Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters in any way.

Warning: This is femmeslash. If you have a problem with that... Go get some therapy. Seriously.

A/N: Rather obviously, this is set in the aftermath of the Quidditch World Cup pre- Hermione's 4th year at Hogwarts.

Chapter 6

As Fleur and Hermione tried to blink the ash away from their eyes, staring to see who had cursed the tent… Their gazes locked on a woman, running out of another tent, a small child on each hip.

"They're here! Apparate out!" Fleur called urgently to the woman.

But the young mother was frozen in fright - staring up at two robed figures approaching, their wands raised - their faces covered by masks.

Sucking in a curse, Fleur reached out and pulled the woman to her - holding Hermione with the other - and squeezed her eyes shut.

They landed - just by the edge of the forest, on the near side - but still several hundred yards away from the Death Eaters.

"Run!" Hermione yelled at the woman, who jumped.

"Thank you," the woman said gratefully, and then obeyed, heading into the forest, taking her two children with her.

Fleur let out a little gasp, and fell over with a shudder...

Hermione moved frantically to catch her, which she did, despite staggering from the effort

"Fleur, Fleur, talk to me," she said urgently, "What - what happened?"

"Not - strong enough - to apparate more than one person," Fleur gasped, clutching to her lover.

"Oh, darling," Hermione said, trying to be soothing, even though she was terrified. "Wrap an arm over my shoulder," she instructed, and when Fleur obeyed, Hermione began to walk them into the forest.

Their pace was slow, but Hermione tried to stay calm.

"You're going to be fine, love," she crooned.

Fleur's feet began to drag, and after a few more minutes, they couldn't go any farther. Hermione lowered her as steadily as she could to the ground.

"Okay, this looks safe," she said reassuringly - although it certainly did not. They were at the edge of a clearing in a darkened forest...

Two people came running into it at just that moment.

Hermione held up her wand, ready to defend Fleur - and realized who it was.

"Harry! Ron! Luna?"

The two boys turned to her, and gaped.

"Hermione?" They rushed over, and saw Fleur collapsed on the ground.

"What happened?"

"She apparated four people," Hermione said anxiously.

"Whoa," Ron's eyes widened noticeably. "That's incredible - most people can't -"

"What's happening to her?" Hermione demanded, kneeling and pulling Fleur gently to lay in her arms.

"She's just exhausted," Luna spoke up. "Fleur expended more magical energy than she's used to. She'll be fine."

Ron and Harry stared at her, quite surprised at her lucidity - so different from what they'd come to expect from her. Luna just smiled at them, unperturbed by their shock.

"Thank you," Hermione told the other girl sincerely. "Ron - where's your family?"

"Safe, hopefully," Ron said darkly. "Ginny was with the twins - we got separated… Got to the woods… and we ran into Malfoy…"

Hermione felt cold, and her face betrayed her sudden fear.

"Draco, not his father," Harry assured her. "He's mostly harmless."

Hermione nodded slowly.

"He didn't follow you?"

"Don't think so," Harry replied. "But… I lost my wand."

"Oh no!" Hermione said, her worried eyes on him even as she stroked Fleur's face gently with her fingers.

Harry nodded grimly.

"Well - there's a chance we'll find it," Hermione said, but her assurance sounded false even to her own ears.

Luna visibly shuddered, and Ron reached out to touch her arm.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly.

"The wracklespurts have gone silent," she whispered.

Hermione felt a chill, and then they heard it.

A deep, male voice, half-growl and half-hiss.

"Morsmordre!"

They all stared at where they thought the voice had come from. Then - from the forest nearby - a giant, glowing skull flew up into the air - and rested in the sky.

It was made of green sparks, Hermione realized, and from the skull's mouth - a snake protruded.

Ron was paling quicker than ever, and Luna's wand snapped up in a defensive pose immediately. Seeing this, Hermione grabbed her own wand, and gently shifted Fleur off of her lap, and stood up.

"What's that?" Hermione whispered.

"Death Mark," Luna hissed, her eyes eerily intent.

Hermione shivered. Fleur's eyes slowly opened, and she stirred.

"Hey," Hermione whispered, smiling down at Fleur even as she faced where she thought the spell had come from…

Then there were popping noises from all around them - and shouting -

"Stupefy!" The three syllables rang out, in a number of different voices, and Ron, Luna, and Harry sensibly ducked.

Holding Fleur's hand, Hermione thrust her wand in the air and screamed.

"Protego!"

A wave of purple light threw itself from Hermione's wand, and flowed down and around the group of five youths.

