Disclaimer, applicable to all chapters; I do not own any of the characters but those you do not recognize, nor am I making any money off the publishing of this story. JK Rowling owns it all and I thank her for allowing us to play with her characters.

AN: Woo-Hoo! One review and lots of follows, thanks y'all! Hope you're enjoying, I'll try to post regularly.

-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-

Chapter 2. The Darkness

Hermione Granger sobbed desolutely, not noticing when her eyes finally acclimated to the darkness. Dumbledore, the greatest wizard she had ever known, was dead. For all she knew Harry could be dead as well, they all could.

Having already known the acts Voldemort and his henchmen were capable of didn't lesson the shock. In troth it was lucky they had made it this long without massive casualties. Cedric and Sirius were the only two tragedies, with Dumbledore gone there would be countless more. Voldemort had nothing left to fear. Scrimgeour was a better minister than Fudge had ever been but Hermione doubted his chances of survival.

What of her chances of survival? She wondered grimly looking around. It appeared she was in a cave it was still dark but she could see enough. Hermione rose to her feet no matter what had happened she had to try to survive.

Based on the small amount of information she knew of Greyback she should be dead already. Somehow, he had refrained from eating her. It was likely she was to be used as a toy until she succumbed to his violent ministrations. Her heart clenched in a tight fist at the idea of being used until she died. She was alone at the moment, her stomach rolled into a knot when she realized the unlikeliness that she was truly alone.

A war prisoner, that's what she was now. There were likely wolves waiting to kill her should she attempt escape. Why didn't she attack Greyback? That Felix Felicis must've been past date, she hadn't even thought to check the bottle for an expiration date before she finished it off. What of Ginny and Ron? Did their evening end as disastrously as hers? Or worse?

-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-

Eyes dry, Hermione had cried every tear she had in her and still she heaved. It was unfair she couldn't allow herself to die like this. That beast would never touch her again. With another useless feel around the dark floor for her missing wand she stood and felt around the walls with purpose.

Finally she felt what she was looking for some more of the hairy blankets she realized after closer inspection were animal pelts. It was time to face who or whatever was waiting for her beyond the small cave she awoke in. The best Hermione could allow herself to hope for was a quick death.

Swallowing her fears along with great gulp of air Hermione brushed aside the pelt that covered the exit and stepped through prepared for whatever gruesome sight awaited her.

"I told you she'd come out on her own if we gave her some time Dahlia." a light haired women said to a dark women.

Hermione froze, of all the things she could've imagined running into upon exiting her cell this was the last thing she expected. Three women sat in the soft firelight that lit the larger cave the dark haired one, Dahlia, the light haired women who had spoken and a young women of Spanish decent slept near them. All three women had two to four babies either eating from their bare breasts or cuddled about their legs in a squirming mass.

"This is Dahlia dear, and my name is Josephine, the sleeping girl is Angelica. I promise we won't hurt you. What is your name child?" asked the light haired women.

"Her...Hermione ma'am." stuttered the terrified witch.

"Don't call me ma'am dearie, I might not be your age but I insist you call me Jo or Josephine. We should be familiar with one another as we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"I'm sorry Josephine but I don't intend on staying here. Either kill me or allow me to leave." Hermione eyed the two witches daring them to do something.

"As much as we would love to allow you to leave I'm afraid we are unable. We are under strict orders from the Alpha to keep you here and to keep you safe." spoke up Dahlia in a soft understanding voice.

"We know how confused you must feel dearie. The way all of this went down was... less than ideal."

"All of what? The kidnap or the rape! Neither was ideal for me! You can't make me stay here, just kill me!" screamed Hermione, immediately regretting her loudness as all the babies began to wail simultaneously and the slumbering mother was awoken.

"Shite, I'm so sorry! You're not the one who did this to me. I didn't mean to frighten the babies." Hermione whispered forlornly.

Hermione had always hated the sound of crying babies, hated to imagine anything so innocent and perfect unhappy in anyway. She loved children, that was one of the main reasons she had been considering Ron as her future husband, she wanted to have at least four kids and she figured Ron wanted at least four maybe more.

Not that he would want her now that that she was used.

Sliding down the cave wall behind her she tried to conceal her surprise as the women partially transformed into wolves to be able to nurse the many hungry babies. Once the initial shock at the extra breasts wore off Hermione found herself becoming surprisingly calm and relaxed amongst the sounds of nursing babies and cooing mothers.

"I didn't realize that werewolves could transform partially like that, I've only ever known one. I don't think he can partially transform." stated Hermione softly.

"Alpha told us that Remus taught at your school a few years ago. We were so proud of him we celebrated for an entire week! He was such a smart child it broke our hearts when he left but we knew he had to do what was right for him. It has been centuries since a werewolf held such a publicly revered job, I know it didn't last long but it was still a major achievement." Jo said smiling softly at her now sleeping babies.

