Devil Doesn't Bargain

The Woods

"Bloody hell," a voice hissed, barely managing to keep them from careening into the snow. Arthur was no longer attached to her; Draco must have pulled him away. An exasperated sigh tickled the side of Hermione's face. "Just a small bit of forethought, that's all I'm asking for."

When she had regained her balance, Hermione twisted to look up at her savior. A long cloak hid the stranger well, and a dark charcoal mask hid their face. Even the voice was unidentifiable; she assumed it was modified via magic. Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

The figure slapped at her arms and hastily looked over their shoulder. "Not now, you insolent child. Hurry," they pulled out a wand, "they're coming. Do you understand? They're coming! Hide those marks." The wand whipped through the air and Hermione's sleeves elongated.

Hermione watched in fascination as both 'mudblood' and the dark mark were hidden by a fresh pair of leather sleeves. She looked curiously back at the figure, trying desperately to see beyond the mask. She opened her mouth to ask another question.

"What–"

"Shhh!" Another swat landed on her torso. "I can't save your life every second. They are here. Snap out of it! Be the Cuckoo. Now."

Before Hermione could protest, the stranger shoved something into her hands and took off into the woods. She blinked as her eyes followed them. What the hell? She had half a mind to follow after the mysterious figure, but she straightened her mask instead. Whoever they were, they were right. She had a job to do. Hermione peered at the splintered diadem in her hands and pursed her lips.

"Hermione, love, a little help here?" Hermione tucked a loose curl back into its rightful place and turned to see Draco trudging into view. He panted a few meters away, dragging two unconscious men behind him. "We need to make it to the anti-apparition ward and get out of here. I trust the diadem is taken care of?"

"Just a useless adornment, now."

"Brilliant. Let's go."

She pulled Arthur out of Draco's grasp and they began making their way through the dense foliage and down the mountain. Every few steps, Arthur's feet sunk into the snow, and Hermione eventually decided to levitate him the rest of the way. It was a strain on her already-exhausted magic, but it was fastest.

Minutes passed, and tension coiled in Hermione's chest. Something wasn't sitting right with her. What did the stranger mean...and who were they? They seemed to know something of the diadem, but they gave it back to her. Her mind worked furiously to put the pieces together, but it was understandably difficult considering the circumstances. Merlin, it'd been a long day.

The snow creaked and Hermione sucked in a breath. Draco.

Visually, Malfoy didn't react at all. He continued breathing evenly, even with his father over his shoulder, and his steps remained certain. But she knew better.

I feel it too, Granger. What do you sense?

She sent out a nonverbal detection spell under her heavy cloak. Three, I think. I'm having trouble pinning their exact location, but there are definitely three bodies in the area.

Ah, finally an easy round. Steady on, the further from the tower, the better. Let's not complicate things. He was joking, of course. But seriously...going up against three was hardly a threat between the two of them.

Aiming to kill? She kept her tone light, but her stomach coiled at the thought. Hermione could kill. Obviously. She was trained for it, and unsurprisingly one of the best. Efficient. Clean. She just didn't like how easy it was. Murder shouldn't be as simple as throwing a knife at a target, one second alive, the next second dead. It made her realize that life was much more fragile than she ever thought. It made her feel sick.