Hey guys, sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I've been taking frequent excursions into "The Land of No Wi-Fi" A.K.A my Aunt's house.
Anyway, here's Chapter 4, it's a Hermione POV, so don't be confused. Please review at the end if you liked it! (And if you didn't review anyway)
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter!
Hermione stepped away from the kitchen door in shock. She stood numbly in the middle of the dark hallway, her face barely illuminated by the light coming from the crack underneath the kitchen door. She had known that some of the Death Eaters had escaped, but she didn't think that they would be able to regroup and gain enough supporters to be capable of taking over London.
No, that's not true, they haven't taken over London yet. And they never will, we'll get people there in time. She reprimanded herself.
The sound of chairs scraping against hardwood floor and people moving around and standing up brought her attention back to the current situation. Before the door creaked open, she was against the wall, behind a potted plant, hiding herself from view.
Only two people walked out, Kingsley, and Mr. Weasly. Why weren't the others woken? Hermione wondered.
Kingsley opened the door to the front of the house, and with a nod to Mr. Weasly, disapparated. Mr. Weasly, as soon as Kingsley was gone, started walking up the staircase to where he was sharing a room with Bill for the night. In the morning, he would be back at the Burrow with Mrs. Weasley, transporting some of the more healed kids there until they could be reunited with their families. There probably won't be much time for that, if the Death Eaters have taken control of the Ministry. Everyone will be hunted, happy reunions simply don't happen in a dystopian world.
She climbed up the stair Mr. Weasley had ascended only moments before, and quietly opened the door, closing it again without a sound. She climbed into the lower of the two bunk-beds, the top one being occupied by Lavender (whom Bill was helping adjust to the PTSD of being attacked by Greyback, though luckily she got away with only a few scratches) and soon fell asleep.
The morning was windy though the sun shone bright, and Hermione took the opportunity to stray from the house. It had been about a week before that she had heard Kingsley and Mr. Weasly talking in the kitchen, and most of the injured had been relocated to the burrow and, after some consideration, Grimmauld Place. However, Bill and Fleur had asked Harry and Hermione to stay, knowing that Shell Cottage was the safest of all three places.
So there they stayed, along with Teddy Lupin (being brought up by Fleur) and Neville, who hadn't fully recovered from the wounds he had received, and having nowhere else to go, was asked to stay as well. So it was just the six of them, with the occasional visit of Mrs. Weasly and once in a while, Kingsley or another Order member to let them know the situation in London.
And it was on this early morning, that Hermione decided to explore the seaside a bit more, enjoying it whilst it lasted. Being drawn to Dobby's grave, she picked some wildflowers and laid them before the stone marking the elf's final resting place. Footsteps in the sand behind her warned her of an approaching visitor. She barely moved however, as Harry sat down beside her. "What are you thinking about 'Mione? I've never seen you this quiet before."
She smiled, letting the early morning sun warm her and brighten her features. "Not anything, really." She replied. "Thinking about afternoons at Hogwarts, walking down to the lake or to Hagrid's hut. Avoiding Filch and Ms. Norris, sitting in the common room, playing chess, the Yule Ball, dinners and parties, visiting the elves. Back when the only thing we had to worry about was how we would survive Potions or History of Magic. Back when we weren't all mixed up in this- this- whatever it is." She gestured wildly with her hands, unable to think of a word descriptive enough for their predicament. She sighed, being unsuccessful in her search. "Well, Fleur says that in about a week, we can join the others at the Burrow. Teddy of course shouldn't go by apparation, its too dangerous for a young child, so I'm assuming that Bill will take him separately. It will be nice to get back at any rate. I bet you are looking forward to seeing Ginny again."
Harry looked down, the tips of his ears turning red.
"You miss her, don't you Harry. You worry about her." Hermione spoke softly. Harry nodded.
"Every day."
"You two really love each other. Well, you'll get to see her again soon. Don't worry." She lay down in the sand, feeling warm yet cold at the same time; the sun was burning brightly, but a slight breeze swept about, shaking the tall grasses behind them. Seagulls drifted in the wind above them, their sonorous crying the only other noise able to be heard.
All of a sudden a great disturbance shook the altogether too-peaceful atmosphere.
Hermione stood straight up, looking back in the direction of the cottage, which dark clouds had suddenly surrounded. Flashes in the smoke could be seen where spells were being thrown back and forth randomly, and cries of "Crucio!" and "Expelliarmus!" could be heard in Bill's familiar voice and other strange and rougher voices that Hermione couldn't pinpoint to a name or face, but knew for certain that they belonged to Death Eaters.
Harry sprang up behind her, and catching sight of the scene, grabbed her and fell back behind the sand dune, out of sight, cursing all the time and whispering furiously, "Get down!"
Unsure of what to do, wanting to help, but unsure of how to do it, Hermione crawled to the edge of the dune and peered over, looking into the abyss that used to be shell cottage. One of the death eater's spells caught the curtains of the living room, and the house burst into flame. She heard Bill's cry of "Fleur!" but he was soon occupied again with another Death Eater.
