Concurrent Existences

Chapter 22: Broken

I wish I had more time to spend.

This wasn't meant to be the end.

Forever in my heart these memories will stay.

Don't cry, my baby, everything will be okay.

Rodolphus' eyes gleamed with hope for the first time since the war had ended. This would be the start, the start of gaining everything back and he just had to wait till the trap was sprung.

You may have killed the Dark Lord and my wife, but I haven't died yet, the next Dark Lord has come.

Two days passed since Ron was re-accepted into Hogwarts, it was now a Wednesday. After the incident between Bellatrix and Ron in the Great Hall, Bellatrix wasn't able to dodge a trip to detention. She had done her best that day to drag Hermione to detention along with her, but failed. Hermione's record would still remain clean.

Ron had not even tried to bother Bella anymore. The redheaded boy instead tried to win back Hermione's good graces while also using Hermione as a human shield against the dark witch.

Two days of being annoying was already stacking on Bellatrix's nerves though.

"The next time I see that weasel try to attach itself onto you, I swear I will burn it!"

Hermione shook her head. The dark witch had been incredibly pissy since Ron had returned. Hermione understood the frustration and the tension, but what could she do? It's not like she could just Imperio or hex him away. This was still a school, they still had rules to follow. As long as Ron didn't do anything aside from being himself, there wasn't anything they could persecute him for.

She really wanted a reason too!

"Bella, there's nothing we can do. He hasn't done anything against us aside from sit at the table when we eat and hang around us during class. As much as it annoys me, there isn't much we can do, petty bullying aside."

"Well, I'll settle for more petty bullying then, thank you very much." Bellatrix blew Hermione a raspberry while the brunette just rolled her eyes.

"It looks like Professor Grindhook isn't going to come to class. It's been fifteen minutes. I'm glad this is our last class." This was the first class the goblin professor didn't go to. It was surprising that a goblin as meticulous as Grindhook would skip a day without prior notification to the class.

Rude.

"Maybe he got eaten? Who cares. Let's go-" Before Bellatrix could finish, the door to the classroom blew open. Everyone in the class turned to the door only to see Ronald Weasley.

"Ron? You don't have this class?" Hermione was pretty sure that the redhead did not take this class, since he probably wouldn't be able to pass the class if he didn't cheat off her anyway.

"Hermione! You have to look at this! Quick! Outside!" As fast as he got in, he was out just as fast. Hermione was highly tempted to not even follow him, but the boy wasn't usually this rattled for just anything.

Against her better judgment, Hermione stood up and went outside the room, Bellatrix and Luna followed just behind her.

As soon as they were a few meters from the room, Ron stood there with a letter in his hand outstretched to Hermione.

"I just got this letter from Pigwidgeon. It has no sender, I don't know where it's from." The boy just shrugged. The owl from the Burrow just had its head tilted while perched on Ron's shoulder.

Hermione took the letter. The front of the letter only had a neat cursive print of 'Hermione Granger'. Hermione couldn't detect any magics on the letter at all and decided there wasn't any hex or curse that was going to activate when opened.

Hermione Granger,

We have the two who you hold dear. If you do not come within the next five minutes of opening this letter, both of them will be missing more than just their memories. Your old house is rather bland.

The Dark Lord

Hermione paled. This was no joke and there was no time. Somehow these people had gotten a hold of her parents and there wasn't anything else she could do aside from spring the trap.

Obviously a trap.

Even if it was obviously a trap, there was no avoiding it. If the contents of the letter were the truth, then her parents could die. Hermione had seen how ruthless the Death Eaters were during the war. The ragtag bunch of purebloods weren't really a force to be reckoned with, but if they had shown that they wouldn't hesitate to injure and kill innocents and civilians.

In a blur of motion, Hermione was already running down the hall with Bellatrix right behind her. The dark witch had no idea what the hell was going on, but something was going to happen.

Hermione stopped after reaching her room. She needed to get here to be able to apparate out of Hogwarts without being detected. Bellatrix and, surprisingly, Luna were able to keep up with her. Ron had not been able to follow.

