A/N: Hello again everyone! Welcome to another chapter of Bonds. I know this chapter took a while to write, but to be honest, I had not idea where this was going at this point so I had to think it over. I hope you all like it, I like the way it turned out. There will be more interaction with Finn and Hermione soon, but there is a bit in this chapter.

Peace, Love, and Slyther,

Gimi aka Jess

Stepping out into Pansy's outer office floo, the raven-haired witch could be seen sitting at her desk looking over patient charts through the door. Hermione was brought back to memories of Hogwarts, before their friendship, the feeling of wonder that the Slytherin wasn't an airhead. It was the need to share a book that brought the two friends together, in the partially restored library. The library had been torn apart in the battle; the teachers were still waiting on replacement tomes so resources were limited. Looking up, Pansy gave her friend a bright smile.

"Hermione," Pansy said, putting her quill down for a moment, "I wasn't expecting you so early, let me just finish one more thing, and we can go."

Hermione smiled at her friend, "No worries Pans, I'm still waiting for Harry and Rodolphus to come through anyway." As if cued, green flames erupted again, and Rodolphus stepped through, a smile on his face as he saw his daughter.

Hermione smiled back, realising that her father was quite handsome. The first time she had seen him, he had just spent years with Dementors and malnourished, but with this last stay, he had gotten his colouring back and was looking every bit as distinguished as Lucius.

Once more the flames flared up and Harry appeared, soot on his face. He, at least, had the sense to take his glasses off as to keep from breaking them. Pansy looked in her antechamber, giving Hermione and Harry a quick hug. Eying Rodolphus she gave him a nod, memories of meeting the man while the Voldemort was seeking power still fresh in her mind.

"Hello Miss Parkinson," Rodolphus said with a bow and a kiss to her hand, "I would like to thank you for caring for my wife."

Pansy looked surprised at the man, not expecting that "Uh, of course, Mister LeStrange, anything for Hermione."

"I find it quite refreshing that young Slytherins such as yourself and my nephew seem to have such love for my daughter, even before knowing her blood status." Hermione could almost hear the test her father was sending Pansy and rolled her eyes. She knew what he was doing, while he was aware that she and Draco were close friends, he was not so sure about other former Death Eater children.

Pansy bristled, pulling her hand away, "I stopped caring about her blood years ago, Mister LeStrange. We have all grown after the war, my father is dead, and his blood prejudice teachings died with him."

"Don't listen to him Pans," Hermione said with a hug, "He's testing you because of your father," She gave Rodolphus a disapproving glare, "That is really quite rude of you, Rodolphus."

He gave her an apologetic smile, "I apologise; I know you have said there is no resentment between Miss Parkinson and yourself, but old habits die hard. Please, Miss Parkinson, accept my apology and my thanks for all your help."

Pansy held her head high and gave a slight nod; her hazel eyes taking in his face, "I understand Mister LeStrange, being my father's daughter has not given me any favours through the years."

"Yes, well," Hermione started, bringing the focus away from Pansy's father, "How is Bellatrix doing?"

Pansy looked at her friend; empathy in her face, "The external and internal bruising have been healed, she is still catatonic at the moment. It seems she was uh… brutalised quite a bit, we found a lot of scar tissue from wounds that weren't properly healed." Hermione couldn't help but gasp in horror not wanting to look at Rodolphus, but grabbing his fist, squeezing it.

Rodolphus gritted his teeth, trying not to remember the revels where he had to endure watching his wife being defiled or risk death. With his humanity coming back to him, these memories were always close to the surface, memories of the first war, the savagery of his fellow purebloods, giving in to their baser instincts, showing mudbloods and muggles their rightful place. He had watched one too many being beaten or tortured, had done some of the torturing himself. All of it made his stomach turn.

