Hermione sighed heavily as she sank into the warm salt bath. Everything hurt, head to toes, and without her glamour in place her body looked like a road map of abuse. Some old scars….some new bruises from just the few days she had been back. The only place left untouched was her face, Peter may pull her hair from time to time when she wasn't quick enough but he never left marks where he thought someone would see. If he struck her face it was with an open hand and the evidence was typically gone in an hour at the most.

She rubbed at a particularly nasty handprint he'd left high on her arm. A reminder that she didn't get to read her own mail. He hadn't been happy about another letter from Cormac. He had already told her to stay away from the boy and he didn't care for her excuses on the matter. She grimaced as she felt around the yellow and purple marks, she could make out where nearly everyone of his fingers had landed when he'd jerked her. It wasn't the worse he had ever done but it was the worst bruise she had at the moment.

She leaned her head back against the cold porcelain and groaned. She hated her life. The only good thing about it at the moment was Sterling. If she ever lost her…what would she be? What would she have to keep her going if not for the beautiful little girl she had just put to bed?

She knew she was more than just Sterling's caretaker, she was a brilliant student and no doubt could have looked forward to a wonderful career at whatever she chose in the magical world. Unfortunately she just couldn't see an out for her that didn't involve leaving Sterling behind. Bellatrix had given her the best chance, her only chance, if she could finish the assignment and get a job, any job, in the ministry perhaps she could remain with a foot in the magical world and still stay with Sterling. She could handle the abuse, she could handle whatever he threw at her so long as she had Sterling.

She would give up Hogwarts, she would give up her friends and she would give up magic.

But she would not ever give up Sterling. She would die first.

~B~

The soft sounds of muggle Christmas music filled the small, but well packed, home of Lily and James Potter. Laughter echoed around the walls and children were running everywhere while their parents tried to keep up and the unattached and childless laughed on in merriment.

Wine was flowing and everyone was finding both the Christmas Spirit and the looseness alcohol helped bring about any occasion. Few were outright drunk though, except perhaps an uncle four times removed on Sirius's side. In any case everyone seemed to be having a good time, everyone except Bellatrix. She was being relentlessly perused by some blonde woman who had no idea what subtleties were. The dark witch assumed she was too drunk to properly understand and hoped if she disappeared the woman would get the hint.

She moved gracefully through the people, left the woman behind in seconds and carefully slipped into the only room, besides the bedrooms, that she knew would be empty. The den.

She was grateful to see a fire already lit, it bathed the room in warm reds and yellows allowing her to feel a little more at ease than she had amidst the mix of family, friends and strangers.

She settled heavily on the sofa facing the fire, she shucked her boots and tucked her jean clad legs under her. This was what she enjoyed, if only she had thought to bring a book to distract herself from the noise she heard on the other side of the door. She tucked a rebellious curl back behind her ear and for the first time that night let a small smile grace her lips. She felt more at ease alone with her thoughts than she had all night.

She barely got the thought out when she heard the door click open and closed. A quiet 'muffliato' was whispered and she knew her peace would be shattered. Whatever the damn woman intended it wouldn't go well for her and whatever she expected when she cast that charm was far from Bella's own mind. There was nothing she cared for less than someone who would not take a hint.

"There you are." She didn't bother to hide her hiss of displeasure as the blonde took a seat far too close to her on the couch. "I thought we'd never get a chance to talk alone but this is a lucky break." A small hand rested on Bellatrix's thigh, she raised a dark eyebrow at the solid gold band nestled on the woman's ring finger. Blue eyes followed her gaze but if anything it made the woman smile wider. "Oh honey he don't mind, as long as it's a woman." She tried to lean in closer, years ago Bellatrix might have taken her up on what she was so blatantly offering.

Not now though, not when she had something better, even if it was only a dream in her head at the moment.

"I mind. And even if you weren't wearing someone else's ring I wouldn't be interested." She leaned away, her dark eyes boring into the other woman's.

"Oh come on….I promise not to ask for more in the morning." A pink tongue swiped across red lips as she leaned in closer, Bellatrix could smell the fruity alcohol on her breath as she spoke. "I promise it'll be worth it."

She pulled away, completely unaffected by her attempt at seduction. "I am not available." She stressed the words, put danger in her tone and still the woman didn't seem to take the hint. "If you can't keep your hands to yourself, I will hex you. I am not interested." Her dark eyes narrowed on the blue ones staring back at her. She reached out and removed the hand on her thigh, she squeezed the wrist in her hand until the woman winced before she let go.

