A/N - Just a warning that this one is pretty emotional. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

Chapter 56

Horrors

5 April 2000

Remus walked towards Hermione's office, wondering just what she wanted to meet him about. Her note had been decidedly vague, and he was concerned that her parents had said something after he'd left last night. While both Richard and Jean had seemed accepting after Remus' talk with Richard, Remus couldn't be sure that they hadn't changed their minds once he'd left. It wouldn't surprise him if they had. He doubted that they wanted their daughter to be with someone who carried as much baggage as he did.

The question, of course, was how Hermione would feel about it. He wouldn't come in between her and her parents, that much he knew. Remus would never forgive himself if his presence ruined the relationship Hermione and her parents were trying to rebuild.

Hermione's office door was open when he reached it and she sat at her desk with a pensive look on her face. When he knocked on the open door, she looked up and there was a flash of pain in her eyes before she smiled. Remus could tell that it was forced, however, and he feared that his suspicions were correct. He was a bit surprised that she would want to speak to him about it at work, rather than asking him to meet her afterwards. But he supposed that her office was the most privacy they would get with her parents in town.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

"Of course," he replied. She reached behind him and closed her door, casting a privacy charm as well. Remus' heart sank, even as he realized it wasn't a simple Muffliato. He wondered for a moment what it was and where she had learned it

Instead of walking back behind her desk, she gestured for him to sit down in the chair in front and then conjured another, sitting next to him. She sighed and looked at her lap for a moment, before she met his gaze. The pain in her eyes was even more evident now and Remus couldn't help but reach for her hand.

"There's something I need to tell you," Hermione said. "But I'm not sure how, to be honest." Remus squeezed her hand, knowing now, that he was right. He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice when he spoke.

"It's all right, Hermione," he said. "I know what you're going to say." Her head whipped towards him in shock.

"You do?" Remus nodded. "But, but how do you…how do you know?"

"It's not as if I wasn't expecting it." Hermione nearly choked.

"Expecting it?" she said shrilly.

"I hoped, of course, after last night, but," he paused and shook his head, looking away from her for a moment. He needed to get himself under control. The last thing Hermione needed was for him to get upset when she so clearly was. He would accept whatever her decision was, but he couldn't deny that it was going to rip his heart out if she decided to end things.

When he looked up, the expression on Hermione's face made his brow furrow. Why did she look so confused?

"Remus," she said tentatively. "What do you think we're talking about?"

"Your parents," he said. "I assume they've changed their minds about me." Hermione shook her head, a strangled laugh escaping her.

"If only it were that trivial," she said.

"Trivial?" Remus repeated, a bit hurt. "I don't think your parents not wanting you to date me is trivial."

"No, of course not," Hermione said. "That's not what I meant. I," she trailed off for a moment. "This is…Remus, that isn't what I was talking about." It was his turn for confusion. "My parents didn't change their minds."

"Then why am I here?" Remus asked. Hermione shifted uneasily in her chair.

"You know that Satterfield was arrested," she began. Remus nodded. "Besides being a drunk, he was also funneling money to Voldemort." Remus blew out a breath. He had figured that Narcissa had information on more people than just Hubert Fawley.

"Not an exorbitant amount and Harry doesn't think that Satterfield really even cared about Voldemort's agenda one way or another. He was simply covering himself in case Voldemort won."

"From what you've told me about Satterfield, that doesn't surprise me." Although this was not good news, Remus wondered why Hermione felt the need to summon him to the Ministry to tell him.

"There's more," she said before Remus could ask that very question. She dropped her eyes to the floor and squeezed his hand again. Remus was starting to get nervous. When she looked up at him, he could see the tears in her eyes. Now, he was worried.

"Hermione," he said, gripping her hand tighter. "Please tell me what's going on."

"When Umbridge was put in charge of the Muggleborn Registration Commission, she decided that more than Muggleborns needed to be taken care of." Remus' heart began to beat faster in his chest. It was no secret that Dolores Umbridge despised those she considered half-breeds.

"Her first target was the centaurs. But, predictably, she got nowhere with that. So, she moved on." Hermione bit her lip and looked at her lap again.

"Moved on to whom?" Remus heard himself ask, although he knew in his gut what Hermione was going to say. She swallowed thickly and looked up at him.

"Werewolves," she whispered. Remus' eyes closed in resignation. "She paid off Satterfield for the werewolf registry and sent Warrington out to round up as many on the list as he could. Leland Hughes, the head of the Beast Division, did nothing to stop it." Remus felt his breath coming faster.