He could not say the same thing for the second war. His mind had been twisted by years of despair, mourning, and insanity. He was not completely sure that it still made him uncomfortable to hurt a human. When they had been freed from the prison, he was at his absolute vilest. Rodolphus had not thought twice about killing or maiming. It wasn't until the end of the war, and his re-incarceration made his mind start to feel like his own again. To say that he was ashamed of his behaviour was an epic understatement.

He also witnessed his wife at her worst. The years of imprisonment had made her off balanced as it did for himself, but her release; that brought out a side of his wife that only worshipped and adored their former master. In the first war, Bellatrix was a believer; there was no room for error there. During the second, it could be said that she was as fanatical as most believed her to be in the first.

While the LeStranges were civil in the first war, they were changed into true believers in the second; the death of their daughter at the hands of the light had cemented that role for them. Now, as he looked at his daughter, he knew that it was all bullshit.

"I understand Miss… Er… Healer Parkinson," Rodolphus said, wanting to push those bad memories away, "Our, uh, previous stance in the war was hard for my wife. Women were not held in high regard, even a woman of my Bella's breeding was less than my own. She was made to participate in revels to boost the morale of the uh… soldiers. It's not a memory I wish to remember. Let us just say, whatever happened to her over the last few days, was not the first time it has happened."

Pansy nodded her head in understanding, "I remember, my own mother wrote in her diaries about… uh… similar acts that my father had forced her into before she died. Even after the end of the first war."

Rodolphus nodded, "The first war was not as savage as the second. The troops were not as war-worn in the first, revels were not as fashionable, and the Ladies were not encouraged to entertain if they were wed. The second, decorum was not a priority."

"I doubt Voldemort had enough sanity to care about protocol during the war," Harry interjected, almost surprising the rest of the group with his presence. "He was too busy trying to kill children to hold to pureblood customs and that shite."

Hermione snorted which lightened the mood considerably, as Pansy led them through her doors. Healers in various robes were walking the halls. Some smiling at the group, then losing it as they noticed Rodolphus and scurrying away. Hermione snorted after the third person had rushed off.

"I do believe they think you are here to murder them as they stand," She whispered to Rodolphus.

He gave her a tight smile, "Yes well, during the first war I was part of a mission to disrupt the healers here at St. Mungo's, I doubt that is something someone forgives lightly. Unfortunately, there were few dead at my hand."

"How can you speak so casually about killing?" Pansy asked as they entered the lift, a frown marring her lips. Her thoughts went back to her father and his similar behaviour.

Rodolphus looked her in the eye, "I am speaking the truth. That does not mean I do not regret my action, unlike my brother or your father even. I know what a monster I was, I have no delusions that it was right, but it was what I had to do." He met Hermione's eye next, "You have no idea how much I regret my actions."

Hermione nodded in understanding. She could see the emotion lingering in his blue eyes and thought she could see the edges of the man he must have been when she was little. The proud man he was before Voldemort tore it away from him. She could see who Rodolphus was and she hoped she would see more of that man, not the crazed man of Azkaban.

The group rode the lift in silence after that, stopping at the fourth floor. Hermione gulped, remembering that this was the spell damage ward. "Pans, why is she in this ward?" She asked her friend.

"As you know, Azkaban has their own facility and St. Mungo's is not equipped to care for prisoners here. Plus, this is the only secure ward, because of the types of injuries and patients treated here. Bella is still considered a prisoner until Minister Shacklebolt releases her to you, so she needs to be in a secure ward. It's for her safety as well as everyone else." Pansy explained as she waved her wand and let the group in. Instead of heading for the ward, she turned to the left and led them down a corridor to a set of doors flanked by two aurors. Once there she waved her wand again and stepped inside.

Inside the room lay Bella, staring at the ceiling. Rodolphus' heart sank, his beautiful wife looked broken once again. He rushed forward and grabbed her hand and sat in a chair next to the bed. Harry decided it would be best if he stayed outside and spoke to his aurors while Hermione and Rodolphus visited.

