Running Free
Summary: Lillian Potter is tired and fed up, stuck with the Dursleys after the death of her godfather and learning about the prophecy. A suggestion in Sirius' last letter to her and an advert on TV spark an idea, an idea which becomes a plan when she learns that Hermione's parents are taking her away forever. Once Lillian and Hermione hit the open road, will anyone ever find them again?
Pairing: Lillian/Hermione
A/N: Unfortunately, I don't have a destination in mind for this story — ironic, I know, given the subject. As much as the main characters may enjoy meandering randomly, as the author I need a path and goal, and I don't have one. I have enjoyed several "Harry does a runner" stories, and this is my idea for starting one. I have yet to come up with an idea for finishing one. If/when I do, I'll see if it and this beginning get along well enough to produce an interesting middle act that connects them.
This story, or at least this story idea, is heavily influenced by Runaways by Ravengrad and Escape by JackPotr.
Events in the Harry Potter universe are shifted forward ten years, so this story starts in the summer of 2006 instead of 1996. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't be able to give the characters inspiration via the documentary Long Way Round. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend both it and its sequel, Long Way Down.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I don't own a motorcycle, either, though my late grandfather owned awesome BMW of the same vintage as Sirius' Norton, and I still have fond memories of the many hours I spent riding it with him.
Chapter 01 - The Prisoner
Lillian Potter sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, trying hard not to break down and cry as she read the will in front of her. Like most wills, it was pretty dry; but after the short list of instructions for dividing up his possessions — almost all of which went to her — she found a short, personal note:
Lillian,
I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you as you grew up. I know that the money and properties won't make up for my stupid decision to chase after Peter, but it's all I've got now. Words cannot express how much I regret that decision, nor can they convey how important you are to me. I loved you like you were my own, right from the first time James let me hold you just hours after you were born, and I looked forward to having many years together with you. If you're reading this, though, something has happened to mess up those plans.
Well, time for new plans, then. I don't know everything that's happened to you over the years, but I know that you've had a lot of bad experiences, even at Hogwarts. I also know that you haven't had a chance to truly relax and get over any of those bad experiences. One of the things I wanted to do was take you away on vacation to help you decompress, but assuming I didn't get that chance, I urge you to go do it on your own. Get away, even if it's only for a couple of weeks, and have some fun. And remember, the Trace is specific to each country, so yours won't register outside Britain!
Don't tell anyone, though, not even Dumbledore. Especially Dumbledore, in fact. There's something not quite right about the way he looks at you and treats you. He encouraged me to leave my estate to the Order rather than to you, and some of his decisions regarding your life bother me. So keep your eyes open around him, and take some time for yourself to have fun!
Lillian closed her eyes and took a long, ragged breath before folding up the will and putting it into the bottomless backpack which the goblins had been instructed to give her along with the will. Inside were things which she now understood had been intended by Sirius to help her follow his instructions: an enchanted passport under the name Lilly Black, a driver's license under the same name, a special Gringotts money bag and muggle wallet that were connected directly to the Black vault, tourist guides to magical communities around the world, a large stack of parchment in his writing, and his old motorcycle, now with a built-in shrinking charm.
She thanked the goblins upon leaving the private room and pulled up the hood of her cloak as she exited the bank, her eyes darting back and forth for possible threats from both Death Eaters and Order members. She hadn't understood why Dumbledore had tried to forbid her from reading Sirius' will, and now that she learned that Sirius himself had become distrustful of the Headmaster, she had even more questions.
Now, though, wasn't the time to try to answer them. No, she had to visit someone in St. Mungo's.
Lillian slowly cracked open the door and peered into the darkened hospital room, hoping not to disturb its occupant.
"Who's there?"
Lillian winced but opened the door the rest of the way. "It's me," she answered softly.
"Lil! I was hoping you'd come!"
"How are you doing, Hermione?" Lillian asked as she pulled up a chair next to the bed.
