Chapter Text
There’s something peaceful about this, Hermione thought as she looked up into the inky sky. She was propped up against the thick trunk of a tree, rough bark digging into the raw and torn flesh of her back. Her thoughts drifted to Harry, who had taken off deeper into the Forbidden Forest in search of his godfather and past self. She hoped that he made it in time to save Sirius. Blinking back tears, Hermione continued to stare through the foliage, trying to see the moon and stars. Not that the view mattered much anyways, she from going to die in a pool of her own blood as it were.
And if she were to survive?
Well, Lupin was sure to be consumed with guilt.
Shouldn’t have called him over here, Hermione thought glumly.
Looking back at her rash decision, the werewolf had caught onto Hermione’s scent faster than she anticipated, and although Buckbeak tried to protect her, the hippogriff hadn’t arrived in enough time to stop Lupin from sinking his fangs into Hermione’s throat. It was a slim chance, but if she survived this and got back to the hospital wing, there was hope that magic was strong enough to fix the mangled flesh that was supposed to be the left side of her neck.
There was movement off to her right, a few branches cracking underneath someone or something’s weight. She let out a shaky wheeze of a laugh at her luck.
Or I can get finished off by whatever else is in the forest .
As the thought floated through the foggy haze of Hermione’s mind, a tall figure with a long white beard appeared from within the trees, a twinkle of blue within the darkness.
Dumbledore.
The old man’s emotions were unreadable as he approached Hermione with caution, wand drawn and illuminating the area in a warm glow. The young witch flinched slightly at the sudden brightness, blinking rapidly to try and focus on the Headmaster.
“Time is quite the fickle thing, isn’t it?” Dumbledore said softly, kneeling next to the brunette and pressing his wand to her neck. Hermione let out a garbled sound of pain as magic pulsed through her body; torn flesh sewing itself together as blood seeped back into her veins.
“I find that all things happen for a reason,” he continued. “Even if the results are… unpleasant.”
Hermione didn’t say anything throughout the process, not that she could. Her throat felt dry and she could taste iron in her mouth from the blood that had previously been pooled there. She gave the old wizard a look of confusion, trying to understand the riddle that were his words. Once he finished healing a few more of the major injuries Hermione had sustained, Dumbledore helped the young witch to her feet.
“Professor…?” Hermione rasped, vocal chords still sore from screaming out when Lupin attacked her and the subsequent canines tearing through them.
Even though there was a question on the tip of her tongue, Hermione was sure she knew the answer to it. Dumbledore had known that she was going to be attacked by Lupin when using the Time Turner. Yet, that didn’t answer the question of why the attack needed to happen.
“All in due time, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said with a knowing smile. “Until then, I believe you have some lives to save.”
Hermione didn’t get a chance to speak again before the old wizard was gone from sight as there was more movement coming from behind her. Turning around, Hermione saw Harry walking alongside Buckbeak. The hippogriff was looking at her with what she assumed was an apologetic look. Harry was smiling, brimming with pride as he approached. He stopped when he saw the state his best friend was in. Her hair was matted down and she looked like she had broken into a cold sweat, a patch of dampness at the collar of her shirt. The back of her pink sweater was torn and bloody, deep red stains seeping into Hermione’s jeans.
“Hermione!” Harry rushed forward and hugged her gently. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’ll t-tell you later,” she mumbled, turning back to where Dumbledore had been standing, lost in her thoughts.
***
End of 3 rd Year/Summer of 4 th Year
Although she had been right about Lupin’s reaction, Hermione was doing her best to not pay attention to the mournful look he was giving her as they sat in Dumbledore’s office. When her former professor had arrived, he had fallen to his knees in front of her, apologizing profusely for what he had done. She tried to tell him that it was okay, but he refused to accept her forgiveness.
When she had told Harry and Ron about what happened, and that she was now afflicted with the werewolf curse, they had taken it rather well. Although, Harry did feel guilty for leaving her to save his godfather; while Ron thought it was “wickedly cool” and asked a bunch of questions about the changes she had felt within the first 48 hours. Hermione didn’t have any answers for him on that front. She felt normal, or as normal as one could feel while coming to terms with becoming a magical creature over night.