"Warrington," Hermione continued, her voice cracking, "enjoyed his new role so much that he didn't want to stop after the war was over and Umbridge was arrested." Remus heard a whine escape his throat. Hermione grabbed his other hand and held both tightly.

"After Kingsley passed the new bill, allowing werewolves employment if they registered, Warrington, he," Hermione paused and tried to gather herself. Remus still had his eyes closed, not wanting to hear anymore. "He took the new list and, and," but she stopped, overcome by her tears. Remus shook his head.

"No," he said.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Hermione whispered. Remus dropped her hands and stood, still shaking his head.

"No," he said again. "No, don't say it." He raked his hands through his hair and started to pace in her small office. He was muttering under his breath and finally Hermione stood in front of him to stop his movements.

"Remus," she said, trying to offer him some kind of comfort. Remus shook his head. He didn't deserve it. He had personally encouraged more than one werewolf to register after the war and he had promised them, promised, that it was safe. And now, now…he couldn't even say it in his head.

"No," he said again. He couldn't stop the mental pictures flying through his head.

"Remus, this isn't your fault," Hermione said. "You couldn't have known."

"I should have known," Remus roared. Hermione jumped in surprise. "I knew what Warrington was like. I should have known."

"No," Hermione insisted. "You might have known Warrington, but you also knew Kingsley. Kingsley would never have passed that law if he had known. No one knew what Umbridge had been up to. Even after all the things Satterfield did, I never would have expected this. You cannot blame yourself.

"I brought them here, Hermione," Remus shouted. "I told them, urged them, to register. And they, they, he," Remus trailed off, shaking his head and growling in anger. "Where are they?"

"Who?" Hermione asked, although he was quite sure she knew who he meant.

"Warrington, Satterfield, where are they?" he demanded.

"They're in the Ministry holding cells," Hermione said. She grasped his arm. "But Remus, you can't-" she trailed off as he shook off her hand. He stalked to the door, grasped the doorknob and tried to wrench it open. The door wouldn't budge.

"Open the door, Hermione," Remus said, his voice barely under control.

"No," Hermione replied.

"Hermione, open the door," Remus said again through gritted teeth.

"And what are you going to do, Remus? Fight your way through the DMLE to the holding cells?" she said, crossing her arms in front of her. "And if you do make it there, which is doubtful, what then? Are you going to kill them?"

"They deserve it!" Remus roared.

"That may be," Hermione agreed. "But does Teddy deserve to lose his father? Because no matter what they've done, Remus, if you do this, you'll get sent to Azkaban right along with them." Remus stared at her for a few moments before snarling in rage and punching the wall next to the door.

"Remus!" she shouted and ran towards him, grabbing his throbbing hand in hers. He leaned back against the door, his shoulders slumped, the horror of the situation overtaking his anger.

Hermione ran her wand over his knuckles, whispering a healing spell. He winced as the bones popped back into the joints. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"It's not your fault," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around him. "It's not your fault." Remus stood rigid in her embrace, unable to take the comfort she was offering him. He had brought them here, maybe led them to their deaths, when all they'd wanted was a better life, an easier life. Images flickered through his mind of what they had likely suffered, and his knees buckled under him. Hermione held onto him and they both sank to the floor of her office, Remus' back still against the door.

"It's not your fault," she said again. Remus finally pulled her to him, buried his face in her neck, and howled in anguish.

Hermione clung to Remus even after his cries had stopped. She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting there, although her legs were starting to go a bit numb. She shifted slightly and Remus slowly pulled away from her. He rested his head against the door and looked up at the ceiling, taking a shuddering breath.

"Forgive me," he said.

"For what?" Hermione asked, moving position and feeling the pins and needles in her legs.

"For losing control," he said quietly.

"You don't have to apologize for that," Hermione said, moving next to him and laying her head on his shoulder. She took his injured hand and gently ran her thumb over the back of it. He gave her hand a squeeze in response.

"Do you know how many?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Not exactly," Hermione hedged. He looked down at her and she bit her lip. "Harry says around fifteen, maybe more." Remus' eyes closed and she could see him fighting for control. He was quiet for a long time.

"Most of them never had a chance," he finally said. "My parents, they weren't perfect, but at least they didn't abandon me." He pulled in a breath. "I thought, I thought that if I could help, even in just a small way, that maybe, maybe they could have lives. Lives they didn't have to live in the shadows. If more of us could work and live in normal society, then maybe everyone could finally see, finally show us."

