A/N: Thank you all so much for being as excited about this fic as me. I really never expected the reception this one has received. I hope you like the newest update.

xx-Kitten.

Witch Hunting

By Kittenshift17

Chapter Nine

No amount of research or attempts to sever the bond between her and Rowle had been effective, and as she sat inside the Burrow alongside Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna, Hermione found herself rubbing at her chest absentmindedly.

They'd broken in Gringotts with surprising ease, as a matter of fact. Luna's betrothal to Rabastan granted her access to his vault and it had been as easy as allowing the Goblins to see her wedding band and to examine her magic to find that she was his bonded witch. After that, they had calmly and professionally allowed Luna access to the vault without question, escorting her down to the vault and allowing her as long as she liked to search the chamber until she found the cup of Helga Hufflepuff. Luna had only learned of its existence from Rabastan to begin with when he'd drunkenly confessed to her during one of their chats while she'd been a prisoner that the Dark Lord had placed something very important inside the Lestrange family vault.

It hadn't taken much of a leap for Hermione to surmise that it must be a horcrux, and they'd been quick to claim it and to dispose of it with the Sword of Gryffindor. They all knew that the time was coming that they would have to go to Hogwarts in search of the final few horcruxes, and Hermione knew that in no time at all, there would be a battle.

Before she could open her mouth to address the growing sense of unease prickling the back of her neck, a patronus in the shape of an owl flew in through the window and Hermione glanced over at it curiously.

"Luna?" the voice of Xenophilius Lovegood said softly. "Luna, my Luna… I think your husband has come to call on me. He is… in bad shape. Come quickly, please."

"Dad," Luna said, her brow furrowing even as she rose to her feet immediately, preparing to apparate.

"It might be a trap," Ron cautioned, also rising.

"I'll come with you," Hermione promised Luna softly as she got to her feet.

Hermione knew that, much like she had been doing, Luna had been suffering in the months that had followed their escape from Malfoy Manor. Luna had said that more than sixth months would be unbearable for all parted bond mates, and Hermione knew now that it was true. The ache in her chest was consistent and painful, never letting up, no matter what she tried.

"We'll all come," Harry declared.

"No," Luna said simply. "If Rabastan is there, it will be dangerous for you three."

She pointed at Harry, Ginny, and Ron.

"She's right," Hermione said. "You share no connection with any of the Death Eaters. If it's Lestrange, he will be seeking out Luna and won't be able to hurt her. All the lore says he won't be able to hurt her."

"It won't stop him from hurting you," Harry pointed out.

"It's unlikely that Rabastan will be alone. Rowle is probably with him. Daddy said they're in bad shape… I expect they'll be suffering the effects of being parted from us for too long," Luna said softly. "Stay here. If we're not back in three days, storm Hogwarts and we will meet you on the battlefield."

"You can't be serious," Ron protested. "Hermione… you can't. Not after what those fuckers did to you."

Hermione smiled tightly.

"I can't let Luna go alone, Ron. Not after she raided the Lestrange vault. He might be there to confront her about it." Hermione argued softly. "We'll be ok. We got out last time, yeah? And we don't have to worry about them killing us. If Rowle is there, he won't be able to hurt me, no matter how badly he might want to."

Ron looked stricken, and Hermione knew that he hadn't dealt with her marriage just yet. He'd been ignoring it, refusing to see the wedding band on her finger, and trying to act like they were still a couple, instead. He didn't want to be faced with the hard truth that, unless one of them died in the war, she and Rowle would be stuck together for eternity. Not that she blamed him. No matter the research, or the growing ache in her chest, she knew she hadn't actually processed that she had shagged him that night and that they were married.

Bonded.

Linked for eternity.

No matter the frequent flashes of memory that danced through her mind of running from him through the forest and being pinned under him on the forest floor while he ravished her so thoroughly and laid claim to her so assuredly, Hermione hadn't really allowed herself to think of him as her husband. She couldn't. She didn't even know the man, if she was being honest.

What little she did know had been scrounged from her own memory, in addition to quizzing Fred and George about him, knowing he'd been in their year at Hogwarts. Other than that he'd been a shit-stirrer always tormenting others at school, and that he'd been on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and then accepted into the Leagues to play for the Ballycastle Bats before being outed as a Death Eater, she hadn't managed to turn up much about him.