"This is too dangerous. Luna, I can't take you." The seriousness in Hermione's eyes made Luna back down even if the blonde was going to ask if she could come

The dreamy blonde knew that now was not the time to argue since something really bad had happened. Luna would concede for now, but next time she'd come.

"Volana, go with them." The shade quickly materialized out of Luna and jumped into Bellatrix.

The dark witch was surprised and was about to protest when she felt Hermione grab her shoulder.

"Apparate!"

The house that once stood for nostalgia, childhood memories and love was now reduced to terror. A gloomy aura surrounded the once bright house.

Hermione could feel the magical field around her. The people that had done this were prepared, there would be no apparating out of the immediate area. Hermione knew she had enough power to break through the anti-apparating field, but the feedback damage she could take from it might be too much. There would be no apparating this time.

Bella had quickly snatched the letter out from Hermione's hand that the brunette hadn't dropped. She quickly scanned the letter and tore it in half. The dark witch didn't even have time to complain about the stupid Dementor that's stuck inside her right now!

"Hermione-"

"They have my parents, Bella."

"We don't-"

"I know. I've had my Homenum Revelio on. There's seven of them and both my parents are bound in the living room, I can sense them. They also know we are here." Hermione's human presence detecting spell was able to pick them up, but she knew that the perpetrators knew they were already here.

They're prepared.

Hermione had to admit that their plan was sound. She had no time to prepare anything. There was no time to call for reinforcements or even set up some spells, nothing.

Hermione didn't need any of that though. With Bellatrix here and with her artifacts, nothing would beat them.

A Dementor lurking within Bellatrix would probably be overkill as well.

Nothing would beat them. These people chose the wrong witch to deal with.

"I know this handwriting." Bellatrix inwardly cursed. It was one problem after the other, but this was even more serious if Hermione's parents were taken hostage. Bellatrix could detect the magical fields as well, their enemies were more than prepared. "This is that piece of shite, Rodolphus' handwriting. I could never forget all those god awful love letters he kept tossing my way." It was tiring burning each one.

Hermione's eyes darkened as she approached the door. The tidbit from Bella already confirmed the most obvious suspicions.

Death Eaters.

It seemed like the Death Eaters were seeking death themselves.

Hermione was expecting traps to be sprung the moment she stepped through the front door, but there wasn't really much set up aside from the anti-apparating field. Hermione and Bellatrix were able to walk through the door untouched and ended up in the living room where everyone was.

"Mudblood, how nice of you to join our little party." Rodolphus along with four others were seated around the couch area while there were two more standing at the hallway to the bedroom area guarding her parents that were just standing there.

Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Selwyn and Yaxley. All the missing Inner Circle Death Eaters were all right here.

Mom. Dad. She hadn't seen both her parents since the time limbo, since the war, since she Obliviated them... Hermione and the two muggles made eye contact and the brunette knew that it really was both her parents, and both of them still didn't recognize her.

The Obliviate still wasn't removed, but that wasn't a problem. Hermione already had the solution to the Obliviate spell after all her research and testing. The only problem was how to get them out of here safely while incapacitating the Death Eaters.

Flinging out spells wouldn't be prudent since the two Death Eaters guarding her parents had wands under their necks. She would have to move fast and count on Bellatrix's support. The only thing she could do right now is try to get the rest of the Death Eaters off guard.

"Death Eater. What is the point of all this? What do you want?" Hermione had a lot of questions circling her mind. Why her? How did they find her parents? How did they even know about her parents? Hermione, herself, couldn't even find them last she searched!

"Let us not skip the pleasantries. Please, mudblood, introduce me to your escort." Rodolphus really didn't know what he got himself into. Hermione would play by the Death Eaters rules for now.

"This is Isabella Crescent Black. Daughter of Bellatrix Black and Sirius Black. So, Rodolphus?" Hermione said trying to hide a smirk on her face. She expected the pompous pureblood to have a big reaction, but there wasn't anything. The Death Eaters all surrounding him had no big reaction either.

What?