"Better," the patient replied, struggling to sit up a bit.
"You're looking good."
"Liar. I look as bad as I feel. Just because I'm better doesn't mean that I'm doing well — if I were, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't have had to transfer me here."
"Sorry," Lillian mumbled.
"Don't," Hermione insisted, her weakened voice growing firm. "I am getting better, and the healers here say that I will fully recover. I'll have a scar, but that's the only long-term damage. I just have to put up with lots of potions and spells while I spend the rest of the month here."
"That long?"
Hermione nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. And you have no idea how bored I am. If it weren't for the fact that the potions make me tired and force me to sleep a lot, I'm sure I'd have gone insane by now."
"What about your schoolbooks? Your summer assignments?"
"My parents haven't brought them over yet," Hermione said, frowning slightly. "I think it's because they're so upset at what happened and are blaming Hogwarts. Hopefully they'll get over it before the month is out. I'm just glad that they can't pull me from Hogwarts and force me back into muggle schools, though I suspect they'd like to."
Lillian bit her bottom lip, thinking about the books which Sirius had given her. She hadn't decided yet if she was going to follow his advice, but even if she did, she doubted that she'd leave the country. She certainly wouldn't go farther than France. So she didn't need all of those guides, did she?
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"I've got something that might help," Lillian said, reaching into the backpack and pulling out several books.
"Wow, where'd you get these?"
"Sirius' will was officially executed today. Dumbledore tried to prevent me from going, but I went anyway."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wish I could have been there for you."
Lillian shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "It's fine. Anyway, Sirius suggested that I take a vacation somewhere, saying that I needed a chance to relax, and he included all of these guidebooks to magical communities around the world."
"Are... are you going?" Hermione asked, pausing midway through the stack of books.
Lillian shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. But if I do, it won't be so far away. I'll want to look over these some time because maybe I'll have a chance to travel in the future, but for now I don't need them. You, however, obviously need something to occupy your time."
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like these," Hermione said absently, then she frowned and turned back to her best friend. "What do you mean the Headmaster tried to keep you from this? Why would he do that?"
"That's a good question," Lillian said as she reached back into the backpack. "Here's the will. Sirius wrote in a personal note that he had some concerns about him."
Hermione nodded as she read. "That is curious. What else is there? I can tell that there's more bothering you."
Lillian sighed, then lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "After the battle in the Ministry, Dumbledore sent me directly to his office. When he finally returned himself, he admitted to making all kinds of mistakes with me, including putting me with the Dursleys."
"He knew about them?" Hermione hissed.
"More than I realized," Lillian said. "He admitted to knowing that he was sentencing me to ten dark and difficult years when he dropped me on their doorstep like a newspaper."
"Who does that to a child?"
"Someone who doesn't have to worry about being called to account for their actions," Lillian said grimly. "But that's not the worst of it. After he got done with that, he told me what that prophecy was. He was the one it was originally given to."
Hermione slapped her hand to her face and groaned. "So it never needed to be protected or saved. It could have been simply smashed without any loss."
"Mr. Weasley didn't need to nearly die. And had Dumbledore even just told me that a prophecy existed, I'd have known that Voldemort was looking for it and might try to trick me into going there."
"So, what did the prophecy say?" Hermione asked. "I mean, if you don't mind telling me."
"According to the memory he showed me, it says: 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal, but they will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'" Her voice trailed off as she gazed down at her hands in her lap. "That's it."
Hermione looked pensive. "I'll have to think about that, but it sounds like it means that it'll be you or Voldemort."
Lillian nodded. "That's what Dumbledore believes, which makes it awfully strange that he's never tried to train me."
"You don't believe it?"
Lillian shook her head. "Dumbledore said he heard it from Trelawney. Do you trust her?"
"I don't know," Hermione said slowly. "Would they really have an entire room in the Department of Mysteries devoted to prophecy spheres if they were worthless?"
