M Rated Chapter: Contains violence.

Minerva and Hermione centric chapter.

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Chapter 32: Never alone


Hermione watching the rain as she hid in a dumpster that she had been sleeping in the past few days. She was dirty, covered in ticks and fleas and was wearing nothing but shredded and torn clothes. Her breathing was shallow, constricted and wheezing with anxiety. She didn't understand. She should be home right now waking up to her mother and father. But they were no where to be seen.

"P-papa? Papa where are you?"

She could feel her heart beat thumping in her ears as she rain pelted down the alleyway splashing her as the droplets rebounded off puddles. "Papa?" Tears streaked down her face. She couldn't be alone. She didn't want to be alone. She was frightened.

"PAPA!" She sobbed into the pit her knees as she curled up against the cool brick wall of the dark alleyway.

"Hermione?" The small girl sniffed and looked up only for her face to drop as she saw the one person she had been looking for. "Momma" She tried to leap into the woman's arms but she fell straight through. "Oow" She silently mouthed before she felt the presence of her mother leaning over her.

"Hermione? Oh my dear, I've been worried sick" Golden eyes landed on the green eyed woman. She's been worried?

"Your father informed me that you've been calling for me"

Hermione slowly pulled herself up onto her hands and knees, "I-I can't wake-up" she muttered defeated as she rubbed her scabbed arms. Minerva's eyes inspected the girl's anemic state. She was struggling not to break down in front of the girl as she saw how much the poor child had given up on caring about her wellbeing. How could people have walked by the small girl and not wanted to help her. Minerva leaned forward wanting to brush a stray lock of wet, matted hair behind her daughter's ear. However, her hand went straight through making her feel...useless.

"It's going to be okay, dear" Minerva took in a gulp of air and reminded her daughter, reminded herself. Albus had informed her of what he had experienced from the girl's memories in the few hours he was with her. She had begged him to teach her how to enter her daughter's memories, wanting to be there to soothe her through her nightmares. Maybe, just maybe change them for the better.

"Hermione, don't do that to your feet" Minerva scolded the girl as she caught the small child in the act of picking at the scabs on her feet. She could see the infection present on the wounds, the oozing pus leaking out of some of the deeper cuts. It didn't seem to bother the girl though, likely used to the sight of her body being so torn up. But Minerva, she wasn't used to this. She wasn't used to seeing the small child in agony.

"I-I can't f-feel it. I-" She watched as her daughter brought her hand down to the inside of her elbow and pinched it. "S' not real" Hermione gulped as she stared around the darkness wondering when she had hid in this particular alley. If her memories served correct, it was just after she had run away from her uncle.

"H-How do I get home?" The small girl begged her with large bulging eyes, begging her mother to come up with some solution. She was the girl's salvation after all. She had saved Hermione in the first place. She could do so again. Couldn't she?

Minerva thought for a moment, her eyes becoming fixated on the girl's bare feet. Her mind flashed of all the times she had told the girl off for not wearing shoes and socks.

No shoes!

"Kitten, where are your shoes?"

Hermione's mind flashed back to a summer afternoon where she was walking through an alleyway. She staggered a few times in the big shoes, laces untied tripping her over now and then. She stepped on her shoe lace for the 15th time that day making her trip and bash into the wall. She yelped, tears springing in her vision blinding her as she slumped against the wall holding her shoulder in pain. She grabbed one of the shoes and ripped it off her foot before throwing it against the opposite wall in a wave of anger.

Stupid shoes!

She sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her grubby hands before she heard the stagger a man move in her direction. She tensed as she opened her eyes to find the man leaning against the opposite wall and sizing the boot up against his foot. He was bare foot and his feet were black and swollen with red blotches and scratches on them. Hermione gulped moving into the wall trying to sink into it as he placed the shoe on and stumbled over to her. Hermione could already smell the white haired, bearded man with green eyes glare at her, well more her shoe which was 10 sizes too big for her. She gulped tucking her feet into her body.

"Give it!" Two simple words, one demand, made her whimper thinking she was going to get hit and beaten. In shock, she tucked herself up against the wall and closed her eyes hoping he would just disappear. Instead, she felt her leg being grabbed. She yelped in fear trying to back away as much as possible but he tore the boot off her foot and placed it on his. He glared at her one last time before reaching into his brown bag and throwing her two tins of spagetti.

Her breathing staggered as she stared down at the two large tins, hyperventilating and shaking in fear.

A trade!

"Was this a trade?"

He walked off leaving her alone. She watched him exit the alleyway before Hermione grabbed one of the tins and pulled off the top before scouping up the spagetti and eating it in her hand.


Flash forward to a rainy night in Summer where she walked down the street staggering with each step as she shivered. Now and again she would flick her eyes up to the neighboring houses and see the families settling in for dinner.

