Runaway
I always knew this day would come
We'd be standing one by one
With our future in our hands
So many dreams so many plans
Early June 1998
The Great Hall was full of the chatter from the assembled students, teachers, and parents. The four house tables had been removed and in their place were rows of benches that seated the graduating seventh years in the first few rows. Behind them sat their fellow classmates and families, here to witness the graduating students receive their NEWTs and term scores.
Professor McGonagall stood at the podium listing off the names of each graduating student. His blue eyes twinkled with delight and appreciation for each one, his smile radiating around the room. The students would return his smile before turning back to their friends and family receiving much praise for their accomplishments.
One student was nervously shifting in her seat self-consciously tugging at a strand of long wavy brown hair that had fallen out of the twist atop her head.
"Lavender Brown," McGonagall called.
The petite blonde-haired young woman skipped towards the podium a radiating smile plastered upon her face. She turned with her final term scores and NEWT scores thrust high in the air as her classmates hooted and hollered clapping loudly.
Hermione Granger still sat nervously twisting her hair and shifting in her seat; anxious for McGonagall to call her name.
The large double doors to the Great Hall swung open with a slight creak to the old hinges. The Hall's occupants turned swiftly to see who would be walking in late to the graduation ceremony; some of the students craned their necks to see over the taller ones.
Lynndsey Black strode swiftly and silently down the middle aisle her step confident and her head held high. Whispers followed not her, but the group of tall burly men that followed shortly after their golden eyes sweeping the Hall and assessing each face carefully.
The parents that worked for the Auror department at the Ministry shifted in their seats, whispered to their companions a hurried excuse, and swiftly made their way to the center aisle to join the group.
"Negotiatores Mortis," was whispered silently throughout the Hall spreading like wildfire through the sea of bodies. Some were in awe others frightened. The Latin translation for Negotiatores Mortis is literally 'Dealers of Death'.
Lynndsey led the group of young men towards McGonagall with the Aurors falling into step around them. The distinguishing feature of the Dealers of Death is their all black leather outfits with long black leather trench coats.
Lynndsey came to a halt next to McGonagall with her back to the crowd whispering heatedly. McGonagall gave no noticeable sign of alarm to her news and stiffly nodded her head before turning back to her list of students' names and calling the next student forward.
Lynndsey turned swiftly motioning to the other Dealers of Death and Aurors to follow her. They gathered in the back corner with the teachers; all listening intently as the young redheaded woman delivered the news.
McGonagall was calling the names as fast as possible hurrying to get through the students quickly.
Hermione's brows furrowed in confusion and concern turning in her seat to seek out her friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, the two had returned from hunting the horcruxes just in time to study and take their NEWTs before the end of the year. Harry was the first to catch her eye and shrug his green eyes focused on Lynndsey whose face was calm and collected as she spoke softly eyeing each of the adults that surrounded her. Her blue-green eyes caught Harry's and held for a moment before returning to Kingsley Shacklebolt whom was now speaking to the group.
"Hermione Granger," McGonagall's voice rang out through the Hall. Hermione's head snapped around, her chocolate eyes staring without recognition at the Headmistress. She hurriedly stood and forced her deadlocked legs to move towards the podium her eyes focused on the ever-growing group in the back corner.
Walking as if in a trance, Hermione's legs felt weighted down her brain cloudy with confusion and lack of focus on what she was doing. She had just mounted the last step when a loud explosion shook the castle the windows shattering with the force of it.
Shocked out of her stupor Hermione turned towards the doors leading to the entrance hall, her eyes widening as they burst open to reveal the Death Eaters running into the hall, wands drawn.
Panic struck those in the hall and all hell broke loose as the Aurors rushed forward to confront the Death Eaters, parents scattered some searching for their young children, others rushing towards the Death Eaters pouring through the doors.
Teachers rushed forward to usher the students too young to fight into the small room off to the back left of the Hall with their wands drawn and shouting for quite and order among the panicked students.
Hermione stood frozen, eyes wide with shock at the scene unfolding before her eyes. The war had started beneath all of their noses without anyone being aware of it.
A piercing howl erupted outside the Hall. Hermione's heart stuttered her eyes widening in fear as her head turned towards the enchanted ceiling. The sky outside was pitch black, the stars bright, but Hermione neither cared about how dark it was or how clear the starts were. Her focus was on the moon – the full moon.
"Dealers of Death," Lynndsey's voice rang throughout the hall. "Outside! Our brothers and sisters of the Moon beg for a fight!"
The Dealers of Death rushed past Death Eaters, students, Order of the Phoenix members, and Aurors alike; pushing through the doors fighting to get outside and stop the werewolves that were feet from entering the castle.