"Is Greyback the Alpha you keep talking about? How do you know Professor Lupin?" asked Hermione eager to learn as much as she could from these kind women.

"Remus lived here with us most of his life. He never forgave Alpha, he hasn't been back since he became a legal adult." Dahlia said sadly.

"To answer your question yes the Alpha is Fenrir Greyback." added Jo.

"Where is he? Why am I left with you instead of being tortured by Voldemort and his death eaters?" stammered Hermione fear washing over her anew.

She was becoming far too comfortable with these women, it was important for Hermione to stay focused if she wanted live. Remus knew where she was, he just didn't know she was there.

"What do you remember before waking up dearie? He didn't tell us anything except we should make sure you were safe and comfortable." Jo asked several moments later rather than answer the question.

"It's all a bit hazy, my friend Harry warned us something was going to happen he gave us a Felix Felicis potion. Harry left and Ron and I prepared for a fight. Death eaters in the school, I was fighting but the potion urged me to leave the fight and wait by the forest. Then..." she paused not ready to speak aloud of the death that had occured.

"Then he showed up, the Alpha. He was taunting me but I was frozen to the spot when he got close something happened, he stopped taunting me. Our eyes met and something strange happened, he touched my face and bit my lip." Hermione stopped talking abruptly as she remembered what happened.

"Is that all dearie?" Jo inquired.

"No, he kissed me." whispered the forlorn Gryffindor, "After that I fainted."

"And then woke up here?" asked Dahlia.

"Yes"

"What do you know of werewolves dearie?" asked Jo.

"I thought I knew something, but I've never read about werewolves living in packs, or partially transforming. All I really know is that you change during the full moon every month."

"Most males cannot partially transform, women can, another miracle that comes with childbirth. There are exceptions of course, Alpha has taught himself, his beta and several other men from our pack to transform at will. There are packs all over the world. This is the largest in Scotland."

"We're in Scotland still? Don't tell me we're in the Forbidden Forest somewhere." hope bloomed slightly in Hermione's chest.

"We're in Scotland yes, but I'm sorry dearie we're not anywhere near Hogwarts."

"Of course not. Can you tell me where we are? It's not like I can tell anyone to come save me."

"I don't suppose it would hurt. We live on protected lands Hermione. These caves are part of a five-thousand acre dragon reserve. It's not really part of Scotland, officially this place doesn't exist, it isn't illustrated on any map." Dahlia responded.

"Dragons?" whimpered Hermione, with a clear image in her mind of the terrifying Hungarian Horntail Harry had tricked in fourth year.

"We 'ave an understanding with zem." Angelica spoke up for the first time.

"Yes, they leave us alone so long as we don't eat all of the wild game. Dragons are fiercely intelligent creatures. If you gain their trust they are unbelievable allies." added Josephine.

Hermione had her doubts but didn't care to speak them, she was far too appreciative of these women's kindness and willingness to answer her questions. A dragon reserve, she had read of them. There wasn't a whole lot of information on the subject available but she knew they existed and that they were only subjugated to their own laws.

Another spark of hope erupted inside her, Charlie! He might know where she was as well. Unfortunately like Professor Lupin he had no way of knowing she was there. Even if they somehow figured out who had taken her they'd assume she was dead given Greyback's violent nature.

-XXXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXXX-

"Dumbledore might know something that'd work, though," Ron said. "Where is he? Bill fought those maniacs on Dumbledore's orders, Dumbledore owes him, he can't leave him in this state"

"Ron, Dumbledores dead," said Ginny.

"No!" Lupin looked wildly from Ginny to Harry, as though hoping the latter might contradict her.

When Harry did not, Lupin collapsed into a chair beside Bill's bed, his hands over his face. Harry had never seen Lupin lose control before; he felt as though he was intruding upon something private, indecent. He turned away and caught Ron's eye instead, exchanging in silence a look that confirmed what Ginny had said.

"How did he die?" whispered Tonks. "How did it happen?"

"Snape killed him," said Harry. "I was there, I saw it. We arrived back on the Astronomy Tower because that's where the Mark was. . . . Dumbledore was ill, he was weak, but I think he realized it was a trap when we heard footsteps running up the stairs. He immobilized me, I couldn't do anything, I was under the Invisibility Cloak - and then Malfoy came through the door and disarmed him more Death Eaters arrived - and then Snape - and Snape did it. The Avada Kedavra." Harry couldn't go on.

Madam Pomfrey burst into tears. Nobody paid her any attention except Ginny, who whispered,

"Shh! Listen!"

Somewhere out in the darkness, a phoenix was singing in a way Harry had never heard before: a stricken lament of terrible beauty. And Harry felt, as he had felt about phoenix song before, that the music was inside him, not without: It was his own grief turned magically to song that echoed across the grounds and through the castle windows.

