When the Bell Tolls - Dramione

13.

September 23; 1:51pm

Hermione drops her hand from the lock on top of the window, and twists to look back across the living room as she shuts the drapes.

Malfoy had a point about hiding behind wards. About letting a need for security rule you too much to not live as normal a life as possible. About fear destroying a life as surely as death.

She doesn't have to check the flat again. She checked it thoroughly, as she does every time, and there isn't a spot she could have missed. Except the very back of cabinets and drawers, but that would only matter if it was an Animagus. Had she secured the door completely? If not, they could have swept in while she was at the other side of the flat, and they could be inside now. They could be waiting for her, and if she just went to her office, they would be able to--

Hermione moves to the hall, checking again. Just in case. Just to be sure.

September 25; 9:26pm

Dididing...di-dingding...ding...

"Why is it Bells?"

She looks over from the fog, so thick tonight that part of her can't help but wonder if they'll ever find the way out of it. Malfoy's head is turned toward the post rising from the side of the boat, where the lantern rocks and the bell tolls.

"Your name?" He doesn't answer, and she hooks her fingers around one another as she looks back out at the fog again. "There's a legend about a man named Faust who makes a deal with the devil. He's given knowledge and great magical powers for twenty-four years, and when it's over, the devil claims his soul for eternal damnation. In some versions, he's saved, others, he's carried to hell." She glances over at him. "I guess Faust had been considered."

"I asked you why it was Bells, not--"

"It's part of one of the legends. Faust goes to the Vatican, and he lives there, invisible, pulling tricks on the Pope. After some time, the Pope orders all the bells of Rome to be rung to drive out the evil magic. So they went with Bells. Or, Kingsley did."

He's silent, but keeps watching the bell toll.

...di-ding, ding...ding...

September 29; 4:21am

Hermione cups her hands and pushes them to the bottom of the boat, then yanks up, water arching into the air before flying over the side. The front of the boat hits a roll of wave, rising into the air, and Hermione's shoes slip, sending her to her knees. The water filling the bottom of the boat doesn't soak her more than the driving rain has already managed, so she stays that way, splashing out more water.

"Granger, if you tip us, I'll drown you."

"We'll sink if we don't get the water out!" she yells back, her voice faint over the storm and clanging bell.

She shoves back the curls plastered to her face and swinging into her eyes, and cups her hands again, splashing more water out. She feels for every splash she gets out, there's an equal amount of water coming back in from the rain, but as long as she keeps it--

The boat rocks hard to the right, and as she scrambles to get her weight to the left, Malfoy flashes toward her, his hand wrapping around her arm. There's only a second of time where she thinks they might rock back, but Malfoy's weight is too much, and the boat tips. She gets in half a gasp of air before she's under water, yanking out her wand as she gives two hard kicks of her feet.

Her head smacks off wood, and she opens her eyes to blackness, her inhale sounding all around her before Malfoy's joins hers. Something skims her leg, and she throws herself back, kicking out her foot. Malfoy grunts, and it echoes off the wood, nearly lost in the pounding thrum of rain.