(no subject)
Author: Yours Truly
Rating: T, nothing bad in this chap.
Warning: See last line.
Note: The excuses are in the chap. Enjoy.
A/N: Sorry about the wait. Thanks for that anon on Tumblr who told me to get on this, haha. Anyways, I know things have been slow in the fic so far. I plan to update next sometime after the movie comes out, so it'll be a short wait and I'll have more to work with. It'll pick up in the next couple of chapters because Scabior and Hermione will finally get alone time. Once again, the chapter's short. The next couple will hopefully make up for that.
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Hermione continued to fight, kicking and tossing herself back and forth to try and get away from her captor. The captor shook her and she fell silent, trying to look behind her to catch a glimpse of whoever it was. Her captor moved just the right way and she missed seeing him, but caught something else familiar in the distance. "REMUS!" A hand was clasped over her mouth, and the next thing she knew, she was tossed into one of the tents. She barely comprehended she was free until she realized she was on her hands and knees in mud. She scrambled upright, then saw Scabior, still bound to the beam, looking up at her, confusion written plainly on his face. At least that ruled him out. She turned back around sharply, nearly getting poked in the eye with a wand. She looked beyond it, seeing Carter pointing it at her. "Carter, what's…?"
"Getting information out of him, my dear." He yanked her sideways so the tip of his wand was against the side of her head. "Alright, Snatcher. You've taken a shine to this one. What'll happen if you see her die?"
"WHAT?" Hermione fought again.
"It won't get far, I'll tell you that." Scabior replied, looking from the man to the terrified girl.
Carter growled and was about to make his next move when two people burst into the tent. Carter was tackled to the floor. Hermione let out another yell of protest when someone tossed their arm around her and yanked her back, until she recognized the sleeve of the jacket- Remus'. She was safe now. She let him pull her out.
"Hermione, find Harry and Ron and stay put." Remus ordered before ducking back inside the tent, failing to see Scabior manage to grab one of the wands that had fallen in the scuffle when it landed right beside his hands. The werewolf pulled Carter out of the tent, screaming at him about putting one of their own in danger to get information.
Scabior got a better hold of the wand and muttered a duplicating charm, making a copy of the wand appear a few feet away.
Remus came back and set him with a glare. He retrieved the wand copy, and looked at Scabior. "Next time you won't be so lucky. If you don't start giving us information, you will die."
"That threat's never scared me before, Werewolf. So tell me, when did Greyback manage to get the upper hand on you, hm? Was it even 'im? It's always him."
Remus shook his head and smiled. "We've been over this. You're lucky I'm a peaceful man."
"Be an honor to see you at your less-than-peaceful, then." Scabior shrugged.
"You won't be saying that when it happens." Remus replied before leaving once more.
Scabior counted until a minute passed, and when no one came back in, he maneuvered the wand to face his bonds. He muttered a cutting spell, and the ropes drooped down. Scabior put his hands in front of him, ignoring the bloody scrapes, just happy to be able to see them again. His relief was short lived, however, because a moment later, he heard what sounded like fireworks, then the side of the tent suddenly tore and smoke poured in. He coughed and pulled back, only to see Bellatrix materialize from part of it.
"YOU!" She shrieked after a moment, raising her want.
Scabior didn't waste time. He tossed Remus' wand up a few inches and turned on his heel to adjust his direction of escape. He grabbed the wand again and tore out of the ruined tent, missing her curse by feet. He skidded to a halt to see Death Eaters, Harry's friends, and random others running around in various directions. He caught sight of one of the men running in his direction- more importantly- the man had his wand strapped to his hip. The man didn't seem to notice him, so Scabior tossed his arm out, just in time to clothesline the man. When the man hit the ground, Scabior swooped down and retrieved his wand. "I'll take that, mate." He shoved it back into its holster at his thigh, then picked a direction and ran. No sense in getting caught by anyone on either side at this rate. He darted around one of the tents, seeing Remus fighting some unknown Death Eater a few feet away. It wasn't going well, because Remus was taking cover behind fallen debris and glaring at the copy of his wand as the Death Eater shot various curses his way.
Scabior didn't know why he whistled to get the werewolf's attention. Maybe it was because part of him liked Remus- respected him, somehow, some way.
