Harry Potter 1. Prologue

Author's Note: Hello everyone. This is my first long story hope you like it. This is a Hermione/Severus fanfiction.

* * *

Once Loved

September 21, 1979

Jean Smith looked down at sleeping daughter and smiled at the tiny beauty. She had been born only two days before but Jean knew that

her daughter would be a wonderful baby. She was a beauty with light skin, brown eyes, brown curly hair, and a cute button nose like herself.

She was quiet and didn't fuss and Jean thanked the gods for giving her the wonderful gift of having a child.

She remember how seven months prior she hadn't felt the baby as a gift but as punishment for that rash decision of getting drunk

and having that one-night stand with the tall dark stranger she had met at a bar.

She didn't remember the details but she remembered looking up from her drink and her mind going blank as she saw the tall sexy man

in the corner of the bar and as he smiled, her body melted. She remember seeing him come over to her and asking for her name. She also

distinctly remembered asking him if he was serious and that he answer "Always."

She had laughed thinking he was telling her a joke but she had later learned that his name was Sirius.

Sirius Black.

Just thinking the name gave Jean the shivers. She remembered after an hour of drinks and subtle flirting he had asked if she wanted a

ride and she had accepted. They went out the bar and left the pulsing rock music behind as they headed for his motorcycle.

The rest, Jean admitted to herself, was a blur she remembered asking him into her place, the hot sex they've had in her stairs, in her kitchen,

in her bathroom, and finally in her very comfortable bed. Jean wasn't sure if it had lasted all night but the way her body felt in the morning she

knew it had been a great exercise. Unfortunately, when she had woken up Sirius had been gone.

Jean snapped out of her thought by the knock on her door. She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms and placed her in her crib.

She walked down the stairs into her living room and opened the door. In an instant a jet of green light flew into the room and killed her instantly.

* * *

Regulus ran as fast as he could toward the house on the suburb trying desperately to get there in time. But as he looked up at the sky and

saw the Dark Mark hanging over Jean Smith's house and knew that it was too late. He slowed down and hid next to her fence to see if there

were any of his fellow Death Eaters in sight when he saw none. He walked slowly onto the yard and into the house. He stopped at the opened

door and looked down at the women at his feet.

She was lying in an unnatural pose that if she had been alive would have resulted painful but as her lifeless brown eyes stared up at Regulus

he knew that the dark beauty that had captivated his brother would never feel pain again. Just as he was about to turn an go he heard a soft sound.

It sounded like a cat or some little creature that was in pain. He walked into the house looking around. He looked inside the living are which was

spacious and messy , he walked on to a staircase and followed the sound up the stairs pass a washroom and into a small bedroom painted in a pink color

that Regulus though would make any self respecting Death Eater puke at its mushiness. He looked around and noticed a small bed and at it's side a crib.

He walked slowly toward the crib and the sound coming from it. Deep in his mind he knew that what he found there would change his life forever and he

wanted to turn around and run as far away as possible. But as he looked into the crib and saw the brown eyes staring back at him he knew that a new Black

had been born and that he would do anything to protect the tiny baby. He picked the baby up from her crib and walked down the stairs across the living room and

over her mothers death body.

He walked down the street into an alley and apparated into the quiet back yard of his squib friend John Granger. He looked at the baby again and knocked the door.

Jean Granger, John's wife opened the door.

"Regulus, is that you, what on earth are you doing here at this hour and is that a baby your carrying! Well, don't just stand there, come in."

Regulus walked into his friends home sat on the couch and looked at his friend and his wife and told them the story of the baby who had lost her mother

and how she needed someone who could take care of her. He looked into his friends eyes and asked him if he could take care of his niece.

John and Jean Granger had been married for seven years and had been unable to have children. Both had been born to squib parents and came from a

long line of Purebloods but had been abandoned by their family for coming into the world without magic. Jean looked at her husband and then at the men

that he had called a friend for almost twenty years. She looked at the sleeping infant that lay in his arms and took her into her own.

The Grangers looked into the sleeping infant and knew that their prayer for a child had been answered. Regulus looked up at his friends face

and knew that his niece would be safe for the time being. He stood up walked to the back door turned back one last time and apparated into his home

at 12 Grimmauld Place.

He walked in and for the first time saw his ancestral home with a new light. Regulus felt his mark burn and before Apperating to Lord Voldemort

he made a promise that he would keep his niece safe if it was the last thing he did. And he knew that to protect the newest Black he would have

to betray all he knew including his Lord.

* * *

John looked at his wife then at the sleeping baby in her arms. He put his arms around his wife looked her in the eyes and asked,

"So, love, what do you want to name her?"

Jean looked down at the sleeping baby and thought 'mine'. She then looked at her husbands eyes and said "Hermione!"

"I want her name to be Hermione"

John looked down at the sleeping baby. His eyes softened and he sent a silent thank you to his childhood friend before turning to his wife and saying,

"Hermione Granger it is."

Author's Note: So this is my first chapter. Please send feedback. Much love. Oh and I want to apologize for the chapter being so short. So hopefully the next chapters will be longer.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Okay so I didn't like where the story was headed and decided to change it. So to those who read my previews chapter 2 I apologize but I really didn't know how to go on with the story and some parts were annoying me. So some events have changed but Hopefully the stories body will remain the same. And sorry for not updating sooner.

_Chapter 1_

_September 19, 1997_

The thunder storm began at six p.m. ruining the rest of the day for the youngest person in the Granger household.

A eighteen year old Hermione sat by the window hoping that the storm would be come to an end soon.

She looked up at the sky and saw the rain pour become even more violent and sighed,

' _Great, like I really needed something worse to happen on my birthday !'_

Hermione reflected that her life totally and completely sucked. Besides the fact that 'Merlin' hated her, her best friends were mad at her and that the Fates were playing a horrible trick on her; it was raining on her birthday.

Her parents were at work so she was unable to share with them the shock or intrigue that was occurring in her mind as she read and reread the letter that she had received no more than five minutes ago from Draco Malfoy.

_Granger,_

_I know it that the context of this letter will surprise you the same way it surprised me. I never though that you and I would have anything in common but it seems we have million of things in common._

_It might seem odd that I sent you this letter to ask for a meeting at my home yet know that I mean you no harm and that what I need to show you is of the utmost importance. If the thought of coming to my home makes you uncomfortable please let me know so that another location may be decided on._

_The information I have for you is very important and I have hope that the childhood rivalry and hatred may be over or at least put aside for what I have to show you. Please send back your response as soon as possible or come to my home tonight if you are able._

_Please Granger, the information will change your perspective on many things._

_Draco Malfoy._

Hermione held the offending piece of paper in her hand and once again wondered if it was a joke or if Malfoy truly wanted her over. With her recent luck he probably wanted to have her in his home and then bury her in one of the many rooms of the Malfoy Manor to be found some two hundred years later by a blond brat who would be mad to have a "mudblood" at its home. She snorted and wonder if she should tell Harry and Ron about Malfoy but decided against it. They were pissed at her enough and if she told them that she was considering it they would probably never speak again. She could already see how the conversation would go.

Ron would say she was crazy for even thinking of going to the ferrets home, she would tell him to grow up, Harry would stand by the side looking back and forth between his two friends almost dislocating his neck from the rapid movement as insults flew, and finally the conversation would end with Ronald saying something about her being a know-it-all and she would stomp away angrily while Harry tried to figure out who's side to take

And Harry being Harry would take Ron's side which would end up making her even more angry and lead her to stop talking to either of them. And after yesterdays fight about Viktor sending her a letter she had enough.

" I mean really as if he should have a say on who I happen to talk or not! Really Crooks, that shipped sailed a long time ago for Ron and apparently it took his brain as well!" Hermione complained to Crookshanks as he meowed from his basket near the fireplace.

" And I really need to stop talking to myself Crooks, people will think that I'm going loony," she thought for a moment and said " which reminds me I should probably talk to Luna and Ginny about it, after all they aren't my friend for anything. Ugh, Crooks I really don't know why Ron doesn't figure out that Luna is head over heals in love with him. I mean sure he has the emotional range of a tea spoon but really the poor girl practically glows each time she seems him!" she sat down forcefully in her dad's recliner smelling the cocoa she always remember from her childhood when her dad would tell her stories and read to her before dinner.

She smiled as she looked around the room and looked down to the letter she was still clutching and decided, what the hell! She was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake and she wasn't about to wimp out because of her memories of Malfoy manner.

She shivered at the thought of Bellatrix Lestrange and hoped that the Ministry would finally put the remaining Death Eaters behind bars. She looked at the clock and out the window to the pouring rain and made her decision.

