Hold on to your butts girls and guys. This chapter goes a lot of places.
A lot of the more frenzied times of Hermione's life since Draco was kidnapped all passed and were remembered in the same way. A blur. Colourful blurs with flashes and sparks but a blur nonetheless. The afternoon that Luna and Blaise returned after visiting the Italian Ministry was no exception. All Hermione could remember included shouting, arguing, pacing and at one point, being restrained. Eventually the group settled on waiting at least one day until they attempted at anything massive, to avoid being suspicious. As Blaise reminded everyone constantly, Theodore Nott had friends everywhere.
Hermione thought Blaise was handling it all rather well. The kidnapping of his best friends and the resurgence of his torturer seemed to have little impact on his mentality. Privately, she thought he was handling Luna well too. She told the others this when Blaise was out buying food. She didn't mention her suspicions about Blaise and Luna.
Hermione thought about all this and more as she was lying in bed that night, unable to slip into sleep. She didn't let herself think about Draco. She didn't let herself think about the conditions he might be in. She didn't let herself think about Marietta. She didn't let herself think about how it got this far.
She didn't even notice that she had fallen asleep until she was woken by faint rustling sounds. After years of being an Auror and Harry Potter's friend, her instincts never rested. Her hand was already on her wand, before she realised it was just Luna.
"Luna," Hermione whispered, careful not to wake any of the others. "What are you doing?"
"I can't sleep," she said dubiously. "I thought some fresh air might be nice, and since my room doesn't have a balcony..."
"Yeah, of course," Hermione said quickly. "I don't mind."
"Sorry for waking you." Luna pulled the balcony doors open.
Hermione swung her legs off the bed and pulled her robe on. She joined Luna at the balcony, who was staring out into the distance. Hermione looked at her, eyebrows creased. She remembered another pressing matter.
"What happened between you and Blaise?" Hermione asked carefully, trying hard to conceal her curiosity. It took Luna a while to answer, and when she did Hermione regretted asking her.
"I don't know," she answered heavily. Luna crossed her arms across her chest, as if she were cold. "I don't know."
"Has this got anything to do with Blaise's engagement?" Hermione faced the balcony again, scanning the city in front of her. She tried to act like she was focusing on the lights of the city, but really she just wanted an excuse not to have to watch Luna reply.
"Obviously, because he's not engaged to me."
Hermione blanched slightly. She turned back to Luna, frowning hard, her eyebrows contracted. Hermione couldn't find the words to speak, so she let the silence do the talking.
It carried on like that, a wordless conversation, with Luna never looking at Hermione, her eyes always watching the city twinkle in front of her, and Hermione watching Luna, a girl who never seemed to bother with a stupid thing called love, but rather focused her energies on more important things, like friendship and bravery. But, Hermione supposed, everyone breaks eventually.
Hermione asked quietly, "How did it happen?"
"It was before he was engaged," she said tightly, her voice losing its dreamy quality every second.
"It was before he met her, then?" Hermione asked worriedly.
Luna didn't answer, and the silence that emanated from her didn't answer anything either. It was obvious that she wasn't going to say anything else, so Hermione spun round back to her room and left the balcony and Luna without another word.
Hermione was back in bed and on the verge of slumber when Luna entered the room. She shut the balcony doors behind her and said nothing until she reached the door.
"If it matters," she said flatly, "I left him."
Hermione told her, "It doesn't."
Then Luna left the room and Hermione was alone.
The next morning, Hermione lay wide awake on her bed and unable to move. Her night had been pierced with strange dreams and colours, but at least she hadn't shouted out (she didn't think so, anyway). Hermione vaguely remembered snow and leaves and a rose.
She was stiff with anxiety. Today was the day. Today was the day.
"Today is the day," she muttered, finally gathering the courage to get out of bed. "Today is the day," she repeated as she padded into the bathroom. She chanted it as she went about her morning routine. Strangely, it felt like a boost of energy every time it left her mouth. When she entered the dining room she was still saying it. She attracted looks from Ron and Blaise when she sat down at the table. She quickly shut up and blushed. Harry sauntered in levitating three large plates piled with food.
"Got enough food, much?" Blaise said, looking amused and shocked.
"Ron has the ability to morph into a human vacuum sometimes," Harry explained, smirking a little as he placed the plates on the table. He straightened up and examined his work. Hermione was glad to see that he seemed a bit more cheerful than he was yesterday. But Hermione knew Harry well enough to see through his mask.
The same couldn't have been said about Luna, whose absence was blaringly obvious as the others settled into their breakfast. Hermione sat there uncomfortably, having no desire to eat just yet. She started fidgeting.
Ron, having noticed Hermione's uneasiness, said thickly, "What's the matter? Is it Harry's cooking?" Ron turned to Harry, swallowing his food, "I told you the public wasn't ready for the Lucky Dip of Potter."
"No, it's Luna," she said, "Your cooking is fine." Harry's face returned to normal.
"What about her?" Ron asked.
"She's not up yet."
"You speak too soon," Blaise muttered. Hermione twisted in her seat and saw Luna walking in, her hair wild and her eyes a wicked red. Hermione looked away from her gaze, embarrassed, and realised that no one would ever hear of what happened last night on the balcony.
The silence stretched to the point of being shameful. To avoid anyone stating anything about Luna's dishevelled appearance, Hermione said hastily, "Welcome to the Lucky Dip of Potter. There's a wide selection of food, including-"
Hermione was interrupted when Luna abruptly pulled up a chair and plopped straight down. She reached for pancakes and began to eat. She waved her hand dismissively, as if to tell them to continue on their previous conversation.
"Um... okay," Harry said. "After breakfast we should get moving."
Blaise glanced almost involuntarily at Hermione, and then Luna. It felt like he knew exactly what was said on the balcony.
Hermione flushed and turned her attention to her plate of food, which she hadn't touched.
They all ate with certain gusto, as if they all collectively felt a strange sense of finality. Within a few minutes all the plates were relatively clean and Ron whisked them away and into the sink with a flick of his wand. They were all sitting there a little awkwardly, waiting for someone to make the first move.
In the end, it was Luna. "Let's all freshen up. Meet back here in ten?"
The party broke up and they all left to their respective rooms. Hermione examined herself in the mirror and she wondered if she would be the same by the time the day was out.
She chose a simple, close fitting outfit for the day and its activities. As much as she didn't want to, she avoided the loose and insanely comfortable clothes, that she knew thanks to her rigorous Auror training from a few years back, that they could be a disadvantage. After a few minutes of debating with herself internally, she also magicked her hair into a tight bun. In the end, she looked like a prim businesswoman. A couple seconds of frowning at her reflection resulted in letting a few strands of hair loose, to put some Hermione back into her appearance.
She caught a glimpse of dirty blonde hair trailing past her door. She left her reflection and followed Luna. Soon, everyone was there. Everyone's emotions was palpable.
Then Harry sat down and with parchment and a quill in his hand. He laid them out and pressed his hands together.
"I really want to... get it done today," he said softly. At his words, the rest of them sat done as one. "I think... it would be better for everyone if we do it as soon as we can."
"I know we agreed to do it today, but is it safe yet?" asked Luna. Hermione turned to Blaise.
"I'm fairly certain they're off our scent, if they were even on it in the first place. Remember that Nott, whatever he seemed to you in school, his skills have skyrocketed. I don't know much about why, but I highly suspect it has something to do with avenging his father. If the rumour that serious emotional drainage and harm can affect magical ability negatively is true, then the opposite can also be true. As for the girl – judging by the magic she has afflicted so far, she didn't really need to attend your D.A. meetings, did she? I don't believe that she's as far gone as Theo is. Theo is really fucking insane."
"Have you read the notes, Blaise?" asked Hermione softly, looking away.
"Fortunately, no."
"Then you can't say she's not like Theo in terms of sanity."
Hermione met Blaise's confused stare and silently dared him to contradict her.
"We've got a plan and we've got a Slytherin. Can we go?" Ron asked firmly.
Blaise looked away and nodded. He had arranged for all of them to Apparate into a safe house, then proceed on foot towards their final destination. Hermione fiddled with her little beaded bag nervously. Her other hand gripped her wand. The group arranged themselves in the regular way, and then they left the villa.
The house Hermione found herself in was substantially smaller and definitely less grand than the last. It was similar to her and Luna's own place. The group's heavy breathing was broken instantly when a high-pitched voice sliced through the air, "Mamma, Mamma, Blaise è qui Mamma, Blaise is here!"
"My cousin," Blaise murmured in a sotto voice. "And my aunt." He broke the group's circle and walked towards a nearby door, where the cry of Blaise's cousin grew louder and louder. There was a sudden explosion of sound and it looked like a small ball of dark-haired energy rocketed itself into Blaise's arms.