They were still waiting for Dumbledore to arrive when the door to the office creaked open. The Headmaster strode over to his desk, smiling gently at professor and student as he sat down. The pair had been summoned to discuss what would be happening moving forward after the events that transpired but a few nights ago. Although the first thing that came out of Dumbledore’s mouth threw them off.
“Remus, you will be Miss Granger’s legal guardian for the foreseeable future.”
Wait, what?! Hermione’s eyes snapped to see Lupin’s reaction; the man’s eyes were wide with shock and mouth slightly ajar. She looked back to Dumbledore, “uhm… sir, what about my parents?”
“They will be informed of the delicacy of this situation.” Hermione didn’t like the familiar twinkle in the old wizard’s eyes as he spoke.
“You can’t just take the girl away from her family,” Lupin said, his voice shaking.
“Miss Granger is welcome to visit her family as often as she pleases, but muggles raising a teenage werewolf is not something that the Ministry would stand for. It’s far-”
“Too dangerous. I know, Albus. But why leave her in my care?”
“I believe she can learn much from you. Hermione will do fine in your care.”
“I’m not in the best position to take care of another person though,” Lupin grumbled.
Hermione frowned as the two wizards talked as though she wasn’t there. She cleared her throat before speaking, “as the person being discussed, I find Professor Dumbledore’s proposal reasonable. My parents would be safer if I wasn’t with them all the time. Plus, wouldn’t it be better to learn how to deal with this affliction from the person that gave it to me? Pack mentality and all that?”
Lupin stared at Hermione with a mix of shock and sadness. He let out a shaky breath as he glanced towards Dumbledore, “I don’t have a place for us to live.”
“Ah yes,” Dumbledore hummed as he stood from his desk, walking over to one of the many magical cabinets in the office. “It was a little last minute, but I was able to find some lodgings that fit some criteria. Far from any muggle or wizarding settlements, forests within the surrounding area, etc. I’m quite particular to one of the homes in France, but alas, that would be much too far away.”
Returning to his seat, Dumbledore placed a thin manila folder on the desk. From what Hermione could tell, there weren’t many places that actually met Dumbledore’s stipulations. Lupin took the folder, turning awkwardly towards Hermione, “Miss Granger…”
“If we’re going to be living together, Professor, you can call me Hermione.”
“Uh, yes…” He smiled softly at her, handing her the folder. “I’m sure I can leave our new living situation to you? Whatever you end up deciding on, I’m sure it will be fine. And since I am no longer a teacher, I believe the honorific is moot.”
Hermione blushed and mumbled a ‘thanks’ to her former professor, running her thumb along the edge of the folder. The meeting finished soon after, Dumbledore informing the pair that they would need to have a home picked out within the next two weeks. It was just enough time for Hermione to get her affairs in order and explain the situation to her parents. As they left Dumbledore’s office in tandem, Lupin hung back slightly when Hermione turned to walk back to Gryffindor Tower.
“Hermione,” he spoke suddenly, stopping the young witch. “I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience that I have brought into your life. Although you say you have forgiven me, I will do my best to properly earn that forgiveness.”
“It’s alright,” Hermione said with a shrug. “You weren’t all there that night.”
“You’re taking this surprisingly well,” Lupin pointed out with a confused frown.
“Just another year at Hogwarts, sir. Nothing surprising about it.”
With that, Hermione turned on her heel so that she could cry to her friends and figure out what she was going to do about breaking this news to her parents.
***
Hermione wasn’t surprised by her parents adverse reaction to hearing that their daughter had been cursed with lycanthropy. There a few choice words directed towards Dumbledore and his management of Hogwarts. It didn’t help matters when Lupin made an appearance at the door. Hermione had to hold her father back from decking her former professor. In contrast, her mother had been a sobbing mess the moment Hermione had broken the news.
The surprise came from her father telling her that she needed to leave, his tone flat and emotionless.
Hermione felt numb, trying not to let the tears fall as she dragged herself up the stairs and to her room. She had only been home for a few days, most of her things still packed away in her trunk, so if she was in a rush to pack, it wouldn’t take her very long. Hushed conversation pricked at the edges of Hermione’s hearing. Lupin was trying to reassure her parents that she was still their daughter. She tried to tune it out, not wanting to accept the possibility that this was her parents breaking point.