The snarls and howls from the werewolves as they met resistance could be heard loud and clear throughout the Hall striking fear in the hearts of all the defenders. The Death Eaters took full advantage of the stricken defenders and they pushed further into the hall.
Snapping out of her fear, Hermione drew her wand and rushed into the sea of bodies tangled in – what she hoped was not – an endless battle.
Across the Hall Lynndsey thrust herself into the moving bodies making her way to the windows for a quick escape outside. She paused shortly when she noticed Neville Longbottom in a losing struggle with a masked Death Eater. Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Lynndsey sent a fireball at the Death Eater catching him square in the back consuming him quickly in bright orange and yellow flames.
Heaving herself up quickly onto the ledge Lynndsey stepped over the broken shards of glass and stepped lightly over the edge to land on her feet squarely on the ledge below.
Quickly, she followed it out to the courtyard looking frantically around for her men. Not seeing them in the crowd, she pushed on her heart racing. Dear God, she prayed. Please give us strength.
As she neared the school grounds, her sensitive ears picked up on the sounds of pounding of paws and snarls closer to the Forbidden Forest. Lynndsey ran faster drawing her swords as the first werewolf came into sight locked into fierce combat with another werewolf of larger stature and fur as black as the night sky.
Lynndsey launched herself towards the smaller werewolf lashing out with her swords simultaneously. The werewolf yowled in pain before crumpling to a heap at her feet. She locked eyes with the large black werewolf's golden luminescent ones and nodded once before continuing into the forest.
All around her werewolves were snapping and tearing at each other locked in a fierce frenzy that would inevitable end in death. Lynndsey searched swiftly and silently through the forest, dodging the fighting beasts when they came too close.
Deeper into the forest Lynndsey found who she was looking for – surrounded by ten of her pack a lone gray werewolf stood hackles raised and sharp fangs bared in warning – Fenrir Greyback.
"Avis," Hermione cried. The flock of yellow canaries chirped and flocked happily around Hermione's head.
"Oppugno," She directed the canaries towards the nearest Death Eater. The canaries flocked towards the Death Eater with deadly intent, out of the corner of his eye he saw the birds coming towards him and he screamed, backing away flinging his arms around wildly in a failing intent to block himself from the birds.
"Crucio!"
Hermione's eyes widened and slowly she turned around to come face-to-face with Bellatrix.
Before she could raise her wand to defend herself another spell collided with the one Bellatrix had cast knocking it off course.
Remus Lupin came bounding down towards Bellatrix the two of them locked in a fierce battle. "Go Hermione!" He shouted over his shoulder never taking his eyes off the woman he was dueling. "Find Harry and Ron and get out of here!"
Hermione did not want to leave others to fight for her, but she knew what Remus was implying. He wanted to make sure that Harry would survive to face Voldemort another day. A day where all the horcruxes had been destroyed, and not just most of them.
Hermione ran, barely feeling the sting in her thighs and calves as they protested over the exertion she was putting on them.
Lynndsey sank her fangs into Greyback's left flank bringing forth a howl of pain from the silverback werewolf. She smiled vindictively which on her werewolf face looked as if she was baring her ferocious fangs in defiance.
Greyback turned to face her shoulders hunched, muscles rippling and tightening under his thick coat. His golden eyes glinted with malice and promise of a fight to the death. Lynndsey growled snapping her fangs as she too hunkered down ready to spring.
Greyback began to slowly circle, and Lynndsey matched him for every step waiting for him to spring. They circled once, twice, and on the third time around, Greyback sprung, teeth bared and ready to tear anything within his path to shreds.
Lynndsey dodged him just in time and spun around sinking her teeth into his right shoulder. She shook him her fangs easily ripping through his fur and flesh.
The shock of the sudden attack broke Greyback's hold on his self-control and his body shook the change, turning him human once more. He lay, naked, on the ground breathing heavily; the wound on his left buttocks was still bleeding, but slowly healing; his right shoulder was an open and gaping wound that was bleeding a fatal amount of blood.
Lynndsey panted, her tongue lolling out as she caught her breath, not daring to change until she knew Greyback was out for the count – for good this time.
Greyback groaned softly into the grass beneath him, failing to lift his head up.
Lynndsey snorted in approval, and shook out her long black coat as she let the change consume her.
Standing before Greyback and gathering her clothes delicately off the ground, she eyed him with haughty defiance. "You should have run when you had the chance."
Greyback growled deep in his throat and he inched his head around to face Lynndsey, fixing her with a deadly glare that would have sent chills down anyone else's spine, but not Lynndsey's.
"Ooh, trying to scare me? Well," She leaned down as if sharing a juicy secret, her blue eyes glittering in the dark. "You can't scare me Fenrir, I've seen so much more than you can begin to even think to imagine."
Lynndsey turned on her heel and stalked away from him. She pulled on her clothes again once she was out of his line of sight. Her pack members were human again and they were either clothed or in the process of clothing themselves.
