Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter; you're the best! Also, thank you to everyone who is following this story. I'm delighted by how much interest it's getting.

I've just set up a Twitter account where I will post news about the stories I'm writing and any new ideas I have. Check my Fanfiction profile page for a link :)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story (not even Remus *sob*). I'm not JK Rowling- as if I'd ever be that lucky.

In limbo, Remus jumped to the ground and immediately sank down onto the forest floor at the feet of a cluster of dark, imposing trees. Joseph, the little cub he had rescued, leapt agilely down next to him, seemingly pleased at significantly improving his tree-climbing skills.

'Are you tired?' the cub asked his companion telepathically.

'Exhausted,' Remus replied, closing his eyes.

Lately, he had been very easy to tire. Before, he could wander the forest almost endlessly but now very little activity made him weary. He was probably encouraging his own exhaustion because, whenever he slept, he was transported to the world of dreams, where his memories of Hermione came alive. Seeing her, above all else, was what he wanted, even if he was only experiencing an echo.

Long ago, it seemed, he had discovered that the barrier between life and death became thin and he could watch the mortal world. He spent hours observing Hermione despite how painful her grief was to witness. He watched her trudging unhappily through life, from completing her magical and Muggle university education, to starting work in her unsuitable Ministry job, to beginning her charitable work for the poor werewolves at St. Mungo's.

She survived in the same desolate existence for many years, he assumed, but then her life suddenly changed. She started dating Ron Weasley. She didn't love him, he could see that, but he also understood that whenever she was with him he seemed to dull the crippling pain of her grief. Remus gradually began distancing himself from the mortal world. He wished Hermione happiness but he couldn't bear to see her with Ron.

Every so often, Remus would check on Hermione. One of these moments had arisen while he had been teaching Joseph to climb. She was curled up on her sofa in her little apartment and she was leafing through bridal magazines. Remus's heart stung. He was reminded of the moment when he had just happened to look into the mortal world and he had witnessed something he wished he hadn't: Ron proposing to Hermione. Remus could see that, for her, nothing had changed. She still ached from the loss of her one true love and her feelings for Ron paled into insignificance when compared to those she still had for Remus himself. But she was lonely and she feared that her future was nothing but emptiness.

Watching her that day, Remus lamented his own death. He hated Ron; he knew it should have been him proposing to her instead. She should be spending the rest of her life with Remus, not Ron, but there was nothing he could do about it. Now, she was looking at wedding dresses. Her impending nuptials with Ron must be serious. Remus felt curiously hollow and retreated back into limbo to focus on the cub now in his care.

'Are you going to sleep?' Joseph asked with disappointment. Remus knew that he wanted to carry on practising climbing.

'Yes. I'm sorry,' Remus said, not opening his eyes.

'I'll keep watch,' Joseph said simply, and he moved a little apart from his companion.

Remus surrendered himself fully to his world of memories.

March 1998

Remus stripped down to his boxer shorts- his usual night time attire- and climbed into bed. He took a sip of hot chocolate from the mug standing on his bedside table and then reached for the black leather-bound journal that lay on it. He opened the book and turned to the right page. He frowned. It was blank. He glanced up at the clock. It was just past eleven. Hermione always wrote to him by eleven. He wondered why she hadn't today.

He waited, sipping his chocolate until it was gone. Then he tried to continue with the book he was currently reading but he found it hard to concentrate, and his eyes kept darting to the journal, which was lying open on the bed next to him, hoping that a message from Hermione had appeared.

Time passed. It was nearing midnight and the crisp parchment of the journal remained blank. Remus was wide awake with worry. He had completely abandoned his fiction book now and had fixed his gaze on the journal, willing Hermione's neat, elegant script to appear on the page.

Why hadn't Hermione written to him? Remus's mind went into overdrive, continually coming up with worse and worse reasons. Maybe she was simply too busy. He knew she had been researching that strange symbol that she had found in a book Dumbledore had given her. Maybe she hadn't had a moment alone, when Harry and Ron weren't trying to read what she was writing. Maybe she had been injured and was lying in a bed in St. Mungo's, exhausted and in pain. Maybe her blood status had been discovered and she had been kidnapped because of it. Maybe she was dead. Remus flinched as the thought crossed his mind.

To distract himself from his thoughts, which were rapidly becoming frantic, he reread the last letter she had sent him:

Dear Remus,

How are you? Have you taken your Wolfsbane Potion today? Don't forget; I don't want you to suffer because of your condition.

Nothing much has changed. I'm still thinking of telling Harry that we should see Xenophilius Lovegood. I've looked in every book I own and I still don't know what that symbol means. Thank you for risking a visit to Grimmauld Place to check Sirius's library for me. I'm actually surprised you didn't find any reference to it. It's so frustrating.

