Everything that is remotely recognisable from the Harry Potter books is not mine. I do not make money from this etc. I'm just playing in the lovely sandpit J. K. Rowling created.

one-shot turned multi-chapter, because someone left such a kind comment on one of my fics I started thinking about this one again, and it all went from there. :)

Let it burn

Never thought I'd be doing a job for the ministry. Well, I do s'ppose this ain't your ordinary ministry. The last few weeks me and my fellow snatchers have been on a 'hunting trip', if you will. We've gotten a list with pictures of mudbloods and the prices on their heads, an' it also includes any known tell-tale characteristics; scars, a limp, tattoos those kinds of things. That's definitely something we ain't had before.

We've been observing these three for some time now. They were 'iding in a variety of places, and now we're all in the Forest of Dean, at the border with Wales. We've been catchin' a few glimpses of them before they put up their wards. There were two blokes and one girl, she was the muggleborn, but we 'ave to take all three of them. Wonder who these three are to warrant this big of a bounty; could they be part of the Order? I bet they are, or they'd never get such a price on their heads, innit?

Our own camp is set up close to Parkend, a small town in the forest. There's water and supplies close by, but enough trees to stay well away from too curious muggles. 'Effin clueless they are these muggles, don't even know there's a bleedin' war on!

You can say what you want about 'em, but even though the two geezers are of better blood status, they'd be lost without the girl. She's a fiery genius, still 's a pity that we're going to have to snatch her and her little friends eventually.

We've gotten a good log of their weaker moments, and now we're just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Meself and a few others 'ave been on watch around the lake and the clearing and we got a report that the three had left early this morning. We can't be sure if they'll come back, but it's worth watching the place for a few hours to see if they do.

Those ministry folks had told us this trio would be a difficult case. We needed to be absolutely sure we could grab all in one go because they're very clever and if we lost them, we'd lose our biggest bounty yet.

We'd already gathered there was more magical folk somewhere in this part of the forest; there were traces of magical signatures. Which is why, during the weeks we were keeping them under observation, we'd also apprehended other mudbloods hiding in the area. It had been business as usual up until recently, when we finally discovered the exact location of the trio's camp.

One night we got our hands on Dirk Cresswell, just an average mudblood to us, but worth a decent sum for the ministry. On our way back to the camp to hand 'im over we walked past a clearing, suspiciously large for a forest as dense as this one. There was a shimmer of something there. We had almost passed it when I sensed something, a muffled sound of leaves cracking and rustling, no more than a whisper, as if a spooked deer had moved suddenly somewhere far away. I 'alted and scoured the surroundings, but nothing showed.

Just when I was about to rejoin the guys, I smelt it: a flowery, sorta musky, fresh scent. I 'ad to admit smelt rather nice but it was too much unlike a forest clearing, too perfumed; someone has passed through here in the last few minutes, or could still be hiding nearby. I motioned for the others to be quiet and listened, trying to sniff it out.

I waited, but the sound was not repeated.

Just a few days after encountering the scent, I had just started the first round of night patrol, when I came past the same clearing. That's when I spotted the last dying embers of a campfire. I heard a rustle and to my left, about 25 metres away, I saw the girl. There was a large tree in my line of sight, and while I held my breath, I made sure to stay well behind it. I could not contain my intrigue and lent to the side to peek around.

She looked forlorn, a spirit wandering in her own world, a woolly tartan scarf the only thing tethering her to the earth. Here and there, she picked up sticks and twigs for what I presume would become a fire. She seemed so oblivious to everything around her, I could have snatched her right there. However, that would leave the two blokes unattended. We'd have to come back later for the snatching, so for now I decided just to watch her.

Merlin, she's quite ... beautiful-looking, I guess. Something about her just draws me to her, like a moth to a flame. I've seen she's clever and she's pretty feisty too. I do like a bit of fire in a woman, the look they get when they talk about something they love, but also when I rile her up just to see anger burning behind her pupils, or when she gives you a smouldering hot stare to say "I want you". Love that. It really does something to me, that fire in her eyes.

I wonder what she would be like in bed. She's probably someone who's so saintly and studious during the day, but secretly likes it rough at night. Oh I could make her grab at the sheets while I lick her until she's shuddering. It would be amazing to find out how well we'd fit together, if you get where I'm goin'. I bet she'd look lovely when I take her from behind against a wall, me tugging at her hair, kissing along her spine, nippin' at her neck, biting her shoulder and rubbing her clit until she -

No! focus Scabior! You've got a job to do. They'll be back from wherever the hell they went this morning this any minute. Focus, focus. It's just another day at the office. Scan, plan, chase, snatch, deliver, collect rewards.

It won't be long now...

Any minute...

-CRACK!-

Apparition.

They're back, shit! Oh feckin 'ell! Those amateurs are not in position!

I panic for a brief moment, but before anyone can blink I have got myself under control again. "You guys, 6 of you there to the right, 3 of you down the hill, and 4 more close to those bushes on the left, RIGHT NOW! We'll drive them your way!"

The trio spots us as soon as they land and for a fleeting moment me and her make eye contact. A kudu vs. Lion before the chase, and then they run. We follow.

It's not long before we're hot on their heels. Tracking, the hunt, the fresh forest wind, the rush of adrenaline; this is what I live for. We sprint along a light slope, on top of which part of my band of snatchers is running along. Gradually running in a narrower path from all sides, we're closing the gap. Just a short distance and there will be the ambush party. We've nearly got 'em cornered.

The instant I can feel the first twinge of burning lungs, I can see the ambush party close the last gap. While rolling to a halt, I take three or four deep breaths. This is the closest I've been to them. Merlin, she's really quite something. No! Focus. Think of how much money they'll bring in. You don't feel guilty, you never do, act nonchalantly.

"Hello, beautiful."

A/N: Your help through reviews would be very much appreciated - and read below.

more explicit scenes in later chapters.

later on there will also be scenes from Hermione's perspective

Okay, I've written this in such a way that the snatchers don't get the names of the people they're going after, just pictures and prices. They only know the names of the people that have told them themselves. As Scabior wears a kudu-ring, a kudu is an antilope like animal with spiral horns. I liked the kudu/lion analogy, because in this scene, Hermione (the lion, the gryffindor) is being hunted instead of the other way around.

ps: Dirk Cresswell is the actual name of the muggle-born we see the snatchers dragging through the ministry's atrium