Jamie stepped up to Lynndsey as she pulled her leather trench coat on. "Voldemort's not even here, there's no way that this can be the final battle. He'd be here to face Harry, or have someone capture him." He sighed running his long fingers through his already tousled bronze hair. "No one's tried it yet, and I don't think they will. So why ruin the graduation ceremony?"
They both knew it was a rhetorical question, but Lynndsey answered it anyway. "Lucius found out."
Jamie's grey-blue eyes stared into Lynndsey's darker blue ones. Some would say that they had a sort of 'twin telepathy' thing, but they really did not, they just knew each other really well and have for a very long time. They were just cousins, who had been raised as brother and sister.
"We have to find Draco and Hermione," Lynndsey said in a flat voice, turning all business and no nonsense. Jamie's full pink lips thinned as he nodded curtly in reply and turned to bark out quick orders to the pack.
Every Were's eyes snapped to attention and they nodded curtly in understanding. They scrambled to gather their gear and weapons bags quickly.
Lynndsey's third in command, Jake Matthews, walked towards her his brown eyes intent, stride full of purpose.
"Lynnds," He stopped in front of her, his six foot nine inch frame dwarfing her five foot one inch. Lynndsey craned her neck to look him in the eye, noting his furrowed brow and worried eyes. "What is it Jake?" She asked already knowing what he was going to say.
He sighed heavily his broad shoulders lifting and then falling into a slump shielding her from the curious gaze of the other pack members.
He said nothing, but he did not need to. His dark eyes spoke volumes to her and sent chills down her spine. With this one look from him, Lynndsey saw the love and concern that he had held inside which before he had only ever allowed her glimpses of in the past.
Caught up in the intimate moment Lynndsey jumped when a distant boom sounded. The spell was broken, Lynndsey shook her head trying to rid herself of the hazy cloud that had overcome her – all the pent up energy between them was starting to unfold, and it would only be a matter of time before they gave in to it. Lynndsey just hoped that that day could wait a little bit longer – at least until the war was over.
She smiled shyly up at Jake and excused herself, scurrying away to the safety of the infiltration group that Jamie had huddled under a nearby tree, which had a map of the school grounds nailed to it. "-And this will be our point of entry-" Jamie was pointing to main entrance and detailing on how they would scale the rock face, thereby avoiding the bridge and make their stand protecting the school from the outside gradually moving inside if and when the need arose.
"Harry! Ron!"
Hermione dodged a jet of blue light that brushed by Ron's head ruffling his already tousled red hair. "Stupefy!" Harry cried knocking the unaware Death Eater out from behind.
Hermione stopped running, doubling over and clutching at the stitch in her left side. Harry and Ron raced to her side, oblivious to the cries and blasts coming from the school grounds and the edge of the Forrest, not ten feet from where they were.
"Hermione, are you alright," Harry gasped.
Hermione looked up into Harry's bright green eyes, noting that they were a duller shade of green than normal. The sudden attack had taken its toll on him as well. Ron's eyes were bright with concern for her – and most likely for his sister, Ginny. "Where's Ginny?" Hermione asked fearing the worst for her younger friend.
Harry's eyes lit up at the mention of the fiery redhead's name, who was his best friend's sister and his ex-girlfriend. Ron was the one who answered her question. "Last we saw her she was with Luna and Neville closer to the school."
Hermione closed her eyes in a silent prayer of thanks for the safety of her friend. "Are you alright?" Harry repeated stressing the words as his eyes roved over her dirty and torn clothes. Hermione nodded furiously, "Fine. I'm fine Harry, honest."
The loudest boom of the night sounded startling the Golden Trio, drawing their attention to the school behind them. The Astronomy Tower had burst into orange and yellow flames lighting up the black sky.
Hermione could not process what happened before a ghostly spirit like animal came bounding out of the forest. The animal was that of a large wolf which came to a stop in front of them its eyes roving over the group before delivering the message that the owner had sent. "Meet us by the Whomping Willow." The ghostly shape shifted and faded into the night breeze.
Without a second thought the three friends raced towards the Whomping Willow, dodging hexes and curses and flinging them back with equal zeal, stopping a number of Death Eaters in their tracks.
Lynndsey paced back and forth under the now immobile Whomping Willow, she had Jamie sending out Patronus messages to a number of people who were told to meet at the Whomping Willow for further instructions. The only other person that was as agitated as Lynndsey was Draco Malfoy.
The young Malfoy was pacing back and forth running a pale shaky hand through his already tousled white blond locks, his grey-blue eyes darting in every direction.
Lynndsey watched, amusement clearly written across her face. "Careful Draco, I'm sure that Hermione wouldn't want you to make yourself bald."
