Chapter Twenty-One: Maria Cristobel
It was Ron and Neville who alerted Harry to the fire at Madame Rosermerta's. By the time he had apparated there, the home was in flames and was being worked on by wizard firefighters. There were a few bodies on the ground covered in a white cloth. He found Madame Rosemerta surrounded by her ladies, offering comfort for the women as they watched with tears in their eyes, their home being destroyed. He noticed that the women in the fountain were huddled and crying together as well. Any gentlemen that had been with them earlier had long disapparated, leaving these women behind.
"Oh, Mr. Potter!" Madame Rosemerta cried out when she saw him, flinging herself into his arms. "He just came in and started killing people. I didn't tell him about you and Hermione being lovers. He still thinks that Sirius is her lover. But she isn't!" she added hastily. "She loves you! I know she does!"
"Whoa, whoa. Please slow down," Harry said calmly to the hysterical woman. "Who did this?"
"Mr. Malfoy!" she cried. "Draco Malfoy. He came here asking about Hermione's lover, he still thinks Sirius is her lover. I didn't say a thing to him and he said I told him all he needed to know."
"Wait, repeat that," Harry said.
"He said I told him all he needed to know. But I didn't say a thing, Mr. Potter, I swear it."
He stared into the flames of the burning home and shared a worried look with Ron and Neville. Something was all wrong about this.
"So he burns down the house, even though Madame Rosemerta didn't answer his question?" Ron asked.
"She didn't answer it directly," Harry muttered.
"What do you mean?" Neville asked but before Harry could offer an answer Remus and Kingsley apparated.
"Harry! Harry, we must leave immediately!" Remus said to him.
"What is it? What has happened now?" he asked.
"Sirius just received another message telling him to be at the docks in ten minutes," Kingsley explained.
"We've got Hermione's father on his way there and I've come to get you."
Harry removed himself from Madame Rosemerta. "The docks?"
~*~
Two large wooden doors opened in front of Hermione and she stepped into a dimly lit room with a table set in the middle of it. A lone candle was placed on the table and its reflection flickered on the silver place settings.
"You should consider yourself lucky, I usually do not treat mudbloods this kindly," a soft high-pitched voice said.
Hermione looked to the head of the table where the chair was shrouded in shadow. A hooded figure leaned forward into the candlelight. She couldn't help it, it was instinctual to jump back at the sight of such a monstrosity in front of her. His face was thin and draught, the skin peeling as if in the stages of decomposition and the eyes were red and snake-like. Hermione fought down the violent urge to throw up.
"Sit," he commanded and a chair moved of its own accord and hit her behind the knees, forcing her to take a seat.
"Since you will be departing us shortly, I thought it was polite at least meet my guest," he said smoothly.
"Don't you mean prisoner?" Hermione spoke without thinking.
"Guest…prisoner, call it whatever you want," Voldemort said lazily waving a hand in the air. "But with either title you would find it in your best interest to hold your tongue."
Hermione bit down a retort. Fine china was set before her, immaculately polished silverware, and a crystal goblet that was filled with a red wine. She would not touch any of what was placed in front of her.
"Seems like the food prepared will all be a waste," he sighed. "Having a mudblood like you in front of me has made me lose my appetite."
"What do you want with Sirius?" she asked.
His eyebrows raised and he didn't answer right away. He settled back in his chair and clasped his hands together, the index fingers steepled. "What is it about you that has purebloods chomping at the bit to taint their family lines?" She didn't say anything. "I mean, it is no secret that Mr. Black is your lover, blood-traitor that he is. And young Mr. Malfoy is so eager to test the waters of disgust and filth."
A door opened behind her and Voldemort looked over her head. "We are ready," a man's voice said.
"Take the bait," Voldemort said maliciously. Two sets of hands roughly seized her and yanked her to her feet.
"You are in for a surprise," Hermione said venomously as her hands were bound.
"Silence her," Voldemort said calmly and a gag was placed over her mouth.
~*~
It was when they arrived at the docks that something suddenly dawned on Harry. As he passed the boats one by one, Misty Water, Sophia Merceau, the Lucious Lady. All of them, named after women including, he looked into distance of the bay and saw the top of some sails, the ship obscured by a thick layer of fog.
The Maria Cristobel.
Hermione was on that ship.
"I'll go to Sirius," Remus whispered as they settled on the roof of a building overlooking the docks.
"No!" Harry whispered, yanking his friend back down on the roof. He pointed down to the docks were two men stood on either side of Sirius, disguised as fishermen, pretending to mend their fishing nets.
Death Eaters.
Giving away their presence would botch any chance they had of rescuing his wife. There was a soft hooting sound and Harry looked to his right, two buildings down Neville and Ron waited with some more members of the Order as well as Mr. Granger. Ron nodded slightly in the direction of the sea.
A small boat appeared out of the fog, a number of people on it but Hermione stood out. Sirius watched as the boat approached, the two fishermen on either side of him that he had been aware of since he arrived, walked up to him.
"Cooperate and she will not be harmed," one of them said.
Harry's heart beat loudly in his chest and he slowly lifted his arm, the Order silently drew out there wands. Please let nothing go wrong. Please let her be safe.
Hermione watched as she approached the shore, the wand of a Death Eater poked sharply in her back. Sirius was waiting on the docks, watching her as she approached, the look of calm on his face was in contrast to the terror she felt inside. Harry had to be here, somewhere, she could feel it, sense him but she didn't dare try and look for him. She focused on Sirius as they came closer hoping to alleviate her tension.
The tension.
Harry lay on the roof, watching Hermione approach, hand in the air.
Sirius watched the boat come closer, aware of the Death Eaters surrounding him. Feeling his wand hidden inside his cloak.
Hermione watched Sirius, all the while knowing that her love was near her, watching her.