"Show you what?" Hermione asked softly when he didn't continue. Remus turned to her and the emotion in his eyes took her breath away.

"That not all of us are monsters." She felt a few tears leak from her eyes and she put her hands on either side of his face.

"You are not a monster, Remus Lupin." He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers.

"Do you know their names?" he whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"Harry didn't tell me."

"I need to know."

"I know," she said. She kissed him quickly and then stood, holding out a hand to help him up. He rose and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. Hermione hugged him back just as fiercely. She knew it would be difficult, but she would help him get through all of this.

"Harry wants to speak with you, if you're up to it." Remus took a deep breath and let it out. He nodded. Hermione squeezed his hand once more and then raised her wand to lower the wards Harry had quickly shown her. They were the wards the DMLE kept on the interrogation rooms so that suspects, if they managed to overpower the official questioning them, couldn't escape the room. She'd added the strongest silencing charm she knew, suspecting what Remus' reaction would be.

When the wards on her office were lowered, she turned back to him. After raising her wand toward him and giving him a questioning look, he nodded. Hermione cast the same charm on him she had on herself earlier, taking away all evidence of his breakdown. Remus smiled at her gratefully and she squeezed his hand one last time, before opening her door and walking with him to the Auror department.

Remus blew out a breath as he left the flat, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him again. After speaking to Harry, Remus had taken it upon himself to track down the two men and one woman he had helped register after the war. He was extremely grateful that not only had he found all of them, but that they had been all right.

He had suspected that two of them would be safe. Harry had explained that Warrington had targeted those that didn't have friends or family to speak of, so they wouldn't be missed. Jules had been bitten near the end of the war and his wife refused to let him leave their home, even though he tried to, saying he was dangerous. His wife had stood by him and Jules had remained. Tanya had moved in with her great-aunt after her parents had kicked her out of their house. Both would have been reported missing within hours, had they suddenly disappeared.

Phillip, on the other hand, had already been living on the streets when he was caught on the full moon and bitten. Although he now had a job and had recently found a flat, Remus had been sure that he would have been one of the ones that Warrington had gone after. Finding him alive and well had nearly made Remus break down again. Somehow, though, it didn't make him feel less guilty.

Remus had explained the situation himself, not wanting any of them to find out through the Prophet. While none of them blamed him, they all were immediately distrustful of the Ministry. Remus had expected this and while he knew that his word didn't carry as much weight as it had, given the circumstances, he begged all three to reserve judgement until after the Ministry's response to the situation.

Remus walked down the pavement, hands in his pockets. He had spoken briefly with Kingsley and had an appointment to talk to him again the following morning. Kingsley wanted Remus' input as to how to handle the entire situation. Kingsley had made it his priority to remove corruption in the Ministry after he took office. This situation, undiscovered until almost two years after the end of the war, was not going to be easy to weather.

Reaching the small park that he had been walking towards, Remus sighed and looked around. It was late and the park was deserted, but he still made his way to a small copse of trees to Disapparate. He glanced at his watch and hoped that Teddy wasn't in bed just yet. A cuddle with his son sounded like a wonderful idea.

Hermione's quill moved quickly across the parchment. Kingsley had visited her office after Remus had left and asked her how close her legislation was to being ready. He wanted her to make her presentation to the Wizengamot as soon as the trials were over.

She had to admit that it was a good strategy. While there would be some on the Wizengamot that would never change their minds about werewolves, regardless of what happened, many would be horrified or at least bothered at what Umbridge and Warrington had done. They would be more likely to approve new legislation with the crimes fresh in their minds.

Of course, some would claim that Kingsley was only trying to cover his own arse by presenting the proposal. But Hermione knew the man and had seen the look in his eyes when he spoke with her about her plan. He was haunted by what had happened and she knew that he blamed himself for not discovering it sooner.

"I knew Satterfield was no good for months, Hermione," he said. "I should have gotten him out ages ago, protocol be damned." Hermione shook her head.

"I worked with the man for months and I never expected this. I doubt anyone in that department did. Besides, Warrington had full access to the Registry. Even with Satterfield gone, Warrington could have continued. He just would have gotten more careful at hiding it." Kingsley sighed and for a moment, Hermione could see the weight that he carried every day as Minister. He looked exhausted and a bit broken by what had happened. Hermione reached a hand over her desk and squeezed his arm. He gave her a slight smile before his features settled into his normal, authoritative expression.

