Hermione was nearly running in a tizzy. She almost lost her right heel as she was stomping through the library. She was frantic as she grabbed a few more volumes and huffed. Sliding them on the table, Hermione started attacking the laptop in front of her as she pulled up references. Her fingers flicked from the keys to the pages every once and a while as she was touching up her work.

It was one of her days away from the zoo so she could bring back her findings. However, she wanted to add a few more shining examples of what she wanted to express. Thorough. Filled with the things she knew made sense to have.

It was amazing to think she was almost done. She nearly had completed this and then what? Hermione couldn't think of that now. Regulus's offer teemed in her head as she blushed lightly. It was something she could easily use as a jumping off point. Having more money would be nice... Non-profits need money after all. Hermione exhaled and made her full effort to hammer out the details and ignore her conflicted mind.

"Look who it is," A voice purred that caused her blood freeze.

Hermione paused her typing and glanced over the screen. Blaise and his frat posse standing around. There was six of them, all well over six feet and wide. She felt cornered suddenly as she shut her laptop and slid it into her bag. "Good evening, boys." She murmured and stood up.

Blaise moved toward her as she tried to walk away. "Hey now, we didn't get to have fun like the other group of Death Eaters did we, fellas?" He asked as his hand went around her arm.

How could she have been this stupid? "They all did some major time for that I believe," Hermione mused as she yanked her arm from him.

"They did, didn't they?" Zabini responded with a smirk. "Pretty much tossers for not planning ahead of time, hm?"

Hermione took a few steps toward the front of the library. She was so very close to being free of them when she heard hooting.

"Hey, Granger. You can't very well leave without your phone can you?"

She turned around and inwardly groaned as he held her cell phone in the air. Hermione slowly approached the grinning man as he leaned down toward her. "Come on, dirty bitch. We all know you like to lay a big wet one on me," He growled holding the phone out of her reach as she approached.

Hermione folded her arms and tucked her book back behind her. "Zabini, give me my phone."

He ran his free hand over her cheek, and she jerked away from him. "Come on slag, give him a kiss," One of the other boys jeered.

"Zabini," Hermione growled.

"You know the funny part? Malfoy actually said to leave you alone after we graduated. He felt sorry for you and your dead parents. He thought you deserved to be left alone after you saved his life. Funny, isn't it? Then Crabbe and Goyle were dumb enough to have their little idiot clique corner you after that party. Not even drugs or something to keep you quiet. That's their fault, isn't it? We learn from mistakes of our fathers and peers," He finished and grew far too close for Hermione's liking.

"Give me my phone, Zabini. That isn't a request!" Hermione hissed.

He lowered his hand, and she snatched it before turning away from him. "Granger, don't be a stranger. We have something special just for you."

She made quick haste out of the library and didn't realize she was shaking until she climbed inside of her car. Hermione sat there and sobbed against the wheel a moment before she huffed. She dialed someone's number and hiccupped.

"Hermione?"

"Yeah, can you come to get me. I'm at the uni, but I'm too upset to drive. Something horrible just happened. I locked myself in my car in the library carpark," she cried.

"I'll be there in five," Ginny declared and hung up.

Hermione pressed her face to the wheel again and fought the crumpling darkness of fear and disgust.


Ginny was throwing something in her purse as the Marauders were gazing at her with worry on their face. "She's having a meltdown. Something happened," Ginny murmured.

"What would have happened?" Sirius questioned with a pout.

"Something… Maybe someone?" Ginny huffed and pointed at Remus. "I need you to stay with the kids. Sirius, come with me and drive her car."

Remus sat down in the armchair and bobbed his head. "Of course."

Ginny was nearly dragging Sirius out of the house as she stomped down to her sedan and huffed. "Sirius, I don't know what state we are going to see her in. Please be gentle."

Sirius climbed in the passenger seat and took her bag as the redhead started the car. They were driving for a moment before Sirius cleared his throat.

"Ginny, what really happened to her at the dorm. Remus told me she moved out and had Harry escorting her for almost a whole year."

Ginny was tapping the wheel nervously and gnawed her bottom lip. "It was during her second year at uni where she went to support Ron and me in the football team. We won the championship and took a break from studying to have a party. Some of our old Hogwarts rival house peers saw her leave the party. They stalked her and," Ginny paused and swallowed hard. "They did things to her that she would never tell us about. We got the jest from the medical report."

Sirius frowned and sighed. "That's god awful. Poor sweet Hermione."

Ginny nodded as they were pulling up toward the university. "Sirius, she's never going to be alright, is she? I love her too much to see this keep happening."

"I don't know," Sirius murmured.