"It's Dark Lord Rodolphus to you, mudblood." Rodolphus tried to speak with an 'I'm better than you' tone, but this just caused Bellatrix to laugh. Rodolphus had more of a reaction to Bellatrix laughing than Hermione introducing a child out of wedlock.

"Dark Lord Rodolphus? Are you serious? What kind of barmy title is that?" Some of the other Death Eaters tried to hide their smirks and laughs with a cough. The Dark Lord title really was getting overused.

"At first when I heard that Bellatrix Lestrange had a daughter, I couldn't believe it. Bellatrix having offspring? With Sirius Black of all people? Impossible. I had gotten more information about you soon after, but after seeing you, Isabella, here and now, I can safely say that you look stunning Bellatrix." Somehow Rodolphus knew. The Death Eater even ignored Bellatrix's taunts.

Hermione and Bellatrix's expression quickly went serious.

"How do I know? Simple, really. The way your eyes shine before you laugh, the slight movement of your cheek when you're irritated at something, the sound of your voice and that gaze that I've never forgotten. I've been watching you for years even before we were married, do you actually think you could hide from me?"

Both witches and probably the other Death Eaters inside the room had one thought coursing through their minds right then and there.

Creepy.

"It is a slight surprise that you came along with the Mudblood. My love, you will need to appraise me to your... situation. But now, my Inner Circle is finally complete again and with my wife by my side, we will be unstoppable." Apparently, Rodolphus was still living in some delusion where he thought Bellatrix was on their side.

Bellatrix shot Hermione a look. Both witches knew that these Death Eaters would not take Hermione seriously due to her blood, and both witches needed answers before things escalated. Therefore, it was up to Bella to try and coax out some answers before everything went to hell.

"Well now, you seem to know more than you let on. Why do you need the mudblood?" Bellatrix raised a concealed wand. The other Death Eaters were slow to react, but stopped when they saw the wand pointed at the mudblood.

"Petrificus Totalus." Bellatrix's spell was instant and Hermione lay on the floor unmoving. Rodolphus' grin only grew as Bellatrix had done what he was just about to do.

"When we first heard about Isabella Crescent Black, I was already skeptical at the background released in the newspapers. I already had an inkling that you had survived the war. The mudblood, well, I received news from a reliable source to use her as a hostage. One part of the Golden Trio would be enough to lure the other two out, and we know how much the Ministry would bend over for Potter." It seemed as if Rodolphus was just too confident that he already won, that he didn't really care about keeping things secret aside from the source of his knowledge.

"Rod, are you sure-" Alecto Carrow, one of the last female Death Eaters, tried asking.

"It's fine. With the mudblood, we will be able to lure Potter here, Weasley would be an added bonus since we don't need him." Rodolphus focused his gaze towards Hermione. "I'm lucky that my source was able to pinpoint where your parents were. Back during the war, we could not even find any traces of your parents mudblood. Lo and behold, you had actually used Obliviate on them. Ingenious for a mudblood. Although, it seems that they would be your downfall in the end." Rodolphus got up and went towards Hermione, he bent his knees as he got closer to grab a hold of her head.

Bellatrix fisted both her hands so tight that it might start drawing blood.

This piece of shite is touching her!

Kill him!

She's ours!

"Look at them, mudblood. They don't even recognize who you are. They will never remember you." Rodolphus pointed Hermione's head towards her parents. It was obvious that they were scared, but it was still sad to see that they didn't recognize the girl named Hermione on the floor. Rodolphus knew he had hit sort of point within the mudblood, and decided that he would save more for the mudblood later. He quickly let go of her head which smacked the floor.

"So, dear Bella, how did you rejuvenate? You must share that secret at least. Most of us could use something to that effect." The Death Eater gestured to his other cohorts that were all ragged and looking way over their ages even if they aged slower than a regular human being due to being wizards and witches. "Oh dear, did you injure yourself?" Rodolphus said as he noticed some blood on the dark witch's lips.

The pureblood began walking towards Bellatrix to wipe off the blood, but Bellatrix had been on the verge of blowing up. She knew they needed more information. Why couldn't they just incapacitate them all and use Legilimency? Forcing into their minds could damage them a little, but who cares?

