Chapter 5: A Friendly Drink with an Old Acquaintance

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean, nor do I own Harry Potter. I only own the plot of this story.

oOoOo

The thick fog that started coming in from the ocean was now blanketing the entire bay and the town. The only structure visible from a distance was Fort Charles, high on the bluff like a tall ship sailing on a sea of grey. Above the Fort was a clear black sky sprinkled with stars. A waxing moon shone, giving both the Fort and the fog an eerie glow.

As Hermione followed Will through the town, she took a moment to look around at all the shops and buildings. Their architect and brickwork were not around anymore in her time, and they were fascinating. Hermione stopped when a restaurant came into view. She looked through the window at the curious round tables and elegantly carved chairs. Will smiled at her, gazing through the window himself. 'Whenever you had one of your escapades, and I was ordered to walk you home, I always used to take you in here for a drink and a chat,' he revealed. Hermione smiled at him, nodding slightly. She looked back at the restaurant, frowning as she felt a strange sense of recognition come over her. She placed a hand on her forehead in confusion, regarding Will with wide eyes. Will frowned at her in concern before taking her arm gently. 'Are you alright, Calli?' he asked, examining her pale face.

Hermione averted her eyes, before looking back at him. 'Yes, I'm alright, but…' she trailed off, staring at the restaurant again. 'I feel as though I know this place,' she whispered more to herself than to him. That's impossible though. I've never been to this time, so how could I know this place? She thought in confusion, her frown deepening.

Will smiled at her words. 'Do you remember, Calli?' he asked her, excitement showing in his tone.

She shook her head, momentarily forgetting he was standing there. 'No, it's not possible,' she mumbled so quietly that even though Will tried to strain his ears to hear her, he still did not catch what she had said.

'I'm sorry, Calli, but what did you say?' he asked her, waiting for her to repeat what she said.

Hermione glanced up at him, remembering he was still there. She felt relief that he had not heard what she said. 'It's nothing, Will, don't worry. Can we go in?' she asked him, putting on a smile to reassure him.

Will frowned at her uncertainly before mentally shrugging it off and smiled. 'Of course, we can. After you,' he offered charmingly, opening the door, and bowing her in. Hermione smiled at him when she passed, and he closed the door after them. He took her hand, leading her to one of the more secluded parts of the shop. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down appreciatively, her heels were killing her. If Will hadn't been there, she would have charmed her shoes to be comfortable to walk in. She wished she'd thought of it that morning when she put them on. She returned Will's smile as he sat down across from her, handing her the menu with all the drinks listed.

Hermione frowned, scanning the peculiar names listed in the menu. None of them seemed familiar, and they looked foreign. She glanced up from the menu as the waiter stopped at their table and smiled politely. 'What will you have?' he asked, looking at them.

Will smiled and placed his menu down, linking his fingers together. 'The Crissclinde,' he answered confidently. The waiter wrote it down in his book before turning to Hermione. She stared back blankly having no idea what to order. Will, noticing her hesitation, placed his hand on hers gently, causing her to look at him. 'What is wrong?' he asked worriedly, as the waiter looked on in curiosity.

Hermione shook her head, gesturing to the menu. 'I have no idea what any of these drinks are,' she answered with a blush, before looking at the waiter. 'I'm sorry to trouble you,' she added as her blush deepened, and she looked down embarrassed.

The waiter chuckled. 'No trouble at all,' he assured her.

'Thank you,' Hermione answered with a smile before looking at Will. 'I can't remember what drink I used to have here,' she told him. She glanced back at the waiter who was patiently waiting for her order with a small smile on his face.

Will chuckled lightly. 'You were picky back in the day, and you never chose the same one each time. If I remember correctly…' he trailed off, scanning the menu again. After a moment he smiled at her. 'I think you particularly enjoyed the Lidniesse.'

'I'll take that,' she told the waiter who wrote it down in his book. Hermione placed her menu back on the table in front of her neatly.

The waiter smiled. 'Excellent choice, Ma'am,' he advised and scribbled something else in his book. 'One Crissclinde and one Lidniesse coming right up,' he confirmed before walking away to retrieve their order.

Hermione waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. 'I am so sorry, Will! That must have been really awkward for you,' she said.

He shook his head in the negative. 'Do not worry about it, Calli, it is okay. I am not embarrassed in the slightest, just a little amused by the whole ordeal. You losing your memory has been somewhat of a highlight to this dreary time,' he answered with a laugh, waving off her apology. Hermione couldn't help but smile.

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. 'So, the loss of my memory is a joke to you, Will?' she asked good-humouredly.

Will's smile dropped, and he sobered immediately thinking he insulted her. 'No! No, of course, it isn't! It is a terrible thing to have happened! I just-' she cut him off.

'Will I'm joking!' she said quickly, shaking her head with a smile, and he returned her smile with relief.

