Chapter 10

'She could smell the blood as it pooled next to her head. There was a heavy pressure on her arm as Bellatrix all but sat on it to keep her still. Then there was the pain and taunts.

"Thought you were clever, mudblood? Not so smart now are you? Oh the things I'm going to do to you. You first, then my friend Greyback over there wants a go while I move on to the dim witted ginger."

She used all of her strength to turn her head, she could see the filthy werewolf a few yards away. He was licking his lips and raking his eyes across her body, a vulgar leering smile on his face, no doubt thinking of what to do when it was his turn.

Just behind Greyback was the Malfoy family. Lucius looked nearly as excited as Greyback, he would be getting his good name back with the Dark Lord in no time. He wasn't looking at her, but at his sister-in-law, watching how she tortured the young girl. There was a satisfied look about him that sent a shiver down her spine.

Next to him was his wife, who had somehow managed to look quite uncomfortable while still above everything. She was staring fixedly at a spot on the wall, not letting herself look at what her sister was doing, pretending she couldn't hear the screams. Narcissa was detached from the whole thing, it was quite infuriating.

Finally, her eyes came to rest on Draco. He looked the worst of the trio, allowing his emotions to show briefly. He looked directly into her eyes, silent tears threatening to spill over at any moment. He looked as though he was going to be sick, she knew that if he had to witness what Greyback seemed to be planning, he most likely would vomit all over the floor next to her. She stayed focused on his eyes, cold grey eyes that were full of guilt and sorrow and weariness.

Then the eyes began to change, they went from the familiar cold slate to a twinkling brilliant blue. She lay on the floor, bleeding still as everything around her began to vanish. Everything but those eyes, eyes that no longer belonged to Draco Malfoy, but Albus Dumbledore. She lay there, still frozen as he walked closer to her. Dumbledore bent down so that he was mere feet from her and looked at her with a sadness that she felt deep down in her bones.

"Miss Granger, you have played your part well. You have done what I knew only you could. You have helped Harry to succeed, that's what he needed. It was, after all, for the greater good. Your sacrifices were not in vain."

Hermione woke with a start as she felt the warm body next to her, trying desperately to wake her from the nightmare. A nightmare she was all too familiar with, all except that last part with Dumbledore, that was new. Hermione knew that the anxiety of going back to Hogwarts in the next few days triggered her nightmare, she was worried about being face to face with Dumbledore. She knew she still had a lot of unresolved issues with the great wizard who had sent her best friend walking to his own death. She knew, of course, it needed to be done. Harry needed to willingly die, to kill the piece of Voldemort that clung to Harry's soul, just like Dumbledore needed to willingly die, to give Snape credibility and set about the loyalty of the Elder wand. That was the reason she didn't go to Dumbledore, to stop him from the cursed ring. Certain things needed to play out it certain ways.

"Kitten, are you alright? It was only a nightmare it wasn't real," Sirius soothed, stroking her hair gently. Sirius was no stranger to nightmares, but it broke his heart to see the girl who had brought so much light to his life so broken looking.

"It was real though, it was a memory, not just a nightmare," Hermione said, sitting up straighter in her bed, she smiled a small sad smile at Sirius and scooted over so he could sit next to her. They sat in an easy silence for a few moments, side-by-side, Hermione laid her head on her shoulder and he took her hand gently.

Hermione had learned after months of horrific nightmares that the only way she could overcome them was to talk about them, this had become something of a healing exercise between her and George. Whenever one of them had a particularly nasty one they would seek the other one out and discuss them. No matter the time, no matter where they were. It hadn't been easy at first, both were a bit embarrassed, but it did keep the fear at bay, so they quickly got over it.

Only two people knew exactly what had happened at Malfoy Manor, Harry and George. Hermione had tried to talk about that night with Ron, but he all but broke down, sobbing about how he couldn't get to her. Ron tried to turn the entire thing around, making it all about himself, like he did most things. That wasn't what Hermione needed though, so she dropped the subject quickly. She didn't fault him for this, it was just the way Ron did things. He was a fiercely loyal friend to Harry, until he felt slighted then he would retreat in on himself, making the whole situation about him, how he was the one who was wronged. It was the reason he left Harry's side during the Triwizard Tournament as well as while they were hunting horcruxes. Hermione didn't hold a grudge, he always came back, but it was a very strong determining factor when she decided that Ron was a good friend, not boyfriend.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Sirius asked gently, he had no interest in pushing her if she wasn't ready or just didn't want to talk.

"I do actually. It always helps me if I can talk to someone about them, usually it would be George or Harry. First, you need a bit of background. You know that we beat Voldemort, what you don't know is that he set up some safeguards to protect himself. Dumbledore set Harry on a mission to deactivate these safeguards. Ron and I went with him. We were totally unprepared, it was certainly something that was far beyond three seventeen year olds. Sorry, that's neither here nor there.

Anyway while we were on this mission, we got caught. The snatchers brought us to Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix saw something that I had, that she thought was securely in her Gringotts vault. So, she-she tortured me to get information."

