An; Remember when Hermione got hurt at the battle in the department of mysteries, well this doesn't happen in Fifth year. Hermione gets out of that one unscathed. She later gets cursed by Dolohov when the DE's raided Hogwarts and Dumbledore is killed. Just letting you know beforehand so you weren't puzzled throughout the entire chapter.

1.

Hermione woke up in pain and tears. She had been in the infirmary for days now, the pain relief potions never lasted as long as they were supposed to. It hurt to breathe sometimes. Pomfrey told her the longer she slept and remained still the pain would dull; Hermione kept questioning if the healer would lie to her patients. Hermione did not feel consoled or in any less agony.

Hermione ripped the covers off and even that pained her. It was the most pain she'd ever been in. It must've been dark magic; Death Eater exclusive. Hermione couldn't even identify the curse that ripped through her chest, like a knife that burned as it cut.

Hermione had felt the intense pain as soon as she regained consciousness for the first time. Ever since, her search through her intellectual archives was not just rewardless but punishing. Nobody had told her what it was either, perhaps they didn't know themselves. The aurors seemed to have a stormy look when they saw her, they knew enough to know they didn't like what they saw.

But Hermione was most conscious of the heavy wrappings. When she had first seen them she thought they'd be gone in a few days or so, and were only to patch up a simple flesh wound. But her anxiety increased when Pomfrey forbade her from simply fiddling with the material; the healer would come over and rub some magical ointment on her wound, but she'd slip the bandages up from the bottom so that Hermione was still unable to see underneath them. Hermione had these wrappings for five days, still had no idea what exactly the state of her chest was...but if the pain and her treatment was anything to go by Hermione wasn't sure she'd like the answer very much.

But now Hermione was awake and in pain. Pomfrey wasn't anywhere in sight, and once the pain receded enough for Hermione to contemplate action she forcefully began tugging at the bandages. They were incredibly tight and the aggravation of her chest didn't help much either. But eventually her strength and grit won out. A strap fell over her shoulder and the whole right side of her chest was revealed.

Hermione couldn't see in the low light so she retrieved her wand with a wince. Lighting the tip she hovered over her chest and nearly dropped her wand.

It was no simple flesh wound, there wasn't even an incision. But there was a slash of midnight blue, stretching like a vein from the centre of her ribcage to an inch from her collarbone. She rubbed the tip of her wand against the dark line and it pained so much that Hermione's mouth hung open, unable to scream because she was unable to breathe in.

She dropped the wand and the light went out. She no longer had to see it to know it was there, and now she was unable to cover herself back up. 'Well, now I feel much better' Hermione sarcastically thought.

Hermione was trying to forget about her pain, and ignore the part of her worried about the murky trail on her upper breast. She couldn't find a comfortable position to lay before the creaky double doors to the infirmary slowly began opening.

'Oh great, now Madam Pomfrey is going to scald me for the state of my bandaging' Hermione wasn't going to open her eyes so she could watch the nurse's furrowed brow. Maybe she could pretend the wrappings broke during a mid-sleep flail.

But the footsteps weren't nearly as determined or confident as Pomfrey's, neither did they sound as clacky and didn't reverberate as much as they should've. The footsteps were reluctant and soft, like someone trying to sneak in.

Hermione didn't give it much thought, after all she wasn't the only person who got injured from the Death Eater raid on Hogwarts. Five other students occupied one of the infirmary beds likewise to Hermione, and it had initially been more.

But then the footsteps found the foot of her bed. Then two soft and mumbled curses followed; the first in pain following the weird clunking sound (stubbed toe), the second in reaction to seeing Hermione laying with half a chest open.

Suddenly she realised that she wasn't covered up, then realised that a developing asset might be on show, and finally reminded herself that this WASN'T Madam Pomfrey.

Hermione's pretense ended. She sat up sharply, covering her body with the covers. Hermione gasped in mortification, and then at realising that it was Tonks looking over her. Tonks. Could there have been anyone worse to catch her like this?

'Well yes actually' her unhelpful mind told her 'Ron, Professor Snape, Malfoy, You-Know-Who himself...to name a few'. But Hermione knew one reason why Tonks seeing her like this was terribly mortifying.

Well, Tonks has really become sort of a permanent resident in Hermione's average daily thoughts. They wrote to each other every other day, which originated from being once a week. The Christmas period had drama, but that drama had clearly lifted their connection to new heights. Tonks had always enjoyed Hermione's wit and intellect, and her occasional adventurous side, and Hermione enjoyed the Metamorphagus' bubbliness and sense of humour.