The waiter returned with their drinks, setting them on the table. Hermione eyed Will's and her own with fascination. The colour of her drink was a dark green with a swirl of red on top that seemed to go straight through the middle of the liquid. It looked ghastly in her opinion, but it impressed her how cleverly they made it. Will's was a pale blue and looked a lot nicer than hers did. She eyed her own again, beginning to wish she had asked for the same thing.

Will took a sip of his drink before realising Hermione was staring at hers in dismay. He tried to keep the smile off his face. 'Are you going to stare at it or drink it?' he asked her in amusement.

Hermione's eyes snapped up to his, blushing upon realising she must have looked like a fool frowning at her drink. 'It looks ghastly,' she answered, looking back down at it.

Hermione glanced back at him in surprise when he chuckled. 'Wow déjà vu,' he explained, shaking his head.

'How so?' she asked interestedly.

He crossed his arms, leaning forward a little. 'That is precisely the same thing you said the first time you ever ordered the Lidniesse,' he replied, nodding towards the drink in question. 'Then it turned out to be a favourite of yours,' he added. The mirth in his eyes became melancholy as if he remembered a time long past.

Hermione frowned at his expression but smiled at him to break the silence which came over them. 'Is it really?' She asked and placed the straw in her mouth, taking a sip of the green drink. She was overcome by the gorgeous taste of apples, raspberries, and cinnamon combined. She glanced up at Will in shock having not expected it to be so lovely.

'It's nice, right?' he asked her with a grin.

She took another sip. 'It's good,' she replied with a smile, taking a long drink of the sweet cocktail. Hermione glanced back at him, gesturing to his drink. 'So, what is yours like?' she enquired, and without a word, Will pushed his towards her. Hermione took a small sip, tasting blueberries and something else she couldn't place. 'What is that?' she asked, pushing it back towards him.

Will smiled. 'It is blueberry and peach,' he answered before taking a drink himself.

'That's nice,' she told him, taking another drink of her own.

As she looked back at him, his attention seemed drawn to the window. She could just make out the stone parapets of the Fort and the pier. They were only slightly visible in the thick fog that seemed to have settled in abundance. Like a shark fin slicing through the water, the topmast of a ship came into view, the black sails billowing. Flying from the mast was a flag with a white Aztec skull.

She frowned as, out of nowhere, ripples formed unexpectedly on the surface of their drinks. They glanced at each other in curiosity. Will stood, indicating for her to remain seated as a whistling sound split the air outside. A massive explosion sounded in the distance. He walked cautiously towards the window and peered out, catching sight of the Fort, which was on fire. One of the walls had collapsed. His eyes widened as he scrutinised the ship that was moving closer towards the port. He could only see the Aztec flag before the cannon fire lit it up, revealing the frayed sails. It was a pirate ship; this much was certain to Will. He pulled back from the window as he bore witness to a shop across the street exploding.

Another whistle and a resounding boom shook the little restaurant as the wall of the parapet exploded. Hermione couldn't see the ship as the darkness seemed to cling to her, but the fog lit up around her with each boom of her guns. She was firing on both sides now, hammering both the Fort and the town.

Will, realising that they were not safe inside a building, ran back over to where Hermione was sitting in the corner with wide eyes. 'I need to get to my shop! Now! Come on!' he shouted in a slight panic as he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the shop behind him.

Hermione followed him in foreboding as she took in the carnage of the town. Streets, buildings, the docks, and the ships shattered and exploded beneath the onslaught. Everywhere, villagers were panicking, running for cover, and dodging flying debris as best as they could. Hermione began to think this was hell on earth; she just did not realise how correct she was in her assumption. Longboats emerged from the fog, carrying armed pirates. They looked on as the pirates swarmed from the boats, striking down the villagers and setting fire to the buildings.

They passed bodies of the fallen who were within range of the blasts and jumped over the debris of the buildings the cannon fire had devastated. Hermione gasped when she tripped over a body, falling to the ground. Will reached down and helped her back to her feet. 'What the hell is going on!?' she screamed, looking around at the massacre. Will was just about to answer, but the pirates swarmed into the town, killing the townsfolk, and throwing bombs at the buildings. 'Never mind! Let's go!' she shouted, running again towards the Blacksmiths.

They reached the shop, and Will pushed the doors open, pulling her in and bolted the door behind them. Hermione ran down the steps, grabbing one of the swords hanging from the machinery. Will ran over to her and attempted to take the sword from her. 'I will not let you fight,' he told her stubbornly, managing to pry the sword from her.

Hermione shook her head, trying to regain the sword, but it was proving problematic as Will was stronger than she was. 'I will not wait here while you go out there and endanger your life!' she barked touchily, pulling at the sword.