But I remember that Lovegood was wearing that symbol round his neck as a pendant at Bill's wedding. I think it's worth a visit to Ottery St. Catchpole if he can explain what that symbol means. Dumbledore wouldn't have given me the book without good reason, and I'm sure the symbol has to mean something.

I don't know if I can talk to Harry at the moment, though. He's still really upset about what happened at Godric's Hollow. I don't think he can get over the loss of his wand. I feel so guilty about that. And Harry blames me, I know he does. He won't even look at me. All he does is sit and read that awful biography Skeeter wrote about Dumbledore. I know he's right to blame me but I just wish he'd talk about it. I feel terrible and I want to make it right somehow.

Ron is still being annoyingly nice to me. It's his way of grovelling. But I'm not just going to forgive him for abandoning his friends. I think he's getting bored already. And I think he's starting to notice the absence of his home comforts. I don't blame him, though. We're cold and hungry and tired and we all hate it.

I miss you so much, Remus. It feels like I've never gone so long without seeing you. I look up at the moon every night and I think of you. I sound sickly sweet, don't I? I'm like one of those silly school girls with a crush that I promised myself I'd never become. But I didn't expect this to happen. I didn't expect to fall so deeply in love with you.

I'd better go now, Harry and Ron want to go to sleep, and they don't appreciate me keeping the light on. If I could, I talk to you all night using this journal but I'll write to you tomorrow. Don't worry too much, Remus. Everything will be okay.

Hermione

X

Remus glanced up at the clock. It was nearly half past twelve. He didn't know what to do. There was nothing he could do. He was helpless. His mind was restless with worry.

'Remus.'

At first, he thought he had simply imagined it, but then he heard it again.

'Remus.'

A familiar voice was calling his name from within his own cottage. Remus leapt out of bed, quickly pulled on his dark blue dressing gown and made his way to the fireplace in his living room.

'Remus, there you are,' said the gruff voice in relief. In the flames was the head of Aberforth Dumbledore.

'Good evening, Aberforth,' Remus said. 'What can I do for you?'

'You have to alert the Order. Potter and his friends have been captured by Snatchers and they've been taken to Malfoy Manor.'

Remus stood frozen to the spot in shock. 'Are- are they okay?' he managed to ask.

Aberforth looked grim. 'The Death Eaters are torturing Potter's friend, the Granger girl.'

Remus's blood ran cold. There was a ringing in his ears and he struggled to focus on Aberforth, who was still speaking.

'I'm sending a house elf to you. You need to direct him to the Order's safe houses,' the grey-bearded wizard said. 'He will take you all to Malfoy Manor; he can apparate in and out of the place despite their protection charms.'

Remus nodded, turning and hurrying from the room before Aberforth's head had even disappeared from the fireplace. In his bedroom he slipped on the first clothes to hand, those he had been wearing earlier. A second after he had put on his coat and shoes and grabbed his wand off the bedside table, there came a small pop from the living room.

The small house elf looked anxious, but he still bowed to Remus as he entered the room.

'Master Lupin needs to direct Dobby to the home of Master Weezy,' the elf said. 'Master Aberforth instructed Dobby to help you gather wizards to help Harry Potter.'

Remus shook his head. 'There's no time, Dobby, just take me to Malfoy Manor.'

Dobby looked stricken. 'But Master Aberforth said…'

'Dobby, Harry Potter's life is in danger!' Remus said urgently. 'I need to help him now!'

Without another word, Dobby held out his arm and Remus grabbed on. With a sudden, sickening shift in surroundings, Dobby had transported them directly inside the cellar of the mansion, which was occupied by an odd assortment of people. Harry and Ron were standing close to the door and Luna Lovegood was nearby. Dean and a goblin stood in the shadows and in the corner, Ollivander was slumped, clearly injured.

'Remus!' said Harry in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

'Never mind that,' said Ron, pointing at the cellar door, which led to the drawing room. 'They're torturing Hermione up there!'

That's when Remus heard an agonised, blood-curdling scream that was unmistakably Hermione.

'Please! I don't know what you mean!' Hermione cried.

'Crucio!' roared a voice Remus recognised as belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione screamed again.

'We have to help her!' Ron said desperately.

'Okay, Dobby,' Remus said. 'Please transport everyone to…'

'Shell Cottage,' Ron said. 'Just outside Tinworth. It's Bill's place.'

Dobby nodded and beckoned everyone towards him. Luna and Dean helped Ollivander to stand up. Harry looked at Remus.

'What are you going to do?'

'I'm going to break the anti-Apparition spell and then I'm going to get Hermione out of here.'

Dobby was surrounded by everyone in the cellar apart from Harry and Remus.

'Harry Potter,' Dobby said. 'I need to get you to safety.'

Harry shook his head. 'I'm going to stay and help Remus. Take everyone to Shell Cottage, Dobby.'

