Day 23: Thorfinn Rowle; Antonin Dolohov; Rabastan Lestrange; Lucius Malfoy; "May the best man win."; "Happy Halloween hunting, gentlemen."

I loved this prompt, and wish I could have given it more attention. I may expand it someday.

"It's tradition, love," Thorfinn Rowle said to Hermione as he kissed her temple. "Just don't let any of the other wizards catch you."

Hermione growled at her husband. "Some tradition. It's barbaric, Finn! Hunting witches? Whoever heard of such a thing," Hermione harrumphed. She did not want to participate in this hunt. It was dumb and silly, and she honestly couldn't figure out why Thorfinn was making her.

"You'll have your wand. Just evade capture and wait for me if I don't find you right away," Thorfinn said as he pulled her close again.

They were dressed for the 'Traditional' Annual Malfoy Hallowe'en Hunt, as the invitation had described it. Thorfinn had been invited. The wives weren't invited, they were to be prey. And whoever caught them, well, it wasn't explicitly laid out, but Hermione got the gist of it. If she were caught by someone other than Thorfinn then that person would have 'rights' to her for the evening.

Apparently, all the pureblood wives participated. But Hermione wasn't a pureblood wife, she was a Muggleborn and proud of it and she didn't want to do this.

"Listen, if you do this one thing, this one Hallowe'en tradition that me and my friends love, we'll go on that trip you've been wanting to take," Thorfinn wheedled.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband. "Of course, I'll do the bloody hunt. As you said, I'll have my wand. Be sure to tell your buddies that I'll be aiming for bollocks," Hermione said viciously.

Thorfinn laughed, "Of course you will darling. Let's get the invitation, the portkey is about to leave."

They grabbed the invitation and soon were whirled away to the wood on Malfoy Manor's south lawn. Hermione was wearing a riding habit that Thorfinn had made for just this occasion. Apparently, this was also part of the 'tradition'. She rolled her eyes. All these pureblood traditions were ridiculous, she thought. Especially this one, hunting women like they were prey. It went against every feminist bone in Hermione's body.

The other wives were gathered some way from their husbands. There looked to be about twenty in total and with one last peck from Thorfinn, Hermione left to greet them.

"Mrs. Rowle, how lovely of you to attend this year," Narcissa Malfoy greeted her.

"Narcissa," Hermione responded coolly. She nodded to Luna Dolohov and Gemma Lestrange, both women she'd known at Hogwarts. The rest were all quite a bit older than her.

"Have the rules been explained, my dear?" Narcissa asked kindly.

"Finn explained," Hermione responded shortly.

"Good," Narcissa grinned. "It's rather fun, don't be nervous."

"I'm not."

"Alright, ladies," Narcissa addressed the group. Hermione drifted to where Luna and Gemma were standing.

"We'll begin now, hide well," Narcissa smirked and took off at a light jog. Hermione rolled her eyes as all the wives jogged after Narcissa like good little doggies.

"Come on 'Mione!" Luna called and with a huff, Hermione began her own jog into the wood ahead of her.

Thorfinn stood back with the wizards, gratefully accepting a tumbler of firewhisky that Rabastan Lestrange handed him.

"This her first time," Antonin Dolohov asked with a nod toward Hermione.

Thorfinn nodded and sipped his drink, "She says she'll be aiming for your balls. I told her I'd warn you all."

Lucius Malfoy laughed, "And when she discovers her wand gone?"

Thorfinn smirked, "I saw her hide a knife strapped to her thigh. And another in her boot."

Rabastan guffawed, "Merlin, I sure won't be going after her. I like my bollocks just where they are."

"Feisty," Lucius smirked. "I like them feisty."

Thorfinn narrowed his eyes at his friend, "She won't hesitate, Lucius."

"And I'll have a wand," Lucius smirked back. "Besides, Cissy gave me explicit instructions to not find her. She's up for dibs gentlemen."

Antonin choked on his drink, "Nah, mate, I think I'll be going for my own wife. She gets creative when she's mad."

Thorfinn smiled, his wife was the same. No way was he going to let another man run her down. Especially, not Lucius Malfoy in all his pretty finery.

Lucius looked at his watch, "It's time. May the best man win," he smirked at Thorfinn.

Thorfinn narrowed his eyes at Lucius, "Happy Hallowe'en hunting, gentlemen." And then was off, sprinting toward the wood and his wife. He wasn't losing this race.

Vaguely he could hear the others following behind him, and was thankful that his height allowed him a longer stride than the others.

He hadn't participated in a hunt since his early twenties, and now that he was closer to forty than twenty he hoped he had the stamina for it. But Lucius was closer to sixty than forty, so Thorfinn was sure he could beat him. Then Thorfinn tripped and watched Lucius pass him by.

