Camp Half-Blood
“Hermione, please get to the camp and stay there okay?”
“You and Tonks take care yourselves okay?”
“I love you, more than anything.”
Her mother kissed her forehead.
And she saw her mother get swallowed by a bright and fiery portal.
“NO!”
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“No!” She shot up and woke up with cold sweat. She then took notice of her surroundings. She was laying down on a soft, wooden bed and looked around to guess that she is in a cabin. She groaned when she felt her head throb and the events that happened before was coming back to her. Her heart dropped when she realized something. “Oh Gods, Mom! I have to- Argh!” She tried getting out of the bed but stilled when she felt her right shoulder react painfully.
“You shouldn’t be moving too much.” A female voice apprised. She looked up to the source and a pair of sapphire blue eyes met her amber ones. The two stared at each other for who knows how long, but Hermione got to admit, the girl was one of the beautiful girls she saw. She has long blonde hair that reached her waist, beautiful blue eyes that seemed to scan her body for injuries, and she looks younger and shorter than her by at least an inch or two.
But she couldn’t stare longer because of another throbbing head. She groaned and grabbed her head and tried massage it. The blonde girl made her way to her and offered her a cubed-shaped item and a golden liquid in a bottle. Hermione raised her eyebrow at the girl, asking her what it is. The blonde answered, “It’s ambrosia and nectar. It should help you heal.” The girl offered again and this time, Hermione accepted. She took a bite and felt her body starting to relax and the pain in her head starting to fade. Then, she drank the nectar and didn’t expect to taste something she liked. She looked at the girl beside her with a curious gaze and the blonde answered her silent question. “The nectar tastes like anything the drinker likes. It should help them lighten up.” The blonde explained.
Hermione nodded her head at the girl. “Thank you… Um?” she realized that she never knew her name.
The girl giggled and replied, “My name is Gabrielle. Gabrielle Delacour.” The girl, Gabrielle then sat beside her bed. “And you must be Hermione Granger, right?”
“Y-Yeah, how did you know?” Hermione asked.
“Tonks was worried about you and kept asking when you are waking up.” Gabrielle replied.
Hermione’s eyes widened again at the mention of her friend. “Tonks! Is she okay?! What happened to her?! Where is she?”
Gabrielle giggled but soon let out a short laugh. “Haha! That’s what she asked me too! You guys really are best friends.” Gabrielle then saw Hermione’s worried expression then continued. “But rest assure. Tonks is fine. She just has a few scratches. And as for where, well…” As soon as she said that, the wooden door burst open, revealing a distressed Tonks with pale white hair.
“Hermione!” her best friend exclaimed with worry and relief at the same time. “Oh thank the Gods! Are you ok?!” Tonks made her way to her friend’s side and held her head while checking for injuries.
“I’ll just leave you two be.” Gabrielle said as she stood up and headed for the door.
“Thank you…” Hermione said.
Gabrielle looked back and gave her a smile then exited the cabin. Hermione turned to Tonks who still has pale hair but slowly starting to change into pink again. But that’s the least she has to worry now. “Tonks?” Hermione said after a few moments of silence. Tonks looked up to her, already know what she’s going to ask. “What happened? What happened to Mom? Where is she? Where are we?” Hermione asked hoping this time she gets an answer.
Tonks looked down and replied. “You managed to kill the lynx. You passed out after then I brought you here to heal.” Tonks gulped before she continued. “And as for Jean… I-I don’t know where she is.” Tonks looked at Hermione who has her head down after hearing this. “I’m so sorry…”
Hermione said nothing and stayed silent after. She felt numb. She doesn’t know where her mother is. She just vanished right before her eyes and she couldn’t do anything about it. And now, she doesn’t even know where she is. She felt lost. Tonks stayed by her side and never left, like the true friend she is. She turned to her friend and asked quietly, “Where are we?”