"Alright, alright." She held her hands up in surrender when Bella released her. She scowled back at her as she headed out the door, muttering about crazy purebloods as if that was why Bella had rebuked her, but she made no move to stop her and she didn't care what excuse she told herself to soothe the rejection. She turned back to the fire before she even heard the door click closed.

"Well that must not have went well." Bella turned in surprise and leveled a sharp glare at her two best friends, they had been sneaky coming through the door as the woman left, the both of them held their hands up in truce. "That was all Sirius, he thought you needed to loosen up." Lily chuckled as they both moved to join her on the couch.

"I'll kill him later." She promised, a small smile gracing her face at the payback she would get to enact.

"He's worried about you. So are we." Molly told her. "You've been getting more and more secluded as the years go by, Bella. And to be honest you were never than much of an open book to begin with." The last was mentioned on a huff and Bellatrix couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. Molly did love gossip, even if she never shared it with anyone and she knew it annoyed the witch that Bella was so tight-lipped about her problems. "When was the last time you even had a date?" Molly demanded, not caring for the smirk at all.

Bellatrix couldn't remember, but she was ever the jokester. "Well that woman wasn't exactly offering a date and I haven't much felt like screwing where my godson's open their Christmas presents so I'm afraid it didn't pan out. Maybe it'll work out better at yours."

Molly's mouth opened and closed before she smacked the laughing woman and gave her the best disappointed mothering glare she could manage. It only made Bella laugh all the harder.

"Be serious Bella. We can help. Whatever it is now has gone on for a while and quiet frankly we are tired of watching you suffer." Lily's voice was quiet putting a damper on the small mirth she had just felt. It was very clear her friends weren't going to let her change the subject. They were not letting her get away without a proper explanation.

A sigh fell from her lips and she pulled her wand out to relight the dwindling fire, afterwards she twirled the wand in her hand, a nervous habit she had never been able to kick. "I wish you wouldn't worry. I'm handling it."

Lily frowned thoughtfully and moved to sit in her husband's favorite chair. A dark red wing back settled in front of the fireplace, it practically swallowed her tiny frame but it allowed her to face Bellatrix, to watch the expressions cross her face and make sure she wasn't trying to hide behind snark and humor. She knew Bellatrix well but the woman was a fairly good actress. "It's our job to worry, that's what friends do when someone is acting off. We want to help; we want to see you happy and we will do anything we can if you just say the words."

Bella sighed again and shifted, letting her feet hit the floor and instead leaning her body slightly against the arm of the couch. She pulled a throw pillow to her chest and tried to fight the weight of her emotions. No one had ever been there for her before. At least no one outside of her sisters and niece. It was both comforting and terrifying. They expected honesty, they were willing to listen with nothing, no shared blood, forcing them to care.

She knew it was time to come clean; she could definitely use their support and heaven knew everyone was finding out on their own anyways. Merlin help her if either of her friends found out without her being the one to tell them. She would never hear the end of it. It was better to just say it, rip it off like a band aid.

"I've been bonded." Molly gasped and collapsed on the couch beside her, her hand reaching out to settle on her thigh in support.

"I- I never would have believed it was real." Molly shook her head in disbelief, short red hair going everywhere as she struggled to figure out what she could do for her friend now.

"It's rare, but it's not a fairy tale."

"Wait what does that mean?" Lily asked carefully. Her muggle heritage hadn't spared her from purebloods prejudices but this she would not have ever heard a pureblood speak of. They swept it under the rug, choosing instead to pretend like it never happened. Like a fairy tale meant to explain how bad muggleborns were.

"It's a type of magic, think of it like partners... like-like a symbiotic relationship. My magic and the magic of my bond works together. The bond makes us stronger, both equal. Even if she were the weakest witch in the world she would be at least as strong as I am as long as I was acceptable to the bond. I can choose to cut her off from my magic but there is a price for me. It's painful and it makes my own magic wild and harder to control."

"Isn't that dangerous, Bella you work at a school." Lily wasn't accusing her of anything just genuinely concerned.

"Yes, Dumbledore knows and there are potions that help. It's worse for a Black. There is some kind of curse on the witches and wizards who bond from our line. Most choose to kill their bond, but that has its own consequences. It brings about insanity. It's not very accepted in pureblood circles to accept a bond though."