"All's fair in love and hunt, Rowle," Lucius called over his shoulder.

Thorfinn glanced down at his feet and saw that Lucius had cast an Incarcerous at him. He vanished the rope and leapt up, chasing after Lucius.

Hermione was livid. As soon as she stepped into the wood, her wand disappeared. She knew that Thorfinn had been keeping something from her, but lying to her about her wand? He was going to pay. If she even let him capture her. She wondered what would happen if she evaded capture all night? Did that mean she'd win? She hoped so.

Or, maybe she'd allow someone else to capture her. Just to spite Thorfinn and his lying ways. No, she wouldn't really do that. Besides, she did have her knives. A slow smile spread her face as she thought of them. She would just camouflage herself as well as she could and hide. And hope that it was Thorfinn who came up to her first. Knives weren't much protection against a wand.

She found a tree that was fairly climbable and began climbing. The wood was dense and thick. She hoped she could climb from tree to tree until she reached closer to the center of the wood, where hopefully, she could get high enough and be able to see what was going on. She didn't have trouble with the first couple of trees, but as she was about to make her leap to the next, she spotted Antonin Dolohov below her.

"Come out, witchy witch," he called. "I know you're in here, Granger."

Hermione held her breath. He was using the Point Me charm, which would work, but didn't show elevation. So while she was right on top of him, his wand would just spin and unless he thought to look up, he wouldn't spot her. But she couldn't take that risk. So she took out her knife and threw it at the tree she was aiming for, then went back the way she came.

The 'thunk' of the knife did what it was supposed to, distracted Dolohov. He looked up, peering through the trees for her, but Hermione was hidden behind a particularly thick trunk, and it was beginning to get dark, he couldn't find her.

"Fucking, charm," Dolohov muttered as he walked away and began the Point Me charm for his own wife. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know if it was her first time, or what, but she suspected that Dolohov wouldn't have been all that nice to her had she allowed herself to be caught by him.

After she was sure Dolohov was gone, she made her way back to her original destination and pulled her knife from the trunk of the tree. Then she kept going, making her way, tree by tree to the center of the wood.

Thorfinn lost Lucius. Fuck, that was not in the plan, but he'd cast a disillusionment or something and Thorfinn lost track. He decided instead of tracking Lucius, he would track down Hermione. Their wedding bands would lead him right to her. And since he was the only one who could take her wedding band off her finger, he knew she was wearing it. So he concentrated on the heat in his band and let it guide him to where his wife was hiding.

And ran right into Lucius.

"Rowle," Lucius greeted him with a frown.

"Lucius," Thorfinn nodded at the other man and watched him as he turned in circles once more.

"I don't understand. The Point Me says she's right here. Where is she?" he glanced around the small clearing they were standing in.

"Maybe the charm isn't working?" Thorfinn suggested. He knew where she was. He'd already spotted her hiding in a tree behind Lucius. He watched her pull a knife from her hip, one he hadn't seen her hide. When Lucius turned again, Thorfinn shook his head at her in warning. He could practically feel her thoughts from across the clearing. If she took out Lucius, she'd never have to do this stupid tradition again.

"Gods, fucking charm," Lucius muttered. "I'm going to go find someone else. Clearly the Point Me isn't working. Good luck finding her," Lucius sneered darkly.

"I'm sure I'll manage," Thorfinn said in a bored tone. He watched Lucius leave the clearing muttering.

He walked to the tree his wife was hiding in and looked up, "Ready to come down now, wife?"

She glared at him, "Ready to have your bollocks hexed off, Rowle?"

Thorfinn chuckled, "I knew you wouldn't come if you knew you weren't going to have your wand," he shrugged, unapologetic about the small lie.

Hermione crossed her arms, "Well, you haven't caught me yet, you great lummox."

"Then let me remedy that, wife," Thorfinn grinned at her and pulled out his wand. He cast an Incarcerous, relishing the squeak she let out as the ropes wrapped around her body.

"Accio Hermione!" Thorfinn shouted just as she was about to teeter off the branch she had been standing on.

Hermione flew through the air and into Thorfinn's arms.

"I've caught you, witch," Thorfinn growled as he buried his face into her curls, breathing in her scent. He hadn't been scared he wouldn't catch her, but it was a possibility. He was just glad he didn't have to deal with it.

"You have, do I get my wand back now?" Hermione asked sweetly. But Thorfinn could see that glint of mischief in her eye.

"Not yet, dear wife. Not till morning. I get my 'rights' first," Thorfinn leered at her.

Hermione tossed her head back and laughed. Thorfinn was glad she was laughing. If she was laughing, she wasn't nearly as angry as she was pretending. He lowered his head and snogged her senseless. Glad once more that he had caught his own wife in the hunt. She was the best prey there was.