"Caterina, Caterina," Blaise said, smiling. "Dov'è tua madre, Caterina?"
"Here I am," trilled a loud voice. Blaise's aunt entered the room, radiating warmth like the sun. Hermione didn't manage a good look at her until she moved away from her nephew.
She was a short woman with wavy black hair down to about the middle of her back. Aside from the height and hair colour difference, she looked strikingly similar to Blaise's mother. Her daughter, Caterina, looked about eight or nine. The trio were all chatting rapid Italian.
Ron, Harry, Luna and Hermione stayed put. Hermione felt like they shouldn't interrupt the family reunion, especially one that felt as if they hadn't seen each other in years.
It was Blaise's aunt who made the connection between the two groups. She introduced herself as Lia. Hermione was relieved when the woman had no questions about their business in Italy. Blaise must have explained to her beforehand. Caterina hid behind her mother, her previous exuberant self having died away when she noticed the presence of four total strangers.
They were there for an hour, mostly because no one wanted to interrupt the family reunion in fear of being rude. Instead, the four of them talked quietly amongst themselves about little things. It was almost normal, like they were in one of their own houses and they were talking about work or life, but instead they were talking about the obvious and they were sitting in a stranger's house in Italy.
"I'm thinking Ginny can probably alert the Aurors some time around now," Ron said. "It'll take them a bit longer to locate where Nott is than it did us, I think."
"I still don't know why we need them," Harry said. "We're a group of five highly skilled witches and wizards – not bragging or anything – and who have they got? One wizard and one witch."
"A wizard who successfully escaped from Azkaban and has kept out of the Ministry's clutches for several years," Luna murmured.
"A witch who managed to keep her identity a secret for years and orchestrated Hermione's miscarriage, and not to mention she kind of kidnapped Draco Malfoy and has kept him hidden away for two weeks, even though the whole wizarding world is looking for him," Ron muttered.
"Not to mention we don't know it's just them," Luna said. "As Blaise always says, Nott has friends everywhere." She said the last part in an attempt at Blaise's voice.
"Good job on totally killing Harry's spirits, guys," Hermione said bitterly.
"No, it's fine. They're right," Harry said, "But think of what we've got. Five people who survived the War. Four people who were actively involved in the War. Four people who were key elements in Voldemort's downfall. And we have the element of surprise on our side."
"But they've got Draco," Hermione said heavily. She was staring at the ground, afraid to look at her friends.
After a lengthy pause Harry said, "Yeah. They've got Draco."
Ron leapt up. There was a strange fire in his eyes. "If I know Draco Fucking Malfoy at all – which I think I do – then he would've done something. I know he's probably on the brink of death – sorry, Hermione – but he's Draco Fucking Malfoy. He's a coward, a total dick, and he's completely messed up – but he's not stupid. He knows you would be coming for him, Hermione. He would have done something." Ron sat down again, glaring at Hermione. It felt like he was reprimanding her for being miserable.
"He's a good person, I think," said Luna quietly.
"Deep down."
"Very deep down," Harry added.
"He changed," Ron said.
"His upbringing sucked," Hermione said.
"So much."
"His reputation was tarnished after the War-"
"Quite rightfully you have to admit," Hermione commented.
"- His father died from being poisoned, and his mother was temporarily insane."
"Well done Harry," Ron said ruefully. "You've just summed up the Malfoy family history from ninety seven to present day."
There were two significant events that Harry didn't mention, and Hermione was forever grateful that he didn't. They were still there though, hanging in the atmosphere like wet clothing. To prevent anyone else from bringing up what would eventually be said anyway, Hermione would be the one to do it.
"You forgot the part about me."
"Ah," Ron mumbled.
"The fact that he broke up with me at the same time I broke up with him. I did it for reasons that probably don't need to be vocalised. He did it to protect me from being killed by Theodore Nott. Then he fled the country, hoping to lead Nott out too. He met Marietta Edgecombe in Italy and that's how this whole mess began."
"Right," Harry said uncomfortably.
"Then when he came back to visit his parents, he also happened to visit me – la-de-da-de-da, and boom: I'm pregnant and we're happy and then I get seemingly randomly attacked by Gregory Goyle who later died because Theodore Nott was paranoid that what happened to Adrian Pucey would happen to Goyle, in other words, he would fight back the Imperius Curse and turn on his captors."
"It's good," Luna urged. "It's good to get it all out."
"Adrian Pucey died trying to save me and the baby but his timing completely sucked. Baby died anyway and my relationship with Draco was diminished to burning fragments of what it once was. We named our dead son in honour of the one who had tried to save him. We buried our son, Adrian, the day after Adrian Pucey's funeral. Then we lasted about six months before The Fight and I came a-knock knock knocking on your door," a nod towards Harry.
Ron was nodding with a little smile. Keep going, he was saying.
"Draco had made a last ditch attempt at salvaging our broken relationship by proposing to me and I almost accepted. That was, of course, before The Fight. A few years go past and we've both doing well, everything is the kind of good that is never really good, until I get woken up early in the morning by Kingsley's Patronus asking me to Apparate to the Ministry immediately."
Hermione sat back and crossed her legs.
"I am so glad Blaise didn't hear that," said Luna finally, after a couple moments of comfortable silence.
"I did!" came from somewhere nearby.
"THANKS FOR THE UPDATE, ZABINI," Luna hollered. She smiled faintly when there was no answer.
Harry started laughing. It was insane, there was no reason for it, but it wasn't long until Hermione tagged along, which made Ron giggle which finally snagged Luna.
They were a bundle of noise and childish-like giggles with desperate gasps of breath. Hermione hadn't laughed in so long. She hadn't heard the others laugh in a long time as well. Harry was at the point that he sounded like a drunken hyena. Spontaneous laughter that the last of which she could remember was at least two years old.
Ron hiccupped back to business. "Okay so-" giggle "Luna knocks on the door pretending to be someone who just got attacked, I intervene and pretend to be a Healer, and Blaise, Hermione and Harry try look for another entrance round the house. Sounds-" hic "-Good?"
"Perfect," Hermione giggled.
The giggles flew out the open window quickly and the mood dipped. A bird started singing outside. Hermione, lightened by her recent giggle fest, tried to look on the brighter side. End of this day, Granger, and it'll be over. Maybe you'll have him, maybe you won't. You might be dead, you might not be. But Granger, it'll be over.
Click.
"Guess who came to visit me, Draco?"
Click.
"A beautiful little birdie."
Click.
"Don't you want to know what the beautiful little birdie had to tell me?"
Click.
"Don't be like that, Draco baby. The beautiful little birdie had good news."
Click.
"Stop pouting, baby. Don't you want hear the good news?"
Click.
"What do you mean? It's not always that there's bad news too."
Click. Click.
"Why are you so mean today, Draco? I just want to deliver you with some good news."
Click.
"Okay, okay. I'm not coming any closer. Do you want to hear it?"
Slam.
"I can't hear you say it, baby!"
"...Yes."
"I wonder who's coming for you, baby?"
"Fuck you."
"Language, silly Draco! You'll never know if you're going to be so foul!"
Crack.
"Now, say you're sorry, please."
Crack.
"Don't disagree with me, please. Apologise for your language."
Crack.
"Was that so hard? Obviously, you already know who's sitting in Blaise Zabini's aunt's house, and is currently about to set off on their adventure!"
Click.
"I'm sorry, I'll fix up your rib. Just don't tell Theo, okay? I agree, oh, I know baby, he was a little rough yesterday. It's okay; did you know I was once training to be a Healer? So I do know some stuff!"
Whoosh.
"There, is that better?"
Click.
"Just stay here, and rest okay? It won't heal if you move around. So stay here, okay? Or I might not be able to fix you the next time."
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
"I'll come see you later, Draco. Don't worry about the cargo. She'll be gone soon enough."
Swish. Click.
"...Oh, God. Hermione."
"Gang! Let's roll out of here!"
Luna was the first to rise. "You're so funny, Blaise."
"I get it from my mamma," Blaise said.
"Cut the cheesecake, guys," Ron said, waltzing in the middle of them. "We've got a jerk to save."
"So kind," Hermione sighed. She turned to Luna and twirled her wand around her face. Luna's dirty blonde hair was suddenly the same shade as Ron's. Her eye colour was turned into a brilliant shade of emerald. Hermione fiddled with Luna's face a bit more until she was no longer recognisable.
