Some things are meant to end
One of the robed figures stepped forward, twirling a wand lazily in his gloved hands.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” A silky voice drawled from behind the intricately carved metal mask. “Potter’s little mudblood and the muggles that spawned it.”
A few death eaters chuckled darkly, the wall of black robes closing in until Hermione couldn’t see past them. Sweat trickled down her face, and her wand hand trembled. She recognized that voice; a deeper version to the one that tormented her nearly daily at school.
“Malfoy.” She gritted out. Her mind was racing, her shield was failing, and she was frantically going through every defensive spell she’d ever learned, her eyes flicking back and forth over the group in her kitchen. How many can I cast before I die? Will my parents run, can I give them time?
He chuckled, stepping closer. “How long can you keep that up, I wonder.” He tapped the fraying shield with his wand and it rippled alarmingly.
“Not very long, I’d wager.” A female voice came from the sea of masks, followed by another round of cackling.
“Come now, mudblood. Drop the shield and come willingly, and perhaps we’ll let the muggles live.” Lucius- she was sure it was Lucius, sounded amused as he tapped her shield again.
They were playing with her- but they wanted…her?
“Hermione, how do they know you? What do they want?!” Her mother whisper-screamed in her ear.
“Mum, they-” A spell hit her shield, her moment of distraction enough to shatter it. Hermione and her parents were flung backwards into the wall, landing together in a tangle of arms and legs. She groaned, feeling sluggish and weak, and tried to push herself up on trembling arms. Her wand- where was her wand? She lifted her head trying to focus her blurred eyes. Something warm and wet dripped from her hairline into her left eye, the sting distracting her yet again. There was a ringing; groggily she realized it was coming from her own ears.
Rough fingers threaded into her curls and yanked, pulling her to her feet. Hermione cried out, reaching for the hand and clawing at it, tears filling her eyes at the searing pain.
“That’s it mudblood. I like it when they struggle.” The rough voice growled in her ear. She gagged as the foul odor of his breath hit her; it was coppery like blood, with something rank and rotten underneath. Something wet slid across her face, from chin to forehead, and she felt the rumble of a growl vibrate in his chest.
He licked me , She thought groggily, retching at the violation and the stink she realized emanated from more than his mouth.
“Delicious” He growled in her ear and she retched again, feeling strands of her hair popping from her skull as her body lurched away. Hot tears slid down her face. Her fear felt like a physical thing, wrapping around her heart and draining the strength from her limbs. Her mind, normally full of ideas and information gleaned from countless sources felt dull and blank. No clever plan came from the murky depths of her fear. She was going to die. That was the only thought that circled back; no one would save her. She wouldn’t cheat death like her friend had so many times. She saw Harry’s face in her mind, her first real friend. She thought of kissing him at the train station, the way he had held his cheek for a moment as if shocked by the affection. They were, she realized, both of them starved for it, those simple acts of affection most learn at the hands of their parents. If I live I’m going to tell him we have more in common than he ever knew. The thought shot through her mind, and with it a terrible burning hope. If Harry could survive these monsters, perhaps she could. If I live…if I live…Godric let me live, I’m not ready!
Greyback nuzzled his face behind her ear and growled again.
“Think the Dark Lord would mind if I took a little taste?” He spoke louder, obviously addressing someone else.
“The Dark Lord wants her alive, Greyback and you break your toys. Perhaps he will be generous and toss you the scraps when he is done.” They were filing out, she realized. Mission accomplished, they had her in their grasp, whatever they wanted her for. She heard the telltale cracks of apparition echoing in her garden. Why were there so many? Had they expected a bigger fight? Her parents…
It was the werewolf holding her. The thought sent a bolt of pure terror down her spine, her faint moment of hope evaporating. Greyback- who liked to eat children and attack even when the moon wasn’t full. Hermione dropped her hands from the useless pawing at her hair and went limp, thinking vaguely she had read somewhere that dead weight was the hardest to move. The pressure on her skull eased slightly as she was lowered to her feet.
“Walk, mudblood.” He snarled in her ear, pushing her forward with his other hand. Her eye darted around the kitchen as she was marched though her back door, seeing her parents in her periphery, huddled on the floor, clinging to each other. Three death eaters remained, and Greyback.
“What about the muggles?” One of them asked idley, as if the question of whether her parents live or die was inconsequential.
“Kill them. Let’s go.” Lucius turned with a flourish and swept out the door, two following closely and one staying behind, drawing their wand and stepping closer.
“NO!” Hermione screamed, thrashing violently. She felt her hair ripping out of her scalp as she yanked herself down in a bid for freedom.
“Incarcerous.” The death eater with his wand out drawled lazily, and she found herself bound in thick ropes, her body locked into place. Greyback grunted and readjusted his hold on her, one hand wrapping tighter in her hair, the other holding the ropes at her back. He carried her this way, past the doorway of her kitchen. She sobbed, , taking in shuddering gasping breaths she was sure would be her last. A shout came from behind, from the kitchen. A loud grunt came front the man holding her and she fond herself dropped in a heap.