She wrote a quick note to her parents letting them know where she was and that she would be back soon, or so she hoped. She grabbed her cloak and her wand. Took one last look at her parents living room, grabbed a handful of floo powder and called out Malfoy Manor disappearing into the flames.

* * *

Draco Malfoy sat at his fathers study overlooking his homes ground from the massive window that sat at the back of his fathers desk. He watched as the rain fell and cover the Malfoy land enjoying the relative peace he was experiencing for the first time since the Final Battle when he and his parents switched sides helping Potter in his role in bringing Voldemort down.

He smirked without humor since becoming a traitor had made no difference as his parents were in Azkaban and the only reason he wasn't behind where many people wanted him was because he had been under the legal age when he had received his mark. But he felt no peace at not being in Azkaban like his parents knowing deep inside him that the only peace would come when his parents were free and the Malfoy family had redeemed itself.

He looked down at his lap where an old diary sat and wondered if Granger would show up. He smirked once again as he though about the know-it-all and how she would be unable to resist learning something new no matter how untrustworthy she believed him to be.

The Floo network suddenly lit up and a hesitant Hermione Granger step into the Malfoy Manor looking up and meeting the gray eyes of one Draco Malfoy.

Draco remained seated and in a calm voice said, "Come in Granger, we need to talk!"

Hermione took a deep breath and walked out of the fireplace taking note of the enormous study and the walls lined with precious books.

"Well Malfoy, what do you need to tell?" and she walked with her head held high and sat across from him crossing her long legs like she there was nothing extremely serious going on.

* * *

John and Jean Granger arrived from their dentistry business at nine thirty while the rain storm continued on. Jean walked inside her home and was greeted by the hallway that held over a hundred pictures as Hermione grew from a baby to an eighteen year old women. All the pictures were muggle since the Grangers did not wish to explain to their friends and neighbors how the pictures were moving. The coats were left at the first home closet and the couple walked into the living room noticing that their daughter was missing. Jean walked toward the center piece in her living room picking up a note from Hermione. It read,

' _Dear mom and dad,_

_I received a letter from Draco Malfoy who had something important to say to me. I'll probably be back soon, so don't worry. If I'm not home by twelve send a note to Harry or Ron. Love you guys._

_Hermione.'_

Jean put the note down and looked at John who was sitting in his recliner like he had sat for the last twenty five years of their marriage and she fought back tears as the look of terror appeared in their faces as they though what Draco Malfoy would tell Hermione.

"Oh John, what is he going to tell her? I told you we should have told her she was adop…….." the sentence was interrupted as their homes fireplace came to life bringing in a furious Hermione. Her long curly brown hair cracked with power and anger as her hazel eyes glowed with hurt and her next sentence was screamed at the same time that a bolt of thunder shocked the house.

" Why didn't you tell me I was adopted?"

**Author's Note: **So chapter 2 is up I know it's short but I don't want to go all into it so bare with me. Please review and tell me if you liked it or not. Constructive criticism is appreciated.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Just wrote this. I know its not really long but that's the way I want them. Their easier to write and I'm able to update sooner. So hope you enjoy. Some things will get cleared up soon. Love, Mimi

Chapter 3

Hermione breathed in and out trying to calm down as she looked at the shocked faces of her parents. She couldn't help but feel furious and lied to.

She had always believed that her parents could talk to her about anything and that no secrets needed to be kept between them. But apparently she was wrong.

She just couldn't believe it, she was related to Malfoy for Merlin's sake. And she though her life had sucked before. Now her life was totally and completely in the toilet.

She walked slowly out of the fireplace keeping her eyes on her parents who had the deer in the head lights looks, and she asked once again this time with a much calmer voice,

" Why didn't you tell me I was adopted? That I was a Black?"

She saw her parents look at each other and her father took a deep breath.

"Okay honey, sit down and we'll tell you all we know."

Hermione sat across from her dad's recliner as her mom stayed up uncertain on where to sit.

Hermione being a level headed person smiled at her and patted the space besides her.

Jean looked gratefully at her daughter and took the seat and nodded a John to begin his tale.

John once again took a deep breath and began,

" Your mother and I first met at a pure-blood ball when we were five, still too young to know if we had magical powers or not.

We lived in France with our grandparents since our parents had died in an accident, I was a Belmont belonging to a long line of pureblood as was your mother, a Bontecou.

We were placed on an arranged marriage when we were born and grew up together as a couple. Yet as our eleventh birthday grew near and no magical powers showed our families became increasingly afraid of what people would say when they found out about their squib children.

Our grandfathers wanted to get rid of us, wanting nothing to do with non-magical children who in their minds were almost as worse as muggleborns. When our grandmothers found out about our fathers plot to kill us they took matters into their own hands. My grandmother, Anais, took me from our manner and we met your mother and her grandmother at a port where they sent us to here, to Britain to a muggle orphanage not far from where the Black home was situated.

Before we left we were told about our squib parents and how they had died by our grandfathers hands. We stayed there until I turned eighteen and married your mother, by then we both had decided to become dentists and were completely in love. As we began to study in university we lived near the orphanage and one day we meet the young Regulus Black who had gotten lost. Your mother and I recognized him for what he was from the beginning, a wizard, for even though we had been abandoned at that young age we still remembered the life we used to have .

We gained his trust by telling him of our background and we became friends. We took him home where his parents almost threw us out of her house, God but that woman had a temper. Anyway, over time Regulus became closer to us coming to us almost everyday until he had to attend Hogwarts. Over time we found out about his parents pureblood believes and his as well as his brothers disobedience, and his mothers disappointment.

We stopped seeing him when he turned fourteen as his believes of pureblood supremacy increased and we no longer fit into his world. We missed him of course, he had become like the son we never had. After a while things began to go back to normal as we opened our own dentistry business and began to plan for a child but it soon became apparent that we were unable to conceive. We had finally given up hope of having children and we were going to look into adoption when Regulus came into our lives once more.

It was on September 21, 1979 when he came in the dead of night apparating into the backyard carrying a precious bundle." John smiled as the memory appeared in his mind. " Your mother opened the door instantly recognizing him without trouble, we hadn't seem him in years and by that time he had to be eighteen but he looked the almost the same as the last time we saw him, I suppose just more tired and more maturity.

He walked into our living room and handed you to your mom and told us how he came to have you. He told us about you mother, someone named Jean Smith, who had died at a Death Eater raid and how he had found you all alone. He told us that you needed to be kept safe because you were his niece and the key to the survival of the Black line and how as a Death Eater he would be unable to keep you safe.

He told us to take care of you until he returned and that if he was unable to return we should raise you as our daughter. He looked at you once before standing up and leaving the house. Your mother and I fell in love instantly and knew that no matter what you were our daughter. A few months passed and we lived with the fear that Regulus would come back or something horrible would happen to you.

We stayed in that house for another year awaiting news on Regulus until we heard he had disappeared. We decided that the best course of action would be to take you to his brother Sirius, but just as we were about to do so we heard the news that he had been arrested for killing some defenseless muggles and betraying his friends.

We saw no other solution so we moved houses and began the adoption process. You became our daughter legally about two months later. And as they say the rest is history. We wanted to tell you the truth but we really didn't know how to explain it to you when you were so little so we decided to wait until you were older, and then your Hogwarts letter came, and with all the confusion we felt that it was best to wait until you came back for break but then you had made friends and we didn't want to take a chance on ruining the little peace you had found in the wizarding world.

We were actually going to tell you today on your eighteen birthday and let you decided what you wanted to do until we got home and read that you had gone to the Malfoy's house and we knew that he had found out the truth."

The room stayed in an awkward silence as John tried to catch his breath while Jean sobbed next to Hermione, as she remained unmoving staring of into space trying to get her brain to catch up with all the information she had just been told.

She was snapped out of it when her mom in a soft hesitant small voice asked, " Do you hate us very much honey?"

Hermione stared down at the mother with a soft calming smile and said, " No mom, I could never hate you," she looked across the room to her dad, " I could never hate either of you. You kept me when you certainly didn't have to and raised me as your own daughter giving me all the love I could possible want or in that case need. I just over reacted, and I'm sorry for screaming I should have kept calm and levelheaded instead of assuming the worst."

She smiled at both of them expressing all the love she felt for them in that smile because she knew that even though they shared no blood they were her real parents.

And sure she felt extremely sorry that she had never met her biological mother Jean Smith and truly gotten to know her biological father Regulu………………………

Her mind backtracked to a word in her dad's whole speech. She looked at her parents with wide eyes and asked, "Did you say niece?"

Her parents looked at each other and then at her as in a questioning manner.

She asked again, " Did you say niece? Regulus was my UNCLE?" she almost screamed.

Her parents were taken aback but answered, "Yes, Regulus was your uncle?"