But, the danger Hermione posed to her parents…
Well, it wasn’t something that she wanted to think about right then.
Finished packing, trunk filled to the brim, Hermione made her way downstairs. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the handle to her trunk. As she passed the kitchen, Hermione gave her parents a mournful look, not sure what to say to them. The silence felt deafening, so she turned towards the front door, taking a few steps…
Before being enveloped in a tight hug from her parents.
Choking back tears, the Grangers promised that they wouldn’t stop loving their daughter. That they cared. Her mother made her promise to write and visit on holidays when she could. The heavy weight that had settled over her heart lifted at their affirmations.
As she walked out of her childhood home, Hermione let out a sigh of relief.
“Ready?” Lupin asked with a fond smile and an outstretched hand.
Smiling softly, she took his hand.
“As ready as ever.”
And with a faint pop, the pair disapparated to their new home.
***
Her first full moon doesn’t happen until a few weeks later, after she and Lupin had settled into their new home.
And Hermione was filled with excitement and dread at the thought of turning into a wolf.
She had spent a decent amount of time pouring over any information she could find in the Hogwarts library on werewolves for Snape’s essay. Some of the diagrams in the textbooks had been rather graphic, some even moving to show what could happen during the shift. The rather crude depiction crept across Hermione’s thoughts throughout the day as she tried to prepare for what would happen that evening.
Most of her day was spent wandering around the lodge she had picked out for herself and Lupin. It was a modestly sized log building situated deep within the Scottish wilderness. It looked like a ski lodge Hermione had seen in a travel magazine once at her parents’ practice.
There were two floors to the lodge: the upper floor held one bedroom with an attached bathroom and the study, which Hermione had promptly claimed as hers; while the first floor had the master bedroom with en suite bathroom, medium sized kitchen, and a large dining/living room space.
A good chunk of Hermione’s time was spent in the study or sitting outside underneath a tree at the edge of the forest that was their backyard. But today, she had been aimlessly wandering through the lodge or sitting in the study, re-reading the same page over until the sun set on the horizon. There were a few candles lit in the study, but bright moonlight shone through the window, pricking at the edges of Hermione’s magic.
It was a weird sensation, a shiver running up her spine as the moonlight touched her skin. Hermione didn’t think on it long though, jumping from her armchair and sprinting out of the study. As she made her way down the stairs, Lupin appeared around the corner, his green eyes tinted with yellow. He smiled weakly at her, nodding towards the back door. She smiled back nervously, wiping clammy hands against her jeans and bounding off the last step.
The pair walked into the summer night, a gentle breeze from the mountains to cool their skin. Hermione inhaled the crisp air deeply, letting the breath out slowly as she looked over to Lupin. The wizard was doing the same as her, inhaling the evening air and re-centering himself for what was about to come. She also had to guess that he was extremely nervous about helping to raise a young werewolf.
“Alright, Hermione,” Lupin said with a grim look, turning to look at Hermione. “I’m going to walk you through the change this first time ‘round. I’ve got a few more years on you, so I’ll be able to hold my change off just enough to ease you through yours. Understood?”
“Yes, Professor,” Hermione replied, nodding vigorously.
“Now you’ve read up what its like to go through the change?” A nod. “Whatever is written in those books is a mere fraction to what we go through. The change is different for everyone.”
“Is it as painful as its described?” Hermione asked with wide eyes.
The look Lupin gave her did not instill confidence.
Another question was on the tip of Hermione’s tongue when pain shot through her. There was no clear source for it, but it radiated throughout her entire body, causing her to fall to her knees with an ear piercing scream. The thundering of her heartbeat roared in Hermione’s ears as it sped up. She tried to look up at Lupin, but her eyes were clenched tightly and holding back tears of pure agony.
Pressure started to build up behind her eyes, forcing Hermione to open them. Her vision was blurred, darkness creeping up around the edges. Warm and viscous liquid ran like tears down Hermione’s cheeks, her eyeballs being forced out of their sockets. The first eye dropped onto the grass with a wet thump, followed by a scream of terror from the young witch and another thump as the other eye fell next to its brethren.
There was nothingness as more pain ripped through Hermione. Her muscles convulsed causing her to curl in on herself. It took all of Hermione’s power to fight against the shift. She just wanted it to stop.