But now so much was changing. Their bonds were tighter, their personalities balanced each other out whilst leaving them with little that they could dislike of each other. Tonks found herself excited to see even a glimpse of her, which frustratingly wasn't very much. She was becoming insufferably protective of Hermione, numbering many times that she had overreacted to an injury or hurt feeling. She felt scared, much more than she used to feel. She had something more important to lose now.

Hermione felt much the same. Although she sensed something that was scaring her about it all. And it only increased the more signs she was given. Tonks was changing her, not in personality but in life.

For example, Hermione's favourite colour was no longer periwinkle blue, it's flamingo pink. She sometimes smelled the letters Tonks sends her and embraced the whiff of the peppermints the other girl likes to eat when writing. There are many things that have changed because of Tonks somehow.

But Hermione was most scared when she hadn't realised these things for herself. For instance she apparently said Tonks name so much in casual conversation that her close friends started correctly predicting when and where it would be mentioned. Hermione would simply state a fact but then as she started saying "Tonks told me" or "according to Tonks", one of the others would finish it for her. It was actually annoying them as much as "I read it in Hogwarts: A History" or "I'm going to the library".

The boys were clueless to its meaning. But it was the two other girls who gradually took more notice of Hermione's interactions with Tonks. Luna was more subtle, commenting offhandedly what appeared cryptic only to the people who weren't Hermione. Because she had merely implied in a way only Hermione could understand, calling the blonde out would only make her look paranoid.

Ginny went for the forward but tactful approach. She would watch and listen intently as Hermione regurgitated what Tonks wrote to her, replying with Mhm's and vague comments of understanding. She'd also ask specific questions in a dubious or cautious tone of voice.

'Why would she tell you something like that?' was a very common question. Sometimes if the letter came with a gift or souvenir the redhead would raise an eyebrow but then not say a word. There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Ginny knew something was going. The questions she asked were most likely rhetorical, perhaps even designed to encourage Hermione to reflect differently on the letters.

Hermione would then change the subject or play dumb. Truthfully Hermione didn't need Luna's cryptic implications or Ginny's suspicious questions; she knew what was happening with her and Tonks. When you're a studious and pro-education girl, you know that when you're silently urging classes to finish so you can finally sit and enjoy a certain someone's writing, you're probably dealing with something seriously life-changing.

And although Hermione had accepted that fact, she still wasn't completely okay with it. To rephrase it better, she'd say that what it was made her happy and it left her longing, however she wasn't satisfied with how fast this dynamic had changed. Was the process of...falling in love, supposed to be this quick? The Christmas period was five months ago, had it started then?

'No' she'd tell herself honestly one night 'there was something before that wasn't there?' She knew she had admired the older witch for a long time, perhaps since she first met her. This could not be construed as attraction, but could she honestly say that there wasn't any of that either?

Hermione had thought long and hard, trying to remember if she could pinpoint any moments where she thought even the slightest degree past platonism. But because she had to think so hard, she concluded that if she could pick out a moment it would not have been too hard to remember. The only time Hermione noticed a change in herself regarding Tonks was that day in the forest. She couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly but these feelings stemmed from it.

So on record there has been just under five months of built-up attraction that has only increased the more they wrote to each other. Hermione was almost certain that Tonks felt the same way, because if a schoolgirl was thought crazy to share so much correspondence with a love interest, what did that say about a grown female adult that corresponded back just as enthusiastically.

That was another problem though, the age difference. Yes, it was only seven years difference, and yes Hermione was of a legal age. Hermione hadn't a problem with it, she can date whomever she wants no matter how older they are than her (although she downright supported that there was such a thing as too old).

But society wasn't molded by what Hermione thought. Adult person in a trusted position of authority courts a barely of age teenage girl. That wouldn't go down very well in the Muggle world; she couldn't contemplate how that translated into wizard society.

Hermione could come to terms with the speed of this development, no question. She could easily accept the age difference and fight the fire that might be sent her way as a result. But there was one final, crippling fear that Hermione had. Which version of Tonks was she so enamoured with?

Hermione found the whole idea confusing for a start. No matter how ridiculous she might think it, what definitely resonated with her was the knowledge of two people with the same personality and qualities, but looking completely different from each other. When it literally came down to only appearance there has to be a preference of one over the other. Or was it possible to be attracted to two people, who were technically the same person? Can you see how confused Hermione felt? Who was she attracted to most?

