There was a raging frustration building up in her. Hermione's mind was riddled with emotions now. The mixture of fear, terror and an immense level of rage, were keeping her from thinking straight. It was the chemical ingredients of a time bomb. But she needed to find a way out and get her family out of there.

She tried playing around with her bindings. Each arm tied down solid by a magical charm. Luckily she now had a wand in her hand. Now all she needed to do was get past the brute by the door.

Simple, she thought.

First she needed some information.

'Please, sir,' she started, her voice a little croaky and throat in pain among other things. 'Please, Devil, is it?' she called out, could not see the brute werewolf beside the door but she could still hear his animal like breathing and panting. 'Please, Devil, what did those Aurors look like? Was one of them a red haired man?'

The werewolf growled but soon enough answered with a simple 'No.' before continuing, 'He was a man with round gasses that was leading the other younger vermin.'

Harry, Hermione thought, 'But were there any red haired—'

'No there were not. Only him and some golden haired kids, even a pink haired woman but no-no red.'

That meant that Ron had the larger group. She sighed. It meant that her husband was coming…but then something else entered her mind— Lavender's Super-Werewolf serum.

-CORNERS-

Lavender watched Harry Potter's Auror team beat down not just her best Werewolf soldiers but also it would seem that an unidentified wizard had single-handedly taken down a giant reanimated basilisk. She had never seen a display of magical combat like the one that destroyed the beast.

'What the hell have I gotten myself into?'

She silently slid back into the shadows next to Slytherin's head and bolted for the vaults. There was too much riding on her project, her operations. Her allies were powerful people, too powerful for her liking but their offer of power and protection gave her hope for her people.

All they needed was one small thing from her. They wanted Ron Weasley. When she asked what they meant they remained silent but one of them, a man in a suit and a bold head gave her instructions. The man then gave her wicked grin and excused her. They were scary people, these Masters of the Shadows.

Now she ran, her future at stake and that of her people. For years she watched her Werewolf brethren suffer isolation and persecution at the hands of…well everyone. If it isn't the fear, it was just disgust for them all. Out of her entire life she had never seen a werewolf openly accepted in society, raising children, a family, working to earn money.

In turn the werewolf population turned to the Dark Wizards for aid, for protection. They became the public enemy in order to survive. Guess they weren't counting on the 'Good' guys actually winning.

In truth she was on their side, fighting alongside them, the heroes.

'I once thought that the world was good, that the world both magical and not were worth fighting for.' She explained to Hermione. 'But the world is simple minded and cruel.'

'No, Lav, we're not, not all of us. Please, don't you know…us, the people you went with, grew with at Hogwarts. We love you, Lav—'

'Shut up, Granger! Don't try to soften me now. I am a leader of a Nation…I don't need you people anymore.'

She was brought back to the present by a white haired werewolf soldier asking her for orders. She examined him sternly before cracking a wide grin. 'Release the boggarts, Savage. Release them all.'

-=O=-

Ron had spent the last few minutes raiding in several rooms with every werewolf he met he sent a body binding jinx or an unconsciousness hex their way. His team having his back every step of the way. Four men line up in single file, wands ahead of them and sweat running down each Auror's head. It was their first field mission and Ron could hear, smell and feel the anxiety and fear in them. He understood.

The passageway was getting tighter as they ventured on, Ron could swear he saw a hint of a metal alloy on the walls, and screws. There was an echo, footsteps, coming their way, they were running, and it was rather loud. They must be huge.

Ron signalled his team form in narrow combat positions—basically two men at front with wands but ready for unarmed combat as well while two at the front utilising full magical combat. Ron chose the front lines, he was more a physical man than anything.

Lance Barge was one of those Aurors. He was born around magic, lived with it. Everything he did was with magic. He was one of the Auror department's promising recruits. He was of House Ravenclaw at Hogwarts and even took a brief teaching job there after seventh year. In all respects he was sort of a male version of Hermione, minus the muggle background. Bright and talented, and also quite annoying if you get him into an argument.

Then there was Aaron Beranger, while not the brightest he was the comedy of the team. Kind of how Ron always thought himself as being when it came to his friends. Aaron passed Hogwarts with flying colours, Hufflepuff and proud.

Simon was next. An excellent marksman, he was able to stun a Death Eater from a hundred yard away. The youngest in the group was little Roger Rex. Small time country boy had fast-tracked to Auror Training before finishing his seventh year at Hogwarts. He was a Gryffindor and Ron knew it. He could see a brave Gryffindor when he saw one.

The boy was also quite reckless. It was said that in first year he actually tried to release a troll just to face it off- said it was what Potter and Weasley did at his age and McGonagall had requested the students choose a role model to act upon.

Well he did, just not in the way the Headmistress had intended.

Ron looked at the boy, he was shaking, his seemed however distracted, and then there was a ringing from his pocket. He produced a muggle phone from his trousers. Immediately he caught the attention of his colleagues. 'Rex, get your head in the game,' Ron commanded.