"Why?" In Lily's world she couldn't imagine where murder was a better option than sharing your magic, she would think people would jump at it actually since it made them stronger. And of course it was ridiculous but pureblood fascists weren't going to change just because they were wrong.

"Bonds only happen between a lesser blood and a pureblood. You can imagine how the purebloods think. Lesser bloods binding themselves to their proud families, making themselves as powerful as those born with magic. It was an abomination to them. Thankfully it's rare."

"So you were bound….to a muggleborn or a halfborn but not a pureblood?"

Bella shook her head; this was perhaps the hardest part. Telling them who it was, unfortunately it had to be done. "A student….a sixth year now."

Molly groaned and looked pleadingly at Bella, "Not Ginny?" Bella smiled wickedly, taking what little fun she could in light of the difficult topic, she did so love making the redhead squirm a bit. Molly slapped her leg playfully. "You're cruel." She said as Bella wagged her eyebrows playfully.

"No, I haven't been bonded to any of your children, or Harry."

"You can bind to another woman….I would have thought….you know well, women can't produce children together." Lily blushed. It was a rare sight so Bella let herself revel in it just a bit.

"It's all about the magic. Doesn't matter that she's a girl or a student. I was bound to her the moment we were in the same vicinity. She was only eleven years old." Molly patted her leg reassuringly. She seemed to be accepting it far better than Bella had expected her too, better than Lily at least.

"Eleven?!"

Bella laughed, at the outrage on her friend's face. "It's not an attraction thing. It's all about magic. I'm just the vessel. I don't have to love the girl I don't even have to want to have anything to do with her. Eventually love typically happens, either friendship or romance, at least according to the successful stories. It's so rare there isn't a lot known about it."

"That and the fact fanatic purebloods usually end up killing their binds and going insane because they can't stand the thought of dirtying their perfect lineage."

Bella growled. "I'm not going to let that happen." Molly held her hand up in mollification.

"Not what I meant."

Bella focused on getting control again. "Yes sorry. It's not been easy. There are voices that beat at my mind when I'm not around her; they try to get me to act on every bad thought or desire I've ever had. It's gotten worse over the past seven years."

Lily jumped. "Seven…. but you said. OH MY GOD. It's Hermione!" Bella leaned forward and covered the witch's mouth, glaring threateningly at her. She knew the guys were close by, both their husbands, her cousin and the children. The party was winding down and eventually they would all go out for there traditional Quidditch match. They would come inside and find them first like always, to ask for spectators and a referee. She did not need them overhearing this.

"I forget you're too smart for your own good. You can't tell the others and you can't tell her." Both the reds nodded so Bella moved back onto her couch.

"Why don't you tell her?"

"Because she doesn't deserve to be shackled to me, and she would be eventually. There is a brand that happens, no one knows what triggers it just that it's a permanent fixture on the skin…. like a muggle tattoo. A permanent fixture for everyone to see and recognize. It'll make her a Target for anyone wanting to get to me. I can't afford to let her get close enough for that to happen. And if she decides I'm not what she wants and I've been branded I'm not sure I won't become the most dangerous dark witch since Le Fey. I'm not sure I can let her go if I've accepted…Merlin I don't know if I can let her go now." The last was barely said, a mere whisper she wasn't even sure if the other two heard her.

"Doesn't the bond work both ways?" It was Molly who asked surprising Bella. She'd never thought about it before.

"It doesn't seem too. I hope it doesn't. No kid deserves to go through feeling like they are losing their mind. Especially not her, and the original rush of power….well I was older I knew my limits. When we met for the first time it was like those limits were gone all of a sudden, I thought I was going to blow up the Great Hall… You can't imagine how terrifying that was. I don't want her to have to go through that."

Molly looked at her friend thoughtfully, "You're in love with her. Whether you want to admit it or not, Bella." The dark witch scowled but once again couldn't deny it. It irked her that everyone seemed to know her well enough now to guess her innermost turmoil. "I want to be happy for you, but I'm hurting for you. I don't want to see you go through this but if ever I thought there was a woman out there for you it would have been someone like Hermione. I just might not have thought it was Hermione." She smiled sadly.

"She is so young, she deserves a normal childhood. She deserves to be able to do whatever she wants, get married and have children or run for minister….she can't do that if she has to stay around the castle with me for the rest of her life."

