The final battle between the Light and Dark was waged on the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, lasting only a night but it had devastating repercussions. Many of the Dark fell, all of them after their master was finally slew, but there were far too many on the side of the Light that fell also, at least in the eyes of one survivor. Hermione Granger had been fighting in the war since the Halloween after her 12th birthday, fighting alongside her best friends Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, and had sacrificed everything for them and the fight for what was right and not what was easy.

The cost was high for her personally, losing her parents just days after her 18th birthday, receiving word that their plane heading to Nepal, where they were going to escape the Death Eaters, had been attacked. There had been no survivors. She had sent them off for their safety but cost them their lives; it had almost killed the witch but she had persevered in the task left to the Golden Trio, with the help of Harry's words that they wouldn't have wanted her to quit just because they had died. But she wasn't the only one to lose people she loved, nor were her parents the only ones lost to her.

The deaths of Fred Weasley, and Remus and Nymphadora Lupin during the Final Battle bore down on the entire Light side after it was all done with. The fact that Fred had only turned 20 the month prior, the same day that the Lupins had been blessed with their newborn son Teddy, just made the tragedy even harder to deal with.

After all of the deaths, her friends moved on slowly. Harry and Ron stopped lying to each other and were married on the anniversary of the Final Battle, with the acceptance of the entre Weasley family, and Hermione had actually done the course to be licenced to sanctify the marriage, the smile never leaving her face during the entire ceremony. Ginny finished her final year and married her former boyfriend Dean Thomas following Harry and Ron, she was already 3 months pregnant at that time. George, Fred's twin, spent months in a bottle of Firewhiskey until the brunette witch tracked him down and beat him senseless; he was now in therapy and dating Angelina Johnson. Fleur and Bill Weasley had their first child, a daughter, on the anniversary of the battle, her water broke as Ginny and Dean kissed; they barely made it to the hospital in time.

And Hermione, well after a year of dealing with the crap that needed dealing with and being there for her family, she'd gone on an extended holiday, travelling the world using her vast bank vault full of gold, courtesy of the bounties on the Death Eaters she had personally killed, and the inheritances from Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, and her parents. She wouldn't have to ever work again in her life, so she travelled and visited sites around the world.

She'd been on the move for a year, her 20th birthday had her waking to dozens of owls arriving at the magical bed and breakfast she was staying at in France. That had been a week ago, and now she was trekking in the northern forests of the country, finding that the architecture was getting older and older, she'd passed by a town just an hour before that looked as though stuck in the 18th century, bar the one car that was parked out front of the pub.

Stopping to grab a drink from her bag, the witch had the flask to her lips when she heard the scream of terror coming from ahead of her. Replacing her flask, she drew her wand and bolted towards the sound, curses rushing through her head to help whoever it was that in trouble. Emerging from the trees, she found herself in front of a large gate and beyond it an enormous castle, dark as night despite the brightness of the day around her. The amount of magic pouring off of the area had the hairs on the back of her neck standing up, but she continued on, apparating over the locked gates and charging towards the building.

Going through the open front door, she smelled the coppery scent that could only mean blood, and looking down saw a small puddle leading off, so head that way. She hadn't gotten far before seeing a hulking figure carrying a whimpering man, who was bleeding, "HEY! Let him go!"

A roar came and when the figure whipped around, Hermione was mildly surprised to see an animal of sorts, and the first thing that came through her mind was how he looked like a werewolf, but when he spoke, it was surprisingly in a mildly accented male voice, "Trespasser! You dare enter my castle?"

"I dare because this man is not going to be taken by you one step further," Hermione was ready to fight, "Let him go."

"He is my prisoner, as shall you be if you do not leave instantly"

The sentient beast went to turn, but Hermione was quicker, sending a stunner as a warning flying just past his head, burning a few hairs on the way, "Let. Him. Go."

Blue eyes widened and then narrowed at seeing the witch's second wand, "A sorceress. What do you want with him, turn him into another beast?"

"I wish to heal him and get him away from you," the witch said sternly, facing the whimpering man, "Where are you hurt sir?"

"My leg," came the thick French accented answer.

That was when she spotted the larger blood pool, and the brunette's mind raced, knowing she needed to get him soon or risk him dying. Looking at the beast, she sighed, "Listen, I'll trade you. You can have me as long as I can heal him and he is let free. This man is not long for the world if you do not let me help, do you wish to become a murderer?"

The blue eyes twitched and he released the man, stepping from him, "Fine, his life for your own."

"Accepted," Hermione didn't turn her back on the beast, facing him but leaning over the elderly man, running her wand over the ragged and bleeding wound in his leg. Taking his hand, she softly said, "I'm sorry sir, but this will hurt before it gets better."

"No, let me… ARGH!" He screamed as the burning cauterising spell hit him, squeezing Hermione's free hand tightly. He quickly passed out from the pain and blood loss.