" But..but…..bu…..that means that Siri…..Siriu……Sirius,

is my biological fath….!" she stuttered unable to finish.

And this time it was her mom that completed her sentence, "..father, yes, Regulus Black was you uncle and Sirius Black is your biological father.

Although I'm sure you don't have to worry I heard he died a while back no."

Except, Hermione though he wasn't, not really. Because Sirius Black had came back from the veil about two months ago, Sirius Black was her father, Sirius Black was at Grimmauld's place with Harry……….

Oh Merlin Harry! How was she ever going to explain this to Harry?

Yet her mind froze as her parents windows shattered with a force she had only heard in the final battle. A maniac laugh made every person, plus Crookshanks, feel their insides freeze as two sets of green lights shoot out from the darkness into the Granger household.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **First I would like to apologize for not updating sooner but school is driving me nuts. Second, I'm happy where the story is heading and that my chapters are getting longer. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed and make my day better.

Chapter 3

9:40 P.M. The Ministry of Magic

Kingsley Shacklebolt, the current Minister of Magic, sat on his desk going over the Death Eaters sightings that had been reported to the Magical Law Enforcement Department.

He felt like pulling at his hair, the little he had anyway. He was tired of having to announce all the failed plans to capture the last of the rough Death Eaters. It had been almost a year since the final battle where Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort with a reflecting killing curse. The Order of the Phoenix had been there as well, fighting against the Death Eaters and moving the injured fighters to a safe compound. Unfortunately, the Order had been unable to capture the surviving Death Eaters. At that time Severus Snape had been arrested while being treated for snake poisoning as were the Malfoys, Zabinis, and Parkinson had also been arrested. And while Severus Snape had been set free after Potter had presented his memories the rest remained in Azkaban awaiting trial.

As he began to take notes on the reports his eyes were drawn to the Phoenix tattoo on his right forearm representing his loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix. The tattoo had an uncanny resemblance when it came to the Dark Mark and many people had been against using it as a brand. But of course the brainy Ms. Granger had fixed the problem incorporating thing from the dark mark like knowing where people were, able to community with other sharing the Phoenix, and the most innovating aspect that had saved many members lives- a vibration that was sent to all the members brain warning that someone was in mortal peril followed by the appearance of the members name on the body of the Phoenix where the location was given. It had been that last aspect that had lead the members of the Order to accept the tattoo, after all who didn't want to have a safety net if they fell.

Just as returned to overseeing the reports his private floo activated and a smiling Sirius Black walked in.

" So Kingsley almost done. Remus and I were wondering if you would like to go out and find some bird to have fun with?" the jubilant Sirius asked.

Kingsley took a deep breath as if calming himself to stop the urge to throw his overly annoying friend from his office window, " Sirius for the last time, no I do not wish to go catch a 'bird' with you, and I'm sure that since Remus is happily married to your cousin and happily with his son, and emphasize on the cousin, he has no wish to go anywhere with you at night," and smirked before continuing, " specially with that tigress he has for a wife."

Sirius was about to respond when both males felt a vibration from their forearms to their brain and two pairs of eyes widen when in the body of the phoenix appeared a familiar name,

_Hermione Granger, _

_The Granger Home._

* * *

9: 35 P.M.

The five masked figures walk swiftly toward the muggle home, surrounding it and placing anti-apparation wards. The leader of the group smirked thinking of the swift death that awaited the annoying mudblood girl.

Two Avada's left two of the figures wands following a spell that shattered the houses windows. The lights inside the house flickered and eventually went off and everything in the muggle neighborhood remained quiet. The lights in the houses remained off, the last people left on the street from the long day of work drove on to their happy homes, nothing seemed to be happening in the calm middle class neighborhood. To an outsider the street remained quiet and everything was as normal as it should have been.

Yet as the naïve neighbors continued on with their happy lives the robed figures continue their journey toward the house. With wands out the five Death Eaters split up two moving toward the back to stop any unwanted exits while the remaining three went toward the frontal part of the side. One to the destroyed window and the other toward the door. With a quick _Alohomora, _the robed figure who was obviously the leader entered the house and followed the same path that the grangers had followed not even an hour before. The Death Eater walked toward the living room and was met with another Death Eater who was crouching down looking at the broken glass and droops of blood that was spread throughout the spacious room, yet one important factor was missing.

_The Mudblood!,_ the robed figure asked throughout the Dark Mark that connected them. The Death Eater looked up and his silver mask shone in the darkness as he answered, _Not here, but I'm sure she hasn't left the premises. _

_Keep looking!, _the leader responded as the remaining three Death Eaters found themselves in the living room.

They once again split up two going toward the upper level, one headed toward the basement, while the remaining two looked around the first level. The leader stayed in the living room as the other Death Eaters moved to explore the house. The robed figured looked down toward the blood drops and saw a small, almost invisible trail, that led toward the back of the house.

The figure moved slowly noting how there was more then one trail and excess of cat hair everywhere. The trail continued onto a bedroom at the back of the house and went around the bed stopping where a wall was began.

_Well, isn't this interesting, _though the Death Eaters. Memory brought back the pureblood education of secret passages and hidden panels in many older English homes built for protection a long time ago during the Persecutions and the muggle World Wars. A small pale hand appeared from under the black robe and began knocking on the wall until a hallow sound was heard. The figure smirked as a spell made the wall begin a slow descend and it's already crazy mind began to laugh manically, _Oh mudblood you won't escape me again. There is no traitor house elf to save you, and your little body will be broken and sent to Potter, for he shall not forget that My Lord's Followers are still strong. And that we won't stop until all his loved ones are death, or mutilated, whatever I feel like doing to them._

Heavy-lidded eyes widen as the wall moved completely and was meet with utter

darkness.

A quick Lumos was spoken and the light illuminated a pair of big brown eyes, as Bellatrix Lestrange let a killing curse fly.

* * *

9:40 P.M.

Hermione threw herself to the ground pulling her mother with her and telling her dad to duck as the twin jets of lights entered through the shattered window. The lights in the house flickered and shock until they went completely off followed by an eerie silence.

She looked over to her sides to meet the wide eyes of her mother then softly called her dad who quickly answered back. She started to crawl toward her dad while pulling her mother with her when she felt a sharp stab of pain in her knees and felt blood running down her face, _I must have hit my head harder then I realized. _

She ignored the pain moving quickly toward the far corner of the room as far away as possible from the window.

The Granger huddled together against the far wall of their homes living room. Hermione was desperately trying to find her wand while trying to find a safe way for her family. Her fingers trembled as the pain in her head increased and her vision became blurry. The rustle of robes moving against the ground led her heart to speed up erratically, her wand was no where to be found and they were sitting ducks. Whoever was attacking was not going to stop and have pity on her because she couldn't find her wand. Her mom's voice stopped her negative thoughts when she whispered, " Honey, why don't we use the fake walls to hide ourselves?"

Hermione found herself thinking of the fake walls and long servant hallways that had been built into her home during World War II and how she had played hide and seek with her father hiding in those walls while the muggle children had been outside ignoring her and leading her to seek the solitude of her homes hidden secrets.

She nodded to her parents and they began to move pulling a lamp that began to lower the door. Her parents filed in as she followed quickly, she lifted Crookshanks from where he had been twitching since the attack and lifted him toward herself. It was then she noticed something…….a blood trail leading toward the wall. She covered it with anything she could reach and quickly pull the lever on the inside of the passage as a door was opened.

She huddled toward her parents embracing them as her body shook with anger at her home being desecrated and of pain from her wound that continued to bleed. Her parents held her tight, her mom and dad holding hands as they waited for anything to happen.

She felt her arm begin to vibrate as the Phoenix tattoo she had began to send of a warning of incoming danger. She wondered if any members of the Order had felt the vibration and were coming to their rescue. She seriously hoped they arrived soon because if things continued as they were going they were going to find three tortured bodies.

Her head began to pound and her heart climbed to her throat as she felt the wall behind her begin to lower. She stepped back shielding her parents with her petite body when a though suddenly occurred to her.

_Where was Crookshanks? _

The wall lowered completely and a deep ominous silence filled the house, it was as if no one took a breath in the house. It remained quiet until Hermione saw the light of a wand came out and a deep crazed voice spilled out the Killing Curse and as the green light lit the room Hermione found herself looking into the face of her first cousin once removed, Bellatrix Lestrange. And her world went dark.

* * *

Sirius and Kingsley arrived at the outskirts of Hermione's home at 9: 45 where they were quickly followed by Nymphadora and Remus Lupin, Charlie, George, and Ginny Weasley, and Severus Snape.