Dozens of red stunning spells bounced harmlessly off of the shimmering purple shield.

But Hermione wasn't done yet.

"Expelliarmus!" She twirled her wand in a circle - and the orange sparks flew every which way as it summoned plenty of wands straight towards her hand - the protego shimmered just in time to allow the wands through.

Hermione handed the wands over to Harry and Ron, who were still kneeling, quite shocked.

"Who are you?" Hermione snarled.

"Wait - that's my son!" A man came running out of the shadows - it was Arthur Weasley. "Ron - Hermione - Harry - Luna - Fleur…"

Slowly but regally, Fleur drew herself up to stare at Arthur Weasley and the two other men who were approaching.

"What is the meaning of this attack?" Fleur spoke coolly. "If you are trying to cause an international incident, congratulations - you may have succeeded."

"Miss Delacour," a man, tall and long in the face, said quickly. "It was not our intention -"

"You attacked five school-aged children. Has your Ministry sunk so low, so easily?"

"Someone - cast the Dark Mark," another man, large and angry, stepped forward. "My wand." He snarled the last words at Hermione.

"I don't know," Hermione sneered at him. "If you deserve it."

"Disarmed by a couple of students, I'm not sure if we do," the first, tall man, said, smiling ruefully. "Amos Diggory at your service. Please, miss, my wand - there are dark wizards about. We were trying to catch whoever…"

Hermione defrosted slightly.

"We heard a man's voice," Ron volunteered. "From over there." He pointed, and Amos and the other large man ran off to investigate.

Hermione gave Arthur back his wand, and threw the others to the ground. The other Ministry wizards and witches slowly stepped up and retrieved their own wands.

In the next minute, Hermione realized Amos was carrying back a small creature in his arms, and a wand -

Then the man was shouting -

"That's Barty Crouch," Ron whispered in explanation to Hermione.

As the scene progressed, Hermione found her heart breaking for the poor little house elf. It obviously hadn't meant to do anything.

She stood there, holding Fleur's hand for her own sake as much as Fleur's, and blinked away a tear as Crouch gave Winky clothes - thereby disowning her from the family. Harry fingered his wand - he was relieved to have it back - feeling awkward and sympathetic for the elf. She was so very different from Dobby, he found himself thinking.

Fleur stepped forward, towards the elf, and knelt at her feet.

She whispered something in French, and Winky looked up in shock.

The blonde smiled beguilingly, and slowly, wiping away tears, Winky stepped cautiously towards Fleur.

The elf began to whisper back and forth with Fleur, and after a minute, there was a pause in the conversation. Fleur looked at Winky expectantly.

"Oui, M - m - mademoiselle Delacour," Winky said, her voice wavering but true.

When Fleur reached out her hand, Winky took it.

"How dare you?" Barty Crouch bellowed at Fleur.

"No, how dare you," Fleur said, standing to glare at him frostily. "Treating a loyal house elf in such a manner - it shames all wizards. Perhaps it is different 'ere - but in France -" Fleur's accent became even more pronounced when she was angry - "We treat our elves with kindness and fairness! You clothed her - and I am now accepting Winky into my family."

Winky began to cry again, but this time, Hermione sensed that they were half-good tears. Fleur pulled her close, protectively.

"Look at you all - standing around, watching - when you should be after those filth in the masks!"

Suddenly flushing, the Ministry wizards began to apparate away.

"You are a failed elf," Barty Crouch snarled to Winky before he apparated away.

Winky's face crumpled even further, but Fleur murmured something, and the elf raised her chin, trying to be strong.

"Tres bien," Fleur whispered. "Excuse us, Monsieur Weasley - we need to find my family."

Hermione gasped - she'd forgotten, in all the excitement. What if Gerard had apparated right back into the range of the Death Eaters' curses?

"Winky, will you please locate my family?" Fleur requested. "I'll need you to pinpoint the location so I can apparate there."

"Yes, miss," Winky answered.

"We will see you soon, hopefully," Fleur smiled at the Weasleys, and Hermione leaned over to hug her friends quickly.

"Enjoy yourself at the Burrow, Harry," she told him, and he chuckled happily.

"I will," he promised.

"And you - be careful," Hermione told Ron.

"I will," he said with a grin.

Hermione turned to Luna and paused for a brief second, before pulling the smaller girl into a tight embrace.

"You keep an eye on these two for me, will you?" Hermione requested softly.

Luna shot her a twinkling smile, and Hermione stepped over to Fleur.

She took a hold of Fleur's arm - Fleur was holding Winky's hand - and they disappeared into the air.