"It sounds like you never plan to tell her. Bella I think…I think Hermione is old enough, she is of age yes but also she's…more mature than most her age. She should at least be given all the facts before you decide what is best for her on your own." Molly nodded her agreement as Lily made her way over to squeeze in beside them on the couch, she looped Bellatrix in a one arm hug, Molly quickly did the same from her side.

"I'm not strong enough to be that selfless, Lil. I'm going to tell her, Dumbledore asked me to wait another year," She couldn't help the words fell bitterly from her lips. "After that I will do my best to allow her to choose what she thinks is best. But in case I'm not strong enough…" She hesitated, knowing she had to tell someone and also knowing they wouldn't like her ultimate decision. "If I'm not strong enough to let her leave and I don't think I will be…I think I'll be dangerous. I-"

"No. I know where you're going with this Bellatrix Black, no one is going to kill you." Lily's arms tightened around her.

"You may not have a choice, I'm far more powerful than I ever was when I dueled Moody. I have a will and everything is ready, it's an option. One I need to consider. The year she took off of school left me very unstable, I tried to resign but Dumbledore refused to hear it,"

Molly interrupted. "Good, you are the best blasted teacher there."

That drew a grin from the Slytherin, "I'll be sure to pass that on the Minerva shall I?"

Neither of them laughed at her attempt to lighten the tension. "Don't give up without trying Bella, please." Lily snuggled into her side, her breath hot against her throat and tears burning as they fell onto exposed skin.

"I'm not. I'm hoping we can figure something out, something that works for both of us." Bella wrapped an arm around the red head's waist and held her close, a rare display of affection usually reserved for her siblings.

"She could love you too." Molly told her thoughtfully, a little more reserved with her own feelings on the matter. "Ginny is always whispering about it with Luna, I honestly hadn't ever given it much thought, they started it their fifth year and I figured it was just girls being girls."

Bellatrix couldn't help the way her heart leapt at the idea but it was quickly squashed, as if a bucket of cold water had settled on her as she remembered Snape's words.

"I don't think I'm going to wish for miracles Molly." She smiled thinly, "I'll settle for friendship, if she can get over my gruff attitude and the way I've always treated her." She grimaced.

"Hermione tends to surprise people, and I think she may surprise you too."

A knock on the door surprised them just before Harry and Sirius entered, the two men shot the woman exasperated glances. "It's Quidditch time, stop with all the women talk and come watch the men at work." Sirius smiled widely, placing Harry conveniently in front of him when he caught his cousin's annoyed gaze.

"Hey! I fly circles around you…you…you mangy mutt." Ginny stuck her head in and seemed to catch onto the tense and depressing undercurrents far better than the two men.

Bellatrix clamored to her feet and drug the others with her, she didn't need the second biggest gossip in the family to catch wind of anything interesting. The women in the Weasley family were like dogs with bones.

"I do believe that was a challenge, dear cousin." She grinned wickedly at him. "And I suggest you run, I am not very happy with the bimbo you tried to set me up with."

He grimaced, hands still clutching his godson tightly on the shoulders for protection. "She was a very classy lady-"

"You met her at the Leaky Cauldron." Not the epitome of class….Sirius winced at Harry's revealing words. "She bartends right?"

"Ah," Bellatrix was still twirling her wand in her hand and she was advancing slowly on the shaggy haired man. "You get free drinks to introduce her to your lovely cousin?" He gulped instead of answering, her smile widened and Harry managed to slip a little to the side. She loved knowing where his loyalties rested but she didn't want it to be so easy.

"Cousin." He whimpered nervously at the sweet way she was speaking now. "Run."

~H~

Dark….too dark. Her enemies were waiting within and she knew it. Still she had gone, knowing she might never come back out. It was just something she had to do, there was something in the forest she needed, something important. Something she couldn't live without.

Leaves crackled and twigs broke under her foot. Never mind she was a master Hunter, never mind that she was doing her best to remain quiet.

Even the shadows were working against her. She followed the canopy, trying to use the vast tree tops as cover, but no sooner than she would step into the darkness than an unfelt wind would rush through the boughs and move the limbs, illuminating her figure in the pale light of a full moon.

Still she didn't let it deter her. If she was meant to die that day it would not be said she lacked courage. She would run when needed, charge ahead when she could but she would never give up. Not until her dying breath would she give up.