Roger nodded obediently but also apologising, 'Sorry sir, my girlfriend's at St Mungo's. Hospital said they'd call me if any change—'

'There's no time, Rex,' Barge cut in. 'Get your head here where it's needed. If you make it out of here, you'll be able to worry 'bout her then, if not, I don't think it'll matter anyway.'

Oh, now that was crossing the line. 'Okay Barge, that's enough.' He then addressed the youngest member. 'Now Rex, the best thing you can do for her is to make it out of here in one piece. I'm going to help you but it might not be enough.'

Rex nodded in understanding. Nervously he replaced the muggle communications device back into his pocket and his wand out again.

Ron patted the boy on the shoulder before readdressing his team. 'Be ready, men, eyes open and remember, no matter how big or dangerous, you all set for stun.'

Ron heard one of his men gulp while another take a deep breath in as if it were his last. So this was going to be a very educational day for them, Ron thought.

Let's hope they last the night.

-=O=-

Hermione felt it hard to breathe, her fragile lungs no longer compatible with the tempo rush of her heart and she feels faint.

On the up side, she did manage to free herself from her charmed ropes. There were red rings around her wrists now and blood trickling down her forearm. Just some more scars to add to her collection, Hermione thought to herself when she saw the word scarred on her arm. Mudblood, it read.

Now it was time for the next step of her daring escape. The Brute, stood guard her only way out. She took Lavender's wand out in front of her, tip pointed at the door, it was opened wide, she guessed that they did not consider their captive a threat. Then she saw something glistening on a table. The things that they confiscated from her when they first brought her in a few days ago. Dominant among them was…her husband's Deluminator. She walked to it, silently, mind you, picked the device up and observed as one click of the item and all of the lights in the room went out, the light absorbed by the small Deluminator in her hands.

Instantly, that caught Devil's attention and he moved in to investigate. The brute rose at least Hagrid size, he needed to lower his head a little to enter the room. He walked in with his wand out and ready…it wasn't enough.

Even his great height was not enough to repel Hermione's magic. One shot from her, even in the dark and with her in such a state, she still got a bullseye. A body binding curse straight in the face and Devil's down for the count, falling on his back. He was not dead, Hermione could see his chest rising, but knew he was incapacitated.

A sigh of relief washed over Hermione but it was short lived. She still needed to escape these dungeons. She popped the Deluminator into her jean pockets and headed cautiously out of the chamber that acted as her prison cell.

The lighting was no different out of the room, still quite dark though a dim green light illuminated from the walls. Creepy, she thought, but then again Slytherin was always a peculiar house in her mind—and such jerks too.

The tunnel seemed to stretch on and she had to rely on instinct to choose which paths when they diverged into several different passages. What does Ronald keep calling it? His gut?

She kept Lavender's wand at the ready, the strange feeling emanated from it. It maybe resisting. She guessed the wand lore were true, she could just feel it, a very weird and unfathomable feeling. After a few more steps left around a corner, Hermione found herself in a clearing. She was now in a room with four more passageways, two ahead and one on either side of the room.

Now what was she going to do? Thank God so far it's quiet, no sign of anyone, no sound of footprints. She sighed from that trickle of relief at least.

'Where are you, Ron?' she whispered.

And then a thought just occurred to her. She reached into her pocket and out came the Deluminator.

On the Horcrux Hunt during the Second Wizarding War, Hermione's husband, under the influence of the Horcrux locket dangling around his next, compelled him to leave. In his self-imposed exile, Ron learnt a secret to the mysterious device entrusted to him by Albus Dumbledore. They thought that It's only function was to turn off lights. She wasn't sure how it worked but somehow it omitted a light that filled Ron with the emotions and information needed to find her again.

Perhaps she could activated it to help her find Ron?

Normally it only ever worked for Ron but she had seen it happen a few times. During either Valentine's Day or their Anniversary, Ron would take them out to the lake and open the Deluminator. He'd let the pure blue light touch her heart. It was such a surreal and warm feeling. Hermione was smiling just from thinking of it.

If only she had at least a hint on how she could use it.

PLANG!

The banging of metal echoed through the passageway. There were people closing in—but from which direction? It was so dark and five different tunnels to choose from.

Hermione grunted, just her luck and she was running out of time. Soon Lavender would find her indefinitely and use her unborn child for some evil plan.

-=O=-

Ron and his team had just engaged a group of werewolves in what appeared to be an ancient Slytherin Armoury. The werewolves were firing hexes and curses with intent to kill while Ron's strict policy on none lethal spells, was holding. Right now the eight werewolves were cornered inside the rectangular bare room. Each side behind a barricade of overturned tables and shelves.

'Their trying to flank us in!' said Barge, one of the older Aurors under Ron.

Ron looked around, blast, they broke the door. There was no way to keep them in and escape. They'd just have to fight them out.

'We don't have time for this, Barge!'

'Sir, you have to go and find your family! We'll hold them here!' called Gillian.

Ron shook his head. He couldn't just leave his team, not while they were in battle. He needed to end the fight. He needed to end it quick and clean. 'Keep them situated, try to restrict any other movement on their part.'