"Let me know as soon as you've finished your proposal." He nodded to her and then swept out of her office.

Hermione sighed and reached for one of the open books on her desk. There had been so many different werewolf laws passed and then replaced over the years, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of them all. This was especially true when new laws didn't cover the exact same issues as previous ones. There were bits and pieces of laws dating back hundreds of years that were technically still on the books, but no one enforced anymore.

The easiest thing to do would be to repeal all previous laws pertaining to werewolves. This was easier said than done, however, as the Wizengamot was always hesitant to do away with everything. They were more of a mind to 'improve' what was already in place. It was why Hermione had to make sure that her proposal was precise, clear and thorough. She hoped that if she covered everything there possibly was to cover, the Wizengamot couldn't find a reason to object to doing away with all the older laws and implementing her proposal in their place.

"Don't you think you should call it a night?" a voice asked. Hermione looked up to see Harry leaning against the doorframe. He looked about as wrecked as she felt.

"I could ask you the same question," she said.

"I'm on my way home, actually," Harry said. "It's been a long two days." Harry pushed off the wall and walked to her desk, dropping down into a chair.

"Kingsley wants my proposal ready as soon as the trials are over."

"Makes sense," Harry said, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. Hermione smiled at him fondly and then blinked as she felt tears fill her eyes. She wasn't even sure what she was crying about this time. Harry glanced up at her and his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Hermione shook her head, unable to say anything. Harry stood and walked around her desk. He squatted down beside her and took her hand. "Talk to me."

"Gods, Harry, it was awful," she finally managed, the tears running freely down her cheeks. "Remus, he was so, so, anguished. If any of the people that he convinced to register turn up missing, I, I'm not sure what will happen."

"They're all fine," Harry said.

"What?" Hermione questioned. "How do you know?"

"I got an owl from Remus about thirty minutes ago. He visited all three of them and they're fine."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Hermione said, squeezing her eyes shut to fend off the remaining tears.

"You need to go home, Hermione. Get some sleep."

"I can't," she said pulling away from him and wiping at her face. "I've got so much to do on this proposal and-" but Harry cut her off with a shake of his head.

"You're not going to do any good when you're in this state. Besides, you've been working on this thing for weeks. It's probably ready for presentation right now."

"It isn't, Harry," Hermione insisted.

"Hermione," Harry said, sounding stern. "Go home."

"But-"

"No buts," Harry said. "Sleep. Start fresh tomorrow." Hermione sighed, then frowned as her stomach growled. "Eat something too."

Harry was probably right. She was liable to make a mistake as tired and emotionally drained as she was. And the proposal had to be perfect. She couldn't afford mistakes.

"All right," she finally agreed. Harry waited while she gathered up her parchment and marked her place in all the books she was using. He helped her with her cloak and then walked with her to the lifts.

"How was the dinner last night?" Harry asked as they waited for the lift to arrive. Hermione smiled slightly.

"It went well until Remus told them he was a werewolf." Harry's eyes widened.

"I thought you were going to wait to tell them that."

"It sort of came up," Hermione said and proceeded to explain to Harry what had happened.

"So, it's all okay now?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. Harry took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm glad, Hermione."

They stepped into the lift and rode in silence to the Atrium. Harry glanced at her every few seconds and Hermione knew there was something else he wanted to say.

"Just ask me already, Harry," she said as the lift came to a stop.

"I know with everything going on, this is the last thing you should be thinking about right now, but have you thought about when you're going to tell Ron?" Hermione sighed. She knew that she needed to tell him, especially before anyone else found out. But Hermione was also nervous about it. She wasn't sure just how he was going to react.

"I thought about telling him after Ginny's match on Saturday, but now, I don't know what's going to happen with this proposal. I may need to skip the match and work so that I can still go to Teddy's birthday party on Sunday." They were nearly to the Floos.

"Hermione, I really think you need to tell him before the party," Harry said.

"Why?"

"Do you really think that you and Remus are going to be able to be around each other for an entire afternoon without giving something away?" Hermione bit her lip. "I mean, I know Ron isn't the most observant person, but he's not stupid. And don't forget about Molly."

Hermione sighed. Molly Weasley could ferret out romantic feelings miles away. And given that she would likely be shocked, she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself. Harry was probably right. Even if Ron didn't notice anything, Molly likely would.

"You're right, Harry. I'll, I'll try and figure out a time to tell him." Harry gave her a pinch of Floo powder and kissed her cheek.