Gods, did she want it to stop.
“Don’t fight it, Hermione,” Lupin’s voice broke through the haze. His tone told her that he was distressed by what was playing out in front of him. There was also the strain of him trying to stop his own shift from happening.
Seeking out Lupin’s voice, Hermione turned her head and opened her eyes. Expecting to experience continued darkness, the young witch felt a brief moment of relief as she saw Lupin, bright and in colour, a few feet in front of her. His jaw was clenched tightly, hands balled into fists and knuckles turning white. The man looked like he was in just as much pain as Hermione was.
But the moment of clarity quickly vanished as Hermione’s body twitched and twisted with a sickening crunch.
Her spine curved back before snapping forward again, causing Hermione to slam her hands down to stop from smashing her face into the ground. She inhaled sharply, letting it out in a shriek as her ribs started to expand and crack into a new shape. Sound was muffled for her again, but Hermione could hear the threads and fabric of her clothing stretch and break. She went to remove her clothing, hoping to salvage it, but was unable to grasp the fabric.
Breaking through the middle knuckles on each of her hands were thick black claws, making it impossible to bend her fingers. Dark brown fur was sprouting around the claws as they pushed through Hermione’s human features. Getting a glimpse of the fur made Hermione feel suddenly itchy. Almost like there was something just beneath the surface of her skin. With her what was left of one of her hands, Hermione dug her fingernails into her shoulder, and started tearing flesh away in bloody chunks.
The witch’s screams had turned into snarls and growls as she continued to rip skin away to reveal wet dark brown fur just beneath. Her former professor continued to watch as great golden eyes snapped up to look at him.
Hermione’s mouth was open in another howl of pain, her incisors dropped to the ground, only to be replaced by large canines. Sharp teeth continued to replace human teeth as the snout of a wolf forced its way out of Hermione’s mouth. The human face of the young witch was torn and splitting like tissue paper as the wolf’s muzzle broke through.
And then, in a burst of bloody chunks, it was all over.
Standing in front of Lupin with her ears snapped back against her skull was a beautiful dark brown wolf the size of a bear.
Golden eyes scanned the wizard, teeth bared at him in a snarl.
Lupin chuckled, shaking out his body and letting the shift taken him over. Unlike Hermione, his change was far quicker, a mousy brown wolf bursting forth.
The pair of wolves looked each other over for a few moments, the younger one unsure of how to perceive the older one. It didn’t take long for Lupin’s wolf to butt its head against Hermione’s neck. He gave a chuffing sound before bounding off into the forest. Not one to pass up a challenge, Hermione chased after Lupin, letting the moon’s magic wash over her fully as she disappeared into the forest.
***
Hermione woke up to the sound of barking laughter and the chirping of birds. She groaned, her muscles sore from the shift back and the branches that were digging into her back. Trying to find the source of the laughter, she locked eyes with Lupin. The man was in tears he was laughing so hard. She frowned at him, wanting to ask him what he found to be so hilarious after a night as a wolf. It probably wasn’t because she was naked, she remembered him reassuring her that he was probably going to be as embarrassed as her when they were back to their natural states. So what was so funny?
When she stood up, Hermione felt something long and soft slap against her thigh. She looked down to see that at some point in the night, she had grown a penis. Hermione shrieked in horror as she covered up her new appendage. She glared at Lupin, who had stopped laughing, but the look on Hermione’s face had him burst into laughter again.
“It’s not funny!” Hermione snapped.
“You’re right,” Lupin said, trying to school his features. He was still grinning like an idiot. “It’s bloody fucking hilarious!”
“How did this happen!?” she hissed, motioning to the appendage.
“Didn’t get to the part about mates, then eh?”
“No! I was interrupted by the fucking moon!”
“Looks like yours is a female,” Lupin laughed as he started walking back to the house. He heard Hermione give an indignant squeak before she followed him.
Grumbling, Hermione followed her former teacher, inhaling the deep forest scents. She could pick up the earthy tones and pine that hung thick in the air. She had read that after the first shift, her natural senses would sharpen accordingly. It was exhilarating to experience as they walked through the forest. Although, it did feel weird walking beside Lupin while naked. Gotta make sure to tie some clothes to my leg next time, Hermione thought as they broke through the treeline to the back of the house.