"It's Trelawney," Lillian repeated.
Hermione sighed and reached out to take Lillian's hand, gripping it as tightly as she could in her weakened state. "You know that I'll stand by your side, no matter what, don't you? Well, when I can stand again."
Lillian felt her chest tighten and her eyes grow moist. "I... I don't want you to get hurt again..."
"As long as Voldemort is around, I'm at risk for getting hurt just by existing," Hermione pointed out. Lillian nodded silently, not trusting her voice again. "You know, Sirius' suggestion about getting away is good. My family always takes a vacation over the summer, and I've never thought about how much it probably helps me. We usually go in July, which obviously won't be possible now, but if they decide to go in August, would you like to come along?"
"I wouldn't want to intrude!" Lillian said quickly. "That's your family time! I know how much you miss them—"
Hermione shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I think they'll be happy that I have a friend close enough to invite at all."
Lillian hesitated, then said, "OK, but only if they truly don't mind. And let them know that I can pay my own way, too. I don't want to be a burden."
Hermione smiled. "You're never a burden, but I'll tell them."
It was a week later when Lillian was cleaning the Dursley's living room that she was struck by an advert for a travel show on Sky One. Unlike the usual holiday destination fluff that always seemed to be on, this was an adventure holiday — a true adventure of travelling around the world, far from the throngs of humanity:
"Ewan Mcgregor and Charley Boorman take the ride of their lives. ... I love it here. The culture. The people. It's beautiful! ... This is the most exciting motorcycling I've ever done in my life. ... Long Way Round, on Sky Travel."
Lillian just stood there, staring at the screen but not seeing it anymore as she thought about how much freedom a motorcycle could truly provide. And how much better would a flying motorcycle be?
"Long Way Round," she said softly, tasting the words. Maybe not all the way round for me, but why not a little ways? Maybe leaving Britain for a while isn't such a bad idea after all? Maybe hitting the road is what I need — a journey, not a destination.
The next day she snuck out of the house early and hurried to the nearest bookshop, where she focused on the travel section. She hit paydirt when she stumbled across a companion book for Long Way Round, as well as several other related books, including the one which originally inspired the show, Jupiter's Travels.
She bought them all and stayed up most of the night reading. The next day she snuck out early again and headed for a motorcycle shop she'd seen in passing.
"Can I help you?" a middle-aged clerk asked.
"Yes, I'm interested in motorcycle travel, and I wanted to look into what it would take to properly outfit a bike."
"Oh, really?" The clerk was looking at her skeptically now. "I'm not sure if you—"
"Here," Lillian interrupted him, pulling out the original manual which Sirius had included in her bag. "This is what I have."
"Well, that's quite the classic," the clerk said. "Is it in good condition?"
"Perfect."
The clerk hummed as he looked at her. "I take it you've been watching Long Way Round? We've been getting a lot of inquiries about long-distance motorcycle travel ever since that documentary first aired last year. I have to warn you, the Norton isn't the best machine for such a rough journey."
"I haven't seen the show, but I have read the book. And I've been reading other books, like Jupiter's Travels. I know what sorts of dangers and hardships are out there, but I'm not looking to go as far afield as they did. I'm just looking to be able to travel and ride on my own, without always worrying about hotels, restaurants, and that sort of thing."
The man nodded approvingly. "That's good to hear. Too many people are distracted by what they imagine travelling is like. They ignore the hardships and tough times." He looked down again at the manual. "I'd still recommend a different machine, but we could make some modifications to the Norton so it'd be better suited. Even if you don't intend to hit rough terrain, you can't predict what you'll encounter once you start out."
Lillian frowned and looked at him closely for a long moment before saying, "Are these things I can do myself? If I do them, I'll understand the changes better — and the better I understand the motorcycle, the better off I'll be when I'm out on my own." She knew from experience that the long hours spent on maintenance for her brooms had been a big help in understanding their individual quirks and behaviors when in the air. She also didn't want any muggles to get too close a look at her motorcycle, lest they stumble across any of Sirius' magical enhancements. There was no way she'd be able to explain runic buttons that activated built-in silencing charms, invisibility charms, flying charms, and the like.