"Get some sleep," he said. Hermione smiled and threw in the Floo powder, calling out for her house as she stepped into the flames.

Remus continued to rock Teddy long after the little boy had fallen asleep. The comforting weight of his son's body and his small breaths against Remus' neck were like a balm to Remus' aching heart.

With all the prejudice that Remus had faced throughout his life, all the hate and the disgust, he shouldn't have been shocked by what Umbridge and Warrington had done. Shouldn't have been surprised that Satterfield and Hughes had pretended that it wasn't happening. But Remus had still been horrified when he found out. He wasn't sure when he had started to believe the world might be a better place than he'd thought, but he suspected it had everything to do with Dora and Teddy.

Even now, after everything that he had heard today, there was still that small kernel of hope that refused to leave him. It should have been stamped out the moment in Hermione's office when he learned the truth, but even after everything he had found out at the Ministry, it was still there. Remus was quite certain that had everything to do with Hermione.

Teddy shifted a bit in his sleep and Remus kissed the top of his head before he carefully stood. It was late, and Remus needed to at least try and get some sleep. He knew it likely wouldn't be much, but he should at least rest. He gently placed Teddy in his cot and covered him with a blanket before resting a hand gently on Teddy's head for a few moments. Taking one last look at his son, Remus finally left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Are you all right?" Andromeda asked softly from the doorway of her bedroom.

"Not really," Remus admitted. His mother-in-law stepped out of her room.

"Come down to the kitchen," she said. "I will make you some hot cocoa and you can tell me exactly what is going on." Remus had stopped in at home after he left the Ministry and before he went to visit Jules, Tanya and Phillip. He had given her a basic idea of what happened but couldn't say much with Teddy in the room. He owed her an explanation and he suspected he was a bit too keyed up to go to bed yet anyway.

"All right," he agreed. Andromeda squeezed his shoulder and he followed her to the kitchen.

"They finally let you leave, eh?" Richard said with a chuckle as his daughter stepped from the fireplace. Hermione tried to smile at her father but failed miserably. Her parents didn't know anything of what had gone on today, she had simply Flooed and told them she would be working late.

"Hermione?" her mum questioned, brow furrowed. "What's the matter?" Hermione pressed her lips together in an effort to keep from crying again, but a strangled sob escaped. Her parents were immediately on their feet and she felt her dad's arms come around her.

"What is it, Princess?" Hermione couldn't speak, she simply clung to her father and cried. He ran a hand up and down her back, whispered soothing words to her, even as her mum wrapped her arms around Hermione's shoulders to lend some comfort of her own.

When Hermione had finally cried herself out, she let her dad lead her to the couch. They all sat down, her parents looking extremely worried. The whole story began to pour out of Hermione and by the time she was finished, her mum was crying and her dad looked like he wanted to murder someone.

Her parents had questions and Hermione tried to answer them, but she soon found herself leaning against her father's shoulder, her eyes drooping. She was completely and utterly spent, emotionally and physically.

"Let's get you up to bed, Princess," her dad said, helping her to stand. "We can talk more in the morning." Hermione yawned widely and leaned against her father as they walked up the stairs. Her mum followed behind and helped Hermione once she reached her bedroom, much like she used to when Hermione was small. After she was tucked into bed, her mum sat down on the edge and brushed the hair back from Hermione's face.

"Sleep, sweetheart," her mum said. Hermione closed her eyes and drifted off to the sound of her mother softly humming.

6 April 2000

Umbridge grinned evilly at Will as she handed him a quill. When he refused to take it, she pointed her wand at him and muttered, 'Imperio'. Will grasped the quill and brought it to the parchment. The words 'I am a filthy half-breed' began to etch themselves into the back of his hand. Umbridge smiled again and turned to look to the side where Remus was struggling to get free of his bonds. She laughed and then cast a spell on the quill Will was using. The same words began to carve themselves into Remus' chest.

Greyback sniffed her hair and his hands tightened on her shoulders. Hermione squirmed in his hold and he gripped her tighter, his dirty nails digging into her skin, drawing blood. Bellatrix yanked her from Fenrir's grasp and cursed her, then began carving into her arm. Hermione screamed and Greyback hovered over her, nearly panting in delight at her pain. Hermione screamed again.

Will's hand was now unrecognizable, but the boy continued writing the same words, unable to fight against the Imperius curse. Remus was gasping as the words were carved deeper and deeper into his chest. He sagged against the wall and his eyes rolled back in his head as he finally passed out, his breath stuttering out a few minutes later.

