Playing for Time

Chapter 8

"I think there is a way," Tonks said.

Hermione looked glum. "How? We don't have our wands. I have been looking into the practice of using magic without them, but most of it takes really long to learn. Like you can learn to become an Animagus - you don't do that overnight."

"It takes practice, yes. But most of all it takes willpower. We can't afford to feel hopeless now, Hermione. There is something we can try, it may work, if we can believe it will enough. I never tried it before, but we must at least try.

"You know that it wasn't purely to protect the innocent that spells like the one you found was developed? The blood of a virgin has a lot of powerful magic and in the Middle Ages it was used a lot more than today. Oh, not human sacrifice," Tonks added when she saw Hermione's horrified look.

"Just small amounts to make spells and charms stronger. I think that if we mingle our blood, we will mingle our magic power. There is a fair chance that will be enough to break the illusion around us. Not that it's going to be easy, but it is a possibility."

"It can't make things worse, in any case," Hermione said.

Tonks looked at her good hand. The nails slowly grew sharper, but it took much longer than a transformation usually did. She was tired, cold, hurting and hungry, but in the end the nails were sharp enough to draw blood. Then, very hard, did she press them into her palm. It hurt, but not as much as her other hand. Then she looked at Hermione.

"Ready?"

Hermione nodded and held out her hand. Tonks quickly slashed her palm as well and then took the hand into her own. She held on tightly and so did Hermione.

"OK. We need to break the illusion. It's too much to concentrate on the whole room,so I suggest we go for the chains. They are the most important thing to break anyway, and if we manage them and not the rest, we still will be able to move around.

"We need to think the same thing, and it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just something that is easy to repeat, something workable. Do you think 'go away' sounds all right?"

Hermione giggled a little before she became serious again. "It sounds a little childish, but I think it will work well. As well as anything."

They held on to each other. Hermione put her other hand on Tonks's shoulder. Then she closed her eyes, and so did Tonks.

"Remember. Just concentrate on the image of the chain and the words. We will have to repeat it. And believe. That is the most important bit. We have to believe!"

Tonks pressed her hand a little harder around Hermione's and she could feel the girl squeeze back. Then she blocked any other thoughts, creating a clear picture in her mind of the delicate silver that chained her to the wall.

"Go away!" she thought. "Go away."

Over and over she thought that, perfecting an image of the chains disappearing. The room was chilly and previously Tonks had felt cold, but now beads of sweat broke out all over her body. Hermione's hand felt slippery, from blood and sweat alike.

Then, when Tonks was almost starting to wonder if this was of any use at all, the image in her mind shivered. Almost at once she could feel a shiver in the bracelets around her wrists. She could feel a small movement from Hermione that told her that the other girl had felt it too.

"Yes!" Tonks thought, concentrating harder. "Go away, go away, go away!"

The chains rattled slightly and then Tonks felt a powerful tug that almost made her let go of Hermione's hand. She held on, but her eyes flew open and to her joy she could see that the gallery seemed to blur and shake. She met Hermione's eyes and Tonks nodded and squeezed Hermione's hand hard. Without needing to communicate their thoughts they screamed at the same time;

"Go away!" The chains and the whole gallery gave a final shake, suddenly sharpening its contours alarmingly and then, within the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Tonks and Hermione found themselves in a very ordinary room. They sat on a narrow bed in a corner. In another corner there was a small chest of drawers, but no other furniture, not even a rug. There was a door and a window, neither looking very spectacular. It was not a big room and not particularly clean, though it wasn't really grubby either. Just a plain room and there the two witches sat, staring at each other.

"We made it" Hermione said with wonder in her voice. "We really made it."

She got up from the bed, tried the door, but it was locked and she didn't dare rattle the handle too hard, lest someone should hear. She went to the window, but found it looked as well. She carefully peeked out through the dirty glass panes.

"It's not Diagon Alley," she stated. "But it's some kind of street. Do you think it could be Knockturn Alley?"

Tonks nodded. "Very likely." She felt very tired now that the tension had left her and was grateful that Hermione had the energy to explore their prison. The girl went to the chest, opening and closing the drawers. When she opened the bottom one she gave a small cry and scooped up something from it. She turned toward Tonks holding a bundle of clothes in her arms - and her wand.