Remus looked over at him, and Scabior just watched the man's heart sink in his eyes. That was, until Scabior raised the werewolf's real wand at chest level, pointed up.
Remus narrowed his eyes and frowned at him.
Scabior waited for the Death Eater to be distracted with another enemy before he threw the wand at Remus, and it landed inches away from the man.
Remus looked from the wand, then back at the man, his confused look doubling in intensity.
Scabior touched his pointer finger and middle finger to his forehead, and swiped them away in a mock salute before running off in the opposite direction. Apparating would probably draw too much attention. He managed to avoid a stray sectumsempra, and his contortions that he used to avoid it made him notice another fight going on. Greyback was on the field a few feet away, advancing on Penelope, or Hermione, or whatever her name was. He growled. He wasn't going to let that go down at all. He weaved his way towards their fight, trying to get as close as possible without being discovered. He underestimated Greyback's sense of smell, however, because when he was a few feet from them, Greyback turned to him.
"Back to let the bosses have another match, eh?" Greyback asked.
Hermione whimpered and looked between them.
Scabior shrugged, tossing his hands out briefly. "Couldn't resist."
Greyback switched his wand to his other hand. "I suppose that the morsel can wait, then."
Scabior made another dismissive face, then drew his own wand, pointing it at the werewolf. He let his eyes stray to Hermione for a moment. "I suggest you run, Luv."
Hermione didn't move, both for fear, and curiosity as to why he was suddenly protecting her and not stalking her, for lack of a better term.
"NOW!" Scabior barked before blasting a curse in Greyback's direction.
Hermione's mind finally caught up with her body when Greyback shot back a curse of his own. She turned hard on her heel and bolted into the forest.
Scabior made a quick strategy and managed to get Greyback away from the clearing. They ended up back where the main action was. He dodged back and forth as he always had. When he thought he had lost the werewolf, he jumped up onto a piece of wreckage with catlike skill and turned. Greyback was still just about on top of him. He readied himself to send another curse the werewolf's way when someone did it for him. A jet of blue light sent Greyback flying back a few yards. Scabior got off the wreckage and headed back towards the clearing, not bothering to see who his willing, or unwilling assistant had been. He made it, and continued running through the forest. He wanted to get away from the fight, he wanted to survive, and sure, he wanted to see if his first act of kindness- no, perhaps just protection, was a waste, or a success. He ran until his lungs burned. He sat himself on a tree trunk that had been split, perhaps from lightning in a storm. It couldn't have been hit by a stray spell that far in, he assumed. He got comfortable, and then sat still in that position, waiting for any sound to indicate he wasn't alone anymore. After a while, he heard leaves crunching repeatedly that suddenly died out, then got quieter and further apart. He closed his eyes and focused. There was that smell again- that smell that had been gone from his latest scrap of clothing for some time now. He sighed and slapped his hands to his knees. "You shouldn't be out this far, Pet. At least, not until you learn to be a little more quiet when you're trying to stay hidden." He turned in the direction of Hermione's footsteps, finding a tree that seemed just wide enough to hide her. "Come out. No sense in tryin' to kill you out here. Where's the fun? Too easy, if you ask me."
After a few more seconds, Hermione peeked around the side of the tree.
Scabior smirked. "There we are."
Hermione ducked back behind the tree. "Why did you help me? Why did you help me get away from him?"
Scabior shrugged. "Like I said, no fun. The hunt's more fun when I'm the one doin' the huntin.' Scraggly don't deserve it, 'specially after what he did to me the last couple o' times we've been together."
Hermione contemplated looking at him again, then let out a shriek when the tree next to her exploded when an invisible force hit it. Scabior's head shot in the direction the attack came from, then ducked as his own cover exploded, sending woodchips flying everywhere. So the battle was moving again. Fantastic. "See you around, My Lovely!" He called before tearing off in the other direction once again.
Hermione panicked as another spell came her way. It hit her slowly- the only way out was the way he had run- she had to follow him to get away. That meant certain death, she just knew it. She dodged what she was convinced was the Killing Curse, and that made up her mind. She had put her life on the line before- what was one more time, in the end? She bolted after him, praying that the ones who had tried to attack them gave up looking for them quickly.