"Hermione? Where are we?" Minerva asked as her silent steps faltered next to the girl's. Even though Minerva was only in a memory, a chill still ran down her back as she watched her daughter's shoulder's shake as goosebumps bricked her skin.

"Sssurrey" Her daughter replied exhausted to the bone as she dragged her bag beside her.

"No dear, which street?" Minerva tried to stop her daughter from tripping over her own to feet.

She moaned, her stomach rumbling in hunger as she stared into one of the houses in particular. She stopped noticing the family. They were familiar, the woman with an almost horse like face and their overweight son who had glared at her like she was some sort of disease. She stared down at her hands, she was a disease. She licked her lips in hunger as she walked up the the green grass and inspected the family further, a small boy with black hair that gave her the cookie and a white haired, fatter man.

She wondered if she could knock on their door and ask them to give her food. Food! Please god. She sobbed as she watched them eat at the table.

"T-the ssstreet sign sssaid Little Whin-ger-ging" Hermione placed her forehead against the glass window. She couldn't help but think that sounded somewhere familiar but she just couldn't place where. She was brought out of her thoughts by Hermione slumping over. Minerva could see the exhaustion written on the small girl's face.

"Hermione?" Minerva bent down next to her daughter and tried to place a hand on her back to console her. She could hear just about hear the dry, silent sobs from the dirty, brown haired girl. "Ooch, my poor dear. Please talk to me kitten" Hermione shook her head as Minerva tried to guide her to turn around.

"I'm tired momma. I don't want to do this. I want to go home. I want, I want" Her shoulder's shook with grief and pain.

"Oh, sweetheart" Tears pricked the corners of the woman's eyes as Hermione tried to grab at her again. She wanted to be comforted. She needed to be comforted.

"I want you. Please, momma. I need you. I- I'll be good. Please I won't do anything bad again. I'll eat all my veg-e-balls and- and I won't c-complain about the med-i-cat-ion" She sniffed as she tried to grab her mother again. Tears slipped down Minerva's face as she tried to hug the girl and hold her as much as she could.

"I-I promise, kitten. I'm trying-" The woman tried to hold the small girl's scratched and dirtied face.

"Pweaze, pwease" She could hear the girl mutter. Minerva wanted to remove herself from the memory immediately and shake the girl awake as much as she could. She was close to doing so until the porch lights flicked on. Hermione and Minerva turned to see a tall woman with a horse-like face and black curled hair open the front door and look towards the small girl.

"Little girl?" the tall woman called.

Hermione stared back at her mother for a second before she moved towards the woman standing in the light. Minerva stood tall as she remained in the cold, wet darkness watching as her girl walked towards the stranger. Minerva could only hope that the woman showed at least some humanity towards her.


"Petunia don't bring that girl in, I can see flees jumping off her bleeding hair" The fat-man basically barked as he sat at the head of the table. Hermione jumped back shaking and frightened at his anger towards her however, she was held firmly in place by the tall woman.

"...Vernon Please," Petunia practically begged as she held the girl's small shoulder's.

"She smells disgusting" The older, more rounded boy sneered at her as she continued to stare at the turkey licking her lips.

""Dudley!" Petunia snapped before grabbing a small plate off the side and filling her plate with food. "Here dear, you have something to eat now and I'll get you a nice warm blanket" She turned on her heels and left as she sat down on the floor instead of the chair that Petunia had left for her next to Harry. Minerva stood behind the girl as she watched the family staring intently at her daughter as though she was infected. They all turned to watch the girl practically breathing the food down as she sat, staining the carpet with her dirt.

"Girl. Sit on the chair!" Vernon stood, his chair squealing against the floor as he attempted to pull the girl up on the ground but she screamed in what seemed like agony as he touched her.

CRASH!

The plate had smashed to the ground, spilling all over the white carpet, staining it.

"Oh, you stupid girl!" Vernon growled at her as she shook in absolute fear falling to the ground in a ball and shaking.

"Pwease! Pwease!" She muttered in fear. Minerva watched as the boy who seemed somewhat familiar raced up to her daughter and pulled her into his arms. Ignoring the fleas that were jumping off her hair, he whispered comforting things in her ear trying to calm her down.

"It's alright. It's alright" The dark haired boy whispered to her as she shivered. Minerva couldn't help but feel some sort of warmth as the boy tried to take care of her. But, the man, Vernon was it. She wanted to hex him and by the end of this she was planning on paying the man a visit for yelling at her daughter.

"Petunia, that girl needs to either go to the police station or to the orphanage"

"Vernon, please! She's a child and she looks ill. She needs to be cared for and you know I always wanted a daughter!" She shot a dirty look over at the boy who could only glare back at her.

"MUM!" Dudley argued.

