A/N: If you are uncomfortable with the reality that cats are carnivores and predators then you should probably skip this chapter. If you acknowledge that Mr. Tum-Tum loves to rip the heads off of sparrows and leave dead bats on your doorstep as a sign of affection—read on.

Full Disclosure: I do not, nor will I ever have a cat named Mr. Tum-Tum. Our cat is named Lady Jessica after Paul Muad'dib's mother.

General Housekeeping: Dearest Delia, you can't tease me with a review like that under a guest status. However am I to seduce you into being my beta?

HP/HG/HP

Whoever kidnapped us is so dead.

I don't think I have my wand.

You barely need it. You're focus is so intense that half the time you aren't even using your wand.

It would help if I could see, and I think it would be best if we knew for certain who was involved.

It boggles the mind that here we are, kidnapped and tied up, and you are still plotting and scheming.

If I weren't plotting and scheming, I would most likely be whimpering and crying.

No, you wouldn't. We're not that kind of girl.

Good. Now, who do you suppose kidnapped us?

I don't know. I felt like someone was watching you. Do you think it's one of Sirius' girls? He was worried about that.

I worry about whether or not whoever has me knows what they have. Are we lucky enough to have been captured by someone who doesn't know how to recognize a Seer?

I wouldn't count on it, kiddo. What's the worst case scenario?

I've been brought straight to Voldemort's lair, he knows exactly what I am, and none of my milites are anywhere nearby. In fact, they have no idea that there's anything wrong.

Wow. That would definitely be 'worst case'.

You asked.

HP/HG/HP

Lily had whipped out her wand and flicked it twice. The marauders stared at her as she barked out spells quickly, and there were two silvery does, awaiting their messages patiently.

"Domina capta. Media nocte pro nobis occurret," she snapped and her patronus messengers took off, their hooves flying. James and Sirius turned automatically to Remus, whose face was pale.

"The lady has been taken," he whispered. "We meet in the room tonight at midnight."

"I needed to alert the milites that the domina is in danger," she said finally, her voice thick with unshed tears. "It is their purpose. It gives them time to try and find information and contact friendly assets among the Death Eaters. Now, do you see her wand anywhere?"

The Marauders searched the alley way again, and it was James who found her wand. His fingers trembled as he picked it up and stared at it. Wherever she was, she was defenseless. His eyes burned and his heart ached in his chest. She was alone and wandless. My Own. Whoever had taken her had better have his or her will made out, he vowed darkly. When he found Hermione, she had better be unharmed, or he could not be held responsible. He felt Lily's hand on his arm. Remus' hand was on his shoulder, his eyes watching James with concern.

"We'll find her, James," Remus said quietly. James nodded silently, his fingers tightening around his sister's wand.

Sirius had his back to them; he was staring at the end of the alley. Remus went to stand next to his friend, but didn't touch him. The fear/guilt/rage that was coming off of Sirius was almost making him dizzy. Sirius' breathing was erratic he seemed to be almost hyperventilating. James moved closer, unafraid of being rebuffed. He pulled Sirius into his arms and held him tightly, not caring how it might look to anyone who happened to peer into the alley. The two men stood there clinging to one another for several long minutes, and Lily and Remus stood patiently waiting, allowing them their space.

"She thinks I hate her," Sirius muttered finally into James' shoulder.

"No, she doesn't. She thinks you're angry with her," James said firmly. Sirius shook his head.

"She is worried about that, actually," Lily said quietly. Both men looked at her in surprise. "She knows that neither one of you is happy and she worries that this will irreparably damage your relationships with her."

"Is that why she waited so long?" James asked with a frown. Lily shook her head.

"No, Hermione has been meticulous with every part of this endeavor," Lily said slowly, choosing her words with care. "This has never been just about her safety. She has always understood that there were greater repercussions that could extend to her family, and outwards to the rest of the wizarding world."

"So it wasn't just about saving Regulus, or her?" Sirius asked with a worried frown. Lily looked away from them and swallowed.

"She Sees things," Lily whispered. "Terrible possibilities. Most nights she wakes up either screaming or crying. She and I put silencing charms on her bed, so that we won't wake up the girls' dormitory."

"She sees us, doesn't she?" Remus asked softly. "She's forced to watch us dying, or being killed, or maybe surviving, over and over, but never knowing which possibility will be the final outcome."

