She was huddled in the corner, naked. She was rocking back and forth and sobbing brokenly. Her matted hair still held an amount of frizz. She didn't know who she was. He had come again. She let out a scream at the memory. She pressed herself deeper into the corner and clutched at her chain. She had no hope of anything but the pain.

She heard the door creak open, a muttered swear, but she didn't open her eyes. She figured he had come again. She let out a small squeak, terrified. She heard footsteps approaching and curled herself tighter, gripping her chain so hard it left bruises on her fingers and palms. She felt a touch on her shoulder and cringed away, but this touch was soft, so unlike his. Another curse. This was not him, it wasn't his voice. She opened her eyes, but it was useless, as it was mostly dark. A large figure was crouched next to her, muttering spells. She knew it to be a man's body, but not his. Not his. She heard another curse. "Hermione?" the voice muttered. It was familiar, but she couldn't place it. It was kind. She hadn't heard or felt anything kind in...forever. "This is going to hurt." She mentally braced herself for the horrible things that he had done, but all she felt was a pinching sensation at her wrists. Just when she couldn't bear it any longer and was going to scream, it stopped. She felt her wrists, and they were just that, her wrists. No chain. She was shocked.

She felt strong but soft arms slide under her, and she clawed at them, but they wouldn't release her. She realized that she wasn't being hurt, so she stopped struggling, for now. She was carried through the doorway. "Hermione?" the voice said again. She remembered that name...It was hers! That's who she was. Hermione. She smiled a faint smile. "I'm going to take you back. To The Burrow. Okay?" Hermione remembered that name as well. Faces floated in front of her eyes, kind looking faces of both women and men. They were associated with that name... "Burrow?" She choked out. The profile of the figure smiled, but stopped as a shiver racked the body of the girl he held in his arms. He silently set her down on the rough stone floor, removed his outer robe and held it out to her. She stared at it, confused. He helped her put her arms through it, and button it in the front. He picked her up once again, and started towards a gate. A torch placed nearby illuminated his face for a second, and she remembered who this man was. "R-remus!" she said. "Shhhh." He muttered, but Hermione started sobbing quietly and buried her face in his neck. He held her for a moment, rubbing his hands along her back, trying to comfort her. Then he set her down alongside of the wall and approached the gate. He cast a jet of purple light at the gate, causing it to open. Remus held her again, walked past the gate, and apparated.

Hermione opened her eyes, and found herself in a forest. A black, skeletal horse was ripping chunks off of a slab of meat. "Shhhh," he said again, and lifted her onto the horse's back. She whimpered until he climbed on behind her and held her again. She let out a small, breathy moan as her thighs brushed against the sides of the horse-thing. "The Burrow!" Remus told the horse. Then Hermione was hit with a realization. She was not in her dark prison. She was...free. She started sobbing and moaning. Remus held her closer. She felt the wind blowing around her, but she felt safe. Remus was here...She was going home...he wasn't here...She was safe.

Hermione felt the horse-thing hit the ground. Remus lifted her off of it and held her close. He walked to a ramshackle dwelling towering over them. She recognized it, and her eyes went wide as a door opened. A plump little witch in a red apron let out a scream and rushed towards the pair, redheaded boys following in a moment. "Mum? What is is?" said a gangly redhead of about 15. "HARRY! COME HERE!" He shouted, following his brothers. A black-haired boy with green eyes and a lightning shaped scar stuck his head out of the door, and realizing who it was, ran to follow the others. Hermione was floored. "Harry?...Ron?" She said, and promptly fainted into Remus.