How long they all stood there, listening, he did not know nor why it seemed to ease their pain a little to listen to the sound of their mourning, but it felt like a long time later that the hospital door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered the ward. Like all the rest, she bore marks of the recent battle: There were grazes on her face and her robes were ripped.

"Molly and Arthur are on their way," she said, and the spell of the music was broken.

Everyone roused themselves as though coming out of trances, turning again to look at Bill, or else to rub their own eyes and shake their heads.

"Harry, what happened? According to Hagrid you were with Professor Dumbledore when he - when it happened. He says Professor Snape was involved in some -"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," said Harry.

She stared at him for a moment, then swayed alarmingly; Madam Pomfrey, who seemed to have pulled herself together, ran forward, conjuring a chair from thin air, which she pushed under McGonagall.

"Snape," repeated McGonagall faintly, falling into the chair. "We all wondered . . . but he trusted . . . always . . . Snape… I can't believe it. …"

"None of us can believe it, I always thought Dumbledore had some ironclad reason for trusting Snape." stated Tonks morbidly.

"Where is Miss Granger?" asked McGonagall fresh sorrow crossing her face.

Every person in the room gasped, and looked around to gauge the expressions on the well known faces that surrounded them. Nobody had any clue.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the ward just then running to their gruesomely marred child. Fleur trailed slowly behind them misery befouling her beautiful face.

"I've got to go find Hermione. Ron, stay here with your family fill your mum and dad in on what's happened, I can't, I can't talk about this anymore." mumbled Harry thickly.

"I'll come with you Harry." Remus stood ready.

"Last time I saw her she stunned that lumpy... thing death eater and kept running towards the entrance hall." Ginny informed the two, not moving from her brothers side.

With a curt nod to Ginny and a final look at Molly and Fleur's sobbing figures Harry turned and Lupin strode out of the hospital wing behind him.

"Can your nose help us Remus?" asked Harry once they were in the entrance hall.

"I can smell her, my sense of smell isn't as strong during the waning moon though. There are so many smells here I can't exactly pinpoint her trail." Lupin replied with a miserable look.

"She must've been heading outside, why I don't know. It's not like her to run away from a battle." Harry thought aloud.

Lupin agreed and led the way out of the castle using his nose to scope out the many separate paths taken.

"I can smell Snape, and Draco and you. There are a few other people I don't quite recognize, you guys went this way. Hermione's scent is heading the same direction buts it's fainter." the werewolf informed Harry after assessing the area.

Falling into step behind Lupin the two walked across the grounds slowly. Remus stopped and used his heightened senses to assure they were on the correct path every few paces.

"Her path deviates here, you and... Him, go towards the gate, she was headed towards the forest." said Lupin sharing a concerned look with Harry.

"Why would she go to the forest?" Harry wondered completely perplexed.

He had given them the Felix Felicis potion, according to Ron and Ginny it had probably saved their lives. Was Hermione acting under the potions influence? Harry grimly remembered his experience with liquid luck, he hadn't know exactly where he was going, it had just nudged him in the right direction and everything worked itself out.

"Harry, perhaps you ought to head back up to the castle and let me continue on my own." stated Lupin in a tight voice.

"What are you talking about Lupin! Hermione is like a sister to me! I'm not going to stop looking for her. What if she's injured?" screamed Harry angrily, "I'm not a child, stop trying to protect me!"

"I can smell her blood Harry, not a lot of it."

"So she's not badly injured?" inquired Harry hopefully.

"I also smell Greyback." Remus Lupin stated quietly looking down to avoid the hurt in Harry's eyes.

"Greyback would've made a mess of her though, there isn't any blood." said Harry loudly, unwilling to accept his best friends fate.

"Their path leads into the forest."

Harry took the lead this time as there was a clear path to follow. It seemed as though Greyback had picked her up and carried her, only one set of footprints led him into the forest. There was no trace of blood as far as Harry could see but he steeled his emotions anyway, having already seen the after effects of Greyback's teeth on this night.

The path led them well over a mile into the forest and then stopped abruptly.

"Can you smell them?"

"Sorry Harry, he must've apparated away with her."

"Where would he have taken her? To Voldemort?" Harry's face lost all color at that thought.

"But she knows about the... She knows my mission, if Voldemort realizes what she knows he'll kill her and..." Harry broke off, unwilling to involve Lupin in the quest he had accepted.

Luckily Remus was lost in his own thoughts and didn't question Harry about his mission. If Voldemort found out anyone knew about the horcruxes he would almost certainly gather them all. The fact that he apparently couldn't tell when a horcrux was destroyed had been their only advantage in this war.