Vernon stood up walking over to the kitchen door, "We don't need another to feed Petunia. I'm calling the police, the girl's parents likely abandoned her and they can bloody well have her back"

"But Vernon, what if they don't want her?"

"Then they bloody well shouldn't have had a child in the first place. No whoever her parents are; they've made their bed, they can bloody well lay in" He glared at Harry.

"Now give me the phone. I'm calling the police"

P-Police! He's calling the police! Minerva's mouth hung open, flabbergasted at the thought that he would not even attempt to take care of her. She was a child for merlin sake. Couldn't he see that she was injured.

Hermione pushed the young boy away and pelted for the front door hastily grabbing the door knob.

It was locked! Oh god! It was locked!

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Vernon grabbed her by the back of the collar not wanting to touch her considering how dirty she was.

"Hold still girl! Petunia go and grab a towel or something to wrap her in until the police arrive"

Minerva placed both hands to cover her mouth from screaming at them. Not that it would have mattered in the end. She moved forward as Vernon pulled the small girl back by her collar. "Hermione, it's going to be okay. Just come to me. Come to màthair"

"NOO!" She screamed in utter torture as she felt the towel get wrapped around her and pulled into large arms wrapping around her small body. Tears streamed down her face as he sat down on the couch and held her tight between his legs. She was breathing terribly hard having an utter panic attack. "Calm down you silly girl!" Vernon turned his nose up at her in disgust.

She most likely smelt of BIO, blood, faeces and piss. It would have been awful for the small girl.

"God you need a bath! You absolutely reek"

Minerva could see the way he looked at her daughter like she was nothing but shit on his shoe. She was outraged. She wanted to hit him. She was heavy with enough anger to do so.

"NO!" She screamed in terror at the thought of a bath as she struggled to fight him off again. Suddenly, the lights began to flicker on and off in accordance with her screams.

Vernon instantly released her, "she's, she's a freak! Petunia she's another freak!"

She hunched herself over shaking scared out of her mind. It was too much, it was all too much. The lights were too bright, the man kept grabbing and screaming at her and, the police. The police were going to take her back to her uncle.

She sobbed in utter pain, glancing up at the door again before she noticed the family. They were staring at her scared and the black haired boy, almost shocked. She looked around further hoping to catch a glimpse of her mother somewhere. Anywhere.

"Pwease" She begged and her call was heard.

"Hermione, up the stairs. Now!" The golden eyed girl turned to her left to see her mother's image at the foot of the stairs. She was standing next to a small door just above the fifth and sixth step. She got up and looked over to the stairs and ran for it.

"No! Not up there, girl. You are forbidden. Petunia call the police, this girl has broken into our house!"

Minerva watched as the small boy instantly pelted for the girl following her up the stairs. Minerva was sure that, by the way he looked, he was wanting to make sure she at least got away. He managed to catch up with her in what looked like the older boys room prying the window open.

"Wait!" The black haired boy shouted but she ignored him and shoved the window open before crawling onto the room.

"WAIT!" He screamed again trying to grab her ankle but she was soaked to the bone from the pouring rain and his grip loosened immediately on her.

"GET OUT THE WAY BOY!" Vernon shouted shoving the black haired boy out of the way and forcing his head out the window and looked to find a small kitten on the ledge jumping onto the nearby tree.

"Bloody freak! Pertunia, she's gone" Vernon turned to see his wife who seemed utterly confused. Minerva couldn't help but see the disappointment written on the woman's face. She almost had a daughter for a few minutes of her life and in the blink of an eye, it had been taken away. Minerva couldn't help but turn around wanting to thank the small boy who had tried to help her dependent as much as possible. As she turned, she couldn't help but see the lighting shaped scar as he brushed his forehead. No! It couldn't be!

Bear watched as she sat in the tree, breathing heavily observing the family that had tried to both feed her and attack her. She turned her head away, shivering from the cold.

Minerva leaped over into her cat form and raced up to the branch Bear was sitting on. It was somewhat sheltered thanks to the large amount of branches and leaves.

"Hermione!" She could see the rejection written in the kitten's face.

"I really should have listened to my daddy's words"

"What do you mean?"

"Daddy always said not to trust strangers"

Even this family thought she was a freak.

"Did you ever see them again? This family"

"No...No I stayed away from them. I was very careful to stay away from strangers until..."

"Until what?"

The scene changed

She was shaking like a leaf as she held herself, trying to think of happy memories of her parents hugging and kissing her as they sat together next to a warm fire. Oh god, she missed them so much. She huddled herself closer to the cardboard wall, her wet clothing providing no help at all. Snot dripped down her nose as she stared at the darkness in front of her knowing the cardboard box was practically soaked to the bone and filling with water. Her only home. She was too weak to find another. She hadn't eaten any food in days. She couldn't go to service stations to buy food or warm drinks anymore since they had started to grab at her and threaten to call the police for a lost child. The other times she had been out begging a few teenagers had surrounded her and forced her up against the wall or into the nearby alley and thought it funny to mock and jeer at her.

