Bound by a kiss
Chapter 5
Harry let out a loud yelp of pain. His shoulder hit a raggedy edge of a boulder as he tumbled down. It was a tumultuous assault on his body as he took the major fall. He didn't realize the full extent of the pain until his body hit the ground. He groaned in agony as his whole body convoluted in pain. Except for his drowsy eyelids, he couldn't move anything. He peered around under his lashes taking in the world he had fallen into.
The monstrous cliff loomed over him against the dark night. His throat was raw and he sputtered out the twigs and dirt that got lodged in his mouth. He felt the blood trickle from his head and into the crevice between his neck and shoulder. He wanted to yell in frustration, but apart from the gut wrenching pain, nothing came out. His eyes misted at the thought that he lost her again.
But there should be a Hermione here and he needed to find her. He gathered any remaining strength he could find into his arms, trying to find support. Luckily, his fingers found a low branch. He tightened his fist on the branch and pulled himself up. He cried out when his knees gave out.
Tears filled his eyes at his helpless state and he cursed those blue rays of doom. A bright ray of light suddenly fell on him and he saw the large moon peek from behind the cliff. The light burned his eyes and Harry tried to cover his eyes with his hand. But he found something else was covering his face already.
He was wearing a mask. He pulled it off the face and brought it closer to examine. His heart sank, as he understood the details of the mask. It was hideously familiar and he had seen it many times in his past. It was a Death Eater's mask. His eyes then turned down to see his clothing and he was indeed wearing the dark robes that were usually worn by Voldemort's minions.
"I'm a bloody Death Eater," he murmured to himself. "In what kind of Universe am I stuck in, now?" But if he were a Death Eater that means he should be in a magical world now and then he would have a wand on him. His fingers frantically searched for the little stick that was his companion since he came to know about magic.
Halting his search, a howl sounded close by and Harry's eyes went wide. A full moon and a howl are never a good combination. He needed to get away from there. The muscles in legs were in agony. There must have been a few broken bones, but that shouldn't be a hindrance. He cannot leave the Harry in this world to a doomed fate, just because he couldn't bring himself to crawl away. In the moonlight, he saw a ragged cut in the entrance of the mountain. As he crawled closer a relief washed over him as the cut morphed into a cave. Another howl echoed even closer urging him to go faster.
He sighed in disappointment as he saw a screen covering the entrance of the cave. But beyond the screen, he saw her silhouette crouched in front of a fire. He heart soared at that sight and he cried out, "Hermione."
He could imagine the shock on her face as she jumped looking at the screen. She came forward with a wand in her hand. She stood behind the screen and investigated her surroundings. Her eyes traveled through the moonlit night finally stopping on Harry. She gasped and pulled the screen aside, but her eyes didn't echo the happiness he saw in the last world he'd visited. He left out a mirthless chuckle. His soulmate was in another universe.
She scrambled to him and tried to lift him up. Placing her hand under his bruised shoulder, she helped him to rise. She slowly guided him to the cave. But before they could reach the cave Harry felt being pushed aside forcefully. He stumbled dangerously but kept his feet steady.
"You're a Death Eater," Hermione growled her wand directly pointed into his face.
"Hermione, please. Listen to me," Harry tried to explain, but a howl accompanied by a rustle of leaves sounded alarmingly close. Hermione's eyes didn't betray the fear and Harry was counting on it. "I'm not a Death Eater, trust me. You have to let me in, Hermione."
"I don't believe you," Hermione mumbled but her eyes were flickering to the spot where the rustle began to get louder.
Harry limped closer to her and whispered. "I'm a spy for the order. All I want is the downfall of Vol-."
Hermione clamped her hand on his mouth and spoke hurriedly. "Don't speak that name. There is a taboo."
Harry nodded and gestured to the screen. He could see the struggle in her eyes, but soon her humanity won over her hatred as she pulled him inside the screen and clamped it shut. They watched a werewolf clamber into that spot they occupied not a moment before. The wolf let out a threatening growl, but the silver veil stopped it from approaching the frightened duo. It whimpered and took off in a run when silver burned bright scorching its skin.
Harry slumped onto the floor and sighed, "That was close." He gave the silver veil an appraising look. "That was a neat trick."
