Braving the Past

Chapter 39: Fight and Flight

Song: Counting Paths - Matthew And The Atlas

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Hermione dropped Remus's hand. They had apparated in groups of two to a small forest outside of Little Hangleton, just as they had planned. A hazy fog seemed to hang densely in the air, but it definitely did not smell like fog. The autumn colored leaves appeared coated in grey.

"Did we make it?" Peter wondered, eyes squinting.

"This doesn't look like Little Hangleton," James said. He craned his neck to look around. He still held tight to Lily's hand, and she didn't show any signs that she minded.

"Of course we made it," Hermione said. "We can't very well apparate in the middle of a burning town, now can we? We're just on the outskirts."

Remus let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Merlin. I hate apparating." He leaned forward, holding his knees tightly. His cheeks were flushed.

"Moony, don't let the monster within you free!" Sirius said dramatically, coming over to pat him on the back. "You can fight this."

Remus gagged, put a hand to his mouth and seemed to be fighting the urge to empty his stomach. After another deep breath, he stood and wiped his sweaty forehead.

"I'm good," he said. "I've got chocolate." He reached into his robes and grabbed the remaining bit of the chocolate bar Peter had given him that morning. He chewed slowly while the others took notice of the thick clouds of smoke rising from buildings in the distance.

Lily lifted her hand, palm up, and that's when Hermione noticed the tiny pieces of ash falling from the sky. Their pale color contrasted sharply with Sirius and Lily's hair. The ash was quickly coating the dirt on the ground.

"Merlin, we need to go toward the thick smoke, don't we?" Remus said forlornly.

Hermione looked at him, realizing with a start that she had never apologized for being so rude to him. With everything else going on, it had completely slipped her mind. She felt guilt churn in her stomach at her selfishness.

As their friends began to walk forward, their wands drawn, Hermione grabbed Remus's cloak and held him back a couple paces.

"Remus?" she murmured softly.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Look, I want - I need to say that I'm sorry," she said as he swallowed his last bit of chocolate. "I've been incredibly unfair toward you these past few days, and it was wrong of me to get so upset. I just - no, there is no excuse. You are so dear to me, and I can't tell you how you've helped me while I've been here. Please forgive me?"

Remus looked at her with the biggest smile she had seen on him since the beginning of the year.

That smile was wiped away as a crack bounced around the clearing. All six heads whipped back and forth in search of the culprit. What they found was a group of at least ten Death Eaters grinning evilly at them from across the clearing.

"Run!" Sirius shouted.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The curse struck a tree inches from Hermione's head. She ducked with a scream, and Remus yanked her arm. They took off deeper into the forest, the Death Eaters chasing them away from Little Hangleton. How were they going to get back to find Tom?

James and Lily were several feet to Remus and Hermione's right, Sirius and Peter several paces ahead of them all. Hermione turned back to see every Death Eater in pursuit and gaining. She sent a spell back, striking a bush.