Will dropped the sword out of her reach, gently pushing her back against the wall. He held her arms down at her sides, efficiently trapping her so she couldn't fight him. 'No, I want you to stay here,' he whispered, wincing when the shouts and screams outside became louder.

'You have no say in the matter,' she retorted heatedly, trying to get free, but Will held firmly.

'I cannot allow it whether I have a say or not!' he shouted in fierce determination but calmed himself down. He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. 'I almost lost you once. I do not want that to happen again,' he whispered. His eyes held regret she felt she would never get an explanation about and she was curious now.

Hermione frowned up at him, stopping her struggle, 'What are you talking about?'

Will averted his eyes, pulling away from her. 'It doesn't matter,' he replied, grabbing the sword she took from the machinery. He began heading towards the bolted door, subconsciously reaching for a broading axe hanging on the wall. It was a comforting weight in his hands. He stopped for a moment, slipping it into his belt at the small of his back before grabbing some dirks. He afforded them a place in his belt as well before grabbing a second axe. He then continued towards the door and began unbolting it.

Hermione watched him for a moment, before running after him, grabbing his arm, which made him turn back to her. 'It does matter, Will. I can see it in your eyes,' she said gently. He looked away from her. 'Fine, if you don't want to tell me then okay. Just please don't leave me in here where there is more chance of them finding me. This place might get blown up while I'm in here,' she reasoned. He looked back at her thoughtfully which she took as a good sign, so she continued, 'The best chance of you protecting me is if I stay with you. Does that not make more sense?'

Will frowned for a moment, and she could tell he was having an internal battle with himself. Finally, he sighed in exasperation. 'Stay close,' he said to her, sliding the doors of the forge open and ran out. Hermione grabbed another sword before following him.

Will paused to wait for her as a one-armed pirate wearing a yellow bandana chased a woman down the street. Will backhanded the axe he was carrying square into the pirate's chest, a deadly blow. He nodded at Hermione, and they ran up the street. Hermione glanced at Will as they ran, discreetly pulling out her wand. She shot spells at the pirates, but only the stunner seemed to have any impact on them. It caused them to stumble backwards or fall, but they got to their feet again and continued. Hermione frowned and stared at her wand, wondering why it was not working. Growling in annoyance, she put her wand back in the sleeve of her dress. Now was not the best time to try to figure out why her wand wasn't working.

She followed Will through the town, opting to use the sword she grabbed instead. She swung it at the pirates, catching a few as she passed. Will threw his axe at a pirate who was chasing a group of villagers, and it embedded itself in his back making him fall. As they ran past, Hermione swooped down and pulled the axe from the pirates back.

Two pirates stopped them in their tracks, gruesome smiles upon their faces. Will eyed Hermione worriedly for a moment. Hermione nodded at him. 'You take the left one,' she said, and he hesitantly nodded before turning to fight the pirate. Hermione dodged the sword of the other pirate, attacking back with her sword and the axe she retrieved. The axe sliced the pirate's leg, making him fall to his knees. She swung around, gaining momentum, lodging the axe in the pirate's chest as Will stabbed the pirate he was fighting. The two pirates defeated; the two companions continued running. They stopped as something shot past them very fast with a resounding whistle into the building to their right which exploded. They dived to the ground to avoid the debris.

Will moved towards Hermione while she forced herself to sit up. He grabbed her just as the building collapsed and he used his body to shield her from the tumbling rubble. The dust cleared somewhat, and Hermione glanced up at the sky through the gap in Will's arms. The rising smoke from the burning gallows and wooden rooftops obscured the moon. Cannon fire continued to rain down on the town and the Fort, but there were now two sets of booms as the Fort's cannons returned fire on the pirate ship.

Will released Hermione, helping her to her feet. 'Come on, we need to get to the Governor's Mansion,' he told her, and they continued running, momentarily free of the pirates. As the mansion came into view in the distance through the smoke, they could see figures moving away from it. It took them a moment to register one of them was Elizabeth. Two pirates forcefully dragged her towards the docks.

Elizabeth seemed to spot them, her eyes widening, 'Calli! Will!' she yelled at them.

'Elizabeth!' they shouted in unison, hurrying after the pirates to help her. One pirate stepped out in front of them from the shadows of a burning building. They registered that he was the same pirate Will had thrown the axe at earlier. The two of them shared a look of confusion as the pirate smiled and waved.

At their feet was a lit bomb, and Will grabbed Hermione around the waist just as the fuse reached the inside of the bomb, but it didn't explode. The pirate looked at it in uncertainty just as another one landed, and the pirate smiled again. 'Say goodbye,' he said as the fuse reached the inside of the bomb. The same thing happened, and the pirate growled.

Will and Hermione looked at each other as a cannon hit the building next to them. They stepped back as a sign that was hanging up came crashing down into the pirate, sending him flying into the building next to them. 'Goodbye,' Will muttered, and took Hermione's hand, pulling her towards where they had seen the pirates dragging Elizabeth away.