A minute later Ron had black hair that was down to his jaw, thanks to Harry. His eyes were no longer blue, but hazel and his nose was wider than usual. Harry gave him a few wrinkles around his eyes. Hermione could just recognise him if she concentrated but the ones waiting in the house wouldn't, and that was the whole idea. It would have been better if they used Polyjuice Potion, but they couldn't because of time restraints. They couldn't wait two months. They just couldn't.
Harry stepped back from his work and smiled. "Hello, Healer Simcox." Ron had magicked himself into a new outfit, one that suited a Healer. Hermione brushed some lint off his shoulder.
Finally, Luna coloured Hermione's hair a bleach blonde and her skin a deep caramel. Hermione surveyed the disguises and felt satisfied.
"Thank you so much," she said to Blaise's aunt, who was standing by shyly with her daughter clutching at her legs. "I, and my friends, are forever in your debt. If you ever need anything, ever, need anything in England, please, look for me."
She handed Lia a slip that bore her name and the department she belonged to. The others made their goodbyes and Luna hugged the little girl, Caterina. Blaise's goodbye was in the form of a simple wave.
Leaving the warmth and safety of Lia's home was damn difficult. Near impossible, even. A little voice tugged at the corner of her mind and whispered, you're so vulnerable out here, little birdie. Hermione shook the uneasy thoughts away, and slipt her wand out of her pocket. She held it in a casual stance, trying to look like any other witch walking the streets.
The others did the same. Silently, they began to walk.
In groups first, so not to look suspicious. Hermione and Blaise went first, because they were the only ones who knew where they were going. Then Ron and Luna, with Harry bringing up the back.
Twenty minutes into their walk, Hermione was wondering why they had all opted for the choice of proceeding on foot. The Italian sun was beating down on them relentlessly, with absolutely no wind whatsoever. Hermione tore off her sweater that had seemed like such a good idea in the morning. The morning that felt a little chilly. She hadn't noticed the temperature rise at Lia's house, mainly because her attention was so completely on other matters.
"Oh, heavens above," Hermione muttered. She wiped his brow again.
"Are we there yet?" Luna called. Ron hurriedly shushed her.
"No." Hermione's tone was flat. She Summoned a water bottle from her beaded bag. She praised past-Hermione highly for packing it, before letting the cold re-hydrate her parched mouth. When she was done, she Summoned the other bottles, one for each person, and hastily magicked them to their owners.
All the witches and wizards who went past were dressed in their summer best. Hermione cursed the sun, and cast a desparing glance at her heavy jeans.
"We're almost there," said Blaise encouragingly. "Another ten minutes, if we're quick enough. Hermione?"
Hermione offered a grunt, too hot to answer.
No one else said anything, a silence Hermione was becoming accustomed to. But Blaise's remark seemed to have some sort of an effect. They all straightened up and quickened their pace.
Anyone going past would have hopefully judged them all as some pedestrians, all going to their separate locations. They certainly milked it for all they had. When they weren't moaning about the temperature, each group had their own different covers.
Hermione and Blaise acted like a bickering couple, stopping every now and then to pretend to shout at each other. Hermione was a little worried at how easy it was to slip into the role.
Ron and Luna were acting as a man and his personal trainer. Occasionally, Luna would holler to, "Keep it going, Bamford!" which Ron would reply, "Get off my back, Gina!"
They had decided against using 'Weasley' out loud, in fear of recognition. Lastly, Harry was underneath the Cloak, because he was so famous it would not be possible not to get recognised.
Hermione prided herself on the disguises. She thought it was rather good. As well as being worried at how easy it was to become half of a bickering couple, she worried about how into it she was. Sub-consciously, she was reminded of the final days in her relationship with Draco Malfoy.
Shuffle.
"Did she leave it here again?"
Shuffle.
"Oh, God, please..."
Bang.
"Shit! Wait, he didn't hear, it's okay."
Shuffle.
"You angel. You actually left a wand here. Not mine, granted, but a wand nonetheless."
Ouch.
"Fuck. What'd he do to my ribs?"
Ouch.
"Holy fuck. What the hell did he do?"
Shuffle.
"Fucking Nott. Draco Malfoy, afraid of little Theodore Nott. Disgusting."
Shuffle.
"I need to get out before she gets here."
Shuffle.
"She'll die here."
Shuffle.
"She can't die."
Whoosh.
"Lucky Auntie Bellatrix taught me how to mend mild injuries. Okay, it's not really mild."
Shuffle.
"It's a bit better."
Shuffle.
"Fucking Nott. I'll have his head."
Shuffle. Click.
"As for Melanie... no, Marietta, well..."
Shuffle.
"We'll see."
It was impressive. It was very tall. It was dark. It was completely ominous. It felt oppressing. It was all those things, and more, even from sixty metres back, around a corner. Hermione instinctively took a step back.
"Ron and Luna, it's all you," Blaise murmured. He caught her hand as she tried to get by. His grasp lingered for a moment too long, before he let her hand fall. The gesture was so intimate that witnessing it felt like she was intruding on a private moment. Eventually though, Luna turned away to face Ron.
"Sorry," Ron said, wincing. He pointed his wand at Luna's face. There was a quick flash of red and Luna stumbled away from Ron, clutching at her face, trying to suppress any sounds.
"I'm really sorry," Ron groaned fervently, awkwardly patting her on the back.
Luna uttered a moan and waved her hand dismissively. When she took her hands away from her face, Hermione saw the two large welts, one on her left cheek and one above her right eye, just underneath her hairline.
"Does it look real?" Luna choked. "Please tell me it looks authentic because it feels authentic as hell."
"It looks perfect." Hermione glanced around them anxiously.
She looked past his shoulder and at the formidable house that haunted her ever since she stumbled across the address and its inhabitants while reading the Prophet years ago. After asking Draco about it casually – a question he evaded though at the time, Hermione felt no reason to be suspicious – Hermione hadn't given it a second thought, until Luna and Blaise returned from the Italian Ministry with an address in hand.
The whole morning, Hermione felt strangely calm towards the whole infiltration of the Edgecombe villa, but that was not the case as she stared at the house behind Ron. Her heart started hammering.
Out of the corner of her eye, Harry sauntered forwards slowly, extracting the Cloak from her beaded bag. Blaise twirled his wand. Tears welled up in Luna's eyes, preparing to be released upon knocking on the Edgecombe villa.
It was now or never.
Hermione turned her eyes to Ron again and attempted another smile. "Go," she said gently, giving him and Luna a little push. "Go, now."
Ron hesitated, but he went anyway. Luna strode ahead, clutching at her face dramatically.
Without another word, Harry threw the Cloak of the three of them. They crouched low and walked slowly in fear of being discovered.
Hermione watched Luna start to run towards to villa. She knocked on the door, and brought a hand to her face, her body shaking. Hermione made a mental note to praise her acting skills later. Luna looked around wildly, as if she were afraid, and knocked on the door louder and more frantically. Ron hid behind a bush and waited.
Hermione, Harry and Blaise crept steadily towards the house. Luna knocked again, now pleading in heavily accented English.
They reached the gate beside the house, which lead presumably, to the back garden. Harry unlocked it quickly.
Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when someone finally opened the door.
"Shit."
Creak.
"Shitshitshitshitshit."
Shuffle.
"Hurry the fuck up, Draco, get back into that bed..."
Creak.
"Draco? Are you awake?"
Shuffle. Click.
"It's fucking Nott, damn."
Shuffle. Knock knock knock.
"So... close..."
Creak.
"Wake up, Draco! The guests are here!"
Shuffle. Knock knock knock.
Please help me please open the door!
"It sounds like Luna..."
"Draco! You're awake!"
"Fuck off, Nott."
"That's not very nice. Mari was right, you're very mean today."
"If you hurt them, I'll kill you."
"Isn't that what you said to Mari when she kidnapped you?"
"Fuck you, fuck Mari, fuck this, fuck everything-"
Bang.
"Don't fucking swear, Draco!"
"AARGH!"
"Mari won't come and fix you this time."
"My arm!"
"Quit your whining. You asked for it. Look, I only came up here because your friends are here. Stupid fools tripped the Stealth Sensoring Spell."
Creak. Shuffle. Click.
"They're all going to die here."
"Excuse me, excuse me, sorry, sorry, I'm a Healer."
"Are you now?"
"Yes, I saw it happen, I'm very sorry I didn't get here earlier, but you took off!"
"Come in, come in."
Hermione watched Ron and Luna enter the house with baited breath. Marietta's behaviour was suspicious, but they were in the house now, and Ron and Luna could handle themselves fine.
She signalled to Harry that the coast was clear. They all had to stoop to properly fit underneath the Cloak, so their movements were slow and awkward.