Upon their reentrance into the hospital ward a scene unraveling. The bad news Harry and Remus had to share was momentarily forgotton.

"You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am goodlooking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is zat my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her.

Mrs. Weasley fell back against her husband and watched Fleur mopping up Bill's wounds with a most curious expression upon her face. Nobody said anything; Harry did not dare move. Like everybody else, he was waiting for the explosion.

"Our Great Auntie Muriel," said Mrs. Weasley after a long pause, "has a very beautiful tiara - goblinmade - which I am sure I could persuade her to lend you for the wedding. She is very fond of Bill, you know, and it would look lovely with your hair."

"Thank you," said Fleur stiffly. "I am sure zat will be lovely."

And then, Harry did not quite see how it happened, both, women were crying and hugging each other. Completely bewildered, wondering whether the world had gone mad Harry glanced around in time to catch the expression on Tonks' face before she started speaking.

"You see!" Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!"

"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely -"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times. . . ."

The meaning of Tonks's Patronus and her mousecolored hair, and the reason she had come running to find Dumbledore when she had heard a rumor someone had been attacked by Greyback, all suddenly became clear to Harry; it had not been Sirius that Tonks had fallen in love with after all.

"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor . . . too dangerous. . . ."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back.

"I am not being ridiculous,"said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."

He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.

"This is… not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead. …"

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world." said Professor McGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in.

The little of his face that was not obscured by hair or beard was soaking and swollen; he was shaking with tears, a vast, spotted handkerchief in his hand.

"I've . . . I've done it, Professor," he choked. "M moved him. Professor Sprout's got the kids back in bed. Professor Flitwick's lyin down, but he says he'll be all righ' in a jiffy, an' Professor Slughorn says the Ministry's bin informed."

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Professor McGonagall, standing up at once and turning to look at the group around Bill's bed. "I shall have to see the Ministry when they get here. Hagrid, please tell the Heads of Houses, Slughorn can represent Slytherin, that I want to see them in my office forthwith. I would like you to join us too. Harry did you find Hermione?"

"Er," Harry paused trying to prepare himself to deliver the blow. "Greyback got her. They apparated away from a mile or so into the forest."

Hagrid wailed piteously and Harry found himself squeezed to the giant mans chest. Stiff at first Harry resisted the urge to cry and patted Hagrid's enormous back.

"Not 'Ermione too!" Hagrid managed to say between sobs.

At his words Harry felt the tears burning in his eyes, burying his face into Hagrid's heaving chest he finally allowed himself to cry. He cried for Dumbledore, he cried for Bill but above all he cried for Hermione; his best friend. Neither he nor Ron had ever appreciated her properly and now she was gone.

Pulling himself somewhat together Hagrid left to gather the house heads. Harry stood with his eyes closed for several seconds, when he felt he had control over his tears he looked around the room. Ron was sobbing silently into his mums bosom, Molly had tears streaking down her face as well as she rubbed comforting circles on her youngest sons back. An awkward and tense looking Remus had a crying Tonks attached to his waist while Arthur was tear free but had a disturbed look of sorrow that Harry had never seen on his face before.

At long last he looked to his own head of house, expected her to be composed. Minerva McGonagall had but a single tear upon her cheek but the sorrow in her eyes was deep.

"What would Greyback do with her?" asked Ron looking quizzically at Lupin.

Remus looked as though he would be sick.

"Well, he had a taste of blood," Lupin gestured towards Bill. "Considering how... Well gentle... He was with Bill we should assume that he was under orders not to kill. There's no telling, if he found her alone he likely ate her. If he was acting under orders than he would've taken her to Voldemort."

"Than Voldemort will know that we know... He'll kill her." mumbled Ron panic spreading across his face as he put all the pieces together.

"Harry, I'll need you to come along to my office as well. I'm sorry I know you've had a long, horrible day but I have a few questions I must ask you before the ministry shows up." Professor McGonagall said in a voice closer to her normal stern voice.

"I'll see you in the dormitory mate." Ron said sharing a look of grief and panic with his remaining best friend.

-XXXXXXXXX-XXXXXXXXX-

Hermione found herself being roughly shaken awake.

"He's here Hermione, wake up." a female voice hissed in her ear.

Her eyes opened in shock as she remembered where she was, and who HE was. All the panic that had dissipated in the long hours she sat and talked with the kindly were-mothers, came back suddenly. Quelling the urge to vomit she stood not knowing what to expect.

Greyback entered the women's cave at a slow leisurely pace. Hermione recoiled at the sight of him, blood on his chin as he eye'd her up and down.

"Come." he said quietly to Hermione, ignoring the other women.

Hermione froze, the odd feeling that she felt when she saw him coming towards her returned.

"I said come!" snarled the wolf grabbing the back of her neck and a good bit of her wild hair roughly, shoving her into the chamber he had come from.