Harvest Moon

Thanks to everyone still reading and reviewing.  I sincerely appreciate it.  On that note.

I apologize for this being so short. And evil.

***

In the meantime, Draco, Harry and Dobby were attempting to navigate the maze that was the castle.

“Gods, this is worse than the moving stairs at Hogwarts,” Draco snarled.

“I thought you lived here before, Malfoy,” Harry groused.

“I did. For a summer. When I was eight. For the love of the gods, Potter, we can't all be perfect like you are,” Draco snapped.

“Masters should hurry,” Dobby squeaked. “Dobby is feeling something bad happening with the smart Miss and Master Malfoy.”

Harry snorted. “We would be if Malfoy knew where the bloody hell we were.”

“I know exactly where we are, Potter. Lost somewhere in the maze of the house.”

“Smartass,” Harry grumbled.

“Better than being a dumbass,” Draco shot back.

Harry shrugged. One really couldn't argue with that sort of logic. They wound their way around several more corridors and down various flights of stairs. Finally making their way to what seemed to be an outside door. However, upon opening it, they found, not the outdoors but Bubble.

The miniature seer shook his head and motioned for them to follow him.

“Why are we going this way, Bubble?” Draco asked, looking at the house elf oddly.

“Following Master of the House and police miss,” Bubble said, trudging onward.

“Brilliant idea!” Harry said sarcastically.

888

The false Liren frowned a bit and pulled a lock of hair over one shoulder. He sighed dramatically. “Such a pity,” he said. “I was looking forward to keeping you as a pet. Since you'll know who I am shortly I suppose I really shall have to kill you. Ah well. C'est la morte.”

“Sorry,” Hermione said, shifting and landing a kick to the side of her opponent's head. “Being murdered isn't on my agenda for this evening.”

Liren laughed and shook it off, smiling evilly as he stalked her back and forth. Hermione suppressed the shiver that threatened to go down her spine at that. It reminded her of one of hers and Draco's first cases. The man had been so insane that he'd taken six of Draco's stuns to the chest and kept coming. She sincerely hoped this wasn't a similar circumstance but she readied herself just in case.

“You know,” Liren said, almost conversationally. “I was going to simply Avada you and have it done with before that kick to the head. Now, I think I need to hurt you.” Almost instantly he was behind her, one arm around her throat and squeezing, the other lifting her chin to clear the way.

Hermione thrashed and bucked, trying to dislodge his arm from around her neck. She dug her heels into his shins and kicked at his knees, all to no avail. He held on and she saw the edges of her vision dimming.

“Do be a good little girl and die,” he said into her ear.