A/N: I understand pstibbons why you don't like the acceptance of Hermione's behaviour but I'm going to put something in about it either in this chapter or the next, its all explained in a flashback, and I am putting in a possible reason for Hermione's actions in this chapter too. As to why Rags doesn't really comment on it aside from at the Quidditch trials that will be explained to. Thanks for the reviews TBK

Hermione was still standing in shocked silence in regards as to what she had witnessed, the things Rags had done should be physically impossible "How? How…how did you do that? Where did you learn? Where did you get the sword? Those moves should be physically impossible. I mean… are you laughing at me?" He was indeed Rags was chuckling away where he stood, "So many questions, and all in one breath. Here sit down" he drew his wand and with a flick there were two comfortable chairs facing each other with a small table resting between them.

"Well firstly it was one of the things that I was taught in my youth, great now I sound old, I was taught from a very early age the fighting style that you witnessed, it is very old it is known as Kuro-Uindo, which literally means Black Wind. It is a dark wizard's style of fighting with a blade, aggressive with many strokes used as kill strikes. As for the moves being physically impossible, Hermione we live in a world where one of the standard modes of transportation is sitting on a cleaning instrument." This last comment took the seriousness out of the conversation and had the desired affect of Hermione giggling, breaking the tension that was in the room.

Hermione got herself under control "Ok I think I deserved that last comment, but before we continue there is something that I want to say. I'm sorry for how I have been acting, whining, and complaining like a spoiled little girl. I don't know why I acted that way, I have stuck with my friends through much stronger things than a book of magic that offers different ideas, and I don't know why my grades became more important than my friendships" she was sobbing at this time.

Rags then did something that he hadn't done before, at least in the presence of his friends, he initiated a hug. He got up from his chair and left his sword upon it and gently pulled Hermione into an embrace "Hey it's alright Hermione, look I'm not the best person to ask about anything to do with friendship, but I understand that they forgive each other. Also with my background I have no right to judge anyone."

Hermione was a little taken aback with the embrace, even though she was still sobbing slightly into his shirt, she had hugged Rags a few times, but Hermione hugged all of her friends, but this was the first one that he had initiated with her, and it felt nice, very nice. It was strangely comforting to have someone who she hadn't known for very long but trusted so much hold her while she wept. She frowned ever so slightly at his negative comment about himself, but it was something that they would have to address at another time, for now she wanted answers.

"Thanks I needed that" she pulled away from his embrace and took a good look at him; he was dressed similarly to how he had been at the Quidditch trials, almost identical in fact. Except the shirt-robe he wore was black and felt like it had been woven from silk, 'Very flattering' she thought to herself with a small smile and a blush, his pants were some form of leather, and like his Quidditch pants, hugged his legs very nicely but still gave room for movement, he was also wearing black boots with silver buckles adorned with strange glyph like sigils, and a black outer robe that seemed to be thicker and heavier than it should have been, this too was adorned with similar sigils to his boots, and his belt buckle, although Hermione would deny she ever looked there.

"You're not getting out it that easily Rags, now tell me about your sword, its Japanese isn't it?" she pointed at the seat where the long katana rested. Rags nodded "Yes, it's a katana, it actually has a name is called Matsuro, which in Japanese literally means fate, as to how I got it, well I made it."

Hermione was shocked "You made it, but how? It takes years to learn how to forge swords, especially Japanese swords which are very complex" at his quizzical look at her apparent knowledge of the craft Hermione said "My Dad, he's is a sword enthusiast, he is also a black belt in kendo so I've picked up a thing or two." Rags nodded his head and said "Well as to how I learned to make them it's quite simple, the man who taught me Kuro-Uindo, known as Hirohito Yamatada, a rather deranged half human half goblin. He was both a master of Kuro-Uindo and the art of forging swords, sadly enough he squandered that talent serving my father and the Death Eaters, I'm not sure why because they are all usually pureblood mad."

Hermione, desperate to get off the depressing topic grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the other chair "Show me, I only saw it from a distance while you were using it, let me see it up close." Rags shrugged and grasped the long midnight black sheath in his left hand, holding it so that the edge of the blade was facing the ceiling, and drew it from its sheath. The blade was bright shimmering silver, with etched glyphs and runes going almost two thirds of the way down the blade on each side, it curved slightly and was single edged, with a faint waved pattern on the edge. Just by looking at it Hermione could tell that it was a superb example of craftsmanship, she watched as the candles in the room sent ripples of fire along the blade as Rags moved it ever so slowly.