They had been staying there for less than a month before the first change, but had gotten into a routine of sorts. Lupin insisted that Hermione learn more defensive spells, so they would train for most of the day. That was followed by showers and some sort of food before Hermione was buried in a book about werewolf biology and the changes she would be going through after the initial change. She noticed that most werewolves were registered by the Ministry, which she hadn’t done yet.
“Pro...Lupin?” Hermione asked entering the living room in a fresh pair of clothing, consisting of very loose sweatpants and a t-shirt. “Am I registered at the Ministry? I know Professor Dumbledore had my legal address and guardianship transferred to you. I assume there would have been questions about that…”
“No, you aren’t registered,” Lupin said with a frown, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. “I trust Dumbledore has a reason for that though.”
“Okay…” Hermione replied with her own frown. She was forever curious about what Dumbledore was playing at.
“Hope that monster in your pants wasn’t too much trouble,” Lupin said with a chuckle. Hermione blushed and glared at him. “We’ll have to tell Dumbledore about it though. Might be able to knick yerself private quarters.” He heard the soft growl come from the witch. “I doubt you want to explain to your dorm mates why you have that.”
“Fair,” Hermione grumbled and took the armchair across from Lupin.
“Oh! Arthur owled me the other day, said to make sure you’re at the Burrow last week of summer. He’s got a surprise for you lot.”
***
The next three years of Hermione’s life are a whirlwind of adventure and danger. Being the friend to one Harry James Potter tended to do that. Their fourth year was supposed to be a normal one. Trouble free, even. Yet, there was someone out to kill Harry.
Again.
Harry’s name getting spit out of the Goblet of Fire had thrown a wrench into the nice and normal year Hermione had been hoping for. The Triwizard Tournament had her in the library constantly, nose buried in some book on how to fight off dragons, or how to survive underwater for an hour. That coupled with her regular studies, Hermione had to deal with Ron being a prat towards Harry for being caught up in something the boy didn’t wish to be apart of. Until the redhead cooled off after Harry nearly died to a Hungarian Horntail, and the trio continued on as usual.
The Yule Ball had been an entertaining affair. Hermione planned on going stag, but at the last minute, Ron asked if she wanted to go with him. No one else had asked her, and the redhead clarified that it was merely as friends. During the World Cup, Ron had approached her about his feelings. After Hermione explained her stance and why it wouldn’t work, Ron had been grouchy. He had stomped off, only to return a few hours later to apologize, letting her know that he understood and still loved her like a sister.
Everything, as always, came to a head at the end of the year. During the Third Task, Harry had been portkeyed to a graveyard, along with Cedric Diggory. Only one of them returned to Hogwarts that evening, while the other cried out the return of Voldemort.
It felt like the beginning of the end, Hermione had thought as she watched Amos Diggory clutch his son’s lifeless body.
The summer going into her 5 th year, Hermione could feel the tension in the air. It was thick in both the muggle and wizarding worlds. Almost like the energy was waiting to burst like a bubble. It definitely didn’t help that Lupin had signed her up for a summer stuck inside a house that had once belonged to blood purists. Number 12 Grimmauld Place was being used as a hideout and meeting location for the Order of the Phoenix. Along with the Weasleys, Hermione was spending the summer there to help clean it up. It made her feel a bit better that Ron and Ginny had to suffer through getting rid of doxies and dust bunnies as well.
There were a number of Order members that would flit through Grimmauld Place, many were familiar faces to Hermione. Mad-Eye Moody being one of them. The man unnerved her, since her brain associated him with a different scent, but she had been able to hold a few conversations with him during dinner. Although, the few new faces Hermione did see were welcome intrusions on the days they would show up. Nymphadora Tonks was one, startling Hermione one day while she was fighting off a doxy. The woman came into the room with bubblegum pink hair and a duck bill, quacking at the younger witch as she entered. That incident had given Ginny quite the laugh.
Eventually, Harry arrived at the dreary house, having been swept away from the Dursley’s in the middle of the night by the Order. He wasn’t very happy with her and Ron, since they had been sworn not to tell Harry anything by Dumbledore.
