Scabior unconsciously licked his lips, causing Hermione to back away from him. He removed his wand from his holster. For a moment she was terrified he was going to point it at her. Instead he turned and softly said, "Muffliato."

"No," she whispered, holding out a hand, palm open to stop him if he tried to approach again.

"Don't want anyone hearing anything and interrupting," he clarified, as if she needed clarification.

Almost on cue, she heard his name being called. He stilled, looking directly at her like a lion would look at his prey.

Another call for him.

His right hand came up to slowly trail across the side of her face. She turned away.

A third call. This time louder. His head turned from her towards the flap. He made to move towards it, then turned and cornered her once again.

"Scabior!," she heard again; this time more insistent.

He turned again but grabbed her by the wrist and spoke to her without breaking eye contact.

"This ent over," he said, his voice low. It was almost like a growl. She turned her head as he pushed his weight against her, disgusted by him, trembling all over and wishing her friends could help her.

More yells for the leader.

He turned on his heel and went outside to see what it was. Hermione let out an exhausted sigh of relief. She had to steady herself, she was so lightheaded. Her body had been in fight or flight response for awhile now. Her legs seemed frozen in place and she had trouble catching her breath.

Calm down, she told herself.

You're alright. You are doing fine. You are going to pull it together like you always do and get out of here as quickly as possible.

She regarded the room around her. Surely he had warded it?

You can figure this out. You are the brightest witch of your age. You can do this.

But how?, she thought as she turned and viewed the tent. Her prison.

How to escape?

Hermione was so entranced with the idea of escape she didn't notice a presence behind her until she heard his low breathing. Something about it sounded….different….

Different from Scabior….

Suddenly two arms grabbed her roughly and spun her around.

Oh Godric-, she thought, horrified as she looked at her captor.

The shuddering began then, from the tips of her toes to the ends of her hair. Tears fell freely as one of his hands wrenched itself into her hair painfully and used it as leverage to throw her across the tent.

Oh Godric, no! was the last thought she had before her world went white from the force of being thrown across the room. It was like the pain had short circuited her brain.

That and the fact that she was staring straight into the yellowing eyes of none other than Greyback.

Am I dreaming?

Am I…..dead?

I don't remember what I was doing

I remember Ron…..Harry…..

Get up…..you need to get up…..

Hermione…get up!

Hermione jerked awake. She heard voices. Her vision slowly returned, blurry at the edges, but she realized she was still in the tent. The day's events came back to her in a rush. There were two voices, a lower one that was more like a growl, and a higher one that she vaguely recognized but was unable to place.

Oh Godric, I'm still here….

With….him…

Then the voices turned to shouts.

Hermione looked up and she saw her captor, Scabior, and the wolf-man, Greyback arguing. She couldn't tell what they were saying but they both looked agitated.

Get up…..

Get moving….

Try to get out of here…..

She rolled over onto her stomach and was about to pull herself across the floor when Greyback's head snapped around and turned towards her. His yellow eyes fixed on her as they narrowed. His lips curled back revealing his teeth.

Immediately, she moved to a crouching position and backed up on all fours.

He was coming for her, his eyes fiery now. He moved so quickly….

Get up!

Go!

Run!

She told herself all these things but her body was frozen in place. There were thoughts….thoughts of her parents, of Harry, of Ron, Ginny, then brief flashes of her life. Her dress at the Yule Ball. Dancing with Harry in the tent. Looking into Ron's eyes back at Hogwarts wondering if she should talk to him….

Hermione seemed to realize that this was most likely the end of her life. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes as he moved towards her, only a few steps away.

It's over….

It's done….

Put your head down…. don't look…..don't watch…

You did well.

She obeyed her thoughts and put her head in her hands, waiting for the end that would surely follow. But the attack never came for it was then that she heard his voice. Her captor.

"Stupefy!," Scabior screamed and she saw the bright flash of magic that momentarily stunned the wolf-man.

She had raised her head from her arms in time to see the magic blow. Then Greyback recovered quickly and she read panic on Scabior's face as Greyback lunged at him, knocking him to the ground, his wand flying several meters from him, equal distance between him and where Hermione was.

His wand!

I can steal his wand!

I can get out of here!

Hermione moved quickly, trying to crawl the distance to the wand. She heard a lot of grunting and watched them tussle on the ground, rolling over each other. It was terrifying. They were really having it out. Then she saw Greyback use the long nails on his hand to rip through the leather of Scabior's jacket directly into the flesh of his right shoulder. Scabior let out a shriek that was almost inhuman as she saw blood, and a lot of it, pool beneath him.

He let out noises almost like cries and the werewolf was on top of him, pressing him into the floor of the tent. And still he fought valiantly, clawing wildly at the much larger opponent on top of him. He grabbed Greyback's wrists and fought him from below; oblivious to the fact he was in the losing position. Greyback put his full weight on him, pressing one hand into his windpipe, the other onto his nearly destroyed shoulder, making him cry out.

"All for a fucking mudblood. I just wanted to have a little fun. What the fuck is wrong with you, Scabior!?"

"She's mine," he replied, his voice no more than a whisper. He choked, gasping for air as the werewolf pulled him up by his jacket.

"She's mine now!," he snarled directly into his face before shoving him, shoulder first into the floor again. Scabior let out another cry.

It was an awful sound. It was like an animal being eaten. It stopped Hermione dead in her tracks and made her look to the struggling man.

He shrieked and cursed again, desperately trying to get the wolf-man off his shoulder, arms flailing wildly.

Hermione had reached the wand without Greyback noticing, but as she picked it up into her trembling hand, she knew she could not just leave this.

Go.

Just go.

You owe him nothing!

You need to get out of there!

Wait!

He protected you!

From him! He did!

He protected you because he wants you for himself.

No….don't think….Go!

Her mind warred with itself for a moment. And then, all the noise inside her head stopped and she did what she thought was right. And it happened almost instinctively, with very little debate.

She came up silently behind Greyback with the wand, trying to get Scabior's attention. She was shaking; any moment he could turn around and….

Stop!

Scabior look at me!

He seemed to read her mind for his eyes opened for a moment before Greyback stepped on his shoulder again, grinding him into the floor. Another scream.

His eyes caught hers just then and she raised the wand. He seemed to understand what she was about to do and was prepared when she suddenly lunged at him and placed the wand directly into his left hand. In an instant he had flipped himself over and pointed the wand directly at Greyback.

"Petrificus Totalus!," Scabior cried and all of a sudden the wolf-man stilled, before keeling over on his side, like a giant block of wood.

Scabior let out a few shaky breaths before collapsing from his knees to the floor. He saw the massive amounts of blood beneath himself and thought, 'how strange', before his eyes closed and he was enveloped by a feeling of serene warmth.