"Yes." Lily's whisper was threadbare, but audible in the utter silence of the alley. James' face was white with shock and Sirius looked a little shaky.

"That's why she's so careful, she has to calculate for the probability vectors," Remus muttered shaking his head. "She's bloody brilliant. If they knew…she'd be hailed as a sodding genius."

"She doesn't think of it that way," Lily whispered. "Every number represents people in her life that she loves. Every move she makes could kill her friends or her family. She can't stop what she's doing. She's told me what the worst possible scenario is, and I don't ever want that world to exist."

"That's also why she words the oaths the way she does, isn't it?" Remus realized suddenly. James and Sirius looked at him in confusion, and Remus grabbed their arms in his eagerness. "I thought the wording was odd, but I trust Hermione. Those oaths border along dangerous territory. If she were a different person, she could take away our free will—it would be very similar to being under an Imperius Curse. She must word it that way for emergency contingencies; to protect the best possible future. We can't see what she sees and if we doubted her, and made the wrong decision at a critical moment it could be catastrophic. She's made it so that we trust that what she tells us is true and accurate to the best of her ability to reveal it anyway."

"If you say so," James said doubtfully, staring at his friend. Remus nodded.

"I do say so," he replied. "Now let's see if we can figure out who's missing. Let's go get the map."

HP/HG/HP

It may have been night, or it may have been day, she wasn't sure. The Incarcerous curse caused her limbs to go numb, and she was cold. The silencio was also still in effect because she wasn't able to make any noise with her throat. The blindfold was still over her eyes. She had dozed off and on, but her sleep had been restless and she had started at each tiny sound. Wherever she was, it was fairly quiet. She could hear distant animals: birds calling to one another, angry squirrels arguing over their food, and cats fighting for dominance and territory.

{Prowr?}

Holy Merlin, it's Crookshanks!

It is! Oh, baby, you are the best! I am feeding you nothing but fresh liver for the rest of your half-kneazle life!

Purring, Crookshanks rubbed against his witch. He'd found her, just as he knew he could, and he was justifiably proud of himself. Few people realized the kneazles were sentient magical beings, nor were most willing to credit them with above-average intelligence. He had overheard his witch's littermate speaking with his friends about her disappearance. He could see their combined worry and grief, and he knew that he had to find her quickly. Crookshanks might be half-kneazle, but that other half was not cat. Now, how to prove to his witch's littermate that he'd found her? He moved nimbly up to her head and chewed through her blindfold. She blinked several times, and even in the dark he could see the gratitude in her eyes. He could see that she was bound by a spell, which he could not undo, and that she had been silenced. His sharp eyes could see the faint threads of power that had been cast upon her.

{Prowr?}

He touched her cheek with one paw, and moved it with distaste when her tears made it wet. His witch was frightened, and tired, and sore. He prowled around her, looking for something he could take. He paused by her hand. There on her wrist was the bracelet that the tall, dark haired one had given her, marking her as his mate. Crookshanks knew that her littermate would recognize this. With a careful claw, he worked the bracelet's latch and snatched it up in his mouth. He trotted over to his witch's face, and when she saw what he had in his mouth, pride in him shone from her eyes. He knew if she were capable she would have swept him up in her arms and peppered his face with kisses. He controlled a slight shudder at the thought. She was young yet, and he was willing to make allowances. He turned with a purpose, and leapt out of the place that she was being kept in.

HP/HG/HP

"Ow!" James yowled and leapt off of the couch in front of fireplace in the Gryffindor common area. Crookshanks had leapt onto his chest, claws out. The damned creature had something in its mouth and it was looking at him.

"What's that Crook?" Lily asked curiously. The half-kneazle looked at her, but then turned resolutely back to James. Sirius moved over to stand by James and he started in surprise.

"It's her bracelet," Sirius said hoarsely, and he held out his hand to Crookshanks who dropped the bracelet in his palm. The first betrothal gift he'd given her, the first thing that had marked her as his. He stared at it, his heart pounding in his chest, and then he looked at Hermione's familiar. "How did you get it then?"

"Did you find her?" James asked the magical being, awe tingeing his voice. Crookshanks bobbed his head in a fair approximation of a nod. James fell to his knees in front of Crookshanks. "Can you show us where?"

