Chapter 13

(Same Day)

The hooded figures were throwing curse after curse, trying to take down the wards around the house. Since the wards ended just outside the small room I used for therapy, the distance wasn't great.

I watched them for a bit longer before turning to Nott and Malfoy. "Get our mothers out of here and take them to Number twelve Grimland Place. Get Harry and tell him to get help. Let him know what's going on."

I turned sharply away from them but didn't get far.

Malfoy grabbed my hand while Nott moved to block me. "You think we'd leave you here by yourself?" asked Malfoy harshly.

I raised an eyebrow at his tone, "You know they are here for you, correct?"

Malfoy glared down at me while Nott cleared his voice, "I'll take them, but I'm coming back with the others." He didn't even let me speak before he was out the door and downstairs. I glanced back at Malfoy and saw him still staring down at me with a heated glare.

"Why do you care if I stay here by myself?" I asked as I stepped closer towards him. He let go of me with a jerk of his arm and took a step back.

I forcefully admitted the reason to myself. But I wanted to hear it come from Draco. From both males.

He grew flushed under my gaze. The hint of colour on his fair skin was fetching.

"Right now is not the time to answer that." He said as he tried stepping around me.

No, It wasn't. And yet I wanted to know. A scream of frustration ripped through the air. Yeah, it wasn't the time.

I turned back to the door, and he followed me, but I stopped abruptly, and he bumped into my back. Malfoy grabbed my waist to keep himself from falling backwards. I should have pushed him away. But I didn't.

For the same reason as why I allowed few others to touch. Not including Iskra since she was just pushy.

Yet, I let him grab me for a bit. The feel of his large hands sent a shiver through my body. I looked over my shoulder to look at him, but my forehead bumped his chin instead. He glanced down at me before stepping back once again.

"Sorry," he said as he looked away from me.

I turned back and continued forward, aware of his gaze. I knew I shouldn't push him.

Especially since we were under attack, the last year or so taught me that sometimes, the time and place didn't matter.

Not when one could die from one moment to the next.

I made my way downstairs with him right behind me. I saw Narcissa step through the floo. Nott stepped up next and left without looking back.

He knew to check for threats on the other side. He'd be back.

Mother was standing right by it as she glanced around for me. As soon as she saw me, she relaxed somewhat and grabbed my hands as soon as I got near her.

"Are you staying?" she asked anxiously.

I nodded and grabbed the emergency bag tucked under the couch. It had everything we needed in it just in case we got separated. It held enough stuff to make sure either of us disappeared into the muggle world without a trace.

It also housed the gun my father had given my mother years ago.

He had given it to her the day the robbers had come into the house. Mother had stayed home while father had gone to a convention and hadn't gone since she was sick. During the night, they came in and attacked her. She had gotten stabbed twice, and her screaming had brought the whole neighbourhood to the house.

They hadn't escaped, and Father had come home worried out of his mind.

I hadn't known about it until I had come home for the summer. I remember the paralyzing fear when they'd told me what'd happened. It wasn't until later that my mother revealed another detail.

An important one. One that had almost destroyed my father and mother.

The night of the attack, my mother hadn't lost her life. But the child she'd carried did.

I could have had a little brother or sister. But that never came to be.

Shaking those thoughts away, I hugged her and told her to say clearly the name of Harry's home. "I'll be there soon, Okay."

She nodded as she stepped through and disappeared. I ignored Malfoy as I stood in the middle of the living room and closed my eyes as I took my wand out. I made two circles in the air and felt a light breeze as my magic circled me. I heard Malfoy gasp.

"Traxerium Maximum," I spoke softly, and a sharp noise filled the room before things started shifting. I opened my eyes to see Malfoy standing in front of me with wide eyes, hand half raised.

I glanced over his shoulder to see Nott and Harry come through the fireplace, eyes taking the scene.

Important objects floated over their heads, heading straight to the bag on the floor. The bag held the same charm as my beaded bag, except on a larger scale, like the tents we'd used during the war.

It was an emergency bag we had just for these occasions.

The sounds of angry shouts rang through the air outside. The wards were doing their job in keeping out the intruders. They were tiring since none of them could bring them down.

Good. Anger made people stupid.

I looked over at Harry, "I'll be bait."

Before they could say anything, I walked out of the house and onto the porch.

Even from such a distance, I could see who exactly was here. The small amount of natural light illuminated the figures standing outside the wards.

Yaxley was standing in the middle with Rookwood and Carrow on either side of him. All three bore expressions of disdain and hatred.

Yaxley saw me first and laughed harshly. He probably thought it was just my mother and me in the house.

If they'd done any research, they'd know I wouldn't have left my mother vulnerable to such an attack.