"Dear Merlin," Sirius looked at her with wide eyes, he knew his cousins methods better than most. He had, after all been one of her first test subjects when he was but a boy. His mother allowed it, said as long as she didn't use an unforgivable, she could do as she pleased. Sirius was a soft boy after all, he needed some toughening up. Bellatrix was a bit deranged from a very young age, but she learned her cruelty from her favorite aunt.

"Yes, well, she was determined to learn how we came into possession of this item and I guess she thought I was the weak one, the mudblood. So she started with the cruciatus, but that didn't work. I suppose she learned her lesson after Neville's parents, didn't want to completely break my mind. So she decided to break my spirit. She carved into my arm with a cursed knife, I thought I'd have that scar forever, another good thing about being hurtled into the past." Hermione chuckled a bit humorlessly.

"Wh-what did she carve, kitten?" Sirius asked quietly, though he already had a good idea.

"Mudblood," Hermione stated simply. Her voice was completely devoid of emotion at this.

"Is that everything?" Sirius again asked already knowing the answer.

"No, not quite. When I still didn't tell her what she wanted, she told me that she was going to give me to Greyback. Like I was nothing more than a bone she was tossing to her dog," Hermione snorted a little as she realised what she'd said. "No offence."

"Now you sound like James, he always had some awful dog pun on the tip of his tongue," Sirius laughed lightly, trying not to think about Greyback and Hermione.

"Anyway, that still didn't work, so she told me that she was going to get Ron. Perhaps that would loosen my tongue. I almost did break at that. Luckily about that time was when Harry and Ron saved me. Dobby had appeared and was able to get us all away.

I haven't had that nightmare in almost nine months, but tonight I did. I remembered the smell of my blood, the look on Greyback's face. I also remembered the looks on the Malfoy family's faces. Poor Draco, I wish I could have saved him from his fate. I was selfish though. I came here immediately. I really don't know how I could have saved him anyway, Voldemort has made Draco take the mark by now. It was a punishment for Lucius failing at the Department of Mysteries.

This time the dream ended a bit differently. Tonight I was looking into Draco's eyes and they changed. They changed into Dumbledore's eyes. He told me I'd done good, as if I were a small child who wrote her name properly for the first time. He all but patted my head and offered me a treat." Hermione was crying freely now, she was scared of the dream but she was also very angry. "I told you that I disagreed with some of the things he has done. The method in which he worked, he manipulated everyone around him to make sure the outcome was what he wanted. I'm going to tell you something but I need to be sure that it stays between us.

"

"You know I won't tell a soul," Sirius told her, looking straight in her eyes. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like what she was about to tell him.

"I have no proof whatsoever. It's only a theory really, but it makes sense to me. I think that he had everything to do with your lack of trial all those years ago. Please hear me out," Hermione said as she felt him stiffen next to her. She was afraid he wouldn't believe her, she knew she was throwing around big accusations. It was the only reason she could think of that made sense why he never got a proper trial. "There was sufficient evidence, a witness even, not to mention Veritaserum. When Lily put herself in front of that curse, she gave Harry a lingering protection, it would only linger however, as long as Harry called one of her blood relatives family, as long as his home was Petunias home.

It's a beautiful magic, and Dumbledore figured out that was what happened. I assume, and this is where I'm only speculating, again I have no proof at all, I assume that Dumbledore knew that James and Lily would never leave Harry with the Dursleys willingly, choosing you instead. I think that Dumbledore knew that you would never allow Harry to live in that house, not when he was abused and neglected his entire life. So he needed to keep you out of the way."

Sirius sat for a few moments, taking everything she'd just said in. Bagnold was Minister then, and while she was a clever enough witch, she was easily swayed, especially by someone as powerful as Dumbledore. Crouch was head of the DMLE then, and he was certainly having a rough time, what with his son being sent to Azkaban. Sirius was sure that a few reassuring words from Dumbledore about Sirius' obvious guilt would be enough to convince the grieving wizard to shove one more thing off his plate. Yes, the more he thought on it, the more he believed that Hermione had the right of it. Then he got angry.

"I-I didn't mean to upset you," Hermione said quickly, mistaking his anger at Dumbledore for anger at her. She knew how much the Order held the old headmaster in such high esteem.

"Kitten," Sirius started taking a calming breath. "I don't think it possible for me to ever be upset with you. I believe you, and it has my skin crawling to think of how much respect I've had for that man all these years."

"I assume you can understand my trepidation at going back to Hogwarts. Knowing everything I know now, I'm not sure I can face him. Luckily, he never worried too much with Ron or myself, it was always Harry. I'm afraid, however I may have put myself on his radar, what with getting you exonerated. I'm just not sure if that's a good thing or bad," Hermione sighed.

"If you feel even the slightest bit uncomfortable, contact me immediately. I don't know what I'll be able to do, but I will be right there by your side the whole time. If nothing else I am your magical guardian, that should count for something," Sirius knew that he would do whatever it took to save her. He really had come to think of her as family, and one thing Sirius was, was loyal to his family. Not his blood family but his true family.