The half-kneazle gave another bob of its head, and began to wash a paw. James and Sirius stared at one another. Both of them had been in an emotional whirlwind since yesterday. Seeing Regulus and Severus, both deathly pale and terrified for Hermione's safety did nothing to reassure the marauders. They had been able to confirm that she was not with Voldemort…at least not yet. Severus had said that none of the Death Eaters was trying to boast or brag about catching a Seer. Regulus had said that he hadn't heard anything from any of the neutrals they were trying to cultivate. That meeting had been both stunning and eye-opening for James and Sirius. Hermione was the power behind an entire network of spies that was trying to bring down Voldemort from the inside. Hermione—who had spent her entire Hogwarts' career skating through her classes by the skin of her teeth—had had the intelligence, focus, and determination to pull off this incredible feat and she had done it under everyone's noses. James was still having a hard time processing it. Hell, his sister was most likely personally responsible for Professor McGonagall's skyrocketing blood pressure. Every time their professor's eye passed over the young witch staring off into space, reading a book, or idly transfiguring things they wouldn't be working on for years she would twitch just slightly. James knew she'd written yards of parchment to their parents, begging them to step in and put their feet down. Unfortunately for McGonagall, his mum and dad were both horribly old-fashioned when it came to their precious daughter, and they didn't see an over-weaning need to push here when she was just going to get married and work on producing heirs for her husband's House. Hermione Potter certainly wouldn't be dirtying her dainty little hands with work or :gasp: trade. James had to admit, to his own shame, that he had perceived his sister that way as well. The idea that a smart, strong, capable witch ought to be doing something with all of that talent hadn't occurred to him. Now, he wondered why he hadn't seen it before. He knew that Sirius was dealing with all of the same emotions. They both knew that Hermione was scary-smart. You'd have to be really thick not to know that. But this…this was bigger than anything they'd ever even thought about in their wildest daydreams. Right now, all of that melted away under his fear for his sister's safety. She could do whatever the hell she wanted. She could go into goat farming with Aberforth Dumbledore if she wanted to, and he would fully support her to their parents.

"Right," Sirius said firmly. "Let's go."

"Wait! I have to warn Severus and Regulus," Lily hissed under her breath. Sirius and James looked at one another again, and they each nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, but hurry," James urged her. Lily raced up to her dorm room and breathed a sigh of relief that her room was temporarily empty. She flicked her wand and called up her messengers.

"Nos inveni eam. Nunc vadimus ad liberaret eam," she whispered, excitement in her voice. She sent her does out with a purpose. Then she turned and raced back down the stairs to the Marauders who were waiting impatiently for her.

"What did you tell them?" James asked warily. Lily shrugged.

"That we'd found her and we were going to get her now," she replied. He nodded.

"Let's go," Sirius muttered, shifting from foot to foot so impatiently that it looked as though he were bouncing in place.

Crookshanks seemed to agree with Sirius. He stood up and flicked his tail, and the group of seventh years followed him out of their common area and through the castle. None of them cared how they might look to anyone else, an infamous group of pranksters and Lily Evans trailing after Hermione Potter's familiar, which had most often been referred to by Hogwarts staff and faculty as 'that ruddy great beast'. They trailed him as closely as they could, and once they were out of the castle and on the grounds Sirius shifted to Padfoot, and James shifted to Prongs so that they could more easily pursue Crookshanks as he bounded closer to his goal. Remus and Lily followed them as quickly as they could. Remus grabbed her hand and pulled her along at one point. It became clear that they were headed towards Hogsmeade. Lily hesitated at the road to Hogsmeade, her green eyes wide with conflicting emotions.

"But, it's against the school rules," she whispered, twisting her fingers.

"It's Hermione's fucking life, Lily," Remus said harshly, tugging on her hand. She immediately followed him, almost surpassing him as they hurried after Padfoot and Prongs. She hoped that Hermione was okay, that she hadn't been hurt.

HP/HG/HP

Her eyes had adjusted fairly quickly and Hermione realized that she was somewhere with stone wall and a stone floor. Scratch that…not stone walls, but stone. It took her several long moments to realize that she was in a cave. Where on earth was she? She couldn't recall caves anywhere near Hogwarts.

Oh! I do! Up above Hogsmeade. Sirius hid there during Harry's fourth year.