They all nodded at each other as they took their stances splitting up into groups like they had done many times before during the war. Charlie, George, and Ginny rounded the taking the ally and moving to the rear of the house . Tonks and Remus moved slowed toward the side crouching and staying low to the ground while placing a protecting shield around them. While Kingsley, Sirius, and Severus moved toward the front of the home walking cautiously each heading toward the exit points, the two side windows and the entrance door.

Kingsley walked through the door as Sirius and Severus neared the shattered windows taking a look inside and edging toward the doors. The three men entered the house in synchrony moving in a steady pace without making any noise. They entered through the long hallway with quick steps moving like a shadow provided by the moonlight.

Severus walked behind Kingsley all senses on alert just waiting for the attack. It was odd going back to being in alert. Over the past months after the Dark Lord had been conquered he had began to relax, to enjoy the life he would have had if he had never joined the Dark side but it was always in the back of his mind that not everyone had been caught and in the deepest corners of his mind he knew that it wasn't over that what was coming was just the beginning of a long painful road and that this time around he might not survive.

He felt guilty sometimes. Specially when he's invited by Molly to the parties the Weasley's enjoy throwing and he sees the emptiness in George's eyes and wonders how he, who has done things that should have landed him in Azkaban survived when Fred Weasley died at such a young age. He has to remind himself that life isn't fair when he feels like he's choking on the sadness of the Weasley family and he knows that George wonders how he survived when his brother couldn't and it hurts. He has his Order of Merlin at his home and when he first received it he remembers feeling proud that someone had acknowledged his sacrifice for what it was but he remembers the emptiness in those blue Weasley eyes and that price remains stored in a box unable to be displayed with pride because if he lets himself thing of what he deserves he knows that it would end with him dying the day of the battle.

He has this feeling he can't understand. Oh he knows what it is, its fear. He's lived in fear since he joined the Dark Lord and can understand how it comes about, how it invades ones mind and drives people to do stupid things. No what he can't figure out is why he's worried for the Granger chit. Although that hardly seems fair since the young lady did help save his life and she was more bearable now that she wasn't as obnoxious about school work and telling everyone what to do as not to hurt Potter's feelings. But he felt extremely confused as why a deep sense of fear settled in his gut as the deep silence of the house reached his mind.

He could tell Kingsley felt the same sense of dread and fear as they walked into the Grangers living room to see two trails of blood and the shattered glass.

He felt Black tense behind him as the same thought entered their minds- where was Hermione and her parents?

They began to look around Kingsley heading toward the window. Severus following the trail of blood. And Sirius moving toward the small recliner as he saw a small familiar book.

Kingsley edge himself toward the broken window saying a simple spell to determine how it had been broken. He looked at the data that the spell provided and felt his insides freeze- dark magic.

He turned as he heard Sirius gasp.

"What is it?" he asked.

Sirius continued to sit on his heels as he turned through the small book. He passed his hand over the edges remembering the last time he had seen it, the same time ha had seen his brother for the last time. His mind flew thousands of miles per hours trying to decipher what Hermione Granger was doing with his brother's journal. He stood up taking the book with him and turning toward Kingsley.

Kingsley looked at his friend and at the book wondering what was going on. Before he could even ask Sirius said.

"It belonged to my brother!"

Kingsley hadn't even opened his mouth when Sirius asked the same question he was about to ask,

" What is my brother's journal doing in Hermione Granger's house?"

He let out a frustrated sigh and exclaimed,

" Where on earth is that chit and her parents so they can answer my damn questions?"

Severus Snape looked back at Sirius and Kingsley as the secret wall began its descend. The first thing he noticed was the smell. It was the smell of Dark Magic, blood, and death. He turned around slowly hoping against hope that what he found would not be the body of Hermione Granger and her parents, but like most of his life his hope failed him.

No, he hadn't found the body of Hermione Granger but from what was left of the two bodies in the secret passage he could guess it was the Grangers.

His voice became deadly quiet as he answered Sirius,

" I'm afraid the Grangers will not be able to answer your questions Black."

Sirius turned around angrily ready to start a fight when he caught sight of the two bodies. Kingsley and he walked slowly to where Severus was standing stopping a step behind him not believing his eyes.

A feminine scream was heard as Ginny Weasley came into the living room and looked at the dead bodies of her best friends parents. She felt her eyes water and had to turn her face as bile rose in her throat, she ran out of the room throwing up outside the house before she slid down to the floor and broke down to cry.

Bill saw his little sister crying and walked toward the living room fearing what he would find there. Charlie stayed behind trying to consol Ginny and asking her what was wrong but nothing could calm the young girl down.

Bill walked into the living room and meet the faces of the rest of the group. Remus and Tonks were off in one of the corners hugging each other while the other four men continued to gaze at the dead bodies and when he followed their eyes direction he understood why his little sister cried. In a small hidden passage laid the tortured bodies of one Jane and John Granger.

Mrs. Granger was covered in blood with both her arms broken and her neck twisted in an awkward angle that left a bone out of her skin. Her face was swollen and her clothing was ripped to shreds. Her husband had faired little better. He had been completely mutilated, all his fingers had been cut out, one of his eyes was missing, and one of his legs was completely separate from his body and still the blood continued to flow. The bodies were covered with bite marks and the only thing Bill said was,

" Greyback!"

It wasn't a question and nobody answered but he knew he was correct because Remus turned around shaking with fury and nodded.

Tonks walked around her husband and headed toward one of the rooms in the back and was quickly followed by George who was clearly affected by the gruesome sight. She came back with a blood soaked Crookshanks and said,

" I'll take him until Hermione comes back."

And they all nodded although they were all thinking the same thing.

_If she comes back._

**Author's Note: **I also want to thank those who added alerts to my story. Thanks for your support. Please review and let me know if I misspelled anything or made a mistake with the spelling of the characters name. Hope you like it. Much love. Mimi


	5. Chapter 4

**AU: Hello dear reader. First I would like to apologize for not updating sooner but school is killing me and my AP classes are driving me nuts. Anyway I needed to do some explaining to do and I think I covered everything. Hope you enjoy and leave many comments. Oh yeah and everyone knows that Harry Potter doesn't belong to me sooooo. =)**

_Dear niece,_

_ It is a hard diary entry to write since you know nothing about me and you are only about a week old. I feel odd writing to you when you cannot even_

_ understand mebut I have this feeling that I will never be able to explain myself to you. And since I probably will not get the chance to see you once _

_again I would like to tell you your parents story as well as my own. I am aware that by the time you read this your last name will be Granger but _

_the truth is you are a Black from the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, your father Sirius Black. I do most sincerely hope that you have the honor_

_ of meeting him because you will find, as I have found out myself, that he is a wonderful man who at the end was correct in his believes and well. _

_Anyway you must know that he had no idea you existed and that if he had he would have loved you with all his heart. I do not know many things_

_ about your mother besides her name, Jane Smith. The only other thing I know is that your parents met at a bar where and_

_instant spark led to you. I suppose you are wondering how exactly you came to be in the hands of the Grangers and what ever happened _

_to your parents. But before I tell you their story I must first tell you mine._

_ I__ was born Regulus Arcturus Black to Orion Black and Walburga Black with and older sibling, your father, Sirius Black and three very close cousins_

_ Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa Black. I was born into a pure-blood family. If for some path of faith you are not a witch then read carefully as I try to explain_

_ and keep you off the path of confusion._

_ There is a magical world hidden deep within the societies of this world. A witch or wizard uses a wand as a way to channel their power and carry out spells. _

_They can create and make potions and live an easier life with the added help. The society of a wizarding world is structured much like that of your own world._

_ There are purebloods at the top of the latter (people born of both magical parents) which in your society would constitute to the social elite like lord and ladies. _

_They are followed by half-bloods (people with one magical parent) and at the bottom are them the muggleborns(people with no wizard blood who come from the muggle world). _

_Most wizards can do what you may wizard can do: fly, potion making, mythical creatures, and attending school. Although we rarely eat children, no matter what your_

_ folklore says. In the English wizarding, which unless you left the continent is the one that matter, there is a magical school called Hogwarts hidden deep in the mountains_

_ of Scotland where the younger generations are taught. In the school there are four divisions (think of muggle fraternities) Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin._

_ Slytherin is a house known for its hate of muggleborns going back to its a decade or two ago there was a young man by the name of Tom Riddle who would later go on to _

_create a secret organization with followers he would call Death Eaters and he would be called the Dark Lord, in your world he could be compared to the American Ku Klux Klan. _

_And I as a young pure-blood decided to join him. He was convincing and pure-blood believes had been instituted in my since I was born, there was really no choice. It was joining_

_this organization that made me make the biggest mistake of my life. Do you wonder why your father never knew about you? Why he never looked for your mother? _