The Edgecombe villa was quite isolated. It stood on it's own cliff, the ocean peaceful and calming behind it. The area was massive. The Edgecombes obviously lived in luxury in Italy. The area behind the house was littered with various plants and trees, painting a very tranquil environment. The area finished with a cliff, which was cut off by a fence. The fence was very skilfully hidden by a row of assorted bushes and hedges.
The only ominous thing on the property was the maze. It was nowhere near as large as the one that was used in the Triwizard Tournament. It was quite small, really, but there was still a strange feeling about it. It was situated in a far away corner. Hermione knew it was going to cause trouble.
She could vaguely see other houses in the distance. They were all off on their own.
Hermione suddenly realised how transparent their cover was. This villa was standing by itself, isolated and hidden away from the general public. What were the chances that an innocent pedestrian would stumble upon the villa that was so expertly hidden away after getting viciously attacked? If they were trying to break into any other house in the world with any other agenda, then it may have been plausible. But the beings inside the house were, no doubt, highly suspicious and cunning.
The thought brought running up and down Hermione's spine, along with an idea. Nott had friends everywhere. Everywhere meant London. Oh Gods, how long had it been since Harry had talked to Ginny?
"Harry," she choked. She reached out her hand and grabbed the back of Harry's top. He whirled around, confused.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Blaise hissed.
"Harry," she said again. Tears were beginning to form.
"What?" He looked frenzied at her tears.
"Ginny," she managed. "Ginny... When was the last time you talked to Ginny?"
"Um," he said. "Last time I got a letter from her was around dinner last night."
Hermione released a groan. She clapped a hand to her mouth and looked around wildly. Forget being quiet and cautious, she thought frantically.
She tore out from under the Cloak, against the hushed protests of the others. Hermione made her way to the nearest window and did not give a damn about noises. The sound of the glass being smashed by her wand cracked through the air like a bullet. A part of her hesitated. Granger, you don't have a shred of evidence supporting your theory. When did you stop being the brightest witch of your age and start being the dullest?
Damn, Granger, this will be your death.
They definitely heard that, Granger.
When you left the villa, Granger, you left your life behind. No, scratch that, when you left England, you left your life behind.
She's not even there, Granger.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up," she muttered through her teeth. She climbed through the window without a backwards glance. Her hand gripped her wand as if it were her life. A drop of sweat rolled down her face.
The room she entered was too quiet. There were sheets over all the furniture, as if the owner just arrived and hadn't enough time to unpack fully.
Far too quiet.
Hermione's nerves were tightly coiled. She was very tense. Her ears were straining to pick up any sort of sound. The house didn't even creak. She peered out the open door with her heart rate quickening. The hallway was illuminated, with many, many doors leading off from it. It looked massive from the outside, but it was even bigger inside.
"Damn it," she whispered.
Then the scream sounded.
"What was that?" Blaise whipped around to face the window Hermione had smashed.
"I'm asking you why we haven't gone after Hermione," Harry said brusquely.
"And I'm asking what the hell that sound was," Blaise snarled.
"Fuck it," Harry growled. He tore the Cloak off and dived in after Hermione. He heard Blaise splutter behind him, before he followed.
The room was deserted. There was no sign of Hermione.
"It looks like someone just moved in," Blaise said.
"It feels... weird here. Like it's artificial. Like everything is just a part of the show."
"Then let's go," Blaise said quietly. "Hermione first, or Ron and Luna?"
"No doubt people heard the window smash."
They both looked at each other at the same time. Harry saw the same thought that was glimmering in his mind on Blaise's face. Experience told Harry it was a bad idea, but he felt a sense of urgency that he didn't understand, and that obliterated all sense.
"Go after Ron and Luna. I'll find Hermione," said Harry.
Blaise nodded once, and he was gone. Harry watched his retreating form hastily peer into the rooms he passed down the hallway, before glancing into the last door on his right. Blaise looked back once before disappearing.
Harry took a deep breath, and set off. He didn't bother looking in the other rooms; he knew that there was going to be nothing there. He entered the same door Blaise did seconds before, and found himself facing more doors. On his left was a staircase going God-knows-where. There was a door directly in front of him and a closed door next to it. Presumably Blaise went through the open door. Harry could hear far-away laughter from the direction of the open door. It was the first sign of human life he had encountered since he dove into the house, excluding the scream, and he wasn't even sure if it was real. It did nothing for his nerves.
The house shifted slightly, and Harry jumped. He swore underneath his breath and shook his head. He chastised himself for being afraid of nothing and stared at the stairs. As far as he could see, they led to a little platform that had a table in the corner with a vase on it. The flowers in the vase were dead.
The stairs continued, and Harry couldn't see anything else from where he was standing. He swallowed thickly and shook his head again. He looked at the open door again, with laughter, a little stronger this time, flowing from it. Apart from the scream and Hermione's disappearance, there were no signs of any malevolence so far. Harry hadn't heard any potentially malevolent spell work go on. The thing stopping him was the ambience. Everything felt wrong and fake. And then there was the constant irritating whisper in his mind, buzzing around like a fly that wouldn't leave: it's all a trap.
So he started up the stairs with a tense body quietly, carefully, speedily.
"Excuse me, do you have any bandages?"
The small girl smiled, a little strangely. "Yeah, of course," she stood up. "Don't move a muscle, I'll get it." The first part was laced with poison.
Ron's smile faltered slightly. The small girl was already gone, her shoes clicking every step of the way.
Ron couldn't speak aloud, in fear of being overheard. He was intimidated at the sheer size of the room and how formidable it was, even inside. The outside of the house was black and silver. The inside could not be more different. It was like one person had decorated the outside and a completely different person decorated the interior. Ron wondered if the girl that just left the room had decorated the inside. It was, after all, her house, since her parents died three years ago.
"I wonder, Healer Simcox, if you saw a bickering couple on the way here?" asked Luna suddenly. Ron was confused. What was she talking about?
The confusion lasted for a few moments before it was lifted away. The only thing to be heard was the clock on the wall ticking away. Ron's eyes were locked with Luna's.
"I did see them," he said finally. "They were arguing like the world was going to end. Why?"
"No reason," said Luna, her face blank. "I was just wondering where they are now, if they're still arguing. I hope they've resolved their issues."
Ron sank back into the sofa and understanding crossed his face like a shadow.
"I'm sure they're where they were meaning to go. You're a sweet girl," he said, mainly for anyone suspicious ears that might be homing in on the conversation, "to worry about two strangers like that. Hopefully we'll be able to fix up those burns without a trouble."
Luna beamed from ear to ear and watched the door the other girl had left through expectantly.
Ron imitated her. His ears strained for any audible signs of his friends. It unnerved him how quiet the whole house was. He thought there would have been more life in the house. But what was he expecting? It was the house of two mad people who like to kidnap people for weird reasons.
Ron jumped in his seat when a loud crack came from somewhere not so near. He looked around quickly, his heart pounding. Luna looked bewildered. Their eyes met again, and Luna was quick to reassure.
"They're fine."
Ron winced. "All the same..."
"Right," Luna agreed, frowning. They got up at the same time, wands in hand and ready to strike. Ron just reached the door where the other girl had disappeared through when the scream sounded.
"Where's the girl?" demanded Nott. His fury was blinding.
"She was right here, I swear it!" The other wizard was shocked to his core. He had nearly fainted when he walked into the room only to find nothing when there should have been something.
Nott's wand hand twitched angrily, making the other wizard flinch. He held his hands up, surrendering.
"I left the room for two secs, and then when I came back, she was gone. I swear on my life."
"Right now, your life isn't very valuable, Sebastian," said Nott viciously. He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled deeply. He swung around and looked out the door and made a decision.
"You're very, very lucky, Sebastian," he said quietly. He turned back to the other wizard and smiled mirthlessly. Sebastian looked puzzled and frightened. "Lucky because she's damaged. Sorely. She won't get far. Especially in this magnificent house."
"She'll run into someone else eventually," said Sebastian, relieved.
"She might even run into her own people," agreed Nott.
"How did you-?"
"I took it upon myself to place a Stealth Sensoring Spell around the whole property."
Sebastian said nothing for a bit, his mind pulsing with relief that he wasn't going to be punished and praise for Theodore Nott's forward thinking. Eventually, he said, "Does Marietta know about this?"
Nott smirked. "Do you think I trust her?"
"I – I'm not... sure."
"She thinks I don't know what she does," he said. "She thinks I don't notice when almost all of Malfoy's injuries are healed when they shouldn't be."
"She's got that Healer certificate, right?"
Nott sighed and deliberately flicked his wand. There was a small bang near Sebastian's feet. Sebastian yelped and leapt backwards.
"They're trying to be clever," Nott muttered. "Sending in Weasley and Lovegood in to distract us. It's adorable how hard they're trying."