"Feral thing ain't ya!" She was spat and kicked at. Possibly too dirty to be punched because they didn't want to sully their hands and get filth on them. Instead, they had just kicked her like a feral dog and stole her money and food that people had dropped for her. Scared out of her mind, they had left once they had finished taunting her after she had wet herself and no longer wanted to remain near the smell.

She had dragged herself back to the cardboard box just hidden behind a few trash cans in order to lick her wounds. They had continued to taunt and steal from her for a week. Until one day...

"Hermione? Hermione what happened?"

She was sleeping outside today, up next to the two trash cans. Her face and body were covered in bruises from both the assaults and from laying on the hard ground. She had a half full plastic drink of water and a quarter of a spaghetti can left that the old man had traded her for her shoes, lying next to her. She had been good with her supplies and had been conservative.

Minerva couldn't help but sit down next to her daughter and inspect the living quarters of the severely anemic girl barely able to move her body. From what she could put together Hermione was nearing the end of her time homeless. And, if she didn't arrive, the end of the line. She tried to grab at her daughter's hand again and hold it in hers. Hermione's blackened racooned eyes stared back at her and the hint of a tired relieved smile graced the girl's lips as she tried to hold her hand out for her mother, in hopes of just feeling something.

"...Swear I saw something move just round those trash cans" Her eyes widened with fright at the pounding of several footsteps and that voice. She shuddered huddling into a ball as she heard the rustle of a chain hit the concrete. A chain!

Her vision flashed back to her uncle, chaining her up and beating her with a chain to her back. Tears streamed down her face, hoping they wouldn't see her and just leave her alone. But no such luck came, she shreaked as the trash cans were kicked aside, "told ya it's hiding 'round here. Reckon it's been living 'ere for the past week or so" One boy said who had brunette hair, pimples covering his face and bright green eyes that stared deep into hers.

"Swear, it's one of those jungle people. You know, the children that get abandoned in the forest 'cause their parents can't take care of them and they end up going wild" Another teenager with black hair said. She shivered, pushing herself up against the wall as she stared at the third boy holding not only a chain but a rather big lock.

"Don't ye dare" She tried to strike him with her wand, when that failed she tried to punch the teenage boy roughly her daughter.

"Always wanted a pet. Mum never let me 'ave one. Said I was too 'irresponsible'" he made quotes signs in the air making the chain rustle again. Hermione felt her pants beginning to grow wet again.

Teddy! Where's teddy? She looked around towards the damp cardboard box that had also been kicked and crushed to make room away from her. She knew better than to try and reach for it knowing it would probably be taken away from her. She licked her lips instead and grabbed her drink bottle and food can, clutching it in front of her body to protect herself.

One smallest, stubby boy in the background with freckles covering his face made a disgusted look at her, as if she was a monster. She gulped tucking her head into her body. She probably was.

"Think I'm gonna call it. Franklin" The boy with the chain advised.

"I'm pretty sure it's a girl?" The tall lanky boy commented.

"Na, it's a boy! Look"

She screamed as she was grabbed by her collar and pulled forward to stand, her food and bottle still clutched tight. The boy with the chain grabbed at her makeshift cable belt and pulled it off. Hermione yelped in pain as it caught some of her wounds and re-opened a few as her pants were slid down to her ankles.

Minerva's breathing came to a hault as she stared at the deep bruising, cuts, blisters and rashes lining the girl's lower half.

"Huh, suppose not"

"Dude, it's a little girl" The boy holding her reached down to pick her pants up not quiet understanding what her upper legs had to do with anything. She looked over to her mother not quite understanding what they were looking at, however Minerva provided no answer. She was shaking her head and walking over to her trying to cover her with her body as much as possible.

"You can't really call it a girl if it doesn't speak a lick of English and probably grew up in the wild" The lanky boy butted in in a superior tone.

Bloody sodding bastard! Minerva thought angrily as she attempted to get Hermione to focus her attention on her.

"Well it's not like she's a dog. You can't just keep her tied to a post, Ned" The small short boy stated earning a smile from the boy with the chain.

"'Course I can. Ready!"

Hermione shreaked as her food and water were practically ripped out of her hands and thrown to the other boy opposite them.

"That was completely uncalled for"

"Nuh!" She squirmed, trying to reach for her only sustenance as the brunette dangled just out of her reach before she felt something heavy wrap around her neck. She stilled not understanding what was happening before there was a click at the back of her neck and the boy dropped her to the ground. She chocked, grabbing at the heavy chain wrapped around her neck trying furiously to pull it off.