'Sir, what happens when the others hear us?' Roger inquired fairly.

BLAM!

Out of apparent thin air, Roger, the young blond Auror recruit had just gotten hit in the face by a spell…not just any spell…it was a curse. The flash of green as it hit him…Roger had just gotten hit with a killing curse.

NO!

Ron went down to tend to the boy's still body. Maybe, against all odds the boy made it? He tried feeling his neck and wrist for a pulse…nothing.

'No!' with that Ron roared outraged. He did not know where all this anger came from or how for some reason he could lose control so easily, but however it is, it was strong.

The Auror lieutenant jumped over the barricades, he saw a bastard sword on the ground, grabbed it and without even thinking he sent the sword flying across the room, hitting a werewolf soldier in the arm, completely separating the limb.

The cries were loud and in the form of a wolf's howl only matched by Ron's lion-like roar. After that Ron ran to another and punched it in the face, completely knocking it out, and then another, and then another.

All four of them watched in disbelief as Ron single-handedly pulverised the enemy. A savage being of immense rage, an embodiment of fire, some might even argue maybe the traits of a true Gryffindor?

But it wasn't the end of it. After the enemy were dispatched in the room, Ron's fists made contact with the brick walls, punching, actually smashing a huge hole. It took his entire team to calm him down. The pinned him to the ground, kicking and screaming…then he stopped.

There he saw in front of him, Roger Rex was looking down at him clearly alarmed. 'Roger?' Ron's mind then turned to one possible thing responsible, the one thing that might convince him he'd failed and let someone die again… 'Bogarts.'

-=O=-

'This game of yours has gone on far enough!' Lavender tried to play her words with an authority riding it. Who was she talking to? A man stood before her, or at least a projection of him, standing almost transparent blue, like a ghostly spectre in the night. 'The Ministry sent Aurors to raid the chamber! Now you said you'd help me—'

The spectral man was bold headed and had a sly smile on his firm face. He stood straight and tall in a business suit and an authority complex that sometimes frightened even her. 'Was it not I who gave you the means of escaping arrest? Our agreement was that in exchange for our protection and support, you would produce a superhuman serum. Well, is it ready?'

Lavender groaned. 'No, um…the good Doctor was killed yesterday in a rebellion of his people. Reports say he used a trial serum on himself.' The figure sighed, hand grasping the bridge of his nose. All of a sudden she was feeling quite nervous.

'Well that was a trial serum, what about Project Romulus' final stage?'

Again Lavender was speechless for a while. 'Sir, I only have one. It will take weeks to mass produce and I had hoped to infect at least Granger. Plus my Safe house is being infiltrated by the Aurors.'

'I don't care, Lavender, You can't cut corners. The plan was to mass produce them as soon as trial two was tried and successful, my reports tell me that the doctor was killed in Lycan form. I need that serum, send me the one you have, we'll mass produce it here in the States and send you a few vials for your acts of vengeance.' The spectre reasoned. 'I will have them ready in less than a few days.'

'What about my brotherhood? My kind is still being killed here!'

The man's strict composure only grew firm to Lavender's words. In all he seemed unchanged, unhindered by this fact. This made Lavender quite upset to say the least. 'Much must be sacrificed, Ms Brown, sacrificed for the greater good…of your people. Escape the dungeons, send me the serum and in three days you will have your army, your people will be safe and the Wizarding community will dare not cross your kind again.'

Lavender hesitated, she tried to think, her brain in overdrive. How could she trust him now? But then again, he never truly betrayed her. It was she that failed. She nodded her response to the projection. The man bobbed his own head in response and told her he expected the serum in no longer than a day.

'Oh, and I almost forgot, the other day, you spoke to me of a strange device in the possession of Mrs Weasley.'

Now Lavender was interested. What was it to him? 'Yes I did, it's still in my possession, and I've confiscated it along with much of Hermione's things. She claimed it to be Ron's.'

'This is a hunch but I might need that device, Brown. It may prove valuable.'

Lavender raised an eyebrow, 'Why? What is it? Because so far all it ever does is turn lights off.'

'Just bring it to me with the serum and I'll disclose every piece of information you wish to know.' With that the man sighed before looking at his watch, a Rolex it seems. 'Good luck, Ms Brown, don't fail again.'

Then the blue spectre was gone, in its place was a circular disc on the ground where it once stood. Lavender picked the disk up and popped it into her pocket. That was when she realised something terrifyingly odd. Her sleaves were strangely light.

Her eyes run threat of popping out of their sockets when she realised. Her wand was gone. She hastily rechecked and searched every inch of her clothes. She was now panicking. She started to run off down a passageway she recognised as one that led to the intersections.

She stopped only when she spotted a glistening ahead of her…and the silhouette of a woman she then saw to whom the form belonged to. A devilish smiled crept onto her as she mumbled, 'Granger!'

-=W=-

Author's Note: Mae govannen. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please tell me what you think, criticise if you want. I just need something to go on for later chapters- things I might need to change, mistakes I might have to keep an eye on. Molto grazie.