'Don't come back for me, Dobby,' Remus said. 'I'll apparate Hermione to safety. It's too risky for you to do it if she's badly injured.'

Dobby nodded and then apparated out of the cellar, taking Ron, Luna, Dean, Ollivander and the goblin with him. Remus pulled out his wand and began muttering a counter-spell that would take down the Manor's anti-apparition protection. Harry watched anxiously.

After five minutes of concentration and complicated spell work, Remus felt a change in the atmosphere. He believed he had been successful. He immediately tried to disapparate and ended up in the drawing room, right next to Lucius Malfoy.

Without hesitation Remus swung his fist and punched Malfoy to the ground. Bellatrix spun around and was shocked by his presence. She had been kneeling by Hermione, who was lying flat on the floor, cradling her left arm, while her right was sticking out uselessly to the side at an odd angle. Narcissa and Draco didn't seem to know what to do.

But Bellatrix rose quickly to her feet and aimed the disarming spell at Remus, who deflected it easily. Remus used the stunning spell but Bellatrix managed to dodge it. Bellatrix shot red sparks at Remus, and he realised she was trying to cast the Cruciatus Curse on him. He retaliated by casting a strong shield charm and the red sparks bounced harmlessly away. Bellatrix smirked at him insanely and screamed the spell that Remus knew his shield wouldn't be able to stop.

Remus dived out of the way and the ghastly green glow of the killing curse missed him by inches. A split second later, Harry burst through the doors of the cellar and stunned Bellatrix, who fell awkwardly to the floor.

'Stupefy!' shouted Remus, aiming at Narcissa, who fell unconscious like her sister.

While Remus ran over to Hermione, Harry advanced on Draco. Harry tousled with Draco and managed to wrench the wands from his hand. Dobby apparated into the drawing room.

Without a thought, Remus scooped Hermione into his arms and she winced in pain. He grabbed the sword of Godric Gryffindor and Hermione's bag and apparated them away. The last thing he saw was Dobby getting Harry out of there and Bellatrix stumbling to her feet, throwing her dagger.

Remus and Hermione materialised into the bedroom of his cottage. He laid Hermione gently on his bed but he accidentally jolted her arm, and she cried out.

'I'm sorry, my darling,' Remus whispered.

Remus examined Hermione's wounds. She had a gash on her head and her hair had matted into the wound. Her cheek bloomed with a fresh bruise. One of her arms was broken and the other, Remus was shocked to learn, had been carved with the word 'Mudblood' in jagged, untidy letters.

'What has she done to you?' Remus said, almost crying at the sight of the woman he loved lying so seriously injured on his bed.

Remus set about healing her. First, he had to get her out of the bloodied clothes she was wearing. He stripped her until all she was wearing was her bra and panties and he suddenly realised that he was never seen her this naked before. But at the moment he surveyed her body objectively and clinically, as if he were a healer.

He went into the bathroom to fetch medical supplies. With one arm, he lifted her torso off the bed and with the other he brought the vial of powerful painkiller potion to her lips so that she could drink it. Then he muttered a spell and healed her broken bone with ease. He gently dabbed a little blood-staunching potion on her head wound and it immediately stopped bleeding and sealed itself. He tried the same with the awful wound on her arm but the potion had no effect.

It was as Remus had feared. The dagger that Bellatrix had used on Hermione had been cursed. It would take a long time to stop bleeding and it would take very little for it to open up again. It would never truly heal. It pained him so much that he couldn't bear to look at it anymore. He bathed it in warm water as gently as he could and bandaged it carefully.

He gave her a dose of dreamless sleep potion to keep away any nightmares and put her in one of his t-shirts. Lastly he lovingly covered her with his thick duvet. He sat perched on the edge of the bed for about an hour, watching her sleep.

At four o'clock in the morning, he went to his fireplace, threw in some Floo powder and contacted Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur greeted him and immediately fetched Harry and Ron.

'How is she?' Harry and Ron said simultaneously.

'She's… a little better,' Remus said.

'When can she come to Shell Cottage?' asked Harry.

'In a few days,' Remus replied, and noticed the disappointed looks on the boys' faces. 'One of her wounds is… delicate and travelling by apparition or Floo powder would make it worse.'

They both nodded. 'You should get to bed, Remus,' said Harry.

'And you two, you look dead on your feet,' Remus said.

They finished the conversation quickly.

'Take care of her, Remus,' Ron warned.

It was nearly dawn by the time Remus went back into his bedroom. Hermione was still asleep, looking peacefully beautiful, with her wild brown hair fanned out around her on the pillow. Remus was too tired to brush his teeth so he climbed into bed next to Hermione, fully-clothed and fell into restless slumber.

Part two of this flashback will be coming up in the next chapter. Please review, if you could be so kind :)

And remember to follow me on Twitter, if you like :)