Authors Note: Hey, this is my first fanfic, but I want you guys to be brutally honest. Tell me if you like it, love it, or hate it. All tips on my writing would be very much appreciated thanks,

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

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Chapter 1

Remus had known since the day he had met her. Since she first walked into that compartment on the train and her scent surrounded him. Since he first heard her amazing voice and since he first saw her. With her unruly curly hair, large chocolate eyes, little button nose, and smattering of freckles. He had known that Hermione Granger was his mate.

But she was much too young and he, much too old. He would never have her. He could not curse her with being stuck with an old worn-out werewolf. He hoped she would never notice the fleeting looks he would always give her, or the smiles he would save just for her, or the way he leaned in just a little too close when they talked. And while he would not have her, Remus swore to himself he would always protect her.

When the war hit full force, he was scared for her. His mate was out on her own and he knew not if she was okay, if she was still alive. And when he saw her again in the middle of The Battle of Hogwarts, relief flooded through him and he couldn't stop a small smile from forming on his face.

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Hermione was scared. The war was lost, Harry was dead, Ron was missing, and she didn't know who was left of the Order or students…. if any. The moment Harry had fallen pandemonium broke out, Students ran in fear, Order members were trying to fight and to retreat, and Death Eaters were either killing or capturing everyone they could. In the chaos she ran casting curses at every Death Eater she saw until she ran into the last person she never wanted to see again, dead or alive. They had managed to disarm her and break her wand before dragging her by her hair into an empty classroom.

She glared at Bellatrix from her spot on the floor despite her fear. She had survived the crazed woman's torture before and she hoped she could do it again. Hermione stood from the floor and lifted her chin defiantly even though she was trembling.

"Ooooohh, Does the silly little mudblood think she can stand up to me?" Bellatrix laughed evilly and tightened her grip on her wand, "I guess I'll just have to teach you otherwise wont I? Crucio!"

Hermione crumpled in blinding pain to the floor. She tried not to scream, she really did. But the longer Bellatrix held the curse the hard it was to hold it in. Before long all Hermione could hear besides the blood rushing in her ears and Bellatrix's cackling was her own pain filled screams. She hoped someone would save her, even though she was sure that all those on her side were either dead or captured, but still she held hope. She wanted someone, she didn't care who, to make the pain stop.

"You know, your quite fun! I might keep you as a slave… or perhaps a pet!" Bellatrix cooed ending the curse briefly before starting again. Hermione knew that it would be a long time before the torture would end.

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Remus ran through the halls, he knew he was being chased, but he had to find her. After Voldemort had murdered Harry and chaos ensued, he had tried to get to her, to protect her. When she ran the other way, Remus had yelled her name but she hadn't heard him over the screams of terror and yells of curses. He had lost her in the chaos.

Remus sniffed the air as he ran hoping to catch her scent. He turned a corner and heard a blood curdling scream coming from a door at the end of the corridor. He knew it was her. He raced to the door and ripped it open. His eyes were immediately drawn to his mate, writhing and shrieking on the floor. Her shirt soaked in blood from wounds most likely caused from the blade held in her attacker's hand. He didn't even have to think twice as he raised his wand at Bellatrix.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix didn't even have the time to turn around to see who had interrupted her fun before she fell over, the life gone from her eyes. Remus wasted no time warding the door and rushing to his mate side. "Hermione! Hermione, love, look at me. We don't have much time before they break through the door. We have to leave right now!" Even as talked he could feel his wards being taken down.

"Pro-Professor Lupin?" Hermione croaked out, as he helped her to her feet, her voice raw from her screaming.

"Yes, it's me, love, we have to go!" He pulled her close to him, wiped some of the tears from her cheeks, thanked the gods that the apparition wards had been taken down, and apparated her away. No sooner had they popped away did two Death Eaters break through the door.

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As soon as they landed on their feet, Hermione fell over throwing up blood, an after effect from being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse for long periods of time. Remus immediately ran for healing potions. There wasn't many for they had taken most of them when they abandoned this place. This only served to heighten his worry, and he ran back to her. She had already passed out from blood lost and exhaustion. He picked her up and carried her to a bed and placed her in the middle of it. He helped her drink the few potions he had found.

While Hermione slept, Remus started to look after her wounds. He blushed deeply when he realized he had to take off her shirt to get a better look at the deep cuts on her stomach and sides. He never thought he would be this close to his mate. But all thoughts of embarrassment or joy left his mind when his blood started boiling as he took in the horrible slashes across her abdomen. He wished he would have had the time to cause Bellatrix as much pain as she had caused his Hermione. Except Hermione wasn't his, she never would be. That thought didn't do anything to stop his anger though.

As Remus cleaned the blood, he began to notice the cuts formed a word. One that matched the fresh scar on her arm. 'Filthy' It read and he saw red for a moment. Hermione wasn't filthy, she was beautiful, kind, and smart among so many other things. His heart broke for her. His mate was hurt. She would always have those scars to remember the worst times in her life. The times he coul-hadn't be there to protect her, to save her.

He finished tending to her wounds and dressed her in a modest nightgown. His stomach twisting in anger at himself, at Bellatrix, at Voldemort, and surprisingly at Harry. He cast one last worried look at her before he left the room and stormed into the library. He stood next to the door for a moment before he let out a loud roar and threw the closest thing to him, which happened to be a vase, at the wall. As the vase shattered he began to pace and mutter to himself. If Voldemort hadn't started this war, if Bellatrix wasn't a crazy bitch, if Harry hadn't dragged her into all this, and if he had been there to protect her like he should, she would never have been hurt. What kind of werewolf didn't protect his mate?

After calming down Remus began to feel exhausted. The battle had taken a lot from him. Not to mention all the sleepless nights he had worrying for Hermione. He slowly made his way back to her room. He didn't want to leave her alone, couldn't leave her alone. As he walked through the door he felt the exhaustion seep into his bones. He dragged a chair from the wall over to her side and sunk down into it. He would have loved to climb into the bed lie down next to her but he couldn't. He couldn't chance the questions that would arise from her if she were to awake and find him asleep in her bed. He couldn't tell her the truth. That she was his mate. He breathed in her sweet scent, chocolate and strawberries, and drifted off to sleep, hoping against hope that she would be okay and that they would be safe until she was well enough to be sent on Dumbledore's damned back-up mission. Until she was well enough to be sent back nearly twenty years in time.