Novice.

I stood at the top of the steps leading down towards them and watched as they sent curse after curse at the wards. Lifting my wand, I waved it once in the air, and the wards came down in a rainbow of sparks.

Carrow cackled madly, almost reminding me of Bellatrix.

Yaxley grinned as he stared me down. "We've been told to capture you alive. Dolohov misses his pet and wants to play with you, mudblood whore."

I wave away the spell Carrow shoots at me. With a casual flick of my wrist, I send him flying back.

A loud thunk resonates from his body from hitting a large oak tree.

Rookwood growled and almost charged me, but Yaxley stopped him, "Don't. Do not underestimate her. She is a mudblood but a smart one. The Dark Lord had been interested in her before. Dolohov wants her alive."

I frowned at that. I hadn't known about Riddle being interested in me. Now that wasn't something I'd ever wanted to know.

Carrow groaned as he rolled onto his back. He had a gash on his face.

His arm hung bent at a horrid angle. He looked down at his arm and roared.

I resisted smiling at that. Wait, what?

I took a step back, and Yaxley laughed, thinking it was about what he had just said- which was far from the truth. I wasn't even paying attention to him.

It then hit me with a startling realization. It wasn't just me anymore.

I was bit by one of the most powerful werewolves in the world.

It had only been in his human form, but he was always semi-transformed. I had some tendencies, just like Bill had said. I hadn't realized it would be so soon, yet I'd been unconscious for several days.

The werewolf gene had fused with my human ones. I wasn't wholly human anymore. I was at least fifty per cent human and fifty per cent wolf. I could faintly hear Yaxley asking me something, but I ignored him as I looked down at my nails. They were a tiny bit thicker and sharper. One couldn't tell the difference, but I could. They had grown in the past few days, but I hadn't looked at them.

I now understood why I was pushing Malfoy so hard earlier.

I stepped down the stairs, and Yaxley snarled at me, "Leave your wand, whore."

I didn't understand the whole whore thing. I had only slept with one other person. I didn't need my wand since I knew Harry wouldn't allow anything to happen to me.

Dropping my wand on the stairs, I moved closer to Yaxley while Rookwood walked over to Carrow. Carrow was still screaming, and it hurt my sensitive hearing.

"Shut him up," I said as I sneered at Carrow.

Yaxley gave me a savage smile, but his eyes were full of hatred as he spoke, "The mudblood doesn't like your screaming, Carrow. Tone it down a bit, will you?"

I was about a foot away from Yaxley when he suddenly lurched forward and yanked me against his chest. "You didn't think I would leave your mummy alone, eh."

I feigned horror at that and almost punched him as sick pleasure crossed his eyes. He nodded at the house as he spoke to Rookwood, "Go play with the muggle. Do whatever you want."

Rookwood smirked as he headed up the stairs.

He disappeared into the house and closed the door.

Two out of three left.

Yaxley pulled me towards the tree that Carrow had hit, and I glanced down at his prone body as we passed him. He was facing away from us and whimpering on the dirty floor.

I saw something move in front of him, but I was pretty sure the person was using the disillusionment charm. Yaxley pushed me roughly into the tree as one of his hands wandered up into my shirt. I waited till I heard Carrow's whimpers abruptly end. Yaxley was too busy feeling me up that he didn't notice the silence.

My rage grew with every stroke of his hands until all I could hear was a roaring in my ears.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back sharply. I didn't make a noise, and he growled, "I think you're enjoying this, filth."

I seized his arm, "No, but you definitely won't." I dug in my nails and twisted his arm, and I didn't stop even when I heard a loud crack. I pulled harder. He screamed and released me. I didn't step away from him even as somebody disarmed him.

Still holding onto his arm, I jerked him towards me. He screamed louder. "You cunt!"

His eyes bulged with pain, and he tried to summon his wand back with his uninjured hand. When that didn't work, he turned it towards me.

Somebody grabbed him from behind and threw him to the floor.

Harry appeared in front of us with his foot on Yaxley's back. He looked at me over Yaxley's high-pitched screaming, "Bloody fucking hell, Hermione! What were you thinking!" he shouted as he stepped down harder on the idiot's back.

I looked down at my hand, which had held Yaxley's arm. The nails had blood on them.

I looked up to meet Harry's rage-filled eyes. "We need to talk."

I left him with Yaxley and went around the tree to see Malfoy, Nott, Ron and Remus holding the two other men. Ron was scowling, and when he caught sight of me, he let go of Rookwood and marched over to me.

His face showed many emotions all at once. "Fucking shite, Hermione! You just woke up today, and already you fucking did something stupid!" His usually well-kept emotions were all over the place, and his face was blotchy.