"Dude, that's not funny!" The short haired boy told his friend who walked back and down the alleyway practically dragging the small girl along as she staggered and choked for air.

Minerva tried to grab at the teenage boy again and stop him from hurting her any further but nothing helped.

"It's fine man. No one's going to come looking for her and this way at least she'll get fed and watered. We'll just come before and after school to give her some food and water and if she's chained then she can't leave. Believe me she'll be in a better position now then she was before" He pulled her over to the dumpster and bent down before pulling out another heavy padlock from his pocket and wrapping the end of the chain around the leg of the wheel of the dumpster.

"There see. She's happy!" He grabbed the spaggetti can from his friend and distanced it a few feet away from the girl. Desperate, Hermione reached out to try and grab at it but found the chain was too short. That earned another chuckle from the boys.

"Stupid thing!" The closest boy laughed at her antics before putting his foot against her chest and pushing her back but by that time, Hermione had had enough. She didn't know why she did it, perhaps it was her emotions getting the best of her but she lost it and bit his ankle as he touched her.

"Ouch!" He snapped his foot back from her and stared at the small teeth marks she had made in his shin. She couldn't help but feel slightly happier than she had been in weeks. She had finally stood up for herself.

"It-it bit me"

"Dude, what if you get rabies?"

He looked like his heart had dropped into his stomach at his friends comment. Rabies! What were-

She gulped, backing away and huddling into a ball immediately as his eyes turned to daggers and he glared at her in utter anger.

No! No! No!

CRACK!

"HERMIONE!"

Her body was slammed back against the wall and she keeled over as his boot had made contact with her face.

"Dude, STOP! You're gonna kill her! I was just joking around!" She winced her eyes in utter pain as she felt the luke warm liquid sliding down from the cut on her now broken nose and fall on the ground and on her already sweat soaked shirt.

Minerva raced in front of the girl bending down and trying as much as she could to shield the girl with her body.

"Let me at it! It needs to learn not to harm it's master!"

She yelped in utter pain as she felt the swipe of a foot went straight through her mother's torso and hit her side as the other boys lept on their friend to hold him back from killing her.

"You know what?" He grabbed her only bottle of water and untwisted the lid. "No more food and water for the rest of the day. That'll teach you a lesson" He kicked the can down the end of the alley before dumping the remaining water on her head and chucking the empty water bottle at her before grabbing his backpack.

"Come on let's go" He turned to his friends who looked slightly alarmed at his friends outburst.

"Let's get to school" He told them before turning around to the pathetic thing laying on the floor "and when I get back, I expect you to be kissing my shoes otherwise you won't get any dinner"

She scrunched herself up into a ball waiting until they left.

Minerva was at her side in an instant, trying to cup the girl's face and whisper comforting words into her ear. She laid her hand out on the ground wanting Minerva to place her hand over it and hold her. She didn't know how long she had laid there for, silently crying and holding her head in pain before she made a move to sit up. Dazed and scared to death, she rested her head against the cold wall wondering if he would stay true to his words of bringing her food if she was good. She hoped so but then she didn't want to be anywhere near those boys ever again. She closed her eyes trying to get some energy back as Minerva leaned back against the wall and thought.

"This isn't the alleyway I found you in" She managed to conclude as she looked at the street lining outside. When she had first met Bear she was basically adjacent to Albus' favourite jerky place. However, this wasn't the same alleyway.

Hermione closed her eyes to try and change into her cat form and get out of this chain but it was hard. Her mind was fogged by pain and hunger.

It took her a few hours to finally be able to change into her cat form and even then, once she changed back she ended up collapsing into a heap on the ground.

"Come on kitten. It's not safe" Minerva tried hopelessly to coax the girl up but Hermione's head was pounding and she could feel she was on her last legs.

Somewhere inside of her a voice was screaming for her to move. She must have done something bad to her head before she couldn't stand or walk she ended up having to drag her body over to her bag, grabbing it and sliding to the back of the alleyway where the alley split into a 'T' and found her left over spaghetti on the ground. She rested next to it, scouping some into her mouth and eating as much as possible despite the disgusting taste of dirt and muck before moving off around the corner and towards the next alleyway opening.

She was thankful that there weren't many people around for her to have to run from. Instead she ended up crawling behind a large dumpster and resting her head against the cool metal of the bump that was beginning to form on the back of her head. She must have had a lucky day that day or something because the boys never came back. Well, one of them did. The small stubby boy who was with a Policeman. She watched them walk past her in the alley way as she hid under the dumpster. The boy was practically bursting with information.

"I don't know where she could've gone. I don't even know how she would have gotten out of that chain. Dad, it looked like it was strangling her"

Dad!