"It's our stuff. And my wand Tonks, my wand! Now we can open the door." She stopped herself and frowned. "Is it a trap do you think? It was so easy to find. Is it really my wand?"

Tonks started to laugh. "No, Hermione, it wasn't easy to find. Not as long as we were trapped in the chimera. He underestimated us; he couldn't fathom that we would be able to break it. Lucius' superiority makes it hard for him to really understand that people less than pureblood could overtake his spells."

She continued to laugh, almost hysterically, even if it hurt her stomach to do so. There had been a dull pain there all the time, but she had hardly felt it, caught up in her broken hand and the efforts to get away. She had ignored it, because it implied a damage that concerned her too much, but now the pain grew and she was forced to stop laughing, suddenly leaning forward and vomiting on the floor.

Hermione was by her side in an instant, looking very alarmed. There wasn't much in Tonks's stomach, but what had come up was heavily laced with blood.

"It's not just your hand, Tonks. You didn't tell me! Where does it hurt more?" Hermione sounded agitated but Tonks just lay down again, curling up slightly. "Where Tonks? I thought you were all right apart form the hand."

"No," Tonks whispered. "It hurts here." She put her hand over her stomach and then lower on her abdomen. "Here as well. Hermione, I don't think I'm fit to walk away from here. You go and if I'm lucky you will find help before Lucius comes back."

"You can apparate, Tonks. You can do that and I try the door."

"I can't Hermione. I'm too tired now. You go, I know you can."

"Don't be stupid. I can't go without you. When Malfoy comes back he will be furious. You are not going to stay here." Hermione took her wand and pointed it toward Tonks. "It's a numbing spell, but I don' t know how effective it is on bad injuries. I usually use it when I cut myself or something like that."

The spell helped some. The worst stabs of pain receded and Tonks could sit up again. She was still tired, but she could move. Hermione helped her to dress herself. It was slow work and both witches were nervous. They had no idea when Lucius would return and they started at every noise. With Tonks' swollen hand it was impossible to put on her T-shirt, but she managed to wiggle her arm into her robe. When she was done, Hermione quickly dressed herself.

The door opened easily. Hermione could unlock the door with the simple Alahamora spell and they could look out in a narrow passage. They walked silently down it and then down a staircase that creaked alarmingly. They saw no one, however, and it didn't take them long before they were standing on Knockturn Alley. People were moving about, but no one seemed much interested in the two dishevelled women.

"We should try not to attract attention here," Tonks whispered. "It's not far to Diagon Alley, we will get help there."

They could already see the end of the street when the numbing spell wore off. Tonks sank down on the ground, unable to get up despite Hermione's effort to help her.

"Run now, Hermione. I will wait here. I'm sure I will be fine, it can't take long."

Hermione looked dubious, but when Tonks continued to urge her, she turned and ran. Soon she was out of sight and Tonks breathed out in relief. Hermione would be safe now and perhaps, so was she. She leaned against the murky woodwork of the nearest house. The pain inside felt worse and she couldn't stop the memories of what had caused it now. She was too exhausted to withstand the image of Lucius and his cruel hands anymore. Tonks closed her eyes hard to stop the tears that was threatening to fall and then she heard voices calling for her.

She looked up and saw a number of people running toward her, friendly and concerned people. Soon she was surrounded by familiar and unfamiliar faces that all looked at her with kind eyes. Hands reached out for her and Tonks made an effort to stand up. She leaned against someone's shoulder, feeling oddly confused by the knowledge that she and Hermione had got away.

Something made Tonks turn her head, and there, in the shadows, she saw Lucius. His face was contorted with rage when he looked at her and Tonks felt, apart from the fear that shot through her at the sight of him, also triumph.

"We bested you," she thought. "We did it, you bastard." She stared at him, mustering everything she had of strength left to look unfazed when she looked at him. Then he was gone, the dark alley empty as he had never been there. An arm encircled Tonks's shoulder and a voice that she recognised as Lupin's spoke to her;

"Come now, Tonks. I'll take you to St Mungo's."

That was when Tonks started to cry.

THE END