Happy Halloween, eilonwy1!
Trick or Treat!
LiveJournal username: starduchess
Prompt: undead
Rating: R
Word Count: 1282
Warnings: light horror violence, dystopia AU
Hermione stumbled through the mushy ground, cursing under her breath for her lack of forethought and the rainy weather. She had cast a water-repelling charm as the drizzle had fallen around her, but she had forgotten about her shoes. It wasn’t the fact that they were now dirty and wet; it was that they had made sound, which was dangerous in the present climate. Beings moved out there; she could sense them, and it would be her death if they heard her.
She managed to creep around the small Welsh village undetected in the fading light, until she came upon a stone building off to the west, low enough to be a former goblin’s house. She silently cast detection charms, which informed her that no thing was inside. There was, however, another body.
Silencing charm in place, she moved cautiously through the abode. From around a doorway, she saw the flickering light and shadows of a small bonfire. Was the person mad? They could be caught like this! Inferi were attracted to heat as well as sound. Unless, of course, it was trap set by the vampires. Ever since Voldemort had won the war, both sets of undead were allowed to rule the countryside, and, truly, no place was safe.
She edged up to the doorway and took a peek inside. A lone figure sat beside the fire, face and body turned away from her. With a whisper she cast Incarcerous. With a yell the man --as it turned out to be --became encased in ropes.
“No!” he shouted. “Let me go! No one’s supposed to know I’m here!” As he fought against the ropes, he thrashed and hissed. She let him until he had worn himself out some twenty minutes later.
Approaching the body, a Petrificus Totalus on the tip of her lips, she looked down at her captive ...into the tear-streaked face of Draco Malfoy. With his eyes shut in anguish, he whispered, “Please don’t hurt me.”
“What are you doing here, Malfoy?”
His eyes flew open to look at her in utter surprise. “Granger?”
“You’re lucky I’m not an Inferi,” she said with anger. “What do you mean by starting a fire in here? You could be attracting all kinds of monsters.”
“I’m not an idiot, Granger,” he replied, eyes now flashing with indignation rather than fear. “I know enough to put up protection charms and cooling spells. And normally I don’t even start a fire, but tonight I wanted to speak to my parents.”
This took her aback. “Is it Samhain already?” She had completely lost track of the days; only the changing of the seasons mattered to her now.
He nodded his head, then noticed he was still bound. “It wouldn’t be too much to ask to untie me, would it?”
She looked skeptically at him and kept her wand trained on him. “All right,” she said a moment later, “I’ll let you up. But no funny business.” She raised an eyebrow and subtly shook her head to indicate how serious she’d meant that.
“Agreed.”
She released him.
He sat up and rubbed his aching limbs. “Why’d you wait so long to come in?”
“Didn’t want to take any chances,” she answered. “I had no idea it was you. I thought you’d fled to France.”
“Can’t. The Dark Lord seized my family’s money, and I’ve no means of transportation off the island.” The Malfoys had fallen from grace. Reports said his parents had died horribly, and now it seemed Draco was on the run as well.
She sat down across from him. “Well, there was no other activity in the town, so I guess were as safe as we can be here for the night, gods willing. There might even be food stores left in town to pick up tomorrow. Got anything now?”
He shook his head. “I ran out yesterday. It’s why I came here, then remembered what day it was.”
“I’ve got a few apples in my bag we can eat later. Right now, I’m going to cast some anti-detection spells, then you can continue with the ceremony.”
It took a few moments, but she made quick work of it. Draco was a little in awe of her ability --she always had been good at charms ...well, everything really --but he couldn’t let that show on his face.
Once set, he performed the rite, opening the Veil and calling the spirits to them. Pansy came and gave him a simple peck on the cheek. Ron and Fred and George came next and tried to cheer her up, but they scowled at him. His parents arrived, saying how sorry they were for failing him. He forgave them, but not without some bitterness. Lastly, Ginny came and cried with Hermione.
They ended it by asking for the traditional blessing, but the act seemed pretty pointless.
A long while stretched before them as they gazed into the flames before Draco next spoke. “What about your family? Shouldn’t they have been here. Most of the Muggles are dead.”
Her bushy curls flipped from side to side as she shook her head. “I’d Obliviated them and sent them to Australia before the war started. I think they’re still alive; I’ll just never see them again.” Fresh tears threatened to spill down her face.
“I’m ...sorry,” he said quietly.
She knew he didn’t mean about her parents nor the war itself, but rather his part in it. She shrugged her shoulders. It was all water under the bridge by now. “It’s not--” but she never got a change to finish. Her detection spell went off. “Shit. Inferi …lots!”
He doused the fire while she sprang for the door. She could already make out a few entering the house. “Colloportus.” The door sealed, squishing one who howled in rage. “Come on!”
They crawled through the house and out the back door, scanning the horizon for more. One came around the corner to their left.
“Confringo!” Draco pointed at the far wall. It exploded away from them, crushing half a dozen Inferi with it. “Run, dammit,” he yelled at her, but she was already moving toward the next large building. He followed.
Hearts pumping with adrenaline, they ran through the streets, firing curses behind them. One wrong turn brought them up against another batch of Inferi. “Sod it,” he said and blew up the ground underneath their enemies.
As they raced out of town, Hermione spotted a dingy moored to the nearby riverbank. “There! Make for the boat!” They dashed as fast as they could toward it. Sounds of Inferi howling were just behind them, nipping at their consciences, pushing them to move faster or be consumed.
Hermione leapt onto the boat, Draco right on her heels, the two of them crashing against each other and falling over.
“Gods, Malfoy, get off me!” she shrieked in terror. She got to her feet and immediately cast an Impedimenta at the advancing hoard.
Draco righted his own self, untied the boat and kicked off from shore, then cast a steadying charm to keep them from upending. All the while, she continued to cast curses at their pursuers, until they had made enough progress downstream that the spells no longer landed on their targets.
Heaving huge gulps of breath, she finally collapsed in the small craft. “Well, that’s another Halloween to remember.”
Draco looked down at her --beautiful, he noticed for the first time --and smirked. “Yes, I’m all for a good party. You?”
Hermione took one incredulous look at him and burst into laughter. “Yes, me too.” Suddenly the future didn’t look so bleak. Maybe the spirits had blessed them both this night after all.