A/N: Another chapter, yay! I was feeling super inspired over the weekend. Thank you for all the reviews, y'all are awesome! First let me clarify, Hermione is not Remus's mate, this is still a Srimione story, nor is what Remus feeling a pack bond. What is it, you may ask, wait and see! Some clues are in this chapter. Perhaps it will answer your questions, perhaps you'll have more! Thank you lovelies so much for reading. Also! Someone asked why the horcuxes would be the same, to which I say, are they the same? Who knows! Well, I know. But Hermione doesn't!
oOo
There was a brief point mid-Apparation where Sirius suddenly became jarringly aware that he had no idea where we was Apparating to. The moment, though filled with absolute panic, lasted less than a second until Sirius and Remus stumbled through their landing into the hot night air.
Hot? No, that's not right.
Sirius quickly righted himself, his Auror reflexes keeping him standing despite the unsettling sensation of blind Apparation, and whirled to the source of the pointedly wrong heat and with a gasp, grabbed Remus's elbow and forced the taller wizard to do the same.
"What the- where the hell are we, Pads?" Remus exclaimed, his wide green eyes reflecting the light from the blazing fire.
It was a house, or at least, Sirius was fairly certain it had once been a house. Now it was a pyre of wreckage encased in brilliant crimson flames that howled and danced through the night.
Sirius opened his mouth and shrugged dumbly, unsure of how to answer his friend when a scream split the air, unnatural in its overwhelming shrillness, and both wizard grasped their ears. Remus, his hearing more astute than his companion's, nearly doubled over as the sound cut through his mind leaving a path of searing pain.
"Did that come from the house?" Sirius asked between gritted teeth, his hands reluctantly dropping from his head to pull his wand from his sleeve. "That- that couldn't have been human, right?"
Remus, still clutching his ears, took a ragged breath and turned his own head towards the fire. "No," he panted, "that was," he took another deep breath and straightened his back, "decidedly inhuman."
"Godric, should I," Sirius shrugged, motioning towards the house ablaze, "I don't know, put it out?"
"Why are we here, Pads?" Remus cut in. "Where is here?"
"I have no sodding clue." Sirius admitted, his grey orbs still locked onto the house that crackled while his mind scrambled through a list of possible scenarios. The black haired pureblood was not often given much credit by his friends, Remus had always been hailed as the brilliant one, but Sirius Black had not become a top Auror on sheer dumb luck.
"You," Remus sputtered, his voice a mixture of surprise and indignation, "you don't know?"
Sirius shook his head, only half listening to his friend.
"You fucking Apparated us both blind, you fucking arsehole?" Remus's voice rose as he spoke and this finally did cause Sirius to turn. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"I'll make you a list later," Sirius snapped and dodged out of the way of Remus's fist. "Remus-" he began.
"We could've have splinched, we could have died!" Remus continued, attempting to throw another punch at his friend; days, possibly years, of frustration exploding.
Sirius ducked and jumped to the side, his own irritation growing. "Remus," he tried again, a hard edge to his normally jovial voice. Why do you keep attacking me you, prick?!
"Don't you fucking 'Remus' me!" The werewolf growled, his fist still balled. "This isn't a fucking game-"
"I know that! Listen, listen!" Sirius yelled, keeping his wand hand down so as not to appear threatening. "Remus, think about what just happened."
"I have! You just fucking Apparated us without even-"
"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed, "I Apparated us!"
"That's what I just-"
"Out of Grimmauld Place."
Remus stopped, his fist mid-air, and Sirius watched as his brows furrowed in confusion and then suddenly shot up to his hairline as the realization sunk in. The werewolf opened his mouth and then closed it, then opened and closed it a few more times. Sirius couldn't help the grin that split his face at his friend's bewilderment.
"We just safely Apparated," Sirius began slowly, "out of Grimmauld Place, past the wards."
"How is that…" Remus ran a hand down the side of his face, "how is that possible?"
"I don't know, but I have an idea." Sirius admitted slyly, unable to keep from sounding just a tad excited that he'd realized something before Remus had.
A second scream howled through the night causing both wizards to jump in startled pain; Sirius's momentary delight at the idea of having done the near impossible lost when he was brought back into the present by the shrill sound.
"I think Hermione was injured," Sirius found his voice a few seconds after the godawful scream had subsided, "I think that's what was happening, when I was choking, I think it was the host bond."
Remus's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing and then widening. "You think it was-" the werewolf cut himself off and took a deep breath through his nose. "I can," he whispered excitedly, "I can smell her!" Remus began turning wildly while he sniffed, attempting to locate a trail of scent.