Apparently that had been exactly the right thing to say, because the man responded with a broad grin. "Yes, I think you might turn out fine after all. Come on, I've got a similar vintage bike out back. I'll show you exactly what we'd do to modify your Norton, then we can go over what sorts of bags and other accessories you'll need. I don't have many in stock, but I can order anything you'd like."
Lillian ended up going back several times over the next few weeks, getting a crash course in motorcycle modifications as well as ordering a helmet, saddlebags, and other accessories.
It was during one of her trips that she became aware of the fact that she was being followed by someone who was either disillusioned or under an invisibility cloak, and she concluded that it was likely someone in the Order — a Death Eater would have certainly tried to kidnap or harm her. As a result, she had to become a lot more careful in what she was doing so as not to tip someone off about her plans.
The one thing she didn't buy from the motorcycle shop was leathers, though she did take a catalog which showed the style she liked. She took it with her on a visit to Diagon Alley — done under her father's invisibility cloak — and found a store willing to put together something similar made from dragonhide and enhanced by several charms for protection and comfort. While there, she also picked up another bottomless backpack, a charmed wizarding tent, and books on enchanting so she could learn how to enhance and expand the muggle saddlebags she was buying.
It was mid-July before she got a chance to visit Hermione again, and this time she entered her best friend's room eager to tell her all about her plans. Lillian's good mood evaporated as soon as she saw how bad Hermione looked.
"What's wrong? Did you have a relapse?"
"No, it's my parents," Hermione said, sniffing. "They just left a little bit ago..."
"If they said they didn't want to take me on your trip, that's OK because—"
"Not only won't there be a trip, there won't even be a Hogwarts for me in September!"
"What?!" Lillian barely refrained from shouting. "I thought they couldn't put you back in muggle schools once you started Hogwarts!"
"They can't, but they can move to another country," Hermione said, her head dropping into her hands. "Mum and Dad said that they've already put their practice up for sale, and we'll all be living in New Zealand before the end of the summer!"
Lillian didn't hesitate to climb into bed next to Hermione and pull her into a sideways hug, letting her best friend cry into her shoulder. She used that time to think, and her eyes darted back and forth as she considered all the possibilities and consequences. By the time Hermione's sobbing had subsided, she'd reached her decision.
She pulled back a little, forcing Hermione to look into her eyes. "Come with me," Lillian said.
"What?"
"I'm leaving. Come with me."
"Leaving!" Hermione was much less successful in keeping her voice down. "Where? When? Why? How?"
"Shh!" Lillian hissed, putting a finger over Hermione's mouth. "Sirius left me his bike, remember? I'm outfitting it for long-distance travel."
"Oh!" Hermione's eyes lit up in recognition. "You mean, like that show, Long Way Round? I saw that when I was home last summer. But it's so dangerous!"
Lillian shook her head. "The show inspired me, but I don't intend to go quite so far off the grid as they did. And I'll have tools that they didn't, including a wizarding tent and bottomless backpacks. I also have books on enchanting that I hope will teach me how to improve the muggle accessories I have."
"But... why would you leave entirely? I thought you were just thinking about going on a vacation, not leave everyone else..."
"That was my original plan, sure. I'd never leave you in a lurch! But if you're not here, well, what reason do I have to stay?"
"What about our friends? Ron? Neville?"
"They have families and roots here. They have a lot more options for protecting themselves, not that they should have to rely on a sixteen-year-old witch to do it anyway. As a muggleborn, though, you're a lot more vulnerable. I wouldn't have left you behind to deal with Voldemort and the Ministry."
"The Headmaster won't approve," Hermione pointed out, though not very forcefully.