_Why your mother never tried to find him? And the answer to all these questions is me, Regulus Arcturus Black._

_ You have to understand that Sirius was a ladies man. But I truly believe that he loved your mother even if he was unable to comprehend himself. And he did _

_try to find her. From what I have learned your parents only spend one night together and my brother was forced to leave when he received news that a friend had _

_been attacked by fellow Death Eaters. So you must wonder if he knew where she lived why did he not go back? Your mother of course would not be able to find _

_him because he was a wizard and she was a muggle. The truth is by the time your father tried to find your mother it was too late, I had learned about her existence. _

_How I found out is not truly important but I found her. Back then I was an angry immature man who was ashamed of his brother. We were purebloods and he was _

_dirtying our name by laying with a muggle. So I found where she lived imprinting it in my memory and nursing my anger. A few days later after a confrontation with_

_ Sirius I lost it. And in a childish moment of anger I obliviated him. I made him forget about her. But apparently I didn't do a good enough job because not even a _

_month later he was looking for a young petite women with delicate features, brown curly hair and big brown eyes: your mother._

_ At that time there seemed to be nothing more to do, so I forgot about. But apparently not good enough because a little more than eight months later the _

_Dark Lord found out about your parents. It was a moment of weakness where I left myself open for attack throughout Legilimency, a type of mind reading. He being _

_the merciful Lord, I believe this is called sarcasm, told everyone of his followers enjoying my embarrassment. At that point in time my cousin, you remember Bellatrix Black _

_now Lestrange was angry and humiliated and begged our Lord for a chance of revenge. There was a rumor going around that my cousin was the Dark Lord's mistress and _

_it is my believe that for that reason he agreed. An attack was planned against your mother to be in two days at the dead of night. After our Lord sent us home I found _

_myself unable to sleep as my conscience urged me to do something about the situation, after all your mother had done nothing wrong. The next day at the dead of night_

_ I apparated onto a park near your mothers home and began to walk toward her house. It was as I was walking that a strange sense of danger attacked me and I began to run,_

_ I knew my cousin and she was not patient enough to have waited for two night while her humiliation grew. My worse fears were proven correct when as your mothers _

_house came into view so did the Dark Mark above it. I suppose by now you can guess what happened. By the time I arrived at the front door, your mother had already been killed; _

_and it was all my fault. If you are still reading and did not burn my diary like I most likely deserve, I will explain what happened next. At this point in time I had no idea you_

_ existed and trustfully the idea of a pregnant Jane Smith had never even crossed my mind but as I stood there looking at her body a strange sound was herd from _

_inside the house. Curiosity got the better of me and in a pink room in the second floor of the house I found you, a beautiful baby girl. The youngest Black, and a_

_ half-blood at that. _

_ After I found you and as I sat in Jane Smith's living room I actually considered taking you to your father to be raised as in the magical world. But it was the_

_ movement of my Dark Mark and the sight of your mother's body that reminded me of the War that was taking place and how I knew that if word of your _

_existence got out you would be killed instantly. I made the choice of taking you to the Grangers, they had been friend to me in childbirth who had been born _

_as Squibs ( people of magical parents with no magic) and as far as I knew had no children. I figured they would raise you until a time when I could return you to your_

_ father, which now seems cruel to me. Unfortunately it seems I will not survive this was. In order to pay my debt and protect Sirius as well as yourself I must die. _

_The Dark Lord split his soul into horcruxes which unless destroyed render him unbeatable. So I order to destroy him I will try to find the parts of his soul. My only_

_ good deed to this world seems to have left you in the capable hands of the Grangers. They helped me as a childand I know they will love you unconditionally_

_ and more importantly as their own._

_ Before I finish I would like to ask you a favor. Please find my brother, tell him the truth, and let him know that I am truly and completely sorry _

_for all the damage that I have cost him. And the apology goes to you as well my dear niece. To you my little Black I leave all my worldly possessions._

_ Speak to Kreacher and say, "meus frather parvulus," which is Latin for . "my brothers child," and he will know what to do._

_Again I would like to apologize and hope that you can forgive me, even if I do not truly deserve it. _

_ With many Regrets,_

_ Regulus A. Black_

_P.S. I never really mentioned your name because I never learned what Jane Smith and the Grangers called you. With my diary I included something that I hope you live._

* * *

The rain was coming down hard on Hermione Granger's neighborhood as the Crime Scene Wizards combed the house for evidence and clues as to the whereabouts of the

eighteen year old witch. Of the original group who had found the mutilated bodies of John and Jean Granger only three remained, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, and

Sirius Black although he had disappeared shortly after the arrival of the Aurors with a book in his hand. The Weasley's had left to take the young Ginevra Weasley home

. The group had truly been concerned when the girl had turned a deadly shade of purple as she cried her eyes out, according to the healer it was a residue of the shock.

Tonks Lupin had left to call an emergency Order meeting and doing the unlucky job of telling Harry Potter and Ron Weasley of Hermione's disappearance. Kingsley

Shacklebolt had left with the Aurors who had left with the Granger's bodies.

It wasn't until two hours later that Remus and Severus found the time to look for Sirius. They looked for his throughout the house as well as the surrounding area.

It was Remus who found him in a small park across the Granger home. He was on his knees being supported by the bars of the swings. As Remus drew closer he

could see that his friend was crying his head turned toward the sky as if asking Merlin for an answer. He clutched the mysterious book in one hand and in the other

a picture, at a closer look Remus could make out a young women with a resemblance to Hermione. She was in what looked to be a muggle hospital and in her arms, a pink bundle.

**AU: So what do you guys think. Oh and yeah I was wondering if anyone knows what I could replace wizard in the Crime Scene Wizards with something that starts with an I. You know so that it reads CSI. I love that show by the way and CSI:NY Danny/Lindsey all the way. Anyway much love and hope you review. Until next time.(Which I hope is soon)**


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello people I am finally back! I've missed you all. I want to thank all of you who have reviewed and followed this story even when I'm lazy and don't update for a long time. But since I feel guilty for not updating in such a long time I promise to focus and try to update at least once a week. Again thanks to those who added this story to their favorites and those who follow my updates. It's wonderful readers like you who make me get off my lazy butt and write another chapter. I hope you enjoy and please review. It feeds my gigantic ego. Much love, Mimi.**

Chapter 6

It was a cave.

A damp, dark, and moldy cave that terrified the young women. The heavy chains attached to her calves restricted her movement; they were, however, the only link to reality that she possessed.

She was a prisoner.

The war in the wizarding world might have reached its completion but the Darkness remained. As did a group of rogue Death Eaters, and she was their prisoner.

She didn't know how long she had been a prisoner. Her mind remained numb from the trauma of her experience in the cave. It could have been one week or one year; but to her there was no difference as the days merged together in a looping nightmare.

Across from her lay another young girl, chained to the walls of the cave but unlike herself she did not move. She was dead.

In all her time there, she had seen many girls come and go. Always pushed in. Always dragged out.

Most ended up like the one across from her, their dreams and hopes forgotten, their bodies broken after torture and rape.

She seemed to be the only one that remained. Always there. One step away from the abyss of death, held back by a chain and her stubbornness to survive.

She was a survivor. Her father had always told her that she was as stubborn as a mule and she refused to let some psychopaths end her life. It also helped, if she tried really hard to be positive, that she was a trophy to the "Beast". Since the first day she had been captured she had become a chew toy to the werewolf.

She endured torture and rape like the other girl but she wasn't shared. In a way, he was her protector and her executioner as well.

Her mind was dragged back from her musings by the Beast, who was carrying another girl into the cave. The girl looked older than her,

' But then again I feel old beyond my age,' she thought.

The Beast dropped the girl unceremoniously onto the ground and she landed with a splash. She was naked, like the rest of them, but like her, she still had hair. Dark curly hair.

She watched as the Beast began to pull at the girl's hair, and winced when the girl moaned in pain. No one was allowed to have hair, except for her. She smile without humor about the irony; she supposed that being the Beast's _bitch _had some perks.

But she couldn't make herself believe it when she looked down at her torso and was faced with the bruises and bite marks that had become like a work of art in her body.

She was surprised to notice that not all of the girls hair had been ripped out, and flabbergasted when the Beast pulled out his wand and created a cut across the girl's cheek. Blood ran down the girl's face and her curiosity grew as she saw the Beast wipe if off with a handful of hair.

She wrapped herself in a little ball when she saw the Beast turn and give her his undivided attention. She almost gagged when she heard him say,

"No pretty, don't go and get jealous. You know you're my favorite."

And she couldn't help the feeling of repulsion she felt when he pulled at her hair, not hard enough to rip but hard enough to hurt. Every one of her experiences with him involved pain.