Hermione screamed.

"Hermione, sweetheart, wake up!" a voice insisted as Hermione felt herself being shaken lightly. She sat up with a gasp and looked into the worried faces of her parents. Hermione's hand immediately went to the word on her arm and she looked frantically around the room, expecting to see Bellatrix or Umbridge or Greyback staring back at her.

"It's all right," her mum soothed, reaching out a tentative hand to touch her. Hermione flinched and her mother moved her hand back slightly.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, still grasping her forearm. She became aware that there were tears running down her cheeks. Her mum moved forward again and this time, Hermione didn't flinch, letting her mother gather Hermione into her arms.

"You don't have to apologize," her dad said. "I can't say I didn't have a few nightmares of my own tonight."

"I'm just glad we were here," her mum said, rubbing Hermione's back. Hermione nodded into her mother's shoulder.

"I'm glad you were here too," she said as she pulled away from her mum. She gave them both a weak smile.

"Is your arm bothering you?" her mum asked.

"No, it's, it's fine," Hermione said, forcing herself to let go of it. Her mum smoothed Hermione's hair back from her face.

"Do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep?"

"No, Mum, I'll be fine," Hermione said despite really wanting to say yes.

"I don't mind," her mum said with a smile, squeezing Hermione's hand. Hermione just shook her head. "All right, but if you need us, please wake us."

"I will," Hermione assured her, having no intention of doing any such thing. Her mum squeezed Hermione's hand again, then rose from the bed. Her dad leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Dad." Her father glanced back one more time as they left the room. Hermione mustered a smile that must have convinced him, because he followed her mother into the corridor, closing the door behind him.

When they had gone, Hermione blew out a breath and grabbed her wand, throwing up a silencing spell on her room. She doubted she would sleep anymore, but if she did, she didn't want to wake her parents again.

As soon as she laid back down in her bed, the images from her dream returned and she had an overwhelming urge to Floo Remus and talk to him. Given it was nearly four in the morning, however, she resisted. She was sure that Remus had had trouble sleeping as well and the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt him if he was finally able to rest.

Remus ran through the maze of corridors, frantically trying to find his way. He could hear them, hear the calls and the howls and Remus had to find them before it was too late. He could feel the pull of the moon, but there was still time. Still time to find them and help them.

Remus skidded around another corner and stopped in front of a large wooden door. This was it; he'd found it. He pushed open the door, wondering vaguely why it wasn't locked. That thought was pushed from his mind when he saw the rows of cages lining both sides of the walls. Remus hurried forward and came face to face with Will.

"Help me," Will begged and Remus reached for his wand only to find it wasn't there. He grabbed at the large padlock on the cage door, but it wouldn't budge. Remus shook the bars and threw himself against them, but to no avail.

"I'll be back," he promised Will and moved forward looking for something he could use to pry the lock open. Tanya was in the next cage, Jules and Phillip across from her. Remus stared in horror as he made his way past more and more cages, every werewolf he had ever run across in his undercover work in the packs, sitting in a cage, begging him to help them.

"Remus!" a voice called and Remus' head snapped around. Hermione stood in a cage at the end of the room, holding Teddy. Andromeda and Harry were on either side of her. Teddy was crying. "Remus go back, get out!" Remus ignored her and ran forward.

As he reached the cage, the door opened of its own accord. Before Remus could react, he was shoved into the cage and the door pulled shut, a large heavy lock snapped into place. Remus spun around and saw Warrington and Umbridge staring at him.

"Let them go!" Remus demanded. Warrington threw his head back and laughed, while Umbridge simply smirked.

"Oh, I don't think so," she said, her voice syrupy sweet. Remus threw himself into the bars of the cage.

"Let them out!" he shouted. He could feel the moon, closer now. There were only minutes until moonrise.

"Please," Remus begged. "Please, my son."

"Your kind isn't supposed to breed," Umbridge said, her lips curled in disgust. "He's just as filthy as you are." She spun on her heel and walked away, giving the rest of the werewolves in the room looks of disgust as she passed.

"He'll be just like you come mornin'," Warrington sneered. "If he lives, that is." With another laugh, he turned and followed Umbridge from the room. Remus spun, staring at Hermione and Andromeda frantically.

"It's all right, Remus," Hermione said, tears in her eyes. Remus backed himself into the corner of the cage and Harry put himself in front of Andromeda and Hermione. Hermione shielded Teddy with her body and Andromeda stepped in front of her as well.