A quick snap of a limb gave her pause. It hadn't been her and whatever creature had caused it had been heavy, had moved clumsily. It gave her cause to worry. She hadn't heard anything stalking her as she followed the trail, whatever had moved had gotten impatient….or wanted her to know it was there. Wanted to smell her fear.

She unsheathed her weapon, a small piece of metal, too small to even be called a proper sword. It was all she had. Her sister had given it to her on a visit, insisted she had embedded it with a protective spell. At the time it had fascinated her, magic was a foreign concept in her household and she had already heard wild tales of her sister's famous and mischievous magic. She hoped her sister had been truthful as she held the weapon out to ward off the growing darkness. She prayed to every god she remembered that Morgaine hadn't been pulling her leg when she said it would protect her.

"You are a pretty little thing aren't you!" She gasped and spun, only to face nothing. Her sword wavered in the air, almost shimmering as the moonlight lit her up once again. "Over here dear." She turned once again but still there was nothing. The man, if indeed it was a man, moved far too quickly to be human.

She felt a cold sweat trickle down her back and gulped nervously. "W-what do you want?" She moved so she could place her back at a tree. She wasn't well versed in the art of sword play, she doubted she would be able to defend herself against anything truly dangerous, her best chance would be to wound it and run.

"Not much at all, lovely. Just your life, you can't say it's worth all that much. The life of a peasant." She shivered at the way it so callously calculated her worth, the way it didn't seem to believe she would be missed.

"No, I'll not die today." All bravado but what else could she have told it. It laughed regardless, manically and high pitched, hurting her ears and causing the birds sleeping in the tree tops to squall and fly off.

She felt it lunge, felt the disturbance in the darkness. She trusted her instincts, brought the tip of the sword up to where she believed it was coming and shouted the words her sister had instructed her to use in the event of danger.

"Protego Maxima!" Half of her had expected it to be one of Morgaine's tricks. It wasn't. A jet of white light surrounded her, the creature, for it surely wasn't human, was illuminated as it slammed into he barrier, howling it's rage.

She didn't waste time to see if she could do it again, the shimmering white shield was already fading and she took off around the creature, terrified of the rotting mass of flesh she had seen and the sharp wolfish face that had stared back at her.

She didn't know how long she had ran, she was out of breath, her lungs ached and her leg muscles burned in protest as she tried to flee whatever was chasing her. How close it truly was she didn't know, she hadn't the courage to turn and look. She could hear it and feel it though; it couldn't have been more than three steps behind her. Sometimes she felt its long fingers reach for her head only to slide through the ends of her hair and graze her scalp with its claws.

She could hear it whispering to her but she couldn't make out what it was saying except that it was hungry. She didn't want to be its lunch, she ran faster. Occasionally she would make a sharp turn trying to throw it off her trail, unfortunately such turns left her blind to the high roots and she tripped crashing to the leaf covered forest floor.

Her pursuer cackled in glee but she still couldn't see anything in the shadows of the trees. She called for help, any help. She called for….for Bella.

It was as if the woman dominated her mind, how could she have forgotten she was in the woods looking for her. She had lost her, the creature had attacked her she had heard her call out….she had to…to get her knights….no…what?

She shook her head, forced her mind clear to focus only on what was important. On the woman she needed to find.

"Bella!" The sword in her hand….she glanced down but it wasn't a sword it was only her wand. It didn't matter it was a weapon and she could use it far better than the piece of metal she had been given…

Her mind folded in confusion, had she been given a sword? The cackling grew louder, closer. Now she could make out words. It was saying it had Bellatrix Black. It would kill her! Take her magic for itself and live for years.

"No!" She struggled back to her feet, slammed into trees as the voice retreated. She followed blindly, calling out for the silent witch she knew had to be somewhere nearby. She had been right behind her!

Hadn't she?

"Bellatrix! Bella!" The darkness was suffocating. Clinging to her, pulling at her. Swallowing her words, muting her voice. She just knew the professor couldn't hear her. "Lumos Maxima! Professor! Bella!" Her heart bear an irregular pattern in her chest, her lungs felt inadequate, barely able to suck in air to continue calling much less chase after the creature that now had better prey to devour.

She fell to her knees gasping and hurting, trying her best to call out to the dark headed woman. To plead for the creature to take her instead.