Suddenly the blade seemed to flash within a deadly arc and it took all of Hermione's self control not to take a step back, until she noticed that the blade was now facing her hilt first, she noted that the black cloth wrapping of the long two handed hilt had two silver ornaments that looked like striking serpents on each side, and the guard was a mix of blackened iron and silver twisted to make a whirlwind like pattern, in short the over all effect was nothing short of stunning. "Take it" Rags said, "but be warned it is not a normal sword."

Hermione reached forward and gently took the sword in her right hand, the balance was flawless, she moved the sword slightly and she felt an almost imperceptible shudder through the blade. She turned wide eyed to Rags "It's alive" she whispered. Rags then did something that she did not expect, he laughed, "No Hermione it isn't alive, it's aware, Matsuro senses the wielders intent and acts accordingly. It took me a long time to dig up the spell that would allow me to imbue the blade with that quality."

Hermione then realised he had not answered the other part of her question "So how did you learn to forge swords, learn dark magic, learn normal magic, and let's not forget all the practical and theoretical knowledge you seem to know, as well as learn English?" Rags looked at her raised his eyebrow and said "So much for only a few questions" he grinned at her faint blush "Well" he took back he sword and sheathed it with a flourish "its quite simple really, they used a time turner, as you know from your exploits in your third year, a time turner takes you back in time, a lesser known fact is that it also stops you aging until you reach the time of when the time turner was used. So if you were to spend two years in one set of rooms, then use a powerful time turner to go back to just before you entered those rooms and enter another set of rooms that you didn't go in for the previous two years then" he let his explanation end there, trusting Hermione's natural intelligence to figure the rest out.

"So how many times did you repeat that process?" Hermione whispered, she could hardly imagine what going back and repeating things like that would do to a person, emotionally and psychologically. Rags shook his head indicating that he did not want to talk about it. He glanced at his wristwatch and noticed the time, it was quarter past four in the morning, looking up he said "Hermione it is too late for you to be wandering the corridors, no matter that it is Saturday tomorrow, well today, you are a Prefect. Go on I need to finish up here, don't worry I'll be in the common room waiting for you for breakfast" that last part was said with a grin, it had become a game among the four friends to try to beat Rags down to the common room in the morning, so far no one had succeeded.

He walked with her to the doorway and indicated that she should put on the cloak again "I hope you won't tell anyone about this, I have a certain mystery about me but this would just freak people out" Hermione couldn't help but grin at that statement, in all her years at Hogwarts she had noticed a few things about the students and the wizarding populace in general, they lived in a world of magic and so they were very superstitious, Rags being such a powerful wizard, knowing the spells he knows and knowing how to fight like a dark wizard, well that would be too much for many of the students.

"On one condition" she said with a little smirk, which only grew wider at the shocked expression on his face "you have to promise to teach me how to defend myself, and eventually some others if we start the DA up again, but I want to learn some of your fighting style, my Dad was always disappointed I didn't take up a sport when younger, agreed?" she held out her hand for him to shake. After standing there for a moment Rags large hand clasped around her own, the tough skin and strong calluses very defined against her smaller softer hand "Very well Hermione I'll teach you, it wont be easy, it won't be gentle and you'll have to do exactly as I say otherwise you may injure yourself, alright?" he got a nod in return.

Hermione gave him one last smile before she disappeared through the same door that she entered by. After she had gone Rags sighed and said to no one in particular "I hope she knows what she is getting herself into" there was a faint sound behind him, not loud, but enough to get his attention 'Sneaky Dumbledore, very sneaky' with a single movement his sword was drawn, and the practice session continued.

--

Hermione was excited as she rushed down the staircase from the girls dorms to the Gryffindor common room, she had not gotten a wink of sleep after she had gotten back from the Room of Requirement, her thoughts had been filled with the flickering lights that had played along the blade of Matsuro, and also the movements of its wielder, not that she had payed that close an attention to that of course, but also about his promise to teach her defence, and the others when the DA starts up again, she amended to herself. She got to the bottom of the staircase and snorted in annoyance, there was Rags dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt, jeans and trainers sitting as usual on the couch waiting for everyone to come down from their dorms.

"How do you keep doing that?" she asked him as she plonked herself down on the couch next to him, he smirked at her and replied "You know Harry asked me the exact same question, and my answer is the same" he motioned her closer until his lips were next to her ear, she gave an unconscious shiver as his warm breath touched her skin, "the answer is" he said, recapturing her attention, "magic." When Harry and Ginny came down from their dorms they noticed Rags and Hermione laughing on the couch, Harry sent a quizzical look at his girlfriend who by asking Hermione "He told the magic joke again didn't he?" at Hermione's nod they all joined in the laughter, seeing at as the wizarding world generally accepted that Voldemort had returned laughter was rare enough to find, so most people laughed when they could.

