A/N: yay Friday updates!

Underlined in this chapter only is Hermione's inner thoughts

Hermione

Lost to her own anguish and pain, she had howled her sorrowful cries into the stadium evening air. Her father being the only one who could tether her to the living world held onto her for her dear life.

She knew how he was the only one to have felt this pain before, how it tore him up inside and made him the most feared wizard of all time. This anger he had caused so many meaningless deaths in his time and hers. She knew from his life that she would not, could not give in to those callings for blood.

She did the only thing she could think to do, looking to catch her Alpha's eye she set a piercing stare until the professor transitioned seamlessly into a very pregnant Tabby cat.

Alpha I will be back, I assume my father will come with me, do not let anyone follow. I don't want to hurt anyone, I need time…time to..

-Go little one, I will take care of everything. Get your mind right, your wife will need you when you come home.

Thank you Tabby

The animingus swiftly transitioned back to her human self. Minerva turned directly to the man who was clutching lovingly at his hurting daughter's furry back. She quickly spoke a few words firmly to Tom.

'Hold on laddy, protect your wee one'

That was the only notice Tom had before his daughter took off full speed into the depths of the forbidden forest. As he was already on her back he just held on for dear life.

Luna had made good on finding ingredients for the process to reverse the horcruxes that were created. The effect had been that his hair had finally grown back, a nose thankfully re-appeared and other smaller changes. He appeared now, not as a psychotic killer, but a broken man. As such he felt the wind rush through his hair and beard.

Tom had often ridden on his Leah's back in his youth, but she had always been so careful with him. He was more precious to her than gold. Leah was the quickest in her pack, knowing that fact she was always mindful of her precious imprint, her heart on her back.

This pace set by his daughter however, was beyond any speed Leah could get to, it felt as dangerous as holding on to a runaway muggle train with oily hands. His Hermione trusted the wizard to hold on, besides how could she even think while in that much pain?

They sped in erratic directions for what seemed like an eternity. So lost in her grief, she didn't realize where she was heading. It wasn't until she saw the familiar cave door she had been in front of only this morning that she stopped moving. Oh, how that seemed like more than a lifetime ago that she had been here with her wife, her love.

She had not heard the thud and groan from her father being catapulted off of her back. In fact she barely realized that she had transitioned back to human, when she felt her father's cloak settle over her bare, shaking body. He easily picked her up and cradled her to his chest, like how he wished he had been able to do when she was just a babe. Tears came easily then.

He walked them both into the warm cave and transfigured a large comfy bed for his only daughter. He sat at the head of the bed, back to the headboard while his daughter in his lap refused to move. Hermione for her part, was lost to her grief entirely.

She felt the impermanence of life. Her twisted mind had a circular kind of rage filled reasoning.

They leave, they all leave.

I thought she was different…

My parents, not the tragic end to the ones who bore me, but the ones whom raised for me. They never truly wanted me. I was an accident in their life. They did come to see me as more of a status symbol, than an actual daughter. I was never their idea of what their daughter was supposed to be. They never cared to get to know me.

Gifts that however sparingly given, were always spoken to whom they thought their daughter was. Pink, why has she always been gifted pink? Yes she was female, but no…just no. If they had spent just five minutes spending time in her presence they would know that wasn't her.

They never got her…she had always felt like she had no place to get upset by those things, after all they weren't physically or sexually abusive…but they were neglectful. Leaving her months on end before being accepted to Hogwarts. Her father at the time had been a lecturer, and her mother rationalized that she had heard that too many marriages had ended when the children left, that she left Hermione to her own devices.

Once she even overheard her mother speaking to a friend. Her adoptive mother was vehemently speaking about how it was abhorrent that some people left their children in the care of strangers, stating firmly that:

' I raised my kid!'

...Hermione had been 10 at the time...

and that was when her mother began traveling months at a time with her adoptive father...

Hogwarts has been a godsend.

Her buried, but never resolved issues of abandonment had influenced her life more than she could possibly know. She put up walls when she met new people, after all if they would always leave, how could she open up and get attached if they would always leave her.

How she looked, played into her fears congruently. She was bushy haired and buck toothed when she was younger. Even though through learned magic she had fixed both issues to some degree . At first glance people used to hate her, judge her.