It still didn’t sit well with Hermione that the Headmaster had asked that of them. She figured he would want Harry to know what was going on, or even be here with them instead of in Little Whinging where anything could happen to him. Which was the only reason why he was finally there. Harry had been attacked by dementors, using magic to protect himself and his cousin. Thankfully, the charges brought again the boy who lived didn’t stick and he was off to Hogwarts with his friends once more.
Once again, it seemed like things were going to be relatively quiet that year, until the introduction of Dolores Umbridge was announced at the beginning of term feast. The ministry had finally made its way into the walls of Hogwarts, and their plan was to take up the Defense against the Dark Arts position. Hermione’s hackles raised when Harry leaned over and whispered that Umbridge had been one of the members to be at his trial. There was very little hope that they would be learning anything in that class or from their new professor.
With Umbridge breathing down their necks, it became clear that they needed a way to teach themselves, and secretly. The creation of Dumbledore’s Army brought forth the opportunity to learn to defend themselves against the coming war that was brewing on the horizon.
The most frustrating spell for Hermione to learn had been the Patronus charm. No matter the type of memory that she tried to use to draw happiness from, only a silvery wisp would spew from the tip of her wand. It wasn’t like she considered herself to be a sad person, there just wasn’t a memory that seemed to produce the desired effect. It bothered her greatly, until one meeting, Harry pulled her aside and walked her through his process to conjure the Patronus.
With a nod of understanding, Hermione focused on her family and friends, smiling to herself as she did so. An image of Lupin howling with laughter as Hermione fell for another of his pranks at home floated across her mind. It spiraled into thinking about how he had become like an older brother to her, and how he had guided her the last few years through all the quirks of their shared affliction.
“Expecto Patronum.”
The spell slipped from Hermione’s lips and a shimmering form burst forth from her wand.
“Bloody hell, ‘Mione!” Ron squawked as Hermione’s Patronus, the silvery form of a Harpy Eagle, flapped in front of him before flying around the room and perching itself onto Hermione’s shoulder.
At least it didn’t end up like Lupin’s , Hermione thought to herself as the eagle disappeared in a wisp of magic. A werewolf with a wolf patronus? How cliché that would have been.
The end of the year wasn’t much better than the previous one, Harry almost running off without Hermione and Ron to go rescue Sirius from the Ministry of Magic. Everything about the vision that Harry had been given by Voldemort screamed that it was a trap, but she followed him, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville to London on the back of Threstals anyways; deep into the depths of the Ministry of Magic in search of Sirius and a prophecy.
Hermione doesn’t remember much after Sirius dropped through the Veil, only that a ball of light that smelled like Lupin slammed into the Death Eater that was holding her roughly by the hair. There had been a few spells thrown her way, one of which grazed the right side of her collarbone. Pain seared through her bones and she could smell the blood before everything went dark. When she came back to consciousness, Lupin was carrying her into a fireplace, green flames licking around them before she passed out once more.
As the trio entered their sixth year of Hogwarts, the bubble of tension in the air finally burst. Now that the Ministry acknowledged Voldemort’s return, it seemed like the Death Eaters were released from their restraints, reeking havoc upon both Muggle and Wizard alike.
Walking through Diagon Alley didn’t hold the excitement of a new school year like it used to that September.
The year passed with a grey cloud overhead as the war escalated outside the walls of Hogwarts. Although the castle and its wards protected them from the dangers trying to breach it, Hermione still worried about how Harry was handling things. Dumbledore had taken the young wizard under his wing more frequently than she had ever seen from the headmaster. The old man’s refusal to help Harry until the very last minute the previous year had left a sour taste in her mouth. It made her question if Harry was better off not being close to Dumbledore.
On nights when he would return from the headmaster’s office, Harry would look sullen and deep in thought. He would immediately retreat to his room before either Hermione or Ron could make sure he was alright. Questions were always on the tip of her tongue, but Hermione refrained from asking. Somehow knowing that Harry wouldn’t tell her, even if he could.
It was a few days before the end of term when the Death Eaters finally broke into Hogwarts.