"She was here!" He practically laughed as he searched out the scent. "Just a moment ago I think, the scent is so-it's so fresh. But wait," Remus's face darkened and he turned to Sirius, "she was injured? You think she was being choked?"
Sirius nodded gravely. "I think so, I think it triggered the bond and pulled my magic here."
"But you think she's okay now? You don't think…" Remus trailed off, not looking at Sirius.
"Yea," Sirius nodded, his face mimicking the concern he could see painted across Remus's features. "I think I'd know, if she were," Sirius swallowed, "dead."
"This is both excellent and terrible." Remus acknowledged, sniffing the air again. "But there's," he smiled broadly walking a few paces, "there's a scent trail. She didn't Apparate away, she's on foot."
"Ha!" Sirius fist pumped the air. "We've got you now, little witch." He turned to the fire and then back to Remus. "Do you think that was her?" Sirius motioned towards the house.
Remus shrugged. "Wouldn't surprise me, that witch is bloody terrifying."
"I wonder why." Sirius mused, scratching the light stubble on his chin that had grown in the last few days. "Do you think… something is in there?"
Is it what attacked my witch?
Remus moved towards his friend with uncanny speed and grabbed Sirius's wrist. "We can ask her when we find her, c'mon we need to-"
A third scream echoed through the night, different in nature from the two that preceded it. This scream was full of joy and where the others had been, as Remus pointed out, decidedly inhuman, this scream was most assuredly human in nature.
"Cousin!" A feminine voice screeched and caused Sirius to practically break his neck as his head whipped around to the direction the voice had come. "It's been too long."
Bellatrix Lestrange's red lips curled into a facsimile of a smile, her pale features alight with malicious glee that caused every muscle in Sirius's body to clench with rage. The witch stood, silver masked pushed up into her tangle of ebony hair and black robes flowing around her, just an arm's length from the pair of wizards and Sirius silently berated himself for not noticing he had been snuck up on.
Moody would have my fucking head, constant vigilance indeed. Sirius nearly growled, his wand gripped tightly by his side, as two more masked figures moved out of the forested darkness to stand besides Bella.
"Bella," Sirius spat, raising his wand, "sod off. Stupefy!"
The witch laughed, an alarming sound that raised the hair on the Marauder's neck, as she casually deflected her cousin's spell. "Oh, little cousin, you mustn't be nasty, we've just come to talk."
"Yea, not happening." Sirius wrapped his fingers around Remus's wrist, the two wizards now practically holding hands, and readied himself to Apparate, but when nothing happened the wizard's eyes grew wide. He tried again and still nothing happened. "What the fuck did you do?" Sirius demanded, though he already knew the answer: obviously the three Death Eaters had set up anti-Apparation wards around the area before approaching the two wizards.
Bellatrix's smile widened, "Things to discuss, cousin, we couldn't have you leaving so soon."
Sirius's grey eyes narrowed as he surveyed the quickly escalating situation. The Death Eaters flanking Bellatrix, who he assumed were wizards due to their size, had moved into dueling stances with their wands extended. Sirius noted a wisp platinum hair almost escaping from under the hood of the wizard to Bella's right and Sirius nearly growled- Malfoy most likely.
The Marauders were out number and as much as Sirius would like to believe that wouldn't matter, ultimately he knew a fight was a fool's choice. But when had that ever stopped Sirius Black? The pureblood tightened his grip on his own wand, a hex on the edge of his tongue when Remus squeezed his friend's wrist. Sirius frowned internally, realizing he couldn't put himself or Remus in that sort of risk. They'd have to make a run for it.
The wild eyed witch's attention was suddenly drawn to the Marauder's hands and she giggled -why are you always laughing you crazy bitch?- before taking a confident step forward. Remus and Sirius took a step back in response, but Sirius was painfully aware that a burning house, not an exit route, was behind them.
"So adorable," Bellatrix cooed, "the two little lion cubs. This doesn't have to be painful, cousin," she smiled cruelly, "it can be quick and quite humane if you cooperate."
"Oh, Bella," Sirius smiled back with equal malice, "don't be daft, it doesn't suit you."
Bellatrix's face twisted in rage, her aristocratic features, so similar to Sirius's own, morphing grotesquely. "Never let it be said that I didn't try to spare you, Sirius," she spat, "crucio!"
Remus and Sirius dove apart, both narrowly avoiding the unforgivable.
"What did you find!" Bellatrix screamed as she hurled another curse.
oOo
Hermione leaned against a tree, panting with exhaustion, sweat beading on her forehead. She looked around wearily into the darkness, her amber eyes darting about. The witch had not stopped running since she'd attempted to Apparate away from the burning house and found that she was unable. When Hermione had initially probed the house's defenses she had not detected any anti-Apparation wards and their sudden presence could only mean one of two things: either she had triggered them or they had just been cast. She had a sinking suspicion it was the latter and had no intention of sticking around to confirm her theory.