Suddenly something was shaking her hard, she felt hands clinging to her arms but she looked down into the dim light and saw nothing. The bruising grip was still there, she cried out, struggling against the invisible bonds.

"No! Let me go….Bellatrix!"

She awoke as something slapped her face, hard. Her body was covered in a cold sweat and she was shaking from the lingering fear. She took in deep gulps of breath and tried to focus her eyes in the dark bedroom. She was almost relieved...She was home, not in any woods….

But she still wasn't safe from monsters.

~B~

Bellatrix... Bella ... No! Let me go... Bellatrix!

"Hermione!" Bellatrix tried to launch herself off the couch, her consciousness not quiet caught up with her sleep addled mind. She ended up in a tangled mess on the floor, her feet tangled up in the blanket Lily had placed on her after she'd passed out on the couch. "Damn it!" She pushed the blankets aside and drew her knees up to her chest. It took several deep breaths before she felt stable enough to climb to her feet.

She wanted to see Hermione. The need was overwhelming. Stronger than she could ever remember it being before.

"Bella are you alright?" hands landed on her shoulder as her friend came rushing in, probably lured from her own bed at Bellatrix's scream. She glanced over at Lily, concern pulling at the laugh lines on her face making her friend look far older than she was.

"No….I mean….I don't know what I mean. I need…" She tried to focus her breathing, slow down and get control of herself. She could feel the magic licking at her skin, wild, hot and dangerous. If she wasn't careful she could hurt her friend. Or the children.

"Bella?" Lily sounded uneasy, she could feel the magic in the air too. She had never seen Bellatrix so close to losing control.

"I need Hermione. I-" She didn't know where the girl lived but Lily did. Her eyes sought green ones, desperation glinting like madness. "Please."

Lily nodded, she wasn't sure what was going on but Bellatrix Black did not beg and Lily Potter was not going to make her. "Let me get James and tell Molly. Arthur can watch the children."

~H~

Peter was above her, she couldn't see him in the pitch black but she could smell the alcohol on his hot breath as it caressed her face. So strong it made her stomach churn with each exhale. She could also feel him. His grip on her shoulders was painfully bruising and his knee pressed her stomach into the mattress.

She couldn't breath right, not with his weight pressed so heavily on her, but she didn't dare try to speak. Not when she had no idea what he wanted or what he planned to do to her.

"You know-" He finally spoke, a hand sweeping up from her arm to grasp at her chin as she tried to turn her head away from the smell. "I raised you, gave you- gave….a roof over your head." His words were slurred but Hermione had a sinking feeling he wasn't as drunk as she would have hoped. It was easier to manage him when he was too plastered to catch her. "I tried- tried to discipline," he stumbled over the word, frustrating himself and putting more weight on Hermione as he leaned in until a breath separated them. She cried out as his knee dug harder into her stomach but he didn't lift it, she doubted he cared.

"I tried with you I really did. I let you go to the freak school. Parade the shit around in my house." She wished she could tell him if wasn't his house, wish she was brave enough to risk the abuse she knew would come from the defiance. "And now you've turned into some kind of whore." She flinched as he spit the word out against her face, his fingers still clasping her chin too tightly for her to move.

"First the boy, then the sport player what's his name….now…now I find you screaming out a woman's name. Have you fucked all the boys in the school and now you have to change it up." His voice was steadily rising. She blinked the tears away, her eyes having adjusted enough in the pale light to make out his features. He was livid. Whatever had set him off had caused him to dip, quiet possibly, beyond reason. She had never been more afraid of him than she was in that very moment.

"I haven't been meeting all your needs is that it?" He adjusted himself on the bed, his knee falling to the mattress beside her as he brought the other up on the bed so he cage her with his body. "A father should do more than discipline? That's fine with me, if this is what it takes I'm happy to help keep you in line."

Her mind struggled to keep up with what he was saying, refusing to believe what she was hearing, what he was implying. She made to utter a word, any word, when his lips clashes harshly against hers, all teeth and pain. She jerked her face out of his grasp the taste of iron heavy on her tongue.

"No- No!" She shoved him off, finding strength in desperation and sending him sprawling across the floor. She wasn't crazy, she didn't stick around to watch him get up. She knew if he hadn't moved his knee for a better position over her she would never have gotten him off. She wasn't going to give him another go at it. She wasn't just going to let him take her innocence.