"How is she, Pansy?" Hermione asked as she watched her parents. She was amazed how gentle Rodolphus was with his wife, holding her hand, "I mean, will she recover?"

Pansy nodded, "She is still in shock, but she comes out of it every so often."

"Will she be allowed to come home?" Rodolphus asked, holding his wife's hand, he looked back at Hermione, "The Minister said she would be allowed right? It would be safer for her?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, Kingsley will release her to me once she is able."

Rodolphus turned back to his wife, "Did you hear that Bella? You will be coming home. To LeStrange Estates. We have our Lyra again, we can rebuild our family." A tear escaped her grey eyes, and he continued, "I am still upset with you Bella, you will have to work hard to get Ly- er- Hermione to forgive you, we both do. Andy will be there, she will help you. She is moving her and Dora's son in today. We have a lot to make up for her as well. You and I have a lot of work to do."

Hermione pulled Pansy away as she heard her father's words, a bit a fear settling into her stomach. Rodolphus she could handle, even Rowle was not a problem, but Bella… Bellatrix would be hard. She still had nightmares about Bella; and unlike Rodolphus, whom she had seen in a different circumstance. She still saw Bella as the crazed woman who tortured her, or the woman being defiled against her will. She still couldn't picture a sane Bellatrix, she wasn't sure if she ever would. She didn't want it to show, but the thought of being in a house with Bella made her scars hurt.

"How long Pans?" Hermione asked quietly, "How long til we can expect her to come home?"

"Hard to say," Pansy said looking at her chart, "Her wounds are healed, that isn't the problem. We want to give her an evaluation before we let her leave with you. I want to make sure she is mentally stable, and after two wars and two imprisonments in Azkaban, she might be here for a while."

Hermione nodded, "I would just like an estimate when you get a chance, gives me time to prepare myself."

Pansy smiled, understanding that her friend liked to prepare herself mentally before meeting a challenge these days. "I will say not anytime this week at the very least, I am in charge of her case, per minister's orders, and I would like to evaluate her myself along with Susan. I will keep you informed of her prognosis." She finished her charting and then began to wave her wand over Bellatrix to complete her assessment. Pansy then had to leave on an emergency and Harry walked in as Hermione took a seat next to Rodolphus while he visited with his wife.

Bellatrix did not say much, just listened to her husband talk about how the little elf, Cheeks had taken over the house, cleaning everything she could to get it ready for her Missy Lyra. She had watched Hermione intently, taking in how the young girl who looked so much like her sister would smile at the mention of her little nanny elf.

She was sure this girl would never forgive her, not that she could blame her daughter. Grudges are a thing the Blacks were made of.

OoOoOoO

Hermione and Rodolphus stayed for an hour longer before they were to meet Thorfinn and Ingrid. She had sent a patronus to Ingrid asking her to meet them at the Muggle entrance of St. Mungo's, in the alley. Harry went with them, just as a precaution.

Ingrid and Hermione took the newly freed men to shops around London, purchasing suits, trousers, casual dress attire and even types of denim and t-shirts for Thorfinn. Hermione would deny it to anyone who asked, but Thorfinn Rowle was built for muggle denims. She may not like the man, but she knew he was attractive.

Hell, the muggle women in the store couldn't stop looking at him. Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry who was chuckling in the corner as a blonde haired supermodel began to follow them in the men's department in the shop. She had been ogling Thorfinn openly as he came out of the changing room in his vest and a pair of tight-fitting denim, not able to fit the muggle shirt because of the size.

"Granger," Thorfinn said, throwing the shirt at her, "This is not going to work, the bloody thing doesn't fit my arms." He gave her a smirk as she huffed. Ingrid had been hiding her smile behind her closed hand while Rodolphus had been openly chuckling with Harry as it had been the third shirt he had thrown at her.

"Thorfinn, if you don't stop throwing things at me, you will regret it," Hermione almost growled as Ingrid handed him another one, "Bloody fucking hell. Find a damn shirt so we can leave, you're worse than shopping with the girls."