Hermione looked down at the tiny golden box in her hand, unnerved by the lack of dark magic radiating from it. Surely being retrieved by someone other than its master would have triggered the horcruxes defenses, right? Hermione sighed, desperately hoping that there was indeed a dark artifact inside the little box. If there wasn't, if she had just nearly been strangled by a sodding curtain for what was turned out to be some Gaunt family heirloom, she'd not only lose her mind, but she'd truly be at square one. Less than one. Square negative one.
Ignoring the mounting desire to open the box and examine its contents, Hermione slipped the gilded container into her her bag. "Gotta get back to camp, Granger, " she muttered to herself, "then we'll open it."
"You smell good, pet."
Hermione's head snapped up, the deep voice rolling down her spine, and found herself staring wide eyed at a giant man with blond hair and a formidable beard smiling at her in that lazy way only a predator could. The witch stifled a gasp and the man's grin widened.
"Greyback," she whispered the name almost as a question. It had been years since she'd seen the werewolf, years since she'd heard his carnivorous voice. Where had he even come from? Constant vigilance, Granger! Moody would be so fucking pissed.
Fenrir gave the witch a look of confusion, but he didn't appear bothered that this stranger knew his name. "Have we met?" He asked, taking a step forward.
Hermione took a step back in response, wand in hand. "Don't make a choice you'll soon regret." She warned, her voice steadying, betraying none of the panic that was rising in her chest.
The werewolf laughed, delighted at her comment. "Oh you're fun, surely I'd remember you and-" Fenrir stopped and suddenly took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes as he did, "Gods," he whispered, his eyes opening and fixing onto the witch, "you smell bloody divine."
Hermione felt her lip curl, disgust replacing the fear she'd felt only moments before. "As far as pick up lines go, I'd say that was one of the worst." She sneered.
"Are you looking to get picked up, pet?" Fenrir chortled and Hermione found the sound quite unsettling coming from his feral lips, her sneer deepening. The blond werewolf brought a hand to his chin and tapped his finger gently against his lips as if in thought.
"You know what I am." It wasn't a question and Hermione struggled to replace the revulsion gracing her dark features with a stoic mask. "Who are you?"
"'Fraid I haven't the time to chat." Hermione raised her wand. "Stupefy!"
With unnatural speed Fenrir had his wand in his hand, deflecting Hermione's spell, before the witch had finished speaking. "Salazar," he sighed almost dreamily - gods you're fucking disgusting- "your magic smells even better than you do." Fenrir's demeanour was disturbing in its calmness and Hermione's mind quickly began flipping through a list of possible escape plans.
The witch took a slow step back, aware that she was not speaking with a man, but more a predator, "Not used to being around witches who bathe, hmm?" Hermione taunted, instantly regretting the use of her barbed tongue as she witnessed Fenrir's eyes flash gold, briefly shifting. The wild haired witch suppressed the urge to shudder.
Suuure, Granger. Just rile up the sodding giant werewolf, that sounds like a safe bet.
"There's something different about you." Fenrir cocked his head, his wand hand twitching. "Something odd. Something so very compellingt-"
The werewolf moved ever closer to Hermione and the witch silently attempted to Apparate, only to find she still could not.
Crap crap crap. She remained inside the wards and was quickly running out of time.
"-I've never smelled anything like you before-" Fenrir was still talking.
Hermione bit the inside of her cheek.
"-you're decadent, powerful somehow-" he took a another deep breath, "-it's like you're not even real." He reached out as if to touch her and Hermione jolted away with an wordless bark of revulsion.
With Auror speed she threw a silent stinging hex at the distracted werewolf and watched with a satisfied smirk as the spell hit Fenrir in the face. "That real enough for you, arsehole?"
Fenrir roared, "You'll regret that, little witch," scratching at his face in pain.
"Doubt it." Hermione muttered under her breathe as she took off in a dead sprint towards Little Hangleton, leaving Fenrir to tear as his stinging face.
"You can't out run me, pet!" He bellowed behind her and Hermione propelled herself forward, desperately aware that she'd made a huge mistake.
But to be fair, it had felt so fucking good.
oOo
Sirius threw a hex over his shoulder into the darkness and watched it glowing fly at the Death Eaters pursuing him, smirking as it clipped the wizard in the shoulder. Sirius tried to Apparate multiple times as he'd run through the forest and had been blocked, he was beginning to wonder how muggles ever survived without the ability.
At some point he'd lost Remus and he briefly considered calling out for his friend, but was too worried at giving away their positions to try. On my own for now-
From Sirius's left something solid slammed into him and the wizard fell to the ground with a yelp of surprise. Suddenly he found himself pinned to the ground, Bellatrix glaring down at him, her wild black hair like a warning smoke around her head.