"How did you know?"
Nott slid into the single seat in the room and ran his hand through his hair again. He glanced at the wizard standing by, and then at the door. It was very possible Sebastian had left the door ajar. And if Mari's behaviour with Draco was anything to go by, there was a good chance the girl escaped with a wand.
There was a solitary bed in the corner where the girl was kept. It was a simple room, normal to outside eyes. There was a table by the bed for water and such. There was one, barred window.
"Freya is an Animagus," he said.
"No one told me this why?"
"Because obviously you can't be trusted," snarled Nott, gesturing towards the empty bed.
Sebastian bit back a growl and ignored Nott's remark. "And how does Freya fit into all of this?"
"She can change into a bird," said Nott. "She's been following them this whole time, perched on windowsills and whatnot. They discuss their plans quite loudly, you see."
"...That's smart," Sebastian mumbled.
"Thank you."
The seconds of silence were shattered by a loud crack from somewhere beneath them.
"I guess they found their way in," said Sebastian.
"It'll be Granger, no doubt," said Nott.
Sebastian took a step towards the door. He jerked his thumb towards the stairs near the door. "Do you want me to...?"
Nott smiled humourlessly and waved his hand dismissively. He shook his head and looked out of the barred window. There was no one in the back yard, which was expected. He looked at the cliff at the end of the property. The only thing you could see past the cliff was the ocean. Nott exhaled slowly and looked away from the view.
"Don't bother," Nott said, pulling a smile onto his face. "Let her try, and her friends. I guess Mari hasn't explained the whole plan to you, huh?"
Sebastian cocked his head, his eyebrows furrowed. He just opened his mouth to speak, when a scream rattled through the house.
Nott almost laughed at how quickly Sebastian's expression changed from confusion to alarm. His mouth shut and his eyes widened.
"I guess someone found the girl wandering around," said Nott. He got up; left the room and Sebastian closed the door behind them.
"Holy shit," he said breathlessly. "Look who it is."
"You're not too bad yourself, Potter."
What have they done to him? Thought Harry, hurrying into the room. He resisted dropping to his knees by the bed, to keep the other wizard from being embarrassed.
"Don't tell me I'm going to be stuck with you," Draco said. He propped himself up on his elbows, wincing with the effort. Harry immediately realised that Draco had fractured ribs, and there was something wrong with his wrist.
"I sincerely hope not," Harry told him. He threw a glance over his shoulder. The door had been suspiciously easy to open, which reinforced the notion in Harry's mind. And then there lay Malfoy on the bed, broken and barely conscious. He had just tried the first door he'd seen after ascending the stairs.
"Don't tell me that you're trying to find Hermione," Draco said tiredly. He sat still as Harry worked on his injuries.
"Ferula," muttered Harry. He created an acceptable splint for Draco wrist. He didn't have enough medical knowledge to do anything for Draco's ribs though. But after a quick inspection, the bandages someone had wrapped around him seemed to numb the pain, at least.
"Potter," Draco warned.
"Why don't you tell me some more things I'm not supposed to tell you?"
"Fantastic, Potter," said Draco through his teeth. "That's great."
"Shut up," Harry snapped.
Harry helped his old nemesis to his feet and watched Draco try a few steps gingerly. Harry was at a loss for what to do. He had set out intending to find Hermione, but instead he stumbled across Draco. It's true that Draco was why they were there in the first place, but in Harry's mind, Draco was not the top priority at that moment.
"Before we go on an adventure together," Harry said when he got tired of watching Draco stagger around, "I think we need to share."
"I'm crippled and worried, Potter," Draco said grimly. "I think we should have this conversation whilst moving."
Draco waved away Harry's offer to help and stumbled to the door by himself. It took him a few metres to walk properly.
Harry checked all around them as they moved past all the other rooms, until they reached another staircase. After a few steps, Harry fished out the Cloak and threw it over the pair of them. His heart hammered in his chest and there was the ever-present feeling that someone was watching them.
Harry wanted to move slowly, for Draco's sake. He personally felt no love for Draco Malfoy but he knew, though he didn't know why, that Hermione did. Draco, again, waved away his offer of moving slower and started striding faster.
Harry thought Draco couldn't tell him anything he didn't already know, so he spoke first: "I don't know if you know, but back in England, the Ministry's going nuts trying to find you-"
"They'd better."
Harry glared at him. "And others are going crazy, too."
Draco wisely kept his eyes away from Harry.
"We've been formulating this plan for days now, and we've had to leave Ginny behind-"
"Potter."
"And Blaise Zabini's on this rescue mission too." Harry helped Draco turn a corner, glancing at the next set of stairs. Guessing by the height of the house from the outside, the third floor was going to be the last.
"Potter."
"What?"
"They know more than you think they do. They've been following you since you got here – Marietta keeps mentioning a 'little birdie' – and I'm sure you know, but Nott has friends everywhere, and I'm fairly certain that they've seen through Weasley and Lovegood's disguise."
Harry stared at him, aghast. His mind was whirling, suddenly tainted by panic.
"Wha – you – can't be serious?"
"There's more," Draco said, panting slightly. "As much as I don't like you, Potter, I wish I don't have to tell you this-"
"On with it!" Harry nearly roared, blood thundering in his head.
"They've got Ginny. Here. Imprisoned."
Nott rushed in, accompanied by a wizard Hermione had never seen before. Nott's hair was wild and messy, as if he had been tugging at it but his eyes were careful, guarded. The other wizard seemed to be a few years younger, like he had just left school. He had barely visible freckles spread across his cheeks. Both of the wizards had their wands clutched in their fists, Nott's sparking randomly.
Hermione held her breath and kept completely still as they strode past. She could hear a girl whimpering.
"God damn, Mari," Nott was saying as he disappeared out of Hermione's view. "What the hell happened?"
"I walked in, and there was a freaking zombie staring at me."
"Oh, shut up, Mari," Nott said venomously.
Hermione risked a peek out of the closet and saw that all three people had their backs to her. She pushed the door open slowly and crept past the door. She hid just outside the open door, crouched low and hobbled closer.
"You're so fucking weak."
"Well, I didn't see you being all hard-arse when you ran face first into that prisoner you messed up!"
Nott shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He glared at the woman, before thrusting his arm out, pointing out the door. Hermione threw herself back on the wall as Sebastian marched out the door, looking miserable. Hermione waited, terrified, and she didn't breathe again until Sebastian was safely gone down the stairs.
An airy sigh floated out of the bathroom, making Hermione's head snap back to the others.
"I don't understand," whispered Marietta. "How did she escape?"
The realisation hit and it hit hard. It was nothing more than an irking suspicion before, but now it was a rock solid fact. Hermione's heart pounded painfully and loudly in her chest, so loudly that she thought the others could hear it.
"It was Sebastian, I think," replied Nott. "He left a door open."
"Gre-e-e-a-t."
There was a sudden thud, as if someone had slammed his or her fist down on something.
"Where did she go?"
"Down the stairs – down the stairs."
Hermione watched wide-eyed as Nott dragged Marietta out of the room. She went easily.
Then suddenly Marietta looked behind her shoulder – and shot a glance at Hermione.
Hermione nearly fainted.
It was over in a blink, and Nott and Marietta disappeared onto the lower floor.
Hermione sprung up from her position and took a deep breath. She knew she should probably look for the others, but something drove her to follow the pair walking away from her. So she did.
I'm disguised, she thought. She shouldn't have known who I am, because I'm disguised.
Hermione self-consciously lifted a strand of her hair, and saw to her horror that it was nearly back at its normal colour.
By the time she got down to the second floor, she had lost them. She wandered around wildly, with panic sprouting in her heart. Hermione was about to give up on the second floor when the floorboards creaked behind her.
She stopped dead still and slowly wheeled around. There was no one in view. She started to creep forwards, towards where the floor creaked.
There was a sudden flourish, and Hermione staggered backwards.
"Oh!" She shrieked, pressing her fist to her mouth. Her heart nearly failed, and her wand dropped in her suddenly slack hand. She stumbled and leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was one more person revealed.
She started forwards eagerly, only to drop back again at the sight of them.
Harry was panting heavily, his forehead matted with sweat and his hair even messier than usual. His face was angry and worried, and Hermione automatically knew that Harry knew. She advanced one step, biting her lip at the emotion on Harry's face. She had just opened her mouth to speak, to assure, to agree.
But she stopped again, because there was Draco.
Hermione's chest suddenly tightened. Suddenly, she was biting her lip so hard she was afraid she was going to draw blood.