Hermione casually shrugged off his comment and scampered to one of the corners of the cave coming back with a pouch. She sat down beside Harry and started fishing things out from the pouch. "How did you get hurt?" She asked her eyes fixed on the supplies from the pouch.
Harry was confused. He didn't know what made him come to this place or why his body looked battered. "Um, I fell off my broom," he mumbled. "From the cliff," he added to make it more sensible.
"Brooms are never safe," she snorted. "I don't really understand the idiocy of flying with a piece of a stick between your legs."
Harry smiled at those words. He could totally imagine his own Hermione easily saying something like this. "What do you prefer?" He asked instead, as she unstoppered what seemed like a bottle of dittany.
"Apparition," she said applying the warm liquid to his visible injuries healing them instantly. "It's time efficient, hassle-free, and, most importantly safe." She looked up at his face and the trail of blood. She winced and pulled his head closer gently. Her fingers brushed his hair trying to find the injury. Harry closed his eyes and melted into her comforting touch. Another hiss made him wince as she spotted the wound and made a wonderful job of healing it. "Could you tell me where else you are hurting?"
Harry wanted to tell her where exactly he was hurting. But he knew that she wouldn't hesitate to hex him out of the cave if he pointed to his heart. He cleared his throat instead and pointed to his legs. "I think I might have broken some bones."
She fidgeted nervously with her wand and spoke, "If you could move your robes I could try and mend them." Her cheeks flared up into a beautiful blush as those words came out. "I need to point directly at your skin."
Harry suppressed a smile and tried to bend forward, but Hermione halted him. "I'll take care of it. I'm sure you are not thinking to use these pair of trousers again." She continued without meeting his eyes. "I'm going to slice them off. Don't worry I had plenty of practice with the boys." She said getting her wand ready the redness still tinting her cheeks.
"Boys?" Harry asked wondering aloud. If Harry was not the chosen one, who are these boys Hermione was talking about.
But Hermione was set into healing his bones. "I'm sorry," she murmured and he groaned as her incantation mended his broken bones. She gave an apologizing look and offered him a pouch of water. "I don't have anything else."
"Thanks," Harry said with bustling gratitude at her kindness.
"Ron and of course, you know all about Neville," She said sagging onto the wall of the cave. Harry could see the tiredness on her face in the firelight. "I heard you calling my name. I thought you recognized me by the pamphlets all around the country."
"I did. But why are you alone? Where is Neville?" Harry asked.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You didn't tell me your name?"
"Harry, you can call me Harry," Harry said with a smile.
"Go to sleep Harry, your body needs its rest to recuperate," she said and turned her face towards the entrance.
"I'd rather talk to you," Harry said with an amusing smile. "You didn't tell me why you are alone, here?"
Her glance was still fixed on the silver screen. Her mussed hair formed a halo around her, glowing in the orange light. She looked just like how he remembered during their Horcrux hunt, but he wasn't sure. There were more lines under her eyes and she looked very weak and tired. "We got separated," she didn't elaborate. "How did you come into the order? Where are you from?"
Harry scratched his head and turned to her. It seems he didn't go to Hogwarts. "Durmstrang," he mumbled. But the answer didn't faze Hermione. He sighed and continued. "Moody indicted me into the order." He kept his answers simple. He didn't want the Harry of that world to struggle later because of his answers. "Sorry I can't say anything else. But thanks for trusting me."
Hermione threw her head back and gave out a chuckle. "I don't trust you. But you don't have a wand and are too weak to attack me. It would be just cruel to leave you out there just like that." Harry then saw the way she was gripping her wand tightly, pointed at him.
Harry gave her a mental praise. She was supposed to be on a high alert. If Harry had fallen here, there might be a chance that there are more of those Death Eaters in the surrounding area. His concern slowly turned into worry. "Why don't you sleep? I'll keep guard."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you're in no condition to keep guard. You need to rest, for Dittany to work." She then fixed him with a stern glare and spoke, "Don't make me hit you with a stunner."
Harry didn't know what exactly worked the magic and lulled into a peaceful slumber. It could've been the physical and emotional strain or her close company, but he found himself slowly drifting away. The last thing he remembered was her wary and concerned look.