"Please don't go," Ron whispered, reaching for her and pulling her into his arms.

Hermione returned the embrace and squeaked in pained surprise when Ron mashed his lips against her, stealing a kiss and obviously thinking that somehow doing so might undo her soul bond with Rowle.

"I have to go, Ron," Hermione said, squirming out of his grip and wiping her hand over her mouth, trying to ignore the painful flare inside her chest at the intimate touch. "None of us like it, but I'm bonded to Rowle. There's nothing for it. And please don't kiss me ever again. It hurts."

She clutched at her chest, trying to control her breathing.

"Come on, Hermione," Luna said, holding out her hand.

Hermione took it and let the other witch lead her out the door, looking back over her shoulder at her friends. As soon as they were outside of the house, Luna Disapparated them both the short distance to her home.

Peering up at the structure, Hermione couldn't help but smile at the kite flying high above the house, in addition to the Dirigible Plums floating by the doorway. Nothing looked amiss, she noticed, though the front door was open. Luna squeezed her hand tightly before hurrying up the stairs and into the house.

Hermione held her breath as they crossed the threshold.

"Daddy?" Luna called, her wand drawn and her face hard as she scanned the kitchen for any sign of her father.

Hermione's heart flipped when, in addition to spying Xenophilius cringing by the kettle, she spotted Rabastan Lestrange and Thorfinn Rowle seated at the kitchen table. Both of them looked like hell, she noticed immediately.

Rowle had dark circles under his eyes, and he was clutching at his chest as though it pained him terribly. His eyes lit upon her the minute she walked into the room, and Hermione knew she wasn't the only one who's stomach backflipped.

Lestrange looked even worse.

His face was bloody, his nose a little crooked, and he had a cut on his lip as though he'd been beaten up recently. He slumped in his chair looking like he'd been beaten within an inch of his life, and when he turned dull eyes in their direction, Hermione suspected he had been.

"Rabastan?" Luna asked, her brow furrowing as she took a hesitant step in his direction.

"Hey, you," he said in a low, pained voice, looking very much like the effort of talking was more than he could bear.

"Merlin, what have they done to you?" Luna whispered. "Your aura is all…. Blotchy."

Rabastan's lips twisted and Hermione noticed the way the split upon the lower one cracked open, blood beading upon his skin as he wore so bitter and expression.

"You been in my vault, darling?" he asked, his green eyes fixed on the pretty blonde witch.

Luna took a small step back, and Hermione raised her wand threateningly, ready to blast both Death Eaters into oblivion if they tried anything.

Rabastan snorted.

"Take that as a yes," he muttered, slanting a glance sideways at Rowle before looking back at Luna. "How'd you know it was in there, Luna?"

Luna gulped audibly and looked up at Hermione for a minute.

"What's it to you?" Hermione asked, speaking for the girl, seeing how badly the younger witch wanted to cross the room and touch the Death Eater she'd been bound to. She wanted to run her hands over him and to heal his hurts.

Hermione knew. The same niggling urge to cross the room and touch Rowle was gnawing at her psyche, but she squashed it down.

"You told me," Luna whispered. "When you… When I was being held prisoner, you told me there was something special about Helga Hufflepuff's cup that was hidden away in your vault."

Rabastan frowned a little.

"Was I drunk?" he asked.

Luna nodded.

"Shit," Rabastan cursed, closing his eyes. "What've you done with it, darling?"

Luna looked at Hermione again.

"Is that important?" Luna asked.

"I'll be murdered if I don't get it back, so… yeah," Lestrange nodded.

"Oh… Um… you can't have it back, Rabastan," Luna said and she sounded almost apologetic. "It's…. we've… that is to say… erm…"

"We destroyed it," Hermione answered for her. "We know what it really was and what was so special about it. We stabbed it with a sword imbued with Basilisk venom."

Hermione caught the way Rowle's eyes widened while Lestrange closed his in horror, his face paling.

"FUCK!" he shouted, pounding a fist on the kitchen table and causing Xenophilius to almost jump out of his skin. He dropped the teapot he'd been planning to carry over to the table, obviously a nervous but polite host.

Luna jumped, too, squeezing Hermione's hand tightly enough that she almost crushed it, and she seemed unable to keep from trying to comfort the wizard to whom she'd been bonded.