The fear is not based on Hermione's answer primarily, it's more inclined to how her answer affects Tonks. Would Tonks understand why Hermione may feel attracted to her pink-haired body that she knew so well? Would she feel self-conscious again because Hermione may very well see more beauty in her fake form than her true one? Hermione didn't even know which version she was attracted to. To her Tonks was Tonks as simply as Harry was Harry, or Ron was Ron. But attraction only has one winner, and she knew there was only one in this scenario. The problem was working out which, and if Tonks would feel okay with her choice.

So on one hand you have her preferred form. A form Hermione has become very familiar with. The form that everyone else sees as well as her. Absolutely no imperfection to her appearance whatsoever. On paper this should win, however two years of knowing this form brought no significant evidence of romantic interest until five months ago.

And on the other hand, those five months is also the same time that her true form was revealed to her. The form only she knows. Had she not seen this form she knows she wouldn't be having these feelings at all, because she would never have gone through the dramatic Christmas holiday that they were both victims to. The holidays in which the roots of these feelings could be traced back to. Surely all that counted for something.

A few of these fears came back as the two girls stared at each other. One from the bed and the other at the foot of it. Hermione stared at Tonks troubled eyes, which was staring at her revealed chest.

The older girls gaze was innocent (mostly), she was only really concerned with a glimpse of the jagged line of purply-black that peaked out from the edge of the covers to the younger girls collar. But Hermione unknowingly labelled the look as lustful and quickly began objecting...despite how warm she felt in return.

"My eyes are here Tonks"

The older witch looked back at Hermione and finally registered what this must look like. "Oh, sorry. It wasn't...I didn't...I wasn't-"

"-ogling my chest" Hermione finished sternly.

"No, absolutely not."

Hermione couldn't stay mad for long, after all it was her fault that her chest was revealed in the first place. And there was that warm feeling that she kind of liked. But above all it was Tonks. She hadn't seen her for months and she wasn't about to let her embarrassment ruin this rare moment. "It's good to see you Tonks."

Tonks relaxed and smiled. "It's good to see you too. For the record I would've preferred seeing you anywhere other than the hospital wing, and under certain circumstances."

Hermione realised stupidly that of course this wasn't a casual visit. Tonks wouldn't be here if it wasn't to do with auror or Order business. "I heard...I heard Dumbledore..."

Tonks grimly nodded. "Albus is dead. Killed by Snape in the astronomy tower. Harry saw it all. His funeral is in a few days."

Hermione still sighed sadly despite already fearing the overheard information to be true. "So...why are you here? Not that I don't like you being here but I know you're not here just to see me."

Tonks finally came round the foot of her bed and sat beside Hermione. "We can't rule out any further raids. The vanishing cabinet has been removed from Hogwarts grounds and the protective wards are still up, but we can't be entirely sure that some Death Eater isn't hiding out somewhere. The Order and the DMLE have been searching the castle and grounds all week."

Hermione nodded understandingly. Then she stared down at her covers awkwardly. It was quite ridiculous how vocal these two could be in their letters but face-to-face could barely utter a word.

"I'm going to kill Dolohov" Tonks said plainly.

Hermione surveyed Tonks expression, seeing the quiet anger boiling under the skin. Hermione supplied "It was my fault Tonks. I barely had my wand out, they just burst into the common room and I happened to be the very first person they saw as they entered. I was too slow."

Tonks shook her head "I had to see what he did to you. When I heard Dawlish tell me-"

"Tonks I'm fine. Madam Pomfrey says the pain will ease by the end of the week" Hermione assured.

Tonk's head snaps round to glower at her "that isn't the point! He could've killed you!"

Hermione almost laughed but refrained from doing so "I'm pretty sure that wasn't far from his intentions Tonks".

Tonks raked a hand through her hair "I know I should be grateful that he didn't, that would be far worse obviously. But why that curse?"

"Yeah...I haven't been told whay it was. Do you know?" Hermione asked.

Tonks didn't answer but tugged her covers lightly, asking permission with her eyes. Hermione realised she wanted to see the wound so allowed her to lower the covers to see. She felt bad now that she'd chastised her for staring earlier, obviously it had been purely innocent.

Tonks eyes grew immediately wet and she released a whimper. Hermione grew even more fearful of the nature of the wound, if Tonks was beside herself about it then it must be serious. "He's a monster".

"What is it?" Hermione urged.

"You're so lucky to be alive Hermione. He missed your vital organs; it wasn't quite deep enough to rupture your lung, and it was on the right side of your chest so he missed your heart." Tonks analysed with a tremble.