He had a dad. She scrunched her face in anger. Even that boy had a family and she didn't. She pulled at her hair trying to swallow her anger from not making a noise.

It wasn't fair!

No one helped her. No one cared for her. She knew that now. She was alone in this world and there was no one that was going to hold her and comfort her.

But then again, this time she wasn't alone. Hermione couldn't help but be happy that was was no longer having to face these trials by herself. She turned to her mother who was sitting beside her wrapping an arm over her shoulders and cooing to her as she leaned against the dumpster. Her head bleeding and her body starting to girl up that she was indeed finally happy. Whether or not her mother knew it, Hermione would have gladly put herself through the pain again to get one more second with Minerva. She was the best mother she could have hoped for.

After the cops had finally left she had opened the dumpster to find a cardboard box that was big enough to hold a t-v. She carefully crawled in the dumpster before throwing it on the ground and put her bag inside of it.

That's where she remained for the next few days. Starving to death, in too much pain to move or even speak. Minerva stayed with her daughter every second trying to make sure Hermione didn't fall into the dark abyss she was so afraid would be in this girl's future. From time to time, she was speak to Hermione, tell her stories of when she was younger to try and keep the girl awake. Most hours she would stare outside the alleyway and onto the streets and Minerva could see Hermione's eyes begging as she stared at the people walking by with families, food, warm clothes, heck, even shoes. Minerva couldn't help but try and cover Hermione's bluing toes with her hands hoping to provide some sense of warmth.

On the second day, after a bout of Hermione shivering before sneezing and wiping her nose from a cold she asked the girl to try and take off her soaked clothes to try and get some warmth. Her daughter had outright refused, her gasping breathes coming out in whimpers as she pulled at the damp and rotting fabric mixed into her wounds. It was impossible for the small child to do anything right now except from time to time stick her tongue out to collect some small droplets of water from the rain.

On the third day, Hermione rested her head against her school bag trying to sleep and forget about her stomach cramping. Minerva could tell that if she didn't get medical attention soon, she may not have lasted another few days. She was panicked by her daughter's state. Why wasn't she here by now. She needed to rescue her. Where was she?

Oh the pain was immense!

Hermione was sure she had a few really severe sores over her ribs and ankle, not to mention her throat and nose. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to walk or run or move. She sobbed silently as the rain pelted down on the box forcing it to cave in but she remained there, no longer able to move. No longer able to survive. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

The next day seemed to creep into the previous one. Hermione remained curled up in a ball listening to the buzzing street outside. Her mother stayed with her, trying to comfort her and remind her constantly to not give up and to keep going. She felt that she had spent a life time with her mother and still, it wasn't enough. Hermione muttered along to some of the songs Minerva would sing to her as she tried to run her soothing fingers through her hair. Today was a warm day at least. Her damp clothes pressed on her body. Her gray, long sleeved shirt and pants remained on her, attached to the cable cord tied around her waist. It had cut and bruised her damp skin and the wounds were beginning to turn a sickly green and black. She continued to ignore it though. The ache in her stomach had managed to turn into a dull pain.

Her eyelids began to flutter closed again until she heard steps in the alleyway. She froze in fear listening out to the footsteps hoping not to hear any sounds of chains.

"Meow!"

She arched her eyebrow in thought.

A cat?

"Ooch, you are very cute! How could I say no!" The thick Scottish accent of an older lady echoed through the dark alleyway. Minerva opened her tired eyes and looked over to the figure.

Hermione raised her aching head tiredly towards the sound and saw a tall woman with glasses bending down and feeding cats. Hermione's mouth salivated making her gag a little as it mixed with the dried blood. She was starving and this woman had food. She looked at the three other cats surrounding her and she was...she was petting them, She was actually petting and feeding strays.

She slumped forward, pulling herself out of the box and focussing as much as possible. She didn't want to miss out. She really didn't. She immediately transformed and stumbled, falling constantly as she made her way towards the woman.

Minerva watched from the back of the alleyway hoping that her past self would turn around and make sure she took Hermione with her. "Please don't leave her behind" She muttered to herself.

"Meow!" She howled in time before the woman departed and managed to get her attention. She watched as the shocked woman turned to see Hermione and smiled warmly towards her. Hermione felt as though she hadn't seen such a warm and loving smile in so long. She could have melted into it.


Her memories flashed forwards to when she was staring at herself in the mirror in the Prefects bathroom. She was pale and sickly. Covered in bruises, cuts and broken bones. She looked like a skeleton. No, even skeleton's looked better than her. She was a nervous wreck, having not figured out what to do about her life situation. She was too ill to be able to constantly change into her human form and she still hadn't figured out a way to read the books without being spotted or found out.

Minerva watched as the girl grabbed at her pants checking whether or not they were still wet.