She had to look away when Draco tried to walk towards her. What was wrong with her? Here was the person who she had risked everything for, her friends, every one at work and her life. Here was the person whose sudden disappearance had torn her world in half. Here was the person she had drawn up this ludicrous scheme for, and she couldn't look at him. Yet.
Hermione steeled herself, and turned her face back to the people she had turned away from. It was obvious by the way Draco clutched at his abdomen and limped slightly that something was wrong. She didn't watch him for too long. She had no plan this time, no idea what she was meant to say. So she simply didn't say anything.
Hermione knew Harry wasn't saying anything for her sake and she was grateful. But enough was enough, and there were more pressing matters on her mind than reconciling with Draco.
"Ginny," was all she said.
"Downstairs," said Draco immediately. Despite herself, Hermione was alarmed at how weak Draco's voice was. Her eyes were drawn to his obvious injuries. She noticed the mediocre splint on his wrist, how Draco's eyes seemed to get more and more glazed as time passed.
"We saw them go downstairs," explained Harry, who was starting to move towards the stairs.
Hermione started after him, but hesitated when Draco's injuries swam back into mind. She glanced back at his slightly hunched form, and held out an arm. Draco took it, and they followed Harry's lead.
The hairs stood up on Hermione's neck as they passed by more and more rooms, and down more stairs. The whole house was silent. There wasn't a single whisper of noise, nothing to indicate anything going on the floor below them. It unnerved her.
Draco filled her in on everything he had told to Harry, and after that, he told both of them the rest of it.
"A little birdie," said Hermione, frowning.
"Since when were we near birds?"
"I don't know," said Hermione, and that frightened her.
It had been barely five minutes of the second floor when the first bang sounded. The yell that followed didn't quite sound like Ginny, but Hermione imagined that it didn't make a shred of difference to Harry. It was a clear yell of pain, and it sounded feminine. Hermione blinked and the word pregnant floated into mind.
Harry took off immediately, speeding to the general direction of the noise, ignoring all kinds of protests and pleading. Hermione grabbed Draco's uninjured hand and pulled him with her.
She ran after Harry, trying to keep Draco in mind, but it didn't really work. Draco was trying his best though, attempting to quash his pain.
"Harry," shouted Hermione. Harry's back disappeared around a corner. They were now on the ground floor, where it all began. "Harry, wait, damn it!"
Suddenly, with a dizzying jolt of nausea, Hermione remembered Ron and Luna. Where on earth were they? Harry hadn't said anything about them, or Blaise either. But there was no stopping Harry, and Hermione knew Ron and Luna could handle themselves. Blaise must have gone after them.
Still, she worried.
They combed through the last floor and there was no one around. There was only two cups on the coffee table in the living room, one nearly empty and the other nearly full to the brim with tea.
"Where are they?" Harry muttered. "Where are they, where are they?"
"Outside," said Draco, trying not voice his exhaustion. "They'll be outside, it's the only place left."
"How do you get to the back?" Hermione said. "Where's the door?"
Draco gestured weakly behind them. Hermione peered over Draco's shoulder, and noticed a dark door that she hadn't noticed before.
Through the small window at the top of the door, Hermione saw a quick blur with blonde hair run past, and she knew they were outside.
"You should stay here," Hermione said to Draco.
"What? No!" Draco immediately protested.
"You're injured, Malfoy," said Hermione, a little coldly.
"I'm the only one here who knows them," said Draco furiously. For the first time since Hermione clapped eyes on him, Draco was almost back to the Draco that Hermione knew, and not the shy, almost embarrassed version that she had been travelling with.
"Blaise hasn't got a fucking clue," Draco hissed. "He has no fucking idea."
"Oh, let him go," said Harry, impatient. "It's not like you'll let him die, Hermione."
"Are we going to waste more time, or are we going to get the fuck out there?"
Hermione growled and flung the door open. Harry burst past her and into the open space beyond.
Even though she was just there before, Hermione thought the back looked differently. It seemed bigger than before. She hadn't realised, or fully appreciated, just how large it all was. Even the cliff seemed far away.
The first person to come into view was the wizard who was with Theodore Nott earlier: Sebastian. He was slowly backing away from something, waving his wand wildly. A bolt of red flashed from his wand and hit something out of sight. Then he turned and raced off.
The sky that was previously light, cloud-free and completely without wind (along with the sweltering heat) was gone. The sky that had replaced it was dark and ominous with rain clouds gathering in the distance. Adding to the atmosphere was a strong wind that howled. A good fit, Hermione thought humourlessly. It's a perfect setting to this.
Harry, Hermione and Draco's stillness lasted for approximately half a second, before they were off. Harry took of immediately, screaming Ginny's name over the wind. He disappeared quickly.
Hermione caught hold of Draco's hand again, and gave him a little tug.
He shook his head and said, "Go without me."
Hermione started protesting, but he just said again, "Go without me."
Hermione stared at him, exasperated. But there was a certain gleam in his eye and Hermione knew he couldn't be persuaded.
Grudgingly, Hermione tore her hand from his and started running to the maze entrance. When she looked back, he was already gone.
Luna was gasping for breath. Did this 'back yard' ever end? It was more like a rugby field. She looked back every once and so often to make sure Blaise and Ron were following her. She still wasn't sure if that bitch Freya was gone yet. And Luna wasn't going to stop until she was absolutely sure.
Ron and Luna had run into Blaise almost immediately after leaving the other room. Ron had fired a spell when Blaise came into view. It had narrowly missed, shattering a nearby vase.
And now they were here, reduced to hiding in an endless maze, with no idea where their friends were, where anyone was.
Luna had learned early on that there was an Animagus involved. The witch had transformed right before her eyes, and Luna immediately recognised the bird that had caught her eye on the windowsill in Lia's house.
Luna, Ron and Blaise had been drawn to the back yard by a bizarre sight Ron had happened to catch a glimpse while looking out a window in one of the rooms on the second floor.
It was, quite simply, the sight of a pair of feet being dragged out of view.
"Look," he had said, alarmed. Luna and Blaise rushed to his side, just in time to see the soles of the shoes being dragged away.
"Do you think it's..." Blaise let his question trail, perhaps not wanting to be the one to say it out loud.
"We should go," Luna said shakily. They'd then left the room and the window.
They had made their way to the ground floor, luckily, without detection. It was bad enough that it was so easy to get in, too easy, but the deafening silence was worse.
By the time they had reached the ground floor, the first sign of conflict sounded. The crack was quickly followed by a snap. There were slurs of noises after, all overlapping each other. It felt like there were a considerable number of people nearby.
Someone's putting up a good fight, Luna had thought, before they burst through a dark door and right in the midst of all of it.
And now they truly were right in the middle of it. Ron was hurt somewhere, they hadn't stopped to check yet, they just couldn't, and it was getting increasingly difficult to discern where they were going and where they had been.
Along with Freya bouncing from woman to bird every couple of seconds, Luna suspected there was a man bumbling after them. As far as she knew, there were five people who were definitely not her friends running around.
From the outside, the maze seemed relatively small, but that was not the case once inside. None of them had been in the maze that was used in the Triwizard Tournament, but all of them could easily visualise its great size. The maze they were in currently felt like the size of the Tournament maze, and that itself was not a comforting thought.
Luna desperately wanted to stop and pause for a second, to catch her breath, to catch up with the others, to stop and evaluate their options. Do they try to leave the house, try to get outside of the Anti – Disapparition boundary and hope that the others got out okay? Or do they stay?
The screech of a bird in pain brought Luna back to reality. She whipped around, to face Ron's back, his wand arm slowly lowering. There was a quiet thump somewhere very near, and from that spot, a woman stood shakily, stunned into harmlessness. She was up and mobile for a second, before she promptly collapsed onto the ground, and she did not move again.
"Did you -?" whispered Luna to Ron. She couldn't take her eyes off Freya's still form.
"'Course not," said Ron gruffly. "Probably knocked out from the fall. Look," he pointed at the woman, "she's breathing."
"Nice hit," Blaise said. "If we're lucky, she'll stay down for the remainder of this stupid day."
"Unlikely," said Ron, frowning.
Luna led the other two around a corner. They faced two paths: one to the left and one going straight ahead, which eventually branched off into more paths. She was on the brink of offering her opinion on taking the path to the left when something flashed by down the straight path.
It initially struck Luna as an animal of a sort. At the first glance, it looked like some great shaggy brown bear, before the thought was replaced by logic. She opened her mouth to speak her confusion, when someone else's voice replaced hers.
Ron cried out, sounding quite unlike himself, "Hermione!"
Hermione cursed under her breath. She quickened her pace and shot around a corner. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw he was still there. She ducked as a curse soared over her head. She aimed and shot a spell. A grunt confirmed her hit. She slowed down her pace, and tried to catch her breath. A look at her pursuer and a hesitant check told Hermione that he wouldn't be up and chasing anyone else anytime soon.