Why are we playing it safe?

Bellatrix immediately slapped the hand that was going to wipe the blood off her bit lip and the fire reignited in her eyes.

Rodolphus only grinned. "Hah! There's the expression I've been looking for. The anger, the hate and all the bitterness you had for me since you met me! There's the Bellatrix I know and love. I guess there is no point in fooling each other anymore, right?"

Hatred in Bellatrix's eyes grew. The farce they were trying to put on was almost about to fail. Bellatrix knew that Hermione could easily break out of the feeble spell she had cast. They would need to put down all these Death Eaters quick. Her vector magic had been getting rusty lately, but she knew she could still take out these weak Death Eaters.

"I've heard the rumors as well, Bella. Don't think I'm that stupid. I also couldn't believe it at first... The scion of the Black family, rolling around in the dirt? The right hand of the Dark Lord, having relations with a female? You have been naughty, Bella, but don't worry. I will set you straight." Bellatrix wanted to destroy the stupid grin on his face, and she decided, why not?

Her magic energy began to gather within her artifacts. Her eyes looking for vector points where she could ricochet her magic and deal the most damage.

"I do hope you're not planning anything. I do thank you for incapacitating the mudblood for me. I also believe I should be taking a bit of a more forceful approach to you now. Especially with the luscious young body you now have. Two Death Eaters that were seated on the couch directed their wands towards Hermione, the other two flanked Rodolphus and aimed towards her.

If they die, too bad. Bellatrix would just plead self-defense.

The last two of the seven Death Eaters still had their wands to Hermione's Parent's necks. She couldn't afford to fuck up there.

The best way to engage this fight would be a distraction, and she knew just what would work. Rodolphus and the Death Eaters may have already known about Hermione and her being together since they barely hid the fact in the first place, but they wouldn't know about a bloody Dementor.

Volana... Attack!

I am not a pet.

Just go!

The Death Eaters were not anticipating a Dementor to suddenly appear out of thin air. Panic quickly ensued.

Hermione and Bellatrix were quickly forgotten as all Death Eaters began firing off spells to ward off the Dementor.

Hermione had given up the farce of being stunned after negating the spell her girlfriend had thrown towards her. She was a tad bit surprised that Bellatrix had actually went for the diplomatic route for once, too bad it had failed.

There was no time to dawdle, both her parents were still in the thick of it.

Velox.

Hermione quickly sped herself up quickly appearing right in front of both her parents and the Death Eaters that used them as human shields.

Both her hands were already ready with spells.

"Stupefy!" Both spells simultaneously shot forward into the both the surprised Death Eaters faces that still had their wands aimed at the rogue Dementor. Both Death Eaters shot backwards, one slamming into a vase and the other straight outside the window.

Bella!

Hermione directed her focus onto the battle in the middle of the living room. Couches, chairs and tables had been tossed all around. Four Death Eaters were still conscious in cover, Rodolphus being one of them, one of the five left had collapsed, possibly due to a spell from Bellatrix.

Using Volana as a distraction was great. The shade would not only gain battle experience, but would be able to showcase or learn more of her unknown skills. Too bad Volana was being held back by some type of flashlight that seemed to be emulating a Patronus-type light.

Another Death Eater fell as Bellatrix's Stupefy bounced around her vectors. The last three Death Eaters had to huddle behind on cover since two were using Protego at all times to survive the vector onslaught Bellatrix was dishing out. Apparently, Rodolphus had gotten better at magic and was keeping Bellatrix at bay with wordless spells that kept chipping at her cover.

The Death Eaters weren't Death Eaters for nothing. These people, even though vile and completely annoying had survived two Wizarding Wars. This was going to be their final stand though.

No one would mess with her family without consequences.

Rodolphus continued firing off spells to keep Bella in her cover, trying to stun her. The last two supporting Death Eater Rodolphus had was more adept at blocking the ricocheting spells Bellatrix continued to fire off, there wasn't much space to ricochet spells in the first place which made it harder, Rodolphus' continued barrage didn't help either. Hermione and her parents were also in too close of a proximity to use stronger spells.