Hermione spelled a Blood Replenishing Potion and Pain Relieving Potion into his stomach before wrapping him into a thick blanket, to ward off the cold breezes that had been passing through the area lately, and lift him up into her strong arms. Looking at the beast, she said, "I will place him outside of your gates, you can watch to make sure I do not leave if you wish."

Not waiting for an answer, the brunette walked off, carrying the Muggle easily out of the castle and down the path towards the gates. When she got there, she placed him outside and put a few safety wards about him so that no animals were able to attack whilst he was vulnerable and sighed as she looked back up to the castle. It would be so very easy to take her rescue and apparate off but she had always prided herself on her word, and had no idea if this man/animal had a clue as to who the man she had just saved was, he could easily slip out and steal him or someone else again should she run.

With her head held high, Hermione walked back towards the castle, to await her fate, whatever would come of it.

Adam, or more commonly known now, Beast, was intrigued. This sorceress seemed to care about a man she did not know. That was the only reason he had allowed the exchange, the villager had trespassed and that was something he would not allow. Perhaps this sorceress could remove this curse that the other had placed on him, without him needing to rely on the damn time restraint, only having 5 months until his 21st birthday and he would be stuck as this beast forever.

He followed her out of the castle, and truly expected her to try and run with the villager, but no, she did something with her wand and then straightened, and with her head held high, returned to stand in front of him. As she walked, he took a moment to look at her truly. She was tall, 5 foot 11, with deep brown hair that hung in curls and waves to just above her lower back. She was well built, feminine muscles showing all over, her strength evident at how easily she carried the slightly overweight man, but still had the curves that all women should have. And then there were those eyes. They were light brown and shone with many things as they had stared him down before; power, stubbornness, caring, but more so was the overwhelming intelligence that he saw.

By now she was standing before him, and spoke with an English accent, much like Mrs Potts, "Very well, you have me. My name is Hermione Granger, and yes I am a witch, and I will use it should you even think about hurting me, understand?"

"I would not hurt a woman," Adam said sternly, "I am not a complete monster."

"Good," Hermione quirked an eyebrow, "So, I have a right to know your name."

"Beast"

The witch laughed mirthlessly, "Fine, if you wish. My room or cell?"

"Your room is this way," Beast led her to the staircase, spying his furniture servants trying to not be conspicuous in their intrigue, "There are rules to staying here."

"As a prisoner I would hope so"

Adam stamped down his anger, "Yes, well, you cannot leave the grounds and the west wing is off limits."

"That's all, fine," Hermione then spotted movement in her peripherals, pivoted and had her wand aimed there, only to find a small teacup quivering. Holstering her wand again, she knelt down and spoke softly, "Hi there."

"Hi," the teacup said nervously before gaining courage that only children were prone to, "I'm Chip."

Hermione smiled, holding out her hand for him to hop onto, "Well I'm Hermione. Now, why are you a teacup?"

Chip looked back at the retreating beast before whispering, "The Enchantress did it years ago, we're all like this."

"That's no good," the witch said as she followed her captor, not wanting to get lost, "No one should abuse magic like that. Did she say how the spell would be reversed?"

"Love," was all the teacup got out before another English female voice called out.

"Chip Potts, where are you?"

Turning, Hermione spotted a teacup bouncing up the stairs, only to stop at seeing a human, one who was holding the called for teacup. Lowering Chip to the ground, the witch smiled, "Hello."

"Hello dear, I'm Mrs Potts"

"Come," the beast called from the stairs, frustrated.

"Oops, that's for me, bye," taking the stairs two at a time, Hermione got the feeling she may just like this imprisonment much more than her last time, even if the beast was well, beastly.

They came to a set of doors in the eastern wing, and when they were opened, it revealed a large room in great disrepair, "You room."

Looking about, the brunette began plotting what to get done, and turned back to face the beast, "Thank you, this is much nicer than my last imprisoning area."

Adam didn't say anything but he was greatly interested in what she meant by that, but simply nodded before leaving without a word. Once he was gone, Hermione placed her bag on the dusty floor and began conducting, cleaning but also listening to the three voices coming from the doorway, 2 French and male, the other Mrs Potts.

"Lumiere, she should not be here, she is like that woman who made us as we are," one male voice said.

"Cogsworth, you must not judge her simply by the fact alone," the other male, Lumiere, answered, "She took the place of a man she did not know simply because he was in danger. That shows that she is unlike the other one."

"Both of you should just leave well enough alone, if she is the one to break this curse, we have only to wait and see," Mrs Potts chastised, "Come along, let us get dinner ready for our guest."

Hermione heard them leaving and smiled, oh yes, this is definitely going to be much better than Malfoy Manor. That on her mind, she continued to set up her new room, and perhaps mirror call Harry to tell him what was happening, best to not make him and Ron worrying.