Tonks gazed at her for a moment and replied. “We’re at Camp Half-Blood. A place where demi-gods like you are safe.”
“Demi-god? Me? Tonks, I’m not a demi-god. Mom is just a human.”
“But your dad isn’t.”
Hermione was speechless. She never heard her best friend mention her father. She knows nothing of her father and yet Tonks seemed to know him better than her. The topic of her dad was never brought up between them. Either it was never brought up or she doesn’t want to talk about it. “You know my dad..?” Hermione asked hesitantly.
Tonks looked at her and replied, “Not much… All I know that he’s a god.”
“A god?”
“Yeah… A Greek god.”
“I don’t understand… A god of what?”
“That’s for you to find out, Hermione.” Tonks replied. “This place is where demi-gods are safe. This is also where they can learn to protect themselves from creatures like the lynx. As long as you’re a child of a god, some monsters will come after you for revenge or your blood.”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Revenge? For what?”
“You do know that the gods killed or did something to the creatures, right? With Athena to Medusa? Or Apollo to the python?” Hermione nodded. “And because those ‘mythical’ creatures can be reborn again, if they can’t get to them, they will seek revenge on their children.”
“So we have to deal with their mistakes for them? And if we can’t defend ourselves we die because of them?” Hermione huffed.
“Well… when you put it like that…” Tonks trailed off when she saw Hermione giving her a look. “I-I mean, you did handle that lynx last night without training. You saved me, Hermione.”
“But I couldn’t save my mom.” Hermione said bitterly to herself.
There was another silence. Tonks was familiar with this one. After of what she unraveled, she knew Hermione was trying to process it all. Tonks held her friend’s hand, letting her know that she’s here and Hermione appreciate it. Squeezing her friend’s hand back, she noticed her hair was back to its pink color. Tonks noticed her staring at her hair. It’s been killing that she has to keep herself from her best friend for a long time. But this time, she can tell her everything. Deciding to explain to her before Hermione ask.
“You’ve been wondering why my hair is changing color, huh?”
“Was I obvious? I mean, it’s not exaclty…”
“Normal?” Tonks mused.
“Exactly!” Hermione beamed.
The two friends chuckled and enjoyed the moment. Tonks then sat up on a comfortable position so she can explain. “Where to start? Let’s see…”
“How about telling me what are you? I mean, no normal human can change her shade in seconds.”
Tonks snorted then started. “You see, I’m a, what you call, a Metamorphagus. We have a metamorphic ability to change her physical appearance without the need for magic or a spell to assist. With simply a thought, I’m capable of changing her facial features, nose shape and hair and eye color. You already saw my hair becoming gray, right?” Hermione nodded. “It means I’m nervous, worried or anxious about something or someone. When I didn’t what condition you were in, I was so worried of what might happen to you.” Hermione smiled and squeezed her friend’s hand again to give her assurance. “My normal hair color is still pink though. I was born with it. Metamorphagus has different hair shade when they are born and that’s the first sign that they are one. Each shade can define us based on our mood. So if my hair is red, it means I’m mad and enraged. If it’s purple, then I’m afraid of something. And there’s so much more so you might find me easy to read.” Tonks said with a chuckle and Hermione followed.
“Oh please, I don’t to look at your hair to read you. Even if you’re bald, I can still look through you! You’re not that hard to read Tonks.”
The two teenagers shared a laugh again before Tonks asked, “Are you sure you’re ok now? Is it too much?”
Hermione didn’t nod or shake her head. She just looked at their hands still holding each other and said, “It’s still a lot to digest but… I’ll get it somehow.”
Tonks nodded. “But are you ok now? Can you stand?”
Hermione nodded. She placed her feet on the floor while Tonks helped her to make sure she’s not hurt. “See? I’m ok.”
“Alright. We need to get you to the Big House. I have I someone I want you to meet.”
Hermione looked at her curiously and asked, “Who?”
“Let’s just say… He’s not going like you either…”