"Hermione!" Harry scolded half-heartedly, sniggering at her language. Hermione was not often one to curse so severely, she must have been tired of the shop.

"What? The bloody wanker in there is taking his time; while the slapper behind me thinks she has a shot at getting in his pants. I'm pretty sure he can't even take off those bloody things without a fucking shoe horn and holy shit Thorfinn, I will murder you in your fucking sleep if you don't come out of that room dressed!"

The three magi laughed openly as the blonde woman huffed and left the department angry.

"Hermione, what is wrong with you?"

"It's been a long day Harry, I would like to have tea before I bloody well murder my fiance, you think I could kill him, and no one would notice?"

"You probably shouldn't say things like that to the head auror Granger," Thorfinn said coming out, wearing the shirt Ingrid gave him, "What do you think?"

Hermione scoffed, "Harry would help me bury the body, not arrest me," Hermione looked at him pointedly, "Think about that when we get married."

Harry laughed hard, "Merlin Hermione, you need a bit of chocolate or something," He then looked at Thorfinn, "She's not wrong you know, I would help without hesitation; but she's the smartest witch around, she won't need help."

Hermione smirked, as she eyed his form. The difference a shower and muggle clothing made was astounding. She shook her head a little, not sure where this sudden bout of positive feeling came from. She had never thought of Thorfinn as attractive before. She wondered if it was from all the looks he had been getting all day. If she had felt their attraction to her fiance and it reflected on herself. Though, if she was honest, she remembered thinking he was handsome in school… When his nose wasn't broken from quidditch that is. Maybe you just find him attractive, she thought as he was looking in the mirror with a frown on his face. He caught her staring and smirked. "Are you done Fabio," Hermione asked.

Thorfinn looked at her confused, "Who?"

Hermione and Harry both chuckled as Ingrid took the clothes to the till to pay. Harry had to leave to make the dinner plans he had with Daphne, Ginny, and Blaise. With a final verbal confirmation from Hermione that she and Ingrid could take care of the rest of the trip and a quick call to Adrian to meet them in London for tea, he took leave.

OoOoOoO

Rodolphus sat there, watching his daughter interact with Ingrid and Adrian pleasantly, even Thorfinn occasionally as they ate their evening meal. He felt like an intruder on a couples night, but it allowed him to see what his life could have been like if he had made different choices. Every sarcastic remark Hermione would make, or the sidelong glances Thorfinn would give her when she wasn't looking, the stories that sometimes had the whole table chuckling, it all seemed very reasonable. Each smile his daughter would send him was a gift he knew he didn't deserve.

"Who would have known the bookworm of Gryffindor was funny," Thorfinn teased, a smile playing on his lips.

Hermione scoffed rolling her eyes and laughing, "I love how the entire school thought so little of me when most of the school couldn't see past my friendship with Harry. I was never Hermione Granger, I was always Harry Potter's swotty friend."

"You were Potter's swotty friend," Adrian pointed out.

Hermione smiled, "I was, but I was also the girl who, in the first year, solved Snape's riddle, in the second year I found out about the basilisk before anyone else. The third year, helped an escaped criminal escape on a stolen hippogriff, in fourth helped Harry in all three tasks, in fifth started an illegal defence league-"

"Okay," Adrian put up his hands in defeat and chuckled, "You're right, you are so much more than Potter's swotty friend."

"Didn't you date Viktor Krum too," Ingrid said slyly, glancing at her brother who had frowned at that. Ingrid smirked at her older brother.

Hermione laughed, "One date and it was horrendous! I was so young, and he was nice enough, but there was nothing there. He liked that I didn't care about Quidditch, but we had nothing in common. Plus Ron and Harry were not happy."

Adrian laughed, "I remember, you were the talk of the common room that night, I thought Pansy was going to hex Draco."