Lillian shrugged. "We already discussed how suspect some of his decisions have been. I'm not going to stick around and fight simply because he wants me to, never mind because Trelawney said in a weird voice that I have to. I'm not going to fight for a school that ostracized me in second and fourth year. I'm not going to fight for a society or Ministry that slandered me all last year. My parents died so I could live, not so I could become a child soldier in a war between two manipulative old men."
"But the prophecy..."
"I don't believe that ridiculous prophecy any more than you do. We walked out on Divination classes for a good reason, remember. Either Trelawney was drunk and desperate for a job, or Dumbledore made it up in order to keep me on a short leash. The idea that I, a teenager, am the only one who can 'vanquish' Voldemort is absurd."
Hermione looked doubtful. "I don't think he'll just give up on it. Or you. He may tell others to convince them to bring you back. If they believe that you're so necessary, they'll do almost anything to drag you back and force you to do your 'duty.'"
"Maybe," Lillian conceded. "But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"You can't give up on your education." Now Hermione sounded more certain of herself.
"I have my OWLs, and I can do much if not most of the rest via self-study. Maybe I'll find someplace along the way to take a few classes. I can stop by Flourish & Blotts to see what they have on schools and education around the world. Hogwarts isn't the only place to learn magic."
Hermione sat quietly then, her eyes now darting back and forth as she thought about the possibilities, just as Lillian had done. "And you'd really take me with you?" she finally asked. "Just like that?"
"You and no one else."
Hermione nodded. "OK, let's do it. But I insist that we investigate schools along the way — you can't learn everything with self study."
"As long as we put security first — I won't be hauled back here by the Order or the Ministry."
"Agreed." Hermione grabbed some paper and a pen from her nightstand. "There are so many places I read about in those guides that I'd love to visit. You'll need to get enough books for us to work with, though..."
Lillian's eyes widened at the list her best friend was creating. "I'm not sure how much room we'll have, even after expanding the bags..."
"Don't worry about it — get a library trunk. It'll hold thousands of volumes and shrink down small enough to fit into one of those backpacks."
"How do you know this?"
Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I've had my eye on one ever since I visited Diagon Alley for the first time. It's expensive, but I'll pay you back, I promise."
"Why am I not surprised?" Lillian said, rolling her eyes. "Maybe I should see about getting books from the Black family library, too, if one of these things has enough room in it. I haven't visited Sirius' home, but if we're leaving then I should see if there's anything there that will be useful."
"Will you be able to get there and get inside?"
Lillian nodded. "If I want to do something without the Order knowing, I sneak out under my invisibility cloak and walk a few blocks before pulling out and enlarging the motorcycle. That's how I've been getting to Diagon Alley. I should be able to find my way to Grimmauld Place, too."
"We'll be travelling mostly muggle, I assume?"
"As much as possible. The less time we spend in magical communities, the less likely we'll be spotted by someone who doesn't think we should be allowed to live our own lives."
Hermione nodded. "We'll have to be careful, then. If my parents try to hunt for me, my passport might get flagged by the police or border guards."
"Good point — I didn't think of that. Sirius left me a passport in the name of Black. No one else knows about it, so I shouldn't have any trouble, but I don't know if we can get one for you."
"We can check once we're outside Britain, but assume not. I'm also making a list of muggle travel and camping clothing for both of us. Just remember that I'm one size bigger than you."
"I'll try to sneak into London tomorrow. I think my watchers from the Order are getting wise. Oh, and I'll bring a bunch of notes that Sirius left me. Some of it looked useful."
After finishing her list, Hermione turned her head to look Lillian in the eye. "We're really doing this, aren't we? You and me, we're leaving?"
Lillian smiled and pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. "It's going to be great — you'll see. We'll go where we want, learn what we want, and we won't be forced into solving other people's problems for them!"
"Completely unlike Hogwarts, then."
"Exactly." Lillian was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Since you seem to have developed some preferences from those guides, where do you want to go first? I'm flexible."