She turned to watch him walk away and pondered why exactly he had needed the bloodied hair.

* * *

Tonks considered herself a lucky woman most of the time. After all, why shouldn't she? She had a wonderful husband who loved her, a beautiful baby boy, and a job that she loved. But as she appeared in front of number twelve Grimmauld Place, the former Order of the Phoenix headquarters and now the home of Sirius Black and Harry Potter, she felt anything but lucky.

Like her husband and cousin, Tonks had come to love the boy like a son. Besides the fact that he was her son's godfather, Harry Potter had proven to be a strong yet sweet man, who truly did not deserve to continue suffering for the actions of a mad men. Who even from the death continued to wreak havoc in the young man's life.

She walked into the old Black ancestral home and walked down the stairs and toward the kitchen where she could hear Harry and his best friend Ron joking around. Before entering she took a deep breath and prepared herself to land a heavy blow on a young man who had seen far more death and destruction then anyone else his age.

She walked in to be greeted by the smiling faces of both boys, or rather men, for the war had destroyed more than life; it had also destroyed the innocence.

Harry smiled and asked, "Hey Tonks, where is everybody? Sirius should have been back by now. Do you know where he is?"

Tonks smiled sadly at the young man and for once regretted the Order's decision to withhold the tattoo of the Order from the two boys. She remembered McGonagall's saying that the boys were too hard headed to remember their own safety if something was to happen to a member of the Order and it was best to leave them without. But really if they had received the tattoo she wouldn't have to be the one to tell Harry about Hermione.

"Harry, I have something to tell you! You better sit down," and stopped to let him take a seat, "it's about Hermione! I'm afraid….I'm afraid that her home wa…."

She was cut short by the arrival of an ash black owl with a package attached to it's leg; who landed in front of Harry and extended his leg toward him. Harry looked curiously at Tonks and then took out his wand checking the package for any Dark magic. When he was satisfied that the package was clean he untied it from the owl's leg and watched it fly away. He turned to Ron saying,

"I guess he didn't need a reply!"

And he laughed as he slowly unwrapped the package, but his laugh was cut short as he opened the small box inside the wrapping and looked at it's content. He looked up with a confused face, looking back and forth between Ron and Tonks.

It was only second later when he said,

"This is a joke, right!"

Tonks walked toward his side while Ron went around the table to peer over Harry's shoulder. And what the three people saw shocked them and terrified them like nothing, since the end of the war, had.

In the small box lay, soaked with blood, a small handful of curls. Curls that Harry and Ron recognized immediately as the ones that belonged to their best friends.

Before Tonks could even open her mouth Harry and Ron shot out from the kitchen, up the stairs, through the hallway and out the door. Tonks who had followed couldn't reach them before she saw the signs of apparition.

She stood in the door way of old Grimmauld Place with her hands at her hips and all she could think to say was,

"Bullocks!"

* * *

Sirius Black was living a nightmare. He couldn't make himself stop looking at the picture still clutched tightly between his hands as his best friend read his brothers journal. His eyes continued to shed the tears of loss and deception that his brother had forced upon him. He looked at the woman that his heart had been missing, because while his mind and brain didn't acknowledge her, his heart recognized the beautiful creature that had tamed it and left a void for more than seventeen years.

His hand unconsciously traced over the face of the known stranger as if caressing a long lost lover. His finger touched the image of the baby girl wrapped in her mother's harms and Sirius couldn't contain the scream of rage as his anger grew for everything that could have been his and had been taken away without a fighting chance. His mind brought up the image of the first time he had laid eyes on Hermione Granger, his daughter. An uncontrollable sob overtook him as he remember their first meeting where he had felt a pull of recognition that he had ignored, for how could he have know the thirteen year old muggleborn?

But she was his, his mind countered. Hermione Granger was a Black, a beautiful gift from Merlin created out of love for a woman he couldn't even remember. And like every other happiness that had occurred in his life it was marked by tragedy. That incredible person that was his daughter had been taken away before they even had a chance.

His other hand curled on the ground, and clutching a fist of sand he promised himself that if Bellatrix Lestrange had harmed even one hair on Hermione Granger's head he was going to kill her, and enjoy every minute of it.

Remus Lupin looked up when he finished reading the entry on Regulus Black's journal and looked down at his sobbing friend. He had to admit to himself that he was in a state of shock. He just could not believe that Hermione Granger was really Sirius's daughter, nor could he believe that this moment of joy for his friend was marred by the nightmare of knowing that the daughter he didn't even know he had, had been captured by rogue Death Eaters.

He didn't want to think it, or even mention it to his friend, but Remus knew that the chance of Hermione coming out of this alive was slim to none.

He knelt down in front of his friend and grasped his shoulder trying to give off the comfort that Sirius so desperately needed.

"Sirius?"

When Sirius remained bowled over he shook his shoulder gently and said,

"Sirius, we need to go! I know your hurting right now but Harry needs you. Dora left a long time ago and Harry probably already knows. You need to be strong! For Harry!"

Sirius remained where he was, as if his body couldn't remembered the muscle movement that it took to get up. He whispered something that Remus couldn't catch and he was forced to lean in closer to hear his friend say,

"For Harry? What about Hermione? What about my daughter?"

And another sob overtook him. Remus pulled him forcefully of his feet and looked him square in the eyes,

"Listen to me, right now Harry needs you and you need Harry. You need to calm down and think! You are of no use to Hermione, _your daughter_, if you're a nervous wretch. Now get up! By this time Harry is probably in the Granger home tearing the place apart. You need to think of someone besides yourself!"

Sirius lowered his eyes, shame in every expression in his body as he though of his godson and of the Grangers who had died for the revenge of a crazy bitch.

He began to walk toward the Grangers house, Remus following closely beside him.

When both men arrived in front of the Grangers home they heard Ron's loud voice as he shouted,

"Where is she you bloody git? Where have your Death Eater friends taken her?"

Which was followed by loud crash. Both men hurried inside to find Ron holding up a fist while Severus Snape laid on the floor holding his cheek.

Ronald Weasley had punched Severus Snape. And Snape didn't look happy.

But both men were more focused on the intensely quiet figure of Harry Potter. He stood apart from the forensic wizards and the figures of Ron and Severus. His gaze was fastened on a trail of blood.

And both Sirius and Remus felt their hearts break when he turned around to see them with broken eyes, like a little boy who was lost. His faint whisper brought water to their eyes,

"They've taken her!"

**AN: So what did you guys think? Let me know if I suck or if you love me in the review section. Oh and if one of you wonder readers would please help me by being a Beta for this story please contact me. I've been trying to find one forever. If your a certified one at Perfect Imagination even better. Anyway, thanks for reading. And don't forget to review. Don't give up on me, I will finish this story. Even if it's the last thing I do. Until the next , Mimi.**


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: **_**Hello, everybody! I want to thank all of you who reviewed and added Once Loved to their favorites. I'm sorry I didn't update sooner but my brain seemed to have shut down and refused to work, I couldn't even bribe it with chocolate. Anyway it was brought to my attention that the story is sad, and I guess most people don't expect angst and dark themes in a romantic and family related story. I'm sorry if anyone is confused or angry for it. The truth is, things are going to go bad before they get better. Yes, this story will have family and romance( and hopefully some really good smut). But these will come at a later date. Please don't give up. Anyway I hope you like and please review. Much love, Mimi.**_

**Chapter 7**

Severus Snape lay on the floor. He rubbed his sore cheek and wondered how his life had come to this.

He didn't mean the floor part, after all being in the service of the Dark Lord had forced him to sleep in far worse places. Rather he was referring to his throbbing cheek and the events that had lead to his pain.

His day had started out like every normal day. He had woken up in his home at Spinner's End with the, now familiar, pains of a snake bite survivor. He took his Potions that controlled the poison that still resided in his body and had an overall constructive day as he continued to prepare the Wolfsbane potion for the upcoming full moon.

He had settled down to read to the light of his fireplace when he had felt a jolt of energy go through his arm. He had looked down at his left for arm, where a gold phoenix had replaced the Dark Mark, to find a warning of danger regarding Hermione Granger and his heart had skipped a note.

For in there lay the problem. Severus Snape had come to care for the bushy headed girl. He didn't know how the annoying girl, or rather woman, had come to worm herself into his black heat but she had.

He had appareled quickly outside the Grange home to find Kingsley, Nymphadora and Remus Lupin, Charlie, George and Ginny Weasley and his nemesis- Sirius Black.