She flew out of the bed and down the hall. She wouldn't make it into his room and to the safe in time. Her wand was a lost cause. A useless weapon. Already she could hear his curses trailing after her. His bare feet pounding on the floor right behind her. She aimed toward the stairs. If she could only make it out and to the front door she could probably run to Ms. Swift's, she could return for Sterling and get the hell out. At least for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately luck had never been on her side. He couldn't catch her true but he didn't exactly need to get his hands fully on her to slow her down. He nearly caught her at the stairs and used just a little of his momentum to shove her down them. She didn't have the time to catch herself and her breath flew out on a broken gasp as she felt one of her ribs crack as she tumbled down them.

He slowed now, a triumphant look spreading across his face as she writhed on the floor bellow him. She grasped her side and tried to roll, tried to get to her feet but all she managed was to clamor to her hands and knees. A large hand reached out for her hair, grasping and tugging until she cried out and leaned back to escape the pain. He bent over her, breath hot against her cheek as he inhaled sharply.

"You always smell so good." She couldn't turn her head with his hand pulling her hair. She was at his mercy and he knew it just as she did. Her ribs protested with every move, white hot pain with every breath, her scalp burned under his hand. He had never gone this far before and it was very evident he had no intention of stopping.

"P-please don't do this." He only laughed. Adrenaline had helped sober him, he was thoroughly enjoying himself now. He moved around, letting go of her hair in favor of tugging her up to her feet. He pulled her shaking body flush against his own, laughing at the fear and disgust he found on her already marked face.

"I'm going to fix you. You won't be chasing any more of those boys when I'm done with you, damn sure won't be going after no woman. You'll know what a real man is and you'll forget about running off to the freak world."

"No!" She didn't try to pull away, instead she shoved herself into him. It surprised him enough to knock him off balance and give her a chance to run for freedom. It was short lived his hands clamped down on her waist and threw her bodily into the kitchen door.

She crashed through, landed hard against the small table before sprawling out on the cold kitchen floor. Her head bounced off the tile with a loud crack and she reached up dazedly to feel the warm blood flowing from a gash on her forehead.

The sight of blood never bothered her stepfather before and it didn't give him pause now. He followed right after her, reached down to grasp at the fabric of her shirt, uncaring as the light fabric ripped under his hands. He stood straddling her waist as he pulled her up to face him, her eyes could barely keep him in focus her head ached so much.

"This is your life from now on. Vacations. Between terms. Anytime you come home you will be a mother, a daughter or a wife. Your going to be whatever I want you to be because I rule this house." He shook her violently making her shirt rip all the more, his dark gaze traveled down to the exposed skin and his fury turned into lust. He settled himself over her waist, easing his tall frame until he was seated there, keeping her easily in place with his weight while letting his hands free, uncaring as her head snapped back to the floor when he released his hold on her shirt.

"Please don't." He laughed…..until a small body landed against his back.

"Lego, Mione!"

Tiny hands hit and little bare legs kicked out at her father. It did not amuse him. Peter wasn't about to let his child interrupt what he was considering a good night.

"Get off!" He grabbed a wrist, uncaring of the tiny cry of pain, and slung the child away toward the cabinets. She slid across the floor on her Disney silk PJs and slammed hard into the wood.

The small cry of pain enraged Hermione. Enough to give her back some of the fight she had lost in the scuffle. He had never laid his hands on Sterling.

The glass China cabinets shook with her rage, chairs fell over and the lights flickered. She knew it was wild magic, something that rarely happened in adults. She also knew she was the cause, her anger at seeing Sterling so mistreated had finally snapped something inside of her. If only she could control it. If only she could get him off of her.

It turned out she needn't have tried. While she knew she was the cause for the chaotic happenings in the kitchen Peter had no idea. He was looking at his child now with a mixture of fury and disgust.

"No. I won't be having two in my house." He climbed from Hermione easily enough and fumbled for the first knife he could get his hands on. Sterling cowered away from him as he approached but Hermione latched onto his leg causing him to pause just long enough to kick her ribs again.

She coughed up blood as the bones crunched beneath his foot but it had been enough. Sterling had taken off out the kitchen door, hopefully to hide until he regained his senses. With her gone he only had the student to focus on.

This time Hermione didn't try to fight, the longer he focused on her the less likely he was to go an hunt for Sterling.