"This isn't your fault," Harry said. "We don't blame you." Remus curled into as small of a ball as he could, horror on his face.

And then the moon rose and all he knew was pain.

Remus sat up in bed with a shout. He threw off the blankets and bolted from his bed, hurrying down the corridor to Teddy's room. He opened his son's door and walked inside, all the breath leaving his lungs when he saw Teddy sleeping peacefully in his cot. Remus braced his hands against the cot's headboard and tried to stop shaking.

"Remus?" Andromeda whispered from the doorway. Remus spun, his eyes searching quickly over his mother-in-law. The dream had been so real, he almost expected to find slashes and bite marks everywhere. Remus looked back at Teddy, pulling the blanket more securely around him before he left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he said.

"Dreams?" Andromeda asked and Remus nodded. She looked at him in understanding. "I have had a few myself." Scrubbing a hand down his face, Remus sighed.

"Come downstairs," Andromeda said. "I will make tea."

"I'm fine, Andromeda, you should go back to bed."

"Nonsense," she said and began walking towards the stairs. Remus knew better than to argue, knowing he was unlikely to sleep anymore anyway. He wanted to Floo Hermione and check on her, but it was four in the morning and her parents likely wouldn't appreciate being woken this early. Besides, it had only been a dream, she was fine. So was Harry. Remus shuddered again at the images from the dream and then shoved them from his mind, following Andromeda to the kitchen.

Hermione rubbed at her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. The words in the book were beginning to blur. She knew she should take a break but stopping meant thinking and it was better if she concentrated on the task at hand. At least it kept her mind from that horrible dream she'd had last night.

She unconsciously rubbed at her arm again, wondering again how Remus was doing. She had intended to Floo him before work, but despite her thoughts to the contrary, she had fallen back asleep just before daybreak. She had ended up oversleeping and was almost late for work as a result. She would have to stop by this evening.

As though her thoughts had conjured him, she looked up to see Remus standing in her doorway. She stood, hurrying towards him. He closed the door and met her halfway, drawing her into his arms. Hermione clung to him as he buried his face in her hair and breathed her in.

"Nightmares?" he asked quietly a few moments later. Hermione nodded.

"You?"

"Yes," he replied. She squeezed him tighter and he sighed, kissing the top of her head. Hermione drew comfort from his embrace and hoped that he was doing the same.

"Are you here for your meeting with Kingsley?" she asked.

"Just finished, actually," he said.

"How did it go?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly so she could see his face.

"Productive, I think," Remus said, running a hand up and down her back. "He is going to schedule a press conference this afternoon to make a statement." Hermione nodded.

"Harry told me that the people you helped register are all right," she said. Remus nodded. "I'm so glad."

"So am I," Remus admitted. "But the others." He trailed off and shook his head, pain in his eyes.

"I know," Hermione said, hugging him tighter again. They stood that way for a few minutes, before Remus finally pulled back from her. He studied her face and Hermione knew she looked haggard and tired. She hadn't even bothered with a glamour, knowing she was going to be holed up in her office working on her proposal all day.

"Have you eaten?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Hermione," he admonished. "It's half two."

"I'm not hungry," she said.

"You still need to eat."

"I've got too much to do."

"Hermione," he said again. "Have lunch with me." She started to refuse, then decided that she didn't want to part from him just yet.

"All right," she agreed. Remus smiled, kissed her once and then helped her with her cloak before he opened the door of her office. As they left, Hermione saw Margaret's secretary glance between she and Remus, then return to the parchment on her desk. Given Hermione's work on the werewolf laws, everyone had gotten used to seeing Remus in her office. Hermione resisted the urge to take his hand as they walked towards the lifts to head into London for lunch.

8 April 2000

Hermione glanced at her watch, her eyes widening. She quickly finished the paragraph she had been working on and then stacked up her books and parchment. She had come into work this morning to finish up a section of her proposal before heading to Ginny's Quidditch match. Although Hermione had told Harry that she wasn't sure she would be able to attend, she had spent so much time in both her office and at home working on it, that she was actually ahead of where she intended to be by the weekend.

The nightmares hadn't stopped the last few nights, but Hermione had used silencing charms so she didn't wake her parents. She had used the extra time during the night when she couldn't sleep to work on her proposal. As a result, she was exhausted, but that wasn't anything she couldn't hide with a glamour charm. She wasn't convinced that her mum didn't realize anyway, but she hadn't pressed Hermione about it. Her parents had reluctantly flown back home early this morning after making Hermione promise to call if she needed them to return. As much as Hermione enjoyed having them visit, she was also glad to have the house to herself again. Spending some time alone with Remus was the first thing she intended to do.