Did everyone get out? Where's Neville and Teddy? Oh Merlin, Teddy! She rushed up towards the house, but was again tackled by Harry. "Stop. Stay here. I'll go." He started towards the house that was now aflame, but stopped when he saw Fleur stumble out, coughing terribly. She had emerged from the house, carrying a baby Teddy Lupin in her arms. Tarnished in soot and her hair and right hand and arm badly scorched, she looked exhausted, and sank to her knees, behind her staggered a haggard but alive Neville.
Hermione ran over to Fleur, and with Neville's help, carried her back behind the dune, while Harry ran to help Bill, who was now battling three at once. He had knocked out another, and one was lying on the ground dead, a rebound of his own curse.
Harry quickly disarmed one of the Death Eaters, until Bill saw him. "Harry! Get out of here! Now! Don't worry about me! Take Hermione and go! It's you they want!"
When Harry wouldn't move, Bill hurled him back towards Fleur and Neville, Hermione her hands full with Teddy. When he reached them, Fleur grabbed him and Hermione, handing Teddy to Neville.
"'Ermione and 'Arry, you must go. Now, into the woods, behind ze house. Not to ze burrow, zey will be watching, everyone will be relocated in a few days. You 'ave your bag, yes? Good. Neville will apparate with Teddy to Grimmauld Place, to tell ze others before zey target them too. I know-" Fleur said, raising her hand to stop Hermione's protests to the side-apparation of Teddy, "zat it is unsafe for Teddy to apparate, but we can not afford going by foot. We must take risks, but if Teddy is put to sleep before zey go, then ze danger will be less severe. I will stay and help Bill. Go, now! Send a Patronus ze Burrow, but only after you are all safe and no one 'as followed. Neville, go."
With that final goodbye, she gave a wailing Teddy a kiss, and silently waved her hand over him. His eyes closed, and his wailing turned into a soft rhythmic breathing. Fleur smiled, touched each of the three teenagers cheeks with her hand, and swept off down the hill in the graceful fashion that only a Veela could accomplish.
Neville, his hands full of a sleeping baby, looked somewhat uncomfortable, as if afraid to wake him, and, nodding farewell to Harry and Hermione, turned on the spot and disappeared.
However, the baby's piercing shrieks had been too loud, and had brought unwanted attention upon the group. The previously unconscious Death Eater had regained consciousness, and hearing Teddy's previous cries, looked towards the dunes behind the blackened house, away from where the Veela and her husband were dueling Rowle and another snatcher, and saw the shapes of two teenagers, unmoving, staring horrified at the scene before them. With a shout, he ran up the hill towards them, thinking to himself Even if we don't get the Order member, these two may fetch a prize. Maybe if I'm lucky, they will be of value to the masters.
But his shout alerted the smaller one, and she pointed at him. Cursing, the Death Eater lunged for them, but the girl's wand was out and she stunned him before he could grab them. He nimbly jumped aside, and sent a trip jinx her way. It found it's mark and she fell, but the other, a boy, disarmed him, and he fell to the ground, hands held above his head, his face jeering. The girl grabbed his wand and stuck it in her pocket. Enraged, the man made a move to get up, but the boy stepped in front of her, wand in hand, straight at him. The man stopped moving and resigned himself to simply glare at the girl.
"Go on, kill me." The man said steadily. When Harry hesitated, the man smiled. "Scared, aren't you? You'll never be a greater wizard then the Dark Lord was. You foolish people are weak, weak and-" the man stopped when Hermione abruptly took her wand up again and pointed it in the man's face. "Obliviate." She said calmly. The man's face instantly changed from anger to one of serenity and indifference. Concentrating hard, Hermione put out her hand, and imitating Fleur, waved it over the man's head. The man instantly fell asleep, and he fell face forward on the ground.
Hermione let her wand hand drop, and she allowed herself a brief smile. Harry still stood like a stone, unmoving, not blinking, finally letting the past few minutes events sink in. With one last look at Shell Cottage, Hermione firmly grabbed Harry's hand before he could protest and apparated to the only place she could think of.
When they landed in the middle of a forest made dark by the overhanging branches, Harry quickly sat up and started casting security charms, used to it after the past months of Horcrux hunting. Whilst he was casting, he shot a quick glance at Hermione.
"Where are we 'mione?"
"Forest of Avon, outside of Bristol. We can relocate in a few days, but this was all I could think of. I went to a camp nearby here years ago."
Harry, finished with his spell work, took Hermione's bag and Accio'd the tent out of it. He began to set it up, while Hermione, laying still for a few moments, flung an arm over her eyes and sighed heavily.
"Back on the run."
Hope you liked it, there's more on the way. A lot more, hopefully. And a lot more time to write *fingers crossed*. Thank you for reading and reviewing *hem hem*! :)