Bellatrix was in a bind.

I wish I could just blow all this shite up!

Hermione was about to move, to help Bella finish off the last of the Death Eaters when her shoulder was grasped.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you!" Oh mom. The sight of her mother, Emma Granger, made Hermione pause. She hadn't seen her mother in so long. She didn't know how long it would have taken her to find her own parents. Harry had volunteered to help her when he could, but no one could trace where they had went. The brunette might actually have to thank the Death Eaters for making her life easier.

There would be a time for nostalgia later, she needed to focus and-

"Hermione!" Hermione took her focus off her parents just in time to see Rodolphus grab his remaining ally and tossed him forward towards Bellatrix that distracted the dark witch long enough for Rodolphus to head towards Hermione while the other Death Eater also aimed towards Hermione after throwing the Patronus-type flashlight into Volana that stunned the Dementor.

Hermione had made her mistake by not fully concentrating on the battle.

"Sectum Sempra!" The other Death Eater casted while Rodolphus began swishing his wand throwing spells at random towards her. Her parents were too close and her passive Protego did not extend to other people.

She needed to protect them.

"Protego!" Hermione had been able to bring up her shield in an instant, deflecting all the projectiles thrown at her and her parents, if she was a lesser witch, all three of them would have been gravely injured. Rage filled her at how these incompetent pieces of trash dared fire on civilians! They probably thought she was still the weakling that she was before! That they could use her as leverage to keep Bellatrix under control, but she wasn't as weak as she was before.

She had power. A lot of power.

Hermione's right hand maintained the Protego in front of her parents, protecting her parents that were both in shock on the floor trying to minimize the area in which they could get hit. She was locked into place protecting two people that she could in no way abandon. She had no cover, two enemies advancing towards her and so much to lose.

The brunette needed to take them out.

"Stupefy!" Her left hand began to send out spells, but the other Death Eater quickly resumed the Protego. She had a very limited amount of spell choice since everything was in too close of a proximity. Both Rodolphus and the other Death Eater had to go defensive, Hermione could see that Bellatrix almost got through the deadweight that was occupying her and Volana had recovered from the device thrown at her.

This would end soon.

There was a quick alternative though, but she was hesitating.

An Avada Kedavra would instantly tear through the Protego and kill her target. Hermione had never outright killed a person before, not even during the war. The most they would fire out would be stunning spells and such, but that wasn't the problem. Hermione knew she could kill without hesitation when she needed to, but the problem was...

Mom. Dad.

Her parents would be there to see her kill someone.

Another mistake she made in hesitating.

"Avada-" No.

The Death Eater that was holding her dad while ago that flew into a vase wasn't fully knocked out and had regained consciousness.

Hermione barely had anytime to extend her own passive Protego towards the back of her mother. The passive Protego that usually fully enveloped Hermione was quickly focused in one spot, it needed to be focused or an Avada Kedavra would be impossible to block.

"-Kedavra!" HOLD! The jet green spell slammed into her passive Protego from behind while her right hand continued to maintain the Protego in front of her parents that continued blocking incoming spells from Rodolphus now that she had to focus on defense.

Hermione could hear the Death Eater beside Rodolphus go down where either Bellatrix or Volana could have taken them down, but she couldn't afford to lose focus.

The witch didn't lose focus, but instead of the spell dissipating, it was redirected to the side. The Avada Kedavra had deflected off her passive empowered Protego over her mother...

...But went straight for her unprotected father.

Hermione could only watch as the very life of her father disappeared, as her mother screamed his name. Hermione could see the expression of triumph from the Death Eater behind them.

No, no, no!

"Sectum Sempra!" Hermione then realized that her own passive Protego was fully protecting her mother from behind and her other maintained Protego was protecting the front of both her mom and dad.

She had no Protego defending her. She knew she was about to feel the sting of the slicing jinx. She had seen that spell in action from Harry, from Snape and even from when Draco had been the target of it.