"It still hurts me to this day that you decided to continue on this charade even when you knew myself and Albus wanted a child"

Hermione's voice was hoarse and quite, "I didn't think you wanted me. I'm not human. You wanted a child who wasn't damaged. You deserve so much better than me!"

"You are so much more than you realise"

Her thoughts flooded to the accident. Of her laying sprawled out on the hospital bed staring up at the roof before Albus had come and sat next to her. She was hyperventilating and preparing herself for the worst. More pain and suffering. Being thrown out onto the streets. She could only imagine their disgusted faces glaring at her. Screaming at her that they did not want her and thought she was a monster. She couldn't stop her thoughts penetrating a vision of them grabbing her, beating her and throwing her out into the cold at night time without her teddy.

Oh god, where was teddy! She didn't want to leave without teddy!

She sniffed before turning her head to the side and grabbing hold of the railing. There was no way she was going to go through the torment of having Mimi beat her and yell at her for being a monster. She couldn't stand it any longer. She had to leave. Leave before she knew. Before she was confronted.

"Ah, ah, ah. My dear. You've had a very nasty accident and I need you to remain still for me until Poppy can see to you?"

Minerva could see from her eyes how terrified Hermione had been. Albus coming over to her and practically forcing her to rest before she was tightly tucked up in a blanket that made it utterly impossible to move from. Her laying flat on the hospital bed. Her mind was racing at the thought of these people until the doors practically banged open and Severus came charging in. That was it when Severus came in. She knew it was the end. She knew the beatings were soon to come. The torture, the torment.

Minerva placed her hand over Hermione's and tried to kiss her cheek. The small girl turned to her, tears streaking down her chin as her heart raced.

"It never did come. The torture, the torment"

"No"

Hermione tried to place her hand on her mother's but she was so tired. So very tired of fighting.

"And you were safe, are safe"

"I guess so"

Hermione's vision flooded of Minerva comforting her, of her helping bathe her, of helping her to walk again, comforting her when she was so scared and alone. Tears streaked down the girl's face as Minerva watched the scene play-out. It had been one of her fondest memories,

It had been the day when Hermione was getting her casts off and was learning to walk again. Poppy had encouraged both Minerva and Albus to take the morning off from work to bond with their new daughter in helping her walk. Hermione had cuddled herself into Minerva's chest tears spawling down her face as she was brought onto her feet. She whimpered into her mother's chest as she crouched down to cuddle the girl knowing she didn't want to be away from her.

"Oh deary, it's alright"

"Mmmm..." She cried unknowing whether to call for her mother or Minerva. She kissed the girl's soft hair before helping her to slowly weight bare on her legs, something Hermione was noticably weak at doing since she had not been able to walk in over a fortnight. That was also the first day she and Albus were allowed to take Hermione home to their quarters. She remembered it as clear as day and watched the scene roll into another as Albus made hot chocolate drinks with cinemon sticks and marshmellows as Hermione sat cuddled up her by the fire.

"That's a beautiful memory Hermione" Minerva wiped a tear from her eye as she turned to the girl who took one glance up at Minerva, cuddled her mother who was sitting on the couch hugging her back just as tightly. Hermione couldn't help but smile warmly before she finally closed her eyes into a peaceful slumber.


Shock pulsed through her body as it lurched forward. Pain shot down her back making her gasp and whimper in agony.

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione open your eyes dear"

She blinked, light blurring her vision and making her eyes water.

"Hermione?" She turned to see a green eyed woman next to her.

"M-mommy?" She tried to rub her eyes with her hand but felt it restrained. In a moment, the breathe escaped her lungs as she was wrapped in a warm, loving arms. She heard sniffing come from behind her. As though the person hugging her was crying.

"Mommy?" She called again trying to work out who was holding.

"It's alright dear, Máthair's here"

As soon as the words left Minerva's mouth, Hermione grabbed her, pulling her in as tight as possible. "Momma!" tears sprawled down Hermione's cheeks as she cried into her robes. Minerva leaned back taking a hold of her daughter's cheeks and smiling warmly at her. Hermione's big brown eyes stared back at her seeing the tears falling from her mother's eyes. The small girl leaned forward brushing her mother's cheek with her small hand to wipe her tears. Minerva couldn't help but smile at her little girl and pulled her small hand to her cheek before kissing her palm.

"Y-your c-c-cwying?"

Minerva couldn't help but chuckle at the small brown eyed girl. "These are happy tears, kitten. I'm happy you are awake"

"Awake?" Hermione finally turned to see her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing of Hogwarts but she couldn't remember how she got there.

She turned her head again to see a man with a white beard and half moon spectacles staring at her with twinkling eyes and smiling happily. "Papa!" Hermione reached forward to try and lunge into his arms but stopped and winced in pain. "Ow," She looked down to find her arm bandaged and splinted.