A pirate leapt out from the shadows, swinging a chain towards them dangerously. Will raised his sword in defence, stepping in front of Hermione to protect her. Will stepped back before taking in the pirate's appearance. He had one arm and was wearing a yellow bandana. He faltered, eyeing him bewilderment. He had already killed this guy as well, hadn't he? In his hesitation, another pirate sidled up to Hermione swinging a flaming torch, slamming her in the head with a bottle. Will stumbled when she hit the back of his legs, and his concern for Hermione distracted him from the pirates. He crumpled to the ground next to her as the pirate smacked him as well.

The pirates looked down at them, before the one that hit them lit another torch and handed it to the other one. Hooting with delight, they ran off in opposite directions, setting fires as they went.

On the ground, neither Hermione nor Will moved.

oOoOo

Up in the Fort, the imprisoned pirates in cells awaiting their execution dived out of the way as the wall exploded inward. Jack, who was in a cell by himself next to that one, pulled himself out from under the rubble. Moonlight spilt in through the gaping hole created by the cannonball. Beyond it, so close, yet so far was his freedom, but the gap centred on the other cell. The part of the wall in his cell which blew inward was too small for a man to slip through.

'Praise be!' one of the prisoners shouted as he and the other two scrambled through. He turned back to look at Jack before climbing through the gap. 'My sympathies, friend, you've no manner of luck at all!' he said as he followed his companions, descending the rocks beyond, and disappearing from Jack's view.

Jack was now alone as the cannon fire continued, occasionally hitting and shaking the Fort. He looked out into the hallway as a dog whimpered, cowering under a long bench, the key ring still dangling from his mouth. Jack clicked his tongue, sighing as he resigned himself to attempting another way out of his prison. Grabbing a bone from a skeleton in the corner, he reached out through the bars and tried to coax the dog towards him. 'Okay doggie, it's just you and me now. Come here, boy. Come here, Spot. Rover? Or is your name Fido?' he said, and at the last name, to his surprise, the dog crawled out from under the bench. Jack twirled the bone around to coax him closer. The dog inched closer, and Jack smiled in relief as the key ring was nearly within his reach. The dog's attention became drawn to the main door in the cell block, and he bristled and growled. He backed away from Jack's cell, whining. Jack frowned. 'What's the matter, boy?' he asked him, but the dog whined again and bolted through the bars into the other cell, and out through the breached wall, taking the keys with him.

As Jack tried to get his head around the fact that his only hope of escape had just jumped out of the window, figuratively speaking, the door to the cell block burst open. A pair of pirates descended the steps, and Jack recognised them as Koehler and Twigg. They looked around. 'This isn't the armoury,' Twigg muttered, kicking a stick the dog was chewing on earlier in the night.

They turned to leave, but Koehler spotted Jack who was still kneeling on the floor by the bars. He was still holding the bone limply in his hand. 'Well, well, look what we have here, Twigg,' he said in a strong Dutch accent, his tone laced with amusement. 'It's "Captain" Jack Sparrow,' he finished as Twigg turned towards the cell.

Twigg grinned, and not too kindly, at Jack. 'Huh, last time I saw you, you were all alone on a God-forsaken island, shrinking into the distance. I had heard you'd gotten off, but I didn't believe it,' he said, eyeing Jack up and down with undisguised disgust.

'Did you sprout little wings and fly away?' Koehler laughed, and Twigg chuckled.

They took in the dingy cell Jack was kneeling on the floor in. 'His fortunes aren't improved much,' Twigg said thoughtfully, assessing the bars to see how strong they were and the two laughed.

Jack was not amused at all. He stood up, stepping forward, so he was close to the bars, and this put him in a spill of moonlight. He was tight with fury. 'Worry about your own fortunes, gents. The lowest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers… and mutineers,' he answered calmly, but on the inside, he was boiling with anger. Not liking that, Twigg swore, and Koehler lashed out, grabbing Jack by the throat through the bars. Jack clutched at the pirate's wrist, but instead of the skin he was expecting, he looked down to see that where the moonlight was on the arm, Koehler's lower arm, wrist, and hand had become skeletal. Jack's eyes went wide, and he moved his hand from the skeletal arm in disgust. 'You are cursed!' Jack shouted in shock as Koehler sneered, shoving Jack backwards, hard. He stumbled but stayed standing as Koehler pulled his arm back, and it turned back to normal. Jack stared before realising. 'The stories are true then. That is interesting,' he muttered, his eyes lighting up at this new revelation.

Koehler turned, ushering Twigg towards the door, but glanced back before he went up the stairs. 'You know nothing of hell,' he growled before running up the stairs after Twigg.

Jack looked back down at his hands before smirking. 'That is very interesting,' he muttered thoughtfully. He sighed and began scanning for another way out of his prison.