Why on earth would Sirius choose to spend his time here? It has no appeal whatsoever. I doubt they offer turndown service.

Er, well, he was still on the run because he'd escaped Azkaban.

My future husband is NOT going to Azkaban!

No, he isn't. Hence us doing what we're doing. Well…not what we're doing right now. I meant the Order of Her Sainted Lioness or whatever Malfoy's calling you today.

Lucius is mostly likely cursing me today, if he knows what's happened.

Oh don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure he's just as worried as Severus and Regulus are. They'll probably kill you.

You are such a joy to have around.

I know, right?

"How the hell did you manage to get the blindfold off?" asked a very familiar voice. She still couldn't speak, but if looks could kill—Peter Pettigrew would be a greasy spot on the cave wall. He smirked in pride. "Oh, yeah, you can't talk, can you Miss Potter?"

Hermione struggled internally, pushing at the magic he'd used to bind her. She glared at him furiously, trying to think of something, anything that she might be able to do to him.

"You know," Peter continued in that pleased, proud voice that just irritated the hell out of her. "I've really enjoyed my extra-curricular lessons. I've learned so much. Would you like me to show you?"

The look of loathing that she leveled on him should have peeled paint of the walls if there had been any. He snickered, and pulled out his wand.

"They tell me," he said conversationally, "that you really have to mean it for an Unforgiveable. You have to really want to hurt the person, and Hermione, I really, really want to hurt you."

Her eyes widened in horror and she stared at him. He pointed his wand directly at her, and his features shifted. Hatred stared out at her from Peter Pettigrew's watery eyes. His face twitched slightly and his fingers tightened on the wand.

"Crucio!" He bellowed at her.

She couldn't scream, she wasn't able to, but the agony that ran through her body was just as real. Old Hermione was there with her, helping her through the unbelievable agony, whispering along her senses that it was okay, that she would be okay. Her back bowed as she writhed in silent agony while Peter Pettigrew stood over her snickering with pleasure. Most of her coherent thoughts were focused on his painful, drawn-out death.

I'm here with you, love. You're not alone. Just hang on. They'll be coming for you soon.

Trying.

I know, love, I know. Hurts like a mother. Just stay with me.

HP/HG/HP

Prongs was trying to keep up with Crookshanks and Padfoot when Padfoot suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. He howled in agony before he shifted back to his human form. Sirius was writhing on the road, screaming in pain. James immediately shifted back to his human form. Remus and Lily were panting when they made it to them. All three of them were staring in shock at Sirius, trying to figure out what had done this to him. When there was a brief pause, Sirius curled in on himself and gasped for breath. He raised his head and looked straight at James.

"They're using the Cruciatus curse on her," he rasped. James blinked at him. His face seemed to crumple with grief.

"You can feel her pain?" James asked bleakly. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah," he rasped. Remus and James helped him off the ground and continued to follow Crookshanks. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Crookshanks seemed impatient with their progress, but tried to wait for them. They were confused when the half-kneazle started to lead them slightly away from Hogsmeade. It took the Marauders several minutes, but they gasped in surprise.

"The caves," Remus whispered fiercely, and the others nodded.

Lily looked at all of them in confusion and surprise, but she kept following Crookshanks. They were climbing higher and higher above Hosgmeade, and she started to see caves dotting the hills. Crookshanks was moving with determination and the four of them followed. Sirius paused every now and then to pant his way through a bout of the Cruciatus curse. After that first bout, which had taken him by surprise, he took them all in near silence. Lily realized that he was afraid to alert whoever had taken Hermione, and she loved him for his attempt to protect her blood-sister.

"I'm going to fucking kill them all," he panted at one point, rage overtaking his handsome features so that Lily could easily see the dark side that Hermione had sworn Sirius tried to keep buried. He looked the very image of the Dark Wizard at the moment, and she shivered.

"You'll have to stand in line," James growled, his own features tight with anger. Sirius snorted.

"We'll see about that," he muttered.

"Come on, guys," Remus said firmly, tugging on Sirius' arm. "Let's find her, then you can argue over who gets to kill whom."

"Right," James agreed, taking Sirius' other arm.