"The continent, obviously," Hermione answered. "My parents never took me to any magical communities there, so I'd like to look at a couple, assuming we can do it safely. But beyond that... I'm most interested in India. I've heard Parvati say a few things that have intrigued me, and what the guide for that region says is fascinating."
"India it is, then," Lillian confirmed. "We'll just take the long way there."
The shopping trip to London was delayed by an unexpected visit.
"Girl! Get down here!"
"What is it, Uncle... Oh! Professor McGonagall! I didn't expect to see you here. Is there something wrong?"
"I've come to return your broom, just as your letter requested. Or did you change your mind about wanting it back?"
"No! Not at all!' Lillian exclaimed, eagerly accepting the Firebolt. "I know I can't fly during the summer, but I wanted a chance to clean it and go over it before the start of sixth year."
"And that's the only reason I've agreed to let you have it back now, instead of waiting for you to arrive at Hogwarts in September," McGonagall said, then turned to Vernon and said, "Would you mind if I spoke to your niece in private?"
"Fine, but be quick about it," Vernon spat.
"I see that he hasn't mellowed with age," McGonagall said as she followed the younger witch up the stairs.
"I honestly can't imagine him being mellow," Lillian commented, offering her professor the single, broken chair in her room.
McGonagall looked around disdainfully at the small, poorly-furnished room and tried to avoid the black stains on the carpet as she sat down. The chair creaked ominously under her weight. "I hadn't realized that this is what you were forced to work with during the summers."
"Better than the cupboard," Lillian muttered.
McGonagall pursed her lips but didn't comment. Instead, she asked, "How are you doing, really?
"I've been better," Lillian admitted, dropping onto the bed. "I'm trying to keep busy, working the garage, doing errands, going to the shops. When I'm doing things, I don't have as much time to stop and think..."
McGonagall nodded sympathetically. "Understandable, but ignoring your feelings won't work forever, and might make things worse in the long run if you do it for too long."
"Maybe, but it's not like I have anyone here to help me with that, is there? Can you imagine Uncle Vernon offering me a shoulder to cry on?"
McGonagall sagged a little. "No, I suppose not. You do need to be around people who will support and help you, but the Headmaster has assured me that you can't be moved until the end of the month."
"He assured you, but I'll bet he didn't give you any solid reasons. He just relied on the strength of his reputation."
"He is Albus Dumbledore," the older witch pointed out.
"Sure, and he's also human. He makes mistakes like everyone else. But how can anyone check for mistakes if they only find out about his plans once it's too late? How can anyone help him shoulder the many responsibilities he's taken on himself if he never trusts anyone with anything more than the barest minimum of information?"
"It sounds like you've had a lot of time to think about this, Miss Potter."
"Too much," Lillian agreed. "Too much time and too many mistakes."
Silence fell heavily in the room after that. Finally McGonagall looked at her sadly and said, "If you need anything, even if it's just to talk... send Hedwig. Last year, I wasn't there for you as much as I should have been, but I intend to rectify that."
"Thanks," Lillian replied, wishing she could trust her head of house with the plans she was working on, but not daring to speak about them. She couldn't take the chance.
The next day she resumed her shopping, getting the clothing and supplies which Hermione had requested as well as a second helmet. She also ordered a second set of enchanted dragonhide leathers to match her own.
At night, interspersed with plans for where to go for the upcoming trip, Lillian thought a lot about what it was going to be like spending so much time with Hermione. For months, perhaps even years, it would be just the two of them on the road. No Ron or Neville. No classes or professors. No family.
The thought was both exhilarating and frightening. She couldn't wait... and she wasn't sure if she'd survive it.
"Is there anything new to report about Miss Potter?" Dumbledore asked as the Order meeting in his office wound down.
"She seems to be home most of the time now," Tonks said. "She's only walked into town a couple of times in the last week. Otherwise she's working in the house, mostly."
