouldn't witness my panic attack. Thankfully, they were too busy watching the sky to notice us leaving. But other than that, I've done fairly well. I'm proud of myself!
Another news item: we're married now. Well, I mean properly married. We met a really lovely black minister who Draco took to like a duck to water. I think the man reminded him of Blaise Zabini, although Blaise as a preacher was never something that even remotely crossed my imagination! At any rate, we asked him if he would marry us and he did. So we are now legally Mr. and Mrs. Woods. I just wish we could have used our real names; Hunter and Daisy Woods sounds so…...so….silly, even though those names do describe who we were when we fell in love. But maybe one day, if we get to reclaim our magic, we can also reclaim our real identities, too.
Harry, my dearest friend, thank you so much for being a savior one more time. For being our savior. Because of you, Draco and I can live and love….and dream.
I love you, Harry -
Hermione
Harry smiled wistfully as he folded the letter back into its envelope before tossing it into the fire. Opening the door to the garden, he leaned against its frame as he watched two silvery wisps play above the moonflowers that temporarily sheltered them. Draco and Hermione's magic, forever bonded, swirled together under the light of the stars in a joyful dance of love, of belonging and of the hopes of a future reunification with their beloved humans.
Heaving a resigned sigh, Harry could only hope the same thing.
000
AN: Luna's quote is from The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser.
I pictured the magical wood as being close to the border of Scotland, but still in England. Maybe somewhere around the Lake District? I dropped down to that area in Google Earth and it looked pretty. Not sure how realistic it would be for wizards to hide out in a national park. But hey...that's why it's so much fun to write fantasy!
I purposely painted the bad guys in shades of gray. Pure black would have been too honest for them. I think the blend of white and black makes them worse, actually. To me, the scariest kind of wickedness is when evildoers think they're doing good.
As to the moving to Alabama...it would be a perfect hiding place for them, yes? Who would expect them to live there? In my mind, I picture them living somewhere on Lake Martin. Nearby are the two tiny communities of Our Town and Equality. I liked the sound of those names. I think Draco and Hermione would like them, too.
I thought I would have to divide this chapter at first. But I took a hard look at it, and started whittling away the unnecessary parts. I'm fairly pleased with the result. I hope you are, too.