Was on my own- Sirius grimaced as Bellatrix wrapped one hand around his throat and raised the other, gripping a wand, above his head.
"You've been naughty, cousin," she spat before crucio'ing him.
The wizard screamed, his back arching in spasms of agony that tore at his flesh and ate through his muscles, as the curse cascaded through his body. Sirius hadn't realized how lucky he'd been in his life to have not before experienced one of the unforgivable curses. He suddenly felt a deep pity for anyone else who had before the pain eclipsed and derailed any rational thought still clinging to his brain. The pain was all consuming- for a brief eternity he forgot who he was as another curse ripped through him.
"What," Bellatrix tightened her hold around Sirius's already sore throat, "did you take from the house?"
"Missing something, Bella?" He whispered between ragged breaths, clenching his fist to ensure his wand was still in his hand.
The witch screamed, bringing his head up by his neck she slammed his skull into the ground and Sirius gasp as his vision clouded.
"What did you take!" She demanded again.
The words floated around Sirius as if he were stuck in the pages of the muggle comic books Peter used to sneak in his trunk back at Hogwarts. The wizard couldn't think, couldn't process anything for a moment, and then Bellatrix slammed his head again.
"What did you take!" She screeched, her voice not unlike his own dear mother's. Sirius smiled at the thought of his mother, now dead, and tasted the metallic tang of blood- at some point he'd bit through his lip.
"Do you have it or is it the other one?" She demanded. "Does he have it!"
"Oh, I've got it." Sirius bragged, taking a moment to savor the enraged look that crossed his cousin's face, "I've got it right here, you fucking bitch." From his wand still by his side, Sirius sent a burning hex up at his cousin, hitting her in the side of the head.
Bellatrix screamed and flew off of him from the force of the spell, rolling on the ground in agony.
"You've been naughty, cousin," he spat mimicking her earlier remark, before raising his wand, crucio on his lips.
"Sirius!" Remus's voice called out and Sirius stopped, his wand still in the air. "Sirius!" He heard again, this time closer.
"Here," he called out, caution abandoned, turning towards the sound of his friend's voice "Remus! Here!"
A silent crucio hit Sirius, taking the wizard off guard, and he screamed in pain, falling to his knees. Sirius looked up through the fringe of his black hair to see Lucius Malfoy, his mask half blown off, kneeling besides Bellatrix. The blonde wizard lifted his wand, eyes awash of rancor, and Sirius found he had not the energy to lift his own. Silently the wizard braced for another curse.
"Stupefy!" Remus called out from behind his friend and Sirius's shoulders all but sagged in relief. Lucius deflected the spell, but Remus continued his assault. "Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" He yelled, now standing between the Death Eaters and Sirius, his tall frame towering over them all and his tan features lit with rage.
Lucius was narrowly averting the onslaught of spells and Sirius watched as his silver eyes narrowed. "Another time, perhaps." He drawled, suddenly grabbing hold of Bellatrix and Apparating away.
"Stupefy!" Remus sent one more spell into the darkness where the witch and wizard had been for good measure.
"Fuck me," Sirius whispered and then promptly collapsed.
oOo
Hermione ran, her feet pounding against the dirt, dodging trees and branches, panting from exhaustion, but she dared not stop. She could feel the werewolf behind her- he was catching up, he'd be upon her soon.
Death by curtain, death by werewolf, death by your own fucking stupidity, Granger. Brightest witch of your age, what a fucking joke.
Hermione screamed as a hand reached out and grabbed her wild curls, yanking her to a stop.
Death by your fucking hair.
The witch turned her amber eyes full of fear and indignation and rage on the wizard that had his filthy hand in her hair and twisted away, grunting in pain as she felt locks of curls pulled out by the effort. But she was free from his grasp, though still within arm's reach.
"Pretty, little witch, you've got some explaining to do, I think." Fenrir's voice was mocking as he reached out for Hermione again. The witch jumped away, her wand outstretched, but she was so exhausted she wasn't sure how many spells her magical core had left. "I don't bite." Fenrir laughed at the site of the weakened witch, who glared with honey and wrath filled eyes.
"I do," Hermione spat, recoiling from the wizard she flung another hex at him.
"I think," Fenrir deflected the hex, "I might enjoy that." With a speed Hermione knew she herself could not match, the werewolf lunged at her and briefly timed seemed to slow as the witch watched the giant beast of a wizard pummel towards her.
This isn't how we go out, Granger. The witch wordless screamed in frustration and in a last ditch effort, Apparated away, surprising even herself when a 'pop' rang through the night air.