"Good, good," Dumbledore said. "If she starts going more frequently again, tell me and I'll talk to her — let her know how important it is that she remain closer to her home."
"Surely it won't matter much longer anyway?" McGonagall broke in. "It's only another week or so until you'll be removing her from that place."
"Ah, that may not be possible. Given how many times she's left her home, I fear that she may need to stay there for an extra week or two. I must reiterate the importance of not bothering her while she is there. She needs the time alone to mourn Sirius, and any distractions would only make things harder on her."
McGonagall scowled but refrained from letting slip that she knew better what Lillian Potter's state of mind was like.
"Don't take too long to fetch her," Mad-Eye said. "We still need to find out if she controls headquarters and can let us start using it again."
Dumbledore nodded. "Quite right. I'm sure that she'll have at least the last week of August free."
"Hopefully we can get her to the Burrow for longer than that. It's bad enough that she'll have to spend her birthday alone!" Mrs. Weasley protested, but no one seemed to pay her much attention.
"Very well — if that's everything, we shall adjourn until next time."
McGonagall left much more slowly than the others, lost in thought as she considered what she might be able to do for her student and worried about what might happen if the right sort of help didn't reach her in time.
She had no idea that she was already far, far too late.
It was Lillian's birthday when everything was finally ready, which she thought was a good omen. She packed up everything she wanted to keep and pulled on her riding leathers before taking a final look around the smallest bedroom of Number Four, Privet Drive.
"This is it, Hedwig — no more Dursleys," Lillian said as she opened the cage. The snowy owl barked softly, knowing that the rest of the house was still asleep and that it wouldn't be wise to wake them. "Head south," Lillian went on. "I don't know how long it will take us, but I hope we'll be in France by evening." Hedwig butted Lillian's head before flying out the window.
Lillian herself wasn't far behind, quietly slipping out the back door under her invisibility cloak and walking as fast as she could until she was several blocks away. Once she found a dark alley where she couldn't be seen, she removed the cloak, unshrunk the bike, and pulled on her helmet. The sidecar she left off and shrunk in her bag, figuring that they wouldn't need it right away. It only took her about half an hour to get to the muggle entrance for St. Mungo's, and luckily there was an alley across the street where she could park the bike and activate Sirius' built-in Notice-Me-Not Charm.
After pulling on a black cloak with a hood, she hurried through the magical entrance and up to Hermione's room.
"Lillian!" Hermione exclaimed when her friend revealed herself. "Is everything ready?"
"I've got your stuff in here," Lillian answered, holding up the bag.
"Great, I can't wait to get out of here."
"I got you a set of riding gear like mine," Lillian said as she set the bag on the floor and pulled off her cloak. "Everything is a size larger than my own, including the helmet. With your hair, I figured you'd need the extra room."
Hermione just nodded, not trusting her voice when she saw Lillian bend over to dig through the bag. She'd seen her best friend in varying states of undress for years now and had never thought anything of it. Seeing her in tight black leather, though, produced completely unexpected reactions. She felt her face flush and her mouth go dry as Lillian continued to talk about something... inconsequential, probably.
"Hermione!" Lillian exclaimed.
"What? Sorry!" Hermione answered, shaking her head.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, sorry," she said, trying to focus. "I just, uh... sorry. I've never seen you in an outfit like that, is all."
"I was told that it provides good protection for riding," Lillian said, running a hand down her side. "With the safety charms that Sirius put on the bike, we should be fine regardless, but I figured that it's better to be safe than sorry. Plus this has special comfort charms that make them a lot better than the muggle versions." She turned back to Hermione, shooting her a quizzical look. "Why, does it look bad on me?"
"No! Not at all!" Hermione said quickly. "It, uh, looks good on you."
"Glad to hear it," Lillian said, holding out a pile of black leather, "because you'll be wearing the same."