Crookshanks had moved ahead of them, and was paused outside of one particular cave. He sat down firmly and looked at them. They all froze and stared at Crookshanks. This was it, the cave where Hermione was being tortured. James and Remus' hands tightened on Sirius to stop him from racing inside and getting her killed. They hadn't thought to restrain Lily, and that was a miscalculation on their part. The petite redhead had raced forward to rescue her best friend, her wand clutched tightly in her fingers. She crept closer and closer to the entrance of the cave, and the slight scrabbling sound of rocks falling alerted her to the boys who were following her. James grabbed her and shoved her behind him, she glared at his back.

"You know, I think it would be more fun if I could hear you scream," they heard a familiar voice say with a trace of annoyance. "Still, maybe there are other ways for me to hurt you. I wonder what dear old Padfoot would do if you were returned to him as rather less than a virgin?"

"I'd say, I'm going to kill a dirty rat, is what I would say," Sirius snarled to himself as he charged into the cave. Remus gave a sigh of irritation and charged in after Sirius. James and Lily looked at one another, and quickly followed their friends.

Peter gaped at them in surprise, never suspecting that anyone could have found him and his chosen hiding place. He had not been counting on an intelligent and loyal half-kneazle who happened to be quite fond of his young witch, or her friends who were willing to listen to said half-kneazle. Wizards listening to familiars was exceedingly uncommon, it was far more likely that a wizard would treat his familiar as a servant, and not a terribly bright one at that. Therefore, Peter was well and truly flummoxed to be outnumbered and faced with three enraged wizards and one furious witch. If one were being charitable, one might claim that Peter had suffered feelings of inadequacy around Hermione Potter, and was venting those feelings in an inappropriate manner. If one were uncharitable, one might point out that Peter was petty and jealous of others with more skill and talent. He found to his surprise that he liked inflicting pain and suffering and had managed to blossom under Death Eater tutelage. They, like he, preferred better odds than those currently in evidence, and he shifted suddenly to avoid capture. The rat scrabbled for purchase on the stone floor of the cave and raced toward the opening—and freedom. The Marauders realized what he was doing almost instantly and they surged toward him. He spun on his little rat feet, and scramble around them, maneuvering easily within the close confines of the small space.

"NO!" James bellowed in rage, and chased the rat to the mouth of the cave where Crookshanks was patiently waiting. He pounced, and a crunching, snapping sound shook all of them from their reverie. He shook the rat in his teeth viciously, and with one paw neatly eviscerated their former friend who was currently being eaten by a half-kneazle. They all stood there for moment in shock and horror, but then they turned as a unit toward the reason they'd come here .

"Hermione!" Sirius was on his knees by her body, his wand out as he countered the silencio and the Incarcerous. She lay there, unconscious, and he felt his heart turn over in his chest. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest. James looked at him.

"St. Mungo's," James said shortly, and Sirius nodded. They all apparated to St. Mungo's and hurried in after Sirius who was racing in with Hermione in his arms.

HP/HG/HP

Still with me?

Where else would I be?

Well, you could have been tortured into mindlessness like the Longbottoms.

I suppose that's true. However, they didn't have you, now did they?

Was that a compliment?

No.

I think it was! I think you just credited me with saving your mind!

I don't believe that I did.

You may not have said the words, but I know what you meant. You're welcome, by the way. It was no trouble at all, considering that if I lost you I'd be all alone in here, and that would be absolutely no fun whatsoever.

Thank you.

Do you have to act like that?

I'm not in the best mood at the moment, I apologize.

No, I imagine that you wouldn't be. You were tortured even more than I was at Malfoy Manor. Luckily for you, the chance that you need to hang out in the caves above Hogsmeade are slim to none. You won't have naïve witches dragging you about Malfoy Manor because their mum brought them along.

Yes, well, Bella is a monster. Lucius didn't have anything to do with it.

No, he didn't.

Do you have to act like that?

I really despise you for making me see Malfoy as a human being, you know? It was much easier when he was a monster.

It always is. Unfortunately, most of them are NOT merely insane like Bella.

I'm learning far more than I ever would have credited possible.

Excellent.

Do you think it's safe for you to come out now?

No…no, not yet. I feel safer here, with you. If he really does do what he threatened, I'd rather not know.

Sirius would still want you, you have to know that. He loves you.

I know, but would I want him? What if every time he touched me, I flinched? What if I broke down every time he tried to share my bed? A man can only handle so much before it overwhelms him.