So she retreated into herself. If people always hated her and would always leave her, she would grow a thick skin, push those away whom would leave anyway. Making those who might not leave of their own volition a self fulfilling prophecy. It was the only way she knew to protect her fragile heart. She would never admit to being weak, to need love, comforting physical touch that never came.

She was alone, she was always alone. Even her family abandoned her, she felt so alone.

It was at this whimper and fresh new set of tears that her father, Tom clutched her tighter to his body. Leah had often retreated into her own mind. Physical touch had been the only comfort that would soothe his shifter, she was angry at times, a truly tortured soul. Words were meaningless, but touch was real, tangible, holding the broken pieces of his imprint together. So, doing the only thing he could, he held his daughter, stroking her hair gently.

But she wasn't alone, she suddenly felt her fathers gentle touch. Her biological father that wanted her…her biological mother had wanted her…he had sworn that he would never leave her, and all of his actions had shown her of that very intent.

That brought her thoughts back to her

Fleur.

My love, my heart she did not leave me. In my bones I feel it that deeply, she will never leave me. My sweet loving wife. She was the first to really see me. She was the only one truly worthy of my trust, without reservation. Had she also been unconsciously pushing her away, the best thing to ever happen to her?

Horrified at the thought she paled considerably

I have to get better.

She needs my head to be right.

When I get her back, I need to be the mate she needs me to be.

Without reservations… reservation…my extended pack! They care, my mother's old pack, my Alpha, my current pack they care. People do care, my Luna cares for me. The flock, the centaurs, the in-law Veela's, the Cullen's…

Merlin, I'm not alone.'

She stopped feeling sorry for herself at that realization. They all needed her, her imprint needed her.

She stood up, with the help of her father. Mindlessly transfiguring the borrowed robe to a loose tank top and shorts.

She paced

She thought

Her Fleur, the glow of the cave was so bright, so colorful during their last encounter here, she had looked so beautiful...the glow had been...bright light...that had never happened before...what was different on that night? Perhaps she should resear...

Thoughts shifting so fast, driven by so much emotion.

Her imprint had not died, she had been taken!

Anger resurfaced with a vengeance, but her rational mind took over from her erratic animal baser instincts.

'Ineed to center, I need to get strength, allies we need allies…'

Walking back and forth, mumbling quickly, waking back and forth.

'The Cullen's gave me their allegiance...this act must mean war has been declared with the Goblin King…'

Back and forth, mumbling, and back and forth.

'…perhaps that means that the Voltouri is on his side…'

Back and forth

'He probably got my father's old allies, by how he was attacked…'

Back and forth

'We have Hogwarts, the centaurs want to be Switzerland…but maybe if they hear about my Fleur..'

Back and forth

'And the Veela will be planning action as we speak…'

Back and forth

'This may work, Jareth may be banking on me breaking down, beaten into submission, broken…he doesn't know I'm a Riddle…'

Back and forth, the last comment filled Tom with pride.

'Tom…dad..DAD! Oh Merlin you are here!'

She turned to search for her now bemused father, leaning against a cave wall, relieved at the turn his offspring took, how she collected herself with her logical, wonderfully beautiful mind.

'We have no time to waste.'

Tom smiled in response.

'I've been thinking, we must have a traitor in our midst, besides Victor moody pants.'

'Why do you say that little one?' Tom asked

'Dunno, just a feeling I have. Let's review our allies. I know I can trust you so, for now let's plan and do a pro-con list. Giving as much detail as possible, how we met them, their reactions, their motives, well anything of importance…oh and wormtail…let's not forget familiars!

It would not do, to not learn our lessons from the previous wars!'

' ah, I might be able to help you on that side. I can summon the maurauder's map and charm it to show the familiars only. This will show their true names.'

'Bloody brilliant pop!'

Red eyed but excited Hermione wrapped her arms around her father whispering 'thank you'. Before pulling back.

'Right, so the first thing we need to figure out is…'

For the next twenty-four hours the pair planned, set plans in motion, and redrew whom they counted without fail as allies, questionables, and untrustworthies.

The mighty Goblin King may have struck first and deep, but to quote the muggle Isoroku Yamamoto:

" I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve"

They were the giant in this scenario, and their resolve was terrible indeed. Fleur would come back to them, even if the world and their enemies had to burn of that Hermione was sure.