Ok, so I know I may have stated in some of my review replies that this chapter would have the Cullen's POV, but I was having trouble tweaking it a bit and this chapter was already written. So this is for all my lovely reviewers as I hate keeping you waiting any longer. This was origially chapter 4 but it works just as well for chapter 3 I think.
For Hermione Granger the past thirty six hours had been a severe lesson in patience. Not that it had been lacking in any particular manner beforehand but Severus Snape knew how to keep a person in suspense. This was her future after all. She trusted him to do his best for her as he always had done, even more so since they had become friends but still - sending her to hide with vampire's?
However much she may trust him she still had reservations about what she was about to commit herself to. And all over the Ministry's inane notion that all witch's and wizard's needed to marry to ensure the survival of the magical world? It didn't make any sense to her why Severus had been so insistent that she hide herself away for so long over this. There had to be more to it and she was determined to find out the truth, if there was one thing she was good at it was discovering all those small details that others often overlooked. Her logical mind would not allow the matter to rest but for the time being she knew she should be concentrating on getting out of the country safely.
Luckily for Hermione her small beaded bag that she had filled with items for their year on the run was still mostly intact, the books were still neatly stacked from the last time she had sorted through them, potions ingredients were kept safely along with her small cauldron and a few made up potions for emergencies and (most importantly) the recent photos of her friends had been added. She spent some time removing her robes and replacing them with muggle clothing, although really there was little difference between them as she had grown very accustomed to robes and now preferred long skirts and clothes that flowed when she walked - not billowed, she giggled a little as she thought of Severus.
Quickly finishing her packing she wrote small letters to each of her friends, Luna and Neville before deciding to leave one for Ron (it was possible that he would wake up whilst she was gone). Poor Ron, she sighed as she continued to dress and prepare for leaving the country, it really was heartbreaking to see him so still and lifeless and yet to know that he was aware to some degree that people were around him. Still, he had a very large family to visit him and even if he woke up she was certain that he would tell her to stop bloody reading to him (unless it was about the Chudley Cannons).
Glancing in the mirror she once again flinched away from her image, still unused to her new hair and eye colour, this all seemed far to excessive to Hermione who would be leaving the country by muggle transportation. Why would the Ministry be looking for her there? Or any witch's for that matter.
She admitted that the hair looked good on her, but she missed her uncontrollable brown curls. It was also disconcerting to see eyes similar to Severus' looking back at her - but maybe then she would feel like she had taken a small part of him with her. Perhaps that was why he had chosen this particular colour, she smiled wryly at the odd notion that Professor Snape could oft times be sentimental, even if he showed it in the slyest of ways (not that she would ever mention that to him).
With one last mournful look around her small flat she locked the door behind her, setting various wards before climbing into the waiting taxi. It was a relatively short drive and after paying the driver she quickly entered the busy airport trying to spot which terminal she needed, that was when she felt it. A spark of magic that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, her every instinct for danger going on high alert. Standing very still she glanced around slowly wondering who would be using magic in such a place and that was when she saw just why Severus was so adamant that she go into hiding.
She walked quickly to the left heading towards the nearest store to hide out and consider her options. Thank goodness she hadn't been spotted through the throng of passers by. For once Hermione was grateful for the large crowds that would help disguise her presence somewhat.
Picking up a magazine from the rack in front of her she pretended to read it whilst keeping an eye on Dolohov from the store window. How had he known she would travel this way? And now what was she supposed to do?
Dolohov was glancing towards what appeared to be nothing but on closer inspection Hermione noted that there was a small shimmer of magic, like those of wards, surrounding the terminals. Using her instincts she would have to say that she thought it was a revealing charm, almost similar to that of the waterfall in Gringott's that washed away all enchantments. Having no fear that her hair and eye colour would change thanks to the potions she had taken she now only had the worry of getting her bag through the wards. Would the enchantments on her little bag hold?
She felt that it was best not to chance it.
Pulling her wand out of her bag she placed it in the holster on her arm, underneath her top, making sure it was hidden. Grabbing her passport and tickets she closed the bag and looked for a way to get it through the wards. As she glanced around she noticed an unknown witch approach Dolohov and begin a hurried whispered conversation, was it worth the risk to find out what they were saying?