She took a deep breath and swung her head back and forth. It seems like no one was around. She coughed and started walking back the way she came. She stepped over the nameless man and held her wand steady. Walking alone scared her. She could almost hear the plants and such around her whispering. The wind in the maze was nothing compared to the wind outside. The wind in the maze was barely a breeze. She could clearly picture Harry screaming over the wind mere minutes ago.
Or was it minutes ago? It was hard to tell in the maze, where the time seemed to melt away like ice cubes in the sun.
Hermione swore she saw a wisp of Luna's dirty blonde hair earlier. Then a curse came flying and Hermione had immediately ducked. But the curse struck a bird mid-air, and Hermione watched, speechless, as the bird transformed into a woman before her eyes. The woman staggered a few steps forward, before she promptly collapsed into a heap on the ground.
Suddenly there were quiet voices floating through the air.
Hermione threw herself back against the hedge wall and sat through five agonising seconds, before she dared to look around the corner again. They were gone.
That's when a man appeared behind her. They were still, staring at each other in shock, before the man had quickly sent a curse her way. She then started running.
Hermione didn't think there was anyone else following her, but she couldn't be certain.
"Luna," she said hoarsely, trying to keep her voice down. "Ron!"
She knew it was a mistake the second it left her mouth. The instant a twig snapped behind her, she wheeled around, her wand ready to strike.
"Show yourself," she called out, her voice displaying an inner confidence she did not have. "Don't be a coward."
"A coward from Gryffindor?" asked Ron, as he came out with Luna and Blaise in tow. "I'm not Wormtail, Hermione."
"Oh, thank God," Hermione mumbled, stumbling forwards. She hugged him fiercely, breathing him in. "I thought... I thought -"
"I know what you thought," Ron said quietly.
Hermione broke away and sniffed. She regained her composure and tried to smile, but the corners of her mouth felt like lead.
As they tried to find their way out of the maze, Hermione filled them in on all they didn't know. They told her about the strange sight that made them go downstairs.
Hermione's stomach felt queasy. Her heart dropped, and she uttered a low groan.
The second Hermione mentioned Ginny, a fierce glint shone in Ron's blue eyes and he roared, "WHAT?"
Luna's eyes widened and the shock was splattered all over her face. "Are you serious?"
Blaise sighed deeply and said, "Well, they've really landed themselves in the shit now, haven't they? Silly people."
"Oh, my fucking God," Ron shouted. Hermione would have been concerned about the attention, but she didn't care anymore. All she wanted was to go home.
"Oh, this is ridiculous," said Hermione, impatient. She whirled around, making sure the others were a safe distance away.
"What are you-" Luna began.
"Stand back," she ordered. She pointed her wand at a nearby hedge and aimed. She fired.
A large hole appeared in the hedge, just the right size for a body. Hermione fired more times, enough to make a hole big enough to fit all of them in. The air was filled with the smell of burnt wood.
"Good thinking," Blaise said, and he immediately shot through.
Luna made the next hole, and it continued, until finally, they were out of the maze.
It wasn't hard to find Harry. Suddenly, it felt as if the property had shrunken to twice its size. They walked right past the unconscious form of Sebastian lying on the ground.
They found Harry within seconds of burning their way out of the maze. He wasn't alone.
Ron sent a Stunning Spell as soon as the battling pair came into view. It hit the other woman square in the chest, and she dropped like a sack of potatoes.
"Thanks," Harry gasped, clutching at his side. It took him a while to realise who had actually come. When he did, he jumped and little, and enveloped Hermione and Ron in a rib-crushing hug.
"Where's your Malfoy?" he asked. Hermione frowned.
"Draco..." she said pointedly, "well, actually... I don't know. He made me go on without him."
"Great," Ron groaned. "That's two people now we have to find."
Luna was looking all around them, leaving no corner unsearched. She sighed, and the despair was clear on her face.
"There's one place they'd be," she said slowly. "Not in the house – they wouldn't want to go into restricted space. So..." She trailed off, her gaze pointed at the land beyond the fence.
Distantly, the sounds of the ocean crashing against rock could be heard. The wind seemed more ferocious over there. Everything seemed to invite Hermione in over by the fence.
Without a word, Hermione crouched low and crawled through the small hole in the hedge. She stood face first to the fence. She didn't hesitate when she pushed it open.
"Hello!"
The voice was deep and loud. It boomed around her, it infiltrated her ears and rang around in her head. Theodore's voice had changed. Everything about Theodore Nott had changed.
He was grinning widely. Hermione felt her skin crawl. His teeth were on full display.
"Wonderful weather, today?" he said, gesturing to the wild wind. Hermione wasn't sure it was possible, but his grin grew bigger.
"I definitely came to Italy for the weather," Hermione answered. Nott shrugged.
"I guess you'll be wanting your things, huh?" Hermione thought he sounded a little sad.
"You're dead, Nott, you hear me?!" Ron exploded, his face twisted in a dreadful snarl.
"Oh, I hear you," Nott said, smirking. "And your darling Ginny can hear, too."
Harry had no words, just an unintelligible stream of noises all doused in fury. He raised his wand to attack, but Hermione stopped him. His eyes were tortured and flashing. Hermione silenced him with a look.
"And Draco?" called Hermione, a desperate attempt at stalling. "Do you have him, too?"
"Draco?" he asked, amused. He threw back his head and barked out a laugh. "I cannot say I do have your beloved, Miss Granger." The last part was mocking. "If I were in your shoes, I would think he's ditched!"
Hermione turned ice cold. No, she thought. He wouldn't.
"What are you waiting for, Nott?" she asked, leering. "Afraid you're going to beat by a girl?"
"Always," he said, looking surprised. "After Mari, I can't help but be afraid of you members of the opposite gender."
"So you should be," said another voice. The tone was flat and bored.
A woman stepped out from the hedge. Hermione was momentarily confused, before she realised that there were obviously other entrances from the gate.
There she was. Her tormentor, her torturer. The one Hermione loathed endlessly and pitied endlessly. The one she had scarred in her fifth year with a jinx. The one who was a pawn in the whole thing, just as much as Hermione.
Marietta Edgecombe stood as close to the fence as she could, her arms folded across her chest and her face impassive. The years had been kind to her. The years had also been kind to her scar.
'SNITCH' wasn't completely gone, but it had diminished enough so that Marietta Edgecombe wouldn't have to wear large amounts of make up everyday. If Hermione strained her eyes, the word that was scrawled across her face like a bad tattoo was just visible. Her dark eyes met Hermione's, and a real scowl appeared on her face.
"If you're looking for Draco," she said, her face curling unpleasantly, "don't ask me. I have no fucking idea." The words sounded unnatural. Hermione was almost certain she was lying.
"You look better, Marietta," said Hermione. "You can only just see your soul, now." A vicious thrill ran through her at taunting the smaller girl. Must be all the adrenaline.
"I see you still look like an overgrown bunny rabbit who feasts on books and clamps her legs shut every time a person walks past," She shot Ron a smirk. "Weasleys don't count as people in my book. Sorry."
"You're a great writer, Mari," Hermione shouted. "You should think about taking it up as a career!"
"My first published novel," Marietta said back. "The Activities of a Mudblood : Mingling Monstrosities."
"She's vicious, isn't she?" cried Nott delightedly. His face suddenly fell, before he snarled, "Not as vicious as me, fortunately."
"Duck!" Harry commanded, his voice sounding a split second before the other one.
"Petrificus Totalus," he roared. The spell narrowly missed Luna's head.
It's five against two, Hermione thought. They've got no chance.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Marietta Edgecombe disappear into the hedge again. Five against one.
Strangely, Nott seemed unaffected by Marietta Edgecombe's sudden desertion. If anything, it only lifted his spirits. Another wide grin stretched across his face.
"Good girl," he yelled.
Everyone burst into action. Nott found himself battling three, Hermione, Ron and Harry.
"Luna, Blaise!" Ron shouted over his shoulder. "Go after the girl!"
Hermione didn't bother to check if they obeyed, but a faint rustle and a quiet creak of the gate told her what she needed to know.
Hermione knew that Nott's magical abilities had apparently sky rocketed since Hogwarts, but until now she could have never guessed how much.
It was very impressive that he was able to ward off three highly trained Aurors. He was even smiling as he did.
But, Hermione noticed, there was something unnatural about Nott. Every spell aimed at him hit its target – and yet they bounced off him as if he were made out of steel. And even steel couldn't withstand some of the magic that was being directed at him. Nott was playing dirty.