Hermione winced, "Please, please! I don't want to hear about how he had a crush on me, it's too bizarre. Not only is he a close friend these days, but he's also my cousin now, and it makes me ill to think about."

Thorfinn frowned slightly, "I remember that it was my seventh year. The fourth years were insanely talkative over the Gryffindor mud- ahem," Thorfinn coughed, "I mean, muggleborn attaching herself to the Bulgarian seeker."

"Please, those girls were thicker than a beater's bat," Hermione scoffed, "There was nothing between Viktor and I but a few chaste kisses and a night of dancing. I was fourteen for Merlin's sake. What exactly was I supposedly doing with an eighteen-year-old man?"

Thorfinn couldn't hold back a snort of laughter, and she threw a bit of bread at his head. The rest of the table joined in the laughter, including Hermione.

Settling down, Hermione said with a grin, "I guess Slytherins were much different than Gryffindors, but we didn't engage in such behaviour," Adrian chuckled again, and Hermione sniggered too, "Okay they did, but I didn't."

"That I believe," Thorfinn said with a smirk, "You were the epitome of a good little witch in school, at least when it came to boys."

"Being Harry's friend and the brightest of the year didn't help me out in the boys department." Hermione said almost sadly, "Not that any of them were interested, to begin with."

Ingrid chuckled, "You had your admirers Hermione, there were a quite a few of Ravenclaw boys who were besotted with you, you just never saw past your Gryffindor."

Hermione gave her a sad smile, "Yes, well. I was too busy during school to really overthink it."

Ingrid nodded in understanding, "Staying alive seem to be your motivation from what I remember."

"Well, when your friends with the 'Chosen One,'" Hermione used air quotes, "You develop a lot of enemies."

Rodolphus felt his heart clench at that, once upon a time, he was his daughter's enemy. He even came close to ending her life in the Department of Mysteries. He was glad he never got that far. Even though he didn't know she was his daughter then, he was sure that if she had died by his hand, he would have known somehow and that would be the final nail in his own coffin.

OoOoOoO

The soon to be family finished their tea without any surprises and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Walking into the pub, Hermione saw Hannah Abbot behind the bar, and she bit back shock as she saw Neville there as well. Her stomach dropped as the pub went quiet and Neville's shocked green eyes fell onto her, standing next to one of the men who tortured his parents.

"Oh no," Hermione whispered as Neville's eyes went from shock to anger. He got up and walked out of the pub, into Diagon Alley. "Rodolphus stay here with Ingrid please," she said as she ran after her oldest friends.

Running out of the door, she found Neville sitting on the ground, staring into the alley with blank eyes.

"Neville," Hermione said slowly, scared that her friend would let his anger out on her. Not that she would blame him, he had every right to hate her, to hate her family. It was her family which was the reason he didn't have parents anymore. "Neville, I'm sor-"

"Why are you sorry Hermione?" Neville said curtly, "You didn't do anything, it's not your wand that made my parents the way they are. It's not your fault."

Hermione slid down the wall, a few inches away from Neville, "No, it's not, but it was my-"

"Don't say it, Hermione," Neville begged. He looked over at his friend with tears in his eyes, "Please, don't. I don't want to hate you. I don't want to because I love you. You are my very first friend, I don't want to taint that because of your relations. Every bone in my body wants me to go back in there and kill him. Every inch of me is roaring in anger and insisting I avenge my parents, but what good would it do? It wouldn't bring them back, it wouldn't do anything but put me at odds with you."

Hermione nodded tears in her own eyes. In the past few days, she had been able to forget, to forget just how bad of a man her father had been. She had been able to think of his excuses logically and almost forgiven him his misdeeds because he had done it for his family, he acted totally normal being in muggle London, even being remorseful of his actions in the wars.

But here, sitting right here was the product of his actions. Neville, her first real friend, even before Harry and Ron; he was proof that Rodolphus had done evil deeds. His parents would never recover from the actions of her father, her mother, and her uncle. That fact had escaped her as she tried to move on in this messed up life that was her family.