She hadn't seen Remus since the day he had taken her to lunch, save for one short Floo call the next night. She could tell that he was still struggling as well, but the preparations for Teddy's birthday party on Sunday had kept him somewhat occupied. He had also visited Will's mother to let her know what had happened with Warrington. Remus hadn't wanted her to read about it in the Prophet.

The press conference that Kingsley held had been pandemonium after he had read his statement. He had answered as many questions as he could without compromising anything about the case and the articles in all the Wizarding publications had been wild with speculation ever since. The trials were set to begin on Monday. Hermione knew that Remus was going to attend. She hoped, for everyone's sake, that justice would be swift.

She sighed as she made her way to the Floo and remembered that she was going to have to talk to Ron after the match today. She hadn't had time before, as busy as she had been with her proposal. As Hermione reached the Floos, she decided that she had just enough time to stop at Remus' before the match. She wanted to wish Teddy a happy birthday and spend a bit of time with Remus as well. Seeing him would give her the boost of confidence she knew she was going to need to tell Ron. Stepping into the Floo, she called out for Remus' house and disappeared in the flames.

"My-nee!" a little voice said as Hermione stepped from the fireplace. Dutifully, Teddy waited until Hermione was fully out of the Floo before flinging his little arms around her legs.

"Hey, you," Hermione said with a laugh, bending down to pick him up. "Happy Birthday."

"I two!" Teddy said, grinning.

"You are," Hermione agreed with a laugh, rubbing noses with him.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," a voice said, and Hermione inhaled sharply as she looked up. Narcissa Malfoy stood in the living room near Teddy's toy basket. Hermione grasped Teddy more tightly and instinctively turned to shield him with her body. She saw the polite smile on Mrs. Malfoy's face twitch slightly before it reasserted itself.

"Aunty Cissy here," Teddy said to Hermione.

"Yes, I, I see that," Hermione finally managed, willing herself to calm down. She was aware that Andromeda spent time with her sister. Mrs. Malfoy was likely here celebrating Teddy's birthday, as his party was not until tomorrow. Hermione swallowed hard.

"Hello," she said quietly. The two stood there in awkward silence until Teddy began to squirm to be put down.

"Cissy, did I hear the Fl-" Andromeda trailed off as she saw Hermione standing in the living room.

"Nanna, My-nee here!" Teddy announced. Hermione set him on his feet and he ran to his grandmother. "My-nee, Nanna!"

"I see that Hermione is here, Teddy," Andromeda said with a smile as she picked up her grandson and settled him on her hip. "Hello, Hermione."

"I'm sorry to intrude," Hermione said.

"You are not intruding," Andromeda assured her.

"Is Remus here?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, let me just let him know you are here." Before Hermione could stop her, Andromeda had left the room with Teddy, leaving Hermione alone with Mrs. Malfoy.

Hermione glanced at the older woman and then looked away, the recent dreams she had been having of her torture returning. She grasped at her arm and saw Mrs. Malfoy's gaze follow her movements. Hermione could have sworn she saw the woman flinch, but the expression on her face didn't change.

"Miss Granger, I-" but Hermione never got the chance to hear what Mrs. Malfoy was going to say as Remus walked into the room.

"Hermione?" Hermione's head swung toward Remus. He frowned when he saw her clutching at her arm. "I thought you were going to Ginny's match."

"I will leave the two of you alone," Mrs. Malfoy said and with a nod to both of them, she hurried from the room. Hermione let out a shaky breath and Remus put his hands on her upper arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"Y-yes," Hermione said, still grasping her arm.

"You don't look it," he said. "What's the matter with your arm?" Hermione bit her lip and blinked to try and stop the tears she knew had gathered. She shook her head. She couldn't stop reliving the torture in her mind. The fact that she'd dreamed about it for the last three nights didn't help.

"Hermione, talk to me," Remus pleaded. She shook her head again and stepped away from him.

"I need, I need to go."

"Hermione, wait," Remus said, but Hermione had already spun and grabbed the Floo powder from the mantel. She jumped into the Floo and fell out in her living room. She managed to make it to the couch where she curled into a ball, shaking and gripping her arm. Moments later, she heard the Floo flare and then Remus was gathering her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and squeezed her eyes shut tightly before she began to cry.