Hermione decided that she needed any information she could gain her hands on and quickly left the shop, hurrying closer towards her enemy but making sure to avoid the ward. Observing the area thoroughly she quickly darted into a near by phone booth, picking up the receiver she cast a quick charm on it to enhance the conversation that was taking place nearby, her heart pounding frantically the whole time.
"I told you, she's not here," the witch whispered hurriedly.
"She will be," came the reply, "what other way would a mudblood travel, probably doesn't even know how to apparate. Not that she could without us finding out about it."
"The charms should work," the with continued, "if she's using polyjuice we'll know, all will be revealed."
"Imbecile, what about other magic?" came the growled response, "She's supposedly quite clever for a mudblood."
"Just potions magic will be revealed, I thought that was what you wanted."
Hermione breathed a quiet sigh of relief that her bag would hold through the present wards that had been placed.
"Go and change it! She might have magical items with her. You have ten minutes to do so before I make you regret it," Dolohov sneered, "and if she has already passed through because of your stupidity I can assure you, you won't live to regret it."
Hermione took her chances and walked quickly to the other side, making sure to stay behind as many people as possible before holding her breath and walking through the wards. Quickly noting that nothing had happened to her bag she walked briskly to the right terminal and checked in. Her flight left in just over two hours, boarding would not be for a little while yet.
This was where she debated with herself. Should she try and find out more or should she be grateful that she had gone thus far without being observed?
Deciding that she had most likely used up all her luck today she walked further away from the enemy, although she wouldn't feel entirely comfortable until she was on her flight and headed away from England.
It was not long before this became a reality and she spent most of the flight contemplating why Dolohov was looking for her, and she was certain that it was her he was searching for even though her name hadn't been mentioned. She felt that he wouldn't go to such lengths just to kill her when he would know that the entire auror department would be looking for him. There had to be some reason!
She went back over all her past interactions with him, starting with the first time she had been cursed by him in the Department of Mysteries. Madam Pomfrey had not known what curse had been used on her and had only been able to make an educated guess as to how to heal her, she still had a small scar on her chest from it. She had overheard Dumbledore say something about magical draining, but as she had turned out to have full magical abilities after she had healed she had heard no more about it, but that wouldn't have affected Dolohov.
She remembered a few moments fighting with him in the final battle, she had taken no notice of the words that he had heaped on her at the time as it seemed every other word was 'mud blood'.
It was strange to her how Severus had known she was being hunted, what else did he know? She would bet all her galleons that he was aware of the why's and wherefore's.
It shocked her when the announcement came that their flight was almost over, had she been so focused on this that she had not noticed the hours wiling away?
Sighing heavily she mentally prepared herself for facing several vampire's. Keeping her wand at the ready she exited the plane and made her way towards the exit, a slight feeling of freedom overcame her as she realised that she had made it to America with few problems and maybe now she could actually have some semblance of a normal life.
Sighing happily she focused on Severus' instructions, really the man was to paranoid at times making her memorise things rather than simply writing them down, replaying them over in her mind.
"Once you reach America you should be able to apparate directly to the forest just beyond the vampire's house," he had told her, "use leglimen's on me and concentrate on the image I'm about to show you."
Hermione had been very reluctant at the time to invade his privacy like that but in the end she had only seen the image of trees and so didn't feel to bad about it. Finding a secluded area Hermione focused on the image of the forest and disappeared.
It appeared that she had done it correctly for all she could see were trees and more trees, really this was probably the worst place to get lost.
"Once there it is very simply a matter of using your instincts to guide you, however, failing that use a locater charm for a Carlisle Cullen," the words echoed throughout her mind. She pulled out her wand and held it flat on her hand whispering the words that would point her in the right direction, regretting her decision to wear a long skirt and gypsy sandals through a forest. She walked for about thirty minutes before finding a large house hidden among the trees, a gasp of delight leaving her lips as she gazed at the magnificent home before her. Was this to be her home for the next two years? Using a quick scourgify charm she cleaned herself up before knocking on the door hiding her wand but keeping it within easy access, just in case.