Before we begin with this story, I would like to impress upon you that this story contains strong language and very mature themes like rape and death, it is meant to be a painful story and this is a little preview of what is to come so please if you don't like these sorts of stories I implore you to leave now.

Her Price to Pay

"Shhh, Teddy." Whispered Hermione, hoarsely, "You must keep silent, alright." She said as she pulled the three year old child closer and tried to wedge herself deeper into the little dark niche they were hiding in. The child already knew the routine, and was completely mum when they heard the marching of Death- Eater patrols outside the door of the ramshackle hut they were living in.

It had been two years since the War, two years since Voldemort killed everything and everyone she had ever loved. Hermione had barely managed to rescue Teddy from his burning home before running towards Australia only to find her parent's throats slit and a gruesome message on the wall, they were coming for her. Hermione had managed to evade them but slowly the resources were running out and she had a small child to care for, at first the magic in her wand was cut of making it useless, the core of dragon heartstring had withered away; after that she had fallen ill and she knew her time was running out, the deep chesty pains were growing more frequent, her mouth was tasted like blood after she coughed, moments of frequent blackouts and blindness were getting closer together. Teddy had survived; though his body was thin it wasn't skeletal with starvation unlike Hermione's own sunken eyes and thin shaking hands.

Voldemort had killed Harry, the Order had been brutally exterminated and whoever had survived had either fled or was locked away in Hogwarts with no way to escape. Hermione had seen the muggleborn quarters in London, the filthy, decrepit streets filled with shit and blood. Bodies just lying about, bodies of those who couldn't continue any longer; those too old or too young or too ill, Hermione had seen powerful ministers and officials wearing rags and eating whatever they could salvage from the dumpsters and sewers, their grey skin and chapped lips caked with grime and their sunken eyes speaking of hope lost. She had wanted to help but what could she have done, her own body was shrunken beyond recognition, her hands shook, her magic was spent… her illness had made her weak, half dead only the thought of keeping Teddy alive kept her going. They ate whenever they could, stolen food or food salvaged from muggle dumpsters as they kept moving to avoid the Death-Eaters.

Hermione tried unsuccessfully to muffle a painful cough hoping beyond hope that the patrol had already passed them by. Now no place in England was safe and she couldn't travel any place else.

"Shhh Hermy." Whispered Teddy in his baby voice, "Bad men outside."

"I know, baby… I'm so sorry." She reassured him. "I'll try to be more quite."

Hermione didn't believe in God, she never had but at that moment she prayed, she prayed with all her heart; begging and pleading God to keep them safe. Anything… she thought in a fevered trance, I'll do anything to keep Teddy safe, please-please let us live, she could feel the young boy's firm little body pressing into hers and she clung to his comforting warmth, Teddy's own hands tightened around Hermione's neck keeping his face buried in her throat, she kissed the back of his head waiting for signs of life to resume outside… the deafening silence was the most prominent indicator of Death-Eater activity.

Finally the silence broke and a faint rustling of life outside the broken down shack could be heard, birds were calling to each other once again and the sounds of life resumed, Hermione let herself relax before a bout of coughing shook her entire body. "I'm going to be fine." She reassured the troubled child, "Don't worry, I'll always take care of you… always."

"Promise?" said the little boy staring at her intently.

"I promise." She whispered back equally intense.

"I love you." he whispered to her.

"I love you more." She sighed holding his thin body close.

"Well-well, what a touching scene." Drawled a familiar voice slowly, "We've been looking for you for a long time, Miss Granger."

Hermione panicked, she tried to apprated with Teddy but the sickness in her body was sapping her energy. "Please…" she whispered, "I don't want any trouble, please leave us alone."

"You know I can't do that, mudblood." Came the deceptively soft voice of Rookwood who had been standing inside the hut all the while, silent and concealed.

Hermione looked at him wildly, "I'll go, without a fuss… just please let the child go. He is only three!"

"The werewolf brat." Scoffed Rookwood coldly, "That abomination doesn't deserve to be called human."

"Don't you have a child of your own!?" she cried, "You want me, take me… just please, let him go…please." She said desperately, her voice breaking and a bout of painful, hacking coughs spewing blood on the filthy floor.

"Mudblood cunt." Snarled the dark haired Death-Eater, "You've dirtied my robe." He aimed a kick at her that landed on her ribs, making her fall backwards; her arm still thrown out in front of Teddy to protect him.

"Leave her alone!" cried the little boy, flinging himself in front of Hermione.

"Fucking brat." Growled Rookwood advancing towards the small child, the intent clear in his eyes, "I'll murder you like I did your filthy half breed parent's."

Hermione dragged herself up, pushing the child behind her, "Run Teddy, when I tell you to run you run, understood?" she whispered.

"No!" screamed the child, "No Hermione!"

"If either of you move, the rest of the Death-Eaters outside won't be as forgiving as me." Drawled Rookwood, spitting on Hermione.

Teddy was bristling with rage, his little hands shook at his side as he saw Rookwood degrade Hermione like a squib… one of the most powerful witches unable to escape the clutches of a third rate sadist.

"What are you going to do to me!?" she screamed, "Will you rape me? Kill me? What!? Go ahead, I'm almost dead anyway. What this illness is doing to me is far worse than anything you could ever do to me with your tiny prick." She spat.

Rookwood reached for her, his large meaty hands covering her small breasts, "You'll be sorry you ever said that." He said with a cruel smile, "I'll make you cry, you little bitch. I'll make your cunt bleed and that pretty mouth scream."

"Don't touch her!" cried the child, flinging himself forward, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" he bit and scratched, kicking the older man with all his might.

"NO TEDDY!" cried Hermione, her weak body reaching for him… trying to defend him, "RUN! GO! PLEASE!" she cried, her breath rasping out and her body heaving with the exertion.

Just as Rookwood was raising his wand to hurt the child the door of the shack slammed open.

"What the fuck his happening here?" snarled a low voice and Hermione's last coherent thought was that maybe someone would finally have pity on them.

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