"Pansy told me you know," Neville said into the dark, not looking at his friend. "I mean, I had already known because of the article, but she told me when I was visiting my parents, about your father and mother. How they are out of Azkaban and in your care."

"What happens now, Nev?" She asked quietly, "I will understand if you don't wish to talk to me anymore."

Neville looked at Hermione confused, "No Hermione, that isn't what I want." He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, "I may hate your family, but I could never take that out on you. It'll take time, and I won't ever be okay with your parents, but you are my friend. I will always be your friend."

Hermione jumped into his arms, giving him a hug, "Neville, you don't know how much that means to me. I am still adjusting to this life, and I know many people will hate me because of my family, but you are one of the few that crossed my mind, I would die if you hated me."

Hermione pulled away, "I need to get back in there before something happens."

Neville snorted, "Probably best. It would be bad if former Death Eaters were murdered in the Leaky." Neville stood and offered his hand.

Hermione took it and stood next to her friend, she could see the small boy of their youth staring back at her, in the body of the handsome young man, "Probably." Hermione smiled at her friend, "You are a wonderful man Neville Longbottom, does Hannah know how lucky she is to have you?"

Neville flushed and put his free hand behind his head, a small smile gracing his lips, "Uh, no. Hannah and I are just friends."

Hermione gave an unladylike snort as she walked back through the door, "Sure, friends."

Neville gave her a little shove and laughed with her. "Shut it, Granger," He teased, sounding like Draco.

Hermione laughed, even more, reaching over and giving him a side hug once more, "Careful Neville, you look like a pureblood right there," she teased.

Neville flushed once more, "Geeze Hermione, I'm sorry."

Hermione smiled, there was her sweet friend once again, "Nev, I'm teasing." She said as they walked over to the bar where Hannah had been waiting. Hermione gave her a warm smile which she returned, although slightly forced. She said hello to her Hufflepuff friend and went back to the door where Thorfinn had been giving a couple of Wizards a scowl.

Hermione had heard the chatter through the pub, people were softly whispering about unjust rules and favouritism which she rolled her eyes at. What favour could be had other than to save her life? Though through the whispers she also heard how she was a gold digging slag, that one she raised an eyebrow to, as a curse breaker she was not hurting for gold, but the rumours had been thick.

Walking tall, she reached her father and Thorfinn, Ingrid, and Adrian. Putting her hand on Thorfinn's chest, she captured his attention, shock evident on his face as she did not touch him in affection yet. The pub went silent again as she took his hand and her father's arm and began walking towards the back of the pub. Giving Neville one more smile which he returned with one of his own, she watched as Adrian and Ingrid called out Rowle Tower and floo'd away. Rodolphus went next, smirking at his daughter knowing exactly what she had been doing with that gesture in the pub, giving her a nod of approval, he floo'd back to the Estate to wait for her.

Thorfinn threw in the glimmering powder and lent down to kiss his fiancée on the cheek. Brushing his warm lips on her cheek, he leaned in a bit closer to her ear and whispered huskily, "Well played my little lion, maybe you do have what it takes to be a Rowle."

Hermione chuckled and brought her own lips to his ear, "I'd say that was more me embracing my inner lion than anything Thorfinn. I guess we'll see if I have what it takes soon enough," with that Hermione kissed his love and blew gently, letting out another small chuckle as he shivered from the contact. "I'll see you soon Mister Rowle."

Thorfinn turned his head to look at her, I slight look of mischief in his blue eyes, "Yes you will Miss LeStrange, yes you will." Not to be outdone by the little lion, he brushed his lips against hers ever so lightly and with that, turned to be swept up into the flames.

Hermione pressed her fingers to her lips, shocked at the day's events, wondering how she went from punching him in the face to that bit of flirting right there. She hadn't noticed how the racket in the pub grew again as she called out LeStrange Estates and was whisked away to her new home.