Malfoy shot an annoyed glance in her direction and opened his mouth to retort, but his eyes fixated on a massive black figure that was racing towards the group. Relief washed his features as the black figure was distinguished as the Golden Trio.
What happened next is like what you might see in the movies. Everything happening in such clear detail and you just see it all in slow motion before there's anything that you can do to stop it.
Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange and a group of masked Death Eaters came walking out of the forest's undergrowth, wands raised, curses leaving their sneering lips.
Lynndsey shouted, raising the alarm. Draco looked at his father whose eyes fixated on Hermione. He ran, shouting her name, begging her to leave. She turned slowly wand raised.
Lucius advanced, his sneer widening at the pure innocent shock that registered on the young woman's face. "Avada –,"
A large black wolf barreled into him knocking Lucius off-balance. "Jake," Lynndsey shouted barely dodging Bellatrix's well aimed curse. The wolf didn't register her voice, just continued to advance on the cowering man teeth bared and hackles raised.
Furious, Lynndsey faced Bellatrix and blasted her; she flew backwards and smacked a tree with sickening force. Lynndsey turned eyes searching. "Draco! Hermione!" She dashed towards the two who fought three Death Eaters, Harry and Ron fighting their way anxiously to their sides, making slow progress.
Flinging her hand in a shooing motion Lynndsey sent the Death Eaters sailing through the air just as easily as she had Bellatrix.
"Run." Her eyes looked like blue fire in the moonlight. "Get off the grounds and run, I don't care where you two go, but if Lucius knows then so does Voldemort." She glanced at Harry. "Voldemort will do what it takes to get to Harry and if that means taking either of you two, then he'll have it done."
Draco grasped Hermione's hand tightly in his own, determination etched across his aristocratic features.
"Go to the boat house, there will be a boat charmed to take you to the far side of the lake where the wards end, an opening will be created when you reach it, once you pass you cannot come back, it'll only work one way." Her eyes softened slightly, "We will see you again."
Draco nodded and glanced at Hermione who was doing her best to fight back the tears that threatened to overflow. "What's the spell we need to get through?" She whispered softly.
Lynndsey's mouth quirked up into a half smile as she replied, "Hi, hites."
Songs List for this chapter:
Graffiti decorations
Under the sky of dust
A constant wave of tension
On top of broken trust
The lessons that you taught me
I learned were never true
Pre chorus:
Now I find myself in question
They point the finger at me again
Guilty by association
You point the finger at me again
I wanna run away
Never say goodbye
I wanna know the truth
Instead of wondering why
I wanna know the answers
No more lies
I wanna shut the door
And open up my mind
Paper bags and angry voices
Under a sky of dust
Another wave of tension
Has more than filled me up
All my talk of taking action
These words were never true
Pre chorus
Chorus
I'm gonna run away, and never say goodbye
Gonna run away (2x)
I'm gonna run away and never wonder why
Gonna run away (2x)
I'm gonna run away and open up my mind
Gonna run away (4x)
Chorus
I wanna run away and open up my mind (Repeat until end)
~ Runaway by Linkin Park – Chapter title and theme of this chapter.
I always knew this day would come
We'd be standing one by one
With our future in our hands
So many dreams so many plans
Always knew after all these years
There'd be laughter there'd be tears
But never thought that I'd walk away
with so much joy but so much pain
And it's so hard to say goodbye
But yesterdays gone we gotta keep moving on
I'm so thankful for the moments so glad I got to know ya
The times that we had I'll keep like a photograph
And hold you in my heart forever
I'll always remember you
Nanananana
Another chapter in the book cant go back but you can look
And there we are on every page
Memories I'll always save
Up ahead on the open doors
Who knows what were heading towards?
I wish you love I wish you luck
For you the world just opens up
But it's so hard to say goodbye
Yesterdays gone we gotta keep moving on
I'm so thankful for the moments so glad I got to know ya
The times that we had I'll keep like a photograph
And hold you in my heart forever
I'll always remember you
Everyday that we had all the good all the bad
I'll keep them here inside
All the times we shared every place everywhere
You touched my life
Yeah one day we'll look back we'll smile and we'll laugh
But right now we just cry
Cause it's so hard to say goodbye
Yesterdays gone we gotta keep moving on
I'm so thankful for the moments so glad I got to know ya
The times that we had I'll keep like a photograph
And hold you in my heart forever
I'll always remember you
Nanananana
I'll always remember you
I'll always remember you
~ I'll Always Remember You by Hannah Montana – I like it because of the Graduation theme of growing up and moving on.
Author's Note:
Sorry for taking forever. I thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter. And I also thank you for your patience and I hope to see many more reviews from readers of last chapter. This is un-betaed so I take full responsibility for any and all mistakes.
Thank you all! I hope this meets your standards!
~Black wolfgirl2722