Aureate- Part 6
 
"No," said Hermione flatly, "Get back here right now. You're 
right, you're both right. Nothing's worth our lives." Her eyes 
clouded slightly as she watched the flickering rainbow.

Ron looked at her, right into her eyes. All he wanted was to 
turn back, to forget this whole escapade, but in Hermione he 
found his strength. He couldn't do that. Not now, not ever. "No 
Hermione, you were right all along."

"Don't be so noble, Ron," she whispered impatiently, "Get back 
here right now!"

Harry looked torn between joining Ron or trying to get him to 
come away from the Harpies. He noticed that they were all 
glaring at him, clicking their beaks together.

"We're going to save those Pegasus," said Ron, taking another 
step forward.

Hermione winced as if she'd been slapped in the face, "Ron..." 
she pleaded.

"I don't need to spend the rest of my life feeling guilty," said 
Ron, "Hermione, you were right. I never thought I'd say that, 
but you're absolutely right. We have to save them. Are you 
two with me, or not?"

Hermione sighed and then trudged out onto the ice, "I'm with 
you," she said softly.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Of course I'm with you," he said with a 
grin.

"Harry..." Hermione breathed suddenly, "I understand it!"

"What?" Harry said, taken aback.

"I understand it," she repeated impatiently, "I understand why 
the Harpies are trying to destroy the rainbow." 

"Fill us in, then."

"Look..." 

They all turned around to see where Hermione was pointing. 
The tip of the rainbow was flickering against the ice, and 
where it touched the ice was turning miraculous colors. It was 
rolling in and out like water, all the time shimmering and 
flashing.

"Because of the Pegasus' magic, only a rainbow can free 
them," whispered Hermione, more to herself then to Ron or 
Harry.

"The Pegasus make color wherever they go..." said Ron faintly, 
"So a real rainbow must be able to connect with their magic 
and..."

"OI! YOU BIRDS!" bellowed Harry, "KNOCK IT OFF!"

The Harpies looked at him in disgust and then continued 
darkening the rainbow. Ron noticed that they all looked 
distinctly ruffled.

Chera was now struggling so hard that Hermione almost 
dropped her several times.

"Guess they're too stupid to understand what we're saying," 
Hermione said casually, in a tone just loud enough for the 
Harpies to hear.

The Harpies looked completely infuriated, and several of them 
began gabbling away in their own tongue. Hermione kept her 
eyes narrowed at all times, ready to shut them as soon as one 
glanced her way. They were all looking mutinous, and some 
were poised to lunge at any moment.

The rainbow was now almost all black. There was a thin sliver 
of light at the very center, it looked like it would disappear at 
any moment, though.

"Ouch!" Hermione squealed. Chera had bitten her quite hard, 
and was now balancing herself in the air, looking both 
victorious and angry. She let out a shrill purr and then soared 
into the air, flying straight at the Harpies.

They all looked completely bewildered, and stopped their work 
out of curiosity. Hermione glowered fiercely as she heard them 
speaking and taunting the Pegasus in their language. Several 
of the Harpies laughed harshly, while others were looking at 
Chera with growing dislike. Their eyes were full of hunger and 
hate, but there was something else there as well...

"Fear," said Hermione quietly, "They're afraid of her."

Chera trilled her purr again and did a sharp turn. She was 
flying right at the rainbow now, her body pressing forward with 
all the force she could muster. The Harpies were growing 
restless and seemed to have abandoned their work on the 
rainbow. Chera wove around them, trying to get through.

"Chera!" called Hermione, "Get back here!"

"She knows what she's doing," said Ron softly, "Let her be."

The Pegasus looped around the rainbow, and then skidded to a 
halt in midair. She let out a long, mellifluous note and then 
dove through the rainbow.

Before their eyes the darkness began to melt away into light. 
Sparks of silver and gold flew all around the rainbow, 
intertwining it inside them. Chera let out a squeal and 
continued to dive through the rainbow. 

The Harpies were all still, perched like vultures in the sky. 
Then, in one slick movement, they dove. 

Chera let out a single note and pressed her wings to her body. 
She plunged to the ground and hit it with a sickening thud. 
Hermione wavered on the spot. 

The Harpies bristled, and then each let out a loud screech. The 
rainbow had burst into flames, all different colors, and though 
the flames could not reach the Harpies, they all appeared to be 
burning. They writhed about in agony, cursing and screaming. 
The air was pierced with the sound of crackling fire and their 
yells. Each one disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a 
shimmering cloud of dust where they'd gone.

"It's not fair," whispered Hermione, sobs racking her body, her 
face streaked with tears and dirt, "I don't know why she did 
that...how she did that...and now..." She bent over Chera's 
body and rubbed her eyes, "She's gone."

"She knew she was facing death," sighed Ron, "She knew the 
Harpies would've killed her. That's why she..." he swallowed 
and knelt down next to Hermione.

"Nothing happened. Why did she do it?" said Hermione 
wistfully. 

"The Harpies are gone," said Harry, "She saved more Pegasus 
then we'll ever know."

Hermione didn't answer. The rainbow had just turned a 
brilliant golden hue and where it touched the ice, rainbows 
were arching out from every direction. 

"Harry...Ron..." whispered Hermione.

The ice had turned pure white. And suddenly, Hermione 
realized that it wasn't ice at all, but water. Ripples of silver 
glided through it and washed onto the shore.