--

The friends arrived the Great Hall for breakfast and quickly got their seats at the Gryffindor table, the great thing about weekends at Hogwarts was that breakfast went on longer and was a much more casual affair, seeing as no one had to rush off to class, so there were more people sitting around enjoying a leisurely breakfast. The foursome ate a leisurely breakfast and chatted animatedly with Neville, Dean, Seamus, and Katie Bell even Parvati Patil came over and chatted to the group, much to the annoyance of her friend Lavender Brown, who was stuck talking to Ron Weasley.

Hermione felt something being pushed into the pocket of her jeans and glanced at Rags who was sitting next to her, but was talking to Seamus about something, gain something tugged on her sleeve this time so she looked down and saw Rags' left hand pointing at her pocket, tapping his hand to let him know she got it she took out the scrap of parchment that was in her pocket, it said:

--

Tonite Room of Requirement

At 8:30 wear exercise clothes, and try to get Harry's invisibility cloak as well, you don't want to get caught out after curfew. Bring note taking equipment if you want, I'll answer all your questions about what I will teach you, so bring anything that you think will help.

R.T.V

--

Grinning she tucked the scrap of parchment back in her pocket and continued with breakfast, no noticing the glare that she and Rags were receiving from Ron. When the four of them had finished it was decided that they would go for a walk, to help settle their slightly larger breakfast, before going to visit Hagrid, who had sent a letter to Harry that morning that said:

--

Hello Harry, and whichever one of you lot who is reading over his shoulder

Just want to let you know that I have something for you, Hermione and Ginny, and I would like to give it to you today, round eleven if that's good for you. Oh and bring Rags with you, there is one here for him too, it's a surprise but it's to do with a Care of Magical Creatures project that he is doing.

Cheers

Hagrid

--

The four, three of them in their winter cloaks to keep out the chill, and Rags in his summer cloak as he said "I'm used to cooler weather than this", casually walked round the lake, Harry with his arm around Ginny, and Rags and Hermione with their hands in their pockets enjoying the cool weather. Then the heard a yell "Oi Valerian what do you think you're doing with my girl" Rags looked up in confusion only to see Ronald Weasley stomping towards them a loom of anger on his face.

"Have I missed something in the last two weeks?" Rags asked the four before Ron reached them. "No Rags you haven't Ron is just being a prat, I'll sort him out" with that Hermione stomped off towards Ron with an equally angry expression on her face. Rags just stood there wide eyed wondering what the hell was going on with Hermione and the others, Harry just had a resigned look on his face as though he had seen this sort of thing before, Ginny looked rather pissed off.

While Ron was trying to get Hermione to calm down and go somewhere with him, she was currently yelling at him, using some rather inventive swear words. "Um would you guys explain why Hermione looks like she is going to tear Ginny's brother's head off?" Ginny got in first before Harry had the chance to say anything "It's because he fancies Hermione, and he hasn't been able to got it through that thick skull of his that she doesn't like him back. So he keeps pursuing her regardless, and right now he appears to be using up the last of the goodwill that their friendship created. Also by going after Hermione even though she has told him repeatedly that she doesn't like him like that is pushing Harry and myself away, he has even got our mother involved helping him to get Hermione."

Rags didn't reply, and idea was forming in his mind, in relation to what Ginny had just told him about her brother and his attempts to woo Hermione, and that his mother was involved. 'Could it be that, but that spell hasn't been used in more than a century, but most pureblood families know it, or at least know of it, but it was banned by the International Conglomeration of Sorcery and Witchcraft in 1723. By general acclaim if I recall, this must be looked into more.' He thought to himself before turning back to the two arguing students.

"Hermione I get it, you're playing hard to get but it has gone on long enough, if you keep this up I might not have you in the end, and neither of us want that right? So come on lets go somewhere private" Hermione couldn't even form a sentence after hearing this, so she did the only thing that she really could in response to a comment like that, she slapped Ron again, hard. Over where the other three were standing Harry and Rags winced slightly and Rags said "She's not bad at that is she?" Harry looked over at his friend and said "Yep, I don't know but I think that she might have been practicing" Ginny, of course, just grinned.

Ron saw red, and it wasn't his hair, Hermione had just slapped him again in front of his best mate, in his opinion, and his little sister. She had no right to do that, she had just taken everything much too far, he suddenly reached foreword and grabbed her right arm with his left hand, spinning her round as she turned away so that she was forced to face him again. "Where the hell do you get off slapping me like that? You should be damned appreciative that someone like me would take interest in someone like you" Hermione was shocked, and getting closer to tears 'How many other people see me like this' she wondered to herself until she felt someone step up next to her.