The library carpark was mostly empty aside from a few cars and a group crowding around a small maroon car. Ginny had hardly time to stop before Sirius unbuckled and launched himself from the vehicle. He was stomping over to the giant men taunting and making kissing sounds.

"Granger, it doesn't hurt if you actually just let us. No fighting, I have something to numb your mind a bit. A few cocks will feel like a hot dream," A dark man shouted as he tapped onto the windshield.

"Get the fuck away from her!" He shouted, picking up a metal fence post not fully into the dirt.

"Oh, look, another hero," A tall, dark man snickered as he took Sirius into his view.

Sirius didn't pause, didn't shout again, didn't even make loud noises. Sirius Black struck a nearby wanker with a pole. He fell into the car, and Sirius hit the second one before the others knew what was going on. If it were a comic strip, there would have been POWs and SMACKs all over the frames. It was like watching a slow-motion action film as the young men tried to stop the toned stormy-eyed man with a taste for vengeance.

It took another two getting clocked in sensitive spots on their bodies before the men stopped trying to wrangle Sirius and tugged each other off the ground and went running. His white shirt was covered in blood from a splatter as he panted and watched the morons hobble off. His eyes traced the woman rocking gently in the car as she covered her face.

Dropping the pole on the ground, he knocked on her window. "Love, let me in?" he asked.

Hermione glanced up from her hands, and her red eyes were giant. "Sirius?"

"Come on, lovely. Let me in," Sirius tried to coax her.

Hermione unlocked her door and he opened it. She jumped in his arms as her sobs became audible. "Sirius, Sirius. They were going to follow me," she cried, holding him tightly.

"Sh, love, I'm here. I kicked their arses."

"Thank you, Sirius," Hermione sobbed.

Ginny's hand patted her shoulder. "You want to climb in my car, Hermione?"

"No, I want to stay with Sirius," Hermione murmured into his shoulder.

Ginny nodded and waved. "I'll follow you both."

Sirius lifted the broken woman off the ground and brought her to the passenger's side. She clung to him so tightly that he was making a sincere effort to set her down in the seat. "Come on, baby. Let me get you inside. Come on," Sirius whispered as he stroked her hair.

"Wait, no," she huffed and pressed her forehead to his.

Sirius started breathing deeply. "Mimic me, love," he whispered.

Hermione was breathing at the same time as him as he let her go. Soon it was within milliseconds of the same echo. The tattooed man and the distressed bookish girl were momentarily frozen in the same loop. Sirius finally smiled and wiped away some more of her tears. "Better? Let's get you back to Harry's where Remus will make you his hot chocolate. It is probably the best this side of the universe."

Hermione bobbed her head slowly and pressed her fingers over his. "Thank you. I was so frightened."

"It's alright. Someone used to bandage me up and help me too. We all need someone," Sirius whispered and kissed her clammy forehead. "Now, I'm gonna drive and you're going to keep breathing."

It was as if the world was now catching up to the slow-moving portions of time. Hermione watched Sirius wave, and a horn honked behind him before they took off. The radio was on and playing something smooth and low. The smell of her air freshener was beating against her stuffy nose. Her body felt numb and tingling from her panic attack. It all was just a cloud of pictures, smells, and textures strung together.

Soon she was back in Sirius's arms as he took her inside and she clung to him like a lifeline. From Remus's end, it was viewed as she was beaten up or tortured with how contorted and puffy her face was. He followed the redhead and Sirius into the study they made into Hermione's room that she would be moving into temporarily.

"Sirius," Hermione murmured.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can you just put me down? I want to sleep," Hermione grumbled.

He did so, and she rested her head on the pillows. Ginny didn't say anything but climbed behind her and cuddled the woman who pulled her closer. Sirius gave Ginny a small nod as Remus waved before they left together. After dinner was served to the children, Sirius explained what happened and how they found her. Not only did Remus grow angry… he was compelled to do something about it.


Hermione had stirred to yelling. It was abnormal, and she glanced around to see she was alone in the room. Fumbling out of bed, she walked toward the cracked door and listened to the argument.

"No, you listen to me, Severus, if I have to go down there myself, I'll make your life hell!" A roaring voice greeted her.

"I mean it. I want them all expelled. They threatened to drug and rape her! You heard from the fucking librarian. I will bring a whole mess of trouble for you if you don't give her retribution. They were surrounding her car like dogs. Worse than dogs, at least animals have a sense of respect. Pull up the cameras and see for yourself." Now she could tell it was Remus shouting.

"Remus, calm down, she's alright," Harry said.

"Good, I expect to hear from you. You know good, and well if I have to call up Commander Shacklebolt, this will be worse for you. Goodbye," Remus declared in a terse tone.

Hermione slung back into the room and exhaled. She just wanted to sleep.