Hermione wasn't sure why Lillian looked so awkward and turned away while she dressed, but she was focused more on how smooth and comfortable the leather felt. She'd never owned anything in dragonhide before.
"How do I look?" she asked once she was done.
Now it was Lillian's turn to flush slightly at the sight of her best friend in tight black leather. "Wow... fantastic!"
Hermione gave a shy smile. "OK, so what's next in your devious plan to break me out of here?" she asked, forcing Lillian to focus again.
"Here, put this on," she said, holding out her invisibility cloak. "No one will see you, so they'll spend time searching the hospital before concluding that you've gone elsewhere."
"Good thinking."
Once they had their respective cloaks on and hoods up, they made their way out of the hospital. Lillian's lone dark form attracted a few curious looks, but no one spoke to or tried to stop her.
"Well, that was easier than I feared," Lillian said once they reached the motorcycle, taking off their cloaks and packing up. From one of the space-expanded saddlebags she pulled out two helmets, handing one to Hermione.
"Oi, this is heavy!"
"You get used to it," came Lillian's muffled reply. "But if you think you can do something to lighten them without compromising how well they protect us, I'm all ears."
Hermione nodded awkwardly, feeling the helmet's weight force her head to bob much farther than usual. "You're sure about your ability to do this, right?" she asked, suddenly nervous about riding a motorcycle now that she was faced with the reality of what they were doing.
"I've spent as much time practicing this past month as I dared," Lillian answered as she climbed on. "I haven't done it with a passenger, but we'll take it easy on the ride to your house then down to the coast. By the time we hit France, I should be fine."
Hermione nodded before climbing on herself. She'd just gotten herself situated when she grabbed Lillian's shoulder and squeezed hard. "Lillian! Look, it's my parents! They're here early!"
Lillian nodded as she fired up the motorcycle. The noise of the engine in the early morning stillness automatically attracted the Grangers' attention, and they turned towards the darkened alley across the street. "Now you see me, now you don't," Lillian whispered as she hit the button for invisibility. It was dangerous using that feature on the ground, but between it and the renewed Notice-Me-Not Charm, the Grangers never realized when the two witches roared out onto the street, instead looking around in confusion and wondering where the sound was coming from.
Traffic was light enough that they could travel several blocks before Lillian returned them to visibility, and they headed for Hermione's house in Crawley as quickly as Lillian dared. Once there, it didn't take Hermione long to find her passport, birth certificate, and mad money she'd squirreled away in her room. After she packed everything she thought she'd want, it was a slow, leisurely trip south until they got to the coast. From there they headed east until they got to the docks, where they caught a late morning ferry to France.
"If my parents report me as missing to the police, they'll eventually catch that I used my passport to go to France," Hermione said once they were travelling across the English Channel.
"True." Lillian was barely listening, focused on the movement of the water and the direction the ferry was moving.
"And they'll know that I travelled with someone. On a black motorcycle. If the Order interrogates my parents, they'll figure out that you and I are travelling together."
"Also true," Lillian agreed, looking quickly at her friend, "but you said you didn't want to fly across an open body of water."
Hermione sighed and leaned against the railing, looking down at the water as it passed by. "I know, but now I'm regretting that decision. I feel like my fear will cause us to get caught. Cause you to get caught."
Lillian shrugged. "As long as we stick mostly to muggle areas, the Order shouldn't be able to find us. And if the muggle police look too closely at us, we'll use magic to get away."
"I feel like we're Thelma and Louise," Hermione muttered.
"Who?"
"It's a movie that came out in the early nineties," Hermione answered. "I'll explain it to you some time, but it doesn't exactly have a happy ending."
"Well, stop worrying about the past and what's behind us," Lillian said, grabbing Hermione's hand and pulling her along to the bow of the ferry. Once there, she put one arm around her best friend and used the other to point out in front of them, where a hazy strip was growing larger and clearer. "Look, we can see France already. That's where we're going. That's what matters."