A/N: had to fix something I thought had been fixed earlier. Sorry for the false update. I don't own anything.

She was in absolute agony. Hermione had believed that nothing could cause her more pain than the cruciatus curse cast by one Bellatrix Lestrange. She had wondered if anything could, and now regretted that spare train of thought more than almost anything in her short eighteen years. After realizing that Hermione would reveal absolutely nothing under torture and would rather die than betray Harry and the fight for all that was good in the world, Bellatrix had resorted to using leglimency. While she may have built a decent occlumency shield there was very little she could do against Bella's brutal attack on her extensive mind. That little effort she could put forth locked every little memory and detail regarding Harry Potter and their mission into an adamantium vault. However, this left much her mind unprotected and Bella took great pleasure in bring her most painful memories to the surface of her thoughts.

Flashback

Little five year old Hermione Reid tried desperately not to cry as her fourteen year old brother Spencer knelt down to talk to her. With everything that had happened to them and so few options open he had decided the best thing for Hermione would be if she was adopted by the Granger's, next door. However her five year old mind, no matter how brilliant or how much she took after her brother, was doing its best to convince her that the only person she had ever counted on was trying to get rid of her.

"Pen you promised me." She argued. "You told me on my fourth birthday that even if it was us against the whole world we would always be together. You said I could always count on you because you would always be there for me and nothing could force you away. Why are you trying to get rid of me? I thought I was your favorite girl." At this point the battle had been lost and tears were streaming down her flushed cheeks. As he brushed her tears to the side and tucked her wild curls behind her ear he knew this was one of the hardest things he ever had to do.

"Myabear, I could never get rid of you and you'll always be my girl." he reassured her before going on. "We both know that Mom's been having more frequent episodes since I finished high school. With me going to the University of Nevada I won't be able to protect you during the day." Spencer was slowly but surely appealing to her logical side and putting her fears to rest. He hoped what he had to say next would give his little sister the push she needed to be strong. "We both know that if child services came they would put Mom away and risk us truly being separated. I can't let that happen Mya. I just can not lose you. If the Granger's adopt you then you will be right next door. I'll know your safe and can come home every weekend."

"Do you promise?"

"I, Spencer Reid, promise the great Lady Hermione that I will spend every possible moment I can with her." he swore. "Does that work?" he asked while pulling her close and tickling her bringing forth a smile and the giggle that he needed to hear.

End Flashback

Being crucioed brought Hermione's thoughts firmly to the present once more. She had been so immersed in remembering when the childhood she knew began changing that she never noticed Bellatrix roughly leaving her mind. The shock of it brought the first screams from her thoroughly bitten lip. She had refused to give a bunch of death eater scum the satisfaction of screaming throughout her torture. It didn't matter if it was the cruciatus curse or Bella carving the hateful slur of Mudblood into her forearm, she hadn't made a sound. Now that she had she thought it could only get worse.

"So the itty, bitty, mudblood has a big brother. Where is your big protector now?" Bellatrix whined. "Let me give you a choice dearie... you can either tell me where you got the sword and everything else I want to know, or we can take a little trip, find this Spencer you seem oh so fond of, and have a little fun. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Screw you bitch." Hermione rasped. Lucky for her Harry and Ron had gotten free and were now attempting a rescue. Hermione's world seemed to tilt as Bellatrix yanked her roughly to her feet and held a jagged knife to her throat. As she tried to focus on what was happening her thoughts kept repeating the mantra of get Spencer safe get Spencer safe. Before the chaos that was the Malfoy's entrance hall could come into focus, she felt herself being wrenched towards her best friends as the knife nicked the side of her neck. Her thoughts were still repeating as they escaped the manor.