The events that followed reminded him of his time at war. The destruction of the muggle home acted like a symbol to remind him that rogue Death Eaters were still out there and were aiming for blood. And what better way to hit the Light than to take out the brain of the operation that not only hindered their battle plan but demoralized them and reminded everyone that the fight wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

With his hand on his cheek he looked up. On one corner was the Weasley brat that had punched him and kept ranting about dirty Death Eaters and slimy professors and on the other were the painful memories of his childhood; Potter, Lupin, and Black. All looking like pathetically lost little puppies. And while his hatred for all three remained it was weak compared to the gut wrenching fear that seemed to expand and grow throughout his body as thoughts of Hermione Granger entered his mind.

He wasn't deluding himself. He was after all a former Death Eater, the chances of the girl getting out of this living nightmare were slim to none. The probability of coming out of the experience without any psychological or physical harm was none existing. Even if Hermione Granger survived, he knew that the chances of her ever being the same know-it-all girl were relatively low. And he suffered for that, because Hermione Granger did not deserve to endure all the damage that a psychopath like Bellatrix Lestrange could provide and was sure to inflict.

He knew the ministry puppets would say that they were still extremely early in the investigation to blame Lestrange and her band of psychopaths but Severus knew Bellatrix, knew that ever since Hermione's escape from the Malfoy Manor with the horcrux revenge had become an obsession. And he hated her for that.

Hermione Granger and her two idiots were some of the few lucky fighters who had emerged from the war with their characters untarnished. And it seemed unfair for the witch to suffer just for being a muggleborn.

He felt another jolt on his for arm and looked down to see the words,

_Order Headquarters,_

_Emergency Meeting._

He picked himself up, glared at the Weasley brat, and with apparated outside Grimmauld Place.

* * *

The Order meeting was in full swing when Kingsley showed up. He looked around the meeting table and was surprised to see Snape and Sirius looking like Death itself. It wasn't that he felt they were to cold to care about what happened to Hermione Granger, well maybe Severus could be cold, but it was surprising the amount of pain both men seemed to experience over the kidnapping of the witch. Well, Sirius was showing it, acting like someone had died, while Severus tried to hide his emotions but after more than twenty years Kingsley knew him well enough to tell.

He sat opposite to Harry who sat looking down his hands clenched tightly looking far more dangerous than he had ever looked when Voldemort had been alive.

Headmistress McGonagall sat at the head of the table, serving as the director of the Order. She looked distressed. Everyone in the table presented an aura of sadness that while understandable, did nothing to help the Hermione Granger.

Kingsley cleared his throat.

" By now everyone knows why we are here. Hermione Granger has been captured."

A soft meowing sound of pain was heard from both Harry and Sirius. Harry was expected, Sirius was a total surprised. He filed the information in the back of his mind for a later time. He felt it was going to be an interesting story.

"I just consulted with the crime scene unit and aurors in an emergency meeting. The crime scene wizards believe that Hermione's parents were tortured before they were killed."

A soft cry was heard from Molly Weasley, as if she could just imagine the trauma that Hermione had experienced.

" Before any of you try to imagine the horror listen to two things. One…you can't, what those poor muggles went through is now considered one of the most violent crimes in the wizarding world because of the violence of it. And two… Hermione didn't see any of it. According to the investigators Hermione's magical signature was long gone before her parents finally perished."

Every eye in the room rested on the minister.

" The dark magic in the muggle home was off the charts. While most muggle homes with a wizard living in them have a certain amount of magic, even dark magic the amount on the Granger home far surpassed the normal quantity."

So people looked confused, Ron was the one that asked,

"What do you mean? How could Mione's home have dark magic before the attack? Hermione isn't evil!"

Kingsley took a deep breath, while Arthur looking disapprovingly at his son.

"Ronald, Kingsley isn't accusing Hermione of being evil. I'm sure he will explain what he means if you let him talk. And stop interrupting your mother and I taught you better manners."

Kingsley gave a thankful look to Arthur, he liked being minister but family dynamics terrified him.

" I'm not insinuating that Hermione is evil or that she practices dark magic behind our backs. Every home that has encounter magic retains residues of the magic used even after countless decades. You also have to take into account that almost every spell that exists today in our world has some dark magic in it. Before you all say that it's impossible, remember that our world survives on a scale of good and evil. Our magic is the same. While a good person will be less likely to use dark magic, that person does have the potential to use it. In order for spells to work a balance of magic must be achieved. So as you can imagine almost every magical home has at least a small amount of dark magic."

"Now before anyone asks, the aurors in charge of this case are still not completely convinced that the attack was by rogue Death Eaters instead of someone having a vendetta against Harry or.."

He was cut off by the sound of a bang as Harry pounded his fist on the table. His eyes never looked up, instead he just looked dejectedly at the floor and whispered in a broken voice,

" Or what? There is no _or what_! We all know that Hermione was taken because of _me_! Everyone is always taken because of me. First my parents and Sirius, then Dumbledore, and now Hermione. All gone because of me! There is no _or_ it's just me and the body of trails I leave behind. And they took her, they took her because of me. And now I'll never get to say good-bye, or explain why I stayed by Ron's side when they fought. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself. How will I survived."

A long moment of silence ensued after the speech that had gotten increasingly louder as it went on. No one in the group knew what to say in order to make things less awkward.

Severus glared at the boy for being so selfish. With his usual tact he was about to point out his opinion but stopped when he heard the humorless laugh that emerged from outside the meeting room.

Every eye focused on the entrance and widen when they saw a tearful Ginny slowly entering the room. Her eyes red from crying allowed her disgust for the green eyed boy in front of her, because to her he was still a boy.

Her voice was shaking with anger,

" You are the most selfish ass I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. I really wish you could hear yourself. Every word that came out of your mouth was about _you. _About how _you _would feel. About _your _pain. About _your _life. I didn't hear a single worry about Hermione." She glared harder when Harry tried to open his mouth and Harry, being a somewhat smart person, remained quiet. " Don't tell me that you care about her. _You _have told _me _many things over the years. None of which you ever proved. Prove to me that your not just a selfish bastard. For once in your life think and act and focus on someone that isn't _you. _I know that with someone with an ego as large as yours it might be hard. But if she _really _is your best friend, stop feeling sorry for yourself and do something to find her. Stop with the victim complex. No one can take Hermione away from you if you try. So prove why you beat Voldemort at his own game. Prove to those psychopaths that _you _are the "boy-who lived."

The silence after that outburst was worse then the one before. No one moved a muscle as Harry and Ginny's eyes met. The anger was there, but no one in the room was focused on that. Everyone was frozen at the amount of resentment and sexual tension between the two.

It was Harry who gave in first. He lowered his eyes and with a sadness that rivaled that of Sirius spoke,

"How Ginny? How can I prove to you that I love her. That I would gladly switch places with her. And how can I find her? Everyone knows that the reason I beat Voldemort was because I had Hermione at my side. How will I ever find her without her help."

Every person in the room remained quiet, deep in thought as someone tried to figure out how Hermione Granger would be found without Hermione Granger's help.

Surprisingly it was Ron, the last person everyone expected to have a good idea that found the solution.

" Why don't we use Hermione herself?"

But like many great minds, it took some time for everyone to give him a chance to explain himself. And to stop the pain on his cheek where his sister punched him.

* * *

The dark figure walked steadily on the damp ground. The smell of decomposing bodies and bodily fluids were like a suffocating wall.

Every step the dark figure took brought it closer to it's prey. As he neared the prison, one lump moved away. Cowering to the wall, trying, but not succeeding in making themselves invisible.

The figure took great pleasure in casting a strong crusio on the lump. The screams of pain brought a deformed smile to the figures face. "It" took a moment to admire it's handy work and kicked the mudblood for good measure.

But it wasn't this mudblood that interested the figure. No, oh no. It was Potter's mudblood that truly interested the figure.

It turned to where it's price lay and walked steadily once again, toward the naked form of Hermione Granger. The figure licked it's lips as he devoured every bruise and cut on the mudblood's body. Wizard torture techniques were truly quite brilliant.

The figure nudge the form and when nothing happened gave it a hard kick on the stomach.

Hermione Granger came awake gasping for breath. Her eyes were unfocused and unprepared for the darkness and the smell of the place she was in. She tried to pick herself up but her body refused the command. Every nerve on her body screamed with pain and she felt worse than when she was tortured at Malfoy Manor.

It was at the same moment that she remembered the conversation with Draco Malfoy that she became aware of the dark figure standing over her.

On a reflex she moved away but didn't get as she was picked up by her hair, a light appeared.

Her confused brain reminded her of _Lumos _but her brain shut down when she looked into the black demented eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange, her aunt.

The dark figure pulled harder on Hermione's already abused hair. Smirking almost happily when she whimpered in pain. But it was Bellatrix's voice that terrified her to the core.

"Welcome to hell mudblood."