"Bass… I'm sorry," she whispered, letting go of Hermione's hand and stepping closing as the Death Eater wiped angrily at the blood on his lip before it could run down his chin. "I… Rabastan…"

Hermione gasped when the dark wizard lunged out of his chair, rising to his feet though it looked more painful than he could bear. He closed the short distance when himself and Luna, his hands lifting to wrap threateningly around her throat and Luna froze. Lunging, Hermione made to hex him, digging the tip of her wand into his neck.

Before she could blast him, Rabastan hissed out a sigh, some of his pain alleviating to be touching his bond-mate, once more. Hermione watched as he groaned before loosening his tight grip on Luna's throat, laying his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. A tear trickled from the corner of Luna's eyes and ran down her cheek to land on Lestrange's hand.

Hermione watched him open his eyes at the feel, his brow furrowing before he brushed his hand over Luna's cheek, wiping it away. He leaned in a kissed her despite the wand dug into his neck, and Hermione knew from the way Luna practically melted against him that he wasn't going to hurt her, and that the girl certainly didn't object.

Sighing, Hermione stepped back, lowering her wand once more and pitying poor Xenophilius, who looked stricken to be witnessing his daughter snogging a known and dangerous dark wizard. Shaking her head, and flicking her wand to repair the broken teapot, Hermione did her best to ignore Rowle as he sat at the table eyeing her like he wanted to strangle her, and also like he wanted to throw her down on the table and fuck her until she screamed.

"Mr Lovegood, why don't you take a short walk?" Hermione suggested when a little whimper of sound escaped Luna as Lestrange wrapped his arms around the petite witch, clearly caught up in the magic of their bonding and forgetting that they had an audience. "I'm… uh…. I don't think you want to see this and you might be safer… elsewhere."

"My Luna," Xenophilius whispered, looking forlornly at the girl before looking over at Hermione, his expression tortured.

"Go on," Hermione told him, squeezing his arm. "There's nothing you can do to help her, right now. She'll be safe here. I'll protect her."

Xenophilius nodded, his lower lip trembling before he took a bracing breath in and Disapparated, clearly unable to stand it. Hermione shook her head, glancing at Luna and Lestrange again when Lestrange walked her backward across the kitchen and pushed her up against the closed front door, still snogging her hotly.

"Fuck," Hermione heard Rabastan groan when they pair came up for air. "I need you, witch."

He ground himself against Luna suggestively and Luna peered around the kitchen.

"Not here," she whispered.

"Where?" Lestrange asked.

"Um… upstairs… My… my bedroom," Luna managed, her hand tangled in his dark hair as she pressed herself against the wizardly snugly.

Hermione didn't at all like the sound of that, not wanting to be left alone with Rowle and not entirely trusting Lestrange not to kidnap the girl again. Then again, he was supposed to be hunting down the Horcrux they'd stolen and he would probably be killed if he returned without it. He could hardly go back without it.

"Show me?" Lestrange said, burying his face against Luna's neck, kissing her delicate flesh and fisting handfuls of her loose blonde hair.

Luna met Hermione's eyes for a moment over Lestrange's shoulder, her expression begging Hermione's forgiveness for her weakness even as she took Lestrange's hand, intent on leading him upstairs. Hermione gulped, turning her attention to the teapot she'd been steeping, trying to keep from looking at Rowle lest she do something foolish. She didn't know what to say to him. He hadn't spoken since she'd walked in, though Hermione knew he hadn't taken his eyes off her.

"Princess?" he asked finally after five long minutes of strained silence that was broken only by the faintest creaking of bedsprings overhead.

"Don't call me that, Rowle," Hermione said tightly, refusing to look at him.

She heard him snort in annoyance, but she didn't dare look over her shoulder. If she looked at him, she might lose all willpower and fling herself at him, begging him to ravish her right there on the kitchen floor. She couldn't stand it. Her hand pressed to her aching chest as it throbbed terribly, Hermione tried to control her breathing, trying to keep from giving in, trying to maintain some restraint.

She didn't hear him get out of his chair and cross the kitchen. She didn't see him close the distance between them. She didn't know he was closing in on her until the minute his arms encircled her from behind and he moulded himself against her back, breathing out a low groan of contentment at the touch.