Light and noise were everywhere, Spells- her terror-fogged mind supplied. Spells were flying; red, green, yellow lights flashing brilliantly in the night sky. The remaining death eaters and the werewolf were casting furiously in the direction they had come from. There were shouts- something about the voices felt familiar. She turned her head, trying to see, to make sense of the noise and light around her. Her bindings held her so tight she couldn’t lift her head, or see past the snarled hair that had fallen over her face. Lights, robes, feet, shouts. She heard Greyback roar and felt the earth shake as something hit the ground hard.
“I've got her!” A male voice shouted. She was rolled over, and felt the ropes vanish as a hand swept the hair from her face. She looked up at the man who had rescued her, a fresh sob tearing from her throat as she flung herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, sobbing into his neck. “Sirius! Sirius!” She cried out. He wrapped his arms around her gently and lifted her up, holding her bridal style as she wept.
“Hey Kitten.” He said gently. “It’s alright now.” He rubbed a hand on her back gently.
“My..parents…” She gasped.
“Shook up but fine.” He assured her, carrying her inside the house. She took in the scene from her perch in his arms, supremely grateful he seemed in no rush to put her down as she was quite sure her legs would not support her. Her parents were seated in the living room, hands clasped together, glaring up at her headmaster. Dumbledore stood, as out of place in her living room in his periwinkle robes dusted with silver stars and braid as the death eaters had in her kitchen. He stood in a relaxed pose, arms clasped behind his back as he spoke to her parents softly. She saw Remus and a woman with a shock of pink hair standing off to the side, and two other wizards she didn’t recognize.
“Mum!” She called out, feeling weak with relief that they had lived.
Helen Granger snapped her gaze to her daughter, taking in her state and the man holding her coldly. She turned her face away and back to Dumbledore.
“These criminals- you took them? Are you law enforcement?” Helen Granger asked in a shaky voice.
“This one is her Headmaster, “ Don Granger said, “What in the blazes are you doing here?”
“We have detained three of the wizards, they are being transported to the DMLE headquarters as we speak.” The pink-haired woman supplied. Hermione’s parents spared her a brief glance before fixing their gaze on Dumbledore once more.
“Who were they?” Mrs. Granger asked.
“I will explain everything as best as I am able.” Dumbledore assured in his calm voice. “You three have been through a terrible ordeal.”
“Because of her.” Hermione’s father said, dipping his head in her direction.
“Because a Dark Wizard has-” Dumbledore began softly.
“BECAUSE NOTHING! GET OUT AND TAKE HER WITH YOU!” Mr. Granger exploded, rising up off the couch and jamming a finger at Dumbledore.
“Now, Mr. Granger, I understand this is a terrible ordeal, but your daughter is a victim in this, as much as yourself.” He placated, unphased by the venom in the younger man’s tone or the finger jabbing his chest.
Sirius tightened his arms around Hermione, an unspoken support she was grateful for.
“Mum…dad, I-”
Her father turned his gaze to her, his eyes flicking over her bruised and bloody appearance.
“No.” he muttered, shaking his head. “No. This is too much. I’m done.” He sat down heavily on the couch next to his wife, and took her shaking hands in his again. “Get out, the lot of you. We don’t need answers, Helen. We need…to let go.” Helen nodded, clearly understanding her husband’s meaning.
Dumbledore stepped forward. “We will redouble the protection on your home, and we have spells we can cast to make it impossible for wizards to find, you and your daughter will be safe, I assure you this will not happen again.”
Don’s eyes slid up Dumbledore again. “We don’t need protection from you. All we need is her gone.”
“They wanted her.” Helen Granger chimes in. “Not us. Take her.” She sounded tired, and she kept her eyes cast down, refusing to look up to her daughter.
“Mum…” She whined, her throat closing painfully. Sirius’s hold got tighter, almost painful. Her heart felt like it was cracking, yet still struggling to beat a painful tattoo in her chest. Her parents blamed her. They were..scared of her. And why not, she thought bitterly. It is my fault, this never would have happened if I wasn’t here…
“She’s your daughter!” Remus said, outraged. “She’s been attacked!”
“Because of your lot and whatever you got her into! I’ve had it, you hear me? I want her gone, I want you all out of my house and out of our lives!” Hermione’s father was yelling now, his face turning scarlet in his rage. Her mother refused to look up from her hands.
“Perhaps we should let things calm down and talk another time.” Dumbledore said, as though this was a casual disagreement.
“No need.” Helen Granger spoke quiet, but firm. She looked up at Hermione with eyes full of anger. “We don’t want you here. You’ve been nothing but trouble, and you bring us nothing but misery. We never wanted you. We tried, tried to be parents, tried to do our duty by you, but this…this is too much to ask. Now….” She took a deep breath, speaking slowly, carefully enunciating each word.
“ Get out, and never come back.”
https://www.tumblr.com/historyofmagicsblog/770056130417295360/sirius-and-hermione-theorderofsecrets-ao3?source=share