**AN: **_**So what did you think. I know Ginny was kind of a bitch and Harry seemed, well, stupid but I really think that both need to grow up and develop and their encounters add drama to the story. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review.**_


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hope you like. Please review and sorry it too so long.**

**Chapter 7**

It took Ron two days to finally get someone from the Order to listen to his idea.

He tried to talk to Harry, but he was too busy sulking over Ginny's words to listen.

He tried to reason with Ginny, but she was too depressed to pay attention.

He tried every member of his family, but years of his company had left them untrusting.

He even tried Sirius, but every time anyone mentioned Hermione he locked himself in his room and got completely drunk.

So it was extremely surprising to find that the only person who actually listen to him was Severus Snape.

It was after his rather short and loud talk with Sirius where he tried to explain how due to Hermione's brilliance she had foreseen a situation where she could be captured or missing and had created a "copy" of herself in some "hollow-thingy" that knew everything the real Hermione knew and was able to track, not only herself, but every member of the Order. But Sirius hadn't even been listening to anything he had said. He was drunk again. Drowning his miseries in spirits.

But Severus Snape had been coming into Grimmauld's Place when the conversation began and knowing the brilliance of the missing witch he put attention to the seemingly random musings of the idiot.

So the night before the full moon found Ron and Severus in the Black library trying to activate some muggle contraption that protected what Ron called the "hollow-thingy". Both men were covered in dirt and co-existing in an oppressing silence. The clock over the fireplace read 1:30 A.M. and both men were exhausted of the search having been at it for more than three hours, having found the contraption no more than ten minutes ago. But the blasted thing refused to cooperate.

Severus shot the previously hidden panel a dark look. He seriously had no idea how to work the thing and he was one of the brightest men in all of Britain. He looked at the brat and didn't even contemplate on asking him how to work the thing because if his name giving gift wasn't enough of an example for his stupidity than he had seven years of memory to help him.

But surprisingly enough it was Ron who activated the blasted thing. Although not in a positive way as it began to scream louder than the portrait of Lady Black and awoke the whole house who found Severus glaring daggers at the red-headed idiot who couldn't shut the thing up.

It took half an hour to explain to the Order what they were doing and another half to figure out what the password for the thing was. (Apparently it was modeled after a muggle computer and required a secret word.) Harry finally figured out that it was Snitch, which was surprising coming from Hermione but understandable since it was created for Harry and Ron.

It was after the password was typed in that Harry understood what Ron had been trying to say with "hollow-thingy" when a hologram of Hermione appeared in front of the entire Order who had first believed it was the ghost of Hermione. It took fifteen minutes to calm Mrs. Weasley and explain the idea behind a hologram and how it worked.

It wasn't until around three that the Order finally found the place where Hermione had been taken with the help of a tracking spell that had been placed on every member of the Order by Hermione through their Phoenix.

It was at 3:30 A.M that Harry, Ron, Severus, Sirius, Kingsley, Charlie, George, Bill, and Dora left the safety of the Order headquarters and began their trek to the Scotland Highlands where a cave hid the Death Eater headquarters and Hermione. Remus had remained at Grimmauld's Place due to the proximity of the full moon and had tried unsuccessfully to convince Sirius who was still a tad tipsy to remain with him. Which had ensued in a screaming match between the two and had ended with Sirius pointing out that she was his. That statement had confused the rescue party to no end and annoyed two members of the same.

Harry couldn't help but find it surprising that his godfather could show such great emotions for a girl he had almost no contact with and found rather odd the change that had taken place. He really needed to have a talk with him when they had Hermione back. He cleared his mind as the group Apparated to the Grampian Mountains and in search of Hermione.

Severus Snape wasn't jealous. He was just disappointed in the Granger chit for falling for the Black charm. He really wasn't jealous of Sirius Black or the fact that he felt that Hermione Granger was his. He had just always thought that Hermione Granger would enjoy the intellectual type rather that the pretty bad boy. But really it's not like he was jealous. As far as he was concerned they could enjoy their life together.

And he went on to brood. Which got him a weird look from Tonks.

The group moved carefully up the mountains using the cover of darkness as a shield and trying to make as little noise as possible. A surprise attack was their only option and stealth was Hermione's best chance of survival. They had no idea how many Death Eaters where in that cave and couldn't predict the course they would take against the girl if they felt cornered. They neared an embankment that lay before the entrance of the cave and cursed when they saw three Death Eaters with their wands aimed at them.

So much for a surprise attack.

* * *

The monster had come again.

The girl laid curled up on the hard cave floor her body shaking from blood loss, fear, and adrenaline. She tried to calm herself but her nervous system refused to cooperate with her. Today was different. She could feel it.

Her mind was sharper, more alive and her body seemed to infuse itself with strength. She covered her ears as she heard the agonized scream of the girl with curly hair, she felt bad, the crazy she witch seemed to take pleasure on torturing her and her alone.

She wiggled her foot a little, trying not to draw attention to herself. She waited a second and then,

Wiggle. Another second.

Hard yank. And she covered her mouth to muffle the scream that threatened to overcome her. She looked at her ankle, covered in blood and lacerations and gave another yank, this time with all the strength she possessed and watched with relief when the chain came undone from the wall. Using her dirty hands she broke the clasp that surrounded her ankle and broke it off.

She picked up the hard metal and neared the crazy witch as she tortured the girl. The witch was screeching with glee and laughing cruelly as the girl lay at her feet.

She walked slowly toward her careful not to make a sound she swung the chain hoping to hit her on the side of the head. But the surprise on the dace of the girl that lay on the floor must have given her away because as the chain neared her head the witch moved and yanked on the chain sending her sprawling into the cave wall. She hit her head and felt the witch approach her,

"You little bitch, did you really think you could hurt me?"

She felt a kick on her mid section and went down hard without breath, she turned to face her captor and saw, like in slow motion, as she raised her wand and began to form the killing curse and felt for the first time that she was going to die.

* * *

The fighting was not going well, though Harry. It wasn't that they were outnumbered or losing for that matter, but it was taking forever and everyone that was fighting could hear the screams that were coming from the inside of the cave.

He watched as Tonks, Bill and Professor Snape fought with Fenrir, who kept roaring and taunting Tonks to lose their concentration.

Sirius, Kingsley, and Charlie were fighting against one Lestrange. Ron, George, and himself were fighting the other.

The night was alight with magic and spells illuminated the dark night. Fenrir was the first to go down with a well place adava from Professor Snape, followed by the two Lestrange brother, one taken out by Sirius, the other by George. They ran inside the cave splitting up to cover ground. He followed Snape down one opening trying to follow the screams that could still be heard but froze when the cave went strangely quiet.

* * *

Hermione picked herself up trying desperately to force her muscle to listen but failing miserably as her legs gave out from under her and forcing her to drag herself toward the forgotten chain.

Merlin, but she wished she had her wand.

She grabbed it clutching it with her right hand as she tried, this time succeeding, to stand up. She took cautious steps toward the two women and watched as Bellatrix formed the adava curse as she pointed her wand at the girl.

She swung with all her power, much like the younger girl had done before, but connecting with the head of Bellatrix. She heard a sickening crack and watched without an ounce of regret as Bellatrix Lestrange fell to the floor. She did not know if dead or alive, she hoped the bitch was dead.

She walked toward the girl and helped her stand up against the cave wall. She walked cautiously toward the unmoving figure that was Bellatrix and vaguely heard the girl speak,

"Do you think she's dead?"

"I really don't know," she answered. She leaned forward carefully picking up the wand that had fallen from her fingers and hoping that this wasn't a repeat of those American horror movies where the villain came back to life. She backtracked quickly using the wand to transfigurate some of the clothing that Bellatrix Lestrange was wearing to use for herself and the girl.

She handed the girl a long dress, " Here put these on. It's not much but until we get away from the rest of them it's all we've got."

The girl nodded putting the dress over her head and hugging herself while she waited for instructions.

Hermione was about to speak when they heard movement from the tunnel that lead into the cave. She saw the girl tremble and felt her insides tighten. It couldn't be good. There where at least three other Death Eaters that they knew about and none of them were the friendly type.

Hermione forced her fear to take a backseat in her mind and focused on finding a spell that could break down one of the cave walls and give them an avenue of escape. A sudden memory came to mind and she tighten her hand on the wand before forming the words in her mouth. As the spell hit the wall she rushed to the girl and both covered their heads with their arms from the flying rocks before rushing to the opening and their first taste of freedom for a long time.

**Author' s Note: Well this isn't my best work but I've been stuck for so long that I just left it like this. I hope you like and sorry for the long wait. Most updates will be slow now that school began. Sorry. Like always please review and let me know your opinion love, Mimi.**


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