Hermione knew she would survive the spell anyway. Her body had layers and layers of protective spells, she wouldn't come out unscathed from a direct hit of Sectum Sempra, but Bellatrix and Volana should be able to finish what was left. She had at least protected her mother.

Instead of feeling slicing magic tear into her skin, she instead felt a splash of liquid onto her face.

Emma didn't know what was going on. Before they were taken, both of them were enjoying their extended vacation in Australia when everything just went dark. The next thing she knew, she was in a quaint house with her husband surrounded by grungy people that looked like squatters.

At first her husband had demanded answers, but their captors merely swung a tiny stick and her husband was tossed back.

Both of them had decided to stay quiet and try to figure out what was happening, but before they could figure out anything, two of their captors grabbed them and brought them to the hallway with their sticks pointed towards their necks.

Everything that happend after was a blur when a girl with brown hair and a girl with black hair had entered.

Emma's eyes quickly came into contact with the brunette's eyes. She could see recognition and... sadness? She didn't have the faintest idea why the girl would recognize her when she didn't recognize the girl. Emma knew she had pretty good memory too. The female side in her family would always inherit the smarts.

It all escalated so fast when things began to explode and be flung around. All she could do was collapse to the floor and try to protect herself.

She could see the brunette girl come to her and her husband's defense, but there were so many captors still trying to overpower the girl.

Why was the brunette trying so hard to protect them? Was she a cop of some kind? The girl looked too young though.

Emma could only scream when her husband was struck down with some kind of green light. Grief, so much grief filled her.

Her husband was lost, she would be all alone in this world without him.

"Sectum-" Emma knew that the leader guy of their captors was trying to fire off another round of something from his small stick and Emma saw how the white dome-like shield was not protecting the brunette, since she had placed them all on her and her husband, trying to protect her. Emma really didn't know why, but before she knew it, she had stood up and draped herself in front of her protector.

Emma had to protect this girl that did her best to protect them. She did wish she had time to know her unknown protector rather than just call her 'girl' all the time. Emma always did want a daughter.

"-Sempra!"

It hurt. Oh god the pain. Emma had never felt this much pain before, not when she was a kid that fell off her bike, not when she had a car crash because of a speeding drunk, she had never felt this...

...she had.

How could she forget?

She had felt almost the exact same pain when she gave birth to her baby girl. Her baby girl with bushy brown hair that they always tried to tame with a brush. Her little bookworm that kept making her daddy listen to her read her own stories refusing to let him read to her. Her little angel that had gone to magic school to make her parents proud, Emma could still remember her little girl leaving on the train.

How could she have forgotten? Emma wasn't all alone after all.

The girl that came to protect them, the girl she had raised...

"Her...mione.."

My baby.

Memory charms can be broken through severe torture.

Hermione could tell that it was fatal, the Death Eater spell was on the powerful side and her mother, just a simple muggle, would have no innate magical defenses against it.

"Her...mione..." The warm caress on her cheek slipped away.

Imperio - Imperius Curse, forbidden spell, take control of targets movements.

Homenum Revelio - Human Presence Revealing Spell

Sectum Sempra - Slicing spell

Stupefy - Stunning spell

Velox - Quick, Haste

AN: It was a bit hard to write this chapter. It felt kind of iffy at a lot of sections. I wanted to explain more at certain times, but just couldn't for some reason. I wasn't supposed to end it there, but it reached 5k words already, so I decided to cut it in half. Sorry for late-ish post though! A bit more revelations next chapter.

Emma is Hermione's mother and Watson is Hermione's father. I searched for their real names, but the only thing that came up were their fake names when they went to Australia. So, I just used the two names for obvious reasons.

Everything will be getting serious from here on out. I will try to maintain the light air as much as possible, but this is a Slightly Dark!Hermione story. The question from the summary may soon be answered.

Hermione and Bellatrix may be adept at casting multiple spells at great magnitudes, but this fight just had so many things against them. Both of them are extremely powerful with all their magics, but they aren't invincible.

I'm still not adept at writing battles, so I hope this was satisfactory, if not then I might have to reedit this chapter. I'm always looking for feedback, so please R & R!