Hermione had been sitting at the shoreline of the small lake, deep within the Forbidden Forest, when the loud boom of something exploding caught her attention. Her ears snapped back at the dull sound, thinking it was merely the distant thud of centaur’s hooves. Until the scent of smoke and burning wood reached her nose. Running as fast as she could, the young wolf tore through the forest, towards Hagrid’s hut. The sound of spell fire pushed the wolf faster as she broke through the treeline. To her right was the burning hut, but no sign of Hagrid.
A small bout of relief washed over the wolf.
It was brief though as Harry was tossed across the grass like a ragdoll. Yellow eyes snapped over to the boy’s assailant to see Snape advancing on him. In a blink, the wolf was standing between Harry and Snape, snarling and baring sharp white teeth at the professor.
The man looked at the wolf, sneering as he did so, “I see even as a beast, Ms Granger has the habit of sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.”
A low growl rumbled from the wolf.
“Potter’s got a guard puppy?”
The shrill sound of laughter caused Hermione to crouch down, yellow eyes darting to look behind Snape. It wasn’t the first time Hermione had seen Bellatrix Lestrange, but the sight of the woman unnerved her. Tangled mess of black curls, black eyes that seemed to bore into the soul, and deranged. The Death Eater took a few steps towards Hermione, wearing a childish grin and not seeming to care that the creature was ready to lunge. This only caused the wolf to tense even more and snap her teeth in the direction of the woman.
“Bellatrix, we must be going,” Snape said, his demeanor shifting slightly at the glint in the woman’s eyes. Her gaze was fixated on the large brown beast that stood between them and Harry. “Our Lord is waiting.” The mention of Voldemort pulled Bellatrix’s attention away from Hermione. The wolf relaxed slightly as both Death Eaters made to depart.
Before disapparating though, Bellatrix turned on her heel, onyx and yellow meeting very briefly as sickly sweet words echoed through Hermione’s head.
Until next we meet, mud puppy.
With a crack, Bellatrix and Snape disappeared into the night, leaving a very confused werewolf and distraught teenager to deal with the aftermath of the evening.
***
Hermione’s hands were shaking as she wiped tears from her eyes. She was standing in the drive to her parents home, struggling to keep her emotions in check.
In theory, what she had done was simple. One single spell to keep her parents from being casualties of the war she was going to be fighting. It didn’t make it hurt any less that she had just erased her existence from her parents’ minds for the greater good. She just prayed that it was not in vain and they remained safe in the coming months.
Maybe even years with the task she was about to undertake with Harry and Ron.
Even in death, Dumbledore was sending Harry off on a seemingly impossible mission.
Find Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes and destroy them.
When Harry told Hermione and Ron that he was going to be skipping out on their seventh year and taking the task on alone, Hermione cornered her best friend. Eyes flashing yellow and a smile that showed too many teeth was enough to convince Harry to take them along. It was foolhardy of him to believe they wouldn’t follow him to the bitter end.
Swallowing the grief that was building inside, Hermione disapparated back to the lodge. It would be better for her to breakdown there and not in the middle of a Muggle suburb. She also needed to be back at the lodge when the Order member arrived to bring her to the Dursleys. Tonight they were bringing Harry to the Burrow, and Hermione still had a number of things she needed to pack and prepare for their search.
When her feet hit the ground, Hermione dropped to her knees and let out a cry of anguish. There was nothing but the wind and trees to hear the young woman break down into sobs. She was thankful for that though, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to let anyone know what was bothering her if someone happened to ask. No one was to know where they were going after Lupin and Tonks’ wedding.
The young witch continued to kneel in the grass, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tried to process the potential consequences of her actions. It wasn’t until the low rumble of thunder echoed from the sky that Hermione started to make her way back to the lodge. She didn’t walk quickly to avoid the coming downpour, hoping it would help her feel less numb. By the time Hermione walked through the back door and into the kitchen, she was drenched from head to toe. She sighed as she glanced at the clock. Her trip had taken longer than anticipated and now she would need to rush before the Order member arrived.
In hindsight, Hermione should have asked Lupin who was going to be escorting her to Privet Drive. If it was someone she didn’t have any interaction with, then she wouldn’t know if Polyjuice was involved. Although, the Order didn’t seem like they would incompetently assign pairs if such was the case.
Yet, that didn’t make it any less startling when she opened the door to find herself face to face with Fleur Delacour.