Harry jerked awake when a water droplet landed on his forehead. He jolted straight up recollecting how he landed in this Godforsaken place. "Hermione," he murmured, his memory refreshed with the past night's incidents. He looked for the silver screen at the cave's entrance. But to his horror, there was nothing there. It had vanished along with every trace of Hermione from that cave. He cursed and stood. His muscles didn't hurt that much and his legs seemed to be returning to normal. He flexed his muscles and looked around the cave. He was not surprised by her meticulous actions. There wasn't a single clue left in the cave that two people stayed there.
It was still early dawn. The sky is purple, the horizon glowing orange indicating the arrival of the sun. Harry ventured into the forest without any destination in mind awaiting the blue monster of light. Though his bones were healed, the slight limp still handicapped him. But Harry was not one to stay back. It seems his role in this universe was finished, but why the blue light didn't come back yet?
His question was answered immediately. He hurried to the safety of a tree as he heard a loud cackle.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" A menacing voice rumbled nearby. "Do you think you can escape me with that measly silver screen? You can't hide now, mudblood."
Harry knew that voice. His blood boiled on hearing those lecher's words. He had taken care of that monster in his world and he would take care of him, now. When Harry Potter was determined, Fenrir Greyback didn't have a choice.
Hermione's light whimper clenched his heart. He had to act quickly. He took a peek to the place from where the sound had come. Fenrir was holding Hermione by her neck above the ground. She was struggling very hard against his harsh grip.
A sudden warm tingle started to build in his heart. He looked down to see the familiar blue glow. "No, not now," he whispered in panic. "I have to save Hermione." But the light didn't form into a whirlpool this time. It surrounded him like a halo and an ethereal voice sounded inside his head. "Embrace your real power."
Harry didn't understand what was happening. But he didn't have the time to ponder. Each and every moment wasted by him, Hermione is being pushed closer to death. He whispered back desperately, "Tell me how."
The light swirled around him, as the ethereal voice whispered, "accept." It prodded into his each and every nerve cell and disappeared into his body, again. But Harry understood the difference. The power now resided in him, he just had to release it.
He stepped into the light and yelled, "Step away from her wolf."
Greyback turned around dropping Hermione to ground. But he still maintained the hold on her. "This is my prey you Death Eater. I have already made a deal with the Dark Lord," Fenrir growled viciously.
Harry threw away the hideous mask and approached him. Once Harry was close enough he lowered his voice and spoke, "I'm no Death Eater." And he kicked him with all his power making him keel over. That was the window Hermione needed and she jumped away from Fenrir's grip.
"Stupefy," Harry yelled summoning the energy now residing in him. To his pleasant surprise, a red stunner mixed with blue tinges was shot from his hand directly at the kneeling wolf and totally knocked him out.
Fenrir's body flew a few yards away hitting a large tree. They heard a series of crunches confirming Greyback was incapacitated. Harry rushed to Hermione who was looking at Harry in shock. He ignored her look and gently took her face into his palms. "You're ok?"
She nodded mutely. She took Harry's offered hand and stared at him while he pulled her up. "I will see to that he wouldn't trouble you again."
"You can do wandless magic," she spoke in a squeaky voice.
"Apparently," Harry said with a casual shrug.
"I don't know how to thank you," she said with tears in her eyes.
"You saved me last night. We can just call it as a fair deal." Harry said with an amusing smile, extending his hand.
"I like that," Hermione said shaking his hand.
"Come on, Let's go."
"I don't want to trouble you any longer. You already have done so much. Greyback was following me from the time I got separated. I didn't try getting back to Neville to keep him safe. But now thanks to you, I can work on how to contact Neville."
"I'll come with you," Harry said. "We don't know who else is around. Even you have to agree that I'm good company." He said giving a roguish smile, which he knew his Hermione liked.
Harry didn't give her another chance to deny him. He gathered her pouch that was scattered on the ground and picked up her wand. His new power buzzed in him emphasizing his new ability. He passed the wand to her waiting hand and sprinted forward. She soon joined him with a smile on her face. Their gait carried them into the emerging sun and a new hope.
So when the blue whirlpool greeted Harry, he welcomed the rumble with a delighted smile knowing that it'll lead him to his soulmate.
A/N: This little snippet was inspired by Arnold DeVillena's brilliant suggestion of Battle of Britain. I tried to adapt it into the Potter Universe.
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