"Why – won't – you – die?" Ron shouted angrily, his face colouring red.
The fight seemed to last for an eternity, though Hermione vaguely knew it was only for a few minutes. She got the sense that Nott could have gone on for hours and hours, but he was cut short.
The fight ended abruptly with one well-placed curse that came unexpectedly. Hermione watched Theodore fall, already unconscious, with mixed emotions. One half of her was glad he was finally down, but the other was disappointed that she didn't finish him off herself.
Ron was the first to turn away from Theodore's still body. "I would be happier if you let me do it."
"It didn't look like that was going to happen anytime soon," Draco said.
"Why is that, anyway?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Draco said. "I think he made some sort of barter with someone a long time ago, and he got some sort of armour around him. Its only weak link is, for some reason, his left shoulder, so that's where I aimed."
"Would've done good to tell us that before," Hermione snapped.
"It slipped my mind," answered Draco, with a hint of a smirk.
Hermione refused to smile. She refused to thank him, as Harry and Ron had. She was still furious that he made her go without him. It was an irrational fury, she knew, but that didn't stop her from having it.
The revelation of Nott's protection briefly drove away the drive to find Ginny. Hermione's stomach churned as she remembered that Ginny was with child.
"Ginny," she said. "Great Gods, Draco. Have you seen Ginny?"
"I have an inkling that's exactly who Marietta went to fetch."
"Someone bind Nott," said Harry, who was nearing the fence, "And make it's tight. Make sure he won't escape."
Draco complied, and heaved a great sigh. "Where do you want him now, boss?" His tone was heavily laced with sarcasm.
"Keep him there," Ron answered. "He won't try anything." He looked to Harry for confirmation, only to find him gone.
Ron tore after him, following the fresh footsteps. Hermione turned to Draco and snapped, "Stay here."
He began to protest.
"No," she yelled. "Stay."
"They won't find her," said Draco angrily. "We should stay right here, all of us. Marietta will be back, and she'll come back with the girl!"
"How do you know she won't hurt her?" Hermione challenged.
"Because I know her!"
Hermione's face fell, and her voice grew soft. "You know her the way you used to know me, huh?"
Draco didn't have a chance to respond, because true to his word, a large form came stumbling from the fence. It was Marietta, holding the limp form of Ginny.
Marietta shifted her tired eyes to meet Hermione's. She looked away lazily and walked closer and closer to the cliff edge.
"Don't try anything," she called. "If I get the slightest inclination of any malevolence from any one of you, poor, pregnant Ginny here will get the boot."
Hermione's eyes darted from Marietta to the sea behind her. Ginny's eyelids fluttered.
A second later, Harry and Ron came crashing through the fence. Hermione held out an arm to steady them.
"It was easy," Marietta said over the wind. "If you were wondering."
"Hermione," Harry said lowly in warning.
"To take her," Marietta continued on. She seemed oblivious to the rising heat. "It was easy to take her. Completely unprotected. She didn't expect it, the poor thing. Or, so I'm told."
Draco gently pushed away Hermione's arm as he slowly crept forward towards Marietta standing near the edge of the cliff.
"Draco," Hermione hissed, "what are you doing?" She made grabs at Draco, but missed.
"Come away from the edge, baby," Draco drawled. His voice made Hermione's skin tingle, not pleasantly. He sounded deeper and heartier and entirely not himself. His voice betrayed no hint of the pain Hermione knew was still pulsing from his various injuries. He sounded like, Hermione realised, his father.
"You might fall," said Draco, his smile enchanting. "And I wouldn't want you to fall."
"I'm not so sure about that," said Marietta. Her voice was careful, but a small smile was playing at the corner of her mouth. Draco was starting to melt down her defences already. "Your behaviour these past weeks speak differently."
Draco stopped short a few metres from Marietta. He held his arms wide open, beckoning her in.
Everything happened quickly then. As soon as Marietta dropped Ginny's limp form and walked away from the cliff edge, Harry moved. He shot out, fast as lightening, and grabbed Ginny, hoisting her up into his arms. He dashed back as quick as he could.
In any other circumstances, Hermione would have found it comical how wide Marietta's eyes grew. Unfortunately, this particular circumstance made everything serious, and nothing was funny about how she pushed Draco away, and went back dangerously close to the cliff edge.
"Nice one," she said. "Very nicely done. I wouldn't have expected anything less of you, Draco Malfoy."
"Sorry," said Draco unapologetically. "I do know you, after all."
Marietta bit her bottom lip, and nodded. Was Hermione imagining it? Or did Marietta look completely devastated?
Suddenly, Hermione was afraid. Earlier, she was angry and spiteful in the face of Marietta Edgecombe. But now, it was the cliff edge that worried her.
"Theo's waking up," called Marietta quietly. "Maybe you should do something?"
Hermione glanced at the limp form by the hedge. He was stirring. She raised her wand to Stun him again, but Draco stopped her.
"No," he said. "Don't. I want him to see."
Hesitantly, she let her arm fall. Her eyes flickered to Draco's, sharp and calculating. She looked away immediately, dreading what was to come.
"See what?" Blaise said loudly. Hermione started; she hadn't even noticed him arrive.
"The grand finale," Marietta answered, her eyes locked on Draco's.
"So, how's this going to end, Mari?" asked Draco softly.
"You tell me, Draco," she said. "Am I going to go to Azkaban?"
All the others had fallen silent; they felt like they were eavesdropping on something private.
"I don't know."
"Azkaban would be positively horrid."
"It would," Draco agreed. He was stalling. But for what, Hermione didn't know.
"Am I going to escape, meet a nice man," her lips curled, "and have lots of little beautiful babies?"
"I don't know," said Draco harshly.
Suddenly, Marietta's face lit up with a strange gleam. She tilted her head sideways, causing her to look like a curious toddler.
"Or am I going to die?"
Hermione breathed in quickly, her emotions unclear. She peeked at the cliff edge and noticed it was alarmingly close to Marietta's feet.
There were many times during Hermione's school life and her career that she had that light bulb flash in her head, but she had never had so many go off at once as she did at that moment.
She wanted to tell Draco to stop. She wanted to pull him back, away from Marietta. She wanted so many things, but as usual she didn't get what she wanted.
"You're not going to die," said Draco, a touch of anger colouring his voice. He took a tentative step towards Marietta, as if he too, anticipated the same thing Hermione did.
Marietta looked down at her shoes that were speckled with dirt and tiny drops of barely visible blood. If Hermione didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Marietta was pleased.
She looked away from her shoes and stared out into the distance, nibbling at her bottom lip. She seemed to be pondering something.
Marietta turned back to the group, and her face was unreadable, except for her eyes. Her eyes possessed an almost demented look of determination.
"Did you love me?" asked Marietta. The girl was clearly trembling, but her voice was incredibly steady. The determination did not die down.
The question she posed, accompanied by its surroundings, was almost too horrible to bear. Already the pieces were falling into place in Hermione's mind – and she could only think of one outcome. But still, she refused to believe what her ears were telling her in a desperate attempt to ignore the inevitable. Only now would you ignore the signs, her mind whispered. The one time in your life that you have torn down your wall.
Hermione was frozen to her feet, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to feel. While the other girl seemed as if she couldn't stop moving, one feet shuffling at a time, closer to the edge.
Hermione made no attempt to conceal her horror, which was obviously seen by the teetering girl by the cliff edge, because a hint of a smile entered her pained eyes.
But of course, it was gone instantly, and Hermione wasn't sure if it had happened at all. Perhaps it was her desperate mind, playing tricks on her. The only thing Hermione could do was wait for Draco's response, because there was nothing she could think of doing could aid the situation in any way. No amount of magic could repair the damage inside the other girl's head.
Whichever way Hermione twisted the situation in her head, it was always the same: only Draco Malfoy had the power to unravel everything.
"Yes," he told her.
"Liar," said Marietta with a rueful smile. In that instant, Hermione suddenly saw how Draco had been drawn to this young woman all those years ago, because, even with the faint, messy scar scrawled across her face that had marred her for so long, she was beautiful.
Then Marietta held out her arms and deliberately fell backwards off the cliff face, and the only sound to be heard was the rushing sounds below. A whisper of wind, a whiff of Marietta's perfume, and she was gone.
Hermione had half – expected wings to sprout from Marietta's shoulders that would carry her away.
So, it's been a while, hasn't it? It's been a while. Sorry. But, obviously, this chapter is the longest chapter I have ever written – ever! It is insanely long, for me to write. Hope you enjoyed! Hah, this chapter really went everywhere. We progressed, guys. We progressed. Last chapter coming up. Feedback greatly appreciated c:
violet x