The tension was broken by the sound of hooves clattering on the cobblestone street. They all turned to see a rider galloping at full speed.
"What is this?" Remus whispered to Harry. Harry licked his lips in anticipation, Hermione was not close enough.
The rider galloped onto the docks at a frightful speed, barreling into Sirius and the two other Death Eaters who leapt out of the way at the last minute. Hermione watched as the rider skidded to a halt at the end of a boardwalk as the boat she was in was just sailing by it. The rider jumped off of the horse and in the process the hood fell from his face revealing pale blond hair in the moonlight.
"Malfoy," Harry hissed and leapt to his feet.
"Harry, no!" Remus whispered.
Hermione yanked the gag from her mouth with her hands that were bound in front of her. "Sirius!" she screamed as Draco jumped into the boat causing it to rock violently and several Death Eaters fell into the water.
"Send it now!" he shouted to one of the Death Eaters who was clearly bewildered. On the docks, Sirius disentangled himself from the two Death Eaters and ran after Draco.
"NOW!" Draco repeated and the Death Eater thrust out his wand and shot large sparks in the air. Harry leapt onto a banner that hung over the street, one side broke with the sudden weight and he used this momentum to swing himself onto the docks. Wandblasts could be heard around him as the Order engaged with the Death Eaters.
"HARRY!" Hermione screamed when she saw him. Draco looked back and Sirius running down the boardwalk and Potter swinging in on a banner. Hermione stood and shoved a few Death Eaters out of the way but Draco caught her around the waist. There was a whirring sound and Hermione saw a rope connected to the back of the boat rising from the water. She looked to the front of the boat and saw another rope connected to the docks coiled around lever, it had been pulling them toward the docks.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted.
Draco turned and faced him, Hermione still in his grasp and held tightly to him, he saw Potter and Sirius approaching and raised his wand.
Harry was faster.
"Expelliarmus!"
Harry cursed as his spell was wasted on a Death Eater who had gotten in the way at the last minute. Draco laughed out loud.
"See you around, Potter!" He made a slashing motion with his wand and the rope that connected with the dock was severed just as the rope on the other side reached its tension. With a violent yank, Draco and Hermione were tossed to the floor of the boat as is sped rapidly back to the Maria Cristobel.
"NO!" Harry swore aloud. Sirius leaped off of the dock, wishing with all he had and having the gods answer his prayers when he felt the cut end of the rope slip through his hands. He clasped it and held on tight as he was dragged across the water.
"Go, go, go!" Mr. Granger shouted at Harry and waving to a ship docked in the bay. "It's mine! Take it!"
Harry didn't hesitate as he and the other members of the Order scrambled over her sides. "Come on let's go!" Harry ordered as everyone scrambled with the ropes, unfurling her massive sails, uncoiling her tether and reeling the anchor up. Harry took the wheel of the ship and aimed it at the Maria Cristobel.
Sirius gasped and spluttered, trying desperately not to drown as he heard the commotion on the boat. Hermione was putting up a fight.
"You filthy little mudblood!" Draco shouted down at her. "You deceived us all!"
"Draco what is the meaning of all this?" his father's voice boomed above him. The ladder clattered down the side of the ship and Draco hoisted Hermione over his shoulder.
"Stop struggling," he hissed at her. "I will have no hesitations in throwing into the water to let you drown."
"We've got a stow-away!" A Death Eater shouted, hauling Sirius from the water.
Lucius' jaw tensed as he looked over the rail at the botched then saved kidnapping plot. Sirius was dumped over the side as he coughed up water on the deck of the ship, Lucius stepped away from him.
"Potter was on the docks," one of the Death Eaters said gruffly.
"Potter?" a high-pitched voice broke through the chaos. Everyone stilled as a weakened Voldemort made his presence on the deck. "I gave explicit instructions to ensure that Mr. Potter would not be present on the docks."
"What have you done?" Lucius whirled angrily on his son.
"I saved this kidnapping!"
"He rode up to the docks raising a hellstorm with Potter behind his heels!" Dolohov accused.
"If anyone bothered to do any digging, you would realize that we have been deceived!" Draco defended.
"Deceived, how?" Voldemort asked.
Draco turned to Hermione. "All along we were trying to keep Potter unaware of this plot when in truth we led him straight to us!" He reached for Hermione and grabbed her arm, tossing her to Voldemort's feet.
"May I introduce…Mrs. Harry Potter."
"IT'S A LIE!!" Sirius roared and was silenced with a hit to his jaw.
"They've been secret lovers, married in Scotland by Dumbledore himself. If anybody thought to research this beforehand we would've saved ourselves some trouble."
Voldemort looked down at Hermione, reached into his robes and drew something small out in his fist. He unfurled it, revealing Hermione's wedding band.
"The maid found this hidden in your room, why hide a marriage? It made no sense since you learned of our plot to kidnap Mr. Black," he said calmly.
Hermione said nothing, the silence broken only by a distance boom, then an explosion near the ship sending sprays of water over them. It was cannon fire.
Voldemort looked into the distance to see a ship sailing for them. "Potter in pursuit. Take Black under and hold him. We still sail for the island." At his orders, Sirius was yanked to his feet and taken below deck, the clattering of a chain could be heard as the anchor was raised. Voldemort reached out and placed two fingers tenderly under Hermione's chin, gently tilting her head up to him as he stood in front of her. He looked over her shoulder and at the ship in the distance. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Take her to my cabins," he said. He turned to his remaining Death Eaters. "Apparently, I have misjudged the intelligence in the family," he said to Draco and Lucius. "Draco, take the helm." With a swish of his cloak, Voldemort left the presence of his Death Eaters.
Another explosion sent more spray onto the crew. Draco looked back at the ship that was in pursuit. "Ready the cannons."
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