She grabbed it with her other hand and held it before noticing an IV drip attached to the inside of her elbow.

"It's okay dear" She looked up to see her father moving across to her and placing his hand over her splinted arm.

"What happened?"

Minerva and Albus looked at each other nervously wondering whether or not to tell the girl the truth. Minerva's lips trembled for a second before she composed herself.

"You, you came home from your play-date. Severus said you had a panic-attack at Janet's home"

Hermione winced her eyes trying to think back on what had occurred.

Minerva pulled her hand up to her daughter's cheek trying to get her to concentrate on just her. "You both came home a little early. You had symptoms of a fever and you were very frightened" She wiped the brown haired girl's forehead still feeling very hot and clammy. "You ended up in the hospital after a having a seizure"

Hermione's eyebrow arched.

"Well dear, your brain uses electricity to send messages to the rest of your body to tell it what to do. When one has too much electricity in their brain and the message all get mixed up. That is a seizure"

"L-Like when the T-V screen goes all fuzzy"

It was Minerva's turn to raise her eyebrow as thought about the muggle electronics.

"Y-yes, I'd suppose so, however your picture went blank for a few hours"

"I-I blacked out. I-I fell as-leep"

Minerva smiled warmly.

"Unconscious dear"

"Un-con-sess" The older woman chuckled before kissing her forehead and holding her closely.

"How long was I ass-leep?"

"Just over half a day" Hermione noticed her mother's shoulder's tense for a second before she looked over to her father.

"Hermione," she looked back over to her mother whose voice a gotten slightly quieter. "Did you take your medication when I gave it to you prior to going to your play-date?"

Her daughter's eyes watered for a second before she turned and looked away. "Hermione," She pulled her daughter's chin up to look her in the eyes. "Is that why I had a sei-sure?"

Minerva hesitated before answering. "I believe so"

"S-so, I have to take those potions o-otherwise I'll be sick"

Albus and Minerva nodded.

"Very sick, my dear" Albus commented. Hermione could only scrunch her face at the realization that she was dependent on the vile tasting medication she may have to take for the rest of her life.

She ran a hand through her hair only to feel the bandage on top. Minerva immediately pulled the small girl's hand down to stop her from trying to grab at the bandage.

"You hit your head rather badly dear"

She remembered. She couldn't help but remember as her memory flashed before her eyes as she struggled to tell the difference from a memory and reality.

"A-and-" She placed her hand on her splinted right arm not even bothering to look at it. "Your bones are still rather brittle and the force of the muscle contraction when you had your seizure pulled your bones out of alignment.

"It broke" A man's deep voice was heard and she looked up to see her god-father standing at the end of the bed with a wooden tool box filled with assortments of potions. Hermione hesitated the smile she forced towards him. She didn't feel like smiling however thought at least it was some sort of greeting. He nodded back towards her in response.

"Severus, I didn't hear you come in, boy. Take a seat"

He looked rather stiff at the comment before he turned to put the new stock of medication on Hermione's nightstand.

Hermione looked down playing with some of the fibres of the gauze cloth on her forearm as her god-father shuffled around behind her.

Minerva could see the two rather despondent to one another and elbowed her adopted-son to get him to speak to the mere child. He couldn't help but glare at the woman in anger before he grabbed the girl's forgotten teddy bear that had been sown back together by Hagrid.

"It's nice to see you awake, child" Hermione's eyes flicked up to see her teddy bear dangling in front of her.

"Isobel has begun interviewing for potential tutors" Severus muttered under his breathe continuing as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, however even Hermione could see the exhaustion written on his face. The five o'clock beard indicating he had not shaved over the last few days.

"Tutor?" Hermione queried getting a placid look from her god-father. "For you and yes" he sat in the chair adjacent to where Minerva patted for him to sit. He took one long look at his god-daughter...his little sister and swallowed the guilt that was in his throat. She looked very pale, sickly and vulnerable as she held her teddy as close as possible to her body. He couldn't help but watch her eyes trace over the wonky black stitches on her teddy bears arm and chest. Someone had attempted to reattach it. Likely without magic.

"Hagrid" he could see the question in her eyes. She looked up at him before her mother's voice clarified "Hagrid came in to the hospital wing a few hours ago. He wanted to help you. He wanted to heal teddy" She kissed her daughter's forehead as she squeezed her shoulders with one arm.

Hermione smiled as she traced the wonky stitching not quite matching the rest of the bear.

"It's perfect"


So, spoiler alert but I'm going to put Delorus Umbridge and another character that hasn't yet been mentioned in the next scene. I apologies to all the readers who really like Isobel and she wasn't in this chapter but she will be in the next.