He would wait.

For how long?

Forever, love. He would wait forever. Mine would, and I know yours would, too.

HP/HG/HP

It had been two weeks. Charlus Potter sat by his daughter's bedside, his face in his hands. He was a haggard mess, but they all were, including his beloved Dorea. She was pale, and dark circles stood out under her haunted eyes. The medi-witches and healers weren't holding out a lot of hope. She'd been tortured with more rounds of the Cruciatus curse than most people could take before being driven mad. They weren't willing to give a definitive answer, but they weren't holding out much hope.

"Let's wait and see what happens."

Every single one of them hated that phrase with a passion. Every time the healers said it James and Sirius' faces grew dark and angry and they had to go outside and punch the building. Or at least, that's what he assumed had happened to make both boy's knuckles raw and red. Crookshanks purred at him from his position on Hermione's feet. He kept reappearing in her room, no matter how many times the healers threw him out, and they had finally given up. Lily had insisted that he had every right to be with Hermione, and refused to let anyone touch him. She also brought him dainty little morsels so that he wouldn't go hungry. The boys refused to elaborate on why his daughter's familiar had 'every right' to be with her in hospital, but they seemed to wholeheartedly agree with Lily's assessment.

For their entire lives, James and Hermione had been precious to their parents. The Potters been married for decades, and had suffered through a number of miscarriages—and one beautiful, perfect little girl they had named Atalanta who had died from a wizarding illness at the age of two. Every pureblood family had stories similar to theirs so they'd never let it get to them, never let their lack of children affect their relationship. And then, Dorea was pregnant again and Charlus couldn't help but hope that this time, it would live and thrive. When she had given him twins, his heart had been so full he thought it was impossible to be this happy. A son and a daughter, what more could a wizard ask for? How much more could a family be blessed? Charlus and Dorea had never taken their children for granted. They had showered the twins with love and affection, and the children had thrived. They had blossomed and grown into the kind of people that made Charlus proud to know them.

Now, his daughter, his princess, was lying unmoving in her hospital bed, as she had been for two weeks. Her face was pale, and her limbs twitched involuntarily—aftereffects of her torture. Charlus laid his head back in his hands and cried. He should have been there to protect her, to save her. His daughter should never have known what some wizards were capable of. He was supposed to shelter her and protect her, and then hand her over to Sirius who was supposed to continue to keep her safe. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he knew it was Dorea. He always knew her touch. He turned and buried his head in her dress, and she stroked his hair with light, gentle fingers.

"Someone hurt our baby, Charlus," Dorea said softly. Her fingers continued to stroke his hair. "It's a pity that whoever it was neglected to take my maiden name into account."

"Dorea," Charlus pulled back and looked at his wife's face. Her lovely hazel eyes were hard and cold.

"They're going to pay, Charlus," she said softly. He nodded.

"Whatever you need, my love, you shall have it," he whispered. She smiled and patted his cheek.

"I know," she said lightly and kissed him softly. "That's one of the many reasons why I love you."

"Any change, Dad?" James asked from the doorway. They turned to their son.

"No," Charlus said in a husky voice. James nodded numbly.

"I'll sit with her for a bit, if that's okay," James said softly. His parents rose.

"Of course, James," his mother said softly. "Your father and I need to go make some arrangements…for later. Call us if anything changes. Send one of Lily's messengers if you can't find us."

"Okay, mum," James mumbled as he sank down in the chair next to his sister.

HP/HG/HP

It was midnight. Sirius wasn't sure when he'd begun to think of it as 'their time', but it had become so. Every night at midnight he would sit by her bed, and hold her hand, and speak to her. His voice was mostly steady, but there was no one else to hear if it wobbled a bit in places. Tonight, he was feeling morosely romantic.

"I know you love poetry, Hermione, so what of this? It captures how I feel, I guess:

Nerine Hermione, thymo mihi dulcior Hyblae,
candidior cycnis, hedera formosior alba,
cum primum pasti repetent praesepia tauri,
si qua tui Sirius habet te cura, uenito.

[Sea-Nymph Hermione, sweeter to me than thyme of Hybla,
whiter than the swan, lovelier than pale ivy,
as soon as the pastured bulls seek the yard again,
if you care at all for thy Sirius, come!]

