Disclaimer: I don't own anything, that is the privilege of Mrs. JK Rowling.
Hermione's hands were shaking as she clutched the cup of warm tea to keep them warm. She was shivering, but not from the cold. She was scared, afraid, terrified of what had happened to her and there was nothing she could do this time make it right. She felt so helpless. For the first time in her life, there was nothing in a book that could solve her problem.
"Thank you," she murmured to Lupin as he sat down across from her. They were in his house, if you could call it a house. It was more like a room that held everything and a small doorway leading to a bathroom and shower. She pulled the robe around her tighter, still wearing nothing underneath.
She remembered being too scared to even move as she heard voices coming from the woods in front of them. They were yelling about wolves getting into their live stock again. The thought that it had been her made her feel sicker than she already was. At least Lupin had the sense to wrap his arm around her waist and apparate them both inside his house.
She slowly brought the mug to her lips, losing her grip half way there and watching in slow motion as the liquid spilled out of the side as the glass plummeted to the floor, breaking into a thousand pieces upon impact. It was enough to make the tears start pouring out of her eyes, her body trembling with each fresh wave. She bent to pick up the shattered pieces, but a firm hand pushed her back into her chair and did it for her. She couldn't whisper her thanks, afraid to speak. She felt numb, frozen, unable to beleive this was reality. There had to be an explanation, there had to be a reason why this happened.
"Hermione," Remus said after he'd finished cleaning up the mess. "I need to know."
Hermione knew what he was talking about, but her mind was too clouded to even open her mouth and attempt an answer.
"Hermione," he said a little more forcefully this time, snapping her out of the trance she seemed to be in. She looked up and her eyes locked with his. He almost started to cry as he saw all the terror filled inside her shaking body that was now pouring down her face.
Remus sighed loudly and gathered the poor girl in his arms, and carried her over to his bed. He laid her down and covered her up to her chin. She just looked up at him the entire time, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Tell me it's a dream," she said so softly it startled him. "Please," she begged.
"It's just as much a dream for you as it is for me," he said, tucking the blankets in around her. "Now I want you to rest. We have to tell-"
"No!" she yelled, bolting straight up. "No, no, no, no, no," she kept repeating.
"Hermione we have to tell them. They have a right to know. They can help you through this."
"I can't," she whimpered. "I just can't. Please, don't make me tell them."
Remus wiped his face with his hands for the hundredth time that morning. "As soon as you feel comfortable telling them then, alright?" he finally said.
This seemed to calm her down enough to nod and lay back down, settling in the blankets around her. After a few minutes, she drifted off to sleep, the steady rise and fall of her chest the only movement. Remus slowly stood up, completely at a loss as to what to do. She wouldn't be able to keep this a secret very long living cooped up with people that knew what a werewolf was. And when it finally came out, everyone would point the fingers at him. He had to know who turned her.
A resounding knock echoed through Remus's cabin, startling him out of his thoughts. He glanced at Hermione, still sleeping soundly. He got up slowly and opened the door, a defeated feeling creeping into his veins.
As he opened the door he was greeted with a familiar maniacal grin. "Greyback," he said. "What brings you out here today?"
"I have been tracking a new scent," he said greedily. "It seems we have a new member to our clan," the man said as he pushed the door the rest of the way open. His eyes immediately went to the girl sleeping on the bed in the corner. As he walked over to her, his eyes widened before he started laughing. "Her?" he said, pointing. His eyes continued laughing as he calmed down on the outside. "She was the last one I thought I'd see here. What are you playing at Remus?"
"I seem to have stumbled upon her during the night's activities," he explained. "She was with me when we woke this morning."
"Bloody fantastic," the man raved. "A friend of Harry Potter a Werewolf. This is GREAT!"
Remus just looked at the man, trying to see what he was getting at.
"Of course we won't tell the Dark Lord that, no we won't. She'll be our little secret, yes. When the time comes, then we will show our power, we will have the power the Dark Lord doesn't. We will have a weapon to take out the famous Harry Potter," the crazed man finished as his eyes lingered on the girl in the corner. "You will take care of her for me," he suddenly stated, as if they had come to the decision together. "Teach her what she needs to know. I will be back for her when we need her."
At that, the man turned and left the rickety old house, the door closing loudly behind him. Remus jumped at the noise, and looked over at Hermione. Thankfully she was still sleeping.
With a quick 'Pop!', he apparated to the Burrow, knowing everyone would be at Headquarters this time of day. He went into the room Hermione and Ginny shared, grabbed a change of clothes for Hermione, and left. He prayed that the girl would have enough wits about her to think of a good enough reason why she was out all night and most of the day before she showed back up.
Hermione sat straight up in bed as she heard the sound of someone apparate into the house. A feeling of relief washed over her already tense body as she saw it was only Lupin. She smiled thankfully as he presented her a fresh set of clothes.
"Thank you...so much," she said quietly.
"I know how hard this can be. Feel free to shower before you go back. But I advise you, if don't want to tell them yet, have a damned good reason for being out all night or they'll all have your hide."
"I hadn't even thought about that," she squeaked, panic entering her voice. "Maybe a hot shower will help, I hurt everywhere."
"You get used to it," Remus said quietly as she walked passed him and into the bathroom, her new clothes under one arm.
Hermione's entire body was shaking as she tried to tie her shoe.
"Here," Remus offered. He bent down and tied the lace Hermione was having trouble with. "Just calm down, take a few deep breaths."
Hermione did as she was told, trying to calm her nerves. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth a few times before standing up. "Thank you, I think I can...function."
"You better be able to do more than function if you're going back into that place. I know for a fact they're frantic right about now with you not there."
"I know," she said, letting out a deep breath. "I think I'm ready now."
Hermione held onto Remus like her life depended on it as he apparated them to the street in front of Headquarters. Remus gently cupped her face in his hands. "Use that Gryffindor bravery and you'll be fine."
Hermione disengaged herself from his robes and walked up to the house after whispering the command to make it appear. She knocked tentatively on the door as Remus stood behind her, his fingers crossed behind his back.
As the door was opened, all Hermione saw was a flash of robes before she was being smothered by Molly Weasley.
"Oh my goodness, we've been looking for you all day! Where have you been? Are you hurt? Hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything dearie?"
"Molly, I think she's been through enough. And I would like some tea, if you please."
Hermione turned and gave him a silent thank you as they both walked in the door and headed towards the kitchen.
Hermione sat down at the table and graciously accepted the warm cup of tea handed to her with a smile.
"Hermione, sweetie, where were you?"
"Well, I told Harry and Ron I was going out for a walk last night. I guess I walked a little too far and ended up wandering around the woods most of the night," she said, a flush flooding her face.
"Oh that must have been dreadful! Are you ok?"
"Yeah, Professor Lupin found me near his house this morning, actually."
At this, Molly raised her eyebrow. "It was ok, the sun was already up and I was...normal."
"Well thank goodness for that."
That's when the rest of the crew poured through the front door, relief flooding over them when they spotted the bushy hair sitting at the kitchen table.
"HERMIONE!"
Oh noes! What will she do next?