Looking up as someone approached, Ron found himself staring up into the scarred face of Ragnar Valerian, a very angry Ragnar Valerian. "I suggest that you let Hermione go before you get hurt Weasley" he growled out. Ron was about to make a snide reply when he saw something that took away all that was left of his Gryffindor courage, there was something dangerous flickering in the big Norwegian's eyes, something that promised pain if he didn't do as he was told, something cold and unforgiving. Slowly Ron let go of Hermione and backed away a little "This isn't over" he said before storming his way back to the castle 'He turned her against me, well he'll get what's coming to him, I just need to send another letter to mom again for some more advice on this.'

Harry and Ginny had seen Ron grab Hermione and honestly couldn't believe he went that far and were about to step in when Rags walked over, Ginny was sure that her brother was going to get his face rearranged. Ginny was a brave girl but when she heard the tone of his voice it sent a chill down her spine, and she had been at the Department of Mysteries last year, she came to the conclusion that there was more to Rags than meets that eye.

"Are you alright?" Rags asked, in a concerned voice, as he turned to Hermione. She nodded her head but rubbed her arm unconsciously where Ron had grabbed her, Ron may not be the strongest guy around but Quidditch did keep you in shape, and Keepers had to have strong grips to block oppositions shots at goal, so she knew that there would be bruising on her arm.

She felt Rags gently take her arm in his hands and say "Here let me see", Hermione, wondering what he was doing, but trusting that it would help and not be painful let him do what he was doing, he rolled up her sleeve to expose her arm where she had been grabbed, and exposed the area where the bruising had already started to form. Harry and Ginny had come up to the pair, Harry tucking his wand back in his pocket, he ahd drawn it when Ron grabbed Hermione, "Oh you poor thing that must be painful" his attention immediately snapped back to Hermione and Rags at Ginny's exclamation, looking at Hermione's arm he winced slightly, the bruised area was already starting to look puffy and inflamed, and it was also turning an angry red/purple colour, he felt himself getting angrier, in his mind by hurting Hermione, Ron had officially ended their friendship.

Rags frowned slightly, 'Maybe I should have 'words' with Weasley at some point about this incident', snapping out of his train of thought he quickly re-focussed his attention on Hermione's arm bruises. "I may be able to help with these, don't mistake me I am no healer, but I know something that helps with bruising and swelling, will you let me try?" Hermione nodded, although not a severe injury, the bruising on her arms was quite painful, and would only get worse before they healed completely.

"Hold still" Rags said, he let go of Hermione's arm and brought his hand up close to his own face, almost in a prayer like position, the other three jumped slightly as a sharp crack echoed around them, the result of Rags clapping his hands together, hard if the sound was anything to be judged by. Confusing the others, he blew gently into his now cupped hands then placed his left hand under Hermione's arm and his right over the top of the bruising.

Hermione was shocked, she was expecting some form of spell, not this strange 'ritual' for lack of a better word, but then she felt something strange. Rags' hands seemed almost unnaturally warm, she actually felt the tensed bruised flesh on her arms relax and be soothed by the warm sensation coming from the hands that covered her injury. Looking at her arm she noticed that no special magic was being performed, but the swelling and the bruising seemed to have gone down a little. She couldn't stop the sigh escaping her lips as Rags gently massaged the top of her arm with his right hand while holding the arm still with his left, when he finished he said "There that should help a little."

Hermione was ecstatic, her arm felt much better, still sore but not in anywhere near the amount of pain that it was in. She spun round and enveloped Rags in a very traditional Hermione Granger hug, "Rags thank you so much, my arm feels much better than it was, and thank you for stepping in with Ronald, things were getting a little out of hand."

Rags grinned in response and said "Not a problem Hermione, what are friends for, if you can't rely on them in situations like that? On another note shouldn't we be getting on to Hagrid's?" Harry nodded and said "Yeah we should probably get going."

So the four of them headed of in the direction of Hagrid's hut, Harry holding hands with Ginny, and Rags with his arm over Hermione's shoulder and her arm around his waist, she ahd refused to let him go after he had helped her arm. All of them were wondering what Hagrid had in store for them at his hut.

A/N Ok I know this is a fair bit longer than the other chapters, just got into the story and couldn't really find a place to stop lol. Ok before anyone complains the technique that Rags used is not some sort of super secret power or anything, its actually a traditional muscle relaxation technique, my old Karate Sensei showed it to me, and some other friends of mine who do martial arts also use it, so I'm not just making stuff up, I put it in cause I want Rags to do other things than just beat people up, hopefully I showed his darker side a little bit in this chapter. I will say it again he, Rags, isn't a Mary Sue, I'm getting round to putting that part in. Thanks please review, cheers again TBK