It was the end of July when Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place.
Remus wouldn't even have known if he hadn't just been coming back from the loo when she came sneaking up the stairs in the dark. More than three weeks of not seeing her and a dozen unanswered letters and then suddenly there she was. Her scent was unmistakable; it was the dead of night but he could have picked her out blindfolded.
"Hermione?"
Her shadow stiffened on the stairs. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"I was already up," he said, his voice light. His eyes were adjusting quickly after the glare of the bathroom light and he could see that she hadn't moved any closer; though, she'd dropped her bags. "I'm just surprised is all. You never...never answered my letters. Not one..."
It sounded pathetic – even to his ears.
"I was busy." And then: "Excuse me, I have to shower."
Remus managed an "alright" before she brushed past him and slipped into the loo. The door slid home with a rather loud thump! and he heard the lock immediately click into place. He had a scant few seconds to acknowledge her rebuff before he caught her scent again – closer this time, as the air settled back down around him, and with it came a different smell all together.
Earth.
Musk.
Blood.
He whirled on the door, but the shower was already going. Slamming the wall in his frustration he crossed the hall and threw open his bedroom door, waking a very irate Sirius.
"Sirius! Hermione's back – I think something's wrong."
"What the—"
BANG!
Sirius sat bolt upright in bed; his hair tousled but his eyes wide awake. "Was that the front door?"
"HERMIONE!"
They exchanged a look and even as Sirius was throwing back the sheets, Remus was turning back into the hallway. The stairs thundered with running footsteps and then Harry appeared, looking absolutely furious.
"WHERE IS SHE?"
Remus pointed automatically to the bathroom door and no sooner than he'd done so, it was blasted off its hinges – Harry's power flexing wildly under the loosened controls of his temper. Hermione shrieked as the door fell in, but Harry walked in without hesitation. Remus felt Sirius come up beside him, but neither of them were prepared for the door to slam back into place and for Harry to start screaming at his best friend.
They listened as best they could, but both of them were yelling over one another and one must have thrown up a rudimentary silencing spell because their voices kept cutting out, like static on a radio.
"---HELD UP IS NOT FINISHING YOUR PAPERWORK, THIS—"
"—Y STOP YELLING AT—"
"—HAD TO FIND OUT FROM-----RON'S A MESS!"
"---FINE!"
"YOU---HELD HOSTAGE!"
The door slammed open and Hermione came stumbling out, a towel tied around her and wet hair clinging to her neck. Hot tears were streaming down her face.
"Hostage?" Sirius' voice came out cracked and hoarse with disbelief.
"For once in your life leave me alone!" She ran past them both and disappeared down the hall.
They found Harry sitting in the wreckage, his head buried in his hands.