I smiled at him, and he staggered back in shock. "What?" he said as he looked me over.

"I should make you mad if it's the only way you'll break out of those walls you built around yourself."

Ron growled before closing his eyes and pinched his nose. "Of all the things to say."

I walked around him and towards Malfoy and Nott, who also had scowls on their faces.

I saw the same expression on their faces and quickly turned towards Remus, hoping for something else.

Nope, not going to find help there.

Remus was also glaring at me. His eyes kept flashing from warm brown to gold. He took one step towards me and frowned as he sniffed the air. Something flashed in his eyes, and he dropped his glare. He smiled at me, "It's kicking in now, isn't it?"

I nodded as I looked down at Rookwood, who was bounded and stunned. "I realized it as soon as I started to fight with Yaxley. Wolf gene seems to be stronger in me than in Bill thought?"

Remus came closer as he spoke, "Bill was scratched, not bitten. I think being bitten directly by Greyback is more powerful since his always half-transformed."

Ron and Harry stepped around me and dumped Yaxley with the other two. "We'll have to take them in and question them about the others. We'll meet back at Grimland place." Harry said, eyeing me wearily.

I simply turned towards the house, feeling several pairs of eyes on my back.

I headed towards the stairs and picked up my wand, which I had left before. Walking inside the house cut off the stares.

I grabbed the bag filled with our stuff.

Crookshanks bounded into the room with an affronted look on his face. "Don't worry. I wasn't going to forget about you."

He jumped up into my open arms and wrapped himself around my neck. I winced since Yaxley probably strained the tender flesh around the bite. I heard the others come in, but I ignored them again.

I used the floo with Crookshanks in my arms. I quickly stepped out of Harry's fireplace.

I heard my mother call my name from somewhere in the house. Crookshanks to the chance and jumped from my arms.

"In the living room, mum."

I heard a door open and saw mother come in with Narcissa. Mother was more open about her feelings than Narcissa, who only betrayed her worry by glancing around for her son.

Mother grabbed my hands as she looked me over. "You didn't get hurt?"

I shook my head, "Not really. It was three of the missing Death Eaters. The wards I had in place prevented them from coming in. Few people can successfully drop the wards. Harry and Ron, but I think Snape can too. Dumbledore could have too. He gave me a book on them near the end of my fifth year, and I practised it in my sixth year."

Narcissa was staring at me, "Who was it?"

I was about to answer when Ginny came into the room. She looked drained, with bags under her eyes. Her normally bright eyes were dull. I frowned at her but didn't comment in front of the others.

I sat on the armchair while my mother grabbed the bag from the floor. "I packed up everything in the house. Even the guest's things. We'll be staying here until this is all over. Only three Death Eaters attacked the house. They expected to find me and you alone. It was Rookwood, Yaxley, and Carrow." I said as I leaned back into the chair.

My neck was still tender, and my nails ached. I stared down at my nails, taking note of the dry blood. I could smell the iron in the blood.

That wasn't the only thing I could pick up.

I could smell the faint whiskey on Ginny's breath and Narcissa's perfume on her wrist. I could hear mother's locket rubbing against her shirt.

There were so many things I would need to get used to and fast since more things would probably pop up.

The floo opened, and Nott stepped through, followed by Malfoy. Both went over to Narcissa. I blocked out their conversation, and Remus stepped through. He walked over to mother and me with a frown on his face.

"It wasn't Yaxley. A couple of minutes after you left, he turned back to his original form. He must have been using the polyjuice potion. It was Silas Crump, he is another known werewolf, but he is a bit defective. Something went wrong with his wolf gene. He has never been able to transform, but he's part werewolf."

If he had been a full wolf-like Remus, then he would have been able to know about me. Mother was frowning as she glanced back and forth between Remus and me. Everybody else was listening with attentive ears.

"What does that make Hermione?" Mother asked. Remus shot me a look, and I answered instead, "I'm more than what Bill Weasley is but less than Remus. I was bit by Greyback in human form. I won't transform every month, but I will have werewolf tendencies. Since I rested such a long time, the werewolf gene mixed with my human ones, and I'm already experiencing some of these changes." I didn't clarify what type.

Mother looked worried but didn't question me in front of the others. Remus was about to speak when Harry's stage came into the room and stopped in front of me. "Parkinson and Zabini were attacked. Their families didn't survive the attack. Zabini is injured, but we can't send them to St. Mungo's. Parkinson is injured as well but not as bad as Zabini. I told them to head there. I'll be by later."

I cursed, and for once, mother didn't comment while Remus leaned back into the wall behind him with a loud thump.

I knuckled tiredly at my eyes, wanting to take a long nap.

Who else would die before we catch them?