Hermione hadn't even registered that thought. She knew it wasn't an ordinary curse but she just thought it bruised her. She didn't think that it actually caused internal damage, although it made sense how it was slightly hard to breathe and it had felt like a blade injury rather than an impact one.

"Hermione, if this wound was a centimetre deeper or on the left side of your chest, you would not be talking to me right now" Tonks seriously informed. But the older girl wasn't done, Hermione saw her rake another hand through her hair.

Hermione had to admit she was not enjoying how Tonks wasn't pulling any punches, but perhaps not doing so would diminish the severity of what's happened.

Tonks urgently asked her "what do you think this is Hermione?" She indicated to the dark line but ensuring to never touch it.

"I initially thought he used a spell that simulated a whip-like effect. But if you're telling me it damages the inside of my body then it's some sort of cutting or burn curse" Hermione theorised.

Tonks looked deep into Hermione's eyes as she replied "I wish it was that simple".

Hermione's annoyance was marinated in fear. "I would prefer if you skipped the dramatics Tonks, and fast forward to the part where you're telling me what the hell this is!"

Hermione's ire cooled, but her fear only increased. Tonks comfortingly took her hand.

"I don't think Dolohov meant to kill you, otherwise he would've. Death Eaters aren't just psychotic maniacs who do unpredictable things. They are trained duellists and tacticians, they are calculated, and ninety percent of the time when a curse hits someone it does exactly what they intended it to."

"Then what did he intend to do?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

Tonks gaze was either directed at Hermione or at the line in her chest. "To mark you for life. To perhaps make you undesirable, so no person could want you."

"So...this is permanent?" Hermione worriedly responded.

Tonks nodded. "The blackness is dark magic, that's still in your body. We can break the skin so the magic can be drained. Whilst it will be agony to endure the operation, the pain will be gone completely once it's over. But the damage will always be there, that's incurable."

Hermione peered down at her chest, traced it as it bobbled over her skin. It passed directly over her swelling bosom, a bosom that had grown quite well in the last year or so, and promised more. She had been proud of these breasts but now they had been ruined forever.

Hermione was on the opposite end of the vanity spectrum. But she has to feel confident in the assets she has. She regretted shrinking her teeth yes, they had always been healthy teeth but overshadowed by how oversized her incisors were. Whilst it was an unnecessary change, it was confidence boosting as well. No one could call her buck-toothed now, if they ever got tired of calling her other unsavoury names.

Her breasts were natural changes, a development that happened without Hermione influencing them. And it became a good asset. Hermione always prioritized her inner self to her physical body, but it takes time and people getting to know her in order for those assets to become recognition. A decent rack was something that gets recognition within first glance.

Hermione wasn't trying to advertise herself, she didn't want boys or girls drooling over her day and night. She only wanted one person to notice her. And it was as Hermione looked at this person, with concern in their eyes and hatred at the man who caused this, that she realised Dolohov hadn't ruined everything. He was too late in stopping people from noticing her, Tonks had long before Dolohov cursed her.

"Tonks..." Hermione began.

"Yes Mione" Tonks was the latest inductee into the Mione club, a very prestigious club that Hermione doesn't take lightly.

Hermione squeezed the older witch's hand "you really are a drama queen, do you know that?"

Tonks didn't take offense at the playful jibe "so what, sue me".

Hermione became serious again "I appreciate that yes, he could've killed me and quite frankly you can't pretend that was what you were less afraid about, than my scarred body. Secondly, this didn't bother me anywhere near as it bothered you." She pointed at her chest before continuing "this is not going to dishearten me in the slightest. Dolohov wasted his energy and his plan failed, he will wish he did kill me."

Tonks had a skeptical look on her face "had that been on your face, would that have changed how you feel?"

Hermione confidently shook her head, well aware why Tonks was asking.

"But you can hide it where it is now, only a handful of people will ever know about it" Tonks informed.

"Even less people know about you. You have the choice Tonks, it's always been open. By not being ashamed of this, maybe I can influence your choice, or maybe not. It's up to you Tonks." Hermione encouraged.

Tonks pouted grumpily "I was really looking forward to cheering you up, and now you go and turn the tables."

This seemed to kick-start the moment. Together they were able to filter out the negativity and pull in all the excitement they've only really shared over letters.

They talked all through the night just laughing and enjoying each others company, until Madam Pomfrey practically had to shove Tonks out the doors. Hermione laid back with a smile, forgetting the pain she felt so agonising a few hours prior.

An.

Hope you enjoyed. Do let me know if you think this chapter went away on too many tangents but I thought I'd compensate with only having one long scene.