"What's going on?" breathed Harry. 

The water was beginning to dance from the lake. It formed 
waves, brought them crashing down against the banks, swirled 
about, and then fell still. There was a faint melody echoing 
from the water, somehow familiar...

The water rippled again and then burst apart as two Pegasus 
soared from its depths. One tossed its head and stamped its 
hooves against the sky before landing gracefully. Its head was 
as white as the water, and its eyes a fiery red. Again the water 
fell still, and it slowly washed away into a soft shade of blue.

This time, there were ten Pegasus, maybe more, that flew 
from the water. Some were small, and had barely yet lived, 
while others were mature and full grown. They all were the 
same, steely cerulean in color. And again, the water fell calm.

It turned a cold silver now, and the Pegasus burst forth as if 
maddened by their years trapped below. They all looked fierce, 
coated in silver, with clear, white eyes.

The water changed again and again, each time letting more 
Pegasus soar from its depths. Finally, it lay still, and the 
rainbow shot up into the skies above, balling itself up.

They all heard the sound of it swishing through the clouds, and 
then flying back down to the earth. The rainbow flung itself 
into the water, and the water slowly turned an olympian gold. 
It moved in and out seamlessly, and then a golden Pegasus 
flew from the water. It was twice as large as any of the others, 
with wings that were spun of every color imaginable. Its eyes 
were pitch black, and its mane was of a glimmery topaz in 
color. 

Everything was silent, save the wind in the trees. The water 
lay completely still, and ice was forming on its surface once 
more. The ice was the same pale silvern as always.

Hermione blinked her eyes. The Pegasus were still there. 

"So that's why Chera did it," she whispered, a sob choking her 
words, "Guess it was worth it then."

The golden Pegasus pawed the ground nervously and then 
sauntered over to Hermione. He lowered himself to the ground 
and lay still.

"Ahh....Hermione?" said Harry softly, "I think you're supposed 
to get on."

"I'm not getting on there!" gasped Hermione. The Pegasus let 
out an indignant snort. A few others trotted over and lowered 
themselves to the ground. Harry shot her a grin.

"C'mon, Hermione, live a little!" He climbed onto a dark scarlet 
one and it immediately straightened itself and took to the sky. 
The clouds were fading into stars, the pale blue into a midnight 
black.

"I'm a bit scared of heights," Hermione mumbled softly, 
backing further away from the Pegasus.

"Look, Hermione, I'm getting on as well," said Ron as he 
charily approached the golden Pegasus. He climbed onto its 
back and held out his hand, "Come on, you can ride with me."

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, "Er....alright," she said 
slowly, taking Ron's hand. The Pegasus was ceraceous and 
warm, and its back was so broad that the wings didn't touch 
either of them. The breeze played across Hermione's face as it 
rose up into the sky. 

"Ron, look!" whispered Hermione, pointing below, 
"Chera's...gone."

Ron squinted below, but all that remained where the Pegasus 
had lay was a small arch of color. 

The sky was now speckled with silvern stars, scattered all 
over. 

"I don't think a Pegasus can ever really die," said Hermione 
softly, "I think they just move on. See?" High above them, a 
single star had appeared that was of a vivid gold. All the 
others stars looked dim in its light, and it cast an aura of pure 
fulfillment and completion on everything beneath and above it.

Ron grinned at her, "Have you ever had the feeling that just 
for once, everything was going so right?"

Hermione blushed, "Yes," she said softly, "Like now."

"Look at this!" yelled Harry, as his Pegasus almost turned him 
upside down.

"You know, Ron..." Hermione whispered, "I never quite did 
thank you for saving me," she smiled at him, "I'll never be 
able to thank you enough. I mean, no words can express..." 
She drifted off and lowered her head. She could feel the heat 
coming from her face.

"You're right," said Ron shortly.

Hermione jerked into awareness, "Right?"

"Words can't express anything..."

Hermione felt herself go as stiff as when she laid eyes on the 
Harpy, then she felt herself melting under Ron's embrace. 

Let me die tomorrow, let a storm ravage all the world, let 
disaster strike unknown, Hermione sighed within, Just so long 
as Ron holds me, so long as he never lets go...

"We're going to be in so much trouble tomorrow," sighed 
Hermione, as she drew away from Ron.

"Just for now," said Ron, "Don't even think about the future. 
Live life as it should be, Hermione, moment by moment, day 
by day...as if there's no tomorrow, no morning, only this 
night..."

Hermione felt herself drawing involuntarily closer to him.

"Hermione..."Ron said softly.

"Yeah?" whispered Hermione.

"Do you think life's not worth living without risks?" he asked.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously at the odd question, "Sure, I 
do," she replied.

"Good," said Ron, as he pressed his lips urgently to hers.

Hermione could feel the wind whipping about them, feel the 
warm night air, and the smooth fur of the Pegasus, but most 
of all, she could feel Ron throughout all of her, feel his hold on 
her very soul. It was as if life itself was shooting throughout 
her. She felt secure and warm, but at the same times 
excitement was pouring throughout her. She wound her arms 
about his back kissed him back.

And at that moment, she wouldn't be surprised if the entire 
sky had turned gold.






A/N: *~The End~* Thanks to everyone who read this! 

So...should I continue writing HP? Did you like this? 

Suggestions for my next story? I was thunking of a sorta R/H 

and D/H....hmmm....Well, let me know ^_^