Please come back to me, Hermione. I need you," Sirius whispered in her ear, his thumb stroking her knuckles. "I know you think I hate you, but I don't. I don't think I ever could."

He had been angry and hurt, true, but after the anger and the hurt had had a chance to die down he had to admit that he still loved her. She hadn't done anything to purposefully hurt or deceive him. Everything she'd done, she'd done to save them all. Sirius wasn't quite sure how he would react if he had dreams of Hermione dying night after night. He doubted that he would handle it well. Hell, he knew he wouldn't handle it well. It was hard enough when he had nightmares of finding her in the cave. Some nights she was dead. Other nights he was watching her be tortured. Other nights Pettigrew raped her in front of him and there was nothing he could do but look into her huge hazel eyes and watch the tears fall down her cheeks. He would wake up crying out, and reach out for her, only to touch cold sheets. If she had dreams like that…about him…then he could see why she was so driven to succeed. He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it gently.

"I miss you," he whispered to her, and pressed her cool hand to his cheek.

Her fingers seemed to tighten slightly on his hand and he looked up at her face, daring to hope that her beautiful eyes would be watching him. She lay there just as still, just as silent as she had been since they'd brought her here. It was probably her muscles spasmodically twitching. With the sheer amount of torture she'd been put to, the healers warned that she would suffer the aftereffects for months. Sirius let out the breath that he'd been holding and he straightened her blankets carefully. Then he started to sing to her. He did most nights, when the mood struck him. The ballad he was singing was an old lay about a witch named Eglantine who lived in a tower, and a wizard named Horatio who wanted her. It was perhaps a bit naughty to be singing to a young, innocent witch who was currently laying in torture-induced coma, but maybe he'd shock her into waking up.

When dawn was nigh, Sirius stood reluctantly and looked down at her sleeping form. The healers would be here soon, and they would make him leave the room. He glared jealously at Crookshanks who was never forced to leave the room.

"I have to go now, kitten," his breath puffed against her ear, "but I'll be back tomorrow night."

He leaned down and pressed his lips lightly to hers, as he did every night. The lips beneath his moved slightly and suddenly his kiss was being returned. He pulled back in surprise, and the most beautiful hazel eyes in the world blinked up at him.

"Kitten?" He whispered in shock, his knuckles brushing the silken skin of her cheek.

"Sirius," she sighed at him, her fingers moving up and capturing the hand that was touching her cheek. "We're safe?"

"Yes," he said softly, barely trusting his voice. "We're safe. You're safe. Crookshanks saved you."

"I'm sure you helped," she whispered. He shook his head.

"No, Crookshanks killed and, er, ate Wormtail. We just did the spells he used to bind you."

"I see," she whispered. "I hope he didn't get indigestion, but I'm glad that it wasn't one of you. Murder destroys your soul, Sirius. I'm glad you weren't forced to do anything like that. Crookshanks wasn't capable of releasing me from the spells, so if you hadn't come, Wormtail would be dead, but I'd be starving to death in a cave. So really, Sirius, you did too save me."

He gathered her up in his arms and kissed every part of her that he could reach. She laid in his arms and let him, occasionally kissing anything that came close enough to her. She was too weak to move much, and everything seemed to hurt. Sirius was brushing her hair back from her face and he kissed her deeply. She could feel a soft glow start in her chest. A glow that made the pain recede, that bathed her in warmth. She wanted this feeling to go on forever, and she returned his kiss eagerly, her arms winding around his neck and holding him in place carefully. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his broad chest.

"Mr. Black! You were given strict instructions to alert us when she woke up! How long has she been awake? Does she have any concerning symptoms?"

"Mr. Black, I'm afraid you'll have to leave now. We're going to need to run diagnostic tests, and you'll only be in the way."

"I'll be back," Sirius told her firmly and he brought her fingertips to his lips for a chaste kiss.

"Don't go!" Hermione's eyes wouldn't leave his face.

"I have to," he explained gently. "We'll let them do their thing. It only takes fifteen minutes. I'll be right back."

"Do you swear?" She begged.

"I swear, kitten. As soon as they're done, I'll be back," Sirius promised. She nodded once, and relaxed slightly, turning to the healers.

"Let's hurry this up then," Hermione said with a look of irritation for the people who were separating her from Sirius.